♥ a photoblog of adventuresome wanderings & happenings ♥

Swift Creek's Amazing Race

2012-01-29T13:58:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we participated in the Amazing Race (well our version anyway, a scavenger hunt of sorts) with our care group from church.
As even our host, Kristin, will tell you, we were a little hesitant as to how all 20 clues/challenges were going to get finished in the
one hour time frame we had! But it turned out beautifully, full of excitement & adventure at every turn, though I probably did encourage
the hubby to drive through some parking lots with a little more lead in his foot than usual :)

Game Rules:
1) Your family must stay in the same vehicle
2) Take a picture of each of your stops with a SD card (camera) or your mobile phone
3) A person from your family or the entire family must be present in each of the pictures
4) Work up your appetite & join in on the fellowship @ noon at Sergio's
5) Most qualifying pictures win the family prize

The author of Revelation + We have lift off I Scream, you scream, we all scream for pink & green

Nothing beats a group hug - take a family pic in front of a location of your choice that starts with the first letter of your family name!

Have a dog of a time - have the whole team stack up in a dog pile at a location of your choice
(i promise Orion is under there, see his arm & feet :)

The super bowl is almost here - let's see Dad do his favorite football pose

On the Ark was all gathered - three different kinds of animals (we only got two & both were birds, oooops)
Channel your inner mega fan & take a pic with team gear on (Dick's provided to be fruitful for us :)

Courageous they are to protect & serve: they'll pull you over if you swerve. Find one of me & take a pic with someone in your team!
(Orion was terrified & the four troopers were quite the troopers about it :)

Where have all the state troopers gone? Not at the Dunkin' & Donut's but at Arby's!!!!!

All hands in & stacked on the Word

I rock but don't roll; I creak but am not scary. Sit on me while you wait for your name to be called for dinner at the Saltine Bucket.... Cracker Barrel!

Show your spirit in front of a school sign doing your best cheer moves (glad those 6 years of cheerleading really paid off :)
Twinkle Twinkle dollar bill; warm my tummy if you will. Take a pic with my logo!

Flex the peck's or downward dog in front of the red, white, & blue center of sweat!

"Oh what a feeling!" Find a Toyota & get a pic doing the "oh what a feeling" Toyota jump with it!
Bull's Eye - Target

Bob the Builder uses these - to make a road between the trees!

Twinkle Toes, show your pose. Mom's pose in front of a studio that teaches you to groove!

The wheels on me go round & round - pose in front of the big cheese & say cheese!

Lunch & fellowship after the amazing race!!!
Congrats to the Butler Family for finishing first & fulling completing the list :)
And a BIG thank you to Kristin & Mike for putting on such an "amazing" care group event!
It was such a blast, great time spent with family & an awesome time getting to know
each of these families all that much more!!!!!

The two clues we missed were:
1) I am usually made of wood that floats & I can hold your boat. Take a pic standing on me... a dock!
2) Spread the love of fellowship; take a pic with someone from our church who is NOT in our care group.

This truly was such a blessed time & fun event with Daddy as the navigator/built in decoder,
with quite a bit of help from our oldest bean in that depart & he so graciously volunteered to be in most of the pictures for our team.
And the littlest bean as our fully energized cheering squad with Mommy doing what she does best...
snapping away, it really was a family affair we will not soon forget :)

Many Blessings! xoxoxo

GG's Christmas Box

2012-01-21T11:45:00.000-05:00

thank you soooo much for thoughtful Christmas box, GG & Grandpa :)
we miss & love you both very much!!! ♥xoxoxoxo♥

:: play it back ::

2011-12-30T15:46:00.000-05:00

Rip Your Heart Out!

2011-12-30T10:20:00.000-05:00

Nana's & Grampy's are the BEST! Especially when they gift you an iPod Touch for Christmas & all the other do-dads
that make the bells & whistles on that thing work :) i of course made the snug padded little cases for it
(a mamas always thinking of ways to protect ;) Seriously though this kid is more technologically advanced
then his dad & i are! {I've happily dubbed Orion a Pod Person & Daddy's quite jealous}
THANK YOU so much Nana & Grampy!

PS- angry birds is so addictive!

And the littlest bean was gifted a rather large rock crawling remote control monster truck for Christmas :)
Hills & rocks are no match for this Mighty Mega Monster Truck! THANK YOU bunches Nana & Grampy!

Wheel You Move?

Hope y'all had as merry & bright a Christmas as our oldest & littlest bean did!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year everyone!
Thank you again Nana & Grampy for helping to make our beans
Christmas that much more exciting!
And thank you to aunts, uncles, & cousins, we miss & love you all!
Many Blessings! xoxo

thanksgiving {twenty-eleven}

2011-12-28T21:35:00.000-05:00

what a wonderful thanksgiving, filled with the blessing of time spent with family {and lots of yummy eats of course}!
thank you so much for everything Nana & Grampy! we love you!

Merry & Bright

2011-12-16T10:02:00.000-05:00

Bethlehem Walk 2011

2011-12-10T22:26:00.000-05:00

The Little Family { Richmond, VA Family Photographer }

2011-11-16T23:21:00.003-05:00

scavenging apples

2011-10-23T15:21:00.000-04:00

{words} speechless but not completely wordless

{under} the tree & me

{orange} sweater

{fly}ing duo

{always look on the bright side} of life

we had such a time picking & literally scavenging apples yesterday!
this is only a snapshot of the excitement our day contained :)

more scavenging:

happy sunday &

many blessings~

christine xoxo

showered with love { Kim & Emily }

2011-10-21T11:13:00.000-04:00

{sending wishes & kisses}

2011-10-18T11:58:00.000-04:00

sending bunches & bunches of birthday wishes & kisses
to the bestest Nana in the whole wide world!!!!!
Happy Birthday Nana!
We love you!

LEGO & Mall of America

2011-10-15T10:02:00.000-04:00

a quick trip to Michael's, where the best.trains.ever. were found

littlest bean too has LEGO fever

pieces flown home, a two day construction period & one very proud oldest bean later... see results below

destination unknown

2011-10-12T20:24:00.000-04:00

returning from the unknown

sometimes not always knowing where you're going, can be the best part of the going :)
much more to come...

{ autumn's harmony }

2011-10-11T17:53:00.000-04:00

loving all the blessings of this gorgeous season,
Happy Autumn all!

Wonders of His Love

2011-09-11T22:38:00.001-04:00

just received word that this little man is on the way, though his arrival is estimated for the wee hours of tomorrow :)
in the midst of such a tragic day, what a joyous ending the Lord has blessed us with!

"Praise be to the LORD,
for He showed me the wonders of His love
when I was in a city under siege.
Be strong & take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD."
Psalm 31: 21,24

President Obama's reading at the 9/11 ceremony:
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (Selah) 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Selah) 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. ~Psalm 46

Never Forget Remembering

2011-09-11T21:11:00.004-04:00

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

{Thirty Years Young Today}

2011-08-31T21:28:00.056-04:00

thirtieth birthdays should always include: fun school days & nitrogen atoms made, flowers, gifts, & cards sent from far away carrying happy birthday wishes, loving calls from my parents & best friends sharing special news, toenails painted & a pretty dress worn, an {after the storm} theme in honor of hurricane Irene, party decorations & o.j. borrowed, kabobs & blueberry cake, happy birthday sung by wee voices, a round of applause & cards that light-up, a scarf picked out by my oldest bean & a cross necklace given by my loving husband, good nights said & pie in bed :) it's not old that i feel but...
oh my how truly blessed!

Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!

