New Year's 2020

Alternatively titled "the blurry photos have the best memories". Actually, there could be so many alternative titles to this. From "party boy Callum" to "a glimpse into our future" to "the best new year's ever". But I'll stick with "New Year's 2020". It's simple, to the point and factual. 

I've hit that point in blogging that it happens so little that at this point, I am at least trying to throw up some of the memories I want to remember forever. New Years is one of those times. Connor really wanted to stay up until midnight and we said yes. But, we did an east coast New Years celebration at 9pm so we could all celebrate together. We even managed to stream the ball dropping on our tv. For Christmas, Isla's teacher gave me a bottle of sparkling cider, so I threw it in the fridge for the occasion. Then I told Ian to bust out some fancy glasses. With everyone grasping a wine glass of martinellis, we rang in the new year at 9pm. Everyone clang their glasses together. Callum really, REALLY enjoyed that part and kept it going, yelling "cheers!" before throwing his glass at yours. It was a sweet, fun and joy filled moment...full of children in their pajamas, a fire in the fireplace and just a cozy family time. Then the younger three went off to bed...Willa was actually already in bed. Connor and Ian stayed up watching a movie and I watched some Netflix (I'm just not a fan of marvel movies...don't hate!). About 10 minutes until midnight, I went and joined Connor and Ian. We celebrated the new year once again. And Connor was shocked when I shooed him off to bed at around 12:10. He wanted to keep the party going!!!

If I had to imagine a new year celebration with children, it was just how I would imagine it. Stress free, fun, celebratory, and most importantly, done in pjs! 

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A Family Wedding

Ian's sister got married this past weekend in Tucson. It's a mere 800 miles from us. Given that flights are expensive times five, we decided to drive. That long for a quick trip is no easy feat. There was an almost throw up in the car. Several I have to pee NOW's. And more how much longer's than I can count. But we made it. And, as a bonus, we ended up leaving Callum in Los Angeles with my parents on the way down. It sure made the wedding much more enjoyable not having to fight a toddler to sit still. 

Isla brought her fuji instant camera with her and enjoyed playing photographer at the wedding. She made everyone smile when she stopped the actual professional photos to take a picture of her aunt and new uncle. It was a really cute moment. Both Connor and Isla had a blast dancing. Isla was literally on the dance floor the whole time dancing was going on. Connor made friends with some other boys at the wedding, so had fun with them. Even with all the dancing and leaving the wedding at 10pm, neither kid fell asleep on the way back to the hotel. I guess we are well past that phase with them. 

^^ Connor and Isla with their cousin Hadleigh

^^ The wedding was at the sonoran desert museum, which is the cluster of buildings you see in the middle of this picture. 

^^ Look at my sister in law, all happy and in love! Hard to believe I've been with Ian since she was 12.

On a random note, I took their engagement pictures when we visited my sister in law back in June. At the wedding reception, the photographer came up to our table and asked who took the engagement photos. When I said I did, she told me how they are actually legit photos and that I did a great job. She said she often sees cringe worthy photos taken by friends or family of people, but that mine were really good. Obviously she doesn't know the extensive work I do on the daily as a momographer! And since I talked about them, here are a couple of their engagement photos. 

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Easter Recap

I thought about sharing a bunch of photos from easter, but then realized this one sums things up rather nicely. It was a day of family, fun, food and a spunky child.

It was a beautiful day that we got to enjoy mostly outside. We got to spend time with both sets of grandparents. The kids got to do an easter egg hunt. And they even got to sneak in some play time with their cousin, who they hadn't seen since christmas. And, best of all, Ian and I got to sneak in a date…we didn't even take Callum! It was the cherry on top of a really good day.

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One Year

It's amazing what a difference a year makes. Sometimes it seems like not that much changes in a year. But other times, incredible things happen. These family pictures were taken a year apart. Well, a year and two weeks, if you want to be technical. When I booked our family pictures last year (which I do months in advance), I remember hoping that we could use those pictures to announce we were adding to our family. I hoped the same thing the year before. But, it didn't happen.

I think for anyone, walking through a time in your life when you aren't getting something you really want is hard. Be it a friendship, a marriage, stability, a job, a child, etc. it's hard. And though I don't carry that pain with me anymore, when I look back at pictures and think of the pain, I remember it and remember how very real it was.

It's hard to me to express how blessed I feel to have Callum in our family without feeling the need to add an asterisk to it. When I talked about it while pregnant, I had people respond to me that ALL babies are a blessing. I am certainly not saying they aren't. Trust me, I don't love Callum any more than I love Connor and Isla. But, I do think there is something so incredibly beautiful and joyful about the rainbow that comes after the storm. So really, Callum is my rainbow. That's a really great way to put it.

I still need to get around going through our family pictures from December. I went through them enough to throw together an extremely late Christmas card/birth announcement. But I still need to go through them and print some for our house and share them here…and talk more about how incredibly stressful it is to do family pictures six days after having a baby. But they turned out beautifully and for that I am thankful.

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Middle Sister

I feel like another good title would have been "What does the wine you drink say about you?"


I am the middle sister in my family. Sure, I am sandwiched in by brothers, but I am still the middle sister. A couple years ago, Ian's sister Carli (who is also a middle sister surrounded by brothers) asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I replied "wine" and a tradition was born. Ever since, I always get a bottle of middle sister wine with a fun name. This year, my brother's girlfriend Brook (also a middle sister), got be a bottle as well. I couldn't help but laugh at the contrast to the two names and how they really do describe me in each family.

