{MAG GAB}

A Child's Prayer

2012-01-24T22:21:00.000-08:00

Usually Magson kneels with his head in the pillow and says something like this over and over again during his prayers:

I thank thee that we could have a great, great day...
I thank thee that we could have a great, great time,
And I thank thee for this great, great day...

I've been trying to help him think of more things to say, and this last week I've especially encouraged him to ask for some patience. Or maybe it's me that needs the patience? Anyway, to my surprise and despite his muffled voice, I've managed to catch a few pleas for patience here and there. But I haven't been able to catch everything, and since his prayers have suddenly gotten considerably longer and less repetitive, tonight I stuffed my head into the pillow next to his so I could hear better.

This is what I caught:

Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank thee for this great, great day.
Please bless me to be patient.
Please bless me to have my own dad.
Please bless me to have my own mom.
Please bless me to have my own friends...

After he said "amen," I immediately asked him what it meant when he said he wanted his own mom?! I was feeling really sad that he was basically saying he didn't have a mom, a dad or friends. Heartbreaking!

His grinning reply: "It means I love you. I'm pretty sure that's what it means."

Whew.

Snaps: Proud Owners

2012-01-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

We're going on day #3 of more snow and no school. (These particular pictures were taken on day #1.) And thanks to our winter wonderland, I'm now the proud owner of a really clean closet. Somehow all the snow has put me into spring cleaning mode.

This little one below is the proud owner of the only semi-decent pair of snow gloves in the family. Lucky her!

He's the proud owner of his very own snowman. (Don't worry, Magson does own better winter get-up than this. I just made him run back outside and get a picture taken with his snowman after he'd already shed his coat and gloves... he gave the snowman his hat.)

And this little miss is the proud owner of, well, ...I don't know exactly. Let's just say all things adorable!

Define Shine

2012-01-03T22:19:00.000-08:00

With the new year here and shining with so much potential, I have a million thoughts swirling. But I can't seem to make sentences out of them. All I know is I have a feeling twenty twelve is going to rock. Anyway, until I find words, I hope you enjoy these two pictures that caught my eye tonight.

All kinds of shimmer and shine, these two. xoxo

Sisters Christmas Video. Check.

2011-12-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

I am fully aware that I tend to go into hyper cheese mode when placed in front of a video camera, but Jake (my sister Em's hubby) managed to work his mad filming/editing skills to take the really gushy Marie stuff out (they told me to act like I was in love and I went a little overboard!) and left only the best in. Anyway, I love how it turned out and it was so fun to make!

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. Mine was pretty fantastic!

Two Steps Behind

2011-12-12T22:59:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to pop in and say that I'm still alive! Things have just been so busy, and I constantly feel two steps behind lately. But I hope to get my blogging groove back on soon! But realistically, the soonest that will happen is 2012! I've been doing a lot of last-minute online Christmas shopping, picture orders, and I also got called to serve as the president over the teenage girls at church (which I LOVE). So yeah, I'm just finding my new groove right now.

I have managed to keep up with my weekly posts over at Notes She Wrote, though! I just barely wrote a story over there about this sweet girl:

Beach Bums

2011-11-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Even when the weather was just so-so, we still hit the beach just about every single day during our trip down to California last month. We did lots of other things, too, (the San Diego Zoo, Imagination Station, hot tubbing, and relaxing), but I gotta say, I think we all loved the beach best! And I think my camera did, too.

I will cherish these pictures forever!

A Beautiful Sight

2011-11-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

I cannot remember a more beautiful Autumn than the one we're having up here in Washington this year. The air has been so crisp. The sky has been so clear. And the colors! The colors have been breathtaking. Of course, it's pouring buckets as I write this, but seriously! We really haven't had much rain at all compared to year's past. Even with all the rain, I wouldn't trade living here for anywhere else in the world, except maybe Europe... but that's not going to happen anytime soon!

But on to these pretty people! I loved how adoring they were of their sweet baby boy. I have never met a 3-month-old baby more content than him. Holy smokes, he was an angel outside in the chilly weather. He just seemed happy to be along for the ride, his family all wrapped up in him. It was a beautiful sight!

Families are Forever

2011-10-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is my sweet photographer friend, Jill Holyoak, and her radiant family. I love and admire Jill and all of my sweet friends and acquaintances who shine with so much goodness. My life is full of so many uplifting people like her, and I'm so thankful for that.

Oh, and one more thing: I love taking pictures of young families! Love. It.

Changes...

2011-10-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

This post has been a few months in the making, but it's time for me to officially announce that unless you're already on the calendar for 2012, I'm taking a break from my photography business next year. I do intend on picking back up again at the beginning of 2013, though, and I'm really looking forward to that!

In the meantime, I'm excited to take a much-needed breather! But let's be honest, I already have lots of plans for next year, which will include putting together a website and making other improvements to Marie Photographie. I'm also very excited about using this time to help my husband out with Flowers to Go by getting photographs of people and flowers up on the walls of our seven flower shops! :) Stay tuned for opportunities to model!

Also, I'm hoping that over the course of next year (as I get my photography website/blog going), this blog will morph back into a more well-rounded documentation of us and our family life. :)

Thanks for sticking with me!

XOXO-
Marie

PS. For those still needing to place print orders this year, if you could get those in by November 20th, that would be awesome! Thanks!

PPS. My post felt naked without pictures, so here are a few photos of some of the cutest babies I know! :)

Mini Shoot in Moses Lake

2011-10-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of September, I met up with my sister, Lauren, in Moses Lake. It was a great meeting point because our cousin Scarlet lives there. So, after a quick visit, I got to take a few pictures of her beautiful little family as they played in their front yard for a bit. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites!

Walking on Sunshine

2011-10-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

So, I forgot to mention that I went on vacation! I meant to do a post before we left, but just didn't get to it. Anyway, we'll be home from our trip to California soon, but in the meantime I thought I'd post this silly little movie my sister and I made in the middle of the night for our other two sisters who keep missing out on the sister reunions. :)

Cali pics coming soon!

No Place Like Home

2011-10-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

I love these people, and I am so glad they had me take their pictures again because it's always such a good time! Here are four beautiful girls (who, by the way, have the most beautiful smiles and flawless skin) that are lucky enough to have parents who adore them and each other. I love photographing families! Anyway, they wanted to stick close to home for their location this year, and these shots were practically taken in their backyard. And while I love getting creative with locations, I also think there's something special about having family portraits done in a place special to a family, and there's no place like home, right? :)

Stunning

2011-10-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

Photographing Shelby could never ever get old! She is so stunning and could easily be on the cover of a magazine--not to mention she's got tons of fashion sense. :) But what's even better, she's so fun to be around. How could anyone not love her??

Anyway, thanks again for being so patient with me about getting your peek up, and for the those still waiting, I am almost caught up! Hurray!

Xo/xo~ Marie

In Love with Your Smile

2011-10-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

I must sound like a broken record, introducing beautiful family after beautiful family, but what can I say? It's true! Another beautiful family very close to my heart. :) This is my cousin, Aleece, with her Australian hubby and kids. How can it be that we're all grown up? Seems like just yesterday that we were babies together...me the baldy, and Aleece with a full head of golden locks. But no worries, my hair finally came in... when I was two years old! haha Wish I had a picture of that to post for you guys--not. Did I just say "not?" :)

But I'm getting distracted...off to the pictures!

I don't think I've ever had a session with so many smiles. Miss you guys...

Orchard Wanted!

2011-09-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

I've searched Kitsap County high and low for an orchard location, and I've found ONE little one, but I have yet to get permission to shoot there. I've tried, and tried hard, but the owner is never home. So, I've left him notes and will continue to try because hello! An orchard is pretty much a fairytale to shoot in, at least to me. Maybe I'll grow my own orchard someday. Yeah, the girl who can't even keep her lawn alive...

But anyway! On to the pictures I took in one of the many orchards in Utah...

Could my little second cousins be any more ADORABLE??? I love these kids!

Love to Laugh

2011-09-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

This is my Aunt Missy and Uncle Doug's family who I ADORE*! They are such wonderful people, and one of my favorite things about them is that they love to laugh! It is always a fun time when we're together and I miss them! Now who's coming to visit me??? :)

Glowing

2011-09-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

So, I need to back up a little. I mentioned that I went to Utah a few weeks ago, and it's all thanks to my cousin Tricia who flew me down because she wanted to give her mom (my Aunt Missy) family pictures. I might be a little biased, but I think that is the sweetest gift ever!