{Thirty Things I've Learned in Thirty Years}

2011-08-31T21:22:00.145-04:00

01} knowing the great love a mother has for her children

02} God answers prayer, His timeline is precise, & the faith He graces us with is strong

03} i am the best teacher for my kids

04} exercise is essential for an overall well-being,

have some of the best conversations with God while working out

05} super glue has more powers than duck tape

06} i am my biggest critic, seriously BIGGEST

07} appreciate those you love while they are here,

say i love you, people want to hear it more than you think

08} i am like a fine wine... only getting better with age :-)

09} encouragement feeds a child's creativity

10} books make for the greatest vacations

11} smile & never apologize for who you are in life

12} following a recipe is non-sense, my version is always better

13} sunrises are best viewed with sand between your toes

14} should have owned a steam cleaner earlier in life

15} letting go is hard but rediscovery is beautiful

16} my boys WILL grow up no matter how much i wish it not so sometimes

17} coffee makes my morning clearer & music moves me

18} showers aren't a daily necessity but oh how they make the day that much brighter

19} you can't not want babies

20} forgive to the extent that you love

21} admit when wrong & apologize always, no one is perfect nor greater than another

22} gray hair is inevitable, no matter how many i try & pluck

23} be silly & laugh often with my kids, i need it as much as they do

24} procrastination is my middle name, i like to say it's what drives my creativity

25} it is amazing what can be made with your two hands, creativity lives within each of us

26} photography allows me to capture the moments in-between the busy,

the moments that can be so hard to hold on to

27} Chicken 'n Dumplings... ultimate comfort food!

28} my hubby would lasso the moon for me if he could ♥

29} my parents have always had my best interest at heart,

this is one you never quite realize until you yourself have children

30} thank God above all, through Him all things are possible

at our desk

2011-08-29T15:37:00.000-04:00

first day of homeschooling completed with great success!
gold stars all around :)

frogs snails & puppy dog tails

2011-08-27T21:30:00.000-04:00

earlier this month i had the privilege of photographing my younger brother Erik & his fiance Candace. their sweet baby boy Jacob
is due at the end of September & i could not have been more honored to take their maternity photos. we giggled & talked, i snapped...
they smiled & couldn't be more pleased with what we captured! thanks so much for the wonderfully memorable time guys, you
have such a blessed & beautiful family!!! i was also able to soak up the celebration of my nieces first birthday, Miss Emma's party
was lovely splashed with pink & silly cute little monkeys! Not to mention a sweet girl covered in pink icing :)

bits & pieces :: our august day

2011-08-26T18:02:00.001-04:00

love garland & love notes

lovely dinners & homemade hand-picked blueberry cake

words shared & kisses remembered

i love you baby & i can't wait to see what
bits & pieces this next year will bring!
{all of my love}

feel the earth move

2011-08-23T15:28:00.001-04:00

cause well it just did, that's just how much we love each other...
enough to make the earth move!

on this day eight years ago, we married as sweethearts
& now happily ever after is all we know

someday, many years from now, we'll look back on this crazy time
in our life together & wonder how we did it all...
& then, those ordinary, everyday moments that we often take for granted
will shimmer like stars as we recount them...
i'll sit close beside you, you'll take my hand in yours. we'll look at each
other & say: "i'd do it all again and wouldn't change a thing."

there's no one I'd rather go through life with than you!

Happy Anniversary Baby!

I Love You!

**NOTE** for those who don't know a 5.9 earthquake hit Virginia & several other states today, quite amazing to experience! and for our family & friends we are feeling quite blessed to be just fine, slightly shaken up but we are just fine :)

berries {blue}

2011-08-12T16:38:00.000-04:00

{how sweet summer can be}

Hook, Line & Sinker

2011-08-12T15:00:00.000-04:00

there's nothing like sharing our many blessings & joys of life with the ones we love {our Nana & Grampy} especially :)
it's been three short years since the birth of our littlest bean but seemingly three long years since Nana & Grampy came for a visit,
so this particular trip we were soaking them up!!! !
with fishing lessons & new sunglasses

giggles with Nana, more lessons cause you know practice makes perfect...
it also helps when there is no actual hook on the end, sun visors & shade

first catches, littlest bean was quite proud of himself

now what!?!

the fishermen

Grampy's are for helping

oldest bean's catch of the day, he was just beaming

gills

♥♥♥

HUGE

green floats

four keepers

{family fun time}

time spent & memories made

Nana & Grampy you have our boys...

Hook, Line & Sinker!

We Love You Both!

On Your Birthday...

2011-07-20T23:20:00.051-04:00

there was sleeping in, b-day banners hung front porch side, firsts with your oldest bean, he made your favorite cake, house decorating,
cake banners strung & chocolate drizzled, happy birthday serenaded to you by your boys, heartfelt cards & well received gifts,
candles that sang, one more year shared & enough love to last a lifetime!

We love you Daddy!

Happy Happy Birthday!

A Moth's Kiss

2011-06-30T14:03:00.000-04:00

this sweet little bean just LOVED checking in on our cocooning
caterpillar creature day after day for over two weeks
until one afternoon this furry faced winged creature emerged from her sleep
we kept her around for a few days as her wings dried & then happily let her fly!
oh! my! how he was just smitten!

Happy Summering!

Christine xoxo

Watercolors that {WOW}

2011-06-07T10:33:00.000-04:00

needed ingredients:
4 tbsp baking soda 2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp white vinegar food coloring (liquid or gel)

1/2 tsp corn syrup

additional supplies needed:
plastic spoons to stir food coloring into mixture
(found that toothpicks can poke holes in foam egg carton)
empty egg carton or small containers to store paints

Begin by pouring the baking soda and vinegar into a mixing bowl. The two ingredients will fizz
and foam so it's fun to let the kiddies watch. Once the foaming stops, stir with a spoon until
you get a smooth consistency. Add in the corn syrup and cornstarch and mix well. The consistency
will be like gak, if you have ever made it - It appears to be a liquid but as soon as you touch it is like a solid...lots of fun.

Once you have a uniform consistency, scoop the mixture into a recycled egg carton or several small containers.
Using the recipe above I was able to fill nine cups of an egg carton. Drop in the desired food coloring to each cup ~
I used a plastic spoon to thoroughly mix the food coloring into the mixture. It will seem a bit crumbly as you are mixing
but once you let it sit it changes back into a liquid consistency and levels out.

let the paints dry and harden for several hours or overnight.
ours dried overnight & were ready to go the next day :)

added a few drops of water to the surface
of each paint before he started

he really beamed over using the homemade paints
or maybe that's just the sugar rush in his eyes from the lollipop :P
i have been completely impressed with the vibrancy of the colors,
not to mention they will last us quite some time too!
homemade watercolors from here on out
& thanks to our Nana for sharing in the recipe with us!

sending love through rainbows ♥

Happy Painting!

Christine xoxo

Freedoms

2011-05-30T22:14:00.001-04:00

thank you to all those who have given their lives & to those who
continue doing so to ensure our safety & freedoms!

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

freedoms from our day

pool trips, push pops & soft pretzels

their happiness & sweet sticky smiles

that i too joined in on the fun

he didn't mind sharing with mommie

too be lost in this sea of busy summeryness

to be holding hands with this fella :)

animal crackers & little fingers

elephants are the best ever, no matter that they all taste the same :)

first dips as a three year old

look what i can do!

pool torpedoes, best toy ever

his enthusiasm for swimming, awesome attitudes & finished book projects

fudge pops & dripping messes

that's good mommie!

sugar lips

fudge pop-staches

his silliness

early evening dinners with a side of pool exhaustion

hot dogs...
he may one day master the art of eating them without getting ketchup
ALL over his hands but for now this is just fine :)

his example, try at your own risk!!!

nothing like topping it all off with some melon-staches :)

one missing piece is daddy who has been out of town all weekend but to return tonight!
and we are all oh! so! happy! for this as we have all missed daddy very much so this weekend!

Hope all of you had a wonderfully safe
& blessed holiday weekend!

