a Friday first....

I saw him ride off on his bike this morning.Helmet and backpack on.
Brown eyes filled with the anticipation of a test and his first dance today.

Nervousness, excitement, rushing to get to school. no reason to rush, he was plenty early, but do you remember that feeling of excitement of being with your friends and all sharing the same hope, fear, and excitement of something you are unfamiliar with together. Hoping it would be awesome.. and that you would all feel awesome together?

He felt it. I know he did. Because I felt it radiating from him. His energy was so electric this morning. So much that as I watched him ride away and started crying as he turned the corner.

I can't believe these days are happening. (can't believe how big this lump in my throat feels.. geez.!)

I remember when he got his first two teeth on the bottom, and when he wore those clunky white shoes when he took his first steps. His first haircut and the little flippy curls that fell off and that I put into a ziplock bag. His chubby little hands that touched my face and sang twinkle twinkle little star to me, when he thought I was sleeping, early one Saturday Morning.

His hands still chubby and heart as big as ever, I just wanna hold my baby. But I can't be apart of everything. I have to let him do some things on his own, and with that being said I will forever remember the feeling I had in the garage early this morning watching him ride down the driveway on his bike to one of his "firsts".

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree

this seemed suiting for this photo, and I praise God for it everyday, the apples and the 'not falling far' part.

Halloween Mini Sessions! See how to book yours today!

show the candy corn who's boss and ring in the fall season by welcoming Halloween with your own mini session.



**one family (up to 4 people or animals if your pets are your babies) per session
$10 per extra family member

**session location is photographers selection unless specified by client in which there may be a $30 travel fee.

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holdin' on to Summer by the tail.

he loved every minute of it. and so did I.

Im doing what???

while listening to crazy little thing called love, sweet emotion, long cool woman (in a black dress) I started this sunday night with some awesome music and trying something I promise myself to get better at. Making stuff... I've actually started to do the stuff Im pinning on Pinterest. Puttin' these not so idle hands to work and gonna see what kind of fruits I can get from my labor. =) work in progress, wish me luck! =)

Here's one I did in a hurry before church. Her dress was a maxi dress that wasn't so maxi anymore, so I removed the top (cut that sucka off) kept the bottom 1/2 for a long skirt and used the top part, I removed, as a scrap to make the fabric flowers. whaaaalaaa!



ones that Im starting tonight....



what??? I'm not completely self motivated.

Saturday Morning delight

a couple of weeks ago we visted a farmers market. It was sweet Saturday morning fun. Cartoons, cups of coffee & usually bowls of cereal are happening on Saturday morning here at home. But not this morning. Sunflowers, melons, scales, and tacos for breakfast happened on this Saturday. It was a girl thing, there were no boys in our posse and that's how we like it sometimes. All the colors, smells, friendliness, and creativity coming from each booth selling fruit, veggies, cooked food, crafts or jewelry.... a market of booths & people that offered Saturday morning goodness.





I told her this is what Bugs Bunny eats for breakfast, lunch & dinner.... which became a long conversation, later, about *who* Bugs Bunny was.





Sugar plums everywhere.

growing up makes me short of breath

press play on this song and enjoy



growing up isn't easy for anyone



their laughs and giggles are just laughs and giggles for them, but its laughs, giggles & tears for me.



they grow faster now than they used to...



if they really could only stay little forever.

the welcome committee

had to pull out a dictionary, thesaurus, and some old English vocab notes from college to find the right words to tell you how excited I am about these photos... couldn't find 'em. NO WORDS. just sheer excitement, take your breath away, GOSH SHE'S SO BEAUTIFUL excitement. If you enjoy these photos, its not even 1/2 of how much I've enjoyed seeing how beautiful my sister is as a mother, my brother in law is as a new daddy and how fantastically magical my niece is.

There is nothing more beautifully honest than new life.

Morning Heartbreak

I walked my kids & and a neighbor kid to school this morning. Walking back, toddler in stroller, loaded down with helmets and scooters, looking like a burro, I saw another neighbor kid scootering his way to school. He's a 2nd grader, I know him because my daughter and him are in the same grade and had the same teacher last year.... and because when he comes over to play in the cul-de-sac we live in he is the only kid that just walks in to our house and opens our fridge to help himself. =)
Reminding him to ask first, or tell him "I'm sorry sweetie, I don't have a treat for you today" is something that happens often. When you have over 1/2 a dozen kids playing those reminders can make you feel a little like a broken record, to say the least.

Sometimes this kid works the last nerve on my broken record... know whatta mean???

back to the story...

I see him on the opposite side of the street riding to school and I say "Good Morning young sir, Have a great day today" to which he stopped and replied with a mouth turning upside down and a shaky voice "I guess I could've had a good day if my lizard didn't die this morning."

It was like I teleported across the street. I threw the brakes on my stroller, knelt down and made him get off his scooter so I could hug him. I told him it would be okay and that his lizard went to lizard heaven, and becuase of where we live it would be easy to find another pet lizard.

He said "thank you Mrs. Armstrong"

I think the hug made me feel better than it did him. It felt like there was nothing I could say or do to change how sad he was or make his day better. I wanted to let him rummage through my fridge and give him all the treats he wanted. But I couldn't. I realize that, unfortunately, this is a part of life, even for a 2nd grader.

He scooted away with a tear stained face.

I hope he comes over to play today.

I get to

I get to be apart of your every day. I get to hold you, love you, kiss you, teach you, protect you, pray with you, squeeze you, dress you, feed you, fix your boo boos, wipe your snot, tickle your back before you go to sleep, wipe up your pee, wash your hands... .the list is quite endless for me. I get to do the things that most people take for granted. but not me... Im not most people, Im your Mom and I love the things I get to do with you... including watching you sleep.

I love you,
Mom

God is......

God is .....
a packet of advil
a slice of pumpkin walnut bread
he's a vanilla cappuccino
he is a blanket out of the blanket warmer
he's an epidural

God is a strange man that works at the coffee shop inthe corner of a hospital that asks his customers if he can pray for them.
God is seeing that man in the hospital chapel praying.
He is beef, noodles and green beans
God is a C Monster (odwalla juice of vitamin C)
He is a good nurse
God is a rockstar
he is ice chips
he's a Mom comforting her daughter trapped in a waiting room
God is a phone call
he's a bikini incision
he is a Great Grandma sending love from home
God is the excitement and tears of a new Mom & Daddy that see their baby girl for the first time.
God is a photo in a message
He is love
and he is a creator that made a tiny miracle that will impact our lives in the biggest way
God is the plan that made...... Isabella Marie.
(Abraham & Elda I love you inthe biggest way possible and twice on Sundays)