The Chaos. The Crazy. The Calm.

I Heart Faces - Best Face 2010

2011-01-03T21:25:00.003-05:00

I hard the hardest time choosing my best face of 2010. I eventually settled on this one because she is so photogenic and the composition behind her is perfect.

Working along side Mommy

2010-12-31T07:12:00.001-05:00

Occasionally when I open my notebook at work I am surprised by drawings like this.

Usually these appear after I have worked from home when Nat didn't have school. I am never alone at my desk when I work from home as he keeps me company by working along side me. Sometimes it is pictures. Sometimes it is notes.

I love his creative mind.

The Sears Catalog

2010-12-30T17:04:00.002-05:00

It may not actually be the Sears Catalog anymore but kids still find it fascinating to look through the catalogs that come in the mail. This was a frequent scene in our house prior to Christmas as Nat and Gracie made their "lists" based on what they saw in these catalogs.

There was a lot of "that is so cool" or "I want to ask Santa for that".

October Visitors

2010-12-29T04:13:00.001-05:00

Scott's parents came in early October and while I had to work most of the week and Nat was in school were able to do a few things all together. We drove to Middleburg, Va for lunch and a little window shopping. It was such a beautiful day that I was able to get a few nice pictures of the kids.

Nat and Daddy

The kids with Mimi and Pawpaw
We were also able to visit a few vineyards in the Northern Virginia mountains.

Unicorn Winery has a great pond for taking photos.

There was a stop for pumpkin picking or rolling.
And plenty of wine consuming.

The Christmas Photo and the resulting outtakes

2010-12-28T21:33:00.005-05:00

In the past we have always gone to the portrait studio to do our photo for our Christmas card. However, we usually walk out of there with more photos than we know what to do with. This year I decided to put my skills and tripod to use and take our own photo. After much debate, editing and failed printing this is the photo was the one that ended up on our card.

There were a lot of testing and outtakes first.

Tested position with myself and the kids.

Had Nat test tripod position before his shower. Had to move that ornament by his left ear as it stood out too much.

Gracie smiling TOO big.

Retry that evening....the natives were restless.

Close...but Gracie's eyes were closed and the photo was too dark.

Still restless.

Talking too much.

Perfection.

Not following directions.

The haircut that won't happen again

2010-12-28T16:57:00.002-05:00

She looks so cute doesn't she?

Back in October when I took Nat to get a routine haircut Gracie begged to get her haircut as well. My salon is a few doors down from where I took Nat so we stopped in to see if there was a way to get Gracie in. A little part of me was wishing that they couldn't but of course they did. Gracie did great and she looked so cute...for one evening that is. Because sure if you spend the time to blow dry and straighten with a round brush your 3 year old's hair everyday then this is the perfect haircut. But reality is that I barely have time to do my own hair let alone a 3 year olds. So this will be the last time, until Gracie can do her own hair, that she is getting layers or any other fancy haircut.

Finally Posting the Finished Product

2010-12-28T15:49:00.002-05:00

I did finish painting our dining room back at the end of September. The last I left the update I had painted the bottom, the base color on the top and the first try on the color blue. We headed back to Lowe's and got a much darker blue which is much better and the gold for our pinstripe. It took 4 coats to get the gold paint to be thick enough to see but it looks great. However, there was so much paint on the wall that a clear coat was necessary on the top to keep the gold stripes from chipping. Sadly, the clear coat did not exactly dry clear in some spots so I had to go back and repaint some sections. But it is DONE.

Happy Halloween! (alternatively titled "I tried to be creative and failed")

2010-11-01T06:41:00.004-04:00

My two little Trick or Treaters

Gracie - The Cupcake
Nat - The Pirate
I waited until the last minute to do these but I think they turned out pretty good.

Gracie picked out this pattern.
Nat like the Mummy...which I am glad of because it was much easier.

Progress

2010-09-15T21:18:00.004-04:00

While I haven't made progress on posting more often I have made progress on one project that was put on hold over a year ago. After we moved into this house I spent a month painting many of the rooms of the house but there were a few that we either didn't know what we wanted to do with or we just ran out of time. One project that was a victim of the lack of time was our dining room. Well now that I am done with school I am finally getting back to it.

After painting stripes in our home office we had this ~~great~~ crazy idea to paint our dining room 4 different colors and creating pinstripes. I have only take pictures through part of the project and I am not finished but almost....here is the progress in pictures.

The bottom was painted Valspar's Crunch Granola

I decided to do the burgundy as the base color on the top which ended up being good idea later on.

After 2 heavy coats of burgundy I began taping, measuring, taping, measuring and taping some more. I little paint trick I learned when painting our office is once you have the tape on the wall you need to paint the base color over the tape to seal the tape and keep the next color from bleeding through.

Yes, I can tell that I missed some spots.

This was the first color blue. Yes, I said first color. I got all the way through 2 coats and then Scott and I looked at it and determined that it wasn't dark enough.

I have since painted the darker blue and then taped again to paint gold pinstripes. The tape is sealed I just need to paint the gold. Once it is done I will post the final pictures.

Get ready to call the DAWGS!

2010-09-03T12:50:00.001-04:00

IT'S THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR....

GEORGIA FOOTBALL!!!!!!!

It was a really BIG week....

2010-08-27T05:29:00.005-04:00

This week this boy started Kindergarten! He was excited...I was sad, excited and nervous. I wasn't worried about him being in school or making friends as he has been doing that for years. Me...I was nervous about him finding his way in a big school because we don't walk them in but drop them off in the car line.

He loved his first day and his teachers.

I need to learn to take better pictures in the dark gym but this is his class getting ready to leave the parents and head off to their classroom.

Don't they look so cute?

Coming Up for Air

2010-08-09T20:19:00.002-04:00

Wow I can't believe it has been weeks since I have even graced my own blog. Life has been good but crazy. Getting Nat ready for Kindergarten, dealing with Gracie's typical antics, housing projects and just plain craziness.

And a few posts ago I said I have a surprise...No I am not pregnant. Instead I am actually starting my own business....Studio 23 Photography. I am taking my time to set up my business while I get my CMA certification.

Call Me Weird

2010-07-20T09:45:00.002-04:00

Over my 30 years of life I have listened and liked a lot of different music genres. I had my country phase, pop phase, 80's music phase, contemporay christian music phase and even my classical music phase. I can't say that I am in any particular phase right now as I find that I flip through my XM channels a lot. I think I even drive Scott crazy with it in the car when we commute together during the week. However, there are two artists right now that I am head over heels in love with not now.

I love Straight No Chaser....Simply Awesome Group. Check out their new release here.

This is my other love...Mr. Michael Buble. I think he is cute and his voice is so dreamy.

They are both so captivating. Plus they are cute....can you blame a girl?

I Heart Faces - Week 29 - Over My Head

2010-07-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

When in Atlanta I took this photo of my sister messing around with Gracie. I was looking for an "Over My Head" shot and this was perfect. Head over to I Heart Faces to check out other Over My Head entries from this week.

Atlanta Vacation Day 2 - July 4th

2010-07-18T17:38:00.002-04:00

Our 4th of July was relatively quiet. We went to church, had a light lunch, went swimming, Aunt Jen and Uncle Steve met us, dinner and then playing in Nana and Grandpa's yard.

Go Aunt Jen!

A lot of sweating was done by this boy.
Grandma Lou (my grandmother)
Nana running with Gracie.

Sidewalk Chalk.

Grandma Lou and two of her great-grandkids.
Ice Cream

Next a big anouncement and an I Heart Faces Post....

Atlanta Vacation Day 1 - Baseball Game

2010-07-09T23:00:00.002-04:00

At the end of our first day in Atlanta we all went with Nana and Grandpa to a Military HEROS baseball game at the local minor league teams field. The weather was perfect and the kids were able to sit through the whole game, devour some hot dogs, only take two potty breaks and make it all the way to the fireworks. I shot about 600 pictures while at the game between shooting the players and the fireworks. I got some really great shots during the first part of the game but as the sun set and it got darker my pictures didn't do so well. Need to work on nighttime shots. I got lucky with some of the fireworks shots.

