Lindsay Teague Moreno

The Crafty Bug

2012-01-17T10:25:00.002-07:00

At this point I can admit that I fully have that "bug." You know the one that has you immersed in or at least thinking about craft projects all day. There's so much that I want to do. Claerly, I'm short on time these days. We'll see how all of this plays out. Right now, it means that most of my projects are done on the computer. I'm okay with that.

Here's a look. First are my most recent Project Life pages and my 12-of-12 project for January:

Pages 14 & 15: The twins' first day of Preschool.

Closer look at page 14

Closer look at page 15
PS. If you're into the "First Day of School" print, I got it HERE along with one for every year of school! I hope I can keep this one up through the school years.

Page 16 & 17: Baby Kennedy in the Morning (had to document all 3 of them in the morning time).

Closer look at page 16

Closer look at page 17

Here are my 12-of-12 photos and layout. I love that I'm going to try to do this all year. Instead of just explaining the pictures, I wrote out a timeline of my day and then inserted "see pic #..." within the timeline. I think I'll do this every month as well. I also did a little photobooth strip of what I looked like that day. I'm going to try to keep this up as well. We'll see.

Pages 18 & 19: January 12 of 12

Closer look at page 18

Closer look at page 19

I'm noticing that most of these are coming out to 2-page spreads. It think it's going to end up being a big book (which, I'm actually okay with). But seeing as how I'm pretty much caught up on the things that I want to document, I'm on track with the 1-a-day that many other Project Life books will be. I like not feeling the pressure to take photos and remember the details of every day. Maybe I'll do that once the girls get into full-time school and I won't feel like it's a burden. Even Becky Higgins says:

If you're hesitant because you think you won't have time, I'd encourage you to check out the ways you can use project life outside of the 365 idea.

My little Project Life group has grown and I'm so excited to get emails from all of them with their latest pages attached. What a cool thing to share with some of my best friends this year. A great way to keep us connected even though I moved...again!

Next, I wanted to show the Fargo, North Dakota "Special Place" print I made for Abby:

I kinda love the colors she picked. I'm so into Grey right now. For me, gray is the new brown!

That's it for this round of craftiness. Today, I'm organizing a command center in the kitchen while the girls are in school and I'm going to bust out the sewing machine to put some work into a quilt I started right before my mom died. Haven't pulled it out since. I'm going to try to make it to Zumba at the gym tonight if M will watch the girls. Hopefully I also get the chance to write 3 important letters (which for some reason I'm having a lot of anxiety about). Pray for me.

Peace, y'all!

Special Places Giveaway WINNER

2012-01-16T09:23:00.001-07:00

Thanks for all the response on the Special Places giveaway. There were a lot of downloads for the free AZ maps as well. Hope you enjoy them.

Now, onto the good stuff. The winner of their own custom place is:

#5: Abby said...

Love this! My special place would be Fargo, ND, where I met my now-fiance at college. Thanks so much for the chance to win!

Abby, go ahead and email me at lindsayteague@gmail.com within 24 hours and we'll come up with colors for Fargo, ND!

I'll be sure to post it here for you guys to see when we're done!

Project Life: a couple more layouts

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have a couple more layouts to share from my Project Life album. Still loving this format. Excited to see more of my friends jumping on the bandwagon with me.

Before I get started, a couple things:
1. Today is the 12th of January, which means it's time for 12-of-12. If you're not familiar, you take 12 photos throughout the day on the 12th of each month. I'm going to be making that a monthly staple in my Project Life book. Thought you guys might want to join me and the other couple hundred takers. After all it is 2012. 12-of-12 in 2012. With a name like that, how can you resist? Also, there's a facebook group to join if you want some encouragement and inspiration!

2. The giveaway is still open for an 8x10 "important place" print. Simply follow the blog and leave a comment HERE for a chance to win one!

3. I added a Project Life page on the upper menu bar to house all of my layouts in one place.

Page 10: All Things Bright & Beautiful. A layout of Boston in the morning.

Page 11: All Things, Part 2

Page 12: The Moreno Family Happy Hour. A 4-person wrestling match.

Page 13: Happy Hour, Part 2

Time Suck Central, an AZ freebie & a Giveaway!

2012-01-11T00:27:00.000-07:00

It used to be Facebook. Now, it's Pinterest.

I can't stop.

I'm not alone.

Don't pretend you don't spend all your time pinning stuff you'll never make, things you'll never have, places you'll never go and food you'll never eat. I know. I get it.

Except, there will come a time where you actually do something you see on there. Today was that day for me!

I pinned this piece (from this shop should you also love it) over 30 weeks ago:

Yea, that's right. 30 weeks. Today, I made my own version. I'm super timely, I know!

Mine looks like this:

Obviously, mine is computer generated and not a canvas piece like the original, but darn it, I did it! It's an 8x10 print and I'm putting this one on the mantle in my living room.

The exact time and place where M and I met. That was a good night, even if he did seem way too shy for me. Who knew?

This can be used for places you've lived, a school you went to, important places in your life, where you grew up, where you're from, your current home, etc.

THE FREEBIE:
Because I'm missing my AZ friends and home right now, I went ahead and made a few others for you guys to print out should they apply to you.

Just click the link for the city that you love to download it. It looks like this:

THE GIVEAWAY:
I'm going to make an 8x10 "Important Place" print for one blog reader. Any state (or country for that matter) and any 2 colors. You just let me know what place in the world is the most important to you and we'll make it happen.

All you have to do is follow this blog by clicking the button on the right sidebar and then leave me a comment telling me where your important place is! Easy as that. Contest will run through Sunday, January 15 and I'll announce the winner on Monday.

Good luck to ya!

Project Life: An update

2012-01-08T00:00:00.002-07:00

So far I'm almost 10 pages into my book and I am loving it.

I met with two of my best friends, Kelly and Becky, on Saturday morning for a little photoshop how-to and those girls are off to the races as well. It's amazing how this system can work for anyone.

Thought I'd share a few of my most recent pages.

Page7: iPhotos. You gotta love iPhone photos, no reason to leave them out of the mix!

Page 8: Hello Beautiful. Teagan is such a little sweetie in the morning time. Had to get her on film.

Page 9: Hello Beautiful Part 2. More of Miss T.

Lindsay's State of the Union Address

2012-01-05T14:41:00.002-07:00

How am I doing? What is the condition of my life right now? Where am I going? What's on my agenda for the year?

All the things you probably never wanted to know right here in one post! Let's get this started, shall we? You don't have to stand and clap when you agree with something. I'm gonna get pretty "real" here so there probably won't be too much you'll have to clap for anyway.

Well, here's me today, courtesy of the trusty iMac:

When did I get old? Oh, my gosh, kids really do change you, huh? I'm wishing twins on all my still-hot, kidless friends!

You'll notice, I still don't make my bed at age 31 (at what age do mom's start caring about this?) and there's 1 last box to be unpacked into my closet in the house. It's my eBay stuff. I'm dreading organizing it. You'll also notice there is a child playing with my iPhone (clearly I didn't learn my lesson the first time Addy shattered it) and another child running around unattended. Strangely absent from this photo is the third child, whom I assume is playing with knives and firearms in the front room. I'm a great mom!

If you were here, you'd hear "Finding Nemo" playing on one TV and the music of "Oklahoma" playing from the kitchen TV, where I just ate my grapefruit, a biscotti and drank a cup of coffee. You'd see that the house is pretty darn clean because for Christmas and to ease some of my stay-at-home-mom blues, M paid a very sweet woman to come and deep clean the house (have I mentioned yet that I love this man?).

How am I doing? What is the condition of my life right now?
Well, I'm having a rough time adjusting to Reno as my "home." It's the smallest town I've lived in. People talk about how far away it is to go to Sparks (which is about 10 minutes in rush hour traffic and is really just 2 cars driving slowly). I'm from AZ where it takes hours to drive in traffic and Colorado where an hour in the car to get to the next place of interest is no biggie. While I like only filling up my gas tank twice a month, the activities and places to go are limited. I miss Chick-Fil-A. I miss the greek restaurant we ate at in Ft. Collins near M's old work. I miss my ~~friends~~ family, the Blocks. I miss my house in Chandler. I miss having adult conversations. I don't want to feel like this for a "couple of years" until I adjust.

I love my kids so much, but being with them and working for them 24 hours a day is feeling like too much of a good thing. Right now I'm thinking, "hopefully this is coming off correctly." I am blessed to be able to stay home with them and I take this responsibility because I knowingly signed up for it. My philosophy is that someone is going to raise my kinds. It needs to be me. It will be me, but living at work with no sick time, no pay and no days off (not even a weekend) is so hard. I see my girls responding to me less in the "i-love-my-mommy" way and more in the "shes-going-to-discipline-me" way. Daddy gets home and they're all over him to give him hugs and kisses because he hasn't put their butts in timeout 18 times or lost his temper that day.

I've been wrestling with how women enjoy watching toddlers at all (which some women seem to outwardly enjoy). It is not fun. 3 is a very hard age. My girls are starting to test me, talk back to me, scream and throw fits all to see what I'll put up with and what I won't. What will get them what they want and what will get them sent to time out for 3 minutes. I try so hard to win. Sometimes, at the end of the day, I think they've beat me though. I'm praying that God makes my days a little more enjoyable because I know I'm going to look back at this time when they're leaving me to go off to college (or something like that) and I won't remember the time-outs. I'm going to wish they were that small again. I'm going to wish they would curl up on my lap and ask me to sing them a song or make their hurt go away. I'm going to say to myself, "I'd take the screaming and the constant work for a few minutes of their tiny selves."

I'm not even going to get into how much I need a mom right now because I know I shouldn't still be crying about her. I'll save that for another post.

I just don't get the whole, "I'm going to choose to be happy today" thing. Generally, I'm a very happy person but I'm not into pretending I'm feeling something that I'm not. That's great if it works for you to put on that happy front but if I'm having a hard time, I don't put out roses and giggles for other people. I mentally can not comprehend how that would help. Obviously, things are different around kids, but if I've had a bad day, is that so bad? Can't I choose to just be frustrated at some parts of my life? Maybe I'm misunderstanding this "movement" just like I misunderstand the whole concept of forgive and forget.

I miss my church, Flatirons. I am having a hard time finding an acceptable replacement here in Reno.

One last thing, I'm really not into how I'm looking these days. I can see how much older I'm starting to look. After my pregnancies, babies, and let's face it, breastfeeding 3 kids, I'm but a remnant of what I was even 4 years ago. I do not like it at all. I think my husband must be disgusted by the way I look when he comes home from work some days (though, he would NEVER say that for fear that I'll stab him).

So that's how I'm doing right now. My husband is, of course, stellar. He will pretty much support whatever I tell him I need. If I want to work, he's fine with that. If I tell him I want to put the girls in school, he's ready to do that too. I think he'd pretty much go to the moon if I asked him to do it. I've got no complaints in the part of my life where Michael is concerned. I realize what a huge blessing this is. It's not overlooked. I do love my kids. Despite the fact that they're difficult, they're really obedient and well-behaved children. They make me laugh every day. For that, I'm thankful!

Where am I going? What's on my agenda for the year?

Well, I'm not just sitting here feeling bad for myself because I have 3 small kids. If I'm anything, I am a "do-er." It's in my nature to find a solution to a problem as soon as I have recognized that something has to give. So, I'm doing...

I've joined a mom's meet-up group to meet other adult humans who may feel the same way I do. My guess is that most of them will put on the "I love being a mom and doing mom stuff more than life itself" front, but there's bound to be a few ladies who feel the need to day-drink to get through this stage. KIDDING...mostly. I'm going to a play-date and a mom's movie night with them in a couple of weeks.

The twins, Boston & Teagan, are starting part-time Preschool next week. It's an amazing little Christian school where they'll do art, learn new things, talk about God, play with kids other than their siblings and where I don't have to follow them around to pick up after them. SCORE! It's a win-win, in my book. I'm trusting that God is going to provide a way for us to pay for this Christian education because for 2 mornings a week, it's expensive. Really expensive. More than simply cutting out Starbucks! As they get older, it's just going to get more expensive, so go-go-gadget-God! As an added bonus, I hope this school thing will help me meet other moms around me. The girls are really excited. When we took them to meet the teacher and see their classroom, Boston walked in and whispered, "wow!" That's a good sign.

I picked up the Project Life digital kit in order to feed my need for a creative hobby and I've recruited some of my besties to do it with me so I have someone to share it with. Haha SUCKERS! Just kidding, this is seriously going to be a great experience for all of us. I know it. Here's my latest page:

Page 6: New Years Eve with Kids

I'm reading some inspiring books. Namely, Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul.

