Noe News is Good News

Might as well have been a SMURF party!

Joselyn and Landen's friends Sam and Sophia had a little birthday party over the weekend since their birthdays were so close. What began as a basic fun-filled birthday turned really really blue. I don't think my kids have EVER had so much fun. EVER. My friends Nikki and Todd (Sam and Sophia's parents) really have the best back yard ever, not to mention that Nikki is the Craigslist queen and has all these fun fun toys she's found like TONS on ride on toys, a water table and a sand box filled with blue sand.(I don't know which of these are craigslist found or store bought but let's just say she has a lot of fun stuff)

It didn't take long for the kids to discover the blue sand. It started out pretty innocent with Landen shoveling dirt into the dump truck and Joselyn helping.





But then the sand throwing began... and the kids started covering themselves with sand. If you know Adam, you know how he was cringing at this point. At to be honest, even I was. But there was lots of giggles and laughter... and soon Adam and I felt our anxiety melt away as we let our kids be kids and have fun. It was so FUN to see the kids having so much fun.























In the end poor Joselyn and Landen were covered in the stuff- especially Joselyn. Her hair was filled with the stuff. It was not like white sands where the sand didn't stick to anything. It stuck to anything and was in every crevice of her body. Before they were allowed back in the Jeep it all had to be hosed off. The kids will say this was not their favorite part of the party, and I believe the other guests must have thought we were torturing our children from the screaming they heard. But it was worth ALLLLLLL the fun!




Besides the fun of the blue sand we also had fun with chalk. Like I mentioned before there was a lot of ride-on toys so most of the kids there had one for themselves. I thought it would be fun to make a little track for them to follow and turns out it was a hit! I started with a small strip of railing and Adam started a big circle. After a while we worked together to finish our loop in loop tracks complete with a fueling station manned by Adam. The kids followed those tracks and got their gas and had a lot of fun. I must say it was so fun to see the child in Adam come out again... I love seeing him get into child's play and it's one of the things that made me fall in love with him. Can't wait to tell you guys about our "blankie bomb" fun...









Anyway back to the party. Check out this Candy Land cake! So clever, huh? Nikki's sister made it and it took her 6 hours! What a nice aunt... so so so fun!

Thanks Nikki, Todd, Sam and Sophia for one awesome birthday party :)

The Kentucky Children's Garden

Ever since we started to go to the Arboretum on a regular basis this spring, I have been waiting for the Children's garden to open. So many neat things! And although it is not completely finished, there are still tons of fun things to do there. We are definitely buying a yearly pass! We were lucky that we were able to go with Kasey and her crew while they are here visiting. (yay!) Since we got there a little early, we walked around a little and Landen found himself a dump truck, backhoe and a bulldozer. Oh the excitement!! Construction equipment is his latest obsession and he knows most of the names. It's quite adorable hearing him say "excavator".  At first he was too afraid to get close- but he quickly warmed up once he realized they weren't going to move.









Then we waited just outside the gate with our tickets until they opened the gate! There was lots to entertain us... tree stumps and puppies to name a few.





Joselyn and Landen with their buddy Neville. Poor guy- I don't think he knows how to handle my balls of energy! But I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture taken by Kasey.



And the kids with their tickets!







There are tons of things to do there... I thought it would be kind of a walk-through type thing but it was actually very interactive. Emma, the sweet gal who works in the children's garden, took the kids to a nice muddy area to plant sunflower seeds. Joselyn's cute silver shoes from the Gap are totally ruined- but I guess the fun was worth it!







Next time I will be sure to bring rainboots. And wear grubby clothes.



The best and most popular attraction was definitely the mist fountains. You can run through without getting wet, but it still adds a bit of coolness. LOVED it :)



So, you should go!!!

Bowling!!

In search of something different for the kids to do, Kasey suggested we try bowling with the kids. Nikki and her cute kids came along too... and the kids each took turns with the 6 pound ball. I was impressed at how well they did!

Admittedly you can't always get the best pictures in a bowling alley... not unless you have a camera that can handle the low lighting! (and I don't like flash) I'm saving!





Yes, we ended up using a ramp. Not only was it easier, but I think it was more interesting for the kids too.










They didn't quite have shoes small enough to fit Joselyn and Landen but we made it work. Landen is still in size 6 and Joselyn is in size 7... both of them got size 8 which was the smallest they had. LOVE the shoes- don't you?

