candidbytracy

spaghetti & meatballs.

2012-01-29T10:20:00.003-06:00

seriously.
be still my heart.

saturday night.
i'm at work.
she's calling a spade a spade.
he's sending me a video to prove it.

big and small.

2012-01-25T11:29:00.003-06:00

finally, big enough to carry her own sled.

fortunately, still small enough to get a ride from her dad.

the lights and the darks.

2012-01-24T10:16:00.004-06:00

the lights and the darks.
the contrast and the shadows.
when the background doesn't matter, but the light does.
(oh, and what happens when you try to get jane in the shot, too.)

these are the black and white images that are always in my head.
every once in a while, i'm lucky enough to capture them.

chickapee.

2012-01-22T14:35:00.002-06:00

better late than never.

2012-01-17T13:17:00.006-06:00

snow!
we were beginning to think it would never happen.
check in a month from now... i'm sure we'll be just as excited.
at least for now, it's the best thing ever.

soundbyte: what did you do that for??

deviously happy. she pushed me backward into the snow.
next time i won't get so close so i stay dry.
or wear ski pants.

jane. anything to get a playmate.
she'll even pull their sled with her teeth.

2011.

2011-12-31T10:19:00.003-06:00

grateful for 2011.
hopeful for 2012.
happy new year!
much love, t

just the way you are.

2011-12-28T07:40:00.002-06:00

happy birthday to the girl
who sings in the backseat,
makes everyone laugh out loud,
and still has us wrapped around her little finger
six years later.

our court. who is amazing.
just the way she is.
love you.

merry sounds like.

2011-12-25T06:54:00.002-06:00

hayden singing all three verses of silent night by candlelight.
occasionally with his head on my shoulder.
court whispering "let's wake mom up!"
and then running in yelling
"santa stuffed our tree!!
wake up! it's merry christmas!"
at 5:48 am.

hope your day is merry, too.
much love, t
xo

we were dreaming of a white christmas.

2011-12-24T09:36:00.002-06:00

...but we know there's probably plenty coming our way soon enough.
wishing all of our friends & family safe travels and a very merry christmas.
xo

baby, it's cold outside.

2011-12-23T10:45:00.003-06:00

outtakes.

2011-12-07T14:32:00.003-06:00

sometimes it's spontaneous and easy and court hasn't even combed her hair.
sometimes it's an epic saga.
all in all, they're pretty good sports for their crazy mama.

too kissy.

too close. nobody will buy that story.

too mischievous.

too true.

my second fav. just after the magic photo word.

to missy.

2011-12-05T15:43:00.005-06:00

we were in the right place at the right time,
which is how i usually feel when we're together.
happy, happy birthday, miss.

oh, and i might add, the best light.
the make-all-your-photgraphy-dreams-come-true kind of light.
these are my all time favs of the boys.

love you!
xo

ps you really only look like you're 33.
ask anyone.

happy thanksgiving.

2011-11-25T12:55:00.002-06:00

so much to be thankful for.
including being able to enjoy
everyday moments like this with my kiddos.
oh, and a husband who gets up at 4 am to cook the turkey my favorite way
and makes the best apple pie ever.
spending the day with four generations of our family before going
to the place where i've spent every-other holiday and
that never ceases to amaze me.
we feel lucky every day but it's nice to set aside
just one of them to celebrate that by eating a lot of pie
with people that we love.

ben & nora.

2011-11-22T10:50:00.005-06:00

laney & her baby brother blake.

2011-11-15T08:33:00.005-06:00

pumpkins, check.

2011-10-31T11:02:00.002-05:00

no one loves the pumpkin patch as much as i do.
(except maybe my sister. she took sofia three times, no joke.)
but, goats. they loved the goats.

adventures of the kinderbeaner and her big brother.

2011-10-25T09:07:00.005-05:00

kindergarten is a whole new, wonderful world for her.
so far, her favorite subject is the monkey bars.
she likes cold lunch better than hot.
she spends all evening at the table drawing pictures for her teacher.
or making bead necklaces for her friends.
in the second week, she tied her shoelaces together in music class.
she hasn't done that again.
her brother's friends yell "hi courtney!' to her after school. she loves that.

he gives her all kinds of advice.
you know, the i'm-your-big-brother-don't-let-anyone-talk-to-you-like-that
kind of advice.
he gave her all of his old dr. seuss early readers and his judy moody books.
he ran for student council.
he's done with baseball. a full time swimmer.
has some serious story problem homework. and spelling words.
he wonders how they can expect fourth graders to know all that.
he's busy planning what he's told us might be his last halloween costume.
you know, since he's ten now.

we've never seen her be so proud of anything in her whole life.
her new pink bike with the white basket to put her baby in
and the fancy ribbons and the big white tires without training wheels.
andy promised her a bigger, girlier bike as soon as she learned to ride
hayden's tiny yellow bee bike. so one day, she did.

on deck.