Happy Memorial Day!

Christine xoxo

Who Needs the Easter Bunny!

2011-05-11T11:41:00.000-04:00

when you have such an awesomely generous Nana,
who would happily stuff the world in a box & send it to you if she could :)

and by the littlest bean's expression you would think the world just arrived at his door!

the boys absolutely LOVED all the goodies, Ethan especially LOVED his new Thomas the Train
& Orion could barely handle the anticipation of opening your box full of love!!!!!

Thank you so much Nana,
we MISS & LOVE you & Grampy!!!!!

trips

2011-04-21T12:05:00.001-04:00

trips to timeout before 9am, tripping over my-grumpy-no-one-respects-me-attitude, thoughtful trips from a blond-haired,
brown-eyed talkative cutie with a wonderful garden gift from a blessed friend, impromptu trips to the market, lacking underwear
for the little bean but not pants of course, lingering flashbacks from said gone wrong market trip, short sweet & simple, turned into
screaming crying & writhing as i tried to wrangle my littlest {none listening} bean into the much too small cart seat, judgemental
stares from that other mom whose two perfect little angels aren't making a peep, all the while still struggling the writhing bean into
the cart, market trip finished, everyone still intact, ego a little bruised, quietly sobering car trips home serenaded
{not once but twice}with a song that reminds me of him, you know that awesomely patient husband of mine who was an unfortunate
bystander to my-grumpy-no-one-respects-me attitude which spilled over onto him this morning, sorry sweetie.

God is great & gives us trials that trip to help us realize He is there to catch the fall. Through each one of the trying trips
this morning, He oh so graciously provided a thoughtful trip, each in it's own way an eye-opening, faith strengthening tidbit.
For He knows the real reason my heart has been so heavy the last few days & I am eternally trusting in Him for strength &
clarity, to realize these trying trials are nothing in comparison to the heaviness that resides in my heart over the regret of missed
opportunities & lack of faith in His inner workings of my life, for not seeing the divine image as a whole & connecting
the dots, for not healing broken hearts & making amids. But through it all He has still kept His promises & blessedly
graced me with clarity for faith makes all things possible, not easy.

"I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

From here & into the after He will no longer allow me to have eyes wide shut, only wide open to His ever present workings,
He has given me His eyes so that I can see & I am eternally humbled by His call for me to find contentment, whatever the circumstances.

paper aeroplanes

2011-04-20T18:27:00.003-04:00

lunch at Daddy's work place means many happy hellos & Easter bread gifting, newly tie-dyed t's & socks,
pizza & Pepsi, paper aeroplanes & positive vibes, chitter-chatter & coffee to go!
thank you for such a delightful afternoon Daddy, we love you!

Dinoco Blue

2011-04-19T16:07:00.000-04:00

Sittin' In a Tree...

2011-04-16T11:56:00.000-04:00

k-i-s-s-i-n-g

{love} lives in our hearts & dwells in our faith, daily like our two bean sprouts, it grows & strengthens...
loving you here & after... forever eternally

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be."
Matthew 6:21

One Word Wednesday :: Popsicle

2011-04-13T13:55:00.003-04:00

Mmmmmm... nothing like popsicles shared amongst friends
on a warm Spring day :p

PS~ Doesn't Miss L's hair-do remind you of lil' Cindy Lou Who?
So! Stinkin'! Cute!

Happy Wednesday All!!!!

Christine xoxo

If Spring...

2011-04-08T08:09:00.000-04:00

"If spring came but once a century instead of once a year, or
burst forth with the sound of an earthquake & not in
silence, what wonder & expectation there would be
in all the hearts to behold the miraculous change." ~ Longfellow

It's sure to be a fantastic day filled with bread baking, going to the gym,
playing with the littlest bean, making pb&j's checkered flag style,
& the all day anticipation of fourth birthday parties to attend!

Happy Friday!

Christine xoxo

Squirmy = Wormy

2011-04-07T10:19:00.001-04:00

well to my littlest bean anyway, he's an all dirt & rocks kinda guy :)

just my type :-P

Happy Thursday!

Christine xoxo

Wordless Wednesday :: Where Do You Hang Your Hat?

2011-04-06T08:33:00.000-04:00

She likes to hang her's right atop those pretty blond locks :)

Really missing you all! So sorry for my long absence, hoping
to be hangin' my hat back up around here more often!!!

Much Love &

Happy Wednesday!

Christine xoxo

Nana'ed with Care

2011-03-31T23:46:00.125-04:00

Not only do we get packages from the sunny state but they are also blown in from the mountains of Tennessee :)
My mother (the beans Nana) is the greatest at sending the boys her & Grampy's love in festively decorated boxes with perfectly
wrapped presents inside. Whether it is Christmas, their birthdays, Valentine's Day, or Easter she lets them know they are
not forgotten & are extremely missed! And we too feel the same way though we are NO where near as awesome at it as our Nana is!!!!
So thank you Nana we ALL truly appreciate the little & BIG boxes of love you send ♥

Well on this particular day it was ~~dramatically~~ a bit windy... the UPS man flew in & left us this amazing box, that the littlest bean
immediately knew was for him {cause you know when you're three your birthday resonates with you for weeks :} so with it
only being a few days after his birthday {he knew}! "Open Mommie, PLEASE, open!" So inside I flew, grabbed up the scissors & camera,
looking back now it would have been really smart to have grabbed a bag for all that wrapping paper on such a windy day!

He could not get his gifts open fast enough, more excited with each opening, frantically throwing tiny paper bits into the swirling wind
{see this is where the bag would have come in handy, just imagine me frantically swirling right along with that wrapping paper trying
to scoop it up before it blew all over the neighborhood, plus all the while still trying to capture the ripping & swirling paper fun!}
He just loves this car & the fact that Batman drives a monster truck, well that's what we are calling it :)

Nana!!! Charlie the Train really was the biggest hit!
He's even slightly upset in the picture because I was taking too
long getting shots of him, instead of opening the packaging for him!

And once it was opened...
he was off & chug-chug chooing with Charlie!!!

Thank you so much Nana & Grampy!
Each gift is being thoroughly cherished with everyday play
& many giggles to go with it :) We miss & LOVE you both!!!

With Love~

Ethan xoxoxoxo

Flying Flamingos!

2011-03-31T23:31:00.001-04:00

All the way from Florida!!! Thank you so much for the precious & thoughtful gift Grandmother!
Ethan just loved the book...
but was quite in awe of the beautiful fabric his gift was wrapped in.
so much so that he decided to make those flamingos fly with his bike :)

Cheese & Thank you so much Grandmother, I love it!

A birthday boy, his bike, & flock of flying flamingos!

He just loved being able to turn the pages &
hear your voice reading him the cute little story.

"I love you when you are quiet & I love you when you are LOUD!"
Has to be his favorite line in the book makes him giggle every time :)

Yay! to flying flamingos & books read by Grandmother even though she's a few states away
but soon to home from her sunny weather vacation.
Bunches of thanks! We miss & love you Grandmother, come home soon!

With Love

Ethan xoxo

Yippee... I'm Three

2011-02-21T23:31:00.273-05:00

There is nothing like being woken by the tiniest of voices whispering, "I want to show you something." You wrestle your tired eyes open
& struggle with your sleepy head but the excitement in his voice helps to push you up. He happily escorts your sleepy head out of bed
& down the stairs. You both shuffle into the kitchen where he gives a long side stare, then nods & happily replies, "It's a birthday!"

Yes sweet boy... it's your birthday!!!!

