How I see It, through my lens...

Our Family Video

2010-12-22T14:41:00.001-08:00

Back in October my dear friend Shannon Stevenson did our family photos. We absolutely love them and have them massive in our home, not to mention that they grace the pages of our 2010 xmas card.

We also had the fabulous Geoff and Naomi from Weddings in Motion come and video the session. They created the most beautiful video of us and every time I watch it, it brings tears to my eyes.

Thank you Shannon, Geoff and Naomi for freezing that moment in time for us. It's something we will treasure. Forever.

Vancouver Family Video | The Kirby's from Weddings in Motion on Vimeo.

Like A Grade 6

2010-12-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

My little brother Shakeel and his friends got together with their teacher to create this Parody on the "Like a G6" song. It's pretty awesome!!

Shakeel's the "lead rapper"! LOL

Aislewalk

2010-12-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

Bragging Mommy Alert: Look away if you must!!

Some of you know that back in August, my kiddos modeled for the fabulous Michelle Libby of Studio 32 for a spread in the 2011 issue of Aislewalk magazine. Aislewalk is an awesome vendor filled magazine for the Vancouver bride. Erin Gilmore is the creative genius behind this gorgeous book and you must check it out... (and not just cause my kids are in it!).

The launch party was last night so I can finally share the images with you! Yippee!!

http://www.aisle-walk.com/editorials.php

Scroll down and click on Cakes... that'd be Ash and Jake right there!

The coolest part about the launch (other than the amazing digs, the delicious food and the gorgeous company) was that Ash and Jake actually received an award for being in the magazine!! It was soooo sweet and I can't believe that of all the things that Erin had planned for that night, she included a shout out to my kiddos. So sweet!

They're pretty sure they're famous now and are plotting a way to thanks Miss Erin. I'm sure they'll come up with something great! ;)

I have a bunch of copies so if you want one, grab one from me! :)

The Break is Over!

2010-11-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't even know if I have any followers on this blog anymore and that's ok. I mainly post here so that I have a bit of a diary of our lives... later I will print it all out for our kids and hopefully they'll get a kick out of it when they're older.

So every time I swing past the blog, or somebody mentions it, I get a little feeling of guilt knowing that I've neglected it all summer. We've had some great times and I really want to document that!!

So my goal over the next few weeks is to go back and post our summer photos (geeze, do I even have them all uploaded to the computer???). There's awesome stuff.... like our trip to DisneyLand, tons of camping trips, Halloween and more. Ash has lost so many teeth, Ted is heading back to work, Jake has learned to skate and is now in HOCKEY!! and I just moved in to my very own photography studio.

I'm going to post date them all back to the appropriate dates just so that it's good for printing later, but it should all work nicely! ;)

So stay tuned...

Nikon Testing

2010-06-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

That's right, as of late, I've had enough of Canon.. I want clarity and focusing and more focus points... all things I can get with a Nikon system.

So I headed over to photographer friend's of mine. She graciously allowed me to play with her D700 (which is the camera I'm thinking of getting) to see if maybe I was the one causing the poor clarity and bad focus or if it really was just the freaking camera!!!! (Side note: after doing multiple tests, canon has told me that it's me and not the camera).

Ok so 5 minutes outside of Erin's studio with Jake and I have now realized that I'm not crazy!! It isn't me!!! It IS the camera!!! WAHOOOOOOOO! Tomorrow I am heading to purchase a complete Nikon system cause how do you say no to this clarity and color:

First Camp Trip of the Season

2010-05-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

..... and it rained and rained and rained. We headed down to Sandy Point for the weekend. We love going down there cause we just bring the trailer down and chill out on the ocean and Ted's brother's beach house. Usually the kids' cousins are down as well so they all play together (usually in the trailer) and we all just relax. LOVE IT!

On this particular weekend, we ALL spent the entire weekend in the trailer. And it rained and rained and rained. Weekends like these make me thankful that I'm not in some rayon tent sleeping on the ground and getting soaking wet. Have I mentioned how much I absolutely LOVE our trailer!?!?!

Blair and Kafaleen

2010-05-13T23:40:00.001-07:00

Blair and his lovely girlfriend Kathleen are here from Winnipeg this week and I'm so glad they are... we miss them...SOOOOOO much. I've been trying to work out a plan to get them to move home, but nothing has come to mind yet. So if anyone has a good one, let me know! ;)

Anyways, my dad's house is COVERED... no, PLASTERED in photos of my kids. So he was mentioning that he really wanted a photo of my brother and Kafaleen (as Jake calls her). Well!! With such gorgeous weather... let's head out to the field!!!

Here's a couple shots! Love you guys!!

Oh.... sorry.... not that one.... THESE are the goodies! ;) (Click on them to get a bigger view)

Mother's Day Tea

2010-05-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

Ok now THIS was one of the cutest things I've ever seen! Jake's preschool class through all the mommies a Mother's Day Tea. We walked in, they personally sat us all, and then each child proceeded to serve their mommies tea and brownies and ice cream. After we had a snack they took us around to all the little stations that were designed to "pamper" us.

Omg. It was sooooo cute! There was a massage station with various kinds of massage tools for them to use, a manicure table, a pedicure table and a hair table and a makeover table.

They also serenaded us with a lovely song... oh it was just the sweetest thing ever!!

Jake and I didn't make it to many tables but he did paint my finger nails and very aptly picked Canuck colors: green and blue! haha!!

My little Spiderman and my sweet kitty cat....

2010-05-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

Off we went to Murrayville today to the Child Find event. We got the kiddos' pictures taken and fingerprints taken so that if, god forbid, anything happens to them, we are as prepared as we can possibly be.

There was also fun stuff for the kids to do... free hotdogs and juice, an animal guy, clowns, balloon animals and face painting! Check out what Ash and Jake got done:

Easter Time

2010-04-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

I really do believe that Easter is my kids' favorite holiday... moreso than Christmas, moreso that Halloween.... they LOVE easter!!!! Maybe it's the overflowing baskets of chocolate? Well let's face it, that could steal anyone's heart! Well, mine at least!! ;)

They're starting to get good at hunting to, causing Ted and I to get more creative with our hiding places. And every single year, I go way overboard with the chocolate, and then we're drowning in it for weeks! (Never good for a girl who's in a constant weight battle!).

I just love where the kiddos are at right now... they're so much fun. Celebrating holidays and just doing simple things like going to the zoo are so new and fresh and exciting! Love it!!

Some Laughs for a Sunday afternoon!

2010-04-25T15:49:00.001-07:00

Crazy Hair Day

2010-04-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it was crazy hair day at school for the kids this week. When these special days pop up at school, I think they rank up there next to Christmas for Ted... oh, I mean Ash! ... she just gets SOOOOOOO excited! (And Ted's right in there too!!! LOL). She even dressed the part and put on the craziest outfit she could find!

Jake had fun too! He loved spraying his hair red (I think this is the closest he'll ever come Ann-Marie!! ;)

** Let me note that Ash's hair did not fall out and did in fact go back to her normal color after a couple washings. And it is back to it's normal texture too!! ;)

New Promo Video

2010-04-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

This promotional video was made for me by Geoff and Naomi Heith, two incredibly talented artists that created Weddings in Motion! They are amazing:

Jillian Kirby | Baby from Weddings in Motion on Vimeo.

