bachmanville

shara got her groove back

2012-01-25T20:03:00.000-08:00

man, that was rough.

january was not super fun.

you could probably tell that from my sad, pathetic posts.

sickness, dieting, frustrating circumstances-

all things combined to make one grumpy girl.

i hated feeling that way.

i so desperately wanted to shake the funk.

wanted to be joyful, enjoy life, smile more.

but i just felt like i was drowning and could not get out.

i'd wake up and say 'this is going to be a great day!'

and an hour later be totally crying. over nothing. so lame.

i was really fun to be around.

(obvious sarcasm)

my husband is a kind, sweet, patient man.

i did a lot of praying in january.

as always- God is faithful to speak to my heart.

i'm working through what it is i need to learn in these circumstances,

and what it is to be joyful even when your heart (and body) is sad.

i went to bed sunday night, praying that the funk would end.

i wanted to smile again. love my children. enjoy all He has blessed me with.

i know some sweet friends were praying for me too,

encouraging me through this rough patch.

i think the funk is over.

the last few days have been great.

not to say there aren't things that have been hard or frustrating come up

(hello- i have 3 little kids!)

but how my head and heart respond feel so much better.

so much more me.

thank you, Jesus.

nurture started back up today

and i was SO glad to be sitting around a table with some of my favorite women.

i heart nurture.

the cleanse ends today.

i'm pretty happy about that, too.

i'm ready to eat paleo, work out consistently, and just be healthy.

from now on- good lifestyle habits vs crazy (unsuccessful) diets.

goodbye cleanse- you will not be missed.

we finally found a gym to join here that doesn't cost the same amount as our rent.

(seriously. there are gyms here that charge $145/person. excuse me? are you working out FOR me? you know i still have to come here and exercise right? ca-razy sauce people.)

i'm so excited to be able to have some quiet mommy time a few days a week,

getting healthy while my kids play in the kid gym (which they love!).

and the thought of weekly zumba classes sets my heart aflutter.

i've been able to have some friend time, which has been lovely.

i think all that in-house-sickness made me desperate for friend interaction,

especially after feeling so surrounded by people i love during christmas.

i'm so grateful for the friends in fresno who continue to love me, pursue me, and encourage me.

and for my new friends here that make me feel like we've been friends for years.

God has been so good to me.

so peeps- i think i'm back.

not perfect, but me.

shara bachman.

ready to enjoy 2012.

(minus january. let us never speak of that again)

she's got the funk

2012-01-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

january is the worst month.

december is full of twinkly lights, friends & cookies.

it's christmas carols, parties & hope.

and then comes january.

january with houses that feel empty after the christmas decorations are down.

january with healthy eating and regular exercise.

january with resolutions that are broken before the month is over.

january always puts me in a funk.

i haven't blogged much this month because, well-

there hasn't been a whole lot of great stuff to say.

every year, jeff & i get halfway through january and say

"man, i hope this isn't how the rest of the year is going to be."

usually- things look brighter come february.

this january has not been easy.

financial hits, family issues, and sickness are taking their toll.

throw in the cleanse and i'm in full grumpzilla mode.

i'm 2 weeks into the cleanse. i had lost 4 pounds.

but somehow... i gained them all back.

and i have not cheated. not once.

i even had to make cookies for one of jeff's meetings, and i didn't eat a single chocolate chip.

but no weight loss.

the first 4-5 days of the cleanse left me with migraines as my body detoxed from all the caffeine, sugar & other yuckies in my body.

i was finally starting to feel better and then....

i got strep throat.

i used to roll my eyes when people complained about sore throats.

no longer. this is sheer pain & misery i wouldn't wish on anyone.

throw in 3 restless kids & a good case of mommy guilt over their movie-watching while i try to recover...

not helping the funk.

so i've been basically stuck inside with kids for weeks.

unable to really hang out with anyone.

feeling lonely and sorry for myself.

not a pretty combination.

fairly pathetic, in fact.

january- i'm so over you.

i'm ready to be back to myself.

ready to see the outside world again.

ready to actually eat my meals rather than drink them.

so forgive me if i don't blog until the funk is gone.

i figure you, my sweet readers, only deserve one sad, mopey blog every few months, right?

c'mon february.

i need some sunshine.

the cleanse

2012-01-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

i'm not a girl who diets.

we did the south beach diet when we lived in davis.

i lasted 3 days. maybe.

when jeff & i got married, i was a skinny little thing.

108 pounds, a size 2.

then we moved to fresno.

and for the next 5+ years, i was either pregnant or nursing.

and no longer 108 pounds.

or anything even remotely close to that.

so this new year rolled around.

and i have a long list of resolutions.

like most of the country, getting in shape is on my list.

i'm not going to say i'm fat.

because i know i'm not.

and i hate it when skinny people say they are fat.

(one of my number one pet peeves. seriously.

how annoying is it to hear a skinny person talk about how much weight they need to lose?)

but i am also not saying i'm skinny.

cause that is no longer true.

let's call it fluffy, kay?

i'm a little fluffy.

and more than that... just out of shape.

and tired of it.

and tired of thinking about myself.

so jeff & i decided to go radical to start the year.

we were thinking about eating paleo

(which we are going to do starting in february)

but felt like we needed a jump-start to really get us going.

so our friends told us about this cleanse they do every january & june.

basically:

no dairy, wheat, sugar, red meat, caffeine, eggs, acids...

you (like me) might be thinking... so what DO you eat?

fruits (minus oranges, grapes & tomatoes), veggies, chicken, fish, brown rice.

we 'juice' our breakfast & dinner and eat a healthy lunch.

so my days look a lot like this right now:

(HUGE thank you to my friend, aimee, for the juicer!!!)

i'm hungry.

and (not gonna lie) ~~totally~~ a bit cranky.

and i've lost zero pounds in a week.

my husband, however, has lost like 8.

men.

but i'm sticking with it.

i'm doing this thing.

cause it's going to start working, right?

please say yes!

and after this, paleo eating is going to be a cinch!

what i will say, is that it does feel really good to eat, well, good.

after the holidays and a week of traveling and eating total junk,

the idea of fast food was revolting to me.

i was ready for some healthy.

it's kinda fun to try to think creatively of what to eat.

and i've tried things in the last week that i never would have eaten before.

(kale! spaghetti squash! ginger! black beans! tilapia!)

now why am i telling you this?

well, first... so you know why i may be a bit grumpy.

but mostly... for accountability.

when you make goals, it's easy to cheat.

to let them go.

so ask me how i'm doing.

ask me if i've snuck any chips or cookies.

(which i haven't, btw)

and maybe pray for a little extra for my family as i try things that are hard for me.

so while i'm at it, here are my goals for 2012

(in no particular order)

ask me how it's going.

i hope i can tell you....great!

********shara's goals for 2012*********

1. begin year with cleanse and move to paleo eating in february for healthier

2. run a 10K and consistently participate in exercise

3. consistent quiet times throughout the week.

4. weekly family night with devotion

5. intentionality with my kids, husband, & friends

6. find a place to serve in ministry

7. move forward with photography business

8. make beds everyday.

9. look to the needs of others before myself

10. not put myself or others down

so there you go.

did you make any goals for 2012?

how are they going?

one more month

2012-01-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

today my little charlotte turned 23 months old.

it seems like a silly number to keep track of,

but it's significant to me.

in one month, she'll turn two years old.

this is my last month with a one year old.

a baby.

in truth- she isn't a baby anymore.

she's a talking, running, dancing little girl.

but she's my baby.

i've been having a lot of trouble with her turning two.

being done with babies.

i recognize i could have 15 kids and i would still feel so sad when the youngest got older.

3 kids is right for us.

but it is still so sad to see them growing so quickly.

i miss tiny feet.

curled up snuggles.

cooing.

babies that don't move when you set them down.

happy little toothless smiles.

today is a reminder to take in every second of it.

because it goes so very fast.

i have one more month to be a mommy of a one-year-old.

i want to cherish every second of it.

here are a few pictures of my baby girl :)

and some sister loves

i love you, sweet charlotte monroe.

i hope january is a very slow month.

new new years

2012-01-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

since jackson was a baby,

we've had the new years tradition of heading to the zoo.

kids don't seem to get the idea that new years is for sleeping in and watching movies.

the zoo was always empty

and it gave us something fun to do as a family.

here are the kiddos in 2008

2009

(check out charlotte in my belly!)

in 2010 we won a contest and had a photographer join us for the morning.

you can see those awesome pics here.

well, this year the fresno zoo was just a bit too far away.

so we started a new new years tradition....

the aquarium!

we had gone a month ago with jeff's parents & loved it.

we got to see some cool different things this time.

the fish are always a hit!

playing outside

listening to the storytime.

i'm not sure if charlotte liked the story....

touching the sharks & sting rays

checking the map

the coolest thing we were able to do was feed the lorakeets.

after you purchase a cup of food, the birds will fly right onto your arm and eat out of your hand.

bella was in animal heaven.

hooray for another great new years!

i think the aquarium will be the perfect place to continue our new tradition.

hello and goodbye.

