ready for fall

The weather has been unseasonably warm. Though Summer is my favorite time of the year, the kids are ready...

 ready for the weather to change, ready for crisp mornings and cool nights...

ready for Fall.

wordless wednesday

i heart faces: people's choice {summer 2011}

I'm usually a rule follower, not a rule breaker. I cannot win this contest, let alone be considered because the entries had to be taken by August 31. At just a few days later, from Labor Day weekend, and still very much the summer, I entered this

because 

and this one, in particular.

it's the little moments... {labor day part two}

It's the little moments when you hold the camera out at arms length and laugh hysterically with your son.

It may not be much from the outside, but on the inside...

it's everything.

He's just five (and 1/2 in 2 weeks, he'll tell you),

and he's full of wisdom, joy, and love.

Wisdom, to know that it's the little moments that matter, not the fact that the bags under my eyes are  visible to the world.

Joy...

to live in those little moments and know that we are happy to be alive.

Love...

in those little moments to know that no matter what, we have each other.

Yes, it's the little moments that I am so thankful for...

as they are more precious than anything in the world.

i heart faces {touch of sun}

One of the best moments with my babes was being silly in the mustard fields.

This image of my son, Kieran, is one that I will always cherish.

10 months

My sweet, sweet, Tatum,

this past weekend you turned 10 months old.

For the last two weeks, you have been clapping your hands, shake your head "no", and nod your head "yes". No crawling for you, you would rather sit up, watch the scene, and laugh big belly laughs.

You continue to sleep through the night and I think you may finally have two bottom teeth that are trying to show themselves. You're still working on that ever important pincer grasp, you'll get it soon, I know! I just cannot get over that the time is drawing closer and closer to when you will turn one. You are a grabby little girl, at everything (no sticker picture this month, you laughed hysterically when I was frustrated by you trying to tear it off!), and everyone. You are a snuggly, lovey, little baby and your mama and the rest of the family love you with all their heart and might!

All my love,

Mommy

from blank to beautiful {Easy Canvas}

We've lived in our house now for close to 6 years, 5 of them as the homeowners. The wall in our entryway has been blank, in fact, we have quite a few of them, as I can never seem to commit to what I should display. That is, until Easy Canvas. How fantastic that Brendan from Easy Canvas provided the opportunity for me to finally display something on the wall, and my own photography, no less! 

I was filled with excitement as I saw the carefully packaged print and couldn't wait to open it because I knew that I was going to see this:

turn into this:

The whole process was so exciting! It was super easy to order from Easy Canvas. So easy, that I decided to go from the 11x14 that Brendan so graciously offered, to a 16x16!

There were a lot of different options, from the depth of canvas to choosing the picture to wrap around the edges. Ultimately, I decided to go with black edges to give the canvas a "framed" look.
Okay, I know what you're thinking, the canvas is still not yet on your wall! I know, I know! That's just me waiting for Erik, my handy husband, to hang it on the wall.
Though I'm working on a daily basis to improve my photography, I'm proud to place this image on canvas of my sweet Tatum. As a result of being able to review this product, which is great quality and very affordable, I will be ordering two prints, one of Kieran and one of Anna to grace my wall.  From blank, to beautiful!
Thank you Brendan and thank you Easy Canvas!
(Disclosure: I was given an 11x14 canvas, print of my choice, to review for Easy Canvas. While I upgraded to a 16x16 on my own, no other monetary compensation was received. All thoughts, images, and experiences are that of my own.) 

so often... {labor day: part one}

So often, 

it is easy to complain about what we don't have, what we don't like, what we don't want.

So often, 

it is easy to get wrapped up in the negative, in the "what if", in the "if only's".

Then, so often, God reminds me of all that is

beautiful...

of all that is

wonderfully created...

of all that is

special...

of all that is

important to hold onto. 

I am blessed beyond measure

that I can't thank God enough.