Life as this Mommy knows It

Look Whooooo's Snapping {16}

2012-02-23T13:33:00.000-05:00

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Last week's linky party is being extended through this week, so please feel free to link up again if you already have! (Also note: the rules of this party are soon changing. So stay tuned!)

Here are my favorite photos....

We love dress-up day! Don't you?!!

(Pardon the mess!)

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Reminder: "like" at least one other photo besides your own!

Look Whooooo's Snapping {15}

2012-02-16T19:25:00.000-05:00

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The most liked photo from last week's party was....("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

A self-portrait of Big Sister Lucy, Mommy, and Baby Bump was brought to us by Anne U

{from Hot Coffee Mama}. Simply Precious!

Anne, thanks so much for sharing your photo with us and congrats on being this week's most popular!

You are welcome to grab the button below :)

A couple of my favorites from last week's party were...

This beautiful, natural ice sculpture looks like something out of Naria, I think.

This wonderful winter capture was shared by Marit {from Velkommen...}.

Isn't this something the child in us will always enjoying doing?!! Such a fun shot!

Dana {from Picture Perfect Moments} provided this image for us.
Thank you both for sharing and congrats on stealing this week's fav "award".Help yourselves to the button below!

**********************************************************************************It's Part-Y time!

Here are my favorite photos....

My favorite photos for this week come from my daughter, Audrey's, first birthday party on Saturday. Her big sister, Ava, was having such a fun time blowing the bubbles provided at the party, even though daddy kept blowing in her face!

Isn't she just too sweet. I love it!

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Don't forget to "like" at least one other photo besides your own!

Audrey's 1st Birthday Party! {featuring Baby Minnie Mouse}

2012-02-15T15:26:00.001-05:00

Audrey Claire's FIRST birthday party was a huge success!! Although it started snowing the day of the party, it wasn't enough to keep everyone invited from coming! They were sure to not miss out on her very special day!

This party was oh so very girly with loads of pink and red, hearts galore, and Miss Baby Minnie Mouse as our special guest! Check out all the fun party decorations

{that mommy spent months before the party designing and creating especially for this day}!!

I made the Minnie Mouse cupcake sticks using my personal Cricut cutting crafter.

The Minnie Mouse shaped cookies were made using both large and small sized oreos with a little icing for the bow.

My Cricut also deserves all the credit for crafting this gorgeous birthday banner I made for Audrey's "1st" party!

Lots of super fun party favors {bubbles, heart suckers, and flower lollipops} for the kids gave her party that sweet little extra touch! Each child left with a balloon of their very own too :)

I wasn't too thrilled with the "1" candle I purchased at the store for Audrey's party.

So with a little glam pink jewel sticker application.... the candle was a perfect topper for Audrey's cupcake.

My husband and I must have taken well over 200 photos at the party!! If you know me, you know it's what I love to do! I'll just show you a "few" of what we captured. You'll soon see that this was a very sweet first birthday party to remember!

I'd say her party was quite a success! Wouldn't you?!!

Oh, and I can't forget to show you the party invitation that I also had the pleasure of designing for her special day!

I'd like to thank my wonderful family for helping make this day a very special and memorable occasion!

You all are so very loved!

Look Whooooo's Snapping {14}

2012-02-09T09:18:00.000-05:00

We're heading out of town today for Audrey's 1st Birthday Party Weekend! So I'm posting this week's party a day early ;)
This linky party is for sharing your favorite photo(s) {of the week}. Just make sure to grab the button below to share on your blog post, showing others that you are linking-up!
(If this is your first time linking up, be sure to click here for rules and details).

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Last week's most popular was...("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

Ginger {from My Life Just as It Is} shared this precious portrait. How cute!

Thanks, Ginger, for sharing your photo with us and congrats on bringing home the gold!

You are welcome to grab the button below :)

Geesh, it is so very hard to choose my favorite photos each week! But without further ado, here they are....

Misty {from Through A Photographer's Eyes} shared this gorgeous bird photo with us! Look at the colors and detail. Wow!

April {from Capturing Life...} provided this magical piece of art. Isn't the sun flare a gorgeous touch?!

A lilac bud in winter. How lovely! I love early signs of Spring, don't you?!

Lish {from Imprintalish} shared this beautiful capture with us.

Thank you Misty, April, and Lish, for your lovely entries, and congrats on "winning" this week's favorites!You all deserve to grab the button below :)

**********************************************************************************Time to start this week's party!
Here are my favorite photos of the week....
My littlest munchkin is ONE tomorrow {February 10, 2012}! Below is a sweet collage from her one year portraits taken last week. Isn't she so precious?!!Happy 1st Birthday, Miss Audrey Claire! Mommy, Daddy, and Ava love you with all our hearts!(To view the entire collection from her One Year portrait album, click here).

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Be sure to "like" at least one other photo besides your own!

Portrait Session: Miss Audrey

2012-02-06T13:58:00.000-05:00

My youngest daughter, Audrey, is turning ONE this Friday! WOW! It is true.... time sure does fly! Below are several very sweet photos I was able to grab of her while she was in a super darling mood. Isn't she just too adorable?!!

We're having a birthday party for her back at my parents house this weekend, so be sure to stay tuned!

Oh, and if you haven't already, be sure to check out my entire portfolio and current products at my JB gallery website.

(JB gallery is also on facebook. Check it out here!)

Trying Times: Ava's Kidney Update - Part 4

2012-02-05T14:06:00.001-05:00

(If you are just now learning about Ava's kidney condition and want filled in more, here's Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3).

The day we have mentally and emotionally been preparing ourselves for has finally come and gone, and I can admit that it is such a relief to have it all behind us. With that being said, I will fill you in with what went on the day of her surgery up until now....

On Monday, January 30, 2012 we (including my parents, bless their hearts) loaded ourselves and our luggage into our vehicles and drove for several hours north until finally reaching our destination at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We arrived almost exactly on time for her registration, which was lucky for us considering all the travel delays along the way. Once the registration process was complete, Ava was then called back to have her vitals measured and for a change of clothes. We were then put into a separate waiting area, where she could play intermittently in between different medical consults (i.e. with the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, etc). Below are a few shots we took while waiting for her surgery to begin. (I apologize for the quality - these were taken with either my camera phone or our point-and-shoot).

Once the pre-surgical consults were finalized, Ava was then given what they called "happy juice" that allowed her to relax and wind down, also preventing her from becoming anxious, frightened, or uncooperative for what was soon to come. Here's a shot of her just after receiving the drink. You'll notice daddy's in proper attire to escort her to the OR.

Shortly after Ava was given the calming liquid, she and daddy walked down to the OR, and the rest of us headed to the surgical waiting room only to wait and pray. Jeremiah appeared almost five minutes after us, reassuring us that she was in good hands and fell asleep like an angel. The surgery lasted just over four hours. All the while, the doctor had his nurses updating us on her progress. Thankfully, we always received great news. The surgeon mentioned during the consult that his intentions were to perform a robot-assisted laparoscopy but if there was a need to open her up, he would have to do so. We would only know in the end if this was the case.

I am so very thankful my parents were able to come with us. They were true blessings to have there for emotional support and much needed assistance with Audrey. I think she wore all four of us out! She was a definite sweetheart, but a sweetheart with loads of energy. She recently learned how to walk just over a week ago, but still isn't quite stable yet to walk all around independently. So, having to carry her (because she can only take the stroller for so long) or assist her in walking can be very exhausting. How cute is this pic below of Granda reading Audrey a story while we were waiting for Ava's surgery to end?!

