The Jessup Family

Emerson V. 2.0

2012-01-26T23:12:00.006-06:00

Emerson Rose turned TWO today.

She remains a cuddle bug. She's still sweet as can be. In the last month or so, she has become a daddy's girl 100% {she will just call for him throughout the house, saying, "DADDY!! I WUV YEEEEW (yeeeew=east Texas accent on "you"--HOORAY). She's picking up more words each day. She is binky free. She barely dropped her 2nd nap one month ago (can you believe that?!). She is attempting potty training all by herself (seriously, she's done her major business twice without me even prompting her to...I DO plan to jump on board ASAP). She has a MAJOR sweet tooth. She loves loves loves cheese. She's my little dancer, and when Stone dances next to her, she pushes him, and says, "NO!"...she wants the dance floor all to herself. She gets into my makeup, perfume, shoes, and jewelry on a DAILY BASIS.

This girl makes us HAPPY.

***

The day started out COLD. At lunch time, we were in winter coats walking through a cold drizzle. By 4pm, it had warmed up significantly, and we ran outside to do a quick birthday photo shoot.

We attempted some family portraits a couple months ago. This dress was the inspiration for our 20s/30s family themed pictures (which I think I only posted one up). I didn't feel like I got enough, so I knew this was one of her birthday portrait outfits.

My great grandmother Rowberry (so, Emerson's great-great-grandmother), made this dress for my mom. My mom wore it, I wore it, and now Emerson has worn it. It's BEAUTIFUL and will forever remain in the family.

Before the weather warmed up, I thought we were going to be stuck inside for her birthday portraits (I HAVE to take birthday portraits ON their birthdays). Despite my love for outdoor photography, I was pleased with what we got. The cute 2 piece Mexican outfit definitely helps with the cute factor.

I must say, though, hopefully this girl will remain as modest as she was today. She HATED that her belly was exposed. I had to bribe her with fruit snacks to keep her top as it is meant to be. She kept pulling it down trying to cover her belly. I do hope to do something with the top so that she can actually wear it outside a photo shoot. Cliff loves that she was so modest. We hope that sticks.

I got this 2 piece in Cozumel last month.

I ADORE her crossed feet below.

Throughout the day, she got to open gifts. We went to lunch, to dinner, had birthday cake, and celebrated this sweet girl ALL DAY LONG. Stone was even extra sweet to her today because he realized how special the day was for her.

And I almost forgot the first shots of the day with her Birthday Girl ensemble. She wore these wings and headband (and carried her wand) everywhere she went today, starting with our daily trip to the gym.

I can't believe it's been two years since we brought her home from the hospital. Didn't I JUST give birth to this girl? It feels like yesterday. We feel so blessed to have this girl in our home. WE LOVE YOU, EMERSON ROSE!

I Heart Tuesday Nights

2012-01-24T17:49:00.004-06:00

Tuesday is my favorite week night.

We pop up some of this with some Whoppers or M&Ms (or make some yummy treat)...

...cuddle up, and catch up on our shows.

Unless it's on Netflix, we hardly watch TV during the week. We are just too busy to sit down at an exact time (or sit down at all), and we don't have a DVR. By Tuesday night, all of our shows from the previous week are online, and we have a little marathon. It's actually quite fabulous, because when one show leaves us hanging miserably, we have another show to watch before curiosity kills us.

We put our kids to bed a little early, grab a treat, head on upstairs to my new iMac which I am in love with, cuddle up, and press play. Also, Wednesday is also our "day off". I don't teach any fitness classes in the morning, so we sleep in after having a late night.

I HEART TUESDAY NIGHTS.

THIS is a goose egg

2012-01-23T13:32:00.005-06:00

Remember when Stone split his lip open? Or when he split his forehead open?

Well, this one wins.

We were at the gym last Wednesday. I was running on the treadmill, and Stone was playing in a racquetball court with his "teacher" and some friends. He was racing one friend FULL SPEED, and not watching what was ahead of him. Full force, he ran STRAIGHT into the glass wall. It was so loud and startled me, that I practically fell off the treadmill as I turned around to see the commotion. Stone ran out to me crying and immediately, the large goose egg had already formed.

After 10 minutes, he was over it. As soon as I got a hold of Cliff, I was the one to loose it. Stone said, "Mama. Why are you crying???" ha! I think I had every reason to be a little freaked out at the size of this thing. Plus, 3 other ladies were insisting I get to the ER, so I was a little panicked.

We started at Urgent Care since it's next door to the gym, but they suggested I go straight to the ER. Which again...freaked me out a little.

We headed to the ER, and the doctor was hardly concerned. He said OUT is good, IN is bad. OUT is swelling, IN can be fracture. He warned us Stone would very likely develop black eyes as the blood drained from his goose egg.

Saturday rolled around, and he was still fine. Just after breakfast, his first black eye started to form. When I told him, he first said, "OH NO! I don't want to loose my green eyes!"

Twenty minutes later, the next black eye started to develop. This time he said, "I need to see this in the mirror." As he walked over to the mirror, he shouted, "WHOA!!! THIS IS SO AWESOME!"

THAT is the definition of All Boy.

So this morning, I took a picture of his black eyes, both of which have mellowed out dramatically. Not much to show off now.

Until next time... Because we all know there will be a next time.

Safety Scissors to the Hair

2012-01-13T12:57:00.002-06:00

The other day, I caught this sweet girl....

...attempting to cut her hair. I knew the day would come. I hear it's most moms' nightmare to find their daughter with stubby bangs. But I was surprised she even knew what to do. LUCKILY, they were dull, "safety" scissors from her art kit, and no damage was done.

THEN (and I really should have figured this out the moment I had caught her in action), the next day, I was combing my kids hair, and this crazy boy...

...says, "MOMMY. I tried cutting Emmy's hair with my safety scissors the other day [yes, he calls them safety scissors...].

And before I could get a word out, he quickly said, "BUT MOM. Don't you worry. I was SOOOOO careful. It was SOOOOO soft. She didn't even cry!"

And that, my friends, is how Emerson learned to cut her hair.

SO thankful they were "safety" scissors. Trust me, they both got a BIG "NO, NO".

And I know BFF, Shannon, or cousin, Matt, is saying "Pay back!"

That's a "dam" Pepperoni Pizza!

2012-01-11T14:40:00.005-06:00

The other day, I was at the grocery store, and had bought a fresh pizza to take to a friend's home for a little lunch and power wheel action with our kiddos (thanks for the fun, Julie!).

While in line, Stone pointed to the pepperoni, and said (as I understood), "MOM. That's a damn pepperoni pizza."

"Excuse me? What did you say?" I sincerely asked. I wasn't sure if I heard correctly.

"I said, that's a damn pepperoni pizza."

"WHAT? Where have you heard that word?"

"A DAM PEPPERONI PIZZA. You know, like beavers build a DAM. Dams are STRONG. It's a STRONG pepperoni pizza. Like on Wild Kratts. THAT'S WHAT I SAID."

This kid remembers everything he hears, and obviously he heard this in a different context other than Wild Kratts. It's getting harder every day to shield him. But it makes for a good laugh.

Our trip to the Caribbean

2012-01-08T22:25:00.008-06:00

As you probably know, I had the incredible opportunity to shoot a wedding in the Caribbean in early December. My photography business really sky rocketed in 2011, and I'm so excited to see where it goes in 2012. Although I've traveled to several states for weddings, this was my first true destination wedding to photograph.

We drove to El Paso, dropped our kids off with our families, and headed out on the first REAL vacation ALONE since we've had children. I was full of anxiety saying goodbye to the kidlets, but I felt like we were on our honeymoon all over again. It was FABULOUS.

We headed to Miami, had a fun night out on the town, woke up early the next day, and headed to our ship.

These photos are a mix of my camera and our lovely phones, FYI.

Miami was a very fun city. I've heard mixed things about it, but I personally loved it! It was a fascinating place.

Our first stop was Key West, which is where I shot the wedding. I'll be posting those pictures on my photo blog soon. There is currently a sneak peak over there. The wedding was on a beach, and then we headed to the downtown area.

Key West was an awesome little town. I was in HEAVEN shooting groomals (bride + groom) throughout the fun area. Forget being a tourist that day. This was way better. The bride wanted to cut us free, but I insisted on following them around. We had a fabulous brunch at a popular rooftop cafe, and soaked up the atmosphere Key West had to offer.

Why yes, the man playing the bag pipes was part of the bridal party. Why yes, he played them while walking around.

We headed back on the ship that day, relaxed a bit, and then dressed up for "Captain's Dinner". This is the formal night where the whole ship dresses up. I love dressing up, and I got a sweet fur little jacket for the occasion. I wish I would have gotten a better picture of it. :)

The next day we docked in Cozumel. We had a fabulous day in Mexico. Once we got off the ship, we headed onto a speedboat to the mainland, where we jumped on a bus, and took a 50 minute drive to Tulum--some Myan Ruins.

We fell for it. We fell in the tourist trap....and we're smart people, so I was so disappointed in myself that we took the bate.

These awesome people were all dressed up. Of course I start taking pictures of them. Who wouldn't? And just as I did, a Jaguar Knight (below) told me, "Come, come! I take your picture! You get in with others, give me your camera, and we'll take picture!"

I gave him my camera and thought, "sweet!" Then...

...then, just as we are posed (below) with an ENTIRE crew of tourists watching, they yell, "Ooooh! And you give us 5 dollar for this picture!" I'm not going to be the cheap tourist that says, "never mind", even though I knew I already had the picture I wanted. Oh well, it made for a fun picture. And Cliff said, "Call me old school, but when a Jaguar Knight asks you for your money, you give it to him." ...in Mexico, I'll add.

Cliff is a History buff, and could have walked around the ruins for HOURS.

The ruins really were fantastic. Made for the PERFECT backdrop for pictures. The bride and groom were on the same excursion, so I got to take MORE pictures of them at the ruins. Seriously, could I have asked for more as a photographer? I was in HEAVEN!

Where's Waldo?! Can you see me below "working"?

And here's Cliff in action (below). You may not know, but Cliff is the one that really got me into photography. I dabbled in high school with film, learned how to develop, but the excitement kind of faded. It rekindled when we got married. He's always been into photography, and can tell you more about our cameras AND photography, than I could probably tell you. When I started my business during law school, he actually went along with me on shoots. It was a team effort. Then he became a lawyer, and now it's just one of his favorite hobbies next to guns.

While in Tulum, we got to swim in the ocean. The water was perfect, the weather was wonderful, and we couldn't have asked for more.

One night we went Latin dancing (why yes, I took my Zumba moves to the dance floor). The Latin dance room was full of Latins. I was the ONLY white girl, but this white girl has got mooooves. I do teach Zumba! They did a role call of all the Latin countries to see what kind of mix was in there. They got to Mexico, and I raised the roof with my hands, almost yelling, "Viva Mexico!" But I resisted. I did grow up on the border, and my hubby is half Mexican. Which technically, if he's my other half, that makes me a quarter Mexican. There ya have it.

We also went to comedy shows, did karaoke, ate more than we should have, went running on the top level where the outside track was, laid out, went to shows, watched fake snow fall in the gallery, went to a piano bar for the reception where we got to sing along with the piano player...the list goes on and on and on. Cruising was the best way to travel!

We sailed the entire last day, and soaked up all the opportunities the ship had to offer that we had not yet taken advantage of. It was a rainy day, so we didn't get to swim, but we laid out on the deck watching the storm in the ocean and enjoying each other's company.

The last morning, we woke up early enough to catch the sunrise. It was breathtaking.

Altogether, we had the time of our lives. Yes, we missed our babies, but it was amazing to sail through the Caribbean with the love of my life, act like newlyweds all over again, and "work". I've decided we are making this a regular habit.

Everything about this trip was amazing. I think I stopped at 30-something pictures, and could have kept going, but let's face it...most people come here for our kiddos!

AHH-MAZING.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T14:37:00.004-06:00

I have many updates for this blog; specifically, our amazing trip to the Caribbean! But before I get around to that, I needed to post some Christmas pictures while it's still timely.

Last year, we decided we really wanted to try to be in OUR home on Christmas day. We love traveling to see family, but we thought maybe we can get into the habit of traveling before or after the big day. That way, our kids could wake up in their own beds, and run down to their own tree, and have their own Christmas traditions with us. I'm not sure we'll always stick to this plan, but so far, we love the routine.

Christmas morning started out with a ribbon the kids had to break through to get to their gifts:

It was a magical Christmas for the kids. Stone is at the age where Santa and Christmas rock his world. Emerson follows his lead. I think having older siblings helps the younger kids grasp the excitement.

Emerson's big gift was a BIG trike. Keep going to read about the trike swap.

All she really needed (and used all day) was her new purse, her dress up kit & princess dress, and chapsticks (which she thinks is lipstick, of course):

Stone had a blast opening the gifts, and was so excited about everything he received:

(this annoying megaphone (see below) is a toy he plays with EVERY single time we go to Marshalls or TJ Maxx. It's been there FOREVER. Finally a few months ago, I grabbed it for the Christmas stash)--

I love that Christmas landed on a Sunday this year. We were able to go to church and really remember what the whole point of this great celebration is.

....

So let's back up the train. Emerson's trike was HUGE. I found a great deal, I loved it, and I grabbed it. "Santa" put it together the night before, and we were laughing uncontrollably at how gigantic this thing was (I DID get it at a tractor store, so I guess we should have expected it!). Well, it was too large, and we exchanged it for something a little more petite and classic:

Emerson completely understands how to ride the thing, but her legs need just a few months more of growth to complete the rotation.

But no worries. Stone takes her on rides, and she laughs the whole way:

We were at the park yesterday, and Emerson was yelling "weeee!!! weeeee!!!". Stone then turned around, and said, "Emmy. Will you please stop saying "weeee"?!" ...in a very annoyed tone. This little family nearby was cracking up. I love my kids.

I hope y'all had a fabulous Christmas and I hope you are off to a great new year. I can't wait to share the rest of our December happenings with you SOON.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T22:01:00.004-06:00

Oh my goodness! It's been a month since my last post. In the last 3 weeks, we have been to Miami, to the Caribbean, to El Paso, and back to east Texas. I had 7 out of town photo shoots, plus a wedding in the Caribbean, and a wedding in El Paso. We have been BUSY, and have had SO much fun with family, friends, and vacationing. Not to mention an AMAZING time cruising through the Caribbean. I have SO much to document!

And in case I don't make it on here before Christmas, Merry Christmas! I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the opportunity we've recently had to teach our children about His birth, His life, and how He is our Savior. The busy-ness of the month has tried to drown out what we are truly celebrating this time of the year, but I am grateful every day for the birth of Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!

***

An update is on its way, but for now, a little Christmas cheer from my babies. Emerson was a little freaked out by Santa this year, but no tears were present. She had her brave face on.

While we were waiting in line, Santa got up from his chair, looked around, and came over to Emerson. He picked her up, and started to dance with her. It was so sweet! He briefly greeted the boy in front of us, but it seemed like his sole purpose when he got up from his chair.

And this boy is always full of giggles, smiles, funny faces, and witty comments.

Merry Christmas!

Thankful.

2011-11-25T14:02:00.004-06:00

I have so much to be thankful for. Most things I am thankful for relate to, or remind me of this:

(more to come from this mini shoot)

It's hard to remember what life was like before our kids. And I mean that in a good way. We were talking about our first Valentine's Day. We did some fun things (don't you worry, I won't go into detail ::wink wink::). My first thought was, "What did we do with Stone that night?" DUH. He wasn't around for another year and a half after that. They give us SO much joy. This morning, Emerson was giving us her little wink, and it just warms my heart. Can they be difficult? Oh yeah. Do they bounce off the walls? Sure. But they are the best, and I love them with all my heart. More than I ever thought I could love. Needless to say, I'm thankful for them.

Speaking of "more than I ever thought I could love"....leads me to my man. He's a MAN. A man that I love. A man that makes me laugh every single day, a man who happens to be an awesome father. He's romantic. He's hot. He's kind. He's smart. Needless to say, I'm thankful for him.

