Texas Andersons

It was quiet for a few days.  And then (boy!) did it pick up!

Thursday was my grand opening for Shutter-Happy.  We had a ribbon-cutting with the Chamber of Commerce and then had clients and the community stop by all day.  Ben got to cut the ribbon as we all posed for our picture for the paper.  And then we all got to enjoy sandwiches, sweets, lemonade, good company, and a fun day.  I was so tired at the end but so appreciative of everyone who came to support us.

Friday was a Movie in the Plaza event.  So we headed to the gazebo to watch Evan Almighty under the stars, with popcorn and snow cones.  Yum!

On Saturday we spent the day at Fiesta Texas.  Swam at the water park; rode the train, the bus, a roller coaster; drove the antique cars (and more!)… and had a wonderful time.  Coming home hot and tired, I made our favorite refreshing drinks- strawberry/watermelon slushes!

Strawberry/watermelon slushes:  2 cups cubed watermelon; 2 cups cut strawberries; 1/3 cup lemon juice; 1/3 cup sugar; as much ice as desired.  Throw it all in a blender.  And then enjoy!  (it can make a house full of whines completely quiet!)

Sunday was spent lounging around the house and playing in the back yard.  Evan got to swim.  We went on a bug hunt.  And the boys got to swing, play in the sand box, and blow bubbles.  Then Evan got to have his first messy popsicle.  He was tickled that he got to have it all by himself and make such a big mess!

Yesterday we stayed in pajamas until after lunch.  Play time followed.  And then we headed to the Hungry Horse for Evan’s “last supper.” 

And today I dropped off my little guy at his first day of preschool.  He seemed very comfortable and was very excited.  He walked right in and showed his stuffed animals to Ms. Trish and Ms. Amy and then wanted to play.  So I snapped a quick pic and snuck out the door.  I cried coming home but am now so excited to have time to get a few things done off my to-do list.  (blog, work on print orders, make the surfboards for the parade, make preparations for our anniversary and company coming into town, etc, etc… whew!)

Thursday was SO much fun!!!

The day started with our ribbon-cutting.  Dozens of Chamber members came by to host the event and support us.  And BEN got to cut the ribbon as we posed for our picture for the newspaper.  He LOVED it! 

Then we played host to lots of family, friends, clients, and the community as they stopped by to tour the new studio, grab some snacks, enjoy their time in the photo booth, and visit.

THANK YOU to all who played a part in making this dream happen.  THANK YOU to all who have supported Shutter-Happy over the years.  I am so blessed.  “Do what you love; Love what you do.”

Click here for our You Tube video of my speech for the Chamber reception.

First, we started back to Cub Scouts.  We had our first meeting of the school year, getting back to our friends and that routine.  Then Ben got to spend a few days at Grandmom’s house.  They spent one lunch at Chuck E Cheese.  And it sounds like he spent the rest of the time playing with Legos.  We hung out at La Cantera one afternoon for school shopping, playing at the playground, and getting treats at Marble Slab.  We spent an evening at Curington for Meet the Teacher night.  And this past weekend was his usual last days of summer treat…

Saturday morning, Nathan and Ben headed up to church for a scout fundraiser.  They spent hours serving up bbq and sides to car after car that came to the “drive-thru.”  Then we all headed to Incredible Pizza.  Evan loved all the toddler games.  Ben loved anything that won him some tickets.  We all loved the putt-putt golf and the never-ending buffet.  But maybe the favorite thing was getting to drive the go-karts.  Ben was excited to be tall enough to drive by himself.  And Evan was big enough to ride with Nathan.  “Wheeeeeeee!”  Yesterday was a lazy day, getting to enjoy family time.  Ben cooked us dinner (hamburgers and homemade french fries!).  And then we headed to Sonic for milkshakes.

And today was the first day of school.  Nathan got Ben to the bus stop and sent him on his way.  Then Evan and I headed up to meet him at class so that I could get that all-important picture with the new teacher. 

Yes, we’re just now getting the hang of summer fun.  Too bad it’s almost over…

Evan and I had a great time at the last Abendkonzerte of the season, complete with enjoying snow cones and joining in on the chicken dance!

Ben, Evan, and I spent a day with friends to celebrate Lillian’s 2nd birthday.  We started with a movie at the theater and ended up at their house for a great playdate, lunch, and cake.

Emily and I hosted two fun portrait parties at the studio.

We celebrated Madison’s 7th birthday with a party at their house.  All guests were asked to bring their zhu zhu pets… and they had mazes set up for the kids to race their hamsters!  And everyone was told to bring their swim suits so they could enjoy the pool.  It was a great party, and was so much fun to see so many good friends.

