Category Archives: Our Everyday

July flew by. It’s hard to believe the summer is almost over. Sometimes I think I should be checking off a summer Pinterest list but looking at those is way too overwhelming.  I have enjoyed this summer so much – trips to the beach, time at the pool (with Owen really learning how to swim) we went to Ohio, and a quick trip to the mountains. Whew. I really didn’t stop to think about how much traveling we were going to be doing this summer, but it’s been a lot of fun.

Raleigh Family Child Photographer NC | Rebecca Keller Photography

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1. True love is shopping for the school supply list. Michael surprised me by taking Owen to get most of the things and on the list, and wow, made my day.

2. Harrison does not like ice cream. (Not at all.) And I am still totally surprised by this. We finally figured out that he just wants the cone, and it makes him perfectly happy.

3. Kindergarten will be here before I know it. I know I’ll cry – I just know it, but he is going to love it so much, and it will be so great for him.

4. Next year buy school clothes as soon as the summer sales start in July. If you wait until the end of July/early August, everything is long sleeves,  sweaters and long pants.

5. They now have starbucks at some of the stops on the way to Ohio. YAY!

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Rebecca Keller is a family photographer in Raleigh, N.C. featured in People Magazine and on several blogs including Lemonade and Lenses and Let the Kids Dress Themselves.

This month has definitely felt like summer – 104 degrees temperatures (I did not want to even go outside!) It’s been nice the past week or two to have cooler temperatures. We got a great report from the doctor last week about Owen’s collarbone so he is now allowed to swim, jump, and climb – YAY!

What I learned this month…

1. Harrison pretty much hates the pool except when he is on his swan. It’s the funniest thing. He has the death grip on me in the water, even with a puddle jumper, but when he is on his swan, all is right in the world. (See one more Mimi was photoshopped out of here)

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2. Motivation is everything when it comes to swimming. Owen has not been an under water swimmer..just a little bit here and there last summer. Since he couldn’t swim for several weeks, due to his collarbone, the first few days were super exciting. His first trip to the pool we ran into a friend with a three year old swimming underwater. Two days later, Owen is swimming underwater and going down the big slide at the pool.

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3.Going to the Disney store on your birthday is like being a celebrity for a day. They put a button on you and the music comes on, your name is on the screen..he loved it so much, I may have teared up a little.

4.Books I read this month – I love reading both fiction and non fiction, but tend to make more time for non fiction. I can’t remember where I saw the recommendation, but picked up, Dear Mr. Knightley and reallly loved reading this book. I think I finished it in a few hours. (You can see reviews here) Reading is so important to me, but can be so super hard to squeeze in sometimes. I am also just finishing up Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring. What a great book and encouragement to me as a Mama.

5.If you go to the Durham Bulls, third base is the best spot to sit. Michael had an event planned, and I’ll be honest, I was dreading going. It was one of those a thousand degree days, and I think anytime I’ve been to a baseball game, we end up in the hot sun. Third base is perfect – no sun, and it was so much fun! The boys were so cute with their baseball hats and baseballs.

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6.I will not be going in the ocean ever again past my toes. I have ALWAYS, I mean always been scared of the ocean…and well, have never really liked water that much. (My mom has fond memories of me screaming all the way through It’s a Small World and burying my head in my blanket) Even during Coastal Sessions, I barely get ankle deep and then run back out. (I know, #wimp) I’m always the one yelling come back in, come back in, and when Michael tries to go out deep, I just can’t watch and have to leave the beach.

7.You can somehow get something stuck in your foot with closed toe shoes on. I try to wear better shoes to sessions so I’m not scraping up my feet, etc. I have no clue how this happened but there is something in my foot and I just did online urgent care check in as I am typing this.

 

Um, how is it already May? I really can’t believe it. April just flew by, and the “April Showers bring May Flowers” saying was so true this month. (And it’s still pouring as I’m typing this.) I can’t believe all the rescheduling and moving around we’ve had to do with the rain. It even rained at the very end of our Limited Edition Client Event.  And if you missed this client event, we will be having another one soon! Make sure you’re on the e-mail list so you are up to date on all of the fun events coming soon!

Wake Forest Cary Newborn Photography | Rebecca Keller Photography

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One of my goals for April included working in the garden. And this year, I’ve had such a big helper. He really wanted a watering can and had so much fun running back and forth to get water to help me while we planted. We have gotten a little bit done, but we still need to work on our pots. I planted these Iris bulbs several years ago when I wanted to have at least one thing blooming in our yard at all times. You can see the peonies right in front of my Irises will be blooming soon, and then it will be hydrangea season (yay! my favorite!) The purple Irises are called Queen Dorothy, and why I ordered them. My grandma Dorothy (this post is mostly about her) was a gardener and just loved plants. I loved that her sunroom was just full of plants at all times.

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I love gardening. If you have seen our yard, you know that it is super small so not a lot of room for flowers, but I manage to cram a few in. One year I managed to plant 200 tulip bulbs. I have no idea where I put all of them, but they were gorgeous in the spring. One year I was digging and a ton of baby snakes just ran out of one of the bushes (scary!) so now I am a little bit more terrified when I’m outside planting.

