My Entire Family.  My Friends.  My Blessed Life.

Mostly I am thankful for these five amazing people who are part of my life.

The Husband

The Big Girl

The Quiet One

The Loving One

The Energetic One

The TOD Family

I am thankful every day to have them in my life, not just today.

(all pictures taken by Shannon at Defining Details Photography)

This fall has been really crazy busy for our family and all the activities we’ve been involved in.  I spent the entire day Saturday in my office finishing up some photoshoots, working on homework, and just basically getting caught up.  Reagan was the only one of our girls home yesterday, and she hung out in the office with me all day.  She colored, read books, played with the puppes, and watched movies.  Several times I reminded her that she didn’t have to stay in here with me, but she just said she wanted to spend the day with her mommy.    Seriously love this girl!

The puppes hung out with us most of the day, too.  They really seemed to like Reagan’s blanket!    They’re getting so big, and they are really starting to show their personalities.  The Big Girl loves to explore, and we frequently find her in unusual places – she also loves to follow Mom and Dad (Tod & Susie) around the house.  The Little Boy loves to play and does his best to try to bite his sisters.  The Little Girl is very mellow like Susie – nothing really phases her.  She’s just kind of laid back; she’s very sweet!  Tod is really interestedin them now that Susie doesn’t try to tear his throat out every time he goes near them.  He loves to play with the Big Girl especially.  They are about 5.5 inches tall from the top of their heads to the floor – still so tiny!

Yesterday morning there was a HUGE flock of birds migrating through and they chose our house as a resting stop (not so great since there’s now bird poop all over our deck and roof).  There had to have been several hundred birds, if not more.  Reagan thought it was so neat – she took a couple of pictures.  I  have no idea what kind of birds they were, just that there were tons of them.

Today, I am still playing catch up, the girls are playing, and I can hear Aaron banging around in the garage.  It’s a perfect day at the TOD Household!

The La Grande Arts Commission hosts two major events each year.  In the Spring they hold Arts for All, a hands-on event for area children.  In the Fall an annual art show and auction, The Season’s Faire is held to raise money to support Arts for All, local scholarships, and other activities supported by the Arts Commission.  I was fortunate several years ago to be one of the artists invited to exhibit in the show, and I have continued to do so every year since.  Part of the exhibition is also donating one piece for the auction.

The art show itself is jurried, and each year, the Commission invites a different juror to judge the show.  This year, one of my pictures was selected as an honorable mention, and I could not be more thrilled!  It is an honor for me because I show along side some amazing artists, including several photographers I grew up admiring!  It is a very humbling experience to hear your name called.  This picture of red leaves is the one I received honors for.

Saturday night was the opening reception for the show, as well as the charity auction.  My mom, sister, my sister’s friend Ev, and I have made this a traditional girls’ night out enjoying each others’ company, good food, great art, and a good time overall.  This year, my sister’s husband, Scotty joined us, and I had the cutest date ever – My Miss Emma.  She is getting to an age where it’s nice to be able to inclue her in some of the more “adult” activities that the other girls’ aren’t old enough for.

Today, I received a message from a friend that Emma and I were in the La Grande Observer, and my mom scanned the picture and sent it to me.  This picture was taken while the artists and their guests were listening to the juror talk about here selections and the reason she made the choices she did.  The juror is the lady to my immediate right.  It is funny to me to see this picture becaus eI didn’t even realize someone was there taking pictures. 

I had the most amazing time, I am completely excited and humbled, and I am thrilled to have shared this evening with four of my favorite ladies (Mom, Erika, Ev, and Em).

Just because it’s beautiful.

I often wonder if maybe Tod’s family genetic tree doesn’t have very many branches . . .

Recently when I drove to Heppner to pick Emma up for the weekend, I took him with me because he loves to go for rides.  During the drive, he and my jacket got into a wrestling match.

After winning such an arduous battle and defeating my jacket, a nap was called for . . .

What a dorky dog!

My copy of the Pioneer Woman’s cookbook arrived today!

I’ve skimmed it, and read a couple stories.  I can’t wait to have more time to really go throut it and read it!

It seems as though we have spent this Fall chasing Emma and the Heppner Mustang Volleyball team all over tim-buk-tu and back, and that she is the only one of our children involved in any activities.  I know part of the reason for that is the difference in the level of intensity between her activies and the other girls’ – point blank; they’re activities are just a lot less involved that hers are.

However, all three of our little girls (who are not so little anymore) participated in the innogural season for the Columbia Youth Volleyball.  It has been a six week program where they’ve spent time working on basic skills, playing games, and learning the game of volleyball.  All three of the girls have absolutely loved it, and they can’t wait to play again next year!

Harley and Katelyn were on a competitive team, as well, and participate in a tournament last weekend in Stanfield and Echo.  They won two games and lost two games, and they ended up with second place in the tournament.  They did a great job!

We are so proud of them for being willing to try new things, even if they might not be the best at it.  They don’t give up, they just buckle down and give it their all!

Oh  yeah, and we want to thank Harley & Reagan’s Aunt Stormy for organizing this league, putting the practices together, and taking time out of her busy schedule to work with all these young Irrigon girls!  Thank you, Stormy!

This year we elected to have someone else take our family pictures, and I have to say, it was THE BEST DECISION EVER!!  Shannon at Defining Details was smooth, eficient, and SO very easy to work with!

She posted the first few sneak peeks on her blog yesterday (I will admit I have been stalking her blog), and this picture was there.  Awesome!  This is the link to the post:  Sneak Peek #3.  Here is the link to the entire Defining Details Blog.

I cannot wait to see the rest!

Eleven years ago yesterday, I became a mother for the second time.  Harley was a struggle from day one.  I had a rough pregnancy with her – starting with pre-term labor at 29 weeks, bedrest for 6 weeks, and her birth 5 weeks premature at 35 weeks.  She was my smallest baby at 6 pounds 9 ounces, and she was 19 inches long.  We struggled a lot with Harley’s health the first two years of her life – several trips to the hospital with pneumonia and RSV, seizures that started at 10 months, stints in the hospital for dehydration, and just general puny-ness.  Between 2 and 3 she grew out of all her health issues, and she’s been perfectly healthy ever since.  There were times I know we questioned whether she would live long enough to celebrate all the milestones she’s reached.  Some how, though, she made it through, and we have this gorgeous, tender-hearted girl in our lives.  We are blessed.

You wouldn’t know it to look at her now, but Harley was a chunk.  No, she wasn’t just a chunk, she was down right roly-poly!  She was one of those babies who looked like they had rubber bands around their wrists and ankles!

Six weeks.

10 Months – before the “tame” hair fell out and the horrible hair grew in.

11 Years.  Simply Beautiful!

This year for her birthday, we had a girls’ day in Tri-Cities.  The five of us had lunch at Olive Garden, then we did some shopping and had dinner.  It was such a great day celebrating one of my girls with all of my girls!  The memories of spending time with her sisters and being each others friends are ones I know she will treasure forever.

So here’s to Harley – May you have another amazing year, I am looking forward to watching you learn, grow, explore, discover, and conquer this next year in your amazing life!