The Vintage Teepee

It has been a quick work week but every second of it has been action packed.
The kids have less than 2 weeks left to their school year and we have all sorts of commitments.
I don't have much spare time, so I need to make this post short and sweet....although your eyes may bleed from the volume of photos:)

There is another photography weekend planned for this fall and I have already gathered a few fun props that will be used.
This weekend Sarah and Reags gave the Vintage Teepee a test run.
I think I will just let the photos speak for themselves....



"Because I have a sister, I will always have a friend"
~Author Unknown~



Happy Friday Friends...enjoy your weekend!
It is going to be a hot one here.
The girls will surely be splashing around in their pool trying to stay cool!

Sunshine

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine."
~Anthony J. D'Angelo~

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."
~James Matthew Barrie~

We have spent every night this week out back in the yard with the girls.
Kickball, swings, bubbles, tag, ring around the rosie...you name it, we played it.
The sunsets have been extraordinary, so last night I put down the iPhone camera and grabbed the real camera to capture God's beauty.
That sky is one of the most beautiful we have seen around here and makes me long for the beach sunsets we enjoy on the Cape.
We still have a few weeks of school left to go, but we are counting the days!!
For now, we are going to make the most of this extended weekend.
Have a Happy Holiday Weekend!

My Name is Not Reagan

About a month ago, while I was with the ladies who attended the workshop weekend, Pat introduced Sarah and Reagan to the movie Mulan.
I came home that Sunday late in the afternoon to find both of the girls curled up in my bed watching it.
Since that day, I think it would be safe to say Reagan has watched it no less than 25-30 times.
She is completely obsessed with it and now actually recites parts of the movie as she is watching it.
It is cute and kind of scary at the same time...... we call it her "Mulan trance".
The other night, way past her bedtime, I caught her at the foot of my bed once again mesmerized by Mulan.
I called her name and she would not answer me. I thought it was that selective hearing again,
but a few moments later she turned to me and said, "my name is not Reagan, my name is Mulan".
So I guess if I want her attention, I have to call her by her new name.
Oh this girl....she keeps us on our toes and makes us smile at the same time.
I see a trip to the disney store in our future.
This is a costume we have yet to add to our collection.
Happy Friday Friends!
~Hope you all have a wonderful weekend~

For those of you that are photography fanatics, settings for this photo were f1.4 SS 1./100th and ISO 10,000
It is really amazing what some of these cameras can do in extremely low light conditions.
The room was literally pitch black, except for a small ray of light coming from the TV.

All That Spring Brings (iPhone style)

Frappacino's mid afternoon for a little pick me up, digging in the sandbox, playing in the driveway after dinner, fields with "flowers"... okay, some might call them weeds, we call them flowers, beautiful blooms on trees, soccer practice, scrumptious salads, farmers preparing the fields, Friday night adventures, and some "monkeying around" at sunset!!

All of the fun things we look forward to in Spring!
Although this morning it almost feels like winter again here in the northeast.
The temps have dropped and there is even a touch of frost out there!!
I can hardly believe that we are in the final weeks of school.
This year flew by in the blink of an eye...but I know three people in this house really looking forward to their summer break.
I just wish I got a break from work to enjoy all of those weeks with the kids.
Instead, I am going to have so look forward to a one full week of vacation and a few extra days here and there:)

A Mother's Love

"A Mother holds her child's hand for just a short time, but holds their heart forever"



"I received a gift on that faithful day
Of which I know I could never repay,
Just as God came down to say
He just gave one of his Angels away.

Little did I know, the test this would be
To prove to him and make him see,
That this angel was my destiny
Of that I’m sure a guarantee.

To hold her forever and never stray
To be there to comfort her pain away,
To see her through even the roughest of days
And teach her to be stronger along the way.

I was told one day, from a friend of mine
That God just gave me the gift of time!
Confused, I asked her to define?
And what she said never left my mind…

She said to watch her as she sleeps
It was then it became so plain to see,
How TIME STANDS STILL when she is next to me
Whether in my arms, or in my dreams.

Now watching each day as you grow
The changing of features from head to toe,
The smiles and giggles that make you glow
And the way you let your spirit show.

So, I’ll make a promise to you now
To raise you the best that I know how,
To teach you to always be confident and proud
So that you always stand out above the crowd!"
~Author Unknown~

May is a special month...
Not only is it the month we celebrate Mothers, but it is the month that started us on our adoption journey.
Seven years ago today, we were officially DTC(Documents to China) and our application was logged into the system just days later when our wait truly began. What we thought would be a 12 month journey to one daughter on the other side of the world, took about 5 years.

During that time, God opened a new door that was unexpected and now we have two beautiful girls.
One adopted domestically and one from China.
At times the wait was frustrating and the not knowing what the future held was painful.
Through all the ups and downs during those five years, I tried to remain optimistic and finally had to have the faith to put it in God's hands.
Only he knew when the time was right and which angels were meant to be our daughters.
Now on the other side of the adoption wait, I am reminded of that daily as I look into the eyes of all three of my children.
Each one came to us in their own special way, but there is no question in my mind that I was picked to be their Mom.
I have many jobs and roles in life, but there is nothing more rewarding and fulfilling, than being a Mom.
It is the best job I could ever have and I thank God for the three blessings I stare at each day.
To all of the Mom's and Mother's to be.... Happy Mother's Day!
~Enjoy your special day~

Favorite Photo Friday - "A Spring Night"

I am just popping in this morning to share a few snapshots from last weekend.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I think it is safe to say that Spring has finally arrived.
It has teased us a bit this year with a few warm days then back to cold, but it has been beautiful and everything is finally in bloom.
Lots of pretty colors sprouting everywhere you look.

We attended the annual carnival that takes place in the town where I grew up.
Not much changes from year to year..... same rides, same people, but the girls LOVE IT and always look forward to it.




In less than an hour the girls dizzied themselves silly on all the rides and even tried a few of the games.
We burned through the cash quickly, but the last $5 went towards the ball toss to win a fish.
Lucky for us, that $5 got us the family sized container so we could "help" to win the girls a fish.
Mimi had the lucky toss..... and we came home with three goldfish.

The girls were so excited and spent the first 2 days mesmerized by the fish bowl.
Unfortunately, the fish did not have much life left in them.
By the Fourth day, we had our third and final funeral, where we flushed our last slippery friend to fishy heaven.
Both Sarah and Reags handled it well and I was secretly relieved that I was not going to have to keep up with cleaning a fish bowl.
Having a dog for a pet is enough for me:)

~TGIF...Have a wonderful weekend~