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Welcome

Welcome to my little corner of the world. I am so honored by your visit today. My name is Kristi and I am married to my college sweetheart(I refer to him here as "Mr. Incredible"), momma to my 2 beautiful girls who are growing much too quickly, a high school computer teacher, photographer, and a gardener (at times~right now I'm growing weeds). I love to laugh, drink strong Starbucks coffee, take pictures, and be anywhere my family is. Jesus is my Savior and I try so hard to be the wife and momma that He has called me to be. I often fail but He lovingly picks me up, dusts me off, and encourages me that with Him all things are possible. Feel free to join me on this journey of faith, stop in and say hello, look around, and leave a comment~I love comments. Why "Kiki's Corner?" My nephews call me Aunt Kiki and I love that too.

It's Pee Wee Football Season

My oldest nephew is playing his last season of Pee Wee football because next year it is time to play junior high football.  Yikes!  And Aunt Kiki just has to brag a little bit...my nephew  is the....QUARTERBACK!  Yes, yes he is.  Naturally, I had to be on the sidelines to snap a few pictures of his quarterback debut, just like I do for the high school boys.  I even wore a purple shirt to match his team.  It was an awesome season opener as the LSU Tigers (that's the name they chose) defeated the other team in a major way.  I don't remember the final score but it was something like we scored 4 touchdowns to the other team's one.  I was far more interested in what was in my BGC (big girl camera) viewfinder than the scoreboard.

Little nephew (I hope you don't mind if I still call you that...even though I know you are not so little anymore) you played an awesome game and I took great joy in being able to capture a few pictures of you in action. And you are by far the best quarterback in the history of Pee Wee football!  Keep up the good work! Go #18!!













P.S. Your Aunt Kiki loves you sooooooooooooo much!

The "P" Family {A Sneak Peek}

What an incredibly fun photo shoot I was blessed to have with the "P" family. Gorgeous girls, a handsome little cowboy, and their show heifers complete with bling. I loved every second and I learned some cool things too. Their daddy was careful to make sure the cows always had their ears facing us and thankfully I was able to capture all three of them with their ears facing us and all four of their gorgeous children smiling and looking my way too. Delight!

I hope he has several shot guns...because their girls are gorgeous and he is going to need it when those stinkin' boys come around some day!




And doesn't this little cowboy just melt your heart?!


SYATP 2011

Today our school took part in See You at the Pole 2011. Many students, some armed with Starbucks coffee (Hello?? Did you forget about your computer teacher?) and donuts arrived early to gather together and pray.



What a glorious morning to pray and worship the One who is so worthy of our praise. The sunrise this morning reminded me of Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."



What a great joy and privilege to be there this morning.

Last Night...

I had the blessing of watching the live Passion 2012 Promo via the internet. Louie Giglio, my second favorite preacher, next to my dad of course, posed an interesting question: Are you a light in this world for Him or like a lifeless bulb that sits on a shelf at Walmart?

His message continues: We who are fully persuaded of who Christ is need to have confidence in Him knowing full well that if I am not persuaded by Christ, I will be persuaded by this world.  And in living this out this confidence in Christ, we are called to be light in a dark world. God is looking for those who stand out not blend in like packages of light bulbs on a shelf in Walmart. 

This dark world needs to see light-Christ in you!  The way you become the light of the world is you ask Christ to illuminate your heart. And when your heart is illuminated you stand out. Don’t be a bulb. Be a light.

As soon as the link is posted to Louie's message I'll post it here.  What a wonderful reminder...be a light for Christ continually plugged into the Source not a bulb waiting on a shelf! 

Seven Days

in Utopia is a WONDERFUL movie.  Whether you are a golf fan or not, you will enjoy this movie.  The beginning of the movie begins with Isaiah 30:21, "Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice saying, "This is the way; walk in it."



I have been waiting for the movie Courageous, which will be in theaters this week, but I had no idea that this movie is also a faith-based movie.  My man and I loved it.  The movie is rated G and has an excellent message. Here is a link to the movie trailer:  http://www.sevendaysinutopia.com/video

Our Cibolo Creek Getaway

My man surprised me this past July with a romantic getaway to beautiful Cibolo Creek Ranch to celebrate our 21st anniversary.  It was a little piece of Heaven on earth.  We were surprised to find that we were the only guests on this gorgeous ranch...except for a little star....you might have heard his name before...Johnny Depp.  No kidding! He was on the ranch but we didn't see him...sorry Rachel!

From the moment we arrived we felt very welcome.  It was easy to put our cell phones away and leave the stresses of this world behind. 


