Happy Hodgepodge

Resurrection...

2010-07-06T16:20:00.000-05:00

Nope your eyes do not decieve you, this is in fact a brand now post!! It's been nearly a year, as many of you often remind me ;0) but I finally carved out the time and decided to give in to the urging, pleas and suggestions to resurrect my little piece of cyberspace! I'll admit, I'm pretty excited about it too! I didn't really ever intend to let it go, but life and facebook kept finding it's way in and before I knew it almost a year had come and gone... my how time does fly!! So here's to new starts and staying on top of things!!

Welcome back!!

Debut...

2010-07-06T13:40:00.007-05:00

It's been a long time coming and I have no excuses!! It's beyond time for his first blog appearance and since 9 seemingly short months have already flown by since his arrival, this will be a loooong one! Without further adu, blog world say hello to the newest member of the Osborn fam...

Riddik Uriah

upon arrival he weighed a whoppin' 8lbs 6oz, our biggest little munchkin :0) and was 20 inches long just like his Big Bro was!!

We also learned that we apparently make the same baby over and over... and over again because he does in fact look JUST LIKE his older brother and especially his older sister! He, however, has them both beat in the size department hands down!

Not to cut him short tho, he has started to grow into his own little look too, our little Rit! Over these past 9 months his little personality has really started to come out and he is quite the character :0)

I love his gummy little grin and scrunchy nosed, squinty eyed giggle... and I could listen to him "talk" all day! Alora and Xander are his biggest fans and he is their's in return! Alora was the first to get him to smile and she's been his favorite since!

He is growing up way too fast, crawling everywhere and now pulling up to anything he can find sturdy enough :0) Perhaps my favorite part of all... he is a momma's boy thru & thru!!

We love our little chunker munk and all his cute and cuddliness!! Wouldn't trade him for the world!!

The time has come!!

2009-08-19T11:26:00.004-05:00

Today is Alora's first day of ALL DAY kindergarten... she is beyond excited as you can see, mommy on the other hand, not so much!! Tho I knew this day was fast approaching I don't think there's anything I could have done to really prepare myself, I'm just not big on all day kindergarten, however I know she'll be fine and there's nothing I can do about it so I'll deal right?! Anyway, she did super this morning, jumped out of bed and was dressed in record time(she's not much of a morning kind of girl) and even ate some breakfast and let me fix her hair complaint free!!! That's some excitment right there, trust me!! We arrived and Xander and I walked her in to her class where she settled right in and began molding her playdough and talking to her neighbors, all the while Mommy was snapping a few pics and trying to hold it together, which I did until safely in the confines of the van :0) I've been emotional all day, I'm sure the fatigue and hormones don't help right??, but I'm super excited to pick her up and hear alllllll about her day and what she did!!! My baby's growin' up!!

All packed up and ready to go!!

Brother had to be in a pic, he really really REALLY wanted to go to school too!!

Ready for her first day!!

Happy Birthday Hubby :0)

2009-08-14T02:30:00.001-05:00

Well today my wonderful hubby celebrates a milestone!! And to welcome it in right, last night at dinner we were talking about his birthday and seemingly out of nowhere, thanks to Pappa ;0) Xander suddenly says, "Oh Dad you're OLD!!" ROFLOL!!!!! It was hilarious and priceless and the look on Kevin's face was just as good, ha!! Love that boy, and his Daddy too!! Isn't it amazing how "not so old" certain ages look the closer you get to them?!! The big 3-0, but he pulls it off well, if I do say so myself!! I couldn't ask for a better husband and father to my kiddos, and the comic relief is entertaining too ;0) I love you forever babe!! I hope it's your best year yet!!

Happy Birthday!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

2009-07-08T11:46:00.002-05:00

Peek-a-Boo!!

2009-07-06T18:38:00.004-05:00

At 24 weeks we get another peek at our little man... snug as a bug in a rug :)
This time in 3D!!! I took the plunge and made an appointment for a 3D ultrasound, I'd never had one before, and I can't tell you how glad I am that I did it!! I absolutely LOVE these pics and the clinic also gives you your entire session on DVD set to the music you pick out and bring with you. I chose Godspeed(Sweet Dreams) by Dixie Chicks, Arms Wide Open by Creed, Baby Sleep Tonight by Brad & Shannon Millard (Mercy Me), and Little Wonders by Rob Thomas! I was a little hesitant at first, I felt like I was "cheating," but once I was there and I actually SAW the first glimpse of his little face I was soooo excited and I will cherish these FOREVER... I'm just left wishing I'd done the same thing with Alora and Xander!!

They also do some pics in 2D and since I didn't get a profile pic at my other ultrasound I asked if we could try for that one specifically, I have the same shot with Alora and Xander, and after a little encouragement he came around!!

He actually needed quite a bit of "encouragement" in the beginning and the tech had to bounce him around a little because he was hiding his face in my placenta... he's a little camera shy already :) Either that or he knows what he's in for on the outside and he's already protesting, HA!!

It was definitely worth it and I already think he is beautiful!! 3 1/2 months and counting... I can't wait to meet him!!!

Chris & Marty!

2009-06-18T07:51:00.003-05:00

Last weekend my good friend Katie and I had the opportunity to photograph our 2nd wedding! This couple was awesome and the entire wedding party was so much fun!! We had a blast and now have TONS of pics to process but the newlyweds are still on their honeymoon so we can't show too many just yet! Here are a couple to hold over the fam till we have them all ready tho! Enjoy :0)

Wordless Wednesday! GO GIRLS!!

2009-06-17T11:05:00.001-05:00

Glamour Girl!

2009-06-16T14:07:00.004-05:00

Alora LOVES to put on make-up... in fact, we can't leave the house without lip gloss in tow and ususlly a few other beauty products, just in case ;0) So today she got a new "beauty box" as she calls it, with lots of little goodies and just had to give herself a make over!! She's getting pretty good at painting her own finger and toenails too!! Lotsa goodies with endless possibilities!

A girl can never have too much sparkle!! Bring on the glitter!!

That's one glamorous girlly!! Watch out Hollywood, here she comes!!

Happy Birthday Big Girl!!

2009-06-10T12:09:00.001-05:00

Saturday my girl turned a whoppin 5 years old!!! We had a full day of F.U.N. and by the end of it all she was worn plum out!! She began the day by wrapping up her very first slumber party, she has a little friend from school who's b-day is 3 days before hers, they had a BLAST and she's talked about it everyday since :0) After I picked her up that morning we met her Daddy, Brother, Papa and a couple of friends at Mohawk Park for family fishing day(sorry no pics, the point-n-shoot battery was d.e.a.d.) were she, Xanderman and Jackson had tons of fun "catching" several little perch! She wasn't scared of them at all either, unlike little bro, she was picking them up to throw them back! After we came back to Nana's for a nap we discovered that it was their neighborhood's garage sale weekend and let me just say, this little chica LOVES her a garage sale, so of coarse, we HAD to go check them out and needless to say, she's a few Littlest Pet Shop toys richer :0) We ended the day with a little swimming and plans of dinner and a trip to the kiddie amusement park in Bartlesville!! However half way thru dinner she decided she'd had her fill of fun for one day and we could go to B-ville another day, she was pooped!! Happy Birthday Alora Grace!! We love you babydoll!!

Here she is with 2 of her most FAVORITE people in the world, she loves these boys!! Makin' a wish!!

Found one more and just had to add it! Her silly side definitely runs in the fam :0)

And the survey says...

2009-06-04T22:19:00.002-05:00

YAY! I finally did a blog poll!! What fun too, thanks everyone for playing along :0)
So the results are in and I have to say I was really surprised at the outcome! Here are the numbers...

Zetick= 2 votes
Resnick=1 vote
Kiran=10
Riddik=14
Kevin Martin Jr.=5
Other=6... this provided a place to type in a name you liked not on the list
Joel=1
Noel=1
Boone=1
Sawyer=1
Samuel Uriah=1

Like I've said before... picking out our baby's name has always been one of my favorite parts of pregnancy and as you can see I like different!!! Just to answer a few questions too... Yes, all these names are contenders for boy Osborn #2 and yes they are all real names Mom ;0) I'm not that creative!! Although I will confess that the majority of them were heard as last names but, that seems to be a trend I follow!! Thanks again everyone for playin and participating, it was fun!!! Now without further adu... the name we've chosen for our next little man is

Riddik Uriah Osborn!!!

We've actually loved this name for quite some time, even pre- this pregnancy, but I only recently commited after finding out we were in fact having another boy, cuz I'm weird like that I guess :0) So there you have it... we can't wait to meet him!!

The Name Game!!

2009-06-02T08:43:00.003-05:00

"I can't wait to hear what his name will be!!" and "So have you picked out a name yet?!" are the most common things I've heard after announcing we're having a boy!! Apparently we've got quite a reputation for unique names for our children, which I LOVE and I must agree that I do in fact love to come up with, unique and interesting but not too off the wall or bizarre, names for my littles!! Although we've pretty much decided and have even told a few( so if you know don't spoil the FUN!!), I've always wanted to put a poll on my blog so I thought I'd do one with all of the names we've considered or liked in the past to see what everyone else thinks!! So go on over and pick your fav!!! And as always, feel free to leave some comment love!! I'll leave it open until Friday then I'll post the one we've chosen so you can see if we picked the same one!! OH, and his middle name for those wondering is Uriah! Happy voting and thanks for playin' along :0)

P.S.~ For those who've asked about our girl name... the only one I was really considering and in fact was convinced would be her name provided baby was a "she" was Etny with a few possibilities as a middle name! However, I'm not sure Daddy was quite sold on that one, tho I'm thinking he was holding out having to think on it too much till we knew for sure ;0) Alas now it shall remain a mystery I guess... but I'm thinking Mommy might have won him over eventually!!
Until Friday... vote away!!

We're having another...

2009-05-30T11:40:00.005-05:00

Yep, the wait is over!! We had our ultrasound Friday morning and wonder no more!! Baby #3 is a...

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

BOY!!

We couldn't be more excited too!! We've never had a preference, boy or girl, but I did have a feeling he was a "him!" and Daddy gave a big YES! with a fist pump, he's a proud papa!! Big sister and brother were excited to see baby "inside" mommy's tummy but were a little more subdued after realizing he wouldn't be coming out quite yet ;0) They were then much more interested in going to Nanna's office to play, silly kiddos!! So now we're on to the Name Game, YAY!! This is actually one of my favorite parts and I'm already getting TONS of questions about what names we're thinking of... there may be a poll coming soon for a few opinions too!!

New friends...

2009-05-13T13:21:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago Xanderman was playing outside and found a bird's nest up in one of our trees! Needless to say everyday since he's been quite excited about it, always wanting to go look and see :0) Well a few of days ago while doing the daily scout we discovered that the little eggs had hatched and we now have some new little friends residing in our tree!!

There are 3 of the little guys in there and they've already gotten pretty big!! Everytime I touched a branch to the side to get a better pic they apparently thought I was Momma bird coming with their lunch because the above is the reaction I would get with each noise I made, CUTE!!

I don't know about you but we're really enjoying these little breaks in the rainy weather!! Hope you are too!!!!

Mommy's Spa Day!

2009-05-11T11:28:00.003-05:00

For Mother's Day Alora's pre-school class had a spa day for all the Mommy's! It was super cute and she talked now stop about it the whole week before the day arrived!! It was lots of fun and the kids were so cute!! First they ushered us in to sit at the tables and we started with hair where she proceeded to comb and fix my hair in several different styles, this actually lasted through the entire process as she continued to re-do my hair at each stop, ha!

Next we went to the manicure table were she painted my nails a beautiful rainbow of colors!!

They also served us tea and cookies and treated us to a nice shoulder massage!! Then it was on to a few songs and our mother's day gifts they made for us!! It was a wonderful day and I'll never forget the look on her face and her excitement on Spa Day, mommy loves you lil' stinker!!

Got Class?!

