22/52 Raindrops & Rain boots

This little nuggeteer is just more than words can contain these days. She's pure joy. She's been adding to her comedic routine by initiating a wild, fake laugh that instantly has us in an uproar and all laughing genuine belly laughs. Sometimes she uses this tactic to get out of being in trouble. She's full of mischief and big, expressive love. She's mastered bedtime stalling. She knows how to work a deal for yogurt drops or five more minutes of Daniel Tiger. She can go from making us crazy to saying things like "I"m so happy you're here." or "I'm so proud of you mama!" and bam you're an instant pile of mush. She's become a real backyard adventurer running around barefoot and laying in the grass staring at the sky in between feeding chickens and squashing ants. We constantly look at her and marvel. Love you cheeky.

Happy Birthday Donald!

Here's a little trip down memory lane and why these photos remind me of how much I love you.

I'm in love with your child-like spirit! I feel like the child versions of ourselves are totally mischievous kindred spirits.

And this one because when we met, it was crazy. I would live our falling in love story over and over again. And also, hey we were skinnier and rested and without many cares in the world for about one minute. ;)

I love what great efforts you went through to pursue me and ask me to be your wife. I'll enjoy telling that story our whole lives. (you are such a baby in this photo)

I look forward to so many more future trips with you - small road trips to big moves and adventures. I love how you are fearless and spontaneous and love being outdoors.

I love how you look at our wonder baby.

I love your laugh and your teeth and your cheeks when you laugh and how you make me and Marlow laugh. :)

I love all your crazy ideas and dreams that turn into great adventures, experiments and realities...like this fixer upper house, t-shirts, photography, chickens, painting my walls blue, and so on... :)

I love you for this moment right here. The way you light up, your devotion, your loyalty, your passion, your love of learning and growth, your belief in me and love for our family. You are a man to be reckoned with, Donald James. Love you so much. Happy 30th birthday.

A Letter to You Mamas

Some photographers love celebrating Christmas or Valentine's day most of all with their clients, but honestly I have been waiting for Mother's Day!! I take very seriously my role as a mother, a daughter to my awesome mother and mother-in-law, being a friend to other moms, and my mission as a photographer in supporting families—which I think starts with moms.

I'm so thankful for this "job" that allows me to meet many other awesome moms like you! I notice you. You are good. You are a great actually.

This Mother's Day, not only take time to reflect on how far you've come as a mother, but also to reach out to another mom and recognize her. The most valuable gifts I have to offer mom friends are the simple things like:

• an ear to listen
• a shoulder to cry on
• a shared laugh at the crazy things
• a coffee (or harder)
• a tear at the super sweet sentimental things
• a high five for the accomplishments
• and simply saying yep, I get it. I've been there, too.

This is a time when I feel it is our job as moms to break down the silence created by this false illusion and competition of perfection and "having it all together". It's time to reach out to each other. Lift each other up. Even in the workplace. Especially in the workplace. To be able to say to each other, "This is hard" and still know that we are happy, deeply enamored with our children, and immeasurably thankful for our blessings. But this is the good, hard work that we can't do alone. Let's agree to always join arms. Let's always hug it out and embrace and respect our differences. Let's agree we all don't really know what we're doing, but we're doing our best. And please tell me when I am wearing two mismatched shoes or earrings or have food crusted on me, k.

Man, I love moms.

• Here is my favorite spoken word poem about being a mom to a daughter.
• Here's The Most Powerful Thing You Can Say to Another Mom
• Some lols - The Gospel Of Parenthood, According To Tina And Amy and Tina Fey’s “A Mother’s Prayer for Her Daughter”
• And one about those awesome dads #leanintogether video

Happy Mother's Day to the moms, peeps who have moms, peeps who want to be moms, who are friend to a mom, who are married to a mom. You get it.

14/52 Twirling

I am behind on my one-a-weeks...again. Can we all just agree that this will be the norm and I'll just quit mentioning it? Ok deal. But I have excuses! Really! Maybe, maybe not. However, I did take two big trips in the last two weeks. Let me tell you.

I went to New York to visit my sister. My husband gave all his miles to me and my mom so we could have a girls' weekend. He's pretty special huh. :) It was the longest and the farthest I have ever been away from Donald or Marlow. I missed them, of course. And I missed Easter (insert more mom guilt here). But these things were expected, what I wasn't sure about was how I'd feel being just me! I was with my mom and sister, but no one was relying on me for food, to read to them, rock them, clean up after them, wake up early, change their diaper, etc. It was like the old times guys! No, not really, but it was nice for a few days. But mostly I missed them.

Then there were the feelings about my sister being so far away. It hit me pretty hard the first night, especially after a full day of flying. This kinda sucks. This is far. This is not a weekend trip for her anymore. Sigh. But, this is temporary (hopefully? maybe? could she go farther? let's not talk about it.) and also very exciting. She's always wanted to this and she is doing it. That's part of what this phase of life is all about. The phases of our lives are also in giant contrast on this trip. But it's cool. I like it. She likes looking into my life with my 8-5 desk job, momtogging, toddler craziness, backyard chickens, marriage, and a partridge in a pear tree as just as much of an adventure as I see her world-traveling, dating, moving, international entrepreneurship, foodie, well-rested life....maybe? lol It's awesome. I love her and am so thankful for my family and that trip. And in all fairness, I guess I may or may not have moved to Arizona for a couple years at one point. That was far then. ;P

See everything we did in NY here.

When I came back it was this girl. In a tutu. Talking not just in full sentences but now singing in full sentences about her day. Her friends. Animals. And Taylor Swift. Her random thoughts. She's taller and funnier. Loud as always. Opinionated. She twirls and twirls and twirls. And laughs her cackle laugh. I get dizzy watching her. And I hope it's always that way.

Disclaimer: Do not judge me on my unfinished being-built-ins and the toddler mess that owns them right now. I promise I'll post pics when it's finished. Do not hold breath.

(Taken in 2 minutes this morning. Blurry photos included because that's what it feels like.)

13/52 And Then There Were Chickens

I would like to say we got chickens because Marlow HAD to have them, but let's be honest here. It was the king of the impulse buy, my dear husband, who said let's just go look at the chicks. This quickly turned into, "Hun, go get a cart." I will say this was only semi-impulse. We have wanted chickens for a while and I've read some books, etc, but we weren't quite ready yet. I mean I'm leaving for a week and we don't even have a coop. NO COOP! Ok, ok it's not such a big deal. They won't need for for a while, but if you knew how long it takes us to get projects done! Although, we do work best under pressure, so maybe this will work out.

Either way, meet Ruby, Sunshine, and Pepper. Or as Marlow says, "Ruby right now...Sunshine right now...Pepper right now. Oh they sleepin'!!"

12/52 Where the Chicken Thing Started

I'm getting caught up here on my one-a-weeks, so I'm posting today and tomorrow. Here goes.

I'm am continually thankful that visiting grandparents always means a lot of outdoor, farm time. In Waterville, Marlow loves to visit the neighbors who have their own homestead going on complete with horses, chickens, turkey, ducks, rabbits, dogs, 4H kids, you name it. We hear cow and goat are coming soon. Marlow likes to say "Duck scarwin' me! So loud! Oh yeah!"

Needless to say, this is where Marlow's chicken obsession started.