Family Photo Shoot

My dear friend Tiffany Aicklen is an amazingly gifted photographer. This past summer my family was so blessed to have her come and do an in-home photo shoot. I wanted to brag on her talent and share some (ok...a bunch) of my favorites from our session...

The Play Kitchen

For Christmas this year Tim and I decided to take on the challenge of building Sawyer and Jane a play kitchen. We spent many, many, many cold nights in our garage working on this project. It was a lot of work but we are super proud of the end product. Sawyer is pretty crazy about it too...

Here is our $35 craigslist beauty. Can you see the amazing potential???

The big reveal on Christmas morning...

The play kitchen.

We are thrilled with how it all turned out and LOVE watching Sawyer pretend to be the "cooker." 

Super Sawyer

It is so hard to believe my little dude is three. Seems it was only yesterday...

The party theme was debated for weeks. Sawyer's top three theme choices: Justin Beiber, High School, Super Hero. We opted for Super Hero and went on a Pinterest hunt for great ideas that could be easily copied. The inspiration resulted in some pretty cute decor, if I do say so myself.

Super Silly Sawyer

Cupcakes

I made each kid a cape and the craft was making super hero masks. Cuteness.

Grandma K helping Sawyer with his Super mask. Notice his cute Superman shirt has been replaced by a new Tebow jersey 

(a cool present from Uncle Adam and Aunt Amy). Notice, also, that you will never see the cute Superman shirt for the remainder of the party.

When doing anything of importance, the helmet is required.

Happy 3rd birthday Sawyer. You are the Superest kid I know. 

And we're back...

After a seven month dry spell, I am happy to return to the blogging world.

A brief update on what the Kanallakans have been up to: 

Baby Jane was born June 11th and has added a heaping dose of sweetness to our little family.

Sawyer started part-time preschool and we both agree those six hours each week are priceless.

• Sawyer potty trained. Worst week ever. SO worth it. 
• Sawyer turned the big 0-3 (picts of the party coming soon...).
• Tim and I conferenced it up this past Fall with the "Home for Good" Adoption conference followed shortly after with the "Cleansing Streams" deliverance conference. Both were life changing and I guarantee there will be postings on each event.
• I discovered Pinterest. I am well aware that this discovery is being equated to the birth of a child. 

I'm sure there is lots more but thats all I can think of now as Cars 2 plays on the tube and Janie is fighting her much-needed morning nap. 

The big question now is what to post on first...I vote for Sawyer's 3rd Birthday party. 

Almost Finished...

Here are some updated photos of our baby Jane's nursery. It has been such fun watching it all come together these past few months! We still have a few things to hang on the walls but I am so happy with how it has all turned out so far...

The picture to the left hung in my Grandma Kay's room when she was a young girl.
Original frame and everything! 

The hand-,made brown/coral Moses basket (under the window) was an amazing gift from
 my super talented Mother-in-law. 

We had two of my Grandma Betty's sketches matted and framed.
Both have her signature and are dated 1941. LOVE.

The hanging dress was another gift from my Mom-in-law.  It is made of fabrics that match Jane's bedding. I can't wait to  watch Jane twirl in her beautiful, handmade outfit!

We can't wait to meet our little girl and further complete our little family!

Nursery Projects: Heirloom Artwork

My dad's mother, Betty, spent a year or so in Design School, back when she was about 19 years old (between 1939 and 1940). After she passed away, we found a box of dozens of her beautiful sketches, tracings, and newspaper clippings of her favorite clothing designs. I have always been a fan of vintage anything and for most of my high school years, my bedroom walls were decorated with her sketches. 

As we have been planning and designing Jane's nursery, in the back of my mind has been 4-5 sketches my grandmother did of little girl clothing. Though it had been years since I had actually seen them, I could still picture them.  A few weekends ago I was able to get to my parents house and go through the box of grandma's artwork. I was THRILLED to find the little girl sketches and even more excited that they were even cuter then I remembered. 

 I can not wait to get the art matted and framed for Jane's nursery. These pieces are such a gift from my Grandma.