Chase's Birthday

My husband for the past two years has requested printed pictures for the family album as his only birthday present. In the age of selfies and digital media the printed picture seems to becoming antiquated! However, it has become a wonderful new tradition for our family. It's fun to look  back at all the pictures that have been taken between the camera and the iPhones to get a snap shot of all that has occurred over the year. It also is good for reminding me to take more pictures than I do! Here is a sampling of what I printed for Chase and added to the current family album! These are not in any kind of order.

 

Ben's pumpkin

 

Chloe playing dress up

 

Both boys played on the same team again this year

 

Sweetest picture of the year

 

Lily in swim lessons last summer

 

Lily's end of the year ballet recital

Ben lost 4  teeth since last May

 

Chloe and I in the mountains

 

The boys dressed for Halloween

 

Spoon on nose hijinks

 

Visiting Leu Gardens in January! Gotta love Florida!

 

Lily frequently helps us cook in the kitchen and here she is helping with cookies!

 

Chase and I smooching in the snow!

 

At the zoo on the train

 

Chloe's birthday!

 

My birthday- nice lot of candles there

 

Easter

 

At the nursery at Classical Conversations

 

Jay and his monster snow ball!

 

 

 

What kind of pictures could you pull together to give a snap shot of your year? How about starting your own tradition of printing pictures for a birthday or anniversary present. What about doing annual picture books using one of the many websites available. They make great gifs for grandparents and relatives out of town. We enjoy looking back over our year-in-pictures!

The Life of a Three-Year-Old through I-Phone Pics

My three-year-old Lily got a hold of my I-phone the other day. I only knew this because I noticed a ton (like 50) of random pictures in the photo files. I started to erase them- slightly annoyed-  but then actually stopped to take a look. She got quite a few amazing shots- shots that made me think about what she sees from her vantage point. Many shots made me smile. At the time she was eating a snack at the table in the afternoon by herself. Hence, why she had time with my phone. Good thing she didn't call Sochi! 

Mi-ladies tutu.

A view of the ceiling from her seat.

She must enjoy art!

School book pile-

The edge of the table-

More of her tutu-

Nice X!

Her brothers dirty socks-

Worthy of two shots to capture the full evidence-

A view between the chair rails but right at her sight level- love it

 Gotta have more tutu! Legging knee perspective-

And more books!

And spaghetti-o's- these are Aunt Annie's though! 

I think I ate a full ton of these growing up.

Love the tiara and purse in the background-

I hope you enjoyed the peek into the world and vantage point of the sweetest three-year-old I know!

Update in Photos

Here is an update in pictures of what our life has looked like the past several months :) Enjoy!

In November of last year- we were blessed to spend Thanksgiving in the mountains of North Carolina. It was very, very, very cold! We had lots of snow and even had our Thanksgiving feast on Wednesday because the weather was so bad it seemed like a great day to cook and eat :) We had lots of fun- although Chloe did not do well in the cold- but she survived !

Lily enjoying the cold weather.

A really bare tree at the top of a bald near where we were staying. Doesn't it make you shiver!

Ben making a snowman

Jay dodging snow balls

What's this white stuff called again?

It's snow- and it's coming your way!

Ahhh, back to Florida- shorts in December as we visited Leu Gardens!

Free entrance the first Monday of the month! Yippee!!

Checking out turtles in the lake

Stopping to smell the roses!

Enjoying the  double jogger! Bare legs and fall wreaths!

December arrived and we had lots of parties, baking and stories about baby Jesus.

Small nativity I picked up in North Carolina!

My absolute favorite Christmas decoration. This is a straw Mary and  baby Jesus 

that was Chase's grandmothers. I could look at it forever!

My absolute favorite corny Christmas pillow. Makes me laugh every time I read it!

Jay's hand print made in preschool! 

One of the Christmas morning surprise  gifts. 

The boys have to go on a treasure hunt with clues to find the last gift.

Lasts year it was the Wii and this year a ping pong table!

They got the bug in the mountains- hope it lasts here!

After the Christmas holidays we started the New Year. Chase was home for several days 

in between and so Lily and I got to take in her first major motion picture together- Disney's Frozen!

This was so fun to do together! Popcorn and all!!

I"m looking forward to 2014- this neat towel that I also found in North Carolina

makes me smile and fills me with gratitude. It's a crazy life- busy, messy, sticky, 

full of hugs, tears, pencils and rulers and I love it. 

I am so grateful for this moment- right now- grateful and blessed by God with a 

calling on my life,an amazing husband and a quiver full of arrows.