2009-05-06T09:14:00.007-05:00

Well it's just about that time of year again :) Schools winding down and lots of eager Seniors are gearing up for graduation!! I've had the privilage of photographing several of the Seniors in our church this year and it was a blast!! Love every one of them!! We've really got a great group of teens!! Here are a few from some of the recent Sr. sessions I've had... Congratulations ladies!!!

Monday "Wooovie" Night

2009-04-28T11:49:00.006-05:00

That's the kiddo version of what we're calling our current family fad! Kevin started getting text messages from Red Box(such a cool idea) with a free movie code on Monday's so we decided to make it a date for the fam!! Now he brings the movie home from work with him and right after dinner we all cuddle up on the couch for the pick o the week and popcorn with some sort of chocolate/sweet goody :0)

This week we also decided to see what the kids would think about Jiffy Pop... fun to watch, yes, but as far as actually eating it... yeah, not so great :0P I'll stick with Orville!!

This was our 3rd week of MMN and Alora already anticipates it and gets sooooo excited about it, lol!! This week's menu was Jiffy Pop, Hot Tamales, Mike & Ike's, and Madagascar 2!! We'd never seen that one before and it was really cute, the kids loved it!! All curled up and ready to go!!

*Baby update*

I had my 16(ish) week appt. today :0) We got to hear baby's heart beat, which took a little bit to find, liitle stinker's a mover and a shaker already!! But all was well and we finally heard it loud and clear and strong!! I'm super excited too because at my next appointment at the end of May, I'll have my big ultrasound and hopefully we'll get to find out what we're having, YAY!!!!!

Lately...

2009-04-22T20:32:00.001-05:00

I've been missing! And all I've got in my arsenal are excuses, none of which are particularly great, so I won't go into them. Seeing as how I'm also rather irritable and cranky these days(apparently I am no longer a pleasant pregnant person?????) I'd probably just sound whiny to my own ears, so again I'll spare ya!
Lots going on, I am now 14 weeks into this pregnancy and I must say it already feels like I've been pregnant FOREVER... not good eh, we've got a long way to go baby! However the yucks seem to be on their way out and I am able to enjoy gag free days barring I do not encounter any egg smells, bacon, BBQ, or some other random whiff of a strong odor, HA!! I also experience a few strange aversions during early pregnancy... to my camera(not good), editing pics(not good either), and to the computer in general?? Weird I know, and it's not even just a little thing but a full blown can't stand the thought because it makes me nauseous! Thankfully that too is almost completely gone now and despite it all I have actually taken a few pics here and there :0) On a more positive note.. I've been making huge progress on the to do list, I guess my nesting phase begins a little early because I can't stand clutter right now! I usually like organization but liking it and making it happen in real life don't keep the same company in my house on a non pregnant day, so this part's been nice! Lots of laundry being done!!!

The kiddos have been up to the usual keeping us on our toes and laughing! We enjoyed a wonderful Easter weekend with family and friends and still have loads and loads of candy to prove it! I started a "new" thing for their baskets this year from an idea I got off another blog a stalk :0) instead of tons of candy and "trinkets" I filled their baskets with "something you want(candy & tattoos!), something you "need"(i improvised a little there...they needed new coloring books, right???), something to wear(new swim suits), and something to read(Dr. Seuss)" I thought it was a neat way to keep it fun without going overboard on CANDY... it was a hit too, they loved it!!!

And one quick one of their Easter attire... which will also be a featured outfit in his 2 yr old pics, provided I ever get around to taking them :0)
Well I've got LOTS more I need to post and I'm actually feelin' kinda bloggy, so who knows, I might just blow your mind with a few posts several days in a row, lol!! We'll see :0) Until then, tata!!

Sneak Peek ;0)

2009-03-05T17:19:00.002-06:00

I had my 2nd appointment this past Tuesday and YAY!! we were able to see baby's heartbeat!! I have to confess I was soooo relieved to see that little flutter and I just can't wait to meet this new little Osborn!! For right now tho, this little peanut(much like his/her big sister and brother) has mommy feeling quite nauseous and gag-ish :0P
~Until next time :0)

Guess what!!

2009-02-23T14:16:00.005-06:00

....... :0)

That's right, there's another Osborn munchkin on the way!! YAY! Word's getting out so I thought I'd make the "official" announcement! I go to the Dr. again in 2 weeks and hopefully I'll have some pics to share!!

What's that?

2009-02-10T00:27:00.013-06:00

...a hat.

Crazy, funky, junky hat

Overslept, hair's unsightly

Tryin' ta look like Keira Knightley

We've been there, we done that

We see right thru your funky hat :0)

Thank you Alex & Harper and Wizards of Waverly Place, very well said and so catchy it sticks in your head... for hours, esp. when your 4 year old daughter likes it too!! Anyway... I've been on a hat kick lately and I love me a cute funky ChuNky hat with poms, strings, bright colors, polka dots... you name it, it's all good!! Mini size it for a newborn and that makes it all the more delicious soooooo... that said, my super cool friend Katie inspired me to explore my creative side and learn a new craft. I've joined the Knifty Knitter's out there and I have to say I'm LOVIN' it!! This is my first attempt... a flat top beanie! I loved this yarn, it reminds me of confetti cake...YUMMMM!!

My impatience got the best of me but I didn't have a "newborn" so I improvised, she was a great model :0)

So now I'm pretty much hooked(like I need another hobby ;0) but it's fun!! This is the substance of my next project and hopefully it will soon become my first newborn peanut shell... and a beanie... and a scarf for Alora ;0)

And I will now be scouring the yarn anywhere I can find it for the next fun texture or colorful fiber to add to my stash... so far, Hobby Lobby is a hit!!

My lil' bugs :0)

2009-02-05T22:57:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago I was on a mission.... I had been eyeing this barn for quite some time thinking of what a great picture location it would make, so what else could I do but try it out!! Off we went and these are a "few" of the results... it's safe to say we'll return! I looooove these!! Enjoy friends :0)

Bubbles, Breakfast & Babies!!

2009-02-03T18:27:00.006-06:00

Lots of goings on around here! We are kickin' it just momma and kiddos for a few days cuz hubby is in Seattle on business(sidenote: he sent me a text when they landed and said it looked just like FORKS!! lol, I luv him!!) Anyway, to pass the time we have busied ourselves with doctors appointments and lots of new toys from the birthday party(that post will come tomorrow)!! Last night we tried out the Xman's new bubble machine!!

Tonight we decided to have breakfast for dinner, a fav. around here, and this time we made funny face pancakes!! PB face, banana eyes & nose, and a chocolate smile :0) Yummmmmm!!

And finally... look who I got to spend part of my day with...

these little sweeties are the subjects of my first newborn twin session!! Double adorable!!

Venturing out!

2009-01-28T13:26:00.004-06:00

A bit of cabin fever was setting in around here... really it doesn't take long for that to happen when school's out, so today despite my fear and her stitches we bundled up(and is it just me or is this specific event a whole lot of work?) and ventured out for some snow fun!! This was X-man's first real experience with the snow and he was into tasting it, YUMMM!!Thankfully all her snow stuff from last year still fit good so she was set and warm as toast!!

He was being sooo cute reaching up on his tip toes and when I asked if he needed help he said "No, i weeeeeach"

And we can't go out in the snow without making a few of these!! It's hard work tho, very tiring ;0)

Monkey see, monkey do... he's ALL about anything sister is doing!! And with so much enthusiasm, they keep me laughing...
until it was time to come in that is!! He was ready, she was NOT!!!

It's 8 o'clock...

2009-01-27T20:12:00.002-06:00

and all is well!

Notice the shining black between Kevin and X-man up there... that's one of our 4 legged family members and this is how I found the other!

We're all warm and cozy around here, hope you are too!! Stay safe friends!!

Happy Birthday Xanderman!!

2009-01-26T18:39:00.005-06:00

Well the day has come and my little man is officially 2 years old!! WOW!! Where does the time go?! I had "big" plans for today, a special little outing complete with ice cream just for X-man and his big sister, however, the day had other things in mind for us... and what a day it has been!! Here's how we rolled...

Alora's been battling a cold so, off to the Dr. we went, 3 infections...respiratory, ear and eye but 1 antibiotic, a plus! Then to Wally world for the perscription and a few "shut in by the storm" supplies. By this time I've decided to improvise the outing a little and they were both content with lunch at McD's while we were waiting then special ice cream later... well little did we all know but within minutes of ordering our lunch we were again headed right back to the Dr... for some stitches!! That's right folks, Alora was being sooo helpful and went to pick the "perfect spot" for brothers b-day lunch and while climbing into the booth slipped fell and busted open her chin. Now this was not THAT bad and we made it out into the van without much fanfare...fast forward to the dr.s office when he tells me that they can do the stitches there, with no anesthisia, only numbing or we could go to Tulsa to St. Francis and they "might" put her out for it... what a choice. Well, I opted for staying there and lets just say the next 30 minutes were AWFUL~ but all is well now and 3 stitches later she's on the mend. She was a trooper and little birthday brother was a great helper... he was really worried about her and kept hugging on her and leaning in to say "awight Lola, awight" and rubbing her back, it was super sweet!!

So even though it didn't go *quite* like I planned we made the best of it, Daddy made birthday smoothies for dessert too, YUMMY!!! Happy Birthday Xanderman, we love you bunches!!

I wanted to take a pic of him loving on her at the Dr.s office but decided she'd been thru enough already and she REALLY didn't want her pic taken... after a loooooong nap post op, she changed her mind tho and posed with "birthday boy" which is the only way she referred to him all day! CUTE, CUTE, CUTE!!

Nanna and Pappa stopped by later on to visit and survey the damage... their visit seemed to help the pain go away a little too so THANKS NANNA & PAPPA!!

a few faves...

2009-01-23T14:59:00.007-06:00

I've been trying to get around to this post for forever now! At first I wasn't sure if I had anything in the "can't live without" category... and about 2 seconds later my memory proved me WRONG :0) Now, I too know the rules state these things must be material and not people, but I'll second my SIL in saying... "the following are material for me...eye candy." Well said Ash! So here ya go...

First and foremost I give you the {yummy} Tom Welling... Every Thursday night without fail

and Shamar Moore, he makes Criminal Minds worth every minute :0) but I've been a member of this particular fanclub since his Y&R days
My Funky Camera strap I got for Christmas this year from Jason and Ashlee, LOVE it!!

My beloved Nikon D80: changed my life :0)

GREEN iPod nano I got for Christmas from Ron and MJ... I don't go to the gym without it!! Also note the album cover this pic is featuring... Eric Hutchinson is a new musical obssesion I recently stumbled upon. Found him, heard Rock & Roll, downloaded the entire album and it's been on a loop around here for quite some time... love it!!

O DVR how I love thee... I find myself sitting down in the evening all giddy and excited about what I might find waiting for me... esp. if we've been busy and it's got a few days worth built up!!!

My Smallville Season Collection... these are a must in the summer time when the newest season has ended.

My new Twilight Collectors Edition and bookmark Kevin got me for Christmas... that's a film slide at the top of the book mark, it's from the meadow scene. very cool.

This is my Gallery wrapped canvas portrait of my kiddos that hangs in my living room, I LOOOOVE me a gallery canvas print. My only regret is not getting a BIGGER one... but there's always next time right?! This picture always makes me smile when I see it too!!And last but not least, but more out of necessity because it's a bit of a love hate thing... my laptop. Loves~it is my creative outlet and business lifeline + Hates~we have entirely too much face time with one another= cannot live without!!
There you have it... just a few of my favorite things :0)

Please Pray...

