Sugarplum Creations

Vacay!

2012-02-13T21:45:00.000-08:00

We made it!

Two flights, a taxi ride, hotel-room-switcharoo, and we're finally settled.

Not too many rays to be soaked up here in Cali, but we're enjoying it nonetheless!

{Any of y'all on Instagram?}

Project 52: Week 6 ~ Drink Up!

2012-02-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm just going to tell you right now, that my photos for Project 52 keep getting worse :(
Be warned.

In my defense, though . . . well, actually, I don't have a defense. We're just really busy here getting ready for vacay {yay!}, homeschooling, errands, and life's basics.

Side story:

We were visiting friends last week, and got into this very discussion {about things being crazy busy right now}, and I worked up the nerve to ask if it was just me or if the 6-12 month stage is a little . . . exhausting for anyone else. Now. Do not get me wrong. I LOVE this age. I do. But Tay is going through a bit of a trying time right now. She's not real content. I truly believe that she sees her big sissies running around, playing, having fun, and wants so badly to join them. Add to that the fact that on the very rare instances that I can set her down for a few minutes, she's into EVERYTHING. Miss Priss can army crawl like nobody's business. And her index-thumb dexterity is seriously amazing. She can spot little Barbie shoes and hair clips from a mile away, scoot her little booty over to them, and grab 'em up, pop 'em in her mouth, all in about 1.3 seconds. You gotta watch this one like a hawk, I tell ya. So by the end of the day . . . well, I'm completely worn out.

Wow. Long side story. All that to say ~ not a lot of time to pick up the camera for anything more than a snap these days ;)

Here we go . . .

Week 6 ~ Drink On Up, Y'all!

Yesterday we did a little grocery shopping, and thought we deserved a little treat.

Vanilla Beans from Starbucks . . .

They don't last long around here.

Linking up with Darcy from Life With My 3 Boybarians.
Join in, whydon'tcha!

I Love This Age

2012-02-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

I may have mentioned before, but I ♥ LOVE ♥ the 2-4 age range.
Little ones are so much fun.
They keep you on your toes. And they come up with the FUNNIEST things!

Take this little Miss, for example.
Oh she is a bundle of energy.

Do you notice the black streaks above her eyebrows? Mmmhmm. She insisted on painting them on with black eyeliner, "like mama". I can assure you, my browliner actually makes it onto my brows.

She comes up with the funniest things, Miss Kam does. Lately, when she's thirsty, she's been saying: "I'm drinky". Drinky. Not thirsty. Nope. Drinky. And she's always humbry {hungry}. Until she's taken a bite of her meal. Then she's stuffed. The other day my mom joked that Kameryn is hungry and stuffed about 100 times daily.

Little Miss is really into playing pretend these days. Or, as she likes to call it: 'tend.
She's all about the princesses and the prince charmings.
And she always calls dibs on the princess role, which means that one of us must be prince charming.
The other morning us girls were getting ready, and Kam insisted on playing "'tend".

Kam: Kenna. Kenna? Kenna?! Kenna!!!??? Wanna play 'tend?
{She'll just keep repeating herself until you acknowledge her with eye contact AND verbal confirmation}
Kenners: {sigh} Ohhhhkay.
Kam: My be Princess Ariel, you be Prince Charming. Okay?
Kenners: {Nods}.
Kam: HEY! PRINCE CHARMING!! GET UP HERE ON THIS BED AND CUDDLE ME!

Ohhhhh dear. She's a demanding little princess, isn't she?

I'm going to have to remember to start writing these things down.
Time goes by so quickly, you know.

{Not So} Wordless Wednesday ~ Littles

2012-02-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

I call these two, my Littles.

The littlest of my girlies.

They love each other quite a bit.

Okay, sometimes one can frighten the other, just a tad.

Hey, Mama, what are you always doin' behind that big black box??!

But I just know they are going to be the best of pals!

Up To

2012-02-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

Oh goodness.

Are the days getting shorter, or is my to do list getting longer?

Or both?

It's official.

The first couple of months of the year are definitely our busiest.

{Of course, if you ask me again in a few months, my answer might be different}

A few things we've been up to:

Baking cookies.
We had some M&Ms left over from Kam's party, and I couldn't think of a yummier way to use 'em up.

Packaging photography orders.

Did y'all know that you can sew paper? Oh yes, you can.

I made a few folders from scrapbook paper.
Sierra thought I was crazy, but I rather like the way they turned out.

Mostly, though, we've been doing this:

We've had sunshine and temps in the mid/high fifties for nearly a week.
It's been gorgeous!

Kam couldn't be happier. Little Love is soakin' it all up!

How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

Project 52: Week 5 ~ Shadows

2012-02-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

I REALLY procrastinated this week.
I had every intention of putting a lot of effort into it, but alas, our week was busy, I was tired, and picking up my camera just wasn't at the tippy top of my priority list.

But today . . .
We had SUNSHINE!
Hooray for sunshine.
We get so very little of it in the Pacific Northwest.
We headed outside and there were shadows galore.

Big Sunshiney hugs to all of ya!

Party Girl

2012-01-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

We had a fantastic birthday weekend.
I'll be honest. I teared up more than a couple of times thinking about how quickly these little ones grow.
I want a time machine.
I don't care to look into the future {at all}, but what I wouldn't give to just go back a few years and observe. Not re-live it, exactly. Just "watch it". Like a home movie or something.
Do I sound crazy?

Anyway, back to the subject. Birthday weekend.

Friday morning {Kam's actual birthday} started out with French Toast {her request}. And Daddy brought home chockit doonuts just for her!

She got to open presents from us, and try on a million birthday outfits.

Which resulted in some modeling and hamming it up for the camera.

Not long after, the phone started ringing off the hook for Miss Birthday Girl.

We finished out our day with dinner and cupcakes and ice cream courtesy of Nana and Grandpa.

Saturday morning {birthday party day} started bright and early with cake decorating.

NO laughing.
I was limited on time.
And, what's that? Is the cake a little lopsided, you ask? Why, yes it is. Thank you for noticing.

The Birthday Table. Decked out with cake, Pink Lemonade, and Kam's photo book. We added the punch, and pretzel bites shortly after.

Miss Kam was so excited for her party to start. She could hardly wait. She passed the time by sampling the lemonade and staring at her cake ;)

We offered an Ice Cream Sundae Bar, and I'm so glad we did. Who doesn't love an ice cream sundae?? Strawberries, Caramel and Chocolate Syrup, Hot Fudge, Gummi Bears, M&Ms, Marshmallows, Peanuts, and an assortment of crushed candy bars. YUM!

Kenners and Sierra were so happy to have their cousin over. Nothing sweeter than cousins goofing around having fun together.

Finally it was present time :)

Yep, she actually received a package of chocolate donuts :)

And LOTS of Barbies. She could play Barbies all day every day.

I'm not sure what all the excitement was over in this shot.

And a brand spankin' new fishing pole. A big girl one :) She was so excited, and is now totally ready to go fishing with Daddy.

We all had so much fun.

How was your weekend?

Productive Weekend

2012-01-29T20:26:00.000-08:00

Whew! What a weekend. Yesterday's party was a success! {I'll post pics soon. Pinky promise}.

And today we got so much done around the house. It felt great.

Kam's closet was in need of a major clean out {like, she had a 24 month sweater hanging up, and she's pretty much wearing all 4T. Yeah. It was time}.

We found a home for birthday presents, washed bedding, caught up on laundry, did a LOT of Bible reading. It was a good day.

So. Just put up a few photos of some SUPER adorable little ones on my photography blog :)

Go check 'em out!

Happy 3 to Me!

2012-01-27T16:12:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe my third baby girl turns three today. In some ways, that day seems like a lifetime ago. In other ways, it feels like just yesterday.

{Get ready for some pictures, people.}

~~ ♥ ~~ ♥ ~~ ♥ ~~ ♥ ~~

Miss Kameryn Faith . . .

Three years ago today you came into this world, a little bit early. After nearly two weeks in the hospital on bedrest, daily ultrasounds, and frequent chats with the NICU staff outlining what to expect, this Mama was surprised and elated that you were born completely healthy.
{PRAISE GOD!}

There were a few hurdles.
Some we expected {bili lights, daily weigh-ins}, and some we didn't.

But it didn't take long for you to settle right in to our little family.

And you fit just perfectly.

You grew and grew. Rather quicly, I might add.

And changed. And grew some more.

And became your own little {adorable} person.

{You came with me to every doctor's appointment when I was pregnant with Taylor. You loved hopping right up on the table with me, holding the doppler, and finding the heartbeat. And I loved that you kept me company.}

You LOVE sweets. And I'm not going to lie, I think it's kinda sweet ;) Of course we push the fruits and veggies, and proteins too. But I can't help but give in to the sweets occasionally. Especially when you ask in the most adorable way.

In June, you became a big sister!
You are the sweetest, most caring, and loving big sissy ever.
Not once have you ever shown one bit of jealousy or even annoyance with little Taylor.
You always want to hold her and play with her.
I am so so happy you two have each other because I just know you will be super close.

You are so full of life.
I always get such a kick out of the things you do and say.
Spirited? Ohhhh yeah.

See?
You know what you want {and that's good}.
And if you don't get it, well, you don't like it. {And that's a teachable moment}.

You are SUCH a big helper. You love to help in the kitchen, and ask to do so daily.

You are the most beautiful little princess ever, sweet girl!
And I love how you complete our family.
Love you bigger than the sky!

Project 52: Week 4 ~ Self Portrait

2012-01-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so not about self-portraits around here.

I really rather prefer to be behind the camera.

But, since I don't make the Project 52 rules . . . .

Here we go: Self Portrait

We took a little spur-of-the-moment drive through the country this week. Stopping at one of Jeremy's favorite fishing spots to drop a line in. Sierra and Makenna joined him. Kameryn, Taylor and I mostly hung out in the car. {In my defense ~ It was cold! And Kam was sleeping most of the time.}

It is SO nice to just BE together as a family. I do not take a moment of it for granted anymore. After nearly a year of house building, rarely getting out to do anything together as a family, I cherish these moments.

Please.
Join in.
It's just one photo a week for the year. You can do it! :)

Party Prep

2012-01-26T15:29:00.000-08:00

We are busy party preppin' around here!

Only one more day until this little Miss turns THREE!

{Kam's Party Invitations}

And two more days until the party!

We've got the decorations covered.

Next on the list is wrapping presents.

Another little miss, who shall remain nameless {and happens to be cutting teeth at the moment}, has decided to go ahead and skip naps today. Um, yeah. Wish me luck getting everything accomplished ;)

Our Weekend {In Pictures}

2012-01-23T08:39:00.000-08:00

We had a nice, quiet weekend. How 'bout you?
Saturday night we went up to Mom and Dad's for a super delicious celebration dinner.
Nana and Papa were able to join us, and Sierra enjoyed a visit with Papa.
They both share a love of photos.

~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~

This little Miss had a nice bubble bath in the kitchen sink ;) I LOVE our house. But, if I could do it over again {and trust me, I do not want to}, I wouldn't have insisted that we don't need a bath tub on the main floor. The girls have a bath tub upstairs, but all of Taylor's clothes and things are downstairs. I rarely go upstairs, actually. So. Kitchen sink it is. For now {I know, I'm lazy}.

Is there anything sweeter than a freshly washed babe?

~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~

Last night we had another amazing dinner. Jeremy picked up steaks on his way home from work the other day. A wonderful {and seldom} treat. We maybe do this once a year. Jeremy braved the wind and rain to barbecue, and they were so SO good.

I made twice baked potatoes and homemade bread to accompany. {Can you believe I didn't get any pictures of the steaks?}

~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~

And Kam talked me into cupcakes.
She is obsessed with sweets right now.
This was our conversation the other day:

Kam: Mama, my don't want to eat my lunch.
Me: Well, you need to eat something so you can fill up your tummy.
Kam: Um, how 'bout cookie?
Me: Nooooo. Something healthy.
Kam: Donut?

Ay yi yi.

I wish I could say that I don't know where she gets it, but I'm afraid she comes by this naturally.

~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~

And my Sis? She had the baby early Saturday morning. She did great. Is recovering wonderfully. And the new little man is settling in nicely with his parents.

What did your weekend look like?

Project 52: Week 3 ~ I Dreamed A Dream

2012-01-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

So . . . pretty sure this isn't what most would interpret for Week 3, but hear me out . . .

This little princess is, no doubt, dreaming sweet baby dreams.
And my dream for her?
Health, happiness, and fully knowing God's love.