I'm thankful for our good health, and the fact that we can all be so physically active, and enjoy it. I'm thankful for our house, and the roof it puts over our head. I'm thankful for technology to share pictures and stories with my friends and family at any given minute. I'm thankful for my camera and the fun business it has allowed me to build. I'm thankful for my college degree that enabled me to put Cliff through law school while I stayed home with my children and worked while they slept. It also enabled me to build a great, functional, and successful business. I'm thankful for Cliff's multiple degrees, and the opportunities he has received because of them. I'm thankful for my parents that made me who I am, and for my in-laws that raised Cliff to be the amazing man he is. I'm thankful for all of our siblings and their spouses. ...thankful for all our family members. Most of all, I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that my family will be together for eternity, and that makes me one.happy.girl.

And this just scratches the surface for the my many blessings. Believe me, I count them every day, and thank Heavenly Father for everything he has given me. We all are so blessed.

Bye Bye, Mullet.

2011-11-22T22:37:00.004-06:00

For the last several months, Emerson has been in danger of fitting in perfectly with A.C. Slater and MacGyver. As her mom, I just couldn't bare to cut the curls off her sweet, sweet mullet. I was afraid they wouldn't grow back. But it got to the point where pigtails were the only thing we could do to hide the horrible 80s phenomenon, and the mullet would no longer cut it. And so we did {cut it, that is}.

And now she has a sweet little bob. It is perfect. I love it!

THANK YOU, KAMI!

Stone and his bike!

2011-11-17T14:50:00.003-06:00

How did I not share this yet?! Stone learned to ride his bike with no training wheels several weeks ago (for my own records, this video was taken on October 22). No, we don't dress up when we play outside. This was taken right when we got home from church. Stone had actually mastered this the day before, but it was too late to get it on video.

He learned how to do this in a matter of a few short days. He got his bike for his birthday , but if you are not familiar with east Texas summers, and particularly this past one, you CAN'T play outside! We went all summer in the triple digits, and spent our time at the pool, and sadly, not riding his new bike.

The temperatures finally cooled, and we pulled out the hardly ridden bike. The training wheels were a joke. We had to adjust them every few minutes. It was a frustrating experience for us all, so we said, "Welp Stone...you're going to just have to learn to ride it." And SO HE DID. Give this kid a challenge, and he takes it.

I learned to ride my bike before Jordan's neighborhood friends. I was four, but I think Stone beats me. This kid is awesome.

Operation: Caribbean-Part One

2011-11-15T20:35:00.005-06:00

Wanring: This is not a cute update on Stone and Emerson. There aren't even pictures of them! This is a long, WORDY post (I rarely do those kind of posts!) on fitness and nutrition.

-----

Next month, Cliff and I are heading to Florida, where we will jump on a cruise, and I will photograph a destination wedding. STOKED. Ya think? I am absolutely thrilled to take my business to the next level, and I couldn't be more excited to shoot in the Caribbean.

Well, with the Caribbean, comes a swim suit, and comes "Operation: Caribbean", which I am calling my fitness and nutrition decisions and goals, and I thought I'd share some insights with you.

Let me preface this post by saying, I am NOT a nutritionist or dietitian. I don't think I call myself a fitness professional, although I'm a fitness ENTHUSIAST, and a group fitness instructor (I teach Zumba, "Just Weights" (which is obviously a weight lifting class), Spin, and I sub for several other classes). I've taught classes for several years, and I absolutely love fitness. So those are my credentials. Now, let's move forward.

I don't usually share my fitness goals with people. Not that I'm secretive about it, it's just not necessarily a regular topic of conversation. But I'll open up a bit throughout these next few weeks.

So my goal is to loose about 5-8 pounds. I hate to state it like that, because it's not necessarily pounds I'm looking to drop, although it's always nice to see the scale go down a few. I judge "weight loss" by the way my pants fit (literally). As you begin to work out, you loose fat, and simultaneously begin to build muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you might not actually loose weight, but you are loosing fat. ....and that's what we want. If you have more weight to loose, then sure, you'll see that scale drop (think Biggest Loser), but if you're looking to just shape up a bit, don't judge your improvements by what the scale says.

"Weight Loss" (I put this in quotes, because again...it's not necessarily weight you will loose) comes down to ONE thing. You BURN more calories than you CONSUME. So essentially, there are 2 ways to accomplish this: 1. You eat less or 2. You exercise more.

Now, the two (nutrition and exercise) go hand in hand. To REALLY accomplish any "weight loss" goals, you need to make adjustments to both your menu and your exercise schedule. There are SO many ways to do this. Eating well is much easier for some than others, and likewise, sticking to an exercise schedule is much easier for some than others. Tweak either or both areas, and you can see results. I will share how I am doing it....

There are several different classes of people at the gym, but I tend to break it up into 2 groups of people. 1. Those looking to really loose "weight", and 2. Those looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For the most part, I fall into that 2nd category. I LOVE food! I have a sweet tooth. I love flavor. I love spicy. I love steaks. I love melted cheese. I LOVE Mexican food (which is the greasiest of 'em all!). I typically love the kinds of food that are bad for you, and NOT good for "weight loss". I don't buy soy milk. I don't add flax seed to my recipes. I don't eat hummus. And I really should eat more fruits and veggies. Last week, my family went through 3 gallons of milk and 3 loaves of bread in 4 days. Okay, you get the point. HOWEVER, I absolutely LOVE fitness. If I miss a day at the gym, I feel lazy and unaccomplished for the day (except for Wednesdays...that's my day off, and my day to sleep in!...and even on that planned day off, I still feel weird that we don't make it to the gym). So for me....I pretty much eat what I want, but I work my tail off at the gym! So it's a wash.

In Caribbean Part Two, I will discuss my changes to my eating habits. But in this post, I will talk about fitness, since that's my forte between the two.

I exercise a lot. Want to know my schedule? Mondays, I teach "Just Weights" (1 hr. class), followed by a :45 Spin class. Tuesday-Zumba. Wednesday-Day off from gym (I try to run in the morning before Cliff leaves for work, unless I choose to sleep in!). Thursday-Zumba. Friday-"Just Weights". I usually add some cardio exercise onto each day. ...running, elliptical, etc. So I'm usually at the gym about an hour and a half. I could be there longer (Mondays is a little longer), but my kids go with me, and for their sake, I leave at about the 1.5 hour mark (even though Stone sometimes asks me to stay longer. They've made some good friends there). So with this schedule, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to loose a few. But again--I eat what I want, so it's usually a wash. So the major change in my daily routine, will come to consuming less calories. Again--I will talk about that in my next post.

I figure I need to "up" the intensity of my work outs and try to burn more calories in that time I am at the gym. I am a runner, so I have decided to intensify my running schedule. Last week, instead of running 1 to 2 miles after my classes, I added 3 to 4 miles. Now, I know to non runners, that probably sounds crazy. But as a runner, adding 1.5 to 2 more miles than I usually do, is not impossible. It's just an extra 10-17 minutes. That's doable, AND it's beneficial. That's a handful of extra calories burned. It's just a little challenge--something I need to do to burn more calories. AND, I increased my pace to try to try to get more mileage covered in a certain amount of time (I have a little case of OCD when I am on the treadmill. I first decide if I'm going for time or miles that day. Do I want to just run as much as I can in 30 minutes? Or do I specifically want to run 4 miles? Whatever I decide, I always have to end the miles/time/calories on happy numbers. WEIRD, I know. So, if I decide to run 4 miles, and I finish in 32 minutes, I have to keep going until the treadmill says 35 minutes. But then if the calories say 416, I have to get it to 420, but then the mileage is at 4.15, so I need to get it to 4.2 if not 4.5. You get the idea. OCD.)

It all comes down to challenging yourself!

TIP: So for those that may not have an exercise schedule, I encourage you just to CHALLENGE yourself. You don't need a gym membership to loose weight. MOVE more than you do in a typical day. Work HARDER than you typically do. BURN more. You don't need to run 4 miles. But if you usually take a walk around the neighborhood, add on an extra 15 minutes. Or add jogging intervals. And if you're not moving? THEN START! Think you don't have time because your a busy mommy? Throw that excuse out the window NOW. Wake up before your kids do, and get in some exercise. It's not easy, but it's possible. And I promise you, as you exercise, you will be begin to FEEL good. As Elle Woods says, "Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't kill their husbands."

For the record: I lost 3 pounds last week. However, we went to Dallas, where we ate too much bad (and by bad, totally yummy) food, and I gained a couple back. But overall, I still dropped. This week, my goal is to eat better. And I will share those goals and tips with you next time.

Impromptu Photo Shoot.

2011-11-13T16:52:00.002-06:00

I love impromptu photo shoots, and as a photographer, I know I should have more of these with my family on a regular basis. People pay me to do this, so that they have photographs to last them a lifetime. I know I should give my family the same.

Our family lasted about 10 minutes, but I love what we got.

We came home from church today, and it started by asking Cliff to take a portrait of me to update my photo site with. Then, it turned into Stone wanting to play photographer.

I LOVE the following photo. I love the motion blur, and I LOVE that Stone posed us. He said, "Daddy, you pick up mommy and kiss her." He must be a photographer's son, right?

By lack of presence, you can tell who was behind the camera today (Stone and Cliff).

Stone obviously took the next one, too. Instead of "one, two, three", he said, "action!"

Okay, okay, I know it's weird that our 4-year-old took our kissing pose. But he directed the shoot.

Halloween 2011!

2011-10-31T23:47:00.009-05:00

This year, we have a pirate...

And a puppy...

We started a Halloween tradition of matching family costumes with Stone's first Halloween. It continued the 2nd Halloween, and then the next year, we were lame, and only dressed Stone up. I had been out of town with Stone, and work was absolutely crazy that month. Lame excuses. We picked the tradition back up last year, and then this year, after pondering our possibilities, I thought, "Do we really want the pressure of a family theme every year? There's going to come a year where the tradition breaks, and then my heart will break. Do we want that pressure??" And I decided no. I figured if we do a theme here and there, that would suffice. OR, maybe that's just my excuse of not being clever this year with a family theme.

We may have not had a theme, but we still went all out. We can thank Stone for that, because he LOVES costumes. He is a superhero or power ranger EVERY day. He thinks we have to dress up as something on our birthdays, since he does.

I must say, after 4 days of costumes and festivities, I'm ready to welcome November.

This past Thursday, we hosted our playgroup's Halloween party. We made Frankenstein cups:

And I made some ugly dead string cheese fingers (which surprise, surprise, didn't really get eaten):

and a carrot hand in some dip with baby carrots.

All the moms brought yummy treats, and we played games and chatted, and had a nice time.

Thursday was ALSO Cliff's birthday...which I will dedicate a post to that. :) I surprised him with BYU vs TCU football tickets, and our friends Chelsea & Dave watched our kids while we went to the game Friday evening (thanks again, Chels!!).

We had our church party...

and tonight we took the kids Trick-or-Treating.

....and they were a hit at every home. Emerson tried to go INSIDE every home, especially if there was a dog (there's a reason she was a dog this year! She is obsessed!). She'd wave, and when the people weren't looking (while they were talking to Stone), she'd hurry and grab a few more pieces. Every home we went to, whoever opened the door and saw her, would call to the rest of their family to come see. We were so pleased with trick-or-treating this year. The last couple of years, hardly any porch lights were on. This year was a different story.

So if you endured this post, Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T00:04:00.003-05:00

Love,

The Witch & Mr. T.

PS: I'm taking my kids' portraits tomorrow. So stay tuned.

I am blessed.

2011-10-19T12:16:00.008-05:00

I am a blessed mommy. That realization never leaves, and sometimes it's enhanced. A girl that watches my kids at the gym recently told me I am blessed. It was nice to hear it from someone else, because I know my kids can be quite the handful. And sometimes I think only I, their mother, can handle (and embrace) their rowdy behavior or wild energy. Most of the time I love it, but sometimes, I don't know what to do (like when I find both kids with their heads in my toilet and then splashing around or when I run upstairs for 3 minutes and come down to a new bag of Ruffles opened up, being dipped in a new tub of chocolate fudge frosting, or when Stone helps Emerson get in my makeup and it gets all over my carpet...you get the idea). And quite often {at least once a day} I say outloud to myself, "Seriously? Did they really just do that?" And then...at the end of the day, as I lay down and close my eyes, I find myself laughing out loud {really, I do, and Cliff will ask what is so funny} and suddenly anything that may have driven me crazy earlier in the day, has quickly turned into a wonderful memory, or a Facebook status (that so many people find entertaining), and something I will always remember about my kids.

Every time Emerson is in this adorable mis-matched outfit (see above), I get told that she belongs on the store shelf as a doll. She does, doesn't she? This sweet girl is talking like crazy. Her mouth is always open, and she's always babbling! Cliff and I are probably the only ones that can understand her many phrases. She has taken a different approach to speech development, compared to Stone. Stone had more singular words at this point, but she has more phrases. She copies our tones and inflections to typical phrases we say all day long, "Hold my hand", "What is that", "That's mine", "I'm hungry", "I don't want to", "I don't know", etc. They are kind of slurred together, but she has done her best to imitate what she hears us say. Each day her little phrases become a little more clear. She has many singular words as well: mommy, daddy, ball, mine, milk, water, nuh-uh (she has yet to say no! it's always nuh-uh), uh-oh, baby, hot, two, doggy, me, eye, nose, button, etc.

She still loves animals, and she is still my cuddle bug. She is even funny, and doesn't know it! In the car, I said something sarcastic to Cliff, he had a come back, and in the back seat, Emerson said, "Ooooohhhh!!!!" right on cue.

As for this joyful kid...sometimes I just don't know what to do with him. My mom always says, "oooh, you've got Jordan on your hands." My brother, Jordan, was her rowdy one. But finally yesterday, when she told me that again (after I told her he pulled my bedroom curtain rod out of the wall by swinging on the drapes, telling me he thought it was a swing. ....ummm, no, he did not really think that!), I said, "Mom, I think he has surpassed Jordan. Hands down." Jordan grew out of his rowdy stage by 3. Stone is still going strong, with no break in sight.

However, he then says the sweetest things like, "Mommy, I need to send Heavenly Father a text. I need your phone to call him." or "Mommy, you're the best. I just love you." He also says "I love you" ALL THE TIME. I think I've mentioned that on here. He'll say it in public, and people will say, "Oh my goodness! That is the cutest! I wish my kids said that."....and it makes the curtain rods being ripped from the drywall not seem so bad.

I mean, really....I have a Stone story for every.day.of.the.week. But we love him SO much. We have tried all angles of discipline, and have tried so hard to teach him obedience. We've taken a "positive reinforcement" approach this week, and he has seemed so much more cooperative. What can I say, he has a mind of his own, knows what he wants, and works until he gets it. He really is such a joyful kid, and definitely keeps me on my toes. He is also such a good big brother.

I really couldn't ask for better kids. They fill our home with happiness and love. I can't believe there are people that don't want this. "This" is awesome.

below: Stone on his harmonica.

Mormons ARE Christians

2011-10-15T23:24:00.009-05:00

My junior year in high school, a teacher stopped me as I was walking out of class, and asked me to stay back a few minutes. Little did I know he would interrogate my beliefs and religion. It didn't take long for people to learn I was a Mormon. I didn't drink. I didn't have sex. I didn't do drugs. He started by saying that I belonged to the "cool" crowd, so surely I did those things. He quickly made way to the most popular debate people seem to have regarding the Mormon religion {which seriously blows my mind} ....he said I belonged to a cult, and I was not a Christian.

Surprise, surprise that someone would try bashing my religion. And surprise, surprise that they'd start there. Perry's recent political move wasn't the first I had heard of these criticisms, and I know it will not be the last.

I responded with a question, "Do you know what church I belong to?"

He said, "Yes. The Mormon church."

I said, "Well, "Mormon" is a nickname we've been given. But I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Why would we have Jesus Christ in the title of our church if we are not Christian?"

