thanksgiving in Sedona

it's been years since i've been to Sedona, and it had been way too long.  it is really just the most beautiful place.  it is so fun to visit the different areas of this great state.  it's easy to just associate Arizona with the desert, there is just so much to see and Sedona is definitely a must-see!

 we got here on Thanksgiving day and got right to cooking and eating.  after the deliciousness, we headed out for a self-guided jeep tour of Sedona!

 each vista and view was greater then the last.  and the girls had so much fun on the little hikes/walks we took here and there.  (i forgot my camera on our jaunt and thought i'd make up for it the rest of the weekend, thank goodness Tara snapped these pics.)

this should have been a sign of things to come, Colin was not a happy camper, but i chalked it up to the bumpy ride and lack of nap:

 

but later that night, and ALL night long, this poor boy threw up.  and there should really be another name for the sick he was, it was poltergeist.  we had to call the front desk and request a clean up in the morning.  and so, as the exhausted, sick and oh yeah, exhausted mom, i made the executive decision for us to spend the rest of the weekend at home in our home beds.  

so sadly, we called it quits on our Sedona weekend and headed home.  here is my one picture.  the girls call these trees the "fire trees" as the yellow crops up in the middle of the of these little valleys, they think it looks like fire in the distance.  

it is really beautiful.  goodbye Sedona!

did you know that the tallest Christmas tree in the country is here in Arizona.  

the girls and i heard on the radio a few weeks ago that the tree was coming to the outlets in Anthem, and i thought, "i think we can go there on the way to Sedona at Thanksgiving."

sure enough, that's just what we did.  early Thanksgiving morning, we made our way to Sedona and saw this tree in the distance and the kids got so excited.  it was kind of cool to see the tree almost all by our selves.  

 

 we had fun walking around it, looking up at it, walking around it again, looking up at it again.  it was really amazing.  

see, look how big the tree is even compared to Daddy!

i'm glad we made the stop.  it was a fun adventure seeing the biggest Christmas tree in America.  

a quick work trip with my boy

Bubba was my assistant on a recent trip to CA for holiday mini-sessions.  since Grandma and Grandpa were out of town, we got to stay with Sawyer and Ali.  (and of course Emma and Kobe)  Colin's love affair with dogs runs deep.  he was pretty unstoppable when it came to chasing Emma and Kobe around, (and hugging their rear ends, what's with that?)

 he had to come with me to the Friday sessions, and was a trooper as long as I gave him his favorite toy, my toothbrush.  (had to make a Target run for another.)

 and he did not contain his love to live dogs only, he shared the wealth with the stone variety as well.  a bonus, since the stone dog cannot move, he was able to plant kisses firmly on the dogs face and not the back side.  much less germy, i hope.  

the sessions were fun, the weather was semi-stormy, the company was lovely, but my time was short.  see you soon California!

everybody dance now!

this was Avery's first dance recital.  she was so excited and also a little nervous!

 Madeline and Anna are old pros and were great helpers showing Avery the ropes. 

 the dances were equal parts cute and hilarious.  

the crowd was impressed. 

 all in all a wonderful family night.  

well done girls! off for some celebratory ice cream!

big imaginations!

my kids have big imaginations, and i love it!  

one of the car seats was inside the door and these girls found it and made their own car!  complete with (latch system) shoulder belt.  

little cuties!

this is halloween!

 so, we carved our pumpkins the night before halloween and they looked great!

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we had so much fun with our friends, 

  

 and as siblings!

happy halloween!

halloween costume portraits

i love doing Halloween mini-sessions.  i only had a limited window this year with wedding/portrait season, so i took the kids for a quick after-school shoot.  

i a so glad i borrowed this frog costume from Ali.  originally, Colin was supposed to be a fireman, but he refused to wear the costume.  i think this frog was just perfect. 

 Anna's best friend joined us and we got a little pick of these two princesses.  

 we had my cousins along too, Merida and Mickey were a great addition.

 Anna had a hard time deciding what to be this year, but once she spied this "celebrity startlet" costume at Party City, she was in love!  she knows how to work the whole startlet concept.  

 we tried to kiss the frog and see if he turned to a prince, but this just made him grouchy. 

 Avery is our Rapunzel lover in the family.  and for months she knew she wanted to be "Rapunzel in her wedding dress."  (thanks again Grandma and Grandpa.) she was an adorable pretend bride. 

 i love these groves for that storybook woods feeling.  i always do my halloween minis here.  

 Madeline was a mermaid this year, she donned an Ariel wig for Halloween night, but opted to be herself as a mermaid for these portraits.  i always dreamed of being a mermaid when i was her age too!

so fun to capture these sweet imaginations while i can!  Happy Halloween.