The ranch has suffered from drought just as most of Texas has and there were evidences of fires in places, but the ranch was simply beautiful.   Gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. 
 I loved the light in this staircase.  The middle picture was of our room and the cake on the right was a sweet surprise from the amazing staff in celebration of our anniversary.
 Gorgeous photo opportunities it seems are around every corner.  I can just see a beautiful bride posed on the green bench, can't you?  Every meal was carefully prepared and fresh flowers were always on our table. 
 Every meal was delicious, but my favorite meal had to be breakfast.  The fresh fruit was incredible but their homemade granola was AMAZING!  I would love to have that recipe! The granola had just the perfect hint of cinnamon~which I absoluely love.
 My man arranged for a guided tour of the ranch with the best guide around named Sugar.  Sugar was quite a character, as was Mike our dining host.  To my delight, we came upon a family of wild buffaloes!  I think I have 50 pictures at least of these beautiful buffaloes.  And about 200 more of the beautiful ranch. 
 My man thought he heard elk calling in the wild.  We got closer and closer to the bugle sounds, headed over a hill in hopes of seeing a massive elk only to discover it was a loud goose.  My nature-man nearly fell over. And I did in laughter!
 The above vehicle was what we toured the ranch in. 

We loved the swimming pool and we had it all to ourselves...the entire ranch all to ourselves for that matter. What an incredible getaway.  We can hardly wait to go back!  If you are ever in far west Texas, you need to plan a stay.  You are less than 20 miles from Mexico, there is no cell service, and you will be pampered from head to toe if you wish or left alone to do your own exploring.  What a beautiful getaway filled with memories to cherish.

You are My Sunshine

My Granny always called me her "Little Sunshine."  Just typing those words made me smile from ear to ear and I now have a huge lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.  My Granny was special and I miss her.  She didn't have the blessing of knowing my girls....but some day!  My girls have a Granny (my mom) and their relationship with her is just as special as my relationship with my Granny...and I love that!

Last week, the temperatures were still in the 80's (a cool day for us in Texas) and the sun was shining so beautifully that Hannah and I decided to go for a ride on the 4-wheeler.  She was driving and I was hanging on for dear life behind her and I loved every second of it.  Truth be told, she took great care not to throw me off the back.

We had fun driving through a field until we found the perfect spot.  I checked to make sure there were no rattlesnakes or other creatures around and then we had a fun little photo shoot right in the middle of the field...just my baby girl and I.  Delight!

This was my favorite image from the shoot.  I love how the sunshine dances in her beautiful hair.  She is growing up so fast that it makes my heart hurt a little bit, but I am happy for her too and proud of the young lady that she is becoming.  What a gift to be her Momma!

Ten on Tuesday

Is anyone still reading this blog???  H-e-l-l-o??  I've been a bit preoccupied lately with life.  Last week was one of those weeks where I had something to do every night after school.  And running from one thing to the next can leave a girl a bit exhausted and this blog left untouched.  Sorry for my unexpected absence.

So here are a few random things that have been going on in my life lately:

1.  Our school has already had homecoming week.  We always have a spirit week and each day comes with its own theme.  Tuesday's theme was Nerd Day.  So Hannah and I embraced our inner nerds and donned our best nerd outfits. 



2.  Hannah played in the annual powder puff football game.  It was the Freshman and Juniors vs. the Sophomores and Seniors....the Sophs and Srs. creamed our girls...it was ugly...these girls could play football and look cute in the process!


3.  Rachel came home for homecoming!  We were so glad to see here!


4.  Rachel brought her roommate home too and we were glad to get to spend time with her too: 


5.  And with the girls came about 7 loads of dirty laundry!  This was just the second load but I didn't mind.  My washing machine was happy and so was this momma.


6.  Rachel slept until 11:30 Saturday morning.  I could hardly wait for these gorgeous eyes to open!

7.  Hannah was asked to homecoming by 5 different guys.  Be still my heart!  I am thankful that she said yes to one of the sweetest guys in school. *Update:  2 asked as 'friends'...there I feel better!


8.  I am taking a new photography class.  And while it is very much pushing me to the limits, I am really liking the difficulty of this class.  I had to apply to get in...and just when I thought I might not be accepted, I was.  Delight! When I am not busy being a wife and momma, teacher, and photographer, you will find me putting my photography assignments into practise.  One of the assignments was to play with dramatic lighting.  I thought this idea was fun and I did it with a simple table lamp:


9.  Who would have thought that a little weed could be so beautiful?  Love the lighting of this image:


10.  Homecoming was two weeks ago...that is how far behind I am in blogging my life. Oiy!  I still haven't posted pictures from our trip to Cibolo Creek but I hope to do so soon.  I think that is all for now.  Thanks for dropping by my little corner of the world!

Happiness is

teaching your youngest daughter to ride the four wheeler and watching that beautiful smile that goes from one ear to the other and seeing her beautiful hair blowing in the wind.

Enjoy the Caterpillar Years....

...because all too soon they will turn into butterflies, take flight, and soar!  And watching them soar is a great joy.  After my haircut last night, Hannah and I called Rachel on our drive home.  My suburban has hands free calling so Hannah and I could both talk to Rachel.  She told me to hang on a second as she made her way to the dorm hallway and then her voice cracked a little bit.  I asked her if she was okay and then she told me about her day and dinner in the cafeteria.

