Tell Me A Story

Random Weekend Thoughts

2010-01-17T21:15:00.000-05:00

*Warning* This weekends random thoughts are especially random! My thoughts are all over the place! So here we go!

1. Even almost a week later, I still can't wrap my head around all the has happened in Haiti! My family has a special tie to Haiti, my mom is the Executive Director of Haitian Ministries and she travels there numerous times a year. In fact she was scheduled to be there this past week with a group of UCONN students and the trip was cancelled because my dad needed foot surgery. Thank goodness for the angel that was watching out for my mom (and the group!) The mission house in Port-au-Prince was destroyed in the earthquake and they had three staff members trapped in the rubble and their daytime guard is still missing! The three staff members were rescued after 3 other staff members dug through the rubble by hand!

2. Did you know:

*For any child in Haiti older than 18 months of age, this is the 5th natural disaster that they have survived!

*38% of the population in Haiti is under 18 old!

*10% of children in Haiti are restaveks (slaves!)

*Before the earthquake there were an estimated 400,000 orphan's in Haiti; a nation of orphans!

*Operation Pedro Pan is a possible operation to bring Haitian orphans out of Haiti to the United States to be adopted. It is formatted and named after the same mission performed in Cuba.

*May GOD bless the littlest victims of this tragedy!

3. Okay, I told you I was all over the place, so switch gears! I am sitting on the couch ~~relaxing~~ trying to relax and looking through the recent Pottery Barn getting a major case of Spring Fever! I am NOT a fan of winter and I especially don't like the wintry mix that we have been getting this winter!

4.Yesterday I finally took down all of Christmas, except for the Tree! Tomorrow I will tackle the tree and have Matt take it down when he gets home next weekend. I have had fun rearranging and sprucing up the house! I am also trying to be a little more minimalist in what I put out. I am liking it, a lot *grin*!

5. This week I launched my new Sialia Photography website I am so excited about it! Don't get me wrong, I loved my old website, but it was time to update. Check it out, I would love to know what you think!

6.Time to switch those gears again! Have you ever thought of adoption? We have been, don't think I am crazy and this isn't something that we are rushing out the door to go do, but it is something that we are giving a lot of thought to. We are especially thinking of Haiti, this has been the country that we have thought of for a while (because of my moms involvement.) We'll have to see how things go. There are some things that we would like to have in place before we do more.

7. We are thinking of moving back out towards where our families live. Right now, we are an hour and a half from family! It is too far! Matt has been researching homes in the area where our family lives and I can't believe how much the cost of housing has come down in that area! I just hope that our house hasn't taken too much of a hit!

8. I don't have a green thumb! Just ask my mom, she'll tell you! But this winter I am trying my had a forcing some bulbs. Mainly sparked by a parent at school who gave me one already started. Tomorrow I am starting some paperwhites and hyacinths. I just wish that there was a way to keep them from bending towards the light!

9. A couple of months ago, we switched Jack to a Toddler bed and it has been going great! Until this last week and he has been waking up a couple of times a night and coming into our room and getting into bed! Ugh!!! So, the other night I set up the pack-n-play and he has been sleeping in there. I hope that this is just a phase and that I will be able to transition him back into the big boy bed sooner than later, but I just can't take getting up during the middle of the night!

10. Okay, now that I have given you all whiplash, I am done! I hope that you all have a wonderful week!

i ♥ faces ~ Hillarious Outtakes

2009-12-28T10:38:00.005-05:00

This week over at i ♥ faces it is "Hillarious Outtakes" week. When I first heard this weeks topic, I knew just which pictures I wanted to use! It had to be the pictures from when I tried to get the kids pictures for our Christmas cards! I had tried before and it was a disaster. Their clothes didn't fit and I need to put it off. Well, I put it off until the very last possible minute and the weather wasn't great outside and I needed to shoot indoors on a backdrop, which isn't my favorite or older kids. So here are the outtakes. If you want to see the ones that made our card, then go here.

Now, that you have checked out my outtakes, make sure you head over to i ♥ faces by clicking on the above button and see all the others!

Our Christmas Cards Have Landed...

2009-12-22T22:50:00.006-05:00

So, at this point I know that our Christmas card has landed, so I wanted to share it with you and wish you ALL a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Front

Inside Left

Inside Right

Back

Big Snow... That Wasn't

2009-12-22T21:28:00.006-05:00

So, this past weekend, we were under a weather alert for BIG snow. It was supposed to be a Nor' Easter with the shoreline getting the brunt of the storm at 2++ ft and we in the hills who usually get more were supposed to get 6-8 in. and we ended up getting a measly 2+ inches. But, no matter how much we got, the kids loved playing in it and it was one of those wonderful fluffy western snows! Now, my parents on the other hand who are on the shoreline they got 24+ inches!

So here is the story of our day in photos.

Jack loved stomping the snow off of his boots!

No fear! Sledding down our steep hill with Daddy on the big kid sled!

Ugh! You mean I have to walk back up that hill!

Allies turn down the big hill! Notice her eyes are closed!

She loves to go down, but only with her eyes closed!

I just love this smile!

Helping Daddy shovel!

Jack the Big Boy!

2009-12-09T21:03:00.002-05:00

Jack is such a big boy! This past week we have started switching Jack into a "big boy" bed! I am happy to say that it has gone really well! The first couple of nights we had him sleeping on his crib mattress on the floor next to his crib. It has been going great, so yesterday when I was at Once Upon a Child dropping off toys to resell and found a toddler bed, I bought it for him. So as of last night he is now sleeping in a big boy bed and for now his crib is in pieces in the kitchen, until I can bring it down to Once Upon a Child to resell it.

Allie's Winter School Concet

2009-12-05T00:06:00.008-05:00

Allie had her Winter Concert on Thursday and I have to admit, that it was SO cute! She has been talking about this for weeks and practicing all the time. They sang 4 songs and then they had CAKE! Allie was just as excited about the cake as she was the concert itself! I also took video and I will put the video up here as soon as Matt can get it ready for me. I hate to admit it but I don't know how to get the video off of the FLIP without messing it up first.

"Not Me" Monday

2009-11-30T14:42:00.002-05:00

Well, I haven't done one of these in FOREVER but I totally felt like today was a good day to do one!

I did not wake up this morning at 5:30 and still end up a half hour behind schedule! NO NOT ME!!!!

I did not think about calling out sick today, just to have one more day at home! Nope, not me!

And I certainly didn't think that I would send the kids to school if I stayed home, just so that I could have some quiet time to myself, that wasn't late at night to get things done around the house! No way, not me!

I did not have the realization this weekend that my husband was going away for his week of work in GA and realize, WHAT WILL I DO IF THE WOMAN I AM SUPPOSED TO PHOTOGRAPH HER BIRTH GOES INTO LABOR?!?! Nope, I am way more prepared than that!

I am not STILL trying to get the perfect shot of my kids for our Christmas cards! No way, I am not that much of a perfectionist!

I did not tell my 4 1/2 year old daughter this morning that she needed to behave better or that Santa wouldn't bring her what she wants for Christmas! I can keep my cool way better than that!

I have not been thinking all day about the end of the day and counting how many more days until Christmas vacation! Nope, not me!

Oh, and I certainly did not get up at 4:30 a.m. on Black Friday to meet my friend Melissa at the mall to do Christmas shopping! Nope!

So you know the drill head over to MckMama's and check out what everyone else didn't do!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-11-29T16:47:00.003-05:00

1. Matt's in GA again this week, so I am flying solo this week with the kids! Here's to praying that the week goes by quickly!

2. I am photographing my second birth of '09 and she is due next Sunday. With Matt being gone this week I am REALLY hoping that she doesn't go early! I know that is not very nice because every pregnant woman wants to go a little early, but it will just make things really complicated with the kids! So here's to hoping that she makes it to next Sunday!

3. I am planning on taking out a box of Christmas a night this week and try and get some decorating done before the weekend.

4. We have a dilemma, fake or real? Trees that is, in the past Matt and I have always put up an artificial Christmas tree, although last year, I was feeling like our kids were missing the experience of going and getting a real tree. So we had decided that this year we would leave the decision to the kids. So what do you think they chose? A real tree of course! The only problem is that we don't have lights, because our tree is a pre-lite tree. So now we need to get a tree and lights $$$.

5. We are trying to decide when to move Jack out of this crib and into a bed? We are also trying to decide whether or not to do a toddler bed? Decisions, decisions...

6. The kids and I are at my parents house today. Boy oh boy do I wish that we lived closer. We are about an hour and a half away! I don't feel like we need to live in the same town but even 45 minutes would be better! I am SO not looking forward to driving back an hour and a half tonight *sigh*!

7. I found the neatest wall decal calendar at TJ Maxx today with my mom. When I get it hung up I will share a picture! It is really neat!

8. We finally had Jack evaluated by an ENT doctor and have made the decission t have his tongue clipped, because he is tongue tied. We will hopefully have it done over Christmas break, if I can ever talk with the scheduler, we have been playing phone tag!

9. I braved the Black Friday crowds on Friday morning and hit the mall, bright and early (5:30 am) and managed to get some great deals! actually have Jacks shopping done and only need to put in an order to American Girl for Allie and then I will be done with both kids!!! I have also finished Matt and I am just about done with my parents *BIG* surprise for them!!!

10. Have a great week!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-11-22T23:04:00.004-05:00

1. WOW!!! It has been way too long since I have posted something, anything. Sorry, things have been SO busy!!!

2. My photography has taken off lately. I have had at least one shoot a weekend and more often there have been two! Not complaining, at ALL, I LOVE it!!! If you are interested in what I have been doing head over here and check out some of my latest shoots.

3. I have also been busy making holiday cards both for clients and anyone who might be interested in them. I have gotten my first order in and they look GORGEOUS!!! I am so happy and proud to be offering these. If you are interested go here and check them out. If you're interested in them contact me at jessica@sialiaphotography.com If you aren't local and can't set up a shoot but are interested in the cards, email me and you can email me your .jpeg and I will load them in and you can order them too *grin*!

4. Like so many other people I have been waiting on pins and needles waiting for the premier of The Twilight Saga: New Moon *grin*! I was so excited I even contemplated going to the midnight premier on Thursday night at midnight, but I decided that wouldn't be so good since I had to work on Friday. However, Friday night I went with my friend Megan and we had such a good time! I just love me a sparkling vampire... be could totally bite me, LOL!!! It was great, I really like that they stayed truer to the book, there were somethings that didn't make the movie, but that's to be expected since most movies aren't 5 hours long! Although it was 2+ hours of a great movie. I have to say that I will probably go back and see it again this week with some friends from work. Now only 219 days to go till Eclipse!!! LOL!

5. I need to order my own Christmas cards!

6.I have been staying up WAY too late lately! I find that the evening is the only time that I have to get things done and it has become way too common for me to be up until midnight (and I have to be up no later than 5:30 am!)

7. Last weekend we took Allie and Jack to go see Thomas the Train! What a great day! They had so much fun and so did we! We even go to go on a Thomas train ride, which they BOTH thought was pretty cool!

8. Speaking of going to bed, it is 11:25 and I need to head to bed!

9. If you are reading this and haven't given up on reading, thanks for stopping by!!!

10. Have a great week!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-14T05:22:00.002-04:00

If you want to see more, check here.

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-10-10T21:47:00.002-04:00

1. I have been MIA lately; things have been SO busy!

2. Matt got a new job in Marietta, Georgia!!! As of yet we aren't moving, we are sticking it out in CT and he will be working from home and traveling to GA monthly.

3. Right now he is traveling there more than just monthly. This past week he was there for almost the whole week and then home for this long weekend. Then, back next week Tuesday through Friday and home for the weekend. Then, back Monday through Friday and then hopefully he won't be going back down for a while! I am definitely not cut out for this single mom thing! This last week was a LONG week and I am so glad to have him home for the long weekend!!!