So far I really like this one, I'm more than half way through it. The last few chapters were pretty "real" so it took me some time to digest it. I'm going to finish this one in the next week or so I think.

I joined a gym. If nothing else, this should give me an opportunity to shower a few times a week without a kid begging me to get in and pointing at my normally-clothed body parts. I like the child care there. The woman is a real ball-breaker, which I think some moms will hate, but she runs a tight ship and I like it. One of my ~~secret~~ goals this year is to run a race, this is probably a pretty good place to start, huh?

M and I continue to search for a church to call "home." We've ruled out two that I thought were pretty promising. We need good teaching and decent music. Go-go-gadget-God!

So...there you have it. That's all about me and what's going on in my life at this very moment. January 5, 2012.

Anyone else up to share their State of the Union with the world?

Project Life: Believe It or Not...

2012-01-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

Scrapbooking is important to me. Documenting my family legacy is important to me. For some reason, I've always been drawn to pictures, picture books, journals. I can look back and see that getting into scrapbooking was meant to be.

This blog is evidence that when children came into my life, my time allowance changed. Scrapbooking, though no less important, took a back seat to my kids. I do not have any idea how moms are able to keep up with their kids and scrapbook at the same time. I bow down to those women and grovel at their ever-energetic feet! At the end of my day, my night is filled with a little bit of picking up, a little bit of putting up my feet, work if I have to and "seeing" my husband. I might throw in a little bit of reading if I ignore M. Poor M.

Oh, how I miss scrapbooking. I miss the paper in my hands, a new stack of embellishments, the do-dads, the I-must-have-this-or-I'll-die goodies, sharing a hard-worked layout, spending hours pouring over a few pictures, the tiny details that "make" a page, making everything just right, my freelance jobs, my design teams, my scrapbook room. You scrapbookers who have more energy and diligence know what I'm talking about. I just crave it sometimes.

Project Life is going to be my attempt at keeping my iron in the fire, if you will.

It's not a new concept this year, but it's the first time I actually thought to myself, "yea, I can do that." With my scrapbooking room being replaced with a crib and baby clothes, I had to make "digital" my format of choice. I've never done digital scrapbooking but I think the fact that Project Life is more basic at it's core means it's not going to look so different than the physical book would. At the end of the year, I'm going to print that bad boy out and my snapshots will be forever preserved. Plus, it's going to be cheaper for me because I won't have the urge to buy extra pieces to make it look more "me." Also, the pre-organized templates makes this project a lot less time consuming that scrapbooking was/is for me. It takes me hours to create a page...not like this.

The great thing about Project Life is that you can document week by week or day by day as it is intended to be or you can do something totally different, like I'm going to do. Rather than using this book as a place to record every detail of my week (I just know I won't make or have time for that), I'm going to use it as a place to put all of my snapshots. You know the ones that aren't frame-worthy. The ones of the little moments that I'd normally put into a scrapbook. It's going to be my 2012 yearbook for the Moreno family. I'm starting with Christmas and moving forward.

So, here's to 2012, the year I start putting my family on paper. Preserved forever. A legacy. Because, after all, pictures are more than just pieces of paper.

In case you're interested, here are my first few pages:

Cover Page (shameless rip of the dual corner pictures and individual shots from Susan Weinroth)

Page 2: Christmas Day with the Moreno Fam

Page 3: What we got for Christmas

Page 4: Family trip to Lake Tahoe

Page 5: Family trip to Lake Tahoe

See what I mean? It's just my snapshots, my little glimpses of our time together as a family.

It's good. You should do it with me!

Wanna do it digitally? Click Here
Wanna simply insert your pictures with a pre-made book? Click Here
Wanna print your pictures and get the kit for that true scrapbook feel? Click Here

Here's a message about Project Life from Becky Higgins (the creator):

T'was the Night Before Christmas

2011-12-27T09:38:00.001-07:00

We had a great Christmas together as a family this year. The girls got their wish for bikes from Santa and Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a day all together with good food and lots of love. Here are a few pictures before the big day:

Teagan (L) and Boston (R) with Santa. They loved their candy cane and were very polite.

The calm before the storm. Staying up late on Christmas Eve with M was super fun!

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-22T09:32:00.001-07:00

This was our Christmas Card for this year. It was scallop cut and the back side was a change of address card (how's that for 2 birds with one stone?).

Unfortunately, a lot of them got lost in the mail. I'm not sure what the heck happened but not one arrived until almost a week and a half after they were sent (some still haven't). Strange. To our friends and family: we love you and will think of you on Christmas, card or no card!

We're going to spend a day just the 5 of us for Christmas for the first time. It's going to be pure bliss! M and I can't wait! We went in on a gift for each other so we could afford a new video camera to record the day. Should be some great moments.

Merry Christmas, you guys!

If I Had a Million Dollars...

2011-12-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

This is what I'd buy for myself and my family for Christmas (some we're getting and some we skip):

The girls are pretty easy. They haven't really asked for anything except a bike and a dollhouse this year for Christmas and birthday which leaves us to make the decision about what they would like. Since they mostly play together, they are on the shared gift track until they choose differently.

Teagan and Boston:
Loving Family Grand Doll House and all the extra furniture

The Disney princesses dress-up dresses

PBK Backpacks

PBK Lunchboxes for school

Hungry Hippos game

Strider Bikes (Pink for T, Purple for B)

Bell bike helmets

My first trampoline

Kindle Fire

Vtech - Kidizoom Spin & Smile Digital Camera - Pink

Kung Fu Panda 2 (my girls are obsessed with a few things and one of them is Kung Fu Panda)

Kennedy (kids that get hand-me-downs are hard, huh?):
Strider Bike

Tinker Bell Magical Play Camera

Fisher Price My First Dollhouse

Baby Alive My First Doll

Black Chandelier

PBT Polka Dot Dress Form

Fisher Price Little People Zoo with Animal Sounds

Fisher Price Apptivity Case for my iPhone (she's gonna break this new one just like the last one if I'm not careful)

Michael (he made a comment about being super easy to buy for the other day...pshhhhh. Please):
VIZIO 70" Class Theater Edge Lit Razor LED LCD HDTV

Bottle of vintage '04 Brunello di Montalcino

Pretty much the entire Banana Republic Store (he would look super cute in this velvet blazer!)

Case of Yuengling (Can't get it out here in the West...harumph)

T-Tech by Tumi Garment Bag, Data Rolling Carry-On

Solo Vintage Laptop Messenger Bag

Lindsay (let me just say, though I have expensive desires, I'm probably the easiest person on the planet to buy for, and there inlies the problem):
Kindle Fire

Kelly Moore Libby bag (side note, is Kelly Moore not the cutest chick EVER on her blog? Seriously, I want to be her friend...is that strange? ha.)

Tickets to AZ and CO to visit my friends (without children in tow)

Canon VIXIA HF R21 Full HD Camcorder

Canon SX30IS 14.1MP Digital Camera

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens

SanDisk 64GB Extreme Pro CompactFlash Card

Canon BG-E6 Battery Grip for Canon 5D Mark II

Black Rapid RS-W1c Stone Way Women's Sling Camera Strap

Zeikos ZE-LCH1 Lens Cap Keeper

CHI Auto Digital Ceramic Waving Iron

Pottery Barn Modular Bar Buffet with 2 Wine Bases & 2 Cabinets (Oh, how long I have wanted this in my house.)

We're 4!

2011-12-01T14:01:00.001-07:00

On this day, 4 years ago, I became Mrs. Moreno.

Michael was placed in my life at a very specific and perfect time to set off a chain of events that still astounds me when I say them out loud. He plays an integral part in my story. He is a very large part of my personal happiness right now. I know that sounds very co-dependent of me to say, but really I am depending on him to provide me with some reasons to smile outside of my kids. I'm probably walking that co-dependent line during this otherwise trying time in my life. I'd also be functioning at a much lower level if it wasn't for him to "keep me moving."

When we met, I was ready and I didn't even know it. I was heartbroken at the time, which allowed me to be a little more vulnerable than I might have otherwise been with this non-pushing, yet, perfect-for-me man. After getting to know him, I changed my (very stubborn) mind about having kids. When we married quickly, it was because God had set fire to a need to have a baby and I wasn't about to wait for a year long engagement to start that process. Looking back at it, I know we were to have our babies quickly so that my mom could hold, kiss and love every single one of them. Not for her, but for me. I need that image. The girls came early and I got pregnant with Addy on the very first time we "tried." Had it have worked out even 1 month later or if the girls had been on time, my mom would not have met Addy. She died when Addy was only 3 weeks old. The birth of my girls changed my relationship with my mom to something very special and I have Michael to thank for that...well, God and Michael.

How about that for God's timing? I guess all that talk in Jeremiah 29:11 makes sense, huh? If you don't have the whole thing memorized (ha), it says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." I can't say that I fully understand the timing on mom's death (and I'm not feeling a whole lot of "future and hope" right now) but I do know it has had a profound effect on me, my actions, my emotions, my decisions...my life. I do actually believe that this tragedy was meant for me. An act of tough love, if you will. Do I believe I caused it? No. My mom's exact number of breaths were known and determined by God (Job 14:5 "You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer"), but her life was painfully short and I can't seem to walk away from the feeling that I am being given a life-altering "take-away" from this event. I believe that's part of Michael's purpose in my life, to help, comfort, encourage and challenge me through this change. I read a chapter in Genesis today about Sarah, Abraham and Isaac that resonated with me. There is a reference to the special role that Isaac's new wife played in his life when his mom had died. Genesis 24:67 "...He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother." That's what a spouse is intended for, right? To be what it is that you need, to hold you up or sit you down (whatever the case may be), to be a source of joy through the disappointments of this life.

A husband has a tough job. He's got to be the leader, the strong-hold, the provider, and the giver. Michael, he's all that. I'm watching him evolve into an amazing Christian man, husband and father. He makes wise choices, he works hard, he loves freely, he listens intently and he does it all with a serving spirit.

If I can say it without sounding boastful, I think we have a great marriage. I hope we continue to be as happy together as we have been these past 4 years. Even when we fight (which happens), I know he loves me. I think the secret is enjoying each other's company more than that of any other person (most days).

Thanks for being you, M. I just love you.

Dear Baby: Month 12

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

My last installment for this year in the letter department for Miss Addy. Whew! I can't believe that a) I made it through a year with 3 kids under 3 and kept this letter thing going and b) I made it through a year with 3 kids under 3.

Dear Kennedy,

Here you are on your 1st birthday:

How lucky your Daddy and I are to be able to spend a whole year watching your grow from a tiny 7 lb infant into this vibrant, gorgeous, smart little toddler. God loves us a whole lot, Addy.

This year you have made me smile when all I wanted to do was cry. Having you to hold, love on, care for and worry about helped me through the first year after my own mother's death. You will never know how much you helped me. God's plans are always for good, even if we can't see it. I know this because I have you, my little light, at the darkest time in my life.

This month you really blossomed into a full-blown toddler. You walk. You run. You talk. You eat big girl food. You feed yourself. You don't want my help. You get into trouble. You understand me. You know me. You know your family. You love life. It's an amazing thing.

I wish, more than anything I've ever wanted in my life, that your Ninny could see you right now. She would absolutely flip out about how adorable you are. Seriously. I can't go anywhere without someone telling me how beautiful you are. You smile and wave at everyone, which just puts the icing on the "cute cake." In the 3 weeks that you were here and she was alive, she talked about how adorable you were and how "smart" you were. She was right. She told me that grandparents were always the first to notice the "smart" attribute and even wrote about it in her blog before she died. You wouldn't disappoint her, Addy. You are truly amazing. She would be showing everyone and their mother your pictures and bragging about you. I hope she's doing that in Heaven. I hope she can see you and your sisters. I hope she chuckled when your pediatrician told me that you showed some signs of "extreme intelligence" (true story).

We found out this month that we are moving to Reno, Nevada. I haven't for one second worried that you would have a hard time with the transition. You're such a trooper, nothing seems to phase you. The only thing you even fuss about right now is when someone new comes around to take care of you or hold you. You've become quite attached to your Daddy and I recently. Your sisters did this same thing at this age. I'm told that it's a good sign of your attachment. I know you'll grow out of this soon and be ready for strangers to hold you, but for now, it's nice to know you prefer me and Daddy.

You got another tooth this month marking 4 on the top and 3 on the bottom. Not sure where that 4th one on the bottom is yet, but I'm sure it's coming soon.

