bean and birdie

Starting New

2011-03-10T08:05:00.004-06:00

So....here I go, once again, starting a new chapter of my life. I have consumed so much time the past two years searching for myself. I went through a period of so many changes in such a small period of time, and to be perfectly honest.....I couldn't keep up! I felt like such a failure. I had spent the previous 14 years playing superwoman in a career where failure was not an option. So this was all new to me. I don't know exactly what made me wake up and realize that I couldn't keep going on like this, I just know that I was making myself and everyone around me a total mess. That's when I decided to stop searching so hard for "me" and just let myself be. I stopped attempting to squeeze myself into a perfect little mold. There are so many different sides of me that it was getting exhausting! It was sort of like trying to squeeze into those size 6 jeans that you still hold onto because you just know you are going to wear them again someday! Okay, well maybe size 8 jeans, but you get the idea! It wasn't all gonna fit! So now, I'm just taking it one day at a time and embracing whatever that day may hold: the good, the bad, and the ugly, and you know...it's so much easier!

Now, the past year has taken us to Japan and back home again(long story). So many lessons learned from that experience, but let's just say the grass isn't always greener! I did manage to get pregnant with number three while there, so something good came of the experience! We were blessed with another girl who was born in January! It's a little different, okay a lot different, having two little ones under the age of three at home. It's getting easier everyday though!

So what's in store with this blog in the upcoming year? Who knows... a little bit of everything! It should be interesting!

Back in the saddle again....

2011-03-01T08:17:00.006-06:00

Wow! Has it really been almost a year since my last post? That is just crazy! Well, I have been super busy...but I'll save that for the next post. I really miss my little ol' blog and I am ready to start anew!

Thought that I would start this with another i heart faces weekly challenge (which I haven't done in almost a year as well)! The photo that I have selected will give you a little peek at one of the main things that has kept me preoccupied this past year!

Here's a little peek of my newest Valentine! I just love them when they're this tiny! Too bad they don't stay this way for very long!

Have a great week!

Juggling...

2010-04-12T02:11:00.001-05:00

I have been so, so, busy lately that I just haven’t had time to work on my little ol’ blog. I have never exactly been little Miss Consistent on this thing, but I really have missed it so! This is such therapy to me and reading my little list of favorite blogs is always a great way to spend a few minutes of everyday!

So, what have I been up to lately, you may ask? Well, after 15 years of graduating from high school and fourteen of those in the Marines, I am working on my higher-learning. Yep, that’s right I am a full-time college student! So full-time mom + full-time college = very little time for everything else! Let’s just say that I am a little bit stressed right now! I’m working out the kinks though, and hopefully will have a pretty solid routine down soon (a girl can dream right!)

I still so want to find time for my therapy (blogging & photography). Why do we women think that we have to do everything? I guess that, for now, I will keep juggling with the best of them!

Happy Monday!

i heart faces "Dramatic b&w"

2010-03-28T23:13:00.002-05:00

This weeks challenge at iheartfaces is “Dramatic black & white”. I just love how converting you pictures to black and white changes the whole “feel” of the picture. Depending on what theme or idea you are going for you can change so much by removing the color. This is one of my favorite shots of my little girl. I think that I have posted it on here before but it definitely changed the mood by removing the color. I think that it is certainly “dramatic”!

Happy Monday!

i heart faces "Angles"

2010-03-23T18:23:00.002-05:00

This weeks i heart faces challenge is angles. Something a little different from your average straight-on shot.

I have already posted this photo on here but thought it was perfect for this challenge. I love the way that this turned out by standing above and slightly behind her. I love that I captured her love for splashing in the water here. She never comes in dry after taking a walk in the backyard! I really need to get her some rain boots!

Check out all of the different angles at i heart faces!

Letter to my boy.

2010-03-17T19:02:00.003-05:00

Dear Cameron,

It’s not easy being a teenager. You are going through so many changes right now and it can be hard to keep up. You are in a place that is not quite man, not quite child. You are walking a fine line in between what the world says to do and what your heart tells you is the truth. It can be hard, so hard.

Just remember to take it slow. There’s plenty of time to be a man and make all the grown-up decisions. Just enjoy the fleeting days of your childhood, for they are going so fast. Don’t worry so much about trivial things, trust me, you will do this more than enough when you get older! Follow your heart, it will never lead you astray. Go for your dreams, and know that you can accomplish anything. Remember, it’s okay to change your mind too and that doesn’t make you a failure.

School is just school. I’m not saying that it isn’t important to do a good job. Challenge yourself, you just might be surprised with the outcome! I’m just saying that all of the social issues and pressures are... just that. They don’t determine what kind of man you are going to be. Only you can determine that. Twenty years from now, all of that insignificant stuff won’t matter.

Remember to smile more and always be yourself, because yourself is far greater than anyone else’s idea of who you should be. Smile at the little things, and keep the big things in perspective, often they end up being not so big after all!

Know this, I am always proud of you and there will never come a day when I don’t love you a little bit more than the previous one!

Love,

Mom

p.s. Can you clean your room now, it’s disgusting?

xoxo

A new neighbor.

2010-03-12T07:02:00.002-06:00

I have a new neighbor.

We were introduced this morning, well....sort of.

I don’t normally meet my neighbors half-naked, fresh from the shower,

wrapped up in a towel.

Alas, it just couldn’t be avoided.

You see, I was hardly out of the shower, when to my surprise I noticed someone looking through my window!

Can you imagine?

It surprised me so much that I just had to do what any other budding photographer girl would do, and grab my camera.

Yes indeed, how else was I going to prove that the new neighbor is nosy, if I don’t have a picture?

Don't believe me? Well, you just go right ahead and see for yourself then!

What did I tell ya?

You just never know about your neighbors nowadays.

She was totally watching me, checking me out, trying to get a feel for me.

You know, all the sort of things that nosy neighbors do.

Later that day, she made another appearance.

We were formally introduced.

She apologized for our previous meeting and swore up and down that she has never

done such a thing before. She was a little embarrassed.

Her name is Hildegard. Hildegard A. Hawke to be exact.

Isn’t she lovely?

I have decided that we are going to make great neighbors. She can give me some

tips on feathering my nest, and I can point out all of the neighborhood rats!

{hee, hee, I really need some sleep}

Hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with lots of love and great neighbors!

Coastal Inspiration

2010-03-10T02:15:00.004-06:00

We have been living on this island now for a couple of months and we are trying to make our little duplex feel more comfy and homelike. Prior to moving, we were told that the homes here are a lot smaller than what we are accustomed to and advised to bring only the necessities. What a perfect way for a fresh start and a more simpler lifestyle, right?

Now, I am working on making our humble abode, homey for the next couple of years. I am really loving the coast and all of the bright, sunshiny, weather. I am drawing inspiration from the lovely colors of the sea and sand around me.

Let’s take a little look at some things that are inspiring me at the moment

...shall we?

I don’t think that it would be possible to ever be in a bad mood in this beauty! Everything is just so bright and beautiful! Love the vintage appliances!

I love everything about this bedroom, and I love the subtle mix of the blues and yellow with the white. Love the iron bed, ruffled bedskirt, and that knobby-legged side table is gorgeous! Wouldn’t mind staying in bed for awhile in this beauty!

I want an outdoor bath/shower area. Ideally somewhere near the coast, in my backyard, surrounded by a fabulous garden (gotta have a little privacy, ya know). That turquoise column and painted claw-foot tub just takes my breath away! Do you see it? A little peek of a mirror in the corner surrounded by some sort of vines, at least I think it’s a mirror. Whatever it is, it’s lovely!

Now this one....I just love the little pops of color in an otherwise neutral space. What really caught my eye was that lovely chandelier. Be.still.my.heart. Isn’t she lovely? She would look so pretty in a number of places. This might be doable very soon with all of the cool shells that I am finding!

Loving the linen slipcovered chairs here and the little wheeled coffee table. Of course the paneling on the walls is lovely as well as the neutral sea grass looking rug. What really drew my attention though, is the bright colors of the couch. I’m not normally into the really bright colors but maybe I should re-think that, it really makes the room here!

all photos courtesy of {Coastal Living}

Just loving the little hints of blue and yellow, aren’t those chairs cute? Ooh whee, that little peek of checkered floor, just what is it about a checker-floored kitchen? Oh, is that a breadbox I spy? I am looking for a really cool breadbox. It is super humid here and my bread keeps getting moisture in it. Any ideas?

Thanks for letting me share some of my inspiration with you today. Hopefully I will have some before/after pictures for you soon of our humble Okinawa abode.

Happy Tuesday.

My weekend...

2010-03-08T18:20:00.004-06:00

Not much got done around here this weekend. Although it wasn’t quite as crazy as a weekend filled with earthquakes and tsunami warnings, it was a crazy one nonetheless! My plans of refinishing my little dining room table had to be put off, once again.

