Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Lee Family

I've been following photographers for awhile on Instagram and FB and I have always been amazed when photographers say they don't have time to blog about their photo shoots. Now I understand. I did a fun photo shoot a few weeks ago at the beautiful 100 Acre Woods and I'm just now finding time to blog about it. The sky was perfect and the family was adorable, which makes for a great photo shoot. Here are a few of my favorites....







If you're on Facebook please go to Sweet Life photography, look at past photo shoots and don't forget to 'like' my page.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Days of Thanks

If you've read our blog for more than just this year you know I'm usually on top of blogging but I swear, I can't keep up for anything these days. So, here's another "Catch Up" blog for all that I'm thankful for, not just this month but every day.....
PS. I'm on a tight time frame because I have a lasagna in the oven so forgive any typos or grammatical errors. I'll fix them later.

Nov. 22- I'm so thankful for my social life here in Cali/NV. In BR I talk to our neighbors and church members but have yet to really do any socializing sans kiddos. Since arriving Wednesday night (and actually before that) I've had friends text and message me on FB, asking when I was free to get together. Not only am I thankful for my social life, but I'm extremely thankful for my parents' willingness and enthusiasm in watching the boys so I can do things sans kiddos. It'll be refreshing to take my "Mom Hat" off a few times while here.

Nov. 23- I'm thankful for the prayer warriors in my life. I've never been one to really preach to non-believers (or people that have different Christian beliefs than me) but I do call upon a handful of prayer warriors when needed. Last night Easton was running a fever yet again and I knew it'd be a rough night. I posted on our SS FB page and asked the members to pray for Easton. Miraculously, he had a good night and woke without a fever Saturday morning. I'm thankful for answered prayer requests!

Nov. 24- Today I'm thankful for my family. I can't imagine a better family than my own. We laugh together, have open communication, ask advice from each other, support each other and sometimes disagree with each other. Each family member brings a different dynamic for which I am thankful. My dad is the quiet, but strong spiritual leader of our family. He offers sound advice and then steps back to let my brother and I decide for ourselves at to whether we'll follow it. He's a Mr. Fix It and I love to watch him show P how to fix various things. If something breaks we know he'll do everything in his power to fix it. My mom is one of the most thoughtful, giving people I know. She doesn't think twice about making complete strangers gifts just because. She is strong beyond belief. Without elaborating, I can't imagine being as strong as she is on a daily basis. She's also one of the most creative people I know. She looks at something and immediately figures out how she can make it (usually better than the original). My brother has become not only my brother but one of my closest friends. I confide in him and he, like my dad, will give advice without passing judgment. He's got a quick sense of humor and adds life to a conversation. I've learned a lot from him, especially about being open and quick to forgive.

Nov. 25- This morning I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am for my mom's help last night. We were going on Night 2 of Operation No Sleep due to a sick baby. When he woke me up 3 hours after I went to bed I started crying because I knew I wasn't going to get anymore sleep for the night. And I wouldn't have it my mom hadn't stepped in. She gave him some medicine, took him and told me to go back to sleep while she rocked him. Soon I heard his little baby snores and was so happy to go back to sleep for another few hours. My mom has been known as the "Baby Whisperer" and she proved it last night.

Nov. 26- Not only am I thankful for the family I was born into but the family I married into. I have felt more like a "blood relative" than an inlaw from Day 1. My inlaws are extremely generous and giving. They are loving and always welcome me with open arms. I'm thankful that God brought them into my life.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

....And Another 4 Days....

OK, time to play "Catch Up" again......

Day18:  Today I was thankful for the much needed rain that was falling when we woke up. In fact, it woke me up around 4am because it was coming down so hard. I thought I had left water on in the bathroom. But, alas it was the rain. I have come to love rainy days, using them as an excuse for the rare, but needed "lazy lifestyle" where 5 loads of laundry aren't washed, bathrooms aren't cleaned, floors are not vacuumed.....but instead there is a lot of movie and snuggle time with my boys.

Day 19: Today I'm thankful for the opportunity to watch our neighbor's son. When my neighbor first approached me about watching him every morning at 6:30 I was hesitant to agree. I felt it'd interfere with my special morning cuddle time with P and frankly, I hate waking up to an alarm clock. But it's become one of my favorite times of the day for different reasons. I love it because P gets so excited for Trey to come over every morning. Yes, we have our cuddle time for a quick minute before Trey comes. But then it's little boy giggles and tricking me that Trey's bus has arrived (even though it's still a half hour away from picking him up) and imaginative games and an occasional squabble. I'm thankful that I didn't let my hesitation get in the way of the blessing that it's become.

Day 20: I'm thankful for modern transportation. I'm thankful that I can conveniently hop on a plane and be at my parents' within hours. I'm thankful that I don't have to spend days driving to Cali but can leave at lunch time and be there before bedtime.

