Beanie Baby

Forgot to post these pics of my handsome beanie baby.

We stopped by Target on our way to the Holiday shoot a couple weeks back and saw this hat on an endcap for just one dollar.  It was in the boys department, and while it fits Sam, I have to admit it's a little poofy.  But it will have to do, as all the toddler hats are too small! :)  It was fun to take pictures of him wearing something new.  I shot these at a pretty park in McKinney.  He was cooperative for the most part, but in order to get the shots on the stone wall I had to bribe him with the promise of fruit snacks and an extra Oswald when we got home.

He held me to it, too.  He's almost impossible to trick!

Holiday Shoots

For Sam, Christmastime has arrived early.  

We met up with some Lens Baby friends for a couple of holiday shoots this week and we are officially in the Christmas Spirit!

Recognize this porch with the black door?  

I brought some baby here

last year

- don't know where he went to!

So pensive...

This counts as a big pile of leaves here in Texas, so we had to have a little fun with them!

Had to include this one, even though it's not Christmas-y.  This is Chester, Chestnut Square's resident cat.  He really had fun with all the kids that day.  He'd run away when they chased him, but always came right back for more. Sam and I were the last to leave and while I was packing up all the props I noticed them sitting so quietly together.  I grabbed my camera and quickly snagged a couple shots of these two boys right as Chester was snuggling up to Sam.  It almost made me reconsider my feelings about cats.  Almost.  I guess any cat who likes my boy this much must be pretty okay so I'll make an exception for Chester!  He even got in our car, twice, while I was loading props.  Sam's eyes were huge when he saw Chester hop in the front seat!  I think we'll have to go back soon and visit our new little friend.

Somewhere Else

When we visit this park, those 100 degree days are just a distant memory.

It doesn't feel like Dallas here, either.  If it wasn't so far from our house, I think we'd come here everyday, at least while the colors are out!

Heard-Craig House

Sam and I recently visited the grounds of McKinney's Heard-Craig House with some friends to take some pictures.

  It was a very pretty day and Sam had fun running around the garden.  We need more days like this here in Texas!

It's a Pa-wade!

A very memorable parade, indeed.

We returned to the exact same parade spot we snagged last fourth to watch McKinney's parade Monday morning. Sam was in a little bit of a funk, for some unknown reason, so his pictures didn't turn out particularly "smiley". But the parade was a success overall...ask him what we saw that day and he will tell you every time, "fire twucks, motorcycles, and horse poop!"

Happy Fourth!

image credit:  Daddy

image credit:  Pops

image credit:  Daddy

Grisham Farms

So

that's

how the piggies eat.

Sam and I had a great time at McKinney's Grisham Farm today, tossing bread to the goats, feeding milk to the little piggy, and just doing some general running-around.  I think Sam would make a pretty good little farm boy!

He Looks-a Short of Sveedish

We made a trip to downtown McKinney last week. We took Granny Nell to lunch at a cafe on the square. Our server was part Iranian, part Swedish (wow!) and Samuel's fair skin and blonde hair really caught her eye. He did look particularly cute that day and boy oh boy was he good while we ate.

Tack så mycket, Sam!

That's "thank you very much" in Swedish.

(yeah, I Googled it...)

We Heart McKinney

We'd like to live in McKinney someday. We love the house we live in now, but Brian and I have always wanted to buy a house close to downtown McKinney and fix it up. We love the older homes, the trees, the charm. We took Samuel there for the first time last weekend. We had lunch, walked around the square and stopped for a hot tea at the coffee house. A very sweet couple watched us taking pictures of Sam for a while and then offered to take this one of the three of us together. We think Sam likes McKinney, too.