As a little girl, everyone who worked at the local library knew me by name.  I would ride my bike to the library and keep a steady stream of books checked out.  I literally checked out the entire Nancy Drew series (remember back when you signed a paper card in the back of books?).  Fast forward to adulthood and it seems like taking time to read books is such a luxury.  However, over the last year, I have had a surge in my book reading.  I don’t always get a long stretch of reading in but reading after Jonathan goes to bed has added up.  I wanted to share the reads that I found influential to me this past year and ask for any recommendations for my “to-read” list (especially interested in great books on raising children and shaping their …

I’ve done several shoots with little ones over the years as they turn one and enjoy their first birthday cake.  It was interesting to be watching my baby dig into his first cake from behind the lens.  We did this little shoot with Jonathan before church on his birthday and the sugar buzz kept him from napping the rest of the day! (even though I used cool whip not icing- which did help in clean up)  He was definitely more interested in the textures and making a mess than eating the cake.

Last week, before the huge crowds arrived and the weather was quite delightful, we packed up the stroller and headed downtown to check out the Super Bowl Festivities.  Wow, how Georgia Street was transformed and all of downtown really.  The huge banners on all the buildings really gave everything a different feel.  I wonder how in the world do you print something so large?  The crowds were manageable and the sun was shining.

I thought the zip line looked incredibly fun, although I didn’t give it a try myself.  We also went through the NFL experience at the convention center.  The highlight was my father in law kicking an extra point, that went right toward me and hit my arm that was taking his picture.  No worries, the camera and my arm are OK.  On his second attempt he made it and won a Colts Cheerleader Swimsuit …

This weekend was full of fun for Jonathan as he celebrated his 1st Birthday!

We did a lot of fishing out tissue paper from his mouth.

He knew the proper gift etiquette to read/eat the card first.

Very excited about his customized luggage.

A little unsure of why he’s just in his diaper and people are watching.

Breaking out in song.

Look who’s one!

Thanks to my friend Emily for making such a cute banner!

Enjoying his new tunnel!

Wow, in looking back through these images it’s absolutely incredible how much Jonathan has changed from the little baby boy we met just a year ago! Our family will never be the same. It’s been such a joy to see him grow, develop and get glimpses into his personality. These last 12 months have certainly been memorable for us and for the most part haven’t passed by too quickly. We both cherish so much the amount of time we are able to spend with Jonathan as a result of being small business owners.

Here’s a quick visual recap of how he’s grown and changed: