Okay, so a couple of posts ago, I asked if anyone could guess what kind of session this was? 

If you guessed birthday party, then you were right!  

I was lucky enough to be invited to document precious little Miss C’s  first birthday party!  The party was lots of fun… I think my favorite part of the whole thing was being behind the scenes and getting to quietly view just how loved Miss C is.  It was heartwarming to see every single guest cast a genuine ear-to-ear smile at her when they first arrived…  I mean really, everyone was bursting with love for this sweet, little girl.  Oh, and by the way, when I say ’sweet, little girl’, I really do mean it… She is such a doll: petite, quiet, inquisitive, adorable, giggly, and she loves to read her some books!  She studies everything around her… Just takes it all in, quite the student of life.  Thanks for inviting me into your home L + J… It was such a good time!

And now for some birthday fun… Let’s start with the guest of honor:

I think it’s safe to guess that these next two ladies just adore Miss C, don’t ya think?
This one is so fun… I wish I could be thrown in the air like that!
With her parents:
She looks so tiny back there behind that huge box…

Not only does she like to read books…
… But cards too!



Happy 1st Birthday, Miss C!

reata

Well, heeeeeellooooo Handsome! 

This little guy was so easy to work with… he’s adorable as can be and so laid back!  His momma came well equipped with all sorts of goodies for us to work with as far as wardrobe was concerned… And although some babies might not go for all the wardrobe changes, this little fella didn’t mind at all!  I think he might have even liked it!  :]

Showing off his muscles and/or tricks:

Big Brother was along during the session too…
I had to get *at least* a couple of him up too…
Back to the little man:


I can’t wait to show you more in your slideshow, W….. The whole session is too cute!  :]

Later, reata

I don’t exactly remember when it started, or even why it started… But somewhere along the journey I’ve been on with my husband, we started refering to eachother as ‘my truest’ or ‘my true’.  Sometimes we even shorten it down to just the word ‘truest’ or ‘true’. 

For Example:

Hello, My True!    
Me and My Truest are going on our daily run to Target, need us to get you something?  (we love target, btw.)
Truuuuuest, can you please let me sleep in?!?   I’m soooooo tired! 

{ That last one is me usually… and it’s always said in my whiniest, cutest sounding 5 year old voice.  This little charade usually wins me a nice little late morning nap…. which makes me feel so lucky.  :]  }

Anyway, we have our own silly little love-lingo and most people probably think we’re cheesy or and annoying, but it’s so us and I so love it.   Sometimes we like to mix it up a little, by throwing in a ‘My Love’ or ‘My Homie’… But again, that’s so us.  We like to live on the edge like that.

Over spring break (in between the time that my computer almost made me throw it out the window and the time that my computer made me cry), we managed to break free to go on a long afternoon date.  We had fun just hanging out together walking around Houston with no kids, no hassles, and no computer to harrass me.  I brought my camera, of course, but only took a few… Here are some of my favorites.

For some reason, this pictures reminds me of Oz… I think it’s the slick buildings.

And then he took some of me.  I felt all awkard when the camera turned on me…. what’s up with that?

Thanks for the date, My Truest… I had fun!

To the mommies of Baby J and Baby C… Your sneak peeks are coming soon……  As in tomorrow.  Check back then!

Later, reata

This was one of those weeks where I wanted to throw my computer out the window of a moving car into a burning building full of highly explosive cans of hairspray. 

It was beautiful weather outside and my kids/husband were on spring break.  I longed to be in the sunshine and have not a single care in the world.  I had oodles and oodles of editing to do though.  And of course, I had a stack of paper a mile high to input into the computer for my taxes too.  Being true to myself, I made a plan of action.  If I wanted to get through all my work and still have time to play, it was going to take precise planning.  Once my To Do List was in order, I thought to myself, “Self, this isn’t going to be so bad.  I can get these 2 sessions and all my paperwork done on Monday…  Then if I have to spill over, I can fill the extra spots of time here, here, and here with editing, etc.  I’ll have the rest of my time to boogie down with the family! Ooooh yeah!“  (I was quite proud of my planning, you see.)

