Smile for the Camera...

Here is my dear husband. HAHA...Whenever i need to practice a certain technique i ask him if i can use him. Well, here is one incident. I had my lights right in his face and his eyes are sensitive. He couldn't keep his eyes open normal because it was so bright. I said, "Come on hunny, do it just for a moment." So, this is his attempt at trying to keep his eyes wide open for the camera. As soon as i saw this picture i had to laugh and immediately thought to post it. Hope you enjoy this look almost as much as i do. :) I have to add one more thing here... my family is being such a good sport about letting me use them to practice on. If you look at the picture of Gavin over to the right of the blog you will see that he is holding up his finger. The reason he is doing that is because he is saying, "Just one more picture mom...no more!" I love it. It is so funny! Gavin is getting used to letting me practice on him. He just lets me know when he is tired of posing. :)

Shane's first attempt at a photoshoot

Well this is my first attempt at doing a photoshoot. I had been reading Ashlee's blog since she started, but then I noticed she didn't really have any pictures of her on here. So with all my new found time due to it being spring break, I decided to remedy the problem. As you can tell, I don't have any idea how to work all the settings and the lighting, but it does make it pretty easy to get a good picture when your subject is already so gorgeous...I just pretty much had to just point and shoot. I love you Ash and I hope you like it!

Thumper and stinker...

My goal to post a picture of our boys together didn't happen yesterday. I got this one this morning. I might be posting a lot with them in the tub. This is going to be challenging for me because it is hard to get a fun interactive picture of them together. I would have to keep my camera around my neck all day long b/c the moments that are really worth taking pics of usually happen when i least expect and i don't have time to grab my camera b/c by then the moment is gone.

The Sun is out!

Today the sun is shining bright so the boys and i went in the backyard and played. Well, actually, the boys played while i took pics of them. :) They played for about 2 hours. It was so nice to be outside with the sun beaming down on me! I cannot wait for summer! :)

Life Expectancy...

My friend took this life expectancy test and i thought i would try it. You just answer a bunch of questions and then this is what it tells you based on your answers...

My biological age: 26
My virtual age: 10.4 yrs. old!

Average life expectancy: 74
My life expectancy: 89.7 yrs. old

I can expect to live 23,300 more days.

Go here to check it out: http://www.sonnyradio.com/realage.html

What is the deal?!

It is hard getting a shot of these two giving hugs or kisses. As soon as Gavin touches Tanner, Tanner gets angry. Sooooo, i have to take the shot extremely fast. No waiting.
Okay, i don't know if you can notice, but my two toes next to my big toe on my right foot are red, bruising, and slightly swollen. I am ALWAYS ramming those two toes into the wall! AND in the same spot of our wall every time! It is always the corner baseboard as you start entering the kitchen. I have done it probably 5 times over 2 months. BUT i slam it into the wall so hard that i think it bruises every time i do it. AND every time i ram my toes into the wall the pain of it gets worse with each time! Some people have different ways of coping with pain...some people let "words" fly out of their mouths, some cry, some do this weird heavy breathing thing...ME, i just yell painfully. Gavin doesn't notice when i get hurt anymore. haha. Tanner just walks over and trys talking to me, but who knows what he is saying. :) Well, i noticed that not only am i getting this permanent red blister thing on one of my toes, but i am noticing my toe turning a slight blue and purple color. There are times when i put on my shoes and those two toes feel swollen and it hurts to run. Anyway, why do i continually keep ramming just those 2 toes into the same wall every time?!?!

Busy, busy, busy...

Well, this week is going to be a busy week! Lots of late night(after the boys go to bed) activities, photo shoots(that's right!), people coming over to look at the house for estimates, etc.

