Sweet Abundance

Project 365 - Week 1

2010-01-03T08:14:00.006-05:00

Wow - a brand new year. And one of my goals this year is to be more diligent in this effort (and to not lose any pictures!!). I LOVE my new fancy camera so it shouldn't be too hard *grin*!

But, since I waited til the last minute and we have to leave for church in under two hours ... here we go!

Monday - Playing with my new camera, I somehow managed to capture this shot. I am SURE it will never happen again, but I LOVE how her face is the ONLY thing in focus!

Tuesday - SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday - My girlies enjoying a princess movie in the VERY wee hours of the morning. Well, OK, it was like 7am. But, hello, this IS still Christmas vacation!!!

(Did anyone else just think of Chevy Chase right then? Christmas Vacation? No? OK ... carry on.)

Thursday - The last day of the old year ... and the ONE time sweet Hattie WILLINGLY posed for a picture! It was even her idea.

Seriously - how stinkin beautiful is this child? I mean, I know I'm a smidge biased, but COME ON!!!!!

January 1 - Packin' it up. Fresh clean house for a fresh new year!

January 2 - Two girls in a bucket ... watchin a little Elmo while mama finishes a tad more cleaning.

So that was OUR week. Sara is hosting us again and I cannot thank her enough. I absolutely LOVE this project and the memories it is making for my family.

Please, feel free to join us. After all, we are only 2 days in to this new year!!!

New Look For A New Year

2009-12-30T15:06:00.003-05:00

WARNING: The following is a big 'ol mess of random. Enter at your own risk!

I'm gonna do this in list form, mainly cause I am just too tired to think in paragraphs!

* I LOVE my new camera!!! And, even more than the camera, I love that the boys & Mindy went all out for ME this year. Thank you SO much!!

* I FINALLY figured out how to do a 3 column layout for the blog! What do ya think? Maybe a tad too purple - I may change the color of the post background.

* It REALLY is time to just step away from the food! REALLY!

* Come January 1st the tree and the junk food are all headed for the trash!

* We are once again looking for a new place to live ... long story, I'll tell ya later. Let's just say that moisture is not ALWAYS your friend!

* My girls, they love the snow ...

(did ya really think you would make it out of here without pictures?!)

* Tomorrow is the end of the year ... the decade ... WOW.

* I have never been happier to see a year end ... and never more thankful for the Lord that sees us through!

* HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Project 365 - Week 52

2009-12-28T10:12:00.006-05:00

Week 52 ... and even though, between my camera and my computer, some of the pictures disappeared, I have had a blast! Thank you Sara for hosting us this year!

Well ... this week I lost more pictures ... I KNOW!

But it is OK because guess what!

No, really, GUESS!!!

I GOT A NEW CAMERA FOR CHRISTMAS!

I could NOT be more excited. I have had so much fun playing with it. Still learning the ropes and the ins and outs of it, so I have nothing spectacular to show you ... yet!

I do, however, have plenty of pictures for the week ... just not ALL the days are represented ... but here we go!

Sunday - this is where I would post the picture of Hattie and I making LOTS of yummy baked goodies for her teachers.

Monday - This is where I would show you MORE baking!

Tuesday - this is where I would show you the picture of Sophie climbing the walls because, in an effort to bribe my child to sit in her seat at the movies with H's class, I gave her my cup and she drank 3/4 of my diet coke. Hello caffeine, so happy to meet you!

Wednesday - This is the saddest one to have lost. The finished product of our Nativity.

(Now to the pictures that DO still exist!)

Thursday - Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!!! I took this one on my cell to send to my mommy to show her that we are carrying on the tradition!

Friday - Christmas day! Lots of pics for today ... cause I got my new CAMERA!!!!!!!

The day that ended with a rousing game of Hungry, Hungry Hippos! It is a HIT with all of us!

Saturday - We stayed in jammies all day long and watched a TON of movies. The best, most relaxing day in a LONG time!

Sunday - playing with my camera with two of my very favorite models!

Thank you again Sara! I cannot wait to do it all over again ... with my new camera!

Did Time Fly For Her?

2009-12-23T13:46:00.005-05:00

How many of us started our Christmas Letter in wonder at how quickly time passes by?

We look back on a year gone by and wonder how it went so FAST?

Children were born, cut teeth, turned three, started school, made the honor roll, got the lead in the school play and, eventually, graduated, got married and started families of their own.

And we were left to look back and wonder how it all happened so fast.

I wonder if is was like that for Mary.
That night, as she held her newborn son in a barn, did she - like so many of us - look forward to each passing milestone and promise to cherish each and every moment?

Like so many of us, did the normal every day start to creep in? Did the sleepless nights of life with a brand new baby turn into the craziness of toddler proofing the home? Did she one day look at her son and realize that he just was not a baby anymore?

I wonder what it was like watching her son grow up, knowing that He was also the Son of God.

I mean, she KNEW who he was - the angel had made that clear - so she HAD to know what was in store.