My little birdie was sick and so our weekend started out on Friday evening with a trip to the ER. Amelia just hadn’t been herself since Thursday evening and I couldn’t get her to shake her fever for long. So after a reading of 104.3 it was time to go. We arrived at the ER at around 7:00 pm and didn’t leave until close to 1:00 am! Gotta love the ER! Let me tell you for a 19 month old that was not feeling well, she’s got a lot of fight in her. She didn’t want to be bothered. Let’s just say that the doctor was slapped around a bit! We left with a diagnosis of adenovirus.

I felt so bad for my poor sick little birdie, she just wasn’t herself. My little girl normally doesn’t sleep too much and is a nonstop ball of energy. I have never seen her sleep so much, which normally would be great, but she wouldn't let me leave her side. If I moved, she would wake up and fuss until I was close at hand.

Saturday was a beautiful day but we spent the majority of the time relaxing and watching “Up” too many times to count. Is it just me, or does that opening scene of Carl and Ellie’s life just make you cry everytime?

As the day progressed, my little birdie mustered the strength to read a book or two. I just love that she is fascinated with books. She sits down and really gets into them. I wonder what she is thinking?

By the time Sunday rolled around, she was still feeling pretty miserable. She wouldn’t eat, she wouldn’t drink. She only wanted to nurse. Did I just say that? Yes, my 19 month old {gasp}still nurses. We are working on this. Since we have moved, she wants to more than ever. Any thoughts, advice, help on this would be greatly appreciated!

As the day progressed, she was starting to get closer to her normal self. Still not eating, but fever was pretty much gone. I was so happy to see that pretty little smile again!

By late afternoon, we decide that maybe a little fresh air would do us all some good and decided to head outside. The day was warm and overcast, yet so beautiful! Have I mentioned that even the rainy days are pretty here?

The boys decided to play some football while the girls went out searching for sea glass and pretty shells.

Birdie decided that she didn’t want to look for sea glass and instead wanted to play ball with the boys. She didn’t respond too well to their reluctance to let her play.

All was well once daddy caved in and gave her the ball. She has him so wrapped around her little finger! She always wants to play with the boys, might have a tomboy in our future. I don’t think they ever got the ball back!

What started out as a crazy weekend, ended up turning out pretty well! Although I didn’t get much done, it was okay! I love my little family. I am truly blessed.

Gotta run! My silly little birdie is back to normal so I don’t expect this nap to last very long! Have a wonderful week!

i heart faces "Jump for Joy"

2010-03-07T17:27:00.002-06:00

This weeks photo challenge at i heart faces is “jump for joy” and can feature up to 5 of your favorite jumping photos.

I immediately knew which photos that I would use for this.

My brothers kids were staying with us last summer while they were visiting Texas and I had to keep them preoccupied.

With the temperature being close to a million degrees, there was really only one thing that they wanted to do!

So there was a lot of jumping going on at our house last summer!

Here are 5 of my favorites!

“Jump on 3”

The oldest in the middle was going to count to 3 and then jump. Little did his brother and sister know, he had other plans!

“Cannonball”

Of course there were tons of cannonball competitions!

“Crazy Cameron”

Setting the stage for the little guys, Cameron had to do some crazy stunts!

“Amazing Amelia”

Not to be outdone, Amelia did her own sort of cannonball, assisted by daddy of course! She looks like she is crying but, she was squealing with delight!

“Sophie the Flying Fish”

Sophie even got in on the action! I love this picture! It looks like Sophie was jumping out of the water rather than into it!

That was fun!

Check out all the joyous jumping pictures this week at i heart faces.

a new love....

2010-03-03T21:53:00.002-06:00

I have a new love. This new love makes me so happy!

I have had a thing for this “love” for a little while now but never like this.

Living on this island now for the past three months has

reintroduced me to my love of......sea glass.

Oh, the colors are just like the ocean!

All the various shades of blue and green that I adore.

Never before have I lived on a coast where there is such an abundance of the beautiful treasures. I feel like a little kid on an easter egg hunt every time we head out into the backyard. I never leave the beach empty-handed!

Now, I just need to be creative and figure out what I am going to do with all of it.

I think that it would make a pretty cool wind chime. Perhaps a way to pretty up and old chandelier or pendant lamp maybe?

The various colors of the sea glass are my inspiration for fixing up our little duplex for the next couple of years.

I foresee lots of projects and pictures to come in the immediate future!

My big girl

2010-03-02T03:08:00.002-06:00

Somebody got a haircut and it’s not me!

Now I want to cry. My baby looks like such a big girl. It is amazing how 1/4 of an inch off the bangs can change the entire way that my little girl looks! I think as soon as her hair was cut that she acquired a more “big girl” attitude too! I’m not ready for her to be a big girl yet. She needs to stay my baby for awhile.

Oh, and by the way, it so wasn’t me that cut her hair! Nope, won’t even go there. I still have flashbacks to when I attempted to cut Cams’ hair for the first time! Poor baby, his hair kept getting shorter and shorter! I vowed to leave it to the pro’s from there on out. I think that he did a pretty good job, don’t you?

I heart faces "Hilarious Outtakes".

2010-03-01T07:56:00.003-06:00

So, I have decided to try and get back on board with the i heart faces photography challenges. If you have never visited the i heart faces blog and you love photography I suggest that you check it out!

So much inspiration! So this weeks challenge is “hilarious outtakes” and here are the photos that I decided to submit:

These pictures always makes me smile and they ended up being the favorites I shot that day! I really wanted to get a couple of nice shots of both of my kids and Cameron was willing to cooperate that day. Amelia, on the other hand, was not. I asked Cam to do whatever he needed to do to get her smiling and looking at the camera! It worked and I love to see how she responds to her big brother! She adores him and it showed in the pictures that day! I even managed to get a handful of “good” pictures of the both of them! Still...the “outtakes” are my favorites!

Tsunami's and earthquakes and sirens...oh my!

2010-03-01T06:53:00.005-06:00

Okay, so apparently there is a downside to living on a beautiful, tropical-island with an average annual temperature of 72 degrees!

Saturday, we were rudely awakened by a 7.0 earthquake 55 miles off the coast of Okinawa. Earthquakes scare the living daylight out of me! After living in California for about 8 years total I am not a complete newbie to tremors or small earthquakes but this was an entirely different experience!

We were awakened by shaking that (at the time) felt like it lasted forever! In actuality the shaking lasted for about 15-20 seconds, which is entirely too long for me.

Let me just tell you, this was scary! I was ready to run for the hills with my babies! Did I ever mention that I have this huge phobia about tsunami’s? Beyond paranoid really, I dream of these suckers! Oh and by the way, we live on the beach, right in the backyard!

What were we thinking?

I spent the entire weekend under a giant cloud of anxiety. Didn’t help that there was a possible giant-tsunami on the way after the Chile earthquake. Scary stuff guys! Oh, and the sirens....necessary but gives me the heebie jeebies! Don't care if I ever hear that sound again!

Alas, we survived the weekend and in all reality it could have been much worse. I am praying for the poor people in Chile. All this craziness in the world is just horrible.

Count your blessings and hug those babies a little bit tighter today!

My Thirty-four.

2010-02-25T22:59:00.003-06:00

So, about a month ago, I found myself turning 34. What the heck? Where have the past 10 years gone? I mean wasn’t it just yesterday that I turned 24? Wow, 24, I thought that I knew everything! I had no idea! Every year time flies by just a little bit faster than the previous. Before I know it, I will be 35 and wondering how in the world I got there so fast! I want to make this year count. Make 34 a little bit different then the rest. So, I have made a list of 34 things that I want to accomplish in my 34th year.

1. Start college (as of January 25th, I am a full-time college student).

2. Sew something, anything.

3. Learn to play an instrument.

4. Read the bible in its’ entirety.

5. Stop the excuses and start having date nights with my husband (we always feel so guilty, and bring the kids).

6. Lose the “Amelia weight.”

7. Stop calling it the “Amelia weight.”

8. Live in a foreign country for at least a year (okay, so this is sort of cheating but I have always wanted to do this, so it counts right)?

9. Finish my photography class and organize the thousands of photos I took last year.

10. Learn to be comfortable in my skin.

11. Give up my coke habit (or any other soda pop for that matter, gee what kind of “coke” were you guys thinking)!

12. Be more consistent with my blogging. This is my “free-therapy” after all!

13. Laugh more often (I am entirely too serious most of the time).

14. Go to a karaoke lounge and sing (I absolutely love to sing but am too terrified to actually do it in public)!

15. Run another marathon.

16. Make a monthly date with my son, just me and my boy, doing something together that we have never done before.

17. Take more pictures of me with my kids (lots of the kids, hardly any of me and the kids)!

18. Try going vegetarian or vegan for an entire month and see how it makes me feel!

19. Look in the mirror every morning and say something positive about myself.

20. Exercise everyday, even if it is just going for a walk.

21. Stop wasting energy on things that have happened in the past, no regrets!

22. Make more time for prayer.

23. More effectively communicate with my husband. (I tend to do the hold it all in and brood thing)!

24. Learn how to cook something complicated that I have never made before.

25. Print out and frame some of the pictures that I love for our walls.

26. Send more snail mail to friends/family, after all, in these days of technology, who doesn’t love to open up the mailbox and get a sweet little postcard or note?