Just after 4:30pm, Ava's surgeon came in to get us from the waiting room. He took us into a private consult room to discuss her status. Great news... she did excellently and didn't have to be opened up! Once she would begin waking up, we could go into the recovery room to see her. She was definitely scared and crying when we saw her, but after mommy, daddy, and blankie were brought in, she was almost immediately calmer. Ava's new boo-boos consist of four small incisions on her abdominal region, one of which is on her belly button. It is definitely difficult as a parent to see what our precious daughter had to have done to her, but we know that the superficial scars that will fade over time were meant to be made in order to save the life of her kidney and reduce the effects the blocked ureter was ultimately causing on her body.

That night we slept in the hospital. Daddy, mommy, and Audrey stayed in the same room as Ava. Granda and Nanny had a room in the Ronald McDonald house within the hospital, close by in case Audrey and I needed a different location for the night. We did, however, end up staying the entire night with Ava. Other than a couple of times being awoken by a nurse or the one time Ava was nauseous and vomiting, we all slept pretty good considering. Below is a picture of her the day after surgery.

Early afternoon one day post surgery, Ava had been progressing so well that her medical team felt she was ready to go home. We were so glad!

At home she was very careful, completely aware of her new "boo boos". She would ask us to pick something up for her, knowing the bending over was still off limits. We would also assist her up and down the stairs. She mostly stayed on the sofa, lying on her soft pillow and watching her favorite movies and cartoons. When she did get up to walk around or play, she was very cautious. She appeared to be recovering well despite a very poor appetite. At this point she was taking in a pretty decent amount of liquids.

Thursday morning, however, brought bad news. Ava woke up dry heaving with inconsistent vomiting. She also appeared to be very dehydrated as she hadn't taken in much fluids through the night or early morning. Plus, her diaper from all night was completely dry. When she did finally have a wet diaper, it was completely filled with concentrated blood. We were told she would have blood in her urine for a while after surgery because of the disruption placed on the kidney, but it was clear after this diaper change that she was not getting enough liquids in her body to dilute the blood that was being expelled. Not entirely sure of what to do, I called UPMC and was advised to take her to Ava's PPC (primary care physician), who then advised us to go immediately to the ER.

Daddy met us there since he was back at work that day. After five hours in the ER, a quick IV, and anti-nausea medicine, Ava was soon back to her playful, smiling self. Hallelujah! Since then she has been rapidly progressing. Her appetite is almost back to normal. She can now bend over and walk independently up and down the stairs. She also hasn't complained of her belly hurting for a couple days now, which has allowed us to ease up on her pain meds.

I am so very thankful prayers have been answered, and Ava's kidney will now be completely healthy. She will continue to be monitored for several years to come, but for the most part, the long awaited height of surgery has joyfully come to an end. She can go on with her youth as a healthy, beautiful little girl.

Thank you all for your precious thoughts and prayers. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family who have gratefully provided much welcomed emotional and physical support.

Blessings to you all,

Look Whooooo's Snapping {13}

2012-01-26T22:12:00.000-05:00

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Last week's "Look Whooooo's Snapping" TWO most popular photos were...("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

These gorgeous and lovely colored winter berries were shared with us by Daogreer Earth Works.

Very creative and quite beautiful raindrop reflections were brought to us by Clytie {from Random Stuff}.

Congratulations to you both and thanks so much for participating!

You are welcome to grab the button below :)

My favorite photos from last week were....

Ginger {from my life just as it is} shared this very sweet moment of a precious ballerina.

Is your mouth watering right now?! Because mine is! Such a beautifully delicious capture of grilled artichoke with mint and chiles. Thanks for sharing Jaymi {from Live, Love, Travel).

Thank you both for your wonderful entries, and congrats on "winning" the most favorite "awards"!

Both of you deserve to grab the button below :)

**********************************************************************************It's Party Time!

Here is my favorite photo of the week...

This is my favorite photo of the week for these reasons:

1. These are my daughter, Ava's, shoes.

2. She is always on my mind, but thoughts of her are currently heavily on my heart as she is scheduled for surgery on her kidney next week.

3. The heart represents the love I do and will always have for her.

Please keep her in your prayers these next couple of days. She is such a sweet little angel of mine.

(If you want to read more about her story:
Part1, Part2, Part3).

And...

4. The heart also represents the lovely upcoming Valentine's Day!

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Don't forget to "like" at least one other photo besides your own!

NOTE: This linky party will extend for TWO WEEKS due to my daughters upcoming surgery and me not having much time to enter into blog land! So feel free to link up more than once!

Photo Session: Mr. Nicholas

2012-01-24T12:58:00.001-05:00

I've had the pleasure of photographing Mr. Nicholas on several occasions, and I must say, it truly is a lot of fun. This young man is full of happy energy and is always very cooperative. Below are a "few" of the images from his "Three Year Old" portrait session. You'll notice he likes to share many of his "silly" facial expressions while getting his picture taken, and I'm sure you'll agree that he certainly is a true cutie pie!

If you haven't already, be sure to check out my entire portfolio and current products at my JB gallery website.

(JB gallery is also on facebook. Check it out here!)

Life is About... {Blog Hop} Week 6

2012-01-22T22:23:00.004-05:00

This hop has become a monthly event, so be sure to stop by the first of every month to participate!

If this is your first time linking up, click here for details about the hop.
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Thanks to those few of you who participated in last week's hop! You guys are awesome!
My favorite entry from last week was...

Czjai {from The Rebel Sweetheart} shared this "teaching your child to be money-wise" submission.
Thanks, Czjai, for participating & congrats on being this week's feature!The button below is just for you :)

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Now to begin this week's hop...
WEEK SIX
For me: Life is About... helping one another with the chores

The other evening, after I made a big plate of spaghetti and went upstairs to put Audrey to bed, I came down to the kitchen to find this.....

{Yes! Every mommy's dream come true!}
I found Ava helping Daddy wash all the dishes. I just love witnessing moments like this, and it's also nice to catch these precious moments on film ;)

I just love my little {and big} helpers!

What is life about for you?!! Please link up and share below. We'd love to hear about what's important in your life!

Look Whooooo's Snapping {12}

2012-01-19T21:59:00.000-05:00

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Let's start out by taking a look at last week's "Look Whooooo's Snapping" photo linky "winners"... shall we?!
Last week's "most popular" photo "award" goes to...("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

Ranu {from RCB's Pink Cloud} shared this beautifully colorful image. I love the detail and overall mood. Just lovely.

Congratulations, Ranu, and thanks for participating!

You deserve the button below :)

You guys are really making it more difficult each week to choose only a couple photos to name as my "favorite"! I'm loving it though... keep up the good work!
This week my favorite photos are....

This beautiful butterfly capture was provided by Karen {from Pieces of Contentment}. You should know... I'm a sucker for butterflies. Give me pink or give me butterflies, and I'm in love! Yep, I'm all girl!

This is just too precious! Don't ya think?! Melanie {from Rocking My 365 Project} shared this sweet photo with us.

Thanks, Karen and Melanie, for your precious entries, and congrats on "winning" the most favorite "awards"!

Both of you are welcome to grab the button below :)

**********************************************************************************Time to get this week's party started!

Here are my favorite photos of the week...

We love to play outside, and even a little bit of snow can't keep us in! So, last weekend we all got bundled up and headed outside for some fun. We took a little walk and did a little sledding. It sure was fun! The girls just love being outside. Ava really loves to play in the snow. I have a feeling Audrey would to, but I kept her close to me to keep her nice and warm. She didn't seem to mind! ;)

And while the photos below were taken with our Canon PowerShot SD1000 with a custom waterproof housing case (I wouldn't dare take my Canon 7D out in this type of weather without a waterproof case and while lugging Audrey around in the child carrier!!), I think they turned out rather nice. I did a little editing in Photoshop to adjust the curves and brightness, but for the most part, the overall quality looks pretty decent. Wouldn't you agree?!

