2009: one picture at a time

photo 124

2009-05-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

The carpet roses bloomed a week after the knock-outs. The blooms are smaller than the knock-outs and they are not as fragrant...but they are lovely nonetheless.

photo 123

2009-05-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Marley and Winston LOVE this ball. They wrestle for it just about every day. Marley won this afternoon. She napped with it. Every time someone would walk by her, her eyes would fly open. She was worried that Winston would try to snag it while she slept.

photo 122

2009-05-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

We have a large spot in our back yard that has terrible drainage issues. We have been trying to get grass to grow there for the past 4 years. Today we tried something new...topsoil and sod. Please Lord, let this grass grow!!! (Am I the only person that thinks of jelly roll cakes when looking at this picture)?

photo 121

2009-05-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Mark helped Chloe build an airplane like the one that he made with Forrest when he was in elementary school. This was a required project for a large chunk of her science grade. She had to build "something" out of "found" items and trash. She remembered Forrest's plane (which he still has) and requested the same thing for her project. I have to say, it was a very clever design.

photo 120

2009-04-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

Master Forrest is required to complete 40 hours of community service each year of high school. Tonight he volunteered at a local elementary school carnival. I love his descriptions, ha!

photo 119

2009-04-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

The first rose buds opened up this afternoon. They make me happy, happy, happy!

photo 118

2009-04-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

Cammie-loo-hoo has a new found fascination...caterpillars. She has spent hours searching high and low for them all over the yard.

photo 117

2009-04-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

I planted perrenials around the pond...again. The daylillies from last year survived...but other than those three plants, I started from scratch. I *hope* that Marley's little digging habit has been broken...

photo 116

2009-04-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

The yellow knock-out roses are beginning to bloom. When I planted them last year they produced very few buds. I am glad to see that they are thriving this year.

photo 115

2009-04-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the fish pond that Mark gave me for Mother's Day a few years ago. It is relatively low-maintenance throughout the year. Except for one day at the beginning of Spring.

On that day, we catch all of the fis and place them in a small fish bowl. Then, we have to reverse the pump and completely drain the pond. Next, the rocks are shoveled out of the pond and into a wheelbarrow. After the pond is completely empty, Mark breaks out the power washer and cleans all of the built up funk off of the walls. The rocks have to be cleaned with the power washer too.

When everything is clean...we put it all back together again.

photo 114

2009-04-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight our church held a fund raiser for the youth department. "Talent Show Nightmare" was the event title. No one knew what the "nightmare" part meant.

There were three judges that scored each performance. At the end of the night, there was a three-way tie. In order to decide the winner, a tie-breaker was announced. That's where the "nightmare" came in.

Each of the top three was given an ipod with a randomly selected song programmed in. The contestant had to put the earbuds in and sing along with whatever was playing. The audience couldn't hear anything except for the person singing. It was hysterical!

photo 113

2009-04-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

Two field trips in one week. Alllllmost more than I can handle. Today we trekked to the Discovery Center in Murphreesboro. These are the kids that I "watched" (a more accurate description would be: these are the kids that I chased, counted, chased, counted, lost, found, chased, counted, lost again, found and counted for 4 hours).

They had so much fun and the museum is really cool. The matching class field-trip shirts were a HUGE help in keeping up with the kids. The museum isn't too terribly big and there were several schools there at the same time.

The boy that Cammie has her arm around is Joshua. Joshua is a special needs child that is included in regular classrooms. He is the absolute sweetest little boy I have ever met. All of the kids in Cammie's class are super protective of him. I am so proud of the way Cammie treats him. She encouraged him to try new things, made sure he was included in all of the actvities and she held his hand and told him that he didn't have to be scared, that she would help him. Who knew my contrary little spitfire could be so sweet?

photo 112

2009-04-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

The "after" shot of the de-swamping of the back yard. (Please ignore the strange bluish/green markings on the rock climbing wall...Sophie, Chloe and Cammie thought it would be a good idea to "decorate" it with sidewalk chalk).

photo 111

2009-04-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

Today I chaperoned Chloe's class field trip to the Nashville Zoo. Even though we were only able to see 5 animals during our whirlwind tour, we had a good time hanging out together. Chloe rode the giraffe on the carousel (and I only had to coax her a tiny bit to get her to choose that seat over the tiger...yes, I coerced my kids to choose my favorite animal, I'm bad like that).

