What I love..

Lincoln!


I was on the hunt for green shoes for all of us. I saw a family picture with all family members in green shoes. The boys were in chucks, and the little girl in sparkles. Well, we all know I have the CUTEST green shoes on the planet so I wanted to do this idea for our family pictures. I even saw a man at the airport in AZ in green asics and wanted to buy his shoes right off of him!

I haven't found shoes for everyone. Yesterday Lincoln called upstairs, "I found a pair of green shoes for me."

I had nordstrom.com open on the computer earlier and I thought, " Oh, my goodness. Could he be any sweeter? He found green shoes!"




Ya. Really sweet. We had a good laugh though.

He always makes me laugh!

Last night he ordered a pizza for himself very late at night. The kids and I ate pizza earlier with the Walls and he was starving. Strangely enough we had pizza the night before with the Hansen family, and even with all that pizza I decided to grab one slice. We sat down for a minute, and I took a big bite. Then I proceeded to DIE.

"DID YOU PUT ANCHOVIES ON THIS?!!!!!"

"Yes, the other half doesn't have THEM! I'll get you a new piece." He left the room laughing.

I chewed. I almost lost it. Lincoln came back with a new slice for me and I said, "That was AWFUL!" (with my mouth full)

Lincoln said, " You want a falafel?"

Yes....if will help get that taste OUT of my mouth!

I also love my funny kids. Wyatt was doing pilates with me. We were doing the hundred, so he was counting. I heard him say 50,and then the next number he whispered was 90! What a cheater!

Simone fake gasps when she sees something amazing. It is so cute! We have a terrible wallpaper border with fish on it in our kids bathroom. (Why is this still there?!) While she takes a bath she points in different directions and gasps. Fish! Fish! Sounds more like "ish" though. That is two words for her. ish and da. fish and dog. She signed cheese yesterday. Talia was pretending to take our picture and she said, "say cheese". Then Simone signed it! She also signed book this morning. I better brush up on my signing, because it tooks like I am going to need it.

Simone was happily laying on the rug in the front room this morning. She was lovingly cuddling two remote controls.

Talia. Oh, Talia is such a crack up. She asked me how much a car costs. I told her a round about price. She said "CARS are too expensive. When I am a Mom, and I NOT going to buy one. I am just going to walk home, and hold my kitty and my baby in my arms."

I am just busy....

Hey. I shouldn't be blogging. I have so much work to do, but I thought I would make a quick list of what is making me loose my mind.

*I flew to Arizona to photograph a client of mine. They treated me so well! I flew first class, stayed in their guest house, they paid for all my meals, and got to spend all most every waking moment with a camera in my hand. The weather was GORGEOUS, and the children were adorable! She had the most beautiful clothing for the family pictures---several options for me to choose from. I was in clothing heaven! It was so fun! I am so super lucky. Amazing family, and an amazing location!!

*The attic is almost finished.

*My living room is full of things from the storage unit.

*My basement is full of the things from the attic.

*My dishwasher broke

*I have a mountain of laundry to do.

*I had a huge yard sale on Saturday. We got rid of A TON of stuff. At the end of the day a woman who works in the NICU came by. I gave her all my newborn (not all, I had to keep a handful!) blankets, and tiny clothes. She is taking them to work!!! I am so happy about this. It made me so relieved that the "Columbia yard sale professionals" didn't swoop them away! Those blankets will be going to someone who will treasure them as much as I have. I should have just taken them up to the NICU myself.....maybe that is what I will do with the "handful" I saved.....but much later on.
There was this group of women that were "so in your face" and rude. My friend Christina, that joined us in our yard sale, nick named them the "professionals". (The name I called them wasn't nearly as nice!) Christina and Lincoln and I couldn't believe them. I was so stressed out by the way that treated us that I will NEVER have another yard sale again.

*I got to photograph all the dancers from Talia's ballet school. This session was during the dress rehearsal. It was a blast for me.

*I got a speeding ticket on the way to the dress rehearsal. I was going 71 in a 55. Ooops. Talia was so sweet to share that information with everyone at the rehearsal. (This was my second speeding ticket---the first I got when I was 16!)