Atlanta Vacation - Day 1 - Park, Preview and Portraits

2010-07-09T20:12:00.013-04:00

We finally went on vacation last week. We decided to load up the car and drive 10 hours to Atlanta to see my parents, sister/brother-in-law, grandmother, brother/sister-in-law and step-brother. We left early last Friday and arrived at my grandmothers just in time for dinner. After that we drove over to Nana and Grandpa's house. The kids played, had ice cream and then crashed for the night. Gracie did not do well that night as she woke up scared because she didn't know where she was. That was then followed by her throwing up in the middle of the night. Need less to say I did not get much sleep that night.

The next day the fun began. Nana had to attend to something so Scott, Grandpa, the kids and I packed up some snacks, drinks and balls and headed to the park near there house. The kids had a blast.

Nat took off running.

Gracie hit the slides.
There was climbing.
And more climbing.
Swinging...assisted by Grandpa.
More running.
Being pushed by Daddy in the swing.
Exercising.
More sliding.
More swinging like a monkey.
Duck following.
Duck chasing.
Running by Gracie.
Flower picking.
Soccer playing.
Even more climbing.
Still running.
Bird feeding.
Making friends.

Then we had lunch and took the kids back to Nana's house for naps. While the kids napped I scouted out the botanical garden for my photo shoot that I would be having on Monday.

Then before dinner we got ready to go to the baseball game. I decided to have an impromptu photo shoot with the kids that turned out great. These need to be edited so they can be printed and hung but I love the way they turned out.

More to come.............

Surreal

2010-06-25T23:02:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it. After spending the last 2 1/2 years in graduate school to get my MBA in Finance and Accounting I am done.

Did you hear me world?!?

I AM DONE.

And in all honesty all I want to do is cry. Cry with excitement. Cry with joy. Cry because I know what I have missed over the last 2.5 years. (Plus I am on my period so I am additionally emotional) But above al I am honestly in a state of shock.

What do I do first?

Do the happy dance? Start cleaning my house? Starting painting rooms that I put off since we moved into the house? Spend some quiet time with Scott? Play with the kids? Vacation?

Actually a vacation is in store...nothing fancy just headed to Atlanta to visit family. But there will be no school work looming over my head and nothing to dread coming back to except a house that has a million things on the to-do list. Time with Scott and the kids...a must. Then everything else.

However, while I am celebrating this accomplishment I am not throwing a party just yet. No I am not doing more school? But part of my original goal was to become a CMA (Certified Managerial Accountant) and I have to sit for the test yet. So yes, there will be more studying and two big tests to take but it is not going to rob me of my life for another 2.5 years. Instead I am going to take my time, study, prep, enjoy life and complete my goal.

Then it will be party time...

Happy 5th Birthday Nat!

2010-06-23T06:55:00.003-04:00

I can't believe that this little bundle is 5 years old today. I will post his video and big post later, it has been a crazy week.

Just Shy of Five

2010-06-19T08:30:00.004-04:00

Check out what this boy has almost mastered. Just shy of his 5th birthday too.

The World According to Gracie

2010-06-12T08:14:00.000-04:00

Nat and Gracie are watching Sesame Street this morning and this conversation occur a few minutes ago.

Gracie: I don't like Cookie Monster.

Me: Why not?

Gracie: He is too loud and too messy.

Go figure!

Hmmm.....

2010-06-11T10:17:00.000-04:00

I feel so behind. So many thoughts to share, so many things we have done and very little time to devote to anything other than school and work. However, I am done with class work for the week, no too much to do around the house and I plan to visit the pool. So maybe just maybe I can get some more posted other than just this little update.

Maybe...just maybe...it will happen.

I Heart Faces - Week 23 - Play

2010-06-07T00:01:00.003-04:00

This weeks theme with IHF is play. Here is Scott with Gracie at a friends birthday party. They had so much fun on the bouncy slides. Go check out all of the other entries at I Heart Faces this week.

I Heart Faces - Yellow - Week 21

2010-05-24T00:01:00.002-04:00

This week's theme is Yellow. I had the perfect picture since every other week Nat's soccer team wears yellow. Don't you love watching little kids play sports they are so adorable.

Parenting at its finest

2010-05-21T07:30:00.002-04:00

This phase came all too early in Nat's life.

Wednesday Nat came to me and asked me if he can have some Silly Bandz. I asked him what they were and he went into a long and detailed explanation of what they were. Then I daringly asked him how he knew about Silly Bandz and much to my surprise he said Austin C., Austin, and John have them. Then the question again...

"Mommy can I get some?"

Not knowing really how I wanted to handle this I simply replied that I would have to talk to Daddy. Luckily Nat said okay and ran off to play while I finished cooking dinner and the subject never came back up.

It never came back up until I approached Scott about this. I first pulled up the website and investigated what they were and how much they cost. Go figure they are pre-shaped rubber bands that kids are wearing on their wrists. You can also put them around papers and other things and they return to their cool shapes when you take them off. No they aren't expensive, only $4.95 for 24, but that is not the point.

Kids these days are wanting what their friends have at a younger age. I asked my Mom about this and she told me that this didn't really start until 7 or 8 when I was a kid...Nat hasn't even turned 5 yet. The peer pressure and the social status of friends is unreal. What ever happened to liking someone for them and not what they have. This is part of the reason we are sending our kids to private school in hopes of getting away from some of this. Yes, I am aware that it can still happen but we believe that it won't happen quite so much with stricter policies of private schools.

Scott and I decided to say No to the Silly Bandz on principle. If we let him have these because his friends have them at this age imagine what he and Gracie are going to be asking for in the next few years. Which actually frightens me quite a bit. Have you seen what kids are wearing, especially girls? I am scared that my independently minded Gracie will be asking us (or simply not asking us) if she can wear make up at age 7. And will I say No...hell yes. That is just what our mothers would have done.

Now the key to all of this is explaining to an almost 5 year old why he can't have said Silly Bandz. I am not sure if he will truly understand that "you can't have everything your friends have" and "things don't define you as a person". Any suggestions?

I ♥ Faces - Fix it Friday - Week #55

2010-05-21T07:07:00.004-04:00

Go over to I Heart Faces and check out the other Fix-it Friday entries.

On What is Appropriate

2010-05-20T07:28:00.002-04:00

I will gladly admit that I am not the most fashionable person. From a young age I was taught to wear clothing that was appropriate and respectful to myself and to others. Now my mom did not have long conversations about modesty and self-respect but it was always understood that what my Mom bought us was what was right.

Now my Mom was not into all of the latest fashions when we were growing up and for practicality purposes it never made sense for her to buy them anyways. Up until the 5th grade I wore a uniform to school everyday, wore shorts, pants and t-shirts on other days and always had a dress to wear on Sunday. Sure my Mom could have bought fashionable clothes in addition to our staples but there wasn't money it all went to us going to private school and paying for those uniforms. Plus, that is not what defined us. Then we moved to Atlanta and from 6th grade through high school we went to public school. When we first moved there my parents still couldn't afford a lot on clothes since we were living in a more expensive city and my father was the only one who was working. So again we wore the basics. Then by the time I was in the 8th and 9th grade by parents got divorced and money was even tighter. For clothes then my Mom only bought what she could afford and we bought the rest when we got jobs. Then through college it was a lot of what I could afford.

With all of this I came to realize that my clothes never made me...I defined who I was. Yes, now that I am married and can afford more I do buy more trendy clothes but only to the point that I know it will last.

Now there is nothing wrong with fashion and being fashionable. It helps us express ourselves, show our creativity and display our uniqueness. But where does one cross the line between fashion and trash?

I don't know if there is a definite line on what is appropriate and what is in appropriate since it really all depends on where you are and what your body type is. However, there are a few things that I believe are fashion don'ts no matter who or where you are.

I don't care how cute your thong is or how firm your butt is I don't want to see your butt crack or underwear. I am sorry it is not sexy or funny. It is disturbing.

I am glad you have big boobs but I don't think that they need to be about ready to pop out of your shirt. Please wear a properly fitting bra and a shirt that covers them enough.

If you are a size 0, 2, or 4 wear those skin tight jeans proudly however if you have big thighs, generous curves or a large butt I am sorry skin tight jeans are NOT appropriate.

If you have skin that hangs over the waist line of your pants we DO NOT, I repeat, we DO NOT want to see that skin. Please wear clothes that cover your body appropriately.

Just because you are still a size 3 at age 50 does not mean you dress like a teenager. It is by no means appropriate. I am not saying that you need to dress frumpy or like a grandma but appropriate.

Lastly, please wear clothes that fit your body. Big or small your body looks much better when the clothes you wear are appropriate for your body type.

In my personal opinion how we dress shows a lot about what we think of ourselves. When we show respect for our bodies and the way we clothe it we tell people to look beyond our "beauty" and find out who we really are. As Christians we are taught that God wants us to respect ourselves as we are living vessels of Christ. With Christ a part of us we would want to display ourselves and Him in the most respectful way. So respect yourselves and respect Him...please dress appropriately.

I Heart Faces - Week 20 - Flowers

2010-05-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

While adults may not normally consider dandelions as flowers every 3 year old certainly does. Gracie loved picking the flowers during this shoot.

They are Finally Ready

2010-05-10T22:00:00.007-04:00

I have finally finished the Easter pictures. Comments are definitely appreciated.

Yes, I Did Take Easter Pictures (The Preview)

2010-04-27T22:56:00.003-04:00

I Heart Faces - Smiles - Week 17

2010-04-27T21:26:00.003-04:00

I am a little late entering this week but I didn't want to miss entering this smile. While it is slightly hidden you can sense the joy Nat is experiencing at his first soccer game a couple of weeks ago.

I Heart Faces - Week 16 - Collages

2010-04-19T22:19:00.004-04:00

My 2 cents

2010-04-15T07:47:00.003-04:00

I am a cradle Catholic and I am proud to say that. I grew up going to church faithly, going to Catholic school until 5th grade, going to CCD after that, being actively involved in my high school youth group and finding a deeper faith in college with the Catholic Center there.

Does that make me a perfect Catholic? No!

I have sinned, I have missed church and I have doubted but I am human and I was born with original sin. Does that mean I should use that as an excuse to sin? No. We are all called to lead a life that is Christ centered and perfect. But we all falter and that is when we must pick ourselves up and confess our sins and ask God for his mercy and forgiveness. And because our God is merciful He will grant us forgiveness.

I find it disturbing how many Catholics are turning their back on their faith because of the sins of our church leaders. Catholics are forgetting that we are a Christ centered church and not a priest/preacher centered church and are walking away from Christ because of the sins of some of the priests. Now I do not condone what these priests have done and they should be rightly punished. However, our faith as Christians and not just Catholic Christians is to forgive. Christ calls us to forgive these priests just as God has forgiven them. Many of these fallen Catholics claim to still believe in their Catholic faith but don't think it is right to be in a church with priests who have comitted these crimes. These same people need to reflect on the fact that if they are saying that they are staying away because a priest sinned then everyone should stay away because everyone sins.

As Catholics we believe that God and Jesus are the center of our church and that should be our focus while there and not what the sins of the priests or the person sittin gnext to us is. So when moments like this are occuring we shouldn't be backing away from the church but spending more time at it and praying. Praying for peace, forgiveness, mercy and love.

Remember...We all sin and we should all forgive and love.

I am sorry if you disagree with me and you can leave a comment however please do it tastefully and respectfully. Those who fail to honor that will have their comment deleted.

The Cuppycake Boutique Bubble Dress GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2010-04-12T07:16:00.000-04:00

The Cuppycake Boutique Bubble Dress GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Locking the Doors in About 10 years

2010-04-11T08:18:00.005-04:00

Dear Family and Friends...In about 10 years we will be locking our doors to keep our youngest inside. This video is evidence of what we are in store for.

All joking aside she is really good at dancing. We taught her some moves and prompted her some during this video but towards the end she figured out how to put it all together by herself. When she is 4 almost 5 we will put her in dance or gymnastics. Right now she says she wants to be a ballerina but she may change her mind.

My Getaway

2010-04-07T08:07:00.002-04:00

At the beginning of March I had my first opportunity to get away by myself since I had Nat and Gracie. My class had just ended and there were no other commitments so off I went. And no I did not run off to a hotel in the middle of nowhere for peace and quiet. Instead I headed home to Atlanta to see my really good friends from college at a baby shower for two of them. Cristen nd Michael are having a little boy Jack at the beginning of May and who wouldn't want to celebrate that.

Despite the fact that we are all 10 years older, most of us are married and a few of us have kids it was like no time had passed. Well maybe we are all a little more mature.

A great time was had by all and thanks to the hosts (Sara, Randi and Shannon) for putting it on.

James and Wes diapering a bear while holding hands.

Opening presents.

Shannon, Kimberly and Mike.

Now this outfit for baby Jack was only fitting.

The expecting parents.

Pamela

The proud Nana.

Just wait Cristen in a few years you will shaking that finger at Jack!

Sisters.

Wes

George

And who couldn't resist this party crasher......

I guess I have finally earned the title

2010-04-06T21:39:00.004-04:00

I have officially earned the title....

SOCCER MOM

Nat officially started soccer today with his first practice. I give props to the coaches who are trying to teach 8 four and five year olds the skills of soccer.

He loves it though. Not one complaint even though he was sweaty, hot, thirsty and all dirty from falling several times from playing.

Cereal, cereal and more cereal

2010-04-06T07:01:00.003-04:00

Would you believe that I spent less than $20 on all of this? Got to love the power of good coupons, sales and the willingness to be patient with the cashier.

This purchase included 15 boxes of cereal, 4 Yoplait smoothie mixes, 4 Toaster Strudels, 1 Freschetta Pizza, 5 boxes of Gushers and 1 Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowl.

I did so well that I impressed a man standing behind me. He couldn't believe it and then asked my source so he could tell his wife.

Perspective

2010-03-17T07:55:00.003-04:00

I love taking pictures and perspective is key to capturing something unique. However, sometimes we, as adults, fail to see some of those key shots because we don't share the same perspective. Gracie got a little Fisher Price digital camera for her 3rd birthday from Nana. I figured that I would let her shoot for a while (think it would take forever for her to fill a card), delete them all and then let her start over. Well I was wrong. I was looking at her camera the other day and realized that between her and Nat they had shot over 300 pictures. So in order to get an idea of whether they were really worth saving I downloaded the first set to the computer, did a run through, deleted about 100 that were all black or white and found that I was pretty impressed with the rest.

Check out this selection of unedited photos from her first download.

Here is photographic proof that some how I find time to clean my floors by hand. I am saving this picture for years.

Thanks Gracie that is Mommy's behind you got a picture of.
Got an ideas of what this is? It took me a minute to figure this out.

It is our water and ice dispenser on the refrigerator. She took the picture looking up into it.

A place mat.

Daddy.

(and no Scott I will not take this photo down...it is Gracie's photo)

Nana

The Foyer

Little Baby

(yes, that is the baby's name...Little Baby)

Batman...courtesy of Nat.

Gracie's Boot

Nat

Self-Portrait

Nat's self-portrait

Toys

You can't argue with this

2010-03-15T08:04:00.002-04:00

Please ignore Gracie's spasmic dancing at the beginning. I tried to cut the video but I didn't want to risk losing the funny part by using a new software so it is what it is.

She was so serious about this the first time that I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. You can actually see Scott in the background laughing.

I ♥ Faces - Week 11 - Bundled Up

2010-03-15T00:00:00.006-04:00

Go check out more I Heart Faces entries here.

I have become one of those people

2010-03-10T09:37:00.004-05:00

Hi my name is Christina and I am addicted coupons and savings.

Yes, I have become one of those people.

One of those people you see with binders full of coupons in the grocery store.

