Shannon Gurney Photoblog

Bella Day + a little sunshine

These are two of our favorite things.  Bella & sunshine.  With both of them together, on the same day, you can't possible go wrong.

I hope your Friday is going just as well.
 

Of course, Ty has to make his CHEESEBALL dorky smile.  I can't really complain considering he is IN a photo, right.

AND, who's this handsome little man?  Gosh, I could just eat him up!  Unfortunately, he'd probably bite me back!

I LOVE using a wide angle lens sometimes to get distorted shots.  They seem artistic in a weird kinda way.  I totally love them!  ESPECIALLY, this next one.  It looks like that crazy chicken is gonna gobble Ty up!  HEE HEE!
 

Flowers and friends...perfect combination!
 
 

The day wouldn't be complete without a little John Deere thrown into the mix, right?  Thought so.  Who says girls can't drive tractors!
 
 
 

I'd say we've had a pretty good Friday, so far, AND we still get to see The Wizard of Oz tonight.  WOOT!

Brotherly Love

It's so cool to see it happening...a relationship forming between my boys.

It's always been there, but never as prominent and perfect as of late.  Wes is pretty much EVERYWHERE Ty is to the point of driving poor Ty crazy. 

Think Pete and Re-Pete!

Ty is so gracious about it, too.  He whines about it frequently, but if Wes is ever missing from his shadow, he'll ask why.  It's pretty funny.  They are so different, yet still have a lot of similar qualities.

Ty is shy and reserved, but has a huge sense of humor.  Wes is outgoing and boisterous and has never met a stranger.  He, however, has the same sense of humor as Ty.  I'll find them hiding out in the bedroom in a fit of brotherly giggles.  It makes my heart smile.

Wes is much more coordinated and a bit of a rounder...But, Ty is very methodical and a BIG thinker.  He loves to problem-solve.  Sometimes when you ask him a question or relay some obscure piece of information his way, he'll make this really funny face that shows the wheels inside his head are moving.  Then, minutes will go by and he'll come running over with his answer or response like he's been mulling it over for hours.
 
BOTH of them can light up the dark with their smiles.  Just like sunshine, it warms my soul.
 
 

AND then, someone gets mad...

So, they'll ignore each other for a few minutes...
 

 

 

Then, shrug it off and go back to getting into too much trouble...Ooops!

Is Mom watching?

"Wes did it."  "I tried to stop him for you, Mom."

Happy Valentine's Day!

Little Heartbrakers

If you don't believe me, just check out Ty's shirt!  It's the one he chose to wear to his Valentine's party at pre-school...my kind of man!!!!

It's been a really busy week around the Gurney household.  My boys are LOVING Valentine's Day!  It totally cracks me up.  I'm thinking it ranks right up there with Halloween in their minds, mostly because of the all the sweets they get at their pre-school parties.  We even had to get their teachers a little something.  Too funny!

This week the weather has been really nice so the boys have gotten to play outside quite a bit.  You know what that mean...ME taking LOTS of photos!  It's about time, isn't it.  I feel like I've been missing out on the first two months of this year!
 
 

Wes learned how to climb up the steps (read: Zipper's steps) into the fort and is really proud of himself.  ME, a little worried...

There IS an actual ladder into the fort, but the boys would rather take this route like the dog.  Does anyone else in the whole world have steps so their DOG can play in the fort with the kids?  Probably not.  Does that make us really weird?  Probably so.

The sandbox is directly underneath the fort.  The boys concoct various delicacies like mudpies and cookies then haul them up top to the small picnic table in the fort.  Dinner time!!!!!

The only problem with this scenario is once Wes is UP THERE, he can't get down without MY help via the slide.  It's a FAST slide folks!  So, he needs a hand, literally.  AND, he pretty much hollers "HAND!" until someone goes over there to lend him one.

In other BAKING news, the boys and I made delicious cupcakes this week for party day at school.  Wes is always into everything when we do a cooking activity like this.  He really is a big, BIG MESS.

