The summer list

Summer is in full swing, and a trip to the beach is in the works this week. I'm psyched! June through August are the 3 months out of the year where things really slow down. We stay up later, sleep a little longer (okay, maybe a lot longer), and we do whatever we want, whenever we want to do it. We have prepared a list chock full of fun stuff, and I thought I'd share. Sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration to get the juices flowin' in the "what should we do" department. We don't always get to everything on our list, but the fun of just putting it together makes the essence of summer even more present.





We've been able to cross off...

Take a boat ride









Face painting



and the thrift store fashion show (give them 5$ each and let them see how well they can put together an outfit)
I must say...i've taught them well. both girls scored shoes,a skirt, and a top and my total was $8.46! I tried hard not to influence their choices, they took one hour, and were very proud of themselves by the end.







Use this time while your sweet babies are at home to make it extra special.  Put on the brakes...inhale the smell of sunscreen on their sun kissed bodies, and let the sticky popsicles melt down their little forearms...it's SUMMER!

edited to add: Sharing this schedule I found on pinterest. We will definitely be using in conjunction with our "list" to keep things fun.

Source: somewhatsimple.com via Kim on Pinterest

I heart faces photography challenge "All Boy"

I always knew I wanted three.

It's funny how in your immature girl heart you think you get to chose the sex of your future children. Almost as if you write it down it will come true. I had 3 names carefully inscribed in the pages of my senior book..."Alyssa" "Ashlyn" and "David-Michael (cause I thought hyphenated boy names were cool).

2 girls and a boy.

Low and behold, years later my crazy love for all things pink, ruffled, and smeared with sparkle lip gloss would have me praying for a third girl after being blessed with the first 2, and I got my wish. It's not that I didn't want a boy, or think that they were insanely awesome. I just love the dynamic between sisters. I love my sister so much that I thought the gift of 2 would be something they would cherish forever.

But, I never sat to think about what he might be missing... Those t ball, snuggled up on the couch watching game moments. The joy of seeing your son run across a football field at his last senior game, or having him call you when he's elbow deep in car grease wondering how the heck to put it all back together.

This man though... He's never complained once. He embraces the tutu, and watches Hannah Montana re-runs. Yet, he still takes the time to show them how to meticulously place their fingers to spin a perfect spiral with their pink football.

I get asked often... "are you trying for the boy?", but we are in agreement. Three completes us. So this little one... this is as close to boy as he got. She's spunky and energetic. Loves her toy cars, and inspecting bugs, but spends her days in frilly dresses and ribbon tied pigtails. Maybe not "all boy", but boy enough for him.

 

Photographer wannabe

So, there is this wonderful think called "social networking". I think it's amazing that now-a-days when you want to keep in touch with someone it isn't impossible. 10 years ago, when you graduated high school...that was it. You hardly ever saw those people again. Accept for those few freak run-in's at the grocery store, but lets face it, it's usually not the people we "want" to run in to. I love how now when I do run in to people that are my friends on facebook I know who they are, I remember their names, and I recognize their kids. (i suppose that could be creepy)

 So this girl, we go way back...
Like in 8th grade we liked the same boy, and hated each other way back. Once we got into high school and got involved in extra curriculars her a head cheerleader, and me the colonel of the dance team...we found ourselves sharing locker rooms in the dancer/cheerleader gym, and well, before you knew it we were pretending to be cousins.

So when I excitedly found out she was expecting through Facebook, I begged her to let me practice my photography on her. Can we say gorgeous? This was my first time doing an actual "session". I've taken pictures of my own kids, and neighbors, but had yet to venture out into the great unknown world of in home photography. It was a wonderful experience. It was light, funny, we chatted, caught up, and I got to marvel and document the blessed miracle of one growing a human being inside them. By the middle of the shoot I had her cracking up calling the golden buttery light streaming from her window "sunlight porn." It truly was. Her beautiful, perfectly round middle exuded the very essence of motherhood. I will say, this shoot has made me want to study more. I have a love for capturing beauty.

The shutter is a magical thing, and I feel so blessed to be able to see the unexpected wonder through it. When people put their camera's down...I pick mine up. My favorite shots of her are just that...her throwing her head back in laughter holding her sweet belly as I crack a joke about light porn, or catching her sweeping her hair to the side, and in that second pressing my shutter to capture a gorgeous natural shot that was neither posed or coerced.


Photography is a beautiful thing!

  *insert lazy excuse here* I have had this blog post waiting to be published for weeks, and in those few weeks my sweet friend just went and had a baby (techincally within days of this shoot) so, yay! a two for one. Here are some of her sweet girl too. Congratulations Angel and Jason on your new bundle. Welcome to the wonderful world of parenthood, and pink!