Our morning was filled with under table play & colorful cereal eating,
coffee & juice, red balloon, blue balloon, yellow balloon find, cleaning &
decorating, car play & cuddles, putting on our birthday shirt & heading off to church :)

Our afternoon was grand!!!! Awesome friends to celebrate with, roast in the crock pot &
nuggets in the oven, happy birthdays from all around & inside play,
party horns & scraping icing straight from the cake, pictures with the birthday boy
& monster truck treats, blow out the candle & scrap up a bit more icing,
messy faces & sticky hands, having your cake & eating it too!

Thanks to Jillian for capturing these wonderful cakey
family moments for us with our little one :)

You just loved your Monster Truck cake & I just loved making it for you!

Thoughtful gifts presented, seeing the surprise on your face, a new/used bike all your own,
watching you ride your bike for the first time, "Watch Mommie! I go fast!",
wooden puzzle play, & big brother bike riding time!

You were pretty excited &
ready to take on the neighborhood hill!!!!

Go, Ethan, Go!!!

The Biking Birthday Boy

Biking Brothers

Best Buds

a choo-choo, a kite, a boat & a fishy, which shape goes where?
when i watch him do these i can almost see the little gears
working in his head, thanks again Myers 6!

His Happy Birthday to Myself Dance...
what you don't have a happy birthday dance?

Because blowing out the flame once on your birthday is just not enough,
you need Mommie to re-light the candle "just-one-more-time" :)

more scraping of the icing, you really enjoyed the black frosting,
think it had to do with the fact that it was sugar cookie icing,
extra yummy! but the color of your tongue was a bit yucky!!!!

My good friend, Jillian & I during after party hours

though you may not have fully understood the concept of the wonderful paper tickets your Daddy made,
you were equally as excited just to have the tickets {you know like Polar Express} to pretend & dream about monster trucks!
Notice the section, row & seat numbers... your birth date!!!
your face says it all here, pure joy, happiness,
& excitement from such a wee bean of three!!!!

we ended our night with bedtime stories, cuddles, & Mommie & Daddy listening to you ramble on about your day at church
"with the kids"... "We play with the other kids, had cookies, they said happy birthday & bye, needed my book bag &
we go bye bye!" it was sweeter than the chocolate cake on your shirt!

You do truly light up our world bear!
And until next year...
Happy Birthday my Littlest Bean!!!!!!

Much Love~

Mommie, Daddy & Orion xoxo

Connect the Dots...

2011-02-21T23:11:00.207-05:00

la la la...

can you guess what has been keeping me busy?

that's right my littlest bean just turned three
cake creating & party crafting have been at the forefront of my to do list

aeroplane garland, such a fun, functional & easy party decoration
{not to mention you can cut them down at the end of party & hand out as favors}
tutorial can be found at Michelle Made Me, she has the best ideas for paper crafts

when i was hurriedly ~~shoving things in nooks & crannies~~ cleaning up my sewing studio that morning i found a stack
of old/new images that brought my hurried swirl to a stand still, it's amazing how quickly three years
{plus 9 months} can fly by in the blink of an eye...

from labor to birth, chunky thighs & baby bubbles, first smiles & steps, sleepless nights & boo-boo's mended,
from coo's to chug-chug choo-choo's, first haircuts & bike rides, from here to there & running around everywhere
{cause you know he does :} it's been an amazing journey watching as little-by-little his spark-filled personality reveals itself
& am quite grateful that i've at least fifteen years {plus} to watch him grow into the man he's going to become & is meant to be!

after flipping through the years of his life in images i thought it would be nice to use mini clothespins to hang the images between the
aeroplanes & it turned out to be a wonderful addition to the garland & a nice quiet surreal moment for a mommie who feels
that life just moves all too fast sometimes:)

it's amazing what a printed number three coloring page, some heat-n-bond plus fabric & patient stitching can yield :)
love making birthday shirts as much as i love purchasing the birthday number candle! Blow out the candle!

this was taken on Sunday {day before his birthday}, after church we had our dear dear friends, The Myers, over for lunch
& a bit of cake to celebrate! Ethan soaked up every Happy Birthday to you, enjoyed frosting scrapped straight from the cake
& promptly licked clean from his finger & yes this was before i could even get the candle lit :)
more to come on that in a bit though! can you guess what his cake was?

more sweet shots:

{my little growing bean}

{there's nothing quite like daddy kisses, is there?}

more happiness:

{and a lot of mommie's sweeet sweet hugs & love}

we love you from here to there...
because you DO run around everywhere!
we love you just for being you
& all the extra sparks
you've brought into our hearts ♥

Happy Birthday to you sweet boy!

{photo taken by my oldest bean, **ahem** can i just take a moment to say how FANTASTIC it is, brought an instant smile to my lips, slightly edited by me}

Happy Birthday Little Bean
& Much Love ♥

Mommie & Daddy xoxo

Shoot & Edit :: Week 5 {Hearts}

2011-02-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

{SOOC}

the lyrics are why {iwu} this song!

urnx
urnx, ni, imnx
ictv
ictv, nicu
icu, icu, nurok
urnx
urnx, ni, iw
icatv, icadvd, nicu
icu, icu, nurok
icu, icu, nurok

Translation:
You are an X
You are an X, and I, I am an X
I see TV
I see TV, and I see you
I see you, I see you, and you are okay
You are an X
You are an X, and I, I double you
I see a DVD, I see a DVD, and I see you
I see you, I see you, and you are okay
I see you, I see you, and you are okay

{Raw Edit}

camera calibration :: camera vivid
shot as :: daylight
recovery :: 50
contrast :: 45
clarity :: 55
vibrancy :: 20
saturation :: -15
used healing brush to remove
distracting spot on the surface of the W

{Soft Autumn Glow with Rounded Corners & 1960's Effect Edit}

crop 4x6
action used :: coffeeshop soft autumn glow {glow, contrast boost, slight color enhancement}
with this action i decreased all layers by 50% of their opacity & deleted color mute layer
added new layer {faded pink gradient} opacity 25%
lighten shadows :: 12
darken shadows :: 25
focal soften twice, despeckle once
remove dust & scratches once to reduce the amount of wood grain in background
lastly vignette, crop rounded corners with a 1960's effect

{SOOC}

a part of you has grown in me. and so you
see, it's you and me together forever and
never apart, maybe in distance, but
never in heart....

{Raw Edit}

camera calibration :: camera d2x mode3
shot as :: daylight
recovery :: 20
fill light :: 12
contrast :: 75
clarity :: 80
vibrancy :: 40
saturation :: -6

{Vivid Tie-Dye Textured Edit}

crop 4x6
action used :: coffeeshop vivid (no wait), adjusted layers settings to my liking
added pink tie-dye texture :: opacity 65%
selected hearts with smart brush to increase high contrast {opacity 45%}
makes hearts pop away from the background to draw your eye in
selected hearts with quick selection tool, selected inverse
focal soften twice, despeckle once
remove dust & scratches once to soften the tie-dye texture
added border for dramatic effect

more shot & edit:

You Capture :: Cold

“may you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night
& a smooth road all the way to your door.” ~irish blessing

more cold:

Happy Thursday!!!

xoxo

Wordless Wednesday :: When You Love Someone ♥

2011-02-09T12:51:00.001-05:00

{it can look a little like this, awwwww baby love}

or...

