Lil' Monsters

a new look for the new year...

2009-01-09T11:08:00.001-08:00

update your links!!!
i won't be posting here any more...
you can now find me here:

www.bethfphotography.com/blog

see you on the new site!

i must be dreaming...

2009-01-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

see my new toy?
i just got it a couple of days ago, so i haven't had much opportunity to take many pictures.
i took this as i was setting up the menu. and the ones of the boys were in the car yesterday.
i think i might be in love...

i can't wait to use it on a little one that we are all waiting so patiently for:)

a first...

2008-12-30T14:55:00.000-08:00

we had our family pictures taken on the 23rd, while we were in california.

i've wanted to do this for so long! joey met up with us at my favorite place to take pictures back home, the boys weren't very cooperative, but we managed to get a few that i LOVE...

here are my favorites, so far:
taken by joey, edited by me...

my sister, jess, came along to hang out with the boys so eric and i could have some pictures together. there are TONS that i love, but here are just a few for now...

i can't tell you how happy i am to have some pictures of me and all three of my boys!
thanks joey!

5 years ago yesterday...

2008-12-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

8 days after his due date, and 33 hours of labor,
i became a momma to the most beautiful boy in the world.
the greatest gift i have ever received.
it's amazing how it seems that the moment he took his first breath, my life began.

a couple of hours old with me

in the shower with daddy

looking like a doll baby at 6 months

and a couple of days ago.

he has the sweetest heart.
so caring and compassionate.
so eager to learn everything he can about his interests that include:
squid, sharks, dinosaurs, squid, and more squid.
i'm not sure how he got "instrested" in squid, but that's pretty much what he thinks about.
the more i learn with him the more interesting they are to me, too:)
he LOVES to do "dot com's" which means play on the computer.
lately his favorite is to search youtube for videos about squid.
he is well on his way to reading. we have been working on combination sounds like "th" and "ch".
he LOVES preschool, and his teacher, miss virginia is amazing.
eli and dylan are best friends. it's so fun to see their relationship grow as they get older, and the age gap closes. i couldn't imagine it being any other way.
i just can't believe he's 5.

we celebrated mister eli's birth by going out to breakfast with family before the holiday festivities. happy face pancakes and ice cream for breakfast. he was in heaven!!

i hope everyone has a blessed christmas today, as we celebrate the birth of our King.

snow...

2008-12-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

we woke up on wednesday to snow!
under normal circumstances, we would be SO excited...but we are supposed to leave tomorrow morning for california for christmas. and we got dumped on again last night. they are saying another storm is supposed to hit overnight tonight! i'm not sure what we are going to do, but i know it will work out one way or another...no matter where we are, christmas is still coming, and eli's birthday is still on the 24th. celebrations are in the near future!
here are some pictures of my sweet boys playing on wednseday:

keep us in your prayers!

christmas tree O' christmas tree...

2008-12-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

soo, last saturday, we went up into the woods to cut down our tree.

it wasn't as easy as you would think.
we drove for almost four hours searching for a tree that wasn't 200 feet tall, but also wasn't crazy looking.
we finally found one pretty close tho the road we were on, and after passing it and driving for another 30miles or so, we turned around to cut it down.
dylan was D. O. N. E.
so here are a few pictures of eric cutting it down.

lovin this picture...

their reactions in this picture took on a new meaning when we got the tree home and measured it.
it was a mere 16 feet tall.
eric had to cut four feet off the bottom just to get it in the house. and to think that we were worried that it was too small.
it just looked little next to all of the BIG trees in the woods, we lost our perspective on what was a "normal" size tree:)

it turned out to be perfect. we had to remove furniture form the living room just to accomodate this beautiful monstrosity.
here are the pictures of us decorating on tuesday...

lovin' dylan's little jam body...

sweet eli hands...

i love the "work" that is happening here...

a view from the outside...

eric workin' it for the camera, and i had to get in on one picture...

i LOVE this one...

the finished product...

oh, and if you haven't seen matt and paula's pics...
you HAVE to scroll down...

my baby brother is getting married!

2008-12-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

that's right...matty is getting married to miss paula.

they came up on monday so we could take some engagement pictures, and lucky for us, the sun decided to make an appearance:)
i had the boys with me, and they were extremely cooperative. we were able to get some awesome shots of the two of them!
i'm not sure they could be any cuter:)
thanks guys for asking me to do this! i can't wait for the wedding!

look at these eyes...

matt dancing:)

ohhh the beautiful sun!

i've been eyeing this building for months, and finally got the courage up to go in and ask permission to photograph in front of it. it's an old upholstery business, and the guy thought i was
a bit strange...i could see him through the windows as i was taking pictures, and he was just laughing!

lovin' the drama:)

i think this is my favorite...

a bit more drama for the camera...

and the last stop of the day...

congrats matt and paula...we love you!

dylan has a 'stache...

2008-12-03T21:13:00.000-08:00

on sunday, eric took eli shopping, and dylan and i finished up the holiday decorating.
or should i say, dylan perfected his hot chocolate mustache while i finished up the decorating:)
this kid seriously cracks me up. he doesn't even have to say anything, and he is funny...
when he was just a little baby we could tell he had timing, it's fun to see his personality come out even more as he is able to put words to his antics.
have you ever seen a better mustache (besides on the GOT MILK advertisments)?

i can wait a few (20) years at least before there is a real mustache on this perfect little face.

some exciting news....

2008-11-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

to share...this little gift i made is the clue.
isn't it so fun? you can get the pattern here
just know that there is a lot of hand sewing, and i am not the best hand sewer in the world:)
let's just say that it's a good thing i am not a perfectionist!
i don't think that the little guy that will get to play with this will mind if the rings are a little warped here and there, do you?

anyway, i also made this little bumble bee to go with it that i dreamed up in my head, and in the end wasn't so sure about. i forgot to take pictures of it before it flew off to arizona with the new parents to be, but you can see it by going here....you'll also be able to read the amazing story that is unfolding!

i'll let you read it in jamie's words, just bring a tissue....

can i just say that i am a very excited auntie, and i am quite pleased that the baby will be born SO close! you know i can't wait to meet him!

i just love matt and jamie, and i am just soooo happy for them!

little betta...

2008-11-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

oh, how sweet is this little one?

they had just gotten in the night before from london, where they live.
betta was such a trooper! the perfect little model!
just days from turning one year old, all she wanted to do is walk around holding on to mom and dad's finger's....too cute!

my man's birthday....

2008-11-15T20:37:00.000-08:00

is tomorrow.
i wanted to do a little post for him this evening....he has decided that for his birthday tomorrow that he wants to spend the day making tamales at his parents house. since we are going to be busy cooking all day, i didn't want to go without posting.
mmmmmm, my house smells SO good right now!
eric has been working on the filling for the tamales. i have to say it's really nice having an AMAZING cook for a husband! he takes great care of me!
today we were driving around taking in the beautiful day that it was ( not sure how many more beautiful days we'll be having here in the northwest:) and we came across this cool wall. what a great opportunity to take some pictures of my handsome husband.

love this look:)

so happy birthday, my love.
thank you for being so loving and supportive over the last 7 years.
you are the most amazing father to our boys, and i couldn't imagine life without you.
enjoy your day, i love you!

these little leaves were waiting for us when we returned home this afternoon.
our tree is pretty much bare otherwise.
eric got the ladder out for me, so i could photograph them. i'm so glad he did:)
is fall really almost over?

these two...

