365+1 Week 12

12 weeks- can you believe it! I need to do a big collage showing all my pictures I have taken together. But then again, I am so close to my first 100 in a row that maybe I will just wait and do a special post then!!

Life is busy but fun and we are all just rolling along with our various activities. This weeks photo's I feel are quite random. On some days it was nice to just have something put in front of me on the ideas list to shoot- my creative juices were running thin but prevail I did!!

Photo's # 78 - 84:

This was the box of "Warm Fuzzies" that I handed out to our church primary kids to help remind them to do an act of service for someone they knew during the week. It always surprises me how every child, no matter their age, LOVES a pom pom in hand!! This last Sunday they reported back to me and I was so impresses with all the Warm Fuzzie feelings of charity that had been going around our neighborhood!

"Funny" Paul always can get the girls rolling with laughter by showing them old home movie clips on his phone of silly things they did when they were younger. This picture just makes my heart sing.

You have no idea how relieved I was to make a call the night before and find out that my jury selection had been canceled because the case had settled out of court!! While I love this part of our country and I would be more than happy to provided this service I was so stressed about what I was going to do with my children. What do other stay at home mom's of small kids and full time working husbands do? Needless to say, I was much happier spending the first day of spring running my girls around to their activities.

"Clouds" I don't think I take the time to look up and admire the beauty of the sky enough. This day the weather was warming up, but still overcast and it truly was gorgeous to behold.

"Kitchen Sink" I will admit I wasn't very excited about this one. How boring right! But it IS the place that I spend most of my day! Making breakfast, packing lunches, making lunch, washing dirty sticky hands, wiping up spills, getting sips, making dinner, cleaning up- I am standing here a lot, I suppose this view really should be documented!!

This afternoon Eva helped me pull the weeds from our rock path that travels around the perimeter of our house. It was a lot of work, Liv didn't want to help- but she did like sneaking little bits of the cast offs to plant in her own little potted garden. I love how she arranged them all, just so.

"Before and After" This Saturday we checked another item off of our "To Do" list and painted our front entrance. We sanded, primed, insulated and repainted the jams and replaced the brick molding around the front. Then we primed and painted the door a fresh new color that we pulled from the existing bricks. I really like it and am so pleased! (The new updated shutters are being made and shipped as I write, they will be the finishing touch!)

365+1 Week 11

Photo's # 71 - 77:

"Frosted" This was a perfect prompt since we were at the Davis Winter Birthday's Party this evening. Paulene made this cake and it was so fun and cute!

Spring Soccer Academy officially started today. The sun was shinning and the temperatures were perfect even though the grass is still pretty dull and brown! It was good to see all the coaches and players again!

"Fresh" Just about every day for lunch I have some version of a Spinach Salad. The base is the same but what goes on top depends on what I have in the fridge and pantry that day. Today it was grilled chicken, clementines, avocado, honey glazed walnuts, dried cranberries, and topped with two tablespoons of my sister's Poppyseed Dressing recipe.

"Sign" Every time we head over to the next town to do some shopping we pass this sign. I know that technically it is considered vandalism, but I think it is kind of funny- and this one makes you think- you know!!

"Car" Eva LOVES cars, anything with wheels really, but these are her favorites. Little People Movers. She has many different types and people and plays with them every single day. I think it is pretty awesome that Wonder Woman is the prized piece lately!!

"Shades" This is me in line for Preschool pick up. How big are your sunnies? I am of the opinion that the bigger the better, but I happen to have a large noggin and nose to rest them on and fill out their size!!

"Green" Happy St. Patrick's Day!! It wasn't very eventful over here. We spent the entire day over woodworking and painting in Paul's office. However, we were all decked out in green and I took the time before we left to make this yummy dessert from my childhood. My Aunt Mardi has brought this deliciousness to every family function for as long as I can remember. I think in recent years it is from my personal request! This recipe posted up over at Brown Paper Packages sparked my memory and I had to make it! (although my family doesn't like walnuts- crazies- so I left them out)

See you all next week!!

365+1 Week 10

Photo's #64 - 70:
We have a Northern facing yard. Mostly this is great because during the heat of the summer I have shade to sit in. However, during the winter it is a pain because it never sees the light of day and the snow and ice linger on long after we are ready for it to melt away. Lucky for the girls we are in this icy situation because after the Snow arrived on Friday they didn't get a chance to play in it until Sunday- and you guessed it, lots of snow was still there waiting for them to create an outdoor living room. This is funny to me because they didn't know that their Maryland cousins had recently posted up pictures of the same creations. So Anne and Ruby this one is for you!!!

