I'm going to visit the post-man tomorrow

It's time to ship out another wedding. I get so excited to send out my packages. If you have ever been a bride of mine, you know what a surprising treat it is to unwrap this box. I get beyond tickled when I get a chance to surprise someone, so this is one of the many perks of my job along with, wedding cake, beautiful brides, seeing the couple together for the first time, sharing these special moments, and I could go on and on. I just love weddings. Also being a wedding photographer allows me the ability to still purchase wedding magazines. People see the stacks at my house and wonder if I'm preparing for a second wedding. No, I'm just getting new ideas.

Anyways, it's time for this beautiful bride to see her pictures for the first time. I'm taking it all to the post office tomorrow. I can't wait to hear back from her.

If Graham and Jordan get 20 comments on this blog post, they also win a free 16x20 print, and a lucky commenter gets a $25 gift card to Wal-Mart. So, comment for all these awesome extras.

Full Delta Post

Arthur, Anne Elise, & I all enjoyed our little quick trip to the Delta. We stayed with our good friends Lara and Ross and their little man, Sam Evans.  I think I ate enough food this past weekend for about 10 people. I miss the food of Cleveland, so I felt like I had to cram it all in while I was there. We ate at my two favorites: The Warehouse and Crawdads. Yummy! And somehow I managed to keep off the 6 lbs I've lost in the last 4 weeks. I'm still not sure how.

Ross and Arthur before and after babies! 

 Anne Elise liked playing with Sam Evans! 

Anne Elise and I zipped over to Clarksdale Saturday afternoon to enjoy a shower for soon to be Baby Ben Epperson. It was so great to see all my Delta State friends, and for Anne Elise to meet them all.

Ellen opening gifts for little Ben

Ellen and I before and after 2.5 babies

Sweet Ella Grace telling her mom a secret

She is going to be the best big sister ever! 

  

All the hostess and Ellen

4 and 5 month pictures

I'm just now uploading my camera card to my computer, so I thought I would catch up on posting her 4 and 5 month pictures. Next week she will be 6 months! Where has the time gone? We love this little rascal. 

Anne Elise's Delta trip

Ok, the title totally gives it away, but take look at this picture & guess where we are this weekend. Hint: you can see miles & miles ahead of you, there's lots of cotton & rice, & mommy once lived here. You got it! The Mississippi Delta. Full post & details to come soon, but for now I'm offering my right arm for anyone who will loan me a Jeep & babysitter for 30 min. I love it here! Now if I could just get Arthur to appreciate it as much as I do, we could break ground on our house here instead of Waynesboro. Anne Elise got to meet sweet Ella Grace today, and I think Ella found her new favorite baby doll!

A little daddy time

My heart loves these sweet moments! Arthur worked long hours today, & was only here for one bottle. I love to see these two together, & I appreciate having such a loving husband. I pray Anne Elise adores him & looks for a future husband just like her prince charming daddy (but maybe one who picks up after himself).

Smoothie Attempt #3

O yum! I'm drinking this one as I type, and this sweet little girl is trying to take it from me. Who doesn't love chocolate & peanut butter? And to top it all, it's healthy! Yes! Healthy chocolate!

It's a juice plus smoothie. We've used this product since before we were married. It's packed full of fruits & veggies. No supplemental vitamins, just raw fruits & veggies. They make smoothie powder, gummies, & capsules.

This smoothie:
-1 scoop JP chocolate smoothie powder
-1 cup of ice
-1 cup almond milk
-1 tablespoon of peanut butter

I don't sale this product, but I know lots of people who do, & who can educate you on healthy eating for your family if you are interested.

5 months old

I cannot believe my sweet Anne Elise is 5 months old this week! Where does the time go? I hear it only gets worse. This is a sweet picture Daddy took with his phone her first day in this world.

25 Rules for Mothers with Daughters

I just ran across this set of rules on another blog, and I had to share. 

25 Rules for Mothers of Daughters. 

1. Paint her nails. Then let her scratch it off and dirty them up. Teach her to care about her appearance, and then quickly remind her that living and having fun is most important.

2. Let her put on your makeup, even if it means bright-red-smudged lips and streaked-blue eyes. Let her experiment in her attempts to be like you…then let her be herself. 

3. Let her be wild. She may want to stay home and read books on the couch, or she may want to hop on the back of a motorcycle-gasp. She may be a homebody or a traveler. She may fall in love with the wrong boy, or meet mr. right at age 5. Try to remember that you were her age once. Everyone makes mistakes, let her make her own. 

