Project 365- My Week in Photos!

I can’t believe March is almost here!  Just when the weather finally got warm enough to give me hope, its cold again today. Spring can’t come soon enough!

 

We went to the zoo with mom group.  Beautiful weather!  Rett had a fun time running around with all the toddlers. 

 

My Coke replacement.  I started drinking Crystal Light instead and dropped 3 pounds. Then Mom stocked me up in Coke again later in the week.  I refuse to buy it for myself so unless she enables me, I don’t have it.  Luckily my mom is a GREAT enabler!

 

We got the garden ready for planting! Rett loved to watch Daddy shoveling.  He thought it was hilarious.  I also baked some clearance Valentine’s brownies. .80 well spent!

 

Finished Sissy’s easter lamb hat.  This pattern also has a jumper that goes with it so it may transform into her Halloween costume if she can still fit into it.  The yarn is rather stretchy so I think we should be good! I attached one of her bows to the ear to make it even cuter.

Sissy sneezed while eating.  I absolutely hate baby food. So annoying.  She started eating pancakes for breakfast the last two days so hopefully the gross cereal phase is over!

 

Went to the zoo again. Twice in one week? Of course!  This time with Jenna, Lucas and Joseph. Jenna also brought her friend Molly and her two boys.  It started off pretty cool but it warmed up and ended up being a great day. 

I left the window open because we had a thunderstorm and wanted Rett to see the rain.  Sissy wanted to watch too so she climbed onto the drums.  Its amazing how much faster she is doing things than Rett did.  I’m not sure that’s a good thing either!

 

So that was our week!  Today we are going to a bounce place so that should make for some fun photography! 

Let them eat cake.. or anything else!

 

Every time I see a photographer using food within their photos and everyone is talking about how clever that was and wow what a nice pop of color, I just snicker. Because I know the truth.  Eating food keeps kids still.  No one REALLY expects kids to smile while eating.  Kids are happy when eating things that are full of sugar.  I haven’t seen many photos of children eating carrots or broccoli. I suppose out there somewhere they could exist. 

Honestly food photography is ingenious.   When you are photographing babies (especially after they start smiling) you have the easiest job in the world. Babies are naturally cute, they don’t move much and they LOVE attention they gain from smiling. Then they start moving. And they never want to stop.  Give the same kid a cake to smash when they turn 1 and you get this:

Of course broadening your horizons is always nice.  I had a session the other day and it was a 1 year old.  The mom didn’t want to do a cake smash. Its funny how moms NEVER think cake smashes sound like a fun thing.  Messy, cake mess.  That’s what the moms think about. Or maybe the purple poo that follows.

Of course then you miss out on this.  And if you ever wondered why my fake flooring is died blue, mystery solved.  Noah was totally worth it though.

 

Well since this mom (like all the other sane mothers) didn’t want to do a cake smash,  I decided to use some of those yummy strawberries we had in the fridge.

Sometimes those quick ideas turn out very cute.  And she kept still.  Isn’t she a doll?

 

I have yet to try ice cream, cotton candy, popsicles or glasses of kool aid but they are on my ‘to photograph’ list.  Along with carrots and broccoli.  So if you find yourself having a difficult time getting your toddler to sit still, bring out the goodies.

 

Just remember to take the white shirt off first.

How does your garden grow?

Two years ago.. ok maybe 3 I lose count, we built some raised beds relatively cheaply with some lumber from Lowe’s.  Honestly we have yet to have a great gardening season. We’ve grown TONS of tomatoes but not much else.   While its really cold outside on some days, the sneak peaks of spring weather have been showing their lovely heads reminding us that planting season is right around the corner.

So this weekend we tackled our garden beds.  Last year I was pregnant during planting season and I had a toddler so we didn’t even ATTEMPT a garden.

So here’s what our garden looked like at this point.  Right now is a great time to weed out those gardens before the greenery comes through and you’ve got to really use some muscle.  We pulled all the dead grass, weeds and tomato plants out of the garden.

Not really sure why but Rett thought Tom’s shoveling was HILARIOUS. He cracked up every time Tom jumped on the shovel.  So cute.  After we pulled up all the mess, Tom went ahead and shoveled up the dirt and then raked out the huge clumps of roots and to stir up the soil.

We also found some worms!  Yay for worms!

We went ahead and added about eight bags of topsoil to the bed. We over bought top soil last year so that was convenient.  Then we used trash bags and stapled them to the sides and weighted down the middle with rocks and sticks to keep the weeds and grasses from getting their seeds started before we’re ready to plant.

Right now is a great time to start seedlings indoors.  Egg cartons make great plant starters and they also sell those cheap starter kits at Lowe’s.  You can also plant onions, potatoes and radishes right now!  We’re planning on having an above ground garden and an under ground garden so time to get that one started! 

I know in Oklahoma we cannot actually plant most veggies outdoors until mid April because of late season frost being a concern. There are tons of sites out there for growing and planting tips specific to your area. 

When planning out what you are going to plant this year, consider things you often buy at the grocery store. You can save tons of cash by providing your own fresh produce.  Your meals will be healthier and you can also give some free produce to friends when you’ve got too many goodies.  There are also programs to plant a garden for the homeless and donate your harvest. 

I’m excited to see how our garden grows this year!

P365 My week in photos!

Someone has been here! Little animal tracks in the snow.

Tom’s brother George came to visit on his way to Wyoming where he’s going to be living for awhile.  He met Evie for the first time and saw Rett for the first time in over a year.  It was nice to visit but it was too short!

We took the kids outside to play. It was in the near 60’s with snow on the ground still. Rett kept falling down so Tom dug him a path from the house to his toys.

Everyone dressed up in red for Valentine’s Day to support our heart families.

 

And suddenly its warm!   It was in the 70’s.  Rett also went back to Mother’s Day Out. Evie and I had a good girl’s day together.

We went to Krispy Kreme with mom group to take the tour. You have to wear the little hat in the back for health reasons and Rett refused so instead of taking the tour, we just ate a donut.  Sissy liked the hat though!

This is actually the same day as Krispy Kreme but I had to share because I don’t get to take sleeping pictures of him very often.

Yesterday I received my big wall prints from WHCC. You know what they say about kids and empty boxes. This is when Rett first noticed the new family picture up on the wall. He pointed at it and said ‘Daddy! Mama!’

 

So.. that was our week! Today we are headed to the zoo so I better go get ready!

Cameraversary!

Today marks two years since me and my lovely camera joined forces to capture as much of my children’s childhood as possible. We are the unstoppable duo, just ask poor Rett who has been forced to sit through hours of photo sessions. And even though I’d had my eye on the 5d Mark II, I think I will keep my faithful friend as a back up. We’ve had some good times!

Our two years together in review:

We captured a lot of firsts.

We captured ducks .

We captured friends that are no longer with us.

We captured bunny ears.

and friends that have moved away.

We captured happy moments

and some that gave us chills.

We captured painted Easter feet

first times on the beach.

We captured ourselves as a family.

and naked baby bottoms.

We started getting serious.

Enjoyed some summer days together.

And some fall days together.

We captured first birthdays.

And my baby bump.

We captured spring flowers.

Cute little bottoms.

We captured bigger baby bumps.

The last day we were a family of 3.

We captured a 2 day old little girl that is ours.

and some family time in bed.

We captured a baby turning into a toddler.

And traveling long distances to meet some new friends.

And another fall with some adorable little pumpkins.

We captured accomplishments big and small.

and half a year with our baby girl.

lots of snow!

We captured our family.

Its been a great 2 years, camera!