You're officially weighing 20 lbs this month! Big girl. You're eating solid foods for every meal and you weaned yourself off of the bottle. You just decided that you wanted a sippy cup. You also let us know that you're okay with cold milk from here on out. Thanks, baby! That made 2 transitions very easy on your parents. I'm sad that with your first birthday came the end of breast feeding. It was a lot of work but I'm happy to let you move onward and upward!

People tell me that you look just like your Daddy every day-same coloring, eyes and single dimple. I love this! He's a pretty cute dude and a very good man. I hope you'll get a lot of his personality traits as well. So far, it looks like you've got more interest in music than your sisters did/do, so I'm hoping my musical genes will carry down to you. So far, I'm not sure if your sisters got that from me.

Addy, I love you so much. You are an amazing ~~baby~~ toddler and I'm so glad you're mine. Can't wait to see what your next year has in store for you!

Love,

Mommy

Dear Baby: Month 11

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm waaaay behind on posting his for poor Baby Addy, but better late than never, huh? Here we go...

Dear Kennedy,

Here you are at 11 months old:

Look how much you grew this month! Really, I am just amazed by you. You truly are a little independent and strong little girl. You are walking up a storm this month and pretty much over crawling unless you need to move fast. You also got 2 more teeth with another one quickly approaching. Getting so big and moving through these milestones, makes me a little sad that you're not going to be my baby much longer (well, at least not in age).

Your hair has become so long this month that I can put it in a tiny pony tail on top of your head. You have got the most gorgeous head of brown hair. It's shiny, thick and so far pretty straight, though I have a feeling it will turn curly like your sisters' soon.

You're a dream, Addy. You don't make a sound (not even a whimper) at bed time (7:30pm) and you're content to hang in your bed if you wake up before 8:00am. You're starting to interact more and more with your sisters and are communicating with your Daddy and I very efficiently. You use your sign language to tell us if you are all done with something and you shake your head no if you're done eating a certain food.

You've got an amazing smile with some seriously big upper teeth. I mean big. I think you must get those teeth from your Daddy. Lucky you! He has a great smile with nice, straight, beautiful teeth!

This month you've started to get into things, become mischievous and curious about your surroundings. I find you quickly moving from room to room and if I don't constantly supervise you, I'll have to hunt you down. I find you clear across the house in more cases than not! You're also getting bumps and bruises all over from all of the spills you're taking right now. Poor girl, your sisters are a little rough with you sometimes. They don't know to treat you gently in some situations and you fall into more walls and furniture than they did. It must be a sign of a younger sibling. You'll get them back someday!

Addy, as you're getting older I'm missing you more and more. You're still breastfeeding but only 1-2 feedings a day. Though I'm happy to have some "me time" back, I miss our time like crazy. You really are such an easy baby and I'm so blessed to be your mommy.

Love you so much, sometimes it hurts,

Mommy

Did You Know? big news

2011-10-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Did you know that Reno, Nevada is further from Las Vegas than Phoenix is? ...because I didn't.

Did you know that Reno gets more snow than Denver? ...because I didn't.

Did you know it's only a few hours from San Francisco and Wine Country? ...because I didn't.

Did you know it's less than an hour to Lake Tahoe? ...because I didn't.

Did you know Reno is at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains? ...because I didn't.

Why would I know this? I've never been.

When I heard that we might be moving to Reno a few months ago, I pictured myself in a desert town surrounded by junky casinos. I thought I was moving to the disgusting heat of Phoenix but without my friends there. NO THANKS.

I pictured this landscape:

and this:

Certainly not this:

Photo by: Rachid Dahnoun

or this:

Photo by: Scott McGuire

Turns out, there are junky casinos there but it's not in the desert. Also, you don't have to live near said junky casinos. M says it's like being in a bowl of mountains. He's been working there and here in Colorado for the past few months.

Well, folks, we're moving to Reno, Nevada.

Last month, Michael was offered a promotion with UOP and this week, after many back-and-forths and changes in original plans, he accepted that position. I'm so, so, so glad this travel schedule is almost over. It's been really hard for me and the girls. I'm not going to lie, mostly me.

We'll be there before the holidays which means that (lucky me) I get to start all over on the photography business and that is the reason that I've held off on publishing my website. The week I registered my business in Colorado, M got the call. I guess I should add that the week I quit my job, God provided this call. So I'm out my time and money to register here in Colorado and some other business expenses, but it's good for us in the long run. I feel like it was an exclamation point moment in my life, letting me know that I did the right thing; we made the right decision.

So now 5ive Photo will be operating out of Reno, NV. Hopefully, I'll be able to build a client base there with absolutely no leads going in. YIKES.

I am praying that we find an awesome church (though I think I'll watch Flatirons services forever) and a great Christian school there for us and for the girls. I'm going to need the support. The only thing I'm really worried about is the loneliness factor. Since mom died, I've been feeling very alone in this world. I mean, if M died at this point, I would literally have no family to rely on (I'm a bit paranoid about the people I love dying now). It would just be up to me to figure it out with 3 young girls and no job. I do have my friend, Kelly, here in Colorado though. She keeps me feeling connected much of the time. I consider her family. In Reno, I know no one. I am in a completely new place. It's going to be tough I think. I'm going to have to figure that out.

I'm very sad to leave Colorado and we have plans to get back here after our 2 years are up in Reno...God willing. I want to raise the girls in Colorado and I want them to go to the Christian School we had picked out for them here.

Please pray for us. Pray that God will open doors in Colorado again.

Juggling

2011-10-05T08:20:00.001-06:00

I have a lot of balls in the air right now. Trying to juggle the girls, some major life decisions, Addy's birthday, travel, mom's upcoming anniversary, sick kids, visitors, possibly selling our house in AZ, eBay and 5ive Photo right now. It's weighing on me and my blog was sadly neglected the past 2 weeks. Hopefully, I will be back to normal soon with some news to share.

With that, I leave you a picture of Addy and her cake from her 1st birthday:

Begging for a Canvas...

2011-09-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

Whenever I see a photo that has that certain "sparkle" that catches my eye. I immediately think, "this photo is just begging for a canvas!" A good canvas can really bring a personal and yet high end quality to a room. You guys know what I'm talking about?

I have to admit that I'm kind of a canvas snob when it comes to paying the money (let's face it, it's expensive) to create a piece of art to hang on your wall. 2 rules: 1. the picture better speak to you and 2. it better be a 1.5" wrap (meaning they stand out from the wall a full 1.5 inches).

I love this picture of my girls. I love their expressions. I love that their hair is wild and summery. I love that they're all matching. I love the black blacks and the white whites. It just works for me.

I should probably be embarrassed by the amount of pictures I take of the 3 of them together and yet, this is literally the only one where they're all 3 looking at me! Not a great percentage for a photographer. When I saw this one on the viewfinder of my old, trusty, 20d, I said to myself, "this picture is begging for a canvas."

Well, that canvas came last week. I set it up on my mom's piano in the living room until I find a permanent place to hang it and I L.O.V.E. it!

I did an 8x10 thinking that eventually, I'll find a picture that I like better of the 3 of them, but now I'm wishing I had gone bigger.

See how much thicker that 1.5" wrap is than the average canvas wrap?

I love how clear the picture still is even on a piece of canvas. Good printers-Canvas Now.

I believe this canvas will be on my wall even when my tiny babies are leaving my house for good.

Halloween Decor

2011-09-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

Halloween. It's not my favorite holiday. I can't decide if that's because I don't like scary stuff or the fact that we didn't really celebrate when I was a kid (we went to the "Harvest Festival" instead of trick or treating when I was growing up). I really hate scary stuff though, so I'm leaning toward that. Halloween has kind of a bad rap in the Christian circle, which I get. I'm not exactly out to celebrate or make light of witches, evil, devils, death, etc., which many celebrations do.

I do, however, like the idea of dressing up and want to take the girls trick-or-treating in their costumes every year. There's no reason October 31st has to be based around the dark parts of the holiday, right? We can lighten our Halloween up!

I decided I was going to do a little decorating this year and with the help of my 3 bambinos, we set out to do just that. Check out what we came up with:

We got most everything at Michael's this year. They had such a cute offering of sparkly Halloween gear. I did have to go to a couple of different stores to find all of the pieces.

How great is that black candelabra with purple sparkle taper candles? The girls picked out the glitter spiders (hard to see in this picture), crawling around on it. Addy picked up that "boo" right off the shelf and promptly dropped it on the floor in the store. WHOOPS! I figured that meant she wanted that to be her contribution to the mantle. For the record, they didn't make me pay for 2! Yay, Michaels.

I made this print with a brush pattern I bought last year and a really great Bible verse. Psalms 23:4. I think it's pretty perfect for a God-Loving-Halloween-Celebrating family!

Here's a better look at the print. I'd share it with you guys, but I don't think I'm allowed to since I purchased that brush pattern. Bummer.

I need some more Halloween decorating ideas that are light on the scary. Know of any?

Wordless Wednesday: A Baby Changes Everything

2011-09-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Cooper Martin Block
September 7, 2011
11:50pm
8lbs 11oz (Go Momma)
19.5"

Cash for Trash Vol. 2

2011-09-13T17:51:00.000-06:00

Here are some of my latest Goodwill finds and eBay sales:

White House Black Market Fitted Top

Purchase Price (PP): $2.00

Sales Price (SP): $33.00

Profit After Fees, Shipping & Purchase Price (PAF): $28.69

Banana Republic Green Wrap Dress

PP: $2.50

SP: $37.98

PAF: $31.50

CAbi Wrap Shirt

PP: $2.50

SP: $33.99

PAF: $28.40

Ann Taylor LOFT Black Faux Wrap Dress

PP: $2.50

SP: $20.00

PAF: $15.94

GAP Always Skinny Jeans

PP: $1.00

SP: $14.49

PAF: $12.59

Ann Taylor LOFT Green Faux Wrap Dress

PP: $2.50

SP: $26.00

PAF: $21.35

Escada White Skinny Jeans/Pants

PP: $1.00

SP: $16.38

PAF: $14.50

Moda Dress

PP: $2.50

SP: $17.00

PAF: $13.42

J. Crew Silk Tank

PP: $2.00

SP: 17.50

PAF: $15.73

KOI Scrub Top

PP: $2.50

SP: $13.50

PAF: $11.02

Cabi Ruched L/S Shirt

PP: $1.75

SP: $31.00

PAF: $26.85

CAbi Camisole

PP: $1.50

SP: $15.50

PAF: $14.47

Dana Buchman Tunic

PP: $2.50

SP: $23.30

PAF: $19.33

Boden Brown Silk Blouse

PP: $2.50

SP: $19.60

PAF: $16.91

Boden Sunflower Dress

PP: $2.50

SP: $26.00

PAF: $21.52

That about does it for the past couple of weeks. My goal has been to bring in my previous salary based on what I'm saving on child-care plus what I'm bringing in through eBay (minus what I was paying out in benefits and taxes), I'm about there. I'm a happy mama!

Wordless Wednesday: Big Purple Chair

2011-09-07T11:04:00.004-06:00

It's a Sweet Sound...

2011-09-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

The twins are amazing me with their vocabulary. Sometimes they'll talk to me in full sentences and it is blowing. my. mind.

Some of the things I heard this week that made me smile:

-"Nake you, Mommy, Nake you" (Nake=Thank). TEAGAN
-"I love you more." BOSTON
-"This is fun, Mommy" TEAGAN
-"I'm crying because I'm sad" BOSTON
-"Addy is so cuuuuute." TEAGAN
-"No, No, Addy don't touch that!" BOSTON
-"one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, elefen, twelfe, thirteen, sixteen, sefenteen, sefenteen, nineteen!" BOSTON and TEAGAN
-"Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are" BOSTON
-"Ring around the rosie, pocket full of posie, ashes, ashes we all fall down" TEAGAN

Here's Boston just up from her nap singing "Twinkle, Twinkle" and Teagan with another idea entirely:

"Twinko Twino leedle staw, how i wonder whatchu me."

I don't know, but that girl makes me laugh. This was one of the first times she sang it!

Witnessing your kids learning is a special thing in the life of a parent (and that goes for nursery rhymes and using the toilet).

Cash for Trash

2011-09-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

If you follow my twitter feed or facebook at all, you know I've gotten pretty into Ebay these past few months. It started with some purging and selling of kids gear. Then M decided he wanted to downsize his closet into only 7 outfits total (outside of work clothing) and I sold all of his "toss" pile. I downsized as well and got a pretty good response.