{a little like this, ahhhhh brotherly love :-}
more WW: The Paper Mama, Seven Clown Circus, Supermom, My Wee View, & A Beautiful Mess

{and for b&w wednesday a little re-edit from this image}

more b&w:

Oh & I want to give the BIGGEST thank you to Tara & Jamie over at The Trendy Treehouse
because these ladies choose my {shadow} shot as last week's number one image!!!!
Thank you so much ladies I am truly honored!!!!

ps~ let me know what ya
think of the new header?
{like or dislike}
me thinks i like Ü

Happy Wednesday!!

xoxo

Shutter Love :: Eyelashes

2011-02-07T23:18:00.005-05:00

"in my mind's eye" ~W. Shakespeare

this week's theme for
Shutter Love Tuesday
{eyelashes}

more eyelashes:

more self-potraits:

“A hidden connection is stronger than an obvious one." ~Heraclitus

i love all the ~~scratches~~ character
many moments of our marriage

more sweet shots:

{his happiness}

more happiness:

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

SHS :: Up Close & Personal

2011-02-07T22:25:00.003-05:00

{Water} Drops

a re-edit of my Joy of Love :: Day Five image

{Quote} Shoot & Edit Week 5 :: Hearts {SOOC}

quoted from one of my favorite children's songs called "I C U" by They Might Be Giants
& these little crocheted by me hearts hang on our mantle ♥
{if you scroll to bottom of page you can have a listen, it's the cutest & we LOVE the CD/DVD}

{SOOC} ♥Candy Message Hearts♥

because one is just never enough & i did quite enjoy taking these,
now i can't wait to edit them!

more shoot & edit:

the theme for Shoot & Edit this week is {hearts}...
head on over to Jill's beautiful blog & link up for her portion of the challenge...
then come come back on Thursday to soak up Ashley's awesome advice & link up your edits!

Ü a BIG Happy Birthday to Jill! Ü

{Window}

my husband wishes he could crawl through this tiny window & be taken back to when his days were
filled with guitar playing & nights with music listening {well only ever once & a while }

{Activity}

he just really loves to ~~take over for~~ help his daddy :)
helping his daddy cut a shelf for big brother :: the shelf has since been painted blue & hung
irony in it all... the shelf was made & hung high enough to keep
little brother fingers away from special big brother belongings
more activity:

{Page Twenty-Five}

{Genesis 41: 53-57}
this image & passage speak

more scavenging::

was an enjoyable busy weekend {{sigh}}

hope it was for you too!

xoxo

Joy of Love :: Days Six & Seven

2011-02-07T21:13:00.000-05:00

Joy of Love :: Day Six {the ones they love}

we can't get enough of shapes & colors lately,
my littlest bean just loves being a shape searcher :)

Joy of Love :: Day Seven {generations}

Christmas at Nana's is never lacking in future generations, sadly we are missing two of the eight grandchildren in this image
{& no that doesn't count my littlest bean who just refused to sit with everyone, he's quite the individual you know!}

more joy:

Happy Loving!

xoxo

Joy of Love Day Five:: love to hate

2011-02-05T21:50:00.001-05:00

{Rainy Day Lament}

theme for day five is {love to hate}...
{the rain} who doesn't love to hate it!
we need it to sustain life, for puddle jumping & mud-pie making...
but sometimes it can just ruin a perfectly good Saturday...
then again having a guilt-free excuse to stay inside, snug in your pj's all day is pretty sweet!
see how i just love to hate the rain :)

more love2hate:

day 6 theme :: the ones they love
day 7 theme :: generations

happy weekending!

xoxo

Oh Won't You Be Mine?

2011-02-03T23:54:00.119-05:00

would you, could you? please, please!!

and believe you me he is quite the stubborn one... selective hearing & blue in the face are two of his top toddler tricks Ü
but oh how he is just the sweetest indeed, i just love that he is my little valentine!

i'm really late with this one {guess we were holding our breath}
her linky is only open til 11:59pm tonight, so hurry!

more valentine's:

random fact about the littlest bean {ahem... he loves candy}
photo above is evidence {see fingerprint in top left corner}
attempt at making his own breakfast, tic-tacs & old as christmas candy canes!
my husband & i are quite baffled where the candy cane bits even came from?
we know we had tic-tac's atop the fridge {used to be the little hands free zone}
but Houdini {littlest bean} strikes again.
see he loves chairs & has figured out that if he scoots the chair to the counter & hops up
{cue the horns & trumpets} he can reach every no-no stash galore
{or maybe he has just watched his older brother do this on too many times :}
anyhoo that kid has candy seeking super powers; hearing of a bat,
can hear you unwrapping a sweet treat from a mile away &
will come running at such sound, a sense of smell like a hound dog,
he will smell that reese's peanut butter egg that you gobbled down as lunch while kids weren't
paying attention, no matter how you try & hide it, he smells everything!
well needless to say we had to have a little talk about breakfast essentials &
the tic-tacs have a new-even-higher-behind-a-closed-door-hiding-place!

more macro's:

my entry for Six Cherries on Top & Webbisodes {my funny valentine} cutest couple photo contest that is open until
Feb. 14th so if you haven't already joined in you really should! This image is a re-edit {first version here} & i had so much
fun doing it, not to mention i just love remembering this moment!

more couple's valentine's:

also i want to say a BIG thank you for all of your beautiful & supportive comments, especially on this week's Shoot & Edit,
each one was so thoughtful & truly appreciated, so thanks so much ladies!

now let's go make some new friends:

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Shoot & Edit :: Week 4 {Red}

2011-02-03T10:02:00.000-05:00

{SOOC}

to {know him} is to {love him}

{Raw Edit}

here is what i did in {Adobe Camera Raw}:
white balance: as shot
slight use of recovery
increased black light & brightness
increased clarity
increased saturation & vibrancy
once open from Raw, then used the healing brush
to remove any distracting spots on the hearts surface!

{Lustrous Edit}

for Lustrous edit:
used Lustrous Pop to help bring out the beautiful shades of red,
a {free} action from The Coffeeshop Blog
once applied, decreased the color pop layer to 50%
but kept the sharpened layer at 100%
used hue/saturation to increase the {reds} just on background layer
next used the elliptical marquee tool; select {love him} & increased sharpness
once finished choose inverse select & applied a gaussian blur effect {twice} & used despeckle once
and last but not least, inserted some vignetting to draw your eye into the heart!
phew, finally... all finished!!!!!!!!!!!

though i do quite love my {SOOC} shot, i am OH! SO! IN LOVE! with my final {Lustrous} edit :) that action is just wonderful {not to mention FREE}
& with a bit of tweaking you can have those reds bouncing right off the page without a harsh over edit of the color!

{Flickr Edit}

{a year living positively 19/365}
Ashley is encouraging texture use this week & since i already touched on that last week thought it would be nice with this edit to show everyone that you don't have to use PSE, CS5, Lightroom, or any other fancy/expensive program to get a great edited result. uploaded my {SOOC} shot into my Flickr account to solely edit the image in Picnik. notice that the spots on the heart are still there, you can upgrade your Picnik account in Flickr to offer features that will help eliminate those distractions. point is that a Flickr account & upgrade in Picnik are still cheaper to purchase than some Adobe editing systems, not to mention it is a very wonderful/helpful photography community to be involved in Ü

Second Shot {Optical Illusion}

{SOOC}

{Raw Edit}

here is what i did in {Adobe Camera Raw}:
white balance: daylight
slight use of recovery
increased fill light & brightness
increased clarity
increased saturation & vibrancy

{Vermont Edit}

for my Vermont edit:
applied maple & cream layering to soften lighting
{not to mention take those wrinkles away from my hands, ewww!}
used hue/saturation to increase the {reds} just on background layer
next used the elliptical marquee tool; select within the circle & increased sharpness
once finished choose inverse select & applied a gaussian blur effect & used despeckle
and again added vignetting to draw your eye in!

