The day Reese's love affair with cake began

The day after Reese's birthday we invited a few of our favorite people to our house for cake, and really nothing else. I know...you're thinking wow, she knows how to throw a party. No, no I don't. It was super low key. The only thing I like about a one year old's birthday party is watching them shove cake down their throats and all over their face. Totally entertaining. So we watched Reese do just that, then we shoved cake down our throats. It was great.






We moved her up to her high chair to finish the dirty job




Then I just got sick of taking pictures and wanted to visit with people.

Near the end, she started looking drunk. Then eventually she just sat there, not moving a muscle...staring at nothing. It was awfully cute. Thanks family and friends who came. It was fun having you there to share the love and eat cake...

I still can't believe she is one!!

My birfday girl

My little miniature slice of pumpkin pie is one today. I can't believe it. Seriously, what happened. Where has my tiny, newborn gone?

Oh, but I can't complain. She gets better and better by the quick second. More smiley, more mobile, more delicious, more fun....and more destructive. I won't lie, a future of pure destruction does make me nervous. But, I'll enjoy her in the meantime.

She still seems like a lil 9 month old. It may have to do with her late desire to crawl, or her lack of being able to take a single step on those wobbly, abnormally small feet. Or maybe I've been in denial. Who knows. All I know is that I have whole heartedly tried to enjoy every waking moment with this child. I try to smell her and kiss her and take in her sweetness at least once a second. It seems the more I want time to hold still, the faster it goes.

Enough of the mush gush. You guys all get the picture...I'm obsessed with her. We were out in our courtyard Wednesday night and I snapped a few pictures of her. Nothing special, nothing thought up (is it ever??), just her being her insanly cute and lovely self. The way I obviously prefer her.



Oh those cheeks and that curvy mouth. I'll take them on a platter.




Happy birthday my sweet little Reesey girl.

Snorkeling

Yesterday coop asked to take a big, big, big bath (sometimes he'll say the adjective 20 times so I get the picture). So while reese napped, I filled up the tub and let him play. He wanted goggles, so I put on the only goggles we own....dave's snorkeling goggles. And I thought, what the heck, I'll show him how to use the snorkel. He didn't quite get the snorkel but still kept trying. Every few minutes I would hear him go under the water, he'd squirm really bad, then come up for air and choke. Then he would do it over and over again. It was cute.






We went to park city for an over-nighter last weekend and I took one picture. Yes, one. So I decided I would put a link on here to my sister, Melissa's, blog so you can see the pics and hear about the fantastic time we had. Only if you want...

http://lifeofelders.blogspot.com/2009/09/labor-day-in-park-city-black-and-white.html

A week, or two, in pictures

I've been away for awhile. Not from home, just the computer. Blogging doesn't excite me lately. But then I fall in love with a picture of my kid(s) and I get excited again.

The past couple weeks have been nice. Just hanging out, doing what we want, being with people we like.

I've taken a few pictures, just to document a few little moments.

I love this girl's eyes. Seriously, sometimes when the light hits them right they look unreal. So sparkly. Besides the basic color pop I use on the entire picture, I don't ever enhance her eyes. They are really that blue.


Cooper's eyes are beautiful, too. Just not as "blue" as Reese's. One of my favorite people, and cousin, stayed with us a couple weeks ago. It was so fun. Brette has an eye for photography. She takes amazing landscape pics and catches beautiful moments with ordinary objects. She took this picture of Cooper that melts my heart. Brette's site is brettegibbphotography.com


Melissa and Brad are always entertaining my kids. They love them so much.



I'm happy to have these guys back from New York. Reese is especially happy to have her hunky and chunky boyfriend back. They are two of a kind. The day after they got home, we went to the lake to send off the boys on kayaks. The babies were too young to go out, so we hung back at shore. I love this picture of her and Ford. So sweet.



Dreamy.



Some pictures from yesterday. Wowsas...her eyes look fake in this picture.


Cooper after his nap. He lays on the floor by the door after he wakes up and takes off the little door stopper. EVERY time he wakes up. It drives me crazy.


Banana popsicle



Cooper has been determined to ride his bike with no training wheels this past week. He would beg and beg for me to take him out. He's worked really hard and know he is rockin. I'm so proud of him. If only he could put that determination into potty training. My life would be a whole lot easier, and less disgusting.


Dave spending what little time he has with the kidlings. He is great with spending every moment he is home with them. This time of year he works a lot. Until October 15th, I don't see him much. I still hate his schedule. But I should be grateful he has a job, right? I just keep reminding myself of that.


Ugh. Sorry the pictures are so big.

Reese sitting on grass

Original title huh? When it takes me longer than 10 seconds to think of a title, I usually get irritated, then write the most obvious thing about my post. In this case, I have a few pictures of Reese...sitting on the grass.

I don't know why my posts are so boring. I do stuff, I just never write about it. I think about stuff, I just don't remember my thoughts when I'm blogging. Sometimes I think, 'I should write down this thought and blog about it', but of course I never do. Holy cow, am I actually writing about this?

I've got a one-track mind. And lately, my mind happens to be solely on track with painting. It's all I can think about. I am sick of the one color covering every square inch of our walls and ceilings. I want to paint so bad, but I hate painting more than I hate my boring wall color. So what to do? Well...I went to Lowes and got a bunch of paint samples last night. That was pretty ambitious for me...I'm sure that will be the extent of my painting.

Enough of this nonsense. I took some plain old pictures of Reese on the lawn the other day and they melted my heart. Just like she does every second of every day.





My own little ray of sunshine


It is 11:23 pm and I am currently watching Wizards of Waverly Place. Really?

Sweet, sweet baby

Words just can't express my obsession for my sweet baby girl. My friend reminded me that I need to have more of her face on my blog. I do take pictures of her, I just suck at updating my blog. So there ya go.

I could go on and on and on about how much I love her. ALL day I want to nuzzle my face up against her and breath in her delicious baby smell. I want to touch and play with her fantastic chubby thighs all the time. I love to stick my nose in her mouth and smell her wonderful baby breath. I love making her laugh. When I hand her off to someone, her eyes stay glued to me to make sure I don't leave her eye sight. I love it. Lovely, delicious, wonderful, and sweet are a few of the words I use to describe her. I tell her often. I try so hard to take in each moment with her and Cooper.



This picture of her and her dad make my heart happy. I know the lighting is harsh, but I love her soft baby face against is hard, scruffy face. She has really taken to him. And him to her.


She wants to crawl so bad.

I love my sweet babies.

Maren

One night up in Canada my cousin's wife, Maren, agreed to a lil' "photo shoot" out in the bea-u-ti-ful country. Every time we are up there I just die at how lovely it is...so this year I was hoping to get my camera out and photograph someone....anyone. Maren was willing, and I was happy. I have always thought she has such a photogenic face.

Maren Ord is my one claim to fame. She is a celebrity up in Canada. She had a hit album with a hit song that you've probably heard..."Perfect", which has been on t.v. shows and movies. She's toured with Sarah Maclachlan at the Lilith Fair and worked with Randy Bachman. Anyway, you get the picture...she's talented.

I really admire her work because she writes her own music, plays the piano, guitar...does it all on her own. She is really amazing. Check her out...

(Now please ignore the watermarks. I was feeling paranoid the day I edited most of them. I must have not been paranoid editing the rest of them on a different day because I didn't add one to those. It means nothing. Just so people don't take them)





















There are about 12 things I could say about this picture. I just love it.


























Wow....there are always too many. And I forgot to mention she is pregnant folks...with her third!