Friday, December 31, 2010

Goodbye 2010! Hello 2011...Goals for the new year!

The best thing about 2010 is.....sweet baby Abigail Faith Henderson.

2010 started really sad for our family, because Jan.12, 2010, we miscarried twins at 7 1/2 weeks.  We were so excited about the new addition to our family during the holiday season, and had told all of our family and friends....when suddenly they were taken from us.  We actually didn't find out that there was two babies, until right before my D&C....so that was very painful, to know that we now had 3 glory babies in heaven.  Just 6 weeks after I had the miscarriage, we were again amazed by God's goodness to find out I was pregnant again!  Steven and I were thrilled to welcome our third daughter, Abby, on Oct. 14, 2010!

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As 2010 came to an end, we were saddened to find out that Steven is deploying to Afghanistan for a year.  After prayer, we feel like God is leading me to move back home to OK to live with my parents while he is deployed.  Here are some of my goals for 2011!

1. Take more pictures, with more journaling, so Steven can feel like he is apart of the kids lives while he is gone.
2.  Take more videos of the kids playing and special events.
3.  Read a book every 2 weeks, mixing fiction, with something a spiritual book/book on parenting/living a healthy lifestyle.
4.  Try to cook more whole food meals, avoiding processed foods as much as possible...but not be crazy insane about it!
5.  Make sure I do my quiet time everyday, and to consistently do family devotions with the kids.
6.  Exercise  4-5x per week, but not put working out over spending time with the Lord.
7.  To use this time to pay off all debt, and to save for the future, including an adoption in the next 3 years!
8.  To research adoption options....international, domestic, foster....so we can begin the process as soon as Steven gets home!
9.  Keep my blog updated...mostly for Steven.
10.  Play more with my kids, and do more 1 on 1 time, since I will have a ton of babysitters....use this time to spend alone time with each of my children.

That's it so far....My biggie is to not waste so much time, to use my time as efficiently as possible...which means get off the computer!!! :)

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Pixel Perfect: Before and After Blog hop

             This is one of my favorite sites...I love looking at other people's photos and learning about basic photo editing.....This is my SOOC SHOT














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Here is my edit....I used Coffeshop rita's found here for color boosting, then Everyday elements Florida action, which I love and use on almost every pic...it corrects the lighting for you!  I then ran a new action called strawberry vintage from Linky Lueville Crazy Actions...free...and it is awesome for snowy pics...I tweak all the levels...turning some on and off, changing opacity....I just think using actions makes your life so much easier!  We had a blast playing in the snow!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Merry White Christmas!!!

It's snowing in North Carolina!!!! Technically its the day after Christmas...but Gracie said snowing, means Christmas...so it still must be Christmas today!!!  We had a wonderful Christmas with our sweet little family of 5....we just relaxed, played with the kiddos, took long naps, ate a ton.....and played some more!  The girls got lots of goodies from santa and their parents....and had a fabulous day playing with each other all day long!  They fell asleep in 5 minutes last night! :)

Here is Gracie and Emma in their matching pjs their Grammy bought them!



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Playing in the snow!  It was beautiful!

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I got a bunch of new textures and actions for photo shop element and had fun this afternoon playing around with them!

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Playing Hungry Hippos!
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My sweet husband...love this pic of him!

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Emma's Christmas Program

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Emma had a Christmas program with her preschool class.  She goes to school Tuesday and Thursday and loves it!  She loves feeling like a "big girl" like her big sister, Gracie.  Emma sang her little heart out and did all of the hand motions great!  Everytime we see a snowman, she busts out the snowman song!

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Cute treats, made by my good friend Allison!
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Sweet girl!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Bundled up at the Living Nativity!

We had a great time at the FBC Living Nativity.... It was pretty cold, so we bundled up, and the girls loved wearing warm hats.  Gracie's head is so big, that she had to wear my hat...which she thought was pretty cool.

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Emma was devastated she couldn't ride the stroller and had to walk all away around the church....it wasn't that far....so Daddy ended up carrying her most of the way!
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Gracie and Emma love the story of baby Jesus.....I think they can relate because they remember me pregnant and then having baby Abigail..... Too bad we lost baby carrot Jesus out of our Veggie Tale Nativity set. :(
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Sweet baby Abigail in her Eore costume from Halloween....Its the only thing that will fit her, and its super warm!
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Sweet Gracie and Mommy!
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Dear Santa....

