The Skinner Family

Tricia Kibler

2012-01-31T16:43:00.000-08:00

Today I had the privileged of taking my friend Tricia's picture for her interview that will be in the Enjoy magazine. So you should all be on the look out! Congratulations Tricia on coming this far with your art, you are AMAZING and we all know you are going to be a star in the art world! Love you!

Baby Kinsey

2012-01-26T21:24:00.000-08:00

I just LOVE taking newborn pictures. Especially girls, because you can put cute headbands on them and accents like pearls. It's pictures like these that mommy's cherish forever! Kinsey's mom Becky and I use to work together at Macy in the jewelry department. Since then she has had 2 babies making a totally of four kids! Go Becky!!!!! Kinsey was born January 11th, weighing in at 8lbs and 20.5 inches long. She is such a beautiful little baby. She did so good for us as we tired positioning her in all sorts of ways.

We did this whole set up in my living room. I am so thankful for the big windows in my new house that lets the light pour in, even on a rainy day.

So thankful for the big windows in my new house that lets the light pour in, even on a rainy day. Enjoy!

Valerie Lynn

2012-01-09T00:50:00.000-08:00

Meet Valerie Lynn Shaw. Born on December 30th at 9:21pm, 21in long 8lbs 6.9oz. She is the sweetest little girl, and was super easy to work with! Her sisters loved joining in on the photo shoot as they too are very excited about their little baby sister. This being Chelsie's 3rd baby she only had to push 9 minutes and she was out! This girl is super woman, and makes it look so easy to have 3 kids! Congratulations Shaw family, she is a beauty!

The Kibler Family

2012-01-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

This is my amazing and very talented friend Tricia and her beautiful family. I met Tricia about a year ago at a woman's conference. We both joined the same life group and still get together for fun filled girl's nights. Tricia is an incredible artist who paints beautiful works of art. Her paintings are spreading like wild fire through out my family. My brother-in-law received this painting for Christmas of his new baby boy. A few blogs ago I posted the painting she gave me for Christmas that is so awesome! It has me craving more every time I look at it. You should really check out all her work because it's that amazing! http://www.wix.com/kibler4u/triciapaints

Tricia's husband Matt is getting ready to head to the CHP academy at the start of next week. This is something he has gone after for a while now and we couldn't be more excited for him as they open this new chapter in their life. Matt is the kind of friend anyone would be blessed to have!

These two love birds have been together since high school, but they still act like newly weds. I'm pretty sure these photos scream all about the passion that they have for each other. They have two great boys Weston and Wyatt who are a perfect reflection of their love for each other. Love you guys!

One years old!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my baby Mackenzie Haiden. She is such a joy in our lives. I love love love having two girls. Madison loves her sister so much. I am excited to see what their relationship will look like as they get older. Mackenzie is always such a happy baby. Yes she gets cranky while teething, but what baby doesn't.

Mackenzie just started walking. She is up to about 8 steps now. She can say bye-bye, and hi, mommma, dada, up, and sign for all done.

I am so thankful God has given you to me Kenzie. You make me smile every single day. Not one day has gone by that I am not thankful for the gift that you are. I can't wait to see the call that God has placed inside of you and see the woman of God that you will be. Mommy and Daddy love you so incredibly much, and so does your sister!!!!

Love,
Mommy

Seconds old

About 9 hours old

one week old

2 weeks old

one month old

1 1/2 months

8 weeks old

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months (Thanksgiving)

11 1/2 months

One years old 12-8-2011

Judah Scott Lake Amarant

2011-12-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

This is a very very very special posting for me. We have been awaiting Judah's arrival for a long time and I am so excited that I was able to be apart of this very special birth. For those that don't know this is David's sister Bekah who just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.

Bekah was due on Nov 29th. We were all on the edge of our seats ready to jump in the car and drive to SF so we could be there for the birth. Nov 29th came and gone and we were all anxiously awaiting him. As any pregnant woman past her due date she was so ready to have her baby. I got the idea that we should drive down to SF to just hang out with her and do some walking and lunges with her to help get things started. The weekend showed up so we headed down on Sat. We hung out, massaged her, walked with her, did lunges and squats with her, and best of all had a tea party that Madison had to have with her!

