Blog Category: tweens/teens


To know this family is to love them. I can’t believe how time is just flying by! Sweet Ella has got some great big brothers to take care of her, and this first image is one of my favorites of them together. It is a perfect representation of who is in charge, haha! 🙂

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This next one was fun to get. She wasn’t much interested in getting her picture taken, but skipping rocks sure got her over there!

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The last time I got to photograph this family their youngest was just starting school. These girls have grown up to be the loveliest young ladies. Mom and dad should be so proud. 🙂



On Monday our oldest daughter turned 10.  She is growing up so fast that sometimes I look at her and I forget how old she is.  I’m afraid I’ll blink and she’ll be dating.  Sometimes after you’ve become a parent and the years go by details get lost.  Her birth is something I still remember pretty clearly.

I was in my last trimester when my OB stopped practicing and I had to find a new doctor.  I was not a happy lady.  At the time all I could find was someone way down by Washington Regional, which is about 40 minutes from our home.  Abby had been cooking for 40 weeks with no signs of labor…and I was hot.  It was July in Arkansas!  They tried to let me go until I went into labor naturally, but we decided together that induction might be the way to go.  We were to be at the hospital at 6am.  I remember not being able to sleep that night, jitters and all.  I kept pacing around the bedroom, unable to relax.  Andy, half asleep, kept encouraging me to lay down and get some rest.  Finally at 3am I could take no more!  We grabbed our bags and headed down to WR.  By the time I was checked in and taken to my room the contractions were really intense.  Since it was so early our doctor wasn’t at the hospital, they had to call.  I remember asking my husband what on earth was taking them so long.  This was not our first baby, so I knew what I was feeling.  I looked at Andy and said ‘I can feel her head down there.’ and told him to run get a nurse.  The nurse reassured me that our baby wasn’t coming out, it was just pressure.  Boy was she wrong!  I’ll never forget the look on her face when she checked me!  She hustled out of that room, trying not to alarm us, calling for the doctor.  Our baby girl arrived at 8:30am, weighing 8.4 pounds!

Look at her now.  🙂

And this adorable little boy will be turning 6 this month!  I fear I don’t have much time left that he’ll be my little boy.

This face is simply irresistible!  She is just over 7 months now.  Crawling and pulling up everywhere!



This summer we made a list of all the things we want to do.  Everything from roast marshmallows to camping to this trip to Kansas City.  I think we are about 1/2 way through that list, even with the kids being at camp part of the time.  Having a list of things to look forward to has kept them from getting bored and me from going crazy.  🙂  This past weekend we drove up to KC and spend time all around Union Station and the zoo.  The weather was perfect!

The morning after we got home this happened…

Let me remind you she is SEVEN MONTHS OLD!  She is crazy.  She has been learning new things so fast I can hardly keep up.  She also took her first knee forward in crawling position today.  What a wild ride she has been… 🙂



I am so glad I got to meet Michelle.  She is sweet, kind, funny and has always got a smile to give!  She has been living here in Arkansas all school year as part of an exchange student program.  I’m sure her family and friends have missed her terribly, but I am also sure the people that have gotten to know her here will miss her terribly!  Michelle, I pray for safe travels back to Indonesia.  Hopefully our paths will cross again.  Beth, thank you for thinking of me and for opening up your home to not just her, but other exchange students as well!  It takes a special family to do this.  xo