Emily's turn...

P.S. Emily made her skirt herself.

Isn't she beautiful?

Take two...

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!

I think the last one is frame worthy...what do you think. ;)

Dang...3 year olds are hard..

My 'photo-shoot' with Ethan was less than stellar...here's my one and only sort of ok picture.

Try again tomorrow.

Overheard at the store today...

I was trying on some jeans at JCPenney today and I had Ethan in the dressing room with me. He, like usual kept trying to open the door at inopportune moments. (Pretty much any moment in a dressing room.)

When he yelled,

"LET ME OUT! That stupid mirror is looking at me!"

Strangely, I know exactly how he feels.

Big 'Ole Slice of Humble Pie...

That's what I served up for myself yesterday with a topping of whipped chagrin.

You see yesterday was

ELECTION DAY
Namely the first Tuesday after the first Monday of the Eleventh month of the year. (Look it up you'll find it in the Constitution.)

Anyone that knows me, knows I'm passionate about election day. It all started when I was young and listened to my Grandma Thornley talk about voting. She was born in the year 1900 in England. She loved her country greatly but immigrated to America with her Mother and Brother after they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She also loved her new country but was content with still being an English citizen until one day when my Dad was in grade school. He came home one afternoon and asked if she was an 'alien'. When he explained that it was not the super natural kind but the non-citizen kind, she decided she needed to become a citizen of the land she loved so dearly. From the point she became a citizen she never missed an election. I saw her even when home bound direct my Dad to help her with her absentee ballot. She is a hero to me. She describes American to me. She has been the inspiration in me never missing a general election ever. (And never missing a primary election in the last 15 years.) I want to be like her.

Yesterday was election day and...

I didn't vote before I took my kids to school.
I didn't vote before I went on Savanna's field trip.
I didn't vote before I picked up Ethan from Joyschool.
I didn't vote before I took Tim's emergency pictures to school.
I didn't vote before I went back to the rest of Savanna's field trip.
I didn't vote before I got the kids home from school.
I didn't vote before the kids went to piano lessons.
I didn't vote before I fixed dinner.
I didn't vote before Mike took the van and my babysitters to scouts and young women's.
I didn't vote before I told Sierra to get in the shower.

I've never understood how someone could 'forget' to vote. I may have even mocked those that claimed it. After all as Theodore Hesburgh said, "Voting is a civic sacrament." or at least in the words of a less succinct patriot "a license to complain". However, last night as I sent my kids off to get ready for bed so we could read some stories I plopped on to the evil known as Facebook and my top entry was from my niece Kimberly (Kimma on here). Her status update claimed, "Today I did my civic duty." I was so far in La-La land that the thought, "Wow I wonder if she had jury duty" crossed my mind." Then it hit me. IT WAS ELECTION DAY and even more disturbing I FORGOT.

I looked up at the clock and saw I had 28 minutes until the polls closed. I had no one home over 8 (the oldest of which was dripping wet) , and no transportation. I considered leaving Sierra in charge and running the 4 blocks to the poll. But instead I ran to my friends house in a tizzy. Luckily, they love and 'know' me well enough to understand how voting could be an emergency. :) I dropped the kids off and the two of us drove to the school. I texted Mike and he met us there.

It is there I met up with my humble pie....how could I have forgotten? What about my very ordinary yet busy day was so important that I forgot the privilege of being American. Today as I think about my Grandma, it is the 109th anniversary of her birth, I am so grateful for a social network, a niece and the fact I can look to heaven in remembrance of a great citizen and say:

Yesterday I voted.

Savanna's NON-School pictures...

I used to think school pictures were great. After all that IS all the pictures I have of me growing up. They did play their part. (Except 8th grade which better have been burned.) But then I worked for a school photographer and well let's just say...not as impressive anymore. I have effectively boycotted school pictures throughout my kids school career. (Aside from class pictures which I still think are priceless.) Anyway, part of my urge to photography is to capture my own kids in a way that I'd be proud to put on my wall. This is an ever-changing challenge, and since this is a GORGEOUS week. I am attempting to take my kids one at a time to get their 'yearly' photograph. This is my first attempt with Savanna.


My critical eye can detect a hundred flaws...I plan on working on those in my next '4' sessions. But for now it is enough to enjoy the journey.

Silhouette

I picked this one special for Brenda...just because I'm a boot virgin doesn't mean my daughter has to be. :)
Did you buy your boots yet?