Fall Beauty...

The one MUST on my summer list... love lindsey

My kids are growing up. Surely mine aren't the only ones. This girl was just a baby yesterday, and now... she's a mover and a shaker. I watched her in swimming lessons today and couldn't believe the little girl that's transforming before my eyes.

I want time to stop so I won't forget.

I always think I'll remember everything from their little years. The cute faces unique to just them. The pudgy bellies and crooked smiles. The adventurous spirits and playful moments. The lazy summer days of following them around outside, exploring and interacting.

Letting them just be themselves.

My remembering fails me more often than I would like to admit (can you still have pregnancy brain without actually being pregnant?). But even though I can't make time stand still, I can capture some of these priceless moments and keep them as memories for a lifetime. I plan to do just that this summer with love lindsey.

I walked through my kitchen the other day and looked up at the photos of each of my four kids hanging on the wall. It was at that moment that I realized how pathetic I am.

Tess's latest professional picture? When she was sixteen months old. Yikes. Do you know how much changing happens between sixteen months and three? Tyler even requested out of the blue this week that I get an updated photo of her on the wall. You know it's bad when he notices.

So I found out about an amazing summer deal that my photographer friend Lindsey is offering right now (don't you love it when you know friends with mad skills?), and it's simply too good not to share with my local friends. Get this...

You know you have thirty minutes. And if you're like our family, if you skip one round of McDonald's, you have thirty dollars (now there's a tragedy, folks). This might possibly be the best thirty minutes and thirty bucks you'll spend all summer, because the results will last long after the fireflies (fireflies sound so much more romantic than mosquitos, don't you think?) have disappeared for the season.

And for the record, it's lifestyle photography, otherwise known as no-stress photography. Ha. She captures your kids as they just do their thing. No posing. No forced head tilts. No cheesy fake backgrounds. Just natural personality through and through. And you'll look back on her photos and think to yourself, "Ah, I remember when she used to make that cute face...," instead of saying, "Look how miserable she was sitting still for that long." Finally, someone invented something that works for kids like mine.

You know, the ones who don't sit still for more than ten seconds.

Lindsey has creatively chosen different styles of locations in town (from country to urban), and different dates to suit busy people like you, and because I love you, I'm getting this info to you now before she fills up. But you won't want to mess around, people, because she is just that good.

You won't regret taking advantage of this unique offer! First come, first served, and the first mini-sessions start THIS SATURDAY!

P.S. You must reserve your session time... double click on the schedule above to zoom in on how to contact Lindsey.

Need more convincing? Check out Lindsey's website and blog to see some of her incredible work. I promise you won't be able to say no. :)

Happy memory making this summer with the ones you love...

4th of July Pie!!

Popping in to share my favorite Independence Day treat with you all...but first of all... can you believe it's almost July?! Where in the world has half of the summer gone already?!

Oh yes, it's flashing right before our eyes... on the baseball field.

I'm madly in love with my little ball players (especially their cute bottoms in their baseball pants...), and actually really enjoy watching the sport (though I'm still working on the newly-turned three year old to acquire the same affection), but geesh, what a commitment. Just when we thought our season might be over, Trey had to go and make All-Stars. Super proud of that fired-up first baseman, but I'm trying hard not to drag my feet about the season now being extended by three more weeks.

The league, however, will be thrilled to know that the Daugherty siblings will be around a little bit longer to contribute to the concession stand fundraiser. :)

Ah yes, back to the pie. It's fresh, light and in-season, and it's one of those recipes that looks really impressive even though it's super easy - my favorite kind (you might want to splash some flour on your face at some point so your guests know it's homemade!)! And it's so 4th-of-July-like that we just have to make it every year. Inspired yet?! You can find the recipe here.

And, because they're too cute not to share, check out some other kid-friendly Fourth of July ideas on this sweet blog.

What's YOUR favorite 4th of July tradition?

Blessings...

Feeling a little reflective today, maybe because of all of this rain coming down outside. The house is quiet, Easter is approaching, and I am longing to see Jesus. Simple as that. Nothing major going on in my life right now, but my heart is burdened for a couple of very special friends going through trials they thought they would never have to face in this life.

I heard this song on K-LOVE a couple of weeks ago, and again today. I don't know what you're going through today, but if you are searching for something in the midst of your suffering, this song is a powerful reminder that Jesus is near, and He cares.

Listen here.

"What if trials in this life, are Your mercies in disguise?" - Blessings, by Laura Story