goodbye 2007

Hope everyone had a safe and happy new year...just a few memories from our 2007...

Merry Christmas!!

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Happy Birthday Baby!!

What a difference a year makes!

Ice. Ice. Ice.

Watching all the news about the poor people in Oklahoma prompted me to finish this layout. That was us one year ago. Ice everywhere inches on inches. It was so heavy you could hear the branches breaking on the trees and falling to the ground. The ice would break - its a noise I still haven't forgotten. We spent nine days away from our home. This time we are a little more prepared should something happen again. The baby was only a month old which made it even harder. We spent some time with Billy and Barbara and they took such good care of us. We really did enjoy the time there. It made the situation a little more bearable.

traditions...

With N getting bigger this year I really wanted to start making our own traditions. He is remembering so much now and I really want him to have good memories of our family time. So this past weekend starting with Thanksgiving - was all about traditions. We started Thanksgiving with Christmas music and baking. I had my apron on and he wanted to wear one. The closest I had was his little carpenter apron but it worked just fine. He loves to help me cook and I was thrilled to have him help for such a special day. We peeled apples for apple crisp and stuffing and he put the sugar in - his most favorite thing to help with. I think it resembles sand and digging so he is really into that. We spent the majority of the day at D's parents. We had a lot of fun! We ate, played games and really enjoyed the company. We spent Saturday in the "city" visiting Santa and then it was off to Build A Bear to build the new Rudolph and Clarice. The little miss had so much fun. I wasn't sure she would want to but she didn't skip a beat. It was so fun to watch her enjoy something so much! I'm hoping to repeat that next year!! Hope everyone had as wonderful holiday as we did!!

Letters to Santa...

So every year the park here in our little town puts up a mailbox where the kids can send their letters to Santa. We've been talking to N about writing to Santa and when he found his "big" pen that uncle war gave him he decided it was time. That is his actual letter in the LO. I had the video I wanted to upload but I'm blog challenged tonight so I'll try again later! Last year he "got" Santa but this year he really "gets" Santa. He has been so much fun I can hardly wait for Christmas! We set the tree up after they went to bed the other night. He thought it was pretty cool and all of sudden he has been telling us it is winter time now. He was really into my nativity set and he wanted me to tell him the story about 100 times which is even better that he is starting to get why we really have Christmas - that part is the neatest. He is even getting good at telling me the story of Jesus...too much fun!!

It finally happened!

She actually took two steps the night of Halloween but I wasn't quick enough with the camera. I've had it ready for a week because I knew it was coming. Today she took a few more and I was lucky enough to catch it. We'll all be in trouble when she really gets it down!! Have a great weekend!!

Happy Halloween!!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy halloween!!

feeding the cats...

These are our "third" set of parents and the kids grandparents. They moved away and we all miss them very much. Me and the kids go over to their house and feed the barn cats and everytime we go the little guy has to go inside and walk through the house to check and see if they are there and everytime he comes around the corner into the kitchen and says- "Mommy, I don't think they're here." So Barbara and Billy if you're reading he wants you to know the cats are fine and he misses you both very much!!!

For Ella

The little guy enjoyed Ellas storytime so much he wanted to share his favorite with her....

Tea for Two

The little guy had a playdate with miss LP the other day. He was so excited to have her come over he must have asked 100 times that morning when she was going to get there. When she finally did arrive they went to his room to play. LP's mom is my good friend so she stayed and we visited (she also has a baby the same age as the little miss). Anyway we're in the living room and he comes out and goes straight to the kitchen and I hear the chair slide over to the sink and the faucet comes on. I walked into the kitchen and he was filling up his mickey mouse pitcher and two little cups of water. He said LP needed a drink. He was being quite the host. So I go to his room and the entire table is set - utensils and all and he tells me they are having a tea party. So being who I am I run to get the camera and after about 3 minutes of me taking photos he gives me this look as says - "that's enough mom - you can go." He is growing up way too fast. We took the kids to the park to take some photos and it was finally cool enough to wear long sleeves. So I'll leave you with our first shot of fall....

1 down...

This is the first layout I have had time to get done since we came home. It will probably be the first of a very long cacation album. This was one of my favorite memories from the trip. N loved the Shamu show and Shamu. He fell in love with the whales and it was so fun to watch him enjoy it. He didn't take his eyes off them the entire time. They "call" Shamu at one point in the show with these arm actions and he didn't skip a beat. These are the photos of him calling Shamu. It was way too cute and so much fun. He still talks about it and we found a "shamu cam" on Sea Worlds website that you can see Shamu. He thinks that is pretty neat!!