2009-01-12T12:01:00.003-06:00

As many of you may already know, some very close friends of ours, the Magees, and their sweet baby, Ella, have been going through quite an ordeal with what was thought to be meningitis. Little Ella has been in the hospital since right after Christmas surrounded by lots of love from family and friends and receiving excellent treatment. Upon finishing her antibiotics and expecting to go home soon they have now received some other news that this sweet 4 month old never actually had meningitis but instead has been diagnosed with a mitochondrial DNA depletion. This is serious and I can't begin to imagine what lies ahead... my heart aches for them and I am at a loss for what to DO. So I'm doing all I can think of. Get the word out and ask as many of you as possible to pray for sweet baby Ella and her family. We serve a sovereign God who is still in control and hears and answers our prayers. PLEASE PRAY

If you want to read about and keep up with Ellas progess and updates you can do that on Jenny's blog, she updates regularly when they have new information. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers.

new year. new ideas.

2009-01-06T00:22:00.005-06:00

So hear we are getting right into 2009, wow! I am soooo excited about what this year will bring both for our family and for my bizz!! In the spirit of fresh starts and goal setting, I started thinking on some different things I wanted to work on this year... as you may recall I had a list last year too, and while I'd like to say I did well in that area, we all know the truth... so this time I've decided that yes I will tell all of you about it, but if I don't put it somewhere that it looks me in the face everyday... i will fail again. So say hello to my newest "frenemy" :0)

Forgive the blur... settings anyone??

It reads...
1. Organize my house
2. Set up an office space
3. Revamp the blog... Happy Hodgepodge meets Mandi Osborn Photography (back to the days of old, where this blog will truly be the hodgepodge I once imagined combining my family with my photography... cuz that's my life!!)
4. Workout regularly (Zumba ROCKS, btw!)
5. Play, laugh, and be silly with my kiddos EVERYDAY- with my full attention
6. Become a healthier person/family
7. Laugh more and stress less
8. Read my bible on a regular daily basis- 2nd nature, like breathing
9. Be on time
10. Stop procrastinating

We'll have a love-hate relationship I'm sure, but in the end I'm hoping the love prevails :0)

Happy 2009 Blog World!!

Happy Christmas!

2008-12-29T09:38:00.006-06:00

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! We certainly did! It really wasn't too busy this year, which was pretty nice! We had Christmas with Kevin's parents and Jas & Ash on Christmas eve... where our kiddos were thoroughly spoiled rotten :0) We had a great time too!! Then Christmas morning we had our little family Christmas... we "officially" started the tradition of reading the Christmas story before the gifts this year, the kiddos climb into our bed and we all snuggle together to listen to Daddy read the story of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We've tried to start other traditions in the past but I really hope we can keep this one going!

I took a gazillion pictures of coarse, so here's a couple of slide shows to showcase our christmas fun and festivities! Enjoy!!

Oh Happy Day!!!!

2008-12-17T00:28:00.005-06:00

YYYAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited?!?! Well, this is big for me so I just thought I'd share it with you too!! It's been a long time coming BUT 9 months 2 weeks 10 hours & 20 minutes later...

I have a real live working WEBSITE!!!! Joy abounds!! I cannot even begin to tell you how ECSTATIC I am!! So go check it out, browse around and let me know what you think!! It will change in small ways too, here and there, over the next few days as I tweak it but over all... IT'S DONE!!! Enjoy!!

Tagged!

2008-12-15T11:35:00.004-06:00

I completley forgot, but I've been tagged, Whoot Hoo!! Love these things, thanks Laura!!! OK ladies... you know how this works!!

1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? Eggnog? Uuhh... Yuck! Hot Chocolate for sure!!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrapped up

3. Colored light on house/tree or white? White lights on the tree. We've not made it to the house yet... but probably one solid color, red or blue maybe? not sure tho!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually the day after Thanksgiving, but this year I was a little restless and pulled out the music a little early :0)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? green bean casserole and MJ's cheesy potatoes

7 . Favorite holiday memory as a child? Waking up at my house on Christmas morning!! Going to my Gramma & Grampa's with ALL of my cousins!!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember...

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? White lights, red bead tinsel, and LOTS of Hallmark collectible ornaments, ornaments the kiddos(mostly Alora at this point :0) have made, and keepsake ornaments from our vacations!

11. Snow. Love it or dread it? LOVE the snow, great for pictures and crazy funky hats but I despise the ice.

12. Can you ice skate? ummm not really... so I just don't.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? YES! My CAMERA!!!

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? Being with family and friends and really remembering why we celebrate Christmas!!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? My momma's refrigerator cookies with homemade icing!!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Watching White Christmas at least a dozen times!

17. What tops your Christmas tree? A bronze star

18. Which do you prefer - giving or receiving? Giving... especially to my kids, nothing beats that expression of sheer joy and delight when they open their presents!!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? "When Love Comes Down" by Point of Grace is my absolute all time favorite!! Go Tell It On The Mountain~ sung by Sarah Evans is a close 2nd :0)

20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck? Depends on my mood at the time I think.

21. What do you want for Christmas? An iPod nano(welcome to the 21st century me!) and a Funky Camera strap!!

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? Our sunday school christmas party... o and last night we went to our youth counselor christmas dinner, yay for Olive Garden in Owasso, yummmm!! Then we went for a christmas light tour limo ride, it was lots of fun!!

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ’s? sort of dress up i guess... but then it's pj's that night for Christmas morning!

24. Do you own a Santa hat? Hmmm... don't think I do.

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? Family... different sides on various different days and I love it!!

Now, I get to tag five others.
1. Jenny
2. Mandy Earp
3. Kina
4. Noelle
5. Shannon
All you have to do is copy the above questions and paste on your blog (with your answers, of course!) Then tag five of your friends. Come on, it's fun!

XOXO~Alora

2008-12-15T01:22:00.004-06:00

Just a few more of the sassy pants :0) I wanted to get some of her alone to make a gift tag to use for her teachers and class gifts at school... the first one is the tag I'll be using! She's ecstatic and wants to give a gift bag to everyone in ALL the classes, HA!! She may be a lil' pistol but she's got the biggest sweetest heart, love her!!

And last but not least... ms. goofy girl, cuz that's just the way we roll!! Ha!!

Tis the season!!

2008-12-09T13:07:00.003-06:00

...for some sweet creations!!! Yummy :0) The first of what I'm sure will become a slew of sweet treats for the season came home with Alora today from school!! It's her very first gingerbread house and she was sooooooo excited!!

She's one proud architect!! My personal fav... check out that front door, it's always best to sample your materials during the process, looks like it passed inspection!!! Love it :D

lil' man was excited too and being so patient I must say!! She was giving us a run down of the building process before the devouring began!!

LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!!

On another note... I just couldn't post without sharing a few of my little man! This first one is a new fav I caught a couple of days ago on our Christmas card shoot... is it just me or has he started growing up on us?!?! It's really been setting in lately... my baby's gonna be 2 NEXT MONTH...when did THAT happen???! But the signs are everywhere now too, so denials out the window! As in, the behavior speaks for itself, lol!! Just kidding... kinda ;0) He's still my little cuddle bug though(LOVE that) and he's always ready with a "hugk" and a smile and I could just eat em' up!!! Love this boy!!

Sportin' some super cute style cuz he's just cool like that!!

Out N About

2008-11-26T15:27:00.003-06:00

What a beautiful day it was today!! We decided to take advantage... can you believe they were both EXCITED to go take some pics?!?! I know, I was in SHOCK... it was a short one but we had fun!! By the end though, they were both zonked out in the van, cuz ya know... it's hard work bein' this cute!!

...On giving thanks!

Can you believe it's already Thanksgiving?! Where did this month go anyway?!?! I've got so many reasons and blessings to be thankful for...

-An amazing God who continues to love and bless me despite myself

-My fantabulous husband who takes such good care of our family and is my very best friend

-Those two little stinkers pictured above, they are my absolute joy(and utter frustration ;0) that I could not imagine my life without, not to mention what in the world I did with myself before they arrived!!

-Our families, the best church family ever, all my girlfriends(LOVE THEM!!), our home, our health... the blessings abound and I am left humbled and in awe of the God I serve!

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." (Psalm 100:4&5)

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, fun, and memories!!

Surprise!!!

2008-11-15T23:33:00.008-06:00

No, this is not a figment of your imagination... this is, in fact, A REAL POST!!! Hello, blog world!! Long time no see, eh! Wow... it's been a while :0) I'm sure you're all positive, after seeing my last post for over a month now, that I am still surrendering all my free time to a certain saga of vampire lore BUT that is absolutely not the case. Don't get me wrong folks, I'm still lovin' it and re-reading it from time to time, however being a responsible adult, wife, and momma... balance is key!! That being said, man! time sure flies when your life is so chalked full of STUFF that you don't know up from down!! Blessed I am though, and so thankful that I get to do what I LOVE!! Staying home with my kiddos(tho I sometimes question my sanity there ;0) AND pursuing my passion in photography!! God is good... and for that matter, He's good ALL the time!!! Words to remember in times such as these!!

Things have definitely been happenin' around here!! Lots of pics and processing, school and projects and parties, and tonight... a very in depth attempt at ORGANIZATION!! You may recall back about...er, 11ish months ago, a certain resolution list... many a goal and to this day, well... let's just say I'm behind :0) But the "list person" part, it's coming along and I've certainly got the "read more often" part nailed ;0) I am also happy to say that after one last shopping trip tomorrow to round up a few odds and ends in the wardrobe department we will be set for some family pics of our own, so stay tuned cuz I'm DETERMINED to stay atop this blog and post, post, post!!! For now tho, I leave you with a few from a sunny Florida beach back in September... hope they leave you thinking warm thoughts on this chilly night!!!

And oh yes, there is more!!! So keep scrollin' on to see some of the other exciting things we've been up too lately, there's a bunch!!! Happy Hodgepodgen'!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-11-15T23:12:00.004-06:00

Introducing...Cinderella and her Dragon, I mean... "Dine-SO", as he would correct you!! We had a fun night of not so many tricks but more treating than we could go through in a lifetime!!
Forever a princess...

That's one cute tail, ha!!

I was trying to get him to roar like a dinosaur but he was SOOOO excited about wearing his costume, YES!!!, that he couldn't sit still!!!

and when we got to the church, he found a friend!! Aren't they adorable!!!

Party Time!!

2008-11-15T22:49:00.003-06:00

Alora's class got to have a little party on Halloween and I got to go and take some pics for the class!! They had lots of fun and yummy Halloween things to do!! They had the option to wear their costumes too but Alora said she would just get too hot, go figure! The girl would run naked all day if we'd let her!!

Decorating her jack-o-lantern cookie, YUM!! She proceeded to then pick off and eat each chocolate chip individually... savor the good stuff!! Then set the licorise aside and LICKED off all the icing!!! Good stuff :0)

painting with apples...

is messy but FUN!!

And we ended by rockin' out to a little "Baa Baa black sheep", I absolutely LOVE Mrs. M and Mrs. W's black sheep costumes!! The kids loved this part too!!

Punkin Patch Kids!

2008-11-15T22:20:00.006-06:00

Alora had her first class field trip in school this year, it was off to the pumpkin patch for lots of games, stories, a hayride, and 1 bumpy pumpkin!!

Gotta love the parchute game, who doesn't, right?!?!

All together for story time and a cool pumpkin craft...

runnin' the relay race, gotta get that pumpkin and give a high five!!

All the a.m. classes went the same day so Lily and Alora got to pick out their pumpkins together!!I love that she picked the bumpy pumpkin!! Apparently another lady there liked it too, and decided to tell Alora about it. Alora picked it up and the lady says "OH! I like that one... it's ugly!!".......WHAT!!! Who says that to a 4 year old?!?! Anyway, Alora gave her the strangest look and said(rather loudly) "I like it's bumps!!" That's my girl!!! She knows what she wants :0)

You gotta friend in me!!

2008-11-15T21:56:00.005-06:00

And who wouldn't wanna be friends with that cute lil' honery handsome face!!

Well he's not givin' baby Ella any choice, she's got a friend for life!!!

He's all about talkin' to her, and givin' kisses, and being RIGHT next to her, as you can see!! Too cute!!!

But when you're this adorable, who could resist!!! We love you baby Ella!!!

SNAP!

2008-11-15T21:47:00.005-06:00

This little man loves him some sugar snap peas!! And his momma loves that he loves them too!!

