tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38781446466885246772024-03-05T07:26:33.312-08:00beautiful littlesa photoblog of our beautiful little lifeemilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.comBlogger508125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-49540214215735810032016-02-06T08:45:00.000-08:002016-02-07T05:30:31.589-08:00project 366 week 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
week 5 and we're into february. it's amazing how a month goes so slowly and so fast at the same time. shooting got trickier this week, but i managed to capture a solid week of memories. big or little, they make up our days, and i'm thankful for these to look back on to see what we actually accomplished in the last month when my pregnancy brain has totally forgotten! </div>
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this past week, we had a second ultrasound to follow up on some findings from our first. all looks to be well, the baby is right on track and the girls are getting more excited! we also planned out a summer beach vacation with friends this week, spent lots of time on homework yet again, enjoyed an unseasonable warm-ish spring-like day and took advantage of the sunshine for a few minutes before dance class, had our weekly swim lesson for crosby, and set up mommy and daddy's new king bed. oh the extra room and our new mattress is amazing!! we read books in the new bed one night this week and all 4 of us fit comfortably without any overlap! looking forward to keeping my space when a particular 4-year-old girl just happens to inevitably crawl in with us in the middle of the night. </div>
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my favorite event of the week was the siblings class we took the girls to in order to help prep for the new baby. the class showed a very pg-rated version of how a baby is born via a puppet, we got to tour a delivery room, and there was a life-like newborn for the girls to practice unswaddling, undiapering, and holding. crosby wasn't interested at all, and harper was enamored in learning. but when it came time to actually hold the baby, well, we have a bit to work on when little one actually arrives. that memory and photo absolutely has me in stitches. it was completely unprompted. </div>
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my favorite memory from this week was when harper crawled up on the counter one morning before school, made her hot chocolate and then opened up about something at school that was bothering her. i flash forwarded to a moment many years from now when she's in high school, or college, or in her first job, and doing the same thing. she grew up for me in that moment. the way she held her cup like it was coffee, her back against the wall and her legs propped up, talking heart-to-heart with her mama whom she knows will always be there for her, to support her, to guide her and to help her make those tough decisions. i'm immensely grateful to have captured that moment.</div>
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-62397180147594125912016-01-30T02:18:00.000-08:002016-02-05T08:44:26.636-08:00project 366 week 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
onto week 4 of the project- it hasn't yet become a hassle and is starting to become a habit. i think the day before or that morning if we have anything exciting or any plans on the day's agenda that i can grab a photo of. if not, then i try and bring my camera out during regular downtimes. with school, work and after school activities, it's not always the best light and can sometimes be a quick shot just to make sure we get one, but i try to get a real life moment. </div>
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all shots this week were real life moments with the exception of the jumping shot, as that was practice for my flash class (all done now!). in the others, the girls may have been aware of my camera being out, but i didn't ask them to pose, meaning those tongues sticking out were they're own idea. </div>
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our week included a snuggly movie night, a mall trip with a favorite treat to end it, a couple home days with some crafting using our kiwi crate because i got the "i'm bored" excuse, a dancer who wanted more snuggles and attention during watch week than she actually wanted to show me her dance, a couple helpful subjects for my final class assignment, a double ear infection, and lots and lots of homework this week. </div>
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-59393855993831279382016-01-23T14:10:00.000-08:002016-02-07T18:18:18.602-08:00project 366 week 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
onto week 3! lots more flash practice for my class, some reading and video games, painting harper's new room, a trip to the paint-it-yourself pottery studio on our annual mlk jr. day off from school mommy and girls adventure, jumping, playing and watching mama's belly grow!</div>
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-75569669549333338672016-01-16T12:57:00.000-08:002016-01-16T12:57:30.109-08:00project 366 week 2more fun this last week. i haven't hit a rut yet...could also help that i'm currently taking my 6th online photography class, expanding my skills with on camera flash, and so i'm working on new techniques, seeing opportunities all around and not having to make sure a photo gets snapped when the lighting is perfect (which doesn't happen often in a michigan winter) because i can make my own beautiful light. <br />
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this past week, we celebrated our nephew's 14th birthday, took a family trip to ikea for some items needed for our elaborate three kid bedroom switch, took down our christmas tree, enjoyed some hot cocoa, played superheroes, and kept up with regular weekly lessons. enjoy week 2.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcSigASlZNrA5eGovfPqa_FxC004X1EPvzoi_9w6BPKqrlq9Bq6YcVkc4r-yxlV-fw3J_EK69AdR0qrJdJJKB4Wz4p55w7WEolSCDz7YPiJlfrTQnI65LHfVd9EqaqSy-c2xVh93-YMo/s1600/14+of+366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcSigASlZNrA5eGovfPqa_FxC004X1EPvzoi_9w6BPKqrlq9Bq6YcVkc4r-yxlV-fw3J_EK69AdR0qrJdJJKB4Wz4p55w7WEolSCDz7YPiJlfrTQnI65LHfVd9EqaqSy-c2xVh93-YMo/s1600/14+of+366.jpg" /></a>emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-87427236634159252442016-01-09T19:07:00.002-08:002016-01-16T12:47:43.603-08:00my 366<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
a friend in california sparked an idea back in november- let's do a 365 project with our big girl cameras in 2016. we'll hold each other accountable, keeping one another motivated and inspired. yes, i said!</div>
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it's something i've been wanting to do for awhile. i did 2 years of iphone 365 projects in 2013 and 2014, but have been longing to push and expand my photography skills to another level. and daily practice i felt would only help that. plus, this being the year we are adding to our family, i want to document our new arrival, capture those first precious moments, see through my lens my girls become big sisters to a new little one, snap those crazy days when nothing seems to get accomplished except loving our new life.</div>
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in addition to my cali friend, we've also started a facebook group to only further motivate, inspire and collaborate. so far, so good. i'm enjoying the daily challenge of figuring out what to photograph and having to choose one photo a day. some days, there may be 2, or 3, but my goal is 1. and i'm trying to shoot details, or scenes, anything really. moments when my kids aren't noticing my lens. real, true, beautiful moments. here's week 1.</div>
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emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-54566804666871931792015-12-23T04:27:00.000-08:002016-01-09T12:25:18.465-08:00reality and a lot of hot cocoareality check- here is the size of my 24 week fetus, a cantaloupe. only it's a rotting cantaloupe, because life is keeping us busy and i couldn't find the right time or lighting or take 2 minutes to pull my big girl camera out and get the settings right to photograph the cantaloupe when it was perfectly ripe and colored. so instead, i had to photograph it like this. way over ripened and in the trash right after i took this photo.<br />