Happy Birthday

Hope your day is wonderful!! Wish we could be there to celebrate with you!!! Happy 4th!

Holy teeth Batman!!!

Our little girl LOVES to be upside down. I call her my little possum because if she can get her head flipped over she will - whether you're ready or not! So she was hanging upside down on my lap and she gave me a huge smile and I counted FOUR teeth coming in on top all about to break through!! After bringing her back upright I spotted one coming in on the bottom. Poor thing is a little cranky but that will sure make our transition from the bottle a whole lot easier. And I have to share a conversation I had with the little guy a month or so ago - I kept meaning to blog it so I could scrapbook it later and still remember but never got around to it so if you've heard this you can now skip to the next paragraph - We were at the gas station and we were getting a treat - I picked up some Ding Dongs - and the conversation went like this...
N: What are those mommy?
me: They are Ding Dongs - they are little chocolate cakes
N: oh (we leave the store and get to the car - he gets buckled in and says to me:
Mommy - I'm ready for my doorbell now.
Me and D still laugh about that. He was so matter of fact about and it was adorable!
Ok now for my photo of the week:


This is the FIRST I repeat the FIRST photo I have of the kids together. We were getting ready for church and they just started playing - thankfully my camera was close by cause it didn't last long. I like to look at this photo and pretend that he is lovingly giving her a hug but the next few shots that followed would tell a different story....think I'll delelte those!!!

Stroller Bandit

I was going through our vacation photos and I ran across these pictures. We were walking through Sea World and past a "show" where a bunch of strollers were parked. This little guy was literally hopping from stroller to stroller. He finally landed on this one and tore a hole right through the mesh in the pocket, through the baggie and was eating whatever it was that was in there. It was pretty funny. Here we were at "Sea World" and I'm taking photos of a squirrel!! Anyway thought it deserved some space on the blog!! So without further ado - The Stroller Bandit......

four and counting...

It hardly seems four years have past since we said "I Do". It has been a wonderful adventure and I couldn't have asked for a better companion to share it. This was one of my most favorite photos from that day. Between family, church, work and life in general quiet moments like these are rare. I love having this memory to remind me how special those moments are. Over these past four years we have gone from individuals to a couple and most importantly a family. I love you babe - happy anniversary!!!

But Why???

But why? I must get asked that question 45 times a day! Don't get me wrong - I love that the little guy is curious and I love that he wants to "know" everything but EVERYTHING???? We spent 45 minutes discussing why they have the little ledges on big trucks that go up and down automatically - every explanation I gave was followed by - "but why not just jump off the truck?" It's crazy and fun. He is also into everything and everyone has to have a name - I am constantly making up names for complete strangers because he is always asking - "what's his name?". We have been going non stop for most of August and the better part of September. I had the opportunity to shoot a wedding in Nauvoo which was just amazing. The temple there is so beautiful I can't hardly imagine how hard it was to leave behind. As you leave Nauvoo you can see it from far away - it sits up on a hill overlooking the river and I just kept thinking about the saints watching the temple getting smaller and smaller as they were leaving and thinking how heavy their hearts must have been. I had the chance to walk around the town that has been restored and Parley street--the street where the saints walked down to cross the river and leave Nauvoo. The feeling and spirit were so strong there I can't even describe it - it was very humbling and left me very grateful for their faithfulness and for the sacrifices they made to preserve this precious gospel we live and enjoy today. It was an experience I won't soon forget. I hope to return with my family and spend some more time there. Here are some photos from my short 36 hour stay there.....


Just one day after coming home from Nauvoo we boarded a plane for our first official family vacation. I don't think it was possible for us to have more fun than we did. We just played and played and 7 days and 700+ pictures later we came home. I think the kids favorite was Shamu but Micky ran a close second. The little guy finally got to meet the "real" Lightening McQueen and I have to admit it was pretty cool. Disney is indeed a "magical" place!! Thanks dad for a great trip!! We can't wait to do it again! So I couldn't pick just a few pics to share so if you really want to see pics from our trip check the bar at the right for all the fun stuff we did! Hope everyone is well and hopefully I'll stay back on track from now on!!

new found freedom....

