HAPPY HOLIDAYS

This is Natalie's Christmas card with her and her parents. She had fun giving these out to her teacher's. Her mommy (like me) is little behind getting these in the mail too.

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

JUST A GLIMPSE OF NATALIE MEETING SANTA

NATALIE IS ACTUALLY POSING WITH SANTA IN THIS ONE...CAN'T YOU TELL? This is sending her wish list to the north pole...notice the snow flying out?

This is my favorite. She is seriously telling him what she wants . This is a really good "Santa"...if he isn't enjoying listening to her as much as we are enjoying watching this special moment in Natalie's life then he is a great actor.

Randy and I took off two days to Baton Rouge to Christmas shop and to see Natalie see Santa the first time this year. It was such a great experience to share this with with. We also went to Build-A-Bear. I have many images to go through, but only a few from the flash drive so this was quick simple way for me to show of few now. I will have to do some serious catching up after the holidays, but this gives you a glimpse into our special time with Natalie on Friday (after and during holiday shopping).

Natalie Made Santa's Nice List...

I hope this works...

http://family.go.com/santas-list/video/56358-mimi2natalie/

This is a video that I created for Natalie with DisneyFamily.com. If it does work, there is place for you to create one for you child too! I think it's adorable.

~~jami~~

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY with a link

http://ainsworthremembering.blogspot.com/2008/12/way-back-whenesday.html

HAPPY THANKSGIVING & HAPPY SHOPPING!

THANKSGIVNG 2007 This is Natalie's 3rd Thanksgiving. This one and the one before they had lunch at Brittany's Aunt house (the one who lives in Monroe). Then they came to my grandmother's where we had lunch. When she first arrived she was shy. She had been asleep. The first few images are of GiGi playing with her and getting her to warm up to everyone.

I didn't blog this time last year, but I did record events through photographs. I just didn't have time to post them...I still don't, but I am choosing just a few and keeping it simple.

The annual shopping trip...

I guess her nose was itching, but I wanted to include the full length view of her looking at the toys on the shelf at Target.

Even Natalie seems to like to shop the sales the day after Thanksgiving.

So Happy Thanksgivng to everyone and Happy Shopping tomorrow!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

TOO-CUTE-TUESDAY...

TWO YEARS AGO...

EDITED TO ADD THIS:

Each time I look at this again, I keep thinking how she looks like a baby doll in this image. It actually reminds me of the my twinns TODDLER DOLL. EDITTED: I clicked the link and it took me to the regular My Twinn site. There is a section for My Twin todders...this is what I wanted you to compare...so browse around and see if you find the toddler dolls...you'll see what I mean if you do.

A while back I actually went through the steps to create Natalie a My Twinn Todder doll, but at the time they were sold out of the face shape/eye color combo that matched her. So I don't guess she'll be getting one for Christmas since it take a few months to get one since they are custom made.

If you look at these images (using the link), you must agree that her face (especially #152 & 153) does look like one of the toddlers dolls there...which stand to reason...since she was a toddler there 16.5 months old.

Natalie's World has changed tremendously over the last two years ago, but one thing that hasn't changed is that she is just TOO CUTE!

These were photographed December 12, 2006.

I've seen Not-Me-Monday, Way-Back-Wednesday, Wordless-Wednesday...I am sure there are more, but this is my spin on this. I am bit overwhelmed...quite normal for the time of the year. I know I was two years ago too...which is why I didn't have as many images of Natalie during her toddling years as I have now...starting her blog last year really made me self-conscious of documenting the little things. I still don't have any more time and I really don't have time to record all the thoughts that go with the images as I post them, but I am trying.

So enjoy Too-Cute-Tuesday...though it is almost over as I post this...again better late than never!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

Just a little tidbit for now--THE NUTCRAKER

NATALIE'S FIRST BALLET EXPERIENCE

ALEXA AS SNOW QUEEN WITH NATALIE I posted more of my thoughts on this last night on Worth Remembering if you want to read it, but I wanted to add this photo of Natalie and Alexa from last night at the Nutcracker. I didn't have tons of great images but I do have a few that I want to share later, but I just wanted to add a little tidbit of our experience from last night. This is a shy looking image of Natalie, but rest assured, this little girl was not shy at all and she really loved her first experience of the ballet the Nutcracker.

Another one of the many little "firsts" in Natalie's life!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!

I have a few photos from our little b'day celebration with Natalie, her mommy and of course, her daddy from this past Sunday. But they are not accessible at this time. I should have posted this yesterday. His birthday was actually yesterday, but what a crazy day I had. I will elaborate more on WORTH REMEMBERING since I don't really want to rob Natalie's blog.