2008-11-14T19:42:00.000-08:00

it's been a crazy month.
and these two have felt it for sure. i'm so looking forward to slowing down as the holidays get closer. i'm feeling like the simple times are slipping away. whe we could just wear our jams all day, and sit on the couch and read for hours. there is always something happening, something else to do.
will it ever be the way it was again?
i suddenly have been feeling like i want to put a stop to all the growing that has been happening around here. keep my boys little forever.
it's still like 10 months away, but i find myself starting to cry over the thought of eli going off to school. what do you think i'll be like when he really does?

and mister dylan, always in a hurry to keep up with brother. wanting to be a big boy sooo bad.
and then i see him walking down the hallway with his "bambek" (blanket) trailing behind him. my little linus. please stay my baby for a bit longer......

the H family...

2008-11-11T22:26:00.000-08:00

we got lucky with a nice break in the rain on sunday,

and we were able to get some great pictures of this beautiful family!
i photographed these little ones over the summer, you might remember them from this post.
so of course i was excited when they called for a family session:)

alyssa and josiah's wedding....

2008-11-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

i had so much fun photographing this wedding. these two were SO much fun to work with!

they made my job really easy. so laid back, and up for anything.
the weather broke just as alyssa arrived, and we were able to shoot all of their formals outside.
it ended up being a beautiful fall afternoon.

here she is getting ready....

the first look...

the rings...

the BEAUTIFUL couple...

alyssa...

the boys...

the girls...

the flower girl and ringbearer....

the place that the wedding and reception were held was really beautiful.
it was perfect.
i'll save the rest for them to share:)
thank you alyssa and josiah, for asking me to be a small part of this special day!

alyssa and josiah's photobooth...

2008-11-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

soooo, i shot my first wedding last week.

can i just say that it was awesome, and i couldn't have done it wothout eric,

and i wouldn't have wanted to do it for any one else but this sweet couple.

eric ran the photobooth at the reception, and it was a hit!

we got some great memories of the guests being silly and hamming it up.

i can't imagine not doing this at a reception. it was a blast!

here are some favorites:

the bride, groom, and friends pete and tamar....

parents and brother of the groom...

josiah and his mom....

josiah getting taken out by his brother...

alyssa one of her bridesmaids...

the girls...

anyone having prom flashbacks??

come on....be crazy!

mother of the bride, and mother of the groom...

the ringbearer and his mom...

th girls who were working the kitchen....so fun!

eric did a great job! thanks babe:)

i hope to have a sneak peek of the wedding up sometime this weekend.

all i can say is amazing.

is he really three....already?

2008-11-05T22:18:00.000-08:00

how does time go so fast?

my sweet mister dylan is three today.

an i love everything about being his momma.

from his sweet "good morning momma's" to the frustrated fits of a baby becoming a boy.

i wouldn't change a thing.

i love you my dylan, and i'm so happy to be your mommy.

happy halloween!

2008-10-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

from Curious George and The Man with The Yellow Hat:)

not the best pictures, but the best i could do this early in the morning....and it's POURING outside:(

hopefully it wil clear up this afternoon!

anyway...could they be any cuter?

we've been working hard on these costumes for the last couple of weeks, and the boys have been dying to wear them! so as soon as they had breakfast this morning, they just had to put them on! love it.

hope you all have a safe and happy halloween!

be sure to scroll down to see some pumpkin carving:)

pumpkin carving...

2008-10-31T10:18:00.000-07:00

on sunday after the pumpkin patch, we dug into our pumpkins.

dylan trying to decide if he wants to....

eli's sweet, messy little hands:)

working together...

i LOVE this.

eli carved his pumpkin all by himself. using a butter knife! just wait until you see the results.

dylan thought he needed to feed his pumpkin.....pumpkin:)

yes, eric takes his pumpkin carving very seriously:)

eli's masterpiece. he gave it teeth and all!

eric's masterpiece. i haven't gotten a good picture of all of the pumpkins together....maybe tonight.

pumpkin farm part 2...

2008-10-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

eric and i took the boys out on sunday. it was seriously a gorgeous fall day...except for a few strong gusts of wind (you'll see once you scroll down :).

before the farm, we grabbed a snack, and headed to lucia falls up the road. i LOVE that there are so many beautiful places so close to us!

i think i got some of my best pictures of the boys before we even got to the pumpkin farm.

eric caught these of my dylan and i.

i love how his eyes are smiling in the first one.

eli caught in a windstorm...one minute we were petting and feeding the animals, and the next minute my son was literally being blown away!

i can't look at these pictures without laughing. i love the expressions on his face, and the way his hair is all crazy. love them.

and the memory of him throwing himself through the air everytime the wind even remotely blew the the rest of the afternoon makes me laugh out loud!

crazy kid.

we had a great day!

man, i can't wait for halloween!

the S family...

2008-10-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

remember these sweet little girls?

well, on friday afternoon, i met up with the whole family for some pictures of them all together.

the colors downtown are so awesome right now...i LOVE fall!

i think we got some really great shots, it wasn't hard, they are a beautiful family!

pumpkin farm part one...

2008-10-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

we went to the pumpkin farm with eli's class on thursday.

of course we had fun! the pumpkin farm is one thing i don't think i can live without. i don't think that i've gone a fall without a trip to the pumpkin farm my whole life.

it's a must:)

and i love seeing my boys enjoy it, too! this is part one, because eric and i will take the boys this weekend. i can't wait!

so here are some memories from thursday:

my handsome eli...i mean seriously...

feeding the animals...

going through the hay bale maze...

my handsome dylan.... i mean seriously...again...

checking out the merchandise...

dylan found his real quick...

eli's teacher, miss virginia, has a rule that the kids have to be able to carry their own pumpkin out of the field and to the car. what is the experience if they just point to one, and mom or dad carries it for them. i completely agree.

so i was wondering how it would go when eli was telling everyone that he was

"going to get a pumpkin that was bigger than a grown up".

well...he carried this one about 3/4 of the way out of the feild to the tractor.

and finally put it down after much struggle.once it was down, he turned around and picked up almost the first one he saw. a more appropriately sized pumpkin.

i just love mister dylan's expression here:)

and here:)

to be continued....

dylan getting in on the action...

2008-10-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

man, how i love this face.

the many faces of eli...

2008-10-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

i'm shooting a wedding on november 1st, and i have fallen in love with the idea of having a photo booth for the guests at the reception. so yesterday, i set it up in the living room, and asked eli to be my model. i told him he could be as silly as he wanted...and he agreed to help me out.

i'm lovin' the results.

SHE DID IT!!!!

