Still here!

Amazingly enough, I'm still around... I know... you weren't quite sure!  I meant it when I said this summer was going to be insane... in fact, we're still working through it.  I may be caught up just in time for my fall weddings.  That being said, I can't give you the full view of all our craziness recently, so you're just going to get the snippet of the trip we just took to California to celebrate Daniel's grandfather's 80th birthday.  Our trip was a whirlwind of broken planes, then watching for planes (Deda and Baba's home is the closest line of homes to the runway), trips to the beach and smores in the firepits,  cousins to meet, shots to be taken with Baba, walks on the pier, always, always more food and parties and, of course, grapes picked straight from the vine.  I mean, really, an action packed weekend (and I know I missed a million wonderful moments, but, frankly, I'm still recovering)!  Today, we mostly lazed and thought about going to the grocery store, paid our bills and picked up our mail.  Tomorrow I'm considering attempting to conquer the massive pile of laundry waiting throughout the apartment.  I both want a friend to drop by just to have someone to talk to while I clean and desperately want them to stay away so they don't see how bad it is.  Happy Week to you all!

One of the good days

Today was one of those days where I didn't feel like I was failing as a parent.  I love these days.  We started out with a breakfast that went through two outfits (yogurt and applesauce... I should learn just to leave the jammies on until after she finishes those). 

I had a blood draw (oh, did I mention I'm still fighting that darn thyroid?  Yep, but it's sooo much better with some beautiful medicine the last few months) and Anni was amazing through the whole thing.  She sat in seats next to me, talked about what we were doing, rustled through her purse and put sunglasses on (which just makes me smile every time she does it) and was just generally charming.  Then we picked up medicine and italian sausage from the store and headed home to go through a couple more outfits with lunch.

After nap (during which I worked feverishly to edit a wedding), we opened all the doors and windows and lazed on our little balcony.  Best part of my day.
  

We talked about our one little tomato, and how mommy was going to do her best not to kill it.  We read "More Spaghetti, I Say!" and watched doggies walk by.  

After a little while, Anni requested to read by herself and I watched as she worked her way through books, telling me, "It a nice book, Mommy!" when was done and, "Get 'nother book, Mommy!" as she raced to her room.  I folded clothes on the couch just inside and smiled at how much I love moments just like that.  Peace and overwhelming joy in something so mundane.  I daydreamed a little about wanting a house with land and a big wraparound porch until Anni (strongly) requested bubbles.  Today, Miss Anni actually managed to blow a few bubbles!  Very exciting for a little girl who asks for them around the clock.

After a little while, we moved onto pizza dough (and another outfit change after Anni helped knead the dough) and playing hide and peek with extra t-shirts.

 Really, I couldn't ask for me.  I mean, sure, there are things I want... but need?  Nope, I've got it all right here.

Summer and the in-between

I know I'm behind on blogging, I really do.  But, all of the sudden it's wedding season and when I'm not shooting or editing, well, I owe it to my long-legged little chickadee to spend some real time with her.  So, if things are quiet for a little while, hang in there, I promise I'll be back and hopefully with a whole lot of summer adventure to share!

Cor Unum

I'm going to be a little honest here, I was not looking forward to Cor Unum.  Well, I wasn't upset about going, I just remembered how overwhelming it had been the year before with Anni crawling and people and headshots and heat...  just, a little much for an anxious mom.  Don't worry; though, this year was much, much different... mostly because neither Daniel nor I was there to work.  We were at veteran staff training last year and I spent something like 6 hours every day taking head shots.  It was a lot of fun to meet so many missionaries, but I think I'm a little relieved that I wasn't able to do it this year.   The point is, my dear friends: Cor Unum was awesome.

 It was a retreat of sorts with all kinds of time built in for fellowship (and free babysitting so couples could hold hands and go to talks and do beautiful things like that) for FOCUS staff.  Well, there was babysitting if your little one was willing to go to group babysitting in the morning.  Anni declared after the first hour on the first day that that was so not happening.  However; she did just fine with a babysitter in the evenings (most likely helped by the fact that she was sleeping), so there was plenty of hand holding and walking through the quad to be had.  I can't really blame her, she was away from home and constantly out amongst a whole bunch of people she either didn't know or only vaguely recalled (a lot of people got called "Zana", Brigie, Jimmy or Aunt Kaekee the first day) when her days are generally just her and me, hanging out.     

