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6 month photo shoot & family pictures

We recently did another shoot with Elizabeth Crump for Emory's 6 month pictures and to get a family picture. With it being over 100 degrees outside we did most of them inside and just a few outside at the end. Of course I just love the ones outside the best. Liz does a great job and she is easy and fun to work with. She recently quit her full time job to focus on photography so if you want some pictures, keep her in mind. http://www.elcphotography.smugmug.com/

She sells the digitals which I prefer. What would be the point in getting great pictures and then not be able to blog them!? I love making albums online too. I'm always finding great deals for those.

Here are a few of my favorites and there are more on facebook. I wish I could put more, but it's just so hard to load them on blogger. The family pictures make me laugh. We are just not at a stage in our lives where everyone will sit and look at a camera and smile! And getting one of just the kids is even harder. Kaleigh just decided to stop holding Emory at one point and down she went! Isn't that what pictures are though? Just a memory captured and preserved. I will always love the memories of this time in our lives.

SUMMER FUN

Kaleigh constantly asks if she can invite her best friend Maddie over to play. It's been forever (at least since before we moved here) so finally one Saturday I said okay, we're gonna do this. Maddie is so sweet and easygoing and she and Kaleigh play wonderfully together. They spent most of the time together playing in the swimming pool on the deck.

I also let Avery & Alexis get in on the fun.

I recently read a magazine article that convinced me I needed to do more artistic endeavors with the kids, so I bit the bullet and let them (yikes, gasp) finger paint! I waited until my mom was here to help. The fun lasted about 5 minutes. It was so much messier than I imagined and it ended with tears for all of us. HA! I hope those 5 minutes were enough to inspire their creativity and fine tune motor skills and all the other wonderful things it was supposed to do! Of course we were outside but I was trying not to get paint on our new deck. I had this giant piece of paper that was working great until they started running through the paint and all over the deck.

Of course many times mealtimes are artistic endeavors in themselves...

Sweetest Emory,
It was just over a year ago that we found out you were on the way and today you are 6 months old!
I think of God's omniscience every time I see you. Because although we may have planned our family out a little differently, He knew you were exactly what we needed. Right away you were precious to us but every day you grow more & more so. You are at the sweetest little age right now, flashing that huge grin left and right. It's so wide I think it will just stretch right off your face sometimes! Your Daddy just gets a goofy look when he's holding you and you cuddle up on him. He's smitten. Your sisters love you too. They give you little kisses and go "awww" when they see you. You just smile right back at them.

You giggle and squeal when I bounce you on the bed or couch.

You're almost sitting, still needing to prop yourself a little bit.

You're very mobile - rolling, scooting, whatever it takes to get you where you need to go. I'm constantly pulling you out from under a piece of furniture that you've wedged yourself under. You are almost crawling - getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth.

You rarely cry now around people, but you do sometimes when I lay you down for bed. You will smile up until you can't see anyone then it turns to tears. Sometimes you switch straight from crying to laughing then back again! You know Mommy's a sucker and hates to hear you cry.

You drool tons and everything you get your hands on goes straight to your mouth. You're really amusing when you're hungry. One of the nursery workers told me one day "I thought she was going to eat me!"

Speaking of nursery workers, they are always commenting on what a happy smiling baby you are. Usually followed by "she spit up everywhere". Yes, you do have one flaw. That's okay, nobody's perfect.

We love you darling girl. Thanks for adding even more joy to our lives.