Her vision was a Garden Party. She planned the decor, activity and menu and made everything from scratch. The table was set and it rained just as everyone arrived but that didn’t stop the girls from laughing, celebrating and enjoying being sixteen and sweet.
Our Everyday
Sharing our stories, big and small.
Posts from the “milestones” Category
Tagged: graduation, high school, Lucas, SLHS, South Lakes
Our oldest, the big brother, ushered in a newfound independence and brought us a whole new community when he started at Floris Elementary School in 2012 in Mrs. Clifford’s class.
Tagged: Floris, graduation, Lucas
Dear Oliver,
My third, my youngest, you are always being told what you can and cannot do, what you are and aren’t, by your big siblings and by me. But despite what we say, you do as you see fit. You dive deep into things that interest you and don’t give up until you’ve mastered it like solving the Rubik’s Cube in under 40 seconds and listing every single country in the world in under 6 minutes. You kinda love dance and you kinda like flag football, absolutes mean something to you so you are rare to use them. But your friends, your entire crew of fourteen boys, your girlfriend, your cousins and aunts, and us, absolutely think your funny and clever, smart and sweet, thoughtful and sincere. In some ways I am easy on you and in some ways the hardest and since you are fourteen sometimes you want nothing to do with me and sometimes want me to be everything for you. When I look at you and see how much you’ve grown and how much you are changing, I sometimes get sad because you are my baby but not a baby anymore. And I’ll ask you to cuddle with me and you’ll say “No Mom, that’s weird” but then you’ll relent and give me a hug for as long as I hold on.
By my third you’d think I’d have figured some things out but I still make mistakes, I say the wrong things and I try to define who you are and what you can and cannot do. But luckily you hear what you choose to hear and you know exactly what you can do.
The dance studio has become a second home for Lucas and now Penny. They spend countless hours there, making and growing friendships, trusting the teachers, directors and studio, and exploring their love of dance. For almost the whole time we’ve been at Creative Dance Center we’ve known Gabrielle as the studio director. Her compassion and kindness balances the demands and stress of competitive dance, giving all the dancers, especially mine, the foundation they need to be vulnerable, to take risks and to grow. In celebration of Gabrielle’s and Joe’s upcoming nuptials, the studio planned the most special and sweet faux wedding. No detail was missed and all the dancers were able to celebrate and share in their joy.
The Rehearsal
Tagged: CDC, Creative Dance Center, dance, wedding
Tagged: birthday, family, Oliver, photography
As Lucas is Confirmed, accepting responsibility of his faith, we celebrate the friendships and the support and love from family that blesses him each day.
Tagged: Confirmation, family, Lucas, photography
Today is day 72 of quarantine, today is also Penny’s 11th birthday. In an average year this date could have fallen on a school day for her and a work day for me, a chaotic day of commitments squeezing in celebrations where we can. But instead it’s day 72 of quarantine, of social-distancing, of distance learning, of work from home. Her morning started with our usual birthday breakfast tradition but instead of rushing out the door she was surprised with a “Happy 11th Birthday Penny!!” chalk art message thoughtfully and beautifully decorating our front side walk, with homemade doughnuts dropped off with homemade cards and a lot of love, with texts, messages and videos as they streamed in from friends near and far, and a socially-distanced ice cream break which turned into a water gun fight (OK, the six feet distance may not have been enforced the whole time). So on her 11th birthday, the 72nd day of quarantine, of social-distancing and isolation, she felt streamers full of love, coming from every which way, tumbling down on her.
Tagged: birthday, Penny, photography
Christmas is a magical and exhausting time. The endless to-do lists, the shopping, the wrapping, the celebrations, the traditions, all of them taking more time than you have. Then there is Christmas morning. And you see their faces, you feel their joy and you hear them repeat over and over “This is the best Christmas ever!”
Tagged: 2019, Christmas, family, photography
To celebrate Penny’s 8th birthday we hosted a cooking party with chef Wendi James of Rutabaga Sweets. The menu included handmade cheese ravioli, fresh tomato sauce and garlic bread. The kids were attentive and focused and created some delicious food! Penny loves to cook, what a treat it was to share this with her friends. 
Tagged: birthday party, canon photography, childhood, cooking, cooking class, photography
Our Everyday 