27. Start and finish all of my re-finishing projects (old table, old bench, etc.) and take lots of pictures in the process!

28. Get rid of all the clothes that I am honestly never going to wear again, therefore creating WAY more space in my closet!

29. Learn at least a little conversational Japanese.

30. Wear my hair down more often and take pictures for proof!

31. Get a fabulous new haircut, therefore making it much easier to accomplish previous number!

32. Treat everyday as if it were a Monday. Every day can be a fresh start.

33. Dance a little bit everyday, even if it’s only in the shower!

34. Don’t beat myself up if everything does not get accomplished!

So, there you have it. My crazy little list of things that I want to accomplish in my 34th year. This will be interesting to see how many of these that I will actually accomplish and just maybe I will learn something new about myself in the process!

Happy Friday blog world!

Me, in all of my freckle-faced, sans-makeup, glory!

Fresh

2010-02-14T23:25:00.003-06:00

Some people dread Monday. Not me.

Monday is my absolute favorite day of the week!

There is nothing like a fresh start, a clean slate, to make you feel better when you have been sort of "out of it". I always start new projects or goals on Monday's.

The week is just starting out and I can accomplish everything!

Okay, so I don't always get everything done, but there's always the next Monday to start all over on the "to do" list.

Happy Monday!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-13T17:48:00.002-06:00

Here is a Valentine's Day kiss for you!

Wishing you a day filled with love and lots of hugs and kisses!

I heart cherry blossoms!

2010-02-11T20:37:00.006-06:00

A couple of weekends ago, we went to our first Okinawan festival. It was cherry blossom season here and so we decided to go and check out the Cherry Blossom Festival in Nago City. Once the trees bloom, they only last for about a week or two, so every year folks line up to see the delicate flowers. These trees are a sight when they are in full bloom and if you ever get the chance to see them, you won't be disappointed! I think that the cherry blossom might be my new favorite tree. I would definitely like to plant a couple at our house in Texas. I wonder where we could find them at?

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the festival.

The streets were crowded with all sorts of interesting people. The streets were lined with vendors selling all sorts of fragrant foods and treats. There were also tons of carnival-type games as well as live music and performances.

I just love the contrast here between the delicate blooms and the tropical foliage.

Aren't the cherry blossoms just lovely?

The Japanese word for cherry blossom is Sakura. Due to their short blooming time, the cherry blossom is often a metaphor for how fleeting life is and is used throughout Japan as an emblem of love, affection, and good fortune.

As we were leaving and the sun was setting, some of the local women performed a lovely dance. They were all adorned in beautiful pink tops and it was a sight to behold!

Here is my very own cherry blossom. She loved the festival with all of the new things to look at!

We had a lovely time and look forward to our next Okinawan festival!

Have a great weekend!

Driving Lessons

2010-02-10T07:52:00.006-06:00

Since moving to Okinawa, we have had to learn to do several things that we aren't accustomed to. One of the most obvious is to learn to drive on the WRONG side of the road while seated on the WRONG side of the car. It takes a little getting used to but it you can be taught to drive in a foreign country.

First of all, you must always start out with a confident attitude! You are in charge of this vehicle, not the other way around. So what if you are used to sitting on the other side of the car and haven't figured out how to estimate the distance to the curb yet! After running up on that left side curb about three times, you'll get the hang of it! Remember, confidence.

A smile can go a mile! Everyone say it with me. It helps to keep a positive attitude. When you cut that person off during your right-hand turn because you're used to having the right of way during your right-hand turns, just flash them a smile. 'Cause who can REALLY be mad at somebody with a beautiful smile?

Now, if you flash that smile and they still get mad and yell or worse, make crazy gestures that you don't want to understand, don't hesitate to use the STARE! Works every time,

I promise!

You will need some serious patience here. People drive like they're crazy. I mean it. They stop in the middle of the road, turn on their hazards, get out, and go into the store! They might pull slightly over if you get lucky! Also the highest speed limit I have ran across is 60 km, which is only 37.28 mph! So turn on your favorite tunes, it's gonna be awhile!

When you FINALLY make it to your destination, feel confident in knowing that you are considered a "professional driver" in this country! Oh yeah, and when you depart the car, you have to get out on the right-hand side!

There are apparently no child-restraint rules over here. It is the craziest thing! I see little kids half-hanging out of the windows and in various different spots inside the car. The other day I saw a tiny baby being held in the front seat, just crazy!

This makes me sad. My baby is growing up too fast! She just had to sit in her "baby" car seat for the last time today. We sold it to a nice girl who was having her first baby. Don't worry, she hasn't used this thing for months!

This was only around 9 months ago! How time flies! She has changed so much!

Thanks for "driving" in Japan with us today! Next time, how to "fake" communicate when you don't know a lick of Japanese!

Amelia and the beach...

2010-02-09T07:05:00.004-06:00

Amelia has found the beach and from the first moment, she was in love! She has always been an outdoor kind of girl from the moment she was brought home from the hospital. If she was fussy, a short trip outside would calm her down. Now that we live on the beach, she thinks that every trip outside means we are going there. Outside to check the mail, "beach". Trip to the store, "beach". Going to pick up brother from the bus stop, "beach". She doesn't like being told no and this has made it extremely hard to get her strapped into the carseat!

I love seeing the look of joy on her face as soon as we start walking toward her beach.

She also loves searching for hermit crabs and is both fascinated and horrified by them! She picked one up today and dropped it as soon as she saw the little legs poking out. The expression on her face was priceless! Too bad I didn't capture it.

I love this picture of my sweet baby girl. It just reminds me of how innocence is so fleeting. It reminds me of that verse in the song "I Hope you Dance" by LeeAnn Womack. "I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean".

Crabby

2010-02-08T06:23:00.005-06:00

Today,

How do I loathe thee, let me count the ways

1. I had to get up at 5:30 am. This wouldn't be too bad, had I not stayed awake until around 1:30.

2. Guess what? I ran out of coffee. Yep, that's right, and there is no just running to the store where we live now. Nope, we have to strategically plan our logistics around here.

3. Did I mention that Rich is in Hawaii for a week? As crabby as he can make me, I am even more crabbier when he is away from me. Plus he gets to be in Hawaii.

4. Today was laundry day, and we still don't have a washing machine at our new place. Remind me again, why we left ours in the States? Laundromats make me grumpy. Laundromats and tantrum-throwing toddlers that want to run around and mess with everyone else's clothes make me insane.

5. I am especially homesick today.

I promise I will be over this tomorrow, but today I just want to embrace my inner crabbiness.

Happy Monday!

Testing my virtues

2010-02-05T02:00:00.004-06:00

Dear Lord,

Thank you, once again, for teaching me about patience. I know, I really have to work on it. I think you will be happy to know that I kept my cool today in the midst of an all out toddler melt-down. It was raining, and I really had some place to be, and although that monster angel of mine wanted to go to the beach instead of her car seat, therefore commencing to throw herself down into a water puddle while at the same time kicking and screaming, I did not lose my cool. Did I mention it was raining? Even though I wanted to cry and throw myself down into the nearest puddle myself, I did not. Instead, I took a deep breath, strapped my reluctant toddler into her car seat, and grabbed my camera. I'm learning, I really am.

Signed,

Your humble child (aka Work in Progress)

p.s. Sorry for the run-on sentence.

Too Busy...

2010-02-04T01:56:00.004-06:00

Lately, I have been too busy.

Too busy getting settled into a new place.

Too busy starting something that I kept putting off.

Too busy to go to the doctor.

Too busy to always really listen.

Certainly too busy to blog.

Must.slow.down.

Must.smell.the.roses

Starting tomorrow.

i heart faces- week 2

2010-01-11T22:48:00.003-06:00

It's a new year and time for me to challenge myself with more i heart faces weekly challenges! They are celebrating their first year anniversary over at i heart faces and have lots of cool stuff going on! This weeks challenge is Best Face. So, here's the picture I am entering. Head on over to i heart faces and check out all the great faces!

Here's a pic of my little biker babe!

There is not a motorcycle my girl does not love! She has the attitude to go along with the bike too and this picture captures it perfectly! I love this picture and I adore the crumbs that are around her mouth here.

Tough bikers eat cookies too, you know!

Hello from Japan

2010-01-11T22:05:00.003-06:00

Hello there blogworld! I have missed you so!

Hope that this New Year is looking bright for you.

Boy, do I have some stories for you!

I have everything from traveling half-way around the world with a 16 month old monster to driving on the wrong side of the road from the wrong side of the car.

It has already been a little adventure and I am sure there is much more to come!

