my life...

new blog for me..

2007-12-16T22:37:00.000-05:00

bookmark it!

www.michelleevansphotography.blogspot.com

its still exactly the same but i ran out of space on this blog.
so i'll be blogging from there from now on.
(or until that one runs out of space!!!)

out on the town...

2007-12-15T21:42:00.000-05:00

thursday we were "out" more than "in."

we went to burger king for lunch with jacks friend luke from school.
luke has a sister julie and her and miranda are the same age.
miranda hasnt stopped asking for "ju-leeeee" since we got home thursday.
this is the 2nd time we got togehter for a playdate and both times we had a ton of fun.

then thursday night we went to texas roadhouse for dinner with amy, kyle and kieran.

3 hours...

2007-12-15T18:13:00.001-05:00

was how long he painted today.
(sorry amy, i had to)
we made a few christmas gifts...
some ornaments and some pictures.

needed daddys help a bit

paint on his arms, hands, the cusion of the chair, his cheeks, lips and mouth...
but 3 hours of fun, without the tv on, and lots of quiet time together..
totally worth it.

christmas traditions

2007-12-14T01:18:00.000-05:00

i love the holiday season.
nothing about it annoys me
the traffic, crowds, the hustle and bustle..
for the most part, i love it all.
all of the holidays wee always big in my house growing up.
what i love most .. is traditions.

we have a few traditions we do around here,
some old, some new, & some passed down from when i was younger.
this year we have a few new traditions.

tonight, we started the kids favorite so far, i think.
i read about it online somewhere awhile ago.
i wanted to start this on december 1st and completely forgot.
so i said .. ahhhh i'll start next year.
i have to much going on right now.
and then i thought. why? why cant i start mid december,
and next year aim for the 1st as planned?
so thats what we did.

i wrapped 12 christmas books.
(4 of which we had, the rest i bought)
and put them in a basket under the tree.

each night the kids will pick a book out TOGETHER
and we will all read it TOGETHER.
(which tends to be a problem for miranda,
who never wants to sit and hear a story)

i saved "the night before christmas" for christmas eve..
the last night they will pick their book...

like i said, i didnt come up with this myself,
found it online but loved the idea..
especially because i absolutely love reading, and my kids don't.
surprisingly, they loved this idea.
i think its because the books are wrapped but in my mind,
i'm pretending its because they want to read a book TOGETHER.
ha!

J.A.C.K

2007-12-13T00:31:00.000-05:00

he is so proud.
and so are we.
almost 5.
where have the years gone????

dec 12, 2005

2007-12-12T22:14:00.000-05:00

too lazy to upload pics on the computer from my crappy old point and shoot.
so these are from exactly 2 years ago. what a difference!

"grammy"

2007-12-11T01:12:00.000-05:00

i have no idea what i would do without her.
and although they are too young to realize,
my kids feel the same way that i do.

these are 2 of my favorite pictures from yesterday.
...because my mom HATES having her picture taken,
and because these pictures.. are "soooo them" ....

train ride with santa..

2007-12-09T22:04:00.000-05:00

new hope/ivyland railroad...

(thanks amy for lending me your camera!!!) blurry,
but i absolutely love it.

looking at the reindeer outside.

waiting to see santa while jack sips his hot chocolate!

as usual,

jacks wanting to hug miranda, and she could care less

after the train ride,

and after lunch

we went to aq place to paint pottery.

we all had a blast.

letter from santa.

2007-12-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

the kids love getting mail.
imagine their surprise when they got mail from SANTA!

love love love loev i LOVE the faces!

they were excited at this point, just about the stickers.

look at this stinkin face

do u not want to kiss it right now??

look how happy he was!!

jack had to write santa a letter immediately.

double click to read his letter.

then the kids took turns "playing santa"

sick days.. and painting...

2007-12-09T09:50:00.000-05:00

amy, this post is for you!
i know how much you looooove paint!

last week with the kids being so sick,
after taking antibiotics, they were soooooo rammy.
we had to break out the paint a few times.

look at this face. so mad that painting is over

____________________________________________________________

look how pale she was.

didnt stop her from pianting though.

snow day

2007-12-08T01:43:00.000-05:00

getting caught up on pictures..

we had a snow day last week.

ok.. so not alot of snow.... at all,

but to the kids, it was all the same..

jacks leaf sandwich he begged me to try....

trying for a snowball
gave up on that,
opening mouth for a snowflake instead

had an umbrella to protect the camera, todd got in on the game, stood under the overhang and started taking random pics.

another taste...

no yellow snow, only white!

preparing for a snowball fight with daddy..

ahhhh ha ha. here we go!

my birthday

2007-12-08T01:21:00.000-05:00

although i was bummed about my camera breaking,
had a great day, as always.
i have alot to be thankful for.

