Chuckles — raisingthreeknightsandaprincess.com

Ramblings of a photographer….

I have to admit. I love shooting sports as much as I do weddings. The fast pace of a basketball game or the thrill of a football game is as exciting as making a bride feel beautiful on her wedding day. But there are times during sporting events when my mind slips, the game is not close and I look for other things to capture with my camera. Normally it is parents or coaches, but sometime it is the cheerleaders or another photographer.

My boy goes hard all the time. He plays hard. He fights hard. He loves hard. He’s just that way. God made him with a passionate heart. So after last week’s game and and injury I got a little side tracked. After all, we’d been up and down the court a gazillion times.

He tweaked his leg during the game and then hurt it and had to be helped off the court.

So my attention wained. I love my team but I love watching my boy even more.

So Coach Dre drew my attention….. (sorry in advance Coach)

The many faces of Dre…..

I wonder what he is thinking……

Certainly here he is praying!!! 🙂

So here is to a great season guys! Ms. Julie loves ya!!

You too Coach!!

A New Fan!

I have a new fan! I’m so excited!

He’s an unusual fan but I’m honored to have him nonetheless.

He showed up on my blog on Sunday….I wondered how he found me. Other bloggers know how nice it is to know your audience. Well, now I know one more!

Isn’t he just special?

He worked well with me and was trying to comment (hint) when he read my post!

But try as he might his little feet just couldn’t make the IPad work!

So he decided to take a little nap….

And afterwards we had a little chat….

And then he told me it was time to go back outside to be with his friends. However, he really did enjoy stopping by for a visit….

He told me he’d return soon and visit for a while. In the meantime he’d be in the front yard eating bugs.

I was a little sad when he left. “Bye, my new friend”

6 Comments

Posted: July 23, 2012 by Julie |Category: Chuckles | Tags: blogging, comments, frog

I was so proud….

He’s grown so much in the last 2 years. When he first came to us he lived in such a small home. We were proud to provide him a larger house, food and water.

He’s been such an easy one to care for.

Then 2 nights ago he showed us he was ready for something bigger…….a condo maybe? The apartment was getting cramped. Oh how proud I was!!!! I had raised a functioning “child”.

Look at him. Doesn’t he look happy???

Hermie has changed into Herm-Anita!!!!!!

The next morning when we awoke we were saddened by his choice to return to the safety of his apartment.

Poor baby. His first night in the condo must have scared him.

But we are chearing him on……go Hermie…..you can do it. It’s a big scary world but you have a big God who made you.

Honestly I was a little saddened…..sniff, sniff. My baby wasn’t ready….where did I go wrong???

(this post in loving still alive memory of Andrea)

2 Comments

Posted: January 12, 2012 by Julie |Category: Chuckles | Tags: hermit crab

Day 12 – Openness and Reality

“What if I don’t like it?”

“What if I don’t like it after two days?”

“What if I don’t like it after a week?”

“What if I just absolutely hate it?”

“What if my tutor is mean and I hate it”

I got all these questions and more as I informed my third-born that he was beginning LearningRx yesterday. He was determined to hate it. He doesn’t like trying new things and is definitely my introverted one. He sticks close to home, doesn’t spend the night at friend’s houses, doesn’t make a lot of new friends, and is happy and content playing by himself a lot of the times. So yesterday we all teased him that we were going to remove his brain and give him a new one. We all bet on the color of his brain. He laughed and giggled and then got down to the business of brain training. So what was his feedback when done….”I love it mom!” He took his bag to bed with him last night. They give you a bag with all your materials and games in it. Shh…..don’t tell anyone.

So, I just found out LearningRx has a blog! Yippee. LearningRx’s Blog …. http://www.learningrxblog.com/

OK, enough of all the brain talk.

This weekend I had to laugh at myself. Florida living is so different than rural SC living. Here, lawns are manicures, bushes cut into shapes and being in the lawn industry MUST be the most profitable business here. Men buzz around yards on the whirly-dirly lawn machines at 55mph while someone else is trimming bushes and branches and all that jazz. Must take them 10 minutes per lawn.

Most houses have three car garages because everyone has a boat of course. (NOT US!)

Our house has a very nice garage with some cabinetry built in and some special fancy flooring. My realtor was impressed but to me it’s just speck-ily flooring.

I was out there Saturday, in my PJs, vacuuming the rug that goes from the garage to the hallway into the kitchen. It gets messy with football cleats, flip flops and puppy dog feet. So as I’m busy getting the rug clean I notice the other grass and trash in the garage where my car us usually parked. So I began to vacuum the garage floor. Then, right in the middle of my vacuuming I stopped. “I’m vacuuming my garage floor. Oh my goodness what in the world am I doing?” And I just had to stop and laugh at myself. I used to say, “Get me out of this town.” when we lived in SC. I didn’t want my boys growing up with their greatest achievement in life being the size of the buck on the wall. Now I’m thinking, “Get me out of here…..I’m vacuuming my garage floor.” I’m turning into a real country club woman!!!

If I post pictures of me in a tennis outfit on my way to my morning tennis match come shoot me.

PLEASE!!!

To read more LearningRx reviews and stories from other parents visit: http://www.learningrx-reviews.com/

1 Comment

Posted: October 12, 2011 by Julie |Category: Chuckles | LearningRx | Tags: 31 days, country club living, Learning RX, Learning Rx review, LearningRx reviews

Day 9 – Reality

You can take the family out of the country (and put them in the country club) but you can’t take the country out of the family.