Until then, I will leave you with a little peek of our new backyard.

Yep, this really is right in our backyard!

I am a blessed girl, that's for sure!

Sayonara for now!

I heart faces- week 43- weekly challenge.

2009-11-03T20:30:00.003-06:00

This weeks challenge at i heart faces is Balloons!

I knew that I would not have a problem finding a picture for this challenge.

My girl has not met a balloon that she doesn't love.

I always have to distract her in the grocery store to keep her from seeing the balloons.

Her dad, on the other hand, caves in to her balloon fascination.

He will give me a break and take her to the store with him.

They always come back with a ridiculously expensive balloon.

I mean these crazy mylar balloons are around $10, seriously!

She so has him wrapped around her little finger.

I am the mean mommy that distracts her so she doesn't see them!

You gotta have your balances folks!

Check out all of the great balloon photos at i heart faces!

Grace...

2009-10-29T10:12:00.006-05:00

“Grace was in all her steps, Heav'n in her Eye, In every gesture dignity and love”

John Milton

Grace is one of the traits that we hoped our little girl would have.

Maybe this is why we gave her this for her middle name.

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago and I think that it personifies grace.

It is not too often that Amelia will be still enough for me to take a picture like this.

We were outside and an airplane flew by, which just fascinates her.

In that tiny moment, I was fortunate enough to snap this image and I am so happy that I captured it.

This is currently my favorite picture.

I hope that she never loses her grace.

Life with the Lairds is having a great giveaway! Check it out!

The Guitar Man

2009-10-27T21:05:00.003-05:00

Meet the guitar man.

A.K.A. Rich (the hubby)

He loves his guitar almost as much as he loves his family.

He really doesn't get to spend as much time with it as he would like.

The Guitar Man thinks that I hate to hear him play.

I don't.

It's just the times that he chooses to play it that I don't like.

Like when we are getting ready to go somewhere and I ask him to help me get the babies stuff together. Somehow, getting the babies stuff together turns into dragging out the guitar for a quick 5 minute music session!

I really do like to hear him play.

I love it when he makes up songs for Amelia.

She climbs up in his lap and "helps" him.

He sings and plays, she plays and dances.

It melts my heart.

As much as I love him to play.

She is his # 1 fan!

I hope that never changes!

i heart faces- week 42- weekly challenge.

2009-10-27T14:06:00.003-05:00

This weeks theme over at i heart faces is Halloween Dress-up. I don't have a picture of anyone in a costume, but I do have a picture of Amelia in some Mardi Gras beads. This will have to do.

Amelia was 7 months old here and her brother and I were bored. I am not even sure why her brother wasn't at school that day, can't remember. At that age she would sit relatively still and let us do what we pleased! Boy are those days over with!

Check out all the dress-up fun at i heart faces!

Coming clean.

2009-10-26T16:48:00.002-05:00

We spent this entire weekend cleaning and organizing.

Fun, right?

Normally, I would be complaining about how it was such a waste of a good weekend.

Oddly enough, it was perfect and just what I needed.

We are preparing for a crazy move overseas and seriously are running out of time before the packers/movers arrive to get this thing going. I am trying to throw together a garage sale for the upcoming weekend and have to get this stuff ready to go.

It will certainly alleviate stress to have everything organized when the packers arrive.

Oh, did I mention that I tend to accumulate things? I think I waiver somewhere near the hoarder line. I am not kidding. It's scary!

Anyway, it feels good to get rid of some of the things that have accumulated and that are taking up space. Sometimes these little "things" end up being energy drainers and leave you feeling overwhelmed. So, we are using this move to pare down and live a simpler life. I cannot wait to be free of some of the clutter.

All of this cleaning has me thinking about how our minds get cluttered. I, for one, waste so much energy on things in the past that have "accumulated" in my mind. All these issues that I hold onto sap my energy and just drag me down. I tend to "hoard" these emotions and feelings instead of talking about them. I am ready to lay all of these things out. I am ready to come clean. Although, I know it will not be easy, I will feel so much better when I "let go" of some of these things that I no longer need to hold onto.

It is hard to get rid of the things that we have held onto for so long.

I am looking forward to living a "cleaner" life.

A simpler life.

My Sunshine.

2009-10-22T19:09:00.005-05:00

Words cannot even begin to describe how much I love this boy.

This boy that is all too quickly growing into a young man.

This boy that completely changed my world at the age of 19.

This boy who is so much like me in many ways, yet totally in a guy sort of way.

This soft-hearted child who always takes up for the underdog.

The best friend that anyone could ever ask for.

I hope you know how wonderful you are.

I hope you know how smart you are and how capable you are of doing great things.

I pray for you.

Some of it is a tad bit selfish.

I pray that these next few years go by really slowly.

I cannot wait to see what God has planned for your life.

You are my sunshine, forever.

Breaking free

2009-10-21T15:28:00.005-05:00

I have this book that I have started reading. I have been holding onto this book for about 9 months now and have never taken the time to read it. It is amazing! It is "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore, and did I mention that it is just amazing? I found this book while I was out soul searching one day, and it jumped out at me. The title alone just captured my attention and spoke to me. So, I have dusted it off and have started my journey of breaking free.

Ten Seven of the things that I am trying to break free from:

1. My poor self-image. I cannot remember the last time that I felt comfortable in my own skin. I can always find something wrong with me. I don't want to feel this way and I don't want to pass this way of thinking onto my daughter. I want to teach her that she is beautiful just the way that God made her.

2. My foolish pride. Funny enough, the first chapter of this book deals with pride and how it can lead to our downfall. I have been battling my pride for most of my life. My pride refuses to let me cry out for help when I am desperately in need of it. My pride tells me that I can do it ALL on my own. What a liar my pride is.

3. My poisonous tongue. Oh yes, this perhaps should be on the top of my list. There are many moments when I need to just bite my tongue. My tongue always gets the best of me. I don't really have a problem with gossiping or that sort of thing (never really cared for the stuff), I am talking more along the lines of a hurtful tongue. My poor hubby (okay, sometimes he sort of deserves it) gets the brunt of it. When I am hurt or angered things just seem to automatically come out the wrong way. It's like my tongue has a mind of its' own and can really say some mean, hateful things! I don't want to say mean and hateful things. So I want to break free from the underlying anger that takes control of my tongue. I want only beautiful, loving words to come from my mouth.

4. Fear. Fear has taken over me and has been beating me up for several years now. Sometimes it becomes so overwhelming that I don't know how I get any sleep at night. I want to be rid of this fear and fully know that our lives are in the hand of our Creator and nobody else has control over it.

5. Anxiety. Anxiety loves to hang out with Fear. They are best buddies and will go all out until they have you completely in their clutches. I cannot wait to kick these two to the curb!

6. Regret. Man, that regret is a funny little thing. Just when you think that she has left for good she appears, once again, stronger then ever! Maybe one day I will understand that everything in my past is over, and I cannot go back and change it. I just have to move ahead and know that whether the decision was good or bad, I have hopefully learned from it and it has lead me to where I am now.

7. Guilt. If Fear and Anxiety are best buddies, then Guilt and Regret are twins. Not identical but fraternal twins. They don't look exactly alike but they are pretty similar and they both arrive at the same time. I cannot wait to break free from the guilt that I carry around like a heavy coat of armor. How much easier it will be to run forward without guilt!

Okay, so I started out thinking that I could easily list ten things that I was ready to break free from. After thinking about the first seven, I am mentally and emotionally drained.

I cannot wait to be free from all of these troubles that are weighing me down.

I am ready to surrender them all.

I heart faces- week 41- weekly challenge.

2009-10-19T22:02:00.004-05:00

Okay, it's time for another weekly photo challenge on i heart faces, and this weeks theme is PINK in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Although I have never had anyone close to me effected by this horrible disease, I have had a couple of people close to me have some form of cancer.

Until there is a cure, we must continue to support the organizations that help fund research.

I love to participate in these challenges (even if I don't stand a chance in winning)!

Last week, I was able to take some pictures of my friends children and it just so happens that one of the twins was wearing a beautiful pink dress. There were beautiful flowers everywhere, so I was able to get some great pink for this weeks challenge!

To me, pink is the color of babies and innocence. Pink is the color of pretty little lollipops and darling little girls' dresses. Pink is the color of perfect sunsets and the best type of lemonade. Pink is also in the title of one of my favorite movies from childhood, "Pretty In Pink".

Pink is the color of my youth!

I should wear pink more often.

I am heading over to i heart faces to check out all of the pretty pink pictures!

Want to join me?

I heart twins!

2009-10-15T21:00:00.010-05:00

There is just something about twins that makes me smile!

I mean I love me some babies, but two for the price of one, sigh...

Yes, I do realize that they are not REALLY two for the price of one,

and I cannot imagine having two at the same time.

Crazy, I tell you.

Anyways, I have a great friend with the cutest stinking twins ever.

They are fraternal twins, one boy and one girl.

