it'll keep

So I mentioned my trip to Georgia. Well, there is no way I could leave it at that without adding some highlights. After two days with the nieces & family, my girlfriends & I went to the Georgia Mountains and spent the next couple of days. We had a sweet time together...like out of a movie, really. Good times, a lot of laughs, some sadness & tears, honesty, coffee, food, sleeping in, friendship...FELLOWSHIP. It was really an awesome time. We watched a great movie (ha!) but it sure has provided for a lot of entertaining comments between the five of us. Most of the same group went away last year together and we decided then to make it a time where we do all of the above, but we also each bring a project to do, something you are dying to get done but little feet are making it impossible. I love the whole concept behind it and it was so nice to feel like I can check something off of my list.

I know a lot of people think this, but I have been blessed with some of the greatest people as my friends. Each person in that picture has truly been iron sharpening iron in my life. These are girls truly passionate about God and He is everything to them--I am amazed at the depth of each one of them. I love you guys!!

a trip to GA

Well, here she is, our newest niece. Isn't she sweet? I've just returned from an amazing trip seeing family & friends in GA. I got to love on little Naomi and let me tell you, she is every bit as adorable in person as she is in these pictures. The day I left for Georgia BJ had a fever of 103! My mom had to take care of my whole family while he got well and now she has it--I feel horrible. But oh, it was so good to get on a plane by myself--I read a book! Seriously. What is cool, though, is about an hour & half after being gone, I was ready to come home. I felt lost without my little chicks around my ankles. It's good to be back for sure.

I did a few little "mini" sessions with my friends & their kids, and here are a few of them just to show off. I'm telling you, my family & friends don't have ugly kids. Aren't they beautiful? Most of the time when Zoe was little I knew no one with little girls--these pictures would never let onto that, huh? Where are the boys?! They're all in the Cole family and we already did their pictures around Thanksgiving :)

no!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I just had to start this blog off with that and here's why...

You would never have guessed that much of the time when this little guy Tarin saw my camera he yelled "no" but friends, it's true. Okay, maybe not MOST of the time, but it was pretty stinkin funny to me. Even funnier now that in spite of his love for my camera (or lack of) I got some pictures that I think are pretty sweet.

The best part of Tarin playing guitar is that he was seriously not just strumming but changing chords. And look at his mom--go Spring! (I think Matt is just in AWE in this picture of how talented his family is at the little red guitar)

rock out, guys.

so meet "Teddy"...I've been told that Tarin's favorite thing to do with Teddy is to chew on him--yep, looks like that's what he is doing.

thanks for letting me invade your lives for a couple of hours :)

some new pics...

Well, I'm learning I'm not the best blogger. I have a long way to go. Here are some recent pictures of some photo shoots I did. First, my nephew Talan who is about to be one--happy birthday sweet guy! This is the one that sooo many of you prayed for last year when he was first born--look at him now?! He has the sweetest personality, he LOVES his momma (and so do we) and he's just adorable.



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I've been blessed with some new friends since moving to Kansas and Becky is one of them. She has four kids, the baby in these pics being her newest. She is the most relaxed mom and it's so refreshing to be around her! We knew each other from high school but proximity and stage of life has provided for a nice reconnection. Her husband has been awesome to get BJ side work and we're renting our new house from them. So yeah, we like them :) Her kids are adorable, huh?

two new nieces!!

BJ & I have been blessed with two sweet new nieces in the last couple of weeks.

Jay & Aimee had a little girl, Naomi Gray, today at 7:18 a.m. She was 8 lbs. 4 oz., 18 1/2 inches long. It's KILLING us to not be there and love on her, but lucky me, I get to fly down next week--yeah. Here's a sneak peak from Jay's camera phone.

And Jan. 29, my step-sister, Audrey, had her little girl, Adeline Marlene. She weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. We can't wait to meet her. Don't know when that will be, though. Audrey's a strong girl--her husband, Josh, is in the Marines and he didn't make it back for the birth. I know that was difficult, but if anyone can handle it, Aud can. He's met her now, though, so that's awesome. here's little Adeline...