That Time I Shot My Kids {with my camera of course}

During Thanksgiving break I managed to get all three kids out in the yard for a little impromptu photo session.

I was hoping to get at least one shot that was Christmas card worthy.

I did even better.

I got five.









A then there's this one...



If a picture really is worth a thousand words...
This one says it all.

{Homeschool} Prom 2012

Tyler attended his Sophomore prom this weekend.

He was dreamy.

Honestly, just when I think he's about as handsome as a young man can get, he goes and gets even handsomer.



Ashten was stunning.



They clean up pretty nice I think.



Last year they went as really good friends.

This year his intentions are a little different so he asked her father's permission to give her flowers and escort her to prom.

This courtship thing really is a beautiful thing to witness.













Everyone looked amazing.

Including my friend's daughter Autumn.

Remember Autumn?

I was privileged enough to watch and capture her vow to remain pure till marriage.

She was a snaggle toothed lanky little girl when we met her family 6 years ago.

Ahem...not so much now.

Such a beautiful young woman...inside and out.



There is a nasty rumor going around that homeschoolers aren't very social.

No fun at all.

Downright prudish.

I beg to differ.

I wish there had been homeschoolers at my prom.





A few of our Seniors.



Senior dance.

With their parents.

::gasp::

Imagine that...these kids actually enjoy not that they have a choice in the matter having their parents involved in this special night.

Teens really do thrive within loving not suffocating/ too restrictive boundaries.



One of our Juniors even invited her dad to be her date for the night.

He thought she was joking.

Nope.

He tore up the dance floor with his daughter till the very end.

He gets dad of the year for sure.

Although I'm pretty sure I saw him bust out the robot once.



I snapped this picture on our way home.

Yes, I did it again ..stayed up all. night. long. with these kiddos at prom after party.

Loved every stinkin minute of it too.

Although I think my body wishes my brain would get the memo that I am now 36 years old.




Tuxedo Rental: $160

Prom Tickets: $100

Watching the sun come up with my sixteen year old: Priceless.



"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Fall in Tennessee {Sweet Shot Tuesday}

I took this picture in Gatlinburg last month while driving through Roaring Fork Loop.

Historic house + yellow and turquoise paint = big puffy heart love.

Fall + Tennessee = Gorgeous.



"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

One Hot Momma

I had a photo session this morning.
With one hot momma.





My momma.



"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Eight Years of Tradition {Destin}

After 12 years of marriage my husband may not have me figured out entirely, but there is one thing he knows without a doubt...

Momma needs the beach.

If momma does not get to stick her toes in the sand at least once within a 12 month stretch, momma gets cranky.

And so every year we head to Destin.



This year's trip meant eight years of tradition for us.



Eight years of sitting on the beach at sunrise with my best friend. Coffee in hand.

Eight years of hanging at The Donut Hole.

Eight years of tradition.

Don't you just love a place that becomes so familiar and comfortable to you that it feels like going home?

A place where you can navigate your way around on back roads and the kids say things like, "Are we gonna hunt crabs tonight like we always do?"

It gives me so much joy to see them anticipating us doing something, simply because "we always do".



This was our first time to Destin back in 2004.

::sigh::

::tear::



Seriously this is brutal.

There are times when time feels like a friend.

And times when it feels like a thief.

Back then we were changing diapers and doing our best to keep pacifiers out of the sand.

Now, we are watching them skim board and taking them on spontaneous donut runs at midnight.

Time marches on...with our without my permission.
_______________________________________________

Of course what would a trip to Destin be without "family picture night"?

I have to be honest, this endeavor can be a real killjoy. I have yet to figure out how to enjoy this more.

If you are a photographer, and you have the secret to shooting your own family without threatening them within and inch of their lives, feel free to help a sister out.














Speaking of tradition, this is a shot I get every year without fail. I insist even though they grumble. So amazing to look at last year's picture and see how much they have grown.

Tradition

Does your family have a traditional vacation spot?

A traditional family portrait?






"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

My Daughter is Fearless and I'm Still in High School. {The County Fair}

My daughter was gifted with the artistic gene.

No denying it.

The girl has such an eye for photography.

Not to mention her love of all things creative.

So this week when the County Fair rolled into town, we decided to enter a few of her pieces.

She needed a black and white print and a color.



So I took her on a photo walk downtown.



This was her color entry.



And this was her black and white.

I know I'm a little biased and all, but I think they are fabulous.



And this little zebra print beauty is her "duct tape purse".

Yes, you heard me right...that entire purse is made out of duct tape.

Is it "duct" tape?

Or "duck" tape?

I have always said "duct" tape but the label says "duck".

I'm so confused.

Anyhoo, she entered this under "Recycled Crafts".

Unfortunately, neither of her photos placed in the competition.

This is where, if we were having this conversation in person, I would roll my eyes and talk smack about the judges and their obvious lack of an "eye" for good photography.

However, this lovely little bag, that she labored over for days, took home a gorgeous red "Second Place" ribbon.

And I took home a girl with an ear to ear grin.

*****************************

On a side note:

While we were registering Maggie's exhibits at the fair, she noticed some adults entering their photos as well. She said, "I didn't know grown-ups could enter pictures and stuff too!" I explained to her that yes, there were categories for adults to enter as well. She then managed to spend the entire car ride home insisting that I too enter my photos.

