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I had an amazing, beautiful, wonderful trip to San Francisco. What started as a "work" trip turned into a wonderful vacation that recharged my spirit. I'll write more about it when I have time - I am neck deep in editing - from the preschool shoot, the wedding, and a family session so I'll post more soon.

Here is a highlight from the trip - the amazing Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean. HELLO BEAUTIFUL!!

My Life.

I was chatting with my friend Marti and she talked about setting up her camera timer to capture "outtakes" of her and her kids.

My response to her was, "Outtakes ARE my life." I had to sit back for a moment and really think nabout what I just said. My life is full of outtakes - beautiful moments of the "in between".  I wouldn't trade them for anything. So here is my contribution to society tonight - an original quote about my beautiful life of outtakes.

A Daydream

Today was an awesome day. We headed up to North Austin... or was it Cedar Park? Anyway, it was FAR. We met up with Marti and her two sweet kids Andy and Suzy for some nature fun near their YMCA. We got out of the car and it was COLD. WAAAAY colder than we were expecting. Luckily, I had jackets in the car for the kiddos. 

Though it was cold, it was green and gorgeous. I had my camera in tow and let the kids explore. I have been wanting to challenge myself with seeing things in different ways - seeing more texture and more than just the "portrait" view from my lens. This was a great way for me to get creative. 

The light on this cloudy morning was dreamy - it looked like magic was happening all around us. The kids explored along the creek, with rocks, the plants, the little animal footprints embedded in the path. 

So here is the result of this experiment with capturing a "storyboard" of our day today. 

I also got some really cute images with Suzy and Andy.

There's this part of the path where the 183 freeway goes right over our heads. It was kinda wild! This is Ryenne and Suzy in this one. 

 Ryenne and Suzy are pretty darn cute.

 Kai Boy and Andy love Lighting McQueen. They were really sweet to each other.

On the pathway back Marti volunteered to get some pictures of me and the kids. I am so excited to see them. I owe you Marti! Next time I'll get you and your kiddos. I should have volunteered today, but honestly I'm so tired that I completely spaced out.

After our morning at the park, we drove to Buda (yes! WAAAAY North to WAAAAY South!) for Kai's 30 month check up. He's a super healthy little guy - still 5th percentile, but he's just tiny and that's how he is. He has done excellent with potty training all day long. Tomorrow will be his first potty training day at school!

Rub-a-dub-dub - 3 Littles in the Tub

Bathtime is one of their favorite times of day. All three of them pile into peach scented bubbles and act like crazy donkeys kicking around, splashing, making bubble beards. It's definitely a part of our day that isn't documented very well.

Ryenne was showing off her bubble beard here. My goodness she has tons of hair.

Cruz has loved taking a bath in the big tub since he was brand new. He loves to slide on his tummy and splash his brother and sister.

"Time to wash my hair? Sure mom!" -- wish it was that easy! heehee

Kai Boy was playing squirt with Peter. He was laughing his head off!

A peak into the bathroom from our bedroom. It's a beautiful view, is it not? Peter has really, really stepped up and makes time to be with the kids - to play with them and enjoy THEM without any other cares of the outside world. This has been a work in progress over the past couple of years - but he "gets it" now. It took some changes last year, but he gets it. And he's a part of their world. I love it.

Big, Big News!

Big news today.... Kai pooped in the potty.

It was at my last day of preschool photos and I came home and Gams told me that Kai had been going shishi in the potty chair all day. He had a little accident, but overall did great. Peter and I decided to head to Wal-Mart to get him some big boy underwear. He picked out Lighting McQueen and Thomas underpants. We came home and he put them on. He had a BIG shishi accident during dinner, but we brushed it off. At bathtime I asked him if he had to go again. He jumped on the potty and POOPED! WOW! Anyone who knows Kai knows that this is big. The boy literally poops 4 - 5 times a day. If he starts pooing in the potty regularly, this is such a score for his mama who is so tired of 5 big boy poops a day!

In other news, if you're a fan of my Photography by Mariah Milan Facebook Fan Page (say that 5 times fast!) you've seen a sneak of a few images from our bluebonnet photo session. Bluebonnets are elusive little flowers here in Texas that come out for about 2 - 3 weeks during the Spring. These suckers are POPULAR. They ARE pretty and since we didn't get much rain, the pickings are slim for fields.

I don't have much bluebonnet experience because both seasons we've been here I've had a newborn and didn't want to go hunting for a giant field, which I guess is sorta a Texas tradition. This year, I did want to find more of a field. My mom mentioned that she had seen a field and it wasn't far from us. SCORE!

I headed over to Gams house to pick up Ryenne and Gams. It was last Sunday so it was Ryenne's special time at Gams' house. They were gardening. Gams bought Ry rubber boots - pink ones. Melt.

I gave Ry a dress we got at Savers to wear - it's seersucker and so sweet. She actually likes this dress. She asked if she could wear her boots. I love her boots and as a bonus they would protect her from fire ants. This next photo reminds me so much of me as a child. Always looking at my shoes. 