Linking up for 52 weeks of photography themes and challenges from Darcy at My 3 Boybarians.

Snow {And You Capture: Cold}

2012-01-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

This time of year always seems so busy to me. But then, most times of the year seem busy to me :)
We're trying to settle back into a routine after the hustle and bustle of the holidays, plus we have 1.2 million birthdays all in January and February. That keeps us hoppin', people.

But the other day we were forced to slow down a bit when we got a tiny sprinkling of . . .

SNOW!

The girls had pretty much been praying for snow since November. And they finally got it!
We didn't get enough to build a snow man, or even go sledding.

But there was enough for eating {blech!}

And, of course, a few snowballs :)

So, I'm just going to put this out there for you, Mother Nature. I love the snow in January. I will tolerate it in February. But don't you go dumpin' snow on us in March and April like you did last year, K?

Linking up with Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry:

♥ 7 Months ♥

2012-01-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are, another month gone by.

I'm trying not to sound so depressed by it, but goodness time moves quickly.

There are so many happy things about children getting older. Watching them grow and learn.

But it's hard for me too. Funny how your attitude changes when it's not Baby #1 anymore.

I remember when Sierra was a baby, I was anxious for her to reach new milestones. I was down on my hands and knees trying to teach her to crawl. I wanted her to grow, grow, grow! But now, with Taylor most likely being our last baby, I just want a PAUSE button. Really, is that so much to ask?

So. Miss Taylor Grace . . . You are ♥ 7 Months old today! ♥

You are changing SO much these days. It's like overnight you have become a different baby.
You smile all the time, but now you're also finding so much humor in everything.
The funniest? Big Sissy Kam. She can crack you up like no other.
Probably because she's a little on the crazy side.

You're a big girl! At your six month check you were more than 19 pounds, so I'm guessing you're at least 20 by now. You're sitting up. Mostly. If we're not careful, we tip over at times, but for the most part you are happy to sit and play.

You LOVE to eat. And you'd rather feed yourself than let Mama do it. You can pick up a Cheerio with such ease, and maneuver it right to your little mouth. And you've been drinking from a straw for weeks. Since before you were six months! That seems so early to me!

You are finally getting some teeth! I think Kam was about your age when she got her first tooth, but Sierra had teeth by 5 1/2 months, and Kenners . . . she wasn't even 5 months!

You bring such joy to our family. I cannot imagine life without you in it. I love your snuggles, smiles, noises, jabbering {that's new and so so adorable}, expressions. Everything.

Stay little for just a while longer, okay?

Yay Miss A!

2012-01-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

We had such fun watching the Miss America Pageant last night. Sierra and Makenna {and Mama} picked our favorites from their Intros, and we didn't do half bad ;)

Congratulations to Miss Wisconsin, the New Miss America!!!

We're Ready, Are You?

2012-01-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

Ready for the evening gowns, the swimsuits, the talent . . .

Ready for the "Here She Is" . . .

Are you?

Project 52 : Week 2 ~ Made With Love

2012-01-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay. I'm a little late. But I'm here.
I can't drop the ball on my Project 52 in the second week, right? That would just be embarrassing.
So. Week Two's Theme: Made With Love ♥

I'm working on Miss Kam's birthday invitations right now:

This theme was a little thrown together {like a half hour ago}.
It has been a LONG, crazy week here at the Fraijo house.
And it's been kind of hard to focus on much since we heard the news that Sierra's best friend is in the hospital right now undergoing surgery due to a nasty sinus infection that just won't break its hold.
Poor little Sweetie is fighting like a champ.
If you'd like to pray for her full and quick recovery {and maybe some peace and rest for Mom and Dad}, that would be so, so wonderful.

Okay. Over and out.

{I'm linking up with Darcy at Life with My 3 Boybarians. And you should too! Go!}

A Little Bit Random

2012-01-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

My thoughts are all over the place today. Partly because I live on about an hour's sleep most days, and partly because I have an excruciating headache. So I apologize in advance if this jumps around a bit.

So . . . this Little Miss

is almost 3!
What?
How did that happen??

Can I just take a little walk down memory lane real quick?

Check out this tiny little bundle.

Oh good gracious. Tiny little cupcake. Isn't she the sweetest??

This has always been a favorite of mine. So serious.

And there she is last Winter.

My goodness they grow quickly, don't they? Makes my heart hurt a little.

I've been informed that Miss Thing would like a Pink Princess Ariel Cake for her birthday. If you ask, that's what she'll tell you. Me: "But, what kind of presents would you like Kam?" Kam: "Pink Princess Ariel Cake. My told you already." {Girl is a bit of a sass, you know}. I was actually going to skip the cake thing this year and just make up more of the Cake Pops, and possibly offer an Ice Cream Sundae Bar. But, I don't know. Kam is one opinionated little girl. And if she says she wants Pink Ariel. She wants Pink Ariel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I often feel a little bummed this time of year. Now that Christmas is over, and we have a long winter/spring to look forward to. But this year it seems we have so much to look forward to, I can't help but be excited. Our San Diego trip, just weeks away {SQUEAL!!!}. And I'm hoping to take a little trip down to Medford to visit my sister sometime this Spring. She's about to have a baby {not her own. She's actually a surrogate!} shortly, so maybe we'll plan something for March or April. We're long overdue for a good visit. And I think it'd be fun to take the girls on a tour of where their Mama spent some time growin' up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's almost Miss America time!
I was SO excited to find out that it will be televised this Saturday {Jeremy works, so it'll be just us girly girls!}. We are planning on breaking out the evening gowns, tiaras, and sashes, ladies. Oh yes we are. Do y'all have any big Miss America viewing plans? Do tell!

Outside

2012-01-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

Anyone else go a liiiiiiitle stir crazy this time of year? We get a LOT of rain, which means a lot of time indoors. So, when we get a dry spell, we try to head outside pronto.

That's just what we did the other day.
It wasn't beautiful. We didn't see any sun. It certainly wasn't warm.
But the fresh air was absolutely delightful.

Taylor definitely thought so.

Kam got to wear her beloved boots . . .

and she found many a treasure.
Many.

I love those kinda days.

Project 52: Week 1

2012-01-06T05:44:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of years I've watched while others have participated in a 365, and I've wished I would have done my own. But then, life is a little crazy right now, and I wonder if I would truly follow through each and every day.

The solution? A Project 52.

I can do that!

This week's theme is, Resolution:

I'm linking up with Darcy at Life With My 3 Boybarians

Consider joining in, why don'tcha!

Wordful Wednesdsay ~ Sunny Days Ahead!

2012-01-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

Remember when I mentioned I had a little incentive for getting my boot in shape this year?

Remember when I said that I had the.best.Christmas.ever?

Remember when I told y'all that my SUPER wonderful in-laws {I actually kinda dislike that term, because to me, they're Mom and Dad} surprised us with a trip to San Diego in February?

Whoops! Didn't I mention that? ;)

That's right!

Come February, the SIX of us are all going to board a plane, and fly to the sunshine for 5 whole days of FUN! Our first big trip as a family of 6 {or five, for that matter!}

{Our Vacation Countdown Chart}

To say I'm excited is a complete understatement. I am just beside myself! So very thankful to Mom and Dad for the opportunity. We are going to have so much fun!!!!

Linking up with Rachel @ And Then She Snapped

New Year, New Goals

2012-01-03T07:04:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before that I don't really do the resolution thing. But I *do* like to have goals that I am working toward. I just finished reading my 2011 goals, and I had to smile, thinking back to where I was at this time last year. Smack dab in the middle of house building. Wow, that was stressful. And looking forward to the birth of our fourth child. At the time, I didn't even know she was a girl! Crazy how much can change in just one year. I didn't make it through the Bible :( BUT, I did make it to Isaiah. That counts for something, right? And I am purposing to get through the rest of the Bible this year. I am more than half way through. I can do it.

That is definitely Goal #1 And in keeping with that goal, I am also purposing to pray more. I pray with the girls at bedtime, say my own prayers before falling to sleep, and occasionally remember to thank God for all of those little blessings day to day. Underwhelming, huh? I received a prayer journal for my 30th birthday, and I have used it a handful of times, but I want to use it more often. Sometimes I think that God would love to bless me with even more, it's just . . . I don't ask. I could go on {and on} about that, but I won't ;)

Goal #2 . . . Exercise. Ha! I know, I know. Heard that one before? Me too. But this time I mean it. I started a little over a week ago, and I've followed through every single day {except one!}. And I have a little bit of an incentive this year. Tell ya about it soon ;)

Goal #3: Get my photography business off the ground. I'm really praying about this one.

And too many other little goals to count!

How about y'all? Do you make resolutions? Do you have a list of goals? I'd love to hear 'em.

Oh, and just because I can't resist:

Ohhhhhhh dear. Seriously? Is she the cutest thing ever, or is it just me?

Linking up with IA for TTUT

A New Year

2012-01-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

Whew! It's a NEW year, y'all!!! That totally snuck up on me.
I swear, it was just the beginning of 2011. Weren't we just finishing up house-building, waiting on the arrival of baby girl #4? Was that really a whole year ago?? Yikes.

So . . . we had a nice, quiet New Year's Eve.

We spent the first part of the day in the kitchen making these:

Pretzel Bites.
I found them through Pinterest {yeah, I've finally jumped on the bandwagon, and oh.my.word. I'm a little tiny bit addicted}. You can find the recipe here, at Two Peas And Their Pod if you'd like to make your own. And trust me, you should! The girls LOVED them, and they were super easy to make.

{Edited to add: You can follow me here: , but be warned, I haven't had much time to do pinning, so my boards are sparse. I hope to change that soon!}

After a quick visit to see Jeremy's Papa {he had surgery last week}, we headed over to my mom and dad's for annual Bingo night. Only this year, it was Bingo day. The change in time worked out perfectly, because lately Kam and Taylor are ready for bed by about 7 o'clock.

We got home, put the littlest ones to bed . . . and then . . .

We PARTIED ALL NIGHT LONG!

Which is code for: we played some board games until Kenners and I fell asleep around 11, and had to be woken up by Daddy and Sis to ring in the new year.

Hope your celebrations were equally as exciting! :)

Treats for New Year's {Or Any Time!}

2011-12-30T06:30:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for fun ideas for kids in the kitchen {because my littles ♥ LOVE ♥ to help out}.

Yesterday we were experimenting, and here is what we came up with: Our take on cake pops. Easy, fun, and a little bit messy.

Start with Vanilla Melts. This is the first time I've used these, and I'm pretty much in love. So easy to melt and to use.

Toss in an Oreo Cakester. These are pretty much heaven all by themselves.

Swirl it around, coat all sides.

Ours aren't perfect, because we're not perfect. We like it better that way.

Then sprinkle or decorate as you wish.
This was just a trial run; I think we'll use popsicle sticks with the next batch.

This is seriously so much fun for the little ones. We'll be taking some to our annual Family Bingo tournament at Nana and Gramps' on New Year's Eve.

Let me know if you try 'em!

Linking up with the FAB Jen from TT&J!

Christmas Memories

2011-12-27T19:07:00.000-08:00

Did you all have as wonderful a Christmas as we did?
It was extra magical this year.
For many reasons, not least of which because it was Taylor's first Christmas!
With each new child, the holidays are more special to me. More wonderful, and full of fun.
But then, I suppose it's not just during the holidays. It's really every day.

We were all still a little under the weather, but not too sick to open presents, of course.
Poor Miss Taylor, she came down with the virus right before Christmas. She's still not feeling very well :(

I hardly took any photos last weekend. Between caring for sick babies, and running all over for different holiday festivities, picking up my camera seemed nearly impossible.

But I cherish the few photos I did snap.

So many wonderful memories made.

Hope yours was equally wonderful!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:8-14

{I don't think I have ever read or heard that passage and not become teary}

Merry Christmas!!!

Countdown to Christmas 2011 ~ Week 3

2011-12-22T01:29:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe Christmas is just a few days away!

This last week has been a little boring around our house :( With so much sickness, we haven't been feeling up to being all that festive. But the other night as I was getting ready to go to bed {and Taylor was just waking up} I was sitting in the living room, rocking her, and looking at our brightly lit tree, and I started thinking. Do I have it all wrong? Here I've been running around like crazy. Shopping, shopping, and more shopping. Decorating. I've scheduled an activity or craft for my girls every day in December. We've baked cookies more times than I can count. And just how much time have I devoted to reading the Bible, or quiet time with God? Hmmmm, let's see. Probably less time this month than any other month this year :( It hurts to admit that, but it's the truth. I'm not saying that traditions and activities aren't fun and an important part of the season. I just think I've lost a bit of the true meaning somewhere in all of the hustle and bustle and planning and stress. And I find that totally ironic. And sad.

