Three Men and a Little Lady

Yellow Month

2011-03-11T23:31:00.001-06:00

March 11, 2011 - Yellow Section of the Library

Well, of the living room bookshelf, anyway. And sorting alphabetically is SOO last year. ;)

March 10, 2011 - Yukon Gold

March 9, 2011 - Yellow Scraps

They mean that I have my scrapbooking out, at least. :) And actually, I've done 8 pages in the past week. And I'm only two years behind. In five books. Yay me.

March 8, 2011 - The Makings of Cheesecake

And it was delish, even though it looked like Jackson made it.

March 7, 2011 - Lemon

Even the ice water at my favorite restaurant is beautiful.

March 6, 2011 - Subway

The kids and I had a lunch date to add excitement to our Sunday. It was seriously the most fun we'd had together in a while. :)

March 5, 2011 - Letter Jammies

I love that Jackson can still wear cozy little footies.

March 4, 2011 - First Omlette

Good grief, I don't even know how to spell that. But I decided I need to try more new things, and this was the first thing that came to mind. And they were tasty, even if they were a little ugly. ;)

March 3, 2011 - Crunchy Nut

The kids are in love.

March 2, 2011 - B-A-N-A-N-A-S

I couldn't do a month of yellow without the fruit our house is never without. Besides, isn't that the first thing that comes to mind when you think yellow?

March 1, 2011 - Pledge

I've been trying to use mostly natural cleaning products, but I have to get the Pledge out every now and then. I have an unnatural love for my cleaning products.

The End of Pink

2011-03-11T23:11:00.000-06:00

February 27, 2011 - Love

February 28, 2011 - Baby Shoe

Mine from my Great Grandma, who made ceramics.

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February 6, 2011 - Staying Hydrated

On our way to Eli's BMT Graduation! :)

February 7, 2011 - Pink House BBQ

I love how on a road trip you can see different things in each state! :)

February 8, 2011 - Messenger Bag

February 9, 2011 - Pink Rocks

From the Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio.

February 10, 2011 - Taco Cabana

They are everywhere in Texas!

February 11, 2011 - Follow the Pink Road

February 12, 2011 - Tiniest iPod Ever.

And it's mine. And I like it even though it's tiny. :)

February 13, 2011 - Black Cherry

With caramel and hot fudge. And we went along with whatever he craved after being deprived for 8.5 weeks! :)

February 14, 2011 - Air Force

On Valentine's Day, I didn't have my love, so I showed my Air Force pride instead. ;)

February 15, 2011 - Pink Toes

In the ocean. :)

February 16, 2011 - Fruit Loops

On the interstate. We were on a roll.

February 17, 2011 - Pink Chaps

At the Children's Room of the National Cowboy and Western Museum. Elisa and I want some. :)

February 18, 2011 - Unpack

February 19, 2011 - Red Velvet

The kids and I aren't physically capable of skipping Love Day. :)

February 20, 2011 - Cupcakes

February 21, 2011 - Candy Heart

What, you don't still have candy canes lying around?

February 22, 2011 - For My Sweetie

It's been a long time since I sent a package in the mail - it's fun. :)

February 23, 2011 - Hugs

February 24, 2011 - Lounging

February 25, 2011 - My Reminder

Elisa worries about my procrastination, apparently. ;)

February 26, 2011 - Pink Laundry

I guess I wear a lot of pink!

Pink Month

2011-02-05T14:52:00.000-06:00

February 1, 2011 - Hearts

February 2, 2011 - Elisa's Room

I couldn't do pink month without her VERY pink room. :)

February 3, 2011 - Ha Ha Ha!

My favorite keychain. :D

February 4, 2011 - The Watched Pot

It really doesn't ever boil...

February 5, 2011 - Kissing Ball

It doesn't get too much use this year. ;)

White

2011-02-05T14:40:00.000-06:00

January 14, 2011 - Little Old Woman

That's what I feel like sometimes sitting around cross-stitching. :)

January 15, 2011 - It's white, isn't it?

January 16, 2011 - Losing his marbles...

January 17, 2011 - Crackin Up

January 18, 2011 - Popcorn

January 19, 2011 - Time for Tea. For Tiny People.

January 20, 2011 - I Wear My Sunglasses at Night

January 21, 2011 - My Friend, The Old Woman

Naomi is learning how to knit with me. :)

January 22, 2011 - White Lines

January 23, 2011 - Tighty Whities.

Didn't think I could get through the white month without this, did you?!?!

January 24, 2011 - Polar Bears

January 25, 2011 - Mixing

January 26, 2011 - Pearly Whites

That are SO crooked! :P

January 27, 2011 - Knitting

January 28, 2011 - One of my favorite corners

January 29, 2011 - Paper

January 30, 2011 - White Envelopes

In my "Love Letter" mailbox. There are not too many letters in there, but they get read a LOT!

January 31, 2011 - White Dishes

My very favorites. We've started using them everyday, because it makes the kids and I feel "fancy". :)

January 13, 2011

2011-01-13T12:46:00.000-06:00

January 13, 2011 - It's a Marshmallow World

Does anyone else remember building with toothpicks and marshmallows? We went through and entire box of toothpicks and a bag of mini marshmallows last night! The kids thought I was the most awesome builder ever. :)

January 12, 2011

2011-01-12T13:47:00.000-06:00

January 12, 2011 - Heirlooms

My mom's baby dress and my bonnet and booties. Someday I hope Elisa appreciates them as much as I do!

White January

2011-01-11T22:01:00.000-06:00

I'll try to be better at posting this year.....
Anyway, I've decided to add to the challenge and have a different theme each month. We'll see if I remember. :) So January will be white pictures. Because it's Minnesota and everything is white!

