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Too sleep deprived for words today. But this little one is worth it.

This is our newest little girl. Five days into her sleepy life.

Of course I have many more images, but am just now getting around to culling through some of them. I can not believe a month has already gone by.

Happy Father’s Day to my Dad, and all of you dads out there. Today, our newest arrival, CA, is one month and one day old. Although I still have not shared any of her newborn photos, I think that this image, which is what I found when I came downstairs yesterday morning, is the most fitting today.

Happy Father’s Day to my husband

the giver of baths,

reader of bedtime books,

coach of soccer,

master of tickle time,

baby whisperer,

who gets his girls dressed for school (and usually in outfits that make sense) when I am frantically running around trying to remember what day it is,

who carries his girls to bed from their carseats on late evenings,

who is never afraid to be the enforcer of discipline, but can also cry at the memory of each child’s first breath, or their someday first dates and first dances

who works hard and long hours, but makes it a point to have dinner with his family almost every night, even if it means difficult travel arrangements or a late night on the computer afterward,

who always says that “at the end of the day, daddy’s just want their girls to be happy”

who is a great father, brother, son, friend, and husband, and who I am so grateful to have as a partner in life, especially the daunting responsibility of parenthood.

The Stanelle cousins, 2010.

I can’t wait to see a big beautiful print of this in the girls’ playroom.

…and deserves some recognition. I know there are a lot of you good dads out there, and you deserve some kudos, too, but tonight I’m focusing on the great dad in my house. I write this while I wait for CM to come home from her first date…with her dad. As I watched them get ready for an evening of dining and dancing, I was thinking of a story I once heard about a young girl who was taken on a trip to Paris with her father. Just her and her dad. She had siblings, and her parents were happily married. But, he said something along the lines of, “Every girl should go to Paris for the first time with a man who will love her forever.” I thought that was incredibly sweet.

It may not have been Paris, just a hotel ballroom with Disney music, but CM felt very special as they were leaving. As with so many events in our lives, it’s the memory of how we felt, and not the physical details that stay with us. I hope she’ll always remember how her dad made her feel.

Every girl should go on her very first date with the man who will love her, without reservation, all of her life.

Thanks, T, for being that man to our girls.

An afternoon at Conner’s A-maizing-ing Acres. Last year we got so lost that we ended up driving off road for miles and got there with only enough time to do the corn maize and hay ride in the dark. We had a great time and enjoyed the recent onset of cool weather. If you’re in Jacksonville and haven’t made it out here, I highly recommend it. Only one more weekend left, and I think military families are free next weekend.

We managed to be the only passengers on the last run of the hay ride. The two local boys who were running the ride asked us how come almost everyone who came that day was from Jacksonville but none of us knew each other. They said, “Round here, everybody knows everybody.” We were happy to report we did run into our neighbors from down the street! But, they were still baffled that Jax could be so big that we didn’t know all our neighbors.

At my house, we have a tradition that we call Fun Friday. It’s one of those cheesy family things that before kids I never would have thought I would do, but T came home from a business trip one time with a movie and a bucket of never-seen-in-our-house goodies, and the tradition was born. It seemed like a good and simple idea. We make a point to spend Friday afternoon/evenings together (as long as we’re all in the same city) and do something a little above and beyond our regular routine.

The problem arises when it’s been a crazy busy week, as is our norm, and all, especially the grown-ups, are tired. Coming up with something “special” to do seems almost like a burden. I wish I were one of those parents who has a backup list of a million great activities for the family at all times, but I am not. Coming up with 52 enticing activities that are fun for all can be daunting.

So, when I showed up at my very good friend’s house last Friday evening, and she was clearly a bit frazzled, and the house was a *tiny* bit messy, and hubby was not yet home but soon arrived in a less than cheerful mood, I could completely relate. We’re supposed to be happy, people! It’s the weekend! Hooray! Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget. Mom (heretofore referred to as L) and I were not sure how this would go. We showed up to where we planned to shoot, and there were a million people. The troops were getting hungry. One had to pee.

We went back and forth whether we should proceed, or risk losing the light and eat. In the meantime, big brother made it to the restroom and the kids started to play. L was still very skeptical that we’d be able to salvage the evening. But you know when I knew we’d be okay? When baby sister, who whenever I’ve been around her is the quietest thing, started her toddle, brother started chasing, which led to her chuckling. I heard Dad start laughing behind me. It wasn’t that everyone immediately started having a fantastic time, but it was then I think that they all relaxed a bit, consciously or not. We were able to grab a few shots that I think L will be surprised by. It was a reminder to me that most of the time enjoying our families is not about being in the most spectacular places, having the most fun of our lives, and leaving every trouble behind. Sometimes, it is simply letting our guards down, making each other crack a smile even when we are determined not to, and being each other’s soft place to land.

Thanks for the evening, W family. I couldn’t think of a better family to spend my Fun Friday with when I have to be away from my own crew.

