LIFE | Dress Up

Halloween is upon us and with "Dressing Up" on everyone's minds today I thought it would be the perfect time to share with you a different sort of "Dress Up" from a special night a few weekends ago.

My two older daughters, Clara and Ema, attended Homecoming together.
It was a big night for both of them because it was Clara's very LAST Homecoming as a Senior and Ema's very FIRST as a Freshman. I didn't even let Clara go to Homecoming as a Freshman because I thought she was too young so my heart was torn with allowing Ema to go as a Freshman. In the end though, I just couldn't let go of the fact that this would be the only opportunity they'd ever get to attend together.

I had big plans of photographing them using the beautiful natural light at the end of the day...just before they headed out for their big night.

The photo-taking didn't go as planned though because my day was saturated with the Neighborhood Fall Family Picnic that started in the late afternoon. On top of that, both of my girls were at a school band competition all day long. Any student attending Homecoming was allowed to leave the competition early to allow themselves time to get ready for their big night. However, the kids had been performing in the sun all day long and returned home with sunburned faces, chests and arms. You all know this isn't a very flattering look in a dress for photo-taking. Ugh!!

Anyway, I was supposed to leave the picnic, snap some photos of the girls after they were all finished getting ready, see them off on their big night and then return to the picnic.

What really happened was that I left the picnic about 30 minutes before it ended, got to the house and the girls weren't near being ready. Ema needed help with her hair and by the time they were finished the beautiful natural light I had intended on using had long disappeared. And I never made it back to the picnic.

The girls were stressed because they were already late meeting their friends for dinner and were anxious to get out the door. (Clara, especially). I begrudgingly snapped indoor photos with harsh lighting and they both managed to fake a couple of smiles. Ha!!

I was definitely disappointed in the way the night turned out with regards to the photo-taking.
I knew the day would be crazy and I did everything I could to make it go as smoothly as possible but we all know there are just some things we can't control.

So a couple of days later I decided to snap some photos of their dresses, shoes and jewelry hoping to capture the memory of their night.

I don't know where the time has gone?
I look at my two older girls all grown up and my heart wants to burst.

Often, when I'm feeling nostalgic about how quickly they've grown up...
I feel a little tug on my shirt from Ella...my 4 year old.
I look down at her and her sweet little face filled with innocence and wonder and then all seems right in the world again.
My older girls help remind me to eat up the sweet moments I still have with Ella right now...
and so many more I have to look forward to.

Speaking of which...we've got Halloween to celebrate tonight!
I'm looking forward to transforming that cute little 4 year old into a darling Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader!

I hope you all have a fun, safe night Trick or Treating!
See you back here tomorrow to close out the month of October with a really SPECIAL giveaway!
See you soon friends!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I can tell you my older girls and I really butt heads sometimes and there are moments of frustration that make my eyes want to pop out.
I've even kicked myself for wishing (begging) for girls with each pregnancy, knowing now if I'd had boys there would be so much less drama and I'd have the joy of experiencing the unique love of a son.
BUT...that doesn't change how much I love them both and despite the exasperation that comes with teenage daughters, I really wouldn't trade them for the world. I am blessed to have two of the smartest, most beautiful girls on the planet. I'm proud of who they are as young women and the high moral standards they choose to live by.

Even MORE Real...
On the morning of the Fall Family Picnic and Homecoming, I suddenly realized I still had not gotten any jewelry for the girls to wear. There were some things here at the house I'm sure we could've made do with but I decided to sneak in a quick stop to Kohl's as I was running around that morning picking up last minute things for the picnic. I prayed I would find something they'd both like and after nearly an hour of searching through all of the jewelry, I found them both earrings and necklaces. Knowing the picnic would be in full swing and I wouldn't be home when they got home from the competition, I raced home and put the jewelry on their dressers as a surprise for them to find.