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This book has been by far one of the best gifts I’ve ever been given. When I was ten years old, my grandmother passed away on Christmas Day. (Harrison being born on this day is just so special to me.) Even though I was ten, I still have such dear memories with her. I know how deeply I was loved by her – so many memories of her taking us to feed the ducks, the Moravian love feast on Christmas Eve, Sunday lunches at her house, listening to her record player, all kinds of yummy Christmas food, her and Paw Paw singing hymns in the car…I was blessed that she lived only a few minutes away, and when she was sick, my dad took my brother and I to see her every morning before school. That year I was really into wearing hats to school. Not just any hats, like super fancy dress up hats that you would buy in the accessory section at Belks. My grandmother bought me a few that year, and I wore them every single day to school.

When I got married, I got this gift – something she had made for me when she was sick. A collection of all of her recipes, whether hand written or articles from newspapers. There was no google then, and she wanted to make sure I had all the information I needed to be able to cook..not just any recipes, but her recipes. (yes, I’m crying as I’m typing) Sine she wouldn’t be here to teach me, she knew I would have them.The love and thought that was put into this book is such a treasure. There are some funny newspaper articles, some recipes a friend had scribbled down at a party and given to her, and ones written in her own handwriting. I feel so blessed to have these and that she loved me enough to take the time to compile them.

Goals for May:

1. Bake three or more of Grandma’s recipes for my boys.

2. Plan and schedule more date nights. I loved that we got an evening out in April to go running, see a movie, and dinner.

3. Pick out which books I’m going to read this month. I’m still looking for a great fiction book. If anyone has any recommendations, let me know!

4. Finish article for the Vend Raleigh blog

5. Plant some pretty flowers in our pots in the garden with Owen.

1. Buy a boy a book about bugs and it will keep him busy for hours. (I had no idea he would love a book about bugs so much!)

2. Date nights are essential. It’s so easy to forget that we need time together – just the two of us. We had an unexpected day together, and at first, we didn’t know what to do! We went for a run on the greenway and then caught a movie and dinner.

Image by Kelly Hosch Photography. See the full blog post here.

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3. Keeping a running to do list on my phone has been working better than pen and paper. Ya’ll, I love pen and paper to do lists and have been using them forever, but this month, I finally switched over to using my iphone. It’s been much easier for me to keep track of what’s left to do that day. I still like to write out a to do list at night (I have been doing this since I was 16. And now sometimes I send myself an e-mail) but my phone works great for during the day.

4. Harrison is more and more becoming a daddy’s boy, and I love it. It is so precious. Every time the phone rings, he is screaming, “Dada, DADA!”

5. I really had forgotten how much I love Trader Joe’s. Thanks to my super sweet friend for reminding me how awesome it is. What are your favorite foods at Trader Joe’s? We have been there so much this month, and I’m always looking for new stuff to try!

6. Check to make sure what you have picked up to spray on your child’s clothes is oxi clean and not bleach. (true story)

7. My new favorite sunscreen ever.

Raleigh Apex Newborn Photographer | Rebecca Keller Photography 

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8. Books I finished reading this month – a. Essentialism by Greg McKeown. I really loved this book, especially the chapter about subtracting. I was surprised I was able to get it from the library so quickly, but this is one I’ll probably be buying, too.

b. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. When I was reading the description of this book, it really didn’t sound like anything I thought I’d ever read, but it kept coming up on all these lists as a great book to read this year. I was also like number 50 or so on the list from the library so I figured it would be a while until I got it. I was surprised how quickly I got it from the library, and after reading it in three days, I now know why I got it so quickly. It definitely captures your interest, is easy to read, and I enjoyed this fiction novel!

c.I am still reading The Love Dare. I have really enjoyed this book about marriage and the little task to do everyday. I will definitely be buying this one also!

9. I realllly treasure the mornings I have with my boys once a week at the Museum of Life and Science. Seeing their eyes light up while learning is just precious.

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These two little ones have had so much fun celebrating Easter so far this year. (And I will admit, I love shopping for Easter Bunny supplies and also for stocking stuffers at Christmas – so much fun! And I just might throw some extra chocolate in the cart!) We have been to so many easter egg hunts, and Owen loves having a number of how many he get so he can run as fast as possible to find them – just so cute. Then he takes some time for his brother who just loves to pick one egg up and throw it. We interrupted our afternoon playground time for a few minutes of Easter photos in their adorable shirts from Swanky Shank. Owen had worn his to school for his easter egg hunt that day, and I wanted to get a few photos of them in their super cute shirts. (And then we headed right back out to the playground which is where we spend every evening. SO excited about the weather being warm and being able to be at the park more now!) Also, working out early in the morning and not in the afternoons has opened up so more time to be at the park instead of the gym.

Owen has been reminding me a lot of the real meaning of Easter and that it’s not all about candy, egg hunts, and the Easter Bunny.”He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. ” – Matthew 28:6A. Happy Easter!

Wake Forest Raleigh Child Photography | Rebecca Keller Photography

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Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information about Wake Forest Raleigh Child Photography and travel sessions.