January 1, 2011 - White

Um, yeah. I can't title pictures.

January 2, 2011 - Falling

Love, love, love those big fluffly snowflakes!

January 3, 2011 - Stamped

There are always letters waiting to be mailed now!

January 4, 2011 - Forever

To remember Keagan.

January 5, 2011 - 2 Messages

That won't be getting deleted anytime soon unless it's an accident!

January 6, 2011 - Snowball Cookies

Otherwise known as Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, and who-knows-what-else. Fav.O.Rite.

January 7, 2010 - Milk and Left-Overs

Better than you might think when the left-overs are breakfast lasagna!

January 8, 2011 - Forgotten

We thought we packed up Christmas, but this little favorite tried to stay out!

January 9, 2011 - Perfect Pound Cake

And except for the fact that it wouldn't come out of my (non-stick!) pan, it was perfect. The secret ingredient? Sprite.

January 10, 2010

Christmas is down, now just clean and simple winter things. :)

January 11, 2011 - Just enjoy the date. 1.11.11 :)

The End Of 2010 :) I Made It!!!

2011-01-11T21:41:00.000-06:00

November 23, 2010 - Free

And so happy to be free. :)

November 24, 2010 - Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Heaven

To. Die. For.

November 25, 2010 - Too Much Turkey

November 26, 2010 - And I Made $10

Gotta love Walgreen's Thanksgiving Day deals. :)

November 27, 2010 - Grateful

The kids had a little assignment to show me a few things they were thankful for. Their overflowing gratitude blew me away. And made for one proud-to-be-their-mommy moment. :)

November 28, 2010 - Tree Day

Turck's Trees is our favorite place to get a Christmas tree. Santa, hot cider and cookies, live reindeer, and they shake and bale your tree while you enjoy it all!

November 29, 2010 - Rainy Bokeh

November 30, 2010 - Don't. Turn. On. The fan.

December 1, 2010 - Christmas Mice

Very sweet ones. :)

December 2, 2010 - Candy Canes

December 3, 2010 - Welcome

December 4, 2010 - It's not hot cocoa till you add the candy cane. :)

December 5, 2010 - Gingerbread Trifle

I have to make this every Christmas since we found the recipe a few years ago. It's a big hit, and when there are a few leftovers, it makes an AWESOME breakfast. :)

December 6, 2010 - Keagan and Sunday

December 7, 2010 - Cousin Hugs

December 8, 2010 - Carson's first Christmas

Was he really ever that little?!?!

December 9, 2010 - Christmas Dinner

Yes, we knew it wasn't the 25th. Since Eli had to leave on the 14th for Basic Training, we celebrated a little early. :) And it felt like Christmas.

December 10, 2010 - Where's the Mistletoe?

December 11, 2010 - Lights

Colored lights are quite a treat - I'm usually for all-white. :)

December 12, 2010 - "I'm Mommy"

"I'm Mommy at Teresa's getting her hair done!". Heehee!

December 13, 2010 - Going Away

December 14, 2010 - Leaving

Next time we see him, he'll be an Airman First Class. :) Too bad it's so far away!

December 15, 2010 - The Reason

We try to keep Jesus the center of Christmas. My great-grandma made this nativity for me when I was little.

December 16, 2010 - How Many Days?

118 until Eli comes home. 59 until he graduates and we get to see him. For a couple days. Boohoo.

December 17, 2010 - Hot and Fresh

My mom and sisters made home-made doughnuts for the first time and I happened to be there to taste them! They were awesome. :)

December 18, 2010 - What Minnesotans do in the winter.

Snowmobile. Carson and Auntie Bethany.

December 19, 2010 - Merry Christmas, Daddy!

He can get letters and pictures, so we're taking lots!

December 20, 2010 - Looking up

I love how you see new beautiful things just by changing your perspective!

December 21, 2010 - New Kicks

I've been drooling over Skechers Shape-ups for months and finally splurged on some - for $30! :)

December 22, 2010 - What may happen if your camera gets kidnapped...

Or if you forget it at your mom's house.

December 23, 2010 - Christmas Eve Eve

We (the kids) always sleep under the tree on Christmas Eve. This year we did it on Christmas Eve Eve. :)

December 24, 2010 - Christmas Lollipops

December 25, 2010 - The Untraditional Christmas

Spent playing cards with family. :)

December 26, 2010 - Creme Brulee

For the first time, we (my mom) made creme brulee, and now we don't know why we were so intimidated by it! So you use a torch. It's easy. :)

December 27, 2010 - Elisa's Letter

And she's been "scrapbooking" with me, too!

December 28, 2010 - Naptime

I don't know why just the word "naptime" makes me smile. :)

December 29, 2010 - New Hat

And he looks like a little elf in it!

December 30, 2010 - It Takes a Village

A "gingerbread" village.

December 31, 2010 - Ringing in the New Year

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October 23, 2010 - Hot, hot, hot

Well, not terribly hot, but awesome salsa! Raspberry Chipotle- Mmmmm...

October 24, 2010 - Peyton

My sister's sweet baby - only a couple hours old!

October 25, 2010 - 8 Cousins

October 26, 2010 - Orange and Sticky

Popcorn balls are quite the popular treat around here; and they always have to be colorful!

October 27, 2010 - Oh, so proper.

Peyton's ready for tea any day now!

October 28, 2010 - "Can I touch her eyes?"

Jackson can't get enough of his new little cousin. He's constantly asking if he can touch her. :)

October 29, 2010 - School Days

October 30, 2010 - Crab Dip

October 31, 2010 - When I Say "Jump"...

My sisters jump. :)

November 1, 2010 - Home-making Cocoa

It's that easy. And delicious.

