Hot and Cold {Project Two Times Twelve}

Whew! I bet you thought I almost forgot the project I JUST started last month. You know the one, where I wanted to photograph the two little people in my life together at least once a month for a year? The last session reminded me that I started the this project not because I wanted to have 12 sets of studio style/posed pictures (not that there is anything wrong with that), but instead, I wanted to climb out of my comfort zone and really focus on capturing their lives together as siblings in a beautiful way (ie not as just snap shots, but more carefully planned out/purposeful photography). You see, it had gotten pretty easy for me to pose and photograph them, but with that I was missing the stories and their lives. It is also easy for me to just pull out my camera and haphazardly shoot snapshots without any fore thought to the story I was trying to capture. I craved something different...again, outside of my comfort zone. It was time to stretch my creative brain a bit.

Enough of that.

On with the photos.


This week provided ample time (hello Spring Break!) and conditions for some fun photography. I chose our spring storm last week as a day for some photos. First up: The snow.

Here are the two snow bunnies:

Kind of boring, huh?

I do like this one though because, see that snow all over The Girl's jacket? That's from a snowball her brother just belted her with. Funny, but kind of boring.


After that, the kids were getting cold and bored with the snow. We headed in and warmed up. No hot cocoa this time around. I thought it would be more fun to take a hot bath. And it was...


The Little Man sitting under the faucet flowing with warm water:


The Girl slowly soaking it in:


Starting to have some fun:


They both fit, and by the way, they are both in bathing suits (in case you were wondering).




My favorite:


Bubbly Toes:




Wresting or hugging?




Second runner up for favorite:


While I loved all the pictures from the tub, I think that the last one really started to pick up on what I am after...the whole picture. I love the messy counter top, the feeling of peering in on two kids having fun in a sort of "Fly on the wall" kind of way, and my favorite are the socks on the floor in the foreground. It reminds me how excited The Little Man was to get to take a bath in my tub. As they were getting into the tub, we all laughed because he had forgotten to take his socks off. He literally kicked them off as he hoped into the tub. And there they lie.

Perfectly imperfect.

I am finding this is my favorite type of photography, perfect imperfection.

I hope I get to capture much more of this.

P.S. In case you are wondering, I also stretched my creative brain a little on the processing of these pictures. I chose to finish them with a lighter, airy sort of feeling. I thought it was kind of fun and, I don't know, water like.

Away

You know I am lovin' Spring Break right now. I love having both of my kids home even if we don't have anything planned.

I know.

Crazy.

Anyway, we did have something kind of big for the first part of break. We got invited to stay in the mountains with our cousins. This type of trip is like winning the lottery for my kids. They can't get enough of staying over night somewhere, in their sleeping bags, and in the same place as their cousins. They were actually counting down the days for a couple of weeks before hand.

And can I say? I think that God is really working on my heart in the weather department. I found great joy in the mountains last weekend despite their snowy-ness. Also, even though it's Spring Break, we had a pretty good sized storm the past two days, and I wasn't even phased! Heck, I put on my snow pants and my snow boots (yup, I have purchased boots that are not in the least for fashion, but instead are all about warmth and staying dry), and went outside and played with the kids for close to TWO HOURS.

I know.

It's a miracle.

Here's the deal: The snow isn't so bad when you are dressed properly. And sometimes properly isn't too cute, but it works, and it allows you to have fun.

Here's some of the fun we had in the mountains while dressed properly:

Little Man getting ready for his first run down the sledding hill:


The Girl:


He's off!


Going down with her daddy:


This is a high tech sledding hill thanks to our Uncle who has made a little system similar to a magic carpet on the bunny hills. Here's The Girl getting pulled back up to the top of the hill with all the tubes and sleds:

(I'm pretty sure when I was a kid I had to sled uphill both ways!)

That's what I am talkin' about! Coming back up the ol' fashioned way!


Auntie and cousin:

I love Auntie. One of the things that makes her so cute is that she is the same size as her kids right now (and this is her youngest!)

Givin' the thumbs up:


And Uncle had to get in a run too:

I wonder if he waxed that sled up al la Clark Griswold style before he headed down?

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of us snowshoeing. Hold on tight: I LOVED it! No joke! I may have found a winter activity I can enjoy.

When it's sunny.

And there is no wind.

I Wonder If He Choreographs His Dance Moves While He Sleeps

Today, when quite time was over, I found this:



So sweet! I know most wouldn't be surprised by seeing this since it was "nap time". However, The Little Man hasn't taken in a nap in a very long time.

The fact that he was sleeping, however, wasn't quite as surprising as this:



In case you are wondering, that is, indeed, Feliz Navidad. For some its an upbeat "get your body movin'" type music, for The Little Man, it is snoozing music.