A run of kid ailments at my house have slowed me down lately, but I definitely wanted to go back to share some photos from earlier this month that I was especially happy to be a part of. The new mom in this series is a great friend of mine who I’ve known since high school in Georgia. We somehow both ended up in living in Milwaukee when we were newlyweds and when I first became a mom. I was thrilled when I heard she was expecting her first baby, and even more excited when it worked out that I would get to meet the him at only four weeks old.

It has been said that friends are the family of our own choosing, and I am so grateful for those who hold that place in my life, and especially those who I have been in my life for many years. It is amazing to go from being children together, and then grow, encourage, and support each other through the many stages of life that follow. Even if we only get to see each other every few years now,  I was so happy to get to visit my old friend as she enters into this newest phase of her life and family. THANK YOU, C! I love you, loved catching up with you, and am honored to have been able to take these photos for you.

Had to get one in of the other baby.

Trying out the  First Day of School outfit last night.

pro·duc·tive –adjective
1. having the power of producing; generative; creative: aproductive effort.
2. producing readily or abundantly; fertile: a productivevineyard.
Productive refers to a generative source of continuing activity: productive soil; a productive influence.

I have been looking forward to the start of school with the thought that I was finally going to start being productive again. But, today, the day my firstborn starts Kindergarten, I realize that this summer’s productivity was never to be judged by the size of my inbox, the backlog of photos to edit, or the home improvement projects to be completed. This summer WAS productive, if not as structured as I had hoped. But I am not as structured as I often wish I were, so once I again I am reminding myself to cut myself and my family some slack and be proud of what we did. Our mantra for the summer, after all, has been “MORE THANK YOUS, LESS WHINING.” It came from a parental lecture to CM, but has turned into a relevant goal for us all.

This summer, we accomplished…

CM mastering tying, and even double knotting, her shoes.

VC singing her ABCs, counting to 10 (when she’s in the mood), singing songs, especially Mary Had a Little Lamb, over, and over, and over…

CM reading. Always reading.

CM swimming with confidence, finally!

Sisters playing WITH each other. Telling each other stories, dressing up, playing pretend, coloring, running, kicking balls, telling secrets, swimming, running through sprinklers, building castles out of sand, or blocks, cardboard boxes, or bedsheets.

CM did her first cartwheel, and dove to the bottom of the pool for the first time.

Riding our bikes on the street, as a family.

Lots of Band Hero on rainy or too-hot days. (I now know every word to three Taylor Swift songs, CM can mumble her way through American Pie, and T can always guarantee us a good score on Every Rose Has its Thorn)

VC’s first time tubing, and CM’s first time in her own tube. She was so proud.

Hosting family and friends. Visiting family and friends.

VC turned two.

VC working on potty training.

A bedroom makeover that is 90% complete. A bathroom makeover that is 40% complete. No one except me complaining about the ugly mess and annoying inconvenience of either.

VC moving from the crib to a bed. CM moving up to the top bunk she’s been wanting for years.

T passing the halfway mark in his grad school program, and juggling a particularly busy summer with work, and still making the time to ride bikes, go swimming, put the girls to bed every night, and get engrossed in the World Cup.

We got family photos taken, and NOT by me!

Me keeping everyone busy and active enough so that the girls (even the 5 year old)  would be ready to take sanity-saving naps in the afternoons. Sometimes I would join them.

Me squeezing in a few hours of work, here and there. Just enough so I didn’t feel l was neglecting it, but not so much that I let myself forget it was summer break.

Here are our First Day pics. T had to leave early this morning, so he left CM some flowers and a very sweet note that she was proud to read all by herself (with a little help).

It was a great summer. I’m looking forward to a busy fall.

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ATLANTA FAMILIES, I will be up your way September 30 – October 3. This is a great time to go ahead and get photos for the holidays! Take advantage of the current early bird offer, and BOOK TODAY as availability is very limited.

This is the last week of summer at my house. I’m parts nostalgic, relieved, content, exhausted, and excited. I’m not kidding myself. Here in Florida, we still have many more days where the weather makes the beach, pool, sprinkler, and an endless supply of popsicles completely appropriate. It’s just that now we’ll have to squeeze that in between school, soccer, gymnastics, holidays, work, etc.  Now that I will regain a few daylight hours to myself, I will be re-focusing more of my attention on work, and encourage you all to take advantage of the $175 savings that is available through the end of August! Please note that there is now an added incentive to book on a weekday, which is especially convenient for those with very little ones not yet in school.

Looking through my personal photos from the summer made abundantly clear what I already knew, that just like most of you, I take the majority of photos of my family in our day to day with my phone! Here’s a collage of what I captured over the last few months. It seems they are all about my girls or food, or my girls with food! The top left image is from the first day of summer break. The bottom right is from this morning. Everything else is in no particular order.

I love those. But, it makes me realize that I need to take more photos for me and my family (the reason I started to take photos, after all).  And it also reinforces how happy I am that I FINALLY got it together and had a fellow professional take family photos of the four of us. More on that soon!

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