November 2, 2010 - I Voted

November 3, 2010 - Fix-It Man

November 4, 2010 - Babies Are Work

Hard work. As you can see by Carson's biting his lips. :)

November 5, 2010 - The Long Day

I didn't know it yet, but we were losing our baby. Baby Sunday, as we'd all already been calling it, thanks to Jackson.

November 6, 2010 - Gators

For the hunter. One of the hunters.

November 7, 2010 - She Thought She Didn't Hunt

But she does. :) With her Daddy.

November 8, 2010 - Building a City

In the driveway. A boy can dream. :)

November 9, 2010 - When you least expect it...

...you get the picture you love. I let them dress themselves and only took the camera with us just in case. And got such yummy light and real smiles!

November 10, 2010 - Dinosaur Eggs

From story hour at the library with their favorite librarian!

November 11, 2010 - Singer

Um, so I've been seeing this a lot lately, only not this side!

November 12, 2010 - My Side of the Mountain

November 13, 2010 - Toby Mac!!!

November 14, 2010 - IDK. LOL.

November 15, 2010 - First Snow

Captured by the best daddy ever.

November 16, 2010 - A little light reading

I seriously need to do a little purging.

November 17, 2010 - The "Jackson Smile"

And my new hair. Which I love!

November 18, 2010 - Sweet Sleeper

November 19, 2010 - The Sponge

November 20, 2010 - Reindeer Games

November 21, 2010 - Dinosaurs and Gorillas

November 22, 2010 - The Dish

Of parade candy. From the parade that mommy said was not a "candy parade". Mommies are occasionally wrong.

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October 5, 2010 - Scooping Sand

October 6, 2010 - Happy 29

I wonder if he ever imagined he'd have these four beautiful kids (and a really awesome wife) at 29?

October 7, 2010 - Breakfast? Yes.

A complete, nutritious breakfast - Creme deMenthe cake and milk. :)

October 8, 2010 - Empty

Such a sad, sad sight.

October 9, 2010 - $18

This kid and his brothers and sister together made $18 digging out the landscaping rocks with their daddy so their mommy could scrapbook. They're awesome.

October 10, 2010 - 10-10-10 in a Corn Maze

On our yearly trek at the Nelson Farm.

October 11, 2010 - Scraped

October 12, 2010 - Picnicking

Hopefully not our last picnic of the year, but we had a wonderful one, just in case!

October 13, 2010 - Toaster Waffles

My own version - at least they're homemade, right? And that makes them totally healthy? They sure taste better than the box! :)

October 14, 2010 - Smoovie

At the coffee shop, Auntie Abbie makes the best ones. :)

October 15, 2010 - A Shady Character

October 16, 2010 - New Note E

Carson is loving his lessons and wishes he could have them every day. I couldn't be happier!

October 17, 2010 - Big Brother

Oh, yes. :) :) :) In June, the baby will not be the baby anymore!

October 18, 2010 - 19 Kids and Counting

All the little Smith cousins. There are 3 more on the way (so far!), so this is going to be one big family!

October 19, 2010 - Quilt

I actually made this myself for my little Jackson. He needed a "big boy" blanket on his bed, and is totally in love with this one!

October 20, 2010 - Fruit Leather

Made by Mama with applesauce and squash. Elisa cannot leave it alone!

October 21, 2010 - True Lives of Messy People

October 22, 2010 -Cuppycake

Because why wouldn't you take a picture of such a yummy thing. Great. Now I need another one.

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September 11, 2010 - Ducky Dress

My little neice will wear this home from the hospital in a few weeks. Just like her mommy, aunts, and grandma did. :)

September 12, 2010 - 411

September 13, 2010 - Blue Eyes

September 14, 2010 - Green, Green Grass

September 15, 2010 - Tent Pounding

September 16, 2010 - Tented

September 17, 2010 - One Tooth Short

September 18, 2010 - Jump!

My brother and my mother, who I didn't realize had a death wish.

No moms were harmed in the making of this picture.

September 19, 2010 - Play Ball!

With bike helmets on. Because that's how we roll.

September 20, 2010 - Carrots

Obviously. Out of my mom's garden. You haven't had carrots till you've had them fresh from the garden!

September 21, 2010 - Candle Season

September 22, 2010 - And Jack eats toast.

These days, this boy has a definite opinion about what he wants to eat. When he sets his mind to something there's no changing it. So we ordered pizza, but since he'd decided hours before that he was having toast for supper, he did.

September 23, 2010 - Bad Hair Day

That is so well hidden behind the camera and with a low F-stop. :)

September 24, 2010 - Dresser Top

I'm not sure I've ever seen a reflection on it before. Maybe I should dust more often...

September 25, 2010 - Checkers, Anyone?

I have a love/hate relationship with our basement floor. Mostly hate.

September 26, 2010 - Walking on Water

September 27, 2010 - Rooftop Swim

September 28, 2010 - Morning coffee

September 29, 2010 - Corner in the Kitchen

September 30, 2010 - Park Day

October 1 - Laid Up

My brother had a little accident on his bike. The kind where you see the bones in your leg.

October 2, 2010 - Lazy River

This picture sums up a relaxing, lazy, laughing, water-sliding, nail-painting, face-stuffing week-end with 5 sisters and their awesome mama.

October 3, 2010 - Fluffy, Puffy New Pillow

Aidan is a little excited about it. :)

October 4, 2010 - First Day of Violin Lessons

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August 19, 2010 - Organized Chaos

Someday this very old make-up will be replaced. :)

August 20, 2010 - Ruffled

My very favorite camera strap cover. Even though it's a teeny bit too tight.

August 21, 2010 - Books

August 22, 2010 - Just In Case

I love the fact that these spare undies and shorts have been in the Suburban for weeks!