40weeks 5days

Cheers for Judah

She was having the braxton hick contractions for quite a while off and on so we just kept waiting for them to turn into labor contractions. At about 12:30am I went to bed and I thought Bekah went to bed as well. She ended up walking for about 4 hours around Danville with her Mother in-law, Jason, and Katie. Her contractions were about 6 mins apart while she was out on the walk. Dena her Mother in-law came and woke me up at 5:30am because we all thought she was in labor getting ready to head to the hospital. I jumped out of bed threw some clothes on and headed over to her house which was right next door. As she was rolling around on the yoga ball her contractions started to slow down to anywhere from 10mins-25mins apart from each other. They weren't getting very much stronger, but continued to come with no consistency. We encouraged her to get some rest while she could and Jason as well. It was like a slumber party in her room with Dena, Katie, Bekah and myself in the room. She was able to get a few hrs of restless sleep as the contractions kept coming randomly. By about 11am her parents showed up, and we all just hung around wondering when the contractions would start getting regular and and stronger. Bekah was doing everything she could think of to jump start these contractions into full gear. After talking with her Dr. she decided to head to the hospital to have them possibly break her water and monitor her contractions. She was there for a few hours waiting for the Dr. to come check on her. They gave her the option to go home till she was in active labor, but Bekah was ready to get the show on the road and get this baby out.

Resting at home

By 5:30pm they gave her pitocin to get her contractions going. It took awhile for it to kick in. I decided to head home and get some rest thinking this was going to be a long night. At 11pm Jason text me saying that Bekah's water broke and that she was in active labor. She was having really hard and fast contrations due to the pitocin. By 12am they decided that she should get the epidural seeing that she had been up since Sat morning with no rest. She really needed to rest up before giving birth, which she was able to do. At 2:50am I got the call from Bekah saying that she was at 10cm and they were prepping for her to start pushing! Dena and I flew out of the house and headed to the hospital.

Ready to start pushing

4:02am He was brought into this world

When we got there it was so peaceful in the room. Bekah had a smile on her face, nice and relaxed and ready to push him out.

She pushed for 40 mins and gave birth to Judah at 4:02 on Monday Dec 5th weighing 7lbs and 20in long. It was such a smooth delivery with no complications at all. Bekah did AMAZING and had such a peace about her the whole time. All the nurses loved her and told her she is welcome back anytime, and that she was such a great patient.

Welcome to this world Judah! I love you so very much and it was an honor to watch you be born!

I love how Bekah was just watching Jason's face as he was taking in the beauty of their son.

7Lb 20ins. He wanted to roll off that table.

He was so alert when he came out.

Proud uncle David. Babies look so good in his arms :)

I wanted to do a photo shoot of him before we headed home. I don't think many NB shoots actually happen in the hospital in less than 9 hrs old, but hey we pulled it off. Not many parents would be ok with their NB that close to a hospital floor, but Bekah and Jay were very laid back and open to do whatever. As a result AMAZING photos.

One of my favs

David teaching Jason how to change a diaper.

Such a beautiful family

I would love to see them provided with a month full of meals! If you would like to bring them one or buy them a gift card that would be so awesome. Here is a link to their meal calendar where you can sign up with your email and password and block off a date.

http://mealbaby.com/viewregistry/6439750

I know it would mean A LOT to them! Thank you so much for those of you that can do so. :)

Our Family

2011-12-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

This is our family in the spotlight! I love getting our pictures taken. Its seriously one of the funnest things I can think of. Probably why I enjoy photography so much. I love seeing the change every year, and how much my girls are growing up.

This year Madison has started preschool. She is starting to come out of she shyness a little bit. I can't believe how fast she is growing up and becoming a girl, not just a little girl anymore. It's kinda weird to watch her transform. When she talks to me and something comes out of her mouth that I had no clue she even know what it was, it just amazes me and brings a big smile to my face. I love her imagination. She loves to play that she is the mommy and Nana or Grandma or I are the little girl. She likes to put her babies in time out. She is a natural nurturer. Mackenzie also has to put up with a lot. Madison loves to pick her up and replace her if she's getting into something she shouldn't, or drag her by her feet. She also has such a gentle side to her that melts my heart. If I am ever in pain she prays for be and says "mommy I will take care of you, don't worry." AHhhhhhhhhhhh, yes I do love her!

Mackenzie is growing into her own. She has been taking steps for a few weeks now and is up to about 6, so I have decided to consider that walking. It's cute to watch her just charge out with nothing to hold on to then fall. She loves to climb onto the couch and Madison's bed....oh yes I have a climber! Mackenzie has been such a good baby even through her teething. She sleeps really good through the night and even sleeps in till 8 or 9! Although I will be glad when teething is over with, and when she can full on walk.

David and I are doing great! David is still loving his job. I am loving doing my photography on the side, and working at the church every other Sunday. It has been really nice to have an outlet while still being able to stay home with my girls. I have AMAZING friends that God has brought into my life this past year, and I am beyond thankful for every one of them.

I have to Thank my parents for watching my girls as much as they do, and Davids parents for taking Madison for the weekend here and there so we get some time together. My niece Taylor who is an awesome babysitter, that my girls just LOVE. I really do know how blessed I am to have family in my life, I don't really know how well I would be doing with out them. I also want to Thank Lacy Fontaine for taking such amazing pictures of our family!