The kiddos and I spent an afternoon at the Fiesta Texas waterpark again.  We spent the whole time at the big kids’ area, where Ben played in the playhouse and went down the slides, and Evan and I spent hours in the pool, turning our fingers and toes into raisins.

We took the canoe and swimsuits to Boerne Lake this morning… and spent hours swimming with the fishes.  The water was perfect.  And there was hardly anyone else there.

And other fun summer stuff we finally got to enjoy- we got to some much-needed yard work; we’ve spent several evenings enjoying popsicles out on the swing; we found some frogs out by the pool and got to play with them; we got out the hose and rags and cleaned my truck (and Evan soaked everyone in reach!).

Well, Ben’s portraits were two months late.  So why not Evan’s too?

Location was easy to figure out (I wanted to use the new studio).  But I was waiting on some new clothes to arrive, for his bad haircut to grow out, and for the time to do it.  I finally had the opportunity last night.

One dark shirt lent itself to our black backdrop.  One light plaid was going to look great on the front porch (I just LOVE our front porch!).  And I even threw him in the train conductor outfit Ben wore for a Halloween costume (since he loves trains right now).

As long as I was acting super silly or promising him candy, he did great.  And letting him play with the train during the session worked like a charm.  So, I got some great images, he had fun, and he got to enjoy some smarties. 

Here’s some of my favorites…

We needed a week like this…

Last Saturday we headed to the river.  We tubed for almost three hours and then had a picnic dinner.  It was fun to see the joy in Evan’s eyes every time we got out of the tubes to stop and swim.  He LOVED “fimming.”

On Monday I took the boys to Fiesta Texas, where we spent the afternoon at the waterpark.  (Evan kept yelling out “Feta Tacky!, which is how he’s saying Fiesta Texas these days)  It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time, despite the downpour of rain the last hour we were there.

Friday night was a blast!  It was Movie in the Plaza night, and the movie was The Polar Express.  Heading out to the plaza for popcorn, snow cones, and the movie would have been fun enough.  But they added a ton of games (candy cane fishing, a wreath toss, and a snowball toss)… and they even had SNOW!

Yesterday was cousin Connor’s 2nd birthday party at Planet Party.  All the kids got to play arcade games, jump in bounce houses, zoom down slides, and play with model trains.

Last night was River Mountain Ranch’s family bbq.  There was a clown, games, a one-man band, and burgers with all the fixings.  Despite the heat, we had a great time jumping in the bounce house, playing the javelin throw (with pool noodles!), and dancing (we couldn’t get Evan off the dance floor!). 

Today Nathan drove the boys down to Orange Grove to watch the tractors harvest all of Grandpa’s corn.  The boys ended up getting to ride in the tractor for about two hours and drive it for a little while!  Ben was pretty excited when they got home, couldn’t wait to tell me all about it and show me the dozen of photos he took.

And tonight, we all headed to the creek to feed the ducks and walk the park.  The boys loved feeding the ducks and the dozens of turtles that came swimming right up to us.  And we even got to see the three gosslings from the famous Dodging Duck Brewhaus nest.

(Pics attached are: Ben enjoying a waterslide at Fiesta Texas, Evan and I in the “snow”, Ben jumping in the bounce house, Nathan and Evan doing the chicken dance, and Nathan and Evan on the tractor)

I am still mourning the death of my grandmother.  Every time I have moments to myself, I think of her.  Every beautiful song that I hear, I cry.  Put both instances together… and I’m a mess.  The last meltdown was yesterday.  I was at the studio for several hours painting the front porch.  I had k-love on the radio.  I had time to think; I had time to praise; I had time to pick apart that day we let her go.  “Cry Out to Jesus” by Third Day came on.  And the next thing I knew, I was on the ground sobbing, a mess of tears and snot.  (I’m laughing about it now)  But the pain (which I have never felt before for anyone) made me think about my grandpa.  He and Grandma would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this past week.  And I can’t imagine how he’s feeling, to have lost the love of his life so abruptly.  I decided that I should write him a letter… and expressing myself here is the start of that.  May it all be a part of the healing process.

I am also distraught over Ben.  I just don’t know him any more.  He stole money from a friend; he’s disobeying, lying, talking back, sneaking around; he’s being so mean to Evan.  As punishments, he’s lost toys and privileges.  I even took away the door to his room.  We’re not sure what he’s going through, but I hope it’s a phase that ends very quickly.  We just can’t have him acting like this and being disrespectful when school starts!  Praying for him constantly…

And Evan’s two (terrible 2!); Nathan and I seem to be too busy for each other; walking pneumonia had me down and out for almost a week.  It’s all been just a little too much. 

Whew!  Dirty laundry and obstacles!  Now, where am I finding my joy?

