the parent rap song... :-)

way too funny not to share. :-)

*remember to stop the auto music player before starting the video. :-)

one thing i like about the video is how each parent acknowledges some of the wonderful qualities about the another parent/spouse....i think that is very important in a marriage. don't we all need a little encouraging from time to time? maybe some more than others......

enjoy!

restless...

a beautiful song that i just had to share (in case you missed the fb post). remember to stop the automatic music player on the blog before starting this one. otherwise it sounds pretty strange. :-)

also...i wanted to let you know that more posts are coming to this little blog soon (eek, i think i may have said that before, eh?) well...we have been busy living life with VBS, tball, baseball, now some more VBS, oh and lots of photoshoots, and sessions..whew! i am having to remind myself that i must make the time to sort and edit our family photos and put them on here. i love all those folks i photograph during the photo sessions i am blessed to have, but family comes first. so, i will be making a point to get caught up or at least start where we are now. :-) i really need to get out of bed earlier in the mornings...yeah, working on that.

here are a few photos i have recently taken of the littles that i love love love.

more to come soon. really. :-)

tootles.

-kelly

project 365 photos PLUS a little home video

hello!

i hope you all are having a great weekend!
ours has been good..weather not so good. rain, rain, chances of rain, more rain. yes, lots of rain. but, no complaints really because the area really did need rain.
so...the weather has postponed three photo shoots, and that isn't so good being that we are leaving gulf shores at the end of this month.
but....we have those shoots lined up and i am faithful that we will be able to get those done.

oh, and i just got all of the editing work done on the wedding we did earlier this month, and i am very happy with those. will share more after the bride and groom has a chance to look at them.

so...not sure if you have been following my photo project (project 365) on flickr. i have really been enjoying it and it really has been a great push to take photos (not that i need a push, as i am literally attached to my camera), but it has helped force me to look daily for those moments to capture. i am thrilled to think that at the end of the project i will have a nice collection of photos (yes, all 365 of them...oh, my math skills are beyond fantastic, huh?) that i can look back on and more or less see the past year via photos.

so this project, to me, is a collection of little glimpses of our lives, as well as a tool for visual progress and growth on my photography journey...

here are some recent project365 photos (in no particular order, but the first one posted, i'd have to say, is one of my most treasured thus far)...

sweet offspring

the flow of the fountain..

magnolia tree leaf

emerging from the water...

he's a fast one..

on the hunt and with a net...

she apparently has the pool time blues??

who said you have to be a kid to enjoy kiddie books? ;-)

all smiles..

and some music via the kids...



River and Lily sing 'Only a Boy Named David'...a song they learned from their grandma.

They LOVE this song, btw.

On to other news...River got a new haircut. While Rocky and I were trying to decide what the cut should be like...Rocky decided a mohawk was going to be it..so, though i wasn't so sure about the idea at first...i can honestly say that it is cute on him. 

as rocky said, "what better time to have a cut like that than when you are kid?" excellent point!

here's the new do':

and despite what his facial expression may show in these shots...he really does like the hawk. ;-)

karate chop kid? ;-)

so edgy...

what a fun haircut for a kid...

question:

ever considered getting a mohawk yourself? how about giving one to your child? why or why not? ;-) 

like i said earlier in the post...it is such a fun hairstyle for a kid...i mean, in river's case...he loves dinosaurs and this is a fun way he can have the "spikes" like one. 

and there really isn't a better time in his life to have a haircut like this (wise thought from my wise hubby).

plus...it's just hair. ;-)

he sports the spikes quite nicely. ;-)

anywhoo...

have a great week!!

-kelly

true things..

hello...
i heard this song on pandora this morning..
it's 'true things' from jj heller.
thought i'd share the goodness...
listen to the words..



well, i am working on editing photos from sunday's beach shoot and will have some of those up just as soon as i can. i am pretty excited with how they are turning out and i can't wait for the lovely people i photographed to see them!

well, must go catch up from yesterday..i've been so tired and that really can take it's toll on household responsibilities...

have a great day!

love, kelly

fine arts camp

Hello!

