Fishy Face Family Photos

I've said it before and I'll say it again, and again, and again (you get the idea) my friend Tiffany is the best photographer around. She is so talented and makes it so fun. If you haven't called her yet you need to call her right now!

So, we had a family shoot a few weeks ago and there are sooooo many good pictures. I'm going to just be a bit obnoxious and post a ton of them right now. It's very hard for me not to post my very, very, very favorites but I am saving those for our Christmas cards! So... here goes... (and remember these are the pictures that did NOT make the Christmas card cut! She's amazing!)
Our little family :)










THIS is what she had to work with!! And she found a way to make it a precious memory. (By the way this was NOT staged... this was uncooperative toddlers at their finest!)

My parents. I LOVE this picture. I think it's the best photo of them I've seen in years. I need to have this one framed!

Mimi and Danny. You know the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" this is what they mean. This picture defines their relationship. I don't think I could do it justice with a thousand words... but this picture does.

This is the WHOLE Ward/Taylor/Kirby family. The whole gang. In one place. Smiling. In coordinating outfits. NICE.

My sister and her sweet family.

LOVE this picture. Again, there are no words for how much I LOVE this picture of my little sister and my Godson.

There are also no words for how much I love this crazy crew of blue eyed beauties.

Look at this little angel. Picture perfect. (He showed his true toddler-hood for most of the time Tiffany was working but she still captured him at his very best.) I could just eat him up. LOOK at those cheeks!

And this one might be my very favorite. Grandpa and his boys. I love the relationship that they have. My children are so lucky to be so loved by so many people. It's really special to see how these boys love their Grandpa though. I am so grateful to have this photo. This one will be in a frame forever.

Thank you Tiffany! They are beautiful and I just love them all!

Remember November

...Note to self, this month was a good one.
There is so much in life to soak up and be grateful for.
Here are some random things I need to remember about November 2010.

-Brian and I both like our jobs. A lot. It makes life soooooo much easier. We have both finally hit a good place in our careers and are in positions that make us happy, where we are appreciated, and enjoy our days.

-Kirsten is SO happy at our new school. She has sweet friends and a wonderful teacher. She made the Honor Roll this month (and only got 1 B! She's got her eye on Principal's List next ;)

-Danny has become soooo loving and sweet this month. He is constantly looking at someone and (very sincerely) saying "Mommy (or Mimi, or Matt, or Sissy Love, or whoever is around) I lobe you." (the /b/ sound in love makes it all the sweeter). It's so precious and I don't ever want him to stop.

-Matt thinks it's hilarious to tell me that Riley (his little girlfriend at school) is "his girl" (instead of Mommy). This always makes me scream and protest which makes him howl with laughter. (It's only cute and funny because I know it's not true... I feel for his future wife... I am NOT going to like it when I'm not really "his girl"!)

-I am a genius. Or an idiot. One or the other. This month I figured out how to get the boys to sleep through the night in their own beds. THE WHOLE NIGHT. In THEIR OWN BEDS. Yes they are 3 years old and should have learned this a long, long, long time ago. I'm not going to remember that part though ;) I'm just going to remember the part where I threw a bunch of crap in a Rubbermaid bin and called it "Mommy's Treasure Box" and explained it was only for big boys who sleep in their own beds. This immediately solved the problem. Genius (or idiotic for not figuring it out 487 sleepless nights ago...). Now every morning the boys choose their "treasure" and squeal with delight over breakfast. And every night we sleep. All of us. In our own beds. Heaven.

-The boys have both started talking about God a lot. I LOVE what they are learning at school. It just melts my heart. "God made me Mommy. Yup. God make everybody. That what Ms. Katrina say." "Jesus is God's son and I you son!" They are also practicing for the school Christmas pageant a lot. They are very excited and use a lot of volume to convey their excitement ;)

-Kirsten started asking hard questions this month. Really hard questions. This is parenting on the front lines. I pray that I'm handling everything right. I want to be honest and protect her innocence at the same time. Big time stuff. What I just LOVE about it though, is that (at least right now) she wants to talk to ME about all of this. She comes to me with questions and for long, involved conversations. She thinks about what we've talked about and then hits me with more questions when I'm least expecting it. It's good. (It's scary as heck... but it's really good.)

-The boys' language has just exploded. They pretend and negotiate. They use new vocabulary all the time. ("That a pretty wreath Mommy. You like wreaths. 'Member when Daddy and us buyed you sunflowers? They on that wreath! And they not dead like yours!") On a long walk last week a lady said, "Oh! Your boys are so cute. Are they twins?" Danny looked up, pointed straight at her, and said "ABSOLUTELY." SO funny.

