V-Day Countdown - #9

"Daddy is tickley and he tickles me and I laugh so hard." - Ella

V-Day Countdown . . . #10

It's getting close! Have you figured out what you're doing for your loved ones?? It occured to me yesterday that my romantical ideas weren't going to happen this year and I needed to come up with something solid . . . and so, I thought about some sort of V-Day Countdown thing. :) It's for Matthew, but everybody else will get to see it as well. (Duh - it's "public" eh??) :)

If I counted right (and I think I did!) there are 10 days until Valentines Day. So the kids and I are going to give you 10 days of WHY we love Daddy (Matthew)! And the countdown BEGINS . . .

"I love about daddy that he plays Wii games with me and he likes to play with my cars with me." - Micah

10 on Tuesday

I've been inspired. :) Last night I was working online (haha - just kidding, I was catching up on all the MANY blogs I follow...) and I noticed one of my favorite photographers does this random "10 on Tuesday" thing . . . there's no real rhyme or reason, but it's just stuff the kids are doing, she's doing, miscellaneous nonsense (I'm good at that!) and pictures to share. I thought to myself . . . FUN! :) Not that you all in internet-land have nothing better to do than read my random ramblings - but I know it gives my mom something to do in the afternoons and I'm all about helping her get through the day at the office! :) (Love ya, mom!)

So here goes - my first 10 on Tuesday . . .

1. Ella has been potty trained for over a year now (she was so good at it!) and we rarely have accidents. HOWEVER - three times on Sunday and already once today she has had an accident. She makes it to the bathroom and then apparently stands in front of the potty - unable to "get there" in time. Finally today I asked her, "WHY Ella, WHY??" Her reply? "Cuz Im Milo, a kitty cat." Uh . . . yeah . . . I informed her that cats in OUR house pee on the potty, so she'd better make it next time.

2. Micah is very VERY ready for school. He asks daily when he'll go to school, if we can do "homeschool" again here at home . . . and Ella cries every time he talks about it, knowing her best friend is going to go away every day soon.

3. A year ago I took these pictures of Micah and Ella . . . they have grown up so much! They look the same but, not. Right now they also look just as sleepy since they both have colds. :)

4. I have 3 small pictures of my Micah hanging in my home. 4 of Ella and one of Matthew and I. I have lots (LOTS) of ideas and things I plan to do with the photographs I've printed and plan to print - but for a photographer, I am pathetically behind on displaying any photographs in my own home.

5. If you have a Super Target within 50 miles of you - you MUST drive there and pick up some of their Archer Farm's ice cream. WAY better than anybody else's ice cream (believe me, I know!) - and they have this one called Caramel Sea Salt Pretzle that is TO DIE FOR. Seriously. If you ever EVER see it on sale, buy as much as you can. It won't last you long.

6. Ella dumped ALL of my CDs and DVDs out Sunday morning before church. (Blank ones) They are still laying on the floor next to me - I forbade her from "cleaning them up" knowing she'd ruin them before she actually got them up . . . and have not had a chance MYSELF to do it. What is this, Confession Tuesday or what??

7. Every day I have the SAME prayer request of the Lord (don't think me too shallow, ok?) - it is . . . "Dark hair, dark eyes. Dark hair, dark eyes, please Lord!" :) It would be so awesome to have this last baby girl look at least a LITTLE like her mama! :D

8. I make lists. Of EVERYTHING. And anything. I can tell how my anxiety levels are simply by how many lists I have around the house - on a "normal" day there's just a couple. On a day where I am FREAKING out, you'll find at least 5 of the SAME list, written out over and over (just in case...) and there's pads of paper and scraps scattered around my home of random lists. Things I shouldn't forget, need to do, people to call, places to go, housework, church stuff . . . the list goes on. ;) And for the record, NO, making them does NOT make me feel better - but I can't seem to stop!

9. Ella is going to marry me when she grows up. Micah is going to marry Caitlyn (who is the grand-daughter of Micah's grandma's next door neighbor. Confusing, eh?). They meet occasionally when they're both playing at their grandma's houses - apparently Caitlyn plans to marry Micah as well.

10. This 10 on Tuesday thing makes me very unproductive. I think I'll need to plan better in the future. It's not very interesting and I'm not sure I could have done worse. :) Oh well - here's to trying harder next week! :) (Or giving up and never doing it again....)

Details & Collages - Keeney Wedding

I think that my favorite part of photographing a wedding is detail shots. Wierd, I know . . . but all of the little parts that make up a bride and groom's day are well planned - and should be documented! Don't get me wrong - they don't really compare with photos of the couple - rather, they're in completely different catagories . . . but I love walking around snapping here and there, things that a couple will forget easily with time.

The "big stuff" gets remembered - but the details must be documented or else eventually, they'll be lost. :) I look through the photos of my own wedding and think - "I don't remember that!" - on a table or hanging on a wall . . . lots of things that my brain has dropped for lack of space. :) Sara and Chris's wedding was no exception - granted, we were rushing a bit with trying to get ourselves ready and still do a good job of documenting the day - but everybody helped out and look at how fabulous it turned out! :)

That's all for now . . . until I find something else I can't resist sharing. Have a great Monday!! :)

The Last Day of January

We spent it at the park - well, we spent the last couple hours of light at the park. :) The kids have been sick (well, we ALL have been sick but the kids are the most recent to succumb) and we wanted to go out, but mostly to get some fresh air and tire them out - you know, so they'll sleep good? :)

We brought a couple of soccer balls and a football - Micah alternated between chasing Alex for the football (which she thought was hilarious) and then he'd hide it under his shirt when he did get it (because then he looked like me . . . like there's a BALL under MY shirt!) :) Alex and Ella went down the twisty slide countless times together - they're seeming to be a bit more like "equals" these days instead of Ella being the baby . . . and they play so good together! Sara and I discussed the day that is inevitable . . . "But I NEED the car - it's just me (Alex) and Ella!!" YEAH RIGHT. Like we'll fall for THAT one! :) Those two will be trouble together . . .

I think Micah and Ella have no idea how incredibly funny their daddy and Auntie Sara are - not that many full-grown adults will do races in the middle of a field of people . . . no, not running races - but "crab crawl" races and "galloping races" and "bear crawl" . . . Matthew had an unfair advantage in the crab crawl - his legs are 4xs as long as Micah's (and therefore faster) and poor Auntie Sara had Ella on her lap "riding" her - yes, it looked as ridiculous as it sounds!

Alright I'll quit with the blab - here are some pictures of the kids playing and one of me - Matthew caught some awesome light as the sun was setting and even though I manage to look like Bob the Tomato in my red shirt, the light ROCKS and I am SUPER proud of him for it! :D (Plus we don't have many "belly" pictures - so here's me at 28 weeks.) :)

Ella and I :)

My "new" niece, Alex! :)

Meet the Silly Monkey . . .

. . . and here's the drama queen . . .

. . . and we can't forget Grumpy, the drama King! :)