My New Favorite Image of My Babies.

2010-03-27T16:20:00.001-07:00

Jake-isms

2010-03-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today, Jake informed us that he and Daphne got married so now Shaggy and Scooby are moving in with us. When Ted asked Jake how we're going to buy all the food they eat, Jake said he'll give them everything he doesn't like. He's so giving. LOL

My Little Beauty

2010-03-14T21:47:00.001-07:00

Check her out! Isn't she stunning?! LOVE that girl!

Took this shot in my front yard today while giving my aunt a quick lesson in photography. Man, trying to teach this stuff reminds me why I don't hold formal workshops!! I feel like video taping myself trying to teach my aunt so that I can send the video footage to all the photogs that email me asking me to do workshops... no one wants to pay to listen to me stumble over my words!!! LMAO!

Anniversary Flowers

2010-02-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

Ted bought me flowers for our anniversary... my faves: Gerber Daisies. I wonder if he remembers that they were our wedding flowers!? LOL Anyways, he bought me red and white ones and put GO Canada GO on the card! ha!

I took a couple snaps of them and may put them up on my wall... kinda fun.

Ash's Anniversary Present to Us!

2010-02-26T13:03:00.001-08:00

Ash drew this picture for us today for our anniversary. That's me and Ted on our wedding day five years ago! Come On! How cute is that?!?!?!?!? I love the bouquet and if you look close you can see the two black circles on me and Ted's outter hands... that's our rings! LOL

Thanks Ash! You're the sweetest little thing ever!

Us - Five Years

2010-02-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

Well today is our five year anniversary... me and Ted that is! ;)
Honestly, it feels like forever. Five years doesn't seem right.

To be honest, anniversaries aren't big in this house. Up until the beginning of the week I really thought it was going to be a crapshoot if I remembered it at all... sometimes I remember, sometimes I don't.

We'll be spending the night eating sushi and watching our Womens Curlers go for Gold and our Mens Hockey play for a spot in the Gold Medal Game. That's so us. And I can't wait.

To my Teddy Bear:

If you were falling, then I would catch you.
You need a light, I'd find a match.

Cause I love the way you say good morning.
And you take me the way I am.

If you are chilly, here take my sweater.
Your head is aching, I'll make it better.

Cause I love the way you call me baby.
And you take me the way I am.

I'd buy rogaine, when you start losing all your hair.
Sew on patches to all your tears.

Cause I love you more than I could ever promise.
And you take me the way I am.

You take me the way I am.

-Ingrid Michaelsen

** Photos by Shannon Stevenson - new family pics coming in the spring! YEY!!!!!

Vancouver 2010

2010-02-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a LONG time since I've posted here... and I was on such a roll too! Well, to be honest, it's been kind of a boring month or so. We've been sick for almost all of it and have really not done much. Poor kiddos have been bored stiff.

But it's basically been survival mode: school, work, meals, sleep. Repeat.

I think we're pulling out of it. Phew!

Anyways, as I'm sure many of you know, I HAVE OLYMPIC FEVER. HARD! I never thought I would and was even heard saying "You will not catch me anywhere NEAR Vancouver when the Olympics are here" or "This is going to be a gong show... does anyone really watch the Olympics anyways?!?"

Well I can tell you that ***I*** watch the Olympics... 24/7. I'm obsessed. Completely obsessed. CTV is on at least one tv in my house all day long. And if I'm not in front of a tv, I'm on twitter on my phone waiting for medal updates. Ha! :) I have no idea how this happened but somewhere in the last week and half, I have become the most patriotic person in Canada! lol

Anyways, I decided that I really wanted to take the kids downtown to witness this. I mean, it's a once in a lifetime thing... we will never see the Olympics in our city or province again. I went to Expo 86 when I was 6 and I still remember bits and pieces and can say I was there (I still have my passport! ;)

Off we went today... hoped on the Westcoast Express and we were there in record time... and walked right in to the CROWDS. WoW! I have honestly, never seen anything like this in my entire life! It was quite amazing. There wasn't much for the kids to do, but I'm glad they got to be part of it (and Ted and I will head down next week to do some adult stuff!!).

First... waiting at the train to go downtown!

The Olympic Cauldron!

The kids trying to get a glimpse through the fence.

A Canada Cookie!

The Latvia peeps... wish I had the guts to go up to them and ask for a picture! They looked so cool.

When we got to Robson there were a bunch of little shows... these guys were break dancers.

Batman was there!!! Ash was scared to death but Jake went right up to him and gave him a high five!

People from sweden... all sorts of people from tons of countries walking around singing their anthems and cheering for no reason! So fuN!

This polar bear was sooooo cool!

Oh! And if you didn't see it, I took some photos when the torch relay came through Aldergrove, but posted it here on my Lucy Lime Blog:

http://lucylimestudios.com/2010/02/vancouver-2010-olympic-torch-relay-aldergrove-bc/

Ash's Drawing of Me

2010-01-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

I love how every time Ash draws a new picture it gets so much better. I've never seen her draw and color with such detail... that crown blew me away!! She focused all afternoon on this work of art and then her pesky little brother came along and ripped it down the middle.

She.Was. Devastated. :(

So we fixed it up, scanned it in and I told her I was going to post it on the blog for everyone to see!! That made her happy! :)

What do you think? Isn't she amazing!!??

A Photo of ME!

2010-01-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

This may be the first photo of me on my blog... ever!?

My dear sweet cousin Becky came to visit me in the fall and we had a ton of fun... we headed out to "my field" and had some fun with my cameras. This is one that Becky shot that I just stumbled upon today while cleaning out my hard drive.

I heart this photo. She is a natural. Thank you Becky!!!!

Ash got a haircut!!!

2010-01-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

... only her second of her life! The first was exactly a year ago when she was 4 and even then we only could cut off about an inch just to clean up the pieces that were slightly longer than the others.

But last week we decided to get it cleaned up again so we chopped off all the longer thinner pieces and I think it looks awesome!!!! This is the first time in Ash's life that I can leave her hair down and it doesn't look ratty and dry. It just looks sooooo cute!!!

What do you think?!? :)
This first one is terribly out of focus and I would never show it to a client but there's just something I love about it!!!!!! (There's definitely a difference between images you love and images that are professional and quality enough to show clients!!!)

Good-bye 2009!

2009-12-31T14:34:00.001-08:00

A photo of the kiddos on the last day of the decade:

Doesn't it seem like just yesterday we were waiting for Y2K? Honestly I can remember it like it was yesterday. And now here we are, prepping for the next decade of the 21st century and it feels like only months have gone by, not years.

This decade that is passing by, was so good to me.

I met Ted... probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. Without him, I have no idea where I'd be, but I know I wouldn't be half as successful in life and love as I am today. It's unreal to have someone in your life that believes in you and supports you unconditionally! LOVE HIM (even while he's falling apart... 3 knee surgeries and 2 shoulder surgeries later!!). lol

I also had both my babies in this past decade. If you'd have told me that in 2000, I NEVER would have believed you!!! And they're so big already... so independent and intelligent. I'm so proud of the people they're becoming!