Amazed by some of the items that sold, I decided to try my hand at the thrift store to see what I might be able to find that would also sell for a profit on ebay. I did a lot of research and a lot of reading to prepare myself for Goodwill and how not to lose my shirt (never been except to donate until April). What do you know, I did pretty good. I made a lot of mistakes at first, of course but I think it's one of those things that you have to learn through the school of hard knocks...especially when it comes to shipping, packaging and time management. I got a lot of my information from this blog. She's on a whole different level than I am but it is cool to see what she finds. M was skeptical at first. He admitted the other day that he's not a risk-taker, so this venture made him nervous. I think he believes I can actually do this now.

So, I thought I'd share some of my finds with you guys.

Men's Lucky Classics

Purchase Price (PP): $.99

Sales Price (SP): $23.17

Profit After Fees, Shipping & Purchase Price (PAF): $20.25

Three Pairs of Lane Bryant Capri Pants

PP: $7.50

SP: $31.50

PAF: $22.01

Roxy Dress

PP: $2.50

SP: $18.50

PAF: $14.99

NWT Spanx Swinsuit Top (I found two of these-M & XL)

PP: $13.98

SP: $59.00

PAF: $41.26

Tommy Hilfiger Shirt Dress

PP: $2.50

SP: $20.50

PAF: $17.11

Coco & Chase Blue Floral Skirt

PP: $2.00

SP: $11.11

PAF: $9.50

NWT Chico's Collared Dress Shirt

PP: $2.50

SP: $12.00

PAF: $9.62

NWT Sinful by Affliction Women's Bling Tee

PP: $3.37

SP: $22.53

PAF: $17.00

Miss Me Jeans

PP: $4.49

SP: $51.44

PAF: $41.65

Life is Good Tee Shirt

PP: $1.75

SP: $46.23 (HUH????)

PAF: $40.70

Express Grey Skirt

PP: $2.50

SP: $15.50

PAF: $12.37

Rock & Republic Jeans

PP: $5.99

SP: $40.05

PAF: $30.26

J.Jill Band Collared Shirt

PP: $2.50

SP: $27.00

PAF: $22.66

David's Bridal Petticoat

PP: $2.50

SP: $22.50

PAF: $12.56

Of course, these are just some of the items that I've found. I only shop on the half price days because, Goodwill likes to make you think they're super cheap, but really, it's not that cheap at full price. I made a lot of shipping mistakes at first but now that I've figured it out and I have a little system going, I am feeling like it's actually working. Does it take more time that I thought? YES. Do I lose money on some items? YES. Does everything sell? NO. Is my Excel Workbook intense? YES. Is it kind of exciting? YEP!

Now who feels like it's time for a closet purging?

Wordless Wednesday: Us 5ive

2011-08-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Dear Baby: Month 10

2011-08-30T14:05:00.003-06:00

Ten Months! Here we go!

Dear Kennedy,

Here you are at 10 months old:

This has been a month of many changes for you little one! You're getting so big to me, but when we went to the doctor, they confirmed that you're actually pretty tiny for your age. This month you were at 17 lbs and in the 10th percentile for your weight. Your height was however average in the 50th percentile and your head circumference was in the 85th percentile. They way I see it you're skinny, of average height and have big huge brains! I'll take it, you little baby genius, you!

You got 4 teeth this month. Your bottom two teeth were first, followed very closely by your top two teeth. I have to say, Addy, your top teeth are HUGE. I mean huge. You must be getting teeth like your daddy (that makes me happy because he's got such a great smile and beautiful, perfect, straight teeth). They're much bigger than Boston and Teagan's teeth. Poor girl, those were tough ones to cut.

We went on a trip this month to Oklahoma to visit some family. You are just a little bit younger than my cousin Jenny's daughter, Lila. I think you liked having another baby around you. You were such a trooper on the 12 hour car ride. You cried a little bit when you wanted to play but mostly, you were content and you slept a lot too. All 3 of you kids made the trip pretty easy, I have to say. I was scared at first but I know you're going to be good to go on road trips from here on out. YAY!

After we got home from Oklahoma, we officially made the switch from 3 to 2 naps. It took you a couple days to get the hang of staying awake longer in the morning and the evening but you're doing great now. We get 2 1.5-2 hour naps a day now at 10 am and 2 pm. You are a great sleeper at night. Hardly ever a protest at 7:30 when it's your time to go down. You usually sleep in until 8:00 am.

This month you also started standing alone without holding onto anything. You fell a few times until you got the hang of it and now it's second nature to you. I think walking must be right around the corner. Speaking of developing, this month you really started communicating with us. You can say "mama" and "dada" when we ask you to and you actually know what they mean now. You can also do the signs for "all done" and "more" when you're hungry. It is very nice to know what you're wanting and thinking (even if it is just 4 things right now).

10 months of breastfeeding and still going strong. We still have our little one-on-one time twice in the morning and once before bed. You're starting to get restless when you eat though, so I know you're telling me it's almost time to be done! Thanks for being such a good little eater.

You also developed a fear of strangers this month. I have read that this is about the time when you should be attached to an adult caregiver and that it's good for your emotional developement. We're there. You don't like to be held by people you don't know. You love your daddy and mommy. We love you too.

Time is going by so fast, Addy. I love you so much. I can't believe we're so close to a year that you've been a part of this family. I am a little sad that I can't hold my little 7 lb, 10 oz baby right now, but I love the fun little toddler you are becoming.

Thanks for loving me. I love you very much.

Mommy

Wordless Wednesday: I Don't Make My Bed!

2011-08-24T12:00:00.002-06:00

How To: Create and Use Watermarks in Photoshop

2011-08-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

Alright kids, I posted some directions over on the 5ive Photoblog for those of you that are interested in learning how to make and use watermarks on your photos. Head on over there for some step-by-step instructions.

Wordless Wednesday: Tiny Dancers

2011-08-17T08:41:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday: Grandmas Can't Be Replaced

2011-08-10T08:00:00.002-06:00

PS: Sorry about the words, but wanted to let you guys know that I'll post a little photoshop tutorial on adding a watermark to your photos within the week for those of you who have asked and aren't sure how to do it. I also didn't mean to scare you guys into removing all of your photos from your blog. I think this instance is VERY RARE. Watermarking your photos can be pretty easy to do so check back and we'll do it together.

"Everybody's A Molester"

2011-08-09T12:49:00.000-06:00

My best friend, Kelly (God love her) is a wee bit paranoid about her children around, well, everyone. Save for a few close friends and family, she's pretty sure everyone is a sexual predator looking to hurt her precious babies. I guess based on her job, she has the right to be a little overly sensitive about the subject. She works for the DA's office in the victims services area and handles a lot of rape, molestation and domestic violence cases. She joked that she was going to write a children's book called, "Everybody's a Molester" to teach kids safety and to project her oversensitivity and paranoia onto children around the world.

We are certainly not making light of a very serious problem, just the fact that she's consumed by the possibility about 99% of her day.

I had an experience yesterday that made me want to write a follow-up book to "Everybody's a Molester" called, "Everybody Wants To Steal Your Children." Since it's still fresh, I'm sure I'm being overly paranoid and dramatic, but hey, whatever.

So, here's the story. Some chick (21 years old as far as I can deduce), came onto my blog yesterday and downloaded these 2 pictures of Addy onto her computer:

She then proceeded to take these pictures (WITH THE WATERMARK ON THEM, MIND YOU) and enter them into online beauty pageants on facebook. Did you even know there was such a thing? Following submitting the pictures, she paid the contest owners to enter Addy's picture into the running. She was calling her "Baby Jaylea" and on one of the sites she mentioned that she was her niece. When one of the very sweet owners of the pageants noticed my watermark, she did a little investigating and saw that the chick had no other pictures of Addy and found me to ask if I knew her. Um, NO HEATHER LEE MORGAN-CHUBB, I DON'T KNOW YOU. We found out through some helpful people that she also entered the same pictures into another contest through another one of her Facebook accounts. These pictures continue to be used by her on her Facebook page and she has not taken them down despite my emails and comments on the photos. Gonna have to be a little more forceful, I guess. I also found out she runs a business through Facebook (though I haven't been able to find any registered business documentation in MS, where she lives...tisk, tisk). When confronted about the issue, she said "oh my facebook was hacked." Yea, okay, and they just happened to download pictures and then pay to enter them into a pageant with your email address. Likely. I reported it to Facebook but haven't heard anything from them.

How messed up is this situation?

The moral of the story is: WATERMARK YOUR PHOTOS BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANTS TO STEAL YOUR CHILDREN!

Dear Baby: Moth 9

2011-08-08T08:00:00.001-06:00

9 months! We're coming up on the day where Addy has been born for as long as I carried her. Whew.

Dear Kennedy,

Here you are at 9 months old:

Little one, you are growing up so fast. I actually feel a pull to have another baby (good thing Daddy permanently took care of that). You are seriously a dream. Of course, you have your moments but your easy going nature is such a treat...especially since I have my hands full with your big sisters.

Right now you're very mobile. You're crawling anywhere and everywhere and you're doing it fast. Sometimes I am shocked when I find you across the room in seconds. You're also able to pull yourself up on things and reach things you shouldn't be. We've had to pull a lot of stuff out of your mouth, young lady.

You've been extra drooly and a bit more fussy than normal this month because of your teeth, I think. I have been able to see them pushing on your gums for a couple of months now. They seem to drop down and then go back up. I don't even know if that's possible, but you are certainly ready to cut those two bottom teeth. You've been addicted to your paci lately and I've seen you chewing on it a lot. I'm glad you have something to help you feel better.

This month, you've been much more aware of your surroundings and since you're able to move yourself around so well, you haven't loved your carseat. You don't like being tied down much at all. Plus you can see your sisters in the back seat and you really don't like that. We're going on a road trip to OK next month, so I hope you'll be okay. PLEASE?!?!

This month, you have developed quite an attachment to me and Daddy. You don't like to be held much by anyone else. We don't hold you all that much but you certainly know when it's a stranger that has you. So much so, that you actually got pulled out of church twice this month. When I saw your number come up the first time, I was worried. The second time? I was embarrassed. You hardly make a peep at home unless you're over-tired or hungry. Not at church though, you weren't having that situation at all. You just screamed bloody murder until they called us to come and get you. I'm told this is normal for this stage in your development. I am also told that it means that you've developed a secure connection with your parents. I hope so.

In happier news, you have your sleeping schedule down pat. You're still enjoying 3 naps a day and 12-13 hours of sleep at night. If you're up during a scheduled sleep time, I know something is wrong. You're a great sleeper (though you have always been for your age). I'm very happy we don't have to let you cry it out anymore. If I hear you crying, I know I have to go in to see you at this point.

I see you starting to slim out a little bit this month. I can tell you're not packing on the fat anymore, which makes me a little sad. You've also gotten a lot of hair. Your hair is already very thick and beautiful. I think you're going to love having a thick head of hair during your life.

Well, Addykin Skywalker, we love you so much around here. You make your sisters, your mommy and daddy so happy. We can't imagine our lives without you in it.

Love,

Mommy

Weight Watchers: The Catch Up

2011-08-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Been a while, eh? I'm 2 months behind on Addy's monthly letters too.

It was another rough month last month followed by a very good few weeks for me. In all fairness, we went out of town for a while and I stopped counting points during that spike. I think I really just didn't watch much of my salt intake and retained a lot. It seemed to come off plus some, so I'm happy today.

So, I'm 16 pounds down since February. 60 pounds down since I had Addy last September. Today I hit my wedding day weight. My body is, of course, completely different than it was on that day (3 babies in 2 years will do that to you, I guess), but I'm the same weight all the same.

Here's my journey so far
Week 1: -3 lbs (daily points allotment went down)
Week 2: -0 lbs
Week 3: -3 lbs
Week 4: +1 lbs
Week 5: -2 lbs
Week 6: -1 lb
Week 7: -0 lbs
Week 8: +4 lbs (daily points allotment went down)
Week 9: -5 lbs (daily points allotment went down)

Week 10: -1 lb

Week 11: +1 lb

Week 12: -2 lbs

Week 13: -1 lb

Week 14: +3 lbs

Week 15: -1 lb

Week 16: -2 lbs

Week 17: -0 lbs

Week 18: -2 lbs

Week 19: +2 lbs

Week 20: +1 lb

Week 21: -0 lbs

Week 22: +2 lbs

Week 23: -2 lbs

Week 24: -2 lbs

Week 25: -1 lb

Week 26: -2 lbs

I am feeling very positive right now following the previous month where I was not. I really don't know what happened there. Outside of my few weeks of not counting after getting discouraged, I stayed on track. I really, really try to keep myself counting every day. At this point, I know at the end of the day if I'm over or under my points allotment, even without tracking everything.

