Favorite portraits from KY trip

She is my sunshine...plain and simple!

Louisville fun!

I have been so neglectful of my blog. Life has been so busy. I promise to do better. This past week, we went on a little impromptu trip to Louisville, KY. As Paige said, "This was the best bonding trip ever" and I couldn't agree more. I'm going to let the photos do the talking :)

Paige on the last day of our getaway.

We went to eat at Lynn's Paradise Cafe and it lived up to it's name. So artsy and quirky and FUN! Right up our alley. Paige loved playing in the suds.
I couldn't love two people more if I tried!

When out of town, do as the tourists would do :)

My mom and I ordered the Bourbon Ball French Toast. It was seen on Bobby Flay's TV show. While we were there eating, sitting next to us, were two reporters from The New York Times. I saw that one of the fellows ordered this as well. It was soooo yummy!

My little "Thinker"

Doing the Robot!

Hey, we WERE in Derby country afterall...
The reason I enjoy Louisville so much is because it is home to some of the nicest people in the world. My sweet blogger buddies came out to eat with us and brought their gorgeous kiddos. Pictured is: Ava (Felicia's daughter), Dalton (Marla's son), Paige (you know her :), Adalyn (Marla's daughter and Dalton's sissy), Olivia (Becky's daughter). Not pictured was Sophia (Becky's daughter). She was smart and stayed away from the mamarazzi/sisterazzi :)

Larry, Leslie's hubby also joined us. Leslie was in the hospital and couldn't make this get together :( ... Hope you are feeling better, Leslie and wish I would've gotten to see you.

I love how blogging brings friends together!

Silly kiddos!

Of course, while there, I took a gazillion photos and have spent time editing them. Paige calls them my "Fancy pictures" :) I'll post a few of those on my next post.

Highlights from this trip with my favorite girls were:

• uncontrollable laughter in the hot tub.
• college plans already laid out ... ha ha Paige's top three choices 1. Vanderbilt, 2. University of Tennessee, 3. University of Kentucky. Career choice at age 10...Engineering or Architecture :)
• Etiquette training at Martini's Restaurant. Paige enjoyed this training ... NOT!
• A trip to "The Doors" and a photoshoot that about brought me to the brink of insanity.
• enjoying the new ride and keeping the "bun warmers" on, as it felt like an October day.
• school shopping ... DONE! YES!!! ...and might I add, one little girl will be a fashionista this fall as she enters the 5th grade thanks to the Gap!

We had a ball! Thanks mom and Paige, as you knew how much I needed this. I think you two had as much fun as I did. Love you girls and can't wait for the next "Girl's Getaway!"

GNO

Girls Night Out!!! I have had two in a row this week and it has truly been FABULOUS! I don't think there is anything better in this world then getting together with a group of friends and talking, laughing, relaxing, sometimes crying (whether it be at the expense of a joke or sharing a burden). I just LOVE my friends. I am so blessed to have a large friend base. I haven't done the best job with keeping up with my childhood friends and that makes me a little sad, but my college, work and community friends (and blogger friends, too) are the B E S T!!!

I had a tough day today. Nothing major, just some things going on. My best friend in the world knew I was stressed and said, "Be there in 10 min." She dropped everything and came by the house, picked me up and we went to Starbucks. That's what life is all about...being there for each other, through the good times and the bad.

Lately, there have been so many instances where friends have turned on each other over petty, silly things. I am so thankful that I have "true blue" girls in my life. I love them and I want them to know it. Girls (for those of you that read my blog...lol...I heart you!).

Speaking of friends...here are a few of Paige and her buds... (because you know if I put up pics of my friends, I might not have them anymore : ) LOL)

My kid is better than yours...

I kid you not, I heard that sentence from a mom at the pool the other day (and she wasn't joking!) She was referring to her son...comparing him to another little fella at the pool. She was talking to the child's mom and I heard it getting a wee bit heated (over something as silly as baseball, mind you). "My kid is better than yours" was the last statement made before one disgruntled mom walked away.

I had to really sit on this one for a bit. Why is it that people can't be sincerely happy for other's accomplishments? I am in the business of building children up, not to tear them down. I worry about children who don't have a strong self image or have parents who don't teach them that failure leads to growth.

Aaaahhhh, it's these things that keep me awake at night. I am so proud of all of your kids! I want you all to know that you can leave me a message and I will applaud your little one's successes and be their biggest cheerleader. The world is too big of a place for such small minds. I don't have time for it. I feel like doing a "social" project at the pool that I learned in college. You have a three ring binder with a piece of paper with everyone's name on a piece. You pass it around and use a positive adjective to describe that person, along with a little note of encouragement. It's a powerful thing to have a piece of paper in front of you with tons of wonderful words that describe you.

Off my soapbox (I've been on it a lot this summer...sorry :( It's therapeutic for me to get these feelings out.

