Car Love Edition:

The other day I looked back and saw this. Oh how my heart melted. <3

*Sorry for the blur, taking photos while driving is never a good idea. =)

*** On another side note ***

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE SISTER ANG!!! We hope you have a fabulous day and we hope you get spoiled rotten!!! We love and miss you! <3

Look at that talent!! =)

From the time the twinzies were born sleep is an on going issue. I think we have been VERY lucky on the sleep front (not without a lot of hard work and sleep training), but both kids have slept thru the night in their own beds from very early on. They have always been on the same schedule for naps/nighttime which was a HUGE life saver. I can probably count on one hand how many times a year I have to get up with the kids. Outside of sickness, they pretty much sleep all night without interruption {don’t hate}.

When we moved we {they} dropped their naps completely which was a huge thing as that was when I got the majority of my work done. The plus side of no naps is we are free all day and don’t have to rush home for naps. We also converted Shenzie’s crib into the toddler bed, and now into a full size bed. She LOVES her new big bed and looks so much more comfy in it. I love that we can all pile on for story time at night.

The transition wasn’t too bad from crib/toddler to big bed. The first few weeks Shenzie was found sleeping in random places:

The hallway

The stair landing

and a mid day crash on the floor downstairs.

The other morning about 7 I heard her playing and in my head started to cry because 7 is just TOO EARLY. Our new wakeup time is about 8:30 which I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE so 7 was going to kill me. I must have fallen back asleep and when I woke I found Shenzie asleep on the floor next to my bed. How sweet and very uncomfortable!

Jeff and I laugh to ourselves each night as we sit downstairs and listen to her play in her room before going to bed. Sometimes it is as late as 10:00/10:30, but she is quiet and doesn’t wake Heaten so its all fun.

Where is Heaten during all of this??? Still in his crib. I thought for sure when we converted Shenzie’s toddler bed to her full size bed that he would jump on the big bed bandwagon, but nope. I ask him every day would he like his big boy bed and he tells me he is not ready. So for now he is happy in his crib and doesn’t care that he isn’t in his big bed.

*Little side note. We don’t have a family bed. Jeff and I sleep in our bed and the kids sleep in theirs, end of story. However, the few nights that Shenzie came into our room at 3am I let her climb into bed with me and it was so sweet sleeping next to my bed hogging daughter.

Hot Cocoa Edition:

The twinzies favorite new game is making “hot cocoa” with water, dirt, and leaves. Yummmm, I’ll take two, thanks!

Summers in Vegas are spent hiding indoors. Lots of story time at the library, bounce house, weekly free movies, indoor crafts, etc. I’m sure winter’s here are much of the same, hiding from the weather. Summer in Bend is what I always read about, but never experienced. Lots of time spent outdoors. Lots of summertime activities. The anticipation of fall, and the dread of winter. I now know what a true summer season feels like. In Vegas it gets hot around April and starts to cool off in October. There is no variation of weather, it is just hot, hot, and did someone say HOT!?!? I am loving the variations of weather. One day it is 75 the next it is 90. Freak hail storms, crazy summer rain, cool nights and mornings. I’m loving it all!!!

This summer, our first in Bend, we are having so much fun!! A few highlights were The Bite of Bend and the Classic Car show downtown. Walking along the river at Drake Park. Feeding the chipmunks at Sawyer Park. The Fourth of July Festival, the Annual Deschutes Fair in Redmond, and lots of playing in our own backyard.

Here are a few photos from one of my favorite evenings spent with my family at Pine Nursery Park. The kids played in the sand and water while Jeff and I read on our picnic blanket. Ahhhh, life is sweet indeed!!

Dorks Edition:

Yes, I realize I look rather scary and oh my hair! But I love still love this photo. =)

My Little Shenzie Bear. I cannot believe my twinzies are almost 4! Like they say, the time has flown and my little girl is growing up. Shenzie is so amazing, sweet, smart, and sassy.

She loves the camera and will ask me to take pictures of her and then start in with her posing. It seriously cracks me up. You can see so much of her personality on her face. She is truly a character and is so silly, funny, fun, and beautiful. I <3 her to bits!

We have been planning this tutu shoot since we left Las Vegas and once I saw this field of flowers I knew we had to do it here. We had such a fun time, I’m already planning our winter snow shoot!!

Sorry for the photo overload, but I just have so many favorites! The photos turned out exactly as I envisioned them in my head and I can’t wait to get some prints made. Shenzie told me she wants “big pictures on all of her bedroom walls”.

And my very favorite photo of the day. This photo stole my heart. I love that Shenzie is serious (which is rare), the soft sun, the beautiful flowers, her curly halo of hair, all of it just makes my heart melt every time I look at it.

And once again I’ll apologize to Heaten for Shenzie taking center stage, but dude, you just don’t like the camera, not even a little bit!!

p.s
I stole this post from my photography blog. I want it here for when I finally get around to making blog books of years 1, 2, and 3. So what if I’m only 3.8 years behind! =)

A few of my favorite things at Lesley Barr Photography / Blog.

Now with More Video’s Edition:

Shenzie and Heaten at the park

Shenzie dancing and singing to Madagascar’s We like to Move it Move it

I started this site the day I found out we were pregnant. I love keeping a journal of my kids growing and all of the crazy stuff they do. I love that Jeffs family can see the twinzies way up there in Canada (I promise we’re going to visit someday!!). And now that we’ve turned traitor and moved from my entire family I’m so glad they still get to be a part of my kids life, even if its only photos and videos (and I swear, we’ll visit there someday too!).

*Family, I uploaded more videos here.

Happy Birthday Little Sister!

You are awesome, you are beautiful, you are fun, you are funny (not looking), you are loving, and you are my wanna be partner in crime while shooting people! I hope you get spoiled rotten with a 5D Mark II!!!!

And yes, I totally realize paybacks are a bitch and I’m expecting mine in the mail (and I REALLY wanted to put the video up of you singing at my house, but I held back, so go easy on me). =) I couldn’t resist your “I’m so tired from shooting this wedding and just want to go home and drink already” face. =)

I love you!!!!

Heaten and Shenzie turn four on October 2nd. OMG! FOUR!!!!! Holy crappola!

So anyhow, we know what we’re getting Heaten. He LOVES all things train. His life is consumed with train movies, train toys, and train dreams I’m sure. Last Christmas we were going to get him a train table, but decided against it in case we moved (good choice on our part since the Uhaul was packed so full the door wouldn’t open). This is the set I’m looking. I like that it is compatible with Thomas Engines since those are his favorite. Last year at Costco they had a pretty cool set so I’m hoping they will get it in again, if not Amazon offers free shipping which is nice.

Shenzie I’m having a tougher time with. All she wants is a Barbie (ewwww). We’re discussing getting her a wood play kitchen (most likely one like this), but that isn’t set in stone.

Those of you that have play kitchens, what do you say? Worth the money? Do your kids still play with it? I swear, you just never know what will be a hit and what won’t.