4. I am already thinking about Christmas cards and I really want to get mine done before the beginning of November! I am usually the slacker who is rushing around in December trying to get mine together and then they go out late! Well, not this year, I am determined to have them done early and send them out right after Thanksgiving!!!

5. We have a busy weekend ahead of us! Tomorrow morning I have a shoot with a handsome little 9 month old and his great parents! Then, we are going with my parents to the Bethlehem Garlic Festival, which should be a lot of fun! Then, on Monday we are going to the Wee Faerie Village to see the Faerie houses! I have to say I think that I am just as excited about this as Allie is, LOL!

6. I heart Target! Seriously, can you really love a store? Well, I think you can! I don't think it is possible for me to get out of there spending less than $100. Last night I popped in with the kids to just get a throw blanket for an upcoming infant shoot and I ended up getting a throw, two shirts for me, a picture frame, 2 skull hats for Jack (they were only a buck each!), a bag of candy corn, and leg warmers for Allie for dance. So much for just getting that throw!

7. I am getting excited for Halloween; Allie is going to be Wedding Cinderella and Jack is going to be Thomas the Train. I am making Jack's costume this year and I am excited about it! I am going to be painting a box to look like Thomas and then Jack is going to wear the box and I am trying to find a conductors hat for him to wear. This will be the first costume that I have attempted to make for either of the kids, so cross your fingers for me!

8. Last weekend my friend Cheryl gave Jack her sons train table that he had outgrown and there are just two words for how Jack feels about it "Loves it!"

9. Seriously, he absolutely loves it! He wakes up in the morning and says my trains, he plays wit them before we leave for school and says good bye to them when we leave!

10. What are your kids being for Halloween?

Have a great weekend!!!

Random Weekend Thoughts~Second Try

2009-09-20T19:57:00.003-04:00

I don't know what happened to my post earlier, I posted it from my iPhone and it looks like it took the one post and broke it up into 12! Ugh... so lets try that again.

1. Now that I am back at work my weekends are even more precious to me and the weather this weekend has been beautiful! Feels like fall out and it has been nice and sunny.

2. Last week i had the honor of photographing my first birth and it was AMAZING!!! You can see the pix by clicking on the Sialia Photography Fan page link on the sidebar!

3. I have had two children of my own, but it was amazing to partake in it from the other side! I have to admit it even made me tear up.

4. I can't believe that it is already the end if September! I love the Fall it is my second favorite next to Summer, I just don't want to see it go by too fast!

5. We are going to the Guilford Fair today. Slight change in plans, we had planned on going to a Bluefish baseball game today, until Allie saw a commercial for the fair. Should be lots of fun!

6. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to take 4 day old pictures of little Shea! I absolutely love taking newborn pictures!!! I know that the first few days home with a newborn are busy and crazy, but it is hands down the best time for pictures, they sleep and are able to curl all up, they are just overall delicious!!! Again you can check out these pictures in the Sialia Photography Fan Page on facebook. Feel free to leave some comment love and even sign up to be a fan *grin*!

7. Potty Training is going so SLOW! He goes on the potty every hour or so, yet he still only actually "goes" every once in awhile! Frustrating for me, but hopefully we will get there soon!

8. Starting this coming weekend through the month of October I have at least one photo shoot booked each weekend! Some weekends I even have two!

9. Allie's class has been exposed to lice and all I can say about that is eeeeewwww!

10. Have a great weekend!!! Hopefully you are having some beautiful weather where you are!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-09-12T19:59:00.002-04:00

1. I SO LOVE the weekend!!!

2. Allie had her first dance class today and she loved it! She started asking us last winter to take dance classes and we had to hold her off till now, when they started back up again. Well, the wait was worth it, because she loved it!

3. After dance we went up to northwestern, Connecticut and went to two of our favorite places, Kent Falls and Housatonic Meadows. We brought sandwiches and had lunch there and then enjoyed the falls for a few minutes, until it started to poor!

4. Tomorrow we have a busy day. We are going to the Candlewood Farm Airport Air Show in the morning and then apple picking in the afternoon with a bunch of friends! I can't wait! They should both be lots of fun!

5. My good friend Melissa is due on Monday to have her third child, a little girl Shea. I am supposed to photograph the birth and I am really hoping that she has the baby tonight or tomorrow (even though that would mess up my plans that I just told you about *grin*!)

6. I am trying to decide what to do about my Sialia Photography Blog. Now that am back to work full time teaching, I just don't really have the time to keep up with updating it. I have to be honest, loading pictures to Facebook is SO much easier and takes just a couple of minutes. I feel that in order to not feel stressed I need to simplify things and I think that the easiest way to do that right now is to pull the blog and just go with the Sialia Photography Fan Page on Facebook. What do you think?

7. Things are changing around here, can't say much right now, but things are a changing *grin*!

8. I just saw a new trailer for New Moon, it looks great! I seriously can't wait for this movie to open! I already have a bunch of friends to go with and I am SO looking forward to it!

9. The hubby and I were hoping to take the kids to Keene this October for the Pumpkin Fest, but they are holding it a week earlier this year so we can't make it and it sounds like it might be the last one *boo*!

10. Hope you are having a great weekend!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-09-05T22:00:00.001-04:00

1. First week back to school, went well. My class this year seems great! Thank goodness, cause last year's made me want to run!

2. I can't believe how fast summer went by this year! Must mean it was a good one!

3. I am still trying to figure out how to balance being a working mom and not letting my house fall completely apart during the week. I sure would love a cleaning lady!

4. Friday night I went out with some friends from work and we went to the NEW Pandora store at the mall. I never knew there was sucha thing. It was great and I got two new beads for my bracelet *grin*! So that means that the first two sections are now full and one to go. If you are wondering what I got, I got the owl and the love knot.

5. Poor Jack woke up this morning with what I think is croup. We, well I should say I, have already been on the phone with his doctor and he had me take him in a hot steamy shower and for a cold car ride with the windows down to try and clear his airways. The hot shower didn't seem to do much, but the car ride cleared him up and then he has slowly started to sound crumby again, so we are going in to have him seen.

6. It figures that the weekend one of the kids is sick is the weekend that Matt is gone on business! Ugh!!!

7. Turns out poor Jack does have croup, my poor baby.

8. It definitely pays to have a brother who was/is a mechanic... he was able to put the new flasher fuse in the truck. Which is really nice because manually blinking the blinkers was getting really old *grin*! He is also going to fix the "noise" that the truck is making. Thanks little brother!

9. I am in the progress of planning some fall shoots, which I am really looking forward to! I can't wait to share some pix from last weekends shoot and some great upcoming shoots!

10. I just love a three day weekend! Ahhh!!!

Lessons from Geese

2009-09-01T20:12:00.003-04:00

Yesterday at our first staff meeting of the year, our principal shared this and I thought it was kinda neat, so I wanted to share it with you! I hope you get at least a little something out of it, I thought that it fit friends and bloggy friends so well *grin*! Hope you are having a great week!

Fact 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other’s skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

Fact 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one’s heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

Author Unknown

New Sialia Photography Fan Page

2009-08-18T22:28:00.003-04:00

I just created a new Sialia Photography Fan Page, check it out and become a fan! I decided to create this because I am finding it hard to find the time to update new pictures to my Sialia Photography blog and updating pictures to Face book is so quick and easy. Anyways, I would love you to check it out and become a fan *grin*!

Thank you for all your support for my photography!

End of Summer

2009-08-17T15:01:00.003-04:00

The end of summer is fast approaching and it makes me sad.

I don't want to go back to school in two weeks,

I don't want my kids to go back to daycare,

I don't want to be a teacher at this point in my life.

I don't want to do my photography just on a part-time basis

I want to be home with my kids,

I want to pursue my photography on a full-time basis,

I want to be able to put me and my family first.

I want to be happy and being here makes me happy!

I just simply do not want to go back to work.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

Stepping Stones With Lady Bug Girl and Bumble Bee Boy!

2009-08-10T14:16:00.009-04:00

Last week the kids and I went to Stepping Stones Children's Museum with my friend Melissa and her two kids and her daughters friend. Have I mentioned yet this summer how much I love this place *grin*! Well, I do! and so do Allie and Jack, or should I call them Lady Bug Girl and Bumble Bee Boy! You know like the children's book?!

We They also played in the rain while I snapped some pictures! I was really amazed that no other parents would let their kids play in the rain! The kids had so much fun and I loved watching them *grin*!

These pictures of Allison say it all, she ~~enjoyed~~ LOVED playing in the rain, can you tell?

Here are a couple more of my favorites from the day.

Random Weekend Thoughts ~ Potty Training Edition

2009-08-08T16:38:00.001-04:00

*** UPDATED***

1. I am spending lots of time so far sitting in bathrooms and cleaning up accidents, but we are keeping it positive.

2. The upside of spending all this time in the bathroom is that my bathrooms are going to be the cleanest ones around! I might as well clean it if I am gonna be in there *grin*!

3. Potty training a boy is definitely uncharted territory! In some ways things were easier with Allie, but I am going to "shape" Jack into a potty pro, little by little!

4. I am wishing that I had started this earlier this summer, that way I could have him farther along before school starts.

5. Sometimes I think that he holds it while he is on the potty just to pee in his underwear. LOL!!!
6. I am definitely glade that this is my last time going through this *grin*!

7. So I thought that it would be easier on me and the floors if we did some of this potty training outside. So out we went, with Jack in a t-shirt and bare bottomed and can you believe that he managed to find the one carpet outside under my parents screen house and POOPED! Yup, and then walked through it a couple of times in his crocks before anyone noticed! Awesome, huh! So I still managed to end up needing to clean up a yucky mess, even outside!

8. So I still haven't actually seen anything in a potty but I am hopeful that I will soon! I hope! The book that I read said to watch for your child's signs that they are getting ready to go or going and I just haven't seen them yet! I think I will or maybe I will just get LUCKY and get him to go in the potty and then he will kinda get what we're working for *grin*!

9. So incase you are wondering I am going with no Pull-Ups, we are going with thick training pants (that are so cute) and rubber covers (when we are out!) I did the whole Pull-Up thing with Allie and I just think that they are a waste of time, they are just pull up diapers. Finding the training pants isn't easy though, I thought for sure Carter's or maybe even OshKosh would sell them, but nope! I have only been able to find them at Walmart by Gerber. Thank goodness someone still makes them! I do think I need to get another pack or two, or I am going to be living in my laundry room and bathroom *grin*!

10. So I think this next week we are going to be spending a lot of time at home, outside, away from carpet and furniture, with training pants or bare bottoms and living a la natural!

P.S. I really wanted to put a couple of cute pictures of Jack in this post but they are on my camera and my card reader is at home, so I won't be able to put them on until later, so if you want to see the little cutie check back later *grin*!

Potty Training

2009-08-05T22:14:00.002-04:00

Well, I have decided to try and start potty training with Jack and I am looking for suggestions. I have obviously already been through this with Allie, but I am looking for tips, especially with boys! After training with Allie I have vowed to myself to not use pull-ups, so tonight I went to Walmart and got training pants and a little box of goodies for rewards. What have you done? Any tips are appreciated *grin*!

Cross your fingers, tomorrow is the day that I am going to try starting. I think we will be spending a LOT of time outside, if you know what I mean!

Allie's Day at American Girl ~ NYC

2009-08-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

For Allie's first Christmas my mom got her a Bitty Baby and that's where the story starts. Since then we have taken Allie into the story for short little visits 3 times. Each time she has loved it, but she hadn't been old enough to do much more than just walk through the store with us, mainly just the 3rd floor where Bitty is.

