Milestones

Two milestones I want to post really quick before I forget...

Carter pulled himself into a standing for the first time today. He's been pulling up onto his knees all week, so I knew it was just a matter of time. It was really sweet. He pulled up because he was trying to see me hiding behind his crib rails. When he succeeded, he got the biggest scrunchy grin and shook his head back and forth, which is a true sign of glee for Carter. Every time I've put him in his bed since has been a bit rough though... Normally at bedtime, I lay him down and cover him and walk out and he goes right to sleep, but today, each time, he's crawled to the end of his crib and stood up...then he doesn't know what to do. Hopefully he'll figure it out quickly and it will lose a bit of it's novelty. :)

Carson just left to go on his very first campout...a Father-Son campout. He is SO excited. He's been talking about wanting to camp outside for a year now, and he is just thrilled that he's going. I'm so excited for him and can't wait to hear all about it and see pictures. I'm hoping to be able to put some pictures up here....if I can scrounge the files from anyone. :)

Lately...

We've had a lot of fun lately...I've been busy with SugarBowl Photography, and thankfully, keep booking new appointments. I just posted a sneak peek from my latest session on the SugarBowl Photography Blog

Last week we got to celebrate my Great Grandma's 90th birthday. With so many of my extended family in town, we took the opportunity of taking family and generational photos, and I felt so special when I was asked to capture photos that I hope will form memories for a lifetime. My Great Grandma is a woman worth honoring, and her children have and continue to rise up and call her blessed.


This week, Cary's mom, DeAnne, is visiting, and we've been having a great time. We had a community 4th of July celebration on the 3rd, and then we got to go to an Outlaws (pro lacrosse) game on the 4th, and witnessed a spectacular fireworks show. Carson didn't like it at first, but dealt with it as long as his ears were covered. After the show, he told me, "Mommy, i didn't like fireworks before, but now I do!" So I guess the show was up to par. :) Caden of course was mesmerized. I was concerned about what Carter might think because he was just so done by the time the show started, but he LOVED it! He would quite down and just stare at every firework and then when there was a transition in the show, he would cry again, only to become absolutely silent and wide-eyed with interest when the fireworks would start again. So funny! We have picnics and fun things like that planned for the rest of the week. It should be fun! Other than that, we have been doing this nearly every day:






TA-DA!!! (It's moment's like this that make me call Caden a "fruit-cake." These moments happen a lot, because he's started coming up to me when he thinks he's funny saying, "I a fruit-take, Mommy? FRUIT-TAKE?? :))))) " This kid cracks me up. :)






"ROAAAAAARRRRRR"

A Good Night

The boys played outside tonight while I was giving Carter a bath. Carter loves bath time. He does the same low excited giggle for bath time and meal time. It's like he's so happy he can hardly stand it. Love that kid. He just sits in the bath content as can be and splashes so much he gets even the person tending to him soaking wet.



When I went to check on the boys and bring them a snack, they were both sliding down their Fisher Price slide with orange soccer cones on their right feet. According to Carson, they were pirates with peg legs, and the slide was their pirate ship. Silly boys. The pirates enjoyed their chocolate chip cookies.

I Heart Faces, Week 24: Let's Here It for the Boys

Haven't entered one of these for a while, but when I saw the category, I new exactly which pictures I would enter, so here goes. :)



Kid's Entry
This is my fave right now from my brood... I think because it makes me laugh every time I see it, and Caden was so proud of himself, and even held the pose for me. That kid is hilarious...



Adult Entry
This is my favorite from the last senior session I did, which happened to be a guy. I probably love it more than I should...but that's okay. :)


Feel free to click on either of the pictures to make them larger.

Come check out the other entries at iHeartFaces.com. The entries get better every week!

An Engagement Session and A Trip to the ER

First, I had an engagement session on Thursday, and I just put the sneak peak up on my website...

http://SugarBowlPhotography.com, click on Blog... If anyone is interested in these things, on the right side of my SugarBowl Photography blog, there is a button to subscribe for updates.

I know my last several posts have been about my photo sessions...I suppose that is because that is the most exciting thing going on right now for me. I've had lots of business lately, and I'm loving every minute of it! I'm loving feeling challenged.