That’s right. She has figured out that she is mobile and that she is in control. Crawling and pulling herself up all in a matter of days. Maybe that means she hold off on the walking for a while because she is a lot quicker than me right now – its good to have a pair of extra hands that don’t mind taking stuff away from her. He better watch out when she goes from four to two cause she just might be able to catch him…Speaking of catching, I think I should have named the little guy timex. We went for a walk the other night and I swear he fell 236 times. He just kept getting up and kept right on walking. He didn’t even slow down for a second. After being around only sisters, I am still getting used to living with a little boy – the dirt he collects is unreal. It has defiantly been a great adventure and I am loving every bit of it. Speaking of adventures I had one in parenting the other day. I had just got the little one to sleep (after a struggle) and I walk into the living room just as he is winding up to throw his cars at the window. I wasn’t quick enough. So I told him he had to sit on the couch. I found a binky and picked it up and LIGHTLY tossed it to him hitting him right in the forehead – he pipes up and this is exact – “that wasn’t very nice – that’s not how we do it. You come here right now and hand it to me nicely.” I deserved that after I had just put him on the couch for throwing, I started laughing and he started laughing and after we stopped I apologized to him and took that as an opportunity about everyone making mistakes and learning from them. Hopefully we both learned a little from that but it’s nice to know he hears me even when he doesn’t listen….good night!

prediction...

so since the little miss arrived we've been speculating eye color and such. Her eyes have changed so much and they've been a bit of everything. After going through these pictures I'm finally ready to make my absolute prediction on her future. I'm predicting green eyes and red hair. She may end up looking a bit like her aunt C!

fairytales....

n: I'm going to tell you a story.
me: ok what is it about?
n: me and mommy. are you ready?
me: yes
n: ponce a time me and mommy went to town.
me: then what happened?
n: we went shopping at walmart!
me: what were we shopping for?
n: a nemo toy!! Lets go mommy!!!

He's pretty quick - he also thinks there is no where else to shop except walmart - we should be in a commercial!!! Congrats CP welcome to blogging!! Visit her here: my chocloate frogs

Christmas....in July

So the whole “Christmas in July” saying – I know where that came from. It came from a mother not unlike myself. She ran into a great deal at disney.com in May and bought a bunch of stuff. When it arrived in June she promptly put it in the closet telling her husband for weeks she really needed to move the stuff she bought to a better hiding place. Well all June all she did was talk…then one day in July she was unsuspectingly changing the diaper of her little one when she heard ecstatic squeals of joy coming form the other room. Squeals much like you might hear on Christmas morning. She knew there could only be one reason for such excitement in the middle of July. Her little boy had just hit the jackpot. Quick thinking as she was she tried to explain that Santa sometimes drops toys off early so it makes his sleigh lighter and he can fly quicker and we should probably put them back so he doesn’t wonder where they are. He stared at her with a look on his face and she knew he wasn’t buying it. So she did what only a mother could do – she had Christmas in July.....

a little late....

It’s funny how memories and events stay so close in your mind that they feel like they happened only yesterday. I kept thinking all day yesterday that it seemed like only a short time ago that the little man was born and we were sitting in the hospital room anxiously awaiting his arrival. Now he has become this handsome little boy and I am not sure where the time has gone. It amazes me the things he knows and how fast he is learning. After his party last weekend I grabbed a piece of cake and the two of us went out front and with two spoons in hand had a little birthday conversation. It was such a special moment and I am so grateful to be his mom. Anyway - I wanted to finish this layout last night but I was just too tired. So here ya go buddy a little late but not with less love…. Happy Birthday!!!

And with a birthday I wanted to get a shoot in this afternoon (last year we took bday photos 2 months late). The light was so great I had to take a few of the little miss. Here are my two favorites. I’ll leave you with those and say goodnight!

credits

happy

Could there be a happier boy? We gave him the “big scoop” that we bought 4 months ago for his birthday. He was pretty excited and he has been riding it all morning. Too much fun. We took him to Chuck E Cheese for a birthday lunch so he has had a big day. And of course we let him think the fireworks were just for him and his big day. A few pictures to share so I’ll just get right to it…have a great night!!!!

credits

Favorite Page

this has got to qualify as one of my favorite pages to date....

credits

Teeth

Just in case you missed it in the other pictures....


frame

HELP!!

