a beautiful beach night...

you may recognize this gorgeous family from a post i did with them last fall.   i was so excited when jill contacted me to take family pictures again.  they are super fun to capture and the love just really radiates from each of them.   we were blessed with wonderful weather and were able to relax and have some fun!!   it was their son, zach's 7th birthday, which was really a funny coincidence, because the last time i photographed them, it was their daughter's special day!   thank you so much jill, dave, grace and zach for this opportunity.  i really enjoyed our time together.  i hope you enjoy your preview of our fun night at the beach...

a little bit of this & a little bit of that l spring break day 3

today was day 3 of spring break. it was another nice relaxing day.  today the kids enjoyed their slip and slide, we headed to the park and we did a little bit of kite flying.   it was just another great day together.  the kids have been counting down all week for tomorrow's adventure...so make sure you stop by and see what we are up to. today's first picture was of sweet C in her usual "spot" hoping she could get out on the slip and slide...just loved this one!

the next few pictures are at the park and then down by the river....it was a super windy day, perfect for kites!

  

the strawberry patch l spring break day 2

today we decided somewhat spur of the moment to head out to the strawberry patch.   we knew we would go sometime during spring break but we just weren't sure when that would be.  we called and they were open with fields ready to pick, so out we went.   the kids had a blast and as you will see, one of my sweet three couldn't wait to get home (or out of the patch for that matter) to try some of our pickings....

spring break is here

it is finally spring break at our house and we couldn't be more excited.   sleeping in, quality time together, afternoon naps, casual dinners, and late movie nights.....this is spring break in our house!   and this little taste of it already has me super ready for summer.   i love the slow pace and the laughter and smiles that come with the fun we are having.  today was day 1 and we set out to get a new blow up pool (the real pool's don't open here until memorial day weekend) and a slip and slide...check back tomorrow and see what spring break fun we are up to then!

three blessings

tonight we were heading home from Easter service at church...the sun was gorgeous, i had my camera, so we stopped and took a few pictures. words can't describe my love for these three.....

  

project 52 l week 13 l nature

it's week 13 of the the Bloom Forum's Project 52.  i am  participating in this fun project with 20 other ladies from all over the world.     last week we covered the theme fur.   up this week is nature:  spring should be in full bloom, what is beautiful in your view?!  it has been gorgeous the past few weeks here in coastal carolina. many trees are in full bloom and this week our azaleas began blooming as well. the weather has also been delightful!  i was able to get a few pictures to share with you of our beautiful surroundings this week.  i hope you enjoy.

"i love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in."  ~george washington carver

 now head on over to Lynn, Bugsmom Photography, NJ blog and see what beautiful nature she captured. 

a fun craft app

my daughter  loves crafts.   she is always into anything and everthing in our house.  she is forever designing  and crafting things from her imagination.   for Christmas we were given an i pad from my parents and this one gift has opened up a world of fun for us...(but that would be a whole different post to cover).  after getting our ipad my mother told me about the disney craft finder app by family fun.  this is such a fun thing to use.  you pick your child's age, time you want to spend on the craft, and time of year/holiday.  it then gives you assorted crafts you can pick from.  we have had such fun this spring doing various crafts.  we have made pipe cleaner and button bugs, bead bookmarks, and today we made tissue butterflies.  usually the crafts are things we can do with stuff already in the house, but if not, they don't usually take much. a quick trip to the dollar tree or michaels and we are ready to work.   i highly recommend this disney craftfinder app, and if you don't use the apple applications you can go right to their webpage here and use their interactive page to find fun crafts.    after we finished our butterflies, she took them outside..and they took flight!  this one simple craft brought her so much joy on a saturday afternoon!

brrrr....

it was definitely a cold afternoon here in Coastal North Carolina.  Despite the less than optimal circumstances, the W family was full of smiles and great spirits!   I met Jill when her son and my oldest daughter were in three year old preschool. It is hard to believe they are now first graders. Time definitely flies by too quickly. And as we did the shoot, I found out that their daughter Grace was celebrating her 9th birthday today.  Grace was my highlight of soccer season, as she always brought laughter and smiles to my one year old Caroline. She provided great entertainment for her as we sat through the hour long practices twice a week. I've always thought Grace and Zach both were adorable children and I had such a great time getting to photograph them with their parents.   Such a lovable family.   Here's a few of my favorites of the day....

the end to fall

Fall is by far one of my favorite seasons of the year...sadly, it is quickly coming to an end as Winter is making its not so welcome appearance.   The kids are getting excited for the "next' season, asking daily if it will snow this year.  And it just might here in Coastal North Carolina. We  had our first freezing rain of the season this weekend and lots of cold.  Today at the park, we got these pictures as a great reflection of the fun time we had this fall together...

35 years of thanksgiving...

This year on Thanksgiving  I helped the kids make a poster of all the things we were thankful for as a family. After doing this with them, I have decided to take some time and really reflect on what I am grateful for in my life.  As I have said before, I feel blessed in immeasurable ways, and I think it is so important to take time and really appreciate all the little, yet BIG things in life.  So,  I decided I would make a list of 35 things I was thankful for this year....since I recently celebrated my 35th birthday.   I challenge you to take the time this Christmas season and really search your heart for what makes you smile?  In doing so, I promise you will come away filled with so much joy and thanksgiving. 