Anyway. On to the recap.

Last Thursday {Day 15} we went to the Portland International Raceway to look at lights. Other than a little car sickness, we had a great time :)

Friday {Day 16} was Beauty Day. It had been awhile since our toes had gotten special treatment.

And just in time too! Because the girls' dance recital was our big outing for Saturday {Day 17}.

On Sunday {Day 18} we had planned to go to the Church Christmas Program. But Kam wasn't the only sicky anymore, so we had to miss it :( Instead, we got in our jammies and watched Christmas specials.

Taylor had her Six Month check up on Monday {Day 19}, and all we were really up for afterward was a quick stop at Starbucks for a Vanilla Bean and Cake Pops.

I was supposed to attend a Cookie Exchange on Tuesday {Day 20}, but with the number of sickies multiplying, I had to miss it. We stayed in jammies ALL DAY and Nana and Grandpa cooked us dinner that evening. But I was soooooo sad to miss the cookie party :(

By Wednesday {Day 21} we were all feeling a little discouraged that our plans weren't really turning out the way we'd imagined. I had picked up a Gingerbread House Kit, and it was screaming the girls' names. So we invited Grandma over {despite the fevers and coughs}, and put it together {after a certain 2 year old went to bed . . . at 6pm, ahem}. I have a few photos of the masterpiece, but they're not all that great, and I'm tired, and can't bring myself to upload them right now. Envision a lot of frosting and candy.

And here we are. I'm not sure what our plan is for today. The coughing turned to vomitting last night {sorry TMI!}, so I'm guessing that we'll have another low-key day. And that's okay. I just want the girls to feel better in time for Christmas.

So . . . what about y'all?? What have you been up to? Please do let me know!

And also? I'm finally {FINALLY!} linking up {kinda late, but oh well} with Beth @ I Should Be Folding Laundry. Because I've been meaning to for about 300 years now.

If You Come To Our House For Christmas Cookies { A Warning }

2011-12-21T11:16:00.000-08:00

You may find our process to be a bit . . . messy. A little unorganized.

Little hands are always in charge.

Especially the littlest of hands.

We enjoy an abundance of sprinkles.

Ahem, we enjoy an abundance of sprinkles.

And did I mention chocolate frosting?

But, if you think you can handle it, we'd love to have you over for some sprinkles, er cookies.

Starbucks Makes Everyone Feel Better

2011-12-20T07:11:00.000-08:00

So . . . we've been doing a lot of this lately.

{Please excuse the frizzy, unkept hair. Sick little girls don't appreciate their mamas doing anything but taking care of them 24/7. Maybe excuse the zombie look too. Mama hasn't been getting much sleep these days. Actually, why don'tcha just ignore crazy lady on the left, and just focus on the little one on the right. She's pretty adorable even when she's not feelin' so good. }

Don't get me wrong, I love the snuggles. But I REALLY love healthy too. And we're not feeling all that healthy these days. And it's kind of a bummer, because I feel like we're missing out on all of the holiday festivities. But then, I think maybe it does us some good to slow down. So, we're making peace with that.

Taylor had her 6 month check up yesterday {Um, 19 pounds, 3 ozs. Hello, big girl!}, and I asked if we could squeeze Kam in for a quick peek too. No ear infection, lungs sound good. "Just" a virus. But poor little thing is just miserable. After the appointment we swung by the store for more Tylenol, a couple of last minute gifts, and more wrap {and juice too}. And the girls were SO good, that I ran into Starbucks to pick up a little treat for them. They ♥ the Vanilla Bean, so I ordered three, with a few of these:

Yummy, chocolatey, pepperminty goodness. I had a tiny bite, and they are heavenly. And they're photogenic too. Don't you think?

Hope y'all are staying healthy!!

Dancing Queen{s}

2011-12-19T07:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was the girls Christmas Dance Recital. They look so forward to all of their performances, and I do too! I don't know if it's because I spent so many years dancing {and coaching and teaching}, or if it's just because I'm a mama, but I get teary at all of their performances.

This year was a little difficult because most of us weren't feeling all that great, and Kam was feeling downright awful. But she insisted on going to watch her sissies. Thank goodness for my mother-in-law. She offered to take the older two so they could be there early, and so that I could stay at home with Kam {and Taylor} as long as possible.

Luckily they got right down to business, and I think the entire show was only about an hour long.

And the girls . . . .

they looked AWESOME! I knew they would.

♥ Six Months ♥

2011-12-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

Okay. What on earth happened to the last month, someone please tell me. Six months?? Six? Holy cow. Half of a year? I'm sorry, but I'm still trying to process this. Oh how I wish time would slow down just a little. But that doesn't look like it's happening any time soon :(

Miss Taylor Grace, you are SIX MONTHS OLD already!

You are the sweetest little babe ever. You are smiley and friendly to everyone who crosses your path. You also, however, are getting a little more vocal ;) Up until recently you had me believing that you were going to be my sweet, laid-back, easy-going one. I'm starting to question that now. Sometimes you sound an awful lot like big sissy, Kam, and let me just tell you . . . this family can only handle ONE Kameryn, okay?

You enjoy your walker, and can scoot along in it just fine all on your own. Though your sisters won't be havin' any of that. Oh no. They love to twirl you around in it ~ racing you through the house.

No teeth yet. Still working on it. But you've got a LOT of drool goin' on, and you're gnawing on anything you can get your hands on, so I'm thinking teeth can't be too far off. And by the way, you can hold off on that as long as you want. Nursing gets a little more . . . frightening once teeth appear.

We still have some "rough nights" every now and again. One night, a couple of weeks ago you decided to wake up right about the time that Daddy and I were going to sleep. And you wouldn't go back to sleep until 2:30am. Other than those occasional nights, you sleep pretty well ~ waking to eat, and then back to sleep. You're still on a two nap schedule, but we've been on the go so much lately, that it's messing with naptime a bit, and you're not liking it.

You're loving food. Avocadoes, mashed bananas, applesauce, and green beans. You don't care, you love it all! Not sure how big you are {will find out tomorrow!}, but I'm guessing somewhere around 18 pounds.
Big girl!

Oh, and one last thing. Please forgive your mama if you notice that you're not in every single photo right now. Just know that I'm holding you about 99.9% of the day, which makes it a little more difficult to snap photos. Trust me, you are with us on every single outing, permanently attached to Mama's hip. I'm thinking that in the next couple of months, as you become more independent ~ sitting, crawling, walking ~ the "Taylor photos" will increase ;)

That is all :)

We are so enjoying our first Christmas season with you, Sweet Girl.

Christmas Lights

2011-12-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to Portland International Raceway to see the lights. It took us nearly two hours to get there {lotsa traffic}, but I'm so glad we went.

Of course, on the way home we had two sickies {Kam is finally getting the virus that everyone else had a week or two ago, and Kenners has some sort of stomach bug}. I can deal with colds. But PLEASE no stomach flu. Please. After last year's bout {when I thought I might die}, vomiting is seriously on my list of greatest fears.

So today we are resting up. Hanging out in our comfies, and watching movies. Tomorrow is the girls' dance recital, and we want to be in tip top condition!

Countdown to Christmas 2011 ~ Week 2

2011-12-15T05:24:00.000-08:00

Another week gone by already?? That means one week closer to Christmas!

Our days get busier and busier as we get closer and closer. Whew!

Week Two . . .

Thursday's activity {Day 8} was reading Christmas stories. I knew the next few days were going to be busy, busy, busy, so I wanted an activity that was a little more low-key.

On Friday {Day 9} we had friends over for a craft day. The girls had so much fun decorating snowflakes, crafting ornaments, and making these Rudolph Candy Canes:

Saturday {Day 10} was our first-ever Cookie Baking Party. My mom, sister, and niece came over for a full day of cookie baking. Next year we hope others can join in. The more, the merrier! But even with a small group, we had such a great time. We made seven different cookies, and they were all scrumptious! Notice I said were? Yeahhhh, they're pretty much gone now. Oops :(

Sunday's activity {Day 11} was heading up to Grandma and Grandpa's for tree decorating. If you can't tell by now, the girls love to decorate ;)

Big Sis teaching Little Sis the importance of tree decorations.

On Monday {Day 12} we started wrapping gifts {I don't have pictures}. Sierra was so excited. She'd been asking to wrap for weeks.

On Tuesday {Day 13} we were invited to Grandma's work for Hot Cocoa and Donuts. This is our third year having Cocoa with Grandma at work. So, definitely a tradition ;) Last Year and 2009

Wednesday {Day 14} Jeremy took the girls Christmas shopping. I'm sorry, but I pretty much think that is the sweetest thing ever. Especially since he detests shopping. He knows what it means to the girls, though, so he does it.

So. That was our week! How about y'all? What kinds of holiday fun have you been having? I want to hear about it. Link up your favorite recipes, traditions, activities, or crafts below.

Cookie Baking

2011-12-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

We had our first annual Cookie Baking Day with my mom and sister {and niece!} last weekend, and it was such fun! We will definitely have to add this to our list of traditions, because Family + Cookies = all sorts of wonderful memories.

We made my variation of Jam Thumbprints:

Those are Jeremy's favs. I think they're okay. I mean, I wouldn't turn down a cookie, but Jeremy thinks they're the greatest cookies on earth.

We attempted to use a cookie press, but it just wasn't workin' so great.

Which actually resulted in a lot of laughter and even a few shenanigans. I love that photo. Sierra was either totally embarassed, or laughing so hard she couldn't keep her head up any longer. I'm thinking it was the latter ;)

Then Sadie got serious about it, and managed to create a few trees. And they were SO adorable.

See?

We wound up with a LOT of cookies. But we're not complaining one bit!
Have y'all started baking?

It's Baking Season

2011-12-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

If it were up to me, it would always be baking season.
At our house, it pretty much is.
Hello, my name is Liz, and I'm a cookie-aholic.

Have you ever noticed that cookies and, well, everything taste so much better when you use "real" ingredients? {Real butter, and we're blessed to have fresh eggs daily, and mmmmmm, vanilla}. A good vanilla makes all the difference, in my opinion. And I use vanilla in EVERYTHING, whether it calls for it or not ;)

Ever thought about making your own?
Me neither.
Until I started cringing every time I had to fork out lots o' bucks for tiny little bottles of vanilla {which was pretty frequently}, and until I kept reading about how easy it is to make your own! And until I thought, 'hey, this is a great gift idea!'

All you need are glass bottles, vanilla beans, and vodka ;)

I purchased my glass bottles on Amazon, and I think I got 12 of them for about $10, including shipping.
I got the vanilla beans through Beanilla. They offer a HUGE assortment of different types of beans. I chose the Madagascar ones because of their flavor and price.

And I can't even tell you what kind of vodka I used. A cheap kind. Jeremy picked it up for me ;)

You just take and slice the beans down the middle, drop a couple of them in each bottle, add the vodka, and voila! Let it sit for a few weeks, and you have your very own vanilla. The best part? When you're running low, top it off with more vodka, and perhaps another bean. Easy peasy.

Oh, and did I mention they make the cutest gifts?

Countdown to Christmas 2011 ~ Week 1

2011-12-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

I say this every year, but seriously, where does the time go??? I cannot believe we are less than three weeks away from Christmas! We've been busily crafting, decorating, and baking. How about y'all?

A recap of our week:

You can view days 1-3 here.
We started off our countdown by making Hershey's Advent Calendars. We make them every year, and the girls love them. Day two was spent crafting. And day three we went to a local Christmas Bazaar. On Sunday {Day 4}, we got our tree! Oh how I love picking out a tree, putting it up, and decorating it.

We love it so much that we get a little tree for the girls to decorate {our Day 5 Activity}, and we even help others decorate their trees ;)

Nana and Grandpa invited us over on Day 6 for that very purpose! {Well, that, and to consume lots of yummy snacks and beverages}

Makenna topped our tree, Sierra topped the girls' little tree, so naturally, it was Kam's turn :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday {Day 7} we tried out Cupcake Liner Trees. I saw this ADORABLE craft from Desiree at 36th Avenue, over at Tatertots and Jello.

Kenners did such a great job, and stuck with it.

Kam pretty much just enjoyed eating marshmallows.

And yes, she's wearing her nightgown.

She lives in nightgowns.

And someone else has inherited some perfectionist tendancies from her mama, and decided she didn't care much for her tree.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have lots of crafts and activities coming up in the next few days ~ I can't wait to share them!