Were the passing moments stored and cherished or did she turn around one day and find a man where her boy had once stood?

I cannot imagine how it felt to see him getting older, stronger, wiser ... all the while knowing that each breath he took brought him closer to the road He was destined to walk...

... and the cross He was determined to bear.

She knew when He was born that His death was imminent.

That it was predetermined.

That it HAD to be.

So, when she held her son that night...

As she watched him learn to walk ...

While she taught him how to talk ...

As she raised HER son ...

Did she cherish each moment knowing that she was holding, watching, teaching and raising God?

Or, did time fly for Mary too?

Project 365 - Weeks 49 - 51

2009-12-20T14:33:00.007-05:00

Allrighty - this is the last week f the year.

Ahem ... did ya hear me?

THE LAST WEEK OF THE STINKIN' YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(yes, that was me yelling ... because, HELLO! This is the last week of the year!!)

OK, deep breaths ... we can do this.

I would like to thank Sara for hosting this shin-dig all year - it has been a BLAST!

And, without further ado, here we go:
(By the way, this is three weeks worth, so ya may wanna go grab a snack ... or, ya know, a lunch!)

Sunday - We decorated the tree - this sweet angel and I have been through quite a bit together!

Monday - Hubs started on the outdoor decor. He built this stable for our lawn Nativity a few years ago and it is one of my very favorite parts of getting ready for Christmas!

Tuesday - This is one of the Angels that stand over Sweet Baby Jesus in our yard.

Wednesday - Yes, they are on backward and, yes, it IS on purpose. If they're on the correct way, she can strip em of faster than anything!

Thursday - Angels made from hand and foot prints!

Friday - This would be Mary & Joseph ... I am pretty sure that Joseph had hair, but the cat ran off with ours, so we have a bald one!

Saturday - If you know me well, you know I am a sucker for pink ribbons. Sophie found a piece of ribbon and played with it for HOURS. When I put her down for nap I came out to the living room and found this on the couch. LOVE.IT.

Sunday - Setting tables for the Women's Christmas Banquet at church.

Monday - Sweet Teri came to the dinner - have I mentioned that I LOVE me some Teri? Cause, yeah, I do!

Tues - Hattie LOVED making the sheep for our craft nativity.

Wed - Potty Training Boot Camp, day 1.

Thursday - Sophie snagged my root beer. Good thing it's decaf!

Friday - Zoe gets the diapers cause we are DONE with them!

Saturday - Pretty sunset ... not as pretty as the sunsets in AZ, but it'll do!

Sunday - Still in bootcamp...

Monday - Christmas cards are beginning to roll in. I LOVE Christmas cards!

Tuesday - Cookie decorating at her BFF Evy's house!

Wednesday - Look at that slim little hiney! Now that the diapers are gone, it actually fits into these jeans!!

Thursday - Baking a cake for the class party!

Friday - Santa came to said class party ... and, no, I actually do NOT know what is with the tongue. Thanks for asking!

Saturday - Movie time on Saturday morning in Mommy and Daddy's bed.

That last one was taken with my cell phone ... even though we were obviously at home ... cause my camera, with it's BRAND NEW BATTERIES, would not turn on.

And, I cannot tell you how sad this makes me...

So, how was YOUR week?

Welcome to Boot Camp

2009-12-11T11:47:00.004-05:00

Potty Training Boot Camp, that is ...

And, seriously, I am not so sure that Army boot camp could be more taxing on my nerves. Though Hubby assures me I am incorrect in that assumption.

We started on Tuesday afternoon and went full board first thing Wednesday morning.

Because I am just the kinda crazy that would start potty training in the middle of December, in the frozen tundra, right before Christmas and on the day after a migraine.

Yeah ...

We started off well, finding appropriate activities to pass the long minutes on the toilet.

Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, beats a good toilet paper roll horn!

She did fairly well on Wednesday and Thursday - in fact there were no accidents at all yesterday! So today began with the hope of actual boot camp survival.

I broke out the princess panties this morning ... no more plain white undies for my girl! She was very excited to don Sleeping Beauty. We even sang the song, which she LOVED.

Fifteen minutes later we were singing Cinderella's song.

Another 20 minutes later and it was Snow White.

I do not know a Tinker Belle song or we would have been singing IT a good half hour after that.

I have come to the conclusion that she is either A) trying to make her way through every kingdom in the land of Disney OR B) she is having a "stubborn" day in which she attempts to drive the mama over the edge all the while testing every boundary in the Potty Training Boot Camp Rule Book. Either way, we have had to make some adjustments ...

Plain white undies, a ginormous hoodie and that is it.

She begged for a Princess and I explained oh so calmly (HA!) that the princesses do NOT like to get wet so we have to wait until she can keep them dry before we can wear them again. Guess it's a good thing we hadn't broken out the Little Mermaid. I seem to remember my niece Trinity explaining that it was OK to tinkle in THOSE panties because, duh!, Ariel LIKES the water!!!