{Flickr Edit}

{bench monday & a year living positively 20/365}

here is my Flickr edit, used for Bench Monday! no prior editing on in Picnik :)
many of you asked on Tuesday how i achieved this effect...
well to be truthful it was much by accident with a bit of
experimenting thrown in!
you will need to have a {fish-eye} lens to achieve it:
lens comes apart in two sections
once apart you will notice that there is a larger convex lens that will bulge your image
and a smaller concave lens that {like the lens of your eye}
will flip images upside down, plus make objects seem extremely smaller than usual!
so there you have it, so simple, yet an awesome optical effect, now go grab your fish-eyes & start flipping the world upside down Ü

pop on over to Ashley's blog & link up for her part of Shoot & Edit...
& thanks for all the great/helpful tips Ashley & Jill!!!!

more shot & edit:

You Capture :: Red

“so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.” ~W. Williams

this week's theme at I Should Be Folding Laundry
for You Capture is {red} too!
more red:

oh & if you didn't know ole Puxatony Phil
is predicting an early Spring this year... Hallelujah!
And Happy Chinese New Year {The Year of the Rabbit}
to those who are celebrating today!

Happy {Red} Thursday!

xoxo

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Baby Bubbles

2011-02-02T11:15:00.001-05:00

"The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time." ~A. Lincoln

i miss those baby bubbles something terrible!
more WW: The Paper Mama, Seven Clown Circus, A Beautiful Mess, My Wee View, & Supermom

more b&w:

though i missed it yesterday this week's theme for Shutter Love Tuesday is {shadows}!
more shadows:

Happy February!

xoxo

Roses are {Red}, Violets are Blue...

2011-01-31T21:03:00.000-05:00

& i love him times infinity, plus two...

more sweet shots:

"you must understand that seeing is believing,
but also know that believing is seeing. " ~D. Waitley

the theme for Shoot & Edit this week is {red}...
head on over to Jill's beautiful blog & link up for her portion of the challenge...
then come come back on Thursday to soak up Ashley's awesome advice & link up your edits!
both these shots are {SOOC}, with subtle hints of reds & i just can't wait to edit them both!

Happy Monday everyone!

xoxo

Best Face Forward {i heart faces}

2011-01-31T20:35:00.000-05:00

“of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important." ~J. Lane
somebody must have forgotten to tell him!

though this is not his {best face} ever,
it was my {best face} shot from January 2011!
anyone else longing for warmer sunny weather?

more best faces:

what's your best face?

xoxo

You Capture :: Ü Happiness is... Ü

2011-01-28T10:27:00.002-05:00

{their sweet smiling faces}

{apples picked fresh from the branch}

{his face}

{found in anticipation}

{guilty indulgence}

{his kisses & anniversaries}

{fun family portraits & bench mondays}

{a sweet treat on a hot day}

{kisses with a view}

{flowers found while walking by the river}

more macro's:

{traditions to carry on & memories made}

"happiness is like a butterfly. the more you chase it, the more it eludes you.
but if you turn your attention to other things, it comes & sits softly on your shoulder."

each of these precious happenings was a
beautiful & happily remembered moment...

this week's theme for You Capture is {happy}!

Happy Weekending everyone!!!

xoxo

Shoot & Edit :: Week 3 {Goodnight}

2011-01-27T10:16:00.001-05:00

{Secondary Edit}

many stated that you couldn't wait to see what i would do for all of my edits! and since the only image that i had not slightly
edited was the last in this post i decided to give these two photos a secondary edit with the use of some textures :)
happy viewing everybody!!! for larger view {original edits here}

{Secondary Edit}

here is the {SOOC} that i had originally intended to edit... SOOC, Raw, & Final Edit

{SOOC}

nothing says {goodnight} to us & our little beans like bedtime stories
& soaking up those last few precious quiet moments of the day!

{Raw Edit}

here is what i did in {Adobe Camera Raw}:
white balance: as shot
slight use of recovery
increased fill light & brightness
increased clarity
increased saturation & vibrancy

{Final Edit}

for my final edit:
added vintage photo effect
then used eraser to remove effect from the page area to help sharpen
added some focal soften around the area of the words on the page to help them stand out more
& last but not least i added a tiny bit of vignetting around the image for slight bit of framing to draw your eye in!

the differences aren't that noticeable between the SOOC & Raw Edit but lightening it up some helped to add a pop in the final edit!
not overly thrilled with any of my edits today but oh how i am enjoying having these moments captured to relive & remember Ü

pop on over to Ashley's blog & link up for her part of Shoot & Edit...
& thanks for all the great/helpful tips Ashley & Jill!!!!
more shot & edit:

Happy Thursday!!!

xoxo

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Friendly Hearts

2011-01-26T00:36:00.001-05:00

"Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends." ~Cindy Lew
more wordless wednesday at: The Paper Mama, A Beautiful Mess, The Wee View, Seven Clown Circus, & Supermom!

she is such a sweet lil' bit of girl but can definitely hang with the most rambunctious of boys :)
{mmmmmm... hot cocoa made by her mommy on a cold day, just perfect}

{cocoa-stache}

more b&w:

couldn't leave out the color version of course...
oh how she makes me want a sweet lil' bit of girl all my own!
but i'm lucky cause she's just down the street & i get to see her smiling face quite often.

so much sweetness... this particular day she walked right over to me, looked up, smiled & said, "You look really pretty today."
OH! MY! heart melting!!! I happily smiled back & replied, "Why thank you! You too look pretty today & I love your pigtails & bows." :)
love it, don't ever want to forget it!

Happy Wednesday!!!

xoxo
{Christmas Parade 2010}

{Life's Little Sweet Treasures}

2011-01-25T08:39:00.000-05:00

Daddy really is his best friend & no matter how tall the littlest bean gets he'll always look up to him
& no matter how big, he'll never out grow his Daddy's heart :) {I just love this image ♥}

"one does not love one's children just because they are one's children but
because of the friendship formed while raising them." ~G. Marquez

And how could this not be my happiness for today!
watching these two strengthen an unbreakable bond daily
is a wonderful sight & it makes my heart sing :)

more happiness:

Also the theme for Shutter Love Tuesday this week is {overlay}!
I used two different gradient overlays of salmon to lighten
& brighten & then added a sun flare overlay for a dramatic fun effect!

more overlays:

well last night while working on getting my Shoot & Edit image the littlest bean came along & made it that much sweeter!!!
oh how he just loves for his Daddy to tuck him in at night & read him to sleep!Love his love for reading {well being read to at least}!!!
Especially anything that has to do with trains or the moon! But last night he choose a classic...

more sweet shots:

SOOC {Green Eggs & Ham} to be read with his daddy of course!

This is my SOOC shot for Shoot & Edit, it just screams {Goodnight} to me, which is the topic of assignment this week,
head over to Jill's wonderful blog to see more SOOC shots, thanks Jill. Will be back Thursday to link up at Ashley's beautiful bloggy
abode for the edit portion of this image :)

more Shoot & Edit:

Happy Happy Tuesday everyone!

xoxo

Innocent Wonderment {i heart faces}

2011-01-24T11:24:00.001-05:00

"The world will never starve for want of wonders, but for want of wonder." ~G. Chesterson

♥ooohh look at all that innocent ~~want~~ wonderment on my little bean's face ♥

more wonderment:

Happy Monday!

xoxo

SHS :: Look & See

2011-01-23T23:25:00.003-05:00

{memories}

nothing better than painted memories done by little hands :)

{silhouetted love}

he's the other half that makes me whole...

{painted doorways}

"you're the sky that i fell through & i remember the view whenever i'm holding you." ~Owl City

{a year of living positively 9/365}

looking up from our front doorway...
really reminded me of a Michael Angelo painting

more lovely quotes:

{racing reflection}

i have boys... so we have matchbox cars... lots to be exact :_P

{1981 silver}

coins seem to be an ever present in my life lately...
from fishing them out of my toddlers mouth {i know eeeewwwww!}
to helping my oldest bean with his money homework... ch- ch- change!
and i do love that the quarter has the year i was born on it :)

more creative scavenging:

Happy Sunday!

xoxo

A Perfect Ten!

