A photo of Aoife as a preview of tomorrow's post - and in the spirit of transparency - here is the image before and after processing with Photoshop. My camera doesn't take good pictures - I do - with the help of the computer!!!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Aoife
A photo of Aoife as a preview of tomorrow's post - and in the spirit of transparency - here is the image before and after processing with Photoshop. My camera doesn't take good pictures - I do - with the help of the computer!!!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Bunk Beds
The girls have been in their bunk beds for a while now and they really seem to love sharing a room. They play well together - when it's just the 2 of them! After baths tonight the two of them piled into Aoife's bed and were pretending to sleep - so cute! Aoife has decided that she can get out of bed and play while they are trying to go to sleep. For the past few nights I have gone in to check on them and Emmy was sleeping and Aoife was sitting on the floor next to the nightlight looking at a book. It is a good thing she is so adorable!!
Here's Emmy in her new St. Patrick's Day jammies:
Aoife cuddled up with her baby:
Lying in bed together:
Goofing off:
Curly headed little girls:
Aoife and her baby who desperately needs a bath!
Here's Emmy in her new St. Patrick's Day jammies:
Aoife cuddled up with her baby:
Lying in bed together:
Goofing off:
Curly headed little girls:
Aoife and her baby who desperately needs a bath!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Brighton's 1st Birthday
On Saturday, we went to Brighton's 1st birthday party. Brighton is the daughter of our friends Steph and Josh who we have know since we lived in Colorado. She is their first and although Josh is in Afghanistan with Brendan Steph still threw a great party!
Aidan, Emmy and Aoife sitting with Steph's neice:
girls running around in the backyard:
Egg and spoon race - Emmy and Aidan had a distinct advantage since he was the only one over the age of 3!
Aoife taking whack at the pinata!
Brighton and her cake
Aidan, Emmy and Aoife sitting with Steph's neice:
girls running around in the backyard:
Egg and spoon race - Emmy and Aidan had a distinct advantage since he was the only one over the age of 3!
Aoife taking whack at the pinata!
Brighton and her cake
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Family Photos
I've been wanting to get professional family portraits taken for YEARS now but I've either been pregnant or recovering from a pregnancy for almost 7 years! We're finally at a point now where it was a good time to get them taken and since Brendan was leaving, there was a time constraint - which ended up being a good thing. I called the photographer that had taken Emmy's school portraits and it turned out that she had a few openings during the week before Brendan's departure. So the Wednesday before Brendan left, we all went over to the photographer's house where her studio is. When she said that her studio was in her walkout basement I was dubious. I envisioned something kind of thrown together but I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived. Her house was gorgeous and huge! Her walkout basement was probably bigger than the entire downstairs of our house and beautifully decorated.
I had agonized over our outfits since I got the appointment. Her recommendation of no prints and matching black, white or beige tops was definitely not what I was thinking. I wanted color and prints that coordinated but didn't look matchy. We showed up in our outfits, although I brought two or three extra options for all of us. The photographer, Daphne, seemed doubtful of my outfit choices at first but I really wanted to give it a shot. We got all set up in the studio and Aoife started to totally freak out. She wouldn't stay in the frame or smile or even look at the camera. In most of the shots I think she is lying on the ground crying. It took about an hour to get all the shots she could before Aoife really really lost it. Daphne was so wonderful with all of the kids - patient and really kind. I tried to schedule it for the morning when Aoife is usually at her best - but you never know with kids!!
We had to wait about 2 weeks before the images would be ready for viewing. My friend Steph came over and watched the kids while I went back to Daphne's house and saw the pictures. I was really nervous that she hadn't been able to get anything good. It's not like we could re-shoot! Luckily she had been able to get a lot of cute shots - more than I had expected. I am so happy with the pictures. I can't wait until I get my big framed prints for the wall. We are going to treasure them!
I've posted some of the images she took - there is also one of Brendan and me that came out great but you'll have to wait until I get the prints. I'll take a picture of it up on my wall!
If you are in the Clarksville/Nashville area and you want some gorgeous portraits call Daphne's Portrait Design. I'm sure you'll be as happy as I am!!!