2008-10-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

Leanne won project runway!

leanne and i were inseperable as kids. we danced together at colleen's dance factory for years.

and we spent hours dreaming about being in the miss usa or miss america wearing beautiful gowns designed by us, teaching ourselves to back flips in her parents living room, and just being girls. good times.

so i was excited when my mom called a couple of months back to say she ran into leanne's mom in town, and that leanne was living in portland. i found her email and got ahold of her. sure enough she was right over the river. a couple of weeks later i saw a blog post from a fellow blogger (she was in the pageant with leanne and i back in the day:) that leanne was on project runway! craziness.

we had lunch back in august, and i'm so happy to say that she's that same girl that i spent so much time with. she even looks the same:) i wish that i would have known she was so close sooner, i'm sure she'll be moving on soon.

her stuff is AMAZING! i want to take her collection she showed at fashion week, and just hang it all over my house. it matches perfectly:)

who knew that that little 12 year old girl sitting in her living room, drawing evening gowns with crayons would grow up to win project runway....it was meant to be:)

can i just say i'm a little proud:)

my mom and i found some pictures of leanne and i when i was home a few weeks ago.

don't you just love those costumes?

congrats leanne!!!!

wow.

2008-10-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

i had the best time hanging out with this amazing girl and her mom yesterday.

not only is she g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s. she's a sweetheart, too.

i'm trying to resist posting more...i don't think i could take a bad picture of her!

thanks vivan...i hope you like them as much as i do:)

three beauties...

2008-10-11T22:22:00.000-07:00

i got to meet these three little ladies and thier mom on friday evening.

i can't wait to take the whole families pictures in a couple of weeks!

they are so sweet!

i think this is my favorite:)

or maybe this one...she looks like she is enjoying the sunshine:)

thank you kelly! your girls are adorable!

The Wall...

2008-10-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

please look at my friend, toni's, new wall...we started working on this project a few months ago, and it's finally finished! toni and her family just built this new house, and she's been trying to figure out what she wanted to do wth the walls. so back in may, i came across this. i knew that we had to do it! so after getting the pics of the kids taken, and coming up with a few extras, it is now complete. i LOVE how it gives some insight into her kids and their interests. and it still is creative, and art like. love it. the brick picture is actually a pillar in front of the house her husband, josh, grew up in. his dad built it, and his family owns a brick company. pretty cool.

this picture gives some perspective as to how big the pictures actually are.

i think my favorite one is this where chloe is teasing her older brother, tristan, and mason thinks it's funny...classic!

mason takes karate...love those feet!

toni is one of my closest friends...not only does she keep my hair looking beautiful, but she threw both of my baby showers, and helped me paint the boy's nurseries before they were born. (i'll have to post their rooms sometime.) she is always there for me, and i know that i can count on her for anything. i love her:)

anyway, just had to share her new wall...thanks toni for trusting me and josh for putting up with the ideas that mean more work for you. i think this one was a success:)

christmas cards...

2008-10-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

YAY they are ready!!

i'm SO excited about these! i have three sets of options this year. first there is the "Christmas Couture Collection". these are designed to be printed as 5x7 folded cards. however they can be combined any way you want and printed as a two sided 5x7 flat card as well. they are completely customizable, all the colors and design elements can be changed. there are 5 different designs to choose from. this is my favorite! love them all!

The second option is "Christmas in Black and White".

although, they can be edited to be whatever color combo you want! i love how they have these beautiful overlays on the actual picture. so pretty:) everything is changeable, and like the above, they are designed to be printed as 5x7 folded cards, but can be printed as two sided flat 5x7 cards. there are 5 different designs to choose from.

This is my favorite from the "Monogram Collection".

so simple and clean, i love these designs!

there are six different options in this group. three designs, each in a black version, and a white and pastel version. these are printed on flat 5x7 cards.

they are all printed on high quality art watercolor paper. i can't tell you how much i love the way they look and feel. the texture is beautiful, and the colors just pop off the page!

if you are interested in placing an order for these beauties, and we have had a recent session, or you would like to schedule something soon, please contact me as soon as possible! i will send over the files that have the pricing and all 16 options to choose from so we can start planning your beautiful custom christmas cards!

orders need to be placed by november 19th to guarantee that you will have your cards to send out before the holiday:)

climbing trees...

2008-10-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

eli has been working on this tree for a couple of weeks now. i'd say he's got it conquered:)

my little monkey:)

i've got a lot i'm trying to catch up on around here. mostly just pictures of us over the summer that have gotten put in the "later" pile:( i hope to have some to post in the next couple of days.

also be watching for a peek of the awesome christmas card templates that i'm offering this year....

more blue eyes...

2008-09-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

my sweet friend tina met up with us for lunch the sunday we were in town. i had to get some pictures of her little guy. i had photographed him when he was brand new. that was only six months ago! it'a amazing how fast babies grow and change! he looks like a completely different baby...his cheeks are the best!

i love how you can see momma's arm in the back...just making sure he doesn't topple over:)

his expression here is just priceless! like he's so confused as to why we placed him in a suitcase:)

eli had to get in on the action. they look like such posers!

tina, he's so perfect! can't wait to see you again!

nomers...

2008-09-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

unfortunately, while we were in cali, i didn't take many personal pictures. however, i did get to capture these of little nomes. it was early one morning, and we had all just gotten up for the day. nomi was sitting on the couch watching toons. i have never seen more beautiful light inside a house than what my sister gets each morning. it's a dream:) anyway, back to nomes. can you say...personality?

i'm so missing that sweet face, her little hands, and the way she jabbers, with such confidence that you know exactly what she's telling you. love you nomes:)

a little makeover...

2008-09-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

i've been working on the blog this morning...trying to update it a little. i'm still not sure about it. anyway, just wanted to let ya'll know that your links are at the bottom of the page. so if you need to get somewhere from here, scroll down, and hopefully you'll find what you are looking for:)

miss camden...

2008-09-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

the night before we left california, i got a chance to meet up with my cousin, nicole, and her little one, camden. i don't get to see them very often, so it was really nice. the boys had a lot of fun with camden! by the end of the night, they were running around being super heroes...it made we wish even more that we didn't live so far away!

i asked if i could take some pictures of camden...how could i not? and our grandma has this great yellow bench that has been there for as long as i can remember. it was perfect!

thanks for letting me do this nicole! we are looking forward to seeing you guys at christmas!

the tull family...

2008-09-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

i had the opportunity to take pictures of this beautiful family while i was in california last week.

julie had contacted me a couple of weeks ago, and it turns out, we used to take dance classes together when we were little! it was great to see her, and meet her husband jesse, and their two adorable children, landon and laela. we met up, and i followed them out to browns valley to some property owned by jesse's grandfather. it was a beautiful evening with amazing light, i had a lot of fun, jumping fences and all:)

there are so many great ones, it was hard to choose just a few to post!

these two...

2008-09-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

were too sweet for words.

i think these pictures speak for themselves.

terra, i hope you love them! there are SO many perfect pictures i had a hard time choosing what to post. i couldn't go wrong, your children are gorgeous!

seriously...

2008-09-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

what else can i say?

these two are amazing! just look at those eyes! i'm so pinching myself wondering how i got here. taking pictures of these beautiful children, and living my dream. thank you jennifer for asking me to do this. your children are perfection. i just hope i did them justice.

these two were full of personality, can you tell? all i can say is i love it.

miss allie...

2008-09-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

i had a blast taking this little ones pictures on friday evening. she seriously is adorable!

the sweet little outfits her mommy had for her to wear were perfect. thanks jen for all the great ideas, and bringing the awesome red chair!

this was the last picture of the evening, and i think my favorite!

i've been taking pictures like a mad woman, so lots more to come!

a gift...

