The Tran Clan

It's been awhile

2013-04-08T18:29:00.001-04:00

Hello world! It's been awhile since I have blogged. Really about anything! I'm going to make a better effort to blog more. Why? You ask? Well because for those that do not know....

Yep, you guessed it. Pregnant! 32 weeks today actually! Not much longer and BOY I can't wait! ;) Did you catch that? Yep, it's another boy too! I couldn't be happier really. This little booger has really thrown for me for a loop though. I've been sick most of this pregnancy, then broke out in this awful pregnancy rash and now just feel like I can't even walk remotely normal. I'll also try and fill you all in on the rest of us! I'll post a few photos though from our most recent family shoot (november 2012) shot by the awesome Joshua Aaron Photography!

How big have my kids gotten?!!!! Ariel is officially a Teenager (help me), Nick just turned 12 and Preston is 4 1/2! My baby is getting SO big!

Preston was signed with a modeling agency this past year but I just recently canceled his contract. :(

Look at how CUTE his comp card is!

My reason being is that in January, he was diagnosed with Accomodative Esotropia in his left eye. He has started wearing glasses which have helped tremendously but unfortunately when he takes his glasses off, his left eye turns in so I knew unless they wanted a handsome little model WITH glasses, he just wasn't ready to take the modeling world by storm! ;) He's still the most handsome boy around to me and his glasses are super studly! See for yourself!

I have been SO proud of him too with his glasses! He has been so responsible with them! At school he takes them off when he goes out to play and at nap time. At home he asks for them when he wakes up and takes extra good care of them! Pretty impressive!

My business has really prospered with year. I have been busier than ever which has given me the opportunity to stay home with the baby once he arrives. I am extremely thankful to be able to do what I love and be home with the little ones that I love as well! I have to admit though, I can't wait for maternity leave. A break from work is going to be SO NICE! :)

I will post more later with some more updates! I hope I can keep this up!

Later friends!

I heart Faces: Black

2011-11-07T13:58:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I have posted and it hasn't been any updates on my part. I promise that will happen soon. Life has definitely taken over. Anywho, I'm here today participating in the I heart Faces: Black challenge. I get discouraged when I don't get noticed but then again i'm still new to photography and learning. So i'll keep entering and challenging myself!

I took this photo this past weekend and was very proud of the entire shoot. A girl I used to babysit (ugh I feel old just typing that) is trying to get her portfolio started and asked me to do makeup and headshots. We had a lot of fun and this is just one that I took. You can see the rest here.

I heart Faces: Props

2011-07-18T13:26:00.001-04:00

Just the other day I was sitting on my couch watching TV when I looked over at Preston laying on the floor by the patio screen door playing with his cars. The lighting was perfect as the sun was setting and I jumped up and grabbed my camera. This particular photo took my breath away in an instant. He wasn't posing. He was sincerely irritated with me and ready for me to put the camera down. I feel like his eyes say SO much and the car is the perfect little prop. So subtle but yet to me tells so much! To date, this is one of my favorite photos of him!

I heart faces: Soft and Sweet

2011-05-02T22:00:00.000-04:00

I wanted to enter one of my favorite photos of my sweet, beautiful neice Emma for this weeks challenge. It's all about what we consider soft and sweet and she is everything and more! Of course there were plenty to choose from but this one just strikes me those beautiful sweet eyes of hers!

I heart Faces: Wind

2011-04-18T08:12:00.001-04:00

I decided to enter this week since I just finished having a mini-photoshoot with Ariel this past weekend. The wind was insane. This was my favorite of her...how calm everything around her seems. We had alot of fun playing around and i'm so glad to be able to spend time with her as she gets older. She really is growing up to be such a beautiful young girl! I couldn't be more proud!

"kwinkle kwinkle wittle starrrr"

2011-04-11T21:42:00.000-04:00

Pumped up a notch. My child sings this 100 times a day right now. I never ever get sick of hearing it! Some days it's fast and loud like this. Other times slow, soft and sweet. Enjoy. I know I did.

Please excuse my messy house.

Hold your applause.

;)

Emma’s Birthday photos

2011-03-19T22:19:00.001-04:00

I met my sister-in-law this morning for a birthday photo shoot for my niece. I can’t believe she will be ONE in less than a month! Time flies! I’m happy with how they turned out but know I still have lots to learn and work on!

Here are a some of my favorites!