*I got to photograph more dancers at the beach yesterday. HEAVEN!!!!

*SYTYCD is my weekly highlight! I love this show and the dances the first week were amaizing!

*Lincoln is changing groups at work. Big changes = stressed out husband. He has watched the kids two weekends in a row. I am so grateful for him! The kids love him so MUCH...espeically Simone--- because he gives her chocolate milk when I am not home to stop him. =)

*I am in charge of quite a few things for the primary activity this Saturday. I am making an insane treat table, and photographing the kids for a father's day card. I am planning to photograph the kids, download them to Lincoln's laptop, crop, and print the photos AT THE CHURCH. Yes, I may have alreay lost my mind. It is a good thing Lincoln gets free ink!

that is how it feels.

I went out with the kids after Wyatt got home from school to get a few things done. We were finished and ready to head home when I remembered that we were out of whole milk for Simone. I thought I would swing by Trader Joe's and pick up a few fun things while were there.

I saw the storm. A big black mess in the sky. Lighting was streaking across the sky, and I thought about turning back toward home. I didn't. The rain and wind hit while we were inside the store. The people coming inside were drenched. Wyatt was freaking out from the loud thunder, and a nice girl told him that God was just bowling. She was sweet to us, and tried to ask him about school to distract him a little. She left her keys at the counter,and I ran them to her. She was about to run out into the rain, and wouldn't that have been a sad thing to discover at the car door. When I came to the door with my cart, 3 kids, and 3 bags of groceries there was a huddle of people waiting for the rain to die down. A kind employee had a large umbrella and was running with people to their cars. I asked the "bowling girl" if she would stay with my kids while I ran to get my van. She did, and another lady chatted with Talia and gave her TWO of the flowers she just bought to keep her busy. My cute shoes were instantly soaked, because the water was so deep everywhere I couldn't avoid getting them wet. The umbrella escort ran the big kids to my van, and I ran in to get Simone.... (I have mention that she SLEPT through this entire shopping adventure!) Bowling girl carried my groceries. We were all laughing, and happy I couldn't believe how kind all those strangers were to us. I was soaked to the bone, and I had a good parking spot too! There was a large tree that had blown over near our home so traffic was at a stand still. Then it happened. I looked down at my finger and noticed my wedding ring was GONE! I had on my band, but the solitaire was gone.

It must have slipped off my soaking wet finger some where in the parking lot at Trader Joe's. I jumped out of the van, and opened the side door and began to look frantically for it. I jumped back in and called Trader Joe's, so they could start looking for it. Then it hit me. I had lost it for good. My lungs felt like they were crawling into my throat, and my shoulders crunched against my ears. My hands covered my face and I cried. I pictured the day Lincoln gave it to me, and how shiney and beautiful it was in the black velvet box. He had worked so hard to pay every penny of the price before our wedding day. I had worn it everyday for 10 years and 10 months.

Wyatt and Talia were so concerned, and Wyatt was crying right along with me.

"Does this mean you have to get married again??" he asked with despairation in his voice. (Like I would have to marry someone else!)

I had to laugh. "No, sweetie! I just won't have the ring that Daddy gave me when we were first married. It is just a ring. It's okay. ----but it was so special to me."

Tears came again.

I was driving back to the store. When I pulled up the rain was just about gone, and the parking lot was crawling with employees looking for my ring.

Talia said, "We can get you a new ring. How much do they cost?" That made me laugh and cry at the same moment.

We didn't find it.

Wyatt tried to cheer me up. "Mom, I promise promise PROMISE by next year me and Dad will buy you a new ring." I smiled, how sweet.

I called Lincoln. I was so upset. I told him I was going to look and see if it was in my ring drawer at home and I would call him back.

It was---- in my ring drawer! I don't know how I just put on my band and didn't notice the missing ring. So I guess my estimation was wrong. I had worn it for 10 years and 10 months- minus one day.

I called Trader Joe's and thanked them for helping me look. They were relieved that I had found it.

**So that is how it feels to loose a wedding ring....and I hope I never have to feel it again.

Concrete Cookies

This recipe has been in my family for generations. I have clear memories of my little brother eating some on the front porch when we were young. I thought I would pass the recipe on for those of you who don't have a copy of this gem.

