Yep...another one from Hong Kong

Well, here we are again. Back in Hong Kong. We've made it through the first of our three flights home. Of course, that was the shortest one.

It was hard to leave today. I mean, of course it's bitter sweet because I'm anxious to see the girls, but I'm also really sad to be leaving our parents, our new Chinese sisters (Julie & Annie), our new friends, and just China. As crazy & different as it is, I was really starting to feel quite comfortable there. It's funny how quickly you can fall into new habits, etc.

I'm so thankful that we were able to go & have this whole experience. It really helps to put life into perspective in a lot of ways. It has reminded me to be thankful for my blessings, it's humbled me in many ways, as well. I love that the people are unconcerned with appearances (of all sorts) for the most part.

The food was really yummy this time, too. The first time I was there, I don't remember liking the food AT ALL. I remember thinking that the one really odd fast food restaurant, Dico's, was an oasis of somewhat decent food. This time, though, there were all sorts of yummy places to eat. And, I'm thinking we didn't even begin to scratch the surface of good restaurants. I do have to admit, though, that when we went to McDonald's yesterday, the first bite of the Big Mac (which I don't normally love) was like HEAVEN! I guess I just miss some of those familiar tastes. I don't know.

Anyway, I also LOVE the new friends I've made while there. I was sad to say goodbye to them today just because I'll miss their company and sweet personalities, but I'm also just afraid of whether or not I'll ever get to see them again. Julie allowed me the wonderful opportunity to shoot some wedding photos for her. You've seen some of those. I know that she thinks I was doing her a favor, but I feel like I was the one that was blessed to be able to do it! It was SUCH a fun day spent with she & her husband. I'm glad that I've got photos of them just for MY sake. I'll miss her much!

And, Annie... Annie is such a sweet girl! And, she shares a love for shopping & getting the best price, which is a girl after my own heart! I had a lot of fun with her, and I felt like we were old friends! She is hoping to visit Texas late next year, and I'm SO keeping my fingers crossed that she makes it out! I'd love to welcome her into my home.

Annie also allowed me to photograph her yesterday. She is such a beautiful girl, and it was absolutely my pleasure to get to do this! She was up for anything, and I think we could have stayed out for HOURS taking pictures. We didn't quite have enough time for all the shots I had envisioned for her. Maybe next year in Texas, right!?!

I'm sharing just a couple of Annie for now. I am HUNDREDS of pictures behind in post processing. I've got 5 finished of Annie, so far, but after looking back, I see that the color balance & some other things are kinda wonky on three of them. So, I'm just sharing the two until I can get home & fix them up on my trusty ol' CRT monitor. (I know you post process on a laptop all the time, Michael, but I'm no rockstar like you! I just can't make it work! Haha!)

Anyway, so, here's Annie:

Not enough time...

Okay, well, first I want to thank you all for your nice words on my last post. I'm so flattered that they evoked emotion of some sort in so many of you. Can you imagine what it must have been like to be in the middle of it, to watch it, to breathe it. Going to the villages really has been the highlight of my time here so far!

Now...where to start!?! When I say there is not enough time in the day, I'm SO stinkin' serious right now! I feel terrible that I have not updated my blog again until tonight. The thing is, I took 400, yes, FOUR HUNDRED pictures in the villages. And, I'm in CHINA! Who wants to post process 400 pictures while visiting China!?! It's like, "Amy...what would you like to do today while in China? Oh, you'd like to post process? Great." Haha! I mean, no one is telling me I have to have them all post processed before I go, but I know my parents would love for me to have some done to leave for them. Plus, the super sweet young couple that I photographed would LOVE to have some before I leave, too, I'm sure. So...after L-O-N-G days out on the town, I come back here and try to make myself sit down at the computer.

Anyway, so, that's why I haven't been updating the blog.

I'm going to give you a few sneak peeks from the second day at the villages. I think I'm too tired to go into much detail about the whole thing right now, but can I just tell you that it was a crazy awesome day!?! We had breakfast with the sweetest, kindest little family. The woman is a friend of my parents. Her husband was also there, as was her parents & her niece. The niece is 2 years old...almost 3. She is the MOST gorgeous little girl. I just wanted to pack her up & take her home with me! Outta control cute... Anyway, this little one was so spunky, so sweet, so giggly...just good natured all around. You'll see a picture of her on down the way. You'll know her when you see her. :-)

We also went into town to go to the market. It's...ummm...interesting. It's so different than the way we do things in the States. I've only got one picture to share from that for right now, but hopefully you'll see more later.

