Hello!! Thanks for stopping by! I am a second grade teacher who happens to love photography! My love list includes: husband, family, friends, my fur babies, pink, polka dots, DVR, wine, photography, chapstick, hot chocolate and much more!
Enjoy looking around and remember to leave some blog love! :)
Photo courtesy of: Sarah Wheeler
Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 11:02AM From every mountain side
let freedom ring.
Happy 4th of July! Enjoy your day with your family and friends and be thankful to all those who have fought and continue to fight for our country!
xoxo-
V
4th of July, Grandpa in Michigan, family, summer Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 01:40PM 'Each spring ,more than daylilies and daffodils burst from the winter's darkness. Pale legs, shaded from the summer sun, also appear at the first balmy rise in temperature. Some pop out, others plop, but they surface just the same. For the ploppers among us, this is spring's first struggle- a time when we refuse to wear shorts as a matter of dignity.' - Tina Krause
Moving from Michigan to North Carolina people have the assumption that I am tan nearly 350 days out of the year- minus the 15 days they believe is our "winter." But contrary to popular belief that is quite the opposite. I seem to be tan 15 days out of the year when I drag myself to the pool to get rid of my pale legs. The ones that I have shielded from the sun or anyone's eyes for the past winter/spring months. I am slowly working on the tan but it will be interrupted by a part time job this summer- eeeeek!
While in Michigan I took pictures of my cousin's family at the beach. (Side Note: It's so funny that I take more pictures at the beach while in Michigan since we only live 10 minutes away from Lake Michigan, yet in NC I have to drive 3 hours to see sand...) She doesn't seem to have the same struggle as I do with the pale legs, hers were gracefully tan and I do have to admit I was a tad bit jealous! ;)
This family makes me smile- they are wonderfuly warm to each other and when they are together they radiate FAMILY. Their interactions always real, and the laughter is contangious! Enjoy your sneak peak below!
xoxo-
Vanessa :) 
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 06:52PM While in Michigan I met up with my cousin Melanie to take pictures of her nephews! :) We went to the beach where I was attacked by pesky mosquitoes and now have red bumps covering my body with scabs from my ocd scratching habits.
Below you find the cuties, Avery and Liam! Enjoy!
Click here for your online gallery
xoxo-
Vanessa :)
Monday, June 22, 2009 at 05:00PM This blog title has a variety of meanings to me today...
1).Ryan and I went home to Michigan to spend time with our family for the last 9 days! We loved every minute of it and wish we could do it more often! :)
2).We arrived home (in Charlotte) last night and boy did it feel good to sleep in our own bed, wake up and not have to pull stuff out of a suitcase and get errands done that I need to do before I start work on Thursday.
3). Before we left Zeeland we stopped by the cemetery to see Ryan's Grandpa's gravestone. The Veterans gravestones were decorated with flowers and flags...the morning sun, the beautiful flowers and the flag blowing in the cool morning breeze made this moment more beautiful. This was the first time we had seen his gravestone and the first time we have been to the cemetery since his grandpa passed away. He is now home with the Lord as Ryan's grandma told us last week. "home sweet home!"
with love,
Vanessa :)
Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 08:52AM The countdown began sometime in May! The time finally arrived on June 18th, the day Israel turned 6. He went to bed Wednesday night without a fuss because we had his birthday to dangle over his sweet head. "The sooner you fall asleep, the sooner it will be your birthday." Yes, we did this to help him get closer to his birthday, but we also did this for the sake of some peace and quiet in the house...my sister appreciated my efforts to get both her children to sleep before 9pm.
At 9pm- the tv went out, the closet light came on and Israel was tucked into his NEW superhero bed set. My sister and I sat downstairs watching tv, checking stuff on our laptops and chit-chatting until she no longer could keep her eyelids open and went to bed. Since I was sharing a room with the soon to be 6 year old, I waited a tad bit longer to go to bed until I knew for sure he was in a deep sleep. I crept upstairs, changed my clothes and completed my nightly rituals of a face wash and teeth brushing. I tip-toed back into his bedroom to find him AWAKE at midnight. I reminded him that his birthday was not until the sun woke up and that he needed to go back to sleep- half delirious he started telling Ryan and I about his new bowling game, and his bed set and somewhere between this is my....he drifted back to sleep. We snuggled into our bed on the floor- too tired and lazy to blow up the air mattress and just when it seems we feel asleep it was 5am and someone once again was checking to see if it was his birthday. "Nope, not yet-it's still very dark out." In reality, what I was thinking was PLEASE be very dark out because my eyes feel like they have 50lb weights on them and I am not ready to be chipper. Just when I fell back into a deep sleep, it was 7am and he's up the sun is up and I have no more excuses to keep him in bed any longer so I joyfully cheer, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and that's how we started our exciting day for Issy's 6th birthday.
We went to playworld, got ice cream at the junction, came back and had a cookout, sang happy birthday and enjoyed a declicious dirt cake!
Today is Israel's birthday party- he's excited to share his joy with all his cousins. We are parting like monsters with our Monsters vs. Aliens party theme!
xoxo-
Vanessa :)
Israel Birthday in Kids , Michigan, family, summer