(Oh, and I suppose I broke one of my own rules just a little bit - Because I am in fact in a couple of these, my husband was the one behind the lens. I didn't think you'd mind since you'd get to see your's truly... that doesn't happen too very often!)

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Note: Be sure to "like" at least one other photo besides your own!

Life is About... {Blog Hop} Week 5

2012-01-15T22:10:00.000-05:00

If this is your first time linking up, click here for details about the hop.
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I'd like to start by thanking everyone who participated in last week's "Life is About..." blog hop!
My favorite submission from last week was...

This fun Salad Spinner Art Craft was given to us by Jodie {from Wilson's (almost) Irish Twins}.
Thanks, Jodie, for participating & congrats on being this week's feature!The button below is just for you :)

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On to this week's hop...
WEEK FIVE
For me: Life is About... being creative
One of Ava's favorite things to do is paint. She loves it! But what kid doesn't, right?! And although she's a tad bit young for the color-by-number print that she's painting in the images below, she'd still tell you she's having a blast! And while we are currently working on receptively learning our numbers (although letters seem to get a little more attention these days), she's still a couple years behind being able to actually follow the rules for a paint-by-number color craft. She can, however, verbally count in order from one to thirteen. That's pretty great for her age, if I do say so myself ;)

What is life about for you?!! Please link up and share below. We'd love to hear about what's important in your life!

Oh and be sure to head over to Crayon Freckles first thing tomorrow morning to read my very first Guest Post in her series:

In {Her} Shoes!

Look Whooooo's Snapping {11}

2012-01-12T22:44:00.000-05:00

**********************************************************************************I'd like to thank everyone, newbies and regulars, who participated in last week's "Look Whooooo's Snapping" photo linky party! You guys rock my blog world!!
Now on to the "awards"!
The photo who "won" last week's photo contest was....("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

I was actually going to pick this photo as one of my favorites if it didn't win! Jennifer {from Fotoplicity} provided this Birds at Sunrise work of art. Doesn't it just take you there?! It does me :)

Thanks for participating, Jennifer, and congratulations on stealing this week's "Most Popular" photo "award"!

The button below is just for you :)

It was very difficult to choose only a couple photos from last week to name as my favorite, but I had to make the choice nonetheless.
And they were....

All I can say is "Wow!" Beautiful colors and gorgeous capture. Emily {from Scattered Horizons Photoblog} submitted this gem. Very lovely indeed!

This photo makes me smile. Does it you?! Sarah {from Naptime Momtog} provided this super cute, playful image.

Thanks, Emily and Sarah, for your lovely entries, and congrats on "winning" the most favorite "awards"!

You are both welcome to grab the button below :)

**********************************************************************************On to this week's party!

Here are my favorite photos of the week...

The weather this week hasn't been to bad. A little chilly, around 40 degrees or so, but for the most part pretty decent. So yesterday while the girls were napping, I decided to take full advantage of the lovely sunshine. Despite the crazy wind against me, I think I was pretty successful at capturing some beautiful sun leaves (as I call them). Wouldn't you agree?!

I love how the back light of the sun in the second photo really shows off the intricate detail of the leaf. Pretty amazing, I think.

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Note: Be sure to "like" at least one other photo besides your own!

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Little Bit of Lovin' Going On

2012-01-11T15:06:00.000-05:00

Aren't the sweetest times in life those precious moments spent with your children?!

I love capturing moments like this on film.

Linked: and then, she {snapped} & The Paper Mama

Only ONE Month 'til the big ONE!

2012-01-10T22:29:00.000-05:00

My little Miss Audrey Claire is 11 months old today!

ELEVEN months old! Seriously?!!!! Where has the time gone?!!

It has been an incredible eleven months, watching her grow and learn and develop into a beautiful, unique little individual. She has certainly been a wonderful, perfect addition to our family, and we love her with all our hearts!

Here's a little recap (from her month-by-month scrapbook) of what Audrey's developmental skills are for her current age:

Language -

She is "talking" up a storm, babbling and imitating sounds like crazy. She'll also show signs of inflection in her voice when she means business (like wanting a toy back that her sister just stole from her). Her receptive language is taking off as well as she is able to comprehend certain words and simple phrases that mommy or daddy say, like "No, Audrey, don't touch that" and simple one-step commands like "Give me the toy".

Motor Skills -

Audrey's fine motor skills are really getting fine tuned as she picks up the tiniest piece of dirt off the kitchen floor or grabs up that little piece of cheese on her highchair tray for lunch time. Her gross motor skills are also making great lead ways as she is already taking her first independent steps... three at a time! She'll soon be making her way across the entire floor by foot. In the meantime, she'll gladly push a big box or her walker toy across the room for fun. She strengthens her leg muscles daily while she squats in place from the standing position to pick up her favorite ball. She frequently gets in the kneeling position as well while she plays.

Other milestones this month & personality traits-

This month Audrey has learned to drink from the straw! A pretty incredible and useful lesson to learn. It's definitely handy when we're out to eat and forget to bring the sippy cup. One thing about Audrey that has really become part of her personality is her sheer desire for persistence. She will not stop at something until it is how she wants it or until she has figured it out, like putting the lid back on the sippy cup. And while she isn't always able to do what she intends, it's amazing to see her continue to try, like attempting to put her sock back on her foot. I know this feature about her personality means that as she gets older she'll be one to set her goals and try her best to see them through. I know God has great plans for this little girl! It'll be so awesome to see her continue to develop into who she's meant to be!

She sure is a little sweetheart! Wouldn't you agree?!

And for all you early party planners out there, you'll love to hear this.... Mommy has already begun planning her FIRST birthday party!! Eeeee, I'm so excited!! I'll give you a couple clues for what the theme for her party is going to be, and I'll see if you can guess what it is!! The Clues are: 1. two black ears & 2. pink polka dots. Go on and guess... I'd love to see what you think!

As soon as I have her birthday party invitation complete, which of course I'm making myself, I'll post it asap! So stay tuned!!

Life is About... {Blog Hop} Week 4

2012-01-08T22:12:00.001-05:00

If this is your first time linking up, click here for details about the hop.
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Thanks to everyone who participated in last week's "Life is About..." blog hop! I hope you all had a very wonderful Holiday season!
Now onto my favorite submission from last week's hop....
Perfect Pecan Pie Recipe (Super Secret Foolproof Tip){Provided by Lesa from Dusty Us Diaries}

Thanks, Lesa, for sharing this super yummy recipe!You deserve to grab the button below :)

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On to this week's hop...
WEEK FOUR
For me: Life is About... teaching my little ones a valuable skill

I love to cook. I find that cooking can be a fun art and, in the end, a very rewarding experience. That's why I enjoy allowing my two-year-old daughter to help me in the kitchen on certain occasions. She not only gets to experience something that doesn't happen all the time (like playing with her toys or reading), but she also learns what cooking means to us as a family... a time to spend together and a method for healthy living.
Allowing her to participate in an adult activity, like cooking, also allows her to understand that as she grows, she takes on more responsibility. I think it's important to instill values and beneficial skills, like cooking, in your child at an early age so that they hopefully not only develop their own passion for it later in life but will also find it very useful as they get older and more independent.
Until she's out on her own, which is definitely not something I want to think about for a very LONG time!!, mommy will just keep appreciating all the help her little one provides in the kitchen. After all, I just love my little helper chef, can't ya tell?!!

What is life about for you?!! Please link up and share below. We'd love to hear about what's important in your life!

Look Whooooo's Snapping {10}

2012-01-05T22:19:00.001-05:00

This linky party is for sharing your favorite photo(s) {of the week}. Just make sure to grab the button below to share on your blog post, showing others that you are linking-up!
(If this is your first time linking up, be sure to click here for rules and details).

