Just a few pics from today

I can't get over that I think we finally have another walker in the house. Everyday, E has increased his walking skills, walking more than crawling now. I can't believe I haven't taken many pictures of his walking! Took a couple outside today. Also took some of the dogfood disaster. Ok, it wasn't really a disaster - but really, I should know by now not to leave full bowls of dogfood on the floor with a one year around, while I go change out the laundry. You'll see why in the pics.....

Checking out the neighbor's pumpkin display!

More of my monkey

I can't decide if it's cruel or cute to keep dressing my child in his monkey costume and taking pictures, but he's just so darn cute I can't help myself! Here he is in the banana box.....

My first Blog Party!

As you know, I started selling Thirty-One gifts two months ago. It's been going great - I've had 11 parties so far, just one more and I will have made all my Start Swell goals, which is really fun! Start Swell goals are incentives to the new consultant to book those parties - with every 3 parties turned in, I received some type of free goody - a 31 tablecloth, organizing bag, embroidery swatch, free catalogs and order forms, business cards -  I should have display stands coming, and, after the 12th party is turned in, I'll get my website FREE for a year! Yippee! So, on to the blog party. One of the gals at a party writes a really great blog called The Picky Apple. She has lots of followers - she posts about preschool crafts, recipes, all kinds of neat stuff. So, she decided she really liked the items and would do an online party. It's a first for both of us, I sure hope it's successful! I'll put her post here, you should check it out when you can - I can't get over how great it looks. She cut and past pictures from the catalogs, gave suggestions about items - it's awesome. I am doing a free give-away on the blog too, a free large utility tote in one of 2 patterns - but you'll have to check out the post to see how to get in on the Free action!!! Ok, go check it out! It's a real online party! You can order straight from a link!!
http://www.thepickyapple.com/blog/2010/10/23/thirty-one-blog-party-and-giveaway/

Thanks!!! :)

Dewberry Farm

We went to Dewberry Farm today with Laura F and her family; Laura is home-schooling this year, and their home school group was going today, so we got to tag along. It was kind of strange weather - looked like rain, but then just got really windy. The overcast was awesome lighting for pictures!! I think Eli enjoyed the experience, but got pretty tired by the time we left. We didn't pick out pumpkins from the big patch, just let E get his little itty bitty pumpkin that they let all the kids have. We got to ride on a wagon pulled by a tractor, go through the corn maze, check out neat sunflowers, and eat lunch.

no photo editing on these pictures, the light was just that great! Neat time with family, can't wait to go when E is older and can play and do more of the activities!

Dirt angel

We went back to Enchanted Gardens today to take pictures of a friend's little girl in her cute "fall" outfit and in her adorable Halloween costume. Mom and Eli came along, so mom could check out the nursery and keep her eye on E while I took the pictures. I love taking pictures of this little girl, I have taken her 3 month, bluebonnet pictures, and first birthday pictures! Anyway, E was a good sport for the most part, being wheeled around the nursery - before we left, I let him get out of his stroller, and he immediately started playing in the dirt. Going to town is more like it. If he could have laid down in the dirt and made dirt angels, he would have I'm sure. I think there is a gene in boys that acts like a magnet to all things dirty; I can't imagine a little girl would sit there and start swiping at the dirt like that! Here are a few pictures, before I finally picked him up and cleaned him off!

Here, grandma, you want this?

My Little Monkey

I have been meaning to post, but have been so busy lately - it's been a zoo around here! Ha, ha, you'll get that reference in a minute (or you can just scroll down to pictures). I have been so pre-occupied with my 31 business, and starting the frenzy of taking family photos, I just haven't been able to properly focus on the blog. It's been fun, being busy - making me prioritize the days better! With busy-ness does come some stress of course, but I guess I'm handling it all ok for now. Here's some stats on my little Eli that I wanted to get down before I forget them!!

-last night, he took the most steps independently that he has taken thus far! He will just walk a few feet on his own, but everyday is attempting to walk farther and farther. He took some more steps tonight. You can tell he is so proud of himself, he smiles and giggles as he walks, and of course, mom and dad make a big deal about it.

-I'm pretty sure he identifies "eyes" on his stuffed dog. He knows I will say "where's the nose?" next, so automatically then touches the nose of the dog, but that's ok. I'm pretty sure he knows what the eyes are. Fairly certain.

-I love watching his imaginative play. He loves to put items on his cars or trucks and push them around. He put a crumpled up coupon on the back of his truck the other day and was pushing it. Tonight, he took the lid of the dog food container and used it as a ramp for his little car. Of course I think he's just a genious for thinking of that at 13 months!

