{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life.

{pretty}

Bryan hacked apart cut down a tree on the side of our house that he's been battling ever since we had a bad snow storm about a year and a half ago that made the tree partially uproot itself.  While he was tearing down the tree limb by limb, this amazing little nest fell out.  I picked it up and I'd say it must have weighed at least two pounds.  I was amazed at how well it was put together.  While examining the nest, we noticed that it contained parts of a peat pot, and even a juice box straw wrapper.  I do hope it was an abandoned nest.  I'd hate to think that we made some poor bird homeless.

{happy}

I love how happy Katie is when she plays with her daddy.  Bryan was playing airplane with her when I took this picture.  On Friday, I was a very happy mommy when I scored the cute little outfit Katie is wearing for $5.48 at Gymboree.

{funny}

Despite the annoyed look on her face, Katie really enjoyed her first time in the pool.  For some reason her new thing is to turn her back to me or scowl at the camera whenever I try to take pictures of her.

Doesn't Ellie look like she's flying in this picture?  She calls this jump the Patrick Star.  She and Madeline also do another jump that they call the Squidward where they wiggle their arms and legs.  It's a goofy jump.

Madeline is doing a cannonball in this picture but it just looks like she crouching down on the top of the water.  I love when I get pictures of the girls in mid air or just as they are starting to make impact with the water.

Oscar is a nervous Nellie when we go in the pool.  He will either run around the pool deck until his nails and paws are bloody (Which is why he usually finds himself locked in his crate when we go out to the pool.), or he'll race around the yard barking and acting like we're under attack while he's on the outside of the pool enclosure.  On Sunday he wore himself out to the point that he crawled into the house when we got out of the pool.  I thought he was hurt, but it turned out he was just completely worn out.  This is him laying on the grass exhausted once we all got out of the water. 

{real}

I love this picture.  Katie is just so content in Bryan's arms as she plays with the water.  

See what I mean about Katie not being an fan of me taking her picture.  She was happy and smiling until I turned on the camera.  As you can see, she's not on board with my plan to get a cute picture.

About thirty seconds later when I propped the camera up in the cabinet and used the remote to take this picture she was back to being a happy baby.  I think my camera needs a disguise.