That usually ends the debate. There's really no arguing it when people realize the actual title of our church. And if that doesn't end it, I'll take it one step further. Why would any non-Christian religion proclaim to be Christian? Doesn't that defeat the purpose? I don't hear my Jewish friends claiming to be Christians. That's because they are not. I don't hear my Buddhist friends saying they are {okay, I don't actually know any Buddhists, but you get the point}. We are fortunate to live in a country where we can choose to worship how we please. We can choose our religion. If someone is ashamed of their religion, then they find another one. Religion can help us understand where someone comes from, but it's not a nationality, and it's not an ethnicity. It's a set of beliefs we cling to because we choose to. Perhaps someone is ashamed of their nationality or ethnicity, and they proclaim to be something they are not. But unlike that, we choose to set ourselves where we want to religiously.

I've had friends tell me their church leaders bash my religion during their church. That's always blown my mind. Come to our church, and we're not talking about other religions. We're talking about how the gospel has been restored to this Earth. We're talking about how Jesus is the Savior of the world. We're talking about how Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, and it's a plan of happiness. We're talking about how we are all children of God. We're reading the scriptures. We're singing hymns. That's what we're doing.

I am a lot of things. I'm a college graduate. I'm a photographer. I'm a former ad woman. I'm a Zumba instructor. I'm a runner. I'm a musician. I'm a Texan. And the three roles that are the most important to me...I'm a wife. I'm a mother. I'm a Mormon. With that said, I'm a Christian. I believe that Jesus is the Christ. He is my Savior, he is my Redeemer.

For my friends out there that have questions, I'd love to answer them.

Stone and Emerson

2011-09-26T14:30:00.001-05:00

I always love my family, but sometimes I'm overwhelmed with love for these kids of ours.

A few things I want to note at the time:

Emerson

*She has recently gained a Texas accent. Wahoo!! When leaving the gym the other day, she said, "BAH!", while waving to every single person in our path. And let me state that when she first learned the word "bye", there was no accent whatsoever. This is a new development.

*She is possessive of me! She doesn't mind if I'm holding little babies, but if Stone is in my lap, or any child her size, she FREAKS out until my lap is free. Which leads me to this story:

*Emerson was sitting on my lap, got down, and Stone quickly took her place. She was furious, and grabbed my phone (he had been playing with it). She quickly ran for Cliff's lap for protection. Stone was not thrilled, threw a little fit, and went to the ground. Meanwhile, she peaks over the edge until he sees her, then clearly rubs it in his face as she pretends to talk on the phone. She sticks up for herself!

*She loooooves the primary song, "I am a Child of God". 1)When we listen to it in the car, she hums it in the back, and when I turn around to tell her she sounds so pretty, she gets completely embarrassed, swats her hand towards me and grunts. She's so shy at moments! We know she does not inherit that trait from me! 2)If I try to sing ANY other song while rocking her, again, I get a swat and a grunt, until I sing "I am a Child of God."

Stone

*While at the park last week, Stone said, "Mommy, my teacher at church told me that I can pray to Heavenly Father wherever I am and he can help me know where I am. So you can leave, mommy."

*While at the park earlier that week, Stone yelled out to Emerson, "Get over here you little farp nugget!" ....Cliff may or may not have called him a little "fart nugget" at some point....TOTAL term of endearment, OF COURSE. And Stone pronounces it"farp".

*One of Stone's favorite ladies at the gym whispered to me yesterday that Stone told her a secret. She wasn't supposed to pass it on, but I got lucky. He confessed that when mommy and daddy are not looking, he jumps on our new couch. My new green couch that I loooove. Oh, and he told her when we are downstairs, he sneaks to our room and jumps on our bed. This kid.

---

These kids are growing up too fast. The other morning we were lounging around while Cliff was getting ready for work (usually we're rushing trying to get out the door for the gym, but I don't teach a class Wednesday mornings). We were all piled up in our bed, and Cliff says, "How could anyone want anything else?" They make our hearts happy. I love my family. A LOT.

Soccer!

2011-09-21T14:11:00.005-05:00

I am officially a soccer mom, and I think I became "that" mom a couple Saturdays ago. You know, the mom that is wearing a t-shirt that matches the color of the jersey, with "Stone's Mom" on the back. The mom that cheers so loudly you'd swear she was a cheerleader for 10+ years of her life (oh wait, I was). The mom that is snapping pictures like crazy, even though all shots begin looking the same. THAT is the mom I have become, and I love it!

Stone's first game was two Saturdays ago:

okay, is this not the cutest kid ever?!

Stone made a COMPLETE 180 from game one to game two. Let's start with game 1.

The first game was....well.....not a success. And I'm not talking about winning VS. loosing. I'm talking the team had one practice that was glorified tag, with an occasional kicking of the ball. And therefore, the boys had NO idea what was going on first game. I'm talking half the team covered up their ears when the whistle blew and literally just stood there while the other team scored. I'm talking Stone threw a few fits for one reason or another.....too hot....didn't get the ball....etc., etc., etc. I'm talking Stone said, "Mommy. I want to do football, not soccer." (could this possibly be Cliff's son?? yes. yes, it is).

The fits were a little embarrassing, I'm not going to lie. Cliff and I were a little shocked. Our boy LOVES to run around. He loves to play, he is very athletic. and he is competitive. His behavior caught us off guard, and he heard all about it in the car.

The next practice rolled around, and it was a real practice. These boys started to learn the fundamentals, and ALL week long we talked to Stone about his attitude on the field.

Cliff assured him that we don't care if he wins or looses. We just want him to have fun out there, run hard, hustle, and most of all, enjoy it! Cliff practiced with him during the week, and by the time Saturday rolled around, Stone was stoked, and boy oh boy, was he a different little player.

He scored 2 goals, ran hard, and even did a little trash talking. We're not sure what he said, but as he was preparing for kickoff, he pointed to every single play on the other team, had his grump face on, and then made a couple fists. This kid was pure entertainment for everyone there. He may have climbed on top of the goal a couple of times (oops), and every time a mob was around the ball, Stone ran into it, and came out of it with the ball.

A little pep talk, practice, and bribing of McDonald's went a long way last week. Here's to hoping #10 keeps it up this season.

Go Stone!! We love you!

Stone & Danny at Western Playland

2011-09-08T14:31:00.003-05:00

This last trip to El Paso, Stone opened up to Cliff {with tears in his eyes} saying he did not want to leave El Paso. One of his favorite things to do in El Paso is hang with his BFF {can we say that for boys??}/cousin, Danny.

While Cliff and I went to his high school reunion, Marcy and Kevin took the grandkids to Western Playland...a small amusement park. Amusement Park=Heaven for Stone. He's such a thrill-seaker, and you can see from this video, that he is in heaven. I love love his laugh and smile.

As always, he had a blast with grandma, grandpa, and his cousins.

And then there was a toga party.

2011-09-05T22:31:00.003-05:00

This weekend we attended a toga party for Cliff's boss' birthday. I wasn't too fond of the costumes I found online, so I actually thought about pulling out my sewing machine, pulling out the manual, and trying to sew something together. {gasp...I do not know how to sew unless my mom is by my side, and then, I am really just there to step on the pedal, because let's face it. that's the best part} But after looking for fabric, and trying to figure out how to do it with two children running around everywhere, I came up with the idea to barter. I thought I'd give away a photo session if someone could sew me two (and I had people quickly jump on that offer!). ...I love bartering, FYI. ....Then, I realized I was causing stress where it was not needed. I could pull something together for the two of us. And so I did.

{also photographed, Emerson sans shorts-a-la-monkey backpack and Stone in what appears to be winter attire in triple digit weather...he was dressing up for the babysitter. hehe}

...it came together, and it worked!

We had a fun time, and my kids loved the babysitter. It's always fun to do something different with a hunky guy at my side!

El Paso

2011-08-30T19:16:00.000-05:00

We really do love El Paso. Like a lot. I think it's a place you have to grow up in to appreciate and love. I don't know that we really ever appreciated it as much as we do these days. I guess we're desert rats, in love with the Southwest. So any chance we get we like to visit! We've been lucky to go home several times recently for weddings that I've shot, and most recently, for Cliff's high school reunion.

First off....80 has never looked so good. Meet my grandma, whom Stone refers to as Grandma Dotty:

Isn't she so cute? Looks too good to be 80, that's for sure!

I love these two ladies!

Stone has a really hard time with goodbyes. He sometimes gets a little mean when saying goodbye because he hates it so much. Here is example number one from the trip. He was grumpy the morning that Jordan's fam came by to say goodbye before heading home. Stone wouldn't say goodbye to Gavin. We had a similar experience that night when he had to say goodbye to Danny. More on that later.

After they had left, Stone started crying that he didn't get to say goodbye (we tried!), so I ran him out, and he was able to bid farewell to Gavin, whom owns the most delicious cheeks and red hair.

And I post this last picture for one reason. It is the most flattering and lovely picture of myself. BAHAHA. Kidding. It was the only one of my dad and Jordan all trip. Jordan didn't even let me go put on some makeup real quick. They were in a hurry. (I may have run off to put a little mascara on). Hello bed head (mine).

And a trip to El Paso would not be complete without Danny. While we were at the reunion one night, Marcy and Kevin took all the grandkids (Danny, the twins, Sebastian, Luke, James, Stone) to Western Playland--a little amusement park. I need to get some fun clips and pics that Marcy took. Stay tuned for those!

TEN!

2011-08-22T18:59:00.004-05:00

Cliff graduated from high school TEN years ago. Which means we started dating TEN years ago! Which also means Jordan graduated TEN years ago. And lucky for us, the rival high schools (Cliff=CHS; Jordan=FHS) had a combined high school reunion. We were the only two high schools on the westside of town. The other 20 in our district (I'm not even exaggerating) were on the other side of town. Therefore, though total rivals, the schools mingled a lot through the years, and they decided to combine the reunion.

The CHS graduates associate me as Cliff's wife. The FHS graduates associate me as Jordan's sister. I had to make it VERY clear that I was not tagging along with my brother, like I may have tried to do once or twice a decade ago. My how things have changed. Because these days, we actually do hang out. I loooove his wife, and now that he and Cliff are not grunting at each other on opposite sides of the football field, they kind of like each other, too. :)

So here are our engagement, I mean candid, I mean, semi-posed shots, before taking off for the Saturday portion of the reunion.

Pardon the quality and size of the next pictures taken with my phone. I sent them to myself as small files:

We had fun with Jordan and Rachel. Always do!

Jordan and Cliff each won a prize that night. One winner from each school that has the most children. We're Mormons, what do you expect? hehe :)

We had a GREAT time. Though the turnout was not phenom (considering each graduating class had 600+), we really did have so much fun. It was fun for me to mingle not only with Cliff's friends, but the peeps that graduated with Jordan, as well. And Cliff had a great time catching up with old buddies.

A few more El Paso pics up next...

Balloon Festival

2011-08-20T19:24:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, I got an early morning text from my friend, Nancy, telling me we should take Stone out to see the hot air balloons. I had no idea what she was talking about at first. Cliff had just returned home from the gym, and I asked him if there were hot air balloons in the sky. He said they were everywhere. So we woke Stone up, and Cliff took him out on a morning drive to see all the fun balloons.

It was the weekend of the Great Texas Balloon Race. Thanks to the low down from Nancy, we headed to the festival that night, rode some rides, indulged in fair food, and got up close and personal with the hot air balloons.

We had a great time! These are the kind of moments I hope my kids will always remember. I love our fun, family outings.

This was the exit of the Fun House, and Stone was a bit terrified to walk through. It spun around, and he didn't know what to make of it. They stopped it for a quick second, and he SPRINTED through it before it started up again.

Arizona and a Funeral

2011-08-09T08:21:00.002-05:00

My Grandpa (Brown) passed away on July 9. It was expected, but it's always still hard to say a final goodbye. Charisse, my aunt, asked the grandkids to sing a primary medley, and asked me to sing a solo during it. Practice went well, all was well. Until it was time for me to actually sing, and I just started to cry. I think I got about 5 words out. Oh well! The funeral was beautiful, and my dad and his sisters did a great job organizing it. It was so fun to see all my Brown cousins--who I have not seen in years.

I got to spend time with both sides of my family, and despite the circumstance for being in Arizona, we had a great time with everyone. Since it was a quick, last minute trip, Emerson and I went by ourselves.

She fell in love with Milo, my mom's dog...

We got to go swimming with my dad and all my dad's family at a little family party. She started to feel sick this night, and you can tell:

Got to see my cousin, Trevor, who I hadn't seen in a long time. We used to go on trips together with my aunt, Charisee, and give each other a hard time. I may have pushed him in the pool for old time's sake.

We got to see this delicious new addition to the Jordan Brown family:

Got to hear this adorable red headed delight sing songs, read stories, and give us his "stinky" face and "don juan" face:

Got to hang with some of my girls, whom I love love love (again, look how sick my poor baby looks).

And got to have a fun family dinner, including my grandma:

I wish I would have taken more pictures! We had a great time on our quick trip. I loooove Arizona. Even in all 110 degrees. It's actually been hotter in east Texas this summer than Arizona, so I'll take it. :)

And now we're getting ready to head to El Paso for Cliff's high school reunion!

Utah-->Texas-->Arizona

2011-07-25T21:43:00.006-05:00

I recently returned from a last minute trip to Arizona for my Grandpa's funeral. Despite the circumstance, it was a great, quick trip. He will be missed, but at last, he rests in peace. We love Grandpa Brown! I will blog that trip next. I'm OCD about keeping things chronological on this blog.

First up, is my quick trip (that preceded my Arizona trip) to Utah to shoot a wedding at the Sundance resort. Awesome wedding, fun bride, great party. Can't wait to share it on my photo blog.

Other than the wedding, there were three must-dos on my list: see my brother Tanner's family (he is currently stationed in Germany, so I didn't get to see him), play with my sista, Kris-TEN, and stuff my face at El Azteca.

First up was Kristen. I have several best friends. ...best friends at different stages in my life. ...but this girl (as well as her sister), is what I like to call a bosom buddy. We grew up in the same neighborhood, went to the same church, saw each other through all ups and downs of life, and though we now only see each other every couple of years, we pick up right where we left off. We also always cry together for no apparent reason. As soon as we saw each other our eyes watered up. They always have, and they always do. We talked and talked for hours, and she accompanied me to El Azteca. We also got to talk to her sista, Lauren, via ichat.

And I got to meet my precious "niece" for the first time. Meet Makayla.

This is what we called the "mommies" pose. We totally look like partners to this sweet child. bahahahaha. The daddy is behind the camera. :)

Next up was Charee, Chloe, and Tru. My brother, Tanner, is currently stationed in Germany. He is an officer in the Army, and his sweet family is just about to meet up with him for the adventure. I was lucky enough to see them twice. We had breakfast Friday morning, and then they headed up to Sundance Saturday morning, and I got to play with them for a few minutes.

Can you believe there is snow on the mountains in July???

These two kids melt my heart.

I had a great time catching up with Charee and spending time with these kiddos, whom I adore.

Though it was a quick weekend trip, it was wonderful. I loved every minute of it!

Next up...Arizona.

Stone V. 4.0

2011-07-12T23:30:00.001-05:00

Can I call him my baby still? Stone turned 4 today. I remember the day perfectly that this boy made me a mommy, and I am SO glad he did.

This kid is awesome. He's fun. He's entertaining. He's smart. He's witty. He's athletic. He's feisty. He's happy. He's funny. He's sweet. He's loving. He's tough. He's caring. He's well rounded, what can I say. He is my little buddy, and I love him dearly.

We like birthdays in this house. If you recall last birthday, we went all out. Well, after coming across a blog post a while back from this lovely lady (a friend from a previous ward--a blog you must add to your google reader!), we decided to do an every-other-year bash. So this year, instead of the full out party, we celebrated as our family of four, and had an awesome day.

Stone woke up to a brand new bike:

Cliff was REALLY excited about this present. I mean thrilled. He woke Stone up because he was so anxious. And Stone was the happiest boy on the planet. He rode this thing ALL DAY long in the triple digits.