Okay, okay...I'm just gonna get on with the posting.

This first woman is wearing traditional clothing for her people group. It's so neat to walk around the little town and see SO many people wearing traditional clothing like this. She's 61 years old, she told us, and she was so willing to let me photograph her. (Did I mention that almost all the time, they don't like to be photographed?)

This next photograph is of a woman also in traditional dress for her people group, which I believe is the same people group as the first woman. Maybe this one's the formal stuff? I don't know... Anyway, I DO know that she performs on stage in shows about the different people groups in China. I know she dances, and I believe she sings, as well. She was really nice.

This third woman...this one I love even though it's just a head shot. She told us that she was 86 years old and she STILL WORKS! And, by "still works" I mean she still goes out and works and harvests the crops, carries heavy loads in a basket on her back (supported by a strap across her forehead.) And, not only that, but I'm SURE much of it is up on the mountain sides, so she must walk up & down them, right!?! Man. Can you believe that!?! She also told us that her mother is 107 years old. :-) I think there is so much character in her face. Each wrinkle represents a story she has to tell... Beautiful.

This next one is at the market. I just thought it was fun. :-)

This is a home right there in town. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

Tell me you see the woman standing in the doorway?

Okay...now, here's the little girl that I wanted to take home. You understand now, right!?! Isn't she AMAZING!?! She had the most beautiful little personality, too.

And, last one (for now) from the villages...this is the little one's grandfather. He's a super friendly guy. :-)

So, yeah...I've got WAY more to tell you & show you from that day, but I just can't muster the energy to do all the post processing. Soon, though.

Okay, there's the first half of the post. Now, let me tell you a little about our time spent in Kunming. First and foremost, who wants to move here with me? Anyone? I've got three words for you: SUPER. CHEAP. MASSAGE. Haha! Seriously...we had a little girl's night out last night. There was about 7 of us, and we decided we'd like to go get foot massages. It's not a pedicure, just the massage. Well, we get to the place, and ask how much for a foot massage for each of us. Ummm...yeah...here's where it gets CRAZY! They told us we could each get a foot massage AND a back massage for what works out to be about $2.50 US dollars!!! WHAT!?! Ummm...if THAT'S not reason enough to move here, I don't know what is!!! Can you believe it!?! I'm still in shock. And, they were no chintzy massages. Both of them together lasted over an hour! For $2.50!!! Ahhhh...

So, that might be the second highlight of my trip! Bwahahahaha!!!

No, but really...we've done some fun stuff, eaten some CRAZY foods, shopped some really cool shops. I just love it. It's fun just being here. I've tried more new foods this week than I probably have in the past entire year!!! So far, we've had Thai food, Indian food, Chinese food, Cantonese food, Japanese food (I hear it's got a Chinese twist on it, though), American food...all this week alone. I LOVED it all. Seriously. I'm kinda bummed because I don't think the US has food this good. Atleast not where I live. I've tried lamb, goose, duck, and tofu. (I know it's not all that crazy, but I've never had any of those things before. Well...goose once before the last time I was in China.) Fun stuff.

I've also met some wonderful new friends. :-) I'm sad that we're leaving soon. I feel like I'm just getting to know them, though I love them already! I talked a little about Julie in my last post. It was her family that hosted us out in the village for dinner. Well, she was recently married, but they didn't have wedding pictures done. So, I got to do them!!! It was TONS of fun. I have to say...I felt like a rock star photographer on this shoot! Haha! I had 11, ELEVEN, people following us, helping, carrying this or that, whatever. That includes my mom & Craig & Heather & many of their friends. That does NOT include myself or the bride & groom. So, yeah...a group of 14 of us cruising around town taking pictures! If only my life were that good... I had someone carrying my camera bag for me, the step ladder... It was raining, so I had people holding umbrellas over me, I had people moving benches around & stuff. Crazy fun. Rock star. I'm telling you. Ha! No, I think everyone just wanted to be a part of it because Julie & her husband are just such wonderful people... I wouldn't have wanted to miss this, either.

