Monday Confessions

MMy confessions might be lame today because I am still not feeling well. Started with a virus (will spare details but it requires lots of bathroom visits) on Friday night and it has plagued me off and on all weekend through this morning. SO..

1. I have been laying on the couch thankful for the Olympics as my entertainment because of feeling bad. I missed a girls night with friends on Friday night that I was super bummed about...even a girlfriend from out of town was here! Isn't that always the way?!

2. In good news, my sweet friend Jay from last weeks maternity session I blogged had her baby early on Friday. You never know why you're compelled, but we were so glad to grab these shots before baby Maddex showed up later that week unexpectedly. Prayers appreciated for Mommy's healing and baby Dex as he is hanging in the Nicu a little while (as many preemies do)!

3. My hubby has been great trying to keep the ship afloat and help when I needed help while not feeling good! 

4. It seems the kids all have different touches of the same icky sickies but hoping it's on it's way out!

5. Who designs those olympic uniforms?! Some are insane. I always feel bad for the gymnists having to pick their wedgies in front of a watching world..but who cares right? USA women's gymnastics are going to tear it up!

And in case you missed these shots from the "carbi-bal" last week with the kids...enjoy!

That's all for now friends..hope to get to actual photo posting later this week when I am on the mend! 

What I am working on...

I love what happened at last night's shoot...the weather went crazy on us! It was great light and fun to capture and I just wanted to share a quick sneak peek of what I am working on next (among other things)!

Allie & Les, a Philadelphia Engagement

They met on sort of a lark thanks to a friend, isn't that always the way?! Who knew it would lead to a wedding! I have known Allie for a few years now and she is a sweetheart. We met up for our session in Rittenhouse Square last week when it had finally cooled off for a little bit. We started there and the light was gorgeous and the energy of the city was evident. We then moved to the famed "boathouse row" at Philadelphia's Farimount Park. We had such a blast and a special thanks to Allie's mom and sis who came along to style/assist in any way needed. I could get used to having such a good looking entourage :) Allie and Les, can't wait for your February wedding!

Something about this one, I just love. It's a fav for sure!

 

Maternity Session...before the rain came

You might remember this sweet friend of mine from her other maternity session with her first son. She is a precious friend and is expecting her second son next month! Although, things are always different with the second, we didn't want to miss an opportunity to get a few belly shots before little man's arrival. We had a whole lot of ideas to try but unfortunately a storm was brewing and only got about 10 - 15 minutes for this entire session before we got POURED on! This crazy weather has not been kind for business but I take it one day at a time lately, enjoy :)

This was a fav of mine, her little cutie Cayden posed for us!

Monday Confessions

Another week to start afresh...we started our day at 5:45am because of little people ready to be awake! Any of you out there suffering from this too?

1. I confess, I am not nice at 5:45. I put them back to bed with books for a little bit. An hour later, I took a brisk run to wake myself up and attempt to come back in the house a nice person. Truth is...I am just exhausted :)

2. Any of you other work at home moms have great advice on how to divide up your time? My business primarily gets done during naptime, weekends and evenings. I am definitely looking forward to preschool this fall for the twins for lots of reasons! I will still have Max man but somehow one doesn't seem as daunting as three, but I am sure I still deceive myself on my potential productivity!

3. I have been BUSY with photography which is exciting for me. Creativity gets me out of the slumps of the daily life activities like laundry, dishes, and poo duty. I had an engagement session last night that I just feel in love with and I made a new friend...I don't know his name but he introduced himself to me with a little lick and nible :) Can't wait to share the actual couple with you, they are precious people and we had a great time! 

4. Another session tonight and Thursday....drinking iced coffee just thinking about it :)

5. I rarely take stances on issues considered "politcal" on here because this blog is not about that...it's about me, my work and my life...but sometimes issues just happen to collide. I would dare say that most Americans are finding our lives very affected by the policital decisions of others, be it economy, health care, or otherwise. We don't exist in a world where other's decisions don't affect us. I was so saddened, like the rest of the US, to hear about the tragedy in Aurora, CO last week. It broke my heart to think of all the people in that theater who just thought they were going out for an evening's entertainment. I cannot even imagine their terror or horror that they faced or will continue to face or what the victims family's are facing. It pains me to even consider it.

