i love weekends.
especially when they include perfect weather, soccer goals, a birthday and lots of getting along between the siblings! 🙂

this was my little idea very late at night before the birthday.. i ran around the house and grabbed frames of cam and put them all together on the table. love how he is there on the first day of life till present. i think i am going to start doing that for everyone’s birthday. 🙂 the big glass sliding door is behind the table and i always cut out the kid’s name and caleb always cuts out little paper piecings of some characters.. then the scrapbook paper chain goes above- but it wasn’t in this pic.

early soccer game- my only shot before i got the ‘shoo!’ from her 🙂

new faves of these guys:

it seems that elsie is feeling comfortable enough to be out of my arms for awhile. she doesn’t do the immediate stage dive like she was doing the minute i would hand her off. very nice. i especially like seeing her hang out with dad and give him some love. he’s been waiting. 🙂

so excited for thanksgiving this week.. (how are we even here already?! this year has officially gone by the fastest— ever!), so happy to have a 3 day school week, so nice to have a four day weekend with everyone and SO VERY MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

xo

i really do mean to update this thing more often. it used to be that i would update every other day and then i wanted to start doing it everyday. now i don’t really feel like doing it at all. but chris told me this morning that he likes reading it at work so i will do my best to fill it up for him. even if it is a bunch of fluff. it’s not like i’m trying to save the world or anything. 🙂 so last night’s picture above after she was fighting that last nap of the day.. the one i her need her to take so i can get dinner made… being a total rascal but then smiling her sweet smile that made me want to chuck dinner out the window. 🙂

he turns eight tomorrow. holy cow. can’t believe that. he’s been counting down the days, and now it’s to hours. tonight chris and i have quite the to-do list: chris will hide all of his presents and write up clues for him to find them and i will cut up lots of scrapbook paper to paper chain this place. 🙂

sometimes when she does certain things that melt my heart- it hurts. (in  a good way) this morning it was sitting up in her crib… fighting the sleep…but finally giving in- me, listening to babbles and then a yawn, then snores. made me want to crawl in bed with her and snuggle. i know it’s such a little thing but i swear, tears came to my eyes. it’s things like that that make me want time to stop. it’s going too fast.

for mama who didn’t get to see his new full smile.

and this one. who gives me quite the hard time in the mornings. she battles with waking up, getting out the door and i meet her head on. i need to be better. more june cleaver like in the morning. i should.

so it hurts. the parenting thing. good hurt sometimes.. when you are so proud that you are going to burst.. and sad hurt where you can’t believe these little people could possibly take up more of your heart. so much to do today… i don’t know how i am going to get anything done since i am feeling so sappy now. 🙂

no pics of cam today.. but- he turns 8 on saturday. more to come. 🙂

she can tell that there is something different about cakey. 🙂

what could it be?

she knows it’s something! (look at his cute reflection in her eye!)

tada!!! he’s been so excited for this day! 🙂 of course he misplaced it 5 minutes after and was completely bummed— good thing supermom came to save the day!

and hallelujiah!!!!!!!!!!!!! i got some sleep last night. i don’t know if giving her a massage had anything to do with  it.. but man, she was OUT all night – i even remember slightly waking to think, oooh she hasn’t woken up yet.. then i quickly went back to sleep. mmmmmmm so nice. thanks elsie. maybe she was conked out because the last few days she has been such the little investigator! crawling/climbing everywhere. we had to barricade the living room with our bench. won’t be long till she figures that she can go under it to get through! and thank goodness she can’t get up here yet– big kid’s bunkbed. eeeeek!

happy friday- i know, it’s thursday- but we get a 4 day weekend! see ya! 🙂

after an incredibly wonderful and productive weekend, mama is whooped today. i can thank miss elsie for waking up 3 times last night. THREE!!!!!!!!!!!!! what is with this madness?!? i’m a little irritated.. but really, how can you be with this little face?