One of those people that follow 20 different money saving blogs in my Google Reader.

One of those people that buys 3 or 4 newspapers in addition to the one they get a home just for the coupons.

One of those people that signs up for all kinds of coupons and offers online.

One of those people that loves to save on everything.

One of those people that does 3 or 4 transactions at the checkout in order to optimize their savings.

Yes, this is me and I am loving it. I love the thrill of the savings and the hunt. I love walking away from the register with $100 worth of product for less than $20. I love seeing my stockpile in the basement all lined up in nice stacks and rows and being able to shop in my house.

Wanna see.....

Do you coupon? Share your favorite part.

I hope to share some of my thrilling savings adventures soon.

Got to run...coupons need cutting.

Happy Birthday Swagbucks

2010-02-25T08:16:00.004-05:00

Today is the 2nd birthday of Swagbucks and that means extra rewards for everyone! For those of you that have not yet joined Swagbucks, today is the perfect day to sign up to become a Swagbucks member!!

For those of you who already use Swagbucks you will notice some changes today. Starting today, your Swagbucks in your account have been multiplied by 10; for example, if you had 20 swag bucks in your account, you will now have 200 Swagbucks. Yes, this does mean that prices have gone up on prizes but apparently there are more chances to earn Swagbucks. Click here for more information about this change.

If you are a new member of Swagbucks you used to earn 3 Swag bucks when you signed up(would be 30 Swag bucks now) upon registration, but today new members will earn 60 Swag bucks!! In order to take advantage of this awesome offer, new users must click here to register and then complete the “Start a New Account” form; be sure to enter the SwagCode: HIP2SAVE prior to clicking on the “Sign Me Up” button so you get your 60 Swag bucks!! Please note that this SwagCode is case sensitive and will only be active through Thursday, March 4th at 6am PST. (Thanks HIP2SAVE for passing on this code)

What is Swagbucks? Swagbucks is a way to earn points for prizes by simply searching on the web. Yes, that is right by simply doing searches on the web. To date with the Swagbucks I have earned I have collected $25 in gift cards to Amazon and Red Envelope.

So go sign up, say I referred you and start earning Swagbucks. And check out their twitter page, facebook page and blog for great Swagbucks codes for their birthday celebration.

Interesting Opportunity

2010-02-14T10:20:00.002-05:00

I have been presented with a unique opportunity that I wish to share. I don't remember how I got hooked up with them but one day I got an email from the National Consumer Panel (a Neilsen/IRI joint venture) telling me that I had been selected to be a part of their panel. At first I thought it was spam but Neilsen is a reputable company and is known for its information gathering regarding TV watching. So I did some digging and found that it was legit and signed up. At the end of initial survey it said it might be a while before equipment would be available and that I would be contacted if it did. I thought I would be put on a never ending waiting list and never hear back from them. Lo and behold about 4 days later I got an email saying my equipment had been shipped and that I should be receiving it soon. I got excited....my opinions, buying habits and patterns were going to matter and help shape what stores carry and produce more of. So I am now officially part of the National Consumer Panel.

So what do I have to do? Every week I have to scan my purchases and transmit the information to NCP. That is it. That simple. And for doing that I collect points that can earn me free gifts. There are also surveys you can take to earn more and quarterly sweepstakes to earn other prizes. So if you are interested in joining and having your purchases make a difference visit the National Consumer Panel website for my information and registration.

I will keep you posted on our venture.

It ain't everything it is cracked up to be

2010-02-13T08:30:00.002-05:00

I have been very blessed over the last almost 10 years with the jobs I have had. Each job has progressively been more challenging, more responsibility, larger and more valuable. However, until now they have only been jobs. Now that we are settling down in D.C. I finally have an accounting career which is only enhanced by the fact that I am finally finishing my MBA soon. However, I digress.

In all of my jobs I have been ~~very~~ extremely fortunate to have great bosses who were understanding of our military situation and kids and always very flexible. This job is no exception. My boss is extremely understanding and very flexible due in part to the fact that she has a child as well but more importantly because she values us as employees. Well one of the perks of my job is my ability to telecommute when the kids are sick, stuff needs to be done at the house or like this week when we end up in a blizzard and are trapped in the house. However, it is not everything it is cracked up to be.

I just heard a collective gasp as many of you just read that last sentence. Many would think that working from home is the greatest perk in the world especially when you could do it all the time. Just think have a career, be with your kids all day, stay in your pj's as long as you want, have time to clean your house and not have to commute in everyday. While that sounds great it doesn't work that way. Usually conference calls are interrupted by a constant peppering of questions, children want to sit in your lap while you work, or you have to break up arguments instead of spending time with your kids. I find I am not as productive at my job, I don't get to spend any quality time with my kids, my house is no more clean than if I had gone into the office, being comfy in my pj's does not make me feel productive and I feel trapped in the house. I find that I just feel neglectful. I feel like I am not able to devote enough time to my job, my husband, my kids and my house because they are there in front of my and I can only choose one and usually my job has to win.

Now please don't take my complaining for ungratefulness. By no means am I ungrateful for the perk I have at my job it is wonderful but it is not something I want to do all the time. And don't get me wrong there are plenty of people, women especially, who have managed to create an environment that is conducive to working full time out of their house, raising children and running a household. Me, however, it is either not for me or I am just not cut out for it. So while I enjoy the occasional day to work from home I think I will stick with my current arrangement for now.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-10T10:08:00.001-05:00

DOFPW4, originally uploaded by christinabodman.

I ♥ Faces - Week 6 - We ♥ Kisses

2010-02-08T10:42:00.001-05:00

Go check out the other entries for this weeks contest at I Heart Faces.

When you were a little boy...

2010-02-08T09:25:00.002-05:00

Gracie: Daddy did you have new toys when you were a little boy?

Daddy: Yes, Daddy had a few new toys when he was a little boy.

Nat: No, Daddy had groaches (roaches) when he was a little boy.

I don't think this child has ever seen a roach...do you??

Home Bound (and sick)

2010-02-07T10:16:00.001-05:00

We, like millions of other people, are snowed in this weekend. It started snowing Friday morning and did not stop until late yesterday afternoon. In total we ended up with about 30 inches of snow. I had all of these plans to catch up with stuff but about 10:30 yesterday morning I started feeling sick. I am not just talking a runny nose or slight cough...I am talking about puking my guts up and sitting on the toilet every 10 mins. I know TMI. I knocked me out though and I spent the entire on the couch. So that "to-do" list never got touched. No coupons got cut or organized. No photos got taken. I did not participate in shoveling snow. I did not take part of my midterm which means I have to take the whole thing today. I did not spend quality time with the kids.

Now I feel better. Atleast better than yesterday. I have a lot to do today. I should be getting busy but instead I am sitting here watching Food Network and typing this post. Some how though I will get it all done.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-03T22:38:00.002-05:00

Reflections

2010-02-03T22:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I turned 30.

You heard me right I announced my age and I have no shame about it. I don't think I have ever been ashamed of getting older, looking older than my older sister or even being mistaken for a teenager. I love my age.

I have been asked by several people if I dread this milestone and I must honestly admit that I don't. It actually slightly saddens me. A part of my life is over. The part of my life where I finished my BBA at UGA, got engaged and married to the most wonderful man in the world, had two beautiful children, lived in 5 different states, advanced my career, started my MBA and said good-bye to the Navy. But there is so much to look forward to as I enter my 30's that I don't dread it...I am excited. I know of certain things that will happen, there will be the unexpected and there will be the norm...but I am excited.

Did I feel any different today? No but it was weird to think that I was thirty. I kept thinking about how I used to think 30 year olds were old when I was a kid but as I turn 30 I don't feel old. (Except when my joints hurt then I feel 60). It was also weird to reflect on the people who sent me birthday wishes via Facebook. People who I consider friends now were once my mentors, teachers, co-workers, etc. from when I was a teenager. Time goes fast.

I am ready for the next 30 years...bring it on!!!