2012-01-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

seriously,

i cannot believe it's already 2012.

last year was a bit of a whirlwind.

so much changed in 2011.

looking back, it's a bit overwhelming:

*we started our year with charlotte a baby, learning to walk, and turning one in february

*in february, jackson was officially diagnosed with autism

*april 7th brought 10 years of marriage, and we celebrated with a trip to mexico in may

*in june jeff traveled to israel

*we went to pondo & rcp for summer camps

*jackson became a reader

*jeff graduated with his masters degree in august

*jackson started kindergarten

*i officially launched bachmanville photography

*and of course at the end of the summer...

the biggest change of all...

which meant moving, yard sales, and a new church to call home.

leaving everything we knew behind and starting over.

this year has been hard. really hard.

but also....really wonderful.

maybe the best year i've had in a very long time.

and it has very little to do with any of the things i listed.

because this year i got to experience God in a way i haven't for a long time.

2011 began with me feeling very comfortable,

very complacent in my relationship with God.

my life was settled. known.

i loved God. i 'served' God.

but i didn't really need Him.

it was easy to give Him the occasional high five and then go back about my life.

and then He decided to shake it up.

turn it upside down.

i am so glad.

when we moved, i have never felt so alone.

so sad. so insecure.

so unsure of everything in my life.

i was forced to rely on something, someone, bigger than myself.

to let God be God.

if He called us here, He was going to take care of me.

and He has.

i have seen God work profoundly in my life these past months.

in my husband's life.

in my family's life.

the church He placed us in,

the friends He provided,

the opportunities He gave me

have caused me to look at myself, recognize my need,

and draw so much closer to Him.

in 2011,

God was here.

with me.

every step.

it was not easy.

but it was good.

in 2011 i learned to trust Him.

because He is God, and i am not.

i don't know where He is going to lead us in 2012.

but i have great hopes for what my life will look like a year from now.

i am excited about what He is doing in my heart, my mind, my life right now.

i am ready to experience all He has for me.

so bring on 2012.

whatever it has, i think it's going to be good.

celebrating....

2011-12-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

merry christmas everyone!

we've been enjoying the season and celebrating in fun ways

(all the while trying to remember what it's really about)

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last friday jackson had his kindergarten performance.

he was pretty much the cutest kid there.

i mean, i may be a bit biased.

but you can decide for yourself.

he had a little speaking part....

so proud of our little boy!

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speaking of proud....

jackson & bella both made it a whole week!

whoo hoo!

no more pull-ups in this house...

at least for a little while :)

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every year the kids get to pick an ornament.

we try to help them pick something that was special to them that year.

we just love hanging out in front of the tree.

is there anything better than a room just lit by christmas lights?

i'm already getting sad thinking about taking it all down.

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we've always been a family that loves going to see the lights.

this year we got to join a new tradition....

we joined some sweet friends and watched the decorated boats cruise around balboa island.

it was a lot of fun..

some of those boats were HUGE. and amazing.

********************************************************

having all 3 kids home this week,

we've been trying to stay busy.

i always love having some good kid crafts up in the house-

i think it makes them feel like they are a part of it all.

so we turned our reindeer craft into a little garland over the kitchen window.

bella loved painting her little ceramic christmas characters.

this is her gingerbread man ;)

***************************************************

we joined the fun this year with our own elf on the shelf.

i'm still not sure how i feel about all the guilt & manipulation that seems to go along with this elf....

but the kids sure love him.

and i'm not gonna lie- sometimes it is really nice to say "hey... foddy is watching you!"

every morning they come running out to find him.

this particular morning he was enjoying a lollipop with the little mermaid.

(i think he's making eyes at her....)

**************************************************

and of course, we had to visit the big guy himself!

we headed over to disneyland to see him for free :)

they had live reindeer outside, which was pretty fun too!

and while we were there...

i think jackson was more excited to tell mickey what he wanted than santa ;)

*******************************************************

every year we make gingerbread houses.

and every year, bella eats more candy than goes on the house.

this time, charlotte wanted in on some of that too!

but it always turns out pretty cute.

****************************************************

thursday night we headed out to balboa island

to walk and see the lights on the gorgeous houses with our life group.

we just love these people!

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i haven't done a ton of baking this year,

but i did have my favorite little helper assist me as i made my favorite for a cookie exchange.

my hubby has been spending a lot more time in the kitchen

making his amazing family english muffins.

a few lucky friends even got some of their own!

(they take hours to make just a few)

*******************************************************

and thanks to all of you who have supported my photography business & blog!

i so appreciate your sweet comments.

i hope to have the opportunity to photograph you soon!

but for now, the contest is over-

of course you can still visit my new blog or 'like' bachmanville photography on facebook :)

************************************************************************

it has been a busy season,

and i'm still having a hard time believing christmas is TOMORROW!

we're off to our church's christmas eve service.

i'm excited to get my heart and mind fixed on jesus

and his amazing story of redemption

that all started with a little baby in a manger.

merry christmas to all!

may you experience the true joy of christ this christmas.

looking past the red and green

2011-12-21T14:18:00.000-08:00

looking for the super fantastic giveaway? click here!

you have until december 23rd at midnight to get your entries in!

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i love christmas lights.

christmas cookies.

christmas songs.

the wonder in my children's faces as they experience it all.

but too often i find myself becoming christmas-crazy.

i have all these things i want to do,

activities for my children to experience,

and, let's be honest, shopping with 3 children

can totally take my focus off christmas.

not off santa, trees, lights, candy canes & reindeer.

but CHRISTmas.

this year, i want it to be more than a holiday.

i want to take in the full meaning of what the birth of christ really is.

we've been going through the entire bible at church,

both on sundays and in life group.

(amazing. love it. so good.)

2 weeks ago, we looked at leviticus and sacrifice.

it totally impacted me.

(click here to view the sermon)

the pastor was talking about old testament sacrifices,

how they had to be repeated over & over,

and were insufficient to truly cover human sin.

he said that ultimately, christmas is about the cross.

it's easy to look at christmas as just jesus's birthday.

a cute little baby in the manger.

who doesn't love a baby, right?

but christmas is a story of redemption.

sacrifice.

grace.

jesus came to die.

for me.

for you.

he came that we might live.

forever.

with him.

he came to give us joy.

not happiness or temporary satisfaction.

but joy regardless of circumstance.

that is what i want my christmas to be about.

that is what i want my children to experience.

i will continue to make gingerbread houses and sing christmas carols.

our stockings are hung by the chimney with care.

and 'foddy' the elf on the shelf delights my children every morning when they wake.

but jesus,

help us to remember.

not just your birth.

but the ultimate sacrifice you made for us, for me,

on the cross.

2011 family pics

2011-12-18T23:23:00.000-08:00

looking for the super fantastic giveaway? click here!

you have until december 23rd at midnight to get your entries in!

********************************************************************

a few months ago, jeff texted me with some super awesome photos.

there is a really fun place right near the church called 'the lab'.

as soon as i saw them, i knew that was where we had to take our family pics.

so i had the location

(and the family)

but no one to take them.

then my friend, juliana, from nurture

(who is an amazing wedding photographer)

suggested we do a trade.

um, yes please!

so i enlisted one of my besties help with outfits

and we headed over to the lab for some fun!

here are just some of our 2011 pics.

i loved so many... you'll just have to bear with me as i share a bunch!

enjoy!

(and thanks, juliana! can't wait to photograph your family!)

*note- charlotte was not super into these. can you tell? but i still love them :)

*and bella in the mustache pics? ha! she did NOT like that thing.

a new blog & a big giveaway!

2011-12-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

i'm not sure if you noticed,

but i've been taking a lot of pictures lately.

i love it.

a lot.

this blog was starting to become less about my family & life

and more about my photography.

i thought maybe it was time to separate the two....

i'm SOOOO excited to announce the beginning of:

yipee!

a site dedicated just to my photography.

i've backloaded it with some of the sessions i've done lately

and am hoping to have lots more to add to it!

right now i have a brand new post, never seen here...

and it is a GOOD one!

in addition, i also created a facebook page-

cause admit it... you're on there all the time :)

or maybe that's just me!

to get things rolling, i thought we'd have another

giveaway!!!!!

are you ready for this one?

the winner will receive one free photo session,

along with a high-resolution disc of ALL your photos!

want to know how to win?

you have 5 ways to enter.

each entry MUST have its own comment on THIS blog post.

you need to leave your email address so i can contact you!

1. head on over to bachmanville photography and become a follower

(and say hi while you do! :)

2. head over to bachmanville photography on facebook and 'like' it

(and leave me a little love while you're there!)

3. grab my button and add it to your blog

(available at the bottom of the bachmanville photography blog)

4. share the bachmanville photography facebook page with your friends on facebook

5. blog or tweet about the giveaway!

****giveaway will close friday, december 23rd, at midnight****

winner will be announced on the 24th- my little christmas gift to you!

a couple things to note:

*winners in the orange county area can schedule anytime i am free for a session.

*winner outside of the orange county area will need to either schedule when i am in your area, come this way, or pay for my travel expenses.

*all entries must have SEPARATE comments or they will be treated as one entry

even if you don't want to win,

you can still check out my new site & like it on facebook :)

thanks for playing!

see you in both bachmanvilles!

adventures in potty training

2011-12-12T15:38:00.000-08:00

oh, potty training.

i hear these stories about people that potty-train their kids in a day.

that was NOT my experience.

i decided to potty-train jackson & bella at the same time,

a few months before charlotte was born.

(hello baby cuteness!)

that took about 4 months.

no joke.

they were finally both in underwear the week charlotte was born.

we've been daytime-diaper-free for awhile now

(minus charlotte, of course)

but have been in pull-ups at night.

we have tried incentives, encouragement, etc.

but none of it worked.

we were at costco the other day spending a fufillion dollars

on charlotte's diapers, wipes, and 2 sets of big kid pull-ups

(seriously... over $125)

and we said no more.

i'd rather buy pretty much anything than diapers with my money.

