pretty in pink

I finally found our Halloween pictures! I used me memory card in a different camera and for some reason it saved the pictures in an entirely different place. Weird. Anyway, here is Emmy and I. I pretty much look like a clown but I'm hoping you'll be open to my creativity and maybe see the "Strawberry Shortcake" in me somewhere!



This has NOTHING to do with Halloween but I need to vent. Somehow I managed to push to the very very back of my brain, how much I DO NOT like owning a puppy. They are cute to hold and pet when they are somebody elses. I can remember when we got Daisy and she was super adorable but...with adorable came terror. I had to follow her around to make sure she wasn't tinkling where she shouldn't and wasn't chewing on furniture or shoes (which, come to think of it she did ruin a pair of my boots). Now we have Gunner. Cutest little guy, when he's sleeping. Actually, he isn't too bad but throw in another dog and a baby and it's chaos around here in the morning. I try to wake up and shower before all the "kids" are up or else it takes me all day to get ready. This morning I snoozed on my alarm and that 10 minutes cost me 2 hours. Emmy was awake and needed to be fed and changed, Gunner woke up crying and needed to go out and Daisy...well Daisy isn't really a morning dog so she slept through it all (I'm jealous). When I set Emmy down to take the dog out she cried and there's something about Emmy's cry that makes Daisy cry. I let Gunner out to do his business only to have him come in the house and do more and more and more! I took his water bowl away and threw him out back. I think Emmy was getting motion sick from me picking her and putting her down so many times this morning so I could yell at the dang dog. UGH! What were we thinking? Finally I locked the dog up and was able to get ready for the day while he cried in his cage. Today I am headed through the canyon to spend some time with a friend and I have found myself just watching the clock and counting down till I can escape this "zoo." I'll be happy when Gunner is a little bigger and can handle living outside. I know he'll be a great dog, we just gotta get past this puppy stage.

the most wonderful time of the year

Just wanted to post a family photo - I love our little family.



Emmy is such a good little helper! Having her here makes me want Christmas to be perfect. I know she won't care but I want to make sure the tree is decorated nice, the lights are on outside each night, the presents all have bows, etc. It is so fun having a little one around for Christmas! It just makes Christmas that much more exciting!





Each year since I was born I have got an ornament for the tree. The first one was given to me the year I was born by my grandma. Since then I have been given ornaments or collected them as I accomplished things that year or traveled. Emmy got her first Christmas ornament this year from her grandma Kathy. I am so excited to carry on this tradition with our sweet little Emmy.



It's not even Christmas and I have already recieved 2 gifts! First (and by far the best) is the INTERNET! YIPPEE!! That's right, the internet at my house. I can connect to the www anytime I want! It feels so good too! Now if I can just find the time...

The second gift is actually more Brian's than mine but he is the reason I don't have a whole lot of time. This little pup is the newest addition to our family. Who'd have thought after being married 3 1/2 years we'd have a family of 5 (that's 3 people and 2 dogs)? Brian's plans are to train this little man to be an antler hunting dog. I guess the dogs parents did it so he should be able to do it too. For only being 6 weeks old he's actually a pretty smart little puppy. The only one who isn't so fond of him is Daisy. I feel so bad for her too. She just hides under our bed all day. Out sweet Daisy was our first dog, then came Emmy and now we have Gunner. Daisy is getting a LOT of attention these past few days to make up for us bringing another little "creature" into our home (just something else to steal the attention from her). Anyway, I hope she grows out of this shy/mad phase soon because I miss my Daisy.

1/2 year

I just love this little one more and more each day! How could I not with that darling smile...and you should hear her laugh!
At 6 months this sweet little girl is:
-sitting all by herself
-reaching for things when she sits and rocking when she ends up on her hands and knees (one of these days she's just going to take off)
-her two bottom teeth have broken through!
-she's sleeping about 8:30pm-7:30am (most of the time - we still have no sleep nights often, is that because of the teeth?)
-she can find the smallest little things in our carpet! I guess I need to have them cleaned and not just rely on the vaccuum!
-Emmy still isn't a big fan of baby food or cereal but she's getting better and better. She like the oatmeal cereal better than the rice and tends to like the veggies instead of the fruits when she does eat. That's my girl! She's gonna love her veggies like her mom!
-she is "talking" and "talking" these days. All sorts of new sounds come out each day. I keep trying to teach her "mama."
-she's in the 50% in weight (15 lb. 10 oz.) and length (25 in.) and 25% in head circumfrance.
-i know she's gotten enought sleep when she wakes up talking instead of crying. Brian and I chase each other to her bedroom to get her when she wakes up from a nap cuase she is so happy and just smiles and smiles at you!
-Emmy likes to play with toy balls. Our dog has a little toy ball and Emmy teases the dog with it already. It's a riot.
-Emmy had her first traumatic experience...she fell off the bed!



