Full week

Even though I am pretty sure that we live in a rainforest now we were still able to have some good times outside and more importantly good times with friends!  Before I tell you all about the friends I would like to point you to the picture on your right.  I am choosing to call this little area on my deck my oasis!  I know all this rain is SO good on so many levels but one of the being the hope that my plants are just going to go wild with blooms. 

 Heres to hoping!

On to the friends now.  Kristin came up with her sweet little chunky newborn, Buxton!  He is just precious.  I have been wanting to meet this sweet little boy for weeks now and they were so gracious as to travel up to the mountains for this meeting!  Thank you so much!  Margaret also brought her 6 week old little Beckett over for the day to play.  Buxton is exactly one month older then Beckett.  BellaRose really was in heaven with these two babies around.  She LOVES babies SO much.  She is so tender with them and makes sure that they have all their needs met.  This is very encouraging to us (no I am not pregnant).  We also had a BOB rally around the neighborhood.  I guess some would say we were showing off, but when you have wheels like these, you just have too!

Yeasterday Becky and I went to the WNC nature center in Asheville.  BellaRose surprised me a bit with being afraid of the petting zoo.  One of the sheep "baaa'd" really loud and low and that sent BellaRose flying in the opposite direction.  She had no time for the goats either.  We thought that if Ellen and Becky were touching the goats then she would as well, no such luck.  Becky did, however, have a vast knowledge of goats.  You should ask her about it sometime.  I was also able to get some tractor pictures for Will's room that Annie has been asking for.  I think that they came out pretty well.  Check them out here.  Next we have to get a picture of an old firetruck and a picture of Dan's '88 (is that right?) 4 Runner.  

as I went down to the garden.....

It is that time of year folks, it is garden time!  We Grants love this time of year.  We scout the weather meticulously to make sure that no more frost is coming our way.  We have the bebe gun all pumped full of pellets in case some bird has their eye on our little tomato plants.  The horse manure has been spread, the ground as been tilled, and the rows have been hoed (?), the plants are in!  After much begging on my part Worth has finally let me have some access to some rows and I can plant my beloved pumpkins.  I thought he wasn't going to waiver on this, he says they take up too much room, I say it is my joy.  Was he willing to let my joy be tossed away with the compost, nope, not my man!  Lets me honest though, this is really his garden.  He plants, he tills, he hoes, I just go out and observe and pick the fruits of his labor!

Uncie Ben helps us out by entertaining BellaRose.  

Have I mentioned BellaRose's obsession with water before?  

Big Daddy planting his tomatoes, and BellaRose "helping".

Blog worthy

Worth and I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Hilton Head Island, babyless, to celebrate Leah's wedding!  It was SUCH a fun time.  I just wish it was a wedding week and not weekend!  The blog was the subject of several conversations and whether people would make the cute or not.  So here you go Smith family women (Peanut where are you?), you are officially blog worthy and have made the blog, it only took an awesome wedding to be on here!  Good thing you have two more girls to go, just more chances to be on here :)!

We got to meet Newell's new man who cannot be mentioned by name, something about a warrant....... ha just kidding.  Dottie you have made it too!  And believe it or not I have finally made it in some pictures.

The gorgeous bride living The High Life!

Thank you again everyone.  Thank you Leah for getting married and having us at your wedding.  Thank you Hefners, big Poppa, and T-love for watching the little girl.  It was an awesome trip, just went by way too fast!

Phew!!! 

 Been busy around here.  

We had such a lovely Easter.  My mom came on Good Friday and we enjoyed a great lunch at the Veranda and BellaRose enjoyed getting new Easter shoes from her OG!  We got so many compliments on them Mom, thank you so much!  Saturday we celebrated Ellen's first birthday.  It was such a wonderful party, Becky!!!  You can check out those pictures on my photo blog.

 We went to church on Easter morning and then brunch at the Singeltary's.  Thank you for including us in your family meal.  BellaRose and Will had a blast hunting Easter eggs.  I was not sure that BellaRose would really get it, but once girlfriend found her first egg, the hunt was on.  

I am not sure if it is just BellaRose or all babies, but this child could be a little OCD about some things.  For instance we can't pass an form of water without the child wanting to strip naked and jump in said water.  Swim lessons can't come fast enough.  Another obsession of hers is lotion.  We can't put it on anywhere around her without her wanting some.  This will be beneficial to us in the summer when we are having to load her down with sunscreen.  The middle picture below is of her on Easter afternoon after her nap.  We were putting sunscreen on her and she could not get enough, she had to put it on herself and then sit there and smell it.  She is one funny kid!

