The best things in life...

are mine...and I am one lucky lady.













I am reminded of this greatly.
How I appreciate my life, and how wonderful it is.

Don't take yours for granted either.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Newborn Poo, er uh, "Pooh"

Last Wednesday marked two milestones in our house.

The first:





Using the last newborn diaper.

The second:





Smiling...for real, and often.

Both have caused large amounts of weeping from me.

Love her more than words.

Dads Are Important

What I wouldn't have given to have had a dad like Hubbs.

What would it have been like to be able to crawl into bed with your papa when you are scared or feeling sad or alone?

So thankful that my babies have that, moments like these are never hard to come by.

The Announcement

Introducing Our Etsy Shop:



the r house couture

Read the details behind it here.

YES my friends and I are crazy.
We just sit and wonder how we can pile one more thing in, but we do and we are excited about it!

I just wanted to share with you my favorite necklace from our shop:

I am SO excited about the next phase we are working on, stay tuned...you won't want to miss all of our fun and awesome adoption related goodies.

Announcement

First, go and watch this.

Second, I have an announcement.

Third, I want you to join me.

AT THIS.

(mrs. r is coming, and so is the gilded pear.)

My Besties

Fall?!

Is it just me, or is this just a wee bit early?

This was my little tree last week.

ORANGE.

It is officially blazing!

Being a photographer:

...is a lot like this video. Oi...the hilarity.

Funny Face

J-Man cut this face out of a pizza carton.

Freaking awesome right?!

Love it.

Homemade Decepticons

3 point 5

3.5 weeks ago.

Wow. Time is flying, and yet at the same time it feels like she has been here forever.

She is familiar. We know her spirit. It is the same spirit that has been fighting to come here for over a year.

I feel a bit sad that I haven't been writing very much. I miss my friends via the blog world. I miss reading your posts and seeing your updates. There is this part of me that is so afraid of missing a moment that I just can't pull myself away from Millz, and away from my other kiddos.

I know in time that things will slowly go back to normal, but until then, I am not ready to give up the infinite amounts of time spent cuddling and holding this new little being.

As soon as I get the pics, I will tell you all about the day she was born.
(I can't wait to share.)

Until then? My phone is off.

I am hiding, and cuddling, and holding onto this time as much as I can.

Life is Hard

I wish the only thing I had to worry about is my headband falling in my eyes.

J-Man and Memms are away for a few days with Hubb's parents.
It is strange having only one other little person to worry about besides ourselves.

We did however get to treat ourselves to Five Guys tonight and we didn't even have to share our drinks.

Although, we keep looking at our watches to see what time we have to pick the kids up. I miss them already, but we will try to enjoy this time alone with Millz.

Bliss.

"Bound" and Determined.

To do what? Get my life story into books and not just online.

I just finished this AH-mazing little book from:

Cherish Bound

It is in the mail as I speak, so as soon as it arrives
I am totally going to take pictures and post them.

I have been wanting to make books from my blog labels for awhile now, and decided to start out with this label:

From the Mouths of Babes
Teary just thinking about it.

Squee! I get such delight out of these posts, it will be so great to have a book that we can look at and read
anytime
we want.
My kids LOVE having books just about them, with THEIR pictures, their story.

How did I hear about Cherish Bound? I had THE most awesome time a few weeks back learning more about them when the put on a fun little evening along with the

Timpanogos Story Telling Festival.

(Looking SUPER forward to attending this with my kidlets...if you have never gone YOU MUST. It made me feel like a kid again, just sitting in awe at the talent of these storytellers.)

The books are so fun, they have so many ideas to get you started on making your own book, and it was super fast.
I made and finished my book in two hours! If you have been contemplating making any type of book for yourself...go and DO IT!

My friend Cass was over here holding Millz while I made my book, she loved my book so much she wants to make one of her own. Thanks for holding babes for me Cass!

In Peace

I will try to ignore the way this 'funeral' came about.

