I Heart Faces - "Blue"

This week's theme at I HEART FACES is "Blue". I immediately thought of this picture that I took this summer of our friends the Drakes. I had just taken an online class from Jessica Sprague where I learned how to bring out focal colors in B&W pictures by hand so I decided to try it on one of their photos. I love how this one turned out. They are such a beautiful family and Isaiah is one cute little dude in his blue overalls!!!

I just have to say too that I LOVE the I Heart Faces blog and really love looking through everyone's pictures! There are so many talented photographers who post pics...so go on over and take a look (click on logo at top of the post)!!!

Is it Fall Yet?

So, I think it MIGHT start getting a little cooler this week in Alabama! I am so ready for that! This past week, Samuel informed me that is was time to get the fall decorations out. So, I obliged and we got a few things out.

Samuel also keeps asking when we are going to pick out a pumpkin. Oh, how I miss being able to go to Washington Farms in Watkinsville, Ga. They had the BEST pumpkin patch ever!!!

One day last week, I put the girls in cute dresses that I actually made last fall and took them outside to take some pictures. I'm pretty sure I did this because it was the first pretty day in like FOREVER. Oh my goodness, I was SO over the rain! I know for sure now that I can never live in Portland or Seattle or Forks(although that is where the Cullens (vampires) are). Well, I guess I shouldn't say never, but I really don't want to ever live somewhere that it rains a lot. I like sunshine!

A weekend away with Jeff (and some vampires)

Bet that title caught you off guard! Ha!!!

Well, I finally caved and have gotten sucked into (no pun intended of course) the Twilight series. Oh my goodness, they are really good! I finished the first 2 in 48 hours and am half way through the 3rd. The only reason I was able to read the first 2 so quickly is because Jeff and I escaped WITHOUT kids to Hilton Head Island last weekend. To say it was wonderful would really be an understatement!

Jeff was speaking at a retreat there so I tagged along. Thanks to the grandparents who took on our wild brood so we could escape. It really was so much fun. I got to read, eat out with Jeff, shop, and relax! And I didn't have to change any diapers, clean up any accidents, feed anyone but myself, help with any homework, or put anyone to bed! Seriously, what more could a mom of 3 want? I even got to sleep in one morning! I love Hilton Head. It is such a beautiful town and of course I took lots of pics...

view from our condo

We visited nearby historical Blufton, SC where my 2 great aunts lived later in their life(they raised my grandmother in Savannah - Abigail and I are named after my Aunt Marie)

This was our favorite house we saw...Seven Oaks...circa 1850

and the sign for one of the churches with some beautiful mossy oaks

Saturday night we ate in Harbor Town and saw some super nice yahts and had a beautiful view from our dinner table as we watched the sunset...

Candid

This week's theme over at I HEART FACES is "candid". Well, I had several candid shots that I loved, but this is the one I came back too. Not only was it totally candid...it's a pretty common occurrence at our house these days! Don't you just love sibling relationships and 2 1/2 year old tantrums?!

Real Life

Real Life at our house...

We climb




We fuss and make funny faces









Sometimes we look and even act cute







We make a lot of messes






We play library




We might be sweet to each other
(discalimer: yes, that is a UGA shirt on Samuel...it was given to him when we were in Athens and he only wears it as a "play"shirt! You do NOT have to worry about where our allegiance lies:))






or more likely, we might not


We play with our babies (A LOT)




And we continue to redeccorange
(a BIG thanks to Jeff's parents and sister for the rug and buffet! I think the dining room is now complete)!

Gameday

We had such a fun day yesterday for Jeff's birthday. Here he is with his baby...aren't they cute (and aren't their blue eyes just to die for?)!

It was the first home game in Tuscaloosa so that was exciting! Jeff's parents were in town and then Jennifer and Buddy came as well. We got 2 babysitters to come watch the children from 2-10pm. It's kind of crazy that we have to get 2 sitters (and expensive) but our 3 are kind of hard to handle at dinner time and bedtime. But, they did awesome! The sitters had the house clean when we got home and the kids were in bed by 830 which is truly a miracle!!! So back to gameday...I dressed everyone up in gameday attire just because. And, I totally made Abigail's little top (which you can't see very well) at like 11:30 yesterday morning. I just appliqued an A and tied some houndstooth ribbon around the straps of a shirt that used to be Ellie Kate's. I actually have the fabric to make Abigail a dress to match EK, but well I just haven't made the time to do it. So, since we were all dressed to match, we decided to get some pictures. You're shocked, I know. Ha! I'm so glad we got a pretty good one.

We also got a really cute one of the whole extended family but I think Jeff's mom might want to use it as their Christmas card, so I won't spoil it (especially since I think I'm going to design it)!

Going on campus was fun. We stopped by my old stomping grounds (Alpha Chi house) and saw the updates they did over the summer. The house looks amazing! I wish I could afford their decorator:) Ha!! I had fun looking upstairs on the 2nd floor where they have re-hung all the composites. Man, I just can't believe it's been 11 years since I was there. And then I can...especially when all the cute little 18 year old girls were walking around flaunting their stuff. I felt really old...and really frumpy. I'm fine with getting old really. I'm right where I always dreamed of being at 31. However, I do wish I still had my cute little 18 year old body. Sigh.

The game was a bit slow...but we eventually began playing like the #4 team in the country. ROLL TIDE! All in all, it was a great day!

Oh, and Jennifer and Buddy (sis and brother in law) just got back from a trip to Peru and brought us all some awesome gifts. Samuel LOVED his horn!

And the girls got adorable hats that I want to get some good pictures of them in later (I have very high expectations for some cute fall pics in these hats).