Happy 4th Birthday, Taylor Grace!!!

Taylor Grace, how is it possible that you are four years old today?

I'm pretty sure it was just yesterday that we were doing this: 

 

 Meeting you for the first time.

 

Our fourth girl. 

 

 

Lately I've been having lots of conversations with myself.

They go a little something like this:
"It's fine. You're going to be fine.  So what if the girls are growing like weeds, changing every single day?  That's alright. Each stage is new and different.  Each stage is a blessing in its own way."

 

And it will be fine.  It *is* good.  I *do* love each new stage.

But boy do I long for those baby days.

 

I miss your chubby legs.

 

I miss carrying you around everywhere we go.

But what fun it is to see you become your own little person.

To watch your personality grow.

You are definitely your own little person.
And so different from each of your big sissies.

You got that "baby of the family" thing down pat.

You want what you want, and you want it NOW.

But most of us are happy to oblige, because when you look up at us with those big blue eyes, and smile that silly smile, we pretty much melt.

Every day is a new adventure with you.

We never know what will come out of your mouth

What new ideas you'll have

Or, truth be told, what kind of mood we'll be in for each day!

 

But God sure knew what He was doing when He blessed us with you.

 

Our sweet little Taylor Grace

 

who . . .

 

*Loves My Little Pony

{watch out, she'll list every name and cutie mark, and give you detailed information on the differences between each one!}

*Would Rather Be Indoors Than Out
{my only baby girl who prefers to be inside, in fact}

*HATES Car Rides With A Passion

*Just Slept All Night In Her Big Girl Bed For The First Time Ever!

*Tells The Longest Stories Known To Man

*Wishes She Could Stay A Baby Forever
{Okay, I'll go along with that!}

*Could Live At The Beach

 

 

 

 Happy Birthday to My Sweet, Sassy, Four Year Old Darlin Girl!

Love you to the moon!

 

 

 

 

 

To The Beach We Go! Part 1

 

I want to continue chit-chatting about photo organization ~ especially since I've received some questions that need answering.  BUT, I have to cut in with some photos from our recent beach trip.

The beach just seems like home to us ~ it is one of our most favorite places to be.

So when Jeremy had to head over for a conference, us girlies jumped at the chance to tag along.

We even packed a dear friend ~Sissy's bestie who was visiting all the way from Kansas ♥  

 

 

Practically the second we spied the beach, we just had to feel that sand between our toes . . .
 

Then things got crazy:

 

 

These are some happy girly girls!
 

 

Tay is forever searching for treasures.
I can't tell you how many of these shells we came home with . . . I lost count at 3,792.
 

 

 

 After all that salty sea air, we had worked up an appetite!
Typically we stay in Seaside, but Jeremy's conference was at Salishan ~ a resort a few miles outside of Lincoln City.

What a treat! 
We don't make it to Lincoln City very often.
{Fun fact: Jeremy and I got engaged in Lincoln City over 13 years ago. Awwwww}

Jeremy's favorite restaurant, Kyllos, was an absolute must, as it had been years since we'd last visited.
 

 

The girls thought it was particularly great as we got to look out over the ocean as we enjoyed our meal.

And Tay loved mixing her ketchup and tartar sauce together . . .
Hey, whatever keeps a 3 year old quiet and occupied!

 

 

 

 

 

 After dinner, we went for a drive down the coast, and stopped to take in some beautiful scenery.

 

 

 

 

And then back to the hotel we went to rest up for the day ahead!


What have y'all been up to?
Tell me about your favorite vacation spot! 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Organization, Finally!

 

 

Ahhh, finally a quiet moment, in between the {good} chaos of travel and Summer fun, to get a word out on Photo Organization.

I think it goes without saying that there are many, many ways to get your photographs organized and displayed.  I am going to share one of several ways that {semi} works for me.  This is a process ~ one that you have to keep up with regularly {if you're anything like me, and take upwards of hundreds of photos a month}.  And let me add, this is what I use for my personal photographs.  And full disclosure: sometimes I'm a big slacker :/

Okay, here we go.

Back in the day, when I was a young mama of two little sugarplums, I had quite a collection of scrapbooking supplies.  I had the albums, the coordinating papers, the stickers.  Oh how I loved the stickers.  And when hubs would go hunting, or even to work, I would break out the HUGE containers, and set to work creating these memory-filled books for my daughters.

