Family Update

It seems like I can't get my blogging act together this year! I guess now that Zachary is so much more active and my little goal to let my photography business "be what it will be," has actually kept me busier than I thought. So I'm very overdue for a blog update and I want to catch things up this week!

I guess we'll start from the oldest and go to the youngest? Kevin is working hard as always. He's joined a new group at work and his hours are changing a lot. It gets frustrating at times, never knowing what is schedule or days of will be from week to week, not to mention the fact that he gets paid a lot less if he has to work days, but we are managing. He still makes time for his family and that's what is really important.

I remember being really frustrated with not having a lot of business last year. Looking back, it really was for the best. I mean, come on! I had just had a baby, among other things. So I had resolved not to even try this year to get new business. Ha, ha! I love how we think our lives are going in one direction and God laughs in our face and sends us spinning in another. I have been busier this year than I have ever been! And it's a good thing too, with Kevin losing some income from his new detail. I've been able to help pitch in with the finances and it feels great to be able to help out with the family while doing something I am passionate about. I've made several new contacts and have been honored to work with some really wonderful photographers on weddings and I am growing in ways that I never would have been able to on my own.

Balancing home life with mine and Kevin's jobs is always tricky. Fortunately we have great kids and it seems to work out. Anslie is growing up to be such a sweet little kid. I think she's finally starting to grow out of her terrible twos. She's now three and a half years old, and such a princess! Don't get me wrong...we still have lots of tantrums and refusals to do anything I ask her to do. But every so often I get an "okay, mommy...." She's a great help to me with entertaining Zac, as well as a wonderful instigator of mischief. Her thing right now is calling Kevin and I by our first names. It's a little jarring at times, but I know if I just let her get it out of her system she'll get over it. It can be pretty funny at times though. Her favorite things to do are paint and cut (paper with scissors). She'll entertain herself for quite some time with arts and crafts. She also loves music and dancing. She's my little buddy when I watch shows on TV like American Idol and The Voice. Since she doesn't nap anymore, we enjoy quiet afternoons together while Zac naps, watching movies, tv, doing art, or she'll even play by herself in the play room for a bit. Anslie is becoming really vocal with her imagination. I love to hear what she is thinking as she plays with her dolls or play kitchen. She is really creative and so smart! She has a really great memory, too, so we have to be careful about what goes on around her. Kevin was amazed the other day when he took her to the grocery store with him and she asked to be weighed in the produce scale. When she was younger and we were so worried about her weight gain, we used to take her to the store and plop her on the scale to check her weight. That was when she was around the age of one! Amazing. Anslie is so sweet and wonderful and a little devil all rolled up into one. So I guess she is the consummate toddler!

Zachary has grown so much! He is 21lbs, which isn't huge, but I swear the doctor's scales are off! He feels so much heavier to me! Not only is he crawling like a madman, he's also starting to walk! I will post some videos at another time. He can stand on his own without holding onto anything and will take a couple steps before tumbling over. It's so cute! He says "Da, da" and "Ma, ma" but I'm not sure if he understands what he's saying or if they're just noises still. That's not to say that he doesn't communicate. He will shake his head "no" if he doesn't want something. If he's hungry and sitting in his high chair and wants a bite, he'll rock back and forth and click his tongue as if to say, "put that in my mouth." He's actually really vocal and quite loud! Zac also can wave hello and goodbye and give high fives. He's also a little comedian. He does silly things and then laughs. When we laugh, he does it again. He has this face that he makes that I am in love with! He squints his eyes and wrinkles his nose and gives me a big cheesy grin while tossing his head back. It's so sweet! Zac is certainly a mama's boy but he loves his daddy too. He will claw himself out of my arms or crawl over to the baby gate up in the hallway and shake it and shout until Kevin says hello to him when he gets home from work. This kid is so affectionate and doesn't have any problems telling you he loves you. He's quick to laugh and for the most part easy to please. Such a blessing to have in our home!

Our family is doing well. Nothing really big is happening, but I'm honestly okay with that. We're enjoying our lives, our home, and our community. I'm excited for this summer and all of the fun we'll have now that I'm not pregnant and Zac isn't such a small baby. I'm sure I'll have tons more to post about all of our adventures! (If I can keep my act together, that is:)