Family portraits on Thanksgiving December 2, 2008

I love Thanksgiving. I love the food. The people. The smells. The sounds. Mostly the food. Okay, and the people. :)

I didn’t get any photos of the food (sorry, Beth!), but I did get some great shots of my family…if only I were IN one of them. Ahh, the life of a photographer…

My cousin’s son Mason is too cute and one of the most smiling kiddos I’ve ever seen. He’s only a year and half old, and he’s got this posing thing down to an art.  :)

My sister-in-law also got a little mini modeling session. Since my brother is deployed in Iraq right now, I thought some cute photos of his girl would cheer him up… and in a package he’ll be getting soon, he can look at these — and more! — every day (but that’s all I’m going to say, just in case my older brother actually reads my blog…Justin? Are you out there?). :)

Yeah, I told you she was cute. Now check out these EYES!

Pair that pretty lady with a fuzzy (and crazy) puppy, and we’ve got a cuteness overload on our hands. :)

My grandma even posed for a few shots…oh, Wanda Lou!

And one with my mom, too:

My 15-year-old brother…I love the braces stage!

Yes, ladies, in case you couldn’t already tell by the first photo, here his shirt states the clear, honest, factual truth: he is a CATCH. :)

My sweet and bearded husband also made an appearance! What a handsome guy!

And, one more of Bruce (Petey’s brother/cousin) for the road!

Happy Thanksgiving (late)!

#8: Visiting Granny September 1, 2008

A few miles from Mansfield, Missouri, is the place the Shorts have called home for decades. Within a small stretch of gravel road sits the now empty home of Jeff Coday (my Jeff’s namesake, Granny’s father), the site of an old one-room schoolhouse (where my father-in-law Jim went to school), and the past and current home of Granny (Jeff’s grandma). Over the years, life has changed so much in this homestead area, yet stayed somehow the same — in a comforting kind of way, that when you pull up, you know you’ve found your way home.

Jeff and I don’t get to visit our extended family members very often, so when we were going to be near Mansfield for our camping trip, we knew we had to stop in and visit Granny and Aunt Lecia (only one of the sweetest ladies alive!).

The house is such a great farmhouse, and if those walls could talk…wow.

Granny was born in 1916. I can only imagine the things she has seen in her lifetime — we can learn so, so much from those wiser than we are. I’d encourage you all to take time to learn, hear stories and experience life through the perspective of someone special in your family!

Jeff just loves his Aunt Lecia…who is seriously one of the most thoughtful ladies I have ever met. She cooked us quite a feast when we came to visit (Lecia, if you’re reading this, can I get that lasagna recipe?! Yummm!!).

Thanks for the great lunch and fun visit. We love you.

(#8 refers to my list of 101 in 1001!)