Well, now that she is a BIG girl, my mom and I decided that it would be fun to have a girls day out and take just Allie into the city and go to American Girl and have lunch a the American Girl Cafe!

So last Tuesday morning at 5:30! Yup, 5:30 Allie woke up raring to go and so our day started. We got ready and dropped Jack off at school (so that he could have play time with his friends that he hasn't seen *grin*!) and headed for the 8:13 train to the city. We even had time to stop and get some Dunkin' Donuts coffee (mommy runs on dunkin') and made our train with time to spare!

Once we were on the train Allie couldn't stop asking how long till we would get there. My mom told her that we were on a "milk train", meaning that the train needed to stop at each stop and drop off the milk. This is something that her aunt used to say to her, when they would take the train to the city! This pacified Allie for a few minutes and then it was back to the same old same old, are we there yet?!?!

Then, my mom tried telling her the old saying that she and my grandmother used to say to us, Quakers meeting has begun. No more laughing, no more fun, if you show your teeth or tongue you shall pay a forfeit." This used to work on me like a charm, but not my Allie Grace!

So once we go to Grand Central, it's fair to say that she was ready to jump out of her skin, she was so excited! We made our way upstairs and got our barrings and then headed out to our destination!

Once we arrived at American Girl she was SO excited! We made our way around the first floor and then headed upstairs to put our names on the list for the first lunch sitting and good thing we did, because the second sitting was so busy that they had to turn people away!

Once we had lunch which you can tell from the pictures was a HUGE hit! We visited the Bitty Baby section. Allie and Grammy picked out a cute pair of PJ's for Allie and Bitty (which she is wearing in the above picture. Then Allie and I picked out a leotard for her for when she starts dance this fall. I have to say there were SO many other outfits that I would have gotten for the both of them, but I exercised self control *grin*!

Once we did our damage in the Bitty department we headed to check out the rest of the store. Let me just tell you that it was really cool, even for a 3o something mom. They have just about anything that you can imagine for these dolls. I was really tempted to get Allie a full sized doll, but again, I demonstrated some self control! I think that we are going to wait to get her one when she is turning 6, that way she can appreciate it more and enjoy the books that go with the dolls. Plus she LOVES her Bitty so much, I'm not really in a rush *grin*!

After we finished up we headed to the World of Disney Store, to see the princesses that we had seen last Christmas, just to find out that they don't have the princesses there anymore. Luckily, Allie took this really well and wasn't TOO upset. Then we wandered our way back to Grand Central and on our way Allie fell asleep (thank goodness I brought the stroller!)

This was such a great day! I can't wait to take another girls day out with my little girl!

Happy 2nd Birthday Jack!!!

2009-08-03T19:27:00.007-04:00

Jack, my little man, it's so hard to believe that it was two years ago that this is what you looked like and that we called you Baby Jack.

There is no calling you Baby Jack anymore, you are all little boy now! You love ALL things boy; trucks, balls, bikes, cars, watching x-games with daddy, basically anything that moves or is sports related *grin*!

There is so much that I love about you...

*How you pat my back when I am patting yours when we are rocking at night.

*How you now say love you Mommy. (It was well worth the wait!)

*How you love to cuddle in the morning, because you are usually the first one up, other than maybe daddy.

*How when you haven't seen me in a while you get all excited to see me and run up and give big hugs! I love that, it melts my heart!

*That you LOVE your sister! During the day you will randomly go up to her and give her big hugs.

*That you are a little daredevil, well right now I love that, we'll see how I feel about it next year *grin* but, for now it is so cute!

Even though you are getting too big for us to still call you Baby Jack you will always be my baby!

Love,

Mama

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-08-01T09:50:00.002-04:00

1. What a crazy week, that summer cold I got kicked my butt!

2. I had such a great time last Saturday at little Miss Addy's birthday! It is really different to be at a birthday party as a photographer, but defenintly fun! I met a bunch of great new people and Allie and Jack had fun (I don't usually take them with me!)

3. I can't believe that it is August 1st! Summer is going by SO fast!

4. On Tuesday my mom and I took Allie in to the city which was so much fun! I am working on a post with some pictures!

5. We're having Jack's birthday party tomorrow, on his birthday! It's going to be low key, just family.

6. I am getting some momma time for the second Saturday in a row! Getting my hair colored and highlighted. I just love having someone play with my hair, so relaxing!

7. I am thinking about driving 2+ hours to take the kids to the sunflowers like we did last year!

8. Indigo Girls is playing on the radio at the hair salon, what a blast from the past! I used to listen to them ALL the time. Think I might add them to my iPod *grin*!

9. I am wondering do you read my tweets, or am I talking to myself *grin*?

10. Have a great weekend!

"Not Me!" Monday

2009-07-27T09:48:00.002-04:00

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-07-25T10:34:00.002-04:00

1. Mama time is super important. I am taking some right now, getting a pedicure and a chair message! Ahh...

2. I hate waking up with a head cold, especially in the summer!

3. I love summer and being a SAHM! I really hope that we can make this work on a permanent basis!

4. We finally got our camper registered and up to the house, so tomorrow it is cleaning time. I am hoping we can take our maiden voyage in the next couple of weeks.

5. I am shooting (which is an awful term) a 1 yr olds birthday party this afternoon! Should be lots of fun!

6. Fake lotion tans don't hold up too well when you get a pedicure! LOL, oh well!

7. My mom and I are taking the kids into New York City this week, to take Allie to the American Girls Store! Should be lots of fun! Just trying to decide if we should take Jack or not.

8. I really need to make more time to go to the beach, we have been so busy doing other stuff that we haven't gone that much.

9. I can't believe that Jack will be two a week from tomorrow! Where does the time go?!

10. I need to go and enjoy the rest of this pedicure. Have a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-21T23:58:00.006-04:00

Okay, just a couple of words, these are pix from the long weekend at my parents a couple of weeks ago!

i ♥ faces ~ feet week

2009-07-20T09:05:00.004-04:00

Okay so I ♥ faces is doing something a little different this week, instead of faces they are doing feet. Yup, you ~~heard~~ read it right, feet! So I just new which picture I wanted to enter. It is this one of Pam and her twin boys feet. This is the most these little feet were still for our whole photoshoot!

If you are interested in seeing more pix from this shoot head over here. Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment so that I know you were here and I can stop by your blog and check out your entry too!

Sprinkler Pad

2009-07-17T23:04:00.011-04:00

The other day we went to this sprinkler pad with my friend Melissa and her friend Aprille. The kids had so much fun, so we headed back today with Megan, Daniel, Wendy and Quinn. I love checking out new places for the kids, I know I get board going to all the same places and I am sure they feel the same *grin*! Next week we definitely need to either head back to Stepping Stones or hit another local children's museum.

Wednesday at the Sprinkler Pad

Which way to go first?

My Girl!!!

Watch out for those sprinklers! Never know where they are going to pop up!

I love this one of Addy and her reflection, almost like she has found another baby to play with!

Yup! Addy is doing what you think she is doing *grin*!

**In case you are wondering, Jack was there too! He just wasn't really loving the sprinklers.

Friday at the Sprinkler Pad

What's up Quinn?

By the Numbers

2009-07-14T06:41:00.000-04:00

14... number of years Matt and I have been together.

8... number of years we have been married.

2... kiddos.

25... months between Allie and Jack.

5... number of places we have lived in the 6 years that we have been back in CT, it took us a while to find a place that we could call home *grin*!

9... years that we lived in New Hampshire

13... the states that I have visited... CT,VT,NH,ME,MA,NY,NJ,DE,NC,FL,CO,NM,MT

37... the states that I would like to visit.

1.. brother who's...

6... years younger than me.

So there you have it, some more random info about me. Happy Tuesday!

"Not Me!" Monday

2009-07-13T07:00:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I don't think there is anyone out there that doesn't already know what "Not me" Monday is but, it is a blog carnival that was created by MckMama as a chance for moms and dads to share all those things that they did not do during there week! So here it goes these are the things that I did not do this week...

I did not tell my 4 year old daughter that the thunder the other night was just God bowling.

I did not seriously contemplate dropping our family dog off at the local shelter this week because he had eaten another kids toy and was driving me NUTS!!!

I certainly did not go to Home Depot on Thursday with the kids in toe and proceed to get a paint sample for our bathroom and then take pictures of vanities and light fixtures and then email them to my hubby at work! Nope Not ME!!!

After my visit to Home Depot, I am not itching to get started with remodeling our bathroom! No way, not me I have way more patience than that.

I did not go to the antiques fair to walk around with my mom and then get these two things...

Nope, not me!

I did not rationalize buying the bench (which I want to use for my photography, can't you just see a baby laying on there tummy on it), by telling my husband that we would use it in our bedroom too.

I did not go to my parents house for what I thought was going to be an overnight and end up staying for 3 days and 3 nights! I would never do that, not me!

Oh, and I am not putting together my Not Me's on Sunday so that I will have them done and ready to link to MckMama's post when she posts tomorrow *grin*! Nope, not me!

Okay, so now that you've heard all the things that I didn't do this week, head over to MckMama's and check out what everyone else didn't do either. Have a great Monday and be sure to leave me a comment so that I know you were here and so that I can come visit you and check out what you didn't do this week either!

Pictures Story

2009-07-12T12:02:00.005-04:00

Well, people say that pictures can say a 1,000 words... so I am going to let our pictures from the 4th of July tell you our story of the 4th. We went to the parade in Matt's and my hometown and the kids had a great time!

Allie Grace

2009-07-09T20:20:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that 1460 days ago you were born and you turned us into a family of 3! Gosh, I can't even believe that it has been 4 years! You, my first born, my baby girl, you are so special to me and these are just some of the things that I love about you...

You love to snuggle in the morning before you get out of bed, you wake up just like Mama, slowly! Oh, and I LOVE when you call me Mama, there is just something about it that I love, even more than being called Mom or Mommy, it just melts my heart.

You are a little girly girl through and through. Daddy and I talk about it all the time and we just love that when you grow up you want to be Cinderella. You are already our little princess! You wear dresses or skirts ONLY (your choice)! When we need you to wear pants it is not a good day *grin*! I love how you get so excited when I wear a skirt or dress or when I buy one!

You have been a great big sister, since the day Jackson was born ! You love him SO much and you are very helpful. You love to get things for him and I love how when you two have been away from each other you get so excited to see him and give him a BIG hug!

I love that you are a little fashionista, you love your dresses and you love shopping. You don't hesitate to give your opinion on what things look like and what people should or shouldn't wear. I don't think I have ever met another 4 year old who is so aware of their fashion, or others.

My hopes for you are that...

*you continue to be as happy a little girl as you are now.

*you are always confident in yourself, you have this now and I hope that you keep this, especially when you are a teenager, when it is so hard to do.

*you continue to have such a caring and open heart. You show so much concern for everyone and I love this about you.

*you are always at peace and know who you are.

*that you always keep insight the things that will really make you happy; family and friends.

I love you more than I can put into words! Happy 4th birthday baby girl!

*The pictures in this post are from your "photo shoot" at the beach for your 4th birthday*

"Not Me!" Monday

2009-07-05T22:53:00.012-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not take 279 pictures on the 3rd and 306 pictures on the 4th for a total of 585!!! No way, not me I would never take that many pictures!

My almost 4 yr. old daughter so does not lie her clothes out on her floor to pick out what she is going to wear! Nope, not my daughter!

I did not buy Jack a girls t-shirt for the 4th of July and not even realize it until I put it on him to go to the picnic and fireworks! Ooops! Oh well, not like it was me anyway!

At the parade on the 4th of July I did not suggest that my dad get the kids "dogs on sticks" from the vendor! And Jack certainly has not been tormenting our dog since we got home late on Saturday! Nope not me!

I am certainly not addicted to my iphone and check my email, facebook and whatnot way too much!