Isn't that just the sweetest Easter dress EVER!

So I feel like I have been totally consumed with the photo blog, the photo website, and reading, reading, reading about photography and cameras.  My brain is on complete overload.  I know I have completely bogged down my computer with huge pictures and am not sure what to do.  Do I need an external hard drive?  What do I do once I get one?  Also what is better photoshop or adobe lightroom?  So many questions!  I could go on and on.  I mention this, not to complain but to tell you where my mind has been recently.  I really do feel like I am learning, which is exciting.  I really do feel like I am doing the right thing, which is also exciting.  I really do live and breath photography right now, and I have to tell you I could not be happier.  A photographer is all I have ever really wanted "to be when I grow up".  Thank you all for your support.  It has meant the world to me having you as my supporters!

One final note on the Grant family.....Worth has finally gotten Lasik surgery.  He has been saying he is going to do it for years, but he finally has.  His vision WAS terrible, but already the day of the surgery, he can see.  It really is a miracle.  A miracle that God gave us humans the ability to change our eye sight and the ability for the doctors to perform these surgeries.  Praise the Lord indeed!  He is doing great, a little uncomfortable at times, but amazing considering what they do to your eye.  

Launch Party!

I know all I have talked about is photography and I do apologize for that but I am just SO excited to announce my official Sunday Grant Photography website.

Lets have a party, a launch party, right here right now.  Do a crazy dance if you want.  BellaRose and I did.  Tell me what you think!

Exciting times

So sorry to MIA lately.  Like I said on my photo blog I have been a busy girl lately, learning as much of this photo business as I can.  I am almost ready to launch my official website!!  This is so exciting.  I had many frustrating moments learning about the website, but I powered through and it is really looking good.  I also got some wonderful camera equipment (thanks Courtney!) that I can't wait to start using.  I am so excited about this adventure.  So please tell your friends and family about me, spread the word!!  Sunday Grant Photography is happening and I am ready to start shooting (my camera)!!

Speaking of powering through, I ran my 2nd 5k race of the year.  It really was a blast.  It was much hillier then the treadmill, but I powered through and beat my last time by 5 minutes!!  I was very pleased.  It was just a fun race in general because it was pretty much all of Black Mountain there, and it started and began at Pisgah Brewery.  You just can't beat that atmosphere.  If you have never been to Pisgah and are in this area it would behoove you to go and support our local economy!

Beckett Hales Lowrance

We got to go to the hospital and take Matt and Margaret some lunch and meet that sweet baby boy we have been loving on in utero!  The family is doing fabulous and they are so in love with Beckett.  

Matt giving BellaRose some love.  I think that Matt is BellaRose's super hero!  She adores him!

She also adores babies and especially Beckett.  She was so very sweet with him!

Thank you Matt and Margaret for sharing your sweet boy with us. 

Sweet Baby Beckett!!

Sweet Baby Beckett made his grand entrance into the world yesterday!  He is the son to Matt and Margaret Lowrance, some of our best friends here.  We are so excited to have this little boy around.  We can't wait to meet him today and bring you back some pictures.  I think that Margaret might have had the longest labor I have ever heard of, but she did so well, and is in super high spirits!  Always the trooper, that Margaret!

Beckett weighed 6lbs 15oz and 19 inches long.

Sweet little peanut.

Believe

I believe in black and white pictures.

So Becky is starting a pretty fun game and I would like to join in and support her, because I believe in supporting your friends :)

Here's how it goes, write 5 beliefs or rules you live by, you can't be preachy, serious, religious, or political.  

1. I believe in the SUN and being outside!

2. I believe to sitting down and eating a meal with your family with cloth napkins and place-mats

3.  I believe in recycling, composting, and bringing your own bags

4.  I believe in a great pair of jeans (or pairs)

5.  I believe in fabulous vegetable and flower gardens and sharing them with your friends, and I believe in ALL seasons.

I know that there are many many more and maybe I will continue to add to the list but Becky only said 5 and I already snuck in a few extra.  So tell me what you believe in!

