Twas the Night Before Christmas

Let's just put it all in a list:

What I have done/ or what has been done in this household:

* Jazz pooped on dad's side of the bed (okay with me) but peed on my side (sheets must be

washed immediately).

*Jazz peed on the couch (slipcover must be washed or at least removed immediately)

*Jrew played in the bathroom trash. His hands were washed immediately.

*Within 60 seconds, Jrew put his hands in the toilet - I mean Jrew dipped toilet paper in the toilet using his bare hands. (his hands were washed immediately.)

*Thomas took a short trip to Kinkos - meanwhile both Jrew and Jazzlyn took turns crying/screaming until I put one down and tended to the other. (i.e. diapers changes, feeding Jazz)

*Had a very nice and pleasant dinner with our dear friends Rachel and Jason - Thank you Rachel for the invite and the delicious Christmas dinner.

*Thomas had to leave to tend to Christmas Ninjas - I must explain that in a different post. But a very good and self-less reason to be gone a few hour on Christmas Eve.

*Meanwhile - Jrew refuses to go to sleep unless I am holding him - while Jazz screams consistently because she wants to eat. So, I spent an hour (at least) going from one baby to the other - living room/kids room/living room/kids room. You get the picture. Jrew screamed for a solid 15 minutes while I nursed Jazz on one side. Then I went to rock Jrew and Jazz screamed until I gave in an came back. I nursed her on the other side while Jrew screamed his head off again...

*I finally ended up sitting/kneeing beside Jrew's crib to pat him on the back with Jazz in my arms for around 3 minutes when Jrew finally gave in and fell asleep.

WHAT I HAVEN"T DONE YET:

*I haven't wrapped one single present.

*I haven't cleaned one single dish.

*I haven't cooked one single thing for tomorrow's nutritional needs (except Rocky Road candy - can you live on that?)

*I haven't washed any sheets for my bed and this must be done or I cannot go to bed.

*I haven't washed anything else for that matter.

YET - with all of this undone I had to stop and write this post before it lost it's charm. And now I bid you farewell - good night.

Ho - Ho - Ho: Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. Hopefully.

PS - Here is a very cute picture from today. Notice the blue "breakable" vases on the shelf: Jrew somehow managed to move one of them (base and lid) to the bottom shelf today when we found him about to search the insides of the vase) FUN!

Christmas with the Roses

It has been a very joyous two weeks for us. We brought Jazzlyn Reed home from the hospital on Wednesday, December 9th and the rest of the month is flying by. She is such a joy and blessing. We are amazed every time we hold her at how gracious and amazing our God is.

She is a funky little goose. She has been more than a little mixed up with her schedule. Occasionally she has been wide awake at 3 am and basically sleeps all day long. It has definitely been a different dynamic with a toddler to keep up with too. It hasn't been horrific or anything near as traumatic as some people made it seem before she was born. Anyway, it's just different because Jrew is up in the early morning ready to go and I feel like I'm just about to fall asleep.

Thomas has really been amazing. He is very humble about it all but has basically done everything that needed to be done plus more. I will say I know that I am a very lucky lady to have married such an amazing man.

I have been feeling great, by the way. I have been dying to get out of the house so we had a friend come over and watch the "kids" for us Friday night. We went to a graduation party of a friend of ours and took a "short" visit to Wal-Mart for some Christmas gifts. It was an absolute delight to be out among the living. :)

Anyway, I will post again soon (maybe) with funny and amusing anecdotes from our labor and delivery story. But, for now, please enjoy these wonderful pictures our friend Jonathan took of the babies. He is amazing to say the least and takes just about all of our family pics - save for the ones our other amazing friend Sarin takes. What a blessing to know so many wonderful photographers!

From our house to yours - Merry Christmas!!!!

Pictures of the sweeties.

Here is a link to a slideshow of the babies. Enjoy!

Joy To the Roses, Jazzlyn has come.

This morning we left for the hospital at 4:30, thanks to Johni Morgan rolling over to the crib, and all I can say is 7:34 am our sweet little baby girl, Jazzlyn Reed Rose, lit our world with her beautiful cries of life. She is 6 pounds and 10 ounces. thanks for your prayers and love. Dita will fill in the blanks later.
Thanks,
The Roses

Twinkle Twinkle

Here is a video link to Jrew playing piano and singing to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. So cute. :) He also sings Jesus Loves Me and Itsy Bitsy Spider. He just may have a winter concert in store for Christmas visitors. LOL

Growing Up!