I am not SO excited to have a photo shoot this morning with a college friend who has twin boys that I just don't know what to do with myself! Nope, not me!

Well, there you have it, some of the things that I did not do this week! So, now remember to head over to MckMama's and check out what everyone else did not do this week!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-07-05T22:16:00.004-04:00

1. Picnics and fireworks... the kids and I headed out to my folks house on Friday and had a great time. We went to a picnic on Friday night and the kids had so much fun! Then we headed down to the beach to watch the fireworks!

2. Then on Saturday we headed to the parade in my hometown, Allie and I have gone every year since she was one! The parade was great as usual and the kids had such a great time, both watching the parade and playing with the "big" kids!

3. I love LONG weekends! Today was a little more relaxed, we stayed home for the morning and then headed out to see Matt's mom. Allie and Matt ended up visiting with Nana, while Jack napped in the car with me.

4. After our visit with Nana we headed to get lunch at Down the Hatch (a restaurant on the lake) and it was PACKED, so we didn't stay for lunch, there weren't any tables where we could have a highchair for Jack. So we headed to Stew Leonard's for ice cream.

5. After ice cream we went to their little petting zoo, which Allie and Jack love! I don't think that we can go to Stew's with out stopping by the petting zoo!

6. After ice cream and the petting zoo we decided to try and go back to the hatch, but no luck, still just as packed!

7. So back to Stew's for lobsta dinna for $12.99! Complete with a drink, corn on the cob and fries! You can't beat that and it was de lish!

8. We still don't know what we are going to do for a vacation, I am hoping to get our camper registered this week (I am pretty sure I finally have ALL the paperwork that we need) and get it out here and cleaned up and up to the campground so that we can at least get some time away there *grin*!

9. We finally got a cork board hung up in Jack's room to put all his artwork on! It looks so cute and hopefully that will help keep it a bit more organized! Now all I need to do is figure out what to do with all the kids artwork on a permanent basis!

10. I am LOVING my new camera and I PROMISE that I am going to get some pix up soon!

Have a great week!

New Pix on Sialia

2009-07-03T01:23:00.002-04:00

I have posted a bunch of recent sessions over on my Sialia blog if you are interested in checking them out *grin*!

Fog, Frenulums and Four Year Olds

2009-07-02T10:49:00.007-04:00

The weather around here lately has been awful!!! Rainy, gray and damp; seriously I could never live anywhere were it regularly rained this much! I am in some serious need of some nice sunny weather and some beach days!!! Well, enough of that and on to other news...

Jack had his speech visit this morning, at home for the first time. Up until now they have been at his school. I am so amazed at how much more he is talking all the time! When K and I were talking about his progress she mentioned that she thought he might be a little tongue tied. I definitely think that this could be a possibility, when he was first born he had a really hard time getting going with his nursing. He had a hard time latching on and I had to work at it really hard to get him on all the way. So at one of his first doctors appointments I asked Dr. A what he thought and he said, no, no, he's not tongue tied. You would KNOW it if he was!

Well as it turns out K got a good look in his mouth today and she thinks that it (his frenulum, the little thing under your tongue) is a little tight and that we might need to have it clipped, which she said is much better done when he is young, but for now she wants to keep an eye on it.

And last but not least, I can't believe that Allie is going to be 4 in 7 days!!! Oh my goodness, where does the time go? I am in the process of working on a post for her 4th birthday, which will include pictures from her "photo shoot" the other day at the beach, but here is a sneak peek...

I love how the colors came out and it has vintage look to it!

Okay, off to make lunch!

All Done!

2009-07-01T15:43:00.001-04:00

There... it is all done! AND I LOVE IT!!!

Happy Wednesday!!!

Things Are Changing

2009-07-01T10:55:00.002-04:00

Okay, so it is time to give this blog o' mine a new look. It has been a while since I have switched it up, so here goes. If you stop by and it looks like I haven't been picking up after myself, excuse the mess until things settle down!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T00:50:00.006-04:00

*Seriously, why is it so hard to get pictures of my own daughter?*

"Not Me!" Monday

2009-06-29T14:20:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. WOW!!! Two weeks in a row, just shows how much more I do as a SSAHM (Summer Stay At Home Mom!)

I am definitely not stuck in the house today on one of the few nice days that we have had this month because Allie has a fever! Yuck, no way, she wouldn't be sick on such a nice day.

I definitely have not been wasting away my "inside" time today, that I should be using on editing pictures from yesterdays infant/family shoot... well at least I have been catching up on all my bloggy friends!

I certainly haven't gone to the front door and garage door 3 times cause I thought I heard the UPS guy with my prints from WHCC! I am not that eager to see my own prints. Nope, not me!!!

My almost 2 year old son, does not still take two naps a day and I certainly don't love every moment of them.

I wasn't lucky enough to buy a new D300 this weekend, I haven't been saving every bit of money that I have been making AND it didn't make ALL the difference in my pictures from yesterdays shoot!

I don't think of things that I want to post about during the day and then at night when I can actually work on a post I don't have blank mind! Nope, not me!!!

So there you have it some of the things that I have not done this week, so now head over to Mck Mama's and check out what everyone else hasn't done this week!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-06-27T23:22:00.003-04:00

1. We had Allie's 4th birthday party today, a little early because of our trip to Maine that we "thought" we were going on.

2. We lucked out and got GREAT weather!!! Normally this wouldn't be something to be so excited about but lately the weather around here has been miserable!

3. The kids all had such a good time; they played in the kiddie pool and with the sprinkler ball. You couldn't get me to put my big toe in the water it was so cold *grin*!

4. I can't believe that Allie will be 4 in 12 days! WOW!!! Where does the time go!

5. I am definitely getting back into my stay at home mom groove! LOVE IT!!!

6.I got Jack's hair cut on Wednesday and told the lady (who was old enough to be his grandma) that I wanted his hair cut like a mohawk, and she really didn't want to do it! "No, no mohawk, he just a babe" So we got what she was willing to do...

7. I got my haircut this week too, and I went shorter! I'll tell ya, short hair is addictive... I cut it shorter this time for summer and I LOVE it! I will try to get a picture (I like) and post it.

8. I have a photo shoot tomorrow afternoon with baby "C" who's mom's maternity pictures I did back in May, I am so excited!

9. Today I finally upgraded my camera and got a Nikon D300!!! YEAH, have been saving every bit that I have been making and every bit of gift money that I have gotten and today I was finally able to go get it! It is charging right now but I can't wait to play with it tomorrow morning and use it on my shoot in the afternoon!

10. I can't believe that it is almost July!!! In a week it will be July 4th! Have a great week!

"Not Me! Monday"

2009-06-22T20:47:00.003-04:00

I don't imagine that MckMama will be doing a "Not me!" Monday post this week with all that they have had going on with Stellan, but I figured I would try to jump back into the swing of things so here goes...

I definitely did not wish on Friday that it was Monday, simply because I wanted it to be the last day of school!

I certainly would not be using disposable diapers at night with Jack so that he would hopefully sleep later in the morning! Nope not me!

I did not have a hissy fit last week when I found out that our summer family vacation isn't going to happen. Our reservations got messed up and we don't have any. Not me, I hold it together way better than that!

I did not have a reality check when Matt and I went out this weekend to get Jack some Thomas Trains and realized how EXPENSIVE they are! HOLY COW!!! $22 bucks for an engine and coal car, are you kidding me! At that rate the train set would cost me more than a thousand dollars by the time we bought all that we wanted! Craigs List and tag sales here I come!

Well, there you have it, the things that I did not do this week! Now that school is out I am going to try and be better about posting!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-06-13T15:08:00.006-04:00

1. Things have been so busy lately, that my Random Weekend Thoughts posts are the only post that I get done.

2. Only 5 1/2 days of school left! YIPPEE!!!

3. I have FINALLY decided to buckle down and start exercising. Last night Matt took out our stationary bike and I rode for a half an hour. I am going to work my way up to an hour a day! I just know that this will help me jump start losing weight! I would be psyched if I could loose 10 lbs before we leave for Maine in a month... we'll see.

4. The weather around her has been more like the Olympic Peninsula, than New England. It has rained SO much and when it isn't raining it is gray and misty. I need to see the sun and how about so warmer weather.

5. I locked myself out of the house today with both kids AND I didn't have my car keys either!

6. Luckily, I called my hubby and he after a few tries remembered the code for our garage door keypad!

7. After I got my keys the kids and I went to a secret location to work on our Daddy's Day gift, unfortunately I can't tell you what it is because he actually reads this sometimes, Hi Honey! But if you are really interested leave me a comment and I will email you and let you know what super cool things we did! And no Matt you can't email me!

8. I have two photo shoots tomorrow and I am so pumped! I have a morning one with twin boys who are 19 months old and then in the afternoon I have a shoot with a friends 17 and 18 year old! Talk about switching gears! I can't wait, say a prayer that the weather is good!

9. Matt is watching Rob's Fantasy Factory on MTV and they are doing bat spins and then trying to ride their skateboards... too funny. I remember bat spins from college, but they didn't involve skateboards *he he he*!

10. Did I mention, I only have 5 1/2 days of school left!!!

Have a great weekend!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-06-06T18:17:00.000-04:00

1. The weather this past week was rainy and gloomy, but todays weather MORE than made up for it. It was BEAUTIFUL! Matt, the kids and I went to the New Milford Teddy Bear Festival and roamed around and soaked up some vitamin D. We couldn't have asked for better weather!

2 Last weekend I took Allie and Jack to the "Castle Playground" and we had a great time! It's amazing how different a (almost) 4 year old is from a 3 year old, when we were at the park yesterday Allie made friends with this other little girl all on her own. No prompting from me to get it started. They played together for almost 2 hrs.

3. Speaking of the almost 4 year old Allie, we bought her a BOOSTER seat today!!! I can't believe it! She was so excited, she gets her maiden voyage in it tomorrow when they go Grammy's.

4. I finally bought a new lens... I decided on the 50mm f/1.8D My friend Melissa has one and I borrow it more often than I should, so I decided to get it!

5. I have also decided to start saving for a Nikon D300 camera body! I would love to buy now and pay later, but I am going to be responsible and save up for it. Matt and I talked and I am hoping that I will have enough money for it before our trip to Maine this summer... we'll see.

6. There are only 10 and a half more days of school left! Whoot, Whoot!!!

7. I have SO much to do, to be ready for the end of the school year! Sometimes it gives me ajida(sp?)

8. Only 5 weeks until we leave for Maine for a week!!! I am so excited! We used to go here every summer growing up and I haven't been since I was 17! It is gonna be so cool to take the kids!

9. This is a picture I took tonight of Jack, with my new lens and it is SOOC (straight out of camera)

10. Have a great weekend!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-05-23T20:18:00.003-04:00

1. I LOVE long weekends!

2. Today was so nice, we didn't do much. Well, we had planned on taking the kids to the Peabody Museum to see the dinosaurs and play in the Discovery Room. Unfortunately Matt and I didn't check the hours and when we were about 20 minutes away I was checking the website for the address and realized that they close at 5pm on Saturdays! Boo! We would only have an hour there. So we decided to go tomorrow instead! Oh well!

3. I want a maid, nothing crazy just twice a month. Someone who can do the cleaning that I don't have time for and don't like to do, like washing the floors and cleaning the baseboards!

4. Tuesday will be Matt's and my 8th anniversary!

5. I have a baby girl shoot next Sunday that I am so EXCITED about! She is 3 months old and the daughter of one of my sorority sisters from college! She is so adorable and I can't wait to spend the day with them next Sunday and see another sister of mine after the shoot. It is going to be such a fun day, I can't wait! Say a prayer for some beautiful weather next Sunday *grin*!