**********************************************************************************Let the 1st Look Whooooo's Snapping photo linky party of the New Year begin!
The "winner" from last week's party was...("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

Teresa {from Tiaras & Tantrums} provided this fun Santa photo. So cute!

Congrats Teresa and thanks for participating!

The button below is just for you :)

My favorite photos from last week were....

This absolutely breath-taking scenic photo was submitted by Daogreer Earth Works.

It almost feels like I'm in a fairy tale, and I love the beautiful colors!

Kristy {from Life-n-Reflection} brought us this beautiful landscape image full of lovely color and texture.

Congrats to you both!

You are welcome to grab the button below :)

**********************************************************************************Time to Party like it's 2012!

Here are my favorite photos of the week...

Earlier in the week I decided to break out my brand new Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens that my hubby and parents went in on together to get me for Christmas this year. Total awesome surprise! And, yeah, I love it!!

Being that it's super cold and crazy windy and ground covered in snow here at our house, I decided to shoot some lovely birds through our window inside our warm, toasty home. The birds didn't even see it coming ;)

I am so excited to use this lens even more and really fine tune some telephoto shots in the future. These aren't bad though for the first practice shots with my new lens (considering they were taken from indoors).

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Don't forget to check out the other blogs linked up, and be sure to "like" at least one other photo besides your own!

100 Follower GIVEAWAY! {One Month Free AD Space}: Winner Revealed

2012-01-05T08:07:00.000-05:00

Thanks again to all of my lovely 100+ followers for inspiring this week's giveaway!

And a special thanks to those of you who participated in my One Month Free Ad Space giveaway!

{150x150 ad space}

Now it's time to reveal the winner!!

{The winner was randomly chosen using www.random.org/.}

And the lucky winner is......

Comment #3

Czjai {from The Rebel Sweetheart}

Congratulations Czjai!

I will be contacting you via email very soon!

Didn't win?! No need to fear! You too can have a whole month ad space for free! Just contact me about participating in a monthly button swap. Or if you are interested in purchasing an even larger ad space, contact me at ThePhotoMommy@gmail.com to discuss the details!

Sweet Cornbread

2012-01-03T16:28:00.001-05:00

My little two and a half year old daughter, Ava, loves to help me cook! And, quite honestly, she's really Good at it :)

So, this morning, she and I decided to make some very yummy sweet Cornbread. I wanted to share this recipe with you because it's so Tasty, and I think if you give it a try yourself, you'll certainly agree.

What you need:

3/4 cup Enriched Corn Meal

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

Directions:

1.) Gather all of your ingredients.

2.) Heat oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8 inch pan.

3.) Combine and stir all dry ingredients.

4.) Add milk, oil, and eggs; stir until combined.

5.) Bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

You know this must be a pretty tasty dish if a semi-picky two-year-old eater is willing to take a Bite ;)

Linked:

Remembering 2011 {Our Top Ten}

2012-01-03T13:22:00.001-05:00

2011 was a very wonderful year for us!

Let's take a look at the year below in our top ten most memorable experiences....

(In chronological order)

1. Miss Audrey joined our family in the early part of February of last year (and Ava became a big sister)!

2. On our third anniversary, we traded our Acura TL and Toyota 4-Runner for a brand new Honda Odyssey and a pre-owned Convertible Mazda MX-5 Miata.

3. We were able to take several bike rides during the year, with our girls in tow!

(If you knew us well and understood our passion for cycling, you'd see why this experience made it to the top ten)!

4. We made it to Florida to visit my husband's family three times last year, including a trip down with my family!

5. Ava celebrated her SECOND birthday during the year 2011!

6. I turned THIRTY last year :)

7. Our little family and my husband's sister's family shared in the experience of the 2011 Annapolis Sail Boat Show!

What a fun and memorable time :)

8. The girls have grown so close and are proudly more than just sisters... they are, and will always be, the very best of friends!

9. We FINALLY were able to get a decent family portrait taken of our little family near the end of last year.

10. We shared a very lovely Christmas and brought in the New Year with my family!

We are excited to see what 2012 has in store for us :)

Here's wishing you and yours and very Happy New Year!

God Bless!

100 Follower GIVEAWAY! {One Month Free AD Space}

2011-12-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

So, check it out! I've made it to 100 followers! YAY! Thanks so much to all of you who are following "Life as this Mommy knows It"! I think you're all wonderful! And to show you how much I care, I'm offering a 150x150 ad space for one whole month completely free of charge to one of my very lovely followers!

Here's what you have to do to enter for a chance to win...

Mandatory entry:

1) Follow my blog (see sidebar) & Leave me a comment below {1 Entry}

(NOTE: If you're already a follower, just leave me a comment).

Optional entry (Use a separate comment for each entry):

1) Tweet about this giveaway {1 Entry}

2) Facebook about this giveaway {1 Entry}

3) Blog about this giveaway {1 Entry}

(Feel free to grab my blog button when sharing about this giveaway!)

NOTE: Be sure to provide me with your email info so I'll be able to contact you.

The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Thursday, January 5, 2012.

Last Day to enter giveaway will be Wednesday, January 4, 2012.

Good Luck!

Look Whooooo's Snapping {9}

2011-12-29T22:29:00.002-05:00

This linky party is for sharing your favorite photo(s) {of the week}. Just make sure to grab the button below to share on your blog post, showing others that you are linking-up!
(If this is your first time linking up, be sure to click here for rules and details).

**********************************************************************************Thanks so much again to everyone who participated in last week's party! I hope you all had a very wonderful Christmas!
Now on to the "awards"!
Last week's most popular photo was...("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

This beautiful Christmas garland and lights capture was submitted by Linda

{from linda makiej *photography}.

Congrats Linda and thanks for participating!You are rewarded the button below :)

My favorite photos from last week were....

I love the Bokeh effect (as you saw in my last week's party post). This image is full of lovely Christmas color.

Ewa {from Blueberry Craft and Hobby Time} shared this photo with us.

Such a sweet little pirate. Don't ya think?! Sarah {from Naptime Momtog} provided this photo.

Thanks Ewa and Sarah for participating!

You both are welcome to grab the button below :)

**********************************************************************************Now it's time to get this week's party started!
Here is my favorite photo of the week.....
I haven't actually had a chance to go through all of the photos I took on Christmas morning, but while quickly glancing through what I did capture, this photo of my dad and nephew, Trey, caught my eye. I think Trey was sneaking some Granda lovin'. I'm so glad I was able to snap the love!

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Photo Session: Miss Carmella

2011-12-28T16:30:00.000-05:00

While I was back visiting my family over the holidays, I was blessed with the opportunity to photograph two week old little Miss Carmella just two days before Christmas. She really is a little angel. I was secretly hoping to sneak her in my purse and take her home with me! Have a look at the photos below and you'll see what I mean.

So I probably didn't need to show you as many as I did, but I just couldn't help myself... I love them all!

I'm hoping to have another opportunity in the future to capture this little darling on film!

If you haven't already, be sure to check out my entire portfolio and current products at my JB gallery website.

(JB gallery is also on facebook. Check it out here!)

Look Whooooo's Snapping {8}

2011-12-22T14:37:00.000-05:00

I'm posting this week's Look Whooooo's Snapping photo linky party a little early since we'll be traveling this evening for the Holiday, and where we're going has very questionable internet connection. Thanks and Enjoy!
********************************************************************************** This linky party is for sharing your favorite photo(s) {of the week}. Just make sure to grab the button below to share on your blog post, showing others that you are linking-up!
(If this is your first time linking up, be sure to click here for rules and details).

**********************************************************************************Last week's most popular photos are...("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

This very gorgeous winter scene comes from Libbi {from Pioneer Photography}.

Such a fun shot of this little guy is brought to us from Dina {from 4 Lettre Words}.