In my defense, the giraffe exhibit happened to be her favorite too.

photo 110

2009-04-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

After gymnastics, Mark met us at Chic Fil A for dinner. We didn't realize that Monday nights are family night. Not only are the kids meal cheap, but they have a strolling balloon artist too. He created Cammie a boingy flower hat (ummm...I made up the name for the hat...obviously...) and he crafted a 6 foot tall twisty hat with a flower on top for Chloe.

photo 109

2009-04-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Mark and I decided to take the scenic route home. We were rewarded with a double rainbow! This is the first rainbow that I can remember ever seeing.

photo 108

2009-04-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

I think my favorite thing to do at the farm is sit on the porch swing, sip coffee and watch the humming birds come in to feed. It is so unbelievably peaceful.

photo 107

2009-04-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

Cheri and John invited Mark and I to hang out with them at their farm for the weekend. Although we didn't take the kids...we did take the doggies.

There are a few natural springs on their land. One bubbles up into a shallow mud pit. Of course Winston and Marley decided to wallow in it. They were F.I.L.T.H.Y.

Mark sprayed them off with a hose the best that he could. The mud was tarry and clung to their coats. We finally gave up on getting them clean and decided that we would take them to the groomer when we got back.

We were absolutely astonished that after an hour of lying in the sun, the mud dried and flaked off. We couldn't even tell they had been dirty.

photo 106

2009-04-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

Progress is definately being made. I have taken several hanging bags of clothes up to the attic and this stack of totes has been organized and labled. Just a few loose ends and I will be FINISHED!

photo 105

2009-04-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

And here we have closet numero dos. And I have no one to blame for this mess except for myself. Last fall in a fit of exasperation I shoved a bunch (a whole bunch) of clothes into Hannah and Sophie's closet. Now, I am dealing with the consequences. Not fun.

photo 104

2009-04-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

Sigh. The seasonal clothing switcheroo is one of my all-time least favorite chores. Add to that the fact that I have a few girlies that enjoy changing clothes several times a day...and then pile their discarded items into heaping mounds...and well...I am one grumpy girl when I finally MAKE myself tackle it.

photo 103

2009-04-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbard's cupboard is bare. She has been procrastinating a mass grocery run. She did however, take advantage of the near empty shelves and straightened everything up and tossed some things too.

photo 102

2009-04-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

Confession time... I forgot to take a picture today. Sooooo...this lovely Easter Egg shot will have to do. What did I forget to take a picture of? The chocolate bunnies that the big Bunny left, brunch at the club, the kids hiding and re-hiding their eggs all over the house and a very long nap.

photo 101

2009-04-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

The girls' favorite part of hanging out at the farm? Riding the 4-wheelers and mules all over the property.

photo 100

2009-04-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

We decided to have Easter at Cheri and John's farm on Saturday instad of Sunday this year. Mark and I drove up with the kids on Friday. Even though it was a bit chilly out, the girls had so much fun playing on the tree swing!

photo 99

2009-04-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

Another sign of Spring? Fresh pedicures!

photo 98

2009-04-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

Cammie took this picture of her shoes while we were waiting on Forrest to get out of Frisbee practice.

photo 97

2009-04-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love my Chloe-bug.

photo 96

2009-04-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Mark and Forrest attended a work day at the church. The girls and I decided to kill some time by yardsaling for a bit. I have no idea what I am going to use these trophy shaped urns for...but they were to good of a deal to pass up.

photo 95

2009-04-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm....our first pineapple of the season. Mark is the designated pineapple slicer in our house. He has perfected the art of the perfectly cut pineapple.