**On a sidenote, I'm extremely thankful that it was Easton's best flight to date. Even flight attendants and passengers commented on how well both of the boys did. I couldn't be more proud or happy!

Day 21: I was going to save the best for last, but I couldn't wait....Today I'm thankful for Rob. I'm thankful that I'm married to someone who works so hard to support our family and someone who works on our marriage. He is generous and thoughtful, often bringing me little gifts or leaving notes to let me know he appreciates and loves me. Yesterday he graciously took time off work to take us to the airport because he knew how stressed I was flying with the boys and all our luggage. I'm thankful that I'm married to my best friend.

*****I know I haven't been blogging about every day life and I have a photo shoot to blog about. I will get to all of it but I have so much on my never ending "To Do" list that I have to prioritize.  Hopefully, since my parents graciously and excitedly watch the boys, I'll be able to catch up on everything while in Cali. I'll get around to it...hopefully sooner rather than later!

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Making up for 4 days.....

Day 14: We woke to the coldest morning yet. Frost on the ground....and no heat in the house. I thought we had moved past that after moving out of the dump we lived in previously but every house has its hiccups I guess. Today I'm thankful that, despite not having a working heater, we stayed warm. I'm thankful that the boys have footsie jammies and thick blankets to keep them warm throughout the night. I'm thankful that we have a fireplace that kept me warm in the early morning. I'm thankful that the heater guy came within an hour of us waking up and fixed the circuit board so we could have heat once again. And most of all I'm thankful that this is not a way of life for us anymore. We don't have to worry about cold nights and limited indoor heating like we did at our old house and that so many people do on a daily basis during the Winter months.

Day 15: I can't believe I ever thought I'd be thankful for this but I'm thankful for all the meat Rob provides for the family. I've tried (and liked) meats I never thought I'd try. We have a freezer full of the most organic deer meat you could imagine and it tastes 1000% better than NV deer meat. Sometimes Rob's hunting passion drives me crazy but I'm thankful that he provides delicious meat for our family.

Day 16: Friday night was a rough night with the boys and my hip hurting so I didn't get much sleep. I'm still trying to limit my caffeine intake so I only had decaf coffee on hand in the house. That means that today I'm thankful for ALL the Starbucks gift cards I was given for my birthday and for the Starbucks points a family friend sends me that earns me free coffee. The boys love that I usually order a slice of lemon pound cake as well because they enjoy sharing it with me. (Who knew that slice was so small when shared 2 1/2 ways?) I'm thankful that Starbucks makes it easy for me to get my caffeine kick when I need one but even more thankful that I didn't have to pay for it out of my own pocket.

Day 17- Today I'm thankful that I'm finally pursuing my dream of being a photographer. I've been obsessed with photography since I was a child and wish I wouldn't have listened to the naysayers when I was younger. I could've been way more advanced than I am at this point. But I am thankful for the courage, resources and encouragement from friends and family to make my dream come true now. Whether I'm able to make it financially enough to not have to ever obtain another job has yet to be seen but my business is picking up and I'm thankful I get to do something I love while staying home with my boys.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Day 13

Wow! I can't believe how fast this month is flying by! I still have so many more things to be thankful for so I hope the month slows down a bit. :) Today I'm thankful for all my friends in life. Some I've known since birth, some I've only known a few months. But they all have a special place in my heart regardless of how long I've known each one. My friends are people that love me despite my faults, people with whom I share many memories, people who are quick to give me a hug or share in laughter. My friends mean the world to me and I'm eternally thankful for each one of them!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Day 9, 10, 11 and Today

Ok, now I'm really behind so here's another "catch up" blog.....

Day 9- I'm thankful for lazy Saturday mornings. It was nice to wake up without the help of an alarm clock. Then I enjoyed cuddling with my boys in bed while watching cartoons. When we got out to the family room we cuddled by the fireplace (OK, I chased Easton to keep him away from the fireplace) while I drank my French pressed coffee and P enjoyed hot cocoa. It was nice not to have to be on "the go" from the moment we woke up like we have been doing.

Day 10- I am thankful for our church here and have missed it the past couple weekends that we've been out of town. Other than my childhood church, I've never felt more at home than I do at ODBC. Members of the congregation always stop me and ask about specific things that have been mentioned in conversations the previous week or on FB. The sermons are always Biblically based and keep me thinking throughout the week. I'm thankful that I found a church right from the get-go that we enjoy going to and feel connected at.

Day 11- Today I'm thankful for all the veterans, young and old, who have fought for our freedom. Soldiers give themselves unconditionally and sacrifice so much, asking for nothing in return. I'm grateful for the freedom they provide.

