Stanton's Annual Old Settlers Homecoming Parade 2017

Every year our little town hosts an Old Settler's Weekend.  It's a fun weekend filled with class reunions, a hometown parade, a hamburger lunch, BBQ dinner and dance.  This year Old Soreheads and Old Settlers were able to tour the Convent and the Connell House.  We were blessed to tour both and are just in awe of all of the work that has taken place.  I plan to post images from both tours soon.

There is always lots of joy and laughter during Old Settlers Weekend.  Think Norman Rockwell meets Gilmore girls and you have it.   Many Old Settlers travel from quite a distance to attend.  And every year, the date is carefully marked on the calendar.  

I didn't grow up here but my husband did and our girls did too.  It's always a fun weekend but the parade is always my favorite.  I tried to capture every entry in this year's parade.  Please, feel free to save your image.  They are for you.  Enjoy!  Below are the images in collage format.  If you would like to see individual images, there is a link to my folder at the very bottom of this post.  

***Individual Images may be downloaded from our Dropbox by clicking here. 

Mammogram Monday {Sigh!}

One week ago today we celebrated Columbus Day and finally had a much needed day off from school.  Yay!! Rachel was home for the three day weekend and we were all happily back together under one roof.  How about that Baylor/TCU game.  Wow!   That was the Big 12 Championship Game, I am convinced.  What a game!!! Anyway, being the good teacher that I am {sigh!}, I scheduled my annual mammogram on our day off instead of having to take a day off during the school week.  Yay me (hear the sarcasm in my typing?).  I won't go into any kind of details, but thankfully everything looked great and I don't have to come back for another year.  Yay!

A sweet friend of mine sent me this image to encourage me.  It cracked me up!!

So, so funny!  {Sorry Dad if you are reading my blog today}.

After the torture chamber, I met my girls for a delicious lunch and a little shopping.  We visited Miss Casey's Christmas store.  So, so fun!  Now this is a fun way to spend a day off from school! Hannah took our selfie.  Love these girls of mine so very much!

We found a few special gifts but I can't share them here (love you, Mom).  And we may have rearranged the TCU ornaments that were on the top shelf and the Baylor ornaments were on the bottom.  Seriously?!  I don't think the Baylor ornaments are on the bottom any longer....just saying.  :-)  And then we had some more fun at Starbucks.  I even made a new friend. Ha!

Powder Puff Champion

Last week our baby girl and her fellow seniors along with the sophomore girls took on the Freshman and Junior girls at the annual Powder Puff game.  The game itself brought back a flood of memories from childhood when Hannah played flag football with they boys.  Back then, she was the only girl playing flag football and we were pretty proud of that fact.

See our little blondie?  We may or may not have paid her by the flags that she captured....just saying.  She was a good player and not intimidated in the least after a little incentive.  Ha!

Ok, I'm back from a little walk down memory lane and back to the recent Powder Puff Game.  The girls got together with the some of the Varsity Football boys as their coaches and practiced the entire week before the big game.  Finally, it was game time!  These Senior Girls have not lost a game that they played in throughout their high school career and they won last Thursday night too.  Way to go Hannah and fellow senior girls!!!

Hannah had an awesome game.  She got a fumble recovery and sacked the quarterback.  She was stellar on defense....yes, I am totally biased.

The conversations we overheard on the sidelines from the coaches were hilarious!  One of the boys kept hollering, "Can you at least try not to run like a girl? Please??"

Another one hollered, "What the heck are you doing?  That is not what we practiced!!!  And after they ran it in for a touch down he hollered, "Way to go!"  Ha!

But one of my favorite memories was watching the girls, after they scored a touch down, stop and take a group selfie.  I never see that on Friday Nights with the football boys, but I loved it.  So much fun!

Midland Family Photographer | Timber!!!!

Words cannot describe what a monumental task removing our gargantuan palm tree has been!  It's been painful!!!  Painful to watch on my end because my dad, mom, and my man have worked tirelessly to take out, "the beast," before it lifts the roof off of our house and wrecks the brick lined flower beds....and I've simply watched in between teaching classes and photo sessions.  And been amazed!We are thinking this tree weighed 800 pounds or more! When we built our house and landscaped, this tiny palm tree was only supposed to be 4 feet tall.  4 feet!!!  I think it topped well over 20.  My parents are suppose to be enjoying retirement but instead they are like David taking down the goliath of a palm tree!  I am amazed at their perserverance and sheer determination to take it down.

Yes, I enjoyed the palm tree.  If you have been a follower of my blog for long, you know that I absolutely love anything tropical and would certainly love to live on a beach somewhere.  But, I also like my flower beds and the roof over my home.  The palm tree simply had to go.  There was no way to save it. Although, my dad planted the top of it in the backyard, far, far away from the house.  Who knows?  It may be like a pineapple and grow again.  Want to see some pictures?

Dad and Mom carefully removed all of the palm branches.  They were huge branches!

And then Dad carefully cut a notch out of the tree:

His planning was perfection! It landed exactly where he hoped...and the best part? No one was hurt in the process!

