Texas Andersons

Evan’s in school… which means his first school pictures!  Of course, when he saw that it was me taking the portraits, he cried and wanted me to take him home, so I wasn’t able to capture the image with the rest of his class.  But when I picked him up at the end of the day, I snuck him back out to the bench and talked him into smiling a few times. 

And to get our clients thinking about their Christmas portraits, we had to do our family image early.  We headed to the studio, set up lighting by the barn, put the camera on self-timer, got into place, and yelled funny things to get the boys to smile.

Then I wanted to get us girls (Emily, Beth, and I) together for a Santa hat portrait.  And while waiting for them to get to the studio, I snagged one of me while I tested the lighting.

What’s next for us?  I do still need to capture Ben’s school pic.  And we need an official family session.  Right now, the plan is a gorgeous sunset session out at the Guadalupe River, with the colors of fall in the trees, with us in gold shirts and jeans.  Should be gorgeous!  And then I can create our personal Christmas cards and an 8×10 canvas for the hallway collage.  Can’t wait for November!

Day One:  Ben had the day off from school.  And the weather was gorgeous!  So we headed to the pumpkin patch for portraits, playtime, and to choose a few to bring home.  Then we met up with friends Erica and Madison at Burger King for lunch and a playdate.

Day Two:  Fun Scouts outing to the firehouse.

Day Three:  Myk came into town for a visit!  He and Ben spent the afternoon carving a pumpkin.  I cooked an awesome dinner and baked a texas sheet cake (YUM!).  Evan was so excited to sing “Happy Birthday” and to blow out candles, we did it twice!. 

Day Four:  Both kids were in school, so Myk and I hit the town.  First stop was Billy’s Western Wear.  I found and purchased my first pair of cowboy boots!  Myk picked up an awesome shirt and belt.  And I bought him a great gawdy belt buckle.  Then we hit Main Street for lunch, shopping, and Candy on Main’s ribbon-cutting.  Then the boys took me out for pizza at Fralo’s.

Day Five:  Ladies’ night with friends Marli, Melissa, and Melanie.  We had dinner at Mimi’s and then went to see Life as We Know It.  Dinner was good.  The movie was cute (very funny moments about parenting).  The girl talk was great!

Day Six:  I got to mow at the studio.  Nathan mowed at the house.  <enter sigh of relief>

Day Seven:  Nathan and Ben headed to Divine Acres Farm with the Cub Scouts.  They enjoyed fishing, a hay maze, a barrel train, a hay ride, putt-putt golf, tricycle races, and rubber ducky races.  Evan and I stayed home.  We spent a nice afternoon in the backyard (which we had been unable to do for three weeks due to it looking like a jungle).  And I got in a few much-needed hours of work.

Such a great week!

Thanks to everyone who sent cards and well wishes.  Thank you to Myk for the flowers.  Thank you to Larry and Debbie for the birthday money so that I could buy the boots.  And thanks to all who left the 100+ wall posts on facebook.  It all brightened my day!  I am so blessed!

We made it through a couple of scouts get-togethers.  One was our pack meeting, where Ben earned a few new patches and beltloops.  And we hosted the other, where I hear the foam frame craft and snack of pretzels and watermelon were a hit.

I photographed at two different school (individual school pics).   And then we posed for our family’s portion of Shutter-Happy’s Christmas cards.

Nathan and I attended the Cibolo Nature Center’s gala with Lewis and Emily.  It was a blast to get all dressed up and enjoy food from all the best restaurants around the area.  Amazing night without the kids! 

We attended National Night Out and I got all of our old baby items together, cleaned, and tagged for a Just Between Friends Sale.

Yesterday was Curington’s Walk-a-Thon.  With camera in-hand and tennis shoes on, Granmom Loretta, Ben, Evan, and I walked laps on the track with the rest of the school.  Shutter-Happy was a big sponsor of the event.  Ben raised $100 on top of that.  And he ended up walking 22 laps, a few more than last year.