Congratulations Libbi and Dina!You both are rewarded with the button below :)

My favorite photos from last week were....

I love the the grace and beauty of this photo collage. There's just something magical about it!

Kim {from Picking Poppies} submitted this lovely set of photos.

Isn't she just the cutest little thing?! This very adorable portrait was brought to us by

Jeska {from Living Our Love Song}.

Thanks so much Kim and Jeska!

You both can grab the special button below :)

**********************************************************************************On to this week's party!
Here are my favorite photos of the week.....
I wanted to share with you some of my Christmas Bokeh photographs just in time before this wonderful holiday season comes to an end. Below are a couple portrait shots of my darling little Miss Audrey in front of our Christmas tree. And just below her are two of my artistic renditions of fun holiday Bokeh that I think you'll enjoy!

Happy Holidays from Our home to Yours!

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Reminder: Vote for at least one other photo besides your own!

The Liebster Blog Award!

2011-12-22T14:22:00.000-05:00

Yay! Today I was awarded The Liebster Blog Award by Jessica {from Preserving Life's Moments}!

Thanks so much, Jessica! I'm honored!

Oh, and for everyone else, be sure to check out her awesome blog,

where you're sure to be inspired by her crafts, recipes, and much more :)

The rules of this Award are as follows:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who nominated you by linking back to their blog.

2. Nominate five other happy little blogs (200 followers or less) by posting a comment on their blogs.

3. Post the award on your blog.

4. And don't forget to check out what the other up-and-coming blogs have to offer.

And this award now goes to...

(In no particular order)

Criss-Cross Applesauce

Dusty Us Diaries

The Mattern Family Adventures

Crafty Moms Share

Toys In the Dryer

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Decorating the Tree

2011-12-21T16:02:00.000-05:00

So, we actually decorated the Christmas tree like three weeks ago, but after finally getting a chance to edit these adorable pictures, I thought today would be as perfect a day as any to share them with you.

My little tree decorating helper, Ava, was more than happy to let me photograph her while she was putting her ornaments on the tree. She even takes a moment before placing them on their own very special branch, to give them a little kiss, letting her know how much she cares about them ;)

What very lucky little ornaments, if I do say so myself!

Linked: The Paper Mama

Life is About... {Blog Hop} Week 3

2011-12-18T22:45:00.002-05:00

If this is your first time linking up, click here for details about the hop.
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Thanks so much to everyone who participated in last week's hop!
My favorite submission from last week was....
Twas the Night Before Christmas Family Night {Provided by Karen and Michelle from The Executive Mom}

Thanks, Karen and Michelle, for linking up your fun Christmas party present game!You are welcome to grab the button below :)

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Now on to this week's hop!
WEEK THREE
For me: Life is About... having fun

Our girls love playing together. They particularly enjoy riding together on their little zebra toy. I think it's precious how big sister, Ava, holds on tightly, making sure little sister, Audrey, doesn't fall off. She's such a good and thoughtful big sister.
Take a look at the photos below, and you'll see what I mean...

What is life about for you?!! Please link up and share below. We'd love to hear about what's important in your life!

NOTE: This week's hop will extend for THREE weeks, so please feel free to link up more than once!

Custom Photograph Edits {delivered by ThePhotoMommy}

2011-12-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

My little Etsy shop has been receiving lots of visits this week, and in fact,

I've sold THREE custom photo enhancement/touch-up listings!

I'm going to share with you below the before and after photo of each delivered item.

(These photos were not taken by myself. I did, however, edit the images in the final product as shown).

Photo Edit #1

Client's Requests:

Crop

Blur background

Remove goal post beside husband's ear

Additional applications:

Removal of other large distracting objects

Photo Edit #2

Client's Requests:

Change flower color (pink to red)

Remove top, front tooth

Smooth and/or sharpen

Additional applications:

Color balance correction

Brighten

Eye enhancement

Skin soften

Photo Edit #3

Client's Requests:

Remove wrinkles and dark spots under eyes

Sharpen / soften

Additional applications:

Brighten

Curves adjustment

If you too are interested in having me edit one of your precious photos, I'd love to hear from you!

Contact me at ThePhotoMommy@gmail.com. You can also check out the photo touch-up listings I currently have available at my Etsy shop by clicking here.

AND, check this out....

During the holiday season, type in the coupon code

HOLIDAY

at check-out to receive 15% off any of my Etsy products!

Look Whooooo's Snapping {7}

2011-12-15T22:51:00.000-05:00

This linky party is for sharing your favorite photo(s) {of the week}. Just make sure to grab the button below to share on your blog post, showing others that you are linking-up!
(If this is your first time linking up, be sure to click here for rules and details).

**********************************************************************************The most popular photos from last week's party are...("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

Sarah, from NapTime MomTog, provided this lovely shot.

I love the perspective and playfulness of this photo.

Carole, from Light Trigger, created this very artistic collage. What beautiful and creative shots.
Thanks Sarah and Carole for participating! And congratulations to you both for "winning"!You are welcome to grab the button below :)

My favorite photo from last week was....

This super fun shot was provided by Heather, from Mattern Family Adventures.

Love the angle she chose to shoot from.

Heather, the button below is just for you!

**********************************************************************************Now it's time to PAR-TY!
Here are my favorite photos of the week.....
Just after dinner the other evening, Ava, our precious little two-year old, decided to give daddy lots of lovin', so I quickly got out the camera to capture the special moment!

And, of course, I couldn't leave Miss Audrey out of the fun...

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Be sure to vote for at least one other photo besides your own!

Our Christmas Card {2011}

2011-12-14T15:30:00.001-05:00

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I designed and created this card myself! (And I just got them mailed out a couple of days ago).

If you are interested in having me create a card for your special occasion, please contact me at ThePhotoMommy@gmail.com. In the meantime, be sure to check out the cards I already have listed on Etsy, right here.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

May you all have a very blessed and safe holiday season!

Wrapping Paper Christmas Tree Craft

2011-12-13T13:07:00.002-05:00

Never sure what to do with those little pieces of Christmas wrapping paper that are just too small to use on any of your presents? Or what to do with the card board tube that comes inside the wrapping paper?

Well, keep reading, because I have the perfect, very adorable solution to your problem....

A Wrapping Paper Christmas Tree

I was inspired to make this craft after seeing something very similar to it while working my per diem speech therapy job over the weekend at a Skilled Nursing Facility. The ones the patients had hanging on their doors were made with fabric and yarn though, not wrapping paper and ribbon, but they were definitely very cute!

This craft is especially fun to make with your child if he or she is age appropriate to cut, tape, and glue.

Here's what I used to make this craft:

Hot glue gun and glue

Scotch tape

wrapping paper (variety)

ribbon

puff balls

scissors

How I made it:

1.) Cut cardboard tube into several pieces of various sizes.

2.) Using tape, wrap each cardboard piece, individually.

3.) Use glue gun to adhere each wrapped tube together.

4.) Glue on puff balls in various spots, and hang tree on door knob for display.

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Linked:

Jane Deere: Fusion Fridays

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-12-12T14:14:00.007-05:00

1. Less is More

The LESS candy you have - the MORE healthy you are ;)

2. Holiday Lights

I had to take a picture of the beauty of the moon the other evening and how gorgeous the light from it was reflecting off the snow. Boots and coat on, I set up my tripod in the snow-covered lawn, to capture this shot. You can also see a faint glimmer of nearby stars, which after all, are the real holiday lights. I'm sure the moon also played a part in assisting the wise men on their long journey to find baby Jesus.

3. Ornaments

If you click here, you'll learn more about one of our Christmas traditions - a keepsake series ornament. This beautiful "Partridge in a Pear Tree" ornament is the first in it's series and is Miss Audrey's very first keepsake series ornament for her very first Christmas!

