1 Family x 12 (Sept)

Honestly, my most favorite photos, the ones I return to over and over, or search out for printing, are these monthly family photos.  It takes less than 5 minutes to get everyone together, snap a few photos and move on.  They aren't always perfect, I often use my cell phone instead of my "real" camera...but you know what, I'm never sad that we got just one more photo together.  Here's to monthly family photos and one of most treasured family traditions.

A new quilt for us!

I started quilting in 2013 when I wanted to make a quilt for Abby using all of the fabric that had been gifted to her for her weekly photo project.  It wasn't long after I made her quite that Ryan started requesting a quilt for our bed.  It was less about him wanting something homemade and more about him saying our bedding was TOO HOT and he wanted something that didn't make him sweat.  Well, fast forward roughly 6 years and he's finally gotten his wish!

It's no secret that I love Liberty of London fabric.  Something about the bright colors and tiny intricate patterns just speaks my love language.  I started collecting (read: hoarding) Liberty of London a few years back because I wanted to make a lap quilt for our house.  In fact, you can see that quilt here.  Once that quilt was complete, I started rebuilding my Liberty stash without a real project in mind...mostly because I knew I'd find a use for it somewhere!

(I wish I'd moved the quilt to the shade so it wasn't so washed out...but I couldn't resist the warm sun and the bright flowers in my new Zinnia bed as a backdrop).  Fast forward to last winter when I started slowly cutting over 1300 tiny 2.5x2.5 inch squares of fabric to make this queen-sized sixteen patch quilt for our master bed.  The quilt measures 90x98 and is perfect for our bed.

It is light and summery and it makes me smile when I walk into our room and see all the bright happy colors smiling back at me.  Ryan loves it too!  It seems as if we've finally found a compromise on the bedding.  Just in time to switch over to the winter duvet (Winter is always coming...ha!). 

I've all but given up trying to quilt my own blankets anymore.  So, this one, went straight to the longer arm machine this spring and we've been using it all summer.  It just took me forever to get up the will to take it off the bed, haul out a ladder and actually photograph it for the blog. 

So - it's probably time for me to start thinking of something new to make.  I have a rule that I'm not allowed to start a new project until I've finished the current one.  It's all too easy to start hoarding projects or to start them and get distracted by something new and different.  So, one in, one out.  That's my rule.  I wonder what will be next??

Hazel's First Day of Pre-School

When people say it goes fast, believe them.  It does.  But, this one could not be more ready for her first day of school.  I think it's been over a year now that she's been asking to go to school like her big sister.  She just couldn't grow up fast enough (in her opinion).

But, while I am excited for her and all the first that are coming her way over this year, it's also a little bittersweet for me.  So, when she asked if she could bring her toys to school I caved just a tiny bit and told her she could bring JUST ONE!  If you know Fran, you know picking just ONE thing to bring is hard for her.  And, it broke my heart a little bit that she chose Dolly...the one that she's loved since the very very beginning. 

Dream big, Hazel.  Dream big!

Abby's 7th Birthday Party

Last  year's birthday party at the candy store was such a success (and so easy for ME!) that we decided to do an encore for this year.  Instead of doing a chocolate party though, Abby chose "I am a chef" meaning that they got to make foods from around the world using chocolate, rice crispies and candy!

Like last year we were a few kids short for the party minimum so we had two surprise guests, Daddy and Auntie!

The kids made donuts and Bacon/Eggs (America), Tacos (Mexico), Pizza (Italy), and Fortune Cookies/Sushi (Japan).  It was a fun and creative way to spend a few hours (and of course, the extra chocolate and goodies around the house for a few days after wasn't bad either). 

Abby invited friends from her school class (summer birthdays are hard to get kids together) and she was so glad some of her best friends could come.  It was cute to see how well they knew her too.  She got lots of cat themed gifts! 

And, the birthday celebrations lasted all week!  On Wednesday (her real birthday) the family went bowling with the Brackemyers and last weekend when we were camping, Dan brought Abby's annual birthday cupcake (a tradition Ellyn started on her very first birthday).   All in all her 7th birthday was a success!!!

McGrath Family Photos 2019

I'll keep it short and sweet so you can spend your time scrolling through these awesome pictures of the family for 2019.  These photo sessions always yield my favorite photos of the year so it was a no-brainer to book with the same photographer we've used for the last three years.  If you are local and looking for someone, let me know, I'd HAPPILY recommend Erika.

The morning of family pictures the girls were all excited - they knew we had this planned for the afternoon and they were very into it.  Of course, that meant that I found them in the bathroom putting tattoos on each other "To make us pretty" - of course.  And then you've got sweet Hazel with 12 bracelets, a crazy headband...and let's not forget her newly self-cut bangs.  My first reaction was to tell them they couldn't do it and to start taking it all off.  But then I realized, this is just us, right now, in our lives.  And, it'll be all too soon when they outgrow self-stick tattoos and plastic bracelets and headbands.  So, I decided to embrace it all.  Here's us in 2019.  In 40 years when I look back on these, I'll be glad I left it just as they are!

I got over 150 images from the shoot and here are some of my favorites.  I know I've picked too many, but I don't care.  Enjoy!!