I love how they both have their own unique personalities!

It's sort of like they are a perfect balance or compliment of each other.

T, thank you so much for allowing me to "practice" on your sweeties today!

We are going to miss you guys!

Here is a little peek at some of the pics from today.

I love this one of him! Such a boy thing to be playing in the water!

Girl, you are going to be in trouble with this one some day! She is gorgeous!

Such a character! He is really a funny little guy once he warms up to a person!

I just love this one! This just sums up what being a little girl is all about!

What a cutie-pie he is! You are in T.R.O.U.B.L.E. with these beautiful kiddos of yours!

It was so hot today, I am surprised they didn't jump in! I know I wanted to!

Oh my goodness! This one cracks me up! I love his expression and the way she is looking at him! This is right before she bopped him on the head!

Love that silly face of hers! Too cute!

Thanks again T! We will have to get together again real soon.

Have a great day!

Change is coming...

2009-10-14T00:24:00.003-05:00

So folks, it is pretty much official, we will be moving to Okinawa, Japan for awhile!

I never thought that after leaving the military, I would get the chance to live abroad.

This is all happening so fast and as chaotic as it is right now, I am looking at this as a great adventure! This will also be a chance for us to live a much simpler life for awhile as we can take very little of our things with us! We hear that the houses in Japan are quite a bit smaller than the ones in the United States so we are going to have to leave some of our things behind.

I am sad to have to leave behind my family and friends and it is breaking our hearts to have to find new families for our beloved pets. That is probably one of the hardest parts.

I am trying to stay optimistic and pray that we are making the right decision.

I really think that it will be a great opportunity for the children and cannot wait to see what lessons in life this is going to teach us!

My husband is super excited! He spent two years here while he was in the Marine Corps and he absolutely loved it! He cannot wait to show us some of the things he loved! Here is a look at some of the things we are looking forward to:

We are outdoors people. We love all things outdoors and this is the place to be for water sports and outdoor activities!

Okinawa, Japan has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and is known as one of the best diving places in the world. Cannot wait to snorkel and get SCUBA certified here!

Look at that water! This water is amazingly clear and breathtaking! We love all sorts of things outdoors and cannot wait to take advantage of what this place offers!

I cannot wait to immerse myself in another culture! It is so very fascinating to see the way other people live and we plan on learning a lot from this amazing group of people!

I cannot wait to take lots of pictures of these amazing people we see and places we go.

Places like this. How cool is that?

Not to mention the historical significance of this island. As a Marine, I learned about the sacrifices that were made by our fellow Americans on this island many years ago. This island also holds a special place in my heart. My grandfather was a Marine and participated in the initial assault of Okinawa on April 1st 1945 in which he earned a Purple Heart. It will be such an honor to set feet on the same ground almost 65 years later.

How exciting would it be to go diving with these cute guys? I will most definitely have to get a waterproof housing for my camera!

I cannot wait to collect some of these guys! How pretty is that?

So, as I sit here thinking about the one million and a half things that have to be accomplished before we leave, I am excited and looking forward to a change.

If only I could avoid the 20 hour flight (any ideas)? Wow! I rambled on didn't I?

Have a blessed day!

images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

i heart faces- week 40- weekly challenge.

2009-10-11T19:01:00.008-05:00

This weeks challenge at i heart faces is "EXCITED!"

I immediately knew which picture I was going to use for this weeks challenge.

This picture was taken several months ago while Amelia was going through a big peekaboo phase. In this picture she was peeking through one side of the curtain and I was peeking through the other side! I just love the look of excitement on her face!

This is one of my absolute favorites from this period of her first year.

I cannot wait to check out all the other "EXCITED" entries at i heart faces!

Have a great Monday and enjoy your Columbus Day (if you were blessed with a day off)!

Future Superstar?

2009-10-07T15:09:00.003-05:00

Meet my little superstar, otherwise known as "Cool-baby."

This child keeps me entertained all day long! I am so in awe of her little personality. Wouldn't it be great it we could all keep a little more of that carefree, come-what-may attitude?

I hope she never loses all of her fabulousness!

Life is way too short to take ourselves seriously all of the time!

I am so glad I was able to capture this in a picture.

Bet some of you thought I was kidding about the finger snapping thing, didn't ya?

Hope you are having a fabulous day!

Welcome sweet baby D

2009-10-05T22:38:00.005-05:00

I absolutely love photography and really look forward to all of the moments that can be captured with the click of a shutter.

I was recently so blessed to be able to take pictures of this cute little guy (well it does help that his mama is my stepsister) but that is besides the point!

Oh how much I love babies!

Anyway, I know that I still have so much to learn but, I am having so much fun in the process!

Could you imagine doing this everyday for a living?

I mean really, people actually get paid to do this all day!

Sigh, wouldn't that be lovely?

Checking out the crazy lady with the camera!

Isn't that yawn just the cutest thing ever?

He also has the longest, most amazing fingers. Love them.

Mr. Curious here. I cannot believe that he let me do this and just laid there calmly!

He is seriously such a sweet little guy. I love his eyes here.

LL thank you so much for letting me "practice" on your little guy. He is such a blessing!

Love you guys!

Looking up for a sign..

2009-10-02T16:23:00.004-05:00

I have been hoping and praying for a better employment option for the hubby. He currently works as a contractor which pays well but has no permanent stability. We are constantly on pins and needles every time his contract is up for renewal. I know that he is constantly under stress and pressure to keep something steady that will still provide us with the lifestyle that we have grown accustomed to. Not to mention, allowing me the opportunity to stay at home with Amelia while she is little.

Well, the past few days have been crazy for us. An opportunity has just fell into our laps that could be really great for our little family. A position that would be more permanent and that has great benefits. This position is really sort of a dream job for the hubby and I can feel his excitement every time he talks about it. This position is abroad and would require us to pack up and move to Japan in less than two months! I AM TOTALLY FREAKING OUT OVER HERE! The logistics of this alone are enough to completely frazzle my nerves at the moment.

We just bought our house here less than 2 years ago and I am still picking out paint samples. Almost my entire family lives here and they were so happy to have us back close to home after 14 years of being away! This could be really huge for us. What do I do? I always find myself praying and searching for some sort of concrete sign when making huge decisions. I just want to make sure that we make the best decision for our family.

So, I find myself, once again, looking for a sign.

Send it soon... please Lord.

This chapter...

2009-09-29T15:48:00.005-05:00

If my life were a story, what kind would it be?

Would it be an adventure novel filled with twists and turns and enough action to keep you wondering what happens next?

Would it be a drama story, full of longing, laughter, and tears?

Or, would it be a romance full of love, heartache and new beginnings?

The answer is: all of the above.

My life's story has been many things so far, with many different chapters in it.

Everyone of those chapters has held a lesson for me. Some of those lessons were hard to swallow. Some of the lessons taught me something about myself that I hadn't previously known. Some of the chapters I wish to never read again. All of the chapters have changed me and they made me who I am today.

This current chapter has me soul searching. Re-defining who I am and what I believe in. I am finding out that God has a purpose for me and I just have to let him have control. Control is not an easy thing to give up when you are so used to fighting for it. Oh, I have sure been fighting it for a long, long time. Well, it's time that I cut my losses and give up the fight.

What I gain is going to be so much more rewarding!

I am looking forward to what the next chapter holds.

I heart faces- week 38- weekly challenge.

2009-09-28T10:45:00.004-05:00

This weeks i heart faces challenge is "Blue". I searched and searched and couldn't find a picture that I really wanted to post. So, I made the kids take a few pictures yesterday evening and only had to endure a few moans and groans from Cameron. I may be a little biased, but I think my kiddos have the most beautiful eyes, and they are blue so it fits the category!

Can't wait to check out all the other "blue" pictures at i heart faces! By the way, I love how the sunlight was shining thru the fence in this picture!

Running in circles.

2009-09-23T16:23:00.007-05:00

I run.

I am a runner.

Many things in my life can be compared to running.

Lately, I feel that I am running around in circles, always ending right back where I started.

Other days I feel like I am running in place, never going anywhere.

I used to run for me, as my special therapy. Alone time, pounding the pavement with my thoughts and prayers to keep me company.

Then one day, running turned into a chore. Something that just had to be done everyday.

It was no longer peaceful and enjoyable just another motion that had to be completed.

Sort of like life in a rut. When you feel like you are just going thru the motions.

Same thing, different day.

I want to bust out of that rut!

I want to run like a child!

Fast and free with arms thrown out, not really caring where I'm going, just glad to be running!

So, I am breaking out the running shoes.

I will start slow and steady, one step at a time.

Although it may be painful at first and I may get winded, it will feel so good running forward again. In more ways than one.

Fixing me...