2008-09-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

that is what these images are to me.

joey took these pictures last night of the boys and i. i can't tell you how happy i am to have some pictures of me and my boys! the only thing missing is eric :( all i know is the next time we are all in town, we are having joey take some family shots! i am taking family photos for him on saturday...trade is the best! anyway, he gave me the files, and i edited them. i couldn't be happier...

thank you SO much joey! i LOVE them!

just sharing...

2008-09-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

a few sessions i had over the weekend. the boys and i are in california now. i have scheduled for a friend of mine, joey, to take our pictures tonight...i just don't get to be on the other side of the camera very often, so hopefully the boys will cooperate, and we'll get something i can frame:)

i will share the goings on of our trip, i'm sure, but for now, here are some from the weekend:

my sweet friend hannah's little ones...remember them from the "original" blue chair session?

these girls are seriously amazing! can you get over their eyes?? i'm so sad that they are going back to georgia at the end of the month! i'll miss you and your precious girls, hannah!

by the way, those amazing little headbands are from louandlee

and the are to die for! if you haven't checked out their little shop, you have to!

i got to take pictures of this sweet family on sunday evening. they were great, and i think we got some great shots!

thank you jeff and rachel for having me do this... your family is adorable, i hope you love the pictures!

ohhh, how i love these boys...

2008-09-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

they get it honestly...

2008-09-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

this is a normal evening in front of our house, my three boys riding their bikes.

eric doing tricks, and eli and dylan doing their best to emulate him.

i don't know that eric will be very happy about me posting these, but i love them. they show a little bit about who he is, and the kind of dad that he his: active, encouraging, not afraid to let his boys be themselves. and he looks good all at the same time:)

(i LOVE how eli is perfectly framed in eric's wheel!)

so, it's no surprise when dylan jumps a curb, training wheels and all, while eli is across the culdesac popping wheelies. they are their dad's sons. and i LOVE it!

we're coming home!

2008-08-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

i just booked our flights last night! we will be in california (yuba city area) from september 10th to the 18th. if anyone is interested in scheduling a session with me during this time, please email me, and we'll set something up:)

beth@bethfphotography.com

i'm so excited to see these two:) i had a blast taking these...it was fun to get my parents away from everything, and just see them together. (clearly i have a thing for doors:)

this is eli's favorite:)

thanks mom and dad for letting do this for you!

2008-08-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

i had a session with these three precious girls on friday evening. they were so sweet, and their parents were SO much help! i've never photographed twins of this age, so it was all new to me, they definitely like to go their own way, but i think that we succeeded in getting some great pictures! mira, the older sister was so great with the little ones, jillian and morgan.

mirabella...

morgan...

just look at those little tongues!

jillian...

mike and juli, i hope you love them!

the ness family...

2008-08-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

this is seriously one of the sweetest families ever! heidi is the older sister to my good friend hannah (remember her twins?). heidi, chris and their children are missionaries in africa, and are leaving again for four years next month. i can't think of a more amazing calling than what they do. i feel honored to have been able to spend a small amount of time with them, and i hope that they feel that i have captured a small piece of "home" for them to take with them:)

heidi had a vision of her children in the back of a rusty pick-up truck, eating washington apples.

she found the truck on some property belonging to a friend of their family, who was so sweet to let us all take over the space for an hour. i hope this is what you had in mind! i think it's adorable!

everything went so well! these sweet kids were so easy to work with even though it was seriously over 100 degrees outside!

thank you heidi and chris for letting me capture your beautiful family!

i hope you love the results!

a visit with the fam....

2008-08-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

my family was here visiting last weekend, and we had such a good time just hanging out with them all! (we were missing a few key players by the name of heather, josh, emma and naomi, but hopefully next time!)

here are some photos of our time together:

papa playing geo tracks with the boys

these are from the farmers market on sunday in vancouver

my cute parents, and my cute boys

having some lunch

the boys love to get "balloon animals" from a street vendor when we are at market. this time eli asked for "spiderman shooting a web", and dylan wanted hulk.

i think the poor guy did an amazing job! it's seems the kids thought so as well!

i just love how their little mouths are exactly the same in these two pics...it must be a boy thing:)

look how happy they are! unfortunately, hulk lost his leg pretty quickly...dylan didn't seem to mind:)

the whole group

matt and paula

and a little bit of "london bridges" to end the day

i guess most of the pics i took were at market:(

although i have a whole post coming of just my parents!

i took them out later on sunday for some pictures of just them, and i'm so excited about how they turned out! hopefully i will get them up soon:)

thanks guys for coming and spending some time with us, it means a lot!

audrey and emerson...

2008-08-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

i made these little tutus yesterday afternoon right before the session! isn't it too cute?

aren't they adorable? man, am i having fun with all these girls lately! these two were so great, we got the pictures we needed SO fast!

here are some ideas for storyboards i've been working on:

these are designed to be printed 20x20,

but there are so many size options. if anyone is interested in something like this, email me, and i'll send over a file with all of the details, and pricing:)

maddison, maci, and mindi...

2008-08-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

talk about girl fix...

this is just what i needed! i SO enjoyed this session! maddison and maci are perfect big sisters, and little mindi was perfectly content pretty much the whole time. i had such a hard time deciding what to post here, i have so many more that i love!

i start to feel like i overuse these doors, and then i see the pictures, and i'm in love all over again!

i couldn't think of a better spot to have captured these amazing little girls!

and the winner is...

2008-08-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

miss terra yaney!

email me at beth_feigner@hotmail.com with your address, and i'll get them to you!

if anyone is interested in purchasing a set of the prints, email me:)

thanks for all of your comments!

and what's a post without picture?

this was taken with the lensbaby 2.0.

i'm having so much fun with this new little toy!

completed project, and a giveaway...

2008-08-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

here is my new kitchen wall.

this was a long time coming! i've had these prints for a couple of months...once i was ready to purchase the frames from ikea, they were nowhere to be found. after lots of calling and checking to see if they had come in, my friend toni (who has a wall of her own that we are working on) picked up 14 frames one size too big for the prints. after a couple of trips to the glass shop and eric cutting the backs of the frames, we have what we wanted to begin with. so worth it!

i was a little nervous putting up my own prints, but i think they look pretty darn:)

they are actually apple blossoms from some trees in eric's dad's garden.

here's a link to the inspiration. i don't have a wall big enough for nine, so i thought four would do...

to celebrate the completion of this project i thought i would hold a little giveaway.

i have in my hands a set of four 5"x 5" apple blossom prints the same as these.

if you would like them, leave a comment, and on tuesday morning i'll have eli pick a winner!

nairie and ahren...

2008-07-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

my sweet friend melody called me last night, wondering if i could take some pictures of her family that was visiting from europe. i'm SO glad that it all worked out, and seriously could these two little ones be more precious? they are just as sweet as they look!

and yes, this IS my favorite location!

thanks mel, i'm SO glad you called!

i hope they love them!

AZWA crew...