But, no matter what happens for the next few days ... weeks ... whatever, the only one who will be wearing a diaper in this house, is Zoe!

And, ahem, Zoe's mommy can potty train HER herself!

After this, I am DONE!

The Face of Christmas

2009-11-30T21:48:00.007-05:00

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. I love the magic and the meaning in all that we do to celebrate.

For me, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ ... my Savior

But, there are many faces to Christmas.

Some come with a beard

Some come riding horses that rock

Faces made of snow

Some bring Glad Tidings ...

... For all people

Some bring stories that have been passed down through generations, faces hand made by those who have come before us

Yes, there are many faces of Christmas ...

... But, really, it all comes down to One, Holy and Perfect face ...

The Face of God

Project 365 - Weeks 47 and 48

2009-11-29T15:28:00.007-05:00

Well, as usual, I am behind ... so, you get two weeks in one.

PS - I cannot NOT believe we are days away from December ... wow!

Here we go:

Nov. 15: Family picture day. Erica let me take a couple pics of the girls. Let me tell you how much fun it was to play with her camera.

I do believe I have camera envy...

Nov. 16: Hubbs got a haircut ... and man, oh man, is he handsome!!

Nov. 17: Sophie and I went to help my friend Kathy package some of her organic skin care products for a big show and some large orders. Little did I know that it would be the first of MANY visits over the next two weeks. But, really, her stuff is amazing and she was making some VERY fun stuff for Christmas!

Nov. 18 - Heavy jackets officially out of the closet and onto the breezeway/mudroom coat rack. Brrrrr....

Nov. 19 - My little princess enjoying Cinderella.

This is the same day, camera was acting up and this is all I could get of her dancing ... sort of a cool effect though.

Nov. 20: Yeah ... brrr...

But, pretty too, no?

Nov 21: Pajama day ... I LOVE pajama day!

Nov. 22: Bed time stories with Daddy. One of MANY reasons I love my man.

Nov. 23: Back at Kathy's house. Seriously, it was like the mess was growing...

Nov. 24: Soph and I met with Teri, Meeghan and Meeghan's kids for lunch. It was Meeghan's birthday and we had a blast! This is the only picture that came out well for me. Teri and Parker. How beautiful is she? And Mr. Parker is so handsome!!

Nov. 25: Finally, we were getting somewhere with the packaging ... I cannot say enough about her products, but you can check em out HERE if you want!!

Nov. 26: Thanksgiving ... and I forgot the camera ... By the time I remembered to take a pic, this is all that was left.

Nov. 27: Christmas tree hunting. Hubbs and I narrowed it down to two and then could not decide. So Hattie made the final decision. Look how proud of herself she was!

Nov. 28: Round One of Christmas cards ... and we are still getting some ready.

Good thing we trimmed the list this year :-)If you would like to see more - or join in on the fun!!! - head over to visit our sweet hostess, Sara!

So ... How was YOUR week?

Thankful

2009-11-26T11:31:00.010-05:00

Today I am thankful ...

I have an amazing fRamily (friends who are like family ... family you would choose for friends) and a very Blessed life.

But today I am, especially thankful for these fabulous people:

For this boy and his beautiful wife

And this boy

This sweet girl

And this one too

Fot this AMAZING man

But more than anything else ...

More than anything in this entire world ...

The One thing I am the very most thankful for is this...

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving and know that you are loved!!

Memories and Traditions

2009-11-21T10:32:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty sure we are not the only family who is noticing the crunch this year. The smaller paychecks ... the loss of a paycheck ... the budget reorganization. Yeah, we are there too.

So, this week it hit me that there are now LESS than FIVE WEEKS til Christmas.

And, my friends, that is TWO paychecks.

Yes, let the panic mode begin!

And, given the fact that we have not bought a single gift - except the outfits from last week's Christmas card picture session - it is CLEARLY going to be a lean Christmas this year. Not as much under the tree. No new decorations or (GULP, GASP ... breath ...) Christmas MUSIC. No out of the blue extravagant surprises that my sweet husband is so known for.

And, yet, the hearts will be just as full, the decorations just as bright, meaningful and merry and the MUSIC will be just as loud. I will still watch White Christmas a time or seven. I will still cry when the "Fall on your knees" line of O Holy Night is sung just right. I will still cherish every Christmas card, read every word of every letter and pray over every last one that I send out.

And, more than anything else, that Baby will still be in His manger ... on the way to His cross ... and ending up on His throne. He is still King. His promises are still True. He still saves.

So, after that initial bout of panic (and yes, even after a few mild recurrences), I have started thinking about ways that I can still make this a wonderful Christmas for my sweet girls. And I have come to realize ... or, better yet, remember ... that it is not about what is in the stockings that were hand made by my mommy, the boxes exquisitely wrapped by my husband or the bags that I stuff full because I am so inept at wrapping. It is about what we place in their hearts. The toys will be forgotten and, more than likely, broken in time, but the Gift that will remain is the One in the hay.

