January 4, 2016

I always joke that my catch phrase is "I don't claim to be a good parent" not that I truly believe that but when I let my kids do something others might not I revert to the "I don't claim to be a good parent" line! My instagram photo tonight is a perfect example....

Now she only watched about half the girls get out of the limo so we'll see how inappropriate they get. Hopefully they keep their act together!  #teamBecca

January 3, 2016

We woke up to a dusting of white! Lots of my out of state friends will think we are crazy but it wasn't just a dusting of snow it was a bit of ice. A fairly easy drive to church  where the kids were called to serve at mass! I don't normally take my phone or a camera with me but I wanted to get a picture of the alter all decorated before they took it down.

The kids weren't scheduled to serve at mass this weekend so it appears that they pulled a few of the kids at mass today to carry the torches.

A picture of church from the vestibule.  Not the clearest photo but I was trying to be quick; it's not that often that after mass there are barely anyone sitting in church. With the nasty ice and tiny bit of snow it was pretty empty!

I love the church all decorated for Christmas and it always seems so bare after its all taken down! This year I missed out in getting a picture of the kids standing in front of the alter while it was all decorated.  

The kids did play outside for a while.  Nothing like a little driveway sledding on ice! The neighbors driveway workef great for sledding.  (Hope they didn't mind that the kids used it) They could make it down their driveway and clear across the street! Then they were off to the new neighborhood park (or it sounds like the street the park was on).

We did venture out later in the day (Bella was very excited to go get the guinea pigs new little wooden sleep houses).  The roads weren't bad at all when we went out but we were on pretty well traveled roads at that point. By the time it was time to get the garbage around they had called Todd off from work and the road was pretty much a sheet of ice. So it looks like Todd will be driving me to work and maybe my boss can even give me a ride home!  =) I'm sure the kids will have a snow day too! Looks like we will know that at 5 am tomorrow morning! 

January 2, 2016

Merry Christmas to me! I got this great nail polish rack to put my Young Living Oils in! They fit perfectly! Now I think we will have to get a second one for just the nail polishes. I've got room for brand new oils that we can use or can be sold. Now to go take some of my oils to fight this cold I came down with last night/today!

January 1, 2016

Happy New Year! E stayed at a friends house with his buddies and Dad headed to bed just a little before midnight so Bella and I rang in the new year together! Nothing fancy just watched the ball drop and the neighbors setting off huge fireworks!  Then Bella was off to bed too! Thankfully everyone slept in on New Years Day! 

The last few years it seems we have spent New Years Day just relaxing around the house and going to dinner!  This year we went to McGrath's! Bella and I had to get a quick selfie before we left!

Many blessings this new year!

2 year difference

A neglected blog! I thought maybe I could post a few family pictures and a place to talk about my Young Living Oils! So I thought it fitting to show an Outfit of the Day photo since that was the last post I did!

Nothing like changing and growing up in a 2 year span! This photo was taken Summer of 2014. Definitely all girl, loves her make up, watching YouTube videos on make up and fashion.

This was the last photo taken in August of 2012! What a difference two years can make! I love how her sense of style has grown and changed (for the better) over the past two  years and how it continues to change! Yes there are not so good videos on YouTube but she has picked some good ones to watch and they have taught her some great habits like washing your face (and showering),  just general taking care of yourself stuff, some basic make up stuff (only worn on rare occasions or when Dad doesn't notice on school mornings LOL), and eating healthy. Oh the things she comes up and asks to buy at the store after watching her videos (usually all good stuff).   We all know that hearing you should do something from someone else is much better than hearing it from your mom! 

Outfit of the Day...

For whatever reason I decided to check my blog and realized it had been a YEAR since my last post! Seriously the worst blogger ever!! Then when I noticed my last post was an Outfit of the Day post, I figured it was only fitting I made a blog post today with a photo I just took this evening! =)  We were on the way to A Create a Memory (you know one of those places that you can paint your own pottery) to attend a birthday party!

Bella celebrated her 7th birthday yesterday (very simple day)...yes still trying to plan her party! We are thinking her first sleep over! But as always she was making her own fashion statement tonight! She was wearing her Teddi outfit from Target (Skirt and Tank Top) and she wanted just about everything else in that department! Gpa and Gma are taking her shopping tomorrow and I do believe she wants to head back to Target so it will be interesting to see what she comes home with!

