Some Precious Ones...

Emily snapped a picture of me and each of my children when she was out doing the kids' shoot.  I'm so glad she did, even though I felt a little silly about it at first.  Looking at them now, I really wish Stanton had been able to be there with us.  I'd love for these to have him in them, too. 

Big Kids Photo Shoot

I have these desires to post these gorgeous pictures in 4 separate posts and talk about each kid - what they're interested in right now...funny things they do and say....personality traits we see emerging, etc.  I really want to do that.  But it has taken me all day just to get the 2 previous posts done, and a month to even sit down at the computer for long enough to do that.  So I'm going to just put the pictures all here and hopefully come back to this post and add a few thoughts here and there as they come to me.  If I don't get to that, at least the pictures will have gotten on...

Henry's Newborn Pictures

I really, really, really need to post about Brigham's birthday, but those pictures are on a computer that's in another room...and well, apparently that's too much effort right now?

Anyway, Emily Chadwick took some just beautiful pictures of Henry a couple of weeks ago.  They turned out SO beautiful!  I've never had newborn pictures taken for any of our other children - I don't remember it being a "thing" when any of them were born.  I almost didn't do them for Henry, either, just to keep things fair....but then I justified it because, guess what?  Well, first of all:  life isn't fair.  But also, seriously, this boy, as beautiful and loved as he is...well, he just isn't having a million pictures taken of him like we did with our others!  So, well, that's that.  I'll never regret these pictures.  Oh, how I love staring at them. Almost as much as I love staring at the genuine article.

 He was so cute during the photo shoot.  He would wake up, then fuss a little, he ate, and then he slept.  Emily was amazing with him.  She's a magical baby whisperer.  She got him to be completely comfortable in things that I didn't think for a minute he'd go for.  I highly recommend her! 

Henry is such a ray of sunshine in our home.  The kids can hardly wait to hold him when they wake up in the morning, come home from school, or just about anything.  They adore him. 

He's sleeping decently - he's had 2 nights of sleeping through the night without needing to eat (just a couple of quick binkie inserts).  It's not anything consistent and I'm not stressing about that at this point.  I am tired, but I do enjoy those feedings in the night - at least for a while.  It's amazing that I can still nourish him even when he's outside of my body.  And it's amazing that he knows how to get nourishment.  Things like that increase my wonder at God's divine creation.  He planned it all so perfectly.  I'm so thankful to be able to have a part in that!

This last picture.  Well, let me just tell you that every time I look at it, I get the giggles.  I just can't believe that this perfect, adorable, amazing little human came from inside of me!  He is the genetic mix of Stanton and me - our DNA.  He's a prime example of that saying:  the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  Oh, how grateful I am for these amazing children of mine! 

Emily, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time to capture these precious pictures!  (Oh, and here's the link to her site - you can contact her there!)

Tony Grove Wildflowers

The wildflowers for which Tony Grove is famous were in full bloom when we went for our day trip.  They were GORGEOUS.

Any idea what that giant spider-looking bug is on the center picture?  It was big and hairy and very cool looking.  I'm glad my lens zooms some, though.  I wasn't real thrilled at the idea of getting too up close and personal with it.  :)

Aren't these flowers beautiful??

Love

I just have to say that I love opening my blog and seeing those 4 beautiful children smiling at me.  Oh, how I love them.

I am including the header collage in here so it will be in my blog book.

Darn, they're cute.

Chloe's Baptism Pictures

Emily Chadwick spent her Saturday afternoon capturing these beautiful pictures of Chloe in her baptism dress.  We ordered several and had them set up around the great room during the brunch after her baptism.  I was so grateful to Emily for taking the time to do them and doing such a great job.  This is a milestone to remember and I hope Chloe will be able to look back on these and think of what a beautiful thing she has experienced these last few weeks.

I'm just adding every single one of them because they are just too precious to exclude any.  Also, to justify Lily's recent complaints that "everything is ALL about Chloe right now..."  Yeah, it is.  And it'll be your turn next year, my dear!