Then there's Lucy Lime... my third baby! Man, I just can't wait to see where this goes! It's only the first year and we've had such a great response... I so hope we can keep it going in 2010 and beyond! Again, had you told me that I was going to take my photography to a professional level in this decade, I never would have bought it... but thank god I did!!

And of course the losses... we lost some great people this decade. Great people. Will miss them dearly and think of them on a daily basis.

But on to a New Year and a New Decade... I can only imagine what this will bring... by the time this decade is over, Ted and I will have been married for 15 years, Ash and Jake will both be in High School and Shakeel will be graduated and hopefully in college! Nuts! Looking forward to every minute of it!!

From Ted, Ash, Jake and myself, we wish you the best of New Years and hope you are all safe tonight. Take care of each other!!!

Love,
Jill
xoxox

Finally....

2009-12-24T10:09:00.000-08:00

.... a couple months ago I got all the Kirby Grandkids together (Ash, Jake, Reid and Erika) to do a little photoshoot for the grandparents (Helen and Paul). The photos were for Christmas so I couldn't share them on here even though they turned out sooooooo cute!!! Well last night at Helen's house, we gave her the brag album, the cd and the canvas and I think she kinda liked them! ;)

And now I can share them with you too!!!

Best Xmas Present EVER!

2009-12-17T16:37:00.001-08:00

Jake's preschool class went to a clay art studio in Langley for a field trip earlier in the year. Parent helpers weren't allowed because the kids were making our xmas presents.

I totally forgot about it but today at Jake's Christmas concert/party (pics to follow) we received the gifts.... oh my gosh, isn't this just THE CUTEST THING YOU'VE EVER SEEN?!?!

Whistler in the Cold!!!

2009-12-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

On Monday morning we headed up to Whistler for what was supposed to be a couple days. Unfortunately our friends that were supposed to meet us up couldn't make it as dad came down sick. :(

We decided to come home early... but not before we did some shopping in the village, went to see Princess and the Frog and took in some Whistler snow! Here's some shots! :)

Here's Ted smoking Jake in the face with a snowball... grrrr. :/

This shot of Ash was taken with a new little fun lens called a Lens Baby. It's hard to master but once you do, it's lots of fun.

Jake LOVES the snow... he mostly loves to eat it! LOL

And a not so outtake...

2009-12-11T21:35:00.001-08:00

..... my beauty.

Disclaimer: I did not pose her like this... she did it all on her own!

The Outtakes

2009-12-11T19:28:00.001-08:00

Here are some of the outtakes from my session with Shakeel and the kiddos!

Shakeel and Children's Hospital

2009-12-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks! So by now I think you all know about the ordeal Shakeel went through back in October. We are so lucky that he's doing so well and I'm so proud of him. He has a bit of a road ahead of him but every day he gets better!!

I took some photos of him the other night and posted a blog entry on my Lucy Lime blog... for every comment we get on his post, we'll donate $1 to BC's Children's Hospital. So go on... head over there and comment on his post... it's for a good cause! :)

www.lucylimestudios.com/blog

Here's a shot of Shakeel from the other night.

Another Jake-ism...

2009-12-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Ted Ash and Jake were waiting in the truck for me to run an errand and got into the conversation about the French Language... Ash was very interested in why and how other people spoke another language.

Ted was giving them french words to say... soeur, frere, pere, mere, oui.

Jake then said to Ted: "Listen to me daddy!! I'm sooo good at frenching!"
ha! That's my boy! ;)

Today Christmas started in our house. We pulled out the deco, turned on the carols, and poured the hot chocolate with mini candy canes. This is going to be a fun Christmas in the Kirby Household! Here's my first shot of Christmas 2009. This is Jakey loving on his Christmas Tree that our friend Tammy made for us last year. It goes in Jake's room and it's got all the Disney Characters in it... combine that with christmas lights and glitter and, well, Jake LOVES it! He just can't stop starring.

THIS, is so so what xmas is about:

Strach man on TV at the Saints game

2009-12-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

My friends' little guy was in New Orleans this weekend to see the Saints go 11-0 (sooo happy for your Jord!). The guy at NBC had something to say about his sign! LOL

Obtainable Goals.... obtainable goals.

2009-11-17T22:41:00.000-08:00

Ashleigh: "When I grow up, I want to be a scientist!!"

Jake: "When I grow up, I want to be a chair."

W.O.W.

Bragging on Myself. ;)

2009-11-14T11:26:00.001-08:00

Thought I would post a quick link to a little interview I did for a Vancouver mommy's blog called Vancouver Mom. Fun stuff... was nice to be mentioned. :)

http://www.vancouvermom.ca/best-of/jillian-kirby-of-lucy-lime-studios/

Take Two on Ash's photos

2009-11-03T21:26:00.000-08:00

So I'm doing new canvases for the family room and just didn't want moody Ash starring at us for the next year! LOL
So we went and tried it again:

.... that's MUCH better! :)

Halloween 2009!!

2009-11-02T14:03:00.001-08:00

Well this has been an eventful start to the school year and that's putting it lightly! Between crazy sicknesses and my nutso work schedule and Ted's shoulder and Shakeel's injury, Jake's struggle with starting school, their extra curricular activities, Ted rearranging the ENTIRE house, not to mention the regular every day stuff that comes along with having kiddos, we are exhausted!!

BUT, not too exhausted to have some fun on Halloween!! Ted always goes all out with the pumpkins and this year was no different (even though we SOOOO didn't have the time for it!). He did gorgeous jack-o-laterns but left them inside... we can downstairs the day before Halloween and they had all melted and molded into a pile of rotting mush on the table!! Poor Ted. He was heartbroken!! :(

So off he went on Halloween morning and bought all new pumpkins are carved all of them fresh to display for the evening (and we weren't even home!!) LOL! Gotta love him! If nothing else, he is one dedicated and FUN loving daddy!

I decided to get in to the spirit of things myself and went out and got Ted and I costumes to wear for the evening of trick or treating. We had a blast!! Here's some photos!!

I was some sort of witchy ghouly thing. :)

Ted was a grim reaper of sorts. :)

And my beautiful kiddos went as Violet and Dash, the kids from the Incredibles. :)

My New Prop

2009-10-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

I got a new prop yesterday and am soooo excited to use it!!! So, while Ash was at school, me and Jake had a little fun!!! :)
And then when Ash came home she had to give it a try... my little moody girl.

This is Jake's blanky... he's had it since he was born. :)

Update on Shakeel

2009-10-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

Something crazy happened last night... Shakeel flipped a switch! He's doing much better!!! He's content and not in as much pain and feeling much better! He is still having language issues... he can't understand complex questions coming in and he can't get out answers sometimes, he has to really search and think hard and still can't get them sometimes. But he's going to get therapy and they're hoping it will all come back.

He gets to go out on a daypass today!!!! He's leaving the hospital and can even stay over night at his grandparents if all goes well!!!! YEY!!!!!!!

I'm so relieved... I can't even tell you!
Thanks again for all your care and concern!

Shakeel

2009-10-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been forever since I've posted... and honestly, there hasn't been much to post about... just every day stuff: wake up, take kids to school/activities, come home, work, eat dinner, work some more, go to bed.

Unfortunately I have something to post about now.

