Snow day!

My four. Pure happiness. Seeing them full of joy makes my heart explode. And I was so happy to pull out my camera & capture what I could before I froze. :)

Lots of good news!

Current photo of my cuties on Easter. This was simply a quick shot & I love it so much! I can't believe how quick my kids are growing. Time is slipping away! They aren't so little anymore. Sniff.

In other news:

Because I prefer large photos on my blog, for years now I have always uploaded my photos to Photobucket first & then uploaded them here in my blog posts. Photobucket cut me off! I reached my 'free' bandwidth or some hogwash, so they froze all my photos! Grr. :) I had to pay $2.99 monthly to get my photos back. Good news - I can cancel that anytime, so I'll be doing that before my next installment is do. I just need to switch out my photos first & that will take some time. Better news - I found a tutorial on how to trick Blogger so I can upload my large images directly to my posts & omit Photobucket all the way around, & it worked! If you'd like to do the same, you can find the tutorial here. I love free. :)

I am really, really, really into another 'saving money' mode! Oh my! I love to save money & I don't like all the areas I feel as if I'm wasting money. I think I've slipped a little. $20 for a car wash? Really? No more! I'm getting my rear end outside & washing my car myself. Heck, my kids will love that! I like my car spotless, it's great exercise washing & drying & vacuuming & cleaning - why pay? No thanks! :)

In addition, another area I just saved us money after literally wasting $30+ every single month is with our home phone landline. Because we have cell phones, we rarely use it. But with young children, & after having our number for so long, I just was not comfortable ridding it. Last month I switched to BasicTalk. It's $9.99 (+ taxes & fees) a month! No landline - BasicTalk works through your computer line. And it works GREAT! Crystal clear & works the very same. Can only have one phone, though, since they don't plug into your landline outlets. Fine by me! I actually love not having phones all over to collect dirt & dust. Our computer line is in our master bedroom, so I have our cordless phone plugged in there & it's no trouble at all. It cost me $12.22, I believe, to hook up BasicTalk. They ported my number for free, hooked us up with 911 capabilities (very important), mailed us the box (typically $29.99) for free, waived the $9.99 activation fee so that was free - hello!? - winning! OMG I love FREE! If you don't want to rid your home phone but don't want to continue paying the high price through regular carriers, check into BasicTalk! Nope, they aren't paying me to say that - it's just a less expensive option that I'm very satisfied with. :)

Starting to cook low-carb here, so recipes coming soon. One thing that I've noticed: low-carb does not mean low-fat. Yikes! I have to keep my eye on that. Hopefully, lots of yummy recipes coming soon. And more blogging!! And more thrifting - it's past time!

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

Happy New Year!

Oh my gosh! Hi! Happy New Year! Have I really not blogged since December 12th? Wow! I am ready for things to settle down!

I'm so excited & ready for 2014. An opportunity to begin again, an opportunity to start fresh. Yes, please! I'm already making my to-do list! Ok, honestly, it's just adding to my current one. Top three? 1.) Getting my photography business off the ground! Why do I always choose the worst time to do this? Christmastime, really? Cold outside, people traveling, Christmas photos already done - geeze. 2.) Working my Shaklee business bigger, badder & more intensely! I want a huge team & I'm looking for serious Distributors and/or Partners! Best darn products available! Yip! Products everyone uses - it's just a matter of switching brands! 3.) Decorating & recipes - big time! (Maybe that should be #3 & 4?) I am going to whip my house into shape & beautify this puppy if it kills me! I have so many new ideas, & lots that I've had on my list but still need to do! And now that the holidays are over, I'm jumping right back into our improved eating. I don't regret, at all, pigging during the holidays. Heck no! Life is too short to fuss over foods during the holidays. But certainly, that eating regimen can't continue. School starts back on Monday (I am so heartbroken - I hate sending my kids back to school & it just gets harder every time it's time. Sniff.) & so does our typical routine.

What have I been doing over the last 3 weeks? Christmas, obviously. Purchasing, wrapping, 3 school Christmas parties, my husband's family Christmas, tying up loose ends, spending quality time with the kids just enjoying, our family Christmas & immediately following that, 3 of my children had birthdays! Christmastime at our home is exhausting! 3 birthdays following Christmas is so hard. But that's what God gave us & we make it work!

