Meet Miss Coral Amelia!

This little princess was 2.5 weeks overdue! She really kept us waiting! Once she arrived I was lucky enough to take the first photos. She is such a sweet natured, even tempered, and absolutely gorgeous baby! These pictures don't even do her beauty justice! She is that beautiful! I was lucky enough to capture a sweet sleepy smile and an adorable little frown! Oh and did I mention she has the BEST parents ever and an awesome older brother and sister who completely adore her! This is one lucky little girl!

Santa Monica Pier!

For the longest time, I have wanted to take a Ferris Wheel picture! When I found out there was a big ferris wheel on the Santa Monica pier I was beyond excited. I just traveled to L.A. to visit my brother. For 4 fabulous days, he showed me around town and took me to all the great and interesting places. I had my own personal tour guide! Tuesday was our "beach day". First we went to Venice beach and saw all the sights there, then we went to Santa Monica Pier and waited for the sun to go down. It was chilly, Tom said it was freezing but I barely noticed. I was too busty trying to get the perfect focus, the perfect shutterspeed all while waiting for the perfect color scheme to show up in the lights of the ferris wheel! We spend over an hour on that beach. I took about 50 shots and these 3 are my favorite! Tom never complained, never said he wanted to go, he was very cold but very patient! I love him for that! It was one of the many favorite moments during my trip, just sitting on the beach taking picture after picture of the Ferris Wheel!

Gabrielle's first day of High School!

The day came and went, even faster than I knew it would! The lump in my throat that I had for the past week in anticipation of this day was even larger now! She's a Freshman, 4 years away from Graduation, 4 years away from College, 4 years away from leaving me to start her grand adventure in the game of life! She looked beautiful! She was excited and happy and ready for the day to begin! I could not be more proud of the beautiful young woman she is becomming! There wasn't much time for pictures, no walking her to the bus stop this year, too grown up for that! This was all I got of the First Day!!!

Carter's 1st and 2nd day of Kindergarten!

It's a day like today that allows you remember the past, feel the present and imagine the future. Especially after having a child who went through the experience of Kindergarten. I know how quickly life moves! Before I know it, my small little guy will be taller than his mama, he will be in High school, he won't be hugging and kissing me good-bye or begging me not to leave for work. There won't be toys littering the staircase or lined up on the dining room table. No climbing into bed in the middle of the night just because he is scared! Hearing the words "I love you Mommy" will decrease dramatically from the dozens a day to few are far between. These fabulous days will be nothing but a memory! It seems like yesterday he was born, the sleepless nights have pretty much disapeared, no more nursing him to sleep, instead of celebrating emerging teeth we will be hiding the lost ones under a pillow. The first steps have been taken, the bottles are long gone, milestones are memories paving a path for the years to come! I did my best to savor this day, this monumental day in his life, the first day of kindergarten! It was a pretty good day! Carter was super excited! He is going to a familiar envioronment, the same school he went to for Pre-k and preschool! He knows the teacher and he loves her! It was such a smooth transition! He did NOT want to take pictures unfortunately, but that is my boy! He wanted to wear his skateboard shirt and in hindsight (I am still learning) I should have let him wear it! I made him wear his "nice school clothes", he was not impressed with the collared shirt and the brown dress shoes...LOL.... the 2nd day was much better when he was allowed to wear his favorite shirt! Both days he did fabulous at school! He got "sunny days" every day this week! GO CARTER!!

"I don't like this outfit!"

"I am not going to smile for you Mom"


I tickled him!

I'd love to say that he was so excited that he was running
to the front door of the school, but unfortunately he was running
away from me and my camera!


My sweet boy showing off his new Mario Brothers lunch box to his teacher!


He is holding back a little smile!

Randomly, all the boys sat on one side of the rug and all the girls sat on the other! It was so funny how that worked!

All the Moms and Dads observing, taking in those first few moments of their child with their new teacher!

Conner and Carter= Best Buds!

Carson, Conner, and Carter= The Three Musketeers!

His Red folder and his first "Behaviour Ticket"! He had a great day!

This is day #2- He is much happier and very excited to go to school!

At the beautifully painted door to the school!

I love this face, he makes it a lot when he is overflowing with excitement!

He looks just like his Daddy!

"see ya Mom!"

My Sharks!!!

Carter loves to have his hair in a little mohawk because he says it makes him look like a shark! It's not my favorite hairstyle but he loves it and it gets his hair brushed in the morning. Grant has fallen suit and he asks to be a shark now too! The other morning Gabe did his hair too, so I was surrounded by sharks!!!

Carter can cut his own meat!

I know some may not agree but I think it is good for him to learn. Carter has been cutting his food up for a while now with a butter knife. Well he has graduated to a regular knife with close supervision. This was his first time cutting with a really sharp knife. He begged and he kept saying "but I am FIVE", so I let him try, I think he did pretty well!