HAPPY 6 MONTHS EMMY!

I was so excited to post our family picture taken on Halloween but I have misplaced the memory card...ugh! I have been so forgetful lately. Anyway, I did take some pictures of Emmy on another card and am happy to share these - isn't she the cutest little strawberry you've ever seen! As soon as I find the other card I'll post the family. I was Strawberry Shortcake and Emmy my little strawberry. I tried to tell Brian he could be that "purple guy" but he passed. I love having Emmy so I have a buddy to dress up with. I'm already excited for next year! Hmmm, what could we be???


October was a project/learning month for me. I made a fun halloween craft with my mother-in-law, I have been gathering things to help redecorate my moms living/dining room (I told her I could do it for $100- I'm at $150 but pretty close to done), I have been SLOWLY organizing 20+ years of pictures my mom has in rubbermaid containers so I can make albums for my siblings and I (a bigger project than I had thought it would be), I leaned how to make apple pie filling and feel like such a homemaker and I took a photography class from Brooke Snow. This girl is the best teacher and such a talented photographer! I can't wait to join her advanced class in January! My photo skills still have yet to be fine-tuned but I feel so much more confident shooting in manual and only doing little or no editing to my picture anymore. Thanks Brooke! Here are a few photos from my "homework" assignments (for some reason they are lot more "crisp" before being downloaded to blogger).
As you can see, my sister was my favorite model... THANKS HOLLY! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

family time

I'm back to work but only working 9 hours/week and still it seems the days and weeks fly by...each packed with tons to do and see. I don't know how I got things done when I was working 30 or 20 hours/week. Maybe because I have more time to do things I DO MORE THINGS. Does that make any sense? Anyway, I wouldn't change a thing. I love my busy days with this little munchkin! She's my little buddy and we have so much fun together. It's hard to believe she's 5 months old! She'll be my baby forever though.



I love the fall weather and colors these days. I love the "crispness" of fall, the smell of fall. I tried to take some pictures of Emmy the other day with some fun fall leaves around her, all she did was eat the leaves and wouldn't look at me. Lately she's been really interested in things around her and grabbing for whatever she can get her hands on - from the dog, to my hair, to her toys. She grabs for the spoon when I try to feed her cereal but that's the ONE THING she won't put in her mouth. She's not a big spoon-eater yet. I'm not complaining though. I love holding her and giving her a bottle. It's "our" time.



I wish I had the internet because I would surely be blogging more frequently. There are so many things I think would be fun to share but by the time I get to a place I can log on, I've forgotten my thoughts. Oh well, at least those thoughts make it in my journal instead. Anyway, I just wanted to check in. We're just enjoying the fall weather and enjoying all the memories we're making with our family. Hope you are all doing the same.

And in case I don't get to log on again soon...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

who knew?

I had NO idea I could love anything so much! Emmy is the most beautiful, precious, angelic little being and I love every minute I get to spend with her. I've always loved holding her and spending time with her but she just gets more and more fun as the days go by. I love her little personality that's developing. I love all the little milestones. She does so many cute little things already and her baby book is filling up fast. She's just found her feet and I love watching her lay on her back and hold her little toes! She's beginning to learn how to get attention too - if I lay her on a blanket to make my bed or do a quick chore, she'll shout this cute little shout and I'll go see what she needs and she just grins at me. She's so interested in the world and her surrounding these days. Our walks don't just put her to sleep anymore (well, sometimes) but she looks around and coo's and takes everything in. I love it!



I LOVE MY LITTLE JELLY BEAN!

time

We're still around. Just enjoying our busy summer and spending time with this little darling (now 3 months old!). I'll squeeze in some time for "catch-up blogging" soon! :)

Happy AUGUST!