For Sam, Christmastime has arrived early.
We met up with some Lens Baby friends for a couple of holiday shoots this week and we are officially in the Christmas Spirit!
Recognize this porch with the black door?
I brought some baby here
- don't know where he went to!
So pensive...
This counts as a big pile of leaves here in Texas, so we had to have a little fun with them!
Had to include this one, even though it's not Christmas-y. This is Chester, Chestnut Square's resident cat. He really had fun with all the kids that day. He'd run away when they chased him, but always came right back for more. Sam and I were the last to leave and while I was packing up all the props I noticed them sitting so quietly together. I grabbed my camera and quickly snagged a couple shots of these two boys right as Chester was snuggling up to Sam. It almost made me reconsider my feelings about cats. Almost. I guess any cat who likes my boy this much must be pretty okay so I'll make an exception for Chester! He even got in our car, twice, while I was loading props. Sam's eyes were huge when he saw Chester hop in the front seat! I think we'll have to go back soon and visit our new little friend.
When we visit this park, those 100 degree days are just a distant memory.
It doesn't feel like Dallas here, either. If it wasn't so far from our house, I think we'd come here everyday, at least while the colors are out!
Despite the way Sam looks in this photo, he really did have a good time!
We met Great-Grandma at Willow Bend for lunch and some playground time. It's the best playground because Great-Grandma and I can sit and see Sam wherever he goes. He has lots of room to roam and lots of things to climb on. After strolling around the mall, we stopped for ice cream and cookies and threw some pennies into the fountain before heading home. What a fun day!
Sam and I found some cool stuff on our foggy-morning nature walk.
A spider's web, covered in dew, some green moss, and a locust's shell. The spider's web against the fog was especially Halloween-y!
A friend of mine from our photography group hosted a lemonade stand photoshoot and asked me to help with a few of the details. It turned out really pretty and the kids had fun. Sam was kind of whiny until the very end, then he decided to be a good sport and play lemonade stand for us so we could get some pics!
It was a beautiful spring day at the Arboretum.
We took Sam to see the fairy tale castles and enjoy the spring blooms!
up close shot of the pollen sacs on his legs!
go bee! make new flowers!
at the first fairy tale house!
picnic lunch
miniature rock garden
the bed from the princess and the pea rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair!
a beautiful old tree
throwing pennies in the fountain
resting with Gram - what a day!
We had a nice, relaxing Mother's Day this year. Brian got up early to make me breakfast and had Sam bring me a flower from the bouquet he bought, along with a funny card (which was addressed to "Mum"), into the bedroom when I first woke up. "Here you go, Mama", he said!
We enjoyed an awesome breakfast - eggs, sausage, bagels with salmon and cream cheese, juice and coffee - before heading out to meet Gram and Pops for a picnic at Frisco Commons. Andrew, Great-Grandma and my Uncle Brad joined us, too, and we had fun eating lunch and taking a walk in the windy, but pretty weather. Sam was such a patient boy that we finished our day at the park with some time on the giant wooden playground. Sam did the silly stairs with Gram, the swings with Pops and the horsies with Andrew.
Jan and Emil sent me the sweetest card and Nell and I chatted on the phone later that evening. Thanks, too, to Brian and Brad for the flowers. It was fun photographing something new for a change and they look great in the house! The two pictures of Sam at the bottom of the post are from the Mother's Day Tea at Sam's school. His teachers did a great job of celebrating us moms and Sam enjoyed showing me the puzzles he plays with at school!
We took a ride to the country recently, to test out Mama's new car.
Our neighborhood is just south of an area kind of known as "horse country", so we were hoping to see some horses and pretty ranches. We found some sweet mares, a couple of noisy donkeys, and caught a beautiful sunset on the way home. Oh, and Mama's new car is awesome!
I took Sam to play with some friends in Central Park last week. Frisco's Central Park, that is.
Aside from a few tantrums here and there, Sam had a great time being able to run around without me having to stay right on him. There are huge longhorn and cattle sculptures, fountains, and an outdoor amphitheater. Sam loved walking along the theater "seats" and blowing the pinwheel in the wind.
Happy Birthday, Daddy.
Thanks for taking care of us and always being there for us. We think you're the best and had a great time celebrating YOU!
Warning: This post contains no Sam pictures.
It's tales from the
NEST
, you know. It's not
ALL
about Sam.
Who am I kidding. I know it's all about Sam. But there are other birdies in this nest, too! Birdies who like to take pictures of..... vegetables. Lots and lots of vegetables.
I visited the Dallas Farmer's Market with some friends last Saturday while Gram and Pops took care of Sam. We had several reasons for going: to take pictures, to get some yummy local produce, and to have a few child-free hours to ourselves!
We had a great time. There are lots of things to see at the market - plenty of colors and interesting people to watch. I came home with zucchini, new potatoes, tangeloes that tasted like candy, tomatoes, a small pot of Cuban oregano to plant in our herb garden, and one pound of peanuts (in the shell) for Sam! I thought he might like to know where peanut butter comes from. After all, he is peanut butter's biggest fan.
Sunday night I made dinner for Brian and I with some of our market finds. It was delish. We had baked chicken with Crash Hot Potatoes (from the market), seasoned with herbs (from our back garden), and sauteed zuccini (also from the market). It was mighty tasty - I wish we lived closer to the market. We may try the Frisco or McKinney Farmer's Market this summer.
I'll make sure to bring Sam with me and get some pictures of him holding a vegetable or something. Because, you know, it IS all about Sam.
Sam and I were so excited to find a certain something on the clearance rack at Lowes...
Five dollars for a strawberry plant that at another Lowes was on for almost seventeen dollars! It was meant-to-be for my little strawberry-loving boy. All our plant needed was one good watering and by the next morning it looked perfect. We're even getting some strawberries! As Sam was inspecting our new strawberries he squished one and picked another. Oops. We had to have a talk about letting the strawberries ripen before picking them. He's done pretty well since then!
I came here on a field trip once when I was little girl, and again with
my
first class over ten years ago.
Yesterday, I got to take Sam and that was the best trip of all! We went with our photography group and there were lots of great photo ops.
Sam loved everything - the chicks, horses, sheep and hens. He got so excited over the eggs, both the toy-eggs and the real eggs, that we found in the hen house. And he loved watching the tractor, throwing sticks in the creek, and learning how to jump on a hopscotch game.
I think he like the red one-room schoolhouse the best, though! Doesn't he look like a model student? Ha! He didn't stay in that desk for long - he wanted to play the piano that was "like Granny Nell's"!
Boy, did this guy have fun at his party!
He got lots of great presents and had a ball being the center of attention! The highlights of the party - - big turtle, little turtle and "Aunt Bail" (Aunt Bell). He's mentioned her name almost every day since. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated our little boy's birthday, and a special thanks to Gram who saved all of my Sesame Street toys all these years. It made decorating for this party very easy - and very retro!!
Waiting, waiting, waiting for Granny... Finally! They're here!!
Pinch, pinch, pinch!
Enjoying birthday snacks with Gram
Great-Grandma Having a blast being the center of attention!
Cowboy Sam made an appearance, much to the delight of the Grannies and Grandpas
He liked his cake this year!
Helping Mommy put the finishing touches on the birthday cupcakes before our guests arrived!
Our Sesame Street friends helped us celebrate!
Happy Birthday Sam!
Sam's birthday fell on a Wednesday this year. Even though his party was coming up, we still wanted to celebrate this special day.
We took Sam down to see Gram and Pops and then we all went out for ice cream - yogurt, actually. Very yogurty yogurt. Sam loved it, though!