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but it's ok. i've let it go. in huge part thanks to a friend who went to throw my fruit away telling me it was rotting, and when i loudly protested, she set me down and set me straight. she made me realize in a loving, friendly way that i had way too much on my plate and i was stressing out over the little items on my to-do list that just didn't matter. this baby won't look back at photos and care that i took a picture of food items that correlates to it's ever growing size. and i had kind of already started to let it go when i failed to take a photo of weeks 13-18, 22 and 25. i missed the baby at peach, lemon, apple, avocado, turnip, green pepper, papaya and cauliflower. but i did capture week 23, mango. literally on a weekday school morning when crosby asked for mango in her lunch and i only had one left and needed to capture it before i cut it. <br />
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which now that i look back, i realize it was a mango at 19 weeks, too, which is the result of following 2 different charts. ok, done, letting it all go, and focusing on enjoying the present, which lately includes the movements of the baby noticeable now through the outside and the girls being able to feel them too with their hands resting gently on the bump, enjoying the magical moments in the preparations for christmas, and being off on break from school which allows for snuggling under blankets on the couch with hot cocoa and an afternoon movie. i'm looking forward to a lot more of this on my to-do list.</div>
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-29879204372247467112015-12-21T18:37:00.000-08:002015-12-30T04:56:22.517-08:00cookie monsters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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'tis december, and the month of cookies. 5 years ago, i started one of my favorite traditions- a cookie party with close friends- and it still remains one of my very favorite nights of the month and something i put on the calendar months before december actually rolls around and anyone is thinking about the christmas holiday. each person brings half-dozen homemade cookies packaged up to share with each friend who comes, as well as a recipe card, and has to explain the meaning behind their cookie choice. peppermint martinis are poured. appetizers and cookies are tasted. prizes are awarded. and then we have several dozen cookies in a variety to nibble on and share with others over the next few weeks before the holidays. it's simply the best.</div>
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another tradition we started after harper was born was making sugar cookies for santa. i used to do all the decorating myself, but in the past several years, i have eager helpers anxious to get their hands into frosting and sprinkles. we've invited friends over occasionally to help, and share in the wealth. this year, our very good friends, lucy and molly, came over to help. lu and harper were more interested in eating the sprinkles after decorating a few cookies each. molly and crosby only wanted to decorate their one cookie to eat, after all, the toys and play time together were just beckoning them too much. </div>
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my girls decorated a handful before our friends arrived. and in the end, it was the mamas who were left to decorate more than half. we also had to sample a few of them as we chatted and sipped our starbucks. </div>
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i always love the finished products. we prefer to make the frosting in more fun off-the-holiday-tradition colors, but keep the sprinkles mostly in standard reds, greens and whites. and we always set aside our favorites for the santa plate, this year it was the ones with the most decor on top because we assume santa likes sprinkles. i hope we're right.</div>
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emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-91731611604583437172015-12-20T17:54:00.003-08:002015-12-20T17:55:05.229-08:00is that you, santa claus?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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my girls were both a little leery of visiting santa this year. harper just didn't want to go, and crosby didn't want to sit on his lap. they both pondered what they would even tell him they wanted for christmas, even though they had both written out lists weeks ago with every detailed item that was desired. but, in holiday tradition, we went. i found a new santa location, without being in the mall and without being forced to purchase a photo package. </div>
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harper knows there are santa helpers all around, and was convinced this wasn't the actual santa because his beard was too short. either way, he was a great one. he was able to convince crosby to get close by playing a musical wind-up watch. it was a quick visit, enough to tell santa that harper wanted film for her polaroid camera and crosby wanted pj masks character toys. santa was shocked that harper had a polaroid camera, and he had never heard of pj masks, so we knew that he wasn't the real one. the real santa knows all. but i tell the girls all the time that you just never know where santa is, when he's watching, and what magic he's tossing around.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYaFMxcJgagA_Y2Jto8WnD9AuFQKeU7yC5EdJfDo4gxKilOFfnhL1_54BMD2tYOA-7prqGnh5k7lnqmJclBzWY-TtO9V2gl53pKn3iM85hp42-ZBEnRcZwoqqjFJ9WdnzQM5UWzv1JUE/s1600/santa-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYaFMxcJgagA_Y2Jto8WnD9AuFQKeU7yC5EdJfDo4gxKilOFfnhL1_54BMD2tYOA-7prqGnh5k7lnqmJclBzWY-TtO9V2gl53pKn3iM85hp42-ZBEnRcZwoqqjFJ9WdnzQM5UWzv1JUE/s1600/santa-11.jpg" /></a></div>
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i love this time of year. it refreshes my soul, and puts me in the right place to just be mindful of all that we have. the magic and wonder through our girls' eyes, the sparkly joy that lies around us everywhere, the beauty of giving to others.</div>
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a merry early christmas with lots of love to all.</div>
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-44529373503830442612015-12-03T15:53:00.000-08:002015-12-20T11:07:24.382-08:00weeks 20 & 21 and oh what a month!first off, our 20 and 21 week fruit baby...<br />
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i don't really get the fruit measurements. i mean to go from a banana at 20 weeks to a pomegranate at 21 doesn't make a ton of sense, but oh well. it's fun for the girls to see something tangible and know how big the baby is. it also makes it crazy for me to realize that this tiny little piece of fruit is floating around in my rather large belly. i think i was just starting to wear maternity clothes with harper around 21 weeks or a little after, and now, this.</div>
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and finally, i am thankful it's december. our month of november was less than stellar. i attended 3 funerals- one for a young student of mine from school; another for the father of a very dear friend; and the third for a very young boy within our community who died of an inoperable brain tumor. going to funerals is tough. going to funerals for kids and parents of friends of mine who are still much too young is tougher. going to 3 funerals in 4 weeks being revved up on pregnancy hormones has put me just a bit over the edge. it was a lot to take in and process. and i still don't feel i've processed it all.</div>
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on top of all of that, smack dab in the middle of the month on friday, the 13th, we had our big ultrasound. everything looked good that day. the technician did seem to be taking a few extra pictures of the heart, but i assumed it was just because the baby wasn't cooperating in that area. and when we weren't escorted into the back room to wait and talk with the doctor right after the scans like we had to with crosby's ultrasound, i breathed a sigh of relief. but, 5 days later when i met with my ob-gyn for my monthly appointment, she let me know that they did in fact find something worth mentioning in the area of the baby's heart. 2 eif- echogenic intracardiac foci- were located in the left ventricle. they're basically bright white spots, a mineralization of calcium that causes some extra thickening and shows up on the ultrasound like a bone would. she said it was a soft sign for a chromosomal abnormality, specifically trisomy 21, or Down's syndrome. there was nothing anywhere else on the scan that lead them to believe it was any other chromosomal issue. it took a bit to process that as well, but michael and i decided that we would do some further testing. essentially, we consented to a blood test, where they would take a sample of my blood, send it to a lab in california and spin it for 5 days to pull out the fetal dna. then the lab would examine that and piece the dna together to determine if there was any abmornalities. it had a 98% accuracy rate, and would help ease our minds with what we might be encountering. we completed the test the monday before thanksgiving, and were told it would take 7-14 days. we tried to not focus on it, and instead enjoy the holidays, but it was there. it was present. and finally, last tuesday afternoon, i received a call from the nurse with the results, that all 3 trisomies that were looked at came back negative. meaning that 98% chance that chromosomally speaking, everything with this baby is fine. i hung up and cried a deep lose-your-breath cry for a weight i didn't realize i was carrying. we have done a lot of praying, and we knew God was holding our hands.<br />
