He got way too many toys...

His party was a success...Friends and Family. Relaxed. Fun. Enjoyable.

I finished his Thomas the Train birthday shirt with the big no. 2 on it the night before, helped Gigi decorate and watched as my Mother-in-law transformed her kitchen into a blaze of beautiful and yummy foods. We had meatball & cheese stuffed poppers, pepperoni poppers, Mediterranean kabobs, fruit salad and lots of snacks. Our Pastor and his sweet wife (whom Will likes to call "Weaver") was there and some of Will's favorite adults (Kay-Kay- & Day-Day) were there along with friends to help celebrate.

We fellowshipped and ate and watched Will blow out his candles and ate and talked and ate and opened gifts and ate. And we were going to play games but I decided not to, so we just ate some more.

And really, had the best time in the world.

He got way too many toys.

I feel as if I should donate. But I won't. I'll just save them and open them up a little at a time. And it'll be perfect.

He's so big and I have a whole other post on how big and how his actual birth-day went yesterday. But I'll save that and those pictures for another time...

But for now, the party.

Even though it's basically a rescued photo and looks awful because it's one of the only one's I was able to get of Will and his Preacher, this next image is so precious to me. . My camera has a part missing and I thought it was on the right setting when I took this but it wasn't. Oh well.

I love you, big boy, Will Haddon Gillit. -Momma

a touch of sun| i heart faces challenge

This was such a fun entry I just had to submit. I love using a little bit of flare in ever shoot so it was hard to choose one favorite. This image is from a recent bridal shoot that I did with a sweet young lady named, Brittany. I'll be shooting her wedding this Saturday. It's my first wedding ever, so I'm nervous, excited, happy...all of the above.

Sugars & Spice...and some dogs.

Ya ever have that friend, the one that you love so dearly, that you'd love to just spend so much time with but their just not near you so instead you imagine spending the day with them and then send them a facebook message instead? Sure ya do. Just nod your head.

My sis-in-law Lauren, is that friend. She's always got a smirk on her face and some trick up her sleeve. She's bubbly and full of life, compassionate enough to help out a slug who's about to be salted, can be feisty if needed, the quintessential sugar & spice gal. I like her. And she knows it.

Well, not too long ago, (Ok, too long ago. I miss her already) we went to visit Auntie Lo-Lo in San Angelo. Her and Uncle Timberly. And we had all sorts of fun. Including, but not limited to: running through sprinklers, playing with her pups - Rupert and Margaret, shopping in the historical area, eating muffins by the dozens,Will's first time eating frozen yogurt, playing real and imaginary instruments in the Living Room Band and lots more others wonderful-ness.

I have proof of course that this really did happen and was not just my imagination running away with me...

We love you Auntie Lo-Lo :)

Glad for friends

I’m so glad for good friends. Friends that help and not hurt. Friends that love and you can lean on for encouragement. Friends you feel safe with.

I have some amazing friends. And while my husband was away on a missions trip to Uganda some of those wonderful friends opened their loving arms to me, kept me busy and refreshed my soul.

My buddy Heather and I took our kids to the library one morning for storytime. I don’t know that Will had much fun. I’m pretty sure he just wanted to destroy everything in his path. But I had a blast. Thanks Heather for an awesome time spent watching the goober at the library read books to our littles and *trying to make crafts with them even though I believe Will was more interested in stealing everyone’s crayons…  And La Madeline’s rotisserie chicken and chocolate croissant :))) Ya. Thanks for that too. My hips are thanking me still. Love you Heather!

Then there’s Andrea. She’s my goofy friend. The whole time you’re with her you laugh. You just can’t help it. And it’s not that she’s necessarily making you laugh on purpose. She’s just Andrea. And that’s enough.

Our kids ran through the sprinklers (Will mostly cried about them) and swang,(swung?) on the swings and drank out of the hose until water squirted out of their eyeballs. We talked about birth and laughed about toddlers and pregnancy and pee on the floor (and I have to clarify that pee on the floor had to do with the toddlers not our pregnancies).

Thanks Andrea for your patience, love and kindness. Your friendship to me has meant so much and came at a time when I really needed it. You’ll never know.

Thanks for the memories, Heather, Andrea, Brooke, Julia, Evie and Jasmine

Love, Tori (&Will)