THAT is what I want to give them this year.

So, we will make memories and follow traditions and love on each other well.

And, I am hoping, that we can make NEW traditions.

MEANINGFUL traditions.

So, I want to ask you - what are your traditions? What do you do or have you done to make Christmas what is should be for your children?

When we were kids, my mom started a tradition that I continue with my kids today. Every Christmas Eve the children (with help, depending on age) make a cake. And after Christmas Eve service we decorate it and place one single candle on top. We turn down the lights and sing Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus. Then we read the Christmas story (it has been out of a Christmas Bible that we bought a few years ago while they are little) and talk about Baby Jesus. I LOVE this tradition. And I want to start others like it.

So, I am asking for your input.

Please, tell me, what are YOUR traditions.

I really want to know.

Beacuse, really ...

TRULY ...

THIS is what is all about.

And, what could we possibly need more than HIM?

The One With A LOT of Pictures ...

2009-11-17T14:33:00.007-05:00

...and not a whole lot of words.

Sunday was officially family picture day here in B Manor. So, we set out to the park with our sweet friend Erica and let her work her magic with the camera.

Here are some of the treasures that she captured for us:

Some of the whole family (minus the boys ... we wish they could've been here!)

Some of our sweet Hattie girl

And some of our Sophie love

Some of both of them

And some just for fun

And finally, my second favorite of them all ...

... We're using my VERY favorite for Christmas cards, so you'll have to wait to see that one!!

Thank you sweet Erica for capturing these loves of mine so very well!!!

Project 365 - Week 46

2009-11-15T15:52:00.006-05:00

Another week down, another week closer to Christmas.

Am I the only one who is FREAKING OUT over that little fact?

OK, moving on ... here is our week!

Sunday - I had made a comment on Facebook that we, er... I mean the girls, had not gotten one single grape tootsie roll pop and how sad that made me. And then some sweet church friends saved the day by sharing theirs ... THIS is what Halloween is all about!!

Monday - I was cleaning out Sophie's car seat and put her in it to be sure I got the straps back in correctly. She thought that being in her car seat in the kitchen was SO funny! I just love that sweet funny face!

Tuesday - It was a super cold morning as Hubbs was leaving for work. I took this of him scraping the windows. It turned out darker than I wanted but I love the effect of the sun through the water vapor from the muffler.

Wednesday - It was another cold morning and I hadn't planned on taking another picture ... til this happened :)

Thursday - I was trying to take a self portrait of my new short hair and for new profile pics. This is what happens when you let me loose on picnik.com with the editing tools! This was the original.

This is after I played a bit ... I like the bright effect but no one else was too sure about it...

So we went to this effect ... Which one do YOU like?!

Friday - Hubs and I had a date night and went to the movies ... where I (shhhhh, don't tell) broke out the cell phone for a pic of the day.

Saturday ... Yeah, it's another cell phone pic. But, how cute ore those two sweet tushies?!?!?!

Hop on over to Sara's place if you would like to join us!!

And, how was YOUR week?

Gotta Love Christmas!

2009-11-10T22:40:00.002-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

And, because I couldn't choose, you get a second!!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Project 365 - Week 45

2009-11-08T12:10:00.008-05:00

Once again I am behind in this project ...

Because once again I lost a whole slew of pictures.

Yeah ... it stinks ...

BUT, I think I have figured out the problem (some of the settings on my laptop were skewed and I hadn't realized it) and fixed it, so HOPEFULLY, it will not happen again.

In the mean time, here is what I have managed to save - and I THINK they are in order ... who knows.

Anyway, here is our life ...

Day 213 - Fall color ... one of the best things about living here in the frozen tundra!!

Day 214 - (This is a total cheat because I did NOT take this picture, but how cute is my girl?) Cassie's birthday party!

Day 215 - The Harvest Festival at church ... Sophie was a victim of the hay dump!
(I just realized I have a whole file of this day and I have not shared them with the blogosphere ... I will hopefully get to that this week!)

Day 216 - This is a picture of how far my girl has come in just the short time since she has been in school this year. She is doing a connect the dots picture ... BY HERSELF!

Praise YOU Lord for YOU are faithful!

Day 217 - Yes, my Lord is also an artist ... what a sunset. I LOVE the sun spike coming up in the middle of the picture.

Just like HIM coming up in the middle of my life to lend His beauty!

Day 218 - This is what I found when I went to get her up in the morning.

Did I mention that hers is the coldest room in the house?

Day 219 - More fall color ... right outside my bedroom window.

I am Blessed!

Day 220 - This is a terrible shot (camera refused to focus!!) but Sophie was showin off at Hattie's school by naming all of the numbers and letters.

Yeah, that's right, she just turned two!

Day 221 - There is a squirrel who has, one by one, slowly disintegrated every last pumpkin we bought for fall decor.

Day 222 - Halloween ... this picture depicts her sweet spirit so very well.