after dropping off jack at school,
we went to breakfast with amy and kieran.
not sure why miranda looks like miss piggy in this picture,
ill blame my old, cheap, crappy fugi camera i have been using!

after breakfast we ran some errands before getting jack
(like to circuit cuty to see what they would do about my camera!!)
and miranda was so so so sooooo good!
todd thinks she knew it was my birthday and wanted that to be my gift. ha!

after lunch, jack skipped his nap and helped me get all the decorations out,
and we started decorating the tree

he was more interested in playing with his special "ornamins," and refused to put them on the tree. he loves that we get him a special ornament every year. its the one tradition he seems to be obsessed with,

when it was time to put the lights on, jack did the honors. i am so glad i captures that moment on camera, even if it is with a crappy camera!

jack insisted on taking some pics, as usual. its his newest obsesion and asked santa for a camera. (maybe hes trying to get back at me??)

jack, still practicing..

chilling out before heading to see nana and grammy

decorating the ice cream cake.. of course i opened my big mouth saying that i was sick of ice cream cake and would love some carrot cake. so my mom had to go out, after getting ice cream cake, to get some carrot cake. wasnt that so sweet????
so .. jack helped todd wrap my gifts. he thought he would tease me telling me that he knew what i got.... he whispered that daddy got me big, old, stinky, smelly socks. (while winking at todd the whole time) so then, they wrapped socks and jack thought it was hysterical. he said it was his bestes trick ever in 12 years. (yes, he IS only 4.)

miranda couldnt get enough cake!

john mayer...

2007-12-08T01:09:00.000-05:00

"daughters"
love this song.
i didnt, until miranda was born.
i wanted to take a few pictures of todd and miranda on thanksgiving day.
"just because".. this girl is in love with her daddy.
-------------------------------------------------------

"On behalf of every man,
looking out for every girl
You are the god and the weight of her world"

i am absolutely in love with this photo.
brings a tear to my eye EVERYTIME i see it.
because this is so "them". all of the time...
everytime i see it i can just hear her squeeling in delight,
at the attention from her daddy. what a lucky girl.

picking out our tree

2007-12-07T22:33:00.000-05:00

we went to pick a tree out the other night..

of course my camera BROKE while there... :(

would have been nice if todd didnt look like a mass murder, psychopath

and me.. with my oblong wierdly shaped head...

and this.

would have been nice WITHOUT the snowflake..

let the fun begin....

2007-12-05T15:26:00.000-05:00

guess where i "caught" a certain little girl today??
yup. all by herself. ran for the potty.
lets hope this is the start of something!!!

cars and trucks..

2007-12-04T22:53:00.000-05:00

i was playing around with my camera settings last week..
(so these arent the greatest!)
2 sick kids = alot of time at home.
i found miranda in jacks room like this the one day..
and so jack and i joined in and played for quite awhile..

christmas spirit..

2007-12-03T22:59:00.000-05:00

slowly getting into it.
with all the sickness still going on in this house, its rough.

over the weekend i broke out the ornaments for the kids to paint.
they needed a major distraction from feeling so crappy.

he was done painting his santa pretty quick.
he asked me for something else to paint and i got the clear ornaments out thati bought for myself, for my ornament decorating night with the girls. i felt so bad for him b.c he was so sick so i opened a box for him. he looked at me with such a grateful expression and said... "i knew you wouldnt let me down mommy"...

happy birthday to me and dana!

2007-12-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

girls night out..
december birthdays.
loved it.
we need to make it a monthly thing!

his christmas list..

2007-12-02T08:21:00.000-05:00

ok so this is what jack does every sunday.
he thinks this is his list for santa,
and that he is getting everything he circles in whatever paper he circles it in,
and trust me.. there are many!

so far he has playstation2, playstation 3, playstation portable,
ipod shuffle, ipod nano, and a FEW motorized cars for the back yard.
and he circles about 20 games for the playstation(s)
.the kids has got some big dreams.. what can i say?

the cutest thing was that there was a bratz, princess and a card game circled.
mommy, he says, i "ordered" these for you, randa and daddy,"
so dont worry.. you will get some things too if you are good.

as i was looking through the papers when he was done,
i saw a ton of things he circled for his sister.

so while he might be greedily circling everything he sees that he "needs" to have.
the boy sure is thoughtful at the same time.

to me, that means the world.
i hope he is always that thoughtful.

holiday gift idea

2007-12-01T23:43:00.000-05:00

great idea, huh?

can be personalized..
(and of course the amount redeemable can be for any amount)

SICK BABIES

2007-11-30T14:18:00.000-05:00

no better today. in fact, much worse.
went to the drs.
funny how ear infections arent contagious,
but now miranda has one,
on top of some viral infection which really means.. a bad cold.
i feel so so so so bad for her today.
on the upside, jack is feeling better already.

my sick kids

2007-11-29T19:33:00.000-05:00

jacks got a very bad ear infection,

and the dr said a mix between viral pnemonia and some kind of bronchitis.

mirandas getting sick again too

laying around all day. shes has hardly any voice,

and shes just as pale as jack is.. with a runny nose.

i hate this!

at drs yesterday ....