Our great neighbors came over tonight for a few minutes and gave her the hat and shoes from Children's Place! Wow these shoes couldn't be more her! She has been talking about getting some TALL converse...these aren't quite what she wants but who could complain or pass up the pink sequins! Thank you Carrie and family ... you know our girl well (last year she gave her black sequined boots)!

Sorry for the bad photo... we snapped a quick cell phone picture as we hurried late into the party (traffic accident on the bridge)!

Outfit of the Day...

Once again it has been awhile since I have posted and while most of my readers I think are friends on facebook, but thought it might be nice to get back in the habit of posting to my blog! I always love reading everyone else's so here it goes!!!

I thought the perfect place to start is an update on Bella since tomorrow she is turning 6! Seriously can't believe it has been 6 years! One of my favorite things about Bella is that she has her own sense of style and isn't afraid to show it! Here are some of her more recent Outfits of the Day!

We went school supply shopping and E got some new socks so Bella wanted some too! This is one pair of her new knee high socks!

Here I think she may have been going for the "sporty" look! At least here she is color coordinated!

and this one just taken Saturday might be my newest favorite one...Purple skirt, pink tank top and what you can't see is that there is Hello Kitty on the front of her tank top and here is the other pair of knee high socks that she got! Pair it with the bowling shoes and we have Outfit of the Day!

I just love her and her sense of style! 

I wish I were a computer geek and Birthday Party Ideas!

Seriously I think this is a repeat topic! Well I borrowed a friends laptop (shhh don't tell her LOL)... But I can't wait to get one of my own! (Now if only one was in the budget!) But it definitely looks like I'm going to have to take my computer in and see if it can be looked at! Not fun and really hoping that it is something super simple....

Now if you can also come up with something super cool for my son's 9th birthday in January that would be awesome! I think for Bella's 6th birthday I think we are sticking with the princess theme and going with Ariel! A friend her Sister-in-Law does singing/dancing/acting! Guess what she does birthday parties. Here is her Facebook page! Scroll down a while and so worth watching!

Here are two videos to watch...



and her good-bye to the birthday girl




Here is a link to the You Tube page with more little video clips! Ariel .... It is her friends You Tube page so there are other videos but some cute Ariel singing!!!

Ok after I started this blog entry last night I came up with a limo idea. I mean they will be 9 after all. I figure if we do it a time where you don't have to serve a meal maybe just a few snacks then they can have a few different snacks and drinks in the limo with them or that is one of the scavenger items, the place where you stop and have snacks.I think if you figure out what you would have spent on party favors  and all the extras then it might be feasible if you find the right limo service! So we will see....I may be dreaming and it may be way out of our league!!! Hmmmm do you guys have any other ideas!??

8 year old Boys!

OMG What am I going to do with him! Is it all 8 year boys or just mine?  What are you guys doing to "fix" the problem. Last night after a particularly rough bedtime routine yet again I made this scrapbook page! (ahh not at home I will have to edit my post w/ the kit name later! =)

ahh I know we will survive these years but I wonder sometimes!

School is OUT

Well tomorrow that is!

• I can't believe that school is already out! The year seems to have flown by! Seriously flown by!
• I can't believe I won't have a child "downstairs" at school. I have had one downstairs for the last 4 years!
• I can't believe my baby is going to be a 1st grader!
• I can't believe E will be a 3rd grader!!!
• I can't believe it will be E's fifth year at school!
• I can't believe my baby is going to be a 1st grader!
• I can't believe I am getting ready to spend all summer with my two kids and I am crossing my fingers that they don't send me to the LOONEY BIN!

• I'm looking forward to the kids' swim lessons the next two weeks!
• I'm looking forward to some "field trips" with the kids. I'm thinking bowling, movies, the park!
• I'm looking forward to staying friends with E's teacher! I just love her! 
• I'm looking forward to a fresh new year with two new teachers!
• I'm looking forward to VACATION!
• I'm looking forward to hearing Bella read to me this summer! She has gotten so good at her reading!
• I'm looking forward to finishing our bedroom "makeover"
• I'm looking forward to trying something fun like this travel journal this summer...wonder if E's classmates would participate!?? I think it looks like it could be fun...maybe try this "flat stanley" thing with it?

I'm very open to some fun and new things to do with the kids during the day....I want to keep them busy and also keep them "learning something"!