4. Be present. Be there for her at her Kindergarten performances, her dance recitals, her soccer games…her everyday-little-moments. When she looks through the crowds of people, she will be looking for your smile and pride. Show it to her as often as possible.

5. Encourage her to try on your shoes and play dress-up. If she would rather wear her brother’s superman cape with high heals, allow it. If she wants to wear a tutu or dinosaur costume to the grocery store, why stop her? She needs to decide who she is and be confident in her decision.

6. Teach her to be independent. Show her by example that woman can be strong. Find and follow your own passions. Search for outlets of expression and enjoyment for yourself- not just your husband or children.  Define yourself by your own attributes, not by what others expect you to be. Know who you are as a person, and help your daughter find out who she is.7. Pick flowers with her. Put them in her hair. There is nothing more beautiful than a girl and a flower. 8. Let her get messy. Get messy with her, no matter how much it makes you cringe inside. Splash in the puddles, throw snowballs, make mud pies, finger paint the walls: just let it happen. The most wonderful of memories are often the messy ones.

9. Give her good role models- you being one of them. Introduce her to successful woman- friends, co-workers, doctors, astronauts, or authors.  Read to her about influential woman- Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie. Read her the words of inspirational woman- Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson. She should know that anything is possible.

10. Show her affection. Daughters will mimic the compassion of their mother. “I love yous” and Eskimo kisses go a long way.

11. Hold her hand. Whether she is 3 years-old in the parking lot or sixteen years old in the mall, hold on to her always- this will teach her to be confident in herself and proud of her family.

12. Believe in her. It is the moments that she does not believe in herself that she will need you to believe enough for both of you. Whether it is a spelling test in the first grade, a big game or recital, a first date, or the first day of college…remind her of the independent and capable woman you have taught her to be.

13. Tell her how beautiful she is. Whether it is her first day of Kindergarten, immediately after a soccer game where she is grass-stained and sweaty, or her wedding day. She needs your reminders. She needs your pride. She needs your reassurance. She is only human.

14. Love her father. Teach her to love a good man, like him. One who lets her be herself…she is after all wonderful.

15. Make forts with boxes and blankets. Help her to find magic in the ordinary, to imagine, to create and to believe in fairy tales. Someday she will make her 5 by 5 dorm-room her home with magic touches and inspiration. And she will fall in love with a boy and believe him to be Prince Charming.

16. Read to her. Read her Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. But also remember the power of Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost. Show her the beauty of words on a page and let her see you enjoy them. Words can be simply written and simply spoken, yet can harvest so much meaning. Help her to find their meaning.

17. Teach her how to love- with passion and kisses. Love her passionately. Love her father passionately and her siblings passionately. Express your love. Show her how to love with no restraint. Let her get her heart broken and try again. Let her cry, and gush, giggle and scream. She will love like you love or hate like you hate. So, choose love for both you and her.

18. Encourage her to dance and sing. Dance and sing with her- even if it sounds or looks horrible.  Let her wiggle to nursery rhymes. Let her dance on her daddy's feet and spin in your arms. Then later, let her blast noise and headbang in her bedroom with her door shut if she wants. Or karaoke to Tom Petty in the living room if she would rather. Introduce her to the classics- like The Beatles- and listen to her latest favorite- like Taylor Swift. Share the magic of music together, it will bring you closer- or at least create a soundtrack to your life together.

19. Share secrets together. Communicate. Talk. Talk about anything. Let her tell you about boys, friends, school. Listen. Ask questions. Share dreams, hopes, concerns. She is not only your daughter, you are not only her mother. Be her friend too.

20. Teach her manners. Because sometimes you have to be her mother, not just her friend. The world is a happier place when made up of polite words and smiles.

21. Teach her when to stand-up and when to walk away. Whether she has classmates who tease her because of her glasses, or a boyfriend who tells her she is too fat- let her know she does not have to listen. Make sure she knows how to demand respect- she is worthy of it. It does not mean she has to fight back with fists or words, because sometimes you say more with silence. Also make sure she knows which battles are worth fighting. Remind her that some people can be mean and nasty because of jealousy, or other personal reasons. Help her to understand when to shut her mouth and walk-away. Teach her to be the bigger -the better- person.

22. Let her choose who she loves. Even when you see through the charming boy she thinks he is, let her love him without your disapproving words: she will anyway. When he breaks her heart, be there for her with words of support rather than I told-you-so. Let her mess up again and again until she finds the one. And when she finds the one, tell her.

