Better School Pictures- Take 2!

Last year, I started a program which I received a great response from and which I totally enjoyed doing. Better School Pictures!

I really wasn't sure if I'd be feeling up to it again this year, but I'm finally starting to feel better, and I've been being harassed to do this event again! So, I relent!

Here are the details, which are only slightly different from last year.


The Better School Picture Day
Saturday, September 19th, 2009
9am - 11am at a location TBA in the Longwood/Lake Mary Area.
$25 per child. I spend 5-10 minutes with each of your children. Just time enough to get 3-5 great shots of them. Your pictures will be fully edited and presented in an online gallery. The $25 pays for the sitting and ONE fully edited full-resolution file on a Data DVD with rights to print. If you decide you would like all 3-5 files, the cost is only $50 total (or an additional $25, make sense?)

Email Me now to reserve your spot! Or call! Whatever!

Here are some of the fun examples from last year!




Can't wait to hear from you!

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I've got my Treasure right here.

For Family Home Evening on Monday, we decided to take the kids Letterboxing.



We headed out to the rightfully named, "Big Tree Park" where we told the kids we were treasure hunting! Adventure, ahoy!


We got to the site where the Letterbox was supposed to be, and took in The Senator.


That tree was HUGE. Largest tree I've ever seen.


After we admired it's very large size, we went searching for the Letterbox. This is where I need to state the following elements: Florida, swampland, sunset. All these things combine to equal one very daunting force: Mosquitos. So, we looked. And got bitten. And looked. And got bitten some more. And finally, exasperated, we gave up.

But don't worry, I'm pretty sure we found our treasure.

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Yes. Yes. It's true.

So many people said, "But you said you were done!"

Obviously, they haven't known us for very long. We have said we were done after almost every one of our kids. After Anna. Yep. After Miles, yep! And after Lucas. Uh-huh!

We're not sure why people keep believing us.

So, yes. We're having another kid. Yes! It was planned! And yes! We're very excited! The children know, and have names picked out.

But really, this time... we're done! (There's no more room in our van!)

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Wordless Wednesday

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This only happened 2 Million Years Ago.

My hair. It's a strange creature. Ever since I started having kids, it's gotten more and more coarse. And more and more wavy kinky. My husband lovingly refers to it as my "polar bear hair" and avoids cuddling with the head part of me.

Also, I'm sorta growing it out. Sorta. I don't want LONG hair. But I'm ready for the commitment of "longer than boy hair." I know. It's been 11 years. It was longish, once upon a time. Like, in high school. Then, right before Matt and I started dating, I chopped it all off in a "I need to be my own person" angst. I've never looked back. And I have loved it. Truly. And when it starts to get longish, it looks terrible.

But I have an amazing stylist, Nancy. And if I'd just go see her more often my hair wouldn't be such the bane of my existence. On my most recent trip, she took me from awful semi-mullet to this:

And yes, my hair has some fabulous purple in it. It's making me feel younger. And less "almost 30ish." And everyone needs more of that in their life, don't they?

I feel just about as sassy as I look.

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We're Cruel

Sometimes, you just can't help yourself.


And the tag that came on your most recent un-American purchase, sends you into fits of giggles. And so you do this:


Yes. We're cruel, but he doesn't know it yet.

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We have a Cold Tub.

When we purchased this house, we inherited the previous owners' above-ground hot tub. We know nothing about it. Or how to run one. Or anything. Finally, someone told us to just fill it up with the hose, test the water at Pinch-A-Penny and do what they tell us. Seems simple enough, right?

We don't actually plan to use it as an actual HOT tub. We don't feel like paying to heat it, etc. But we figure the Florida whether should keep it warm enough to swim in most of the year, for the kids. So why not? So we filled it.

And we let the kids play in the freezing cold hose water while it filled.

It was some REALLY cold water. Did I say that yet?

Abbie agreed. Miles was in there too, but for whatever reason I don't have any pictures, probably because he was being wimpy. Also a wimp:

Mostly he just wanted to drink the water.

Anna was definitely the most adventurous.

Oh, and did I mention that she lost a tooth? I didn't? Oops.

Don't worry, Anna, I'd be hesitating getting back in, too.

The sad news is that there's a slow leak somewhere and we're having a beast of a time finding someone who will come out and service an above-ground spa. The good news is that after a week and a half, the water temperature is quite nice!

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