11 months and an Awesome Day!

Today we had two photo shoots scheduled so the studio lights were all set up and mommy wanted some 11 month old photos. Our little model was set & ready to go...with props!

"Ooo, whats this?"


She loved the shinny Christmas ball!

My fav!

"Yum!"


Then our friends showed up for the photo shoot with a 1 year birthday present for Katey...and chocolate frosted cupcakes! Yes we are totally over-indulgent parents...but look at how much she loved it!

She dug right in!

Our dainty little eater

Look at that face! She was one happy girl!

Then we got to open her birthday present...

Pink cowboy boots!


Look at those eyes!

Then the day was capped off by Charrisa making an amazing masterpiece dinner of chicken, mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and homemade rolls!

So good!

And now I'm off to watch Christmas movies with my wonderful family and eat Joe's homemade cinnamon rolls!

Christmas Cookies

So, we do realize it is before Thanksgiving, but someone in our household, I wont mention the name Charrisa :), got the idea that we HAD to make Christmas cookies and have a family "frosting party" (with Christmas music to accompany!). Here are a few pics of mostly the after affects of our holiday frivolities.

Some of us take frosting cookies VERY seriously!

Joe's scientific perfections

My not-so-scientific-but-very-good-frosting-to-cookie-ratio cookies

Alli's won the "most-cookies-completed" award but I think one of her's is missing something :)

Charrisa was still working on her perfections long after we had begun the next stage...

The eating stage! (My fav)


But alas, she did finish her beauty!

Then we ALL ate :)


Some of us very seriously...

and some of us NOT so seriously :).

I love these girl and am so glad they made me do it :)

Even if we're all going to be sick from too much frosting :)

At least we look good!
Merry not-quite-Christmas everyone!

Family Photo Shoot

Two weeks ago we had planned to travel to Eugene for the weekend and swap family photo shoots with our dear friends and fellow photographers Ben & Jeanine Rhode. However, a few days before we were to leave sickness took over their household and so the shoots were called off. I was really bummed because I desperately wanted some family pics before the holidays and it just didn't seem like it was going to work out. Then we got the wonderful call that our friends were heading up to our neck of the woods to scope out a location for a wedding they were shooting in a few weeks and they asked if we wanted to meet them at Edgefield and get some pics! I was soo excited...it was the day after we got back from our cruise, but beggars can't be choosers and we are SOOO blessed to have such awesome friends! Thank you so much Ben and Jeanine (http://www.rhodeworkphotography.com/)we love you guys!