Then we hit Stone's favorite for lunch--Old McDonald's (McDonald's), then Chuck E. Cheese's for dinner (I know, healthy eating day, right?), opened gifts, and had some cake. All day was Stone's day, and he was such a happy boy.

There is about one thing on this planet that I am OCD about (well, maybe 2, maybe 3). And that is taking birthday portraits ON THE BIRTHDAY. Today was not a success. I stuck to my rule, but we will definitely be having another photo shoot very soon.

It started out with a 3-minute FLAT photo shoot in the AM. This is how successful I was:

So THEN, after our fun day, before Chuck E. Cheese's, I tried a 2nd time. This one lasted 4 minutes:

Though he's the cutest boy you have ever seen, another photo shoot is around the corner.

Okay, before you wonder what the heck kind of cake this is, I guess I will explain. A couple weeks ago in church, Stone turned to the family behind us and told them his birthday was coming up, and his mommy was making him a spiderman blankey cake (he has a Spiderman blanket) with a Woody and a Buzz. Say what?! Well, he didn't forget. Yesterday he told me the same thing. So, I made webs on a cake, and got little Toy Story toys to top it off with. Thankfully it was just the 4 of us, so I didn't have to do anything impressive. Because let's face it. What a random cake. But once again, Stone was in heaven and so thankful for it.

It was a wonderful day celebrating my little boy.

Stone-We love you SO much. You are a great big brother, and the best little buddy. We'll keep you! :) Looooove you!

Summertime!

2011-07-01T11:46:00.005-05:00

Hi. My name is Kendal and I run this blog. Yeeeesh. I've been MIA. Before I resigned from my job, I was at my computer around the clock. In between tasks, I'd blog. It was so refreshing. It was my quick escape from work. I still totally enjoy blogging, I just have to remind myself to do so now. These days, I'm only at my computer when I edit. And when I edit, that's all I do. Everything else is done from my phone.

We have definitely been enjoying this summer, and we have the tanlines and red faces to prove it. My children are blessed with bronze skin, thanks to their Latin daddy, my hubby. I, on the other hand, have to work much harder for that glow. And let's be honest. It's a very cherry glow.

We started the summer off in El Paso, where I shot such a fun wedding. I traveled with TWO kids SANS Cliff, which included 4 planes roundtrip, the DFW airport, a forgotten stroller, and too many carry-ons to keep the children occupied. Once we landed safely, we had a fabulous time. We spent a lot of time with Deborah and her family. My dad took the kids swimming while I had photo shoots, and we got to spend a lot of time with Cliff's parents, as well.

We really do love El Paso, and will be back there in August for Cliff's high school reunion. I can't believe it's been 10 years. That means we started dating TEN years ago!

If we are outside, water is involved. We are either at the pool, running through the sprinklers, sliding down a slip and slide, etc.

tell me you love the plumber's crack.

And don't you worry. I have plenty of clips and pictures for your Stone and Emerson fixes. I felt like I just needed to say hello first.

I'll be bach. Soon. xoxo

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-21T15:53:00.001-05:00

Oh blog, how I've neglected you! We are just too busy this summer, it seems like!

Before I catch you up on what we've been up to, I can't let this Father's Day weekend pass (oh wait, it's passed, oops) without giving a proper shout out to my fan-freakin'-tastic hubby who is also an awesome father. He recieved a grill for Father's Day, and with that, came the task of making his own Father's Day meal. I promise I'm a good wife, he wanted to do that with his new grill.

and can you tell that these two felt left out??
I'm so glad we're doing this parenting thing together. And of course, we have awesome fathers that we love greatly and appreciate all they've done for us.

And I want to give a shout out to the men I love! You all rock.

Update coming soon!!

We love you, Auntie Shan!

2011-06-01T16:02:00.004-05:00

BFF, Sha-nay-nay played Easter Bunny just before the holiday rolled around. She surprised us with a DARLING dress for Emerson and an awesome tie for Stone. Isn't she sweet?! I heart my BFF, and we miss her! We hope to get her out here for a weekend this summer.

You know how they say the mechanic's car runs the worst? That's how I feel on snapping pics of my children! I don't take nearly as many pictures as I should, considering I am a photographer. So that is my excuse on the delay of pictures, Shannon.

I need to get more pictures of Stone in his sa-weet tie, but for now, here is one re-posted.

And here is my darling girl with the darling dress! Also let it be known, these pictures were taken today, and Emerson woke up with a fever early this morning. She had a quick, small, early breakfast, and went back to sleep until 2:30! She woke up for some lunch, and what girl doesn't feel better when you get all dressed up and go out?! Even if "out" is in our backyard. She enjoyed the fresh air, and now she is back sleeping. You can tell from her eyes that she's not feeling 100%, but she sure enjoyed soaking up some Vitamin D and breathing in some fresh air.

Thank you, Shannon, for the wonderful gifts!

The pout that melts our hearts.

2011-05-30T22:47:00.007-05:00

We rarely see this see this...

...but when we do, our hearts melt! There are just a couple things that can bring on the pout. 1. When something is unrightfully taken from her and 2. When mommy scolds her for getting into her makeup. And I use the term "scold" very loosly. Sometimes a simple dissapointed face accompanied with the word "no" can bring it on. (oh, and I'm obviously not scolding her in this clip, nor does it show the pout in action. It's just to show you how happy she is when she gets away with my makeup.)

I can't really blame the girl for getting into my makeup. First, she is just copying her mommy! And second, by the second makeup mishap, I should have learned my lesson to ALWAYS put it away up high. And I mean HIGH. She will climb onto the toilet, and then up to the counter top to get it. She's one determined girl, that's for sure.
She is communicating SO WELL with us these days. She understands us great. If I ask her to get something or close something, she does it immediatly. She's proving to be obediant, and I hope it sticks! She folds her arms on command (has been doing that for a while now), she "sings" when we sing, she dances, she does "on your mark, get so, go!", plays tag, and claps for herself when she does something good (could be one of the cutest things!). She is soooo sweet. We LOVE you, Emerson!

"Daddy needs one"

2011-05-28T11:19:00.004-05:00

A few nights ago, I took some senior pictures of Sophia (you can see the sneak peak here. More to come of her on my photo blog SOON). Her parents were kind enough to watch my kids during our photo shoot (they go to our church). While we were gone, Stone and Emerson had a BLAST. Neither wanted to leave, and Stone even threw a fit.

Sophia's dad let them play on his awesome motorcycle. Emerson looks so concerned!

...and that would be, because she IS concerned (see below).... as soon as Stone started the throttle, she freaked out a little...

...so Sophia came to the rescue (she was keeping a watch on Emerson below)...

And then this kid had fun making loud sounds on the bike.
Stone has already asked to go back, and he thinks Daddy needs to buy one now.

Thank you, Rossows for watching my kids! :)

Bundled up in May

2011-05-19T15:15:00.006-05:00

I know. I know. You're in shock. Not only does this kid have something on in addition to his undies, but he actually fell asleep in CLOTHES...though not a matching pajama set.

We've had such a hard time keeping clothes on this boy, but these days, we have a hard time stripping him down! He goes around in a coat as "Clark Kent" with his Superman shirt underneath so he can become Superman. ...that's not a shocker. ...he's always some superhero, and switches back between their civilian identity, and their superhero alias (which let me remind you...he knows THEM ALL). Thankfully, we have had BEAUTIFUL weather, which apparently is very uncharacteristic for east Texas. We've been in the mid 70s and 80s, and it's mid May. I'll take it!!! I LOOOVE IT!

The other night, he went to bed in his undies, and when we checked on him before bed, he had put this little ensemble together:

He also refers to himself as Clark whenever he is in a vest.

Next up. ...though it's an unflattering picture of yours truly, I had to post this. My photographer of a son took this photograph. I think this showcases pure talent. Great composition, and he caught our emotion in that moment. Perhaps I will take him along as my 2nd shooter to my next wedding. As for this sweet girl.....she is a doll. She gets into my makeup EVERY day. She has a bottomless stomach and eats ALL the time, but you'd never guess it because she is so petite. She loves to squat in our backyard at the back fence and play with the dogs. ...which by the way, I think it's safe to say that "dog" was her first real world after the usual Mama and Dada. She dances, and carries my phone around while the ipod plays, and she sticks up for herself if Stone takes something away from her.

These two kids continue to keep me busy, and someone in public ALWAYS has something to say about how my hands must be full. Yes, yes they are. But I'd have it no other way.

She sports the pigtails!

2011-05-05T15:13:00.006-05:00

The time has finally come for Emerson to sport pigtails. Though tiny, they are pigtails. She is so stinkin' cute! We love her!

Below, is what many refer to as "The Brown Scowl". Apparently I have a very defined scowl when I'm either A)concentrating or B)disgusted. Cliff will sometimes take his finger and rub it down the center between my eyes when this happens. haha! Emerson had one as a new born, and I was afraid she'd get a permanent wrinkle, it was so pronounced. As Nena (my dad's mom) would sing, "Oh it's great to be a Brown! A Brown never frowns! He's never grumpy or gruff! He'll never bite off your head, 'till you wish you were dead! Oh it's great, I said it's great to be a Brown!". She married into the Brown family, and I think she was singing this sarcastically. :) And thus, the scowl has been passed down.

Another Wonderful Easter!

2011-04-25T22:13:00.005-05:00

This past week has been fun filled with Easter egg hunts and beautiful weather!

We tried explaing the meaning of Easter to Stone this year. I don't think he fully comprehended it (but do any of us?). I want him to know at his young age, who the Savior is, what he did for us, and why we will live again after this life. It is such an understatement to say I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I don't just have faith that Jesus Christ lives. I know it. There is no way I can ever deny this, because I have learned it for myself. At some point, it seems as though we all lean on someone else's testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, until we learn for ourselves what it all really means, and that it all really is true. We believe because that is how we are brought up. Then there comes a turning point, where we decide for ourselves if we believe in all of this. ...That the gospel is true. ...That Jesus Christ lived, died, and was ressurrected. ...And therefore, WE will live again after we have left this earth. There comes a point where we believe this ourselves, or we don't. I reached this point many years ago, and I will never be able to deny Jesus Christ, and that he lives. I will stand as a witness at all times, because I know this to be true.

It weighs heavy on my heart when I hear people say they don't believe in Jesus Christ, that he is our Savior. I want so bad for these people to FEEL what I feel every day. To KNOW what I know. To EXPERIENCE the healing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. THEN, they will know what happiness truly is. THEN, they will know that there is a Savior who died for us, who walked down a long, dark, lonely path, JUST so that we DON'T HAVE TO. We may find ourselves in dark places. In lonely instances. But we can escape that. We can have everlasting happiness and life, because HE has made that possible.

I have posted this video on my blog before, but Elder Holland says it all so perfectly. If you haven't seen this video, please watch it! THIS is what I believe.

And to celebrate this holiday, we indulged in egg hunts, too much candy, and lots of laughs.

Egg hunt 1: She couldn't wait to go through her basket, so she snacked while she hunted.
Who said my kids are full of facial expressions? Oh yeah, everybody...

Do you see them?! Her two top teeth have broken through. This girl now has 4 teeth.

My little Texas cowgirl. I heart Texas. I heart cowboy boots. I heart PINK cowboy boots.

This kid plays HARD.

Slip and Slide!

2011-04-21T13:49:00.002-05:00

Something I was not aware of before moving back east in the great Lone Star State...is how BEAUTIFUL spring time is here! Oh my gosh. We have been SO blessed with amazing weather for the past couple months now. I know the brutal summer is right around the corner with triple digit temperatures and what feels like 100% humidity, but for now, we are enjoying the beautiful weather.

We recently got the kids a slip and slide, and they are loving it. The first day, Stone INSISTED Emerson wear his baby Superman swimsuit. By day two, I called the shots with a cute bikini from Grandma Jessup. :)

Trying to figure out how to stop the water...

Farm Boy Strength or Pretty Boy Muscles?

2011-04-10T23:22:00.006-05:00

Both. My man's got both.

You have your Clark Kent muscles out there. The farm boys, or in Cliff's case, an occasional ranch boy. They get buff from building fences and lifting hay. Similarly, Cliff built houses with his dad, and also worked on his family's ranch growing up.

Then you have your pretty boy muscles. The boys that hit the gym and indulged in free weights. Cliff did (and does) that, too.

So what I'm saying, is he's built strong. Farm {Ranch} strength and gym strength. And with those muscles, I put him to work.

Here is one more reason why my hubby is cooler than yours. He installed our floors! We (ahem, Cliff) just put bamboo floors in our new home, and they look fantastic. He's one of the few lawyers I know that can install floors properly and wonderfully.

As far as the kids, they are loving having a backyard with plenty of space to run around in.

Check this out. You may recognize Stone's shirt. See here. Yes, he is still wearing it, though it is completely worn out. He threw it at me yesterday, and said, "Mommy, this has Cheeto stuff all over. I need you to wash it."

And this pretty girl, is still making us smile.

Oh, and Stone is a good helper, too. He was raking up some leaves.

Today

2011-03-29T00:09:00.006-05:00

Lately, I've really been trying to soak it all in. Remember every little detail from my kids' days. Remember the crazy and smart things Stone says. Remember the peek-a-boo game I play with Emerson, and her squeel when she sees any kind of animal. I've even been trying to soak in Stone's misbehavior. Recently, a few times in public, when I feel like my kids are way too crazy, I've had several different people approach me (perhaps because of my horrible poker face), and tell me, "I PROMISE YOU. You will miss this stage." Another lady said, "ooooh, what I'd give to have just one day with my kids these ages again doing these things." When I hear people say these things, I realize that these crazy little munchkins are going to be grown up before I know it. And so.... I've really tried to soak in every single second with my kids lately. The last few days I've been slower to scold Stone, and quicker to play with him when he asks. I LOVE THESE KIDS. THEY ARE "MORE THAN LOVE".

Thanks, Lor, for these boots!! Emerson is in love with them, and so am I.

Hahaha, yes, Stone is in the baby swing. He loves to swing next to Emerson.

Stone teaching Emerson all about dandelions:

Ooooo! I know you were wondering if we'd get through a whole post with Stone's clothes on! The Superman one-peice swimsuit (a gift from Jordan and Rachel--something you've seen on this blog many of times). It's the gift that keeps giving and giving and giving and giving.

And then he had to button back up to become "Clark Kent" again. Yes, he does all layers.

One week left!

2011-03-23T10:21:00.004-05:00

...to finish what we can to our new home before we move in.

We've been painting a lot, and last night, Cliff started on our floors. We are SO excited! We hope to move in this weekend. We'll see if it happens!

Stone has been a big helper. He's painted a bit, but more importantly, he's kept Emerson occupied.

colors shown in these pictures no longer exist. the walls have been painted.

Sure, he gets into things.

And decides to play drums...

are you surprised he's in his undies? we really do try to keep clothes on this kid.

But he really has been a joy for the most part.

A couple funny things he has said lately:

*"Pa-leeeease! I'll be you're best friend." --uses this line for everything. Such as: "Mommy, please let me ride your back down the stairs. I'll be your best friend!"

*The other night, about 3am, he called out for me. I ran into his room, and he was sitting with his legs crossed, naked. I said, "Stone! What are you doing?"

He said, "Well, I'm a naked boy."

I said, "Yes, I see that. WHY?"

"Well, my undies kinda hurt. I think they're small. Can you give me bigger ones?"

I reached in his drawer, grabbed some, put them on him, and then he passed out on his bed in a split second.

As for this sweet girl...

She has become quite the copy cat. She loves to imitate Stone. She loves to play hide and seek, and she loves to dance! She carries my iPhone around everywhere, set on the ipod and dances. If the music stops, she throws a fit until I can turn it on.

The girls at the gym say she is a handful and that Stone is a piece of cake. I am absolutely shocked everytime they tell me that. She is the easiest child at home, and Stone is the one always into trouble.

I love these two!

Time to buy a lawn mower.

