spring session :)

click over to my photography blog for my latest session with this little cutie and her big brother!  :)

(click on my "creative glory photography" button over on the right of this blog...)

engagement session

New photo session up on my photography blog.  Click on the "creative glory photography" button to the right and down just a tiny bit if you'd like to check them out.  :)

mother's day recipe fail

I had the job of covering dessert for Mother's Day lunch - my favorite part to do.  So where did I turn for a cute, easy, but impressive looking idea?? Why Pinterest of course!  Which is where I found this idea:

Aww, so cute and yet easy, right?  Right. That's what I thought.  I didn't have a cupcake pan just like that but figured a "regular" one would work just as well - the little bowls just wouldn't be shaped like that.  No problem.  However, I made the mistake of attempting to make this easy idea even easier by using a cookie mix. That would be my mistake.  A cookie mix is a lot more (ahem...sorry, m...have to use it...) moist than making cookie dough from scratch.  I thought once I spread a clump over the cup, it would just stay in place and bake just like the picture. Wrong. They all spread together to make one ginormous MESS! Like so...

By this point it was 10pm Saturday night and I wasn't sure what in the world I was going to do.  Thankfully I had prepared two mixes together, not being quite sure how much I would need, so I still had half the dough left.  So I flipped the pan back over and filled the cups with dough, baked them, and then while they were still hot, stuck little medicine cups inside each one as they cooled to make a different, smaller kind of bowl.  Not what I wanted, but it would have to do. 

Thankfully, these turned out well enough to use and even turned out pretty cute when it was all assembled.  The original idea was to put the ice cream in the bowls but since these were smaller, I reversed the plan and put the fruit in the bowl and the ice cream on the side:

 That ice cream, by the way, is Private Selection from Kroger and is called English Toffee Caramel and turned out to be reeally good!

In between dinner and dessert, Daniel insisted on doing presents and had picked out this card for mom:

Front:

Inside:

Hahahahaha!!!!  Yeah right.  :}

happy supermom day!!

So in thinking about what kind of post to do for Mother's Day, I quickly realized that I am not good at the typical mushy, sappy posts that a lot of people would do.  I would rather make people laugh.  Then I remembered something I had the idea to do last year but ran out of time.  This year I remembered in just enough time to pull it off.  

There are so many different points of views to go by when talking about Mother's Day.  For some, it's about honoring the mom who works hard to care for you every single day while you're still young.  For others it's the anticipation of being able to celebrate that day for the first time with a baby or child snuggled close.  And for others it's a chance to reflect on what you do and why you do it day in and day out.

I asked three of my friends to write just a few thoughts on the day from their specific points of view.  One you have met before here on my blog.  One you are about to get to know better in the coming week or two (stay tuned! you won't want to miss it!). The other one has actually made appearances somewhere on my blogs and is a closet comedian who I keep telling should go on the road speaking at women's conferences!  Ha!

First is one of my almost-nieces, Emily.  She has been a guest writer on my blog once before as well as being in multiple pictures from time to time.  Em loves to write lists so I told her to make me a Mother's Day list about her mom and here is what she came up with...

The Mommy List:

1. My mom smells pretty good ALL the time.

2. She makes casseroles taste a lot better than... Normal casseroles.

3. She loves me and I guess that should be number one.

4. She can run a camp, be a mother, secretary, wife, daughter, friend, teacher, sister, and daughter-in-law all in one day.

5. I love how she can jam out to Creed and 3 Doors Down in the car one minute, yet cry her eyes out in "The Lucky One" two minutes later.

6. She can't drive. 

7. She can run. Hard.

8. She likes kids. That's a good thing since she had four.

9. Her laugh is hilarious and it makes you happy to see her happy.

10. Philippians 1:3

11. Her oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are so good, she could be making money off of them. A lot of money.

12. She loves to capture the moment whether through snapping a picture of our whole family in front of something we all would forget if she hadn't taken the picture or pasting the picture in a gigantic scrapbook.

13. She homeschools. And HELLO that is a HARD job for any human being!

14. She rocked a perm better than anyone I ever saw.

15. She bought me one of those really big Panera cookies once when I was sick and if that isn't love I don't know what is.