One tip for you other chub fighters: eat at home. M and I have really, really, really made an effort to eat our reserves at home and have the girls eat with us as a family. We've cooked 95% of our meals over the past month or so. Besides our Saturday morning breakfast with the girls, we eat in. I made a ton of meals at Supper Solutions (I'm sure there's an equivalent near you) and I love them. They're tasty and they're pre-portioned for you. You know exactly how much you should eat and it takes almost no work to put it on the table. Seriously, this has been a time, diet, money, and sanity saver over the last month. Seriously, our bank account and my back side are much happier.

Still Here...

2011-08-05T00:11:00.000-06:00

I'm buried under eBay shipments (so many that the lady at the post office said, "oh, you're the one"), clothes to list, website creating, big and small decisions, 3 wild kids, a stomach virus, a teething baby, a well-baby check up, vaccinations, and on top of all that, a husband that was out of town all week. I've barely had time to use the new camera. I did get a few shots of my favorite muses that I thought I'd share until I have time to come back and write a few proper posts about what's going on in my life (which is, of course, absolutely crazy right now).

Baby Addy. Seriously, are those little arm rolls not the best thing ever? Hard to believe she's only in the 10th percentile for her weight right now. Also hard to believe she's dangerously close to 1. Starting to try her hand at walking now and is not amused by my photo props.

Teagan. My little poser. She's easier to capture on film than her twin sister about 80% of the time. This was capture number 002 on my new camera. Love this girl.

Boston Bean. I love this face and I love this picture of her. It has that perfect combination of angelic and ornery...which pretty much perfectly describes her.

Um....yep. He needed a professional shot for work and I am happy I was able to oblige. I definitely married up.

So, I kinda think this camera is just one of the best things I've ever touched (well besides the dude in that last picture, of course, but the camera doesn't lead to more babies). So far, I'm very happy with this purchase. The 20d served me well for many years. This one crushes the 20d.

Wordless Wednesday: A Very Good Day

2011-07-27T08:32:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday: A Fleeting Moment of Stillness (Boston)

2011-07-13T09:27:00.000-06:00

5ive Photo

2011-07-11T09:11:00.002-06:00

Earlier this year, I was searching for a photographer here in NoCo to take our family pictures. The problems I ran into are a) all the photogs I want to take my family pictures aren't here and b) the photogs that are here are just lacking that "umph" that I'm looking for when I hire someone to capture us on film (read:make me look skinnier than I am). This was a flashing lightbulb moment for me, albeit a little bit of a scary one. With some support from M, I've decided to throw my hat in the ring and hopefully meet some of the demand that is out here for a baby, child, family, professional, or event photographer.

Starting a business takes a lot of planning, decision-making, spending, and time. I think I've checked most everything off my list on the business end, so now it's just a few little housecleaning items that I need to get done before I'm ready. I was actually able to pay for all of my business expenses so far with money I've made off of ebay and craigslist. BOOM!

I thought I'd share some of the details with you.

Company Name: 5ive Photography or 5ive Photo
What does that mean: I'll be specializing in 5 major areas of photography, baby, child, family, professional, and events. It was my family of 5 that inspired this venture, so there you go!
Logo:

Website: http://www.5ivephoto.com (this is just a placeholder, the actual website should go live in the next week, I'll let you know when it is up).
Business Cards:

FRONT:

BACK:

What do you think? It took me a long time and a lot of edits to settle on this one. I'll start posting some pictures of my clients in the coming weeks. I'm so excited to have a couple of opportunities to do some birth photography gigs in the next couple of months as well.

Here is a link to the facebook page. Thanks for "liking" the page and all your support!
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!

Happy Birthday From Mom

2011-06-30T08:00:00.001-06:00

You might remember that I was having my mom's ring remade into a cocktail ring that I can wear on my right hand. You might also remember that the main stone was my great-grandmother's passed down to my mom.

M and I had to save a little bit to get this ring made because, well, gold and diamonds ain't cheap! We gave the go-ahead on the ring (to my forever jeweler, Coffin & Trout) in April. I thought maybe it would come for Mother's Day because that would be fitting, right? It wasn't ready though.

Perhaps you'll recall THIS POST where I was feeling very low about missing my mom for my birthday. God was looking out for me though and He sent me something to remember her by on that day. The ring came in that day, along with flowers from my little family of 5, and a lot of phone calls/texts/emails from friends letting me know that they love me.

I love this ring. I love that it has been in my family for generations. I love that I think of my mom every day when I see it. I love that one of my girls will eventually love it as well (hopefully, I guess I should say). I love that it has a vintage flare to it. I love that I get so many compliments on it (though nobody really knows how to react when I tell them it was my mom's diamond). I love that my mom and I talked about me having it a few times in the past and while I wish I could give it back to her, it's awesome to have something of hers that meant so much. I love that M was totally on board to save up for this ring, even at the cost of something he might have wanted more. He loves me and my mom like that.

Wordless Wednesday: The Best Kind of Gift is Handmade!

2011-06-29T08:00:00.001-06:00

****************************************

In other worded news: Addy started last night in 14th place and has dropped back to 17th in the Parent's Magazine cover contest. I know I'm just the mom but I think she's too cute for 17th place! If you voted yesterday, you can vote again today and every day until the 3rd. If she gets 1st in this round, she's in the top 10 for the final round. PLEASE HELP US PAY FOR ADDY'S COLLEGE BY CLICKING HERE AND VOTING! To all of you who posted the contest, tweeted about it and voted for her, thanks so much!

Shine

2011-06-28T08:00:00.005-06:00

I love my church.

Literally. I love it. I get sad when I miss a week and I have to watch the video online. The pastors at this church are amazing teachers. They're real people who can relate to the every day struggles of everyone else. There is no judgement in this church. They just lead people to a better way to live a life, a Godly way, a way that produces a more fulfilling life. They stand up every week and say stuff like, "ME TOO!" They just get it. This church gets it.

The church gives a lot of love to the people who haven't experienced a lot in their past. This includes single moms, people with disabilities, people who struggle with addiction, third world countries, and the like. Recently they put on a "prom" for all those who never got to experience one in their lives. It was open to anyone 16 and older that suffers from a disability. They accepted donations for the event as well as suit/tux and dress donations for the attendees. They transformed the church building into a real prom venue. The video brings me to tears. Check it out:

2011 Shine Recap from Flatirons Community Church on Vimeo.

This is what God is really about. It's NOT boring. It's NOT about shoving a religion down someone else's throat. It's NOT about passing judgement. It's NOT about living a perfect life. It's about loving each other in the way that God loves us.

************************************************
In other news, Addy was in 15th place at 12:00am in the Parents Magazine cover contest. If you voted yesterday, you can vote again today and every day until the 3rd. If she gets 1st in this round, she's in the top 10 for the final round. PLEASE HELP US PAY FOR ADDY'S COLLEGE BY CLICKING HERE AND VOTING! To all of you who posted the contest, tweeted about it and voted for her, thanks so much!

Cover Girl

2011-06-27T08:43:00.002-06:00

Last week, I randomly entered Addy in a cover contest for Parents Magazine.

What do you know that girl made the finalists!

She needs your votes, though.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR ADDY! *you'll have to vote and then fill in the security question after it as well. You can vote once a day until the 3rd of July! So please, please, please vote until your voting fingers can no longer click!

This is the picture that made the finals:

Also, thanks for any extra votes, tweets, facebook posts, etc. to get the word out. Anything and everything helps! Weekly winners win a cash prize and the grand prize is $10,000! Mommy and Daddy could use the college fund help!

Wordless Wednesday: Teething Baby

2011-06-22T09:11:00.000-06:00

4 Month Weigh-In

2011-06-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

It was a rough month, this month. I worked my booty off and not much of my booty actually came off. Let's just get to the nitty gritty, shall we?

So, the last time i had checked in, I had lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks bringing me to below my weight when I got pregnant with Addy. For some reason, I quickly gained 3 pounds the following week (which I am finding is par for the course in my weight-loss journey)...I gain every 3 or 4 weeks. I don't like the feeling of having to work for weeks to get back to normal, though and that's exactly what happened this month. After my gain, it took me 3 weeks to show another loss. SUCKS!

I did end up losing 2 lbs this week and I'm a total of 14 pounds down since I started in February. It's not coming off at the rate I'd like, but I'm happy to be taking up less room on this planet that I was last month!

Week 10: -1 lb

Week 11: +1 lb

Week 12: -2 lbs

Week 13: -1 lb

Week 14: +3 lbs

Week 15: -1 lb

Week 16: -2 lbs

Week 17: -0 lbs

Week 18: -2 lbs

I'm feeling a little down about how I look when I see pictures of myself (there were a lot this month). I'm ready to look smaller in my own brain.

Play Time Pictures

2011-06-20T08:00:00.001-06:00

Because the weather has been so gorgeous outside, we've been spending a lot of our days at the park, playing out back, running around out front, blowing bubbles, using sidewalk chalk, running in the sprinklers (we're WT like that) and taking walks/bike rides.

I love the summer! I love being active with these tots:

Boston (L) and Teagan (R) give hugs. I've noticed they're becoming more and more inseparable lately.

Boston (L) and Teagan (R) playing chase together.

Boston in her car. They love to fly down the driveway in these!

The girls are checking something out here. I think it's Addy's toy.

Aunt B has been really good about taking the girls to the park to play and feed the ducks this summer too!

We Did It!

2011-06-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Graduated!

On Saturday (June 11, 2011), M and I both grauduated with our Master's degree in Psychology (MSP).

I'm crossing this off of my life's to-do list and my 2011 "Get Right" goals TODAY!

I'll be going by "Master Lindsay" from now on, please take note.

This is an excellent picture of M and hideous of me, but I gotta post it because he looks so cute!

Walking across the stage to accept my fake-you-out diploma. Why not give the folders like they do in high school? The paper wasn't even the right size. Boooo.

Our program was literally last to be called so we were dang near the end of the line. We did it though.

Nobody looks good in those caps, but we did try!

M with his sisters Crystal and Brittany (or Aunt B as she is called in our house).

M's sisters and mom, Melanie. It was so good to have everyone there to support us!

Aaron and Dave.

Our amazing friends Kelly and Nate came to watch too. How nice is that? Love them.

Here we are. Done.

I can't believe I made it through this. During this program we moved twice (once from AZ to CO), we had a baby (I actually stayed in class during the birth and recovery...stupid, I don't recommend that), we raised twin toddlers, we worked full time, and we lost my mom (I stayed in class through that too and had a teacher that was none too kind about me missing homework for the funeral). It has been a lot of pressure but dropping out just wasn't an option. After that run, I know that if we can do it, anyone can do it. It's possible, you just have to try. You have to want it more than you want to stop.

Look at us now. I have a feeling we're both going to be back in another program within the next few months. We'll see where that will lead us.

I was really missing my mom's presence on Saturday. I imagined what she'd say and how she'd look at me when she saw me after the ceremony. I can hear her laugh in my head. I think I'm pretty spot-on. She would have been really proud to say that I did it. She would have bragged about it for sure. She would have been there to celebrate with us. I kept her with me though.

Dear Baby: Month 8

2011-06-16T08:00:00.001-06:00

Month 8 already? WOW!

Dear Addy,

Here you are at 8 months exactly:

You are such a joy, my little one. We just love you to pieces around here and don't know what we would ever do without you.

This month you really started loving solid foods. You eat Puffs like they're going out of style. Literally, if you're upset and we offer you Puffs, your mood turns right around. You're also not really opposed to anything we've offered you in the solid food department except fresh broccoli and the turkey dinner. Blah.

In this month you started sitting up on your own and crawling. You were doing it here and there last month, but this month, you make concentrated efforts to do so. The first time I saw you sit up, I looked at you in your monitor and there you were, happily sitting in your crib. Amazing. You crawl very fast and we have to always watch what you're finding on the floor to put in your mouth.

You're still sleeping with your eyes open at times, which is still as disturbing now as it was when I first saw you do it. You also still have to cry it out at night when you're particularly tired. It is becoming less and less frequent, however so I know we're really close to you being as good of a sleeper as your older Sissies.

Speaking of Sissies, they love you so much. They want to hug you, kiss you, love on you, make you laugh, get your attention, play with you and pray for you. You are their favorite toy.

You've grown fully into 9-month clothing this month. You're starting to slim out a bit and I can see your cute little rolls getting smaller and smaller. This kinda makes me sad because I love your baby-ness but I love watching you grow at the same time.