So, here are a few shots from that little session. Keep in mind that I'm NOT a wedding photographer. I'm not even an engagement shoot photographer. Heck, I hardly photograph adults at all. But, this worked out okay, and it was TONS of fun! (Also keep in mind that my photoshop skills have been SLOP-PY. I'm post processing on a laptop. Yes, I've said that before, but what I haven't said is that I'm not using a normal mouse. Just the touch pad on the computer. Yep. Fun.) Oh, and because it's rained NON-stop here, we had to just make it work. We looked for anything covered, and we settled for what we could find. I think most of them are great little locations, though I don't love the buildings in the background of some of these. This is also only a small sampling.



And, I think this one is my favorite. I just like it. Plus, as cheesy & abstract as it is, I feel like the place settings parallel their marriage at the most basic level. In front of her you see the plate. In front of him you see the silverware. Together they make a whole. Isn't it cute?!? (Plus, the different colors ROCK, and I'm diggin' the lighting, too. Haha!)
So, anyway. I'm about to fall asleep in front of this computer. Just know that there is SO much more to share. One of these days...

Phew...

Wow. I have so much to say…so much to try to remember. I can hardly figure out where to begin. Yes, we made it to China safely! Sorry for not updating before now.

I have to say, though…I think I may have brought the rain. As if I haven’t had enough rain in Texas, the rainy season just happened to be starting up just as we arrived in China. One of my very first sights upon arriving was a flooded city. Great.

Unfortunately, it has been raining 24 hours a day. Literally. It’s not letting up. And, while we’re not letting that keep us from getting out and about, it’s kind of deterring me from taking pictures. It’s hard to hold an umbrella, set up a shot, snap a picture…all in the rain. And, well, how am I supposed to be getting down on the ground if there are puddles everywhere?

BUT anyway… So, we had plans to leave Friday morning to go out to some minority villages about 4 hours away. Luckily, it quit raining on Friday. I’m so thankful for that because I do NOT want to miss taking photos out in the villages. So, here I am today, back from the villages & 400 pictures later. Ay yi yi. You can imagine my post processing nightmare, I’m sure.

My parents have this wonderful little friend named Julie. She is THE sweetest thing. Julie actually grew up in the village that we were going to visit. This is why we were going to that particular village. My parents have a special friendship with her entire family. SO, Julie and all of us headed toward her family home, where they would so graciously cook for us & serve us dinner.

On our way to the villages, we drove 4 hours through winding mountain roads. Gosh…I cannot even begin to tell you how beautiful the land is here. It is beyond amazing. I wish somehow I could fully share my experience with you. It seems that I’ve always been short on words. Well, not short on words quantity-wise, but definitely short on words quality-wise. I can never seem to fully express what I’m wanting to convey. I’ve said it before…my words just aren’t adequate. I do my best, but I’m lacking. All this to say, I feel like in this moment, on this trip, my photos are lacking. They are inadequate. Yes, they may be fun to look at. They may capture some really great moments (or not,) but they just don’t capture it all. They do not paint the entire picture for you, and that kind of bums me out. I have a terrible memory. These days, this blog & my photos are where I store my memories. My mind fails me. And, so, I know that over a period of time, sooner rather than later, I will start to forget the big picture…the entirety of it. Bummer.

Let me get on with this story. Sheesh. I ramble.

On our drive, we happened across what they (someone) claims to be the world’s tallest non-suspension bridge. I believe it. Man, it’s just amazing to me that someone built that thing. And, that it works. Haha! It’s a two lane, two way bridge, and they happened to have one lane shut down for construction of some sort. (Yes, that leaves one lane and the shoulder of the tallest non-suspension bridge in the world for two way traffic to share.) Because of that, we pulled over, got out, and made our way out onto the bridge in the shut down lane. Honestly, I’m surprised that Heather & Mom had anything to do with this. (They’re both TERRIBLY afraid of heights.) But, they did, as the pictures prove.

