November Family Shoot

For all my blog followers that don't have blogger and can not see my recent post updates, this post is for you.

In November we took pictures with a family friend {Jana Beck} To check out our session... Go to my archive 2009, under November and you will find it...there are 2...

Here is a sneak peek...

ps: i back posted so once i create a blog book this shoot would be under the correct year! thanks xoxo

Our {NEW} Decor

It has been three full weeks that I have been back to work. I am finally feeling comfortable with our new schedule...waking up earlier than normal, longer naps for Ashlyn {she is having so much fun at preschool} bed earlier than normal for all of us {well except Eric which has been hard on him...less time with the kids}, actually getting dressed and ready everyday! Staying home is awesome, sweats & a ponytail! Sad leaving Colton but awesome that Ash is with me everyday, getting into a grove with Eric, My Mom & Ashley filling in when needed, to watch Colton while I am at work. etc...

Ashlyn is adjusting to preschool well. I feel so lucky to be able to take her to work with me. This past week has been great, no tears when I leave the classroom, I have been able to see her (sometimes) during the day and have her blow me a kiss through the classroom window {melts my heart}...even better now that she doesn't cry after. She is enjoying Miss Gloria, Miss Yuner and Mr. Fred. Mr. Fred says there is definitely a pecking order..."1st Gloria, 2nd Yuner then Fred"... : ) It has been amazing to watch one of my good friends Gloria have Ashlyn in her arms. Gloria has know me since I was 4 and was Michael's first teacher. I can tell my mom is so proud to have Ashlyn at her school. Seems like something she has looked forward to for a while. Many of her colleagues have their grandchildren...my mom has now joined the club!

So I titled this post OUR {NEW} DECOR... well her is what I mean....

Isn't it beautiful! My favorite thing to do is check her folder to see...What has Ashlyn created today??? As a preschool teacher myself my favorites are the "process oriented" art projects. In this painting, I know Ashlyn, only Ashlyn, can take credit for it. The "teacher directed" activities are adorable too but the ones form her creative mind make me heart melt....

So I have decided to steal an idea from a fellow Little Mud Puddle Mom {thank you Catarina}... We both cherish EVERYTHING our children make. I have decided that for me to keep EVERY SINGLE THING my kids create I am going to need another attic... so I am going to have one plastic bin for each kid... then take pictures of their art and make a photo book out of it. My plan is to make one book a year. I don't know how I am going to be able to wait that long... but I'll try.  This painting will be the 1st page!

Ash and her crown!

Thank you mom for building a school that I love & trust in so much for my baby, your granddaughter. I am the luckiest mommy in the world!

Heidi's Baby Shower {turns} Dress Up Party

Today we went to Heidi's baby shower for Baby Max. It was a great day. So after the Baby Shower festivities were over....the girl's {lizzie & ashlyn} got into Emily's old dress up clothes! ADORABLE! 

jamie & colton...he loves her! 

Belle arrived first

then Catwoman! 

and Madison had to get in on some of the dress up action too! 

Isn't my Niece a CUTIE PIE! 

{RAINY DAY}

Today we are all home together...seems like a rarity lately. Eric has been working a lot, I'm back to work, Ash at preschool...a day like today really makes me appreciate the small things about our life. Today we were supposed to be in Disneyland with Eric's parents & sister... but we cancelled due to rain. I am glad we did b/c that would be tough especially with the kiddos, still sad though. I know we will reschedule but I was so looking forward to having Mike, Ken & Auntie Ash see the magic through our children's eyes... another date will pop up soon {i hope}.

So onto today...well...kids didn't get the memo that says it is a stay home day = sleep in a bit...
as I was washing the breakfast dishes, Ashlyn asked to help... Great turned into a water activity! And a fun time for me to get my camera out and play with my settings. I am almost always shooting in manuel these days....take a picture look at it, change the ISO - just to see the difference, take another pic, compare, manipulate the lighting, another picture, see if it helped, another picture, hope Ash isn't moving all that much {need to learn about shutter speed when she is moving so i can still get the shots}, another picture x a lot. I have definitely learned that to even get a few good pictures you need to take a lot. I am no professional by any means but enjoying the memories I am capturing in the mean time.

So here are a few of our rainy day activities...
-watched Grinch {what else is new...not surprised I'm sure it will be one at least once more today}
-ash walked around with her hands in her pockets...a new interest
-yummy eggs & fresh fruit breakfast
-ash fed the dogs all by herself
-ash playin in sink
-colt in bouncer
-listened to the rain
-sang "it's raining it's pouring" ash loved this...kept saying "bumped his head" over and over and over!
-opened the slider and watched the rain fall
-danced to ashlyn's favorite band --The Fray
-played in the playroom, organized more toys as ashlyn took more out! never ending clean up time...
-watched "Toy Story" well kind of
-ran around the house with the dogs... have to get that exercise in some how!

I'm sure after nap {wich is hopefully soon} we will be on to many more activities... and then Grandma & Grandpa's {Ken & Michelene's} for dinner! Can't wait!

ashlyn loves pockets right now!

sink light on

sink light off...why didn't i think of that sooner!

how cute are her little wet feet...awe and the mess to clean up after!

but we had fun!

busy washing with soap now before we put everything away!

smiling little man... you would never guess he has a horrible cold by that smile!