My computer had other plans for me.  It didn’t want to cooperate and every thing I clicked on quite literally took 10 – 15 seconds to start working/opening.  About 1/2 the time it would freeze up and tell me that the program was ‘not responding’ and the other 1/2 it completely shut itself down.  What gives?!?!

I have never been so frustrated with a machine in my life!  Every time I sat down at the computer, I left it about 6 hours later feeling completely angry and like my time had been wasted! 

Anyhow, spring break is over now, school has started again, and my computer seems to be acting like it’s normal self again.  Of course.

Today, A1 represented her modeling agency for their client, Academy Sports + Outdoors.  She was a swim suit model and she had a lot of  fun.  This was only her 3rd time modeling, but I think she did really well…  Just like a pro!

I gotta figure out how to get some abs like her… I mean, daaaang!

Later, reata

Look.  I know you’re out there… I can see that I’m having hits on my blog everyday.

So, go ahead, don’t be shy!  Say hello every now and then.  You have no idea how excited I get when I have a comment…   It’s a rush like no other!! 

To those who blogstalk me and comment:  Thank you! 
To those who blogstalk without commenting:  Thank you! 

With or without commenting, I am very glad you check in on me!   My business wouldn’t be quite the same without you. 

Oh!  And, while we’re on the topic of shout outs… I’d like to say Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law Lauren!  Love you & I can’t wait to come to your fun filled slumber party tonight!!! 

This is Mr. Toothbrush.  He says Hello!

Question:  In Texas, what season are we in? 
Answer:  No one, including the weatherman, knows.

As soon as I think it’s starting to feel like spring (in Texas, spring feels like summer), the weather freaks out on me and we revert back to winter (which feels more like fall)!  For the past two days, it’s been about 80 degrees and I wore sleeveless (SLEEVELESS!) shirts and I felt perfect… And now today, it’s 47?! 

Come on Weather, cooperate!

This next photo was taken of my little girl only two days ago – Notice the spring-like outfit?

Oh well…  I’m pretty positive it will warm up again within the next 48 to 72 hours and we’ll be back in sleeveless shirts and flip flops again. 

Oh, here’s something fun I can share….  a little peek into a session I did a couple of days ago.  Have any ideas of what this session might have been about?!?

Until later….. reata

I find it very annoying that I am a perfectionist.

Of course, it has it’s perks in life… Like when I’m making the bed, scrubbing the toilet, decorating holiday cookies, folding laundry, applying eyeliner, editing photos, etc…  But dang!  It can get me into trouble every now and then too!

For example:  Over the last couple of days, I’ve been editing a session from this past weekend and I couldn’t bring myself to find a stopping point.  I mean, Good God!  These pictures are so stinkin cute that it’s ridiculous! 

So… Tonight after sitting at my computer for what seems like only a couple of minutes [but in reality was probably a couple of hours], I think I’ve finally quenched my thirst for finding enough pictures to blog about.  [As a side note, I think my eyeballs are about to fall out from looking at the computer screen for so long.  Ouch!]

Well, let’s let ‘er rip….  Here’s your long awaited sneak peek, S Family!  Thanks for being so patient – I hope you love these as much as I do!

i love, love, love these:

um, loving these too:

i loved his little ray gun… great idea, mom!

And lastly:

Hope you love these… I really can not wait to show you more!

Later, reata

What a weekend…..

Three sessions, a dinner date with my hubbie, a house cleaning extravaganza, playing in the sprinkler, grocery shopping, a visit from some old friends, garage cleaning, dog walking, kid chasing.  We were so busy this weekend, we didn’t even have time to bother feeling burdened by the chores we knocked out! 

Actually, it felt quite good to really scrub down the house and start organizing the garage… well, actually, I just watched as my husband organized the garage… but whatever.   Here’s what you don’t understand about our garage though:  It’s been the “catch all” location for the past 3 months for stashing all the items that don’t have a place in our new home yet (we moved in December, remember?).  Anyhow, it’s been such a wreck in there ever since we moved in that it makes me feel lightheaded to even just look at it.  You see, I looooove organization… So of course, I moved all the clutter and random items I’m saving for a garage  sale [that will probably never happen] out of my house and into the garage.  But, now whenever I need to go out there to grab something it makes me go a bit nutty.  (Btw, I don’t really notice clutter in other people’s homes… strange, huh?!  It’s just my own that really freaks me out). 

