studio pics

I mentioned the studio pics a few posts ago, but it all started with the heirloom suit.  Jerry wanted pictures of Colby in the suit, and I just intended to take some pictures myself.  A week later, I received a mailer from a photography studio offering 24 pictures (a variety of sizes, including a canvas) for $14.99.  It seemed too good to be true, but I figured for that price, I didn't have much to lose.  So, I made an appointment, and brought some spring outfits along as well so that I didn't have 24 pics of Colby in the suit, haha. I don't love how studio pictures look, but again, for the price, I figured it was good idea. 

Brooke was excited about the pictures, which was a welcome surprise :)  She loved all the backgrounds and props, which are the exact things I dislike about studio pictures, haha.  But, it was cute to see her so excited. The studio had guidelines of which backgrounds they had to use, and then I was able to pick a few I liked.  Once we were done, we sat down at the computer to look at all the images.  With each pair of pictures, I picked the ones I liked and disliked.  When we were done, she informed me that to get one sheet of each image I liked, it would be $378 dollars, or something ridiculous in the upper $300 range.  I told her that I just wanted the 24 pictures, and that's when the catch became evident!  The 24 pictures all had to be the same image.  Why in the world would I want the same image in 24 different size prints??  What a gimmick, but I knew it was too good to be true!  I told her that I was only interested in spending $20, but I really did love some of the expressions in the pictures, so I ended up selecting the bare minimum, and walked away with like 4 poses for $87 dollars. 

This is the image I chose for the 24 prints and canvas since it had both kiddos in it. 

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I thought Brooke looked like a little angel in these pictures, so I had to choose these as well.  It is crazy how quickly she is growing up.  She was so patient as I curled her hair that morning, and I could tell that she felt pretty. 

Although I really dislike black backgrounds, I loved this sweet picture of Colby.  I adore this boy's sweet face, blond hair, and blue eyes.

bluebonnets 2017

The day that I took the kids for studio pictures, I decided to go for bluebonnet pictures as well! I figured they were already dressed and ready to go, so the timing was perfect.  Turns out that kids (mostly Colby) have a picture quota for the day, and Colby was already at his max.  I did manage to get one good one of each kid even though the sun was mega bright!  

And I adore this picture, but Colby was actually crying!  I wanted one of them standing by the orange wild flowers, but Colby was not going for it, and so I settled for a candid shot from the back, haha. 

He loves Brooke so much, and I adore that he is clinging on to her like that. She is a great big sister, and was actually trying to be quite helpful with the picture taking.  This is such a stark contrast from where we are at last year in regards to picture taking.

heirloom suit

Colby looks ultra adorable, but the pictures are even more precious when you know the backstory.  This suit is an heirloom hand-stitched by Jerry's grandma, which is Colby's Great-Great Grandma. Jerry wore this suit as a toddler, then Kevin wore it, and now Colby gets his turn!  Bev has preserved it in her cedar chest, and it's in perfect condition which is pretty darn amazing considering that it is 60 years old. She took it to the dry cleaners before bringing it over, and also brought the white shoes and bow tie that Kevin wore.  

It took me a few weeks to get him a white shirt, but then it was picture time!  Colby was in need of a haircut, but I asked Kevin if he wanted Colby's hair to be in his normal faux hawk, or if I should comb it to the side just like his hair in the pictures his Mom brought over.  He wanted to comb it to the side, and then when I took him for studio pictures, I could cut his hair to the normal Colby style :)

I obviously couldn't pick a favorite photo, so I included them all.  Each one shows a different expression and a different side of our cute Colby Boy.

I lied, the "cheese" face might be my personal favorite!!

march with the littles

I know these monthly posts are lost, but I'm kind of obsessed with documenting the little things that happen each day.  Each picture reminds me of how we spent the month and I can see the way the kids are growing and learning. 

And what's not to love about a picture with the adorable Brock!  He is Joanna's little guy, and Brooke is quite in love with him.  

One afternoon, I had to wake Colby up from his nap, which I hate doing!  I can't even remember why I had to wake him, but he looked so sweet laying there with his puppy.  The flash was obviously a little too bright for his eyes.

Brooke continues to love her dance class, although she still gives me grief at times about getting dressed.  When she is being grumpy about getting dressed, she'll say things like "Can we just cancel dance?", probably because I've had to threaten that a few times.  I have tried explaining that not every girl gets the opportunity to dance because it's pretty expensive, so hopefully the lesson sinks in, haha.

We have the stairs blocked off to keep Colby out of danger, but any chance he gets, he goes for it!!  He is much better at stairs, but it still makes me nervous if i'm not near him.

A trip to the mall always end in a carousel ride!  I luckily receive one or two coupons in the mail each month, so it's normally free.

I know you're not supposed to take pictures in the chapel, but since we were in the overflow I justified it, haha. Colby sitting there doing a look-and-find with Daddy was just too cute.

And because he looked so handsome, he got his own picture after church.  My baby is growing up so quickly!