Jrew is growing up faster than my eyes can take in. I am so happy to see him learning so much. He has learned so many words, although he uses them selectively. He has recently started to use some words more often than before such as Bye-Bye, Ball, Hello, Down, an attempt at Balloon, etc... He sometimes tries to imitate what we have said even if it doesn't come out as clear.

I've been trying to tell him to touch my belly and I say Baby. He will pat my tummy but I thought there was no way he was able to understand what I was saying... UNTIL he brought me a book to read to him at bedtime the other night. I was, like usual, reading part of it while he turned the pages way too fast. He stopped at a picture of a baby in a crib and pointed at the baby. He said something like bobo and pointed at the baby in the picture. THEN he turned around and pointed to my belly. I can't believe he did that... He's going to definitely be a great little brother. I am not worried one bit.

He also likes to climb. Climb everything. He climbs inside things, on things, and over things. He's definitely a stinker. Here are some rough pics from my phone where he climbed into a couple of things.

Here he is in the laundry. I was folding and

didn't even realize he had crawled inside the basket

until my clothes were being flung everywhere.

Here he is sitting in a small storage box that

holds his wooden train set that our dear friends

Aimee and Keith gave him. He doesn't quite know how to use it,

but he LOVES playing with the pieces. He especially loves the trains

because he can roll them on the floor.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. I'll be sure to post more pics soon. Baby girl will soon be here! :)

Thankful

This is a toilet in a public park my students went to for a field trip. NOW - aren't you thankful your toilet doesn't look like this?

WANTED for Larceny...

So, I have to tell this story before it gets too old to tell. Two weekends ago we played at a church in Greenwood, SC. It's about an hour and a half from my dad and stepmom, so we went to see them on Friday night and Saturday. Note: They live in a fairly small town (Union, SC) where everyone knows everyone. Almost.

Fast forward to Thursday night. My stepmom calls me and seems a little awkward on the phone. Not normal. She asked us if we had gotten gas when we were there in Union. "Yes" Did we go to the Exxon on corner such and such.. "Yes" Did we get $46.02 worth of gas. "Thomas - did we..."I don't know."

Then she said, I was reading in the newspaper today and... (read story below)

Gas drive-off

Another larceny under investigation occurred just before 2 p.m. at the Exxon station at 101 North Duncan Bypass. The investigating officer was told by the victim a tall black male in a silver SUV had drove off without paying for $46.02 worth of gas. The vehicle, which turned out to be a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica, had Tennessee plates. Officers searched for the vehicle but were unable to locate it.

So, Thomas and I started to breathe a little less easy as we tried to recall the events of Saturday. Yes, we got gas just before leaving town and we may have filled up all the way. Thomas even went inside and picked up some drinks for the trip. Did Thomas use his card? Yes. He slid it once... no gas... slid it a second time - gas tank turns on. Did we get a receipt? Not sure where it would be if we did. Therefore, we checked our bank account and found a $46 charge for an Exxon. No location listed. After a quick call to the bank, we were disappointed to learn the Exxon charge was for a Nashville Exxon and there were no charges from any Exxon's in Union. So, we assumed it must be us.

I was so afraid they would surely throw the book and whatever else they could find at us since it was a small town. However, Thomas called the following day and spoke to a gas station clerk. She said they completely understood and that the mistake occurred because the cashier turned the gas tank on when she noticed his card was not read. However, she failed to intercom and let him know - therefore, he was under the assumption that he had used his card and it had been accepted. Anyway, the good ending is that they let us pay over the phone and had no further requirements or inquiries. They also confirmed they had a license plate number and it was indeed ours!

The adventures with Thomas and Dita just keep rolling. Next adventure is planned - a quick yet easy birth in about 5 weeks. :) Woohooo...

All Things Jrew

Okay, so this post is all about Jrew and his "toddler" like behavior he's been showing off lately. I just can't believe it sometimes... I stare at him as if he will magically appear as a small baby again in my arms. I dream of the moment when I saw his little face for the first time and how he smelled so heavenly. I wanted to kiss every piece of his little face and sleep with his cheeks as close to mine as they could get.