Day 223 - The girls have become lovers of story time lately. These are there favorite books - all of which Hattie can recite from memory. I LOVE that they are developing a love of literature!

Day 224 - This is just a random picture taken as I was trying to figure out what the bloomin heck is wrong with the camera NOW .. but, again, I ask - how stinkin cute is this kid?!

Day 225 - In one of the bags that the girls got from one of the fall carnivals they went to, there was this little pop-up monkey. You push him down and a suction cup holds him down until the spring eventually breaks the suction and he flies into the air. Sophie usually waits very patiently for him to fly ... this time she could just not resist one little touch.

Day 226 - Hubbs went to the grocery store and came home with these grapes ... I am fairly certain these are the same grapes that Joshua found in the promised land ...

HUGEMONGOUS!!!

Day 227 - I was called to pick Hattie up early from school. She had a fever of 101 that went up after she came home. Eventually we got it down, after which she promptly put herself to bed ... you can tell by the light in the room that it was still the middle of the day. Poor thing.

Day 228 - This is where I lost all senses and became a bread makin maniac. And, yes, they were yummy, if I do say so myself!

Day 229 - Hattie is still running a fever, but it was so beautiful outside we could not resist some fresh air. Here is daddy givin our girl a ride in the wheel barrow.

She LOVED it!!!

And, I think daddy did too!

If you would like to see more, please hop on over and visit Sara!! That girl can take some good pics!

So, how was YOUR week?!?!

Conversations

2009-11-04T19:18:00.003-05:00

Last week I told you about the "fo shizzle" conversation with Sophie - lol, it still makes me giggle!

Today I would like to tell you about a couple more fun things they say ...

Yesterday Soph was not feeling very well and, well, she was a bit gassy. I kept thinking she had a dirty diaper only to check and find nothing. At one point I made the mistake of using the word "fart". She thought it was HILARIOUS and decided it should be the word of the day and proceeded to say it over and over and over.

There was just one problem with this little development ... coming from HER little mouth ... well ... let's just say, it somehow rhymed with duck.

Yeah ... not good.

We shall henceforth, be using the word "toot" when discussing flatulence.

I'm sure you understand.

Then today the girls and I were watching The Little Mermaid.

Can I just tell you that I LOVE the music in that one.

I am talking puffy pink hearts!

So, of COURSE I was singing along.

Until Hattie scooted over to my side, sweetly cuddled up next to me, put one gentle hand on my cheek and plopped the other one over my mouth. She looked me dead in the eyes and said "No Mommy. Stop ... that's not pretty".

And to think ... I have spent the last 3 and a half years praying for this child to find her voice.

Five Years Of You

2009-11-02T18:08:00.002-05:00

Five years ago today a car pulled into our driveway and a lady that we would never see again stepped out and brought a gift to our door.

A gift that would change our lives forever.

That would make our dreams come true and fulfill a promise from long ago.

A promise made by God, Himself.

And because every good and perfect thing comes from Him, we knew that she had to have come straight from Heaven.

And since that very first moment, every single moment to follow has been an adventure that we would not trade for anything on this earth.

Happy Hattie Day sweet girl.

You are so very, very loved!

They Came, They Saw, They Collected Some Candy

2009-11-01T20:55:00.002-05:00

We had big plans for Halloween ... plans that included a LOT of relaxing and taking it very easy. However, starting with the tub that would not hold water AT ALL and then moving on to the leak under the kitchen sink ... let's just say the house had other plans!

By the time we were done with all of that (or, should I say, HUBBY was done with all of that), our time was seriously limited!

We had planned to go to my in-law's house for trick or treating (our street is NOT very conducive to such things) and a pizza party. But first we had pumpkins to carve!

Now, my man is a jack-o-lantern GENIUS! He can carve a seriously good pumpkin. We actually have a BOOK of stencils ... a book that could NOT be found this year.

So I did what any good wife would do.

I googled it!

Sadly, short of giving out info I was not willing to part with or money I was even LESS willing to part with, the choices were severely limited!!!

We did find this guy though ...

And, ya know, it's the GREAT PUMPKIN!!!

Which is good since it's the ONLY one we had time to carve!

And that is OK, because we had more important things to think about ...

We had one very sweet puppy to groom

And one ultra cute mouse to primp

And even though they REFUSED to pose politely ...

... and the camera refused to cooperate so that I could get something - ANYTHING - better to show you, we still had a blast.

They loved trick or treating.

They LOVED getting loved on by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

They loved the good food at Grandma's house.

And they LOVED being the belles of the ball.

So, all in all, it was a very good Halloween ...

...even though we did not get even one single grape tootsie roll pop.

And that my friends, is just stinkin wrong!

Halloween ... Never Quite What You Hoped For ...

2009-10-30T09:36:00.004-04:00

Let me just start right off saying that I do realize that there are Christians out there who do not do the whole Halloween thing. And I respect that. I, however, choose to allow my children to celebrate it. Now, we don't do scary costumes or anything demonic. We don't celebrate the evil, but we DO partake of the the FUN!

