My dear sweet first born!

So it was 9 degrees today and today was the day that I decided that I wanted to take Carly's twelve year old pictures. I just got lost this year taking a lot of other pictures so I did not want another day to go by and not take hers. After looking at these pictures I don't think that I have really looked at her in a long time.

I put a little makeup on her and that just made her the happiest girl on the planet. I guess I had forgotten how long her lashes were. Just gorgeous! With all the day to day things to do I forgot what she really looked like. I have forgotten to tell her how amazing she is in the midst of wanting her to keep her room clean. How do you change that? How do you remember to look at her the way that God looks at her.

I feel like I have learned what beauty is from somebody else. Beauty is everywhere! Everyone says "Just be who you are" I think Carly has learned that but I am almost 40 years old and I have still not gotten it. I want to surround myself with that kind of honesty.

She really has no problem with who she is. She will wear things and I will think "are you crazy" but she will tell me she doesn't care and she likes it so that is all that matters.

I want to look at her everyday like I did today! I hope that I can hold on to that.

Christmas was the longest!

Christmas was the longest month of my life but the best ever! I wish that I could have my family live close by but then again their visits would not be so much fun. I do have to say that I love decorating for Christmas. I am beginning to not have enough surfaces to decorate. I guess I will need a bigger house so I have more to decorate. I don't think that will be happening so I will just have to rotate.

Daniel's nieces from the Netherlands came for a visit and my whole family came for the week. It was definitely a house full. I never once thought it was too crowded except for meal time. Who would ever have enough seating for 19 people. Well I didn't so we sat on the couch. Not my ideal but we were together and that was enough. We even had our neighbor over for Christmas Eve. Just very tight at meal time.

It is amazing to me every time how well my kids and their cousins get along. It really warms my heart! I don't have a lot of photo sessions with this weather so maybe I will get the camera out and start taking pictures for me again. We will have to see!

I have been bad!

So I realized that it has been a long time since I have posted any pictures of my family. I get so busy with pictures that I forget the people that are most important to me. This is my cute family out picking apples. And the boys being so silly with their friends. They are so cool most of the time and here they come up stairs dressed like this and having a blast.

Jaden and his little friend Wiley having a great time at the pumpkin patch. I love cute little friends. My new years resolutions are definitely going to include more fun times with friends and family.

Whatever!

So I have been struggling with something for the longest time. I have been trying to figure out my style. Everything I read said that I had to have one. I was always so confused because I like so many different ways that pictures look. I just try to make the pictures look the way I feel about them. So I have decided that it is alright not to have one specific style. It has released me from a lot of stress. I can do whatever I want. At any moment I can change. I love that idea!

Now is the time that I can really let myself go into the learning process. Not so many sessions that make me tired of taking pictures. Of course I will miss it and start begging people to be my models, but for now I am very happy! Time for the Christmas season which is my favorite. Time to decorate and spend enormous amounts of time with my kids.

Consistency is my new goal for the upcoming year! I think the kids will like this one because maybe they will have food on the table at night.

Always something!

I loved taking these pictures. For a family of boys that really were not that excited getting their pictures taken they really loosened up!

I said that I wanted to take a picture of the boys and this is what they came up with on their own! What very cute boys. Have a little crush on all of them.

This cute one was flying solo. He made the best of it and I got some really good pictures of him just goofing around

I could tell they had a lot of fun together and that always makes a better pictures when there is a real connection.

Thanks for spending the afternoon with Daniel and I. I had a great time.