leslie + rob's wedding

life doesn't always turn out the way you planned,
sometimes it turns out better.
- unknown

this sweet quote was shared with me by my sister leslie.
she envisioned it not only for a sign that she could use as a prop on wedding day,
but also to have as a keepsake to display in her home.

it's purpose was to remind her that life may throw out unexpected challenges,
but that there can be good and happy surprises that come from it.

i can't remember when i've seen my sister so happy.
{just look at her smile}. she has found someone special to start anew and to grow old with.
she is happy and my new brother-in-law looks equally as happy.

i feel pretty lucky to have been able to capture a little of it in photos on their wedding day.

christmas card 2013

nine today

happy birthday sweet finn!

 

i can't believe you came into my world 9 years ago today.

from the moment you arrived, my heart grew larger and

the world became even more beautiful.

i remember being so in awe of you i could barely sleep.
i told your daddy, i didn't want to miss a single moment of you.
i was literally on cloud 9 for the first two years of your life.
{i think your daddy was too}

though i'm your parent, you've taught me so much. 

you've taught me to follow my dreams,

and that it's ok to be passionate.
you remind me to share my passions openly because

everything is better when we have someone to share it with.

you've also taught me more about robots, submarines, aircraft carriers and science

than i could possibly ever know on my own.  you have such a thirst for learning
about these things and you read and watch anything you can get your hands on.

i'll never forget the evening you finished watching a documentary

on the japanese supersub used in world war II.  

the next day you asked if you could tell me all about it.
i said yes but had lots of housework to do,
so you literally followed me around for 3 hours talking to me
as i cleaned and did laundry. {you barely took a breath}.  

this is so you finn - social, articulate and SO passionate!! 

you enjoy school and are anxious to share what you learn with us

over the dinner table every evening.  science is still your favorite subject,
and writing is no longer a chore for you. you have improved so much.
and are learning cursive now, and last week you told me how cool it
was because your pencil doesn't come off the paper after each letter.

you are a good friend and seem to know how to pick good ones.
this is a wonderful thing as your friends are becoming more and
more important to you. this a reminder to us you are growing up.

you are still a rule follower,
and appreciate knowing what is expected from you and why.
{the why part is important to you as you are logical}.
once you understand the logic behind something, you stay on target and task.
your daddy and have always said your caregivers and teachers
have it so easy with you.  so far, we certainly have.

this year has brought some changes in your relationship with your little brother.
you two have started fighting more.  scout is bigger now and demands more of you.
though you fight more often, you always forgive very quickly. that's you.
2 minutes after a fight with scout, your arms are around him and

you are telling him how much you love him and invite him to play.
it's endearing and i love that you never look back.

you love pasta - spaghetti and meatballs is your absolute favorite meal.

i think you'd eat it every night if we let you.

i still can't believe you are 9.

this means you are halfway to 18! 

your daddy and i only have you 9 more years with you
before you are off to college. *sigh*

you told me yesterday you were probably going to MIT
because they have a good engineering and robotics program.

whatever you do and wherever you go in life,

go with all your heart, just like you do today.

and promise me you won't grow up too fast.

happy birthday finn oliver.

i love you

always,
mom

les mis music on my mind

a friend of mine burned me a copy of the les miserables movie soundtrack

{i already owned the broadway soundtrack} but i am especially enjoying this music

because it not only has the lovely cast singing, but it has an additional song that was
written specifically for the movie.

it's called suddenly and is sung by hugh jackman who plays jean valjean. 

i literally get goosebumps every time i hear it 

{which is about 5x a day lately}.

the movie directors wanted to bring to life the chapter in the book

where jean valjean rescues cosette and raises her as his own.

he's a man who has never known love and suddenly finds it 

through this beautiful little girl.

the lyrics and the music are pure perfection to me.

if you have a minute, listen to this song, but better yet go see the film
so you can hear this song, and the other songs with all the stunning visuals.
warning: you leave the theater emotionally exhausted but oh so satisfied.

i just learned that the director of the movie,

actually went back to the composers felt the connection between
jean valjean and cossette was missing in the musical, and asked the
composers {claude-michel schonberg and alain boublil} if they
would create an additional song that captured this special moment
for the movie.  this song, suddenly was the result. 
goosebumps again...

have a fabulous weekend!

love notes

via

ever since finn started reading,
i've been leaving love notes in his lunchbox once a week.
when scoutie started reading last year,
i started leaving him notes too.

they aren't anything fancy.
i write them on napkins or index cards and they are often
just a line or two - sometimes taken directly from a favorite song.

i might write you are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy...
or i might let them know i'm looking forward to doing a particular activity with
them on the weekend or that i am proud of their reading or piano playing.

it's a tiny way for us to connect during the day,
and when i think about them opening up their lunchboxes and reading them,

it makes me smile.

on my flight home from florida,
i came across an article in a magazine about traditions.
one really stood out above the rest.
a mother shared that she writes 'love letters' to her children every year
and gives them their letters on new year's day.

i absolutely LOVE this!
though new year's day has passed, valentine's day is just around the corner,
and i think this holiday is a perfect time to start this tradition.

who doesn't love a love letter?
i can't think of a 5, 25, 55 or 105 year old who wouldn't appreciate one.

they are from the heart and they last forever.
love notes can be pulled out and read over and over.
{and when the boys are hormonal teens, slamming doors and yelling that no one
loves or understands them, they will have a reminder in these letters that they are loved}

so writing love letters to the boys will be my new tradition every valentine's day.
christopher too will get one. i'm so excited about this and hope to squeeze in some time this
weekend to look for some special stationary.

