the three real loves of my life...

chocolate, sleeping, and the food network...i mean my kids and my main squeeze of course (enter sheepish grin here).  

i really did have high hopes of being here at least a couple days ago, to make this a "weekly" blog.  i guess, every 10 days is a step in the right direction, though.  as we all know, february is the month of love, and any footlong at subway for five dollars...but something you might not know is that it is also the month that the pain i mean true JOY of my life came into this world...in other words, sofi was born.  we celebrated this wondrous occasion in true tara style, or in other words...by not doing a whole lot :)  we had some family over, bought some make your own sandwich fix-ins (winco, i heart you, really i do) and opened some presents.  oh, and the boys watched the super bowl.  good times?  i think so.  

the "spread"

yes, the sign does say happy 1st birthday.  it just wouldn't be one of my kids' parties unless everything just wasn't quite right :)

her version of blowing out the candle was hilarious.  as you can see, my brother is giving her some much needed assistance.

i had no idea that this singing teapot would be the amazing hit that it was.  lets just say we never stop hearing, "tea, tea, tea for two...would you like to pour."  oh, and do we ever.

it took some time to explain to the little guy that the hearts go side by side, not directly on top of each other.  we're just going to call it artistic license and leave it at that.  better self esteem that way.

i had to capture this on film (or on digital sim card...that just doesn't have the right ring to it does it), even though the iphone was the only thing handy.  i just love that andy jumped in and sous chefed for luke's preschool cookies.  sigh

i found this little gem on a friend's phone and just had to share it.  this is the little dude about sofi's age.  i don't even remember that little tie, but i love, love it.  his cheeks aren't so bad either 

and last but not certainly not least, that is me in the zoo bathroom taking a picture of my jubilation at acquiring a real camera.  plus, i really do love that hat.

2010...

or as i like to call it, "a year in iphone pics."  yes, you all were there to see the awesome quality of my photos, hear me whine about not being loved, and make promises that mostly didn't come true...hooray for a new year, right??  yeah, i agree.  lets abandon the tara of the past along with her dreadful (don't get me wrong, i'm grateful i have one) iphone pictures and welcome in a new and improved me, complete with one of these:

not just a picture of one...a real one, even!  i know!

yay for real cameras and pictures that actually look the people that are in them :)  as you can see, i'm beyond excited about this new turn in events...so much so that i've been blogging and uploading pictures day and night.  yeah, not so much.  a total self-makeover does take time you know, and i've only got so much of that, what with all my hobbies and all.  or, i've just been working up the courage to jump back on here and compare myself to all of you crafty, photographer, super women/people (that's for you adam, if you still read this ever).  i know i shouldn't and i really try, i promise, unfortunately its an occupational hazard of being myself so i'm working with it.

anyway, as for recapping--i don't really have any christmas pictures at the moment.  i'll need to ask the mother figure to supply me with some, but since we headed south to the motherland to visit andy's family i've been playing around with stella (aka the coolest camera i've ever owned) and i'm stoked at the fact that this little number can even make me look like i know what i'm doing.  here are some highlights:

on the way down to utah.  i think this might just be the inaugural picture.  dang, that camera makes luke look cute...

a "vignette" if you will, of the many moods of the little dude

a couple of the cutest neices ever.  maggie and abby

hangin out at grandma's house with aunt sarah

sing it with me now. "snow, snow, snow..."  i thought about you each time it fell, bing.  all five times

the joys of a hotel pool and a camera with an automatic setting

there are no words

now, if i could just figure out photoshop...yes, i am about 5 years late on that one, but hopefully it won't take me another 5.