Baby Layla & Running

I did this session a few weeks ago, and I think this is definitely one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen. She needs to be a baby model or something! Those big eyes and that hair! My babies are always so bald for so long, I guess that's why I think babies with hair are so darn cute! We wished we could get outside some, but it was just SO hot that day, so we decided to stay inside in the a/c. Here is Layla:
I love the one where she has her toes in her mouth! Too funny! She was so happy and did such a great job smiling at her mommy! Thanks for letting me take her pictures! She is adorable! :)


So I have kept up with my running program! I had a hard time with week 5, when I was trying to run my 8 minute intervals I kept getting a stitch in my side, so that wasn't going well! I got a little off track while we were gone last week, but I made sure I kept going with it because I didn't want to have to start over again! Anyway, yesterday I did my 20 minutes of running with no walking! I am so excited, and I really can't believe I did it! This program really does work, because I couldn't hardly run to the mailbox when I started it 6 weeks ago, and now I ran 20 minutes straight...unbelievable for me! Now, please understand, I am a very slow runner, I'm sure my neighbors are probably glancing out their windows at thinking, "Is that a snail wearing New Balance tennis shoes, or Jessica attempting to run?" But the point is, I'm doing it, and I'm darn proud of it! The next few weeks are going to be much tougher, and we are going to be taking our youth group on a missions trip to West Virginia, so I guess I'm going to have to try to hit the treadmill in the fitness center at the hotel if I can find time!

Tonight at supper Ava used her napkin on the pizza sauce on her face and then decided to trade her dirty one for my clean one. Johnny said, "Now Ava, that wasn't very nice. Here's the nice thing to do." and he took the dirty one from me and gave me his clean one. She stared and stared at my clean napkin, and I thought she had not paid attention at all. Then she said, " My bad. I'll take this one." and traded me back (except at this point I had a clean one, but that's okay! lol) I could not believe that she actually said, "My bad." and used it correctly! Who is this kid!?
Here's a funny pic of the girls in the tub tonight:

Taylor's Sweet Sixteen

We are back from our little vaca week, and on the drive home last night, I finished up these pics for Taylor. Her mom had these done for her sixteenth birthday a few weeks ago. I thought they turned out really pretty! Here's Taylor:
I bought this chair at an auction that our youth group had a concession stand at, and Taylor requested that we use it for her photos...check it out, her shoes even match!
I love this last one, it's so romantic looking! :) Thanks for a great session Taylor!

Last night when we got home, we got to meet our 6 new puppies! We knew our dog, Molly Rocket, was going to have them while we were gone, so Johnny had moved her pen and house into the garage (since puppies will die in this heat) and had the neighbors coming over to check on her. The puppies are very cute, but as Maddie Kate says, "We don't know who Molly's husband is!"
If you are interested in a puppy, we'll have some ready for a new home in 6-8 weeks!

And as you know, everything leads to an Ava story! She was out in the garage last night looking at the puppies while we were unloading the car, and as I came back out of the house, she was holding a can of red spray paint and saying, "Molly needs this!" but I quickly grabbed it away from her and put it where she couldn't reach it. Then we noticed that there was a bunch of red paint on Ava's neck and shoulder! She had somehow managed to spray paint herself!
It's kinda freaky looking because it looks like she's bleeding! Thank goodness it's not! She was really mad when I scrubbed the paint off, and she was sad when I told her that her shirt is ruined. She said, "Mom, just laundry it!" which I have...twice...and it's still red. We now have a new play shirt...too bad too, because it has a matching skirt! Oh well! :)

And just because he's so stinkin' cute, a pic of Cohen wearing his first ball cap.

A wedding reception & comic relief by Cohen

I have been a bad blogger lately! Summer is so busy that I don't have time to, which is crazy, because I really like to blog! It's like journal time for me (I always kept journals in jr high and high school), so I don't forget the things we do together as a family or the hilarious things my kids say, and I have absolutely not had time to do it lately.
Here's what we have been up to (in no particular order) : It seems we have been to 50 of Maddie Kate's pixie league ballgames (probably more like 15) so far this summer and traveled several short little trips. I had 3 weddings in June, and some sessions, went to Sesser Homecoming 3 of the 4 nights it was happening for the kids to ride the rides, my friend Kellie and her kids came to visit for a week, Johnny worked a week of camp, we went to my mom's family reunion, had a 4th of July party with Johnny's mom's side of the family, my sister (and assistant) Alisa got engaged, Maddie Kate & I got out hair chopped off, and we are now on "vacation", which this year consists of a family reunion in Missouri, taking the kids to the Zoo, and spending time at Johnny's parents. I will post pictures of all this craziness later! :)
Now for a few pictures from a wedding reception I photographed a few weeks ago. The couple was married in Mexico a few months earlier, but they had a reception here to celebrate with all their friends and family in June. Here are some photos of Anthony & Erica's celebration:
Above: This is the bride dancing with her Grandma! Isn't that so cute!?
Thanks for letting me be a part of your celebration! Congratulations!

I did take 4 month pictures of Cohen, but I just finally edited a few of them...now that he is 5 months old! Ahh! Here are a few of my handsome cutie!

This one above is him saying, "MOM, stop it! You're freaking me out!"
And the one below, Johnny says Cohen is too old for naked pics, but I say he's not! This is too cute!One day last week, Cohen and I were dancing together and I was looking at his fat smiles and beautiful blue eyes, and singing sweet baby songs to him. He was smiling and laughing and gooing and cooing, and we were having the conversation every mommy has with her baby about never growing up. His fat little arms were around my neck and tears were coming into my eyes....and he decided that it was the perfect moment to puke on my neck. Thanks for the comic relief, little buddy! :)