There were talks in the mornings (after a breakfast I didn't plan, cook or clean up from), followed by a lunch (that, again, didn't have to lift a finger for... cafeteria's are so exciting sometimes!), sometimes naptime, fellowship (can you say photo scavenger hunt?  I was a skeptic but totally loved it), Mass and dinner.

Mass, oh, Mass.  It was really wonderful to get to go to Mass everyday; however, Mass was generally at 4 or 5 and, well, Anni was not at her best.  It was the end of a long day with not quite enough sleep and once she hit her "done" point, Miss Anni just screamed.  Sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes because she could hear her voice echo.  We either worked with it, one of us swaying in the back or, on the one day that Anni had dissolved into tears and I was near that point... we decided not to fight the battle and let her run off some energy in the cafeteria.  Luckily, we know God understands... especially since it wasn't a Sunday Mass.  Sometimes you have to choose your battles.  We were in pretty good company in the back the other days: I'm pretty sure every parent had to make a trip back there at some point (and some, like us, rarely left).

After Mass on Thursday, we took a school bus right over to a nearby park for a big ole party.  I always thought school buses were the coolest because our school didn't have buses (and if they had, we still would've walked the less-than-a-mile to school).  Anni thought it was pretty fun, especially since she had a buckle and could peek around the seat to find me (her daddy shared the seat with her.)

At the party, it was obvious it had already been a long day... and this little sweetheart was getting a catnap before the music started.

They thought of just about everything at this party.  There was food (poor Baby, Anni's doll, took a face plant in the mac n' cheese, which Anni is still talking about a week later) and fellowship... it was great to get time to meet some other missionary families that are working across the country!

Bouncy castles?  Check!  Anni LOVED her first time in one... especially as they had a "big girl swide!"  She was pretty devastated when we had to get out to let more people play; but, luckily, there was music to dance to just across the bridge!

And by music I mean the most amazing Cajun band you'll ever hear: L'Angelus.  The four oldest in the family form the band, and when the younger ones are around, they'll occasionally hop on stage to show off a little.  They play a mix of swamp pop, oldies, originals and cajun classics.  It was a great night with awesome music, dancing, and yes, some good beer (or so Daniel tells me... if I admit I don't like beer, will you think less of me?).

We were definitely exhausted by the time we got back to our beds (did you know a mattress on the floor constitutes a perfectly acceptable ' big girl bed'?), but the next day came just as fast.  While Anni did struggle with Mass, she thought the Eucharistic procession was just fine and dandy: outside, Daddy carrying hre, lots of people to watch, yeah, this was a good thing.  It really was an incredible witness to our faith, and I love that we were able to include Anni in it.

Two of the three nights we had a babysitter listening for our sleeping girl, we went to talks.  The last night we were blessed to go to adoration... just. us.  I mean, we actually sang, prayed, sat in the stillness... all by ourselves.  God bless our babysitter and God bless Anni for being such an awesome little sleeper.

And then, well, we woke up the next morning, ate bacon, went to one last Mass, had an amazing friend drive us two and a half hours back to the airport (with a stop at Portillos, um... yum).  And that was that.  It was a great trip, but we were definitely excited to be home in our own beds.  I have three weddings this June, so we're in for a bit of a bumpy ride before things calm down again.  Until next time...
 

A Weekend in Estes

This weekend I had a wedding to shoot in Estes Park. The best part about it was that my family was also invited, so I got to steal little moments with them throughout the day. Plus, we were staying in Estes Park. I mean, it was gorgeous.    

The bride is a childhood friend of my husband's.  During the few years he lived in California, she lived next door, and the three of them (my husband's brother included) played together all the time.  She is so fun!  She is a dancer, a theology major and has possibly the coolest tattoos I've ever seen. 

Deacon Doctor Grampa was also there (he witnessed the vows - really, this wedding was all in the family), so Anni partied it up with him.  Since we've moved a little further away from them, it was great to have an extra reason to see them.  Have I mentioned I have the best in-laws ever?  They are amazing.

The morning after, we were bleary eyed and a little more than groggy after our dear, sweet little one was awake from 2 - 4 am.  We are out of practice with the middle of the night wakings, so it was rough.  Luckily, we had breakfast at the Stanley Hotel (yep, where The Shining was authored and tv version filmed as well as portions of Dumb and Dumber, I am told, I didn't watch the whole thing) to look forward to.  So.  Beautiful.

Sweetness abounds in our life, and I'm loving it!

but, I am really, very tired.