LOVE THIS!!!

This photo was inspired by a fave photog of mine Brenda Acuncius. She did it WAY better... but I just loved it the minute the shutter snapped!! :)
Happy Holidays!

Christmas 2008

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great xmas! This year was the first year that both of them sat on Santa's knee without crying. They both were SUPER stoked xmas eve and we tracked Santa, left out home made cookies and loved every minute of it. I don't really remember ever believing in Santa so this is just the coolest thing for me... it's like living through their eyes... and it's soooo cool.
Unfortunately my brother was supposed to come out for xmas morning but he got caught in the Air Canada/ YVR snow fiasco and wound up stuck in airports, etc. and didn't make it in until late Boxing day. :( BUT, he's here now and I'm soooo happy to see him. As we're getting older, I miss him more and more I find. I hate not being a part of his life and not knowing what's going on. I really hate not knowing his girlfriend very well and so wish she could have made it out this year. Well, maybe next year! OR... maybe he'll convince her to move back home! LOL... (A GIRL CAN DREAM CAN'T SHE!!???!!!).

So here are a few pics from this years' festivities... I didn't take a lot of pictures to tell you the truth. We set the video recorder up on my tripod for Christmas morning so I could just enjoy the moment. sigh. But, then we headed over to Helen and Paul's for Christmas Dinner and it was YUMMY!!

We had a great evening there and then headed over to Jess's house to meet my mom's side for a little bit of After Christmas Dinner Cheer. I really miss my family when I don't get to see them on Christmas as does Ted when it's my families' year. So we try to hit up all sides at some point.
Then the day after Boxing Day we headed over to my Dad's for our christmas morning and unfortunately I only took pics on Dad's point and shoot... I'll add images later if I can get them from him.

That evening we went over to my mom's where Blair got a HUGE surprise!

That's right! My mom bought his game jersey from the Winnipeg Bluebombers last year off auction and gave it to him for Christmas. It was definitely one of my favorite moments of the this year's holiday!

My fave gift of the year? I think it would have to be the Tim Horton's Coffee Mug, coffee and gift card that my little brother Shakeel bought me. Not only do I covet that mug every time I see it on a commercial but he bought it with his own money and it just means so much to me!

Well if you've made it this far, thank you! I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! I have more pictures and will post periodically and then in the next week or so, will do a 2008 catch up post.

I love you all! Take care of yourselves!
The Kirby's

Snow Bowl 2008

Today Ted and a bunch of his buddies braved the cold and snow to play in the Snow Bowl 2008. They went down to the local field and played a game of football. I was only there for a little while, but it sure looked like they were having fun! Check out this link to see some pictures from the game... even if you don't have facebook, you can still see the album.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=193248&l=47c90&id=883955530

No TEARS!!!

I know! I've been seriously MIA on this poor blog of mine, but I intend to change that! That's DEFINITELY going to be one of my New Years Resolutions.... KEEP UP WITH THIS BLOG!

But, until then, here's a shot of Jakey and Ash with Santa today.... this is the FIRST picture with Santa with NO TEARS from EITHER OF THEM in FIVE YEARS!!! YEY!!!!!
Proud mommy!

It's Christmas!

Wow, I can't believe it's only 18 days till Christmas! It came so fast... wasn't it just summer last week?! I have to say, I am so happy to be slowing down in work and have the chance to really enjoy spending time with the kids.
Last night we put the tree up and got the house looking all festive! We did hot chocolate and listened to xmas music... life is good. All the sudden I feel like I can take a deep breath and relax a little. I do have a few more shoots this month, but nothing compared to the craziness of the last few months.

We're going to do a little more home renos over the next couple months too... maybe finish the bathrooms and clean up the laundry room. That's always exciting! Pictures to come of course!! ;)

Anyways, I'll totally be posting a year end post in a couple weeks, where I"ll be posting a bunch of images that I meant to share during the year!... some are really funny!
Stay tuned!!

Glory Days!!!

So my Teddy got to go out on Grey Cup Sunday to play some pigskin with the boys... I don't think he's played football in AT LEAST 6 or 7 years. I think a little part of him was seriously reliving those junior football days when he was the big fish. ;) He was so cute to watch!








