Embrace the Camera (and the fact that I have a one-year old!)

So, it's embrace the camera day again!  I'll admit, I haven't been embracing this for a while now.  I haven't felt camera-ready for some time.  Whether it is the tired lines around my eyes or the fact that I lost so much hair between month 6 and 9 of T's life (or the fact that it's all growing back in at once and I have these funny little 12-year old bangs!), I just haven't been too kind on myself lately.  However, this ETCD I had to post. 


(link up your ETCD with Emily of the Anderson Crew!)



We recently celebrated Miss's T first birthday. 
It was a great day - sun was shining, it was warm, the house was clean...

OK, so the house wasn't too clean. 

And the grandparents almost didn't make it because Southwest had an airplane with a hole in its roof and cancelled their flight (along with 300 others!). 

Oh, and T decided not to play along with our napping plan and skipped nap #2 altogether (gave new meaning to "it's my party and I'll cry if I want to"). 

Besides all that though, this moment is one I am so glad we have a picture of.  I am truly living in this moment and enjoying this beautiful little creature that I am so blessed to take care of, raise, and love.  This was the moment T got to have cake for the first time.  Knowing how much of a sweet tooth momma has, I figured she would dive right in.  Nope.  She's definitely inherited both her momma's and her daddy's analytical side (for a synergistic effect) and investigated this sugary confection for 20 minutes!  I was dying laughing.  I couldn't contain myself!  She was just so serious and intense!

This girl really cracks me up. (Can you tell??) 

For a person that can be all too serious, OCD,

anal(ytical), routined, etc., I am so lucky

 to have a daughter that can make me enjoy life

 this much and just laugh and be silly.

(BTW, this was my best attempt lately at trying to look cute, note the 12-year old bangs!)

p.s. Huge thanks to Kliiq photography for being there with camera ready and getting this picture for us.   You know what else?  They even surprised us the next day with a huge print of this and one other picture!  You guys rock!  I'm definitely calling on you for our next milestone photo shoot!

You can also check them out on facebook too!  click Kliiq!