Loves Her Daddy

I feel like I'm always trying to catch up lately. I'm happy to have things on the go, but I'd also enjoy getting caught up. A little bit. Or something...

In the meantime, my Charming Hubby grabbed the camera the other day while The Babe was sitting out on the front step still in her pj's. She loves to duck outside any chance she can get. She's always at the front door when daddy leaves for work waving him off sometimes with both hands.
I love the expressions on her face and even her body language is so expressive. So her.
And I absolutely adore her baby girl lamp chop legs. I adore that she has just a touch of baby pudge left on them and that they are sweet and chewable with tasty wee toes...

Sneak Peak Weston

Ok, this first one is really for me as I looove the sun flair! More to see on SoSmitten...

Winners!

Ah my warm and fuzzy happy friends! I have not forgotten you. In fact every time I look at your 'Happy Lists' it makes me happy all over again! Thanks so much for all your sunshine.
And as it turns out, everybody wins!!!
So please send your mailing address to my email sosmittenphoto(at)gmail.com and specify (by the order which they appear on the original post) which photo you'd like. I will get them out to you in a very timely manner (so not like tomorrow or anything but very soon!).

Have you read all the Happy Thoughts?? If not, I highly recommend it!

Old and Busy

Whew, isn't this a busy week??? I KNOW. I'll do a bit more catching up and fun photos and more blathering on real soon...
In the meantime, I thought I'd share a special moment. I was talking to the tall lovely red haired girl who works at my LadyGym and she's taking design in school and I'm all, 'hey I went to art school' and she asks, 'where' and I tell her and go on to explain that it was like 10 years ago. And then I painful thought hits me that it was like A MILLION YEARS AGO!!! Back when dinosaurs were just discovering computers!!
The only thing that made me feel the teensiest bit better was that she's named after a Disney movie. Has it been that long already, hello 1989??
Nice chatting with you Ariel...
(seriously, long red hair!)

p.s. LOVE all your happy lists below!

The Nines

I'm not super huge into numerology but I do like numbers. Yeah not counting them or anything mathlike, but patterns. Or something like that. I remember on my 9th birthday thinking it was cool that I was nine years old on the 9th day of the 9th month in 1979.
And now it is 30 years later (yeesh) and again it's the nines. Only it's 30+9 on the 9th day of the 9th month in 2009. I'm not really sure what all the nines mean, only that it's a freakish occurrence. Or maybe it's not. But I think it's cool. And it doesn't happen very often.

In numerology the number nine is often associated with humanitarianism. I'm not going to get all Jolie on you here but I thought we'd have some fun.

I've never done a giveaway before but let's have one!
There are nine of my favorite photos in this post. After nine days (ends midnight Sept 18th) I will pick (randomly) nine winners. Winners choose which image (of the nine) you'd like and I'll send you a 5X7 print. That is my gift to you.

Here's how to play along.
I've decided that my mantra for the year will be to 'enjoy more'. I'm going to take a little more time to savor the little things that make me happy.
So leave a comment with nine things (more or less) that is a simple (or grand) pleasure in your life. Be specific. Favorite songs, books, movies, treats, activities, bubble bath, smells, textures...something I might want to try.
And that is your gift to me. Because it's my birthday!

Here's my current list:
1. I joined the Lady Gym. It's amazing how just an hour or so to yourself can feel so good. Even if you're sweatin' to the the electronic version of Billy Joel songs.
2. Gelato. I have 4 tubs of it in my freezer right this minute. 4 TUBS. Heaven.
3. Micheal Jackson on the radio again. I know he was crazy and kind of creepy but in 1983 he was beautiful and amazing. I still love those songs. I'll even take the Rihanna mix...
4. I recently read all 4 Twilight books in a couple of weeks. That was just SO FUN! Getting lost in another world...
5. Driving husbands car (which is not a mini van) on the highway really fast (but not too fast) and listening to loud music. No children were involved in this incident.
6. Shopping at thrift stores. I can't help it. I call it the Grandma gene. I get a thrill from finding a treasure or from making something out of almost nothing. Just like my Grandma.
7. I'm not really super retro (except for MJ and some Prince maybe) but just try not to dance to this song!
8. The smell of the woods. You should seriously smell them.
9. Photography projects. And collaborations with friends. I'll let you know how they turn out!

Sun and Sand and Dozens of Cousins

Wow, it seems like I've been gone for ages...we've been having family reunions and eating corn and playing in lakes and hanging out with parents/grandparents/cousins/sisters etc etc. It's so nice to have time away to relax and unwind and then it's fun to get going again.

Here are a few shots of the cousins from our reunion. My kids don't really have any cousins their age, but MY cousins have little kids (second cousins or something or other removed...???).
Anyway, it was lots of fun.