Action Pictures

As I expand my capabilities as a photographer I discover how much there is besides the posed shots. I am currently experimenting with black and white action shots. I feel like they are great at portraying emotion. Hopefully I will remember to bring my camera when we are out and about so I can practice more.

Sisters

It's interesting to watch Kenzie interact with Ryan and Audrey. She treats them very differently. Audrey is her buddy- they play games together and she seems to think Audrey is her equal- Ryan she seems to look at more like a parental figure.
I like to watch the sisters interact. I didn't have a sister growing up so it's new territory for me. I hope they continue to be as close as they are now when they grow up.

Dancing Girl!

Big Brother

Ryan is a great big brother. He actually likes having two little sisters. Yesterday when he was at school he got to go to the prize box for the amount of reading at home he had been doing (they turn in a log every Friday).  He decided on a pink ring for Audrey because "she reads every night too and she never gets a prize for it so she should get it this week."

Audrey's Haircut

Audrey got a haircut- including bangs! She has been complaining about having hair in her eyes all the time- this was our compromise.  She really wants a haircut that looks like Ryan's with a bit longer bangs- I wanted to ease her into it with this haircut. Next time it could be a full on pixie cut. 

Before

After

After

Pictures

Life and Science Museum with the Ripp family

Nicki, Ava and Maddox came up from Texas and we got to spend the afternoon with them at the Life and Science Museum. It was a lot of fun and like always it made us wish we could do it more often.

Roller Skating

Ryan and Audrey both tried roller skating for the first time last weekend (For Gwen's Birthday). They both loved it- I was picturing it was going to be a disaster but they both got into it and asked to go back soon. This will be a great activity to keep us busy this summer.

Audrey Swim

Audrey started swim lessons last weekend. It was the first time since she was a baby and she was really excited to get back to it... she wore her goggles for the whole hour before class. She was great and got her face under water which is a big step. We will be going once a week- hopefully she gets comfortable in the water by summer when the outside pools open up.

Kenz 12 Month Appointment

Kenzie had her 12 month appointment. She is right on track developmentally. She was 20.8 pounds, I didn't get to see how long she was but honestly she was so squirmy when they measured I'm not sure how accurate their measurement was.  She had to get both a blood draw (to test for anemia) and an immunization- so it was rough for her. Luckily it's over and we don't have to go back for awhile!

How Cute is This Birthday Girl?

Happy Birthday Kenzie Quinn

Happy First Birthday to my sweet baby girl Mackenzie! I can't believe it has been a year already. Kenzie is a very sweet baby she loves to give hugs and if you are within reach she will come over and give you a hug without even being asked. She is crazy amounts of expressive and has so many facial expressions. She loves to make people laugh and have people make her laugh (especially Ryan). She likes to eat, play with her friends and to play games where she needs to figure something out (like shape sorting).
She is my miracle baby, the baby that doctors said I wouldn't be able to take home with me because of her cystic hygroma.  She has taught me more than anyone else on the planet about being grateful for what I have and understanding how lucky I am. My parenting has completely changed because of her, I understand much better what is and isn't important.
Kenzie Quinn it has been a blessing being your mom this last year. You have brought so much joy and love into our family. I can't wait to see what your future holds.

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

I told Ryan and Audrey that they had to go outside and build a snowman or they had to take a nap. I threatened because they were being lazy and it looked like unless they were pushed that they weren't going to go outside at all. They opted for the snowman- they even got the neighbors on-board with the project.  while they snow wasn't optimal for snowman building- their attempt was still sad at best. My kids are entirely too southern. Maybe we should go up north next winter for a lesson in real snowman building.