That being said, my sweet friend Mary, over at Giving Up On Perfect, is havin herself a little giveaway in celebration of Halloween. She's lookin for stories of a less than perfect Halloween.

And I have a few of those...

There was the time, in elementary school, that I dressed as a hobo for the Halloween parade. Less than halfway in, the blanket I was using to make myself look round, began trailing out of my pants... it was NOT pretty! By the end I was one VERY deflated hobo who could keep herself warm at a moment's notice!

Or, how about the time in high school that I dressed as a pregnant housewife. Complete with rollers, basketball belly and a facial mask ... that I wore all day ... resulting in a horrendous breakout for the next 2 weeks. And, to top it all off, I was one of VERY few people who dressed up.

Or, what about the time I dressed as a doctor. That in itself is OK, except for the fact that I was working in a daycare at the time and we took a little field trip to go trick-or-treating ... at a nursing home. You try walking around a nursing home dressed in scrubs and see how pathetic you feel after no less than 57 elderly people beg you for assistance with this, that or the other thing and you have NO idea how to help them... OH, the guilt!

THEN there was the Hattie's first Halloween with us - she was 1 and 1/2 and we had found the cutest little fairy princess costume, practiced saying trick or treat a thousand times (and it STILL sounded nothing like it, but she sure LOOKED cute tryin!) and bought her a fantabulous little basket to collect our ... er, I mean HER ... goodies. We were so ready for a great time. Til she woke up from nap with a fever of 102.

Stink!

So, we just sat on the driveway giving candy away to OTHER people's kids.

However ...

... she sure looked cute doin it!!!

Finally, there was Sophie's first Halloween. We had the cutest little kangaroo costume for her to wear. BUT, Hattie thought the costume was HER toy and screamed so long and so loud that all we got was this one picture ...

... but she sure looked cute tryin it on!

Then again, we've had a few GOOD times at Halloween too ...

And, seriously, don't they look cute?!?!

Fierce Like That

2009-10-28T20:49:00.005-04:00

So, today I noticed a very strong smell in my home.

A smell emanating from one VERY cute little rumpus.

I tried to ignore the smell for as long as possible, but it just would NOT go away.

Finally I looked at Sophie and decided to get to the bottom of the stench.

(get it, bottom ... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! ... Oh, come ON, that was funny!)

(Ahem ... never mind)

Here is how the conversation went down.

Me: Buggie, did you poo?

Sophie: Piaper? (that would be diaper)

Me: You need a new diaper?

Sophie: Yeah

Me: Are you stinky?

Sophie: Fo shizzle!

Really?

Fo shizzle?

Who am I raising here?

Whoever she is, she is FIERCE!

Cinderella Is Gonna Need A New Ride

2009-10-27T20:50:00.003-04:00

The other day as I was taking Hattie out for the bus I noticed that the sun was hitting the changing leaves on the trees in such a way that the leaves literally looked like they were on fire ...

Stunning, isn't it?

And, I am tellin you, these photos are completely untouched!

Those colors?

That vibrance?

That ART?

It is ALL GOD, my friends, all God!

On Saturday, Hattie and I were returning from the ER and I noticed that there was a rogue squirrel hanging around the fall decorations on our lawn. Upon closer inspection it looked like he (or she?) had been pickin at one of the pumpkins. There were a few scratch marks at the top.

By Monday morning the entire top of the pumpkin had been removed and it's contents thoroughly picked through.

This afternoon I noticed that he had started on a second pumpkin. The very top of it had been picked loose. I thought I would take a picture of it but when I came inside I found that the camera batteries were dead.

Before I could get new batteries in, I got a little distracted. Finally, after about an hour, I got out there, camera in hand, and found this...

It had gone from a few picks at the top...

...to completely mangled...

...in just ONE HOUR!

Yeah, at this rate, Cinderella is gonna need a new ride fo sho!!

This Mom Thing Is A ROLLER COASTER!!

2009-10-26T12:39:00.004-04:00

Full of ups and downs, ins and outs and even a few twists and turns.

But, one this is for sure, it is NEVER boring!

(here is where I would normally break out the pictures and tell you a story ... sadly, once again, I had a download mishap and lost a WHOLE MESS of pictures. Which would ALSO explain the lack of Project 365 post yesterday! DERN!)

But, ever the resilient story teller, I will make due with some not so new pics.

Because, really, what is a post without a little bit of THIS ...

Or this ...

I mean, come on, it's not like y'all come here for the WORDS or anything!!!

So, back to the roller coaster ...

Just within the last week, I have had a whirlwind of emotions due to this whole motherhood extravaganza! For instance ...

Sophie has most assuredly hit the two's. I hesitate to call them the "terrible" 2's, but there are moments!!!

Like the time she tore ALL of the stuffing out of her Tinkerbell pillow that her Auntie Weezer made for her.

Or the time that she thought that she would "help" me with my Bible study and fill in a few pages for me.