So, here are a few pictures from that little adventure:
The girls looking over the edge:
Craig & Julie checking things out. And, yeah, this picture looks much scarier than it actually was. They are not just at the edge of a huge cliff or anything, though it looks that way! :-)
Back in the car, and back on the road… A bit more driving, and we arrived at Julie's village. A view from the highway:
I think this is a view of a neighboring village taken from the same spot on the highway. Just a guess, though. I don't really know. Haha! I LOVE the roofs!
You can tell from the top picture that we couldn't take the main highway to get to the village, right!?! Yeah...well...this is where I felt my life might be in danger. Haha! Remember how I said it's been raining NON-stop? Well, imagine what all that rain must do to a dirt road. I'm not talking a gravel-y road or anything...I'm talking red dirt. The kind that makes really, really slick red mud. Yep...up a mountain, winding & scenic road, right? Ummmm...not so much. Yes, it was all of those things, but it was not a drive that instills nice, relaxing, I'm-sight-seeing vibes in you or anything. This is a ONE lane road. ONE lane for two way traffic. ONE lane that runs pretty much right alongside the edge of the mountain with NO guardrails or anything. I'm sure my parents think I'm being high drama, but I don't care. It was NUTSO! At one point, you pretty much have to make a U-turn to turn off onto a second very similar road. Well, the road we're turning onto goes uphill fairly steeply. You can't just whip the wheel & make a U-y either. We're talking a three point turn. So, upon the first backup, I thought we were going over the edge of the mountain. OH. MY. GOSH. I think my life flashed before my eyes. No, seriously. Craig says otherwise, but I don't care what Craig says. We're talking almost NO wiggle room for a vehicle to get through, so, yeah...we're already too close to the edge.

ANYway... I go on about random things, don't I?

After getting stuck in the mud once, we arrive. Here's where my words will fail me. Here's where my pictures do no justice. We walked through the village, through what almost seemed like small little corridors between the homes, on to Julie's family's home. The ground was wet from the rain with moss covering some areas, both on the ground and the structures around us. There were so many nooks, crannies, offshoots along the way. So many things to catch my eye. Almost everywhere I looked, I saw a little path that interested me, that piqued my curiosity. I wanted to follow each one to see where it might lead me. The textures, the muted tones of the walls, the roofs, the walkways...I've never seen anything like it. I wish I could keep the movie in my brain playing forever, but it's already starting to fade.

We made our way up to Julie's home. Her parents & grandparents were so welcoming. Though I couldn't understand a WORD they said to me, I could see it all over their faces that they were proud to have us, happy to be hosting us for dinner. Who needs words, right?

After visiting for a few minutes and before dinner, Julie took Craig, Heather & I out for a little tour of the village. And, when I say village, it really, really is a village. There were children running & playing freely, neighbors out working...whatever. There were just people. Everywhere. I have to say...many Chinese people that I've run into so far are not keen on being photographed. For some reason, they feel that they don't look presentable. I, however, find them so beautiful, so fascinating, so full of character just as they are. I found that though they live a different lot in life, a lot that is foreign to me or one I can't imagine living, they are happy...joyful. Man, they're SO happy. And that makes them SO incredibly beautiful. They take you in with their smiles, their giggles. I found myself drawn in and studying the beauty that each of them add to the world. I admire the lives they live, the way the village works. I admire that they raise their own food & each other's children.

I don't know what else I can say about the people. They just touched my heart in a way that no one ever has. I hope that I was able to capture their true spirits. Atleast just a little.


A couple of village women hauling...I don't know...stuff...to I don't know where. :-)

This sweet little girl was so unsure about us. Poor little thing. I think we made her nervous. She was grabbing at her hands, pulling on her fingers, rubbing them together, etc. Obviously a nervous thing. The funny thing about that...Emma does the exact same thing when she's nervous. Isn't it crazy how kids all over the world are really just alike?
This is all the color & texture I was talking about...
Ummm...how stinkin' cute is this bebe!?!

This little girl came cruising down this path with her little sister on her back. Lucky, lucky me. And look how happy she is to be carrying her! Isn't it precious!?!
Little sister in a princess dress. :-) I think she's got two long lost sisters in Texas named Emma & Maya! Haha!
And, after strolling around a bit, it's back to Julie's for dinner:

After visiting over a really, really delicious meal (including bamboo prepared three different ways - who KNEW it could be so yummy!?!) Julie took us on a tour of their home. We went upstairs into a little room where stacks of rice are stored, as well as tea...both dried and fresh. Julie began to show us how they go about drying & rolling the tea.
I gave it a try, as did Craig. It was WAY harder than it looks. I kept throwing a little off the sides accidentally... Haha! I set this shot up for Heather to take of me working the tea with Julie.
These are Julie's parents. Aren't they so cute!?! See what I mean about happy...they're just happy! And he looks like he adores her, doesn't he!?!
This is Julie's grandmother (her father's mother.)
This is the same grandmother in her traditional minority group dress.