16. She loves sharing the amazingly wonderful, way better than the Panera cookie news of Jesus.

17. She can wear heels really, really, really well.

18. She is allergic to cats.

19. She really loves chocolate so that shows she is somewhat normal.

20. She is so much more than my mommy... She is my super mommy and she's all mine (despite the fact that I share her with 3 siblings and a dog named Calvin) and I love her so so so so so so so so so much.

I LOVE MY MOM!

- Emily :)

Ok, so number 6 cracked me up and anyone who has ridden with me in the back of her car during camp will understand!  lol  :}

My friend Abby is a lot of things, an official comedian being one of them :} , but for the purpose of this post, she has the perspective of anticipating her first Mother's Day...through adoption! :)  (Come on, you knew I had to bring the topic in here somehow! lol)  Abby and I went to the same college and although she was actually Michael's friend first since they were both in the drama group of people, she and I did have one awesome class together where we wrote a skit of the parable of Jesus feeding the 5,000 set in the form of the Princess Bride.  It was epic. :}  Here are Abby's thoughts...

I’ve been pregnant for 24 months now. I know – you’re checking those numbers. Yes, you read it right. This means there are two possibilities. Either Kathryn has asked an elephant to write an article for her blog, or... I’m expecting an adopted child. (FYI – It’s the second one...) Expecting, expecting, and more expecting. They’ve been giving me Mother’s Day candy at church for two years now, and frankly, it feels a little weird. But I totally take the candy anyway. Wouldn’t you?

As I prayed about what to share, that same verse that every adoptive parent shares is what came to mind: Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength...” And I was like, “God, that’s so cliché. Really?” But when you hear from God, you’d better listen! So I started to think about it. Many times when we quote this verse, the focus is on the renewed strength part – the “make me feel better” part. But maybe if we focused on who we’re waiting for – the Lord – we would feel better. Our adoption isn’t taking this long because of our adoption agency or the Indian government or anyone or anything else. The Lord is the one we’re waiting on. And the Lord knows exactly when and how this child should join our family. He knows what He’s doing – what a relief! So... “my soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” (Psalm 62:5) All of that said, one thing is for sure. No matter how long this process takes, I’m still gonna take the candy on Mother’s Day.

-Abby Chelian

I know so many of my friends who will read this totally understands what she is talking about and understand all to well the word "waiting.....".  :}  She's right.  His timing is perfect.  (Say it with me "His timing is perfect." ...and repeat as often as necessary!)  :)

(Remember Abby's name...like I said, I will be introducing you more officially to her in the near future!)

Finally, we needed the "mom perspective".  Jennifer is a mom of two elementary aged kiddos, one girl and one boy.  When you meet her she is super quiet, gentle, proper, and has perfect southern manners.  When you get her alone with a small group of our good friends from highschool and we all start sharing stories...her other side appears and you realize...she is actually hilarious and I'm sending her on the road with Abby if she ever goes on tour and needs someone to open for her! The way she tells stories of being a mom should be told for all to hear (even the phone call story!..ask her...it'll make her blush! teehee!)  Here are her thoughts on being a momma on Mother's Day:

  SuperMom

  

Becoming a mom is like opening your eyes one morning

and discovering you are a superhero.

The first time you hold that infant in your arms you realize that you will fight the evil of this world to protect your precious child.  You also realize that spandex is not only fashionable superhero material but necessary to hold everything in place again.

It takes superhuman strength to smile and hold your tongue when someone compliments your covered-in-pink daughter as a cute little boy.  Or says the dreaded “If that were my child…”

If looks could kill…oh yeah, laser vision comes in handy when that child on the playground pushes your child off the swing or that young boy is gazing at your daughter.

Those lightning speed boots are perfect for a bloody knee, a bee sting and the cry of a girl whose friend has hurt her feelings. 

And who doesn’t look good in boots?!?!

Your ‘spidey’ sense starts tingling when something is not right with your child.  Yet, you know that they just want you to listen, cry with them and hold them tight.   Now, THAT is strength, my friend, because what superhero doesn’t want to swoop in and save the day?

 And maybe…possibly…very likely…take out whoever hurt them. 

There is no kryptonite for a mom who burns the midnight oil!  It's when you realize that you stand your tallest on your knees. 

 A praying mother is a huge threat to the enemy!