-he loves climbing up the big play structure at the playground, walking (with mom) across the wobbly bridge, and go down the slide in mom's lap. Once he gets down, he will lead me as I help him walk back to the start of the climb. He even cries and squirms as I put him back in the stroller when it's time to leave, because he doesn't want to leave!

-he will climb the stairs and giggle as he tries to "get away" from mom or dad

-he gives Lucy her dog toy, and even tries to throw it for her. he knows which ones are the dog toys.

-loves to open cabinets and pull out things, and stand on his tipey-toes and reach for things in counters and drawers. For some reason, he really enjoyed playing with a trial size saline solution bottle!

That's all I can think of for now, so, on to our monkey pictures! My friend Lindsay and her son, Brandon, and myself and Eli went to the zoo last week. Both Eli and Brandon are going to be monkeys for Halloween, so we brought their costumes and took pictures of them around the monkey exhibit. They were both such good sports about it all! Eli really seemed to enjoy looking at the animals, a lot more than when we took him when he was around 7 months old. Lindsay is as shutter happy as I am, so we had a great time taking pictures. The boys also played a ton on the kid's playground, we spent more time there than looking at animals! Can't wait to go to the zoo again soon!

The baby orangutan was great! He was playing with that pink blanket, rolling himself up in it, etc.

I love how Eli is standing on his toes, trying to see (or imitating Brandon!)

picture by Lindsay. She got a good smile with him looking right at the camera!

picture by Brandon, while in the wagon (with his mom helping just a little!)

The Singing Niece

I still can't believe Grace is fifteen years old. 15. FIFTEEN. I remember taking her to build a bear for her birthday several years in a row, then going to eat Chic fil a for lunch. And now she's in high school. We are so proud of her, she made it into a show choir at her high school, which is a big deal for a sophomore. We drove up for her concert last weekend; I enjoyed experimenting with different lenses, etc. while taking pictures in the audience. Low light and action just don't go together! I did bring my monopod, figured that would be less obtrusive to use in an auditorium than a full on tripod. I found the swishing movement in the pictures actually pretty cool. It was difficult to catch the group at a stand still, but did get some of those shots too. So, thought I would share some of the interesting ones....

Strike a pose! Seniors got to be on the front row a lot; one of these days, Grace!

I like how this guy on the left is just a wisp of a person! he was moving fast!

That's Grace on the far right, blonde pony-tail.

I really like how the hands look in the picture.

Ta-da!

James Bond theme.

Another blurry movement one that I like.

Jazz hands!

Picnic in the Park

Mikal and Kody called last week and said let's get together at the park, since the weather has been so nice lately. Invited Traci and John to come along too! All of us have kids, there were three babies between the three couples and one 3 year old. I was excited to use my Thirty-One products; I know that sounds silly, but seriously, I was excited to use my big tote, picnic tote, blanket, and Eli's bag. I have really enjoyed all this new stuff and like using it!! Once at the park, it was a tad warmer than we had hoped for, but that's ok. As the sun went down (we went later in the afternoon), it cooled off even more - but the mosquitos really came out. I threw the frisbee with Doug, and really had a good time with that. I haven't thrown a frisbee in years I guess - I'm not very good at it actually! But it felt great to run to catch it, jump, stretch, reach - movements I don't usually do! I walk or do the elliptical for excercise, but this felt so good, to move in different ways. I think I want to play frisbee more often!

I didn't realize I caught Meredith in mid-air when I took this picture!

Sweet little Matt.

Mikal holding Eli while we threw the frisbee.

My smiley, climbing little man!

Sweet little Ellie.

Big Bathtub

Eli wanted to get into the Big Bathtub the other day with daddy....I decided it's not weird to have grabbed the camera for pictures. Yeah, not weird. I'm sticking with that.

Exploration!

I love to explore new places. I heard about a location that would be good for photographs, in downtown Old Richmond - so of course I had to go check it out. After morning nap and lunch, I loaded up Eli in the car, put the address in the Garmin, and off we went (camera packed as always!). The downtown area really is pretty cute; antique shops, a "real" barbershop, historic old churches - everybody waves to you and lets you cross the street too. I played with my manual focus lens (the one I always moan about being manual focus, because I love it, but always get slightly out of focus pictures!!! On my film camera it worked great, but can only be manual focus on the digital. Sigh.) E wasn't exactly in a smiley mood, but that's ok; I think he enjoyed exploring too, and seeing new things. We were able to be pretty close to a real live train and watch it go by, that was a first for him! Here are a few favorites from the trip:

Not sure what this "tongue in cheek" thing is all about.....but cracks me up just the same.

We took some pictures outside of this old-fashioned barber shop, and the cute little ol' barber came out to see what we were doing. He offered to take our picture!