Ruby & Daphne

2011-12-01T00:46:00.000-08:00

These girls are very special girls to me. Ruby is Madion's best friend. I use to watch Ruby a couple days a week for about 2 1/2 years. They have grown up together, almost like sisters. Julie and I were pregnant together with our second babies. They ended up being 2 days apart! It is so much fun having our girls be so close in age.

Julie is one incredible person. If you don't know her you should. She is such a great friend, with a true heart after God. Ruby and Daphne are so blessed to have a mom like her!!!!!!

This was a shoot for Daphne, as she will be turning one years old on Dec. 10th. I made sure to have Ruby come along so we could get sister love.

Holiday Wreath

2011-11-30T14:44:00.000-08:00

Last month when our girls group got together we drew names for who we would be making a Christmas Gift for. I drew my friend Tricia who is an incredible painter. Funny thing was that she drew me as well, which I was super excited about. I love her work. The idea was that it was suppose to be hand made and about $20. I found a holiday wreath I wanted to make on pinterest. I went shopping for all the things, and spent more than I should have but hopefully I can make a second wreath someday. Half of the stuff I used was from a potpourri box that I got from Michael and the others I had made with foam balls and yarn and red balls. The pine cones and pointy balls I collected from the ground...Thank you earth! Thank God for my husband who is very good at being creative. We had to hand sew on each piece so that it was on there good enough. When I would get frustrated and start growling he would jump in and fix the problem. Anyways here are a few pictures of what we came up with!

The Kiss :)
This is the AMAZING painting my friend Tricia painted me for my gift. She took it from a picture that we had taken. Doesnt she ROCK! Check out her site http://www.wix.com/kibler4u/triciapaints

This is my birthday gift from my friend Stephanie, that she just finished. I absolutely love it! Thank you Stephanie! Check out her site where she makes baby bedding, cart covers, bibs and nursing covers :) http://www.kootiekovie.com/

Birthday Boy

2011-11-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

Today I get to celebrate my husband turning 29! His birthday always lands right around or on thanksgiving, so it's always hard to celebrate and plan a big party. Next year though I plan to give a big party.

This man is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Obviously, I married him after all! He has a big heart for people, he loves his family, he's trustworthy, honest, respectful, smart, responsible, loyal, and always has great advice. He is always there for me when I need him to be, even if it means dropping whatever hes doing at that moment. I always feel safe, and taken care of with him.

David has worked his butt off to have us be in this place of life right now. I am sooooooooooo proud of him and how hard he has worked. I am so incredibly blessed to have him in my life and be the father of my children. Life is so great and I am beyond thankful for you David! Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some pictures from this past year :)

One of his greatest achievements, getting his Masters degree! So so proud of you!

Fontaine Family

2011-11-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Lacy and her family. She is a great friend of mine that I have known for over ten years now! As of today they will be my neighbors! She does photography as well and is totally awesome at it. She just did our family shoot, and I am so excited to see how they turned out!

Lacy and I never nailed down a date for her pictures due to her moving and the weather. So when I saw a break in the weather and that it was suppose to be 70 degrees; I called her up and said lets do it today! I love that she can pull together last min like that. Her little man Liam didn't get a good nap that day; and I was a little worried that we didn't get a whole lot of picture of him being happy, but we did! Love you Lacy and your family! ;)

One of my favorites

Isn't she STUNNING!

The Kossol Family

2011-11-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Krista asked me to take her pregnancy pictures as well as taking her daughters two year pictures. This family is so sweet and easy going. Making it easy to take their pictures. They also just moved to this amazing property. It turned out to be a perfect place to take pictures.

This is their daughter Lilly. The minute she saw my camera she was ready to say cheese. She did so good, even with it getting cold towards the end of the shoot.

Krista is due in Jan. She has 8 weeks left to go, and she is just glowing. I can't wait to meet you Paisley!!

Where is Jesus?

Halloween

2011-11-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

This year Madison had a party at her preschool and they did little games and a pumpkin hunt for the kids. I love her school, they really put a lot of effort into these kids and having fun.

Later that night we went trick or treating with Madison's best friend Ruby. They had a great time with each other going door to door. It's just crazy watching our little girls grow up together. Even better I love taking pictures of them. When they are older they can look back and see all the fun memories they shared together growing up.

Madison's little admirer Gavin :)

My girls

2011-10-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

So being someone who always takes pictures of everyone else, it's hard to remember to take pictures of my own kids. This is the whole reason I got into photography and got my gear, so that I would have great pictures of my kids to look back on.

Madison dressed up and I did her hair. I thought this would be a perfect time to pull the camera out and take pictures of her. The rest of it went from there. David came out and grabbed the camera so I could be in some since I am always the one behind the lens. Madison is 3 1/2 and Mackenzie is 10 1/2 months here.

Here's to my girls, I love you so very much. You make my heart happy looking at these.

Cousins

2011-10-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Brandi's daughter Savannah and her sister's two boys Cole and Carter. I love capturing kids, because I never know what I'm going to get when I am chasing them around. I pretty much get pure candid photos and that's what I love. Enjoy!

