My lease on my Subaru was up and it was time to search out a new car.   I have had a VW sedan, A Honda minivan, and a Subaru crossover.  I wanted to try something different.

I decided to go with a Jeep Wrangler.  Practical…kind of…It has enough room for my camera equipment, four doors with automatic locks and power windows for my kiddos.  It is four wheel drive and should be able to easily handle a Colorado winter.  The fun part….the top and a great stereo!  It is a hard top for protection from the elements, but it can be removed in stages to reveal the free spirited driving only a jeep can offer. Fancy, refined, luxurious…..not so much but again there is a cool/fun factor that cannot be beat!

I test drove several over a couple of weeks and realized only then where my kids get their color fixation from.  Beauty “thinks pink” and C loves all that is blue.  Apparently my love of the color green goes beyond just a preference.  With all the Jeeps in Colorado NONE of them were built with my required list features and came in my new love — Rescue Green ( a metallic color that shifts throughout the day from an army to a lime type color depending on the light). A couple of dealers thought I was crazy to be insisting on only one color.  I refused to settle–especially on such a big purchase, after all we are not talking about a $40 sweater people.  We ended up having it shipped in from several states away, but it was worth the wait and thanks to my wheeling and dealing hubby -who has friends in every business- it was still within our price range even with the shipping costs.

Here it is my new ride—My kids took my pictures in it. I think I might have budding photographers on my hands. They each wanted their turn behind the lens and snapped about 30 pictures of me in a single pose-I was patient as I thought of the hours I have made them sit in front of my camera. They did a great job

My sister and my sweet sweet, delightfully loud, and full of go go go nephew “D” came to visit.

We went to the park, played at a jump castle place, visited the zoo with Papa and hung out up in the mountains.

It was so much fun seeing her chase after him (not so envious of the toddler stage… phew I barley made it through that ) She did it all with a smile.

He is sweet, funny and all “bull in a china shop”.  He has the best scrunched up face, fake laugh ever.

It was hard to see them go.  I cried a lot the next day.  Life has us living in different places and it is tough!  But I guess I just have to hang on to the memories of the times we are together even more tightly.

Phew… I have been a busy busy mommy/photographer lately and have a back up of blogging to do!

My mom aka NANA was out for Beauty’s birthday and my little bro’s grad school graduation last month. 

It was so great having her here.  The kids were in school so we got lots of good talks in and while I seem to have forgotten to get a picture of us together, I did catch her with the kids!

This is my sweet “little cousin” Liz.  We spent Friday afternoon out around my Aunt’s house taking pictures. 

She is a senior this year and man is she beautiful.  Check out those green eyes!

Liz is so long and lean that I had to stand on a step stool most of the time to get to her eye level.

 I guess those long legs were not the same genes I got  

She is a terrific swimmer and so sweet and easy going. I could take pictures of her all day long…. For variety I tried a couple of shots with a serious expression and they were so not her…she is always smiling.

I am really excited to share her pictures I am just loving how they turned out.

I can remember babysitting her when she was a newborn, introducing her to my hubby-then boyfriend- when she was a toddler, and I can still see her as a little girl all dressed up belting out Christmas carols solo for our entire extended family as my aunt often insisted she did.

It is crazy to she her come of age and move on to that next step in life.  I love you Lizzie! 

My mother called me the minute she saw Beauty’s school pics and asked me if I did it on purpose….

On Purpose???

She said it was just  like my kindergarten picture -30 yrs ago cough,cough.

That pic was one of my parent’s favorites, it must be etched in the back of my mind as the 1st day of school pose.

I didn’t cry!  She was so excited and beaming that I had too big a smile myself to cry.

She was ready, her big bro was full of brotherly advise. “If someone hurts you, tell the teacher. Don’t hit back or you will get in trouble”, “Raise your hand if you have a question”, and “Don’t talk while the teacher is talking,”—hummmm pretty sure he has learned all of those the hard way!

Her backpack was as big as she is.  Her confidence was high.  She bounded on to that bus and waved from the window seat next to her brother with the biggest grin ever.

I can’t wait to pick her up and hear all about it.

Beauty had KG Orientation.

The kiddos brought in and sorted their supplies, parents filled out paperwork, Beauty did a little seat work, and then she had 20 mins in the classroom alone with the teacher. The parents were dismissed for a meeting with the Assistant Principal.

Some kiddos clung to their mama’s, some cried.

Beauty was only mad when I came to pick her up.  She wanted to stay.  That’s my girl!

She looked so cute in her new dress and  new back to school shoes.

Tomorrow is the 1st bus ride, more pictures for sure.