This year for birthdays, I did something new. I combined all 3 birthdays & we celebrated on one day. That means 2 had to wait for their birthdays & one had hers early. I was worried. Then I felt so guilty. But the day of the celebration, it worked! We went to Chuck E. Cheese (my kids' all time favorite!), then we took them to Toys R Us & let them pick out what gifts they wanted (on a budget, of course) & then we came home & had ice cream cake. The result? The kids loved it & asked to do the same for their next birthdays! I don't know if I'll comply, but the day was different & quite honestly, so much easier! But I don't want to be about easy all the time - I want to be about special. So we'll see.



Funny, I forgot candles. Turns out, I had just enough (of a mismatched variety) to equal their birthdays totaled together - 25! Ha! Improvise. Winning!

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And thank you so much for following my blog & supporting my business - I appreciate you SO much!

Here's to a beautiful, healthy, happy, positive, fun, shiny '14!

Getting back in the swing of photography!

We got out a few weeks ago & I did a fun shoot with my kids. It had been way too long! I was unhappy with many elements of the shoot (clothing/hair style choices, mainly), so we went last weekend & had a redo. I love them! They turned out really good, spite the freeze that occurred in between shoots & I lost most of the pretty scenery. In addition, my youngest was on the verge of getting a cold, so she was fit to be tied by the end. But that's ok - I've let go of perfection & embraced life. And that's exactly what the photos are. :)











And my favorite, with the extreme pop of sun flare:



I will fix the reflection at the bottom before printing, but for now, I left it.

I am still SO excited to finally be starting my own photography business! It dawned on me the other night that I did attempt to do so before, a few years ago, (remember Rock That Shutter?) but the timing was all wrong & that was the end of that. Now, the timing is right! I had a shoot scheduled for last weekend, but their little girl got sick & they had to cancel. A bummer, but totally understandable. I have another shoot scheduled in December. Realistically, with the holidays upon us, I figure I'll probably get going in or after January. I'm ok with that, as the holidays, followed immediately by three birthdays, are a very busy time for us.

Being I'm self-taught, I can use that extra time to enhance my photography skills. I've never taken a photography class. I shoot full manual only - I set all my own camera settings (every single one!) & I never use a flash. I edit my images in Photoshop CS4 & my editing is extremely minimal. I am not like the others. IMO, why take a photo, just to change it all up with this, that & the other? That's not what my photography is about. My photography is the real deal, & that's what I want my clients to see when they view their photos & look back on their memories. Not flaws removed. Life isn't flawless & neither are people.

Thanks for following along!

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Spring Break comes to a close.

Spring Break is over. And it makes me so sad. I hate sending my kids to school. But it's the law, so we abide.

We had a lazy spring break this 'round. Didn't really do much of anything. The first few days were very cold, so we hung out here at home. We had beautiful weather the remainder of the week, so we went to the park for hours, went bowling (so much fun!), took the kids to a Nature Center, ate out entirely too much, got hair cuts, messed around, blah, blah. I think they're ready to go back to school!

The more I read, the more of a problem this has become for almost any/everyone with a cell phone - DSLR's are being ignored! I even made a blog post a while back claiming I needed to pull mine out more, but you know what? I still use my dadblasted cell phone! I have an iPhone 5 & it takes amazing photos! Truth, it's just so much more convenient, in every way. But alas, yesterday I took my DSLR to the Nature Center! Everything is pretty much still brown & dead around here, & we saw next to no wildlife/animals, but I did get this one of my kids as we walked down a trail. A real photo! :)



Drumroll!!

Friday night, we went & chose the new tile for our master shower renovation! In case you have forgotten, our shower renovation began TWO years ago!! 25 months ago, to be exact! I think we have the longest shower renovation in history! (Our contractor says we don't, but it sure feels like we do!) Our shower renovation was necessary, & very expensive, & came at a time we just didn't have the extra funds. So, a lot of the reno was done by my husband & my brother, but it's time to have a professional finish it. It's all scheduled out, will start this week & will be completed next week (due to a necessary inspection)! I can't believe it & I can't wait!

I wanted simple yet sophisticated, so I chose 6x6 white tiles that will have dark brown grout in between them. For the floor, I chose brown, recycled glass tiles, that will have white grout between them. We have new hardware, a new door & our contractor is installing a niche for us! When it's done & when I'm not showering, I'll be posting the photos!



This week includes keeping our bedroom & bathroom spotless, since contractors are coming! Ha! That alone will be a chore! It's time for me to get a start on spring cleaning (ok, heck, just cleaning in general - our house has been abused lately!). Back to a normal routine this week, back to dance & all other activities & back to blogging!