Here are a few favorite pics from the week. We have been BUSY with playdates, swim days, photoshoots, midnight viewings of Harry Potter (sooo much fun), cleaning out closets, getting ready for weddings, gearing up for school and dance.... too much! :)




This is Paige's best friend. We love her. Her mommy wanted me to take some headshots and I LOVE this one. It is sooo her. She's Paige's hip hop counterpart and cohort on the dance floor. A little love, this child is.


My beautiful rose and a few other roses :)

Bullet style

• Yesterday was my soon-to-be sister-in-law's Wine and Cheese. I think it was a huge success. She got lots of goodies that she registered for. It's always fun to see what people give as wedding gifts. She had several place settings of her fine China and several of her everyday ware. She got some silver, a fondue set, lots of cool utensils, picnic baskets and wine goblets. Then she got her fair share of the "what do I call that on a Thank You card" gifts :) You know, the naked sculpture that has a clock on the stomach, or the clear, plastic "grandmotherly" looking picture frames. : ) No matter what, there was laughter, food (yummy cheeses) and LOTS of wine. I had THE best red wine that I have ever tasted in my life. It was shipped in from a winery in CA, I believe. I would pay big bucks to order a case of it to keep in our house for entertaining....YUMMY!
• Paigee cried BIG, Crocodile tears yesterday (and this isn't a crying kid). She missed her best friend's Twilight themed birthday party, because she had to go to the Wine and Cheese. She learned what it meant to sacrifice for the family...a good, life lesson.
• We received THREE exciting letters in the mail yesterday...

1. She got her dance letter stating that she was moved up another level in dance. This was unexpected, as we thought she would remain in her level for one more year. She is now what is called an "Amethyst". Their load is more in depth. She will be taking- ballet, hip hop, tap, jazz, modern and possibly competition hip hop. A lot of dance, but she says she is "sooo super excited". We shall see!

2. She received an invitation to join the Junior Cotillion. She will attend classes on etiquette one Sunday a month for the school year. They will be taught table manners, phone manners, the proper way to greet people, how to receive people in a line, how to use utensils properly in American and Asian cuisine ( I was excited to see that they were including Asian cuisine). She will be attending a Fall dance, a Thanksgiving dance, a Winter SnowBall, and a King and Queen of Valentines Heart Ball. She will learn how to Waltz, Cha Cha, Salsa and Swing Dance. She has to wear a formal white gown to the ball with white gloves. The only way we could get her slightly excited about wearing the white gloves was to tell her that when Cotillion is over, she could cut them up and wear them for hip hop :) Ha!

3. Lastly, and more importantly, a former friend of my dad's, who coached with him for years, saw Paige's pic in the newspaper for getting Good Citizen at her school. He cut out the picture, wrote her a long card and shared memories of my dad and told her that he would love to be involved in her life...to help her remember my dad and share memories. How special that God sends us angels on earth. HE knows just who to put in our lives to make this life a little easier. The goodness that I see in people continue to amaze me.

I once was a very jaded person. I thought people had alterior (sp?) motives for doing kind deeds...I am thankful that God has softened my heart and opened my eyes. I see good in everyone and I am forever grateful for that new awareness.

• I am looking, and I mean truly looking, for a way to become a mommy. I've got some emails and phone calls into some agencies. If it is meant to be, it will be. Until then, I will enjoy my "almost 11 year old" baby and the babies that surround me at school.
• We are having Paige's best friends over for a sleepover on Friday night. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers...lol! :) No, really, they are great kids.

Sorry for the long post, but once again...this is the only journal that I have right now and I don't want to miss a thing.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful week! Make it a great one...I know we will :)

Compassion

I love that Paige loves animals. She has never had a high tolerance, or shall I say, interest in babies or little ones. Sometimes I see children who fawn over little kids and show such love and compassion. I often wondered if Paige had that nurturing, motherly side to her. My suspicions have been confirmed, that indeed, this little girl is an animal lover! Of course, she is Queen Mother to Sambo the cat. She would probably jump in front of a bus for him. I knew that she loved her cat dearly, but the other day as we were driving back from a photoshoot, she demanded, "Pull over". I was afraid she was going to be sick by the alarm in her voice. "Pull over here next to this fence, please, sissy!" I obliged. In the distance were these beautiful horses. It was a hot day and Paige ran to their fence and started calling for them. The beautiful brown horse immediately made his/her way to Paige and I swear to you, they gazed at each other for a good 2 minutes. Paige kept saying, "It's ok sweetie. I know you are hot, but the sun is about to go down. You will be cooler then. Just eat you some grass and stay under the shade". The horse stared at her and started kicking it's front left leg. It looked at Paige, never at me, and as if to say, "yes m'am" and walked away and stood underneath a big tree. Paige walked to the car and said, "Ok, let's go!". I followed her lead and we didn't speak one word about it in the car.

Yep, she's going to be a good mommy!

Some new favorite pics

I love, love, love how joyful this child is!

What a beautiful sky! I love summer!

My beautiful girl looking at the massive cloud. I love this picture of her.