I won't tell you it is because this tiny bird was sitting across the street on the porch of the vacant home probably since Millz was born.
I will try to not get into the fact that every day my children have gone over to look at the dead bird that fell out of the nest.
I will even refrain from telling you that yesterday my kids ripped off one of the dead bird's wings with their
bare hands.

I won't tell you how I freaked out when Memms brought said wing to me, or how I began ranting that we need to respect life, la la la la la.

After I washed hands and gave baths, I reset myself and we taught about respect for living things, and so...

A funeral in pictures:

Two Weeks.

Can someone make time stop?

Blame it on the hormones...

Image copyright Jonathan Canlas Photography

...but when I got on facebook this morning, the tears began because I didn't expect to see a message from our friend Jon saying that:

these babies were online.

I cannot begin to describe what these photographs do to me.

Go here to see them put together into a beautiful story.

I love my job as a photographer.
I have had the opportunity to photograph two birth stories thus far in my journey.
After having my own birth photographed, I recommend it to EVERYONE.

I would be lying if I said I never had second thoughts about it.

I wasn't sure how I felt letting yet another person see my "hooha" (lol) but seeing these photographs, I could care less, and wish I could rewind time and have Jon there to capture the moments that J-Dawg and Memms entered the world.

The spirit that he captured in that tiny room, the moments of my sweet Hubbs watching his little girl are things that I would have never seen or experienced from my point of view and I thank Jon for capturing that for us in a way that is so beautiful and so sweet and so simple.

Teary, even as I write this, the feelings of that day are so strong in my heart and I know that Heavenly Father loves us so much and it was worth every tear, every heartache to get her here to us.

I encourage anyone to hire someone to capture this kind of special day through beautiful photography, you will never regret it.

If not me, well then you better be calling Jon to do it!

Thank you a million, zillion, billion times over and over Jon...and for coming so quickly after such a long day already.

Our hearts are full and so grateful.

Sleeping Beauty

Had a little ten minute photo session with little Millz yesterday.

Ten minutes was all I had in me.

I went to the store, well two of them BY! MYSELF! and
it wore me to the core.
I don't remember being such a weakling after my other kiddos were born.

Anyway, got home and she was so sleepy and so out of it, I decided to try a few things with her and...

Voila!

This is my favorite of the bunch. I just want to eat her and munch on her.

Memms and J-Man adore her to pieces.

Who could resist?

The days are long, the nights are even longer...

...and I wouldn't have it any other way.



Enthralled with her. All three of them.



Hubbs can take pictures too! :)



Her first bath, I had lots of help, maybe a little too much. See the two sponges and the two different hands? Love it!

I feel like it has been a week since I last posted.
Still in a daze over here.

My apologies to all those who didn't get a personal text and or phone call announcing her arrival. That was Hubbs job, and well, if you have a husband you understand.

Off to nap now. Zzzzzzzz.

I've been a little busy...

...loving and cuddling on her.

I don't want to miss a moment.

I'll be back, sometime.

"Millz"

Born: July 22, 2009
Weight: 7 pounds 9 ounces
Length: 21.5 inches long

Thank You.

For your prayers and your thoughts, and for understanding.

I know it is weird and crazy, but it is how I feel. I don't want to feel the way I have been.

I do have faith.

I do have HOPE!

I know everything WILL be okay.

Oh how I love these littles.
It seems like forever ago these were taken, just sitting here on my computer waiting for me to have the time to edit them.

I love these tiny people so much.
Can't wait to run and jump and play with them again soon!

Hope your Sabbath is the best...love Sundays.
Thank you...again. :)

Struggling.

Photograph by Leisha Kelsey

It is weird that this post has been floating around in my mind for weeks now.

Hard to admit that my mind weighs so heavily,
when it should be rejoicing and celebrating.

Like all the weeks and months up until now, I am still having a really hard time believing and accepting that this little tiny life is about to come to our family.

