embrace the camera: dec 30

this weeks embrace the camera is from christmas a few days ago....

over christmas break we didn't get any snow so i'm bummed i don't have fun sledding pictures to show. not much to do outside when it is just down right cold!! but tonight it is supposed to snow sooooo HOPEFULLY next week i'll have some sledding snappies :)

our first christmas as a family :)
all of the cousins together
mason's 2nd favorite present: fishing pole
daddy's favorite present: fishing pole for mase :)
mason's favorite present: baby einstein exersaucer (sp)

at the in-laws, we fondue lots of yummy stuff for our meal
chicken, deer, mozzarella sticks, raviolis, jalapeno peppers, tater tots, mushrooms, shrimp, you name it, we fondue it! :)
m.i.l had to get this snappy, out little christmas tree :)

no go link up to the anderson crew and embrace the camera!!!!! :)

enjoying....

...enjoying...
the lights twinkling at our house :) ....

{for this picture i set my lens to manual focus and blurred it to my desired effect, oh so pretty :)}
{oh, forgot to tell you....santa brought me a cannon t2i slr camera!...i have sooo much to learn but am excited about the adventure!}
can you see the hearts??? if you use your imagination you can :)
i made a heart filter-
basically i used a piece of black construction paper,
traced around my camera lens then cut out,
cut out a heart shape in the middle,
then taped the paper to the end of my lens,
then voila!!
you have heart lights :)

so go put your lens on manual focus to play with the blurr effect and
hurry go take pictures of the lights before you take the christmas tree down!!!
i think it would look saaaweet too with a star or even snowflake cut out.
ready.set.go!
p.s. if you end up doing this...leave a comment and link to your pictures....
...i wanna see your b-e-a-utiful snappies!!!!! :)

...enjoying...
being home over christmas break with husband :) yay! it's been soooo relaxing and fun!
husband with all his chest hair glory...bahaha

...enjoying...
playing, loving, cuddling with mason for 12 whole days!!!
he was starting to get tiiiiired right bout....NOW!
still tired mom. quit taking pictures and get me out of here!
ok mom. seriously, i've had enough!!!

i'm sure all mothers are bias of their offspring....but....seriously could he get any cuter???
i.think.not. :)

...not enjoying...
our little guy has a cold now too. i know this is VERY minor to many health issues, but it sure makes for loooong days when your babe is a crabby-abby. it's hard for him to breath through his nose because he's congested and it scares him when he can't breath :(
anyways, i pray he gets better sooooon :) i would love to have my bubbly, happy, cooing, laughing baby back :)

xoxo

family christmas...

we are so blessed.

our christmas table set for christmas eve dinner

this wine cover is actually a ugly sweater sleeve cut and sewn on the bottom so that the wine bottle doesn't fall out! super easy and super cute...especially if you want to give a host a little gift.
sorry too lazy to rotate the picture...use your imagination please! :)

grammy and little keither

most beautiful younger sista eva!!!!

da boys on a hand-me-down horsey

baby mason's first christmas.....he loved it!!

most beautiful oldest sista! and her boys

manda and her bf

chowing down on some cereal...starting to get the hang of it

not sure where he has more....on him or in his belly?!?! hmmm :)

a bumbo baby and an almost crawler!

love this holiday season...so blessed with such a loving family :)
xoxo

4 month old christmas present....

good thing this present isn't edible(4 months old, yuck)....oh wait...maybe it is, i can just eat him daily...

{thanks carly for the idea :)}






xoxo
melinda

embrace the camera: dec 23

this is what i do every day when i get home from work...........i love, i play, i cuddle, i smooch, i feed him(because i miss having that alone time), but most of all, i love up on my little lovie :)

i'm not sure how he already is 4 months old...but...he getting more and more fun each day. i am falling in love with every new stage he enters. i have learned too NOT to wish for the next stage of the babe's life. because that next stage comes too fast and you miss the previous stage so much. anyways, cheers to embrace the camera :)

head on over to the anderson crew for more embrace the camera mommas :)

xoxo
melinda

life is lovely...

and yummy...

when i see this....
and this...husband lovin up on our little lovie
and this...
ahhhh. i want to squeeze him. all.the.time.


