he's baaaaaackkkkkkk!!!!

The Elf that is.



For those that don't have this tradition in their home I highly recommend it! Mr. Elf comes to your house around Thanksgiving and keeps a close eye on everyone during the day (he can even see you at school) then through special elf magic flies back to the N. Pole to report to the Big Man on your behavior during the day. By the time you wake up, he's back and sitting in a new spot.

Our dear friends gave him to us last year and he's an even bigger hit this year!

You can get your very own elf here. He even comes with a really neat book that explains everything.

outtakes or what-will-not-be-seen-on-our-christmas-card

Lest you think I have some magic fairy wand that I wave over small children to get them to pose for photographs, I submit into evidence the following from my attempt at a Christmas card photo shoot yesterday.



A shot of the elusive, phantom husband. Yes, Margie, he does exist!!








So, it's back to the drawing board for photo ideas.

On another note, I scored some AWESOME Black Friday deals online AND had PF Changs for lunch. It was pretty perfect.

pretty pictures

I have been very blessed recently with several beautiful families who have hired me to photograph their families. Have you been to my other blog lately? If not, go take a look and let me know what you think!!

I'm planning to take some photos of my own kids in the next few days, too, and will post them at the end of the week.

coral reefs

One of the teachers at Paige's school is going on a week-long trip to the Bahamas this week to study the coral reefs.

I took some pictures of her with her class before she left.

She even showed off her snorkel gear in front of the whole school.

The cool part is that you can go with her. Just go to her blog and she's going to upload pictures and videos of her trip for her class. You can ask questions and learn some cool stuff about coral reefs.

attack of the bee

Yesterday after I picked up Paige from school, I stopped to talk to one of the other moms. We were deep in conversation talking about outfits for the Christmas Program when we heard a scream come from the back seat.

It was not a normal "I've about had it sitting in this car seat while you two chat, so you better do what's good for you and head home" scream. It was definitely a pain inflicted scream.

So I jump out and open the door next to Brooke's car seat where I find her clutching her right hand in desperation.

And then I see it. THE STINGER.

I try to calmly, but firmly hold her hand while I pry that little thing out of her finger.

Because this has never happened to either of my girls, I have no idea if she is allergic so I unbuckle her and head for the school nurse's office where she promptly applied an ice pack, sticker and a lots of TLC.

Luckily she's fine, but boy howdy was there some drama. And of course, being the good mom that I am, I make her pose for pictures before the tears have even dried.

See the tear?


The finger.


It was absolutely awful!!!

gettin' real

Such a busy month. Photo sessions are picking up and we've had lots of school events lately. J's been working non-stop, too. I can already feel Christmas season sneaking up on me. I joined a gym that had kid care so I could return to a regular excercise program, but "things" keep getting in the way of that intention.

I feel like priorities are getting shuffled and it's starting to wear me out.

I got the best email today from Lifeway. Talk about divine timing. I thought I'd share some of it with my internets.

Let’s “Get Real” about motivation.
• Realize the truth.
• Eliminate excuses.
• Ask for accountability.
• Live with a plan.

Realize the truth. Motivation is not a constant feeling. It ebbs and flows like ocean tides. Sometimes you are pumped up, excited and really want to go workout. You are progressing toward a goal and seeing obvious success. Other times you see your workout as an obligation and dread the work that it will be. Progress may be slow. There is no desire to push or challenge yourself and you are tired before you even start. You can’t only rely on your motivation level or desire to decide whether or not you will keep your exercise commitment. Explore other motivational tools to keep you on track when your “want to” doesn’t want to.

Eliminate excuses. “I’m just too busy today.” “I don’t feel like it.” “I’m not losing weight like I thought so what’s the point.” “It’s too cold (or wet, or hot, or dark.)” Any of these thoughts and many others are common signs that motivation is low. If you have these thoughts, acknowledge them and then choose to exercise anyway. You then experience the satisfaction of completing your commitment to yourself and enjoy the benefits of more energy, a clearer mind, and a stronger, fitter body.

Ask for accountability. When motivation is low accountability is your best resource for staying on track. Accountability can come in several forms. Meet a friend at the gym or park for a walk. Hire a personal trainer and keep scheduled appointments to exercise. Tell a family member or friends that you will be exercising and then share your experience with them afterwards.

Live with a plan. If you have your exercise plan already established, (number of days a week, amount of time each session, and what activity you will do) then work your plan even when you don’t want to. If you don’t have an exercise plan in place so you flounder each time to begin to exercise, then motivation is very challenging to continue. You are, most likely, very frustrated and see little point or personal benefits from exercise. It’s been said, “When you fail to plan you plan to fail.”


I met with my personal trainer on Monday. She's wonderful and I really enjoyed her help. I can't wait to work with her again....when I can find the time...sigh.

the most wonderful time of the year

It's beginning to feel alot like Christmas!

Okay, not really. But some of my favorite bloggers are feelin' festive!




I can't wait to see all these great Southern homes decked out for the holidays.

Also, The Nester is going to teach me (& about a thousand other Nester-lovers) how to make this gorgeous garland.

our mermaid and her lobster

We spent Halloween at our school's Homecoming game. They had lots of games and trick-or-treating for the kiddos in the stadium and it was nice to not have to get them both in and out of carseats all night.