First, i have my first PAID photo shoot this Saturday. A young lady needs her senior photos!! Aaahhh! I am freakin out, but i am so excited at the same time! I can't wait to take pictures of someone that understands "look over here" and will actually pose for me! AND i am taking them outside and in my studio. I can't wait to shoot outside! Then in one week today, i am shooting a newborn. I can't wait! I have sooooo many ideas running through my head for how to get such cute shots!!! I got myself a new prop for babies, so i hope it looks as good as i imagine! :) I am sooooo excited about it all! I am starting to understand a lot more things and now i just have to take that and make sure my pics look better than what they have been.
Second, we have people coming over to give us estimates on the basement AND on our garage roof because it leaks really bad!
Third, i have 3 different activities to go to, after the kids go to bed, this week. I am excited to be able to get out of the house, being that i am stuck inside all day. I can't wait for warm weather! aahhhh! :)
Next week is spring break! We cannot wait to have a break from the stresses of school!
Next, a goal of mine...I am going to try and post a picture of Gavin and Tanner together everyday on our blog. I need more pics of them together! So, hopefully our families will enjoy it as much as we will.

Happy Easter to all of our Family!!...

Last night we dyed our easter eggs. It was fun. Tanner kept trying to grab at the cups of dye so i couldn't let him get too involved and it upset him, but i tried to let him watch as much as possible. Holidays get funner as the boys get older! This morning these boys loved searching for eggs and especially eating their candy! Tanner ate soooo much more than Gavin did. He always had a stuffed mouth. I know, gross, but they have only one day to enjoy it. Tanner's candy is already gone. Gavin is slowly eating his. He has some self-control, unlike Tanner. :)

Our expressive "Gavinskee"...

The 'excited' look. The 'Concentration' Look. The 'Uh? What are you talking about?' Look The 'Amazement' Look...

Gavin is very expressive. I love the different faces he gives. I had to capture these shots and post them.

The First Day of Spring...Not so spring-like.

I took this picture last night after the boys were in bed. It was too pretty to pass up.
Took this picture this morning. I am definitely sick of the snow, BUT it looks so beautiful on the trees.
So, it is officially spring, but it sure doesn't look like spring...But, hey, at least he sun is shining. I can deal with snow if the sun is shining!
Last night we had a guy come over and give an estimate on our house. We are leaking water downstairs. It is coming from under the carpet in the corners of our finished basement. All i can say is THANK YOU mom and dad for buying this house and letting us rent from you. The Damage-Well, let's just say we would have been deep in a hole if we had to pay for what it is going to cost to fix our entire basement. Seriously. We have active mold growing in the corners, mud and moisture are coming down through the walls leaking into our house from under the carpet. Let's just say it isn't good. I feel bad for my mom and dad, BUT sooooo grateful we don't have to go into more debt!!!!!! These old homes! Does anyone know of a good place that waterproofs basements?

Ready for the Rain to END!!!...

I have these beautiful tulips that are just waiting to get planted! I want to plant them so bad, but the weather is still cold and rainy. Spring start tomorrow and it is only going to be in the 30's!!! What the heck? Hopefully my pretty tulips survive until i am able to plant them, which will be about a month or more!When i went back through to look at pics i took i saw this one and could actually see some Jenks in him! I have always thought he looks like a Seifert through and through. I have never really noticed Shane in him before, until now. Jenks fam, can you see it?
Tanner has done this since day one...crosses his feet. It is so cute and so funny. He always has one sock on and one sock off.
Can you see his chipped tooth? I remember when he first chipped it i thought it was soooo noticeable, but now i hardly even notice it.
These are Gavin's dinosaurs. Lately, these dinosaurs eat every meal with him. Literally...he tries feeding them. Last night at dinner he tried feeding them peas and a pea got stuck in his dinosaurs mouth. It was so funny. He seriously has such a good imaginary world. He plays in it all day long.

Updates on the boys...

Tanner's newest things lately: Putting his finger to his mouth and saying "sshhhh". Saying "bonk" when he hurts his head(sounds like he is saying "book"). His canine's are coming in. Screams extremely loud when his brother makes him mad. Likes yelling for dad by saying "Daaaaaa!". He understands most of what i say. Says "stop it" and points his hand at you while saying it. Still continuously tries to get up on chairs and tables. When i tell him we need to change his diaper, while i am getting the diaper and wipes he lays down on his back for me waiting. He tries taking his pants off, but can't do it. Tries running, but it looks like an unstable speed walker. Is attached to his blanket. Puts his hand down the back of his pants. Fold his arms during prayers.