Anyway, at the end of that big family shoot (peek coming shortly), they wanted pictures of this angel in her baptism dress if there was time. I'm so glad we made time for that! She was baptized earlier that very day, and she was positively glowing! I think these photos have something extra special about them, and it has nothing to do with me and everything to with this little girl. Heaven was close that evening. :)

All that Pretty Personality

2011-09-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the first of the sessions I'm going to post from my trip down to Utah earlier this month. I loved lots of things about that trip! It was so great to see so much family (this is my cousin's little girl), and it was fun to take pictures in some new places! I loved how all of my sessions down there were completely different. I think we did just about everything... scenic, orchard, urban, rustic...!

For this particular session I got to shoot during the early sunrise hours. I've always wanted to do that, and the lighting was beautiful, as was this little lovey girl! It was so fun to capture so many sides of her little personality. And if there's one thing I'll always remember about her at this age, it's that she loves shoes!

In fact, I think she's got her sad face on in some of these photos because I tried to go for the barefoot look and take off her shoes for some of the pics, haha. Big no, no! :)

We thought she might want to wear my big yellow shoes because she loves to put on grown-up shoes at home, but I think she still was too bummed that I took off her shoes. But no matter, I still love that picture. Watch out, Tricia! She'll be wearing big girl shoes before you know it! Love you guys!

A Garden Wedding

2011-09-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

Oh, wow. I've been so anxious to share some photos from the gorgeous wedding I recently photographed! This beautiful, sweet and kind couple had the most lovely wedding in their grandparent's 20-acre garden last month. I can't get over how beautiful it all was. Perfection! Anyway, I loooooove weddings and was so ecstatic that they chose to me to photograph them. What added to the fun was my good photographer friend Jill Holyoak came along to second shoot for me. She rocked it and took several of the pictures below. Thanks, Jill! Anyway, after being at their wedding and going through all the pictures, I kinda want to go hop in my wedding dress and relive my special day! :)

Cute, Cute Family!

2011-09-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

Ah, Palmers! Thank you so much for being so patient with me. Here is a little peek for you! The rest are coming shortly! I hope you love them as much as I do. You certainly are beautiful people!

Busy, Busy

2011-08-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

Whew! This last week or so has been a busy one. It seems like August has a way of producing packed weeks, but somehow I forget how hectic it can get until August is actually here. And now it's practically gone! Anyway, I thought I'd give you a quick summary of what we were up to last week before I fly to UT tomorrow for about five more photoshoots! Tis the season! :)

First, I got to take the lovely Palmer family pictures--grandma, grandpa, four kids and all the grandbabies. This is just one of the beautiful granddaughters. I have a lot more from this shoot coming...

Next up, I got to photograph a gorgeous, gorgeous wedding! I can't wait to show you more of this lovely couple. This picture was taken at Deception Pass. Love!

A few days later, Will took the day off so we could drive to Moses Lake to meet up with my sister, Lauren, at an awesome waterpark there. After a day of swimming, we went to visit my cousin, Scarlet, and her cute family. Anyway, here are some shots of a few of the most adorable baby boys on earth.

And last but not least, Lauren was so sweet to take a few family pictures of us. This one was my favorite. Sweet little Magnolia's face is sunshine! Thanks so much, Lu! You rock!

Anyway, with all the editing I have waiting and all the photoshoots coming up, and fun guests arriving (yipee), I don't know how much I'll be able to post in the next few weeks. So, if you get bored, be sure to check out the love song Lissie and I wrote together, my plea for this invention, and pictures from Maggie's tea party birthday.

And slow down, September!

2011-08-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when quite awhile ago my friend Lexi at Mostly True Stuff agreed to trade a photoshoot for some of her crafty goodness, and I got hooked up! (Thank you, Lexi!) I get so many compliments on the things she's made me, so you should definitely check out her Etsy shop. Anyway, here's a little peek at her family pictures! The baby, especially, just melts. my. heart!

Snaps: My Boys!

2011-08-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

I love how much Will and Magson look alike...minus their coloring, of course. (At least Magson has a little bit of me in him!) Will is always so happy when he is out on the lake, and Magson is already dreaming of when he'll wakeboard someday. But for now, little Magson always says, "That's too scary for me" if you ask him if he wants to give it a try. I don't blame him. Will's been pulling quite the stunts out there lately!

I love my boys. :)

Beautiful People {Part 2}

2011-08-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

I couldn't have found prettier or sweeter girls to debut my mosquito net. :) Again, such a lovely family!

Beautiful People {Part 1}

2011-08-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't declared one specific genre of portrait photography as my specialty, but having photographed one inspiring and loving family after the next lately, it makes me want to say, "I only photograph families!" While specializing might be a good career move, I'm not ready to declare one yet. I love it all too much...newborns! Weddings! Bring it on. But I must say, my special love for family portraits has taken me by surprise. I just love being with families. Parents who love each other--and adoring children. It's a beautiful thing. :)

Hope you love your first little peek, my sweet friends!

Cousins

2011-07-30T07:07:00.000-07:00

I was catching up with some editing and came across these gems! Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Snaps: Something Sweet

2011-07-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

The kids have been saying some of the sweetest and funniest things lately!

Maggie one night about a week ago: "I think Savannah is going to be at Kaitlyn's birthday party because they are best friends. I don't have a best friend. I wonder who my best friend is? Maybe it's that girl I met once at the park named Audrey. Maybe she's going to be my best friend."

(It surprised me that she didn't name a handful of girls off as her best friends because this girl has many girls she absolutely loves...)

Maggie this afternoon: "Mom!! I know who my best friend is! It's Magson!"

Magson about ten times a day in his best teasing voice: "I'm growing up, Mom! Hey Mom, I'm growing up!"

Maggie when I checked in on her the other night at bedtime: "I can't honk out, Mom. I keep trying to honk out, but I can't honk out."

Maggie to Baby Magnolia who snuck into Grandma's pantry on Sunday: "Girlfriend, you are making all kinds of messes!"

Magson just now in my bed (he's supposed to be in his bed sleeping): "Hey Mom, maybe you could sleep in Maggie's bed tonight, and Daddy could sleep in my bed tonight...that is a great idea."

(I guess his queen bed isn't big enough for all the growing up he's doing...he wants to cast us out and take over our king-sized bed.)

Magson a few minutes later: "I just love you, Mom."

All of the above melts. my. heart.

Anyway, above are some pictures I took of the kids mostly on Sunday. Magson really does look huge in that sleeping picture--he's like the length of the couch! Waaaah. The girls and I were matching, so I hopped in some too. Man, I love my little ones, and while I'm talking mushy, I can't tell you how much I love Will. He is always so willing to take pictures so I can be in some too, and whenever I ask him to help me watch the kids while I take pictures, he drops everything he's doing (even a really good book) and says something like, "You bet." I love that he loves me taking pictures. It's the sweetest thing. :)

Birthday Girl!

2011-07-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

I think one-year-old babies are so fun, and I sure enjoyed this lovely/beautiful/sweet family! One of my favorite moments was when this little doll baby would snuggle up to her dad for no reason--so adorable! That third to last picture just gave me the warmest and happiest feeling as I edited it because it was such a genuine moment. Loved that. :)

Anyway, I hope you guys love your peek!

Snaps: Happy Sad/Sad Happy

2011-07-18T23:01:00.001-07:00

Whoa! My life has suddenly stepped on the gas. I definitely have some catching up to do in just about every area of my life, leaving me extra scatterbrained. But somewhere in this jumbled brain, I've been categorizing some of the happies and sads around here.

Happy: Our neighbors spontaneously came over with lots of delicious guacamole the other night. I devoured more than my fair share as we played games. So fun and so yum!

Sad: I bought overpriced avocados the very next day because we loooove guacamole at our house, and I wanted to try out my neighbor's recipe since all I ever do to guac is add chile powder and garlic salt. One of the ingredients to her recipe was green chiles. So, after I smashed a fortune's worth of avacados, I grabbed green chiles out of our cupboard. I opened the can and thought to myself...

These chiles are one yucky shade of green...

I brought them to my nose.

These don't smell like green chiles...

I inspected them further.

These don't look like green chiles.

But whatever. I dumped them in, thought about those above thoughts one more time and concluded that I just hadn't seen, smelled or eaten green chiles in awhile--apparently I'd simply forgotten what canned chiles are like.

So, I mixed them in good.

And then it occurred to me that perhaps they were bad green chiles. I went to the trash to retrieve the can, and sure enough I saw "Best Used By August 2007" laughing at me in the face. What a depressing waste. We were all salivating at the thought of guac on our fajitas that night, too.

Happy: After a guacomole-less dinner, we had a spontaneous family movie night and watched "Bolt." I shed a few tears and almost wanted a dog after watching this animated/pretend movie. *Almost. Oh, and the baby sat on my lap for almost the entire thing! Extra cuddles, yes please!

