Just a mom and her camera...

Recently, I’ve had the privilege of doing photo shoots for some dear friends and family members... this is something that I absolutely LOVE!

I’m a natural light photographer and prefer to be outside for most photo sessions. I charge $45 for 1-2 hours at the location of your choice.  I will do some light editing and deliver the photo CD to you, with all of your pictures included.  

I will also be traveling to Knoxville over the Christmas break for any “hometown” families interested.

Email me to schedule... it’s not too late for Christmas card pictures!  

The Burr Family... I absolutely LOVE this family!  Kimberly is such a precious friend to me!  I adore her genuine spirit and faithfulness...plus, she and Mike make beautiful kiddos!  :-)

(thanks again for the yummy cupcakes!)

Happy Birthdays Abound!

This weekend was the birthday weekend.  Emma’s birthday was on Thursday (Dec 4th) and we celebrated it on Friday night with a sleepover with a total of 12 first grade girls.  (Thanks to Jackie and Cali for helping out.) 

And if having them sleep over wasn’t enough, we took them ALL to Build-A Bear Workshop!  Are we crazy?!?!?

One of the highlights for me... as we were making our way through the mall in one giant 1st grader train, the girls were singing Christmas Carols as loud as they could. 

My ears are still ringing from all the shrieks, shrills, and screams.  Signs of Life for sure.  It took most of Saturday for us to recover.

 

Kristin’s birthday was today (Dec 7th).  We celebrated with a low key morning and then brunch with the fam at Puckett’s in downtown Franklin.  

Emma wanted to surprise Kristin with some cupcakes before she woke up this morning.  She got a Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker for a gift on Friday night.  Here is what the pics on the box lead us to believe would be our experience:

I’ll spare you the scene that would rival anything from CSI, the tears, the cupcake mix all over the place, the hilarity, the unrealistic recommended measurements, the pain of stepping on cheap sprinkles as Mac covered the kitchen floor when I wasn’t looking as he “sprinkled” the cupcakes.  The smell of burnt, microwavable memories.  Oh the humanity!  

I will just jump to the finished product:

Who wants one?  C’mon, you know you do.

Here’s what the Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker will look like when it goes into this Spring’s garage sale:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and I love it!

-d-

Guatemala Part Dos

One month from today, I should be in Guatemala again... Woo Hoo!!!  :-)

God has surprised me with an AMAZING opportunity and we leave in less than a month!  A MONTH PEOPLE...  I literally JUST found out about the trip and I’m a tad bit overwhelmed with the details (throw in Emma’s birthday and Christmas before and well, you get the picture...).

Pray for me as I finalize plans, flights, etc.  I am VERY excited about being in the country again... and I am VERY sad to leave my sweet husband and kiddos behind.  Please pray for my heart... I will be gone for 12 days and I’m already anticipating the loneliness without them.

I will write more soon... I can’t wait to tell you why I’m going and what I get to do...  God is SO good... and SO fun!  :-)

I’ve gotta get to bed... my girl turns 7 tomorrow!!!  

Love,

Kristin

Thankful

Thankful for these...

And, this HOT rockstar...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Who (or what) are you thankful for today???

kv

Trust

trust  (tr

 st)  n.

1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.

2. Custody; care.

3. Something committed into the care of another; charge.

4.    a. The condition and resulting obligation of having confidence placed in one:

        b. One in which confidence is placed.

5. Reliance on something in the future; hope.

6. Reliance on the intention and ability of a purchaser to pay in the future; credit.

7. 7.Law
   

I’m sitting in a neighborhood coffee shop (as I do most Tuesday/Thursdays) thinking, contemplating, and wrestling with this word...

I’m face to face with my...

...lack of

and my 

...need for.

And, ALL OF THE ABOVE definitions seem to apply in my life currently.  

Do I trust others?

Do I trust myself?

Do I trust God?

Realizing my lack of... and my need for... makes grace that much sweeter today.

-Kristin

Photo Shoot With Miss Kyla

Aunt Amy and cousin Kyla came down today to play in the leaves and take some Fall pictures... We had a blast walking thru Leiper’s Fork and letting the kids run wild.  I love this pint sized sassy girl!  She is FULL of FUN!!!

Flat TIRE-D!

This is my day...

