Say Cheese!

I am so blessed in my line of work to have gotten to know and befriend some amazing photographers. This year I got to have one of my favorites take our family portraits. Meredith Melody came down and captured something I have deeply wanted for several years now.

Jon and I met when we were kids (15) in the middle of an arena showing horses in Ft Worth. At the time we were both showing what would become our main youth career horses and we, amazingly, still have both of them with us at their ripe old age of 18. They are so much a part of what made Jon and I 'us' and to have these pictures is an amazing gift!

Tis the Season

Well friends, my blogging absence, ok, abandonment is explainable ... we've moved. It's been a long process and we are still working on it but we are somewhat settled. Settled enough for sure to have holiday decor abounding ... here are a few of the Christmas projects we've completed.

Saturday, we made a gingerbread train with Aunt Amanda and MooMa

Some decor at the new house

We only moved about a mile away from our last home and one great thing about our area is that they bring Santa around on a fire truck every year. Today was the day and it was fantastic as always.

Here are some shots from G's new life 'in the country'

Choo Choo!

We're just going to pretend the giant gap in postings didn't happen and go on with business as usual ... check.

Grant turned two on the 13th and the weekend before we had a train themed party with friends and family to celebrate.

As an event planner, you would think I would have had every detail squared away weeks before this party. You would be wrong. My wedding planner self had just completed 4 weekends in a row of large weddings and had not a second to devote to G's bash. The saving grace here is that I have a fantastic friend who also happens to be Grant's Godmother who I can call when I need crafty and I need it fast. I just provided her with beer and pizza and she pulled it off.

Elizabeth and Amanda tell me I really shouldn't try to craft, I should just come up with the ideas and then let other people execute them. Amanda luckily came over to assist Elizabeth or I'm not sure how late the party prep would have gone.

they ^ are amazing

Grant was not actually a huge fan of his party but once some paci time was had and some pineapple eaten, all was well. 

Prepare yourself, this is pic heavy 

So now he's two and the emails from babycenter say 'your preschooler' instead of 'your toddler' ... sigh. 

Catch Up Post #2 - New Lens!

Super Exciting news - I bought a new camera lens! I know, right?! Ok. well it's exciting to me. I really wasn't super happy with the speed of my old lens or how it worked in low light. My husband also was mortified every time I pulled it out because it was so large.

I got a Cannon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Standard Auto Focus Lens (here)

It makes my camera much lighter and easier to handle for day to day use (I have a Cannon 50D camera BTW) and for my house, which lacks natural light, it is far superior to my old lens.

Grant came to see me at work - I don't have a rose cloth covered couch in my house :)  (I mean I WOULD have one, I just don't - sad) Grant on the rose couch is kind of my version of a pic of him on the Easter bunny's lap haha.

This was taken at night, in our super dark family room - this is a huge improvement!