Professional Pics!

Yes, you read that right...after almost 4 years of having Brett we FINALLY had our first professional pics taken of our family in early September. I've wanted to do this for a long time but just never seemed to get around to it. I've never been a big fan of posed studio photos, and knew the only way I would pay for someone else to take pictures was if he or she could do them in a natural setting (outside and free!), and it wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. When Brett was younger, the only photographers in the area that I would hear of cost a lot.....like a few hundred dollars a lot. That was just way to expensive in my opinion, especially once we got our Canon a couple years ago and could take our own beautiful pics. The only problem with that....I was never in any of them! My good friend Laura is all about getting a good deal and somehow always finds the most reasonable price for anything she wants. So, when she told us about this awesome photographer in the area who was extremely affordable PLUS took amazing shots OUTDOORS? I knew this was my big chance to finally get those professional pictures I had always wanted :-)

My favorite pictures of Brett are the ones of him just playing like a kid should. Not posed, not dictated....just my little boy being himself and enjoying life :-) She captured his energetic and happy personality so perfectly.

 I love these photos of just my handsome husband and I :-) I liked these better than our engagement pictures over 6 years ago!

Mayzie Photography sure did an amazing job, and we will definitely be going back for more! Somehow she knows just how to capture the moment as it is, and I couldn't ask for anything more :-)

Halloween!!

 As soon as we started talking about Halloween a couple months ago, Brett told us he wanted to be a chicken. We had no idea where that came from, but went with it, because that is all he would talk about! I mentioned so many other costume ideas to him...."you could be a firefighter! Or a policeman! Or maybe even a fierce tiger!" But nope, he was having none of that....he continued to proclaim that he wanted to be a chicken for Halloween. So, that was my mission, to find a chicken costume. I looked online and in some stores, with no luck. All the cute ones were either too small or too expensive. I even temporarily thought I might make one myself, but was quickly jolted back to reality when I saw all the work that was involved. My last and final thought was to post an "ISO chicken costume" on a wonderful facebook page called Kids Connection. This is basically like a Craigs List but just for our area and only for kids stuff. I got a couple responses but no one followed through.....UNTIL....a mom from the co-op preschool that Brett goes to saw my message and contacted me telling me that she had one!!  I was beyond excited, because this meant my mission was over and I would have a happy little boy on Halloween. Everything would be perfect, right? WRONG! A couple days before Halloween Brett's preschool teachers had a Halloween party for all the kids...and as soon as Brett put that chicken costume on he wanted it OFF! Like, that instant. He didn't like the way if felt and told me he was too hot. I did everything I could to convince him to keep it on for the party, but there was no changing his mind. So off it went. I thought once the actual day came to really go trick or treating he would forget all about how uncomfortable it was and there would be no problem. Well......WRONG AGAIN. As Kyle and I were putting the costume on he kept saying "only for one time, right? Just one time!" And the best statement.."Just take one picture mommy and then take it off". We matter of factly told him that he could take it off as soon as he was done trick or treating, but in his mind that just wasn't going to happen. When we told him he couldn't go trick or treating without a costume, the tears started rolling and my heart just broke (and my frustration level rose to a whole new level!). What were we to do?! Then, as Brett was crying, and I was at the end of my rope, not knowing what to do....Kyle came to the rescue! He ran into Brett's room and quickly appeared with a Packer outfit that I had bought on Kids Connection a few months back. That was IT! Brett had a new costume.....he would make his grandpa Bingham proud and be a Packer fan :-) Finally......SUCCESS!! It might not have been the best or most creative costume, but it was a costume, and my little boy was happy again. And seeing the smile on his face was all I needed to feel happy again too. Go Packers!

Our friends showed up mere seconds after the costume saga, and Brett was ready to go! Here he is standing with Abby the Peacock and Carolyn the Kangaroo.

And I just had to post this adorable picture of Jackson, the garden Gnome. Cutest gnome EVER.

Brett and his friend Carter the squirrel couldn't get to the houses fast enough!

"Yay for candy!"

Brett and our good friend Bill heading to the next house

 We had a determined bunch!

Brett and Carter running to get more candy!

Trick or treat?

That smile is priceless, even with a runny nose :-)

"How much candy do you have, Carter?"

A Packer on a mission!

Eventually the kids got tired and needed a ride

Jackson, Abby, Brett, Carter, and Albert

As cold as it was, we made it all the way to the funeral home for games (which Brett loved) and then it was time to come home and get into the candy! Can you tell he was happy?!

CHEESEHEAD!

Cutest Packer fan EVER!!!

Despite the costume drama, it was a wonderful Halloween filled with good friends, lots of candy, smiles and fun! And next year....I will be sure to have a back up costume on hand....just in case :-)

Carving Pumpkins!

Almost every day this week we talked about carving pumpkins....but didn't actually do it until the day before Halloween! Can we say procrastination?! Carving pumpkins is one of those things that I really enjoy once I get started, but for some reason coming up with the motivation to begin the process is what I lack. I always seem to have the excuse of "we don't want to carve the pumpkins too early because then they'll be a shriveled mess by the time Halloween comes!" When the night before Halloween arrived I knew I couldn't use that excuse anymore...so regardless of my state of mind, we went for it! As soon as we told Brett what we were doing that night, the excitement was through the roof, and I couldn't help but feel the same way :-)

Before carving, I had to do my annual photo shoot of Brett on the front porch with our fall adornments :-) And I didn't even have to bribe him this year!

This was one of the last shots...can you tell?! :-)

 

 Brett was more excited than ever before about carving pumpkins this year....and I was surprised by how much he could do by himself! He started out helping Kyle draw the face on and start carving...and then when that was done, he was so into it, he decided the pumpkin needed TWO faces, so off he went drawing his own face and carving all by himself! I was so proud of him! It was so funny because anytime Kyle or I tried to help him he would say "no, I can do it myself!", and then a second later, he would get stuck, and ask for help. Apparently our help had to be on HIS terms :-)

Gettin' Started..

and learning how to carve by himself.

 

Smiling at his work so far :-)

Then after drawing his own face it was time to carve again.

"Look at the eyes I made, daddy!"

Now on to the mouth...

And VOILA! My non creative pumpkin is on the left, and Brett's is on the right. Not bad for a 3 year old, right?

Playing T-Ball with Grandpa!

Last weekend Kyle's dad came to stay with us for a visit. It was so great to see him and we all had such a fun time hanging out! As soon as Brett woke up Friday morning, the day Grandpa was going to arrive, he asked "when is grandpa going to be here? I want to play with him!" This went on ALL day until John finally arrived around 4pm. Brett was beyond excited and couldn't wait to bring grandpa inside to show him all of his toys :-) The guys spent a lot of time watching sports and drinking beer....and of course, playing with Brett. One of the highlights was when they played T-ball together. The smile on Brett's face said it all.....having special time with his grandpa meant the world to him.  And, despite the cold weather, I think grandpa enjoyed himself too :-)

Grandpa showing Brett how it's done!

A happy boy with bat and ball in hand.

Looking up to Grandpa, in more than one way :-)

Love this picture of Kyle and his dad...too bad we couldn't get Brett to pose with them!

Thanks for visiting us, John! We already miss you so much!