My little brother Shakeel was in a terrible accident Monday night at around 5:45pm. There's a rope swing that goes over a gully behind their house and Shakeel was swinging on it (like he does every day) and lost his grip and fell about 50 feet on to rocks and logs. He was taken by ambulance to Abbotsford Regional Hospital. He was unconscious and not breathing. They stabilized him and intubated him and helivac'd him to Children's Hospital in Vancouver where he is now.

That first night was awful. We knew he hit his head bad and that he had a massive contusion on the back of his skull. We also knew that he broke his arm in two places. It was so scary to say the least... and nobody was saying anything. After about an hour and a half of them working on him in the ER at Children's, they took him for a CT scan and then moved him to the I.C.U. The CT was very positive. There wasn't as much swelling on the brain as they had originally thought.

They left him heavily sedated and on the breathing machine till morning, even though he woke up a couple times during the night VERY agitated and aggressive. Tuesday morning, they reduced the sedation and took him off the breathing tube and he did great. He started to wake up, but only for 20 second spurts and couldn't really say anything.... but he did smile at me Tuesday night and said my name.

Wednesday morning, they moved him to the Neuro Ward at Children's and that's where he is now. He's much more alert now, staying awake for a few hours at a time but definitely sort of in and out the whole time. He's also very upset and very confused. He asks the same questions over and over so it seems his short term memory has been affected. The part of his brain with the damage is the language part and it's pretty obvious. He's having difficulty getting out what he's trying to say and when he does he has weird ways of saying things. He's also having difficulty pronouncing words and forgets a lot. He remembers faces but doesn't know the year or how old he is.

As of this morning, there wasn't really any change. He was awake a lot of the night quite agitated and wanting to go home. His arm is giving him quite a bit of pain and asks us "Where can we throw this thing?" "It's done" and " Here, take it" all referring to his arm/cast. We're hoping over the next few days things will improve. Every day has gotten better so far so I'm sure it will continue to do so!

The docs will come in and reassess him on the weekend to see when/if he can go home. He will probably need language therapy to get back to where he was but they seem optimistic.

I am keeping regular updates on my Facebook at www.facebook.com/lucylime.jillian so you can check them out there. Email me if you'd like at jilliankirby@shaw.ca .

Thanks to all of you who have already expressed your care and concern and your offers of help. It is appreciated more than you know!!!

**Edited to add a couple photos I just found on my computer of Shakeel playing around with my photobooth in my office! Miss him so much right now. Can't wait to have my old Shakeel back.

And it happened.....

2009-09-19T16:03:00.001-07:00

My baby started school this week. Jake went to his very first class of preschool and I just couldn't be prouder of him. As great as Ash did when she went to school, she had a friend in her class and STILL cried for 6 months straight when we dropped her off.

Jake walked in... shy, reserved, but so sure of himself. He found something to do and while he wanted to make sure we were coming back to get him, he was amazing. He didn't cry, he didn't wine... he just played and enjoyed himself. I can't believe how well he did... I seriously was having panic attacks thinking about it. I just didn't think Jake was ready. I mean he's always had Ash to pave the way for him... to make the friends... to start the games... to tell him what when and how to do things. But he did great so the teachers say!! YEY JAKE!!!

Mommy didn't do so well.... I was brave, I did great that way.... but.... I. Forgot. My. Camera. (I'm hanging my head in shame right now).... what a typical youngest child thing to do. Crap.

But I did do a "First Day of School" shoot before class at home and I did have my camera phone so here's a few shots!

Ash's First Day of Kindergarten!!!

2009-09-09T18:31:00.001-07:00

Today was the day... 09/09/09... Ash's first day of Kindergarten! I'm the parent of a school aged child... she's in the school system... a part of a wonderful school actually.

I'm not gonna go on and on about how I can't believe we're here already (which I can't!) but more so, I'm going to rave today about how wonderfully she did. I remember the first day of preschool... she was such a shy child... so insecure in a way. She cried every day for what seemed like 6 months straight.

Today, she walked in there, with wonderful confidence, only knowing two other little girls and did so great. I'm so proud of her. She was so excited for this day to come and I know she's going to have an amazing year... by all accounts, her teacher is just the best in the district. I'm excited! And sad. But mostly excited! Here's how the day went:

We started out by having a quick little photoshoot to document how very cute she looked! LOL Ash was NOT impressed... this is definitely a forced smile! ;)

And because we were so eager to go, we were VERY early. This is Ash in the truck checking out the time "Is it time to go in now?" "How about now?" "Now???"

And when it finally was time to go in, she bolted to the school! LOL

This is Ash's "Mom, you're embarrassing me with your freakin' camera" look. HAHAH!!!

We've moved Ash from her Preschool school to a new school in Murrayville this year. I was nervous taking her from her friends but luckily, she has two little twin sister girlfriends that are in the same class as her. Nothing like a little back-up!

Time to go in!

As soon as she walked in, she headed straight to the table with all the name cards. She grabbed this one and was not at all happy that her teacher spelt her name wrong!!!! It's a-s-h-l-e-I-G-H!! SHEESH!! Get it right already!

All in all, it was a great morning and while I had butterflies the whole time she was in class, I'm also super stoked to start getting involved in the school. This is going to be fun!

My Auntie Kelly

2009-09-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Just got home from our annual Bull Family Reunion... and man did we have a good time... but that's saved for another post!

Today my Auntie Kelly came over for a few pointers. She'll be shooting her first wedding next weekend and is a little nervous (I know she'll do great!).... yes, I come from a family of photographers... most my aunts, and quite a few of my cousins too! So, yep, you guessed it... we headed out to my field. The lighting wasn't as great as we hoped thanks to the grey clouds that were rolling in, but I took the opportunity to take some shots of my Aunt and her Larry.

A Visit From Auntie June and co.

2009-08-21T15:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my Auntie June and her neighbor and kids came passing through Aldergrove on the tail end of a mini-vaca they took down to the coast (from Barriere). We got to visit, talk shop (my aunt is a photog herself... it runs in the family!) and go out to "my field" where I love to shoot at sunset.

I'm sure most of you have heard me refer to "my field"... it's near my house and it's where I LOVE to do my maternity, family, child and even the odd newborn photo session. Well, THIS is it:

So we headed out right at the perfect time and got some beautiful shots. I think my aunt had a nice time and enjoyed the beautiful backdrop and lighting!

Jake came along with us... I actually snagged a couple great shots of him. This first one will be one I treasure forever... I can tell already.

Thanks for coming Auntie June, Jen, Cam and Maddie! I had a great time... hopefully we can do it again soon!

The First Love of Jake's Life....

2009-08-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

.... besides ME of course!!! LOL

My little man Jake has a bit of an infatuation, shall we call it, with his little Polly Pocket sized doll - Ariel. This little 3 inch doll started out in Ashleigh's collection of Polly's and hasn't seen the group since. My sweet little guy decided that this doll "looked like momma" and hasn't let her go. (I know... doesn't it make your heart melt?!?!?!?!).

He brings her to playdates, on sleepovers at the grandparents, on camping trips, to swimming... just everywhere! I do not lie when I tell you that Ted and I have spent the better part of the last 8 months looking for Ariel. Occasionally he will put Ariel down while temporarily distracted and when he clues in minutes later that she's gone, he loses his mind!! LOL

If you see my little man, no doubt, you will see her too...

Emily's Birthday/ SWIMMING!!!!