This is Julie's other grandmother (her mom's mom.)
And her other grandfather (her mom's dad.)
So, yeah...it was such a busy, FULL day. And, I mean full in a good way. Fulfilling, you know? I'm so glad that we got to go, and I'm so glad that Julie's family was kind enough to host us.

When I started post processing tonight, I had initially thought that I would share the whole weekend with you all. BUT, this is just the ONE day. It's SO late, and I'm SO tired. Though I wanted to share it all now because it all kind of goes together, I've got to wait. The next day (which happens to be earlier today) was just as cool! Watch for that...

Oh, also, just so you all know...I'm post processing on a laptop. I totally don't trust the screen, and I'm quite frustrated with the whole thing. I want my trusty ol' CRT. Alas, I do not have it. I'm having to make it work. So, yeah, I have NO idea what these photos really look like. They could be really dark or really blown, really contrasty or too muddy. I know for sure that I didn't even fool with color balance at all...whatever. Ha! Some of these I actually tried to post process the way I normally do, but I quickly became discouraged with that, so I moved on to soft light layer & vignette only for a good portion of these. What I'm trying to say is this: IGNORE the post processing. Haha!

Tomorrow I've got two little shoots going on. One is with Julie & her new husband...wedding type photos. The other is with a really nice young woman named Annie. I think they're both gonna be a lot of fun! Watch for those...

Live from Hong Kong...

Okay...so, we're in the Hong Kong airport awaiting our next flight into mainland China. I snapped this pic & thought it might be fun to post while still IN the airport! Haha!

I'm running out of battery power on this uncalibrated laptop. Seriously. Maybe 5%. This pic is hardly processed. Only vignette & soft light. Aren't we jet setters!?! Haha!

ay yi yi

Sitting in the LA airport feeling a lot like herded cattle. This place is insane in the middle of the night. Who knew?

I'm feeling tired and kinda sad. And, I've got a 13 hour flight coming up. Prayers would be appreciated. Seriously.

Catching up...

Wow. I've got a lot to say tonight. And a TON of pictures to share.

First, let me just tell you about my internet woes. I live in a community that is all on some sort of network for our internet. I don't know how it works, just that it does. Well, back when we were having all the crazy storms- (it's been dry for a few days now!)-something got struck by lightning or something. I don't know. Anyway, it affected the internet throughout the community. I've had really, REALLY limited internet availability for a while now. But, I think (keeping my fingers crossed) that I'll be able to get this blog updated tonight!

Second, I just want to thank everyone for all the encouraging comments from a couple posts ago. I take some sort of comfort in knowing that I'm not the only mom with these crazy control issues and irrational fears. It really does mean a lot to me that so many of you were willing to pipe up & share your own personal experiences with me. Everyone always says to trust your mom instincts. Well, in situations like this, when you KNOW you're being irrational, it's hard to stop yourself from thinking, "well, maybe this IS my mom instinct telling me I shouldn't go." You know what I mean? So, to hear that MANY of you have felt like this, gone anyway, and come back safe...it makes me feel better. :-) So, thanks a bunch for that!!!

Third, I'd like to tell you a little about my trip (which is coming up INSANELY quickly!) We'll be going to stay with my parents in the fairly large city where they live in China. While we're there, my parents have some friends that would like me to do shoots for them! I'm SOOOO looking forward to this! One of them is a young couple that was recently married. I'll be doing formal wedding photos for them, and I'm SO, SO, SO excited! I've got my mom scoping out locations. Of course she'll look for the nice, flowery parks that compliment wedding portraits well, but I've also asked her to look for urban locations out on the streets, in allies, etc! I CAN'T wait for this!!! I think it's gonna be the BEST time! The second shoot that we've set up is for a beautiful young woman named Annie. I love doing shoots for adults that can HOLD STILL! Haha! I'm so used to preschoolers & toddlers that move at the speed of light. So, I'm really looking forward to this one, as well. I'll have to stalk Anna Jones' Indie Art Blog for inspiration over the next few days!