When I bought it, I worried that it was a bit early in the season for "good" pineapple. Instead, we were treated to a perfectly sweet and fantastically juicy specimen.

photo 94

2009-04-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

Finally!!! After three and a half months, we tackled the Christmas totes/work bench mess. I am so happy that I can open my truck doors without banging them against things! (In case you forgot what it looked like back in January...)

photo 93

2009-04-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

One sure sign that Spring has sprung...sidewalk chalk. This years version is a start/finish line. The kids (ours and several from the neighborhood) spent the afternoon racing one another up and down the street. Betcha' can't guess who won the most races...

photo 92

2009-04-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that Forrest is such a voracious reader. While pregnant with him I read Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney books to my tummy. I continued to read to him until he turned 4. One month after his 4th birthday he asked if he could read the book to me. I expected him to paraphrase ad base his "story" on the pictures alone. Instead, he read the book...word for word. He has been passionate about reading ever since.

photo 91

2009-04-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

I planted this Alabama Honeysuckle at the base of our mailbox last year. The hot pink and orange blossoms smell delicious. I wonder if the bright blooms cheer our mailman or if he is bothered by the branches that keep our little red flag from raising?

photo 90

2009-03-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

My Spring wreath came out of storage today. I love how it instantly brightens up the front of our house.

photo 89

2009-03-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

Winston contorts his body into some rather odd positions while he naps. He is definitely a "sprawler".

photo 88

2009-03-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today happened to be "Goldfish Sunday" in Sunday school. Each of the kids brought home a goldfish. Hannah and Sophie wanted to take their fishies back to their other house. Chloe and Cammie deposited theirs into the pond.

photo 87

2009-03-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

In an effort to rid our backyard of the swamp-like earth beneath the playground...we have decided to install landscape liner and fill in the area with thick mulch. Hopefully this will help alleviate the stress we feel when contemplating the state of our grass deficient lawn as well as reduce the amount of doggie mud wrestling matches.

photo 86

2009-03-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned that I love my doggies? I hope so. Because there are times that I do not heart my doggies...times when my adorable children play with my shoes and then fail to put them back on the shelves...so that the doggies are able to get to them...and chew them to bits. Yes, those are the times that I do not heart the doggies.

As I collect the carcass of shoes that I once loved, I am not feeling the doggie love. As I scroll through ebay scouring the adds for Steve Madden sandals in a size 8... a bit of the loves returns. When package after package of replacement shoes arrive on my door step, all is forgiven and once again, I am filled with affection...for the doggies and my new shoes.

photo 85

2009-03-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

I love the toss pillows that were on the couch...but they felt very Fall-ish...new Spring-y pillows put a smile on my face.

photo 84

2009-03-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

We feed Winston and Marley organic dog food. Is it odd that we don't eat organic food, we don't feed our kids organic food, but we do feed our doggies organic food? Anyhoo, at the doggie health food store there is a refrigerator. One day, I opened the fridge...assuming that it held doggie ice cream treats. Instead, I found grain fed cattle bones. Winston and Marley LOVE them. One bone will keep them busy for hours...and the bones are also the reason that our doggies have the cleanest canine teeth around.

photo 83

2009-03-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

More yard work... more Monkey Grass trimming. I am so happy that Spring has finally arrived! Just when I thought that I couldn't bare another week of rain and clouds, warm weather and sunshine are here!

photo 82

2009-03-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

Poor little Muffin has been sick for days.

photo 81

2009-03-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Nothing says Spring like freshly sprouting Monkey Grass. Seriously, I love cutting back last years growth and then watching as the new shoots emerge over the next few days.

photo 80

2009-03-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hannah and Cammie found the ginormous box of Play-Doh that I had craftily hidden in the upper most corner of the closet...beneath extra linens and a box labled "hand-me-downs". One whiff from the first canister opened sent me spiraling back to childhood...when my mom would hide the Play-Doh because it was "messy", it "dried out too quickly", and "could become matted in the carpet". My Grandma would always let me play with Play-Doh at her house though. She would lay down wax paper and let me use her butter knives and cookie cutters.

