I heart faces photo challenge- Summer Fun

As soon as I noticed the September challenge at I heart faces, I immediately knew which picture I would submit.  Nothing says "summer fun" like a baby running through a sprinkler (or in this case the splash pad)!  I love this picture of my little munchkin.  She was super excited and loved her first splash pad experience!

Summer Loving !!

We love summer!  The Texas heat and humidity, not so much.  Actually, I will take the heat over freezing cold temperatures any day!  Honestly though, the heat here is a little bit ridiculous.  My girls are not indoor people, I cannot keep them inside!  Thank goodness they didn't inherit their mama's freckled, fair-skin.  I love being outside, but hate having to live in a constant lather of sunscreen!  No, my kids get these lovely, golden tans in the summertime and look like they should be sitting on a California beach.  Meanwhile, my legs are glowing like a pale, white light, with an occasional freckle scattered here and there!  To beat the heat, our summers are filled with lots of swimsuits and cold treats.

My budding, little-fashionista in the making.  Seriously, this girl pairs up the craziest things.  The funny thing is: she makes them work!  If only I had her fashion sense!  I love seeing her personality developing a little bit more each day!

The girls spend lots of time in their swimsuits and sunglasses. They make so many cute sunglasses for kids nowadays!  Somehow, she always winds up on wheels.







I love the innocent confidence that children have.  Oh, to walk around all day, in a swimsuit, with no regard as to how you may look!  I hope my girls always keep that child-like self-confidence.  







Texas summer’s would not be the same without a good old-fashioned sno-ball.  We have the best sno-ball place around with flavors from dill pickle to chocolate cream.  My girls are partial to the bubble gum flavored ones! 







Of course, the occasional sno-cone is fine too! 

Never underestimate the value of a good ice pop.  Especially, if you can color-coordinate it with your outfit!

Nothing brings back childhood memories like running through a sprinkler on a scorching day!  Swimsuits optional. 

One of my favorite things about summer, all the beautiful flowers blooming!  These are my first zinnias, and they are oh so lovely.  How is your summer going?

I heart faces photo challenge- Happiness

I really love the i heart faces photo challenges.  I haven't done one in over a year and really miss the interaction with such a great community of photography lovers!  I see that they have changed their challenges from weekly to monthly.  I can definitely put together one photo for their monthly challenge.  This months theme is Happiness.  The first thing that makes me think of happiness is my children.  To see the innocence in their sweet faces brings me so much joy!  It was hard to just choose one picture to submit!






I love the happiness that is shared between my children.  From the start, you can see just how much she loves her big brother!  As much as my teen says his little sisters annoy him, you can tell that their adoration makes him happy!  One of my favorite times of the day is when he comes home from school and they "rush" him!  They are truly priceless moments that I wouldn't change for the world!

Sisterly Love

Two and a half years apart, my sweet girls...like night and day.  One came into the world wide-eyed, so afraid to miss a thing.  The other, such a laid-back, sensitive soul.  They already butt heads.  The teenage years are going to be interesting!  Yet, they have their sweet little moments that just make my heart skip a beat.  Girls- already so much more complicated than their sweet, older brother.  They are going to be the best of friends and competitors.  There will be lots of laughter and plenty more tears.  I plan on relishing every little moment of it!

Is solace anywhere more comforting than that in the arms of a sister.
Alice Walker

A New Spring

So that whole starting over thing didn't quite work for me last year. So much craziness with the new baby (who is getting so big) and all. With so many changes it was hard to find time for me. Now, I'm ready for this outlet again. I'm looking forward to sharing, learning, and growing. After all, it is spring and a time for all things fresh and new. Can't wait!

Starting New

So....here I go, once again, starting a new chapter of my life. I have consumed so much time the past two years searching for myself. I went through a period of so many changes in such a small period of time, and to be perfectly honest.....I couldn't keep up! I felt like such a failure. I had spent the previous 14 years playing superwoman in a career where failure was not an option. So this was all new to me. I don't know exactly what made me wake up and realize that I couldn't keep going on like this, I just know that I was making myself and everyone around me a total mess. That's when I decided to stop searching so hard for "me" and just let myself be. I stopped attempting to squeeze myself into a perfect little mold. There are so many different sides of me that it was getting exhausting! It was sort of like trying to squeeze into those size 6 jeans that you still hold onto because you just know you are going to wear them again someday! Okay, well maybe size 8 jeans, but you get the idea! It wasn't all gonna fit! So now, I'm just taking it one day at a time and embracing whatever that day may hold: the good, the bad, and the ugly, and you know...it's so much easier!

Now, the past year has taken us to Japan and back home again(long story). So many lessons learned from that experience, but let's just say the grass isn't always greener! I did manage to get pregnant with number three while there, so something good came of the experience! We were blessed with another girl who was born in January! It's a little different, okay a lot different, having two little ones under the age of three at home. It's getting easier everyday though!

So what's in store with this blog in the upcoming year? Who knows... a little bit of everything! It should be interesting!

Back in the saddle again....

Wow! Has it really been almost a year since my last post? That is just crazy! Well, I have been super busy...but I'll save that for the next post. I really miss my little ol' blog and I am ready to start anew!

Thought that I would start this with another i heart faces weekly challenge (which I haven't done in almost a year as well)! The photo that I have selected will give you a little peek at one of the main things that has kept me preoccupied this past year!

Here's a little peek of my newest Valentine! I just love them when they're this tiny! Too bad they don't stay this way for very long!

Have a great week!

Juggling...

I have been so, so, busy lately that I just haven’t had time to work on my little ol’ blog. I have never exactly been little Miss Consistent on this thing, but I really have missed it so! This is such therapy to me and reading my little list of favorite blogs is always a great way to spend a few minutes of everyday!

So, what have I been up to lately, you may ask? Well, after 15 years of graduating from high school and fourteen of those in the Marines, I am working on my higher-learning. Yep, that’s right I am a full-time college student! So full-time mom + full-time college = very little time for everything else! Let’s just say that I am a little bit stressed right now! I’m working out the kinks though, and hopefully will have a pretty solid routine down soon (a girl can dream right!)

I still so want to find time for my therapy (blogging & photography). Why do we women think that we have to do everything? I guess that, for now, I will keep juggling with the best of them!

Happy Monday!

i heart faces "Dramatic b&w"

This weeks challenge at iheartfaces is “Dramatic black & white”. I just love how converting you pictures to black and white changes the whole “feel” of the picture. Depending on what theme or idea you are going for you can change so much by removing the color. This is one of my favorite shots of my little girl. I think that I have posted it on here before but it definitely changed the mood by removing the color. I think that it is certainly “dramatic”!

Happy Monday!

i heart faces "Angles"

This weeks i heart faces challenge is angles. Something a little different from your average straight-on shot.

I have already posted this photo on here but thought it was perfect for this challenge. I love the way that this turned out by standing above and slightly behind her. I love that I captured her love for splashing in the water here. She never comes in dry after taking a walk in the backyard! I really need to get her some rain boots!

Check out all of the different angles at i heart faces!