I love him so much. Unbelievable. 2 or 3 years ago, I might have said I understood the love between a parent and their child... or even a mother and her child. Yet, I had no clue to how much love one can hold in their heart. I pray for God to protect him 24 hours a day, 1440 minutes each day, 86,400 seconds a day! I pray that he will grow up in the knowledge of God and will love people like Jesus did when he walked this earth. I am so richly blessed.

As baby girl makes her way into this world in 8 weeks, I know that God is preparing Jrew to be a sweet brother filled with love for her. He loves the babies at daycare, can't get enough hugs, and can't give out enough kisses... complete with the "MMMM-AHHH" sound. Such sweet kisses.

So, here below I have jotted a few things Jrew has been up to. I hope you enjoy reading about this inquisitive and amazing little boy.

* Earlier this week, I went to pick up Jrew from the CDC (Child Development Center). The teachers all but said he was a genius. Well, in their words they did say "He's a thinker" and that he was always impressing them with what he was doing. On this particular day, Jrew had three little ducks in his hands, along with the lid to a shape box. The lid had four holes in it and Jrew had placed each duck in his own little hole. He would pick them all up again and put them back again. As a teacher I think: "One to one correspondence!" That's a Kindergarten skill. Heehee.

* Jrew found my computer cable the other day on the couch rolled up. He decided to carry it around the living room with him and took it over to the electrical outlet. Even though he tried very stubbornly to get (correct end of the cord I must say) the cable plugged into the wall, he realized it was plugged up already with safety plugs. He proceeded to begin picking at it with his finger on the side and was desperately and smartly trying to get it unplugged from the wall. I stopped him but who knows how long it may have taken him before he would have had that safety plug out. Seriously.

* Jrew can now point to his nose and eyes. I ask him to show me where his nose is and he points to his nose, then goes directly to the eyes. So cute... he squeezes his eyes closed as he point to them with his finger.

* Jrew has a little fake cough he likes to try out every so often. He kind of clears his throat with a purposeful "eh-eh-eh". I smile and say "stop that faking" and he just laughs.

* He is a track runner people. He can run so fast. However, he is like a kid on roller skates because he doesn't always know how to stop with grace. He also thinks it's funny to bump his head on things... gently but then laughs for the smiles.

* He does not take a pacifier or even suck his thumb. He did this all on his own about 2 1/2 months ago. He just quit taking a pacifier and that was the end of that. I couldn't find one now if my life depended on it.

* Jrew will often pick out a book for us to read to him and bring it to us. Then, when you are reading it to him, he will point to each picture, animal, etc... in the scene and wait for you to tell him what it is. He quickly points to something new and waits again for the name.

* He hardly says any real words, although he will sometimes say words for a few days at a time and then chunk them out the window. I guess he's not interested. So, instead he babbles nonstop. He will even respond to questions with babble, and pretend to talk on the phone with babble. He can say hello but only if he playing "phone". Otherwise, you can forget it. He waves to people he really connects with, but never to strangers. Weird... he just will not wave. He will HOWEVER, blow a kiss to just about anyone.

* He is an imitator. He has a toy with a handle on top and when you push the handle, it plays music. Thomas was trying to get Jrew to come to the toy and play with it. Instead of leaning down, Thomas just pushed on it with his foot a few times. Jrew came quickly and immediately tried pushing the toy handle with his foot too. My, my, my.

* Jrew sleeps really well at night (for the most part) and goes to sleep pretty well. He had a rough week about 3 weeks ago, but now he goes to sleep without almost any rocking and no music.

* I'm out of energy. I'll think of more stories to share soon. I promise.

PS - Quick update on baby girl... I am 32 weeks measuring 29 as of a week ago. I go every two weeks to the doctor now. She is moving around so much, I think she must be a little stinker. I have had some different discomforts with her that I didn't have with Jrew. But, that's alright. She's worth it all.

Welcome to Fall!

So, it has been insanely busy around here. It really feels like the second half of my pregnancy is flying by. So, now I am actually about 10 weeks away from my due date. Whoa... exciting but frightening as I am not technically ready (or my house rather) for a new baby. Emotionally though, we are sooo excited about meeting Baby Girl.

