Spring & Happy Chance Apparel

Baseball, softball, and golf have started. Which, pretty much, means that we will not sit down for the next several months! BUT...it also means that Spring is just around the corner, and I'm more than okay with that.

Wyatt started t-ball this year. If you know Wyatt, you know it can take him a good hour (or 5) to warm up to people for the first time....sometimes the second and third time too. Unless he's dancing. That boy would dance for the President if you gave him a good beat. Anyway, with his shyness usually present, I really thought our first t-ball practice would be a disaster. My little guy totally proved me wrong. I was so proud of how he marched out there with his big boy baseball gear and did exactly what his coaches told him to do. It was like it's the day he had been waiting for his whole 4 years of life. I am really excited about this season for him!

Annslie is on her high school girl's golf team, and both of the little girls play softball. So, get ready for sports picture overload in the coming weeks!

In other news, Happy Chance Apparel is going to be sold in The Avenue Boutique in our hometown of Rockmart, Georgia! I was thrilled when the store's owner, Elyse, contacted me about being a part of her Spring line up. Elyse has impeccable taste, so naturally I said yes! The trendy boutique will carry exclusive colors of Happy Chance classics! The Avenue Boutique is located at 256 W. Elm Street in Rockmart, and you can follow them on Instagram: @theavenue_boutique.
I also will be reopening my online store, with new items, very soon! I will no longer be using Etsy, but you will be able to click on the "shop" link above to access my new store. Fun things happening around here!

I will leave you all with...yep...pictures of the kiddos. We had blue skies and sunshine last Sunday. The kids were able to stay outside for hours. It was marvelous.

Trampoline hair is the best hair.

My first photography class

I attended my very first amateur photography class yesterday, and, dude, it was fun! The class was taught by Pam Jones, of Paris Mountain Photography, in her brand new studio space located in our hometown in Georgia. I couldn't have had a better teacher, and I can't wait until the next level class in April!

It was so pretty outside today (finally)...so, I had to put some of my new skills to the test. I'm shooting in Manual mode now, instead of boring old, easy-peasy Auto mode. Yes, I'm cool. I'm complex. I'm awesome. I'm famous. I'm a rebel. I'm actually none of these things, but Manual mode makes you feel special. Pam, I know the rules....and I'm breaking them. ;)

I don't have the editing skills yet, but I will get there. Here are some photos of Madilyn from today:
and, of course, I had to use our rusty vintage camper. I just love it so.

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xoxo

Let it go, Maryann

Letting go. Why is this such a difficult thing sometimes? 

When things in our lives don't go according to OUR plan (duh, it's not our plan anyway), when somebody says hurtful or untrue things about you, when someone just doesn't like you for no good reason, when you feel left out, when you get your heart broken...the best route, in most cases, is to move on. Focus on the positive things in life, and LET GO of the rest.

Ahhh much easier said than done.

I believe letting go takes time and prayer.
OH, and forgiveness...let's not forget that letting go takes forgiveness.
It also requires the acute awareness that everything happens for a reason...you all know that this is something I firmly believe.

The truth is, I have a heavy "situation" that I have been trying to let go of for months now. I pray for it to go away. I pray and pray and pray for the feeling of anxiety I hold to just disappear.

But.       The other truth is this....here it goes....I haven't forgiven the people who have done (and will continue to do) this to me...YET. Yuck. That's tough to admit. I will forgive them. I want to. I have to. (My heart pounds just typing this. Anxiety, I tell ya.) I know that forgiveness is the missing link to me finding the peace to move forward and not look back. I also know that these people don't really even deserve a second thought from me.

So, maybe and hopefully tomorrow will be the day that I wake up and don't think about "them" the entire time I'm drying my hair, like I have countless mornings. Letting go will be awesome.


With all of that said, I have so much to be thankful for. So, naturally, I'm going to share some photos now. What else did you expect?

 

 

We had snow last Tuesday, and then it was 72 degrees on Sunday! The kids played outside in short sleeves and tank tops.

 

Annslie is rarely caught on camera because she's a teenager, and I believe teenagers hibernate for the Winter. When I do photograph her she is normally A) frowning or B) texting. Here she is exhibiting pose B.

 

 



And here are the inevitable Wyatt pictures.

Peace.