i heart faces | pink week | sleeping beauty

This week’s PINK theme is in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Here is little Hannah here - dressed in a soft pink pettiskirt.  Look at how big she's getting!  She's 3 mos old now though her actual due date was just a couple of days ago, October 23. So had she been born to term, this is what she would have looked like as a newborn - perfection I tell you!

Click the button below to see other entries...I'd love to see yours! :) 

Have a great week!

Being 30

I've literally spent this entire week celebrating the welcome of the next ten years my life - my thirties.  As soon as I turned 25, I started dreading this year.  Now that I'm here, I'm pretty excited about my current place in life.  I feel so absolutely blessed to be surrounded by people that truly know me.  I love being content with the relationships I've made and not having to give backfill to tell a story.  Over the last 30 years, I've made and maintain the absolute best friendships.  I have two bestfriends that I'm lucky enough to call sisters and two sisters that I'm blessed enough to call friends. 

My friends and family went out of their way to make this birthday special.  I was showered with well wishes and several items on my short running wish list including an IPAD (yes, my husband is the absolute BEST) and The Vintage Pearl goodies.  I'm now convinced that I either spend too much time talking about things that I want or my friends/family  just happen to listen REALLY well :)  Honestly, it wasn't about the tangible items, instead it was the revelation that I got this week. I've surrounded myself around people that have listened to my heart and to who I am.  They "get me"... the good, bad, and the ugly.  I have so much appreciation for this - I am humbled & I am blessed.

So, I have high expectations for my thirties as my twenties brought so much that will shape the rest of my life:

My First Born | MacKenzie
A new role | "Aunt Hope" to Tyson, Eden, Robin, Rani, Cydney, Brynna, Hannah & a host cuties in Dallas!
Friendship with my sister |  Shawn
A Family in Dallas
Degree from OU | Boomer Sooner!
Career
My First Home
A Better Relationship with my parents
New Genuine Friendships | Bershunda & Betsy
Church Home | Spiritual Maturity
Marriage
Nia & Nala


So if my twenties were this good - bringing  me all of the above and so much more - AND if  it's true what Jay-Z says -  that 30 is the new 20...I can certainly look forward to a good ten more years of pure bliss!


And because for me, a blog post without a picture, is no blog post at all - a pic of my cake.  My husband actually special ordered a cake for me...this is a FIRST! He's a Walmart bakery, plain white cake kinda guy... and well I'm... SO NOT!   I'm so proud of him - it was my fav...if I didn't get anything else for my birthday I would have been content with this right here:

Thanks for the well wishes on my birthday!

My Twenties

This is Me.  And tonight I say goodbye to my twenties.  I wanted to remember how I looked (with the pimples that I was promised would go away when I said farewell to my teens, gray hair streaks, and racoon eyes and all - no makeup) and how silly I was...that although sloppy, I can still "kinda" do a bridge-kickover. Sure, I wanted it to be a back walkover and could only dream of it being a back handspring, but I hey, I'm nearly 30 and have birthed 3 babies so I say, "Not Bad"!  Here I am with a hilarious outtake.


Here  (listen for my cheerleaders!) and Here (the outtake!)

Yes, I'm real mature! Only a mature mom would ask her nine year old to capture her so gracefully on the eve of her 30th Bday...

So long Twenties!  It's been REAL!

Sorta Fairytale Actions

Tried out some Black and White Actions by Mandy at A Sorta Fairytale.

This is Miss J.  She's 8 and FABULOUS!  Love her beautiful eyes and thick hair!

 

Sorta Fairytale's Indigo Action

And Onyx Action

You can download these FREE actions and more in the same set here!  I'm loving them :P

Brynna Grace

Is it wrong to be jealous of a 19 month old's lashes??  This is Brynna Grace.  She's as smart as a whip, cute as a button, has a will that could combat Samson's strength, and has AMAZING eyelashes.  I love her bunches.  Her mom, Regina, and I have been best buds since 6th grade - 19 years.  Brynna is god-sister to my three girls.  AND she has incredible eyelashes, did I say that already?

Seriously, just look at those lashes!

She also has pretty amazing baby blues hiding under those lashes...yep, she's a doll! And I'm pretty sure she knows it!

18 Months!

Nia & Nala:

Today you are 18 months old and know I sound like a broken record, but I really honestly can't believe how big you girls are now.  Where are my little babies??

In Music:
You are both now loving to sing along to "Happy & Know You It!", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "I'm a Little Teapot", and "Mr. Sun".  You know all the moves and motions too...You guys are all about the "motions!"  You also can't get enough of big sissy putting on Black Eyed Peas "I got a Feeling" (thanks YouTube).  In the car with Daddy, you love to groove to the "Chocolate Train" cd that Miss Melissa at BAWS made for you.  Nia you love to dance and Nala, you like to nod your head and seem really interested in the music. 

ABCs/123s
Your ABCs are currently just mumbles, but you can both count to 5.  Of the two of you, Nala you show more interest in reading right now.  You LOVE books and can entertain yourself reading all by yourself!  Nia, you generally just pick up a book after you see that Nala has one! :) 

Body Parts
You both know your nose, eyes, ears, arms, feet,hands, head, and belly button.  I love to hear you repeat belly button!  (Super cute!!)

