In-law Jackpot!

We planned a summer time get together with family for this weekend 

and I feel so blessed to have enjoyed some quality time with precious people we don't see enough of.  

I really hit the in-law jackpot.

This is Eden Rose, she is quite possibly the cutest girl on the planet.

I mean really.

I couldn't keep my camera off of her.

Millie made it out of the pool long enough to scarf down a hot dog.

Stealing another piece of my heart with every smile.

Papa Roger proudly looking at some of his son's work.

Cameron's half smirk.

My husband cheesing it up for the camera.

I didn't take near enough photos, sometimes I think that's a sign I am having too much fun.

I am so grateful for the miles traveled and yummy dishes shared.  It was all so wonderful.

I cherish each and every one of you.

Summer time scooter ride

The longer days of summer may just mean evening walks (or scoots) with my guys.  :)  I sure hope so.

Weekend Wrap Up

Succulent shopping, strawberry cake, a housewarming party, swimming, and x-box.  

That about sums up our weekend.  

The 107 + temps here have required all errands happen early and afternoons are spent in the house with the A/C blasting.  

That bill is going to be fun!

Finally Facebook

I have FINALLY, and I mean FINALLY started a facebook photography page.  The right motivation nudged me out of the procrastination and excuse chair and I put in the work to get it together.  I'm not sure what took me so long.  Part of it was I wasn't sure what to call myself.  I mean KJB Photography (initials) was first but I took my husbands name when we got married and KJS just doesn't roll of the tongue quite the same.  Am I wrong?  Anyway I decided to stick to my first and middle name, which is sort of hysterical because back in my youth I HATED my middle name with a fire breathing passion but it's grown on me and now I quite like it.  I posted some of the work I've done over the past year that I have been MIA on this blog so if you're interested in taking  peek please do so.  And if you really want to put me over the moon "like" it!  I would be giddy like a kid on Christmas.  :)

I haven't done many portrait sessions over the past year.  I started turning shoots down when I was up to my neck in wedding planning and getting settled into married life.  That was probably a sort of suicide for any start up business but I know how much I can handle at once and my limit was in the red.  Now I really miss it and I want to book more shoots.  I had an opportunity to shoot a soccer team a couple weeks ago which was nothing I'd ever done before.  It was a fun learning experience and I finally got to use my new speedlight although I learned quickly that the cheap stands I have do not withstand Sacramento wind and I was trying all kinds of hokey methods (tent spikes and rope) to try to get them to stay up.  Eventually I let them lie on the ground and worked with the mid day sun.  I will post some of those soon to share.

In the mean time the days are getting longer the temps are rising higher and I am sweating more.

Ooooo I do love me some Summer!

Girlfriends

Last weekend I attended our church ladies retreat.  It was the first one I've been able to go to and I was really looking forward to not only the time away from the routine but a chance to get to know some of the women in my church a little better.  I am not sure when it happened, but at some point along the way I sort of forgot how to make new friends.  It isn't that I haven't wanted to...I just felt...frozen.

I know some of the difficulty in maintaining friendships and developing new ones just comes with the territory of being a grown up and having a family.  What very little free time you have as a wife and mother is often spent passed out on the couch or catching up on the 12 episodes of Parenthood on the DVR. 

But my problem seems to go a bit deeper.  I feel and actual wall up sometimes when I am in a room full of women I don't know well. 

It's kind of funny because I used to really shine in social situations.

Now not everyone in that lovely little house on the hill was a stranger.  Some I have known and loved since I was a child and some I have grown to know and love over the past few years, but several were completely new faces or ladies I had wanted to get to know better but hadn't been able to step over that wall.

But something wonderful happend for me on this retreat.  I prayed about those walls and made and effort to leave them behind me as I made the drive, and I can honestly say for the first time a while I felt like I truly made some new friends.

An amazing thing can happen in a setting like this.  No tv, no laundry, phones off, no shopping lists calling your name.  When you have free time....

REAL FREE TIME

with nothing else do do but sit down with one or a group of ladies and chat.  You get to hear so much about who they are and where they come from and what is on their hearts.  And when you stay up till nearly 3am just being silly...I mean laughing from you gut, eyes watering because you are too sleepy to filter and everyone is saying whatever pops into thier head silly...you tend to bond.  It has been WAY too long since I've laughed that hard.  It was a time of growth for me.  A much needed reminder that I need girlfriends, I need FREE TIME, and every so often I need to stay up past my bedtime and be so silly my sides hurt.

To the ladies of Arden Church, thank you for filling my heart this past weekend.

Happy Mothers Day to all the mom's, grandma's, step-mom's, and mom-to-be's!

A Post Easter - Easter Message

So...did you have a nice Easter?

We managed to squeeze a little egg dying in between baking cookies and riding horses and watching movies and shopping for Easter outfits. 

Millie is quite the artist, just like her sister.  She enjoys being creative and had a blast coloring eggs.

Next on the agenda is this beautiful boy's 7th birthday party.  In past years I've got a tad overboard on planning and spending and making a huge deal out his birthday.  I'm afraid I've set the expectations pretty high for myself.  I am going to make a real effort not to spend so much time on pinterest this year and try to keep it simple.  Besides I'm running out of time, it'll be here in a few short weeks!

I can't believe he's going to be 7.  I know I am biased and all mommy's think their kids are the best, but as far as 7 year old boys go...he's a very sweet one. 

I am proud to be his mommy and so blessed to be the one he wants to snuggle with when he gets sick

(except of course that I in turn get sick but I'll suffer through almost anything to get to kiss that sweet face.)

 

Our Easter celebration started off with a Good Friday service.  This is something our church hasn't done in the past but I very much enjoyed starting the weekend off with the right focus.  Just like any holiday it's easy to get wrapped up in all of the prep and making sure it's a special one for your kids you forget to take a moment and focus on what it really means to you and sharing that importance with your family. 

For me, Easter is everything.  With out the sacrafice Jesus made for me I would be hopeless.

 

Easter Sunday was full of family and food and colors and smiles.  We put on our new fancy outfits and headed to church to sing praises to our risen savior.  We hunted brightly colored easter eggs and shared a delicious meal prepared by hands we love.  We gave thanks for salvation and the blessing of family that we hugged and spent much needed time catching up with.  And I personally ate way too much chocolate...like all week.  (Curse you Cadbury!) 

  

I know it's late but from our family to yours I hope you had a wonderful Easter and the truth of what it is all about resonates with you all year long. 

You are loved, beyond your comprehension.  

Just Horsing Around

Well helllooooo there!

Spring break this past week has meant time with the girls, time off work for Devin, time off mom duties for me while the husband played Mr. mom, and on Thursday we all took the day off for Family Fun Day.  Millie went horseback riding for the first time on her birthday last December and fell in love.  We decided to plan a trip back to the ranch where this love of horses began.  It was so fun to see their giant smiles and of course take a few photos of the fun day.  

I will never stop being impressed with these beautiful creatures.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!