I say all this to say that I believe as strongly as ever in the second ammendment, that we have the right to bear arms. Everyone is making this situation out to be about guns and sadly it's not. Ill people that have the desire to hurt others will do it any way they can, guns or no guns. I think it's only fair to allow the rest of us to properly protect ourselves if we so desire. We can't undo horrific acts of terror done to people...but I can't help but think if at any of these awful scenes, if a licensed, proper gun owner was there to defend the people...would it look differently? I know that "what if" questions are not necessarily productive, but I do think it's worth considering. We never hear the stories of where there was a law-abiding hero that came to the rescue with his firearm. I know there are such stories and have heard them, but they never make the news. I will leave this thought with a quote from Charleton Heston in 1997, "There are no good guns. There are no bad guns. Any gun in the hands of a bad man is a bad thing. Any gun in the hands of a decent person is no threat to anybody – except bad people.'" If our forefathers thought it important enough to put self-protection right up under our rights to " freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press, as well as the right to assemble and petition the government" then we should take this very seriously. 

And with these thoughts, I will leave you today...a saddened and unsettled America, every day deciding who we shall be in the future. 

(Please feel free to disagree with me, I understand this opinion is not shared by everyone. I just ask that you respect my thoughts as I would respect yours.)

Monday Confessions and family slideshow!

My oh my it feels like Monday! Instead of all the mundane things I usually confess like cleaning up lots of poop or pulling a major mom fail and attempting to go to park today (hello sweletering heat and hot play equipment)...here's the slideshow of our family session from April with ever fabulous sisters, Stephanie and Tammy of Luminosity Photography & Design. We are thankful for the memories captured and can't believe how fast the kids have already changed in a few months. We notice Max changing the most because of his additional teeth and now he's walking! 

And speaking of memories, I want to hear from you - do you have a way you document things about your kids? Not just growth but funny stories or pictures? I know one of my resolutions for 2012 was to be better about documenting the kids but I really don't feel like I have made any progress and need ideas!

Enjoy friends! 

Monday Confession

Dont know about you all but it feels like Monday at our house. Coffee isn't even really doing the trick today. The kiddos have a stomach bug going on and it's leading to lots of laundry....here goes confessions!

1. I have washed, dryed and almost folded three loads already today. Load number 4 is in the wash currently and you will know why in a minute.

2. I took the kids to the park to play before lunch thinking it's finally below 100 degrees outside, we better go enjoy it. It takes us about 10 minutes to walk there then we were there 15 minutes when up from the high slide macy says, "Mom there's poop on my leg." I had to investigate she didn't mean bird poop or something.  Sure enough, it's all fun and games at the playground until your 3 year old poops herself! (Hence the stomach bug :( Well this mama had no supplies or backups. I had to strip her waste down and praise Jesus for the starbucks napkins stashed in the stroller that got the poo off enough for me to sit her on napkin in the stroller for the walk home. I made her ride with the stroller's bug cover over her lap so her girlie parts weren't on display for the whole world on the way home. Can you tell this has been a fun day? (This is why four loads of laundry :)

Pre-poop Pic

3. I decided to make crock pot sloppy joes for dinner tonight. It seemed easy enough and actually sounded good to me today! I think I will put sweet potato fries on the side and call it a balanced meal. 

4. I have a pile of coupons sitting waiting to be clipped. 

5. I am in a fierce clean out mode and trying to get rid of things we don't need. Do you ever feel suffocated by all the stuff you have? Our basement is full of stuff we keep organizing. We keep asking, how do we get so much stuff?? We thought we cleaned out when we moved! 

6. Max is full on walking! He does a cute little side step for long distances but that kid is cruising and he is FAST. I confess, he has gotten to the top of our stairs twice today unseen because the gate was down. (In my own defence, the first time it happened I was dealing with two almost-preschoolers in the potty!)

7. I found a pottery barn table I loved this weekend at the store at a super good price ($400 for a $1500 table) and..... I didn't buy it. We wanted it so badly to fit into our kitchen but when we got home to measure, it just wasn't going to work. I had to call and sadly let them know we wouldn't be taking the table of awesomeness. I think there's a metaphor in there somewhere, sometimes things seem awesome and great...but they just really don't fit into your life how you want them to!