We'll also be spending some time in the countryside in a couple small villages. Though this is one of the roughest parts of the trip for me just because there's no Western food (haha!) or all the luxuries I'm used to, I know this will be one of the most enjoyable parts. On my first visit, it really helped to put my life into perspective. Just wait. Just wait for the photographs. The countryside is just AMAZING, and the people are beautiful.

Okay, well...I guess I should get on with this post, right!?! If this hadn't been a smorgasbord of a post, I would have titled it with some smart comment about my neighbor & best little friend, Jenny. You see, Jenny has been HOUNDING me for a week or so now about not being mentioned on my blog. She & I have an interesting relationship...ask anyone who knows us as an entity.

We've lived in the same community for almost 5 years now. (She came one year after us.) But, for some crazy reason, we didn't become friends until a year ago this August/September. And, well, I'm sure our coworkers, neighbors & acquaintances are grateful that they had 4 years of peace! Haha! Jenny & I just clicked. Like, perfectly. I'll just go through a quick list of the things that make me love her. Ready?

• We have the same crazy, warped sense of humor.
  
• The girl LOVES to eat & is unashamed about it. (I do, too.) :-) (How many women try to be prim & proper when you go out to eat with them? I LOVE that Jenny puts on no masks. What you see is what you get with her.)


• We both love Ikea. No, I mean LOVE, love. Haha!


• We can say pretty much anything to each other and no offense is taken. (You know how you can joke & jest with family, throw sarcasm back & forth, and nobody takes it the wrong way? Well, I've never had a friend that I could do that with, but Jenny IS that girl. I tell her ALL the time that she's embarrassing [if you saw her dance in Old Navy, you'd agree!] She truly is embarrassing, but she makes me laugh so much. And, me telling her that she's embarrassing doesn't bother her one bit. In fact, I think it makes her act even more outrageously just to get a rise out of me! I wouldn't change her one bit, though...I do enjoy every minute of her company. I should throw out, too, that she brings out my goofy side. It's just less goofy than hers! Haha!)


• She and her husband Jack have such high integrity. I trust them both so completely.


• We share the same morals & standards when it comes to parenting our children. We're on the same page. I've always appreciated Jenny's honesty when we talk about being mothers. It's a hard gig. I mean, it is obviously so, so, so rewarding, but you hear all that stuff all the time. It's rare that you can find someone to really talk with about your struggles, your weaknesses, your concerns about your own parenting. It's so reassuring to know that another mother that I admire and have always admired is human and real. Don't get me wrong, she is one of THE. BEST. mothers I know. But she doesn't pretend that things are peachy keen in the parenting world at all times, you know? I know I've met my fair share of mothers that pretend all is always perfect in their homes, with their kiddos, etc. You've GOT to know what I mean, right? While I admire mothers that play the June Clever role perfectly, it can be somewhat discouraging talking with them. It only makes me feel worse about myself because I KNOW I struggle now & again. Okay, okay...more frequently than that, really.


• She's always so willing to validate my feelings, to listen, to comfort. I hope I do the same for her.


• We can talk on the phone for hours at a time, day after day. As a grown woman, I never thought I'd make a friend that I could talk to like that. I don't know...I guess I just thought I'm old enough now that if I don't already have a friend like that, I never will. But, ask our husbands...we are OUT of control!

Man, talk about out of control. This list is out of control!!! There's more I can say. Tons more. But, I'll make myself stop. I've got lots more to say in this post, so I've GOT to stop.

The other thing about Jenny is that she has a sweet little son named Anson. Anson happens to be just a couple weeks older than Emma. Emma & Anson are BEST friends. I think they "get" each other, too! Haha! These two have just as much in common, I think. Let's just say they can both be...ummm...hmmm...how to put this? Crankola! No, really...they both can pitch some wicked fits. And, they're both introverted, so they understand & respect each other's need for time alone. Ha! I love to watch them play together. Fun times.

There's a second little one in that family. Her name is Alana, and she'll be two in October. This kid is just stinkin' cute. Poor little thing...I think she's been spending too much time with Jenny & I because she is getting sassier & sassier every day! Haha! She's FULL of personality. I just love her. And, well, she most definitely won my heart the first time her sweet little voice spoke my name. Oftentimes, she spouts it out in the middle of a string of sassiness, but that makes it even cuter! My girls love her, and I think she loves them, too, though they share a collective name of "Emma." (I wonder if she realizes there's two of them! Haha!)

