Christmas News Letter

This newsletter is going to be the death of me... I was getting cute newsletter from people in their christmas card and I got inspired. I set off on the internet to find a cute template & I did, I found an adorable one with a vintage camera and all. So cute. I had to download a special program to do the text. Then I am the WORST proof reader in the word... like terrible & there is no spell check in the program (typical but annoying non the less). It had trouble changing the texted ont he saved doc... I mean it took a couple days to get this thing done with home schooling and kid life. Finally I get it to a good point and have to get it pritned at kinkos becuase our printer... well... is annoying...

At Kinkos- color copies are ridiculous, so I opt to B&W (not as cute then). Make my 60 copies and leave. Walk across the street where we were parked at the target shopping center and I don't have my order. It's gone... just dissappeared. I looked and looked, called them twice to see if they found it in the building, nope just missing. So I had to send all my cards out without this newsletter I had worked days on. Now even if I found my kinkos order I wouldn't need it because all the cards already went out... Yesterday I really had to choose "joy" and I didn't do a very good job of it either, to be honest... anways I thought I'd post it here. I couldn't send it out and wasn't able to send a card to everyone that sent us one either so this is probably a better place for it.

One Crazy Night

I was trying to think of an old Biggy song to quote as my title but the lyrics escape me... Now my mind is so preoccupies trying to think of it... ok moving on... WOW last night was something else. The day went fine, it wasn't like this awful day that I shouldn't have left the house, the 1st half was pretty good beside the ill planned JoAnn's trip with 3 hungry kids who *hate* the fabric store... but besides that it was fine.

I had a session last night and luckily it was my dear friend Abby... (if it had been anyone else I would have been in trouble). Levi calls me about 20 min before I'm expecting him home and says "Hey so what time do you need to leave by?" I told him 4:15 and he says "Ok??... my wheel just feel off on the freeway so not sure I'll be home in time"... OH MY GOODNESS! Crazy! Thankful my husband is OK, my mind is racing how to fix this issue. There seems to be no real fix in sight. Our good friend Ryan let us use his AAA but they had to wait at the vehicle so it's me and the boys and I have to leave ASAP. I decide to throw together pb&j's and carrots and load the kids and take them. I even tried to find a sitter on the way there to sit in the car with the kids or something, anything. I gave them lots of prep, "ok you are going to sit in the car and listen to veggie tales while eating pb&j OK?" "Please don't whine, it isn't going to change anything" (mind you we were taking photos right near where I could leave my car. I didn't leave them in a parking lot or anything... I actually could hear them at all time, so don't go judging :) LOL.

Once I get there I realize I only have 1/2 my keys, which means I left the other 1/2 in the house when I ran back in for baby food so therefore I'm Locked Out! Not an issue at the moment of course but it will be one later...

Session was GREAT. My friend Abby was so wonderful about having to bring the kids. We actually wanted to walk further on the property so I unloaded the kids strapped them in the stroller and Wesley even helped me with the reflector disk and making little Tatum smile. I wouldn't normally give myself the option of bringing my kids but it actually worked out great :).

So then I need to call Levi and I tell him I'm locked out. he asks me to burn about an hour+ so he can get his car working. I decided the kids deserve a stop at Diary Queen. Get them a burger and a treat for the crazy, but good night... Mind you Dairy Queen was pretty out of the way but I was trying to waste time. I finally find it, well find where it use to be... seriously out of business?!?!?! I texted Abby and she said it best "3 strikes" LOL,

"Ok so Wesley where do you want to go?"
"Chick Fil A"...
I wouldn't consider us to be close to any chick fil a really but the kid was being a good sport. I took them up the the arden location.

I toke a minimal amount of stuff with me into the restaurant (big mistake), we go potty, wash up and order food. I let them play in the play area for a bit. Cole came up with this silliness all his own. He discovered that he could put his forehead flat and move is face in funny ways to make funny faces. That kid is a crack you... I remember Wesley being funny and laughing him a lot but man there is something different about Cole. He is so naturally funny... even the table of guys behind us said "He is so funny!"... anyway this is Cole being Cole.

Carter pretty much fussed and screamed the whole time we were there... I think he was just tired. I gave him sweet potatoes, and he was still hungry, gave him part of Cole's bun... he was still hungry... While we were eating Cole was messing around (surprise, surprise) and pushed his straw all the way thru the bottom of his cup and make a huge mess. It looked as though he wet himself. He was asking for clean/dry clothes but I didn't have them. We dealt with it and moved on. I got the kids little ice cream sundae's and they played in the play area till those were ready. Wesley comes out and says "Mom Cole smells SO SO VERY bad!"... whatever, I don't have a diaper, he'll deal with it for just a little bit. Oh man I tell you, he was a stinky boy. I could smell him coming out of the play area. So I have 2 options. Loading the kids and ice cream to go change a dirty diaper in the car or still load all the kids to get a diaper and come back in and take 3 kids in the restroom then eat ice cream or let them inhale their ice cream and change the diaper in the car later... I chose the later. It was awful though. I honestly think Cole's diaper made the people behind us leave. It was so bad it really took away from the whole ice cream experience... I usually always have a diaper in my purse, not sure what I was thinking. it was a rookie move for sure! We were walking out and I can see the manager looking at him, with his crouch soaked pants and that awful smell... I knew she was thinking we'd had an accident somewhere & I was jetting out of there before it was round. LOL It just made me laugh, I had to laugh...