Have a great week!

Moments.

I took this one evening, several weeks ago. The weather was just beautiful, early evening, & I sent my children outside with play-doh. I snapped this with my cell phone & it's one of my favorites. I forever want to remember these simple moments.

Though I don't desire a 'mommy blog' any longer, I do desire to continue to post photos of my children every now & then. For quite some time, I have focused so much on my business, I've significantly decreased the amount of photos I take of my kids. Time to refocus & reprioritize. And now that Christmastime is upon us? I better charge my camera battery real good.

I'm almost finished decorating for Christmas, so I'll be posting those photos soon. I love Christmas. So much fun, anticipation, beauty & love! Time to live! ♥

In with the happy!

This is one area of my life where it seems I'm constantly trying to improve, & recently, I've even found it carrying over into my computer time.

 

We all have something in our lives that is unpleasant. We all have bills. We all have strained relationships somewhere. We all have daily chores & tasks. We all have unmet goals. We all have health issues or know someone who does. We all are spread too thin. We all need more hours in our day. We all lack patience. We all have too many irons in the fire.

Welcome to life.  Welcome to reality.

 

But I've discovered with me, as I grow through life (that sounds better than 'the older I get'), I'm quite discouraged by all the negative. Why do we feel the need to constantly discuss our problematic issues? Talk about our problems? I seldom worry (which I am very grateful for), but I compare negativity to worrying. What in the sam hills does it solve by being negative? By constantly talking & complaining about it? It sure as heck doesn't turn the situation around.  It doesn't make the issue disappear.  I've been guilty of being negative myself many times. My mother is one of the most negative people I know & boy howdy, it's very difficult to carry on a conversation with her. When I tend to be negative, sometimes I think that naturally, I inherited her unfortunate trait. And I've finally come to the conclusion, so what? Big stinkin' deal. It is my choice to kick that trait to the curb. For the most part, I'm diligently trying to keep negativity out of my daily life & off of my blog. I don't need it, my husband doesn't need it, my kids don't need it & others don't need to hear about it. And it just feels good. It just feels right.  Honestly, it boils down to choice. And we all are very blessed to be able to make most of our own choices.

 

Lately, I've found that when I visit a website, or a blog, or heck, even Facebook, Twitter & Instagram (did I get them all? Ha!) - if someone just repetitively complains over & over or constantly has a derogatory post or attitude - without even thinking, I automatically mumble 'yuck' & boom - that person/site/whatever is deleted. I have my own problems (which really are nothing because I am so truly blessed!), so why would I want to continue reading someone else's complaints? I feel bad, I am sorry that they are facing so much hardship or whatever their case may be, but when I sit down to relax, I don't want to read anything bothersome. I just really don't want to read or hear about it. I want fun.  I want to laugh.  I want to converse & share.  I don't want to be drug down by someone else's negativity.

 

It's really aggravating that I'm figuring all this 'how to live in peace' stuff out in my 40's. Geeze. I wish I would have figured all this out in my 20's, or even 30's! But I guess it's like cooking - if you're not really taught, if you're not really exposed or encouraged to do it, then more than likely, you aren't going to do it. You figure it out with experience & as you go.  Better now than never, right?

 

I know without a doubt that life is so short. None of us know when God is going to call us home.  So, out with the depressing & in with the cheery. Out with the negative & in with the positive. Out with the bitter & in with the sweet! And I hope for the most part, that I portray that via the internet (excluding my occasional rant on my personal Facebook page).  I actually went through my blog not long ago & removed all posts that tended to lean towards the negative side. I hope to keep my blog, as well as my image, going in one direction & one direction only -

In with the HAPPY!

Back to school!

I have three photogenic children. He's not one of them. But he's smiling. He's now in the 6th grade. Joined the band. And JCC (again). Smart as a whip. Insane book reader. A tad on the quiet/shy side. Nintendo addiction. Mercedes' most favorite person on the face of the earth. Makes straight A's with an occasional B. Loves to learn. Musically inclined. Sweet boy. And sensitive. Handsome. My worrier. Who just showed his younger brother how to choke someone. I take back the 'sweet' part. Adored.



Big one is 11. Small one is 8.5.



Him: 8.5. Her: 7.5. That is not a typo.



Him - 3rd grade - super smart. In the GT program. Pretty much makes all 100's on everything. Slow & steady. Has a passion for life. And a temper. Has OCD. Drives the entire family crazy. Dramatic. Likes to play. And play. And play. Asks millions of questions. Neat & clean. Vivid imagination. Thinks money grows on trees. Must be center of attention. Lovable little boy. Cute as a button. Her - 2nd grade - crazy. Still. But blossoming. Social. Has never met a stranger. Happy-go-lucky. Doing much better in school, but would rather eat cupcakes. Hyperventilates at the thought of candy. Loves recess. And art. And plays/runs hard (hence the clothing). Loves pink. And red (hence the clothing). And glitter (hence the shoes, though you can't see them well). Does just enough academics to move on to the next grade. So far, it's working. Darling.



I'm the luckiest mom in the world! Love my kids. Cherish my kids. They complete me! ♥

A photo on the beach.

That went well.

Moments.

Love them. ♥

Smashbox - Lip Enhancing Gloss.

I love shiny lips. I've tried drugstore brand glosses but they're so sticky, I just don't use them.

I ran to Ulta a week or so ago to purchase my 14 year old niece a box of different Smashbox glosses for Christmas. She'll love them! The other day we were out & close to Ulta again, so I thought I'd buy myself a Christmas gift (ahem) - a Smashbox gloss. I mean really, an $18 (just for one!) lip gloss surely won't be sticky, right?



Wrong. Ew with a capital E. Oh good glory. The color (Pulse) is divine, but the texture is like glue! I applied the gloss & looked at my husband, while pressing & unpressing my lips together. The stuff is so gooey, when my lips were unpressed, the gloss pretty much stayed stuck together. Ha! (I think his exact words were "yuck".) But hey, on a positive note, I really like the brush you apply it with. ;o)

Sheesh. I'm hard to please, yes. That's why I love to offer product reviews (even if they are my own personal reviews) - I just can't justify spending a hefty amount of money on beauty products (or any products, really) unless they just blow me away!

Hope Ulta has a return policy. 'Cause this sucker's going back, right after Christmas. Ü

Speaking of Christmas:



I hope you can slow down a bit enough to enjoy the holiday before it's over. I've simplified a lot this year & it's been so great to enjoy, versus panic. I wish you & your family a beautiful Christmas, full of love, laughter & happiness. ♥

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours! ♥

Embracing Halloween.

Remember? Remember how I detest Halloween, so much so that for the last 4 years, I have attempted to bribe my children with a monetary exchange in hopes of avoiding Halloween? Remember how my great plan was always responded to with an "um, no!"? Though one year, I must say, my little people did actually toy with the idea before shouting "um, no!" at me. So this year - I have just decided to let it all go. ☺

I don't dislike Halloween because of the "satanic" image it portrays. Personally, I believe that is such nonsense & hogwash. Good grief. I'm not sure exactly why I dislike Halloween. Strong possibility though that it's a combination of the following: finding costumes (& the amount of time it entails), paying for the costumes, trying to capture at least a few photos of completely hyped up, giddy w/ delight children, scrambling around to eat dinner & get everyone ready & out the door by dusk, & did I mention paying for the costumes. If one has more than one child, Halloween is certainly no inexpensive little diddy. And we do all the above for what? Approximately 2 hours. (Though, uh, the candy is like, totally worth it.) ☺

This year I am starting anew. My goodness, if my children adore Halloween so much, who am I to rain on their parade? If they decide to deny themselves of a monetary gift that certainly lasts a lot longer than Halloween itself does, who am I to try to change their minds? I mean heck, every year that I beg & plead (&, beg & plead) for them to accept the money along with a trip to Toys-R-Us instead of participating in trick-or-treating, I have upped the bribe amount by $10. At this rate, it's cheaper to buy costumes anyway!

So this year I am embracing "Hallowing", as my Jaguar calls it. ☺

Speaking of Jaguar, she has requested to be a "Mitten" for Halloween this year. Now. I have to be honest here. I was really wondering how in the world I was going to pull that one off. She was adamant, too. She was going to be a Mitten & that is all there is to it. Until. Until, that is, she spotted a fluorescent green skeleton costume (which costs only $17, mind you) @ Wal-Mart. Bingo! By george, a skeleton costume it is for my curly haired little girl. Now won't she look just precious dressed as a skeleton, carrying her princess bucket? ☺

Trick-or-Treat!

Pediatrician response letter.