6. I am dying to hear about the I ♥ Faces contest, I would just love to be part of their blurb book. If you click here you can see Una's sweet face, look in the second collage top row far right *grin*!

7. I am addicted to my new iPhone! Never thought I would say that, but I am. I am going to try starting a new photo challenge, where I take one photo a day with my iPhone and edit it with iPhone apps and then post it. We'll see how it goes...

8. 20 DAYS LEFT OF SCHOOL!!!

9. This weekend has been one of death and carnage her at out house, both of Allie's fish died and out of the 5 butterflies that hatched we only had one survive to release this morning. All five hatched, but the weather has been so wet and cold, we haven't been able to release them and when I went to go get them this morning for release there was only one still alive and it was just barely hanging in there. So we quickly released it on our deck into the potted flowers!

10. I can't believe that Allie will be 4 in 6 1/2 weeks! Where does the time go?

Have a great long weekend!

Oh, does anyone know how to do a strike though on blogger?

I ♥ Faces: Favorite Faces Contest

2009-05-19T20:32:00.002-04:00

I know that I posted this picture last week, but bear with me. The girls over at I ♥ Faces are hosting a contest this week and are putting together a Blurb book with their favorite face pictures. This is the image that I am entering, it was a tough pick for me, I was debating between this picture and a picture of Allie from Daffodil Hill, last month.

I am submitting this photo into the www.iheartfaces.com Blurb Book photo contest. I am granting I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites.

Does anyone know how...

2009-05-19T20:22:00.001-04:00

to set it up so that when you get a comment on your blog it goes into your email? For some reason I don't get email notifications. Any help? Thanks ladies (and any gents, that stop by.)

"Not Me!" Monday

2009-05-18T12:12:00.002-04:00

Wow, it's been a while since I have done a Not me! Monday post! Well, here goes nothing...

1. I so didn't wait around all morning on Saturday to get satellite TV installed just to find out that we don't have a clear line of sight! And I certainly wasn't annoyed at the tech, no way, not me!

2. Later in the day on Saturday, Matt and I took the kids to one of Matt's RC races and I totally didn't have the kids watch from the car, because I didn't want to have to chase them around the dusty dirty track. No not me and for that matter we wouldn't even have gone *grin*!

3. Last Wednesday when I went to get a pedicure after work, I didn't spend the whole time on my phone checking and responding to email, playing on Facebook and reading New Moon. No way, not me, I would spend that precious time relaxing!

4. I am not counting down the days left in the school year and I don't know that there are only 24 left! Nope, not me!

5. I so don't have a bag of lavender on my desk that I sniff regularly during the day to try and stay relaxed! Not ME!

6. You wouldn't have caught me last week putting Jack to bed in a disposable diaper, because I didn't have any clean cloth ones! NO WAY, NOT ME! But, if you did catch me doing that you would know that it was a good thing I had that one left over from when we started doing cloth last year, cause there wasn't a clean diaper in the whole house!!!

Well there you have it all the things that I didn't do this past week! Now head over to MckMama's and check out what she didn't do and read what everyone else didn't do either!

Have a great week!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-05-16T20:10:00.003-04:00

1. Getting up early and then waiting around all morning for the Dish TV guy to get here, just to find out that we don't have a clear line of sight is super annoying! Now we are stuck with the way over priced cable company!

2. This afternoon we took the kids to one of Matt's RC races. I don't usually have the patience or interest to go (sorry Hun) but the kids had a great time! I thought Jack was gonna jump out of his carseat (we watched in the car, because the weather was threatening) and run on to the track.

3. Why, oh why do my kids wake up SO early on the weekends? Allie was up this morning at 6ish. Thank goodness Jack slept till after 7:30!

4. I am counting down the days left in the school year, I can't wait for summer days, shorts and flip flops, going to the beach and spending the days with MY kids!

5. I have been trying to figure out what we are going to do for Allie's birthday this year, I really want the party to be somewhere other than our house. I know that sounds awful, but we are leaving for vacation shorty after her birthday and I just want to have the party be a little easier for me. We have it narrowed down to a party at a bead store, where the kids make their own bracelets, Build a Bear, or at Stew Leonard's Princess Party. Stew's is a big dairy store in CT/NY and they have a party room where they hold children's parties. The only thing holding me back about the bead party is that I don't think the boys will be that into it... so we will see.

6. Matt and I are getting ready to watch the NASCAR All Star Race and I am wishing that we were there! We went the spring before I was pregnant with Allie and we had SO much FUN!!! I would love for us to go to a race this year.

7. Jack's speech is making so much progress! He is saying more and more and most importantly trying to say more and more. I am so PROUD of him!

8. I guess you know you like a song when you Shazam tag it TWICE! I ♥ Muse, Starlight!

9. I had so much fun earlier this week photographing Una and her brother Sammy, the daughter of our friends Pat and Joan. I can't wait see what these pictures look like printed, they are gonna be amazing, even if I do say so myself.

10. I am still trying to decide which lens to buy. As Matt would say, I can't make decisions. I am still wavering between a $500 lens and a $200 dollar one! I know you would think that would be the decision right there, but I want to be sure that I am getting the lens that I am going to LOVE!

I hope you all have a great weekend, what's left of it!

Baby Una

2009-05-12T22:20:00.004-04:00

If you're interested in my latest photoshoot check this out. Here is a little teaser...

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-05-10T21:44:00.003-04:00

1. Why do weekends go by SO fast?!
2. When you don't do laundry ALL week long it makes for a LOT of laundry to do on the weekend!
3. By a lot of laundry I mean, 10 loads and 2 more loads of diapers!!!
4. The nice weather today was great! It felt so good to be outside and soak up the sunshine!
5. Mother's Day was great! Jack slept past 6 am! YAY! The kids gave me their gifts that they made me at school, so cute and Matt got me a book on Rob Pattinson... still not sure what I think of that. Don't get me wrong, very sweet of him; it's just that it kindof makes me feel like I am in high school *grin*! Then Matt and Allie went to visit his mom and Jack napped here, which meant some quiet time for me. Then the family came and Matt cooked dinner. Thanks hon!
6. There are 29 more days left of school, not that I am counting or anything!
7. I am so excited about an infant shoot that I have coming up!
8. I dyed my hair red this past week and I LOVE it!

My friend Melissa took this picture of me this week, when we went to a photography gathering. Thanks Melis

9. I wish that money grew on trees like I thought it did when I was a kid.

10. Allie went home with my parents to spend the night with them, so I need to get off the computer and spend some time with my hubby.

Friday Funny!

2009-05-08T17:35:00.004-04:00

Just a little funny, tomorrow our girly girl Allie is going to a karate birthday party. When I told Matt what the theme of the party was this morning, all he could say was, "Good luck with that!" This should be interesting, Allie is a bit of a clutz and she only wears dresses (her choice), so tomorrow should be interesting when I tell her where the party is and that she has to wear a dress! I will take lots of pix and post them tomorrow night!

Happy Friday!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-05-02T22:52:00.003-04:00

1. I was so glad that the weather today turned out to be nice, we took the kids to the park and had such a great time!

2. Allie saw a friend a the park and it was so cute when they realized the other was there *grin*! They gave each other big hugs and were so excited!

3. I am hoping to get a new cell phone tomorrow. I really want an iphone, but I just don't see it in my future right now, they are just too expensive.

4. There are just 35 days left of school!!! YAY, then it is a different life for 2.5 months! Can you tell I am excited? I can't wait for summer vacation to get here!

5. I can't believe that Allie will be 4 years old in just a little more than 2 months! Were has all the time gone, it seriously seems like just yesterday that I was pregnant with her!

6. I can't wait for summer, it means... sleeping in, playing outside with the kids, days at the beach, bike riding, trips to the water park, sleepovers, vacation to Maine, eating outside, fireflies and so much more!

7. Jack is talking so much more and just trying so much more than he had before. Even his speech teacher said she was really pleased with how he is doing!

8. The weekends are too short, where do they go? I can't believe that it is already half over.

9. My photography business is really starting to pick up, thanks to the nice weather! Go here to check out what I have been up to lately *grin*!

10. I hope that everyone has a great weekend and has a chance to get outside and enjoy some nice spring weather!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-04-26T07:22:00.002-04:00

1. Can't believe it is Sunday already... why do the weekends go so fast?

2. We made annual trek to Daffodil Hill yesterday with the kiddos and got lots of great pictures and then my memory card started glitching and it appears that I have lost more than half of my pictures!

3. Luckily we can go back next weekend and it didn't happen today at my maternity shoot!

4.This weather that we are having is CRAZY! Yesterday it was 92 degrees and today it is supposed to be the same!

5. Luckily for the woman who's maternity pictures I am doing she lives down by the shore and it isn't supposed to get quite as warm and I am meeting her early.

6. I LOVE sleeping with the windows open!

8. I can't believe that it is only 7:30 in the morning and the current temp is already 60 and that is what our temps usually are mid day this time of year.

9. I will be posting some of our pictures from Daffodil Hill later today when I get home.

10. Off to shoot baby bumps and little girls, what a great day!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-21T22:08:00.003-04:00

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-04-19T17:20:00.003-04:00

1. I miss Matt when he travels! He has been in CA since Thursday and won't be home till early tomorrow, but I don't get to see him until I get home from work.

2. I just finished Breaking Dawn the last book in the Twilight Saga! I LOVED it and all the other books too. I have never read any book so feverishly before and then when it came to Breaking Dawn I let it take me longer to read just so that it wouldn't have to end!

3. Now I am looking for a new book to read, any suggestions? I need something as wonderful to keep my attention, so I am in search of a new book or series of books to read.

4. I am so not ready to go back to work tomorrow, 9 more weeks of school until summer vacation, that seems so long to me. I wish that I hadn't just figured that out on the computer calendar...

5. I broke my glasses yesterday and I procrastinated so long today that I won't be able to try and get them fixed until tomorrow after work. Cross your fingers that they can fix them and that I won't have to buy a new pair!

6. I think there may come a time when I will actually re-read the Twilight Saga, I have never thought that about a book before but these were so good that I am tempted *grin*!

7. We had such nice weather here this weekend, the kids and I played outside a lot the last few days, no I didn't ignore my children to read *grin*!

8. I have a newborn baby shoot coming up in the next few days/week, she hasn't even been born yet and I am so excited to take her picture! She is the daughter of close high school friends of both Matt and I and I am so flattered that they asked me to take her pictures!

9. I am quickly realizing the difference between little boys and little girls; Jackson does absolutely everything that Allie has never thought to do! They are so different it amazes me!

10. I need to get going to get the kids dinner, finish the laundry, get ready for work/school tomorrow and pick up the house a little, oh and edit some pictures! If you are interested in seeing some new pictures go here, I haven't had a chance to post them here as well, but it is on my list *grin*!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-04-11T21:00:00.002-04:00

1. Long weekends are great!

2. A week off from work is even better than a long weekend!

3. I have read more in the last week than I have in the last 4 years!

4. I am obsessed with the Twilight book series. I read Twilight in 4 days and New Moon in less than 3! I can't wait to start Eclipse, but I have to wait until tomorrow, my mom got it for me for Easter!

5. I can't wait to see the kids in their Easter outfits tomorrow! This year I finally got smart and got Allie an outfit that she won't FREEZE in and Jack's outfit is so cute too!

6. I can't wait for Cadbury eggs tomorrow... my fav!

7. Can't wait to see Allie on her new bike tomorrow!

8. I am hoping for some nice weather tomorrow. If I wanted all this rain, clouds and dreary weather I would live in Washington or Oregon!

9. I need to figure out how to get the presets from my old computer moved over to this one! It is becoming a major pain!

10. Happy Easter everyone! Have a great weekend!

What a Morning...

