thankful: november 16

i'm a little behind on my thankful entries.  hard juggling a full time job, family and blogging. 

 

this photo was taken on my birthday over at grandma alicia's house.  she made me a birthday dinner and played the "happy birthday song" on her piano.  she tried to teach the girls how to play the song. they couldn't really play it but it was the cutest attempt ever. 

 

today, i'm grateful for grandma's who have us over for dinner.  for entertaining them with toys and attempting to teach them how to play the piano.  and for my camera that helps me stop and literally focus on the small things more clearly at times.

thankful: november 11

i talked to my kids this morning about veteran's day and what it means.  i can't even get thru a conversation like that without tears because "thank you" just doesn't feel like enough to express how indebted i feel to our soldiers and all their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives and children for giving up so much, for all of the rest of us... for our country.

 

today, i am thankful to be in a warm house on this cold, snowy day.  to be able to provide activities that will entertain my children.  there are so many less fortunate.  this is a blessing which i do not take for granted.

 

every day... starting today, i am going to think of one thing that i am grateful for.  i'm going to engage mckenzie in this activity.  these would make a nice bound collection as a mini book to remember current gratitudes.  i don't think it's going to be hard.  not at all. 

 

 

McKenzie.

i picked up mckenzie after school today... bought some carnival tickets for bellview's annual halloween carnival this saturday. mckenzie is so excited... she wanted to make sure i got plenty so she could play lots of games and eat dinner their. afterwards, we drove down to the pumpkin patch where i thought i was going to meet my grandfather, who was also bringing callie. turned out she didn't want to go and so grandpa just stayed home with her. i was hoping i would be able to get some photos of him along with the girls but will have to wait. i fell in love with this picture as soon as it popped up on my screen.

right now, mckenzie is in her room doing her homework and reading the 4th book in the harry potter series. i am so very proud of her.

Hello fall.

 lots going on this weekend.  i'm taking a vacation day tomorrow so i can take the girls and one of mckenzie's friends to 7 oaks farm in central point.  i love that place.  lots of animals to see and pet and just a whole lot of photo opportunities. 

this photo was taken at dad's pumpkin patch.  i just love the way it turned out. 

This Morning.

spent the first part of the day at school helping the kids slice up fruit for a morning snack. i was a little apprehensive with the kids using knives but they all did great. even mckenzie, who has never used a knife or held one. ok... it's really time for me to let go a little and let mckenzie start doing some of these things on her own now. even matt said "don't you think mckenzie should start taking showers by herself now?" i said "OK... but sometimes i want to step in the shower and help condition her hair sometimes." i told matt i need to take baby steps with this child... not one giant leap yet. just to hard to let go and realize she is growing up and way to fast.

on another note, i have always wanted to photograph my children on one of these train cabins. callie was with me and mckenzie was still at school, so i attempted to give it a try... only callie wanted nothing to do with the train. she was so afraid the train was going to start to move with her on it. silly little girl. this shot was the best i could get for now but it won't stop me from trying again.

Hanging Out.

right now callie ane i are hanging out and goofing around with my blackberry phone.  she loves using the camera on it.  right now she is watching cartoons and i'm attempting to finish piles and piles of laundry.  maybe i'll even tackle washing the car.  right  now i can smell the mango chicken with potatos cooking in my crock pot and it's making me so hungry for dinner.  matt is picking up mckenzie from school.  agenda will be for her to finish her homework and read a little in her harry potter book number 2 in the series.  she is so loving the harry potter books and i'm so proud of her for reading them.  she said to me, she wants to read all the books before the end of the school year.  wow!!  after dinner, it will be off to our first PTO meeting of the new school year. 

School.

 

school started for mckenzie yesterday.  i was all over getting some very posed, very planned "back to school" shots.  some friends of mine had this bus parked in their yard and i new this would be the perfect location for my photo shoot. 

Hello September.

i never thought it would happen, but i'm very much looking forward to fall. isn't it strange how we adjust like that? last spring i thought i would never make it through another winter. and yet, on the brink, i am totally excited. it's like magic, or just adaptation. i doubt it will get seriously cold around here for a while but september feels like the beginning of fall. i can smell it in the air.

hello fall!... good bye summer!

