Too Fast..

My kids are growing up much too quickly. Today Little Man was up and showered by 8:15. And not only was he showered, he had his hair neatly combed and he was getting ready to hairspray it so it would stay looking so nice. He had me help him as he got dressed in his Sunday best. And he looked good! Complete with red bow tie. I told him he was getting big, and his reply was, "I know I am getting old." I giggled.

In just a few weeks he is going to be seven. It seems like just yesterday he was so little. And in this picture he is eighteen months, and Little Miss is six days old. And a whopping five pounds.

Even since I took the picture of the munchkins, which is now almost two years old they have grown and changed so much. My Little Kids are becoming Big Kids. They are independent. They are silly, they are fun. They are reading. They are each others best friends. They are the most wonderful children a Mom could ask for. I just want them to stay little. To be this size again. To not be so darn grown up. How did I get so lucky to be their Mother?

Saturday Gratitude

Today I am grateful for my husband. He willingly pitches in and helps get the house in order on Saturday. I am grateful for his help and the example he is. He went to the mall with the kids and I today. That is something I know he doesn't love to do, but he did it. He doesn't like the crowds or the shopping, or the fact that I made him try on clothes today. But he did it with a smile. I am grateful that he supports me and all of my hair brained ideas, and doesn't laugh at me when they don't work quite right. I am grateful to be married to my best friend, who is totally hot. I am grateful for a husband who is patient with me when I am running around taking pictures, editing, and doing everything just wild and crazy. I am grateful for my husband being a worthy Priesthood holder. He is the best father I know. He is my hero.

Memories

We went to Grandpa's funeral last month. The funeral was a month ago yesterday, and I have yet to share pictures of this event. Grandpa's funeral was wonderful, he lived a good life. And it was nice to have family together to celebrate the life of Grandpa.
All of the Grandsons were Pall Bearers.Grandma and her four boys.All of the family that was at the funeral. That is quite a crew, and we are missing at least 10 people.Grandma with my kiddos. She is just wonderful! I love how kind and sweet she was with my children, especially on a day as hard as this. She took time to make them feel so special. They are still talking about Great Grandma!Little Miss and Grandma. Randy's cousin Tim, Grandma and Randy. They had wanted their other cousin Kevin with them, but he had already left.
And the flowers at the grave. It was beautiful. How blessed we are to have the plan of salvation. To know that families are forever. And to have families.

Projects.. projects.. projects..

Somehow I decided to decorate my house a lot. I started with Little Miss and her bedroom. Which I need like two more things in it and it will be done and I will show you. I want it finished. And then my living room. I need to recover a chair, refinish a couple of items, and spray paint and it will be done-ish. I think I might need paint but that is still up in the air. And my kitchen is close to being a least a little done. And then there is Little Man's room. If you saw both of my children's room you would be sure that we simply don't care what his room looks like at all. We sold his big loft bed he has had for 5 years. And we managed to sell it for what we paid for it. He now has a Queen size bed. And he needs bedding that is fun, and him. I am on a mission, but I am hoping that a sale comes quickly so I can buy him the bedding he loves. And get his room put together too.

I have several projects and not nearly enough time to get them done. I am hoping to have them done in the next two weeks. My parents come then and I want them done so they can see all of my hard work. We'll see. And I cannot wait to show everyone, but I like to have my projects finished before I show them. Be on the lookout.

Feeling Thankful

I love November. I love Thanksgiving. I like that we have a holiday to give Thanks. Today I am thankful that my children are out of school early. I get to have a little extra time to play with them. I get to eat lunch with them. And we can snuggle and have a nice afternoon. I am thankful I am their Mother.

Tuesday.. Tuesday..

It's cloudy. It's cold. It is Tuesday.
Today I went to the gym.
I volunteered in Little Man's classroom.
I helped a few friends.
I ate lots of candy.
I edited pictures.
I thought about recovering my chair.
I thought about spray painting my lamp.
I thought about sanding my table and dresser.
I giggled with Tiffany on the phone.
I played with Adobe Lightroom.
I cleaned out part of my van, mostly the candy wrappers.
I ate more candy.
I played with Little Miss before school.
I fixed her hair four times before school.
I made Little Man smile when I walked in his class.
I received the best hug from him for being there.
I giggled that people might think Randy really refereed a game. (But that was a good look alike!)

Today is a good day. I have done several things I wanted to.. and thought about doing more. And I might get a few more things done yet.

Happy Tuesday.

Go Pacers!!

Saturday night we went to watch the Pacers vs. the Nets. I was so excited!! It was my very first NBA game. And I have always loved the NBA, so this was just so awesome! We had seats on the 18th row and I was able to get some great pictures of the night! The Pacers won!! And we had the best time as a family.

This guy is who Little Miss called a Boy-Girl. He was a boy with girl hair, she was quite confused on this. But I was totally digging his hair in the picture.

Vince Carter who plays for the Nets has been around for a while. And these guys were close to us and yelled all the time Vince, Vince, VINCE FARTER! I was giggling.

And I wish this was a little clearer, but Roy Hibbert had an amazing dunk. I was is total awe. And I am happy I captured it.

Then we had some entertainment. Boomer did an awesome dunk. And I have it in three stages.

And Randy got the hook up. He was a guest referee. He enjoyed being yelled at for part of the game.

Jeff Foster shooting a free throw.