I LOVE my new studio!  I LOVE my job!  I hardly bring any income home to help my family, but it gives me such great reward and such self-worth.  Photography is now such a big part of me.  My clients and partner-in-crime (Emily) make me smile.  My images bring me joy.  I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve our community and serve God. 

Now, if the rest of my life could get back on track… 

Our 4th of July was fun.  The evening was spent at our usual spot with our friends Mark, Erica, and Madison… enjoying popcorn, cake, lemonade, and FIREWORKS!!!

But the week leading up to the 4th and this past week were spent giving Shutter-Happy its independence.  Nathan, Emily, and I spent a few days viewing a handful of possible studio spots… and we found an almost-perfect place!  It’s an old home, built in the 1920’s, with charming details, including a footed bathtub!    So we signed the lease, moved in, decorated, and updated.  And as soon as we finish painting tomorrow, we begin seeing clients there on Monday!!!  I can’t wait!!!  Shutter-Happy blog for photos!

No, Nathan did not go unappreciated last Sunday.  But he was not celebrated.  Life threw us a curve ball that left us all in different cities on his special day.

But today he got his card, complete with drawings from the boys.  And we spent the afternoon at the lake.  We enjoyed water gun fun and swimming in the cool water during the heat of the day.  And then we took the canoe out for paddling and a picnic dinner.  What a great day!

I hope all you dads also had a great Father’s Day… whether it was on the right day or not. 

Explanation behind the title:
I couldn’t decide between “Goodbye, Dorothy” “World’s Greatest Grandma” “The Best of Times” “My Favorite Lady” etc, etc

Why I was blessed:
I was SO lucky to have her as my grandma.  I was honored to be her granddaughter.
And I was so thankful to be with her all day Monday.  As she went in and out of sleep, she would smile, say our names, and joke with us (her usual self).  That ws one of the greatest gifts God could have given me.

The memories I need to document:
The Green House (just as important to us kids as our nation’s capital); laughter; swimming in the big horse trough; homemade everything; Easter (the coveted Golden Egg hunt), Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations; hide-and-seek; my favorite dollhouse; mixing leftovers, sauces, and condiments together in a bowl to see which cousin would eat the concoction; sleepovers; trips to Dairy Queen and Tropical Snow; playing dress-up in Grandma’s wedding dress and jewelry; getting to pick our Christmas gifts from the big Sears catalog; “Ready for seconds? Want thirds? You’re too skinny!”; tejano and oopmah music; trips to the lake to swim and visit Grandma at work; tanned, wrinkled, age-spotted skin; rides on the Trail Wagon; catching lighting bugs in jars; swinging on the front porch; quilts; Big Red (and Big Red moustaches!); lottery tickets (none of us ever seemed to win); tortilla rolls; LOVE.

On the radio during the drive to the hospital:
Thank You by Natalie Merchant
You’ve been so kind and generous.  I don’t know why you keep on giving.  For your kidness, I’m in debt to you.  And I never could have gone this far without you.  For everything you’ve done, you know I’m bound to thank you for it.
I want to thank you for so many gifts- you gave me love and tenderness.  I want to thank you.  I want to thank you for your generosity, the love, and the honesty that you gave to me.  I want to thank you, show my gratitude, my love, and my respect for you.

I love you and thank you were the last things I chose to say to her….

And now I have a beautiful, caring, wonderful, funny, protective guardian angel watching over me.

Ben was climbing out of his crib and needing a “big boy” bed by 16 months.  And it was awful.  He woke up just about every night and came crying to our bedroom door.  And for months, we found him asleep on the couch in the mornings.

We had high hopes for Evan since he still wasn’t climbing out of the crib at 23 months.  But the second birthday rolled around and he was ready!  He got a new bed for his birthday, and I got it put together last week.

Night one- He was up crying for us before 4 am; I was then up with him until 5:00 am trying to keep him in bed and get him to go back to sleep.

Night two, three, and six- perfect!

Night five- I heard him get up and talk some in the middle of the night, but he never bothered us; found him asleep on the couch in the morning.

Night seven: Nathan saw his little feet sticking out of the tent in the living room when he got up this morning. 

So I think the success rate looks promising.  Even on the nights lately when he hasn’t stayed in his bed, he has been able to put himself back to sleep.  Fingers crossed this keeps up!  (Yay for week one!)

We spent Sunday recuperating from the party and tubing trip.  I also visited with friends on facebook about the loss of our camera in the river.  After several people telling me stories of similar happenings with great outcomes, I was encouraged.  After hearing that a fireman may be willing to help me search for the camera, I was intrigued.