Just goes to show that a Guys Night Out to a basketball game the night before, plus swim lessons the next day can wear out even the toughest four year olds.

P.S. If he was awake, he would remind me that he isn't just four, he is four and three quarters now.

P.P.S. I was trying to say celebratory not celebratrory...I'm a whiz with words.

Needing A Great Fake Tan

Well it looks like this is going to be the year of the vacation for me.

First, YAY!

Second, it could not have come soon enough.

Third, YAY!

In all of our ten years of marriage, can you believe that The Hubs and I last vacationed (and I mean out of this state) WITHOUT kids on our HONEYMOON! Yes, indeed, we've not been on a vacation together, just the two of us, since we got married.

Shameful.

In case you don't know (or you forgot) our honeymoon? Let's just say, it was less than stellar. While it started off nice, about midway through we both got horribly ill. We did feel better by the time we left to go home, but we were really ruined the whole rest of the trip. I had vowed, that I would NEVER return to that place again. The memories were enough for me.

Well, you know what happens when you say "never", right?

The Hubs works for a great company, and guess what! Just guess where they are sending us as part of his bonus last year? You got it. The same place I vowed I would never go to again. Since we aren't paying for it, I'm going to let it slide.

Also, since this winter has been pretty long lived, a little beach time sounded enticing.

Lastly, I might pack a whole suitcase of granola bars, Emergen-C, and other non-perishable food items.

Only slightly kidding with that last statement.

Anyway, it looked like there was a chance that I might not get to go for a while because there was this whole "Passport Issue". Since, clearly, I am quite the world traveler, it seemed as though my passport had expired...and also had my maiden name on it. I knew I needed to get it renewed since about, oh OCTOBER, but somehow I just kept forgetting. Thankfully, I did remember. Unfortunately, it was so close to the time we needed to leave that the post office dude said it would be such a close call he didn't think the passport would make it back to me in time.

Well, guess what? It came in the mail today! Turns out, I had plenty of time. I am oh so thankful to the post office dude, though, who talked me into spending more money for the expedited shipping.

Oh well. Truth be told, I probably would have been sweating bullets until the thing arrived had I not spent the extra cash. It just stinks now since it did come so much earlier. I guess I will never know if I wasted my money or not. One thing I do know is that my hubby won't have to go on this vacation alone. We will get to relive our honeymoon together. I SO hope it isn't the same as last time. I think I heard someone say you can go to your doctor before hand and get medicine to help prevent this type of illness. If so, we are SO doing that.

Our second va-cay (our ten year anniversary present), will also involve mass quantities of beach time. It will be (hopefully) far removed from any honeymoon nightmares, er, memories, and will also involve no children. With that said, I have been frantically searching for swimwear. I know, I know, this topic has been shared on here before. I have finally diagnosed myself with being "Swimwear Challenged". It takes me a long time, and many different suits to find just what I am looking for. Then, the next summer, something crazy happens either to the suit itself or my body shape, and it no longer fits anymore. Knowing about these upcoming trips has had me deep in the swimwear trenches now for at least a month.

I do not want to discuss how wonderful it is to be trying on swimwear mid-winter, while pasty white, and possibly still holding onto my extra layer of winter warmth.

Thrilling, I tell you.

I am, however, having fun finding beach type attire that is not of the swimwear variety. Think long flow-y type dresses. My gosh, I think I can feel the warm breeze flowing through them right now.

With my passport in hand, I am off to daydream of sunscreen, flip flops, sand, palm trees, and mass amounts of granola bars and Emergen-C.

I'm A Little Too Far Past Gone

Dear March,

I've been waiting for you. I realize that spring doesn't come until you are almost over, but I still have high hopes for you. Even though it snowed on your very first day, the days that followed, have been pretty wonderful. I hope you are thinking to yourself, "Girl! There's more where that came from!" If you are, I will wholeheartedly say, "BRING IT!" Because the fifty degrees, while it felt great, is still only fifty degrees.

Don't you think it's sad that I thought fifty degrees felt like I was at the brink of summer?

Me too.

You know, March, sometimes you are windy. Let's not do that this year, OK? No, this year let's be different. Let's be a warm invite to a glorious spring. Let's pave the way to some no coat wearing, capri sporting, flip-flop adorning days. Let's usher in some outside playtime, and welcome the sounds and sights of basketballs smacking the driveways, kids running around in front yards, bicycles riding up and down the paths, and maybe a little batting practice.

Guess what? I saw that you have already been working. Yes, I saw your tiny little buds on my tree today. Also, when I glanced down at my rocks, I saw some green from my perennials popping through.

Thank you.

You know what else? I have a big job for you. All that snow that STILL HAS NOT MELTED maybe you could get rid of that ugly stuff.

Please.

Yes, March, I have high hopes for you this year. Please be kind.

Love,
Desperately Seeking Sunshine and Warmth