2009-09-22T10:12:00.005-05:00

I have never been satisfied with the way that I look. There is always something that I can find to pick apart. Now that I am a mother to a little girl I have realized that I must change this about myself. The last thing that I want to do is give my little girl a self-image problem. With all the pressures on girls today to look "perfect," I want my girl to always know she is beautiful on the inside and out just the way she is. If I keep up with some of the bad habits that I have I will not be giving her the example that she will need, and this breaks my heart. I find myself constantly saying "I'm so fat" or "I hate my hair." I know that my husband gets tired of hearing me say these things all of the time. It is almost like I am looking for constant reassurance and I know that this has to be a pain. How does one go about changing something about themselves that has been so ingrained for so long?

Where did all of this self-criticism come from? One thing I do know is that for my entire adult life I have been a slave to the scale. It started in high school with mandatory weigh-ins for the dance team. Follow that up with 14 years of weigh-ins and a certain image that had to be maintained in the Marine Corps. I swore that when I started life after the Marine Corps I would throw that scale away and never pick it up again. Well, that didn't quite happen. I think that I have weighed myself more this past year then ever before. It didn't help that after having Amelia my thyroid decided to just quit on me. This has made it hard trying to lose the baby weight. I probably weigh myself several times a day. After several months on medication I am starting to finally get back on track and starting to lose some baby weight. What will it take to be happy though? I can remember back to a time when I was super fit and wearing a size 6 on a 5'6" frame and thinking that I could stand to lose 15 pounds. When do you start being comfortable in your own skin?

So, today I find myself soul-searching, looking for ways to "fix" myself. It breaks my heart to think of my little girl questioning who she is because of things I say or do. I make sure that I tell my baby girl how beautiful she is everyday, even when she looks a hot mess with food in her hair! I know that she will need to hear me say that I love myself and that I think I'm pretty instead of constantly seeing me on the scale. I pray that one day I really will be able to be comfortable in my skin, just the way I am.

i heart faces- week 37- weekly challenge.

2009-09-21T12:13:00.003-05:00

This weeks challenge at i heart faces is "Completely Candid".
I have so many pictures of my little one that are candid. My older one, not so much. He used to love having his picture taken and would make all these silly faces. He hates me taking his picture now and I usually have to bribe him in order to get a shot or two. This one was taken a few months ago in a rare moment that I have both of my babies in one spot at the same time. Amelia loves airplanes and her big brother was pointing one out to her as it flew by. I love this picture because Cameron was being his usual goofy self and had no idea that I was taking his picture.

Head on over to i heart faces and check out all of the "candid" photos!

just one of those days...

2009-09-18T13:03:00.003-05:00

Today is one of those days that you know is going to be long.

One of those days where you just want to stay in bed all day under the warmth and safety of your blankets.

One of those days where everything just feels overwhelming and you don't feel like you can accomplish anything on your already-full list of never-ending tasks.

It doesn't help that today is also one of those dreaded-monthly days where you just feel like scooping out your ovaries with a melon-baller.

Too graphic? Sorry!

Seriously though, if this 800 mg. Motrin doesn't start working soon I'm going to scream...

or cry... or both!

Did I mention that the baby is teething, or that she didn't want to take a nap, or how she found a pen that her brother left down?

Did I mention how I lost my patience with one ink-covered baby? How I yelled a little loud at her, which then resulted in said baby with such a broken-heart and a pile of tears?

Which, in turn, resulted in one broken-hearted mommy and a pile of tears.

Today is just the sort of day that chocolate was invented for... and coffee.

Oh, and Snuggies. Why don't I have a Snuggie?

Then I realize that we need days like these so that we can appreciate all of the good days that we do have.

Also, I know that there are people out there that do not have it as good as I do. People that would welcome one of my "bad" days with open arms.

So, I will patiently wait for that Motrin to kick in. I will pick up my little girl and cuddle with her. I might even share a piece of my chocolate.

And, I will know that all is well and everything will be okay.

Have a great weekend!

What the babies are talking about....

2009-09-17T15:48:00.004-05:00

when they think we're not listening.

Oh yes, they are never too young to start gossiping, and they talk about EVERYTHING!

"Yeah girl, I have a few minutes to talk, my mommy is checking the mail so that gives me at least a minute and a half. I know, my mommy is silly too, she thinks that I'm over here playing with the grass!"

"Oh, no she didn't! She did not use the 'W' word!

Girl, you cannot let her wean you!"

"Oh, no! Do you think she told my mommy? What if she tries it too? That is so not funny. This is too serious!"

"Ha, ha, ha! See girl, this is why we are best friends! Bite her, why didn't I think of that? Great plan! Here she comes. Gotta go, buh-bye."

I could not make this up if I tried!

Really...

Would I stretch the truth?

Why can't the laundry do itself?

2009-09-15T21:43:00.007-05:00

That is the question that I ask myself every Monday.

Monday happens to be laundry day at our house and I can think of at least a handful of things that I would rather be doing!

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind loading the clothing into the washer and dryer, and I love the warmth and the smell of fresh laundry.

Oh no, it's the folding and putting away part that I don't particularly care for.

However, if my laundry room was as pretty as some of these ones, laundry might just move to the top of the least dreaded house chores list!

Unfortunately, my laundry room is not nearly as big as these ones are and contains no windows.

I do feel a laundry room makeover coming on. I will have to post some before and after shots, but first the hardest part for me: picking the paint color.

Have a great day!

photos 1,2,6,7,8 Country Living

photos 3,4,5,9,10,11,12,13,14 Better Homes and Gardens

i heart faces- week 36- weekly challenge.

2009-09-14T15:03:00.004-05:00

So, this weeks i heart faces photo challenge is a Contemplative theme.

Hmm... let me contemplate that one for a second. Wow, I crack myself up sometimes!

Okay, enough of the silliness.. really.

I didn't really think that I had anything that would portray the theme until I stumbled across this picture. I took this about four months ago, and it does look like Amelia is contemplating something here!

There is also a pet category this week. I have quite a few pictures of our 4 pets.

This is one of my favorite pics of Sophie, our Australian Shepherd.

She thinks that our pool, is her pool. She just let's us swim in it!

This was taken one evening this summer after about the 100th time I yelled at her to get out of the pool. The sun was starting to set and the colors were beautiful! It has such a soft glow that I just love! Why can't we have light like this all of the time?

Check out all the CONTEMPLATIVE photos at I HEART FACES!

My girl at 14 months.

2009-09-13T20:09:00.004-05:00

Today my baby girl turned 14 months old.

She is at such a cute stage, I seriously wish that she could stay at this stage just a little longer! It is amazing how fast they grow and change and how their little personalities really start to shine.

She couldn't possibly be any different than her brother was at this age. He was such a calm, sweet little angel.

This one has been our spirited little spitfire from the moment she arrived!

It has definitely been more of a challenge this time around but I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world.

There is so much I love about my crazy little girl at this stage.

Here are 10 of my favorite things:

1. I love your 4-tooth grin and how you give me it at the moments I need it the most!

2. I love how you take your little books and sit in the windowsills and actually look like you are reading them (maybe she is).

3. I love how you can already snap your fingers (yes, she actually snaps her fingers and has been doing this since 10 months, weird huh)?

4. I love how you dance with everything in you every time any sort of music is on.

5. I love how you echo little birdie sounds with me from the backseat of the car.

6. I love that you are so fascinated with airplanes and point to the sky whenever you so much as hear one (the next Amelia Earheart perhaps).

7. I love how you have not found a pair of shoes that you don't love and how you put them on your hands and walk around with them on all fours (I seriously have shoes strewn all throughout my house).

8. I love how you quietly go and sit behind the sofa whenever you have gotten a hold of something you should not have (like my purse).

9. I love how you blow people such sweet little kisses and say "Mmmahh".

10. I love how you love to be the center of attention whenever we are around any group of people (so not a shy girl, unlike her mommy).

My dear little birdie, I am so blessed to be your mommy and I look forward to seeing how you grow and change even more in the future.

Autumn please hurry...

2009-09-10T21:58:00.004-05:00

Oh, how I love Fall!

It is my most favorite season of all, at least it was when we lived in Virginia.

I loved how the heat disappeared and the air became crisp.

I love breaking out my sweaters and scarves to prepare for the cooler weather, and taking the boots out of their hiding place in the closet.

Fall means pumpkins and all of the wonderful recipes that include it. I cannot wait to make pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, and let's not forget the Starbuck's pumpkin spice latte!

So, yummy!

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My most favorite part of the fall time in Virginia, had to be the changing of the leaves.

All the beautiful golds, browns, reds, and yellows were just breathtaking.

In Southeast Texas the leaves just do not change like that.

We have pine trees and although they are beautiful in their own way, they don't take my breath away like the trees in Virginia.

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Fall is coming and even if it takes a little longer to reach Texas, I will welcome it with open arms!

Cozy sweater-clad open arms that is!

so pretty...

2009-09-09T16:58:00.003-05:00

I heart faces is having a sweet little giveaway from this cute shop. All of the pieces are just so pretty! This one is my favorite and I can just picture it with a cute little "C" and "A" so that I could wear my babies close to my heart.