And my personal favorite…

I’m anxious to see which picture she chooses to put on her invitation! Emma is such a good little baby and so pretty!

life through my phone

2011-03-01T22:30:00.001-05:00

I realized that I take so many pictures on my cell phone to document things here and there and never post them. So here goes…

Timmy surprised me one morning by leaving the house after me and racing to beat me to work with these on my desk. No special day needed. I love it when it’s just because.

My newest necklace from The Vintage Pearl. It was a late Christmas present. Love it!

Came home one day to find Preston and Timmy snuggled on the couch. I love how Preston has his arms folded. One of my most favorite things to do is watch him sleep. So sweet.

This kid is hilarious and recently obsessed with this magnifying glass. I LOVE this picture of him.

Not sure if any of my readers know this but I LOVE James Dean. The dork in me likes to get him some type of cake each year on his birthday. I stopped for a few years because life happened but this year I remembered and the girls at work BEGGED me to go get cupcakes from this local cupcake shop around the corner. Who can say no to cupcakes! So in honor of James Dean…HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY!

Timmy and I both have the EVO Droid and LOVE it. Preston does too. That kick stand on the back comes in handy when he’s begging us to watch “Choo choo phone” on it. He likes to watch Thomas and Friends YouTube videos.

My friend Lysa invited us over for dinner last week for my favorite dish Pho! Her mom makes the BEST! Trust me when I say it was sooooooo good!

Here Ariel is pointing out to me her very first official pimple. I love that she has such a sense of humor about it. I still freak out when I get one!

Preston had a boo boo at Daycare. He’s very lucky that he didn’t take his eye out. He is going through his “clumsy” phase where he trips, falls and bumps into everything. He’s a tough boy though!

This is Preston at the Dr’s office laying on the floor trying the read the children’s bible that they had in there. Just thought this was cute.

My desk at work. Let me point out a couple things. 1st of all…see that stack of papers on the side. It’s never ending! My boss, well lets just say she isn’t there anymore for embezzling reasons. Well the last 3 weeks at work have been torturous! It’s like I take 1 step forward and 2 steps back. There is more stuff stacked on the other desk in front of me. 2nd, I did get a BRAND SPANKING NEW COMPUTER! See that big ole monitor! Love it and makes my life that much easier because it’s lightening fast! Please pray for me though. My eyes are starting to go cross-eyed from staring at all this work!

And lastly I actually let Ariel hold the camera and take pictures this past weekend. She instantly fell in love and I think i’ve introduced her to her next hobby. I think i’ll let her play around with my P&S though. I really liked this photo though. She looks like a natural!

I love my android camera apps. They have some really cool ones that allow me to take some really awesome pictures! Hope you enjoyed them as much as I do! :)

Animals, animals, animals

2011-02-20T21:12:00.001-05:00

Since the weather has been so nice, I decided to take Preston to the zoo this weekend! The weather wasn’t as warm as saturday but still in the mid-60’s and perfect walking around weather. I love having a zoo membership and being able to take the kids whenever we want. Even though our zoo pictures always look similar, it wouldn’t be the same without taking them. And of course I get to play around with my new camera and lens. :)

Preston was in a GREAT mood today! Couldn’t have been any better if I had prayed for it.

Showing me his best “Monkey” impersonation.

That wraps up our weekend of beautiful weather, good moods, and family fun. I hope everyone else had a great weekend as well!

A birthday celebration and spring like weather

2011-02-20T20:48:00.001-05:00

This weekend was absolutely PERFECT! Especially after what could be considered the WORST work week ever! I’ll save that for another post though.

We celebrated my Twin Neices 2nd birthday on saturday. The weather was in the high 70’s and so perfect. It was my first day busting out my flip flops in awhile and much needed. I hate wearing shoes. Seriously.

I love that I caught this. Gracie was too cute feeding Maddie icing…that is until Maddie bit her. lol

With lots of family around, I was able to test my new lens out and see what it was capable of actually doing. Needless to say, i’m extremely happy!

These next photos make me giggle. Preston was sitting on the swing with his cousin Adam they were such hams.

Preston is observing Adam’s arm…see below.

How funny is he trying to copy Adam here. SO cute!

and my FAVORITE of the day. Adam’s face says it all! “Dude…what are you doing?!!!” Preston is such a sweet kid and is always loving on everyone. I love that about him. This is still so funny though.

The birthday party was a success and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect! I’m so ready for spring!

