Bakin' With Becky

Miss. Becky is Harmony's teacher at Pearce 4 Kids, and Harmony has declared on numerous occasions that Miss Becky is her most favorite person besides me of course in the whole wide world.  So to make Harmony the happiest girl in the whole wide world, I planned and evening filled with her two favorite things besides me of course- Baking and Becky.  

And boy was she happy.  I have learned from past experiences that you can't tell Harmony things too far in advance or else you NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT.  Seriously.  For example- last year, I told her that for Easter she was getting a new playground for the backyard.  Awesome, right?  I was so excited to tell her, and I couldn't hold it in any longer. Bad decision. She must have asked me if it was Easter a thousand times a day. That isn't even exaggerating.  There wasn't 5 minutes that went by for two whole weeks where we didn't talk about that dang playground.  Lesson. Learned.

So I didn't tell Harmony that Miss Becky was coming until about 30 minutes before she was arriving.  This is what she did for that entire time.

 "Mommy is she here nooooooowwwwwww?" Oye. Gotta teach that girl time. 

Once Becky got here, Harmony was crazyjumpingupanddownuntilshecouldn'tjumpanymore exited.  And I honestly wanted to do the same thing.  I have known Becky for over 10 years now.  I worked with her at Pearce when I was in college.  She abandoned us for a spell when she moved south for a bit, but I was was so so happy to hear that not only was she coming back, but that she was going to be Harmony's teacher.  And now she is a part of our every day life, and we just love it.

Once dinner was over I brought out our aprons and baking items, and they got cracking on some super delish brownies.

Where was Makaela in all of this?  Oh ya know....

Being obsessed with my apron.  

 Mixing is her favorite part

Actually scratch that, THIS is her favorite part. :-)

Thanks Miss Becky for making a little girl very happy!!!

Oh, and PS, those brownies were AMAZING!!!

Rochester Photography | Headshots for Thirty-One

I got to spend Sunday afternoon with a beautiful group of women who work for an awesome company called Thirty-One. Aimee (who is in the middle) treated the girls to spa treatments at the Del Monte Spa in Pittsford, where I met them.  Amongst the manicures and pedicures, Aimee arranged for everyone to get some head shots taken as well.  I know- Aimee is awesome.  I would work for her any day of the week.
We all had a blast, and I am so happy to have been part of giving this gift to such wonderful, hardworking women!
If you look through the Thirty-One website and see something you like, feel free to contact Aimee and she will be glad to help out! www.mythirtyone.com/aimeebennett

Such a beautiful Spa- seriously, I will be begging for some pampering from here for my birthday.

WPPI Convention 2012 Las Vegas!

MGM Grand 

It was a crazy, spur of the moment decision I made a few months back- I saw Bethany write a Facebook status saying "Who wants to go to WPPI with me this year!?"  And I immediately said, "Me me me me!" without a thought as to price, logistics, a blessing from my husband, or how hard and crazy it would be to leave my daughters.  But two things drove that impulsiveness.
 1. My business needed a major facelift.  In a lot of ways that I don't need to get into, but I just knew that I needed to make some changes. And from all that Bethany told me about last year's conference, I was confident that WPPI would be just the ticket.
 2. I wanted an adventure.  To step out of my "normal" (though I have to say that my "normal" is pretty darn fantastic) and take a leap.  To not let all the "what if's" hold me back.  And gosh darn it, I just plain wanted to!  And now, I am back to my beautiful family and home, I am so so completely and utterly confident that I made the right decision.

I threw open the curtains Sunday morning to see this

I have so so many ideas, questions, and business strategies swimming in my head from these past 4 days (Sunday to Wednesday). It took place at the MGM Grand Hotel, and we also stayed there (the pictures above were taken from our room). I took three 2-hour classes every day, spent a couple of hours at trade shows where new and upcoming products and gear were thrown at you with every turn, and took over 40 pages of notes.  It's overwhelming, the amount of information that was thrown at you every day.  Bethany and I were so tired on Monday night, we were walking around the hotel lobby giggling like school girls in our pajamas, unable to see how silly we must have looked to all the posh women in their heels and designer dresses. They stared at us as they walked through the hotel doors like we were from another planet.  But we didn't care!  All we wanted was to find a chocolate bar that didn't cost $5, and to go to bed! Is that so much for a girl to ask!? ***Disclaimer- we are fully aware that we shouldn't be eating chocolate so close to bedtime, but it's completely acceptable while you are in Vegas. the end.***By Tuesday night my brian was so fried, I went to bed at 9PM. WHO DOES THAT when they are in Las Vegas!?!?!  This girl! I am not  well maybe a little ashamed to admit that!

