turkey day trip

So, as promised, here's a taste of our trip!

Gennie loved that she got to sleep in her sleeping bag. Josiah had a blast kicking on the big bed . . . and we're not going to think about what could be on the bedspread . . . he only layed there for a minute :).Cracker Barrel was fab for dinner. Love me some hashbrown casserole! My parents and Gennie played that little peg game on all the tables. We all had to try out the rocking chairs on the porch . . . I'd love a wrap-around porch like that some day . . . but not on our trailer.

Josiah helped Kev take the photo. The skin-colored schmear at the bottom is his tiny hand as he reached across and caught the lens cap and tugged just as the camera clicked.

Gennie loves the mall! My little shopper!

And this was the view in the mirror on the way home:

When she's a teen and has boyfriends over, she'll kill me for this photo :P.

Only 11 months until we do it again!

Turkey day

So, we're headed off to SLC for our annual Thanksgiving/shopping trip. The past few years we have gone over for all the sales on the day after but last year we decided to go on Thanksgiving and eat there so none of us have to make the big meal. We get the whole turkey dinner at the Holiday Dinner at church which was last Sunday so we go to the Cracker Barrel who serve their whole menu even on Thanksgiving. Then shopping, shopping, shopping!!!

Anyway, we leave tomorrow sometime so these photos will have to hold you over until we get back. I'll have tons to post for you then. Have a fantastic Turkey Day!

other weekend activities

So, every year our church participates in the Shoebox Project. It's a nation-wide program that sends shoeboxes filled with small gifts to children in other countries who wouldn't otherwise have anything to open on Christmas. Our church sends them to Mexico, to 2 little towns that don't have running water . . . well, they do have a creek of some kind . . . and the people live in tar paper dwellings with no electricity or pavement or anything. Whoever wants to participate takes a few shoeboxes home and fills them with hygiene products, toys, whatever and then we add in a Bible and a "plan of salvation" typed up in Spanish . . . there's at least one person in the towns who can read . . . and wrap them up in Christmas paper and label them for age and gender. Gennie always looks forward to shopping for the "Mexico kids" and this year we did boxes for 2 boys and one girl, all about the same age as our kids . . . makes it easier to choose things for that age group to enjoy when you have one that age.

We went to the dollar store to pick out stuff . . . not because I'm cheap but because we can get sooooo much more for our budget than at even Wally World (the baaaaaad place. Oh, for a Target!) We also found a sale at Kmart on summer clothes . . . $0.25 per item . . . and since NO ONE shops at our Kmart there was tons to pick from for both boys and girls.

Kev and Gennie packed up the boxes at home (top photo) then he stayed with Josiah so Gennie and I could go to the church and wrap them. Yes, I did her hair before we left. :) She helped with all the boxes by getting the Bibles into them and tearing off tape for us to wrap with.
I think total we got around 53 boxes done, and after the service where the elders prayed over them for the kids who would receive them, someone donated another $50 for the lady in charge to make up as many more boxes as she could.

Merry Christmas, Mexico kids!

Sneak Peek #3

Here they are, Kendra!

Sneak Peek #2

So, here's another shoot I did this weekend. Tried some new poses and angles and all that . . . got some great inspiration from some other photogs that I totally respect so I decided to try them out.

Here you go, Josey!

Kinkead sneak peek

So, I have been busy afterall. Did this shoot last week . . . one of three . . . and just got them all edited and ready to view.

Here they are, Nikki!