He will seriously eat anything!! YUUMMMMOOO!!!

GOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!

2008-11-15T21:05:00.004-06:00

Well we ventured into the wide world of sports this season!! Alora "played" her first season of soccer this fall. All began well, she was super excited the first couple of practice/games and I LOVED it too because they only had one 1 hour session once a week on Saturday mornings!!! It's a perfect set up for this age group! Anyway as you can see, she was havin' a great time!!!

Get that SHARK!! They had 4 different games set up that helped them learn about different aspects of soccer. Dribbling, stopping, kicking, no hands... and they made it super fun by turning it into games like big bad wolf, wicked witch, and shark attack!! FUN STUFF!!

Then for the last 15-20 minutes they would split up and scrimage(sp?) It was so cute and fun to see them chasing the ball and each other all over the place!! And like I said before... for the first couple of sessions she was ALL for it!!!
Then came vacation, we missed a couple of games and that was all she wrote!! As in, No thanks, I'm done! She wanted nothing to do with any of it anymore soooooo... maybe next year?! We shall see, it was fun while it lasted though!!

Calling all Twilighters!!

2008-10-09T14:06:00.002-05:00

This is for all of you out there who've become as hooked as I am and are now with me in the "anxiously awaiting the movie" dept!!! Here's the widget that has the countdown to the final preview trailer release. It'll be on the widget tonight for 1 hour as a sneak peek, WHOOT HOO!! Enjoy!!!

Hmmmmm....

2008-10-06T23:55:00.003-05:00

Some posting palooza huh?! Yeah, I still have mounds of things I could/need to post about yet here I sit NOT posting but instead indulging my "new" obsession. And in fact, I'm not even sure if OBSESSION would quite cover what's been going on here. So what could this be, you're wondering, right? Well, and those of you that know already... I can see you now, rolling your eyes and chuckling at me, but for those that may have escaped my gushing in the past few weeks.......

WOW

... and not just some little obsession. Lets just say that I'm only doing this post so that I can yet again talk about this series... that I LOVE, and also to explain the widget that will appear here as I await the movie... cuz I'm gonna have to see that too!! I am NOT ASHAMED!!!! Oh I know I'm only about 2-3 years behind with this particular bandwagon but seriously, I'm a crazy person about these books!! Example... I'm a reader, big time... but I NEVER re-read, until now and I'm thinking after the 3rd time through I might be ready for a detour...maybe :0) So yeah, anyway, that's what's eating up this particular bloggers free time lately... btw, if you haven't read them, you should ;0)
Rest assured though, the camera is not collecting TOO much dust and I will get it all posted... eventually!!

So much to post...

2008-09-29T12:05:00.004-05:00

and not near enough time!! So thus begins my posting palooza, let the fun begin!!

In honor of their upcoming arrivals, and because their Momma's are just too cute not to post, here are a few pics of Momma Dannielle awaiting Miss Brylie Kate...

Big sister Aubrey is super excited to meet baby Brylie!!

and a few of Momma Kina awaiting Mr. Casen Blake, OH BOY!!

Big bros. Austin and Brenden lovin' on the baby belly!! Cute, cute, cute!!

aren't they just beautiful!! Thanks ladies for letting me capture this precious time for you!! Can't wait to meet your newest little blessings, Congratulations!!!!

Just one...

2008-09-24T13:46:00.003-05:00

Well we made it back from sunny southern Florida... what a great vacation! We had a blast and enjoyed some much needed relaxation... which is quite different in the way of "vacations" for us! Usually it's go, go, go, lots of fun of coarse, but very busy. So it was a nice change to just be able to hang out and enjoy the view! And enjoy we did!!! The weather even cooperated for us too and it only rained once, during the night on Wednesday, but what a sight that was. The thunderstorm came over the front of our condo and out into the ocean so we were able to sit out on the back patio and watch as the lighting lit up over the water... WOW, it was amazing!!!

The kids had a great time too. They liked playing on the beach and finding shells but their favorite was the pool... thats right folks, we could vacation at a hotel in Tulsa (or right here in O-town for that matter!!) with a good pool and my kiddos would be in heaven, not so much for the adult folks though :0) I was very partial to the sunsets... Well, I'll have more pictures and tales of our adventures later but for now I've got lots of catchin' up to do and wading through the pools of vaca pics just isn't good time management, or so I've been told ;0P Hope everyones having a great week!! Until next time...

Greetings!!!

2008-09-15T19:40:00.002-05:00

from the sunshine state!! We made it here to Marco Island, Florida safe and sound... we've been enjoying the sun, surf, and sand... and a whopin' total of about 15-20 minutes worth of sprinkling rain, WHOOT HOO!!!!!!!! Here are a few shots of the sunrise we enjoyed this morning...

We really haven't "done" a whole lot, which is soooooo nice!! Just hangin' out at the beach and of coarse the pool, Alora wouldn't have it any other way!! This beach is COVERED and I mean everywhere, with sea shells... which makes a super fun and addictive activity that lasts for hours!! Here's a pic of a little friend we found during our first expedition!!

Until next time!!!

Baby Ella!!!

2008-08-29T22:36:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, my super great friend Jenny had her precious baby girl last week and this Thursday we got to have a little camera time!! So this is a little sneak peeker for momma and daddy and big bro. C, and nanna and ninny and the rest of her fabulous clan!! Meet little Ella Denise, isn't she just beautiful :0) She did great and I had so much fun!! I love her little pouty lips and the yawn... baby yawns are just sooooooo cute!! Hope you enjoy~

Tagged...

2008-08-22T14:42:00.000-05:00

and didn't even know it :0P So I'm WWAAAYYYY late in posting this cuz I'm a big dork and wasn't paying attention :0) Sorry Sandy but thanks for taggin' me, I love these games!!!

What does Mommy always say to you? I love you!

What makes Mommy happy? "ummmm... Obeying!!"

What makes Mommy sad? "not obeying", she says while shaking her head and pooching out her lip, ha!

How does Mommy make you laugh? Tickles

How old is mommy? 4.

How tall is Mommy? "This much", as she reaches above her head and jumps.

What doesn't Mommy like to do? "ummm... me? Not to get me in trouble."

What is Mommy's job? "ummm when she um works on the computer and me... to take pitures of me & Xanderman" :0)

How do you know Mommy loves you? soooo much :0)

I've always thought the perspective and perception of little ones was so fun and cute!! And what do you know I've even stumbled upon a pic of my little miss sassy pants with me in it!!

Happy Birthday Hubby!!

2008-08-14T22:36:00.005-05:00

Today my super silly, fun, fantastic, hottie husband turned 29... as in, ALMOST 30!!! I've been reminding him often ;0)

Check out this awesome cake Alora picked out just for her Daddy!! "It is the very best one!!" she said!! Xander really liked it too, and I quote, "Dine-So!!!!!!!!!!!!"

All my crazies!! This seems to be a re-occuring expression for him doesn't it?!

Happy Birthday Babe!! You are the best Daddy ever and the most wonderful husband in the world!! I love you!!!

My Baby's a SCHOOL GIRL!!

2008-08-13T15:28:00.003-05:00

Well the big day finally arrived and can I just say the only one not ready for this day was me!! She has been beyond excited to go to preschool for weeks now and has gone through her supplies everyday since we brought them home, and might I add, didn't even want to leave yesterday when we went to meet her teacher! So she woke up this morning ready to go!! One new dress and a shiney loaded down backpack later and we were on our way! Kevin went in late today so we could all take her to school, which both of the kids loved, and from the minute we got out of the car she led the way right to her classroom! She did great and only needed to call us back one last time for extra hugs and kisses before she was off and runnin', she's my little butterfly!! I am just so proud of her!! Now Momma, on the other hand, well this was most certainly harder for me than I expected! My baby girl's in SCHOOL... when did that happen?! Let's just say that Mommy was the only one all emotional and on the verge of tears today :0P
Rest assured tho, I held it together with lots of prayer and I really am excited about this new chapter in life of school and sports(we're tryin' out soccer this year!! YAY!!) and all that it brings!! Mommy and Daddy are soooo proud of you Alora Grace and we love you bunches!!!
Modeling her new backpack...

Ready to go!!

She was really excited about having her very own locker too... cuz those are like the big girls ya know ;0)

This last one is for a fun comparison, Alora on her first day of school....

and Mommy on my first day of school!! The pig tails weren't planned either, just in case you're thinkin' I'm wierd like that :0)

Take me out to the ball game!!

2008-08-08T00:27:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago the Tulsa Drillers had a free night and the youth group made an outing of it and we took the kids along. This was a first for both of them and all in all it was a fun time :0)

Although I don't really know how much baseball they actually watched... they certainly loved the stadium goodies!!

I love this picture but his little messy mouth is deceiving, he had ice cream ALL over the front of himself, yummy!!!

This was the hit activity of the evening, that and climbing and running around the bleachers :0)

Both of them really did watch some of the game, and when the crowd would clap and cheer Xander would stop whatever he was doing and spin around clapping and yelling "GOOOOOO" it was so cute!!

UPDATE: Thank you everyone for your prayers for little Xanderman! We went in early yesterday morning and had his adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears. Everything went great, that is seriously the fastest procedure, wow! He had an interesting time waking up but as soon as we left he settled right down and with the help of his meds drifted off to sleep for a few hours at home. He was a trooper and now hopefully all his yucky ear troubles are behind us!!

Who knew...

2008-08-04T00:56:00.003-05:00

that 10 years ago could seem like just yesterday? And oh what friends(nah, now they're family) I did gain all because of one little bald headed baby!! So here he is, the Sammy man, my Godson and the coolest 10 year old ever!! Happy Birthday Samuel Scott, We love you!!!

Here he is at 6 months... love that lil' round bald head!!

And this is right before my wedding, he had just turned 3 and was helping his "Manni" play piano!!

And finally... this is the AWESOME family that comes with this AWESOME boy!! Love them all :0)

For his momma :0)

2008-07-31T14:21:00.004-05:00

and my awesome friend!! Here's your "sneak peek"!! Isn't he just handsome?! This is Mr. C and a few of his 8(WOW) yr. pics! Although that particular milestone came and went back in March, we just recently were able to finish up his picture adventure. And WHAT A HAM he is, we had a great time wondering around DT Tulsa!!

Though Alora would tell you he's already one of her two "big brothers"(she's a big fan) this kiddo and his momma and daddy are gearing up for the newest addition to their family to arrive in just a few weeks, officially bringing C into the Big Brother Club!! And believe me he'll be a great big brother!! Congratulations guys, can't wait to meet your little princess!!!

Found another keeper...

2008-07-30T11:53:00.001-05:00

Love this one of my two favorite men in the whole wide world! Our little Xanderman is definitely the cuddly one... just makes me smile :0) I must say I hope he never outgrows it!!!

And this ones for you Nance... here he is in "true" form ;0)

Your forever favorite DORK!!!

Yes folks, here he is. This is what my dear husband thought of me turning the camera on him downtown, he's "special" ;0) (please excuse the poor focal quality... yeah, i was LAUGHING!)

UPDATE: So as many of you know our little man has battled some pretty nasty ear issues for the majority of his 18 months of life. Well we went back to the ENT today and low and behold... he had yet another(or more than likely the same) ear infection :0( Sooooo... on to the solution: We will be going in next Thursday to have the Xanderman's adnoids(sp?) removed and tubes put in. I know this is a fairly "simple" and routine procedure but please keep him in your prayers and maybe his mommy too ;0) Thanks everybody!!

Love him

2008-07-28T00:42:00.003-05:00

It hit me just the other day... I seriously don't take enough pictures of this man of mine! But while downtown a few weeks ago I got a few and this one is a keeper!! Love the hat. Love the glasses. Love the reflection. Love the expression. Love the scruf... Love.love.love. HIM!!

Oh My...