In that moment...while entertaining the thought of entering my photos...I was made well aware of the reason I had been so set on getting Maggie's photos ready for entry, yet had never once considered entering my own.

Fear.

Fear of rejection.

Fear of criticism.

My pictures are an extension of inner most parts of my soul. The way I see life through my lens.

Putting them here on my blog for all to see is not the same as putting them on display to be critiqued. That felt more like saying, "This is what I deem as beautiful...do you agree?"

Just thinking about it left me feeling like the 5th grader that hoped someone would ask her to sit at their table for lunch.

The girl that searched for acceptance and validation.

Yes folks, sometimes in my head it is Jr. High and High School all over again....me sitting on the sidelines paralyzed with fear.

In that moment, I decided that my daughter would not see that fear manifested.

I drove home, printed out a few photos, and drove back to the fairgrounds.

This time to enter my own exhibits.

I took home two white "Third Place" ribbons. One for this photo and one for this one as well.

But it was about so much more than the validation that came with the ribbons.

So long sidelines.

I'm linking this post up here:











"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

2011-2012 Curriculum

It's that time again.

Year 6 of our Homeschool journey.

No big changes to our curriculum this year. Just my choice for Bible. Maybe it is just me but I can not seem to find a Bible "curriculum" that I even remotely like. Yet every year I feel this weird pressure to pay money for one, one only to ditch it by Christmas. Am I the only dummy doing this? Please don't answer that.

After much prayer I decided to go with my gut this time. I'm digging into God's word and counting it as "Bible"...imagine that!

We will also use these wonderful resources:

Character Building for Families Volume 1

Simply Charlotte Mason Scripture Memory System

Seeds Verse Checklist

Jesus Calling for Kids

For Character building I also highly recommend this:

Complete Character Training Package

Shirley Solis is a dear lady/mentor that I have come to know and love through our local Homeschool Expo. She and her family own an amazing bookstore. This is not a curriculum for your children but instead it is a "how to" for moms. So many of us did not have proper character training ourselves growing up and therefore we struggle with instilling it in our children. I had the privilege of previewing this package and I can not recommend it enough to you. I took gobs of notes while listening to her. Life changing content for me. Plus, I've met her kiddos and the proof is in the pudding people.

In this, she speaks of ministering to the hearts of our children in the midst of disciplining them and building their character. This was a defining moment for me as a mother. The Lord convicted me so deeply. This was an area I was failing my children in. So many times I have been quick to discipline or correct them without allowing the Lord to show me how to best minister to their hearts in that moment as well. Again, I can not recommend this enough to you as a mom.

____________________


Everything else seemed to work well last year so, you know...if it ain't broke right?


**For those that may be visiting here for the first time, we are blessed beyond measure to be part of an "18 years and still going strong" Homeschool Tutorial. LCA offers college prep courses and meets once a week leaving us at home the remaining four days. Best of both worlds.
As of right now our 15 year old is the only one in the actual Tutorial classes. Our younger children attend the Elementary program they offer which is considered "enrichment".**



The Sophomore {Tyler}

Geometry -Teaching Textbooks

World History II -Abeka (Taken at Tutorial)

Spanish II -Rosetta Stone

English 10 - An all encompassing Literature based class using great pieces of Literature combined with MLA format writing. (Taken at Tutorial)

Biology with Labs -Apologia (Taken at Tutorial)

Typing - Typing Master (First time using)



The 6th Grader {Maggie}

Math 6 -Teaching Textbooks

Language 6 -Abeka

Handwriting -Abeka and Copywork

Science -Sonlight (Core D) After 3 years of World History we are pumped about getting into American History this year.

History -Sonlight (Core D)

Reading -Sonlight (Core D Advanced Readers)

Vocabulary -Wordly Wise

Spelling -Spelling Power {Love}

Drama (Tutorial)

Writing- IEW/Excellence in Writing (Taken at Tutorial)

Keyboarding for Children -Gamma Keys (First time using)



The 3rd/4th Grader {Aidan}

Aidan has a late birthday so if he were in public school he would only be in 3rd grade. Since we homeschool, and since he is the youngest of three, he was begging to do "school" long before it was time. I have always just followed his lead. So he does most of his subjects on a 4th grade level and a couple of them he does on a 3rd grade level.

Math 4 -Teaching Textbooks

Language 3 -Abeka

Handwriting -Abeka 3 and Copywork

Science -Sonlight (Core D)

History -Sonlight (Core D)

Reading -Sonlight (Core D Regular Readers)

Vocabulary -Wordly Wise

Spelling -Spelling Power

Art and Music -(Tutorial)

Keyboarding for Kids -Gamma Keys

Be sure to check out all of the great Curriculum posts linked up over at Heart of the Matter this week.




"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Psalm 113:3 {Sweet Shot Tuesday}

"From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised." ~Psalm 113:3




"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

A Little Slice of Heaven {Watermelon}

I was cutting up a watermelon this morning and all that red fleshy goodness inspired me.

I love the contrast of the red and the green. And the occasional black seed.

I couldn't find a bowl that was large enough to fit the whole thing so I dug out my Thanksgiving turkey platter.

It felt a bit sacrilegious to be placing summer's sweetest treat inside the sacred Turkey Day platter but it was way too early am and my brain wasn't functioning well enough to worry about the etiquette of seasonal dishes.












"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"