more of my favorites

What you don't see in this picture: Collin and I doing anything in our power to get her to smile. Including making silly faces & noises and being obnoxious.

Stole a picture with Collin. I think all the kids were crying while we took this but I wanted one of us together before the wedding was over.

Flower girl dresses: Handmade

Dress: J Crew//Handmade sash//Blouse: Ella Moss

I can't remember if this was before or after my new father-in-law's mother told me that Quincey will be the President someday. Sweeeet! She even had a list of reasons that nearly had me convinced. I told Collin and his reply was... "The president of what? Crazytown." ;) She's in that really darling yet sometimes defiant 3 year old stage! But we still love her... our little miss future President.

light & laughter

Sure, I could reminisce about the days before we had 3 munchkins... but those days don't have nearly the same warm light or contagious laughter.

Even though there's more laundry, more drama, more patience needed.

There's also more purpose, more meaning, more love.

Even though I can get lost in my role as mother and, some say, I might lose a bit of elizabeth... it's actually made me who I am and a better me.

No matter what it is in life, the difficult times always makes us stronger. Sometimes I even get scared when things are going good because I think, okay, it's time for something horrible to happen. Like a Disney movie and their extreme movie plots, where the absolute worst thing has to happen before you can find happiness.

But slowly I am learning to trust that God has a plan for me & to not be scared. Instead treasure the light & the laughter and... just be prepared for the crap! ;)

In other news: It's this girl's birthday today. The birthday party will be another day which I am so glad we didn't plan today because she had a 103.2 temperature last night and we were on the phone with her Pop Pop who's also a Doctor making sure she's ok. She slept like a dream & is her same silly self today.

Happy Birthday my darling girl! xoxoxoxo

I was soooo giddy about the pictures I captured last night of my girls! My grandma sent Q&A those outfits so I promised her I would take pictures.

play more

Resolution #15:

My 12 year old self would be quite disappointed if she could see future me... because sometimes I take life much too seriously. Last year, for my twenty ninth birthday, I received the following gifts from different members of my family and I'm not joking: Punky Brewster DVDs, a purple hula hoop and a vintage Minnie Mouse t-shirt. Coincidence? I don't think so. They were simple reminders that even though our lives are spotted with worry, stress, & lack of sleep don't let that turn us into a living Cruella Deville.

So, one of my resolutions is to play more.

Some ideas to consider while achieving this newly proclaimed mantra:

• Walk lightly with a skip in your step, no slouching.
• Kiss someone in the rain
• Only eat mini marshmallows while throwing into air and catching them in your mouth
• Roll down the car windows and sing "Nothing Compares To You" as loud as possible
• Go bowling or roller skating
• Leave love notes for people you adore
• Never walk past a photo booth with out taking pictures
• Be the one to plan a fun date or outing with friends
• Build a fort every Friday

Okay, some of these are down-right unruly or verging on annoying but, hey, if it lifts your spirits and makes you smile then go for it.

I started off this resolution with building a fort. Once I finally got the fort figured out we had a fun time! Putting it together is definitely part of the play. First I tried hanging something from the ceiling: too heavy. Next I tried chairs: not cute. Then I found some pipe that I use for a tent: perfect.

If we are going to keep this up every Friday I definitely need to get this fort kit: Crazy forts. Just for the base pieces and use my own fabrics.

Lighting is also key to a great fort. (bulb string lights.)

Ta ta for now. Off to play.

I shared this resolution with Mandi over at her blog, and wanted to share it here too.

A Tribute (hijacked by Collin)

Liz is sitting here by me feeding our little Lola-bug as I type this. We haven't gotten much sleep this week, but then again, we haven't had a good night sleep since 2006. Sometimes I ask people who don't have little kids to tell me tales of "sleeping through the night" while I sit at their feet in disbelief. "What mythical creature is this..."alarm clock"? You mean a machine wakes you up?!"

Those of you who have read this blog for more than a couple weeks know there's 2 things I rarely am, and they're both "serious." But, today I wanted to share this glimpse with all of you, something that is very sacred and special to me. It's a video I made of Lola's birthday.

How do you capture the million emotions of waiting to bring a child into the world? Anxiety, nervousness, fear, anticipation....peace. We often talk about a curtain being placed over our eyes when we come to this Earth, something that makes us forget who we are, where we came from, who we were with. If we took that knowledge with us to this life, what would be the point?

A few times, sacred times, that curtain is thin. Very thin. So thin that for a brief moment there is no difference between the heavens and the earth. You feel the presence of our Creator, family members who have passed on before us....family members who have yet to join us. I think if we're lucky, we'll get maybe just a couple of those experiences in this lifetime that will feel almost like deja-vu. Our eyes will be opened from this mortal life...a life that is hard. Life that is stressful. Life that thickens our skin and makes us cynical and unsure of who we are. Last Tuesday at 5:11pm and the hours leading up to that moment, that curtain was thin, and all who were present could sense it.

