June

I hate that June is gone, but I enjoyed it with every fiber of my extra jiggly being. We spent a lot of time sleeping, and by a lot~ I mean about 10-12 hours a night. I needed this. I love it. It has renewed my soul! We also spent a lot of time at the pool, but not as much as last year, which is positive news for Jack's feet,and my mysterious patch of sun related freckles that appear each summer, in the form of a mustache on my face. Lovely.

It's been a stormy month, and I consider that a blessing. For starters we need the rain, but the constant clouds and pop up storms have helped my kids with their thunder storm fears. Jack is barely phased by storms at this point, and that is awesome beyond words. That brings me to another point....that boy has done some serious maturing this summer......and I speak for the whole family when I say........thank you JESUS!

The fact that I am able to take a photo of him standing in the rain speaks volumes about how much he has grown up recently. I love playing in the rain. It is something I have been known to do many times before, on a whim, just because. But Jack usually won't join me because the sheer thought of rain might mean, gulp....thunder and lightning. I was so pumped when Jack stopped paying his legos and decided to run outside and soak himself in the rain. And that's not all. He is swimming in the deep end (a battle I have fought for 4 years), riding a 2 wheeler, sleeping all night by himself (well, for the most part), acting so super cool and non chalant about serious Jack-isms, showering from start to finish on his own, making his own snacks and drinks, and cleaning up after himself without being told. I know these things are normal for a 7 year old, but we have really stuggled to get Jack to be independant. This is all an answer to prayer, and has they weren't normal for Jack. Not until this summer, and it has changed our everyday lives dramatically. We aren't battling every step of our day with him. We are just enjoying him. And let me tell you....to God be the glory!!!!!! We were at a really rough point with him when summer started and I fell apart in my closet one day inprayer, begging God to help him. AMEN. He did it. Prayers anwered. And over night I might say. God, thank you!!!!!! We are all so much happier now and enjoying everyday life like we haven't in years! Jack Jack even helped me put together most of this massive mountain lego machine, PATIENTLY.

And speaking of Legos.......this massive lego machine caused quite a stir this month. Jack spent 8 weeks earning his dream lego machine by showing good behavior (the only thing that has ever worked for Jack behavior wise is bribary.....he must have an incentive) and he finally filled up his chart last week, just in time to buy this massive thingy, and just in time for Eric's worst month this year and a vacation coming up~of course, right? And to make matters worse, when we started the reward chart before Spring break I agreed to buy him this monstosity not knowing it cost $120.00 and would take me 10 PLUS hours to put together. Never gain. We now agree to his reward gift based on cost and hours of operation.

We finally finished putting it together, 12 seconds shy of my 3rd nervous breakdown in 24 hours, and his happiness was worth it. I alomst downed an entire bottle of wine when it was all done. Three days later when Kaitlin was babysitting a little boy in our house, this lovely machine was ripped apart by a toddler.....and we got to put it together again. Oh JOY.

Even Bella couldn't believe the insanity.

It made us all very tired. But we are all loving the new Jack. He has had his moments, but he has certainly reached plethera of milestones, and I am LOVING IT. We all are.

I painted a LOT this summer. We re-did Kaitlin's room completely, and painted the walls in Eric and I 's room a beautiful shade of blue. Strangely enough, I have had many dreams of painting my walls blue this year. I finally did it, and it feels good.






We took a a short drive to visit PawPAw and Yaya and I couldn't believe their house and yard. I know my dad loves to garden, but I didn't know how good he has become at it! I decided that this is my new photography location. One of them at least. I've got some work to do on my settings but this place is gorgeous. And after almost 20 years of marriage, their house is almost done too! This is amazing. Really. I still have nightmares about living in an unfinished house...scars from my childhood. My dad loves to start projects and not finish before starting another. We lived on a contruction sight. My poor step mom inherited this via marriage and it has about driven her crazy! Yvette, thank you for not killing my dad. You are almost there!

He's just so shy. I worry.

Paw Paw and Yaya

Kaitlin made him this pot years ago, and I was happy to see he actually uses it!

Every angle of his yard is amazing. I was in hog heaven.....add in Yaya's spaghetti and I left with a stomach full of food and a camera full of photos.


Paw Paw was discusted with Jack's UGA shirt that he was wearing when we walked in, so he gave him one of his large GT shirts to replace the vulgarity. Jack has worn it to bed every night since he got it. It is HUGE on him, but he loves it. I love my little boy in a ginormous shirt that smells like my dad. ♥

Jack asked me to enter him in a contest on the Disney Channel for the Disney show Shake it Up. He has a huge crush on one of them girl dancers and wants to go to the set and meet her. He also wants to dance with her. He's been practicing his moves. He asks me every day if he won the contest. I am praying....

Man he looks just like Eric here.....

I found a boat load of pictures while we were painting my room....including my wedding negatives that have been missing for years! I came across the negatives to some of my all time favorite shots of the kids when they were little, before I went digital, and I had them all put on a disk. This is one of them, and it's going on canvas. Kaitlin was only 3 years old here. I am taking my top 9 favorite photos of all time and putting them on canvases for this big blank wall in my house. I can't wait until it's done. I found a website that will do a 16 by 20 canvas for 15.99!

I have been eye ball deep in photography books..... trying to start the process of fullfilling one of my dreams, and I'm finally feeling that spark again. I needed inspiration. I have been in a year long rut. I prayed for it. And I received it. And it came in the form of a side ponytail on a little brunette and a really good photography book.

I'm alive!!!!! I'm alive!!!!!

We ended the month with a bang (for me). Eric told me I could take the money out of savings to buy a Nikon D700, a 24-70mm 2.8 Nikkor lens, and some back drops and lighting equipment for my up and coming feaux-tog biz niss. . This news came as a shock to me, and I have to admit it redeemed him a little. A lot actually. He was in the dawg house. Now he's not. Funny how that works.

Now it's time for Hilton Head! We are leaving Saturday morning. Joe is keeping Bella at the house so we can rest knowing she is in good hands. I have really grown to love that spastic dog. She is Marley in every way, but I love her. She melts me.