Passin' down the Tradition.

There's one thing I know for sure about Kentucky.  It is country.

My brother and I flew in to Ky and surprised our family this past week.  I really enjoyed sneaking in and shocking everyone...and I literally snatched Nora from the car seat, ran super fast from the car in the driveway to the front door to ring the doorbell and wanted to pee my pants.  My Dad opens the door, his eyes bug out and he says, "Oh my gawwhhdddd!"...just like that. Perfect.

Since I've been away for a while, coming back was like seeing my home place in the eyes of a visitor.  It was weird. Slightly sad.  A little bitter sweet & a whole lot of memory filled sighs. I went to Target and lingered off the lips of the strangers and their super redneck accents.  It was like comfort food. I am seeing rain instead of snow.  The cold here is nothing compared to Wyoming.  I am actually in person with someone I know.  The girl at the store, I know her! The UPS man, that's my cousin! The old man in the truck waving, that's my Uncle!!! It's so nice. just really, so, nice.

The best part?  Going to the farm with my Dad for the first feeding of the year.  I let Nora ride in his old farm truck in my lap (not on the road, of course). We listened to old country music and watched him hook  up and exchange the tractor's front loader to the picks (that's just what I call them) so he could grab a roll of hay on the front and back.  We stood out in the back field waiting for him to come and tried to call the cows like my late Papaw did, (SULLLKKKK! SULK!), it was amazing. Refreshing.  Best of all, we were passing these memories down to my little one.  The next generation.  My dad is her papaw.  Like how my papaw was to me.  I'm pretty sure I could stay back on the farm the rest of my life.  Never come back to civilization, the crappy hussle bussle. Just live off the land and have a simple, country life. How peaceful does that sound.

And here are some shots from that wonderful, history in the making day.

Our front barn. Good ole Kentucky Barn. & my Daddy.

Feeding.  Can you spot my Dad up top there on the tractor?

Papaw's Girl.

Starting the tradition.

Mooooooo

nom. nom. nom.

Nora, this is a cow pie...Cow pie, this is Nora.

Daddy:)

Tired from a hard day's work.

Bring it on home.

Hard work deserves good sleep.

Moo-ry Christmas!!!

Stinky Messes.

Just thought I'd throw this picture on here. You can't tell very well, but Dustin is changing Nora's diaper, something he actually does quite a bit! He's pretty sweet, eh? Such a good Daddy...

And I'm pretty sure Nora is smelling her own dirty diaper, look at that face....haha! I should have gotten one of Dustin face during the diaper change and put them side to side. :) next time..

"Eww, Daddy...."

Oldies but Goodies.

I have been going thru all my old photos from back in the day, it has sprung up some pretty sweet memories and some embarrassing edits to say the least. It's always good to look back and see where you were and how everyone looked.  'The good ole' days' seem to be piling up in my hard drive very quickly and quietly.  I want to post old pictures, and give them more of a life, you know- instead of being filed in digi-land standing like little soldiers waited to be called on. :) Here's the first of many.  I might make this a regular thing. You just never know.

Look at this sweet baby, her name is Saydee.  I was privileged to shoot her a couple years (?) ago, and looking forward to shooting her again, very soon. Babies just grow way too fast!!

My Old Kentucky Home.

Cue the banjo. I am so ready to be back on my farm for a bit.  December can't come soon enough.


And because I just have to, here's the first verse and Chorus of My Old Kentucky Home & some pics from last summer on the farm. 


The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home
Tis summer, the darkies are gay
The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in bloom
While the birds make music all the day
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor
All merry, all happy and bright
By 'n by hard times come a-knocking at the door
Then my old Kentucky home good night

Weep no more, my lady
Oh, weep no more, today
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home
For the old Kentucky home far away.

My cousin Alex riding Papaw's Tractor on the farm.

My Brother & Niece + A view of the Farm.

Moo Cow.

The back barn. I can still see Papaw piddling around...

My Niece and I last summer. I'm always behind the camera, not often in front of it.

So I made my brother take one of me that day. All natural, down on the farm. Like a kid again.

Parkin' It.

Not much to say.  Just wanted to share some photos of my sugar-britches at the park the past few days.  Enjoying a few of the last nice days out of the year.

But I will leave you with this quote, just because.

We were meant to give our lives away. Spend more time living your legacy instead of worrying about leaving it. -Lee J. Colan

Peeking out of the playground tunnel. A penny for her thoughts.

My baby is growing. tear.

I think this will be the face she gives me throughout the years whenever she wants something.

I spy with my little eye.

So curious.

Life is good.

What else is there?

Ya know, I'm just not one of those lucky gals who find amazing deals when shopping. I'm usually the type that ends up forking over full price moolah for something, then awe in wonderment to the others who seem to be shopping on a different planet than I.  But, I got lucky and found one recently.  Like really lucky. But it took a ad in the paper for it to dawn on me. The library here in Gillette, WY was selling tons of books for like fifty cents. Jackpot! I scurried on over there with my little Nora and we picked out some books to purchase. She ended up with a "Babies first words" type book, I bought a few Photojournalism books for Dustin and I, then I found one that really struck a chord, "The mask of Motherhood, How Becoming a Mother Changes Everything, and Why We Pretend It Doesn't" by Susan Maushart.  Regretfully, that sucker has been collecting dust for about 2 months on the bookshelf.   Until I remembered I had it one day when ranting that I have nothing to read.  It was like finding the steal all over again. :)

So I've been reading the book.  I'm halfway thru it, and I like it. I really like it.  It is full of factual info/data on motherhood, pregnancy, etc.  It's like the book for the mom, not the baby.  It's real, slightly depressing, and sometimes a bit witty. Lots of info on studies conducted of the psychology/sociology/physiology/you-name-it of becoming a new mother.  I would definitely recommend this book to any mom, esp new mom out there.  Check it out here.

Since becoming a Mother, I have had to shed my old skin, and came into a new. I am a different person.  It does change you. It did me.  Sometimes it's a sad, to think of my old self, my goals and aspirations. What I used to want for myself. That old Emily. But now it's assuring. I feel more confident, and more peaceful. It's like what you want changes. Your outlook on life is completely shifted and nothing anyone tells you prepares you for how huge it is. How big of a difference.  It's unrealistic to portray a 'perfect mother' image, and it puts a lot of pressure on other mother's. If we would just nod and say the truth, that it's amazing and hard, and sometimes we really have no clue how we did it, or how we feel asleep nursing the baby at 3am in the glider and woke up 30 min later...yeah, that happens.  Babies teach mothers. Just as much as we teach babies.  And I'm certain that this is just the tip of the iceberg for me.  I am so happy to be blessed with this journey, and the true test of my womanhood. I will fail at times, but that's what makes it real. I love my new life. I have to. :)

What else is there? This is all I need. She is my constant, in a life so ever-changing, we will always have each other. Kisses to my Nora.