Sunday afternoon inside the County Club!

1 Comment

Posted: October 9, 2011 by Julie |Category: Chuckles | Tags: 31 days, catfish, country, fishing

To be or not to be…

There are times I wrestle with who I am. Who doesn’t? Well, if we take even half a second to contemplate it we’d admit it.

There are days I want to live in blog land and be popular like The Pioneer Woman (you rock Ree!) and there are other days I’m quite content with my quiet little blog that only friends and family read.

I realize my kids are more important right now. It’s quite funny they put their heads together the other day and made a pact (excuse me while I wipe the spit off the monitor because I just laughed so hard) when I had to drag all four of them to the Mayo Clinic with me for a dermatology appointment. I had told them that if God allowed us to find a home in Florida where the schools were good then all four of them would promptly be put in public school next year. I was tired of homeschooling.

The silent lack of gasping from the back seat told me they knew I was serious. No, “really Mom?’s”. No, “yea right.” Just silence.

So the hot plan was formed…..their “not so secret anymore pact is to be good for the rest of their sweet little lives. Baby girl is certainly putting her walking where her talking was because she tied up the trash twice today when she noticed it was full AND put a new bag in the trash can. Can you say, “Pick me up off the floor?” She also washed all the dishes in the sink by hand today without being asked. She’s blowing the boys away!!! You go girl!! Mama’s got places we can shop! Just keep up that sweet help you are giving me!!!

I’ll keep you posted on how the rest of their life goes and also what public school is like in, say, perhaps 6-8 months from now for some of them.

It shall be interesting…………

Here’s what my oldest is attempting by football season again this year. You know where his priorities are…

He’s still sporting about a 4 blade from his last mama haircut!!

And I found this one of my second born….man he’s pretty!

What kooks….I’m blessed to even be a part of their lives.

2 Comments

Posted: December 3, 2010 by Julie |Category: Chuckles | Homeschooling | Tags:

Kids with Cameras

There are times when my children somehow get my nice camera and start shooting random photos. So when I’m downloading I get this batch of photography I’ve never seen. It always tickles me. Sometimes their shots are very good. Other times I wonder…..why did they take a photo of that???
This morning this is what I found on my Compact Flash Card.

Here’s a very tongue-y photo of Christmas (my lastest pet disaster)
A lick to the left…….

A yawn to the middle…..

Oh, we’re preparing for something here……what can it be?
Think, think……THINK!!!!

Oh here we go….a little cleaning.

And of course you all remember Big Fat Fred….
I think he’s wondering if there is some food inside….

So there is life one day from the eyes of one of my kids. I think I know who you are. Your blurry but yellow reflection in the door.

2 Comments

Posted: April 24, 2010 by Julie |Category: Chuckles | Tags:

What happens when your toothless 5 yr old gets your camera…

…and other ramblings…..

I am from another planet…..I will eat you!!!

Don’t think I don’t mean business!!!!

I’m fast….faster than the camera.

And I WILL EAT YOU

They were just too silly NOT to post.

2 Comments

Posted: February 8, 2010 by Julie |Category: Chuckles | Tags:

Those conversations

Our middle son who is 9 has a brain that thinks constantly. He is very smart and his questions sometimes are beyond me! The other morning we had a conversation that began with money and ended with why Dad can work for a living and earn SO. MUCH. MONEY. and he only gets an allowance of 5.00 per week. And of that 5.00 he has to tithe and save ONE. WHOLE. DOLLAR. Which led to the importance of saving money, then daddy’s education level, which then led to the spiritual significance of money and the way God takes care of us.

The whole conversation reminded me of If You Give A Pig a Pancake.
If Caleb asks a Question.

Whew! Ok, it’s only 9am.

So after this in depth conversation that left our heads spinning I went for another cup of coffee. My brain doesn’t work that early in the morning.

God used that conversation (however confusing for me) and a 10.00 bill in the mail from his aunt……..late Birthday money to show him how God provides for us. "It’s amazing how God takes care of us isn’t it son?" When we least expect it. From a source we least expect.

But before the mail arrived and after we had the conversation about not being able to give him any more allowance than we already give him I found this on the steps going up to his room. A note, taped to a box.

I guess he figures if we won’t let him earn any more money he’ll just beg for it.

And I thought we were trying to teach this boy how to manage money.

Parenting……the hardest job in the world.

3 Comments

Posted: April 7, 2009 by Julie |Category: Chuckles | Tags:

Fred the rather large cat

Much to everyone’s dismay we started school back today. We actually had a good day. Tomorrow we have to finish up before 1pm Spanish Classes.
I get to go to the grocery store by myself!!

But before I plan to far into tomorrow I wanted you to meet Fred….Fred the fat cat. He outweighs our dog by about 6 pounds.

Fred……lying around

Fred….well, lying around some more.

And here’s Fred….well, he’s actually up and lurking around in this photo. Outside in the sunshine too. Funny thing about Fred. ….. As fat as he is he’s a pretty quick old fellow. I mean he’s only about 3 years old!

He’s a beautiful cat with striking colors. And he’ll hunt you down for a neck scratch!!!
Have a good day!
julie