Learning as I go

2011-02-07T22:05:00.001-05:00

It’s no secret that I have a new found love of photography. I have been given plenty of opportunities to practice with family and friends but have stuck mainly to my own kids. Once I purchased my new camera, I made up my mind that I was going to force myself to shoot in full manual. I downloaded a photography app on my phone that gives me great tips and i’ve been practicing ever since.

Well this past weekend, I was able to really put what i’ve learned so far to good use by taking my twin neice’s birthday photos. I can already see a difference in my pictures. I am so pleased with how they turned out and can’t wait to take more pictures soon!

Here are some of my favorites!

I love these two little girls so much and was so glad I was able to capture some of my best pictures yet!

My little lovebug

2011-02-06T22:40:00.001-05:00

Preston lately…

1. He started daycare back in November full time. I can already see how it has helped him and I just love his Teacher Krystal!

2. He is already a ladies man. In one week, a little girl named Sarah hugged him when I picked him up from DC and another kissed him one afternoon when leaving. Everyday that I pick him up, Sarah is by his side! Can you say PRECIOUS!

3. He counts to ten better in Vietnamese than in English. His English counting sounds something like this…”two, nine, TEN!” Makes me laugh b/c I know he knows the other numbers, he just refuses to say them. Don’t ask me about the Vietnamese…I leave that to Timmy.

4. I call him my little hypochondriac baby. Seems like lately, everything hurts and he says “ow” non-stop. I pretty much have to kiss his “boo boos” to get him to stop. I don’t mind though. ;)

5. He has started caring about his clothes and what he wears. It’s only with pajamas right now but he pitches a fit if he’s not wearing his Thomas the train pj’s.

6. Potty training…not sure what to say about this one. He just won’t do it. They say at DC that he has great days where he will go and others not so much. I try and try at home and he refuses. What am I doing wrong?

7. Will only take bubble baths and refuses anything else. He even tells me when he’s ready to get out. Cute kid.

8. I’ve always talked about how sweet he is but I must emphasize this. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone to pick him up after work to find these little boys fighting each other in his class. Preston is always on the opposite side of the room with the girls. Now either he’s starting early or just wants no part in the fighting! I believe it’s a little of both but I am constantly hearing from all the teachers there that he is the sweetest, most loving kid! Makes me feel good to know he’s not a brat! ;)

9. He’s on this cereal kick. Well it’s really one of the only things I can get him to eat lately. He’s going through that phase where he would rather play than eat. Makes me nervous because I want him to eat! I know most kids go through it though. Drives me nuts!

10. He sings along now to songs. For awhile he would just dance to them but he sings all day and I love it. At night I have to sing 4 different songs to him before bed. The ABC song, I am a child of God, You are my sunshine and Love is spoken here. Those are his favorites. Precious!

There is much more that I could report but i’ll save that for another post. I love my sweet boy! I love how loving he is. How he loves to cuddle with me at night and rub my face and hair. I love how funny and full of life he is. He is at such a fun age and I pray that I don’t miss a thing.

I heart Faces: Smiles

2011-01-11T12:11:00.001-05:00

I of course have tons of pictures with smiles from my kids, to friends etc…but there was one that I took about a year ago that still makes me smile when I look at it. Preston and I were playing on the trampoline one day and he kept trying to grab my camera. I ended up with this shot and just love it!

December in Photos

2011-01-01T22:20:00.001-05:00

I’m a little behind on posting so instead of doing 4 different posts, i’m just going to recap through all the photos that were taken. And trust me…there were A LOT!

1st week in December just playing around with the kids in the backyard while putting up Christmas Decorations. Just a few of my favorite shots.

Next up, Ariel and Preston were playing with the Santa Hat and Reindeer ears one day and I prayed I would get some good shots. Turns out they are some of my VERY favorite of them! Preston was being so cute and sweet this day. Not always the case. Ariel is such a great big sister! I can’t say it enough but she just adores Preston and will do just about anything for him. He is one lucky little boy!

This next one was a luck shot because no sooner did I snap the camera, did he rip this hat off! I’m so glad I was lucky though because I adore this picture!

And the best one of the day…

I told Ariel to grab Preston so I could try and get a picture of them in front of the tree. In times past, I would laugh at the thought but since he was being so sweet, I figured what the heck! Maybe, just maybe, he will cooperate. She picked him up and was kicking his feet like he didn’t want to do it but as soon as she sat him on her lap, he did this! It was perfect and priceless in so many ways!

