Dedicated to our favorite coach

You know I had to dedicate this post to you!  And you knew that you would be in pictures... and I think it's beyond awesome that you were wearing your softball shirt.  We've got to get that in newborn size for little A!  I can't wait until her BIG photosession.... and all the others I'll take while she's growing up :)  She'll be like my little guy - he cheeses at me everytime I pick up the camera or phone.

Okay enough of that... let's get to the pictures.

Here's some of mommy and sweet baby A.  I know I keep saying she's beautiful but come on, I'm only speaking the truth.  Amen.

Oh melt my heart already.

I think her daddy wants to keep her :)  Talk about wrapped around her finger!  There's just something about daddy and his sweet baby girl.

I love new baby hospital pictures.  I love it because I can really catch the interaction between mommy, daddy and baby.  It's heartwarming how gentle and infatuated parents are - they love love love their babies.  That's just what God intended.  It's perfection.

Thank you for letting me take pics of you guys!  I wanted to visit you for longer because I love hanging out with yall... okay, I just wanted to hold her for longer :)  Who would blame me?  Prepare for the next photosession!

Happy Mother's Day!

My mother's day began on Friday night.  At 10:30pm.  When I walked in the door, I noticed a flower that has NEVER existed in my house before.  I was intimidated by it.  I mean it's a gorgeous flower but it has that kind of beauty that screams HIGH MAINTENANCE.  And I don't do that... especially with plants.  My thumb is the furthest color away from green.

And this is what I found...

A gorgeous orchid sitting on my table.  Beautiful pink orchid.  Lord help me.

My cards were so great.  Full of love and cheesy music.  The music CRACKED me up!  I have never heard of the song and what's even funnier was that they were cats that sing to me.  I'm allergic to cats, never owned a cat and am definitely NOT a cat person.  But my daughter loves cats - so she bought me a singing cat card.  As I opened it, I gasped a little then went to find the benadryl.

This was the best present ever.  My daughter drew our family and wrote a paragraph about how her mommy was her life.  Little does she know that I didn't start living until I had them.  They make me who I am - they challenge me daily and help me find the person that I always knew I could be but was so frightened to let that part of me show.  To show the part of me that is most vulnerable.  The absolute unconditional love that wells up within me.  

Every day is theirs!  I know they love me and they tell me everyday but it means so much for them to create something for special just for me.  It's pretty stinkin awesome.

Happy Mother's Day!

If you have ANY tips on how to keep an orchid alive, I'll take it :)

Growing and growing

I just bought my son some new shoes... and he outgrew them in THREE MONTHS!  What?!  I guess this is another thing I didn't know about little boys.  Growth spurts are out of this universe.  I'm just amazed.

Man our living room is dark!  I had to crank up that ISO as far as it would go.  I love my rolly polly man.  He makes me a happy mommy.

It's almost over

Rec ball season is almost over!  I know that my daughter had fun and met new friends.  Their record isn't what we hoped it would be but the girls learned so much and are playing so much better.  That's what it's all about.  I hope they do well in pool play.

One pretty awesome change that has happened is that they let the girls pitch in 8U.  8U (8yrs and under) teams allow coach pitch but once they hit 10U (10yrs and under), they have to hit off of girls who pitch to them.  They are letting the younger girls learn to pitch (which is SO good) and then letter a few girls learn how to read and hit off of girls who pitch to them.  Coaches usually tell girls not to swing but I think it's good to let them judge it by themselves.  They'll have to do that next year!

We are not sure if we want two pitchers in our family but if she wants to do it, I say have at it!  I think it's great to let them follow through with what they want to do.  I don't like to discourage it at all.

I'm loving the face tattoos!  Too cute.

I must say their daddy can't pitch.  At all.  We've cracked on his pitching abilities since day one.  It's hilarious!  Thank goodness another daddy stepped up to say he'll pitch to them.

Batter Up!!!  I know that bats are an issue for many people - she's used two different ones that she loved.  She had the Synge and it worked so well for her but went dead in a little over a year.  So her daddy went out to find her the catalyst.  I think it's a little heavy for her but I'm not sure if I know what I'm talking about since her daddy totally disagrees.