Since this is my online scrapbook for Paige, I am going to write about things she has been up to this summer (nothing exciting for others :)

• Paige has been spending TONS of time dancing this summer, even beyond recital. She doesn't walk into a room, she dances. She has found a fascination with Michael Jackson's moves and is trying to perfect them. Too cute.
• She has been having a ball at camp. This week's theme is Pirates of the Caribbean. They spend the morning canoeing, swimming in the lake, playing basketball in the gym and swimming in the indoor pool. She will be attending the same camp next week. She has shown wonderful sportsmanship and has been invited to be a camp "peer" counselor next year. She is so proud.
• It's out with the Matilda Jane clothing and in with the aeropostale, abercrombie and Hollister. She is in LOVE with her baby blue silk basketball shorts. She is really coming into her own and I love her funky little style.
• Currently, she wants to be a DJ when she grows up : ) She's a hiphop lovin' kid and it is quite the obsession as of late.

My dad is smiling!

Laura, Mark and family took the kids to play golf on Friday. Laura sent me this picture and I immediately smiled and then cried (if that makes sense?) It made me smile because I love that Paige is still able to play the game that she soooo loved to play with my dad. It made me cry because I am sad she isn't able to play with him anymore. I am so grateful for LaLa and family for treating our little angel like she is one of their own and loving her and us.

I know my dad is smiling down from the Heavens and is beaming with pride at his 'lil peanut'. He loved her like no other. She was soooo blessed to have him, even if for a short while.

Not a baby, but not yet a teen

Bless little Paige's heart...hormones have set in and I am afraid they are here to stay. We woke up excited about our Fourth of July and were talking about the days happenings. We were invited to a cookout from one of her dance friend's family and she desperately wanted to go. My mom and I, however, wanted to just spend the day together, us three. When we had a "family meeting" to discuss our day's plans, Paige didn't take it well. For the first time ever, she folded her arms, stomped her feet all the way to her room and SLAMMED her door. My mom and I looked at each other in utter amazement. You see, Paige has always been a very "go with the flow" kinda kid, easy to please and will do whatever. She stunned us by having such a strong opinion. I am afraid we have created this behavior, as we rarely "make" her do something she doesn't want to.

To make a long story short, she took a nap and when she woke up, she peeked out of her room and saw that I could see her from my room. She burst into tears and apologized over and over again for being so "difficult". Bless her heart!!! She came running to me with big crocodile tears and wanted to know if we were disappointed in her.

She is such a precious, gentle soul. She is full of compassion, kindness and laughter. I am afraid we are in for the rollercoaster, my friends. I was once a preteen and I remember the feelings and doubts.

Please keep our little sweet and sassy girl in your prayers as she goes through the changes that are inevitable. More importantly, please say a prayer that my mom and I make it through this phase with our sanity in tact.

We just love this little face!!! I mean, seriously, how cute is she???

Long time, no post

This is picture heavy, but it will help me to remember this summer, which feels like an ultimate BLUR!!!!

We've been super busy with helping my little brother, Greg, get ready to be married in September. They are inviting over 600 people and to say that it will be a grand event is a HUGE understatement. Through it all, he makes time for his Paigee Poo :)

I've been busy photographing babies, babies, babies and then some still life (which I love!)

Paige and friend, Annika, before heading to a "Hollywood" party at the club. Ooh la la!

Sooo posh, daahling! For my little tomboy, she did a great job putting this outfit together ( I think she secretly enjoyed it, too!)

She is letting her hair grow so that she can donate it to Locks of Love...sooo proud of her!

We get our obligatory pedi bi weekly. This week she chose lime green with black animal stripes. Roarrrrr :) Double click on any of these pics to see them larger.

You know me, shop till ya drop...I LOVE having a shopping buddy now :)

Life is rough! Drinking her Starbucks (strawberries and cream frappucino (sp?) while getting her pedi.

We've been spending LOADS of time with her bff's, Hailey and Avery. She loves these girls! I do, too!

I got this new car, because...

this (PAID OFF) Ford Escape caught on fire, in our driveway, at 8:00 a.m. The fire investigators said that it was electrical and that we should do some research to see if there were any recalls. If you have an Escape, this was a 2001 model. I miss my little SUV :(

We have a great shopping area in our town that has great fountains. On any given Thursday evening, you will find us on a blanket, listening to the jazz band while watching the kids run through the fountains. We eat appetizers and enjoy a little bubbly.

We were invited to swim with Annslee and family on Father's Day. Once again, I cannot thank this family enough for taking us in and welcoming us and treating us as though we were family. I truly believe we have made life long friends with them and we are BLESSED!
Little and Big :) Annslee and Paige
We are really enjoying our summer. Paige has attended VBS at our church, has gone to dance camps, has gone on so many playdates I can't even count anymore and so much more. I think it's a good thing that I can't find the time to blog, however this is our scrapbook and I am going to focus on this. I spend a lot of time on Facebook and like my dear friend, L. says "our kids can't go back and read about their childhood on Facebook". I am going to make more of an effort to blog at least once or twice a week. Sooo much more important than how I am spending my online time.

I hope that you and yours have a Safe and Happy Fourth of July!!!!