Summer Ends, School Begins....

Although you would not be able to tell by the temperature, summer officially ended in our neighborhood yesterday morning. School is now in session! It has been fun to watch the little girls on our street get ready to start the first grade. For weeks they have been preparing - searching for the cutest backpack, deliberating over the perfect first day outfit, worrying if they will like their new teacher and wondering if the super-duper cute boy from last year will remember them.... kind of gives me butterflies just thinking about it:) Here are some of my favorite pics from a session I just did with a little sweetheart headed into kindergarten at Harvard Elementary. I hope she (and all the little people everywhere headed back to school this week) had a wonderful first day!

Wordless Wednesday....

There is no need for words when kiddos are this cute.....

Dude, I'm with the Band....

Rumor has it, my sister Emmy and I sound alike on the telephone. It always throws people off when we are at home together, because it takes a minute for them to decipher who they are talking to. So you would that if we sound the same on the phone, we would sound the same singing - yeah, not so much. Emmy has an absolutely phenomenal voice - she's traveled the world singing, even belting out a tune for the Pope (JPII, that is), while I on the other hand have been asked politely by my middle school music director to"just mouth the words" during performances. Anyhow, we were thrilled when she recently got engaged to her boyfriend Dave not only because he is totally awesome, but also because he is an amazing musician who appreciates Emmy's talent. While I was home a few weeks ago, I was able to hang out and take some pictures of Dave and his friends Jared and Craig (other wise know as the band, Nations). Here are some of my favorite images from my first band photoshoot. Rock on.

Numero Dos....

You gotta love baby number two..... not only do they always seem a bit more laid back and easier to manage than your first, but you actually have a clue as to what you are doing as a mom the second time around. I am amazed how I could hear Jake (my first) sigh heavily from two floors away and I would be bolting up the stairs to check on him, while Riley (my second) could be yelling at the top of her lungs and I literally do not hear her. Ahhh, motherhood.... Here is a super sweet little number two and her big brother who live down the street. Told you all my neighbors are gorgeous....

Bow-a-riffic!

My dear (and extremely wise) sister-in-law warned me almost as soon as Riley had hair to start putting her in bows so that she would get used to them. Of course I should have listened, but as a girl whose last non-bobby pin hair accessory was a banana clip, I didn't. Now to get anything to stay in Riley's hair for longer than 17 seconds, it has to be pretty much glued in there. That is not the case for this sweet little girl, who I was able to photograph before my trip home to Indiana. Here are a some cute ones from our latest session as well as a few from back in March. Needless to say, this girl can really sport a bow(and a clip and a feather headband!)....

Sister, sister, sister....

Now that I have recovered from traveling alone with my children (which can take a few days) and gotten everybody settled back into a routine here at home, I have been ordering up a storm! I love going back through older galleries and rediscovering images I just adore. Here are some from March of the gorgeous girls down the street - talk about a fun session to shoot....

We're Back....

After two fabulous weeks in Indiana with my parents, the kids and I have returned to Houston. It is a tough call as to which moment was my favorite during our trip, so I've narrowed it down to the top three....
3. Watching my recently engaged sister try on her wedding dress. One word, A-MA-ZING! I would show you the pictures, but that would be poor form:)
2. Seeing Riley drag my Raggedy Ann doll over to the corner (the place she spent a majority of her vacation), scold her and then stomp away.... classic.
1. Having a dance party with my whole family (soon to be brother-in-law included) and watching the kids twirl, which in my house is the mark of an absolutely fantastic family time. Just ask my mom, whose claim to fame is twirling on 5 of the 7 continents. Good times....