Here is to a wonderful 2010-2011 school year!

Laurie's Scraps Creative Team!

Since I've been such a slacker on my blog I haven't posted my newest layouts.... So you are warned that this blog will be scrapbook page heavy!!!

The kit names are linked directly to her store and the caption below are linked directly to my layouts at Gotta Pixel so if you feel so inclined to leave me a comment you can! =)

I just love this layout! The colors the photo...all of it!

Buggy World at Gotta Pixel

Going to the Zoo at Gotta Pixel

Going to the Zoo at Gotta Pixel

Still a few more to come, but I will leave that for another night!

2nd Grade Food Party!

The kids had been covering the food chart and healthy eating in Health/Science class. It sounds like they covered the old food pyramid, but they also talked about The First Lady's new CHOOSE MY PLATE diagram. I think the kids will definitely "see" it more than with the pyramid. I actually really like the looks of it.....

The first time I actually saw it was from Jillian Michaels on Facebook and there was quite the discussion on it. Mostly about how it needed to show excercise and the good oils/fats that are necessary for your body. But there was also a large discussion on how the Dairy shouldn't really be given as the "milk" but really I think adults are big enough to know that dairy doesn't JUST mean milk! So overall I really like the "new look"! Also their website is great.... CHOOSE MY PLATE.GOV. I didn't read everything on that discussion, but I think the best thing I read was how you should use the smaller salad plate instead of the larger dinner plate. I was happy to read that since I have been doing that for quite a while now. You definitely feel like you are getting more when your little plate is full of food!

Now after all that "good stuff" .... E's class had a food party. Each kid signed up for a specific color and then they were to bring a healthy food of that color to school for their food party. Ethan picked yellow. We brought some lemonade, bananas, yellow peppers and lemons. All of the kids were really really encouraged to try at least two things that they had never tried before. It was fun to watch the kids try new things and even E and I both tried all of the peppers (red, yellow, green and orange). My favorite was the orange pepper, but E's favorite was the red!

Check out their colorful display of food!

It was also amazing to see the kids' plates and what they chose to try or what they were already eating before the party! I was happily suprised at how well some kids were eating their fruits and veggies! 

Here is to TRYING NEW THINGS!

Happy Family Day E!

So hard to believe it has been 8 years since we stepped off that plane holding our baby boy! It was a pretty basic day. Church, breakfast (where Bella got sick...lets just say fruit and chocolate shake don't really mix well), games for the boys and grocery shopping for the girls, then an engagement party for a cousin!

We did re-create one of our all time favorite photos of Ethan! We were literally "HOME" for just a few minutes when this picture was taken! Check out how much the boy has grown in the past 8 years!

2003

2011 

LOL hard to imagine that is the same boy!!! Thanks for being good sports today and posing for a picture!

Check out some previous years Family Day Photos! Okay so not all the years I was good about blogging LOL!

7th Family Day  2010

6th Family Day  2009

5th Family Day  2008  

plus 2008 lots of past years too!

4th Family Day  2007 

3rd Family Day  2006

2nd Family Day 2005

1st Family Day  2004

"Gotcha Day"    2003

An Expensive Weekend!

Trying to catch up on a few blog items and well this weekend was spent "partying", Papa Lyle had his 80th birthday party Saturday and then Sunday my cousin Amy had an engagement party to introduce family to her new fiance Lewis! It was a great little gathering (no pics) but nice time, good food and just some old fashion socializing! Last weekend was another story all together!

Our car hit 100,000 miles, Friday night we went to the "local casino" and watched Jodee Messina in concert! We just love her! (We brought Bella her new CD and OMG she hasn't stopped listening to it. Matter of fact with in a couple days she had lots of the words memorized!), Saturday E ran in a local relay race that all of the local schools participate in. Yes that was a bright an early 7:45am arrival time.... Oh and did I mention that I was up at 3:30am to arrive at 4am to stand in line for Bella's recital tickets. Long story, but you wait in line, first come first serve on tickets. Most times I wait with a girlfriend at the wee hours of the morning, but her daughter isn't doing ballet so it was just me and then another friend who's daughter is in Bella's ballet 2 class was actually buying our tickets since we had to be at the above mentioned relay races! (E's boys 4x100 relay team took 4th in their heat!)