2011-03-13T23:15:00.005-05:00

....and a grill.

....and spend this next week doing some more of this....

...because we just bought a house!

After being transient students for the last 6.5 years between Provo, Salt Lake City and Lubbock, we have finally arrived at a point in our lives to chill for a bit, and buy a house.

We closed on our house a week ago, and in that week, we have scraped off all the popcorn ceilings downstairs, and spent all day yesterday painting and repainting them. WHAT A PROJECT. Thanks to some awesome friends (Julie and Bo) that watched our kids, we were able to get a lot done. We are in our other place until the end of the month, so we have a couple more weeks to tackle as many projects as we possibly can before we move in. WE ARE BEYOND THRILLED.

Next up, painting all the walls (including that orange-ish brown-ish wall in the picture).

This is the reason I have been so absent from my blog! I was shocked that my last post was 2.5 weeks ago!

Stay tuned to see more projects and more of our house!

Time Out at the Jessups

2011-02-24T23:08:00.003-06:00

Stone has become {a little too} comfy in his special place near the fire place. ....the time out spot. The other night, just before bath time, Stone was sent to his spot, and sweet little Emerson gave a sympathy cry and frown, and accompanied him on the fireplace. She was not in trouble by any means, but from the pictures, you'd think so! She was just giving her brother some moral support.

I love my man.

2011-02-15T20:33:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I always REALLY love my man. But sometimes, it's like BAAAM. I get the pitter patter and feel like I'm 16 again when I first fell in love with the buff, '55 Chevy truck drivin', tight white t-shirt wearin', side burn sportin' guy (for all those that roll your eyes at young love....pshhh, roll away).

Like this weekend.

I was preparing one of his V-Day gift's. Which really, I guess, was more of a gift to me. Or rather, a gift he gave me, and I re-gifted it back to him.

You see, Cliff and I started dating almost TEN years ago. I was 16, he was 18. Seven months after we started dating, he left on a two year mission for our church. Regardless of my social life happenings, I never missed a week writing him, and he never missed a week writing me. He collected all of my letters and kept them in a binder during the two years. People made/make fun of it, because it looks like he scrap booked it. But really, I wrote every single letter on scrap book paper, so he did nothing more than put it in a binder. I, on the other hand, stored every one of his letters in a Care Bear suit case my grandmother (Nena) gave me when I was little. I figured it was time to organize them, so I gathered all 100+ letters, organized them, and put them in a scrapbook. I re-read through many of them. My eyes watered up in some, I laughed in others, and that 16-year-old lovin' feelin' beat loudly inside my chest.

A lot happened during those two years, and reading his encouraging, uplifting words he wrote nearly nine years ago was amazing. I can't believe it was a nineteen year old boy that wrote so well, knew exactly what to say, and continuously bore his testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Though we never once saw each other in those two years, our relationship was strengthened in a way I can't really describe. We made it a point to keep our letters G-Rated, as he had the gospel to focus on. However, they were each filled with love, and some letters here and there hinted of a magnificent future together. ...especially as his mission came to an end.

He always says he had hoped I'd have had a boyfriend when he returned so that he could fight for me. Instead, we quickly clicked again, and were engaged a few months later.

What can I say. I'm a lucky girl.

***

Here was my first Valentine from him on his mission....

Happy Birthday, Emerson!

2011-02-01T18:11:00.011-06:00

These first two pictures did not make it in the first round of birthday portraits (scroll down to the previous post) for Emerson. Something happened with my camera and memory card, and a new folder was created on my memory card that I didn't know existed, and I found these gems.

Here is Emerson walking in to open up her birthday gifts:

Violet, this purple puppy, has been a HIT. Emerson has found a new best friend, and loves this stuffed animal. It's programmed to say her name, her favorite food, color, etc., it sings her bed time songs and other fun songs, and puts her name into everything. I LOVE it, and so does Emerson!

"Emerson, no no no. Don't touch it!!" {Cliff moves forward to save her from the flame}

A few seconds too late for the rescue, she touches it....

and then shy cries... :(

Being the wonderful sport that she is, she put a happy face on to work on blowing out the candle...

And eventually blew it out {right after this shot}...

And then indulged....

I think Emerson had a wonderful birthday! I know we had a wonderful time celebrating her. This year has been amazing, and I am so grateful to have this baby girl in our lives!

Emerson Turns One!

2011-01-26T18:49:00.007-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMERSON ROSE!

I honestly cannot believe this sweet girl has been with us for an entire year. She is PURE joy, and makes everyone smile. She's social, yet she has her shy moments. She's already even obedient, and she gets her feelings hurt so easily if we scold {lightly} her for something. She is so beautiful, and she is exactly what we needed in our family. We love her beyond measure.

She is really trying to communicate with us these days. If I ask her where something is, she goes and gets it (binkey, sippy cup, shoe, etc.). When she sees me with a diaper and wipes, she quickly lays down for me (this is a new development--in the past she HATED getting her diaper changed and was the biggest wiggle worm--and she does still have those moments). She is still a cuddle bug and will still sleep on our chests! I don't know many one year olds that still do that. She is an excellent eater, and will eat ANYTHING you put in front of her. She loves her food, yet she is so petite! She also loves her big brother, and follows him around. They are best buddies, and I LOVE to see that every day.

As you may have guessed, we had a little photo shoot today. It actually took me a LONG time to prepare for, and though I am happy with the results, it was not what I had envisioned. Enjoy!

Okay, the plan here was to put her in what was supposed to look like a hot air balloon, all "Up" style. The wind didn't help, but at least I got a couple shots.

Isn't this Mexican dress adorable?! Marcy got it for Emerson, and I absolutely love it. This is Emerson getting in touch with her Mexican side. :)

And lastly, you mustn't overlook her cupcake headband. LOVE IT.

Emerson, we love you so much!!

Off to a good start!

2011-01-22T10:24:00.003-06:00

2011 is off to a good start! We just returned from a trip to Albuquerque and El Paso to see these two tie the knot. Meet Clay and Andy. Clay is Cliff's little brother, and Andy is my new sis-in-law. ...

I feel like I was just helping Clay with his 7th grade science homework from Mrs. Shashy. Not that I'm soooo much older than him, but he was in 7th grade when Cliff and I started dating. I thought we were still the newlyweds! I guess they have taken our place!

The wedding was in the Albuquerque LDS temple, and their reception was the following weekend, so we were in El Paso for a week and half. That gave us plenty of time to have fun with all of our family. We got to visit a lot with Grandma Dotty (my mom's mom), our parents, and the little cousins.

I had several photo shoots in El Paso, so Deborah, Cliff's cousin & Danny's mom, watched my kids a few times. Thanks, Debs! Stone and Danny have SO much fun together. They wrestle, they get mad at each other, and then they get over it, have some more fun, and then the cycle repeats. Bumps and bruises are always included. They are a lot of fun to watch. Here are some pictures of them wrestling on the temple grounds after the wedding. ...

The following two pictures are just to prove, it really is in good fun...

Stone sometimes thinks he's a Kung Fu Fighter. I think Danny got knocked in the face on the following one...

I just can't believe January is already wrapping up. I looove where we are at in life right now. I just want to freeze time for just a little bit and enjoy the stages my kids are at. Oh how it passes so quickly.

*****

Update on my kiddos...

So this boy...
told me yesterday, that he needed to take off his undies so he could go swimming. No, I don't let him skinny dip. I told him it was too cold to swim. I turned around, his undies were off, and he was pretending to swim on the carpet. This kid is HILARIOUS, though sometimes inappropriate. But he is only three...

This girl...

is about to have her BIRTHDAY!!! WHAT?! I seriously feel like I JUST gave birth to her. I can remember that day perfectly. I can remember what Stone was wearing, I can remember looking out my hospital window, watching my Dad and Stone play at the park. I can remember exactly how she looked on that day. Though it feels like yesterday, SO much has happened since then. Cliff finished his last semester of law school, graduated, passed the bar, I had a business trip to Michigan, we moved, Cliff started his job, I resigned, and my photography hobby has become much more than a hobby.

***

Lastly, how is everyone doing with their resolutions? I must admit. Mine start THIS week. I have many things I want to work on and accomplish this year. Usually I pick a few things I can really focus on. But I have several things in different areas of my life that I want to work on, yet NOTHING is written down. And my goals HAVE to be written down, or it's as though they do not exist. I've been working on them, but I don't feel like they are officially my goals yet. We stayed put for the holidays and traveled shortly after for the wedding, so I feel like our holidays have now wrapped up, and now it's time to really work on 2011.

There. Did you make it through this post?

Stone Enters Primary

2011-01-04T16:38:00.005-06:00

I don't know how it happened, but my lil' boy is now a Sunbeam. Is that possible? Is he really already 3? Actually, he's 3 1/2. In our church, the little ones go to Nursery until the January after they turn 3. They begin nursery when they are 18 months old. They sing songs, learn simple lessons, eat snacks, and play with toys...all while their parents go to their Sunday school classes and church meetings. Then they graduate to primary the January after they turn 3. Those 3 year olds are called Sunbeams. And that is what happened to this boy this past Sunday. He became a Sunbeam.

I'm actually in the Primary presidency (so I help with all the kids 3-11). So I got to see the transition take place, and I must say... he did MUCH better than I expected of this overly energetic, superhero playing boy. We had to talk it up to him the whole week before. He was a bit devastated that he'd no longer be in nursery. Yes, he got out of his chair a few times. Yes, he kept unbottoning and buttoning back up his vest. Yes, he insisted on marching up front while the teacher was teaching, and close the mailbox because it was open. BUT, considering the amount of energy this kid has, and considering he is known to be a bit rowdy {that may be an understatement}, I would give him an A+ for the day.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T22:59:00.005-06:00

Christmas this year, was just as exciting as it ever was as a child. It's a different excitement, but excitement, nonetheless. Christmas with kids--especially a three year old--is so fun, magical, and memorable.

It was our first Christmas to stay put, and it was SO enjoyable! We absolutely love traveling home for the holidays, and spending it with our loved ones, but having a Christmas with just our little family was a new, fun experience. There's something different about being in your own home, and having the kids run down to their tree Christmas morning.

We continued some traditions that I brought into our family from my family growing up. Starting with Chinese food for Christmas Eve dinner {at a fabulous Chinese buffet}. Then on Christmas morning, we had Eggs Benedict, my absolute favorite, followed by a huge Christmas dinner with just the four of us. My first (yes, first!) turkey was a complete success {thanks, Mom, for the tips}. We kind of went all out with a table full of food, and it was just the four of us!

Some Christmas Memories from 2010:

*Stone got to bed a bit late Christmas Eve. I finally said, "we better get to bed! We don't want Santa to skip our house and give your presents to another a little boy!" :::mean, I know, I know::: He quickly ran up to his bed, and not even 5 minutes later, he came out crying, saying, "oooooh nooooo!! I think Santa skipped us!!" Cliff then pulled up Norad (the Santa tracker) to show Stone that he was still on course to our home.

*We thought we could "play" Santa and make some noises to get Stone excited for the night after he was in bed. Cliff made some noise in the chimney, and I rang what I thought sounded like bells (but it was a long lost rattle that I had just found of Emerson's). I went in to Stone soon after and said, "Did you hear that?? Was that Santa??" He responded, "Ummm, that was not Santa. That was you shaking Emmy's toy." Oh crap. I didn't even fight him on it, afraid of spoiling it, so I said, "Oh yeah, not that, that was me. Did you hear the chimney?" And he said, "He's not here yet. That was not him." This kid is too smart.

*Stone's big Christmas present was a remote control helicopter. He plays with it ALL THE TIME. We end up crashing it quite a bit, which makes me so happy that I bought a $3 replacement/protection plan. He was playing with it the day after Christmas when I was picking up some things. I thought he was in his own little world playing away. I grabbed the box to the helicopter, and said to Cliff, "I guess we should keep this in case we need to replace it with the plan." Stone quickly said, "but Mom, Santa gave it to me. We can't do that." YIKES! If we're not careful, we will have a 4 year old not believing in Santa next year. I'm glad we had these few experiences this year to prepare us for next year when he's even smarter.

*Emerson got a doll, and clapped for joy. She was beyond thrilled to carry her doll around everywhere. We have video, and will put some clips together for the blog to show her excitement. Though she thoroughly enjoyed the morning, she's still about the wrapping paper and bows. For the last month or two, she's been clapping, waving, and saying Mama and Dadda appropriately. I can't believe she turns one in a month!

*I had to run to Hobby Lobby a few days before Christmas, and Stone said, "Mommy. Hobby Lobby....well....well, Hobby Lobby....it's kind of....well.....{trying to think of a word that he won't get in trouble for, but can't think of anything else} STUPID." I said to Stone, "That's not a nice word. Why do you say that??" He replied, "Well, it's a good store for you. It's not a good store for me. Hobby Lobby....doesn't work out for me." Haha!

You may recall the outtakes (really, they were just candids I snapped while Stone and Emerson were getting situated on Santa's lap) with Santa. I finallyfound the actual picture we paid for...

I'm guilty of not taking many pictures Christmas morning! But here are a few that show their excitement for the big day....

This whole month, we were full of thanks, joy, and love. I'm grateful for our Savior, and glad that we celebrate his birth every year. I'm so glad that Stone was able to understand the importance and significance of the holiday. We hope everyone had just as wonderful of a Christmas as we did.

Now on to a new year, new goals, and new habits.

A little Stone fix.

2010-12-14T18:16:00.005-06:00

One thing is for sure. Stone will keep us laughing our entire lives, I'm sure of it. I'm loving the Christmas season with him. Each Monday, we hold Family Home Evening, where we sing a song, say a prayer, and have some sort of lesson and/or activity. This whole month, we've been going over and over the story of Baby Jesus, and he has it down.

Oh, and are you really surprised that he has no clothes on? He managed to at least walk around in a sweatshirt, but only because it looks like The Human Torch from Fantastic Four.

First up, what gifts did Baby Jesus receive?

Next up, Stone singing "I am a Child of God"

Lastly, his own little medley of "I am a Child of God" and "Teach me to Walk in the Light." He had the 2 songs confused. Make sure to watch at :07 seconds, when he says he needs to start over. Hilarious kid!

Some things he has said lately:

Me: Stone, you really need to eat your dinner.

Stone: Oh yeah, tough guy? You wanna be a tough guy?

-----

Stone: Oh mom. That doesn't make sense.

----

Stone: I'm a lawyer. {wanting to follow in his Daddy's footsteps}

----

Yesterday and today I have felt pretty awful. Cliff took care of the kids last night, and was giving Emerson a bottle. I heard Stone say, "Ewwww, Daddy. Emerson's bottle is ICKY."

Cliff: "Did you taste it?? It's for babies!"

Stone: "Yes, it is SO icky."

hahaha. So I asked him about it today, and asked what it tasted like. He said, "bad oranges."

Not sure what that means!!

Outtakes

2010-12-12T15:16:00.002-06:00

I love the Christmas season. I love how magical it is with kids. I love that Mr. Elf is keeping Stone in his place (we bought an elf, and place it in different places around the house--he's Santa's eye at the Jessup home, and reports back to Mr. Clause on how Stone is behaving. It's working great. Thanks, Mom, for the idea!).

I love that Stone kind of gets what Christmas is really about, and knows that Jesus' parents are Mary and Joseph. At first he thought we were celebrating Santa's birthday, but now he gets it.

What is there not to like about this season? I love everything about it!

I can't find the actual picture I paid for (I'll post it as soon as I find it), but here are some of the outtakes I managed to snap when my kids went to see Mr. Clause, himself.

The other day, we were pulling up to TJMaxx (Oh, how I love TJ), when Stone remembered that he had seen Batman underwear there a few days previous when we made a quick stop by the store. He said, "Ohh, mama, are we here to get my Batman undies??" We've been telling him for a few weeks now not to ask for things when we're out and about, because Santa needs to have things to bring him. SO, I said, "oh no, but you can ask Santa for some!!" Stone's response?...