Sweet Summer.

 

summer is nearing an end.  i can feel it in the air.  the warm weather will continue but it won't be the same.  schedules, soccer practices, school field trips replace sleeping in late and morning cartoons.  i am ready for fall and excited about mckenzie's new school year.

 

we are having such a great time on this mini vacation to the oregon coast.  i love cooking hot dogs over the fire and making smore's and watching my little one chase the sea gulls.  i will miss you summer.  see you next year.

Brookings.

 

we are at the beach having a wonderful time.  just one last outing before school starts.  the girls are having a glorious time playing in the sand or swimming in the pool at our hotel. 

Jackson Well Springs.

all of us went to jackson well springs with grandma alicia this morning.  our last visit for the summer to this new found wonderful swimming hole.  i just love this place and the gorgeous outdoor patio setting and all the yummy flowers that surround it. 

 

the photo of the girls looking down at something just cracks me up.  it's hard to see, but there was a dead praying mantis on the concrete and the girls were pondering whether it was alive or not.  i insisted it was dead and it was only the wind that was making it move but they just stood there in this position looking down for quite some time until they were pleasantly satisfied that it was not coming back to life.

 

before we left, we snacked on bagels and cream cheese, apple slices, grapes and bananas and a couple juice boxes for the girls. 

 

i will be so looking forward to this spot next summer.

Summer Goodness.

 

i have been such a slacker at blogging this summer but lots of fun stuff happening around here.  the only not so enjoyable thing is the very hot weather we are having today and tomorrows predicted high is 107.  i'm starting to melt just thinking about it. 

 

took the girls to get some yummy yogurt in hopes of a cool down.  we were sitting next to a couple that were visiting from Canada.  the husband was taking a picture of his wife and i asked if i could take their picture if they would take our picture.  "oh please would you?!" they said.  i need to get more of me in our photos.

 

tomorrow all four of us are heading to jackson well springs to meet grandma alicia for a swim and a picnic on their gorgeous shaded deck.  i can't wait.

Right Now.

 

Right now, i'm sitting in a Starbuck's, uploading photos to Shutterfly's website and will be so very happy the day I get my satellite for high speed internet at my house.  There is so much going on around me right now.  I've counted 17 people in this tiny coffee shop.  3 of these people are using laptops.  There is a group of 3 women sitting at a table having some kind of church meeting.  An older gentleman that looks like he's using an iPhone with an earpiece.  A young teenage girl reading a book and lots of yummy hot coffee, frappuccino's and treats being devoured.

 

Right now I'm so very thankful for some kid-free time.  McKenzie's still in Portland with my mom and dad.  Callie is with her great-grandparent's for a few days and matt is tending to his pumpkins. 

 

note:  this photo was taken a few weeks ago at North Mountain Park while McKenzie was attending a writing camp.

Lately You...

 

Lately You...

 

1.   Love holding the guinea pigs and feeding them yummy lettuce and green bell peppers.

 

2.   Have been taking swim lessons at our local YMCA.  You love it but won't put your head under water.

 

3.   You have a craving for donuts everyday now that we visit the farmers market in Ashland on Tuesday's for a fresh chocolate donut with colored sprinkles.

 

4.   You are doing a great job using the potty during the day if we just put you in a dress with no bottoms on.

 

5.   Love watching the Walt Disney movie "Bolt" everyday.

 

6.   You love it when I take you to daddy's pumpkin patch so you can run around and play in the dirt.

 

7.   You still drink from a sippy cup.

 

8.   You still get up in the middle of the night and crawl into mumma's bed.

 

9.   You could live off of apple juice, peanut butter and jelly or cheese sandwiches if I would let you.

 

10.  You won't take naps anymore even though you need one around 1:00.  I'll put you in your bed just for some "quiet time" and you'll just play in your bed and often cry because you don't like "quiet time."

Tuesday Happenings.

Callie and I did lots of activities today.  They included...

 

1.  trip to the farmers market for a special cookie treat. (we usually get our donut fix here but their machine was broken.)

