Strolling through the zoo...<3 <3 <3

A giraffe eating a giraffe...you have to see it to believe it!

A day at the zoo...

What a fun day today was!! We had a fun field trip with our wonderful friends the Jeters at the zoo. There were so many fun things to learn about today....from things from the 1700-1800's like the toys and clothes from that era.........to feeding the lorakeet birds (one even landed on my hand and ate right out of it).....to riding the carousel........fun, fun, FUN! The kids seemed to enjoy each other and the weather was just PERFECT! We love our friends!!!

Lacy and Reggie

This is My Reggie and my Mama and Daddy's Lacy. Sometimes we "dog-sit" for Lacy when Mama and Daddy go out of town. We got to keep her this past weekend! I just love Lacy. Lacy is 11 years old and is one of the very best dogs in the world. She is really like a little hairy person...with four legs :). Reggie loves her. He is so cute with her...he just wants for her to play and be buds with him, but bless his heart...she doesn't care as much for him....well that's probably putting it lightly. He will run circles around her...she just looks up at me as if to say..."can't you give this dude anything"? Reggie is very playful and a great dog. I really do love him, although sometimes he gets on my VERY LAST nerve. He loves to snuggle up close (he has to be touching you when he naps)...and sometimes I just hold him like a little baby. The kids adore him and he is in love with them too. Last night Ian was crying (loud I might add) and Reggie started barking at him...the big deal here is that Reggie NEVER barks at us...not to go out...not when he goes in his crate...not when the kids get a little rough with him, etc. He was REALLY upset that Ian was crying and Reggie wanted to help him somehow. It was a sweet moment with my furry "third child".

Time for a change...

Emma's new room....yes...very green. A minty kinda green. It is really a change from the purple and pink that she had before (with a terribly stubborn border to remove I might add). But, it's growing on me. She wanted a color that was very different than before...she picked out the color and she loves it. Bless her heart, she's been looking at those same "little girl" walls for five years, and it was definitely time for a change!

Painting adventures...

We...or should I say "I"...decided that it was time to do some painting in the Helton household. So, this past weekend, we did just that. We started with Emma's room. Well, that's as far as we actually got, but the most important thing for us was...that we DID start :)! Getting started seems to always be the hard part doesn't it?? So, I decided the we'd do a fun little assignment on Friday for art. I let the kids draw anything they wanted (with pencil ofcourse) on their walls! This was fun for them and it occupied their little minds and hands for quite a while. Emma drew a beautiful picture of Noah's Ark and the animals and rain (see picture). It was kinda sad to cover it up with paint...but fun while it lasted.

Where's Waldo..I mean the kiddos???

Just a favorite pic

Just wanted to post a favorite pic of my big girl. She is precious!

Fall is in the air

I just LOVE the fall. Adam and I got married in the fall. I love opening my windows and feeling that cool breeze blowing. There is just nothing like it! What is so funny to me is that Emma and Ian really love the fall too...the other day they both were talking about how it "felt" like Halloween. I found it so interesting that they can feel the temperature and look at the trees and smell the air and equate that to Halloween....
Isn't God so amazing. He gives us such beauty around us to enjoy. Thank you Lord for this beautiful season.

Emma's 7th tooth...gone..

Emma lost her 7th tooth the other night....I really can't decide how this makes me feel! Kinda happy that she is getting bigger and growing, but kinda sad that she's getting bigger and growing...make sense???? My little girl is really growing up...she's almost as tall as us parents and most of you know how really tall that is :). J/K
She did super with this one....it didn't take the very dramatic 2-3 hours of fun-filled tears, fear and drama that he other 6 took. She bit into a piece of grilled cheese of all things at dinner...we went to the bathroom...and I took out the pliers...HA-- just seeing if you were on your toes...I really got a piece of TP and barely touched it and it was out!! You should've seen the smile on her face...OH, wait...you can because here it is in this pic! (I don't go far without my camera, can you tell)??

Camping...well almost anyways...

Last week, we set out to do some serious camping....well, sortof...well, okay, it was just in our back yard....well...we actually ended up coming inside to our nice cool home after a couple of hours...okay...we wimped out. I admit it. Adam and I really did have good intentions though! We got it all set up, made a real campfire, cooked hot dogs over the fire and made smores and roasted marshmallows. When we got in the tent we realized..."WHAT ARE WE THINKING??" It was SSOOO doggone humid. Really, no joke. As we looked around the tent at Emma and Ian with their hair dripping wet with sweat, we thought...maybe it wouldn't be too difficult to talk them into going inside?? SSOOO, a little bribery goes a long way with the Helton kids. The promise of a home made milkshake, staying up late to watch Funniest Home Videos and sleeping in the living room did the trick! Score one for the parents!!! :)
It was a really fun "almost camp out". We'll try again when the conditions are much less....sweaty!

Watch out bad guys...

If anyone ever needs help catching any bad guys...my little dude will come to the rescue! See the seriousness in his face...he doesn't mess around when it comes to fighting crime. :)

The fun that we have...

Emma and Ian planned their own art lesson on this day....oh what fun! Ian sat so quietly and still as Emma "transformed" him into one of his favorite superheroes. After he got his "makeover", he went out directly to fight the crime in the neighborhood :). THANKFULLY, it was a washable marker...my heart did skip a beat or two because a sharpie was nearby and for a second, I thought I might have to permanently get used to this very very dark face...
Can't do art like this in school, huh??

Love <3

My babies are my loves. I know, they aren't "officially" babies anymore, it is just that they really are "my babies" in my heart! I love it when they love each other! I think it is the best feeling a mom can have when they love each other and play well together (without prompting or correcting I might add). It just makes my heart smile...if a heart could smile that is :-). Well...then there is the opposite......which makes my heart so sad...you know....like when they scratch, scream, tattle, etc, etc. It makes me think of God and how He might feel when we are loving like He wants us to versus when we are fussing and complaining like He doesn't want us to. Does His heart smile when we obey, love and forgive?? Does His heart frown when we do the opposite?? I want for God to look at me and smile............

Cheese :-)!

I love photography! I love to take pictures of my kids especially. I have been all about the pictures since Emma was born. With both of my kiddos I took a picture of them (close up and full length) every week for the first year of their lives! I can look back on them now and you can actually "see" them grow right before your eyes! It is impossible to make time stand still, but you can't get any closer than with a picture! I also love to take pictures for other people. It is so rewarding for me to be able to give someone a picture of their family or child. I guess you could say that photography is a passion for sure for me. So, please forgive me if I get a little obnoxious if I have my camera in hand and I go a little crazy with the pics....I can hardly help myself!!!!