for me

i made this for myself today!!

and i love it!
i wanted it to look like chevron, it doesn't really
but i love it just the same!! it was super easy and after doing 3 mother's day pots for the grandmas i feel like i'm a pro at baby footprints!!
next i'm making one with her handprints.
i can't believe in a few weeks she'll be 6 months.
where has the time gone.

other than capturing her sweet little feet forever the best thing about this project is it is SUPER inexpensive!!!
the pot was under $2 and i had the paints already.
now i just need to get a plant in this beautiful baby footprint pot.

i'm getting back in the game!

years and years ago (10 to be exact) i took senior pictures.
i had mine taken that long ago (eeeek), but what i mean is i took senior pictures for people!
i've always loved and had a passion for photography, taking, editing, and developing(back in the day when digital was barely around!). my favorite classes in all my high school history were photography, advanced photography, and photojournalism!!
mainly because i love photos and also because i loved the teacher, students and goofing off all the time some of the time.
i've always been the family photographer, and in recent years have taken friends maternity and newborn pictures.
last summer my dear friend and photographer Hannah Badeer asked me to be her second shooter for a wedding and it was wonderful.
to be taking pictures again.
so now, we are a team. and by team i mean she runs the show :)
she is amazing and i can only hope to learn some of what she knows!!
since i have been helping her i have been getting more and more confident and it feels pretty good!! i've wanted to pursue photography (again) for some time but i am not good at "selling myself" so i have just left it alone.
but...
recently a friend of mine asked if i would take her sister's senior pictures.
of course i said yes duh!!
and just the other night i had the honor of spending some time with Michaela (shes super sweet and as you can see super cute as well). here are some of the images from our short and simple shoot.
so thankful to be doing this again. with hannah and on my own.
God is good!!
and this is so much fun.

mother's day grandma style

eleanor and i made these for all of her grandmas for mothers day!

i found the idea on pinterest.
of course.
but there were no directions on the link. so we figured it out as we went.
  it wasn't hard.
   duh.
   paint a pot, stamp a foot, draw a butterfly body
   done.

let me tell you
the child's feet that were in the picture i saw had to have been much bigger than eleanor's.
her little feet were not easy to get on the pots, thats why none of the feet match.
oh well, it's the thought that counts right?!

she was such a good helper!
       look at her grabbing her toes, thats her new favorite thing to do!

i couldn't get her toes to show up for the life of me, so we stamped her feet and used her finger for the little toes and thumb for the big toe!!

we might try again next year and see how they turn out!

now that i think about it i should have made myself one. 

dang it. 

i also should have waited until she was sleeping to stamp her foot so i could have put it where i wanted and had a little more control. 

but it was fun, and i think the grandmas will be happy with them!

oh, i also sprayed the finished product with clear spray paint so they can put the pots outside if they want! and i hope it will help those little footprints last a bit longer!!

i am making myself one tomorrow.

happy mothers day to me!!

this is what's for dinner

this is the best recipe.
ever.


i thought i would be all professional blogger and take a picture of all the ingredients together before i started.
like this...

but once i got going i realized in forgot this

and this

(cream of mushroom soup)

and this

oh well...

at least i tried, right?!

my mom gave me this recipe and it's evan's favorite. hope you love it as much as we do!

(this is my version, it's a little different)

you need:

• 1 pkg. (10-oz.) frozen asparagus
• 1/2 C. flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. paprika
• 6 (4-6-oz.) fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 C. butter

• 1 can (10.75-oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 C. whipping cream
• 1/4 C. chopped pimiento
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese             

Cook frozen asparagus according to package directions. 

(you can use fresh also, just steam it first!)

Arrange in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish; set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a shallow dish combine flour, 1/8 tsp., salt, pepper and paprika. cover chicken breasts in flour mixture until evenly coated; shake off excess. 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. cook chicken in melted butter until browned on both sides.

 Remove from skillet and arrange on top of asparagus.

in a separate bowl combine cream of mushroom soup, cream, pimiento, remaining salt and; stir until blended. 

Spoon over chicken and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

i like to add some french fried onions too, for a little crunch.

