My photography blog attempt #2…

Okay..sorry the last link didn’t work… Let’s try it again…

Terri Anne Photography

Forever changed...

Three years ago today in a tiny hot room off the lobby of the Westin Hotel in Guatemala City I held my daughter for the first time.  I won't say it's the day I became a Mom, because I was a Mom in my heart long before that moment, but it is a moment that I will never forget.  She is my heart, she is my joy, she is my light, and my laughter... I love you sweet girl!!  I'm so blessed to be your Mommy!

Look at my little peanut!!  That was back when I wore jewelry.

It was such a blessing my parents were able to make the trip with me...

 

 

I have some pictures from this weekend & today I want to post as a 'then & now', (including a most unflattering self-portrait), but it will have to wait as my computer is being absolutely hateful, so you'll have to wait for part II...

 

 

New Business Venture

I'm venturing into the competitive world of portrait/event photography... I've got a long way to go to improve my skills, but am very excited to begin to actively pursue this passion...
I've started a blog if you want to check it out...

Terri Anne Photography

Little People All In A Row...

I love "Little People"... I think I love them more than Madalynn, and if it were up to me we'd have every toy they make in our house!... I just love them.  Every once in awhile she'll pick up our her collection of Little People, and make up little stories for them, which I just love...  Yesterday, she created this line... I'm not sure what these people were quened up for? It was at the Little People amusement park, so perhaps they were in line for the roller coaster....

I love the little guy on the end w/ his glasses & cell phone!!

HEY!.. No pusing... everyone will get a turn...

 

The little girl at the front of the line reminds me of Madalynn... she'll pick her up & say it's Madalynn, and then take the adult version of that one & say it's Mommy... LOVE her!!  (Yes, there is that much dust on my floor... need to get the Swiffer over to this corner)

I love this picture of her!!... Those sweet little piggy toes, and feet in her sundress, playing with her toys...

Explaining to me the story...

I just love this picture of her... even though it's her more serious side, and the picture is over exposed...

Madalynn's turn w/ my camera... not too bad... I think she's got an interesting perspective here.  I love seeing things from a child's point of view...I think Santa will get her one for Christmas... or Mommy... sometimes on the best gifts, I don't like to give credit to the big guy... does that make me a bad Mom??

Monday will mark 3 years since I held Madalynn in my arms for the first time... WOW!!  In some ways it seems like a lifetime ago, and in other ways it seems like just yesterday.... The emotions of that time, that place, that experience, and that moment are all as real to me today as they were then.... they are emotions so easy to bring back...

I posted this on my blog after we got home in Sept 2007

at night, sometimes I'd have her in bed with me, and hear all her little noises, and then I'd feel her little hand reach over to me, and I'd put my finger in it & she would just grasp on. She has the tiniest hand I've ever seen.

It occurred to me the other night when I was laying with her at bedtime, that she still does that maybe not that same way, but she wants my arm around her, or to hold my hand... could she have really been reaching for me at only 6 weeks old?  Now that I've put these 2 things together I've realized how much she needs that comfort... that reassurance.  It was that memory I kept thinking of at the airport in Guatemala City  in September, 2007 when I couldn't stop the tears... no matter how hard I tried... leaving my girl, and my heart in a foreign country for who knew how long.  God worked it all together though, and she was sleeping home in our house 6 months later almost to the day.   I still am in awe that God allowed me to stand witness to the miracle of adoption.

Just to add another plug here... I don't really know how many readers I have or not, but if you're reading this (friend, family or stranger), and you've ever felt even the slightest tug on your hear to adopt a child... domestic, foster care, related, or international (they're ALL wonderful paths to build a family)... I would STRONGLY encourage you to tug back & see what unravels... talk to other adoptive parents/families, go to free informational meetings, follow blogs on the web, or Facebook.  It is such a miracle... the path is not easy, but it's sooo worth it in the end. I ache to add to our little family.

Are You Kidding Me???

DISCLAIMER: If you're friends w/ me on FB... you've already seen this... my apologies...