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after losing maximus in october, then with the funerals and the genetics testing, i don't think my weeping hormones have really had a break since. i'm really hoping for a happy, restful, somewhat-calm-despite-being-the-crazy-holiday-season december to allow me some time to reset before panic sets in when i realize the babe is due in just about 4 months. here we go with lots of bedroom shuffling and preparations to do!emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-60335559019988259552015-11-30T11:05:00.000-08:002015-12-20T11:06:15.158-08:00our thanksgiving tree tradition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
ever since i can remember, my family has driven out to the christmas tree farm the day after thanksgiving to cut down our tree. this year, that friday brought miserable rainy weather, so we delayed it by a day. that saturday morning, we bundled the kids up, and this year decided to ride in the wagon to the back of the farm to pick out our perfect pine. we went a little bigger than 12 feet this year, just slightly taller than last year. this has always been my favorite tradition, and the one i truly look forward to to get into the holiday spirit. here is this year's tree hunt in photos.</div>
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-40622895939864545362015-11-13T20:39:00.000-08:002015-11-21T08:39:52.249-08:00a birthday + an appointment + an anniversary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
friday the 13th for some can be superstitious. it happened to fall this month november on maximus' birthday. his first birthday celebrated without him here. our routine is getting more back to normal, but there's still a piece that's missing, and i'm sure we'll always feel that way. the girls still bring him up, crosby especially. she likes to tell me what a good boy he was, and how we really miss him. and how he's up in heaven with God. just last week, while dropping harper off at catechism, we walked by a framed photo of the pope, and crosby said "is that who took maximus?" such sweet innocence. it brought both a smile and a tear. we miss you, beautiful boy. happy birthday up in heaven. hope you're celebrating with lots of rolling in the grass, eating sticks and slurping up vanilla ice cream.</div>
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i decided to go with not being superstitious and instead to count on the luck of being maximus' birthday and scheduled our ultrasound for friday the 13th. things went smoothly and we saw our beautiful little one. its definitely more realistic once you see on screen everything there is to see. the heart is fully developed, the legs and arms are moving all around, every organ perfectly intact. truly God's miracle. the girls joined in and while they bored quickly, they did really enjoy seeing the baby right up on the screen. we've just hit our 19th week, the baby is the size of a mango, and the girls are getting more and more excited every day.</div>
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november 13th also marked 2 years since my cancer diagnosis. i will truly never forget that day. going in just to get the stitches out. coming out with a whole new game plan and take on life. we've come a long way since then, and look where we are now, on this beautiful friday, november 13th. our happy + blessed little family of almost five!</div>
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-54466865242935069352015-11-01T07:08:00.003-08:002015-11-01T07:10:19.344-08:00for the birds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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it's november 1st, and that means halloween 2015 is complete. this was the third halloween in our new house, and the third year of chilly rain. at least this year wasn't sleet and snow and heavy downpours like last year. despite the chill, the girls had a great time riding in the car from house to house, running up the long driveways, and smiling for candy.<br />
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my favorite about this year was that both girls decided affirmatively what they wanted their costumes to be. harper's favorite animal is a peacock, she had a peacock themed birthday party this year, so of course that meant she wanted to continue and dress up as a peacock. crosby caught a glimpse of a new disney show that premiered mid-september, and decided right at that moment that she wanted to be owlette from pj masks. of course that meant that no costume existed for a show that debuted a month before halloween, so mama to the rescue. i don't know how to sew, so this meant a hot glue gun and a lot of glue sticks. and because i was making crosby's, i decided to make harper's as well. it was a bit of a stressor, but it was also fun and to see the happiness on their faces because their costumes were exactly what they wanted meant all that time was totally worth it.</div>
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harper's favorite candy this year was a king size hershey's bar. crosby's was nerds. mama and daddy like anything that's leftover in the bowl, which meant a ton since we didn't have many trick-or-treaters.</div>
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happy halloween!</div>
<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-8241365996235856162015-10-14T08:26:00.000-07:002015-11-21T08:27:22.572-08:00fruit baby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
here's what's been clicking on my camera the past several weeks, but i couldn't share until the big announcement.</div>
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our 7 week old blueberry (august 20), 2 weeks after finding out i was expecting, and the massive amounts of ice cream i wanted to inhale from minute 1.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGt0-Jvpq5q-QVb9zLy2StNzIfaXort0rl-84wMVgBl3zURAU8Rm5JH27m8IYmpCG6RjgY3yoS0eWMmr1eWSZgB8Jz45Tqaz48IyZmm15k8bi2SDNY9aNhiZxYYxUTYcMRB0DrJL5vXc/s1600/7+blueberry-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGt0-Jvpq5q-QVb9zLy2StNzIfaXort0rl-84wMVgBl3zURAU8Rm5JH27m8IYmpCG6RjgY3yoS0eWMmr1eWSZgB8Jz45Tqaz48IyZmm15k8bi2SDNY9aNhiZxYYxUTYcMRB0DrJL5vXc/s1600/7+blueberry-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRYZwXuR2jxwIxxqC_Ov8sOx4W6YKRuHpIgjwdk0gFqcyTlkE0az1FBg0jgsGWPqloHvIlBrOl0GAPuj8ddml0N0DoEXLWxHju8sH_Z5eQXa54W7f5NADQjPMmX0WmWaFvcQG3NSom5A/s1600/ice+cream-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRYZwXuR2jxwIxxqC_Ov8sOx4W6YKRuHpIgjwdk0gFqcyTlkE0az1FBg0jgsGWPqloHvIlBrOl0GAPuj8ddml0N0DoEXLWxHju8sH_Z5eQXa54W7f5NADQjPMmX0WmWaFvcQG3NSom5A/s1600/ice+cream-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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our 8 week old raspberry (august 27)...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ph4KurxeTdwNI3NKlit7pcwh1ZnZW-AmjUPG6R2d8XspROe3mb5BIF2eGmZw9HFRpWddlDcCFatcDTVGiUiEM7G9Oyf2P8VKYRA5k5IQCKxi-eBRsN-t_gIVwupmLPA85Z6IGdg0REA/s1600/8+raspberry-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ph4KurxeTdwNI3NKlit7pcwh1ZnZW-AmjUPG6R2d8XspROe3mb5BIF2eGmZw9HFRpWddlDcCFatcDTVGiUiEM7G9Oyf2P8VKYRA5k5IQCKxi-eBRsN-t_gIVwupmLPA85Z6IGdg0REA/s1600/8+raspberry-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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9 week old olive (september 3) and the empty martini glass i can't fill up...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWPy6H1xGNC2GMqMnXDht4ohVKztgI_CS_8lt7YYuFKQwoi7Vkh0qNbafPi9j6e2TPwraBpmFwQuVQ5iYaEvbjEQnhonU16HTQ7Ejk6VW3Z2FI9a5Nj0pGbluc9M6skfZbcJQyKLge7E/s1600/9+olive-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWPy6H1xGNC2GMqMnXDht4ohVKztgI_CS_8lt7YYuFKQwoi7Vkh0qNbafPi9j6e2TPwraBpmFwQuVQ5iYaEvbjEQnhonU16HTQ7Ejk6VW3Z2FI9a5Nj0pGbluc9M6skfZbcJQyKLge7E/s1600/9+olive-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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10 week old prune (september 10)...</div>