"Ooooh no, no, no, no, Mommy. I'm not asking him for undies! I'm asking him for a remote control helicopter and a new movie about Toy Story. No undies."

HA! He'll be surprised when he actually finds them in his stocking. :)

---

As far as Emerson Rose, she is TOTALLY walking. Remember when I posted the video of her walking just a week ago? Well, my babe-a-loo hardly crawls anymore. She's all about walking. She's a pro now. Here's a quick video for our journaling sake, and well, because she's too dang cute:

I hope everything is feeling the Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas!

GIVEAWAY!

2010-12-08T23:22:00.005-06:00

I'm giving away a Photography Session! Check out my photo blog for details!

Thanksgiving in El Paso

2010-12-06T22:42:00.008-06:00

For some reason, we thought it would be a good idea to jump in our car and cross the state of Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday. Heading to El Paso for the holiday was GREAT. Driving across the 2nd largest state in America...less than great. We drove from one of the most eastern cities in Texas to THE most western city. The kids actually did awesome, but the road kept going and going and going. But as we pulled into the city limits and saw the lightscape of the sister cities (Juarez/El Paso), it was all worth it.

Both families (mine and Cliff's) gathered at my in-laws to celebrate the day. Our families are great friends and have lived near each other and gone to church together for years and years. So, it's always a blast to mesh the two, and saves us from eating multiple T-day dinners. It's always a party at the Jessups! Jordan, Rachel, and Gavin also came in for the holiday, so a fun time was had. We missed Tanner and Charee's family, as well as Deborah and Cecilio's. Stone was devastated when he realized his El Paso partner-in-crime, Danny, would be away.

Dinner was AMAZING, and as usual, there was just too much to choose from.

We also spent some time with our Bracken cousins, and the boys LOVED playing in the leaves. I love fall in Texas. Love, love, love it.

A trip to El Paso would not be complete without a stop to Chicos.

My chicka at Chicos with Marcy:

FOUR GENERATIONS:

Can you tell we're related?!

My grandma has relocated to El Paso, and as always, we love seeing her. We went shopping the day after Thanksgiving, and she had me LAUGHING.

During the break, I had a few photo shoots, one being my beee-utiful pregnant sister (in law). My dad had some hook ups to the golf course, and we hopped on 3 golf carts, and headed out to take pictures. Below is the famous weapon that Stone used to run over Emerson and me. We were all standing around, when Stone snuck back onto the golf cart, turned it on, and started driving the dang the thing. Cliff chased him and grabbed him out, while my Dad turned it off. He ran over us, and apparently I let out a scream, but all was well. Luckily Emerson was fine, and all I had to show for the accident was a sore knee later that day. This kid can operate machinery, let me tell ya. He knew exactly how to handle the thing. Had he not run us over, I'm not sure how we would have stopped him.

While we were out there taking Rachel's pictures, we managed to get a few family ones, as well. Thank you, Jordan, for snapping these.

We LOVE going home to El Paso, we LOVE the Mexican food, and we LOVE our families. We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Emerson is Walking!

2010-12-04T09:01:00.003-06:00

I took a break from Christmas decorating to capture this cute little thing walking. She started walking about a month ago, but maxed out at 4 steps. After our Thanksgiving trip to El Paso, she suddenly decided to walk everywhere, rather than crawl. She'll now stand up wherever she is and walk. She even gets through the little obstacle known as Stone, as he runs in front of her. Walking baby+Christmas tree=no good.

Up next: Our Thanksgiving Trip

Cliff is legit, and I have resigned!

2010-11-29T14:08:00.002-06:00

A week ago, Cliff took the oath and officially became an attorney, and I experienced my first true work-free day! Needless to say, it was a GREAT day.

The Friday before Thanksgiving was my last day at The Summit Group. I had been working there for 4+ years. I started working there just after I graduated from BYU. Just around my 1 year anniversary with the company, Cliff graduated from BYU, and I had Stone. We were off to Lubbock, Texas, for Cliff to begin law school. My boss called me in and offered me the chance to work from home. It started off as a 6 month trial to see if we could make it work from home, and we quickly realized it was awesome on both sides. ...for me, and for them. It turned out the be one of the greatest blessings through law school. It enabled me to put Cliff through law school, and to remain a full-time stay-at-home mommy. I got to put my degree to practice all Mad Men style (actually, it's nothing like Mad Men). Cliff is now done with school, and lately, it had become QUITE THE CHALLENGE to be a full-time mommy while juggling what had become a crazy work load. So now, I get to give my kids my undivided attention. It was a little bittersweet, but more so sa-weet! I'm really feeling how wonderful it is today. Last week was vacation, so this week I will really begin to feel my freedom. Today FEELS GOOD!

Up next...our Thanksgiving trip!

Below: My handsome attorney.

Below: Jose (Cliff's boss), the judge, and Cliff

Music to my Ears

2010-11-16T23:06:00.005-06:00

I love everything about this girl. Recently, we've learned how sensitive she is, and how shy she can be! She's so stinkin' adorable. But here, you get a taste of her wonderful laugh. I'm so glad she's mine!!

PS: I think my favorite part is at :15 seconds when she makes a poker face for a mili-second, just before loosing it to laughter.

Attorney at Law

2010-11-11T21:38:00.002-06:00

Meet my husband, a new Texas attorney. HOOOORAY!

Remember when I said, "He did it. We did it. We're Done." ? Well, we weren't quite done. He had to take this massive thing called THE BAR. 3 day test, not to mention one of the harder bar exams in the country. I knew he'd pass, but you can't help but feel a little anxious and nervous as you wait 3 months for the results. Plus, we moved across the state of Texas for a job, so our fingers were crossed, prayers were said, and we heard last week. HE DID IT. WE DID IT. WE'RE DONE.

Congrats, babe! I Love you, and I'm proud of you! You rock my world!

"To Infinity and Be-zizzal*!"

2010-10-31T22:47:00.005-05:00

*AKA: "Beyond"

When we first introduced Toy Story to Stone a while back, he would run around pretending to be Buzz Lightyear, saying, "To infinity, and be-zizzal!" He quickly learned it was actually, "beyond". I find myself slower to correct his cute mis-pronunciations these days, I guess thinking that it will slow down time just a bit, and let him be my little {baby} boy. For instance....this weekend, he said, "Trickler Treat!" Next year he will know exactly how it's pronounced, so after a few corrections this weekend, we decided to let it be. :)

Sooo....we were the Toy Story gang, and although Bo Peep is no longer part of the cast, we brought her back. Getting Halloween costumes ready each year turns out to be a little {a lot}stressful, but it's all worth it in the end. It's important to Stone. Remember how he was Green Lantern for his birthday? Well, on Cliff's birthday a few days ago, he said, "oh, but Mommy!!! What's daddy gonna be for his birthday?!" So, we all dressed up again this year (last year, due to some traveling, we skipped the family theme)...

Introducing: Bo Peep, Her Little Sheep, Buzz Lightyear, and Woody.

First up, family picture. Stone was a little grumpy in this picture, but it was the only family one we got...

Stone loves Toy Story. He was THRILLED when we surprised him with his wings Thursday night. I had them hidden, but after seeing Toy Story 3 for the second time with some friends at the dollar theater Thursday night, we thought it'd be the perfect time to pull them out.
And here's my little sheep. Poor girl screamed her heart out the first time I pulled this costume over her head. Good thing we had a dress rehearsal with costumes Friday afternoon when we visited Cliff at his office. I was able to stretch it out a bit when we got home to avoid her feeling like she was going through birth all over again...

Doesn't she make the cutest dang sheep you have ever seen? We sure think so!

The best part of this quick candid below is his shoes are on backwards.

Halloween is always a fun holiday! Everything is so much better with kids. We had a blast again this year with the costumes. We went to a church party last night, and went around a little bit tonight. I wonder how long Stone will be Buzz. He barely put his Superman cape to a temporary rest just before he turned into Green Lantern for his birthday.

Happy 28th, Babe!

2010-10-28T09:41:00.003-05:00

I can't believe this was the TENTH year for me to celebrate October 27. Granted, Cliff was away for 2 of them (on his mission for our church). But TEN birthdys to celebrate together?! Wowzas!

I really wanted to get a birthday portrait of Cliff, but by the time we got outside, our sunlight was pretty much gone. I'm kind of OCD when it comes to birthday portraits for my family. I like them ON THE BIRTHDAY. I guess we will have to do his portrait a day late, though.

I did, however, take the picture below. Can you believe Stone has clothes on?! Well, it's one of Cliff's suit coats, and underneath, he is shirtless.

I love my husband so much. He is funny, smart, talented, an awesome husband, and an amazing father. I'm glad we got to celebrate him yesterday. HE'S THE BEST!

oh, and as a side note, see how Emerson is tugging his ear? That's her thing with her Daddy. She never does it to me, but she always tugs/massages Cliff's ear when he is holding her. CUTE, huh?!

9 Months?!

2010-10-26T23:59:00.000-05:00

Miss Emerson Rose is 9 months old today! You know what that means! A little photo shoot, complete with a ruffly, lacy romper (yes, oh yes!). And the heels have made their third appearance on this blog. She {okay, I} can't get enough of those.

Has she really been outside the womb as long as she was inside?! This nine months has gone by MUCH faster!

I'm in love with my black and white edits from this shoot, so you get to see both.

And I love her little tongue. I need to pull out some baby pics of me and my tongue. My Grandpa Bracken used to call me "Tongue" when I was a baby because I always had it out. ...just like this:

And these last two are just to show how cute she is standing up!!

Isn't she too little for this? She is on the verge of walking. She takes about 4 steps, then looses balance.

This girl's first tooth finally broke through! About a month ago, she stopped sleeping through the night. Not my favorite thing. My mom thought it might be from teething, but this girl was showing no signs of teething, except for waking up during the night. She has been completely and totally happy. Not even a fussy moment. The first night after it had completely broke through, she slept through the night again, and has been ever since.

Cliff says she's way better than a cute puppy. HAHA, and what he means by that....is that she gets SO excited when someone walks in the room. She smiles, giggles, and bounces up and down. Getting her from her crib is the best. We loooove her and we adore her.

Freedom

2010-10-24T21:32:00.003-05:00

What does freedom mean to you?

To Stone, it means sneaking out in the dark to ride his car.

The other night, I was broiling a couple filets when our kitchen quickly filled with smoke and the detectors went off. Something burned in the oven (not our filets, thank goodness!), and our home quickly filled with smoke. We opened the garage to let out the smoke and get some fresh air. I noticed Stone strapping his helmet on while in his undies, but didn't think much of it.

Next thing I knew, he grabbed his car out of the garage, and decided to go on a bike ride sans clothes, by himself, in the pitch black. He was so quiet and sneaky about it! Good thing I had my eye on him, but he had no idea. He thought he was free.

We let him take a few laps around our place, and coaxed him back inside (which is never easy). He is ALWAYS entertaining us.

A good pair of shoes...

2010-10-17T23:43:00.004-05:00

...makes me happy. Specifically, a good pair of heels. HIGH heels.

You may recall Emerson's 6-month photo shoot, complete with her first pair of heels, courtesy of my mom and my Aunt Leann. To die for, right?

Well, they were definitely the hit at church today. She got quite a bit of attention, and it actually made her a bit shy. She buried her head in Cliff's chest as everyone was admiring her shoes in the parking lot after church. That sounds A LOT more like Cliff than me.

I'm making sure she is wearing these heels to appropriate occasions as often as possible since she is on the verge of walking. Once she starts walking, she won't get to wear these shoes! {yes, on the verge of walking....took about 4 steps last night. She has work to do on her balance, and believe me, we are not encouraging another young walker!}

And so of course, an impromptu photo shoot was necessary this afternoon. Isn't her dress DARLING? A colleague sent it as a gift when Emerson was born, and she is now fitting into it. Thanks, Debbie, it's beautiful!!

These two are SO cute to watch together these days. Stone can get Emerson laughing like no one else. She tries hard to keep up with him.

As far as this guy, he was also entertaining at church today. Sometimes he's a little less than quiet {HA} during church, and says things that make people around laugh, and make us cringe.

Some guys were quizzing Stone after church today on his superhero knowledge, and he passed with an A+. They asked him to show what each superhero does (i.e, Spiderman shoots his webs). I think they thought they were being sneaky when they pulled out Green Lantern, but had they known he was Green Lantern for his 3rd birthday, they would not have been so surprised. :)
Hope you had a great weekend!

Cinderella

2010-10-11T22:29:00.003-05:00

Emerson's new hiding place:
We've caught her covered in soot trying to eat any hidden piece of charcol three too many times now. If I leave her alone for one second, I find her in the fire place painted in ashes (and it's a clean fire place!). She's even managed to move the gate and toy box that had it blocked off.

She also has been scolded for the first time by Cliff (for putting something in her mouth that he kept taking away), and oooooh man, she hammed up the biggest frown imaginable. I didn't know it was possible already at this young age. Pulled on Cliff's (and mine!) heart strings. What are we in for?! We loooove this girl SO much.

And Stone continues to love love love her. At the gym the other day, he picked her up in the day care center, looked at a little boy and said, "She is MY Emerson." And carried her away. Funny boy he is.

We are lucky and proud parents.

Refreshed

2010-10-03T22:13:00.004-05:00

What a refreshing weekend all around! Some high school football , General Conference, my first photo shoot here in Longview, lots of laughs, and a trip to the park this evening to burn {Stone's} excess energy.

1. High School Football--We headed to a high school football game Friday night, complete with concession hot dogs, nachos and a diet coke. Stone entertained those sitting around us, as he mimicked the drum major's every move. I feel like I just graduated high school yesterday, but then I realize I actually just graduated college. Oh wait, then I realize college graduation was 4 years ago. Was 2003 really that long ago? {sigh}

2. General Conference--What an uplifting weekend. Exactly the recharge I needed. I look forward to hearing the prophet and other leaders of our church at each conference (twice a year), and this weekend was just as inspiring as I had hoped it would be. There's not a doubt in my mind that our church is led by the man of God. I don't judge those that have different beliefs than me. I have dear friends that hold different belief systems or belong to other religions, but when I hear the words these leaders speak, there is a burning inside that what they say is true, and I just yearn for those friends to hear what I hear and to know that there is a God who loves us. And he knows us individually. He wants us to be happy, and we are blessed with a prophet to help guide us down a path that leads to true happiness. The world tries to tell us that we don't need these things or beliefs that I cling to. But how is that, when it brings such peace, comfort, and clarity to my life? I guess what I'm saying, is General Conference was wonderful, and exactly what I needed. :)

3. First Longview Photoshoot--I'm ready to finally start promoting my business out here. August was our crazy traveling/moving month. September was our settling in month. October is "let's do this" month. And it started out with a senior session. Check out my photo blog here, for a preview of a beee-utiful senior.

4. Park--And below are a few shots from our evening at the park. Stone is THE energizer bunny, and so we escaped our home for the park this evening once Conference wrapped up. The weather this weekend was absolutely perfect. The air seems more dry, it's crisp, and it's cool. Hooooray for Autumn!

I hope everyone's weekend was as refreshing as mine!

CC Comes to Town

2010-09-27T22:24:00.006-05:00

We just wrapped up a fun week with my mom! My mom came to town last week to help watch our kids while I went on a quick business trip to Michigan. I left Tuesday, came back Wednesday, and I think Stone may have kicked her butt! Okay, not really, because my mom is awesome, but this kid is unreal. Really. He has more energy than any person I know, and loves to put on a show. ...24/7 actually. He had a blast with my mom! It also gave Emerson and my mom a chance to bond. Even if that meant little Emmy throwing up chunks of bannanas on my mom, forcing my mom into a gagging episode (those who know my mom, know that she has a hyper-sensitive gagging reflex). Stone and I got a kick out of it and couldn't stop laughing! My mom really is such a wonderful grandma and mom! We had a blast with her! We were sad to see her go!! We love you, thanks for coming, mom!!

Sonic Oceanwater + Hide and Go Seek= Quick 2 hour drive to the airport.