It was a fairly inexpensive activity. $15 to rent the lane for an hour (for all of us) and I'm not sure if the cashier charged us for shoes because we only paid $16 something total. She kinda gave us a doubtful look when we walked in... gave us a long list of precautions and rules too. Don't know if I really blame her though. Joselyn was the first to lose interest... but a snack held her over for a little bit before she started running all over the bowling alley and then it was time to leave. That girl!

Meeting Baby Rae

For the past few months I have been planning a visit to New Mexico to visit Kasey and her sweet new baby girl Raewyn. To my surprise, she called me up one day and said to not book the tickets- they had sold their home and she would be coming to Kentucky to stay for a few weeks until they figured out what to do next! I was happy for her- she had been trying to sell for a while now. Sad I didn't get to see New Mexico but then again happy to finally meet Rae! Good definitely outweighed the bad. She is ADORABLE!! I am already so in love. And so is Joselyn.



Neville is quite protective of his little sis- and it's so very sweet. (I love how Joselyn has started twirling her hair with her fingers! So girly and cute.)

Kasey asked Joselyn if she wanted a new baby brother or sister and Joselyn's reply was that she wanted Raewyn. Kasey said "No, Raewyn is mine!" to which Joselyn said "Raewyn is yours AND mine!" It went something like that. I should have recorded it right then and there!

After lots of time playing on the couch cushions and such, we headed outside for a walk. A little chilly, but a beautiful day! We stopped at some random neighbors driveway (they had a doggy statue at the door that the kids had to go hug and kiss) to take some group pics.





I love how Nev and Landen are sitting all proper and Joselyn is like "whatev!!"

Then I told Jos and Nev to attack Landen with hugs and kisses. Landen maybe smiled about one second before he started screaming!





Enough is enough!



Jos and Nev were posing - practicing for their modeling days I suppose. Nev is so GQ.



Landen, on the other hand, was spending time with his new girlfriend Rae. He was treating her like royalty already pushing her around in her little "carriage"



We're so glad to have Kasey, Nev and Rae here for a few weeks!

Oh and something else. Landen saw this Uk logo painted onto some pavers in someone's yard and said "look, ma! Shoot ball!" (that's what he calls basketball) I was impressed! Already familiar with the UK logo. A definite fan in the making!

Weekend Trip to Nashville

Last weekend I drove to Nashville to photograph my long time friend Stephanie's wedding. My new friend Stacie, an incredible talented photographer who just moved here from Las Vegas, came with me to help and I was soooo lucky she agreed to come with me! We had so much fun! Stacie is seriously so much like me and so I don't think there was ever a dull moment... from me thinking I-75 would take me to Nashville, walking around to find a Panera at night to singing all the way home at the top of our lungs to music only we probably really know the words to! Everyone needs at least a few girlfriend trips like that a year- and I've got to have two in the past month! Lucky me. Seriously- I'm so lucky to have met Stacie.

I also must say It was so awesome to see my friend Stephanie marry the love of her life. I'm so thrilled I got to be there and be her own personal papperazzi. I wanted to remember this and include it in my blog book, so I'm including a few words/images from my photography blog:

"BUS 134. That is the bus I took to school practically every morning since I was in middle school. I’d be one of the first ones on the bus during the long drive through the country roads of Nicholasville and one of the last ones off too. This is also where I met some of my greatest friends, Kasey and Stephanie. Our bus rides together consisted of long talks about cute boys and sharing answers to homework assignments. It seems we did everything together throughout middle school and high school. We went on trips to Gatlinburg together, had sleepovers in Stephanie’s huge closet that could have been a room of it’s own, ran cross country (or at least I tried),  drank Ale8’s together, hung out at Joseph Beth with our steamers (hot milk) as we looked through teen magazines… my friends are the reason why I never considered High School to be that bad. I loved my friends. I really lucked out! I love that although many years have passed since those high school days, we have all stayed in touch. It’s nice to have friends you have a history with, ya know?

When Stephanie told me she was getting married to Dave, my heart pretty much exploded with happiness. I remember when they first started dating and I liked him so much- back then he had long hair and was just getting started with his career in music. Now he has short hair and is on the road to some great things with his band the Coal Men! But let me just say- there is little that makes you happier than knowing someone you care about has found someone who loves them completely and who makes them happier than anything else in the world. And I sooo wanted to be there to document this love they had found in each other!