(i mean... you are literally just peeing your money away.....)

so now is the time.

cold turkey.

good-bye pull-ups.

i have told you how much i abhor making the top bunk.

so the idea of middle-of-the-night wet sheets gave me the shudders.

then a friend gave me this idea!

that's right... piddle pads!

made for dogs, but perfect for nighttime kid accidents.

so we took the money we would have spent on a month's worth of pull-ups and bought piddle pads along with big incentives for each kiddo.

they got to pick whatever they wanted.

at first bella chose a $150 princess kitchen.

mkay....not anything you want.

so she chose this:

(really? anything you want and you choose kung fu panda? okay...)

jackson was easy.

go to the CARS aisle.

we put them on a shelf right next to their door so they see them ALL day long.

they REALLY want those toys.

the first night (saturday) i explained what was happening and what we expected from them.

we gave them lots of encouragement and took them to the potty right before bedtime.

bella wasn't a huge fan of the piddle pad, but she (finally) went with it.

jeff got home late that night, and we carried our sleeping children to the potties for one last try.

that was hilarious.

but they did it.

i went to bed waiting to be awoken by a pee-soaked crying child.

but i wasn't!

bella woke up at 5:30 to use the bathroom, waking up jackson in the process.

(and was subsequently awake for the day. definite downside of all this....)

first night = success!

we celebrated big and shared a bag of skittles.

last night, they did it again!

whoo-hoo!

i bought little whiteboards in the dollar aisle to put next to their beds to keep tally.

after 7 straight nights of dry pants, they get their prize.

they are doing SO good and i am SO proud of them.

and hoping they make it all 7 nights.

(cause i still don't want to clean wet sheets at any time of the night).

charlotte is already telling me 'i poo poo!'... so i know her time is just right around the corner.

imagine me... diaper free!

sounds so fun, and so sad, all at the same time.

but for now... pull-up free just sounds good.

the hall family

2011-12-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

just days after we moved to irvine,

there was an ice cream social for all the incoming kindergarteners at jackson's new school.

we walked into the playground and looked around at all the kids and families.

i know i felt overwhelmed.

jackson was not having a great day, and (in my head) it seemed like everyone already knew each other.

then this super cute family walked in.

i don't know how, but i could tell just by looking at them that they loved jesus.

and they had 3 little kids, almost the same ages as ours.

jeff and matt (the dad) ended up pushing kiddos on the swings and started talking.

turns out matt is a youth pastor too!

i totally prayed that our boys would be in class together.

and that we would be friends.

god is good, and jackson & kai were placed in the same class!

we absolutely love the halls and have been so blessed by their friendship already.

(i love kai & his sister, nyomi, holding hands. so sweet!)

kai brought along his firefighter hat.

he helped me find 'cool places' and had lots of great silly faces :)

this is nyomi. my girls absolutely love her.

everyday when we pick up jackson at school, they go racing out of the van to see her.

charlotte shouts "yi-yomi!"

nyomi helped me look for bunnies while we took pictures.

bunnies like carrots.

and smiles.

sweet little isaac just turned one.

he was not very happy about taking pictures.

but he did like climbing on the crate :)

matt + natalie

thank you, halls, for letting me play with your fun family!

emmanuel

2011-12-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

last night i had the opportunity to attend an amazing night at church.

tasty food, fun people, swanky decor.

the main event was a christmas together concert by various artists,

including tyrone wells.

(insert my hubby's smiley face here)

it was super fantastic.

just what i needed to jump feet-first into the christmas spirit.

one of the artists, tim timmons (who was wonderful)

said something that so impacted me.

made me think.

all day today.

(and hopefully tomorrow and beyond)

he was talking about 'emmanuel- god with us'

a name we use a lot this holiday season.

what he said was

"what if we lived like 'emmanuel' was true. like god is really with us."

i think it hit me so hard,

because the reality is...

too often, i think of Him more as "god-with-me-sometimes-maybe".

i want to live like god is WITH me. every second of every moment of every day.

but that means work.

and relationship.

i have had a lot of time to think about relationships.

it has been interesting moving to a new city and being unable to see fresno friends.

whether you like it or not...

relationships change.

if you don't see someone, talk to them, know what is going on in their life...

it is hard to really have a relationship that matters.

it has been hard to see friendships that mean so much to me

become more and more difficult to maintain.

not because i don't adore the person,

but because the time is not there to invest anymore.

we don't see each other = we are no longer know what is happening below the surface.

real relationship.

i think my relationship with God can become like that.

i sit here and expect him to make all the moves.

so if i don't 'feel' Him... that must mean He isn't present.

that is not truth.

God is with me.

but am i with Him?

relationships are a two-way street.

friendships (sadly) can fluctuate based on people's lives, schedules, locations & circumstances.

i am so thankful that my relationship with Jesus does not.

He is always there.

He is always ready.

He is faithful, even when i put every other thing in front of Him.

He forgives me every time.

if i want to truly experience emmanuel,

i need to be open,

ready,

here.

just like my human friendships,

i need to talk to Him.

love Him.

look to Him.

trust Him.

give Him the time He deserves.

i have never been great at friendships.

i always feel like i could do more, be more, for people.

i am working on it.

making more of an effort.

trying to put myself out there with people.

how much more should i be willing to do that for my Savior?

the God of all creation that became flesh, just for me?

the One who laid down his life, so that i might live with Him forever?

i am so thankful for a God who is with me.

for this season to remember who He is and what He has done.

and i want to live

every day

like 'emmanuel'.

things that are making me smile

2011-12-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

how is it december already?

i can't believe christmas is right around the corner.

i'm not even remotely ready....i'm still trying to figure out what activities we are going to do.

and don't get me started on christmas shopping- 'cause i haven't!

but there are lots of things bringing smiles to my heart right now.

want to see a few of them?

****************************************************************

charlotte has discovered the little mermaid.

(i'm guessing from the 82,368 times we've ridden the ride at california adventures)

and she LOVES her.

her doll goes with her pretty much everywhere and she sleep with it.

when she sees a mermaid anywhere she shouts "MERMAID!"

cutest.thing.ever.

*******************************************************************

we got to celebrate jeff's birthday at disneyland.

i heart our passes.

and i heart my husband.

we had a special dinner at ariel's grotto

which gave us passes to see world of color.

(but kinda rip-off... no princesses at night)

it was a really fun night.

********************************************************************************

the kids are SO loving everything christmas.

they were crazy excited to put our tree up.

(and jackson was insistent on putting 'tree lights outside')

we let them decorate for about 37 seconds, and then put them to bed and finished.

christmas lights at night- the perfect amount of lighting.

i love christmas decorations. a lot.

january is always a very sad month.

********************************************************************

the big kids have bookshelves next to their beds with little night lights.

it makes nighttime a little easier (most of the time) as they read in their beds and then go to sleep when they are ready.

here is bella's shelf. pretty typical. lots of girl/disney books & her big god story book.

here is what makes me smile.

this is jackson's shelf.

there are a few things he has to have up there.

1. his action bible- it is a super-cool bible all illustrated like a comic book. he loves it. and i love hearing him read the bible.

2. anthologies- jackson loves to read, but he REALLY loves a book with lots of stories in it.

3. maps- he is really into maps right now. he collects the disneyland ones and will just sit on his bed and read through the descriptions and plot his next trip. and he will have a definite opinion about which map he wants (they change with the season. we always grab a big handful every time we go!)

4. cd inserts- he loves reading the lyrics to songs. he will read the lyrics and sing the songs to himself. pretty much the cutest.

(ps... something that does NOT make me smile: can i just say making a top bunk may be my LEAST favorite chore? and that is saying a lot, cause i have a list of un-favorite chores. it is like some kind of mommy torture trying to get that top comforter smooth and tucked in. every day.)

my little reader

he is working so hard at school.

i'm not sure he loves it,

but he is really trying.

********************************************************************

we recently did a little project at home to work on his cutting & writing

(both are areas of difficulty for him. his fine motor skills have always been slow to develop)

i let him pick out a picture from a magazine to cut out, and then write a sentence.

no surprise... he found a CARS picture.

he loves everything CARS.

we put it up on one of his little bulletin boards.

here is a family picture he drew this summer.

it makes my heart happy as this was the first one he ever did.

CARS+a map = one of his favorite toys.

working so hard on his homework.

i'm so proud of this little boy.

*******************************************************************

last saturday night we headed over to balboa to walk around the island and look at all the beautiful christmas lights on the houses.

jackson wasn't too sure about riding the ferry.

but he loved seeing all the lights.

and i loved holding his hand as we walked.

bella insisted on wearing her santa hat.

we got her a hot chocolate.

she was in heaven.

after a walk around the island.. this is a pretty good depiction of how the end of the night went:

jackson- happy

charlotte- cranky, kinda sick, and pushing/kicking anyone who got close

bella- tired and crashing from the sugar

it was a great night.

i needed that.

