Favorite Photos

 A blog I follow, Kellys Korner is doing a link up of favorite pictures. Most of these have been on the blog before but I figured it would be fun to compile some of my favorite pictures on one post. It was too hard to pick.... I have about 400 favorites but here are a few highlights:

Avery's 1st Birthday Cake Smash Photos. The look on her face is PRICELESS!

Parker in  the sunflower fields

Get a room, right? Hilton head Island 2011

Daniel and Parker playing on the beach in Hilton Head

From Avery's Newborn Photoshoot. I used this picture as her birth announcement.

This was from Parker's preschool orientation. I just think she looks so precious!

Also from the sunflower fields

All of these photos except the one of Avery in the apple smocked dress were taken by Alicia Sutton Photography. I love having pretty, professional pictures framed or printed on canvas around the house! I REALLY regret not having professional photos done of Parker. It wasn't as popular to do back then and we were just so excited to have him home from the NICU. He was our little fragile preemie and I just couldn't imagine stripping him naked and bending him in half but now I SO wish I had! They are some of my favorite photos of Avery! Avery is a great poser. She's happy to smile and stand still for a photo but Parker is our "action shot child." I'm trying to learn to be better about setting our photoshoots up for success with less structure and more candid shots.

I've really enjoyed getting other photography ideas by looking through other people's submissions on Kelly's Korner. I'm already getting spring family photos fever!!!!

Christmas Pictures Reveal!

Last night I spent hours going through our pictures from the "Old Navy photoshoot"  with Alicia Sutton Photography to create the 2012 Wise Family Christmas Card. I finally finished around 1:30am and I am feeling that late night this morning!

You'll have to remember that Parker was so misbehaved that day that I spent most of the photoshoot close to tears.... so all things considered I am pleased with the outcome. I wish Parker had worn his vest I scoured the city for but it just wasn't gonna happen! 

We got a great shot of the kids individually and a nice family picture to adorn the Christmas card with. I'm saving posting those until after everyone has received their cards but I'm happy to share the rest.

I brought a football for Parker and Daniel to play around with. I had visions of boyish actions shots dancing in my head but little Miss was much more interested in the deflated football than her brother was.

Daniel eventually grabbed Parker, the football and announced "here is your football shot..." It turned out surprisingly cute!

The light was so pretty with Avery's bright coat and grey/blue eyes

We got a canvas worthy picture of Parker and I was elated! It's on the Christmas card so I can't show it yet but here are two others of the most handsome little boy who hates having his picture made!

See the tree above? Climbing it in was the only way to keep Parker still and smiling so the majority of our Christmas card worthy photos are in the tree. The only problem is it looks like 2 legs spread open and we're all coming out of it. I giggle at the thought of being worried about our Christmas card looking like an Old Navy ad because now I've renamed it something infinitely worse.... "The Happy Vagina Tree Christmas Card" which I realize is totally inappropriate but when you see the full uncropped picture, you'll know why!

Avery got in on the tree climbing as well.

After a quick change in the parking lot, the kids were ready for Christmas! Well.... Avery was... Parker was ready for time out and a nap.

Now that I've got these photos back, I was able to finish up a lot of Christmas presents. Thank you Shutterfly! I'm feeling good about where I am on my Christmas list, cards are ordered and the Christmas decorations are beckoning me from the shed. Its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in the Wise household!

The Day Parker Refused to Take Family Pictures

Y'all..... it's Christmas card picture day and as I suspected but prayed against..... it was a disaster. Everyone woke up in good moods. The time change gave us ample time to get up, get ready and eat breakfast since Miss A woke up at 5:58am... SO close to not seeing the 6 o'clock hour! We talked in the car that good behavior meant a friend could come over and play and he'd earn a NEW train. He picked Paxton. Well... I'll just say his playdate was cancelled and Paxton has been put in storage for Christmas. 

I DO think we got a few good ones despite the fact that he would ONLY smile if he were running and tackling me and he refused to wear the vest I spent days trying to find. Children.... Poor Avery's face is still scrapped up and she just ran around kicking a football or being thrown in the air pretty much the whole photoshoot. I totally lost my cool with Parker which resulted in a phone call apologizing to the photographer. I put SO much effort into organizing this. Jotted down shots I wanted to "try" to get. Picked out just the right outfits. Appliqued Christmas shirts for the kids.... the works. I was SO bummed on the way home that we stopped by Starbucks for a "cheer me up red cup Starbucks" but the line was SOOOO long (church crowd!) that I just grabbed some International Delight caramel macchiato iced coffee and taquitos.... lunch of champions my friends. Despite being a committed lover of Starbucks, I think I'm gonna start having an affair with this ID iced coffee. It's THAT good... just don't look at the ingredients or nutrition facts.