Colby was fussy one afternoon, and Brooke quickly grabbed her baby to comfort him.  It's quite adorable how much Colby loves baby dolls. He always makes sure the babies have a pacifier, and I have no doubt that he will be an attentive and loving big brother.

The Spring weather was so pleasant, and we spent lots of time playing across the street at the park.

Since Colby isn't walking yet, I either carry him around, or he sits and plays with his sand toys in the bark.

As I was putting Colby down for his nap, Brooke kept busy at her chalk board.  I was so impressed to see that she had written her name, minus the E.  The spacing and order were not perfect, but I was impressed that she had done the rest independently :)

Brooke likes to be my little helper, and I love that she is able to maneuver my stick vacuum!  Any help with chores is much appreciated.

We had a fun movie night with the Hawkins the week that Moana came to DVD.  I had been sick all week, so I worried about coughing through the whole movie, but it all worked out and we enjoyed a fun night with our friends.

Since getting my outdoor rug, we have spent more time in the backyard as well.  I planted some new succulents, and Colby boy wanted to water them for me.

We also bought a new washer and dryer after our washer pooped out on us, and the kids have spent hours decorating the boxes. Who knew that a huge box could literally entertain them for hours, multiple days in a row?

During Colby's nap, Brooke kept busy as well!  I came downstairs to find that she had attempted washing all of the dishes from lunch! It was the cutest surprise, and although some of the dishes weren't exactly clean, I appreciated the effort more than she knew.

My girl also sets up the most elaborate of tea parties for her, her animals and her babies.  She loves all of her kitchen stuff, and it makes the perfect addition to a tea party.

One night (while Kevin was traveling of course!), we had a crazy wind storm. The howling winds woke me up, and as I looked out the window, I figured that I should probably move our patio chairs.  I was too much of a chicken to go out there in the middle of the night, so I figured I would just hope for minimal damage.  This is how the patio looked in the morning...

I'm just amazed that the chair didn't break that window it was resting on!

We also had a much needed Mommy/Brookie/Colby outing to the beach at Lynn Creek.  I felt like my patience was wearing thin, and I needed to have a change of scenery. The sun and fun was just what we all needed.

And since Colby is wearing a different swimsuit, this must mean that we went back to the beach area again at the end of March.  What can we say?? We like the sand, water, and sun!!

the joy of cousins

After the previous week's game when Brooke was super grumpy about the other team scoring all the goals, I was a little nervous!  I was hoping that since Kinley and Aubrey were coming to watch, she would be super into the game. Kindly was so sweet with Colby on the sidelines, and then Colby moved on to Uncle Jeff.

Several times throughout the game, Brooke would look over to make sure her cheering squad was still there :)  She loves her cousins so much, and it's awesome that we live close enough that we can attend each other's extra curricular activities.

I had promised Brooke that if she scored a goal, I would take her and her cousins to Iggy's, which is her favorite ice cream shop.  Towards the end of the game, although she hadn't scored a goal, I figured I would take them anyways because Brooke never stopped running and was always right on the ball.  When the game was over, she asked if we could go to Iggy's since she scored a goal during practice, haha.  I love her negotiating skills!  (Sometimes, haha.)

We also had an impromptu photo shoot after ice cream because the whole field behind Iggy's was covered in bluebonnets.

I forgot to mention that Grandma and Papa came for the end of the game, and joined us for ice cream at Iggy's.  The big girls were so sweet with Papa and held his hands back to the car.  He was still recovering from one of his foot surgeries, and I know he loves moments like this.

Lynn Creek Park

Our play group hasn't been quite as consistent as it was during the Fall, but someone normally coordinates a get-together of some sort during the week.  On this particular day back in March, we met up at the beach area of Lynn Creek Park.  We can get in free as Grand Prairie residents, and they have a big playground that Brooke loves.  I actually thought we were meeting at the playground, but when we were parking, I received the text that everyone was down by the water.  I hadn't dressed my kids in their swimsuits or applied sunscreen, but we all had a blast!

I borrowed sunscreen for Colby's sweet cheeks, and luckily him and Brooke were only slightly pink.  I, on the other hand, in my effort to provide shade for Colby at the water, was fried on my neck, arms, and back of my legs.  The things a mother does for her kids, haha.

Because Brooke's shorts were so wet, they were falling off her cute bum the whole time!

Colby just wanted to throw rocks into the lake.  Seeing the joy on their faces made me even more excited for our North Carolina vacation in April!!

sunday best

This past Sunday was our Stake Conference, which meant no meetings for me, and a 10 AM start :)  Since we were actually ready on time, I was able to take a picture of my two little loves.  I am so grateful to be a mother, and I know that it is a divine calling.

The meeting was great, but so LONG!  Two hours is a long time to expect kids to keep it together.  We had camped out in the Young Women's room since Colbster can be noisy, and even though the kids were really so well-behaved, it just felt really long.  And clearly Colby was exhausted...