a princess sort of day

this girl,
she is two..
and OF COURSE we celebrated in our usual fashion..
all day long.

is there any other way?

we started the day very, VERY bright and early.
balloons awaited miss. louise and she was all shades of happy about it.
i love this picture.. she looks like my baby still.
*sigh*
it feels like that doesn't happen much anymore.
after all, she is two .
:)

she also got to open her presents from mommy, daddy, and sissy.. all with that crazy bed head that never ceases to amaze.

aren't my jammie girls cute?
and yes, minie usually does shed her pants somewhere in the night.
me thinks it's a little bit adorable..
so don't be hatin'.

birthday breakfast.. a must.

daddy took the day off to join in the celebrating, so after breakfast we packed up and headed to the aquarium. i forot the camera... and it was short and sweet anyway. we attempted lunch at the NASTY cafe there.
just trust me... don't eat.

and then it was time for the much anticipated princess party.
i swore i never would allow the cheesy cliche princesses take over my life once i had kids.
so yes, you can just add that to the very long list of things i do that i swore "i'd never!"

and duh... she loved it.

cuteness in form of some of our birthday guests.

a little pinata action.

MORE presents..
this resulted in many tears, many shouts of glee, and then some more tears.
birthdays are difficult for the 5 and under crowd.
understandably so..

and finally one last birthday wish to sum up the day.

princess girl-
we loved celebrating every delicious bit of you!

730 days

of bewilderment.
730 days of joy,
of giggles,
of crys,
of poppy snugs,
of sparkly eyes,
of our new flavor of love.

baby girl,
you make our lives so happy. you fill every moment up with intensity.. good and bad. but mostly just good :)
you make my heart beat faster.. i fell in love with you this day two years ago in a way i didn't even know possible.

you are so so so much.
we adore every last bit of you.

happy birthday miss. poppy louise!
2 will be a good year.
a very, very good year..
because of you.

XOXO,
mama, daddy, and minie

trick or treat

i've said it before.. i'll say it again.
sunday holidays are tricky business.
things get all muddled about when and how to celebrate,
so then we just celebrate all week long. and well...
it is sort of painful. isn't it?
the rain certainly didn't help anything.

i love me some halloween.
but even I am ready for it to go.
HOWEVER...
the jackson girls were looking especially scrumptious this season.
and looking back.. i want to bite them.

my very own mermaid.
she can handle a fin like a pro.

{birdie}
she refused her hat and nest most of the time...
so really she just sort of looked like a purple blob.
still cute??
yes.

one of our favorite festivities included a trunk-or-treat at grandma billie's new joint.
it was a major hit...
and pretty hilarious and slightly scary all at once.

a little pumpkin carving.
this picture was about as long as the whole carving+girls business lasted.
2 minutes in they both decided princess and the frog was much more enticing,
and then dustin and i were left for 1+ hours creating greatness.
it all worked out.

you didn't think i would forget them?

trick or treating was frigid.
i mean arctic... really.
but aren't jude and minie cute? they are soul mates.

and it ended..
halloween at our house is now down and packed and we are more than happy to say goodbye until next year.


and now comes christmas....

*gulp...

my itsy bitsy

sometimes i feel like dance for my three year old is maybe silly.
maybe a slight waste of money..

but then i see this.
and i know i am wrong
:)

*ps.
yes, that is her costume from 2 years ago. her 2010 halloween costume wasn't "dance-able".
would she grow already?

pleased to introduce..

mr. augustus j. bugginsworth.

or just gus.
or gus gus..

or just captain Gus McRae
(no.. not really.
but i think i should maybe start that)

.he snores like a bear
.waddles like a duck
.eats us out of house and home
.is minie's new real life doll
.makes dustin talk like a baby
.is the cutest thing in the world ican'tstandit

are you in love??
we most surely are. he is our dream boat.
i got him for dustin for a little belated anniversary gift, and with the exception of poppy's intense distaste to him,
he is heaven.

i could bathe in his rolls.

minie might smother him... but he's into it.
kind of.

gus gus..
we love, love you.
welcome to the family boy.

so hipsta

well,
i do realize i am quite possibly the last person on the earth to download and fully appreciate this fine application.
but fully appreciate, i do.
i spend countless hours on photoshop trying to achieve such a look,
why??
i feel so now.
so hip.

whatevs... my girls are cute,
my blogging as of late is lame-O,
and fall is on the rear end.
come again?
i know..

thank you iphone.. once more.
:)

makeshift portfolio.

somewhere in the past year i lost my mojo.. updating my photography blog just got to be more than i wanted.. and well, it appeared to the stander by that i no longer took a picture any more. but alas.. that just isn't true.
people have been asking, "where can i look to see some of your work?". i would send them here.. to see just my kids. so after the one too many inquires i am posting this. i brief tasting of some photos i have taken but never got around to sharing...

i think i may just make this a newish, smallish habit. updating this blog that is. and sometimes with strangers pictures. but really, they aren't strangers, because in order to be here, i know em.. so now you all do too :)

enjoy.

ps.
if you are now appearing on my blog for the first time and are now a public spectacle..
well, i am sorry.. and WELCOME.

5 years

from your silly non-stop affection , to your tolerant ways of my midnight munching, i love you.
i love you when you watch my movies and shows.. and like them. i love the way you always come home to me. come home and want to be with me. no matter how big the fight, i always know you are there for me.
you make me laugh, you make me crazy. but mostly you just make me feel loved. everything good in my life starts with you.
i would have it no other way.
we don't always do it like the rest.. but we both know our way is best. :)
sometimes i forget that you aren't actually the same person as me.. but it's not often. you live your life for me,
and i live mine for you.

happy anniversary you crazy man,
i love you forever.