Learning to use light

For the last couple days, I've been learning to use the light better in my home to create more dramatic images.  It's been really eye opening for me and I think I'm hooked!

These were taken using the window in my master bedroom.

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These next few were taken at night and were lit by my ipad.

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And these were taken by my bedroom window again, but have a lighter feel.  Taken in the same light and same time as the first picture in this post, just moved my subject.  You may not think that's cool, but I sure do!

This morning

I've been loving to do my 365 project. Some days though, you set out to take 1 picture and you end up with 50.

Kate had some serious style going on this morning. Two dresses are better than one I guess.

Max played with his cars.

Then things got kind of crazy and we decided to do some jumping pictures.  The kids had so much fun doing this.

Then Kate decided she wanted to be the photographer and she took all the rest of these pictures.  She just loves to use my camera and take pictures!  Like mother like daughter!

Catch up

The last 5 days of my 365 project

18 months

Max is 18 months old today.  I can't believe it.  Even though it makes me sad that he is so big already, I have to say how much I'm loving the age he is at right now.  He is so much fun!

He is a boy through and through.  All day he is either playing with cars, swinging swords around, or throwing everything he can.  He's obsessed with his basketball.  He loves to play outside and get dirty.  He is fearless.  I took him to the park the other day and he kept climbing to the top of the big slide and going down all by himself!

He talks now.  A lot.  He can say: ball, car, cookie, cereal, candy, wa-wa (water), Kate, daddy, mommy, sword, iPad, baby, binky, basketball, football, down, done, hi, I did it, nintendo, eat, plane, where are you, i love you, banana, apple, orange, granola bar, cheese, cracker, fishy, tick tock, uh-oh, woah, outside, shoe, tickle, light, go, one, two, three, alright, oh yeah, all aboard, choo choo, thank you, and he will try to repeat anything you say.

He is still so snuggly with me and I love that SO much.

We have an app on the iPad that is about letters and their sounds.  He plays it all the time.  He points out whenever he sees letters by yelling "I!  E! R!" no matter what letters he is actually seeing.  

He loves his big sister and they play very well together.  I'm cherishing it while it lasts!

Max you are the most adorable kid ever!  I love you so much!

Princess Sofia

Someone is a big fan.

This is one of the dresses I made Kate for Christmas.  I made the amulet last week.  Kate loves Princess Sofia.  She watches the movie all the time, and loves the TV show.  Plus, doesn't Sofia look like Kate? 

Candy thief

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This was one of those Max-is-being-too-quiet-I'd-better-go-check-on-him moments.  I come downstairs to see that he had pushed a kitchen chair up next to the kitchen island, climbed on top of it, pulled the candy jar next to him and was sneaking candy.

Instead of being mad, I told him he was cute and took a picture.  Good parenting right?

Morning Ritual

Every morning the same thing happens.  Max wakes up around 7:15-7:30.  I go get him out of his crib and lay him in bed with me.  Around 7:45 he decides he's done sleeping, sits up and asks for "i-mad".  I give it to him so maybe I can catch a few more minutes of sleep.  Even though I turn the volume way down or off, Max's shouting when he plays wakes up his sister who ends up sleeping on our floor 99% of the time.  They then play together for a few minutes, while I try to get a few more minutes sleep.

They are so cute and sweet for about 15 minutes. 

Then they start to fight, and the moment is over.

Little Golfer

My new hobby

I've been learning how to sew. 

I started out because I fell in love with clothing brands like Matilda Jane and Persnickety.  I couldn't afford the price tag of those clothes though ($80 a dress), so I decided it was time for me to learn.  I started out by making dresses from tutorials I've found via pinterest online, and have learned a lot.  I'm still a way beginner, but I'm so surprised at how much I love to do this!  I never thought sewing would be a hobby of mine, but I guess it is!  I'm having so much fun making clothes for Kate.

So today's dress is a special one for me.  I was able to look at this dress by Persnickety

and know exactly how to make it!  I was so excited because this is exactly why I'm learning!  Here's my dress inspired by this look.

I'm pretty excited of how it turned out!  I love all the colors and the details of the buttons and rick rack. 

Kate loves it too :)

Smile

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Little Red Firetruck

twirl.

Heartbreakers

I know it's a little too early for this but I made the kid's Valentines day outfits yesterday, and I couldn't resist putting them in them today!

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He wasn't crazy about getting his picture taken today.

Last Saturday Beth and I had a girls night and went shopping at Joanns.  While we were there we found fabric modge podge!  I hadn't even heard of this, so we bought it because we had to try it out.  Beth came over yesterday and we made Valentine's shirts for our kids!  The modge podge is so cool.  It works just like regular modge podge.  Paint it on the back, stick it on, wait until it dries to paint on a sealing layer.  It was so easy. I also added stitches around Kate's decorations because I thought it would hold better, and I thought it would be really cute.  I didn't on Max's though so his shirt will be the test to see how well this washes.  I will update this post when I do!

Then I made this skirt to match. It turned out shorter than I wanted, but leggings fix that problem.

I really like how these outfits turned out!

Sweet dreams

One of my favorite parts of the day is the nighttime check on my kids. Every time I see them sleeping so soundly my heart is so full with love for them.

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This is Kate's "Loopsy" doll that I mentioned in the Christmas post.  She has named her Cassidy.  Not sure where the name came from, but I like it.

Big kids!

Yesterday was a big day for us at church!

It was Kate's first day in Primary and Max's first day in nursery. Both did awesome.

I knew Kate would be just fine, she's never been afraid to be on her own, but Max really surprised me. He's usually so shy around strangers that I thought he would be one of the criers, but he wasn't! He ran right in there and started playing with the blocks. That I'm glad for, but it kind of hurt my feelings a little bit! haha.

After I dropped Max off, I took Kate to her Primary class. We went in found her class, and I left the room. Then I looked in and saw her sitting like such a big girl with her sunbeam class and I lost it. I did. I totally cried! I felt dumb, but I guess I just don't like that she's growing up. Then my friend Brittany came out of the room from dropping her sunbeam off and she started crying too, so at least I wasn't alone in my mommy emotions.

Then I went to Sunday School embracing the fact that I was childless for that Sunday...and that's when the nursery leader came in and said I needed to sit with Max.  Since he's not "officially 18 months" until the 19th, he couldn't be in there without me.  I wasn't trying to break the rules, I just really didn't think it was a big deal.  So my Sunday was spent in nursery.  *sigh*  In two weeks I will get my childless Sunday!  Here's pictures to document their big day.

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Favorite Toy

Just like his daddy!
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