Or that lovely time (or seven) when she decided that she did NOT need clothes on and that I was taking a little too long to get her out of bed. So, I found her buck nekked waiting for me when I got back there.

However, it's not all bad, this turning two thing. It brings with it a great many Blessings. The vocabulary, for example, is SUCH a joy.

Sophie is a born narrator. She tells us everything she's doing AS she does it.

She bounces on her sisters bed, all the while calling out "I bountTHing" (she has a bit of a lisp, or JUMPS in her bed crying out "I jumping"! But, my favorite (and least favorite all at the same time) is, as she dances around the room she says "I dancing" - except, somehow, dancing sounds more like a word that rhymes with "wexy" and it STILL freaks me ... out every single time!

And, then, just this morning we were watching Cinderella. The mean step sisters had left for the ball after tearing our girl's dress to shreds. The Fairy Godmother had not shown up yet and Cinderella was crying in the garden. Sophie pointed at the screen and said "she sad". I agreed that, yes, she was, indeed, crying. Sophie JUMPS off the couch, runs to the TV and pats the screen and asks "why you sad Lella?" But Cinderella just kept crying, so she stood up on her tippy toes, kissed the screen and said "all bettew". During this time the Godmother had arrived and was fixing everything, so Cinderella had become happy again. I think, for Sophie's sake, we'll just let her keep thinking it was her sweet words and kiss that did the trick!

Yes, being Sophie's mommy is an adventure.

But, being Hattie's mommy is just as much of a roller coaster, if - at times - not more so!

Friday I got a call from school telling me that our girl had fallen during therapy and whacked her face on the floor. they told me that she seemed to be OK and was acting fine. Since it was just over an hour before she would be home we decided to let her finish the day and come home. And, except for the rug burn across her nose, cheek and eye, she did seem fine. She played well, ate well and fought with her sister just like normal. So much so that we decided to go through with previous plans.

So, we went to a home group meeting that we are starting at church for adoptive families. I am SO excited about this group, I can hardly stand it!!! Then, about 8:30/8:45 Hattie started acting very lethargic and listless. It was past her bedtime on a Friday night so I didn't think much of it. We came home and I took her temp to be safe. Normal. I asked her if her face hurt, she said it did and that her tummy hurt too. And then a little bit later she vomited.

I went into panic mode. A couple of things went through my mind - either we had just exposed a whole bunch of people (including 2 newborns and a 7mo old) to the flu OR she had a concussion. I dreaded BOTH possibilities. But, as soon as she had thrown up she started acting fine again. She played on the couch for an hour (so I could keep an eye on her) before I decided that she was OK and put her to bed. Just to be safe I woke her up a few times through the night to be SURE she was OK.

She woke up Saturday and was herself again. She played with the cats - and, by "play", I mean she made their lives miserable! - danced around the room and chased her sister to get her bedtime bear back. Normal. Until about an hour later when she suddenly started vomiting again.

After speaking with Hubby's sister ( who is a nurse) and the pediatrician's office, it was decided that we should take Hattie in to have her checked out. So, Hattie and I went to the ER. Normally, any mention of medical personnel or their facilities bring out a panic attack in our girl - there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth involved! But, this time, when I told her where we were going, all she said was "doctor check my belly and my nose and my eye?" She knew exactly why we were going and she went willingly.

She vomited one more time just before we left - more of dry heave though since she had pretty much emptied her tummy. Then, on our way out the door, she grabbed her water bottle out of the fridge. By the time we got to the ER, she had downed the water, was BEGGING me for food and had transformed into a chatty kathy doll.

The fact that she played with the nurse who took her vitals and ANSWERED ALL OF THE DOCTOR'S QUESTIONS is a miracle in and of itself!

Once the doc had assessed the situation, it was decided that the vomiting was in no way related to the fall. Nor did she have a flu or other virus - she never had a fever through the whole ordeal - and I checked quite a few times and she was in NO way acting like she was sick. So, he thinks that she may have had a VERY mild case of food poisening or other GI track situation that, once out of her system, she was fine. We were advised to watch her carefully and sent on our merry way. When we got home she helped herself to her sister's cheetos and fritos (healthy snack, I know ...), downed another bottle of water and emptied half a pack of graham crackers. And, I figure, if all of THAT can stay down, she must be OK.

And, I was right. She never had another problem all weekend. In fact anytime I asked her if her face or belly hurt, she said "NOPE, all better!".

And THAT is a prayer answered right there!

I do have a few picture from the church Harvest party that I managed to save. Once they are edited I will post those for you. I also have a few fall color shots for you too. So, stay tuned...

How much fun is THIS?

2009-10-15T10:32:00.001-04:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Happy Halloween!!!

Project 365 - weeks 39 and 40

2009-10-04T11:36:00.006-04:00

One more week of pictures ... unless you count the fact that last week I was a tad bit lazy, so this week you get TWO weeks of pictures!

I know, you can thank me later!

