My Loves

I love pretty photos. I love taking photos. I love taking photos of my children. I love my children.

Yesterday I took Ava and Jonah out for an adventure. I call it an adventure because then they're excited to go. We went to south beach. It's pretty out there. I took my kitchen chair with me. It was excited to get out of the house, too.  Ava was thankful for the chair and didn't want to get off of it.  The grass was a little scratchy for her taste.  I was OK with her wanting to stay on the chair.  It made my job a little easier.  Anyway...these photos were just for fun, but now I think I need to find me some frames.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

And because we don't want to forget Stella...

 

I'll leave you with a quote from this sweet girl from our morning drive to school...

"I didn't know eyeballs were crunchy.  On Man vs Wild, he ate a horse eyeball!!  It was huge!! ewww... I could never survive in the jungle or wilderness."

5

Jonah turned 5 years old. It happened. As much as I wanted time to stand still, time kept moving. It made me think of the book my sister gave me for Christmas, Let Me Hold You Longer. That night before bed, I held Jonah longer, my hug was a little tighter, because I knew it was the last time I was going to hold my 4 year old son. And for the record, that book makes me cry every time I read it.

White teeth - check. Blue eyes - check. Dinosaur - ...I tried. T-Rex might resemble a crocodile a little bit, but that's OK. Jonah loved it and that's all that matters. Sean loved how it tasted, and that's all that matters to him. :)

Jonah had a good birthday. He got some new clothes, a lion, legos, Hot Wheels race tracks, a bubble wand to make bubbles bigger than him...but there was one gift that was his most favorite of all...

 

Here's a photo of his shadow while holding the special gift. Can you guess what it is?

Here's another little clue. And if you caught yourself saying a prayer for me. Thank you.

If you guessed a BB Gun, then you, my friend, are oh-so-right. He was happy when he opened it. I believe his exact words were..."A GUN!" and then later I believe he said, "I LOVE THIS BABY!"

 

OK, Jonah, give it a good crank.

 

Ready, aim, FIRE! Now do you see why I need prayer? I'm afraid he takes after me. I had my try at the gun and didn't hit the target once, and believe me, I was inching myself closer and closer to the silly thing. Jonah, apparently, didn't hit the target either.

I helped a boy out and told him to just close one eye and to look at where he was shooting. You know, just the basics of shooting.  Shooting 101.  He's so lucky to have me as his teacher. :)

 

He loves his baby and I love him.

"one more sleep and I'm gunna be 5!"

I could sit and cry about Jonah turning 5 for a long time.  I mean, really I could.  No joke.  But I have a cake to make and it needs to have a dinosaur on it with blue eyes and white teeth.

And for those of you that asked...

 

Cute, huh?  And the price was pretty cute, too.  $3.95 for the set.  I like them and my table does too.

life lately

Our internet was down for like a week and it was awful.  I hope I didn't lose my faithful readers of this blog!  Anyone out there?  Hello?  Anyone??

I was able to spend my Anthropologie gift card last weekend.  I found many yummy things, but my favorite purchase was these little birdie salt and pepper shakers.  They make me happy.

I'm just getting over a cold that lasted, oh...  4 WEEKS!

Whenever Ava goes anywhere she runs and right before she stops she jumps.  And I mean anywhere - down the hall - run, jump, stop.

Apparently I only sound good when I sing at church.  Jonah said to me, "mom don't sing in the car, you only sound good at church."

Jonah is turning 5 years old this Sunday and he'd like a dinosaur cake.  The dinosaur is to have white teeth and blue eyes.

Ava no longer calls Stella, Della.  She now calls her Stel-wa.

On the drive to school this morning, Stella told me she'd like an art studio.  And instead of selling lemonade at the end of our driveway, she'd sell her art.

I've been blessed by my woman's bible study.  I'm the youngest there, but there is so much to learn from these older ladies.  Right now we're studying Having a Mary Spirit.  Something that hit home with me, that I read in the first lesson was this....
"My deepest fear is waking up twenty years from now still the same woman I am today.  With the same annoying habits and petty attitudes; with the same besetting sins and false beliefs.  I can't imagine anything more terrible then getting to the end of life only to discover that God had so much more in mind for me - more freedom, more joy, more peace, more true effectiveness.  And I had missed it all, simply because I refused to change."