When I first realized what Hannah held in her hands, my first reflex was to make excuses as to why it wouldn't be a good idea to "drag it out". Once I remembered how I felt when I was given the laundry list of reasons why I couldn't play with the smelly goodness that is Play-Doh, I relented. Out came the wax paper and butter knives...and an hour later, before I could take a picture, they had dismantled their masterpieces and put away the canisters...without mixing the colors I might add.

photo 79

2009-03-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

We loved the cherry tree in front of my office window...so last year we planted one right outside te family room windows as well. The fluffy blossoms make me happy!

photo 78

2009-03-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

Isn't this little birdie cute? Unfortunately, he is a bit narcissistic.

It is birdie mating season and this little guy sees himself in the window...and let me tell ya', he likes what he sees. He is earnestly trying to mate with the little hottie in the window... which is causing him to fly into the window. Over and over and over and over...again. I hear a rhythmic "thunk--thunk--thunk--thunk" ALL DAY LONG. I shoo him away and five minutes later...he's back again...thunk--thunk--thunk. He has to have a concussion by now. It is seriously freaking me out at this point.

photo 77

2009-03-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to find that the thyme and one lonely pansy made it through the winter.

photo 76

2009-03-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

Sophie...waiting in line to ride the Nascar (not my choice, anything but Nascar) go-karts. She and Forrest are always ride together.

photo 75

2009-03-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

The hot tub got used afterall.

photo 74

2009-03-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

We rent a cabin in Gatlinburg that has a hot tub, pool table, Foosball table, air hockey table,

Ms. Pacman and Galaga. What do the boys want to do? Wrestle.

photo 73

2009-03-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a Saturday afternoon nap on the couch.

photo 72

2009-03-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Not only are the Christmas totes still residing on the garage floor...now anything and everything that gets removed from the truck is being stacked on top of the totes. Pretty soon my truck won't fit...maybe then we will get around to putting everything away???

photo 71

2009-03-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

As our plane descended into Nashville on Monday we were shocked to see that the Bradford Pears had bloomed in our absence. Of course, Tennessee weather is crazy...gigantic snow flakes falling on blooming pear trees...only in Nashville.

photo 70

2009-03-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

I snapped this with my iPhone. I was on my way to charge the phone when Cammie called me to the foyer to "take a picture of a great handstand". Afterwards I grabbed my camera and tried to get her to do it again... of course she started acting silly, so this grainy image will have to do.

Her mad acrobatic skillz amaze me!

photo 69

2009-03-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

These two were so happy to be reunited this afternoon! Winston stayed home with the kids, while Marley stayed at Doggie Daycare. We love Doggie Daycare, and usually the doggies love it too. However, this is the first time that they have been separated. Winston laid around the house like he was in mourning while we were away.

Marley leaped into the truck when I picked her up (and if you are familiar with Saint Bernards, you know that they do not "leap"). As soon as I let her out of the truck she ran in the door and after a few sniffs, they curled up together for a nap.

photo 68

2009-03-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

My view. For approximately 18 hours of travel time. Next time, I think we need to splurge on business class upgrades...for me it would be a luxury...for my husband, a necessity. For one of our flights he spent 9 and a half hours with his knees crammed into the back of the seat in front of him. Airplane seating is not made for tall people.

photo 67

2009-03-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

We conquered our last two "musts" today. First, we took the U-bahn to the outskirts of Vienna where the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) is located. Beethoven, Johann Strauss, Brahms and Schubert are buried in Zentralfriedhof. Mozart has a memorial there as well...his actual grave was lost. Composers who have taken on a fairy tale type image were made real as I stood at the foot of their graves. It was a very surreal experience.

photo 66

2009-03-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Public transportation is one of my most favorite things. When I say "public transportation" I am not referring to Nashville's pathetic excuse for mass transit that we call MTA. I love real public transportation. Taxis and cabs, subways (in New York), the L (in Chicago), and now, the U-Bahn and the streetcars in Vienna.

We took the U out to the Schonbrunn Palace. After touring the palace, we had pastries (again) at a small cafe on the grounds. Followed by dinner in the former stables and a symphony concert in the Orangerie.

