Nomi's Day

I love free days and I especially love free Fridays. So today, I was going to spend the whole day with Nomi, doing all the things she loved to do and throw in a few errands that I needed to do.

So first, we went to the post office and mailed off an order to a client in Florida. I love the Newberg Post Office. The folks there are so helpful and so cool. Nomi loves going there because she get to turn on the charm, go "on stage" and be as cute as can be, which is exactly what she did while we were there.

Next we went to the Union Block Marketplace on W. 2nd Street, here in Newberg. OK, so as a photographer, I can so get in trouble in there!!! There was just too much cool stuff. I could totally use everything in there as super cool props. And yes, I did buy the blue couch because it rocked and now I can't wait to use it!!

After that, we went to Critter Cabana (www.crittercabana.com/), only the coolest pet shop in Newberg. Nomi had a blast. She just LOVES the fish. All of them are now named Nemo, Gil, or Sharkbait. She thought the hamsters were hilarious and her laugh was totally contagious as she watched them run in their hamster wheels. The birds were a fascination. She loved it when they chirped and when they "kissed". But alas, it was while we were there when I really took notice to her little cough.

Our next stop, Coffee Cottage. Everybody knows Nomi's name there... it could be because we go there way too often. And once again, she turned on the charm. After I ordered Nomi's favorite, a chocolate cookie and blue berry smoothie, we sat down. Even though Nomi did drink most of her smoothie, she barely touched her cookie and I could see her go down hill from there. Her eyes got red and her poor little nose started to run. One minute, she looked like she was having the perfect day and the next, she looked like she was just hit with a nasty case of the flu. I guess it was time to call it a day. By the time we did get home, she had a fever. Poor Nomi! Its funny how this cold just hit her like a ton of bricks!

That is OK because we still had a ton of fun and it was almost the perfect day.

Below is a portrait I took of Nomi a while ago. Isn't she so cute!!!

Say it isn't so!!

For the past 5 years, we have been so good about sending Christmas cards and a family newsletter. They were a ton of fun to make and folks seemed to really like them. And I love to read them years later.

Well....

It is already January 20th and I am thinking that sending out cards this year is just not going to happen. I am totally bummed. But let me tell you why. Maybe a good chuckle is what will make this all better...

So I had squeezed in a day a week before Christmas. It was the perfect day. I was going to create the portraits of the kids to put onto the cards. Nomi was in a very good mood that day and I had forewarned Adria and Jarom of the plan. But then, something very bad happened. Nomi got a hold of a washable black crayola marker... you know, the kind that washes off the skin after 3 days or so.

My cute little baby drew all over her face, but mostly her lips and right eye. She looked like a little goth baby. It was actually quite funny. When she looked in the mirror though, she cried and tried to clean it off. She is just too funny.

I was kinda bummed. So I squeezed in another day after Christmas. It is family tradition to send the cards after Christmas anyways...

Then is happened again!!!! Where in the world does she find all these markers!!! I took it as a sign. No more markers are allowed in the house. And no Christmas card this year. It just wasn't meant to be and I am now OK with that. My only regret is: I couldn't find our point and shoot to take a pic of Nomi in her "goth mode". Arrggg!

She's Lucky She's Cute - Newberg Photographer

I wanted to share the beautiful artwork my Nomi drew on the entry way wall with a beautiful red Sharpie. She is just so lucky that she is cute!





And look how gifted she is! As early as 2 years old, she knew how to color within the lines! Oh Bliss!





Why should the walls get all the artwork? Why not the wood floor too!



Luckily, we are going to paint the entry way and bench soon. But alas, the floor will forever be red. That's OK. It will serve as a reminder that Sharpies should never be within a Nomi's reach!

School is Out!

Yay! I love Summer vacation!! I love being able to sleep in till around 7:00 or so. I love the break we get from the rain. And most of all, I love all the time I get to hang out with the kids. We have a couple of fun things planned for the summer, but the big one will be our trip to Utah for my little brother's graduation from BYU. Of course, the beach is on the calendar along with some other "close to home" activities: the zoo, the library, Oaks Park, etc. What cool things are you planning for summer vacation?

Nomi's Day

OK, I know I posted a ton of portraits of Nomi just a couple of weeks ago, but I just couldn't resist!!. She is so flippin' cute! While on a photography "field trip" with Carol, we used Nomi as our model to play around and have some fun. At first she loved all the attention but then she started to get bored. Then all of a sudden, a bus full of kids very slowly drove by. Nomi's new thing is to wave to every passing car she sees and boy did she wave (hence the images of her waving)! The best part was that the kids waved back. Nomi was in heaven!






















I'm Outta Here!!

At the Hospital Part III

Yay!!! Nomi just came out of surgery and everything went wonderfully. She is sleeping right now and she looks absolutely beautiful. All the nurses in the post-op room thought she was the cutest baby ever. Wayne and I just have to agree with that sentiment.
There was a strong possibility of a different, longer, and more extensive procedure but it was not needed and now her hospital stay will only be around a week instead of two weeks. Yay!!! You have no idea how happy we were over that bit of news!
Thank-you everyone for all your prayers. They have been a great blessing for our family and especially for Naomi.

At the Hospital Part II

Nomi is currently with the physicians having her procedure done and Wayne and I are in the waiting room surprisingly calm.
When the anesthesiologist gave her "something" to relax her, I have to admit, we laughed a little bit. She was so loopy and silly. She could barely hold up her head. I just wanted to hold her and hug her because she was being so cute... and funny!
So far the updates that have come back have been good. She is sleeping well and everything is going as planned.
Can't wait till she wakes so I can hold her tight and get one of her famous "Nomi hugs".

At the Hospital

After weeks of preparation, we finally arrived at the hospital today for Naomi's procedure. When we got here, Nomi was all charm and being very silly, but then, 1:30 PM hit... naptime. And it all went downhill from there.
After getting poked with a IV and having a tube inserted down her nose she was not a happy camper. By the time Wayne arrived, she had screamed for so long she fell asleep out of pure exhaustion. Luckily, the nose tube will only be in for a total of four hours, so we now only have 2 1/2 hours left...
Needing a break, I grapped my laptop and headed for a place where I can check my email, update the blog, and cruise the web for a little while. Stay tuned, tomorrow is the procedure and I will update everyone on how that goes...

The Beach

Over spring break, I took the kids to the beach for some R&R and shopping! We had a great time, even though it rained most of the day and halfway through, I had to replace two tires on my car. I. of course, brought along the camera and seriously, someone should put a limit on how many adorable portraits I am allowed to take of my Nomi. She is just sooooo flippin' cute. How can I resist? My older two kids are so "done" having their portraits created that it took some costly bribery to get them to cooperate! My nephew, who is now living with us, was totally excited to have his portraits created, so I at least had someone on my side...

OK, so stand back because there is an avalanche of cuteness ahead....