mamarazzi : sibling love

I don't know how it is in all families with two toddlers...but despite the occasional scuffle and shrieking match, mine kind of adore each other. We are talking snuggles, kisses, hugs, hog piles, adoring gazes - the works.

It was perhaps this way for my older siblings, who were also two years apart, just like Cormac and Finola.  Meanwhile, I came five years after my sister and four years before my little brother...so while there was the required sibling love, there was much more annoyance when we were little...usually at the younger sibling for hanging around, stealing thunder, or just being in the way!  I love the topic of birth order, so perhaps there is something uniquely beautiful about spacing your kids no more than two years apart.

Sure, there are moments when I wish Hubby and I had waited a tiny bit longer (maybe six months or even another whole year) before getting pregnant with #2.  These moments typically occur when I am feeling overwhelmed while mothering, eyes heavenward inwardly asking "God, what made you think I could handle this????!!!!"  

Birth order is also one of many reasons I strongly hesitate adding a third babe into the mix.  I wonder how it would affect the personalities of and the relationship between the two - oh, how the dynamic would change! (Plus, my head would probably explode and God would get reeeeeally tired of my questioning His parenting abilities.)

But most of the time, like when I look at these photos and see that clearly this - this two and this age difference - was meant to be.

Every once in a while I just get a sudden itch to take photos of my kids and end up with a few that I love.  (Excuse all the different filters - I did a lot of playing around with these.)
Have you had any 'mamarazzi' sessions of your own, lately? 

//if not warmth, then light//

I know it is a cold and long winter when even my friends and family in Minnesota are complaining.

No matter where you live, though (okay, maybe except Florida) I think we are all just a little sick of the bitter wind chill and the random snow dumpings.

I think we all just want a little warmth.

Thankfully the past few days have been sunny.

I know that is no substitute for actual spring, but at least you can look out the window and feel the warm sun on your face.

That's what we've been doing around here.

After both kids wake up from their naps we've been playing in the nursery and future 'big boy room' solely because they are the rooms that get the most afternoon sunlight.

my tripod ended up as a fun toy one day.

My kiddos and I are obviously unbelievably pale -- we need to get some sun (outside!)

I even went so far as to go out and purchase an large indoor ivy plant...

just because I miss the color of green leaves so much.

this is literally what happened when I told her to come "kiss the camera." She is really into kissing now.

about to kiss her reflection in the mirror

Spring, come soon!

We are in dire need of outdoor play

and large doses of Vitamin D.

{photographer for a day}

You know how there are people who are really, really amazing at one particular thing?

Like, that thing is "their thing." 

They paint.  Or they write.  Or they sew beautiful things.

Or they are good with numbers.

I don't have 'a thing.'

I have a lot of things that I love to do...

even a few that I am halfway good at.

My writing skills are decent.

I adore cooking.

I am a pretty fast long-distance runner.

I have decent style when it comes to home decor.
I genuinely enjoy these things and will continue to try to hone my skills.

Then there is photography.

You could say I am just one of those women who took up blogging and then had photo envy and joined the DSLR bandwagon and got one and had no clue how to use it and still really doesn't so I still shoot on auto.

That would be sort of true.

But also not.

My love for taking photographs began when I was twelve and got my first crappy plastic red Kodak 35mm camera for Christmas.

I was kind of obsessed with photos.  Some kids were playing soccer or in dance class, but because my family had no money for all of that by the time I got to that age, I had to do things that were free.

Being an introvert it was easy to find things to do on my own.

I would pore over family photographs.

I looked at my mama's photo albums so much that I felt that I knew all of the relatives personally, despite never having met most of them.

When my sister went to high school (she is five years older) I became equally obsessed with her yearbooks.  I could have told you everyone's name and what extra-curricular activity they were in.

(Clearly I had no life.)

Whenever I could scrape up some dollars to buy a roll of film I would,

and then took lots of really horrific photos.

This was back before digital cameras.  

No filters and editing programs.

You took 24 photos to a typical roll of film,

dropped it off at KMart, 

and waited.

Two whole days.

(I couldn't afford the one-hour photo)

Sometimes longer since we lived out in the country and it wasn't like I could just hop on my bike to get there.

The waiting felt like an eternity.

When I finally picked up my photos I would always find a quiet aisle in our hometown Kmart and rip open that envelope.  I had to see them immediately.

Honestly, most of them were really bad.

Fingers blocking the frame.

Red eyes.

Someone always blinked.  Always.

But it didn't matter - opening that envelope was still exciting.

The same way uploading photos to my computer is exciting.

I believe photographs are important.

I believe in taking lots and lots and lots of photographs and showing them to my kiddos.

They will grow up with a camera in their face.

They will have a mama who doesn't mind having her photo taken, either.

Photos helps us remember.

They are art.