Gavin's newest things lately: Asking "why?" constantly. He is a very good talker. If we ever forget to say prayer at night he is the one who always keeps us on track by reminding us "we need to have prayer." He LOVES to read to me and of course have me read to him. He is a great helper when i ask for his help. He likes to tease Tanner a lot, but loves to take care of him if he ever cries or gets hurt. He loves Transformers, but he likes to call them Robots, and his favorite is Bumblebee. He has his own imaginary pretend world. He can dish out a lot of teasing, but can't handle getting teased back. :) He loves to wrestle around with daddy. Likes to help me cook.When he comes downstairs in the morning if i don't look at him right away he will stomp his foot on the ground to get my attention. This is now a tradition. It is funny b/c we both laugh at it every morning.

In other news...we spent family home evening with friend's last night. It was a lot of fun. There little girl who is four yrs. old taught us the lesson. It was about the Resurrection. We then dyed Easter eggs together, enjoyed dessert, and chatted for awhile. It was a lot of fun.

Then, today, Gavin looks at me while we are eating lunch. He smiles and says, " Is there a baby in your belly?" I said, "um, NO, there isn't a baby in my belly." He smiles again and says, "Let me see your belly mommy." I then spent the next five minutes trying to convince him that i wasn't pregnant. After that incident we started singing songs that we enjoy hearing on the radio. He didn't know the words and so he said, "Help me learn the right words mommy." It was so cute. THEN, i went upstairs to get something of Gavin's and told Gavin to stay downstairs because Tanner was sleeping. I am on my way up and he points at me and says, "Make sure you pit-toe mommy." He hears me say 'tip-toe' a lot, and so it was so cute hearing him say it. And one more thing...Auntie Holly was over today and her and the boys started making snoring noises. Tanner can't snore so he tried what came close to snoring. He made this deep growl and got this funny look on his face. You had to be there. It was funny.

My first photo shoot with a 3-month old baby...

Well, today i did a photo shoot of my friends 3-month old little boy. He is so darling and such a good baby! Even though he was perfect it was hard doing a photo shoot for this age! This age is past the sleeping-all-day-and-doesn't-wake-up-for-anything stage. And not quite to the point to where i can get him on his belly and have him look up at me...soooooo, i needed to find a way to be more creative, but the wheels in my head were not spinning enough. I got a few cute one's, but i might have her come over again to see what else i can come up with. :) I really want a newborn(1-2 weeks) to take pics of. I have one set up for the end of next week with a newborn and i cannot wait!

Our Handsome young man...

Gavin got his first tie to wear to church. He was so excited to wear it today. About a month ago his Primary teachers gave him a pin that says, "I Am a Child of God". He couldn't wait to pin it to his tie, and couldn't wait to show his teachers. He looks so handsome in it. He has been such a joy lately.

Live long,Laugh often, Love much...

Here is Gavin patching up his snowman so that he doesn't melt away.

I snapped the picture right before the water poured on Tanner's face...you might see it better if you click on the image. In the tub laughing at Tanner.

What a precious face.

Auntie Holly came over yesterday. We ran some errands together, took silly pictures, and danced to music. It was a fun day.

Our Snowman, Crush...

We named the Snowman Crush...can you see his spiked hair?

Here is Gavin giving the snowman a big hug.

For Family Home Evening we went outside and made a snowman. The snow was perfect for making one, and it was a lot of fun. It is definitely a HUGE snowman. If you look closely you will notice we gave him spiked hair. Gavin LOVED the snowman. Tanner just sat and watched. He has a hard time moving around in his snow gear! haha! It is so funny. He reminds me of the kid on "A Christmas Story".