My kids wanted to know why the Pacemates forgot their pants. I agree. And last but not least our family enjoying a night out together. We had so much fun and cannot wait to go again. And Little Man was completely enthralled and so excited to cheer on his favorite players. He now wants an NBA themed bedroom. We'll see what we can do about that.

La La La La

Little Man had his first school concert. They sang wonderful nursery rhymes on Thursday night and it was most enjoyable. The gym was CROWDED. And evidently you need to be there well over thirty minutes early to get a seat that is anywhere near up close. And next time I should bring my video camera. It was wonderful. I beamed. My child sang. I couldn't hear him above everyone else like I often do. But he was well behaved, he was so excited. And he did just wonderful. It made my Mommy heart burst.

I took a few pictures from way back.. and they aren't too hot. And I knew they wouldn't be. I haven't even taken a minute to try and make them look better. Oh well. Here is proof for a few people who always think I only take perfect pictures, I don't. But don't let the moment pass you by because it isn't a perfect picture. It is still worthy to be documented even if it is glowy, and not what you were hoping for. It is a memory. And if you look close, on the second row from the top, sixth one in from the left side you will see Little Man. I am happy I have this shot, and so is he.

Things

Things I Have Done.
I saw this on Alissa's Blog.. and I decided to join in. It looked like fun!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a Meteor Shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (also Disneyworld)
8. Climbed a Mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (knitting, photography, many others)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a Lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby x 2
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

That was fun. And I totally need to travel more. Let me know if you join in!

That Boy...

Makes me giggle.

While leaving Texas Roadhouse the other night he looked and saw a handicapped sign for parking. And then realized there was a car in the spot. And practically yelled. Hey Look! They're handicapped! See where they parked!!! He was thrilled that he was aware of this. Us.. we were trying not to giggle so as to not encourage this again. And we quickly explained we shouldn't point out those things, and especially not yell them. And he can talk quietly to us about them, but we are all different and it is okay.

Kids. They make you giggle. They do things that leave you giggling and also totally embarrass you at the same time. Without them life would be so dull.

Do What is Right..

Let the consequence follow..
That is a line from one of my favorite hymns. Today I have been reading about Proposition 8. And I also read about the attacks on our Church, for their support of Proposition 8. And the attacks, the commercials, all of it makes my heart hurt. The commercials attacking our Missionaries. It is wrong.

Marriage is between a man and a woman. The way God ordained it to be.

I am going to include the response from LDS.org on what has been happening.

"Since Proposition 8 was placed on the ballot in June of this year, the citizens of California have considered the arguments for and against same-sex marriage. After extensive debate between those of different persuasions, voters have chosen to amend the California State Constitution to state that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

Voters in Arizona and Florida took the same course and amended their constitutions to establish that marriage will continue to be between a man and a woman.

Such an emotionally charged issue concerning the most personal and cherished aspects of life — family, identity, intimacy and equality — stirs fervent and deep feelings.

Most likely, the election results for these constitutional amendments will not mean an end to the debate over same-sex marriage in this country.

We hope that now and in the future all parties involved in this issue will be well informed and act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility toward those with a different position. No one on any side of the question should be vilified, intimidated, harassed or subject to erroneous information.
It is important to understand that this issue for the Church has always been about the sacred and divine institution of marriage — a union between a man and a woman.

Allegations of bigotry or persecution made against the Church were and are simply wrong. The Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians. Even more, the Church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches.

Some, however, have mistakenly asserted that churches should not ever be involved in politics when moral issues are involved. In fact, churches and religious organizations are well within their constitutional rights to speak out and be engaged in the many moral and ethical problems facing society. While the Church does not endorse candidates or platforms, it does reserve the right to speak out on important issues.

Before it accepted the invitation to join broad-based coalitions for the amendments, the Church knew that some of its members would choose not to support its position. Voting choices by Latter-day Saints, like all other people, are influenced by their own unique experiences and circumstances. As we move forward from the election, Church members need to be understanding and accepting of each other and work together for a better society.

Even though the democratic process can be demanding and difficult, Latter-day Saints are profoundly grateful for and respect the ideals of a true democracy.

The Church expresses deep appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the many Latter-day Saints and others who supported the coalitions in efforts regarding these amendments."

I believe that we should stand up for what we believe in. We should do what is right in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. Their are consequences to all of these things, sometimes positive in the world, and sometimes negative. We are accountable to our Heavenly Father, and that is what truly matters. It is not always easy to stand up. To be a lone voice when so many say something different. I know that even when it is hard or painful we will be blessed for doing what we know to be right.

And before I receive hate mail I don't judge those who choose a different lifestyle than me. I am not a bigot. But I am willing to stand up for what I believe in. To be a voice.

A Little Sad..

I truly wanted McCain to be our next President. And I went to bed sad and feeling a little sick that he lost. However I was not surprised that Obama won. And he ran an amazing campaign. And he won and did a great job on that. I hope that people will show him respect, the way Bush should have been respected. He is the leader of our nation. And I am praying he can find some middle ground to keep the 48% of Americans who voted for McCain happy too.
Congratulation Obama. This is monumental our first African-American President. That is huge.

Things you should know..