2011-09-30T09:10:00.001-05:00

locally grown.

2011-09-21T14:43:00.011-05:00

this was a shoot we had both been wanting to do for a while.
we had just enough time that day, before it started to pour.

i loved the colors of the market.
i loved their shirts. and that they really believe in them.
i loved the way his sweet little baby legs were swinging out as he was carried.
i loved that they brought a red radio flyer wagon.
i loved that i caught maddie wiping sprinkled sugar
cookie crumbs off her brother's head.
i loved that she also tried to eat them off her brother's head
when she thought no one was looking.

to be continued...

by request. {holiday mini sessions}

2011-09-21T14:25:00.003-05:00

in an effort to avoid the
end-of-the-year-everyone-needs-holiday-photos-taken crunch,
i’m trying something new.
i’ve had several requests to provide mini sessions for the holidays,
so I’ve decided to give it a try!
since space is limited, i will require a deposit to secure your session.
please feel free to email me for details.

happy fall!!

teething is hard.

2011-09-20T09:40:00.008-05:00

teething is hard.
and so is being away from your mama.
but we like to think that even though
she had no idea where in the world she was
and didn't seem to be particularly sure of it,
she could tell how much we love her.
thanks for sharing her. xo

"do we have any duct tape?"

2011-09-20T09:03:00.006-05:00

you know when you hear that question, he's up to something.

skateboard. check.
snow sled. swim googles. check. check.
one wrist guard. check. wait, huh?
"how about a helmet and a mouthguard, buddy?" oh, mom.

oh boy.

the title of this picture: "don't look at me, this was your idea."

andy said
"well, it's never too early to start thinking about our holiday card picture."

happy birthday, andy.

2011-09-16T10:49:00.003-05:00

happy birthday to #144.
he's actually #1 to us.
xo, t

miss sully.

2011-09-16T10:01:00.009-05:00

i typically only blog my favorite shots.
the best of the ones that were exactly as i wanted them to be.
that being said, this is probably my longest newborn post. ever.

meet sullivan marie.
(liz & i like to think she's named after us, jill)
she is a sweetheart.
i think these images demonstrate that perfectly.

i had to sneak a belly pic in here...
i've been so far behind in blogging client sessions.
seems like a good way to catch up.

lake superior.

2011-09-07T14:34:00.008-05:00

it was calm. it was wavy.
it was warm. it was cold.
it was sunny. it was rainy.
it was relaxing.
it was gorgeous.
it left us wanting to make that loooong drive again.
and stay longer next time.

favorite memory:
happened after i found the prettiest light. my most favorite kind.
and soon after we saw this rainbow.
immediately after i had put my camera away because it had started to sprinkle.
the kids and jane were jumping into the waves.
laughing and falling. and laughing some more. it was hilarious.
in the rain and in the sun at the same time.
during those last few, best minutes of light.
we sat there and took it in.
i didn't photograph it. we'll just remember it.
if i had gone back to get my camera i'd have missed it completely.

my new favorite shots of the kids.
she's got a huge, natural smile and he's humoring me.
at least he's humoring me.

like, 10 minutes ago, he still kissed me goodbye.
now i get a "i'm outta here. peace out." as he runs down the street.

dear me.

2011-08-31T15:45:00.000-05:00

please keep it together tomorrow.

just be proud of her.
let her enjoy her big grown up moment.
enjoy it with her.
know that she's ready, even if you aren't.
that's all that matters.
yes, this chapter is finished. and it was amazing.
but another one is just starting.
so look ahead tomorrow.
be grateful for the memories you made while she was still little.
god knows you took enough pictures to help you remember them.
you can do it.
it's a good day.

*i survived backpack day. not one tear. i'm sure i'll be totally fine.*

beyblade mayhem.