Have y'all been baking? Crafting? Decorating? I want to hear all about it!

Link up below:

Kid Food

2011-12-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

This little pumpkin below has not been the greatest eater lately. If I remember correctly, Sierra went through this stage when she was about Kam's age. Makenna did too. Of course, I'm a lot more laid back about it now, because I know that she will grow out of it. I try to get them to eat their fruits and veggies, and to understand that they don't always have multiple choices when it comes to meals. Sometimes, though, you have to pick your battles, and just pull out the "kid food".

I make these pizza pockets whenever the girls are getting tired of sandwiches and soups for lunch.
They're SUPER easy, fast, and they disappear quite quickly.

All you need is a can or two {we use two} of refrigerated crescent roll dough, grated cheese, and any other toppings you choose. I used to spread tomato paste on too, but we don't love a lot of sauce, and after awhile, I just quit using it. Unroll the crescent roll dough, but don't peel the sections apart. Lay half of it flat on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle plenty of cheese on top {we do, however, enjoy a lot of cheese}. Then we arrange some Turkey Pepperoni on top of that. You could even add olives and mushrooms. {My girls don't care for either, and since this is supposed to be kid-friendly, I cater to them ;)} Maybe another little sprinkle of cheese, and then top with the other half of the crescent roll dough. Bake at 375 degrees until the top is golden brown {maybe 15 minutes? I'm not sure I've ever timed it}, and enjoy!

Let me know if you decide to make these, or if you've made your own version. And if you have your own kid-friendly {and easy! Easy is always good} meal ideas, do share!

Tree!

2011-12-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

I ♥ LOVE ♥ putting up a Christmas tree.

Love.

If it were up to me, it would go up the day after Thanksgiving.

If it were up to Jeremy, it would go up on the 18th of December ;)

So, we compromise :)

Sunday we went up to Mom and Dad Fraijo's to pick out the perfect tree.

And Grandma and Grandpa had the fixin's for S'mores all ready.

The girls picked out their tree, we picked out ours . . .

And then, the traditional family picture ;) We just started this last year, but two years in a row constitutes tradition, right? {And also? Heavy coat + weird camera angle = mucho added pounds}.

And . . . TA DA! Our tree. All 11 feet of it. Can you just picture me up on a ladder trying to string the lights? Good times.

Countdown to Christmas Happenings

2011-12-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

We've had a busy start to our Countdown to Christmas, how about y'all??!

December 1st found us making our Hershey's Advents. We always have so much fun with this. This year we used the Hershey's Caramel Chocolates. Uh, yum.

On the 2nd we attempted Christmas Shrinky Dinks. We cut them out, colored, placed them in the oven, and . . . nothin'. No shrinkin' whatsoever.

We'd heard about a local Christmas Bazaar on the 3rd, and went to check it out. It was pretty small, but one of the tables catered to crafts for kids. For a couple of dollars they could choose any crafts they liked. The girls chose Christmas Tree Ornaments.

And yesterday . . . . we got our tree! YAY! We've been hit with some sort of cold, and haven't been feeling our best, so we weren't sure when we'd get a tree. But we sucked it up, and got it yesterday. And it's HUGE. They look so much smaller out there in the field, don't they? Our old house had, I don't know, maybe 7 or 8 foot ceilings, but our new house has vaulted ceilings throughout much of it. So. Pictures of that adventure coming tomorrow ;)

How are y'all celebrating? Don't forget to document your happenings, and come back here on Thursday for a link up!

Countdown to Christmas 2011

2011-12-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, people. How can it be December 1st already?? How?

December totally snuck up on me this year. And I'm not all that prepared.

But I'll get there.

The past two years I've blogged about our Countdown to Christmas.
We plan a special outing, activity, or craft for each day in December. I make little notes that I've numbered 1-24, and each day I stick one, outlining our activity for the day, in a corresponding pocket of our "Advent Tree". The girls LOVE it. And I love it too. We like to celebrate the whole month!

Today, we will be making our Hershey's Countdown. Want to make your own? Check out how here :)
Enjoy this special time. Another year will be upon us before we know it!

{Interested in sharing your favorite holiday crafts, activities, or recipes?? Come back next Thursday, the 8th, and we'll link up! I can't wait to see what y'all are up to!}

Baby Cereal

2011-11-30T15:44:00.000-08:00

This little girl . . .

REALLY enjoys food.

It seems as though my baby is in a hurry to grow, and grow, and grow.
{So she can catch her big sissies, perhaps?}

Kam has decided that Taylor's cereal looks absolutely delicious. Every day she begs for some cereal. And every day I say, "No, Sweetie. I don't think you'd like it much." But today, I gave in. I figured if she tasted it, surely she'd stop begging for it.

She had a little taste.

And I was right.
She doesn't think it's so delicious after all ;)

{Stay tuned for Countdown to Christmas info.}

More Myself

2011-11-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

I'm finally feeling a little more like myself. Not really sure who I was feeling like before, but I didn't like her all that much. I think her name was Debbie. {As in Downer}. Anyway. I'm actually enjoying everyday activities again. My poor camera {that once used to hang around my neck all day every day} was getting ZERO attention {except for photo shoots}. Case in point: Thanksgiving. I did not snap one photo. Um, yeah. Taylor's first Thanksgiving, and I have no captured memories from it. Real nice. But, I've started picking up my camera again. I've missed it. Also, I was seriously concerned that I wasn't going to find an ounce of enjoyment in the holidays this year. But, we've decorated the house, and are talking about picking out a tree, and I truly am looking forward to counting down the days until Christmas.

Speaking of, I'm trying to decide if I'm going to do Countdown to Christmas again this year {see my fancy schmancy button to the left?}. I will definitely try to blog all our activities {we still will be counting down, mind you}, but not sure if I'll do a link up or not. I'm debating.

Last night Jeremy got home from hunting and surprised us with an outing to McDonald's for ice cream treats.

What can I say, ice cream almost always improves one's mood. And now, I'm going to go make PW's Cinnamon Rolls. Don't judge.

Thankful

2011-11-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

I am ever so thankful for these little lovies this year . . .

. . . and also my sweet hubby . . .

. . . .and the rest of my family too.

Wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving full of turkey, pie, family, and memories!

This & That

2011-11-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

So, funny enough, life is not getting less busy. Who knew?

I love this time of year, but good grief, it's busy!

So, what are y'all's plans for Thanksgiving?

Sierra has already told me that she is going to skip breakfast on Thursday so that she has more room for the big Thanksgiving feast.

I love that girl. She's such a smartie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think I've finally gotten our Christmas cards together. Yay!

Wanna see?

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Turns out I kind of liked some of the "outtakes" ;)

Have y'all done yours yet?

♥ 5 Months ♥

2011-11-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Five Months, Miss Taylor Grace!

I cannot believe how quickly time passes. You are getting so big, and changing daily.

You are now:

♥ Rolling over. Especially if you see a toy just out of reach.
♥ Smiling & laughing. You are the happiest little thing, giving all those smiles away.
♥ Down to two naps most days. Usually a morning nap and one in the afternoon.
♥ Still waking to par-tay in the middle of the night about half the time. The other half you wake several times to eat and drift right back to sleep.

You are growing before our very eyes, and such a tremendous joy to us. From your sweet little cheeks to your infectious smiles. We don't know what we'd do without you, sweet girl!

Photo Tip Thursday

2011-11-17T07:12:00.000-08:00

Just a quick tip for today :)

Change up your point of view.

Get low. {Lie on your tummy and see things the way your little ones do}

Shoot from above. {stand on a chair or step stool}

Enjoy telling the story from a different vantage point.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No tip next Thursday due to Thanksgiving, but keep practicing, and put that White Balance to work. I still want to see your photos taken on a different WB setting than you normally use! :)

Wordless Wednesday ~ Christmas Card Outtakes

2011-11-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

Back?

2011-11-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

Whew, it has been hard getting back into the swing. Partly because life has gotten crazy busy here. And partly because I've been in kind of a funk. And blogging {among many other things} just aren't as enjoyable when you're in a funk, don'tcha know.

But I'm missing my blog reading. And I'm missing my journaling. And I don't want to be completely flung out of the loop altogether! So, I'm going to try to do better.

Anyway, what's new with y'all?

♥ Quick catch up ♥

♥ We had a very busy deer hunting season {and Jeremy's gearing up for his season which starts this weekend}. I passed on the hunting this year since Taylor is still so little, and Sierra took my place. I won't go into detail, but let's just say . . . her first year of hunting was a success!

♥ We've been spending a lot of time in our studies. This year has been especially time-consuming with two official homeschoolers. Makenna needs a lot of my time and attention {and God bless her, she constantly needs to be kept on track or she veers WAY off}, and as Sierra gets older, and I'm still using my hand-picked curriculum, she needs quite a bit of guidance as well. It is so rewarding, and I really wouldn't change a thing, but some days it feels like it's all I can do to get the basics {laundry, meals, clean-up} accomplished AND put in a full day of homeschooling.

♥ Bible study is coming to a close for the holidays. I've struggled a bit with this recent study. It's like my heart just isn't in it the way it should be. And then I feel guilty that I'm not giving it my all.

♥ I've been re-working our budget, and trying to find ways to save money and ways to make more money. {It's tough!} Really considering investing in one of Dave Ramsey's books. {Anyone use his plan?}

And finally, we took a mini trip to the beach last weekend. Last year Jeremy traded fire wood for the use of a beach house, and we just never got around to using it. We figured we'd better use it now, or lose it, so away we went.

The weather was miserable, but we still had a good time.

{This about sums it up. A total of 10 minutes spent on the beach before we were soaked to the bone and Kam could no longer stand up to the wind!}

We came home with crab though. So, totally worth it :)

Hi There

2011-11-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well, hi there.

I'm always at a loss when I've been away from the blog for more than a few days. Not quite sure how to jump back in, other than to just jump back in.

I want to thank you all so much for the sweet thoughts and prayers. And for those of you who emailed to check in, you are dear, dear friends to me. I think it's natural to go through phases when life is a little overwhelming, but prayer is so powerful. As my dear friend, Kelli, stated so beautifully, even when circumstances don't change you can still find His peace. Amen to that, sister!

So. Moving on.

We have been enjoying some beautiful Fall weather. I love all of the beautiful colors. The crispness in the air. Delicious smells coming from the oven.

We've been keeping ourselves busy with homeschool studies, dance classes, a new bible study, and life! {And I had another Senior Portrait session!}

How about y'all? Catch me up for goodness sakes!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

Hope yours is carefree and full of candy :)

Shutterfly Christmas Cards

2011-10-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, just checking in real quick to announce the Shutterfly Christmas Card giveaway winners. I used Random.org, and these were the numbers picked:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

3 1 12

Timestamp: 2011-10-28 20:12:51 UTC

Looks like Miss Kelli {Random Thoughts of a SuperMom}, and Mimi {Living in France}, and also Shutterfly Adict {how appropriate, lol!}

Okay, ladies, I've just emailed you your codes. Will you let me know that you got them? :)

Busy, Busy

2011-10-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week. Kind of strange when an entire week just passes you right by and you're not sure where it went.

We celebrated my nephew's 18th birthday. Holy moly, how is it possible that he's 18?? Fun story: I was actually in the room when my sister gave birth to her first baby. I was 13 years old, and after watching my sister in hard labor for several hours, I'm quite sure I said something along the lines of, What a miracle! However, I will never be having any biological children of my own. Adoption for me, thanks!
Funny how things change ;)

My little sis, Annie, and her two kiddos came up to celebrate with us! Kam and Mona are just 5 months apart.

Taylor actually let someone besides Mama hold her! She was passed around and around, and didn't fuss much at all. Major breakthrough!

And we even found time to carve pumpkins.

I may be kind of quiet for a bit. Having a hard time with a few things right now, and really want {NEED} to just turn it all over to God, but am finding difficulty relinquishing my control. Sigh. Just really feeling He wants me to do this right now:

Be still and know that I am God . . . Psalm 46:10

I'll definitely check in on Friday for the Shutterfly Cards Giveaway. Go enter, if you haven't yet!

Pumpkin Patch Pics {Say that 5x fast!}

2011-10-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

We made it to the Pumpkin Patch this week, and had such fun! We seriously look forward to it all year long.

The swings and slides are a favorite. I think the girls could've stayed there all day.

Then we moved on to the animals. Oh these little piggies were so cute!

Kam loved the goats :)

See? She normally keeps a safe distance from all animals ;)

And we picked out a few pumpkins.