I went to the gym today, and had my first real workout in over two months. It felt good. And thanks Kellie for going with me and encouraging me. I did some walking on the treadmill and the elliptical. (Did you know that most people don't clip themselves to the little emergency stop button on the treadmill? Crazy huh? I do. Want to know why? Because I have fallen off of one before. I have crazy skills. Most people aren't like me though.) Since running is out of the picture for a while. And then I did some weights, I am working on getting my knee back to 100%. It is close but still not there. And right now I am feeling it. But it was good. And who doesn't want to run around in tight spandex?

And then it was off to the gas station. My van was on empty.. running on fumes empty. And I was able to make it to the gas station and fill up for get this.. $1.99 a gallon. I spent $35.52 filling up my van. It was over $70 this summer. I had to call my Mom and tell her it was THAT cheap! WOO HOO!

I still need to go vote. I am going as soon as I take Little Miss to Kindergarten. I had thought about taking the kids with me, I thought it could be a great educational experience. But after hearing that Randy waited for 2 1/2 hours to vote, I will go alone with a book or my iPod. I am still undecided on which to take.

It is over 70 degrees this week. I have been told by people that Indiana has bad summers, bad winters.. bad weather. I have yet to see this BAD weather. I mean we did have the tornadoes and crazy lightning storms. But those were sheer entertainment. This reminds me of being in Las Vegas last November. I can wear short sleeves and shorts and I am warm enough. It is awesome.

And lastly Little Man started Basketball last night. He is so happy!!! He did great and it is awesome to watch him. It reminds me of being a kid watching my brother. One of my favorite memories. And Little Miss is starting back up in ballet. I love watching my kids develop their talents and do things they love.

Happy Tuesday.

Get out and vote!

Candy

I thought that I should blog about how I am going to give up sugar, because I love it so much. And really I feel like crap after eating it. And so going sugar free would be good. Not like all sugar but like candy sugar.

As I was contemplating this. I went and looked at my kids stash of candy. They scored with well over 300 pieces of delicious sugary candy. I took a 100 Grand candy bar. Ate it and said nope.. not doing sugar free.

How is that for will power? Amazing. I know.

Concert Fun

Yesterday I decided I really wanted to go a concert I had been thinking on for months. And the concert was yesterday. I looked on Craigslist and bought tickets for us for $15 each. I was pretty happy, especially since they were general admission, so first come first serve standing. And we ended up really close. Are you dying to know who we saw? First we have a self portrait of Randy and I. Because you don't see enough of those right?

We saw Raining Jane. And I totally love them. Love their sound, and for an opening band they totally rocked it. You should check out some of their music if you haven't done so already. And then we listened to Marc Broussard. And honestly I could have done without him. It was fine. But nothing to write home about. And I am not buying any of his music.

And then we were able to see the Headliner, Sara Bareilles. She did such a great job. And I love her sound. She is this fantastic musician. Very talented, and I loved hearing her play piano and sing. It was great. One of my favorite things about this concert is it was a small intimate concert. We were close. They were meeting people after the concert and it was so chill. We didn't stay to meet anyone.. although I totally wanted a picture with Raining Jane. But it was late the babysitter needed to get home and we have kids. But we thoroughly enjoyed the show. And if you get a chance to see Sara or Raining Jane you should. I loved how chill they were. They were so thankful to everyone being there and it was great. And thanks to Randy for being willing to go to a total Chick concert with me. Love ya babe!

Trick Or Treat

The kids were so so so so excited tonight to go Trick or Treating. Every year before this they have always went to Trunk or Treat at Church, and we have never done the neighborhood thing. So this was completely new for them. And they were so excited to do it where they live in their neighborhood. We started with them posing for Mom for a few quick pictures. Here Little Miss is showing off her Princess Leia outfit and her oh so glam Pumpkin. And these next two pictures.. well these are my children in every way. Little Man is happy, but he is never really thrilled to have his sister posing like she does. But he tolerates it. And he gets the biting the cheeks thing from me. Weird. I know. And look closely you can see me in the background.

Finally he was able to be in the limelight. He was happy to show me his crazy light saber skills as Luke Skywalker. He loved his costume! Thanks Beth for letting us borrow these two costumes. My kids think they are the bomb.

And I decided that Princess Leia needed makeup. Little Miss was thrilled. Dad was not. He said it made his blood pressure raise. I however was excited to put mascara on her lashes. Check these babies out. I am jealous. And I had to share how glam she is.

All in all the kids loved every minute of Trick or Treating. They loved running around their neighborhood. I think that is what made it so awesome for them. They loved getting TONS of candy. They loved seeing all of their friends from school. And they had the Halloween I had when I was a kid. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Happy Halloween.

Happy Halloween!

I hope your Halloween is a fun as ours. In preparation we have made yummy treats. And Little Miss was sneaking little tastes the whole time! She learned that from me! They loved making rice crispy treats to look like pumpkins, with tootsie rolls for the stem.

We went to the Pumpkin Patch. Little Man had a hard time choosing, it couldn't be dirty, or lopsided, or wrong looking. But the warty pumpkin was just right. Go figure.

Little Miss found the perfect one right away. Smooth, pretty, and just right for a Princess. And I must mention I love the light in this picture. Love it. We went on a fun hayride. All hayrides I have been on to a Pumpkin Patch involve you sitting on a bale of hay. Not this one. It involved you sitting in hay, getting it in your pants, your shoes, and anywhere else it wanted to go. The kids loved every minute of it. Me, not so much. My allergies were killing me!