2009-08-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

Ash's little best friend Emily had her party this weekend. I usually don't bring my camera to birthday parties but Em's grandma asked me to take a couple shots of Em in her dress so I thought I'd post a few from the party. We got there at 4pm, when my children promptly jumped in to the pool... at 9pm they had only stepped out once to have some cake. FIVE straight hours in the pool... they are little fishes!!!! TOO CUTE!

Happy Birthday Em!!!

Jake tried to get out of the pool in a huge hurry and fell flat on his face... hence all the mud in this next picture... but that's not why he's crying... he was so upset cause he thought he wasn't getting a piece of cake!! LOL

Toothless in Whistler....

2009-08-06T23:54:00.000-07:00

That's right!! She only turned 5 last month, but she lost her first tooth while we were in Whistler! It's been wiggly for a couple weeks now so we've been expecting it but it was so shocking to see when it actually was out. She's such a big girl now... it's so strange to see my baby loosing teeth. Crazy!

She's loving every minute of it too... and the tooth fairy pays huge these days!! LOL

Now her second tooth is loose and I'm trying to find a way to convince her that the tooth fairy's gone bankrupt, while she's trying to convince me that the tooth fairy should bring money AND toys. ha ha!

Whistler in the Heat Wave!!

2009-08-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

Well we got home from the beach house in the States Monday morning and by 5pm Monday afternoon we were up at Whistler to hang out with our friends Dana and Jason and their brood of boys, Lincoln, Declan and Fisher.

We were up there for 4 days and it was so much fun. Nice and relaxing, the kids played and we visited and shopped... thank GOD for air conditioning cause it was HOT!!! But we had lots of good times out for dinner, shopping in the village, swimming at the pool, playing cards in the evening and hanging out at Alta Lake. Thanks again D and J for such a good time!

Check out this play structure.... sooooo Whistler. LOL

Jake's Birthday... He's Three!!

2009-08-05T23:29:00.000-07:00

Well I say it year after year but this one hit me particularly hard I think. My baby boy Jake turned three on July 24th. Where did the time go??? I think it was bad because we don't have an ounce of baby anything anymore. It's gone... all of it. The crib, the diapers, the baby bag... even the rails on his bed. Everything!

And yeah, it's great... it's so nice to be a fully functioning family where every member gets to enjoy the fun things we're doing, but it's sad in the way that those nights where he wants me to sing him to sleep are becoming few and far between.

I'm lucky though... this boy is a momma's boy. He loves his cuddles and loves from his mommy and he always says "Am I your baby momma??". LOVE IT!!

He starts preschool in September and I'm not sure if I'll be as cool and collected as I was when Ash went... she was so ready... he's not. He's not used to big groups of kids and he certainly isn't used to me not being there. I wonder how he'll do.

He's such a loving sweet boy... he's gentle with babies and loves his friends. He's sweet and considerate and I just wanna eat him sometimes... until he gets mad... watch out! It happens rarely but boy does that little guy have a temper. Reminds me of Blair actually! Laid back but if and when you get him mad.... RUN!

He loves coloring and has certain shades of red that he particularly likes. He also has his Ariel doll that he loves to carry around. He says it looks like mommy and it goes EVERYWHERE with him. He's a little fish and loves swimming. I can't believe how much he does and I'm sure it's because he watches his big sister do everything.

He's obsessed (and I mean OBSESSED) with Spiderman. The boy just LOVES him. Hence his spiderman party. We were down at the Beach house for Jake's birthday so we through him a little party with Erika and Reid. We opened presents, did a puppet craft and had a spiderman birthday cake (that's all he asked for!). It was fun and I think he had a great time! :)

Happy Birthday Jake... I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

Thunder and Lightening and Rain... Oh My!

2009-08-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

We were down at the Beach House again last weekend for Jake's birthday (Post to Follow) and took a ride on Papa's new boat. There are little islands only about 20 minutes off shore and so we went and met friends who were camping there... when we left the weather was fine.... that didn't last long!!

By the time we got there it had started raining, and after about 20 minutes the lightening started!!! We got back in the boat and headed back for shore... lightening and thunder everywhere! It was crazy!! Gorgeous sunset though!!!

Dinotown - Revisted

2009-08-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

If you've been a follower of the blog from the beginning, you'll remember that Dinotown is a favorite place in this house hold. We took Ash for the first time when she was two (I was still pregnant with Jake) and she loved it soooo much... she lost her little mind! I mean the place is budget and totally low rent, but its great for the little ones. Now Jake loves it as much too and we try to make it out there at LEAST once a summer... usually twice.

We headed out last week with our friends Andrea and Kelsey and their little ones Logan and Lauren. It was Logan's first time... I think he liked it... what's the verdict Andrea?!?

The Fourth

2009-08-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

It is my goal to get caught up on my blogging this week so be prepared to get bombarded!! ;)
So straight from Penticton, we drove to Sandy Point in the States. Ted's brother has a beach house down there and it over looks the ocean. They have a nice big open lot with a side area to park the trailer so we went down and parked there for a few days. Ted's parents and brother and sister-in-law were there so it was a nice family affair!

We made it there just in time for the Fourth of July... and I don't know if any of you have been to the States on the Fourth... but they do it up right! Fireworks go off from morning to night and even days before and after. It's amazing really! We have gone down every year since the kids were born and we love it every time. Ash and Jake really have a great time and they're at the age now where they can have fun with sparklers!!

Busy Busy Busy....

2009-08-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

Boy this summer has been fun filled!! I have soooo many things to blog about it's not even funny. With Ted being off this summer awaiting shoulder surgery, I decided to take about half the clients I normally do so we could go away. We wanted to make sure that we were getting use out of our trailer and I tell ya, it's the best thing we've ever bought! I am so happy with it and I'm so glad we have it... we've taken it on 5 hour trips to Penticton for 5 days and 20 minute trips to Maple Ridge for one night! It's definitely our home away from home. LOVE it!

I can't remember if I mentioned this yet, but I went and bought a point and shoot... I just found that I wasn't bringing my "big camera" along with me to places... and moments were flooding by and I was missing them. I think I just wanted to leave work at home. But with this point and shoot, memories can be saved by quick snapshots now and I still have them, no need to process every single image!

Anyways, where to start... yes, our Penticton trip... well, we headed up there for a few days with our great friends Leigh and Brian and their girls Emily and Michaela and our other friends Kim and Glen and their little boy. It was a great time and we did everything from swimming in the lake, to playing ping pong, to doing the channel (all 4 kids in tow!!) to swimming in the pool. Good times!

Jake is OBSESSED with coloring right now... and man he is GOOD at it for his age. He holds the crayon right and tries so hard to stay in the lines... all things that Ash didn't do until her second year of preschool! Here he is coloring in the trailer! :)

He LOVES jumping into the pool to me or Ted... I'll upload a video of it later.

Having fun in Skaha Lake!

"Cutie Ethan" as the kids call him was having a great time in his crab floatie!

Yeah.... this is Clark Griswald and his buddy walking down to the lake... we had to bring our truck... we had more floaties than people to float on them.

Can't wait till next year!!!

Our Maiden Voyage!!

2009-07-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

Man have I been ignoring my poor family blog! Summer has been crazy busy so far with work and trips out of town and family outings. There's just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day!