2008-07-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

sooo, eric does this bike ride every year for the diabetes association, Summit To Surf. they start at the top of mt. hood and finish in hood river along the columbia. his brother matt has been joining him the last three years, and much to our delight, miss jamie came along this time! matt, jamie, eric and i and the boys drove up the mountain on friday morning, took our time enjoying the sites, and then stayed the night near ski bowl. we always LOVE spending time with these two! so, here are more pictures than necessary...although, is that really possible?

enjoying lunch...

an impromptu photoshoot...

the boys getting soaked in the fountain outside the restaurant...

when the snow melts, ski bowl (ski area) transforms into an adventure park with a zip line, bungee jumping, go karts, and lots more.

since it was in walking distance to our condo, we checked in and headed down to the park.

one of the only things the boys could do was the bungee trampoline. so here they are getting their harnesses on...

eli jumping...

once dylan got up there, he decided it wasn't for him...how could i let those $9 go to waste?

besides, i forgot how at home i feel on one of those things:)

thanks jamie for all of the flattering pics you caught of me...

although, this looks pretty neat with the top of the mountain behind me...

and check out those pointed toes:)

after my performance, we drove to the east bowl where there is a half mile alpine slide that you ride on the chair lift to the top, and take a little "car" like sled down this luge type slide. it was breathtaking...matt and eric each took one of the boys, while jamie and i went solo behind them.

unfortunately, i left my camera in the car:(

here are the guys the next morning before they took off on their 50+ mile ride over the mountain...matt made the boys shirts to match his and eric's. too cute!

jamie and took the boys downtown hood river while the guys were riding. we had breakfast at the best coffee shop ever, and then headed down to the river side finish line to watch them come in...

off to enjoy some yummy burgerville, and listen to some music..

jamie took this of eric and before we left. look at my handsome man:)

we had such a great time! today is matt's birthday, (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) so we spent it over at their parents house barbequeing and hanging out. we always treasure the time that we get to be with them, thanks matt and jamie so much for coming up, and being with us this weekend!

the need to create...

2008-07-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

for some reason lately, i have been overwhelmed with the need to create. not just make something, or take a simple photo, but really take something that is within my self, and make it tangible, something to hold in my hands, and share around. that's what i used to love about working in the darkroom. actually watching the image that i saw with MY eyes through the viewfinder, take shape on the paper below the suface of the chemicals. where it was once something only I saw, becoming something that everyone could take in. hoping that others would feel the same rush that i felt as i tripped the shutter.

sitting in front of the computer, is a bit different, for sure, but the possibilities are endless, and at my fingertips...literally. but man, do i miss those afternoons in the darkroom, exposing and agitating, filled with the anticipation of what the final outcome would be...

i think i need to pull out my 35mm, and find a darkroom to work in:)

when i sat down to write this post, i knew that i had something weighing on me, something that i was missing. i guess i found my answer.

bloggin' fool...

2008-07-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

that's me...a bloggin' fool. i guess that means that we have lots going on that i want to share:)

as of last evening, my eli no longer has training wheels. (tear) how do they go from being little babies to big boys riding around on two wheels? things seem to be in fast forward lately, and i'm not sure how i feel about it. don't get me wrong, i'm SO completely proud of eli, i had tears streaming down my face as he rode off into the distance last night. eric got a new little camera over the weekend, so i was able to take some video to share with you all...

this was taken about fifteen minutes into the lesson from eric. i still can't get over his sense of balance! and i love that you can hear how excited he is!

(pause the music on the sidebar before watching!)

(sorry about my voice...there nothing i hate more than hearing my own voice on video or answering machines!)

and of course some photos...how could i not?

skate competition...

2008-07-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

eric's gone for the day, and the boys and i needed something to do.

our neigbor's oldest (sage) was competing down at the skate park near our house.

i've been wanting to go down there and take pictures, and this gave me a reason.

the boys had fun, and i got some fun pictures of sage...

and of course my boys...

refreshment break:)

never having been on a skate board myself, i was pretty amazed at what these boys could do.

i'm sure we'll have our share of afternoons spent at the skate park hoping and praying that our boys don't break anything:)

i'm in no hurry, though.

we left before it was over, the boys were hungry. but, we're looking forward to hearing the results!

sweet baby dylan...

2008-07-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

okay, sooo i know in my head he's not a baby anymore.

but in my heart he'll always be just that.

my baby.

he's definetly more challenging, as of lately.

but so much more full of personality at the same time.

he has the BEST sense of humor and timing,

and the sweetest little lisp.

those lips just kill me. so big and pouty.

lovin' that belly button

and his sweet little hands...see that freckle?

precious...

my sweet baby dylan.

blueberry picking...

2008-07-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

on sunday we went blueberry picking...it was a lot of fun, and we came away with a lot of berries:) i have to say, dylan is quite the worker, as long as you watch him closely...there were times when he was eating faster than he was picking! we joked that they should weigh the kids on the way in, and again on the way out! eli was over it before anyone else, but i think that next time we should go a little earlier, at 9:30 it was already pretty warm outside. i'm not a big fan of blueberries, so i'm holding out for the blackberries and raspberries to be ready!

dylan picking a nice green berry...

beautiful eli...

working hard...

over it....

dylan getting caught...

i'm thinking this will be a new tradition!

carly and weston...

2008-07-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

i brought my new baby (see previous post) along for my session with carly and weston last night.

i didn't expect to feel so comfortable so fast, but i was, and i think the images speak for themselves:) i'm so excited about these:

aren't you in love? i just LOVE photographing these two, and everytime i do, i'm happier than the last. it was late, weston hadn't napped much, and it was still really hot outside, but they did so great! thanks mark and shannon for singing, jumping around, and just being plain silly...i think it worked!

AHHHHH!

2008-07-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

momma got a new camera!

that's right...i got me a new camera today:) can i just say that i'm in love...

i went with the nikon d200 for many reasons. my dad has the d300 and i LOVE it, but i would have to upgrade all of my software that i can't live without if i got that one:( and i just can't do that right now. but my d70 isn't going to last forever, and i wanted to make a decision before i was forced to.

so after much thought and contemplation, i bought my new baby. it's beautiful, and i think it's going to be stuck to my right eye for the next few days...at least:)

i had a session this evening, so naturally i brought it along...i used it the whole time! i'm feeling a little sad for my d70. she's been such a great, reliable friend for the past almost two years. i'll keep her for a back-up, but i have a feeling that i won't be using her much at all.

ahhh bittersweet.

so here's to lots of new, better quality images, and lots of very interesting, yet monotonous camera manual reading in my future;)

dresses for my girls...

2008-07-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

aren't these the sweetest little dresses ever? naomi's birthday is coming up, and her party is on saturday. i've been racking my brain trying to come up with a gift idea to make for her. yesterday i was sitting here searching for something to inspire me, and i came across this pattern for a little pillowcase dress. seriously, they are SUPER easy to make, and SO worth it! i had a couple of yards of this green damask fabric that had been sitting in my closet for a couple of months, and i'm working on another birthday gift (a sneak peek jamie:) that this red wallflower fabric was left over from. perfect. one evening and about 20 minutes this morning, and i have two little party dresses for my girls to wear on saturday!

here is the pattern

seriously i think everyone should try this! this one is originally from martha stewart. it starts with an actual pillowcase, but as you can see, you can make it with just about any fabric you have lying around:) jessie, i can totally see pictures of your little journey running around in one!

if any of you out there do make one, i would LOVE to see pictures of it!

have a great day!

(heather, you'd better post pics of my girls in these...it's killing me that i won't be there!)

the fourth of july...