Sad: After the movie I went to the kitchen and found water all over the floor and bubbles climbing the cupboards, threatening to drown our kitchen. Somebody put dish soap in the dishwasher. (Me.) Oops.

Happy: The kids loved playing in the bubbles and actually cleaned it all up with the help of the sweetest husband on earth. Aside from laundering a mountain of towels the next day, I didn't have to lift a finger.

Sad: Will got a speeding ticket on our way home from our dinner date on Friday night because I had him so wrapped up in conversation that he stopped paying attention to how fast he was driving. Shame on me, and goodbye dear sweet $150, you will be sorely missed.

Happy: When the kids didn't respond to me after calling and calling them for dinner (happy part coming), it finally occurred to me to look out front. I stepped out the door and eventually spotted them sitting on our street corner talking to their friends who were sitting on their opposite street corner. It was the cutest thing ever and somehow made me feel like we were living in a different era. Barefoot kids trying to be as near to their friends as they can on a summer evening without their parents knowing is just adorably priceless, I think.

Just Because

2011-07-08T01:10:00.000-07:00

As much as I am in love with my now--baby/toddler/preschool-aged little family, and as often as I give my munchkins a hard time about growing up, being around this family made me really look forward to the school-aged days! They were all so classy, loving and very fun! I loved how when we'd walk to a new spot, the girls would catch up to their mom and put an arm around her-- just because. I hope my girls love me as much when they're teenagers. And my goodness, these parents are so in love! I definitely went home from this session wanting to be a better wife and mother, so thank you for that!

I hope you enjoy your little peek; there are lots more coming!

Snaps: I Slept Until 10:30AM!

2011-07-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

This evening, as Will and I were packing up to go home from his parent's lake house, we looked at each other and had to agree that it was the perfect day--a perfect weekend, really. We had so much fun at the lake on Saturday, that after church on Sunday we got our things together to head back out again.

(The kids dressed up for church)

Can you blame us? This place is absolutely breathtaking. I go there and everything seems right in the world.

Straight away we made s'mores. Maggie is getting quite into it lately!

Yum!

Of course, we watched the fireworks that go off every 4th of July out on the lake. I didn't get any pictures of the show because I was too busy snuggling up to Magson. Both he and Maggie fell asleep in our arms before the show even started, but I definitely didn't mind gazing at their eyelids and kissing their foreheads a million times.

But here is a picture of the aftershow. Every year Will's parent's floating dock is used as a launching pad for the fireworks. Below is the aftermath. I've never seen firework canister things up close before. I thought they were pretty cool lookin'.

I still can't get over this, but Magnolia slept in until 10:30am the next morning! This means that I slept in until 10:30am! She just barely started sleeping all night long, so I was flabbergasted! I'm pretty sure that the extra shut eye helped me enjoy this weekend even more!

All the kids spent some time in the pool, Maggie especially. She can now swim the length of the little lap pool! We are so proud.

Here are Grandpa Billy and Grandma Rise with the kids. I have the best, best inlaws ever. I'm serious. I don't know how I got so lucky.

A family shot in front of the "fireworks":

Afterwards, the kids got ice cream cones for being so cooperative...

Oh, and I wanted to mention Maggie's bonnet. Will's aunt made it! I think it is so cute. If you're interested in buying one, I can get you her info. She's an amazing seamstress.

Actually, we all got icecream cones for being cooperative. :)

Really. This was the best weekend ever. I loved every second, and I'm so thankful to be living in this grand land! Happy 4th of July!

See more of me looking like a human firework over at Notes She Wrote. :)

The Book Thief Gets an A+...

2011-06-27T00:56:00.000-07:00

But my ballerina bun gets an F.

Read the review over at Notes She Wrote!

Sunshine

2011-06-25T01:22:00.000-07:00

This family is one that has been on my mind so much lately. I honestly don't really know what to say other than that I am absolutely smitten with Michelle and how radiant she is. Beautiful, beautiful. Her husband passed away last year in an accident and here she is with her sunny smile and personality, raising her little ones with such faith and optimism. I feel like every single one of these pictures is evidence of what an amazing job she is doing as a mother. I got teary quite a few times while editing these, picturing myself in her shoes. I know I can't begin to understand what it's like to have your best friend die so suddenly like that, but I do know that if that were ever to happen to me, I hope that I would have as much faith and love to carry on.

I looooved--loved every breath of this session!

Sweet Childhood Friend

2011-06-21T00:40:00.000-07:00

The beautiful mother in these pictures is one of my oldest friends...seriously, I think I met her and her twin sister when I was about eight years old! We would often go on day trips to visit castles and beautiful parks together when both of our families lived in Germany. Oh, and I remember our moms would trade; her mom would teach me and my brother piano lessons, and my mom would teach the twins how to sew once a week--pretty awesome stuff, and such great memories.

Anyway, I was delighted when they made the trip up from UT to WA to visit their family up here and also have me photograph them. The only bummer of the evening was their photoshoot went by way too fast. We didn't get to hang out long enough! Such is life. :( There is never enough time!

But without further ado, I hope you guys love these pictures as much as I do:

And PS. I can't believe so many photogenic people could be bundled up in one family. You are one good-lookin' bunch!

Bye Bye Bubblegum

2011-06-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today over at Notes She Wrote, I tell about my latest painting project gone wrong. Sigh.

Cherished

2011-06-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

It was 2pm before we were all finally ready to go for the promised walk to both the little park and the big park in our neighborhood yesterday. Well, everyone was ready but me. I still hadn't showered! A few steps in, it began to rain. I thought, no big deal, it's just a drizzle.

But then I hollered to the kids to hang on a minute.

"I need to run in and get a jacket for Magnolia. Wait right there," I told them.

After getting her into warmer clothing, we set off again, but now it was more than sprinkling. I wanted to turn around. I tried to coax the kids into coming home and going to the park later. But they just kept pedaling on their bikes, and I quickly gave up.

And so on we went for a mile in the rain. I was in flip flops. Magson was in shorts. Maggie in a dress. We came home looking like we'd jumped into a pool with our clothes on. We definitely weren't fully prepared for that rain, but I have to say we made the most of that adventure and came home smiling. And even I was glad we went.

Aside from our walk in the rain, nothing spectacular happened yesterday, but I loved it with everything in me. I think it's because over and over again in the last few weeks and months, I've been reminded of just how fragile our lives are. I've gathered so much strength and inspiration from people who bounce back from huge trials and adversities with faith and love. Hearing about two tragic stories just the other night helped me cherish the moments of my life a little more and a little better yesterday.

The sun came out again as soon as we were home. I thought that was kind of funny and ironic. The sun always does shine again--even when it's pouring out.

Four Weeks New

2011-06-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

This beautiful baby boy arrived earlier than we expected, and so I wasn't able to take his picture until he was about a month old. But no matter; he still let me photograph him sleeping, and what a sweet little sleeper he was! And when awake, he always seemed to know when his big brother entered the room. The strong bond between the brothers was so fun to watch! I think it's so adorable how newborn babies come to earth already knowing and loving the voices of their family.

Many thanks to this lovely family for bringing such a sweet baby into my home! It was truly a pleasure getting to know you all! Here's a little peek:

Will's Got Skills

2011-06-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

A couple things:

1. Some of you commented on Will's photog skills here. I have to agree! It came out of nowhere, too. But he's two for two. Go Will!

2. I'm booked for the summer. I really hate writing that, but it's true. I wish I were superwoman and could handle as many photoshoots as I'd like to. But that's okay! I do have some openings in September that a few people have expressed interest in, but whoever pays the session fee first will get those slots. :)

3. My cell isn't working. So until I get a new phone, email is probably the best way to contact me. Or my home line. But that phone doesn't have an answering machine and I'm kinda deaf, so there's no guarantees there.

Happy Tuesday!

Cole Cowboy

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

I could gobble this baby cowboy right up. Cole, you are Gerber-baby cute! And so is your mom, all fit and doing yoga moves on her first-ever vlog. Well, maybe she's not Gerber baby cute, but I think she definitely has gobble potential.

Oh, and please don't be annoyed with me for sending you over to Notes She Wrote again. I just can't help myself, since this was our big kick-off week. I ain't gonna lie, we're taking this baby pretty seriously. It's like blog or die over there. (Help!) Just kiddin'.

And one last thing, today marks the fifth day in a row that I've posted, although most of my posts have been short and sweet, minus the monster love story. (Thanks for all the sweet emails and comments from those of you that read it, by the way. They meant a lot to me!) So yeah, I guess posting Monday-Friday is doable if the majority of them are little posts. Do you guys like that better? Shorter posts more frequently? Or would you rather bigger posts less often like usual?

It's like me asking if you want a little snack everyday or dessert once a week? Hmmmm...