Liz and I have dear friends who cannot, for some reason or another, bring children into this world. They are wonderful people who have cried their share of tears from this. They deserve just as much as anyone the chance to experience it. I don't know why we can when others cannot. All I know is they will, someday, and it may not be in this life but when they do it will be just as special and sacred a moment as ever.

I have a deep gratitude for what my wife has gone through for our family, and for all of you mothers, both current and one-day-will-be mothers who are reading this. I wasn't sure if this was too special to me to share with you all, but something told us we should. I've turned off the comments because I just want you to enjoy it. If you really would like to tell me what you thought, I'd love to hear from you. (pixelpopphotography@gmail.com)

(click on the Love link to watch it in HD as it was meant to be viewed :)

Love from Collin Kartchner

a little of this & that

Getting in the spirit of Halloween around our home. Which means I need to finish my spooky tree using my Girls' Paperie... I told you I adore these crepe flowers!

We have 2 of our 4.5 costumes ready. Collin & I are trying to figure out what we can dress up as this year. Collin suggested we paint a pumpkin on my tummy... now that's pretty much the scariest costume I've ever heard of. ;) So, really, any ideas for a preggo momma? I was going to take a year off but what's the fun in that?

I'm not the only one carrying around a pumpkin... this girl carries hers around all day since Saturday when she found the perfect one. She pretty much loves it. Perhaps because it's just her size.

Despite the fact that the kids have been sick all weekend they've still been surprisingly chipper. Which is sooooooooo nice. Much better than sick + grumpy.

We've kept it low key around here and just hung out cozied up indoors. A little football, a little baking, a little crafting & a lot of snuggle time laziness.

Hope you had a nice weekend & are enjoying getting ready for Halloweeeeeen.

Check out Crafty Steals because today my Dear Lizzy Christmas Card set and Christmas Paper are the steal of the day!!

content

Life is far from perfect. It is hectic & stressful at times but despite all of that I've felt overwhelmingly grateful & content lately. Probably since the past two events are behind me. Probably because I carry around an angel in my tummy all day. Probably because I love this time of year & General Conference started today. Probably because this little girlie squeezes my cheeks & I can forget about the flurry and frenzy of life for a moment.

Enjoy your weekend! We went up the canyon last night because it is absolutely beautiful there right now. Autumn in Utah goes by much too fast. xo

just for fun

When I got home from Vegas, Collin filmed a couple clips of video to show me how our new camera works. Just for fun I put it to music and tested out imovie. Thought I'd share it, but keep in mind that this was filmed on my tired-zombie day I previously mentioned. ;)

Happy trash day!

Oh, is it not your trash day today? Happy Wednesday then.

See if you won the fall giveaway below...

Someday

My Quincey Rose. Photo By Jefra Starr Linn

Yesterday I visited with a sweet friend of mine who recently lost someone very close to her. As soon as I saw her we embraced and cried. Her sad eyes linger in my head and I wish I could take all the pain away from her. Pain of losing someone... it hurts so bad. I wish I could tell her that it's okay, or it'll get easier but I can't. The only thing I can tell her--she already knows. That she'll see him again.

Life is so fragile.

Spent the afternoon following my busy Avery around. Didn't let myself get distracted by anything and just ran around the back yard doing whatever her curious mind wanted to do. We made mud pies, inspected all sorts of leaves, smelled dozens of flowers & picked each petal from a rose. At one point, while she chased a white butterfly across the grass, I got choked up. (Surprise, surprise since I'm doing that lots lately ;) I was just so moved watching her eyes beam as she followed it & laughed each time she tried to grab it.

The next thing I know, she's in tears because it flew away. You know, those big crocodile tears girls can dish up so well. The tears that cause me to dig deep into my mommy skills to find the remedy. And all because she wanted to hold it.

"The butterfly will come back someday." I told her. Just like I told my friend... you'll see him again. And she will.

Remember when I was bragging about Jefra and the brilliant photos she takes? These are a couple photos she snapped of my beauties while we were setting up the photo shoot. Thanks Jefra! Love them. Love.

beach bums

Warning: Self-indulgent vacation photos below where I gush over how cute my darling daughters are and post pictures of our sandy toes. Proceed with caution.

As much as I wanted to stay in California we decided to come home after all.

Home sweet home.

Such a needed break for us, but now I'll require a swift kick to shift back into high gear. Pretty sure I'll be having withdrawals calling Collin around noon tomorrow... You mean we can't just play in the sand all day? Ah, man.

If you could bottle up this girl's energy and sell it you would give Red Bull a run for their money. She's such a zestful, little lady who skipped around the beach all day... my sweetie. xo

Then there's Q-bear who's as silly as they come. I'm not sure what's cuter... her lisp while saying "what's that?" & "I no see," how she hides her face whenever she gets attention or that silly prance around on her tippy toes. xo

Dear Lizzy Christmas in July coming up next.

Disneyland Magic

Thanks for all the well wishes for my pregnancy! Can you believe it? Another one of these cuties running around? We are thrilled!