This week is fine arts camp for River! oh...and in case you didn't get the memo..we are moving away from calling River "leafy". He has mentioned (in not so many words) that he just isn't feeling it.. ;-)

Each day of this week he is participating in singing, drama, fine arts (like painting, drawing, etc), and drums.

He has been enjoying it immensely! He is super excited that his buddy, Noah, is in his group, too. ;-)

Here are some photos of percussion class and some of River's classmates.....

This week's fine art camp concludes Thursday evening with a Mithril concert. Mithril's percussionist, David Hughes, is River's teacher! I, for one, am so excited about this concert...as I love celtic music! Plus, I think this will be a great way for river to see how instruments work together to make music, especially seeing his teacher up  performing songs with his band.

This fine arts camp is really a wonderful thing. I am hopeful that I can find something similar to this in the Chattanooga area when we move back. Anyone know of anything??

Hope you are having a great week!

Love,
Kelly

beautiful one

both of the kids have been walking around singing 'beautiful one' by jeremy camp, as well as others, because of VBS, which is going on this week.



so...i had to listen to it for myself again, as i have always liked this song, but haven't heard it in a while.. the video has some pretty photos, too.

also, here is picture 7 of 365 of my 365project (a photo a day for 365 days)...you have total faith that i can complete this project, right? i hope so! ;-)

the kids doing hand motions during a song at VBS

there is something just so sweet and precious about children singing and worshiping God. it is heartwarming, to say the least. melts my heart through and through.

must go now...have a wonderful rest of the week (in case you don't hear from me before then).

*oh...in case you haven't seen the first six photos from my project 365 and care to...just click on the above picture and it will take you to my flickr.

love, kelly

big jet plane...

from time to time i post songs that i heart....

i do this for a couple reasons...

one, i think it might be fun for the kids to look back years down the road and see what kind of music i/we liked.

will they care? who knows...

two, i do it because i want to. simple as that. ;-)

either way..

i like this song.

it's an awesome brother and sister duo. 

soft, delicate voices which make my ears happy.
i love the simplicity of this video..nothing fancy, just goodness.

maybe i'm also dreaming about when Rocky gets his pilot's license..looking forward to that. babe, will you take me for a ride on a big jet plane? ;-)

a photo & a song

a simple post...

a photo. a song.

the picture... was taken this past weekend..the photos will be weaved through posts for awhile, i do believe..i took many.

the picture here shows me two things..

one: that i have much more to learn about taking pictures, editing, and everything there in between..but, i am enjoying every second of it.

and two: that i love the beach, especially when the sun begins to set.

the song... i heard this while at the gym this morning. it's a beautiful song.

jj heller has such a lovely voice and the words to her songs are just as lovely.

like i said...simply simple.

have a wonderful weekend!!

we are super excited because we have more company coming into town from back home this evening:

our friend jeremy and his little boy "P".

'P' is leafy's age and is his best bud.

the kids are thrilled!

love,
kelly

never alone

i love this song! 

i feel it is a good reminder for me for those moments when i feel as if God is far away from me...sometimes it can be difficult to always remember that He is there for me, as He is an invisible Love.

 i,do know that is where faith comes in...

but, being that i am human, and imperfect for that matter, those moments do occasionally creep in when i feel that He may not be that close to me, but in reality it is me not being close with Him. He is ALWAYS there, and i am never alone. 

what an amazing, humbling thought.

i am so very thankful for prayer...what an amazing way to communicate with God. 

coming from someone who can get pretty wordy (and sadly, usually, talks way more than i should) God is the only One i know of who is capable and most willing to listen to my heart's frequent out pouring. Sure, Rocky is most willing to listen, but he is human, and his human ears can only take so much....understandable. 

i am thankful for God. the more i pray and study His word the more i realize that i am never alone. 

all the beauty

beautiful song...

reminds me of God's love for us..

a song for our awesome offspring..

with love...

i love you.

a novel in a sea of magazines..

hello! this was supposed to be a picture laden post. one filled with gobs of pictures of my favorite people on this earth (if you have to ask who they are you simply do not know me) ;-)  but alas...it appears that our hard drive is acting up so, no pictures can be posted for now. hopefully, my computer genius hubby can get that up and running soon. ;-) yep, he's awesome like that. love that man!

