{My Family} F-I-V-E

You'll have to excuse me for a moment while I get a little sentimental. Five years ago, I gave birth to the sweetest baby girl. When they placed her in my arms, I could not believe how beautiful she was. She was absolutely perfect in every possible way. I thought my heart would burst with love.

These past five years, she has filled our life with lots of laughter and kept us moving. I wish I could get in her mind for a day. She is so smart and funny. Daily she says something that either astounds me, makes me belly laugh, or die of embarrassment. She is not discriminate in shelling out love. She will hug a complete stranger (*gasp*). She's so creative, always working on a "project." She's a princess at times but is not above playing in a good pile of dirt. She wants to be a pediatrician, artist, and singer at church when she grows up. Her favorite color is pink. She loves to read. Maybe that's why she has such a big imagination. Have I mentioned what a great big sister she is?! Her little sister absolutely loves her. No one can make her belly laugh more.

We started her birthday out with a party at preschool. She wanted to make sure I brought Zebra Cakes because those were the ones that her friends liked best. And we had to read Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree because that was the students' favorite. 

I love how excited her friend is that she blew out all the candles! :)

Then it was time for her Monkey Joe's party. It was all she could think about for weeks! I got her all dressed and fixed her hair. I tried to get a few shots of her before we left for the party, but she was nearly too excited. 

Finally! It was party time! The party started at 5 to give the kids who could get there extra time to play. Naturally, some of them showed up after 5. So she sat in her chair in the party room singing to herself. I said, "Get out there and play! We paid for you to jump around!" She said, "Oh, right. You paid for me to jump around not sit and sing in my party room!" And then off she went. :) 

I think before the night was over, the birthday girl had worn herself plum out! 

I love my sweet five year old! I'm so happy she's mine and am so proud to be her mom!

{My Photography} Published!

I follow a lot of other wedding photographers who have "arrived" and been published. I always wondered how this happens. Luck landed right in my lap! So happy to have Cheryl + Phil's September wedding published in the February edition of ALIVE Magazine!

{My Family} Christmas Festivities

Better late than never! Finally, a Christmas post. I'm finding that when I blog our family photos it helps to keep me on top of editing our personal images.

Christmas was a bittersweet occasion this year. It was our first Christmas without my mom, and it was our youngest's first Christmas. My mom loved Christmas. She decorated her house to the hilt. Every room in the house had a different theme. She has tubs and tubs of Christmas decorations. A couple of years ago, she was very proud of an after-Christmas sale. She bought a lovely 7-foot Christmas tree and a rotating tree stand. I knew it would make her happy for us to put up her tree this year. So we made a special trip down to her house the Monday after Thanksgiving and picked up her tree and her Christmas ornaments. I loved having her tree in our house. She also had already purchased a few Christmas gifts for the girls. We spent Christmas day, just the four of us. What a thought was going to be a devastating day for me was spent remembering my precious mother and smiling with our two beautiful girls. It was a sweet, peace-filled day.

Shortly after I put the tree up (it spent a few weeks without decorations), sweet miss discovered she could scoot her way underneath. She has since learn to crawl and pull herself up. I'm thankful this happened after the tree had been safely stowed away. I think she enjoyed the scalp massage she got from the tree branches. :)

Our first of Christmas festivities was a little before Christmas. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law opened their new house for the holidays to our extended family. After a wonderful meal, we opened presents. The girls were super excited to get a pair of Stompees slippers from Grammy and Grandpa. Miss A has been asking for a pair for nearly half the year. She was beyond excited, exclaiming, "These were just what I always wanted!"

Spending quality time with Grandpa.

Then after dark, we decided to make a trip down to Candy Cane Lane. It's a street in St. Louis Hills that knows now to do Christmas. But before we set out, it was somehow determined that we would all wear some sort of head gear. All I will say is...my in-laws are good sports!

When Miss A was a baby, we started the tradition of getting a picture with Santa. I am so glad we started this. It's not always convenient. Most of the time we're scrambling on Christmas Eve to get there in time. I have been so pleased in years past. But our mall that we usually go to stopped having Santa. We had to go to a different mall...different photographer...terrible quality! And they didn't let parents take images. I understand why they do this. I always buy a package even though I take pictures. But the photographer we've been to in years past has given us a much better quality image. Okay, I'm done complaining now. So I'll share the images I took while we were waiting to see Santa.

Our final get-together before Christmas was once again at my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's house. Again...great meal...good times...presents...and fun!

On Christmas Eve, Daddy told the girls the story of Christmas with their Little People Nativity Set. He's a great storyteller.

Finally, it was Christmas! We always check out the stockings first. I love that our girl gets excited about the littlest things. A stocking filled with fruit snacks is enough to bring squeals of delight!

At the top of her list for Santa was a game called Doggie-Doo. Basically, it's a game where you feed the dog and take him for a walk. When he poops, you clean it with a shovel. The player with the most "doos" in his or her shovel wins the game. Yes, Santa delivered.

She has one long strand of dark hair in the back of her head. Sweetest thing.

We had a good Christmas. :)

And we went to see Mom. Miss A always has to sing to her, so we sang "Merry Christmas" in the freezing cold. It snowed a bit later that day, but Miss A wore her sweater Gramma bought her last year that reads, "Gramma's Snow Angel."

A great Christmas spent with the ones we love and remembering the ones we've lost but still hold dear.