day 90

it was like Christmas! boxes of all shapes & sizes, full of studio "things" - couldn't be more excited to have it all coming together.

day 89

hard at work. making a "fort."

day 88

takes a bite. 

runs her fingers through her hair.

takes a bite.

runs her fingers through her hair.

takes a bite...

day 87

jb has a no screen time schedule sunday through thursday, so on friday nights, we pop in a movie. this night, these lucky ducks were also served dinner to accompany their flick. 

it's funny. 

they say eating in front of the tv promotes over-eating, and yet, it's our way to ensure they clear their plates! they shovel it all in before they know it, just captivated by the songs and such. i know this isn't a great habit to continue through the years, but for the finicky almost-4 year old, it's a wonderful tool. sometimes, she asks for seconds. jb?! he asks for thirds and fourths.

day 86

sunshine & shadows.

day 85

she has a minimum of 1 lovey at all times but never a maximum...

day 84

beanie's birthday. our old lady is TEN years old.

bella came from a lady in houston, ak. she was one of 4 pups in the litter but the only female. we picked her up when she was only 5 weeks old. she was so tiny, we nicknamed her the bean. and then, beanie. when we meet other folks with bulldogs, they're always surprised at her small size. we think she's nearly perfect, in that funny-bulldog-way. she's the last of our american bulldog herd, but i imagine we'll always have one laying around somewhere 'cause if you haven't noticed - that's what they DO.

happy birthday, bella. why don't you take a load off and lay down your head?!

the day we picked her up.

kage, our 7 month old bully, meeting bella for the first time.

see? very bean-like.

few days later, being new pup-parents, we thought it was responsible to take our pups on                    a 2-day float trip down the little su...

four-wheeling with our 3 bullydogs out at jim creek

doing what bulldogs do best - snuggling.

day 83

sometimes, my kitchen looks like this. for days. half-emptied dishwasher (ok, which was clean, which was dirrrty) and not enough sippy cups to make it through a day...

and even when i tell myself i'm cleaning the kitchen as soon as tessie wakes up, i don't. i get down on the floor to help dylan with one of her big brother's floor puzzles. or i chase buster, while making a quacking duck noise, really freaking him out. or i snuggle with beanie and rub her pig ears. or jb is acting out which really means he needs a hug and some one-on-one attention.

it's really true: when things are pristine and in order (oh, you know my love of order) it means something else is lacking and getting neglected. i thought i would be one of those moms with a house just as clean as pre-kiddos, but it's not a reality. when my house (and kids!) are all put together, it likely means i haven't showered for a few days - more the case as of recent than i'd like to admit.

let the dishes (and laundry!) pile up - i'm loving on my small humans while they still fit in my lap and allow me to squish their face as i like.

day 82

driving home from a night's stay in girdwood. one of my favorite drives in alaska. thank you to my husband whom stopped when i hollered and laughed when i ran across the highway. love him and his never-ending patience.

day 81

no place i'd rather live. 

day 80

frozen. both my big girls are watching and are. 

day 79

tessie's birthday! just one short year ago, we were right here:

and now, we are here:

(can you see what happened? i would have expected this with child #1 not #3. it's like we are rookies or something! ben was right there. he was so close. but. that darn flame! what were we thinking?! a one-year-old blowing our their candle?! that doesn't happen! but oh, by now you know my love of reality. tears are a part of life, and they're most definitely a part of tessie's life. my sweet, sensitive, little soul.)

happy birthday, sweet baby tess!

day 78

i'm trying, really trying. i've never been so dependent on coffee in my life! with three runs in the not-so-distant future, my running routine is about to start up. i figured i better cut out the caffeine and up the protein. my coffee maker is now put away, replaced by some whey and new-found peanut butter powder.

i'm day 3 of no coffee and despite yawning throughout every day, i think i may make it. how many days to ditch a habit?! 

day 77

she thought, well, i don't know what she thought - shoes were optional?

quickly, her feet got cold and her pants were wet. before i could act, she was standing half-nakie on the front porch, undies tied up in her soaked jeggings, wrapped around her ankles...

