Jaw-Dropping Fun!

Besides cleaning up the yard, I also had 2 photo sessions and a family get-together.

Photo Session #1. Happy 1st Little E! You are a beauty! I can't wait to get to get to know you and your mommy more through the Mom's Club!

Photo Session #2 - Engagement. It was really nice to break away from children for a little while. This beautiful couple is getting married next month. What a joy to work with! You two are amazing! Thank you for the break and thank you for your service in your jobs. Congrats!

There are more where these came from. These are just my favorites! The rest will have to be a surprise!

...and the family get-together. I told you jaw-dropping! This is my bro-in-law holding his birthday present from his wife. I've never seen a man so happy to get a skirt...I mean...a...kilt:) You look great, Chad! Happy Birthday!

A New Pet

Saturday was a beautiful day spent mostly outside cleaning up the yard before we move. Scott caught a Praying Mantis for Jonah and it has been so much fun to have around. We will go and catch a cricket and it will eat the whole thing in no time flat.

dedicated to the one I love...

Scott

Husband, #1 Daddy, Friend

Smart, Funny, Handsome, Hard Worker

Loves the Lord!

Happy Birthday!

We love you!

Stiller

Closing date for the house is now September 5th!

True Beauty

Dana's Children's Expo

Congratulations to Stephanie Hill (the Usbourne lady)!

You won a free 30 minute session! Call me!

Last night I had the privilege to spend the evening with some wonderful women at Dana's Daycare (http://danasdarlingsdaycare.com/). She held an expo with the following vendors:

Mary Kay - Sonja - sraez@marykay.com - www.marykay.com/sraez

Coupon Sense - Cheryl - cdpedro@msn.com (I will be doing this.)

Noah's Ark - Dana

Story Time Felts - Awnya - http://www.time4felt.com/

Usbourne Books - Stephanie - stephaniesantrizos@hotmail.com

Discovery Toys - Shelley - damronmom@msn.com - http://www.discoverytoymom.com/

It was such a pleasure to meet everyone there. Thanks! Thank you, Dana! What a great idea!

Dana - I'll be posting some pictures from today (the zoo) sometime next week. The boys loved it!

Where's Paula?

It's been another crazy week in the Stiller family. Last weekend, I did a maternity shoot as a present and then stayed for a baby shower. What a wonderful bunch of women! I'll get those pictures on as soon as my screen goes back to normal. AHHH!

Trinity can now stand by herself and has gotten her 2nd tooth. Simon seems to have calmed down a little bit. I see the world of difference in him by spending one on one time. It must be his love language. I have a cute story about Jonah. I'll have to put his picture up to go with it later.

Yesterday we went to the playground. I caught a bright yellow moth and gave it to Jonah to play with. He was playing and playing with it and named it Mothy. It was time to go and Jonah went to go put on his shoes. He set down Mothy and Mothy flew away. Jonah burst into tears and cried all the way home while I tried to console him saying it was probably lunch time and his mommy was calling him to go eat. This didn't work much so I suggested that he draw a picture to remember Mothy. He drew Mothy and then he drew himself with a big smile on his face. Slowly his eyes started to fill with water as he crooned, "and this was me when I was happy."

Date with Jonah

Jonah and I went and spent some time together at the park. He has been just cracking me up lately with what he says and does. He likes to laugh really hard and loud. He likes to play computer games and has a super spy gadget that does everything. Here he is a couple days ago when he was working on his letters (super spy gadget in pocket.) Is he not adorable? He's definately Scott's son...heehee! I think I'll keep him.

(click to view his letters and some words he wanted to learn so that he can play boggle with mommy and daddy)

I DON'T WANNA BE A MAN!

After clipping on his little tie and buttoning up his vest, I sighed with delight at my little man. "Look at you, little man!" I cheerfully exclaimed. He looked up at me sheepishly with his bright blue eyes and long eyelashes and replied, "I don't wanna be a man, Mommy!"

Nonetheless, he did great getting his pictures taken tonight. He loved the flowers and used them like a sword. Whatever works, right?

Time is flying...

We must be having fun...heehee! Scott got home Friday and said, "Is it Friday already?" We lost track of the week. I stuck my foot in my mouth mocking the monsoon because we got rain about every night for 2 weeks! Everything is green and beautiful. There is this big purple bush in our front yard so I had to take Trin out and snap some pics. She loves being outside and cries when we come in. I'm going to try to get Jonah and Simon out this week for some 1 on 1 time and maybe get some pics with the bushes also!

Blessings!