8. I am working on dreaming up some creative ideas for myself to work on. I daily am drained by just life itself and need to get the creative juices flowing! If you want to model for me or have an idea- I am ALWAYS open to hear it :)

9. Why is it that i seriously can never get out of Walmart for less than $100?? I think it's a ploy on their part. I just always remember 5 other things I need when I get there, not matter how short the list started out. Oh well, at least it's one stop shopping. Heck, I saw they do kids haircuts for $8 at our Walmart - watch out Dean!

10. Just trying to remember today, even in the midst of the "mondays," I am blessed!

Have a great week friends!

I love America

Americans get a bad rap with other nations and sometimes it's totally well deserved but other times it's not. I have traveled well for a 30 year old so I have seen enough of the rest of the world to compaer and I am always so thankful to call America home! I also love history! I might have been the only fifth grader who took actual joy in reading the play 1776 and then going on a field trip to Historical Williamsburg. I think that our lives are enriched by knowing what has gone on before us. Are you scared for my kids already?! You should be :) 

I always like to think about the history of America on the fourth of July, it's natural I think! I want my kids to take joy in our nation. This is our first fourth in a our new "small town" environment and we ate it up. We walked to the parade route on Broad St, soaked up the parade (although my twins were waiting for something Disney-like to happen and this small town parade was horses and political candidates :) and ate hot dogs for lunch on the way home. We had a great time though and eventually got to watch the fireworks go off over our house last night. Hope you all had a great 4th too!

I will steer clear of a political diatribe but I am thankful for the men that were bold enough to step forward to create this nation! Still timely and powerful words...

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness..." (Declaration of Independence)

Our 3 kiddos waiting for the parade...

(And forgive that my 3 yr old is pulling a "brittany" with her skirt but there's only so much you can do with a 3yr old in a skirt :)

Our whole gang! (thanks friend that took this :)

Max's first lollypop! He loved it!

Daddy looks just as excited as Dean!

Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

Monday Confessions, Early Edition

Happy Monday friends. I am currently off to an efficient start for the day so only have fairly positive things to confess :) It was, however, the weekend of the unexpected. Did any of you get caught in the crazy storms in the Northeast?! 

1. I confess, my daughter spent two out of three nights sleeping in our bed. This was a first for us because we sort of have a big "no kids in our bed" policy. With the crazy storms though, we made an allowance and let her snuggle in with us. My mom's house on the Chesapeake bay got a branch through the roof so we are just thankful that we only lost a couple umbrellas! 

2. About today's productivity, it started with a run at 6:45. The first step out of the bed is the hardest part but it allows me to get the blood flowing and my mind going. I tend to use the run as a prayer time to clear my head and focus my day. It really does make me a nicer person the rest of the day!

3. I have already done two loads of laundry today! Sometimes you just have to count the small things :) 

4. I had to reschedule a photo shoot yesterday due to the severe heat. I never like having to reschedule but it wil make me look forward to it all the more next time! 

5. Made a rookie mistake cooking Saturday night and sliced my finger pretty good. I walked around with a Dora band-aid for a few hours until I found the grown up band-aid stash :)

6. The twins turned 3 last friday and I still really can't believe it. I know all mothers feel this way but how can it go this fast?! 

7. Confession, this photographer momma has still NOT taken one year photos of Maxwell. I know, I know ... but it's not as easy as you think to coordinate. SO he will have 13 month photos one day soon and it will just have to be good enough :)

8. If I wait any longer to get a hair appointment, I will involuntarily have "ombre hair" - google it if you don't know what I mean! Do you ever delay on things for yourself? I am so bad at this, time alone and spending money on me is sometimes hard to do!

9. I tried the new International Delight Iced Coffee from the grocery store and it's really not half bad! At $3 a half gallon, it definitely trumps a Starbukcs trip. It's also nice that it's totally ready made and just needs a glass of ice if you are in a hurry! (There's even a coupon if you click here)

10. I am currently reading The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand. It starts with a boat crash so it has kept me going! So far an interesting read as the relationships unravel and the past gets revealed. What are some great things you are reading right now? (I am also simultaneously reading a few theological and parenting books, got to keep it all balanced for my brain)

I am looking forward to the 4th of July this week with a small town parade and fire works in our town!

Alright friends, here's to having a great week ahead!

