2010.

If I had to pick one word to describe 2010 I think it would have to be awesome. I know I use that word a lot, but 2010 was really great to me. I learned a lot about myself, accomplished some amazing goals, and created wonderful memories with the people I love.

And I am grateful for all the amazing minutes this year gave me. All 525,600 of them.

Playing in the Caribbean sea with my B at sunset in Jamaica. May.

Running my first half marathon! Sometimes I still can't believe it. Learned I can accomplish big dreams if I don't give up. April.

Dancing with Josh at a bonfire on the beach. December.

My momma's first 5K. March.

Checked off the bucket list: Horseback riding on the beach. Jamaica. December.

Welcomed baby Avery. August.

Surprise Valentine's Day trip to play with the penguins. February.

A blessed Saturday at the family farm. October.

America turned 234. A few days later, I started my 24th year off right. July.

Gondola ride. Las Vegas trip. December.

My boys. I love them. June.

My momma's birthday. September.

Went apple picking for the first time. October.

Celebrated a wonderful Christmas and started some new traditions.

Oh, it was a phenomenal year.
Definitely going down in the books as one of my favorites ever.

Excited to see what 2011 has in store.
I can't wait!

Goals? I have 3.
• Run a marathon(!!!).
• Complete a triathlon.
• Organize my office.

Is that lame? I only have 3. But those are the main things I want to accomplish this coming year. And that marathon? I mean, it will be my main focus for 1/3 of the year... so I think that's pretty big.

Here's to 2011. Hope it's good to you. :)




[ 2009 ]

photography stuff.

I got a couple questions about how we took our Christmas photo in the dark and yet the snow is lit up.


It is more than an on-camera flash (actually that wasn't even used at all.)

We actually used 3 lights to take the photo. One on each side of us with a gel on it to light up the snow and give it a different color effect (Josh was going for green on one side and red on the other, but unfortunately he only had blue and orange gels. It's kind of hard to tell the color difference in the photo anyway. You can see it better in Josh's edit, but I don't have that one on my computer. So anyway...) and one to flash on us.

We should have taken a "set-up" shot so I could show you how we did it, but we didn't. I'll try to remember next time. This is the best I have that can show you what we did..


You can kind of see the lights off to both sides.

Anyway, Josh is the lighting genius of this relationship, so you'd have to ask him for all the technicalities, such as the power of the lights and which lights they are if you're interested. It was all him. I just know there were 3 of them.

Edited to add: Josh explains how to light up Christmas snow.

As a Christmas present to himself, Josh recently bought lots of really high-powered lights and now the basement pretty much looks like a photo studio. Which is totally cool by me. The first night he had them, he made me model even though I had just gotten done running and was clearly not looking too model-esque. Luckily he made Kosmo model more.



Kosmo sure does love that tennis ball.

Oh! And so weird, in an astonishing-OMG-babies-grow-so-fast kind of way. I didn't realize how big Avery had gotten until I took a picture of her in the same basket that I took her newborn photos in.

(set-up shot via the EVO)

Avery, 4 months old.


Avery, 5 days old.

Awwwwww.

I was hoping to do a basket shot to show how much she's grown every 3 months, but we kind of missed her 3 month birthday. It was right around Thanksgiving, and with it being the holidays and then Josh and I were out of town, we just never got around to it. So I guess we'll do 4, 8, and 12 months instead.

I already decided that she's either gonna love or hate coming over to her Unc's house. I think every time she sees us we have a camera. :)

So anyway, I hope that helps answer some of the Christmas photo questions.

P.S. Thanks for all the questions & messages via the ASK AWAY! form, however just FYI... unless you leave your e-mail address I can not respond to you directly. I totally don't mind if you don't want to leave your e-mail address or even anonymous questions... just know that I can't answer every one, so if you're looking for a quicker response please e-mail me directly! :)

Christmas.

It was perfect.

please notice the fire. josh finally let me turn it on. i was so happy :-D

Y'all, I am so happy. I really couldn't have asked for a better Christmas. For the first time in 10 years, I didn't have an emotional breakdown or overwhelming sad feeling at any point during the holidays, my stomach didn't turn into knots at the sound of Christmas music (big step for me), and I genuinely just had a really great time.

