let's put it to a vote...

Okay, so Cranial Technologies has an annual calendar for their banded babies and I want Lyla to make the cut. Problem is, I can't seem to decide on a photo. I can only submit one. So I thought we could take a vote. Look over the photos below and tell me which you like best - or scroll down and look at previous ones and tell me if you like another one better. I'll number them to make it easier. To vote, just click on "comments" at the end of the post and let me know your choice. Thanks!

number 1


number 2


number 3


number 4


number 5


number 6


number 7


I had to add this one. This is an Owen look if I've ever seen one! Don't vote for it though. =)

last photos of the old paint...

Before I repainted Lyla's band, I took a few more photos of her in the pink dots.





Only four more weeks to go!

You're in the right place still...

So I'm having a week of cleaning and organizing our cluttered life - the office, the kids room, laundry, etc, etc. In the middle of it all, I could no longer look at the jumbled blog I had, so I chose to simplify it and go with Owen's current favorite color of green. My new favorite color is orange, but that looked to Halloweeny for the blog, so green it is - today.

Just some random updates here - Lyla visited Cranial Tech today and we found out she only has one more fitting and then her graduation! So that's four more weeks total - only all of the hottest month of the year, hehe. We are super excited to say goodbye to the band and hold our sweet little girl's head next to us soon. It got a new paint job today, which I'll post pictures of later.

Owen is enjoying his newfound swimming skills this summer - not quite swimming on his own, but a new confidence in the water for sure. His favorite topics to discuss lately are time (how many minutes till we get to...) and Heaven (what kind of house will I live in, when does your skin fall off to get there, and most importantly - will Ray be my neighbor there). Anyone care to explain these to him, I'll pay the phone bill.

Kevin has managed to build a garage and keep our yard amazingly lovely this summer. He's a real green thumb - and I'm a real lucky lady.

And I'm keeping busy with the photography stuff. I have my second wedding booked this weekend and I'm super excited! Weddings are always fun because most everyone wants to be photographed looking their Sunday best. And those who don't can typically be bribed with a cute red sucker. =)

Happy Birthday Mimi!

Happy Birthday to my amazing mom! She doesn't look nearly old enough to be a grandma, but she is definitely a favorite around my house. Always my biggest supporter and fan (except when I use black and white photos instead of color), I am incredibly blessed to have her in our lives. Sweet Kathy Sue is always ready with a smile, an encouraging word, and a bottomless pit of both useful and useless information. Always ready for adventure (just back from her second annual weekend float along Current River) - and always looking for someone to hunt arrowheads, a.k.a. ROCKS, with her. There's no dream too big for her to tackle - she went to college right after my graduation, and is now today a successful physician's assistant. And I couldn't be more proud to call her MOM. Happy Birthday! We love you!

Peanut-free baseball...

Well, Owen got to see his first baseball game last night! For those who aren't aware (or apparently have never been around me in the last four years), Owen has a severe peanut allergy. To most, a baseball game is an every day event - but to anyone with a nut allergy, a game is a reaction waiting to happen. Kevin and I both were disappointed this summer when we realized we couldn't take Owen to a White Sox game, for fear those around us would be enjoying those nasty legumes. =)

Then Enjoy Life Foods (www.enjoylifefoods.com) partnered up with the Kane County Cougars to host Peanut Free night at the ballpark. The stadium was powerwashed, along with all of the kidzone bouncy houses and slides, the concession staff was educated, and both teams agreed to keep the dugouts peanut free for the night.

Owen donned his Cougars shirt, Grandma came to babysit Lyla, and Kevin, Grandpa, Mom and Uncle Bryan loaded up the car for the fun to begin. And FUN he had! We arrived early enough to take in all the pre-game happenings, and didn't leave until the last car was in the lot. He danced between pitches, bounced in the bouncy house, pitched a ball 19MPH, ran the obstacle bouncer, ate hot dogs, nachos, cotton candy, ice cream, rope candy, and pizza (really -all of that fit into his 35lb four year old body). Washed it all down with lemonade and soda. This of course, allowed him to have the pep to stay awake for the fantastic fireworks and running of the bases.

We are already looking forward to the game next year!

He's four!

Well, it seems I blinked and my baby boy turned four. Owen has spent the last two weeks celebrating his birthday with friends and family and now the festivities will end with a firework frenzy.

As a healthy, vivacious four year old, Owen is a ball of fun to all who know him. He's never met a stranger, as he introduces himself and greets anyone who'll give him a look. For a paranoid mom, this is of course, a stranger danger nightmare. However, I am reminded that he sees the world with a pure heart - the way God intended for us to see it.

He loves his friends - the neighborhood kids making the top of the list. He adores family, with an extra sweet spot reserved for sister Lyla. At the moment, he's crazy about Scooby Doo, Caillou, Spongebob, and Spiderman. Favorite snack is a Hershey's chocolate bar, and he can drink his weight in apple juice (diluted, of course, for all you worried moms out there). His favorite "job" at school is holding the door, and he loves to practice in public - making this southern mom proud of her little gentleman. Owen also has a witty sense of humor (gets it from his dad for sure); he often asks me to order him peanuts with sesame seeds at the "MisterDonald's" drive thru. This, of course, would kill him (remember those nasty food allergies), but he thinks it's funny all the same.

Four years ago I had lots of hopes and dreams for my new little one. I can honestly say he's all I dreamed and then so much more. We are incredibly blessed that we get to be parents to such an amazing kid.

Owen Ruff - Happy Birthday! And in response to your question about driving a car now that you're big - you only have to live four times as long now (and then we'll think about it). We love you!