1. A family who brings me more laughter, love, and comfort than I ever dreamed of.
2. My husband, Cesar, and experiencing God’s plan for us the past 11 plus years and knowing without a doubt the years we spent together growing up were a big part of HIS plan.  I cannot put into words how much I love this man and am so proud to call him my husband. 
3. A mother who will drop everything and get on a plane at a moments notice to be here for her grand-babies births (nothing ever went as we "planned" for our babies arrivals)..this same super mom has always made it a priority to be here  for birthdays and holidays so that I wouldn’t be alone,  has driven many miles with a dog and children all in tow, so that we could spend summers in Florida with our family... and who has truly been a best friend for the 35 years of my life.
4. A father who has always been a shining example of giving and sacrificing all for his family –he has shown us that family is always first.
5. Parents who have been married 40 plus years and showed us that marriage is truly God’s plan:  to live out our life as Christ, a true example of unconditional love, forgiveness and so much more.
6. God’s grace and mercy, and the joy I know through my relationship with Him.
7. Middle of the night nursing—I know it sounds crazy, but I cherish those times with each of my babies, where the whole world is quiet and we have that sweet time together.  I have especially treasured this with our last—sometimes this is the only time during the day that I have with her un-interrupted.
8. Dr. pepper.
9. A six year old daughter, that spends every night that her Daddy is deployed, next to me in the king size bed…these conversations, snuggles, and moments are truly priceless. (see picture above)
10. Saturday mornings:  oh, how I love sleeping in late and so do our kids (most of the time).  Nothing beats Pancake Saturdays and all the kids in bed with us!
11. Living in a country where we can chose to live the way we want and become who we wish to be.
12. Email and video chats—when you have a spouse gone for 7 plus months at a time, these become a lifeline, its hard to imagine how the WWII  generation did it.
13. A babysitter that my children are excited to see arrive and one whom I know will take great care of them.
14. Friends that have been there through so many life moments, who know me inside and out and love me for it.   Whether far or close in proximity, they are always close in heart.
15. Sisters—there is nothing better than having a sister to share the world with (NO ONE knows you like your sister) and I am so grateful that my girls have each other …but in turn, I am so happy they also have a brother. My brother taught me so many things about life .  I hope they will all remain close forever.
16. A mother n law that I love like my own mom, who treats me as her own daughter, who I can share anything and everything with, and has taught me many good recipes.
17. My nieces and nephews--what an awesome thing to see your siblings and you’re your husband’s siblings  families all grow. And I am so thankful that my children are very close to all of their cousins, even living states away. They really adore them.
18. Being a mom—I always knew I wanted a house full of children, but never knew how deeply they would each touch my life.
19. Deployments-you grow a lot as a person and as a couple during these separations. I am grateful we can serve our country in this way.
20. The invention of the flat iron.
21. The excitement you see when your child “gets something” like learning to read, a new concept etc. 
22. The beach—brings back wonderful memories of my childhood spent with my siblings and parents.  And now we look forward to our annual Florida beach trip with all the siblings and grandchildren.  Haven’t missed a year yet!!!
23. The four seasons---growing up in Florida we did not really experience seasons, so this is something I’ve fallen in love with…the hot white sand in the summer, the beautiful leaves in the fall, seeing snow on the trees early in the morning before anyone wakes up, spring and all of its glory…
24. 3 c-sections, 1 miscarriage, and a premature little baby girl--without enduring these difficult times, I wouldn’t be the mother I am. 
25. The smell of a clean house.
26. A good night’s sleep.
27.  Finding pleasure in the small things in life.
28. Good manners.
29. Kisses and hugs—I can never get enough.  
30.  I Love You’s.
31. Lunch dates with girl friends.
32. Date nights—doesn’t need to be anything fancy, I just cherish the special moments we can sneak in alone.   
33. Dancing with my children and hearing their laughter throughout the house.
34. The blessing of being a stay at home mother and wife—I know that this is not for everyone, but I am grateful for every day I get to do this;  no doubt we do our share of sacrificing, but I really enjoy this time with my family—I  wish the days didn’t go by so quickly.
35. 35 years of health, love, happiness, and pure joy. I have experienced many heartaches and trials, but these events are what mold us into who we are.  I am grateful for it all!

weekend simplicity

Oh, how I love the weekends.  My husband, Cesar and I have loved to sleep late for our entire marriage..and thank goodness, our sweet children have followed suit.   Weekends are cherished and pretty simple around our house....long days in jammies, movies on the couch, bike rides in the neighborhood, trips to the park, or dinner with friends... are usually found on our agenda.  Like I said, pretty simple family time.   I will never grow tired of time outdoors around our neighborhood  here in North Carolina...it really is beautiful.

the C family

Today I took pictures for this adorable family. Erica, their mother, was Mason's teacher last year in pre-school. I had sewn a few things for her little girl, Lilly but had never met any of the children in person.  It was wonderful to finally do just that...and a great experience for me to photograph children other than my own. I loved getting to know them and see their awesome personalities shine through!! Seems like these boys have an endearing love for their baby sis.....thanks for sharing your afternoon with me! 

do I have to say goodbye?

Today our cherished neighbors and friends moved away.   This family was so precious to us and our children became the best of friends---it didn't matter what ages any of our kids were--both Ellie and Mason adored all four of their boys.   We are so thankful for the time we got to live next door to this family and know we will forever be connected. For now we say Farewell dear S Family....we wish you all the best and love each of you!   Thank you for all the special memories...