August 23, 2010 - Turkey Family

August 24, 2010 - What big brothers are for...

Teaching you to ride without training wheels. :)

August 25, 2010 - Cars in the Dark

And I was pretty proud of myself for getting this picture. :) And glad the kids missed a few when they cleaned up before bed!

August 26, 2010 - Raggedy Ann goes around and around.

She needed a wash. Badly. She used to be mine, by the way.

August 27, 2010 - Pickles and Ice-Cream

My baby sister is having a baby! :)

August 28, 2010 - Sandy Toes

Hopefully this wasn't our last swim in the lake!

August 29, 2010 - How the Experts Do It.

Because Eli and I are experts, you know.

August 30, 2010 - Pennies

Aidan, Aidan, Aidan. Why don't I understand you? lol

August 31, 2010 - Banana Crepes

September 1, 2010 - First Day of School 2010

September 2, 2010 - Math-U-See

And they all love to see it. :)

September 3, 2010 - Choir

Singing in a cousins choir for all the relatives!

September 4, 2010 - Birdhouses

The kids each built their own from a Home Depot workshop and they each picked out paint and painted them. I loved seeing their personalities in the way they painted!

September 5, 2010 - Third Place

In his BMX race, Carson got third and was completely thrilled!

September 6, 2010 - Raining outside

And nice and cozy in the house.

September 7, 2010 - Pumpkin Bokeh

September 8, 2010 - Soon I'll Be Perfect

September 9, 2010 - Co-op Buddies

September 10, 2010 - Snip, Snip, Snip

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July 14, 2010 - Angry little tears

July 15, 2010 - Fresh From the Garden

July 16, 2010 - A Guest

...at his sister's wedding. I got to shoot it and had so much fun! The next day I was so sore, though!

July 17, 2010 - After the Storm

July 18, 2010 - Oh, Brothers

July 19, 2010 - Baby's Shoes

July 20, 2010 - Swimming with the fishies...

July 21, 2010 - Happy Birthday in Heaven

Our sweet little boy's first birthday in heaven was today, so we sent him some balloons.

July 22, 2010 - LCSW

July 23, 2010 - Over the River

July 24, 2010 - Quarry

July 25, 2010 - Why we need a bike rack.

July 26, 2010 - Sprinkled

July 27, 2010 - Little Legs

July 28, 2010 - Peanut Butter Smile

July 29, 2010 - Air Force Chocolate Milk

July 30, 2010 - Our Own Grape Tomatoes

July 31, 2010 - Last day of being Seven.

And on our way to the drive-in to celebrate. :)

August 1, 2010 - Earrings

I'm pretty sure her favorite birthday gift was the pierced ears. :)

August 2, 2010 - 1 + 4 = 2.5

One can of shaving cream plus four kids equals two and a half hours of laughing-their-heads-off-entertainment. :) And made me the most awesome mom ever!

August 3, 2010 - Summer Lunchin'

August 4, 2010 - Practice

For the bike race he's pretty sure he'll be in by next week. ;)

August 5, 2010 - New Jammies

With orange, stripes, and no shirt, these are just his style!

August 6, 2010 - Tuckered Out

The county fair really wore this boy out! Thank goodness he finally fell asleep - I'm pretty sure the entire fair was tired of hearing him scream and whine...

August 7, 2010 - Ice Cream

What can be better on a hot summer night than ice cream cones with Daddy?

August 8, 2010 - Crank it up!

What muscles that boy has!

August 9, 2010 - 730

Carson's first BMX racing number! I'm pretty sure this will be around for a long time! :) He had so much fun practicing and racing he can hardly wait till next time!

August 10, 2010 - Birthday Lunch

Not exactly on her birthday, but we had to go to her fave spot. :) With her fave people. And her brothers and her mom. ;)

August 11, 2010 - Frozen

Blueberries straight from the freezer are as good as ice cream!

August 12, 2010 - Pioneer Ride

The theme for Bible School this year was Pioneering, so we got to ride in a wagon pulled by horses!

August 13, 2010 - Monster Jams

For all 3 boys!

August 14, 2010 - The cookin' cowpoke

August 15, 2010 - The view from here

On the couch where I sit every morning. Love it.

August 16, 2010 - To fix what ails you

Or at least cover up your symptoms for awhile....This is what I'm taking so far for what's supposedly allergies.

August 17, 2010 - The Sick Bed

Mommy and Jack snuggling up on the couch. All morning. So obviously I didn't take this picture, but at least I made sure someone did, right?

August 18, 2010 - What your house may start to look like if no one cleans it.

For days.

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July 13, 2010 - Stripes

Guess where we went today...

July 12, 2010 - Unnerwears!

Jack is potty-training himself. Seriously. I just majorly stocked up on diapers and wipes (biggest box of wipes I've ever seen...), and decided we'd try when he turns 3. And then he suddenly is trained. During naps, when we're gone, and all night. I'm so happy I can hardly stand it! :D

July 11, 2010 - Family Day

for the Air Force Reserve families. The kids were in heaven with the food, ice-cream, pop, inflatables, free stuff, face painting, and games. :)

July 10, 2010 - Almost 8

My girl is going to be 8 as soon as July is over and it makes me want to cry! Where is my baby?

July 9, 2010 - Wunchbag

Another sewing project gone sort of bad, but Jack is totally in love with his "wunchbag". He's been sleeping with it and even brought it down when he had a bad dream in the middle of the night!

July 8, 2010 - Daisy

I'm borrowing my brother's zoom lens and may never give it back. :)

July 7, 2010 - Happy Sign. :)

July 6, 2010 - All Star

July 5, 2010 - Bear

Carson just had to paint a picture before he helped the other kids cover the whole canvas.

