Embrace the Camera:: Vacation Edition

Out of the 1600 pictures I have in my "Vacation 2013" folder, I am in about 75.  And, 27 of those, Easton is not smiling or cooperating, and 31 I took of us with my iphone.  Needless to say, I have a FABULOUS selection of Easton and Lance.  

 

Easton went through an 'all about daddy' phase while we were on vacation.  I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that I was put on light restriction from my doctor to not lift and to take it easy.  It doesn't take them long to realize who's picking them up and who's not.  Despite that little hiccup, I did manage to get in a few that were pretty special and that I'll cherish forever! 

 

 So, here are a few of my favorites from our vacation!

 

These 2 beach bums.  I love them so very much.

Dog Races:: A tradition that started way back, before Easton.

I always want to remember this picture.  We'd had a rough start to the morning.  Lance had run to Wal-Mart to get some more groceries and a few more beach items and Easton was having a hard time listening and obeying.  I sat him down with me and explained to him that just because I couldn't pick him up didn't mean that I didn't love him or didn't want to love on him.  I told him I could sit and hold with him any time he wanted me too.  I told him if he was feeling like he needed me to do that then say 'Mommy, stop what you're doing and love on me.'  That did the trick.  He then realized that I'd stop anything I was doing to fill his little love tank.  This worked like a charm.

 

Even once we got home, Monday morning, we were getting ready for school.  He was having a slow morning, having a hard time getting going.  He was rubbing his head against my thigh and he finally said 'Mommy!  Stop what you're doing and love on me!'  I did just that.  We sat right down in the bathroom floor and had a few minutes together and he was all good, ready to go. 

 

Little thing is such a lover.  I'm so thankful for his loving personality.  The way he needs to show and feel affection.  Such a tender soul.  He has been from birth.  I'm glad it's still carrying on.

 

Thankfully the restrictions have been lifted and my doctor said just 'listen to your body' as far as lifting and carrying goes.

 

I'm so thankful for this vacation and the sweet sweet time we had together.

I will cherish this trip, the last trip to the beach just the 3 of us, forever.

 

{Thrifty Thoughts}:: Books

 

 

I had originally planned to share Part 2 of our budget this week {if you missed Part 1 it's here}, but with a super full week at work and lots of stuff to do at home and visiting my Grandmother in the hospital, there was little time for deep thinking.

Or, deep thinking that anyone else could follow...my minds a bit scattered right now.

 

So, lets keep it light.

 

This week, I'd like to share our book buying secret.

Thrift Stores!

 

Yep!  You heard right!  Thrift Stores.

You can find brand new books, some barely used for so cheap.

Not to mention, some serious classics.

And, we love books!

 

The book pictured above is Ladybug Girl & Bumblebee Boy.  I stumbled upon this book one Sunday afternoon while perusing the Southern Thrift, looking for some vintage ties.  It was part of the Imagination Library collection so I knew it was a winner!

 

And speaking of Thrifty Thoughts, what's thriftier than FREE.

If you aren't signed up for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, you're missing out.

Simply sign up and you get a free book delivered right to your mailbox!

Doesn't get much better than that!

 

We read this book almost every night along with one other book. 

Sometimes a short one, sometimes I get suckered into the Berenstain Bears. 

I don't remember those being so long...but they are.  Trust me.

We follow our books by a few songs, then prayers.

Also, weaseled in there, somehow, Easton manages to go back into the living room about 4 times to 'give daddy one more hug or kiss' or some water because he's 'stirsty'.

I just remind myself, he's only little for a short while. 

 

BUT, you know what's almost as good as keeping Easton's attention for more than 32 seconds, and him sitting still in my lap, is the fact that this little gem was 49 cents!

I think I spent 12$ that day on a big stack of books.  

12$ is one book at Target. 

I love a good deal!

 

Head on over to The Vanilla Tulip's blog.

She's had so many smart women link up their money saving tips!

I can't wait to see what they come up with this week!

 

  And, I'm also linking up with Emily today. She encourages momma's to get in the picture!  

Duck Hunting {she ain't no yuppie girl}

It's Duck Season.  Did you know that?  Well...me neither...till now!

This weekend on a whim Lance and I got a quiet afternoon to ourselves.

So what did we do?  Well.  Duck Hunting of course.