Here we go!

Monday - Hubby's birthday - and, ya know, he needed a little help with the candles!

Tuesday - Sophie FINALLY let me play with her hair ... I think she likes it! What do you think?

Wednesday - Yeah, so I'm gettin old and need these babies to help me read.

(yeah, you can stop laughin now, thanks!)

Thursday - We were Blessed with a BEAUTIFUL sunrise ... thank You God!

(He's quite the artist, no?)

Friday - Hubs asked what I needed from Costco.

I said "butter please".

Pretty sure we won't need it again for a while.

(PS - the milk jug is there to give you a little perspective on how stinkin big the butter tub is)

Saturday - Sophie's first smoothie ... she is a fan!

Sunday - Laundry ... have I ever explained to you how very much I dislike sorting and folding socks?

Yeah.

Monday - She likes to get down to eye level with the cat ...

... and if you could just NOT notice how dirty that red carpet it, that would be swell.

Tuesday - Hattie likes playin in Daddy's new chair blind - hope this doesn't mean she's gonna want to go hunting too!

Wednesday - We had a playdate and the girls dressed up - how stinkin cute is my girl?!

Thursday - She was very tired after playing at Bible Study so she got a little lazy eating her lunch.

And, yes, that IS a chip in her hair.

Cause we're just classy like that!

Friday - OK, I somehow lost the picture for this day, so you get these of my sweet girls in their finest princess garb (Thank you Grandma Jeanie!) that were actually taken on Saturday. And the one of Hattie was taken with my cell phone, sorry.

Saturday - Homecoming!! Our niece Kayla and our not-quite-but-close-enough-niece Jessica were STUNNING!

This is why the LITTLE girls were in THEIR princess dresses - they had to fit in with the BIG girls!

So, tell me, how was YOUR week?

(Stop by Sara's place for more!)

Be Still My Mama's Heart ...

2009-10-03T10:40:00.004-04:00

She couldn't stop at turning two ...

She just has to keep growing up.

How is this mama's heart supposed to deal with the fact that my sweet baby girl is less and less of a baby every time I turn around?

Here is a rundown of all of the big girl things that Sophie is doing these days:

*She talks more and more every day - not just gibberish anymore, real live big kid words.

*She counts - by herself - to 14.

*She knows her alphabet.

*She RECOGNIZES all single digit numbers, upper and lowercase letters and can even tell me what sounds some of those letters make.

*She knows, and makes known, what she does and does not want to wear. (To the point that, at times, I have resorted to hiding the princess dresses)

*She is becoming more and more picky about what she eats - so NOT excited about THIS transition!!

*She is becoming more and more picky about what she drinks - so NOT complaining about this one since, usually, she wants water!

*She is becoming more and more helpful all the time - including helping to put things away (even in the right places!) when it's time!

And now, the really BIG transformation that seems to be taking place ....

She is asking to sit on the potty.

But not the little potty that has been sitting in the bathroom since the one time she asked many months ago.

No, our girl wants to sit on the REAL potty.

The porcelain one that her little bum wants to fall through. (Thank you to Mrs. Barby for the fishy ring that keeps her from goin down!)

She has yet to actually GO on the potty, but she is becoming aware enough to want to be changed as soon as she HAS gone in her diaper. And every time she is changed she wants to "go potty".

So, this weekend we are moving the diaper station into the bathroom as the first step in our official potty training journey.

Now, my REGULAR method of potty training is "all panties, all the time" with little to no exceptions. However, because we are quickly moving into the cold fall and winter months here in the Frozen North, I may have to alter that system a bit.

And, truthfully, I am not at all sure how to do that.

So ... looks like it might be time for MAMA to do a bit of growing too.

Once Upon A Time ...

2009-09-26T09:38:00.009-04:00

... two very sweet fairy princesses went in search of an enchanted forest.

Because, being the very lovely and WISE princesses that they are, Princess Sophie ...

...and Princess Hattie...

... knew that they would find wonders beyond their wildest dreams in that forest.

As well as tables set for royalty!

They knew they would find beauty there and that it would be decorated in royal finery fit for a very special party. A party designed by a very special mommy for her VERY special girl.

Because, you see, Sweet Princess Isabelle Rose...

... was turning THREE!!

And it was LOVELY indeed!!!

On top of princesses of all shapes and sizes, they also found one lovely caterpillar ...

... and one tiny, but oh so handsome, little Prince - His Royal Highness, Judah Paul!

**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

Now, being the mommy that I am, I decided that, since my girls were all dressed up, I would try to get some pictures of them in their finery.

Hattie (in need of a haircut) was NOT cooperating and this was the best that I could get.

I swear, this kid knows when there is a camera present even if I am utilizing a zoom from across the room - or, ya know, FIELD!!!

Sophie, on the other hand, was a little easier to get. So, even though my camera was actin all wonkity wonk and refused to behave, I was able to get a couple of shots.

Just try not to notice that the wings are on upside down, m'kay?!