Category Archives: London

2 Year Pictures and a Sister Shoot

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Becki M.

Isn’t she just gorgeous?

I mean, I know I’m her mama and mama’s always think so…but she’s super-dee-duper cute.

And now she is big.

She was super-dee-duper small. Like, 5 lbs, 12 oz kind of small.

After small, she got..well, not small. Like, 20 lbs at 6 months kind of not small. By 1…she was round and fluffy, like a “puff ball”, as Jackson would call her.

The baby is all gone.

She sleeps in a big girl bed and speaks in complete sentences. She knows her alphabet and can count to 10. She loves to sing songs, and just this morning when I went to get her out of bed she says,

“I want to dance today, Mama!”.

She has been my introduction into “the terrible twos”. I’ve never had one of those before. I thought the 3rd was supposed to be easier? The difference, though, in getting a “terrible two-er” when you are three kids in is that instead of just seeing how frustrated it makes you, you can understand and appreciate the passion that drives them.

She is very passionate.

London came along with us.

The two of them are basically inseparable now.

I think London has gone through a growth spurt, because they used to almost be the same height. Maybe now the twin question will stop? {probably not if they keep walking around like this}

Can I tell you how unbelievably blessed I feel to have two precious girls? Sisters are the absolute BEST! I’m so happy that they sometimes let me pretend like I’m one of them.

But only sometimes. 🙂

I love my girls. I am one lucky Mama.

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{what a weekend!}

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Becki M.

I love three day weekends.

So much TIME, you know? I feel like there is never enough of it, and then a 3 day weekend comes with perfect weather and family activities, and everything seems just right.

Saturday was gorgeous in Phoenix! A “cold front” had moved in, and brought our temperatures down into the low 80’s, which is unheard of at the end of May. We took advantage and worked on our deprived, forgotten backyard. We played in the pool and had a picnic lunch on our patio. We soaked up the sun, enjoyed the cool breeze, and took delight in the time we had.

For Memorial Day, we went down to Tucson to spend the day at Nana and Jerry’s house! We went swimming, spent time playing with cousins and family, enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner, and had such a wonderful time. London at one point declared that it was, “her best day ever.”

We had such a great time, and now we are in countdown mode for our much anticipated, week-long vacation in San Diego! Less than 3 weeks…

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A Perfect Day

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Becki M.

I have two types of perfect days.

There are perfect days that are perfect because I have no responsibilities (read: for some reason, my children aren’t with me). Don’t get me wrong; I adore my children. I do. But, in order to keep adoring them, I have to have a few perfect days without them. Usually they are with my husband, and they involve things like sleeping, reading, talking, walking, eating without cutting up food, eating hot food, eating my own food, not sharing my food, shopping for things that I need, not having a diaper in my purse, getting in and out of the car in 3 seconds flat, actually going inside a Starbucks rather than the drive-thru…you get the point.

Then there are the perfect days that are full of responsibility and cut up food and diapers and drive-thrus…the perfect days that are about our family. Friday was that kind of perfect day. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and we decided to go to the pool. Yep. It’s the beginning of April. It’s 95 outside. The days of constant wet swimsuits and towels in the dryer have started. I could not be happier about it.

It was perfect. The water is still heated from the winter, the temperatures aren’t scorching yet, and school isn’t out, so the pool isn’t busy. No lines, no crowds…just warm water, warm weather, the sweet smell of coconut sunscreen in the air and happy squeals from my children.

Perfect.

After the pool, we drove with the windows down to the nearest Rubios and sat outside, munching on food that reminded us of the beach and sea breezes. We went home, laid the kids down for naps, and took a nap ourselves.

I got a pedicure. I’ll spare you the picture, but a perfect day almost always includes a pedicure.

Then, we dyed Easter eggs.

I went with something new this year. I had seen a blogger do a post on dying your eggs with Kool-Aid instead of vinegar. I liked the idea of not stinking up my house (on a perfect day, stink house is not allowed), so I gave it a whirl. My house smelled of sugar, and the colors were vibrant and pretty. The only thing I noticed is that you have to wait until the eggs dry before you really handle them, or the color will wipe off. Other than that, it was fantastic, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to vinegar based dye!

Another tip I had seen (I can’t find my original pin to post for you) was to use whisks to hold your eggs while they are being colored. GENIUS! I mean, it was absolutely fantastic. Using whisks means that even your little ones can get in on the fun…Brooklyn loved dipping it in and out, in and out, in and out, in and out…you get the point. Aren’t the colors fabulous? Kool-Aid, ya’ll. It’s wicked awesome.