Yeah, yeah.  I know what you’re thinking… ”Dude, Reata…  Don’t you have  like 3 kids and 2 dogs?  How the heck are you still kickin?  Shouldn’t the clutter from those 5 beings have sent you over the edge by now?!” 

The answer is: Yes.  I probably should be over the edge already.  However, I am a bit of a medical miracle, ya know.  Plus, I take deep breaths every now and then.  And, to top it off, I have an awesome husband who helps me keep things tidy.  [ Thanks, My Love. ]

Okay… Enough of how neurotic I am!  Let’s move along to the best part of my post…….. The sneak peek!  I had a great time working with these guys!  Thanks for braving the powerful winds with me…. I think you will find your images were worth it! 

I really love this one:

How fun is this one?!

What a little sweet heart she is…

Can’t wait to show you more, R Family….  It’ll be soon, I promise!

Later, reata

Includes:
   Up to 2 hours time; up to 5 people
   2 – 3 locations
   Unlimited outfit changes
   At *least* 35 proofs in a password protected online gallery.
   No extra travel charge for my travel to Dallas ($200 Savings)
   10% off ALL 3 photo collections

Here’s the deal:
For one weekend only, Sugar Shots Photography will be showcasing the fabulous faces of Dallas, Texas… Sessions are *very* limited; inquire quickly.  Sessions are unique, fun, and glamorous… every detail is very carefully considered.

Ready to book?
Send me an email with your name, contact info, preferred date [25th OR 26th], & number of people in group… reata@sugarshotsphotographysite.com -  It’s that simple.

*Standard 2009 Pricing & Min. Purchase Applies.
**$50 non-refundable deposit required to secure session; will be applied towards session fee.

My 4 year old daughter really does say some of the funniest things… mixed up words, sayings, song lyrics, etc.   I should write all her funny phraseology down in a journal or something as she says it.  However, I have tricked myself into believing that I have a top notch memory and that I won’t forget all her little sayings, but I should know better… I forget almost everything and I know without a doubt that I have a pretty crappy memory.  And the fact that my heart longs to remember these little phrases will inevitably mean nothing to my brain over time… I will still find myself asking my husband “what was it that she used to say….??”.

(Btw, I have 3 daughters with names that start with A,
thus you will see me refer to them hence forth as A1, A2, A3.)

This is our conversation today in the car on the way to the grocery store:

A2: (very seriously) Is it a good thing to be ‘hands off the hook’?

My husband:  What do you mean?

A2:  Well, on the Polly Pocket movie, Polly says it’s good to be ‘hands off the hook’.

Me:  Oh!  (realizing she’s attempting to quote a very lamely written Polly Pocket DVD we’ve been watching in the car aaaaaall week)  You mean, ‘off the hook’?

A2:  Yeah.

My husband: (trying not to laugh) Um, it means really cool.

A1:  (sounding very pompous) Let someone who knows about this kind of stuff explain it to you… It means AWESOME!

My husband: Yeah, and if something is really, really awesome… You can say it’s off the hizook.

A2:  Oh.  Daddy, tell mommy she’s hands off the hizook.  Tell her, tell her!

My husband:  Mommy, you are soooo off the hizook!!

Me:  (all smiles/heart melting/permanently stashing this memory into my mind)

Over the course of the evening, ‘hands off the hook’ found it’s way into her vocabulary more times than I can recall.   I couldn’t find it in my heart to correct her and tell her that she was saying it wrong… It was much more cute to hear her say it that way! 

Some other things my kids have said in the past?  Here’s a quick list:
Yogrit = Yogurt
Speed Lemon = Speed Limit
Else Something = Something Else
Movieatre = Movie Theatre
Secret Hallway Mother’s Day Out= Sacred Heart Mother’s Day Out
Panny Cakes = Pancakes
Princels = Pretzels

Here’s a little something from the session I had today… It was soooo cold and windy outside and this little guy was just getting over being ill, so we decided to call it quits after only getting a few shots.  We plan to pick up where we left off later on this week when it warms back up.  Yep, that’s Texas weather for ya… blistering cold one day, hot as Hades the next. 

Until later, reata