"Smile" When I ask for a volunteer to pose for a picture Olivia is always the first to jump up and flash her pretty smile. She is the most photogenic child, I don't think she has ever had a bad picture taken!!

"5:00" Every Tuesday we drop Olivia off at dance and then go to my parents house around the corner and visit while we wait. Every single time Eva climbs up on my lap and asks me to read her this book. I always agree because as you can see it is a very worn favorite from my childhood. My sister Hillary and I LOVED this book so much. It is brightly illustrated and completely hilarious. Hill Dawg, this one is for you!!!

"Something you wore" This is my favorite outfit of Eva's. She picked out these shoes herself from the store and is in LOVE with them. Pairing them up with these tights is only just perfection! If I could get away with an adult version I would totally wear it too.

Today was the much anticipated School Art Festival. Every year we buy lots of tickets and then spend the next two hours depleting them on a chance to win at the Soda Pop Walk. This year it only took us 7 rounds to win 3 fantastically decorated bottles of Pop (I am always amazed at the creativity) and it was totally funny to carry around that Rapunzel in my arms all night! We got attention from everyone- so thank you to whoever created it, Olivia was envied by everyone in attendance and completely smitten with her!

First picnic lunch of the season. It wouldn't be complete without our neighbor friend/sister Kate and funny faces sending them all into fits of laughter.

As you can see this week we had the full spectrum of weather. We went from playing in the snow to flip flops and chalk drawings on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon. I want this weather trend to stick around, but I won't hold my breath- I have been burned before!

365+1 Week 9

I was running around like a crazy woman again this last weekend. I will never understand how so many things can all fall in the same 3 days. Most of them good and wonderful things, some kind of sad and melancholy- but press through we all did and we have many more memories because of it! After non stop activities and two late nights in a row, I am tired- I am just getting to old for this kind of thing I have decided!!

I also thought I would post up my weight loss log for the month of February- at my weigh in I was down 3 more pounds putting my grand total at 8lbs. since January 1st. I am very pleased about this because it rounds out to my 2lbs. a week goal- so yea for the no sugar diet right!!! Also now that two months are in the past and I am starting into month #3 I have decided that this is really a lifestyle that I can adopt- this is a do-able way of living for me and I feel really good about it. That doesn't mean that after I hit my goal weight I might think differently, but for now it is good and I will keep going!!

Photo's #57-63:

"Nighttime" I was hoping to get an awesome photo of the moon, but the sky's were just too cloudy. That said, I had to settle for a snap of Liv all snuggle up in bed ready for a kiss and hug to send her off to sleep. Not the best photo (please ignore the sock hanging out of her open drawers), but a real life moment.

This morning Abby was presented with the "Heroes" award during the school assembly. Her teacher had picked her out of the class as the person that the kids looked up to for leadership and example of how they should be at school. She was THRILLED, and we were the smiling, beaming, parents of pride in the audience!!

While at the mall all afternoon, trying to find a specific item (to no avail mind you), I HAD to stop and let Eva climb on the dinosaur bones in the play court. She thinks they are real, the genuine article, and just about the greatest thing EVER!

Leap Day! See you again in 4 years!!
I think I just might make her do this again next time around and see if her leaping skills have become even more magnificent!!

"Bedside" If you were to lay on your back in Olivia's bed and look to the right, you would be face to face with this fantastic sticker collection. I have no idea when it started, I only know that I noticed it after it was about a quarter of the way down. I love how neat and orderly it is, with row after row of her favorites collected and treasured over the years.

It snowed last night! It was only the second time of any significance- totally bizarre. The girls stood at the window, all ready for school watching their Dad as he shoveled it out of the drive and off the sidewalks so we could venture out on the icy roads and make our way to the various schools that each girl attends. Yes, they were delighted to wear their snow gear and play on the playground with all of their friends!

Happy Birthday Paul!!!
36 never looked so good!!!
It was a full day with lots of family and friend events, but we closed it out with a dinner out just the two of us. Then came home for a "Snickers" cake from Cold Stone Creamery picked out just for him by the girls. Divine!!! May all your wishes come true!!