Worth Remember is suppose to be more of my thoughts and such. I have so much that I want to post here and there, but this is my crazy time of the year. But this year I am determined to maintain the blogs during the holidays. I went from I early October to February w/o any new posts. Life gets crazy...that's for sure...especially for me and my family during this time of year, but I am determined to keep it going this year. I was hoping to go back and post images from last year...even though I didn't post them....we still did stuff and I still photographed the moments in our life. So if nothing happens to my external hard drives, I have those memories forever. Maybe one day I can document them w/the stories behind them. But for now this is my best.

Being a part of Natalie's World is so special just as being it has been to have been a part of her daddy's world the last 20 years. But being such an intricate part of their worlds often doesn't leave much time for documenting it all. I just praise God that He has shared them with me.

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

Mimi's Portrait Promotion...

I just wanted to add this again since I have made several new posts. Also to remind you that are interested, that doesn't have to be Christmas. It could be simple, classic baby/child portraits.

As I was adding my "labels" I realized I was posting this on Natalie's World rather than Jami Ainsworth Portraits. So I think I will keep it here as an ad. Chick on Jami Ainsowrth Portraits here to be redirected for more info.

"Natalie's Mimi"

FALL CLOTHES

NATALIE TRYING ON HER BRIGHT NEW FALL CLOTHES The end of last week Brittany mentioned that Natalie needed some more fall clothes. So since I love shopping for her, I bought her two outfits that will mix and match at Belk when I was shopping Saturday. Since I don't get to see her as much wearing all of her cute clothes, we had a mini portrait session while trying them on to see if fit. This bright colorful outfit fits her personality to a Tee. [By the way, she insisted that she needed a prop. So we used the small bear so that her clothes could still be viewed.]

I posted this a last night and gave more information on this than I have time for now, but I do want to post them now since I should get another opportunity this weekend to photograph her again since Cameron asked me to keep her so that he and Brittany can go to the big LSU game this weekend. How could I say no to this beautiful face?

The other outfit in this line that should mix and match! I love buying mix and match sets for her!

Silly Girl...

Then we tried on some 'almost' new Gymboree clothes from the Girl Detective line from last year. She wore two sizes last winter. Gymboree runs big on her so she wore 18-24 months and also 2T toward the end of winter. I have sold most of the 18-24 months on ebay. Gymboree sells much better on ebay than a yard sale! So these are the 2Ts of this line that we have left and I wasn't sure if they would fit. She may not wear them all winter, but they do fit her now.

I guess I made her laugh again!

Same leggings, but with the little dress!

with a different top (same leggings)

A different prop, same top with knickers--actually TCP not Gymboree, but matched great

Being silly again...same top, but the matching jeans...I think it actually matches the other top better, but I knew I was losing her attention so I didn't do that combo!

The jacket that goes with this line...

She loved wearing this jacket last winter with the cute little ears. She still seem smitten with them.

At least now I will remember her in these cute clothes!

That's it for now.

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

MISSED THIS ONE

This image doesn't seem to make sense alone. View the next post. I missed this image. This is Randy trying to get the horses to follow him to the fence so that Natalie could pet them.

An Afternoon in the Country

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

11.02.08

Sunday afternoon was such a nice pretty day thus I wanted to do something outside with Natalie. [I will give a more detailed written account of this on my personal blog and this I will add the link.] The above image is how we finished our afternoon.

Randy suggested we go alligator hunting!
Yes, he was serious. Of course, he is thinking about the type of Alligators we found in the bayou when we did Jonah's Portrait Session. He said that if you use a spinner bait they will follow it...now I am totally unaware the term 'spinner bait', but I did want Natalie to experience the same thing Jonah did...that is viewing a young (sort of small...not like the one we recently encountered in our yard...which reminded me to never let Natalie play outside alone!) alligator in it's natural habit.


So this is the two of them looking for alligators!
We are on a little bridge that built the summer we moved here (I think that was when) that go over the bayou near our home. On the other side is Enterkin Road. If you are familiar with this country, you are aware of this area.

