pics from a quick morning trip to santa monica with my iphone. 
my favorite from the bunch. 
we have been on the go this week, enjoying our australian family's company. we have a wedding smack in the middle of memorial weekend so we will be relaxing on monday for sure! hope you have a great weekend!
been busy
last week my mother in law and i cleaned my home up like never before. we were busy putting things in bins and cubbies, sweeping, cleaning, scrubbing. in the midst of all that, elsie was told many times– "not now, mom's busy. not now, mom's doing something. not now…." then i left on saturday and sunday for weddings all day long. through it all, she definitely seemed different… she was a bit snappier and sassier with me. i had to put her in time out a few times. besides just being regular 3 year old behavior, i know it was because i wasn't spending my usual quality time with her. this week, we have family in town from australia and i am determined to put things aside and just be with her. i found myself at these weddings over the weekend, just missing her. i'm determined to make up for it with lots of cozies this week!
🙂
mother’s day birthday
this year my birthday landed on mother's day. when i was a kid, that happened a lot. i don't remember having a lot of birthday parties but i do remember the ones that i did have, i would get declines as kids would be spending the day with the mothers— and now as a mother, i see, that's exactly how it should be! 🙂 i got some fun goodies for my birthday, clothes and new flipflops. but it's the handmade i love most 🙂 i love chris' wrapping. good boy. 🙂 
weeks ago, he scoured the artstore and paper source for just the right papers to make this for me. my own little polaroid book to carry around. the cover is made of lovely japanese silk. 
he also purchased this art piece. we shot an engagement shoot at the lab recently and i fell in love with so many peices in the gallery! little did i know, he went back and got it for me. 
me and my girl 🙂
my mom and me — i got my mother in law that necklace for mother's day and chris surprised me with my own for my birthday! yay! we'll be matchy matchy 🙂
mom came up to watch the kids as chris and i went on a birthday date. so grateful for all the time she gives not only chris and i to get away on dates but for all the wedding watching she does. we could not do it without her. (and her workload is about to get crazy busy as we enter a very hectic next couple of wedding weekends!) we are so thankful!
my mom got a little herb garden. planted with love by her granddaughters 🙂 they totally helped and didnt ditch me halfway through 🙂 
my mom loves gardening and cooking so we thought it was most appropriate 🙂 
my mother in law gave me an amazing gift. she gave me her time and energy as she helped me reorganize my kitchen and living room (aka elsie's toys) and i am so grateful. it has been a huge process and i am just amazed at her eagerness to help me. im ever so thankful.
i hope your mother's day was ever so special and sweet.
my 2 littles – and the giveaways go to…
hanging out in the car during one of cam's games
and the giveaway winners, thanks to random.org:
for our reflections people.. if you'd like me to send the slideshow for the mini book or the powerpoint for the photog portion, please email me. 🙂
happy almost friday!
yum
getting ready for our trip to newport beach this weekend for reflections. so excited to meet everyone! i can't believe that it will be may this weekend! it'll be national scrapbooking day- and we will be with a bunch of scrapbookers. fun! :)
1 2 3
this is so typical of when i ask for pictures. 
saturday today.. was a gorgeous day here! the kids kept asking me to take them on adventures because they didn't want to sit at home all day. (i love sitting at home all day!) so i did… i felt guilty locking them in all day 🙂 it was the least i could do since they let me sleep in till 9 today :)
a rarity
she is surrounded by girls who wear their hair up… in ponytails, with clips, bows, all those kinds of things. but she will normally have nothing to do with me touching her hair. which is why we keep it soooo short! today she requested i put a rubber band in her hair. i obliged. then she wanted 2 more. then another 2 more. 🙂 we didn't go anywhere today and these didn't last more than a few hours (which is like a record for her!) but it was crazy hot and it was nice to see her forehead. 🙂 
she's also really into necklaces. these 2 that she wears are handmade 🙂 one was kira's when she was little and one that her auntie and cousin made with her. she wears them religiously. 🙂
ps those are my little kissmarks on her cheek. i couldnt stand to photoshop them out! 🙂
a high of 103, bubbles and a new haircut
i can't believe how hot it is! i knew that perfect 75 degree weather last week was too good to last! 🙂 we're mostly staying indoors with the AC, so when she requests to at least step outside, how could i resist? 15 min of bubbles is what i agreed to. 🙂 ha!
a brief pause for a discovery in the dirt:
a long lost button from mommy's scrapbook stash! 
and then we hurry back indoors to the much loved air condition 🙂
i put up a challenge at KI i'd love it if you join and link it up so i can see! 🙂 
chris has been trying to figure out a point and shoot that we have so he doesn't always have to carry the big momma camera around with him! here's some pics from that day!
polaroids= happy
chris LOVES shooting polaroids with his medium format camera.
i love the results he gets.
we must think of a better way of displaying them as right now we just shove them in our dining table mirror 🙂
and one with the regular camera 🙂
we even make them for our brides! see here. 🙂
catching butterflies & a winner
yesterday evening, catching "butterflies" 
daddy coming home from work, surprised to find such a cute butterfly catcher at his front doorstep! 
when she realized that too many photos were being taken, not enough concentrating on butterflies! 
thanks for all the enthusiasm and support on the angel wars release day! sorry for the delay, my morning was out of order since the butterfly catcher slept in till 10am!
our winner is: Jackie Hughes |
March 17, 2009 at 12:32 PM jackie, i'll be emailing you soon!
watersix 