Right now your schedule looks like this:
7:30-8:00 Wake and breastfeed
8:00-9:30 Play
9:30-11:00 Nap #1
11:00-11:30 Wake and breastfeed
11:30 Solid Food #1 (rice cereal and fruit usually)
11:45-12:45 Play
12:45-2:00 Nap #2
2:00-2:30 Wake and breastfeed
2:30 Solid Food #2 (yogurt or fruit/veggie)
2:45-4:00 Play
4:00-5:00 Nap #3
5:00-5:15 Wake and Breastfeed
5:15 Solid Food #3 (rice cereal and veggie/protein usually)
5:30-7:00 Play
7:00 Formula
7:30 BED!

You're very good at your schedule. Most days, you love your naps. You're teething pretty good right now so I think that's putting some extra fussiness into the going down part but usually after a couple minutes, you're over it.

One thing you did this month that SHOCKED your daddy and I was start taking a pacifier. You refused them up until now. You don't suck your thumb or chew on your fingers, but you just picked up a discarded Soothie a couple of weeks ago and haven't let it go since. Funny. I've never heard of a baby starting a paci this late. You march to the beat of your own drummer already, Addy!

I love you so much for all the love and joy you bring to our family.

Love,

Mommy

Wordless Wednesday: Peek-A-Boo, I See You!

2011-06-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

Beer Me

2011-06-14T12:19:00.001-06:00

Here in Colorado we have a few luxuries that many other parts of the country do not:

1) Our water is perfect right out of the tap. No filter needed, no fancy contraptions, no R/O system. It's just good clean mountain water in my sink and in my hose. YUM.

2) The weather here is amazing. I love the cold in the winter, the few snow days we get, the beautiful spring and fall, the windows-open summers and the rapid changes in temperature. There's a saying here in CO that goes, "if you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes!" Yep, it changes that fast.

3) Our outdoor options are limitless. If you like to hike, we got that. If you like to ski, we got that. If you like to be on the lake, we got that. If you like to just sit outside and enjoy the mountain air, we got that, too. It's all within an hour or two. Every sport, every event and every outdoor activity is readily available here in this great state.

4) We have good beer. Like, really good beer. Not only does Colorado boast more breweries per capita than any other state in the United States, but we are also home to one of the largest concentrations of microbreweries (more than 100 in the state).

This weekend, my brothers, M, M's sister, and I headed out to take advantage of #1, #2, #3, and #4 on my "why I love Colorado" list. They were in town for M & my graduation ceremony and we decided we couldn't pass up the opportunity to go out.

We hit up a couple of Microbreweries here in Fort Collins for the afternoon. It was AWESOME!

Starting at Odell Brewing Company (which is my favorite now):

David, Me, Aaron before the tour.

We tried a few different flights of beer. My favorite we the 90 Shilling, Levity Amber and Cutthroat Nitro Porter.

As you can see, we didn't hate it.

M. How cute is he?

I highly recommend a stop at Odell if you're ever in Ft. Collins. The beer alone is enough but the whole place was awesome.

Michael and Crystal (his older sister) after the tour.

Dave and I in front of the sign. We're "those people!"

Odell had the best merch as well. All of their shirts were that super soft cotton blend and they have a great art direction. Very cool. I got a purple ringer tee. Can't wait to wash that bad boy and wear it!

Then we headed about a block down the road to New Belgium Brewing where Aaron was like a kid in a candy store. I don't think I've seen him so excited about something in a long time.

Aaron, Me, Dave

M and I posed for a picture as well.

Here, I very much enjoyed the seasonal brew, Somersault (which is a summer beer), and of course, Fat Tire.

M and I had been to New Belgium before and the beer is really good. It was very crowded though and I just liked the vibe at Odell better. All in all, we sampled some great beer and paid next to nothing for an afternoon of fun.

Wordless Wednesday: Play Time

2011-06-08T07:19:00.000-06:00

Call It Short On Time...

2011-06-07T08:47:00.001-06:00

or call it lazy?

Whatever the reason, I haven't had a lot of "project time" in the last few years and many have been pushed to the back of the to-do list. I stayed up many late nights this week to finish this one, though. I didn't want my 4th anniversary to roll around this year without having this book in the house. Plus, I bought the Blurb Groupon and wanted to make sure that I used that bad boy!

Wedding Book: FINISHED. Boom!

Has it really been 3 and a half years and 3 kids since this day? I can't believe it. I am most definitely more in love today than I was on my wedding day and that, my friends, is a WIN!

I combined the pictures from Jenny, Sue, and Adam/Elizabeth to create this book. Lucky to have talented friends!!!

Here are a few close-ups of the 2-page spreads and below you can see a quick flip-through of all of them.

Signing our marriage license

Our prayer and the kiss

The shoe game...it was a hit!

i like Boston

2011-06-02T08:00:00.002-06:00

It's Boston's turn for some "I like's" from her book:

From Mommy:
I like...that you asked me for an extra hug and kiss tonight at bedtime.

I like...how you said "more crackers? WOOHOO!" today, so cute!

I like...how you told me your name is "Fossin" today.

I like...how I can see myself in certain looks that you give me.

I like...that when Teagan tries to take something from you, you give it to her.

I like...how fast you run. You have always been really fast.

I like...how you beg me to chase you around the basement.

I like...how you call ice cream "ike-sream."

I like...how you say "oopsie" when something goes wrong or you hit something accidentally.

From Daddy:
I like...that I said "you look like a princess" once and now everything is a princess!

I like...that you want to hold my ring when I put lotion on you.

I like...that you sat through your first movie in the theatre-RIO. You sat next to me and I gave you snacks.

I like...that you can't stop loving dogs. They are your weakness!

I like...that you can always make Addy laugh.

I like...how you slept holding hands with Teagan.

I like...how you are typically first to sleep and last to wake up.

i like Teagan

2011-05-31T08:55:00.000-06:00

Another installment of some of the "i like" highlights from Teagan's book (we started on Jan 1) as she nears 2 and a half years old.

From Mommy:
i like...how you tell me your name is "Teagan Eyizbef" (Teagan Elizabeth).

i like...how happy you were to take a guest downstairs to see your toys.

i like...how brave and sweet to others you were at the playground today.

i like...how you always want bites of my food (even if you have the same thing on your plate).

i like...how adorable you look with pigtails in your hair.

i like...that you look at me out of the corner of your eye-sly like.

i like...how photogenic you are! You are so beautiful-i love you!

i like...that you love morning cartoon and snuggle time.

From Daddy:
i like...when you get excited-you fake laugh with your hands covering your face and showing your teeth.

i like...how you like to say "hi" and "bye" to EVERYONE!

i like...that lately when i go in your room at night to turn off your radio, i give you a kiss on the cheek and you get the biggest smile.

i like...that you risked getting out of bed to get me and mommy when Boston was sick.

i like...that you take my hand and say "c'mon daddy!"

i like...that you put your hands under my chin and clearly said, "i love you."

i like...that you want to sleep with a boogie wipe (grape).

i like...that you don't get scared of animals. You loved them and you loved the mounted moose at Carlene's house.

i like...how you try to show Kennedy how to jump.

i like my husband

2011-05-30T08:00:00.003-06:00

It's true.

He's a blessing to me from God every day. Even on the days I don't particularly understand him or get along with him; his presence in my life is a gift. He is my partner day-in and day-out. We started our "I Like Book" on Valentine's Day this year and I thought I'd share a few of the blurbs I recorded about him!

I like...the look in your eyes when you play with your girls

I like...how you and Teagan gave me the same "can we?" look when you had her up late.

I like...how happy you are to be home after work.

I like...how you said you've been missing my mom-so thankful you knew her.

I like...how you stayed home today and slept in with me.

I like...how you tell me all the details of your work day.

I like...that you ask God to "say hi to Ninny and tell her we love her" at night with the girls during prayer time.

I like...your chest. It's so perfect and beautiful! It's my favorite part!

I like...how you like to be a hands-on dad in public too!

I like...how others confide in you.

I like...that you still let me lay on you to watch TV.

I like...traveling with you.

If a Tree Falls...

2011-05-27T09:19:00.004-06:00

...in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

I am a tree.

I don't think I quite realized how much I depended on my mom to be my sounding board. To care where I was and what I was doing. To share the little milestones that the girls pass through. M and I are standing at the precipice of some big life changes and there isn't a person in the world that will be affected by the changes I am making. I would usually call my mom and tell her "hey, this is what we're thinking..." She would pass some judgement right away and at least I would know it was because she loved me...because what I do affects her life too, even as a grown adult.

I'm carrying on with my life as normal (even living to a higher potential at this point), but there is a gaping hole inside me and what I do seems to matter a little less than it did before. I know this isn't all happy-happy and I realize that my "I miss my mom" posts and comments are probably becoming tiresome. I just can't seem to get to that place where I'm feeling happy for the memories instead of feeling my heart break. The sound hurts my ears when I come to the daily realization that she's never going to call me again. She's never going to share my life moments with me again. I'll never share hers. I feel angry, jealous, frustrated, and sad all at the same time when I see a mother and grown daughter out for coffee or shopping. For some reason the last month or so my brain has been forgetting she's gone and is telling me, "oh, I should call mom about this" or "get the phone, that might be her and we haven't talked in a while." Yep, 7 months to be exact...going on 50 years.

At this point, we can add the fact that a bomb went off within the family in January (as I was told more than once will happen when someone dies). I learned that blood really is thicker than water...no exceptions. I didn't expect it but I do accept it because, well, I cannot change it. My brothers and I are holding tight to one another, but that's about all that's left from the wreckage. I am furiously clinging to everything that I have from my mom and that includes my brothers. It's the physical "things" I have from her and that were hers that make me feel close to her at this point. I do realize it's just stuff but when I wear a shirt that was hers, I remember the small details of her. When I wear her perfume, I can vividly picture her. When I see my girls play her piano, I know she would have been happy. I haven't put the pictures of her up yet. I'm not ready I guess.

She ~~was~~ is my mom; the only one I'll ever have. She is the only person in my life who unconditionally loved me and believed in me (even if it wasn't logical). I can never replace that part of my life or her role in my life. You only get one mom. For some of you, this role may be played by two parents. You are blessed, my friend. Call your parents and tell them how much you love them and let them tell you too. Let the words they say to you wash over your entire body like the blessing that they are.

Look, here's the truth. I still cry every day. I don't want to. I try not to. I do it mostly in the quiet times and almost every time I'm in the car alone. I think it's a silence-induced cry. I'll also be honest and let you know that I am hiding these tears as much as I can. My daughters don't like it or understand it when I cry in front of them (I remember seeing my mom cry a few times in my life and I did NOT like that feeling at all...even as an adult). I know I can cry in front of M, but I also know he has an innate desire to be able to "fix" me and that's just not possible.

Tomorrow's my birthday. I literally want to skip it. Birthdays weren't even a big deal in my house but there's a card that's missing in my mailbox. There's a call that's not going to come through to my phone. There's just some happy missing in "happy birthday" this year.

I've heard a few people say, "she's watching you" or "she's there with you." Biblically (which is where I derive my information), I can't find anything to back that up. I'm having a hard time grasping the concept that she's in such a place of divine worship and love that she does not care what's happening to me or my brothers or my family. Part of me rejoices at that fact and part of me is really saddened by it. How messed up is this?

One thing I know, she's there. Heaven is her home; where she longed to be all her life. She's hearing that sweet, sweet music and she's where God wants her. I know it. I also know that I'll see her again one day; that day just seems like a really long time to wait. I have heard that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I don't like testing the the theory.

For The Love

2011-05-26T08:28:00.001-06:00

...of photography

I took some pictures of some of my friends' kids the other day. Thought I'd share:

Caroline

Sophia

Logan

Haiden

Taking pictures of kids is challenging...really challenging, but if you can capture that "moment," it's so worth the fight. All the "smile, look here, see this, look at Elmo, and hey you's" adds up to a few shots that a mom would love to have. It's a permanent reminder of a very special time in a mom's life...when her kids are kids. You can't stop time unless you hold a camera.

I think I'll start doing more of this!

Wordless Wednesday: Weight Watchers Breakfast of Champions

2011-05-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Pin This!

2011-05-24T08:00:00.002-06:00

Pinterest.

The best thing since Facebook.

That's right, I said it!

Love it? Need it? Pin It.

I've found some of the coolest, most inspiring, fun, mind-melting things on this site.

Stuff like this:

Coffee Joules: keep your coffee 140 degrees for up to 5 hours. This is real, people!