Kitchen Rockstar

2011-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

And today over at Notes She Wrote, Lissie says she can't cook...

Nonsense! Watch out Betty Crocker!

True Love Story--The Complete Version

2011-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

I did a pretty rotten thing last year when I started telling my love story and then just stopped. Yeah, sorry about that... I should've completed the whole thing before I started posting.

I didn't realize the next few segments would be so difficult to write! The parts where Will wasn't in the story were really hard on me. But finally, I managed to finish the story! I do pinky promise I will not leave you hanging this time; I don't pinky promise there are no cheesy parts. And whether anyone reads it or not (it's rather lengthy), I'm so glad to have it all down for my own personal history.

And if you need a refresher or didn't catch the beginning of this captivating romance (hehe) start with Part 1 just below, otherwise just skip ahead to Part 4.

Love Story Part 1 {At First Sight}

Love Story Part 2 {The Bubble Sheet}

Love Story Part 3 {Window of Sunshine}

Love Story—Part 4 {Dating Frenzy}

(Photo Above: Taken on our seventh anniversary a few weeks ago. Emma and Ashley taught me how to make a True Love Icecream Cake to celebrate the occasion! Recipe can be found today on Notes She Wrote. )

I was devastated. I couldn’t comprehend how something I felt so right about was broken, how for no real identifiable reason, Will and I were a thing of the past. Like a constant lump in my heart, it was a tender pain. What hurt most was that our friendly interaction after the breakup seemed to dissolve into what felt like acquaintance status after he transferred to a new school. And so for the next year, I worked hard to forget about him.

I tried to distract myself. First, I briefly dated Paul. He was a good guy (cute, fun-loving), no doubt about that, but a little too goofy for my taste. And the thought of kissing him made me want to jump out of his truck. He was nothing compared to Will.

Not long after Paul, I met Ryan who, aside from being on the short side, I found very attractive. He reminded me of Superman—dark hair, fair skin, smart glasses. I loved how he adored me whether I was in the mood to reciprocate or not, and we casually dated for a semester. But I liked him best the following summer when he left on his mission and I returned home to Germany. I loved the romance of writing to him from my window-facing desk that overlooked my little German village. He’d send me pictures of himself all brown from the Brazilian sun and my little sisters and I would regularly coo over them.

As I wrote him letters in my bubbly cursive, I imagined him transforming into just the man I wanted. The summer passed quickly and I returned back to school. I kept in touch with his former roommates, and after getting to know them better; I discovered that Ryan the Romancer and Ryan the Roommate were two completely different people. The Ryan I knew was a go-getter gentleman, but his roommates insisted he was a lazy couch potato who rarely went to church. I refused to believe them and was horribly sad when I caught word that he’d sent a postcard to his roommates informing them he was fatally ill and would be returning home early.

Ryan was going to die.

That is, until I found out it was all a big joke! Looking back, I probably made a bigger deal of his little prank than I should have. Regardless, I concluded that he couldn’t be trusted. Goodbye, Ryan.

Hello, Brian. Brian was tall with dark curly hair, light eyes and an enticing smile. I spotted him from across the dance floor and really loved his classy way of dressing. But it didn’t take long to discover he was dripping with a mushy dating style and cared a little too much about his clothes. Did I really want to date a guy who tried to match what I was wearing on a daily basis? Uh, no, absolutely not. But he was relentless in his pursuit of me, and it eventually took persistent Marie rage (slamming doors in his face and good old fashioned hiding—not at effective as I’d like) to finally get rid of him. Yes, as well-dressed as he was, he definitely was not for me.

James was blond, ripped and captain of the Ricks College football team. I thought his last name was a perfect fit with mine: Marie Allred Anderson. It sounds like the name of a law firm to me now, but back then, I thought it slid off the tongue beautifully. But he made me feel dumb and inadequate, and I was even less decisive than normal around him. I felt like he thought he was doing me a huge favor by dating me. I think the deal breaker was the time I went to the nearby hot springs with him. As I stood next to the pool, feeling vulnerable in my bathing suit, he told me that his dad told him to make sure my ankles were small, because if they weren’t, that meant I’d get fat one day. My confidence was vacuumed by his presence.

Scott was the charismatic and preppy type. Looking back, he looked the part of a politician and always had a flock of girls pecking for his attention, which he freely gave. He was handsome to me, but I can’t pinpoint why; he had small brown eyes and moderately crooked teeth. He was flirty in a condescending way, which was compounded by his height. I had to crane my neck to look up at him. He was also non-committal, which I diagnosed as a result of unresolved issues with his past. Whatever the case, our affection felt contrived, and I was never sure if he really liked me and vice versa.

And so, for that first year after Will, it simply didn’t work out with any of these guys. In large part, this was because I was comparing them all to Will—the way he was so genuine and friendly, spiritual and smart. The first time I saw Will, he looked like the all-American family guy, my kind of perfect. Those other boys never stood a chance.

But after exhausting myself with impossible and unfulfilled dreams of these boyfriends renovating themselves into some semblance of Will, I decided that enough was enough.

“Claire, I’m done with Will.”

"Oh, yeah?”

She was confused since I hadn’t talked to, seen or heard from Will in ages.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t like him anymore. I’m over him. If I go on wishing that someday I’ll be with him again, then I’m going to spend my life very disappointed and alone. No more Will. He’s bad for my emotional health.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m serious.”

It wasn’t long after that conversation with Claire that I flew home to Germany again for the summer. I worked hard to save up for another year’s tuition, spent cherished time with family and welcomed the break from the dating frenzy of the previous school year. Toward the end of the summer, as if my email inbox yearned for some attention having been mostly neglected all summer long—ping! In bold, an email from Will Gross appeared. In shock, my eyebrows lifted toward the screen for a split second before I rushed to click it open.

I loved the casual and friendly email he’d written me; his kind voice filled my body with head-to-toe delight. Without missing a beat, I hit reply so that I could respond. But wait. I had to email Claire first:

Oh my gosh, Claire! You are never going to believe who wrote me!! WILL!! Aaah! I mean it wasn’t really anything, he just wanted to see how I was doing, but eek—WILL!! My Will. Can you believe it? Love, your giddy roommate.

I hit send.

And then all my manic feelings plummeted, my eyeballs doubled in size and I pushed my body away from the computer screen in disbelief at my carelessness. I didn’t send that email to Claire—I accidentally sent it to Will.

Will wrote me back as if nothing had happened, although I don’t think the increased ring of confidence in his next few emails was imaginary. We continued to fill one another’s inboxes in the few weeks left before I headed back to school...

Love Story Part 5 {Channing}

Part 6 (Engaged in Paris}

Love Story Part 7 {The Best Breakup News Ever}

Love Story Part 8 {Together Again}

Love Story Part 9 {Tears and Raindrops}

Snaps: Summer Boy

2011-06-07T00:48:00.000-07:00

Today Magson looked so full of boyish content as he played in his bed after a fun morning of swimming with the neighbor kids out back. The contrast of his brown skin against his beautiful white bedding (my mom made) was divine. He is devouring the glorious sunshine we've had, and seems happiest when he's out in the warm light of summer.

PS. I fixed the Notes She Wrote link in the post below. Sorry if you clicked on it yesterday and it didn't work! Today Lulu posted pictures there of some super cute capris she found for only a buck at Goodwill the other day. Seriously, what a steal!

Notes She Wrote

2011-06-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

If you have a minute, go check out the blog my sisters and I started together. It's called Notes She Wrote. I kicked it off with a post on photography posing tips. I even wrote a rap song for my bio underneath the "Marie" tab. I'm that excited about it. :)

So, yeah. Every Monday I'll be posting there, sharing with my sisters some of the things I love. Lauren's posting on Tuesdays, Em on Wednesdays and 16-year-old Lissie will be posting from Germany on Thursdays. Oh, and get this. We're going to Vlog (video blog) on Fridays! Eeek. I just barely started getting comfy on camera and now I have to get on video! Should be fun, though!

Miss Madison

2011-06-03T00:27:00.000-07:00

I wish I could post everyday...I don't know how people do that! But in an effort to post more frequently, I'll just share one picture of little Miss Maddy at three months old. Such an angelic beauty!

Sometimes I Love the Spotlight...

2011-05-31T23:09:00.000-07:00

Usually, I'm a bit jittery and leery about getting in front of the camera, and this might sound vain, but I'm starting love it! Not only does the self-consciousness and nerves give me great perspective as to what it's like for those I photograph, but it's so fun to overcome that and let loose! A big thanks to Lauren and Ashley for letting me hop in a few pictures. You two have skills!

