molly + steven (the rehearsal)

Last night was so much fun!  I was so glad to be "back in the game" and enjoying my craft.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE girl's basketball, but I absolutely adore weddings and everything that goes along with them.

After having lunch with friends, (see previous post), I got a quick hug from Brooks

and then checked into my way cool hotel, the aloft, and then, drove to the church.  It was a bit chilly and they sky was grey, but the mood inside?  Just wonderful.  

After spending the evening with Molly and Steven's family and friends, you get a feeling this couple is well loved, well celebrated and just plain good folk.  :)

Stay tuned for more on Monday!  I'm flying out early tomorrow and have plans most of Sunday, so the wedding sneak peek will be a day delayed.

Highland Park First United Methodist Church

YO Steakhouse

old friends

I'm in Dallas this weekend photographing Molly and Stephen's BIG DAY, and my flight was early.  I hate EARLY, but when you get the chance to have lunch with old friends you find on Facebook, it's so worth it!

This is Tami and Krystal.  They used to be "Geralds" and I lived with their family every weekend my freshman year in college.  And then some!  They graciously opened their homes and rooms when my mom moved to California my Senior Year in high school.  

It was so much fun seeing them again and getting caught up!  Next time girls?  MORE TIME!

Love you!!!

Ida Lee's 94!

And we celebrated at Rodney and Barbara's house.  It was great to get together and see Dalton and Kate and spend some time with IdaLee.  We all chipped in, and brought some grub, even though Barbara did most of the work.  :)

Happy Birthday, Ida Lee!  We LOVE you!

Her and the boys.  Devin's dad is on the right.  

Kalyn and IdaLee.

Summer and Ida Lee.

And she blows!

Lady Pirates AREA CHAMPS!

Can I hear an Amen?  You'll giggle when you read that if you follow me on facebook or twitter.  I'm excited.  Very.  WAY TO GO GIRLS!  They beat Andrews last night to advance to regionals.  Woo Hoo!

I love photographing the Lady Pirates (or anything for that matter) but especially close to my heart is this group of girls.   Several I've watched grow up for years, (Taylor and Katie) others I've watched for the last 4 years we've been at Cooper.    Yet I'm bittersweet in that my child in not on that court.  I understand, I really do.  She needs to grow and learn and gain expierence.  I get that.  And boy did she ever get it this year!  She played almost every second of every game on the Freshman team.  Had an awesome year with Coach Wrenn.  So, understand that I'm very gracious and understanding and can see His plan at work in BOTH our lives.  I get the pride thing, Lord.  I do.  LOL

But I know her heart Lord, almost as well as you do.  And I know how ready she really is.  How she would LOVE to be part of the game.  The competition.  The victory.  How she's so happy for this group too, but somehow can't help but feel like she's missing out.

She'll get there.  I'll get there.  I just keep repeating

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. 

We drove over to Brownfield last night to watch the game.  They played Andrews.  We arrived with 6 minutes left to warm up and after a few minutes of being on the court, I could feel the tension.  The girl's were nervous!!!  Excited!!!  Scared of what the next hour would hold.  Would this be it?  Could our season end tonight?  Is Andrews any good?   Can they beat us?

Oh, heck no!  After throwing bricks for baskets, and basically not playing their usual speed the first half, they came back the 2nd to take the lead, keep it and WIN AREA!  It was awesome!!

What was NOT awesome is on of my camera's going on the blink.  Geez...we are building a house and I really don't want to spend money on camera gear right now.  So, she's going off to Canon and I'm renting a body from Lens Pro to Go.  I have a wedding in Dallas this weekend, and I'm so ready for some OTHER girl in white.  

Here's some of my favs from the action and as always, the REST are up at www.hookapirate.com.  

there's nothing a little coffee can't fix

call it "coffee day" but when you see this picture on  my blog, it's random thoughts from me.  Things that have been on my mind.  Burning my brain.  

• 25 Things on Facebook  is great to read on others profiles, and I've been tagged a bunch, but I'm stumped when it comes to myself.  Just stumped.  I have nothing remotely random and interesting as others have shared.  How can I compete with "I lived in Europe for years" or worked as a missionary.  I've done nothing on the grand scale of life, in my eyes at least.  Just existing and dealing with my life is my "25 Things".  Someday, on a long plane ride or a stay over in some town in a hotel room, I'll finish my 25.   (I think I'm on 4).  By that time, a new "tag your it" will be popular and I'll feel the pressure all over again.  sigh

• Science Projects are lame.  So is FFA.  Both involve way too much parental time to pull off well.  So this year, I was hands off with Summer and let her do it totally on her own.  And she did.  The theme, the presentation, the actual work was her work.  But I know other kids will go and it won't be.  Same with the kids that show the pigs, cows, goats, whatever.  The parents are the ones I see cleaning, feeding, running and to and fro.  Lame.  (please note I realize there are exceptions to my random thoughts.  I get that there are some of you who have kids that really clean their pigs.)  Late last night, after Summer went to bed and we had glued down all the sections on her project board, I found typos and mistakes.  Do I tell her?  Or let her grade suffer?  I told her.  I helped her fix them.  I couldn't let her hang for a job well done.  I mean come on!  Journalists have editors for stuff like that.  I was Summer's editor.

