i’m one of the lucky ones.

when i think about my dad, and how great he is, i get teary eyed.  he’s just that great.  always putting himself before others, but never as a martyr, or even on purpose, that’s just who he IS.  he’s genuinely deep down inside his heart, a good person.  i can honestly say, in the 29.5 years i’ve known him, i’ve never, not once, seen him act without integrity, kindness and generosity.  everything he does, and everything he is, is good.  and as if that weren’t enough, he’s funny, and smart, and kinda of looks like tom selleck.  :)

i’ve been through a lot of tough situations in the last few years, big life changing choices and when i look back on those decisions i’ve made, i really don’t think i would have made it through without him.  he never told me what to do, or judged my choices he was simply there to listen, support, give guidance when needed… and then love me no matter what.

some people have their dad’s eye color, or wavy hair… i just hope i got a little bit of my dad’s heart.  he sure has mine.

but i’m alive.  :)

i’ve had a really frustrating week, medically.  i got my first ambulance ride on friday evening, which was quite the experience…  spent the weekend in the hospital, and i’ve laid around all week trying to fight off head aches and ear aches.  after a follow up this morning with the dentist it appears that all the drama was likely due to complications that arose from last weeks root canal… see i KNEW i had a good reason to hate the dentist.  anyway, armed with another dentist appointment and some antibiotics, i’m determined to be 100% by this weekend.

if i was slow getting back to you this week, i apologize.  responding to inquiries while on heavy duty IV pain meds wasn’t really working for me.  haha…

i’m looking forward to two beach sessions this weekend and determined to be back on my game! so, go ahead and inquire about a session, why don’t cha? ;)

ALSOOOO…. if you dabble in photoshop and are looking for some amazing photoshop actions, please mosie on over to my new etsy shop and purchase an action or two!

here’s a recent fave of claire…  this little girl can bring a smile out of anyone.  even grumpy head-achey me.  one of the many reasons why i love photography… she’s off playing hard at school, i’m working hard at home, and i can still get my fix of her sunshiney face.

“i have enjoyed life a lot more by saying yes than saying no.”

-richard branson

“love this moment, and the energy of this moment will spread beyond all boundaries.”

-corita kent

“joy seems to me a step beyond happiness. 
happiness is a sort of atmosphere you can live in sometimes when you’re lucky.  
joy is a light that fills you with hope and faith and love.”
-adela rogers st. johns

this arrived on my doorstep this morning.  who knew decorating my walls could feel so good.

this week we’re on vacation!  we spent two days at the beach, and 3 days at disneyland.

we are all sooooo tired, needless to say, but we had SO. MUCH. FUN.

here are some beach photos for now.. i’ll blog disneyland after i catch up on a little sleep!  :)

“Each moment of the year has its own beauty… a picture which was never seen before and shall never be seen again.” -ralph waldo emerson

the week started off pretty great.

we took a walk down to the lake the one evening.  it was a beautiful night.

we had a great night.

a great week.

we’re ending the week with asthma issues.  i HATE asthma.  i hate what it does to my baby. we spent tuesday in the doctor’s office, and tuesday night in urgent care when her asthma flared up and the treatments we had at home weren’t working. right before we left to urgent care she looked at me with teary eyes and in between coughing said, “mama, i just wish my breathing was a little more careful.”

so, armed with a bunch of really strong steroids to help her lungs not suck, yesterday we declared the day “Claire’s Day”.  we started the day at starbucks with chocolate milk (her fave), then off to the toy store for a couple hours worth of buying toys and running around.  then we went out for lunch…well, mac and cheese and ice cream.  she really had a great day yesterday.  and when the days are beginning and ending on the couch with a nebulizer pumping a bunch of drugs into your little body… it’s the in betweens that make life beautiful.  we’re thankful for our walks to the lake, mornings at starbucks, and days at the toy store.  because we’re together. we’re thankful for us.

i love my people.

claire and i have been stuck at home all week.  i was super sick and she wasn’t 100% either.  so we stayed on the couch and snuggled a lot.

here’s a bit of this and that from our travels.

(I promise you her room is only that messy when she’s in the middle of being a tornado playing.)

(dinner time blues.)

(tending to life.)

today is the 3 year anniversary of when the infamous claire alyse was due.

{claire on her due date}

7lbs.  6oz.  20in.

annnnd this is what was happening 49 days earlier…

{claire on her birth date}

4lbs.  5oz.  18in.

so proud of my preemie. <3

omg we had so much fun!  she was super impatient about the dying.  just wanted to decorate them.  and by decorate i mean squeeze pink glittery gel on them.  i love my baby so much.  she’s just plain fun.