After the relay then we headed home and had lunch and since early in the week I had stopped at our local Les Schwabs and they said YES you are pretty much driving on some egg shaped tires, all 4 need to be replaced and you need to have it realigned!  Ugh so we dropped it off and 4 new tires, an alignment and a phone call later saying some bolt or bearing (whatever it was, was another $100+ dollars) So needless to say it was an expensive Saturday!

After having another load of clothes stop in the dryer we decided that Sunday we had better start looking at washers and dryers (since the washer only works on one cycle we might as well just buy the matching pair at one time) LOL  (we've had it repaired a few times and it is 17yrs old)

So needless to say we bought a new washer and dryer and can't wait for 5/24 when it will be delivered and set up!

Here they are:

Is it sad to say I'm pretty excited about these! Besides the fact that the dryer actually "died" we are in need of some clean clothes LOL and they are front loading and yes I got the pedestals too! Also E couldn't keep his fingers off the buttons since they are basically right at his level. So I am thinking I will just teach him to do his own laundry! LOL Think it will work??? Would that mean less laundry for me? Oh wait hubby does almost all of the laundry! I guess I should ask if he is very excited for our delivery!

The only other exciting news is that I had to get a new phone....Actually I was very disappointed that when I went to look at my phone options there wasn't much to choose from if you weren't going to smart phone! Well not sure how others do it, but for hubby and I to both have a smart phone it would cost at least $160 a month... um yeah that isn't in my budget... did you read the above mentioned stuff?  So I ended up with an LG Octane and at first I was pretty upset, but I think I will really like it. So far so good and just found out that it does take videos (not sure how well yet) but at first I didn't think it did so yes the little things excite me!

See lots of exciting things happening around our neck of the woods!!!

My model...

So I am now pretty far behind in my photography class, but I did get a few photos the other day while working on "the rule of thirds" and how your subject shouldn't always be centered. I like to think that I have already been following that rule, but hey any chance I get to take more photos of my "lovely" kids I will do it!

Here are some of miss Bella! (all expressions are her own...I didn't request them!)

and can't forget some more of Purple Bear

I even bribed the boy (yes they have to be bribed sometimes) with a milkshake one day if he let me take some pictures... He was a great sport and I really need to get the rest of his "photoshoot" edited, but this is one of my favorites that were taken; I couldn't wait to edit it!

Yes you might be bored with more pictures of the boy later when I get more edited! Like I said he was such a sport and we found a couple great little spots to take photos! (now to get the rest of the family there to take a nice family picture!!!

Now I should go watch the videos for last weeks class on poses! Yeah... I wish I was able to stay caught up with the class....maybe this week I can get caught up!

Prayers Please....

I don't know Melissa in person but I feel like I know her very well from the adoption and the digital scrapbooking community. She is going through some big stuff and not having been through it myself but my "boyfriend" at the time (later my husband) went through cancer and chemotherapy too. It can be very rough and emotional and I really remember some of the things she is going through... like losing her hair. It was a struggle even for a guy to go through it! (we didn't have the insight to shave it first thought!)

So I just wanted to give a quick and simple shout out to Melissa and her family. She has already shown amazing strength and faith that it is super amazing how strong she is being (or showing us...which she doesn't have to put on a front for us....)  So please if you are reading just give her and her family a minute in your prayers!

THANK YOU...

A Day in the Life of Purple Bear...

I am loving my photo class (not loving that now I don't have access to the website to load my pictures---reminder to email Nicole and let her know...maybe she will let me email her my photo submissions???)
Another week one Photo Class assignment was do a Day in the Life of .  I really wanted to do something that I or we as a family could relate to (aka perfect for a scrapbook page or mini album) so after some thinking I decided to do Bella's Purple Bear (also known as her purple Share Bear Care Bear). Purple Bear is what he has always been called. E picked it out for her on her 1st birthday and lets just say this bear is flat as can be from it constantly being with her. After almost 5 years of her playing with it, it isn't as constant as it once was but it is still one of her most beloved items she has well right behind her 3 identical baby blankets (there is a story behind that one too... but I will save it for another day).

So here is the Day in the Life of Purple Bear....