• Grey's was awful last night.  That is NOT the Derek I know and love.  I realize all good men must fall and fail and make mistakes.  This is what makes them GOOD.  But he would not have worked himself all up for that lady.  He just wouldn't have.  And I love how great folks look after brain surgery!  My gosh!  She had how many surgeris in how many days?  Just the drugs alone after one 6 hour surgery for me took days to get out of my system long enough to hold a good conversation.  And they didn't even enter my brain.  Give me some of that Grey's Brain Surgery!   LOL  I want some!  And correct me if I'm wrong, but Derek has lost patients before, right?  But this time it was his fault because he nicked her artery?  Right?  

• Building a house requires so much brain power to do it in a way you are happy.  I'm exhausted after each major decision.  Hours and hours spent in places trying to find things I love and won't get tired of.  The pressure of getting it right!   I'm so anxious to BE DONE.  I'm sure my friends and clients are as well.  Just be done and get on with life and living.  I feel like I'm in a stand still.  The Lord's Prayer helps a lot.  When I feel the anxiety build up and the chest tighten over a drawer pull or paint color or this week's crisis, a bath tub, I just breathe and focus my thoughts on HIM.  It's all pointless.  I'm sure a tornado will come and hit the house and it won't matter anyway.

• 5th year Anniversary of my wreck.  I always wax nostalgic.  The Sweetheart Sizzler will always be a bittersweet reminder.  We went, by the way last week and it was a GREAT success!  245 plates served and they didn't run out of food.  We went late, thanks to a softball game in Odessa, but it was so much fun seeing some of you.  I need to force my self to get out more.  I always enjoy it.  (I can just hear Jennifer saying, "oh, hell yeah."  I try to think about how thankful I was that night of my wreck.  That week.  That month.  That year.  I slow down and think about how I felt ALIVE and full of hope and promise.  How we feel renewed on Sunday's after mass and receiving His body.  That great feeling your entire body feels after an AWESOME workout or that giddiness you get from laughing hard with your friends.  So much of that spirit is of HIM and his creation of breath and life.  That's how I want to mark that "line in the road of my life", my "oh, my god story.  Just think of Him.

• God is working in a BIG way at Cooper!  Or should I say Turning Point is?  Last night they had an EVENT that Kalyn went to.  A "Live it Up" fellowship.  She wasn't responding to our texts when we were trying to pick her up, (mom and dad outside in car, waiting....with groceries.  So I went inside, upset at first, to go and find her.  Drag her out.  The 2nd I opened the door to the Commons area of the HS, you could feel it.  You could actually FEEL the Spirit there!  It was just AMAZING!  My tone inside my body immediately changed and even though the moments in the car were not the greatest on the ride home, I know some kids lives were changed last night.  And it's so inspiring as a mom and parent of a child there, of children growing and learning in this community, to know that she's in a good place.  A place where kids are seeking Him.  Keeping their thoughts and hearts turned to Him!  I'm excited for Cooper and the community.  Kalyn was PUMPED and FIRED UP.  I LOVE THAT!  And I Love my God for answering my prayer about finding Godly Friends.  He's making tons of them.  :)

That's all for now.  I'll have more photos to share after this weekend.  I have basketball tonight, woo hoo!  Go Lady Pirates and then a session with a family I've been trying to photograph for years.  YEARS.  So stay tuned.

Cooper vs Estacado

 I adore this shot of Hannah!  ADORE!

I haven't had the chance to photograph the Cooper Girls JV BBall Team hardly at all.  And more than that, I've missed watching Kenda and Hannah play.  They both started with Kalyn last year in 8th grade.  

Kenda, graceful one, is a beautiful player.  She has long arms that stretch and reach and grab and her position vertically is just amazing!  I love to watch her play!

Hannah, is a total spitfire, aggressive, in your face, I'll NEVER give up or back down, PLAYA!  YES!  I love to see girl's play like this.  :)  

Well, Tuesday night, against Estacado, Hannah made the game ending free throws to tie up the score and go into overtime against Estacado.  This was the shot (above) I made immediately afterwards.  LOVE IT!

Way to go Hannah!  I loved watching you play!

Here's a ton more images to share.  They are scrambled between Varsity, Freshman and JV.  As always, there's more at www.hookapirate.com.

I have more from last night's game, but they are currently on facebook.  I'll get them posted soon!

WARNING!

Basketball OVERLOAD headed your way!