 Gams came along to help me with my "vision" of my three monkeys together in the bluebonnets. This was complete hilarity. Nobody would look at me. Kai had a meltdown. I love this first image because Gams is in it. I don't think she realized she was going to be in any, but it's so sweet to see her with the kiddos. Love it.

 This one cracks me up - it's probably my favorite of the three of them together because they are all doing their own thing - everyone is looking in different directions. This is so them.

 Ryenne and Cruz did AMAZING as my little models. Cruz was such a good boy. He was so interested in the flowers and didn't crawl all over the place. He was just such a good boy. Ryenne turned on her "inner model" and worked it for the camera.

 Meanwhile, this was Kai...

 We decided to try a different spot in our neighborhood which has a bunch of Mexican Poppy's blooming. It's so pretty! Ryenne was almost done so she was starting to pout. She looked cute.

 And Kai decided he wanted to be a big boy.

 And Cruzito wanted to touch the flowers. He was so gentle!

Ry wondered off in a huff. She looked beautiful in the meadow of gorgeous light.

Beautiful and very special. What a wonderful few days!

Field of Dreams

Another snippet of the wildflower pictures I did with the kidlets. Ryenne was in a bad mood here. She walked away from me in a huff. But I got a good image out of it anyway!

Kai Singing Video

It's been a crazy few days - I've been photographing preschoolers at a nearby preschool - four days total. Around 300 children. Tomorrow is my last day. It has been CRAZY! But in a good way.

Today while we were doing Yoga, Kai started singing "Twinkle Twinkle". I came out of my yoga pose to listen because I HAVE NEVER HEARD KAI SING BEFORE. Never. He just never does. So to hear him singing was like... well - amazing. It was beautiful. He was singing with Ryenne. Sure, they should have been sleeping, but really that doesn't matter!

They continued singing until we were done with our workout and I grabbed the camera to record the magic.


Love it. Love these monkeys. Afterward I went to tuck Kai into bed and Ry came in and kissed him goodnight too. It was incredibly sweet.

Swoon

The wildflowers are s-l-ooooooo-w-l-y starting to peek out this weekend. I was feeling a bit bummed that the bluebonnets this year are not very spectacular. I was sharing this sentiment with my mom when she chimed in that she had seen a field of them - and even better... NOT FAR AWAY! 

This afternoon we packed the kids in the car and headed over to this amazing spot. I have lots of great images, but here's just one stunning one of my little Cruzito... swoon... my heart is melting.

PHOTO SHOOT!!!

My friend/photog Christie Stockstill and I did a shoot exchange. We did our session just before Cruz's birthday. Here are some of my favorites from our shoot. love them!!!

For this next series, the kids were instructed to run to me and Peter and Cruz on the count of three. Kai is getting ready to run!

 But then they went running in a different direction! haha

 Then they sorta figured it out.

It felt really different being on the other side of the lens but it was refreshing to hear ideas and see the vision of another talented photographer.

I have blank walls in my bedroom. Not a single picture/thing on the wall. A canvas of Peter and I has been ordered and will be the first thing to hang in our room.

The Cuties

Ryenne and Kai are either loving each other, or fighting non-stop in the car. On this day they were being goofy.

As promised, the images from the first day of Spring. We put water on the driveway so the chalk would appear brighter. We got wet. We sang songs. We wished on Dandelions. 

We did this while Cruz was napping so that I could play with the older two without having to hold Cruz. It was really nice. 

Peter surprised us and cleaned the backyard. Maybe it will become a habit??? We haven't been able to play back there because of dog mess. 

I got this nifty little "O" Ring flash doodad from photojojo.com that I wanted to test out for possible use at my preschool shoot next week. I still need to play with it more, but this is direct flash toward Ryenne and notice how there isn't a whole lot of shadow? I like it. Plus... she's a super high jumper and she's just too cool. 

 This is also with the flash adapter. Kai brings his cars everywhere. He has them talk to each other. He puts them in situations where one needs help and the other rescues. I had been waiting for this streak of imagination to light up in Kai - I was a little worried for a bit - but it's here. It's absolutely amazing to watch.

 Me, "Ryenne, can you smile at me?" - Ryenne, "HUH?" heehee

 When Peter wakes up, it makes Cruz's day. Cruz adores his daddy. When Peter walks down the stairs, Cruz just lights up - all smiles. I become chopped liver. Cruz was still having his snotty nose here, but I just love it because it shows how happy he his when Peter wakes up.

 This next image was my second favorite from the shoot with Kai in front of the Wisteria. He did a sly little smile to the side. He wouldn't smile AT me, but this was more genuine anyway and so HIM.

 We were literally right on Brodie Lane, which is a busy street. Cars were zooming past me. Kai stayed right where I told him too. When cars drove by really fast, he yelled, NOT NICE! SLOW DOWN! and gave this face. I didn't change my aperture here so it's shallow, but his face is priceless.

 Cruzito with his wooden ducks.

 Really concentrating on his walking.