Goats

We got in too late last night to blog. We started the morning off interesting. I was awakened by my son informing me there were goats walking down the sidewalk outside his room. This was not exactly the way I'm use to waking up. Through sleepy eyes I notice my son is NOT wearing his glasses and I'm sure he was mistaking a goat for a really big dog. At his insistence, I went downstairs to check it out. Sure enough, there were 2 goats walking down the street. As my mind is trying to process what I'm seeing, I see my neighbor trying to lasso one. At this point I'm pretty sure I'm still asleep. I step out my front door to see several of my neighbors looking as confused as I was. The parents of these two kids were located by the police and taken home.

We grabbed a lunch and headed out for a hike at the Peaks of Otter and a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was the perfect day to hike. The temperature was in the 70's and the fall leaves were gorgeous. I have to admit it felt like we were never gonna get to the top. When we finally got there it was so worth it. It was like being on top of the world. Every where we looked was amazing. We could see the mountains for miles and miles. The kids did great. There were some pretty steep and dangerous areas. I tried to keep my fears of their sudden death stuffed in. Oh the innocence of children...I was able to take pictures that I'm sure to cherish forever.

Found good spots

I have admired so many photographers blogs. They seem to find these great out door spots for taking pictures. Oh how I wished I had spots like those. I finally realized that I do have those spots in my own neighborhood. My friend, Magda, wanted to get to know her camera a little bit more so we went for a picture walk.On the way we ran into her daughter Klaudia who was only too happy to stop and pose for a few shots. Even her little brother got in on the fun by running to grab his camera.

When we got to the bottom of the hill Dominik decided he didn't want to be in the shots. Jaden, on the other hand, is always ready to be in front of the camera. I learned that Jaden is interested in cameras. He was snapping away.

Football

It is that time of the year. The air is getting cooler and the leaves are starting to fall. It is football season. While most of the people in my town are gearing up for Hokie ball, my house is gearing up for Pee Wee flag football. My 6 year old is playing flag for the first time. We have such a small town that there are only 4 teams so they just play each other over and over again. When you live in a small town you will know kids from other teams. You get the pleasure to yell for them all. So, while everyone else is tailgating for Virginia Tech, I'm screaming my head off for my little player.

The Hood

I'm so bombed I don't have a picture for this post. My neighborhood is awesome. We view quite a few neighbors like family. (Aunt Cheri, Aunt Melissa, Uncle Bob...) The last few nights have solidified that feeling. I bought a volleyball net. Once that net went up, it was like an alarm sounded for the neighborhood children. They came running from all directions. I stood back and watched as my children bonded with kids who will become life long friends. The moms and dads who ran around my yard reliving their childhoods were all smiles. It was nothing for a toddler to wrap their arms around the leg of someone other than their parents and be perfectly comfortable with that. This is where I wanted my kids to grow up. This is how I want my kids to grow up. When they are 35 years old I want them to look back on summers like this and know they were loved by many.

Auntie's Angel

Auntie's Angel
Originally uploaded by toyjsu

I forgot how much fun it can be to keep up with a toddler. This little boy cracks me up. Yesterday we went for a little walk to see the ducks. He was in awe of them. I am teaching him to sign. "NO" is one of his favorite signs. Go figure...

Taking pictures

Photography is relaxing. I enjoy learning as much about it as possible. Some parts prove to be frustrating. The fact that my children move to freaking fast is the frustrating part. I have to keep adjusting to keep up with them. A few days ago Sarah, one of my best friends, and I took my kids to Giles to take some rural shots. It was a good learning experience in many ways. How can I do a photo shoot with other peoples' children if I can't do one with my own kids? Other peoples' children LISTEN BETTER. The thing I like about photography is you are your own artist. Your art form belongs to you and no one else. Here is an example of my art from this past week:

Have a great week!

Washed clean

We haven't had rain in quite a while. After a really good rain I went out to take a peek at the flowers and shrubbery. When I watched the remaining rain drops on the flowers and leaves, I noticed how clean everything looked. I was reminded of how as Christians we are washed with the blood of Jesus and made like new. The water dripping off the leaves is like the sin being washed away. Thank you God for the rain.

Cocooned on a cloud

Cocooned on a cloud
Originally uploaded by toyjsu

Wouldn't life be just perfect if you could sleep like this? Here is another picture of baby William. Isn't he a doll?

A week of pictures

Happy Birthday America:

The kids and I drove 17+ hours from Virginia to Texas. Yep, I'm crazy. The kids actually were really well behaved in the van. It was after they got out that they lost their minds. So as you saw from previous post we had great family time with 3 of my siblings, grandmother, and cousins. Dear hubby joined us via plane and we made our way to Atlanta, Georgia for the second part of our road trip. In Atlanta we met up with one of my best friends and her family. Zamorah (3) and I are old buddies. I had the pleasure to be at the hospital for Amyrah's birth (2). Kendrah (10 months) and I got to know each other during this trip. Her new name is juicy. Oh my goodness this child is teething.I have to say Amyrah was quite entertaining. I have never met such a smart 2 year old. She had me cracking up the entire time. We all got together with Melissa's in-laws and watched the fireworks. We had a premium location since her brother-in-law is a firefighter.

A child is born: William Burkett O'shea was born July 2, 2010. Yesterday I got the chance to do a newborn photo shoot with him. It was so much fun.

The Fuqua Grandparents

I could not have asked for better grandparents. Big mama and Papa were absolutely awesome. They not only helped raise me but several of my other cousins as well. Papa has gone now but he is still quite visible. The love he shared with my Big mama is seen in the eyes of all of their offspring. Here is a small group who were able to gather and spend time with her. They did a great job.