July 4, 2010 - Happy Birthday, America

I finally figured out how to take fireworks pictures!!!!!! Sort of.

July 3, 2010 - Freckles and Ice Cream

July 2, 2010

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June 15, 2010 - Why You Need Your Own Gardens

I love, love, LOVE having fresh flowers in the house, and cutting them from the garden makes me more happy than I can even say! :) (My checkbook stays happy, too!)

June16, 2010 - Crabby Jack

Or not. ;) He loves to make faces right now! And he loved wearing this little art project as a crown!

June 17, 2010 - Summer Reading

The kids always love the summer reading program at the library. And they think they really need to work hard to get it done, but actually we read at least half and hour every day. :) I'm so glad they love books as much as I do!

June 18, 2010 - So I Got More Fabric

But I needed it. Of course. Because how can you not need home decor fabric for $2 a yard?

June 19, 2010 - Holding the Rainbow

And as much as I'd like to take credit for this and not admit that I forgot to take a picture....Daddy took this one! Pretty awesome, Honey! :)

June 20, 2010 - Happy Daddy Day

My kids have the most awesome dad ever. I may be biased.

June 21, 2010 - Chariot Race

I walked outside to this funny sight. Racing up and down the driveway in the double stroller!

June 22, 2010 - Watering

I love having helpers with the flower watering every day!

June 23, 2010 - Diddle Diddle Dumpling...

My son, John. One sock off and one sock on.

I don't know why I suddenly thought of this nursery rhyme! :)

June 24, 2010 - Life Water

The special at Target got me major brownie points!

June 25, 2010 - Picnic in the Kitchen

Okay, so this looks an AWFUL lot like yesterday's pic, but I didn't really think about it! We have lots of picnics in the kitchen! :)

June 26, 2010 - A Tangle of Boys

Aidan and Jackson wrestle on my bed daily. And I know when they get bigger, I'll really miss it!

June 27, 2010 - Blue Angels

We went to the air show for another Father's Day celebration, and all had a great time! I caught myself gasping and holding my breath a lot! ;)

June 28, 2010 - Boys Like Pink

At least this one does! He picked pink cupcakes for his birthday. But they got frosted blue and had fishing poles on them!

June 29, 2010 - Four is Funner

Aidan knows that four is going to be "SO much funner than three!". : ) We love this little man so much, and thought that three was pretty fun, too!

June 30, 2010 - Mommy needs....

...among many other things, Stress Relief! (Especially when it costs less than $4 on clearance! ;) )

July 1, 2010 - Summer Freckles

Love them! :)

July 2, 2010 - Cherries for US

For the first year, we get our cherries instead of the birds! And the chidlets and I ate most of them in one afternoon!

Rainy Days and Couponing

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June 14, 2010 - When I say, "Jump", ...

We're starting to feel like Noah probably felt. I don't even remember what the sun looks like. But instead of staying cooped up in the house again, this morning we decided to go out and play in the rain. And it was worth the mud that tracked into the house and the soaking wet clothes! :)

June 13, 2010 - Starting my coupon adventure

...with majorly chipping, nails, I now notice. Anyway, I took a couponing class (yes, a class!) a couple weeks ago and am trying it out. When I start spending $20 a month on groceries, I'll let you know. :)

2nd post in a week?!?!?!

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June 9, 2010 - Serious.

June 10, 2010 - DIY Pizza

You have to sprinkle the cheese just perfectly.

June 11, 2010 - Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack

All dressed in black, black, black. Being in the pit orchestra for "The Music Man", I need to wear all black every night. So the kids sing Miss Mary Mack to me and ask if I could please wear something silver buttons down the back. :)

June 12, 2010 - Mushmello?

Now that we have our new popcorn popper, we buy lots of marshmallows for popcorn balls! :)

How to Make My Day

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June 8, 2010 - How to Make My Day

I have an awesome husband. :)

The post where I try to convince myself I really can keep up two blogs...

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May 11, 2010 - No Way.

Every once in a while....we sleep in. Just a little.

May 12, 2010 - Meal Swap

May 13, 2010 - What you may find in a boy's pockets...

May 14, 2010 - Adding Columns

I can't believe my little girl can do this math!

May 15, 2010 - New Wheels

Aidan's birthday gift from last year is much more exciting to Jackson.

May 16, 2010 - Ready to Run

May 17, 2010 - Me. And my new hair.

May 18, 2010 - Scrappy Towels

May 19, 2010 - Fat Lip

May 20, 2010 - Tattoos

May 21, 2010 - How We Roll

...when we camp. :)

May 22, 2010 - Happy Birthday To Me

And my very most favorite-est mom made me a heavenly Black Forrest Cake. Ahhhh...

May 23, 2010 - Shower time?

May 24, 2010 - Money Makers

May 25, 2010 - New Mohawks

May 26, 2010 - Pretty Feet

My very first pedicure with two of my very best friends. :)

May 27, 2010 - POP!

Have I mentioned that I love my mom? Because I do. She's awesome. And always gives the perfect gifts.

May 28, 2010 - Hairbrush, anyone?

May 29, 2010 - The Racing Gloves

May 30, 2010 - Remember

May 31, 2010 - Flowers for Keagan

June 1, 2010 - Bike Fund

Our garage sale money was for Eli's Father's Day gift - a new bike! (We had to give it to him early.) :)

June 2, 2010 - Reason #57 for not taking picture of 4 kids at once.

June 3, 2010 - More pop than this fridge has seen...

The kids sold some along with lemonade and brownies, and were delighted to have some left! ;)

June 4, 2010 - Our Family by Carson

He drew our family, complete with Keagan in heaven, and I traced and stitched and framed it for their room.

