End of Day

I just love sun-set lighting. And I love my guys winding down together.

How 'Bout a Little Lewis

I love the Pacific Northwest

This is the kind of thing that happens when we visit the grandparents.

And I am so thankful, my sister-in-law was able to capture this.

My Monkeys

Fighting These Rainy-Day- Blues

"...I get by with a little help from my friends..."

This picture kind of creeped me out today. My firstborn turns five this month!!! And in this pic, he looks it.

The lack of posting lately can be attributed to the learning curve in the area of cheerfully bringing up three young children and making my home lovely; both of which are a daily chore. But God is so faithful and kind and he brings us along and gives us help and encouragement (known in the form of my MIL [mother-in-law] who organized my kitchen and thus organized my life, as well as Peter Leithart who wrote this article and thus organized my heart).

amen and amen.

We Are All So In Love With Her

It Pays to be This Boy's Mama

I actually have a reason to have not updated the blog in the last week. Lewis scratched his cornea with a stick which then became infected. I have had my fill being a mama koala bear to a tender-hearted boy. It was utterly charming, albeit exhausting, to have him latch himself to me for comfort.

KC and I think that Lewis has graduated from Cute School, at the top of his class, no doubt. He's got a fantastic personality. It was really sweet for me to spend so much time holding and chatting with him this past week. He's really a wonderful and bright little boy.

Me: Lewis, can I have a smootch, or what?

Lewis: Or what.

darn.

He's been talking to Colson a lot lately. He calls him Tolsen. Or Bruda, for brother. I'm not sure if they could be more opposite. And they like being together. I love it.

I thought that he'd really have to grow up a lot when baby Caroline made her debut; but, to me, he really hasn't. He really is my little koala cub. Being his mama is such an amazing gift from God. Praise God and cheers for Lewis. Oh, and his eye is all cleared up now. He's back to his old adventurous self. Right now he and Tolsen are outside together hunting warthogs and pretending to eat chocolate. It's a hard knock life in a 70 degree Eugene day today.

And now for the moment the grandparents have been probably been waiting for, some pictures:

Colson Quotes

Colson: I'll give this flower to bad girls.

Colson: My baby sister is a blessing from God.

Strange and friendly woman: You can feel God all around this place.

Colson: Well, I don't worship false gods.

At this the woman stopped chatting and walked on. haha.

Big Brother

I am so grateful that Caroline has big brothers. Colson, although can be smothering, adores his sister. When he smothers Caroline, she cries. When he smothers Lewis, Lewis punches him. All in all, however, no one gets smiles and laughs out of Caroline or Lewis more than Colson.

Telling Stories with Grandma

Telling Stories with Grandma, originally uploaded by Keri__Ann.

My mother is one of the most giving people I know. I love seeing her pour that on my children.

She's Taxed

This post is for my mom, who is on the tail end of tax season.x All she wants is to play Grandma and instead she's been staring at strangers and loads of paperwork day and night for the past three months. Like the bears rising from hibernation, she too will emerge from the cave that is her office to a world of light and spring and fruit. Happy Spring. Your Grandbabies are waiting for you to gobble them up.

Rain-kissed in April

April Rain Song

Let the rain kiss you Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops Let the rain sing you a lullaby The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk The rain makes running pools in the gutter The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night And I love the rain. -Langston Hughes

Colson Quote - He's on a Roll Folks

"Lewis,

Number one: I tie you up sometimes because you punch me in the face.

Number two: I want you to follow God and never go back. Stay focused in God."

Colson Quote

Context: Getting ready for church and doing something with Colson's hair.

Me: Colson stand still. Up straight. Look at me. This is really important.

*** pause*** "This is really important?" Did I really just say that?

Me: Colson, I was wrong. Doing your hair is not really important. Knowing Jesus is important. Worship is important.

Colson: What if some people made hair an idol?

Me: ha! lots of people do!

Colson, thank you for reminding me what is important on Easter Sunday.

Currently...

These baby legs have got me swooning:

Look at Caroline's baby cousin. They are both diggin' their little piggies:

I felt like quite the American last wednesday on Lewis' birthday. We went to a local burger joint called Dickie Joes. I ate a beef burger with blue cheese, a handful of fries, and topped it off with an ice cream sundae! wow. It was amazing. Lewis wasn't as into dinner (oddly) but he had no objection whatsoever to his birthday ice cream cone.