2009-04-03T11:31:00.001-04:00

We've all had days like this, your morning starts out with a bang! Well, Jack woke up with PINK EYE! AGAIN! I have lost count of how many times he has had it. So, I started out with cleaning up his eyes with a warm wash cloth which he LOVED! NOT! Then had Matt come in and hold him down (nice visual, huh) so that I could get the drops into his eyes! He HATES this! Then I moved on to getting him changed and ready for school. Well as I did I realized that the drops must have loosed up more of the junk from his eyes and I grabbed the "warm" wash cloth to wipe his eyes and he freaked out and PEED on ME and all over himself! So needless to say I was running late. Then, I brilliantly decided to take my antibiotic in the morning and on an empty stomach! Well, just as Jack and I drove up to his school, I started to feel nauseous, but I took some deep breaths and trudged on! When I got inside I was greeted by someone else's "barf" in the hallway! Nice, huh! So I quickly dropped Jack in his classroom and decided that I would go to Dunkin' Donuts and get a muffin to hopefully calm my rather angry stomach. Didn't work, a few miles down the road I ended up needing to stop and use a bathroom (if you get what I mean *grin*!) Thankfully that did the trick and it also turned my day around. The rest of the day has been pretty good, well except for all the rain we have been getting. I can't wait for the weekend, it is supposed to be really nice and in the mid to upper 60's! YEAH!!! Then only 4 days until April vacation! Yipee!!!

Check This Out

2009-03-31T23:55:00.003-04:00

Stellan's story made the news, go here to check out the story. Please continue to pray for this sweet baby boy and his entire family! To read more about his story go to mycharmingkids.net

What Allie Thinks About Mommy

2009-03-30T17:50:00.004-04:00

1. What is something mommy always says to you? "My brother follows whatever I do."

2. What makes mommy happy? "listening"

3. What makes mommy sad? "throwing things"

4. How does your mommy make you laugh? "by doing somethin funny"

5. What was your mommy like as a child? "like me"

6. How old is your mommy? "6 years old"

7. How tall is your mommy? "9 4 5 6"

8. What is her favorite thing to do? "Play memory game"

9. What does your mommy do when you're not around? "work on the computer and putting pictures on it"

10. If your mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? "don' know!"

11. What is your mommy really good at? "finding something on the memory game"

12. What is your mommy not very good at? "growing plants"

13. What does your mommy do for a job? "teach the kids"

14.What is your mommy's favorite food? "Macaroni"

15.What makes your mommy proud of you? "listening"

16. If your mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be? "I don't know"

17. What do you and your mommy do together? "make pictures"

18. How are you and your mommy the same? "we're both girls."

19. How are you and your mommy different? "you wear pants and I wear dresses."

20. How do you know your mommy loves you? "by hugging me."

21. What does your mommy like most about your daddy? "hugging each other!"

22. Where is your mommy's favorite place to go? "To Grammy's house!"

Well, there you go, know you know what Allie thinks of me!"

I ♥ Stellan

2009-03-30T11:05:00.009-04:00

This is a special edition of "Not Me!" Monday in honor of sweet baby Stellan... I wasn't sure that I was even going to take part in this until I saw a few other people who are close to MckMama in real life took part as well. So here goes...

My heart did (not) break when I read last Monday that sweet little Stellan was in the hospital with the same heart issues that he had gone through in utero.

I (did not) feel loads of anger and resentment towards the doctor how administered the doses of Albuterol to Stellan in the ER.

I have (not) been consumed all week and weekend with thoughts of this sweet baby and his family.

I have (not) been talking with my husband about this so much that I feel like we actually know MckMama.

I (did not) join the facebook group, Pray for Stellan and then ask everyone on my friends list to do so too!

My daughter (did not) ask me the other day how the baby with the sick heart was.

I (do not) think about both MckMama and Stellan every night when I rock my son to sleep and hope and pray that she gets to do just this for as long as he will let her.

My Mom (does not) ask me for MckMama updates whenever we talk on the phone.

I saw this quote at 4 The Love of Family and it is just so fitting that I wanted to share it with you...

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31

If you would like to show your support for MckMama or just read what other people had to say go here and check it out!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-03-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

1. My new computer came yesterday! Yeah, no more desperatey trying to get the old one to charge.

2. I miss my old computer! The new one is really nice don't get me wrong, in some ways it is nicer than the old one, but I miss the old one.

3. I am excited to have a bunch of friends over today with their kids!

4. I hope that God's plan for baby Stellan is what we have all been praying for! I can't even imagine what that poor family has been going through this past week.

5. I am watching the kids play in the tub! So cute! Kind of makes me sad that someday realatively soon they won't want to take baths together.

6. We are thinking about getting Allie (and Jack) a bunny. Last night we went to Tractor Supply, to see if they had any (they usually do this time of year) and they didn't have anyleft. So now we are back to thinking about it and trying to find someone selling some...

7. I can't wait for the weather to really change over to spring, the kids and I played outside a couple of days after school this week and it was so NICE!

8. Over vacation I think I am going to take the plunge and paint our hallway bathroom. All three of our bathrooms need to be painted, the woman that we bought the house from painted all three bathrooms with the same AWFUL moss green sponge painting! I can't stand it, makes me feel like there is moss growing on the walls. Well, the hall bathroom is the largest so I think I will start there, hopefully it will be the easiest to paint!

9. Sunny Saturdays are the best! So glad that the rain is staying away!

10. Please continue to pray for baby Stellan and his family!

You Are Special

2009-03-27T22:30:00.000-04:00

If you are not familiar with this book then you should definitely go out and either buy it or go to your local library and see if they have it. A teacher friend of mine lent it to me yesterday and said that I NEEDED to read it! So I did and I LOVED it! Go here to see a YouTube reading of the book. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Praying for Stellan

2009-03-25T06:03:00.000-04:00

I think that most of you who read my blog also read Mck Mama's, who doesn't? Well, this family is in great need of your prayers again. Sweet baby Stellan is sick and in the hospital again with the same heart problems that he had in utero. Please take a moment to click on the photo above and say a prayer for this sweet baby boy and his family, they are in great need of you prayers!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-18T21:44:00.000-04:00

Luck of the Irish

2009-03-17T08:48:00.000-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

"Not Me!" Monday

2009-03-16T09:28:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, it's Monday again and time for MckMama's blog carnival called "Not Me!" Monday and some good old free therapy.

I did not have to replace my laptop that is only a little over a year old! Nope not me!

I did not spend nearly all the money that I had saved for a new lens on my new laptop!

I did not walk barefoot at the beach yesterday, then tell Allie that she had to keep her shoes on because of the sand. No way, I am better than that and it wasn't just because I didn't want to have to clean the sand up on her too!

I did not forgo grocery shopping all weekend, just because it is one of those things that I don't like to do! I am way more responsible than that!

I did not take over 150 pictures while at the beach on Sunday! Nope, not me!

Jack did not fall off his tricycle and skin his chin! Nope, no way, that would never happen when I am around!

Now, be sure to head over to Mck Mama's and read what everyone else did not do this week!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-03-15T10:57:00.000-04:00

1. I am feeling much better this weekend! Thank goodness, right!

2. I had a root canal on Monday and boy oh boy do I feel better! And let me tell you, they aren't as bad as people make them out to be. I won't lie to you they are no picnic, you have more hardware in your mouth than a mom and pop hardware store but other than that and having someone poking around in your mouth it really wasn't so bad. They give you enough medicine to numb you up and then other than that not so bad. The only bad part is that I have to go back on Wednesday so that they can finish it up, it's not done in one day.

3. We finally decided what to do about my laptop. After talking to lots of different people and getting their opinions we decided that it would be best to replace it, because no one could guarantee us that they could fix it, plus it is an expensive fix! So after lots of driving around and shopping around we finally bought a refurbished DELL this morning! And the best part is that I didn't have to use all the money that I had been saving for my new lens!

4. Business is picking up since I launched my new site. I have 4 new bookings!

5. Today we had a great day with our friends the Heenan's! It was so nice to see everyone and spend time together and catch up. Plus what great weather we had! Good Friends + Good Weather= A Great Day!

6. We spent a good part of our visit at the beach! You heard me right at the beach, it was so nice to feel the sand between my toes and the sun on my face! I can't wait till we have more of these days!

7. Jack rode on a bike/tricycle for the first time; he was so cute he just straddled the bike and walked along. Good thing for his helmet too, because he fell over the handlebars and if he hadn't had a helmet he would have probably gotten really hurt.

8. We bought both Allie and Jack new helmets for riding their bikes.

9 & 10. Sorry, I've got nothin' for ya! I just can't think of two more random thoughts!

Hope you have a great week!

My New Website!

2009-03-11T22:09:00.000-04:00

My new website is done! Check it out if you are interested! I love it and many, many thanks to my friend Jim who designed it for me!

Not So Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-11T21:09:00.000-04:00

Warning!!! This picture is not for the faint of heart or stomach!

My poor little guy got his finger crunched today! My good friend Melissa was up at the house today to help me out and watch the kids for me so that I could go to a Dr's appointment and before I left I was up in the attic getting her so maternity clothes and long story short Jack got his finger stuck in the fold down attic stairs! Need I say more! There was a ton of blood because it was his finger and all I could think to do was put pressure on it and get him to the doctors! I have to say I didn't even really look at it I just did and went. Thank goodness he didn't need stitches and his finger wasn't broken! Mummy however did need to lie down and drink some juice once I knew he was okay! I felt so dumb, Jack was the one who got hurt and I was the one lying down and drinking juice!

Moral to the story keep babies away from folding attic stairs!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-03-07T19:41:00.000-05:00

WARNING!!! There is a lot of whining in this post, read on at your own risk!

1. My weekend has gone down the drain... I went to the dentist this morning for a tooth that I have had sensitivity in for a while now and at my last cleaning I mentioned it again to the dentist and she had me start using a prescription tooth paste and said to give it a couple weeks. So, I did and it is more sensitive than ever and over the past week it has been hurting when I don't expose it to triggers. So long story short, I went in and she tested it and she thinks at the least that I need to have the old filling removed and a new one put in. However, more likely, she thinks that I may need a root canal! OUCH!!! Double ouch it is going to cost a LOT!

2. There goes the money that I have been saving to by my new lens for my camera and get my computer fixed!

3. I am so frustrated at the lack of interest in my photography! It really makes me sad, I have posted fliers in a few places as well as putting some stuff up on Facebook. I don't get it! It is so frustrating, I really want to be doing more, scratch that, some photography.

4. My new dentist appointment isn't till Monday, because they couldn't do a possible root canal on a Saturday! This is gonna be a long, hurting weekend!

5. That means I need to make sub plans, JOY!

6. On a lighter note, the weather here was GORGEOUS this weekend, I mean really, it was 65! and we are supposed to have more of the same tomorrow!

7. I'm not looking forward to the time change, both how it will affect me and how Allie and Jack will sleep!

8. Jack starts his speech therapy on Wednesday! I am so excited! I can't wait for him to start to be more verbal! Even if it is just making more sounds, which is what they are going to start working on first.

9. I can't wait for spring to be here for good! I just heard that we are getting snow in the next few days! Yuck!

10. My tooth and jaw hurt hurt!

New Header and Background

2009-03-03T06:31:00.000-05:00

So, I finally finished both the header and background, what do you think? I really like the new header, but not too sure if it looks good with the background. Let me know what you're thinking.

Thanks! Have a great Tuesday!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-03-01T19:07:00.000-05:00

1. What a great time we had at the Maritime Aquarium yesterday. Both Allie and Jack loved the penguins and it was so nice to spend the day together as a family!

2. I know I have said this before, but I really have spring fever and knowing that we have another MAJOR winter storm coming really isn't helping. We are expected to get around 16 INCHES. Yup, you read that right 16 inches, 1 foot and 4 inches!!! I seriously can't take it *grin*!

