VFM is an awesome little community magazine that keeps us all up to date on the latest happening and they have a great calender that I love to refer to for fun stuff to do with the kids! You can find your copy all over the city!

Jenna & Mike

Jake & Mom…

My baby sister, Kianna… 

The whole fam…

Saturday morning we dove in and I got to share everything – and I loved every minute of it! Teaching makes me so happy! Getting to connect in person and share… not just some of it or part of it, but all of it… all of me. It was like I found what I was meant to do!

Some of the highlights for me…

My Prince Charming! Taylor was totally the star of the workshop. He took care of everyone and was really cute in the process! He twisted off all the bottle caps,  BBQ’d up the amazing salmon and tri tip and never stopped working to help make everyone comfortable. Saturday morning he was right back at it  making acai parfaits for us for breakfast. He was incredible, none of this ever would have happened with out his encouragement.

Paparazzi - When we were walking back from lunch at Pike Place Market Taylor and I were walking ahead, unbeknownst to us the girls were snapping away and came up with a little plan. Right as we  started to walk across the street they all started shouting and encircling us and pretending they were paparazzi. It was hilarious, (after I got over the initial shock of thinking we were about to step in front of a bus) and just shows how much fun these girls are!

Sharing! When it comes to teaching these workshops, I’m an open book! I share everything and I’ll never hold anything back. After all, you’ve let me know that you care about what I have to say so I’m not going to be afraid to say it all!

The Girls! These girls are amazing and I’m so excited to watch where they go from here! Having their friendships means a lot to me and feeling their enthusiasm and encouragement while I hosted my very first workshop was immeasurable for the fantastic outcome. So  Kim,  Jamie,  Megan,  Cherie,  Ajia,  Lloryn,  Danielle,  Charlene and Carrie I want to tell you from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for wanting to come to my workshop, thank you for believing it would be worth the investment and thank you for making my  very first workshop so much fun for me!

The Chocolate Market - This had to be one of the most adorable little chocolate shops I’ve ever been to and remember I’m a total chocolate snob. My very first job was working for Bernard Callebaut Chocolatier. I suggested that we just have chocolate for lunch upon seeing this little shop and so everyone followed me in to take a look. What was supposed to be a look became a little picture party! The awesome shop keeper brought out a bunch of gorgeous chocolates for us to photograph and after that we even got to eat them! You know how I feel about good chocolate, nothing like it! If you’re ever in Seattle, you have to go see The Chocolate Market in Pike Place Market!

Here is just a little glimpse of my very first workshop…

He was a perfect little boy. I don’t know how I’m getting so lucky lately, but I keep getting these little newborns who just sleep sleep sleep. And as I always explain, that is why we love them to be little. The younger the better cause it means they are more moldable and sleepy and those are the two best outfits a newborn can wear. Ezra knows how to wear it well!

We did the whole session as black and white, but this very last one I just had to show in color because I just love the warm summer glow.

Just want to let all my mommies know what’s happening this weekend around Portland and Vancouver. I’d actually like to start doing this every week for all my awesome moms that check in with me.

This Weekend

Clark Country Fair – Aug 6 to 15th from 10am to 11pm

Vancouver’s Farmer’s Market – Weekly at 10am on Sunday from Sun Aug 8 to Sun Oct 31

Free Science Days at OMSI – Aug 12 to Aug 15 from 9am to 9pm

Next Weekend

Clackamas County Fair – Aug 17th to 22nd

08/13 Friday

Free Movie Night at Cafe Sip’n'Play. Chicken Little at 5pm

08/14 Saturday

Kids’ Dig at Fort Vancouver - Introduction to Archeology through a mock dig. $5 per family / 11am-1pm

Free Flicks in the Park – The Music Man at Laurelhurst Par.  6:30pm

08/15 Sunday

Hawthorne Street Fair – face painting, circus performances, concerts, and puppet shows.  Free admission; fees for some activities

08/16 Monday

Kid’s Art Incorporating Creative Reuse – Artist Keri Piehl teaches three simple and green craft projects for children in grades K through five and their parents.  Free

08/17 Tuesday

FREE Regal Movies – Regal Theaters at 10am.  Movie dependent on the Theater.

08/18 Wednesday

Vancouver Royal Scottish Country Dancers – 3pm at the Vancouver Mall Community Library.

08/19 Thursday

African Savanna and Rainforest – 8:30am at the Oregon Zoo.   $21 child/adult pair, $10.50 each additional person, member discount, pre-registration required.

08/20 Friday

Free Movie Night at Cafe Sip’n'Play. Herbie Goes Bananas at 5pm

Free Flicks in the Park. The Princess and the Frog at Wilkes Park. 6:30pm

08/21 Saturday

Family Day at the Oregon History Museum – Two children admitted free with one paid adult admission.