ps - danielle over at take heart is having another giveaway monday!!!
if your like me and loves the idea of an apron while cooking{possibly because husband thinks you look super sexxxxy hott when you cook with it on} then you need to head over there. apron+vintage style=yummyness.
comment and be a possible winner!!!! :)

xoxo
melinda

i did it!!!

i finally got my rear out of bed...

worked out before getting ready for school...

for about two weeks now{or maybe longer shhhh!},
my 30 Day Shred DVD had been staring me in the face...
saying come on you can do it!...
but my bed was too comfy and too warm and snugglin with husband sounded soooo much better...
so i got real good at pushing SNOOZE on my alarm...

but today i did it. i conquered the first day of the 30 Day Shred :) :)
this extra 'junk in the trunk' im carrying around has GOT TO GO!!!!

im making a reward system with this whole workin out idea too.
kinda like i make reward systems at school
if you work really hard and meet your goal....well then its REWARD time!!
my system works like this....if i work out 5 days a week for a month...reward time baby!!
{possibly new shoes, new shirt, hmmmm possibilities are endless!!!}
then new goal and new reward and so on....

sooo...here's to you ms. jillian michaels and the 30 day shred.....


imma gonna kick your bootayyyyy!!!! :)

xoxo
melinda

ps i think YOU should join in the fun too :) just to make your heart healthy and pumpin away :)

a baby changes everything...

today at church, the message was exactly this.
...a baby changes everything.
...the world was forever changed because of the birth of a baby.
...our Savior.
...a baby that would soon save us from our sins because of what happened on the cross.

...take a moment
...take a breath
...to watch and listen
...i promise you will feel moved
...i promise you will feel emotion
...a baby changes everything

jesus is the reason for the season

xoxo
melinda

embrace the camera: dec 16

this week we have be soakin' it up INSIDE. this nebraska weather is downright coooooold :)
mr.mase eyes on the camera please!! :)

this is my second time of embracing the camera :)

do you wanna join embracing the camera? click the above link :)

hope this thursday is a very blessed day for you!

happy thursday!

xoxo

the future nun ag generation

Oh mylanta

how cute are these three kiddies?

we love them. they love "masey".

i also happen to love their mamma :)

(we are secretly going to quit our jobs and join the company...i think we would make great book keepers :)

happy cooooollldd wednesday :)

xoxo

melinda

the stay at home...

DADDY!!!!
{for the winter that is}

we share stay at home times of the year. i stay at home with our babe in the summa{perks of being a teacher} and ted stays home with the babe in the winter {perks of being an agronomist}

this stay at home daddy is an amazing one to say the least. he loads the dishwasher, he unloads the dishwasher, he does yard work, he works on projects that i so kindly ask him to do, he sweeps the wood floors, he vacuums our living room area rug, you can find him cleaning the toilets, oh and he does the laundry, fold the laundry, AND puts the clean folded laundry away. all awhile feeding, playing, changing, and hangin out with mr.mason. woah. yep. he's like super dad.

oh. and did i mention he does laundry?? this was his latest load of laundry.............

{ill give you some previous info.}
i was feeding mason watching probably monday night football and i could hear some naughty words coming from the kitchen/laundry room. so i asked "what's wrong honey?"
no response.
"what's wrong honey?" with a louder voice
still no response.
poor hubster walks in the living room and says, "you aren't going to be very happy with me."
"what did you do mr.?"
he holds up the first shirt.

yep. one of my favorite work shirts. with permanent marker :(

second work shirt. with more permanent marker.

khaki pants. with permanent marker.

"your right honey, i'm not that happy."

BUT i DIDforgive him. because he's my husband. because he's my other half. because no one's perfect. because that's what God asks us to do. forgive.

even though he made a slight mistake. i'm sure he will be checking pockets next time he does laundry :)

and he sure made up for it by helping make the cutest baby eva!!!!!!!! :)
and snappin some of the memories of him stayin with mase at our hizzie.

seriously. i could eat him.


look at those two handsome men :)

so focused.

slobber. slobber. slobbbbbber :) all day long.

hellloooooo chunky monkey :)



So........
....even if a couple of work clothes were ruined.....


AND.....I

HIM :)

{source}

xoxo
melinda