If I had two words to describe our pumpkin patch session this year…it would be “UTTER CHAOS!” No question about it. I guess that is what happens when you have rain + dirt = mud everywhere! Now that the number of cousins has grown to four, photo shoots have proven to be A LOT more work. But as I scroll through these images, they make my heart sing. I love these four babies…rain, mud, temper tantrums and all:)
Because of several factors, I haven’t had nearly as many ‘mini-photo shoots’ with Ryan this year. I am sure it is a combination of being pregnant and not always feeling like it, along with the fact that he tells me, “Put your camera down Mama!” and gives me the yuck face. But yesterday, I got him to let me take his picture. The only deal was, he insisted on wearing his Peter Pan costume. Works for me! We have been going on these late afternoon walks in search of “bad, bad animals” to fight. You know…the Lions, Tigers, and Bears that may be walking around the woods in our neighborhood 🙂 So far, we have only found a beetle, a grasshopper, and one really loud and annoying goose! Looking through these images, I was reminded why I love photography. How a moment, an instant, a stage is completely captured forever. These pictures will remind me of how he insisted on wearing this costume for a week straight (daytime and nighttime) when he first got it. And how Matt and I let him do it! Choose your battles, right?! He also demands on wearing the hat backwards. I still haven’t figured that one out. It will always remind me how his fireman boots have been the shoe of choice lately, even though they are way too small and the actual boot covers that go with the costume don’t fit over them. More than anything, these pictures will remind me how he has to have a weapon (preferably a sword) with him at all times. There are times that he will have 3-4 swords tucked into his pants or sword belt. He can hardly walk, but he has his weapons! I have often thought if I hear “Sword fight me Mama!” one more time, I will go crazy! Often I wished I had an older boy in the neighborhood that I could pay a few dollars to sword fight him every day. Wouldn’t that be nice? Instead, I chase him around with a sword, knowing that one day he will be too cool to play with his Mom. I know these days will pass quickly. In my case, Peter Pan will grow up. I am forever grateful for photographs that will capture all these priceless memories that on my own I would probably forget. 