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11 week old lime (september 17)...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pL5EQ2l6F_kawbXiswmulO-5wX7_PhIxe1p_1LQ3Kyp4UEDnAoAjWVj0i51eydXQArVZeDEi2DZdtx7JnfkQJOjUwmrnJxwm6qWTho7_eLF3gSXA6_Bi8pI-fMpK0Q7142flWleXb9o/s1600/11+lime-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pL5EQ2l6F_kawbXiswmulO-5wX7_PhIxe1p_1LQ3Kyp4UEDnAoAjWVj0i51eydXQArVZeDEi2DZdtx7JnfkQJOjUwmrnJxwm6qWTho7_eLF3gSXA6_Bi8pI-fMpK0Q7142flWleXb9o/s1600/11+lime-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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12 week old plum (september 24)...</div>
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the boxes of saltines and cans of flat coke i've gone through in an attempt to keep the nausea and throwing up at bay. nothing has helped...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_bUeTuYqqtRapxmj8oiNE8zwnGtOJjMzm_SuG4P5p0cPlrcVGrxGJiCZ2sajLGHbkUMUT2DdSE7Hdz6179Wsl6K3R4X2AKTrK9-ria41bGS6cUM1nUVe1ykpn3Iy7hx_KZnLCxIRxfw/s1600/crackers-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_bUeTuYqqtRapxmj8oiNE8zwnGtOJjMzm_SuG4P5p0cPlrcVGrxGJiCZ2sajLGHbkUMUT2DdSE7Hdz6179Wsl6K3R4X2AKTrK9-ria41bGS6cUM1nUVe1ykpn3Iy7hx_KZnLCxIRxfw/s1600/crackers-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-53383087970183151392015-10-09T16:56:00.000-07:002015-11-15T07:41:02.766-08:00our sweet maximus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
earlier this week, on the afternoon of october 5th, we lost our sweet, lovable maxi boy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPX_0WqBk8hm76j5e6LVS55IC95-x4sM_vsRE0iYW7_yyE1OQq2LZFM2vpwH2C2d7IEH4UVYYWI-GzcL_KH9CZONtWjg7eWv-1tKzmYjIljotQftDUsB0_AEsRCNIQq669f_4aWodTbnk/s1600/Maximus-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPX_0WqBk8hm76j5e6LVS55IC95-x4sM_vsRE0iYW7_yyE1OQq2LZFM2vpwH2C2d7IEH4UVYYWI-GzcL_KH9CZONtWjg7eWv-1tKzmYjIljotQftDUsB0_AEsRCNIQq669f_4aWodTbnk/s1600/Maximus-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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it was one of the hardest things we've had to do, but we knew it was time. max was getting older, it was evident in his energy and his movements. his knees were very arthritic and he had a hard time getting up the stairs, and we could tell he was hurting after he ran through the yard for a bit. but he still had that zest and joy for life, the sparkle in his eyes and the wag in his tail. </div>
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but it became very apparent on labor day weekend, when we came home from a neighborhood party, and noticed he hadn't moved spots in the last 5 hours, hadn't eaten his treat we left right by his head, didn't get up to greet us. he picked his head up and looked at us with unhappy eyes, but he literally couldn't get up. his breathing was labored and quick and harsh. his feet were cold. i was on the phone with a very friendly on-call vet for a long time, and she suggested we get him to the emergency animal hospital just to check what was going on. michael had to pull the car into the front yard up to the door and carry max out to the back seat. the girls and i cried and cried and kissed and hugged. we didn't know if it was the last time we would see him.</div>
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michael drove off and i cuddled up in bed with the girls as they fell asleep. i waited for michael's call to give me an update. he called periodically, but overall in the end, max's abdomen and heart were filled with fluid. most likely bleeding from what they believed were cancerous tumors. there was no surgery, no palliative care, not much they could do. the vet did offer to drain the fluid from his heart, and then wait-and-see how maximus reacted. so we did it. michael called me to come. we didn't know if he would improve, or if we would have to put him down that night. so heboo came over at 1:00 am, and i headed to the vet. as soon as i walked in, max picked up his head and wagged his tail. it appeared the draining had worked and he was perking up as the oxygen was once again able to flow through his heart. the vet said it would return, it was just a matter of when. we were set on bringing him home, savoring any time we had left, giving him every bit of love and snuggle and treat we could.</div>
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so we did. i pretty much sat with him all of labor day, petting him and talking to him and giving him every bit of scrap he wanted. and crying. i did a whole lot of crying that day. he was tired and rested most of that day. but then he seemed to improve. he slowly moved around over the next few days, getting back to a little more of himself. over the next four weeks, we had a few concerning nights, when he couldn't get up the stairs, when he fell after struggling up to our room, when he refused to move and his breathing was shallow. but we didn't take him to emergency. we knew exactly what they would tell us to do. and we didn't want to have maximus spend his last moments on a cold animal hospital. we wanted him home with us. </div>
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on october 4th, harper ran a pretty high fever, meaning i was home with her on monday, the 5th. it was a beautiful fall day. a semi-warm sunny day, with a mild wind blowing. in the early afternoon, i let the dogs out. they wandered the yard for a while, and i noticed a few minutes later that maximus was lying by the back door on the deck, just staring at the yard. i went out and sat with him, enjoying the warmth. it was then that i noticed his breathing was different. it was labored, it was shallow, it was grunt-filled, his nose flaring. i sent a video to our home veterinarian. within 5 minutes, she called me and said she was concerned and wanted to come over. i called michael and asked him to come home. i gave my mom the heads up that she might need to come get harper.</div>
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the vet arrived, and we chatted and watched him for about 45 minutes. she discussed that she thought he was showing us it was time. without an ultrasound, we couldn't know for certain the fluid had returned to his heart, but the breathing, the sullen look in his eyes, his lethargy, the way he was sitting to allow the easiest breathing were clues. he had lost his spark, his happy joyful golden-self. we waited for michael to get home and for nana to get harper. and then michael and i walked him to the backyard, because that was where he loved to be. lying and rolling in the grass topped his list. and we held him as she administered the calming meds and eventually the one that took him from us. </div>
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it was one of the most difficult things we've ever had to do, but also a beautiful gift. we hated to see him suffering, and it wasn't fair to him to hold on. who knows what could have happened if we had waited. most likely a heart attack, or an emergency situation that would lead us to walk in on him already gone, or have to put him down in a sterile clinic instead of the warmth of home. </div>
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about an hour later, a very kind soul from the cremation clinic came and lovingly took maximus. that was it. no longer could i pet that beautiful soft fur. kiss his velvety ears. hold his paws in my hands. hug him around his neck. they brought back his remains the next day, and it was just so strange. but we know he is still with us. he's watching over us. he's making sure all is well with this baby. and i know that because at the beginning, every time i went to the bathroom to toss my cookies, he would get up and come check on me. it's like he waited around just long enough to make sure everything was well, and then decided when it was his time to let go. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdD7Vsi0B3A0sFeSwdvWtzwgQPu0pB5L4ec7PsLu_fvkHCRCy4W-6v6CFdd2WMafqZW_bqBGDsRys4-IZQF1BYfQzGiMWgdu38TAzKW40JQQZuKnW7DhOvjFoYIWYhe00lX3hRJ4exN30/s1600/9-30-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdD7Vsi0B3A0sFeSwdvWtzwgQPu0pB5L4ec7PsLu_fvkHCRCy4W-6v6CFdd2WMafqZW_bqBGDsRys4-IZQF1BYfQzGiMWgdu38TAzKW40JQQZuKnW7DhOvjFoYIWYhe00lX3hRJ4exN30/s1600/9-30-4.jpg" /></a></div>
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oh sweet boy, we miss you so very much. we know you are up there, having crossed that rainbow bridge, watching over us lovingly and protectively. the house just isn't the same without you. it's quieter. there's no big furry guy with a wet nose wagging his tail as we walk in the door, so happy to see us. the floor next to my side of the bed is empty and lonely. our hearts are broken. we love you so, so much. rest in comfort and know you were a most special part of our family. we will see you someday.</div>