day 76

we had our carpets cleaned today. so while jb was at school, dylan and i, with the help of some friends who just happened to stumble in at an oh-so-convienent time, moved furniture, picked up animals, boxes of legos, wooden food and any other non-heavy object piled and on top of beds or moved into the kitchen. the house is in complete disarray!

besides all the laps around the room and the several games of tag, the nice thing about an empty room is the unexpected snuggling that occurred.  after the exercise and snack fuel-up, the kiddos hunkered down to watch a movie. bulldogs and big kids, baby tess in her room fast asleep. i sipped a protein shake and read on my kindle.

moments like this could not be more rare.

they are best of friends and worst enemies, all wrapped into one. they smooch on the lips and say, we just got married! and then turn around and dylan someone drops the you're ugly-bomb. they cuddle and then dylan someone moves too swiftly, and they're wrestling and attempting to pull each other's hair OUT and {or} push each other's eyes IN. they share with a sugary-sweet, oh, here you go, it's your turn! and then dylan someone is running laps, just out of reach.

and despite all the refereeing, the best gift you can give your child is a sibling.

day 75

i feel like it was just yesterday when these ten little toes were small enough to be cupped in my one hand. he's nearly six and a half years old, and while most of those years gone by were challenging, to put it very, very nicely, he's still the sweet, kind-hearted boy he's always been. maybe more. 

where he use to totter over to me, pulling at my pants or lifting his arms to be picked up, now, he about knocks me over, wrapping his arms around my waist, his head hitting just below my sternum - he's tall! 

i remember gazing at him as an infant, laughing-thinking one day he will throw an arm around my shoulder, looking down at me. that day is closer than those infant years so long ago, but yet, i know i still have plenty of time to pull him into my lap and wrap my arms around his whole body.

he's still my baby boy.  always will be.  

they just know to do this. pure instinct. 

day 74

long overdue - first time using the studio for my own pictures! 

day 73

i love catching moments like this - sisters at play.

day 72

big kids out to play; babies stuck inside.

day 71

learn to skate. 

he's on the far left, with the cone. this is lesson 2. he's so proud and excited to skate. but, he's made it clear that he's not playing hockey, "until i'm real big, like 8." we'll see. i don't think dada can wait that long.

day 70

spring break!

jb has asked for his friend to visit for weeks. it finally worked out on this day. next time, i'll plan to have duey invite a friend over too - three's a crowd, you know. and, two redheads at that made for a few tears at times...

but, those tears didn't outweigh the fun. thank goodness for three bouncy toys! 

day 69

today is our anniversary! 

married in 2007. 

vow renewal in 2012. 

back on maui for a family vacation this past january. 

yes, there are more wrinkles, less hair, more weight (kiddos included in this "weight factor") but we are happier, if not more, than we were 7 years ago. i'm still amazed by this man and the love between us that continues to grow.

here's to 7 more years, times 8 more! 

day 68

you knew it was coming. it's what - been a week since i've had a sleeping bully picture?!

the sunshine spilling in our great room, calls to them.

follow me to this corner, no wait - now i'm over here...

and, guess what - they listen!

day 67

a super-sweet gf was visiting this weekend. she noticed this situation and said, 

that's really frickin' cute. there's gonna be a day you're sure to miss those fingerprints.

she's totally right. i love the way their hands fit in mine. there will come a day where they won't just naturally grab my hand. they may even pull away. no, i'm sure they'll pull away. 

i adore each of these ten tiny fingers, and when they aren't so tiny, i'm sure my adoration will be even greater.

so until then, i'm happy to have my rig covered in their perfect prints.

day 66

this happened nearly every day this week. backed out of our garage, looked over my left shoulder, and there she be. i remembered to grab my camera on this a.m., and once again, i was not disappointed.

day 65

last school drop off before spring break. 

tail lights: i will not miss you!

day 64

up close.



i love my 50 mm. if you don't have this sort of lens, i highly recommend it. i don't use it as much as i used to; i'm pretty in love with my 35 mm. i'm looking to score an extra camera body so i can switch back and forth rather than taking one lens off for the other.

tessie doesn't have nearly the lens time that jb & dyl have under their belt. maybe that's a good thing. maybe when she's 3 & 6 she'll still allow me to capture her cuteness... unlike some others that i know...

day 63

regular tuesday afternoon...