08/22 Sunday

Humane Society Animal Crusader Program – Animal Enrichment class for ages 6-10 years.  $5, call 360-213-2630 to register.

Thank you for creating playland for me. You have given me a little window of ‘me time’ right in between the bread aisle and the frozen peas.  I used to hate grocery shopping. All those little hands grabbing, wanting, moving and little voices begging, yelling, crying, asking… It was enough to make me want to start jumping up and down and yelling “Ahhhhhhh” at the top of my lungs just to give the people something new to look at. But now… now! NOW I walk them up to the wonderful lady who gives me that wonderful wrist band that means freedom to browse and shop and wander for an entire hour all alone. I’ll be continuing to share what’s on my list weekly with you.

Sincerly,

The Well Stocked Fridge Mommy

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Dear Victoria Secret,

Thank you for bringing the laundry soap and dryer sheets back. You have given me a reason to fold clothes before they make it to a pile on the floor andthat’s pretty amazing. Please don’t ever take it away again.

Appreciativly Yours,

Lavished Laundry Lady

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Dear Maker of Bratz Dolls,

Please stop all further productions of these dolls… Immediately!

Sincerly,

Bratz Doll Hater

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Dear Sketchers,

I want to commend you on your advertising initiative. It has worked, my 4 year old knows and asks for your shoe by name. However I won’t be buying your product purely because it annoys me that you’ve done this so if you could please stop airing your advertisments during preschool programing I would appreciate it.

Thanks in advance,

Never Gonna Get This

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Dear Double Stuffed Oreos,

Thank you for always being available, even at 2am when I really just need you. I really appreciate that you are always here for me and I want you to know that I’ll always be back to appreciate it!

Love,

Kindred Oreo Spirit

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Dear Hulu,

You just might be the most wonderful thing since the double stuffed mint Oreos debuted. Thank you so much for giving me my favorite shows and making them available when I want to watch them. I would have never found Modern Family, Dancing with the Stars or The Office if it weren’t for you.

Love,

Your Happy Hulu Mama

Until we got back to the car to go finish the session with some studio shots and found out that I had lost the keys! Let me just tell you that right up there with ‘I forgot to put film in the camera’ is having to say, ‘I lost your keys in that field’. I was horrified and immediately apologizing and trying to retrace my steps which went from one end and back in this (suddenly feeling) not so little field. Shawna was so sweet about it (hence the comment about being a great mommy) and we walked around and tried to find the keys. It was feeling like a needle in a haystack but we each kept saying our little prayers and waiting to be shown where they were. Of course I should have known better than to have doubted, my Adi girl has taught me enough times that even lady bugs can be found more than once when a prayer is given. I was so grateful and counting my blessings when Shawna found them! With my heart slowly returning to a more normal beat we went back to finish the session…. And laugh a little more! Shawna thinks I’m hilarious… It’s cuz I am, I just forget sometimes.

This next one takes my breath away.  Shawna is the absolute definition of maternal beauty!

And what’s the perfect way to finish off a maternity photo session? With a tub of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream of course!! This was so much fun! The night before our session I was thinking, I want to do something creative and fun. As Shawna and I chatted and shared pregnancy stories we giggled at how much we both LOVE ice cream when we’re pregnant… Well that reminded me of the tub(s) of ice cream I had in the freezer thanks to that 3 for 5 sale last week! So I handed her a spoon, the tub and said have fun! She did… Oh she did. And it was well deserved after a long day of looking way to fabulous!

Shawna thank you for the awesome morning! I can’t wait to meet your little sweet pea!

You can just feel how in love daddy is with his new little girl and Jocelyn looks amazing pregnant and weeks after being pregnant… She’s just gorgeous (inside and out).

Mike and Jocelyn have been so blessed to have Mike’s mama and sister in town to help them as they adjust to their new wonderful life with Miss Mimi. Nana Jackie is such a proud Grandma, she couldn’t get enough of her little grand baby and she had the bum-pat for keeping this little girl sleeping down to an art!

These angel wings couldn’t be more fitting. She was a PERFECT ANGEL during our entire session! I absolutely love all of Mimi’s beautiful hair!!! I couldn’t get enough of it. Seriously she is such a perfect little baby!

Something about today, this session and the fact that it’s one day before August leaves me reveling in the fact that it is summer! The girls are wearing sundresses, Paysen is holding an ice cream cone that is melting all over his hand and the sun is bright and beautiful… and warm! It’s a good day…no, it’s a great day! One of those days where I can’t help but count my blessings and love knowing that the future is bright!

Thank you for the awesome session! I had a blast!

-Author Unknown

Life never can be the same after that belly disappears and in its place a tiny baby takes center stage over life. Miracles happen every day. If you don’t believe me, hold a baby. It was a pleasure to get to hold and photograph little Brady last week!