2010 Favorites

Just a look back at my personal favorites. Happy 2010, everyone!!

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Feeling grateful...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! It's been a great few days and today is my birthday and it's been one of the best so far! Have a great rest of the weekend!

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Christmas Time at Disneyland

I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful Disneyland is at Christmas time. It truly is magical. From the huge tree to the beautiful decorations to Small World being lit up to "snow" coming down after the castle is lit or fireworks have ended...it's just a sight to see.

Disneyland does such a great job with the decorations throughout the year, but I believe Christmas and Halloween have been my favorite. You can see the Halloween post here.

For any photographers out there, I didn't use a flash for these photos. Just took my trusty 85 mm with me and used a 1600 ISO on most of them. Not all of them because some of them didn't need it with all the light, but for the most part, that is what I used.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas (soon)!










One of my favorite images ever.


New Orleans Square


Nightmare Before Christmas at Haunted Mansion






"Snow" :)


Another favorite image.




It's a Small World








Another favorite. Love, love, love this image.

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Sweet Sisters

Seriously, these girls are the sweetest! Soooo good with their parents and yet so silly at the same time. I don't get too many kids that LOVE the camera, but these two soaked it up. :) A lot of the times you come back from a session and while editing, you relive certain feelings over again. That happened while editing this one and while blogging the images. Such a nice, warm family as a whole. Mom was as kind as can be when I first met her and was really interested while asking questions getting to know me (that's pretty rare with people these days, it seems), but the girls...the girls make my heart smile. Pure innocence and silliness at it's best. Wishing great things for these sweet girls!

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Simple Sunday

Wow. I haven't had a free day to myself in awhile. I had no plans except for one thing I had been looking forward to for a couple of weeks. I couldn't wait to go to the O.C. Swap Meet! It's such a fun place to spend some time - especially when you don't have anything else planned for the day. Today was a little warm (88 degrees for the 12th of December?!) but I'd rather have this than being snowed in, I suppose.

If you haven't been to the O.C. Swap Meet (or Marketplace as they like to call it), you HAVE to go! They have everything under the sun there. It's not one of those swap meets or flea markets where people are selling their old stuff. There are tons of different vendors - everything from custom signs to scrapbooking goods to nail polish and home grown pickles. Love this place!

After you spend some time going through the many rows of aisles, don't forget to spend some time checking out the barn and animals on the fairgrounds! I love, love, love the O.C. Fair and it's so different walking on the fairgrounds when the fair isn't there. When I stepped foot on the fairgrounds today, I started remembering what a great summer my family had there. Meeting up with friends a couple of times, seeing a concert, having a date night with just the hubby and seeing our pictures win awards in the photography competition. This was such a great year in all of our years of attending the fair. It's going to be hard to top!

Anyway, here is our (just me and the baby girl!) day in pictures. Not sure why they are so dark today, but maybe Santa will bring me a new blog!

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Happy 23 Months, Baby Girl!

Dear Riley Grace,

Holy goodness! I cannot believe you are going to be TWO YEARS OLD next month. I thought the first year flew by, but this year REALLY flew by. Wow.

Where do I begin?! You do so many things now! You can count to 14-15 and recognize numbers. You know all the letters of the alphabet, you don't say them in order, but you recognize them in your puzzle, on books, magazines, etc. You know all the basic colors (red, yellow, pink, blue, purple, black, brown, orange). We think you are so smart, but every parent feels that way, I'm sure! But we still think you are. ;)

You know so much that I don't even know where to begin. The longest sentence you've said is "Where did Mommy (Daddy/Grammy/Papa/fill in the blank) go?" or when reciting one of your books "And the cow said Moo. And the duck said quack quack."

We've been watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and you've started to recite the movie. It is so funny! One day when you were sitting on the couch next to me you started doing it and I cracked up and rewound it over and over just to hear you say it. You got a kick out of me laughing and now you'll do it sometimes when the movie isn't on just to hear me or Daddy laugh. :)

You've also been anticipating things. While waiting for a light to change by Disneyland the other night, you said, "Go people, go!" Daddy and I cracked up!! Yep, Mommy says that sometimes while driving. :/

Things are about the same. Size 4 diapers. Some 18 month clothes, some 24 month, but those are baggy on you as well. Shoe size is 5 to 6 now depending on the shoe. 6 gives you more room, though.

Again, I'm sure there's tons I'm missing, but that was a little recap.

Now in pictures...

Grammy loves making silly hats for you and you love wearing them:




We bought you a little play house someone was selling and you love it! I love, love, love this pic of you.


Of course, Disneyland!! Autopia with Mommy:


Mickey with Grammy and Papa:


Your little curls after a bath.


Cold day at a park:


We had fun painting Christmas ornaments at Color Me Mine. Well, you had fun...Mommy had fun watching!


You chose all of your own colors:


Beautiful!




The final products. Picking them up today! Can't wait to see them glazed!


We saw little Miss Gemma again! So much fun seeing you two together.


Her mommy gave you a sucker and you weren't quite sure what to do with it. :)


Belmont Shore Christmas parade!


We took Christmas pics almost a week ago in between the rain falling. You did great! Here is the comparison from last year. I cannot believe how much you've changed!


You are a cutie pie!




Love, love, love you, Riley Grace!!

Love,
Mommy

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