**********************************************************************************

we took family pictures on friday.

a friend from my nurture table and i are doing a picture-swap.

this is the only one i've seen, but i already love it.

i'd be happy if this was the only pic i got from the whole thing.

every other pic will just be icing on the cake!

that's what we have going on here.

what's making you smile right now?

the sandberg family

2011-12-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite things about nurture

is the table full of amazing women i get to sit with every week.

seriously. i love these ladies.

morgan has 3 little ones, just like me.

so we often 'get' how the other person is feeling...

particularly in the 'life is crazy!' department.

but she seems to handle it all with a smile :)

we took a little trip down to san juan capistrano last saturday morning.

it was a gorgeous day!

i had lots of fun with this beautiful family.

baby sydney.

such a sweet little thing!

beautiful sophia.. just 3 days older than my little charlotte!

she likes taking pictures about as much as charlotte does ;)

gorgeous sarah is almost 5 and is very brave.

she loves all the roller coasters at disneyland!

and she has the most amazing hair... so long, just like rapunzel :)

sarah brought her stuffed dog, 'boy', along for the shoot.
boy has been in the family almost as long as sarah, and is very cherished.

she pushed him in a stroller the whole time.

morgan & stephen... a beautiful couple!

big brother, adrian

thank you, sandberg family!

the braun family

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

i met jenna at a party a few months ago.

she was one of those people you immediately like.

she was so friendly and extra sweet to bella that day.

we have become friends and i think she is pretty great.

i got a chance to photograph her beautiful family last week.

we were a bit unprepared for the crazy wind that day...

sweet baby raegan was shivering and her lips turned purple.

we made it quick but had some fun in the process :)

so thankful to have these awesome people in our lives!

starbucks winner!

2011-12-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

congratulations to

MINDY!!!

we'll be contacting you and sending your gift card :)

thanks to everyone for participating.

the giveaway may be over, but you can still 'like' the boys on facebook!

the mccarty family

2011-11-29T10:40:00.000-08:00

***if you are looking for the giveaway, click here. you have until friday at midnight!****

*************************************************************************

when we told friends we were moving to orange county, several people said,

"you have to meet kaitlyn!"

kaitlyn & her hubby, ryan, lived in fresno for a few years and attended the well.

they were moving to orange county just as we were moving back to fresno from davis.

they were right!

kaitlyn is an amazing woman- leading the nurture ministry at our church.

i know i have been touched immensely by her ministry.

she has two adorable little girls, and another one on the way.

noelle & natalie are spunky little girls with lots of personality.

it was lots of fun photographing this sweet family!

can't wait to meet the 3rd mccarty girl soon :)

an 'amazing' dream & giveaway!

2011-11-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

***giveaway has closed, but you can still like them on facebook!***

my husband loves a lot of things:

music, spiderman, coffee, and reality tv.

his favorite of all reality tv shows is

the amazing race on cbs.

we love watching teams race around the world, performing challenges.

since neither of us have had much of an opportunity to travel,

it is so exciting to see places all around the world.

from the very first episode,

jeff has always wanted to be on the show.

but it is a 'team' show, so there have to be 2 of you.

(with the exception of the family season... probably the worst AR season ever)

while it may seem that jeff & i should just sign up together,

well... that would be bad.

i do not do well without food or sleep,

both of which i think you get very little of.

the world does not need to be exposed to that kind of cranky.

and... we have 3 small children.

while i often desperately wish for a break...

a month is WAY more than i could be away from my babies.

jeff loves the amazing race so much,

he even turned it into an annual youth group event,

complete with detours, roadblocks, and pit stops.

over 100 students participated for several years in a row.

so when we were at rcp camp a few years ago,

talking with our friends, josh & chelsea,

and josh said he wanted to be on it....

VOILA!

a magical team formed.

josh & jeff have been friends for years.

they met at redwood christian park around 15 years ago,

and since then have served together, even directing the high school camp.

jeff & josh are probably two of the funniest people i have met in my entire life.

but when you put the two of them together...

comedy genius, my friends.

for those of you rcp camp veterans-

remember 'josh & jeff do stupid things?'

i think i peed my pants several times that year laughing.

josh is a pastor at northside church in sacramento.

c'mon cbs... a team of 2 pastors?

that are funny?

and cute?

and smart?

and just the right blend of likeable yet feisty?

you couldn't dream up a better team,.

jeff & josh created their application video

and are in the process of completing applications.

but sometimes it takes a little more work to get noticed, right?

so we created a facebook page and we are hoping to get LOTS of likes on it!

so here comes the giveaway part....

we are giving away a $20 starbucks card.

cause who doesn't like starbucks during the holidays, right?

*for a chance to win, like 'I would watch these guys on the Amazing Race' on Facebook,

and then leave a comment back here on this blog letting me know you did it.

*for an additional entry, share the 'I would watch these guys on the Amazing Race' page on your own Facebook page and then leave another comment here

*for an additional entry, post a picture or video that you have of josh & jeff together on the 'I would watch these guys on the Amazing Race' page and then leave another comment here. (the older, the better!).

that gives you 3 chances to win!
(you must leave each comment separately!)

can you just feel that warm, red cup in your hands full of holiday beverage happiness?

***contest will end friday, december 2nd at midnight. winner will be chosen at random. please leave email in your comment so you can be contacted. (feel free to leave spaces to avoid spam). winner will be notified by email.****

while the thought of my husband being gone for a month doesn't sound great,

the opportunity for him to travel the world (with one of his favorite friends)

and live out a dream sure does.

won't you help him do it?

you won't regret it if they make it on the show!

all six grandkids

2011-11-26T21:50:00.000-08:00

tomorrow is my mom's birthday.

this year, one thing she wanted was a photo with all six of her grandchildren.

remember how i have said taking pictures of 3 children is near impossible?

um, try 6. especially when 3 are yours and NOT interested in taking pics.

but i think we got some cute ones for her :)

it was great to get the whole family together for a few days.

happy birthday, mom! we love you!

baby macie, 9 weeks

my little nephews, aidan & liam

grateful

2011-11-24T22:49:00.000-08:00

days like today are good

to pause

and remember just how much we are truly blessed with.

so grateful for my god,

my family,

my friends,

and everyday he gives me to enjoy it all.

one lucky girl.

2011-11-22T12:16:00.000-08:00

i am pretty smart.

and i make really good choices.

case in point....

have you met my husband?

okay.... i'm not all that smart, and sometimes i do really silly things.

and marrying jeff may not have been all my doing.

(i mean, god might have had something to do with it, right?)

i met jeff bachman in october of 1995.

i still remember being at the carwash at centenary, wearing a mickey mouse tshirt & black shorts.

funny how i forget how old i am, but i vividly remember that day.

i thought he was cute, but really silly.

(us, circa 1997)

lucky me, i had the opportunity to become friends with that cute, silly guy.

and many years after that, to call him my husband.

i still think he is pretty darn adorable.

and he can be so silly.

but what i know now, 16 years later,

is that he is so much more than that.

i am married to a man who loves jesus.

so much.

and he wants to spend his entire life serving him and showing student's how important a relationship with Him is.

he desires to lead our family well, helping each of us grow in our own faith.

he is a servant.

he comes home from a long day at work and willingly washes dishes and changes diapers.

he gets up early with kids so i can get a little extra sleep.

and he does all of it with a smile.

he is thoughtful.

some men forget birthdays and anniversaries.

jeff not only remembers, but puts me to SHAME with his creative dates & gifts.

he calls friends when they are having a hard time,

and brings treats to people to put a smile on their face.

he loves to bless others.

he is hilarious.

if you have spent 2 seconds with him you know this!

he can put a smile on anyone's face

and is one of those people that can automatically make a friend when he walks in a room.

he takes everyday situations and makes them extra fun.

he is an amazing father.

i remember standing in line at disneyland before we had kids, and he would always be making friends with the kids in line around us.

he has a gift with kids & students,

and my children get the biggest portion of that.

he loves to snuggle and play, but he also knows how to discipline with grace & love.

he is always up for a family adventure, and wants to laugh & have fun with our kids.

they are so lucky to call him daddy.

he is wise.

people just like him. its awesome.

but he is also not afraid to have a hard conversation.

he will let me know when i may be wrong, but always does it gently and with kindness.

he is hard-working.

he will get up early and stay up late in order to finish what needs to be done.

he gives 110% to whatever he is doing in order to complete it with excellence.

there isn't a lazy bone in his body.

he is my husband.

ten years later, i still can't imagine wanting to be married to anyone else.

the best part of my day is when he comes home to our family.

life is always so much better when he is a part of it.

he is still my best friend and favorite person to be with.

he balances out my crazy and loves me in spite of it.

i trust him implicitly.

today my jeffrey owen turns 37 years old.

it is amazing to think i have known him since he was 20 years old, just a baby.

we have experienced a lot of life in that time...

friendship, dating, marriage, ministry, children, moving,

hurt, joy, laughter, tears, frustration, excitement...

we may be a little grayer

a little more wrinkled

and a little 'softer' than we were 16 years ago-

but i wouldn't change a minute of it.

i don't know why god decided i got to marry someone as amazing as jeff.

i for sure know i don't deserve it.

but i am so grateful that my gracious god knew exactly who i needed.

happy birthday, jeffrey owen.

i love you, i like you,

and i sure am glad we get to do this crazy thing called 'life' together.

there is no one else on earth i would rather spend every day of my forever with.

i can't wait to celebrate your birthdays until we are really old and much, much grayer.

(like the kind i can't cover with hair-dye ;)

i look forward to so much more life calling you my husband,

and myself the luckiest girl alive.

thank you, derksen photography, for our amazing 10-year anniversary photos! :)

around here....

