Pup Photography

Our dear friend and photographer is hosting a pup-photography-contest. I entered our girls...but had such a difficult time choosing a photo! I think they make great subjects and love to photograph them!

To vote, visit and become a fan of Jill Heupel Photography on Facebook. Then check out her contest and "like" your favorite pooch!

*Ahem, that would be Phoebe.
:)

Friday Feeling

Friday's are wonderful.

Totally.

Some Fridays find me feeling excited.
Sometimes I feel exhausted.
This Friday I felt overwhelmingly grateful. 

...it might have something to do with this...

self portrait @ 28 weeks pregnant

...this pregnancy has me all emotional...mostly positive emotions, but you know how us preggers' can be!

Another trigger of my extreme gratitude on this particular Friday was due to this....

No, nothing new.  Old song.  (But I finally have the "new techonology" of using my ipod in my car, which means great playlists.  -Thank You, D!!)  The song makes me think of all that I have, feel, and CAN do!

And, then there is my job that leaves me time to think about gratitude.  I love the freedom I have during the day.  Granted, it's needed as my job often times leaves me drained.  It's so nice to have time to myself and time to rejuvenate!

So, really I have listed the "triggers" for my gratitude - - low and behold, they are also things I am grateful for!  Among many,  many others!  I count myself a lucky girl....

...and someone tell me how it got to be Sunday evening already!

Missed Moments: Rooster Hill Farm

I think it was a weekend in late September or early October that I decided I needed to begin to "live" the autumn season I love so much.

Derek enlisted Ed to help with some landscape beginnings. Our yard has been a blank slate waiting for some inspiration and time. Ed, as usual, is our garden guru with his knowledge, vision, and plant-starts abounding! While the big boys began working in the yard Cole and I went for a morning drive to Rooster Hill Farm in Fults, Illinois.

It was a perfect trip for a little fall inspiration. Cole and I got to see some of the countryside around us and visit the roosters! The gift shop was adorable and we got some of Na's birthday shopping done.

All in all, a good way to welcom fall!

Missed Moments: Go Fly A Kite!

As previously mentioned we are living atop a hill these days...the perfect place for Kite Flying. 

Cole and Derek had a great evening flight earlier this fall.

Derek got things started and Cole took over.

The flight was a success...

The ending was not....the kite fought it's way out of Cole's hands, crossed our house, crossed the street, and crossed the neighbor's house before crash landing in their backyard....with the end of the string across the roof and on the other side of the house. 

The string broke, but the kite will fly again after minor repairs!

Laughter

This commercial gets them every time!  Just the first few seconds of the baby shaking his bootie in the diaper....

Thanks to the power of DVR, we can watch it again and again until their bellies hurt from the laughter!

<3