We went to the strawberry patch tonight to let Ross and Rayna pick fresh strawberries.  Ross was a mighty-fine little helper.   Out of the twenty Rayna picked, only two or three made it to the basket. 

I live for love vacations.  I even love those mini-trips that most people wouldn’t even consider a ‘vacation.’  We were only in Chattanooga a day, but it felt wonderful to get out of the house and let the kids explore.

First thing that morning, Ross and Rayna climbed to the window to get a better view of the city. 
Despite the age difference, Rayna is determined to keep up with Ross.  Whether it’s climbing ladders, getting new tattoos (see arm) or just getting wet…

…she will eventually go for it!

Since I broke my #1 rule (“Take your camera everywhere“) and left my camera in the car during our trip to the Tennessee Aquarium, I’ll explain what would have been the most gorgeous image from the trip:

Ross standing in front of the huge tank casually watching the little ‘sea fish’ swim by…
All of a sudden, a HUGE shark slowly appeared right in front of Ross… 
(Are you with me?! Do you see where I’m going?!)
…Ross’ tiny silhouete in front of this glowing blue water with a enormous shark right in front of him.
(Can’t wait to go back with my camera!)

Don’t let this post fool you.  I am NOT a food-snob.   I mean…  how many people can eat at Taco Bell and Long John Silver and actually enjoy it?  (I rest my case.) 

However, I grew up with the combination of home grown food and a long-line of incredible cooks.  It wasn’t until I got married that I discovered foods like cereal, velvetta cheese, frozen waffles and store-bought vegetables.  

My dad has done really well with his gardens over the years.  He not only encouraged me to start my own, but he also helped me.
Matthew also had a part tilling the land.  (You should see the blisters on his hands!) 
I planted a few, but mainly stood around with my camera and watched them work with a big smile on my face.
  
I officially have squash, tomatoes, onions and bell peppers!  I can’t wait to fry some squash later and make home-made salsa!

WARNING:  I took a lot of pictures of the kids this weekend, so this will be a long post.
We had an Easter egg hunt and cook-out at my parents house yesterday.  The food was great and the kids had a wonderful time, but the best part was having family together. 

Ross and Joseph waited patiently as we counted down “10…9…8…” to “GO!”

I thought Rayna would be too little to enjoy it, but she LOVED it!  Can you see her facial expression?!?!

 Ross and Joseph were playing on the bridge that connects my parent’s house and my grandparent’s house.  My dad built it when I was little where I could drive my go-cart across.  It always gives me a warm-and-fuzzy feeling when I see Ross or Rayna playing on it like I use to.

Doesn’t this sum-up three-year old little boys?   It’s all about being outside looking for snakes, bugs and poop.  (Ross’ words, not mine.) 

For this next image, I used a prop in a photograph.  I am in big trouble. 

For as long as I remember, I have always stayed FAR, FAR away from props.   Some people may prefer their children being photographed in fancy clothing, standing in a white room beside a big window, holding a bunny, reading a book and sitting on a wooden horse at the same time.  I am not one of those parents, nor photographers.  I LOVE photographing kids and families outdoors where natural light can be used AND everyone is relaxed and having fun.  To me, the best expressions are always the ones where the kids are being themselves and not posing against a backdrop. 

I took this picture of Rayna (sitting inside her Easter basket) yesterday. 

Yes, the basket is technically a ‘prop’, but here’s the picture leading up to Rayna sitting in the basket laughing…

Matthew was swinging Rayna in her Easter basket.   After about a hundred “MOE!” (adult-interpretation: ‘MORE’), he sat her down and she enjoyed her new little seat.

One final though about props:  Not all props are bad.  Before doing a little boy’s session last year, I saw a snapshot his mom had on her myspace account.  It was of Gage sitting in his living room on his oversized, red chair.  Even though I knew our session would be outside, I immediately emailed his mom to see if she would mind bringing the red chair to our session.  The photos of Gage chilling out on his red chair in the middle of a grassy field were some of my favorites from that day.   Bottom line, some props can be totally cute.  Just make sure they keep the focus on the child and allow the subject to have fun and look natural.

Joseph: Ross’ cousin, best friend and worst enemy…all in one!

Since we didn’t do a lot of ‘hiding’ eggs for Ross, Joseph and Rayna, our older nephew, Austen, wanted a few eggs that would be more of a challenge to find.  Matthew was ON IT.  Well, acutally he was IT IN.  He’s the only person adult I know who would climb a tree to hide eggs.
….and my dad is the only person who would think to use this method to get them down…

He GOT it! 

Jimmie and Michelle wanted a new family photo with Kenslee included.  It took all of 40 seconds (and Ross doing a crazy dance move to make Kenslee smile) to get their family picture updated.  (I can’t promise 40 seconds for every family, but it IS easier and more fun than what you may expect!)

Leaving you with the cheesest smile at Mall of Georgia.  Ross and Joseph woke up early to find over 3,000 eggs for all of the kids! 
(The End.)

Happy Easter weekend!  I wanted to share a video my friend in Arizona created for Lifechurch.tv.  It means a lot to me because, during my short time in Arizona, I experienced God in so many new and wonderful ways.  It has always been so easy for me to connect with God through music, so, I was honored to get to be a part of their project.
This song has been on my mind this weekend, so I though I’d share with you too.

HereIsOurKing wLyrics from AD on Vimeo.