Summer days

I'm sitting here enjoying the cool summer breeze wafting through  my windows -- and kind of shocked that I haven't posted since May! Traveling, birthday celebrations, planting a small garden (if you can call eight plants a garden!), spending time with family, walking to the park, putting food on the table, and a host of other things have kept me on my toes and loving life. Hope y'all are finding beauty wherever this summer finds you! 

Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

GK Chesterson

a smile for your day

{i love these boys}

My Arianna Mae

sweet little two year old

Quite the chatterbox, she is adding new words to her vocabulary daily and keeps me smiling in amusement. Yesterday while eating supper, she plugged her ears then looked at Daddy with those big blue eyes: "Can you hear me, Daddy? Can you hear me?" Moments like this remind me I need to start recording these quips in a book before I forget them!

What's a photo shoot without at least one silly face?

"I'm two!"

I'm so thankful for this sweet and spunky girlie who calls me Mommy.

Life is so precious and such a miracle.  

#threemonths

Outakes

Due to scattered showers the past several days, Ari's official two year photo shoot has been put off until next week, but a picture was needed for a blog post on the family blog. I didn't have anything very recent of just her, so yesterday while Caden was sleeping we took 6.4 minutes to snap a few photos. (Hello, front door being an awesome backdrop!) 

I came away with quite the variety of faces -- some of which made me laugh and also realize how impossible it is to capture the personality of my two year old in just one photo. 

Where did my baby go?

Enter: the second picture I snapped.

She's already hamming it up for the camera!

the windblown look

my little lady!

she loves to spin in circles

(I think she looks like her little Beasley cousins in this picture)

 Always ready with a smile or laugh, this girlie brings so much sunshine into our lives!

someday...

when I look in her closet,

her dresses will all be longer

and she'll use full size hangers

and there will be clothes she's picked out for herself

and I'll wonder where time went

and want to remember the precious details 

of when my lil' girlie was small

Great(est) Grandparents

What happens when my grandparents come visit for a few days? 

The days are filled with adorable kiddo moments that make us all laugh, yummy cookies in the kitchen, games and teasing around the table, and countless memories to recall and stories to tell. 

I'm so thankful my children have the opportunity to spend time with these dear people who were such a big part of my childhood and continue to be such a blessing in my life!

Here are a few adorable smiles and precious moments that happened in my living room this week:

 

 telling great-grandpa stories

showing great-grandpa her puzzles

sweet snuggles with great-grandma

#chunkymonkeyindeed

my big lil' chap is already in size six month clothing!

#lovethisboy #don'tblink

Matthew & Betsy

It was such a delight to make a trip to Nebraska last month -- not only to spend time with family, but also to photograph an amazingly gorgeous wedding of a sweet friend.

(And I couldn't have done it without the help of sisters who were willing to watch my new baby, as well as Kori, who was my assistant and an immense blessing!)

The couple chose a nearby field for a photo location. What they hadn't counted on was an especially cold morning and bone-chilling wind! Br-rr-r. Yet they braved the elements saying "Oh, the pictures will be worth it!"

Here are a few (and then several more) of my favorites... 

{grin}

 

What a delight and honor to capture the adoring glances they gave each other.

"The bridegroom rejoices over his bride..."

Isaiah 62:5

The reception decorations and details were phenomenal!

Congratulations, Matthew and Betsy!

2:51pm

tousled hair after nap time 

{just one of the little things I love about being a mommy}

Two Months

Two months of running on less sleep (and more coffee).

Two months of snuggles and kissing his chubby cheeks.

Two months with precious Caden James in our lives. 

my chunky monkey

precious baby feet

head full of hair

sweet smiles

oh, I just love this precious lil' person!