Tri- Athletes

Back in April the girls participated in their first (Kids) Triatholon.

Let me set the stage for you...

First register girls.  Jadyn (12 yrs old) Senior category (Swim is 200 yards, bike is 6 miles, run is 1 mile) .  Rylee (10 yrs old) Junior category (Swim is 100 yards, bike is 3 miles, run is 1/2 mile).

Second show up at 5:30 am for the junior category.  With 6 kids.  My 3 and additionally my 3 nieces and nephews who are now staying with us for awhile.

Third check in and get marked.

Fourth realize something isn't quite right with Rylee's markings...

Fifth realize we missed where it was noted that your category isn't based on how old you are the day of the triatholon.  No.  It's based on the age you are turning that year.  Bumping Rylee up to the next catergory.

Sixth deal with the aftermath of this error.

So a bit about Rylee.  My poor girl doesn't do change terribly well.  Realizing that this means doubling her distances, she freaks!  We have zero doubt she will be fine and rock this category, we push and push and she is refusing,  After being so excited about this race, she is giving up.  I pull out one of my magic tricks that works with all girls.  I promise her a new pair of shoes if she participates. Yes I am not above bribery.  And yes it worked.

Now that she is willing to race, we wait.  With 6 kids.  In the heat.  For HOURS while we wait for the senior category to begin.  With 6 kids.

The girls raced.  They rocked it.  Both did amazing.  Honestly, we thought for sure Rylee kicked Jadyn's butt in her time.  Rylee looked so good at the end.  Like it was easy peasy.  Turns out Jadyn beat Rylee by several minutes (most of this in her bike time).  Rylee was very pumped by how she felt at the end.  Both girls LOVED it and cannot wait for next year.  Colton will join them next year, too.

Which means we will still be there at 5:30 am. 

Let me also note that all 6 kids behaved amazingly well considering how long they were up and just sitting!

We Are Those People Now....

Ya'll we homeschool now.  And we kind of are in love with it.

There are sooo many details I want to write and remember about why we made this decision, what we have learned works for us, what doesn't work for us, my insecurities and the moments I am so confident in, my children's feelings about it all, what our days look like most of the time...etc, etc, etc... And obviously that would make for a very long, probably emotionally heavy post and I need to go get my kids started on their work for the day so while I find time to write all this, I will leave you with this class clown :)

We Camped and I Blogged About It

When I fall behind on scrapbooking/blogging/family albums, etc, I suck at jumping back in because I want to catch up on SO much.  Then I am overwhelmed so I just don't. Blah.  I am just starting from now.  If I decide to catch up on past events, well, bonus points I guess.

A few weeks ago, we learned something about our little family that I think we knew but had never really processed.  We love to camp.  Now, ok, to be fair we knew this.  We just didn't realize how much our family needs to do this.  Getting away, with no agenda, and spending most of our time outdoors, riding bikes, scooters, roasting hot dogs, being silly...we needed this.

For weeks, the attitude in our home (Rusty and I especially) was off.  We were snippier than normal, tired, cranky.  Being very honest, it was taking its toll.  We planned a camping trip knowing we needed to just get away.  Our last camping trip was in August, and our last trip as just a family had been a year and a half ago.

Ya'll it was a cure all for us.  Not even exaggerating here.  Completely reset the temperature in our home.

And as is probably apparent, I wanted to take more photos with the big camera than I have been lately and wanted as little as possible of them to be posed for.   Pictures that serve to remind me we need this.

Terrible Pictures of a Great Superman

I am focusing very hard this year to improve my "lifestyle" photography  and try hard to find and develop my own style.

As to be expected I only post or share the good pictures.  But as a parent occasionally the great picture doesn't happen but the moment did anyway.  In this case it was a great moment I want to remember so I am saving and sharing it.  BAD TERRIBLE HORRIBLE pictures and all.

The natural light in his bedroom isn't the most ideal ever, not good white balance at all, and obviously my shutter speed was too slow (or ISO too low).  Either way, he had a BLAST being "superman" and having permission to "fly" from his table to his bed.

Jadyns 1st blog post By:Jadyn

THIS IS BY JADYN !!!  I love to take photographs and I love photography! I mostly like taking pictures of people and nature.Here are a few pics I look . Some of them are not edited but some of them are edited and say before and after.

This is before the editing. This a photo took behind the fence of my Noonies and Poppies.

This is after the editing. This Is a lot prettier now because of the editing I did.

Before editing. left to right- Skyla King , Rylee Burress.

After editing. left to right- Skyla King , Rylee Burress. I editied it.

left to right- Rylee Burress , Skyla King

left to right- Rylee Burress , Skyla King

 These are some old photos and the placing is kinda jacked up! BYE!!!!!!!

High School Musical Live

I am going back and blogging some of the smaller summer moments that mean a lot to me.  A major problem with falling behind is that I tend to miss the small moments.

Back in June we took the kids and Nana to dinner and then High School Musical Live at the Miller Outdoor Theater. We did an evening show so that the weather would be pleasant.  We had a fantastic night!  I cannot say enough good things about.  I was shocked that Colton enjoyed the show as much as he did.  Cannot wait for the opportunity to do this again!

Gorgeous Senior Pictures

Its no secret I enjoy photography.  I enjoy my camera.  I love the editing process.  I just enjoy it all around. Anytime I am asked to do a session for someone, I am honored to have someone new to practice on.  I am still learning so much about posing, lighting, Photoshop, shooting and editing in RAW so I am almost always up for a new lesson :)  

When I was asked to do her pictures, I was nervous.  She wanted her senior pictures taken and a graduation announcement designed.  She didn't want the tradition ones you could purchase, she wanted trendy and modern.  I am not sharing those as they are still to be mailed out, but I am thrilled with the result!  And I learned so much.  Thanks Laura for the opportunity!  

These are a few of my favorite images!

I also learned that I LOVE taking pictures of big kids :)  Amazing how much better she obeys compared to my 4 year old.