Laughter we picture {this} - a little drama too

September's theme: LAUGHTER.  

 
Camera:  Canon Rebel XSI
Lens:       50 mm 1.4
Exposure: 1/200 @ f/2.8 ISO 400
Mode:  Manual

I took this picture of Nia last month.  MacKenzie got behind me and made Nia laugh.  I love it!  In the same breath she gave me this dramatic pose...

Camera: Canon Rebel XSI

Lens: 50 mm 1.4
Exposure: 1/125 @ f/2.8 ISO 400
Mode: Manual

Combined these two pictures capture the essense of Nia...in one little package she is silly and intense all at once!

Check out more laughter posts by clicking on the we picture this button.

Just Plain Gorgeous

Today we celebrated my niece Cydney's 4th  birthday in Oklahoma City.  She celebrated costumed as Princess Tiana.  Her mom, my sister, asked me to take her outside quickly for some pics before I left.  Here is one of my favs!  Simply put, she is just plain gorgeous!

and another of her smiling this time ;)

and with the notebook that I had customized for her bday

Summer's Over!!

I'm not sure how, but somehow the summer has come and gone.  This summer, especially these last few weeks just completely flew by. 

MacKenzie went back to school this week after having a very full and exciting summer.  I can hardly believe that my baby is a 4th grader.  She was thrilled to go back to school.  She's been at her school since she was 4 and for her it is a 2nd  "home".  On Monday when she woke up she told me that she woke up every hour.  I remember that exact feeling every first day of school.  There is just something about coming back and starting it all over again.  We are excited about this year for her.  We think she has a terrific foundation and will do well - we are excited and hopeful that she will be challenged.  This year she will have to manage her school work load, continuing to do Kumon and piano, but will have to manage this with three nights of gymnastics versus two (10.5 hrs vs 6hrs/ week).  While I'm confident she can do it, I often offer up "outs"...she never bites :) ! Because she works so hard, I am willing to let her have this.  She really enjoys it and for her it is a challenge.  I love that she is working out and continuing to get strong and more so than anything that she LIKES it - but at anypoint she is ready to quit - I'm TOTALLY on board.

I asked her what she loved most about her summer.  MacKenzie is very indecisive and is in general careful about commiting her choices.  In the end, she said she basically LOVED it all - especially her summer trips - St. Louis, Fulton, Kansas City, and New Orleans.  And as far as local camps she really like a Project Runway class she took at her school and one that she did just last week.  Last week she went to a culinary camp.  It was AWESOME - she learned to make so many things including quesadillas, baked chicken, roasted carrots and lots of yummy desserts including made from scratch cookies , molten chocolate cake, and cinnnamon rolls!  I'm excited for her to try them out at home!

I'm prayerful that this year will be a good one for her and that she will continue to grow and mature as the little young lady she is becoming.

Finally - when I dropped her off on Monday - she revealed that as excited as she was - she was going to miss being with her sisters.  I LOVE it.  I love that MacKenzie finally has that...

She

1) is my sister
2) is one of my bestfriends
3) is absolutely stunning
4) let me practice shooting in manual
5) always has my back
6) is amazingly smart
7) is super skinny
8) is an awesome mother to Robin II & Cydney
9) is an excellent wife to Robin
10) has always been fiesty
11) loves God first and her family second
12) loves fashion and getting "dolled up"
13) is a true middle child
14) reminds me of my mother
15) is one of the strongest people I know
16) is very proud of her roots
17) is never afraid to speak her mind
18) chooses her friends wisely
19) never passes up a free meal
20) is affectionally called Maine