2011-11-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

we've been up to all kinds of fun here in bachmanville.

wanna see?

first up...

our church is super awesome.

they are currently working alongside schools to help kiddos in need. one way they are helping in the holiday season is thanksgiving in a backpack. we had the opportunity to fill one of the 1000 backpacks RH provided with food for a child to eat over the thanksgiving holiday.

i was so excited to talk to our kids about how blessed they are, and that there are other children who don't have food to eat, or beds to sleep in. i'm not sure they completely understood, but it was a good place to start. and we had a lot of fun buying food for the kids...jackson read our list and the girls got to put the items in the cart.

we are always looking for opportunities to teach our kids about how to love others. i was so thankful for this practical opportunity. it challenged me to look for more of them!

*************************************************************************

pretty much every morning, bella wants to wake charlotte up.

of course, i tell her "no way."

so the minute she hears her make a peep, she runs into her room, so excited to see her little sister.

i love these girls.

(i have no idea what happened to bella's jammies. i'm guessing she ate yogurt for breakfast?)

*******************************************************************

some of our besties came to our neck of the woods.

yipee!

the jones took a family trip to disneyland,

so we decided to crash their vacation for the afternoon.

bella & addy are best friends, just like their mommies.

bella asks me all the time if she can see addy,

so you can only imagine her addy+disneyland excitement!

disneyland had just started all their christmas magic. lovely love.

************************************************************

friday morning i did this...

they're growing on me.

**************************************************************

friday night we took our kids to fashion island to see the christmas tree lighting.

we were joining friends + mickey mouse was going to be there!

what we did not realize was that a FUFILLION other people were also going.

it was bananas.

but "fun."

i'll be more prepared next year.

***************************************************

saturday morning, the jones came over for a day of friend fun.

oh, what a happy day.

first up.....

acai bowls!

(sorry... i have no idea how to put the cute little mark over the c.

and if you are like me who had NO idea how to pronounce, it is AH-SIGH-EE)

the first time i had them, i said jr & erin must eat them.

kinda jamba juice+granola+honey+fresh fruit+coconut+bee pollen (?!!?)

deliciousness.

then we headed down to newport beach for awhile.

seriously....

watching the kids play together + good conversation with a friend

=happy heart.

there was something so special about having these people be here in my new life.

it was so normal to sit on my bed with jr & chat about life...

i've missed that so much.

though short, their visit was so meaningful.

***********************************************************

saturday night, jeff and i got to go on a date!

woot!

this tuesday is his birthday, so we went out to celebrate a few days early.

we originally planned to see tyrone wells at the house of blues,

but then realized we are way too old for shows that don't start until 9:15.

so we ate a super-tasty meal at havens gastropub in old town orange

(i am in love with old town orange. so cute)

we ate brussel sprouts, braised pork belly, & the best burger i've ever had.

(seriously. with homemade ketchup.)

it's great to have an evening with your husband and acknowledge he is the ONLY person on the planet you want to be married to. he is pretty great. i am so lucky.

*************************************************

right now,

daddy is at work

and jackson is on his special trip with gramma & papa fresno for his 5th birthday.

(they take every grandkid to disneyland when they are 5.

he is SO excited about staying in a hotel and doing whatever HE wants to do there :)

i was feeling a little under-the-weather today,

so the girls and i pulled out every pillow in the house and had a princess movie night.

i'm always good for some snuggle time with my little ladies.

****************************************************

i'm so excited about the next week:

*2 days with just my little girls to play with

*celebrating my hubby's birthday

*my fresno family coming in town

*thanksgiving! food, food, food

*san diego to visit all the cousins

*****************************************************

that's what we have going on here.

what have you been up to?

*fyi-i used my iPhone for lots of these pics this time around :) the beach, shopping, and some disney photos were on my real camera

apples & aquariums & just what i needed

2011-11-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

don't you hate it when you feel nauseous?

(i had 3 rough pregnancies, so i've had all too much of that.)

but when you throw up, you feel so much better?

at least for a little while.

that was pretty much what happened yesterday on the blog.

i kinda threw up all over you with my mommy-sickness.

then i felt much better :)

thanks for all your sweet comments & encouragements...

sometimes it is so nice to know there are other moms out there

dealing with the same frustrations & feelings.

thank you to everyone for reminding me what is important,

and to let go of some of the things that don't matter.

it's nice to know we are in this together!

and i am SO grateful for a gracious God who provides me with all the strength i need.

all that said... i have some fun pictures to share today!

last weekend was jam-packed with family goodness.

jeff's parents were coming to visit, and the kids couldn't have been more excited!

since jackson had the morning off of school,

we decided to do something fun while we waited for them to arrive.

for years, jeff's family has had the tradition of heading up to apple hill in placerville every year.

it was one of our favorite things to do, especially when we lived in davis.

my hubby can make a MEAN apple pie & delicious applesauce.

you know you're jealous!

there are not exactly orchards growing all over down here, but after some research jeff found an 'apple hill' in southern california.

so we hopped in the van and drove the hour+ drive to glen oaks.

i had done a little research and read about riley farms.

they are an apple farm, but also have civil war reenactments!

it was like stepping into early-america...

complete with muskets.

we brought our friend emily & her little guy, will, along for the morning.

i love charlotte eyeing will's gourd!

jackson was having such a good time.

a little smile machine.

charlotte felt like such a big girl running around the big farm.

emily & will

bella was having a rough morning.

she almost didn't even make it on the trip after a morning of fits.

she finally pulled it together and was running to play on a bridge...

only to fall and cut her hand.

oh.... the drama.

(note that you can BARELY see the tiny scratch....)

luckily, a sleeping dog brought a smile to her face! phew!

sadly, riley farms had no apples after a freeze last spring.

so we headed down the road to los rios rancho farm.

the kids loved looking around the big shop and carrying apples in their basket.

(bummer... the apples got pretty bruised in the process)

we got a big jug of apple cider, honeycrisp apples for the kids, and some cooking apples for chef jeff.

the girls couldn't wait to eat some apples!

they munched on them while the boys ordered apple treats from the bakery.

daddy ordered apple pie with cheddar cheese (an ohio tradition), apple cider, and a 'cimmy roll' for jackson & the girls.

i would love to say it was delicious, but....

it was actually pretty gross. bummer.

kinda like apple glue in my pie.

this little guy didn't mind.

since we had a friend to take our picture, i thought it would be fun to get a family shot.

this was our best attempt.

and the best of the kids together.

i don't know how we are ever going to get a christmas card pic this year ;)

overall, a super fun morning.

and we loved having emily & will with us!

shortly after we arrived home,

grandma & papa bachman arrived!

after a tour of the house, we got back in the van and headed to the beach.

jackson wanted to go to huntington beach

(he had seen it on the map)

so off we went for the first time.

it was so beautiful.

the sun was shining through the clouds down on the pier.

it was freezing, but that couldn't keep the kids out of the water.

poor daddy had to follow them in.

after their lips were turning blue & the sun was quickly setting,

we headed towards the car.

good thing- the minute we had changed their clothes, it started raining!

saturday called for rain all day, so we brainstormed fun rainy places to go.

we decided on the long beach aquarium.

it was such a fun aquarium!

i have only been to the monterey aquarium, so i was mildly skeptical going in.

but there were so many things i had never seen before.

bella loved getting to touch the jellyfish (?!?)

and charlotte could have watched the sea lions all day long.

i loved their little faces pressed up to the glass.

they had a tank full of sharks you could pet.

this bunch were all sleeping on top of one another in the tank.

kinda creepy, but bella didn't mind.

bella spent pretty much the entire day with the front of her sweater wet from one exhibit or the other.

oh, that girl.

we hoped charlotte would take a little nap in the ergo, but she was having way too much fun to sleep.

we had such a fun time with grandma & papa modesto at the aquarium!

sadly, on our way out of the aquarium,

bella fell again and scraped up her knee.

and that is why she is the bruised tutu :)

some days as a mommy are really hard.

thankfully, there are weekends like this that remind you how fun kids are,

and how lucky we are to be a family.

mommy merry-go-round

2011-11-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

from the time i was little,

i always wanted to be a mom.

i loved the idea of little people who loved me.

who i could take care of, encourage, and love forever.

getting pregnant took longer than expected for us.

there was a time that i questioned if i would ever be able to have children of my own.

and then one day,

in God's perfect timing,

we found out we were having a baby.

i still remember the moment i found out- the sheer joy i felt holding that stick.

it has been a little over 6 years since i held that pee-covered stick and cried in a bathroom at rcp.

God faithfully fulfilled my dream to become a mother.

now i have 3 little ones to love, encourage, and take care of.

the sad part is....

there are so many days that are filled with frustration, exhaustion, and even anger.

being a mom is not quite what i imagined it to be.

i'm not saying i don't love my kids.

or being a mom.

i absolutely, without a doubt, do.

i cannot imagine my life without my babies.

but i want to ENJOY them.

i want to smile more, laugh frequently.

i start the day with such good intentions,

and then tantrums, defiance, and fighting send me over the edge.

