Cheap Pics

Earlier this spring, I got an email with a bunch of coupons and discounts to local shops & restaurants and other activities around the area. Sort of similar to 'Groupon' I suppose... but regardless, there have been numerous times I've taken a peek within similar emails in the past and found really good deals, so like most times, I clicked on the email just to see what was out there. 







After scanning through most of the deals... I suddenly stopped on one in particular.  It was for a thirty-minute photo session outdoors in Temecula at this really pretty and well-known man-made waterfall and pond. We had already spent a bunch of money on Jack's newborn pictures only a few months ago... not to mention I had no clue as to who the photographer was or did any research on any of his previous work... but it was super cheap and seemed like a good deal, so I reluctantly clicked open the link to the coupon and purchased a photo session and crossed my fingers! 

I knew it didn't make too much sense to take more family pictures only a few months after taking so many after Jack was born... so I decided to delay our newly purchased photo session for a while, and schedule it as close as possible to Jack's 6-month birthday. And as luck would have it, the photographer had an opening for us the Sunday before we all left to go to Mexico earlier this summer... a whole seven days before Jack turned 6-months-old.




Jei managed to get everyone dressed appropriately, color coordinated, and looking super cute on the day of the shoot... and then we headed down to Temecula not really sure what to expect. But much to our delight, our photographer was really nice, easy to work with, super patient, and great with Allen & Jack. It was only a 30 minute shoot... so time flew by and before we knew it was time to say goodbye. We knew we had some pretty good shots as the photog would get really excited after a good one and would show us the picture on the camera as if he was showing us pictures of his own kids, but... for the small amount of time we had and how cheap the session was, we were very pleased with how our new family pics turned out.

Random Cuteness (part 22)

Still have a ton of pics to share from earlier this spring...

so enjoy all the random cuteness!

When we told Allen to go find the beer isle...

much to our surprise, he knew exactly where it was!

Certainly not tall enough or even strong enough to be using his walker yet... but it keeps him entertained when nothing else will work... and of course he enjoys pretending to be a big boy and stand.

Allen's getting to that stage where he enjoys

building forts and being silly in them!

Jack was being a pain in the rear one afternoon...

so we threatened to send him to his Moe-Joe's house!

Of course once Allen overheard, "ship you to Moe-Joe's house,"

he found the perfect box and climbed right in!

"Send me! Send me! I'll go!!!"

With both boys sound asleep, Jei had no excuse 

not to let Ming climb up and snuggle with her.

Jei was apparently bored and playing with her old phone's camera...

when she came up with these two silly shots! 

That's one dirty baby getting washed...

and one very serious actor on TV!

Oh how Momma was proud when out of all the hats,

Allen picked out the country-western one!

I don't know... that sure does

look like a mischievous little grin to me!

Momma Soch's birthday!!! Jei baked a beautiful cake,

Allen gave her some lovings, and a party ensued! 

I definitely saw a lot of me in Allen...

but not so much in Jack... besides the eyebrows of course.

Doesn't look all that comfy... but when you're tired,

pretty much anything and anywhere will do.

I'm a little biased of course... but my ole Lady

sure did give me a couple of the cutest boys ever!

Me & Jack watching a little TV together.

The Marble Game King!!!

At home or out for a little dinner...

Momma always has her hands full!

A comfy seat and some cartoons on... all Jack needs

is something to munch on and a bottle and he's got it made!

For my birthday, my boys took me out
for a delicious burger at Islands!



Trying to resist nibbling on those sweet cheeks

has proven to be quite the impossible task.



Sometimes Mommy provides the best seat in the house!

"Seriously??? Not one of you wants
to sit by me and watch TV together?"

That is one big sad pouty lookin bottom lip if I've ever seen one!

Can't imagine what that little guy is dreaming about?! 

So if Jack doesn't take after me...

then he must take after his Mom, right???

Allen's train track he built was well-designed...

but Jack certainly had his doubts!

A Krispy Kreme fan for sure...

an Etheridge he must definitely be!

Just a couple of tough dudes hanging out on the couch...

and taking a gratuitous selfie together.

Jei & Jack... in deep conversation

about just how many cousins they really have.

Judging by these next few pics... you'd probably think, A. we're horrible parents leaving a baby on a sofa all alone, and B. we don't care to be around Jack all that much! But I can assure you, none of those are true!!! (Jack as yet to tumble off the couch believe it or not... whereas Allen at this age, had already fallen off more than once... which may or may not explain a lot of things!)

And here... Allen was left in charge of Jack,

which as you can see, he was doing a great job!

I can't say we were all that surprised about Jack throwing an absolute fit... when Allen and I finished all the doughnuts and didn't leave any for Jack! I'm pretty sure I would've cried too!

"Wela... have I ever told you how pretty you are?" 

When Momma needs help in the kitchen... Allen is always eager to help. And by eager to help, I mean scarf down an entire bag of chips while he watches his Mom cook dinner!

"Uhhh... you mind? I'm in the middle of lovin' on my Momma here!"

Jack doesn't care for his bouncy chair all that much, so you know he must have been exhausted if he fell asleep in it... chubby red cheeks and all!

Allen & Jack... both at around the same age. Never did think they looked all that similar, until I saw them side by side.

For Mother's Day, Jei took her boys up to L.A.

to visit Grandma and Great Grandma...

 And of course to go out and enjoy a good meal with everyone.

Jei ordered a cup of tea for herself...

and one for Allen, hoping he would like it.

You would've thought he was British! He held the cup perfectly

and drank the whole thing. I'd say he enjoyed it very much.

A few of the most beautiful, kindest, and loving mothers I know!

Hard to believe it was only just a few months ago

when our little fella seemed so small...

And now we are almost overwhelmed by how much he has grown and just how big & chunky he is! Such a completely different little person than Allen was.

"No seriously... is something on my head?

I swear I feel something on top of my head!"

Can't say we're much of a morning family... but when you get to sleep in and snuggle with two silly and cute little boys, it's impossible not to wake up with an ear to ear smile!