So much to blog...so little time

To all my blog followers.. I am so sorry I have been MIA especially during such a busy week for us... Lots of new pictures... Ashlyn & Colton 4 mo shots... love them! Ashlyn's first day of school...mommy having fun playing with her camera settings.. got a few awesome ones of Colt. Colton the rolling machine, still have more christmas and hello I have not posted DISNEYLAND... in all honesty I am waiting to get photoshop so I can make picture collages.. I am getting tired of all the single pictures in the row down the post. Needing something new...Hopefully tomorrow night I will have a date with my computer!

xoxo, Tiff

and what is a blog post w/o a picture....or two...one of each kid...

Ashlyn's first day of preschool (Little Mud Puddles)

outside just before we left the house

does she look a little excited!

my little rolling, smiley man

he has had a really bad case of cradle cap...in this shot you can totally see it

but for a mommy all you see are those beautiful eyes and gorgeous smile!

Colton's 4 Month Pics (Ashlyn 22 mo)

Sad announcement Kiddie Kandids where I have taken the kids pictures since Ashlyn was 1 month old...has gone out of business. I am so glad that I have almost always ordered the CD's of the sittings. So I have them forever. The following pictures will be there last ones there....

Ashlyn 22 months, Colton 4 months

January 2010

In their DC shoes, DC & Hurley sweatshirts

Getting so big!

Beautiful Smile!

Hanging out in his Hurley sweatshirt & DC shoes just like daddy!

(Shoes not pictured)

Our Big Girl...She makes our eyes water on a daily basis...

Here is my recent favorite:

the other night she said goodbye to Eric
as he was leaving for work...

Ashlyn: "Bye bye Daddy see you in the mo-nin"

needless to say that one one of those times...
Eric left for work with tears in his eyes...

happy New Year from The Wittmer's

2010!

Tonight we welcomed the new decade with a quiet yet perfect evening at home just the 4 of us! In the morning we had breakfast with Mom & Dad Wittmer and just hung out, a perfect start to the day.

kenai

look at our little ham child...hands in pockets and all

just like grandma

Then we headed home and did a few things around the house. Put together Ashlyn's new Dora Kitchen form Auntie Nine, Uncle Ry & madi...she loves it!

For our New Year's festivities we: ate Clam Chowder in bread bowls, then had Alaskan King Crab Legs (ashlyn's fav) & Ribeye Steak, then put the kiddos to bed around 9:30, watched a movie, woke them up at 11:45,
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...watched the ball drop together...HAPPY NEW YEAR! Kisses, Champagne for mom, and a few pictures then 30 minutes of phone calls! Then we made chocolate fondue... 2 kinds (i love white chocolate) and enjoyed dessert together. Both kids still up! Ashlyn had fun dropping the dippers in the chocolate but not eating them... then I put Ash down while Eric did the last dishes. Eric and I just hung out till I fell asleep - he fell asleep first actually but had to wake up b/c of his crazy night schedule! PERFECT!

she did wake up but though this pic was funny

Wow! What a year...What a decade! The past 9 years have been the best in my life....Thank you 2000's for the amazing memories don't know how the next decade can top it
{i'm sure it will}

Here are the best parts of the past decade in a quick recap...
1. met my amazing husband eric {2001}
2. fell in love with his wonderful family
3. so thankful for my family...so thankful we are all so close...that was not just this decade though : )
4. bough our home in fremont....worst time to buy...but trying to stay positive {2006}
5. got our two beautiful wolf hybrids: Yukon & Lakota {2005, 2006}
6. had our two georgeous babies: Ashlyn {2008} & Colton {2009}
7. new family members born...Lizzie, Ryder, Madison (our 1st official niece), Joslynn
8. weddings weddings weddings....
9. best friend {nina} became my sister-in-law...thank you ryan!
10. lots of friend babies...we are multiplying! love it!
11. football team doing great! not just this season!
12. my cheer team WON NATIONALS!!!! Yes I know I have not bragged enough but really when I was in HS we always dreamed of being one of the winning teams...MY TEAM WAS THAT TEAM! Woo Hoo! Thank you WHS Cheer Team 2007-2008 Season! You guys were awesome ~ I will forever remember you!  The year after we got 3rd! Again I was proud but winning was sure great!
13. family & friends gone to heaven... RIP... tough to loose you in person but we know we are always connected in spirit!
14. VACATIONS...europe honeymoon, banff, costa rica, mexico a few times, yosemite, caribbean cruise, vegas a few times, new orleans (final 4), disneyland several times...we LOVE disney, tahoe, mammoth, zion national park, whistler...along with all the mini day trips we take with the kids: ~ monterey, marine world, santa cruz, carmel, half moon bay, s.f. etc
15. How could I forget this should be up higher on the list... ERIC getting Hired with UCPD. Graduating the Police Academy.... he was so awesome and worked so hard. I am SO SO SO proud of him. He is such an amazing husband & father. He is our main support and I am so thankful! He is a great cop too! I trust in his training and have to have faith in him and UCPD. One more thing... He is the Cutest Cop I know too! haha...had to throw that in!
16. FRIENDS...you know who you are... thankful for new and old friendships that have formed or jsut gotten stronger this decade. we look forward to many more years of memories...Cheers!

yukon...this makes me think yukon needs a photo shoot...

could not find a really good one of him...sorry buddy

lakota...she looked right at the camera...but we were actually taking pictures of her stalking yukon!

My list could go on forever like the milestones of Ashlyn walking, saying mommy, daddy & i love you but then this post would be forever long... so we will just keep to the BIG, scratch that HUGE events!

march 2008... Ashlyn Ra Marie

september 2009...Colton Michael Kenneth

Hope everyone had a great New Year! Thank you for reading our family blog. I'll ask you one favor...leave us a comment. I know there are readers out there that check regularly but no comments...really they brighten my day! So fun!

xoxo, love us!