2008-07-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

we started our party out with some bike decorating...

my brother and his girlfriend paula came and helped...

i just loved these of eric and eli...

my two and a half year old on his big boy bike...

brandon and eli...

eric barbequing some yummy tri-tip

eli doesn't like the noise of the fireworks:)

miss toni doing some face painting...and eli not liking the noise...

brother being a goof ball...these were the ear muffs that eli wore most of the evening to block out some of the noise. he switched back and forth betweem these and ear plugs. needless to say, he was a little hard to communicate with, and he did a lot of shouting at everyone!

all the kids celebrating...

lance in awe of his "sprinkler" (that's what eli calls them:)

all of the couple's in attendance...

we had a great time! good food, good company, good fireworks. we made some great memories:)

happy birthday miss janna!

2008-07-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

happy birthday to my oldest friend.

i asked my mom to go through some old pictures last night and send me some so i could post for you. this one was perfect! look at us! i can't believe how fast time goes...now we are all grown up with husbands, and houses, and babies...i'm so glad that we are still a part of eachother's lives, and that i can call you not just my friend, but my best friend! i love seeing you with your sweet little girls...they are perfection, and i'm so happy to be a part of your beautiful life:)

enjoy your day, wish i was with you!

the fourth and a birthday...

2008-07-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

happy fourth of july! for some reason, this picture seemed fitting:

and happy birthday to jamie,

what can i say? i love you like you were my sister, and i wish more that anything we lived closer to you, and we could spend this special day with you:) i hope that you and matt have a great time in san diego, and we are all counting down the days till you guys come up here at the end of the month! maybe i'll even make you a watermelon cake:)

i can't find any recent pictures of your beautiful face, so you'd better believe i'll be taking some when you get here. i can't wait to see you!

do you think they trust him?

2008-06-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

i just LOVE how their little heads are thrown back completely carefree...they're own little carnival ride right in our front yard:)

just playin'...

2008-06-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

with some flowers i shot the other day...more to come:)

some pictures from cali...

2008-06-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

sooo, i'm just now getting to the pictures i took while we were in california.

i think these were totally worth the wait! if i don't get to pictures right away, they kind of slip in to a blackhole on my harddrive, but i knew that if i never edited and posted these pictures, i would be sad. these were taken the afternoon of mine and eric's 7 year anniversary. we were getting ready to go out, and the kids were all playing in mimi and papa's front yard. there is a big grassy slope that is perfect for a slip n' slide! they really needed someone to show them how to actually run and slide on it, and if i wasn't all dressed, i would have done it...it was very tempting:)

i'm missing miss emma so bad right now:)

mister dylan's long lashes. just lovin' the perspective on this...his little pink cheek and rosy lips...

uncle matt...

2008-06-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

before my brother drove back to salem tonight, i had to get a few pictures of him with his nephews. i LOVE seeing my boys enjoy their uncle. my little brother. man, do i love this guy. he's grown up SO much, and i'm so glad that he's living up here for the summer. so are eli and dylan...can't you tell?

and if you haven't scrolled down to see the posts of the pictures i took of my brother, you have to...he's SOOO handsome!

a couple more...

2008-06-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

just playing around with some fun ones.

i have another session at this place tomorrow afternoon.

i seriously LOVE it!

brother...

2008-06-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

so my brother called last night to see if he could come and stay with us for a few days...

does he even have to ask??

the boys were thrilled to find that their uncle matt was here this morning when they woke up!

i just love that he is living in salem for the summer, and i hope that he calls often to let me know he is coming up this way. since i left home when he was still really young, we haven't had a lot of opportunities to just hang out. so, needless to say, we are enjoying his company:)

my mom has been wanting me to take some pictures of him, since he never really had the "proper" senior portraits taken. i hope these are "proper" enough, and we'll just call them "college senior portraits":) i thought my new favorite place would be just right, but matt wasn't so sure about the chairs...so i left them at home.

can you even get over how handsome he is?

my brother...matty:

happy birthday to my mommy...

2008-06-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

here we are. the three of us...23 years ago. man how things have changed. over the years, things have changes a lot. but one thing was always constant. you, my mom. how thankful i am that God lent you to this world 50 years ago today. you have accomplished so much, and i'm so proud to call you my mommy.

i wish i could be there with you today to celebrate...but hopefully soon:)

and the next time i see you, can we please take some new pictures??

i love you!

and now happy birthday to miss kate...

miss you! i hope you have a great 2nd birthday!

one more...

2008-06-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

twins...

2008-06-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

i have been dying to photograph these sweet babies from the moment my good friend, hannah, called and told me she was having twins...

tyler and hannah finally traveled cross country to introduce their little girls to all of us that have been waiting:) and how could i not take full advantage of this beautiful family? i had just found this amazing location about a week ago, and then the day before our session, i came across these gorgeous chairs! (atleast i think they are gorgeous...my husband isn't quite on the same page, yet:)

so, here are my favorites from the session, it was really hard narrowing them down! a few more than i normally post, but i think that you'll understand as you scroll down...

introducing ESTEE and COPPELIA, and their beautiful parents, tyler and hannah...

in their dedication dresses..doesn't it look like they are praying?

Estee

Coppelia

i think this is my favorite:)

i hope you love them hannah! i couldn't have asked for more beautiful little models.

your girls are perfect, and i'm so happy to have finally held them!

a little bit of business:

if you are interested in using this location, or these fabulous chairs in an upcoming session with me, just let me know!

a session...

2008-06-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

with my good friend stephanie, and her sweet family. her little ones, hannah and zachary are so sweet, and my boys adore them:) i had a lot of fun capturing them as a family, and i hope that they love the pictures!

they have the most beautiful brown eyes ever!

me and my boys...

2008-06-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

as i was putting eli to bed last night, he said to me "tomorrow, i'm going to make you something beautiful." and i was like "oh buddy, thanks." and i didn't think anythig of it. until this morning, when i came out in the kitchen, first thing, he was getting out supplies to make me "something beautiful". when it was all finished, i asked him if he wanted to take pictures of me with my beautiful gift. of course he was excited to use mommies camera:) the gift and the pictures are my favorite things i have recieved since becoming his mommy (besides my sweet dylan:) somehow, he managed to take some amazing pictures that are extremely print worthy, and will make it on my walls. maybe he'll follow in my footsteps:) thanks eli, for my beautiful flower hair clip, and these amazing pictures.

he even asked if i would sleep with it in my hair. i told him that i didn't want it to get ruined, but i'll be wearing it while i'm awake for a long time...

like i've said before...i'm a lucky girl:)

(i just LOVE how he is holding my face in that picture...)

a few more from tahoe...

2008-06-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

i just LOVE this one...

and this one...

the connection between eric and our boys is so amazing. i love it when i feel like i've captured a small part of it. i just don't ever want to lose the picture in my head of the three of them at this point in our lives. i'm a lucky girl:)

the boys did this for a long time...jumping off, and climbing back up, jumping off and climbing back up.

dyaln likes to skip everywhere. sometimes, it's not my favorite thing. he tends to fall often, and i don't think the skipping helps:) but then i found this...and it's so perfectly him. i'm trying to let him skip more, without me telling him to be careful. besides, isn't skinned knees part of being a little boy?

this is the evening that concluded our time in tahoe. and it was perfect.

my best friend...