And a couple of quick shots of Randy with the kids and just him and Little Man.

And lastly Little Man loves my camera. Not quite as much as me but close. He has decided he is going to be a photographer when he grows up.. along with several other things. I bravely hand my beast of a camera over to him and he loves it. He snapped this picture of Randy and I. Not too shabby. I have to show off how good he is doing! If he is doing this at 6, I cannot wait to see what he does when he is older. Great job buddy!
Happy Halloween! I hope your night is as fun as ours!

A day late..

But late is better than never. Yesterday this gorgeous girl. My wonderful sister turned twelve. And this is the first year I have not been there to help her celebrate it. I miss you Sissy!
When I was a little girl I begged my Mom daily for a baby, preferably a baby sister. And then when I was in second grade I was talking to someone who told me their Mom was 28, and my Mom was 40. I talked to my Mom about this and decided that it was okay for her to not have any more babies, and I quit begging for one. Then near the end of my Sophomore year of High School while sitting on my brothers bedroom floor my Mom broke the news that she was pregnant. *SHOCK* I was like sure Mom.. me too.. yeah right. I mean Mom was weeks away from her 48th Birthday.. no way was my Mom pregnant. But she was. And my brother and I giggled and whispered about it all day.. total shock and unbelief. The summer came and my Mom found out she was having a girl. A baby sister. I was thrilled. And then there was more news. They were sure she had hydrocephalus. And more. My Mom had many ultra sounds, met with many doctors, and the final ruling from the doctors was that at best she would have down syndrome, but most likely she would live for a few minutes and die. It was heart breaking for us. But we had faith. And I hadn't waited this long for my baby sister to only have her a few minutes. Her heart had problems, but we knew that doctors can fix hearts, and well.. we can handle it. They did it with me, and we could do it again. The doctors tried to convince my Mom to abort her as late as 7 months along. It was wrong on so many levels.
Twelve years ago yesterday I went to the hospital with my parents and we waited. I went to lunch with two friends from school and came back and then my Mom set the record in the hospital for being the oldest woman to have a c-section in the hospital. Great record Mom, 48 is quite a feat! And my sister had to have oxygen when she was born, but not when I was in the room with her, or my Mom or Dad. My sister and I had a bond instantly. And the doctors told us she did have down syndrome. And I looked at my beautiful sister and thought, well she is so pretty maybe all my kids will have down syndrome one day. :) All I saw was the sister I wished for. The sister I prayed for. The sister I knew was supposed to be my sister. I saw the sweetest girl in the world. The girl who would teach us all what matters. The girl who would change us all for the better. The girl who I miss like my own daughter who is 2300 miles away from me right now. The girl my kids love. The girl who is my favorite sister. The girl who has helped others to soften. The girl who has over 45 barbies. The girl who is my Sissy. The girl I love.
My sweet sister. I wish you a wonderful birthday. How blessed am I to have a girl like you to be my little sister. I feel honored to have you as my sister. You will never know how truly blessed I am because of you. Happy Birthday Princess. I wish I was there to celebrate with you. I love you.

Women we Need

“Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. … We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith” -Margaret D. Nadauld

This quote, it spoke to me. In so many levels. And the funny thing is I have heard this quote before, but reading it today it was like it was meant for me to hear. It made me think about what woman I am. And reevaluate the woman I want to be.

I look at all of the women around me. The great examples they are. Those we are truly Women of God. Those who are tender. Those who are kind. And those of great faith. My heart wants to develop each of these to be the type of woman I can be. To be the woman, the mother, the wife that I know I am, somewhere.

I have reflected on this and pondered this all day. How often am I caught up in things of the world that do not matter. I try to live by If it doesn't matter in the eternal scheme of things, it doesn't matter. But that is rarely a success. I still strive for that.



All of these qualities are what we as women are meant to be. I strive to be kinder, more tender and to have greater faith. To reflect on how I can be a better representative of my Savior, Jesus Christ. To be an example of what He stands for. Am I those things? Not always, but sometimes.



Today, I want to do better. To do those things that I should do, to be a better Woman. A better mother. A better wife. To be a better me.

Sad News.

News that I keep ignoring, keep denying and finally facing. We aren't able to go home for Thanksgiving. I am sad. I really wanted to go home. I had family to see. Pictures to take. Places to be. And it just isn't happening. So to everyone I am letting down you have one million apologies from me. I truly am sorry. I was looking forward to going home. But due to flying over Thanksgiving costing over twice the amount of any other week, and in order for it to be affordable I have to pull the kids out of six days of school we are staying here.
However on the plus side, I do get to see my parents and wonderful sister. They are coming here the day after Thanksgiving, and staying through Little Man's seventh birthday. I am thrilled they are coming, he will be thrilled for the surprise of them coming. And it made it feel okay.
I am sad though, sad to miss more of my family, meeting my two new nieces, seeing friends, and just being home.

Fall Break

Today I have the blessing of having my kiddos home. It was nice to wake up and not have to rush out the door. We did crafts and then had breakfast. We colored and watched TV. They wrote letters, and are just enjoying being home. We had lunch on a Wednesday all together. Does it get any better than this?
Our plans for the week include:
A Haunted House! They are so excited!
Boo Zoo
Pumpkin Patch
More crafts
Painting
Reading
Giggling
Making Rice Crispie Treats
And more delcious goodies
And just having the best time ever. I am thankful that we are on break, even if it is just for a few days.