...

forgot..

2007-11-27T23:19:00.000-05:00

to blog about antigua when blogging about the cruise.
a few pics..... just because...

shopping in antigua

2007-11-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

this was my favorite place to shop.
i loved the color, the architecture, the people, and everything about it.

todd buying jack a "drum, from a street vendor who i named "bob marley"

fishing village in antigua

2007-11-27T22:48:00.000-05:00

love the sights like this,
i love seeing how people live,
how they make a living..

they just got back from their "morning run"
guess he was successful. how cute is he?

ok so i know this is gross but i took a picture anyway.
makes me grateful to have the life i have,
and that i dont have to take a job like this to get by..

the girl...

2007-11-27T10:02:00.000-05:00

has a french braid in her hair today.
well... a half braid!
but look how old she looks.
i'm not liking it....at all!

jenn....

2007-11-26T09:44:00.000-05:00

.....happy now????
;)

maya and mayur

2007-11-25T20:11:00.000-05:00

just practicing a bit. before the big day!

so nice spending time with you both this afternoon

gess...

2007-11-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

i knew you would be stalking my blog for a few..
here ya go..
wish we had warmer weather, and more time!

piercings

2007-11-24T23:22:00.000-05:00

we did it.
i had a goal.
i met the goal.
had to go through with it.
an accomplishment.

we've been friends for 30+ years.
thats another accomplishment..
in itself.
we went together.
did it together.

do i like it?
not sure.
wanted something smaller.
have to wait 4-6 weeks till it heals,
ask me in january if i am going to keep it or not ;)
________________________________________
________________________________________

dana was much more nervous than i.
and so.... i went first.
i DID have a cesarean where the spinal didnt take and i felt EVERYTHING after all..
so i was sure i would good. plus i have a high pain tolerance.
and so it began...

her husband came and took pictures.
he wasnt allowed to use the flash so he worked with what he had.

here we go..

wish we could see who, or what i was laughing at here!

the photo looks weird. looks like i have crazy make up caked on. not so!!!!

danas turn...
right before the tears welled up.

trying to make her laugh

seriously!

look at that needle. i cant get over that it didnt hurt!!!!

DONE!

another photoshoot..

2007-11-24T14:58:00.000-05:00

another sneak peek..
this time for michelle and jen!

.....FOR JONATHAN...

2007-11-24T14:03:00.000-05:00

a sneak peek of "gabs"...

love this one.

sick baby

2007-11-23T23:11:00.000-05:00

cant wait till shes feeling better.

shes soooo "not herself"..
and i'm not liking it.

look at that blank stare.
my poor baby girl.

thankful

2007-11-22T22:59:00.000-05:00

i am so very thankful for these 3.
i am blessed, and extremely lucky

bits and pieces

2007-11-22T21:55:00.000-05:00

... of our thanksgiving day...

jack and erin played "go fish" for quite awhile..

while this little one and i,

hung out like "this" ..

for quite some time.

the weather, was amazing

and dora was with us all day too..

finally!

miranda and i were playing hairdresser outside,

for awhile, when uncle kook and michael came.

miranda wanted to play hairdresser with uncle kook..

that presented her with quite a problem..

and this guy was obviously having fun outside too!

thank you amy!

the kids made thanksgiving headbands at amys last week.

they wore them for a huge part of the day.

so so so so soooo darn cute.

miranda wouldnt look at me,

so when i said.. miranda grace, look up right now!!!

"this" is what i got!

she WAS looking up... just not what i meant.

just hanging out again.. outside.

jack was tired of pictures.

i dont blame him!

ya think they liked their thanksgiving cupcakes??

fitzpatricks...

2007-11-21T20:34:00.000-05:00

these guys were so so so so much fun, and so darn cute.
kasey had a ton of ideas for me, as far as posing went.
she wants to be a model i think!!

this one cracks me every time i see it!

another photoshoot...

2007-11-21T20:22:00.000-05:00

i had so much fun with this family today.
the boys were sharing all sorts of fun secrets with me that their mom didnt know!
(girlfriends...and all that fun stuff!) they were all so much fun to work with.
i hope to see you all again soon!!

my kids

2007-11-21T08:24:00.000-05:00

havent posted any of my kids in awhile.
i havent really taken any.
miranda has a bad cold,
doesnt look " too hot" right now.
tomorrow for thanksgiving i'm sure i'll have a ton!

since its freezing here,
i'm posting this one from the summer.
cant wait for next summer already!!

alayna grace..

