Goodness, it's been a while. I'm typing from my new laptop!!! I've wanted one for a long time...but actually need one to use at my new job. Since I am taking on some extra hours next week, I decided it was time to treat myself and I love it!! I can't say I'm happy about leaving my girls so much, but it is nice to actually have some moolah!! I'm working as a behavior specialist in Henderson, still working for first steps in Evansville, and of course, still doing photography on the side. I'm meeting with a potential couple this Friday about shooting their St. Patrick's Day wedding!!!

Ellie is now reading like a pro!! She loves it and is encouraged each time she takes a test and does well. She typically gets a perfect score, but bombs a few. I'm totally okay with that though. She's such a perfectionist that I like seeing how she reacts to not getting that perfect score every time. I'm so proud of her, though. Her AR reading level is a 3.8!!!!! She taking tumbling and is ready to start back in piano, as soon as we find a teacher with an opening. I know how to play, but she does better taking lessons from a different teacher. She's also wanting to take swim lessons again.

Ava is growing like a weed!!! She is also taking tumbling and wants to take swim lessons again. Since I have so many jobs, we actually have the money - but maybe not the time - to do all of these activities. Ava knows all of her letters, can write all of her letters, and recognizes and writes most everyone's names in our family. She has become even more independent and grown up lately.

I'm hoping to start blogging regularly again. As if I have the time, right?? But it's good therapy!!

Hobbies

I have lots of them. I am officially "launching" BeckyLynn Photography, as of this weekend. I have done baby photos, senior photos, weddings, and birthday parties. I also do pics of nature and animals and am a bit of an addict! Check out my page on facebook and spread the word!

Here are a few of my favorites...

pregnant bellies

flowers

Snow Bunny

Oops! Won't get another shot like this any time soon!!
Snow day pictures are amazing - as long as I can drive to your house to take them!

Couples

Senior pics

Families

First Birthdays

Weddings (can't show many of these yet - they haven't seen them!)

Candid shot of my sweeties - one of my favorites ever!

Wildflowers make for great backgrounds

Babies - this one is only a few hours old!

Kiddos

Families

Another senior pic

I love to do natural light photos!!
I'm still learning, but it sure has been fun so far!

busy little bees

As usual, we have been busy little bees lately!!
I photographed my first wedding (which I LOVED!),
did the Bride's make-up,
Jeff was the preacher,
and Ellie was the flower girl!!!
It was so fun, but a busy weekend. I had to recruit my sweet Mom and Nannie to come with us to help. I'll post more pics soon, but the bride hasn't seen them yet.
The above pic is our little fam at the wedding.

And the picture below is one of my favorite recent ones of my sweet girls!
We were playing outside and they didn't even have their hair fixed,
but I don't think a "posed" pic would be any cuter!!

Oh, but this one is pretty cute, too! Love the fields of wildflowers around here!
I used this field to take some senior pics, but the next day,
had to take my girls...and thank goodness I did.
They plowed this one the day after!!

You can see Ellie's missing tooth in this one!
The new one is coming in pretty quickly, though.

This one is older, but another one of our little fam.
This one was at the college spring retreat in Indy a few weeks ago.
(pre-sassy hair cut and color!)

Happy Mother's Day!

Landy and I shot targets with the guys!

Avie was so proud of herself for getting Ellie a "baby root beer"
from Poppa's man cave.

Issie and Nonee's daisies

Nannie, Mom, Me, and my girls.

The girls!

Finally!

I've been meaning to post new pics for a very long time, we've just been so busy around here that I haven't had any free time?!? I have had several fun days with great friends, so I can't complain, but it's nice to have a day just to be at home once in a while!!


Nonee with all the grands

This girl was serious about her fishing!!
A girl after her Poppa's heart.

My Dad and my brother -
I think my niece took this. She's pretty good!

I know Dizzy took this one - super sweet pic of Ava snoozin' on Nonee

Another Dizzy pic - Ellie down on the pier

So, we went to the zoo and you would expect to see snakes in cages...
but this one was in the duck pond?!?!?
creepy!