(and that is just the 7am hour....)

i see these other moms out,

and it feels like everyone is smiling and enjoying their children.

and then there is me...

constantly having to discipline, calming down irrational fits,

and breaking up the latest tirade.

i am exhausted.

i am discouraged.

i realize i have 3 small children,

one of whom has some extra-special circumstances.

but is it supposed to be this hard?

it feels like i am on this merry-go-round of mommyhood.

every day consists of cleaning, cooking, tantrums, fighting, cleaning, crying...

up and down, up and down.

and the next day we just get right back on the ride again.

of course there are good moments in there too.

we do have fun moments,

happy smiles,

snuggles and loves.

but as soon as it looks like everyone is content, someone falls apart again.

am i supposed to get to the end of the day and pretty much want to cry,

almost every single night?

i constantly feel like i am failing-

i can't keep my house clean, i can't figure out how to cook dinner every night (or get my kids to eat it), i can't get my kids to obey... i can't, i can't, i can't.

i feel overwhelmed with guilt that i'm not doing enough for them.

that somehow i am doing it all wrong.

if i disciplined differently, maybe they would obey more.

if i did_____________, then maybe ________________.

i second guess every decision,

every word,

afraid that one mistake will ruin them forever.

i remember when my kids were little babies.

i would just stare at them, hold them, snuggle them.

i was so sad when i had to put them down for a nap.

every moment was so sweet.

how i long for more sweetness in my days.

more snuggling, less arguing.

more smiles, less tantrums.

more fun projects, less tears.

i love my children.

i would give up everything i have for them.

their smiles and giggles make me happier than anything in the entire world.

so what kind of mommy am i that my children don't fill my heart with joy all the time?

that all i want to do at this moment is have a break from them?

how do we parent our children well,

discipline them appropriately,

love them unconditionally,

and enjoy them continuously?

is there a way to make days more fun than fight?

i don't know the answer.

so for now i'm going to try and snuggle with them for a bit.

be thankful for each of their little lives

and that i get to be their mommy-

through the laughter and the fits.

and pray that the rest of today is a little more smiles than sadness.

because if i had to choose.....

i'll take every hard day with my three beautiful children

than any day without them.

thank you, God,

for these three little lives you have entrusted me with.

help me to raise them to love you and become more like your son.

forgive me for the times i lose my patience.

help me to remember they are little and learning.

and please guide me on this journey of mommyhood....

i want to honor you in it.

a good week.

2011-11-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

we have had a good week.

last weekend, our isabella turned 4.

(although she now insists she is 5. oh, that child.)

our weekend was spent celebrating her.

we started off on friday at disneyland!

while jackson was at school, i took her in by myself for awhile.

i loved the one-on-one time with my big girl.

the forecast for friday was rain.

ugh.

i am not a fan of amusement parks in the rain.

but we had promised, so we put on our raincoats and purchased some ponchos.

it was lovely in the morning... i thought 'rain' must have meant 'sprinkles.'

boy, was i wrong.

right about the time daddy came with the other 2 kiddos,

the skies opened up.

we got SOAKED.

we even pulled out the super-cool ponchos.

wet underwear makes me grumpy.

it finally let up around 2:00, just in time for our friends, the coltmans to arrive.

(she is amazing- she braved the rain with 2 little girls and a prego belly.

and looked super cute doing it. her hubby joined us a little later.)

the kids had a great time, despite the weather.

and they loved playing with their new friend, lainey.

bella insisted on riding the little mermaid ride 3 times,

and would have kept going if we let her.

luckily, the other kids were big fans, too.

that night, we stayed for bella's favorite, the parade.

all the characters waved and wished her happy birthday.

she was in little-girl-heaven.

especially since she also got hot chocolate and cotton candy!

(charlotte ate her first cotton candy and was literally trying to shovel it into her mouth. hi-lar-ious.)

the next morning i had a photo shoot with a fun family.

i seriously love taking pictures. and so fun taking them of new people!

that afternoon, we decided to do a last minute non-party at the park with some new friends.

(my sweet hubby knows how i can get a little, well, obsessed with parties.

so no banners, no decorations, no games. just cupcakes and playtime at the park).

i wanted to make the perfect cupcake.

so i made this cupcake and this frosting.

neither turned out how i wanted. and together... a cupcake horror.

(okay.. that may be a slight exaggeration.)

but i had a ~~gigantic~~ minor meltdown regarding sad-looking cupcakes

and my daughter turning 4 years old.

my oh-so-patient husband sent me to ralphs to buy some store bought cupcakes.

problem solved. crisis averted.

bella had rapunzel cupcakes and couldn't have been happier.

bella was so excited about all her new friends coming.

and i had this sweet moment where i looked around the table at all these families

and was just so thankful that God has already provided these friends for us.

bella and her friend, nyomi.

nyomi's big brother is in jackson's class at school.

some of our favorite new families

(the coltmans + corrine, the halls, the brummels, the brauns, the rottschafers, and the mccartys.)

(side note... the week before, my sweet friend corrine came over while jeff was at work one night.

she helped me make these super yummy giada pinwheels with my kids.

so fun. so delicious!)

sunday morning was bella's actual birthday.

it was also daylight savings time.

seriously... i would like to take whoever invented daylight savings into a dark alley.

i may have a thing or two to 'say' to them.

we may or may not have bribed our kids to stay in their room with breakfast cupcakes.

i'm not even sorry.

and yes, those are the cupcakes from the previous day's cupcake-meltdown-extraordinaire.

after some early-morning sugar, we headed to church.

i even had friends to sit with this week!

happy me.

sweet brooke is jackson's special buddy for his class at church,

and my kiddos favorite babysitter here.

she was super sweet and brought bella a birthday gift.

precious.

that afternoon we had a ministry event

(so fun. i love balboa island. and kids ministry. and new friends.)

and then headed over to sprinkles cupcakes.

because bella just hadn't had enough cupcakes, right?

we dropped daddy off at work and then went home to eat this famous cupcake.

it really was yummy!

monday morning, our friends, the dodds came through town on their way to arizona.

they brought their doggies, lucy & murphy.

bella was in LOVE.

those poor dogs.

that night, i had my first girls-night-out since moving here.

it was SO.MUCH.FUN.

i loved every single girl there.

and the food was amazing!

i'm already looking forward to next month :)
(sorry- no photos. i didn't want my new friends to think i was crazy. it is too early for them to know the truth)

tuesday jeff was back at work, but he surprised me with a date night!

whoo hoo!

(2 nights out in a row.... i didn't know what to do with myself!)

we had a gift card to this unbelievable restaurant.

seriously... i would have to sell a kid to eat there normally.

and it would be worth it.

we ate grilled artichokes, roasted beets (my first ever), crab cakes, mashed potatoes, and the best rib-eye ever.

my mouth is watering just thinking about it. mmmmmm.

after that, we took the ferry to balboa island to walk around,

and then got vanilla chai at gypsy den in costa mesa.

maybe one of our best date nights ever.

and it had been a long time since we had some good time to talk.

i love my husband.

a lot.

wednesdays are my favorite mornings.

i have nurture at church, a group of about 100 moms meeting together.

we eat a delicious breakfast, pray and connect, and then listen to a great speaker.

i adore wednesdays.

here is my table- joyful.

(we are missing juliana)

emily is our table leader, and one of my favorite new people.

seriously. she is adorable, thoughtful, and so fun.

here are the girls leaving nurture, both wearing their 'kitty' shirts.

i love them.

we had lunch at a park in costa mesa where they feed lunch to the homeless on wednesdays.

we want our kids to be part of experiences like that.

i don't think they totally got it, but it was neat to be there and see what was going on.

(but also sad to see how many people there were hurting and in need)

it definitely makes you appreciate how much we are really blessed with.

it was a great week.

maybe the best week i've had since moving.

it was less about what we did, and more about who we did it with.

time with my little family is always precious.

and i love all our new friends.

it doesn't make me love or miss my old ones any less,

but it does make life here much, much better.

yep....

it was a good week.

the gomes+gausepohl+futrell families

2011-11-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

this past saturday morning, i had the opportunity to photograph a lovely family.

i met brittany through a mutual friend at our mom's group, nurture.

(and she is friends with one of my fresno friends! small world :)

brittany's parents, naida & dave, have been married 35 years.

what an amazing legacy they have!

it was an honor to share some early morning sun with a beautiful family.

this is cameron.

he turned one the day before pictures.

he loves doggies and airplanes.

what a sweetie!

cameron's mommy & daddy, brittany & garrett

brittany's sister, danielle, with her husband, charlie

what a beautiful, fun family.

thank you for letting me share in your celebrations!

today

2011-11-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

today, at 6:04am, my isabella kristan turned 4 years old.

i'm not totally sure how this happened.

it feels like just yesterday i had this gigantic belly...

and even bigger dreams.

what would she look like? be like?

but now i can hardly remember life without her.

as far back as i can remember, i wanted to be a mommy.

and i really wanted a little girl.

my isabella was over 9 pounds when she was born.

i should have known right away that she was a girl who would not go unnoticed.

this girl has my heart.

and i cannot believe she is already 4 years old.

this birthday has been extra hard for me to take in.

something about four just seems so big, so old.

no longer a little baby,

but a little girl with thoughts, opinions. and personality.

being bella's mommy has brought me immeasurable joy.

from the time she was a baby, her laughter has been contagious.

i love how she smiles with her entire face.

everyone says she looks just like me,

(and i think my baby pictures would have to agree)

but i think inside she is full of her daddy.

she loves people and is quick to make a friend.

she is funny, determined, and.... loud!

much like her daddy, you can hear her from any room in the house.

she loves to sing everything from worship songs to disney classics.

she is passionate about life, and is usually either laughing or screaming-

there is little in between for her.

this past year, she has grown up so much.

the way she talks, the things she knows.... i often find myself talking to her like a little friend.

while i absolutely LOVE being her mommy,

i admit that she also comes with her challenges.

this past year i have learned so much about consistency, patience, and grace.

she has recently fallen deeply in love with everything princess.

i was originally opposed to the whole princess thing, but now it just melts my heart.

at the disneyland parade on friday night, the princesses all waved and told her 'happy birthday'

(thanks to the disney-provided birthday button)

that was her favorite part of the entire day.