In other news...we were getting ready to leave the house the other night. I told Gavin to go get his shoes on. He went and got his shoes and when i went to the front room to get my shoes this is what was waiting for Shane and I. He laid them neatly in the middle of the floor for us. So funny! He is just like his daddy... then Tanner noticed how neat and orderly they were and he didn't want any of that going on so he came over and messed it up.

Just so you are aware...

Here is my newly updated Photography blog. With all this extra free time we have had from being snowed in I decided to establish and update my photography blog with a new look and set prices. www.ashspassion.blogspot.com

Cleveland Blizzard 2008...

Morning after the snow storm. This is just a random lady walking, but i thought i would take a pic of her so you could see how much snow we got.

During the snowstorm yesterday i just randomly took a pic of our street.
Playing in the snow yesterday before it got too bad.

Playing out in the snow this morning.

Tanner got some snow on his face and it made him mad, as you can see.

Well, we got another huge snowfall. Last year, pretty close to this same time, we got about 2 feet of snow. Over the past two days we just got about 18 inches of snow. We had fun yesterday. We played out in the snow before the winds really picked up, and we decided to go get some stuff at the store in case we got snowed in. Luckily we have four wheel drive because otherwise we would not have made it. On our way to the store we saw plenty of cars stuck, mainly in the entrances of stores and in their own driveways trying to get out. It was kind of fun because it was seriously like a blizzard. We got home, i fixed some taco soup, and we watched the snow pile up. It was really a very cozy evening. The missionaries called us last night and told us that church has been cancelled and that we've(Shane) been given permission to bless the sacrament in our own homes. We did that and it was a fun and neat experience, and then we watched The Testaments. Hopefully this is the last huge snowfall for the winter. It has been a fun weekend for us. Shane did a CRAZY thing yesterday...during the snowfall he got up on the roof and pushed all the snow off the roof. I was scared and tried to stop him, but of course he didn't listen. :) Anyway, he did that b/c there was so much snow and when it starts melting it can cause damage to our sunroom b/c it is old and leaks all the time. But after i saw how much snow was piling up from him pushing the snow off, i was scared for him anymore b/c if he fell it wouldn't hurt him at all b/c the snow was piled so high...he actually just ended up jumping off the roof into the huge pile of snow.

Here in Cleveland we have been getting more than enough moisture. The sun hardly shines. One week we get rain, the next week we get dumped on with snow, the next week it melts and rains again, etc. I am definitely ready for the sun to shine and for some warm weather! :)

Love this...

I love this picture of Tanner. I had to post it. I love the antique look for this picture.

HiLaRiOuS!

I keep thinking about this commercial that i saw the day of Super Bowl. I have only seen it once since then, but both times it makes me laugh out loud. I think it is hilarious. I don't know if any of you saw it, but it is goes like this: This guy is being interviewed...he has this stain on his shirt that is obvious. Everytime he talks this stain starts blabbing weird jibberish language. This stain he is in the form of lips. Soooo, this man is trying to talk, BUT you can't understand a word he is saying b/c this stain is being so loud "blah wabbe wah, rarara, nahhhhh".... it is so funny. I just had to tell someone about it b/c i love it. You have got to click on this link to watch it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmD7joJNE0c

ScRub-a-DuB-duB

Gavin and Tanner love their bath time. They both always have to be right under the faucet playing with the water. Even after i turn the water off they stay very close to the faucet. They stay side by side in the front of the tub as if they can't move anywhere else. Things were going pretty smoothly as they always do during bath time. Then Gavin said, "Sick, there is poop!" I look behind Tanner and there it is, a little present he decided to leave me to clean up. I pulled them out of the tub, cleaned it, then put them back in since i hadn't washed them yet. I put it in black and white so that you didn't have to see as much detail. You can thank me later. :) This isn't anything new though. Gavin actually did this a lot when he was Tanner's age and younger, BUT the funny thing is that he would ALWAYS do it when daddy got in the bath with him. :) I told Shane it is b/c he doesn't change poopy diapers, so it is just payback. He will actually change poopies now, but when Gavin was little he wouldn't do it. His gag reflex would kick in big time. :)