2011-01-23T23:23:00.001-05:00

our niece Breanna surely is a perfect ten & yesterday was her birthday... can't believe it, ten years already! i remember the day you
were born, an early arrival {by almost 2 months}, so tiny & fragile but so full of hope & life. i remember the first time i watched you,
oh boy, you cried & cried so much so it made me wonder why people ever have children!?!?! But oh my how you had the most
intoxicating baby smell & smile about you that brought on the realization as to why we do have children :) from one to two to ten years,
you're forever growing, forever maturing into a beautiful & smart young lady. wishing we were closer so we didn't have to miss such special
moments in your life but know that we do miss & love you very much!!!!

Happy 10th
Birthday Breanna!!!!!

{images from August 2010}

You Capture :: •Circles•

2011-01-20T13:12:00.001-05:00

more circles:

hope all of you are having as sunny &

lovely an afternoon as me & the littlest bean!

xoxo

Shoot & Edit :: Week 2 {Good Morning}

2011-01-20T07:31:00.001-05:00

{SOOC}

mmmmmm... best part of waking up Ü
but it's a bit dull like me in the mornings,
so here is my shot from Tuesday...
how i brightened it up & then made it pop!!!

{Raw Edit}

here is what i did in {Adobe Camera Raw}...
white balance: daylight
increased blacks
increased brightness
increased clarity
increased vibrancy
increased saturation

{Lustrous Pop Edit}

and since i don't really have time to sit & play with editing right now {gotta get the oldest bean off to school} i decided to
try a new {to me} action, called Lustrous Pop from The Coffeeshop Blog {fabulous site that offers free actions!!!}
i tweaked the brightness & contrasts a bit & viola... i really do LOVE it! the rich dark tones in the coffee grounds &
bright pop of the background are just beautiful :)

so there you have it three solid images & two fun new ways to edit. i am just loving learning more & more about editing in Raw,
so many fantastic ways to ever so slightly tweak your color, clarity & vibrancy in an image.

more shoot & edit:

pop on over to Ashley's blog & link up for her part of Shoot & Edit...
& thanks for all the great/helpful tips Ashley & Jill!!!!

Be back this afternoon for You Capture...

theme this week {circles}!

Happy Thursday all!

Word-filled Wednesday: Em{brace}ing It!

2011-01-19T14:36:00.002-05:00

over the past two months that's what my oldest bean has been doing... {embracing it}
see right before Thanksgiving {yeah i know right, i'm waaaaay behind in blogging!} we took a much needed trip to the dentist,
who promptly referred us to an orthodontist {that i just love} to take a look at the oldest beans chompers. if you look closely
at his top right tooth in the above image {from our trip to Carter Mtn. back in October} you can see where the tooth is kinda
growing through the gum, slight issue that has pretty much been corrected since having the braces but on his top teeth.
so where is the issue you say, well that lies beneath his tongue {see photo below this one}...

didn't want to gross you out first thing by having my oldest beans big ol' mouth right in your face :) but as you can clearly see that tooth

decided all his own to take up residence right there behind his fellow front two chompers! doesn't he kinda look like a shark?
anyhoo we have since gone back to the orthodontist {right after Christmas}& had the bottom row put on, leaving said baby tooth
in position as a space saver until the permanent tooth is moved closer to his true home.
it should be really interesting to see how they get that stubborn little guy out of there!

but my oldest bean has been great about embracing it all...
from the terrible terrible news of no more chewy, sticky, or gooey candies {do you know how many chewy candies there are, including gum!!!}, no nuts or popcorn, no suckers or candy canes... he has happily accepted chocolate & ice cream as his new favorites & was very happy that Santa remembered such :)

to going back to have a procedure done without me {a bit of a deer in the headlights look here}...
but he did just fine & i was awarded several moments to per-ruse through a magazine!

being able to eat only soft foods for two to three days because his mouth is swollen & cut, it's hard getting used to metal in your mouth...
remember the top ones went on two days before Thanksgiving, he hardly complained!

to the worries & wonders of what his friends would think... they of course thought it was cool {how many eight year olds do you know with braces?}... he & i had an on going joke that they were his Thundercat steel teeth, if anything it at least brought a smile to his face when he was feeling a bit cheated over the situation :) he has embraced & gracefully handled it all, better than i would have at the ripe ol' age of eight.

and everyday he continues to embrace it
{um, getting hit in the face by your little brother with braces really does hit!!!}
but we are hoping by next Christmas that he will be able to shed the steel teeth & spot those straight pearly whites!

PS~ my eight year old already looked like a ten year old & he seems even older now with the braces!!! plus the other day he informed me & my hubby that he need razors so he could shave & he announced that he has spotted a few armpit arms... oh my oh my what's next!! i know, it's my car keys isn't it!

more wordless wednesday delight: The Paper Mama, A Beautiful Mess, My Wee View, Seven Clown Circus, And Miles to Go Before I Sleep, & Supermom!

and speaking of embracing... this wee one here is really starting to embrace the potty! as most days here lately have been spent diaperless we have had less & less accidents {though i did have to clean up the most unfortunate of accidents yesterday... yuck!} but he is trying with a big "YAY, we did it!" & hand clap at the end, mind you the sucker incentives are probably a slight help, hey bribing is not beyond me.
next step... working on his aim :)

more black & white wednesday: The Long Road to China

Happy Wednesday! xoxo

{Sticking Together}

2011-01-18T12:15:00.001-05:00

"Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together." ~V. Kelly

more sweet shots:

{my happiness}

{A Charlie Brown Christmas}
Patty: Try to catch snowflakes on your tongue. It's fun.
Linus Van Pelt: Mmm. Needs sugar.
Lucy Van Pelt: It's too early. I never eat December snowflakes.
I always wait until January.
Linus Van Pelt: They sure look ripe to me.

watching him do this without being prompted brought me so much happiness :) oh & he finds December snowflakes just ripe!
{a year of living positively 5/365}

more happiness:

{SOOC} Good Morning

nothing says {Good Morning} to me & my hubby like fresh ground coffee!
this is my SOOC image for Jill's half of Shoot & Edit...
will be back on Thursday for Ashley's half of Shoot & Edit :)

more shoot & edit
theme {Good Morning}:

{Shutter Love Tuesday} Tints

"I like a girl to look relaxed. Tight jeans & rock t-shirts are cute!"
501... my hubbies favorite number on me :)
{a year of living positively 6/365}

this is my shot for Bench Monday: 501 Edition {oh how i have missed them} & since the theme this week for
Shutter Love Tuesday at Trendy Treehouse is {tints}, I thought this shot to be perfect!!!
i used a {cross processing} tint, to bring out a golden glow & really darken the shadows.
{PS~ If you don't know what Bench Monday is, I really recommend that you check it out, it's tons of creative fun!}

more tints:

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!!

The Traveler

2011-01-16T08:57:00.005-05:00

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember,

& remember more than I have seen." ~B. Disraeli

If my littlest bean could, he'd hop one of his trains & travel the world round! And oh how I would miss him if he did! He is quite the little adventurer :)

Happy Sunny Sunday!!

{a year of living positively 3/365}

You Capture :: Doorways

2011-01-13T14:14:00.000-05:00

{To The Ends of the Earth}

that's where my littlest bean would follow his big brother.

Theme this week for {You Capture} at
I Should Be Folding Laundry is {doorways}!

Out Nana & Grampy's doorway Christmas morning, we all went to bed, anxiously awaiting Santa {no snow mind you} &
we woke to a Winter Wonderland! These images are for my mother who is patiently awaiting my Christmas post from her house.
Since editing has pretty much been none existent, I thought a definite sneak peek was in order for her :) Hope you enjoy Nana!

Happy Thursday!

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: SNOW Happy

2011-01-12T08:04:00.002-05:00

"Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it." ~J. Prévert

Happy Happy Wednesday!

more wordless wednesday delight: The Paper Mama, A Beautiful Mess, My Wee View, Seven Clown Circus, And Miles to Go Before I Sleep, & Supermom!