August 31, 2009

****** Pediatrics
******
******, Texas 76248

Re: CRR# **** 1300 000 0403 ****
Bentley ******
Audi ******
Jaguar ******
Mercedes ******

Dear Dr. ******,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your impersonal, generic, informational letter informing us that you “will no longer be responsible for the medical care” of our four children. The letter is dated August 4, 2009, and we received the letter on August 28, 2009. The postmark on the envelope is dated August 25, 2009, twenty-one days after the letter was written.

In all honesty, we are strongly puzzled by the decision you have chosen to make. Over the course of almost six years (services began 10.6.2003!) we have been visiting your office, we have only refused/declined one immunization. As you are aware, a second dose of the Varicella vaccine is now required by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Audi entered Kindergarten this year and unfortunately, needed a second dose. Because he has been vaccinated once, we decided it was not necessary to administer yet another chemical into his small body. If it were so detrimental for him to have this particular vaccination, we presume it would not have been so simple to retrieve the required ‘Exemption of Immunizations’ paperwork, so we could opt out of this vaccine. Which we utilized, as did many others.

Over the years, our children have been seen by yourself, Dr. ******, and more frequently, ******, C.P.N.P. Along the way, Mel has built friendships and maintained a cordial rapport with everyone at your office, even though we didn’t always agree with treatment. One quick example is the way Audi was diagnosed/treated for RSV (he was one year old, at the time). Four days after he was seen at your office, we were finally sent for chest x-rays, where it was discovered he had pneumonia in addition to RSV. At that time, we had already given our tiny boy approximately 40 treatments of Albuteral (more than twice the recommendation, as printed on the directions of the medication) - which he did not respond to due to having pneumonia - in a four day span. We guess it is deemed appropriate when your doctors and/or office does something different than recommended, but as parents, we are not permitted to make the same choice.

Anyone can have a difference of opinion with any one person, company or even a doctor. But to be dismissed from your practice, because we made a decision that directly effects our child, greatly disturbs us. We are extremely disappointed, that after all these years of our children (and ourselves) getting to know you and those at your practice, you didn’t even have the courtesy to personally phone us to discuss and/or inform us of your decision. Years ago we spoke with you personally regarding Thimerosal and the possible connection with Autism. We listened to what you had to say - we respected and appreciated your opinion. We would have expected the same respect from you. As it stands, we had no opportunity to discuss the situation with you, and we find that very unprofessional. In addition, we would have greatly appreciated an explanation as to why you dismissed “all” of our children, when in actuality, we have only one child who is now lacking one vaccination.

Our children have grown to be very comfortable at your practice and with most of your employees. As parents, that is comforting to us. It is very disheartening to find out in actuality our children were just a ’number’, and nothing more. They deserve more than that. We assumed through the years we were building a trusting relationship. Obviously, we were not.

We believe in treating people with respect, honesty and dealing with ethical and trustworthy organizations. We are wise enough to know that what may be right for one person or family, certainly may not be for another. We are not a family of followers; instead, a family who does the best we can do by being individuals and making the best possible decision(s) we can. By your harsh decision of dismissing our children because we declined one single vaccination, you have confirmed that it is more than time for us to move on. It is apparent you have no respect for parental rights.

In closing, we feel quite confident that had the shoe been on the other foot, you too would feel the very way we do now. We want to express that we firmly believe you have done us a service, and not a disservice. Sometimes disheartening and hurtful situations are a blessing in disguise.

Warmest Regards,



Husband and Melissa ******
817.***.****

The certified letter.

To say I am shocked is basically an understatement. I knew all along that it was a possibility - but, I haven't heard a word from anyone, so I thought all was ok. To be honest, I had forgotten about it. Then the letter, as well as a certified copy, arrived today.

The purpose of this letter is to notify you that we will no longer be responsible for the medical care of your children effective 30 days from the receipt of this letter. **The letter is dated August 4, 2009, but the date stamp on the envelope is dated August 25, 2009. They waited 21 days to mail? I actually received the letter August 27th or 28th. Nonetheless, we lost approximately 24 dates of being seen, if need be. Intentional? Documented.

We, with input from medical staff, have come to this difficult decision for the following reason:

Due to difference of philosophy regarding the practice of medicine.

The letter goes on to list some phone numbers for physician referrals (which I will utilize) & says they will be happy to transfer medical records.

In closing:

Finally, we and the staff at ********* Pediatrics have strived to provide the highest quality pediatric medical care possible for your children. We sincerely wish you and your family well in the future.

Respectfully.

