our little circus

Shhh...don't tell my mother-in-law.  This is a surprise!

We (my sisters-in-law and I) thought it would be fun to get all our kids together and take a group photo for "grandma"(my mom-in-law) for Mother's Day.  We've been talking about it and planning it for over a month now.  To make a long story short, today was the best day for us to do it...but not the best weather.  Trying to keep 8 kids rounded up is hard enough but throw in a little wind and a camera and it was quite a chore! 

Here's what we ended up with...

I love the expression on Ady's face in this one (she's in the red dress).  It's one of, "lets just get this done)

Bye, bye Emmy.  It's a bit hard to corral her now that she's walking!

Just couldn't resist.  We would never rent you out Ady!

There was a lot of this...

Owen did so good!  I was worried we might have a hard time with the youngest, but he was the most cooperative!  :)

So I thought this would be a fun idea but we couldn't quite make it work.  All the kids aren't even in the picture and it's pretty much chaos.  I love it though.  Maybe I should have tried the signs earlier in the shoot?

Evan wasn't too thrilled with the picture idea. It was after this that we "took a break" and hung out in our cars and had rice krispie treats - with M and M's!  Nothing wrong with a little bribery right? 

Break's over, time to get a few more pictures..Tessa, where you going?

The picture below is my favorite of ALL the pictures we took!  I love that it isn't perfect.  The baby is falling over, Evan is looking elsewhere, Emmy looks like she's blowing a kiss and Tessa is pulling a crazy face in front.

What a fun group! 

Things I learned from this experience:

1.  Make sure you have plenty of adults to help when photographing a group of kids 

2.  Have the adults stand behind me or close to me if I want the kids to look towards the camera

3.  Treats are a must when photographing little kids

4.  Don't tell the kids to pull faces unless I'm sure I have some good ones of them smiling.  I had a hard time getting them to just smile after the silly pictures.

5.  The pictures that are the least perfect are my favorite!

baby animal days

Even before I had Emmy I loved going to baby animal days.  I'd go with my sisters-in-law and their kids and my mother-in-law.  It's is refreshing to me to see the baby chicks, bunnies, lambs, cows, etc.  New life, love it!  The event cries "Spring" and "Easter!"

Baby animal days is a sort of tradition now and last year I was pregnant with Emmy when we went, just dreaming of the day I'd be able to bring my little girl.

 

This year my sweet sister Heather came with us and she helped me with Emmy.  It was a good time.  I little chilly this year, but a good time!

I just love this picture of this girl holding the baby lamb!

Some of my nephews and nieces holding the baby bunnies.  They are so soft!

I'm trying to hold Emmy and a bunny here.  Emmy was more interested in getting down and walking around than petting the bunny.  I guess when you have two dogs at home a bunny isn't a big deal. 

Emmy was such a good sport and I think she had a good time.  I can't wait till next year when she understands it all a little more.

in an egg shell

here's a quick look at our Easter in an "egg shell" sorry i'm a bit late 

(haha, get it...egg shell instead of nut shell!  i "crack" myself up!)

1. Easter egg hunt at the grocery store because it was a bit cold out

2.  Watching the easter bunny out the window after lunch

3.  Didn't like the easter bunny.  Would rather watch him from the window

4. Opening our easter baskets on easter morning

5.  Made an easter treat for the cousins (found this idea on a blog)

6.  Visited gram and gramp P.  Aunt Holly helped Emmy open her basket

7.  Gram P. held the annual easter egg hunt for the big kids. 

8.  A quick family photo before heading to gram and gramp D house

9.  Emmy slept through the easter egg hunt at grama & gramp D's.  Here are all the cousins in their easter outfits.  SO CUTE!

10.  And lets not forget there was PLENTY of THIS!  :)

my angel

Came across this picture the other day.

Been thinking a lot about you lately.

Just wanted you to know.

I love you so much.

remember when

(Sorry about all the collages lately.  It's just so much easier to post a bunch of photos at one time)

Hey family-

We've been doing a lot of talking about The Masters these last fews days.  Who's in the lead, who's down a stroke, who we think should win and who we think shouldn't.  We've been talking about how we'll never get to go back.  

SO, I thought I'd post a few picture of our fun trip to Augusta in 2005.  

Remember ...

-It rained so hard the tournament was postponed

-We went the museum and played virtual volley ball

-We had to buy poncho's and rain gear...who could forget the clear suit!

-Waiting to watch Tiger and Phil and Jack tee off

-Dad and Dave on the 18th Sunday morning, watching history, while the girls were at the pool

-Dave's legs and feet turning orange

-The trip to SC and the fun we had there

-Dad locked the keys in the mini van

-Stocking up on Masters souvenir cups to take to our friends back home

Oh boy did we have fun!  Here are a few pictures of the trip...

 

And we owe it all to this fine couple here

We love you and miss you so much!  We all know we are who we are because of you!

easter party

When Beza and her mom, Melody, delivered an invitation to Emmy for an Easter party I was SO excited!  Emmy was asleep and I couldn't wait for her to wake up so I could show her the invitation. 

Beza is just the most darling little girl ever (she's got a pretty amazing mom too).  And despite their age differenc, she and Emmy seem to get along great. 