2008-07-24T01:50:00.006-05:00

So I'm sittin' here doing my usual blog stalking... yes, I'm an addict, but I'm OK with it now :0) And low and behold, when I've read them all and added new ones I've stumbled upon and run out of things to read... I began surfing my own, giving it a once over and happened upon my archive drop down box... YIKES!! Ummmm... can we say slacker, there it was in neat little parentheses, my monthly posting numbers have been on a steady decline the past few months :0( So in an attempt to kick myself in the pants... instead of going to bed like a SANE person, I remain here at 2 a.m. scrounging up a post to make myself feel a little less unproductive :0) Hmmmmm.... not a whole lot going on round here though, which is kinda nice considering the craziness of the past few weeks. Oh I did however, along with my awesome friend Katie, have my first bridal session last Monday, YAY!! It was alot of fun but super HOT out!! I felt sooooo bad for the bride-to-be but she did fantastic!! Sorry, no peeks yet though, Ms. C's got to see them first... but soon!! Speaking of photography... my website(yes the one that was supposed to be up months ago :0P see procrastination again, I'm really trying to work on this certain character flaw of mine) is seriously close to being ready. It's taken soooooo much longer than I anticipated, and man is it alot of work... but well worth it I must say!! For now though, I'll leave you with an opinion poll (of sorts) I want to know what you think of my logo!!

Ok, for some reason it's looking kinda hairy and fuzzy on here but oh well :oP ...here it is, please let me know what you think! And don't be *nice* ...I can take it :0) I really want to know. I'm wanting something that encompasses my "style" if you will. Something light, fun, colorful, breezy, airy(?), those types of things! So gimme the goods, the bads, and the uglies!!

Alright, there you have it, and now I'll bring my silly little attempt at keeping this blog afloat to an end!! Thank you and goodnight/morning!

Ridin' in style!

2008-07-14T12:33:00.004-05:00

Lookout Silvercreek... here comes a Viper!! What a way to cruise the culd-e-sac!!!

The unveiling... NO PEEKING!!

I'm thinkin' it's a hit!

She's one crazy driver... clear the sidewalks!!! Xander will tell you all about it too, I'm surprised he didn't get a concussion from her brake happy foot!! Poor guy kept hitting his head on the windshield every time she accelerated! Needless to say, we bought him a riding helmet too!! Gotta protect the noggin' :0)

And *occasionally* following much wailing and gnashing of teeth... she lets him drive... but not without a little help!!

Ahhhh, the open road...

and off into the sunset they go.... (albeit swerving erratically!!)
They absolutely love it!! Thanks Nanna and Pappa!!!!

Livin' La Vida Loca!!

2008-07-11T14:09:00.000-05:00

Say's Ricky Martin, and I'd have to agree as of late! What a crazy summer this has been... photography, birthday parties, VBS, teen camp, and not to mention being momma to my too wonderful, silly, and full of life and orneriness(sp?) kiddos!! So what's the fam been up to?

...Well, we had Alora's 4th b-day party a couple of weeks ago... Ninja Turtle style!! And I must say, I love the splash pad here in town, great place for summer birthdays or just gettin' out of the house!!

She's still wearing these masks around the house "fighting crime" and you know we've got lots of crime goin' on over here at the Osborn house :0)

Followed that up with a super great week of VBS!! GO GIRLS!!!! and boys too :0) Now that I have one of each I've gotta be impartial right ;0) However the girls did pull ahead this year with a big ol' whoppin' win in our penny war offering!! I had the 4, 5, and completed kindergarten class this year... WOW are they a busy hoppin' bunch!! And just for the record... Mommy as Alora's teacher = NOT A GOOD IDEA... AT ALL!!!

Here's the Testifyin' T-Rexes of 2008... cute bunch huh? Notice my own is M.I.A... grrrr.
And yes Annie, Lily is missing too, but to her defense she was being so sweet about it and said, "No thank you" as opposed to a certain friend of hers who was climbing up the cubbies on the opposite wall!!!!

Then the very next week it was off to JBU in Siloam for church camp with the best teens on the planet!! I just LOVE our teenagers and camp is always one of my favorite things!! We had a great time!!

??????????????

Here's the story...

On the last day of camp we always stop in front of the sign for a group pic then everyone takes off running at the camera for crazy pics. Well this bro./sis. duo were being crafty and Everett was going to carry Elisha... it was doomed from the first step and he was in trouble the minute he hit the pavement. Sadly I was looking through the lens in utter shock and did not click shutter until they had landed firmly on the curb, cuz these pics seriously do not do this incident justice... OUCH :0(

So there it is... la vida loca. But it's sure been FUN!!

It's official...she's 4!

2008-06-16T14:39:00.004-05:00

OK, so maybe it was official a couple of weeks ago on her birthday... but now Mommy has officially documented Alora and 4 in the picture department!! I don't know why I put so much pressure on myself for their "official" pics, but oh well, we all survived! These are just a few and boy was she hammin' it up :0)

4 going on 14...

2008-06-12T23:48:00.003-05:00

here's how it went!

We're in the van with Nanna and Pappa driving along, I'm having a conversation with Ron and I can hear Alora talking to MJ (I assume)...

Mommy:blah, blah, blah, talk, talk, talking along

Alora: Mmmmooooommmm you're arguing with me! Stop arguing with ME!!

Mommy:???? What, I'm not arguing with you?!

Alora: (promptly cutting Mommy off) NO, no buts... no buts, no buts, no buts!!

Mommy and the rest of the adult van passengers: BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! and laughing hysterically...

I Rest My Case :0)
Man I love this girl, sass and all!!!

My Husband ROCKS!!

2008-06-10T23:51:00.005-05:00

Yep!! I have the BEST husband in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!! In case some of you were wondering, ya know :0) But seriously... ok we're kickin' it sans hubby/daddy this week because he's gone down to Wynedott OK(???) to play in a much anticipated paintball scenerio game BUT before he left he planned a super neat surprise for us, and lets just say Alora LOVES surprises!

He left Monday a.m. while we were gone to dr.s appts, but when we got home I found this on the fridge... hmmmmm...

So Tuesday it is and after nap I got the camera ready and called her in to see what awaited us in the envelope...

WHOOO HOOOO!! It's a treasure map, which she happens to be obsessed with right now, and a letter with clue's that lead to other clues that lead to Daddy's hidden treasure :0) So we're off to find us some loot!

There was a new clue in each bedroom and she did really good at figuring out where they were hidden... and as you may see in the lower corner there, brother was helpin her out too!!

The last one said that the clue could be found in "Daddy and Alora's favorite story..." she needed NO prompting whatsoever and screamed "The Briar Patch!!"

And there she found the treasure!!! Along with some instructions from the "captain" to use the goods for movie nights and snackin' while Daddy is away :0)

So off we went...
and returned for an evening of Backyardigans and Twizzlers (her "movie food" which Berkley and Baylor were hoping would be shared with them, lol!) What a FUN surprise!!!
She's so into treasures and maps right now and I love that he thought of doing this for her, she had a BLAST running all through the house looking and "diggin." But the best part was hearing her tell everyone at the store that her Daddy left her a TREASURE because he loved her SOOOOO MUCH, and imagine it being said with all her spunky sass and excitement... yeah, it was hilariously adorable and priceless!!! WE LOVE YOU TOO HONEY...SOOOOOO MUCH!!

...And later this week we're having a slumber party in the living room. Complete with sleeping bags, more movies, makeups, and popcorn... she's beside herself excited!!! I Love It!!!

Happy Birthday "Baby" Girl!!

2008-06-07T12:47:00.005-05:00

My lil' girl's gettin' BIG! Yesterday was her birthday and she's a whoppin' 4 years old now (going on 14)!! What a character she is these days. Absolutely full of energy and sass 24/7 and she has millions of questions about EVERYTHING. She's a talker too and says things daily that crack us up as well as leave us floored or wondering... and I love every minute of it, yes, even when I think I could pull my hair out :0) Wouldn't change her for the world no matter how many times she steals the contents of my wallet and stores it in her, now misplaced, "wallet" or takes it upon herself to take my credit card up to the counter at McD's to buy her some "chokit milk." She's all girly girl and tomboy rolled together. She can't live without her makeup and has to carry her overstuffed purse everywhere she goes but also can't wait till she can go play paintball or "fight" with her daddy, then come home and put her "babies" to bed!! Lately she's also created herself a little imaginary family. Complete with several brothers and sisters, of all different ages and their names change hourly, and a Grandma. This is just funny. She brings them up very randomly, such as, "Oh yeah, my sister has one of those at my Grandmas house!!" (usually reffering to something she has been told she can't have) or to tell me that her bros. and sisters live at her Grandmas house?! And her "Grandma" aparently lives in every house we drive passed!! See I'm tellin' ya, quite a character huh?, and a constant source of entertainment and delight!! We love you bunches Miss Alora Grace!!

Here's our little stinker at 4 months...

Love palyin' TAG!!

2008-05-27T16:47:00.004-05:00

Whoot Hoo, thanks Katie!! OK, here goes another :0) Here's how to play this particular game of Tag: Post these rules on your blog and complete. List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, and 3 random or surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving them a comment on their blog. And by all means, HAVE FUN!!
Joys
1. Xanderman's belly laugh and Alora's girly giggles
2. Photography
3. Family times: vacations, walks, playin' at the park...

Fears
1. Not raising my kids right
2. Loosing a loved one.
3. Scary gory movies... pathetic but true, much to my husbands dismay :0)

Goals
1. To get organized, my house and my photog stuff
2. To get my photog website finished
3. To become a "list" person

Obsessions/Collections
1. Reading blogs and visiting photography forums(which is why I can't get organized :0)
2. Watching all my DVR'd shows until insane hours of the night after my kiddos are in bed!!
3. Reading... if I start it today I'll finish it too!!

Facts
1. I too, watch Wizards of Waverly Place and Hannah Montana shamelessly!!
2. I also absolutely LOVE to watch and sind along with the Backyardagains... so cute!!
3. I've always wanted to own a big ol' truck and live on a ranch?!

Alrighty... Brandi, Lisa, Stacy, and Jessica Hagan TAG you're it girls!!!

COWABUNGA!!!

2008-05-19T00:32:00.003-05:00

So we've recently acquired a couple new pets in our household.... meet Raph and Leo!!

Lol, cute names huh?! Courtesy of our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle lovin' daughter! Ok, so here's the story...

I recently decided to start walking every morning for some good ol' exercise and our trek takes us down to the park here in Preston Lakes. We walk there, around the pond, then stop to play for a while and head back, very nice... well on our first day we began our return trip and right there on the path I saw this little bitty shell with Mr. Turtle all tucked inside. I showed Alora who was beside herself excited and was absolutley taking this "ninjda tuwtle", whom she at first wanted to name Samson???, home to keep. After getting him home safely and into a little bowl complete with some water and a stick to keep him company she proceeded to change his name SEVERAL times, not able to decide which "ninjda tuwtle" he really was, and finally, due to the red on his head, settled on Raph... which also happens to be her favorite.

We eventually got Raph all set up in a nice little habitat with a little room to swim and a nice dry place to bask. Then she realized that... we go for a walk everyday... and there are 4 "ninjda tuwtles" so hey, on tomorrows walk we can find a Leo turtle, right?! She was absolutely convinced, and I, on the other hand, was doubtful. But as you can see from the above pic, amazingly enough, we indeed found another. Right out there on the same path. When I saw him, I almost didn't believe it but there he was stickin' his little neck out walkin' along. At first she didn't want him though b/c he was NOT a Leo turtle... he was red like a Raph turtle, she thought he would have blue on his head, lol... CUTE I tell you. But after an explanation that God made all of these types of turtles with red spots she was all for taking Leo home to meet his new pal Raph!! Hahahahaha, I love it!

Now thanks to our good friends the Haltoms, we've got them both set up in a nice aquarium with LOTS of swimmin' space and a nifty floating rock. And I have to say both Kevin and I are quite surprised at how entertaining these little guys(or gals btw, it's too soon to tell!!) can be and both Alora and Xander LOVE them. In fact, "turtle" is the Xanderman's newest and most frequently used word lately!!! To top it all off, she quickly decided that on our next walk we could find Mikey and Donnie... bwhahahaha... I think NOT!! We'll just enjoy our 2 lil' "ninjda tuwtles" for now!!! Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

Love me some...