Stone thought hide and go seek sitting next to my mom was the greatest thing. You can tell by his faces below. I love the little things that keep this kid entertained, and wow, my mom is a good sport!
We miss you already, CC!

I love nursing

2010-09-17T11:30:00.002-05:00

Is that okay to say on here?

By the time I weaned Stone, I was ready for a little freedom, and perhaps I will be like that in a few months when I begin to wean Emerson. And when I say freedom, I mean not planning everything around feedings. Because everything is planned around nursing my babe. Sure I often blog or answer work emails while nursing (hello, multi-tasking is a necessity over here), but I love looking down at her face. She'll often look up at me, as if making sure I am paying attention to her. She dances with her feet while eating. Throws them up and down. If I tickle them, she smiles, but tries hard not to loose concentration while eating. However, she is often distracted, and sometimes I have to go to her room, turn off the lights and nurse in silence.

Just some nursing thoughts today while I'm nursing her.

To Dallas for DMB

2010-09-13T23:25:00.003-05:00

I was a junior in high school when Cliff left on a two year mission for our church. He knew I'd likely be dating while he was gone (I was in high school still!), and so he left me with his entire Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam collections, so no matter the circumstance I may be in when he returned (flash forward two years and I am in my freshman year at BYU), he'd have an excuse to see me and reclaim good old DMB and Pearl Jam.

Did I mention Cliff is DMB's #1 fan? For Father's Day, I surprised Cliff with tickets to the show. We've been looking forward to it all summer. We had some problems nailing down babysitting plans, and our friends Debbie and John who moved from Lubbock a couple months before us (to the Dallas area) so willingly watched our kids! They are so wonderful, and I am so grateful they came to the rescue. Thanks, Debbie!!

In case you can't tell, we may have be sweating a bit.

A fun time was had, we got home at 1:30am and Cliff spoke in church at 8:30am. WHEW. What a whirlwind of a weekend!

Time to lock them IN.

2010-09-07T16:30:00.004-05:00

The other day, Cliff was just getting ready to walk out the door for work, when I was in desperate need of his help. Stone had locked Emerson in her room. At first, I thought no big deal. I often picked the lock of my brother's bedroom growing up. The bobby pin or q-tip works every time. No problemo.

WRONG.

It didn't work. It was jammed, and I could not for the life of me unlock the door. Cliff hurried to his tool box, took off the handle, and the lock was STILL jammed. Next thing I know, Cliff was about to break the door down with his shoulder. WHOA THERE, COWBOY.

"But my baby girl is in there!"

"CLIFF, I can see her. She is fine and happy."

So we took another stab at it, and Cliff unjammed the lock, and placed the handle back on. But this time, the lock is on the outside (strategically done so), and I LOVE IT. It works great as my threat to Stone to stay put at nap time and bed time (he usually comes out about 5 times for water, bathroom, his missing toy, etc.). The thought of being locked in drives him crazy, so he now stays put or he knows what I will do...

Stone Fix

2010-09-02T23:33:00.007-05:00

The craziness never seems to end! Just when I thought we had caught our breath from our crazy whirlwind of a month, August, it keeps going and going. Right now is the most busy time of the year for me for work, but it reminds me football is here! I am working on 4 different football promotions (among other things) with my clients right now. 3 college, 1 NFL. Juggling that and being a full time stay at home mommy has been crazy this month, but I'm wrapping up these projects, and we've been able to do some fun things like park time, swim time, splash pad time, etc.

Soooo...are you ready for a Stone fix? I've heard from several people that I need to write a book about this kid. The things he says, the things he does...anyways.

(by the way, I can't seem to write in between pictures. ugh, blogger drives me crazy sometimes! So, endure the text, then scroll to see the pictures).

The other day, I left Stone downstairs for what I thought was 5 minutes, but apparently it was 15. He came in with my phone, turned it to me, and said, "Look Mommy, it's CC" (CC is my mom). I looked at the phone, and he had been talking to her for 7 minutes.

I grabbed the phone to talk to my mom, and she said he had been talking to her for 15 minutes. She called me, and he answered. I did not hear my phone even ring. I laughed, but said, "well, the phone says 7 " (which by the way, is still a long time to talk to a 3 year old!) She then said, "noooo, this is our SECOND conversation"

Apparently, they had been talking, and my mom THOUGHT he said, "just a minute CC, I'm going to watch my movie and I'll call you back." So my mom hung up.

30 seconds later, her phone rang, she picked it up to say hi to me. But it was Stone. HE CALLED HER BACK.

"CC, you hung up on me." haha!! My mom said, "Noo! You said you were going to watch your movie!"

Stone said, "Noooo....I said I was going to turn it down so I could talk to you."

He called my mom out on that one.

------

So, since I can't write in between pictures for some reason, below is Stone at White Sands. My dad, Cliff, Stone, Emerson, and Danny, all accompanied me to White Sands when I took bridal portraits there last month. Stone had a BLAST. This picture does not do justice to how cool this place is. He is at the foot of the hills, so you can't see the rolling sand dunes. I will soon post the bridal portraits on my photo blog.

---

In other news, Emerson is cruising. She's on track for Stone's milestones....something we were not pushing for! You may remember Stone started walking at 8.5 months. Oy. She's following step by step. 6 month crawl, standing up soon after, now cruising, and yesterday, she let go of a box she was holding onto, and stood just fine. She looks too small to be doing this!! As you will see in the last picture, she has discovered Stone's old favorite game--emptying out the DVD case

Ohhh...and she's also swinging in swings at the park, eating bananas like crazy, enjoying oranges in the fruit binkey, and absolutely hating baby food, but loving any other kind of food we are beginning to give her.

Too young?!

2010-08-24T15:25:00.005-05:00

FIRST, I walked into the kitchen last night to find Emerson crawling around with red powder on her onesie, a red mouth, and a cheeto sticking out. WHAT?!

Do I have any Flamin' Hot Cheetos fans out there? These chips are pretty much a staple in this household. They go on every road trip with us, and I buy them when I plan to make tuna fish sandwiches. Last night, Emerson found a handful Stone had left hanging around on his little table in the kitchen, and it appeared as though she was in heaven.

I immediately grabbed them out of her mouth and nursed her, afraid that she might go into some sort of cough attack or have trouble breathing. They didn't even phase her! We caught Stone getting in the bag at a young age, as well, but not this young!

NEXT, I've tried hard {eh, kind of} to keep my babies sugar virgins until their first birthday, and then let them bury themselves in cake and ice cream on that special day. And well, I've come to the conclusion, no matter how hard I try, that just WON'T happen in this house or family.

For example, my mom shared some ice cream with Stone near his 6 month birthday. I think the Jessup grandparents sneaked some ice cream to him around then, as well. My dad sneaked him some chocolate pudding around that same time, and I think he was going to try to deny it until the binky gave it away.

How did the binky give it away? Exactly how it gave away Stone's master plan last night. See video below.

*Please note her red onesie from the cheetos.

*Please excuse the fact that I have done no decorating yet. I really plan to decorate this week. Work has just been time consuming!

*Yes, Stone hangs out in his undies sometimes.

*So, in case you're wondering, Stone took her binkey to the plate of chocolate cake, "dipped" it in, and fed it to her.

Kendal Jessup Photography

2010-08-22T22:07:00.000-05:00

Oh how I've neglected this blog lately!

We are are a bit more settled in our new home and town, and we've been crazy busy. We're back to a routine {for the most part}, which means I'll be faithful to this blog again!

Before I share updates on my family, I'd like to introduce a project I've been working on for a couple months now. AN OFFICIAL WEBSITE (click here) for my photography business! You'll notice a name change. My college roommate, Erin, designed my awesome, new logo. Erin and I met at EFY when we were 14. We stayed in touch through high school (I lived in Texas, and she lived in Washington state), and we decided to room together in college. She is now a talented designer!!

I also have a new photo blog! The link to it has replaced my Silver Sixpence link on the far right side of this blog.

I am SO excited to continue photography in east Texas. It may take a while to build my business up over here, but I'm excited. Take a look!

When life hands you a lime...

2010-08-12T00:07:00.002-05:00

I'm Done!

2010-08-06T17:27:00.011-05:00

It's hard for me to write a post without a picture, so I'll start with this. This gives you an idea how entertaining this kid is. Just before we left town, Stone had his 3 year check up, and Emerson her 6 month. Isn't this kid hilarious??

-------

At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, the last few weeks have been some of the hardest ever. I am not one to get stressed out. I rarely feel overwhelmed. In fact, I'm quite the busy bee. I enjoy a plate full of responsibility and tasks. But everyone has their limits, and I recently surpassed mine.

If you don't feel like reading this post, the following 36 hour stretch I recently lived through describes the kind of life we've been living the last three weeks (and I wish I were exaggerating). It went something like this:

Drove from Lubbock to El Paso, shot a wedding in El Paso, shot a bride {plus groom} session at White Sands (awesome! and our kids had fun there, too), headed to Detroit and Flint Michigan for a new-business pitch (if you read my blog, you know I work from home for an advertising agency), won said business (hooray!), immediately headed back to Lubbock to finish packing the moving truck, got positioned in our moving caravan about 3am, started our trek to east TX, and arrived safely in Longview, Texas. Those 3 days were HARD. Have I even mentioned on here that we were moving? Well, we did.

Those 3 days were intense, but that is the pinnacle of it all. However, the events leading to it were nearly as intense. Like, getting as ill as I've ever been (possibly strep, but there was no time to see a doc), completely (100%!) loosing my taken-for-granted sense of taste and smell for about a week (agh!!), aches and pains, a horrible cough, some kind of sinus infection, etc. Today was my first day to wake up with a normal throat. To add to it all, Cliff was wrapping up his summer studies of the bar (and if you're not familiar with the prep for this test, to say it's intense is the greatest understatement ever made), and that made him pretty unavailable. PRIOR to all of this, I started packing, THEN, I got the invitation to be a part of the new-business pitch, which led to an advancement in my company once we obtained said business. But the preparation for the business pitch took me from a part time employee for two weeks to not only a full time employee, but an overtime employee, ON TOP of still being a full time stay-at-home mommy. Which meant, I was doing a lot of work in the middle of the night and early morning, completely and totally ill, while still fitting some major packing into the mix.

There, does it sound like I'm drowning in self pity? Oh well. I can't begin to describe the feeling of relief I have, now that these 2 weeks are behind, and we are settling into our new place. I finally took an overdue nap today, my health is returning, and things are looking bright. And while these last few weeks were so stressful, a lot of it was good stress, but stress, nonetheless.

So how did we move across the state of Texas with two kids, and my absence from packing for 24 hours whilst in Michigan? Her name is Marcy Jessup, my mother-in-law. Holy cow, this lady is an answer to our prayers. I really did not know how we were going to make it through those 3 days, and she came to the rescue. I'm sure she had NO idea how much she would be working. I thought I had made great progress packing before we headed to El Paso, so you can imagine my discouragement when Cliff said they packed all my boxes in the truck in about an hour, and the other 13 hours were spent packing up the rest of the house. Cliff's AC in his truck went out, and Marcy generously drove it across the state of Texas, while Cliff drove the moving truck, and I drove our car. All while being an amazing grandma to my kids. We don't even know how to express our gratitude.

In closing, I need to say that Heavenly Father knows each of us individually and knows our needs. We have struggles, but he's always there for us, and he answered my prayers these last few weeks in different ways. Some people might argue that if he listens to us, we wouldn't have these trials, but I know that we have these trials to build our faith in him, to make us stronger people, and to prepare us for bigger things down the road. He heard me this week, and my faith grew. My words probably don't describe the intensity of our lives these last few weeks, but it was tough, and I'm grateful to have a loving Heavenly Father to watch over and protect us.

THE END.

Emerson Rose is 6 months!

2010-07-26T22:12:00.006-05:00

I can't believe it. This pretty girl is 6 months old today!

She is crawling now! She mimics us like crazy. She is a great sleeper. She let's her voice be heard. She still is SUCH a joy, and such a happy baby. I just can't believe how much faster it seems to go the 2nd time around. I'm soaking up every single minute.

PLEASE notice her first pair of heels. My mom and Aunt Leann got her these awesome shoes, and I can't get over them. LOVE THEM. I made some crazy big hair pieces last night, grabbed my camera tonight, and we headed out to take these.

We feel so lucky and blessed to have this girl in our home.

{and PS!} Cliff takes the bar tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday. Studying for this beast has been his full time job this summer, and he has worked so hard for it. Good luck, babe!

Luchador con Cowboy Boots y Emerson

2010-07-19T16:20:00.004-05:00

INTRODUCING: Stone, the Luchador (think Nacho Libre). Thank you, Tia Lilia, for adding to Stone's superhero wardrobe. He LOVES it. Stone has been all about this new outfit, his cowboy boots from my Dad and Lisa, and this car from my mom. Does it get much cuter and fun than this?

And of course I have to add pics of Emerson here, too. My kids make me SMILE.

Green Lantern turns 3!

2010-07-16T18:28:00.005-05:00

**For those with Google Reader, you probably saw this post last night. I deleted it because the text was all wacky. Is anyone else having blogger problems?? I can't put text between pictures for some reason, so here it is, all up front:**

Last weekend we headed to El Paso to throw our 3-year-old his Superhero birthday party! Below is the invitation that went out. Stone was Green Lantern. The theme was Superheroes, and everything was green. We were a little superhero family. Cliff was Wolverine (grew out his chops--side burns--and all), I was Bat Girl (although Stone kept begging me to be Wonder Woman), and Emerson was Cat Woman.

Before his party, he kept saying, "I'm SO excited". Then, the first guest arrived (Cliff's grandpa), and Stone came running in, hiding in his tent. I asked what was wrong, and he said, "I'm SO shy!" Say what?! We all KNOW he doesn't get that from me!

It didn't take him long to warm up to the guests.

{The day before his party, Kevin (Cliff's dad) surprised him with a giant jumping castle. It was AWESOME. This thing kept getting bigger and bigger as it was inflated. That day, Stone went swimming with my dad (and did front flips off the diving board ALL BY HIMSELF), headed back to the Jessups to jump in the castle for a couple hours, then swam in a little pool at the Jessups. He then uttered words I NEVER thought I'd hear...."Mama. I'm DONE." And then he crashed. There's a first time for everything.}

Back to the party--Stone got awesome gifts from everyone, had a blast in the jumping castle, ate way too much candy, and ended the night with sparklers. Cliff's dad made enough food to feed a {large} army, and as usual, it was FABULOUS! THANK YOU, KEVIN!

A BIG thanks to everyone who came. It was an awesome party, and the next day, Stone asked if we could do it all over again. It's going to be a tough party to top!

Stone 3.0

2010-07-12T23:00:00.002-05:00

stone (v. 3.0)

-noun

1. superhero by day, ninja by night

2. awesome conversationalist

3. excellent counter

4. one who loves broccoli

5. comedian

6. fabulous big brother

7. great swimmer

8. fast runner

origin: July 12, 2007; Salt Lake City, Utah

-synonyms

1. hurricane, energizer bunny, vuvuzela horn, sunshine

Stone is 3!! I can't believe we have a three year old. We took these portraits tonight, and I think his personality shines through. We had a FABULOUS time in El Paso celebrating his birthday with an AWESOME birthday party. Pictures to come. Stay tuned.

I was tempted to photoshop his bug bites, bumps and bruises. But let's be real. Who wants to erase these blemishes that define this three year old? It's summer time and he's a boy. Maybe when he's a teenager. :)

Happy birthday, Stone! We LOOOOOVE you!!

Sibling love

2010-07-06T16:57:00.005-05:00

My mom has made a few comments to me about how she loves that Stone seems to always be touching Emerson in pictures. It is true. Below is a quick shot I got with my phone to show how cute these two are. At all times, he knows where she is and how she is doing. And he is sure to tell me if she has spit up, has a dirty diaper, or has gotten tangled in something.

I love my kids!