It's a good thing I watch like a hawk to make sure the stove stays OFF when he's around.
 
 
We made mini-cakes for Wes' class and BIG fat ones for Ty's class.
 
 
 
 

In the end, everyone is HAPPY!  Even Ty thought they were delicious (he just ate his faster than I could snap a photo!).  See the remnants of white icing on his lips...
 

So, anyway, the point of our WHOLE post today is to tell all of you HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!  We love you all...

especially Daddy!

Seriously? Today?

It's always best to plan ahead, right?  Yes.  At least, that's what I kept telling myself as I watched three freezing, cold men install my storm shelter today.  Seriously?  Are you kidding me?

No.  Not kidding.  They actually showed up today during a big ice storm.  It was bad enough, in fact, they had to leave their tractor and trailer here for fear of destroying them on the drive home.

Oh hush.

Remember, there is always a silver lining.  My silver lining today was the lovely tractor scooping dirt outside my bedroom window.  It kept my boys occupied for nearly two hours.  TWO HOURS!

Oh, how I love tractors...
 
 

All of these shots were taken through my bedroom window.  It was COLD, ICY, and I was not about to venture outside...

Don't worry.  I did offer them hot chocolate, but they were so cold they didn't want to stop long enough to drink it.  I guess I don't really blame them.  It did make me feel bad, though.  So, I snuck a couple of peeks out the back door...

 

I hope they all made it home okay...

Things were not looking good on TV...
 

Being lazy, Boys, and Dora

Hi there.  Guess who.  So, today, instead of bombarding you with client photos I decided to share a few of the boys....real time.  I took these about 30 minutes ago, uploaded them, processed them, and here they are.

These are the first photos I've taken of my boys THIS MONTH=THIS YEAR.  Sad, isn't it.  I've been on a break from the camera for a while.  It seems I'm doing plenty of sessions for clients but have gotten lazy at home.  So, my goal this weekend is to take LOTS of photos of my boys.  After all, Ty just turned 4 in December and Wes will be 2 at the end of February.  Time flies and if I don't pay close attention I might miss something.

Okay, so today, most of us are still in our PJs.  Seriously.  Wes is the only one dressed around here and that is because he stripped naked this morning and was running through the house.  I really didn't want to clean tinkle off the walls and floor.  You get the idea, right?  So, Wes is dressed...but, dressed is a loose term around here.

Ty and I are still in PJs because we want to be and CAN BE.  Nuff said.  I stayed up until 3am proofing a wedding last night and I'm having a bit of trouble recovering.  I still need to watch Grey's and Private Practice.  I hear the DVR calling my name...

Okay, so, I've purchased a few new action sets in the past few weeks.  One of my absolute favorites is the urban action from here.  Take a look...

And here's the original...

Notice it's very subtle in this shot.  I probably lowered the opacity a bit, but I can't remember 30 minutes ago.  Don't judge me.

Here are a few more from today...
 

I caught the boys watching Dora (it's actually Diego, but Wes calls it Dora).  Wes is getting to the point where he wants to be wherever Ty is, including Ty's big boy bed.  Notice Ty is in the crack between the wall and the bed.  Nice.

Both of my boys love the crack between the wall and the bed.  Why is that?  They get themselves all squished down there and then holler "HELP, I'm stuck!"  Am I supposed to come running?  I think not.  The part I hate about all this is the STUFF they bring with them.  It's like a built in trash can.  Everyday I take a look to try to eliminate build-up and everyday I'm surprised by a particular item.  Today it was waffles from a week ago and a rubber lizard.  Like I said, nice.

Wes also likes to be stuck in the crack (or creek, as Ty calls it).

The only problem is he actually DOES get stuck.  Once he's there, he has REAL trouble getting himself out.  Do I feel sorry for the little twerp?  Never.  I might actually get more done around here if he'd get stuck in the "creek" a little more.  HEE HEE!
 
