Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! May it be filled with family, kisses under the mistletoe, and everything you wished for.

Hope 2009 is filled with wonderful memories.

Holidays are Coming...

The month of December is busy with everyone trying to get in last minute sessions! Holidays are the PERFECT time to document your family in pictures! Check out this sweet family posing for their Christmas card pictures.

Happy holidays!

Temperature is Dropping!

This little girl was such a trooper! It was a tad bit nip for this session, but we had fun anyway! I love it when it starts to get cold and the winter clothes start coming out of the closet.

I'm not "lion"...this little cub is purr-fect!

This little lion is ready for his first Halloween! Too bad he won't get to enjoy all of the goodies he got trick or treating.

The Three Amigos

Call us crazy, but we attempted some more pictures with the girls today. Shelby loved the Halloween shirt we put on her! She kept sitting waiting for us to take more pictures. Sapphire cooperated a little better today, probably because we were in our own backyard! And Dakota, she is a little ham, as always!

Christmas Chaos

Christmas? It's only October! I do know that, but this past weekend, Ron and I set out with Dakota and the two dogs to try and get some shots for the Christmas cards.

Do you know what one 7 year old and two 60 pound dogs are a recipe for??? Chaos! We did have fun and had a few laughs. Check out some of the better shots from the day below.

We had so much fun, we might even try again this weekend! Anyone want to come and help???

Charlotte

Say what? You have never been to Charlotte?



You can take the fairly new Lynx from Pineville all the way into Charlotte. It's clean and it is CHEAP!

First, you need to know that you don't go downtown. You go...

Who knew there were so many places named Charlotte? Here you can find out how close you are to them. Pick a place, any place. Where should we go?


Charlotte has loads of pretty little areas to sit and think.

There is art everywhere! We found this cool piece at Imaginon.

Don't forget to look up! I love the tall buildings in big cities. I always wanted to live downtown (or uptown!) in a city. Maybe when I retire...or become a famous artist?

Growing up in Chicago, I could not resist having lunch here. They even had the BRIGHT green relish. YUMMY!!! There ain't nothin' like a Chicago dog!

Take a peek at this cutie!

Take one look at this sweet, little boy, and you will want to kiss his checks!
Go ahead, say it...awwww!

US National White Water Center

The US National White Water Center in Charlotte was having their 3rd annual white water festival yesterday, so we decided to go. Ron and Tim spent an hour and a half enjoying the rapids. The girls sat on the sat with our feet in the water, trying to cool off. Fun was had by all! We recommend going if you have not been yet.
http://www.usnwc.org/

Say Cheese!

Sapphire. She is the life of the house. Always ready for a party! While I was taking pictures today, I was trying to get her to stop for three seconds so I could click the camera and get a clear picture of her. This one was my favorite. Her smile shows her loving personality. Just watch out if she gets this close to you because a sloppy, wet kiss is coming!

Change

This time of year brings a lot of change. If you know me, you know I detest change. I think it is because I feel like I am losing control over my life.

Here's a peek at my ever changing world...

The new school year has begun and summer is over.
A new graduate class is waiting for me...
The freedom I had over the summer has turned into a balancing of schedules again.
My time to devote to creativity has moved to the back burner.
Time with family is spent in between work, school, and various other activities.
And can I say-lesson plans, making lunches, and picking out the next days clothing! (if I could live in flip flops, jeans, and a t-shirt, I would be so happy!)

At this moment, I am promising something to myself. I will not lose myself this year. I will devote some time each week to explore the world around me and the beauty it holds. I will capture that beauty in pictures and share with my family and friends. I will continue to read for fun. I will sleep at night. These things will help me adjust to my world of never ending change.

Maybe this is one step in making change more bearable...

Pretty as a Picture

In North Carolina we have mountains, but nothing like these! How cool is it to be able to play in snow in the middle of summer? We had some breath-taking views while we were in Wyoming.

Summer is for Family

How sweet is it when you see generations of family connect? We went on a trip out to Kansas to visit the Ussery family. In addition to visiting in Kansas, we also ventured out to Wyoming...12 of us!

Here D sits with her Great Grandmother Scott.


Now, D is visiting with her Great Grandma Crout.

Dad Ussery sitting by the creek/river watching his kids/grandkids play in the cool water.

Grandma and Grant's turn to watch all the activity.

Pretty girl Bella poses for a picture.

The 12 of us, visiting the Ussery homestead of years past.

This is my favorite picture of Dakota and Ron standing in the mountains of Wyoming. Yes, that is snow on the mountains in July! There is nothing like a daddy-daughter connection!

Four of the "cousins" on the top of a rock in Wyoming.

Here's Grant, at peace with the world. I love when children are quiet observers of the world around them. Makes you wonder what they are thinking!

Nothing like a mommy-son moment. Pure love...

Fun in Kansas

Before I get to the family pictures from our trip and the beautiful shots of the scenery, I thought it would be fun to do some random pics of things we saw!

On the road back from Wyoming to Kansas, we were in the middle of Nebraska when we came to this sign. I cannot tell you how true it was!

I love old beat up cars sitting in a vacant lot. Something about it facinates me. All the history and stories it could tell...

Here's another one.

On our trip through Kansas, we stopped to get gas and lunch. There were sunflowers on the side of the road. I could not resist! I love the bright yellow flowers reaching for the sun.

And what would a trip to the midwest be without seeing corn?