My favorite one of the day

Amarant Maternity

2011-10-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

This is my beautiful sister in-law Bekah and her husband Jason. They are two of the most incredible people you will ever meet. They are so full of God's love and have amazing hearts for people. They love to minister to the homeless and do mission trips to different countries. They are also youth pastors at a church in San Fran. They are some of the busiest people I know! I am ecstatic for Judah's arrival. My bags are going to be packed pretty soon so we can dart out the min we get the call! I love you guys so so so very much!

Taylor & Zach

2011-10-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is my niece and nephew, my brothers two kids. I can't believe how fast these two have grown up! Their mom always says that about me and my little brother because she has been with my brother ever since David (my younger brother) was in diapers. Taylor is now thirteen! A teenager, how did this happen!?!?! She loves babysitting if you are in need of a great sitter. Madison is always so excited when she comes over. Zach is nine and he has always been the cutest little boy. He is growing up so fast. Zach just started karate about 8 months ago and has won quite a few trophies. We are very proud of you Zach! I love this family so much!

Senior shoot

2011-10-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

This is Elijah Read. He is my very first senior shoot that I've ever done. I am really good friends with his sister in-law Julie so she referred him to me. Elijah is one of eight boys and is the youngest. He was super easy going and was up for doing whatever pose. Elijah I wish you the best to your last year of high school! :)

The Fieck Family

2011-10-03T23:44:00.001-07:00

This is one of my best friends Renae. We have been friends since freshman year. She has moved away, moved back and moved away again. She is now living in San Diego and recently had her first baby girl, Kinsley London. She is 3 months old, and is Sooooo sweet! Renae and Joe are both amazing parents. I just love watching daddy's with their little girls. Joe is one of those dads that caters to his girls every need. I am so glad he married Renae! I just wished they lived here so our girls could grow up around each other. Anyways this is the shoot we did while they were in town. Renae and Joe I love you guys!!!!!!

San Diego & life update

2011-09-27T00:55:00.000-07:00

I think it's time to post some pictures of our family and what we are up too, don't you think!?!?! Well we took a family trip to San Diego about 2 weeks ago. This was our first trip as a family with no extra hands from grandparents or family that normally go with us when we take trips. It was fun taking Madison on the airplane, because it was her first experience of one that she actually knew what was going on. She was 3 months old last time she flew. Thank God the flight there is only 1 1/2 hrs long, I don't think I could handle any longer with kids. Props to you moms who do longer and by yourself! I could never! Anyways over all, this was a really hard on David and I with the kids. Between nap time and bedtime and having a cranky 3 year old, and a 9 month old who just wanted to crawl everywhere it was extremely exhausting and not much of a vacation. David and I already have a getaway with out kids planned up in our head, as soon as Mackenzie is done nursing. I love my kids to death but I am not ready to do that again for a long time!

We did take Madison to The Children's museum while we were there, and it was pretty much the greatest thing we did while we were down there. I think we spent like 4 hours there just letting Madison run around doing all kinds of fun activities. She was in HEAVEN! I really wish Redding had something like this place, because I would be living there with my kids. She also had a blast playing on the beach, which we for sure need to do more of with her!

We were able to see friend and family while we were down there which was really nice. Also my friend/hairstylist got married while we were there. It was a beautiful wedding. I wish we had more time to visit more with our friends and do more fun things, but at the same time I was ready to come home.

David has been LOVING his job. It makes me so happy to see him love what he does. He comes home by 4:30 everyday, and has the weekends off, benefits, and paid vacation! Seriously awesome job. He is down in Monterey right now attending a conference for work. Yup, he's living it up down there with out me :(

Madison started preschool last month!!!!! My baby is growing up so fast. She is really exhausting right now because we are dealing with a lot of whining. That is one thing I can't stand! But other than that she is such a great girl, with such a great heart!

Mackenzie is almost 10 months old, has 8 teeth, 4 on top and 4 on bottom! She is cruising the furniture and standing a few seconds by her self. Madison was walking at 10 1/2 months so I am interested to see if she will do it by then. She is such a great sleeper! I love being able to lay her down wide awake and have her fall sleep all by herself. Madison was quite the opposite!

Well as for me, I have been busy with my photography. David just picked me up the 5D mark1!!! Pretty excited to start playing with it! I am also busy being a mommy to these amazing little girls. It's crazy how at the end of the day I feel like I have done a full on work out. But no all I do is lift a 21lb baby probably 25 times a day, then a toddler (35lbs) about 5. I don't think there is enough time in a day for mommy to have quiet time herself. That is why my kids are in bed by 7:30 and I stay up till 12am! Even then that's not long enough for me!

Her favorite book right now with Mr. Lorax himself

Auntie Love

Playing with clay

Playing with the paper airplane she made.