But enough about me, here you have my lovely sisters who have always been such naturals in front of the camera, as well as the ever gorgeous Ashley, who I could've taken pictures of all day. :)

goo-goo gah-gah

2011-05-28T00:38:00.001-07:00

Lucky me, two of my sisters are here visiting with their babies! And I've adopted another sister--Em's sister in law, Ashley, who also came with her beautiful baby girl! I'm in baby heaven...four little loves between us. :)

Naturally, we've gone crazy with the photoshoots, and that's the understatement of the century. I have so. many. pictures to look through! But when you have the cutest niece and nephew on the planet, well, there's no option other than to take a gazillion photos. So, here are a couple I wanted to quick and share since I haven't posted in awhile, and I don't know when I'll have time to post again. Just know that there's lots more cuteness a'comin, and that I've been loving every second of our time together.

Mr. Cole, 5 months old.

And Miss Annabelle, 6 months old.

Gah! They are so cute!

Whoa-ah! Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

2011-05-15T21:48:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, I admired how Mika Beth Edwards painted a bunch of tires for a photoshoot. I was blown away by her creativity and really hoped to someday take pictures with painted tires myself. Turns out, last week I had the perfect reason to hunt down nine free and very dirty tires on Craigslist. I had to haul them home in between all our car seats without hurting my little ones. Unload them. Explain myself to my neighbors out mowing their lawns. Wash them. Scrub them. Scrub them some more. Throw them around the driveway to get out all the water trapped inside of them. Dry them. Avoid weird looks from passerby. Tell myself over and over again that I'm not a crazy junk-hoarding kinda lady, and that this would be well worth it. Oh yeah, and paint them.

But back to my reason. At church, we're all given callings (essentially an assignment to serve in a specific way). I just got a new calling to plan one-hour activities for the eight and nine-year-old girls a couple times a month. I immediately thought PhOtoShoOt! And yes, I'd say looking like a crazy tire lady was well worth it. Just look at these beauties!

I Love You!

2011-05-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

For the last several years on Mother's Day, I've wanted to write a blog post in honor of motherhood--in honor of my mom in particular. But I just couldn't do it. I felt like no matter what I said, it wouldn't do justice to the kind of mom I have and the kind of childhood I had. The whole topic seemed so overwhelming, and if I was going to write a tribute to my mother, I wanted to get it right. It still seems that way, but my heart is extra full today. I feel that if I don't write something down, I'll be disappointed in myself. Some things need to be expressed, even if my perfectionist devil says it's not good enough.

Just a second ago, before I began writing, I went through an old box hunting for a picture of my mom and me. I knew the one I wanted and I couldn't find it. What I did find, though, was my mom's beautiful handwriting describing her feelings when I first came home from the hospital, my first Christmas, and many other firsts. It was all things I've read before. But it struck me differently because I don't think I've read through that stuff since becoming a mom myself. I could relate to the feelings she expressed on a entirely differently level.

What I'm realizing is that being a mom to my three little ones is an unfolding vision of the love my mom has for me and my siblings. When I playback my childhood in my mind, my memory recalls it all a little differently now that I'm a mom. I have more compassion and gratitude for all that she did for me, all that she felt for me. When each of my kids were first placed in my arms at the hospital, the love I felt was life changing and rejuvenating. And each time I have those "my-heart-is-going-to-burst" and "the-tears-are-coming" feelings of love for my kids, I almost always think of my mom. This is how she feels!

Many times growing up, I remember my mom saying, "You kids are driving me crazy!" I say that so often now. I totally get it. My kids drive me crazy and sometimes I feel like I'm going to lose it. The potty training, the endless messes, the tireless cooking, taking three kids into the store! At face value, one might wonder what the big deal is. But seriously, it's a big deal. The buckling in and out of seat belts, the running in circles, brushing their teeth, bathing them, the laundry, putting on their clothes and shoes in the morning, and taking off their clothes and shoes at night, putting on their pajamas, helping them clean their rooms. Think of everything you do for yourself on a daily basis and times it by the number of young kids you have. And then I think you better times it again because there's almost always hiccups in the process.

Add to that all the perks, like snuggling and bedtime stories and watching them learn and grow. Add to that teaching them and listening to them and taking in all of their innocent beauty and worrying and wanting to do better all the time. Add all that good stuff up, and believe me, you have a full day.

And so, three kids in, I'm starting to understand just what it was my mom did for me, for all seven of us kids. She gave us everything. She gave us her heart, her hands, her mind, her faith, her love. And I'm feeling the enormity of it all as I have those feelings for my kids now. And while I know I've expressed appreciation to her before, I wanted it to be publicly this year. Mom, I love you again and again and then some. The way you raised me is praiseworthy and so good, and I can only hope I'm following in your footsteps. You are such and inspiration and example to me.

I love you!

What is Love? {Port Orchard, WA Portrait Photographer}

2011-05-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

If this ain't love?

Snaps: Bathtime Bundle

2011-05-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

With Mother's Day fast approaching, Will was busy at the flower shops well into the evening. I was left to tackle Monday night family night aloooone. Maggie gave us an inpromptu lesson about when Jesus died, and then for the activity we messed around with the video camera. Too bad I'm too tired to figure out how to get our amazing footage on here.

I was also left to do the bedtime drill solo. I'm so spoiled in this department as Will always does the dishes, reads to us from the scriptures and then helps with brushing their pearlies and bedtime stories. But we survived and even managed to take a picture!

Happy Mother's Day Week!

Easter Eve

2011-04-25T00:39:00.000-07:00

sunshine. car wash. goodwill run. photoshoot. mommy/magson date. pinata. easter egg hunt. friends. capris. geraniums. lindt chocolate bunny. a potty trained boy. cupcakes. dandelions. giggles. swimsuits. bike rides. sunshine!

You Lift Me Up

2011-04-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Lately I've felt especially grateful for my friends. Old friends, new friends, acquaintance friends, best friends, internet friends--my friends. There's rarely a day that goes by that I don't think about how kind so-and-so is or how thoughtful another is. There is so much good in this world and I feel blessed to be literally surrounded by people who lift me up.

The mother in these pictures is one of those people. We've been in a writing group together for a few years now. Each time we meet, we bring a piece of writing to my dining table and pass our papers around. I've read so many of her stories. Some of them have been of trial and heartache and others hilarious or sweet; all of them have been meaningful and honest glimpses into her life. And let me tell you, this girl can write!

Most recently I've read about how she and her husband adopted these three beautiful, beautiful children...all at once. After years of waiting for this moment to arrive, they are suddenly a family of five. (Find more of this story at 1000rubberbands.) During our photoshoot, I got to see a bit of what a dream come true looks like. I got to watch Ryan toss the boys into the air, I got to see Tawny embrace and love on her babies. I saw all three kids adore their mom and dad. I can't tell you how fun it was to witness this family at play together.

Amidst the crazy, spontaneous, and unexpected things that happen on a regular basis when there are three young children involved (believe me, I know), the overriding feeling as I shot this session was one of peace and brimming with happiness. As the sun faded and we hiked out of that field, I felt so lucky to be there.

Snaps: 29 Things About My Birthday

2011-04-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

1. We celebrated in bits and pieces over four days.

2. I dyed my hair because of grays. Hello tints of red. Much better.

3. On day #4 (my actual birthday), Will and the kids surprised me with homemade cards, a strawberry cheesecake and two lovely renditions of "Happy Birthday" even though we'd been celebrating here and there for the past three days. I wasn't expecting that!

4. Will got me "The Book Thief" and I'm already hooked. He also sent me off on a little shopping spree. What a sweetie.

5. Fresh birthday flowers on my table!

6. I met up with three of my favorite ladies at my fave store, Goodwill! They were determined to find treasures that would spruce up my kitchen. You should have seen Will's mom and aunt take over the silverware section. We heard people say things like, "Wow, your enthusiasm is contagious..." as these two fought strangers for a matching set of spoons.

7. Maggie and I went to Forever21 and tried on all of their sunglasses. She was in heaven skipping and spinning to the music and getting all bejeweled in their mother load of dangly charm necklaces. It's so fun to have a girly girl.

8. My family sent me lots of German chocolate and lovely gifts--like a heart-shaped polish pottery dish. Love!

9. Part of Will's card said, "Another wonderful year has come and gone. Thanks for spending it with me. Let's make this next year even better." Sure do love that guy. It really does keep getting better.

10. On the front of Magson's card was a sleeping volcano he drew. Inside the card, and next to an exploding volcano, Will helped him write "Have a blasting good birthday!" Magson jumped up and down when he gave it to me. I thought he might explode.

11. Maggie's card to me had a beautiful rainbow drawn on it. And she was so excited that she knew how to write "M-o-m" all by herself.