Phone socket: GENIUS!

Scotch-a-roos: Seriously? What's not to love?

Homemade Tap Shoes: what's a little more noise, I always say!

ABC Print: love these colors

Kids Tithing, Saving, & Spending Banks: Do it!

New tattoo ideas: coming to a foot near you!

These drapes: I need 'em.

Playhouse Table Slipcover: Little girl bliss.

Great photography: I need a lesson.

Yellow and Gray: It's gonna happen!

Laundry tower: YEP!

Creative Photography: It's a good thing!

Front Door Wreath: Sometimes tacky, but not like this!

Store sheets in pillow cases: Why, yes, please!

See what I mean? This barely scratches the surface of the coolness that is Pinterest. Get into it.

Come see me over there: Lindsay's Pin Boards

On the Walls

2011-05-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

Recently, I've been on the hunt for some artwork to put up in the house. I'm starting in my bedroom because the walls are bare and since we're renting, I can't exactly paint them. Makes me miss my house in Chandler so much. I love that house.

Over the past months I found a few pieces that I LOVE to hang up around the house, starting with this one:

When Time Stands Still by Cindy Thornton

We hung this one on the wall in our room that leads to our bathroom. I seriously love this! We are going orange/green/blue in the master and this was so perfect. I love this artist. I've been a big fan for a few years and finally decided we need a piece in our house (or two)! Here's a closer look at the painting:

Cool, eh? I would have a whole house full of her stuff because some of it just speaks to me.

We put these two prints above our bed.

I originally saw "Fetch" on the wall of a set in one of our favorite shows, "Rules of Engagement." When I found it, I knew just where to put it. Adds a little fun to an otherwise very grown-up room.

Here is a closer look:

Finally, I got this print (also by Cindy Thornton) to frame for Mom's piano:

With Love III by Cindy Thornton

To me, it perfectly represents my mom, brothers, and I while at the same time representing Ninny with her three granddaughters. It makes me smile.

What artists are you guys into these days? I'm always on the lookout!

Wordless Wednesday: Identical Twins

2011-05-18T15:55:00.000-06:00

Baby Lifestyles Feature

2011-05-16T23:49:00.000-06:00

This week, the twins' original nursery was features on Babylifestyles.com. It was a part of their "Real Nursery" feature. I thought that was pretty cool!

I was flattered to be asked and tickled to relive the days creating this room in anticipation of Teagan and Boston. So much worry...so much anticipation...such a huge blessing those girls are!

Wordless Wednesday: Forced Love!

2011-05-11T09:18:00.000-06:00

3 Month Weigh-In

2011-05-10T08:00:00.002-06:00

Well, here we are again. Just out of my third month on the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus system. Let's see how it went, shall we?

When we left off, I was just about to hit that 10-pounds-lost mark. What do you know I did it the next week and then promptly gained another pound before losing another 3 by month's end.

Week 10: -1 lb

Week 11: +1 lb

Week 12: -2 lbs

Week 13: -1 lb

Total Weight Loss: 12 pounds

I've been pretty diligent with the exception of a few "no-count days." While the progress never seems fast enough, I am happy to report that as of Friday, I was one pound lighter than I was when I got pregnant with Addy.

BOOM!

Dear Baby: Month 7

2011-05-09T08:55:00.000-06:00

On the back end of the monthly letters for my little Addy. Love this little one.

Dear Kennedy,

This is what you looked like at 7-months:

Adorable to say the least! This month your personality really started to shine through. You're recognizing what you do and do not like. You're letting us know very expressively what you want or do not want. You laugh, you cry, you smile, you coo, you are a love!

You started eating real solid foods at 6-months and at first, you were not a fan. You only liked carrots and avocado at first (and only mixed with rice cereal). Slowly, but surely you adjusted to the solid foods but you still refuse to eat fresh, homemade broccoli.

This month, you traveled to Arizona with Daddy and I to visit family and friends. You were so well behaved. We never have problems with you as far as getting off schedule goes. You're still a cry-it-out baby at night time but you did amazingly well as soon as we blocked off your pack-n-play from your view of us. While we were in Arizona visiting Nanny (your Daddy's grandma), you started crawling on the floor!!! It was WAY past your bedtime but you were happily playing away and actually crawled to some toys. YAY!

Since then, we've had to give up all of the stationary play mats and gyms because you're not staying in one place anymore. You can crawl anywhere you want to go, fast!

You're getting so big and starting to thin out a little bit as well. You're still in 6 month clothes and some 9 month clothes as well. I've been a slacker mommy and haven't taken you to your well-baby checkup at the doctor's office yet but as soon as I do, I'll write down your measurements.

You're such a fun baby, Addy. I love having you in my life. I can't wait to see what this next month will bring us. You're my joy!

Love,

Mommy

A Mother's Prayer

2011-05-08T10:26:00.001-06:00

Today I am taking some time to be supremely thankful for M and my 3 girls who made me a mom. These 4 make up my world (which is crazy, full, loud, disorganized, imperfect and yet, perfect)!

My family. I just want to freeze time some days, you know?

I am thankful for the 30 years I got to spend with my mom. Mother's Day was always a time for my brothers and I to get together to make her laugh and publicly embarrass her. It was awesome. Really missing her today, of course, but so glad to have the memories. She taught me so much more than I could have ever known with her here. I've learned a lot since October 21.

My mom and I with the twins on my first Mother's Day! What a difference 2 years has made in my life.

I know this has made it's rounds but with the exception of the tattoo part (they can have them but they better be smart about it...it's a new generation, people), I pray the same things for my girls! Plus, it's just really good writing:

A Mother’s Prayer for Her Child By Tina Fey

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short - a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day - And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Happy Mother's Day, Y'all!

Documenting Relationships

2011-05-06T10:57:00.002-06:00

M, Addy, and I went to Arizona to visit Michael's family recently (the twins stayed behind with their Aunt B). While we were there we tried to see as many of the people that we love as possible within the 2 short days. That includes our friends in addition to family time. Of course, we missed some but I did manage to squeeze in a few drinks with a group of girlfriends and a short visit with my "adopted big sister," Kim Mahr.

I know I've written about how much I love her in the past but it seems that with every hard situation that life hands her, she impresses me just a little bit more...and when I say "hard situation," I really mean "situation that would bring most women to their knees." She consistently handles herself with class and always has her priorities straight, even when it's hard. She's a great role model as a woman, a friend, a mother, and a survivor. I literally don't have a bad thing to say about her and I love her dearly. I am lucky to know her.

Besides all that? She's talented. Oh. So. Talented. Well, I'll just let the photos speak for themselves (I have my watermark on most of them because I don't have hers on my computer but I didn't really make these, she did, obviously):

Let's just take a moment to pause and talk about how hot my husband is...yep, okay, you may proceed!

I don't have a ton of pictures with Addy because life gets in the way. I was really excited that Kim said she'd do a little mini shoot for us. I just wanted some of M and I with our baby like we have with her older sisters. It's important to document these relationships. What I wouldn't give to have pictures like this of me with my mom when I was a baby.

Thanks Kim!

Wordless Wednesday: iMac, Do You?

2011-05-04T10:28:00.000-06:00

Read: Water for Elephants

2011-05-02T21:37:00.000-06:00

Water for Elephants (2006) by Sara Gruen

I flew through this book just like M told me I would and I loved every word of it (as did he). I'm so glad it was on my TOP 100 BOOKS list!

I actually wanted to slow down and savor the book but the movie was coming out the week I read it, which caused me just to read it faster so that I could enjoy the movie as well. Side note: Movie was good but veered from the book quite a bit.

The funny thing about this book is that I can't put my finger on exactly what I liked about it. The writing flowed really well, which was great but other than that I can't decide what I loved. The plot wasn't overly dramatic, there wasn't a ton of action, the hero and heroine aren't overly lovable and the villain, though I wished him ill, wasn't overly horrible. Don't mistake me though, the book was awesome.

Did any of you feel the same way? Maybe you can articulate exactly what it is that is so enticing. It was just a really good read. I was instantly captivated by the era and the circus theme. I ate it up. Literally, I read this book in about 4 days, which might not sound like much but in my busy world, it was as fast as I could read it!

I highly recommend this book to you all. I'm giving it 5 out of 5 stars. Grab yourself a cup of tea (or coffee as it may be), a blanket and eat this one up this weekend!

"Happy Eassser!"

2011-04-26T22:28:00.002-06:00

Happy Easter 2011!

Had our first of many Easter Egg Hunts this year. We also carried on the tradition my family started years ago of having a few major catastrophes.

You'll thank me for skipping the pictures of this part of the story! On the evening before Easter we went to Flatirons for church to celebrate. During the day both Boston and Teagan had some, shall we say, stomach issues (related to a strange Strawberry allergy) resulting in a few really messy "accidents." We were sure there was no way they could possibly expel any more bodily fluids by the time the afternoon rolled around. Between our house and church we used up all the clothes we had for the girls which resulted in the need for a new outfit from the nearby Walmart (thank you $1 jeans). Still determined to get to church, we dropped the girls off at Sunday School with no backup outfits (who goes through 4 in a day?). When we returned to pick them up we found a near naked Boston and what can only be described as a saint, cleaning her off. Needless to say, Boston made the drive home without any clothes on. It's a great moment in parenthood when you walk your child out of a public place not clothed (we're talking not even socks and shoes). Michael and I laughed thinking about the stories my mom shared about the Easter debacles my brothers and I took part in when we were growing up. Michael thinks she was laughing at us.

On Easter Sunday we woke up and tore through the Easter Baskets as a family.

The Twins' Easter Baskets contained jewelry, new PJ's, a puzzle, a movie, some play food, a light up egg toy, a 3D ViewMaster, and a few M&M's. Daddy got Modern Family. Aunt B got some candy goods. Mommy got a Kindle Gift Card. That Easter Bunny rocked it this year.

Boston went right for the new bracelets!

Teagan didn't waste time getting all done up before opening the rest of the basket.

We also made an awesome breakfast to share (pancakes with real maple syrup, eggs cooked to order, bacon, OJ, english muffins). As you can see, the Easter curse strikes again in the form of flying pancake batter. YEP.

ugh...

We tried to get a few group shots in the new Easter duds but nope, Addy seems to be the only one who will cooperate with the photo-taking.

Addy. Freaking adorable, Addy.

Trying to steal Teagan's new Princess keys from Teagan.

After naps, we spent the day with our adopted Colorado Family, the Andersons and the Blocks (Alexis, we're officially calling you an Anderson at this point).

At 2.5, all 4 of the girls were totally game to hunt down some goodie-stuffed eggs to put into their baskets. Man, holidays get a whole new meaning when you get to live it through your kids! They had so much fun running around and sticking those eggs in the baskets!

The girls with their besties Sophia and Caroline Block at the Egg Hunt starting line with the Dads.

Boston passed up the few distractor eggs at the starting line for the open field in front of her.

The race is on! (Boston on Left, Teagan on Right)

Boston found all of the eggs hidden in the flower pots. She's not fooled by no Easter Bunny.

Boston

Teagan with one full bucket of eggs.

It was great to see the girls get into the holiday! We are blessed (catastrophes and all).

Easter wouldn't be complete with out a big "THANK YOU" to Jesus for taking on the sins of the world and rising again on the third day, just as he said he would!

As the girls would say, "Happy Easser" everyone!

Unexpected

2011-04-25T08:00:00.001-06:00

A few weekends ago, M and I packed up the girls and headed to Colorado Springs for what promised to be a weekend outdoors and together as a family. We did spend time together but the outdoors part? Not so much. The weather kept us from hiking around the Garden of the Gods and the Cheyenne Zoo (which we promised the girls multiple times...oops).

At one point between the snow showers, we decided to take a little look into the Air Force Academy. It's just so beautiful right up against the mountains. Pristine grounds, of course. We hiked the quarter mile with the girls to see the Chapel. They loved running around on the trail and I was not prepared for how beautiful this chapel was.

Well, I'll just say that the pictures do no justice...

The outside of the chapel can be seen from really far away in town. It's very impressive up close.

It's tough to make out but there is a very large cross hanging from the ceiling at the front of the chapel. It looks like a gigantic sword. Really breathtaking.

My mom would have loved seeing the huge organ at the back of the chapel. I didn't hear it but I can imagine that thing fills the room with some serious sound!

I literally lost my breath a little bit when I walked in. The colors are unimaginable. Really, this stop turned out to be a highlight of the trip. So glad we didn't miss it. We sat in the front pew and said a little prayer while we were there as a family. It was a good moment. God definitely had a hand in the making of this place.

