Christmas blessing

Merry Christmas to you. it has been a sweet wonderful day in my house. my 2 year old little man had a sparkle in his eye as he saw what was waiting under the tree. i always thought that part of Christmas was for kiddos, but now i realize how happy it makes me as a parent to see that excitement.

last night we went to church with our very good friends and i was reminded that the gift that God gives us in Jesus remains unopened by so many. it would be silly to think of deacon leaving even one gift unopened under the tree, but in the lives of many the best gift remains unopened. but God waits patiently, hoping that we recognize his gift so we can really understand what live to the full means. my prayer for you as i finish this beautiful day is that you know how awesome it is to open that gift.

sweet dreams

cutie cousins

i had the best time with Savannah, Tessa, Asher and their moms Mindy and Lynette. talk about energy, these kids have it. they can work a camera like nobody's business. it was fun to watch this family interact and to see how much love they truly have for each other.

sidenote- ashers sweater and hat were his dads, his grandmother made it and his mother saved all these years! it came complete with a matching pair of pants unbelievable.

back to work!

i'm back to work. i surprised brandon on monday morning with packed bags and a trip to chicago. he had no idea and we had a really great time. i didn't take a single photograph while i was gone which felt totally unnatural. i'm hoping the memories will last in my mind longer than most things do......

saturday was deacon's 2nd birthday so we jam packed our house with family, and friends that might as well be family and celebrated our little man. here are a couple photos from the day. the kiddos LOVED painting on their very own canvases. there was paint everywhere, it's a good thing these are our very good friends.....
our sweet friend tyler dropped by after spending two months in Africa- deacon was excited to see him.

a couple days off

i know i know, it's been forever since i posted any fun photos- they're coming i promise! i've been a bit slammed making cards for Christmas and holidays!

i'm taking a couple days off to hang out with my husband, but i'll check emails and return phone calls thursday. have a great week and in the meantime- if you're stressed about what to give friends and family for your holiday, a gift certificate is a great way to go! They can come in any amount starting at $50

the type

he's the type of man that thinks of little things, like turning on your seat warmer on the way to pick you up because it's cold outside. he's not afraid to change a diaper or wrestle on the carpet with a snot nosed kid. he's the kind of man that does things just because he knows it will make it better for you, with no other motive in mind.

she's the type of lady that could quite possibly move a 1 ton truck if you told her she couldn't. her southern roots run deep and she'll invite you for dinner or tell you to pull up a chair when you invite yourself. she's the type of person that feels there is a lesson in everything and will do everything to make you aware of what exactly that lesson is.

they are the type of people that didn't know if they would ever fall in love again. they are two people that love others so well that thinking of themselves never entered the picture. the most deserving of happiness and love finally found it.

congratulations mom and tom. i couldn't be more excited for you.

ty and trace

trace and ty have the most complimentary personalities ever. it was so fun to watch them interact- ty was so laid back but laughed constantly while trace was the one making ty laugh with his inside jokes or eyebrow lifting. they are 3 and a half years apart and seemed more like best friends than brothers. i LOVE that.

what makes it good

so many times it's the moms that are excited about having a family picture taken. they are the ones that coordinate outfits, agonize over haircuts and mood swings and try to make everything go exactly as planned. there are times when the dads just show up, not always excited about a family photo. i can't say that i blame them, it can be stressful event. but i notice a lot that when the dad/husband isn't excited it has a trickle down effect leaving the mom/wife that was so excited to have a family picture deflated.

this is what i love about bill- he is ALWAYS excited. sometimes i sit in my edit seat and say things like "dang it billy" but deep down in my heart i love that he makes goofy faces and gives me a run for my money, every single time. what makes it good isn't that fact that each photograph is perfect, it's that behind the photograph this family is doing something real. their dad/husband is making it okay to have a good time, to relax and enjoy the process.