I wake up to my sweet son peeing in his bed....AGAIN!  Then, I rush off to get him cleaned up, put the new sheets on the bed (again!), argue with my precious daughter over crocs vs. tennis shoes, drop both children off at school, and have a mom friend say to me... “You look TIRED today?!?!”

WTHeck???  It definitely sounded more like a statement than a question.    How does one answer this “question-statement”....???  “Thanks???” 

Just wait, it gets better...

I manage to have 45 (glorious) minutes of uninterrupted quiet time at Border’s when God meets me in my “mood” and all kinds of emotions (feelings) begin to rise up out of me.  I quickly slip out of the bookstore before someone notices me, glasses on and snot running out of my nose.  Yeah, I’m looking HOT!

I meet my friend Eve to help with some YL admin stuff where I curse at the PC, the printer and the Excel spreadsheet for a little over 3 hours.  (My dad’s love language is “spreadsheet” by the way... sadly, I did not inherit his gift).  My dear husband came to the rescue though and we finished right before picking Mac up from preschool.  And, speaking of preschool...

Mac is only on his 3rd day of school when I receive a call from his teacher this afternoon... (while in mid cuss word with the PC)... she tells me that “Mac was playing outside during recess and was stung by a bee”.  “Is he crying?” I ask.  “No, not now”, says Ms. Amy.  “Ok, I’ll see you at 2:00”, I say.  Ohhh, the mommy guilt begins to set in... really, what kind of mom would not rush to their child’s aid?  Me.  Ughhhh.  

So, we are on our way to pick Mac up from school when D’s head starts bleeding...literally people... blood is running down his face.  I go in alone to get Mac (not wanting to scare any of the tots with my bloody husband)....and, my sweet boy is sound asleep on his nap mat.  I throw him over my shoulder and head back to the Mini to check on D.  The blood has stopped (for the time being) and I buckle my bee-stung son into his car seat.  We head off to a very late lunch...finally!  Food.  In.  My.  Belly.  

Mac wakes up to inform me that “the fly got him”.  “You mean bee”, I say.  “No, a fly”, he insists... so, a fly it is then!  :)

After “dunch” or “linner” (not lunch and not dinner), we leave to pick up Emma from school.  D and I are chatting it up in the car (beautiful day, windows rolled down) when we hear this crazy, screeching noise.  “What is that?!?!” we both say simultaneously.  Darrell proceeds to say “what is that??”  like a hundred more times when we realize that our “beloved” mini van has a flat tire!!!  So, we are on our way down Hwy 96, riding on the rim of our car.  NICE!!!  

I dial Emma’s school to tell her to ride the bus home when an old man pulls up next to us, hanging out of his car window, screaming at the top of his lungs.  Yeah, like we don’t have a CLUE that our tire is completely FLAT!!! 

I start cracking up... the ABSURDITY of my day has finally hit me!!!  Plus, I’m SO embarrassed.... I sink down in the front seat (laughing hysterically) hoping no one will recognize us. 

We finally get home and D begins to inflate the flat tire (with a bicycle pump no doubt) so he can drive it to the mechanic.  I go out to tell him bye and notice that blood is dripping again from his head to his eyebrow (for you SNL fans...cue the “Head Wound Hairy” skit).  He wipes up the blood as he pulls back out of the driveway...meanwhile, I go back into the house to find out Mac has pooped in his pants.    Can I be even more graphic for you... he has pooped a TON!!!  In his pants, down his legs, on his shorts and on his socks!  The boy knows how to poop... 

By this point, I am TOTALLY DONE... I’m officially a “Hot Mess” as we say in our family...

What else you say?!?!  Well, we left the house very late for Emma’s skating lessons... I drove like a mad woman while D was lacing up her skates in the back seat...I was honked at (again!) from yet another disgruntled driver... did not get back home until 7:30 (which on a “typical” night IS bedtime)... fed the kids toast with honey for dinner (hey, it’s what they wanted and honestly I just didn’t care)... went over spelling words for tomorrow’s test... abandoned the baths... and tucked both children into bed at 9:00.  Hmmm, what would Super Nanny say?!?!

Guess what???  Now, my darling husband and I have TAXES to work on... yes, they are due TOMORROW!!!

And, YES...to answer the “question-statement”... I am one “TIRE-D” woman!

KV

p.s.  In case you are worried about D... he is ok.  His head is still bleeding (I can’t make this stuff up!) but I won’t steal his thunder... I’ll save it for another blog.