While I wouldn’t always put such an intense, time-consuming, possible tantrum-causing activity on a perfect day schedule…this made it the kid’s perfect day.

And when everyone around you, from 1-35, feels just as perfectly perfect as you do…then you know it’s a perfect day.

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Milestone Pictures – Downtown Gilbert Railroads

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Becki M.

About a month ago, I was all geared up to take London’s 3 year and Brooklyn’s 18 month pictures together.

Then the Great Plague of 2012 hit, and everyone was sick for a month.

It ended up working out pretty well, because during that time Jackson turned 6. So, I decided to just get all three of them done at one time. Whilst doing it I realized that probably wasn’t the smartest idea on my part; the kids weren’t focused and if I had done it one-on-one, I probably would have ended up with more shots. However, doing it this way gave me great rewards…such as the picture above.

I’m just going to say it: my children are adorable. 😉

Brooklyn: 19 months. Adorable, squishy ball of fun. She is a very tall girl, sitting at 34 inches (just 2 inches shy of her big sister…trust me, I get the “are they twins?” a lot!) and 24 pounds. She is wicked smart and very expressive. She loves to sing and dance, color, and can be frequently found with a baby doll or stuffed animal under her arm. This child is addicted to her blankie and her binky, much to her mother’s chagrin (but, hey! she’s the baby! who cares, right?). You never would know now that she had a developmental delay, as she gets exactly where she needs to be in record time. She is the life of our party.

London: 3 years. Holy moly, this girl is SPUNKY! As I’m writing this, I’m reminded of how we used to call her “spicy pepper.” A girly-girl sparkly princess to her core, she glitters and glows. She still has her charming fairy voice, and is my super polite, always compassionate, tender-hearted little soul. She knows all her letters and the sounds they make, can count to 20, and is learning how to make and follow patterns. She will start preschool (at home) in the fall, and she is VERY excited! She loves to dance, color, and can usually be found near her kitchen set in the playroom, preparing delicious treats for her family!

Jackson: 6 years. No longer are his updates about traditional milestones; we’ve reached the “boy zone” where, well…he’s made it all. His milestones are now focused on bigger things, like learning to ride a bike on his own and mastering multiplication. His current interests are weather, human anatomy, and volcanoes. He is currently planning on writing the National Hurricane Center to request that his name be used to name a hurricane in the future (there has never been a Jackson). He is finishing up second grade (six weeks left!) and is looking forward to our week long vacation to San Diego this summer. He plans to rock it at Legoland. 🙂

1,3, and 6. All such great ages, really. Each one of them bring their own jazz and spark to our family, and I really couldn’t imagine life without any of them. I love my precious babes!

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Sick, Sick, Sick

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Becki M.

The flu.

I’ve been blessed up to this point when it comes to that icky virus being in my house. We’ve never had it. Sure, we’ve had some nasty stuff, but never the real life, they-make-you-put-a-mask-on-your-child-and-walk-you-out-the-back-door-of-the-clinic kind of flu.

Apparently, it hasn’t really hit AZ yet. In fact, London is our pediatrician’s office first confirmed case this year.

Where is my prize? I don’t think I should have to pay my co-pay as a reward.

That day, I caught Brooklyn drinking out of London’s cup several times.

The next day, Brooklyn woke up with the flu. Surprise, surprise.

Daddy’s chair has been the place to be. The girls rotate sitting in it. It’s closest to the TV, which has had a steady stream of Bubble Guppies, Max and Ruby, and Peppa Pig on.

Sometimes they share.

We are on Day 4 for London, Day 2 for Brooklyn.

No end in sight for either of them.

Hopefully the rest of us are spared. I don’t have much hope for myself since I’m Mom and therefore all up in their business, but we’ve done a good job keeping Jackson away.

Keep my little loves in your thoughts and prayers.

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Happy Birthday, London!

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Becki M.

I can’t believe that my first baby girl turned 3! Absolutely crazy. On one hand, I think, “where did the time go?”, and then on the other hand I think about how far we’ve all come since she was born and it seems like 3 years was an eon in the past. Funny how that works.
Now, this tender lamb has been sick for every birthday she’s had. In fact, on her 2nd birthday last year she was admitted to the children’s hospital for four days. So, while we are at the point where we really only do birthday parties for big years like 1,5, etc., this girl NEEDED a party, and I was a Mama who needed to throw one for her!

