Post #29 of Personal Project 52 weeks.
.jpg "Aldergrove Family Photographer")
* Christmas Cards. I received so many beautiful cards and photos this year. I am also part of a photography forum where we do a Christmas card swap. Really beautiful and inspiring cards were sent to me from all over the world.
* Shopping at the second hand store for some treasures. This vintage mirror is undergoing a transformation. A little white paint and a little chalkboard paint… so excited! I also purchase a lamp that I spray painted. Just have to find the right shade for it.
* Christmas with the L family. Sometimes I feel like I can just burst with thankfulness. This was the first time the whole family was together in Mom and Dad’s new house. Mom cooked us an amazing feast (on her birthday no less). The kids had plenty of room to play, while the adults could socialize and play games. 12 adults and 7 kids. After dinner we each contributed a little something (a song, a poem, a game, a video, a text) to our own Christmas program… an old, re-instituted tradition.
* Lawn games on Christmas day. Mattias is a little young for lawn darts, but he gets an A+ for effort.
* Boxing Day was another day with the L family. The kids had a gift exchange. Noah was easily the most excited about it all. Intense actually. He wanted to run presents to everyone, help everyone open their present, he hovered over each and every one. I wish I could bottle that excitement.
* Noah received a Lego firetruck. His pride and joy. Thanks cousin Jaimee!
The Vriend Family. Vriend means friend in Dutch. My father, a Dutch genealogy buff, could tell me the origins of the last name which typically leads to an explanation of the real meaning of the last name, probably nothing to do with friend… if you read his blog on the meaning of Dutch last names, you’ll see what I mean. Regardless, I quite like the literal translation: friend. This family was fun and super friendly. I really enjoyed my time with you guys!
We met up at Mill Lake in Abbotsford for the session. It was a cold crisp day in December but the weather co-operated. The family was wonderful, the kids had lots of energy and I daresay, we had a little fun! There were 10 adults and 10 kids and 1 baby on the way.
And look how fabulous they were with coordinating their outfits. It was perfect!
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
Each family had photos taken.
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
Look at that gorgeous baby bump. PS. I love the boots.
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
Four kids under the age of 4. LOVE IT!!!
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
I was simply shocked that they all sat and posed for the camera. They really did earn their treat that day!
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
And it’s the whole gang.
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
Shots of the grandchildren.
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
This young lady was officially adopted into the family just over a year ago.
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
The lovely grandma and grandpa.
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
Grandma & Grandpa with the grandkids.
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
Everyone again.
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
Everyone hug someone close to you.
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
Let’s play!
.jpg "Abbotsford Family Photographer")
Post #28 of Personal Project 52 weeks.
.jpg "Aldergrove Family Photographer")
* Tofino. We spent a wonderful weekend away on Vancouver Island. With friends. No kids. We stayed in Ucluelet at Reef Point Cottages. Super cute little community of milk-carton-style cabins. Nothing fancy, but we had a hot tub. We ate out. We drove around. We got wet. It was incredibly windy as well. We talked without interruption. We watched crazy surfers. Art and Jake watched a storm (and took photos). Mar and I hid in the car. It was relaxing and wonderful.
* Christmas cards sent out. Always a big feat.
* The boys at Oma’s house. She treats them so well. Little bowls with raisins, a movie, blankets.
* Party trick. He can curl his feet so that they sort of fold in half. His feet are tiny. He still fits in a size 4. Age appropriate for 9-12 months. He is 18 months. Our joyful little peanut.
* Gingerbread cookies. I forget the recipe I used. Somewhere online here… Annie Eats. They were chewy and spicy. My favorite kind of gingerbread. Noah loves to page through the Kraft magazine and select treats to bake. He had his eye on gingerbread men for a long time now, so we buckled down and got to work. I learned something about myself that day: I do not like to decorate cookies. It’s tedious. Boring. Gives me carpel tunnel. And probably the real reason… they never turn out how I expect them to. Noah also bailed on me about 15 minutes in… so there was no redemption in the quality time spent with my son. BUT they were yummy. And I will make them again. Without piping.
* Kitchen Aid blender. The plastic/rubber thingie called a coupler burned and then melted on me. All I was doing was blending up bread crusts for bread crumbs. Bread. Soft forgiving toasted bread. Not rocks. Not ice. Not impressed.
* I love that face. He’s practicing his screech here.
* Noah has decided that he likes to do dishes. Of course Mattias is in there like a dirty shirt.
* Received a fabulous set of table and chairs from a lovely family in our church. Oh how we love them. The kids spend countless hours playing, eating, climbing and staring out the window on their new furniture. Plus I love how rustic this set is. I love photographing the kids by the window because it is the best light in our house and now they automatically spend lots of time there.
-
I too dislike baking when it doesn’t turn out like the picture – it’s as though the effort put into it doesn’t show. I love the beach picture, one place I missed so much when living in Calgary. Yes, Mattias has small feet! Silas’ feet are that size! Washing dishes … ah what joys, better then helping with the cooking though 😉ReplyCancel
-
love the pic of the boys by the sink, Noah’s Pj’s make it so bright and cheery.
I totally know about the blender thing, i had that happen to my first one too. I went on a mission to find a blender with a metal gear thingie, out of like 20 different ones i finally found one, but I’m still confused as to why they’d make that piece with some cheap plastic part ;PReplyCancel -
http://www.celebratingadoption.org
The above is the website I was talking about at the family photos. I am looking forward to seeing the photos. Thanks again.