2008-06-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

had her second baby girl last week, and i was able to meet little maggie while we were in california. she is serioulsy just a little peanut! she was 5lbs. 10oz. at birth, i don't know if i've ever held a baby so small! she's perfect in every way, her little features are so petite and girly, and she has such a sweet little disposition. janna and jamie make beautiful babies! miss kate is quite the big sister at not quite two. man, it's crazy how overnight, the older sibling grows up, and aren't so small anymore. i just wish i was closer so i could see ALL my girls change gradually, instead them growing when i'm not there. i'm hoping to get back before little miss maggie gets too much bigger.

here are some pictures i took the morning i met this sweet little girl.

ken and beckie

2008-06-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

i had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful couple while we were in california. i just love the way these turned out! don't they look so in love??

thanks you two love birds:)

you can find beckie here!

tahoe..

2008-05-29T13:16:00.002-07:00

well, we are vacationing in tahoe this week, before heading down to yuba for my sister's graduation. the weather isn't quite what we expected, but i'll pretty much take tahoe any way i can get it:) the boys and i got to head down to the beach yesterday afternoon to get some energy out. it was really chilly and windy, but that doesn't stop the boys from having a blast! i love watching the two of them together. such loved between them. my boys.

apple blossoms

2008-05-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

i took these photos last weekend in eric's dad's garden while the boys were helping grandpa plant. i need to post pictures of that, but i while going through those pictures, i came across these, and i couldn't help myself. i like when i have images that work together. i have also been spending some time perusing other photographers sites, looking for inspiration. these happen to be inspired by the talented alicia bock. these come no where near her stuff:) there is something about the tones in her work that is just so calming. i struggle with this style in my portrait work, but i'm loving how it works here. maybe these might just find a home in my kitchen somewhere.

seriously.

2008-05-19T13:27:00.001-07:00

prepare yourself...

2008-05-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

for little boy overload!

i can't help myself. the summertime is upon us (atleast for the next few days), and we are soaking it up! i actually got the kids outside to play before 8AM this morning! it just gets too hot in the afternoon to ride bikes with their helmets and all. so, i took advantage of the morning light to get some pictures of the boys, and i'm SOOOO glad i did. some of the best pics that i have of the boys together!

please look at dylan's face. those lips aren't just beautiful, they are the best pouting lips i think i've ever seen! (sorry angelina :)

and for those of you that know dylan, know that he is a daredevil, determined to do things WAY beyond what a 2 year old physically should. and because of that, he spends most of his time falling and ending up in very precarious situations. lucky for me, he's the toughest little boy i've ever known, and he's not a cryer. the only reaction he had when he fell in this picture was a scratchy little "mom". i'm SO glad i captured this picture. it's most definetly dylan.

and now for my precious boys:

the neighbor boys even got in on the action. between joanne and i, i'm thinking we have "the most beautiful eyes in the senior class" covered for atleast four years!

i know there are way too many pictures in this post, but can you blame me?

our next door neighbor...

2008-05-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

we finally had some nice light coming in to the neighborhood this evening, so i grabbed our little neighbor, and took a walk towards our little park. isn't she too much? i can't get over her, and those dimples! and i must say it's nice to have a willing participant!

so, thanks miss lexie:)

a new baby..

2008-05-14T22:19:00.000-07:00

you may remember him from here.

ayn and albert had their sweet baby boy.

and i had the pleasure of photographing the beautiful family last weekend.

can you get over him? he was wide awake the whole time, and so alert.

i just love all his little facial expressions!

mother's day...

2008-05-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

i had a great mother's day! we celebrated with eric's family on saturday, and the boys had so much fun playing in mima and pipa's beautiful backyard! a visit at mima and pipa's isn't complete without bubbles...as you can see in the pictures of the boys:) this little creature has been our guest for the past several days. we have had the pleasure of watching it out our front window. it's mommy comes and feeds it, and gives it flying lessons regularly. it's so sweet to watch, and the boys are enjoying it! they watch more than i do, and they are often giving me updates as to it's whereabouts. this morning eli came and got me, cause the mommy bird was near with a worm in it's mouth, but he couldn't see the baby. after watching the mommy swoop down into this bush, and quickly fly away, we figured it out. so, how could i resist the photo op? our cat is walking around the house letting everyone know how mad she is cause we haven't been letting her out. we also have a bunny running around that finds it's way into our backyard. i have yet to capture it, it's really fast! so anyway, that's what's happening around here;)
i hope everyone enjoyed their mother's day!

a new website...

2008-05-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

okay, so the last month or so, i've been working on a site. i know, i know, i just got my other one.
it just wasn't cutting it, in my opinion:) this new one has client proofing...(no more proof blogs:) and you can place an order straight from the site! this will (hopefully) eliminate some confusion when it comes to ordering. not to mention it's BEAUTIFUL...atleast i think so.
i still have a short list of things to change...some commas in the wrong places, a few sentences that need to be edited, you know that kind of stuff:) but i couldn't wait to flip the switch (go live)! so the next few days, when i have a free moment here and there, i will be making some small changes. thanks to miss jamie, for her editing skills, and my sweet husband for putting up with my never ending "work" it's ready for you all to view. so....take a look, let me know what you think, and if you see ANYTHING that you think should be changed, re-written, or something you love, let me know...i need any and all the help i can get! oh, and in the next few weeks i hope to add details about a "belly to baby" package, and a "first year" plan. just working out all the kinks, and making sure it all makes sense. so when i get that up, i will probably ask you all to take another look:)

alright, go

here

to check it out!

the link is always on my sidebar, too:)

and just because i can't post without pictures,

here are some of the boys yesterday:

ben, mel & koen

2008-05-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

narrowing these down was not easy...we had so much fun! koen is such a precious baby, he was so good:) and ben and melody are just beautiful, so they made my job very easy!

love you guys!

a project, and some wings...

2008-04-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

a couple weeks ago, i was out with jamie, and i picked up this little diaper and travel wipes bag. once i saw the fabric, i knew i had to have it. i've also been really wanting to get out of the diaper bag, and get a new purse. so it was perfect, something to hold the essentials for dylan without being too big. i couldn't stop there though, i went on a purse hunt, and i couldn't find anything that i liked, (that was in my price range:) so when my good friend, toni, gave me a gift card to craft wherehouse for my birthday, i knew exactly what it would go towards...

amy butler has this darling "frenchy bag" pattern that i always look at, but had never bought it. so, i went and got it, and i also picked out some of her fabrics that would coordinate with my new little bag. i LOVE the way it turned out! now all i can think about is making more:) the pattern also comes with instructions for a handbag, it's a little smaller, and i want one in some red funky fabric!

then comes the wallet...

i was searching etsy the other day for wallet ideas, and i found a seller with these darling little wallets in really cute fabrics, just not what i was looking for, and to my suprise, she had just listed one pattern for her wallet! anyway, i got it and put this together this morning. i had some left over fabric from my apron i had made awhile back, and it was pretty easy:) it has quite a few little pockets, a zipper pouch, and credit card holders.

now i'm all set:)

since the boys were so good while i worked this morning, i was more than willing to come up with something fun for them.

eli requested some buzz lightyear wings.

i had just gotten a print order, so there was some cardboard on the counter,

some elastic from my sewing stuff, a staple gun, some markers, and a few minutes later, they were jumping off of furniture yelling

"to infinity...and beyond!"

let's just say i had to peel them off of a screaming "buzz" (dylan) when i said it was time for nap...

i'm thinking that i'm going to need to come up with another pair before he wakes up. eli's the one that asked for them, but dylan seems to think everything is his.

anyway, just another crazy day around here. i'm hoping for some sun this afternoon, but it's actually hailing right now. that's been a daily thing around here lately...

a few for fun:)

2008-04-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

a much needed break...