Now, I didn’t get all kinds of crazy and invite everyone we know. We had a morning play date at our house with all of her little friends. Precious chaos, it was (that, of course, is easy to say now that the party is over).

I went with a Valentine’s Day theme since it is close to her birthday. Very easy to find all the decorations, and it was a lot of fun to pull off. I made her party hats, which was the one thing she requested for her party. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she replied with, “birthday hats!”, so I had to provide. They were really easy to do, and I found this amazing tutorial on Oh Happy Day. If you do party hats for a party, I highly suggest making your own! They were a huge hit! I did the ice cream cone cupcakes again, a turkey/cheese/fruit/goldfish platter for the kids, an amazing quinoa salad for the adults (I’ll post the recipe later), and mini fruit pizzas (again, recipe later).

I think her guests were pleased! All the little girls were on cloud 9 as London had received a huge trunk of dress up clothes for Christmas, and has acquired quite the collection of dolls and accessories. The boys were content with Jackson’s toys, and when they got bored they managed to find their way to our backyard sandpit or upstairs to his room where they could wrestle without the concerned eyes of their mothers upon them. In case you are wondering how we got all the children on the couch for a picture…it didn’t come without a bribe. It’s AMAZING what you can get kids to do when you are holding up ice cream cone cupcakes as a reward!
(Pausing for a moment to reflect on the fact that my 3 year old has more friends than me…)

She talked about this moment all.day.long. “Mama, do you ‘member when evwey bawdy sang me ‘Happy Birfday!” and I laufed and blew out da candles? Tha was so funneeey!!!”.

My precious London-girl,

Would you like to know something?

There isn’t a mommy on the planet who loves her little girl more than I love you. In fact, I feel a little silly saying it, because the words don’t compare to the emotion behind them. To put it simply, I treasure you.
I like lists. Let’s put your little treasures on a list…

1. I treasure your compassion. You genuinely care for all those around you. At your party, one of your friends stubbed and cut her toe. You were there in a second, comforting her with a gentle hand and kind words. Whenever your baby sister cries, you bring her books or her favorite stuffed animal and pat her, cooing words of sympathy like, “Oh, baby. Don’t cry. There, there.” When Jackson is in trouble, you sit outside the bathroom door, and are quick to make sure he is okay and happy when he exits. You are quick to say you are sorry, quick to forgive, and quick to love. I adore all this about you.
2. I treasure your song-like voice. It is sweet and high, and it’s like living with a tiny fairy of happiness. You chirp and sing all day long, and it is impossible to not smile around you.
3. I treasure the way you laugh. It’s hard to explain to those who haven’t heard it, but the best description would be like a firecracker. You explode in laughter!
4. I treasure how you run to me and Daddy when we return from being away. You’d think that we had been gone for years with the homecoming you give us, every single time.
5. I treasure how you say, “ARrrggghhhh! Imma pirate!”. A.DOR.A.BLE. Or how you try and imitate all the pigs on Peppa Pig. Or how you sing the Bubble Guppies song. Or how you would seriously let me read you 50 stories before bed.
6. I treasure your obedient heart. It makes my job 1,000 times easier.
7. I treasure how you sleep with an army of ~~junk~~ toys/stuffed animals/books in your bed. While it makes changing your sheets a 20 minute process, I know that one day you won’t sleep with anything and that will make you big.
8. I treasure how Jackson is your best friend. You would follow him anywhere, and your love for him in palpable.
9. I treasure how you’ve learned to ask me for the things you really desire. While sometimes this can be a bit…taxing…I love how you know that if I can give it to you, I will. Thank you for trusting me!
10. I treasure how I could think of 100 more things after all of these!

So, 3. I know this year will have its challenges, to be sure. You will desire your independence, but will still need my boundaries. You will desire your will to be done, while still needing my guidance. You will learn to express yourself in less than honorable ways, and will need me to correct you. You will be a girl who needs her mother’s unfailing love, and I will be here to give it to you.

I love you, my precious pumpkin face. With every fiber of my being.
Love,
Mama

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Sisters

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Becki M.

I love having two girls.

I know there will come a day where having two teen girls running through my house will be….interesting.

But for now, its mostly fun.

They have their moments, for sure. They bicker and yell and cry at each other. Mostly because of the ages they are at; both of them have yet to learn to really communicate effectively, so you can imagine the “arguments” they have. At least twice a day, the following happens:

Brooklyn isn’t gentle as she is trying to tickle London, London takes that as a personal insult, London shoves Brooklyn in retaliation, Brooklyn grabs London’s hair, London screams, Brooklyn laughs, Mommy crawls in the corner. Repeat.