excuses, excuses.. i am ready for a good night’s sleep again, els. anyday now….:) she is wanting more snuggles and rocking.. which i am totally soaking up. 🙂
see her in blue?

we went shopping for her at this really cute cute cute store and chris was picking out some really cool clothes but they were all boyish looking.. there is nothing wrong with that.. there was actually a time where i dressed kira in lots of tomboyish clothes when she was a toddler— but for some reason, i couldn’t do it. i wanted everything pink for els. ha!
see pink?

giftie from auntie lynne!!! cute robeez!!!! none of my other kids had these and i am in love with them!! sooo cute! oh and notice the tank top again- ugh- 87-90 degrees this week. UGH!

haha- i started this post this morning but have been so distracted.. finally posting now at almost 6 pm. i am so out of it. hoping for a good night’s sleep tonight. 🙂

this one snuck up on us quick! eight months old now! sheesh! i messed up with that light on her head there but i love this pic! she looks so much like daddy there.. actually always but especially there i think!
she is spoiled rotten by her siblings:

horsey rides galore. 🙂

she’s been waking up at 4 every morning to eat a bit then back to sleep.. might be due to teething but last night was the first night in a week or so that she didn’t wake up. mommy thanks her!
she’s crawling around more… when motivated, that is.. but likes standing much more:

it’s a trip to look over the kitchen counter for her and not see her.. but to find her like this! i wish i didn’t chop her toes of there. here she is with pacifier.. but she doesn’t really use it, she just likes to play with it. she’s still on the 2 fingers at bedtime… chomping the thumb more when she’s bored, i think. 🙂 i can’t believe that in no time i will probably be chasing the little monkey around.. i am not ready for that! today she is off to grammies house for a bit while mom and dad go out… she’s a bit of a mama’s girl though, so she’s sure to miss me and give grammies a cry. send her some happy thoughts! 🙂

i’ve had the chance to shoot some fun stuff. 🙂
last year i got to shoot these cute boys and now… MY have they grown! they are at super fun ages, we had a great time with them. chris was able to come with me and he got some cool stuff, too.

and my hairdresser and crew needed some shots:

and right around the corner from the hairdresser, is my favorite little kids store, twerps! i came in to get some shots that she can put up in the store of her cute kiddos!

from our little goober… who thinks she is big stuff now by standing up all the time and getting a nibble of the crust from mom’s pumpkin cheesecake tonight. 🙂

We found it! Ok, well she is ticklish all over.. but here, behind the neck, she is especially ticklish. Not laugh out loud ticklish.. but shy, sweet smile ticklish. It is so stinkin cute. And she has learned to shake her head no… so when we do this to her, she shakes her head no over and over and we can’t get enough. 🙂

(yes notice the tank top in nearly november.. it’s been HOT here! 😦 our fall is being robbed from us!)

we shot our last wedding booked so far. 😦 we just happened to have friends of friends hire us 3 times this year and it has been a blast. we totally enjoy it…especially doing it together. we definitely don’t want it to end so we are looking into putting ourselves out there. when i finish proofing this last wedding, i will put a link up on the blog or something.
in other news, we had visitors!

tala came down for her bday and the kids got in their costumes! caleb wouldn’t put his avatar on though, so he was spidey again. and kira’s costume is in the mail, so she came up with that. 🙂 it was so nice to see all the cousins together.
we are seeing lots of this from the schmelsie:

smooshing from the big kids and pushing away and protesting from elsie. 🙂

and thanks for all the kind advice on the previous post. i wanted to tell you that the last 2 nights, i gave her more solids and she slept till 6  and then 640 this morning. nice. 🙂 i wish she were the type to snuggle in bed with us, but she doesn’t like it. our first kid who doesn’t like snuggles in bed. 😦 oh well. will be really interesting next week when the time changes. for now, from this morning..here she is waving to daddy and totally ignoring nap time. 🙂