We're doing well around here... Summer is in full swing crazy. Cary's been gone all week at our jr. high youth camp. He was the speaker this year. I got to go up for Monday night's service, and he did so well! There were at least 50 kids that responded for salvation or rededication, and I've heard equally awesome reports from each night. He comes home today, and will be at camp each night next week for sr. high camp, and that's just the start of our summer. I'm buckling down for the long haul. :) The boys are doing good, and are enjoying the mild summer weather, although I'm looking forward to warmer temperatures so we can visit the pool. Carson and Caden are as funny and imaginative as ever. Carter's finally cut 3 of his top 4 teeth all in one foul swoop...and I expect the fourth one any time now. He's so easy going...love that boy.

We had our first emergency room visit about 3 weeks ago. Carson had been playing outside, I was getting Caden ready to join him, and feeding Carter all at the same time...that's pretty normal. Caden was looking out of one of our kitchen windows, and I heard banging on the windows. I thought it was Caden, so I told him to stop. I heard more banging, and told him to stop again, and that was the end of the banging. A few moments later I heard a kind of panicked cry. I wasn't too concerned because it stopped pretty quickly, and Carson cries like that sometimes when he's frustrated. A few minutes passed, and I hear banging and Carson yells, "MOMMA!!! Let me in!" So I walked towards the door and told him to come on in, and he told me he had locked himself outside. He said he didn't want Caden to come out. LOL! So I open the door, and the first thing I see is blood - horror movie style - smeared all over our back door. Then I look at Carson, and he has blood all over his hands and face, and I can't tell where it's coming from. I'm trying to find the source of bleeding, and wiping him up and yelling for Cary to come upstairs and asking Carson what happened, and Carson calmly says...."Welllll....I hate to say it...." Which basically means he's been up to no good and doesn't want to get in trouble. I ask him again, and tell him that I need to know how he hurt his finger. and here's how the conversation went:

Carson: Well...I was playing with an ant... and it bit my finger.
Mommy: Carson, ants can't cut your finger like that.
Carson: But I was really mean to it, and it bit me really big.
Mommy: Even if you get a really big ant bite, it doesn't look like that. Tell me what happened, Carson. I won't get mad, but I
need to know what you did.
Carson: But it was an ant!
Mommy: Carson...tell me the truth.

During this conversation, Cary has joined us, seen all of the blood, and has started scanning the yard where Carson insisted he was bit for anything that could have cut him. Then I happened to turn my head, and saw the broken window.

Mommy: Carson, did you break the window?
Carson: SIGH Yes.
Mommy: How?
Carson: Well...I through a rock at Caden (he was looking out that very window) and the glass broke.
Mommy: Why were you throwing a rock at Caden?
Carson: I wanted it to bounce back at me.

humm.

As best as we can deduce... we think the rock sat in the broken part of the window, and Carson, not wanting to get in trouble, pulled the rock out of the window and cut himself. He cut the padded part nearly clean off of his middle finger. We tried to get the bleeding to stop, but after an hour, Cary ran him to the emergency room where they gave it an ice bath - evidently that helps with clotting, and glued it shut. Carson was a trooper and never cried. He must have been nervous though, because when the doctor came to see him, Carson rattled off,

"Hi! I'm Carson! I'm 4! I threw a rock and broke a window and cut my finger, but the ant didn't bite it." LOL!

When the doctor had Carson all cleaned up, he instructed him to stay away from those ants. :)

Here are a couple of pictures that Cary took on his phone of our emergency room initiation... with 3 boys, I'm sure we'll become regulars.

Senior Photo Session

I had the coolest senior photo session ever a few days ago. So fun! Check out the sneak peek:

SugarBowl Photography

Just in case the link doesn't work for some, go to SugarBowlPhotography.com and click on the blog link.

Bridal Portrait

I got to do a Bridal Shoot for a sweet friend of mine on Sunday... Go check out the sneak peak! :)

SugarBowl Photography

CONGRATULATIONS TINA BINA!!!!

I'm so behind. My baby brother Austin graduated from High School 10 days ago, and I'm just now blogging about it!

Tina, I'm super proud of you, and am so thankful that I've gotten to be closer to you these last 4 years! I'm so glad you're staying in state for college and we'll get to watch you play lacrosse for years to come! You should be so proud of yourself and all of the honors you have accomplished. I can't wait to see what all God has in store for you! You are changing your world! Love you, Tina Bina!