4. Cup of Cheer

I actually just finished drinking this very delicious hot cup of cocoa. Mmmm... so good! (And isn't the little spoon topper sticking out of the left side so adorable?!)

5. Nativity

My older daughter, Ava, is learning more about the story of baby Jesus while she colors this Nativity scene.

****************************************************************************

Linked:

Monday Rewind - Bloomin' Macro Monday

Life is About... {Blog Hop} Week 2

2011-12-11T22:24:00.000-05:00

If this is your first time linking up, click here for details about the hop.
*************************************************************************************************************

Let me begin by thanking everyone who linked up at last week's hop!

I plan to share my favorite submission(s) from week to week, but because last week was my 1st ever Life is About... {Blog Hop}, I've decided to feature everyone who participated!!

They were:

On the Battlefield & 30 Day Play Challenge {from The Mommies Made Me Do It}

1st Birthday Party {from Preserving Life's Moments}

Surreal {from Life as I know It}

At the Farm {from Super Single Mom and her Side Kids}

Glass pebbles {from About Blogging Time}

Blue {from Tugboat's photography journal}

Expedition: Aquarium {from Layers of Learning}

Christmas lights {from The Executive Mom}

A Bucket O Pup {from Dusty Us Diaries}

You all are welcome to grab the button below!

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Now let's get this week's hop started!
WEEK TWO
For me: Life is About... learning to share

It isn't always so easy to share with your little sister when you only two years old, but thankfully it is becoming more and more of a common thing in our very own household.

It can be challenging to know how to respond to my older daughter when my younger daughter constantly wants to play with something she has. It's important that they both realize that sharing is good for them. It teaches them patience and kindness. I strive to set a good example for them when it comes to learning how to share. I am hoping they will find that sharing can actually be fun and leave them feeling happy by doing nice things to others. I generally never punish my older daughter when she refuses to share, so one way she can better understand how to share is by having things that only she is allowed to play with and her sister is not (because she is too young).... a necklace or a sticker for example. Both are potential choking hazards when in the hands of a ten month old. She is not only learning how to share, but she is learning that certain things are potentially dangerous for her little sister, and in part, "looks out" for her when she has something too small in her hand. She herself is like a little mother hen. And the next time my younger daughter wants something that my older daughter has, I just remind her to let her sister take a turn while she plays with a necklace. So far sharing has been fun. Let's hope it continues :)

What is life about for you?!! Please link up and share below. We'd love to hear about what's important in your life!

Look Whooooo's Snapping {6}

2011-12-08T22:29:00.002-05:00

Welcome to this week's Look Whooooo's Snapping photo linky party!
Let's begin by congratulating the winner of last week's party....
("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

A very beautiful shot and a very beautiful little model provided by Buckeroo Mama

{from Mamahood, Among Other Things}.

Bucheroo Mama, you deserve to grab the button below!

And, as promised, here are a couple of my favorites from last week... (it was soo hard to choose - everyone linked up some incredibly gorgeous shots!)

This simply precious shot comes to us from Jaymi {from Live, Love, Travel}.

This beautiful autumn pic was submitted by Anne U {from Hot Coffee Mama}.
Congratulations Jaymi and Anne for providing last week's favorite shots, and thank you both for participating!You are welcome to grab the button below :)

**********************************************************************************
Now it's time to get this week's Look Whooooo's Snapping photo linky party started!
This linky party is for sharing your favorite photo(s) {of the week}. Just make sure to grab the button below to share on your blog post, showing others that you are linking-up!
(If this is your first time linking up, be sure to click here for rules and details).

**********************************************************************************
Here are my favorite photos of the week....
I actually went into the photo archives for this week's party (I know, I'm cheating a little bit). My sweet sister-in-law and her husband sent me these beautiful flowers over the summer while I was recovering from my surgery. I haven't actually mentioned the details of my surgery to the world because I felt that it was more of a personal issue, but after putting much thought into the matter, I don't see anything wrong with sharing. After all, maybe someone will be blessed to hear what I had to go through and in fact be able to relate on a personal level.
Shortly after my thirtieth birthday, in July, I developed excruciating pains in my abdominal area. I tried to play it off and blamed it on common pain from working out too hard after having a baby (6 months after, that is), but after dealing with the pain for almost 48 hours and from a continually swelling abdominal region, I knew I had to be seen. (I later found out the swelling was due to internal bleeding).
Shortly after a visit to an out-patient medical facility, we were directed to the ER for further testing. The results were not good. I had apparently experienced an ectopic pregnancy rupture in my left Fallopian tube and would need to have the tube surgically removed.
The worst part about the whole experience was watching my poor little girl, Audrey, practically starve herself for a entire day while I was having to dump my precious "anesthesia containing" milk down the drain. She refused to take a bottle (that contained my milk or a supplement), and because we had only recently introduced her to baby food (bananas to be exact), we couldn't give her much else to satisfy her hunger.
Thankfully the Lord allowed a speedy recovery on my part and Miss Audrey was soon eating normally again once my milk was clear of all the anesthesia. I'm so thankful we went to the hospital when we did. I've heard ectopic pregnancies are definitely not something to mess with.
I'm also thankful for my family and friends who were there for us during that challenging time in our lives. We love you all so much.
Below are the beautiful flowers (2 dozen multicolored roses) my husband's sister and her husband sent us. Aren't they so gorgeous?! (I finally had a chance to edit these pictures this week and wanted to show off how beautiful they are)!

Have you or someone you know experienced an ectopic pregnancy?! Since my own I've been made aware of several women within my community who have dealt with a similar story. I've come to realize that this is apparently more prevalent than I ever knew. My advice to all women is to know your body. If you are ever experiencing abnormalities within your body, don't hesitate to been seen medically. For more information on ectopic pregnancies, signs and symptoms, click here.
Linked: Oh Snap!, Shoot. Edit. Submit

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Be sure to vote for at least one other photo besides your own!

Handprint Wreath

2011-12-08T16:14:00.003-05:00

I'm going to share with you today how to make a very adorable wreath made from your little ones hand prints.

Craft tools & materials needed:

Glue and glue gun

pencil

paper plate

card stock

paint and paint brush

red puff balls

ribbon

Directions:

1.) Trace your child's hand print onto white card stock (15-18 times).

2.) Paint all hand prints with green paint; allow to dry.

3.) Cut out green hand prints.

4.) Cut out center of paper plate.

5.) Glue hand prints, puff balls, and holly (I drew this from free hand) to paper plate.

6.) Glue ribbon to back of wreath and hang on your door for all to admire!

Linked: Crayon Freckles, Crafty Moms Share

Jingle Bell Rock Party {at One Artsy Mama}

2011-12-08T12:44:00.000-05:00

Support Handmade for the Holidays!

Amy {from One Artsy Mama} is making an effort this holiday season to support small businesses by offering a showcase of all the wonderful shops and items you have created and are selling!
Here's a brief showcase of the items you'll find when you visit my Etsy collection (ThePhotoMommy):

Life as this Mommy knows It is offering 15% all purchases with the code: HOLIDAY
Head on over the One Artsy Mama to link up your small business Etsy shop! (Or link up below). And be sure to check out the other super shops who've already linked up!

{Handprint & Footprint} Reindeer Ornament Craft

2011-12-07T12:25:00.005-05:00

Today I'm going to share with you how to make a super cute, and relatively easy, craft that you'll want to hang on this year's Christmas tree! The craft itself is actually my idea :)

(I was inspired however to make the design for this craft from here).

Materials & craft tools:

card board

brown craft paint

red puff ball

yellow ribbon

googly eyes
string

pencil

scissors
glue

Directions:

1.) Trace your child's foot print on a piece of card board.

