random thoughts and random pictures....

mel got into b's crayons last night and it rubbed off on her face.

decorating valentine's day cupcakes...

we made the island of misfit toys out of play-doh...

a train with square wheels, an elephant with polka dots, a jack-in-the-box, an elf who wants to be a dentist, rudolph, and the abominable snowman(i'm not to proud of the snowman and elf).

mel's new favorite toy...

brad's cousin's daughter...little miss dana! so sweet!

This year marks my 3 year "anniversary" of becoming a stay-at-home mom. I can't believe it has been 3 years already!! The decision for me to stay home came after b was born. It wasn't an easy one to make! I was very close to everyone that I worked with and the thought of not having the adult interaction scared me. I was used to being on the go non-stop and, as all of you with kids can relate, that slows down tremendously once you have children. The first few months were very difficult for me. I cried a lot and often wondered if I had made the right decision. I eventually got used to the way things were and realized that I had made the right decision. I admire the people that can balance work and a family, but I don't know if I could. Some days I get stressed out with all the things that need to get done, and if I had a job outside of the home also, I know I would be more than stressed. I have discovered many new hobbies that I probably would not have if I was working...I have discovered that I love taking pictures. I am definately not a professional, but I think I am better than average. I love the fact that I haven't gone to a photographer in about 2 1/2 years. Since I stay home, I am able to capture the pure innocence and fun of my kids. I also love working outdoors...flowers, gardening, mowing...everything! I love canning and freezing the fruits and vegetables that i grow in my garden(that keeps getting larger every year)!! I love that I get to see the joy in my girls' faces. I love that I am around when b's imagination begins to soar and the kitchen chair becomes a rocket ship or a table and blanket serve as a tent in the living room. I wouldn't trade my life for the world!!

Couple more random thoughts:

1)Survivor starts tonight...so excited!! Hopefully, I will get to watch more of this season than I did last season! (Mel was a newbie then.)

2) Margaret is coming tomorrow...excited about that as well!! Love that little girl like she is my own!!:o)

daily dose of sweetness...

i took these photos on a whim the other day and i am so glad that i did. mel even had a cold and she was still a happy little camper!:-) check out the blue eyes...just like her sister. i love it!

the backdrop that i used is the blanket my sister made for her. i just draped it over the glider in her room. i didn't realize how red her hair was until i took the pix...looks like i will have a blonde haired babe and a red head babe!

have a wonderful wednesday!!:-)

snow day...

our cousins, denise and mary kate, came to play in the snow on sunday. b had a blast. mary kate taught her that it was ok to eat the snow. let's just hope she doesn't accidentally try the yellow snow!!:) yuck!!

digging for treasures....

these next few photos were taken from the back of the 4-wheeler so the quality isn't that great...i also took a video, but i didn't post it because all the movement and backward view would probably make you sick!

snowball fight....

the making of a snowman...

daddy with his two girls. b refuses to look at the camera sometimes just to annoy me.

i promise i'm not a horrible mother....

with b i documented everything...first smile, first food, first steps..EVERYTHING!! then mel came along, and i am kind of slacking with her. i think this happens to all moms....you have so many pictures of the first child, then the second one comes along and there aren't as many. i was the third child and, as i look back, there weren't nearly as many photos taken of me as there were my brother and sister. first time moms who frequent my blog probably think i am a horrible mother because they have pictures of all their babies "firsts". well moms, just wait until the second one comes along and you'll see what i am talking about!!:) so, the above photo was taken a couple of days ago. mel is eating rice cereal...not for the first time. we started that about 3 weeks ago. oh well, at least i took this picture!!:) we'll look back at this photo 20 years from now and won't remember weather it was her first or tenth time eating cereal. we will just remember it was her first food!!


i did, however, decide to take some pix of melaney in this adorable outfit. i think she looks cuter than ever in it. my sister gave it to her for Christmas and i like it because it isn't the traditional pink.

first "wink"??????????

miss b. with her toy story family....

b showing mel how to operate one of her toys. mel is starting to crawl and b isn't to sure about it. she liked it a lot better when mel stayed in one spot and didn't mess with her toys. the other day i heard b saying, "she's looking at me!!" mel had mad her way across the living room floor to b's chair and was looking at her and smiling!!!

more pix...

some photos from a recent session. these kids are so adorable and they just welcomed home a new little sister last week. i went to see the new baby for the first time today. mommy and baby are doing great. the baby is so tiny. it's hard to believe that melaney was that size 4 months ago. time flies and it's amazing how much you forget!!

how sweet is this??....

this picture makes me laugh...this is her personality dead on...