I still miss my daddy -- 10 years is a really long time for a girl to go without her daddy -- and I am sad that he's not here to celebrate with us and I'm sure I will cry on the day, but over all Christmas was wonderful -- for the first time in 10 years. Last year was a good first step, but this year... it was perfect. Kristen and I even went day-after-Christmas shopping, which is saying a lot coming from us.


My best friend is in town! You know you are best friends when you buy the same boots without knowing it and look up Alaskan cruises within the same week without knowing it. Apparently Josh even looked up Alaskan cruises that week. I think it's a sign.. we're all BFF's and we need to go on an Alaskan cruise in 2011!

I love her because she understands my weird feelings towards Christmas and doesn't judge me for not being all jolly all the time like you're supposed to be. She lost her daddy too, so she gets it. And even though I hate that she has gone through the same thing in order to understand, it is comforting to have someone who really gets it. So yeah, the two of us went day-after-Christmas shopping... and we liked it. Big step.

Anyway, our Christmas festivities began on Christmas eve with Josh's family coming over for the annual Christmas Eve pizza dinner.


It also included lots of fudge (including dreamcicle fudge which I had never had before, but it was AMAZING!), a delicious cheese ball, chocolate, pretzels, chips, cookies, and lots of other sweets. Heaven.

We watched A Christmas Story, as per tradition, and exchanged gifts.

It was Avery's 1st Christmas! Last year at Christmas, Mandy & Joe announced they were going to have a baby... and now she's here!






penguins, chocolate, & peanut butter... pretty much the perfect gift ever!





I'd say it's a successful Christmas when there's a garbage bag full of wrapping paper at the end.


I love how... Gage and Morgan have their arms linked and Avery and Kosmo are giving each other the stare down.

[then all the kids go home to go to sleep because Santa is coming! Santa is coming!]

Christmas Day begins with Josh's fam coming back for Christmas breakfast. This is their tradition, and I tried to implement a new tradition: Christmas breakfast in Christmas PJ's.

It didn't work.

But it just makes sense... if you're going to get together for breakfast on Christmas morning, I think you should do it in Christmas pajamas.


I could be biased because my BFF Lynda (Josh's mom) got me the most comfortable PJ's ever for Christmas... and they had penguins all over them!! Although I did want us all to wear Christmas PJ's before I knew she got them for me. Next year I'm getting you all PJ's for Christmas to wear to breakfast.. get ready!

Christmas Morning 'round this house means...

-- Scrambled eggs, snowman pancakes, and cinnamon rolls.


--Elf (my fave!)


--Toss Across (Gage & Morgan's new game from Unc & Yenn AKA me and Josh)


--Family time.



--And a fire in the fireplace (!!!).


It was yummy-delicious & wonderful.
The only thing that could have made it better was Christmas PJ's.
Next year.

The celebrations continued with a trip to Mom's house for more yummies and presents.



She made my favorite puppy chow which is delicious and messy. I may or may not have already eaten over 1/2 of that tub almost all by myself. (I do share. I usually shovel a handful in my mouth and then give Josh 1 piece. Rinse repeat. I'm nice.)

After we did the gift-giving, I curled up in this chair with the boys... and fell asleep. It was awesome. They are excellent snuggle-buddies and I love naps.



I watched The Santa Claus, Home Alone 2, and The Grinch in between my snoozes, meanwhile Josh read his new photography book and my mom did laundry (don't feel sorry for her, she loves it). It was a very relaxing, low-key day. Which is really the best kind.

I hope your Christmas was as wonderful as ours.


.happy & blessed.

The Digital Nativity

They played this at Christmas Eve service and I thought it was awesome.



Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope it was wonderful :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Wishing you and your's a very Merry Christmas!!!

(p.s. we just took this picture which means....
YES! we are going to have a white Christmas!!!!
and it's the good kind of snow... the kind you can build snowmen out of!)