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-72061079906630084752015-10-01T16:53:00.000-07:002015-11-15T06:31:05.020-08:00oh boy (or girl)...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
either way, we're happy and feeling blessed! the petrous family is expanding and were expecting baby #3!</div>
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i have always wanted 3 or 4 littles. michael has been happy with our 2. we were finally ready to really talk about that possibility of growing our family when, bam, cancer hit and took our plans with it. fast forward to a 15 months later in february of this year, when we found ourselves at my 1 year follow up appointment and were able to ask the doctor when we could try again. he gave us the go ahead and within a month, i was pregnant. we were happy, but nervous. i made it to a 6 week appointment, and an ultrasound where we saw our babe moving and the heart beating. things looked good. but 2 weeks later, at our next checkup, things weren't so good. the heart was no longer beating. we were heartbroken, and I was scheduled for a d&c on may 1. </div>
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we had to give my body time to heal following the surgery, but by july i was pregnant again. we were extra nervous this time. and i was in the doctor every couple weeks just checking on progress. and i was sick. gosh was i sick. good signs, but it was exhausting. we made it to 12 weeks, and we were ready to share our news. </div>
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so were our most excited girls.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ey62rAsc09yyqbaNOanVfq65XaGnoGEEtA8MfAcrMBJPscRHKqMxXbK7rexZkIEo8R9L6KdjTUqBgg-NtDhATbfRXPmPsY94wDQOl0OclZ-8IaJmXbVtvqKvzuDayFh_LZOcQ9QspWo/s1600/12+weeks+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ey62rAsc09yyqbaNOanVfq65XaGnoGEEtA8MfAcrMBJPscRHKqMxXbK7rexZkIEo8R9L6KdjTUqBgg-NtDhATbfRXPmPsY94wDQOl0OclZ-8IaJmXbVtvqKvzuDayFh_LZOcQ9QspWo/s1600/12+weeks+sign.jpg" /></a></div>
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so, welcome to our new journey! life with 2 beautiful growing girls and another little on the way. can't wait to share it all here. </div>
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-19724794514824100622015-07-26T10:28:00.000-07:002015-08-10T05:04:14.245-07:00seven.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
here's my girl, in all her seven-year-old beauty. i know i say it every year, but i can't believe she's seven. more than that, i can't believe she's going into the second grade. the time just seems to be ticking by faster and faster, and i'm trying my best to hold onto all that i can, to tell her every day (multiple times) how much i love her and am proud of her, and to remind her that i am always there for her, no matter what. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLWGbGpc2t_GAwIYR8mS3pL2t3lfXw1ZvSLu5AJjYBDN-KWr-mpy9__f4_llfd_nvKNp9L6tejYo-7awfxolwywHWbgY7ZhQVFT-lJaWhi3ZaptN8XIJ22FcsqfsWHAw5_ynMTJi825o/s1600/harper+birthday-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLWGbGpc2t_GAwIYR8mS3pL2t3lfXw1ZvSLu5AJjYBDN-KWr-mpy9__f4_llfd_nvKNp9L6tejYo-7awfxolwywHWbgY7ZhQVFT-lJaWhi3ZaptN8XIJ22FcsqfsWHAw5_ynMTJi825o/s1600/harper+birthday-15.jpg" /></a></div>
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this year, she won a birthday contest that i entered her in to, and she received this really awesome poster from <a href="http://www.stickybellies.com/">sticky bellies</a>, along with a check that went right into her college fund. seeing her tall, lanky, blond hair and blue-eyed body standing proud next to her poster caught my breath. seven years ago, she was only 6 pounds and 19 inches and snuggled into my arms. now, i struggle to carry her for too long, but i do, because i don't ever want to let her go.</div>
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she and crosby woke up early july 17th, and we allowed her to open her presents before daddy had to leave for work. she had asked for a new bathing suit cover up and several legos, so she seemed happy that crosby chose a frozen lego set, and along with her cover up she got a new bathing suit. we also wrapped up a fish tank, and told her we would take her out to pick out a new fish and all the accessories. she was most pleasantly surprised. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1dqnbp3hfWA5Cl-az1lwXysh7B9GyAIbqdVM2xidSAbE3dTGuzPKf2UaFsbqv8R7pTToInhWjfYsW05_7ytbPZ0wVuj28vpCCbsK1SvCyo7l2lKStJhhx4b6lN8VwUXnN9fSD4366tI/s1600/harper+birthday-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1dqnbp3hfWA5Cl-az1lwXysh7B9GyAIbqdVM2xidSAbE3dTGuzPKf2UaFsbqv8R7pTToInhWjfYsW05_7ytbPZ0wVuj28vpCCbsK1SvCyo7l2lKStJhhx4b6lN8VwUXnN9fSD4366tI/s1600/harper+birthday-4.jpg" /></a></div>
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by far i think her most favorite gift, however, was the xl hershey's chocolate bar, and the freedom from mom that she could eat as much chocolate as she wanted on her special day. you should have seen her eyes light up. another favorite moment was when her best friend, kara, called her on the phone to wish her a happy birthday. watching her on the phone, walking around and telling her all about her morning made me feel both proud and sad that she has come this far and that there would be plenty more of this in her teenage years.</div>
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i asked the night before what she wanted for breakfast and she made sure to write it out in detail so that i would not forget. </div>
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harper had her last day of art camp, and afterwards we had ice cream with her camp-mates to celebrate. from there, we headed to the pet store for her fish, and picked up daddy for an afternoon of bowling, the minions movie and a pizza dinner. we all crashed happy and tired in bed that night.</div>
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harper's annual 20 questions:</div>
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<i>How old are you?</i> 7</div>
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<i>What makes you happy?</i> my family + chocolate</div>
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<i>What is your favorite animal? </i>peacock + parrot</div>
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<i>What is your favorite thing to eat? </i>chocolate</div>
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<i>What is your least favorite thing to eat? </i>"i have a lot of least favorite things to eat, cause i'm a picky eater." vegetables</div>
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<i>What is your favorite thing to do? </i>swim + color</div>
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<i>What is your favorite TV show? </i>sofia the first</div>
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<i>What are you really good at? </i>exercise (cartwheels) + building legos</div>
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<i>What is your favorite movie? </i>minions + inside out + night at the museum</div>
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<i>What is your favorite color? </i>silver, gold, lime green, hot pink, light blue</div>
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<i>What is your favorite song? </i>a lot of dance songs</div>
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<i>Who is your best friend? </i>karalan</div>
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<i>What do you and your mom do together? </i>go out to lunch<i> </i></div>
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<i>What do you and your dad do together? </i>play mariokart</div>
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<i>What is your favorite sport? </i>tennis</div>
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<i>Where is your favorite place to go? </i>tim hortons<i> </i></div>
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<i>What is your favorite book? </i>"what color is your heart"</div>
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<i>What do you want to be when you grow up? </i>illustrator</div>
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to my beautiful girl,</div>