The day of the party Emmy took a later nap than usual and I kept watching the clock.  I didn't want her to miss her first party - I had been counting down the days myself! 

When she finally woke up I got her dressed and we walked over to Beza's house to find so many fun things! 

First the kids colored

I love the picture on the top right of this collage of Emmy at the table "coloring"

Then we made "Easter Bunny Potion"

All the kids paid close attention to Melody as she told the kids how to make it and what to do with it.  She told them all to spray it all over their house the night before Easter because bunnies love it and so does the Easter bunny (it was really strawberry room spray)

We made bunnies out of a washcloth

All these little stations were set up so cute on the floor so the kids could reach them and do them themselves

Lastly, we had bunny shaped ham sandwiches and yummy cupcakes with a PEEP on top!

Emmy especially loved the PEEP!

It was such a fun time!  Emmy just loves being around other kids and I think she had a great time too.

Thanks for the fun party Beza!

happy eleven months

My sister called me the other day and asked why I haven't put any of our Easter photos up.  Really, it's because I took so many pictures I'm having a hard time sorting through them!  There was so much going on that weekend...

Emmy's first Easter party

Easter Egg Hunt at the grocery store

Meeting the Easter bunny

Easter at home

Easter with my family

Easter with Brians family

So sis, I've been working on getting things organized and I'll post some super soon.  Until then, Emmy and I had a little photo session today to celebrate the fabulous weather AND her 11 month birthday!  (Sorry Heather, this post trumped the Easter one)

(she's crying because I took the rubbermaid of snacks away)

(this is Emmy's new face.  She scrunches up her nose)

(I love this picture cause I think it looks like she's dancing)

(I think she's thinking, "mom you are silly." I make all sorts of faces and sounds to get her attention)

me, mom and MICHAEL

We'd been counting down the days since December.  Finally, the day was here.  Mom and I were going to see

MICHAEL BUBLE 

After a nice drive (in the SNOW), a very delicious meal (at Applebee's) and short walk in the rain and snow from our car to the concert venue...mom and I ended up here -

THE RESOLUTION DESK

We went to enter the venue and the nice workers were confused by the "error" they were getting on their ticket scanner.  "It says, REFUND.  I've never seen this before.  You'll need to go over there." 

Mom and I were both a little worried.  It was a sold out concert, what if we couldn't get in.  Then again, what if we got seat upgrades out of the whole mess? (wishful thinking)  Anyway, the problem was soon resolved and we were relieved.  We got our tickets, went to our seats and waited for the show to begin.

While waiting we noticed this lady.

I tried to be discrete and get a good photo but this is all I got.  Why was I taking a picture of her you ask?  Mom and I liked her hair.  We thought the cut would look good on my mom.

So here we are.  Ready for the show.  The opening act was called "Naturally 7."  I was a bit unsure of them at first but it didn't take long for me or my mom or the whole crowd for that matter, to really enjoy them.  If you get a chance, see if you can find a Utube video of them or something.  They are pretty amazing!  No instruments.  All their sounds are made with their voices and it is mind boggling! 

Then it was time...time for Michael.  Time for what we had been waiting for. And let me tell you - It was worth the wait!  It was worth the money! 

IT. WAS. FABULOUS!

Mom and had I a blast. 

We sang. We danced.  We laughed. 

It was such a great night. 

I'd do it all over again.  And I'd go with my mom (if anyone else wanted to come too that would be ok).  My mom is so fun to go to concerts with!  She gets so excited!  Before the concert she does her research and watches videos online from some of the previous performances, she listens to the music on the way to the concert and when she's there...

SHE SINGS

SHE DANCES

SHE CLAPS

SHE WHISTLES

She's my mom and and I love her tons! 

We had so much fun!

Thanks for a fun night mom...and Michael!

april fools

i looked out the window and what did i see...

looks like the joke's on us this year! 

thanks Mother Nature!

Speaking of April Fools...have I ever told you how my mom is a master of this holiday?  She loves every holiday but she is witty and creative when it comes to April fool-ing people! 

Just to name a few...

Syran wrap on toilets

Wax paper in our sandwiches

Karo syrup on toilet seats

Pie tins of water over the door

Fake bugs in food

The jokes that get me the most are the ones that have something to do with what's going on in our lives at the moment.  For example, there's a leaky pipe in my brothers room so he's been sleeping on the couch.  Her joke today was to go downstairs bright and early and tell him (while pretending to panic) that his room had flooded!  And when I was a little girl, her telling me that my cat had had kittens, only to find out that was a joke.  See what I mean...she knows how to get you. 

She's sneaky. 

Last night my mom and I has a real great girls night (I'll post about that a little later) and we were talking about April fools and what we could do this year.  I reminded her about my kitten story and she told me that when she was little her mom had told her that her pet bird had layed eggs!  My mom was so excited.  There were even "eggs" in the bottom of the cage!  Come to find out, my grama had put some of those malted eggs in the cage to fool my mom!  I was laughing pretty hard when my mom told me this.  Leave it to my grama!  Now I know where my mom gets her enthusiasm and creativity when it comes to "fooling" people!

HAPPY APRIL 1 EVERYONE!