2007-11-20T20:32:00.000-05:00

finally got to meet alayna..
almost made me ready for another.....
(almost!)

more..

2007-11-19T23:17:00.000-05:00

these kids...
oh. my. gosh.
so darn sweet.

i walked into their house early saturday morning,
they welcomed me with open arms.
the whole family. so friendly. all of em.

but these kids..
wow
stole my heart within minutes.
what a feeling...
a stranger.... to be welcomed into someones home,
so honestly, openly and so warmly.

loved
loved
loved them

not sure why im posting so many black and whites.
but i just am! ;)
i had so many favorites from this shoot,
for different reasons..
so i'll post them all!
(just cause i can!)

happy birthday nana

2007-11-19T07:46:00.000-05:00

celebrated nanas birthday today again....

princess nana miranda and jack were calling her..

nana with her grandkids

and the great-grandkids too

the gorgeous pizzuto family..

2007-11-17T16:17:00.000-05:00

photoshoot this morning..
havent edited all the photos yet..
but..
just a sneak peek for their mom and dad...

st lucia... by land...

2007-11-16T15:21:00.000-05:00

we took a land and sea tour.
land by bus..
sea by catamaran.
loved the island

community college

college kids picking fruit for breakfast

not sure why, but i have a fascination with hanging clothes.

love it

told ya ;)

twin pitons

volcano

st lucia by sea...

2007-11-16T15:10:00.000-05:00

forget jersey shore.

i need a vacation house here when we retire i told todd..

as usual,
we ended the night
getting reaqdy for dinner.

painting shells

2007-11-16T14:36:00.000-05:00

we brought back shells that we found in the carribean for jack
he decided today he wanted to paint them for grammys new desk at work

st lucia sunset

2007-11-16T07:48:00.000-05:00

barbados

2007-11-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

sun in my eyes!

on the bus.. on the way to the beach carnival!

dorky,

but cute, just the same

this girl was getting her "groove on" with my husband.

dominica

2007-11-14T21:13:00.000-05:00

"wacky rollers"
was our favorite excursion...

here is the description we saw..
and immediately knew we wanted to do it.
and it was 100 times better than it sounded!

"A fun-filled ‘wacky' adventure awaits you on one of our intricately painted, open-air, four wheel drive vehicles.
Our Wacky Rollers tour guides are nature lovers who will escort you on the tour, first through the capital, Roseau and then to Morne Bruce for some of Dominica's history and a picturesque view of capital. We make a brief stop at the Botanical Gardens for a close-up encounter with our National Parrot - the Sisserou.
Feel the force of Nature as we wind through the mountains to the renowned Wotten Waven Sulphur Springs to view remnants of the island's volcanic activity. Hop back on and enjoy an exciting ride further into the islands rainforest, to the Ti Tou Gorge, situated in the village of Laudat. Here you will discover a crevice in the mountain where hot and cold streams intermingle into a natural plunging rock pool for an exhilarating swim. If you are really adventurous, swim between the mountains of the gorge to discover a spectacular view of a crystal clear waterfall - a fitting climax to your rainforest adventure! Complimentary rum punch and fresh fruit will be served before you return refreshed to your ship"

(i used my crappy lens for all these pics, so the quality for most of them isnt that good)

this is what we looked like touring the island..

the only picture i got,
of some random guy swimming into the caves.
i wish i had a waterproof camera for this part.
swimming through the caves,
to the waterfall was unbelieveable..
what an experience!

free rum punch!
after swimming through the gorge and waterfalls..

more sights in dominica.
i loved these school girls.

the end of the day...

dinner time!

happy birthday nana

2007-11-14T21:10:00.000-05:00

86 years old.
how lucky we are.

jack helped grammy make a pineapple upside down cake today,
(nanas request)
he wasnt too happy about it,
as you can tell by the way he is looking at it!

st thomas..

2007-11-13T21:31:00.000-05:00

breathtaking.
THIS was what we woke to..
the first morning after leaving san juan.
what a site.

(and as always, doube click to see them bigger!)

so glad we paid the extra money for the blacony..

vacation home... anyone?

our "ship"

down town open markets..

love the architecture of these cool buildings
and the vibrant, bright colors of the ally's.

happy birthday and anniversary sweetheart!

stopped for lunch.
outside cafe.
our favorite kind of place!!!

getting ready for dinner,
todd being goofy..as usual.
(he hates his picture taken)

everynight after dinner our beds were turned down, chocolates left, the itinerary for the following day, and todds favorite.. "towel animals" were left.