A trip to Nashville was in order. My amazingly talented friend Stacie Hawley was sweet enough to come with me and I am so grateful for her!! I couldn’t have done it without her… and we just really hit it off! She had to learn to be patient with me pretty early as I took us over an hour out of the way as we headed to Knoxville instead of Nashville. It wouldn’t have been a trip with me without getting lost though… what can I say? She just laughed it off right along with me!

Stephanie is still the amazing gal I’ve always known… calm under pressure and totally easy going. Although she stayed up until 2am the night (or morning?) of her wedding, she looked stunning and didn’t stress. And I loved all the personal touches she put into her wedding. Her invitations were made at Hatch Show Print, famous for their advertising posters in Nashville… and were designed by Dave himself! The ceremony and reception were held at the beautiful historic Belmont Mansion, and Stephanie wore her mother’s wedding dress. The after party was held at Mad Donna’s where Stephanie and Dave shared some first memories together. Everything was just perfect. Really!"

Boyd Orchards

Today I picked up Autumn and Melanie and took them with us to Boyd Orchards to meet my friend Sarah and her two boys, Max and Sam. This time I took my camera :) It was very crazy- but is was also crazy fun! And it was such a perfect day for the pumpkin patch. When we went a few days ago, it was almost too cold- but it was sunny and mid 70s today. Perfect fall day :)

We didn't get to go on the hay ride ( or as the kids call it a train ride) on Tuesday so I made sure we did today. Max hopped on with us and sat down by Joselyn. I told them to hold on tight and Max grabbed Joselyn's arm. And then Joselyn laid her head on his shoulder. Aww......

















I was very camera happy today...



The kids of course loved the animals too- Joselyn especially has a thing for them. She loved one of the Llamas and was letting it eat right out of her hand. And in true Joselyn fashion was talking to it and carrying on a conversation. So funny.





Landen loved the little goat and the rooster. He kept on giggling when he'd hear the rooster!





We then picked out some pumpkins and made the kids all line up for a picture. Melanie had the idea of putting pumpkins on their heads and I thought it was adorable! We couldn't get them all to do it... (hmm... whose kids wouldn't participate??) but it was still cute!







Oh- funny story. So there were some school buses parked close to this pumpkin patch and Joselyn ran off toward them- after getting someone to watch Landen I went by the buses and couldn't find her. I tried not to panic, but decided to look IN the buses- and there she was on the front seat of one of them talking to the driver. My little socialite! And I guess all those times we've sang wheels on the bus has made it so that she has no fear of buses either.

Dum-dums were the reward for the pumpkin patch pictures, ha ha.

We also attempted other pictures near the Hay. This wasn't so successful but I did get some funny out-takes. Joselyn's pout just kills me.










And just in case you noticed all the hay in Joselyn's hair, she did that to herself.





I am always SO MUCH better at taking pictures of other people's kids. Max and Sam are hard to take bad pictures of though.

My favorite...

And what better way to end our fun time than with Boyd Orchards' yummy apple cider donuts?

Thoughts on "friends"

A few weeks ago I photographed a wedding that left a deep impression on my heart about friendship. The beautiful woman getting married was a little bit older than the typical bride but was a well accomplished, beautiful and an incredibly amazing person. In attendance at her wedding were many friends she had made over the years- even one from Kindergarten who still remains as one of her dearest friends. The connections she had with her friends were obviously deep. It's loyal friendships like those that make life fuller for people, I realized.

A few recent events and conversations have really made me analyze my own friendships. It has also made me step back and look at the kind of friend I am to others.

Some "friends" are casual. We read each others' blogs, comment on their facebook statuses and say hi to each other in passing but don't communicate much beyond that. Those are the friends whose smiles or words cheer you up when you're feeling down one day. WE need friends like that who may not necessarily know us that well and offer a different perspective on life sometimes.  Sometimes those friends will even go out of their way for you to do something sweet like bring you a dinner when your kids are sick or leave sweet notes on your doorsteps. I like those kind of friends.Those friendships have potential for becoming deeper friendships. I feel like I have a lot of these kind of friends.