And today, the boys went downtown to check out the cars at the Rod Run, we got to enjoy snow cones at Sandy’s (the fall flavors are here, including pumpkin pie!!!), and we spent a couple of hours at the Fabra Hay Maze… Ben got to walk around in the big hamster ball, we all rode the barrel train and walked the maze, and the boys jumped in the bounce houses and played on the playset.  It was a beautiful and fun day!

Tomorrow I work all day.  And then it’s my birthday week!  Can’t wait to see what this next week brings…

Since mine and Nathan’s anniversary weekend, Evan and I started back to MOPS and had a great time; I got to attend a Premier Designs jewelry party to buy some pretty new pieces (even got $50 of it free when I won a gift certificate!); Ben and I attended Morgan’s 8th birthday party; we made a fun trip to PetsMart to purchase a tree frog for the studio.

And today, with perfect temperatures and a nice breeze, we spent the day in some of the hill country we had never seen before.  First, thanks to a lead from Texas Monthly’s 50 Best Burgers List, we headed out to Alamo Springs Cafe.  Yum!  Great cheeseburger and onion rings!  Then we drove to Wildseed Farms.  We strolled the nursery, gift shops, and flower fields; the kids had a wonderful time walking through the butterfly house; and we stopped for ice cream.  And for our lot, I bought 10 pounds of bluebonnet seeds and 4 pounds of yellow coneflower seeds.  I can’t wait to get these spread… and can’t wait to see the color in the spring!

But for now, good-bye summer, hello fall. 

Everyday life had taken its toll on our marriage.  The boys, preschool, school, scouts, house work, yard work, the dog, Nathan’s job, my business, etc had just kept us too busy.  With no time to ourselves, we needed a getaway for just the two of us.

A wonderful gift certificate for a night’s stay at a hotel in San Antonio fell into our lap.  My parents were happy to take the boys for the weekend.  So we packed up and headed out to see where things would take us… 

Boudro’s- Where we both enjoyed fantastic prickly pear margaritas and freshly made guacamole.  And I had wonderful coconut shrimp!  Mmmhhhhh….

River Center Comedy Club- Where we laughed all evening.

Tower of the Americas- Where we got to see the amazing view of the city at night.

The Inn on the Riverwalk- Where we got to enjoy the chocolates they dropped off in our room, get a good night’s sleep, and eat a delicious breakfast.

Fiesta Texas- Where we got to ride all of the roller coasters.  Weeeeeeee!

Did we think or talk about the boys?  Sure.  We even stopped at a candy store and bought them some goodies.  But the weekend wasn’t about them.  For the first time in a long time, it was about Nathan and I.  It was all pure fun, with no interruptions from the boys, no whining and no diaper changing. 

And what’s really exciting is knowing that we have another night out planned in less than a month- dinner and dancing at the nature center!  It’s about time we take time for ourselves!

Friday was mine and Nathan’s 10-year wedding anniversary.  But it was overshadowed by big weekend activities coming up and company coming into town.  So while the house was a-buzz with excitement about seeing friends and cousins, I was busy cleaning house, doing laundry, and mowing.  One big surprise- Nathan bought me diamond earrings!  So I did get to do all my chores in style! 

Saturday was SO much fun!  The day was spent with grandparents, cousins, and friends!  We started the day off with the Kendall County Fair parade.  Wonderful floats, plenty of candy, lots of smiles!  Then we headed to the river for a bbq lunch, fish-catching, swimming, and tubing.  And we ended the evening with dinner and snow cones.

Sunday I took cousins Marisa and Jayden’s portraits, we went out to eat for lunch, and spent the day in the back yard.  And then Nathan and Ben decided to spend the night at the lot.  Evan and I packed them up, sent them on their way, and then got to enjoy the house to ourselves.

Yesterday morning, Evan and I headed out to the lot to meet up with Nathan and Ben, to let the boys jump on the trampoline and drive the tractor.  And then Nathan took the boys back to the river for more swimming.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend.  It was fun and relaxing, so great to see family we hadn’t gotten to visit with in a while (just wish they would have stayed longer).  And we were very fortunate to have such gorgeous weather (so glad the downpour held off until today).

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.