And some apple cider. Mmmmmmm, apple cider. Our favorite!

And one of Tay, just to document that she came along ;)

Time for Christmas Cards! {Giveaway!}

2011-10-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Can y'all believe it is nearing the end of October? You know what that means. After eating twenty five pounds of Halloween candy, it's on to Thanksgiving, and then . . . only a short while until . . . Christmas! It is definitely time to be thinking about Christmas cards.

I love Christmas cards. I love designing and sending ours, and I love receiving them from others. Last year I got to participate in Shutterfly's holiday promotion, and so enjoyed browsing all of their options for holiday greetings.

Shutterfly is a favorite of mine. Not just for Christmas cards, though this will be our third year in a row using them. They offer Calendars, Birth Announcements, and a large collection of other personalized gifts. Shutterfly offers gifts for just about everyone on your list. I recently ordered a photo book from Shutterfly for someone on my Christmas list {not tellin' who, just in case they are reading}, and it turned out BEAUTIFULLY. It was super easy to put together, and is going to make the perfect gift.

I couldn't help but take a sneak peek at their selection of Christmas cards this year. I love that there are so many options. I like these because I can load 'em up with pictures of my girls:

The greatest thing? Shutterfly asked me if I'd like to give away a set of 25 cards to THREE of you!!! Um, YEAH! Simply leave a comment telling me what your favorite style of card is. Do you like room for lots of photos? Classic colors? Who do you send cards to? Or, just leave me a comment saying "hi" ;) I will randomly choose a winner sometime next Friday, October 28th.

{Disclosure: For reviewing Shutterfly's holiday line of cards, I have been generously compensated with 50 free cards for myself, as well as coupon codes for three sets of 25 cards each to be given away to three of my readers. All thoughts and opinions are genuinely my own.}

Photo Tip Thursday

2011-10-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

{Edited to include a teensy bit more Kelvin detail}

Okay, today I want to talk briefly about White Balance. {The funny thing is, I had a whole long post typed up, and then it got WAY too wordy and confusing, and so not brief. So here I am, REALLY trying to keep this short.}

Different lighting situations produce different temperatures and can result in color casts in your photos. Have you ever noticed that if you take a picture inside, under artificial lighting, that your photo has an amber-ish quality to it? A quick white balance adjustment, and these photos will improve tremendously.

I'm going to be honest. When I first started becoming passionate about photography, I didn't notice lighting and color all that much. I just didn't pay attention, I guess. Now, even when I don't have my camera in hand, I take notice of lighting and color casts.

These days, digital cameras have many WB options to choose from:

Auto
Daylight
Shade
Cloudy
Tungsten
White Fluorescent
Flash
Custom
Kelvin

I'll admit. Sometimes I'll just set it to Auto. If the girls are doing something cute, and I'm in a hurry, it works in a pinch. It tries. But it's not the best. You're letting your camera guess, and that doesn't always give you great results.

Recently I've started using Kelvin, and I love it. I feel like I have a lot more control this way. Although, if I'm in constantly changing light, I find it to be a little time consuming. If you have this option, give it a try, and let me know what you think of it. {A little more info on Kelvin: in the Kelvin mode you actually set the temperature you'd like to use. So, at first, it's really kind of trial and error. I think, in the photo below, I had my Kelvin set to around 3800 to cool down some of the amber color casts created by the artificial lighting. For some, though, the photo might be a little too cool. I prefer my images a little on the cooler side. Can you use Kelvin outside? Great question, Sarah Kate! Absolutely! You would then adjust the temperature according to the lighting outside. For example, if I was outside on a cloudy day, and wanting to use Kelvin, I would probably set it somewhere around 5700 or 5800. Not sure, exactly, as I still use trial and error a great deal. But, you see, you are warming up the temperature to account for the cool casts due to the clouds. Make sense?}

In Custom Mode you use a grey card to set your own custom white balance. For some reason, I have not had great results with it. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I obviously haven't mastered it.

Daylight, Shade, Cloudy. These modes adjust the warmth according to the color casts you'll experience when you're outside in different lighting situations. If it's overcast, for example, you can set the WB to Cloudy, and it will "warm up" your images a bit.

Tungsten & White Fluorescent. You may try one of these when indoors and using artificial lighting. I use the Tungsten one regularly, and it helps to reduce some of that amber color cast I tend to experience when shooting indoors.

So, there ya have it. A little run-down on White Balance. And a few photos to help you see it a little better:

{Top left was taken in Auto, Top right was taken in Tungsten, and the bottom was taken in Kelvin}.
The differences are subtle, but I think you can see that the top two photos are warmer. And for fun, I took the photo below in the Cloudy Mode. Whew! Look how orange that one is! That's just bad.

Now, the challenge: If you don't regularly adjust WB, try it! Use Tungsten inside to see if it doesn't eliminate some of the amber. Get out your grey card and set a Custom WB. And if you do regularly adjust, try a new mode that you haven't yet used. Then, come back here next week and we can link up a before and after. Take a photo without doing a WB adjustment {if you don't normally}, and then one with an adjustment. Or show me a photo taken using an adjustment you don't normally use.

Happy Snappin'!

Wordful Wednesday ~ Tea Party

2011-10-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

For weeks Sierra had been asking about planning a tea party.
So, we scheduled one for Saturday.

She made special invitations for Nana and Grandma. Complete with a request that they wear "tea attire".

We baked Snickerdoodles and Blueberry Bread, and waited for our guests to arrive.

Grandma brought the hostess a beautiful bouquet.

Princess Stephanie {this is the only name Kam will answer to these days} sampled her first peppermint tea. And I'm happy to say that she loved it.

And we enjoyed an afternoon of tea sipping, cookie eating, and lovely visiting.

In our fanciest tea party dresses ;)

♥ 4 Months ♥

2011-10-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

Happy 4 Months, Sweet Baby Girl!

I cannot believe that you are 1/3 of a year old already :(

Four months ago you came into the world so beautiful and tiny and perfect.

And even then, at that tiny little age, you knew exactly what you wanted and when you wanted it. And you let us know when you weren't gettin' it ;)

Oh the preciousness of a new baby. The scrunchy little face. It's about more than I can handle.

And then you came home with us to be a part of our family. Such a special day.

And you grew.

{ One month }

And grew some more.

{ Two Months }

And grew even more {stop doing that so fast, k?}

{ Three Months }

And here you are, FOUR months!

At four months you are weighing about 16 pounds, according to my scale. You're a good little sleeper, most of the time. Most days we are on a three nap schedule. You like a snooze a couple of hours after waking in the morning. Then another after lunch {this is usually a longer one. Sometimes up to three hours!}. And sometimes a tiny little cat nap to get us through until bedtime. Bedtime is typically between 8 and 9. You and Kam go down at the same time. About 60% of the time you wake 3 times in the middle of the night to eat, but are right back to sleep. And the other 40% of the time you get up around 2am to chitty chat with your Mama for a couple hours.

You are growing like a weed! 3-6 month clothing is a thing of the past! You are in 6-9 month clothing now.

You love to smile. You are the smiliest baby I've ever known. Happy. Content. You are truly a blessing to us.

Happy Four Months, Little Sweet Pea!
Love you so much!!

Pumpkin Fest!

2011-10-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

Last week we ventured out to the Pumpkin Fest at Wooden Shoe. Typically we head to Wooden Shoe in the spring to see the beautiful tulip fields. But last year was the first ever Pumpkin Fest, and since we're suckers for all things pumpkin and autumny, we were totally there!

There were bales of hay for climbing.

And Gramps came along to keep us company.

Cow trains to ride.
The same cow train I rode back in April when I was 7 months pregnant with Tay.
The one that almost sent me into labor ;)

But the cow train is a highlight for the girls, so they hopped right on!

Where y'all goin'? The Pumpkin Fest, of course!

And we even got a quick photo before the rain started falling :)

Next week it's the Pumpkin Patch!
{If the weather man is right about the sunshine. The last four days were supposed to have been dry, ahem. And it's been sprinkling non-stop.}

So . . . have any of y'all been to the pumpkin patch yet? Harvest festivals? Apple pickin'? I want to hear about it!

Hair Clip How-To

2011-10-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

We've been busily crafting hair clips the last couple of days. Mostly during naps and after bedtime for the littles because Taylor needs all attention on her while she's awake ;) It seems as though some of you think they are just as adorable as we do. I've had inquiries regarding how to purchase some {thank you! Most of the money is going straight toward the girls' dance costumes for their Christmas recital, but I've promised them that they can keep some of it to do with what they please. We are planning on putting some in the Etsy shop, so if you are interested, let me know which designs, and we'll create a custom listing}. And others have been curious as to how to make their own. Well, we love to share, so here ya go. A little mini tutorial for these little felt hair clippies.

First, we start with wool felt. It holds up well, and looks beauty-ful. You'll also need scissors, a snap clip, embroidery floss, needle, and any embellishments you choose.

Next, you'll want to cut the felt into the shape of the clip. You'll need two pieces. One for the top, one for the bottom, and you'll want the felt to be a tad bigger than the clip so that you can stitch around it. Take one of the pieces {this will be the bottom}, and poke a little hole near the back of the felt so that you can slip the clip in.

This is the under side.

Then you'll snap the clip closed on the felt, and proceed to the top portion. Stitch your embellishment on the top piece.

Time to make a clip sandwich. Take the top felt piece and position it on the clip that is snapped into the bottom portion. Then stitch around using a blanket stitch {or any other stitch you wish. I just like this particular stitch because it finishes it off so well}.

And voila!

I love making these clips because they don't take too much time, they're super adorable, make great gifts {truth be told, I wear them myself}, and you can put all of the supplies in a little tin and take it with you for craftiness on the go!

Enjoy :)

Photo Tip Thursday

2011-10-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting around to getting this photo tip segment up and runnin'. Back in August I guest posted over at Kelli's, and had such fun putting together a short list of easy tips to better your every day photographs. I thought maybe we could all benefit from a little photo help. I'll try to post a new tip each week. I probably won't go into a lot of technical detail. Most of us are just mamas who want to document the everyday with our little ones. But we can certainly improve those everyday snaps!

This week I am going to re-post my original photo tips. Here we go!

Photography has always been fascinating to me. I would spend hours poring over photo albums when I was little. I love the way you can come across an old photo, and be completely transported back to that time. I love to journal, don't get me wrong, but there is nothing like a photo to tell the whole story. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a good picture . . . well, that's priceless.

So, let's talk about some simple ways to improve your everyday photos.

Have your camera ready.

Okay, this seems like a no-brainer, but if your camera is hiding away in its bag in a closet somewhere, guess what, it's not easily accessible. And it's going to be more than a little difficult to capture those fleeting moments. Get your camera out. Use it daily. I take my camera to the library, grocery store, and dentist. Cameras are not just for birthdays, holidays, and vacations. Capture the little moments. You'll be so glad you did.

Now that you have your camera ready . . .

Say no to "the cheese"

While posed photos definitely have their place, if you really want to document every day life, you're going to have to be sneaky. Catch your littles playing Barbies, brushing teeth, climbing trees, even pitching fits {hey, someday you'll miss the feisty moments too!}

Remember and implement the Rule of Thirds

Subjects don't always need to be centered in the frame. In fact, eyes are not naturally drawn to the center of a photo. Try to compose your shots by envisioning a grid of sorts on top of your photo, dividing it into nine equal parts. Then place the most important subjects on or near the "lines", especially where those lines intersect. A simple way to make your photos even more interesting!

Look how little Miss' eye and mouth fall right on the lines.

Find the Right Light

Lighting is probably the single most important factor in photography. I won't go into a long explanation of how ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture work together to give you a properly exposed photo. That would take way too long, and probably bore you to death. What I will say is that, whenever possible, find natural light to work with. I stay away from flash completely because it is difficult for me to use without creating harsh shadows and giving an overall unrealistic feel. Sometimes you have to experiment with lighting to see what works best. For example, on our camping trip, my daughter had crafted a bracelet for her American Girl doll. She wanted me to get a picture of her with Meghan {her doll}. It was sunny, but we were among many trees. The lighting was very uneven. I snapped a picture:

Hmmmm. Dark shadows. Not real flattering.

I simply moved my subject a couple of feet over . . .

And voila!
Okay, so the photo is not phenomenal, but I think you can see that moving a little made a big difference.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There you have it, a few simple tips to make your photos spectacular. Now, go find your camera's manual, and read up. And remember, practice makes perfect!

