HILLARY TURNS 4!!!

This is adorable Hillary and her beautiful mommy, Kelly. It is obvious where Hillary gets her beauty from. :) Hillary has the sweetest little voice and I absolutely love to listen to her talk!

This is her cousin Joshua who has captured my heart from the beginning. Hillary and Mindy love each other! And Hillary just happened to love Mindy's gift for her the most that day. But you just can't go wrong with Veggie Tales. lol Hillary's cousin Camille...................who is also breathtaking.

Sarah and Lee......

This is my beautiful niece SARAH.......she is so adorable and fun to shoot. I'm sure if the price is right I'll be able to get her from my brother. lol Seriously.....lol

This is her lovely mommy, Lee. Lee is a strong and determined woman who works hard and has a heart of gold. And she puts up with my brother, so that makes her a pretty special lady. lol I had so much fun taking these photos! I probably enjoy taking child photography more than anything else. :) I do have a ton of pictures from the Marine Graduation Ceremony and will be posting those this week. There are A LOT!!! lol So hold on to your seats, those will be posted very soon! I promise!

It's a Bird, No It's a Plane.......It's Superman!!! No, Wait, It's a Plane!!

Okay, guess what? Yes, it's that time! Tomorrow morning we are leaving bright and early to catch our flight to Sunny San Diego!!!! Although California itself doesn't appeal to me in general, seeing my son graduate into a Marine surely does! lol So, I will hop on that big bird (even though I don't really care to fly) and make my way to CA. lol And this is where we are going. :) MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot). What else can I say? Only that I wish tomorrow would get here already! Pray for our safe journey and we'll see everybody on Sunday!!! Love and Kisses.

Cold Stone Ice Cream.......oh my.

Took out my baby girl for a Mom and Daughter day...............and yea, we LOVE Cold Stone Creamery!!!!! Has anybody else out there ever had the Peanut Butter Chocolate thingy? lol Can't remember the exact name even though I get it every time. :) But that's okay..... Here's what's left of mine after it's all said and done...............................hmmmmm. A moment on the lips, forever on the hips! lol But sometimes it's just worth it!

A United States Marine

Okay, it's not exactly Tony but this is the best I could do for now. :) We now have a United States Marine in the family. How awesome is that???? So as we prepare for his homecoming party and pack for our trip out to sunny California, I can't wait to bring this new Marine home!!! The time isn't going fast enough! But, I know, that eventually I will be standing in San Diego, with the sun shining down on my face, breathing in the refreshing salt air from the ocean................and earnestly looking around for my wonderful son I haven't seen in 3 months. They say that sometimes parents don't recognize their sons at Graduation because of the extreme physical and mental changes they go through. But, I'll know. I'd know my son anywhere. :) A mother's love for her son is unexplainable. :) Ask any mother who has a son. So, San Diego, here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only One More Hour!!!!!

One hour from now, our son Tony will be standing on top of a huge mountain called the Reaper in San Diego, California. After 54 hours of rigorous training, 20 different obstacle courses, cold muddy water, tunnels, barbed wire, 3 MRE's, 8 hours of sleep and almost 50 total miles of hiking. All of this, to become a United States Marine. To protect our wonderful nation. To protect you as you sleep peacefully at night. To protect me as I go through my everyday routine of school, coffee, work, kids, laundry, dishes, cooking, and cleaning. So that we can have normal and blessed everyday lives.

Maybe it takes having one of your own children go through this process to realize how brave and courageous these men and women who serve US really are. I love America, I love our Military and I love the United States Marine Corps. But most of all I love Jesus Christ, for all He's done in my life and for giving me a wonderful son such as Tony.

As I sit here and type this, this last hour is crawling by. It seems as if Time is crawling uphill, backwards and blindfolded. lol

But the next time I post, I will have a son that is an United States Marine. I feel truly overwhelmed and blessed and can really find no words to describe it.

What Jonathan Does...............

Okay, this is what Jonathan does many, many times after school! As you can see, he creates his own little "area" and it stays that way until he's ready for bed. :) But don't worry, this happens AFTER his homework is done. :) Jonathan has loved army men from the very beginning. It should come as no surprise to you that he also wants to be a Marine when he grows up.

He takes these things very seriously. lol But still finds time to watch a little TV. So as he's playing with his army men, I can't help but think of Tony playing the "real" thing right now. :) Jonathan loves Tony and wants to be just like him. :) Jonathan is so much like Tony it scares me! lol So tomorrow by noon, Tony will officially be a "real" Marine. :) We are so proud!

The Crucible Has Begun!!!!!!!

Just a sneak peek at some of the things that Tony will be going through in the next two days! At the end of the Crucible, they have to climb a mountain called the Reaper after a 10 mile hike. When they reach the top, they become REAL MARINES at the point. :)

As you go through your day, keep Tony in your prayers! One week from tomorrow we will be flying to San Diego, CA to see our son graduate into a United States Marine. :) Seriously, I'm speechless.

What girl doesn't love a cowboy?

This is Vaughn!!! I absolutely love this boy but only because he wouldn't even exist if it weren't for me! lol No seriously, I introduced his parents to each other......they dated, then there was a wedding............and then there was a Vaughn. lol So yeah, he is special to me even if he does love Mindy more than me! Cheesy grin face. He loves his picture taken which makes me love him even more!! lol This looks like it's back in time. Love black and white. Awww, and here's my friend Dawn! We've been friends since high school. Really looking forward to spending more time with her! She's a good girl and a lot of fun to be around. She's going to teach me how to can someday! Yeah, people still do that! lol Love her too.