June 5, 2010 - One Yard Wonders #1

I've hardly been able to decide what project to start first in my new sewing book! We picked picnic placemats since we have LOTS of picnics!

June 6, 2010 - Happy Father's Day early!

June 7, 2010 - Happy Mother's Day late!

Tulip Time and Mother's Day

2010-05-11T11:39:00.001-05:00

May 10, 2010 - Note

Eli really thought ahead this year. He had the kids sign my little note before we left! I had no idea! The kids also picked out the flowers. :)

May 9, 2010 - Mother's Day Wishes

May 8, 2010 - Dordogne

My absolute favorite tulip! Most of them were already done, but we found a couple!

May 7, 2010 - Little Dutch Boy

May 6, 2010 - untitled

May 5, 2010 - What vacuum?

May 4, 2010 - Storytime

2010-05-03T20:27:00.000-05:00

May 3, 2010 - Stairway Serenade

Carson's pretty happy to have his guitar fixed! And no, these boys don't usually wear shirts.

May 2, 2010 - Uh, Huh, Uh, Huh!

May 1, 2010 - Time for Tea

Elisa's friend had a birthday party at a lovely tea shop, where the girls all dressed up in vintage dresses, hats, boas, and costume jewelry!

April 30, 2010 - Big Brown Eyes

April 29, 2010 - A Breakfast of Champions

Yep. Another donut. But with tea this time!

April 28, 2010 - My Gardener

April 27, 2010 - Goodbye to the yellow and the ribbon...

My boys are growing up, so their names will, too. So they're losing the ribbon and getting a new color. Brown, maybe?

April 26, 2010 - My Dishwasher. And Dryer. And Putter-Awayer.

April 25, 2010 - Bye!

April 24, 2010 - Chore Time

More Than That

2010-04-23T20:53:00.000-05:00

April 23, 2010 - More Than That

When Elisa was little, about 2, I asked her how much she loved me. She replied, "More than that.". More than what? Who cares! So since then, we always love each other "more than that".

From Tax Days to Slings

2010-04-22T21:42:00.000-05:00

April 22, 2010 - Still in a sling?

Before we packed away the sling today, we had to try it out one last time. :) First he just giggled, then tried to climb out, then got comfy and started sucking on his thumb. He's gotten a little heavier since last time we did this! I miss my baby being a baby, but love this little man to pieces!

April 21, 2010 - Me at 6:52am.

Ready to run. Only my favorite man in the whole world could make me want to get up at 6:30 in the morning. To run. I still can't even believe it!

April 20, 2010 - Full of ....treasure

Carson's drawer. After I took out the Ziploc bag filled with rotten week-old weeds. Ick. But see the pine needles? He sure loves to save things!

April 19, 2010 - Running my Life

My ever-present to-do list has a perfect home here! Along with invites, announcements, cards, artwork, and an assortment of other things. :)

April 18, 2010 - Rocks in the River

A Sunday afternoon picnic, complete with water, ducks, and hikes.

April 17, 2010 - New Shades

This boy is always the most excited with new clothes or accessories. :)

April 16, 2010 - 11 Feet

Okay, so I have to confess that I didn't take this picture. (Obviously.) But it was too good to miss out on being picture-of-the-day. We had to go shopping for the great 50% off sale at Old Navy. We were one of the lucky first 50 people (and only had to wait outside for an hour!), and went a little overboard. Let me first say: Between the two of us, we were shopping for 14 people. But our reciept? 11. Feet. Long.

April 15, 2010 - Tax Day? What Tax Day?

See this? He's relaxed on Tax Day. Because our taxes are long done. Yay.

Catch up time. Again.

2010-04-14T22:24:00.000-05:00

April 14, 2010 - Me.

April 13, 2010 - This nutritious breakfast has been brought to you by Lazy Mommy...

April 12, 2010 - Pretty Purple-ness

April 11, 2010 - Bittersweet

We brought this little pinwheel to the cemetary for Keagan. The kids knew he would love to watch it spin from heaven. We all cried, but reminded the kids that he's so happy with Jesus and he'll never cry or be hurt or sad. That sounded perfect to them! I can hardly believe how much we still miss him. I think about him every day and try really hard not to imagine what he'd be doing if he were with us. But he'd be smiling, laughing, rolling over, and scooting around. And even though I know heaven is better, I still want him here.

April 10, 2010 - Pink

I apparently enjoy making way too much unneccessary work. Because here's another project.

April 9, 2010 - Barefoot

And I actually could let these toenails be seen.

April 8, 2010 - We Can Grow Grass!

It may have taken awhile, but it grew.

April 7, 2010 - Orange

Face-painting at the Children's Museum is ALWAYS the highlight!

The one where I try to convince you I really am still sticking to my challenge.

2010-04-06T22:17:00.000-05:00

April 6, 2010 - Searching for Buried......Frogs?

April 5, 2010 - Centerpiece

April 4, 2010 - Sit Still!

April 3, 2010 - Eggs, Anyone?

April 2, 2010 - Dyed

April 1, 2010 - Waiting for The Scone

March 31, 2010 - Pretty Good $2.99

March 30, 2010 - Practice Makes Perfect

March 29, 2010 - Beautiful Sign of Spring

March 28, 2010 - Gooseberry Bridge

March 27, 2010 - Untitled

March 26, 2010 - The View From My Window

March 25, 2010 - Washable Graffiti

March 24, 2010 - Stripes

March 23, 2010 - No Words Needed

March 22, 2010 - What Vacation?

March 21 - Diving Gear

March 20, 2010 - Baby Giraffe

March 19, 2010 - Ready to Ride

March 18, 2010 - The Last of the Snow.....?

