{ saying goodbye to 2010. }

2010.

2010 was a trying year for our family.

April brought the start of a really hard season in my husband's life. Which in turn made it a hard time for me and our girls. It took a long 5 months to have our household feel somewhat normal again.

After 8 years, 2010 brought the start of a new job for Tim. Which in turn brought new friends and a new outlook.



2010 brought Tim and I closer to not only each other but our Heavenly Father.



During this hard road we were so fortunte to find out who our true friends are. We are so blessed to have Christian friends and family who we can call 24 hours a day for support and love.

2010 helped us to appreciate all we have, both the good times and the bad.



2010 marks the first full year I have been doing photography as a way to help our family income. It still amazes me to get paid to do what I simply love.








Inthe summer of 2010 I teamed up with my best friend to start selling baked goods at our local farmers market under the name, "The Mixing Bowl." It's been really fun and something a little different. {especially for Tyra!}

Speaking of Tyra, in 2010, she took me on my first airplane ride ever to San Fransisco. I still have tons more photos to edit and post. I promise I'll get them up this new year. ;)





2010 brought the death of my Grandma.


It also brought not one but two brand new babies to bless our family.




2010 brought Zoey, making Kinzley's dream of owning 100 cats, 1% of the way there. {grin}


2010 brought some really scary health issues for Tim's Grandma. But also brought a misdiagnosis and hope.

In the year 2010 I became a mother to a 4 year old and a 7 year old. It's so bittersweet watching our girls grow with each passing year.









2010 brought more hugs, laughs and snuggles than I ever imagined in my wildest dreams.



2010 was a trying year for our family.

But as I say goodbye to 2010. I know it won't be a year I will forget for many reasons.

This year stripped us to the bone and made us appreciate all the blessings God has given us. It's made our family stronger, our faith stronger. It would be easy to look back on 2010 and see the struggles.

But.

I choose to see the joy.

I see the blessings. The love.

I'm excited to see what 2011 holds for our family, even the hard times. For we know we have each other, and a God big enough to carry us through it all.

{ Carter...10 days new }

The moment a child is born,
the mother is also born.
She never existed before.
The woman existed, but the mother, never.
A mother is something absolutely new.
Rajneesh



Introducing Carter Smith....10 days old new...

{look at his lips!! }




Can you believe all the hair this little guy has?!?!?




Carter was such a good baby letting me move him around from prop to prop....


Speaking of props....


My sister decided to teach herself to crochet! She has been working so hard getting different things ready for Carter's shoot. She is actually opening an Etsy store to sell her items. {If her sister would ever send her photos ;) }

She's made so many things including the football cocoon Carter is in and the red fringe blanket used in this shoot.



Once her store goes live, I'll get you the link!

One last photo of sweet Carter...

Thanks Mel and Cody for a fun morning and lots of baby snuggles! Enjoy your little guy for the don't stay little for long!

{ It's all about Him. }

Has it really been a month since I last posted?

Time flies when you are having fun.

It really is a good thing I love my job{s}.

Once again the end of November to the third week in Decemeber is survival mode in the Kurth house. Between Christmas jewelry orders, my mom having surgery, making Christmas cookies/muffins for The Mixing Bowl, a Christmas baby photo shoot {pictures coming soon}, Christmas parties, school activities, our cat having surgery, shopping and all that goes along with having my own little ones, there is just never enough time. Something has to give. Which clearly has been blogging.

I had great intentions to post my Christmas card on my blog. Obviousally didn't happen.

So Merry Christmas, from our family to yours! ;)





There is nothing like getting sick and being knocked flat the week before Christmas. Poor Kenna was sick the end of the week before Christmas. A few days later I got her fever. The next three days are a blur, making all those last minute things fun to do when you can't think straight.

Luckily our family was healthy for Christmas. Good thing since I had babies to snuggle!

I wasn't the only one excited to have two babies under my roof.


I love this photo of my mom holding her newest grandbabies, one at a time she's ok, give them both to her at once and she looks a little nervous. ;)


This is the first time all 7 grandkids were together.


My nephew's girlfriend was designated "family photographer" for a bit.


I'm not sure if you can tell {or if you are sidetracked from the weird look on Kinzley's face} but someone got a haircut! The first day of Christmas break we headed to the hairdresser. {I wasn't even sick and loopy this day!}

This is the most recent photo I have of Kinz with her longer hair.

{Where is Kenna's Santa photo you ask? HA! Kenna has ONE Santa photo that was taken when she was 9 months old. I've never gotten her near him again. She is terrified of him!}

7 inches of hair on the floor later...


Even the hair dresser was nervous to cut all her hair off :)


My big girls in the Christmas dresses my mom bought.


Kenna trying out my new floor prop.


It was snowing terribly on Christmas Eve in Iowa. Luckily my family all made it to our house safe. My brother brought his upside down pineapple cake that he was so excited to try.


My mom made sugar cookies with the girls. {kind of.}


My husband.

I can not say enough about this man God gave me to love. He is always willing to lend a hand, whether it's peeling potatoes or doing dishes. I'm so blessed to have him in my world.

Mr. 3 month old Grayson.

He's growing by leaps and bounds!

5 month old Jolie who was very serious about her gifts.


Until her oldest brother put her in a gift bag.


I have a post coming about Kinzley's love for creating. But to fully understand these next photos you need to know, Kinz finds NO reason to throw anything away. She walks in from school and digs through my trash can to make sure I didn't throw anything useful away.
The following is a hat she made my brother.

Turns out his head was too big. Even after grabbing a glue stick and trying to re-glue the string {while he was wearing it} The hat became a Sunny D necklace. She made sure he kept it on all afternoon. ;)

My sister-in-law Christy wrapped Kenna's presents in a pampers box. As she opening it she keeps saying, "Why would they give me diapers? Why in the world?" Hilarious!

Look how surprised she is when she realizes there is toys inside.

Last is my favorite photo taken this Christmas. This captures life in our house.

My husband, the biggest kid of all and his new toy that he "stole" from my nephew during a white elephant gift exchange. I've never seen two girls adore their dad more than mine do.

All the stress and busyness leading up to Christmas is worth it all to have my family gathered in our house celebrating our Savior's birth.

Through the tree and lights and cookies and presents, Kenna said it perfectly when she said, "It's not about Santa......it's not about presents........It's all about Jesus."

Yes, it's all about a newborn baby who was born into this world to save us from our sins. How very different life would be if Christmas was just a day for presents and Santa.

But by the grace of God, it's all about Him.