2008-05-06T16:03:00.004-05:00

doggie water!! Doesn't everybody, I mean sometimes a boys just thirsty and nothin' else will do :0)

Yep, that's exactly what I walked in and saw! Lovely huh?! And hey, what's done is done and it's GREAT blogging material,(not that I've had many mad bloggin' skillz lately, lol) so I ran to get my camera. By the time I returned he was aparently done but ahhhh never fear... my ever the attention lover son sees that Mommy has the camera so he promptly motions me with his dripping wet lil' hands back over to his thirst quenching oasis and begins again, hahahahaha. I would say that I just couldn't believe it, but who am I kidding that's got Xanderman written allllll over it, and I was crackin' up!!!!!

And nope, mommy's not mad sooooooooo.... oh how proud of himself is he!

His cute lil' proud moment however, quickly dissolved into this once mean ol' momma ended the fun and cleaned up the mess... I know, I'm awful huh?

So yeah, never a dull moment around here!!! And yesterday he tried eating fistfulls of sand... Whoooo Hoooo!!! Love this lil' guy :0)

More from MORP...

2008-05-06T14:49:00.001-05:00

These are just a few more from our MORP trip. These are of the "big" night, when we get all fancied up and go to dinner, complete with limo ride and a stop for pics!

Dinner at Paesanos for some yummy Italian fare...

and we topped it off with dessert at the Tower of Americas!! That was super neat and you could see for miles! I love all the lights!
Such a fun and fabulous trip! We had a blast and I can't wait for the next one!!

Busy, busy, busy...

2008-04-24T16:52:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I've been a TERRIBLE blogger lately :0( And my little spot here in cyber space has been neglected somethin' awful!! However I am HAPPY to announce that this current ramble is coming from my brand new lil' red LAPTOP!! Whoot hoo!!!!!!!!! Just in time too seeing as our desktop is giving up the ghost... makes the transition interesting too, but I'm LOVIN' this thing!!!! So much has been going on lately and our households been a little crazy. Between missions confrence, San Antonio for MORP (sooo fun!), photography bizz, tonsillitis(Xanderman), and Alora going to Disney World tomorrow with Nanna and Pappa... I'm feeling a little BUSY... whew!! Today I'm workin' on little bits of everything here and there attempting to acheive some form of organization around here... I'll let you know how that goes ;0) For now I"ll leave you with just a couple of snapshots from TX on our MORP trip... more to come later tho!!! Until then, hope everyone has a WONDERFUL weekend!!!

Oh what a difference...

2008-04-09T14:05:00.006-05:00

a year makes...

I was going through some folders, tiding up the PC a bit and came across some pics from about this same time last year. Ha, nearly the same "pose" and soooo not planned, like a pose is ever planned with toddlers, lol! I just couldn't help but share my discovery and the change in my lil' stinkers in just one year... so fun to remember :0) Enjoy...

OH... and isn't it nice not to have to scroll on and on and on to get thru this post, lol... my last couple have been trains!!!

And without further adu...

2008-04-06T00:10:00.003-05:00

HE'S ONE!!! As most of you already know since, yes, his birthday was in January :0) However after waiting out the weather we were finally able to get his "official" one year pics done!! YAY!!!! It took two times to get the goods but we did it, and I love them!! So here are my lil' stinkers in all their green springy cuteness!!!

Ha, isn't he lookin' all GQ, GAP Baby in this... just look at that stare!

It's still so hard to believe sometimes that an entire year has already come and gone since we brought him home! So what's he up to these days... well, a little bit of a lot!! I love watching his little personality bubble up more everyday. He's saying several new words like ball, deen(drink), ni-ni (night night), and "dis"(this) or "dat"(that) is what he calls almost EVERYTHING! He's walking like a pro and has recently added climging to his list of hobbies along with taking anything inside a cabinet or container out and stringing it all over the floor and playing in the dog's water :0) But his all time favorite thing to do is be with his big sister... go wherever she goes and do whatever she does, which is great since she is also his biggest fan!!! Their current craze: Dancing on her slide bed to a little Family Force 5 singin' hold up, wait a minute, put a little love in it at an ear piercing volume!! Nope, never a dull moment around here... and I wouldn't trade em' for the world :0)

The WHOLE ENTIRE roll...

2008-04-02T00:41:00.001-05:00

is there in the toilet. Lovely huh?!

and doesn't it "appear" like lil' miss boss hog is trying to tell him how much trouble he's in?...
but don't let her cute little self fool ya, she was in on the whole thing, a big sis has got to show her little bro. some love, right?

And isn't he just so proud of himself!! YUCK!!
And just so you know, for all of those out there wondering... they where promptly stripped and placed in the ol' tub for an early bath time scrub down :0) Gotta love the memories!!!

Lunch date with Daddy

2008-03-27T18:12:00.002-05:00

So a few weeks ago when the weather decided to warm up a bit, we ventured out for some much needed OUTSIDE time. One of those days the kiddos and I met up with Kevin at Mohawk for some yummy lunch in the park!! It was lots of fun and Xander and Alora were thrilled to see their Daddy during the middle of the day... so thrilled in fact that the whole going back to work thing was not received very well by either one of them :0(

She loves to spin around and go fast!! Soooo did not get that from me... I would be beyond sick after just one spin!!

Makin' friends with the concrete critters again!!

We had a great day and what beautiful weather to play in... I've also learned that our little man LOVES to be outside, and he doesn't really care what the weather's like!! It's a pitching screaming fit to come inside, even from the van to the house after returning from somewhere... when it's DARK!!
Gotta love this new independent and often LOUD opinion he's had lately, I'll have to post some of those pics sometime :0) But what can I say... I guess he comes by it honestly, he's definitely my son!!

Lions & Tigers & Bears... OH MY!

2008-03-27T15:17:00.004-05:00

And elephants and rhinos and jaguars and animals galore!! We ended the beautiful weather week we had just before Easter with a family trip, and Xander's first time, to the Tulsa Zoo! Alora absolutely loves the zoo and I think she'd go every week if she could, so I was anxious to see what the Xanderman would think of all these animals... however this was his state upon our arrival!!

He slept through the first part of our little trip but I'm sure his nap made the rest of our visit lots smoother! What did he miss... the elephants mostly and the giraffes and zebras, Alora however enjoyed all of it, here she is checkin' out the elephants thru the glass... and I'm thinkin' the bunny ears add a great touch!!

Ok, now I know you can't see any of the animals here, but the photographer in me surfaced and I loved the composition of this shot... so I got it!! She's actually watching the ducks and pelicans swim.

And eventually... the animal that awoke the Xanderman from his slumber... the "king" of the jungle!! Ok, not really, but he did start roaring just as we'd left his domain where he'd been enjoying his own little nap in the sunshine, so we came back to see if I could catch a good open mouth roar... but apparently he was finished with his announcement by the time I got there!

Once the little man was awake the stroller was absolutely NOT going to cut it! He wanted OUT and wanted to walk, by himself might I add, no holding hands!!! AHHHHHH... what independent children I have :0)

Comparing themselves to our penguin friends, Alora thought this was pretty cool...
... and at first he didn't know what to think but the closer he got the more he giggled, I'd love to know what he was thinking as he approached!

As you can see, he became very good at making friends with the statues this day!! Again, I'd just love to know what was going thru his mind...

Here are just a few more pics of the animals that I really liked... I love how the focus in this kinda made the fence wire transparent...

"Everybody has a water buffalo, mine is fast and yours is slow..." or something like that! Ha, doesn't he seem less than thrilled to be having his meal captured on film!!

Finally and just maybe *most* exciting...
We ended our visit to the zoo that day by purchasing a zoo friends membership, especially since the family membership was on sale, whoot hoo!!! Very exciting for me since this is our first go round as "zoo friends." Not to mention that I've ALWAYS wanted to be one and get that nifty little decal to put in your car window!! Hehe, I feel like I just became part of the cool crowd!! Ridiculously childish... YES, but still fun :0) I'm also really looking forward to the Starry Zoofari camping thing... Kevin really wants to do it too and I think it will be really FUN!! Has anyone ever participated in that b4, I'd love to know what you thought!! Anyway, our little zoo trip was a blast and now we can go back lots which the kiddos will love too!!!

AND... for those of you who may be wondering where this extra super large posting palooza is that I have recently spoken of, well... it's still scattered about on my *wonderful* computer!! This lovely machine and I have a love hate relationship at the moment, as in, I love it b/c it is a necessity to my photo processing livelihood but I absolutely HATE it when it decides to throw fits and be unruly, as an overloaded hard drive might occasionally do :0) So as of right now I'm just trying to keep my little computer happy until my NEW LAPTOP(insert: hallelujah chorus!!!) arrives!! Until then it is a light workload only for my beloved but mangled little machine... so bear with me, I'll catch up soon!!!

TAKE TWO!!

2008-03-24T18:16:00.002-05:00

Thanks everyone for all of your input!! I decided that I'd give it another shot, so here's "take two" in the search for a header, and I changed the name back to happy hodgepodge but decided not to include it in this one! So one more time... let me know what you think!!! Thanks a bunch girlies!! Love to hear your opinions :0) AND, btw, I will be making a MEGA post later on tonight or possibly tomorrow... got lots of catchin' up to do!!! Until next time...

FINALLY!!!!!

2008-03-19T17:49:00.003-05:00

yep, that's right, I finally did it... I went and made myself a banner, and renamed the blog in the process!! About time huh, lol?! However... I just don't know how I feel about it :0I ...But I do know that I'm not "LOVIN" it... so I would like your opinions... and don't be shy ;0) Tell me what you think!!! Until next time...

Survey Time!!! I've been tagged :0)

2008-03-12T14:08:00.005-05:00

YAY!! I LOVE these things!!! Thanks Ash!! Ok, here goes:

What time did you get up this morning? 7:00 and only b/c I had a session at 9:30, otherwise I would've kept on sleepin' as my darling little boy has still not been making it all night... but we're getting closer!!

Diamonds or pearls? Well I'm not really a jewelry person... but if you twisted my arm, lol... I'd have to pick diamonds.

What is your favorite TV show? Only 1?! Hmmm... Smallville

What is your middle name? LaNae

What food do you dislike? Most seafood... yuk!

What is your favorite song or artist at the moment? I love me some Rascal Flatts!! I also like Family Force 5, Jeremy Camp and Mercy Me... but the list could go on and on and on!!

What characteristics do you despise? Rudeness and people who think they are better than everyone else

Favorite item of clothing? yoga pants, capris and flip flops

If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you go? Venice!

What color is your bathroom? blue and yellow for the main, and "ours" is still unfinished from the re-do over a year ago... yeah, i'm slackin'

Favorite brand of clothing? whatever's comfy and on the sale rack!

Where would you like to retire? wherever my kiddos are

Most memorable birthday? lots of my "real" birthdays

Favorite sport to watch? OU Football!! And lately I'm getting into UFC... makes the hubby happy too!

Favorite quote? My life's vs: 1 Corinthians 15:10- But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ~The Apostle Paul
On motherhood: Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

Are you a morning or a night person? Definitely a night person

What did you want to be when you were little? a pediatrician

What are you today? a mommy and a photographer

Your favorite flower? tulips

What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? The first week in August when we go to Sanibel Island for vacation!! Bring on the beach pictures... oh I can't wait!!!

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? um...blue maybe, but I've never really understood this question... I don't want to be a crayon!

What is your pet peeve? Pedestrians that walk straight into/across a lane or parking lot w/o even looking up to see what's going on around them... weird maybe but it drives me NUTS!

Favorite soft drink? Diet Coke with Lime... yummmmm!!!

Favorite restaurant? Los Cabos

Favorite day of the year? Christmas

What was your favorite toy as a child? My American Girls doll, Samantha

Summer or winter? Ummm... Fall!!