Delaware County Wedding!

Well you know that I live in the twin world, so you will love this story. I had a wedding earlier this month where a twin married a twin! (not each other's twins of course!) They also have a fun story about how they met on their respective boats with their families! Brent may or may not have had another girlfriend at the time, but something stuck with him about Ali (love it!). 

Brent and Alison had a beautiful wedding out at Kings Mills in Media, PA. It was a scorcher so we kept it short outside but were able to get lots of beautiful images of their wedding. Here's just a sampling of their big day!

Groom before...

Bride before...

Bride and her Dad before...

Ready for the aisle!

Ceremony shot...

Bride and her twin sis!

Love this parting shot...

Monday Confessions!

I am dealing with a bit of a migraine today which makes it feel like Monday! I think it feels especially like Monday because we had a fun weekend that we didn't want to end. Ever feel like that? Saturday we celebrated my step-dad's 50th birthday with all the family and then we took the kids to see Brave later that evening. We also decided to take a last minute beach trip for the day on Sunday when we realized that July was creeping up on us and we hadn't put toes on the sand yet! Needless to say, we packed in so much fun that we didn't want Monday to come! But Monday it is so here I confess...

If you didn't catch these on instagram, here you go!

1. One kid was up at 1am scared of a thunderstorm and antoher kid was up at 4:45am telling me "I not tired Mommy." And you wonder why the migraine? :)

2. We had a successful errand run this morning that included our old 'hood for me to refresh my hydrangea stash, the car wash to get the sand out of the van, the bank, and then the dreaded grocery store. I have to say though, today's grocery run was a lot better than last week. I confess that last week in the bread aisle I threatened to just leave my kids there and walk away. I know, it's not pretty side of me is it? If you've ever had preschoolers with you "helping" in the grocery store, you know why I did what I did. Thank goodness we get fresh starts every day! 

3. Today I was supposed to get up at 6am to go for a run because for the past few Mondays it was supposed to be "the day" when I started a running regimen again. Well if you remember confession number 1, it didn't happen because I was too tired to open my eyes. I have not been doing consistent exercise since Easter and I just don't like how I feel when I don't work out. Mind you, most of my day is full of physcial activity like walking, running up stairs, lifting kids, pushing strollers, etc but it's just not the same. 

4. I havea  love hate relationship with my dog. I love him but hate his dirt. Anyone else deal with this? We are in full shed season right now and I am not a fan. I got a nifty tool at Target to help with the shedding but nothing stops it completely. 

5. And speaking of animals, we have birds attacking our play set with poop. We bought a fake owl, Hootie the kids named him, to try to keep away the pooping birdies but so far it's not doing the trick. Any ideas?

6. This morning, while Max was napping, I was cleaning out some trash from the van and accidentally set the alarm off. Full swing flashing lights, honking horn and going crazy underneath his window. The best part?! I couldn't get it to stop for what felt like an eternity as I hit the buttons!! Embarassing....

7. I cleaned out my Dyson today. I have to say I am truly disgusted at what gets sucked up in the vacuum. I guess I should be happy because it's not on my rug anymore but really, it's gross. Giving the vacuum a good clean out is a good thing to do every 6 months or so to keep it sucking! :)

8. What summer TV are you into? We are struggling to find things we can watch together and both enjoy now that Duck Dynasty is on hiatus. We did hear that there will be season two! Hooray!

9. Remember the album from Jenny & Tyler that featured some of my work? I was excited to see it in the review section as I flipped through this month's Relevant Magazine. 

Don't you think grocery stores should offer free babysitting in a play yard like IKEA? If anyone ever offered that, they would instantly become the top grocery store around!

Happy Monday friends! There will be wedding blogging this week, cross my heart!

Monday Confessions, Please Touch Museum Edition

Let me tell you how my day started...

Macy ran into our room and to my side of the bed at 5:45am and declared that "Dean is outside." Without my wits about me or my contacts in, I grabbed my glasses and ran for the front door. I unlocked it and flew out front yelling Dean. I didn't see him and Macy said "outback," so I ran there too and yelled. Meanwhile Matt ran up to their room and checked the windows. After Matt running back to tell me that the window screens were still in place...still no Dean. Matt then went back up to the kids room and Dean popped up from under the covers saying "Daddy?!" He was sleeping under his covers all along and I was having a near adrenaline attack. 

