"Boo" Scootin' in Texas!

A few weeks ago I visited my Texas family to help out with Ellie's homecoming preparations and watch Kyle's flag football game. My sister had surgery on her foot, so I chauffeured while she did the "boo" scoot on her knee scooter.  Look how cute her "BOO!" leg is!



We had a front row seat to Kyle's game, thank goodness. It was hot and Steph was a little dangerous on that scooter! We got there just in time to see his touchdown! As Pap says, " The Kid can play!"

 

[caption id="attachment_3864" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Club Scrap November 2016 ALSB Layout Formula [/caption]

I held a post game interview with my favorite player. No question stumped him. He popped off answers like he had rehearsed it. That boy has confidence, ability AND celebrity presence!

 

[caption id="attachment_3865" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Enter a caption[/caption]

Ellie was next on the list. My camera loved her! I started out just taking a few shots of her getting ready and it turned into a photoshoot. I didn't phase her at all, I felt invisible even when I did close ups. She exudes confidence and she applies makeup like an artist. I want to be just like her when I grow up!


Steph, Kevin and I followed her for a group photo shoot in their neighborhood, then she was whisked away in a party bus to the country club for dinner, the dance, after party, and then breakfast!


Man, a lot has changed since I was in high school. Getting asked to homecoming was usually a quick conversation in the hall at school with all of your friends giggling behind you. How fun is this?!

[caption id="attachment_3868" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Club Scrap  A Study in Red digital kit.[/caption]

Homecoming Mums are a BIG tradition in Texas. I'm fascinated! The tradition is for the guy to give his date a mum. She will give him a smaller version called a garter. If you're crafty you can make your own, but there are actually people who are professional mum makers who make these elaborate creations of self expression... and it is BIG BUSINESS! Some of them even light up!



I can't leave out the most important men in her life...that pic of Kyle cracks me up!


We finished up the weekend with homemade chili for Frito pies (made by me!) and Ellie whipped up a caramel apple bundt cake for dessert. That girl has skills! DEELISH!


I can't wait to see my crew for Thanksgiving, I miss my peeps!

Do more of what makes you happy!



Challenges entered:

Club Scrap Monthly Layout Challenge 11-2016

Club Scrap ALSB Challenge 11-2016

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The Trees Have EYES!

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do!"

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

In Colorado...

[caption id="attachment_2847" align="alignnone" width="864"] Club Scrap Garden Shed digital kit with accents from Botanicals. "Aspen eyes" images made by ME from my photos![/caption]

We spent Labor Day weekend traveling around Colorado. The mountains were calling! We went to Gourmet on Gore, food festival and wine tasting,  in Vail Village for our first stop. Everything smelled so delicious!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaQ47Sx8UgE]

We walked around sipping Arnold Palmers, checking out all the food and enjoying the glorious weather! Everyone was either walking or riding bikes. Chris bought some of the most delicious organic plums. I swear they were so sweet and fragrant I felt like I was eating a flower!

I love the mountain air, though I did have mild altitude sickness and had to suck on a can of oxygen the first night. That's what I get for being hardheaded and walking two miles, while the rest of my crew took the shuttle to dinner!

Since this was a road trip, we decided to travel through the mountains to Aspen for a night and loop back to Denver via Independence Pass. We stayed at the Aspen Meadows Resort, home of the Aspen Institute.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmSn7tLwhkw]

The grounds are BEAUTIFUL, though the buildings look a bit like the Dharma Initiative in Lost! The rooms were really nice inside though, and the flowers were blooming everywhere!



We left the windows open all night (the rooms don't have air conditioning) and the low night temp was 40 degrees! Loverly!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqRcvksj_6c]



[caption id="attachment_2907" align="alignnone" width="2448"] Water station in the lobby. Cucumber mint ice water, so refreshing![/caption]

My family tried to kill me...We rented bikes to ride into town. It's been years since I've gone bike riding. Chris was leading and I was the caboose. I was leisurely pedaling and just enjoying the mountain view. I should have known better when I saw the giant mirror on the curve. No lie, the road sloped down 60 degrees and I cruised right down it! Luckily, there was road construction, so no traffic, BUT we had to climb back up to get back on the main riding path. Honestly, I haven't had that much fun in a LONG time!