2011-08-24T08:50:00.006-05:00

(This is Ethan)

Hello, this is Ethan, (as you know from the earlier parentheses)
and we had a BLAST at Hayden's birthday party.
We watched a good movie,
and it was Beyblade mayhem all weekend.
It was really fun, and I really enjoyed it,
and I'm sure everyone else did too.

Donkey Kong: Why didn't I get to go?
Me: Because you are a made up video game character.
Donkey kong: Aw man.

Ok, that random moment is over. ;)
Now, as I was saying, we had a really fun-

Donkey Kong: Can I go next year?
Me: NO! STOP INTERRUPTING ME! Why did I adopt you…?
Donkey Kong: 'Cause I have a tie!
Me: (groan) Here we go again…

Done with that. So, we had a really fun time.
And, we found a stolen (we think) bike in the bushes.
It was pretty cool.

Donkey Kong: That was MY bike!
Me: STOP!

Sorry, he really gets on my nerves sometimes.
Well, goodbye, this has been another-

Donkey Kong: Disney! 365!
Me: (sigh) See ya.

watch out hollywood. this kid is growing up quick.
i can't wait to say "i knew him when..."
nice reporting job, ethan. you're hired.
keep that notebook handy.

water balloons
sausage & peperoni pizza
beyblades
lemon cake
green machine donut contest
outdoor movies
nacho cheese dip
sleepover in the camper
all of his favorite things. with his favorite friends.
my favorite part (of every birthday):
blowing out the candles. one for every year.

(random birthday message left in the circle. thanks maggie!)

happy birthday hayden!

2011-08-20T07:36:00.004-05:00

our life with him is so good.
we feel so thankful and grateful
for each and every one of his
happy and healthy days.
being his mom makes me happier than i could ever explain with words,
so i've tried to explain it with this:

happy 10th birthday to the boy that makes me laugh every day,
and cry on days like today.
i love you so much, buddy.
xoxo, mom

the turning ten project. day 19

2011-08-19T09:45:00.004-05:00

this is pretty much how he feels about his birthday tomorrow.
it's pretty much how we feel about it too,
but i don't have a picture of us jumping with excitement.

the turning ten project. day 18

2011-08-18T12:19:00.001-05:00

the turning ten project. day 17

2011-08-17T13:44:00.002-05:00

i may actually take some serious heat for this one.

who can forget dr. jason running around in his
just-a tiny-bit-smallish astronaut jumpsuit??

who in the world is dr. jason?
and why did he need a headlamp?

i love you, buddy. and your jumpsuit.
i'm going to keep it forever.

the turning ten project. day 16

2011-08-16T06:09:00.005-05:00

love these.
the top one still hangs in our family room.
he's growing up and those teeth are growing in.

the turning ten project. day 15

2011-08-15T10:32:00.001-05:00

toothless.

the turning ten project. day 14

2011-08-14T13:23:00.002-05:00

a boy who loves his dog.
loooves. his. dog.

the turning ten project. day 13

2011-08-13T13:12:00.002-05:00

his first day of kindergarten.
he still makes this face.

the turning ten project. day 12

2011-08-12T13:50:00.001-05:00

the turning ten project. day 11

2011-08-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

an awesomer effort.

2011-08-11T09:23:00.006-05:00

this was totally my just do it moment.
i thought that training was the hard part and that on that day,
it would be just another swim.
it wasn't.
but i didn't stop and i wasn't the last one out of the lake.
i'll be your swimmer anytime, brian. thank you.

i had to use this song because:
1. i promised missy and
2. watching them compete was awesome. even more awesomer than rocky.

.75 mile swim. 32 mile bike. 6 mile run.
truly awesomer. good game.
great weekend.

the turning ten project. day 10

2011-08-10T13:17:00.002-05:00

this has always been a favorite of mine... another one from b.

it's the last picture i needed to photograph with my iphone before i could post.
(if i wasn't having so much fun digging through old albums,
i may have had time to figure out why my scanner is being so persnickety.)
starting tomorrow, all of the images will come directly from
the archives on my mac. (thank you time machine)

hello world.