Wordful Wednesday ~ Mini-Preneurs

2011-10-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

The girls {Makenna, especially} have been brainstorming ideas to make a little money. After all, they spent a good majority of the money they had been saving when we were at American Girl last month.

Makenna's idea was to bake cookies, and head on down to the market to sell them in the parking lot. Poor little thing, I hated to burst her bubble by telling her that wasn't a possibility.

So I got to thinking.
We have plenty of crafting materials around here.
Why not just put our little crafty hands together and see what we come up with.

You know how I love me some cute hair accessories.
And these felt clippies are a favorite of mine.

Lucky for the girls, they have a super sweet and wonderful dance instructor/studio owner who just happens to have a small boutique at the front of the studio. And who also happens to love entrepreneurs. Especially child-preneurs ;)

Hopefully our little clippies have a permanent home soon!

But if not, no biggie. Kenners just lost another tooth today. And the tooth fairy is the girls' favorite form of financial support, don'tcha know ;)

Photos Are Up!

2011-10-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of the well-wishes regarding my photography venture. I have been praying for a long, long time {really since Sierra was a baby} that God would open an opportunity for me to be able to contribute {however small or large} to our family's finances, while still allowing me to be at home a good majority of the time. I know without a shadow of a doubt, that staying at home to raise my children is right where God wants me, but I would be lying if I said that I'd never felt any guilt about not contributing financially. I think it's a battle a lot of non-working mamas face. Particularly during those times when money is tight.

I mentioned earlier that I recently finished my first "real" shoot. Oh, I had so much fun! I really would be so appreciative if y'all would head on over to my other blog to check it out. Just click here ;)

Some Things

2011-10-10T03:54:00.000-07:00

What is it about a new season that brings on such busy-ness??

Fall, especially, seems to be such a busy time of year for us. Getting back into the swing of homeschooling, back to dance classes, back to Bible study, gearing up for holidays. It can tucker a girl out, I tell ya. {You know what else can tucker a girl out? A little one who insists on being up with her mama from 2am-4am nightly. But that's another story}.

So, in the interest of playing catch up. This is what's going on around here:

♥ We've started a new bible study. Since we've done most of Beth Moore's studies, and we had a time limit {we wanted a shorter study so that we could break before the holidays}, we decided on Fingerprints of God, by Jennifer Rothschild. Last night was our first night, but so far, so good. Definitely different than Beth's, but change can be good, right?

♥ We are officially back to dance class, and the girls are loving it. And I am SO happy to have been able to get both Sierra and Makenna in classes on the same night, at the same time. Hallelujah!

♥ I've officially started my photography business. After thinking about it and talking about it for the last couple of years, I finally did it! Taylor is still so little, and I don't have plans to leave my babies anytime soon, but I was really feeling like God was telling me that it was time. So, I got things in order, legally, for when that time might come. And, literally, within a week I had two people call me about doing senior portraits {three seniors in all}, and another family email about family portraits. I never cease to be amazed by how God works! I did my first session, and it was so much fun! Of course, it didn't hurt that she is gorgeous, and a natural model.

SO. All of that to say: look for photos coming soon! You know, once we get over this virus junk, and I get some sleep, and catch up on the laundry, and have a spare moment.

Well, it looks like I've gotten little miss back to sleep. Better go catch a few winks, myself, before it's time to start another day.

Hope y'all have a great Monday!!

This Is What Sickness Looks Like At Our House

2011-10-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

These two lovies are feeling a little under the weather.

{Truth be told, we're all feeling this way, it's just hitting these two a little harder at the moment}.

So we started our day with Blueberry Smoothies. Frozen blueberries we picked back in August, vanilla yogurt, apple juice, and raspberry sherbet. It soothed the sore throats.

Later in the day Kam decided she needed some Hot Chockit. And Kenners joined her. And then proclaimed, "this is the best hot chocolate ever, Mama".

Once I got Taylor down for her afternoon nap I assembled a Lasagna. Because Lasagna makes everything better. And also because we've had days straight of rain, and I like me some comfort food this time of year.

These apples here? They were used to make apple crisp. I just took it out of the oven, and drizzled caramel over the top. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eat some.

What do your sick days look like?

Zoo Trip

2011-10-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

So, we decided to head to the zoo last Friday. It had been about a year since we'd last gone, and I was quite certain Miss Kameryn didn't remember it at all. Jeremy had to work, so we picked up my mom and dad for a day full of animal fun.

We were on a bit of a schedule {for reasons I'll let you in on later}, but there were certain animals on our "must-see" list. Kenners wanted to see the elephants {which I didn't get any good pictures of}. Sierra knew she wanted to see the giraffes.

And Kam, well, she wanted to see doggies and kitties ;)

We settled for a few kitties:

It was funny to me just how many animals were at the zoo that we get the pleasure of seeing on a daily basis. {Well, maybe not a daily basis, but semi-regularly, anyway}. Cougars, bobcats, eagles.

The girls thought the monkeys were pretty cute. This little guy seemed pretty interested in what we were doing too :)

And, of course, we had to see the hippos.

I liked this sign ;) Amen, yes?

May you all be blessed with a great day and also . . . many cattle ;)

Random Thoughts on Thursday

2011-09-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

Just some thoughts bouncing around in my head . . .

♥ We're thinking about going to the zoo tomorrow. It's looking like it very well may be our last day of decent weather until . . . oh probably next June or July. So we're going to take advantage.

♥ Miss Taylor is {finally} sporting cloth diapers. I cloth diapered Sierra. Didn't with Kenners {not sure why?} and started over again cloth diapering Kam at around 4 months old. I thought I'd use disposables through the summer, but it's taken me awhile to get the cloth ones out. They're finally out, we're using them, and all is going well :)

♥ Speaking of Taylor, she is a DROOL MACHINE. I seriously do not remember my other girls having quite so much saliva. She can drool through a bib, denim jumper and onesie in no time flat. Poor little darlin'.

♥ I've been thinking of doing a weekly "photo tip" installment here on the ol' blog. Not sure if there's any interest, but it might be fun to share ideas.

♥ And speaking of photos . . . does anyone else have a hard time keeping up with them? I would LOVE some tips on photo management, because I'm not doing a great job managing! Don't laugh, but my method right now is pretty much uploading all of them to another site {usually Shutterfly}so that I at least have them backed up to another location. Also it makes it easy later on to make photo books and have CDs made. Occasionally I'll have some printed. That's it. That's all I've got. I typically take around 1,000 photos a month, sometimes more, and I feel like I'm drowning in digital files!

Talk To Us Tuesday ~ American Girl, Part 2

2011-09-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

{Okay, so IA said that we could write about whatever we wanted ~ no rules~ and still link up. Hope I'm not breaking any rules here ;) And by the way, head on over there to find out what others have on their mind today.}

American Girl, Day Two:

Our second day at American Girl started with a trip to the Doll Hair Salon.

{Yeah, you heard that right}

Meagan and Hanna were in desperate need of new 'dos, don'tcha know.

Meagan chose a side braid.

And Hanna got the half pony braid. They also both received the full spa treatment. And let me tell ya, they needed it. Kenners had also saved her money so that Hanna could get her ears pierced.

We walked out with several enormous bags that morning. We then walked around to check out the rest of the mall {much to the girls' dismay}.

We needed to run off a little energy besides.

And we came across this adorable little bakery. Ohhhh how we wanted to go in, but alas, it wasn't to be. Next door to Pinkabella was Godiva chocolates. I'm not going to tell you about the big poster in the window advertising Godiva chocolate shakes. With whipped cream. And chocolate syrup drizzled over the top.

Time for a few photos.

There was a lady walking by who was kind enough to offer to get a shot of our whole group. Grandma, Nana, Mama, and all the girly girls!

And before we knew it, it was time to head for dinner. There were chairs and place settings for each doll.

And yummy drinks and eats.

Fun story: American Girl was truly an amazing experience. Each and every employee we came in contact with was over-the-top helpful and just as sweet as can be. At dinner my mom had decided on the salmon. I think we all expected it might take a little extra time for that particular meal, and didn't think too much of it when we had been waiting awhile. Our waitress came out and apologized {and apologized} for the wait, and assured us our food would be out soon. No biggie. Shortly after, another gal {I'm assuming a manager?} came out and also apologized for the wait, and insisted that we all order desserts on the house because of the extensive wait. And if that weren't enough {MORE than enough!}, she brought out goodie bags for each of the girls, containing tee shirts for their dolls, balloons, a book, stickers. It was hands-down, the BEST service I have ever received. Just a really really great experience.

So you can imagine we were a little sad to be leaving.

Our trip home . . . that is a story all its own.

Let's just say we took quite the detour.

Saw some beautiful country.

Listened to someone jabber the ENTIRE trip.

And made it home to the boys, all safe and sound, a good many hours later ;)

Isn't that right, Mom?

American Girl, Part 1

2011-09-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

We're back from our trip to American Girl!

So. Our trip started out a little something like this:

I'm not going to lie. It was a long drive for the little ones {and maybe even some of the big ones}.

There was many a bathroom stop.

Which led to issues getting back on the freeway.

Which led to going through Seattle during rush hour.

Which led to . . . a much longer drive than it really needed to be.

But that's okay, because the excitement. Oh the excitement . . . it completely took over.

And us big people got to enjoy the lovely scenery. {Don't worry. I wasn't driving ;) My mom actually did all of the driving, which was heavenly as it freed me up to tend to the littlest passengers. Have I ever mentioned that I really detest driving? Fact #1187 about me that y'all may not have known}

The mall was super easy to find. It was just a few blocks down the road from our hotel. The actual American Girl store? Not so easy for us out-of-towners. We must have driven around a good half an hour looking for the darn thing. But once we parked, and searched on foot . . . well, that didn't take long at all. I'm telling you, my girls can sniff out an AG store like nobody's business.

And then, as you can imagine, a lot of this was going on.

And some pretty intent browsing.

Kam was all about the shaved ice stand.

Sierra and Makenna had decided that the first day would be just for looking. Then they would spend the rest of the evening making notes as to which items they just HAD to have. In the end, they gave in a little and purchased a couple of things that night.

And then it was off to get a little ice cream and head to bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Come back for Part 2 of our trip!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Flashin' Back

2011-09-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling nostalgic today :)

October 2006

July 2007

April 2008

March 2009

September 2009

November 2010

June 2011

Headin' Up North

2011-09-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

We are headed to Seattle on Thursday.

And my girls, especially, are super excited about it.

Because it is a trip *just* for them.

We're taking both my moms ~ Nana and Grandma ~ for the ultimate girls trip experience, don'tchaknow.

Nope, no camping trip planned, Jenny. And, I am not a Twilight fan, IA {gasp!} Good guesses, though ;)

Our trip is going to involve some shopping . . .

at the newest American Girl store!

Seriously, Sierra and Makenna are beside themselves excited. They've packed clothes for their dolls already. Each has a special outfit to wear to the American Girl Bistro.

Yes, this is a very special trip, indeed.

Leavin'

2011-09-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

We're leavin' on a jet plane. . .

{actually, it's more like my Honda Pilot}

Don't know when we'll be back again . . .

{Well, that's not entirely true. We'll be home on Saturday.}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We're headed up north to Seattle on Thursday . . .

anyone care to guess what we're doing?

I'll be back later with more clues ;)

♥ Three Months ♥

2011-09-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

♥ Three Months! ♥

Seriously, someone needs to find a way to slow time down. This is getting ridiculous!

Miss Tay . . . .

You are three months old today!!! {And if anyone reminds me that you are 1/4 of the way to your first birthday, I might have to flick 'em in the nose}.

Miss Tay, you can still nod off right in the middle of all of the action. You are typically ready for a morning nap about an hour and a half after waking in the morning. Then you'll take another one in the afternoon, and yet another in the evening sometimes. You wake to eat several times in the middle of the night, and have taken to waking up around 2am for a bit of a party for an hour or so before you settle back in for the rest of the night. If you'd like to eliminate the late night partying, that'd be okay by me ;)

You do a lot of this ;) But I'm totally clued in to what it means 99.9% of the time ;) Usually it means, "I'm tiiiiiiiiired, mama! Put me to sleep!!!!!"

This seriously *still* gets me every single time. I am so in love with you sucking your thumb. I love the way you curl your little fingers over your nose. I love that you love that little thumb. I'm ignoring all comments about how terrible it is for your future teeth, because at this point? I don't even care. That is how utterly adorable I think it is.

Oh my goodness, you are the sweetest, most adorable thing ever! You bring us more joy and happiness every day!

Fall Photos

2011-09-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we had a short break in the hot weather,
so we decided to head outside for a few Fall photos.