We walked all over downtown Aspen. Is that background gorgeous or what?!





Ahem...I wanted to check out a dispensary, so I walked into The Green Dragon. Unfortunately, I didn't have my ID and was politely asked to leave! (Insert howling laughter) Flashback to 1987! I haven't been asked for my ID since high school! This is all I got, a pic of the t-shirts in the waiting area!



I don't do heights, but I did Independence Pass! The drive was breathtakingly beautiful, but scary! At one point we inched past a USDWF work truck and had a hairs width between us. Yikes! I got tickled when we were walking to the summit of the pass. We passed two young children with their grandparents. The little boy kept saying he was tired and the grandfather said, "You're not tired, it's just the altitude!"  12,095 ft up on the Continental Divide...I had a little trouble myself! My boys LOVED it!





 

We finally made it to Twin Lakes, (big sigh from me!) and it is gorgeous!

[caption id="attachment_2928" align="alignnone" width="3264"] Twin Lakes[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_media-25" align="alignnone" width="3264"] That water was too COLD for me![/caption]



I had a fantastic vacation with my sweet family. I didn't want to come home, even though they pushed me to my limits BUT we took the scenic route!

Do more of what makes you happy!

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The Adventures of Supergirl and Spiderman!

We took a Sunday road trip to Lafayette to see the "Chapman Blondies". We had a great time watching soccer and eating red beans and rice and catfish for lunch! I even got my boob honked by a three year old. Good times!

One of the perks of having grown kids is that I get to be the fun aunt and take pictures. I love my nieces and nephews. Haylan was so excited that her big cousins and Uncle Chris came to watch her play! She's not a show off, she's really that good!

[caption id="attachment_2774" align="alignnone" width="3600"] Club Scrap Fire and Ice digital kit, Homemade Apple font, sagittarius sign and soccer ball from my stash. Sketch from the Club Scrap Idea Deck Vol. 2 King of ♦ card (see end of post). [/caption]

Little brother likes to be entertained too and doesn't take NO for an answer. As long as you do what he says, life is good!

[caption id="attachment_2775" align="alignnone" width="3600"] Spider web and Chinese symbols from my stash.[/caption]

Millie was too busy running around to be in the pictures this time. She's kinda sassy!

It was a fun, chaotic, rainy day=HAPPINESS. I ♥ my people.



Challenge entered:

Club Scrap 9-16 Idea Deck Challenge



 

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Summer Birthday!

The blondies had a summer birthday party. Lots of sun, swimming, friends, cookie cake and fun!

[caption id="attachment_1526" align="alignnone" width="3600"] Club Scrap Boardwalk Digital Kit elements, Homemade Apple font.[/caption]



I sent their gifts through Amazon, since I didn't go shopping before the party. (Big sister Haylan gave me the list.) They got it a few days later. Hey, everybody likes to get mail!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xg40cQc9dI]



Challenge:

1. 06-16 Club Scrap Idea Deck Challenge [gallery ids="1545,1546" type="rectangular"]

Do what makes you HAPPY!

Wendy

 

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Farewell to Baseball

I wasn't an athlete. I was the kid who was happy to sit the bench, watching and cheering everybody else on, eating Rainblo bubblegum and drinking my Pepsi from a wax paper cup. I just wanted the coupon for a free ice cream cone at Baskin Robbins if our team won the game! My boys are athletes. They both loved every sport they played. I'm lucky I have an athletic husband who played sports but allowed the boys to choose their own paths . He is a terrific dad to his sons who adore him, and so do I. I'm lucky to have a talented athlete for a Dad who didn't mind explaining every detail of the game to me while I watched my boys play. My job was to drive them to practice, make sure they had all their equipment, get them to the ballpark on time, wash dirty uniforms, and cheer from the bleachers. I rarely missed a game and if I did it was the end of the world to me. I loved to watch them play and I found that I loved to take pictures of them playing.