Timmy’s sister Sue came with us one night to eat at Shealy’s BBQ! She requested a picture with them of course in front of the tree. This was the 1st and best shot!

Next, we took the kids to the lights at the zoo. We had been meaning to go the past 2 years and never made it so I was determined to go this year! My mom went with us and despite a freezing night, we had a blast!

There are of course many more but i’ll leave it short and sweet.

Next up was our family Christmas party with my Mom’s family. This year she rented out a building that was large enough for all of us. Things were kind of hectic so I didn’t take as many pictures as I would have liked.

Highlights of the evening were…

1. Uncle Gary read the Birth of our Savior while the kids re-enacted it. Simple costumes, BIG impact! I hope we do this every year so that the kids never forget the real reason why we celebrate Christmas.

2. Seeing the gift that my Aunt Laura bought for my Uncle Mike! Flair hair in all it’s glory!

3. Hanging out with family.

So I tried to re-create the photo in front of the tree with all 3 of the kids and well…this is how it turned out.

Told you I was lucky the 1st time. I think these are precious though!

Christmas Eve, we had a family get together for Timmy’s family. 6 Kids + tons of presents = CHAOS! In a good way of course.

Aunt Sue bought Ariel and Nicholas their very own Ipod Shuffle. I only pray Nicholas doesn’t lose it .

Next up…Christmas Morning.

This year, the kids were suppose to be with their Mom Christmas Eve and Morning and then we were going to have them Christmas Day. Well she changed plans. So we only had them for 2-3 hours Christmas. We made the most of it. Preston was alone this year Christmas morning and it was actually nice to spend the one on one time with him since this year he really was into Christmas.

He has been into trains since his birthday…big time so I knew just what his Santa present would be!

He made out like a bandit I tell ya!

Ariel really wants to learn how to play the Violin so this was her big gift. Nicholas only asked for Wii games. He must be the hardest kid to shop for. They racked up on some other things and between both parent’s had a pretty awesome Christmas.

After their Mom picked them back up, we headed over to my Dad’s house for lunch. I let Preston stay in his Christmas Jammies because they were cute and comfortable!

Aunt Amanda came home from Arizona to visit. It’s been several months since she was home so it was nice to see her. Preston loves her!

Preston also loved my Dad’s snow globe with it’s little train.

As you can tell, he racked up AGAIN!

Thanking Aunt Amanda for his gifts.

My grandma made these cute little hats for my neices. Aren’t they adorable!

For the 1st time in my 30 years, we came the closest EVER to a White Christmas. The day after! I’m counting it since it will probably never ever happen again! Preston got some good use out of his new boots!

Daddy was being a bully and kept throwing snowballs at Preston. Can you tell that he didn’t like it?!

To make up for it, Timmy let him jump on the trampoline with him. Don’t mind Timmy’s clothes or lack there of considering the snow. He’s a silly man sometimes!

They had a blast…but not for long. Preston woke up coughing Christmas morning so I only let him play for about 15 minutes. Didn’t want him getting any worse. Unfortunately, he did. He’s been sick this entire week and i’ve been a walking zombie. Zero sleep. Up coughing all night and running high fever for 5-6 days. I took him to the Dr Monday who told me that it was just a virus going around that lasted about 3 days. Well when day 4 was his worst yet, I took him back to the Dr. This time they tell me that he has an ear infection. Guess it developed over the past few days. This has been his very 1st ear infection and I hope he doesn’t start getting them more often. It’s been no fun! Thanks to his antibiotic, he seems to be on the up and is acting much better!

For our last day in December, we decided to spend it doing everything together as a family. We took the kids to the driving range that afternoon.

Later that night, we played some Uno, Wii Bowling, watched the movie Despicable Me, baked brownies, ate cheese dip, and just enjoyed spending our New Years together as a family!

Well folks, that wraps up our December and our Year with the Tran Clan! It has been a busy month and i’m just glad to be able to relax a bit now since the holidays are over with.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas….

2010-12-24T09:32:00.001-05:00

From our house to yours!

I heart Faces: Self Portrait

2010-12-06T12:20:00.001-05:00

I used to think that I would actually have time to participate in all the weekly photo challenges but the reality is I don't. I did want to do this one though for some odd reason. Meaning I pretty much hate pictures of myself but since I have a new camera, I decided to play around with it a bit. This is what I got.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out actually. That says alot coming from me :)

I am so in love with my new camera! Is that weird?