Then there are the old "friends"- those who know pieces of your past and are kind of stuck in that past. When you talk, you usually talk about "the back whens" and people you knew. You sometimes gossip with them about what this person and that are up to these days. Those friends are good too, because they help you remember the good memories you had when you were younger or when life was more care-free. Or even when life was a little rough but you got through it. You may have shared a moment with them that has shaped your life. The memories are sweet like when you played a silly game together that left you laughing harder than you've laughed before or stayed up all night with talking about the boys you were crushing on. They may have been your best friend once but you lost touch somewhere- and they know things about you that your current friends may not know. They help you remember your past mistakes and how you learned from them. 

Some "friends" are there not necessarily for your complete good but for theirs. They call you only when they need something or someone to talk to about the hard times in their lives. They will occasionally ask you about your own life, but really they just know you will say the right thing to make them feel better. Those friends may seem like they are not good friends, but you need them because every once in a while you feel good that you made their life more comfortable or better in some way. And occasionally they end up saying the right thing to you too.

And sometimes there are the "friends" that are there just to call when YOU are having a rough time- because you know that they will say the right thing to make you feel better. You may even feel comfortable telling this friend your deepest darkest secrets knowing they won't judge you because they've been there before. But they may not have a lot in common with you other than that- and so unless you have some major incident that is bringing you down, there is not much to talk about.

Then there are the older "friends". They may be 10 years older than you or 40 years older than you... but some sort of connection exists between the two of you. They are usual wide and way more experienced than you and give you great advice on life and trials. Sometimes this person is your mother, grandmother, aunt or uncle. Everyone needs at least one of these types of friends.

Occasionally you will have a younger "friend"... someone who brings out the kid in you. This friend may BE a kid. Or they may be a few year younger and less experienced than you. These are fun friends to have around because they make you feel needed and loved. I especially love the really young ones who think you are just the coolest person who ever existed. They don't judge you for the way you look or for the mistakes you've made. They could care less.

Then there is the "perfect friend". They are not really "perfect", but they aren't afraid to show you that they aren't and that's what makes them such a perfect friend. They may live near or far, be old or new. It doesn't matter. They have a combination of the qualities from each of the other "friends" and they take it a step further. They make sacrifices for you again and again without expecting anything in return. They think of you when their child has a birthday and invite you and your child to their party. They invite you to their own little get-togethers during the holidays. They make you a part of their life and welcome you with open arms. They jump to your rescue when you are in need- sometimes without any notice on your part. They pray for you. They not only ask you how your day was but they want to know what made it good or bad. They are honest with you when you are out of line... but know when to be on your side. You have enough in common to give you something to talk about, but enough differences to make it interesting. You feel comfortable telling them your biggest mistakes and shortcomings- and will let them see you with a tear-stained face or a face without make-up. You let them into your house when you haven't touched the dishes for 3 days. You don't feel like you have to put on a show for them because you know that no matter what- even if you gain a bunch of weight after having babies or break-out after a stressful week- that they will still love you regardless and treat you the same. They stop by your house, call, or send a package in the mail just because. You know that if you call them to watch your kids at the last minute that they will agree to watch them- and that they will love your kids just as much as you do. They don't ever EVER talk you into doing something that is not good for you. And that's not even scratching the surface. It's good to have at least 4-5 of these around. 

More about that "perfect friend". Everyone... EVERYONE needs one. It could be your sister or the friend you've known since kindergarten. Maybe even your husband or wife. I've been lucky to have a select few of these friends around for a while. And lately, I've seemed to be unexpectedly blessed with a few new "perfect friends" too- just when I've needed them the most. I'm sure you guys know who you are. 

I haven't always been a "perfect friend" to my "friends" and my life has suffered for it. It takes effort and sacrifice to be that kind of a friend and it is a two way street. Unless it is mutual, the friendship doesn't last. But when the effort is made to be that kind of a friend to someone and they return the favor, it is incredibly rewarding. Sometimes it takes time to develop that trust, but sometimes it happens fast. 

I also want to say that if you are someone who tends to only be a friend to those who are "like" you- who dress or look like you, who only live in your same neighborhood, or whatever else it may be, I hope you reconsider. You are probably missing out on some of the sweetest friendships you can imagine. Take a chance on someone different than you- learn their past, their passions and things that make them tick. Go out on a limb for them. You will change their life- and your own.