But, Ted and I purchased a new (to us!) travel trailer a month or so ago and we absolutely adore it! Basically, when I'm at home, I'm working... or sleeping. And unless we're eating together or out somewhere, I don't get a whole lot of quality family time. We figured that getting this trailer would make it easier for us to just pick up and go. With Ted being off work waiting for shoulder surgery, we are pretty flexible on when we can leave.

It's been AWESOME! The kids love it, we love it... it's our home away from home!

Kids are LOVING being able to roast marshmellows this year!

It rained just about every day we were up at Rolley Lake for at least 15 minutes at a time... no worries... we just headed inside and had some lunch!

Our good friends Brian and Leigh (or our Trailer Buddies) as we like to call them bought their trailer quite a few months ago and it's awesome to have good friends to take off with!

Ahh.... pure relaxation! And yes, there is definitely Bailey's in that coffee right there! LOL

I bought myself a little point and shoot a couple months back so that I would start taking snapshots of the kids more... and not just the perfectly posed, perfectly composed shots, but the down dirty, au naturelle, shots. Love it!

FIVE. She's FIVE.

2009-06-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow my baby girl turns FIVE. When did this happen?? I have no idea what happened to the last five years. I remember when we found out she was coming... I was 8.5 months pregnant, walking around 5cm dialated (for the past 2 weeks) and I was gardening in our old little rancher on the navy base. Ted was sitting on the step having a beer and our doc called us up at 2:00pm and said "Hey.... ya wanna have a baby today?". And that was it... we ran in the house, showered up, packed a bag and we were at the hospital to have my water broken by 3:00pm. Contractions started at 4:00pm and she was born at 6:32pm. Yep... it was quick!!!

And now here we are... FIVE.

She's THE SWEETEST little thing in the entire world. Always caring about others, she is the best big sister. She absolutely loves Jake and he loves her. It's awesome to watch them play together. She excels in school and in all the activities she takes part in. Her absolute favorite thing to do right now is go to swimming lessons or play Polly Pockets. And just recently, she's started carrying her baby doll, Rachel, around with her. Last night she cried because she'd been so busy playing with her new toys from her party that she had ignored Rachel.... she's such an emotional girl... but it's good... she cries hard but she loves hard and laughs hard.

On the weekend she had her very first slumber party and it went off without a hitch... 8 little girls all sleeping in a tent... no fights, no tears, nothing.

The whole group together after their make overs... they got their make up done complete with face jewels and pedicures... they got their goody bags at the beginning of the party because they had their jewelery and lipstick that they needed for the make overs. ;)

She had the PRETTIEST CAKE! I didn't make it this year... just not enough hours in the day lately... but it was still homemade by Shawna from www.cakesbyshawna.com and her cakes are just so beautiful!!

Ted set up the tent in the playroom and all the girls slept in there. They were all soooo good! I couldn't believe it!

And they were up at the crack of dawn eating strawberry and blueberry pancakes with whipping cream. I KNEW we bought that 9 piece dining room set for a reason!! ;)

Happy birthday my girl... I love you to bits and I just know it will be a blink of an eye and you'll be turning 15. Sigh.

Bring On Summer!!!

2009-06-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well... we FINALLY bought a trailer! And we're SOOOOOO excited by it. We've got 10 camp trips planned this summer! We so need it cause when we're home, I'm in my office, glued to my computer screen, editing, responding to client emails and bookkeeping. So we NEED to get away. This will be such a great investment in our family and I can't wait.

Will be back with pics I'm sure!
YEY!!!

Dream

2009-05-31T22:53:00.001-07:00

EDITED TO ADD: THE VIDEO IS NOW WORKING! TRY AGAIN! :)

I had some fun with Ash last week playing dress up... I think I may have a little angel on my hands.

Made a little movie... very rough draft... didn't even edit any pics.
Wanna see it? Here it goes!! :)

Click on this link to see it... and don't forget to click the little HD button to the right of the red scroll bar to watch it in a higher quality.

Ash's Dress Up Video

Quote of the Day

2009-05-31T12:24:00.000-07:00

"I am just so happy with life... like soaking in the sun, soaking the Vitamin D, I'm soaking in Vitamin LOVE."
- Ted Kirby said right before talking about buying a trailer... AGAIN!

Photography Play Date with Auntie Kel!

2009-05-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight Auntie Kel met us at the ferry and we went into Fort Langley for a little photography playdate! My kiddos are so good when it comes to having their pictures taken so they're the perfect subjects to play with and have fun with!

I was teaching Auntie Kel some tricks and testing out my new fancy dancy camera... must say, I've FALLEN IN LOVE!!!!!! Like it feels like my insides are doing a little dance, I love it sooooo much!!!!

Here's some pics from the evening:

Quote of the Day

2009-05-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

"Why is it girl cheese... and not boy cheese?"

-Jake Kirby speaking of grilled cheese sandwiches

Graduate of Pre-School

2009-05-21T23:09:00.000-07:00

Well THIS was just yesterday wasn't it? I mean, didn't I write that blog post last week?!? It seems like the past two years of preschool have gone by so quickly, I didn't even see them go. I know they say once you have babies that time flies... and I always believed them, but it's different when it actually starts happening. It actually makes me tear up to read that post about her first day of school.

But, I couldn't be more proud of her. She truly excelled throughout her two years of preschool... both socially and academically. She is such a good little friend and all the girls love her. I adore that quality she has that just makes people fall head over heels for her as soon as they meet her.

At our parent teacher interview last year, we were told that she was not only ready for kindergarten, she'd be ready for Grade One as well!

We are just so proud of our little girl... she just continues to amaze us. We love her to bits.
So in honor of her last day, I decided to take her out for a little mini photoshoot. We were a little distracted but still managed to get some nice keepsakes.

Camping Trailer.... Anyone?!?!?

2009-05-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
Ted and I have decided that to continue our camping, etc. with the kids, it would be easiest to do it in a trailer.

Sooooo, we're looking for either a camping trailer under 19' or a tent trailer. We are up for some minor reno'ing but all equipment must be working.

If you or anyone you know has something like this sitting around in your driveway or beside your house, let us know! We'd love to come see it!!

jilliankirby@shaw.ca

Thanks so much everyone!!

Tessa!!!

2009-05-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't check my professional blog, I just wanted to let you know that I put some pics of Tessa, Jessica Webb's new little girl, on there. I know a lot of you that don't follow the blog were waiting to see them. Just click on the link below:

www.lucylimestudios.com

Quote of the Day

2009-05-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

"Honey, I'm a social butterfly... I have to spread my wings!"
- Ted Kirby

England!!!

2009-05-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

I'm back!! And for those of you who don't follow my Facebook or Lucy Lime blog (and I can think of at least 10 of you), here are some pics that I did up quick yesterday!
More to come I'm sure!

It really was an amazing trip... we were only gone for 9 days (and two of those were travelling) but my gosh, we fit a lot in! East Grinstead, two twin sessions, a day in London, Stone Henge, Cornwall and the beaches, shopping, Cornish Cider Farm, i don't know how many pubs, family visiting, old cathedrals, ancient graveyards, TWO curries, Twickenham and Richmond, cream tea, took in some surfing (not me... Shannon's Brother in law!).... soooooo much!

