13

13 is the number of years I spent taking dance class. I remember going to a weekly class and enjoying the time I spent there. There was a time that I thought maybe I wanted to be a professional ballerina and dance with Mikhail Baryshnikov. And you would think after 13 years that maybe I came close. But sadly I never pushed myself and just took dancing for what it was...fun.

This past month I signed up our little Miss T for her first ever dance lessons. She has naturally shown a liking for music and dancing, more so than her brother ever did. And when a great Groupon popped up at a studio not to far from our home? I decided to take the plunge.

It was exciting for me to purchase all the gear and then put it on her. My heart skipped a beat when we placed her feet into the ballet slippers and she smiled. When it was time for her to go with her teacher, Ms. Carrie, she didn't hesitate. She got in line with all the other little girls and away they went to their class.

After class she came out smiling and quickly ran to give me a big hug. She seems so small and yet at the same time so big. I forget that soon she will be three and is slowly inching away from babyhood toddlerhood. She has opinions and can be quite bossy. She is testing all limits and her reactions are quite dramatic. Especially when she doesn't like what we have to say. Are these glimpses of the teen years? Or of the person she is becoming? I am sure they are and along with the days we spend laughing, there will be days we spend butting heads and not liking each other very much. But now? In this moment, there is my little girl, in her pink skirt and her pink shoes with a smile on her face...listening for the music and then dancing. And I hope she always hears the music and is never afraid to dance.

Laugh Out Loud or LOL

After visiting Veronica at Crunchy VT Mommy I saw that she was doing a great link up hosted by Faith at Simplicity. Each week Faith posts a photography challenge and I figured I need all the help I can get to keep taking more pictures. And to make sure Teagan doesn't think we skimped out on her photos...you know being the second child and all.

Faith's challenge was labeled LOL...as in take a photograph of people/places/things that makes us laugh. Besides my husband...the kids hands down make me laugh. Spencer can come up with some of the silliest things to say. Currently he has taken to making up words and using them to describe everything! His latest word? Backie...

Teagan is learning to crawl and to see her on the floor and reaching with such determination and then cackling when she gets where she wants to go is so fun to watch. I can't help but laugh. So without further ado...two pics that make me smile and laugh. Laugh because I now what was happening in each one to get the reaction in the shots.

Want to link up and join the fun? Click below:

Before the Digital Age...Down the Aisle

This week Natalie over at Mommy of a Monster is having a great link up. She wants everyone to post their favorite wedding photo(s).

Way back in 2004, digital was just beginning to pop up...so all our pictures were done the old fashion way. Luckily one evening I decided to scan all of the photos so I could look at them via the computer instead of in a hardbound photo album. I remember wanting to book a photographer that would just randomly take photos but they were expensive. So instead I went with the same photographer that takes all the schools pictures. That's right this same studio took my high school senior photos! And we went with a lot of posed photos!

Of all the pictures that were taken that day, I have 3 that are my favorite, and these are them:

The first just epitomizes the love we have for each other and probably is a typical wedding photo but I loved it so much, I enlarged it and it hangs in our house.  The second I stole the idea from a wedding magazine or The Knot but as soon I saw the photo...I fell in love with it. Those are my twin sister's, they were 7 going on 8. And the last photo...something about it is so candid. I can't remember what we were talking about but I just love how unaware we both were when the photo was taken.

How about you? Want to share your favorite wedding photo(s)? Click the button and join the linkup!





(Not sure why the button isn't working! But head over to www.mommyofamonster.com)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

That's right with Halloween just a faded memory, the weather getting colder and the days shorter...it's holiday time.

For years I would buy my Christmas cards on sale after the previous Christmas in order to be one leg up in November. I am the friend that has my cards ready for the mail the day after Thanksgiving. Yep, I was mighty proud of that fact. But then I became a mom and doing anything in advance...well, that's actually pretty funny.

Last year I was on the ball and that's probably because after getting so many cool photo holiday cards, I decided to do one for our family as well. I wish I had a copy of it to show, just know it was awesome. So awesome that I had friends tell me they couldn't wait to see what I come up with this year. Yes, I've been thinking about our Christmas card ALL YEAR.

Thankfully this year I have some awesome help for our cards...Shutterfly! They have so many gorgeous designs and options that I am having a hard time deciding on just one.

Do I go with more traditional Christmas cards? Or maybe another photo card? Can you see why I am having such a hard time deciding?

Right now I have three favorites...but being preggo those are always subject to change! These are my current faves, aren't they beautiful?

 

As part of Shutterfly’s 2010 Holiday Card collection promotion, I volunteered to write a post about Shutterfly’s holiday cards in exchange for 50 free holiday cards. If you would like to receive 50 free holiday cards, please visit their blogger promotion.

You Ought to be in Pictures

Back in October my husband surprised me with an SLR camera. We had been discussing getting one and I said something along the lines of "if I had one, we would never have to visit a photography studio to keep up with professional pictures." Never mind that taking a family portrait is actually a ton more work than I have the patience for or that the pictures I take are far from professional. It sounded good, so I went with it. And he did good and bought me a Canon digital SLR.

I have taken a ton of pictures and many of them I have posted here, more to showcase my handsome boy rather than any skills I might think are budding. It's fun to take pictures and captures moments and expressions that are fleeting as the boy grows older and bigger. I have thought about getting into photography a bit more seriously but have no clue where to start. Maybe I should start with learning every function of my camera?

When I have the camera out, trying to get Spencer to pose is a joke. He looks every which way but the direction I want and spends more time trying to touch the camera than pose for it. That being said I usually just snap as many pictures as I can in a row and figure at least one of them has to come out good, right? Here is a picture where I did just that:

I obviously added the framing and messed with the coloring but the actual photo was all me. Something about it just makes me smile. I love when I get one like this in a bunch of shots.

I think if I get a zoom lens I will be able to capture more moments and be less intrusive. Something about a camera gets kids to act so different.