Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Currently: April 2013

I think the exercise shown in the picture on the right - thank you, Pinterest - is designed to be completed every day, perhaps as an alternative to free-writing (writing your thoughts down as they flow into your mind) a daily journal entry.

I don't have time, nor do think it would be very interesting, to answer these "questions" every day - I mean, other than this spring (which has been more like a Midwest spring than a Texas spring), how often would the weather where I live be anything but "HOT"?  Not very often.

I do have time, however, for monthly reflection.  My plan is to complete this exercise at the end of each month as a way to capture what that month - as a whole - looked and felt like.  I think it'll be fun to go back a year from now and read about what's changed (not the weather) over the course of 12 months.

Here we go!

Currently...April 2013

Hallie's kind of into
Disney these days.
Listening
Hallie and I have been listening to Disney compilation CDs, Will and I have been listening to The Antidote by St. Vincent, and on my own I've been listening to Julie Fowlis (she sings Chase the Wind on the Brave soundtrack), Mumford & Sons, and Fun.

Eating
Carrots (Tom and I have discovered that carrots taste approximately 247 times better when we peel and cut them ourselves, so we've been peeling and cutting and scarfing carrots like they're going out of style); banana, pineapple, and spinach smoothies; caramel rice cakes with peanut butter; white cheddar cheese; breakfast tacos; strawberries; and cherry Tootsie Roll Pops.  But I really want a cheeseburger, french fries, and a chocolate malt.

Drinking
Pink lemonade Spark.  Thank you, Advocare peeps.

Wearing
Black and white stripes.  Last Saturday I realized that I'd worn black and white stripes on five out of the last six days (blouse on Monday, t-shirt on Tuesday, scarf on Wednesday, dress on Thursday, different dress on Saturday).  And there are still clean, black-and-white striped articles of clothing in my closet, waiting for their turn.

Feeling
Still a little discombobulated.

Weather
All over the map.  As I mentioned above, this spring - our third in Texas - has felt more like a Midwest spring than a Texas spring.  Hot days, cool days.  Warm nights, cold nights.  Sun, clouds, wind, rain.  I've loved the unpredictability of and constant change that has defined this season, and I'm dreading the weather I know is just around the corner.

Wanting
A new pair of jeans; a clunky, coral necklace; and a new iPhone.

Needing
A new swimsuit.  Ugh.

Should Lucas come
live with us?
Thinking
About getting a cat.  I had two - Pearl (who was actually a boy, poor girly buddy) and Jingle Bells - growing up, but they passed away when I was in college.  Tom and I had two - Duke and Clementine - during our first years of marriage, but Duke died after being hit by a car and Clemmy now lives with my parents because she hates kids and hates us for having kids.  A friend of mine regularly posts pics on Facebook of foster kittens who need permanent homes, and their little faces...you guys, I'm just not strong enough to look away.  So now we're considering finally giving in to the kids (who are begging for a new pet, and "not a fish like Blue who just died one day") and adopting one.  We'll see.

Enjoying
Lie to Me on Netflix, "herding cats" at Will's little league baseball games, helping Hallie work on her (self-assigned) homework, my new website, planning our summer travels, practicing music for a wedding Tom and I are playing this summer, watching Will dominate karate, baking with Hallie, and drinking Blue Moon on the back porch.

How about you?  What are you eating, drinking, wanting, needing, or enjoying these days?

Monday, April 29, 2013

Like Father, Like Son

Will threw the boomerang into the tree, where it stayed.

In an attempt to dislodge the boomerang, Will threw the dustpan into the tree, where it too stayed.

In an attempt to dislodge the dustpan, Will threw the baseball tee into the tree, where it jostled the branches, dislodged nothing, and did not stay.

It was at this point that I glanced out the window and saw Will - who was for some reason once again not wearing any pants - nearly lose his two front teeth when he failed to stand clear of the falling baseball tee. "Gravity, Mom. Gravity is why the baseball tee almost hit me in the head." Gee, you think?

Will didn't want my help, so snapped a few photos and then went back inside to watch this little scenario continue to unfold from the safety of my living room.

In a second attempt to dislodge the dustpan, Will once again hurled the baseball tee into the tree. This time the dustpan returned to earth.