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harper, my love, you bring a smile to my face every time i see you, and you bring a smile to the faces of everyone around you. you are silly, kind-hearted, imaginative, a great thinker, an extraordinary artist, and an interactive conversationalist. you have so many ideas in your head and so much you want to do. don't ever lose sight of that. keep your dreams afloat and strong. i know you will do many a great thing. you are filled with such love, and my heart swells when you tell me you love me, when you want me to lay with you at night, when you tell me your good dreams and share with me your bad, when you want to hold my hand, when you ask to be carried, and when you want to just be home with me, daddy and crosby. there are times when you are hesitant in new situations, big crowds and doing things you're unsure of, and that's quite alright. through figuring things out, talking it through, finding the brave and giving it a try, you find out things you didn't know you liked. i am proud of how well you read, how kind of a friend you are, how artistic and creative you are, but mostly i am proud of your heart. it's pretty beautiful, kid, and i couldn't be happier that you are mine.</div>
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love always, </div>
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mama</div>
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a few photos from our family birthday celebration...</div>
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<span id="goog_2002795010"></span><span id="goog_2002795011"></span><br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-42340007162434113822015-07-24T03:42:00.000-07:002015-08-02T03:42:30.013-07:00make<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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harper seemed more interested in camps this year, art camps in particular. she is drawn to coloring, drawing, creating, and says she wants to be an illustrator when she grows up. so we tried out this new studio close to us, and had nothing but positive experiences all week.<br />
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harper took the camp with her friend, lucy, and there were only 2 other campers. groups this small are what harper prefers. she often gets overwhelmed and nervous when groups are too big and she doesn't know many people, until she accesses the situation and eventually gains more confidence and gets more comfortable.</div>
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the kids were able to express themselves all week in any manner they wanted. there were planned activities, but when those lead to other ideas brought up by the kids, the fabulous teacher went with it and allowed them the freedom of expression. </div>
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on the last day, which happened to be harper's birthday, the teachers had hung up a banner they made. afterwards, we all celebrated with a walk to get some ice cream. </div>
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i couldn't have been more pleased with everything about this camp. i think it is for certain one camp that harper enjoyed the most.</div>
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-81319468107660609382015-07-20T17:00:00.000-07:002015-07-22T17:28:12.017-07:00in summerrrrrr.... it's summer time. it's time for swimming, splashing, hanging out by the pool. my girls have grown gills over the years, so we love to swim as often as we can. but this summer it seems we've found ourselves poolside a whole lot more often. we are very blessed with an amazing friend (and neighbor) who allows us access to her pool most any time, so i took the risk of photographing in full sun as practice for another online photography class i'm taking. i was super pleased that i took that chance. some of my favorite new photos emerged. <br />
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here is a saturday poolside with our family...<br />
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-65933937866431431572015-05-02T02:45:00.001-07:002015-05-02T17:55:43.974-07:00if they didn't<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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motherhood is a tough gig. it's hard, and no one tells you how hard it is. but the intense love and emotion that you feel when you become a mother is unlike nothing else. it's powerful. it's emotional. it's amazing. </div>
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when you look at your child, and your heart skips a beat, your breath is taken away for just a moment, you crack a smile while your eye tears up. that's it. that's what being a mother is all about. that you would do anything for your child, no matter what the cost.</div>
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through my journey to motherhood, we have definitely had our ups and downs. both of my girls are rainbow babies, meaning that we experienced a miscarriage before the pregnancy with each girl. and as heartbreaking as those losses were, if they didn't happen, we wouldn't have our sweet, kind, big-hearted, artistic, creative, beautiful, loving harper elizabeth.</div>
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and we wouldn't have our funny, energetic, snuggly, spirited, takes-her-time, beautiful, loving crosby catherine. </div>
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i thank God each and every day for bringing us these girls. i truly don't know how different our lives would be without them. and recently, they've been begging for a sibling. it was never out of my mind to have more than two, but it took michael a bit more convincing. until i was diagnosed with cancer, we had started to think about adding to our family, but then that bomb dropped and took a year off of our plans. when i was finally given the all clear in february, we talked once more and decided that we would love one more little miracle. and it truly happened so fast. i was pregnant within a month. we were shocked and excited, and a whole lot of nervous. i was due sometime in december, and while i initially did not want a winter baby, i was just starting to wrap my brain around how snuggly and cozy and peaceful it would be to enjoy the holidays with a new little love. things seemed to be going well. i saw the heartbeat at 6 weeks. the nausea and tiredness kicked in. the cravings were there.</div>
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but michael and i arrived for our 8-week appointment, and plans changed. there was definite growth from the last ultrasound and a baby that looked in size right where it should be. but there was no heartbeat. all of our excitement came crashing down. we were brought right back to that moment of our very first pregnancy before harper when we didn't see a heartbeat at 10 weeks. my heart broke.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNel8U373bkfr6OSPPNqrs76en464y79edgsTHTA2njL_R2lW4cKM2mhE-bW_PYgjMf6UMcc6zn4Sdc-squqLUrVklrvjjasWVLf_1Qi7Wvo7XmcNMpPxDp0ezQW5RZtTGkTpb4wqo850/s1600/if+it+didn't%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNel8U373bkfr6OSPPNqrs76en464y79edgsTHTA2njL_R2lW4cKM2mhE-bW_PYgjMf6UMcc6zn4Sdc-squqLUrVklrvjjasWVLf_1Qi7Wvo7XmcNMpPxDp0ezQW5RZtTGkTpb4wqo850/s1600/if+it+didn't%2B1.jpg" height="274" width="640" /></a></div>
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i didn't want to wait it out. i scheduled a d&c for the next day. but due to some miscommunication about when to stop eating before surgery, the procedure was cancelled and rescheduled for the next day. michael and i also realized there were signs on the way to the first appointment that led us to believe it wasn't supposed to happen that day. may 1st arrived, the procedure went as well as could be expected, and we are home. a little sad, a little heartbroken, but home with our girls.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3svV9Js6CmbqKuhiJzpYr3wrJsjtDrK4gsfilCK-BO23OL1AXGEsbDuOduVgmPvHF5USWWnLGMOGvA2HdJl761FA78ewTLNHUSwknZtDdaiQHFGAXOOaU-C8p4nroKSMC-KJsFjWFfo/s1600/Petrous-47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3svV9Js6CmbqKuhiJzpYr3wrJsjtDrK4gsfilCK-BO23OL1AXGEsbDuOduVgmPvHF5USWWnLGMOGvA2HdJl761FA78ewTLNHUSwknZtDdaiQHFGAXOOaU-C8p4nroKSMC-KJsFjWFfo/s1600/Petrous-47.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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we have two beautiful rainbows that we get to see daily. and we have deep faith and hope that another bright, beautiful rainbow will find its way to our family very soon. for now, we look past the rain and enjoy the sunshine and bright days ahead.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_rP3nwFCfZ4e_ncCawJa8YLdG0N1F-5vF6f2eChvU1kRzDQdpE4RTqdH4t1H94QYRNva5x8kRj7ThH1fbC_nEgO8sq_R7U8U2EeACxYcTFtnXgDs9mkhAolxgSs0jevl6a2HljPxTBY/s1600/Petrous-67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_rP3nwFCfZ4e_ncCawJa8YLdG0N1F-5vF6f2eChvU1kRzDQdpE4RTqdH4t1H94QYRNva5x8kRj7ThH1fbC_nEgO8sq_R7U8U2EeACxYcTFtnXgDs9mkhAolxgSs0jevl6a2HljPxTBY/s1600/Petrous-67.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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thank you to all of our friends and family for your calls, texts, e-mails, thoughts, prayers, flowers, and help. we couldn't have done it without it all.</div>