And YES this is the same man who has had FOUR knee surgeries... on the SAME knee!! He was sure feeling it the next day(s).

He Broke My Heart

So as most of you know, Ash was sicky sick last week with a fever and a slight flu. I hate it when my kids are sick... it almost makes me sick myself. :(

Well despite all the hoping that Jake wouldn't get it... he did. He woke up yesterday morning with a fever of 103! I managed to keep it down with advil most of the day but then he woke up at about 2am with a high fever again and this time puking as well. Jake has never really puked before so he was soooooo upset and scared and couldn't stop crying and whimpering.

Well all the comotion must have woke up Ash and when she came into our room she was DISTRAUGHT that we were all watching cartoons while she had to sleep. We were trying to talk her down when all the sudden Jake spoke up in his little whimpering voice and said:

"Don't be sad Ashwee, Don't be sad like me."

I just about burst out in to tears myself. Talk about heart breaking!!!

Photo!

Cause I need more photos on here.... this first one is just a funny one I took of Ash a while back and the bottom one is one of Jakey in our front yard a month or so ago. LOL

BAD BLOGGER!!!

Wow! It's been a month since I've blogged!! And I have so much to say, but just soooooo busy!!
Luckily, December is coming up, and I have taken the whole month off! Wahoo!!! I'll be able to pop my head up to breathe (and blog)!

What better way to jump back in the saddle than to give my blog a little makeover!! Hope you like it!! Only a couple weeks before I'll be decorating it for Christmas! LOL

Anyways, I wanted to give you all the link to slideshow of our family shoot!! The fabulous Shannon Stevenson of Lucy Lime did our shoot a while back and I would love for you all to see it!

Click on the link:
http://bigshow.bigfolio.com/?s=000012482&t=6b7b21ff49764374391953646116a7eb

Family Photos!!!

As I said, my friend/fellow photographer/business partner/partner in crime Shannon took photos of Ted and I and the kids Saturday morning out in Fort Langley... I don't have them all but you can check out our killer sneak peek on our blog here:
www.lucylimestudios.com

Don't forget to give her some love while you're there!! ;)

First Haircuts All Around!!

So a couple weeks ago BOTH kids went for their FIRST hair cuts ever from our good friend Karen... I know, bad mommy is only blogging about this now!!

Officially Ashleigh was 4 and Jake was 2! WoW! They were both so great and didn't even move! It was a little emotional for me but it was definitely for the best as they don't look like little hobos now!

A Random Post

One of my main goals for 2009 (yes, I have already scrapped 2008 in my head and am moving on to bigger and better!) is to return my focus to my family. Today was the perfect start to that. We spent the morning getting our photos done with THE FABULOUS Shannon Stevenson. I can't WAIT to see them and when she posts a sneak peek I will be sure to let you all know!

So I thought I would carry on the day by posting a couple things on the blog.

First off, something that makes me VERY happy (and I have no idea why) is that my little boy still curls up the fetal position when he sleeps. Guess it still verifies to me that I have a bit of babyhood left.



Another thing that makes me happy..... wrinkley bath toes!



THIS is what I see when I roll over in the middle of the night and Ted is still awake:




AND just cause the shot makes me smile... it will probably make you smile too!

I was TAGGED!!

I was tagged by Sarah, Carol AND Cynthia!! :)


Here are the rules: Link to the person who tagged you. Post the rules on your blog. Write six random things about yourself. Tag six people at the end of your post. Let each person know he or she has been tagged. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

**Random Facts About Me**

1. I have lived in the same city (Aldergrove), my entire life (29 years) except for the first year of my life (Langley) and a 6 month stint in Abbotsford when I was 9....oh yeah and a year stint in Abbotsford when I first moved out my dad's house.

2. I have two scars on my face, both from when I was little... one from hitting my face on the toilet and one from falling down a set of stairs folded up in a collapsed lawn chair... I KNOW, Right?!?!?