She makes this face all the time.

This kid is honest, and I love it!

First time meeting my friend Renae's baby Kinsley.

Joanna you were a beautiful bride!

Joanna's wedding in San Diego.

Michelle was in the Wedding. Beautiful as always :)

We got to see Brett, Emily and North! So fun!

Bekah at 27 weeks i think??? She's so cute! Due Nov 29th

Hoping it won't be so long before I write again! :)

The Foster boys

2011-09-20T23:54:00.000-07:00

So it's been forever since I have blogged. I'm so bad at keep up with it, but it's time to start back up. A lot of people have been asking me to take their pictures so I decided to start posting the shoots I've done. My friend Melissa asked me to take Bren's 8 month old picture, and of course I said yes. I asked her to bring Landon along as well so we could get some brotherly love. Could these two boys be any cuter?!?!?! Seriously, they both have eyes that photographers dream of capturing. I love taking pictures of kids! Sometimes it's hard work to get them to smile or you have to chase them around to get a good candid picture. Landon and Bren were seriously so easy we got the whole shoot done in 30 mins! I think it was probably the fastest shoot I've done yet! Thank you Travis and Melissa for letting me capture your wonderful boys!

Monterey CA

2011-04-20T23:44:00.000-07:00

David and I took a quick weekend trip down to Monterey almost 2 weeks ago! We had soooooooooooo much fun while we were there. We left Madison with Nana and Papa, which is pretty much a vacation for her as well. We stopped in SF to stay with Bekah and Jason, just to break the trip up a bit. It was so nice just to get away and hang out with some pretty awesome people. James and Carmen have been wanting us to come down and visit them ever since they moved down to Monterey. It is just so beautiful down there! I can't wait till our next trip to go down and visit. I want to bring Madison along next time so she can have some fun in the ocean. I had some fun shopping as well! :) What girl doesn't love to shop! Here are some fun pictures, enjoy.

My life :)

Happy Girl

AMAZING goodness right here!

Life is like a box of Chocolates.

The Stirring

2011-03-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today David and I were both able to make it to The Stirring church today! I went solo last week due to David having to be at work. We have been talking about going for quite a while now and have just been putting it off, or always have something come up or have been to tired to get out of bed to be there by 9am! My friends that go there have been encouraging us to try it out and have been patiently waiting for us to join them. Last week I told them no if and's or buts we are going to make it. Well Davids job was requiring him to be at work and I am not one to just go try something new all alone. Especially since it was the time change and loosing an hr of sleep. But I told myself I am going to do this, and David encouraged me to go. So i drug myself and the kids out of bed and made it pretty much on time! And I am glad I went. Madison came home singing songs she has learned in church and had a great time. This week David was able to come as well. I feel passion for life and God coming back into my life and I am so excited to have this feeling again. I feel like my relationship with God has been dead for quite a while now because we really haven't had a church that felt like home to us. Bethel has just become way to big for us, and it has been really hard for us to connect with other families and have that community feel. After going two times to The Stirring I already feel passion, and apart of a family! It is just the type of church we have been looking to be apart of and raise our kids up in. I have already signed up to attend the woman's retreat next sat and David was able to go to the mens breakfast yesterday and enjoy some guy time. So Thank you Julie Read and Anna Anna Moseley for giving me that little push to try it out and making us apart of everything! I am so excited to serve God with you guys and be apart of everything. I am excited to meet new people, and for Madison to learn about God with her friends.

On another note, Anna has been inspiring me to be creative and get organized with my house. She gave me all these ideas from her blog. You should check it out and be inspired as well!

I had so much fun making this floral arrangement. It cost me about $12 to make it and and what I love about it is that I can change the flowers out for whatever season it is.

This is going to be a gum ball/candy jar for Madison. Check it out Here to see how to make it. I cant wait to see it finished! I will be using this for her reward jar :)

Love having my jewelery organized! I need to get another one.

This is David's cousin Sarah's Family along with Davids Parents. They were headed down to Disneyland and stopped by to say hello. Madison wasn't to thrilled to be taking a picture, but I am so glad we got one! Thanks for visiting us guys!

Mackenzie with papa....at 13 weeks

Madison vs Mackenzie 3 at 3 months

2011-03-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

So tonight I was going through some old pictures and found some of Madison at the age that Mackenzie is now. I seriously made the SAME baby!!!!!!! I cant believe it. These pictures were taken down in San Diego when Bekah got married in 2008. Madison was 3 months old. Check it out :) Oh and i have to add that tonight Mackenzie did her first laugh with daddy while he was tickling her. SOoooooooooo cute!

This is Mackenzie

Madison at 3 months

The pictures may not justify it as much, but if you have been around her in person you should be able to see what i mean!