Cole couldn't wait through even a picture before he ate his first bite of ice cream, however the 2nd bite went to Wesley. What a sweet heart :)

 

We still had to wait a bit for Levi to come home. I hadn't really gotten to hear about the tire story. So it is pretty amazing really. He was in this weird strip of road on the freeway... it is hard to explain... anyways it came off and he was trying to slow down and get to the side of the road. He said he went about 100 yards or so. Finally stops and looks over to watch his tire (which had caught up to him) just so slightly *lean* against the guardrail, as if put there by somebody... just propped there. LOL. Mind you this all happened so fast that no one but God could have done it. The tire either jumped the guard rail and traveled up the on ramp... or squeezed between his truck and the guard rail the whole trip. As crazy as scenario #1 sounds, that is the most likely after viewing a map.

Just a CRAZY night. Even Wesley said "this night was busy!" yep, you are right son.

Day In The Life Of Us (part 2)

So recently I got inspired to put together a photo journal of my days with the boys. What we do around the house, what they look like as they play, who they are as people right now. I feel like I focus more on giving my clients great pictures then my own family sometimes. I have these awesome ideas for shoots and choose to them on other instead of us. Granted photographing your own kids is the hardest job I can give myself but later I don't want to regret not having pictures. I go in waves of photographing them but really what I want to do is freeze memories.

My first plan was do complete this series in a true 24hrs, well 1/2 way thru the day I realized with 3 kids, I couldn't really do that, so I gave myself a week to photography certain things. I wanted it to be a true day so I didn't try and stage extra fun for us to do I wanted it to be real. Here are some of my favorites from the series. I am hoping it inspires you to do the same with your family, even if it's just photographing the details for a meal together or taking a video just do something to capture "You" in the right now. I promise you won't regret it!

 Booty Shaken and Mini Wheat's :) 2 of Wesley's favorite things.

 

 Especially on the days we are home Cole likes to check on Carter sleeping. Don't worry we moved the blanket after I took this picture

 

School!

 Daddy is home and it's time for lovin's

This particular day Carter had rolled under the table and some how got his bottom in a basket. He is a quiet monkey (the scariest kind!!)

 Before or After breakfast, depending on what time allows the boys always regroup and play for a bit so excited to be in each others company again. It is so sweet.

 Helping himself to his milk.

 The many faces of Carter!

 This train derailing caused Cole some tears... oh the life of a toddler

 Wesley has always stuck his tongue out when he is concentrating hard. I was excited to capture it again at this older age :)

 I will find Ly Ly & his "gweekie" randomly around the house. This day I couldn't pass up the chance to photograph them. Coles Best Friends!

 There are so many times int he day that Wesley seems so BIG, but when I look at him in the rear view mirror, I realize how small he really is :)

 I challenge you to do the same, take some pictures today!

A Day In The Life Of Us

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Breakfast with friends

Sweet Colie love his Ly Ly, His little lion was a Christmas gift from Wesley for Cole's first Christmas and Cole has always loved it. Ly Ly was one of his first words other than, Mama & Dada of course. He's not super attached to it, we can go to town without and sometime Ly Ly gets lost behind and the best & it's ok but if Ly Ly is around he's a good friend to play with. This morning Cole HAD to have Ly Ly. He woke up and asked for him right away, as he was outside Cole's crib (probably because he threw him out there...) He gave Ly Ly great big hugs and turns Ly Ly to him and says "Give Mama hugs"... then he made Ly Ly hug me :). so sweet.

So this morning he wanted Ly Ly to join him for breakfast. He wanted Ly Ly to sit right there as he ate his breakfast sandwich. He even was trying to share, he was being good to his breakfast guest.

These special little days are so sweet and fly by so fast. I already cherish these pictures and I will be cherish them years from now when he's the one in kindergarten or when he's in college. Why can't they stay small? Seriously why not?!?!

Bikes

For Cole birthday he got this adorable balance bike. He was so excited. His face was great. He is always eager to do what everyone else is doing so for him to have his very own bike was amazing! He was so cute on it, so sad though- it's stil a little too big. In no time at all though he will be riding that thing. Heck if he rides in the gutter, it's perfect :).

Also big news at the Bowers house- Wesley is riding with out training wheels! At first this was quite the chore. All the whinning and fear... he needed to build his confidence up. My parents had heard this tip: take thei pedals off so they use their bike like a balance bike. They gain balance and confidence and then add the pedals back and they are good to go... so we thought we would try it. What an amazing difference! He was a pro in no time (well maybe not a pro but I am proud of him). We have 2 kids on 2 wheels. I've never been much for bike riding but maybe I'll have to give it a try again, the boys really love to ride theirs.

And poor Carter is still on 4 wheels :)