After we got home, I sent Parker outside to the swing set to play out his grumpies. He came inside 15 minutes later saying he was itchy. Poor kid got bit by ants at least 10 times on his face, neck and hands. I felt so bad for him. I can't stay mad at him long...especially since he keeps coming up to me with a HUGE smile and saying "Look mommy! I'm smiling!" If only you had done that 7 hours ago, love bug! Bless his heart. You win, Parker.... I give up on photos of you for a while. When you're older and you wonder why I only have pictures of Avery just know I love you equally and I tried!

After Miss A's nap she wanted to go outside so I took her to walk the neighborhood trails. I thought she looked SO cute in her new outfit (I LOVE Smockadot packages in the mail) so I brought the camera along. At least this one still enjoys having her picture taken!

I'm excited to get our pictures back in a few weeks. They always surprise me and make it worth the "experience." Even if Parker is having a meltdown in all of them I'm sure eventually I'll look back at those pictures fondly and laugh at the day I spanked my son because he wouldn't stand next to Avery so we could get a shot of our shoes.... it seemed really important at the time.

PERSPECTIVE

Christmas Card Conundrum - An Ode to Old Navy

Just killing time before I can get the littlest lovie down for her nap and then sneak out and run errands. No worries... Daniel is working from home today. No, I do NOT leave my children at the house alone to run errands even if I actually think Parker wouldn't notice I was gone for at least 62 minutes... the length of Blue Mountain Mystery. 

We've got our family pictures on Sunday for the good 'ol Christmas card. How is it already Christmas card time?! So here's my debacle..... I didn't want the standard "everyone in coordinating neutrals" picture like I did last year. I'm in a colorful phase right now with my $19 Old Navy color pop jeans that you KNOW my kids will laugh at in a few years and I will regret terribly (anyone having visions of puffy sleeves, shoulder pads and acid washed jeans?). So I set out a month ago for outfits that said "we just put this on and it happens to look good together and Oh hey... there is someone taking our picture!"  Avery had a leopard sweater dress and tulle addorned leggings Parker had a plaid shirt and puffy vest. Daniel a collared shirt, sleeves rolled and jeans and I had cobalt blue jeans, kelly green cardigan and a necklace that brought it all together. It was coordinating without being too matchy matchy. I was pleased and no longer loosing sleep over it.... a sad but true fact.

Then I checked the weather on Wednesday and realized at 9am on Sunday morning (yes mom, I'm skipping church for family pictures) it's gonna be freezing... literally.... like frost on the ground cold. I'm having to scrap my very planned and purchased ensembles for something warmer. After looking in our closets, I decided I could go 1 of 2 ways.... funeral chic or Old Navy ad bright.

Everyone but Avery has nice black peacoats or winter coats and I know I could easily find one for A but I'm worried pictures in the woods in black coats might look like we buried a family pet and were memorializing them with a family service caught on camera. 

So Old Navy ad bright it is.... obviously, I would prefer for it to not look like an Old Navy performance fleece ad (are you singing the jingle yet?) but lets be honest... man in a thermal shirt and puffy vest, woman in a yellow peacoat, son in a plaid shirt and puffy vest and baby girl in a pink peacoat and colorful leggings is only a dog in a hat and random black child short of an Old Navy ad. 

Wise Family Christmas Card Preview

I called my fashionista sister who lives in NYC for her opinion but she's pretty busy with bigger problems like lack of power and water. I called her the other day to discuss color combinations and she was walking like 60 blocks to see if her apartment was broken into and if the power is back on. I felt like an ant but I suppose now we're even with bad timing phone calls. When she was in college at UNCW, she called me from the beach telling me she was having "the best day of her life" and then asked what I was up to.... you know.... just getting my 1st round of chemo. Now I'm gonna have to quit holding that over her head since she has ammo of her own! I digress.... back to my ""problems"" .... which deserve double air quotes and I KNOW they aren't actually PROBLEMS so much as they are conundrums.

 

In all honestly, I AM excited about our "Merry and Bright" photoshoot as I'm calling it. Maybe Old Navy will love our ode to them SO MUCH that they'll buy the rights to our photos and we'll be thousandaires. 

Now off to get little lovie to sleep so mama can go pick up Parker's vest that's on hold at Gymboree, bribes for smiles and a football for Parker to hold in the pictures in efforts for his train collection or Woody to NOT be in this year's family pics. Kid doesn't know what to do with his hands!

 I couldn't resist!

Fall Photos Flash Back

Almost loosing my pictures in the great computer crash of 2012 has seriously got me emotional. My tech savvy hubby spent hours in his office trying to retrieve them. By the time I went to bed, I felt ill that I had lost SO many photos of the kids and hundreds of dollars in applique designs. Thankfully, this morning, I awoke to a very proud hubby who had YouTubed videos and retrieved 52,000 files from my fried computer!!!!! They were all promptly backed up and will continue to be daily from here on out! Lesson learned!

Immediately after thinking I'd lost all my pictures, I pulled out my CDs of professional photos and started uploading them to shutterfly in case I loose the disk. That way I have the ability to print them, put them in books or even blow them up on an afghan if I ever desire to have an afghan of my face. You never know.... I just may.