Words
You are saying quite a few words these days including Mama or per Nala "MaMUH", Dada, Pot Pot (for potty), Belly Button, Stop That, No!, Sissy or "Thissy" per Nia, Ball, Up, Down, Yay!, Shoes, I, Nose, Mine, Thank You, Love You, Hi, Uh Oh, you both say Nala, and Nia you say Nia too, but we haven't heard Nala call your name yet Nia.  Funniest of all, most recently Bye Bye Girl (yep, we are now calling everybody girl)!  In First Sentences - Nia has started saying "Here You Go."

Interaction
You are both still a little cautious of strangers, but are generally friendly.  Nala you still have a thing for men...we'll give you 6 more months and then we're putting a stop to that!  :)  You have finally stopped crying when being dropped off at church, now that it will be time to switch classes in a month from now!  At school, they say you are both happy, but pretty quiet.  It's still new, so I'm sure you'll eventually show em how crazy/wild you two really are!

You're growing up girls!

WE LOVE YOU

These two little girls who have absolutely no interest in being photographed, are now 18 months. I so do not have the patience to try to get both of them to smile for a pic...so this is as good as it gets...this is how their 18 mos bday will be remembered.

Good Things | Hannah Lynell

I have found that good things come to those who wait.

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31

Today, after 10.5 weeks, my best friend, Brandy,  FINALLY got to bring her baby girl, Hannah, home.  Hannah was born prematurely at 26 weeks gestation on July 20 weighing 2 lbs 3oz.  Today she left, in complete health at 37 weeks weighing a healthy 5 lbs 12.2 oz!  Hannah's story is one to not be forgotten.  Her mommy and daddy and everyone around them are left humbled by that which God has done and how he never for one second forgot about little Hannah, a miracle baby.  Their strength was tested, but today,they are renewed! 

You can follow Hannah's journey by visiting Team Davis United.  Although the blog has been interrupted over the last 10.5 weeks, Brandy is planning a 365 so we can peek in on little Miss Hannah throughout the week.  I have a permanent link in my blog roll!

Isn't she a beauty?? 

aspire photo challenge - black & white / secret keeper girl

Hannah has a new photo challenge posted.  The theme is Black and White. 

Click on the button here to see others.  Lots of great images!  I'd love to see your play :) 
Black and white photography is especially great for story-telling and for images that reflect emotion.

Here I have captured MacKenzie. I think she looks stunning. In this image, I see her innermost natural beauty. Not perfection by the world's standards, but true God given beauty - the only standard that truly matters.

MacKenzie and I enjoyed a Mother-Daughter night out on Saturday and attended the Secret Keeper Girl Pajama Party Tour which made a stop in Tulsa. It was all about modesty, fashion, and beauty and was a just a perfect event for moms and tweens in today's culture. At one point during the show, they asked the girls to reflect on any physical insecurities that they had so that they could take those insecurities to God  and we could pray over them.  MacKenzie said that she couldn't think of anything so she prayed about her "big feet".  She said that was all that she could come up with.  My first thoughts were "oh no!" I've made her feel bad about her feet, and while I will genuinely be more conscious of this regarding any comments I make about her feet, I feel so blessed that she actually struggled with something to come up with.  It's because I know that for her, it's not because she's vain or full of herself, in fact it is the opposite. Her outward appearance is not where her focus is.   I love this innocence and hope it never goes away for her.  Love the raw purity of being 100% content with how you are wonderfully made.  From her, I could learn a lesson...

I'm so blessed to have a little secret keeper girl - a true masterpiece created by God's hand.

A Secret Keeper Girl values modesty, she surrounds herself with wise friends and she embraces Godly beauty. She also knows that she can share all of her heart secrets with her mom at any time. The coolest thing for you to know is that a Secret Keeper Girl is a masterpiece created by God.

Enjoying the Park

We had a lazy weekend.  We went to the park Friday, Saturday, and Sunday...the girls loved being outside and with comfortable temperatures, I really didn't mind either.

We went at times that I thought it would be quiet without many other people so that I could feel comfortable letting them walk  little bit.  Nala was so excited that she fell down every few steps...her big sister thought it was hilarious...

They absolutely loved swinging.  Weekends are certainly to be treasured because it is then that I get to really spend time enjoying my three. 

Laughter we picture {this} - a little drama too

September's theme: LAUGHTER.  

 
Camera:  Canon Rebel XSI
Lens:       50 mm 1.4
Exposure: 1/200 @ f/2.8 ISO 400
Mode:  Manual

I took this picture of Nia last month.  MacKenzie got behind me and made Nia laugh.  I love it!  In the same breath she gave me this dramatic pose...

Camera: Canon Rebel XSI

Lens: 50 mm 1.4
Exposure: 1/125 @ f/2.8 ISO 400
Mode: Manual

Combined these two pictures capture the essense of Nia...in one little package she is silly and intense all at once!

Check out more laughter posts by clicking on the we picture this button.