2.  trip to North Mountain Park for some playtime in their giant sandbox followed by the smelling of all the lovely flowers.

3.  trip to Garfield Park where there was lots of water fun, swing time and slide time.

4.  time to cool off with a strawberry-banana smoothie.  One smoothie for Callie and one smoothie for mom.

5.  time to go home and let the guinea pigs romp in the yard and chomp on the yummy fresh grass and clover before daddy mowes the lawn. 

6.  and you would think this four year old would be plum tuckered after all this excitement but it's almost 9pm and she's still going strong.

This Morning.

 

This morning Callie and I took a trip to Starbucks for some breakfast.  Callie had a yummy blueberry muffin and some chocolate milk.  I had the same yummy blueberry muffin and a strawberry-banana smoothie.  So delicious! 

 

After breakfast, it was down to the pumpkin farm to drop the little one off with daddy so mumma could go to work.  You love running and jumping all over that field. 

 

McKenzie is in Portland with her Nana and Grandpa for some much needed spoiling.  I know she is having a great time minus her little sister.

4th of July.

One of my very best friends in the world was up visiting me from California. She brought her kids along and McKenzie and Ethan, who used to play together when she lived in Ashland had some good play time. Riley, her 2 year old had such a love for our 2 guinea pigs and our only cat, Jasper. She was such a doll and joy for Callie to have someone to play with. I only wish Carie and I had more time to catch up. Thanks for coming Carie and my door is always open if you need a place to crash. Thanks for all the cute flowers for McKenzie's hair. We so love them all.

On another note, I was thinking about all the lives lost both creating the freedom, preserving the freedom and trying to provide that freedom for others. It's so easy to take it for granted to expect it and think it's just always going to be there no matter what. But this life and life style is fragile. It's a gift. A privilege. I am thankful and proud to be an American. My prayers are with the soldiers and their families that make the daily sacrifice for that freedom. I am so very thankful to be here enjoying those freedoms and opportunities and life with my family and the people that I love. We are so blessed. God bless America. Forever.

Wednesday happenings.

Today was one of those days I felt like pulling my hair out.  I just about had it with this one.  Not to mention the other one too.  Constantly pushing each other's buttons and I feel like I want to scream.  And to top it off, we hit tripple digit heat.  Nasty.  I can't stand the heat coupled with kids bickering and making noise in the car. 

 

Morning swim lessons for Callie and an afternoon playdate for McKenzie today.  (Thanks Matt for picking McKenzie up from her playdate, so I could go home with Callie and get some rest... which I did get a chance to lay down for a few.)

 

Late afternoon, I seperated the two bickering children ... McKenzie playing in her room and this little thing playing in the backyard sandbox.  That controlled the noise level in the house for about 1/2 hour. 

 

 

 

God grant me patience.

If I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about my parenting skills, I would wish for more patience.

Patience is not my thing. It never has been but I work on it constantly. I know that I need to work on my patience because sometimes when I'm in the car with both of the kids on a family trip to the oregon coast and their pushing each others' buttons, I really want to start screaming. But in the end, when I'm just about ready to pull out all my hair, I capture a moment like this. A beautiful moment with 3 of my favorite people in the whole wide world playing on the beach and having a great time.

And swimming around in a hot tub with daddy... makes the times I feel like screaming all worth it.

So Very Happy.

 

I'm so very happy it's summer.  No setting the alarm for 6am for a few months and just loving that.  Loving that the kids can wake up on their own and just hang out on the couch and watch a few cartoons before we start our day.  McKenzie had a play date for a few hours yesterday, so I took Callie to this spot I had been wanting to do a photo shoot at and just loved the way the photos turned out hence the Human Bean cup (that contained a strawberry smoothie with whip cream), but it was the only way I could get Callie to let me take some photos.  I'm sure I'll look back one day and love that the cup is part of the photograph because it's part of our day on Tuesday's or Wednesday's and definitely something that needs to be documented as part of our lives.

Schools Out.

 

Schools out for summer vacation.  To tired to really write anything, so I'll leave you with a couple photos of her wonderful third grade teacher and McKenzie's two very best friends.