Happy Birthday, Medge!

It's a unanimous fact that Mom is the heart of the Soares family. She's our hero. Whether it's faithfully stalking my blog, happily sewing a rouge button on Becky's favorite sweater or making sure my Dad's nutty schedule (always on "Bruce Soares Time") stays in check, Medge is first and foremost there for all of us. She never fails to mark the important, and not-so-important, events in our lives with fun e-cards or touching hand-written notes. And Mom's always infamously falling for crazy infomercials or buying the latest products from Hammacher Schlemmer to "make our lives easier" or just give us a laugh. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we couldn't even function without the daily love and support that Medge gives us.

Last Saturday was Mom's birthday, and we all got together in Madison to celebrate with cake and ice cream, way too much Mexican food and, per the tradition of most occasions that Medge, Becky and I are together, shopping! Without a doubt, it was the highlight of my week.

Gold Stars for last week go to:

*A good year for Medge: I love you! I hope you enjoyed your birthday weekend and I already can't wait to see you again in July.

*No More Teachers, No More Books: Mike's officially finished with all of his work for Kellogg. Now all that's left are a few fun and frivolous outings and graduation coming up in a few weeks! The mood in our house has already shifted from tense and frantic to much more relaxed and happy. LOVING IT!

*Kale Chips: I know, sounds gross. But I came across this fun way to prepare this super food in Real Simple a few months ago and finally got around to trying the recipe last week. And now I am hooked. All of the crunch and saltiness I crave from bad-for-me chips and loads of nutritious goodness. Mike's not sold, but oh well...more for me!

Liam and Ewan

In 85% of my photo shoots, it's amazing what the promise of a yogurt pretzel can get me. Smiles and hugs and sitting nicely with mom and dad or brother and sister. And, for sure, there was no shortage of treats given to my new little friend, Liam, last Thursday. But Liam was a great sport and truly loved cuddling with his little brother, Ewan. It took very little incentive for him to snuggle up. I just couldn't get enough of these two brothers and their big brown eyes. Thanks for having me over, Meghan!

Beau, Gianna, John Paul and Gabriella

Mike and I had a blast spending a sunny, warm, gorgeous morning with one of our favorite foursomes last Sunday morning. Beau, Gianna, John Paul and Gabriella were on their best behavior, giving us their best smiles in front of the Chicago skyline, then splashing around on the beach. It was great seeing you all again, Andrea and Robbie!

Introducing Evyn

When Mike and I first met Ali and Jason back in January, we snapped this photo:



We were beyond thrilled to snap this photo when we saw them again last Saturday afternoon:


It's the most fulfilling part of my job, to watch my families grow. To be a part of emotional, sentimental times in their lives and capture sweet, intimate moments for them to look back on forever. We couldn't be happier for Ali and Jason and their beautiful baby girl, Evyn. How could you not just fall head-over-heals in love with this darling baby? Congratulations again, you guys!