Children of the Trains

The Thai people are extremely dear to me. About 8 years ago, I spent a little over a year in Thailand as a missionary and really grew to love the people. They are a beautiful people with big hearts. A few years ago a long-time friend of mine, Barbara, started working on a documentary of homeless children in Thailand; specifically how some policemen at a railroad station have set up a place of refuge and learning for the homeless children. This is such a touching story and I really wanted to share this small clip...

If you are interested in donating clothes or toys or ANYTHING to these precious children, please let me know and I can get you in contact with the people who can make it possible. To learn more about Children of the Trains, please visit the website: http://childrenofthetrains.com.  And please help spread the word! There are a lot of people in need in this world and it can be overwhelming to think about what you can do to help- this is one small way you can can make a big difference for these beautiful Thai children!

And let me just say... isn't my friend Barbara amazing? I love that she is documenting this and I really hope it brings her lots of success!

A Birthday Party and Landen Funnies

I love how photography gives me the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. A friend of a friend contacted me a few months ago about her interest in photography and because she is so talented, I have invited her to be a second shooter at some photo shoots and weddings. Sarah is super super sweet. In a recent exchange of memory cards, she invited me and Joselyn to stay for dinner with her family. She has a little boy, Max, about Joselyn's age and another little guy a few months older than Landen. Max and Joselyn were immediate friends. They played together so well outside and since then Joselyn has not been able to stop talking about him and asking about him. Well, Max is about to turn 3 and Sarah invited us to his birthday party yesterday. We all had a great time! Joselyn had to right in the middle of all the action of course, even helping Max with blowing out the candles. (sorry Max!) At least she reminded him to make a wish. For his gift we gave him some balls and a garden set... and Joselyn added to it with a little smack on the lips for him.

Landen had his own plans... he wasn't so much interested in the party. Instead, he kept on roaming over to the basketball court where some teenage boys were playing a game. He found an extra ball and joined right in. The boys were so sweet as I apologized for Landen's continuous interruptions. Instead, they're like "Get this boy a jersey!" and were cheering him as as he tried his hardest to throw the ball up into the basket. It was actually pretty cute. I love it how Landen just thinks everyone is his friend. He's not afraid of strangers a bit.

 

Landen also learned how to drink out of a straw! He wanted a Capri Sun juice pack so bad but I kept on telling him no because I knew he couldn't drink out of it and I didn't want to waste it. We have tried over and over again to teach him but no luck. Well then someone at the party recommended squeezing the juice into his mouth so he knew how it worked. So I tried it and he immediately caught on. Like, it took one squeeze and that was it.

Such a fun party... and we're so glad we have made new friends!

Thank you... whoever you are!

Some people are just so sweet. So sweet that they move you to tears.

 

  

 So I guess it's no secret that I've had a bad couple of weeks since I told the whole world a few days ago. I apologize for complaining so openly. This blog is my outlet and sometimes I get carried away. I sometimes forget how many people actually read this blog.

There is something I should say...

Sometimes I lock myself in my house and feel sorry for myself because I tell myself I don't have a lot of friends here... knowing that it's really my own fault for being anti-social and not making any effort to put myself out there. I tell myself that I don't fit in with people and that there are only a few people in my life who really would care if I had a bad day or a good day. I know it sounds terrible and I really hate to admit that I think that way sometimes because it's really a personal battle of mine... something that keeps me from trying to be a friend to someone else. I guess after having kids and kind of losing my footing on self-image and time management, I have just lost confidence in myself. But I think in admitting this, it will help illustrate just how much it meant to me today to receive this little surprise on my doorstep after a shopping trip with my sister. I was so touched that an anonymous someone would take time out of their day to go and buy me a cheerful smiley face balloon, a kitkat bar (to give me a break I guess?), write a sweet note and leave it on my doorstep for me to find. So touched that it moved me to tears and I had to explain to Joselyn that sometimes people cry when they're happy too. Someone actually proved me wrong- there ARE people out there who care. I want to be like that someone who did this for me. SO whoever you are- thank you. You'll never know how much it meant to me. It gave me a little more energy today to clean my house, and a little more patience with my kids. It put a smile on my face that I couldn't wipe away.

Oh- and my children love the balloon too. It cheered them up just about as much as it cheered ME up! And Landen wouldn't let go of it all evening. Here he is holding the balloon as he watches TV. He sat there just like that for a good 15 minutes. :)