A little bit of nothing really.

2010-12-05T14:31:00.001-05:00

Sounds boring I know but it’s true. Other than the normal work full time and then side jobs, there really isn’t much too post about. I have definitely neglected this sweet little thing I like to call a blog and promise to try and do better.

In some fun news, I did manage to get a new camera! I know I know…it seems like this same time last year, that I was posting about my new Nikon that I bought. After learning everything I could possibly learn, I decided that I was ready for a upgrade. So I sold my Nikon to a friend and started searching for my next big purchase! I did lots of research and decided to switch to Canon. You can’t go wrong with either but I felt like Canon had more of what I was looking for in a camera.

I ended up choosing the Rebel T1i instead of the T2i because of price. If I was loaded with money, then I would have really wanted the 7D however, I don’t do photography like that so didn’t really have a need for such an amazing camera! I also decided to get the 50mm 1.8 prime lens since it was affordable and WOW can I tell a difference in my photos already!

My co-worker’s boyfriend surprised her with roses the same day I got my camera so I decided to test it out. This picture is SOOC (straight out of camera!)

When I came home that evening from work, you know I had to test it out on the kids!

Again, SOOC. After snapping this shot of Nick, I turned to find Preston doing this.

I fell in love with this picture and all the “Hallmark” possibilities so I ran with it…

I am definitely going to make this a Christmas ornament!

I did celebrate Thanksgiving without a camera so regret that I don’t have any pictures to post from then but I will say that I had a very nice laid back day with family!

My mom asked me to take a few Christmas pictures of her and my step-dad for Christmas cards so I did that yesterday afternoon. The weather was not great..it was cold, cloudy and so close to rain but we managed to get atleast two good shots. haha! That’s all they really wanted anyways.

The first picture is right in front of the Christmas Tree at the State House. The 2nd is across the street. Nothing spectacular but that’s all they wanted. I like the 1st one better.

And Since Ariel went with me, I took a cute one of her hanging out on Main Street.

It’s safe to say that I am loving this camera even more than the first and can’t wait to keep practicing and learning.

So that’s what’s been up with me. A little bit of nothing! :) Luckily I have some time off approaching soon for Christmas so I’ll definitely have more to post about.

The Vintage Pearl

2010-11-02T15:19:00.003-04:00

Back in September, I ordered my very first necklace from the Vintage Pearl and when I finally got it I immediately fell in love! There are so many different necklaces that I love on her website that I am already anticipating my next purchase! If you haven't seen her jewelry, please go check her out!

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A birthday week to remember

2010-10-31T20:31:00.001-04:00

I’m a little late on posting but Preston had a really great birthday week! We started it off by taking him by himself to the Zoo the sunday before his big day.

Here is he, Mr. Fearless (atleast this day) feeding the Giraffe all on his own. I can not say it enough but I LOVE the Giraffes! They are so beautiful! He had me laughing because everytime he went to give them some food, he would say… “ Mmmm….Nom Nom!” Such a funny kid!

Last year we took him for his birthday but he just wasn’t sure about all the animals. Now he runs around the house making all kinds of animal sounds so I knew he would enjoy himself much more!

He rode the carousel but from the look on his face wasn’t thrilled. Notice he’s on two different animals. That’s because he couldn’t decide which one he wanted to ride. Timmy kept moving him. Bless him is all I could say! LOL

On the Morning of his Birthday, since I took the day off, I decided to take him to Krispy Kreme for the birthday breakfast!

This was a first for him so he didn’t know which one he wanted…in the end he picked the one with the pumpkin face. Of course that doesn’t mean he ate it! :)

Of course mine and Timmy’s favorite are the HOT glazed ones! Those things are simply amazing! It’s not often we get some though because they are just too fattening!

Preston loved the hat of course and was more interested in running around than actually eating one. You know I was just enjoying taking pictures of my birthday boy!

After breakfast, we were going to get the kids out of school a little early and take them to the fair but we decided against it this year. Bottom line…it was just way to expensive! Not to mention filthy and I knew Preston wasn’t going to enjoy himself! So we decided to get a zoo membership because it’s something we have been wanting to do anyways and told the kids we would take them to Boo at the Zoo instead. Nicholas was a bit hesitant but realized he really didn’t have any say so went along with it. So….we took all 3 of them to the zoo AGAIN on his birthday.