They are an emotion or a moment captured.

In truth I know basically nothing about shooting in manual with my DSLR.

Well, not nothing, but very little.

I try.

I dabble.

Mostly, I understand composition and the value of editing utilizing the digital darkroom.

:)

I am not a photographer - I just enjoy taking photographs.

Therefore when my friend Alicia asked me to take some of her sweet little family, 

I readily obliged, longing for the practice and a way to re-pay Alicia for the many, many times she has let me and the babies invade her house for hours to escape renovation chaos,
feeding us and just being an amazing friend.

Since she has two little kiddos we spent about an hour in the morning sunshine one recent Saturday and I did the best I could...and had so much fun doing it.

Here are some of my favorites...

Anyway, I may never be a 'real photographer' but I will continue to get to know my camera and take lots of photos...because I love it.

Thanks to my friend Alicia for letting me take pics of your fam!  It was a joy!

g

{welcome to the family}

Last weekend Finola was baptized.  In our family we do infant baptisms, and my dad, being a pastor, has been able to baptize all his grandchildren.  I grew up sitting in the church pew watching countless babies have the water poured and the Word spoken as the Holy Spirit came upon them.  Our church congregation would sing a song called "Welcome to the Family" as my dad would walk down the aisle with the sweet babe in his arms and show the baby to those lucky enough to have an aisle seat.  As I got older this always made me tear up...hoping someday it would be my baby getting baptized.

Well, Dad retired before my babes were born...but I still got two amazing experiences.  Cormac was baptized at 3 months old at the church my dad was preaching at in Prague in 2011.  Dad walked with him and the congregation did sing "Welcome to the Family."  Not exactly the same since it wasn't my familiar church congregation, but...I still cried. {check out the video one of their prague church members was kind enough to make for us here.  Ignore my super frizzy hair and the fact that none of the words sync up.  :D}

Finola was baptized at the park that Hubby and I were married at.  We actually did it in the garden where we were supposed to have the ceremony - but it rained so the location was moved.  {You can read about that here.}  The baptism was a private ceremony, with just my parents, my dear friend M and her family (she is one of Finola's Godparents) and us.  There was no "congregation" so just me and my parents sang the song.  Still such a special moment that I'll never forget.

Oh, and we snagged a few impromptu family photos that day!  Thanks to my Dad and M's hubby Matt for helping me capture some of these shots!  I love randomly making someone "photographer" and seeing what magic comes about...and this was no exception.

Here are a few favorites from the day...

my handsome almost 2-year-old

finola in ruffles!  oh, and a flower hat from Gramma!

sibling love

we all look discombobulated here...but that is our life now! :)

during the baptism

serenading finola with "welcome to the family"

the guys!

the 'garden of old roses' will always hold beautiful memories for us

our little family of four - after the baptism

Happy Friday, friends!

g

mama-razzi...life in random photos

I am not a big Instagrammer (c'mon spellcheck...surely that is a word by now!)

I use it on occasion and have absolutely no clue how to transfer the photos to my computer.

I actually lug around my dslr most of the time to capture the randomness...because mostly I am around the house.  I also have a small point-and-shoot that I keep in my purse, but usually forget about.   It is right there next to my phone...if I haven't forgotten that at home.

My point is that I can't join in with my fellow bloggers and do "Insta-Lately" posts, or some other creatively named posts consisting solely of coolish-looking Instagram shots.  

Instead you get these.  Normal photos.  Sorry.  

Okay, is it weird that his molars are already coming in????  He practically has a full set of baby teeth!

I would be remiss if I didn't post a completely inappropriate naked butt shot of my child.  'The naked chef...'

"Mom...is it nap time yet???? 

All these crazy pillows on your bed are making me sleepy!"

Yes, he chose to insisted on putting on my fuzzy slipper boots.  

Elmo, why do I always have to be tripping over you???
{PS - Cormac can now say "Eeeeeeel-mo!"}

Donating some sweetness to this 'Shepherd's Share!' 

Dang - these two are inseparable!  No wonder 'Elmo' is his first real two syllable word.

Random salad creation - and new catalogs to peruse - double awesome!

arugula, halved red grapes, walnuts, goat cheese, creamy poppyseed dressing, grilled chicken

 Baked some homemade blueberry muffins...

Hubby brought me an orchid home one night.  I must have been extra whiney that day... :D

Look!  My son is so amazing he can already spell!  Okay, so he can draw a bunch of straight lines...but still...

These next few photos will show you that my child is definitely a daddy's boy.
Here they are, watching last night's basketball game...

Everything about this makes me happy.

Sorry Hubby...this was too cute not to share.

Tackling the steps.  I have to stay at least six feet away or he will come push me away...

The smile that makes all the tantrums and toddler 'tude completely vanish from my mind...

...momentarily.

:D
g