Being a superMOM means getting up in the morning, putting on your spanx..er, um…I mean spandex…attaching your cape and singing the VeggieTales Larry Boy theme song, “I am THAT hero!”

All the while, hoping your hair isn’t too greasy because you are totally not getting a shower this morning.

Happy Superhero Day from one Wonder Woman to another!

~ Jennifer

No matter what the perspective of your view of today is, I hope you are either spoiling your own momma, allowing yourself to daydream at least a little bit what your child will look, smell, and feel like once they are home and wrapped in your arms, or being properly spoiled and getting to rest and relax...because hey, every super hero has to have her cape washed sometimes!  :}

Happy Mother's Day to all my mom friends, both current and waiting - Shannon, Jennifer x2, Jessica, Catrina, Kathy, Melissa, Anastasia, Leah, Laura, Cassie, Rebekah, Wendy, Abby, Stephanie and all you other ones who happen to read this!

And to my own momma...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

LOVE U!!

Ok, two more things real quick....

First, I think that must be about the ONLY time in my entire life that I have worn the color yellow! lol  

And second, all you adopting moms out there...just wait...this is the look you will have on your face some day soon when you see and hold your child for the first time!  :}  It'll be worth every minute of the waiting, I promise.  :)

derby weekend

I got to stay with my kiddos last weekend while their parents went up to the KY Derby!  I picked them up from school on Thursday and stayed an hour and a half after their parents got home Sunday evening.  :)  I wish wish wish I could get a picture of Mr. Happy when I pick him up from school.  His aftercare teachers always comment on how they love it when I pick him up because of his reaction.  No matter where he is or whether he knows I'm coming or not, he yells my name when he sees me and comes running full speed towards me, huge grin on his face and eyes lit up and jumps into my arms and squeezes me tight.  :)  Then after we walk to his classroom to get all his stuff, and head to walk to the car, he usually grabs hold of my hand and makes a comment something to the effect of "I can't even believe it! I can't believe you're here!!"  :}  

So since Thursday was a school night, we had a low key evening at home.  The kids swam in the pool for a good while before dinner and I stuck my toe in to feel the usual early May freezingness that is usually the pool.  However to my surprise, with the warm weather we've been having lately, the water actually felt really good!  Standing with my feet on the first steps in the pool with the rest of me roasting in the sun, I started to regret not bringing a swim suit....and I ended up totally shocking my kids and jumping in clothes and all! lol  

After that was dinner and then just a little bit of chill time with one show on TV with my baby snuggled next to me on one side and my girlies on the other. 

That night I woke up in the middle of the night to Mr. Happy crawling in bed to snuggle next to me again.  :}

Friday after school, since I hadn't gotten to see Little Miss Sunshine on her birthday back at the very end of March, I told her she could pick pretty much any store and we would go so she could pick out her own present.  She thought this was pretty cool and chose Hobby Lobby and chose a large sketch pad, a book about how to draw many different things, and a set of colored pencils.  Perfect.  :)

After dinner Friday night I told the kids to get shoes on and climb in the car because I had a surprise for them.

We drove to the familiar playground across the street and got to meet up with our little friend Lulu!  It had been so long since we had seen her!  She is getting big and is talking so very well!  (and yesterday, Saturday, was her and her mommy's birthdays!  Happy birthday y'all!!)

Saturday we slept in and ate lunch at one of our favorite places - the Tomato Head downtown.   

Then we came home and tried out these t-shirt ideas from Martha Stewart that a friend and I had seen on her show recently.  They were super easy to make and even Mr. Happy could do his all by himself and they can be so colorful and happy!  :)  

Then it was time to send mommy and daddy a quick pic just to say hi.  They're so silly.  :)

That evening we got to go over to Cake Leah's house and have a cookout with all our old friends!  That was so much fun!

Madison thought Mr. Happy was pretty awesome!  She was stuck on a blanket on the grass outside and would fuss just a little bit if she felt ignored for too long, but Mr. Happy made sure to stay close by for a good long time and talk to her and keep her company.  :) 

This is our friend Aiden...and his s'more!  lol  Those marshmallows can get a bit sticky!! 

Finally it was time to say goodbye.  This is LM Giggles with little Leah. 

