You'd think I was pregnant......

and I am NOT. I'm just a puddle this morning.
Katie's full gallery is up at the photographer's website. I got through about 2 pictures before I got teary, with Nicole's choice of music in the background I think that was her goal. :) I think it is just hitting me that Katie is going to be 18 in a few weeks and not long after that she will.be.gone. With the exception of a couple of my children, I think most of them will fly around 18, whether it is to college, work or the military. I've got a few that I think will stay and keep their mom company a little longer. Thank goodness.
For the last 18 years I have brought a new baby home about every 2 years. I prepared for a new baby. I bought clothes, I got the house ready, I imagined this new little person coming into our family, I wondered about the changes he or she would bring, I prayed that he would be OK. I cried...sometimes from happiness, sometimes from fear, sometimes from sheer joy. Now I am doing it all in reverse. Planning what Katie will take away with her to school, rearranging the bedrooms to take advantage of the extra space, wondering what our day-day will be like without her, wondering what her days will be like without us. I still pray that she will be OK and I still cry and won't ever stop doing either. I'm going to be going through this about every 2 years for the next 20. My babies may grow up, they may go to school, they may go fly airplanes, they may ride horses through the Rockies...their mom will still be at home...praying for them and feeling the happiness, fear and sheer joy of being their mother and always loving them, even from afar.

{pretty,happy,funny,real}

{pretty}



This is a little Tufted Titmouse (or Mexican Titmouse) that built her nest in the pipe that holds up our basketball net. Her chicks are quite noisy. I hope when they fledge they don't meet.....


Spooky, our outdoor cat. She is ours by default. When we moved in, before there were many houses, she was here. She is tame but is still a hunting cat and lives primarily in and around our garage, cars, front of the house. Someone (probably Grace) took this picture of Spooky underneath our van.

{happy}


ALL my children looking at the camera at the same time. It doesn't take much to make a mom happy, just 9 heads all pointed in the same direction.


{funny}


Grace during her individual 'photo shoot'. I took pictures of each of the children individually over a few days time. This was in the 'not printing out and sending to Grandma' file.

{real}

In a house with 9 children (all of whom have no sense of self-preservation) I deal with at least a minor injury just about every day. It is my reality.
Max is a pretty proficient walker but even the steadiest 10 month old is no match for a wet spot on a tile floor. Max took a header and tore his frenulum (the piece of skin that goes between your upper lip and gum). Lots and lots of blood. My poor baby. After a little cold rag and snuggling action he was fine and ate dinner just a little while later like nothing had happened. I went to clean up the bloody paper towels and clothes and saw his sad little bloody binky. Am I bad that I thought....that would make a good 'real' post for tomorrow???

Senior Pictures

A few weeks ago the girls and I took a drive to Gruene (pronounced green) . I had purchased a Groupon for a session with a photographer many, many moons ago (it had actually expired but Nicole was gracious enough to honor it anyway) and chose to use it for Katie's senior pictures.

When I was in high school our senior portraits were slightly amped up versions of the school pictures we had been having taken for the last 12 years. Professional photographers were for weddings. I admit when I noticed, about 10 years ago, the trend was for seniors to have a professional sitting like a bride, I thought it was overkill. I've changed my mind.

I've been blessed over the last almost 18 years to have beautiful pictures of my children taken by my uncle, who was a professional photographer for many years. I have dozens of gorgeous shots of Katie growing up. Not one is a standard JC Penney portrait. Over the years Bruce has been able to capture moments that are "Katie" (or Jack, or Ian, or Grace etc....) expressions, stances, actions....frozen moments in time. I was wondering if a photographer who had never met Katie before, didn't know her at all would be able to capture what I was looking for. My beautiful daughter who is turning into a beautiful young woman. My Katie.
She did. Nicole did an amazing job. I can't wait to see all the pictures!

Nicole's Blog

I just love, love, love the first picture. Like Nicole, I am a sucker for black and white.

A little note: Along with being a talented photographer, Nicole is a military wife and mom. She is also expecting her second child, a little boy, next month. Her husband, Dane, is deployed in Afghanistan in a forward unit. To top it all off she is working for a VBAC. If y'all could send up a prayer for this amazing woman who, when most women in her situation are turning inwards and saying 'why me?', is able to look outwards and see so much beauty and capture it for us all.

{pretty,funny,happy, real}

In keeping with the floral theme of this linky. Blooms on one of our oleanders. Hard to believe something so beautiful is so deadly.



Real. It isn't always fun being the baby. Sometimes you get left behind.





Happy. Mom decides to take Max out to join in the chaos playing under the hose. Sibs are happy to introduce him to a typical summer activity at our home.



Funny. A little too much cold water.

Max Walks!

Pardon the mess in the background. I was cleaning off bookcases.

The resolution in the video is poor because I converted it to make it use a lot less bandwidth and easier to load.