Twelve years

Happy Anniversary to us!

Hamburger Hamlet....you really need to bring the Thai Burger back. We loved it, and miss it.

We shared a big bowl of the best lobster bisque.

Then Lincoln pulled out a little box.

The "Jared colors" are really similar to the "Godiva colors"...I thought it was chocolate. =)

OH GEEZ! I didn't get him anything. (I have a surprise for him in Utah though.)

It was a Pandora bracelet. I absolutely love it. He picked out 14 charms, but left me some room to add on.

beads to represent each of our children
one to represent him, and one for me
i love you bead with a gold heart
red glass bead with hearts
a clover
a pineapple
a wedding bell
and four other pretty beads

I love it. He is one amazing man. I am glad he is mine! We had a good night together. We talked and laughed, and a lot of the stress we've been having just melted away.


I had a plan.

It was spoiled, because the temple was closed. I decided we would still go and just take a few pictures of us. It was just about dark when we got there.








He was ready to go, but I made him take more pictures under street lights or lights used illuminate the pathway. I could have kept going, but he pulled me to the truck. =)

Happy Anniversary Sweetie! We may just be the two luckiest people on earth.

The Princess and The Pauper

Starring roles to be played by
none other than:

Natalia Tidwell

There was a girl that was the perfect balance of tom-boy and girly-girl.



She loves bows, braids, and curlers.
She fights me everyday when I suggest brushing her hair.

She loves things that smell good, and I let HER pick out my new perfumes.
She literally rolled down a dirt pile today.

She loves to have her toe nails painted.
She bites her fingernails to nothing.


She is a lovely dancer.
She can hold her own in a sword duel with her brother.

She eats cupcakes with me every time we go to Baltimore. Her favorite is always chocolate.
She ate sardines in mustard with her Dad on our camping trip.
(TRAITOR TALIA! Traitor!)

She loves to play dolls and kitchen with Simone.
She joins Wyatt in a xbox game when ever she gets the chance.


She loves shoes. Pretty shoes. She would own 100 pairs if I let her!
She wore those same pretty shoes of hers INTO the same dirt pile mentioned above.

Well balanced. That is what I'll call her....of beautiful....or naughty....whichever comes out first. =)



**



My maid came today.
While she was here cleaning, a man came and dumped a load of dirt in my driveway.
Why oh why did I have my maid come today?

We are moving that giant dirt pile shovel by shovel.
Scoop by scoop.....
to the front flowerbed, and the back yard.
Everyone helped.
I have never seen my children so dirty-
or so happy!
Dirt was tracked into the house everywhere.
Hands were washed, and brown smears left on the sink.
Dirt tracked in the clean hallway and kitchen floors.
Dirty shoes scattered everywhere!
Filthy clothes upstairs and down.
Smudgy smiling faces piled into tubs and showers.
Clean babies wrapped in clean towels.
Jammies and a short movie, while I braided Talia's hair.
A night time snack of pretzels, bananas, and peanut butter for dipping.
Teeth brushed with having to be told!
Tucked in bed.
Prayers.
Nose to nose stories.
Not told by me- but by Simone. She has a lot to say, she just needs an interpreter.
Luckily...I am the interpreter.
A few more kisses, and mussing of small boy's long hair.
Then I went down stairs and swept and swept.
I smiled.



We got 1/3 of the pile moved.




We'll get to do this again.

I just posted this as my fb status.

My heart is still pounding. After I updated my status about the power I went to sleep, Lincoln went out to a movie and I complained about it. I told him that when the power came back on that I would have to wake back up and turn off all the lights in the house. I FORGOT ABOUT THE STOVE! I woke up to an awful burning smell just now. I was boiling some fresh corn I had picked up from a farm stand today, when the power went out. I thought about the oven turning back on, (I was roasting tomatoes and zucchini with fresh basil and mozzarella at the same time) but not the stove top.

When the stove come back on it boiled the remaining water in the pot dry, and when I found it -the pot was black, smoking, and popping. I am so thankful that the horrible smell woke me up!

I had complained about the house getting hot - with no power the AC was off.

--- I won't complain about a hot house, as long as I still have one! That was a close one!

A camping we will go

We went camping here over the Fourth of July. IT WAS AMAZING! We had four days of bliss together. The best part....our phones said "no service" the entire time.

Cabin #9

The main room from the kitchen.

Oh OH---You read right....KITCHEN!!!

Up above the bed is the loft, with two beds up there.

We had the projector set up.

I've never been so thankful for an appliance!
No cooler with melting ice and soggy food wrappers.

Watching movies together. LOVE!

On the left (behind the lamp) is a little room with bunk beds in it.
Bathroom with hot shower and flushing toilets on the right.
Fully stocked kitchen on the left.

We went to watch a firework show here.
I don't know where this is, but it was wonderful!
Look at all the boats waiting for the show. They shot the fireworks off across the river. It was so pretty here.

Nothing passes time like sparklers. There was too much traffic, so we did this instead.

Catching crawdads.

Simone just lay in the grass and sang songs. Love this little songbird.

Now for some art!

I love this little camera. I, as a photographer, should be better about bringing cameras and such on trips. I have forgotten on MANY occasions. I forgot a SD card this time. We got one from a little shop for $30. I think these images are worth every penny. (If I do say so myself.) I LOVE THEM. I have MORE, but I'll share a few here.

