Gobble, Gobble, Ho Ho Ho & a Happy Birthday James! (Otherwise Known as The Longest Post of My Life!)

Finally! Christmas time! A break! Sleep! But first, a wee bit of crunch time. It's been crazier than expected lately, which delights me to no end, however, it leaves little time to breathe. So here's a recap... starting with... September. Life is so so beautiful. Little moments, seemingly small things. I'm learning to hug a little tighter, let laundry linger in the hall a little longer to enjoy an extra laugh. This fall has been full of life. Growing families, passing of loved ones, celebration, tradition, pushing ourselves, tears and joy alike, and falling into bed at night, asleep before my head hits the pillow. This life just gets better and better. Here's a peek into our recent days, er, months. (I know I have a slew of Halloween and tailgate photos, but goodness, a girl's gotta sleep sometime!)

Lisa ventured north from Texas to be greeted by a whole bunch of her very excited friends!

My dad turned another year wiser.

Chloe slept. A LOT.

The whole crew headed out for our annual trip to Freeman's Farm for some hayridin' and pumpkin pickin'.

 We're taking a big group photo every year in this spot.. we all thought it'd be fun to see how our families grow through the years!

 This little girl kills me with her cuteness. I can hardly stand it. I absolutely adore her!

 Real men hold babies, and cameras, and take their wives to the pumpkin patch. Four awesome guys, right here.

Ha!

 Camille celebrated her first birthday, dressed as Dorothy!

 Thanksgiving with our families. We're so SO blessed.

 My dude LOVES apple pie..

 And with the holidays, comes baking..

 And snow..

 And each other.. (I stole the idea for this shot from my soul buddy, and fellow photographer friend, Dru. I saw a similar photo she did, and had to have one for our bedroom, but of us!)

 'Tis the season..

And to a very sweet, smart, special little boy in my life, HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY tomorrow! Your godmommy loves you and is so SO proud of the incredible person you are. I miss you all the time Jamesy! Have your mama give you a huge hug and kiss from me tomorrow.. see you soon! Xo!

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lap kitty who needs a cuddle, a hubby who needs a wife to watch Elf with, and a cozy family room awaiting me. Ah, peace. I'm soaking it all in. To you and yours this season, Merry Christmas!

Lifestyle: Tingler Sibs

My little nugget sister's nugget boyfriend is so much fun. I knew my afternoon would be filled with laughter and shenanigans when he, his adorable sister, Brittany, and I set out to take some photos for their dad's birthday. We chose a gorgeous autumn afternoon and headed to Highbanks Park. I, myself, am without a brother, and cringed when Christian shimmied up a tree in about three seconds flat. Brittany merely laughed and rolled her eyes. Typical, he's always been a monkey. She exclaimed, as I willed the ground to rise and lesson the amount of air between Christian and the hard ground. It's always fun to be around siblings. No matter what age, they instantly revert back to childhood, and are quick to engage in their own banter; sisters of brothers requiring thicker skin and comebacks readily available. I loved every second of my time with this pair! I left off one of my favorite shots, as not to ruin a Christmas gift, but will most definitely be adding it later!

Christian & Brittany- thanks for sharing your afternoon with me. You're so lucky to have one another! (And Christian, aren't you glad you held back from putting my camera in the microwave? Your empty threats proved to work in your favor after all! Ha!)

Bustin' at the Seams

There are so, so, SO many reasons I adore my husband. Every Christmas, I remember a specific quality that I really love. He loves Christmas as much as I do. And that, my friends, is a whole heck of a bunch! Really, it's kind of out of control. I can't really help it. It's what I grew up with. I've always appreciated my parents' approach. They do it up big- Christmas spirit takes over, my mom outdoes herself every year baking and decorating, my dad still clings to the "fact" that Santa is real, and his spirit overtakes his body every year, thus, he becomes Santa. Their home becomes Christmas central, in all the best ways. Laughter radiating through each room, Christmas music softly playing, cozying up with White Christmas and Christmas Vacation, sipping hot chocolate, smells of pine and cedar and baked goodness wafting throughout the house. It was always magical growing up. I remember wondering if the magic would subside once I "grew up." Well, either I haven't grown up yet, or I can answer that question with a big, jolly, No, no, no! Christmas magic is still bustin' at the seams. And I'm loving every bit of sparkle.

We've been ridiculously busy lately, and I wasn't sure I could live up to my parents' Christmas spirit standards, even though compared to the average person, I'm certifiably insane. Then I saw this photo. The one I'd staged and plan to send to all of our loved ones. I think I was worried for nothing; our Christmas spirit scale tipped over and fell into a pile of ornaments and garland, at our poor kitty's expense. It was hilarious. And yes, I realize I need a child.

Newborn: Jackson & Blake

Oh twins! Twice blessed; double the kissable cheeks and tiny toes. Double the love, and double the diapers! Friends Molly and Vince invited me over for the afternoon to capture their baby boys' fifth day of life. To say this family is beautiful is the understatement of the century. And being in their home made me want twins in the worst way (Sorry Hubby!). Sweet and cuddly, with personalities all their own already, Blake and Jackson are just adorable, and full of spunk at five days old! They love being next to one another- posessing that cool twin trait the rest of us single birthed kids don't have. Another language, an understanding that comes from growing together for nine months. I couldn't help but marvel at how natural Molly and Vince are at doing all of this with not one baby, but two!

M & V- your beautiful little boys are so, SO lucky to have such incredible parents. Enjoy your first Christmas as a family of FOUR. Love and blessings always. And double the Congratulations!