(day 2 down... 5 to go!)

randers

2007-11-13T10:09:00.000-05:00

i know im supposed to be posting pictures from the cruise...
but i just cant help it. this girl is much better looking.

after taking jack to school today,
miranda hung outside with me for a bit while i cleaned up the dead fall flowers.
this girl is SUCH a ham.
none of these pictures were posed.
especially not the last one!

kristen

2007-11-13T00:51:00.000-05:00

25 years.
thats how long we've been friends.
heres to many, many more.

happy birthday my dear friend,
i hope you have a great birthday, and a wonderful year.

thanks for making friendship with you be...
well...
what friendship is "supposed to be".
...natural and easy...

couldnt resist! (its SO you!)

leaving... on a jet plane...

2007-11-12T23:32:00.000-05:00

we're back...

loved the cruise.
had a ball.
needed time to relax, together.
missed the kids.
cried for the first few days..
hysterically.
missed the kids terribly.
glad to be back.

______________________________________________

philly airport 430 am.
we were so excited to go to san juan.

todd obviously hates having his pictures taken.
(i secretly think thats why he missed the kids so much!
who else was i to take pictures of this week??)

arriving in our state room..

watching the ship leave the port.
todd was like a kid on christmas morning

birthdays and bag lady's

2007-11-12T22:46:00.000-05:00

happy birthday to daddy.
nothing better than birthday, it kids eyes...

we had dinner, cake and presents tonight.
mostly from the kids since i gave todd his gift last week :)
(pictures of the cruise to come..., i promise!)

and thanks to amy, while we were gone,
she bought the kids some dress up clothes.
they wouldnt take them off all night.
miranda had 2 of her 4 new outfits on.
ariel, she kept on the longest,

that..combined with the rasta hat we got her in dominica,
and one of the bags todds gifts came in,
she looked like a homeless lady on the streets of philadelphia,
however...the CUTEST homeless lady i've ever seen.

my lil bag lady....

vacation!!

2007-11-03T21:35:00.000-04:00

3am

we leave for our cruise.

whole

week.

_______________________

things have been VERY hectic around here, for quite some time.

we are going crazy,

and we need the vacation.

cant u tell??

______________________________________________

but we sure are gonna miss these guys.
luckily for us, we know they are WELL taken care of.

another photoshoot.

2007-11-03T20:52:00.000-04:00

had a few bumps in the road with the cold. rainy weather today,
but it all worked out well.

this family welcomed me into their home with open arms..
cant get any better than that, in my book ;)
these kids were all so sweet, gorgeous AND polite,
i hope to see them again!

this little one has obviously stolen the hearts off everyone in this family!

she is so stinkin cute!

i felt such a bond with her..

i dont know if it was because her name is miranda,

or if its because their mom said she was a challenge to photograph,

and that the last photo taken of her that they liked was when she was an infant.

so i couldnt help myself ;)

she reminds me so much of "my miranda" in this one...

few more..

2007-11-03T07:43:00.000-04:00

i had so much fun with these two yesterday..

lainey and chase

2007-11-02T14:41:00.000-04:00

sneak peek for lisa....

(and kristen too!)

love

2007-11-01T22:27:00.000-04:00

should i knock on wood before posting this??

for the past few weeks,
jack has been so sweet with miranda.
talking with his soft, sweet voice, used only for his sister.

miranda, on the other hand.. not so sweet.
we have been working on this for awhile,
and its so bad, that shes been getting punished for it.
she has no time or patience with him.

all of the sudden, the punishing seems to be working,
what a relief.

the things that jack says to her,
the way hes explains things to her,
how he looks out for her
and the way he asks her is she misses him ...
every single time he goes to school,
is just so darn cute, that it brings tears to my eyes.

i dont know if its the soft, high pitch voice i love,
or if its how obvious he is, in the way that he loves her.

whatever it is, i hope it continues.

right out of the bath tonight, i heard jack talking to miranda in her room.
randa, you have your strawberry jammies on??
mommy helped you, i know.
when you get big like me, you can try to dress yourself.
isnt that so cool randa?

(i peek in and his arm is around her,
he's whispering in her ear,
and i take off like crazy, running for my camera)

and if you need help with some things randa,
you dont have to ask mommy and daddy.
you can come to me because i will help you.
thats what "brovers" do randa.
big, good, strong "brovers".
"nember" mommy said that she didnt have a brover to take care of her?
ill help you and take care of you randa.
(with his hand on her cheek, making sure shes listening to him, of course)

ok so there was more,
but i was sobbing hysterically by this point...
so i forget what was said...

trick or treat!