A forgotten most important first

Okay, maybe not forgotten, but put on the back burner due to the funeral, and extreme jet lag after the funeral.



Little Miss three and a half week ago was smiling and jabbering away and I noticed her front teeth on the bottom looked like they were overlapping. And then I realized they were loose. She was thrilled, and I was thrilled for her. I loved losing my baby teeth, and she has wanted her to be loose so she could be like her big brother.

While in the airport waiting for our turn to board I wiggled her tooth, and I wiggled it a little harder than I meant to. It started to bleed..but just a little. She was excited it was so wiggly. We headed off to the bathroom for one last potty break and she was sitting there going potty and she pulled her tooth out. And for the first few days she told everyone when I was going potty at the first airport I lost my tooth. It cracked us up. On October 11th, my baby girl lost the first of her cute baby teeth. My baby girl is becoming less of a baby and more of a big girl, and she couldn't be more excited. And while I am excited for her, I am at the same time. I want her to be my baby forever.

We jumped on the plane and she told everyone I lost my tooth. And then showed them the hole in her mouth. And after a little while of flying I realized that I needed a picture of her.

This is what I captured first. And then we tried again to show off that hole. Could she look any happier? And could she be any cuter?

She was thrilled the tooth fairy came to visit her in Utah! Congratulations Little Miss on losing your first tooth. The novelty has yet to wear off.

The Inspiration

These colors are my inspiration for my current project. I can't wait to see it all put together. Or at least well on its way. And I have to once again profess my love for the Internet, without it my project would be sad.

Succumbing to the dark side

I am really wanting to decorate. And today I did something I always swore I wouldn't do. I went to a website. I am embarrassed to even admit this, because when this lady went to jail I cheered. I went to Martha Stewart's website. And I didn't die. I didn't have to take a vow to love her. It was okay. And I think I might be learning something. And it really wasn't horrible like I imagined. And I must admit she does have some good ideas. So there you have it.. I still don't love Martha, but the people who work for her have great ideas!

And really this isn't my fault. Kellie took me to look at home interior stuff.. and then I bought the Martha Stewart Magazine for Beth, so she could have some entertainment while she recovers, and I peeked inside. Curses.

Home again.. home again..

We are home. We had fun. We had a wonderful time with Kevin and Rachel and their two wonderful children. Thank you for letting us stay with you! We enjoyed the company of Rachel's sister and her husband also. And we had a lot of fun visiting with family.

It was nice to be together as a family to remember Grandpa, and the great man he is. I was in awe sitting in his funeral and looking at his posterity. Grandma and Grandpa should be proud of the family they have. We were all there to celebrate the life of Grandpa. I enjoyed hearing stories told, and the lessons that were taught. The funeral was beautiful. It made me laugh, and cry. And I felt great peace.

My children enjoyed the opportunity to visit with their Great Grandma. She played checkers with Little Man, and took time to talk with both of them. I am so grateful that we were able to go and spend time together with our family. My kids were able to see Nana and Papa, and we were able to see all but one of Randy's siblings. I still need to clear out my memory card and then I can check out all of the pictures I took while I was there. We even had a large group photo of all of the family in town. It was great to see everyone there, and to see the support for Grandma.

And after this trip, I miss our family. It was nice to be close together. Nice to feel the love and support. And I hope that someday we will be where we can feel that more often.

Headed for Utah

We are headed for Utah this weekend.

Randy's Grandfather passed away early this morning. We are very sad, but thankful that he is able to rest and to be at peace. And I am sure he is rejoicing in seeing his sweet daughter Mary Ann who died as an infant.

How grateful we are for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and for the blessing of knowing our Heavenly Father's plan for us, and the Plan of Salvation. We will be with him again. We are thankful that Families are Forever. And we are praying for our Grandmother, that she will have the peace and comfort that she needs through this time.

Halloween Costume Fun

My kids are so excited for Halloween. They have their costumes picked, and now I am on the mission to make them. Little Man has decided to be Luke Skywalker, and Little Miss any guesses? Pink Princess?? One would think. But she has decided to be Princess Leia. I for one was shocked that she wanted to be Princess Leia.. are you sure you are my girl? Little Man was not a shocker at all. He has inherited his love for Star Wars from Dad. I still have yet to see them all. Okay... back to my topic. Star Wars is quite popular right now. Like it hasn't been popular since it came out, but it is huge so I figured I could find a pattern quite simply and be have all month to make these costumes. But I cannot. I have looked through books trying to find a pattern. While I know how to sew, I need a pattern, I need to be told what to do. Because honestly I have no idea what I would make for Star Wars costumes without a pattern. And I am sure I could learn but that would involve watching said movies. And I don't think I am up for that. So for now I will search the Internet, the stores, and every where I can think of until I find the pattern.. or resort to buying cheaply made costumes.

Nauvoo

I don't think I mentioned we went to Nauvoo. We did.

It was a short trip and I cannot wait to go back next summer when we can spend more time there. It is beautiful. I have several more pictures, and I have not forgotten about sharing Kirtland. That is on my blog to do list.

Nauvoo was wonderful. The Spirit was amazing. And the Temple was breath taking.

Happy Monday.