I Heart Faces - Week 4 - Textures

2010-01-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

It has been several weeks since I entered an I Heart Faces contest...school and life has just gotten in the way. However, I got Photoshop for Christmas and I really wanted to try to use textures. I really felt that this photo captures the textures not only in the tree and leaves but with the added textures. Good luck everyone!

Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Gracie Bean!

2010-01-23T00:50:00.001-05:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Drumroll please......

2010-01-22T09:22:00.001-05:00

It is official....

I will finally be done with my MBA on June 27th, 2010.

Only 5 more months!!!!

Can't you tell I am excited?

Revisit to the Eye Doctor

2010-01-22T01:40:00.002-05:00

We discovered recently that Natty was again having trouble seeing. He has been eager to learn to read but everytime we put a book or exercise in front of him he couldn't see the letters or numbers. At first we thought he was being stubborn or silly but even when he really tried he just couldn't figure it out. Then it dawned on us that maybe he needed new glasses....again. So I managed to get him an appointment at Children's National Medical Center with one of the top Pediatric Opthamologist. After being seen by 2 doctors and a resident the final determination was.....

No More Glasses!

No wonder he couldn't see!

The Dr. said that the surgeries from last year helped and it improved his vision. Yes, he still doesn't blink right and his eyes are exactly even but right now it is purely cosmetic.

Quiet

2010-01-18T13:32:00.002-05:00

I am sitting here at my kitchen counter Gracie is upstairs supposedly taking a nap, Nat is at a friends house and Daddy went to get his bike fixed. I did have the TV on but I felt distracted but I wasn't distracted from anything in particular...I just felt like the noise was too much. It is quiet now....something that doesn't always happen in our house. I find the older I get the more I like the silence. I find it brings a since of peace into that moment.

Well that didn't last long...I hear Gracie chattering away.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T11:16:00.003-05:00

Well another year is behind us and last night we all welcomed in 2010!

And what a year 2009 was for us...

We left the Navy life behind after 9 1/2 years...

Goober had 2 consecutive surgeries on his eye...

Beanie gave us all gray hairs with all of her fits and trantrums...

We bought our first house...

We moved north to Virginia...

Daddy and I both started new jobs...

Goober started Pre-Kindergarten...

And we welcomed all sorts of guests at our new home.

2010 has a lot in store as well...

I will finally finish my MBA (6 months/3 classes left)...

Goober will turn 5 and then start Kindergarten...

I turn 30...

One of our cars will finally be paid off...

We can count on not having to move again...

I have goals to blog more; experiment more with my cooking and be more green...

Beanie will turn 3 (hopefully the tantrums will fade)...

Daddy and I will celebrate 10 years of being together and our 8th wedding anniversary...

And many other things yet to be discovered.

Last Minute Giveaway! Worth the time to enter!

2009-12-24T08:03:00.002-05:00

Are you looking for a new computer or simply need a second computer because your kids take over yours? Well here is your opportunity, actually 5 opportunities, to win an HP TouchSmart 600.

Now I have not personally see one but check out the specs on this thing...

As you can see, the HP TouchSmart600 PC has a whole suite of built-for-touch applications that make this all-in-one so revolutionary.

Instantly launch your favorite apps from HP TouchSmart Home

Experience the best of the Web—Hulu, Netflix, Twitter, Rhapsody, and more—in touch-enabled style

Import recipes from the Web; enter your own, and easily manage with HP Recipe Box

"Write" search criteria with your finger using the new search interface

Use touch to edit photos, and to choose songs and create playlists

Create and share collages with a simple touch using HP TouchSmart Canvas

Use your voice to zoom, rotate, and invert photos

Create professional -looking videos, slide shows, and movies

Watch HD movies on the Blu-ray player; burn and edit home videos

Bookmark favorite movie scenes

Watch, pause, and record TV with the included tuner and remote

So how do you win? Visit each of these 5 sites and leave a comment. You can also blog and twitter for additional entries.

MckMama

Kelly's Korner

BooMama

A Year of Slow Cooking

The NieNie Dialouges

Today is the last day to enter. Now I entered...how about you?

A Boy and His Tacos

2009-12-23T22:02:00.003-05:00

Our children's favorite food...tacos.

More specifically we eat Turkey Tacos....healthy and yummy.

Our first Virginia snow!

2009-12-23T22:00:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago we had our first snow since being in Virginia. Now both of our children have "seen" snow but Goober was 20 months old and Beanie was just an infant the last time so this was a new and exciting experience for them. Can't you sense the anticipation seeing them watch the snow out the window.

We took them out for a little bit while it was still snowing. This was a very wet snow so the icy looking snow was what ended up on everything. It made for some beautiful pictures though.

Beanie enjoying her first experience of the snow falling on her face.

Goober walking around in the snow.

Beanie was not very crazy of the cold so Daddy carried her on our walk to see the pond in the snow.

The total was about 3-4 inches. Not much but a little snow to intice the kids.

Daddy showing Goober how to build a snowman.

Daddy throwing snow at Goober.

Goober trying to protect himself from Daddy throwing the snow.

Our funky snowman.

And yes, his smile is made out of nuts.

Getting Ready for Christmas

2009-12-23T21:24:00.005-05:00

One of our Christmas traditions is that they day after Thanksgiving we always go and get our Christmas tree, get it home and get it decorated.

We had originally planned this year to find a place to cut down a tree but we were running so late after nap time that we just headed up to the nursery up the street and picked out a tree.

Now it took longer than usual to get it straight in the stand because the nursery didn't trim the bottom but it filled this corner of our family room nicely.

There is only one Christmas decoration that the kids can touch and that is these musical globes. They are Beanie's favorite. And yes, the characters inside the globes dance to the music.

Here is our finished tree.

One of our other traditions that we have is that each year the kids each get to pick out a new ornament and Mommy and Daddy also find some new ones. This year Goober added a polar bear and Beanie added a bird. Besides some decorative ones Mommy and Daddy also added one from our new church, the Capitol and one from our cruise back in February.

Here are some of our other decorations that we have been given or purchased.

The Kinkade Snowman.

Our new nativity scene.

The trio of angels.

The mantle.

Old-fashioned Santa Clause.

The kids picked out the snowman this year.

My Turkeys and Turkey Day

2009-12-06T23:09:00.011-05:00

I know I am more than a little behind but here is a look at our Thanksgiving. The night before the kids took turns having Daddy trace their hands and make them into turkeys.

Thanksgiving then started at 6:30 am with my two children greeting me to tell me they were hungry.

One of them was still tired.

This one always wakes up in a good mood.

I started by making 6 pans of cinnamon rolls that were to die for. Five of them are still in my freezer.

Yummy baked goodness!

Time for the icing.

Then it was time for this BIG bird. I cooked a 28lb turkey that almost didn't fit in the pan. Look at the size of the legs on this thing...it is like the legs you find at the fair.

Mmmm....artichokes, onion and garlic perfect for stuffing.

We then took that turkey and the stuffings and went to a friend's house. Goober and Beanie played with Milo and dove right into the eating starting with popsicles.

Milo.

Ed and Daddy carving the turkey with the electric carving knife.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-26T10:50:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my family, friends and fellow bloggers. Enjoy this wonderful celebration of thanks! I am photograhping our day and hope to have it posted tonight. Then it is time to decorate for Christmas.

I ♥ Faces - Week 46 - Sun Flares

2009-11-23T00:00:00.002-05:00

Tuesday Scramble

2009-11-17T19:37:00.001-05:00

It has been a long week and a half and I have so many random thoughts in my head and I feel a little scrambled so here are my thoughts...

*I can't believe that it is November 17th and I have actually completed Christmas shopping for six people. Usually I don't even start until after Thanksgiving so this is real progress for me.

*I haven't touched my camera in almost 2 1/2 weeks and I am going through withdrawl.

*That withdrawl is the result of my schoolwork. This is the hardest class so far. Trying to teach myself about investments is not easy.

*People who take the elevator up or down ONE floor drive me crazy.