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and thank you to my beautiful friend, jenny, of <a href="http://peanutbutterandjennyphotography.com/">peanut butter & jenny photography</a> for the gorgeous family photos! </div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-46122624047194407372015-04-16T19:04:00.002-07:002015-04-16T19:04:17.915-07:00her final goldfish swim, otherwise known as tough parental decisions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
today at our swim school, a difficult decision was made real. a decision that we don't want to make as parents, when you and your child disagree on something, and you have to decide what the right path is. whether or not you're right, or your child is right. whether ending something is actually the right thing to do, whether it means it's truly the end or the beginning of something else. today, harper ended swim lessons.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEdnQhTBybzC35yxtZqaQSpmvAG5e52d0ksu8xqMUZCenNBUQlRc2ig_2nVl7cl8R7R7oLqCknQELbvtocqioB_3HWXcPSLwgt_AtNbZo63ZIka0pFLf9ZUQEnPLkQo-rKlAIvEBmCP4/s1600/final+swim-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEdnQhTBybzC35yxtZqaQSpmvAG5e52d0ksu8xqMUZCenNBUQlRc2ig_2nVl7cl8R7R7oLqCknQELbvtocqioB_3HWXcPSLwgt_AtNbZo63ZIka0pFLf9ZUQEnPLkQo-rKlAIvEBmCP4/s1600/final+swim-8.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidH4ZbqCiVz5AMpKfhZXmEyqXDX3EH6rs3n2tCLoG7FGRAvCCHwNL1eVaBpRdD0u4yGDgw4BU8rYm6bNQdWfsTYx-JpTCVDuUpWL0aRPqXYX3bsxcl_jtTZgk4Q4HsYwDEc3DxeSC-ORk/s1600/final+swim-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidH4ZbqCiVz5AMpKfhZXmEyqXDX3EH6rs3n2tCLoG7FGRAvCCHwNL1eVaBpRdD0u4yGDgw4BU8rYm6bNQdWfsTYx-JpTCVDuUpWL0aRPqXYX3bsxcl_jtTZgk4Q4HsYwDEc3DxeSC-ORk/s1600/final+swim-7.jpg" /></a></div>
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she officially ended lessons with maggie back in september, and moved up to rec team. she was excited, but also tired and done. she rarely complained, but there were a few tears here and there. there were some nerves. there were also smiles and laughs. after 6 months of thursday night 7:30 pm hour-long practices, when we wouldn't get home until close to 9 pm and she'd fall into bed, already exhausted from a busy week at school, we moved her back to private lessons with maggie. we thought it might help re-strengthen her strokes and get her endurance up and her focus back.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46Q2siJu59h4hWz577Ur86dK3srG2s0aGZBQfjU9o8COnrPs1miFAI-xH9Vxnlc5SL4Xy2tOwVbIVSjddXuvveD9Kah7AHSSw-hbt2iPmEd_hfBlicQZnOABAa_JGN3lTGjTGQ-sRxSI/s1600/final+swim-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46Q2siJu59h4hWz577Ur86dK3srG2s0aGZBQfjU9o8COnrPs1miFAI-xH9Vxnlc5SL4Xy2tOwVbIVSjddXuvveD9Kah7AHSSw-hbt2iPmEd_hfBlicQZnOABAa_JGN3lTGjTGQ-sRxSI/s1600/final+swim-11.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QSTZx7qwSBE9BG97onbyIMwLfw5Y8GiOs7T8a56Z_Y6kmOYh3YnjkXxtIvNDFd-HgJ7Fq3q9SEMYZpiLG73puPjpbz7NTCCR6BHHklXQH9pAOi1lHwiNU2eDzrpXS4hPEZA1oU2WXDc/s1600/final+swim-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QSTZx7qwSBE9BG97onbyIMwLfw5Y8GiOs7T8a56Z_Y6kmOYh3YnjkXxtIvNDFd-HgJ7Fq3q9SEMYZpiLG73puPjpbz7NTCCR6BHHklXQH9pAOi1lHwiNU2eDzrpXS4hPEZA1oU2WXDc/s1600/final+swim-9.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhDyBQNcr-9psiaX4Yy73RI6wora77IH-Psb8woy90-QJ-2uimRAM3J3lxQyCF-F2E4i3UGB4nLH48OTqLPPrkWsTddM8Fn0cjNT5c9SfKUtosm0eS-UbhH2M_HFQp9MJKEfZu2mdzCU/s1600/final+swim-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhDyBQNcr-9psiaX4Yy73RI6wora77IH-Psb8woy90-QJ-2uimRAM3J3lxQyCF-F2E4i3UGB4nLH48OTqLPPrkWsTddM8Fn0cjNT5c9SfKUtosm0eS-UbhH2M_HFQp9MJKEfZu2mdzCU/s1600/final+swim-10.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdKneoJWlVAEjfjm47vTm9RsZ-o_pXAjuXLuyWIFk09fhNohSKx8-IZBgvENuDodbmFxQZPeXjD7piGe-sLnndiwxV0YtHNhTTw3dxhy9XlG2axeHnl0S50ww33tZ6z6tbaLo_sNZfMI/s1600/final+swim-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdKneoJWlVAEjfjm47vTm9RsZ-o_pXAjuXLuyWIFk09fhNohSKx8-IZBgvENuDodbmFxQZPeXjD7piGe-sLnndiwxV0YtHNhTTw3dxhy9XlG2axeHnl0S50ww33tZ6z6tbaLo_sNZfMI/s1600/final+swim-12.jpg" /></a></div>
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after almost 2 months of individual lessons though, maggie told us she's got the strokes, she has the skills, she needs the endurance of rec team. but harper wasn't having it. she just asked for a break. she wanted to stop swimming. she wants to just play in the water and be a kid. as parents, we talked. we rationalized. we weighed pros and cons. we gathered opinions. but honestly, how can you argue with your child when she just doesn't have the heart anymore?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQi22Y4FiqKWKGcbkMoHtWPS1p5OaLi5MB63KrW6Lo2uonYVH_3zw0UpFMMoPLuUuaby1CJYOlHBhHvZD23NKyWgzsfvRLEZR5XlpoiegojlyqE8SDQt6yXLizY7VWgb3Cg86jWq-MM0/s1600/final+swim-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQi22Y4FiqKWKGcbkMoHtWPS1p5OaLi5MB63KrW6Lo2uonYVH_3zw0UpFMMoPLuUuaby1CJYOlHBhHvZD23NKyWgzsfvRLEZR5XlpoiegojlyqE8SDQt6yXLizY7VWgb3Cg86jWq-MM0/s1600/final+swim-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sr_iFsrTiBIY56fhdpAAS2scvh56eLANsgE6-rkZDsimy3BfJWd-vFNEM6To6NwA7owBhC1tdIPa5p6AIoq9porulIGHFzsmXcUrhVr7aEM9svQApF7758_Apg-6gZ0XowcVG4VdUW4/s1600/final+swim-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sr_iFsrTiBIY56fhdpAAS2scvh56eLANsgE6-rkZDsimy3BfJWd-vFNEM6To6NwA7owBhC1tdIPa5p6AIoq9porulIGHFzsmXcUrhVr7aEM9svQApF7758_Apg-6gZ0XowcVG4VdUW4/s1600/final+swim-2.jpg" /></a></div>
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deep down, i want her to keep swimming. she's really, really good. i can see her eventually swimming for a local team or her school. but what my heart hears is harper telling me she wants to stop. and as a parent, these are tough decisions. but ultimately, it's not my life that she's living. it's hers. and if we push her too much now, we could run the risk of her hating the sport later on and harboring ill feelings towards something we forced her to do. and i would hate that even more.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51RwAI29_2a_drxwBFHC-TxmIqvePwsEh9B5ta2MMC-PScLep9OTSY46E6epoK6b2c1JtRcAesqT9uCV1iPYtnHSdVLq_G9EyspjbXBDDq38ZZFEz45ke0SelLOyypr8q9EoBCuxIACQ/s1600/final+swim-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51RwAI29_2a_drxwBFHC-TxmIqvePwsEh9B5ta2MMC-PScLep9OTSY46E6epoK6b2c1JtRcAesqT9uCV1iPYtnHSdVLq_G9EyspjbXBDDq38ZZFEz45ke0SelLOyypr8q9EoBCuxIACQ/s1600/final+swim-3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpO5n0WpYb88KxlRUBwxUoqNDr-SC753UWSdjAPDqmQDDIqOcyOd6GjsBxneehIR0o04qKMcyh0FAlpZIApNlwbSAq1BDlafnuqNJzPv87bjiIwcUk_TeFDbupY4m6c6_GKKA-zV6k1Y/s1600/final+swim-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpO5n0WpYb88KxlRUBwxUoqNDr-SC753UWSdjAPDqmQDDIqOcyOd6GjsBxneehIR0o04qKMcyh0FAlpZIApNlwbSAq1BDlafnuqNJzPv87bjiIwcUk_TeFDbupY4m6c6_GKKA-zV6k1Y/s1600/final+swim-4.jpg" /></a></div>
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maggie thinks she'll be back, that she'll miss it and want to swim again. i hope so, but if it never happens, then at least we've accomplished well more than we set out to do. she's safe in the water. she's a strong swimmer, her best strokes are back and breast. she has a wonderful swimming role model to help guide her should she come back to it. and she's happy. she's happy to have learned to swim and she's happy to be taking a break. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh721e5xAu8z_QgYPBA0TOHX6zi1gU4xabtSz6QfzCG5oWnwGOqL15TDVAl00c2kBIXT-wTkio8HKGV1LZ1xTYkGbzdFWuuugzKz9ZFlVd0U7q2vpE3ahTelwBYv_JEK5e2cdD2LH8Ifv0/s1600/final+swim-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh721e5xAu8z_QgYPBA0TOHX6zi1gU4xabtSz6QfzCG5oWnwGOqL15TDVAl00c2kBIXT-wTkio8HKGV1LZ1xTYkGbzdFWuuugzKz9ZFlVd0U7q2vpE3ahTelwBYv_JEK5e2cdD2LH8Ifv0/s1600/final+swim-5.jpg" /></a></div>