I wanted to update with some pics of Jrew! Also, one of the million things on our to-do list lately has been to get our CD released!! We had a CD release party last weekend and it went great. We are so happy to be finished with this year and a half project.

Anyway, here are some pics of the sweetie! Enjoy!

Walking, Talking, and Using Keys

So, Jrew is officially a walker. I should've posted this like a week ago, but it took me awhile. Sorry, I'm a little slow. So, I've put three fun memories into one video.

Clip 1: Jrew walking into my messy kitchen and back into the living room. (The lighting turned down so it may look a little weird in spots).

Clip 2: Daddy and Me introducing Jrew to a slide. He wasn't too sure about that and ended up just hating it altogether. Even though daddy never took his hands off of him and mommy was standing right there too. Oh well, better luck another day.

Clip 3: Jrew has somehow figured out what a key is meant for. He plays with our keys all the time, but this time he decided to try them out on the door. Hilarious.. I have no idea how he knew to do that. But, he did first when I was at work and then again when I was home last night. Love my baby!!!!!

The video is too large, so again.. it is a link to You Tube. Enjoy.

Baby Jrew's Movie Debut

I started back to work last week and we have been in inservice meetings just about every single hour of the day. So, in preparation for Monday's meetings, the administration assigned each of us a topic to give a small presentation on Monday morning. My assignment: how our counselor teaches character education to our students along. How he teaches: he helps the kids make videos of skits they have made up that teach the current topic such as Being Responsible, etc.. So, with Thomas and Jrew's help, we created the following video. :) Enjoy! Following the short movie you will see a short video of Jrew walking!!!! Hopefully.

Here is a link to the video since it was too large to upload here.

Everything?

Psalm 56 -"God, you did everything you promised, and I'm thanking you with all my heart."

Yes. God did everything he promised in Matthew 6:30. He has provided food, shelter, safety, love, clothes, etc... for my family. He really has blessed us with everything we need. My problem today is this: do I need to be thankful for everything really? What happens if today I am not thankful for something. Something that helps provide for my family yet pulls me from my time with Jrew at the same time. In a day when many people are in search of a good job that will provide for their families, I should be thankful. I teach in a wonderful school, with amazing people! I should be happy right?

Honestly, as I pour out my little heart right now, I am having a hard time saying thanks for all of that. It was a tough day in my heart. The reason? It was just a busy day... filled with many good things for me too. A good day at work with my colleagues, a sweet visit with my friend Deanna as she helped me set up bulletin boards, and a night of worship with some awesome kids we have been privileged to work with at camp. However, the one good thing I missed out on today was meaningful time with my firstborn. I saw him, hugged him, loved on him, and ate dinner with him. Yet, I still had a very hard time letting go of him tonight as I lay him down to sleep. I think he felt the same way. So, we just rocked... for a long time. My sweet darling.

So, right now, I am praying for God to help me be thankful for today; for my job; for the amazing and talented teachers I work with; for the fact that my job is something I love to do; and for the fact that my son was safe with his father today. (who also had a long exhausting day). I must not feel sorry for myself, but instead see and know how much God has truly blessed me. I am thankful. I just needed to remind myself. I also do not want you to pity or feel sorry for me. I think I am doing exactly what God has for me to do right now. I am thankful for that.

"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." Psalm 50:23

Baby Girl Rose and a 1 year check up

Here are some pics of Baby Girl Rose. We do not have a name picked out yet, so you'll have to wait. In fact, you may have to wait until she's here before we burst that bubble. But I promise, we don't have a name yet. :)

Here are some pics of the baby girl. I drew in labels in case you have a hard time making out her little face and all. It is such a blessing that our doctor actually gives us 3-D pictures without charging extra!!

1 YEAR CHECK-UP!

Jrew had his 1 year check up yesterday. It went very well, except for the 5 minutes he cried (screamed) because he had to get two shots! Otherwise: Here are his measurements this far.

Weight: 22 pounds! (technically, 21 3/4)

Length: 29 inches

Here a few pics of him eating oatmeal for breakfast this morning... we're learning how to use a spoon! :)

Birthday Bash - I mean parties!

Jrew is turning 1 in less than 14 hours now. This is unreal. Anyway, we had a celebration in Nashville last week with friends and a few short celebrations with our families this weekend. Here are some pictures to enjoy! :) BY THE WAY: Jrew is a walker now. Walking at least 10 steps tonight before falling down. :) Fun!