Will stood on the patio and stared up into the tree for a good two minutes. Then he walked over to the outdoor toy shelf and stared at the selection of backyard yard toys, games, and sporting equipment for another two minutes. After what appeared to be an intense assessment of the situation and the "tools" at his disposal, Will chose a badminton racquet and walked - with confidence and purpose - back to the base of the tree.

In an attempt to dislodge the boomerang, Will threw the badminton racquet into the tree. As the branches swayed back and forth, the boomerang slipped from their grip and swirled slowly back to Earth.

The smile on Will's face could have lit up the darkest night.

Will played with the boomerang - the same boomerang he'd spent the last 15 minutes trying to rescue from the tree - for .8 seconds, and then he moved on to tying his sister up with their jump ropes.

This all went down two weeks ago. But last night at dinner I glanced out the window into the backyard and caught a glimpse of the badminton racquet, still stuck in the tree.

Will promised me he'd head out there with his baseball tee tomorrow afternoon and take care of it.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Weekly Wrap-Up (4.26.13)

Earth Week
Yesterday morning The Today Show, as part of its Earth Week coverage, ran a great segment on eco-friendly gadgets and gear (compost buckets, bamboo speakers, reusable water bottles, sunglasses, food storage bags, etc.) to help you "green your routine".  I actually already have and love the water bottle and the food storage bags they discuss, and now that I've seen some of the other options out there, I plan to replace my ugly, clear compost bucket with one of the wooden ones they recommend.  If you're looking to live a greener life, I encourage you to check out the video and the products it highlights.

Did you celebrate Earth Day?  How did/will you recognize Earth Week?  Last weekend we attended the Brazos Valley Earth Day celebration, where we learned more about protecting our environment and keeping our community beautiful, jumped in a bounce house, drank sweet tea, and listened to the Rock-a-Fellas concert.  I'm also planning to register for the upcoming Color Up 5K to benefit "Keep Brazos Beautiful".
She looks like she could be singing, but she's not.  She's complaining.  Loudly.

Disclosure: while I did enjoy The Today Show segment, I really posted a link to the video because my cousin is the guest - check him out!

National Volunteer Week
It's not too late to get out there and lend a hand (it's NEVER too late to get out there and lend a hand), nor is it too late to thank someone who's already stepped up to the plate.  Read my tribute to National Volunteer Week - which includes a couple of (identified by activity) shout-outs to friends of mine both old and new - on either Chasing Roots and the National American Red Cross blog.

The running shoes used in
this photo were actually
worn in the marathon.
The Meaning of Marathons I'm not a marathon runner. I'm not much of a runner at all, which is odd, considering how much I enjoy exercise. But just because I don't like running doesn't mean I can't recognize and acknowledge the physical, emotional, and mental benefits the sport provides to its participants, especially in the case of marathons.

This post, written by John Cave Osborne for Babble, helped me better understand, as he titled his post, "The Meaning of Marathons" and lifted me up as I struggled to make sense of last week's tragic bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I believe stories and articles and tributes like this one can be part of the recovery process, and I wanted to share this one, along with a couple others that have moved me, with you.

Fear, Fearlessness, and the Boston Marathon Bombing

Marathon Monday as a Trauma Nurse in Boston

MomsEveryday: Bully & the Bullied I've written about bullying before (read my post on the No Bully Tour here), but in the past my musings on the subject have been abstract and objective. I was never popular but I wasn't bullied, and thankfully neither of my kids have ever been really, truly bullied either, so while my thoughts and opinions were valid, they carried less weight than the thoughts and opinions of those who'd lived life on either side of the bullying coin. In response to a change in my circumstances, I've written about bullying again, this time from an entirely new perspective...a perspective that might surprise you. (Unless you know Hallie personally, in which case my perspective might NOT surprise you at all.) Please take a few minutes to read this piece I've written for MomsEveryday and join the conversation about bullying.