All that is balanced out by the good moments. The moments they are separated by a thick piece of glass where neither of them can ~~love on~~ touch each other. London made it her personal mission to make Brooklyn laugh as hard as she could, and it was a victory. They played this way for a good 10 minutes…just enough time for me to think about getting a cup of coffee but not enough time to actually follow through.

Such is our life.

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Bringing in the New Year, Picnic Style!

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Becki M.

New Years Day brought us beautiful weather. Phoenix was hit with our “winter” early this year, and it seems as though we’ve been hovering in the 50s/60s for quite awhile. Desert folk don’t do very well for very long at temperatures that low, so when the 80 degree day popped up in our forecast, we took full advantage! We picked up pizza, packed up drinks and a blanket, and headed to the park to enjoy the warm evening. It was such a gorgeous evening, and I didn’t have to do dishes!

Great fun was had by all, but we are ready for cooler weather for just a bit! We only get to wear our sweaters and coats for such a short period of time, so we like to get as much use out of them as we can. We’d like to take the kids up north for a snow day, so hopefully winter will find us again soon!

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Christmas 2011

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Becki M.

Our children are 5.5, almost 3, and 16 months. While Brooklyn wasn’t super into it just yet, this was the first year that both Jackson and London were simply thrilled with everything the season is about! It was so much fun to countdown the “days until Jesus’ birthday”
with such gusto every morning. Jackson would change the days of our advent tree religiously and with the zeal of a child who has finally figured out that there is a day in the year where presents, food, family, and joy are
present in everything.
The festivities began for us the Friday before Christmas. Nana and Jerry came to our house for supper, and with them brought a huge box of gifts for the children. To say it was awesome would be an understatement; the gifts were fabulous and absolutely perfect for them! Jackson got a human anatomy set which he has named “Gray” after Gray’s Anatomy, London got a princess dress up box full of outfits and treasures, and Brooklyn got an elephant ball popper and musical instruments. The kids had a blast, and we all loved watching them enjoy everything so much!

On Christmas Eve, we headed to my parents house south of Tucson. We spent the day there with lots of my family, including my brother Bill and his wife Chasity. Bill had been deployed overseas and just came home a little before Thanksgiving, so it was good to see him! We had a traditional Swedish dinner, opened (more) gifts, and headed home.

Christmas morning!!!!! The kids were on cloud 9. Jackson, of course, woke up before the girls did. I anticipated this and had purchased new iPad games for him to play while he waited for his sisters to wake up. Once London woke up, they did stockings while I prepared our breakfast of pancakes and bacon (yum!). Brooklyn woke up and joined us for breakfast, and then to the tree we went!!! The children were just beside themselves with excitement, and we were blessed to be able to give them gifts that we knew they wanted. London got a singing Rapunzel doll and a doctor’s kit, which she has yet to put down. It is so fun to be able to do such wonderful things for them!
Greg and Jackson ended up with some sort of flu virus, so that put a bit of a damper on the day. 😦 Poor guys!
So, on to next year! Jackson started the countdown the day after Christmas! 🙂 We hope you enjoyed the holiday season with your family! Praise be to God for giving us cause to celebrate!

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Family Pictures 2011

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Becki M.

Greg and I have been married for 6 years. In that time, we’ve welcomed 3 children. Things moved very fast for us in those first few years; several job changes, two college degrees for Greg, buying a house, the babies…it’s a lot to shove in such a short amount of time. What we’ve never shoved in is family pictures.

Now, I love photography. I love how photos forever capture the moments your mind doesn’t have room to keep. What I don’t like is how much it costs. So, I’ve been putting off professional pictures for years (and by professional, I mean a REAL photographer, not JCPenneys or the like) knowing that we would just be adding more kids. Looking back, I really should have done it. I should have done it every single year, because they bring me such joy to look at. I will forever have these moments frozen in time, with Brooklyn’s shining blue eyes and dimples hiding in her fluffy cheeks, London’s wide eyes and wild hair, and Jackson’s absolute rebellion in smiling for the camera. When I look at them, I’ll remember how sweet they all were, and maybe 15 years from now I’ll be able to recall the sweet smell of Brooklyn’s hair and the sword fights between Greg and Jackson. I’ll hear London’s fairy voice chiming in my ear…the sweet sounds of memories.