{This is Our Life} 22.52 {Pure Joy}

The thrill of the season's first time down on the Slip-and-Slide = pure joy

Braces and expander

Isabelle got an expander and 4 brackets 2 weeks ago for a malocclusion and has done a stellar job with them!  Look at that beautiful smile!!!  She will have it in for 6 months and I have to turn it 4 times a week.  Such a trooper!

Last day of the "2's" on May 24th

 Juliette really settled down in a routine with Miss Tina and Miss Helen and all her friends at CLP this year!  She loved to go and had a lot of stories every day after pick-up.  This fall she will be in the "3's" and also attending one day at Interactive Academy.

 After 

 school

antics!

{This is Our Life} 21.52 {This Makes Me Feel Safe}

I asked the girls what makes them feel safe they said it is when they are with me.  :)

{This is Our Life} 20.52 {Simplicity}

Juliette loves to dance and spin and is often found rolling on the floor in a "my nastics" move or pulling herself up and hanging from anywhere.  

She is so simply sweet.

Happy happy Mother's Day!

Photo courtesy of Vicki Sofianos

Dear Daughters,

You are a dream realized, a wish come true, my everything and everywhere, my hopes and my fears, my fun and laughter.  I want you to know how deeply loved you are, how proud I am of you, how when I think of you my heart feels like it might burst.  My days begin and end with you and I am so joyful to be your mom.  There was a time that I was unsure if I would have a child of my own and here God blessed me on His own time...one...two...three beautiful girls, so perfect, so unique, so mine.  Just exactly the path I was meant to go on. 

I know I am far from ideal sometimes and I make so many mistakes and for that I am sorry.  I know I lack patience just like you at times and I am working on it.  I sometimes "check out" a bit and maybe don't focus on you enough and I apologize and will try to be better.  

I love how you embrace life, how you adore your sisters, how you help me to see this world differently and with such innocent eyes.

Isabelle, I love your sincere ways, your gorgeous smile, your pretty heart.  I love how you always want to do the right thing and how you still play with little girl toys and pretend with so much imagination.  You make me gasp at times with your (and your sisters) unassuming beauty.

  

Allie, I love your giggles, your animated way you talk, your crooked grin.  I love your passion to try new things and your freshly applied lip gloss every day before school.  You make me wonder about all of the amazing things you (and your sisters) will achieve some day.  You are all destined for greatness.

Juliette, I love the way your eyes disappear when you smile so big, your cuddles and your sassy self.  I love how you want to be a "big girl" while my heart breaks a little of how independent you are becoming.  You make me so happy and I thank you (and your sisters) for that.

Know that I am always here for you.  I tell you that and I know you have heard me so many times.  I will continue on this journey of motherhood with you by my side, getting taller, and smarter, and more pretty as the days go by and know my love for you.

I love you forever,

Mommy

Macro photography

Chives 

{This is Our Life} 19.52 {Reminders}

Reminders...

... of my Allie's obsession with playing school.  I know exactly what she is learning in kindergarten based on the dry erase board in the play room.  I know she will be a passionate, kind, articulate and amazing teacher some day.

...of the hundreds of toys that litter my floor and in the playroom every day.  One day they will be an anonymous tote with the other bright plastic things, blocks, and legos forgotten about until I can take them out, dust them off and give them to my daughter's children to play with.

 ....Allie loves a crowd but would rather play alone if she gets to do what she wants to do.

...of why strawberry, tomato, apple soup with chili powder and salt will always taste so good.

 ....lifestyle photography.  My desire to become an amazing photographer on my own creative journey and to fill my walls with pictures of what we all once were.

 ...of my compulsive clothes changer, Juliette.  She will put on a new outfit no less then 5 times per day.  Watching her endless and exhausting wiggles and struggles to get out of tight sleeves and ill fitting pants just to do it all over again...and again.  A reminder of what her floor looks like every day.

 ...of our kitchen table.  Always strewn with books, papers, markers and crumbs. The table is now outfitted with a red tablecloth covering our "love" marks of paint, scuffs, scratches and chips.  This is Allie's work although all the girls love to color and draw.

 ...of the loveys that are forever waiting for us.  This is Isabelle's "Ballet kitty" a replacement for the once treasured "pink kitty" that she gave away in pursuit of breaking a thumb sucking habit when she was 5.  

...of babies that need some "docta".  Juliette would be happiest playing with a box of band-aids and a doctor's kit.

....of special moments like "Daddy donut day".  

This is a quote from photographer Stephanie Beaty...

“These still life images serve as a daily reminder that my days are awash in chaos, whimsy, laughter and laundry (sometimes all at once). They capture toys and spills and puddles and piles. Sentimental, solitary moments of childhood ephemera. A gentle prodding to live in the now and stop looking toward the “then.” And though sometimes I pray for clean and quiet and still, I know all too well it will come. And I will yearn for tiny shrieks of laughter in my bedroom. For toys and loveys strewn about. For signs of a daily life well lived. For traces of my babies who once were. For reminders that Kids Were Here–and they were life and light and love.”

Crab apple tree snow

Our 3 crab apple trees on the side of our house are my very favorite trees on our property.  I love the seasonal changes and the birds that flock to them that we can view outside our breakfast nook. Spring time brings the most beauty in its prolific white blooms.  After about 10 days the wind showers the petals all over the ground and it truly is magical.

Jill+John

Aren't they just adorable???  

Visitors!

My 2 gorgeous nieces and my 1 soon to be awesome nephew came this weekend for me to do their engagement pictures!  We had a blast.  We were thrilled to get a great session of photos in and that it didn't rain!  They took a leap of faith for me to photograph this very special time in their life!  The girls just LOVE to spend time with their older cousins and we feel so special that we have such a fantastic relationship with them especially now as they are getting older.  :)