Madalynn's latest art project... that would be LIPSTICK smeared over my unpainted bathroom wall... on the floor, on the sink, and on the vanity. I thought she was in bed, until she came out, and said "Mommy... I want to tell you something" I noticed a small red spot on her shirt, and I said are you bleeding..."Mommy... come see... close your eyes Mommy".... We walk down the hall... into my bathroom... "TA DA!!"

I gasped, stood in the doorway w/ my hands held up to my face, and for a split second almost laughed... It came off the sink, and vanity no problem... but the unpainted wall it smeared into a soft watercolor...oyyyy.... guess that will be my next painting project...

Just as a reminder that she is my sweet little lovebug, and I WILL look back & laugh one day... this was her when we got home from church today...holding her Puddles duck that her cousin gave to her... but Madalynn calls him "Puzzles"...

"EMO" has arrived

Madalynn loves fish... everytime my parents buy dog food at the store she loves to go see the fish.  So my parents were going the other day, and I told them to go ahead & let her pick out a low maintenance fish.... She came home carrying that container so proud & beaming.... her female Beta fish named "Nemo", or as she says "Emo"... I've been trying to re-name her "Dory" but it's not sticking...Again... don't let the lack of smiling in these pictures be an indication of her excitement... she just HATES the camera...  Unless Nemo is being fed... she stays high on a shelf... I know Madalynn would take her out & 'pet' her if given the opportunity...

 

WOW

Wow... another blog post... 2 days in a row... I doubt it's a trend though... I just found myself w/ a few minutes after dinner & before bed...

With summer winding to a close I'm going to miss so much the fresh vegetables.  One of the things I LOVE about living in New England are all the farm stands... we've been buying corn on the cob regularly, I cut Madalynn's piece in half, and it splashes on me when I cut it... it's been picked w/in a few hours of us eating it... you can't beat that!! 

This morning I went to unload the dishwasher, and opened it to find this...

This was dinner tonight all these veggies are from our local farm stand.... EXCEPT the basil which I've grown from seed since March in a container on our deck... I'm VERY proud of it...

Yesterday driving home from the grocery store Madalynn said "Mommy... I fink yur booowtifull".... She's such a sweetie...

I've also been letting Madalynn use my camera with close supervision... I'll probably get her one for Christmas... I love seeing kids photos, and the world from their perspective.  My camera is fairly heavy, so she can have a hard time catching the photo before the camera starts sliding down.

Of course a shot of Grandpa too... isn't he the cutest??  She did a good job on this one...

 

Busy August...

I can't believe we're halfway through August... how did THAT happen?  Time is going too fast.  I was laying with Madalynn tonight before she fell asleep just wishing she could stay like this forever... 3 is such a fun age. 

Last week we went blueberry picking...it was an adventure to say the least, and one we won't be repeating next year.  My first clue was when driving there, and we ran out of road... for awhile... a long while.  I was thinking no one is ever going to see us again!  Also, Madalynn did NOT have the attention span for blueberry picking... we did get a bucket almost 1/2 full, I was hoping to have a freezer full to last the winter... not quite.

Doesn't she look thrilled?

She was pretty excited we found a ladybug...

 

Then on Saturday we went to the beach w/ my brother & his family... it was a little chilly, but we still had a great time...

Then today we went to a local fair... it wasn't worth the price of admission, but Madalynn had fun seeing the animals, and it was a gorgeous day, and something different to do...  Madalynn got her face painted... I'm not sure why it was painted on her arm...

 

Then we went out for ice cream... the hand on the hip kills me...

Then today I took Madalynn out for a photo shoot... I'm looking for opportunities to get more practice with my camera so I bribed her into modeling... still not REAL cooperative but better than usual.  The bribe was I'd let her take pictures when we're done.  I wish I hadn't dressed her in white though against the white building...

She began gathering sticks at the same point she was asking me "Mommy do you know how to get home?"... perhaps she was gathering firewood in case I couldn't get us back home.

 

I love her expression in this one...

I did some editing on the one below...