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and ultimately, that's the only thing we truly wish for as parents, that our children are happy. that the choices they make and the ones we make for them lead to a lifetime of happiness. and just for today at least, we accomplished that for harper.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PBC47mPc48btl0Hd4_IxORmqKb1VVeP4pAsuy21PFfzzokf2uhasu5r1a5i_vEB2AwASlMhGDoWc4sUToL_ZDKxInihdIpWYW4NoBmYMfJ8BnhAKzMPZtpvtG377z17-ln8p9h6bHrI/s1600/final+swim-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PBC47mPc48btl0Hd4_IxORmqKb1VVeP4pAsuy21PFfzzokf2uhasu5r1a5i_vEB2AwASlMhGDoWc4sUToL_ZDKxInihdIpWYW4NoBmYMfJ8BnhAKzMPZtpvtG377z17-ln8p9h6bHrI/s1600/final+swim-6.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-30276769794601016802015-04-08T19:33:00.001-07:002015-04-10T06:16:11.405-07:00our easter weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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we just returned from a quick 4 day vacation to visit topher and teppie in virginia in their new house and to celebrate easter with my entire family. we decided to bring our easter baskets along, just in case the easter bunny wanted to find us and fill our baskets. the girls and i decorated eggs the day before, and awoke sunday to the egg bowl empty and the eggs and baskets hidden. the girls were up before anyone else, so we hunted while the rest of the house was sleeping.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcWDotH11teMdCV269aEkfKBP-xFSp3rtYNnFl-Hzjkz9mI2wagyAvIEjSmxYVtyQRMaN6obHagIMb5u5231NGDdtqW3zopd5zDUZMfHdK5w4JqgzZk1x2iMpBTsbJvM2rGUR_b42Vpg/s1600/easter+weekend-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcWDotH11teMdCV269aEkfKBP-xFSp3rtYNnFl-Hzjkz9mI2wagyAvIEjSmxYVtyQRMaN6obHagIMb5u5231NGDdtqW3zopd5zDUZMfHdK5w4JqgzZk1x2iMpBTsbJvM2rGUR_b42Vpg/s1600/easter+weekend-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYV0s5_um8oSgastoSa9oBxukMqDD3BKLLf7tsYuHCOj3mogIBgZBcjYqiD0k6nxIV28-3sf1LASZg6s2X4t7ixSzIWHvso-U8bkLljDw7g7200GhSNjgKzQ7_-EAVrlmlv4lFXrR0UE/s1600/easter+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYV0s5_um8oSgastoSa9oBxukMqDD3BKLLf7tsYuHCOj3mogIBgZBcjYqiD0k6nxIV28-3sf1LASZg6s2X4t7ixSzIWHvso-U8bkLljDw7g7200GhSNjgKzQ7_-EAVrlmlv4lFXrR0UE/s1600/easter+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0D1fMQS4Tm0goHcu8AVCgpgAo5IThpxcUhbHbV1FOcMEPiqptDMV9JKgYb_-7NbeIW9_ogXtdhDKGWeUqh7ZpcDv6xS1FSejvhDbwi15w6X_hiAoLzIccI50UduARH6w_ucS_yc85GZk/s1600/easter+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0D1fMQS4Tm0goHcu8AVCgpgAo5IThpxcUhbHbV1FOcMEPiqptDMV9JKgYb_-7NbeIW9_ogXtdhDKGWeUqh7ZpcDv6xS1FSejvhDbwi15w6X_hiAoLzIccI50UduARH6w_ucS_yc85GZk/s1600/easter+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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we celebrated easter mass at topher and teppie's church, and then spent the rest of the day doing a little of this and a little of that- hiking at a local park close to the potomac river, helping with outdoor chores, and cooking up a late-night meal. unfortunately, nana fell as she was getting out of bed friday morning and broke her humerus bone in her arm, so she was relegated to the couch for a majority of our trip. teppie brightened up her view with tulips, which made for a really fun photo prop.</div>
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on monday, the girls and i headed to the salon to get hair cuts with teppie. she was able to clean up the girls' chlorine hair from their weekly swim lessons, and give them fresh, shorter cuts for spring. they soaked up the relaxation of the salon, and all the attention that two little girls with plastic bags and heaters on their head will gather. they were amazingly well behaved, and i am just in love with their new cuts.</div>
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over the weekend, we were also able to squeeze in a visit with our cousins and their new third baby girl at a fun, local park so the kids could run around. and monday evening, i met up with a friend i've known through instagram for almost 2 years, and since she's a photographer, we had our entire family pictures taken. it's funny meeting someone for the first time who you've only known through social media. we knew so much about each other, because pictures and stories and snippets into our days for the past 2 years tell you a whole lot about a person, but it was still the first time i was "meeting" her. we talked and talked and talked outside a coffee shop before the photo shoot, and could definitely have talked some more.</div>
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tuesday morning, we packed up and headed home. the girls were fabulous travel companions and our trip each way took less than 8 hours. and now we're home and getting ourself back to the rest of our spring break week, enjoying these last couple of days before hitting the home stretch of school before summer vacation. </div>
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emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-90276509788499828622015-04-04T23:42:00.000-07:002015-04-05T11:58:50.749-07:00eggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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one annual tradition that can get very messy and can also make this mama a bit stressed and nutso, but alas, it's tradition- the dyeing of the easter eggs. each year it does seem to get more fun, but also seems to have me giving more direction- don't crack the egg. don't spill the dye. watch your knee. don't shake the dipper. since we're on vacation in virginia for easter this year, i was also super cautious and paranoid of topher and teppie's new wood floor and kitchen counter in their home they just spent over a year renovating. but the girls did fine and we didn't make any permanent messes. and they seemed to enjoy it more this time, as did i.<br />
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-74528523580241870962015-04-03T12:51:00.000-07:002015-04-05T12:51:41.074-07:00my morninganother prompt from the challenge i'm doing this month- my morning. our first morning on our short spring break vacation. the girls are loving the pets- nike, the macaw, and nila and calee, the pups. <br />
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<br /><br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-34352987317957183912015-04-02T17:01:00.000-07:002015-04-02T17:01:00.345-07:00next to mecontinuing the april challenge for today- i love taking on little challenges that get me out of my comfort zone. i just upgraded my camera in february, and have been wanting to play, but i hate just snapping photos for the heck of it, because then i have 300 photos and don't want to edit them. i have to have a purpose. and now i do.<br />
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today's prompt was {next to me}. i set up our tripod and asked the girls to help. coffee is always seeming to be next to me lately, and so are my little girls. crosby wasn't feeling well this morning and resisted at first, but when she saw the fun harper and i were having, she wanted to join in. harper loved being able to take first glance at the shot we just got using the self-timer, so she was more than happy to keep trying. she told me several times, "you're not looking at the camera, mom, we have to re-do this." silly one. sometimes, that's the idea i have in my head is not to look at the camera. here's my favorite and what i posted to instagram.<br />
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the most amazing thing about these photos this morning is that we actually had time to do them. and i wasn't rushing to just fit them in, but we took our time and you can't see any stress or anxiety or on-the-verge-of-tearsness on anyone. this was just a calm morning, when both girls had woken up early enough that breakfast was done and cleaned up. lunches were packed and set in backpacks by the door. teeth were brushed. and we just had time to play. it sets the intention for our day so much better when our mornings go this smoothly, rather than rushing out the door with yells and demands and screams and tears. i long for these mornings. they don't happen often, but i enjoy them in my mind over and over when they do.</div>
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these were the outtakes. still favorites.</div>
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emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878144646688524677.post-68242702648792205602015-04-01T18:57:00.003-07:002015-04-01T18:57:51.677-07:00happy aprilit's april 1st and today's weather was a sunny, warm high 60s and such a change from recent chilly, wet and windy wintry weather. it was perfect for being outside, busting out the chalk, playing hide-and-go-seek and of course snapping with my big girl camera. i was asked to be an alumni helper for an online photography course i recently finished, which means i get to help other students taking the class and i'm enjoying seeing so many photographers grow. so i get to practice and share, too. i'm also participating in <a href="http://bethadilly.com/">beth-a-dilly's</a> 365 challenge, but have only just now joined this month. i don't know how long it will last, but i'm aiming for trying out the month of april. just another reason to snap away. my girls are so lucky. i can already hear the grunts and groans.<br />
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<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02500456821041918881noreply@blogger.com1