{ june's triumvirate } ~ austin area photographer

It's our second summer without Avery. She is away at her 5 week camp having a grand time. We miss her, but we certainly take advantage of our time to run a little extra wild and have adventures all our own.

We have been good about sleeping in a little, but not too late. It's nice to get up and make breakfast for the littles and have some coffee, then I force myself to work out and let the girls play or argue or whatever they feel like doing while I jam out on the treadmill for a couple miles. Typically they have been fighting over Avery's iPod which she wasn't allowed to take to camp. Finally we've worked out a time agreement, they take 30 minute turns. Here is little Evelyn playing some very intense game during one of her half hours....



Super serious.





My doober-doo is getting so smart and growing up so fast. I truly wish I could freeze time and just enjoy her this way for a long time, I'm not sure that I am ready to lose these days.




I have been much better about taking pictures of our outings and even just our time inside lounging around. These moments where we can run wild at the pool, go hiking, sit and share treats at coffee shops, treasure hunt in vintage stores, and visit with friends are something I love. Summer is most assuredly my favorite time of year. I kind of just wish we could live like vagabonds and travel the U.S. on smiles and winks.

Here are some pictures of what "rest time" can turn into at my house. ;)











Much more to share but once again limited on time. I swear that I will get internet at home again, this having to drive places is ridiculously inconvenient.

{ our wonderland } ~ austin area child photographer

Our Christmas...

This year I didn't have to work retail hours, something to celebrate! Also it afforded me a full day and evening with my girls to enjoy our Christmas traditions.

We started with a game of charades, hot chocolate, and then a movie/rest. I cooked eggs and bacon for the big girls, but Evelyn wanted oatmeal (she's so like her mama). She was anxious for them to finish so we could get in our jammies and drive around looking at lights while we played Christmas music and sing along and get excited over the really good decorations.

Once home, we dove into gift opening and they were all super happy this year. Honorable mention goes to Masyn, who asked for a laptop and printer, and received a printer, with which she was THRILLED. It was amazing.

Stocking were last, lots of yummy candy and some fun goods. Highlight from that was Evelyn in her giant sunglasses! I love this top picture of her in her glamorous frames. I will leave you with the pictures from our night of love, fun, and utter silliness. As I sit here I am all smiles, these truly are the best days I've lived, full heart.

{ deceptively sinister } ~ austin area child photographer

Because of working the busy Halloween weekend, I got to dress up the girls on Friday for their Monster Mash party at school. This year all three girls chose their costumes and it was fun to watch them have precise ideas about how they should look. We had such a fun time getting ready and made-up for the event.

Masyn and Evelyn decided on costumes that were a little more on the spooky side, or in Masyn's own words "only a little bit evil."



Avery didn't want to dress up on Friday, she preferred to save her piece 'de resistance of a costumer for Sunday night trick-or-treating. She was Alice, from Alice in Wonderland. She looked stunning and far too grown up for my pleasing. Sometimes I am shocked back to reality that she is 12 and quite the little beauty.



These pictures just show my girls at their truest, silly colors... always playing and having some sort of little show to just sit back and watch. I'll let you all enjoy the many funny faces that I am so lucky to get to see most every day.





Hope you all had a safe and wonderful (and loaded with candy) Halloween!!

{old fashioned} - austin area child photographer

Last night I had the girls here with me.  Actually, Masyn and I had been together all day because she left school early with a fever.  I guess she just needed mama time because her temperature returned to normal within 30 minutes of me getting her from the school nurse's office.  I must be good medicine. ;)

As I was saying though, the girls were all here and since it was Friday we just sort of had a party.  My poor neglected pantry offered no easy outs for dinner.  Since I'm not really an "easy route" girl anyway, I decided that I would make something I've never tried before.... cinnamon rolls from scratch!  I mean, can't be that hard, right?  The reality of this for me, was that I had a blast getting flour everywhere and trying something totally new.  Yes, I am easily entertained....duh.





After the dough was rolled, coated with yummy cinnamon goodness, and in the oven...it was playtime while we waited and our olfactory senses were tantalized.

