Unexpected life changes have their way with the heart; new seasons entered in much prayer, examination and the making of hard decisions. I am learning what the good portion is for this season of life, and learning to lay aside things that I love to better love the things worth loving. God. . . family. . . people.

My belly is beginning to swell with a new life, and with it my heart equally swells.  My heart is full, I tell my husband - and yet, there is so much room for growth. Our second child is due to arrive in December, and in the same month we will celebrate two years of life and learning with our first daughter, Selah.

Prayer for wisdom, discernment and direction has led me to the putting aside of my career in order to better serve my family; to be more available for my hard working husband and to focus on the training up of the children that we are being blessed with. 

This is also a time for me to grow. . . and I enter it with great eagerness, excitement, hope and faith. Won't you come grow with me?

On a beautiful April afternoon, Jeff and Brittany tied the knot!  They couldn't have picked a more beautiful day for their wedding - and Jeff couldn't have picked a more beautiful Bride. Their love for each other and their faith that binds them together was evident in their ceremony; Their handwritten vows were spoken between smiles and tears of joy. 

Venue : Edward Dean Museum, Cherry Valley, CA

Flowers: Angels Crossing

Make-up: Chelsea Bugarski - www.fusehair.net 

Hair: Bree Smith

Hello World, meet Tyler!  If anyone was born to be a musician, it was Tyler. Music runs in his veins and seems to be his second language. He can easily make you laugh and is quite the conversationalist. Iv'e known.

Our photo session with Tyler was definitely one of the most eventful yet.  We started by being in the line of fire during the arresting of a dangerous criminal and ended in the middle of a sandstorm violent sandstorm; we couldn't even see the road in front of us!   Later, Beth joined in so we could snap a few pictures of the two of them together. 

What a blessing it is to be a part of celebrating Jeff and Brittany's love.  I've known Brittany since junior high school, so being a part of her wedding is extra special to me. Jeff and Brittany met while she was in college and when they fell in love some time after, there was no stopping them; They are truly made for each other! They make the perfect little family. Congratulations Jeff, Brittany & Ava!

Ava wanted some kisses, too :-)

I just love how Ava is squeezing Jeff's face :-)

As I was browsing for party ideas I came across  Elle Belle Creative who became the genius behind Selah's birthday party. What is a photographer to do but throw a "One Year old in a Flash" photography themed party for her little one? 

We knew that Selah wouldn't remember any of her party as she grew older, so making it memorable and fun for all her guests was important and having great photo documentation was a must! We were thrilled to have the creative talent of Jacqueline Amparo capturing every moment for us and running the photo-booth.  What a great relief it was to me to know she was on top of everything; I could enjoy the party without bringing my camera out once. 

I wanted the dessert table to be one of the main focuses of the party, so a lot of our planning went into this table of sweets.

To save time, I bought white fudge covered Oreoes. My plan was to lightly spray the tops of them with water before tossing pink sprinkles on them - but after I had a messy, wet, pink Oreo, I needed a new plan. It came to me as I was blowdrying my hair :) After covering my kitchen countertops with parchment paper, I lined up the Oreos and with my blowdryer set on low I carefully melted the tops so they were just gooey enough to hold the pink sprinkles.

For the picture banner hanging in the tree, I used used wooden clothespins, sparkly craft paper, school glue, sandpaper and a clear matte finish spray paint.  Cut the craft paper to just about the size of the clothespin.  Add a thin line of glue down the center of the top of the clothespin, spread the glue using a small paintbrush.  Press the cut craft paper on to the glue and let dry.  Once all clothespins are dry, use sandpaper to even out the edges of the craft paper and give it a smooth or worn look. Once they are sanded to your liking, clip them onto a wire hanger, hold the hanger away from your body and spray the clothespins with the clear spray paint.  Hang outside to dry and air out.  I also hot glued flowers to the clothespins for additional decoration. 

Inspiration for this wooden banner came from Childmade.

Rice Krispy Treats with blue sprinkles and white chocolate raspberry cookies were made in bulk :-)
The white chocolate raspberry cookies were a complete hit. They were home baked - but I can't take complete credit for these yummy cookies. You can find the mix for these and other fun desserts at The Prepared Pantry.

Mouths & Mustaches, chalkboard thought bubbles, water bottle labels Mini - Popcorn boxes and a few other details were ordered from Elle Belle Creative. 

For the party favor, I made photo holders out of binder clips by hot gluing rick-rack along with other embellishments. You could use flowers, buttons or anything that catches your eye. Along with each thank you note, I sent a 4x6 print from the photo-booth.

We asked that everyone bring something in a time capsule we made for Selah to commemorate her first year of life. She'll open it at her 18th birthday Party.

Pretzel rods were dipped into a double boiler filled with white chocolate candy melts, placed on parchment paper and sprinkled with blue and pink sprinkles.

For the pretzel holder, I purchased two terra-cotta flower pots from our local craft store and painted them white. I used a hot glue gun to attach fun ribbon to the painted flower pots (after they were dry) then sprayed them with a clear matte spray paint.

If I learned one thing during this process, it's that I am not good at making my own lollipops. I used a lollipop mold and candy melts - and after trying 6 different ways to get them right without them having cracks or air-bubbles, I gave up on them. I did learn that cake decorating bags work well with lollipop molds - so for those of you who are brave enough, give it a try :-)

We wanted to have our family pictures taken before guests started arriving for the party. So glad we made this decision!

Super cute bloomers made by LC Creations.

Naomi is fun, energetic and full of zeal; you can tell just by the way he looks at her that Joshua is completely head over heels in love. Untraditional, touching, personal and completely God - centered is how their ceremony could be described. Josh displayed great humility and love as he knelt to wash his bride's feet; what a great example this union was to all who were there! Big thanks to Brian Baker for working together with me at this wedding. 

Naomi brought Josh a box of donuts during their first look. What guy wouldn't love that?!

Wow, has it really been over a month since I blogged last?!?  With all the busy-ness of the holidays and Selah's Birthday, time has gotten away from me.  I have a lot of blogging to catch up on and I'm looking forward to sharing some of our adventures with you.  

We've come to the beginning of a new year, and I am sure many of you have said "In 2011, I will ______".  I'd love to hear some of your goals for this year.

Good morning California! My baby will be turning one soon - so I'll be posting a few things to celebrate her - because she's worth celebrating! Here's a little peek into what mornings look like in our home through Selah's eyes. 

This gives a whole new meaning to "put a sock in it".  If you know Selah, you know that she is quite a jibber jabber; she can get very loud. I promise she put it there :-)  See, I even have a picture to prove it. 

Digging in her toy bin. She does have a toy box now - but it's still wrapped all snuggly in the cardboard it came in. . . waiting for Daddy to put it together.

She was digging for her beloved sock :-)

Try as she might, Selah could not put her sock back on. "Help me Mom!!"

Trying to use this toy as a walker. . . but as you'll see, it didn't work very well.

Two things she loves - Foofah and her lovey (which she sleeps with every night and during every nap)

After weeks of searching and waiting, they are finally here!! Don't worry, I'm not eating all these by myself - although it's quite tempting. They are actually for Selah's party. I really, really, really did not want to make them myself.

Soon to be cupcake toppers.