And then . . . baby number 3 came along.  And I was in the hospital for awhile.  And she was a preemie.  And she needed a lot of care.  And this mama just didn't have time for all of that anymore.  By the time I'd drag all of the scrapbooking supplies out, and rummage through, it seemed like it was time to pack it all away again.  I needed a better way.

So I  began making Photo Books.
For the last six years I have made each of my girls a photo book to be given on their birthdays.
These books highlight them!  Their year.

I don't spend a fortune.  I often use Shutterfly.
But my girls don't mind.  In fact, they rather love them.


Here's how I do:

First, I keep a ridiculous number of folders on my computer: 

 

 

 

 

 I upload photos regularly {read: at LEAST once a week, sometimes 3-4 times per week}. It's so much easier when you keep on top of this.
At first, these photos are just in dated folders. 
Then I cut and/or copy certain photos and move them to more specific folders. 
For example, any special photos that I've taken of Sierra this week, get copied and placed into a folder that reads: Sierra's Photo Book 2015.

When we are getting close to one of the girls' birthdays {6 weeks prior, I'd say}, I upload their Photo Book folder to Shutterfly:

 

 

And then I set to work making their book. {I use their 8x8 hardcover book}.
They are super easy to customize.

 

 

 

 Once I've ordered, it typically takes 7-10 days to receive, so I almost always order several weeks before their birthday.
 

 

 

 A portion of our collection:

 

 

The idea is that my girls will have a collection of their own memories to take with them when they leave {do.not.start.crying.elizabethmary!}  Kam and Tay have books for every year they've been alive.  I didn't start the photo books until Kam was born, so Sierra and Makenna are missing a few years, but they *DO* have their fancy shmancy scrapbooks ;)

Now, where are the family books that I get to keep, you ask . . .
Yeah.  I forgot that part, and am paying the price for it now, as I sort through years upon years of photos.  BUT.  My plan is to start now, and work backward.  And every year, either for Christmas, or my birthday, I will order a family book for me :) 

It's a pretty simple and cost effective way to get your photos organized, printed, and all together for your family to enjoy.  And it's convenient to have all of those photos backed up to Shutterfly {or Snapfish or whatever other lab/site you choose}.  DO remember to back up your files, friends.  I have my folders on my computer, I've backed them up to flash drives, AND an external hard drive.  You don't want to lose your precious memories!

And whatever method you choose, print those photos.
It's important to have those memories in print to share for generations to come!


Please, I need all the help I can get, if you have tips for organizing your memories, do share!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday ~ Never Too Old For Bubbles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

House Full of Girls

This is definitely a house full of girls . . .

Hair Trains going in full force daily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

A Wedding Story

 June is busy, y'all. 
Well, actually, May was too. 
I'm pretty sure we've been out of town more than we've been at home the last few weeks.

Time to play catch up 'round here!

We made a trip to Medford for my cousin's wedding last week, and we had such fun!
The drive: not fun.
None of us are great car travelers, myself included, and Medford is about a 5 hour drive for us.
Add to that two severe car sickies, and yeah. 
Car rides turn out a little more eventful than necessary.
But we made it to sunny southern Oregon!

I miss Medford.
I truly do.
While I didn't grow up there, I did spend several of my teen/early adult years there,
and I have so many wonderful memories.  Annnnnnd. A lot of my family still live there.
Which brings me back to my cousin's wedding :)
 

 

I am not a wedding photographer, but I was so happy to be able to stop by the country club
to take a few photos of  the beautiful bride-to-be as she and her best girls got ready for the big day.

 

Mackenzie has always been special to me. Each Summer she would come home with us after our family reunion camp-out, to spend some time. She was just Sierra's age when we started that tradition.  Which makes it even harder to believe that she is all grown up!

 

 

 

 

 

Her wedding shoes.
I don't do heels , she says ;)

 

 

 

Her beautiful mama, and little sister ♥  

 

 

 

Her precious son seeing Mama all beautified for the big day.

 

And Daddy and son getting themselves ready, sweet boys!

 

 

 

 

 And some cousin-time for my littles to boot!

 

 

 Yep, it was a pretty fabulous trip.
Which is great because . . . we're doing it again in three weeks for another cousin's wedding!


For other fun photos, follow along on Instagram!