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“I think the word ‘cute’ was made up just for you. You are cuteness redefined to a whole new level. Happy Birthday to the cutest and sweetest 2 year old in the whole world!” WishAFriend.com
Today is Baby Girl’s Second Birthday Party. Her actual birthday is November 14th – but the party was today. We managed to get her down for a good nap prior to the party, and she woke up ready and eager to have fun! I think she was a bit overwhelmed at first when everyone started showing up, but she soon got in to the swing of things. She loved being able to go get chips from the food table, and chasing around with all the kids. When it came time to open presents, she was such a little angel. I love this shot of her oohing over a present. I just don’t know how much more adorable a kid can get! Mommy dressed her in her Halloween outfit (Shirley Temple) since she wasn’t home for Halloween. This way everyone got to see her at her cutest.
It was a great fun day, lots of family and friends, awesome presents and one little girl who navigated the whole event like the true Princess she is . . .
And we ate cake!
Happy Birthday honey!
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“Let them eat cake.” Marie Antoinette
Tomorrow is Baby Girl’s second birthday party. We are expecting upwards of 40-60 people/kids to show up. So we need lots of food, and lots of cake! One of my talents is Cake Baker/Decorator. I used to do custom wedding cakes and special occasion cakes . . . but haven’t done if for money for many years. I now mainly do it for family special occasions. I’m prepping the cake here . . . theme is Bubble Guppies. I’ve enlisted the help of my husband, who will create the characters out of icing. They won’t go on the cake until tomorrow morning before the party. It’s a lot of work to bake and prep the cake, especially when you’re making it to serve that many people. Cupcakes too! So – tomorrow you’ll get to see the final result of what I’m working on here.
Happy soon to be birthday, Baby Girl!
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“It’s when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached.” Mike Huckabee
Wow! I can’t believe I have reached Day Three Hundred of this 365 Project! There have been days when I really didn’t think I could come up with something to post . . . another photo much less another blog post! Because I took on the task of not only doing a self portrait every day, but also doing a blog post about it ever day as well. I have fallen behind a few times . . . but I have not neglected the actual taking of a photo every day. It’s pretty incredible what I have learned through this process . . . one of which is Photography is most definitely where my passion lies. There has been a thread of Photography throughout my entire life . . . I just didn’t pursue it as I am able to now because of where life took me. I’m here now though, and so fortunate and blessed to be in a position to finally pursue my passion. In fact – in a few days I will be meeting up with fellow 365’ers in Las Vegas for a weekend of shooting and camaraderie over our shared mutual passion. Here I am perusing the 365 forums, amazed at the talent and friendships that we have formed even tho few of us have met in person. Vegas . . . here we come!
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“Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the Mall of his choice.” Dave Barry
We’re hanging out at the Shasta Mall in Redding, California waiting for Papa G to finish up a morning of business back at the hotel before we head on to San Francisco where Baby Girl’s Mommy and Daddy are anxiously awaiting her return. We ended up at the Mall because I typed “playground” in to Map Quest, and this is where it instructed me to go. We ended up just running up and down the open areas as the Playground was full of kids and quite hectic. She was happy with that though . . . but finally it was break time and snack time. That’s when I captured this with my iPad. She’s just chillin’!
Funny thing is I never go to the Mall anymore, and will avoid it like the plague during the holiday season. I prefer to either do my gift shopping on-line, or make something that is personal and meaningful. I just can’t do the crazy crowds anymore. I didn’t buy one thing here at this Mall – even tho I did do a bit of window shopping. Everything is either too expensive or just not what I’m looking for. I would have bought a rain jacket for the Baby if I had found one . . . but could not find a single clothing store that sells them for toddlers. Weird. So – maybe I need to design something and get it on the market asap?? Hmmm . . .
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“Weather forecast for tonight: dark.” George Carlin
We’re still travelling . . . and this is a late night on the road. We spent a bit too long at the Woodburn Outlets in Oregon and so are arriving late at our destination for tonight. Baby Girl is in the back seat jabbering away at us, singing songs along with the radio . . . a very pleasant and fun drive even tho it was late and dark. She has been a bright shining light on this trip. For a two year old, she is an incredibly happy little traveler.
