boys will be boys.....

blake and raegan went to the ohio state game today so z and i stayed around home and just hung out. i had a shoot this morning so he went to mamoo and papa's for a bit. when i picked him up he came running to the car with a large zip lock bag. it had something in it that i couldn't figure out. i thought it may be a praying mantis with some leaves because yesterday he had a tragic episode with one. he was so proud when he found it on our screened porch and carefully persuaded it into his little bug house. if you look closely at this first picture, you can see it in the circle on the left.

this is him imitating the praying mantis.....

this is him after he realized that daphne (our six month old puppy) had taken off with the bug house. we still don't know what happened to the praying mantis!

so back to the ziplock bag.....it was a TOAD!! YUCK!! and boy was he proud. he insisted on bringing it home so we put it in a tall trashcan for the transport. he thought our window well would be a perfect home since that is where he found it. so here he is crawling down into the window well and releasing him into his new home.

and climbing out after a job well done!



so for those of you who know me well or know me at all...this was very much out of my comfort zone. i certainly wasn't excited about the transport or about him handling the toad, but i had to let go of my phobias for a few minutes to let him be a boy! and in the process i was rewarded with a few very cute pictures. some of my favorites in a long time. in fact, one of them may end up on a canvas!

one more thing.....your just dying to see some pictures from raegan's first ohio state game, right? me too! they didn't take a camera!!!!

it's not about the game!

we went to the indiana marsh invitational tonight with some of our neighbors. hse was playing at the new lucas oil stadium! as you browse through the pictures it may begin to appear that some of us weren't there to see the game at all. don't get me wrong, i love football...however....it was the first time i stepped foot in the new stadium. so for me...it was about the PICTURES!!!

for some of the kids...it was about......you guessed it...the treats!

and for others....it was about using their outside voices...

even though we were inside!

we had a really good time, enjoyed some yummy treats (especially the cotton candy) and watched a bit of the game, but my favorite part was capturing the kids having fun and being silly. i learned recently not to leave home without my camera. i really feel a bit lost without it. honestly, i look at life through the lens of a camera and constantly imagine what each moment would like in a picture! the seemingly ordinary moments truly are full extraordinary expression! having my camera in hand allows me to share those moments with you! so if you remember one thing from this post......remember to take your camera with you! as i always say...a picture is worth a thousand words!!

sweet smile

so i LOVE z's hair long, but he insisted on getting it cut today! my one condition was that he let me take a picture before he left! i love his sweet, innocent smile in this one!

finally.....

ok, so i have decided to give this "blog" thing a try....in my spare time. we'll see how it goes! my hope is to make this a space to give a sneak peak at some of my favorite photos, as well as share anything that may be of interest to those of you who read it. for example....i am in the process (well the planning stage) of updating my "studio". i want to make it a space that truly represents me as a photographer. i love the simplicity of the black backdrop, but just want to add a little "color". i have so many ideas, i just need to get moving. my original goal was to have it complete in july. hmmmm...not even close. my hope is to "plan" over the next few months and really take action when things slow down in january!

check back often for updates!!!