Dallas's Graduation

My nephew Dallas graduated from high school this weekend!  So, Mom, Anna, and I made another trek to Houston.  I figured Anna would do better in a long, boring graduation ceremony than Wallace.  Fortunately, my sister made the smart move of having all four of her girls stay home with Kevin, so I just added one more to his slumber party.  :)  Anna had a blast with the girls, and Kevin appeared to managed quite well because the house wasn't in shambles when we got back, and all but one of the girls were asleep in the same room!  Amazing!

I tried to get some good pics of the graduation festivities, but since it was an indoor, evening graduation, lighting was poor, and I'm not a big fan of flash just yet.  But even still I managed to come away with a few decent ones.

Fortunately, we arrived just a little late, and caught all of the graduates lining up outside!  So, I went all paparazzi on Dallas for a few minutes.  :)

He's a bit of a ham...

Mom, Sarah, and Nanny with Dallas.  Our family is pretty jam packed with females.  

So, this is the only one I got of the ceremony, and I'm honestly surprised I was able to rescue it in processing.  I don't have a zoom lens, so this is as close as I could get it with the 85mm.  I don't really know why we all feel the need to take a picture of 300 kids in purple suits from the audience and then think we'll actually look at them later...but everyone does it, and I'm not immune.  :)

I don't know who made the sign for Dallas, but I thought it as a cute idea.  I haven't been to a graduation in a while, and it's kind of fun to finally watch your family member graduate when you've been sitting there listening to random names for half an hour.  The excitement builds when their row finally stands to walk up there, and then it's all over in a matter of seconds.  Kind of like Christmas.  "/

Haha!  The sign caught Nanny off guard!  

After the graduation we all went to eat.  It was a blast getting to catch up with everyone, but this was yet another poorly lit venue, and my skills in that arena are lacking.  I did the best I could, and told everyone to "stand really still!"

Jenny's pretty sentimental, and she's let both of her boys wear my Dad's class ring during their graduation ceremonies.  

This poor girl was so tired from the late graduation, but all kids are cell phone addicts, so she stayed calm entertained for at least a few minutes with Hunter.

See!  Cell phone addict!  It's not just adults these days.  ;)

Nanny was apparently getting tired of the camera.  Look at her peeking...  "is she done yet?"

My sister Jenny (a.k.a. the graduate's Mom).

Jenny, Dallas, and Rodney trying very hard to be still for me!  :)

Jenny, Paula, and Dallas. Dallas was making goofy faces in so many of the pictures I got.  

So, poor Bridgett had to share her b-day with Dallas's graduation.  She was a sport about it, and only wore a tiara.  :)  She also doesn't sit very still though, so I had a tough time getting pictures of her with the lighting issues.  

But I managed to get this one!  The waiter caught on to the fact that it was her birthday.

And she even let Dallas wear the sombrero!  Congratulations Dallas!  We're so proud!  Now you're off to find your way...oh the places you'll go!  

Fun with the water hose!

It's just been one of those weeks where we spend every evening out on the patio... 

Flare

So, for a couple of months now I've been trying to figure out how to introduce flare into my pictures.  My boss gave me some tips (just get the sun in the frame), and I figured it would be so simple.  Yeah right!  Getting flare in my pictures has become as elusive as making good fudge!  My family has a fudge curse.  It usually comes out horrible!   In fact, it wasn't until my buddy Jen came to town with fool-proof, step-by-step instructions that we managed to get it right (on the second try!).  So...back to the flare.  

My first attempts at it have been epic fails.  Too hazy!  

Then I was just randomly thinking about it last week and realized (duh) I've been leaving the lens hood on all the time.  The lens hood which basically prevents flare!  After reading some articles on it, I decided since I'm so accident prone, leaving the lens hood on was probably a good way to keep me from damaging the lens when I bump it into stuff (like door frames).  

So...this evening I was out on the back patio with the kids and figured it was the perfect time to test out my lens hood theory.  I will definitely get some good flare now! 

Ugh....not so much.  The haze is gone, but I don't know...there just wasn't enough flare.  Maybe the sun was still too high...or maybe I should try to get it over in the corner rather than somewhat centered...I'm working with a teeny tiny back yard though, so it's tough to get good angles when I'm trying to work with the sun.  

Alas...flare continues to evade me.  "/  Maybe Jen will show up at my door with step-by-step fool-proof instructions on how to get good flare.  (hint...hint...)

For now...I'll just stick with that I know works...Anna and bubbles.  :)

Angel Race and Cora's Birthday!

So, for Memorial Day weekend Josh and the kids and I headed towards Houston for the Angel Race.  For the past 6 months or so Josh has been signing up for monthly races in an effort to get in better shape.  I think it's been good for him to have these goals, and it's really cool to watch him accomplishing them one race at a time.  This race was kind of meaningful because it was a tribute to my niece's teacher that tragically died this past year due to complications with the flu, and it was also a tribute to her sister who died young as well.  :(  It's just the saddest story, so that's about as far as I'm going to delve into it.  

My sisters and nieces also participated in the race festivities!  We've never done stuff like this as a family, but I think the kids really enjoyed it, and I'd like to keep doing stuff like this...although, I don't know if my sisters feel the same way...  "/

​Josh and Jenny both did the 10K.  All of the rest of us did the 1-mile run/walk.  I didn't get any pics of the 1-miler though because Anna decided she wanted to be carried the entire way!

​I haven't looked up Josh's time yet, but it seemed like he finished much faster than he did before.  There were also not a gazillion people running in this race, so every 10K finisher got their name called out as they crossed the finish line, which was totally awesome!