-I have the biggest nephews that anyone has ever had. I think it's my "thing". I'm the girl with gigantic (sweet, cuddly, rolly-polly) nephews. I love to stick my face in both of their little fat rolls. While all of my children's ribs stick out, all of my nephews have rolls of chub on their forearms and unbelievable cankles. It brings me so much joy.

There is so much more. SO MUCH. And that's good. It's just so good... and I'm so grateful for our little life and my little family. I want to remember this November always.

Forever.

It became official four years ago... and I thank God it did every single day. I couldn't possibly love you more Kirsten Grace Taylor. You are my living, breathing blessing and my gift. Thank you for letting me love you.

You decided you wanted to celebrate Adoption Day with ice cream this year. I asked if you wanted to have a "date" with Daddy and I or if we should pick up the boys from school and bring them with us. Without hesitating you said, "Oh we should get the boys. I'm sure they are really happy and want to celebrate my adoption with me. They are part of our family too... so really it's their special day too!" I love you so much.

Matt

Danny

My sweet daughter

I love you Gracie Lou and I will forever and ever.

I Don't Have Babies Anymore...

It absolutely breaks my heart to write/admit that. It can't be possible. My entire life I've adored babies. I've dreamed of having babies.

I loved every second of rocking, feeding, and bathing my babies (whether I knew it in the moment or not... I usually knew it... but even when I didn't realize I was cherishing it, my soul was soaking it in). Now, overnight, I don't have babies anymore.

Part of me feels robbed. I said it when they started to walk, I cried it on their second birthdays, I screamed it on their third birthdays... but deep down I knew my boys were still babies... until yesterday.

Yesterday, my tiny, 3 lb preemie weighed in at 30 lbs. He played t-ball, rode his tricycle, and "read" me a book. He told jokes, teased his sister, and convinced me his hair didn't need to be washed during his bath.

He turned into a little boy.

The reality brings tears to my eyes. I want to dig in my heels, scream that "IT'S NOT FAIR", and I'd be a liar if I said I didn't rock him to sleep in my arms tonight... like a baby... a 30 lb baby.

Except he's not.
He's a little boy.
It's official.
It's not fair.

I want that "on the record". I am not ready for this chapter of life. This chapter where I don't have babies... where I have 3 non-baby children. (We're not even going to think about how big the big one is right now or I'll be a quivering, shaking mess).

So, now that I've officially protested how heartbreaking it is (it is SO heartbreaking!!)...I can relish the little boyness... because it's SO little. That's the joy in the change from having a baby to a little boy. He is so little.

Part of me knows that I will never, ever have a little boy who is as little as the boy(s) I have tonight.

The beauty of each new stage is the new stage part. I really do mourn the passing of time. It's not fair. Really it's not (that's on the record right?). BUT with each new stage is newness... an innocence that will be fleeting. As much as I don't want to admit it, I know it's true.

So tonight I'm not going to cry that I don't have babies.
I'm going to drink up my little boys.
I'm going to love each new word, each new freckle.

I'm going to watch him sleep tonight... in his "big boy" firetruck bed... that he finally sleeps in all night because I bribe him with "Mommy's treasure box"...as he clutches a bottle full of water and a teddy bear, wearing "footy pajamas"...

I'm going to savor it because deep down I know the very reasons that define his NOT babyness right now will someday be precious memories of a very tiny, little, little (maybe even "baby") boy.

Super Lame

I'm kind of dumb. Since people (2 or 3) people actually read this I always feel like what I post should be "read worthy"... but really this silly blog is just a lazy way for me to scrapbook. I've been hesitant to pick the blogging back up... because I didn't know how to break back in. Surely the first post after a 6 month (8 month? yearlong?) blog break should be extra read worthy... or maybe not.

Maybe I'll just embrase the lameness (see I'm making up words here!) of this post to break back in. Yup, that's what I'm going to do except I'm going to make it "SUPER lameness". So this is not read worthy at all. Random words first... random pictures second. So there. Pressure's off.

Here are some random, cute pictures. (SUPER cute.)

My loves. GOD, I love these people so much.

Danny and Matty. My boys.

If that doesn't make you smile nothing will!

Danny's smile... it could light up the world.

More soon. I hope... no promises... and if it is soon it may be equally lame. (Geez, who am I appologizing to? Future me? HEY! Future me, your life was really busy and happy at this point in time. Remember than and cut yourself a break!)