It was the first time that we took all 3 of them and we had a great time! The kids hadn’t been in awhile either so it was a lot more fun then if we would have gone to the fair.

I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again…Preston LOVES his big sister! She takes such good care of him!

Nicholas is such a monkey boy! Loves to climb and jump and swing on everything! This was their idea for me to take pictures with all the Bamboo. I LOVE this picture of Ariel..she is so gorgeous and such a good girl.

We took a break to eat lunch where Preston fought my sister for her Icy…he thought it was the funniest thing! He won though because she ended up giving him the whole thing! It was his birthday after all! :) I just love his sweet little face!

Next, off to feed the birds! I love Ariel’s expression…Poor Nick didn’t realize that he was standing right under this little line that the birds sit on and apparently poop all over too so he had bird poop all over his arms! Nice huh! He scrubbed down pretty good afterwards though! Funny story…while I was taking pictures, this one little bird would NOT get off my shoulder! I mean I did everything along with Timmy and several other people and he refused to leave! After about 5-10 minutes he finally decided to surrender!

After the zoo we went home to celebrate with cake at Timmy’s parent’s restaurant only for Preston to pass out in the car and slept the rest of the night! No biggie…he had PLENTY of cake at his party saturday!

For his birthday, I bought him his very own chair…a Car’s chair to be exact and he gave me the reaction I was hoping for! As soon as I pulled it out the box and sat it up right he started screaming, clapping and jumping up and down and sat down in it! Seriously…the sweetest reaction and best that a parent could as for wouldn’t ya say! :)

I laugh everytime I see this picture because he look like your typical man…hanging out in his underwear,no shirt on, chilled to the side watching his show! All he really needs his the remote! :)

We had his party at my Dad’s house again this year. Unfortunately half of the guests didn’t show because all their kids were sick. If you remember, Preston was sick on his party day last year and this year it was the other way around. I was a little bummed but for those that did show, we had a great time and Preston knew it was his day unlike last year where he didn’t know what the heck was going on!

I had Jessica, the same girl from last year make his cake and cupcakes this year. I ended up having a very talented lady from Etsy make his cupcake toppers, birthday banner and invitation!

Notice that Preston’s shirt matches his cake! Jessica did such a good job on the decorating not to mention the cake! MMMM…We had half chocolate, half red velvet cupcakes and the same for the cake!

It’s safe to say that Preston’s birthday week was a success! I really can not imagine my life without this little guy and get pure joy out of seeing him happy!

2 years ago today,

2010-10-21T00:00:00.002-04:00

My life changed in the best way possible! I became a Mommy! Preston is EVERYTHING to me and more!

As I sit here writing this post and looking at this picture, I am filled with so much emotion. Where has the past 2 years actually gone? Where did my “baby” go? Preston is now a toddler, talking up a storm and has a mind all his own.

He is my little man…so full of life and quite the comedian! He laughs with his whole body…and gets pure joy out of making others laugh with him.

He is all boy! Loves to throw things, bang them together, kick with full force, throw his body on the floor, jump off of EVERYTHING, scream at the top of his lungs, wrestle with his big brother Nicholas, put things together and just flat out make a mess!

He LOVES All kids. I kid you not, other than his brother, I have never seen him be mean to other children! Where ever we go, he points out other kids and waves and says hi! I’ve even seen him be smooth with the ladies. He’s so loving to everyone and I couldn’t be more proud!

He’s a daddy’s boy, a momma’s boy and even an “Ariel’s boy!” He adores his big sister! I’ve sat back and watched how she plays with him and takes care of him and he notices and loves her for it.

He loves to test me and my patience…when told “No,” he will sit there cut his eyes off to the side and act as if he’s thinking of his next move! He hates time out and some how manages to go there often! One thing I love is how when I tell him he can come out of time out, he cries and comes and always gives me a hug! Such a sweet boy!

Being a Mommy, has literally been the BEST thing to ever happen to me! When I was pregnant, I hoped for a girl but would always dream about a boy. After finding out I was having a boy, I finally knew what my dreams meant. I could not imagine him being a girl. Preston is the most precious gift that has been given to me. It’s my job as his mommy to protect him and care for him the best I know how. When I see his sweet little face and feel his little hands on my face, nothing else in the world matters anymore!

Preston my sweet boy, thank you for being the best little boy a mommy could ask for! Always remember that you are loved by me, Daddy and your siblings! I hope you have the very best 2nd birthday EVER!
Love your Mommy!

