Heirlooms

It is really no secret how much I love family heirlooms and antique anything.

I mean my wedding dress was 75 years old on MY wedding day!

 I just love things with stories and meaning to people. 

So one day while looking around my sisters closet I found a few treasures.

My absolute favorite baby doll growing up was baby Sarah. 

I named her after my babysitter's daughter

who 20 something years later I actually photographed Sarah's wedding!

anyway Baby Sarah has been through A LOT!

I remember one day wanting to make her a Halloween costume and so I drew on her face with pen.

the pen marks are still there.

I didn't like her eye lashes and tried to cut them off but one corner I still to this day can't reach a few hairs.

ANYWAY

my little mommy in the making claimed baby Sarah the second she saw her. 

I knew I needed to get a few pictures..

 Then I found my mother's first holy communion dress and also was passed down to me when I made my first holy communion!

My mom pointed out that even when I was little I was wanting to wear hand me down's lol

It's a little big on Miss Belle but not by much.

she loved it and kept singing the wedding march as she was walking down the steps to show her papaw.

I cherish these pictures and memories.

and the fact that my girls are now enjoying them just touches my heart a million times more.

seriously nothing better.

big changes PLEASE read!

I was a very shy little girl.

I found art to be my thing 

I was told over and over how creative I was. I thrived off of that feedback.

It made me feel good about myself.

It is so relaxing and therapeutic for me to spend time painting, sewing, gluing, coloring, drawing and taking pictures.

It was fun and still is!

I never in a million years would have foreseen what photography has done for me.

I come out of my shell.

It has introduced me to amazing people that I don't think I would have other wise ever met.

I was able to full fill a life long dream of going on a mission trip to Uganda.

I was able to do something I loved and still be able to stay at home with my kids during the week.

 I have attended countless moments in peoples lives and been able to capture those moments for them to look back on forever.

I have seen true love 

heart ache

happiness

joy

and sadness

moments that are treasured.

I have been able to make others look at themselves in a photograph and say for maybe the first time "I look great!"

I have been invited into families and now have life long friendships that mean the world to me.

Photography is much more to me that just a job.

But with all that said I feel I need a break.
 our new baby will be coming into the world in the fall, my daughter will be starting a new school and I want to be able to spend the holiday season soaking in every second with my family.
I just feel like it's the right thing to do.
I am going to be taking a break for the better part of the end of the year.
I would not change a thing about the last four years of doing my photography on my own
but it has been hard work. long hours and lots of traveling, late nights and time away from my family.
I want to tell you all this now because I don't want anyone to feel like I pulled the rug out from them. I want to allow everyone enough time to decided if they would like to schedule appointments over the summer. I am excited for the different settings the summer offers that my regular fall season appointments didn't normally get. I am planning a fun Christmas in July mini sessions for those wanting to get Christmas theme cards.
I hope everyone understands and will stick with me during this already busy year and unexpected year.
 my last appointment time will be august.
depending on how I am feeling toward the end of the pregnancy I might open up a weekend in October but please don't count on that. one day is already booked!! September is full of weddings and I will need that time for editing and delivering couples wedding pictures.
I do plan on being back for the year of 2015and hopefully fully rested and ready to work!
So I hope this is fair warning and you get out those calender books and hurry to book a date with me! It's going to be a fun, busy summer!!

I might have a green thumb

from the first time we saw our back yard I wanted to plant a vegetable garden.

This kind of seems crazy because the only vegetable I eat is green beans and I know absolutely NOTHING about being a gardener.

after years of trying to convince my husband

and him always listing the reason not to do it. I talked to my mother in law and she planned a day where her my step-father in law and their friend Jesse would come over and just build some raised beds weather Brian liked it or not.

I was so excited!!!

 

 It really was a family effort:

 and even though Brian was against the idea he didn't complain one bit. Just rolled up his sleeves and helped build them.

 We painted rocks for our different markers to tell apart the plants.