Rachel explained that there was a senior girl who had gone through the cafeteria line and was trying to find a place to sit.  Rachel noticed that she was by herself, and feeling the prompting of the Holy Spirit,  she asked her to join them.  The senior seemed relieved to have a friendly place to eat a meal.  Rachel noticed the girl looked very sick and soon realized that this senior girl has cancer.  I cannot even begin to imagine.

She and Rachel enjoyed visiting but others at the table did not.  In fact, they started texting one another about why was this girl sitting here, etc. and laughing.  Naturally, that made dinner a bit awkward and left Rachel broken hearted for this senior girl and for the girls who were exhibiting mean-girl behavior. 
I listened as my daughter cried through her story and ached to get my arms around her to give her a hug.  Hugs just aren't the same through a computer screen via Skype or through a phone conversation.  Instead, I asked God to wrap His great big arms of love around her.  I told her that we are so proud of her and that her Heavenly Father is too.  She quickly added, "Momma, I didn't tell you this story for you to be proud of me, all I did was ask her to sit with us."  To which I encouraged, it was way more than that, and her humble heart knows this too.  I fully believe the Lord ordained a special opportunity for Rachel to reach out to a fellow student that needed a bit of encouragement....and Rachel said yes to the opportunity.  The other girls simply said no.

Why am I telling you this story?  Yes, I am a proud momma....proud of how Rachel responded and thankful that her heart was sensitive to this senior girl and to others who didn't respond in the same way....but there is more to my purpose.  God presents opportunities to each one of us every day.  And we have the option of saying yes to His leading or no to Him and yes to ourselves.

I see it everyday at school.  And the ones who say yes to those Holy opportunities shine like the stars. To be honest, in my lifetime I am guilty of choosing both.  Thankfully, even in the times I said no to the Lord's prompting and yes to myself, He offered a second chance and still risks His name on me over and over again.

We are called to be like Christ, not in only the big things that the world sees, but in the small too...when we feel like no one is watching.  What a monumental task, being called to be like Christ is.  I am thankful that we don't have to do it in our own power....my week has been proof that that kind of mindset only leaves one tired, frustrated, spent, and exhausted.  We can be like Christ because He somehow enables us to do what He has called us to do. Oh, what a Saviour!


Speaking of enabling, a blog that I love to read shared this link today:  http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters  It is a list of 50 rules for dad of daughters. 

I loved reading the list, written by a dad for dads.  I found myself grinning and reminiscing as I made my way through the list thinking about my wonderfully incredible dad.  I giggled out loud when I got to #19 that says teach her to change a flat tire.  My dad did that...he did all of the rules on the list and so much more.  I love my dad so much!  I love the daddy of my daughters so much too.  I think there is a new movie coming out soon about dads being courageous to be what God has called them to be.  I can't wait to go see this movie!  It sounds like a good movie for all of us...being courageous to be what God has called us to be. 

Some Days...

...you just have to:

And this week has already been one of those weeks. A week where I feel I might lose my witness if I react the way I would really like to act....on a week where I would really like to curl up in a ball and cry like a baby because I miss my college daughter so much it hurts....a week where I am tired of being creatively copied or in an unseen competition with another person (there is room for all of us)....on a week where I feel like I am singing Adam Lambert's, "What Do You Want From Me," song as my theme song in my head all day long....and I could go on and on but I'll stop there (too much info already). 

Moral of the story:  I am tired (my mom told me that last night and true to her normal full-of-wisdom self, she is so right) and life is far from normal getting adjusted to not seeing our daughter everyday.  What is that saying about "normal" just being a setting on the dryer?  Ha!  It's time to give a little thought to myself and to slow down a bit. Lately I've been running through myself so I didn't have time to think about how much I miss Rachel...is that working for me?  I checked my attitude and my answer is a big fat NO!

So this morning I painted my fingernails red (my favorite color), put on one of my favorite dresses and jewelry to match, had my time with the Lord (best way to start a day), ate blueberries with my cereal (yum!), and made the largest glass of iced coffee ever! Attitude adjustment here I come!

I'm thankful the Lord loves me too much to leave me this way.  And instead of getting a spiritual spanking like I expected this morning, He offered encouragement instead.  What a Savior! 

Nope, I am far from myself these days...but I'm thankful God is still on the throne in my life....and my heart wants my life to reflect that in every situation....so I'll try my best to see as He sees and to act like He would act because that's far better than how I would like to react right now!

And sweet Rachel of mine, if you are reading this:  I couldn't be more proud of you!  Thank you for your sweet visit home this weekend.  It did this heart of mine a great deal of good...until you had to drive back to school.  You are soaring so beautifully and it is my joy to watch from the sidelines...I'll find my groove eventually so don't give this a second thought.  Go be what God has designed for you to be and He will take care of the rest...including your mother!

Fall/Christmas Mini Sessions!

These mini sessions are perfect for updating family photos and for Christmas cards!


Friday Evening Sessions (October 7th): Old building and Field location: 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00

Saturday Morning Sessions (October 8th): Old truck with hay bales and pumpkins in a field: 8:30, 9:00, 9:30, 10:00

Saturday Evening Sessions (October 8th): Location TBA: 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00