Carli got me mischief maker and Brook got me goodie two-shoes.

I always said growing up that I didn't have to do much to impress my parents. My brothers were off getting into mischief and I wasn't to the same degree, so I was the good one…trust me, I got into plenty of trouble, but never to the degree of my brothers, so there you have it. Now put that supposed goodie two-shoes in Ian's family and I totally am NOT the good one. I am the one that likes to push everyones buttons. I am the pot stirrer. I am the one always pushing the limits. I am the mischief maker. Mind you, I am the same way with my family, but am seen as the goodie two-shoes.

Perspective. It's an interesting thing, right?

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2014 Family Pictures

I'm going to warn you, you are about to be inundated with so many pictures, you may not know what to do with yourself. But it was hard to limit myself to even these because there are just so many pictures I love. I love that these pictures capture the real us. Our kids were squirmy that day {and always}, we played, we had fun and great moments were captured. So here you go, a few...or a lot...of my favorites. 

^^ Look at that genuine smile!!! I love it so much. 

^^ I love this picture. So fun and such joy. 

^^ And this may actually be my favorite picture from that day...or in the top three...there's just so many good ones! I just love the genuine look of joy on Ian's face. 

^^ Me and my boy!!!

^^ This pretty much sums up my kids relationship. They can't touch without fighting, so this is how it happened. 

^^ My favorite family photo. I kind of can't get over Isla's little legs being crossed! 

^^ Already trying to get away from my {surprise} kisses

^^ Let's just label this one "real life". Kids tend to do this to couples. But, you've gotta fight to stay focused on each other. 

If you made it through, I'm so proud! Just be glad I didn't share all 80 of my favorites! Now to get these printed and plastered all over my house. But seriously, there are so many I love, I kind of feel like I should make a photo book of just them. I love them...and the people in them...so much. I love this family of mine. 

If you want to look at family pictures from years past, here you go - 2013 and 2012, and a little 2009-2012 comparison.  

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Family

The older I get, the more important I find my family connections to be. Also, the more important I find taking pictures with family. I try to make sure to capture special moments of Connor and Isla interacting with various family members because I realize that some day those pictures will mean so much to them. They may hear stories about family traditions, of uncles being silly with them, of people reading to them, but I want them to also have pictures to be able to see those moments. I actually wrote about this another time.

For thanksgiving, eight of us (my little family of four, plus my parents and older brother and his girlfriend) piled into one vehicle and drove the 3.5 hour trek to my grandma's house. I honestly don't remember the last time we have gathered as family like this. My aunt and her family were there as well as my uncle and his wife. It really was great to see family I rarely see and just enjoy the day. I also took the opportunity to take some pictures with my grandma in them. The most special one to me is the one with my grandma, mom, me and Isla. I had the privilege of my great grandma being alive for all of my childhood. I remember her and have fond memories of her. I feel privileged that my kids get to know their great grandma, my mom's mom, and know that one day Isla will appreciate having this picture, this piece of family history, to look at.

And now that I think about it, what I really should have done is taken pictures of the eight of us crammed into one vehicle because I am pretty sure that is a memory that none of adults will soon forget...and one we probably will never repeat!

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Father's Day

Last year I started a tradition of taking pictures of Ian and the kids on father's day (you can see the pics from last year here). I liked it so much, I decided to do it for mother's day too. I just think it is a fun way to document our family growing up. I am a sucker for picture comparisons and it is an easy way to watch the change happen from year to year.

Our father's day was pretty chill. We went to church, had lunch at In-n-Out, then headed home. The kids "helped" Ian wash his car, then we did some yard work. We finished off the day with dinner at Ian's parents house. It truly was a nice and relaxing day. 

I am into mother's day and father's day gifts reflecting the kids that give the gifts, so we don't do anything big. This year, I took some pictures of the kids and framed them for Ian to put in his office at work. I also took Connor shopping for Ian and he picked out water balloons. And Isla painted him a picture. I guess we are low key about holidays like this. 

I framed the three pictures together in that order. I really like how they came out. I actually got together with a friend to take the pictures and I think it was more fun that way. Things are always more fun when friends are involved, right?! It was just nice to have company while taking the pictures and having other people help trying to get your kid to smile too. 

I didn't write anything beautiful, meaningful or sentimental on facebook or instagram for father's day, but that doesn't mean that I didn't care. My dad means the world to me and is an amazing man. My father in law is someone who I highly respect and look up to. And my hubby, well, I just think he is the best. So there you have it! 

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A Quick Roadtrip

On Friday I flew to Denver to drive back to California with my sister in law. We took a round about way home, stopping off in Arizona for her to look for housing, as she got a job there. I actually didn't spend but a few hours in Colorado, as we hit the road straight from the airport and didn't stop until we rolled into Santa Fe, New Mexico at 1:30am. And that's about how our road trip went. Late nights. Deserted highways. Stranded for FIVE HOURS due to a dust storm shutting the highway down. I got to see where the SIL is going to be working, meet some of her new co-workers and get up close in personal with a pig. We also stumbled upon Saguaro National Park at sunset and were amazed at the beauty. After 1800 miles and more fast food than I care to admit, we made it home yesterday. I was happy to be back with Ian and the kids and think my SIL was happy to be out of the car and no longer having to deal with my incessant question asking. It was a good trip.

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