3. I had my first baby BEFORE we got married (GASP!!!). :)

4. I'm 6 or so classes away from completing my degree in Psychology, though I may never actually complete it.

5. My littlest brother is only 4 years older than my daughter.

6. Before I was 24, I had never been on a plane and had never left BC. Now, at 29, I have only ever been to Winnipeg and Vegas.



I don't have a lot of blogger friends and the ones I do have, have already been tagged! .... but I will tag June!

A Recent Shot!

Lucy Lime

Hi Everyone!

Just in case you hadn't heard, I wanted to send you all over to my newest venture... LUCY LIME!! Lucy Lime is a photography company that I have created with my partner in crime, Shannon Stevenson. Together we photograph newborns, babies and children and I am just so proud of what it has become.

www.lucylimestudios.com

You must check it out and then come back to see all the things we have going on!

Who is this HOT guy?!?

My Buddy....

These are my buddies... Joel and TJ. They're my cousins... my friends. We've been super close since we were little, hanging out at family reunions up in Barriere and such. Most of you have heard me refer to them at some point or another.

Well, my TJ broke his ankle on Sunday sky diving. What was supposed to be a routine surgery to fix him up, resulted in an allergic reaction to the anesthetic and TJ being left in an induced coma. Luckily it seems that his organs haven't been affected and that he'll pull through this, but it's definitely a waiting game. They tried to take him off the drug that was keeping his temp down and wake him up this morning, but his temp sky rocketed again. So back under he went.

They'll try again tomorrow. I can't get my thoughts off him and his family... his wife Ashley and his two little girls Taliha and Callie. Anyways, I'm not an overly religious girl, but, if you all have prayers to spare, he and his beautiful family could use them!

Can't wait to speak to him again. Last time I saw him was a couple weeks ago at a less than happy occasion. We have lots more "Stuck In the Middle" songs to dance to... like you said at Joel's wedding party T, "We have to dance to this song till we're 80!!!"


*** UPDATE ***
He's awake!!! Kinda!! He's off the drugs, the respirator and coming to now. He's even said some words, but apparently he's struggling because of the ventilator down his throat. Docs say he's going to be fine! Apparently this happens to 1 in 60,000 people!!! Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!!

2009

I'm thinking 2009 already... already it's crossing my mind that 2009 is on its way. And I'm happy for that. I think that 2009 will bring great great things... and honestly, something must change because I really miss you all way too much. I must reclaim my life, family and friends back... and that's exactly what I intend to do in 2009.

I'm burnt out and tired and I need a break... bring on December!! Last January I agreed that I would do 4-6 sessions a month... well in July I did 14, in August I did 17 and in September I did 28!!! Sadly, I only posted 2 blog posts (including this one) on my family blog. And it's no one's fault but my own. And now I'm correcting it... and I've got a plan for 2009. And it's going to be good.

So hang in there (I know I'm trying to)... cause I'll be back and it's all going to get better in 2009.

Is it Christmas yet?!?!

Down By The Bay....

This weekend was much needed. We headed down to the states and got some rest and relaxation. Ted's brother owns a house on the ocean and it was just finished this summer... it's beautiful and it was so nice of them to have us stay.

Unfortunately, my Uncle Tom passed away this week. His passing will leave a huge hole in our family's heart and we'll miss him always. I can't imagine not seeing him dancing on the dance floor at every get together. His memorial was this weekend as well. Uncle Tom... You're forever in our hearts.

Well back to what I do best (and it is NOT writing, as you can tell)... pictures from the weekend!!

WoW Life is CRAZY!!!!!

And I mean, I hardly have time to breath!!! So here's a catch up post!!

Ashleigh: She starts her second year of preschool in a couple weeks! I am so excited and so is she! She misses school a lot! She was a flower girl in my cousin's wedding last weekend and just looked plain adorable!! She just stole the show as she walked down that aisle all by herself. I was also photographing the wedding and you can imagine that taking photos while blinded by tears proved to be quite tricky! LOL

Her printing skills are just excelling! I can't believe how much better her fine motor skills are getting! That was the only area last year that her teachers said she may need to focus on a little more. But I think the thing that makes me smile the most about this girl these days is her singing. I made her a cd with princess songs on it and that girl just belts it out! I love it!! And the songs she makes up herself are just so darn adorable... i wish I could capture it on film! I'll try!!