 

I swear, it's all this man thinks about right now.

Last night there might have been a minor case of the sads when he realized there is

only.5.more.weekends.left to hunt.

 

The shame.

 

Either way, last weekend I got to experience part of duck hunting, minus the 4am wake up call and the freezing temps.

I might still be a bit yuppie for that.  Momma likes her sleep.

 

And let me tell you, it's really a lot of work!

We back the Jon boat (named Peter by Easton) into the lake.

I hold the boat by the dock.  Lance parks the truck.

I don't do trucks with trailers.  It's embarassing how bad I am at that. That's a lesson for another day.

We then take a short 10 minuts boat ride to their spot.

At this point, we climb some stairs (on the side of the lake) Lance gets a dolly, removes his motor and gas tank from his boat, to put on Boat B that stays at the lake.

We walk across a small strip of land where Boat B is waiting.

We then load up Boat B, attach the motor and gas tank, and cross the flooded corn field.

 

We boated up and down this stream (channel, canal, river???) Lance showed me a few other blinds on the lake and we tried to find some ducks...

 

Their blind is a nice little set up.

It has a garage of sorts on the back to pull your boat in and camo it so they ducks don't see you.

 

That picture right there on the left is their 'blind'.

And all those ducks in the water are decoys.

Windy days are good for duck hunting...it makes the ducks appear like they're moving.

I learned a lot while on this little trip.  I'm just imparting some of my knowledge upon you.

You're welcome.

 

Then here on the right is the man bag.  It's a camo brief case of sorts.  Full of all sorts of things.

This part tickled me...toilet paper, shotgun shells, beef jerkey, pistichios, a warm hat.

You know.  The necessities. 

I hope this isn't like telling the contents of a womans purse.

Or going through your dads wallet. 

 

Anyways.  We stopped in at a popular location.

Where he'd seen some ducks hanging out before.

He checked.  I stayed in the boat.  He's got waders.  I don't. 

{I do now...he surprised me with some on Tuesday!  Roses?  Jewlery? Chocolates?  Nope.  Camo.}

 

Then we headed to his blind.

To wait and see what we'd find.

You do a lot of waiting in duck hunting.  And eating.  And resting. 

After a few minutes, he decided to see if I could shoot the shotgun.

He went first.  I wanted to watch him to see the kick back.  The force.  The noise.

It's loud!

My turn.  I'm pretty sure I might have just closed my eyes and pulled.

And I missed the coke can he'd thrown in as my target {that we also went and got once we got back in the boat...we didn't litter}.

But now that I know what to expect, I could probably hit a stationary object.

Flying duck?  Probably not. 

 

Hunting time is over at 3pm, and wouldn't you know at 3:10 we saw about 12 ducks.

Lance said they know what time it is.  When it's safe to fly freely.

Mother Nature.  She's a beautiful thing.

 

After this, we began the journey back to the dock. Jon Boat B across the flooded corn field. Remove motor. Remove gas tank. Prop boat up so it doesn't fill with water. Dolly across field. Put motor and tank on Jon Boat Peter. Back to the dock. Lance back the trailer down. I hold the boat. Load 'er up. 

 

Also, a few minor rules I learned on this trip.  Because we all know I'm a sucker for some rules:

Rule #1:  Don't LAY a gun down.  You prop it up.  Barrel Up.  If it misfires, at least it goes into the sky.

Rule #2: Always hold onto the gun in the boat.  At one point we hit something and I let the gun slip out of my hand...big no-no.

Rule #3: The person not responsible for getting the boat back on the trailer, is responsible for unloading the boat.   

 

Hunting Etiquette if you will. 

 

Would it have been my choice for a toddler-free Sunday afternoon?

Not likely.

But.  I'll do whatever it takes when it comes to being with my man.

And you know what?  It was pretty fun!  Relaxing.  So quiet and peaceful.  I kindly enjoyed myself.

 

 

Duck Dynasty @ Bass Pro!!! {Embrace the Camera}

Last Sunday was no different from the rest.  We went to church then headed to Bass Pro to run off some steam, look at Duck Hunting gear, play on the boats and possibly get a picture with Santa...They have the best Santa and winter set up in town.  The whole right side of the store is set up for the kiddos.  Easton LOVES it.