The reason I was so quick to believe that he was outside is that he both is a great escape artist and the last thing I said to Matt before we fell asleep was "do you think it's ok to keep the kids windows cracked tonight?" It was a gorgeous cool night and who wants to pay for air conditioning?! Our kids rooms are second story so it does scare me that they could go out but it's less likely that someone else could get in. How do the rest of you deal with tihs? We love to get fresh air while sleeping when it's nice out but after that I might rethink it!

Whew...well after no one going back to sleep after that, we started our day. We had already planned an adventure to the Please Touch Museum in Philaladeplhia for the day. We had a great time and the kids came home worn out! 

That's all the confessions I have today!

Here are some randoms from our outting...(All pics of Dean were blurry due to constant motion :)

 Macy and the mini piano...

Macy as Lady Liberty...

Funny faces out in front of the sign!

 

Beautiful Bethany Beach Wedding

Their story is sweet and they are even sweeter! She was a girl in a Midwestern town who had been warned about those "coast guard boys." Can you see where this is going? He was a Delaware guy posted in the coast guard in that same Midwestern town. They met at the local bar one night...her drove her home and the rest was history! Love it...you truly never know when you will meet that special someone! 

Fast forward to this May, their wedding day was set for an outdoor ceremony in Bethany Beach near Rob's hometown. Unfortunately the rain came and the wind wouldn't stop blowing! It didn't matter though because you can't keep the bride, Autumn, from smiling. These pictures will prove it, this girl was happy! Rob and Autumn are the types of couples that make my job easy because their wedding day is fun! There were lots of adaptations due to weather but the intimate environment of the Addy Sea B & B was perfect for their nuptuals. 

Gorgeous girl!

B & B's tend to have charm and fabulous peices of furniture! We used this pretty couch to grab some shots of the pretty bride. 

 

Autumn with her dad, so ready to see her groom!

More weddings coming soon...yay wedding season!

Monday Confessions

I really almost forgot it was Monday..but how could I after the day we've had already? It was full of errands, crying, peeing in pants (not mine :) and all the other usual things that we deal with. 

1. I counted my workout today as pushing a costco cart with my 3 kids, two watermelons, and a 50lb bag of dog food! You try it and see how easy it isn't :)

2. Workout number two was at our last stop, a return to Kohl's. Try that with 3 kids in a triple stroller and attempt to do it with a smile on your face....I confess I wasn't smiling by the end but we survived.

3. We also hit up the car wash along our route, I think $3 is a great investment to clean off our van and then use their vacuum to suck up the scary things that lurk under the seats. It's a total bargain in my book!

4. I am selling off some baby stuff to any of you that are interseted. Remember last week how I said it is hard for me to let go? I am proud of myself. Tomorrow I am meeting up with a lady to sell off the twins bedding/nursery sets. So far that will be the hardest! I remember picking out that bedding and designing the room around it. I remember all the expectations I had for mothering twins. I am pretty sure it's all been blown out of the water now 3 years later but I love remember the sweet time of expecting them. I was huge and it was hot....but those babies were/are precious (now they just require discipline and potty training). 

5. I know some of you out there envy the thought of being able to run a business from home. I have to confess, it's a lot of hard work. I was just looking through some emails and inquiries to make sure I haven't dropped the ball on anything....It made me realize in a fresh way that probably for every 5 to 10 people that ask me about my services, maybe only one or two turn into actual work. It can be hard sometimes to take regular "rejection" but I know there are so many reasons this happens. I am, however, thankful for those who do believe and invest in me to capture their family's memories!

6. I had a wedding yesterday afternoon, which turned out beautiful. I do have to say though when you go to a lot of weddings, you can pretty much start to call the DJ's playlist before it even starts. You can bet money that you aren't going to leave a wedding without hearing the eletric slide or Journey's "Don't stop believing." If I was a betting woman, I would've made a lot of money last night on the play list.... AC/DC "All Night long" into Bon Jovi "Living on a prayer" into Journey's "Don't stop Believing" then we brought it back into this decade with Maroon 5 "moves like Jagger" and the song that's on the M & M's commercial "I am sexy and I know it." I let Matt in on a little secret yesterday, it's really fun to take lots of pictures of people dancing during songs like that to see what types of faces you get on people...even if you erase it later, it's good times :)

7. Now that none of you will EVER hire me for YOUR wedding...maybe I could be your DJ?? Just kidding, but I do love weddings! I am behind in my blogging and forever breaking my blogging promises. Please don't break up with my blog, just hang in there friends, it will happen!