~ first things first, we have finn's 9th birthday celebration just around the corner!
he is so excited.  i'm excited too because the uss midway is providing a party coordinator
so c and i don't have to work this party like in year's past.  this will allow us to be more relaxed,
take photos and enjoy the party.  {all i have to do is bring cupcakes and favor bags}

leslie + rob's wedding: sneak peek

with a little lesson from a friend, i finally sat down this past week and devoted

several hours in the evening to learning the basics {very basics} of adobe lightroom.

in the photography world, it's kind of the industry standard for adjusting lighting.

why, i'm not sure. i'm not a fan of the interface, but it does have a million options.

{seriously, if you could think of something you want to do with a photo, it does it}

so maybe that's why?  anyway, i made the time to work on my sister's wedding photos,

so i could get them to her before she celebrates her year anniversary.

we all know it's not nice etiquette to share photos before the recipients receive them,

and since i sent the newlyweds the images on friday, i feel like i can share at least one.
here are the happy newlyweds - all smiles shortly after saying their vows. 

leslie and rob got married on new smyrna beach, in florida december 30th.  

it was a bit windy, but the day turned out to be sunny and warm.

aren't they adorable?  {i think so too}

wishing these two a long and happy life together!

fashion friday: playroom

my architect and i have been looking at different ways we could sleep four kiddos comfortably
in the new bedroom/playroom without taking up too much space, and decided double bunk beds was the way to go.

and of ALL the fabulous ideas i've seen out there, this simple layout is probably my favorite:

i love the simplicity, monochromatic theme and the BIG bold word across the backwall.
christopher finds it "too country", and would prefer something more modern so we
will work together to find something that will satisfy both of us {and allow us to keep our
existing furnishings to keep costs down}

unfortunately, the boys' bedroom/playroom isn't wide enough to do beds end-to-end like this.
instead, we will have to do a corner bed configuration which has sketched up in the computer
to help me visualize better {i need to see things on paper}

a few weeks ago, i ordered these giant letters to spell PLAY, and they arrived!
because they were on sale, i ordered another set of letters knowing that as they get
older, they will want something 'cooler' than the word play.  the other letters i
bought spell SURF.  since we live close to the beach and because c surfs,
i'm anticipating at least one of the boys will be a little surfer boy.

i don't know about your but this momma is SO ready for the weekend!

i have lots of errand running to do {same old}
but while running around i'll be listening to the les mis soundtrack {new}.
i've become obsessed with since watching the movie.
the boys are already learning all the songs.
{i tell c our future daughter-in-laws will be so appreciative}

have a fantastic friday!

xo

birthday dreams

the moments after christmas every child thinks of his birthday.

- stephen uys

i came across this quote in an adorable book that i found at mom's
home while i was in florida for my sister's wedding
{which i will post about eventually}. i've been working on getting the
photos edited so i can send off to the bride and groom and learning
new software is slow going. i lost all my edits my first time around.

anyways, the quote made me smile because just days after christmas,
finn started talking about his birthday, which lands just a month later.

his obsession with submarines is still going strong, but he's expanded it
to include aircraft carriers so i i wasn't surprised when he asked if his
9th birthday could be on the uss midway, a decommissioned aircraft carrier
that has been turned into a museum.

once he chose his theme i jumped on etsy hoping to find an aircraft carrier invitation.
i couldn't find one but found plenty of airplanes and top gun themed invites.
i showed finn a few and he rejected them saying he 'really' wants aircraft carrier invites.

SO

i contacted the talented jessica of paper plume to create custom invites for him.
she is the talented lady who designed scoutie's pirate birthday printables.

she did a great job, but finn's a tough critic and knows aircraft carriers alot
better than most, so we went through a few rounds of revisions with jess.
he couldn't believe the first draft didn't have a conning tower.
{i didn't know what that was...i had to look if up on wiki}

and here's the final invite:

i love the color combo and how she incorporated a 9 onto the flight deck.
since this isn't our typical backyard party, and are limited to a number of guests,
parents will be dropping off their kiddos so it will makes things less crazy
{15 kids are already coming}. i'm looking forward to a FUN group photo with
a prop i picked up for finn's guests.

we're all looking forward to his special day.