Over the River & Through the Woods...

2011-01-11T20:39:00.005-05:00

To Grandmother's house we went! On Dec. 20th before heading out of town to Chattanooga we celebrated Christmas with Grandmother,

Grandpa & my hubby's sister's family. It was a joyously rambunctious time for ~~everyone~~ the kid-os. So without further adieu {cause you know it has taken me forever & a day to finally get some editing & posting done, but all for good reason} here is how our Christmas was spent over the river & through the woods at Grandmother's house...

Poor Grandpa tried his best to get home earlier but sadly missed out on Grandmother's fabulous meal & we missed out on his humorous dinner banter.

Truth be told, he was only really there for the candy & presents anyway. PS~ If you are wondering IT WAS definitely cold that night!

These crack me up!

{Just Perfect}

{me & my hubby}

and there it is, just wouldn't be Christmas without a bit of kissin', no mistletoe required :)

{Christmas Trimmings}

Ethan really wanted to play with his Army men alone, but Mommie decided to tag along with her camera, can you tell how happy he was about it...

as a tradition {well my kids & I have made it one} we bake our yummy gingerbread cookies, pack up all essentials & bring them

on over to Grandmother & Grandpa's for a bit of decorating & then promptly devouring the scrumptious cookies & all their icing trimmings!

I promise Ethan really liked them, see...

{me & Grandmother}

Present time! Present time, open a present & see what's inside!!!

Orion, Ethan & I received a trio of Snuggie's from Grandmother & Grandpa! Orion was quite excited over this {as he has been wanting one for a while now} & the fact that it was camo & came with a pair of slip proof socks, really took the cake for him. Ethan could be eaten alive by his & that really takes the cake for him! PS~ Notice Grandpa trying to keep Ethan out of his chocolate covered cherries, he has recently been named the {Candy Thief}, more on that later!

Ethan just loved his Parking Playset, we have raced miles are this lot already, as well as, putting it back together a few times after someone thought it would be a great idea to stand on it! I tell you what it was definitely made to withstand the playings of a boisterous two year old! He was also very happy to thank his Aunt Rachael for the gift :)

It just wouldn't be Christmas without a few handmade goodies from this Mommie...
an awesome Lego sack for Connor, which he received in a Dole's peach box that he didn't attempt to open at first, just explained, "Peaches... COOL!", what a great kid! Grandmother received an embroidered pillow {she LOVED the quote}, two reusable grocery bags {made from the same material that was used as curtains in their first home} & matching make-up pouches for Grandmother & Aunt Rachael, which are both lined with one of Grandmother's mother's old handkerchiefs.

{my stash}

{Grandpa & his two kid-os}

{Grandmother & her two kid-os}

{cousin Connor}

{Grandpa lovin'}

{Aunt Rachael & cousin Connor}

{Ahhhhhhh!}

more to make you laugh...

attempts 1-5 at a family photo

Close Enough...

a wonderful time of giving & receiving was had by all!

{Merry Christmas}

a BIG thank you to Grandmother & Grandpa!
We love you both very much!

A very belated Merry Christmas &

Happy New Year from our family to yours!

PS~ This is just the beginning of our Christmas"ing", much more to come!

For Christmas Comes But Once A Year!

2010-12-13T20:47:00.004-05:00

And how I love that it's filled with cheer & cherished greetings sent dashing through the snow :)
For us this most beloved tradition started our first year of marriage, sending out a Christmas photo greeting card. It's a beautiful
way for us to share in our happenings for the year & for our loved ones who are not so close to see our smiling faces & how the boys have grown & grown.

Well this season my heart was truly saddened at the thought of not being able to send out our yearly greeting, as the Christmas budget
didn't exactly call for it! But I was willing & had made peace with the thought, then low & behold a dear friend blogged about a FABULOUS giveaway
that Shutterfly was holding, 50 free holiday cards just for blogging about their wonderful 2010 selection of holidays greetings
& so much more. Personally I haven't had many experiences with Shutterfly but I do have a close friend who has raved & raved about their quality
& perfect photo prints. And I can attest to the fact that her family holiday cards, as well as birthday invites for her little one
have been so beautifully displayed. Well back to our story at hand, I applied through their website & they promptly responded with detailed, yet oh so simple instructions. Only wish I could have shared in the secret earlier! So before I share in a few of my selections for holiday cards,
here are some of my personal favorites that they offer: picture-perfect photo necklaces, such a cute, fun, & functional accessory; photo mugs,
which are new to Shutterfly, are a great way to showcase a special image with a loved one; & wall calendars, great for sharing
in your year round fun as a family & display those favorite images of adventurous happenings! What ever service you choose, Shutterfly is sure to come through with quality images & perfect printing. Now on to some of our favorite selections for Christmas greetings!

Selection #1
{really loving the personalized feel of one single image
& slight embellishment of this greeting}

Selection #2

{love that this greeting holds multiple images,
lots of room for smiling faces Ü}

Who knows which one we'll pick but for now we're just so merry & bright about being afforded the opportunity to still share in our Christmas tradition!

And we just can't wait for our cherished family greeting to be sent dashing through the snow from our home to yours!

Much Love

Merry Christmas
to all!

Where {Autumn's} Sidewalk Ends

2010-11-04T23:29:00.003-04:00

{Where the Sidewalk Ends }
There is a place where the sidewalk ends& before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white, & there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight, to cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black & the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow, we shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go, to the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, & we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know the place where the sidewalk ends.
{by Shel Silverstein}

WOW... November already, soon to be Thanksgiving, then Christmas & on to the start of a whole New Year

life seems as though it's jumping in leaps & bounds as the seconds tick by

each new seasonal memory made {birthdays, Easter, summer break, Thanksgiving, Christmas...} with the last just as fresh in my mind

watching our beans growing in leaps & bounds

treasuring their days of innocence but savoring each new showing of independence

longing for time to be still, but all the while mesmerized by it's movement

just waiting with baited breath for the next chapter to begin...

we spent our last October weekend enjoying the autumn beauty to it's fullest, taking in the fading sights, sounds &

smells of this beautiful season before the bare bitter cold season of winter is here.

Started off with a wonderful early a.m. game of Saturday soccer

Coach Daddy & Orion {All-Star Goalie}

followed by a much needed winter-wonder-wear shopping spree at K-Mart {where all their kids outer-wear is 30% off}

we got a snowsuit for the oldest bean, payed $13 for it, a steal in my opinion! Went back to get the littlest bean one this

week & it was 40% off :) After our shopping spree we definitely had to re-fuel with some lunch

{yummy Chick-fil-a} waffle fries, chick nuggets, & chick sandwiches!

{this made shopping a wee bit easier}

Once finished a stop off for some scrumptious Captain Buzzy's Coffee &

beverages for the beans, then a quiet stroll to one of our favorite views in town, atop Church Hill

the beans ran about racing each other {ready, set, go}

{littlest bean saw a train go rollin' by & was daydreaming about catchin' a ride}

moms & pops sipped their warm coffee {whilst taking in the beautiful views & having great conversation}

{happy family!}

{i love it when he looks at me this way}

snapped some great captures while daddy happily froliced with the beans {in beautifully colored rustling leaves}

{littlest bean was completely in awe of all the falling color}

{these are just my favorite}

{soaking up his hand in mine}

{their laughter & the beauty of the setting sun on our quiet stroll back}

{stopping to smell the flowers}

{it was the perfect ending to a perfect family Fall day of play!}

happy friday's eve! xoxo

meet new bloggy friends:

Franken-tastic Frankie & The Magic Dragon {Boo Brothers}

2010-10-31T23:18:00.001-04:00

happy halloween

from us & our

{boo} beans! xoxo