7 Months... And Counting!

I took this today using my tripod and timer. It didn't turn out at all like I had visioned but maybe that's because I am a photographer and not a model.
This is my self portrait, at 7 months. It's been a pretty "normal" pregnancy. He's pretty mellow as long as I'm up and moving around but the second I sit down, he starts to kick up a storm! I think this little guy is definitely going to have to be rocked to sleep!
I'm counting the days.... can't wait to meet him!

Today I Fell In Love, With A Building

You almost feel as though you've stepped back in time, as you stand in her shadow.

Peek through a broken window, you'll see something like this.

I love how the stone has aged, showing the texture of each block.

You can't help but think about what she was like in her glory days.

The Keystone Hotel, 1870. Famous early-day stagecoach inn of J. L. N. Gracy.
Windows have keystone arches. Native rock was hauled to the site by oxen.
In the rear was a grave of a boy killed by Indians.

She's Growing Up!

I look up at my little girl.. yes up. It's hard to believe that at the age of 13, she's already taller than me. I forget quite often that she's not a little girl anymore. I forget that she's capable of doing things for herself, which annoys her terribly! She never fails to amaze me. I'm stunned to see how generous she is, lord knows she didn't get that from me. Although she is very beautiful, she has an even grander personality. I look up at her today and see one of the most amazing young women I've ever met.

She thought it would be fun to dress up as a "Real Texan" for these pictures. Lol I love her creativity!

My sweet daughter,
I hope you know that... you ALWAYS have, and ALWAYS will be, my sunshine. I love you!

6 Months And Counting

So here we are, waiting for our 3rd little boy! I can't believe how fast the past 6 months have gone by! We have another sonogram scheduled for tomorrow. I'm so excited to see how much our little guy has grown! I feel like most of my growing has been in my rear end and thighs. I just don't think my belly has gotten as big as I remember with the others. I guess we'll see though, there's still a few months to go. The boys were 8lbs 14oz and 9lbs 4oz, so I'm guessing that this one will be somewhere around there too??

Busy Busy Busy

So it's been a while and we've been busy busy busy! It looks like spring is finally here, in Texas. So we've been taking advantage of the nice weather! Naturally we've been grilling and playing outside with the kids but we've also started some projects! Yay! I say this with enthusiasm because most outdoor projects involve my husband sweating and not me!
Yesterday, James started laying the brick for one of our flower beds. Our 4 year old was absolutely thrilled that this was a project he could help with. It was so fun to watch the father-son duo work together. They made such a great team! Too bad our youngest was taking a nap, I'm sure he would have loved to help too!
Speaking of another little helper, we have news! We are expecting another little boy in June. Yes, we are pregnant! 2010 is looking like a great year for us.

Fort Hood, Texas

Yesterday there were 13 people killed and another 30 more injured. This happened here, in our community, our home. My husband was on post at the time this occurred and until he called, after 5pm, I wasn't completely sure if he was safe or not. Everyone here is trying to make sense of what went wrong. Is there anything that could have been done to prevent this? Is there anything that CAN be done to prevent things like this from happening again? One thing that we have to remember, as we think about this terrible event, is that this was one of our own. Regardless of his race, religion, or name... this was a fellow soldier. How do you protect yourself from one of your own?
I found out about the shootings at 2pm. Listening to the radio, on my way to pick up our 4 year old son from preschool. I don't think reality sank in until I got to the school and it was on lock down. I sat there, on a bench, in disbelief. Standing around me were many other parents talking about it all. I just sat, listened, and tried to fight back the tears. The moment I saw my son's sweet, innocent smile, the tears began to flow. I saw that face, and all I could think was.... some sweet child just lost their mommy or daddy.
My heart goes out to the families who have have a loved one who was lost or injured yesterday.

Pumpkin Patch

It was suppose to be almost 80 degrees. Too warm to sit inside and waste the day away. So we decided to take full advantage of it and headed to the pumpkin patch. For those of you who live in central Texas, you MUST visit the Silo Christmas Tree Farm and Pumpkin Patch. It was one of the best I've ever been to. The kids loved it! They had hay rides, train rides, pony rides, a maze, pumpkin painting, water races, a petting zoo, and the best part of all... freshly grilled burgers! We had such a great time.