23. Mother her. Being a mother—to her—is undoubtedly one of your greatest accomplishments. Share with her the joys of motherhood, so one day she will want to be a mother too. Remind her over and over again with words and kisses that no one will ever love her like you love her. No one can replace or replicate a mother’s love for their children. 

24. Comfort her. Because sometimes you just need your mommy. When she is sick, rub her back, make her soup and cover her in blankets- no matter how old she is. Someday, if she is giving birth to her own child, push her hair out of her face, encourage her, and tell her how beautiful she is. These are the moments she will remember you for. And someday when her husband rubs her back in attempt to comfort her...she may just whisper, "I need my mommy."

25. Be home. When she is sick with a cold or broken heart, she will come to you: welcome her. When she is engaged or pregnant, she will run to you to share her news: embrace her. When she is lost or confused, she will search for you: find her. When she needs advice on boys, schools, friends or an outfit: tell her. She is your daughter and will always need a safe harbor- where she can turn a key to see comforting eyes and a familiar smile: be home. 

Flashback Honeymoon '09 Part 1

I was just looking through our 2009 yearbook, and thought I'd share Part 1 of our honeymoon. First of all, our honeymoon was a complete surprise to me. I did not want to know where we were going. I told Arthur it had to be somewhere tropical and warm. So I packed a few summer dresses and swimsuits and got on the plane with him. If any of you know how Arthur travels, this could've been dangerous! At the time, I did not know, and thankfully it turned out to be very luxurious and BEAUTIFUL.

So where did we go? Kauai

 Kauai is the smallest of the Hawaiian islands. It's not as touristy as the other islands, and it has some of the most beautiful landscapes.

 We both had a great time. This was the perfect mixture of our travel styles. Arthur loves adventure as you can see below. He is jumping into the Queen's bath. It's a popular spot in Kauai; however, due to the death toll, the locals will not guide you to it. You have to find it on your own, and their aren't any markings. You just find this parking lot, and take off down a trail. I'm not sure the reason for the death toll, but it has something to do with the surf coming in and dangerous unpredictable situations. Scary, but beautiful.  More info here: http://www.hawaiigaga.com/kauai/attractions/queens-bath.aspx

 I, on the other hand, am the luxury traveler. I want to rest, lay out, and get pampered when I vacation. We did get a couples massage on the beach one day which was heavenly, and Arthur even admitted to that fact. Below is the view from our condo.

 We also went to an authentic luau with authentic luau food. I lean towards being a picky eater, so it was weird for me, but the show was fantastic.

 This hike, known as the Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali Coast was a test of our marriage. This is normally not something I would do, and boy was it hard. We did not do the entire Na Pali Coastline; however the 4 miles in to the beautiful waterfall was enough for me. At the end of the trail, there is a hippy, nudist, and veteran colony. These people live off the land. We didn't get to the that part of the trail; however, we did see a few going in along the way. One girl was barefoot in a swimsuit with her dog and supplies. Other hippy men looked as if they had replaced their showers with tanning beds. Obviously, this is the beginning of the hike. We were nasty and sweaty by the end. 

 Since Arthur surprised me with the honeymoon, on the last night, I surprised him with a sunset dinner dolphin cruise. You wouldn't believe the view and how many dolphins we saw. It was a beautiful ending to the trip.

It's so neat to look back at these sweet pictures. I can't wait to share with you Part 2 of the honeymoon. Wow! It was a complete "Arthur" trip, and I learned a lot from it.

Smoothie attempt #2

Wow this is yum! It's similar to the last smoothie, but the pineapple adds a more citric taste.
Recipe:
-mango
-2 frozen bananas
- 1/2 a pineapple
-handful of spinach
-water (to preference)

I love it! Let me know if you try it!

Happy girl

I know in my post I'm always shocked by her growth. Today she is 5 months old. Wow! Where did the time go. Today she rode like a big girl in the grocery shopping cart! This afternoon I cleaned out her closet. She has filled her hand-it-down tub with clothes. If she is ever blessed with a little sister(s), we won't have any needs in the wardrobe department.

Wedding Photo Update

I've been working hard finishing up a wedding session this week. My goal was to have it sent off by Wednesday, but it's Thursday now, and I'm putting the finishing touches on now! Oops! I guess that is what happens when you have a 4 month old who wants to help out. I just wanted to give a sneak peek of some of the pictures before I finish up this editing session. I cannot wait for this sweet bride and groom to see their gallery. 

Smoothie Attempt #1

Today's smoothie is
1 cup blueberry
2 frozen bananas
1 cup mango
1 cup spinach
Water ( to preferred consistency)

I'm always skeptical when something green is involved, but this is great!