The emotions of sports are so raw sometimes. Happy, sad, ANGRY, total elation if a great play is made or a WIN...I wanted to capture that. I'm not a fan of portraits and fake smiles, I prefer candid shots that capture the real energy of a person. I love when I take a photo and it captures someone's internal light, their soul. I love this quote and keep it in my camera bag..."You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all your life."~Joan Miro. THAT is what I strive to capture when I take pictures.

Most of the boys on the ASH Trojan 2016 baseball team have played together since they were in t-ball. Senior year is always bittersweet. You are sad because it's the end, but excited because it is also the beginning. I loved watching these boys play and I enjoyed every minute of watching them grow up. I'm a lucky mom. Which of these photographs is my favorite? The one you look at for a second and think of it all your life.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR3pDihk4hU]

Wendy

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Once upon a time...

Once upon a time these were new,  spotless and white, with little fat toes squirming in them.

[caption id="attachment_1145" align="alignnone" width="4636"] DPS Photography Challenge [/caption]

They belonged to this little girl.



Who belonged to that Memaw. I can still smell the lingering smell of bacon and coffee in that kitchen and hear the sounds of my sister and I running on the hardwood floors. Her pretty hands were soft from cocoa butter lotion that she kept by the kitchen sink and her nails were always perfectly shaped with an emery board. Her nimble fingers could cut out paper dolls from the McCall's magazine, hand stitch  baby doll clothes in an afternoon and make the most delicious pies and cakes. I miss her dearly. All of these memories from a little pair of shoes, once upon a time.

Wendy

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Keep it Tight!

Football season is over and on to the next adventure...POWERLIFTING!

So proud of this kid and all of his teammates, they swept the meet! The ASH Powerlifting Team has a winning reputation and placed first in Nationals last year. Looking forward to a great senior season!

Of course I had to document this event with a scrapbook layout or two, proud mom that I am...





These pages are made using elements from Club Scrap's Dashing digital kit from 2011 and the Surefire Strategy ALSB Formula from Club Scrap's Idea Deck Vol.2 10♥ card.

Here's to a winning season and an awesome group of athletes. It's a GREAT day to be a TROJAN!

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I'm Baaack!

I took a blogging break this fall. I focused on family, literally! This is my youngest son's senior year in high school and I was the self appointed football team photographer. I have been taking pictures of the ASH football team since he was a freshman. I started out just taking photos from the stands and finally took the leap to the sidelines during his sophomore year. This year I recruited my oldest son to help me, he has a fantastic eye for composition and a flair for videography. I am so proud of our work! This was our first collaboration...

Many, many hours of work went into this and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I set up an ASH Trojan Football YouTube channel to share all the videos we  documented for the ASH football players (and their families!) to watch and enjoy in years to come.

I also took on a huge first time project, making the senior football players' banners to hang in the stadium.



I didn't stop there, I also made starting offense and defense banners as well...

I loved the way these looked hanging on the fence coming into the stadium. LOTS of fan selfies were taken with these behind them!

And last, I need to give a shout out to my husband. He cooked for the team every home game, carried my equipment, gave me insight on the field so that I could get the best shots, drove us to all the games, was the Trojans' biggest fan and won't take credit for any of it! I love this guy!



I handled the end of the season much better than I thought I would. We made it to the playoffs but lost to Hahnville High School. It was a GREAT season for the Trojans and I'm so proud of my Trojan for leaving it all on the field every game.







AND...He always makes time for his fans!



Here's to a great season, an awesome football team and the best family. It's a GREAT day to be a Trojan!

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