What's Colson been up to lately? Well right now he's got a dress shirt halfway tucked into his underwear, his pants got wet so he's not wearing any. He's flying around the house with some toy or another and a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck. The other evening K.C. was sharing with me a mini sermonette when he said, "The only thing they have is hope." To which Colson pipped in, "Excuse me, hope is one thing. And the other thing is money."

Today at church as I was coming back to my seat where Lewis and Colson were sitting next to each other in the pew holding hands I heard Colson responding to something Lewis was saying, "...Right, Lewis. God, That's right."

Colson continues to love on his baby sister; he smothers her, in fact. We have to tell him to back off. It's true that he was the first person to really make her giggle and when I told him that he responded, "The first time a girl laughs a fairy is born. I heard that from Peter Pan."

He's been listening to a bit of Johnny Cash here and there and has started talking with a southern drawl. He is quite the adventure.

Lewis Turns Two!

Two years ago, shortly after Easter dinner, my water broke. We headed into the hospital to endure what was the most painful couple of hours of my life.

When he was born, I didn't even think to check to see if my baby was a boy or girl. I was only glad we made it out ok.

Now the pain is a distant memory as this little man has made his sweet little way right into my heart.

I can't believe my baby boy is two, yet I can't remember what life was like not having him shine in our lives.

Happy birthday, Lewis. Cheers to looking forward to a full and fun year ahead and to enjoying you as you are today.

This Little Piggie

50mm; (1/80); f/2.5

50mm; (1/160); f2.5

A Lawson Morning Documentary

I spent this morning with the children at my folks' home. My dad cooked us omelets. My dad always cooks us omelets. And I always eat them. Because when you cook omelets that often for your children and their children you get a lot of practice. And practice makes perfect. So a stint up I-5 is worth the perfect omelet, among other things, too, of course. To top it off, the morning light was streaming into the kitchen, and I got quite giddy as my camera was calling me, beckoning me.

Lewis has found his way into Grandpa's good graces and enjoyed receiving the benefit of being in "the know" with the man of the house - Benefits include a VIP pass to the omelet stuffers - only he was the one getting a sausage stuffing.

50mm; (1/80); f/2.2

50mm; (1/4000); f/1.4

50mm; (1/125); f/1.4

50mm;(1/125); f/1.4

50mm; (1/1250); f/1.4

While Grandpa was busy with breakfast, I decided to play a joke on him and go outside to take pictures, leaving all my children behind, letting them all to fend for themselves, Grandpa included. Muah hahaha! I couldn't help it. The light was perfect.

50mm; (1/3200); f/3.5

50mm; (1/4000); f/1.4

50mm; (1/640); f/2.8

50mm; (1/4000); f/1.8

The perfect lighting. The perfect omelet. The perfect morning. Thank you God.

The Art of Motherhood

This is Elise with her firstborn son. He's only a couple weeks younger than Caroline. This picture was taken in tribute to motherhood.

50mm; (1/640); f/1.4

Because Sometimes I Succumb...

Because Sometimes I Succumb, originally uploaded by Keri__Ann.

...to a preschoolers' diet.

50mm; (1/100); f/1.4

Strike a Pose

I've been teaching Colson a few things about my camera. He took this photo of KC and I after he prompted us to make a silly face. It makes me happy.

My Darling Baby Girl

I am overwhelmingly thankful for her.

50mm; (1/250); f/1.4

50mm; (1/125); f/1.4

Cute as a Button? Yes.

50mm; (1/100); f/2.8

Little Lamb

The Lamb

By William Blake

Little lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee,

Gave thee life, and bid thee feed

By the stream and o'er the mead;

Gave thee clothing of delight,

Softest clothing, woolly, bright;

Gave thee such a tender voice,

Making all the vales rejoice?

Little lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Little lamb, I'll tell thee;

Little lamb, I'll tell thee:

He is called by thy name,

For He calls Himself a Lamb.

He is meek, and He is mild,

He became a little child.

I a child, and thou a lamb,

We are called by His name.

Little lamb, God bless thee!

Little lamb, God bless thee!

My Budding Boy

Growing bigger but still so baby. Those tiny dimples won't last forever:



50mm; (1/160); f/4.5

Bebe Caroline

Hello Darlin'. Are you up for a chat?

50mm; (1/80); f/2.2


50mm; (1/500); f/2.2


50mm; (1/160); f/4.5