Hugs all around.  :) 

So sweet.  :)

Sunday we went to church of course.  I love getting to take my kids to church...and they would love to go every week!  I had ALWAYS told them that any Sunday they want to go and mommy and daddy say ok, I will come get them myself and take them!  Maybe someday....

After church we went with a few of my friends to eat lunch.  I knew the kids would finish eating before I would, so since I just happen to have two itouches plus an iphone...I had one per child...perfect!  LM Giggles had my phone at one point...thus this pick of LMS! lol

Back at home we all got in the pool for a good long time.

Sometimes Mr. Happy has to take a break and warm up for a bit and discuss life with me.  :)  I love hearing his thoughts on whatever topic he decides to bring up.  This weekend it was restaurants and what would be the best and worst jobs about working at one.  

Then it was back inside to dry off.

 We played around in the living room for a while and LMS worked hard on a drawing from her new book.  She is a great little artist and works very intently putting everything into her drawings!  She doesn't know this but she gave me the drawing she's working on in this picture and I have another one at home that I am going to eventually actually frame and hang on the walls of whatever place I live at next.  :)

I grew sadder and sadder as the afternoon went on because who knows when I will see my kiddos again.  :-p  If I could choose, I would see them one day a week at least for this summer anyways!  

I love you guys and I will see you as soon as possible!!!  :)

just bragging.... :)

...on my adorable "almost niece", Madison.  Here is a "cell phone picture dump" of her.

These two crack me up!  Shannon sent them to me.  She obviously found the swing to be the one exciting thing she had been missing most in her short little life thus far...! Ha!

A few weeks ago I babysat Madison and her older brother while mommy and daddy went to dinner and a movie.  Madison sat down to show me her mad piano skillz...

The introduction.

 She takes her piano playing quite seriously.

 Then she stopped and looked at me as if to say, "Kiki, do you mind?? Quit taking pictures, I'm playing a serious piano piece here!!"  :D

Last Friday, I got to meet a few people for a spur of the moment lunch at one of my all time favorite places - Salsaritas!

Madison showed off how she has learned to clap.  She's a genius, of course.

 Ohmyword is she not just the cutest?!

I love her.  :)

cinderella

A couple weeks ago, Lauren and I took a short road trip over to Nashville for a very important evening.  Of course, my car decided to act up the day before we were to leave so I ended up having to rent a car for the trip.  The first rental place mom and I went to were totally out of cars! Great.  The second place we went had only one car left.  I said "Oh no...and it's going to be a really expensive one isn't it?? I need the cheapest thing possible!!"  The very nice man behind the Budget counter clicked away at his computer and ended up giving me a better deal than any I had seen online for an economy car. (I had looked before leaving the house just to have an idea of price in mind.)  

This is the car we "had" to take...

A Ford Mustang??  Yes, please!!  :)  Soooo fun for a girls' trip!!  That little car is pretty darn H.O.T.!!  :)

We got to Nashville Wednesday evening and just chilled in the hotel room.  Thursday morning we started off by meeting our friend Rebekah for breakfast with her boys.  This was Lauren's first time meeting one of our favorite little guys...

Isaac!!!  :)  I kept watching him across the table the whole time just thinking how amazing God is and that I could still hardly believe he was really HERE sitting across from me!!  :)  Isaac is so sweet and is learning English like crazy!  The restaurant we went to was called the Puffy Muffin (!) and was way yummy.  They also had a bakery right across from where we were sitting that had a whoole bunch of yummy looking treats!  Isaac was very excited to get to pick out a cookie for each of the kids in his family and talked about it the whole time we were eating.  :)  And if you have seen the video of him that was Rebekah's first glimpse of him...where he is laughing so hard? Yeah...totally still laughs just like that - and it's one of the best sounds EVER!! :)

And of course this little peanut was there too!  His eyelashes are still about the longest I have ever seen!  He is into being verry independent and wanted to do all the eating all by himself!!  :)

After breakfast we tore ourselves away from Rebekah and boys (there is never enough time spent together!!)  and while they headed home for naptime, Lauren and I headed to one of my favorite areas - Green Hills Mall.  I had to introduce Lauren to the store Charming Charlies...  {{drool!!}}  Abby and Emily were the first to introduce me to this store and kept saying I was going to loove it.  The second I stepped inside I realized why - everything in the store (jewelry, purses, hair items, etc.)  is arranged...BY COLOR!!  Oh my heavens. Those who know me well know I loove lots and lots of color and when it's all organized and separated into groups of the same or similar colors??  Even better! :)

So we wandered around for a while and then decided to go get lunch...and when I come to Green Hills mall...which is MAYBE once a year...I cannot leave without a certain item...which just so happened to be our lunch that day...

Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory!!!  Yes, it was a very healthy lunch, thank you for noticing.  :}

Next was a walk through another favorite store and one that always makes me think of Wendy because it's her favorite too:

Anthropology.  It always smells soo good in here!  We never actually buy much in this store because it is crazy expensive...but "window shopping" in here is always fun!

Next, I knew that Lipscomb University was just around the corner and Lauren has a friend who is a freshman there this year.  Lauren would love to go there herself...if she won the lottery...lol...and I knew she has always wanted to go up on campus, so we did.  It is a beautiful campus!  We met her friend Samantha, who showed us around a little bit.

(Hey M, this pic is for you...you can't tell very well in this pic, but can you see that the continents are actually popped out from the wall a little bit and there are rope lights running just behind the perimeter of each one?? It was so cool!  I think you should do this in your classroom! You already have the basic map on the wall!  :)

After that we headed to the Target by our hotel because somehow I had forgotten to pack makeup! Hello!  Thankfully, Target has a new cheap brand of makeup where everything is either $1-$3 so picking up a couple essential items only cost a few dollars.

Then it was back to the hotel to crash for a few minutes and then get ready for the evening.

Oh yeah, lookin' hot!  :)

First we headed up to the newly re-opened Opry Mills Mall for dinner at Chuy's, a delicious Mexican restaurant.

This was the silverware holder at our table.....interesting!

Then it was on to the main event of the trip at the schermejirjihgisafjfkghrualjfklsf symphony center!! lol!  Yes, you read that right.  I could never remember how it was pronounced so that's about what I called it. :}

(**note: I took none of the following pictures - I borrowed them from Show Hope's fbook page since photography wasn't allowed.**)

As I was pulling into the parking garage, the lady in the white car in front of me pulling in from the opposite direction, gave me the strangest look and I was wondering what her problem was lol just as it sunk in - it was my friend and college roommate, Jodi!! Neither of us had any idea the other one was going to be there!  So fun!

Show Hope puts on a one night performance of Cinderella each year (this was the 3rd year), partially in honor and memory of Maria, Steven Curtis Chapman's little girl, partially to raise awareness and money for Show Hope.  All the proceeds go to Show Hope, which allows even more families to bring their children home through adoption. 

Ah, yes, adoption - the first reason I wanted to go... :)

Steven, Mary Beth, Shaohannah, and Stevie Joy Chapman introduced the program.

Their production was awesome!  Melinda Dolittle from American Idol was one of the step sisters and the girl who played the fairy godmother was the voice of Arial in Disney's Little Mermaid. :)

After the musical was over, Steven Chapman came back out on stage and sang his Cinderella song and then they showed the Show Hope video - the one that has Isaac and Rebekah and family in it!!

The second reason I wanted to come. :)

And THEN...right after the video...

They had Rebekah and family walk out on stage!!  Mr. Chapman introduced them and talked to Isaac, who he had met before on his trips to MBHOH.  Rebekah spoke and got to thank everyone who gives to Show Hope for playing a part in bringing both her boys home.

Then another little Show Hope guy came out and sang Amazing Grace with Steven. Soo precious!!  Those who hadn't already teared up over the Cinderella song...or the Show Hope video...or seeing Isaac on stage...definitely teared up at this!  :)

Finally all the Show Hope families who were there were invited out on stage to sing and the audience was asked to sing along as well.  I thought oh yeah right, how the heck are we supposed to sing when we're all tearing up! lol  :)

It was an amazing night for an amazing organization and an amazing family (who happen to be amazing friends of mine...).  :)  It went by way too quickly.  

Rebekah, just tell me when Isaac is comfortable and secure in being babysat for a day and we'll come steal you away with Lauren and me for cheesecake and shopping!  :)