Happy 3rd Birthday Elle and Eden

Wow-where did the last 3 years go??? My once long ago little teeny tiny red-headed beauties have said goodbye to the two's and we are off and running into the three's!! Here is hoping for wee wee and poo poo in the potty, to getting rid of wearing 'seat belts' for meals (some of you will get that one), here's to no more temper tantrums (yes, I am dreaming here), and always sharing their toys and never fighting (another pipe dream) and never bubbling their milk or drawing on the sofa with markers. Oh, but I love those little girlie twirlies with all my heart. Their kisses and hugs and sweet little smiles can melt the hardest of hearts. So Happy Birthday to my most amazing little miracles. I love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ella Bella

Eden

Mark

Big Mark came to visit over the holidays and the countdown for his wedding...to Meghan Gray....is ON! And the fun news is that Blaine and the twins are going to be in the wedding! I think this is the most anticipated wedding of the century-and we wouldn't miss it for the world!

And this isn't why we call him "big" Mark---! Just playing with the wide angle lens!

Just so you know, when we built this house, I spent 2 weeks lying on scaffolding sanding and staining those beams in the ceiling. Don't ask---never again!

Bangs

While the twins have the most gorgeous red curly hair in which I can place all sorts of adorable ribbons and bows, the baby has thin, stick straight blonde hair. And do you think she would let me put some cute bows or clips in it. Not on your life. There isn't anything that I put in that child's hair that can't be pulled out!! So----bangs she will have. But aren't they cute??

Ella Bella

We have been on and off with potty training. I wish it were more 'on' than 'off'.....but we aren't there yet. People keep telling me, you will know when they are ready and don't push them. Well, I thought I knew they were ready when this week after getting out of the shower, Eden laid down on the living room floor naked with her legs up in the air and hollered, "Elle, get me a diaper, RIGHT NOW!" Elle dutifully appeared-with a pile of diapers and tried putting them on her sister. If they have this much figured out, you would think we would be more diaperless around here by now. Augh!

will tell you more about this later

Weddings....VS....Newborns
Weddings are a COMPLETELY different ballgame than photographing kids and newborns.......
I helped my sister-in-law take some photos at a wedding recently.....what an experience!!!

Annabelle and Andrew

While I am in transition of putting my photography work on my new website and keeping this blog about my little family, I still have to post some here on the blog. A friend from work brought out her newborn Annabelle (isn't that name just the cutest) and her 16 month old brother Andrew. They were the sweetest family-really! It was so much fun and a privilege to take these pictures!

Fairy Emersyn

I couldn't share these photos I took of Em this past year since I was waiting to give them to her for Christmas. So now I can!!! Blaine's mom came to watch the girls on Monday and I told the twins that Grandma was coming. Eden said, "Well, How about Emersyn, Kolton, Kallyn and Keira too!" Boy do they ever love their cousin Emersyn.

Major Exciting News...............well almost!!!!

Well, the blog has been quiet---and it's not that things haven't been happening around here.
I have some major exciting news!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am putting together a photography website, trying to decide on a logo, and am actually starting an" official" photography business.

I really want to specialize in newborns and children.

Who Knew!!!!!!

So, if you have a moment, check out

photographybyannmariewalker.com

photographybyannmariewalker.com

The website is in it's baby stages (I really haven't done anything yet, but put up a template and buy a domain name), but there are some SUPER duper cute pictures of Samantha Addey there.....and there are more precious babes to come. Keep posted!

angels

My mom was watching the girls today while I was at work (did I tell you how lucky and blessed I am to have her-she is the greatest!!!!). While she was changing Elle's diaper she told her that she was Grandma's precious angel. Elle said, "I am the angel of the Lord!"

I got some amazing news today-! Bear Feet shoes wrote me and shared this:

I thought you'd like to know, I used your photo for the show in Amsterdam called Kleine Fabriek:
http://www.kleinefabriek.nl/index.php?page=4_1&labelLetter=B
And they put it up right at the top of the Bs!
Very cool.
I need to send you more shoes! We are going to a show in NYC in March.
How does boots sound?
-Amanda

Uh, did you catch that? AMSTERDAM...NYC. If you follow the link you will find that the picture of my little twinnies and their Bear Feet Shoes were shown at an International Children's Trade Fair.
How exciting is that??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My little Goatherds

This week we have been watching bits and pieces of The Sound of Music every night (My favorite movie of ALL TIMES). They especially love the yodeling song of The lonely goatherd. Tonight, the twins were busy playing with a pile of mismatched socks and an old box. They spent the entire hour "mailing" their socks through the slot in the box's bottom. I asked who they were sending their socks too....their reply.... Santa!

Then I heard faint singing from Eden........."Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you"
from the song- So Long, Farewell.


My mom got the girls a toy mixer for Christmas which is battery operated and the whips turn. They have been busy all week making 'pancake mix' and 'pizza dough'.

And this one below looks like she's been eating all the pancakes and pizza they make~!

Tonight Eden took the kitchen towel and wore it draped across her head and announced she was Mary. Than she instructed Elle to be Joseph and "go ride the donkey!"

Happy New Year!

So here I sit thinking of all the wonderfully wise things I am going to write and bestow upon you all in this new year, but I can't because Dolly our cat has perched herself in front of the computer screen. Shoooo Dolly! I have kids hanging off of me all day and the second they are in bed, than it's the cat! Shoot-now I have forgotten all those words of wisdom I was going to share. Maybe I will just share with you some of the days highlights

-The twins have been incessantly playing with rubber snakes their Uncle Kyle bought them for Christmas. Instead of playing with their babies in their toy cribs/bathtubs/highchairs.....it's the snakes. Steve Irwin would be SO proud.

-The baby is taking some steps (Yeah-finally) and had her fist in her mouth all day. There are 4 new teeth coming. She is already quite opinionated and if she doesn't like being scolded, she gives you a glare and shakes her finger back and forth at you and says "No, No, No!" I used to be worried about her being the 'little' sister........my fears are being laid to rest!

-If you have ever had bananas mashed all over your living room floor, if you have ever found a rubber elmo in your boot, if you have ever cleaned up dry toothpaste so artistically swirled on your bathroom doornob, if you have ever found bite marks on your DVD's, if you have ever found grapefruit peelings behind the desk or part of the grapefruit skin being used as a pretend bathtub for a plastic sheep, or if you find cut up hot dogs stacked up as towers on the dining room table........than you must have a two year old or two living in your house!

And now I will end this post with a picture I took of Elle who was playing in the ryegrass July 3rd of last summer. Summer will be here before you know it! (hurry up......Brrrrrrrr)