Saying Goodbye

My earliest memories of her are of when she lived next door to the church we attended in Ventura. We would always stop before church to say hi and eat the tortillas she always had available. She would put on the Wheel of Fortune and Full House for us to watch as we sat surrounded by pictures, crochet needles and bags of fabric. She was there for our birthday parties with her giant camcorder--the kind that took VHS videos. She was a terrible recorder person as her videos has the unique ability to make you feel sea sick.

The one thing that I remember the most about her were her hands. She had the best hands. They were soft from the years of love and attention she gave them with aloe lotions. When she held your hand her soft gentle touch could release any tension you were feeling.

She lived a good life. Full of love. She showed her children how to love. And, oh, how her children love. I have an aunt that has no children of her own but loves every-single-niece-and-nephew as though they were her own. Above and beyond, she gives them lots of love. I have aunts and uncles that have MANY (teehee) children of their own and still have enough love to spread to the rest of their nephews and nieces. It was a beautiful thing to see as we gathered to remember a woman who taught everyone how to love and what family was all about.

I am blessed because I have an amazing mother who had an amazing mother.

I love you Grandma Rickie. And I love your hands.

Missing Mat

He comes and goes running busily around. Scurrying to get things ready for church, work and running errands for the house. He works split shifts. Two different jobs. Working the best he can so that I can stay home with Cash as much as possible. He's started from the bottom on both of these jobs. They're career builder jobs. Jobs that will take him places and he must work his way up. I'm grateful to be able to stay with my little dude as much as I do. I know this may not always be able to be the case. So for now... I relish it. We're in a new kind of normal. There are lessons we learned a little too late. These same lessons we can still learn--just have to work a little harder. Goals we plan on reaching this year. Changes we so much anticipate.

Today I miss him. As we adjust and grow up a little more, I miss him being literally by my side. I can't imagine my life without him. And as the baby sleeps--he is who I think about.

I love you Mat. I am so looking forward to 2011 with you!



Happy Wednesday!

Joey {Newborn Session}

This little guys was such a trooper. It took over 3 feedings, a heating pad and lots of love to keep him asleep for a little while so we could get some photos of him. He weighed little more than 7 pounds and I felt like I had forgotten everything I "knew" about newborns. :)

Congrats Elissa and Doug on your little guy--he seriously made me want to have another one (which would make my mother very happy)!

2010

One year ago tomorrow we discovered we were pregnant. I can remember last year thinking how long the year was going to be as we waited for our first kiddo to make his appearance. Today as I type one handed because my other hand is in his 4 month old mouth, I realize how fast this year went by. I think about the times I spent stressed over having a little one who was going to be depending on me. Living on the couch the last few weeks of pregnancy because my bed was just too uncomfortable. The many, many tears I cried at being so overwhelmed by the newness of someone who only communicated by crying. The joy as his first real smile and watching him learn to hold himself up or jump up and down in his swing. And the million things on my to do list that never quite get crossed off. I've never known this kind of love and life is so beautiful.

Thank you to everyone for all the love and support you gave me either by text message, Facebook or having your photos done. I could not have made it through the year without you. Mat, my little chub and I thank you. Truly.

I'm really looking forward to growing in 2010. As a wife, mother and photographer. I look forward to serving God better and making myself available for what He has in store for my life.

Here's a look back at this past year:





This was the slideshow we played at Cash's baby dedication in November. The lyrics express so perfectly the kind of mommy I want to be.


And Pouf my love. She has been so impatiently patient while I pull my new life back together. She's my girl.


I hope everyone has the happiest of New Years! See you in 2011.

Cash, My New Logo and Life

Life has been crazy busy in my little corner of the world. Mostly because of this little guy:



His 4 month stats: 19.3 lbs and 25" tall. He's a chub. A chub who can sit by himself for about a minute before falling over and has 3 teeth. 3. I'm telling you, he's going to go through puberty when he's four years old. I just know it. And he'll be shaving by the time he's 7.

He's mainly what keeps me from posting all the pics I so badly want to share. When he's sleeping and I'm not doing laundry, cleaning or trying to shower I try to get some work done and am also working on re-branding. You can see I've made some changes to my blog. Mainly the look and my logo. I LOVE MY NEW LOGO!! Love it, love it, love it. So much that I don't plan on changing it anytime soon.

I will discuss this all in another post. I'm finishing my last shoots of the year first and trying to get a post with those photos as fast as I can.

Here's a peek at a post coming up (hopefully before the year ends!!):


I hope everyone had the merriest Christmas and a fabulous New Year. I truly am so excited about 2011!