11!

I sometimes catch myself looking at her....wondering where in the world my short,curly-haired baby girl has gone.  It's not easy being the firstborn, but I couldn't have asked for a more perfect spirit to fill the requirement.  She is kind.  She is good.  I pray that I don't screw this up.....because I know I was given something very, very special with this little girl.  Happy soon-to-be-eleven Allie!


*These photos were taken down at Great Grandma and Grandpa's.  Their beautiful historic home is in the background, making these even more meaningful to us.  We would love to build a dream home in this very spot.....but who knows.....it's a fun/far out dream of ours. Gotta have a dream, right?!;)

Ashtyn turns one!

My niece turned one this week and her mom asked me to do her pictures. It was so much fun doing these pictures! She is the youngest of four kids and the FIRST girl.  My sister has wanted a little girl so bad, and after buying nothing but blue for almost six years.....well, you can see for yourself that she is having a ball with pink,pink and MORE pink! haha...I walked into her house and just started laughing. I knew she would have that baby this decked out!

This was my first time shooting a one-year-old that wasn't my own child-it is NOT easy to get these pictures.  They are mobile, have zero attention span and no clue(or care for that matter) of what you are trying to achieve-but we got some darling shots and I learned a lot!  This was also my first time shooting against a bright white background-which threw me and my camera for a loop at the beginning. The pinks kept looking red, but I got it figured out-I need more practice on taking photographs of little ones!  


Love this little girly-girl! (Let's all hope for her mother's sake that she does grow up to be a girly-girl and not a tomboy....because with three rough and tumble brothers above her, the latter seems like a real possibility!;)

Tea Party

Spending my days with Olivia is really the most fun job ever!  Her imagination is wild right now and I love to watch her play....and listen to her play! I am not sure why I bother dressing her, because less than an hour later she has stripped the days outfit off in favor of one of her many "dress-ups" 

On this day she was having a tea party with some of her animals.  Honestly, its like she just hands me these photo ops. ;) 

 

 

 

This is the most popular scene at our house: Olivia, in dress ups, painting up at the bar.  Everytime I go grocery shopping I have to buy more water paints. She spends hours coloring and painting! My fridge is covered with paintings and her dad's office is too.....but I always feel bad throwing away her "masterpieces" ha... ;)

 

What I love most about this photo is her hands-toddler hands are the cutest, right?  

 

A runner-up might be chubby toddler cheeks! mmmm.!!!:)

Never Grow Up

My very favorite room in my house is Olivia's bedroom.  It is so.......classic little girl.  Pale pink paint, vintage pieces from my own childhood, pretty lighting, a window seat and a beautiful weeping cherry tree right outside that very window that in the spring, blooms the exact same color as the paint on her walls. 

Each night after I have tucked her in and I am closing the door I think, "I have to get a picture of this room-the way it is right now at this very instant!" but I never have.  My opportunity came the other night when I heard her in her room playing when she should have already been asleep for hours.  I crept in there, camera in hand and just let her play and do her thing.  She sang,talked and read until I finally told her she had to get back into her bed.

 I wish I could freeze time.  I wish I could keep her little and home with me for a few more years....I refuse to put her in any other extracurricular activity besides preschool right now because I can't stand the thought of letting her go out into the world any sooner than I have to.  I have enjoyed having her all to myself and I'm not ready to share yet. ;)

 Your little hands wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light

To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little

Taylor Swift~Never Grow Up

White Christmas

It's snowing! It's Snowing!!!!  I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present! I've got my fire going, the tree a blazin' and the record player cranked. There is something magical about a snowy Christmas Eve, right? The last time this happened? 2008. We were long overdue and I'm enjoying it so much! 

This morning I slept in and got up after everyone had been awake for awhile. My kids are absolutely wired--about the snow, the impending parties, the GIFTS and cousins...oh the cousins!  Olivia was quitely sitting by the tree in a nightgown stolen from Allie and it just looked so......Christmasey(theres that word again.)  She reminded me of a sugar plum fairy, an angel and the nutcracker ballet all at the same time.   

So here are some images I got...enjoy and Merry Christmas to you and yours.  May your days be merry and bright! xoxo!

Family Time

Our last family photo was in 2010. You would think I would do them more often.  Nope. I have TONS of my kids....but the last family photo was just disastrous enough that we didn't try again until yesterday, but we got it.  I'm happy and no one was harmed in the making of this photograph.  Win. Win.  Ha....Sure love these people of mine. Xox!

So close...

 

This photo was almost a winner. Almost. It was too small....as in not enough megapixels.  Boo.  I actually took this a few years ago and my camera then did not have the capability to shoot as big as the publication I submitted it to needed. *sigh*  I'll try again.

 

It's still one of my favorite pictures.