The Beautiful Life

My talented sister, Tara, has always had an eye for photography, digital scrap booking/regular scrap booking, and pretty much makes anything she touches pleasing to the eye. She's been doing a lot of research, and taking classes on taking photos, editing photos, etc. and has willingly used my kids as some of her guinea pigs! She's also taken a zillion cute pictures of Noah and has started a blog with all of her recent photography. She started out doing it more as a hobby and wanting to capture her sweet little son, but has really enjoyed doing it and wants to become more professional and share her creativity with others. Check out her blog at www.labellavitaphotography.blogspot.com. "La Bella Vita" means "The Beautiful Life" and I definitely think she caught the beauties in my life!

I absolutely LOVE this picture...it captures how big my little boy is getting. Tara thinks he looks just like me in these pictures.

She edited this one as a joke, but I actually really like it! It's totally Jace, unabashedly picking his boogers. Not afraid to make himself more comfortable!

And then there is Brooklyn. She was a great model, just sat there looking beautiful.

This girl is so sweet! I absolutely love having this dainty girl in our family. Don't let her fool you though, she can definitely hold her own!

Love the expression she captured, completely a Brooklyn look.

Seriously. I can't say anything more than this picutre already says.

Love love love those lips. She's been a real prude lately about giving kisses and I can't stand it. You can't be that cute, with such luscious lips and not give your mom kisses!!!

Thank you, Tara, for letting my kids be your model for a day (more like 15 minutes...that's all they lasted). We are more than happy to "model" for you any time! And although she says she's not "ready" to take other people's pictures yet, I'm sure she'll be wanting some other guinea pigs to try out her skills!

Surviving January

January is such a tough month! We haven't been doing very much and it just kind of seems blah. I need to take more pictures, but who wants to see pictures of my messy house and my kids still in their pajamas at noon?! I feel like all I've done since we've been back from Canada is clean and organize, and organize and clean. The air quality has been yucky for most of the month, so we haven't spent much time outside, and I haven't been the most creative in finding other things to do. My kids have kind of felt the same way. They don't want to go anywhere and just want to stay in their jammies all day. Who can blame them?

So, here are some pictures of the fam this past few weeks. I certainly am slacking on my New Years Resolution of taking more pictures, so hopefully this will get me going...

Jace is now a Sunbeam!!! I can't believe it! He's been a poop lately at letting me take his picture, but here he is after church being a goof with his foot in his mouth. I was kind of nervous about the transition from nursery to primary (what kid in their right mind want to leave toys, snacks, and treats?) but Jace has done really well! He loves being a "big boy" and going to primary. The bigger transition has been for Brooklyn who now has to go to nursery alone.

Jave loves to help his daddy shovel the sidewalks.

Brooklyn likes to help too! They each have their own shovel and usually make more of a mess, but hopefully some day we can put all this practice to some good use!

Such a sweet little snow bunny!

Brooklyn has discovered how to climb out of her crib for the past month or so, making lot of messes when she's supposed to be asleep. This day she found the baby powder!

Trevor and the kids reading a Dora story on the t.v.

The kids have also been taking a lot of baths. They absolutely LOVE the water, and could spend most of the day in the bath if I let them!

Such a cheeser! I LOVE it!

I'm thinking I need to get the kids a pass to the Treehouse again, to help ease us through these winter months. Also, I think I'll start taking them to Story time at the library which is once or twice a week. Does anyone else have any other suggestions of some fun & cheap things to do with my kiddos this winter?

Merry Christmas, ya Filthy Animal. And a Happy New Year!

We had a chilly but nice Christmas & New Year in the Great White North! The kids are at such a fun and magical age, especially at Christmas, and it was fun to experience Christmas with them. We had such a great time with Trevor's family and friends....I wish we were all closer, the flights were cheaper, or that 15 hours in the car was more tolerable. We had WAY too much good food (which I'm now eating healthy and exercising every morning to undo!) and stayed up WAY too late every night (although the kids slept in until 9 am, so we also SLEPT in every morning too!). Anyway, I could go on, and on. Here's the rundown of the holidays...

CHRISTMAS EVE

Jace & Brooklyn "helping" Grammy with preparations for Christmas dinner. By "helping", they splashed in the water the turkey was defrosting in. I know, very sanitary!

Christmas Eve night we got together with "Auntie Jen" and her family for some dinner. (We missed you on your Birthday, Dad!)

Jace & Brooklyn LOVED going to Auntie Jen's house and the girls loved playing with them. Here they are at the kids table eating their dinner.

Here's our annual family picture in our Christmas Eve jammies. I got Trevor and I footy pjs and the kids got Toy Story & Tinker Bell ones.

I love Trevor's feet. My mom made sock monkeys just like that! (Trevor was a little less enthusiastic about the pjs, I thought they were super comfy although not the most flattering! I just hated that every time I had to go to the bathroom I had to half undress myself. It's COLD up there!)

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Jace was very enthusiastic about his presents, especially his stocking! He was sad he didn't get to see Santa when he delivered the gifts, but was excited for what he left! He was more into opening presents this year instead of playing with each one as he got them, but when there weren't any more presents to open, he wanted everything out of the boxes and batteries to make them work!

Brooklyn was excited too, although she probably could have taken all day opening presents if Jace wasn't so excited about it. She wants to be just like her big brother!

She's so laid back...just playing with each little toy she got.

Jace is demonstrating to sissy how to properly blow-dry her ponny's hair.

Jace by all of the presents...

NEW YEARS EVE

We spent New Years with family, friends, and insanely good food at a community hall up there. We played games and ate way too much food.

Jace & Brooklyn were so good! They even stayed up until midnight without driving us crazy! When we were all yelling "Happy New Year!" Jace kept asking whose birthday it was and if he would get some birthday cake.

Chrissy (and Vickie) played with the kids most of the evening, which is probably why they were so good! The kids just love their cousins!!

NEW YEARS DAY

Brooklyn was so generous with her kisses to Sarah! Grammy & Jen got one the whole time, and Sarah got tons and tons!

Eric (family friend) serenaded us all with his guitar and made up silly songs about everyone.

Jace playing with Uncle Jeff and his cousins Brody & Mason.

Grammy, Sarah, and Brookie.

The kids playing with Chrissy again (where was Vickie when all of these pictures were taken?!). I kind of felt bad for the girls because the kids would maul them every time we were together and didn't want anything to do with Trevor or I (which was really nice, don't get me wrong...)

Trevor with his Dad! They had so much fun playing some old-school Nintendo games that my brother-in-law got for the x-box. They were just like little boys. And I may or may not have been like a nagging mother to them once in awhile. I'm pretty sure the x-box brings out the worst in me!

Jace Cheesin' it. Love that boy!!

Priceless.

Jace has learned how to sign "I Love You" and does it frequently. Melts my heart every time.

Cindy (Behr, a really close family friend) and her grandbaby snuggling..

Well, sorry about the picture overload, but I had too many to choose from and probably didn't post a lot that I should have. We are so grateful for our families, and that we were able to spend time with the Zezula's over the holidays! They were such gracious hosts and we loved every second we were there. Now it's on to reality.

Hope you all had a VERY Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!!!