I had agonized over our outfits since I got the appointment. Her recommendation of no prints and matching black, white or beige tops was definitely not what I was thinking. I wanted color and prints that coordinated but didn't look matchy. We showed up in our outfits, although I brought two or three extra options for all of us. The photographer, Daphne, seemed doubtful of my outfit choices at first but I really wanted to give it a shot. We got all set up in the studio and Aoife started to totally freak out. She wouldn't stay in the frame or smile or even look at the camera. In most of the shots I think she is lying on the ground crying. It took about an hour to get all the shots she could before Aoife really really lost it. Daphne was so wonderful with all of the kids - patient and really kind. I tried to schedule it for the morning when Aoife is usually at her best - but you never know with kids!!
We had to wait about 2 weeks before the images would be ready for viewing. My friend Steph came over and watched the kids while I went back to Daphne's house and saw the pictures. I was really nervous that she hadn't been able to get anything good. It's not like we could re-shoot! Luckily she had been able to get a lot of cute shots - more than I had expected. I am so happy with the pictures. I can't wait until I get my big framed prints for the wall. We are going to treasure them!
I've posted some of the images she took - there is also one of Brendan and me that came out great but you'll have to wait until I get the prints. I'll take a picture of it up on my wall!
If you are in the Clarksville/Nashville area and you want some gorgeous portraits call Daphne's Portrait Design. I'm sure you'll be as happy as I am!!!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Missing Daddy
The kids have been doing really well with Brendan not being here but this weekend has been hard. It's been 3 weeks now and I think it's starting to sink in for them that this is going to be a long road. Aidan's behavior this weekend has been worse than usual and he's been bursting into tears at the drop of a hat. I pulled out these Daddy dolls tonight. I have been waiting to introduce them until I thought that we needed them. The kids got to pick a picture of themselves with Brendan and we printed it out and slipped it inside a little pocket in the face. They were instantly delighted! All of them are sleeping with their Daddy dolls right now and bedtime seemed a little easier than normal tonight - I'd like to think it was thanks to Daddy's face next to them on the pillow.
I'd like to thank both Hugs to Go, the company that makes the dolls, and Operation Give A Hug who provided these dolls to us and over 350,000 other children of soldiers deployed around the world at no cost. Many thanks to Susan Agustin, the founder of Operation Give a Hug who has volunteered her time for the past 8 years to bring comfort to children across the country!
I'd like to thank both Hugs to Go, the company that makes the dolls, and Operation Give A Hug who provided these dolls to us and over 350,000 other children of soldiers deployed around the world at no cost. Many thanks to Susan Agustin, the founder of Operation Give a Hug who has volunteered her time for the past 8 years to bring comfort to children across the country!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Emmy at the dentist
Emmy went back to the dentist last week for her 6 month check up. She was a great patient again and, I'm happy to report, had very healthy teeth. She forgot to bring her taggie and unicorn into the dentist with her and didn't notice until I pointed it out as we were leaving. I told her that she was such a big girl and that I was proud of her for being brave all on her own. You should have seen her puff up and she said, "I AM a big girl!!!" During her last appointment she clutched taggie and unicorn like her life depended on it although she was excited too. It's amazing what 6 months can do!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Busy
Well - it's been a very busy week. Keeping a crazy schedule seems to make the time pass more quickly. I guess I'm worried about making sure we get everywhere that we're supposed to be on time and not thinking about being here without Brendan. We are missing him like crazy but, like I said, keeping very busy. Between meetings, haircuts, dentist appointments, getting new brakes on the car and making sure we keep food in the house and get to the post office to send Brendan a package - oh yeah - school and avoiding tornadoes - that's good too!
Tomorrow will be quiet because the car is getting new brakes and so we are stuck home. Still haven't learned to drive Brendan's car so Emmy's just going to have to miss preschool in the morning. It's too bad that it is going to rain again tomorrow - today was gorgeous and the kids jumped on the trampoline just about every minute that we were home and they were awake! Here are some videos of the girls jumping - they make me smile!
Tomorrow will be quiet because the car is getting new brakes and so we are stuck home. Still haven't learned to drive Brendan's car so Emmy's just going to have to miss preschool in the morning. It's too bad that it is going to rain again tomorrow - today was gorgeous and the kids jumped on the trampoline just about every minute that we were home and they were awake! Here are some videos of the girls jumping - they make me smile!
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