Light

Tonight prayers are for my husband's family. Poppy has the will to stay here longer. I know it.

But in the tears...I have to share a pic of my daughter (J). She wanted a photo of her mermaid hair.

Here is it is. Between my sweet boy who loves us so, and my mermaid daughter...we have some light in this situation. Don't you think?

Small Pockets, Faerie Dreams, Fried Flies, Pet Spiders, and SPARKLES!!



A random image of this summer.

I never go into summer thinking, THIS year I will be the best mom ever (that makes me snort)! But I do want to create memories. Some memories are not productive or educational. Nope. But some are. I also continue to work on my grown up life. But summer makes me put a little part of my grown up life in my back pocket until the Fall. Not all of it, mind you. Momma likes margaritas and girl talk too much for it ALL to go in that back pocket. Yep. Small pockets. Very small pockets.

Here are my late night random thoughts, since you asked. You did, didn't you?

• Jordan has very long and vivid dreams. She loves to wake up in the morning and tell me every single detail. Lots of details. The dreams are long. Get it (twitch)? But I do love when she dreams of faeries. She did this morning, and their were frogs and a very talkative blue bird who had a lot to say. This morning, I loved hearing her dreams. Other mornings....well.
• I discovered on Tuesday that Andrew has a pet spider. In his room. He feeds him flies. Moths are also fed to him but they take the spider a long time to eat. The spider is in an old bubble gum tin. He survives just fine. He gets air twice a day. Oh my.
• Speaking of bugs, we got an electric fly swatter. AKA the "effer gitter". We bought one years ago to get those aggressive bees (or wasps? I don't know). Andrew now loves zapping flies. Which is great. Until you smell a burning fly. He informed his sister today that fried flies stink. I am sure she is thrilled to know this.
• Kids love the farm camp. They also love that their good friends (their mom is one of my best friends and a huge inspiration to me...her whole family is - and a shout out for her and her hubby) are joining them. At this moment I have my two kids and her's FINALLY asleep in my living room. The good stuff.
• Part of my noneducational time with the kids was Monday. I wasn't feeling awesome, slight fever. So we stayed in our pajamas all day and watched H2O all day long. No...really. Like 14 episodes. I liked it. We have watched a few more since then. Yes sir.
• After watching the previously mentioned show, Jordan decided to finally stop plugging her nose underwater and attempt swimming like a mermaid. She rocked it. Now mind you, she was swimming almost before she could walk. Never feared the water and taught herself to swim (as she does everything...if she wants it then she will figure it out). She has decided that she IS a mermaid stuck in a little girl's body.
• I need grown up time. I miss some of my dearest friends and my best friends.

That being said, I am lucky to spend the summer with the kids. I love the water park, swimming pool, ice cream truck, backyard water gun fights, hula hooping, lazy pj days, busy farmers market days, play dates, picnics, camps, trampoline with sprinklers, and (gasp) fried flies. I love having time to make homemade orange juice, going to the library, treasure hunts and board games.

But again, I have a small back pockets. Just sayin'.

p.s. the SPARKLES was for those who know my daughter....that is all.

A Farm Camp....Stay Tuned!

I will be posting in more detail about a insanely cool Children's Program on the Farm the kids started yesterday. Stay tuned!!! North Texas/OK  people must know about this. :)

Until then...some slightly edited cell phone pictures...because that is how I roll these days.


Jordan and her dear friend checking out and showing off garlic!

Andrew, Jordan, and their buddies (their mom is one of my very best friends)

J introducing me to the farm bunny

Let Me Tell You About a Great Man

Father's Day the past few years has been a little rough. Due to several situations, I have made the choice to not have my father in my life. I did not do this out of spite or hate. I did this to protect my family.

That being said, for the past 11 plus years, I have been blessed with a fabulous father-in-law. He is a loving, gentle man. He is the kind of man that you can't help but adore when you meet him. He is one to remember when he leaves a room. Not because he is the loud funny type. He IS funny, and can tickle himself when telling a good story. People remember him because he is the one who will look you in the eye, act as if he has known you his whole life. He will touch your arm, take your hand, or pat your back while giving you his handsome smile. Some may say he is a bit of a flirt....that is part of his charm. He is harmless in the flirting, because you see, he is madly in love with my mother-in-law. He has always been the man to let the ladies sit and visit while he cleaned up after dinner. He has always been the man to refill your iced tea, make you a mean bloody Mary, or get you a cup of coffee. He is the guy that everyone loves and respects. Truth. My children simply adore time with Poppy. Always have. He raised two wonderful sons who have nothing but adoration and love for him. I, his daughter-in-law, am simply smitten with him.