Anyway, head over to I heart faces and check out the giveaway!

i heart faces- week 35- weekly challenge.

2009-09-08T12:28:00.004-05:00

This weeks i heart faces photo challenge is a back to school theme. Since Cameron will hardly ever let me take a picture of him, I guess this one will have to do:

Every time I ask Amelia where her brother is she runs to the door and looks for him! It is so cool that she actually misses her brother and loves it when he comes home from school. She must get tired of just seeing me all day!

Check out all of the cool back-to-school picture at i heart faces!

Baby and the bike.

2009-09-06T22:18:00.008-05:00

My dear husband was such a sweetheart today and took the baby outside with him so that I could have a little bit of a break. I was able to check my email, catch up on my blog reading, and browse for new curtains for the living room! It is amazing how much you can do when you aren't chasing around a 13 month old!

Well, my peace and quiet was soon disturbed by the sound of my husbands' bike starting up and I thought "there goes my break", because the baby is scared of the bike. She doesn't like the sound and so she usually starts crying when he starts it up. I decided to go outside and get her before she completely freaks out. I head outside and to my surprise I find my 13 month old riding laps in the back yard with her daddy. MY BABY ON A BIKE, WITH NO HELMET! So what if they were only going about 2 miles an hour! The thing was, she was totally loving it. Not a teardrop in sight, and I know her daddy would keep her safe. They finished taking their laps and when they stopped she did not want to get off that thing!

Oh, Lord what has he started?

Labels

2009-08-31T14:04:00.003-05:00

Who am I? What defines me? What is my style? What do I stand for? If prompted, could I describe myself to a complete stranger and leave them with an understanding of me? I was recently inspired by this post from the ever lovely Tara from blondiensc. Tara's post was focused more on questioning her style but it got me thinking about several of the areas in our lives that are often labeled and the more I pondered, the more confused I ended up! So, I decided to try and break it down into smaller areas of my life in order to make some sense of the chaos!

As far as my personal style goes, it is almost non-existent at the moment! When I was in the Marine Corps it was so easy! I would wear camouflage utilities and combat boots everyday. There was no thinking involved, and don't get me started on hairstyles! Putting it up everyday certainly took the guesswork out of the "what to do with this hair" issue!

That's me on the right during a promotion ceremony, and yes, I have heard more of the "your momma wears combat boots" jokes then I could ever care to count! I just knew that when I got out of the Marine Corps I would get to wear pretty, feminine, clothing daily! Yeah, right. This past year my daily "uniform" mainly consists of blue jeans and t-shirts (I have always been a blue jean and t-shirt type of girl), and work-out clothing. Mainly the workout clothing (still trying to lose the "baby-fat"). Can you still call it "baby-fat" a year later? I would so love to wear a pretty, vintage dress like this one:

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Unfortunately, for me, pretty vintage dresses don't go too well with sticky little fingers and really, I would just look ridiculous cleaning house in one anyway! Now, before I get too way off the subject, pretty and girlie is only one style I love. I also feel at home in a pair of old jeans, t-shirt, and a pair of old cowboy boots! Talk about comfortable and so very Texan. I just love the Junk Gypsy stuff and that couldn't be any different from the frilly, girlie, 50's style vintage dress look!

This past year I have been trying (I say this very loosely) to get my house in order ever since we moved in. We bought a house in Texas and moved in two weeks after having Amelia. I wouldn't suggest that you EVER make a cross-country trip with a newborn less than two weeks old, much less move move into a new home. CRAZY! Let's just say that I am now (a year later) finally finished unpacking the final box. Anyway, I am slowly trying to piece together our nest. The biggest problem I have had is trying to determine the style I want to go with. I have so much inspiration and I sort of know what direction I'm going with however, picking out paint colors has been hard. Maybe I will show some before and after pictures once I have things looking like I want them to.

Okay, this post is getting way too out of control! Where am I going with this? I guess what I am really trying to say is that as women, we often try to label ourselves and put ourselves into certain categories. I will never be one of those women that fits into just one category. I am multi-faceted and constantly changing from one day to the next. I try to keep my mind open and allow myself to try things out of the ordinary for me. I hope I never change.

p.s. Wow this was way off track from where I started out! Too much coffee today.

A Sunday in the park.

2009-08-18T11:19:00.005-05:00

Oh, how I love a nice stroll in the park on a Sunday afternoon! Although it has been a million degrees this summer, we still like to get to the park. Amelia loves anything outdoors and now that she is walking she has to get out at least once a day. She brings you her shoes for you to put on her. After her shoes are on she heads over to the door and waits for you to open it for her! It is just too cute!

This picture just warms my heart. There is something about seeing a small child holding the hand of their daddy. I guess that it is the contrast between something big and small, or something hard and soft. It is so funny how a little baby girl can take a strong, tough guy and turn him into mush!

While we are talking about contrast, it was funny to see Cameron delegated to pushing the empty stroller around! He wasn't too excited about it, but he was a good sport so that Mom could take some pictures! I am so glad that he still doesn't complain too much about our family trips to the park. I know there will be a day, all too soon, when he will have "better" things to do than join us at the park on a Sunday afternoon.

After the park, Amelia and Daddy crashed, giving me a much needed break! This is priceless.

I heart faces

2009-08-10T20:32:00.004-05:00

I have been following the i heart faces blog for awhile now, and finally decided to enter a photo in their weekly challenge. This weeks challenge is "Funny, silly faces". I just love this photo of Amelia and her daddy clowning around. She has such a fun time with her daddy!

Check out all the silly faces at the i heart faces blog! It is almost impossible to have a bad day when you look at all of these silly faces!

This morning's coffee

2009-07-08T14:42:00.003-05:00

So, this morning was one of those mornings when I automatically couldn't fathom how I was going to make it thru the day. You see I have a bit of an insomnia problem and last night was a rough one! I really need to have someone check this out because it is getting to be a problem, especially when I have a precocious, almost one-year-old to chase around all day. Anyway, as much as I am trying to lay off the coffee, this morning I was really going to need the java. I wonder if I could have it ran straight thru an IV line into my veins? Until then, I have to take it the good old-fashioned way. Thus came the dilemma of selecting just the right size of cup for the right amount of coffee to keep me upright.

Do I pick the "regular" size, pretty blue cup? Nope, not this morning. This one wouldn't even begin to deliver the amount of caffeine needed to get me going.

Do I go with the medium sized cup? This is actually a larger sized cup. This picture really doesn't show the actual size of this cup. This is like a huge, cafe-sized cup that coffee comes in at cute little coffee shops. I don't know if this will cut it for today though! It was a very long night!

Now, this baby here, wow! This cup is only for the worst of mornings! This cup has been used many times in the past year since my birdie was born. I saw this cup a few years back while on vacation at Disney World, and just had to have it! I would have to venture and say that this cup has saved my life on numerous occasions! Seriously, this cup holds like 30 ounces of coffee! This cup can be dangerous if not used wisely.

I ended up going in the middle today. This cup can hold about 16-20 ounces and worked out okay! I still wasn't on the top of my game today and probably could have went with the biggest cup. I was moving sluggish and my reflexes were slower than normal. As a result, my little one ended up with her first TWO goose eggs. She is almost at the point where she is walking independently however, she still holds on to things and walks. This morning while I was nursing my coffee, she toppled a dining room chair over right on her nogging! I felt so bad for the poor thing and I honestly think that it hurt me more than it did her. Isn't if funny how resilitant children are? She was up and going about two minutes later! I was still feeling bad about her poor bumps two hours later.

I know that this is only the beginning of the bumps and bruises for this one. She is a climber, so we will be very blessed if she ends up with just bumps and bruises!

Okay, the brain is starting to get foggy again. Off to get more coffee!

Independence Day

2009-07-04T23:26:00.005-05:00

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Today, as we participated in our 4th of July festivities, I am thankful that there are still great Americans out there that are willing to put their lives on the line for our country. Whether we believe in the fight or not, we need to be grateful and say a little prayer for our heroes who weren't able to celebrate and partake in all the typical 4th of July fanfare.

How some of our heroes spent their 4th of July.

Finding balance...

2009-07-03T12:31:00.006-05:00

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This past year has really been an eye opener for me. I have been a mom for over 13 years but a "full-time" mom for only the past year. This is not saying that working mothers are not full time mommies, it's just my way of sorting it all out! I spent the last 14 years in the Marine Corps and for almost 13 of them, I was a mother. Anyone that knows a thing about the military, knows that the military comes first. For all of those years, I lived with constant guilt. I missed so many of my son's firsts. I missed so many little moments that I can never get back. I spent many sleepless nights wondering how my decisions would effect him further on in his life. It seemed like we never had enough time together. I tried to make every little moment that we did have together count. However, I always felt like I was falling short. Back then it was just the two of us and at the time it seemed to be the best decision for us to remain in the Corps. Over two years ago, I married my son's father (which is entirely a whole other story) and we decided to have another child! I could not imagine bringing up another child in the Marine Corps. So, I made the decision to end my career 6 years short of a retirement. I struggled with this decision for a long time. This was a decision that I am still not entirely at peace with. Being a Marine defined who I was. It was more than a career for me, it was an entire way of life. It brought me so much pride and satisfaction knowing that I was serving my country, however small the part. I miss it everyday.