She wants to slide SO bad.  Shorts don't help with the girls that slide.

This is what my little boy does during games:

1) Digs in everyone's drinks to eat the ice.

2)  Wants everyone to pour water on his head to keep him cool.

3)  Run onto any field that left the gate open.  Luckily no one was playing on this field.  Not so lucky the other day - he ran right onto the field while the girls were playing!

4)  Opening and closing the gate.  He's mad at me here because I told him to stop.

5)  Climbing up the bench in the dugout and then getting off.  And then again and again and again....

6)  Taking advantage of his sister.  Pick me up - put me down - pick me up - put me down.

He's our ball park baby!  He's been dragged out to softball games with the family since he was four months old.

Little E

I love babies!  I do!  Little E wasn't too thrilled with the picture taking.  He was still a sleepy little dude but he did so great.  Even smiled in a few pics.  I knew that I definitly wanted some little nakee pics and some close up and some diaper pics and some on the porch... I could go on and on so I'll just show you!

I laid him on his tummy looking toward the front window.  Plenty of natural light coming into the room and the window lights made his eyes sparkle.  I laid on the floor in front of him and focused on his eyes.

Sweet baby spit :)  Turned the camera to portrait and focused on his lips.

I moved above him in this photo.  There wasn't much room because I used a prime lens, not a zoom.  I wanted to get those sweet rolls.  I know that I didn't get his full body but I was ok with that.

Moved to the room and opened all of the windows and pulled open the blinds for more light.  I definitly wanted a picture with him playing with his feet.  That is what babies love to do!  

I don't rely on actions.  I always decide on the settings in camera.  But I wanted this one to be a bit moody.  He is such a beautiful baby.  This action was from the Jesh de Rox action set.

Don't forget to get babies little tootsies!  They grow so quickly and are so incredibly sweet.

Lovely eyelashes.  You have to be patient with babies.  Get in close and stabilize your camera.  Snap a few because the focus may not be exact.  I took four pics and got two good ones.  He was moving quite a bit here.

Profile pictures are another must.  I love love love the feel of this one.  I would blow it up and frame it in my living room. 

Not entirely in focus but look at those chubby sweet hands.  Always remember the small details.  Especially in your own children.  You just don't want to forget those details and without pictures, it's too difficult to hold the images in your memory.  Get out your camera and save the moments.

Love what you do!

Grace and Peace!

They're growing!

I'm trying my best not to be the one responsible for the death of our container garden.  So far so good though - well other than the thyme that died.  Not 100% sure if I caused the death or if it just died on it's own.

I put the tomatoes in larger pots but now I need ot grab some fences so that they will hold them up while they grow.  I also need to move the pots to the front of the house because they aren't getting enough sunlight.  The tab said 6+ hours of full sun and I know that they don't get enough on the back deck - I was just hoping it would be fine.  I'll move the pots and see if they miraculously grow to be HUGE plants and bear so much fruit that it'll be so hard to harvest.  Yea.... right.

My herbs look so good!  Great to be honest!  When I go out to the deck, the smell of rosemary overwhelms me.  Not in a bad way - like in a great way - I want to immediately get my red potatoes out and cut the rosemary and roast it all and stuff my face with it's goodness.

I thought I had plenty of tomato plants.  But apparently Nick didn't think so.  He bought four more roma tomato plants.  If I don't get those in containers, I'll still just have the four original tomato plants!  HA!

While I planted our container garden, Nick was busy getting his new grill together.  He opted on a gas grill this time.  I think he'll miss his charcoal grill - but I'm waiting... waiting for the moment he comes home with a little charcoal grill.  It absolutely doesn't matter to me though because he doesn't mind cooking dinner when he grills.

Done!  Our first meal cooked on the grill was steak!  YUMMO!  Thank you grill!

What are you lookin at?

Come a little closer... I wanna wack you with this hanger.  His poor sisters.

Please drop something.... please?  Please?  Bacon?  Steak?  Potatoes?  Anything?

Waiting oh so patiently for dinner.

Can't make this growing little boy wait!  He wanted dinner now!

Can't wait for some veggies so we can grill them!