~ we are getting our first out-of-state guests the last week of march.
the boys' spring break starts that week and my mom and my niece, who
will also be on her spring break, are flying in from florida for a week.
it should lots of fun...the boys are especially excited!

les miserables

i spent 2.5 hours on friday evening watching

the latest movie version of les miserables with my dear girlfriend.

it's been years since i watched the old movie version and i 

i was excited....almost giddy as i was driving to the theater after work.

les mis is such a beautiful and timeless story.
i picked up the 5" book by victor hugo at target
a few days before i saw the movie and it said
it had been translated into 21 languages - wow!
{no i haven't read but hope to someday...}

if you know the story, that's probably no surprise.

it's packed full of themes everyone can relate to -
crime and punishment, truth and survival,
love and forgiveness, and so much more.

if you haven't see the movie but will be going,
don't forget to bring tissues to the theater!

{i brought an entire box in my over-sized purse}

after the movie, aleyda had dinner and sat for another 

2.5 hours talking about the movie, music, religion, our families...

basically all the good stuff that makes life worth living. 

it was a perfect girl's night out. {thx ms. h}

~ almost forgot. i also saw life of pi with c last night and it was great too.

we were both happily surprised that it followed the book so well. 

i thoroughly enjoyed it but of the two movies i saw this past weekend, 

only one will become a permanent collection in my dvd library.

i'll give you a hint: it has music in in. *wink*

fashion friday: kitchen backsplashes

we are a white lovin' family

{yes, true modernists}.
c and i vary on the amount of color we
want in the home but we agree we like it
in small doses like pops of color in pillows and prints.  

so it's no surprise to most who know us well
we chose an ALL white kitchen for our new home.
well all except for our stainless steel fridge and

the countertops which are oak.  

we preferred stone and really wanted a solid grey quartz

{neither of us are fans of granite though its trendy right now}

BUT the quartz was too much. at $8K, we just had to say no.

instead, we chose to get an oak slab from our beloved ikea
and c custom cut it for our countertops and big bar area.

we had this same oak in the kitchen of our guest cottage on
diamond street and it worked wonderful so we weren't hesitant
using it again. we just had to seal it with 4 coats of polyurethane
to get it protected.

the best part, the total cost for all the oak was about $350.  

seriously!!  someday we might go back and put quartz in, 

but for now this works just fine. 

so because we have an ALL white kitchen,

we need a little pop of color and decided to get it with 

a tile backsplash.  we haven't seriously started lookingat any,

but i have a few images i pulled from google i thought were fun.

i love them ALL for different reasons,

and deciding is not going to be easy.

good thing we are still several weeks from getting it done,

so we have some time.

i'm SO ready for a weekend.
i've got movies on my mind.

tonight i'm seeing long awaited les miserables with my dear friend aleyda,

and on sunday, c and i have a date planned and will be seeing life of pi .

we read this book together years back and have been anxious to see it.
hoping it's even half as good as the movie.

have a fantastic weekend everyone!

rockin' at the roller rink

i'm so far behind on my posts!
i have finn's piano recital that was over a month ago
to post on, as well as my sister's wedding days after christmas)

i can't find the video clip from the recital,
and i haven't even looked at the wedding photos i took,
so be patient peeps.

i plan on spending a few hours this weekend to get to edit them.
i'm hoping even a handful of them turned out nice but am worried.
i shot in a completely different setting than i normally shoot in,
so we'll see.

the one thing i can post about that was a milestone event
{at least for scoutabout} was his first time rollerskating!
he was invited to celebrate his classmates 6th birthday at skate world.
i was thrilled when he said he wanted to go.
finn and auntie joined us too.

we all had So. Much. Fun!

scoutie was an animal.
unlike his big brother who was
cautious skating for his first time,
he was the opposite.

he had one speed - FAST.

since he didn't know how to skate,
'fast' doesn't really work, so he was on the wood floor constantly.
this made auntie jen and me a little nervous,
because we didn't want to end up in the ER and ruin such a good time.
being short and close to the ground really benefited him.

though most 5 and 6 year olds were using the 'skate mate'
to keep them upright {see picture below},
scoutie refused for the first 3 hours.
finally, during the last hour of the day, he agreed.
we guessed it was because his tush was pretty sore by then.

here are some photos of our day:

i did limbo on skates! made it under this bar but didn't attempt lower
the competition was really short {a 5 year old won}

finn's 2nd time skating - he's getting it!

i have a cute video of scout in action i need to pull off my phone.
i'll insert here when i get some time.  {check back for a good laugh}

~ scoutie enjoyed it so much he said he might have a skate birthday
party when he turns 6.  i smiled and remembered celebrating a 30-something
birthday here a few years back.  i'm thinkin' it's time to do it again in april!

happy new year

with all that is going on in our crazy household,
we missed our window for getting out christmas cards,

so we opted for a New Year card this year. 

wishing you and your loved ones a FANTASTIC 2013. 

it's gonna be a great one...i just feel it!