Sweet Mary

Love this one!
We went to the zoo with some friends and had such a good time.
The weather was perfect!

Ellie by the new rhino

rhino close up

Cecilia and the rhino

Jeff gave me my mother's day present(s) early.
Wednesday, Ellie and I got to get dressed up and went out by ourselves.
We had tickets to see Lord of the Dance and it was AMAZING!
Ellie loved it and I really enjoyed watching it, but loved the time with Ellie mostly!
Ava and I are going this coming Wednesday to see Elmo live!My friend Lauren and I went to an Amish community for some girl time, grocery shopping, and lunch. Oh, and we bought some great homemade bread and cookies!!
It was funny to see vehicles sharing the road with the horse drawn buggies!

Frogs in one hand, cookies in the other. Yummy!
Our girls stayed with Lauren's in-laws while we shopped.
They had a blast!!!

We went to a neighbors house (Lauren's in-law's neighbors) to get fresh eggs and got to see
dogs, cats, goats, pigs, and chickens.

My girls LOVED playing with all the frogs. I was very shocked!!
I bet they found 30 or more, then let them all go on the trampoline!

What a week?!?

Let me start by saying, I love this picture of Ellie.
For several reasons.
One, because she is my first born and I love her dearly.
But also because I finally convinced her that a side ponytail would be cute.
And I can't help but notice the blue toothpaste on her shirt and the big wet spot where she tried to clean it off herself. :-)

We have had some good times lately...
and some really bad times.
I guess it could always be worse though, right?!?

Jeff's Christmas present:
UK tickets at Vandy.
GREAT game!!
Then, we spent the night with my parents because they kept the girls while we went to the game. At about 3am, my dad comes rushing in to my bedroom and said my mom was sick. I needed to get Ellie out of the bed with her. My mom was VERY sick. My brother and his family had it the week before and they were VERY sick.

So, we came home early the next morning and decided to play in the sunshine. That is, after we sprayed Lysol on everything, took hot showers, and washed all of our clothes. But, to no avail. This picture is amazingly cute and the girls look healthy as can be on their cute little scooters my parents gave them for Christmas...but Ava was SUPER sick that night.

Then, we got up Monday and everyone seemed fine, so we went about our business Tuesday.
Which is where this picture comes in. I get allergy shots now because I am allergic to EVERYTHING outside. They tell me not to let my injection site get larger than a quarter...uh, that was like 7 quarters?!? I finally measured it and it was over 3 1/2 inches! However, that turned out to be the least of my worries that night. Jeff came home SUPER sick...and I woke up at 1am SUPER sick. Thankfully (I guess is how you would put it), my parents had already had the bug and my amazing mom was able to come watch the girls. She stayed at our house, just in case Ellie got sick. Long story short, the girls ended up spending the night the next night at my parents' house and I don't remember much of any of it?!? It was HORRIBLE!!! I don't remember being that sick...except one time when we lived in Texas and I had to call my wonderful friend Sheri at 6am on a Saturday morning to come get Ellie because Jeff and I were so sick we couldn't get her out of her crib. Not fun! We are all over it now, though, and SO thankful...hope we are now immune to that stomach bug. (Everybody had different symptoms and thankfully, Ellie got the milder version with only a fever and sore throat.)

aaahhhh...back to my love of pictures.
I was so sick I didn't even LOOK at my camera those few days?!?
Now that I am better, let the nesting begin.
Not me, of course (although I have been doing some spring cleaning),
but we ALWAYS have little birds building nests in this house attached to our swing, so we watched out the window today as a bird chose this as its family's home.
The girls and I love watching the mama birds go out and get food for the babies, but have never seen them actually building the nest. Very cute!

Here's hoping for a better week.
Starting with Landy's (or Merk Merk's) birthday party tomorrow,
tubes again for Ava on Wednesday,
then we will be packing for a mission trip to Texas next week!