The Birthday Girl
I didn't want to end with bullying, so I thought I'd instead end with a thank you those of you who helped make Hallie's 4th birthday a special one.  She received calls, emails, and texts; friends and family members sang Happy Birthday to her over the phone or via texted video; and so many of her friends (as well as friends of mine, Tom's, and Will's) celebrated with us at her birthday party.  It wasn't my birthday, but I "felt the love" on Hallie's behalf.  We are incredibly blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives...thank you.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Flower Power

It's entirely possible that at this point you've grown tired of my flower pictures.  If that's the case, my apologies.  I can't help but continue taking and sharing these pictures, for three primary reasons:
  1. Flowers don't scream, cry, refuse to smile, smile like someone's threatening them, or run away.  Photography is considerably less stressful when the quality of my photos depends on just me, rather than on me + how well I've fed, rested, entertained, and/or bribed my subjects. 
  2. Flowers are so unbelievably available here, unlike up north, where flowers bloom for such a short period of time that if you happen to skip going outside for a day you might miss them completely.  I expect that after a few more years in Texas I'll grow accustomed to year-round flowers and won't appreciate them as much as I do now, so until that happens, capturing their beauty is high on my priority list.
  3. Flowers are Hallie's current obsession.  She talks about flowers from sun-up until sun-down, colors pictures of flowers, waters the flowers in our backyard, picks every flower-y weed she passes between our house and Will's elementary school, and literally stops to smell the roses.  Every. Single. Rose.  Appreciating flowers is something the two of us enjoy together, and if I'm taking pictures, the time Hallie spends smelling the roses passes a little more quickly.
These pictures were all taken in the Barbara Bush Rose Garden at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum here in College Station.  Offering to take Hallie to the garden was the only way I could get her to leave the field of bluebonnets.
It was so bright outside that I didn't notice this
little buddy until long after I'd taken the picture.
 
As much as I disliked this lizard, he did look pretty up
against the purple veins of the plant on which he rested.
Gray and yellow are all over the place these days, which may
be why I'm really drawn to this photo and the one below.
This is my favorite photo from the day's shoot.
Smelling the roses.
I love the yellow and gray with just a pop
of green and orange in the background.

I need to come up with a way to display these photos, preferably something other than just framing them and hanging on my living room walls - any suggestions?

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Texas Bucket List: Maroon vs. White

Texas Bucket List: Watch a football game at Kyle Field.

We've twice watched the A&M Consolidated High School and Bryan High School football teams battle it out at Kyle Field (the number of fans who attend this cross-county rivalry game drastically exceeds the capacity of both high school football stadiums, so the teams play their annual match-up at Kyle Field), home of the TAMU Aggies and widely recognized as the one of most incredible places in the country to cheer on a college football team. And while I "counted" attending these games toward finishing my Texas bucket list, I still hoped to someday see the Aggies play a game in their home stadium.

We made that happen by attending this spring's TAMU Maroon & White Game. For a number of reasons, this scrimmage, rather than a regular season home game, provided our family of four with the perfect opportunity to watch the Aggies play on Kyle Field.
  • Tickets cost $5 each for Tom and me, and the kids were free.  We spent $10 total to get into the scrimmage, but would likely have to spend $200+ to get into a regular game. We have more fun when we spend less, primarily because we know we won't feel guilty if one of the kids melts down and we have to leave early.
  • The scrimmage, while very well-attended (45,000+ fans and a new attendance record), wasn't as crazy as a regular game. We didn't have to arrive as early as we would for a regular game and it didn't take us as long to exit the stadium once the game came to an end, both factors that positively influenced our kids' moods and attitudes.
  • The weather in early April, when compared to the weather in August, September, and October, is BEAUTIFUL. We rode our bikes to and from the stadium (no parking hassles to deal with!), and comfortably enjoyed the sun and light breeze while sitting in the stands.
  • The Aggies were going to win no matter what. Those boys of mine are too competitive for their own good, and they don't always react well when their teams lose, so I enjoyed the game more knowing I wouldn't have to talk anyone down off a ledge after the final whistle blew.
  • Johnny Manziel.  He didn't play the entire game, but we still saw him in action AND up close and personal.  We totally lucked out and happened to be walking by at the exact moment the team left the field - Will high-fived everyone, Tom gawked, I jumped up on a rock wall to snap a few pictures, and we all ignored Hallie, who we felt didn't show the appropriate level of post-game Aggie/Johnny enthusiasm.
Let's get this party started! 
Hallie divided her time evenly between sitting under her seat, kicking the man
next to her, and asking to go to the bathroom.  I'm sure you can understand
why we weren't willing to spend money to take her to a regular season game.
I had trouble keeping track of defensive scoring.
Here comes Johnny!
After they ran onto the field but before they headed to the sidelines, all of the Aggies
took a knee at one end of the field. I couldn't find anything about this online - Aggies,
can you shed some light on this for me? Tradition? Prayer? Sign of respect?
Johnny catches the snap.
Johnny throws yet another completion.
I was a little disappointed that the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band didn't perform at
halftime, but I enjoyed the demonstration given by the Ross Volunteer Company.
These pictures make it look like the Company members are "off", but they
were actually just the opposite - their domino-effect series of movements
were completed with unbelievable precision.
Damontre Moore and Luke Joeckel (both Aggies who will most likely go in the
first round of the upcoming NFL draft) received their Aggie Rings at halftime.
High-five time!
There he is! Tom thought Johnny looked taller and
bigger in person than he looks on television.
Johnny walked off the field last, and was fully surrounded by coaches and security.
I didn't, because I didn't want to get tackled or arrested,
but I could have reached out and touched him.
I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to watch the Aggies - especially Johnny - play on Kyle Field and to check that experience off my Texas bucket list.  And if this year's Maroon and White Game is any indication, the 2013 football season is going to be a great one!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

I Love Lamp

Have you seen Anchorman?  Remember this scene?  It's one of my favorites.



Last weekend the kids and I went "shopping" at a neighborhood garage sale, where both Will and Hallie bought small, stuffed dogs for a quarter apiece.  We need more stuffed animals like I need a hole in my head, but the dogs were reasonably priced and in very good condition and I was tired and hot and weak and I caved.  As it turns out, the purchase (even though they used their own money) put me in the kids' good graces for the remainder of the day AND led to this post, so I stand behind my decision.

Back at home, Will named his dog Woof (most of Will's animals are named for the sound they make) and Hallie named her dog...Lamp.  And then she told everyone with whom we crossed paths for the rest of weekend how much she loved Lamp.  As in, "I love Lamp", over and over and over again.



At least No One (Hallie's giraffe) now has an equally-ridiculously-named stuffed animal friend to play with...

Monday, April 22, 2013

Who Runs the World? Volunteers!

"volunteer"

For most of us, the word brings to mind those who give their whole selves to serving others. These kind, generous, selfless individuals immerse themselves in a particular cause or charity, and from our living room couch we read about how they feed and clothe the poor, house the homeless, care for the sick and injured, and raise money to support community nonprofit organizations. And we feel like we aren't doing enough.

I have always wanted to be an American Red Cross Disaster Volunteer. Yes, Disaster Volunteer (DV) should be capitalized, because it's a title. A sought-after, hard-earned title given to those who commit themselves to and train for the tremendous responsibilities that come with the job. But I simply can't, because of where I am in my life, become a DV. Local Disaster Volunteers are called out in the middle of the night and national Disaster Volunteers are deployed for two or three weeks at a time to provide canteen services to first responders and shelter, food, clothing, and mental and emotional support to those affected by natural and manmade disasters. I have two young children and a husband who works 60-80 hour work weeks; there's no way I could leave my house in the middle of the night, let alone leave my family for weeks. Maybe someday, but not right now.

I know a lot of men and women in situations similar to mine. Caring for our children and our spouses and our parents and ourselves takes more hours than they are in the day and more energy than we have to expend. It would be so, so easy to leave the volunteering to "someone else". To someone with more time, more energy, fewer children, older children, healthy parents, an easier job, less stress.

But here's the thing... In my experience, the people whose calendars already overflow with family and work responsibilities and commitments are usually the same people who volunteer. They may not take on the role of Disaster Volunteer, but they're still out there, making a difference.

A friend of mine cares for and trains Diabetes Alert Dogs. Another friend of mine handles public relations when teams of local Disaster Volunteers are deployed in her community. Friends of mine run the PTO, coach youth soccer and baseball teams, and teach art to underprivileged children. Friends of mine chaperone school field trips, help out in the classroom, and raise money for local service organizations, schools, and hospitals. All on top of their full-time jobs both outside and within their homes.

April 21st - 27th is National Volunteer Week. And while National Volunteer Week is primarily about inspiring and encouraging people to seek out ways in which they can positively impact and engage in their communities, these seven days are also about thanking those who've already stepped up to the plate. So today, I'd like to thank those people who give of their time in ways we see and hear about every day. But I'd also like to thank those people who give of their time and are hardly - if ever - recognized for their generosity. It may not always feel like it, but you - as a volunteer - run the world.

Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in. ~ Anonymous

Friday, April 19, 2013

Weekly Wrap-Up (4.19.13)

On Coping & Taking Action
I'm a worrier.  And weeks like the one we've all just lived through remind me that I have every right to worry.  About the safety of my family, my friends, and my community.  About the safety of the first and second responders who courageously and willingly place themselves in harms way to prevent and prepare for emergencies and then respond after disasters strike.  About the current state and future of our country, our world, and our planet, and about what will be left when the time comes for my children to inherit this place we all call home.

I'm also a realist.  I know that worrying won't change outcomes, improve conditions, protect those I love, or even make me feel better.  And I know that while taking action won't change outcomes, it WILL - to a certain extent - improve conditions, protect those I love, and make me feel better.

Here are a few actions, recommended by the American Red Cross, we can all take to "stay strong" in the coming days, weeks, and months.  When your thoughts overwhelm and your heart hurts, give these actions a try.  And if you can, cross "worrying" off your to-do list.   

Boston Strong, by Stephen Colbert
A tragedy like the bombing in Boston is dangerous territory for television's comedians. We look to these men and women when we need to laugh, when we need a distraction from our worries, and when we need the weight of life on our shoulders to feel just a little lighter. So how can these comedians balance what we expect and need from them - a few minutes of humor, distraction, and relaxation - with acknowledging the pain and suffering in our world? They can take a page from Stephen Colbert's playbook.

I don't always agree with Colbert, nor do I find everything he says funny. But earlier this week he, in my opinion, hit the nail on the head by "recognizing the determination of marathoners worldwide and, much more importantly, the fortitude and resilience of humanity that our Bostonians so poignantly demonstrated" in his own unique way.


Catching Fire
On a lighter note...last Sunday night and for the first time in my 30+ years, I watched (almost all of) the MTV Movie Awards.  Not because I was in any way interested in the winners, losers, or presenters, but because the new Catching Fire trailer would be shown at "some point" during the two-hour program.

Despite my familiarity with awards shows and the regularity with which they run long, I erroneously neglected to include a 15- or 30-minute buffer to cover those extra minutes of programming when I set up my DVR.  Sure enough, the awards dragged on past their scheduled 10pm end, and the Catching Fire trailer aired just seconds after my DVR turned off.  After watching that garbage for two hours, it's possible I melted down "Hallie-style" when I realized I'd missed the trailer.  Thankfully, Tom found it online a few minutes later and all was once again right with the world.


I'm counting down the days until November 22nd, when Catching Fire comes out in theaters as a birthday present to me!  

Could It Be True?!
It's possible, even likely, that this "news" is just a rumor, meant to taunt and torment those of us who lived and breathed Friends back in the 90's, but Oh. My. Goodness. What if it's true?!

I'm officially starting to plan a Friends Party, which will take place at my house on the night this new season premieres.  Be there. 10 bonus points to the first person to show up in a Holiday Armadillo costume.
At my 17th birthday party my friends and I recreated this
photo. I won't show our version to you, because while I
have no qualms about embarrassing myself, I don't think it's
fair for me to embarrass my high school friends like that. 

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Happy 2nd Anniversary

I'm thinking about making myself
some anniversary cupcakes.
Saturday, April 20th is the two year anniversary of A Midwestern Girl in Cowboy Country-turned-Chasing Roots.  As I mentioned here almost exactly one year ago, I consider Saturday not just the anniversary of this blog, but also the anniversary of my decision to drastically change my professional life.

So here we are, two years in.  These 24 months went by in the blink of an eye but lasted for an eternity. I wrote and shared nearly 475 "short stories" about my life on Chasing Roots (and wrote 300+ posts for the American Red Cross, MomsEveryday.com, the BCS Parent Network, and our family blog), but still feel like I was just released from the starting gate.  I learned a tremendous amount about who I am and want to be as a writer, but acknowledge the enormity of that which I still don't know.

At some point I realized that my life makes more sense - at least to me - in written form.  Flannery O'Connor once said, "I write because I don't know what I think until I read what I say".  As confusing as this explanation may seem, it agrees with me.  When I look at my life, swirling around and coming at me from all sides, it's difficult to make sense of it all.  But when I take the time to think through my experiences, write them down as if I'm explaining them to others, and then read them back to myself, my life comes into focus.  Through the lens of this blog, I more clearly recognize where I've come from, where I'm going, and how to get there.

