we will use any excuse to get new family pictures

i'm calling it charley's one year portraits/predeployment/last family pictures with just the three (oops, sorry lucy) four of us.

whatever you want to name it, we had the privilege of our dear friend kelli campbell taking some family pictures before fly boy left for his deployment.

i'm in love.

the 17 week bump...

thanks kelli! 
you are the best!

family

it's been a crazy time of year.
but crazy wonderful.

over the last two months, we have had a lot of company.
all family.
from syracuse and columbus.
and have loved every minute of it.

these are the times that i wish we lived closer to both families.
it's such a blessing to have these sweet visits,
i just wish we could see everyone more often.

in the land of woulda, coulda, shoulda

gangsters in a christmas paradise,

it should have been our christmas card.

merry christmas from our family to yours!

*thank you to our squadron christmas party for providing the props for this spectacular picture!

the big 3-0

it happened.
a new decade.

and fly boy truly outdid himself this year.

he woke me up (before charley got up) with his traditional, delicious breakfast in bed.

we went to dinner to my favorite restaurant in town with my brother and sister-in-law.
jess even made me a cake...yellow with chocolate frosting, my favorite!

since our birthdays are only 2 months apart, we decided to take a mini vacation to celebrate both of us turning 30.  just for the weekend, we went to a nearby beach, stayed in a fantastic hotel, and really had a perfect weekend.

only being an hour away, we took our time saturday morning getting packed, but were still able to spend several hours at the beach and pool in the afternoon.  the hotel had a wonderful restaurant, so we didn't have to travel far, just took the elevator down to the 1st floor.   and charley was a doll.

i couldn't have asked for a better birthday.
i would say i'm not sure how i am going to top it for fly boy's upcoming birthday, but i have a few tricks up my sleeve as well.  ;)

what's in a name

this story has been 85 years in the making.

85 years ago, my grandmother, caryl lee was born.
57 years ago, my mother, candace lee was born.
29 years ago i, caryn lee, was born.
5 months ago, my daughter, charlotte lee was born.

four generations of "c lee"s.

growing up, i hated my name.
i hated having a name that was so similar to my mom's.
i hated that "carey" was not a normal nickname for "caryn."
i hated that my grandfather could never get my name right on the first try, calling me "caryl lee, canda,  no, carey."
i didn't get it.
i didn't get the weight that it carried.  the legacy.  the love that was shown in choosing my name.

it wasn't until college that i started to fall in love with my name.  and love being a "c lee."
it was also in college that i decided i wanted to name my daughter a "c lee' name.

i had a few names in mind, but always came back to charlotte.
after fly boy and i got married, i told him the "c lee' names i had picked out for our first daughter.  i told him he could pick from my list of pre-approved names.  luckily he loved "charlotte" as much as i did.  i think we had her named picked out on the honeymoon.

my great-grandmother had no idea when she chose the name for her second daughter, it would be the beginning of a legacy it has become.  but i am thankful for her, for the way she raised my grandmother, and in turn for the way my grandmother raised my mom.

the bar has been set high for me.  for the way i raise my daughter.  to know the line of women she comes from.  strong women.  to know what she has inherited; the things she should cherish, and the things to set aside.

it was almost a year ago we found out that we were having a girl.
it was only a few hours after we found out i told my mom i wanted to get pictures of the four generations.
the talented rebecca ondrey came over to my parents house last month to get the pictures.  i couldn't be more excited for the way they came out.
enjoy!

four generations.

charley's great-grandmother, grandmother, godmother and mother.

mother-daughter

sweet moments with her meme.

the sister i have always wanted, and now have thanks to my brother picking an amazing wife.

godmother and god-daughter

i can't get enough of this smile and her laugh.