Post #27 of Personal Project 52 weeks.
.jpg "Aldergrove Family Photographer")
* Noah would rather never bathe. And Mattias asks to bathe after every meal.
* Christmas cards for this year.
* We celebrate Sinterklaas every year. A Dutch tradition that both Art and I grew up with. Although we have slightly modified it from the real Dutch version, we definitely make a day out of it. Noah is more than happy to open gifts for this occasion.
* Bring on the Christmas festivities. I love Christmas-time. So does Noah. He was thrilled to help me decorate the tree. Every year I have dreams of a tree trimming party that includes hot chocolate, Christmas music, lots of laughing and fun decorating the Christmas tree. But really? With young children? Is this possible? One child wants to throw every ball (read: ornament) he sees. The other child would have alternating meltdowns between ornament placement and said thrown balls. So rather than try cram Christmas cheer into a short evening (after dinner and before bedtime), Noah and I decorated the tree in peace, with much joy while little M. napped and Art was at work.
* Sinterklaas at the European Deli. The kids loved it.
* Our fireman. Sinterklaas gift.
* The horse drawn carriage ride was a hit.
-
Okay – Mattias has some great expressions! he looks scared with Santa! and too funny with him in the bath!
With the whole tree trimming – I keep telling myself that every year will get better, and you know what….this year was fun with the ages of the kids…so there’s hope!
And I love your Christmas card! 😀ReplyCancel
Post #26 of Personal Project 52 weeks.
I knew it would happen. The execution portion of the project. Strong start, slow finish. I don’t actually know what happened to the “Third week of November”. I suspect when looking at the time stamp of my photos that Post #24 should actually have been Post #24 and #25. Somewhere along the way something was mixed up. Let’s not dwell on it, okay?
.jpg "Langley Family Photographer")
* A rescue from the office of the Windmill Herald. My parents have some of the coolest retro things in their home and my dad at his office. Think chandeliers. Purple shag carpet. 1950s danish modern teak furniture. Old typewriters. Old suitcases. Don’t even get me started on “the archives” filled with old newspapers and magazines. And all the wonderful organizational cubby’s for managing these collectibles. Of course, they don’t know it’s cool. I only spotted this one because Art was bringing a load to the dump for them. I don’t know what to do with this beauty yet. What it will be purposed for. At minimum it could serve as a garage for Noah’s cars. If we had a large enough closet, it would become a perfect organizer for ties, belts and such. Or it could function in my office as an organizer for crafting stuff (only to be ripped apart by my 3 1/2 year old and in a couple of months by my 1 1/2 year old when he figures out how to climb on my desk… total toddler magnet or maybe just my toddlers). It would serve as a lovely display for a collection. I don’t collect. Although I could start. It runs in the family, you know. Collecting.
* Mattias started his week with mucus and medication. As I write this (over 3 weeks later) he is still infected. And me too. A self-portrait of us hanging out on Sunday morning while the other 2 are at church.
* On a bright sun-filled day in the winter, the light in our house makes me so happy.
* We are not a hockey family. Stop wincing. I’m not saying it won’t come with time. Or that we won’t give our boys opportunity to love it. I’m just saying that we’re not hockey nuts right now. However, Noah is starting to comprehend that hockey is a big part of many boys lives. So he begs to play hockey. But his favorite part is coming inside for hot cocoa with marshmallows.
* It snowed and we were all delighted.
* There is something so cozy about the kids playing on our bed. Tias calls it “nigh nigh” and lunges himself out of my arms onto the bed whenever he sees it. He precariously teeters at the edge of the bed while trying to peer out the window or see himself in our mirror. He’s never fallen off, but I prefer not to watch… knowing that I can’t save him if he were to fall.
* A relatively new development. Chewing on his shirt. Hopefully it is short-lived.
* It was COLD this week.
-
Hey Karin – Kudos to you for taking the time to do such a project! Thanks for letting me (and other blog readers) into your life. You will love this book that you are going to have down the road.
You have inspired me to take on such a project (I was considering a picture a day but not sure if I can commit to it 100%!) in the new year.ReplyCancel
-
Did you end up completing the 52 weeks? I’ve been so impressed by what you’ve done so far – it’s part of what is inspiring me for my personal project this year! Like Audrey … I adore the lighting … like Lindsay the comments & dialogue makes me laugh … and like Terryl, I’m inspired! Happy New Year Karin!ReplyCancel
Wenda - Gotta love the holidays! That family time is so precious.
Lynette - That mirror is tres fabulous! I can’t wait to see the finished product. And by the way, you’re over halfway to the end of your project… keep it at! It will be so rewarding when you’re finished.
Myla » 15 days old » Langley Newborn Photographer » Karin Louwerse Photography - […] was pumped to be able to use my newly revamped chalk board sign. I keep on looking for new things to cover with chalk board paint. Really quite fun. That and spray […]
Jaimee - You’re welcome Noah! Let’s play firetrucks sometime. I’ll bring my dalmation fire-doggie!
(Well done Karin! Enjoyed all the posts over the last 12 months. Helps me keep up-to-date with my fantastic nephews….will 2011 be as creative?? -Ed)