Family Pics 2017

I just could NOT get motivated to schedule family pics this fall, but I knew I would regret it if we didn't keep up with our current every year routine.  It's the teeth.  I blame the teeth.  So much changes year to year, especially the kids' teeth. I just can't NOT document those precious transitions of their growth and the seasons of our family.  

So, in the interest of getting it done AND saving money, I decided I would just go with whomever I saw offering mini-sessions this year.  Sure enough, a friend at church did and I pounced on scheduling that less-expensive option.  We did them on a freakishly cold afternoon in late October. We got some great family shots, some great sibling shots, and some decent Lasa 2 year old shots.  Glad for those!  BUT, there were no decent head shots of the Noah and Anna and their teeth to speak of, SO I was so relieved when my sister assured me she could fill in those picture gaps easily.  And she was right.  Big kids are easy and Emily got us MORE than we can use.  I will post all the pretties below.  

Glad to have checked this off the year's to-do list! Next time, I will stick with a full family session as usual instead of a mini-session.  While I liked the lower cost, I did not like the rushed feel of a 20 minute window -  especially when you factor in the mood of a toddler - or the lesser number of pics you get to choose from when all is said and done. Good to know!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks go to Cayte King Photography and my sister, Emily, for these fine pics!  ❤️  Another year is in the books! Love these beautiful faces.

String City, Hatch Show, Cumberland

Monday was a gorgeous day to wander in Nashville for field-trip stuffs!  So wander and field-trip, we did!  First, we met up with 50ish peeps from our North Nashville Homeschool Group at the Country Music Hall of Fame for a show called String City:  Nashville's Tradition for Music and Puppetry. It was really well done and I saw so much of the co-presenters' well-known quality and vibe - Nashville Public Library's Wishing Chair Productions.  We've been to a number of their marionette shows over the years.

After that, Amy wanted to check out Hatch Show Print! Shop.  As one of the oldest letterpress print shops in America, and a perfect supplement to printing press stuff we've covered last year and this, it was beyond neat to show the kids the whole working operation in live action.  They were even kind enough to give the kids a mini-field trip-chat right there on the spot.

Afterward, we sauntered back across the Cumberland River Pedestrian Bridge and picnicked at Cumberland Park.  This was Lasa's first time there. She was all about the slides as I knew she would be.

This was the first field trip I have had to take toddler along with us on a field trip and it went just fine!  Baby Girl kept up with it all and was alive to all the sights and action.  Getting so big!   This trip was the perfect way to get our heads back into school stuff after Thanksgiving Break.  Easing our way in.  HA!

Noah and Anna Get Baptized

This precious Sunday, these precious ones, their precious obedience and participation in church life - Baptism!

It was years ago now that they came to a saving knowledge of Jesus and they have grown up in leaps and bounds in their faith since then, certainly with so much more to go,  as we all do.   Noah's Decision -  Feb. 13, 2012 - age @6.  Anna's Decision - Jan 24, 2013 - age 4.  These were precious moments to recall and to have Noah and Anna read to themselves now and recall the decision in its newness back then.

Over the course of this year, they communicated that they wanted to follow up with baptism.   And it is right that they should!  Finally we got around to getting the kiddos through a Desiring God baptism study for review.  Finally, they had a sit down chat with our Family Ministry Pastor at the time.  Finally, the new-to-us old baptistery in our new/old building got fixed and was ready to roll.  Finally, we got the go ahead from Jamie that it was time.  In the meantime, somewhere along the way, I found this pretty thing Anna had drawn.

 

This precious Sunday, it was her and Noah's turn to take a public plunge in front of their church family.   I thought I would get emotional, but I didn't.  I was all grins.  Emily and family came to town to share the milestone and our dear friends Cathy, Craig, and kids joined us that morning, too.  

 

 

Josh shared a verse for the kids that we chose for them at this time that was fitting for our goals in discipling them - 2 Peter 1:3-10.  It's pretty much what we always harp on while disciplining them these days, too.  Ha!  Discipline/Disciple.  Close cousins I think.

 

 

 

Like I said, I was all grins - proud of my babies standing up there facing the church all by themselves, proud of them speaking so clearly and so sure of their answers, amused when Anna snuck her head around to peek at us down below as Noah got into the water, amused when Pastor Jamie confessed to bumping Noah's head on the wall of the tub when he went down.  Ha!  Nope, I didn't get emotional like I thought I would ... until I got to absorb the moments all over again nice and slow via precious pics from my too-kind friend, Brandy, who snapped a bunch from behind the scenes.   Sorrynotsorry for the photo reel coming up! I am so, so, so, so, so grateful for these glimpses to keep forever!  They tell the whole sequence so sweetly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Say hello to the two newest official members of Redeemer Church! (I did not expect us to have to go stand at the front of the service at the end there - ha!)  Noah felt so cool with everyone coming up to shake his hand afterward and congratulate him and welcome him as a member and tell him that he is now their brother in Christ.  

Anna said it was so fun, that the water was not as warm as the hot tub, and that she was nervous just because she knows she will remember this day for the rest of her life. Love!  Precious day indeed.

Oh yeah!  Cathy was so sweet and got gifts and a card for the kids and Brooklyn gave Anna a bracelet to mark the occasion, too.

Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness - in answering this prayer of ours hearts since before these two were born, in sending your Son, in your forgiveness of sins, in the faith you author and perfect and complete in your people all the days of our lives.  Too much goodness!  This momma's heart prays that you please continue to hold my babies' hearts fast in the coming years - for their protection and for your glory!  Praising You!