Our visit to Chicago

Monday and Tuesday we went to Chicago to see our old (and very much missed) friends from Louisiana- Delaney, Maddy, Sofia and Angie:)
We spent Monday at the American Girl store... the girls were in heaven! Then we had dinner there that night. More pictures to come soon. Tuesday we went out to breakfast and did a little city walking before they had to leave. We missed them so much, as we hadn't seen them in OVER TWO YEARS since we moved up to Michigan! The girls were adorable and we all fell back into the good old times. Wish we didn't live so far away!!!!! We miss you guys:(

A same day blog post- NO WAY!!!!

This afternoon while I was working in the studio, Olivia came up to me and said, "Ma'am can I please have a ticket?"
I said what for? She said, "My bear and I want to have a photoshoot, what time is good for you?"
I said, well in five minutes will be a good time. So she left. Sure enough, she came back with her bear, in matching dresses that my mom made. So we started snapping pictures. Then Deagan wanted to join in. So he brought his animals. Then the dogs wanted to join in, so they sat with us too! It was pretty funny and cute! So I thought I'd share our little photo session this afternoon.


Best Buds!

She loves her bear:)
Olivia's 2nd best friend, Mav!
He said he wanted to bring in his stuffed animals, but then Maverick laid in front and refused to leave, it was cute:)

Yes, Stella really is that big- sitting down!
Aren't they sweet?
Olivia and her bear, in matching dresses
Mr. Hulk Himself

No More Buttons

Deagan declared this morning at about 6:45, "No more buttons, I don't like buttons!" referring to his shirts.
No more cute button up flannel shirts, no more polos with two buttons on top. NO MORE BUTTONS.
Lately whenever I pick out a shirt with buttons on it, he protests wearing it. But usually it's a nice shirt that is going to be worn to a nice place...and you need buttons. But Deag is more of a T-shirt man. I had to switch his closet so that the T-shirts were up high, so he couldn't throw a fit to wear one when it's 20 degrees outside!
He had been really picky about his clothes lately and always wanted to pick out his own, and now I see why.
Because he wants NO MORE BUTTONS, and it only took him two weeks to tell me:)

A Weekend, just for US!

This weekend we actually have NO SESSION, no hunting, no immediate things that have to be done (nevermind the nine sessions sitting on my desktop awaiting photoshop;).
So we are going to spend it as a family! We are going to get our CHRISTMAS TREE, yeah, woo hoo. We LOVE Love love going to pick out a tree. The kids go crazy running around outside saying, "this one, this one." I can't wait to start decorating the house and enjoying the season:)

Our Little Monkeys

My Mom sent me this picture from last weekend when they were at her house, and they were being CRAZY!

We're Pregnant... for real this time!

It's true, no April fools joke this time. Jeff and I are FINALLY expecting our 3rd and final child. This ultrasound picture (of the alien) was taken at 9 weeks. Right now I just passed by all important 12th week.
I have been feeling FANTASTIC. No morning sickness this time. It's unreal and amazing. I don't know if it's because I'm just too busy to realize it or if God is just being very nice to me this time around, but I feel great. I've only had one queazy spell a few weeks ago in the car with Jeff, but it was my fault because I forgot to eat lunch:) But NO sickness. I've just been super tired. I could go to bed every night at 7pm, in a dream world! HA! But it's getting better already.
The baby is due on May 30th, however, given the fact that it's our 3rd and it will be a C-section, they would like to take the baby out a week early. Just so there is zero chance of me going into labor and having my scars rupture. So we are looking at May 21-25th or somewhere there about.
Olivia and Deagan are just over the moon. Olivia has been asking me for a baby EVERY DAY for at least a year, literally! And when we finally told her, I thought she was going to burst into tears. She was so adorable:) They have been great. Asking me every day to see my growing belly, telling everyone they meet (even the clerk at the grocery store), and being very careful with Mommy's belly. It's going to be a great summer!
As for the sex, this time we are NOT going to find out. That's right, 100% a surprise. It's going to be tough, but well worth it:)
I'll keep you updated as we go (or shall I say grow) along:)

p.s.- there is a fun pregnancy ticker at the bottom of the blog that she's what the little fetus looks like at this stage:)

Dark Snow Fun

self portrait of the three of us
Olivia thinking it was desert!
Sweet D
Yes, it was dark outside and we turned on the porch lights to play outside! It was only 5pm and DARK outside!

upside down olivia catching snowflakes
Sweet sissy gave him all of her snowballs to hold
the best $10 investment...but I think we'll need another!
Want a perfect snowball?

Hunting Season

Jeff left last night to go up north hunting. I'm glad he could go this year and has a job where he can take a Friday off to be up north. I'm also happy that he gets to spend time with his Dad, and with himself. However, as I look around a the laundry piling up, the dishes stacked on the counter, and the studio equipment still in bags from this weeks preschool shoot...waiting to be set back up for this weekends shoots- I think to myself, I think I'll take up hunting. A nice long day in the woods- ALONE would be fantastic. Give me a blanket, a thermos full of soup and I'd be happy as ever, alone:) I might even get a nap!

First Snow of the Season

This morning we won't up to a nice blanket of snow. By 6:45 am Deagan was fully dressed in his snowsuit and outside playing IN THE DARK before he had to leave for school. It was adorable. I didn't take any pictures:(
But I did get some of Olivia before she went to school:)

Miss Olivia in her new winter hat
Walking in the snow

We went to put her snowboots on from last year, AND THEY DIDN'T FIT!!!! We were a little unprepared for the snow this early.

Saving the worms

Last night we had a decent thunderstorm with lots of rain. So this morning everything was soaking wet and the pavement was just starting to dry out. Well if you're three you know what that means.... WORMS, lots of WORMS... and you must save them so they don't dry out. So after taking Olivia to school, Deagan and I walked around the culdesac and everyone's driveways and saved the worms. Now we couldn't touch them (too yucky today) so we were armed with a circle milk cap ring and a matchbox john deere trailer. Between the two of us we scooped up the worms onto the trailer and then Deag tossed them back in the grass.
Saving the world- one worm at a time!

Happy Halloween

Deagan and Olivia would not stop wiggling long enough for mommy to take pictures- they were too busy watching and waiting for the kids in the culdesac to come up the driveway so they could pass out candy! Olivia and Madison were Hannah Montana's for Halloween and Deagan was THE HULK!