​This was Jenny's first 10K, and she was super excited to actually finish it.  I never doubted she would.  :)

​Sarah and I spent a fair amount of time hanging out at the starting/finish line entertaining the kids while waiting on Josh and Jenny.

​Most of the cousins on this side of the family are girls, and they all love to be little mommies.  They'd carry Anna around everywhere if they could, and Anna was happy to oblige this time.  It's getting kind of funny though because Anna's nearly their size now.

I honestly had envisioned Anna getting all excited to be wearing a race bib and running along with her cousins...  Yeah...that totally didn't happen.  "/

​She was unimpressed by it all...she just wanted to jump in the giant bouncy.

​This is about the closest she came to racing, and it was after I carried her across the finish line.  "/

And then she conned Hannah into holding her. 

If you show Anna to a giant container of ice, she will proceed to stand there and eat all of it.  Must be the age...Cora was all over the ice too!

​Cora's facial expressions totally crack me up!  "You sure about this ice thing?"

I'm telling you...a bunch of little mommies!  And they watch Anna and Wallace like little hawks and let me know if either of them is doing anything they probably shouldn't be doing.  ​

So, after the race it was time for Cora's birthday party!  She and Anna are only about a month and a half apart, so my emergency run to Toys R Us for a gift was pretty easy.  :)  

​Cora seemed totally perplexed by all of us standing around singing Happy Birthday to her.  She just kept looking around in amazement.  It was adorable!

​Kevin gave her a little pep talk...

​And then she blew out the candle!

Cora likes to make everything a hat!  Even a cake plate.  :)

​Haha!  Kevin looks thrilled with the mess.  :)

​Cora had a ball opening her presents.  She was such a ham!  

​And then she was off to play outside!

​Watch out Ruthie...she's coming to get you!

​Something tells me they've played this game before.  :)

​Awwww!  Special time with her Grandpa.

​So...it's sad to say, but I haven't been to see my nieces since Thanksgiving...  "/  (I always joke with them that maybe another hurricane will come through like Ike and force them to flee to come and stay with me again)  I had no idea that Cora was jumping on the trampoline now!

​I'm three!!!  

​So, none of us can believe that Bailey is still alive.  She was just a puppy at the beginning of '98...so that makes her like 15....right?  That is crazy old!

​Since I hadn't seen the girls since I got my new camera, I tried to get as many pics of them as possible.  I probably started to annoy them some, but they were good sports.

​Hannah's becoming quite the trapeze artist!  I remember doing stuff like this as a kid.  :)

Although I was never brave enough to ride on someone's shoulders...too scared of heights.  And trust me...Hunter's shoulders are ridiculously high off the ground!.​

​mmmm....Popsicle!

​Even Wallace got a popsicle!

​Until Bailey decided she wanted it...

​We broke into Anna's sidewalk chalk (an early b-day present from her Aunt Sarah).

​Who doesn't love sidewalk chalk?

Ruthie and the girls all love Wallace so much.  I can't tell you how many times one of them came up to me to ask "Can I hold Wallace next?"​

​Carson was determined to get a good picture with these boys!

​They were determined to not cooperate.  :)

​Kian was a bit more willing to comply.  He's got so many teeth!  Wallace doesn't have any yet...

​Kian is the cutest thing?  Looks like the Gerber baby!

​Wind coaxing Anna down the slide.

​I love this one...  "dude...what's so funny?"

 "oh...now I get it!"  :)

Little ​Miss Carson looking pretty as can be.  

I'm so glad Josh and I were able to make this trip, and I finally got to see my sisters and all the kids....and eat like a dozen of these cookies!!!

Anna's last day of school

​Friday was Anna's last day of her first year of preschool.  Before Wallace was born we got a little concerned that she wasn't socializing enough.  She'd run up to random kids wherever we went, and rather than try to talk, which she really wasn't doing much of before starting school, she'd kind of look at them excitedly and then bust into some dance moves.  "/  It was cute, but nearly all of those kids would look at me like...is she okay?  So we decided to enroll her up at the church for what's basically a Mother's Day Out preschool 3 days a week.  She has absolutely loved it!  In fact, Granny would get upset because she'd be so eager to leave in the morning, and then all bummed out to get back in the truck when she picked her up.  Needless to say, Ms Kara and Ms. Cynthia and all the kids will be sorely missed this summer.  :(

​On Friday they had a short little end of the year party for all of the kids, and we got to watch them goof off and get a small glimpse of what they normally do during the day.  When I got there they were still playing in the gym.

Anna turns lobster red when she plays hard.  I've had concerned parents come up to me and ask if she's okay before.  "/  Yep...she's fine...she's just got my genetics.  We're not pretty sweaters or criers....

When they were all ready to head back to the classroom Ms. Cynthia lined them up with this handy looped rope.  Maybe I should get one of these for Anna for when we're out and about!  

​Anna was quite the clown when we were all sitting around for circle time.  She's been trying to sing "If You're Happy and You Know it" while she's in her bath for like a month now.  I'd figured they must have been singing it at school...confirmed!  And now I know the last 2 verses.  :)

​I think Anna's favorite thing about the party was the food!  The donuts in particular.  She's never been super fond of the ones I've gotten her before.  Apparently I just wasn't getting the right kind....

Krispy Kreme with white frosting and sprinkles!

​I wish I had a short little sink like this at home.  Anna tends to just forego the step stool and scale up the vanity to sit on the counter to wash her hands at home.

​So, I came pretty close to crying when it was time to leave.  Anna has no idea that the school year's ended, but I know she'll be asking about school soon.  Ms. Kara and Ms. Cynthia made this first year of preschool everything we ever wanted it to be!  And she still loves to dance!