i'll get up some pictures soon...i tell you..i absolutely love taking pictures and i am blessed with some amazing subjects to photograph. God is so good!

so, for this post i'm feeling all musical.. i will introduce you to my current favorite song. yep, i have been in a 'drew holcomb and the neighbors' kick lately and i'm okay with that. love their music! love this song!

you are a novel in a sea of magazines 

you make me nervous, you make my heart beat 

you are red in a sea of black and white 

you are a fire, you are dynamite.

yes yes...another song dedicated to my love, rocky! 

when i'm with you

If I had a great big mansion
I’d rather live in a shot gun shack with you

If I drove a red farari
I’d rather ride in an oldsmobile with you
If I won a million dollars
I’d give it away to spend more time with you
If i had a million lovers
I would trade em all for just one more night with you
With you I can be myself
With you I don’t have to be somebody else
It’s like puttin on my favorite pair of shoes
I’d like to be with me, when I’m with you
If I owned the finest vineyard
I would rather sit and drink cheap wine with you
If i could live on the moon
I would rather stay in Tennessee with you
If i could sail across the ocean
The ocean would just be blue without you
If i could climb up Mount Everest
I would turn around and climb in bed with you
With you I can be myself
With you I don’t have to be somebody else
It’s like puttin on my favorite pair of shoes
I like to be with me when I’m with you
If I could be like Albert Einstein
I’d rather just be dumb and be with you
If I could sing like Frank Sinatra
I would rather sit and talk to you
With you I can be myself
With you I don’t have to be somebody else
It’s like puttin on my favorite pair of shoes
I like to be with me, when I’m with you

~I Like to Be With Me When I’m With You – Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors~

just stumbled across this song today...LOVE.
sorry...i think i'm still stuck in lovey dovey romantic valentine's day mode?

A Decade with My Love!

Allow me to introduce you to... My Valentine:

Can you believe it? A decade!! Rocky and I started officially dating on Valentine's Day and we got engaged two years later on Valentine's Day! It is a very important day, to say the least.

Our first date occurred earlier that week before Valentine's Day.  The weekend prior to Valentine's Day we went rock climbing with some friends. I knew that this man was a special man after talking with him during the ride to and from our climbing spot.. and I wanted to get to know him better..A date was going to have to take place. ;-) Being the forward person that I am I asked him out. Yes, I asked him out. He said 'no' because he already had made other plans with some friends of ours. Okay, that won me over even more..I mean, some people might have changed their plans if something else came along..but not him. I admired that.

So, don't believe for a second that I gave up. Oh no no...I asked him if he'd like to come over for dinner at my apartment later that week. I had discovered that he had never tried cous-cous and well, I had to make that happen  for him. I had also discovered through research that pumpkin seeds are good for the prevention of prostate cancer, so I had to share that bit of health news with him. Whoa, talk about jumping the gun a bit early, huh..already concerned about the health of his prostate. ;-) He laughed. Yes, I have always been a bit  health nutty.
So, he said 'yes'.. YAY!!

The dinner was great, maybe not very filling, but great mainly because of my fabulous company. We had toasted pine nut cous-cous with salad, and of course some pumpkin seeds. He seemed to tolerate it well.
After we ate we were going to go play some roller hockey (Rocky was going to teach me how, as I had never played before). Unfortunately, it was raining so the game was cancelled. No worries...he brought the goals, sticks, and puck into my garage and he taught me how to play there. We talked and played, and talked and played some more. We were in the garage for hours. It was the best, most romantic date I had ever had!!

Let me share a bit of the first official-boyfriend-girlfriend date, and then the engagement in case you are unaware..
Let's go back to Valentine's Day 2001..I was working at the Village Market at SAU. Rocky went through my line (I have no clue what he was buying) and before he payed or after (can't recall) he pulled out of his coat pocket a rose, but the stem got caught in his jacket so when he pulled it out, all that was left was a beautiful rose and a stub of a stem. Oh, this was precious. So precious!! He also set out a CD of music for me that he put together...love songs and the such. I still listen to these songs to this day, and am brought back to those moments in memory.
So, this was when we became official...also the night of our first kiss, which (okay, prepare for too much information here) lasted for I'd say an hour. No joke. It was magical!