2007-10-31T22:14:00.000-04:00

we had a great night.

my pirates were a hit,

and were so darn cute!

goofballs..

she put her own lipstick on..

nana and grammy were thrilled to see us, as you can see.

being giggle and silly..

again, being a goof! no idea where he gets it.

absolutely and completely in love with this expression on her face.

the kids were SO excited to run into "well" when trick or treating.

and noelle was just as excited to see them. so cute.

jack LOVED seeing all the costumes and giving out candy. he said "it was the best part of his whole whole whole night"

halloween morning

2007-10-31T13:55:00.000-04:00

the kids are SO excited its halloween.
miranda has been dancing in circles all morning,
making up a song about trick or treats..

jack refused to wear his orange shirt today,
(even after he spilled stuff on it, he wouldnt change)

he said that this is his lucky shirt.a
nd it says...(pointing to each letter)
G. (jack)
A. (is)
P. (cool)

last year ...halloween...

2007-10-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

2:20am jack woke me this morning...
"mommy, can we go trick or treating yet?"

ummm something tells me the neighbors wont appreciate that, sweetheart.

and back to bed he went..

more pics of "my gorgeous senior"

2007-10-30T22:44:00.000-04:00

wu-berry

2007-10-30T17:30:00.000-04:00

can you tell what mirandas newest obsession is?
"wu-berry ah-cake"...
she can pronounce it just fine,
but for some reason she insists on saying wu-berry ah-cake.

she was beside herself when she saw her new jammies last week.
tonight after bath, it was cold enough to finally wear them.
she grabbed her dolls and she was showing them her jammies.
"here is you"... she kept telling them.

i love that the things i loved as a child, are back "in".
to some, they dont like it.... because they feel old.
i could care less,
i absolutely love it.

my boy

2007-10-30T17:24:00.000-04:00

my boy.
love this face.
love this kid.
even when he's being a smart mouth.
(which isnt too often these days)

on sunday,
i found this hat from last year in his drawer.
loved it last year.still do.
he wasnt getting a choice.
lets go.outside.....some pictures. c mon!

i bribed him with chocolate
.does that make me a bad mom?
i think it could be worse.
i wasnt threatening to beat him..not this time anyway ;)

another photoshoot....

2007-10-29T21:48:00.000-04:00

had another photoshoot tonightl
i'm realizing that i love taking pictures of people one on one.
give me an individual picture vs. a group shot, ANY DAY!

now i realize why the photographers that i love...
during group shots they take more interactive photos than posed.
now i see why.

senior portrait photoshoot yesterday...

2007-10-29T08:59:00.000-04:00

few more from yesterdays morning shoot.

2007-10-29T07:31:00.000-04:00

photoshoot..

2007-10-28T11:54:00.000-04:00

for you jenn,
a sneak peek ...

halloween treats

2007-10-26T22:12:00.000-04:00

we made some treats, and did some crafts tonight with friends.
then we had some snacks and watched a halloween movie.

miranda has a crazy weird rash
that comes and goes ..
her face is shiny with medicine....
(in case you were wondering!)

caught ya,
sneaking those cookies!!

gouhlish ghost pops

2007-10-26T22:03:00.000-04:00

this was our second "treat"

halloween money

2007-10-25T20:45:00.000-04:00

nana sent the kids a halloween card with money in it.
today we went to toys r us to spend it.
they both played with their toys all day long.

jack loves his minature teenage mutant ninja turtles
and can u tell.. miranda likes her disney cd player.

and after all this dancing,
she still wouldnt nap!

sugar cookies..

2007-10-25T20:32:00.000-04:00

with halloween cookie cutters!
thanks again kristen.
the kids had a ball tonight making cookies.
the cookie cutters were kinda big
so we had to put a big glob of cookie dough on the pans.
the kids loved that part.

"someone was more into tasting everything"

told ya!

mommy and baby...

2007-10-25T17:40:00.000-04:00

no matter when or where we go,
when we get home,
she immediately has to go check on mommy and baby punkins

.

just because

2007-10-24T22:07:00.000-04:00

i like the contrast between the bright pink chair,
and mirandas gorgeous eyes..

apple cider sugar donuts

2007-10-24T07:56:00.000-04:00

miranda doesnt like being "messy."
she wanted to bad to lick that sugar off the donut.
finally she gave in and went for it.
ya gotta live a little, wouldn't ya say??

our cruise!