Dreams

There has never been a time when I have not wanted to be a photographer.  I have the chance now to follow that dream.  As many of you know I have recently launched Sunday Grant Photography.  I am so excited about this adventure.  It is scary to put myself and my work out there  It is only because of all of your encouragement that I am even doing this.  Thank you!  I invite you over to my photo blog, and I invite you to tell me honestly what you think, what could change, what could be better, and what is just perfect.  My photography captures life as it happens.  It is not staged or posed, it is just me and my camera following the subject (usually BellaRose) around in the places that they are most comfortable.  I hope that it speaks to you and that the images are something that would be treasured for lifetimes to come.  As Margaret says life is so much more exciting then staged photos.  I hope people allow me the chance to show them the world, their families, their special events, their lives through my lens. 

Southern Living

It seems a little odd for me to be writing to you about snow when yesterday I was in a sundress sitting in my front yard getting a tan.  But like I have said before you gotta love the south.  Snow on Monday, snowboarding on Tuesday, laying out Friday!  Speaking of snowboarding, Worth and I got to go thanks to Annie!  What a gorgeous wonderful day.  It did my soul good to be back on my board!  THANK YOU ANNIE!!!!

What would a snow day be without a picture of my Christmas tree, which by the way is now gone!  I was so sad.  Last night we had a fire, and I see the fire get real big every few minutes and then Margaret mentions my tree being burned!   My beautiful Christmas tree, which by the way still had not lost a single needle, BURNED!  Boys just like fire.  I do realize it is March and time for this to happen, but it is still just breaks my heart!

 

Yesterday I went with Annie and Sara to the Jcrew sidewalk sale.  It opened at 10 and we were there by 9:15.  We sat in line as we watched the Jcrew staff line boxes of clothes up in a U shape, and as this happens I see the people in front of me start to stretch and eye the few things we could see.  I started to get a little nervous what was about to happen?!  I am not a digger or a thrift store shopper (although I used to be).  I would much rather have clothes be beautifully lined up so I can see and then pick my size and be gone.  This digging thing is almost animalistic.  People become savages when any sort of bargain is to be had.  I am not real aggressive when it comes to this situation, but I have to tell you I am pretty sure I got the best deal to be had!  I bought a pair of gorgeous boots, THESE to be exact!  Check out the original price $300, want to know what I got them for?  $10.  That's right people, $10!!!!!  And they were in my size, are you kidding me!  They really are gorgeous and worth the whole trip.  Annie did get the only other pair in her size too, just a darker color.  I did get a few other things, but the boots certainly are the highlight!

**WARNING**  Graphic content to follow, and then a beautiful picture post on a baby shower and a birthday :)!

One summer when I was working at camp as a counselor I was walking out of the dining hall with a camper and a co-counselor and the camper got all poltergeist and throws up mid stride, and mid stride I turn around and walk away.  I know I was being a terrible counselor, but all things throw up make me want to die.  I just can't handle it, I can't handle hearing about it, seeing it, smelling it, you get the idea.  In college my friend Steve would make motions like he was about to lose his cookies and I would dry heave and about start crying.  I am sure you are wondering why I would mention this on such a beautiful post that is about to follow but, I share this with because ever since  I knew I was going to have a baby I was always scared of the day that this may happen to BellaRose.  I would have no idea how I would be able to handle this......sickness.  I am a terrible wife to Worth when he is "sick".  I just ask from a very far distance if he is okay.  Satan took over Worth's stomach this week.  It has been bad, but we have been questioning whether it was the bug or something he ate.  I believe I found out this afternoon with BellaRose that it was a bug.  As I had BellaRose in the tub changing an explosive diaper with the contents strewn about me and BellaRose I realized that as a mother I am capable of much more when the child is mine.  I am not sure that I could handle it if the explosion came from her mouth, but a diaper I can handle.  I am praying that the sweet baby Jesus beats out this Satan bug on our Sweet Girl.  

***Graphic contents over***

Our nephew Noah celebrated his 9th birthday this past week.  We had the chance to surround him with love on Thursday.  Noah is such a sweet boy.  He is so caring of his younger siblings and BellaRose just adores him.  The sweetest thing about Noah is that he lets BellaRose sit in his lap and climb all over him.  I can't believe he is already 9!  Jennifer was about to have him when Worth and I started dating!  I know I say this so often, but time really does fly.  Before we know BellaRose will be 9.  Oh goodness, I can't even think about that.

We also had the great honor to throw Niki and sweet baby Julia a baby shower.  Julia is now officially equipped to enter the world.  Niki is such a beautiful pregnant lady too!  Thank you Niki for letting us do this for you!  You are so gracious.  Check out Annie's beautiful pottery centerpiece that they flowers are in.  This too can be yours for the low low rate of.........