“A rainy day is the perfect time for a walk in the woods.” ~Rachel Carson

i couldn’t agree more.  last weekend we loaded up and headed west to the mountains, to a rustic little cabin in the woods. sighhhhh.

it rained.  we relaxed.  and as you’ll see there was some excitement too.  yes, the dogs were thrilled to discover an actual chicken coup (with real chickens) just beside the cabin.  it was the highlight of the entire trip for the two of them, i’m sure.  so maybe the chickens and our morning hike at New River State Park.  that was good too.

and rain it did.  holy buckets.

i lucked out this afternoon and ended up with a couple hours free to just do whatever (a rarity these days)….and in this instance, “whatever” involves a book, the front porch, some homemade strawberry ice cream and my buddy, Mack.

he’s decided the welcome mat was made especially for him.

it’s funny how much we are alike.  me and rea.  some people in our family think of her almost like a miniature version of me, although she’s quickly catching up to me in actual height.  before i know it, we’ll be sharing clothes.

during my trip home to Phoenix last month, we shared a bright sunny morning together (after a famous breakfast consisting of smiley-face pancakes, of course).  she picked out her own clothes, we went to her favorite park and our grammy watched us play together in pure delight.  these are things i miss most about living 2000 miles away.

nevertheless, we talk often and laugh together about how she is becoming much like her cousin Roni.  i love her smile and the fact she’s lost two teeth this year already.  she loves t-ball and the 15 minutes of play-time on the playground after every game.

we may live in different places and be several years apart in age, but our hearts are very much alike.

• we both LOVE chocolate. and often end up with tell-tale chocolate smudges on our faces.

• we each have a terrible habit of biting our nails when our nerves act up.  it’s tough one to break – i’m at 4+ months nibble-free as i type!!

• we “heart” animals.  big time.  if our parents (and husband) don’t watch us closely, we would probably be rescuing another one.

• you can’t keep us away from the water.  we’ve both earned the nickname “fish” for good reason.  we’ll swim in the pool until our fingers wrinkle and our lips turn blue.

• creativity runs deep in each of us.  for as long as i can remember, both rea and i have been masters at making things.  our imaginations are propelled by possibilities and the idea of creating something new and different and magical.  she’s already a whiz with the camera.

i’ve been photographing rea since she was all of about 5 days old and to think she’s turning six in just a few weeks blows me away.  she’s more than special to me, she brings a joyful energy to our entire family that is such a gift, we’re all so thankful for her sunny spirit.

“the best things in life…aren’t things at all”

i saw this quote the other day and it really stuck with me.  this morning, these are few of my favorite things:

an open window.

the sounds of spring outside.

soil on my hands.

a beautiful harvest of fresh berries filling my kitchen sink.

mack and abbie napping together under my feet.

I’m off an adventure!

I’ll be away from my computer/email access for a few days (4/8-4/12), so my plan is to reply to emails and catch-up just as soon as I’m back next Tuesday!  If you have an order pending, thanks for your patience…they’ll be shipping soon.

Enjoy your weekend and I’ll catch you on the “flipside”!

Thanks,
Roni

Talk about meant-to-be!  This session has been in the works for some time now.  Because of the soggy, wintery, wet weather as of late, we had been forced to reschedule our playdate on more than one occasion.  Ultimately, the sunshine and warmth returned and we were able to meet up for the perfect afternoon session.  So without further adieu..meet Tater Tot and Miley.  Two seriously cute little ones with big hearts, tons of energy and parents who totally adore them.

First up, Tate, as he likes to be called.  He spends his free time enjoying the view from the front window.  His current occupation, or dog-job, is officially the watchman.   I always love photographing dogs in their true element.  You can tell he’s right at home here.

And then there’s Miley, she’s just so darn cute.  Think princess meets daddy’s girl.  At first, she was a little shy, but I didn’t let that fool me.  Before long, she was soaking up all the special attention (and treats!).  I just had to get a couple shots of her with her “house”…I mean the pink was SO her and just look at that doll face!

What a great way to kick-start spring and to jump right back into the swing of things.  Two terrific pups + one fabulous afternoon = picture taking heaven.  Enjoy!

you’ll have to pardon our messy-ness and our obvious lazy-ness this morning.  we’re taking it easy and enjoying some family time this weekend.

i’m not exactly sure which is worse…the fact that they decided to wake-up at at the un-reasonable hour of 5:45am this morning OR the fact that they are all three back asleep and I”M clearly not.  seems a bit unfair, but i’m willing to settle for this blissful shot.

honestly, this scene is not unfamiliar in our house and it’s probably how i will long remember the start to many of our best days together.

this post is ALL about the beauty of early mornings and going-back-to-bed!

If you are in the mood for a little good news, and I always am, you might want to read on about Mack’s amazing comeback!  I apologize for not posting an update to his saga sooner…I’ve been slow to make the leap of faith this time around.  But today, I feel confident in saying Mack is definitely back!

He’s down to a very, very, teeny-tiny, dose of Prednisone.  just enough to keep the trouble at bay.  someday, he may be able to wean completely off the medication, but for now, knowing he is happy and safe…feels like heaven!  in just the last week alone, i’ve seen a return of his energy.  he’s feeling whole again.

in a few short words i am: thankful, slowly finding comfort in stability again.

good to have you back, Mack.

seeing as though i haven’t quite managed to get my cards out this year (…at least not yet), i wanted to share a little holiday cheer, heart-warming photo style, from our family to yours!

may the magic of the season fill your heart and home with laughter and love!

Roni & family

this shot is definitely a keeper!  the baby girl and her daddy, taking a winter’s nap next to the fire.

she loves her “pops”.  i love her ears…and her wrinkles…and her sweetness.  her daddy’s pretty special too.

(as you can tell, she has super-sonic hearing and quickly caught onto me with my camera)

something extraordinary happened today.

in a season known for miracles, i can honestly say…one took place in our kitchen this afternoon.  it began like any other day, that is, until i went out to get the mail.  i saw there, on top of the stack, a little brown envelop addressed to none other than Mack himself.  odd i thought but i didn’t dare open this mysterious package without his help.

so he eagerly awaited while I carefully peeled back the tab, sniffing and dancing at my feet the entire time.  inside, was the most beautiful, personalized dog tag, made special for my little guy.  now this is not your average dog tag…it’s rustic, hammered-metal, with his name engraved on one side with a heart.

on the other, a simple saying “happiness is dog shaped”.

immediately my eyes welled up with tears.  i still can hardly believe it, even as i type this.  the kindness of this gift literally took my breath away.  after all we have been through lately, to think that someone would do something so thoughtful, is beyond words.

instantly, i scrambled to find a note inside, but there was none.  the detective in me wanted to know who?  but then, i took a moment – to live in exactly that moment.  the surprise, the love, the emotion…it flooded over me.  what an awesome feeling.

right then, i decided to let Mack’s Secret Santa remain a secret for now (i do have my hunches though – wink, wink).  and to you, the person behind this, if you happen to be out there reading this right now, i cannot begin to express my gratitude.  your gift reminded me that we each have the power to create miracles.  today, you were mine.

i couldn’t possibly have picked one more perfect for him myself.

thank you.

Update: For those who are dying to know…the tag was made by the one-and-only Fetching Tags.  Jen is a true artist. – Thanks!