happy saturday, y’all!

i wanted to do a quick post to share some fun photographs i took this week.

wednesday afternoon we took a trip to callaway gardens.

we wanted to see  fantasy in lights, and they were offering amazing deals for the military, so we made an overnight trip out of it.

it was only 45 or so minutes away, but it felt like another world!! it was great to get away for a night.

i thought i’d share a few photos.

hope you are having a fabulous weekend! xoxo

at the expo tent before we drove through the lights:

 

they had fair food. we let H have cotton candy for the second time in her life. she went to town on it, then stopped and yelled (in a high pitched, manic voice)  “I LOVE IT HERE!! I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE COTTON CANDY!!!!”.

cotton candy=crack for children.

bad news.

 

 

 

 

 

at the fantasy in lights…

it was AMAZING. i was clapping and yelling like a little kid. i couldn’t really get photos, it was rainy and we were in a moving car. but my favorite portion of the ride, by far, was the snowflake/fairy lights section. it was this amazing stretch where lights just dangled from the trees down over the car. it was like a magical forest.

 

 

and a few at our hotel:

 

 

isn’t it so pretty? okay. that’s it. off to clean and then we are headed to the wild animal safari.

i may have photos to share or i may not…

those emus and ostriches scare the #$#U out of me. hopefully they won’t peck my head to a nub.

s

very merry indeed. 😉

and only in the howell family could christmas eve, day, and the day after Christmas

be comprised of these ingredients:

church,

princess and the frog,

dress up,

the infantry museum.

among other things.

love it. love that all of those elements combined together to make the perfect holiday.

i thought i’d share some of my favorite photos from the past couple of days.

check back soon for my studio calico january kit reveal, as well as a giveaway from a sponsor who makes PRECIOUS things.

xoxo

s

p.s. you may notice a theme in what the girls (especially harper) are wearing. it’s pretty much the  standard uniform and i don’t argue. i choose my battles, and this isn’t one i’m fighting. 😉

christmas eve dinner:

 

 

christmas morning:

 

 

 

I just know this one’s growing up to be a biker chick. HA!

 

 

night after Christmas, family date to see Princess and the Frog:

 

i believe that Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who is my personal savior. 

i believe that is the true meaning of Christmas.

 

I believe that it is more fun to give than to receive

 

i believe that Christmas is a time for anticipation:

 

 

a time for family:

 

 

i believe that Christmas is a time for laughter and happiness:

 

 

 

a time for beautiful decorations and good food:

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas is a time to wear that new dress, because you never get to dress up otherwise. 😉

 

I believe that Christmas is a time for beautiful, special moments that make your heart ache:

 

 

 

i believe in santa claus:

 

 

i  believe.

and i hope you do, too.

i hope each and every one of you have a beautiful, magical, merry Christmas.

love, me

 

first, i wanted to share photos of the girls from this weekend.

we took them to the national infantry museum to have their photo taken with santa,

and then to the IMAX 3D showing of Polar Express…the day was a big hit with both girls.

we were the first people there to see santa (best santa EVER by the way), and the photographer was late…

soooo

they let me take my own photos. YAY!!! much better than the posed 8 dollar shot in my book.

 

  

isn’t he the best? so glad i got to use my camera!

before we left the house, the girls (well, by girls i mean h, since s wasn’t really participating) let me take some portraits of them.

 

someone loves the camera. a little bit too much, me thinks.

closest to a normal photo i got of the two of them. how much does s look like her daddy here??

 

if i could capture sadie perfectly in a photo, this would be it.

sadie is always getting smooshed. 😉

so that was our day sunday, so much fun and such a special family date.

i want to try to do that, or something similar, each year.

 

hope you have a beautiful tuesday!

xo

okay. this post might be boring to some (most, ha!) of you, as it’s fairly recent history.

i’ve posted most of these here in the past six months, but i love this idea and want to finish what i started, teehee.

so here we go.

July:

 

i know. duh, a no brainer. but come on…i HAD to include one of these photos as my favorite of 2009. i swear i will never ever get sick of looking at these photos. (thanks kristen!!)

 

i still remember how blissful this moment was. these are the moments we treasure when he comes home. just being together. being still.

August:

 

what a magical trip disney was. this photo sums it up perfectly. bless her sweet heart.

 

the “NO” phase was just beginning. i love that i captured the face she makes when she’s done something naughty.

September:

 

ballet was such a big part of our lives in waco. h adored every single class. and she makes a beautiful ballerina, if i do say so myself. 😉

 

another magical moment that i was blessed to witness. s getting to know her daddy. i love the clear adoration on his face.

October:

 

this is harper in a nutshell. captured exactly. pretty, but mischevious. and quirky. and a fan of snacks (hence the crumbs on her chin).

 

a moment i’ll always remember. and a family photo i’ll love and cherish forever.

November:

 

oh how i love her. again,  being somewhat naughty here…but those lashes!!!

 

it’s rare that we have photos of the three of us. i love this one.

December:

 

just a delicious photo. this one makes me grin.

classic sadie. and i am in love with their Christmas dresses this year.

is there anything Target can’t do??

 

best santa EVER. and i love love love the looks on their faces. this photo makes my heart hurt. literally.

whew! i can’t believe that it’s been a year when i look back at some of these photos.

i love my family. so much.

I know i always say this…but can i possibly say it enough? God is good.

 

love you all!

xoxo