2011-08-09T13:02:00.002-05:00

eli loves the sound of a vacuum cleaner.
and a really loud range hood fan.
who knew a leaf blower could work this magic??
his daddy is so smart. xoxo

the turning ten project. day 9

2011-08-09T12:17:00.004-05:00

the best gift we've ever given him.
a sister to love and torture.
he was pretty comfortable being the center of our family-of-three-world,
but he became such a sweet big brother.

we'll just leave it at that. no need to describe how much they torture each other.
i will say that they remind me a lot of jamie and myself growing up.
and i love her sooo much. so it should all be good.

the turning ten project. day 8

2011-08-08T11:16:00.000-05:00

court reminds me so much of him in this picture.

the turning ten project. day 7

2011-08-04T12:33:00.017-05:00

the turning ten project. day 6

2011-08-04T12:33:00.016-05:00

with his papa, who is also celebrating a big milestone today.
happy 60th. xoxo

the turning ten project. day 5

2011-08-04T12:33:00.014-05:00

oh, just another day shooting off rockets with my dad. no biggie.
while i worked pms, they built rockets. they built a lot of rockets.
about .9 FTE worth.

the turning ten project. day 4

2011-08-04T11:25:00.002-05:00

this was the start of an entire era.
the backpack. the helmet. the rockets. the jayjays.
when i think of him as a little kid, these are the images in my mind.

the turning ten project. day 3

2011-08-03T08:56:00.004-05:00

my favorites from the brookeockenphotography collection.
i keep these in a special place in my heart and on my wall.
he was about 20 months old and constantly on the go.

yesterday, he was going through his old pictures with me
and this is what he said:
"first i was a baby. then a toddler. then a kid.
and now i'm a kid with a phone."
and now he's a kid with a phone. indeed.

the turning ten project. day 2

2011-08-02T09:32:00.004-05:00

his dad chose this one.
i couldn't decide between most of them at this age.
when crying turned to smiling.
this tiny face used to make me melt. still does.

my scanner isn't cooperating and
they didn't even have digital cameras at this time in his life.
thank goodness for that stack of photo albums and my iphone.

one more today, just so we can move on.
we've got a lot of years to cover in only 18 days.

the reason this picture is all curled up is because
it's the one that's been hanging above my head in the visor of my car.
pretty much since the day it was printed.
one of my all time favorites of my boys, and it's the only copy.

the turning ten project.

2011-08-01T18:40:00.006-05:00

double digits for hayden this month.
ten years old. wow. ten.
i don't even know where to begin.
i'll post a new old picture every day until his birthday,
when we'll celebrate the beginning of him.
and the start of the best journey of our lives.

he loved to be swaddled...he was our baby burrito.
that's why we called him rito.

brian was here.

2011-08-01T09:58:00.005-05:00

indian trails, year five.
(and i swear that brian was here.)
i promise you that even though it looks as if he only set up the tent and left,
that was not the case.
the proof is in the pancakes.
i took fewer pictures.
because every time i took my camera out of the camper,
i got something like this:

definitely our hottest and stickiest camping trip. ever.
those without AC were far better sports than i would have been.

the boys and their bikes had the run of the place. they loved this.
the girls were always off playing something somewhere. together.
there was canoeing and swimming and biking and laughing.
many more stories to remember,
and yet another tale of middle of the night storm survival.
easily my most favorite weekend of the entire summer. every summer.
love you all.

on nana's porch.

2011-08-01T09:49:00.003-05:00

waiting for her.

2011-08-01T09:47:00.000-05:00

anna in alaska.

2011-08-01T09:36:00.002-05:00

dear robin & jeff,
thanks for giving us a relaxing first night in alaska
after a long travel day.
your anna is pretty amazing.
so glad we got the chance to visit. xoxo

the girl with a bug in her name. take two.

2011-08-01T09:17:00.004-05:00

we look forward to this day each summer:
hanging out at the lake with
mike & kathy,
nate & wendy,
addie, junebug, & millie.
catching up on a whole year.
marveling at how much they've grown.
watching them play as if not a single day has passed.

of course he yelled, "i'm the king of the world!" he's still a titanic fanatic.

summer in the circle.

2011-07-27T09:39:00.002-05:00

just a couple for the grandparents so my name is not mud.
and i promise some of hayden this weekend after the all city swim meet.
love you!

griffin.

2011-07-27T09:30:00.003-05:00

rewind.

2011-07-27T09:22:00.002-05:00

so, rewind to just over a month ago.
the night before we left for alaska,
i had dinner with my friend leslie. and her whole family.
oh, and we took some pictures.
her boys are adorable.
it was the perfect way to start vacation.

i can't tell you how much i wish i had a picture like this with my grandma.

worth a thousand words. at least.