I couldn't resist this image of Natalie. You can even see her eyelashes through her hair!
If you follow my portrait blog, you know I have this thing for close-up of children and babies that show off their beautiful long eyelashes. Natalie has eyelashes like her Aunt Cari [long, thick and dark in color...though Cari is not found of hers because they hard to control...I guess because they are so thick...she has a hard time curling them up with mascara brush...I have thin, blond eyelashes...probably why I adore theirs so much, but also the same reason I don't know what to tell Cari to do to manage hers. So if any of you have any hints of how to curl those kind of eyelashes, let me know so that I can tell Cari. She does use an eyelash curler sometimes...it helps, but she stays frustrated with her eyelashes. And I think she is blessed to have eyelashes that show up w/o mascara! Man, did I get off subject!]

Of course, I don't want to miss a photo opt with my little sweetheart. So I asked her to get on the 4-wheeler so that I can take a few while Randy is trying to find some alligators. As you can see she wasn't too happy about this!

But I love that I can act silly and easily change her mood!

Isn't this a sweet one?

I noticed all the fall colors when I took these. So I had to take a few more. The lighting was so pretty this time (late afternoon and the first day of the new time...FALL 'fall back'). So I added a little extra punch in photo shop on these to bring out all the subtle colors that otherwise might go unnoticed.

Not the sharpest image of this set, but I loved the brilliant colors even before PS and how much more so after the punch was added! This a fake smile, but I still love it...the message behind it "I am cooperating even though I would rather be other with Poppa looking for the alligator!"

Natalie wants her turn. Now Randy and I know that she doesn't have much of a chance of find anything with that fishing pole especially if he couldn't, but we always loved for our children as well as Natalie to experience new things like this. It builds their confidence. [I am proud to say I have two very confident children to prove it pays off!]

Her attempt...notice that look of concentration!

So we decided we would ride through the woods to find deer, but I knew we would probably see an amadilla instead...at least that's what we used to see when we would ride into the woods looking for deer. On the way we drove past the cotton fields that were recently cut down. Notice all the white on the ground. After they cut them, it almost looked like snow on the ground. It was quite a different cotton harvest this year...I didn't even get a cotton portrait of Natalie. Gustav damage so much of the cotton crops. It is the worst that we have seen in our lifetime and we've heard the same thing from others older than us. It has been the strangest cotton season for Randy. He has never had a ginning season where he didn't gin 7 days a week 24 hours a day...at least for a little while, but not at all this year. It is a little scary as to what it will mean for us financially and for Christmas...which should be much slimmer this year. Thankfully, Natalie is at an age that she gets excited over anything and everything. I love it! I wished it would last forever. I have realized through her eyes that is what Jesus meant when He said to come as little children. It is so sad that as we get older we lose it. I pray that God helps me find it through her eyes and never lose it!

FRESHLY CUT COTTON FIELD

The Four-Wheeler Rode in the Woods of Frogmore Hunting Club

As you can see not much to photograph. Cari said I should have at least pointed out some birds and photographed them to say that we found something. These woods used to be known for great deer hunting, but more recently Randy seems to think the bears have ran the deer out. He photographs most bears on his wildlife camera that is set up in the woods. Last year he photographed a momma bear and her two cubs. They fell asleep in the corn (after eating it) that was put out for the deer! It was quite cute! But Randy isn't too pleased since he hasn't harvested a nice deer in several years!

Natalie noticed our shadow!

She's sitting in the front, Randy in the middle and me on the back. They are waving at their shadow. Oh...by the way, it is very hard to photograph anything while riding on the back of a 4-wheeler!

I forgot to photograph this when we were entering the woods so I did as we were leaving.

FROGMORE HUNTING CLUB ENTRANCE

ON THE WAY TO THE BARN

Our next idea was to let Natalie pet the horses. I hated to go do that without treats. We have carrots and a cucumber that was almost spoiled. Randy laughted at me about the cucumber, but it is similiar to grass...so why not! By the way, Fancy (the blonde horse, the Palimino) enjoyed the cucumber!

I just realized that I missed an image in this sequence. We had not visited the horses in such while. (Wd did used to ride...I was planning to give that story, but I have gotten so long winded on everything else that I will save that for another day or when I post on my blog.) Randy had to go get into the fence and they finally followed him...that's the image I am missing.

NATALIE: I want to feed them too!

Mimi and Natalie feeding the horses...I mean stopping for Poppa to take our pic!

I am not crazy about how look in these image...no make, bad hair, but I am glad that Randy thought to take this one of us. We can't always look our best, huh?

Okay, this time we are feeding the horses!

I used a small memory card. So for a change I do not have tons of images...which is kind of nice...not so many to go through..I do have such a problem of narrowing my own images down to my favs. I want to remember it all!

This is another one of those posts that proves that it doesn't require that much to have fun and make memories with a 3-year old!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~