A quick note about the birthday cake! My sweet and darling friends Chrissy and Christy are both known for their birthday magic. From inventive games and decorations to amazing birthday cakes. So, I felt a little bit of a challenge rising up within me to create a homemade cake for Jrew. So, after pondering the plan for quite a few weeks, combined with many many hours of standing and rolling fondant... I was able to manage a square... to resemble a Building Block. Wow. I don't know about this next time. He may be getting the Publix special. :)

This small one looks bigger than it really was....

it was actually sitting on a square saucer.

Nevertheless, Jrew enjoyed at least some of it once

he figured out it was edible.

Another new thing: Learning

how to open presents.

He had lots of help!

We stripped him down and let him finger paint on the front porch.

I need to get a picture of the finished artwork

and I promise I'll try to remember to post that.

This is us with Thomas' father and mother.

Jrew is defnitely going to be spoiled

if we don't come home soon!!!!

And alas, another birthday cake with the family.

Sitting to my left is Baby Cousin Charlie,

Aunt Frenchie, and Aunt Mary Beth (Don't kill me MB).

Camp Life

It has been awhile since I've been able to chat much here on this blog. However, we have been very busy at camp for quite a few weeks now. We are leading worship for an awesome camp called Barefoot Republic. We do absolutely love it. Although I can't say it's been too easy with a baby to keep up with.

The campus of Barefoot is brand new and we just officially launched our first summer on the new campus. It is a gorgeous place (way out in the middle of nowhere); close to Scottsville, Kentucky - the founding home of Dollar General. :) We hardly ever get a cell phone signal and there is one building where we can get internet. Most of the time when I am in this building, I have Jrew on my hip or at my feet. However, this sweet young man named Howard has really been a big brother to Jrew this week and is playing with him at the moment. Uh-oh- here comes Jrew right now.... must post quickly... whew... he's off to play again.

I have so many stories to tell and many posts to come next week. For now, here is an amazing pic my friend Kimmy took of Jrew and Daddy playing!! :)

Love you all.

Dita

I will upload and post pics sometime this weekend or early next week, I promise. I have a lot of posts sitting in the inbox in my head. :) So, I'll leave you with one picture of my sweet darling and daddy

First Steps

This post is short... I am sorry. I just wanted to let everyone including our families know that Jrew took his first steps yesterday!!!!! He did it with me and then again later for Thomas. I am soooo proud of him. Now, here's a picture to celebrate. PS - More pics from our St. Louis trip coming soon! :) There's lions, and tigers, and bears... oh no!

My Sweet Darling is nearly 11 months!

This is my brother, Jon. Jrew was able to meet him for the first time back in April!

This is Jrew and Papa Mike. My daddio! :)

Sorry, the pic is sideways.. kind of like my life story. LOL

My beautiful darling!

I call him "Sneaky-Poo". Not sure why....but he's my sweet sneaky.

Here are some pics of Jrew's first ride on the carousel. My friend Megan took pics and she posted them on Facebook as well. However, some of you may not have seen them on Facebook. (like you mama)

So here they are: I love the sparkle and wonder in his eye. I don't think I'm even making up that part either. :)

Father's Day Smile

More pics are coming... here is one from today! We printed it on a homemade card for daddy and traced Baby Jrew's hand. Rephrase: We traced Baby Jrew's wiggly hand. Enjoy! My baby is growing up soooo fast.

Did you know...

* Jrew is very adept at pulling up and is beginning to try out cruising.
* Jrew is now saying "Dada", "Mama", "Hey" (sometimes), and "Ba Ba" (no meaning yet)
*Jrew is feeding himself a lot of finger foods including ham, cheese, and fruit.
* Jrew is going to be 10 months old in 3 days!
* Jrew is going to be a BIG BROTHER this December!!!!
Yes. You read that right. Surprise! We are so excited. We are due December 12, 2009. I am officially 13 weeks along tomorrow and OUT of my first trimester. CRAZY. I have had a wonderful experience so far. I'm obviously tired all of the time, but school is out for the summer now, so that should get better.
And just in case you're wondering... Yes, we did tell Jrew the good news too so he can be prepared.

Love to you all! :) A pic of our unborn sweetie to come soon! (When mama gets around to scanning it.)