Waking up with Bella

The ride to school

All alone in the car after drop off

(these aren't the best we were rushing (running late as always) and needed to get the kids inside to school)

"laying around" at daycare waiting for Bella to get "home" from school

(I was manually focusing here and I wish I would have got the focus on the heart on the heart on its foot)  =(

One the lookout outside for Bella to get home

Birthday present shopping at Target

Watching some TV before bed

and lastly back in bed for bedtime

(yes my baby girl still sucks her thumb...not sure what to do about that)

It was a lot of fun to do this Day in the Life of. Actually I am looking forward to that with a few more items!

I wish I were a computer geek!

So all of a sudden the other night my computer started giving me trouble. It won't connect to the internet yet I can still access the internet from my iPod touch. So confusing...something about the DNS server and an IP address conflicting with something. Who knows! I only have a desktop and an iPod so not sure what is going on. I think I will try connecting it back to the "wall" instead of having my wireless connection and see what happens! The whole point of that story is that I have tons of great photos (or what I think of as great photos) that I want to post and some fun information so I will see what I can get posted from my iPod (imagine typing on that little tiny thing and I can't really link up photos) and what I can do from work's laptop.... Gotta love some of the perks!

So onto a new post with hopefully some pictures!!

Photo Class!

I have wanted to take a photo class for the longest time and I still really want to take one in person, but I finally signed up for one online (and I know of a couple more that are supposed to be excellent so I hope to keep taking classes). It just started last week and already I feel like there is a ton more understanding of the manual exposures!

Needless to say I have been trying to snap pictures where ever I can. At home, outside, at work (which happens to be a daycare; so I have lots of little subjects!) Now to some this photo looks like any others they have seen or I have taken, but the amazing thing is that I somewhat understood what I was doing when I changed the manual settings!

This is Gavin....our busy little boy, but check out that face!!!

ISO 200   f/1.8   1/100   50mm 1.8 lens

Now maybe this is where I mention that on Wednesday when I went to mass with the kids at school that I pulled my camera out of my purse (I know first mistake) and when I pulled my camera out the strap hooked around my 50mm lens and it "crashed" okay it dropped onto the floor with a loud THUD. Sadly I think it isn't focusing right, maybe it is because I'm trying to work in only manual settings and I still don't know what I'm doing. I'm hoping it is just me and not the lens. I really am not in the market to buy another lens. For those photographers is was my favorite lens; my 50mm 1.8  =(

After I dropped the lens I was able to take these photos for my Photo Class (Week 1). It was about Aperature settings and the Depth of Field and how adjusting the Aperature the effect it has on the photo. I wish I would have been able to get outside earlier in the day, but these were taken right at dusk at about 8pm a couple nights ago!

shutter 1/320 ap 1.8 50mm lens ISO 400

shutter 1/20 ap 6.3 50mm lens ISO 400

Now there is no guarentee that I did it in equivalent exposures but as far as shutter and aperature I'm slowing "getting it".

I still need to do an ISO set of pictures example, a shutter assignment (person running or running water. I think I will be working with the running water). Today I am working on the Day in the Life part of Week 1's homework. I am pretty excited for this one. I am doing Bella's Purple Bear!

If you have made it this far.... THANK YOU!

1st Communion

Well I know there has already been a few things that have happened since the last post, but might as well start with the newest! E had his first communion today (Sunday 5-1-2011). The whole class did wonderful and oh they were so beautiful/handsome in their white dresses and suits. His 2nd grade class has talked a lot about communion, we did a retreat, and we've been practicing at home with our vitamins so he would feel comfortable his first time!

Here he is after mass. We came back to the house and had sandwiches (Honey Baked Ham) and mom brought potato salad and the basics. I won't bore you with all the details. Plus I promised he could change out of his new suit after GMA and GPA H came over and saw him (and Bella) all dressed up. So being the "good mom" I am I hurried and snapped a few pictures. The only thing we didn't do was get a family picture of us all 4 dressed up. Oh well next time! =)

Of course I had to snap a couple of Bella all dressed up in her Easter dress too. Thankfully E likes dressing up. Meaning he doesn't put up a fuss when I ask him to where a tie or when I buy him ties to match his sisters clothes! Actually there are plenty of times he will get all dressed up all on his own! But back to Bella....

Boy does she LOVE her big brother!!!

I can't leave out this one either! After they had hugged (Ethan tolerated VERY well), but I said, "Act like you love each other!" E got a wierd smirk on his face, but Bella leaned in and kept trying to give him a good kiss!

Congratulations...We (even Bella too) are soo proud of you! You are growing up into such a handsome, caring, and giving young man!