12. Will and I went on a date, just us two. Usually we have Magnolia with us on our dates, but she's getting old enough to be left for longer periods, and so I didn't have to rip my food into little pieces or wrestle any wiggles. I just sat there and talked and ate. It was weird. A really good weird.

13. After our dinner date, we went exploring in World Market and then we went to Target where I got what will likes to call "Cleopatra sandals" and photoshoot-worthy swimsuits for our girls with the gift card Will's sweet brothers got me.

14. I made Will try on a bunch of hats and was quickly reminded that aside from that hat below, hats don't really fit Will. Oh, and I was also reminded of what a goofball he is! You should've seen him cowboy around in some of those hats. :)

15. Magnolia sort of slept through the night, which is worlds better than me saying she didn't sleep through the night.

16. I slept through my birthday movie. Some things will never change.

17. I got to chat with two of my bff sisters.

18. Will said "Happy Birthday" to me at midnight like he always does.

19. I got 14 of the coolest cups ever! Thank you, Rise!

20. I bought anti-wrinkle cream that's supposed to diminish fine lines and puffy dark circles. It's not working.

21. With the birthday money Will's grandma gave me, I really want to buy this suit. Thanks again for the money, Great Grandma!

22. It was a sunny day. (!!!!)

23. Will's sis gave me a perfect-shade-of-purple shirt with matching earrings. I wore it immediately.

24. I tried on jeggings. I really wanted them to look cute on me, but they didn't.

25. We hunted some more for sunglasses. No luck.

26. On Sunday Will's family had a birthday dinner for me. I didn't have to cook or clean up a crumb, and the food was amazing. To top it off, we had banana split ice cream cake. Yum!

27. I kept missing my family's phone calls from Germany. But we finally connected today and I especially loved hearing them sing the last line of the Allred version of Happy Birthday. ..."And many more, just like before, cuz we love you!"

28. I felt crazy spoiled and very loved. Thank you for the cards, hugs, phonecalls, FB comments and gifts! I am a lucky girl to have such sweet people in my life!

29. I'm wondering if anyone has advice for my last 12 months in my twenties? Eeeeeek.

Winning Model

2011-04-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

And the random winner of the photoshoot giveaway is Theresa who wanted to nominate her niece. On my Facebook page, she wrote, "I have a niece who just turned one. She's been on T.V known as the grapefruit girl from Youtube. I would love to nominate her if I still can."

Well, I did a little search for a grapefruit girl because I thought it would be fun to post the video, and here's what I came up with...

Is this your little grapefruit girl, Theresa? She sure is cute! And what a funny video! If this isn't her, send me the link to her Youtube video and I will post it here. I will email you tomorrow so we can schedule her photoshoot!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered. I procrastinated doing the drawing until just now because I hated that there could only be one winner! I'll have to do giveaways like this more often...

PS. Here is another funny video I was introduced to this last weekend...maybe you've seen it already:

Oink

2011-04-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about this picture, shall we?

You can't believe I posted it? I can't believe I posted it.

But behind all embarrassing pictures, there's a good story, so here you have it.

It was our first Halloween together as a married couple. We lived in Sandy, UT, just down the street from my Aunt Diane and Uncle Michael. There was a Halloween party at church, and we had nothing to wear and no other plans.

"Oh, just come over to my place. I've got a bunch of old costumes," my Aunt Diane offered. "You have to dress up for the party."

I was instantly spellbound and giggly when she pulled out the pig costumes because a.) they were ridiculously funny, and b.) they were matching, and when you're a newlywed wife, you like the idea of matching.

I laughed and pointed and examined those costumes. I thought about what a hit we'd be. Will shook his head and laughed, too.

"I'm not wearing that," he said when I looked at him with flirtatious enthusiasm in my eyes. "No way."

"Oh, come on! It's Halloween. It'll be fun!"

"Nope. Not gonna happen."

Then I pushed him into our Aunt's bathroom and told him to just try the costume on.

I put my hand over my mouth when he came out. This was just too good. We were setting an amazing tradition of many spectacular matching family costumes to come. This was the beginning of a costume legacy.

We went home and somehow--I don't know how-- I got Will to put that costume on again. (True love, I tell ya, it's powerful.) Yep, Will got back in the pig costume. Before long it was time for the party. We got into the car and drove the few minutes up the road to our church building. When we pulled into our parking space, we just sat and observed our surroundings for a minute.

To our left, a couple had their kid perched up on the hood of their car so they could apply last-minute paint to his teddy bear nose. Parents: uncostumed.

Ahead of us a fashionable couple walked into the building--uncostumed.

No costume here. No costume there. There's not a full-grown costume in sight.

I looked over at Will. He looked over at me. I looked down at my udders.

"What were we thinking!?" I screeched. "I am not going in there! Let's go home."

"Waaait a minute," was his quick response. "We're going in there. You got us all decked out. You stuffed a pillow under my shirt, remember? We're going in there. It'll be awesome."

And suddenly we completely reversed roles; he caught vision of just how funny this scenario was, and I caught vision of how ridiculous we looked.

I obeyed and got out of the car, but he was forced to push/nudge/prod and eventually pull me into the building. I mentioned we were new in town, right? I'll leave the town's reaction to your imagination. It's probably similar to the reaction you had when you saw the picture. But just know that Will soaked up every last one of those laughs. Can't you just see it in his eyes?

Birthday Dress/Designer Spotlight/Giveaway--Oh my!

2011-04-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned in my previous post, Miss Magnolia is one year old!

Everywhere we go, people tell me she looks just like Will. I love that about her because she's such a daddy's girl to begin with. Almost anytime Will walks in the room, she waves and says "hi"and then reaches up for him. Just the other morning, we were all snuggled up in bed getting ready to watch the morning session of General Conference. When I looked over, she was lying in Will's lap, staring up at him for what seemed like way too long for a wiggly baby. Will soaked in her gaze and stroked her chubby cheek. And I watched his eyes well up.

Lately she's been trying to summit our stairs. I've caught her half way up on several occasions, and of course, it always freaks me out. She thinks it's funny, and gives me lots of giggles and squeals when I rush over and snatch her up.

The sun has made an appearance here and there over the last month, and anytime the kids play out back, she stands up against the window. She hollers and yells and slaps the panes. The only other time she raises the volume is when we don't share ice cream with her. Born with a sweet tooth, that one.

One of her favorite things to do is play in the dishwasher while I'm doing the dishes. It kind of drives me crazy, but not as crazy as when she sneaks into the bathroom and plays in the toilet. Aaaaah. Now that makes me batty. Keep the door shut, little people!

Peek-a-boo is the key to her heart. While we were in Tucson, Will and I would go to these somewhat formal dinners in the evenings, and she was the only baby for miles. She wasn't so sure about some of the peeps. But when we told them to play peek-a-boo with her, she decided they were lots of fun to entertain. She relaxed and lit up with such a willing audience.

All in all, Magnolia is quite dainty and feminine and ever so sweet. I love her more than I know how to express. Happy birthday, my little angel girl. I love you a lot, a lot. Smoooooch.

And now for an announcement! I'm going to start getting my fashion photography on by doing designer spotlights. Magnolia's birthday dress is my first! It was made by the talented Lynn of The Handmaidens Cottage. I'm already drooling over another ruffly dress in her line! Go check her out!

I'm also in the giveaway mood! I'm going to take some winning girl and this lovely little dress out on another photoshoot since it's a bit big on Magnolia. So, if you live in Kitsap County (or would like to travel to Kitsap County) and have Marie Photographie portraits of your 18-month/2T/3T-sized daughter modeling this dress out in the sunshine, please enter this free photoshoot giveaway by following my blog and/or "liking" me on Facebook. (I'm not giving away the dress, just the session fee valued at $125.) Make sure to leave a comment saying what you did. I will be announcing the winner one week from today!

The End!

xoxo

Sunday Snaps: Milestones

2011-04-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

Magnolia turned one last week and didn't at all care for the party hat Maggie and I made for her. The only thing that distracted her from tearing it off was a sweet game of peek-a-boo. Maggie saves the day!

We got Magson a rockateer two-wheeler for his birthday. ($10 on Craigslist, baby!) It's about time we didn't have to kick him off the princess bike.

And Maggie lost her first tooth last week. It fell out in the bathtub, so we had to go fishing! It was teeny tiny. I didn't think her smile could get any prettier, but it did.

All these milestones at once. I don't know if I can handle it! Actually, there is one milestone I'd welcome gladly--potty training the little guy. Waaaaah. Pray for me/us. (I know, Mom, it was going so well until today. Two major accidents!)