My tulips and daffodils are coming up.  It makes me so excited for spring.

My sister is having a baby in six weeks.  I CAN'T WAIT!

I'm making Pioneer Woman's pizza tonight.

Sean's thankful for the Pioneer Woman.

The other morning after Sean left for work, Ava grabbed her back pack put on her boots and then said to me, "I'll be back."

Let's see, what else....

I've been blessed to be asked to come into peoples homes and take photos of their children.  It truly is such an amazing thing.  I love it, yes I have heaps and heaps of stuff to learn, but it's so fun for me.  I hope more and more and more people ask me.  Here's a few of my favorite shots from last Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

xoxo

Christmas break

Christmas break has come and gone.  Tomorrow morning the alarm clock will go off.  I'll have to get out of bed before 8:30am.  I'm going to have to pack lunches again.  It's back to racing out of the house to make it to school on time.  No more lounging in pj's until noon....sigh....it was good while it lasted.

It was SO fun getting all these Christmas cards in the mail.   

I can't even fit them all in the picture!!  Thank you to all of you that sent a card.  I have to say that it was sooooo cool to get cards from the families I took photos of.  You might recognize the photos of the one in the center with the baby.  It was such an amazing feeling to get their cards.  I almost cried - to know I took part in that and to see them in print...I loved it and it makes me want to do it again and again and again... 

Christmas Eve...

We celebrate on Christmas Eve with my family.  My mom made a turkey dinner complete with all the trimmings.  It was good.  After that it's time for a Christmas photo and then on to the church for the candle light service.  Then it's back to Grandma's to open gifts.

The Scheffer Family

 

minus Tricia and Koby and baby boy Arnold...we missed you guys!  It wasn't the same without you.

Grandpa and Grandma with all the grandchildren

Steve and Kelli

 

My sister, Kelli and I.  We look alike.  And we happened to dress alike over the break.  It makes our husbands crazy.  They have to check twice so they don't go pattin' the wrong bottom. ;) 

 

 

 

Stella got a snuggie and she's used it EVERY day since! :)

Jonah got his well awaited football helmet and uniform.  He was very excited.  He thought about sleeping with the helmet, but decided to just put it beside him on the bed.  Good choice, Jonah. :)

 

Ava got some playdough.  She already has a designated color just for her.  A nice grayish color that she mixed up the first day she played with it. :)

 

On Christmas morning Stella and Jonah opened up some new scooters from their Nana and Papa. 

If you want, please take note of Jonah's outfit.

If you want more details about it, call me.

Happy New Year!

On New Year's eve we were invited to some friend's house for a party.  It was fun!!  Yummy food, fun games, good friends and LOTS of children.

 

Sean ringing in the new year!

 

Ava's friend, Georgia rang in the new year, too.  Her and Ava were cute.  At one point, we caught them sitting by the food table reaching up with their little hands into the popcorn bowl.  I'm pretty sure they ate about half of the popcorn.  And then Ava polished up the ones that landed on the floor.  That's my girl, never wants to leave a mess. :)

 

I was worried Ava would turn in to this, staying up so late.  She surprised me, though and was great the whole night.  She made it to midnight better then me!  I was yawning like crazy. 

 

Then I layed her blanket on the floor.  She looked at me and said "nigh nigh?"  meaning - mom am I going to bed right here.  I said, "sure."  So she lays down and starts licking her blanket.  I think I've mentioned she licks her sheets when she goes to sleep???....yeah, she still does.

Ava helped me put away the tree...it's sad to see all the fun Christmas stuff be put away.  But it's fun to see the new "Christmas" stuff around the house...

adorable place-mats, cute clip holder for the girls in their bathroom, a beautiful afghan from Sean's mom...

 

a new Lang 2010 calender - my favorite, a desk organizer...

 

a cute P hook with my new apron...

 

I updated the silhouettes.  It was around this time last year when I first made them.  The difference in Ava's from last year to this year is crazy (click here to see).  Actually, it's quite sad.  She definitely is not a baby anymore.

Let's see...what else is "new" around the house...

 

Have you seen Ava's "new" smile? 

XOXO