spring is here!

I am one tired momma.  No blog posts in a while - that is because in the last two weeks I have had about 25 sessions.  I have been an editing fool! I have taken a little time out to finally get my own kids spring pictures done and I am very happy with them.  Happy isn't the word - ecstatic! I have this first one with all 3 of them on my desk top and I find myself starring at it - my kids are that beautiful.  How did we do that??

Again - oh my goodness I could stare at them all day! You guys have no idea...this is a MIRACLE shot!  It was the very first shot of the day - and I have NEVER had a single picture with Avery sitting still and smiling and all 3 kids smiling.  I am over the moon.  This is how the rest of the session went....all 10 minutes of it because that's about all my kids will give me.

                                    oh how they love their little brother - and he loves it.  

My sweet darling daughter turns 5!

Born 8 days late...we thought she would never arrive! 

 She filled out hearts with more joy than we ever thought was possible.

how quickly time flew to her first birthday!

she has always been a quick learner.  she loves to read and could speak in sentences long before she ever took her first step.  we stated a birthday tradition this year to go to the zoo every year for her birthday

she is full of life and personality.  not a moment goes by without laughter

she is an amazing big sister and has been since day 1.  

my sweet little ballerina should have been born in a tutu.  her life is lived in a constant dance

she has a gift of praise.  she is always praising and uplifting others for their accomplishments 

she is all girl 

she is a girl after my own heart - always time for learning and stopping to capture the moment

daddy's little golfer

mommy's little princess

praying as a family for her brother and embracing new siblings

I have enjoyed watching her become the little lady she is and look forward to every year ahead.  She is my first born. My first munchkin...and I cannot believe it has already been 5 years since we were blessed to be called her mom and dad. 

Happy Birthday, Ella

February Mini Vaca

I took the luxury of planning out a long weekend every month till Christmas. My March one is in 2 weeks for my little big girls birthday! I think everyone needs 4-5 days off in a row once a month, don't you??

Here is a little of what went down in my house.  We didn't finish everything, but that is okay.  And I started working on some really cute props that I still have to keep under-wraps until the sessions :)

we rearragned the girls room and this big open space will be the home of their new ballet bar this week! 

of course, there was lots of playing.  

playing all together! 

the best part about this...no one told her to do it! sweet love for her bother. 

we got a timer for the kids room - this is when it went off! - and it seems to be working like a charm.  timer goes off and we clean up and go to bed.  wonderful! 

when sisters turn their backs on their brother....he eats their tutus.

then we started on painting the new studio! 

the kids like the desk moved now - it has turned into a tunnel

I always do a horrible job at taking before pictures so you can tell the difference in the afters. So here is my last minute before - the original color of our office before it went very, very white. 

going white.  Did you know it takes a lot of paint to go white??? we do now. 

does this happen to anyone else when they repaint/move/etc? everything in the entire room goes in one corner?

we can finally sit up! 

Next months mini vaca will hopefully include hours of setting up lighting equipment, refinishing furniture in the kitchen and more playing :)