roman turns 8.

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Can hardly believe that this little ( BIG ) boy turned 8 in December. The time since he was born has gone by so quickly yet at the same time feels like an eternity. I can barely remember Roman as a newborn, Roman as a 2, 4 or 6 year old. Other than today, all the other days feel like a blur of memories swirling around somewhere high above me out of reach. There are millions of little moments that stick out in my head, playing back in my mind like clips from a movie. That's how I feel as a mother. Their story is playing out fiery quick as I to grab onto a few bits and beautiful pieces to play on repeat in my mind, trying to preserve some of the miracle that is happening right in front of my eyes.

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The sweetest you see in that photo above truly personifies Roman exactly. He is sweet and sentimental and wise beyond his years. He feels deeply and loves passionately and I couldn't be prouder or happier to call him mine.

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Last night we laid in bed together when I was putting him to sleep. 

He says, "I love you." 

I say, "I love you more." 

He says, "Don't get me started." 

I say, "I love you moon." 

and he says, "I love you star," just like he always has. 

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I'll finish this post here before I dip in too deep into that realm of loving my babies so much it hurts. Too late, I'm already there. <3

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Here's to the best 8th year for my sweetest boy. 

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do you read pictures as poems?

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i haven't posted in a bit. but i have been taking pictures like crazy and here are a few i have to share with you today: portraits of ash, pieces of my beautiful, lovely, wonderful and wild-hearted little boy.
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do you read your pictures as poems? because i do. i read each one like a story, not necessarily one with a beginning and an end. more like notes scribbled out on scrap paper, thoughts swirling around a beautiful instant captured and frozen in time. the poem here is all about a little wisp of a boy. a boy who is fiery and fierce, but who, when he pauses, can tell stories with his eyes. this poem is about the pieces of the people who came before this little life that the camera captures in his face.

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 in this picture i see a boy who is trying to please his mother by letting her take his photograph. but when i look closer i see the pain of how i've tried to please others in my life as well. i see my hopes and wishes for this special soul, expecting that he will meet pain and struggle in life and of course knowing that he already has. stay strong my son, keep making people happy but also take those moments to close your eyes and find what makes you shine.

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swinging.

swinging,

asher . september 2014

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aren't photographs wonderful? i took these pictures laying in the mulch at the playground but for all anyone knows maybe they were taken in a studio or maybe they were photoshopped,

or maybe they were just taken in a dream?

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a boy + his dog.

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oh these pictures! they make me so happy. i took these at the beginning of our last FabKids shoot, before asher would give in and put his new sweatshirt on.
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the dreamy golden sunshine and this filled to the brim with joy little guy and his dalmation who happens to match his outfit ...  perfection.

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sidenote, this little red shirt is making an appearance a LOT on the blog lately. partly because some of these photos were taken on the same day and sprinkled into separate posts. partly because, it's awesome.

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portraits of a two year old.

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     i took these photos of asher right before he turned 3. he is wearing a tie dyed shirt that roman and i made when i was still pregnant with asher. we dyed and tie dyed a bunch of onesies + matching big boy shirts together that summer. asher's hair is long + curly in these pictures and on his birthday i cut his hair for the hundredth time while he sat our little stool in the living room.
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     i love these photographs, the last portraits of my two year old.
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     a little china doll made real.
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     these pictures remind me of these, taken of asher at 21 months old.
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FabKids // July Picks.

We are having so much fun using the FabKids subscription clothing company! My boys now know what to expect when a FabKids package arrives at our door and they tear in immediately to check out their new outfits! Roman and Asher really have enjoyed the process of choosing outfits each month and then seeing that blue package arrive at the door.
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We have a pretty good time with our photo shoots as well. :)
I am really happy with the shorts that came with these outfits. They remind me of the shorts from our April outfits; they are thin and soft and I love the fun pattern! Asher's outfit came with 2 little tank tops (which are sold as a pair for the price of one!) and I'm pretty much dying over that cuteness. I tried to talk Roman into the tank tops as well since he is hot blooded as ever and needs a few more of these, but once he saw this shark shirt his mind was made up!
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You can check out FabKids for yourself here!
The monthly price is $29.95 and includes a two piece outfit that you and your child get to choose. You can skip ANY month as many times as you want. FabKids also offers a lot of great deals and specials to their members such as $10 shorts or buy one get one free outfits + anyone can use a referral link to earn free outfits! Also, if you use the links from this post to sign up - your first FabKids outfit will only be $15!
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You can see other FabKids posts here, here + here.

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*FabKids provided me with the clothing featured in this post in exchange for these photographs + this review. 

This post also includes referral links. Thank you so much for supporting my family and providing us with these fun opportunities! We truly appreciate it!*

shine.

asher,

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sometimes i catch you in a moment of stillness and it is one of my favorite things in the world.
usually your mind and body are busy and fast, reckless and worried,
but many times you stop in gentle wonder and your sweetness fills me up.
like this evening, in indiana, where the flowers and the fence, the light and the still quiet world
were all just absolutely perfect.

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and i'm certain that the only things that really existed then
were you and i, daisies and soft sunshine, your skinny little legs and soft blonde curls,
country roads and pebble roads,

peace and love for miles around...

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i love these little moments; pockets of beauty in otherwise draining days.

it's nice to stop sometimes,
 and watch you shine.

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shine on, little one, shine on.

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"Shine" is the June writing prompt of The Mommy Blogger Collective. In addition to a monthly writing prompt, the collective hosts a monthly blogger featurette. This month we are featuring Christina of Mouse in Your House. A few words from Christina --- At Mouse In Your House, I’m bringing you stories about being a working mom, quirky family lifestyle trends, frugal living, DIY ideas and the talented people who make life something amazing. I hate getting bored and occasionally use Mouse In Your House to ask people very personal questions that I would, otherwise, never get away with. My goal is to find chicks and gents doing something cool and inspiring, which could lead to a feature about a family who took the year off to travel the world one day and the next day's post could be all about how to dress a stylish toddler. To qualify for a feature, I need only go, holy moly that is frigging awesome....and you may even get a long set of questions for our next Q&A. That's the way I roll. And P.S. I LOVE budgeting and it has taken over our lives in the past. We recently graduated from living in a 400 square-foot apartment to a 1,400 square foot house in my beloved small town of Knoxville, Tennessee. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+. /// The Mommy Blogger Collective /// Christina, Courteney, Dena, Erica, Erin, Gillian, Katie, Misty, Nicole, and Renée. ///

adventure family in motion.

     last friday, i had a chance to share a guest post over at the adventure family in motion blog and i wanted to let you all know about it! adventure family in motion is such a neat blog dedicated to families who are passionate about living a life filled with adventure and a love for the outdoors! you can find my post by clicking here where i share a little bit about our family's move to colorado.

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    preparing for this post, i went through a lot of photos that i've collected since our move here. i have seriously adored being able to appreciate the gorgeous scenery where we live and to be able to capture the ones i love amongst it. you can head over to my guest post to view some more of my favorites, but i'll share a few here as well. they are repeats, but worth it i'd say. ;)

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     one thing that i touched upon in my guest post is how much we love to spend time outdoors hiking here in colorado. nothing fancy; we just pack up the kids, grab some water bottles and head out to explore. does your family spend a lot of time outside? what are your favorite kind of adventures?

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( if you enjoy my blog, click below to vote! )