I adored the tile work at the U station.

photo 65

2009-03-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

After visiting the Kunst museum where I viewed paintings by artists that I have only read about in books, we explored the Naschmarkt. Wandering through the local markets of a new city is one of my favorite things.. I savor the assault on my senses. The flowers and produce bursting with color. The smells of the different spices. The sound of many languages being spoken. It makes me feel alive.
-
Sarah and I found a small eatery and had a lunch consisting of frankfurters and pommes frittes (the best french fries I have ever eaten). We also stocked up on pastries to nibble on throughout the afternoon.

photo 64

2009-03-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

St. Peterskirche is the first cathedral that Sarah and I visited. The church was completed in 1733. The interior is absolutely stunning! The ceiling is 162 feet high! The many friezes and sculpted details were breathtaking. I couldn't take many pictures because Sarah almost got us kicked out. Evidently we stumbled in during the middle of an evening mass. During mass flash photography is not allowed. Sarah forgot to turn her flash off...add to this the fact that she snapped her picture just as the organ came to a halt and well, I think we wore out our welcome fairly quick. Flash + Clicking of camera = sharp look from usher and a loud "sssshhhh" admonishment. We said a quick hail Mary and boogied on out.

Cick here to read more about the church.

photo 63

2009-03-04T17:31:00.000-08:00

On our way to the hotel we passed through older sections of the city. I was surprised by all of the graffiti. Now, I have to admit, I like graffiti...not the gang sort of graffiti, but the artistic graffiti. I love checking it out in different cities to see how it varies. My favourite graffiti is usually found on train cars. When I am stopped at a railroad crossing I watch each car that passes...like a moving art gallery.

While I loved some of the graffiti in Vienna (like the sample pictured), I was disheartened to see graffiti on the walls of buildings that were hundreds of years old. Gorgeous architecture marred by vandalism. Because to me, graffiti belongs on rail road cars, backs of abandoned buildings, and warehouses...not on historic buildings, in my mind that is where the invisible line between art and vandalism is crossed.

photo 62

2009-03-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to tie up all of the loose ends before our trip...one of those loose ends happens to be turning in our cookie money. This year we sold considerably less cookies than last year. Last year Chloe (read: I) sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 boxes. This year, Chloe and Cammie combined (read: I) sold less than 100. It was a much easier cookie year around these here parts.

photo 61

2009-03-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! I am so happy that his birthday is celebrated in school. We have the entire collection (yes, while pregnant with Forrest my OCD became hyper focused on amassing his library).

My love for Dr. Seuss was born in my pediatrician's waiting room. I had my umpteenth case of strep throat and while I wondered which animal clip on Dr. Nemec would have attached to his stethoscope (because he had a menagerie and each visit brought a new discovery...my favorite being his Paddington Bear) I found a copy of "In A People House". I must have read it 5 times in the waiting area. I carried it back to the room with me and read it again as I awaited my turn to have my tonsils swabbed, and anticipated my most favorite part... the smiley face he drew on the tongue depressor. Now, 25 years later, it is still my favorite book of ALL time.

In 2001 Dr. Nemec died and it broke my heart. I also cried when Dr. Seuss died. Forrest chose "Who was Dr. Seuss" as an elective this year.

photo 60

2009-03-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

15. I am so not ready for this. He however, is. This year he had a low-key birthday. Lunch at Fulin's, and then home to eat his Mountain Dew cake (which tasted fantastic), and gifts... exercise equipment (he's going for that "thin-but-buff" bod) and a new video game...then unbeknown to me, Mark slipped him a letter and a $100 dollar bill.

photo 59

2009-02-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

Forrest requested Renee's Mountain Dew cake for his brithday. All of the ingredients were purchased yesterday. A last minute run to Target for a bundt pan was made last night. After I placed the ake in the oven this morning, I began to prepare the glaze...and relaized that I had failed to buy lemon extract and coconut extract. I had 24 minutes to get to Publix, buy the extracts and get back home to finish the glaze that "must be poured over the cake immediately after it is removed from the oven".

I made a split second decision to turn into FoodLion because it approximately 3 minutes closer to my house...thus saving me a total of 6 minutes. I should have known better...seriously, who shops at FoodLion. How are they still in business?