Bake uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until bubbly.

this chicken is juicy 

and tender

and amazing.

so make it tonight.

yummmm!

attitude of gratitude.

i have nothing to complain about.
i still complain, of course. but i have no reason to.

God is good.

every night as i lay in bed i have an attitude of gratitude. God has given me so much.

but why throughout the day do i not always remember this? just 2 days ago i had a total freak out.
our kitchen is too small, theres not enough storage. we don't have enough money to fix either of these problems. i was a mess.
evan came home and saved the day (he's really good at saving me)

but that night my attitude changed and not only was i thankful for the kitchen we have but i was also thankful for my amazing husband.

what happens during the day that makes it harder to have an attitude of gratitude. is it that i have so much to do?
not enough time to just
be still.

not enough time to remember that He will provide
not enough time to give my worries over to Him

what happens during the day that makes me so stressed i can't remember how faithful He is. and how much He's blessed me.

but then, when i'm in bed, in the dark, not running around my whole outlook changes.
i'm not stressed about my kitchen, i'm thankful for it
i'm not stressed that we don't always have extra money. i'm grateful i get to stay home with my daughter everyday.
i'm not worried about my messy house, i'm blessed we have a home, that we love.


why can't i take time during the day so sit, be still, and be grateful for all of these things.
i can.
i will.
i am.

God is so good. all of the time.
i just get busy and don't always realize it.
and thats changing… starting now.

starting now i will have an attitude of gratitude, all of the time, even when i'm a mess!

for eleanor

i have a journal i keep for eleanor.
i write to her. so one day she can read everything we're going through with her now. new sounds she's making and things she's learning, what makes her laugh, nick names we call her. everything. i love doing this for her and hope one day she'll love it too. today i am writing her journal entry here.


my sweetest baby eleanor,
        you. are. amazing.
        everyday i fall more in love with you. love isn't even a big enough or strong enough word for
        how i feel about you. some days i don't even put you down. i can't. i cherish every smile and
        cuddle. every touch of your hand on my face, every nap on my chest. i am surprisingly aware
        of how fast this is all going, how fast you're growing.
        4 months have gone by. you're bigger today, and stronger, and smarter, and sweeter, and
        more beautiful than the day before. you smile at me and my heart melts. you stop crying when
        i, and only i, hold and love you and my heart melts. you laugh or sleep or suck
        your thumb and my heart melts. i wish i could bottle up your smell. or the softness of your skin.
        i never want to forget these precious moments.
        you. are. amazing.
        you are ours.
        we made you, your dad and i. you are part of us. we will love you no matter what. there is
        nothing you can ever do that will make us stop loving you. no mistake you can ever make will
        be big enough to change this.
        we are so beyond in love with you.
        i thank God for you. everyday. thank Him for giving you to us. for trusting us with you. i pray
        we will raise you the way He wants, in a way that will bring Him glory. and i pray for your
        salvation. that one day you will love Jesus with your whole heart. i pray to be a better mother
        and a better wife. i pray you will see God in your father and i. in the way we love each other,
        and serve each other. you are our world. we adore you.
        you. are. amazing.
        you are the music to my dance and my song.
        and i love you more than you will ever know, until you have a child of your own.

        love,
            your momma
     

eleanor goes to arkansas...

so were going to arkansas for easter! we are pretty excited. evan and i cant wait to get away for a bit.
we have never traveled with a baby so this should be interesting.
its 9 hours from lincoln to conway.
were leaving at 4pm tomorrow and hopefully driving the entire way. if we need to stop we have friends family in rogers we can stay with.
thank God.

i dont know how eleanor is going to do in her car seat for that long.
this is how i hope the trip goes...

we stop once in kansas city for her to eat. then she sleeps the rest of the way.


and this is how it could end up

frick.
am i in trouble??

the other thing about traveling with a baby is all of the crap stuff you have to bring.
i mean theres a bathtub, rocker chair, pack n play, stroller, diapers&diaper detergent(i refuse to spend the money on disposables)….

ahhh, so much extra stuff

were also bringing gertrude too.
of course we are
how could we not?

i will let everyone know how it goes
and if i cry.

do you have any tips for spending 9 hours (each way) in a car with a  3  almost 4 month old??
HELP!
now i'm scared.