( and it almost made mommy & daddy cry to see how excited she was. so precious)

she loves animals. intensely. if she sees a dog, she must pet it. our poor 13-year-old kitty has been drug all over the backyard by this little girl. she chases birds and doesn't understand why they won't let her hold them like the princesses get to.

she loves the ocean, her 'kitty boots', anything pink, sugar, riding her bike, art projects, dancing, waking up charlotte, reading books, sugar, snuggling, dresses, doing everything herself, duck-duck-goose, collecting things, sugar, writing her name, super why, swimming, building forts, dressing up, sugar, 'jessie braids' and '5 curls', her big brother, playing on the phone, bubble baths, painted fingernails.

oh, and sugar.

every once in awhile lately, she'll crawl into bed with me around 4:00 in the morning.

i kinda love it.

i wish i could just snuggle up to her this little forever.

she makes me learn to enjoy life.

to take myself less seriously.

to sing louder, dance sillier, and eat more cupcakes.

she reminds me that i can't do it all by myself.

so make a wish, isabella kristan bachman.

i hope all your dreams come true, little one.

because you make mine come true every day.

i love you so very much, sweet girl.

now stop getting bigger, okay?

photos by derksen photography, mariano friginal photography, and mommy

i do it myself.

2011-11-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

my bella loves to do things herself.

whether it is getting dressed, clicking her buckles in her car seat, or 'helping' me cook,

i hear the phrase 'i can do it myself' all day long.

and now, little sister is beginning to do the same.

there are plenty of things bella can do on her own.

and i want her to practice those things and become independent.

but there are a lot of things that she really does need me for.

(and charlotte even more so!)

there is little that is more frustrating to me than bella yelling at me that she can do it herself,

when i know she cannot.

i don't think there is anything that has given me a better picture of my relationship with Jesus,

than being a parent.

the love, self-sacrifice, and protection i feel for my children is only a fraction of what my God feels for me.

but i can imagine that the frustration i feel with my children might also be a glimpse into how God might feel with me sometimes as well.

much like my little girls,

i constantly find myself saying, "i can do this myself."

i say that i need Jesus.

that He is my strength.

that i rely on Him alone.

but the reality is....

most of the time, i am looking to myself.

no wonder i keep falling on my face!

lately, i feel as though i have had a giant mirror put up to my life.

and not a regular mirror, but one of those

'way-too-close-up-magnified-i-can-see-inside-your-pores' mirrors.

maybe it is because i was way too busy in fresno to pause,

but since moving, i feel like i keep getting smacked in the face with things

God wants to show me about myself.

and it isn't necessarily all bad things,

but just recognizing who i am,

how i can grow,

and why i do the things i do.

i'll see something and think "i need to work on that"

only to find myself discouraged at the lack of change in my life.

maybe the lack of change is due to the fact that i am insufficient to do anything on my own.

as ridiculous as it is to think isabella could bake a cake all by herself right now

is how silly it is to think i am able to 'change' myself.

i can try really hard for awhile.

and it might even work.

for a bit.

but then i will return to normal.

go back to what is easy.

default.

i have to stop trying to do it all myself.

relationships.

parenting.

marriage.

life.

i need to actually allow God to do what He is good at

(one of the many things :)

to surrender fully to Him

and allow his Holy Spirit to truly be my help.

the obvious difference between myself as a parent and God my Father

is that i am broken, sinful, and of the flesh.

i get frustrated, fed up, and lose my patience with my daughters.

thankfully,

God, my Father, never loses His patience.

He is always there to help me, even when i am not looking or asking for it.

He does not react with emotion,

but with an understanding of the child He created,

and compassion to help me through every circumstance of life.

there is so much He is showing me right now.

i'm grateful for a God that wants to stretch me, mold me, help me grow.

but i know none of that can happen unless

i stop trying to do it 'all by myself'.

fres-go

2011-11-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

this past weekend we headed up to fresno.

i find myself saying 'we went home', which isn't true anymore.

we've been here for 2 months now.

crazy.

more and more, i wake up and go through my day without thinking it feels strange to be here.

it's beginning to feel like normal life.

i like that.

i really like it here.

but it is always good to see friends and family!

jeff was officiating a wedding, so we raced into town just in time for the rehearsal.

after that, we went to a pumpkin-carving party at one of my favorite people's house.

(it is always one of my favorite events of the year, so i was super excited we happened to be in town for it!)

no pictures... we were too busy have grown-up conversation.

my heart was happy :)

isabella will be turning 4 years old this coming sunday

(how is this possible???)

and my mom wanted to celebrate.

last minute, we invited a few families to join us for cupcakes.

bella was so excited to play with her friends.

my mom made some cute fairy cupcakes.

i'd love to know what she wished for ;)

the cupcakes were a big hit!

love all these sweet girls.

this is bella's bestie, addy.

her mommy has been one of my besties since i was in 6th grade.

we sure miss them.

addy's little brother, griffin.

he grew so much in 2 months!

jackson & bella with another one of their best buddies, cooper.

bella says she is going to marry him.

that is an arranged marriage i would go for!

(only if we got to celebrate every holiday with his parents... some of our very closest friends :)

coop's baby brother, sawyer.

can't believe this little guy is going to be a big brother in february!

jackson and 'roo roo'

one of the kiddos favorite babysitters, michelle.

after cupcakes at the park, we dashed home to get ready for the wedding.

i love watching my husband perform a wedding.

(he just looks so cute, right?)

i love listening to the words he says to the bride and groom,

because ultimately, i know he means all of that for me.

i am so lucky to be married to this man.

it was a fun, whimsical wedding of a very sweet couple.

i loved all the details, like the bouquet of fabric & paper flowers.

centerpieces with pinwheels and coke bottles.

place cards attached to shutters with clothespins

and for the favor.... a lottery ticket & a penny.

hoping to wish some of their luck on us!

(sadly, our tickets were prize-less)

and one of my favorite wedding features...

a photo booth!

we had fun using silly props to take pics with each other & our friends

one of jeff's favorite friends, adam, was at the wedding.

i love how much fun they have together.

adam, stacey, & jeff....

we miss doing ministry together.

loved some no-kiddo time with my hubby.

(thank you, gramma!)

what a beautiful fresno evening!

jeff had to leave saturday night for a big day at work on sunday.

he was nice and took jackson with him so i only had 2 kids on sunday.

sunday morning we went to the clovis campus.

it was great to see so many familiar faces!

after church, bella & i went to stacey's baby shower.

she's having a little boy in december. we can't wait to meet him!

(yes, this picture is from the night before.)

bella loved being a big girl and 'helping' auntie stacey open her gifts.

after the shower, we headed back to my mom's, ate dinner, and packed up.

the girls and i traveled home late sunday night.

it was a full, fun weekend.

in some ways, it is hard to go back and see everyone.

when i'm here, going about normal life, i can put myself in 'go' mode and focus on the day and what needs to happen.

being there was a reminder of how many people i love.

and miss.

but even though it is hard to be away from so many special people,

it still felt really good to come back sunday night.

to come home.

fresno, i love you.

but i'm happy to be right here where God wants me.

because this home is pretty great, too.

trick or treat!

2011-10-31T22:21:00.000-07:00

these kids were ready to trick or treat!

they dressed up in wizard of oz costumes this year.

but after a bit of ripping (and jackson not wanting any silver on his hair or face)

he made a last-minute costume change and became a fireman.

we headed out to aliso viejo tonight

for some trick-or-treating with the cousins.

the kids were in candy heaven!

the houses in their neighborhood went ALL OUT.

this is a house that had a movie projected on a screen. wow!

people were literally bussing into this neighborhood.

amazing.

after almost 2 hours,

their bags were full, their feet were tired, and it was way past bedtime,

so we headed home.

each kiddo got to pick 2 pieces to eat tonight.

yum!

our favorite part of the night was listening to charlotte say 'trick or treat!"

at every house.

she was pretty cute.

thought you might like to see for yourself :)

i'm off to sneak a bit more of my kids' candy while they sleep :)

happy halloween!

halloween cuties

2011-10-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

today i had the opportunity to take halloween pictures of some adorable little kiddos.

it was so fun to open our home to some new friends.

you know me....

i couldn't help but make some yummy treats and decorate a bit for the occasion!

the owl cupcakes were definitely my favorite.

but the s'mores on a stick were a close second!

as cute as the owl cupcakes were,

these little ones couldn't have been sweeter.

first is 5-month-old sydney, the little ladybug

her big sister, sophia, as a kitty cat

and oldest sister, sarah, as rapunzel.

how perfect is her hair?

next was 9-month raegan.

such a cutie pie!

then there is will.

maybe my favorite costume of the day.

his mommy made it....

you can't help but smile at this little chicken!

natalie is a sweet 3-year-old.

she said her princess name was 'giselle'.

natalie's big sister, noelle, was princess jasmine.

she kept me laughing with her fun personality.

next was a family of 3 little boys, all too cute for words!

baby colson is just 1 month old.

what a pumpkin! :)

his brother, brenton, is 2.

he was the cutest firefighter i've ever seen.

oldest brother, wylan, is almost 4.

this little pilot melted my heart.

finally, little micah as muno.

he was not very excited about taking pictures.

but he was still adorable!

it was a great afternoon doing 3 of my favorite things:

photography, entertaining, and hanging with friends.

loved it!

they're off to see the wizard....

