Spring Break 2016- Navarre Beach

The original plan included some of my family coming to stay with us, but they broke down in Louisiana and had to re-route to Missouri to take care of car problems. We had a condo that would accommodate 12 and there were only 5 of us, so we called our friends to see if they wanted to join us. Thank goodness they are fun and spontaneous & came on short notice!


















The Navarre Beach Pier


This pic makes me laugh. Their family is so happy and smiling and everyone's hair is in place...and then there's us.













Our friends left a day and a half before us and Florida rained mourning their loss. We had to drown away our sorrows in food (Flounders in Pensacola...yum!) and shopping. Sigh. haha

Down to the River to Pray

This morning as I got ready for church I listened to "Peace Like River". At the time I didn't consider the baptism I'd be attending later that day. I agreed to photograph the baptism for my friend Amy (It was her daughter getting baptized. She's a fellow photographer friend that values good pictures, but just wanted to be the mom today, not the photographer. I was happy to do it). It was a beautiful baptism. It was in a river. As Adalee, her daughter, made her way towards the water, everyone sang "Shall We Gather at the River". I love that song. I have a beautiful version of it in my iTunes library by Bryn Terfel. Songs about rivers have been in my head the rest of the day.

After the baptism I spent a little time down by the river with my family.

"I've got peace like a river...I've got love like an ocean...I've got joy like a fountain...I've got peace, love and joy like a river in my soul".
It was a beautiful Sunday.

Liam- 6 years old

I actually wasn't planning on doing any birthday party for Liam, other than having his cousins over that night for cake and ice cream.
The night before his birthday he was telling me something about inviting a friend to his birthday party. According to Liam's account, his friend said he couldn't go to birthday parties. So I figured that was the end of that story.

Things changed the next day. I showed up to have lunch with Liam at his school & that same friend said, "My mom said I could go to Liam's birthday party if it's okay with you."
Needless to say, I called moms, made a cake, & put together some star wars birthday activities in a few hours.  

The boys had a blast!  And I'm happy to report that we had no causalities despite all the wielding of light sabers. 






Do you like my oreo rendition of tie fighters?  Ya, next year I'll just buy a walmart cake. 

And here's the cousin party we originally planned on.



All in all it was a fun day for Liam!  Happy 6th birthday Liam!

Christmas 2015

We spent Christmas Eve with family (the Reisners & the Cooks). Dinner, the Christmas story, fun with cousins...



& then we were going to take a sisters selfie, but Payson kept popping into the frame. It became a challenge to get a selfie without him in it...

...which then initiated the interest of others...which eventually turned into resignation & laughter......and then the quest to get everyone squeezed into one selfie. Hmm, I sense the formation of a new holiday tradition.

And here's Christmas morning. Keeping tradition (a tradition initiated from my grandma Freestone) everyone is drinking their juice before being permitted to go in and see the presents.