2011-07-19T13:01:00.003-05:00

they say that a picture is worth a thousand words.
i don't know, i felt speechless while i was here.
i felt like my camera would be useless to show it's beauty.
easily the most beautiful place i have ever seen.
our boat left seward and traveled through the kenai fjords national park.
we won't forget how blue/green the water was.
or the fog over the mountains.
or the humpback whales.
or orcas. seals. sea lions. puffins.
or the glacier.
and the sound it made as large chunks of it heaved into the ocean.

the first picture is my favorite of the whole trip.
it's out of focus, impromptu and taken by a total stranger.
but i was more than happy to hand my camera over to capture us in this place, together.

plenty of good luck.

2011-07-18T13:42:00.004-05:00

it was the perfect wedding.

in their place.
on their river.
with their families.
and friends. and dogs. (yep, dogs.)
with their words.
and their pauses. (and our tears.)
and their laughs.
so many good wishes.
so much good luck. (rain)

it was pretty incredible.
and at the end of it all,
we ended up with an amazing
new member of our family.

love you both.
wouldn't have missed it for the world.

one.

2011-07-16T10:15:00.002-05:00

so happy that even though we're missing her real birthday,
we didn't have to miss celebrating her first birthday with her.
happy birthday to our sofia-pia.
love you, baby. xo

isaac.

2011-06-24T15:05:00.000-05:00

hey jude.

2011-06-24T13:33:00.003-05:00

it's always fun to meet a friend of a friend.
especially when they show up with a
delightful, smiley, curly blonde, sweetheart of a one year old.
loved him. hope we meet again, tracy.

vicki & parker.

2011-06-24T13:19:00.004-05:00

parker turns three this month and he is a brand new big brother!
congratulations, vicki & jeremy... i'll see you and baby griffin soon.

in a nutshell.

2011-06-23T09:03:00.008-05:00

we hit the ground running this summer. no easing into it this year...
it's been a crazy, fun, exhausting few weeks for all of us.
this is what we've been doing, in a nutshell:

last day of school brewer game.
no tailgating, just one memorable trip on the paddywagon from Derry's.
don't judge.

swimming. sometimes when it's 60 degrees and drizzly at a meet.
sometimes when it smells like fish and covers you in green stuff from the lake.
if we weren't training for august, there would have been no way...
(fortunately or unfortunately, there were no cameras to capture that experience)

welcoming richie home.
and fishing.
and swimming. (thanks for spotting me, aunt julie!)
and making mischief with our cousins. (we call them t-r-o-u-b-l-e)

waiting for eli.
who entered the world about 14 minutes
(+ one quick trip home to grab my camera) too early.
much to his mama's relief.

getting up early.
staying out late.
baseball.
biking.
preparing for alaska.
visiting the jungs. (pics to follow)
mac crashing.
normal life.

for days i've been wondering where this month has gone.
i think i just found my answer.

seven.

2011-06-23T08:44:00.001-05:00

happy birthday to our favorite seven year old and court's best buddy, carson.
have a great day, buddy. xoxo

mmmm.

2011-06-04T16:00:00.002-05:00

baby steps.

2011-06-03T07:59:00.003-05:00

crawling. climbing stairs. pulling up on anything and everything.
she's a busy, busy bee.

chatterbox.

2011-06-03T00:04:00.003-05:00

i miss my little chatterbox already.
counting down the days until alaska...

persephone & aries.

2011-05-25T09:30:00.004-05:00

elise & matt.

2011-05-24T13:36:00.004-05:00

all i asked was that they be themselves. this is them.
congratulations on your engagement, elise & matt.

on learning how to tie her shoes.

2011-05-19T13:35:00.003-05:00

a few months ago, when we were talking about kindergarten registration,
she said "i can't go to kindergarten! i don't know how to tie my shoes."
hayden promptly replied with,
"oh, don't worry court. uncle chris will teach you. just like he taught me."
remembering that made me smile.

last night:
her: "i know how to tie my own shoes."
us: "really? who taught you how?"
her: "little bill."
and she sang:
"one little loop. what do you do? wrap the lace around and pull it through."
and it worked like a charm.

i guess you're off the hook, uncle chris. xo

(her last-day-of-preschool-ever-butterfly-painted-face)

the tiniest mueller.