Emma and Ella

2010-07-01T13:46:00.004-05:00

If you follow my blog, you are familiar with cute Danny on the left (Stone's cousin). Well, his family welcomed in TWINS, Emma and Ella, back in March. Look how cute! And can you believe how much hair this family is blessed with? Danny's hair was the same as a baby. What a cute family.

Well, Stone was going through pictures on my phone, came across this one, and was SO confused. He hasn't met the twins yet, but he sure knows Danny. He came running in last night, a little concerned and very confused.

Stone: MOMMY. This is Danny. And 2 babies???

Me: Yes, he has TWO sisters. Just like you have Emerson. You have one, and he has two.

Stone: Hmmmm {outloud}.

then thinking to himself for a few seconds

Stone: MAMMA. I KNOW. You need to go back to the hospital and get more. I need two babies.

---

HAHA, not yet, buddy, NOT YET! That does go to show how much he still loves Emerson.

Father's Day

2010-06-22T23:17:00.004-05:00

I have some great men in my life, and it's always nice to celebrate them on Father's Day! For starters, our fathers are awesome. Cliff's dad taught him to be a hard working man, and for that, I'm grateful! I share my dad's determination and negotiation skills. My brothers (and in laws, as well!) are great with their kids also. These are men that understand how crucial the father figure role is. A BIG thanks to these men! I love 'em all!

As for my hubby, he is one heck of a father. I am already seeing the difference in the father role to our son and the role to our daughter. It's fun to see. I love learning this whole parent thing with him. Happy Father's Day to all (a couple days late, I know).

Oooh...and I may have given my hubby tickets for Dave Matthews in Dallas. We're kind of excited.

Obedience

2010-06-13T18:12:00.000-05:00

This kid...

is funny. He is entertaining. He has perfect comedic timing.

...and by perfect comedic timing, I mean it's totally not always the best. Make sense? Like when I'm in the middle of disciplining him.

...which takes me to discipline. I have been trying SO hard to teach this kid obedience. He likes to provoke; he thinks he is funny. Which most of the time he is, so it makes it that much harder. Lately, I feel like he does not listen at all. I'm ready to change my way of discipline. What do you do? What works for you? I need to make some changes. I'm listening!

Angel

2010-06-08T10:15:00.003-05:00

Ahhh, this baby girl is such an angel. I feel so blessed that she is who she is. I feel like we custom ordered her. She is just so perfect.
Doesn't she look so sweet? She LOVES to sleep with things on her face...whether it is her own hands, burrying her head in your chest, or rolling over so her face is half down.

She has become quite mobile. She will get from one side of the room to the other by rolling front to back, front to back, and scooting a bit. She is trying so hard to crawl already. Not yet, Emerson!! I'm not ready for you to be completely mobile!

WE LOVE HER.

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T12:33:00.004-05:00

A big, BIG thanks to all those that have and do serve and protect this country. ...including my big bro, Tanner! We are grateful for all of you, and enjoy our freedom thanks to you.

To celebrate the day, we started off with a 5k that our church put on. There was a pretty good turn out, and I came in first place for the women and 5th overall! It was a lot of fun. I haven't raced in a couple years, and now I have the racing itch.

We then had pizza, and spent plenty of time at the pool, followed by a nice, relaxing nap. This weekend was great! Hope you all had a great Memorial Day.

First Swim of the Season

2010-05-26T14:17:00.004-05:00

Hooray for warm weather and great Vitamin D. Oh how I love Spring and Summer.

Guess who's sportin' a teeny-tiny bikini? That would be Miss Emerson Rose.

Didn't even take a minute for Stone to remember how much he loves swimming. He is such a fish. He actually played in a little pool in our friends' backyard last week and had a blast.

Ooooh la la I married good.
This was her first reaction (not so happy): But she grew to like it rather quickly...

I love my little family.

and I love pool time!

Texas Tech Law School Graduation

2010-05-21T23:00:00.002-05:00

He did it. We did it. We're done.

Now it's just this teeny tiny thing called the bar.

The Texas Tech mascot is the Red Raider (not an Italian Renaissance Executioner, as the picture may suggest), and the TTU slogan is "get your guns up!" ....hence my hubby in his graduation robe holding his brand new shot gun. No, he's not crazy.

This man...

...just earned THREE degrees in SIX years. Impressive, right? I think so.

Last weekend, he graduated with a Master's in Personal Financial Planning AND with his law degree. A little hard core, if I say so myself.

It's hard to believe this journey is coming to an end. I feel like we just moved to Lubbock. 3 years ago, I would have never guessed that Lubbock would grow on me the way it has, and that I would gain a fond apprecation for this place and the people. We have enjoyed every minute of our time here in Lubbock. We heart Texas.

Below: Cliff with some of his close buddies from these last three years.

More of his close buddies:

And these are the wives. ...some of my closest friends from our time here in Lubbock.
All of us... Where's Waldo?

Below: "I've got myself a lawyer!!"

It was a great weekend celebration. We loved having family in town to celebrate Cliff's awesome achievements. I really am so proud of my hubby. He has worked SO hard to be where he is. He's basically been going to school year round since we started together back at BYU-Hawaii.

The thing that impresses me the most is that Cliff has been the most involved father, and never once put his school work and studies ahead of his family. He made it a point to set his priorities straight in the beginning, and never let anything come before us. As we entered law school, I was warned I would not know my husband for the next three years, and boy did Cliff prove all those people wrong.

CONGRATS, BABE! YOU ROCK MY WORLD. LOOOOVE YOU.

Rollin'!

2010-05-18T14:09:00.006-05:00

Remember the Rolling Stone? Yes, I know they look identical. Well, Emerson has rolled over! She's been trying really hard for a few days, and did it this morning, and WON'T stop now. She's proving to be a quick learner like her brother, and I'm not sure that I'm ready for her to be mobile yet! She gets so excited after she rolls over, like she's proud of herself. Way to go, Emerson!

Oh, and please ignore my baby voice. yeeesh.

Oh, and this boy....

said, "Good job!! I'm so proud of you. You got it." Where does he come up with these things? Sweet boy.

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T17:21:00.003-05:00

Cliff and I started dating nine (EEK!) years ago, and at the time, Stone and Emerson were not even a thought (I was a sophomore in high school). I've always known I wanted to be a mom, and I had the perfect example of what kind of mother I wanted to be (my mom!). Fast forward a few years, and I have these two, awesome kidlets:
...and while it is the greatest responsibility I have ever been given, it is by far the most rewarding and joyous. Stone regularly tells me he loves me (even when I smash his two fingers HARD in the door like yesterday :( (okay, maybe that "i love you" was a little delayed) ...you can see the bandaids in the picture), and it makes those challenging moments I have with him, all fade away. Then you have Emerson, who after church yesterday, had that white headband over her eyes like sunglasses, and we hadn't noticed. There she was smiling and talking, even though completely uncomfortable. She is easy going, chill, loveable, cuddly. The most perfect little girl. She is exactly what I needed for my second child.

And then I have an awesome hubby right there by my side. He spoiled me yesterday, and gave Stone a special part in helping to make Mother's Day a special day. I am so grateful to be a mother, and I'm so grateful to have a mother that raised me in a way I try to raise my children on a daily basis. And of course, an awesome mother-in-law that raised my hubby to be the man he is today.

Hope you moms had a great day!

"BAD WORDS!"

2010-05-08T19:54:00.005-05:00

When I witness sweet moments like this...
...it makes the "terrible-two" moments not seem so bad.

Stone is quite a sponge. He is so smart. He has his "Super Friends" books (Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Flash, etc.) that he literally recites word for word. He remembers everything he hears, and you better believe you will hear it again come out of his mouth. Thank goodness we have clean mouths (for the most part, hehe). For example...

In one of his movies (I think it's Toy Story? Correct me if I'm wrong), they say, "shut up." I didn't realize it at first. Well, one day, he was playing with his action figures, and they were "talking" to one another. He had one of them say, "shut up." I said, "Stone! Where did you hear that??" He said, "my movie." I said, "you do NOT say that. That's a bad word. We don't say bad words. DON'T say bad words." It happened a couple times after that, and he got my same reaction.

Well, today, we went out to lunch, and Stone was being a total stinker. He knew I was frustrated, so then he got mad at me, made an angry face, and said, "BAD WORDS! I SAY BAD WORDS!" Cliff and I looked at each other a little confused. Then Stone said, "BAD WORDS!" Then, we realized, he was trying to make me mad. I had told him, "Don't say bad words!" ...and so he said, "BAD WORDS". HA HA. So I guess he doesn't realize "shut up" is a bad word. He thinks "bad words" is the phrase he is not supposed to say. Good news is he hasn't said "shut up" recently.

Other things he has said recently that made us laugh:

*After trying to hang from our front gate, Cliff told Stone, "get down from there, you're going to fall." Stone said, "Don't tempt me, Daddy."

*You can imagine that Stone has maybe had a spanking here and there. Well, Cliff gave him a love pat (not to be mistaken as a spankin'), and Stone didn't understand it. He said, "Mommy! Daddy spanked me! I good boy!" And Cliff said, "ooooh Stone, it's a cariño!" ...which in Spanish, means a way to show affection. ...a love pat in this case.
...SO, the other day, Cliff said, "STONE!! If you do that again, you're getting a spankin'!" and Stone bent over, put his bum in Cliff's direction, and said, "noooo Daddy! How 'bout a cariño!"

*While we're on a Spanish note...when Cliff tickles Stone, he makes Stone say, "Uncle" to stop. Well, the other night, Cliff was tickling him, and said, "say parangaricutirimicuaro!" ...it's a common Spanish tongue-twister. It is actually the location of a volcano in Mexico. ...I think?

Anyways...so Stone said, "ABUELITO!!! ABUELITO!!!" ...Spanish for "grandpa". ...Which is what he refers to Marcy's father as (his Mexican great grandpa). I think it's funny that he heard a similarity in the words and knew they belonged in the same language.

Well there's a Stone fix for ya.

Emerson is THREE Months!

2010-04-26T23:50:00.001-05:00

OMGosh. I can't believe it's already been three months since this girl first blessed our lives. I forgot how much I LOOOOVE this stage. She is:

*...talking ALL the time. And loud. Uh oh, like her mama.
*...probably going to be a Daddy's girl. He can get her to talk and smile for a 30 minute stretch. Have you ever smiled that long? I'm sure it's gotta hurt that cute little face
*...pretty much sleeping through the night...which means I'm catching up on my Zzzzzzzs
*....eating great
*...starting to follow her brother everywhere with her eyes.

Marcy (my mom-in-law) surprised us with these GREAT little hats! I was THRILLED to receive these in the mail.
Here is our little Emerson Rose three months to the day:

This picture makes me smile

2010-04-20T09:54:00.004-05:00

A lady gave me this picture at church on Sunday. It was taken at nursery. From his long, curly hair, I'm thinking it was a couple months ago.

This picture says a lot about our kid.

Think he knows when a camera is on?

Flashback Friday: Nut Butter

2010-04-16T09:45:00.001-05:00

I'm overdue for a flashback Friday, and this story came up in a conversation with my mom recently, and I had to blog about it.
---
My freshman year in college, my mom headed up to Utah to pay a visit. Both my brothers had recently moved to the beehive state, and she took us to Target and treated us to all those items that you just hate buying as a single college student (shampoo/conditioner, soap, deodorant, etc...such UNfun things to buy with your own $$, but are quite necessary...and so she treated us).

I had finished gathering my things, when I spotted my brother, Jordan, smelling some different lotions on the lotion isle. I was appalled when I saw the lotion he was smelling.

Me: Jordan!! Ewwww! That is SO gross!
Jordan: What?!
Me: Nut Butter?! Really?!

Jordan was confused, then realized what I thought it was, and started laughing.

Me: They actually make that?!

Then I was mortified, and realized it was exactly what it's called....nut butter. Not butter for nuts.

Who says you can't swaddle a 2.5 year old?

2010-04-13T23:26:00.003-05:00

HA HA

**Update since my post***: I don't really swaddle Stone, but surprisingly, he wanted to since Emerson was, so we were having fun.**
--
I love these two so much. I love how Emerson is starting to watch Stone...the way she looks at him with admiration. And I love that he loves her. So what if I have to continuously tell him to give her a little space.

Life is good.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-08T19:06:00.005-05:00

We had a great Easter weekend! It happened to fall on the same Sunday as our church's General Conference. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ. As President Hinckley (former prophet of our church) once said, "it's a time to celebrate the greatest victory of all time, the victory over death...through his death, came Resurrection and assurance of eternal life." He is risen.

----

On Thursday, we headed to an Easter celebration at the library where Stone had a blast. Then, on Saturday, we had an Easter egg hunt with a bunch of kids from church. Stone had SO much fun. Holidays are SOOOO fun with kids.

Below: Cliff strategizing with Stone

Below: All the kidlets lined up for picture time before running off to hunt.Then, on Easter morning, we had our own little hunt for Stone's basket and eggs...

Below: He was saying, "I hear something!!" while shaking the egg...

Cliff, I mean...the Easter Bunny....surprised Stone with a nerf gun. That makes two in our home, which means my boys are always shooting at each other. It's sometimes hard to tell who is having more fun.

And of course, my sweet sweet girl. She is SOOO happy all the time! If she has a full tummy, she is either sleeping, or coo-ing and smiling. I feel so blessed to be a mommy of 2.

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend. I can't believe another weekend is already approaching!

On a side note, law school graduation is almost here (hooray!), and we are busy in this household. I continue to work from home, and in addition to that, I just booked 11 photo sessions in the last 3 days...which completely books me up until graduation. Busy times ahead!!

Emerson's Piercings and Facts in 4

2010-03-29T21:26:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we got Emerson's ears pierced! She was a champ. The thing that bugged her the most, was me holding her head down. She cried for a second when they clipped each ear, then she was back to smiling and coo-ing. She is SUCH a happy baby, and looks SO cute with her little diamond studs. Think I like having a girl? Yes. But I love my boy, too!!

My Aunt Leann made this adorable onesie tu-tu. We went out Thursday night, and I took her out in it because....well....because I can. :)
Spring is here!! I hope the weather becomes a little more consistent, and let's us enjoy Spring before jumping into Summer. Because right now....it is WONDERFUL! We made it to the park a few times this week.

LASTLY, my mom tagged me in a "facts of 4" post, and I've been meaning to post this, so here ya go:

FACTS in FOUR

Four Shows I Watch:
1. Chuck
2. Vampire Diaries
3. Modern Family
4. Life Unexpected

Four Things I'm Passionate About:
1. My Family
2. My Religion
3. Photography
4. Advertising

Four Phrases I Say A Lot:
1. "You STINKER!"
2. "1.....2......3"
3. "I know!" (Craig Ferguson accent)
4. "Love you, bye."

Four Things I've Learned from the Past:
1. Patience is a virtue
2. The importance of "being a Pollyanna", as my mom said so many times growing up.
3. Can't cuddle enough
4. Hard work pays off, one way or another.

Four Places I Would Like to Go:
1. Costa Rica
2. Australia
3. NYC
4. Hawaii (could never go enough!)

Four Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Went to "How to Train a Dragon" with my little family (overall, a GREAT experience)
2. Chatted with Carrie when she and Hadly came by to see Emerson
3. Went to Double Dave's Pizza buffet
4. Searched for something particular online.

Four Things I'm Looking Forward to:
1. Law school graduation!
2. Photographing J&S's summer wedding!
3. Consistent Spring days
4. Packing up (not that packing is desirable, but that means we get to purge and get rid of some things!)

Four Things I Love about Winter:
1. Holiday Music
2. Holiday Movies
3. Fires
4. Scarves

Four Things on My Wish List:
1. To qualify for the Boston Marathon
2. To make a studio in our home when we move
3. A vacay with the hubby
4. and #4, I'll keep a little more private

Four People I Tag:
1. Kristen G.
2. Lauren M.
3. Ayrel J.
4. Lindsay I.
5. Tanja D. ---I had to add Tanja! When I was filling this out, I forgot my old neighborhood sister is a fellow blogger!
HAVE A GREAT EASTER!!