 

Back and forth, back and forth...taking turns in the crack creek.  Oh, what fun!  Seriously?

Whatever...

Another weird thing my boys like to do is sit on the heater vents throughout the house...

They sit and wait for the warm air to come blowing out.  Usually, they have a pile of blankets and stuffed bears with them.  But, today, I'd already confiscated all their loot and placed it back on the bed.  I can only handle so much stuff on the kitchen floor.  I never claimed to be coordinated.  In fact, I'm really pretty clumsy.  So, blankets and loot all over my floor could be quite dangerous.

OH!  We never claimed to be normal either.  Just keepin' it real.  Have a happy weekend.

The end.

Really BAD birthday photos.

So, Ty's 4th birthday has come and gone and as promised I'm here posting about it.  His birthday was December 8th and right smack in the middle of my crazy holiday photo season.  Poor kid.

You probably think he was completely forgotten in all the hustle bustle of the holidays.  BUT, not so.  I actually did a pretty good job of celebrating his birthday to the MAX if you don't count the fact I never got around to sending out birthday invitations.  That part was a little sad.  I was making last minute phone calls the day before his party...Still, he had many friends in attendance and had a great time.  So, no major problems there.

He actually got to celebrate twice.  His birthday fell on a Monday this year, which totally stunk cause who wants to plan a birthday for Monday.  So, we decided to take him to Chuck E Cheese for dinner the night of his birthday and then planned his party for the weekend after at The Science Museum of Oklahoma.  Pretty cool. 

It all worked out.

Two times the cake.  Two times the pizza.  Two times the presents.

I don't hear him complaining.  It worked out perfectly since his grandparents all came to dinner with us and then on his party day it was all about his friends.

This year he told me he wanted a round Batman cake.  As you can tell, we compromised with a round cake for dinner and a Batman cake for his actual party.  I know I'm a really bad momma for not making his cakes.  But, I never claimed to be a domestic goddess.  My kids are lucky to get fed each night.

The kids did get to make slime during his party, which was pretty neat even if the poor girl doing the demonstration couldn't get anything to work right.  They didn't care.  They were loving just getting to get all nasty and slimy.

It was a total mess!  I only took a few pics from the actual party since I was mostly helping get the kids where they needed to be for various activities and pizza.

So, here are some really bad shots of a super dark Chuck E Cheese with no flash.
 
 

Wes loved all the games.  We were chasing him around the entire time.  I was really glad to have both sets of grandparents there for back up. 
 
 
 
 

Christmas Recap...

well...it's not exactly a recap...just a lot of jumbled photos from our holiday craziness...

I'm pretty sure I've left out an entire holiday get-together because I haven't downloaded them from my point and shoot yet.  BUT, I'm also pretty sure you DON'T want to see all of my holiday photos, right?  I thought so.

Anywho, I still have to post some shots from Ty's birthday, which was earlier this month (more for me than you guys).  That means these shots are a bit out of order, but who really cares...not me.

So, here comes the onslaught of photos...

Christmas at our place starts on Christmas Eve.  We go visit my Dad's (step-dad) side of the family in OKC.  This year, we did a Christmas Eve brunch, which was kinda nice since we head to Josh's folks that evening.  This is just one of the racetracks Ty got for Christmas!  Do you think he was excited!

As you all know, my boys already own a John Deere tractor and 4-wheeler (both battery powered), but for Christmas from Santa they received a John Deere Gator.  The reasoning behind this one is the fact they can both ride at the same time.  We figured it would help keep Wes from running behind Ty screaming to ride all the time!  Apparently, that's not the case.  Wes always finds a way to scream...

In this case, Ty was driving a little too fast for Wes' taste.  HA! 

We spend Christmas morning at my mom's house.  This year we got there around 10am, which was not early enough for my sister who called us about 5 times to tell us to hurry.  My parents won't let her open anything until we're all there.  Sad, isn't it!  Poor, poor Carly...