Disneyland very well could have been more of a survivor parenting challenge for Collin and me, testing many of our skills-physical strength & patience. ;)

Maybe it was the ages of our kids but man I was exhausted when we were done with the 3 day adventure. Happy but exhausted.

It was a blast and magical at times, especially since we always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Avery was lucky enough to hold hands and walk around the park with Pluto, Mary Poppins and Woody. Seeing the girls' faces light up was my favorite part.

The tea cups are so charming! I love the colors and music. If I rode it I would get sick so I enjoyed it from afar and was happy just taking pictures of the scene.

One of the highlights of the trip was that my little brother, KC, proposed to his girlfriend. They were riding the Peter Pan ride when he asked Allison to marry him and gave her a very beautiful vintage ring. We all teared up... it was a sweet moment. They make such a great couple and I'm so thrilled that she'll be my sister-in-law.

Q-bear was quite smitten by Minnie. We ran into her at least a couple times a day. Each time she was so excited and Minnie was so sweet with her. These were the moments that made my day! Yes, I teared up at times especially when the girls met Cinderella (let's just blame it on the fact that I'm pregnant).

The best part was just being together as a family for a few days....oh, and the churros (mmmm....)

Photoshop actions: Totally Rad

home

Feels so great to be home!

It's nap time so I am getting a lot done... eating sugar cookie dough, attempting to plan an upcoming Studio 5 segment... actually just being lazy while browsing the world wide web with inspiration for the upcoming holiday. Which is one of my favorites. Probably has something to do with the fact that there are chocolates and flowers involved.

Thanks for all the comments on my CHA booth. check out the pictures here and here.

We had a tea party at our booth so cupcakes were a necessity. (photos by Shimelle)

The flowers I posted before cha looked great in 12 tiny vases from Target and in a jar in the bike basket.

fleeting moments

Today turned out to be such a delightful day! Look at that face... how could it not be?

Life is so fleeting so I am relishing in these moments that pass so quickly. Because she is my whole world & at the moment I am hers.

The cuddles, her chubby hand holding mine, times when she needs mommy's comfort, pitter patter of her feet on the floor----give my life purpose.

Love the new House of 3 kits! Rhonna is incredibly talented at digital design and has me so excited for Valentine's Day already!! I love her calligraphy phrases... they are my favorite... and the doilies banners and and...

Ruffles

Thanks so much sharing in my excitement for the Dear Lizzy + American Crafts line. This page shows the fabulous ruffle ribbon! Wouldn't it be so cute on a bag or even a T-shirt? The background paper is filled with little hearts that I drew & the polka dot paper is adhesive backed fabric. The thickers are a glitter typewriter font that also comes in a seafoam green and brown. LOVE them-totally versatile and easy to use. Jefra took the photos and some other fun ones I'll share soon.

The journaling says: I sort of love when Quincey takes my hand and walks me around the house usually looking for her blankey or her sippy or to the kitchen for a little snack. I sort of love when Avery licks my cheek like a little puppy... it's actually really gross but makes me laugh every time. I sort of love something sweet to eat after every meal.. and I'm not picky. I sort of hate listening to voice messages and delete them before they're done. I sort of wish I could live somewhere warm all year round. I sort of hate the snow and don't think I would miss it. I sort of love when I fall asleep on the couch during a movie and Collin carries me to bed. I sort of am afraid of the thunder and you will never find me watching a scary movie. ever.

My sweet niece, Taimi, received her baby blessing last Sunday. She is so beautiful. It's quite neat to watch my little sister become a mother. I am so proud of her and love watching her and Chris take care of Taimi & take on the transforming role as parents.

(Taimi is my great grandmother's name. My great grandmother is Finnish. )

We all braved the cold for a quick photo by Collin... including Camille, me, Quincey, Ashley, Taimi, Cynthia (my mom). This is also the same day that I tripped on the ice in my heels. From now on I am wearing moon boots to church. I swear I thought my rib was broken the last few days but I'm better now. Happy Friday!!

2009 Award Ceremony

It's time to highlight blog posts & photos from this year.

These awards rival an Emmy or a Dundie Award and are accepted with much pride at the Kartchner home.

Acceptance speeches will be cut short and everyone reading is invited to the after party.

The award for the most sneaky & the best button-thrower-all-over-my-office goes to...

Since I've won this award in previous years... I announce with much pride...

the most dramatic performance goes to this cute little runt.

Collin always teases me for saying, "laugh" when I take his photo so...

The best fake laugh goes to Mr. Kartchner himself...

Collin will be disappointed that he didn't win this award... the best kiss of the year...

The best lawn...

The cheesiest & gummy grin goes to...

The best location for an FHE treat and the best 4 quarters spent all year...

Award for stellar self-timer shots...

Having 10 seconds to run and jump into a window definitely deserves an award.

Golfing on Collin's birthday is a close second for a self-timer winner because this was such a fun day!!

Best purchase of the year...

The award for the Best day to be named Liz...

The award for "why are the kids so quiet? What are they up to?" Goes to this memorable moment...

Here's to another exciting year...