True love

2010-09-26T23:09:00.001-04:00

My good friend Heather was in town saturday with her cute little family. She and her husband moved to Texas due to the military and that was right before Preston was born so we were able to get together saturday morning for a park playdate before Ariel’s friends came over.

She has two BEAUTIFUL little girls and they both seemed to have their eyes on Preston! hehe!

Ladies man already??? Little Taylor kept trying to steal kisses from him! Look at her leaning in! :)

Peek-a-Boo!

Little Maddie was content playing by herself most of the time.

This little cutie was ALL about me taking some pictures of her! Is she not sooo adorable?!

My favorite of the day!!!! This child is so photogenic and I was so happy to be able to get some pictures of her kids to give her!

Love this girl and so glad we were able to meet up even if for just a few hours! Hurry up and move back close to home!

Also, welcome home Mark…he’s been deployed to Iraq several times and is finally home for good! Atleast we think! Glad to see that he came home safely!!!

Love you guys!

A fashion show???

2010-09-26T22:47:00.001-04:00

Ariel turns 11 next saturday and she decided that she wanted a sleep over instead of party. Worked for me! She invited a little girl from school and then my neice Morgan.

I took her shopping at my her favorite place…Target and then we headed Downtown for some cupcakes. Target went great but the cupcake part…not so much. Apparently there was some festival going on that I wasn’t aware of and all the streets were blocked off. I refused to pay for parking so I gave her another option…Publix. Their Bakery is pretty legit so after explaining this to her she decided that was fine. She was pretty glad we decided to go there b/c the cupcakes were twice the size of the other place, just as good and not near as expensive! Thanks Publix!

Once we got home, she decided to open gifts. They all piled up on my bed…reminded me of when I was a kid!

Anyone notice a theme with the gifts? Nothing but Edward love over here apparently! I love this picture…takes me back to when I was this age!

After this, I noticed their eyes roaming to my makeup stash…The three of them decided that they should do a “Fashion show…” and what’s a fashion show without makeup right?!

It took all I had to not die from laughter after all the “ooooh’s and aaaahhhh’s and WOW that really makes your eyes pop!”

Morgan, my neice even had to march down the ~~hallway~~ runway to Glee: Power of Madonna!

Enjoy, they made me laugh numerous of times!

My neice Morgan, in blue, had more sass than the other two combined! Not sure where she gets it but she cracks me up!

Talk about getting a glimpse of them as teens…scares me to death! They are all too gorgeous!!!!

After the fashion show, they had the bright idea to do MY makeup…lets just say, that was an experience all it’s own! I “forgot” to take a pic! ;)

I was taken back this weekend to my childhood and what it felt like to be 10 again and loved it! Too bad I had to work the next day!

Happy Early Birthday sweetie! I love you oh so much!!!!

Who’s turning two?

2010-09-21T08:04:00.000-04:00

Today marks the one month count down to Preston’s 2nd birthday! WHAT?! When did this happen???? When did my little man become a "terrible two toddler????"

I didn’t have pictures taken of him last year in his #1 shirt and regretted it so this time I had my good friend Alicia take his picture ahead of time in his birthday shirt for me to have and of course use for his invitation! She got some really awesome shots. I’m saving some for his birthday post though!

I can not tell you or anyone else how much I adore this little guy! There just are no words! I wake up every day for him!
I’m so excited for his birthday party and praying he isn’t sick this year like he was last year!
Let the count down begin!!!
I love you my sweet boy!

Christy Peake Photography

2010-09-08T19:01:00.001-04:00

If you read my blog then you know how I feel about pictures…especially ones of my family! I cherish them to the fullest and never get tired of new ones! Well I always have pictures taken this time of year for Preston’s upcoming birthday and figured why not make it a family affair!

I knew right away who I wanted to take our pictures this time! Christy Peake ! I hope you will all see why I picked her! I know I do!

Sorry for the picture overload….there were just too many that I wanted to share!

Thanks again to Christy for such an amazing job! I couldn’t be happier!

Just a few reasons....

2010-08-23T16:57:00.000-04:00

I had a little visitor at work today...Timmy had some things he had to do and we couldn't find anyone to watch P, so luckily my work allows us to bring our kids when needed! I only bring him if necessary and here are just a few reasons why....

He thinks he's helping BUT he's NOT!

So....TIME OUT he went! :)

Shortly after being picked up by his Daddy...I actually missed him!