The Player Piano.

My mom is amazing.  Ask anyone who knows her and they'd same the same thing.  She's a painter, a glass worker, a fiber artist, a singer, an interior designer, and because she has perfect pitch she can play just about anything on the piano - in any key you'd like.   And I love to watch her play - her beautiful hands dancing across the keys.   I wish I could watch her more.  Maybe once she and my dad are back from Brazil...(hint hint, nudge nudge, Mom).

And now, she can do it in my home since yesterday we became proud owners of a piano.  We had a piano in the past - a free one - which means it looked and sounded free too.  So once we realized it had became more like a holder of random papers and water cups than an instrument - we got rid of it.  But lately I've been determined to get back in the game with a better piano.  And I found the perfect fit.  It's an old player piano - refinished and it's "guts" removed and replaced with a digital keyboard.  Pretty cool, eh?

I love that I got the satisfaction of having something used and "seasoned" but also something new with little upkeep.  Golliwog's Cakewalk...here I come.

Sometimes our worst nightmare becomes our happiest dream come true.

Two and a half years ago I said something along the lines of "if that happened it would truly truly be my worst nightmare come true.  It was a couple months after Peter was born and Mike and I were talking about the idea of accidentally getting pregnant.  Little did I know that a matter of weeks later I would find myself accidentally pregnant!  The day I found out I was floored.  You can read the post I wrote to announce it.   I really wasn't sure then if I would make it through the next year and a half of my life.

Peter's first birthday - Asher's one week birthday.

And now, I'm so so SO grateful that my worst nightmare came true.  How happy we are two have "the babies".  I guess since Asher turns two next week and Peter three the week after that they are not really "the babies" anymore but maybe they always will be to me.

And I can't wait to celebrate another birthday week with these guys.  Each year for exactly one week they're the same age.  I'm sure this coming week with double two-year-olds will be filled with lots of mess and tears and bruises - but most of all - with joy.  Here are a few shots of the two of them together from the past couple years.  I can't wait to do a photo shoot with the two of them during the birthday week!

 

So even if you feel like everything is falling apart in your life - know that often it has to fall apart to be put back together as something even better.

Spring on the farm.

Honestly, most days I really do pinch myself when it comes to how amazing it is out here.  I love it - I think it's one of the prettiest places I've ever been - and it's where I live and what I look at as I wash the dishes.  And now the beauty of where we live has outdone itself by welcoming in the spring.

It's the time of year when the first flowers are pushing through the dead leaves and cold soil.  The time of year when indoor kitties become outdoor kitties.

It's the time of year when boots are nearly enough and when new puppies are in heaven.  Come summer - we'll leave the boots and shirts behind too.

It's the time of year when teenaged chickens are going through their awkward phase and toddlers are discovering the joy of the outdoors again(all while wearing last year's t-shirts).

It's the time of year for fattening up piglets and for using slingshots(that might accidentally break barn windows).

Of course there are days when all I think about is the dishes or the tight budget or the tight jeans I'm wearing...but as soon as I step out the door it begins to melt away into this.  The other night Mike and I went out to feed the pigs after dark and we were serenaded by two great horned owls hooting to each other.  It was magical.

Weston & Alison Get Married.

On December 3rd, 2010 my little brother Weston tied the knot with Alison Rasmussen. He is the youngest and last one in the family to get married - as is Alison in hers - which meant that it was a really meaningful and really fun wedding and reception.  And since it's my own brother's wedding I couldn't help but take a MILLION pictures which means that choosing my favs for this post was near impossible.  So, this is going to be a long long post.  Here goes...

 Seriously guys, it was the happiest, funnest, best wedding I've ever been to.  And I'm so glad I got to take pictures of it!  A special thanks goes out to Marisa for coming and taking all of the shots that I wanted to be in.  Marisa is an amazing friend and photographer.  She's got a workshop for beginning photography in a couple of weeks.  You should check it out!