Family Time

My car broke down five minutes from Lauren's house as I arrived in town on Monday. Thank God it didn't happen in Atlanta! Taylor's methods may be a bit unconventional, but effective. My car works even though he hinted it would be nice to take me to Texas with them. I wish. Oh how I wish.

Kicking Off Fall Break

Lest you think I don't do anything for my children, let it be known I crawled around on concrete chasing a cat with a camera today. October first is her first birthday and Erin believes it should be a national holiday. The girl spent $40 in craft supplies in honor of the special occasion. We Baughmans are nothing if not half crazy.

We had a special visitor this weekend. Benjamin and Ty really do act like brothers, even after all this time. His story still breaks my heart and I pray the way we love him makes a difference in his world.

I got photograph some special "super sisters" this weekend. They loved dressing up and playing in the creek while Kate kept them safe and I tried to capture all the fun. This is the best "job" ever.  And when we returned, I gave Anna her first knitting lesson. These girls will always be a part of our family despite the end of my childcare providing season with them. 

Greg realized it had been a few weeks since he last ran the truck so he took it for a spin. A few cute side kicks were eager to ride along. Layla loved off roading in the field just outside our neighborhood.

In other news, we have had a break through. For one afternoon, the cats liked each other. Typically, this is not the state of things.

Celebrations and Kick Starts

Greg entered a cook-off at work and won this sweet apron and oven mitt with his brisket and smoked pork tenderloin rubbed in bourbon and wrapped in bacon. We were the lucky taste testers before he took it to work. As Lauren says, "there is nothing more American than a BBQ cook-off in the parking lot of Cummins." She is not wrong. And this weekend? Smoked chicken thighs he first brined overnight. My refrigerator looks like a science experiment gone wrong when he takes on a weekend project but I am not complaining.

I decided to step out on a limb and advertise myself as a photographer on Facebook. I am calling my business She's Chasing Light Photography. It's essentially what I do. I chase light and seek it in the world around me. I am hopeful this will be a business I can use to bless others and feed my creative energy.  The fact I refuse to use photoshop has kept me from starting a business for a few months, as most professionals rely on it. I think most over-edit their images and I prefer the simplicity of natural light. There is beauty in real, organic life.

Fall is finally arriving here! Goodbye nineties and hello seventies! I am so glad to see you again. My house has been ready and my soup pots too. It is time and I couldn't be more thrilled.

The amount of joy this little sign in the kitchen brings me is ridiculous. The candy corn in the basket below it brings the same happiness to the kids in my house.

The neighborhood is growing again. We now have a dozen new homes behind our house. We don't love this change but we knew it was likely when we bought our house twelve years ago. One of the new streets is Kate Circle. Ty wants to know when a road will be named after him. As if we are somehow responsible for street names or that the latest developer actually named a street after our Kate, a child he has never met. But we have invited several neighbors over for a soup party this evening. Nothing says welcome fall quite like a house full of familiar faces and a variety of breads and soups to sample while getting to know one another better.

One morning this week Kate got up early to curl her hair and apply makeup. "Dress well, test well" she said. It worked. Of course she has straight A's but usually leaves here with a pony tail and tee shirt. Not having gym class that morning and a big test that day was the perfect excuse to wear fun clothes and look a little more enthused about school than usual.

I don't know if you heard but we have an adorable grandson. Every video chat and photo breaks my heart a little. Anyone have any contacts we could use to persuade the Army to move them closer to home?

I surprised Ty with some sweet little Halloween spider lights this weekend after he lamented his friend's decorations. He is delighted with the results. Happy fall ya'll. I know I am delighted to see it arrive.