Of course they do not stock coconut extract...so I bought the lemon, raced home, and substituted vanilla extract for coconut...with 2 minutes to spare. I am going to let the cake sit over night...cross your fingers that the vanilla substitue didn't screw up the taste.

photo 58

2009-02-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

His smile lights up the room. Have I mentioned that I am partial to freckles?

photo 57

2009-02-26T07:16:00.000-08:00

Before we put our last house on the market, we had new carpet installed. After the first spill on the new carpet we bought a steam cleaner. The steamer made the move with us and we steamed up spill after spill and doggie accident after accident. Noone told us that steamers are bad for carpet. Noone told us that steam cleaning carpet causes the fibers to pull away from the backing. Now, we get to replace the carpet in the family room. Yay.

photo 56

2009-02-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

Each time I cross an item off of my pre-trip to-do list, somehow it multiplies and three more tasks are added.

photo 55

2009-02-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

This is Winston tattling on Marley. If she chews on something that is off limits he will sit in front of her and bark until we come and take the offending object away.

photo 54

2009-02-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

Of all the books, websites and magazines we read while trying to reach a decison on becoming Saint Bernard owners, not a single one prepared us for the amount of shedding that occurs. Honestly, I am glad that we didn't know about the shedding. Knowing about the mass quantities of hair loss may have kept us from adopting a Saint ...and even though I have to sweep the hardwoods at least three times a day, I adore our doggies!

photo 53

2009-02-22T06:46:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday, Mark helps the kids with breakfast while I shower. When he hears the shower water turn off, he brings me a cup of coffee to sip on while I finish getting ready for church. This has been our habit for a few years. On Valentine's Day, he gave me a new mug. He also made sure that the new mug would match our other mugs...because he knows me well enough to know that my OCD would trump my sentimental side and that a mismatched mug would eventually make it's way to the "give away" bag in the laundry room. Soooo...he received points for giving me a special coffee mug (which was a sweet nod to our Sunday morning tradition) AND he received bonus points for remembering that I do not like mismatched coffee mugs (which was a a practical nod to one of my many quirks).

photo 52

2009-02-21T06:39:00.000-08:00

Blurry iPhone photo of my favourite son taken on our way to church where he will be helping to serve at the Seniors Banquet . I love him in a tie with his shirt sleeves rolled up. I love his eyes and his freckles. I love that he has great eyebrows. I love that he loves Jesus and church and doesn't mind serving. I love that I get to be his mom. I love him.

I do not love that he will be 15 in a few weeks and graduating in three years and I do not love his hairdo...but I am choosing my battles and I am not prepared to go to the mat over his bad bangs.

photo 51

2009-02-20T06:29:00.000-08:00

Mark has said that he will be working the entire time that we are in Vienna and has given Sarah and I strict orders to plan our trip as if he were not there...and if free time becomes available, he will be happy to tagalong to wherever we have planned to go. So...Sarah and I have been scouring travel websites and puring over this book...planning our *perfect* itenerary for Vienna...we work our lists in order of "musts", "maybes", and "if there's any time lefts". Fortunately we like to see and do most of the same things, and eat the same types of food...and we both like to schedule in downtime (umm...naptime would be a more accurate description).

photo 50

2009-02-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

Cammie learned the story of the The Three Billy Goats Gruff this week. I had forgotten all about this fairy tale! She painted this billy goat to illustrate the story. Now, I realize that I may be a it partial...but is this not the-best-billy-goat-by-a-5-year-old that you have ever seen?

photo 49

2009-02-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

We began Growth Groups a few weeks ago. Growth Groups are bible studies held in individual homes. The entire church is working on the same curriculum...The Purpose Driven Life. Growth Groups are a new concept for our church and we are so excited!

*note: as of 3/8/09, a total of 16 people have been baptized in the name of Jesus as a result of GG's, several have been filled with the Holy Ghost! God is so good!!!

photo 48

2009-02-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

Two very bad doggies decided that instead of chewing on their chew toys, they would chew on the basket that holds their chew toys.

photo 47

2009-02-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

Just before evening service, Mark and I were talking with the youth Pastor at our church. He said "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you...Forrest and Cameron asked if we were having a get together tonight since school is out for President's Day tomorrow. I told them all of the guys were going back to your house after church. I was joking, but I don't think they know that".

