Madeline - 2 years old

Adrian - almost 4 and a great big brother

Adrian & Madeline - Christmas 2011 / New Years 2012

We hope you had a Merry Christmas and a great start to 2012!

- Eric, Sara, Adrian & Madeline

Has it only (and already) been two years since Madeline joined our family? A year ago I shared the letter I wrote to her when Sara and I found out we were expecting her. Early this morning marked my daughter’s 2nd birthday, and I feel the need to brag a little on my kids.

Maddie loves music and dancing around. I attribute these skills to her mother (Lord knows I’m more of a Carlton Banks on the dance floor). She only needs two beats of rhythm to start bopping to the music, and usually the second note is optional. She just loves to dance around.

Right now she absolutely loves to run up to Dad and give hugs and kisses. Even if she’s given me a dozen kisses as I’m trying to get out the door she still runs up for one more just before I go. It just melts me.

She’s a bookworm. She’ll just grab a book and climb up on my lap and it’s story time. She absolutely loves looking through books.

She has hilarious curly hair bedhead when she wakes up.

She now wakes up and quietly climbs out of her crib and starts getting into things. She’s already been known as “Maddie Sneakers” by Adrian for her stealthy antics for a while, now she’s upgraded to “Super Sneakers.”

She’s not a terribly picky eater, and usually enjoys getting into whatever snacks her big brother Adrian has set down to go play with trains or blocks or find fun of some sort.

She laughs through her nose a lot, and it cracks me up. Adrian loves to act silly and make her laugh, and it’s pretty impossible not to smile and laugh when they get the house full of giggles.

I’m certain she knows she’s cute – hears it all the time – but isn’t abusing her charm too much to get out of trouble just yet. Let’s keep it that way, ok?

Almost every time she sees my iPhone she starts chanting “e-hat! e-hat!” to watch & read along to the Cat in the Hat book app. She also switches to different book apps left and right and even deletes apps if Daddy blinks while she has his phone.

She’s my favorite Madeline in the whole world. Happy birthday Maddie!

My dad’s habit of finding quirky gifts strikes again. A crisp $1 bill got him this nifty Kodak Instamatic 104 Outfit box set at a garage sale. Sweet yellow Kodak box contains an Instamatic camera, unused flash cube, old AAA batteries and box from the last 126 cartridge that expired in May 1975 all stored inside. Now I’ve just got to find a 126 film cartridge to reload and get snapping with this camera!

The surprise gift just sucker-punched this sluggish Monday. It was his original find of a manual Minolta 35mm camera that got me hooked on photography way back in the teenage years. A Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, Agfa folding bellows camera, this Instamatic 104, and a handful of garage sale and auction treasures have been great surprise gifts since then!

Can’t wait to try out some Instamatic 35mm photos!

Monday reminder: go shoot some photos today! -eB

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

On a sunny afternoon at Bendix Woods park, between the E and the R* of the pine trees that spell out “Studebaker,” my parents were married 35 years ago today.

Mom had a lovely dress and a bouquet of white and yellow flowers. Dad and the groomsmen had a snazzy white tuxedo, mom picked light yellow dresses and matching giant yellow sun hats for the bridesmaids. (Gonna have to get a bonus post to show off those stylish looks!)

Last March at my youngest sister’s wedding she and her newlywed husband surprised our parents with a dance dedicated to them. Dad kept “correcting” lyrics to Love Like Crazy to better fit his own love story while he and Mom danced during the wedding reception at the Studebaker Museum. What a couple of kids they were out there dancing.

Not sure if the next photo qualifies as their 1970s engagement portrait or not, but it’s still worth sharing.

* Fun fact – years later when I was born they gave me the same first and middle name initials as the tree letters they were married between – E.R. Also fun fact, Dad still tells that same story just about every time we drive by the park.

Happy anniversary! Here’s to 35 more and then some!

It’s finally feeling like summer in South Bend, and too toasty outside not to go have some fun. Don’t forget your cameras! eB

Always enjoy seeing an ecstatic groom. Especially when it's your new brother in law.

Brisk afternoon for a stroll

Jeremy singing "It Had to be You" - sweet Lensbaby action by JR

So many more favorites coming soon, stay tuned! Get a reminder here and you’ll know when all the photos are ready!

Last night while rummaging the desk we discovered a real treat for playtime fun: sticky tack putty!

After demonstrating how it could be used Adrian decided it was more fun rolled into a ball. And from there that it should be flattened out. His imagination already in high gear, he ran out to get something. “George!” he shouted while running to the playroom. He came back with one of the Thomas the Tank Engine characters, George the Steamroller, to help with his brainstorm. I grabbed a camera almost as fast as he jumped back up to the desk!

Go George!

George (and Adrian) did it!

After an exhausting office playtime Adrian was ready to sleep, grabbed a blanket and laid down all by himself. I tucked him in and we called it a day, a very fun day all around! These little breaks for fun are some of the best parts of the home office work!

- -

The other day he got into of some of my spare camera pouches and came up with a new use for one of the Lowepro slip lock lens cases. I love seeing his imagination at work.

Free reminder from Adrian – think outside the pouch!

Tomorrow’s the big day – Madeline’s first birthday!

For some reason I always feel the need to preface a post with a back story. When I found out we were expecting our first baby Adrian I grabbed a journal I hadn’t written much in since blogging came about and wrote my news in ink. Not quite two years later when Sara announced we were expecting our second child I made sure to write again.

Since the firstborn already has his story on a few dozen albums, a birth video, and a fair amount of spoiling, I’m sharing the letter I wrote to Madeline when I found out she was joining our family.

March 28, 2009 – 2:25am

To my child, announced with joy and surprise this evening! Your mother and big brother Adrian are sleeping while I am awake late. We are all excited to welcome you to our family. You will love the snow this winter when you meet us face to face. It is chilly but it sparkles in the sun and makes for great snuggling weather. It is now spring and there is new life and new starts around every turn!

Already your mommy and I are talking about the fun we will have when we meet you, your baby smile and wiggly fingers and toes. We may not know if you will be a daughter or our son but we do know we’re excited that you’re part of our family!

For tonight, and until we meet you, stay cozy in mommy’s tummy while you grow. We love you more than there are words to explain it – that’s why there are snuggles, hugs and smooches!

Your daddy

It was great to spend an evening together and let the kids run and play! (Not pictured: my kids getting into stuff too!)

Drop us a line to set up an indoor or outdoor family portrait shoot of your own!