Congratulations!

My brother is engaged!  It all happened yesterday......  I am so very happy for them both.  I have truly never seen him this happy.  He is doing wonderful.  He is living in South Texas working in the oil fields.  We love Crissy and her two kiddos and look forward to her officially joining our family.  I found a picture of the ring he bought her.  I had to post it.... it is beautiful in the picture.....  but it looks even better in person!  He did oh so good, even if he is my brother! 

Also, I took this picture a couple months ago of my brother looking at Crissy as she was telling a story.  The look tells it all.  They are truly meant to be together.  

Congratulations to you both!  

Family Pictures

Today we headed to Landa Park.  My parents, the four of us, Aunt Paula and Hayli, and my brother and his fiance Crissy all dressed up and met there at 11:30.  It was an absolute adventure. First.....  my mom and I were scoping out areas to take the pictures....  I handed her my camera and she began taking shots..... she started walking near the water..... and she FELL!  She hit pretty hard and I saw her head bob against the rocks....  thank God she was okay...  it was such a NASTY fall.  She did pretty good..... her white shirt was still white!  My camera lens didn't fare as well. Mind you.... we had just gotten there, and this was the camera we were going to use....  luckily I had another lens I brought with me, just in case.  Of course a lens can be replaced.... she can't.... Then, Brayden heads up this canyon, and he falls.... The men were good sports but towards the end, they were done and had enough.  

I was able to catch a shot of my parents laughing like crazy.  My brother was making fun of dad and they got to laughing.  It is so them and I am so glad I captured that moment.  The best shots are those candid moments that are not posed and your subjects aren't expecting it.

Here are some of my favorites:

Daddy with his princess.

    

I love this one... but I could never get daddy to keep his eyes open!

The whole gang!

Yep! He fell..... I told him he was going to...  a mom just knows these things.....

He loves the camera!

My parents.... laughing like crazy.  

Guess who forgot to put the Elf on the Shelf!

Yep, you guessed it... ME....  So here I was blogging about how excited I was to start this and I even introduced our elf Nicholas last night.....  Well.....  Justin got up this morning and noticed that Nicholas was in the same spot he was last night.....  Luckily, he quickly found a new spot before Brayden noticed.....  Thank you Jesus!  Gosh, I knew I would probably forget to move him... BUT not the first darn night.  I have all the way till Christmas Eve to remember....  Lord help me!