Ingredients:

A one year old, just learning to walk.
A large slab of concrete. A driveway, sidewalk, or front step are places that work well.

Directions:

Place baby on concrete (in a sitting position). Let them marinate here for a few seconds. Turn and try to accomplish another simple task, like putting the stroller in the car. The cookies do not take long to bake. They usually take between "a blink of an eye" and "I only turned my back for a second."

When you turn and see baby sliding face first down the driveway your cookies are done.

Optional ingredients:

Clean towels
Antiseptic
tears
kisses
apologies
concerned siblings
a questioning husband

..

just a few pictures from photography group last month.

showing the girls how to deal with 11 am sunlight! =)

the house is crooked...not the camera!
they look like they should have real fairy wings on their backs!

hello sweet simone





(p.s. my phone works!)

bobbing for apples

so i dropped my iphone in the toilet.
clean water in case you wondered.
i yelled, "NO!"
but it was so quietly that my children didn't wake up.
I grabbed it out.
tried not to cry. (it's only a phone)
"but it was my birtday present" (say that like the bunny on Robin Hood.)
turned it off.
watched the screen fizzle to black.
asked lincoln if he purchased insurance.
tried not to cry.
this morning lincoln was too curious, and turned it on.
it works.
i turned it off, to give it more time to dry.
please oh please.

a few dance images....

Here are a few of the photographs I took of the dancer. It was raining on us for a few of these images, but we still had a good time. She was supposed to have a white romantic length tutu on with the burgundy corset, but she forgot a "crucial" part of that costume. I don't love the short black one for these.

I GET TO DO THIS SEVERAL MORE TIMES!!!!! I am so glad I had a test run with Rose. She was up for anything, and next time I will put a longer lens on my camera for the pier shots! =)


I am so lucky!

Do you have a favorite?

A little girl time...

I got to have a few minutes alone with Talia tonight.

First, a trip to Target. I went for diapers and some leave in conditioner. I left with way more than that. Target is evil...I call it the $80 store. I always go in for one thing and leave with 20.

Then we went to Talia's ballet school to drop off a proof book. I photographed an amazing dancer named Rose, and we are showing the other dancers her pictures so they will want to book with me. Photographing Rose was one of the funnest things I have done in a long time.

The teacher invited us to sit and watch a few dances, and it was so fun! Talia enjoyed it. I got choked up, but hid it. I miss it. I would love to go back to class, and am really considering it now.

On the way home we were merging onto the freeway and Talia said, "Whoa, there are SO many cars out of their driveways! Where are they going?"

Then she added, "I know! They are out looking for their lost children."

"Or, going out to eat."

"Or, going on a DATE!"

I bit my lip and tried not to laugh. She is silly! It is nice to have a little time with just her.

a bit of bliss

I had to get everyone's attention as Simone stood up by herself in the middle of the room.

"Oh my goodness----Look------Simone!"

Simone stood up straight, and she was delighted with her new found skill.

Then her happy feet walked over to me with her tiny arms raised.

9 steps. A personal best for her! Tomorrow she'll try to beat it I am sure.

(ignore glowing dog)

It looks as though we have entered a new stage of baby proofing.

attic underway

The construction has started on our attic! I am so excited. It is going to be a little slice of heaven up there! We are doing the front half as a office space and the back half as a bed room.

Lincoln went upstairs to ask the men working upstairs what their plans for lunch were.

Lincoln- "What are you planning to do for lunch?" Points to watch to suggest a break.

Worker #1- in broken english, "We brought lunch." Points to our driveway where his truck is parked.

Lincoln nods.

Worker #2- nodding happily "Lunch tomorrow, tomorrow. Okay! Tomorrow!"

Lincoln came downstairs with a confused smile on his face. "I think I am going to have to buy these guys lunch tomorrow."

It's not a big deal. They are working so hard, and it is HOT up there. The vent work is going in tonight, so tomorrow should be much cooler for them. It'll be so nice upstairs, they'll want to eat their pizza up there.