2008-04-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

from the never ending project that is our home:)

on saturday afternoon, the sun was shining, and we had worked the morning away. so eric and decided to take the kids out to lewisville park to barbeque, and play. we forgot a pot for the beans, so eric cooked them in the can. jamie this pic is for you:

eli trying to catch a bug..

dylan patiently awaiting his shmallow..

and then sharing it with is brother:)

the boys trying to get our favorite frisbee out of the tallest tree in the park..

it's still there:(

eric and i taking pics of ourselves thanks to my handy dandy remote...

i'm not too good at hiding it:)

we had a great afternoon, just being together and away from the "norm".

sweet baby plumb...

2008-04-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

ben and melody (plumb) welcomed their new little one yesterday

april 16 at 11:26 pm

6 pounds 13 ounces

19 3/4 inches long

i'm SO happy they invited me to come to the hospital and take some pictures of this sweet little guy. i would have gone no matter what, but it's an honor to be asked to document the first day of a new little life. thanks guys, and you know i love you!

now, introducing....

Koen Aurelius

and just because it's so....them:

rocker baby

beautiful boys.

2008-04-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

i have something that i'm working on that i really needed some pics of the boys for, and since they are typical little boys, they don't have much patience for me and my camera.

i figured that i would try and get dylan's done while eli was at school today, you know,

"divide and conquer", well, it seemed to work for dylan:)

the chocolate i had in my hand may have played a part as well!

these are some of the best pictures ever of dylan, and it's going to be really hard to choose just one, feel free to give me an opinion. i have until tomorrow afternoon to decide.

now eli, he's always been my compliant one, but not today, unfortunately:( i took him out while dylan was sleeping (or supposed to be anyway), but i think i only got like maybe two that could work. i guess he's growing out of the chocolate bribe. i think i'm going to have to get a little more creative with him:)

a preview..

2008-04-17T12:35:00.001-07:00

house update

2008-04-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

here is a small view of a somewhat finished area of the house, the only area that is even close...

can i just say that this whole remodeling thing is a BIG FAT can of worms?? every little decision leads to another one, and what was thought to be a project is now a full on remodel. not that i'm complaining...okay maybe a little. i'm so happy with the way it's turning out, and my husband is seriously the bomb! as far as this area goes, a new couch, and some shutters, and it will be good to go. i say that like those are small things (they are definitely not:) the kitchen is even more so. the cabinets need painting, i want to tile the back splash, eric wants new countertops, on, and on, and on...

so, i might be giving little updates for quite awhile:)

we haven't even started the floor down the hall yet.....

i wish i had taken some more before pics, but just imagine ten year old carpet, white yucky linoleum, and honey wood as far as the eye could see...not that i haven't always LOVED our house, it is after all our home, but there's nothing like unmasking it's potential:)

note: nemo doesn't live there, and don't mind the laundry in the mirror:)

i did it again...

2008-04-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

some pics of the boys i "stole" earlier today. they weren't up for much picture taking, but sometimes that's when i get the best shots of them together:)

and yes...i got my haircut again. i spent two years growing it out, and it only took me a month to cut it all off. there's just something about a new short haircut, that i just love. and when my hair spends most of the time in a ponytail cause i just don't have time to do it, i think it's time to chop it all off. and that's just what i did.

for those of you that have known me, know that this really isn't "short". i'm really trying to resist going "sliding doors" again:) we'll see if i can...

two of my favorite people in the whole world...

2008-04-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

matt and jamie spent most of thursday with us. i always come away from our time with them feeling like i just want to pick up and move to arizona to be closer to them:) they are seriously the best! and i can't tell you how much i love seeing eric with his big brother, it's like they automatically transform back into these little boys, competing with and teasing one another like little kids. a look into the future of my boys. they even have this language that they don't quite finish what they are saying before the other starts in, and they finish one another's thoughts. i can only hope that eli and dylan will have the relationship that eric and matt do.

even living as far as we do, they are still so close:)

and jamie.....what can i say, she is one of the most genuine and truly caring people i have ever met. thanks guys for making the effort to spend your day with us. we are so blessed to have you in our lives:) and we miss you already!

conversion..

2008-04-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

since we no longer have a television (thanks to dylan:) i decided to convert our tv armoire into a workspace for myself. we don't have a designated office space in our house, so work takes place wherever, and i'm getting to the point where i need to be able to sit and work, and also store packaging materials, and files. it's small, but a start. and i couldn't do it without making kinda cute...

oh, and at the top our portable DVD player has found a home, so the boys can
watch videos....

this is my new canvas that i've been wanting...it came by way of fed ex last friday. i'm SO excited to have it, it's so beautiful, this picture doesn't do it justice. it's 16x 24 so it's a nice size. i think this is my favorite picture of eric and the boys EVER! it's just so....them:)

and don't mind the unfinished wall behind it...i hope to work on the trim this week, i just bought myself a little mouse sander, eric says that the trim is my project since he has done the floor...we'll see...

kylie...

2008-04-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

isn't she gorgeous? i mean come on, her eyes are amazing:) i love how in some of them she looks SO grown up, but in others she still looks like a young girl. but always stunning.

after spending the day with these three crazy kids, i feel like i came out the lucky one. not only have i gotten to stare at their beautiful faces the last 5 days (editing), but i have a fun memory to take with me:) i hope they are as happy with the results as i am!

is this really my BABY sister???

2008-04-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

man i love this girl...it's so hard for me to think of her as an almost adult, but then i look at these pictures, and it's obvious. she has grown into an amazingly beautiful woman. and i'm happy to say that she's even more beautiful on the inside:) my little jess is all grown up.

well sister, i hope that these aren't "delete" worthy, but for now, the pics are mine, and i can post em' if i want to:) i hope you love them:) cause' i love you.

joey...

2008-04-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

these are my favorites of joey from our sesson on saturday. isn't he handsome? i have a TON of him and kylie still to edit, but i'm slowly making my way through all of the files:) i hope you like them joey!

baby matthew

2008-04-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

isn't he the sweetest? i'm SO happy that it worked out for me to be in town at the perfect time to capture this little one as a newborn:) living where i do, it seems all the babies back home grow too fast, and i miss this early stage. tina and brian have such a beautiful home, and now a beautiful little family. love you tina!

just because....

2008-03-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

i couldn't wait

this is all i have edited so far, needless to say, i'm very excited:)

but seriously, how could i have gone wrong? all three of them look like models.....ya? we had the best time, this was our first location. this is in a field with all these old cars that are rusted out. my dad has done some pretty neat landscape stuff there and as soon as i saw his pictures i knew we had to go there. i have an insane amount of pictures to go through, but i know the three of them are probably anxious (so was i:) so here you go joey, jess, and kylie, there are TONS more to come!