Jrew is Successful with Stairs...

Yes. You read correctly. He has attempted them several times. This time, however, he was successful. Aiii-yii-yiiii!. See for yourself. My editing skills were slacking tonight, so be patient... climax is at the end!!!

Adventures with Jrew at 9 months

Jrew is getting quite adept at his crawling skills. AND he isn't dragging himself, oh no! He's all up on hands and knees and discovering lots of mischievous things to do. He is pulling up on everything. He thinks he's hilarious and cracks himself up. So, here is a picture of him getting into a mess at Daycare. He likes the shelf and they say he gets in the shelf all the time. Here he climbed in, half in-half out, and fell asleep on a toy. What a stinker! :) Welcome to 9 months mommy. 

Tribute to Mommyhood

Yesterday was my first Mother's Day!!! Yeah! Okay, the first question people have asked me at work today is what did you do? Did you have a spa day? Blah, blah, blah. No. I had better. I got to take a 2 hour Sunday nap without worrying about the baby pulling up on toys and finding himself in dangerous positions or bopping his head on something. I also got to take a relaxing bath for like 30 minutes - AND my husband cleaned the tub for me to do so!!!! He also treated me to some pampering courtesy of Bath and Body Works. AND I laughed my bottom off for like an hour watching The Office in bed. 

Now, for a tribute I've been saving for this very occasion. All the nicknames I have now dubbed myself since becoming a mommy on August 8, 2008!!!

Chicken Mama - You've heard me talk about this one. I can take a lot, but I can't stand to see my baby get blood drawn AND I didn't dare stay in the room when they clipped his tongue (He had a tongue tie)

Spit Mama - Yes. You probably are one too. So, let's move on. Please see my earlier post if you're confused.

NEW Dirty Mama - Okay, so it didn't take me two babies to figure out that I can't keep everything germ free. So, there have been a few times when I have given him back something that fell on the floor. Now, I do have my limits. I absolutely refuse to follow this pattern when in movie theaters and bathrooms. Gross. 

NEW Slow Mama - Hey Mr. Man who wants to drive your truck 40 miles an hour past me in the parking lot - and hey Mrs Prim and Proper who's behind me in the line at Kroger - and Hey everybody - I am going to be slow! So, please find a way to get over it without rolling your eyes and huffing like a spoiled child. I have a lot to handle when I have a baby and a bazillion (an Mary Beth word) things to carry - so just slow down. I will vow this day to never feel stressed or anxious or upset when I am moving slower than the people who are bearing down on my neck. Instead, I will respond with a kind smile... (On the outside). 

Happy Late Mother's Day to you all! :)

First Tooth

So, Jrew has been fussy and finicky for a few days now. He hasn't really wanted to eat and he did have a fever one day. So, this morning, the mystery was revealed. He has his first tooth!!!! I can't get a picture of it, because he fights me like insane to keep me out of his mouth. The tooth isn't completely in, but it's pretty much there and has already broken through the skin. It is so strange to see a tooth in his mouth! :) On another note, he is also getting more adept at the crawling, pulling up, getting into a bunch of trouble phase. Fun... yet very exhausting. With that said, I may go to bed very shortly. 

Baby Steps in Crawling!

8 months old and almost crawling...

Jrew turned 8 months old last week!  Unbelievable... he is growing up so quickly. I can't say enough about him, I love him sooo much. I think having a child teaches you more about love than you ever thought you knew. He is amazing. Here is a run-down on my baby so far.

1. He is on the verge of crawling any day now. He rocks back and forth on his knees all the time. He's like addicted to it... he is constantly trying to get out of your arms so he can try it again.

2. He is saying "da-da" indiscriminately. Which means he doesn't really say "dada" to Thomas but is babbling those sounds!

3. He is eating ground chicken! Woo-hoo. Getting closer to "normal" people food.

4. Can eat graham crackers, Ritz crackers, saltine crackers, bananas in chunks, pancakes torn into pieces, and loves juice!!!

5. He is now known as the baby who kissed another baby in daycare and made the other baby cry. :) My sweetheart.

6. He is pulling up occasionally to play with his baby grand piano. I'm so proud.

7. Has made us the happiest parents in the world!

8. Didn't pose for any of these pictures, but my friend Chrissy is just really good behind the camera!!!