No Joke

2011-04-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

Anybody else hate April Fools Day? It's not my favorite. Probably because I'm always falling for people's tricks! But this is no joke; here is a beautiful, smart, athletic, and go-getter senior. I loved her! And not only for those reasons. I also loved her because she didn't laugh too hard at me when I sat in a puddle during our shoot. Yep, soaked my bum when I was trying to demonstrate how I wanted her to sit. I also fell flat on my bum when I was backing up to take her picture. (I backed up into a boulder.) I came home and gave myself an A+ in klutziness.

Sunday Snaps: Desert Sunshine

2011-03-27T00:51:00.001-07:00

We had such a wonderful trip to Tucson last week! We owe a huge thank you to Grandma Rise and Grandpa Billy for helping us out with the kids while Will and I were at a florist convention/vacation for a big chunk of our time down there. Aren't they the cutest?

All I can say is that it was heavenly to get out in that desert sunshine!

One of a Kind

2011-03-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

What is it about motherhood that makes you want to publicly declare the one-of-a-kind love you have for your one-of-a-kind kid, but you can’t... because no words are one-of-a-kind enough?

That’s how I’m feeling tonight, but here I am wanting to tell the world that this birthday boy of mine is so dear to me, so I'm floundering for the words anyway.

He turned three today. It’s kind of selfish, but I hate that he had to do that—turn three. But I figure that if I jot down the things I love about him at this age, it won't be quite as hard to watch him grow up because I'll always have the memories.

I love how affectionate he is. Out of the blue, he'll come give me a big hug and look me deep in the eyes and tell me he loves me.

I get to hear, "I wub you, Mommy" almost every day, totally unsolicited.

When I carry him up the stairs, he often asks,

“You okay, Mom? (I think he knows how HEAVY he is.)

“Yeah, I’m okay…are you okay?”

"Yeah, I okay."

He hates getting left behind and is always saying, "Wait for me!"

And just now he came into the room and buried his head in my lap and said, "I just missed you, Mommy."

The other day I overheard him and Maggie talking...

Maggie: "When I grow up I'm going to be a ballet teacher."

Magson: "No, no! you can't grow up!"

Atta boy...set her straight!

Yeah, his open and sweet way of showing his love toward us is definitely something I love about my birthday boy. Snapshots of the festivities coming soon!

Bryna & Peter by Marie Photographie {Kitsap County, WA, Engagement Photographer}

2011-03-15T23:27:00.000-07:00

Here's what I remember about the lovely Bryna and her fiance, Peter. (I have a terrible memory, so hopefully I've got this all straight...)

She’s a physician’s assistant.

And he’s a political consultant.

They met online, and on their first date, they were instantly attracted to one another…

Except Peter didn’t think the date went that well. So, when Bryna called him afterward, he was thrilled.

Not too long into their courtship (Am I allowed to say courtship? It sounds so old-fashioned, but I like it.), he took her on a trip to Paris on what I'd like to call the mother of all dates... (Paris!)

They live in Seattle, and she loves how he cooks for her almost everyday, and we're not talking mac and cheese. Before he became a political consultant, he worked as a chef. And word has it, he's got skills.

They love to go on picnics together.

She loves his smile and blue eyes...

He loves this pink shirt on her, and said he always notices when she wears it. She laughed because she's had it for years and was surprised that he picked it out when they were deciding what to wear.

Post wedding, they're off to Italy for their honeymoon. Drool. I told them to go visit Lucca. They said I'm the second person to recommend that cute little city, so I think they might take me up on it.

Bryna has the cutest laugh and dimple!

And she brought along a beautiful quilt that she and her grandmother made together. So sweet.

Bryna is an Irish name, and Peter is a family name. Don't call Peter "Pete." He doesn't like that. I just made it sound like I called him Pete during our photoshoot and he got after me. No, we just got in a big discussion about names, and he happened to mention that he doesn't like being called Pete.

And there you have it, a bunch of random, all-over-the-place facts that my brain could conjure at 1am. Can you tell that I had the consultation with Bryna? It was so fun to hear about all the things she loves about Peter. And then on picture day, it was so fun to see how obviously smitten he is with her. Thanks so much, you guys! I wish you the best!

Now I'm off to finish packing because we're headed to sunny AZ in the morning. With all of the thunder/lightning/hail/rain/wind going on up in this neck of the woods, I'm thrilled to be headed south for a bit!

Proof!

2011-03-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Here's proof that after all my wishing, I now have new floors! Thank you, Will, for my favorite Christmas present to date! I love you! And a big thank you to his dad and brother and mom for helping us out with getting these floors in. You guys are always there for us and I love you for that!

If you want to check out what our house looked like back when we moved in you can here and here.

It's fun to see the changes we've made, if I do say so myself.

Proof of the bear walking skills.

Proof that we are a chocolate chip family.

And here's proof that I never know what's for dinner! (Actually, I just wanted to show you the little chalkboard I made with an old Goodwill picture frame and some chalkboard paint from Lowe's.)

So, yeah. I better go figure that out!

Snaps and a Recap: I'm a Celebrity Look Alike

2011-03-07T22:11:00.000-08:00

I've wanted to blog this last week, but I have had some technical difficulties--boo. My internet doesn't work for more than 5-minute intervals, and my card reader has gone berserk on me. But a fancy new card reader came in the mail today, and I plan on getting a new router tomorrow. I am so excited and also baffled that I could love electronic gadgets so much. I guess I'm nerdy like that.

In the meantime, I thought I'd post some old snaps and also give you a recap of our last few crazy weeks...and my awkward moments have been piling up, so I might share some of those, too. In fact, let's start with an awkward, shall we?

We tore out all of the white carpet and linoleum out of the downstairs of our house. Goodbye old floors. I do not miss you. And hello new floors--I am madly, deeply in love with you. (Pictures coming soon.)

But let's back up. While Will was tearing out the linoleum in the bathroom, he accidentally stabbed our toilet, leaving an unsightly crack in the front. It was a bummer, and we had to get a new toilet. All day long our old toilet sat in front of our house. I didn't like that at all, but whatever. I wasn't going to say anything. Then... that night... Will said, "Marie, look out front."

"What? What? Uh-Uh. You take that down right now."

Killing over with laughter, he says, "Isn't that hilarious?"

"You did that?"

"Yep."

"Stop it! Take it down!"

"Take a picture."

So, I took a lousy picture thinking he'd take it down afterward. But nope, it sat out there all the lovely night long. Absolutely mortifying if you ask me. Luckily, he took it away to the dump first thing in the morning, so I don't think anyone really saw it.

While our flooring renovations were going on, the kids and I spent a lot of time upstairs. They did things like take two-hour baths.

Will's home office got moved to the side of our bed at one point. I love this picture of Magnolia helping her daddy work. Poor Will. He was so patient with our house in dishevel.

In other news, Magnolia has mastered her bear crawl, has her top fangs growing in faster than her two front teeth, and is growing a mullet and a mohawk. Pretty sweet, heh? She has also been sleeping like a champ during her morning nap and waking up way too often throughout the night.

Maggie has been wiggling her first loose tooth.

And Magson has been flexing his muscles.

And me? I've been working on this list of awkwards for you:

*Three people came to the door the other day without telling me there were evidences of dead bird on my front door mat. Dang that stray cat (that I feed) leaving us presents. Not cool.

*A few Sundays ago, I wore a light cotton-weight skirt to church. As I sat through our first meeting, I kept looking down horrified at the leg I was revealing. Kids crawling all over me is not always conducive to modesty. Sheesh!

*Okay, I admit it, I've got quite a thing for chocolate chips and I'm always scooping them up in handfuls. Maggie, the ever observant one, just flat out told me one day, "Mom, you're eating too much sugar."

And I'm thinking, Yes, little one, but I'm a grown up and grown ups can do whatever they want...

And then I'm back at our Costco-size chocolate chip bag five minutes later.

Maggie: "Mo-om!"

Okay, I know, I know. And this is awkward. You are five. Why do you care? She also tells me I need to exercise.

*Once, again, it's Friday night, date night. Will brings home a movie with The Rock actor in it. I hate it when he does that because it is plain mean. Here's why:

After we were first married we did that "My Heritage" thing where you plug in a picture of yourself and then you get the results of all the celebrities you like. Will looked most like super model Claudia Schiffer, and who's my big look alike? Yep.

THE ROCK.

(And don't you dare tell me you can see a resemblance, otherwise we are no longer friends.)

Alrighty, that's it for tonight. Sorry for the monster post. I guess that's what happens when I don't blog about our life enough. It gets crammed into one long read, and I didn't even scratch the surface.

Heartprints

2011-02-27T00:53:00.000-08:00

I know that Auntie Jessie has been anxiously awaiting the second half of this peek. :)

So, without further ado...

