Tara Tioaquen Photography

09 • 06 • 16

Liza’s First Birthday

I LOVE a good party. I especially love seeing all the details of a party coming together. In this case, Liza’s talented Mom had decorated cookies, cupcakes, water bottles, etc. The entire party was just put together perfectly. Liza is such a laid-back little girl and adored by her brother and sister. During her cake smash, both her brother and sister had to get in on the action and help Liza out with smashing the cake. And can I just talk about Liza’s blue eyes for a minute? They are so gorgeous! Happy Birthday sweet girl! 2016-09-06_0001 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0002 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0003 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0004 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0005 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0006 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0007 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0008 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0009 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0010 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0011 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0012 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0013 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0014 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0015 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0016 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0017 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0018 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0019 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0020 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0021 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0022 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0023 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0024 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0025 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0026 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0027 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0028 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0029 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0030 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0031 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0032 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0033 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0034 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0035 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0036 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0037 PINIMAGE 2016-09-06_0038 PINIMAGE

07 • 19 • 16

Taylor & Alysse

07 • 04 • 16

I can tell you where the wild things are. They’re in my house! Two boys (three including my husband) and myself (I suppose most would tell you I am a wild thing as well). Today we threw a “Where the Wild Things Are” party for our sweet Josiah Salar who turned one last Tuesday. Oh, and we had some water slide/baby pool fun outside too, considering it’s sweltering hot. Some of you follow me on Facebook/Instagram and saw that he puked up his smash cake on his birthday. I’m a bad mommy for buying him a cupcake from a place where I assumed the ingredients were organic. Either way, it was way too much sugar or gluten or something and baby boy was not feeling well for awhile afterwards. So for his party today, I spent over an hour making him a smash cake out of banana and applesauce. Surely he would love it right? Why don’t you see for yourself…

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I have to say…I did spend LOADS of time getting ready for this party. I scored some amazing deals on banners and such, but DIY can take so much time. It was worth it though. 1st birthdays are super special, after all. I think we have started a tradition of going all out for the first birthday.

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My Mom makes the BEST cupcakes. I mean she is super talented. She always volunteers to make cupcakes for special events that we have and you can also hire her to make some for YOUR special events (shameless plug…because her cupcakes are seriously that amazing). She made these cupcakes look like one of the characters from the book. She also made a dozen gluten free cupcakes for our oldest son and friends with allergies. She’s the best.

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I know I said earlier that I am wild, or at least like to feel wild and free. I wore my “wild” pants for the occasion. LOVE my crazy wild pants, but not as much as the gorgeous babe in the photo with me. I could “eat him up I love him so”. I made that crown by the way, it’s totally easy to make and you can find the instructions HERE.

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These were a DIY as well. “Oh please don’t go! We’ll eat you up we love you so”. So cute, right?

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Enter the infamous smash cake. You never know how a baby is going to react. I will say, though, I’ve only had ONE baby that I have photographed not like their smash cake.

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WELP…he did NOT like it. Was not a fan. I can’t decide if he is just traumatised from getting sick from the cake the other day or if he didn’t think it tasted good. In fact, he was more interested in eating the moss around the cake than the cake itself. One of my witty friends said “Oh of COURSE he would…he is your child after all” (because I’m vegetarian). Ha! We even got desperate and added one of Mom’s cupcakes on top, hoping he would smash into that one. Nope. Hard pass. He was just not into it.

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Pool time! I’m so thankful that the weather turned out to be somewhat overcast and not too very hot by the time we all went outside. Micah was very excited to give his baby brother the birthday present he got him (beach toys).

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Perhaps the best photo of the day. You see that hand on the right there? Yeah, us adults were like “NO SQUIRTING THE ADULTS!” The kiddos really enjoyed themselves and after all of our friends left Josiah decided it was time to skinny dip. I mean, why not? When you’re one and it’s your birthday you can do what you want!

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Time got away from us and we didn’t open presents with everyone inside. However, Jojo was very happy to open his presents once inside. He loved the book his friend Eden got him as well as the swing Daddy got for him. Daddy built a swing set for Micah a few years ago and it will be a great addition so him and his brother can swing next to each other. I’m sure he was somewhat happy about the small treasure chest I got for him (I did the same for Micah and we put important baby things in there for them to have when they’re older). Oh, and another sign for their room (related to the song I wrote for them…”To the Moon”). Happy Birthday sweet Josiah Salar Tioaquen! We love you, wild thing!

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06 • 30 • 16

Josiah Salar Tioaquen :: First Year

Well, the time has come for me to write this blog. I have been putting it off, actually, because I still am processing the fact that our sweet baby boy is one. When I was pregnant, I decided that I wanted to not only document my growing pregnant belly, but my growing baby boy from the time he was born to the time he was one. I wanted to take on this personal photo project, no matter what obstacles we faced. We faced those obstacles, that’s for sure. For his two month photo we literally had to run in our house and take the photo really quick as our house was being treated for mold. It’s been a wild ride this past year.

For those of you that have children (and even those that don’t), you know how quickly it goes by. Yes, the nights and days seem long as you wake up every few hours to feed, change, or console a newborn babe. Your body is exhausted and you feel like a zombie. You would do anything for sleep, yet you want to stay up and stare at this miraculous creature that came out of your body. Your hair is a mess, piled into a bun on top of your head. You feel like your body isn’t your own yet you feel so empowered that it grew a human being and got it into this world. One morning, you wake up. You baby is one and you find yourself wondering how it all went by so quickly. I wrote a song when Micah started crawling, talking about this very thing. It applies to our experience with sweet Jojo as well. In fact, I think any mother can relate to the message of the song. I am going to share the lyrics below, and you can also listen to the song if you would like.

TO THE MOON
Could you please slow down
I’ve barely met you can you let me take it in
Your smile, your fingers
the way you look at me just takes my breath away
Could you just stay
How could I love someone so soon
I love you from here to the moon and back

Almost a year now
Soon you’ll be taking steps away from me
Then you’ll be running
I’ll try and catch you before you slip away
Could you just stay
How could you grow up so soon
I love you from here to the moon and back

That time is coming
I’ll have to let you go set you free
This world is scary
I’ll entrust you to the Lord above for now
Gotta figure out how

Cause here in my arms you’re safe from harm
I like it that way
But I know I’ve got to let you go and find your own way without me
And when that day comes
It comes too soon
I’ll still love you from here to the moon and back

Could you please slow down
I’ve barely met you can you let me take it in

Happy Birthday my perfect Josiah Salar Tioaquen. You are so loved. And now…what you have all been waiting for…the photos…

IT BEGINS. Josiah Salar Tioaquen’s life begins at conception and we are ecstatic

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