Family Pics

We wanted to get one year pictures of Max, so we decided to make it a family picture opportunity also. I have to admit that it was easier than getting family pictures at 4 months old, it was still a bit of a challenge and I am anxious to see how they turn out. After the pics we had a little celebration that included snacks and a few more pics with our own camera. I couldn't help but take pics of my handsome men and especially when they all matched in khaki's and white T's.

Little Italians....

These boys can put away some pasta!

Max put away the spaghetti like no ones business.

Here is a pic of another sweet little one year old face that loves spaghetti too!

Dan keeps telling me that we need to start putting money away now for future grocery bills for when these two become teenagers : )

1st Hair Cut...

Max's hair or lack of hair has been a point of contention in our home recently. The big decision as to whether Max needed his first hair cut yet or if we should let his little curls continue to wave from behind his ears.


Well chalk one point for Daddy because he won this round. Max got his first hair cut this past Friday and he looks so grown up!

He sort of reminds me of Bruce Willis.... you know cutting the hair short/bald on purpose to look cool and hunky. You get that from Max's cut too, don't you?!? : )

The coolest thing....

Chase and I have seen the commercials for Live Butterfly Gardens on TV for a while now and we always say we want to do that. Well we finally did!

I should have taken pictures through out the whole process, but at least you get to peek at the grand finale. Here's how it all went down....

We received ten catepillars in the mail about three weeks ago. We got to watch them get bigger and bigger and one day when we got back from a weekend trip, we had ten chrysalis'.

We moved our chrysalis' to the bigger home and waited about another week. I was in Chase's room one morning and noticed one of them was shaking. Chase and I got to witness a butterfly hatching from the chrysalis. It was totally amazing and Chase was in awe. He had so many great questions. Within 24 hours all ten of our butterflies had hatched and within a couple of days we let them go. It was such a cool thing to do.

Enjoying the small stuff.....

There is a blog that I love to read called "Enjoying the Small Things" and I think the reason I like to read it so much (besides the beautiful pictures) is the way Kelly takes the time to notice the little things in life that make it special. She also does things like wears high heels around the house 'just because', but I am not going there ; ) Here is a list of some of the small things that I have noticed recently....

• This morning, Chase and I got to witness one of his caterpillars break free from his chrysalis and slowly stretch his wings out for the first time. It was amazing and Chase was so excited.
• Max wore his tennis shoes for the first time today, little Converse, and they were so cute on him. I loved to hear his little stomp, stomp, stomp as he walked through the kitchen.
• Tonight during Dragon Tails Chase and I heard a joke we thought was funny. As soon as Daddy walked in the room, Chase had to try the joke out on him. I loved the twinkle in his eye as he had me whisper the line in his ear and then he relayed it to Daddy. We all rolled because it was so 'funny' and he was so sweet. Let me lay it on you: "Why did the tree cross the road? Because it had to leave!" HA HA
• After dinner tonight I grabbed a Dum Dum sucker out of the candy bowl. I was carrying Max on our way down to the garden so I gave him a lick. That was it, it was his sucker from then on and he thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing down to the stick. He was so content to sit in his little wagon while we watered and weeded the garden and eat his sucker.
• Our blackberry bush is full of berries and they are just now becoming ripe. I picked a few and brought them over to the garden for Chase & Dan. Chase loves them and especially right off of the bush. Later Dan & Chase picked berries and Chase rode on Daddy's shoulders so he could reach the higher ones. I looked over at them and there were tons of little white butterflies fluttering around them enjoying the bush too. It was one of those moments I wished I had my camera. A beautiful summer evening and my guys enjoying each other with butterflies everywhere, priceless.
• I have a wonderful collection of rocks because each time we go outside, Chase gets me a beautiful present. Tonight was no exception and as I was told to "hurry! hurry!" over for my special present, he told me it was a sunflower. Once I got there he pulled my rock out and he laughed and laughed at how he had tricked me. Then we added my new rock to our collection ; )

I really could go on and on and maybe I will tomorrow.