Dorothy?

My friend Cheryl Davis is taking a photography class and she needed to recreate photographs from famous photographers.  She's taken our family pictures before - you can see those here.  She's asked my ladies and JMichael to model for her, so there will be more to come.  This one of Josephine reminded us of Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz, when she is about to break into Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  I just think it's a beautiful and dramatic capture of Josephine - simple beauty.

Tasty Freeze

We stopped by Tasty Freeze the other night to get a cone and see Rachel at work.  If you look closely at this picture, and if you know Rachel at all - you will see something different.  Is it a mole on her face?  Is it chocolate?  Yup.  Chocolate.  All on her face and all over her shirt.  Ice cream is dirty business.

Red Dragons

JMicheal (7 years old) is happy again - soccer season has begun.  This year he is a Red Dragon and on a whole new team - new teammates and two new coaches.  The Coaches - Coach Kevin and Coach Michael are both men who know the game of soccer and respect the finesse of a quality player.  They are concentrating on moves and skills, not scores and goals.  One big rule this year is to do a move before you shoot on goal - and no booting the ball.  JMichael is having to adjust and listen more, since previous coaches have been goal driven and loved JMichael for his strong left foot and his ability to kick the ball down the whole field.  This year will be a big improvement year for him in his skills, which the coaches teach with games and fun drills.  So far we have had two games and they have won them both - JMichael scored in both.  It was a tad nippy out this bright September morning, and JMichael was rocking his black beanie.  Go Red Dragons!

Friday Night Lights

The start of school in the Bible belt south means one thing - football season is in full swing.  While I didn't attend a single high school football game while I was actually in high school, I do go now.  Our family goes, actually.  James and JMichael love to go and watch the games.  Samantha is on the high school dance team, so she cheers throughout the game and is part of the half time show.  Charlotte and Josephine see football games as their time to roam and be social with all the other seventh and fifth graders which attend the game in droves.  I doubt they could tell you the score.  Rachel the working girl doesn't go to the game, but, she serves the ice cream at Tasty Freeze for all the post game celebrating.  James and I sit with other families and we get some social time too.  Although I admit I don't usually know the score, either.  We won this one 32 to 12.

Go Panthers!  We want the red team to win, as JMichael says.

Samantha watching the game.

Big fans.  No picture of Charlotte and Josephine, because I only see them if they want money for an icee.....

Splash - August 2015

The August splash was just a day at the ballpark.  We try to get to a few ballgames every season.  James and JMichael like to actually watch the baseball.  The rest of us are there for the fresh air and people watching.  For this game, we brought along our cross stitch floss and the ladies made bracelets.  Samantha's boyfriend, Jonathan, came along and Charlotte's best bud, Abby, was also there with her family.  Minor league games are a great way to spend a Saturday night as a family.  Just don't ask me any of the players names; I have no idea.

The family that plays together....

I'm not gonna lie - my kids are not perfect.  I'm not perfect either.  On the blog, sometimes I think I put my family out there as this amazing set of people who do great and beautiful things.  We ARE those people.  We are also occasionally grumpy, rebellious and mean.  We fight; we get upset and we have those moments that test every fiber of my loving momma's heart.  But then, out of the blue - this stuff happens.  This picture may look on the surface to be another of Josephine's wonderful strength and flexibility poses - and it is.  She's so focused.  But look again - the Momma in me sees more.  On the field, there are four incredible people - freely and happily playing together.  JMichael takes a soccer ball with him literally everywhere he can.  On this day he had a ball and all four sisters to pay with him.  There they are - all out there enjoying themselves and the fresh air and each other.  Bless their sweet and independent hearts.  I hope they always hold on to each other.

Samantha - mid air

Dance team had picture day - my kids will tell you something about me and school pictures.  I never buy them.  Dag, in this day and age with a phone/camera in my hand or my bag at all times, who needs a professional to take even more pictures of my kids?  For the record, I also do not do fund raisers.  My kids know that if they are bringing home either of those things - like the beginning of the school year always brings - picture order forms and fund raiser info - they can just toss that trash.

So, picture day for dance team - Samantha's friend caught this great shot.  She's fierce, focused and ready to get that Panther crowd rockin'.

This girl loves her dance team.  She does not love the drama that girl groups bring - she is there to dance.  She's a leader and doesn't realize it.  She practices at home and in the car and she knows her grrove.  She's been moved to the front and is proud to a Panther Dancer.  Rock on, Samantha.