platypus platypus everywhere!!

Ok so when someone finds out my business name, they typically repeat it back to me very slowly, as if trying to make sense of it.

purple.... platypus pictures???

Yes. Purple Platypus Pictures. Actually, anyone close to me would find the name perfectly normal. My oldest daughter Olivia has a purple platypus that she carries everywhere. I mean, she lives for that platypus. She latched onto him when she was seven months old, and has never let go. Since January 2007, she has accumulated a total of five platypi - always purple pus (as she calls him) being the most important.

Earlier in the year, while looking at a camo bandana, I suddenly wondered if I could make a platypus. Don't ask... I tend to pick up random crafts here and there. Once I determined that I could in fact make them, I made fancy pus' for everyone for Christmas.

Olivia was in heaven!

and of course the tree

Sure I could put everything into one post... but what fun is that. ;) Our tree this year... I do need to get back to watermarking my pictures!

Our card this year

Since Christmas is literally around the corner, I figure I can share our card without ruining the surprise. The most commen response upon seeing the card... "Are all those kids yours?!?!" My answer is always the same "Every single one of them" :D I don't know how I'll ever top it! Merry Christmas!!

Awww the family

Why I attempt to take family pictures is beyond me sometimes. This isn't the one the family is getting, but come on, it sure is funny, right!?!!

the best of the rest

Alright now, I've tried to upload these pictures now for a full day, and of course my computer is acting a little crazy... perhaps the holidays are getting to it as well?

But anyways, the rest of the photos from Claires party.

Before I got the speedlight out, Tim took some pictures... and I made my appearance. Claire looks so confused by the cake!


The most common way Claire ate her cake: no hands. She actually never really even got into the cake - more just ate the icing.


Some pictures of Olivia, since she is quite lacking in the blog. She also ate her cake icing first - but she finished her whole piece. Oh and its my mom trying desperately to lean out of the picture. Lesson to everyone who hates being photographed: You thinking you look bad in pictures is all in your head. You don't. You look bad when you try desperately to get out of the shot. Everyone is most critical of themselves in a photo. You look fine. Trust me.

And one last extreme close-up of Claire. She's so cute!

Sorry for the lack of posts! The holidays are always a little crazy for me... with the working and the baking and the gift making (yeah I'm one of those people.)

We had Claires first birthday party, so it's official - she's one. She didn't dive into the cake like I thought she would... mainly just licked the icing off the top. Though her eating style was precious... hands out, face directly into cake. I only have one picture ready to show... I'll show more here either tonight or tomorrow. She's so happy!

There was an accident

Tim and the girls were in a pretty gruesome accident this weekend. Everyones ok, but the car is far from it. I figured I'd blog the pictures here, since family frequents it. I apologize for the blood.... thats Tims coat that he left behind. I'm not sure where the action figure came from - it's definetly not mine, Tims or the girls!

Purple Platypus and Green Platypus both made it out of the accident relatively unharmed... but Mickey.... well he lost a foot. Olivia keeps asking where his shoe is, the poor thing.

My baby is really one!

So here's Claires invite I made for her (I think all of the family has gotten theirs by now... if not, SURPRISE! This is coming in the mail to you!) Just in case the quote is too small to read, it says:

Girls are made of sugar 'n spice

Everything sweet & everything nice

Girls are ruffles, bonnets and bows

Dimpled smiles and dancing toes

They're tears and giggles, dolls and curls

Thats how it is with little girls

When I showed Abby the card at Thanksgiving, she said she wanted the same thing for her graduation invites... she meant the naked pose, but the more I think about it.... How cool would it be to do it with all your school pictures! Like in this card, we have one picture for every month of Claires life... we could do one school picture for every year! And the center picture be the senior picture! Abby you reading this??? I know Mema makes you ... I think it's an awesome idea, and we should run with it! And if you say no, I'll just drive to Upper and get the pictures from Mema herself (she'd hand them over, I'm sure of it!)