My little dumpling {forever family 2011 part 2}

{converted to black and white with Florabella BW Blush Action-see my sidebar for a link}

My little dumpling,

You have been in our family for four years now and honestly it is sometimes hard to remember a time when you were not a S______.  Each of our children brings some unique blessings to our family and one thing you bring is pure joy!  Your laughter and your smile centers our family.  Some of us around here are quite serious, you know.  But you can make us laugh like crazy.  

The other night when we were watching your homecoming video, you looked at me and said, I loved you Mama.  You said this as we were watching the first moment that I held you in the airport.  I said, "Aww, I love you too Kate."  And you corrected me.  You said,  "NO, I loved you then Mama...when I first met you in the airport." You were trying to tell me that your love for me was as immediate as mine was for you!  And it was.  You never cried or rejected me.  It felt like it was always meant to be from that very first second.

You adore your brothers and your Daddy and you are very verbal about how much you love our family. I know that as you grow up you will have many questions but I hope you will never question how much you are loved.  Because you are SO VERY loved.


All my love,
Mom

P.S.  I have loads of little nicknames for you, Kate. However, recently you have told me that I should call you "my little dumpling."  So I am:)

I wish that I had the time for a real mini photo shoot but I have not had a second..

These were shot on the way out the door to school last week.  Love the silly face as she crinkles up her nose:)

A few people asked where I got Kate's apron from two posts ago.  I ordered them from Kate Landers.  And I have a matching one.  They are absolutely darling!  

I am linking up to Lisa's black and white Wednesdays today for that first black and white.

A Gift for a stranger {Black and White Wednesday}

Last weekend, Harry and I had a "date" shooting photos in the park.  As we were shooting some interesting ducks, I saw a family (two related families actually) struggling to get a Christmas card photo with their point and shoot cameras and two toddlers in tow.   My heart went out to them as we have all been there struggling to get that perfect photo.  I asked Harry if I should offer to take a few photos for them.  He agreed that I should.  So I snapped away and got their e-mail address.  As it turns out they are both using the photos I took for their Christmas cards.  I  made them a disk of all the photos and they are picking it up today. It felt so good to be able to give strangers this gift of a photo of their daughter....

Black and White Wednesday~A Forest Fairy

Sometime this year I lost my photo mojo. There were several things that led to that one of which was my thyroid and adrenal disease. When you have no energy to do the vital things to get through the day, you don't get to the things that make you happy but are extras (like hobbies). I just kind of stopped taking pictures (took candids of the important events) and I stopped learning and practicing.

Now that I am slowly feeling a little better (although my darned thyroid is not getting better and in fact got worse!), I am trying to get back into the swing of photography. This week I am playing along with Lisa's Black and White Wednesday...

I took this of Kate a few weeks ago (around her 4th b-day). We were in a park in the middle of the city but she was frightened because she heard cicadas. Clearly this city girl is not used to nature noises.

This is darker than I usually process my black and whites and a little more dramatic. But I think it captures her mood. She was warily checking out her surroundings because of all the nature noise at 8 am on a Sunday morning:) I used Flora Bella Collection rich vintage black and white and adjusted the layers to convert it.

Here it is straight out of the camera...

PLEASE keep my friend Eloise's daughter Vivian in your prayers. Vivi is dangerously ill and in the hospital on a ventilator. Vivi and her whole family really need prayers. We have had the privilege of getting to know this family in real life and we think the world of them.

Black and White Wednesday~Scout

Lisa hosts Black and White Wednesday each week. I have wanted to participate for a few weeks but Wednesdays are hard for me to post for some reason. Yesterday, Dave had to go to urgent care and was on crutches for a badly injured foot (another Judo injury) and today Harry is extremely ill with constant pukes (fun, huh?) So, I am stuck home and decided to convert a photo of our wonderful dog, Scout. She is a schnoodle and we love her. You can see more B&W Wednesday here.

P.S. If anyone had any suggestions for how to keep Harry hydrated, I would welcome them. He is even vomiting small sips of water. Poor kid has had two recent bouts with strep throat and now this. Why do my kids get sick so much? We eat so healthy and take good supplements and wash our hands constantly!