Saulsberry

Em and I decided that it would be a good idea to take family pictures while we were together. Wichita has the cutest little area called Old Town with so many awesome photo opportunities. So we scoped it out and found this adorable little wine shop that was all decorated for Christmas. It was never open, but the outside was perfect for us. The only problem was it was FR-FR-FREEZING!!!! I had awesome outfits picked out, but they ended up being covered by jackets with two layers underneath. On top of everything, Addi was SUPER cranky (which is why Andy and I are only half smiling). Cried the whole way there and through most of the pictures. Em was trying so hard to get her to smile.

For the record, I think my sister is absolutely adorable in these pictures (she may disagree). I am SOOO happy with the way they turned out. They are totally and completely my style! My brother in law, was kind enough to deal with Addi's grumpiness and take our family pictures.

Christmas Photos- The Loupes

I have had such a fun couple weeks taking pictures for family and friends. I am considering the possibility of diving into photography as a side job. I LOVE it! As cheesy as this is going to sound, I get so much joy from taking pictures. I have always loved being creative through different venues like writing and doing different craft/ house projects. Photography has been so much fun for me to learn (still learning... as you will see in some of my pictures) and it would be so much fun to be able to do it on a regular basis.

 Lauren and Paul Loupe (and their beautiful dog Hampton) were kind enough to let me take pictures for them. We headed out to Hermann park and fought the swarm of people and humidity to capture these photos. Hermann park is the home to one of my favorite things to do in Houston. Andy and I LOVE going to  the Miller Outdoor Theatre and watching their free performances. It is now also one of my favorite places to take pictures. So BEAUTIFUL!

Stay tuned! Tomorrow will be my sister and her hubby!

It's Been A Turkey Of A Month!

Whew! This November has been out of control. I got back from Montana only to turn around a week later and head to Wichita. My sister stopped in first to do some shopping at the Nutcracker Market and we crammed into a plane with the kiddos to spend some time with her in Kansas. After a week there, Andy drove up to pick us up and it was back down to Houston for Thanksgiving. I am finally, just now, catching my breath.

Andy gets a week off for Thanksgiving (AWESOME!) and so we have been able to simply relax and enjoy the presence of each other. Ok, there have been some not so wonderful moments where we just wanted to hide in our own corners for about 30 minutes, but overall it's been delightful.

I used to get kinda grumpy when I couldn't go home for a holiday. Home has a feeling .... how do I explain it? Home awakens some kind of childhood spark that just can't be found anywhere else. I think my children have reawakened that feeling and it is now my job to create a home that that stirs that same feeling within them. So we locked ourselves into our tiny sweet home and allowed the aromaa of Thanksgiving surround us.
That aroma just so happen to be Cajun since the only small turkey at HEB was, in fact, a Cajun turkey. DELISH!


Eating Pumpkin Pancakes




Watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade





....and then everybody crashed after they stuffed their bellies full



....and then it was Christmas! (note: These pics are all out of order and it is a PAIN to rearrange)



The little tree in our room with my childhood ornaments.





Watching the first Christmas movie of the season.





First ornament on the tree





Not thrilled with my body in this picture, but trying to remind myself that I had a 9lb baby 3 months ago





She says "so pretty" every time she walks into her room

  Uptown Christmas Lighting



This is called: I really want to take a picture of the  lights, but there are 150,000
people trying to walk