preschool year one. completed!

will just completed his first year of preschool. *cue happy/sad tears* 

pretty crazy to think that he's such a big boy now.

i love preschool programs...kids from ages 3-5. being cute. singin' songs. looking so proud of themselves and smiling at their parents in the audience. 

their spring program had a jungle theme...safari theme? i'm not sure which.

either way it was flippin' adorable.

attempting to get a shot of him by himself. smiling at the camera. standing still. 

impossible...too distracted by the playground and his friends to listen to me. :)

so i told him to look at the airplane in the sky. 

no airplane...and still no smiles. oh well!

family picture...and anna's crying. again. 

love these memories of our craziness.

post concert snuggles and window kissing. 

our big boy. 

william: 

you are growing into such an amazingly kind and compassionate 

little man who wears his heart on his sleeve and dishes out hugs and kisses like it's your job. 

your curiosity and sense for adventure both scares and delights me. :)

we are so proud of you for learning all you did and can't wait to see you excel in preschool next year! 

love you little man.

springtime.

well hello...in attempt to keep updated pics in this blog i will be posting seasonally.  :) 

please, please...hold your applause. 

i find it annoying to post family pics on facebook for a few reasons. 

1. beacuase i overpost for blue house fotos and i don't want to annoy people. 

and 2. because facebook does something super wonky that compresses images down 

and they end up looking horribly grainy and muddy. 

end. rant. 

and welcome spring! 

easter was fun...started out looking like this: 

(did you know anna's part howler monkey?)

we opted to go do some nice pics at the park...which then turned into this:

but the boys liked it. 

she eventually settled down but refused to look at me...that girl holds a grudge. 

 

this tree was unbelievably gorgeous. 

and this has got to be one of my most faaaavorite pictures ever. totally framing this.

she did like the tree. 

our spring has been full of fun outdoor activities...i think we ate outside for about every meal one week.

we are in the middle of a backyard overhaul...we'd like to build a patio and get some outdoor furniture to sit on. but for now, we just picnic blanket it up...

baby mandarins...i didn't know there was such a thing. 

even tinier than clementines and super yummy.

leo's first experience with grass...i think he digs it.

sometimes spring calls for taking impromptu photos of your hottie husband on an evening stroll...

lots of people change up their hairstyles come spring. 

anna grace is no different.

doesn't she look like she's 5 years old with straight hair!?

 for leo, spring means trying to crawl.

and cuddlin' in momma & daddy's bed for a movie on the ipad.

and we cannot forget spring cleaning...anna loves folding.

an attempt to get a decent wall worthy pic of all three munchkins...

meeting a new cousin that live far away....

 

and that, in a nutshell has been our spring thus far.  :)

where you at?

oh hello. has it really been over F I V E months since i updated this? i wanted to redirect you to my photography blog...where i actually update things on our life/family/business now. :) 

just click here to be redirected to blue house fotos. 

peace out.

rutheah

the final bump.

i have never been really huge on taking cute maternity pics...we've always just done the basic profile snapshot of my growing belly with the other pregnancies. but since little leo will be completing our (biological) family, (god has put it on my heart to adopt someday...but that's another story for another time) i have been very nostalgic with this pregnancy and let my friend who took these pics convince me to do some big ole belly shots. and i am so glad i did. 

this is what 39ish weeks looks like: 

little leo will be here very soon...and hopefully daddy makes it home in time to be here for his entrance into the world. i am super thankful that my mom is here now, so i feel like he can come whenever.

 i can't wait to meet this little person and snuggle his wrinkly skin and squishy face. 

and kiss those little feet that have been kicking and pushing inside of me. 

everything is ready little boy, so you can come now! 

i remember.

today marks the 10th anniversary of 9.11. i remember it well. sitting in my first period class my senior year of high school. someone turned on the tv shortly after the first tower was attacked. we all watched, confused and saddened as the second plane hit the other tower. when we realized our nation was under attack and the news released video of the pentagon in smoke, i remember crying and crying because my brother and his wife, who worked in downtown DC, were so close to danger. my sister and i went home early from school and waited to hear from my brother.

ten years later...and the events of that day still have a direct effect on my life. i am now an army wife, whose husband is in iraq, fighting this war that started on that day...this is not at all what i thought 10 years after 9.11 would look like. americans still fighting...soldiers sacrificing their lives to protect the rest of us from harm.

my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude for those people who lost their lives on that day. for the firefighters, policeman, and other brave souls who gave their lives to save others. and for the soldiers who enlisted out of patriotism and fought in a war that we still haven't won. i have never really considered myself to be patriotic but today as i reflect on all of the 9.11 events, i am proud i live in this country. i am proud of my husband's bravery. and proud we live in a country where we can really stand united. proud that our president can read the 46th psalm and remind us that our country does stand united. under god.

i feel so many different emotions right now...sadness, anger, confusion, bitterness, hope... and thankfulness. this day will never be forgotten.