HaPPy EaSteR!

I just finished editting photos for the wedding, about 10 minutes ago. I will someday feel like looking through photos, but right now I must get off the computer. Easter was fabulous, Saturday spent with the extended Neal Fam and Sunday spent relaxing on my favorite Hill Country Retreat, Gigi and PopPop's Backporch.

wedding pic

I was asked to shoot a wedding last week, and I forgot that has been another major time consumer this week.  I have been weeding through 563 pics.  Seriously, my camera rocks, I had no idea I had shot that many pics!

This pic represented the wedding to a T. 

(bride in heels, groom in matching converse)

My Redeemer Lives

Greatest man in history, named Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him Master. Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer. Had no army, yet kings feared Him. Won no military battles, yet he conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. Buried in a tomb, yet He lives today, the true Risen Savior and King!

Easter Party

We had a blast celebrating Easter with our other SAH friends. Most will begin homeschooling in the fall and we are so excited about the possibilties! Thank you Miss Zelia for a fun-filled day!

M.I.A.

Where has the time gone?!  I looked at google reader today and I had 42 unread blog posts.  Ben got me a new phone and so now I get e-mail on  my phone, so I guess less time is actually spent on my personal computer.  But, SERIOUSLY where has the time gone?  Easter is less than 48 hours away!   My weeks are full of wrapping up kindergarten for one and pre-k for another, feedings, and fitness classes.  We only have 3 more weeks of curriculum.  We decided to try some new things to experiment for a few weeks.  Bella has just blossomed in her letters and sounds, I cannot take 3 months off and spoil that progress.  LE is reading up a storm, so we are looking at some fun options to worksheets, but still having a relaxed daily lesson.  R2 is getting closer to a schedule now that my work schedule has tapered off.   I am still loving my new job.  I teach splash (water cardio class), yoga, strength training and cardio fit to seniors at one gym & aqua fitness 3 days a week at the new gym.  Aqua fitness is a blast!  I went last week to get my AFAA water certification, turned out not to be the cert that I needed, but I learned ALOT.  This class is not your Mama's water aerobics class.  We do cardio (kickboxing inspired) and strength training.  I am having a blast with it.  I had 24 participants one night this week.  I teach tomorrow morning, so I am missing some Easter festivities, but Ben knew I was bummed and took the day off to spoil me.  My friend, Erica and her two girls spoiled R2.  Her oldest daughter had never held a baby.  We went shopping for some new jeans, happy to report I am FINALLY back into the single digits (jeans).  I also scored some fun accessories and a pedicure.    

the wreck

I have said it before, but I will say again, I LOVE MY CAMERA, yes love. I also love lenses, all kind of lenses. I shot the race using my 60D camera and a Canon zoom EF 70-200mm lens. There was a caution for debris during the race and as they were restarting I had the camera ready to shoot as the cars were not going to be at top speed. I noticed smoke and just held down the rapid fire and followed the wreck down the back stretch. I had the perfect seats, perfect lens, perfect settings, and I got my favorite shots of the night. Michael Waltrip got loose, but Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr got the most of it. Texas Motor Speedway, April 9th.

my redneck adventures

 Half the fun of NASCAR is people watching! 
I have never seen so many tattoos and daisy-duke/boot wearing chicks in one place.  We are assuming the tattoo of guy's hands on a guy is Jesus.  The trash can was overflowing 4 hours before the race even started.  And the toothless fan supports my least favorite driver, his combat boots got cut off, but he was all Kurt Busch fan.  And really, you are too lazy to hold your own beer?  I choose to spare you some of the more revealing outfits of the day. 

food fight

At first he was not a fan of the cereal, but then he discovered peas.  Now, that is a horse food of a different color, he LOVES peas. 

snaggletooth

Last Thursday, LE came upstairs and told me something was wrong with her tooth.  I first thought it was a cavity, but then I looked and she had a tooth that was "moving."  She started praying it would fall out that night before bedtime.  After polling facebook friends I discovered it could take literally months for them to loose their first tooth.  She prayed even more.  Ben and I left town for the day on Saturday and I told her to stop praying and leave it alone so I could be there when it fell out.  I guess the prayers of a 5 year old were greater than my wishes.  Saturday afternoon while chewing on something that should have not been in her mouth, she lost her first tooth!  I told her I would buy it for $1, at first she was hesitant, she wanted it.  Mimi gave her $5 and PawPaw gave her a $2 bill.  I got the tooth and she got rich.

new life part 2

 On Monday morning we checked our chrysallis before we headed out the door for the gym, but when we returned we discovered 4 of the butterflies had emerged. We watched all afternoon, but the last little one did not want to come out. While we were having our quiet reading time he decided to pop out too. Oh well, the girls were pround little mommies. LE insisted they begin their own adventures right away. We took them out to our front rose bushes and 3 were ready to leave our special cage. Two held back and were still not ready even when we took them out on their carnations. The girls were able to observe them eating with their special tongues, able to get a look at all 6 legs and 3 body parts. They saw how the butterfly collapses it wings at rest and the underside is camoflouged (a moth rests with wings flat). They also read the painted lady is a very delicious butterfly for birds, but b/c she has the markings similar to the poisonous monarch butterflies bird will not bother them.

caterpillars & chrysalis

 We watched for a little over a week as our baby caterpillars grew and grew. We learned to journal every day their progress. One morning we woke up to discover our caterpillars had made their warm chrysalis (moths make cocoons) and were making the important change to be ready to become butterflies. The girls were fascinated. We read so many books and learned many interesting facts about insects.

new life

A few weeks ago the girls received a special delivery in the mail.  We have been watching and waiting over the past couple of weeks as our tiny caterpillars have grown and transformed.  Stay tuned for the things we have learned.

4 months

Last night, Read spent his first night in his own room. He slept from 7:00 - 10:00, ate. Then went back to sleep until 4 a.m. and then was up for the day at 8:30. We all slept so much better. Mommy had a hard time letting go, but knows it is for the best. At his doctor appointment, he weighed 15 pounds. We got the go ahead to start cereal and he had his first rice today at lunch (pics coming soon). He is such a happy baby. Yesterday, was his last long day at the gym. We only go for an hour at a time now while I teach; hopefully very soon we will establish a real napping schedule.

lightbulb moments

There has been all kinds of lightbulbs going off around the house this month.  The changes that have occurred this past month in our household have been those monumental moments; you know the ones you should be logging in baby books.  I am not that Mom, so I just post on my blog.
Here's the breakdown -
On a visit to the library, Landry picked a book off the shelf, sat down and started reading.  I mean really reading.  My heart skipped a beat, it was so exciting.  She has started making her own breakfast and can open the fridge and pour herself a glass of water now.
Bella made a huge discovery about letters.  She has been writing her own fairy tales.  She walks around saying things like, what makes the "sh" sound.  She is inventive spelling, but she is discovering and I am so proud of her accomplishments.
Read is learning every day.  He now grasps for toys.  He grabs his bottle, and can even hold it, especially at night when there are no other distractions.  He laughs more often.  He has joined us at the kitchen table sitting in his high chair (waiting for the go-ahead to start rice b/c this Mama needs some sleep). 
I even had a lightbulb moment while homeschooling.  We are praying about changing curriculum for the fall.  At the beginning of the year, LE thrived on worksheets, but since Christmas the worksheets have become busy work. We are researching one curriculum more in depth and I am pretty sure it is the way we are going to go, but it is a huge investment and we want to be sure before going that route.