Ike needs to go

It's all part of living on the gulf coast I know, but this time of year stinks. A storm starts and you never know where it's going. Then it comes into the gulf and you are at it's beck and call until it makes up it's mind what it is going to do. That's where we are now. I have a wedding to shoot Saturday and am trying to figure out what to do. I pray and try to turn it over to God, which is something I struggle with daily, but I need to REALLY turn it over. This is something mom struggled with too and we talked about it several times. Brad is on hurricane duty so I am off with the in-laws and Colt if we do evacuate. I just pray that Ike decides to fizzle. Pray for me that I make the right decision and that I am able to control the anxiety of leaving my other half here and stay calm at the same time. I really need some calmness to come over me.....

I did it, but I can't believe what I did to do it.

Go ahead and tell me I am a horrible mom. I bribed my child so I could take some recent pictures of him. I promised him all the candy he wanted for the rest of the day if he would let me take just a couple of shots of him smiling. It took SEVERE convincing to do that and he loves candy. I won, is that bad to say, but I told him it's not my fault if he gets a tummy ache. This is pathetic I have to go to these extremes to get decent pictures of my child willingly. It took maybe 5 minutes of his time and now I have to sit back and not watch because it's killing me that all this candy is going into his body. One day won't hurt him right? Please tell me it won't.

Colt's first day of the last year of preschool.

Well, today Colton started his last year of preschool. He was so excited all week/weekend and then the day gets here and he kept telling me he was too tired to get out of bed. However, on the way to school he started talking about how much fun it would be to play in the new playground because they have a new gas station for your car. Then he proceeded to say, "but mom you know it's not real gas because that would not be very safe." I pray that he has a great day and great year. This is his last year to have fun and enjoy before the real world starts. He can't wait to get to "big" school, but I think he has a lot to take in before then. I pray that he enjoys playing with his new friends and just being a kid and that I will allow him to do that. The control freak in me wants him to know it all right now and I have to step back and realize he is 5 and needs to enjoy being 5. Here's to a great last year of preschool!

As you can tell, he was so excited to take these pictures. He wanted nothing to do with taking pictures so this is what I could come up with without a big fight on his first day. And by the way, he picked out his own clothes for the day and I let him. If you know me, that's a big step and I'm letting some of the control go. : )

The things around you

Well, Colton has officially called off me taking pictures. I want to practice, but he runs and hides every chance he gets. Today we went to meet the teacher and I said let's just take a couple since we are going to meet your teacher for the first time, and his response was kicking and screaming and yelling, "I don't want to. Why do you always have to take pictures of me." I guess I have ruined him so now I am going to have to find other people's kids to ruin. Anyway, I resorted to the front yard and have been hearing noices in the trees for several days, but never saw anything. Well, today I realized there are several squirrels hanging out and I don't know if there is a nest or they just like our pecan trees, but here are some pictures from today. Not of Colton, but of the only thing that would let me play.

Yikes

This little guy, or should I say big guy greeted me today when I rounded the corner by our garage. He kept his distance so I was ok.

painting collage

And here is the collage I put together. I wanted to try out my new paper.

It's deer season

*and notice there is that face again.

Colton, Brad, and Pa (Brad's dad) started a new deer stand this week/weekend for Pa and Colt to go hunting. Colton got to paint it since Brad and Pa put it together. I took pictures to have of the experience. This was Colton's first painting experience outside of paper so he was excited to say the least.