Night View- that is the New York, New York Hotel and Casino

If I could narrow it down to the 3 most important nuggets of information I took from WPPI, it would be this.

1. I need a vision statement.  That will probably be the first thing I do when I get back.  To really figure out how I view the world around me, and how I want to capture that view through my lens.  What does that mean?  When I grab my camera and look through the viewfinder, what do I look for?  An amazing, breathtaking image?  Or do I look to find a story?  I don't know.  I would like to think that I look for both, but what DRIVES me? Once I know that, I will then find my "sweet spot" in my business, to put all my focus there and let the rest go. I can't do it all. Why be good at everything when I can be great at a few things?  oooooo that was deep.

2. On a more practical (and not so fun) level is to become an LLC.  Those of you who don't know what it is, it's just a way to make sure that my booty is covered if something were to happen.  For example, say I am taking some formal family pictures at an outdoor wedding.  The sun is blaring so I want to have the family move to a more shady spot.  On their way, Granny Fran twists her ankle in the grass and breaks it.  If they sue me, they can't come after my personal assets, only my business.  And for those of you photographers or business owners who can't comprehend that I am not an LLC yet? Don't judge me :-) I am still learning this whole owning-my-own-business thing.

3. To utilize my website and blog more.  I rely so much on word of mouth and Facebook to generate business, and it's just not enough.  So I will be blogging much more, and updating my site on a regular basis.  Oh I can just hear my mother jumping for joy.  She is on my case all the time about my lack of posting.  Rest easy, Mama.  Your wish is my command.  :-)

We only went outside once to eat- and we soaked in the warmth and sun!

After all is said and done and I reflect on this experience, the most important thing I take away from it all is this:

I have a husband who believes in me, and who supports me in this crazy dream.  I talked to him numerous times a day (and once in the middle of the night when he was up feeding Makaela and felt the urge to chat) about my dreams and plans.  I now know how closely he walks beside me in this journey.  How he is just as passionate about my success as I am.  And I am beyond lucky to have that.  I was Face Timing with him one afternoon, dissecting my day, and getting ideas of my chest.  We must have talked for 10 minutes.  Not long at all.  And when I hung up, one of my roommates (a friend of Bethany's who came as well) came up to me and told me how amazing my husband sounded.  She had heard a little bit of our conversation, and she was blown away at how supportive he was of my business, how he encouraged me to dream big, and about how much he is loving having so much time with the girls.  "Where did you find him!?" she said.

 With a little luck, and a lot of prayer, that's where.

So together.  We dream.

Stream of Consciousness

I am pretty sure teething is from the devil.  No lie.  It had to be his idea to have a poor, defensless baby endure a year (or more) of having what seemingly is constant mouth ache.  And Makaela, I have come to realize in the last few nights, inherited her pain tolerance from her mother.  Not. Good. It has made for a very tired and grumpy mommy and daddy.  And the exhaustion is fueled by the fact that Harmony is not aware of the escapades of last night, and is fully expecting us to be as excited about making forts and playing princess as she is.  Can you blame her?  But that's what parenthood is all about- bucking up (downing coffee the moment you step in the kitchen) and remembering that it's no longer about you.  It's about tea parties, wee morning snuggles, and princess dresses.  It's about learning as you go, flying by the seat of your pants, and counting down the hours until bedtime. It's play dates, playmates, and play dough (you loved my play on words. Admit it.).  And even as exhausted as I am right now, and how trashed my house is (seriously, if you were to knock on my door right now I would contemplate even letting you in) I am so happy with my life. 


 I found myself looking through old pictures today while the girls were napping, (hence the new header- that was Makaela when she was one day old), and I am amazed at how much, YET how little I take pictures.  I ebb and flow with it.  I take tons of pictures for a certain season, (i.e. vacation, holidays, and birthdays), but so few of the quick yet precious moments (i.e. milestones, fun outings, and life around the house).  I am determined to change that as of today.  Remembering to pull out the "big gun" instead of relying on my iPhone (though I heart you instagram.  I really do).  So if you see me not doing those things, keep me accountable.  