In the process of uploading last year's fall session I came across these jewels. Our photo session for this year's fall pictures which I plan to use as our Christmas card picture is November 2nd. I can't believe how much has changed since then! Avery looks totally different and Parker still enjoys having his picture taken about this much:

Avery actually looks like a chunky baby here. My guess is that she weighs the same now as she did then... she's just leaner! I think the spit up running down the dress is classic. You should also know she's sitting in a huge blow out poop.... I can't say I miss the spit up and constant blow out poop phase. A is still so much of a baby to me despite being 17 months now. She's still about this size, she can just run, climb and jump now!

 If you've read the blog while, you probably know I'm forever trying to get a great picture of all 4 of us... A huge blow up on a big canvas worthy shot! Our photographer, Alicia Sutton with Alicia Sutton Photography, has tried everything short of doing back flips to make it happen for us but usually someone just isn't cooperating. Can you tell who that was this time?

Oh Parkerman, is it really THAT hard to smile for 10 minutes? But how cute does Avery look in her daddy's lap!?!?!

We did come out with a few cute ones I'm not sure I've shared before and if I have, it's been a while.

We may not be able to get a fantastic whole family shot but we usually get fantastic daddy/son, mommy/daughter shots! I treasure these!

And I leave you with one to make you giggle.... How do I top this?!

This year, I've decided we're going for some candids at our photoshoot. We'll try a pose or 2 as a group but realistically, we're a roll in the leaves, chase each other around kind of family at this stage of life. What should I expect with a 3 year old and 1 year old, right?! And lastly... how is it already the holidays?!?! Wasn't it JUST Christmas like 4 months ago?

Avery's one year photoshoot

Oh my cuteness.... Avery is officially ONE and I am still recovering from her birthday weekend! I SHOULD be "reclaiming" the house and giving it a nice "I'm sorry we abused you on Saturday" scrub BUT instead I've been a photobooking QUEEN today! How could I not? Scroll down and check out the cuteness that is Avery's 1 year photoshoot book in the post below that I let Shutterfly post in exchange for a free $10 gift card that I am way too excited about.

I am a SUCKER for pretty pictures. My friend Alicia Sutton from Alicia Sutton Photography graciously waddled her 8 month preggo belly to Freedom Park in Charlotte last Thursday to capture this cuteness...

Seriously, y'all.... there has to be some contest I could submit this to and become and instant millionaire. No? OK... how about this one?

I could just eat her up! She was too cute! She kept looking up at me like "is this really OK?" Once she finally decided it was, she'd dip her face in the cake and say "YUM" and giggle. My heart is still warm from the preciousness that was last Thursday morning's photo shoot.

I bet my frequent blog followers are thinking "Did she FINALLY get the elusive family photo?" No. I didn't actually invite Daniel since the plan was to surprise him with pretty photos of the kids for Father's Day but my plan was foiled when I caught him purchasing the same living social deal for Mother's Day that I was buying for Father's Day. Great minds think alike right!?! Anyways, I DID drag Parker along in a coordinating outfit with the promise of a duck siting and if the photographer could have walked on water, I think we would have been golden. Note to self: next time bring an inflatable boat. I'm sure my 8 month pregnant friend/photographer wouldn't have minded?! Anything for the sake of good photos? (Except for taking them on the side of the interstate in a wild flower patch which yes... we did actually ponder).

All kidding aside, we did get a few action shots of the kids thanks to a little shameless bribery:

Parker has learned how to voice his opinion lately and I can't tell you how many times we heard "I do not want to take my picture anymore!" Everything is "anymore!" (Throughout the weekend he declared he was not going to poop, pee, eat dinner or be nice to Avery "anymore!".... bless his little dramatic heart). This might be my favorite "No. really... I'm done. Get the heck out of my face so I can see the ducks" picture:

You have to admit he's SO handsome! Wouldn't it be funny if one day he were a model or something photo related? Oh the arsenal of terrible family photos I have to show his future wife one day!

This one is pretty sweet of Parker's though:

OK, back to the birthday girl. I loved the simplicity and genuine smile in these pictures and the adorable outfit from Smockadot:

I may have to order more frames to have an ode to cuteness with all of these cake smash pictures! I'm seriously obsessed with them!

These pictures have brought me SO much joy as the children have been a bit AWFUL spirited today. They're reminders of the innocence of children, the joy found in "the little things" and the incredibly fast pace of time and to truly cherish these moments. I'll laugh one day about Parker's potty training backslide, Avery's tantrums at 12 months old, the sheer amount of times I've caught her drinking toilet water, the battles over pictures and hair brushing, the list goes on... How many times over the last year have I stated "this too shall pass?!" Of course, it does pass and something new comes along to replace it that I also wish away... Oh mommy guilt. Bottom line... I'm so glad to have these sweet moments captured on film of Avery smashing her staged birthday cake, Parker doing darn near anything to spend some quality time with water fowl, and a sweet moment of shared oversized lollipops at way too early of an hour... all for the sake of a pretty picture! ;)