I'm glad that he gave us the heads up because right after church parents began asking us what time their kids needed to be picked up the next day. We sent the girls to Granny's house, stopped for pizzas and sodas and beat everyone here by a few minutes.

15 teenage boys, 12 pizzas, 10 two-liters, 3 TVs, 3 gaming systems... Fortunately after 10 minutes of hearing them through the walls and floor I had a light-bulb moment. I remembered that we have ear plugs in our range bag that we use during target practice. Mark hopped out of bed and retrieved two pair...and we were able to sleep.

This is about half of the debris. The furniture was moved around, lamps were taken off of tables, and we decided that a good time was had by all.

photo 46

2009-02-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

We had agreed that we wouldn't exchange gifts for Valentine's day since our Vienna trip was only a few weeks away. Mark surprised me with these gorgeous roses, a coffee cup and and a card.

I had bought him chocolate and a card, so when he gave me these, I turned around and gave him his...we've never been too good at following the rules.

photo 45

2009-02-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

In a fit of domestic bliss brought on by my overwhelming love for my husband and our offspring, I labored over dozens of Valentine sugar and chocolate chip cookies, in addition to the heart-shaped cupcakes that I baked yesterday.

Okay, so the cookies were break-and-bake and took all of an hour total. They looked really cute, the family felt loved and clean up was a SNAP.

Evidently Winston thought the cupcakes were pretty tasty...he snagged 5 that were left uncovered on the counter while we were out running errands. He had the good sense to look guilty and avoid eye-contact after we got back home.

photo 44

2009-02-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

I bought these heart shaped cupcake tins on clearance last year. Miraculously I remembered that I had them the day before Valentine's Day as opposed to the day after (which is typically how things of a domestic nature tend to go with me).

photo 43

2009-02-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

Someone else has decided that the couch is much more comfy than the floor. Notice her "if I look really sad, maybe she won't make me move" look.

photo 42

2009-02-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

If the girls' have had good behaviour at school throughout the week, on Friday they get an extra fifty cents to buy a "special" at lunch. If I eat with them, they get a special on that day as well. At first, they asked me to eat with them just about every day. Now, if I offer to have lunch with them on a Friday, they reply "Nahh...how about Monday or Tuesday"...they've figured out how to maximize their treat buying days.

photo 41

2009-02-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

When we first began crate-training Winston, I felt guilty. I thought that it was mean to keep him cooped up in a crate...even though every book and website said the opposite. Our dog trainer insisted and because we still had fresh memories of Libby Lu and her house breaking issues, we went out and bought the largest crate we could find. We referred to it as his "room".

Winston has been completely house broken for months. Marley inherited his crate when we adopted her. Now, when she comes out in the morning, he climbs in to nap. He has to curl up in this ball in order to even fit, yet everyday he takes at least one nap in "his room".

photo 40

2009-02-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

The laundry room becomes the dumping grounds over the weekend. Inspite of constant reminders, the kids come in the back door and drop whatever is in their hands...toys, bags, shoes, clothes that have gotten dirty, suitcases, etc. It drives me crazy! I have to push everything to one corner to avoid tripping on the way in and out of the back door.

photo 39

2009-02-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

For some reason Marley likes to burrow in between the bushes around the deck. She likes to gnaw on the mulch and bury her nose in the evergreen branches.

photo 38

2009-02-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

Cammie comes up with the craziest outfits. She will get dressed and then come to me and strike a pose. This is always followed by "I got dressed. Do you like my outfit? Don't I look cute"?

Today's enemble includes: a short sleeve leotard in honor of the warm weather, aqua velour leggings, a size 3t brown skirt and brown knee boots.