Harmony is taking a what she calls "a fun bath" right now as I write (I took notes from this lady).  What is a "fun bath"?  Glad you asked.  It's a bath where all she needs to do is play.  No hair washing (and if you know Harmony, this is a severe mild form of torture which almost always ends in tears), bubbles, and all the splashing she wants since Makaela isn't in the tub.  It's bliss for Harmony. For me too.


I am so completely stoked for tonight.  We are going on a double date with our friends Amy and Shane, who lived in the next town over while we were youth pastors in East Aurora.  We became attached at the hip those few years, and we were BEYOND thrilled when they too moved back to Rochester.  So it's Sticky Lips and and freakin awesome company for us tonight.  Yesssssssssssss.


This stream of consciousness has to come to an end now that I have a baby who is awake, and a 4-year-old who is ready to move on to the next adventure of the day.  I leave you though with some pictures that I don't think I have ever posted.  They are unforgettable moments of Harmony's first interactions with Makaela.  These will always remind me of what life is all about.

Happy One Year, Makaela!

My little love. One year old.

My girlfriend, Ashley said it perfectly when her baby turned one: Makaela is everything I didn't know I needed. She is my doll baby, my sweet blue-eyed girl, and my cuddle bug. Our house is twice as blessed because of Makaela.

Here are some updates about Reesie Girl:

• She started walking at 10 and a half months. I swear it is because she felt she needed to keep up with Harmony.
• She has 6 teeth- 4 on top, and 2 on bottom
• She weighs 17 pounds, 3 oz, and is 28 and a half inches tall (5th percentile for weight, and 50th for height)
• She isn't the greatest with table foods, but she is getting there. She eats her pureed food like a champ though.
• She still doesn't sleep the greatest. She is up maybe 4 out of 7 nights, not always wanting to eat, but just needs to be held. I guess sleeping children aren't in the cards for me....
• She is one. happy. baby. Always smiling, always laughing, and she and Harmony have so much fun together. I know the day is fast approaching where they will fight over toys, food, and mommy's lap (maybe that last one happens already), but for now, I love watching them play so well. Harmony is her little protector. Making sure she doesn't cry. Making sure she is safe. It's so sweet. For as crazy and active Harmony is, she is very sensitive and mindful of other's feelings.
• She doesn't say much. Mama. Dada. Hi. No. That's about it.
• She lives for bath time. Polar opposite of Harmony at that age, where she refused to sit, I would get more wet than her, and it would last for maybe a minute.

We didn't do any big birthday party this year (we didn't have one for Harmony so I didn't feel the need to throw one for Makaela). All we did was make cupcakes together and let her have her first taste of sugary goodness. Then we spent all evening together, watching a movie and cuddling. Perfection.

yummy!!

my beautiful girls. I am one blessed mommy.

This is so AWESOME!!!

My parents send balloons to their granddaughters every birthday, and I took her one year pictures with them.

Peek-a-boo, I see you

I didn't get many pictures because she was far too interested in my camera. This is what she did 90% of the time.

I set up my backdrop while Makaela was asleep, and Harmony was very excited about getting her picture taken too :-)

Meet fairy princess Harmony :-)

We took out the trampoline so she could "fly"

She looks far to big for my liking

Those dance lessons are paying off!

Oh I love her with everything in me.

I took a picture every month for her first year. In case you forgot, here are all the pictures:

The Shipman family is looking forward to another year of memories, blessings, and adventures. Bring it 2012. We are excited!!!

11 month picture

I am fully aware of 2 things:

1. I haven't blogged in a long long time. It's the product of a very very long wedding season in which every single time I was at my computer, I was editing, emailing, uploading, and downloading all things weddings. Now that I have a 4 month hiatis, I can catch up on even reading blogs, let along writing my own. Thanks for your patience, friends.

2. My daughter is going to be turning one on Saturday, and I am JUST posting her 11 month picture. All I can say is IT'S BEEN THAT KIND OF MONTH. Sickness ran rampant in the Shipman home for weeks (and poor M is battling a nasty cold when I took this picture, so excuse her sad smile), but we are all healthy. FINALLY.

I plan on writing a long post about Makaela's first year of life once I finally take that last 12 month picture and post it, but for now I leave you with a picture of my sweet baby girl.

5 Months

Preface: I am obsessed with a website called Pinterest. It's amazing. I found this idea on there that looks like this:



so I decided to do it for the girls. I like how it came out, and i think I'll keep doing it.