2.) Trace your child's hand prints on a piece of card board.

3.) Paint foot prints, hand prints, and medium size circle with brown paint.

4.) Cut out all pieces from card board.

5.) Glue hand prints, foot prints, circle (for head), googly eyes, red puff ball, ribbon, and string together (as shown).

Hang on Christmas tree for all to see!

Linked: Crafty Moms Share, Crayon Freckles, One Artsy Mama, simple as that, For the Kids Fridays, The Sasse Life, Fun Stuff Fridays

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-12-05T16:32:00.000-05:00

This is my first time linking up with Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday over at her awesome blog,
Ramblings and Photos.

Here's my attempt at all the required items for this week's photo scavenger hunt....

1. Portrait

(This photo was taken this past weekend while my lovely sister and her sweet sons came to visit us.
Click here to see other photos from this photo collection).

2. Nostalgic

(This is a photo of me riding my Giant on River Road in Merritt Island, Florida. It was taken by my husband over a year ago. I love looking at photos of me riding my road bike reminding me that soon I'll be able to ride once again when winter comes and goes).

3. Time

(Christmas in 2008 will be remembered as a very special time in our lives. It was the time of Our First Christmas Together - as husband and wife).

4. Full of Light

(This adorable little ornament that was given to me the year I was born is surrounded by the beautiful, glowing lights on this year's Christmas tree).

5. Motion

(The photo above is of my nephew running through the living room at full speed. It displays the photography technique known as panning. To learn more about this technique and other aspects about shutter speed, click here).

Wow! Playing photo scavenger hunt sure is fun! I'm hoping to be able to play again next week ;)

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Oh, and be sure to check out my 1st ever Life is About... {Blog Hop}

going on right now! I'd love for you to link up and share about what's important in your life!

S is for Santa

2011-12-05T13:55:00.006-05:00

If you haven't already, be sure to check out my 1st ever Life is About... {Blog Hop}

going on right now! I'd love for you to link up and share about what's important in your life!

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This morning my little crafty helper, Ava, and I decided to create another addition to our "Learning My Lovely Letters" alphabet scrapbook (here are the letters we've already included in our alphabet collection - T and L). In light of the upcoming holiday season it only seemed appropriate to make a Santa craft for the letter S. We were inspired to create this craft from here, but you'll notice below that we made several crafty additions of our own (i.e. the creation of two Santas for both lower and upper case letters as well as including the actual letters themselves).

What we needed to make this craft:

White and green craft paint (we used Crayola Washable Kid's paint) & paintbrush

Card stock in various colors

Glue

Googly eyes

Pencil

Paper plate

How it's done:

1.) Pour white paint onto paper plate, dip hand in paint, and place hand on card stock to make the beard.

2.) Use green paint to color letters.

3.) Draw and cut out pieces for hat and face (e.g. five white circles and a red triangle for his hat, two beige circles for his cheeks, one red nose, and one black circle for his mouth - double entire amount to make two Santas).

4.) Paste all pieces onto paper with beard (as shown).

Pretty cute, huh?!!

Stay tuned for more letter and holiday crafts coming soon!

Linked: Crafty Moms Share, One Artsy Mama, Crayon Freckles, It's FUN to craft!, Funky Polkadot Giraffe

Life is About... {Blog Hop} Week 1

2011-12-04T22:22:00.010-05:00

Welcome to my first ever
Life is About... {Blog Hop}!

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I've created this Blog Hop to allow anyone and everyone to link up their posts about what's important or going on in their lives. Your posts can be about anything! A photo. A story. A recipe. A craft. You name it! The hop begins on Monday and is open until Friday. Just be sure to grab the blog hop button below (or on my right side bar) to add on your post, showing others your linking up!

You are also welcome to grab the linky code below the list of link-ups to grab for your blog (the same linky list will appear on everyone's blog, allowing others to "hop" between blogs), but it's not required.

My favorite submission(s) will be featured on next week's hop.

**********************************************************************************WEEK ONE
For me: Life is About... loving one another
These simple shots come from our very own living room but do an extraordinary job of displaying the true love my daughters share. Despite a messy room full of toys, I was able to capture pure sweetness and joy as well as the love Ava and Audrey have for one another in the beautiful images below.

What is life about for you?!! Please link up and share below. We'd love to hear about what's important in your life!

Linked:

Portraits of TWO families

2011-12-04T17:12:00.000-05:00

My sweet sisters came out this past weekend to visit with us and to allow my hubby and I to go out on a date. (We've haven't had the opportunity to go on a date for several months!). So we were all thrilled to have them. While they were visiting we were blessed with a wonderful opportunity to take a couple family portraits. I'm so thankful we did because now not only do I have a couple great pictures of my family, I also have the perfect shot to include in this year's Christmas card. Yay!

Here are a couple lovely shots I took of my sister and her two cutie pie sons. (Note: We didn't get a chance to snap a shot of my other sister with her sweet nieces and nephews this time, so we're planning to get a shot for her with all of them around Christmas time).

And....

Here are the lovely pictures my sister took of my precious little family.

The girls weren't entirely cooperative (it was just after nap time... they weren't quite awake yet), but I think they turned out pretty decent considering. What do you think?!!

I just can't wait to make Christmas cards using the new portraits. Stay tuned because I'll be sharing those with you soon too :)

Look Whooooo's Snapping {5}

2011-12-01T22:26:00.003-05:00

Welcome back to my weekly Look Whooooo's Snapping photo linky party! Thanks again to all who participated last week. I hope everyone had a very blessed Thanksgiving with friends and family!

Before we begin this week's party, let's discuss the "winners" from last week.

Once again we had a tie for the most popular photo!

("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

And the "winners" are....

This breath-taking "Cotton Candy Skies" photo comes to us from Ashley
{from Ramblings and Photos}.

This adorably playful shot was submitted by Dina {from 4 Lettre Words}.

Thank you, Ashley and Dina, for participating, and congratulations on "winning"!

You both are welcome to grab the button below!

And... my most favorite photo from last week was....

This charming autumn photo was brought to us by Jessica {from dramaticmama}.
Thank you for your lovely shot, Jessica!You deserve to grab the button below :)

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Now it's time to get this week's Look Whooooo's Snapping photo linky party started!
This linky party is for sharing your favorite photo(s) {of the week}. Just make sure to grab the button below to share on your blog post, showing others that you are linking-up!
(If this is your first time linking up, be sure to click here for rules and details).

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Here is my favorite photo of the week....
This image comes from a photo session I had just before going out of town for Thanksgiving vacation. (I just finished the edits on all the photos from the session this week). I chose this as my favorite is celebration of the upcoming Holiday season! This precious shot is of a nine month old little fellow, who is full of complete sweetness! I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to photograph him. To view the other photos I've shared from this collection, click here.

Linked: Oh, Snap, Shoot Edit Submit, Show {Off} Your Shot

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

Don't forget to vote for at least one other photo besides your own!

The Versatile Blogger Award goes to.... ME!

2011-11-29T22:57:00.000-05:00

I just love getting awards... and that includes receiving awards for my blog! Thanks so much to Carrie {from Crafty Moms Share} for sending the Versatile Blogger Award my way! (By the way, be sure to check out Carrie's blog when you have a chance. She is loaded with tons of super cute craft ideas for all occasions).

The Versatile blogger award goes to blogs that are newly discovered and offer some fun or inspiring ideas.

The Rules

* Thank the person that nominated you with a link back to them.

* Tell everyone seven things about yourself.

* Pass this award on to 15 newly discovered blogs and let them know that they've received an award!

Seven things about me -

1.) I love Jesus with all my heart.

2.) I am a wife to the most wonderful man I know.

3.) I am a mother to the two most beautiful little girls.

4.) I am the second child of six (three girls and three boys).