Last night I cried as I held the blanket I plan to bring her home from the hospital in.
I caressed it and cuddled it and cried.

I cried because there is this part of me that is STILL so scared and so shaken and so broken from last year.

This part, while after many, many, talkings to about the opposite still wonders and fears that,

"What if?!"

What if something goes wrong with the delivery?

Is she still moving?

Is she okay?

What if there is something seriously wrong with her that we didn't know about, what will I do?

Some of these are the things swimming around in my head.
It is really hard to admit.
Really hard to share, to get it out.
I have never prayed so hard in my life for peace and comfort and support.

Maybe it is all because it is down to the wire once again. Once again for seemingly the millionth time in two years here we are...waiting, waiting to see if this little spirit is coming to stay.

I hate the wire.

I want to fast forward to the end of next week when I will know for certain.

Certain sounds like a much funner place to be than here.

Buyer Beware

So, uhm, this post has NOTHING to do with buying, but has everything to do with the other people at the grocery store.

The mid-twenty something (or younger I would assume by their tactlessness) men who frequent the grocery stores, and or work there during the times this pregnant woman must drag her kids to the store.

This post is for you gentlemen.
I use the term LOOSELY...extremely loose.

About two months ago, Hubbs was at work and we desperately needed groceries. So, I did the unimaginable but the much needed grocery shopping trip with the two kids. Oi. We did fine until checkout when the grocery store I chose takes the kids behind the checker...you know cuz that is how it works and it is the only way to get the cart through the line. Well, Memms decides she is going to have a freak out (not uncommon...she is a drama queen at times.)

Well, the idiotic dood who is bagging my groceries just can't handle her. He can't keep his big mouth shut for some reason and begins cursing and using the "Lord's" name in vain in reference to my child. Now, I can handle most things, but this was OUT OF LINE. Wanting desperately myself to get the H out of the store, I quickly paid and went to my car, all that night wishing I had said something to him, or complained to his manager, it was just not OKAY...this is customer SERVICE people, not, "Make this customer never come back service."

So, I let that one slide...until yesterday.

We needed milk. It was only 95 degrees outside, but alas we needed milk, and again Hubbs was at work, so I had to drag two tired, hot kids to the store, and as I situate them into the "Car Kart" I realize that there is only ONE steering wheel. The other had been broken off. SO, we give Memms the first go because afterall "Ladies First".

Then we get to the milk and I ask her to switch so that J-Man can have a turn.
Well, she does but then proceeds to FREAK out right in the dairy isle of Smiths.

Like, grade-A freak out.
(grade-a...I am SO FUNNY.)

Well joy of joys, who do I see out of my peripherals but two young men, who in their stupidity didn't comtemplate that this pregnant woman with TWO...YES TWO children ALREADY...might not need their input begin to say,

"Shut! UP!" and "Geez that kid is SO loud, shut her up."

Me? "OH NO HE DIDN'T!"

He got the...and I am sorry for all of you who don't like profanity...but the "man" er uh boy got the,

"Shut the H up you F'in Bast_ _ _ _!"

As in I said the entire thing.

Now...I don't condone this behavior.
I am nine months pregnant and I can't handle one more thing right now.

So I warn you, you man who has never had children, who has no clue that even though your children are driving YOU crazy and everyone else around them, that BESIDES that,
you love them regardless...
and will protect them beyond anything...

TO YOU I SPEAK:

BEWARE...because next time I am nine months pregnant, with my two kids, at the store, in 100 degree weather, it will be more than a few profanities...
it will be your head covered in 1% milk and Swiss cheese...
and I may be arrested, but it will be SO worth it.

You've been warned.

"Where have you been?!"

I have been hearing this A LOT the past few days.

Working on THIS for one.

Just trying to tie up all the loose ends of the photography bidnez before baby comes.

Also, cleaning my house.

I'll be back, I promise!