Today- As I am every day, I'm thankful for my youngest son. He's at the phase in life where he only wants Mama, which is a blessing and a curse. I love my cuddles with him but would like him to be happy with someone else when I get a break every once in awhile. He's also at the phase where he keeps me on my toes. He's quizzical and analytical....quite the combination. I love watching his personality develop and watch the bond between him and "Bubba" develop. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for his future.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Day 7 and 8

I'm a day behind already so I wanted to let you know that yesterday I was thankful for successfully being able to nurse Easton for the first year of his life. Nursing P was so difficult for the both of us that I stopped after 6 months. With Easton, I have throroughly enjoyed that bonding time. I don't even mind that, at 10 mos old, he still wakes me up once a night to nurse. It's a bonding experience like no other and I'm truly thankful for it.

Today I'm thankful for the 1:1 time P and I will share this afternoon. I feel that, since Easton's arrival, he takes a "back seat" sometimes. Even if it's just to go to the dentist, he is already excited to have some alone time with Mommy. I'm thankful for the time I have with him and the memories we create together.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Day 6

I have quite a bit to blog about but, as usual, I'm running short on time. I am in need of a shower while the little guy takes his morning nap and have already spent too much time on Amazon's website. So, for now, I'll just let you know what I'm thankful for today.
Today I'm thankful for the little moments that often get taken for granted....making play dough with P (and spending hours playing with it!), Easton cuddling with his head on my shoulder, Facetiming my brother every morning, belly laughs with Rob, an unexpected text or call from a friend, visiting with neighbors for a few minutes, getting a card in the mail from my parents, being a human jungle gym every time I sit on the ground, eating dinner as a family every night, taking the boys for a quick walk around the block..... You get the idea. It's the little things that can really brighten my day and for which I'm thankful on this 6th day of November!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

A Month of Thanksgiving

Dedicating each day of November to something I'm thankful for has become an annual tradition that I enjoy. It helps remind me that I have SOOOO much to be thankful for! I had planned to blog a small blurb about my daily thanksgivings but, as always, I'm behind. So please allow me a minute to catch you up on the past 5 days.
Day 1- I'm so incredibly thankful to be a stay at home mom. It's been such a different experience the 2nd time around, one I love. Some days it's the most challenging job I've ever had but every day it's the most rewarding one! I love all the special moments the boys and I share together, the moments we cuddle or the moments P asks me a question where I have a chance to teach him a new thing or the moments we discover something new together. Each day, good or bad, is a treasure with my boys!
Day 2- I'm thankful for my dentist appt I had. I'm one of those weird people that thoroughly enjoy going to the dentist. I love how clean my teeth feel when I walk out of the office. It's been too long since the last time I went (because I wasn't a fan of our dentist in Reno) so this appt was especially welcome!
Day 3- I'm thankful for the peaceful, relaxing camping trip that we took as a family. We didn't have anything going on so we decided to get away, just the 4 of us. Well, Jay joined us for a few hours but for the most part it was just us and it was so nice. We rode the golf cart, played baseball, BBQd, enjoyed the bonfire and the "big boys" went hunting.




Day 4- I'm thankful for the love notes Rob leaves me. It's one of the things that made me fall in love with him in the first place. I can't describe the feeling when I find one "hiding" somewhere. It makes me feel so special and loved, starting my day with a smile. I'm thankful that Rob still puts forth effort to write me notes, something I don't take for granted.
Day 5- I'm thankful for my oldest son. He is so incredibly compassionate and has a heart like no other 4 year old that I've met. He's patient and has good manners, wanting to teach other kids the "right" way to behave. He plays with everyone no matter how different they are from him. The best thing about him? He has such a heart for the Lord. He's always talking about Jesus, praying about things and asking questions to learn more. I'm so thankful for the young man that he's becoming!

Sunday, November 3, 2013

10 months

As I say every month....I can't believe how fast the first year of Easton's life is flying by! Every time I turn around he's getting bigger and bigger. There are certain things I hope I'll remember about both of my boys' childhoods when they are grown and raising their own families. One thing is how BOTH boys love their bathtime. As soon as they hear the water running in the tub they stop whatever they're doing and make a beeline for the bathroom. Easton stands at the edge of the tub, anxiously awaiting to get in. Another thing I hope I remember is how Easton LOVES to help with the dishwasher. Every morning he stands there and pulls silverware out or rearranges the plastic plates while I load or unload it (making sure the knives are never within his reach). I also hope I remember how, at this stage in his life, Easton likes to cuddle....but pretty much only with me. He lays his head on my shoulder and hangs on so tight and I love every minute of it! It's the little things that I hope to take with me down Memory Lane some day.

Good luck trying to read these. He never sits still, making this shot nearly impossible