5.) I love to take photographs (my camera is basically an extension of my body).

6.) I have a bachelors degree in chemistry and a master's degree in speech-language pathology but am thankfully blessed with having a full-time job of mommy-hood. (fyi - I work as a per diem speech therapist and a whenever possible photographer).

7.) I love to travel. (My husband and I, together and separately, have been to various states in the US, including Hawaii, and several other countries, Russia and England to name a few, and we are always looking forward to planning our next adventure)!

Fifteen newly discovered "to me" blogs (in no particular order) -

1.) Vegan Mother Hubbard

2.) Crayon Freckles

3.) A little bit of this, a little bit of that

4.) Letters to Sophia

5.) Little Blue Feather

6.) Cordial Chaos

7.) Imprintalish

8.) Ramblings and Photos

9.) Made to Worship Photography

10.) 4 Lettre Words

11.) I'm not THAT pregnant

12.) Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles

13.) Reading Confetti

14.) Cottage and Broome

15.) Embellishments by SLR

It wasn't easy picking only 15 blogs to receive this award. I have "met" so many other wonderful and inspirational friends in this amazing blogger community! Please be sure to check out the blogs I have listed above for some incredible ideas, amazing photography, and valuable life long lessons. Thanks so much and blessings to you all!

Photo Session: Mr. Brayden

2011-11-29T20:18:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed photographing precious little nine month old Brayden just days before Thanksgiving holiday. He is a very adorable little fellow, who is just full of love and smiles. I'm sure you'll agree after you view the several photos I plan to share with you below. And I just can't wait until he turns one because I'll get to photograph him again (along with his entire family for a family portrait)! I'm so excited!

If you haven't already, be sure to check out my entire portfolio and current products at my JB gallery website. (JB gallery is also on facebook. Check it out here!)

Christmas Card GIVEAWAY WINNER!

2011-11-21T09:21:00.001-05:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in my Christmas Card GIVEAWAY from my little Etsy shop, ThePhotoMommy!

{The winner was randomly chosen using www.random.org/.}

And the lucky winner is......

Comment #10
Emily {from I'm not THAT pregnant}

Congratulations Emily!

I will be contacting you via email very soon!

Didn't win?! No need to fear! You too can have a Christmas Card (or any special occasion card) from my shop. Check out my entire collection here.

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And just to remind you.....

Be sure to link up your favorite photo at this week's Look Whooooo's Snapping photo linky party, which is actually going on for TWO weeks (so be sure to link up more than once)!!

Look Whooooo's Snapping {4}

2011-11-17T22:59:00.006-05:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

And welcome to this week's Look Whooooo's Snapping photo linky party!

Let us first begin by congratulating TWO "winners" from last week!

("Winners" are chosen by your popular vote).

They are....

This beautiful macro shot comes to us from Rik {Cordial Chaos}.

This very pretty flower photo was submitted by Misty {Through A Photographer's Eyes}.

Congrats Rik and Misty! And thank you both so very much for participating!

You both deserve to grab the button below :)

As promised, here are a couple of my favorites from last week's party...
This simply breathtaking shot comes from Dina {4 Lettre Words}.

A very adorable shot, I must say, was provided by Lish {Imprintalish}.

Thanks for your beautiful shots, Lish and Dina! Feel free to grab the button below!

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Now, on to a new week (well, actually TWO weeks - see below) of Look Whooooo's Snapping photo link-ups!

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Here are my favorite photos of the week...
This past weekend our little family was blessed with an opportunity to take a nice long walk on our local rail trail. It was a tad windy that day, but the warm, shining sun made for a very enjoyable walk. You soon see that the girls had a glorious time as well. They just love getting outdoors... but, then again, who doesn't?! I'm just so thankful for fun family time. Aren't you?! Well, enough of my rambling... let's just let the photos tell the rest of the story, shall we?!

Just so you know, this week's linky party is actually going to be live for TWO weeks!
Our little family will be out of town the entire week of Thanksgiving visiting friends and family, so chances are, I won't be finding much time to get on my computer. Oh, and I'm making an exception and breaking the "1 entry" rule just this once ;) So, please feel free to link up MORE than once!!

Now it's your turn to share your favorite photo(s) of the week!

And THANK YOU in advance for participating :)

And remember to vote for at least one other photo besides your own!

L is for Lion

2011-11-17T13:38:00.000-05:00

"ROAR!" is what Ava loves to say! She is a little lion some days, and she loves to take her lion toy practically everywhere with her. This is was inspired the second letter craft for our "Learning My Lovely Letter" alphabet scrapbook. (Click here to see the first letter we made for our collection). Another reason for wanting to make the letter "L" next is because it's one of the sounds we're currently working on during "therapy". As Ava's mommy (and her very own speech therapist) we like to incorporate sounds Ava is learning to say correctly during a fun activity, like crafting. And just so you know, she's currently saying "L" in the initial position almost 100% of the time! Yay! (We're still working on the medial position - like in the word "yellow", but she'll get it soon enough).

While the idea and template for this craft comes from here, you'll notice that we made several little changes of our own, including the addition of a lion cub for our lower case letter.

Needed to make this craft:

crayons

card stock

scissors

paper

What to do:

1.) Print out and color two copies of the template.

2.) Cut out.

*Optional but highly recommended... 3.) Play with little sister while mommy cuts out the remaining pieces.

4.) Glue all the pieces together (as shown).

So adorable, don't ya think?!

We're already thinking of ideas for our next letter, so stay tuned!

Linked: Crafty Moms Share, Crayon Freckles, Confessions of a Stay At Home Mommy, The Idea Room Community
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Reminder:

Be sure to check out the awesome giveaway I have going on right now! It's perfect for the upcoming holiday season!

And, don't forget to link up your favorite photo of the week at tomorrow's Look Whooooo's Snapping photo linky party!

Christmas Card GIVEAWAY

2011-11-16T16:15:00.000-05:00

Folks, It's time for me to sponsor another giveaway for all of you, my lovely followers!

My giveaway item comes from my little Etsy shop, ThePhotoMommy.

In celebration of the upcoming Holiday Season, I'm very much in the Christmas Card kind of giving spirit! So, my gift to one of my very lucky followers is a choice of any

ONE {digital} Holiday Photo Card from my entire collection.

Here are a couple samples from my shop to get you in the giveaway participating mood...

Oh, and no need to fear if you didn't see something you like, because I hope to add a new card or two between now and when the winner is chosen!

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Here's how to enter for a chance to win:

Mandatory entry:

1) Follow my blog (see sidebar) & Leave me a comment below {1 Entry}

(NOTE: If you're already a follower, just leave me a comment).

Optional entry (Use a separate comment for each entry):

1) Like my shop on facebook {1 Entry}

2) View my shop and tell me which card you'd pick {1 Entry}

3) Favorite an item at my shop {1 Entry}

4) Tweet, facebook, or blog about this giveaway {1 Entry}

(Feel free to grab my blog or etsy button when sharing about this giveaway!)

NOTE: Be sure to provide me with your email info so I'll be able to contact you.

The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Monday, Nov. 21, 2011.

Last Day to enter giveaway will be
Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011.

Good Luck!

Crochet Holiday Hat & Booties GIVEAWAY WINNER!

2011-11-16T07:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in my Crochet Holiday Hat & Booties GIVEAWAY,

brought to us by Kiera {from An-Enchanted-Life}!
{The winner was randomly chosen using www.random.org/.}

Now it's time to reveal the lucky winner...

It goes to....

Comment #3

Chelsea {from Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles}

Congratulations Chelsea!

Kiera will be contacting you via email very soon!

Didn't win?! No need to fear! You too can have a beautiful crochet creation crafted by the lovely Kiera. Check out her entire collection here. (I know I will!)