Happy, Icky, Bully Buppon Soup Days

2010-03-17T21:26:00.001-05:00

3/17/2010 - Happy Days

I love it when my favorite man knows when I'm having a bad day (not like I was screaming and throwing a tantrum that would rival one of J's or anything), and gets me flowers to make me feel better. Or maybe he was just hoping he'd make it through the house alive if he protected himself with them.

3/16/2010 - Soup

It's the season for soup-making! The favorite outside toys here are the old pans Mama gave them. They're perfect for mud pies and all sorts of soup. (And also a corncob that C's going to make a doll out of.) ;)

And do you see in the background?!?!?! GREEN!!! And brown....but there's a teeny little bit of a tinge of GREEN!!!!

3/15/2010 - Ick.

Carson asked for everything on this burrito. Refried beans, cheese, and sour cream. I asked twice, just to be sure I wasn't going to poison him with any of those ingredients, and yes, he wanted them all. So as soon as I set it in front of him, he started freaking out (as much as he freaks out), because apparently he now hates refried beans. I made him eat it anyway. Well, at least six bites of it. Am I a horribly mean mom? Is it just too much to ask him to eat more than pb&j, chicken nuggets, and pancakes? Because I'm pretty sure you're not going to have a real healthy life living only on that. :P

3/14/2010 - Bully Buppon

If you're around Jack anytime soon, be prepared to have your shirt lifted up so he can find your "bully buppon". :)

2010-03-15T15:29:00.000-05:00

3/13/2010 - Sewing Project

Just a little sneak peek of one of my many sewing projects! :)

3/12/2010 - Doggles

Swimming at the Y with Mama and the kids. Jackson NEVER takes his "doggles" off! He has his life jacket on because he had to go down the water slide with Naomi - what a brave little man!

3/11/2010 - Rain Boot Weather!

3/10/2010 - Craftiness

I've been really into making felt barrettes lately! Elisa loves it - she was really short on hair stuff. Or not.

3/9/2010 - Spring Green

Part of my dining room centerpiece - love that green!!!

3/8/2010 - Dusting Day

Aidan and Jackson always love to dust with me! :) I hope it doesn't wear off anytime soon!

3/7/2010 - New Bed

After lots and lots of re-arranging and bed-switching, Jack is finally in his new big boy bed! He acted like it was nothing. Just the same old bedtime as always. ;) That may be because he'd been hopping into Carson's bed for months at bedtime. Just laid down and covered up like it was his bed. So now that it actually is, he's happy!

3/6/2010 - The Season of Mud

I may need to clean my floors more often and do more laundry, but this mud we have inside and out now makes me ridiculously happy! :)

Trains and Tennis

2010-03-05T21:39:00.000-06:00

3/5/2010 - Trains

Boy, I'm coming up with pretty creative titles, huh?

These kids of mine love trains. And I mean: Love. Trains. It makes me so happy to have them all four play together so well! (Meaning, they almost never try to kill each other when they play with them.) And it's even better when you have two uncles building tracks for you. :)

3/4/2010 - Tennis Star

Yesterday at our homeschool coop, the sport was tennis. Carson isn't a big fan of any of the games they usually play, but tennis? He was thrilled! And how could you not love it when your mommy's best friend's husband (also known to him as "the best tennis player in the whole world") is teaching you some new moves? :)

By the way: I know this picture is blurry and this IS a photography challenge, but I just loved it so much. And it's my challenge, anyway. ;)

Unfinished and Legs

2010-03-04T00:22:00.001-06:00

3/3/2010 - Unfinished

If there's one thing that I'm good at, it's not finishing things. I'm not even sure how many not-finished-half-thought-out-awesome-idea-projects are piled in the basement. :) But this one isn't supposed to finished. Yet. Any guesses on what it is (or should I say, going to be)? Fine. Since it would be impossible to guess from this picture, I'll tell. :) It's the start of three quilts. One for each of my little men, made out of their old clothes. I'm constantly torn between being sentimental and organized, so this is the most perfect mix I've thought of! By the time jeans, shirts, and jammies make it through 3 boys (or sometimes 2, or sometimes only 1), they're done. Stains, holes, rips, and a deliberate cut or two ;) make them unfit for wearing, but they can still have a few 4-inch squares salvaged! So for awhile now, I've been saving those once-thought-ruined clothes in a basket and gradually cutting them into squares. Carson was so excited when I told him what I was doing and said it could be on his bed instead of his "Cars" comforter. (Yay!) Originally I had thought they would just be little keepsake quilts, but seeing the way they go through clothes makes me think they could possibly be bed-size quilts! So, in a few years or so, maybe we'll find out. And please: make me finish this project, because just thinking about it makes me so happy! :)

3/2/2010 - Legs

It's been so beautiful here the past few days, so we've been taking advantage of it by playing outside a lot! Elisa spent lots of time making these legs in the snow. But she just couldn't decide what kind of legs they should be, so they just stayed legs. :)

Catching up the Week-end

2010-03-01T23:08:00.001-06:00

3/1/2010 - Ready for a Second Wind

I love this chai. Really, really love it. And it's such a simple little indulgence! Coffee aisle at Wal-Mart. $3.48, if I remember correctly. ;) Pour your favorite mug half full of it, fill the rest with milk, and microwave 2 minutes. Happiness with a little boost of caffeine. :)

2/28/2010 - Two of a Kind

I could hardly believe these two could (and wanted to) go down the big water slides by themselves! I wish they hadn't been moving so fast; I really wanted a picture of them holding hands running up the stairs. It melted my heart.

2/27/2010 - Just Add Water

A few years ago, we went to our favorite waterpark hotel for Carson's birthday, and now he just assumes that's where we'll be for every single birthday! So this year we went a day late so he could go out for pizza and bowling on his birthday, but that was okay with him. :) The kids all hardly left the water the entire week-end!