*Beanie is once again sick. I swear we spend more time tending to her and her illnesses that I think she was sick more this past year than she was well.

*Daddy's birthday is next week and I am actually ahead of the game this year. However, he already knows what he is getting since he "made me" reveal his present since he was going to buy it.

*I love my job. This is the hardest I have ever worked in my life but I truly enjoy it. I enjoy feeling appreciated, useful and relied upon. My opinion counts and what I say actually makes a difference.

*Speaking of my job...some of my counterparts make me feel old. I am very proficient in software and general accounting but these "kids" (who are only 5-8 years younger than me) make me feel so stupid. So at almost 30 I slowly getting behind the curve.

I ♥ Faces - Week 45 - Autumn Beauty

2009-11-16T05:05:00.003-05:00

I ♥ Faces - Week 44 - Thankfulness

2009-11-08T22:49:00.009-05:00

I have a lot of blessings in my life for which I am endlessly thankful for.

My husband who is my world. We have had our rough moments but he is worth every one of them. I am thankful that we are both bless with good jobs, our health, the house we have over our heads and the faith that we share.

I am endlessly thankful for these two and all of our moments with them.

For this country we live in and that fact that beauty like this can still be seen.

For the simple pleasures that comes from this.

For laughter.

For little brothers.

For beauty big and small.

For children who cooperate with the Mommy's incessant need to photograph them and have them pose.

For generational moments.

For smiles and rare captures.

Daddy's love.

Practice is easy with these two

2009-11-08T22:24:00.003-05:00

When Daddy's parents came I rented a couple of lenses to use when we went out to pick pumpkins. I decided to take advantage of the lenses, the fireplace in my new house (on due to the courtesy of the cold weather) and the two cutest subjects ever. These are my SOOC shots because I am saving my edited shots for another post...stay tuned and enjoy these.

Our First Visitors

2009-11-08T21:23:00.008-05:00

A few weeks ago we had our first guests come to our new house. Daddy's parents came and spent the week with us. I worked everyday and the kids got to stay home and play with Mimi and Pawpaw for an entire week. Daddy and Pawpaw spent about 3 days fixing some of our lights and putting up crown moulding in our bedroom and half-bath. Daddy and his parents did get to spend at least one day exploring our Nation's Capitol in the cold, wind and rain. There was one other thing we did in the cold, wind and rain and that was to pick pumpkins and apples.

Our intention was to drive out to Rhappahannock county to this farm that had pick your own apples and pumkins (according to their website) but we didn't end up where we intended. When we pulled up in front of the place it was this shack with a couple of guys sitting next to some bins of apples. Very sketchy. So we drove back down the road where this little place had some pick your own pumpkins and other goods in their little store. Very quaint.

We went to get the pumpkins in the windy, rain and cold.
Beanie liked the little ones.
Goober liked the bigger ones.

Beanie found refuge with Mimi and they made their way back inside.

While we were paying Daddy saw a sign that this little stand was taking orders for Thanksgiving turkeys. I am excited that we are going to be getting a fresh turkey this year.

Before we left I put the kids up on a hay bale to take their pictures...Goober loved it...
Beanie was not so sure of this.

And here is a rare treat for all of you. It is not often that I can get out from behind the camera since I do all of the shooting but I did a self-portrait with Goober in the car and I am please with the way it came out.

Aunty Ollie $100 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-11-06T13:36:00.000-05:00

So cute!

Aunty Ollie $100 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T05:06:00.000-05:00

Thirsty

2009-10-28T17:15:00.002-04:00

I filled a glass of water to add to the stew I was making because it had been boiling too hard, too long. As I filled the glass the following conversation ensued.

Beanie: Mommy, are you thirsty?

Mommy: No, this isn't for Mommy to drink.

Mommy: Beanie, the water is for the stew. (As I pour the water into the stew)

Beanie: The stew is thirsty, Mommy?

Laying Low

2009-10-25T09:26:00.002-04:00

I finished my class the other day and had full intention of playing catch up on house work, helping Daddy finish the crown moulding and catch up on this blog however that is not the case.

I was working from home on Friday because Beanie was supposed have a follow up doctor's appointment. At about 10:30 am I got a phone call from the kids school saying that Goober had a 102 degree fever. Both of the kids had recieved their regular flu vaccine but their doctor hadn't gotten the H1N1 vaccine yet. So with the fear of H1N1 and the doctor did not have any more appointments for the day I traded Beanie's appt to get Goober in. End result...Goober has the flu (influenza A). By Friday night he wasn't the only one with it...I had it too.

So since Friday, Goober and I have been camped out on the couch resting and trying to recover. Goober is doing much better today...no fever so far. Not so much for me I woke up with a nasty cough and a 102 fever.

Hopefully I get to updating soon. Back to resting.

2009-10-24T17:37:00.001-04:00

The weekend after the musuem "Uncle" Rich came to see us for the weekend. Rich is Daddy's friend since high school. Our children love visitors especially ones that let them hang all over them and play with them.

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-10-22T14:00:00.000-04:00

Check out this talented woman and the beautiful costumes she created.

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Old and the Young

2009-10-20T21:52:00.008-04:00

We recently took the kids to the Smithsonian Muesum of Natural History. We figured that if we were going to hit a museum in this wonderful city this one would be the most toddler friendly and we were right.

First, we took a long train (Metro) ride into the city and the kids loved it...can't you tell?

Once we got there we walked across The Mall to the musuem.

Here are the kids on the front steps.

After "fighting" the museum's cafe to get lunch we started viewing the exhibits.

The kids actually loved the bones of all of the animals they saw.

We saw giraffes.

Frogs.

Fish.

And then there were the live animals which they LOVED.

Spiders.

Bees.

I am not sure.

Ant colonies.

Photos of Giant Ants.

Live ants. (Beanie loved this)

Eygptian history.

By this time after numerous exhibits and potty trips it was time to get going but we had to see one last exhibit...the DINOSAURS.

We did not get through much of the museum but that is the nice thing about this city the museum is close and FREE. We will be back.

I ♥ Faces - Week 41 - Pink Week

2009-10-20T05:00:00.005-04:00

I fortunately have never been close to anyone with breast cancer. I truly believe though that if we educate ourselves about early detection and raise awareness and funds for research that this is a battle that can be won. In light of this my entry for this week is Beanie in her pink shirt with that adorable expression. (I wanted to enter Goober this week since Beanie has been in the last few weeks but he doesn't wear pink so that was not an option.) I hope that by the time she is older that breast cancer is no longer as big of a fight as it is today and maybe they will even have a cure. Maybe....just maybe.

Sneek Peek at Catching Up....

2009-10-18T22:04:00.006-04:00

Here are a few photos to preview a post I have coming about all that we have been up....

So Excited

2009-10-16T22:22:00.004-04:00

I must share this....

I have always wanted to learn how to layer photos using Photoshop or Lightroom. However, I don't have Photoshop or Lightroom (my computer is too slow) but I found this great FREE software called Paint.net and I found some textures and created this photo. I thought that this was going to be harder than it was. My only problem was that my computer was a little slow.

I ♥ Faces - Week 40 - Excitement

2009-10-13T20:34:00.003-04:00

Once again I almost didn't enter again. I have been so busy that I just brushed this weeks entry to the side. Well Mimi and Pawpaw are here for a visit and Beanie was sitting in Daddy's lap in front of the fire pit when I captured this. Beanie was excited when a spark came out of the fire. Literally, this was no more than about 30 minutes ago. I rushed to load and edit this and get it posted just in time.

Hello My Name is Stretch Armstrong...formerly known as Me.

2009-10-13T07:34:00.005-04:00

While I am glad to be finishing my MBA (finally) I am frustrated on the amount of time it takes away from me and my family. It sucks that every free moment I have, including the ones that should be spent sleeping, are spent studying. Daddy and I have had very little time for each other which can be a strain. I don't really get to spend much of the weekend with our children either since what free time I have then I am stuck reading or writing. Did I mention it sucked? Most days I feel like I am being stretched beyond all recognition. Early in the morning to late at night. Mommy. Wife (ie: Baby). Student. Accountant. Commuter. Photographer. Maid. Planner. Boo-Boo kisser. Teeth Brusher. Marker finder. Blogger.