TIRED

2011-03-07T23:08:00.000-08:00

Wow, today was a hard day. Probably one of my hardest since I've had Mackenzie. For the past week my body hasn't felt right. I made a dish that I loved and the next morning it came right up and now I am disgusted to even think about it. Since then I have lost my appetite, and have lost a few pounds because of it. Every time I have a meal it doesnt seem to agree with my stomach. Not sure if its an allergy to dairy or wheat or what the heck is going on with me...maybe its just my hormones who knows. On top of not feeling well with low energy with the lack of food and nursing, I am exhausted! Why, because I have a 3 month old and a almost 3 year old and one of them wakes up 2-3 times a night and the other at 7am!

So today I just hit the point of IM SO FREAKING TIRED! I'm tired of the screaming, tired of Madison not listening, tired of not feeling good, tired of my headaches, tired of a husband who works 24/7, tired of cleaning the house up, and the list goes on. It's been a really hard day filled with lots and lots of tears. My poor Madison doesn't really understand why mommy is so sad and it broke my heart to be so worn out that I just laid on the couch crying and watching her play all by herself happy as can be. Tonight as i was saying goodnight to her I thanked her for being so good, and that I was sorry for being so sad today. She replies "mommy ill take care of you", and pats me on the back so lovingly. (tears)

At the end of the day I look at my beautiful girls in aw of how beautiful and cute they are and how they are worth it all. Its so hard to be in the moment of anger during the day and think but man your so cute. Thank God that he give us those moments to remind us how special they are.

Heres to a better day tomorrow!

Rainy Day

2011-03-03T22:48:00.000-08:00

Since I have been on my facebook fast I have been trying to be more mindful of my time spent with Madison. She is so great at playing by herself that I tend spend my time on the computer while she plays or watches a show. It's my outlet. I know this hasn't been a good thing seeing that this is why I am home so I can play with her, and do things around the house. I will admit even while on my facebook fast I am guilty of spending too much time on the computer! So today I made it a point to do something fun with her, and what could be more fun then play-doh on a rainy wet day. Right now I am working with her on learning her letters and numbers. She is a fast learner and I'm sure in no time she will have this down! We have been reading 3 different Dr. Seuss book and by now she can practically read them to herself by memory and by looking at the pictures. It's so cute. I think his book are my favorite to read with her.

So I've been thinking I need to come up with more fun creative things to do with her, so if you have any ideas please share!

On another note, I have pretty much taken away her pull-up!!!!!! She has gone 2 days in a row and made it to morning dry. She even wakes up let let us know she has to go pee, which is awesome! My main reason for taking them away was that she is going backwards in going #2 in the toilet. She knows she can do it and isn't scared anymore, she is just getting lazy about it. So when I saw her trying to go in her pull-up, I took it away and said NO MORE PULL-UP's!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully this will be the thing to break it and get us out of the diaper world for her.

Miss Mackenzie is 12 weeks as of yesterday! Wow time flies even faster with her. She is a much happier baby now that her tummy issues are starting to handle them selves. Its so cute when she smiles and makes her cute little noises. Madison loves to get in her face and say "HI HI HI HI" to try to get her to smile. I think she is close to the point of getting her laugh, which I am SOOOOoooooo excited for! Every time I see her smile it makes me want more. On the other hand when I'm dealing with both of them crying at the same time I'm thinking to myself how can I have more.....hahahaha.

Ask Anna give away!

2011-02-24T22:31:00.000-08:00

So my friend Anna who I talked about in my previous post has this awesome blog called Ask Anna. She knows pretty much anything you want to know about house keeping, organizing, and cooking, and just being fun and creative! So check her site out and become a follower. You can also enter to win this awesome painting by doing what i did! Click here to check it all out!!!!! Trisha has some amazing art work. Here is her site

Weaverville trip

2011-02-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we took a trip up to Weaverville to visit Davids parents. Davids mom Barbara just had back surgery about 2 weeks ago, so Bekah came up as well. It was nice to just hang out and have auntie Bekah there to follow Madison around doing whatever she wanted to do. Barbara is doing good with her recovery, although i do think she should be taking it more easy, but she says shes feeling great.

While we were up there we took a trip out to the lake where there was still lots of snow to play in. Madison's first real time playing in the snow besides the other day where it only snowed a inch or two. She had a blast playing on David and Bekahs old sled from when they were a kid. Jim brought out all the toys including the snowmobiles! They are so much fun. I got up to 50mph! Great memories... :)

Recipe motivation

2011-02-21T22:51:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that I LOVE to cook. My friend Anna has this amazing blog about housekeeping, organization, and recipes. On todays blog it is all about meal planning and how to get organized with your recipes that you like to make. So tonight I got David to sit down with me and pick out what I was going to make for dinner for the next two week. Then we both got inspired to organize my cute recipe book I bought from Costco about a year ago! This whole time I have just been printing out recipes and throwing them into the side pocket. My goal has always been to type out the ones I love and print them on the cute paper this bider came with. So my amazing husband that he is helped me by creating a template for all my favored recipes! I am so proud of what we came up with, and no I couldn't have done this with out his help! I am super excited about this and I plan to keep posting recipes that I love, and hope you will enjoy making them as well.