As I have said in previous posts, Poppy has cancer. He has gone through chemo many times, has had surgeries, he has been so very sick. Recently, he has decided to stop chemo. Quality of life type of thing. So this Father's Day was so very important. This is so hard to type....but this will more than likely be his last. Hospice starts this week and he is simply tired. The children are aware of this and carefully picked out their cards for him, as did Chad and myself. Yesterday we hugged him a little longer, and enjoyed the little things. We talked about how it was 10 years ago that we gave Poppy a Father's Day card that said Happy Father's Day Grandpa. You see, he wasn't a grandpa yet. It was our way of telling him that he was going to be. Now THAT was a Father's Day.

So, there is the little insight into who Poppy is. He is one of the best men....best PEOPLE... I have ever known. I know I am not alone in saying this.

Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.

Look at that smile.

I am Still Me

Enjoying Library Books....(camera phone)

The past several months I have been a busy girl. Attending charity events, socializing, enjoying time with fabulously inspiring adults. I dressed up at least once a week for something.  My photography business kept me busy in between my busy and heartening life. I was happy. I was inspired. I was making a difference. I was surrounded by some of the best people I have ever known. I smiled.

Then summer happened. My kids are with me most of the time. I have had to turn down many many events because of my children. My days have been full of busy swimming pools, water parks, libraries, friends over, vacation bible schools, baseball camps, my husband working from home, being interrupted by children more often than what I would like, play dates with friends, sleepovers, making lunches, grocery shopping for my ever emptying pantry, and spending time with other mothers (and best friends) in the same boat.

I have been told several times that people have asked about me. Some are worried. Some wonder if I will ever be back.

Guess what?

My photography business is still keeping me busy in between my busy and heartening life. I am still happy. I am still inspired. I am still making a difference. I am still surrounded by some of the best people I have ever known. I still smile.

Now is the time to make that difference not with huge charity events or finding that cocktail dress. Now is not the time to strap on my camera to photograph such events.

Now is the time to watch my ever growing children explore this summer. Raise money for my Breast Cancer 3Day with a lemonade stand, wear cut offs and flip flops. Strap on the camera (or grab my cell phone like the in the photo shown)  to capture youth of my babies. Because too very soon they will be teenagers.

So for now I will enjoy them smiling and proudly showing off their library cards. I will enjoy watching them read and enjoying the slow down moments. I will rock the baseball caps and ponytails. I will go down water slides with them and swim with them in the pool. I will take them to the Farmer's Market and the museum. They will experience Shakespeare in the Park and local summer theater programs. They will love watching mommy make milkshakes and picking tomatoes in the garden. We will visit their Poppy (my fabulous father in law) who is sick with cancer. They will draw him pictures and read to him. We will take walks and see movies. We will visit family. Some days we may just snuggle on the couch watching old Wonder Woman episodes.

It's all good. I will be back. In the Fall. I am still me, just being inspired one moment at a time.

xoxo
Kandi

I Am

awake too early

looking forward to my morning walk with Lola

going to snuggle a newborn and photograph her today

praying for my father-in-law (Poppy)and wishing cancer never existed

missing several near and dear friends

not going to eat bacon today

enjoying catching up on my blog stalking

going to finish up editing boudoir pics

happy that the kids get to see Poppy this morning

wanting to find a summer read

enjoying ice cold milk in my Wonder Woman coffee mug

going to have a lovely day

Our Summer To Do Lists 2011

We are ready to get this party started!

We shared our lists here, here and here

I adore reading the lists as the years go by. It's the good stuff.

Andrew:

• Have a sleepover
• Watermelon picnic at the water park
• Ice cream every Sunday
• Read at least 5 books
• Go Jeeping
• Camp
• Visit cousins in the country
• Spend more time with family
• Learn more about God

Jordan:

• Swim at Dee's (great grandma)
• Sleep outside
• Get and read Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book
• Go to the zoo
• Go Jeeping
• Go shopping for cute new school clothes
• Dance while we clean house
• Go to Greer Farm
• Get a guitar for me
• Lay out at night and look at stars
• Grow an apple tree and pick apples
• Go on vacation to Austin

So there you have it.....I love them. Happy Summer!