2/26/2010 - Airman First Class

Today, we finalized one of the major decisions of our lives. After months of praying, talking, thinking, and researching, Eli enlisted in the Air Force Reserve today. It's overwhelming, exciting, and a little bit scary! He doesn't have his dates yet, but probably in October, he'll be going south for his basic training and tech school. The scary part? It will last about 4 months. Wow. I'm not sure how we'll do it yet, but we'll be fine. I know we will. Right?

SIX!

2010-02-25T23:24:00.000-06:00

2/25/2010 - SIX!

Our first baby boy is six today! He had a wonderful birthday - baked French toast for breakfast, pizza and bowling, Cocoa Puffs for supper, lots of gifts (and he loved them all!), and a Creme de Menthe cake he helped to make.

He informed me that this is his favorite way to make six, and thought I should document it. :) When he asks to have a picture taken, I'm more than happy to oblige!

2010-02-24T21:02:00.000-06:00

2/24/2010 - Last Day of 5

This was Carson's last day of being 5. Doesn't every little kid want to be 5? I remember DYING to be 5. 5 was so grown up. Like gonna-be-driving-soon grown up. Carson was no different. 4 was just what had to be endured before he could be 5. :) But now? Now he's thrilled to be turning 6!

Cooking With Boys

2010-02-23T21:28:00.001-06:00

2/23/2010 - Cooking With Boys

I'd like to just let you draw your own conclusion with this picture and title, but I'm an honest person, so I'll explain. Today was Pancake Day, and I was too lazy to take the kids to IHOP, but thought at least we'd make pancakes for supper. So Aidan and Jack grabbed a chair and dragged it up to the counter to help. Aidan begged to crack the eggs into the batter, but I had to go into some long explanation about how "Mommy has to do it because we don't like to eat egg shells, and when you crack eggs sometimes some shell gets into the food, or you crack the egg holding it too tight, or - " SPLAT. Or you drop it on the floor, I guess. Nice. So next time, Aidan's cracking the eggs. ;)

Wish

2010-02-22T21:07:00.000-06:00

2/22/2010 - Wish

I found this the other day with some other papers of Elisa's. Apparently I'm still not forgiven for not giving her a sister! ;) When we told her that we were having a boy when I was pregnant with Jackson, she said, "Well, when I grow up, I'm going to have a baby, and I'll have a girl!".

Go ahead and try, Honey. ;)

The 5 Dollar, 5 Year, 3 Boy Coat

2010-02-21T21:28:00.001-06:00

2/21/2010 - The 5 Dollar, 5 Year, 3 Boy Coat

Don't you love getting an awesome deal, and then it just gets awesomer? (Yes, that's a word. I use it all the time.) So 5 years ago at The Children's Place, this coat was originally $40, on clearance for $4.99. (Pathetic that I remember that.) And Carson wore it for 2 years, because he doesn't grow much. Come to think of it, he could probably still wear it if he really wanted to. Then Aidan got it, and now it's Jackson's. Talk about getting your money's worth. Another great bonus: We get compliments on it all the time. I like to have my boys be a little stylish. Every now and then when they let me tell them what to wear.

What Have I Done...

2010-02-20T21:25:00.001-06:00

As if I need another blog to keep up (or not keep up), here we are. This is my "Picture Of The Day" blog. I'll try to keep it limited to the 365 pictures I've commited to taking. (Not JUST 365. Just 365 "special" ones.)

We're Moved!

2010-02-20T21:09:00.003-06:00

2/20/2010 - Cuuuute!

2/19/2010 - Clearance Love

2/18/2010 - Pages

2/17/2010 - Puzzled

2/16/2010 - "Ski. Self."

2/15/2010 - Three Party Week-end

2/14/2010 - Romantic Valentine Dinner For Six

2/13/2010 - Toddler Tuesday Love Party

2/12/2010 - Getting Ready For Mail

2/11/2010 - My Favorite Reason to NOT Do 500 Projects at Once

A New Home for 365 Pictures

2010-02-18T23:00:00.000-06:00

2/10/2010 - I Heart Socks
2/9/2010 - Snow Bunny

2/8/2010 - Brotherly Love

2/7/2010 -Sticky Stuff

2/6/2010 - Trapper Hat

2/5/2010 - Love Me Some Legwarmers

2/4/2010 - Gotcha!

2/3/2010 - Patience

2/2/2010 - Lover Boy

2/1/2010 - Valentine Time

1/31/2010 - Snuggle

1/30/2010 - Cry Baby

1/29/2010 -Cozy

1/28/2010 - Pizza!

1/27/2010 - Towels for the Men and the Lady

1/26/2010 - Z

1/25/2010 - After Nap Time

1/24/2010 - Legoland

1/23/2010 - Sunday Brunch

1/22/2010 - There Was Light

1/21/2010 -I Love My Maid

1/20/2010 - My Best Friend

1/19/2010 - A Two Hour Break From Winter

1/18/2010 - Zuigerphobe

1/17/2010 - Who Needs TV?

1/16/2010 - The List

1/15/2010 - Snowball Fight

1/14/2010 - A Sight for Tired Eyes

1/13/2010 - The Lizard Holder

1/12/2010 - Playtime

1/11/2010 - Elisa's New Fave Socks

1/10/2010 - What 517 Calories-A-Piece Looks Like

1/9/2010 - Four Below

1/8/2010 - Monsters!

1/7/2010 - Pathetic

1/6/2010 - Chicken Poop

1/5/2010 - New Year, New Moo

1/4/2010 - Jack's Breakfast

1/3/2010 - Aidan in his new hat with "Precious Pillow"

1/2/2010 - My Christmas Present

1/1/2010 - The Last Day of the Tree