8.  So last week i said a of stuff that I wasn't good at but today I thought I could redeem with a few things I am good at. I make really good sweet tea and it's not just according to my hubby, many would agree. I am great at shopping for a bargain. I am a pretty good shot, meaning if you put a gun in my hand - I can hit a target. I am a decent cook. I can definitely negotiate when necessary. I took it as a compliment when a car salesman once called me "tough as nails" when were buying a new car. I can make a good joke now and then, or at least make you laugh. Ok that's enough pats on the back but I couldn't leave you feeling like I wasn't good at anything now could I?! 

9. My Workshop probably won't happen this summer. This is hard for me to write but I have been wrestling with this. I am definitely the type of person that dives in with both feet and commits when I do something, but I also refuse to pull something off that isn't done well. I just feel like I have such a desire to do a workshop but the timing isn't right. I will keep you all posted and maybe just stop talking about it until it's time to make it a reality. As a wife and mother of small children, I am consistently having to ask myself questions and make sacrifices at times. Sometimes my desires are things that would be great for me but might not necessarily be the best for my family, so when that is the case...I need to lay them down. For now, this is one of those things. Thanks for understanding friends! Please know that it's not that it won't ever happen, just won't happen right now. 

10. Shout OUT to icloud! If you don't use it, you're silly. My iphone smashed on my driveway Thursday night (even in a case). I have to say, it felt like magic when we were setting up the new phone and icloud magically made my new phone like my old with all my apps, contacts, etc. It's a literal safety net, use it!

11. If you don't have instagram, you're missing out! Here's a few smiles from my week last week from Instagram. 

I stole my own hydrangea's from our house that's still for sale..is it weird to be attached to your flowers?!

Kiddos on a long board with their buddy...

Macy being brave!

All right friends...pulled pork in the crockpot and praying that bedtime isn't an eternity away!

Monday Confessions...things I am bad at

You ever heard that if you go into a job interview and you are asked for "weaknesses" that you should turn it around and call them "growth areas." Today I think it will be a true confession, I am going to share my "growth areas".... the things that I am totally bad at. 

1. Driving...used to think I was awesome and now I am not so sure. Although my kids just yesterday told Daddy they wanted Mommy to drive after church, it was hilarious! I only have ever had one accident in my adult life, totally rear-ended someone at a red light due to very sudden stopping. I also have only ever gotten pulled over once while driving (been pulled over lots with other people driving) because I 'rocked the stop' at the stop sign in our old 'hood. The words "courtesy warning" never sounded so good to me before then and I definitely stop at stop signs now. 

2. Laundry...I do it constantly but I am not one of those people who can whip a stain out of anything or keep those whites so bright you need sunglasses. If spray on stain remover doesn't get it out, we are in trouble. I am ok with the washing and folding but man I am also bad about putting it away....this brings me to my next confesssion...

3. Ironing...have you ever accidentally put more wrinkles in something you were trying to iron because of lack of ironing skill? This is me! My husband wears the ironing crown in this house, he has skills so I defer to him.

4. Growing plants...although I am testing this now because I just potted some tomato plants in a large container garden this weekend. The only things I can keep alive inside are the green IKEA plants that have some magic genomes that keep those things living in spite of my best efforts to let them die. 

5. Organizing...I used to love to organize but that's when life was neater for me in general. Organizing meant throwing out some old papers or rearranging the shoes in my own closet. Now with 3 kids still under 3, organizing sounds like a dirty word. It's all I can do to keep people dressed and fed sometimes, organizing sounds like something I can do another time :)

6. Letting go...I sometimes fiercely hold on to things I should've long let go of. This can be both literal (I have a trunk full of treasures from when I was a kid - no joke) but it can also be emotional. I do tend to hold on to things and need to get better at letting go. I think that this can even happen when I fail to delegate things well to people who are totally capable. Sometimes I just need to let go and allow others to step in, afterall I am admitting that I am not so great at many things!