Thanks Anna for the encouragement. It is going to be so much fun having this all organized now! This is also fun hang out time with my hubby. :) Everyone should check out her site and get motivated!

At the bottom there is a recipe for Chicken Pecan! It is AMAZING. I have attached a JPEG for those that want to print this out and add to your recipe binder, or e-mail me for a PDF version if you would like. :) Enjoy!

Let there be snow!

2011-02-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

Today was a very exciting day, it snowed it snowed!!!!!!!!! This was Madison first time being in the snow, so we were pretty excited to see little white flakes falling from the sky. I think I was a bit more excited to see the snow than Madison was though! These pictures were taken before the snow started to really stick at our house. Later on in the day we went to grandma's where there was even more snow on the ground and she was able to make snowballs and throw them into the pool. I love seeing snow on the ground, it just makes everything so beautiful and peaceful.

Today I also took Mackenzie to the Dr. for her 10 week check up. She weighed in at 13 lbs, and 23 1/2 inches long. She is in the 95%! I do know how to make chubby babies I guess. All in all it was a good day :)

It's been awhile

2011-02-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since my last blog! I have been thinking about blogging again for awhile but I just seem to forget about or don't make the time to actually do it! I'm not the best writer, but it is nice to look back on the past.

So tonight I have decided to take a little break from Facebook to make more time for my family. I always find myself on the computer (facebook) just sitting there doing nothing! I would love to start doing more projects with Madison and just have more interactive play time. That is my goal! I would love to start posting some recipes that I have found to be amazing as well! Since cooking is one of my passions. I will also have pictures on here to brag about how cute my kids are! Anyways, hope you will become a follower :)

Here are some pictures from today minus the one of Taylor and Mackenzie. Today Kenzie turned 10 weeks old! Oh how she is growing so fast.

Camping / life update again

2009-08-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

Well we just got back from our first camping trip together ever, and with out Madison. We left her with Grandma Skinner, so we could enjoy some time with out a crying baby in the car and in the middle of the night. We also are trying to get her use to staying at the Skinners, seeing that they will be watching her for a whole week while we are on our cruise in October. Needless to say, she did great and was busy doing all kinds of things with them.
We camped on the Klamath River, and it was just beautiful. I thought it was going to be a lot colder than what it was, but it was surprising very nice. We had a great time at the ocean just walking on the beach.

Madison is 16 months and growing like a weed right now. Everyone keeps telling me how she is getting so tall, and she really is! Her vocabulary is growing as well. It unbelievable how from week to week she has something new she is doing. She is just so cute when she dances!!! And she loves to dance! I just bought her a potty chair to start the training process. She has been letting me know when she is poo-pooing so I figured why not start now!

David is starting the master program on Saturday, and will have class every sat for the next 2 years. We are still praying for a good job for him. It has been tough having him stay in Weaverville while he works for the week. I just have to keep thinking this won't be forever! As for me I will probably be working most weekends now till Christmas, which is good, but less time I get to spend with David. We are making things work though so i am able to stay home with Madison. It is also a nice little break for me to get out and feel like a normal person. I am also wanting to take the photography class at the college this semester. I just registered the other day for it. :)

Hope you all are doing good, that is about it I think. Hopefully it won't be to long before my next blog!

Life up-date

2009-06-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

David and I have book a cruise to Mexico! I am so excited about it because there are a bunch of people going on it that I know! Since our last cruise David and I decided to only take another one if we could get friends to go with us, because we would just have that much more fun! We have a really big group going so I know it's going to be a BLAST. We are leaving Madison with Grandma Skinner, and she is just beside her self excited about it. We will be going in October, which is close to my birthday and our 4 year anniversary!

Madison is doing great! She is just so fun, the older she gets the more fun she is! I love every stage of life so far, but every stage just gets better and better. We are having to learn how to shape her strong willed personality, which is one of the hardest things to do right now! I need a class i think! :) She is healthy and strong seeing that we exposed her to chicken pox 2 times and never got it! There was definate saliva exchange as well, but nothin. We start our first swim class on Monday as well! I know she is just going to love it. I have 2 friends taking the class with us, so I know we will have a great time.

Since David graduated he has been insearch for a good job. He is still working for his dad in Weaverville as of right now. He will be interviewing in Sacramento for a job he would really like. He already did a phone interview with them, but this next one is with 3 head people with the company. So keep him in your prayers as his interview is on Tuesday.

That's about it in a nut shell right now, I hope you all are doing fabulous!

2009-06-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

David, Madison and I, just got back from visiting Davids sister in San Fransisco! We had so much fun. We took Madison to the zoo one day, and she just loved being able to run around and look at all the animals. I must admit that I am not much of a zoo person but it was a lot of fun.

