not yet...

Someday she will be too old to play at the park.
But that someday is not quite yet.
I know it's soon, because there is another person emerging from the skin of her little girlness.
This new girl is a bit more opinionated, more--shall we say--sassy, more self conscious.
I need a manual.
I need an orientation week like they have at school.
I need a laser gun that will freeze time.
I need to breathe in, breathe out.

I am not ready for this.
How do you let go of your little girl?

friday summer love: visiting old friends

This past week we visited old friends.
She walked amongst them, giving each a name, greeting them with a pat-pat.
I do believe this is becoming her favorite summer destination.
Mine too.


p.s. I can' believe how much she has grown in the last year.
Next year she'll be as tall as her friends!

linked: sun (and popsicles)

Happiness is: holding your very own orange popsicle. 

Wait. Better yet, happiness is: the summer sun, kissing your very own popsicle.

Happiness is also: having a friend who will hold your purple popsicle 

while you retrieve a bowl of pretzels.

Happiness is: summer + sun + friendship + popsicles. 

This week I had the honor of choosing the linked up theme with my linky friends Michelle and Stacey. I made a quick decision to honor the start of summer with the theme of "sun" and then I proceeded to spend a week and a half of not capturing it. What was I thinking? What I was not thinking was that "sun" is kind of an ambiguous theme and so I every time I set out to capture it I came home with a "sun fail". Then Michelle announced that her pictures were ready and blog post was written (teacher's pet) and I was beginning to wonder how I was going to pull off this assignment. There was a moment when I considered emailing the gals to tell them that I had failed to complete the task that I had assigned. (What a geek.)

So with some major resolve, I brought my camera with me to Bean's art class/swim time and attempted my sun thing one. more. time.

And then...........some magic happened: the popsicles came out.

And the sun arrived to kiss them all and christen them as the true beginning of summer.

And I snapped away.

And I exhaled in relief.

And now I can say that happiness is: completing my linked up "sun" assignment with seconds to spare.

Now go and visit Michelle's June 16th blog post for her sun goodness. (click here)
And Stacey's June 16th blog post too. (click here)

I am eager to see how they interpreted the "sun" theme!

spontaneous

So this is what happens when I invite you over to my house for pizza on a Sunday evening and I have not seen you in a while because I have spent the last month working 40 hours a week and you have been cooped up inside your house with your brand new baby and a four year old...

Yes, when I invite you over for pizza on a Sunday evening and I have not seen you in a long while and you have just had a baby, I drag you outside in the beautiful light for ten minutes and take oodles of pictures. You may scold me for including me in so many of the pictures because you did not realize it was going to be a "mommy and me" shoot but I don't care. I wish I looked half as beautiful as you "as is" right after having my second child. Sheesh, look at you girl. You are one beautiful mama. (Even if you are sleep deprived and going bonkers with your four year old.)

Taking these photos filled my soul.
I think I need to invite people over for pizza more often.

iheartfaces: sun flare love

This will remain forever as one of my most favorite pictures I have ever taken. 

Our girls had just finished riding lessons and we were lingering in the last of the daylight. I love how mom and daughter are washed in sunshine, caught in the sun flare love. 

A beautiful sun-drenched moment.

I can still hear their laughter and feel their joy, authentic and pure. I love that about this photo. 

For all these reasons I couldn't help but to post it for iheartfaces "sun flare" week.

Head on over there to see all of the other amazing sun drenched moments.