more festivities

Halloween was like a week long experience in the Earl household. we trunk-or-treated on Tues with Grandma and Grandpa Earl, (Anna was a kitty, and Madeline was a butterfly, i was a little over-protective of the borrowed fairy costumes). Friday we started the morning at Anna's preschool carnival. the girls made cool crafts, played fun games, and got their faces painted! Friday night was trunk or treating again, this time with our ward. there they got to hang with Aurora (aka Bree) then continued our neighborhood tradition with chili and cornbread before hitting the streets on Saturday. this was the first year Anna really "got" trick or treating. she was way less afraid to go to the doors, powered by the firm knowledge that she would get candy. Maddie and Avery were more content passing out candy with dad!

i thought this was a really cool idea, lollipop ghosts hanging on the garage - the kids really loved pulling them off!

this is halloween

so, i have to send huge THANK YOUS to my dear friend Tonya, who graciously lent me her 3 little fairy costumes for Halloween. ever since last year, when she posted pics of her little cuties, i have known i wanted to copy her. i feel like i'm always copying her. the birth of her first child Ella, in no small way prompted me to have our first child Anna. then i just kept on having girl after girl right along with her. she inspired me to sew, her creativity and ambitions encourages me to let my creativity flow. so when i asked her how to make the darling hats, she blew me away with the offer to borrow the whole kit and caboodle! she said, "of course i understand that might take the fun out of making them yourself." to which i replied, "hahahahahahahahaha." you see, i do not believe in reinventing the wheel, why would i even try to improve on anything Tonya has done. that's just silly. so, this was my attempt at a photo shoot to showcase my sweet little fairies.



it all started alright. sure, wrangling 3 little girls into dress, hat, cape, and wings, hauling a chair into the middle of a grapefruit tree grove, hauling said girls (who won't step on weeds) to said grove, caused me some grief. but i whipped out a few shots and thought things were going well. i was wrong.



Merryweather was not feeling it.



off came the hat.



that's okay i guess.



no one really wants to look at me. i can work with that.



this is artistic, right?



now Fauna gets antsy!




so, i went with this "implied" version of 3 fairies.



finally, it's just me and Flora. mind you, i've hiked back to the car twice to get the two naughty little fairies "out of the weeds". stripped of their costumes they are strapped in their car seats whining and crying as i attempted to salvage a little something from my investment of time.



my first born indulges me for a moment before complaining that her wings hurt...



and her cape is itchy!



i try to maneuver to some of the places i wanted to try earlier.



but we're done! and you know what, you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit!


Thank you Tonya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

quien es esa niña? who's that girl?

that is what i've been saying when i look in the mirror the past 24 hours.



i needed a change. i like it. thanks Rachael! (ps: please ignore the unmade bed and dirty mirror)

wedding wednesday

a few years back i was priviledged to coordinate a beautiful wedding for my beautiful friend Michelle. it was my first time running the whole show, from finding the wedding attire, to dry cleaning the chair covers. all in all, it was an amazing learning experience, and a beautiful day!

awesome bedhead

i have curly hair. but mine didn't get that way until jr. high or so. Madeline on the other hand has had curls since her hair was barely and inch high. it just grew into one curl on the top of her head. now, it forms beautiful ringlets around her face.



but every morning she looks something like this:



now that's awesome bedhead!

the gazebo

outside of the Chandler Community Center is a wooden gazebo.



the girls love to run over to it and play inside after preschool.



it's so cute to watch their imaginations soar as they think up what the gazebo is that day. admittedly, it is usually a castle, the more dymamic element of pretend is which princess to be.



i hope that one day they realize the best pricess to be is the one they already are! i love you girls!

red day

Anna,
i totally forgot to post about red day. i apologize, i know thursdays are spirit days at school, and are a really important part of our family life. i hope you accept my apology.
Love,
Mom

fun photos - overseeding

you may remember our adventures in overseeding from last year. you know, when Jason let all the neighborhood kids sling manure around in our backyard. and then paid them in otter pops, sans hand washing. well, this year we kept things a little more sanitary.



and the girls were a little more selective of the activities they volunteered for,



preferring to plant flowers. these girls love to help daddy, for they all love him so!

wedding wednesday

here's the inspiration board, a little sneak peak of the wedding i've been working on:



Digi Alpha - Tangie Baxter
Popcorn Cones, Signage, Cotton Candy, Table images: Martha Stewart Weddings
Candy Apple image: Marcelo Salup
Popcorn: Garrett Popcorn
Real Wedding, reception decor ideas: Once Wed
French Fry Shooters: the Bride's Cafe
Mini Hot Dogs: Yum Sugar

we're working with the vague idea of a "vintage carnival", a little down home goodness, Pollyanna style, and plenty of warm color! i can't wait. check back in November for a Real Wedding update!

lazy days

nothing is better to me than the lazy days, when we lounge around as a family.



our Dad time is at a premium lately, so the girls really know how to take advantage of having him around.






and playing is something the girls just can't get enough of. i love how they are such good friends, and cringe everytime someone says to me, "they're going to fight as teenagers." we'll see, just let me have these moments people, when these sisters could not love each other more.



these are the days that warm my heart!

fun photo friday!

so, i love taking pictures! i've had my camera for almost a year now, and i have so much fun with it. recently though, i'vd decided that my most frequent subjects: my wonderfully beautiful children, don't necessarily help me improve my skills.



let me explain. as mentioned above, my children are incredibly beautiful. or, that's how i see it. so that makes me nonobjective when it comes to photographs of them. i just think every photo i take is awesome. so, in an effort to improve my skills, i am imploring you - the blog audience - to allow me to photograph your little youngsters...or oldsters...or families...or just you....whatever. i need some fresh models. any takers? just email me at britainearl{at}yahoo{dot}com.

fun to be one!

they say a picture is worth a thousand words. and i guess i feel like i need to post a thousand pictures to say the millions of words i feel.


i love this child!




i can't believe it's been a year since she was born. it amazes me how you can't imagine life with 1..2..3..children,



and then they're born, and you can't imagine life with out them! that is surely the case with little Avery.



i think we all feel like we'd be lost without her.

today, Avery started out in Maddie's special birthday shirt, because we were saving hers for the big cake eating event. it's funny how i just didn't feel like pink was Avery's signature birthday color. it was the perfect match for sweet Madeline,




but Avery needed a little sass for her big day.







the big girls were so excited to make (and eat) Sissy's cupcakes. and Avery knew just what to do when we sang and presented her with her birthday treat!




Avery,

you are the sweetest, most wonderful baby. you have brightened our life with your spunky little ways. i love how you want to be held and cuddled, though i feel you tiring of that and ready to branch out on your own. i can't wait! i love to see you flex your independence. your sisters adore you. they can't wait to see you in the morning, and the three of you go - go - go- all day! you have your dad wrapped around your little finger. i love to see you flash those 4 pearly whites in his direction, and watch his heart melt. thank you for being such a good girl. we love you. happy 1st birthday!



my love always,
Mommy