About half way through the trip I got some serious home sickness and was counting the hours, minutes, and seconds until I got to go home. But it got better and we had a blast! Can't wait to go back with Ted to see Scotland.... definitely will have to make it a longer trip this time.

It really is amazing to be in a place that holds soooo much history. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the though that people had been living their lives there for hundreds and hundreds of years... the architecture was just amazing and I don't think anything blew my mind like St. Pauls Cathedral. We weren't allowed to take pics but Shannon held her camera down at her hip and snap some shots... they turned out AWESOME and hopefully she'll post them on our Lucy Lime blog. Anyways, here's a few pics!

Click on the pics to see them bigger.

Boating Fun!

2009-04-25T15:20:00.001-07:00

Ted's parents just bought a boat and we headed down there to take a ride for it's maiden voyage! We all had so much fun and we can't wait to spend the summer on the ocean! The kids LOVE it (it has a little cabin underneath with a couple beds, a little kitchen and a bathroom). I don't think they came up the whole time!! LOL

It was a great maiden voyage, complete with sea lions, a huge scare with the boat almost rolling off the trailer into the water and a "visit" from the coast guard! FUN day! :)

Well... here.... pictures speak louder than words!!! ;)

Ok, so these pics posted backwards... start from the bottom and roll up! LOL

Those are Massive sea lions we found on the shores of Sucia Island.

ENGLAND, BABY!!!!

2009-04-23T21:49:00.001-07:00

OH. MY.GOSH!!
I am sooooo super excited and sooooo super thankful because I am being flown to England to photograph Shannon's (my biz partner) little sisters new twins that are being delivered in 4 hours!

Let me start by saying that I have been two places in my life.... Vegas, and... Winnipeg. Right. So, you get how amazingly excited I am to have the opportunity to travel across the world to see a different place, a different culture, world monuments and travel with one of my bestest friends!

We leave May 2nd at 5:00pm (what a way to spend a 30th birthday! ... but that's for a whole other post!) and we'll be back May 10th. Wow. I simply can't believe it.

If anyone has any travel advice, feel free to leave it in the comments, cause I have NO IDEA what I'm getting into!!!

My Niece

2009-04-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

While we're on the topic of nieces and nephews... Emme was at a newborn shoot of mine a while back and she was sooooo good! While mom was feeding baby, I took some shots of Em and her "cheer faces"! That's right... Emme has become a cheerleader! I think she has those faces down. LOL

My Nephew

2009-04-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

Our neice and nephew stopped by very briefly to die some eggs today (crappy snapshots to follow!!).
Tried to photograph Reid cause he is so cute and has such gorgeous eyes (not to mention he's the only one of the bunch that is still at the age that will give you natural looks and facial expressions). The best he would let me do is take a picture of his sad face while holding on for dear life to Papa. Ah well... it's still cute!!!

My New Mac Photobooth

2009-04-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

So as some of you know, I am a recent mac convert. And might I just take a moment to say... I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Did you know that computers are made to work?!?!? I mean, no lagging, no "Not Responding" messages, no restarting to get something to work properly... no, this thing just purrrrrrs baby! And all the programs it comes with is pretty sweet too! Programs to make movies, make music, edit photos... and my photobooth!!!

Enjoy!

Now we all know where she gets her creepy tongue trick from!!!! ;)

Spiderman... kinda.

2009-04-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

This is Jake's version of Spiderman. Well it is red and black. I bought this ladybug costume for Ash's third Halloween when she was two... she wound up going as Fiona instead. Jake wears it every day now.

At least I know the costume is getting some use. LOL

Edited to Add: Since the posting of this video our little lady but...er.... I mean Spiderman can now scale the entire washer and gets stuck up there about once an hour. LOL

Facebook

2009-03-19T15:26:00.001-07:00

We have been recent victims of identity theft (or something like it) so I've decided to deactivate my Facebook account. (It'll probably free up HOURS of my day too LOL)

If you have to get a hold of me email me!! :)
jilliankirby@shaw.ca

Thanks guys.
Jill

My Baby's First Dance Recital!!!

2009-03-08T22:42:00.000-07:00

Today Ash had her very first Dance Recital!! She's just the cutest little ballerina ever and flittering around acting like a princess in a tutu is right up her alley! I decided to go with her and be a backstage mom and boy am I glad I did!! She had a serious nerves meltdown right before they were called to go on and I had to talk her down... she was so panicky, I'm not sure that someone else's mom could have done it. But we worked it out and she went on stage and she was a star!! Honestly, it was probably one of my most proud moments of a parent... I had no idea that I would cry like a baby watching her out there (from the side stage)... but I was a mess!!

So proud of her!!

Here's some shots of my girl:

Here are the four girls in her group before the show... we had to be there 1.5 hours early and they just sat backstage and watched movies and colored... little angels, they were!

Here they are lined up to leave the green room and go backstage to do their dance... they were so nervous... I WAS SO NERVOUS!

This is backstage... they're going on next and they're watching the group before them dance on stage... it was intimidating... it was dark and there were big bright lights shinging down... Ash looks so scared!! LOL

But, they went on... here they are standing in the dark on the stage waiting for the music to start.

And when the lights did finally come on, they went to work and they all did fantastic!!! :)

My mom said she was the only one that smiled the whole show... I think it's because during our "pep talk" before the show, I told her that when I get nervous to do anything in front of people, I just picture them all in their underwear! Well, that's all she needed to hear and she was good as new and couldn't wait to get on that stage to check out everyone's underwear!! LOL

When they were done, she ran off the stage and right when everything was dead silent she yelled "Mommy, Daddy was wearing purple underwear with blue polka dots!!!".. HILARIOUS!!

Here they are all together after the show! SOOOOOO CUTE!!! The two on either side of Ash are her good little friends Megan and Tessa. I'm so glad she has them! When she goes to her new school in September, it will be so nice that she will have them. They are both just the sweetest little girls ever.

So proud of you Ash!!

Random Things

2009-03-04T21:45:00.001-08:00

I got tagged by a fellow photog friend of mine... and while I love doing/reading these, I doubt my clients want to read it... so I'll post it here! LOL

Copy this list and place a YES by all the things you’ve done and a NO from the ones you have not. Then tag your friends. This is for your entire life!

Been to Europe - No

Been on a cruise - No

Gone on a blind date -No

Skipped school - Yes

Watched someone die - No

Been to Canada - Yes

Been to Mexico - No

Been to Florida - No

Been on a plane - yes, only as of 5 years ago!!

Climbed a lighthouse - No

Swam in the ocean - yes

Cried yourself to sleep - yes

Seen the Cherry Blossoms in Washington , D.C. - No... but I think the ones here are much better!

Played cops and robbers - yes

Flown a plane - No!!

Owned a boat - No... buy my in-laws just bought one!!

Watched grandchildren grow - No! But hopefully one day!

Recently colored with crayons - yes

Been to the Kentucky Derby -No

Been to Key West -No

Been to a rodeo - yes

Sang Karaoke - Yes... oh geeze.

Paid for a meal with coins only - No

Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? - Yes... so very often now that I'm a mom.