Monday I got on the phone and got in touch with all the right people.  I trucked the boys on over to Granmom’s to spend the night.  And Nathan and I set out with a member of our firehouse’s swift water rescue team… and we found the camera!!!  We were surprised that it still worked.  I was thrilled to find out all the images were there.  Yay, Sony!!!

Tuesday, the boys had a great time playing at Granmom’s.  We cleaned house, took apart Evan’s crib, and got the “big boy” bed set up.  He thought it was awesome!  Night one, I was up with him for over an hour around 4am trying to keep him in bed and get him to go back to sleep.

Yesterday we drove up to the firehouse to take *my hero* a gift.  The boys had a wonderful time getting to see and sit in all the fire trucks!  Then we took Sophie to the vet for shots (which was quite an adventure!).  Night two of “big boy” bed was a success!

Yesterday (his actual b-day), we spent a few hours at Fiesta Texas.  Evan is now big enough to ride all the kids’ rides, so we… flew in the airplanes, screamed in the roller coaster, drove the cars, rode the train, and even got wet on the log ride!!!  I was so surprised by how brave he was to try everything, and was so proud of how both boys behaved.  It was a blast!!!  And then we headed out for dinner and playground fun. 

Today we spent the day with some of our dearest friends.  Morgan, Landon, and Madison met us for lunch and play time at Burger King.  Then we got to go over to Madison’s house for a playdate.  And the boys just finished up playing with the new water sprinkler and swimming in the pool.  Oh, what fun!

Oh boy!  What a ride!

Friday we ran errands to get ready for the party… Wackadoo’s for haircuts, Costco for lunch and groceries, and Nadler’s for the cake.  This day would have been bearable if it hadn’t been for the whining, disobeying, and brotherly-fighting.

Preparation for the party yesterday morning would have gone well.  But cleaning time was cut short due to us being confused about what time the party started.  We lost a whole half-hour!  (and I think we’ve done this before, so you’d think we’d learn)

The party was small, just the grandparents, Aunt Angie, and a couple of friends Evan’s age.  The kids played with toys and snacked, we had cake, and Evan opened gifts.  And this would have been fun and had gone flawlessly if Evan hadn’t had a meltdown while we were singing “Happy birthday” to him.  (he either hated the attention or our singing)

Then we headed out to RMR for tubing.  And yet again, this should have been uneventful.  But the tubes came loose and started to fly off the truck, causing us to stop and do another tie-down on the way out.

The river conditions were perfect.  The weather was great.  We had a blast on the water, got lots of great pictures.  But another snag- the camera is now at the bottom of the great Guadalupe.  (By this point I am heart-broken by the loss of the photos and ready to turn in the towel)

So… lessons learned? moral to the story?  I guess that remains to be seen.  I’m just happy that Evan seemed to have a wonderful time at the party, eating cake, and tubing the river.  And I’m praying that someone will find our camera in the next few days, recognize us in the photos, and return it to us…

Jun 7 Update- Thanks to the kind hearts of one of our local firemen and the property owners along the river, prayers from friends and family, and pure determination… we found the camera!!!

It’s done!  It’s over!  Good-bye 1st grade!

Ben’s quite a bit taller, much wiser, is a math whiz and an awesome reader.  He made his first diarama, planted wildflowers, participated in a Dr. Seuss parade, toured the Witte Museum, raised the most money in his class for Walk-a-Thon.  He even won 2nd place in the bike rodeo for his grade and was the star in a talent show.

And now he’s a 2nd grader!  (and *oh my gosh!* Evan will be a preschooler!!!)

(Attached are pics from the field day today)

BY BEN:  I LOVE OUR SCHOOL!!!!!!!!  MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT 1ST GRADE WAS PE!  IT WAS FUN!  I PLAYED LOTS OF GAMES.

We have hit the terrible two’s.  Evan can be just awful these days!  Every hour has its challenging moments.  Whining, kicking, screaming fits… what happened to my sweet little boy?  And Ben is testing our limits.  He seems to be trying his best to see just how much he can get away with.  (Calgon, take me away!)

But there has been some fun mixed in.  We hosted a scouts meeting and took the boys for a tour of the Boerne Community Theatre.  We’ve met with four more builders.  Ben performed air guitar with his friend Reagan at the first grade talent show (and they rocked!).  MOV00271  We took friends Mark, Erica, and Madison out to River Mountain Ranch for swimming in the river.  We spent the night on our lot (perfect weather for camping!).  Nathan and Ben tubed the Guadalupe for the first time.  The scouts got to enjoy a den meeting at Bass Pro Shops.  We attended the latest Movie in the Plaza Friday night- snowcones, popcorn, and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”  And yesterday we went tubing with my parents before they took the boys for a night, giving us a break and a quiet house.  (wheeeee!)