7. Being patient..I am terribly impatient. This is not good for parenthood and most other endeavors. I know that patience is a necessary life skill and at 30, I am definitely still working on it. It can be anything from me starting to mentally curse the 5 cars ahead of me in the starbucks drive through down to not wanting to telling my kids to hurry up when they are daudling. I know, I know, it's not very attractive to be so impatient and God even says it's a fruit of the spirit. I am definitely praying that this fruit grows in me!

8. Irresting chocolate or sweets...I am very bad at saying no to these temptations! I always tell myself life is short but then what do I tell my waistline? :)

Ok friends, now you know what I don't pass the test at. What are some of your "growth areas" today?! Next week I might have to pick my self esteem back up and share a few things that I might have mastered...

Here's a pic from sweet Max's birthday cake eating last week in the 90 degree heat!

Max & Mommy.. 

 

Have a great week!

Tuesday Confessions

WOW it's almost June?! Where has May gone?! I will tell you... two weddings, 8 days in Disney, a baby turning one and the list goes on! So here I sit, ready to confess a few things that have been on my mind.

1. I am so glamorous my fresh white t from this morning is now sporting both a drop of salad dressing and a drop of infant ibuprofen. It's not enough to change the shirt...my standards have become so low! 

2. Why ibuprofen you ask? Sweet Max had to get all his one year old shots today. He was a champ! I think his leg chub helped soften the blow. 

3. It's a miracle, I weighed myself after Disney beause I was assured after all the yumminess I consumed I would have gained...but I didn't! Woohoo...now to keep it off at home is another matter entirely. 

4. Do any of you other moms find yourself in the trap of staying up too late at night just because you finally have peace?! I keep finding myself up late to read or even work around the house or do photo work because it's finally peaceful. I have been starting to remind myself though that a tired mommy in the morning won't be a nice to her kiddos so I need to go to bed for them and just start over again in the morning!

5. Disney already feels like years ago...my best advice if you are ever considering it - wait til about 5 or 6. We were able to do it with three little ones because we had so much help but Matt & I could have NEVER taken our little ones ourselves. You just need so many hands. I recommend 5 or 6 because they are fully potty trained, can stand in line a bit, don't need to take a nap and are tall enough for most rides. We certainly had fun and made precious memories! I will definitely try to share some pictures via facebook but haven't had much time to sift through the over 400 pics I took! 

Here's one of the family in Hollywood Studios..

Here's another of Macy seeing the "princess castle" for the very first time..and apparently I was pretty excited too :)

Well I hear crying...what a crazy day we have had, the life of a mommy. Will post later about Max's first birthday! Hope you friends have a great week!

Max 11 months!

I was just telling a friend today, I remember all of my uncertain feelings when I found out I was pregnant with Max. It was the day after my precious grandfather had died and my emotions were already so high. So many times it's hard for us to see the big picture. As I was pregnant with him, my dad declined and as most of you know, passed away when I was 36 weeks pregnant with Max. Max will never get to know my dad here on earth and it often makes me sad. At the same time I am saddened, I am so grateful Maxwell reminds me all the time just how precious life is. He also happens to be one of the sweetest babies I know! Max also reminds me that often times, God does know better. He knew a precious little one to hold would help me through the sadness. He knew the life that Max would add to our family. 

So here we are...Saturday marks the one year anniversary of my dad passing and this past weekend Max was 11 months old. Here's just a handful of images that show Max in all his sweetness!

The light bothers me in this one but I love the moment more than I love the technicalness.....

He's a crawling machine!

Drool comes with the territory!

A favorite because it's so "him"

Precious boy!

Monday Confessions

It's that time friends, the sun is shining and another week is beginning! I have to say it has been a pleasant morning thus far, it is barely 9am. 

1. We are doing so much better with the potty training. Only had one kiddo with one accident yesterday! We are still doing pull-ups at nap and bed but I am super encouraged that the kids are fairly "trained" two weeks in. I feel weird not going through so many diapers but believe me, my wallet is smiling!

2. Along that same idea, someone should've warned me that I should take stock in bleach wipes while potty training - especially boys! They have been my friend :)

3. I used to call my husbands iphone his mistress because he was totally having an affair with the phone....now that I have had one for a few months too...I am totally addicted to my iphone too! It's just too convenient. I actually made the move though last week and deleted facebook from my phone, it has been freeing and I think I will leave it off at least for a while. It was just to easy to be on the phone when I had more important things to pay attention to!