3. 3 1/2 year olds still need naps... We had such a busy weekend and Allie was SO GOOD yesterday at the aquarium. I mean seriously good, she hardly missed a beat and I don't think we had to talk to her the whole time we were there. Well, today was a different story, she was on the verge of falling apart most of the day!

4. When your 3 1/2 year old needs a nap, do yourself a favor and scrap YOUR plans and stay home so that they can nap. You will thank yourself for it. This is what we SHOULD have done, but we didn't... and we payed for it.

5. The DC Jack on my laptop has come loose and now I need to decide what I am going to do about it. It cost $250 to fix it, which really doesn't make too much sense for me, since the computer only cost around $300, when we bought it last year. I really don't want to invest in a new computer right now, I was hoping to get a new lens and camera body before I needed to replace my laptop! What to do, what to do?

6. Facebook is so addicting... need I say more!

7. I really need to change the background and header on my blog! Need to find something that I really like!

8. Stop and Shop (which is a grocery store, for those of you that don't live in the northeast) now has these scanning guns, kind of like the ones that you use to make a registry at Babies R' Us or Target. Anyhow, I tried one today when I went grocery shopping, and I thought that it really helped, keep my bill in check because as you shop it gives you a total so you know how much you have spent. The other thing that I liked was that you are bagging your groceries as you put them in your cart, so you don't have to take them all out at the register, which saves time.

9. Plus I am starting to get coupons and how they work. Well, at least a little bit and this afternoon I asked at the service desk if they except competitors coupons and they did, they even took a $10 off coupon from Big Y! I was really surprised and really glad.

10. Not sure how I feel about the snow day that we will most likely have tomorrow. I really would rather not have another snow day, because this means that we will now not end on a Friday, but on a Monday! YUCK!!! But, having a three day weekend is kind of nice...

I ♥ Faces Contest: Adult B&W

2009-02-25T19:42:00.001-05:00

This is my first time joing in on an I ♥ Faces contest... but here goes nothing.

I just love this picture of Jacklyn! Be sure to head on over to iheartfaces.blogspot.com to check out all of the beautiful face entries this week

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Not Me! Monday

2009-02-23T14:36:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, it's Monday again and time for MckMama's blog carnival called "Not Me!" Monday and some good old free therapy.

I did not taken almost a month off of doing my "Not me!" Monday's.

I did not seriously contemplate using a large part of our tax return to by myself a new Nikon D300, no way I am not that impulsive! Don't worry Mom, I know your reading this, I am waiting and saving *grin*!

I am not so impatient that I am having a REALLY hard time waiting for my new photography website to be finished. I have oodles more patience than that!

I am not so anxious about getting my photography business off the ground that I am self doubting and wondering why I haven't gotten any phone calls off the little bit of advertising that I did last week!

I do not spend way too much time on the computer in the evenings either blogging or on Facebook! I use my time when the kids are sleeping way better than that! No way, not me!

I did not have my fingers crossed that Jack would qualify for speech services when he was screened today.

I did not go to pick Allie up this afternoon at school after Jack's Birth to 3 screening, only to find that she was napping (which she never does at school) and then decide to leave her and let her nap and come back to get her after nap. Nope, not me!

I do not get SO frustrated with blogger, when it is acting up and not doing what I want it to. Not me!

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-02-22T20:17:00.000-05:00

1. Why is it that Jack will sleep in till almost 11 am on the morning that I need to be up early to get ready for company... come on, now that's just not fair!

2. It was so great to see our friends Dan and Lindsey who came down to visit from NH yesterday!

3. Makes me realize how much I miss living in NH, not the place as much as I miss being near such good friends!

4. I really wish that winter would give up the fight and just let spring in! I officially have SPRING FEVER and I am so ready for spring...

5. I miss playing outside with my kids!

6. At least it is staying light out longer, the other day I realized that it was light out and it was 5:30ish!

7. Tomorrow is Jack's Birth to Three screening... I am a little nervous, but overall I am looking forward to hearing what they say about his speech.

8. I am thinking about getting a bike trailer for the summer, my mom has a bike that she never uses and I think it would be so much fun to go biking with the kids, especially when we are out visiting my parents at the shore!

9. I am hoping to have my new photography website up and running in the next week or two!

10. Wishing that we could take a road trip to NH to visit with friends... hopefully soon.

Hope you all have a great week!

Things I Have Done and Some Things That I Hope To Do Someday!

2009-02-17T08:53:00.000-05:00

I found this over at Sugar Mommy's place. As I went through and "bolded" (is that even a word) my list I realized that I have done a lot in my life and that there is still a lot left that I want to do. Someday I hope to be able to say that I have completed most of the things on this list!

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

Mini Photo Shoot of Jack

2009-02-15T22:30:00.000-05:00

My little man is 18 months old, in 6 short months he will be 2 years old, I can't believe it! Where does the time go? I feel like I took Allie to get portraits done so much more than we have taken Jack. So, a photo shoot was in order! Matt took Allie to see Nanna (Jack and I couldn't go because we have both been sick) so that Jack and I could work our magic together! Here are some of my favorite pictures from today and if you want to see more check out Sialia.

Random Weekend Thoughts

2009-02-14T22:01:00.000-05:00

I have totally fallen off pace blogging lately, I have had a ton of things on my mind with work/school and my photography. But here is some of what I have been thinking about this weekend. This idea of random weekend thoughts is inspired by Lori.

1. Matt and I went to the movie Taken yesterday, it was so good. I love Liam Nelson and he was great in this movie. Without giving anything away, it is so hard to imagine that things like this happen in the world.

2. When we were at the movie, I was so surprised that there were children at the movie, the subject mater of the movie was so inappropriate for children to be watching. I couldn't believe that there were to girls there without a parent and at the most they were 12, but probably younger. What is with some parents. I swear I am not trying to sound judgemental, but seriously...

3. I am so glad that I have a 4 day weekend! The only thing that could be better would be a full week off instead!

4. It was so nice to hear from Allie's teacher that she was so proud of her valentines that she made, when she passed them out in class.

5. I was SO surprised that Allie was the only child in her whole class that made her own valentines!

6. I am VERY excited for the Daytona 500 tomorrow and I am hoping that both kids will take afternoon naps, so that we can actually watch the race!

7. I am going through camera withdrawls *grin*! I am going to do a mini photo shoot with Jack tomorrow, they will probably be the last of his "baby" pictures.

8. Oh how I wish they would stay little forever, I had the realization that Allie will be 4 in less than 5 months!

9. Wishing that this stimulus package that is coming was going to do more for me than maybe $13 bucks in my paycheck!

10. I can't wait for spring! I am SO done with winter, when will spring be here?

25 Things, I Bet You Don't Know About Me

2009-02-08T20:33:00.000-05:00

1.My maiden name was Smack and I was so siked when I got married *grin*

2. I lived in New Hampshire for 10 years!

3. I greatly dislike snakes; I mean they really freak me out. I can't even stand to be in the same room with them, even when they are behind glass!

4. When I was in first grade I thought I wanted to be a nurse, just like my mom , funny thing is I can't stand blood.

5. I had both of my children naturally, without any medication!

6. I nursed both my babies past their first year; Allie till she was 18 months and I found out I was pregnant with Jack. I nursed Jack until he was 15 months and he weened himself. I was very sad about this I had always thought that he would nurse until he was close to 24 months, but he was done.

7. I want more than anything to get my photography business going and I am doing everything that I can to make this happen! I am just waiting for my website to finish coming together.

8. I love my husband more than I have ever loved another person, with the exception of our children (that's different)!

9. Before our first wedding anniversary I almost lost Matt. He was VERY sick and was in the ICU at Dartmouth Hospital for 13 days, those were the worst days of my life!

10. I had my daughter when I was just four months shy of 30, which is just shy of 30 years after my mom had me when she was 30. Kinda cool, huh!

11. I was in a sorority in college, and it was the best thing that I ever did; it totally helped me come out of my shell and make some wonderful and great friendships.

12. I am really shy, when I first meet people!

13. I would love to live in New York City for one year, just to see what it is like.

14. I love watching NASCAR... oh, did I just say that/write that! But I do, I really like watching it and going to races!

15. My favorite driver is Dale Earnhardt Jr.

16. I can't remember the last book that I read (other than a children's book); I wish that I read more!

17. I waited forever to join facebook but I love it; it is such a great way to catch up with old friends and network.

18. I am very emotional and I cry very easily and have a really hard time stopping, once I get going.

19. I am afraid of dying while my children are young and they will not know me.

20. I would give up driving in a heartbeat if I could afford a chauffeur.

21. I am an absolute klutz and I wanted to name out daughter Grace, but Matt said that would be too dangerous, because she would have half my genes and what if she was a klutz too. Well good thing, because Allie definitely got that gene too *grin*!

22. I LOVE summer and I can't wait for blasted winter to be OVER!

23. I have been rear ended 5 times!

24. I have never traveled outside of the US, other than to the Caribbean on my honeymoon.

25.Someday I would like to travel to Ireland, Italy and Hawaii.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

My friend Melissa took this picture, thanks Melissa!

Random Thoughts and Catching Up

2009-02-03T19:56:00.000-05:00

The kids are both in bed and it is snowing outside, again! and I have some time to do a little blogging. I haven't been doing as much of this lately as I would like but things have been busy and I have really been trying to not use the computer when the kids are up, they just end up seeking out my attention in less then pleasurable ways. For instance Jack whacks at the keyboard and last week he ended up disabling part of my photo editing software and it took forever to get it fixed!

Well, lets see where should I begin... well last week Allie was diagnosed with Scarlett Fever, so she and I were home from school one day for that. Thank goodness Jack hasn't gotten it (yet). And for any of you who are interested, Scarlett Fever is not what it was a generation ago, it no longer brings along other health risks; it is basically strep with a wicked rash and when I say wicked I mean it. Poor thing already has really dry winter skin and then to top it off an itchy rash, she just wants to crawl out of her skin.

Jack turned 18 months old yesterday and I can't even believe it. Where has the time gone? We have his 18 month check up tomorrow and I think I am going to request a birth to three screening for his speech. He really isn't talking and I know, I know, he is a boy AND he is the second child. However, he really doesn't say anything and I think that by now he should at least have a couple of words that he uses reliably. This weekend I think I am going to try and do a photo shoot with Jack, try and get some pictures of him at 18 months! Well, first he needs to get a haircut, his hair has gotten a little too shaggy.

I had my first engagement photo shoot this weekend in New York City and it was AMAZING! The couple Courtney and Andrew were great and the weather was perfect for pictures! Well, other than the fact that it was only 20 degrees out. The first 10-20 minutes that we were out it was really cold and then you kind of went numb and then it wasn't too bad. I had so much fun, it was so different than photographing babies and children and I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to photograph some more adults. This is one of my favorite pictures from the day, if you are interested in seeing more go here.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-28T12:17:00.000-05:00

Not Me! Monday

2009-01-26T20:18:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, it's Monday again and time for MckMama's blog carnival called "Not Me!" Monday and some good old free therapy.

I did not give in to my desires and buy a cool *Shey* [B] camera strap. No I would never do that, but if I had, I would be so excited waiting for it to come and checking the mail like a little kid; but like I said, I didn't do that.

I did not schedule a photo shoot on my husbands birthday and then spend 4 hours at said photo shoot. Nope not me!

If I did have a photo shoot on his birthday I would have at least asked first to be sure he didn't mind, but I did not do that!

I have not mentioned so many times in front of Allie that I want an iphone, that she now tells people that she is going to buy me one, nope not me, I am not that obsessed with a phone!

I did not post pictures over on Sialia and then worry all day today about whether or not the parents were going to like them.

