Snow Day Memories

Yesterday we finally got enough snow for the kids to actually play in! I am sick with a nasty sinus and respiratory thing that snuck up on me early Saturday morning. I feel miserable! So I pretty much stayed inside catching up my IG stories & trying everything to get better. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying watching the kids play from the comfort of my cozy couch! We haven’t gotten a good snow around here in quit sometime, so it was a nice surprise to wake up to this little winter wonderland.

As soon as Mary Kathryn & Will woke up they couldn’t wait to go outside and play. I grew up in Iowa till I was 8 years old {the age Mary Kate is right now} & we never knew what it was like to not have snow. As a matter of fact we used to get snow here a lot in Northwest Arkansas when I was a kid & then it just kinda stopped. So it was nice to get a little something for the kids to enjoy. 

Will played the most outside and made a snow sculpture that looked a lot like a certain male appendage. I can’t help but laugh & post it because in his eyes it looks like a squirrel. But as grown ups, we always see something much differently from kids (dirty minds, ha!)

And of course our dog, Duchess, saw his sculpture as a bone for her to eat. You can’t make this stuff up, people. I swear I coughed/laughed so much-welcome to my crazy family, y’all!

Later in the day Mark took the kids sledding over to the high school where there is a hill just big enough for them & my peace of mind. Since we don’t get much snow here I don’t have snow boots for the kids. Rain boots, we got em! Snow boots, not so much. So the kids trekked back & forth in their tennis shoes since we only had a little bit of snow on the ground. 

And what’s better than taking a ride on their Mom’s old childhood sled? Yep, this sled has been with me since I lived in Iowa. And it’s so wonderful to see my kids enjoying it too. It may not see the same snow as it once did, but it still sees the same smiles when it’s pulled through any amount of snow. Hope you all enjoyed your snow day as I much as I did, even though it was from the couch, 

watching my kids enjoy life simple pleasures is truly what childhood memories are made of. 

Picture Imperfect

I know its been awhile since my last post and for good reason. We recently put a pool in our backyard and as always we have been doing work around the house. But its not just that, the kids seem to be growing all of the sudden! So if its not contractors, trips, and work around the house, its shopping for new clothes and going through the old ones...busy days & blessed days for me for the most part. That's why I've been MIA.

I am very much an amateur photographer and although I'd love to learn how to fully operate my fancy schmnacy camera, there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to do so. A local camera store offers classes but they always seem to land on the days that we are going out of town or when we have a million other things going on. Plus I don't know how to do photoshop, a dream of mine to figure out by the way, but I do know my way around PicMonkey...not to brag or anything {that's a joke, people}. Even though I'm an amateur photographer that doesn't stop me from trying and it certainly hasn't stopped me from taking some amazing photos. Taking photos and figuring out editing takes me forever to do but in the end, many of those moments have turned into the type of photos that you just want to stare at for hours. And some have turned into photos I'd rather have in a frame than the ones I spent money on to have someone else take.

Although some photography sessions give me massive anxiety and I worry about crushing someones day by completely screwing up, I have to try.  And I'm forever grateful to those who let me practice taking photos of them and their families. My style with photos changes often and I love that my family and friends let me be creative with it & go with the flow. If I don't get the practice and put myself out there, I'll never know if I have what it takes. One day I will make it a priority to take photography and photoshop classes. It'll happen eventually. But for now anytime someone asks me to take their photos based off of the ones that they have seen of my family, I always remind them that I am not a professional photographer and in the end you do get what you pay for. But with a quick prayer, a deep breath and great lighting....they rarely disappoint & some of those photos aren't so picture imperfect after all.

The very first photo I took that inspired me to look more into photography.
My little girl, Mary Kate at 3 years old.

The photo that changed it all for me. 

A new lens and I was feeling like I was a professional! My son,

Matthew, taken in a field with just a chair and the most 

beautiful sunset. 

I took this photo of my son, Ryan in our backyard 

front of our shed. Using a fan light from my husband's office, this

photo turned out to be rustic and a favorite of ours. 

My biggest moment of anxiety was the day we took this family photo.

That's me at the end, far right with my in-laws. I was so worried it wouldn't turn out &

that we did all of this for nothing! But thank the Lord above, it was great! 

Just wished the sun had set a bit more...and this is why I need to learn photoshop...

I could have added a sunset!

Couldn't love this photo more. One of my best of my son, Ryan.

The kids used to have a bright blue wall that we used as 

a backdrop for this colorful 4 year old picture. 

Wanna talk anxiety? This one set me over the edge! I took family photos

 for a friend & I was the most worried I'd ever been that 

they wouldn't turn out. I wanted them to be perfect for her!!

Some where better than others and then some photos turn out like this, 

and the anxiety melts away.

A photo that wasn't planned, turned out to be one of the best. 

Big sister dressed for the prom and little sister

with the cutest braids jumped in for a quick picture. 

Clearly best friends, these two.

Did I mention these two beauties are my nieces?

He's just so darn photogenic, this handsome son of mine.

We took this photo on a rainy morning at the High School track.

My littlest one preparing to play t-ball and I couldn't 

resist taking photos before his uniform came in.

We improved with clothes we had and came out

swinging with this home run! So cute, my baby boy!

All grown up with the biggest cheesy grin. We took this photo a 

very hot day in the middle of the afternoon. And this is when

I learned that photos at sunset and are the best. I softened the

photo up to help take away from a lot of the brightness.

White + afternoon sun = blindng

A weekend of camping and this little guy made this 

picture opportunity priceless. A happy camper. Look at those

deep, rich colors....just love it!

The last photo I've recently taken, is of my Mommy-To-Be Niece.

Real life isn't perfect and pictures aren't meant to be either. 

We can take out the imperfections, but 

 its photos like this that make me smile most. 

Candid, unplanned imperfect moments.

This is 3/4 of my kids pictured with their 

Great Grandma in Florida. 

True Story

Kat Smith, amateur photographer