I now know that being a stay at home mom is the hardest job EVER. I struggle with my new "job" everyday. Some days I feel like I am a complete and utter failure. I am struggling to define the "new" me. Well, I am definitely no longer missing any of the little moments! I see every little detail now! The good, the bad, and the ugly. I used to be a leader of troops. People listened to me and did what I said. Try telling that to a spirited 11 month old! SHE DOESN'T CARE!

There is no immediate gratification in this job. Not contributing to the income has been hard for me. I should be thankful that we are in a position where it isn't dire for both of us to bring in an income. Thinks could be worse.

I know that it takes time to fully adjust, I just didn't know it would be so hard. I cringe at being described as a "housewife"! Not that being a housewife is a bad thing, it is a very honorable and often thankless job. This past year I have learned some things about myself. I don't have it all figured out, but I am working on it everyday. I guess you could say that I am just trying to find my balance.

Vintage Trucks

2009-07-01T18:11:00.014-05:00

I must really say that I love most things vintage! However, there are a few vintage things that just send my heart a fluttering!

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Oh, Mama! I would love to have one of these babies someday! There is nothing cooler than an old vintage beauty like this! The only thing that would make this better would be a wooden bed, but the color is just so pretty! They just don't make them like this anymore!

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And this one! Be still my heart! I would look really good riding around in this one!

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Oh my word! Look at the color of this beauty! Just amazing, really! I could imagine carrying some pretty vintage finds around in the back of this one!

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I just love a good old fashioned red truck too! Reminds me of roadside fruit and vegetable's being sold out of the back of an old truck! I can just envision this one loaded up with fresh watermelons or baskets of peaches!

my favorite vintage truck

My favorite Disney Cars character is even a vintage truck! Old trucks just have so much character don't you think? I like to try to imagine the history behind these great beauties! They aren't glamourous or flashy, but to me they tell such great stories. The people that they carried around were honest, hardworking, folk and these vehicles were often a great part of their livelihood. Aww, why can't they make vehicles like this anymore? I would love to own an old truck some day! Until then, I will keep dreaming!

Busted... (part 2)

2009-06-27T09:20:00.005-05:00

So... little miss fancy pants thought it was cool to get into my wallet and cause general chaos.

What do you have to say for yourself young lady? Stop looking at me like that, you know I cannot resist that smile!

And you! I trusted you Earl. You WERE, my favorite.

Busted... (part 1)

2009-06-26T16:25:00.012-05:00

Everyday it is something new with this one! She is learning how to get into everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING! For the second time this week, she has somehow found my wallet. I usually stick it in her diaper bag because it is way easier to just carry a diaper bag rather than a diaper bag and a purse. Anyway, said diaper bag was left on the floor and Amelia has a growing fascination with bags. Especially if they contain cool things that can be pulled out and strewn about! So, this is the scene that I happened upon today:

Gee, I wonder what all of these plastic shiny things are!

*note it really looks like I have a ton of credit cards, but really these are mostly store savings cards and stuff like that! Really...

Hmm... this one looks interesting!

If only the favorite cat would take notice and put an end to this violation!

Drats! He notices, only he pretends like he doesn't!

Okay, now it's getting personal! She is looking over a receipt! Is she spying? Perhaps for Daddy?

I wonder what the limit is on this one?

What? Could it be? The favorite cat is actually on the lookout for her? Oh, the betrayal! I really never saw this coming!

Then there were two.

2009-06-25T10:10:00.006-05:00

So, after waiting over two months, the lonely tooth finally got a buddy! I sort of miss seeing the one-tooth smile! Just another sign that she is growing older!

Who would have thought??

2009-06-24T10:20:00.012-05:00

Who would have thought that in less than a year I would go from being a Marine in charge of troops, to being a stay at home mom that does stuff like this:

Oh yes, I am truly turning into some kind of domesticated diva or something. Look out Martha! Yesterday, I made pickles and salsa with some of our surplus from the garden we share and it was actually very rewarding! Canning is kind of cool! Shh.. just don't tell anyone that I said that. They might have expectations or something! Here are the results:

Three quarts of bread and butter pickles. Yummy! These are my favorites, can't wait to see how they turned out!

Seven pints of salsa. Who doesn't love a good salsa? I have lots of plans for these babies!

It just goes to show, you never know what the next chapter of your life is going to bring you. Making something that you can share with your family as well as saving a few bucks in this economy is a rewarding feeling! Maybe this whole stay-at-home-mom, housewife thing is going to be okay. Well, maybe...

The Lonely Tooth

2009-06-01T22:18:00.012-05:00

So, we are going on two months since Amelia popped out her first tooth and it is still the ONLY tooth! Is this normal? Her poor lonely tooth is working hard on chewing up her food all by itself. I must admit though, that single tooth has grown on me! It makes that already beautiful smile so much cuter! The lonely tooth is in need of some company though, so hopefully another will join it soon!

Reality

2009-04-15T23:21:00.003-05:00

I really want to stick with this whole blogging thing but I really haven't known quite where to begin. I find myself perusing other blogs and wanting to find something cute or clever to write about. Well, the truth is, life isn't always cute and clever! I don't want this blog to turn into a perfect picture, copycat version of someone else's blog. For this to work, it has to be real with all of life's imperfections! Anyway, I don't know why I am making this so difficult, it is not like anyone is reading this right now. Maybe one day...

my bean

2009-04-06T16:06:00.008-05:00

This boy, who is so quickly becoming a man, has my heart. I am so thankful that I was chosen to be his mother. It is so hard to believe that my little bean has grown into a handsome, tall, funny, and sweet 13 year old. To me, he should still be my tow-headed, funny-face-making, roly-poly in the pocket wearing, little guy. Instead, he is my not so tow-headed, funny-face-making, cell-phone in the pocket wearing, big guy (who is now about 3 inches taller than me.) I cherish every moment that we spend together and dread the day when he will be "too cool" or "too busy" to hang out with his mother. I love his compassionate heart and pray that he will always stay that way. I love how he tells me that I am beautiful (even first thing in the morning when I am anything but beautiful.) He makes me smile! Thank you God.

If at first you don't succeed...

2009-04-06T16:02:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I want to try this again... this will be my "me" time that I am so desperately needing right now!

That smile...

2009-01-13T13:00:00.004-06:00

I wonder if she knows that smile will be my undoing? That one day that smile will get her that extra cookie or just one more ride on the merry-go-round. That one day that smile will save her from a certain reprimand. That one day that smile will gain her a spritz of mommy's expensive perfume or a day's worth of daddy's hard-earned paycheck. I wonder if she knows.....

something new...

2008-11-03T11:02:00.001-06:00

I have wanted to start a blog for awhile now so, here goes... This should be fun!

bean and birdie

Starting New

Back in the saddle again....

Juggling...

i heart faces "Dramatic b&w"

i heart faces "Angles"

Letter to my boy.

A new neighbor.

Coastal Inspiration

My weekend...

i heart faces "Jump for Joy"

a new love....

My big girl

I heart faces "Hilarious Outtakes".

Tsunami's and earthquakes and sirens...oh my!

My Thirty-four.

Fresh

Happy Valentine's Day!

I heart cherry blossoms!

Driving Lessons

Amelia and the beach...

Crabby

Testing my virtues

Too Busy...

i heart faces- week 2

Hello from Japan

I heart faces- week 43- weekly challenge.

Grace...

“Grace was in all her steps, Heav'n in her Eye, In every gesture dignity and love” John Milton

The Guitar Man

i heart faces- week 42- weekly challenge.

Coming clean.

My Sunshine.

Breaking free

I heart faces- week 41- weekly challenge.

I heart twins!

Change is coming...

i heart faces- week 40- weekly challenge.

Future Superstar?

Welcome sweet baby D

Looking up for a sign..

This chapter...

I heart faces- week 38- weekly challenge.

Running in circles.

Fixing me...

i heart faces- week 37- weekly challenge.

just one of those days...

What the babies are talking about....

Why can't the laundry do itself?

i heart faces- week 36- weekly challenge.

My girl at 14 months.

Autumn please hurry...

so pretty...

i heart faces- week 35- weekly challenge.

Baby and the bike.

Labels

A Sunday in the park.

I heart faces

This morning's coffee

Independence Day

Finding balance...

Vintage Trucks

Busted... (part 2)

Busted... (part 1)

Then there were two.

Who would have thought??

The Lonely Tooth

Reality

my bean

If at first you don't succeed...

That smile...

something new...

“Grace was in all her steps, Heav'n in her Eye, In every gesture dignity and love”

John Milton