She cracks me up and I absolutely love her (and her outfits)!

photo 37

2009-02-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

Amy and I had lunch at The Chocolate Covered Strawberry (where they ran out of chocolate covered strawberries...how ya' gonna run out of chocolate covered strawberries at the chocolate covered strawberry????).Afterwards we decided to take advantage of the spring-like weather and do 3 miles in her neighborhood. Now I remember why I quit running cross-country...shin splints...not fun. I wonder if there are shoe inserts that will help with that? If not, I will be sticking to the treadmill/elliptical.

photo 36

2009-02-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

This is me with really sweaty hair. My gym installed new elliptical machines this morning and I am so excited! I like to read while I am doing cardio...otherwise I get bored and will cut the work out short. The old ellipticals were not conducive to reading while operating...so I would use the treadmills instead. One hour on the treadmill equals about 210 calories...One hour on the new elliptical...520 calories! Yay new ellipticals!

photo 35

2009-02-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

I volunteer in Chloe's class every Wednesday morning. When I leave, I pass by the gym...where Cammie's class is having PE. I love catching a glimpse of her through the doors, it always makes me smile. (pardon the poor picture...this was taken with my camera phone from far away...Cammie is the little blur in the doorway...they were doing some kind of interpretive dancing this morning).

photo 34

2009-02-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

I spent a few hours on Sunday afternoon working in the back yard. Between the rain and the dogs, every speck of mulch had migrated from around the trees to the middle of the yard. It's nice to see dormant grass instead of a sea of mulch when I look out the kitchen window. I don't even want to think about how much work it will be to get the grass to fill in...

photo 33

2009-02-02T11:09:00.000-08:00

Rachel and Madeline brought Belle over to celebrate Winstons first birthday. After chasing each other around the house for 15 minutes, they decided to take a break.

photo 32

2009-02-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

Look what I found at the pet health food store...canine cookies for Winston's birthday. Are they not adorable???

photo 31

2009-01-31T10:53:00.000-08:00

When I straighten the downstairs, I put all of the kids' things on the stairs in individual piles. Generally each pile takes up over half of a step...thereby making it difficult to navigate around them...yet somehow the piles are invisible to my kids. They will avoid the piles for hours...days...probably weeks if I would let them. We have the following conversation on a daily basis...

Me: (insert kid name here) take your pile upstairs and put everything away.

Kid: What pile?

Me: The pile on the stairs.

Kid: Which stair?

Me The one with the mound of your belongings on it.

Kid: Ooohhh...thaaat pile. I didn't see it.

Me: You practically broke your neck stumbling over it when you came down a few minutes ago. How could you not see it?

Kid: I thought that was (insert sibling here)'s stuff.

photo 30

2009-01-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

Renee posted a picture of her freshly cleared desk. It has allllllmost motivated me to work on mine.

photo 29

2009-01-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

To say that Hannah was a little excited about her new braces would be a drastic understatement. For years she has talked about "when I get braces". The past two weeks have been spent weighing the pros and cons of each color option and eating all of the foods that would soon be contraband.

Afterwards, we went to Krispy Kreme for mini-doughnuts. The first thing that I ate after getting braces was an Eclair at Perkins (oh, how I miss Perkins). After Forrest's first orthodontist appointment we marked the occasion with Krispy Kreme and so the braces/doughnut tradition continues.

I'm happy that she finally got what she wanted. I'm not happy that she's a step closer to grown.

photo 28

2009-01-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

I couldn't muster the motivation to repaint the powder room...so I went with plan B.

Plan B:

STEP ONE- buy tall bushy flowers and arrange in ginormous vase

STEP TWO- remove large candle from small cabinet in powder room

STEP THREE- place ginormous flower arrangement in recently vacated candle spot

STEP FOUR- fluff arrangement until nail holes in wall are covered

STEP FIVE- pat self on back

photo 27

2009-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

We have spent the last four years cultivating grass in our back yard. Last summer was the first that we actually had a full stand. The past two months of rain have completely destroyed the lawn. I'm thinking we may lay AstroTurf in the spring.

photo 26

2009-01-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

I highly recommend this book. I heard about the author on another blog. Which led me to a YouTube video of Kelly Corrigan doing a reading from the book...which led me to buying the book. It was excellent...hilarious and heartbreaking.

photo 25

2009-01-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

After morning service we had brunch at the club, followed by a nap and a game of LIFE. (The three cars pictured are Mark, Sophie and Cammie's...Chloe's was too far ahead of theirs and my car was far behind...I didn't spin higher than a 4 throughout the entire game!!!).