Sometimes I think I wish I had done this the first time I was in school but then I think about it and realize that if I had done it that way I probably wouldn't be where I am now. I might still have my husband but my career path may have been different and I may not have had my children. Do I regret doing this? No. I am enjoying the learning I am receiving from this. It is not just the textbook knowledge though it is the life knowledge. Experiencing the joy, frustrations and anger of trying to juggle all of this. I have learned to ask for help especially from Daddy (not always but I am working on it) and appreciate all that he does in his day also. I have come to appreciate those fleeting moments with my family. I have learned to treasure them as much as possible. I have learned to balance a plate full of items and learn to let go of the minor things. I have come to appreciate single parents who do it all for years on end.

All I can say is that I can't wait to be me again. Someone who sleeps normal hours, who doesn't constantly feel devoted to a textbook and simple feels put back together. The countdown is on...2 weeks left in this class and then 4 more to go.

Letting go…..

2009-10-06T08:38:00.000-04:00

Being a parent is hard.

I am not talking about balancing a career and kids or even discipline. Those topics are for another post.

No, I am talking about the raising children in this scary, unpredictable, dynamic and wondrous world. Every day we can’t get through the news without hearing about another child that has been kidnapped, murdered or is deathly sick. Scary. We can’t listen to the news and hear about the economic or environmental crisis without getting worried about what the world is going to be like when our children are our age. Scary. I personally try not to think about it too much and try to simply focus on spending the time with my children in the moment. However, there are times when this world rears its ugly head and it can’t help from being at the front of your mind.
We are currently dealing with a situation where the fear of the world is poking at us. Goober is going on his first school field trip tomorrow to the farm. About 30-40 four and five year olds with pile into the daycare buses with their teachers and chaperones and head out to the farm to see the animals and pick pumpkins. I am excited for him and wish I could be a chaperone to share the experience of his first field trip with him. However, I think in my heart I also want to go to protect him. He has never been anywhere without us or another family member. It is scary to think of him out there without us. Now don’t get me wrong we are not overprotective parents. Our children scrape their knees, fall down and get in trouble. We don’t try to protect them from the normal scariness of life. Plus, we don’t want him to be THAT KID that his Mommy won’t let him go and he gets picked on. We have enough issues on that front so we don’t need to fuel that fire.

However, this world has much more than the normal scariness in it. Unfortunately, there are some sick and disturbed people out in the world that prey on the innocence of young children and how are we to protect our children without us there. These are the times in our life that we prepare our children as much as we can with information and rules and then trust in the Lord that He will take care of them. I trust Him…I do. We are reviewing our names, address and other rules tonight and letting him go…and trusting in Him.

My little boy is growing up and I am going to let go but just a little bit….he is only 4.

I Should be...

2009-10-01T23:01:00.007-04:00

It is 11:02pm when I am starting to write this...

Itunes is on random in my playlist and it filling my ears with glorious music of every different genre. This is not where my focus should be. The focus right now should be on the rather large text book sitting next to me open to page 670 and I should be answering the question about what are the primary methods of BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

I should be doing this but my mind is wandering and my mind is calling me to write but I have nothing specific to write about.

I have random thoughts.

My mind wanders to the awesome responsibility my new job has bestowed upon me and while I am honored I am also nervous. I know I am capable of what they are asking me but I am nervous about making a mistake or not living up to my potential.

I try to go back to the book next to me...I answer the question about BLAH, BLAH, BLAH and attempt to move on to the next one about....and again I divert.

This time I stop the music and listen for a few minutes to Beanie coughing up in her room and hoping that she doesn't wake up claiming that she needs to "puk". While I listen I open Picasa and do a few basic edits on a couple of photos I took the other day...they aren't done but it is a start. But again this is not what I should be doing....back to the book, back to the book....

Next question. Cause-and-effect diagrams. Now why would my professor choose two questions in a row that have basically the same answer. Now that is repetitive.

It is now 11:29pm. I think I have written more here that I did for my homework but it is getting done but like I said before I want to write but everything in my mind is so random and not what I should be doing.

Okay self...answer the stupid question and get this done.

It is now 12:06am and now for what I REALLY SHOULD BE DOING....time for bed.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-30T10:05:00.001-04:00

I ♥ Faces - Week 38 - Blue

2009-09-28T21:55:00.002-04:00

I almost didn't enter this week. I wasn't sure what I was going to enter. Then I was sitting at work today and I remembered this picture that I edited for something else a couple of weeks ago. Beanie's eyes are really that blue and that big and they are one of the first things you see when you look at her face.

You Capture - Happiness

2009-09-25T09:59:00.005-04:00

There is a lot that makes me happy.

Surprisingly my job makes me happy. Do you see this picture? My job lets me work from home when I need to. Now that is happiness.

Of course coffee always brings me happiness. I don't get much sleep so coffee is my friend with Earl Grey tea and Regular tea following in close second.

Mmmmm...Chocolate Martinis...happiness.

And using this at home is much cheaper than buying them at a bar.

Fall. Happiness.

I love that my fall wreath is hanging on my front door, we have made our plans to go up to Pennsylvania to pick apples and pumpkins and the weather is getting cooler.

And my ultimate happiness my family.

I didn't get to include a picture of Daddy since he was at work when I took these and I just cleaned my computer of all my old photos.

Fix-it Friday #30 - I ♥ Faces

2009-09-25T08:29:00.003-04:00

This is only my second attempt at Fix-It Friday over at I ♥ Faces and I feel like I am finally getting the hang of this (while at least a little bit). Like I mentioned last week my computer is too slow to use Photoshop so I have been using Picasa 3 and Picnik to edit my photos. With this photo I ran the auto correct and warmify features in Picasa first. Then I uploaded it to Picnik. First I apply the Gritty effect and then the Lomo-ish effect. I then added the border and words. I was quite pleased with the end result. Please leave me any constructive comments so that I can continue to improve my editing skills. I can't wait until I can finally use Photoshop.

There is no place like home, there is no place like home...

2009-09-21T08:02:00.002-04:00

As a former Navy family we have come to realize that it doesn't matter what house you live it but the people and environment within it that makes it a home.

The heart of all of the homes we have ever lived in has been our family room. The kids play in there, Daddy and I watch movies on Friday and Saturday nights, Saturday morning cartoons and it is my place to do my school work. It is comfy and inviting. We share holidays in that room, fold laundry and just relax. It is the one place you can always find our family.

Twittermoms and Samsung Home Appliances want to know "Where is the Heart of your Home?" And as a prize they have teamed up to give away a this washer and dryer. Oh how I would love this. My washer and dryer, while a good brand, have not held up all the best and are ready to be replaced. The blogger with the most comments by October 2, 2009 will win this beautiful pair.

So please help me win. Leave me a comment. Ask all of your friends to do it.

I ♥ Faces - Week 37 - Candid

2009-09-20T23:59:00.003-04:00

It is actually quite hard to catch Goober and Beanie in a candid moment. Usually when they see the camera no matter what they are doing they want to say "cheese" even when I am using the video camera. So I found this picture of Beanie when I caught her mid-lick with her popsicle.

Getting Ready...

2009-09-19T22:35:00.001-04:00

First it is a change to the blog then comes the season....are you ready???

Fix-it-Friday / I ♥ Faces

2009-09-18T20:36:00.003-04:00

This is my first stab at Fix-It Friday and I was excited to try it out. My computer is not fast enough and does not have enough memory to run Photoshop right now but I have learned to love Picnik. I look forward to participating in more of these.

You Capture - Macro

2009-09-17T16:29:00.003-04:00

Focusing in on Beanie's eye.

Close up on this wonderful meal I cooked the other day. A post on this meal is to come.

This bug was found in our front yard.

Do you need new decor?

2009-09-16T07:56:00.003-04:00

Check out these neat canvas' from Canvas On Demand.

