50 in 52: week 4

Perfect pigtails.  One of my all-time favorite toddler "things".

Ava, look!

Lily, with both girls in the kitchen, says: "Ava, look!  Momma and daddy are kissing!  In front of the chill-ren!" (giggle, giggle, and "eew!" from both girls)

It's been unseasonably warm for January in these parts lately.  We've been spending some time outside since we can...not many people get to have a picnic in January!  

I see you and you see me!!  I'm working on getting those eyes in focus...

50 in 52: week 3

Sisters so close.  In age and in friendship.

50 in 52: week 2

Brotherly love.  It's rare, but so tender and sweet.

50 in 52: week 1

Decisions, decisions...to start another photo project or not, and what to do?  I think I will modify last year's project-it'll be a little easier, more just for-the-fun-of-it instead of making me think (hate for that to happen two years in a row!  HA!).  So, this year I am doing 50 in 52-I'm going to commit to only using my fixed 50mm lens, practicing clear, close-up pictures, even venturing into the macro category and trying to see things from a totally different angle.  I love to take this type of picture so it makes sense to learn how to be better!  I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

(Funny enough, I'm already a week behind.  Great start.)

Life in the blender

Hello?  Anyone out there?

I've been gone awhile for a multitude of reasons...Christmas & travel, then there's the pregnancy get-stuff-DONE hormone kicking in, picking up a new book and a new hobby, friends coming to visit, and the big one-we were without internet for two weeks because Christmas is the perfect time to install wood floors, right???

I felt as if we had thrown our life into the blender for a couple of weeks, but in a good way.  The Christmas season was a good one and definitely one we will never forget!

My sweet, understanding husband is helping to restore order and nest me-rearranging furniture, fixing things that need it, and completing tasks that have been bugging us both.   Tonight, while watching OSU win the Fiesta Bowl (YAY!!!) I finished my project 52, so take a look.  It's satisfying to have it complete, but a little sad to end.

To a beautiful, blessed new year...

project 52:52 - forever

Christmas morning (6:30 to be exact)

We say good-bye to another year, holding on to the memories, the experiences, the living we've done.  The end of something means the beginning of something new & this next year promises to be full of new things.  

I have trouble believing that the year has past...but I love that I committed to chronicling it.  It has been a very rewarding project.  Some weeks I didn't get my posts up exactly when I wanted, but I did have them formed & thought out before the week ended, and I realized that the whole point of this project was to live life-not worry about just getting things done.  So sometimes I lived instead of posted.  Thinking of this upcoming year...I would love to do another project 52, if nothing else it kept me posting regularly, but I have a little "project" coming in March that will undoubtedly take up a lot of my spare time.  And that is a-ok with me.  

Motherhood is all about beginnings and endings, stages and seasons...but it is for sure forever.  I will always and forever be these kids mother and I couldn't be happier.  Thank you God for making me me!  

project 52:51 - snow days

Typically I spend 30 minutes putting on coats, mittens, boots, hats, scarves, etc...for them to play in the snow for 10 minutes.  And then another 30 minutes mopping up snow, drying clothes, warming up cold fingers & noses.  But snow doesn't happen in these parts too often, and a lot of times it's so windy they can't play in it...so we take advantage of every opportunity to build a snowman, have a snowball fight, or tromp around in the drifts (I should clarify-by we I mean the kids do this while I stand on the porch & take pictures). 


We had a magical Christmas Day snow-big flakes, snowed most of the day, but this isn't our snow we played in.  It was at Grandma's house where they had somewhere around a foot of snow leftover from earlier and the kids stayed out a long time playing-the sunshine seemed to keep them warm.  


My favorite part of snow?  Snow ice cream!  Mix clean snow, milk, vanilla, sugar all together & eat.  YUM.

project 52:50 - bath time

So we don't have the cleanest kids on the block...never been a bathe-every-night-before-bed type of family.  I'd like to say it's because of Lily's eczema-and it partly is-but we don't do frequent baths even when her skin isn't acting up.  We've adopted the philosophy of kids need a few germs around them to make their immune system strong.  The kids do love bath time though, just having a different "medium" to play in.  I love the abounding giggles coming from behind the closed door.