winning...

as you all know i write for an awesome giveaway blog, enter tons of giveaways online, have actually won some pretty cool things, & yeah, am addicted to giveaways! last week i actually won TWO!!!! in one week! who knew hollis' birthday would bring me such luck! both winning will benefit ava, though...weird how that worked on hollis' birthday week...the universe must have known that she needed something special to come in the mail just for her, too! this arrived today and is so darn cute! ava wore it out to dinner tonight and got so many compliments...it really is quite eye catching ;)

it's from a totally darling etsy shop called Laken & Lila! the owner is just as sweet as her creations! i am hoping to do a few photographs for her fall line come october! fingers crossed on that possibility! i love collaborating with people!

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my baby turns ONE...

oh how i remember a year ago today...my first memories of you will never fade away sweet boy. your sweet little cry, your precious baby smell, those skinny little legs...the first moment you looked at me and i know you knew i was your mama. i have treasured every moment this past year and it has passed way to quickly. you have changed so much in the blink of an eye.

i look at you and i feel like i have known you my whole life, that you have never not been present. i think you have an old soul. you are the sweetest, happiest baby i have ever known and i am so thankful for that. you are my snuggle bug baby, the lovey, cuddly baby i always hoped for. i love you with my whole heart and am so glad you completed this family of ours. you were the perfect missing piece.i adore you.

happy birthday baby boy.

xo,

mama

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wing love...

i stumbled accross these fabulous boots the other night while playing on-line! aren't they amazing! i have an insane amount of "wing love"...and these just make me drool!!! if it weren't for the price tag that comes along with them, they would be in some UPS truck right now making their way to me! ...why do i have to have such great taste?! ha! so for now, they go on the wish list...

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the littles...

it's been too long since a blog post or any photos of these two adorable littles....& all i have are excuses, so i'm not even gonna give 'em! it's been a crazy month full of birthdays, travel, visiting loved ones, ear infections {blech}, swimming, family time, building metal building in the back patch...all kinds of crazy business! for now, though, a photo of my sweetest boy sleeping soundly in his crib...yes that's my pink holly hobby blanket he's sleeping on...and several other blankets in bed with him...what can i say, the boy loves blankeys!

check out those thunder thighs! love 'em!
missy ava jumping herself into the pool! don't let the floaties fool you...she is a swimming fool! look out michael phels!

my chamion back floater {being lazy with the floaties on!...but that's okay, it was a lazy kind of day!}

hope you all have a beautiful weekend...it is going to be crazy hot here...i see more swimming in our future!

xo,

a

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your time is limited...

your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. they somehow already know what you truly want to become.? – steve jobs

{little headband i put together for ava...love making her pretty things to wear!}

to see more of this gorgeous senior session, check my photo blog! {i'll be adding pics soon!} My niece...isn't she drop.dead.gorgeous?!?

getting ready for some fun! sorry it's been quiet around here, we've been super busy...& sick...but that's a whole other blog post!

xo,

a

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beautiful birthday girl...

well, i turned 30 yesterday and one thing that makes it even easier is not doing it alone! my very best friend turns 30 today, yes, we were almost birthday twins...but alas, i am one day OLDER {& she never lets me forget it!}. as many of you already know, jen and i have been besties since the first day of first grade, that means we have been together since we were 6, so 24 years. ours is a friendship that will last a lifetime and i am so thankful to have a friend like jen in my life. she is more than my friend, she is like my sister & we have been with each other through so many lifetime events, even if it has been just in each other's hearts. i always feel like she is with me even if we are 532 1/2 miles apart....

Here she is pictured on her lovely cruiser from her daddy...the perfect birthday present for her! just wish i was there to take a birthday cruise with her!

happy birthday beautiful friend. i love you so much and as always, wish i was there to celebrate with you!

"What is a friend? A single soul in two bodies."
- Aristotle

happy birthday lovely girl!
xo,
a

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29...

so this is it...i must admit it's a bit painful saying goodbye to my 20's, they've been so good to me. i taught children, got married to the man of my dreams, traveled the world, laid on the beach and did absolutely nothing but breathe, give birth to two pretty amazing little people, learned what true love really is & following your heart is way more important than following your head, to move on from the past...it's back there for a reason, some things really are beyond our control, true friends truely are hard to come by, the most important things in life really are free and usually you already have them, to love my body, it's the only one i'm ever going to have, and to not take a single moment for granted, life can be changed in an instant...nothing is guaranteed.

i feel so lucky to love my life so much right at this very second...i think it makes turning 30 that much easier...
xo,
a

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