I keep saying this, but it’s so true . . . she is so much like her mother at this age. We traveled every summer from California to Canada from the time she was a baby. And she was always a happy little traveler, going with the flow whatever we did.
I took this shot with my iPad as a Semi Truck was passing us. I liked the effect with the red tail lights . . .
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“The wonder of a miracle from which this love began. There is so much found in the touch of holding a grandchild’s hand.” Unknown
We’re on the second day of our four day trip to California, staying two nights at my Son’s house just south of Portland, Oregon. We picked my 5 year old Granddaughter up from Kindergarten and took her shopping at CostCo and Fred Meyer. Since it was lunch time we thought we’d stop somewhere to eat. Well, she had her mind set from the moment we mentioned CostCo! She LOVES their hot dogs. She says NO ONE makes them like Cost Co. And she ate the whole darned thing! Then off to Fred Meyer we went to try on anything pink . . . she ended up with a pink quilted vest and a pink sparkly hat to wear with it. Quite stylin’. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to get a picture of her in it.
Isn’t she just so cute??
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“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Road Trip!!
We’re on our first leg of a 4 day road trip to California with the baby. This picture is taken at the Pacific Border Crossing between Surrey, BC and Blaine, WA. We’ve got a six to seven hour drive ahead of us to just south of Portland, OR. Baby Girl is snuggled in and happy. What an awesome little traveler she is too. It took an hour to get through the border, and another 20 minutes to Bellingham where we gassed up. She’d been in the car two hours by then, with no fussing what so ever. I let her out to run around at the Fred Meyer in North Bellingham while hubby gassed up the car. The rest of the trip was uneventful with just a couple of rest stops for food and stretching our legs. I did load up my iPad with a few of her favorite shows, which kept her entertained during part of the trip. For much of the time she either slept, or chatted with us or herself, and sang songs . . . one of the most fun drives south I’ve had in a long time. We’ll be two days at my son’s south of Portland before we head out again.
The Road Trip continues . . .
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“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” Dr Seuss
Baby Girl wakes up every morning giggling and happy and playful. It’s the most amazing experience for her Papa and I. I love to listen to her talking with her stuffies in her crib – which she will do for almost half an hour. Then I’ll hear a tentative “Ya Ya?” When I get up and go in to get her, she giggles with joy and hides under her blanket. How can one not just have a great day after waking up to that?? This morning, her last day here in Canada with us, she decided to climb on the window ledge in our bedroom and look outside for the birdies. I love the whispy softness of this shot – taken with my iPad and processed in Photoshop CS6 with Nik Color Effex Pro.
I’m going to miss her so much! But I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to spend this quality time with her.
Priceless!
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“Take baby steps and don’t give up! Keep moving in the right direction. Trust yourself and your abilities. Just because something didn’t yet work out as planned, doesn’t mean it won’t work out. There is always a way and you can’t lose unless you give up.” Kemmy Nola
I watch this little girl and her determination in everything she does. “I do it myself” she says about everything. And if she’s not doing it herself, then “I helping”. She keeps at it until she conquers whatever it is she attempting . . . even if it’s just putting a sock on her foot or opening a door . . . quite amazing to observe. Was I ever like this – so determined to achieve, determined to conquer all? As a child I don’t really remember, but as an adult when I want something, there is nothing that can get in my way. If something does, I’ll find a way around it. I seldom just give up.
I love seeing that determination in a 2 year old!
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“Don’t let your character change color with your environment. Find out who you are and let it stay it’s true color.” Rachel Scott
Ok, Ok . . . yes – I color my hair!!! Not drastically, but to add some of the vibrance back. I have always loved my red hair, and I haven’t enjoyed seeing it lose the lustre. It’s just turning kind of a blah brownish color – I guess in preparation for the grey hair that must be ready to pop out any time! I shall do what I can to delay the inevitable however.
Even if it means that I look like an alien while doing it . . .
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Nurture Self 365 