Happy second anniversary, Chasing Roots.  Cheers to many, many more.

Thank you for reading, for following (if you haven't already and would like to do so, just click on "Join this site" in the "Followers" box on the righthand side of the homepage), and for sharing Chasing roots with your friends and family.  I am extraordinarily grateful.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

"Give Me a V, Dot the I, Curl the C, T-O-R-Y - Victory!"

After researching the teams, tracking the trends, considering the rankings, and crafting our brackets, the four Ferri engaged in a lengthy and hard-fought March Madness NCAA Tournament Bracket Competition. There were cheers. There were tears. There was A LOT of confusion about what we were doing, why we were doing it, and why, if Iowa continued to win, the Hawkeyes couldn't be found anywhere on our brackets. (Our Iowa Hawkeyes, despite convincingly beating more than one of Big 10 teams selected for the tournament, didn't receive an invitation to the Big Dance. The Hawkeyes did, however, receive an invitation to and finish in second place in the National Invitation Tournament.) There was fighting over highlighters. And there was a great deal of premature planning with regard to how the winner would spend his or her winner's day.

The tournament champion has been crowned (congratulations to Louisville on their victory, and congratulations to our Michigan Wolverines on a well-played game and a fantastic season) and the points have been tallied...here are the final results:


In 4th place, with 61 points, Will.

In 3rd place, with 80 points, Hallie.

In 2nd place, with 106 points, Tom.

And in 1st place, with 140 points, Erin.


I'm not gonna lie - it feels pretty good to have come out on top, especially by such a large margin. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to plan my perfect day.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Tradition: Bluebonnets

I didn't know until after our first spring here that for Texans, taking an annual photo of your offspring in a field of Bluebonnets is as much a tradition as cowboy boots, greeting others with a friendly "Howdy!", or honoring the 12th Man by standing for the entirety of Aggie football games. About halfway through that first March, photos of my friends' children nestled among these vibrant blue flowers began appearing in my Facebook feed; unfortunately for me, by the time I caught on to the trend, the bluebonnet fields had closed up shop.

When our second spring here rolled around, I was prepared: location selected, coordinating (with each other and with the flowers) outfits selected and ironed, camera charged. Sadly, because of the lack of rain during throughout the fall, fields of bluebonnets were considerably more difficult to come by that spring and as a result, capturing a gorgeous photo of Will and Hallie frolicking through the flowers remained on my Texas Bucket List.

Fast forward to this spring, a spring that sprung up on me far too quickly and therefore found me unprepared... On his way home one evening, Tom drove past a field of bluebonnets perfect for photos. When he told me about the flowers, I panicked. Panicked, as in, "WE MUST TAKE PICTURES OF THE KIDS IN THE BLUEBONNETS and WE MUST DO IT NOW!" It wasn't pretty.  Forget the plans we'd made for the following day or the fact that I'd in no way prepared myself or the kids for this photo shoot.  The next morning I threw my camera and the three other members of my family in the car and drove straight to the field.

A little planning would have gone a long way. My camera's memory card was full, so I spent the first five minutes at the field deleting images.  Though coincidently color-coordinated both with each other and with the bluebonnets, neither child was wearing "nice" clothes: Will had on a moisture-wicking athletic tee, soccer shorts, and BRIGHT red tennis shoes, and Hallie's outfit, while reasonably cute, was semi-dirty in that she'd worn it for the second half of the previous day. And not only had I not brushed either head of hair, Hallie had slept in her french-bwaided side ponytail the night before.

I swear, I DO bathe my children and make them change clothes. This all went down on a Saturday, however, which is without a doubt their dirtiest day of the week because I don't usually make them shower on Friday nights.

Anyway, we were all a little rough around the edges for this impromptu photo shoot, and it shows.
Hallie vacillated between "these flowers are scratching my legs!!!" and...
..."these flowers are SO beautiful!!!" every 12 seconds or so.
Picking flowers for his sister.
Best shot #3
Best shot #2
Best shot #1
All things considered, not a bad result.
My favorite close-up.
And I love this shot of a single, in-focus flower surrounded by a sea of blue.
Bluebonnets, bluebonnets, bonnets oh so blue.
Bright eyes are shining, through the silvery dew.
I know you're a dolly, offered for the rain.
I know you'll return again to Texas in the spring.
Farewell until next spring, fields of blue!