worth a thousand words...

We have been blessed since Emery's birth to know a wonderful local photographer, Davina Fear.  We hooked up with her through the birth center, and her desire to branch into birth photography.  We were initially a little unsure when Lisa (our midwife) approached us about this opportunity.  Bobby and I view birth as a very intimate moment, and want it to be as private and as focused on us and our baby as possible.  We just didn't know how to feel about inviting someone we didn't know to come in and not just be there, but photograph the event.  After some prayer and talking, we decided to do it!  It was honestly the best decision ever.  Prior to meeting Davina, I had no experience with professional photographers.....she is just wonderful, and I've got the bug for sure!  I just can't look at photos the same way after I've seen just what they can be!

Davina blended perfectly into our birth experience, and captured little tiny moments that would have been forgotten and lost forever.  She allowed Bobby and I to be totally focused on us, and not have to worry about whether or not we were getting enough pictures.  She was such an important part of my birth experience, yet I hardly remember her being there at all!

After Emery was born, Davina came to our home to do a little family session with all of us together, since Macie wasn't at Emery's birth.  Those images are so special to me.  I look at them, and not only see how my tiny baby has changed, but just how grown up my big girl became in just the changing of one day.  Macie settled right into her new role as big sister.  After spending just one night (a big one!) with us, I felt like Davina was just another member of the family!

This past fall we had another opportunity to work with Davina, for a road trip shoot.  She and I put our heads together and worked on that shoot for weeks!  Circumstances kept delaying it, but oh, was it worth the wait!  Finding the perfect car and weather were challenges, but the day that we ended up doing the shoot couldn't have been better.  All of the little elements that we worked on came together perfectly and couldn't have been more "us"! 

She recently added more of the pictures from that shoot to her facebook page, and I just can't stop looking at them!  She has an amazing talent for freezing real life in one photo.  There is just something so different about them......not a posed photo that doesn't show anyone's personalities, but a split second glimpse of what her subject is really like.  The smiles, laughs, and affection are all real, not coached or forced. 

If you've never had the opportunity to have someone like Davina spend time with your family and take pictures, I'd encourage you to do so.  There is just nothing like looking at your family through the eyes (and lense!) of a talented photographer!  Thank you Davina, for being a friend, surrogate family member, and for providing us the opportunity to work with you!

You can see some of our sessions on her blog here, here, and here.

we love yarn around here

I am a yarn lover......I wish that I had more time (and speedier hands) to accomplish more knitting than I do, but when I get to sit and work a few stitches, I just love it.  Macie has wanted to knit for as long as she's been able to realize what I was doing.  This past Christmas, when I was handing out gift suggestions for the girls, I suggested a corker for Macie.  My sister ran with that idea, and put together a little knitting basket for her.  She got the corker, a book of patterns, and some pretty rainbow yarn all in a pretty basket.  You can see it here behind her and her new holiday Barbie.

 Today, we finally got it out, and I read the instructions and set it up for her.  I knit a few rounds on it so that I was comfortable showing her how to do it.  I showed her twice, and she was off!  She was so excited to be making her own knitted stuff!! 

 Her concentration was so intense!  Except for a couple of dropped stitches (that I got back on her loops easily with the little needle that came with it) she was perfect!

She completed her first little knitted tube, and is trying to decide what we should turn it in to.....bracelet? necklace for a doll? wooly worm? snake?  We'll see!! 

I'm super excited to have another little knitter in the family!  I foresee lots of cozy knitting and hot chocolate dates in our future!

5?? Where does the time go?

There's this crazy thing that happens when you become a parent.  You blink, and this...

 turns into this...

What an amazing blessing the last five years have been!  Being Macie's mama has been everything (and more) that I imagined it to be!  She is a joy and a challenge every day......but what is life without a few challenges?  She pushes me to be better each and every day.  I am forever thankful that I am her mother, and I look forward to watching her grow.

Yesterday was her big day, and she was so excited all day long!  We woke up at Mamaw and Papaw's house to a birthday pancake, then headed home.  We stopped for lunch where she was treated with an ice cream sundae, and then to the dollar store to buy a special balloon (with some dollars from Mamaw)....then, the big surprise.  We took her to Pet Smart to pick our her very own fish!  She's standing with the newest member of the Jones family~Flynn Rider Eugene Jones....she loves him!  We came home to finish out the night with a supper of her choosing (hotdogs, mac and cheese and broccoli with an orange crush for a treat).  What a big day for a big girl!!  Happy birthday, my sweet girl!

on saying "no"

As we approach the holidays, it seems that we're all in a constant state of "busy". I strive to not be "busy". Like that, anyway. I stay super busy here at home....keeping the girls occupied, keeping the house up, and keeping us all fed......all while trying to stay sane! I do my best, though, to stay home.....

Who would have ever thought that I would turn out to be a homebody.....I guess Bobby has rubbed off on me. I still need my occasional outing, but for the most part, there's just not much to be done that is worth the effort of getting both girls and myself out the door, and going. We can have all the fun in the world here in our own 4 walls! I guess, more than anything, I embrace my role as a stay at home mama, as just that.....a mama that stays home with my girlies. Especially now that we've started school with Macie, I've found that my priorities have shifted yet again as to what I want to accomplish here in my home. I'm not afraid to say no....or maybe, and seriously weigh whether or not committing to something will be helpful to my sanity, the girls, or to our day in general.

I try not to get caught up in all the "activities" that are out there for kids to get into. Don't get me wrong.....we have the occasional playdate with friends, and Macie has church and dance class, but I have exactly zero desire to be out of my house every day of the week!!

I think that time spent with my girls instead of time trying to get them involved is time better spent for our family. Not to mention the fact that I struggle with my day to day tasks and time management anyway! I'd hate to think what it would look like around here if I wasn't here half the time!

frumpy? me?

ha! I think I totally take advantage of being a stay at home mom. I never get dressed unless I have to. Now, normally, I'm not hanging around in actual pajamas (though, that has been known to happen) but in sweats and a t shirt. presentable enough to open the door if need be, but for sure not appropriate for leaving my house! Sometimes, if I'm feeling froggy, I'll get dressed (as in jeans and a bra!) before bobby gets home. That totally needs to end. My family deserves a mama who cares enough about herself to not look like some disheveled slob. Plus, how embarrassed would I be if someone other than the mailman came to the door?!? This is where Sarah Mae comes in (again.....i'll hop back on the 31 days to clean wagon again if I can ever get the iBook up and running again). She's hosting a Get Dressed! Challenge. Who says that all of my cute clothes are useless to me now that I stay at home? I should get some use out of them right? So as of Monday, my shoes and clothes (and perhaps even my hairbrush) will get some much needed exposure to light! Join in the fun over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee!!

Ergo giveaway!!

Make-Baby-Stuff

is hosting a giveaway for the best baby carrier ever!!! hop on over there and enter!! you won't regret it!!

also, be sure to look around...she's got some super tutorials for all kinds of stuff!

catching up!

My good intentions were sort of derailed this week! We had an impromptu visit from my mother in law this week, so instead of cleaning, I spent time shopping and enjoying her company! Oh well. Today gets to be a cleaning day anyway, since we have small group here on sunday, so I'll tackle my Martha challenges today! I need to get my Mission Statement on paper, and focus on my Mary challenges, too. I really want to keep up with this challenge, as I can really see myself in this book, and can see the challenges being super helpful to me! I think I'll spend part of my quiet time/girls' naptime catching up on my reading, and really focus on the Mary challenges!!