Bekah and I went yard saleing on sat. We founds a few good things, but most were over priced for a yard sale! Common people its a yard sale if you want to get rid of your stuff then make it cheap! They were selling stuffed animals for $2 when most are 25 cents. It was still fun just to cruise around the town and see what the area was like.

Hre are photos from our trip. Thank you Bekah and Jason for making it a great time for us! I also appriciate you getting up with Madison so we could sleep in, your the best. We love you guys so much. :)

Update

2009-06-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

Wow it's been a while since I have blogged! Sorry, Madison sure has been keeping me busy, along with me working on the weekends. We are also getting ready to head down to San Fransisco this weekend to visit Davids sister. I haven't even had a chance to edit my Texas visit.

This last memorial day we made it to Trinity lake, which is up where Davids parents live in Weaverville. We had a blast! A perfect day with great friends and family. We all love getting a little sun, and the boys and Shawna enjoyed getting behind the boat. Kristen and I enjoyed being in the front of the boat soaking up the sun and watching them.

Madison is 14 months old now and developing so quickly! She is starting to imitate words we say now, and even learning what some of them are. It is just so much fun to watch her personality unfold! I still can't believe it has gone by so fast and that she is so big now! Here are some of her words she says now...Uh oh, bye-bye, hot, peaz, thank you, mamma, dada, paco, all done, well that's all I can think of right now, but I know there is more. Of course some of them are just the sound of the word, but you can tell that's what she is saying.

David graduated with his BA in business about a week ago! He is going on for his maters, which will take 2 years and every single sat till then! We both know it will be worth it. Especially while the job market is slow right now, it is a good time to be in school. I am so proudof him and his accomplishments! He is such a great daddy to Madison, and one amazing man to be married to! I am so lucky to have him in my life. So Cheers to you babe, thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication to making our life better.

So I thought I would post some pictures from our day and a few other recent pictures of Madison. Enjoy :)

The Runyan Family

2009-04-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

I am Leaving for Austin TX tomorrow to visit my friend Tiffany! Madison will be staying here with David, so this will be a nice little break for me. I wanted to get these pictures on here before I left, because I'm sure I will have a bunch to post from my trip.

This is the Runyan family. My friend Rachel asked me if I would take pictures of them, because they know that I am trying to learn my camera and all the editing. I think with every shoot I have learned something new so far. With each one I keep getting better. Which makes me so excited! I have been friend with Rachel since grade school. She is such an amazing person! She is also the one who pretty much put Madison's Birthday cake together for me. This family is all so close with each other, perhaps the closest I have ever seen a family be, which I think is totally awesome! Rachel's sister and brother in law the the new baby are moving to TX this week, so this was the last time the family would all be together for a while. So here is to the Runyan's!

My girl and Me

2009-04-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

So here are some photos from last week. I love cloudy days, it makes for great lighting! I realize that since I am always the one behind the camera, I am never in the photos. So I asked David to take some pictures of Madison and I together. :)

Madison's 1st Birthday

2009-04-03T09:20:00.001-07:00

Wow, that was a lot of presents
Uncle Dan, helping her open some presents
She loves all her presents, Thank you all!!!
She loved her cake!
The cutest birthday cake ever! Thanks Guys for your help!!

We love our little girl
Auntie Bekah, thanks for coming up for my party!
I love this picture, they were all crying at once!
All the kids together
Katelynn & Madison
First time cousins are all together for a photo!
Thanks Family for coming!!!!
She loved the chocolate fountain
Papa having some fun with his girl

I can't believe that it has been a whole year that we have had Madison here with us. It has been so much fun having her around. I just love watching her grow and start to do new things every day. She is really starting to communicate with us so we can sort of understand what she wants. This year has been full of challenges for sure but she is all worth it.

Thanks to Renae for taking her birthday pictures, so I didn't have to worry about the camera! Such a big help. Thanks to Rachel, and Stephanie for helping make such a beautiful cake! Thanks to Mom and Dad for letting us use their house! It was a perfect day with perfect weather.

Who knows with the next one will show up. David is ready now, but I am the one on the fence, seeing that I am the one who has to grow it inside of me! Having Madison to chase around is a lot of work and very tiring so I can only imagine what it's going to be like when I am pregnant.

Malea Moseley

2009-03-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

So here is another shoot that I did, with my wonderful friend Renae. This is Malea, a beautiful little girl who is a month old already. Thanks Anna for letting me practice with you guys. It's all a wonderful learning experience for me right now. I just love getting good results. I must say that this was a frustrating shoot, because my camera wasn't focusing, do to the lighting, because Renae had blurry pictures as well. But I am glad to say that we got some really good ones too. Thank you Renae for going with me and helping learn my camera better!

The last two are by Renae