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The girls visited Santa on Camp Lejeune last Sunday!  They were super excited, and Steven and I were excited that the pictures were free!  I should have brought my camera, because the quality of the pics are horrible.. but the girls had fun anyway.... baby Abigail wasn't too thrilled, and Gracie trying to get closer to Santa, knocked over the big bucket of candy canes.....but, that's typical of one of our days! :)  Doesn't Santa look sooo happy to be there. :)

Also, I had to fill out 3 "letters to Santa" which was a permission slip to take the pictures, and on Gracie's I quickly put she wanted a dolly, books, and a leapster.  Gracie asked me what I was writing, and I told her, and now every time someone asks her what she wants for Christmas, she says a dolly, books, and a leapster....she has no idea what a leapster is.....that girl cracks me up!  Grammy and I got her and Em leapsters, because after losing our i touch, I'm terrified that they will lose our i phones, and I would rather them lose/break a $30 leapster than our i phones.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Its's the most wonderful time of the year....

Christmas is here!!!  My girls are soooo thrilled its Christmas....they walk into Target and yell, "Merry Christmas everyone!"  Then we talk about using our indoor voice, until we make it to the Christmas decor section, where Emma yells, again, "Merry Christmas everyone."  They are super excited.  Here are some pics of the girls in front of the tree....we finally got the ornaments on it, and since the girls go to school and church, we add hand made ornaments daily! :)

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Poor Abby wasn't too happy....
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Saturday, November 20, 2010

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Happy One month Birthday baby Abigail!

Abigail is growing and changing so much!  She is such a good baby, way easier than my other crazy girls! She still pretty much sleeps and eats ALL the time!  Abigail has started to spit up this week...boo...but still not as bad as Gracie and Emma did.  We love having our third baby girl....she is such a joy to our life!

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Monday, November 8, 2010

I heart faces: Orange

I heart faces: Orange

This week I heart faces photo challenge is orange....we had a great day at the pumpkin patch at Mike's Farm.  This photo was taken on the hayride on the way to the pumpkin patch....I love this profile pic of Emma and how excited she is to pick out her pumpkin!  Check out the other awesome pics!



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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Pumpkin Patch

Nate and Heather are here to visit! Yay!  So of course we had to take them to Mike's Farm and eat some yummy home cooking!  We also did the pumpkin patch hayride and picked out pumpkins to carve.  The girls loved the hayride, except that it was already decorated for the "haunted hayride" that was going on later that night....so there were some scary stuff out there.  Emma kept saying over and over...its just pretend right Mommy?  Poor baby....hopefully I didn't traumatize her!  Here are some cute pics:

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Pixel Perfect: Before and After Blog hop

Check out Pixel Perfect's Blog hop here....


This is my SOOC shot....loving the sunflare!




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I cropped the pic...then ran several actions.  Coffeeshop Rita's cross processing action - tweaking the levels, the coffeshop Rita's Perfect portrait to bring out the eyes and some contrast. Finally I ran Pioneer Woman's warmer action to warm it up....love the final product!  Check out Pixel Perfect to see some more before and afters....I have learned so much from this website!




Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Autumn Evening

Cool, crisp, autumn evenings are my favorite.....oh wait...its 90 degrees outside!!! I decided to let the girls play outside this evening, and so I snapped a few sweet pics...the girls were wearing their pink rainboots with the brown dresses..so no feet shots! :)  Loved the sunflare tonight.....however, our play session was cut short when Gracie got bit my 2 huge mosquitos.....in OCTOBER!  Crazy weather!

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

I heart faces photo challenge: Pink



Here is my entry for the I heart faces photo challenge:Pink for breast cancer awareness -

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Abigail Faith was two days old, wrapped up in her pale pink blanket....I love her sweet yawning face here!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Pixel Perfect: Before and After photo blog hop




I've been having a ton of fun editing pics of my newborn baby girl:  Here is the  SOOC shot:



Here is my edit:
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I used coffeeshop Rita's sunflare action, Pioneer Woman's seventies action with decreased opacity, and I used PW action slight lighten x3 and PW Warmer action....love how the edit turned out!

One Week Old

Happy One week Birthday to Baby Abigail!
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Newborn Photo shoot!!!

I love love love my new camera.  Its a Canon Rebel, and it takes fantastic pictures!

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