We had such a great weekend! Scott passed his test Saturday morning! Then Dave and Nancy came and watched the kiddos while Scott and I actually went on a date! We saw Spider-Man 3 at the IMAX. As Scott said, "It not only had great action, but a good story line too." That's what we like.

Just some snapshots from the weekend.

Live with Regis and Kelly

Check out Mandisa on Live! today:
http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/regisandkelly/special/liveperformances/mandisa.html
You can also download "True Beauty" for free. This is another incredible song with inspiring lyrics and a good beat! Way to go, Mandisa!

Daddy's Hands

This is the same picture below, just retouched. It's one of those pictures you know is special when the camera clicks.

Feeling Bubbly

Feeling Bubbly
Originally uploaded by paulastiller.

Christmas In July!

Merry Christmas! I got together with a good friend this morning and am feeling rather jolly today so I would like to have some fun!

Anybody who calls or e-mails me today to book their Christmas Pictures gets $25 off their session fee. That's $100 for a session plus cd of all pictures!

Also, since I love Christmas and what it means, I will be giving away a free mini session (1/2 hour) with cd. Just e-mail me(stillhere821@msn.com) someone in Maricopa you think deserves it and why. You cannot nominate yourself and it cannot be anyone who had a session this year.

Spread the word!

Wishin' and Fishin'

If there were no other reasons (though we know there are as many as the stars), this alone would be the value of children: the way they remind you of the comfort of simplicity. Their compelling common sense. Their accessibility and their honesty. Their lack of pretense. ~Elizabeth Berg

only the world by Mandisa

Been a hard oneBeen a bad oneBeen a tough oneBeen a sad oneIt's been just one of those daysThat keeps chipping away at my heartNothin' new hereIt's what I do hereIt's a stereotypical day in the lifeI'm surrounded by all of the pain and the strifeBut I know it's alright

'Cause it's only the world I'm living inIt's only today I've been given There ain't no way I'm giving in'Cause it's only the worldI know the best is still yet to come'Cause even when my days in the world are doneThere's gonna be so much more than only the world for me

Anybody, do you hear me?Do you feel me?I mean do you feel me?I know I'm not the only one wearing the weight of this worldWe got problems, said it's alrightJust remember, yeah it's alrightTake a good look aroundWe're just stuck on the ground for a little whileDon't it make you smile

Heaven is a placeWhere the tears on every face will be wiped awayOh and I can't wait to goBut for now, it's enough to knowThis is only temporary

~sometimes i just need a reminder~PS

the monsoon is here!

It sounds pretty terrifying but so far it just means we actually get a little rain every night. I did have to cancel an appointment Saturday morning but it stopped raining in time for me to have some fun with this beautiful family. Thank you, K & S!

Twinkling of an Eye Moments

As I sit here editing some pictures, I am quickly realizing it is not the pictures with the best quality or angle that I am drawn to like. I like the pictures that show the briefest, but deepest, interaction between two. "Miss J" was only a month old in this picture and she would follow her mommy's voice all around the room. I am so glad I captured this moment.

I think it reminds me of my mom. When I called her crying on Monday saying I am not being a good mommy and how hard things were (wah wah wah), she told me, in not these exact words(my mom would never say the first part), to suck it up and that I was the best mommy in world. After I got off the phone, I felt 100% better and just went on with my day. I also received an e-mail later from her to remind me that she is praying for me. That always helps. Thanks Mom!

House Update: The house is painted and the roof is on. We can only see the back of it over a fence as they have our neighborhood blocked off. They also moved our move-in date back a couple weeks, which I don't think is terribly unusual.

At the end of the day...

it's all worth it.

I think God gives 2-year-olds a special insight to adults. They just know how far to push and just when you've had enough, they do something really sweet. Today Simon did just that. He missed his nap so that always makes for an interesting evening. Tonight, after about the tenth time I told him to go back to bed, he asked me to come sleep with him. Being dead tired myself, I decided it wouldn't hurt for a little while. We were laying on the floor, listening to KLOVE (which is always playing on the radio in their room). I was stroking his face trying to get him to relax. Gently, I reached over and kissed him on his forehead. He took my hand in his little hand and kissed it back gently. Then he started stroking my face. It wasn't long before he quietly nodded off to sleep. I had forgotten how unbearable he was earlier and remembered how much I love the little guy.

Out on the Town

Well, yesterday was just "one of those days". It must have been the weather change. We got some rain...yeah! Today we got up early to beat the heat and headed out to the see the train and petting zoo/old water tower, two of our town's main (or rather only) attractions.