2007-10-23T00:09:00.000-04:00

started planning last year...
hoarding money.
gathering ideas.

we are going on a cruise in 2 weeks!
flying out of puerto rico...
going to st thomas/st john,
st lucia, antigua, barbados and dominica...
todd had absolutely no clue..
till tonight!

thanks to the ideas from tina, jenn, and ann, (thanks girls!!)
i wrapped a ton of little gifts and had him open them one by one.
flip flops, bathing suit, sunblock, little champagne glasses,
goofy sunglasses, playing cards, dice, baseball cap,
coral reef, little novelty sea creatures...
dolphins, crabs, sea turtles, fish, whales.
a fake passport..
and lastly...
a big huge, plastic toy boat,
with water, dyed blue.

and after all that,
it still took awhile for him to "get" it.

luckily i recorded it all,
because these pictures do it no justice!!

he kept telling me at first that his birthday wasnt for 2 weeks..

the look of disbelief on his face was priceless.
he is so so so so excited..

the hat was one of the "gifts".. which is why its sitting on his head like this.

its too small.. he needs to adjust it but was too darn excited!

more pumpkins..

2007-10-22T18:48:00.000-04:00

mommy and grammy were more into it than these two!

they had more fun running around,
looking at the scarecrow creations,
and checking out the animals.

after looking for pumpkins, and picking up a few...
they decided they didnt even want any.
jack said.. we have enough at home mommy.
weird kids!

this is why i do not like to do photoshoots mid-day.
the lighting STINKS!

looking at the chickens

checking out the ponies

jack is definitely "my child".

he gets so bored, SO easily.

corn maze

2007-10-22T18:44:00.000-04:00

kept them busy for awhile.
they couldnt figure out how to get out!

love this one, peeking thru.

uncle michael and nana

2007-10-21T21:21:00.000-04:00

are brother and sister.
because of the distance,
and that they are getting older,
its hard to get together.

my cousin lori and i were together over the summer and decided to make plans to meet halfway, after the hot weather had passed, so nana and uncle michael could get to see each other. we had such a nice day, and really cant wait to do it again.. soon

uncle michael and aunt kay.
so cute together after what i believe, she said was...62 years of marriage.
they still praise and love each other as if they had just met.
the way that they talk about each other, and love each other is truly amazing.

yes, miranda has yet another rash on her face.

i wish you could hear them giggling through these pictures.
i love when they play so nicely together.
miranda was getting antsy so jack was keeping her occupied and amused.

i see this picture, and it makes me smile.

he is so so so darn cute!

love this one of lori and tatum

tatum...

2007-10-21T21:18:00.000-04:00

poor miranda,
was trying to steal kisses all afternoon.
someone should tell her they ARE cousins, after all!

halloween goodies..

2007-10-21T20:40:00.000-04:00

from kristen,

the kids are in heaven!

jack has gotten used to the halloween goodies from kristen.
he has been talking about it for weeks.
tonight when we got home,
the goodies were waiting.

ya think he was excited????

look at this face! he was beyond excited!!!

and this face too. i couldnt stop staring at him, and im sure i had a smile, just as big

!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks kristen !!!!!!!!!!!

gorgeous

2007-10-21T01:08:00.000-04:00

part 3 of our modeling photoshoot.
definitely my favorite of our 3 shoot series!

imagination and growing

2007-10-19T08:23:00.000-04:00

my baby is growing up,
and i'm not liking it one bit.
he is finally starting to actually play with his toys.
the imagination is an amazing thing, isnt it?

the problem i dont like is..
that this is what i woke up to this morning.

yes, thats what i said...
this is what i WOKE UP TO.
i got awake and thought...
its 8am. jack isnt up yet??
then i find him playing in the living room.

when i asked him about it.
he looked at me like i was insane.
mommy, i was TRYING to be so quiet so you could sleep.
you dont ALWAYS have to get up with me, you know.

ummmmm yea ok.
your FOUR! not 10.
so of course i was immediately thinking of strangers, robbers, murderers.
and wondering if jack would think he was also old enough to play outside by himself.
so i started to panic, and had a talk with him.

after that, everything was fine...
but then what made me even more sad, and depressed all over again,
was that my 4 year old felt like he didnt need me anymore.

instinct

2007-10-18T22:28:00.000-04:00

weird
isnt it?
at 2, she has the motherly instinct.

daily,

i catch her ..

talking, rocking, signing and giggling with her baby,
its amazing. the instinct she has.

i would love to say..
that its reflected from the tender, sweet, warm, wonderful mother of hers.
we ARE shown by example, are we not??
:)
but like i said,
theres something about it,
the motherly instinct.
either you have it,
or you dont.

and this girl...
shes definitely got it.

"this" girl....

2007-10-18T21:42:00.001-04:00

i started babysitting here when she was a few weeks old,
and now shes babysitting my kids.

i still cant get over it..

hoboken

2007-10-17T20:16:00.000-04:00

i have a job twice a week in north jersey.
today was going to be a short day so everyone tagged along.
when i was done work, we went to hoboken for the day.

we havent been spending alot of time together lately,
with both our crazy schedules, so it was nice to get away for a bit.

the kids loved eating lunch at an outside resteraunt.
and miranda loved walking around without her stroller.
we looked in all the expensive shops,
loved he weather and just enjoyed our time together.
and of course, the kids favorites were...
barnes and nobles, the toy store, and ice cream at the end of the day!