Addy, Right Now

2011-04-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

In an effort to preserve her baby-ness:

She gets less pictures and videos than her sisters did at this age. Poor Addy. Doesn't mean she's any less lovable! We parents are just short on time and energy these days.

This little one makes me smile so big, sometimes I even cry happy tears.

Wordless Wednesday: Must-Have Heels After a Nap!

2011-04-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

Dear Baby: Month 6

2011-04-12T08:00:00.003-06:00

Seriously? No really, seriously? 6 months?

I was warned that the time goes flying by with the second (or in this case third) child, but there's no way to prepare for this kind of time warp.

Dear Addy,

Here is what you look like on your 6-month birthday!

One half year has come and gone. I cannot believe it. It has literally flown by me. I feel like maybe I haven't soaked in enough of your babyness. I find myself holding you back from the milestones I was so quick to push on your sisters (solid foods, sleeping all night, pushing you to reach the next development). I wish you could remain this tiny forever. Then again, I could use some communication and I'm so glad to finally hit the stage with Boston and Teagan where we can do that. I know you're going to be talking up a storm in no time. I need to savor this time with you. Love each little finger grab. Love each face touch. Love each giggle. Love each new discovery about you.

This month you started sitting on your own. Amazing. You're so strong; you can actually do a sit-up to get yourself into the sitting position if the conditions are right. Of course, your balance isn't perfect yet so you fall a lot but you've really mastered the sitting thing this month and you'd rather be sitting than laying down (which has caused a slight sleep issue when you wake up and want to be sitting up). You can also army crawl your way around a room if you need to. You can pull yourself across your crib and if you see a remote or a toy you want, you'll pull yourself to it. You haven't quite mastered getting your knees under yourself to properly crawl yet, but it's coming soon!

You moved to rice cereal twice a day this month. Little Fatty McFat. You don't miss a meal, little one! You love to eat and are becoming much more restless during our nursing time (which is still about every 3 hours during the day). You love to look around, play around, talk and have a party when you should be concentrating on eating.

You really found your voice this month. You blabber away and laugh all the time. You like to talk to me, Daddy, Aunt B and your sisters. You scream at us if we're not moving fast enough to get your food to you or your toy. You're loud.

This month you started putting your thumb in your mouth but you don't suck your thumb regularly. By this time, your sisters had mastered the thumb, so I'm thinking you may not be a thumb-sucker! Right now this is hard because you don't take a pacifier either which makes soothing you a little tough but I'll be glad when it's braces time for your older siblings. I think your thumb chewing may be due to teething but nothing has popped through yet, so I'm not sure!

One thing that you did this month that I am really not a big fan of is sleeping with your eyes open. Yes, that's right. You sleep with your eyes open sometimes. It really freaks me out. The first time you did it I was so freaked out that I woke you up to try to get you to go back down with your eyes closed. No dice. Sometimes I go into your room to see you staring off into the abyss and after I check to make sure you're still alive I realize you're totally asleep. Mommy no likey. Totally scary. Here's a picture of you sleeping with wide open eyes from your monitor:

Your sisters still call you Addy and "Kenneny" and Sissy. You love to interact with them. They try to tickle you and love on you a lot during the day. I just know you guys are going to have so much fun together during your lives. We call you call you "Fat McFat" and "Addykins" a lot. Mostly, though, we just call you Addy. It fits you perfectly.

You're just my little joy. I see you getting bigger every day and it makes me sad to know we won't have a baby in this house again. You're it. I'm giving you extra hugs this month! I love you!

Love,

Mommy

I have daughters

2011-04-11T08:00:00.017-06:00

I think a lot about how tricky it is to raise girls.

It's different for boys, it just is.

Girls are so fragile.

Delicate.

Even the girls with tough exteriors can be broken with simple words. Or no words at all.

I want to raise girls with a self-esteem that radiates out of them. The infectious kind. Not the fake kind of self-esteem where you feel the need to build yourself up, but the real kind. The kind of self-esteem that speaks when they look at themselves in the mirror, when they're standing in a group of other women, when they get dressed in the morning, when they walk through the doors of their school, when someone cuts them down. It's the kind of self-acceptance that speaks without words. People just notice it.

There was a girl that went to my high school (who I did not know), but there was something about her that made me just want to know her. She wasn't overly beautiful, she wasn't tall and slender, she wasn't the most talented person in the school. There was something about her though that made everyone want to be her friend (guys and girls). I don't know why I still remember her except that she radiated healthy self-esteem. She was who she was. She made no apologies. She wasn't held down by what most high school students are. It's pretty cool to look back and realize that a healthy self-image was what made her so iresistable.

It's rare, huh?

How sad.

I am going to do my best to build my girls up so that they have the inner-strength to fight everything around them that tells them they're not good enough, not pretty enough, not rich enough, not thin enough, not cute enough, just not enough. I have to change my mindset. I have to change my natural instinct to expect more. I have to change my thinking. I have to change the words that I say to my girls. I have to be less critical. I have to stop expecting perfection. I'm going to fail sometimes. I have to have the willpower to keep trying.

Mommy and Addy

Teagan, Boston and Mommy

Admittedly, I feel "not enough" sometimes. Clearly, right? A good part of me is dieting so that I remain healthy but there is another part of me that is dieting so that I can stand in a room of beautiful people and not feel bad about myself. Part of me is dieting so that I can look in the mirror and smile on more days than I frown. If I wasn't happy about how I looked before I had 3 kids in 2 years, I sure ain't happy now. Can you relate? I remember the harsh words but so easily forget the positive ones. I wasn't going to post those pictures of me with the girls because, well, they're not exactly flattering but why shouldn't I? Those girls are adorable.

I'm working on being a little more gentle with myself but I think a lot of how I feel has to do with how I was raised. Love my mom, but that woman was critical. She was critical of me as her mom (and dad) were of her. My grandmother was critical of my mom just as her mom was of her. I know this because I knew all of them. Guess what, it's not just the media that tells us that we're not good enough. Even the people that love us unconditionally do it and they don't do it out of hate. They do it out of love sometimes. That doesn't mean it hurts any less. Within weeks of Addy being born and my mom passing away, I had 3 people (family even) comment on my weight like I didn't know what the scale said. It's hard to get those critical voices out of my head.

Saw this video today and it broke my heart a little bit but I get it.

Naturally Critical from Stephanie Ifill on Vimeo.

I could list a whole lot more things I'd change about myself than what I love. I hope I don't have to say the same for my girls. I want my girls to love who they are, who God made them. Beautiful, inside and out.

It starts with me.

Boston, Teagan & Kennedy, if you're reading this years from now. You are beautiful. You are perfect just the way you are. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. I love you.

1 Samuel 16:7 But God told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart."

2 Month Weigh-In

2011-04-08T09:15:00.000-06:00

Well, here I am, 2 months into the Weight Watchers Points Plus system.

I'm happy to report, I'm doing well right now. I'm down 9 pounds in 2 months. (which puts me at 30 pounds down since November).

Today I'm happy. I'm only 2 pounds away from my pre-Addy weight. I am still feeling like I can lose 20 pounds beyond that number by the end of the year.

This month was rocky, however. At one point my weight shot up (again, it was that time of the month) after a week of no loss and I was feeling really down. I felt like maybe this wasn't going to work for me (I notice that I go to extremes when I feel disappointed). Additionally, I've had some digestive issues the last couple of weeks that have put a damper on my working out. Hopefully that will clear out soon. I can't describe how annoying it is to work diligently at something for weeks only to see adverse effects and not be able to work out on top of it. YUCK.

This week, though, the weight all came off plus a pound. Boom!

I was feeling pretty low last week and I'm happy to feel much more positive today!

Here's my journey so far
Week 1: -3 lbs (daily points allotment went down)
Week 2: -0 lbs
Week 3: -3 lbs
Week 4: +1 lbs
Week 5: -2 lbs
Week 6: -1 lb
Week 7: -0 lbs
Week 8: +4 lbs (daily points allotment went down)
Week 9: -5 lbs

I'm about to hit that 10 pound star on my chart! Hopefully you'll see that next month. My daily points value went down this last week when Addy started eating solid foods, which sucks! I am getting used to it though. I know it's going to go down again when Addy stops nursing, so I'm enjoying the extra few points while I can.

How is your weight loss journey going?

How to cope

2011-03-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

Dieting. It's not fun.

There are a few things that get me through. I have a sweet tooth and there's no way a diet is going to work for an extended period of time if I don't satisfy the part of me that actually likes to eat food, with flavor and sometimes sugar. And so, I plan my day accordingly. I have yet to "cheat" on Weight Watchers simply because I can have something sweet if I want to and I can eat pasta as long as I plan for it.

Here are the things that are helping me so far:

Weight Watchers Online

I can find recipes, look up food values, track my daily water, dairy, vegetable/fruit, multivitamin, and oil intake, read articles, track my weight and measurements, and plan my day.

Weight Watchers iPhone App

I can track point values on the go as well!

Grapefruit

Grapefruit raises your metabolism and it's the way I start my day. I was given specific teaching on how to properly cut and eat a grapefruit by my mother. I add a tiny sprinkle of sugar on top. YUM!

Camelbak Water Bottles

I love this water bottle. It has the oz markers on it so I know how much I've consumed. I have to drink at least 2 of these a day and these bottles make it easy. The water comes out quickly too rather than slowly like it does through a normal straw.

3 Musketeers 2-to-go packs

The 3 Musketeers Bar. It's low in fat and much easier on the points value than most sugary treats. I love them from the freezer. These 2-to-go packs have smaller bars in them and only cost 5 points. I use it as my dessert most nights.

One-a-Day Chewable Multivitamin

I'm really not good at taking pills. In fact, I tend to throw them right back up half of the time for some reason. Because of this, I avoid taking medicine at all costs. Like, I didn't take any pain meds after 1 day in the hosiptal following my c-sections. The nurses looked at me like I was crazy. Whatever. I don't like 'em, so I don't take 'em. I did find this chewable multivitamin for adults that I love. They actually taste good!

Chewable Fish Oil

More chewy goodness...of the fish oil variety. Not the best thing I've ever eaten but a whole lot better than those horse pills they usually come in!

Lindsay Teague Moreno

The Crafty Bug

Special Places Giveaway WINNER

Project Life: a couple more layouts

Time Suck Central, an AZ freebie & a Giveaway!

Project Life: An update

Lindsay's State of the Union Address

Project Life: Believe It or Not...

T'was the Night Before Christmas

Merry Christmas 2011

If I Had a Million Dollars...

We're 4!

Dear Baby: Month 12

Dear Baby: Month 11

Did You Know? **big news**

Juggling

Begging for a Canvas...

Halloween Decor

Wordless Wednesday: A Baby Changes Everything

Cash for Trash Vol. 2

Wordless Wednesday: Big Purple Chair

It's a Sweet Sound...

Cash for Trash

Wordless Wednesday: Us 5ive

Dear Baby: Month 10

Wordless Wednesday: I Don't Make My Bed!

How To: Create and Use Watermarks in Photoshop

Wordless Wednesday: Tiny Dancers

Wordless Wednesday: Grandmas Can't Be Replaced

"Everybody's A Molester"

Dear Baby: Moth 9

Weight Watchers: The Catch Up

Still Here...

Wordless Wednesday: A Very Good Day

Wordless Wednesday: A Fleeting Moment of Stillness (Boston)

5ive Photo

Happy Birthday From Mom

Wordless Wednesday: The Best Kind of Gift is Handmade!

Shine

Cover Girl

Wordless Wednesday: Teething Baby

4 Month Weigh-In

Play Time Pictures

We Did It!

Dear Baby: Month 8

Wordless Wednesday: Peek-A-Boo, I See You!

Beer Me

Wordless Wednesday: Play Time

Call It Short On Time...

i like Boston

i like Teagan

i like my husband

If a Tree Falls...

For The Love

Wordless Wednesday: Weight Watchers Breakfast of Champions

Pin This!

On the Walls

Wordless Wednesday: Identical Twins

Baby Lifestyles Feature

Wordless Wednesday: Forced Love!

3 Month Weigh-In

Dear Baby: Month 7

A Mother's Prayer

Documenting Relationships

Wordless Wednesday: iMac, Do You?

Read: Water for Elephants

"Happy Eassser!"

Unexpected

Addy, Right Now

Wordless Wednesday: Must-Have Heels After a Nap!

Dear Baby: Month 6

I have daughters

2 Month Weigh-In

How to cope

Did You Know? big news