A few fun pictures from the day... *I also need to get the ones from my dad...he has all of the ones from the actual ceremony.



Tina and his awesome friend Kacy (this pic is SO them!)


Tina's other awesome friend, Tyler and Caden...they are best buds. Caden ADORES Tina and his friends...I pray that my boys have friend's like Tina's...that they will be as much of an encouragement and be just as uplifting to each other. Good friends provide good accountability. They are awesome!


Mom and Carter:


Tina and Carson playing the slap game:


LOL! This picture CRACKS ME UP!!! "Caden, show me your sword."


Cheers & Jeers
Cheers: To my brother graduating with honors, and all of the unseasonable rain we've been having that is making everything so green.

Jeers: To me being old enough that my brother (who is a DECADE younger than me) could be a high school grad, and all of this unseasonable rain that caused me to have to cancel a senior photo shoot today. bleh.

Check Ups and Progress

I took Carter and Caden for their 6 month and 2 year check up a few weeks ago... yeah, they were a little behind. Carter was just 8 months, and Caden was 26 months, at any rate, I wanted to make sure to record their growth. Carter was 17 pounds, 5 ounces (16%) and 27 1/2 inches long (48%). Caden was 27 pounds (29%) and 34.5 inches tall (33%) Caden has cut almost all of his teeth and the very last of his molars is mostly through now.

Carter is currently working on his 4 front top teeth all at the same time, and truthfully, he's being quite the trooper about it. He only seems truly miserable around bedtime. He's covered in drool and snot though and gnawing on anything available. The outside ones of the four (the bilaterals?) have cut the gums but you can only feel them, and the front two should cut through any day now. I'll be glad when these teeth are totally through. At my women's retreat a month or so ago, he got up on his hands and feet. It was hilarious, and he's been doing it ever since. He has since been getting up on his hands and knees and then diving forward in any direction. I think he's going to be on the go in no time. He also just learned to play peek-a-boo by himself. It's super cute and he cracks himself up! LOVE IT! :) Here are some pics of Carter doing some of these things...

Peek-a-boo



I got this Fisher Price Jumperoo for $5 at a garage sale a few weeks ago. I was so excited, and it looks nearly new.






Carter has been giving us these little smirky fake smiles lately that are so funny...he also makes this squinty eyed full on grin when he's trying to flirt with you, but I haven't caught that one on camera...yet. :)


His feet in this pic make me smile. He's just so content to be chewing on Carson's tools.

Carson's Birthday Party and Slip-n-Sliding

Carson's Birthday Party
We had a soccer party for Carson this past Saturday with a few family and friends. It was laid back and the weather was awesome. We barbecued and played a few games as well as a soccer game of sorts. We even had prizes and goody bags. It was really fun. Carson LOVED his gifts this year. He says his favorite was his hockey sticks that he got from Uncle Scott and Auntie K. My faves were his 2 weeks at "Adventure Camp" from my folks and some AWESOME new clothes from DeeDee and Uncle Tom. For Adventure Camp, Carson will go for 2 1/2 hours each week day for 2 weeks, and the activities include music, arts, crafts, games, drama, and science among a few other things. I think Carson is going to have so much fun! I can't wait to hear about each of his days.

One of our friends is working on starting a cake business and made us this awesome cake...aside from how awesome it looked, it was SO good!


This is their sweet baby, Jameson. Isn't he a cutie!


Here are some pics from the party:

Miss Emmarie:


Caden on the move:


The birthday boy:


My mom...isn't she a pretty lady? :)


Grandma Lola...love this picture of her!:



Sweet Naten...I'm SO glad his parents moved back so we could love on their little guy! LOVE this family! (I get to do a photo shoot with them soon, and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!)


Little Miss (Samantha):


She tuckered out right after this and it was hilarious!


Gearing up for the games:


Carson dribbling the soccer ball around the cones:


This pic was taken after Carson scored during our soccer game... Uncle Scott told him this was how you did a victory dance... you pull your shirt over your head and beat your chest. :)


Blowing out candles:


Opening presents...you can tell by Carson's hair that he'd been playing HARD!


It was such a fun evening!


Slip-n-Sliding
Carson got a 3 track slip-n-slide for his birthday. We pulled it out yesterday so the boys could play. It was so funny to watch them try to figure out how to dive down the slide. I suppose that's a pretty tough concept to run and jump into the ground. :)