 Miss Belle was so excited to make a scarecrow. It was kind of just thrown together with things I found. Belle named her Helen, I have no clue why....

Me and the girls are so excited! fingers a crossed the we get something but honestly if after all this work and I only get 1 Strawberry I will feel accomplished! if anyone has any helpful tips for our first garden PLEASE share!!!
plus I choose this spot in the yard because there will be enough room for a chicken coop someday. just need to convince my husband or talk the mother in law for another surprise visit ;) I will pay her with that 1 strawberry :D

Tae-kwon-do

My girl Julia

she's special

from the second I saw that baby girl I knew she was going to do great things.

She has this drive to try everything.

she doesn't want to go through life without at least once trying it.

food, trill rides, sports, clubs, activities, games you name it.

she is never satisfied.

this is a trait I love but at the same time I admit it frustrates me.

she a little sponge and is always wanting more.

she brought home a flyer for Tae-kwon-do

she had to do it.

I had to sign her up and let her try it out.

it worked out pretty good because it's right after school in the cafeteria and the older kids I babysit were going to sign up too.

but after a few weeks that hungry heart for life wanted more.

she was bored and ready for something new. 

frustrating!

but I knew a chapter in the mother-hood handbook is 'finish what you started'

(there is a handbook right?)

so very reluctantly she did.

 and she graduated!

 I hope she's thinking "wow all that hard work paid off! my mom was right!"
 I can hope.

but in reality she's thinking "all that work for a paper? can we hurry up so we can eat our pizza?!"

 I am kind of in love with these dirty toes. I wont touch them cause that grosses me out but she definitely has her daddy's feet and that makes me laugh.

 my beautiful girl! I am so proud!

 she earned her yellow stripe!
the instructor informed me that anyone that earned a yellow stripe is eligible to receive free lessons over the summer! she quickly responded "NO!"

I have heard great things about Tea-Kwan-do classes. I personally have always wanted to learn more self defense tactics. but The Julia is special. so if your child loves it I am so glad for you. we are still trying to find what Julia has a niche for. she started Tennis this week and after one lesson she loves it, it's only a waiting game to see if that changes.........

healing and growing

I have been having a hard time finding motivation to write on here. 

Just don't really know how to follow up on this post. 

it's still really fresh in my mind and when I find myself in a quite moment I can't help but think of Brea. this past weekend we attended the benefit to raise money for their twins head stone. My dad is a guitarist in a band called Ridge Runner. The band and TONS of friends and family helped put together the benefit. There was a lot of music and games for the kids to play, raffles and food. SO many people showed up and it was so good to see Brea and Brad smiling and enjoying themselves.

Brea came up to me at one point and hugged me and told me not to be upset I have a baby to take care of.  

so I am trying to concentrate on my not so little bump.

 

 We went to the doctors and found out that we are farther along than we thought, by 2 weeks!
two weeks might not be a huge deal but it made me so happy to hear that I will get to hold this baby in my arms sooner than I planned! it's still to early to find out the sex and I honestly have no idea what it will be. of course with our 3 girls everyone says they hope it's a boy and I would be over the moon if they are right but I also am worried. I am so used to girls, I know girls, I know my girls, girls seem to be a no brain-er for me.

I have been complaining A LOT I feel like.
I was always so confused why people hated the first trimester. I never had morning sickness or tiredness. the heart burn and ligament pain, head aches and just feeling blah never creep-ed up until the last 2-3 months for the last 2 pregnancies. This time around I have been nausea EVERYDAY! the sickness seems to come and go but the tiredness and heart burn don't want to go away! I hate complaining and it feels so weird because I have never been more excited to be pregnant!
according to our life plans this is the last birth baby we are going to have. and my husband and I want to savor every moment. He was never one to really talk to my belly but now he wont leave in the morning or go to bed before he has a small conversation with this little one. all the sickness aside I have never been happier in my life and I feel so blessed that God is entrusting us to parent another gift.
Thank you all so much for all the prayers for this pregnancy and for the Spurlock family.