we’ve been going a little stir crazy, so today we headed out to the park for a little.  it was still pretty snowy, & a little windy, but we stayed about 30 minutes.  i had to carry norah kicking and screaming to the car.  she didn’t want to leave.  thankfully we were the only ones there.  it’s a little embarrassing when i have to do that when we are dropping ethan off at school  she loves his classroom.  there are so many fun things in there….. dolls, noisy toys, & a playstand!  but it’s not so easy carrying charlotte in one arm & norah in the other arm flailing about.  we’ve gotten the “look” a couple times already.  never thought we’d be “that” family, lol!  they generally are well behaved, though, & we get compliments on it nearly every time we’re out.  it’s just thetwo year old in her that surfaces sometimes, i guess!  ;)

as i move & back up my files.  :)

figured out how to post a video … i think! how cute is she?!

but not the nice flufy  kind.  the wet kind, that makes everything miserable to get around in.  go ahead, call cps on me.  they loved being snow princesses!  i’m working on some pictures of the two of them for their bedroom.   fun fact…. the dress up kayleigh is wearing, is from her second birthday!  she’ll be 7 in june, lol.  such a tiny little thing!

charlotte is the proud owner of a new amber teething necklace.  we are big fans.  i think i might just order another.  we had one for norah, too … we still have it, but some of the amber got chewed off.  :-O  oops!  we get them at InspiredByFinn.com! even if they don’t work (although i think they do!), they’re pretty cute, lol.

my favorite baby part!  :)

and as sad as she may be, i love this little tear filled squishy faced girlie!

my most favorite photography forum is clickin moms.  i have learned more there than i have anywhere else.  there are a ton of great tutorials and the women (and a couple men!) are quick to answer any questions.  no matter how silly you might think they are.  there were couple things i thought were too stupid to ask (like why i couldn’t go change my aperture to go lower on my kit lens!  and how to get pictures to fit in templates without looking all squished), but no one made me feel like i was an idiot.  i’ve been a member for almost two years, and it’s the best money i’ve ever spent on photography.  right now they’re offering a 10% discount for signing up.  click the picture below, and enter the code “FRIEND” …. and do it soon!  it will change your photography completely!

i’m not really a flowery kind of person.  but they were so colorful i had to play a little.  : ) all taken with the 60mm micro.

and a little with a linen texture added.  :)

we have had one busy week!  john’s cousin lester was in visiting from pa.  they had lots of fun, and john FINALLY got to go skiing for the first time since moving here.  i was stuck at home most of the week with a super sick little two year old.  norah’s had the worst cold the past week.  she’s miserable, has more snot than tissues can keep up with, and is having a heck of a time sleeping at night.   we are all ready for her to be better, although now charlotte is picking it up.  help!

and when mom gets no sleep at night with the two year old (because at night, daddy just won’t do!), she randomly passes out at 8pm on the couch.  :)

i have been having a hard time getting things done during the day since charlotte likes to be held all. the. time.  i know one day i’ll look back and miss when she wanted to be so close all the time, but sometimes it is exausting!  so, i always thought bumbo seats were crazy.  an unnecessary baby gadget.  but now we’ve got one.  i got it off craigslight last weekend.  she doesn’t really like it anymore than anything else i try to put her in to get a two minute break … but maybe she will one day?!  and if not, i’m sure i can always resell it on CL, lol.

you can really tell how rotten norah feels here.  i’ve been sticking her in the bath every morning to clear her sinus’ out a bit, and then back in pj’s she goes for the day.   and look at goofy charlotte in the background.  she can see her feet now!  the big kids played with my reflector a good 30 minutes.  it’s amazing what kids can turn into toys!

i’ve been practicing using my speedlight.  i still think it looks pretty flashy.  i am not sure if we’ll ever become friends!

yesterday i met up with a friend at the mall.  we let the kids play, and did a little shopping.  norah stayed home with john since she was still feeling crummy.  when i got home, she was super excited to peek in my bags and find some stuff for her.  she is so silly & does all the modeling moves when she tries clothes on.  she has such a fun personality.  even when she’s miserable!

i also picked up a new doll stroller.  we had this same one a few years ago,  & it got a lot of love & finally broke for good.  we replaced it with a zooper from pottery barn kids, but that broke almost immediately.  so when i could get this maclaren one we loved before for $10,  i couldn’t leave it in the store.  norah immediately asked me to put charlotte in.  and hey – there was a 3pt harness, so i indulged her a bit.  :)

happy early valentine’s day!

i’m not really into v-day, i think of it more as a kid’s holiday.  we have so much fun putting together their goody bags for school.  we made more heart crayons, & added our own personal valentines.  john got me some pretty flowers (stay tuned for more macro fun!), though.  and that is enough for me.  he tells and shows me on a daily basis that he loves me, and i am so thankful for that.   i couldn’t ask for more …. but flowers aren’t bad, either.  ;)

we’ve been so dry here in colorado lately.  i’m really itching for a big snowstorm.  hopefully we get one more big one before the season is done.   of course as soon as (or 18mo after, lol!) we leave virginia, they get their biggest snowstorm in years.  figures!  we barely got a dusting the 5 years we were there!  :)  we are due for a big three inches this week!  better then nothing, i suppose.

we’ve got another sick kid (norah, AGAIN!!), so we’re just having a lazy day around the house getting ready for john’s cousin to fly in tomorrow.  i ran outside for a minute in john’s boots and my pj’s to try to snap some macro snowflakes.  i used the 60mm 2.8G micro.  it’s harder than i thought it would be to nail focus!  these are just resized for web & corners rounded.  no cropping.

i didn’t have anything dark to catch the flakes on, so i cut part of a black velux blanket (that i use for a backdrop).  hence the “hairy” background, lol!  here’s a pull back of where i was shooting them on the front porch….

i’m definitely going to try again later when john’s around to make sure norah doesn’t attack the baby (in the nicest way possible, of course) while i’m out there.  :P

this morning while i was getting dressed, i had charlotte on the bed.  well, that’s just sweet chubby bait for norah.  she came running in in a pettiskirt from the dress up box, and jumped right on top of charlotte, lol.  i grabbed my camera & snapped a few pictures.  they’re so cute!

and look at the privacy you get when you’re trying to get dressed & have 4 kids….  one day i will pee alone again!