What is under your bed? A platform with drawers on both sides

What did you do last night? Edited some session photos...

Favorite smell? Depends on the season... Apples and Cinnamon or Hazelnut Cream

What are you afraid of? My kids never getting saved and not serving Jesus

How many states have you lived in? just this one

How many words did spell check have to correct? hmmm... don't know but there are lots of red dotted lines throughout this post!

What/Who inspires you? Several photogs that I admire inspire me to keep on learning and snapping away... maybe I'll get there someday!

Tag at least two people to fill this in with their own answers. I'm tagging Katie, Brandi, Jenny, and Laura :0)

Last but not least... it just doesn't feel right to post w/o a pic!! Here's a couple more from the fun fabric adventure!! Enjoy!!

Mod Babies!!!

2008-03-08T10:41:00.004-06:00

Here's my little uptown cuties!! I found some really fun fabrics the other day and I'm tryin' them out... it's a fun way to livin' up the indoors these days with the yucky weather!! These were a couple of my favorites, gotta love those eyes!! This fabric with the scarf and necklace remind me of metro upscale New York stuff... toddler-sized!!! I love it :0) Hope you enjoy!!

p.s.- as soon as the weather is cooperative I WILL get these two little stinkers out in their GAP outfits I've been talking about for the past 2 months for the Xanderman's official 1 year shoot... just waitin' on the weather!!!! Don't know about everyone else but I am BEYOND ready for some nice sunny spring days!!!

There's no goin' back...

2008-03-06T00:27:00.006-06:00

my little man's WALKIN'!!!!!! He'd been taking steps here and there for quite a while and then, all of a sudden, about a week or so ago he just started walking all over the house!! Several of you may have already witnessed his new little mobile feature in all of it's wobbly cuteness and for those who haven't, here's a little preview!!!

On another note: Many of you know that our little man's been having lots of problems with ear infections for several months now... well I took him in to the ENT yesterday fulling expecting to make an appointment for tubes very soon seeing as he has not had a normal tempanogram(sp?) since he was 9 months old!! HOWEVER- when the nurse did the test this time everything looked great and he had absolutely NO FLUID in either ear!!!!!! So instead of making the appointment the Dr. said he wanted to wait about 3 months and re-check for fluid again because everything was looking so good right now, but if he gets another infection before then, all I have to do is call and they'll schedule the procedure. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against him getting tubes if he needs them, but if he is on the upswing then we'll count that as a blessing too! Either way I'm just ready for my little monkey man to be feeling better, ear infection free, and SLEEPING ALL NIGHT again!!!

I just turned 7!!!

2008-03-03T01:18:00.004-06:00

Yay ME! Lol... that's right, this year Mommy got to have a REAL birthday and it was the big #7!! Being a leap year baby definitely has it's perks... like the fact that I will NEVER get "old," WOO HOO, who wouldn't love that?! I must confess however that in my younger years, I absolutely hated that I didn't have a "real" birthday every year :0( And to top it off, my parents ALWAYS had to include a number candle proclaiming my "real" age on all my leap year birthday cakes... torture I tell you!! Obviously I managed to squeak by without too much damage ;0) Now my wiser more mature(ha) adult self LOVES my unique birthday, and all those memories of "torturous" birthdays past, I cherish... right down to those telling little number candles! They are a tradition, thanks mom and dad, I love it!!!

This was also the first "real" birthday I've had since our kiddos have come along... makes it even better having such good help!!

Thank you to all my wonderful awesome friends and family for making this another great and memorable "real" birthday!! I love you all and you are the BEST!!!!!!!

She is her Daddy's girl...

2008-02-28T16:34:00.004-06:00

She may look like me but the title says it all! She's all about doin' tough stuff and bein' "STWONG" like her Daddy as she would say!! And he's teaching her all about it, from MMA to paintball, and all in a princess dress- up, she's the girliest tomboy-to-be in town!! He's got her grounding and pounding, doing arm bars, and he's taught her all the names of the different types of paintball guns... and she really knows them!!! She brings me this bandanna and says "Mom it's time to get tough" LOL... what a riot!! Then she informs me that I must take her "piture!!" Umm, WHAT?! Who is this child requesting a photo session of herself, this child who usually runs screaming when the camera appears?! But hey, you don't have to tell me twice... this was her "Daddy's girl" smile...

And this is the "game face," I said "Show me your game face" and this is what I got, sooo tough huh?! She's such a goofy thing and wouldn't ya know that right after this she comes running back in wearing heels, a crown, and puttin' on her beloved makeups!! Love this lil' stinker!!

And you know I can't have the camera out and not get a few of my other lil' stinker! Doesn't he just look so cute and innocent?! But trust me I am not to be fooled! He may be a Momma's boy now(and forever one at heart I hope) but I"m no dummy, this little cutie is 100% boy, and more so everyday!!! The line's set and his Daddy's reelin' him in too, I absolutely love the way his eyes light up when he see's Kevin is home! And so begins the wrestling and pouncing and squeals of laughter!! Life is a JOY and God is SO good!!!

Boys and their Toys!!!

2008-02-26T01:37:00.005-06:00

I've realized lately that I've never really blogged about my wonderfully awesome hubster directly, ya know, instead of in addition to a story about our kiddos, which is good too... but still! I know many of you have probably peeked, at least once, at his "blog" in my sidebar over there----> But I thought it very fitting and well... fun to share what he and we were up to this weekend!! Yep that's right I said WE!!!!

As many of you know my hubby is very "into" paintball... ok so he's obsessed! Well this weekend their team, Jolly Green, played in a woodsball tournament!! Now before all of your minds start jumping to conclusions NO---- I did not participate in this adrenaline filled endeavor "per say" but instead I went along as the photog( hints all the pics!!) But can I just say there was quite a bit of adrenaline involved for me too!! This was the first time I had ever been and bringing my beloved camera along was a little SCARY!!! My constant prayer: Oh PLEASE don't shoot my camera!! But all went well and I really had a lot of fun and didn't even get shot!!! It was so neat to see him in his element and doing something he LOVES!! This ones him, all decked out in his garb!!

All the rest of these are some of the guys on his team.
See the orange-ish streak in the right side corner of this one... that's a paintball!!! Very cool!!!
I tried a couple of times to "freeze motion" but ummm yeah, there's a learning curve to that and let's just say I was a little slow on the uptake!

I'm lovin' this one of one of the ref's... I wonder who's game he was watchin"?...

It really was a neat experience and it gives me a whole new understanding and appreciation for this hobby that he loves so much!!! I've even told him I'd like to come back and do it again!! It's a whole new challenge for me and my next goal is to actually get some shots of them from more of a front end angle... not an easy task with the whole whizzing, flying paintballs scenario!! Still a very neat but different way I get to "share and participate" with him and have fun too!!! I love you honey... mud, paint spatter, bruises, and all ;0)

American Gladiators!!

2008-02-22T13:53:00.011-06:00

Huge fans of that show here!! The old show and the new, and I'm soooo excited that it's back!! Something I didn't know though...we have a couple of our very own lil' gladiators in the Osborn household!!! Check em' out!!

Her daddy's been doing push ups and other exercises lately and this is what I've been finding her doing throughout the house all day long!! She also gets out his exercise bands and does "workouts," it's all very cute but she does pretty good too... just look at that form!!
Ok so maybe form breaks a little on the way down, lol!!
And this little monkey LOVES to try to climb up big sister's slide bed... and he's getting pretty good too!! I have to keep socks on him all the time cuz barefooted he makes it up in a flash!! Well the other night I come in after their bath to find him getting pretty far up in his footed jammies...
He would climb and try sooooo hard, almost get to the very top,
then down he'd go.................

All the way back to the bottom in fits of giggles and squeals!! It kinda reminds me of the "travelator" at the end of the Eliminator coarse on the show!! Gets em' every time!!!
He does this over and over again, and much to my surprise, he never gets frustrated that he can't make it all the way up!! Well he hasn't gotten frustrated so far... we'll see how long that lasts!!

They've both been "doing" my turbo jam workouts with me in the a.m.'s too!! I love it and it's too cute!! He mainly dances and bobs and bounces around to the music but Alora does the punches and kicks too... very very fun!!! Great motivation for me to keep it up huh!!!

Melancholy moods...

2008-02-18T22:51:00.003-06:00

that's what some of her expressions make me think of. And it's safe to say she was less than thrilled to be mommy's "helper" for my last assignment, even with the promise of special treats! I did manage to get some that I really liked though, it's amazing what 2 gigs of pictures will get you!! There's sure to be a few "good" ones, right?! The first one's a new fave!! Enjoy!!

Just call him...

2008-02-14T13:53:00.009-06:00

Xannibal the cannibal!! Hehe, j/k, that's a little morbid! However this is his new "thing". He loves crawling around the house with only the heads of these little toy people in his mouth!! Nanna and Pappa saved a bunch of toys from when the boys were little and now Alora and Xander get to play with them, kinda cool huh?, anyway if you can tell this little green man is from that era! I like to think of them as the first "little people" and he absolutely LOVES them as long as he can put their heads in his mouth! He thinks it is sooooo funny too and therefore we all think it's hilarious... and maybe a tad strange, but hey whatever keeps em' happy right!

Here is another of his little "snacks," I especially love the page boy hair cut and the transportation!! Takes you back doesn't it... ah, those were the days!!!

Hope everyone's having a very happy valentine's day!!! I know this is not a valentiney(new word??) post but I was a very bad mommy this year and didn't get around to taking Valentine pics... so Happy Valentine's Day anyway!!!!

A little bit of random...

2008-02-12T01:23:00.001-06:00

So our household has basically recovered from all the "sick bugs" as Alora would say... that is for this round anyway, we shall see what the wonderful Oklahoma weather shall do in the coming days. Greatfully, however, we are all back to "normal" which means there is never a dull moment around here, as you can tell in the photo below :0) She asked me to come help her with the zipper and this is what I found... she's wearing my coat and her brothers new hat and gloves and was an "ekimo", what a combo!! She sure looks warm though!!! Cracks me up the things she will "dress up" in :0)

As for this little man, we are still battling the ear infections and now have to go visit the ENT(ear, nose & throat) Doc. This is actually very relieving to me as I'm hoping this will provide an end to this never ending string of ear troubles he's having... so please keep our little Xanderman in your prayers as we move into this next phase!

I thought this was too cute... he was very sneaky!!!
Here he's found his sisters "stash"... she absolutely loves M&M minis, they must be minis, b/c they fit perfectly in her new mini tea set...

Well her curious little sidekick has discovered that he too loves these delectable little chocolate treats and on this day she left them unattended...
So while she sat unknowingly watching one of her beloved Disney movies, lil' bro. was chowin' down... by the fist full!!! I did manage to swipe a few to put back into the tea pot( go momma!!) and miss Alora was never the wiser ;0)

Hope everyone's having a great week and all are feeling well and staying warm!!!

Hoppin' on the bandwagon...

2008-02-06T15:15:00.000-06:00

of BIGGER is BETTER!!! Yay me and thank you Katie!!! I've been wanting to do this for quite some time now but never had enough time to sit down and play, but today, praise the Lord for naptime, I had some time after my super cool photography class I'm taking online...SO COOL!!! So I thought I'd give it a shot and VUA-LA(sp?) anyway... it worked!! woot hoo!!!!!

So here's my baby man in near life sized glory!! I love it :0)

Fingers crossed and praying out loud... we WILL be attending church tonight!! I've got to get OUT of this house! If some of you have noticed, we've been near hermits lately due to the fact that all the sicknesses going around landed on my door step and we each apparently wallered
in it...a lot!! Sooooo... several dr. appts. later, a few antibiotics, and some breathing treatments and steriods ( good grief), we are somewhat rejoining the land of the living :0) Here's to hope, health, and happiness... maybe we'll see you tonight!!!!

Surprise?!