(I am looking for carpet recommendations. I am clueless. Does anyone have some advice? I wanted to do WHITE hardwood floors and white walls up there, but was talked out of it. I do want it to be a quiet place, so carpet is the way to go.)

the rest of the blossoms.....

These photos make me absolutely gleeful! I love every single one! They aren't perfect. Some are missing a beautiful little white caridagan that was in the bedroom with a sleeping baby. Some are missing brushed hair. Some are a perfect representation of how I feel about my children, and how they light up my life. They are going to make the most beautiful album ever. I wish the cherry blossoms would have stayed a little longer. We had some strong storms that knocked them off a little too soon for me.

(I lied. These are not the rest of the blossom pictures. For my birthday my Mom and Dad gave me their old Polaroid camera! I love it! Film is very expensive because they longer make it for this camera. I spent $72 on film and did the math so my kids knew how much each picture cost....so they would sit still!! The sound this camera makes is pure heaven for me. The sound of the motor loading film, or the picture ejecting accompanied many happy times while I was growing up. The sound...oh, the memories it brings back. Not clear memories exactly, but just the happiest feeling that all is well in the world. It's strange how a sound can do that. Again, I love it. I shot 5 polaroid pictures under the blossoms. I will scan them soon. The film I bought was called "artistic"...artistic meaning, "made with expired chemicals...cross your fingers....we have know idea what you will get!" I got some okay stuff, some a little bright and some a little dark. Now I have to post them!)

A seven year old.

Wyatt turned seven on May 1st. We did the babysitting co-op that night and threw him a birthday bash! There is this bakery that I want to visit everyday. (Cakes Plus---thanks Sara!) I love their cakes. Really. I was being sneaky and cut a "mini piece" to shove in my mouth after the kids had left the kitchen. Don't worry, I had already had two regular pieces. With some of the most delicious frosting on my face, I turned to Lincoln and said, "HOW in the world is this cake better than any of the other cakes I have eaten in MY WHOLE LIFE? How is that possible?"

He smiled, and agreed with me.

Enough about the cake.

My boy! SEVEN! He is so tall. He is so handsome. He doesn't know how to use a napkin, so he uses his clothes. He is such a good reader, and loves math. He hates to follow directions. He is the best big brother to his little sisters. He loves when things are backwards....clothes, numbers (especially #5), and letters. He thinks his Dad can fix everything. He loves his Mom more than anything, and tells her that...then adds, "except Dad." He is clever and sweet and such a fun boy to have in our family.

On Saturday we took Wyatt and three friends to Medieval Times. (Frankly, I am getting a little sick of this place.) It was a fun time. Watching those boys scream their guts out, then turn and actually HUG (a tight rocking jumping cheering hug!) when "their" knight was victorious was priceless! We paid extra for the birthday package. Which means you get a scroll and a piece of cake. (Not as good as the cake mentioned above!!) When we opened his birthday scroll at home it read "Happy 33rd Birthday To: Zombie Tim". I believe Zombie Tim was the tattooed from head to toe, and pierced fellow that was sitting next to Lincoln.

We are lucky Wyatt, so lucky that we get to see you everyday!

THE BLOSSOM PROJECT

I took hundreds of pictures under the cherry tree this year. I am putting them in the most gorgeous album. I will post a few of my favorites as I get them finished.

We spent the entire afternoon under the two cherry trees in the front yard. I made a little head band out of blossoms by threading them on a thin wire. We talked and planned out Talia's "dog book"....which is a little spotlight book she made for preschool. It was such an enjoyable afternoon.

I love the one of the two girls....it looks like Simone is thinking, "Why does she get to wear the blossom tiara?"

Ciara and Natalia

Natalia adores Ciara, and Ciara adores Natalia.
Natalia follows Ciara everywhere she goes, and Ciara soaks it up!
they are 8 years and 2,091 miles apart, but have a special bond!
Cousins are great!

I think I have an idea of what Natalia will look like when she gets to be 13!!!! This is Ciara at age 4! The Tidwell genes are strong ones! ;)

I stole the entire post above from my sweet Sister in laws blog. I loved it!!! Every time someone mentions that Natalia doesn't look like any of us, I say "You should see her cousin Ciara, she looks a lot like her." Oh , we miss you guys!