There is a YouTube video that my girls adore.  If you haven't seen it, the next two pictures will not make a lot of sense to you, however, if you have seen it, then you will probably appreciate the "double head!" joke.  Sometimes we get funny looks in public because often one or all 3 of the girls will shout random lines from this silly little recording.



Of course this is the "triple head!" version.  Masyn was really squashing Evelyn so we had to rearrange before they let me shoot.  I love this because Evy really was THAT happy, she wasn't being cheesy.



A rare a special big sis/lil sis moment.  Evelyn is super affectionate, but Avery isn't always so ready to snuggle.  Makes me smile each time I load this picture.  My sisters are some of my best friends and I truly want my girls to know the value of a good relationship with their sisters.



The moment of truth dawned as the timer sounded.... What would the outcome be?  How would the rolls look and taste?  Who cared?... not me, I was in euphoria watching my girls play and snapping pictures.



The result was extremely positive!  The girls all devoured their cinnamon rolls, asked for seconds, and gave me "thumbs up" with request that I make these every morning (or night, or both).  Hurray...success all around, beautiful.

Next was the "capture and kiss" game.  I'm big on hugs and kisses so I am always looking for fun ways to keep them flowing in my house and with the girls, I want to encourage outward display of affection.  Anyway the game is just like it sounds, I yell "kiss Avery" and they run to kiss her... or I yell "everyone kiss Evelyn!" and you get the idea.  This is my little kiss-collage.




No real story behind this except that Masyn refuses to be excluded from anything, even when I am shooting inanimate objects, she wants in the frame.  I can't blame her though, if I looked like her I would definitely want my picture taken non-stop.  Oh, and the plate was on the floor because Evelyn and I were having a little picnic style dinner, so Masyn literally laid her face to the kitchen tile for this shot.  LOL



Just one last image that I love so much.  My littlest beauty, Evelyn Blair with her special "Night-Night" that she carries everywhere.  I can't really tell you why I am so fond of this picture, technically speaking it's nothing amazing, but I keep picturing it on a canvas or gallery wrap.  Hmmm...sometimes pictures just strike me, this is one of those cases.





I bet you are all sorry you asked for more pictures!  Be mindful of what you ask for when asking me...sometimes I go overboard you know. ;-)

nothing to show, just a lot to say

Many things have been said lately that have brought me to the point of laughter... the real "LOL." It seems now that I have a stockpile to share with you all, so hang in there with me as I give my best at recreating these moments so that you also might get a chuckle out of the things people have been saying to or around me.

Evelyn and Santa, two fun stories:

Enter Santa...

Santa" Hohoho, Merry Christmas boys and girls"

Evelyn: "You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm tellin' you why...." *singing*


Later, on Santa's lap....

Santa: "What do you want for Christmas Evelyn?"

Evelyn: "A bag."

Santa: "What sort of a bag?"

Evelyn: "That bag" *pointing to his huge velvet satchel.


Advice to me:

Background info~ I was wearing some high heel saddle shoe oxfords the other day with tights... and yes, they are very tall heels, but worth the discomfort they cause by the end of the day.

Stranger (talking to me): " I admire that you can wear such fun shoes. After dancing and yoga, I just don't have enough fatty tissue on my feet to be able to wear those kinds of shoes anymore."

Me (stunned and wanting to laugh): "Oh thank you, they aren't the most comfortable, but I can manage since they have a wide heel to help me balance."

Stranger: "Well if you would do this balance pose from yoga (proceeds to demonstrate the pose for me) and hold it for a few seconds everyday, you will strengthen your weak ankles in a short time."

Me: "Thanks."

Wow, insulted twice in one chance encounter. Ouch. I am grateful though, because I have laughed about this so much, it was truly the funniest thing I've had happen to me in a long time.... seriously?!.... "fatty tissue?!?!" It was classic.

Avery on smoking:

Avery: "Does anyone in our family smoke Mama?"

Me: "Well, I know Aunt Lisa smokes a lot of drugs."

Avery: "Oh Mama... *long pause and quizzical expression*

Me: *un-repressed smile*

Avery: "... really?....

Me: "No, not that many."

Avery: "Oh Mama, you're so silly."