You send them your photo and they turn it into a beautiful canvas stretched piece of art.

You need a new piece of art?

Well you could win $50 gift certificate for Canvas On Demand from TidyMom.

Hurry to enter the contest as it ends Sept. 18th.

Thinking Ahead (A Giveaway)

2009-09-15T07:48:00.002-04:00

Isn't this necklace adorable? Wouldn't you love to have this? I know I would.

Check this one out. You could plan ahead and give this to someone for Christmas. Yes, I said Christmas it is quickly approaching and thinking ahead is a good idea.

Well, you may not need to buy this. You could win a beautiful piece from the simple line of The Vintage Pearl over at I ♥ Faces. Go enter before it is too late. The contest ends today at 5pm.

The Giving Tree

2009-09-15T07:30:00.001-04:00

When I was a kid I used to love Shel Silverstein's book Where the Sidewalk Ends. On library days at school I would always try to see if it was available to check out and if I was lucky enough to get it I would read those silly poems over and over again. Poems like this one:

Bear In There by Shel Silverstein

There's a Polar Bear In our Frigidaire--
He likes it 'cause it's cold in there.

With his seat in the meat

And his face in the fish

And his big hairy paws

In the buttery dish,

He's nibbling the noodles,

He's munching the rice,

He's slurping the soda,

He's licking the ice.

And he lets out a roar

If you open the door.

And it gives me a scare

To know he's in there--

That Polary Bear

In our Fridgitydaire.

The poems were fun, silly and great reading for kids. But many forget about one of Silvertein's great books called The Giving Tree. Our children love this book. At ages 2 and 4 they can't really grasp the true meaning behind the words but they love that the tree plays with the little boy, talks to him and gives him things.

It is my firm belief that all adults should keep this book by their beside and read it at least once a week. The Giving Tree should serve as a constant reminder to us to be grateful to those around us, to not take advantage of others and to realize that there are people in our lives that no matter what they will always be there for us in the end.

This book could also be used to symbolize our relationship with Christ. When we were kids Jesus was cool. We willing said our prayers, loved hearing Bible stories, going to Bible study and church and knowing that He was there for us. However, as we got older our relationship with God was put on the back burner of life. We found more important things to occupy our life, our heart and our time. God never forgot us though and when we came running back to him in our pain, sorrow or joy "he shook with joy". Many times though when we sought God during those times we wanted something from him and we wanted him to provide what we wanted and not what he wanted. Usually God provided in one way or another and then we walked away from Him. We never stopped to realize what He did for us, thank him, or consider having a relationship with him again. Throughout our lives, like in the book when the boy comes back to the tree, we come back to God only to turn around and leave again. It is only in the end when we realize that all that we have taken or been given has not made us happy to we find our way back to Him and find rest.

"....straightening herself up as much as she could,"Well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."And the boy did. And the tree was happy."

If you have never read The Giving Tree I suggest you get yourself a copy or if you really must read it now check out this website that has the text of the book.

I ♥ Faces - Week 36 - Contemplative

2009-09-14T00:00:00.003-04:00

When I saw this weeks subject I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Then Daddy and I were sitting in the front room discussing what we wanted to do with that room and I tried to take his picture, since that is the only way you can get one of him, and I was so pleased with what came out. It fit perfectly with this weeks theme.

Redeemed

2009-09-12T21:48:00.003-04:00

I have been redeemed.

If you recall this story you will understand why these videos are so important to me.

And then to top it all off I asked Goober if he wanted to be a Georgia Bulldog one day and he said yes. That makes his Momma proud.

A Work in Progress

2009-09-11T09:12:00.001-04:00

Our new house is still a work in progress however we have made significant progress over the last month and would like to show you the rest of the house. I showed you the first couple rooms here but a lot has happened since then and even since I took these pictures. I will try to give updates as we get things done.

Here is "my" office. We have french doors leading into the room and we painted brown stripes on the walls. This room was almost as much work as some of the bigger rooms. Between the 2 base coats, taping off the stripes, two coats on the stripes and then cutting it it was about a two and a half day process. When I took the first piece of tape off I was nervous but excited as I went around the room and they were perfect.

You will notice that there are still some bare walls where we don't have the furniture we want to go there yet or the pictures are still sitting on the floor. See....a work in progress.

Note: The blue container is not part of my decor.

The hall bathroom was hard to photograph (any suggestions?) however it turned out great so I wanted to get a good shot. We painted the walls an almost turquoise color but more green and then did a brushed bronze finish on top. We have since replaced the mirror and added a rug.

This is our master bathroom. We painted the main part of the bath an almost mossy green color and then painted the toilet closet a nice light shade of the same color to brighten it up. This room is pretty much done except for some new rugs and towels eventually.

We created this piece (since to buy them like this is really expensive) with things from different stores. We bought the vase from Kirkland's and the sticks, grass and flowers are from IKEA. The walls in the corner were really too small for pictures so we thought something tall would fill the space nicely.

Coming out of our bathroom looking into our bedroom. This is on my side of the bed.

Looking out from the corner next to Daddy's side of the bed.

As you come into our room.

Standing in front of our bed.

I know this isn't the best picture since their is a vacuum in the shot but you can see that we managed to get the family pictures hung up in the hallway.

This is Beanie's room. Daddy and I did not agree at first that it was too much pink with all four walls painted this color. However, when he painted that one wall green, as you will see below, it looks much better. Soon we will replace her crib with this cute toddler bed we saw at IKEA and find some more attractive toy storage but this is progress.

Here are some of the pictures hanging outside of Goober's room in the hallway.

Like Beanie's room we decided on an accent wall for Goober's. He doesn't have anything on his walls yet because I am searching for new bedding. I think I am going to go with the sports theme and hang pennants above his closets.

We haven't done everything in the dining room yet. We replaced the cheap builders chandelier with this monster (and it was a beast to get up there and it still needs to be fixed). We will eventually paint below the chair rail a dark beige color and above the rail a burgundy color with some sort of gold, bronze or brown finish.

Here is the room we have done absolutely nothing in yet. To be honest it has actually gotten worse. This is our guest bedroom. The movers set up the bed and then things have just piled into there. I have to get to it SOON we have company coming.

See a work in progress. As things change I hope to give more updates. I will try to update on the kids too. They are doing well and adjusting to our new home and life wonderfully.

I ♥ Faces - Week 35 - Back to School

2009-09-07T12:36:00.003-04:00

Oh how I have missed my camera dearly over the last month. But I think I am finally getting back into the swing of things. Beanie and Goober are too young for Back-to-School but I am not. I started back to school on Monday and once again I can be found with my computer and textbook most days. This is a common scene in my house even on holiday mornings. Even us big kids need to learn.

Tired.

2009-09-02T21:35:00.003-04:00

It is Wednesday at 9:36 pm and I am...

Exhausted. Tired. Pooped. Consumed. Worn out.

I swear I blinked and the month of August was gone. I have spent the last month unpacking, organizing, painting, cleaning, fixing, replacing, interviewing, more painting, managing 2 children, cooking, cleaning and even more painting. Nine rooms in our house have been painted, blinds have been hung on most of the windows, pictures have been hung in a few rooms and there is still a lot of stuff to do.

On Monday I started my new job and my new MBA class so this week has been crazy. Not only that but my job also comes with a long commute. I tried taking the train and Metro, while I discussed my working hours with my boss, so that I could study on the way in instead of fighting traffic however I ended up spending 4 hours of my day on the "road". While it isn't a big improvement, since I will have flexible hours, Daddy and I will commute in together. I tried driving in today and it took me only an hour and 20 minutes each way. Still not great but better and at least I have flexibility in my commute and an alternative option if I need to stay late.

So as you can see I am tired. I am running on very little sleep. I want so bad to take some pictures, participate in a blog carnival, do some editing and just have fun...but I am tired.

I hope soon that I can get back to the swing of things...maybe even just post a photo or two. However, there is still more school work, pictures to be hung, paint to be touched up and life and general to get to. I promise I will be back.