Don't you just love Fall?

Oh, it is my favorite time of the year.
Leaves changing all sorts of beautiful colors.

A crispness in the air.

Pumpkins.

Apple Cider.

Yep, I love this time of year.

Now I need to get a few snaps of the littler two ;) They're not as easy to capture these days, lol!

What's your favorite season?
Why?

Ten on Ten, September 2011

2011-09-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

I was over at Kelli's yesterday, and she had mentioned this great link up, Ten on Ten at A Bit of Sunshine. It's kind of a "snapshot" of your day ~ one picture, each hour, for ten hours, on the tenth of the month. It sounded like fun, so I thought I'd try it out.

And then I forgot. Because I no longer have a memory.

But then I remembered.

So here we go.

Around 10ish it was time for Miss Tay's morning nap.

Shortly after it was time to clean house ~ specifically toilets. Just keepin' it real, folks.

Around noon, I caught someone sharing her otter pop with Barbie.
She liked it.

By one o'clock it was finally time for my lunch. Turkey on croissant with fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes. YUM!

Around 2ish, I got to sit down for a second to check my email and upload some photos.

Next on the list was writing a couple of Thank Yous.

4 o'clock found me in the laundry room, tackling loads of laundry.

Since Jeremy was at work, and my dad is out of town hunting, my mom invited us over for dinner {at 5 o'clock}. Our properties adjoin so we walked over, in the 92 degree temps. Whew!

After dinner we walked home, and sat down to a Jell-O treat.

And by 7 o'clock, Nana had stopped over to watch a movie with the girls.

It was a pretty fabulous day :)

To the ladies at the grocery store . . .

2011-09-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

. . . and the one at Target . . . and, yep, even the one at the doctor's office.

Listen, please.

Yes.

I am aware that I have four children, and that they are all girls.

Let me interrupt myself by saying, it does not bother me in the least when someone stops me at the grocery store to tell me that I "look like I have my hands full". I do have my hands full. It doesn't really take a rocket scientist to see that. But, I love it! I love that I'm kept busy all day, every day. Life would be so very boring {and quiet!} without them.

But I do kinda mind when the comments turn rude-ish. Especially right.in.front.of.my.girls.

First of all, if you have to start a sentence with, "I don't mean to be nosey", then guess what, you're probably being nosey. Please don't touch my new baby on the face. Please do not count {out loud} and announce the number of girls I have. And then proclaim while shaking your head as if to feel sorry for me, "You tried so hard for that boy, didn't you?" And then proceed to say to my 2 month old, "Your mama was supposed to have a boy". And then look at your husband and say, "Can you believe that? Four girls."

Because, I don't even know what to say to that. Honestly? I know what I'd like to say. But I don't even know how to respond to that in a tactful way. Mostly because I am completely shocked. Shocked that people have the audacity to say such things. And shocked that people really and truly believe that it's any of their business at all. And, by the way, having four girls in a row does not qualify us for the Guiness Book of World Records. Mkay?

Would we have loved to have had a boy? Of course. Can we imagine our lives without our four, precious daughters? Absolutely not. Because from the moment I heard the words, "it's another girl!", I was elated. A precious, healthy baby girl.

So, the next time we run into each other, and you feel the need to say something, try this:

"Four girls? Wow. You are truly blessed."

Two

2011-09-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

I don't know that I love any one age or stage more than another. There are things I adore about each, and there are challenges that come along with each. I love, love, love the newborn stage. The newness. That smell. Their little noises. It is a favorite stage of mine, no doubt. But then there's 6-18 months. Oh how I love that time period. All of a sudden they can sit on their own, then they're scooting, and crawling, and walking. Oh my. They're so busy, and they learn so much. They're putting words together {but not so much so that they can be too sassy!} That stage is another favorite of mine. And, of course I love it as children grow, and mature, and become their own little people. It's such fun to watch Sierra and Makenna as they develop their own likes and dislikes, strengths and talents.

But there is something.
Oh my is there something about a 2-3 year old that just melts my heart.

The silly sayings, the drama, the excitement.

Seeing everything new, and for the first time. And that energy.
Oh the energy.

This little princess is no exception.

She has me practically rolling on the ground laughing every single day. Now don't get me wrong, she's exhausting. And challenging. Ohhhhhhhh dear is she a challenge. Kameryn is by far my most . . . uh . . . spirited child. Can you just see it? Can you tell?

But she brings me so much joy.

Even on the roughest days ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few things I want to jot down {because I haven't a memory anymore}:

♥ Kameryn talks nonstop. Seriously. NONstop. If she's not chatting at one of us, she's looking at herself in the mirror and chatting to herself. The only time she's not talking is when she's asleep. No exaggeration. {Confession: she may come by this naturally. Someone else was quite the talker as a little girl.}

♥ She comes up with the funniest things, and I have no idea where she's gotten them. Example: If she leaves the room for any reason, she makes sure to warn everyone not to "steal" whatever is hers. "Mama, don't steal my milk." This cracks me up because we're not much into stealing around here.

♥ Kam is going through a picky eating stage. She loves pancakes and waffles, sometimes cereal, and, well, that's about it. So she requests breakfast foods at all times of the day {and night!}.

♥ Oh, and let's not forget her love of chockit doonuts {chocolate donuts}.

♥ She seriously loves her baby sister. Kameryn has never shown one minute of jealousy or negativity toward Taylor. She practically squeals with delight when Taylor wakes up in the morning, and is the first to try to help me change the baby's diaper. She is such a "big helper".

♥ Which leads me to another of her silly sayings. Every time that Kam is being a help to me, I gush about it and say something like "Kam, thank you SO much! You are SUCH a big helper to Mama!!" So now, if she needs any help, she'll ask, "Mama, you be a big helper to me?"

♥ Miss Kam is severely afraid of animals. She pretends like she loves them . . . until they come too close. And then she screams like crazy until someone "rescues" her.

♥ She would wear a nightgown all day long, every single day, if I'd let her. She has a couple of summer nighties, but lately has taken to going through my "nightie" drawer.

♥ Kam has a few "best friends". The one on the absolute top of her list? Daddy.

♥ Kam LOVES . . . ♥

The color pink
Crowns
Dress Up Clothes
Barbies
Accessories {the more, the merrier is her motto}
Baby Dolls
Having her hair done

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ I love the way she pronounces certain words. ♥
Some of my favorites:

Lee-Lips {Lip Gloss/Lip Stick}
Chickum {Chicken. Though lately she's been pronouncing it correctly}
Hotbooties {Ha! This is actually her version of Strawberries}
Blue Hotbooties {Blueberries}
Mik {Milk. Apparently the L is silent}
Ah-melon {Watermelon}
Killie {Kitty. The other night she actually reached out to pet the kitty! We're making progress}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh Miss Kameryn, you bring a smile to my face every day.

Wordless Wednesday ~ First Day

2011-09-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

Side Note: When I first had the girls fill out their "favorites" list I didn't do a great job of guiding. I just sort of handed them the lists, and let them be. So, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I got Makenna's back, and she had filled in, Salt for her favorite season. Oh my. I laughed so hard I almost cried. That's my girl!
We've since decided that Summer is actually her favorite season ;)

A Good Weekend.

2011-09-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon we took a drive toward Mt. Hood to visit with relatives of Jeremy's that we've never met. An added bonus? Jeremy's "Tata" made a surprise appearance. He isn't in wonderful health, so it was so nice to be able to see him, and let the girls give him a big ol' hug. Plus it was the first time he'd seen Taylor.

{I feel this overwhelming need to apologize for the quality of the photos. It's not always easy balancing a baby on your hip, a two year old wrapped around your leg, and snapping "good" photos. But then, lately, I've noticed certain photographers continually apologizing if the lighting isn't great, or some other such thing, and only posting the "good shots". As if those are the only ones worthy. So. Yes, there are blown highlights, and limbs out of focus, but I love each of these pictures. Because they are special. And emotional. And isn't that what a photograph is supposed to be? Whew. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.}

Tata holding his littlest granddaughter :)

Miss Tay took quite a liking to his finger. Look at that sweet little grip ;)

And then Smarties were handed out.

And someone took a liking to those.

Then things got a little crazy. Balancing Smarties on the nose and all.

We're kooky like that.

It was a good weekend. Full of great memories. How was yours?

Friday Daydreamin' ~ Disney!

2011-09-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

I've pretty much been daydreamin' about a vacation since . . . our last vacation.

When Sierra and Makenna were little, we vacationed pretty frequently. San Diego one winter, Hawaii the following Fall, then Disneyland a year and a half later.

Then I got pregnant with Kam, had some complications with her, and the following year we decided to start building our house. All of which resulted in not many big vacations. And now? Well, now we can't really afford to go anywhere. Four children, and a brand spankin' new mortgage . . . yeah.

But luckily, thanks to Becca {RWeThereYetMom?}, I can relive our days of vacations!

Today, I am traveling back to April 2008 . . . our trip to Disneyland!!

Miss Kenners had just turned 3, and Sierra was 5 1/2. Oh.my.goodness. Do you see how little they were?? Jeremy and I were a little younger too ;)

We took the grandparents with us, and had so much fun!

Lunch with the princesses was a must! I think that was a highlight for the girls.

It was such a fabulous vacation, and we want to go back in the worst way! I can only imagine how much more fun it would be with all four of our girls!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Head on over to Becca's to read about others' Daydreams!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Notice Anything New?

2011-08-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

My little "Queen of Accessories" talked Daddy into some brand new sparkle . . .

Found It!

2011-08-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

This little sweet pea here . . .

. . . has found her thumb :)

And I'm sorry, but I think it is the.cutest.thing.ever!

Tribute to Summer

2011-08-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

Anyone else going to be sad to see Summer go?
Like, bawling your eyes out, sad?

You see, we don't have a lot of gorgeous, sunny, weather here in Oregon. So when it comes around, I rejoice! And when it goes away . . . well, I cry.

Thank goodness for my beloved camera. I can capture these brief, Summer moments, and cherish them all year long.

My tribute to Summer 2011 in photos . . .

Days of play

Of exploration

Of peacefulness

Of welcoming a new, precious blessing.

Days of change.

Of celebration,

and beauty.

Days of creating,

laughing,

of competition

and true enjoyment.

Days of sculpting,

Splashing,

Jumping,

and observing.

Of truly living life.

We had one of the best summers yet! How 'bout y'all?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm linking up {FINALLY!} with Alicia's Crazy Days of Summer. Something I've been meaning to do all Summer, but . . . you know, life just got in the way.

A Day at the Salon

2011-08-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

It seems, recently, that Sierra has gotten to do a lot of things, spend a lot of time with friends, and make a lot of choices. I know that this comes with maturity, and being the "oldest", but sometimes I think Kenners feels a little left behind.

So the other day I asked Makenna if there was something special she'd like to do with a friend. I said, "Perhaps go to lunch, or go shopping?" And she came back with "Or a trip to the salon?" What can I say? That girl knows what she wants. And luckily, I had a gift certificate to the salon, just waiting to be used. It was meant to be.

We called up her friend {actually, her friend's mama}, and I scheduled mini manicures for the girls.

We dropped Sierra and Kameryn off at my Mom's, next door. And Kenners, Taylor, and I headed to the salon.

And Kenners had So.Much.Fun.

It doesn't happen all the time, but I'm so happy that we can do these little things to show each one of our girls how special they are to us. And to be able to focus on each one individually.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Summer Fun

2011-08-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know this is supposed to be word*less*, but would y'all do me a favor, and hop on over to Kelli's? I'm guest posting today. A few simple tips to improve your everyday photographs.

Thanks so much!

Birthday Fun

2011-08-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy summer. We got about a week and a half of down time after Taylor was born, and then July hit, and WHEW! We've been on the go ever since. But it's been fun. It's always better, for us, to keep the kiddos busy. And I'd say we've done a good job of that.

So. We can always tell that summer is winding down by the slew of birthdays. Jeremy's birthday is toward the beginning of August, our niece, Sonoma and Sierra's birthdays {just one day apart} are toward the middle/end, then Jeremy's brother's. Then his dad's. It's a busy birthday season!

Last weekend we celebrated Sissy's birthday. My MIL spent Friday night {we just love having her sleep over!}, and Saturday night she and Gramps came by for cake and ice cream and a few presents. My parents were out of town celebrating another granddaughter's birthday.

Grandma and Grandpa got Sierra a pretty special birthday present. One that will definitely aid in a memorable first hunting season for our girl.

