Photo shoot fun...

One of the things that my older girls have loved to do for years now is 'photo shoot's with friends....and yesterday was no exception....what a fun, beautiful day enjoying the gifts of friendship and God's creation!  (I am loving my new camera...seeing beauty everywhere thru new eyes...now to really study how best to use it!)

Beautiful friends...beautiful surroundings...enjoying God's gifts!

Ronnie loves nature!  If there is water or "critters" around, I can't keep him away!

finding minnows...and watching dragon flies...

My precious, beautiful baby girl!

Loved her freckles so much I HAD to take a picture!

Sisters of the heart...Meghan & Gabrielle

Loves to pose!

My beautiful Sara and beautiful Michaela....Grad photos (the purpose of this photo shoot)...a long Grad post to come....Can't believe how fast they grow up...my 2nd graduate...thank goodness I still have 2 younger precious children to enjoy learning and exploring at home with!

These 2...Michaela and my Meghan...precious friends forever!

The Amazing Grace Race!

For years, my older daughters participated in a wonderful children's choir and every year the children performed a great musical filled with the Gospel message, very catchy songs and fun movements...it's something we looked forward to every year.  Well...now that they are grown, our youngest is now involved in this same choir and we are so happy she is and so blessed!  Our 2nd daughter, Sara, was an assistant with the choir this year, which made it even more special for our whole family.  We're so proud of both Sara and Anna for all of their hard work and dedication!  (my son tried it, and said it was not "his thing"...fine with me...he's involved in enough! LOL)

This year's musical was called "The Amazing Grace Race" and after 2 long rehearsals and 2 performances...we celebrated the final performance tonight!

Anna was a dancer for one of the numbers in the musical...a 1950's "bobby-soxer"...complete with poodle skirt!

I love this picture of our little Anna!

Mother's Day 2012

We has such a wonderful Mother's Day!  I was feeling particularly poorly for a few days...and doing way too much...and bemoaning the fact that my old camera had broken...yes, it was old and only 7 mexapixels...but I LOVE pictures/memories so it was very important to me...and lo and behold....I opened a new camera for Mother's Day!!! (with 16 megapixels and 10x zoom!!!)   So very excited!  Thank you to my precious family for giving me a very, very special Mother's Day!  I love you all so much!

My precious children....

As Anna says "snuggle hugs" with my Peony...

My only son...growing up so very fast!

Our graduate of the year!!!

My first born, all grown up daughter...

with Grandma Ro Ro....

With my mom....Grammy!

Love this one of my mom and I...

It rained all day...a chilly, steady rain...but Anna brightened every minute!

The kids loved checking out the tons of fish and tadpoles in Grammy & Buppy's pond...the rain didn't stop them!

two grandmothers...honored for Mother's Day.....

Easter memories 2012...

We had such a wonderful, rich in blessings Lent and Easter!  Along with devotions, we read aloud a new book called 'Aman's Adventures'.  What a powerful testimony, scripturally accurate and wonderfully told adventure of Jesus' last days, told thru the eyes of a young man.

We, of course, had a wonderful time celebrating with special family as well!  Lots of special traditions that mean so much to our family!

This is 'syrek'...pronounced "sidetz" (phonetically) ...it is Slovak Easter cheese.  My grandmother and great-grandmother always made it symbolizing the richness of a relationship with Christ.  So as my daughters and I made it, we talked about that very thing...about their great-grandmothers...about carrying on traditions....

The 'rugged' cross my husband and son made together...

Beets with horseradish...called 'hrin' in Slovak...

Our "Lamb" cake...a tradition that my mother started when my sisters and I were little girls...

Paska...Slovak Easter Bread.  Tradition says to place all of these things, along with hard boiled eggs,  ham and kielbasi into a large basket, usually covered with a special, embroidered cloth and take it to be blessed in order to break the Lenten fast.

My sweet nephew, Ty, at his Easter play...

My beautiful mom and step-dad....

"the granddaughters"....beautiful girls!

My sisters and I....

The "boy cousins"....

Ron and his beautiful Aunt Peppy....so sweet....

cousins Ronnie & Michael...'angry birds' for Michael's 9th birthday...

Jill and I

Sweet cousins...Mia and my Anna...

Aunt Peppy and Uncle Joe....lovebirds....

Hunting for (and finding) eggs...

My blessings...Meghan, almost 19, Sara 16, Ronnie 10 and Anna 7

Our family....my greatest blessings!