To give you a point of reference as to how massive this palm tree is, my dad is 6'2" tall!

Kikis Corner Photography specializes in Senior Portrait, Family, Child and Newborn Photography in Midland, TX and surrounding areas including but not limited to Big Springs and Odessa.

Midland Family Photographer | All Star Cast

Friday was a whirlwind of missing earrings, hair that wouldn't curl, and ripped panty hose. After a quick reminder to our baby girl via text that, "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world," and a quick stop to buy more panty hose for the stage, it was time to watch their regional performance. Each one of their cast and crew did a stellar job. In the end, they did not advance to state but we couldn't be more proud of them! And honestly, if blatant Freud-like-lewd behavior on stage is what it takes to advance to the state level, then we will be more than satisfied with the regional level every single time!

While each one of our students deserved to be recognized, they chose one of Hannah's friends as Honorable Mention, and our baby girl as All Star Cast. What an honor!!!  We are so very proud of you, sweet baby girl!

Kikis Corner Photography specializes in Senior Portrait, Family, Child and Newborn Photography in Midland, TX and surrounding areas including but not limited to Big Springs and Odessa.

Midland Family Photographer | Break a Leg S.O.A.P

Today is the One Act Play Regional competition!! We are all so proud of our students and excited about the day!!!

I was blessed to take pictures at a dress rehearsal and wanted to share the images. Our Hannah is the beautiful tall blonde wearing a black dress in the beginning and then the red dress.

Break a leg, SOAP!!!!

Kikis Corner Photography specializes in Senior Portrait, Family, Child and Newborn Photography in Midland, TX and surrounding areas including but not limited to Big Springs and Odessa.

Midland Senior Portrait Photographer | Texas Sunsets and Pumpjacks

There is just something about a Sunset in our part of west Texas! I love it when God paints the sky in brilliant colors of yellows, reds, and oranges. He is the Master Painter after all. Lately, there is something so cool about capturing an iconic pumpjack so common in our area these days. I was coming home from a photo shoot last week and looked over just in time to capture this. I love it when God delights His children!!!

Kikis Corner Photography specializes in Senior Portrait, Family, Child and Newborn Photography in Midland, TX and surrounding areas including but not limited to Big Springs and Odessa.

Midland Family Photographer | One Act Advances to Regionals

I realized after yesterday's post that I hadn't added images from One Act Play Area. If you find my mind, please let me know where I last put it. OIY!  This is the entire cast and crew after learning that they advanced to Regionals.  Yay!!! Remember, several are dressed up because Prom was also that night.

Hannah received All Star Cast recognition!

I love how her dress flowed as she walked on stage to receive her award:

They were all so excited and relieved....and so were all of us parents.  Regionals, here we come!!!  "Break a Leg, One Act Play!"

Hannah and her cousins:

And a quick pic with her very proud parents.  Can you tell it was a bit windy?!

Kikis Corner Photography specializes in Senior Portrait, Family, Child and Newborn Photography in Midland, TX and surrounding areas including but not limited to Big Springs and Odessa.

Midland Senior Portrait Photographer | Our Prom Princess

If you follow our photography facebook page, you may have already seen most of these images. I'll say it again, I cannot believe our baby girl and her friends enjoyed their Junior/Senior Prom! Weren't they all just in Kindergarten yesterday?! Prom day was a super busy but super-blessed day!  Just minutes before this image, Hannah and her fellow One Act Play Cast and Crew performed at Regionals, advanced to Area, and she was honored with All Star Cast.  Whew!!  In between their performance and the awards ceremony, we had a few minutes to change out of her costume and into her Prom gown.

While the Cast and Crew waited for their prom dates to arrive, we snapped a few fun images:

Hello??? Are ya'll coming to pick us up? We are starved!!!

Hannah and her date.  He is a sweetie.

and she is gorgeous!  I am totally biased, but wow!!!

I loved it that they asked me to take some group and individual pictures.  I'm not sure what they are looking at here, but I like it just the same!

They all looked so nice!

Since this is the year for Downton Abbey and the Great Gatsby, I thought it would be fun to edit the above image in a Dreamy Black and White.  Kind of 13 going on 30-esque, don't you think?

Our Junior Girls who have been friends and played basketball (or managed the team)  together since Kindergarten (except for one who got here as soon as she could).

and just like that, they were off to Prom!

Mr. Incredible and I grabbed a quick bite to eat at Chick Filet and then changed out of our One Act Play tshirts in to our Prom outfits.  You should have seen the looks on the Chick Filet patron's faces.  Funny doesn't begin to describe it!

We arrived at Prom to find this:

Hannah and her friends had a blast.  They ended the night at our neighbor's house who sweetly let them swim until 2 in the morning and even fixed them sausage and pancakes.  It was a whirlwind kind of day, but we managed to capture memories to treasure....what a blessing!

 Kikis Corner Photography specializes in Senior Portrait, Family, Child and Newborn Photography in Midland, TX and surrounding areas including but not limited to Big Springs and Odessa.