Every year Mom tries super hard to find interesting things for Josh's stocking.  Does Pickled Okra and Jam count as interesting?  HA!  At least, we get a little laugh at it all!

opening his camo deer-hunting blind...he said it would be for him AND Ty to go hunting in...
LORD, help me.

Wes looked so cute on Christmas morning.  I barely took any photos at Mom's because I was so busy helping the boys open.  So, ignore the bad quality of these two.  I still love them!

The second one is Carly giving Wes his present from her.  So cute! (even if it is blue and over-exposed!)
 

Moving right along to my Dad's side of the family (about two hours away from home)...

Meet Dad.  He's a complete and total mess...but we still enjoy visiting!

Ty loved his big rig from his Aunt Micah.  JD was helping him out.  Why do they make toys so hard to get into.  I mean, really...what are they worried about?
 

speaking of Aunt Micah...I love this shot of her!

Taking a walk to the pond...

I'm not sure why Josh always makes that face when I snap photos of him.  But, he's still a total hottie, isn't he!

Wes, checking out Pappy's new tractor (John Deere, of course).  He was a little frustrated that AJ (his cousin) would not move out of the driver's seat.  He looks so mistreated, doesn't he...

Are ya'll sick of photos yet?  Good.  See ya next time.  I'll be sharing Ty's birthday photos soon!

Who needs toys?

Hello, hello...anyone there?

KNOCK KNOCK
 
 
Oh, there you are!  Glad to see you guys still read this crazy blog!  I've been buried under a pile of sessions to proof and thought I'd better check in over here.

Since I've been busy on the computer for days on end, the boys have pretty much taken over the house...leaving a trail of destruction...

I heard some chaos and loud noises coming from their bedroom the other day and thought I'd better make sure they were both still alive.  This is what I saw...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I mean, really, who needs toys?  For Christmas this year, my boys are getting baskets, boxes, and bubble wrap...

FALL FUN and a sponge bath (does that count as fun?)

So, Fall is here!  We love Fall!

I know Halloween was last night, but my boys didn't actually get to go Trick or Treating in the old fashioned sense of the word.  Their momma is selfish.

My mom and I left for Canton, Texas yesterday morning...AND took the boys with us.  It's First Monday Trade Days and we weren't going to miss it, even if it did fall on Halloween weekend.  Luckily, my boys are still young enough they don't really know the difference.  AND, believe me, I made up for it.

This past week we've been to a Fall Carnival (at mom's school), a Fall Festival - BOO on Bell Street in Shawnee, Haunt the Zoo, and Fall Parties at their church pre-school.  It's been a super busy week.  I need a vacation with lots of rest after dragging them around all week!

I'm not sure Trade Days would count as rest since we pretty much walk our tails off.  But, it's fun all the same!

Okay, so here's the fun pics to go along with our week.  Keep in mind, I was in mommy mode, not photographer mode.  Some of these are just barely recognizable!  Seriously.  Blur, color, nothing is good, except the moment the photo captured!

Have a great weekend!
 

Notice the big wad of candy in Wes' mouth?

Ty wanted to be Batman, but his momma messed around and waited too late.  Then, I couldn't find it in his size.  Poor little man!  But, he was pretty pumped about his Incredible Hulk costume.  He just didn't want to keep that mask on.

Told you they were blurry and imperfect.  That's okay.  At least I made into a shot!

At mom's carnival Kensy got to hang with us.  Joanna (Kensy's mom) actually works with my mom up at school.

Sponge Bath anyone?
 

You know how it is at these school carnivals...the teachers and principal always get suckered into doing horrible things to raise money.  This year, the kids got to throw wet sponges at them...ON A REALLY COLD NIGHT!
 
 
 
Look, momma!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And, last but not least, these two rugrats were in the cafeteria of the school eating yummy treats and BBQ sandwiches when their grandmother (who's a teacher there) grabbed me and told me to take their photo!  The quality is not great because of the horrible lighting, but here ya go, Kathy!