CHRISTMAS TREE

This year we drove up a windy road into the Santa Cruz Mountains to a christmas tree farm and cut our own tree down!

 Aubrey took this photo of me.

CHRISTMAS MINI SHOOT

Just setting up for my Christmas Mini Shoot tomorrow and I got some more practice photos out of the girls yesterday.

GINGERBREAD OPEN HOUSE

Yesterday we went to the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco for their Gingerbread Open House and to see Santa. The gingerbread house was massive! They served us hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies while we waited in line for Santa.

It was a small miracle that both Aubrey and Harper sat on Santa's lap and were happy!

Last year was the first year Aubrey would even go near Santa and we weren't sure what Harper would think. She wanted to stay on his lap all day! She liked pulling on his beard and then just looked back at him as we pulled her off his lap. 

 There was a little corner and write letters to Santa.

Then we headed down to Pier 35 to check out the Etsy Indie Holiday Emporium. There were 180 Etsy vendors there and about 40K+ people! It was crazy busy and we learned pretty quickly that it wasn't going to work with a stroller and a child who didn't want to be there. Jared took the kids to Pier 39 and watched a magic show and watched the sea lions until I was done.

I only bought some air plants and a hanging air plant holder.

SATURDAY OUTING

It's been a very long time since Jared has had a Saturday off - and he might be getting them off now!

Yesterday after a birthday party we went to one of my favorite parks for a little walk.

I had been here at least 6 times in the last week for photo shoots and hadn't ventured very far from my favorite spots near the parking lot so I really wanted to walk the trails a little more to see what I might be missing out on. We did a little loop and played at the playground - we will have to go back to walk the rest of it.

 This is an Acorn Woodpecker. They were all over this park. They peck out holes and then fill them with acorns to store. The trees were just riddled with acorns!

 

Harper's first time on a swing!

 

Aubrey's first time as a big kid in a baby swing.

 ...and she loved it.

 This park is an Oak Grove an is just so pretty!

 Then Harper fell asleep in the car and we went for a drive and checked some other locations/parks out. We found this little patch of nature surrounded by houses. This little hill with a big tree at the top.

It was picture perfect.

8 MONTHS

Harper turned 8 months old last Tuesday.

I've been so busy taking everyone else photos, but I managed to sneak her in for some photos yesterday, making her my third for the day!

 

 I found this lace dress at an estate sale last month.

 Who doesn't love bear baby bums. She might hate me for this one later!

OUR FAMILY PHOTOS

It's been a while since we've had someone take our family photos, without a friend using my camera or a just a tripod. But we did it, it was challenging and I'm glad it's over!