Day 241 of Project 365

Our day began at 3:30am this morning when we got up for our 6:00am flight to Maui, connecting through San Francisco. We planned to leave our house by 4:00, but didn't actually get going until closer to 4:30. We still thought we had plenty of time though, until we got to the airport and saw the huge line to check our 1 bag. We had managed to fit everything else in carry-ons and had even checked in online and had our boarding passes sent to our phones. However, by the time we got to the front of the line we had missed the 45 minute cut-off to get our bag on the plane (which I had honestly never heard of before today) so a quick decision had to be made as to what we should do. Since Joi was already at the gate, pretty much holding the doors for us at this point, and Jenica was strapped to my back, we decided I should go ahead with the kid (and only 3 diapers in my carry-on) while Rob stayed behind with the luggage and tried to get the next flight out. So here we are, just us three girls, enjoying the sun and the pool and hoping Rob gets here soon since we're on the last diaper and I have nothing but the clothes I'm wearing, some kid toys, some cheerios and some fruit snacks (luckily we found a cute consignment store close by where I was able to get a bathing suit and a pair of flip flops.... Hey any excuse to shop, right?) We won't tell Rob that between that and the cute Hawaiian dress I just couldn't resist for Jenica I've already spent $40. Not to worry though, he's on a flight over as I type this and should be here with us in a few hours. Nothing like a little excitement to start our vacation.

Day 240 of Project 365

Today we celebrated our baby girl's second birthday. It's hard to believe two years have gone by already since she arrived a tiny little 7lb 9oz bundle of joy. Click here to see my blog post from that special day. I really love this picture of the three of us for a couple of reasons. First of all, you can see the beautiful cake that my lovely friend Jessica made for us. Jenica squealed with delight when she saw it for the first time and everyone commented on how delicious it tasted. Secondly, you can see the pretty white house in the background that numerous party guests commented on. I've actually eyed the house myself over the last couple of years on my walks to the park. It's been for sale and not only is the house adorable, it has the most beautiful yard and landscaping that would be perfect for outdoor photography. However, it's way out of our price range so moving on... The last reason I like this picture is because this is my family that I love so much, and not pictured here were many of our friends and loved ones who joined us to help Jenica celebrate her special day. We feel extremely blessed by everyone's generosity and couldn't have asked for a better party for our little (almost) two year old! Favorite gift of the day.... cherry chap stick from her Auntie Joi!

Day 239 of Project 365 - Part Two

My afternoon photo shoot today was an adorable 1 week old baby girl, Lena Anne. She was absolutely precious and such a good little model for all her photos! Thanks to her Mommy and Daddy for allowing me into their home to capture their sweet new addition.

Day 239 of Project 365 - Part One

This morning Jenica and I had the privilege of having a playdate/photoshoot with Emilie Deardorff, our friends' daughter who is just a couple months younger than Jenica. She is quite a cutie pie and although she wasn't a fan of the camera, we still managed to get some really cute pictures of her. Here is a sneak peak:

Day 238 of Project 365

Day 237 of Project 365

Day 236 of Project 365

Day 235 of Project 365

Home again, home again, jiggity jig. Back from a great weekend of camping and time to get ready for a quick four day work week before a fun birthday party for our almost 2 year old and then an early morning flight to Hawaii! Woot woot!

Day 234 of Project 365

Okay, definitely not the best family picture we have ever taken but it has a bridge in the background so it sticks with my theme of the week. It was taken from our campground on the John Day River where it runs into the Columbia. It was a beautiful campsite with a great little swimming hole for Jenica, a playground, and lots and lots of squirrels!

Poor Kylo couldn't even tell when they were right behind him stealing his food.

So Rob came to the rescue and set up this fun little trap for them... and whataya know? It worked!

Don't worry folks! The squirrel was fine, just a little embarrassed that he fell for our little scheme.

Day 233 of Project 365

Day 232 of Project 365

Friday we headed out in the Gorge for a weekend of camping. A stop in Cascade Locks yielded this beautiful picture of the Bridge of the Gods. This one's for you Joi! Stay tuned... the rest of the week will stick to a similar theme!

Day 231 of Project 365

Jenica got to play dress up today with some "older girls". My friend Abbey came over with her two darling daughters, age 3 and 4, and brought with them all kinds of fancy dresses, headbands and jewelry. After the girls got all dolled up, we walked to the park and let them play. I'm sure they turned a lot of heads with their cuteness! You can check out all the pictures from our outing here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=196088&id=516020965&l=83fe9e2ebe

Thanks girls for such a fun play date and for being such good little role models for Jenica!

Day 230 of Project 365

Today Jenica and I rode the Oregon City elevator and got a donut at Munoz Bakery in Oregon City. If you've never been there before, you must try it sometime. They have delicious pastry's of all kinds, and super friendly service. What a fun Mommy/Daughter date!

Day 229 of Project 365

Jenica is so into her swimming lessons these days that she likes to show off her "floats", "arm pulls", "kick kicks" and "bubbles" in the bathtub. Hey, the more practice the better, right? Well, I guess I could do with out the "kick kicks" as those can get a bit messy, but the floats sure are cute, especially in a tub full of bubbles!

Day 228 of Project 365

Day 227 of Project 365

Senior pictures for my gorgeous sister-in-law! Thanks for being such a great model Amy!

Day 226 of Project 365 (part 2)

Thanks to the Sheasley family for a fun photo shoot in their beautiful back yard, and for letting me post a few of my favorites here!

Day 226 of Project 365

This week has been a busy week for picture taking. I had two separate photo shoots today, but since I hardly ever get to be in my pictures, I choose this one as my picture of the day:

This is my friend Jessica, who will be graduating next month from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. We took some really fun pictures at the Portland Memory Garden for her to use in brochures and business cards at the office where she will be working. If you are looking for a new acupuncturist, or maybe your just looking to try acupuncture for the first time, she would be a great person to call! She will be working at Dr. Lu Acupuncture & Massage Clinics at 1232 SE Stark St., Plaza 125, Building G, in Portland. You can click here for more information or just call the office directly at 503-683-2138. Here are some of the services she will be licensed to provide: acupuncture, acupressure, tuina massage, pediatric tuina, foot reflexology, facial rejuvenation, moxa, cupping, & gua sha. They can bill insurance & accept mva patients too. She is really good at what she does and super friendly so I would highly recommend her! Here are a couple more fun pictures from our shoot:

Day 225 of Project 365

Today it was time for Malachi Syphard's 6 month pictures. Remember when he was just a newborn? (Click here to refresh your memory.) He has sure grown into quite the handsome little fella although he wasn't all too pleased to be woken up from his nap to be photographed. We still got some adorable pictures of him though. Here are a few more of my favorites:

Day 224 of Project 365

Day 223 of Project 365

This handsome little fella is becoming a regular part of my Project 365. I took his newborn pictures when he was just 7 days old (you can see him here) and today we did his 6 month pictures. Big brother came too for his 5 year pictures.

Thanks Ewing boys. Jenica and I had a great time with you!I think little Christopher made Jenica want her own little brother ;)

Day 222 of Project 365

Tonight we went on a fun little outing around Oregon City. We explored a park we had never been to before and the Oregon City Train Station. We had lots of fun and finished the evening of with a Dairy Queen Blizzard. See how excited Rob is about the Blizzard? He sure does love his ice cream! Here's a couple more fun shots from our evening:

Day 221 of Project 365

The morning light was perfect for Addison's 9 month photo shoot in our studio and she was such a good little model.

Then it was off to the park for a few outdoor shots. Thanks Addison and Shelly!