Laying in bed Saturday night, Matt & I were chatting about how busy our day had been (we had Charis’ first cheerleading game, her sixth birthday party, then Matt and his dad took Porter to the Monster Jam).     Matt was showing me the pictures of the monster truck event when I noticed the odd order they were sitting in.

Why did you guys sit like that?  Why didn’t you put Porter next to your dad?

Exasperated Matt shoots back, “Charity!  We’re four guys at a Monster Truck rally.  We don’t care about that stuff!  We sat in the order we walked in!” (then in a high girly voice) “Umm, ok guys, where does everyone want to sit?”

Little does he know that if that were four girls, we’d have an entire conversation about the order in which we’d sit at a Monster Truck Rally.  Here’s to celebrating the differences between men and women.

Sunday our church had a huge Super Bowl Party.  I think somewhere a game was playing on the big screens, but we were in the kids area climbing the jumpy houses, waiting for balloon animals and face painting.  That is a real Super Bowl party.  I should have gotten my face as a wildebeest.  Maybe next time.

Everyone looked so adorable with their faces painted, I couldn’t miss an opportunity to snap some shots of them!

(Shot at 1/125, f/1.4.  ISO 100. External flash set at 1/8 power bounced off the wall to the left.)

Hope you had a great weekend!

~C

Since our family started attending church on Saturday nights, I’ve declared Sundays as my official day off.  I don’t clean and my kids are lucky to get a hot meal.  Lately, throughout the week I’ll serenade my children with The Bangles, Manic Monday.  I wish I still had my stone washed jean jacket.

They say you should make everyday count.  Here’s to the days that count.  My Funday!

~C

Since I’ve been married eight years, I’m totally an expert on marriage.  Ok, maybe not an expert, but pretty close.  At least proficient.  I have learned so many life lessons since being married, so I figured it behooves (don’t you love that word!) me to share. Here are a few things that I wish I had known before I got married:

1) An agreed upon life plan would be nice.

2) My mother was right, money doesn’t grow on trees.  And debit is Satan’s twin brother.

3) “No man is worth your tears, and the one who is won’t make you cry,” is a load of CRAP!!

4) It doesn’t matter which way the toilet paper goes (or if it even gets replaced), but getting over it does.

5) The American Dream really isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be, especially if it means sacrificing your marriage and children.

~C

Love is patient and kind.

Love is not jealous or boastful or proud.

It does not demand it’s own way.

It is not irritable,

And it keeps no record of being wronged.

It does not rejoice about injustice

But rejoices when truth wins out.

Love never gives up,

Never loses faith,

Is always hopeful,

And endures through every circumstance.

~C

St. Louis Wedding Photographer :: Personal

I adore books.  The feel and smell of paper and glue sends my heart soaring, but lately I’ve given into the world of high techy-ness and now I’m reading ebooks.  The benefits of this is that Matt and I have been able to read the same book at the same time and on multiple devices.  We can highlight and make notes.  So even though my true love will always be the a physical book, I love the convenience of digital reading.

Right now I’m reading a business book.  It’s such a great book for practical advice to small business owners (which I discover I’m not really running a business, just a great job.  Hmmm…). 

EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches: I love how this really gives me so much to grow on as a business leader and owner.  Check it out!

Happy Reading!

~C

St. Louis Wedding Photography :: Personal

I know everyone right now is all about making goals and looking to this next year to be better than the last.  This year we plan for weight to be lost and money to be made, but more than goals and resolutions we need to have a WHY.  Why am I making these changes.  When our why is bigger than our goals, when our why is our very breath, then our goals will be met.

So, before you write your plans out, search your deepest heart and find your WHY.  Then print like, 50 pictures of your why and look at them everyday.

Good luck with 2012 and may all your dreams come true.

Joyous New Year!

~C

St. Louis Wedding Photographer :: Personal

So, a few days ago I posted about my new found crafty-ness .  Our family has been in need of a table and chairs that can supply the demand of a family of six.  Matt and I decided it would be better to repaint an old set since our growing family isn’t exactly a delicate clan.  Now after spending hours of sanding and painting and then sanding again I’ve completed one distressed piece, so five more to go.  Standing in the grass covered in dust I rub my aching arms and begin to rethink my decision.

The good thing is that I homeschool, so I get to decide the lessons.  This week for arts and crafts?  How to use sandpaper.

Happy day!

~C

St. Louis Wedding Photographer :: personal

As the last days of warm weather linger, our family took advantage of bare feet and blooming weeds and had a dreamy unschool day.

Happy day!

~C

St. Louis Wedding Photographer :: Personal

Ok, I’m not typically a  DIYer, but lately thanks to Pintrest and my friend, Christy, I’ve got this wild hare to do crafty things around my house.  It’s sort of freaking me out how addicted I’m getting to hot glue and ribbon.  It might have something to do with my new found love for the dietary supplement, Niacin (and that’s a whole other story).

Anyway, between all my creative sources and my favorite book, the Bible, this is what I came up with:

I hung the angel wings inside an empty picture frame, and if you look super close, I used the page from Deuteronomy 28 as my center piece.

Next DIY project?  Distress painting my amazing dining room table and chair set I got off craigslist.
Happy DIYing!
~C

PS. I had a chat with God and he’s cool with me tearing up the Bible, since I used it to make such cool angel wings.