Now fast forward to Valentine's Day 2003...The night he popped the question!
We were going to go camping at Chilhowee State Park at the little spot where we had camped together for the first time ever (just the two of us). Now, it had been pouring rain for a long time and that night (it was a Friday) there was a flood warning issued for our area. I thought we might just bail on camping...you know, with flood warnings it just made sense. But, we went anyway since we would be hanging out in the back of Rocky's truck  (he had a camper top on the back of it). And Rocky was persistent we go. ;-)
So, that is where it happened. He had it all set up..candles, toasted pine nut cous-cous, the works...it was beyond sweet. And then came the box..Let's  back up for a moment...
Some time prior to this (some time during our two years of dating) I had heard about a couple who got engaged, but instead of giving an engagement ring, the man gave the woman a wooden chest for storing things of significance of their lives together. I thought this was an amazing idea. Rocky apprarently took note of this. ;-)

So, back to the engagement night in the truck while camping...
So, he pulls out a beautiful little cedar box he had made just for me. It had the initials in it, 'KBC'. I looked at the box and was a bit puzzled..I thought maybe he had forgetten that my initials were 'KYB'. Hmmm..surely not. ;-)  He said that he was hoping those would be my initials. My new initials with my married name. I opened up the pretty box, and the amazing smell of the cedar was breathtaking. Inside the box was a rose, with a stubbed stem (awww..how cute!) as well as a ring box. He slipped the gorgeous ring on my finger and asked me to marry him. The sweetest moment. My heart melted. There I sat with this incredible man and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me...I couldn't believe it! Oh, and I said, 'yes!!'

Now...fast forward five more months ...July 6, 2003. The day we got married. (I wanted to get married on Valentine's Day, but couldn't stand the thought of waiting that long to get married to this man)
A beautiful day. A day unlike any other. I often think about that day and have been doing so much more so lately. I think about the look on his face as I walked down the isle. It was amazing!! I think about our special back breaking kiss (you had to be there)...let's just say that we put all other wedding kisses to shame. ;-) I love him more today than yesterday.

I am thrilled to be his wife and am so incredibly blessed to have him as my husband and best friend. I am a far cry away from deserving such a wonderful love...I am so thankful to God for His love for me that He would place this dear man in my life.

Now, understand our life together has not been perfectly smooth sailing..there have been some storms and rough waters, but what couple hasn't experienced those? Some may go through rougher storms, some not as rough, but I do believe all go through some..I mean, it only makes sense because Satan does not want the sacred institution of marriage to continue, let alone flourish and thrive. But, I believe with all of my heart that it is those storms that can make a couple stronger, if they let them and trust God to get them through TOGETHER.

Rocky's heart is full of love and compassion for others. He is always thinking of other people's well being before his own. He is truly an inspiration to me. These past ten have been filled with love beyond belief. I can truly say that am a much better person for having known this man. Though, I am not perfect, (who is?) I can see how he has influenced and changed me for good. Just being around him and his loving heart is a blessing.

 He is an incredible father and husband. Blessed I am.

I look forward to many more decades with this man. 

Happy Valentine's Day, Rocky. 

Loved You Are!!!

**************************************

Now...for your listening pleasure this Valentine's Day...A couple sappy songs..the first one holds a special place in my heart as it was sung at our wedding.  Thanks, Melissa. ;-)

Okay...I'm a hopeless romantic. 

Here are some lovely love quotes..

Grow old with me!  The best is yet to be.  ~Robert Browning

Who, being loved, is poor?  ~Oscar Wilde

I love thee - I love thee,

'Tis all that I can say

It is my vision in the night,

My dreaming in the day.

~Thomas Hood

A man is not where he lives, but where he loves.  ~Latin Proverb

A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it.  ~Frank A. Clark

The most beautiful view is the one I share with you.  ~Author Unknown

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

May it be filled with love, kisses, and hugs.

Love, Kelly