Anyway, last summer Jenny & her family moved to our block. Now we're neighbors! Like, a 30-second-walk neighbors. Bwahahahaha!!! (<-----That's my mischievous laugh!) I've always LOVED where I live, but now I love it even more! We live on the best block. There are five other houses on our block besides mine & Jenny's. One is empty right now, but of the other four, I would trust each & every neighbor totally & completely with my children. That's HUGE because that means my kids get to go outside & play & ride their bikes & run around just like in the "good ol' days." (We also live in a gated community, so no random strangers driving around.) Anyway, that also means tons of fun for our families. So, last night, Jenny & I & the kiddos spent the last hour before sunset out on the block. Oh, another fun thing about Jenny...she's learning photography now, too! That's WAY exciting for me! So, the kids played & acted like maniacs, and Jenny & I chased them around with our cameras. :-) I've got a BILLION shots to share with you. I just love the candid-ness of these. They seem very real to me...nothing glamorous. It's just a day in the life of our kiddos. I feel so very blessed to live here & to have a great family as neighbors...this is a day I'm so glad I captured. :-)

Maya with the bug catcher.
Another thing about Alana...she's mischievous. She spots her brothers abandoned bike. Yeah...she's truckin' that way just as fast as she can. :-)
Climbin' on up. (I wish I hadn't chopped her toes!)

This is Anson. SUCH a handsome little guy!

The little gang minus Alana. LOVE this!
I think they were laughing at something silly that little Alana was doing. Look at those faces! But, again, I chopped her feet. I was snapping fast because a face like that doesn't last long, so my composition is definitely lacking. Ah well...
Anson waiting for the girls. :-)

Funny story here. Well, kinda funny. Emma is sitting at the top of a slight little hill here. You see, she's got some fears about going down this little hill. And, with good reason. Last summer, the first time we let her ride her bike around the block, she was a little over zealous. She was riding quite a bit ahead of us, and as we approached this little hill, Curt & I realized that she probably didn't know how to brake. We started yelling at her to slow down, but she kept peddling just as fast as she could. Well...we live on top of a hill. This little hill is also the corner of the block. If you don't make the turn, you go over the curb & down the hill via the rock garden. Do you see where this is going? Yep. Emma didn't make the turn.

So, we've since gone around this block on the bike multiple times. I had to really walk her through it the first few times, but she did just fine. Well, Emma tends to be high drama. In this particular moment, she was not wanting to go down the incline & around the corner. I was sitting on the curb at the corner trying to just get her to go already. I was there, I would make sure she didn't go down the hill, but she wanted more. She wanted me to get up & walk her around the corner holding the handle bars. Well, I wasn't doing that, so she was pouting. (See picture below!)

Here's where the story gets kinda funny and a little neurotic. See, Jenny & I (me more than her, I think) like to dream of the day that my Emma & her Anson fall in love & get married. Yes, yes, I know it sounds crazy. I'm not trying to marry her off or anything. It's just, you know...how fun would it be if your child married your best friend's child? Wouldn't that be just THE BEST!?! So, yeah, it's just innocent little fun. Well, Jenny is always trying to win my girls over. She's already won them over, but she just keeps at it...giving them treats, coddling them, whatev. When she (Jenny) saw that I wasn't going to go walk the pouting Emma around the corner by the handle bars, she hopped up to do it claiming that Emma would remember this. Thus, she (Jenny) would get the grandkids more than me! My response to that - I know what kind of wicked fits Emma & Anson can throw. Can you imagine what their kid would be like!?! Bwahahahaha!!! She can have 'em! (Okay, okay...I'm SOOO kidding about this. Really.) See...this is what I'm talking about. I can say such atrocious, horrendous things to Jenny about our potential grandkids all in good fun, and she isn't appalled. (I would never, EVER feel this way about our grandkids should it really happen!) Aww...what a great mother-in-law. Haha!

LOVE this one, too! She looks like the little girl from Monster's Inc., doesn't she!?! (Wish I hadn't chopped her toes again.)












That is definitely a DONE with pictures face!
And...I'm done, too! You all should just know it has taken me HOURS to upload this post! Yes, it took me forever to type all this out, but it's taken me even longer to get my internet to cooperate for all these pictures. Plus, I'm super nervous that when I actually go to publish my post, somethings gonna go wonky, and I'll lose it all!