(double click on these to see the gorgeous colors in these!) i absolutely love this one.

(definitely one to double click!)

love these lashes!!!
tourist!
checking out the shops..

dolly... maggie...

2007-10-17T20:08:00.000-04:00

miranda got a new baby today.
her name is maggie.
sometimes miranda calls her maggie,
other times, she calls her dolly.

she would not put her down at all today.
she insisted on carrying her all day.

_______________________________________

i love these shots,
i caught miranda in mid-run...
trying to catch up with her brother.

showing maggie apples, she tells us.

a "yill'le" pumpkin...
she wants to buy for maggie.

when we tell her we have 12 pumpkins at home, she settles for just "showing my dolly"

dont ask.

i have no idea why she did this. i was taking a few pictures of jack and his new toy (see below!) and miranda climbed up on the bench and told us "maggie was tired".

and we cant have ice cream without maggie nearby!

smurfs!

2007-10-17T19:43:00.000-04:00

jack found these in a crazy, hip toy store today.
he begged and pleaded for them.

he says ....

(all in one breath)
mommy,you guys said if i was good i could get something in here.
i was good. so.. that means i can get these. "asides"... grammy said i can get little "fngs" that arent alot of money.....a little toy, because santa will bring me the big toys if i'm good.
so i'll get this, the little toy .. and everyfing will be good.
ok mommy????

so yes, we agreed,
although todd isnt too happy jack is playing with smurfs :)
however he did tell us he liked them and "choosed" them because of the "weapon".

he hasnt put them down all day long..

halloween cookies

2007-10-16T22:02:00.000-04:00

the kids were thrilled to make halloween cookies tonight.

its the little things in life...

i swear, this was NOT posed!

(and a rarity for miranda)

they got along so well tonight, i didnt want to put them to bed!

finally, the last batch

2007-10-16T20:07:00.000-04:00

from dana and billys wedding day

love this one.

little hunter didnt realize he was a part of danas big day too!

work it girl!

our last stop before the reception

me and my girls..

and of course, me and my guy!

(thanks tina!)

more..

2007-10-16T07:56:00.000-04:00

random pictures from the wedding..

father/.daughter dance...

2007-10-15T08:28:00.000-04:00

of course i was in the way of the "real" photographers..
so i had to squat on the floor, to get these.
i loved this irish song that they danced to,
"daughter of mine" ...

danas wedding

2007-10-14T14:05:00.000-04:00

after 12 years together,
they are finally married.
it was a 2 year engagement, that actaully went by very fast.
everyone had such a wonderful day yesterday.

dana and billy looked gorgeous.

after years together,
they are obviously more in love,
as each day passes.
so refreshing to be able to witness it firsthand.

even though i was in the wedding party,
i had my camera with me all day, of course.
i wasnt able to get close,
for alot of the shots that i would have liked to,
since we were getting photographed as well.
so i had to be sneaky with the camera.

congratulations dana and bill!!!
and stay tuned for more photos all week!!!

miranda and her doll

2007-10-12T17:18:00.000-04:00

miranda is obsessed with her dolls.
today she cried and cried,
saying her baby was dirty and needed a bath.
how can i argue with that?

and when it was time to get them out,
miranda tells me they need a nap.
yes, in the tub.
dont ask me.

hair

2007-10-11T15:01:00.000-04:00

ok so if something happens to me....

my house might be a disaster,
but my kids will look presentable.
and we all know thats MUCH more important, right?

i worked overnight the last few nights.
todd on "morning duty" with the kids.
both days he did mirandas hair.
i still cant believe it.

its the little things... ya know?

?

so so so excited!

2007-10-09T22:19:00.001-04:00

www.michelleevansphotography.com

carmel apples

2007-10-08T22:51:00.000-04:00

bribery.
if your good in school,
we will make carmel apples when you get home.
it worked.

as usual, miranda didn't eat her dinner,
so she didn't get to try one!

tommy

2007-10-08T08:10:00.000-04:00

surprised birthday party this weekend for tommy.

pumpkins everywhere!

2007-10-07T11:02:00.000-04:00

i cant help it
i love all of these so i had to put them all up!
we had so much fun!
who would have thought it would have been 88 degrees in oct!

everyone else was back on the tractor,

of course miranda takes her good old time,

making everyone wait for her,

acting as if she owns the place...

as usual.

look at that face!

she wasnt sure what to make of the "baby punkin"

she decided it was the one she wanted.

so cute.

not sure why,

but i LOVE this one..