4. I am currently reading a classic that I have never had the pleasure of reading. So far I am enjoying it, it's about the early 20th century in Brooklyn. 

5. I miss my amazon prime subscription and am debating of whether to renew. Free shipping from Amazon was like heaven on everything from books to electronics to diapers! Any of you out there prime members?

6. I watched American Gypsy wedding on TLC last night out of "I just need to sit here for a minute and watch something mindless" at 10pm. I knew not a thing about this particular culture, nor did I know that there is a large population of the Romanichal gypsies living in the U.S. The show of course is over the top but I am intrigued as to how they maintain such an interesting lifestyle of so many seeming contradictions. Anyone else catch this?!

7. My official wedding season kicks off this weekend in Bethany Beach at the Addy Sea with a sweet couple and I can't wait! 

9. We leave for Disney two weeks from today, can't wait but I know there's a lot of ground to cover between now and then!

10. Last day of free iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts and it happens to coincide with my last class of the spring semester! Looking forward to both later today :)

Have a great week friends! 

Johnson Family

Tracy contacted me not long ago via a recommendation from a friend (thank you friend!) and she told me that "I love photography, so family shots are important us.  I just think photos capture such a nice story about your life." I love it, a client committed to preserving her family's memories in photographs, a perfect start to our session! The day started out pouring but thankfully cleared up in time for our afternoon session. I know there are lots of images but I really couldn't help myself on this one! Enjoy!

Beautiful family...

Kids love a good throw in the air by Dad...

Love the sweetness of 11 months and she just learned to walk!

Love this expression! This is what 3 year-old does when you tell them to smile!
These next few melt my heart...

Pretty girls...remember moms, we need to get in pictures with our kids!

Sweet girl with Daddy, helping her as she takes unsteady steps...

Always need a nice shot of mom and dad, that's where it all begins!

Have a great Tuesday friends!

Monday Confessions

    It definitely feels like Monday, I started it by washing a (clean) diaper in with the load. The diaper "guts" got all over and that load needed a re-do. I think though that I am mostly just weary. Days with three small kids in the house seem like it would be sweet and they sometimes are, but other days feel like a battle field. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful for three happy, healthy kids. I have some friends who are fighting much harder battles and it sometimes makes me feel guilty for struggling with being a good mom/wife. Anyone else know what I mean? If someone is fighting cancer, I certainly shouldn't complain about potty training, but what I am learning is that it does all matter! It truly is hard to try to potty train two kids under 3 while chasing a crawling 10 month old. God cares just as much for the struggling mother and he does for the cancer patient. It's certainly not all the same severity, I don't mean that, I just mean that our burdens are real and God sees. I am just like every other mom with small kids at home with piles of laundry, dishes to wash, meals to make, a business to run, a class to teach, a husband to love and the list goes on. Today I am just going to do one thing at a time....and smile because I can wear yoga pants while doing it all...until class later (do you think they would notice?!)

The rest of my confessions...

1. I am not a fan of potty training but I am a fan of trying to encourage my kids to grow! It's time for them to tackle the potty for lots of reasons. I need to be a patient encourager but today I have been more of an impatient eye-roller....forgive me kids!

2. I have mastered the art of "second day hair" - ladies, you know what I am talking about?! You do a fast hop in the shower with your hair up and hope it only gets slightly wet. Then when you get out, just use your round brush to reshape with the blow dryer. Saves tons of time from washing every single day!

3. We are 21 days out from our Disney trip, really can't wait! Any special things we should make sure to do?

4. I DVR'd the Real Housewives of NJ last night...debating if I should really watch it or not. I know it's terrible, but it's a lot like a train wreck, once you see if you can't turn your head away! And all their drama proves money can't buy class or happiness!

5. I am a Keurig addict. I am a current fan of the original Dunkin Donuts coffee and also the iced sweet tea. What are some other good ones I should try???

6. We got a swing set from a kind family over the weekend!!! Our kids are in heaven but of course it's been rainining since we got it up :) Macy loving her new swing!

Ok friends, I kept it humble today. If I look like a frazzled mess the next time you see me, you know why!