Made prank phone calls - yes

Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose - oh yeah

Caught a snowflake on your tongue - yes

Danced in the rain - yes

Written a letter to Santa Claus - yes

Been kissed under the mistletoe - yes

Watched the sunrise with someone - yes

Seen the green flash at sunset - no

Blown bubbles - yes

Gone ice-skating - Yes

Gone to the movies - yes

Owned a convertible - Nope... does a sunroof count??

Been to Hawaii -No

Been to Marrakesh-No

Been to Bali - No

Been to Colombia- No ... ok these "Been to" questions are starting to depress me.

Eaten just cookies for dinner - No... but I've eaten just cookie DOUGH for dinner!

Been on TV - Yep

Steal any traffic sign -No

Any nickname? Yes... LOTS

Body Piercing? Yes

How much do you love your job? THIS MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthplace? Murrayville, BC

Ever been in a car accident? Yep

Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door

Favorite number? 12

Favorite movie? hmmm.... Hitch.

Favorite holiday? Christmas

Favorite dessert? True Homeade pie

Favorite food? Chocolate

Favorite day of the week? Friday

Favorite smell? Cinnamon, coffee, vanilla (these were my friend's answers... but I like them too!)

How do you relax? Sleep

Been to Japan? No... here we go again.

Been to India? No.

Ash's Party Trick

2009-02-27T19:50:00.001-08:00

She gets it from her Grandpa Ian...

Pics from today! :)

2009-02-27T16:06:00.001-08:00

4 Years Ago Today....

2009-02-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

.... Ted and I got married. It was a day almost exactly like this... minus the cold temperature and snow. It was the perfect, warm, sunny day. Honestly, I'd never been so relaxed. Looking back at that day, I wasn't nervous, there were no cold feet. I was anxious... I just wanted it done... I just wanted to be his wife.

We had a late evening wedding so I had all day to fiddle around, go out for breaky, go shopping, get a massage, and just relax. And the night itself was perfect. Everything went as planned (minus a slight lack of food) and everyone had a blast (and got hammered on us!! ... probably due to the lack of food!)... just how we hoped to celebrate the day with our friends and family.

We don't really celebrate this day now. Occasionally we'll go to the casino or out for a quick dinner but both of us have been known to forget that it even came around. Life gets crazy... things are nuts... it may all change when babies are grown and life calms itself. But he called me this morning to tell me that he loved me and if he could rewind back 4 years, he would do it all over... exactly the same way. I agree. That's all the present I need.

I just feel so lucky to know in my heart that I truly married my soul mate... yes we fight, we bicker, times get hard... but we love each other so much and at the end of the day when I crawl into bed next to him and snuggle up, sigh a deep breath of relief and close my eyes, I'm just so glad he's mine. :)

Now because I need to post a photo with every post and I don't have any of me and Ted, here are my babies and their good little friend Em!

I know Ash looks like someone just took away her teddy in this pic, but I just think she's so garshdarned cute I couldn't help myself!!

My Little Taylor Swift

2009-02-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

My girl is a HUGE fan of Taylor Swift... HUGE. Here's the proof:

Fooling Around...

2009-02-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

Today we had our friend Carol and her beautiful daughters over for a playdate and when they left, we were a little wound up, so we pulled out the camera and took some shots! Thought I'd share! Jakey is a little more cooperative in front of the camera lately so there's two of him! :)
Enjoy!

Introductions

2009-02-02T23:17:00.001-08:00

So I always talk about "my girls"... they are my photography ladies that I get together with every once awhile but chat with online and share stories with daily. I love these ladies and in the last year, I've grown so close to them that I couldn't imagine my life without them!
Thought I'd introduce you to them! :) Took some shots of my girls...

A couple weeks back we all got together and did a nice little photoshoot for each other. It was so fun! We drank wine, talked shop, played with gear and all in all had a great afternoon! I love our "playdates". Can't wait till the next one ladies!

Kristy Harrison of Kristy Harrison Photography

Carol Kerfoot of Carol Kerfoot Photography

Sarah Funk of Silver Lamb Studios

Cathy Empey of Boudoir by Cathy

2008 Goals

2009-01-31T20:36:00.001-08:00

So while googling myself (I know... I'm lame, but it's for business purposes!!) I found my old 2008 Goal Blog. It's disabled now but I was able to find my list of goals for 2008 which read as follows:

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

My 2008 Goals

1. Lose 28 pounds... Get back down to my pre-pregnancies weight.

2. De-STRESS... Buy the book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.

3. Time Management... Create some sort of daily schedule and stick to it!

4. Learn to Say No... I'm not superwoman, and I CAN'T do everything.

5. 4 Shoots a Month.... and STICK TO IT!! (Of course, exceptions here are time-sensitive shoots).

6. Save $$$... Cut out the frivolous spending. This means fast food, slurpees, etc. (see goal #1)

7. Me Time! ... Find some time for me (may take on the form of nightly walking/jogging).

8. Get SLEEP... no more 2am nights.

9. Photograph for fun... Not just work.

10. Slow down... take it all in.

So the only ones I was successful at were.... ok.... crap.... None.
Well now... here we are almost exactly a year later and boy did I fail! Wow, I could write the exact same list for this year... how depressing.
It's not easy being a stay at home mom, working full time running your own business, be a good wife, a good daughter, a good sister, a good friend, a good everything and still have time for me.

I'm not going to make another list, because, to be honest, I don't think I would be successful at it. Some of those things just won't come until both my babies are in school full time and a little more independent. Right now, my family needs me more than I need me and I'm pretty ok with that... after all, I have the rest of my life to lose 28 lbs, get sleep and save money. Ok... so Ted would rather that I get on that last one relatively soon! LOL

Ted renovated my upstairs bathroom this weekend with the help of my amazing father. I honestly am the luckiest girl in the world to have the two of them in my life. SO come on by and see the pretty above counter sink and fancy faucet! LOL!

Till next time! :)

First Post of 2009!!

2009-01-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

Well it seems that I haven't followed through on my blogging resolution like I thought I would... 2009 was supposed to be a lot slower and I was supposed to be a LOT more bored than I am! LOL I have to say though, I can't complain! I have amazing clients and they keep me nice and busy! Right now, I'm booking into June and that's just CRAZY for newborn photography... I mean, who books their maternity and newborn photos at 3 months preggo?!?!? My clients apparently!

I take it as a huge compliment and I am just so thankful that this little venture that started not even two years ago has taken off so successfully... it doesn't get much better than doing what you love for a living AND being able to stay home with your kids. Don't get me wrong, life isn't all peaches and cream... it gets stressful and a delicate balance needs to be found (still searching!) but all in all, I can't complain!

So anyways, I just wanted to give all of you that aren't on Facebook a little update and say that I am going to keep this blog updated with the going ons in my life and my family's life. So here are a couple recent pics of Ash and Jake taken today and yesterday. :) Note the sweater that Jake is wearing... thanks Uncle Blair!! He LOVES IT!!!

LOVE THIS!!!

2008-12-28T12:46:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-21T20:54:00.001-08:00

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!!!

2008-12-19T17:01:00.001-08:00

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!

2008-12-08T15:52:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-11-25T19:54:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-16T22:53:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-11-16T22:12:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-10-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-10-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-10-15T15:08:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-10-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Lucy Lime

2008-10-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

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?!?

2008-10-01T23:27:00.001-07:00

My Buddy....

2008-09-30T13:45:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-09-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

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!!