Inspiration

I am feeling the desire to decorate my home. Normally I shy away from decorating because I am not that great. It costs money, and if I am going to spend it I would rather spend it decorating my kids, my husband or myself. (clothing) I am 28 now, and I guess I am finally thinking it would be nice to decorate my home more than I have. To finish rooms instead of the half finished rooms I have done.

Last week I bought stuff to redo a room for Little Miss. It isn't quite done, the paint was purchased today, and hopefully in the next week or two her room will be pulled together and finished. My Mom convinced me to finish it, go all the way instead of my half like normal. Little Man is getting his room done too, though not as drastically as Little Miss.

My bathrooms are stark white. Well not all, but they need paint, and to look pretty. I need to pull my house together to make it look like a home. To bring in my sense of style, and I need to figure that out. I am looking at blogs for inspiration, like here, here, here and here. And many more.. but I am done linking. I am looking at websites to inspire me. I need great ideas, that are clean straight lines. And fun. And...??? I don't know.

I need inspiration. Things that are thrifty, because let's be real, I love to decorate myself and family way more than my house! And I want things that are kid friendly, movable friendly, (because I move a ton) and I want to my house to look awesome. I would love ideas.. tips.. and some inspiration.

Pretty Please.

Tagged!

List 5 Joys, 5 Fears, 5 Obsessions, 5 Surprising Facts, 5 People to tag....

5 Joys

1. The Gospel
2. Randy
3. My Kids
4. Photography
5. Laughing

5 Fears

1. Death
2. The Economy
3. Obama
4. Snakes
5. Bad Guys

5 Obsessions

1. My Kids
2. Photography
3. Photoshop
4. Shopping
5. All things red

5 Surprising Facts (I think I have blogged way too much about myself.. but here goes!)

1. I miss living in a small small town.
2. I like revolver style handguns., this surprised me too!
3. I used to chase my grandparents chickens with a bull whip.
4. I still feel out of place here, and wonder how I ended up in Indiana. But I like it here.
5. I pulled porcupine quills out of my dogs after they tried to eat one. They weren't too happy.

5 People I tag.

1. Kellie
2. Allison
3. Tiffany
4. Char
5. Missy

Answer Time:

From Alissa: do you like indiana?

Sure. I mean they have Caffeine Free Diet Mountain Dew. It rocks, so I should like it right? I think it is very pretty here with all of the trees, and so far I love the weather, although I am told winter is not fun. But I am up for anything. I have some great friends who have helped to ease the transition. I miss my family, but I have my own little family here, and really as long as I have Randy and the kids I will like where I am. The shopping is wonderful! The bakeries are to die for. But I do miss the West Coast. And all of my friends that aren't here. But yeah I like Indiana.. I just wish I could move it a few thousand miles closer to everyone I love.


From Amy: if you could be any color crayon which one would you pick and why?

I would be red. I have this insane love for all things red. Red shoes, red paint, red clothes, red nails, red red red. Red makes a statement. It is bold, bright, full of energy and represents me. My cell phone is red. I think I won 5 pairs of red shoes. I have a red purse. I have these funky red hair sticks I wear when my hair is long. Red makes me happy.


From Earlgirl: Are you still packing your shelves with food like crazy?

Yes I am still packing my shelves with food, though not as crazy as I was. Sadly it is a PAIN IN THE BUTT to go to the cannery here. You can't just call and make an appointment, you have to go through all of these hoops and it makes it hard. Although I do have over 20 cake mixes now and tons of premade frosting and cool whip because they were so cheap. I totally needed them. You never know when you will have a sugar shortage. And after listening to the news I am thinking I am going to go stock up on even more. How about a two year supply. Ha!


From Allison: How often do you change your kids' bedding?

Weekly. Not always but I strive for weekly and since having my Mom here I am totally on the ball! Go me! And I do it on Monday's, along with my bed too. It helps to just do it all on one day, but I make Randy help me get them all back together.

From Alan and Beth: Which bear is best?
(Remember: bears eat beets. Beets beat Battlestar Galatica.)

I am going to assume Alan wrote this. Because there is some Star Wars stuff.. I think?? And I have never watched all of the Star Wars, so I am totally clueless on the Beets beat Battlestar Galatica. So I think the Grizzly Bear is probably the best. They are big, scary, and will eat you.


From Five kids and some chocolate: If you could have one super power what would it be?

I would fly. I totally want to fly. Remember the Jetson's? I used to think that by the year 2000 we would be like them. I am sorely disappointed that we aren't. I want to fly. I could get places much quicker, and who doesn't want to fly?

Want some answers?

Then ask some questions!

Today I am opening up to let everyone ask me questions and then I will give you my answers. So shoot away. Think of what you want to ask me.. because you know you want to ask me something. Leave your questions in the comments and check back for the answer!

Happy Thursday!

Crutchless

That's right.. I don't have a crutch anymore.. unless my knee is getting too tired or sore. But whatever. I can walk without it!! Are you partying? Because I am partying!!
At the physical therapist and doctor yesterday I learned that..

I get to start doing squats.
Lots of squats.
And eventually one legged squats.
My thighs will be oh so toned.
I get to ride my bike 15 minutes a day.. everyday.

My goal for a half marathon in April is out. Bummer huh?

But I am supposed to in my doctors words, "Become the Queen of low impact cardio."