2011-05-18T12:21:00.006-05:00

welcome to the world, miss presley.
and to our family.
we can't wait to watch you grow. xo

26.2 (+800 feet) for rich.

2011-05-18T11:36:00.007-05:00

i know that
training for and running this marathon
has been much easier on them
than missing richie has been.

and that they needed to do this together.

and that it was difficult. and cold. and that the wind was blowing really hard.
and that they succeeded. and that we're so very proud of them. and of rich.

we can't wait to see you next month, richie. welcome home.

(note the packers tube socks. i think they were the secret to his success.)

(i should have inserted the word 'champion' before baby grass. my mistake.)

the next generation of roehrick kiddos. just as crazy and inseparable as the one before it. and crazy.

dandelion soup.

2011-05-12T11:32:00.000-05:00

favorite flower: dandelions (closely followed by red tulips)

she's picked each and every last one of them in our yard.
she put them in her dad's hat.
and she called it dandelion soup.
she's made a lot of soup.

not stepping on cracks.

2011-05-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

my flower girl, at olbrich.
not stepping on the cracks.

keeping it real.

2011-05-05T12:13:00.004-05:00

if i remind my photographic self to be patient.
and just wait for the mood to match the light.
it will be real. and it will be worth it.

opening day.

2011-05-02T09:35:00.005-05:00

no rain. three hits. big smiles.

and court elbow-deep into the bag of peanuts.

on call.

2011-05-02T09:10:00.003-05:00

baby eckberg number two is 35 weeks.
andy's on call for layla duty. (she likes him better anyway)
and i'll get to take my camera to the birth, which means
combining two of my favorite things in the world for two of my favorite people.

one of the great mysteries of motherhood.

2011-04-19T12:26:00.002-05:00

every single pair of jeans that i have ever bought him
gets a hole in only the left knee.

usually within about a month.

he has no idea why, but he's pretty sure it's not his fault.

tt & sawyer.

2011-04-14T16:27:00.004-05:00

two of my most-photographed girls. each another year older.
happy birthday to them and a big thank you to their mama
for always letting me capture them just as they are.
as usual, the candids are my favorites.
(yep. that perfectly placed hand on her chin was all her.)

how we like to watch the game.

2011-04-07T12:57:00.011-05:00

here.

with a beer in one hand and a squirmy-worm on his lap.

cheering for prince fielder.

with friends or cousins. and sometimes both.

with gloves ready.

and a huge pile of peanuts.
(court can crack her own peanuts this year.
andy says that means we've almost taught her everything.)

my camera pointed at them.

and a helmet full of cheese fries.

holy cow.

2011-04-04T16:27:00.002-05:00

yes. she's still hula-hooping. and clearly, i'm still taking pictures of it.
give me a break, it's been a looooong winter.
i love the expression on her face in the first shot.
it's totally her "holy cow! i actually did it!!" face.
we see it a lot. it's one of my absolute favs.

defrosted.

2011-04-03T14:38:00.004-05:00

it's gorgeous-light-after-dinner-playing-outside-picture-taking-season.

it's brewer season. go brewers.

it's swinging season. otherwise known as watch-them-jump-off-the-swing-as-high-as-they-can-and-hope-they-don't-break-a-bone-season.

spring makes us all smile.

couldn't have said it better myself.

2011-03-22T08:30:00.005-05:00

pink cheeks.

2011-03-20T15:17:00.004-05:00

saturday. spring. sunny & 52.
holding their breath & making a wish through the john nolan tunnel.
zoo. sea otters that made them laugh. carousel. shamrock shakes.
fresh air. pink cheeks. scootergirl rides again. little league tryouts.
grocery shopping. pie baking. basketball on tv.
playing at the park after dinner.
monkey bars. jumping off swings. movie night. perfect.

if you're five.

2011-03-17T09:36:00.012-05:00

if you're five (and it's march), your to do list may look something like this:

1. break hula hoop record.

2. make lunch. this includes toasted breadcrumbs.

3. hibernate in front of the fireplace. wait for spring. (hey, why not be fancy?)

4. wash ponies because they accidentally got left outside all winter. oops.

5. sleep. because ear infections make you miserable.

6. check out the new american girl collection. and maybe draw a picture of your brother getting kissed by a girl.
watch how mad he gets.

a summary of swimming.