This one is my favorite!

Or maybe this one.

"Wyatt go poke the fire so I can get a picture of it."

dirt
smoke
bug spray
sand
sunscreen
ketchup
smores
orange soda

Then I put her in a warm shower, clean jammies, and real bed....
that is my kind of camping.

Crawdad Family

This is our family of five photo for this trip! Did we eat them?
YES! All of us!

Darling baby

I used to call you that.

I forgot.

Oh that name brings back so many memories.

"Come here Darling Baby."

As I would sneak my hands under your head and bum, and very slowly sneak you out of the small opening in your isolette in the NICU.

You have a lot of other nick names now....

Mone-si

Munchin

Baby Medusa (in the morning!)

Moni

Spumoni

Moon

Simoneymon

Simone'nin roll

BUT

The best one is what you call yourself.

First, you tell me your name is baby.

Then you try to say your name after much prompting. I try to help and say "SSSSSi" - "mone".

You say "SSSssssss" then you pause and blow a kiss.

Darling baby!

A member

I just downloaded tons of pictures from my point and shoot. This one stood out to me. I wasn't going to blog about Wyatt's baptism because I was being selfish. It was one of the most spiritual days of my life and I didn't feel like sharing that with the "world".....I mean- the whopping six people that read my blog. =) I'll share a few of the highlights.

It was a wonderful day from start to finish. The morning was spent talking to my sweet boy. Wyatt was asked to speak at his own Baptism. We sat and wrote the talk together. This was a special conversation, and I know that my son chose to get baptized because he believes that this church is true. I told him he didn't have to get baptized, this was his choice. He said that he wanted to, and was excited to do it! He has a strong testimony for a small boy. Sometimes he questions things and I encourage him to do so. There is no better way to find out the truth than to ask questions, pray, and study the scriptures to find the answers.

We went to Sliver Springs to get him his own set of Scriptures, and over to the temple for a quick look.

Then we headed over to the stake center. There were three adorable girls getting baptized on the same day. I got a chance to photograph these four children before the baptism for a little thank you note we tied to some cookies, and some 8x10s on the entry table. It was amazing working with the other Mom's. We all added our talents to create some special touches for the day. There were so many people at the baptism we had to move into the chapel. Over 100 people were in attendance. I was so pleased to look around and see some of my favorite people there with us.

We moved into the smaller room where the baptismal font was located when it was time for the baptisms. Wyatt was last in line. (Ladies first you know.) He was a little nervous jumping bean with a big smile. My eyes filled with tears as I was watched a worthy priesthood holder, who also happens to be my husband, baptize my first born. Natalia was up in the front row, and as Wyatt began to climb out of the font she said loudly, "Wyatt, how was it?"

"GOOD!" he said with a smile and a thumbs up.

Then when they were dry and back in the chapel it was time for Wyatt's talk. He was so nervous. He looked out over the congregation and just stared at them... FOR A LONG TIME. Then a he did a big gulp and began his talk. He did a great job! I was so proud. OH! I forgot one of my favorite parts. Wyatt and the three girls sang the first verse of "I'm trying to be like Jesus." and then ALL their sister's joined in and sang the chorus and the 2nd verse with them. It was so touching. We practiced that song so much as a family! I love the words, they are so simple and so true. Talia was beaming and Wyatt was proud....and I just bawled. I loved it! Wyatt began to cry as he started the song....

"I'm trying to be like Jesus
I'm following in his ways."

I saw his lip quiver.
Then he wiped is eyes in embarrassment and pointed at the lights- blaming them!
He kept going and he sang his best. It was a great moment.

Wyatt was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. His father also gave him special blessing, and it was so personal and so in tune with the spirit. It brings tears to my eyes even as I think about it now. I know that our Heavenly Father loves my son, and he cares about the little things he worries about and struggles with.

I also know that our Father in Heaven feels this way about everyone. That is mind boggling to me...I love to think about that when I am in a stadium filled with people. I look over the crowd and all their faces and think.... He loves them all, and he cares about their happiness. He wants every single one of them to return to him! Every single one! Even that crazy man with his body painted in the team's colors! There is a way to return to him, our Savior Jesus Christ who paved the way for us.

tea time

This tea party has been in the making for months. I am so happy that we were finally able to get together and celebrate with our favorite little friends.

Beautiful details.




Wonderful photographs and fabulous friends.

Delicious treats.

So many lovely little things to take pictures of.





I had to create some Alice inspired art with my little girls.

Enjoy!

Butterfly

I took my macro lens, I mean... my children to Brookside Gardens to see the Butterfly exhibit. I was a little worried how Simone would do, but she was so sweetly amazed. She would just sit and watch the butterflies fly around her. She would point to her arm and say "sit" because she wanted one to land on her. Wyatt learned about butterflies in school this year so he was our expert, and Natalia loved every minute of it. I got some great photos. One giant butterfly landed on my hip, I don't think he had a very cute face....but I withheld the urge to flick him off and took his picture.

Fireflies

The magic hour.

There are two fireflies in this picture. One in the grass by their feet, and one in between the kids. I love the painterly look of this image!

She watches and waits.



Magic.