Anyways, we pulled up and there were cars...everywhere!  I ran in and let the boys go park.  I headed to the Customer Service desk for a return and struck up conversation with the gal behind the counter.

 

'I can't believe the store is this packed!  I thought we'd be ahead of the game for Santa pictures, but this IS the best place for Santa so they've come to the right place!'

 

'Aw, thanks hun, but this ain't for Santa.  This is for Duck Dynasty.  They're here.  400 people been camped out overnight for tickets.  Tickets were gone by 9am!'

 

SAY WHAT????  Duck Dynasty at Bass Pro?  Are you kidding me!?  Well we've just died and gone to Heaven.

 

They were going to be signing their book from 12-2.  Of course, all tickets were sold out, but you can bet your biscuits we'd find away to sneak a peek of Willi and Kori!  We're huge fans!  We've been watching Duck Dyansty since before it was the cool thing to do.  We're ahead of the game like that. 

 

So, we hunkered down.  For an hour.  In the same spot.  With a 2 year old who just wanted to 'go look at the boats'.  Which is outside.

 

So, we sat.  In the Home Decor section of Bass Pro by the door where we knew {Because Lance gets the inside scoop} they'd be coming out of.  And yes...Bass Pro does sell home decor.  Curtains, rugs, shower curtains, switch plates.  All camo.  I suppose this isn't for your tricked out deer stand or duck blind either, some folks really do put this in their homes.  That's where I draw the line.  I'm all for a man in camo, or even my boy, but my home.  Nope.  Off limits.  However, when the day does come, I'll proudly hang a deer head or antlers on the wall...but THAT is really where I draw the line. 

 

Anyways.  40 minutes we waited.  And of course, I didn't have my big camera...someone who parked the truck forgot to bring it in...so grainy cell pictures will have to do. 

 

And the time finally came!  Out comes Willie and Kori!  To say we were excited is an understatment.  Of course, Lance is always calm, cool and collected, but I tend to get a little overly excited.  That's why I'm on camera duty...that way I don't act a fool. 

 

Lance got a high five right out of the gate from Willie.  Super nice guy!  And Kori, she's just as beautiful in person as she in on the show.  We didn't stick around to try to get a formal picture, but we did hear a little of his talk befor we left.  And he's just as real and kind and normal as I'd hoped. I love that they are a family of faith and they are open about it.  They are influecing so many in such a positive way!    

If you don't watch Duck Dynasty, you're missing out!

 

 

 Head on over to Emilys blog for the scoop on Embracing the Camera!
She's got lots of great bloggers linking up!

 

  Happy Thursday!

Embracing- with the grandparents

 

We are so blessed to have most of our family close by.

We are even more blessed to have our parents within 15 minutes of us.

 

Each one brings something different, yet important, to Easton's life.

It's so special to see just how each one interacts with him and how he responds to their love.

 

He loves to read daddy's old books when he's at Honey's house.

She has more toys than we have so he never gets bored over there.

 

He likes to share Candy Corn with Bob.

{yes, he wants to be called Bob- and it stuck...Easton will correct you if you call him Grandaddy}

 

With Gigi he always has to smile for the camera.  Gigi likes pictures.

They also have fun in the yard picking up sticks and throwing them in the ditch and collecting acorns.  You can bribe him for kisses with Acorns.

 

And with Papa, he's the calmest I've ever seen him.

But Papa is pretty quiet and easy-going so I guess it just rubs off on him.

This particular day they were watching the squirrels and talking about how they run in a pattern, up the tree, down the tree, across the yard and back.

 

I am so very thankful for each of these people and I thought it appropriate to include them in todays Embrace The Camera!

 

Honey, Bob, GiGi {Big Ron} & Papa, THANK YOU for loving our boy so much!

 

Lake Day

Last minute on Sunday we decided to head to the lake.

Easton had a good nap and the sun was shining.

This was THE.FIRST.LAKE.DAY with Easton.

I've been very nervous about the lake and have avoided it at all costs.

But, such as most things I stress over, it was for nothing.

Other than the boat being low on oil and having to go to 2 different gas stations on the lake, it went off without a glitch. 

Thankful for some pictures with my boy.

Easton wasn't too sure about the 'yake'

He kept saying 'I wanna go back to 'partment'.

