What a busy weekend

Friday afternoon Matt left early from work to take the girls to a 3pm birthday party while my mom and I went and got pedicures and gel nails.  This was my first time getting gel nails (aside from one time when my friend did them for me months and months ago) and they are great!  I'm not big into having my nails painted, but this was a nice little treat.

Friday evening we went to Matt's work Holiday Party at the Westin on Davis Island.  I stood too much in heels and we stayed up too late, but it was a great evening out together.  I quickly realized that evening how much Matt is respected and admired.  His promotion this year was nothing to take lightly and a lot of people, especially me, are very proud of him.

Saturday the 4 of us, along with my mom, when to a family get together at Matt's dad and Kathy's house.  Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, kids running around, stories and jokes exchanging over plates of food.....it was great!  Some people were visiting from Iowa, some from South Florida, others from a town over.  I really enjoyed seeing everyone though.  Elyse had such a fun time with her cousins and I'm sure she would tell you the scraped lip she got playing chase in the cul-de-sac was worth it.  We brought home two exhausted girls after dark and after bedtime the 3 of us enjoyed a movie on the couch.

Late Sunday morning Matt and I met up with a group of friends at Raymond James Stadium for the Bucs vs. Eagles game.  Tampa lost in a nail-biting finish but it was a great game to watch, the weather and company couldn't be beat.

We were in bed a little after 9pm last night and hit the ground running, business as usual Mondays.  Laundry is put away (that my mom so graciously did yesterday), dinner prep is done, toys are tidied and I can finally update the blog as the girls sleep.

I have a few photo sessions coming up this week, along with a few in weeks past, I'm hoping something useful can be contributed to the Freedom girls! fund on December 20th.  The Front Porch bible study I attend weekly at The Chapel prayerfully chooses a ministry to collect funds for or do service work with, and this year Freedom girls!, a group dedicated to showing the love of Christ to women in strip clubs, is who they chose. I'd been praying about a ministry that I could somehow find the time to volunteer with, devote my time and, my hope was, my RN license as well.  I wanted to get my hands dirty and be part of something big.  I quickly got discouraged because with a traveling husband and two small children it was difficult to find consistent, affordable childcare and things that I could bring them along to seemed very limited if any at all.  What I wanted to do wasn't what He wanted me doing.  I finally realized that God was wanting to use what I was already doing.  Taking pictures.  I'm small.  I'm simple.  My equipment isn't top notch and pales in comparison to the numerous photographers out there.  But I enjoy it and I'm affordable.  I can't give much time anywhere, but I do photography on the side on a schedule that works for my family, and that, I can give back to God.  I'm excited to see where He takes it.