Jake: Every day this boy amazes me. He's just turned two and potty trained already (well... for the most part anyway). 6 months ago he was hardly saying a word and now he can have a full on conversation with you and compose multi word sentences... it's just crazy! The terrible twos have definitely hit but I love his passion, his drive, his determination and his spirit. I love it! Have I mentioned he's just goshdarn adorable too??

Ted: Well... what can I say about my dear husband? He is plugging along doing his best to support me while I run out of mind busy. All I can say about this man of mine, is that I consider him one of my best accomplishments... I made HIM the father of my children... and man is he a damn good daddy. Thank you hun, for supporting me through this crazy time right now! I LOVE YOU!!!

Me: It's just insane... I truly cannot express how busy my life is right now. I am so excited to say that I am going into business with a fellow photographer named Shannon Stevenson. It's going to be fantastic! Our business is called La Storia Studios and we launch January 1st, 2009 when we kick off our careers together photographing a New Year Wedding and Polar Bear swim! LOL

So between about 16-20 sessions a month, being a mommy to my kiddos, attempting to control the household, getting La Storia off the ground and TRYING to be somewhat social, I have absolutely no spare time. To give you an idea, this past weekend, I had two regular shoots, I shot a birth at Langley Memorial Hospital all night Saturday night/Sunday morning, and then shot a wedding Sunday (in the POURING rain no less!). Whew.

All I can say is thank god for family support! Our parents have soooo been there for me, taking the kids for me when I have sessions, errands, editing, packaging, or paperwork to do. My mother in law, Helen, bought me these beautiful flowers this weekend, just because "I had her grandchildren". Wow. Thank you Helen!!


So basically for any of you who are feeling ignored.. I love you! I really do!! I just can't see straight these days and I am hoping with La Storia opening in January, things are going to slow down!

Luckily, we've still had time to have some fun this summer. The kids have had fun sleepovers at the grandparents houses, we've made it down to White Rock, out camping for the weekend, up to a family reunion, had two kids' birthday parties, and worked in the yard! We're also keeping our eye out for the "perfect" home in Murrayville as we're looking to relocate there. We're in no rush, but Ash will be going to kindergarten there and it would be nice to be in the area. So we have one eye on MLS at all times! ;)

Ok, so that's all I can think of right now but thanks for reading if you've got this far! I hope to see you all soon and I also hope to post some past images from the summer that I haven't gotten up here yet!
In the words of my late Nana:
Toodle- oo!

OMG! OMG! OMG!

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! My canvases of Ash and Jake came and they are GORGEOUS!!! I am so happy with them... I just can't even express how beautiful they are!!! They are 20x30 each and I just can't stop staring at them!! Weeeee!!!!

My New Fave!!

My BABY is TWO!

Today is a little sad for me and a little happy. A little sad because every year that passes, I am one more year out of my baby years. It happened so fast and went by just as fast and I can't believe I have no more babies. My Jakey turned two today and I am just so proud of my little man. Jaker is the sweetest, most loving, most cuddly little boy you'll ever want to snuggle! He is so smart and so physical. Yes, he may not speak as much as Ash did as this age, but he shows his intelligence in many other ways. The way he concentrates when he builds with his blocks and the way he sits back and takes everything in before he jumps in and takes part himself.

The boy is CRAZY! He is a typical boy... he gets into everything and makes a MESS of EVERYTHING! But I love it, and I wouldn't have it any other way. And HILARIOUS! This kid makes me laugh harder than anyone I know. He's just so darn funny in anything he does!

He's charming, loving, smart, funny, I just love him so much!
Anyways, I love you baby... Happy Second Birthday my love!
Love
Mommy Daddy and Ash

My Husband just said to me....

(while kissing my neck)... "You're looking all sexy with those bobby pins in your hair and everything..."


Really????

LOL

More Reunion Shots