A Birthday Surprise!

Today is Mike's 30th Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday dear Mikey...Happy Birthday to you!

So in honor of his special day, Blake wanted to make his daddy an Apple Cake!

looking out my patio doors...the beautiful sunrise this morning

Blake trying to get Grady to do the "hot dog dance" from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!

Blake doing the "hot dog dance"

either deep in thought or filling his diaper?

trust me...I MADE him wash his hands before making the cake!

chef Blake



doing a little reading while the cake bakes



Pretty Yummy!

Hope you have a wonderful day, Honey! We love you very much and are so thankful for you!

Tonight, we're going out for supper!!!!

A little help here??

 Tonight, Grady wanted to get up on the couch in our family room...and me being the great mommy that I am, decided to take 

pictures of the poor little fella trying to do it all by himself.

maybe I can pull myself up?

okay, try the left leg...

now try the right leg...

this is getting very frustrating mom...

can't you please just help me?

there! I'm happy now!

all the while, Blake is watching Dirty Jobs...his favorite show!

Sometimes all you need is...simplicity

So today has found me in a drab mood. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe that it is that I've been inside for 4 days straight...other than a quick run to the grocery store.  Maybe it's that I feel like I have so much to do and yet, I sit here at the computer. Daddy and Grady are asleep in the recliner, Blake is in the play room  hauling cattle with his other brother, Case.

(Pssst, Blake doesn't have another brother, that I know about anyway.)

I look at my walls, I look at my self, I look at the snow and we all have something in common.

We're white...and drab...

I need color. I need sunshine. I need a shot of "double-up on the pick me up."

Then, I go down and haul a load of cattle with Blake and Case?  (Why not add another child to our family. He won't sass back and he doesn't eat much!)

I got to be the one to run the chute and brand the cattle before Blake hauled them off to the pasture.

And you know what? That was all I needed as a constant reminder that it's the SIMPLE things in life that count. My life does not need to be drab. It's full of COLOR, it's full of SUNSHINE!

There, I feel lots better...I still want to add some color to the house though!

Maybe this Spring?

I hope that you all can find come COLOR in your life!

***

Cold.Cranky.Creative

These 3 words have alot in common...

They describe me at this very moment!

Not such a likely combination, huh?

First of all, I have a raging cold that will not leave me alone! I think I would much rather have the flu and be in the bathroom for 24 hours rather than feeling stuffy, moody and icky for 5 days!

 (excuse my while I blow my nose!)

Secondly, I'm cranky! Not only because I have a cold, but my lovely "Elvira" entered my life and I absolutely LOVE HER!! The only problem was, when I went to look at the beautiful pictures of my little guys, the images were all distorted and the screen said, "cannot view photo."

What?

I was really scared and then very disappointed, but luckily, I was able to use another memory card in the camera and magically, all worked well! WHAT A RELIEF!

Well turns out, the memory card is faulty...so $100 later, I have one being shipped to me soon!

Lastly, (is that a word?), I'm feeling creative!! I've been busy researching and finding neat little ideas to spark my desire for photoraphy. My little studio in the basement has some big plans for itself. Thanks to my wonderful husband who helped me move lots of boxes and to my children for climbing all over those boxes and asking me what all this is for..."you'll see Blake, just sit there and smile for mommy!" I hope that within the next month, it will be completed and then I can do a few sessions in it!

So, this about sums up our day. No pictures yet, unless you would like to look at 4 different images all grouped into one? I didn't think you would...

...



New Year...New Look!

I've been thinking that since it's a new year, the "blog" needed a makeover! I also thought that since the "blog" was getting one, Stacy Drayton Photography needed one too! This is my newest baby!  It was time to upgrade and I'm so looking forward to capturing some awesome pictures with this bad girl! I sadly sold my old camera (we had alot of great memories together) to a friend that will get lots of use out of it photographing her kids! I am excited about what 2011 has in store. I wish nothing but great things to come your way this year!!! Keep checking back to see the newest photos from Elvira (I named her already!) 

Oliver Charles

My 1st cousin, Bob and I were inseperable when we were little. I would have sleepovers at his house, we would venture out into the "woods" aka tree grove behind the house, looking for adventures, and play with our "HE-MAN" and "SHE-RA" dolls. Remember those days??? Well, now we've grown and have little ones of our own. Hoping that someday, our kids will find the same crazy fun that we found looking for monsters and rolling down the stairs in sleeping bags!!! AH...those were the days! This is little Oliver Charles. He is a spitting image of his daddy! I'm sure there is some similarities to his mommy, but I swear she birthed a clone! He has developed such a personality at only 6 weeks of age. He's even smiling now!!! What a wonderful Christmas present!  Yes, these are small pictures, because I pulled them off of my facebook page...bummers! But they're still adorable!

Beautiful Baby Tenley

I just got to spend a wonderful 5 days with my best friend, Jill, and her beautiful family. This was not an easy pregnancy for her filled with lots of pain and worry that this precious little girl might have to have surgery right after she was born. Luckily, everything turned out great and she is home and all is well. This baby is so easy!!! She hardly ever cries and is so content when she is awake. Talk about a mommy's dream! We had a fun afternoon getting some great pictures of her. It's amazing what you can do with a tuckered out baby girl! I love you Tenley Raelyn!