Well, that's it for me, make sure you check out what everyone else didn't do this week, over at MckMama's

Cute Allie Quote

2009-01-22T20:29:00.000-05:00

Tonight I was getting Allie to bed, I read to her from her book of children's prayers. When I was done and on my way out of her room, she said to me, "Mommy come here, I have a secret to tell you." So I went over to her bed and leaned in to her and she said, "Mommy I have Jesus in my heart." Oh, I love this little girl so much, she is so sweet!

Not Me! Monday

2009-01-19T10:06:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, it's Monday again and time for MckMama's blog carnival called "Not Me!" Monday and some good old free therapy It is amazing what a good weekend off can do for your mood and well admitting all the things that you did not do feels great to!

I did not almost by a $300 lens this weekend, because I was growing impatient of saving my pennies. Nope not me I am not that impatient!

I did not tell Matt that I wish I had a different job, because I find it so hard to teach all day and then come home and still have "good stuff" left.

I did not forget to mail my Christmas cards and find them sitting on the shelf, downstairs in our entry way!

I did not book a photo shoot next Saturday on my hubbies birthday! Oh am I going to owe him big for that, well I would if I had done that!

We did not take the kids to the mall to play in the "free" play area! I would never do that, oh but if I had the kids would have had a great time!

I have not blown two of my new years resolutions already.

That feels so good to let go of things. Give it a try and head over to MckMama's, or at least read all the things that everyone else didn't do!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T14:18:00.000-05:00

To see more from my maternity shoot this weekend, click here *grin*!

Happy Wednesday!

Missing in Blogland

2009-01-13T22:46:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been so overwhelmed that even trying to sit down and write a blog post has been too much! I think it all started back up when I went back to work after Christmas break, the last time that I felt like this was back in the fall when I went back to work from the summer off. I feel like I need a month of Sundays off to get everything done and caught up. Maybe it's because I have too much on my plate right now; being a wife, mother, teacher, housekeeper and upstart photographer. I just feel like there really isn't anything that I can cut back on and I have never been good at letting things go. I always need things to be just so and when they aren't it makes me crazy and I feel crappy.

I obviously can't cut back on being a wife or mother (nor do I want to) and I have cut back on the housekeeping a little lately and that only adds to the crappy feeling. I still have Christmas up, YIKES and it's not up because I can't part with looking at it. Yesterday I did leave school right after the buses and headed home to de-decorate and got a good amount done, now all I have left is the tree and that is such a project to get everything off, back into the right little ornament boxes and then packed back up and into the attic! But it will be done by the end of the week, I have promised myself!

I don't feel like I can cut back on my photography because I am new at it and I want to take every opportunity that comes my way and I am loving every minute of getting my new photography business going and I love meeting new people and their families. I just need more time than I have to get it all up and going. I really want to start advertising; like on Craigs List and in local businesses and coffee shops but I feel like all that is on hold until I get my website finished, which has been going slower than I had hoped.

The other thing that I hate about feeling like this is my head feels like it is spinning and I can't remember the simplest things! For instance, last Friday when I was taking the kids to my parents house to stay the weekend, because I was going to New Hampshire for a baby shower and a maternity shoot, I managed to forget: my boots, Jack's boots, my gloves, the small wooden alphabet blocks and Gerber Daisies that I wanted to use in the maternity shoot! What is wrong with me... wait don't answer that! And I forgot all that even with, making a list of what I needed to bring; can you imagine what I would have forgotten if I hadn't had a list!

Well, in a nutshell that's what's going on with me. I just can't wait until this weekend to get a ton of things squared away and back to "normal", what's that? Oh and it is a long weekend too! YIPPEE!!!

Not Me! Monday

2009-01-04T20:23:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Monday again and I am back to my "Not me's!" took last week off but I am back at it again! Hope your ready, because here we go...

I did not write my "Not me's!" on Sunday night so that I could schedule it to post at midnight and not tomorrow at work!

I did not tell Allie that I wouldn't read her a bedtime story tonight because she had watched an extra show, while I was putting Jack to bed. Nope, not me!

I did not wait until the last weekend of my vacation to be the most productive! Not me! I used my time off so well and got so much accomplished!

I did not tell Matt that I wanted to get RID of our dog, because he had chewed up another one of the kids toys, on top of the pocket of my new coat! No way, not me! I am way more mature than that! Oh and if I had said this, it wouldn't matter because he said no.

I did not decide to leave up our Christmas decorations for "just" one more week and then this morning realize that I have a baby shower out of town next weekend, so now we have Christmas for two more weeks. Not me, that would be tacky, right?

I did not have baby A from my photo shoot on Friday pee, TWICE, while I had him in the net, without a diaper. And if this had happened I would have definitely gotten at least some great pictures for all the effort and pee!

During, after and since the photo shoot with baby A I have not dreamt about having another baby...

This weekend I did not for a second think about buying a new 50mm F1.8 lens for my camera. Not me!

I did not look at my school calendar this morning to try and figure out when my next day off is. Nope, not me.

Oh, I could go on, but then you wouldn't be able to go over to Mck Mama's and read all about what everyone didn't do. So what are you waiting for head over there and check them out or maybe even give it a try yourself!

I Posted Over Here...

2009-01-02T23:59:00.000-05:00

today I posted over at Sialia. I had a photo shoot today with a little angel, so if you are interested in seeing a beautiful little babe head over here to check out my newest pix.

Fantasy of Lights

2009-01-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

Going to see the Fantasy of Lights has become a family tradition for us. This year we went with my parents and brother, it was a lot of fun, well that is if you don't mind making multiply stops so that my dad and I could jump out of the truck to take pictures *grin*! Even with all the stops we all had fun and loved seeing all the beautiful lights. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Resolutions, Hopes and Goals

2008-12-29T22:05:00.000-05:00

Well, it is almost the beginning of a new year, so it is time to think about my resolutions, hopes and goals. I have been thinking about these for the past few days, this year I am going to make my goals SMART

S=Specific

M=Measurable

A=Attainable

R=Realistic

T=Timely

Find... more time to spend with my husband, to keep the spark in our relationship, more time to spend with my children.

Pursue... my photography more fully and my dreams.

Believe... in myself and more fully in the power of God.

Appreciate... the people in my life and the time I spend with my children and my Matt, my husband.

Trust... in God and that he has a plan for us and that he will provide what we need.

Encourage... encourage my children to try new things and to believe in themselves.

Pray... I will make more time to pray daily

In 2009... I'll be more positive; go to church more often; spend less and save more; I will find more time for myself, to be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister and person.

The format for my resolutions was inspired by Jamie's post

Prayer Request

2008-12-29T19:46:00.000-05:00

I think most of you who read my blog also read MckMama's but, on the off chance that you don't, I wanted to request that you pray for baby Stellan. As you may or may not know he had many heart issues in the womb over the summer and was miraculously healed of those issues and they thankfully have not re-appeared since his birth. However over the weekend he came down with a severe case of RSV, which you can read about here. Stellan, MckMama and their family are once again in great need of your prayers. Please take the time out of your day and say a prayer for this sweet baby boy and his family.

Christmas Day

2008-12-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

We had such a great day today! Allie first woke up at 5AM! But, luckily I was able to tell her that it was still the middle of the night and she needed to go back to sleep so that Santa could come, PHEW! She then slept until around 7ish, but Grammy, Papa and Uncle Steve still weren't at our house yet so I got into her bed with her and she slept/layed there with me till we heard them pull up. She was so excited when she went down the hall to the living room and saw the tree and all the presents, she didn't even know what to do, SO cute!

It was so much fun seeing the kids open all their presents, Allie was so into it this year and well, Jack was into anything that she was *grin*!

Matt got me two really cool presents a photography book and a class with a great local photographer, I am so excited to take this class! Her photo's are amazing and I just know that I will learn so much!

My parents also got us the best present; when we were growing up we went on the same summer vacation every year! We went to this place in Maine, called Alden Camps and I loved it and since we had Allie and Jack I have wanted to take them there to share it with them, so that they too would have the memories that I have. Well, my parents booked us all for next summer and paid our deposit! I am so excited and I can't wait! If you are interested, check out their site.

I hope you all had a wonderful day with your families and friends!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T23:51:00.001-05:00

"Not Me!" Monday

2008-12-22T20:25:00.001-05:00

Well here are my not me's pre-Christmas edition! Hold on tight here we go...

I did not wait until the last minute possible to do my Christmas shopping and I certainly was not surprised when the mall was an absolute ZOO! Nope, not me!

I did not have our tree up and lit for a week and then FINALLY get it decorated the weekend before Christmas.

I did not go out on Friday, right before our 1st BIG winter storm , just to get the ingredients to make gingerbread cookies AND get stuck in our drive way for an hour! Nope, not me, I have way better judgement than that!

I did not wait until the last minute to get my Christmas cards finished and I have certainly mailed the said Christmas cards!

Ahh, that feels so good! You should really give it a try, head over here and join in!

Winter Storm Austin!

2008-12-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

I have definitely had better ideas than going out in our Hyundai Elantra- not the Durango; right before a snowstorm. when we live on a hill with a wicked driveway and all hills to get home! What was I thinking!

I know, I wasn't really thinking; I was being impulsive. I had the day off from school, because of the storm that was on it's way and I just felt that I just needed to go out to the store to get the ingredients to make gingerbread men cookies with the kids. Things that could have waited; going out to the store to get the ingredients. I left at eleven and didn't get home, well when I say home I mean the kids and I, inside with the car in the garage! Ugh, it was a nightmare, the roads stunk and our drive way was a mess. I gave it a try and of course didn't make it up, so I headed up to the house to get a shovel and shoveled the drive way, put down some salt and was optimistic that I would be able to get up; well not so much! SO, I tried and tried and tried some more. I almost made it and I decided to get the kids and the groceries out and into the house. I then got some cardboard and shoved them under the tires and gave it one last try. I figured if I didn't make it I would park the car at the bottom of the driveway and call it a day. So I gave it my ALL and got up the driveway and into the garage!!! Yeah!!! I have never been so happy or satisfied to get up the driveway and into the house! Matt and I are definitely switching cars back tomorrow. If I had been in the truck this wouldn't have really been an issue, oh well live and learn, right!

This is the view out my kitchen door, look at all that snow!

This is looking out our front door...

and this is where our driveway should be! Did I mention that I have shoveled it, when oh when will the plow guy come?

Don't all you southern girls reading this wish you were me *grin*! Just kidding! Well the kids are still napping and it is 4:30 I will get them up around 5 and we WILL make Gingerbread cookies tonight, yum!

Any guesses on how much snow we will get? I think we have about 6 inches so far and it has been only snowing for 4.5 hours!

Play Along With Me!

2008-12-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Game time!!!! I thought that this might be fun to play. All you have to do is make a list of ten of your favorite things. But there is a little catch. Everything on the list has to start with a specific letter of the Alphabet. That letter is randomly assigned by the blogger who you are playing with!

I got assigned the letter P from Alicia.

Pandora- I love my Pandora bracelet, each bead has a special meaning and I can remember exactly when I got them!

Pixies- They remind me so much of Allie for so many reasons, she is infatuated with Tinkerbell, so cute!

Pumpkins- There is so much that I like about them, the symbolize fall and a time for so much fun.

Peppermint Stick Ice Cream- Need I say more, I just love it!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins and Coffee- love them to!

PHOTOGRAPHY!!!!

Peonies- They are my all time favorite flower! I love their scent and they come in so many different varieties.

Palmer- My grandmother's maiden name

Puppies- They are so cute, but oh, then they grow up into awful, dogs. Oh, no, that is another post coming soon! But, seriously, I do love a cute wittle puppy

Pomegranates- Yummy, I love picking at them and they are delish

Want to play along? Let me know and I will assign you a letter *grin*!