I want to get this photo blown up BIG - trying to decide which one....any suggestions???

credits here

CATch up

WOW!! Has it really been that long??? So much has happened and I’m a little slow getting to it. So much for keeping things current eh? I guess I’ll let the pictures do the talking tonight….

We’ve had major rain which led to this….

We adopted two kittens which led to this….

That led to the two kittens finding a new home. There is a reason that little boys should not play with small animals. This was after the kittens were promptly named Harrison and Gracie and had gone for a brief swim in one of the puddles from the rain, jumped on the trampoline, been carried by their tails and been given countless hugs and kisses. Just in case you were wondering - the kitten was promptly removed right after I snapped the photo(how could I resist). Anyway we decided that Harrison and Gracie would probably be better off in a new home. And I can’t hardly believe our little one reached the halfway mark through her first year. This occasion led to these….

And finally the most exciting – she sprouted two new teeth - which prompted these….(you have to look close but they are there!!)

Have a great night! credits here

Frog Ride

So I have decided that I have emotionally scarred my child for life with the following sequence of events:

Me to the little guy: See the fun frog ride? Won't that be fun to go on? The frog will hop and mommy and k will ride with you!! It will be fun don't you think?? Enter the giant frog....

Not so scary to the naked eye. This frog as innocent as he looks was actually quite scary as you see from the following photos. Getting on the ride we were happy. When the ride started going we were still happy although a little concerned and all happy thoughts went right out the window the second that green frog started hopping!!!

He was holding that silver bar so tight I thought we were going to have to pay for it because I wasn't going to be able to pry his tiny little fingers off of it!! He spent the next couple of hours denying any and all requests to ride any of the remaining attractions in kid land. I’m afraid hes damaged and I’m afraid its all my fault!!! Next time we’ll start slow – the ladybugs before the gigantic jumping frogs. Parenting lesson #123 learned!

frames: here

Water

This was the scene two weeks before mothers day. After a big rain storm while daddy was out.
So it seems only fitting that this was the scene today -- two weeks before fathers day. After a big rain storm while daddy was home....

The joy of being parents!! Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!!

photo frame here

New Shoes

ever since we went home in march - noah has wanted shoes like harrison - well he finally has some. he had his choice of black, blue and neon green. as a boy who LOVES green you can guess which he chose. at least i'll be able to spot him in a crowd or far away-maybe he'll glow in the dark! we picked them up last night at Joanns fabric of all places and I don't think hes taken them off. the best part about them is HE can take them on and off. huge time saver for me when we are getting ready to head out!! He wore them to the playground today and he looked so big. And who told him he could WALK across the monkey bars???? when did he get so big?
photo frames here

multitasker

Can this girl multi task or what?? I am amazed every day at how fast she is growing - shes only been here a short time but it feels like we were never without her. At one point she actually had four rings but I failed to be quick enough to get the shot. Noah is finally getting more interactive with her - he really wants her to be "big" enough to play. Things may get really interesting when she learns to crawl - which may not be too far away judging from the way she watches him and EVERYTHING he does. We had a busy memorial holiday and managed to get some things done. Can't believe its almost JUNE - where does the time go????

photo cluster by nancy comelab

may wrap up...

heres a little wrap up of our month. I am going to try and get one done every month and then make an album that will have memories from our whole year! n got to go golfing today he had a blast as always. as you can tell from above we had a very busy month and are expecting the rest of the summer to be just as busy - lots of fun things planned. hoping to get to SDC sometime soon!! have a great memorial weekend!!!

credits: katie pertiet at designer digitals

Summertime

so this was the conversation:

n: mommy is it summer?

me: yes its summer.

n: lets go swim!!

so it was off to walmart. $20 and 2 hours later we were in the pool and we've been swimming ever since. it was a little chilly when we filled it up but after a day of baking in the sun it was just perfect. that kid absolutely loves the water. he would stay in there all day if we let him. he wanted A to swim and i had to explain to him that she is still too little for that. the rain will probably keep us out of the pool for a little bit. between the pool and the trampoline we may never leave the backyard....

credits for layout: nancy comelab (photo cluster) shabby princess (word strips) stitching, elements, word art and paper (digital design essentials)

Its time..

guess its time i got involved in the blog world. hope this will keep everyone up to date on our little world and things that are going on. heres the latest from us and our latest adventure with the little guy...

photo frame from Nancy Comelab @ www.the-lilypad.com