I guess what disappoints me the most is how they chose to notify us. We have been at the same pediatric office for 6 - 6 1/2 years. We have built a rapport with them, or so I thought. I thought we have had an awesome relationship with them for many years. If they didn't agree with us for refusing and/or declining one vaccination, couldn't they have phoned us to let us know of their decision and/or position? Not even the courtesy of a phone call? That part I truly don't understand. What it does let me know is that we were simply a 'number' to them & there was no relationship. I was wrong.

In the letter, they also state that they will no longer treat all of our children. I am baffled. ALL of our children are up-to-date and current on all vaccinations. Prior to this, we have not declined or refused a vaccination. All of our children have received all vaccinations as recommended by the Board of Pediatrics.

This is one isolated incident. The state of Texas is now requiring a 2nd chicken pox vaccination, which Audi needed, in order to enter Kindergarten. Because he has been vaccinated for the chicken pox, we felt it not necessary to vaccinate him again. So we opted out. The state of Texas provided the form for us to opt out.

If their (pediatrician) rules & regulations state they will no longer see patients if any vaccination is refused, ok. We will definitely respect their guidelines. But we refused one vaccination, for Audi, that was required by the state. What I don't understand is why they would refuse to treat my other three children...? Like stated, they are all current & never have we refused any vaccination. I don't see how that's legal.

I've had time to think about it & all is ok. Even though sad & disappointed, I know that we must do for our children what we think is best. If we don't feel comfortable adding yet another chemical in our childrens bodies, for no apparent reason, then that is our decision. And if that means locating another pediatrician, who (hopefully) agrees with us & supports us, then so be it. We always hope to have our childrens best interest at heart, whether it involves vaccinations or not. The truth of that matter is - if we had to do it all over again - our children would only have received certain vaccinations that we deemed necessary and/or beneficial. Which means we obviously would have refused some, & so we wouldn't be with our current pediatrician anyway. But we were 'new' parents, followed all the rules & vaccinated our children. You live & you learn. I am a firm believer it is "never to late" & that is exactly our intent from this point forward.

Hubby is furious. If you know my husband, it takes quite a bit to ruffle his feathers. He's actually making me giggle because he's so bent out of shape over this. He wants to sue our pediatrician for "Parental Rights". LOL Funny guy.

So our hunt for a new pediatrician begins. I know there are many parents currently choosing what vaccinations to allow their children, so it's quite obvious those same parents are refusing certain shots. They all have pediatricians, which is encouraging. Mercedes is possibly due for another round at her 2 year well check up (as well as 3 & 4 year well check ups). I have some time to do some research to see if we actually want to administer those particular vaccinations, or opt out. It may be too late for the older three (meaning, all the vaccinations they received as infants/toddlers), but it's not too late to end unnecessary chemicals from entering Mercedes' system. Should the other three need more vaccinations for whatever reason(s), such as Audi needing one to enter K, those will all be monitored, researched & the final decision will be made by us.

This may be a new chapter, & there is a lot of research to be done, but it feels good. Our pediatrician releasing us is a blessing in disguise. And I have total peace about moving forward. ☺

Branson '09.

Whew! Posting all these took some time! All of these are unedited - except of the one of Bentley, which obviously, I converted to black & white. In no particular order...

Branson! ☺

She didn't go willingly, we kind of...pushed her down. ;o)

The above photos were all taken on manual. After that, I wanted to enjoy, & not spend time constantly changing my camera settings due to lighting circumstances. So, the rest are all snapshots. :)

Love this of Bentley.

Below - they were both about to vomit by the time I snapped this photo. ☺

The below of Bentley I just ♥ - the expression on his face is priceless! :)

Audi, of course, drove like he'd been doing it for years.

The female, on the other hand, spent most of her gokart time facing the track's metal guide. The guy who operated the gokarts that day - well - let's just say he earned his pay w/ Jags. ;o)

All four - Audi pulling up his britches & Mercedes, being Mercedes. Ü



Mercedes loved this wacky chair. She's cracking up, if you can't tell. :)

The Amazing Pets show - pretty cute.

Oh look! Uncle Craig, again! (The tiny one sitting in the guy's hand.) How is it we almost always see him on vacations? ;o)

Batman!

And the married couple.

Bentley is all about dinosaurs - anything & everything. Visiting the dinosaur museum was part of his birthday present. :)



We had an AWESOME time! Here's to next year! Destin? Oh yeah! ☺