And running I can pick that up next Spring. Long time huh? But they want to make sure my knee is working awesome.. and that I don't have any problems, and that it has a chance to heal thoroughly and properly.

I saw a picture of the Plica that was taking out.. and as the doctor said, "it looked like a clams foot." And it really did.

It is getting better. And I am relieved. Thankfully my Mom was here until early this morning when she and my adorable sister jumped on a plane back to Washington. And now if I talk about it much I tear up, because I am sad they left. Eighteen days with them made me feel like my life was back to my normal. But now back to reality and we live here, and they live there, 2200 miles away. But they will be back.. and soon. One way or another I will see them within a couple of months.

And for your viewing pleasure a picture of the cutest sister any girl could have.

Primary Program 2008

Yesterday was the Primary Program. This is my very favorite meeting of the WHOLE year! I just love it. The sweet testimonies of children just melts my heart. And this year was no exception. The Spirit you feel as children bear the simple truth is undeniable.

I am the Primary Pianist in my ward, but due to my stupid knee I am not quite up to playing. I was sad I really love my calling, but I have to give thanks and a proper shout out to Sara who did it better than I could have and filled in for me these last few weeks for practice and then again yesterday for the program. Thank you Sara, you are a gem. And Amy did a pretty great job teaching all of those songs to the kids.

At times I wish I could video tape the programs. Not only are they Spiritual, but they are hilarious. Yesterday was no exception, thanks to Little Man. Little Man is a know it all boy. He loves to learn, know it, and tell it. He was quite disappointed when he received his part for the program, it was "My family likes to ___________." And that was it. I was fine, but he was not happy that his younger sister had a bigger part, and that he the older brother didn't have a huge monologue. What can I say he comes from two parents who like to talk.. a lot! He had decided for his part he would say My family likes to play. But yesterday he decided that wasn't good enough. He had his part memorized and got up there in front of the microphone and the Primary President was ready to help him when he not so quietly said, "I don't need any help, I know it!" Yes this boy knows what he wants! He said in a big voice and with absolute confidence, "My family like to.... *birds chirping*......... (looks at me, with the grin, and look on his face of.. I am getting my time up here even if I am just sitting there breathing loudly in the microphone, but I am so dang proud of myself grin... while I look at him and mimic eating, sleeping.. something.. and then takes a big breath and says,) Make cookies." Let me tell you.. he is quite proud of himself and his 15 seconds of fame. He wanted to think of something bigger and better but he was happy that he stood up there commanding every one's attention.

Little Miss said her part with the biggest grin on her face, "We have repentance so we can live with Heavenly Father and Jesus again." But if you have heard her say repentance.. you know it doesn't really sound like that.. it is more bepentuns. Something along those lines. But her smile was the best, and she was so darn proud of herself.

The kids sang their hearts out. At times I could hear each of them above everyone else, but for the most part they blended in well. Little Miss danced a little, and Little Man played with his hair.. a lot. They were cute, my heart swelled, and I cannot wait for next year to hear their sweet testimonies.

Ready to see?

Here they are! One for Little Misses room, and one for Little Mans. I wish I could take credit.. however my only real original detail is my picture in the middle one. And they aren't hung yet.. you have to give a girl a break when she is on crutches. But hopefully they will be on their walls soon! So if you want the instructions, go HERE. Linsey is just totally awesome! And if you want to make them with me.. come on over.. I am sure I will be making more!
Have a fun Friday!

Guess what?

I know I say I am not crafty and believe me, I'm not. I did however do an artsy craft. Because unknown to some I am artsy, and love all things artsy, especially painting! But not so much crafty. Weird I know. Anyways I went to Michael's today.. or I hobbled there. I purchased paint, canvas, and a few other great things. And now my kids have art for their bedrooms. I bet you can't wait to see. But guess what? You get to wait. Happy Thursday!

The Sacred Grove Print

I wish you could see this in real life. It is 1000X's better in my oh so humble opinion. I am selling prints.. Finally. I am only going to sell 200.. yes lofty goal I have when I say only.. but I am aspiring to great things!
I am offering it in the following sizes:

8X12 Sprayed and Mounted on 2mm Styrene $40

12X18 Sprayed and Mounted on 2mm Styrene $65

16X24 Sprayed and Mounted on 2mm Styrene $100

20X30 Sprayed and Mounted on 2mm Styrene $140

You can either put these on an easel and display as is, are you can frame it. I have a 20X30 in my home, and LOVE it! These prices include shipping to your home in the United States. All prints are signed on the back and numbered.

Leave a comment and or email me at photographybyleeann@gmail.com and I will get your print ordered, signed on the back and numbered. I am selling other prints for the same price including the Fence from the Smith Farm, and the Smith Family Barn.

From Little Miss

Tonight during Family Home Evening Little Miss gave the lesson. She was very excited to give it on Adam and Eve. She was getting help from Randy telling the story. And then Randy asked her what happened when they partook of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil to which she replied, "Jesus kicked their butts out of the Garden of Eden." Yes that's right my sweet girl said that. I almost peed my pants I laughed so hard. Good times at our house.. good times.

At 2 in the Morning

I hear the pitter patter of those familiar footsteps. The warm hand then grabs my arm, Mommy.. I don't want to be alone, can I sleep with you? Those words, with a sweet voice, and a snugly kid make me a total sucker. I scoot over and pull Little Miss in to snuggle and go back to sleep. And then I quickly realize sticking her in the middle is a much better idea.. I don't feel like she is going to fall out of my tall bed and crack her head.

