"Family Portraits" - The Backstory

Okay, so I probably should have written a brief paragraph to accompany the photos from the "Family Portrait" post; however, I was posting so vigorously that day that I didn't stop to explain.

Mark's cousin got married in November and because it was an afternoon wedding and reception his aunt mentioned that they wanted something to liven it up. I told her about my wedding planner extraordinaire friend who had just done a blog post with a really cool idea for a 'photobooth' (original post here http://contentedme.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/photos-at-weddings/ ) Well, after Mark, his aunt, cousin and I discussed, we decided that Mark could build one. So Mark built an 8'x8' wall, wallpapered it and then we hung the frames. The smaller frames included pictures of the bride and groom along with their parents and grandparents wedding photos. Mark cut out the wall inside the three big frames. Our great friend Beth was the photographer for the photos and it ended up being such a fun thing!!

All that said, we have the wall in our garage and if anyone is interested in buying it, I think we are going to sell it. Side note: I told Mark we should keep it for parties and events and he said after two parties people would say "Oh boy (exasperated), here come Mark and Lindsay with the photo wall again" Ha!

Good friends, great talent..

So thankful for good friends that have great talent. We met with our friend Hope two weeks ago for a photo shoot. It was so much fun! I will be getting all the photos this week and will definitely do another post....but Hope just posted on her blog a few from our time together!!! So as a little appetizer go here http://hopebrayphotography.com/?p=766, scroll down and Enjoy!!!

"Family Portraits"

Random shots from recent days

New Tricks

Mom/Dad: "What does a cow say?"
Ellie: "MOOOO"

Mom/Dad: "How big is Ellie?"
Mom/Dad says and Ellie acts out: "So big!"

Bookworm

What a year...

I love her dirtly little legs under that pink tutu. She was having so much fun playing in the yard with the big kids.

Love a fall birthday

Yum!

She can't get enough of her wagon!

More cake at Mimi's house.

One happy little girl!

Me and my one year old girl.

I have put off posting all evening because it is overwhelming to try to put into words the way that Mark and I feel about...this past year...the fact that our sweet Elliot turned one...the joy that we felt celebrating with friends and family over the weekend...all of this and more makes me practically speechless and at a loss for where to even begin. I feel like just posting pictures (that is what everyone wants to see anyway) and being done with it, but then is that just being a lazy mother? Won't I regret not blogging about my thoughts/feelings during this time? This has been my internal dialogue throughout the evening.

All that said, I am going to keep it (fairly) simple and to the point. If you haven't picked up on this yet, we are absolutely head over heels in love with this child that our gracious God has blessed us with. We've been given such a gift through her life and treasure her completely. Our prayer for our sweet girl on her first birthday and always is that she grows to know and love Jesus well, that she has an unsatiable desire to love people, care for the lonely, and live for His glory. We pray the Lord's grace over her life. Elliot, we love you always.

"and I will pour out my Spirit and blessings on your children" Isaiah 44:3

Now, as far as the birthday weekend...It was wonderful! What a fun time to celebrate with family and friends. With multiple parties and lots of cake and gifts, our little Punky was a happy lady that kept going and going.... On Sunday evening Elliot fell asleep before 6! The girl was worn out...

Thanks again to everyone for sharing in our joy!

Cute Little Bag of Bones.

This morning little Punky was just lounging in the chair giving herself her bottle and she was looking so cute in her little skeleton pjs. They make me smile. She is definitely not skin and bones :) In fact, we were at Moe's the other day and Mark got an "Extra Meat" sticker from behind the counter and stuck it on Elliot's thigh...he got a few additional ones as well, so who knows when I'll find more stuck to my sweet girl's legs.

Sweetheart

Little Linus

Elliot loves to take a blanket/item of clothing and walk around the house holding it. She would do this for hours if I let her. In this instance, I was getting her dressed and she decided it would be more fun to carry the dress around than wear it.

P.S. Her leg warmers look more like sausage casings :)

Utilizing Utensils

"Family Hike"

We "hiked" the bridge the other day, so that Mark could train for the St. Andrew's Mens Hike later this month. Funny!

Big Shoes to fill...

Thank you for your love. A few photos too...

Shelly you are hilarious...

Just a little pose... I have been working on my modeling.

Thanks Barbara! I love my bikini!

First and foremost, I really feel the need to stop and thank our family and friends. It makes me emotional to think about how well y'all love our family. The love and encouragement that you give to our little Elliot, and in turn us, is so real. Now, I know every parent feels this way (as they should), but I often think to myself and sometimes voice it to Mark...I don't think there has been a child more loved than Elliot... I say this because of the enthusiasm and genuine kindness we encounter daily from you. You have truly shown us what it means to share in one another's joy because of the way you have come alongside us and shared in ours. I pray that Mark and I can do the same for you.

So, September has come and gone quickly. Between vacation, work trips, and other little adventures this month has flown by. The next few weeks are a little slower, which is much needed. It is wonderful to have some family time at home.

Here are some pictures from the past month. Some are taken when Elliot flew up to Ohio for my mom's birthday and some are from Mark and Elliot's YL weekend out at Edisto when I was out of town. As the photos indicate, the child has a good time wherever she is :)

What is blowing my mind is that my sweet girl is 11 months tomorrow! I have such mixed emotions about it. I am amazed at how by God's grace she is growing into such an incredible little lady and how everyday is something new and exciting. I always tell people that I feel like I can see the wheels turning in her head...she is just taking everything in. But I am also sad because it is just going so fast that there are so many times I don't feel like I am savoring things as much as I should, but oh how I try...

Side note: Mark and I are doing the Visionary Parenting course and have been blessed and thought provoked by what we have learned/are learning. I would definitely encourage anyone interested to do it.