Night Night, Sleep Tight

This is from the night before we left to go to NC. I laid Madalyn down on the bed... and she just looked so comfortable!

North Carolina Vacation

I have been such a slacker about posting my own pictures! I have been too busy with everyone elses. I am going to post a few on here, but will also upload them into a gallery to share as well.

These are just a few from the first day we were there. We left at about 4 am and arrived in Blowing Rock around 5:30. Madalyn was extremely good on the car ride up there. I had bought her some new toys for the ride, and leaving early allowed her to sleep for the first several hours of the trip so we were in South Carolina before she really even woke up.

We were welcomed to our cabin and our million dollar view by this beautiful rainbow.


The view from our back porch.


Savannah




Madalyn


Shawn enjoying the view


Cousins.... I am certan they are going to be the best of friends!


And dont forgt Mr. Landon....

Eating Sand

Think she likes the sand?

 

Playing Catchup

Whew! What a crazy couple of weeks.... and finally I have a bit of a breather. As of 1 pm today I am officially on vacation until NEXT SUNDAY! Wooo Hooo! Let me say, this is the most well deserved, much needed vacation of all time. I am actually going to squeeze in a few photoshoots tomorrow and Friday (okay you didnt expect me to do nothing did you?!) and the Saturday in the wee hours of the morning we are off to North Carolina for a week of frolicking in the mountains. (I dont know if we are going to frolick, but we are going to be away from Gainesville for a week with the family so thats all that matters.)

As for an update on life...

Madalyn- turns 16 months next Friday. I can't believe it! She is getting so big so fast... and has turned into quite a little busy bee. One of her favorite things to d is draw and color (and luckily she confines it to paper at this point in time!) She also loves to sing (ABCs is her favorite tune) and dance, and climb on anything and everything she possibly can. She loves to kiss (and even makes the "muah!" noise) and is incredibly cuddly. Every day with her is a new adventure. She is obsessed with shoes... and always points them out, tries to wear our shoes, or digs through her box of shoes to carry around with her. She will answer "yes" and "no" by shaking her head, and comes to get us when she wants her diaper changed. If you ask her if she needs a diaper she shakes her head yes and walks to her changing table, then points to it until you change her. I think we will be buying her a potty soon just to get the idea in her head.... and will probably start potty training her after Christmas if she seems ready.

Photography- has been incredibly successful! Check out my photo blog for some recent sessions. I also launched a brand new website for my company jls photography. I am really proud of my website, because I used a template and designed it by myself. So far I have been fairly successful with this, and had had several sessions of people who I didnt know before hand, and have gotten a lot of referrals by word of mouth. I have learned a lot about the business as well as the art form, and can see my work getting better each shoot that I do. I also have made enough money to support buying the equipment that I need, and there are many people lined up for the Fall which is also exciting.

Shawn and I are still working on the house.... so much work to do, it is overwhelming sometimes! Not going to even think about that though until I we are back from vacation....

I will post more later... I have a few pictures of Madalyn from gymnastics to post!

Naaah Naaaah

Madalyn has a "baby." When we were down visiting Gigi and Papa they gave her a baby doll (it was Jenna's when she was younger. Madalyn has started calling her baby Nah Nah (not Nana). She actually has called herself that a few times when she has seen her reflection in the mirror. When we were in Orlando visiting Jeff and Casey she saw twin babies at Toys R Us and kept pointing at them and saying Nah Nah! So we hav assumed this is her word for "baby."

The Pooh Car

For Madalyn's first birthday our dear friends Helene and Jim bought her a little ride on Winnie the Pooh car. It quickly became Maddie's favorite. She pushed it around before she was a confident walker, and now she rides it around the house. Her favorite part of the Pooh car? The lift up seat. Madalyn is very much a gatherer, and walks around the house picking up random items that eventually make their way into her Pooh trunk. I am constantly recovering sippy cups, random toys, snack foods... you name it, it has come to rest in the Pooh car! Nail polish missing? In the Pooh car. Can't find the remote? Check the Pooh car. Allie and Ava are obsessed with getting snack foods out of the Pooh car.

The cutest thing she has stuck in there? She dug through my drawer of photos (oh yeah she can open those now!) and pulled this one out. If you cant tell, it is a picture of Maddie and Savannah from Halloween. (Piglet and Pooh.) She carries it around with her. I couldnt make that up!