2008-02-04T23:57:00.000-06:00

Just a quick update on my little fridge raider... so the inevitable egg catastrophe that was just around the corner, yeah I found it tonight while I was cleaning out my refrigerator!! I do have to say that I am relieved b/c it wasn't near as bad as it could have been. They didn't actually "break" but instead kind of cracked and peeled?? Weird but OK I'll take it! I did however clean out the container and the eggs now have a new home on the TOP shelf of the fridge... he will be shocked and appalled upon his next visit but I'm sure we'll get through!!

Here's another from a recent raid, I love the "I'm caught" look he's sporting!!

Refrigerator Raiders!!

2008-02-02T13:26:00.001-06:00

This little turkey has learned a new trick!! He loves to "play" in the fridge and he's figured out that if he beats on the door his big sister in shining armor will come and open it for him :0)

His specific "toy" of choice inside his chilly playground... the eggs!!! Yikes!! He has yet to drop one but I'm sure it's just a matter of time, that should be a nice cause and effect experience huh!!

And this... is what happens when mean ol' mommy comes and shuts the door on his wonderland :0( If he only knew how cute I think that little face is, he'd probably be even more hacked off at me!!

Flu bugs -n- Snow Flakes!!

2008-01-31T11:11:00.000-06:00

And a serious case of the BLAHs has been our household for the past couple of days!! Just like lots of your families and so many others, we've been slammed with some nasty flu bugs... all four of us, yay! It all began Monday, right after the Xanderman's 1 yr. check up, were he of coarse got his shots :0(
Then we got home and here it came, stomach yucks and fevers... poor things.

The usual rhetoric for our home, "shhhhh"- "inside voice"- "stop yelling"- "not soooo loud"- ya know all that normal 3 yr old stuff, has been in short order these days as this has been her only activity :0( It makes me so sad when they are sick like this, you can just see the misery in her eyes...
Thankfully however, today is looking up!! The Xandermans almost 100% again, I'd say about 95% and climbing and Alora's just about there too. She did perk up quite a bit this morning at the mention and sight of this... It's snowing!!! Now all she wants to do is go play in it... much to her dismay though the snow angels will have to wait for a fully recovered little stinker to play!! Oh yeah- the whole "this household contains a 3 yr old" rhetoric- "shhhh," "inside voice," etc. it's back today and in full swing as of 2:00. And thankful for it am I, oh sweet joy, my babies are getting better!!

p.s.- I just overheard this... "I'm hungry Xanda man, wanna eat sumping?" YAY!!!!!!!!!

My little big man!!!

2008-01-28T16:23:00.000-06:00

He just turned ONE!! These are just a few pics from his Superman party we had on Saturday!! We had a great time celebrating this little cutie and his first year with all our family and friends!!

These are his cakes, SUPER cute huh?!!! They were made for us as a gift by a lady we go to church with and I LOVE how they turned out, YAY!!!!

Notice the white shirt he is wearing, well this little stinker is such a tidy fella that it remained white, without a speck of icing or cake on it, through the entire cake eating process!! He really doesn't like to be messy... who woulda thunk?!

Couldn't resist posting a few pics of the afternoon entertainment!! Above are Kylie and Pappa posing as the "Man of Steel" himself and looking quite the part!! And below... well, they just speak for themselves right?! Gotta love your girlfriends :0)

Thanks to everyone for helping make the Xanderman's 1st b-day a memorable one, we had a blast!!!

We love you little man :0)

Ummmmm... she sure is quite

2008-01-28T14:15:00.000-06:00

was my sudden thought after not hearing her playing for a while. So I get up from the computer and remember she'd made a "gate" on the other side of our bed so I look there first and this is what I found!! She must have worn herself out in the building process!! So sweet :0)

Pirates N' Popcorn

2008-01-25T17:48:00.001-06:00

So a couple of weeks ago we decided it was about time for Alora to go see her first movie on the big screen!! (GASP!! Say some of you, "She's never been to a movie?!?") I know, bad me :0( I just kept putting it off thinking maybe just a little while longer... well the time had arrived and she did GREAT!!! We went to see the new Veggie Tales: The Pirates that don't do Anything, very cute movie!! She also thinks it's a continuation of the Jonah movie :0)
Buying the tickets with Nanna...

Showing off her loot... gotta have the popcorn, that was her only requirement for this adventure!!

She did really well during the whole thing. We sat towards the front, which she LOVED because the screen was ginormous!! AND we were about the only ones on that row so she could stand up and not bother anyone, which was a +!!! Not a bad experience at all and I was very proud of her!! Can't wait for the next one!!! I'm hoping we can catch Enchanted b-4 it moves on... we'll see!!

"Mobacycle" Momma!!

2008-01-22T21:11:00.001-06:00

Go Baby Go!! This is one of Alora's Christmas presents and as you can tell... she's really embracing the whole biker persona as no one instructed her to lean forward like that!! She also tends to be a little wild and she WILL run you over without warning :0)
And can you guess what her favorite speed to drive it in is?????? TURBO of coarse, I'm tellin' you the girl has No Fear!! I love the "wind wippin' thru her hair" in this one.

Driving off into the sunset...

Hotssss!

2008-01-19T00:24:00.000-06:00

He's learning so many new "words" right now, well actually it's more like mimicking, but still so very cute!! One of his newest is the word "HOT" only he says "hotsss". This came about one evening when I was making biscuits and he pulled himself up to the oven glass and I said "No no Xander, that's hot." So then he would barely touch the glass, pull away and say "hotssss", he also does the same thing to the TV?? cute.cute.cute. :0)

This is his "I'm coming to get that camera" look, he's totally enamored with my camera and gets VERY upset when I won't let him play with all the buttons, makes for fun picture taking attempts :0)

Here's to a great 2008!!

2008-01-18T15:03:00.001-06:00

So I thought with the new year being in full swing I'd share some of my goals for this year. I don't usually do this, I'm not a very good "goal setter", but hey it always helps to write em' down right? And then there's that whole, out in the open, internet, everyone can see, very exposed aspect too. Sooooo here goes!

1. Take more pictures... LOTS and LOTS of them!!

2. Shoot better IN camera~ less post processing

3. Just like my SIL~ Embrace my laundry, instead of allowing it to bury me and my bedroom!!

4. Blog, blog, and blog some more

5. Launch my photog website

6. Read more often

7. Stick with my Turbo Jam regiment

8. Put some stuff(pics maybe??) up on these bare walls in my house!!

9. Go outside often

10. Laugh, on purpose, Everyday!!

11. Get ORGANIZED!!!

Well there they are... nothing profound but goals none the less :0)

Xanderman!!

2008-01-18T13:48:00.001-06:00

Well it's almost here... my little man's going to be ONE whole year, and all too soon :oP It really is much harder to grasp this with him than it was with Alora. When she turned one, I couldn't believe it in some ways but others I could. With mr. Xander it just doesn't seem like that much time has passed, even though I can remember thinking to myself when he was just a few weeks old, "slow down and take it all in, remember all this and cherish it because he'll be one before you know it," I still find my self wondering how we got here soooo quickly!!

These are just a few from the "b.day invitation" shoot I did with him, I just can't get enough of his cheesy little grin. Wanna know what brings it out?? Me setting him down then when he starts to move I squeal really loud NOOOOOOOOOOO, and he proceeds to giggle and snort... you just never know huh?!

These are actually from round 2 with the cake and let me tell you, the first ones were very cute too! Buuuuttt, I didn't check my settings before I started snapping away( bad photographer... no.no.) and DARK was an understatement. So hey, we'll just do it again, who wouldn't love digging into a cakie mess twice? Well... he wouldn't!! Round 2 was actually better tho and he didn't scream the ENTIRE time, but he wouldn't move either. The second he realized he had icing on him anywhere he wouldn't move in inch. Oh it's rough to be a baby hmmm :0)
Just thought I'd share my newest fave lately... piggies & paws!! These are sooo cute, I love them. I had this one "custom" made just for his b.day so I didn't really know what to expect and YAY, I absolutely adore it!!! My fave thing about it, other than everything ;0), is the hair!!!

So, this recent stroll down memory lane and Katie's inspiration in the blog department have prompted me to muster up another goal for 2008, and that is to POST, POST, POST, to this blog. Not just the pics but to write more about what my little munchkins and this crazy household are up too. That way when I create my Blurb book there will actually be some CONTENT to it!!! Then when my mommy brain has kicked in and I can't remember what I was just doing, let alone what they did in months/years passed, I'll be able to read it all over again!!! Sooooo, here's to bloggin' and postin' and pics and all the silly fun that kiddos and family bring!!

Sneak Peekers ;0)

2008-01-09T23:17:00.001-06:00

This ones for you Darlene :0) Can't give it all away but these are a couple from a family(that most of you will recognize) shoot I did recently but haven't finished yet and am feeling way terrible about taking so long so I'm giving her a peek!! whew...

So much fun and I loved the whole coat-n-color scheme they had going on!! They were up for whatever too so they let me drag them all over the place, YAY!!!!! A photog's dream might I add!! More to come and VERY soon too, I promise, until then...

UPDATE: As promised all the pics of this wonderful family that I love are d.o.n.e. and can be seen on My Flickr--> in the sidebar, so go check em' out!!

Little St. Nick...

2008-01-04T15:36:00.001-06:00

is 11 months young!! WOW!! And look at all those teeth that have decided to make themselves known all at the same time!! Joy :0) I do, however, still LOVE this goofy little grin!! What fun he is these days too. He's standing on his own for longer periods of time with looks of determination and thoughtfulness as he contemplates taking a step, but alas thus far he resolves to plopping down on his rump and crawling ,which he does very efficiently and F.A.S.T.!! His favorite past time right now is playing in big sisters room and following her everywhere she goes and she is his biggest fan also! We'll see how long that lasts ;0)

His first Christmas was a fun one too. It took him a little bit but he did get into ripping open some of his presents, between his and Alora's new stuff we will now need a bigger house!! I have lots of pics to post of our Christmas adventures that will be coming soon, these are just a few from his 11 mos. shoot that I was able to play around with a bit!! Love em'

Here comes Santa Clause!!

2007-12-21T12:49:00.001-06:00

After much procrastination, I finally took Xander to get a pic with Santa since this is his first Christmas!! He actually did really well and didn't seem to mind that he was sitting on a strangers lap :0) I bought a package so I could take a picture with my camera too, you know... just in case! But the one I bought wasn't half bad either, however this is one I caught with my camera and there's just something about it that I love. Even though nither subject is wearing a great expression it is still my favorite, can't explain it but that's how it goes!! For those of you who may be wondering..."where's Alora" well she did NOT want to have anything to do with this excursion so I chose to skip the drama this year and just get one with the Xanderman and Santa!

Well I hope everyone has a great Christmas, a wonderful time with family, and makes lots and lots of memories to cherish!! Merry Christmas and stay safe everyone!!

Brrrr...

2007-12-12T18:19:00.001-06:00

it's cold out here and winter is definitely in the atmosphere!! But despite the blustery weather, my new hobby... get a family pic in the beautiful scenery it provides!! Luckily we did this Sunday before everything fell down :0( And WOW, what a change it has made to the horizon in Owasso, it is so strange and sad to see so many trees and things in shambles.

These are a few from Ron and MJ's, where we stayed for the night when our power went out, thankfully it was only out for about 12 hours and that was thru the night so we were sleeping!! I know some of you and others are still dealing with that :o( Praise the Lord for family, friends and fireplaces...
Boomer Sooner Baby, even in the freezin' cold!!

This one kinda brings new meaning to "Disney on Ice" but Mickey's holdin' his own!

We also drove around in the neighborhood right next to ours, they have lots of very large trees that we loved to look at and dream of having one day in our own yard, to check out the damage and Oh my! I don't think there is a single tree unaffected :0(

Not even our little tree's could handle the pressure, Kevin did go out and beat all the ice off after this and it bounced right back and probably saved losing a few more branches too!!

Oh a winter in Oklahoma... gotta love the seasons right, wasn't it pretty close to 70 something just last week?!