He's a bit of a nervous nelly at new things.

I can't imagine where he gets that from.

We skied!

Christ won the on the tricks!

This was his last trick of the afternoon.

Lance busted out some moves too.

Me?  Well.  I got up the first try.

And ate it pretty good after that first run, but got back up and did it again.

Up again on the second try and let go {fell, sank?} like you're supposed to. 

I'm still sore.  That worked muscles I haven't worked in a long time. 

We finished the night with LaHacienda.

Anytime I can be outside with my boys, water & sunshine I consider it a great day! 

And to top it off with Mexican, makes it pretty much ideal.

Happy Thursday Friends!

{embrace the camera}

I love love love this picture.

I took it walking to the car on the way out of church on Father's Day.

The only Father's Day picture taken...and with my phone. Oh, the shame.

These 2 really do make my day.

That is, when they aren't making up stories about WoolyBooger, Viney Do, Lenoard & CornBread.

But really, that makes me smile too.

Because it's them. Their thing.

 

But then, the fever came.

I was called by school Monday afternoon.

Easton had a fever of 101.

By the time we got home and I had a chance to take it myself it was 103.

I knew what it was.

The dreaded Hand, Foot, Mouth.

Sure enough, Tuesday morning brought on the mouth sores. 

He kept asking for a 'new ra ra' {passi} because his 'was dirty'.

But with some motrin, tylenol and 2 days of one on one tlc from mommy & daddy

 he's almost as good as new now.

Here's to a healthy weekend and lots of energy!

The big move is this weekend.

I might be feeling a little weepy if I take time to think about it.

Our first home. 

Moving from our first home.

But, I'm hoping being so busy lessens the tears.

Fingers crossed.

Happy Thursday!

Us

This might be my new favorite picture.

Really, there's nothing I love more than being with my boys.  NOTHING.

So thankful for them!

When you look at your life,

the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.

~Joyce Brothers

 

Embrace The Camera

Someone wanted to get in on the sewing action last night.

He sat so still while I got a few dresses sewn up.

He thought it was so funny that the needle was going up and down so fast.

He said it was jumping.

The Boy loves to help with anything right now.

Loves helping unload the dishwasher, putting wet clothes in the dryer, bring his clothes from his hamper to be washed.  You name it.  He likes helping.

I hope this lasts. 

It's nice having a little helper. 

And.  Here's 8 of 21.  Pinned and ready to be sewn.

All 8 got sewn last night, and will be hemmed and sashed this weekend...

if all goes as planned.

And, at some point I've got to make my chevron print Easter dress too...

Happy Sewing! 

Embrace the Camera- Daddy

This post is dedicated to my hardworking husband.

He's embracing the camera this week.

He doesn't know it...but he is.  

He has worked SO hard on our yard and all of our flower beds this week.

Birthday party #2 is coming this weekend and I wanted things in tip top shape. 

Plus, we are going to put our house on the market soon, so a little curb appeal always helps.

And now, we've got the nicest yard in the 'hood.

Thanks to The Husband and his hard work! 

The Boy does not like the blower or the weed-eater.

Daddy is helping him learn to be brave.

The boots.  Love. 

And here are the fruits of his labor.

AMAZING right?!?!

The beds were in shambles. 

After the Fall we let them go because who really cares in the winter.

Well.  I care.  But it's just too cold to mess with.

The shrubs on the left were OUT OF CONTROL.

I wish I had a picture of them before he cut them. Just think- twice the size and WILD.

The side flower bed is HUGE and quite a chore keeping it clean from weeds.

But, I love it.  It looks so nice when you drive up the street and see a clean bed.

The bed on the right had 3 bushes die in the Fall and we (ahem.  I watched) pulled them up.

It was bare all winter.

Now.  SO much better. 

I love love love a nice yard.

The beds are all edged, weeded, mulched and watered.

I planted 9 zillion bulbs but so far only a little group has come up by the porch.

I'm waiting on the rest of them to pop up.

Thank you Husband for taking a day off from work to break your back for me.

It looks wonderful!!!

And...just in case you thought I was kidding about Charlie.

I'm not.  He goes everywhere with The Boy.

Even in the yard.

He eventually puts him down but he's always within sight.

And those shorts...they kill me. 

I think he grew over nap time.