dalton and kate

It's been 6 months since their mother died and I drive by her grave everyday on my way to work and smile. The tree that the family planted above her grave to keep her in the shade is doing well, although I know nothing about trees other than I like them.

These two change so much from week to week. Dalton needs a hair cut, but he's been so busy hunting and bringing down his first BUCK (6 point) that he hasn't had a 2nd to sit still for Julie. She's the other friend that helps Garrett with his kids after school. She cuts Dalton's hair and takes Kate for her "beauty time", and has loved and welcomed them into her life to know them better, too. I only get these two for one day a week. That's all. That's all I can squeeze in, but a part of me is so greedy, and enjoys them so much, that I want more.

I knew them before when Eli was living, but I didn't KNOW them like I know and love them now. They fill my heart and it hurts when they leave and aches when they cry. We talk about their mom almost every time we are together. Usually we run into someone that knew her and it makes us smile. Like at the grocery store when they push the baskets into the back of my ankles and worry that I'll get mad.

We are figuring each other out more and more and each week they trust me more and more. They laugh and giggle a lot and love to play jokes, and expect bananas on their seats when I pick them up, and sometimes spill a chocolate malt and each week ask me when I will clean that off the carpet.

They love to play basketball outside, or chase the kittens around the house, or jump on the trampeline and try to do a seat drop. They love to play games and make sand whiches and help me. Most important, they still want to come to my house and be a part of our lives. I'm so glad. I keep thinking about the distant future and how someday, they may not. Afterall, it's a house filled with women and someday, they will want to hang out with their friends.

For now, I'm so glad we have Wednesdays. I tell them all the time that Wednesday is my favorite day of the week.

I got the sweetest thing in the mail yesterday

My clients are so creative! Just check this out! I LOVE mail like this.

school for photographers

Becker has a new site. I'm late to the game as he is on episode 16, I think, and not reading my normal photography message boards or blogs like I usually do, (thanks to working at the video store), you may already know about his cool new Photography School. But if you don't know, GO HERE.

Very cool the way he's constantly sharing with others.

I first met Becker in 05 @ DWF Convention in Vegas. I've followed his work since then and when I started my blog, he started too. It's a great way to keep connected and I LOVE checking in on his stuff and seeing what he's doing. I read 100's of blog thanks to google reader and it's so cool how the internet has connected us all.

Becker is a very successful wedding photographer on the west coast that is very passionate about his craft, having fun, The Angles, and pretty girls. So, if you are a new budding photographer, and many of you are, you should start visiting his blog school everyday. He has lots of good tips to share and things to really help you start your business. I've even picked up a few tips myself and I've been playing this game for a while.

Enjoy!

BECKER's SCHOOL

levelland

I was at it again Tuesday night! I like shooting sports and think after "chewing the fat" with Stephanie, getting better at camera parameters and exposures. It seems like we are constantly tweaking our settings to get consistent, clear results. Tuesday night felt GREAT. Not only because I felt like I had achieved that, but also because Cooper best Levelland! Great game, that was very scary in the first few minutes, but by the end of the first half, you just felt the tide turn and knew they could do it.

Below you will see Lauren Heinrich, Stephanie and myself getting pumped up to get under the goal and get our shots. Lauren just purchased her first digital SLR with her own hard earned money , and she's just in the 8th grade! She's doing so good at this and I love that she's starting her passion at such a young age. NOT that she will do this for a living or anything. No pressure there, Boo (that's what everyone calls her...don't ask), but once a shooter, always a shooter, and this girl IS shooting!

On a side note, APRIL was published in the AJ. You can read the article online HERE. Very exciting stuff.



They were so PUMPED before the game! INTENSE!

This is Mandy Padilla, a senior at Levelland who was benched the first half of the game because she was in foul trouble. Word on the "court" is she has a verbal agreement with Texas Tech to go and play there in the fall. WOW.


I watched her play some last year, and I'll admit, the girl has game, and she defended well, but Kimmie was HOT that night. This game was aggressive and tight. I'm anxious to watch them play again this year.
















um...yeah...no foul on this one, but do you think she agreed with the call? LOL

varsity ball

A little background. Devin, my husband is a Slaton Tiger Alumni. Slaton and Cooper have long had a "rival" of sorts when it comes to sports and when our girls started school there 3 years ago, I seriously thought I would NEVER see the day Devin would step into Cooper HS and watch "gasp" a Cooper game. At least not unless Slaton was playing, too. I still have yet to EVER get him on the Football field and probably won't, I'm thinking, but the basketball court can be checked off my mental list of "things to do as Pirate Parents" thanks to April Ehlers.

April is family. Bear with me. Devin's grandmother and April's great-grandmother were sisters. So, when we started to attend games to watch her play last year, we would get a lot of "What are you doing here?" remarks from "those that went before us". Seriously, folks. It's hard when your mentality your entire sports life has been to be a Tiger and then to switch on a dime, well, it's been hard for my husband. (snickering....like labor isn't? LOL)

Now like all good Germans, we don't really keep up with our relatives except at church and reunions. We live less than 2 miles from April and I see her more on the court than I do anywhere else. I love to watch her play as she is so passionate for the game. She's intense, plays with heart, and best of all, looks good in my frame. In my book, she's an athlete.

Here's some shots from Seminole game last week. Leveland next. HERE is where I put all their images I take.

I absolutely LOVE this shot of all the girls heading to the goal! Intensity on each and every face and Seminole trailing way behind. LOL

Kitty booty

My cats are living the technology in this house. :)

Jack

My nephew Jack has been here all weekend and we've had the best time!
He came by the video store today before they hit the road for Plano.
I love you, Jack!

(notice Cherry Limeade. Yep. Got him addicted. :))

With makeup

I'm so brave. (and stupid)

Before

Cousin Time

I'm playing around with my iphone and trying to figure out how to post pictures I take from it, to my blog. It was easy with my old phone, but the pictures were horrible. The iphone takes amazing pictures for a phone and I would love to blog on the run. Figured it out this morning in the drop off lane at school, but can't figure out out to get the "words" to go, too.

Things that make you go, hmm....

The picture above was taken on Wednesday last week. I haven't shared much from Dalton and Kate day lately, but we were chowing down at Ruby's and the lighting was good.

taylor

It was cold. Very cold, but we sacrificed some cold posteriors to enjoy some yummy light in East Lubbock for Taylor's Graduate Portrait. I showed up at his house and actually raided his closet, with his permission of course, for some sports wear to hang in. I LOVE that! Yes, getting all fixed up for portraits is cool too, but wear what you love and you love the way you look. You know?

Thanks, Taylor. You were great to work with. My favs were the ones we took at the end by the junk yard.