at age 3.

i love that you request big hugs, that you come and cuddle with me in the bed every morning, and always find a way to love life.

I love that you don’t have a favorite blankie or favorite toy, instead you love them all equally and when you see a doll you haven’t given attention to in a while you hug it and in the sincerest voice say “oh, i missed you”.

I love that your favorite color changes daily and you pretend to be your teacher with Mocha. I love that even if we are just going to Kroger’s you are so excited because were going on a “babenture” (adventure in lena-ese)

may life always be a babenture:)

xoxo,
mommy

meant to post these a couple weeks ago from Lena’s first adventure at the fair. Let’s just say that an all day pass for the kiddy rides + cotton candy + goats + time with nana = a very tired and happy Lena. She loved it. We’re going back next year. naturally.

I am so in love with everything about this picture. This is a picture that shows everything I love about my Lenabean…her love of life, adventure, and the wind blowing in her hair.

I’m in the middle of exporting and editing some sessions and have a crazy weekend ahead so I thought I’d post the down and dirty of the rest of our vacation. As in, these are all straight out of camera, ran through Lightroom to size for the blog, posted up here in no particular order. But in 10 years I won’t care about any of that…all I’ll care about is seeing my amazing family. Real life is beautiful.

just love him!

yes, these next two are exactly what you think they are. lol!

seriously, this picture makes me laugh hysterically. She is such a mess.

I just love this one! It is my fave!

After our fun night of Ikea and the amazing hotel, we made our way to WPPI’s Roadtrip in Atlanta. We, as in me and Renee, who is a great photographer in Sparta, TN. She is a dear friend that goes way back and I love that we laughed until we cried in our hotel room and can’t wait to see her business go so far!!

So here is what I learned from our roadtrip, the WPPI kind and the traveling kind:)

- The best time to go to Ikea is Sunday night after 7. No one was there hardly! At one point I thought they had closed and I would be forced to find a bed to sleep in. I wasn’t going to complain about that turn of events had it happened:)
- I am spoiled by not having to set an alarm in my usual every day life.
- I could probably get alot more stuff done if I did set an alarm. Goal is to start setting an alarm here by the end of the month.
- I may be too laid back in my beauty regimen. I realized this as I painted my toenails in the parking lot of the hotel because I realized I still had on the tiny leftovers of paint from the beach last month and it was bad. oy.
- Hippy deoderant doesn’t work as well as the good stuff. Just saying…long story
- I could listen to Damon Tucci all day! He is funny, a great business person, and is a genuine support to this industry and other photographers.
- When they hand out prizes I have a mixed feeling of wanting to win and not wanting to look like a fool if my name is called. I won, and probably looked like a fool.
- I love this industry. Love.
- Bruce Dorn has a phenomenal eye and is truly an explorer of light. He challenges and inspires me.
- That WPPI knows how to treat their guests. Can’t wait for Vegas baby!!
- That real life is beautiful. and I need to break out my camera my camera more around my house to capture us being us. Or have Amber Holritz come beautifully capture it!
- That I love my real life, even with all the crazy.
- And lastly, if a random wet cat strolls along on your next shoot, it’s not God sending you a new prop to use. Just saying…long story:)

here’s to learning a ton at the WPPI Roadshow in Atlanta, having a great time with other photographers, and not caring if your toe nails are perfect:)

I love hotels. No, really, love them. Maybe its the comfy beds, additional pillows that I crave, the mini bottles of shampoo or maybe its just using the AC all night without having to worry about the bill. Whatever it is, its true love. No, really.

This week is gearing up to be a crazy one. Starting out with a quick roadtrip to Atlanta, ending with two weddings that are going to ROCK! I’m talking barns, Tom shoes, and more! So tonight Renee and I headed on over to Ikea and ended up, what, in a hotel to spend the night getting ready for the WPPI Roadtrip tomorrow here in Atlanta. So right now I’m under one down comforter and leaning on approximately 4 pillows with the air conditioning cranked on. Why, because I can:)

I know, I know…I won’t bore you by going through every beach picture but I thought I’d share a few the next couple days while the blog was going to be a little quiet:) Just so some day my old brain can remember the fun details:)

our morning wakeup….if there is a life out there for me that allows me to have this morning wake up everyday, I’ll take it!

In the heat of the afternoon we’d come in to relax a little so we didn’t turn into lobsters…this is how Lena relaxed:)

so we get all ready for the beach and go down the elevator, across the boardwalk and then I realize it.  Lena has worn her slippers to the beach.  bwahahaha!

Love this picture:) Excuse Brad in his gettup of hat, torn shirt, and Lena’s rescue pack.  Lord, between him and her in her slippers I’m pretty sure we needed to be on people of walmart: the beach edition:)

there is something that I love about this picture.

and this one…love her!

ps…we stayed at Myrtle Beach Resort and LOVED it! It was a laid back place with everything you need, included a beach deck restaurant with super affordable prices.  You seriously never needed to leave the resort.  It was like heaven, Brad says:)

pps…Lena calls seagulls, eagulls (like eagles)…it took me 3 days to realize that she wasn’t calling them eagles but just leaving off the s:)

A few weeks ago my baby turned 3. How did that happen?

We celebrated several times,

because really,

according to Pops, birthdays are seasons, not days.

First up on the eve of her real birthday, we had dinner with nana and pops
and Scooby:)

this is how Lena felt about it:)

then on her birthday, we packed up and headed out for some much needed family fun

thank God for Scooby and a travel DVD player.  And nana who thought to get her all of that!

She wore a Scooby birthday ribbon all day…that girl loves her some Scooby:)

and this is how we ended the day,

right after we went to the beach, had birthday ice cream, and hit the pool,

naturally.

It started with a car. We were sitting outside somewhere and a car with a business decal drove by and out of the blue Lena goes “oh, that is a pancy car!” Ever since then she randomly states that “when I grow up I need a pancy car. and a cool bus” (pancy=fancy, cool=school)

Then the other night I put on one of my random assortment of silly decorated pj pants and she goes “oh mama, you have pancy pants on”.

Watch out world, she is 3 and knows it. This past week she has been walking around like she owns the place, growing up way to fast, and coloring everything she can see with markers.

It’s a good thing you’re cute Lenabean…and pancy:)

**sorry folks, I’m obviously not pancy because here these pictures are in all their snapshot glory of a messy/crazy house:)