James and Elizabeth Heikoop

When all is not what it seems

Looks good doesn't it. A happy mom. Happy children.

And freshly baked cookies on top of it.

Perfection.

Yeah...well...ummm...

We all know it: the picture doesn't always portray real life.

I'm baking with the children, but honestly, I'm struggling. So many hands, each one wants to be right beside the mixer, flour is falling to the floor (probably freshly washed) and I'm frustrated. Sometimes I want to bake alone. And sometimes I do. But mostly, I have messes, and eager hands.

I don't "do it" well a lot of the time. I look at other pictures of mom's with their kids, and admire them, wishing I was more intentional, and more patient. But I'm learning... like we all are.

And I don't "do" candids well at all.

But still glad James grabbed the camera while we baked, to capture these real moments.

And I'm still glad we got the "happy" picture.

Cause I know I will look back and remember that these were some of the happiest times of our lives.

This was Our Day

Just some snippets from our day today. :)

Katy putting Emma back in her kennel after her ramping around for a while.

Falling alseep while looking at his books at naptime.

Katy helping her brother get changed after bathtime.
Yes, we're still potty training - and there is some success. We haven't been consistant as of late, as it's been super crazy, but we're starting again.

A fuzzy but cute picture of Emma jumping up for some treat from James. : )

What I looked like after Katy's hair salon came by. :)

It may have been an improvement from "before"... but you'll never know. :)

I do love it when she brushes my hair...a little spa moment.

Day 58 {Good Morning}

There is nothing, like seeing Laura's huge grin when she wakes up to feed at 6 a.m. and at 9 a.m. every morning. Even when you're trying not to wake up between getting out of bed, and picking her up to nurse, you can't help but smile and even laugh when you see her big eyes and excitement that you've "come back" for her. :)

Little treasure.

Day 57 {Speedlite Fun}

So I tried out my new speedlite on Emma - niece Hannah's dog. Deanna and Ben have been watching it for the past week, but we took a turn (one day) of dog-stitting.

Emma is not impressed.

Amazing what a flash can do...if I learn how to use it. :)

Third Round of Freezer Meals

We just did another "Freezer Meal" day with a bunch of women from our church.

It was a great day, lasting only from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m.

We made 63 meals.

Stephanie and Althea assembling the Mexican Lasanga.

The rest of the meals were:

Beef Chili

Coconut Curried Pork

Sausage Tortillini Soup

2 kinds of Chicken Cordon Bleu

Tater Tot Casserole

and the Mexican Lasanga

Apart from my carelessness in leaving my camera on top of a fridge, and it falling to the ground - ouch - it was a great day. :) Praising the Lord for His protection, as it turned out to be only a filter that was smashed on my 24-70 mm. lens. Whew. I did dent the edge of the lens, but it didn't ruin it, which I'm so thankful for.

While at the camera shop, I picked up a 580 ii spedlite which I'm excited about. :)

So a busy day. :)

Day 56 {Empty Space}

Ummm... we'll just say that we missed a day. :)

Picture....us :)

That's real life.

Our Living Space

Here's a few more pictures of our home. Things are totally put together, decor and finishing touches, but I've accepted that it will take a while. :) So here you go. Enjoy the little tour.

To start off: our entryway.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

We repainted the walls, put a coat closet in (thanks to a friend) and changed the railings - tore out the carpet, and brother Mark put the hardwood on the stair treads. Sooo much better.