2011-03-13T11:20:00.003-05:00

it has been an amazing season.
last fall, we wondered if he could even make it the 25 yards down the pool.
he learned all of his strokes. and how to not DQ. to touch with two hands!
made friends. swam hard.
complained about it and loved it all at the same time.
and now he'll have to miss it for a couple of months.

a nasty fever almost kept him from finishing the season with his team.
at five to six, i heard:
"hey buddy, how ya feeling?" good.
"you want to swim?" yep. let's go.
so he did. swim and finish the season.
he has come so far. and we're so proud.

the DS gang. they're such good sports on these long meet mornings.

andy thought this should be titled
"talking about swimming is more fun than actually swimming."

last call for frosty.

2011-03-11T12:52:00.003-06:00

my fingers are crossed that this was the last. i even knocked on wood.
so glad we got one more day of fun, but we're ready for spring!

she elbowed him and said "what's up, dude??"

number two.

2011-03-10T08:51:00.003-06:00

we'll have a tiny new neighbor this june. and layla will become a (little) big sister!

registration day.

2011-03-07T11:21:00.003-06:00

it depends. on who you ask, and on what day.
i think it's bittersweet for both of us.
i know she's ready. i'm probably ready, too.

she knows her abc's. (well, mostly. we're still working on e and i)
she can make friends with anyone.
last month, she gained two pounds worth of height.
she wants to grow up so fast, but with her blankie at her side.
this morning she asked me if hayden would go visit her if she gets sad at school.
and would he help her cross the street?
of course, i said. with my brave mom face.
all i keep thinking is they let babies go to school??
more importantly, my baby. my very-best-friend-in-the-whole-wide-world-pinky-swear. my sidekick.
the one who goes everywhere with me.

apparently, they do.
because today i'll have to dig out her immunization record
and fill out all the forms to get her registered for the fall.
when i'll surely need my brave mom face again.

in like a lamb...

2011-03-04T13:23:00.002-06:00

h.

2011-03-02T10:52:00.003-06:00

he kisses me goodbye every morning when i drop him off at school. still.
and hugs me when i help in his class.
he needs a haircut. (in my opinion, badly. in his, not at all.
he's going for a strange cross between harry potter and justin bieber.)
he makes his sister breakfast when i stay late at work.
he has become a bookworm. (!)
he can be calm and crazy and sweet and naughty and happy and mopey almost all at the same time.

nora.

2011-02-22T11:20:00.006-06:00

when your friends drive through a snowstorm for these pictures, you take them.
even if you know you won't get what you want. what you know you could get.
even if you think you might not get anything you'll be happy with.
you get out the umbrellas. crank the iso and pray.
and sometimes, when you're really lucky... you get surprised.
this is nora, their sweet little star.

dear michelle.

2011-02-20T17:29:00.002-06:00

my dearest michelle,
you have shown your dad the most amazing amount of courage.
and compassion.
and grace.
and love.

so many of us will be here with you.
while you miss him.
while you see what's next.
to tell you that we're proud of you.
you promised to care for him always. so you did.
you're amazing.
love you, t

for elizabeth.

2011-02-19T09:06:00.003-06:00

i'm thrilled to share my birthday with this sweet little guy.
especially since his mama and his auntie are so special to me.
xo, t

al final. (the end.)

2011-02-15T12:51:00.003-06:00

i couldn't decide between posting the BW or color versions of these shots.
i chose BW because i wish every conversion offered this much clarity.

c.o.u.heart.t.n.e.y.

2011-02-14T13:28:00.002-06:00

because every word should have a heart in it.
happy valentines day! xoxo

la pesca de gran altura historia. (the very tall fishing tale)

2011-02-13T09:23:00.010-06:00

fishing in the sea of cortez.
with hayden & uncle joe.
his absolute FAVORITE thing to do. really.
i'm so happy they could go AND that they got some great shots.

the girls' first panga fishing trip.
andy couldn't wait to see court catch her first ocean fish.

love.

2011-02-12T12:35:00.005-06:00

love. one of my favs. the entire trip in one image.

love. how hayden is holding his arm. the sunshine on his arm.
the messy flare. court's laugh.

love. their laughs. yes, i'm hilarious. they are too.
but we can't tell why.

love. just do.

bing!

2011-02-10T09:07:00.002-06:00

happy birthday, jamer!

we tried really hard to find a way to bring back bing for your birthday.
when we realized that wouldn't work, we tried to eat as much of it as we could.
you know, in honor of you. xoxox