It drives Randy crazy for me to pull the kids into bed, but for me as a Mom, it is one of my most favorite moments with my kids. I love that they know no matter what they can come and I will make them feel safe and snuggle them until they are back to sleep. She always sweetly hugs me and says Mommy I love you, you are the best Mommy. And then she whispers a little more sleepy Goodnight.. and drifts back to dreamland feeling safe and secure.

Times like these bring me back to the times that my kids were infants. When I would get up at all hours of the night to change them, nurse them, rock them, hold them and just be there for them at any given time. And that was one of my favorite times of the day with them. I loved the daylight hours, but those still moments in the night with my kids without the distractions of everything else that needs to be done, or takes my attention away those are some of my favorite memories.

And last night at 2 in the morning, I laid there awake, listening to Little Miss as she fell back asleep I was grateful for that moment. Grateful to lay there with her. Grateful for my two children, and for the blessing I have of being their Mother. Grateful that they still come to my bed at night, and aren't too big for Mommy snuggles. She comes more than Little Man, but I always welcome him into my bed too and let him snuggle back to sleep.

While Randy might not like the 2 AM kicks and wiggles. Or the fact that after a while she completely kicked me out of the bed, and on to the floor, and then the chair.. I couldn't carry her back to bed crutches and all. And finally I had to wake around 5 so I could get some rest. I was grateful for the moment. For my kids and for the blessing I have of being their Mom.

Progress is..

• 1 Crutch instead of two. It looks really cool, let me tell you.
• Bending your knee almost as far your other knee, within two inches.
• Being able to stand for a minute without any crutches.
• Not having to wear TED socks anymore. My foot is no longer super hot.
• No longer being completely stoned. I can now carry on a coherent conversation.

Progress.. we are definitely seeing. And my knee is feeling it.

I Remember

It still seems like yesterday. And yet it also feels like it was so long ago. That Tuesday morning.. the world stopped. We all froze glued to the radio and TV for updates of what was happening. Our country was under attack. We united as one, standing for our country. It was the most patriotic I have ever seen out country be. And something I wish we still were. We were a nation united. Instead of being divided.
I am grateful for the freedoms I have of living here.
The Freedom to worship my Heavenly Father.
The Freedom to Bear Arms.
The Freedom to dress how I want.
The Freedom to do what I believe is best for my family.
The Freedom to be myself.
I am grateful for a military to protect and defend us.
I am grateful to live in a nation that was founded by God fearing men.
I am grateful to live in the USA.
And I am thankful to those who protect my freedoms, those who have died in this cause, and for those who died on that horrible day, 9/11.
I remember.

Plugging Along..

I am doing my Physical Therapy EVERYDAY. Just like I am supposed to. I can straighten my knee all of the way. Awesome huh? I can bend it within two inches of my normal. That my friends is progress. But moving it to either of those positions involves me whining, moaning, and being plain obnoxious. I still cannot stand on it. I still need my crutches to get my around, and I am still icing it, a lot. But slowly it is working in the right direction. I have a goal to have it back and ready. And a goal to start running as soon as I can. And hopefully I can go with Kellie to the Country Music Marathon next April and run a half. Not the whole thing.. I am not THAT crazy. Just a little crazy.

Race For The Cure

My friend Heidi is a breast cancer survivor! She is doing the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I think this needs so much support. And I have a dear friend Beth going through this right now, and so it hits especially close to home. I am asking you to donate on behalf of Heidi and this walk. Help her to raise more money for Breast Cancer. Go HERE leave a note and help fight Breast Cancer. We all know someone who is affected by this, and I am going to do my part to help the fight and find a cure.

Physical Therapy

I don't like it.
I don't want to do it.
It hurts.
I think they are really trying to kill me.
It's no fun.
I pout about it.
I whine about it.
I really don't like it.
I have to do it at home.. and my Mom makes me do it. *pout*


But.. I do have good range of motion. It is getting easier. I cannot walk on it. I have really strong arms, and my left leg ain't to shabby either. And crutches are my life saver. Except when I am so drugged I almost fall on my face. But I am making it. And I am pouting that I have to do Physical Therapy.. but without it I would be stuck with a straight leg forever.

Prayers

My heart broke for my dear friend Beth this morning. She informed me that her sister was in a tragic accident and passed away along with her daughter and unborn child. My heart goes out to my dear friend and her family.

As I have thought on this today, and wondered what I could do to help I am reminded of our baptismal covenants from Mosiah 18,
".. are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.."

My prayers are with Beth and her wonderful family. I pray that peace will fill their hearts as they lean on the Lord.

I didn't DIE!

Or Puke for that matter. This is my first surgery not getting sick as a dog after anesthesia. And I am feeling drugged but good. I wanted you all to know I didn't die.. and I am not puking!
Happy Thursday.

busy, busy, busy

I am busy. I have 3 shoots that need to be edited. I should go to bed. I went to Nauvoo. I have a super fun girl here visiting. My kids are growing way to quickly. We are in our 4th week of school already. How did that happen?? And tomorrow I am taking Madison (super fun girl) to the airport so she can fly home.. then picking up Randy, dropping kids in random places, and then I am having knee surgery. Then home to recover and then back to busy, busy, busy.