2011-10-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

it's official...

the kiddos are dressing up in wizard of oz costumes this year!

it all started with bella.

she told me she wanted to be dorothy from the 'lizard of oz'.

(i think it was because she wanted to carry toto in the basket.)

once she decided on dorothy,

i figured we'd make it a family affair!

we already had a lion costume from when jackson was little,

perfect for our charlotte.

(but of course she needed a bow. and she wanted her sparkle shoes, too)

and finally....

jackson as the tin man.

mommy has NEVER made a costume before.

i decided to give it a try...

(this may be my first and last year!)

i think he turned out pretty cute for a no-sew costume.

(and for the record... i did make him a funnel hat. but he wanted no part of it.

so we sprayed his hair silver- but it is hard to tell!)

they're off to see the wizard!

or at least a lot of houses full of candy.

and i am off to vacuum up all the glitter from the tin mans' costume :)

here's a little trip down memory lane....

happy halloween!

a whole new world

2011-10-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

we've had a case of the grumpies around here.

daddy was gone,

then the flu hit us.

(cleaning up throw up may be one of my least favorite things. ever.)

we even had some minor flooding come our way.

not exactly how i wanted my weekend to go.

so if you're having a hard time finding your smile on this monday,

here's a little something to bring it back.

my kids are all disney crazy right now.

they also love to sing them some songs.

here is jackson & bella's rendition of 'a whole new world'.

it is truly amazing.

happy monday!

hope you're smiling now :)

i know i am!

lil' punkins

2011-10-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

sunday we were invited to a harvest party with some of our new favorite people.

we started at the pumpkin patch.

it was called tanaka farms and was amazing.

when i say pumpkin patch, i am not talking about a 10x10 square situated on the side of the road between a cvs pharmacy and a burger king.

we are talking about a huge farm.

i think they have fun things you can do all year long, like berry picking.

we will definitely be hitting that up!

here is a pic of our group.

(notice we are the crazy people with 3 children, while most everyone else had one adorable baby.

i think i may have looked a bit like a crazy woman trying to chase my 3 around while the babies rode happily in their strollers.

or maybe that was just how i was feeling ;)

it was also HOT. i was unprepared.

i thought i'd dress my kids cute in fall clothing- cardigans, boots and all.

we quickly were a sweaty mess.

i keep thinking it is going to be cooler. and then i'm sweaty.

but then when i think it will be warm.... it gets freezing. (see saturday night at the beach).

i'll figure it out, eventually, right?

sorry, kids.

we headed for the corn maze.

they had a cute little sign to measure how tall you are.

wouldn't that be cute to do every year?

the kids quickly took off in the maze.

here is jackson with his new friend, lainey.

i couldn't keep up, and quickly lost jackson.

(insert panic here.)

i'm sure no one would steal him, and i knew he was in the maze somewhere.

but there is something about not being able to find them that just automatically

makes your heart start beating faster.

of course, he was just a better maze-figure-outer than i, and was waiting in the center.

quite proud of himself, too.

best attempt at a family pic.

(thanks gramma!)

the girls

after the maze

(and some serious jackson sadness about not riding the $5 tractor ride)

we headed to the pumpkins.

i'm going to be honest.

i don't buy pumpkins at the pumpkin patch.

i buy them at trader joes for $2.99, and then get myself a salted caramel white mocha with the change.

and fill up my gas tank.

(seriously... those things are pricey!)

so really....

we just played with the pumpkins for a bit.

bella wanted to carry them on her head.

i will neither confirm or deny whether she dropped this pumpkin on the ground.

you can't prove anything.

there was no escaping the sun,

so it was super hard to get pictures that weren't fuzzy.

almost as hard as trying to get 3 kids to smile at the same time.

so i nixed the group shot and went for individual pics.

sweet isabella kristan- almost 4 years old

(how, how, how?)

little charlotte monroe- 20 months

and my big boy, jackson orian- 5 1/2 years

i love my little pumpkins.

daddy took jackson over to be a scarecrow.

he thought that was pretty funny.

one of my favorite new people is emily.

she is my small group leader for my mom's group, nurture.

i think she may be my soul sister.

i love her already and am so thankful to have met her!

here is her sweet little man, will.

he was totally into the dried pumpkin stems.

so cute.

what a cute daddy.

even when baby girl is in charzilla-mode.

charlotte soon found some random trash to play with.

will decided to join in.

i'd say i watched her to make sure she didn't put anything in her mouth,

but.....

after everyone was finished at the pumpkin patch,

we headed over to our friends' house in newport.

she can throw a mean party

(see her daughter, katie's, 1st birthday. adorable.)

and is totally not afraid of pumpkin guts or rice krispie treats on her floor.

a better woman than i, that's for sure.

(is that not THE cutest water dispenser?

you can put decorations in the bottom! totally want.)

we ate yummy chili

(and i don't even like chili)

and delicious treats, including the BEST peanut butter cookies ever.

they also decorated pumpkins,

but that was a bit more than we could handle with 3 kids.

pumpkin carving is something i have to really gear myself up for....

we'll do that when daddy comes home.

it was such a fun afternoon-

and it meant so much to be a part of something here.

i love that we are forming real friendships with people that i really enjoy,

and that we are beginning to think of this as home.

all those pumpkins got me feeling ready for fall!

bring on the pumpkin pie, pumpkin-spice lattes, and pumpkin pancakes!

whew!

2011-10-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

we had quite a weekend!

my mom came down on the train late friday night.

we were all SO excited to see her.

we had big plans while she was here.

we were up early saturday morning to go to my nephew's soccer games.

once again, they were amazing!

liam has footwork that would make david beckham cry.

and aidan was running all over that field. he tore it up.

between games we stopped at starbucks.

i may or may not have gotten my new favorite drink,

a non-fat salted caramel white mocha

(like the non-fat actually made any difference)

i figured all that shredding i'd done the week before should be negated in 12 ounces.

totally worth it.

during aidan's game, the other kids all hung out around the fence

searching for rolly-polly bugs.

so cute.

here is proud gramma with 5 of her 6 grandkids.

after the games,

we grabbed lunch

(pick up stix, how we've missed you!)

and my mom & i did a little shopping...

i'd been holding on to some gift cards for awhile, but just couldn't do it with 3 kids around!

we headed home to pick up jeff & the kiddos

for dinner at the beach.

we stepped out and realized it was

FREEZING!

but the kids were so excited and would not be deterred.

my towel quickly became a shawl.

luckily, i had brought sweatshirts for the kiddos, so they had a little something to cover up with.

jackson & bella didn't care that their extremities had gone completely numb,

and insisted on playing in the water.

jeff is a good, good daddy and played with them.

the beach, my family, and sunset.

is there anything more lovely?

the kids loved having gramma sleeping on the air mattress in the living room.

inflating & deflating it is always big excitement around here!

sunday meant church in the morning.

after that, i dropped off mom & the kiddos and headed over to irvine spectrum.

awhile back, a bunch of peeps i went to elementary (and some all the way thru high school) with suggested a get-together for everyone living in southern california.

it was surreal, to say the least, to see everyone.

i did a horrible job staying in contact over the years, so it was my first time seeing everyone in 14-20 years!

the crazy thing was, everyone looked the same, just older.

it was super fun.

here is our 6th grade photo.

(i starred everyone who was at the lunch)

you know you're jealous of my amazing bangs, right?

and here we are, 20 years later...

back row: joel, aimee, stephanie, & elise

front: me, ronee, lara & ian

after lunch, we joined some of our new favorite people for a harvest party!

i figured the pumpkin patch deserves its' own blog,

so here's a little sneak peek.

again... 3 children smiling = impossible.

jeff left monday morning for hume, where he is speaking this week.

i was so glad my mom was here to keep me company, especially since jackson had the day off school.

no school + gramma here = disneyland day!

we planned on just going for a few hours in the morning, but ended up staying all day.

we hit up dumbo first.

always a big favorite!

bella insisted on wearing her mickey ears all day. love.

waiting in line to see rapunzel & flynn rider from tangled.

how big does charlotte look?

we finally made it in to see them.

the kids were SOOOOOO excited!

the best part of meeting them was jackson sharing his 'smolder'.

they loved it!

a little video of the kids meeting the characters....

apparently, jackson made quite an impression. we ran into flynn rider after we ate lunch,

and he said 'hi jackson!' and gave him a smolder.

jackson thought he was pretty cool :)

disneyland was way more crowded than expected,

so we hopped over to california adventures.

we hadn't hit up the bug land yet, so we explored there for awhile.

we even watched the 'it's tough to be a bug' movie.

recently, my kids discovered phineus & ferb on netflix.

i wasn't sure at first, but it is kinda funny. and cute.

they do a dance party at california adventures with the characters several times a day.

jackson always gets out and dances, but this time bella did too.

and then...

charlotte went running out!

that kid dancing was the cutest thing ever.

she was really shaking those little biscuits!

seriously... check her out in the bottom middle photo. adorable.

a video of the kids dancing....

we took gramma to the train station today to go back to fresno.

we had so much fun with her!

i pity-bought myself an entire costco pumpkin pie today to make the next few days without jeff a little easier...

a girl needs her vegetables, right?