And then Sunday we had a big family birthday party. We are still in the middle of plans for our outside landscaping. There was a lot of excavation that took place to build, move our mobile home, tear out our yard to improve our driveway, and so on. So we did our partyin' inside the house this year. But next year we look forward to a beautiful lawn, and lots of gatherings outside!

One of our favorite aunts, Nat. She and Kam have a special bond.

Sierra's special, special friend was able to come. She and her family are heading out to Kansas for 3 1/2 months, and we are going to miss them terribly. Sierra loved the beautiful headband and nail polish that Kate picked out especially for her.

Apparently someone else also loved the headband.
Kam LOVES to accessorize.

And that's where the headband stayed for the rest of the afternoon. Luckily Nana and Gramps were able to find another one when they were out shopping the next day. So, no worries. Sierra's headband is back where it belongs.

And, oh yeah, I can't resist posting a pic of this little muffin. She slept the whole party away so peacefully. She's changing so much!!!

2011-08-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

We had a busy birthday weekend around here, and I'm trying to play catch up. Now that we finally have some nice weather, we've been packing our days full of fun!

Last week we went on our annual Oaks Park trip {we went last year too} with my MIL. The girls always have so much fun, and the last couple of years we've taken the girls' cousin, Kolby.

The first ride they saw, they just had to go on. Kolby and Sierra were the only kiddos big enough to ride. So, they anxiously stood in line . . .

At last, it was their turn . . .

Hmmm, I'm not sure. This thing looks like it goes pretty high in the air . . .

Wheee! This is SO.MUCH.FUN!

Woooohoooohooo!

Yeah, we are total rockstars!

Next up was the little roller coaster. Everyone got to go on that. Well, not everyone. Taylor and I sat it out and snapped photos.

But we got to go on this ride. The carousel was a hit. Kenners loved it, Taylor loved it,

Kam loved it. Even I loved it! ;)

It was a super fun day, that we look forward to every year! Thanks so much Grandma :)

Happy Birthday Sissy!

2011-08-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

Happy 9th birthday to my sweet, sweet, daughter, Sierra Elizabeth.

You made me a mama. The one job that I had always wanted, for as long as I can remember. You made that happen for me.

You have always been such a big helper to me. From the time you could stand, you were helping Mama.

You continue to be such a big help with your little sisters. You're always helping to organize, and keep things running smoothly.

You are fun-loving, full of life, and so full of love.

We just adore watching you dance.

You have a natural gracefulness that comes out on stage so beautifully.

You are growing much too quickly. It is so wonderful to see you mature and change.

The older you get, the more we get to do together.

The more I enjoy our chats.

The closer we become {if that's possible!}

But I don't want to see you grow up too fast. I enjoy our moments together. I enjoy that you still need your Mama {at least sometimes}.

Happy 9th birthday, sweet girl! Love you so much!!!

♥ 2 Months ♥

2011-08-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

Two months already??! How can this be?

{I'm going to be shouting my disbelief regarding how quickly time passes in every single milestone post. Consider yourself warned.}

Miss Taylor Grace, you are:

♥ Two Months old today ♥

Guess what, you are not staying little like I requested :(

No, in fact, you are growing like a most adorable little weed. I'm guessing that you weigh somewhere between 12 1/2 and 13 pounds, but we'll find out for sure at your 2 month check up next week. I can't take a guess at your length, but you do seem awfully long. Which means . . . you are growing right out of the 0-3 month clothing, and are quite comfortable in most of your 3-6 month. Sigh.

I think you may just be settling into a routine. You are starting to sleep better at night. You continue to wake between 3 and 5 times, but you typically drift right back to sleep after you've been fed. And while you still doze off and on a little in the mornings, you have definitely established a long afternoon nap now. And we try to respect your need for some peace and quiet in the afternoons by running the fan {white noise}, and leaving you be {for the most part}.

You don't like the swing. Or the baby papasan. Or chilling out on the floor. Nope. You do, however, love to be held by your mama. And you're totally cool with being being involved in everything we do. Vacuuming, making meals, clean up. You like to help ;)

You LOVE being outside. During your fussy, evening period, I can usually get you to calm down simply by taking you outside. You love to gaze up at the clouds, and sniff in that fresh air.

These past two months have flown right by, but oddly it seems you've been a part of the family forever. I'm not sure what we'd do without you, sweet, precious girl.

Love you to pieces!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Berry Picking

2011-08-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

Beach Trip, Part 2

2011-08-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

Beach Trip, Day 2

Jeremy joined us on Day 2, and we were so happy to see him. It may not seem like a big deal, but for the better part of last year Jeremy was either working at the fire station, or building the house. He was too busy to enjoy outings with us. We are so thankful that he has a little more time this year. A vacation just isn't the same without him.

Tuesday started out with a walk into town. When we called to book reservations we were assured that it was a short walk to downtown. Five blocks, I was told. That's doable with little ones. Uhhhhh, no. Actually it was 16 blocks to town. Anyway.

Once we got there, the girls headed straight for the carousel.

Kam thought it was the best!

Then off to the arcade. I'm not much of an arcade person, but the girls enjoyed it for a short while.

Even the daddy enjoyed it.

But then it got a little crowded. A little loud. A little obnoxious. So we left.

Just in time for this little princess who was getting a tad hungry.
And speaking of princesses, Kam wore this pink crown the entire time. {In fact, she still is wearing it non-stop} She found it at the Osh Kosh outlet the first day at the beach, and wouldn't take it off. She even wore it to bed, sweet girl.

After lunch it was more sand and surf.

This time in bathing suits.
In 68 degree weather.

That didn't seem to phase 'em.

Into the icy water they went.

With vigor ;)

And when we couldn't feel our toes any longer, we went back to the condo for warm showers, and to dress for dinner. We traveled down the coast a bit to Cannon Beach. We've never stayed there, but we almost always stop in for dinner. The whole town is adorable. Quaint little shops and restaurants everywhere, plus gorgeous views. Jeremy even pulled over on the side of the road so that I could snap a few photos.
Is that love, or is that love?

I love the beach. Love.

Beach Trip, Part 1

2011-08-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

So, we've had the busiest couple of weeks ever. The night we got home from our Crane Prairie camping trip was Jeremy's birthday. We didn't get to have much of a celebration because we were running around here like crazy trying to unload the trailer, do 3400 loads of laundry, and get everything put away. But we did manage to have a little cheesecake and open presents, and Jeremy had insisted all week that our camping trip was his birthday present.

Saturday was filled with more laundry, a quick grocery shopping trip, and then getting ready for Jeremy's grandparents' vow renewal.

We celebrated until 9:30 Saturday night.

I know.

We're party animals.

Then it was home, and off to bed.

Sunday was the picnic/anniversary party, and then we raced home to pack for . . .

The Beach!!!

We have been looking forward to a beach trip for a very long time. Our last trip was May 2010, so we were long overdue.

We like to stop for lunch at Camp 18 on our way to Seaside.

And there was no keeping these girls off the sand when we arrived.

They were so excited to be there.

There was a LOT of sandcastle building.

A lot.

Gramps wrote the girls' names in the sand.

I couldn't get enough of these cute little fingers just digging in the sand.

Sweet Miss Tay slept through a lot of it.

Snug and warm in the Ergo.

Even Nana got her feet wet ;)

Once they found the water . . .

It was almost impossible to get 'em out!

We had such fun! Jeremy had to work part of the time, so he didn't get to join us until Tuesday. Luckily the beach is only about an hour and a half from Jeremy's station. He surprised the girls by 9am. We were so happy to see him.

Stay tuned for day two at the beach . . .

Crane Prairie Camp Out, Part 3

2011-08-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Our third, and final day at Crane Prairie started out, you guessed it, back at the swingset.

But after two days of non-stop camping fun, the fun turned . . . .

. . . to grumpy . . .

And grumpy turned to sleepy ;)

We crafted bracelets for our special American Girl dolls {they go with us everywhere, don'tcha know}

Kenners thought she'd pull a few weeds for the camp hosts ;)

We spotted a bald eagle

Enjoyed the beautiful scenery

And we had non-stop visits from those super-friendly chipmunks.

{Sorry about the video quality. A certain little miss kept stepping right in front of the camera!}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So . . . I'm not sure I'd consider camping a vacation. I mean, that's a stretch, right? But my dear friend, Becca is hosting Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? Each Friday we get to travel {get it?!} back in time to re-visit {I can't stop myself!} past vacations. Super fun!

Crane Prairie Camp Out, Part 2

2011-08-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

Day 2 at Crane Prairie started with another trip to the store. We probably stopped by the store about 180 million times during our three day stay.

Need ice? Walk down to the store. Craving an ice cream treat? Let's head on down to the store ;)

Of course, if we left the site for any amount of time, the chipmunks took over. Someone forgot to put away the peanuts before heading out for a walk, and . . . well, little critters took advantage. You would not have believed the mess they made!

There were millions {literally, though we didn't actually count} of these little tiny frogs down by the water. The ground looked like it was moving, there were so many hopping around. And they're the tiniest little things. This picture is of Sierra's little hand holding one.

And we found the little swingset. {Yes, Kenners wore her bike helmet the entire time. Regardless of whether or not she was on her bike. You can never be too safe, ya know}.

Kam LOVED the slide. As you can see.

And again with the swing. I don't know why my girls love this little swing so. But I think it's just tradition. Here is Sierra on it this summer, 2011 . . .

And the same swing {with my same little Sierra, just a little tinier}, Summer 2003. My oh my.

Don't worry, only one more camping installment left ;) Then we're on to beach installments ;)

Hope y'all are enjoying these last few weeks of summer as much as we are!

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday ~ Family of 6

2011-08-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

Jeremy's grandparents just celebrated 50 years of marriage {pretty spectacular!}, and we were so happy to be able to celebrate with them.

And I was ecstatic to get our first photo as a family of six.

Crane Prairie Camp-Out, Part 1

2011-08-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

We've been camping twice this summer.

That seems like a lot for a woman who just had a baby in June ;)

But we love to be with Jeremy, and Jeremy happens to love camping and fishing.

So.

There ya have it.

Camping, Day 1

It is a tradition to start out a camping trip with a stop at McDonald's. We have to stop at the grocery store {across the street from McDonald's} for ice and gas before heading out anyway, so we figure we may as well. The girls love it. I don't get anything. I have a very sensitive, weird stomach. So I stay away from food altogether before a trip. Otherwise it's lots of stops. And that's not fun for anyone.

Kam got milk. Her favorite drink.

Side story: Sierra loved milk too. More than Kam, even. Kenners? Can't stand it. Never could.

This time we stayed at the campground that had full hook-ups. Plenty of water. Electricity. Ahhhh, that's how I like to camp! :) Some friends stopped by to visit.

And roast marshmallows.

Kam quickly made friends. They began coloring, and the rest is history.

Kenners roasted more marshmallows. She very much enjoys the sweets. A girl after my own heart {though I can't say I'm a big marshmallow eater}.

And Sierra, she's my big helper. I think she'd hold Taylor all day long if I'd let her.

But I don't.

Because I can't get enough of her myself ;)

She also enjoys snuggle time with her daddy. I love that she is such a girly girl, but loves to fish and spend time outdoors too. Well-rounded, that girl ;)

Miss Tay

2011-08-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Miss Taylor Grace is growing by leaps and bounds! So much so that it kind of cracks me up a little that our pediatrician seemed concerned about her {lack of} weight gain when she was just a wee 2 week old. Tipping the scales at 11+ pounds . . . not so teeny tiny anymore.

So, it feels like it's time for an update. She's changing and growing SO much!

Miss Tay . . .

You are 7 weeks old. Seven. Seven. Seven? How is this possible already?! I mean it when I say that time passes much more quickly with each child I have. And I'm much more emotional about it this time around.

You are a lot more vocal these days. I'm thinking that it's true that crying peaks at 6-10 weeks. If you're awake you want someone holding, bouncing, and loving on you at all times. No swing or bouncy seat for you, no sir! Your favorite spot to nap? In the Ergo on Mama's chest. I'm guessing that it's the movement that just lulls you right off to dream land. If I put you in the carrier, and then turn on the vacuum cleaner . . . forget it. You're out like a light!

You love to be outside. The fresh air and sunshine make you one happy girl.

You're starting to smile. Not all the time, but you've cracked a few, and oh, they are so precious.

You seem to understand the difference between night and day now. You are up 3-4 times a night, but it's only to eat, and then right back to sleep you go. Such a good girl!

You LOVE to eat. Love. Hence the double, er triple, chins.

You bring such joy to our lives, Miss Tay. We look forward to each new day with you.