Oh, and the cutie below was one of the first girls ready. So, while we waited for the others, I couldn't help but get some shots of her. I just wish there would've been time for individual shots of the older two as well. Oh well, there's always next time. :) And PS., their mom made these gorgeous dresses!

And is it just me or do you all see what I'm seeing in the palm of this baby's hand?

I'm telling you, there is a heart!

Peaceful

2011-02-23T00:39:00.000-08:00

I love this family and these girls, I really do. They live just down the street from us, and they are some of our dearest friends! It's been so fun to watch their family grow, and I can't believe they now have four beautiful girls! This picture was one of my favorites from the session. It just makes me feel peaceful when I look at it. More of a peek coming soon!

Ever So Gorgeous...

2011-02-18T00:06:00.000-08:00

And here is the rest of the bunch! I think these kids are so gorgeous, don't you? All of them have such bright smiles, and I thought their modelesque pouty faces were awfully cute, too. The pretty girl in the white is wearing her baptism dress--the same dress her mother wore when she was baptized. So sweet and truly beautiful.

Thanks for such a lovely morning, you guys!

Will You Be Mine?

2011-02-16T00:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day! A day late, I know. But as I finally began editing this family's session tonight (more of his brother and sisters to come), I couldn't help but goo over what a cutie patootie this kid is. His little face belongs on a Valentines greeting somewhere, like this here old blog. So here we are greeting you with much love, even if it is late.

My Valentines Day was interesting. It always is since Will is so busy running the flower shops. After a week of hardly seeing him at all, I was expecting him home around 8pm last night. I always like to get the house extra clean and make a special dinner for him. But right as I started preparing a German dish, the power began flickering and then went completely out. Boo.

But lucky for the kids and me, my friend Jen invited us over for a delicious minestrone dinner, since she has a gas stove and had dinner already made before the power went kaput. They really are the best neighbors! Will got home not long after we did, and there was lots of excitement as he walked in the door with roses, heart-shaped cookies and batteries for the kids' flashlights. We had such a nice evening catching up amidst the candlelight that I don't think it's a Valentines Day I'll soon forget.

XOXO.

Sunday Snaps: Awkward and Awesome

2011-02-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of The Daybook?

It's a fashion blog, and I'm hooked. It's partially because I met this Sydney girl very briefly in Germany a few years ago, partially because I am enamored with how modelesque and comfortable she is in front of the camera, and partially because she makes me laugh. Every Thursday she posts her awkward and awesome moments from that week. Even though it's not Thursday, I felt like playing along, so here it goes:

{Awkwards}:

*Breaking the glass that went inside some picture frames I recently got from Goodwill. Let me explain...

While the frames were drying from their several doses of metallic bronze spray-paint (color of which I'm not sold on--help!), I left the glass out on our dining table for a few days. But then in a mad dash to get ready for company, I hid the glass in the corner of our office...on the floor. Duuuuumb, dumb-dumb. Dumb. The rest of that story is shattered history, except that I must admit, this wouldn't have been that awkward had I adhered to the "Babe, if you leave the glass out like that, it's going to break" comment from my true love.

*Fast forward to Friday night, date night. It's my turn to pick what we do, so I take Will and a measuring tape back to Goodwill to sift through more frames and find replacement glass in the sizes I need. I was soaking in the compliments from Will about what a brilliantly thrifty idea this was until he wondered (aloud), "Why are you measuring frames with no glass?" Yup. I don't know, except that my brain goes MIA all too often.

*Fast forward a few hours later. We're at home and the kids are upstairs taking a bath. I can't wait to get my photos into those frames, so I give Will bath duty and start putting everything together. And yep, you guessed it. I break the glass for the biggest frame again. And slice my finger. I sheepishly go back upstairs and tell Will the you're-never-gonna-believe-this news. Ouch.

*Fast forward approximately one hour. The kids are in bed and I go back to Goodwill minutes before closing time to hunt down another 22X28 frame with glass in it. There isn't one, so I come home and talk Will into hanging all my pictures anyway, including the big one with the chunk missing from the bottom corner. Class-y.

...Ready for some more awkwardness?

*Walking around all day with only one (big/dangly/hoop) earring because I'm too lazy to find backs that morning, so one of the earrings falls out. Of course, my hair is in a fancy up-do (code for mommy pony tail) so that everyone but me will be sure to notice and not tell me.

*At a family birthday dinner, Magson is asked to take a piece of carrot cake to his daddy. Instead of walking it over to him, he throws it across the room. Cake explosion all over Great Grandma's carpet. I have to look the other way and bite my bottom lip to tame my laughter. You know, the uncontrollable kind that sneaks up on you when you are shocked and embarrassed and speechless?

{Awesomes}:

*Going to TX to see my sisters and their babies...I know that's old news, but still...so awesome!

But you didn't know this: I also got to meet up with Abby, an old college roommate. She was the one I cried to when Will and I were engaged and I kept getting in fender benders everytime he let me borrow his car. Now that's something for the awkward category. Are you impressed with my high aptitude for ditzyness or shocked that I managed to get married?

Anyway, I love you, Abby!

*Skyping with my family before church and my dad complimenting me on my curly hairdo. I finally figure out how to get curls to stay in my hair, and my sweet dad notices. Yesss.

*Getting a surprise love gift from Will's mom... a pot of flowers for my porch! I love that lady!

*Working out twice this week even though it meant not showering until my day was half over. I keep telling myself that ten years from now I'm not going to think, Darn you, Marie. Why didn't you shower first thing every morning? Nope, I'm not going to have to much heartburn over that, but I'm pretty sure I'll think, Why didn't you exercise!!!?

*The spontaneous and heartfelt "I love you" I got from Magson after we were finally snuggled up in his bed after a long and tiring day. I'd just finished tackling him and coercing him into his jammies with lots of "you're *this close* to losing your book" threats. I wasn't exactly feeling like a rockstar mom, so the timing couldn't have been more, well, awesome.

A Little Refresher

2011-02-08T23:51:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I annoy myself with the whole Maggie, Magson, Magnolia code name thing. I mean, really. It's all tongue-tying, brain twisting, and impossible to keep straight. Even for me! But it is what it is. So, here's a quick refresher course.

Meet Maggie.
Five Years Old
Bites her fingernails.
Says "lasterday" instead of "yesterday"
Loves her friends, fairies, princesses, and planning playdates and birthday parties

Meet Magson.
Almost Three Years Old
Likes to scream
Says "peeping" instead of "sleeping," "noke" instead of "nope," and instead of "ta-da!" he says, "ha-haaa!"
Loves to snuggle, climb, ride his bike, and play monsters

And Meet Magnolia.
Almost One Year Old
Wakes up 3+ times every night
Says Mama, Baba and Dada
Loves to take baths, stand all by herself, and eat spaghetti

Sunday Snaps: Every Little Thing

2011-02-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

Because Magnolia is still nursing, I always put her to bed, and Will and I switch off with the other two. On Thursday night it was my turn with Maggie. So, after feeding and reading to my baby, I crossed the room to Maggie and listened while she said her prayers:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank you for these blessings. (She always says that... I'm not sure what exact blessings she's referring to, but I'm glad she feels blessed!) Please help Magnolia to stop crying and go to sleep.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Short and sweet.

I crossed the room again, back to the crib. I wrapped my crying baby up, calmed her with a few bounces and coos, and then put her back down smiling.

Before long I was back with Maggie. We were all situated and snuggled up together, but not far into her bedtime story, we got interrupted again--this time not from crying, but from some serious baby jabber. Magnolia was so uncharacteristically loud and talkative that Maggie and I had to look over and see what was up. We both got a good laugh because we were so surprised by what we saw.

Magnolia had pulled herself up and was standing against the crib rails! And my was she proud of herself, making all sorts of announcements!

I hurried to my bedroom to get the camera, and while I fumbled with my settings, I hollered for Will to come see.

He came quickly, and then it was really show time for Magnolia. She waved to him and smacked her lips when he blew kisses to her, all while standing up, mind you! I love how even though she's my third little one, we get just as excited about every little thing.

Even More Beautiful

2011-02-02T22:38:00.000-08:00

Watching my sisters become mothers has made me want to be better. Their love for their babies is so fresh and pure, and it's made them even more beautiful.

Zoom Lens For Sale!

2011-01-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

Sold!

I'm selling my Tamron (for Canon) 28-75mm 2.8 zoom lens. It is a fabulous, fabulous lens that is tack sharp and in perfect condition. It comes in the original box with a UV filter. I've had it for about a year and a half. It retails at about $400 and I'm asking $300 shipped (if necessary). You can email me at gross.marie@gmail.com if you're interested.

Oh, and if you'd like to see pictures I've taken with this lens, you can find them here.

Hope you all are having a happy weekend!