I might be damaging my kids. :o)

Masyn at Christmas party on caring for clothes:

Masyn: *runs up to me and announces dramatically* "Mama, someone just sat on my skirt! I don't think it tore, but I just wanted to let you know!"

Me: *taking off Masyn's sweater and finding a blob of chocolate* "Masyn, you got chocolate on your sweater."

Masyn: "Oh, it's okay."

anticipation

It has been mounting ALL week. I feel as though today will never end..... I am SO anxious/excited to see my sister and niece and watch "Twilight" with them!! *aaaaaahh!*

I haven't read the books to my girls or any vampire books for that matter. However, it appears that Masyn seems to naturally have a little vampiric blood in her... or so this picture suggests. ;o)



I love how she grabs Evelyn for pictures and even though it looks like she is strangling Evy, little Evelyn just giggles and laughs, so happy that Masyn wants to play with her. They fight at times, but it's really special to me how super close they are all the rest of the time. I love them so much.

Jason Myles is singing "Twilight Serenade" in honor of today's obvious occasion!

xo~Amelia

self amused

Avery has trouble with money... she's got a mile long list of things she wants, but when she is given money for birthdays or holidays she is never sure what she really wants to do with it.

While I was out at work one day Adonis took the girls to the store, apparently it was quite an adventure. It was on that trip to WMS (Wal-Mart Store, WMS is the nice way a friend of mine refers to it) that Avery found and purchased "Sing Star 80's."



I hear her belting out "We're not gonna take it..." and "It's the...eye of the tiger..." and Masyn's deep and adorable voice can often be heard singing "...livin' in a material world...and I am a material girl." It's scary and comical, that's all I can say about that particular aspect of the game.



However, after relentless begging, I played the game. Yes, I started out with much hesitation because I do NOT sing well... seriously bad in fact. Still, within a few rounds I was dancing, singing, and getting some decent scores! Hurray, nice littl stroke to my suffering singing ego.

Yesterday was my shining moment though, I finally scored "Lead Singer" and it's pretty funny that I scored this on a song I just posted a while back that has been redone by Blake Lewis. "I Ran" the original version by Flock Of Seagulls, that's my top score. I'm very pleased about this, I guess that's apparent since I found it worthy enough to blog about (hmmm...I might need to up my criteria for blog posts eh?). *grin*



A lesson I also learned from this, is that my camera can't get pictures of my television.... sorry for the weird pic, but I had to validate my score somehow.

Music musing is the fabulous and favorite, Phil Wickham. The song is called "Cannons" and is on his latest album. He's amazing.

xo~Amelia

a day without boundaries

My girls have been in quite a lot of trouble lately. I wouldn't say I am a super strict mama, but I do require obedience. The past little while has been a very trying time with each girl in their own way... trying to push me and see what rules can be broken in a new place, that sort of thing. I've been feeling like a very bad mama, because it seems like all I ever say these days is "no" or "please stop" and let me not leave out "did you hear me say no?" *deep sigh*

Today I made it my mission to have a good time together...even if they weren't being nice, we were going to be chill and obey, the two can happen together I am convinced! It just takes some give and some take, and a healthy dose of creative insight.

So after nap, I allowed the girls to each pick out one candy from their new stash (separated into bags with their names so there is no fighting over who gets what). I had them take it outside and play on the porch while they ate their stickies and I cooked french toast.



That is the little cluster of some of the toys they were playing with... the baby is either Skylar, Madison, or Sophia, Evelyn called her something different every time I asked. Don't those names really tell you when Evelyn was born?! I giggled.



This is Unia, Masyn's unicorn. Where else would one place a unicorn for her beauty rest?

My next step was to avoid tabletop bickering that has been happening far too much these days. I chose the effective, yet cowardly route of "distraction." Yes, I let them eat outside with glass plates and all. French toast au natural proved to be a hit, there were NO arguments at dinner time tonight! YAY! *doing a little dance*



...and this might be the closest I get to a "good picture" of all 3 at once. I might even be forced to use this for our Christmas picture. LOL, that's a joke.

Check out Evelyn's feet, she refuses to wear her crocs on the right feet, so she always looks like her feet are turned out.



My life lesson learned today: Looking for the fun and positive will almost always kill the chance for negativity to rule the day.

xo~Amelia