My Heart Is Always With You....

When my shy little girl started school a few weeks ago she was quite nervous about it. She kept telling me that she would miss her family during the day and that she, "just wanted to be with us!"

To help ease her worries on the first day of school I talked to her quite a bit about how it doesn't matter where she is or who she is with...my heart is always with her. To drive this point home I drew a heart in the palm of her hand and told her that any time during the day that she felt uneasy she could look in her palm and know that Mommy was thinking of her.

I can NOT tell you how much this little gesture helped. Eva loved the heart in her hand and seemed to relax a bit knowing that she could look at it any time she wanted.

Just an idea to share should any of you need something to help your little ones feel more at peace when they are away from you!

It's Raining....It's Pouring....My little ones are NOT snoring...

For the love of boys.....

Our little man may be one of the easiest going little guys I know (except for when he is getting his 2 year molars - but that is a whole different story)....anyway...he's extremely laid back. Which is good, because 9 times out of 10 he is surrounded by little girls.

But that is not a bad thing.

He is man enough that he can play with Barbies and have a good time. He's even been known to sport some nailpolish, lipgloss, or some powdery fresh lotion that little girls have lavished on him. Not a problem...he's down with that.

But I've also noticed how Jaden loves trucks, and making airplanes fly, and anything to do with trains. He loves all things boy....and relishes it when he actually gets to spend time with a buddy....

Our neighbors have a little boy named Brecken that is that exact same age as Jaden. Together they have formed a pretty special friendship. Not only are they both boys, but they are also the 2 youngest children in our little corner of the neighborhood. It's safe to say they've realized pretty quickly they better stick together.

Jaden loooooves to play with Brecken...he loves doing "boy" things with Brecken....crashing trucks, playing with the dog, making a mess in the sandbox....


But what I find most endearing is that at the tender age of two both are still pretty affectionate with each other. They hug in excitement when they see eachother, and they will hold hands when they are walking down the street.

As much as I love it I am perfectly aware that the hand holding and hugging won't be around for too long....but I hope the friendship is.

"Between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood, we find a delightful creature of a BOY!"

--Unknown

The above photo is Jaden and Brecken this past week.

Just a few Randoms....

I was tagged by Courtney over at The Kirkland Family to list a few random facts about myself. As a girl who loves allllll things random about anything and anyone I, of course, got giddy with excitement at playing along. Let me first start by saying I did this once before and if you have more time on your hands today than you know what to do with feel free to read my last post about this here.

Now on to new random information. Sometimes I find it funny how long it takes me to come up with random facts about myself...it shouldn't be so difficult! Anyhoooo...fasten your seatbelts my friends, it may be a bumpy ride...

1. I love most bugs and don't mind them crawling on me....even bees don't bother me. However, spiders and maggots are officially on my "I-won't-think-twice-before-killing-you" list.

2. One of my biggest pet peeves is when the people that create the signs outside of a business misspell things or put the letters backwards. I mean seriously....don't you stand back and look at it once you are done and notice the the the word "sale" is spelled "sail"??!!!!

3. Besides being home to raise my children, one of my favorite things about not teaching is that I can enjoy a glass of wine in public or wear a low cut shirt on a date with my husband and not worry about running into a student (or parent) and the eyebrow raising that soon followed. Ahh, the small things.

3. In our house we refer to poop as "dookie"....we just think it sounds nicer.

4. I currently have a slight infatuation with the comedian Dane Cook. I watched him one night on TV and was hooked. I know, he is a little vulgar...but I laughed so hard my stomach hurt (which is one of my very favorite things in the whole world). Now when he happens to be on and my husband asks what I am doing on that particular night my response is, "I have a date with Dane."

5. I don't like long fingernails....too much work. My nails are always clipped neat, clean, and short. On that same note, another pet peeve is dirty fingernails.....all I can say is Ewwwwww!

6. I know this one is no shocker but, during the last 6 months, I've realized just how "at home" I feel behind the lens of a camera. I have always loved photography...but never realized I would take it this far. That is the fun of life...you never know what twists and turns are around the bend and where your heart my lead you.

7. I'm often asked where I get my quotes for my blog....the answer is many different places. I have always loved quotes and have a file folder full of my favorites. I also have books of quotes I use. I use the Bible, as well as the Internet.


8. I contemplated making my blog "private" once Eva started school, but actually my husband encouraged me not to!

9. On days when the little ones are being extremely uncooperative/grouchy/needy I've been known to shut myself in my closet to have a quick phone conversation because I can't hear the person on the other end over their grumpiness. Probably not my best parenting...but it's reality.

10. I've been contemplating another giveaway....any ideas?

Thanks Courtney....I tag anyone interested in doing this!

Lots of Learnin' to do....

Since I've got my new camera I've enjoyed two photography lessons from my great teacher, Justin (thanks Justin!)!! I can NOT tell you how much I've learned and how excited I am about it. It's as if everything I've learned is finally starting to all come together....the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fit! I get soooo excited when I learn something new and I actually get it! Now, I will be the first to tell you that when I say I still have a LOT to learn I mean it...in every single sense of the word. I've decided I could study photography until I'm old and gray and still not know/understand everything about it....but learning is soooo much fun!

My lesson today focused on editing my pictures. Justin has taught me to edit on both Photoshop and Lightroom...but honestly, right now I prefer Lightroom. He also explained to me that photography is art, and in editing a photo it is all in the eye of the artist. The way that he edits or alters a photo may be completely different than the way I would alter or edit it. We discussed making a photo '"pop" as he calls it, as well as giving a photo a completely different look (such as black and white or antiqued). I learned so much, was soooo completely grateful, and rushed home to put it to use. Again, I am not by any means perfect at this...but I thought I would give you an idea of what editing a photo can do to it.

Eva Unedited

Eva edited

Do you see the difference? Do you see how the photo no longer looks "flat" and she seems to "pop" more than in the first photo. Also, notice the little spot on Eva's face between her eye and her ear? Now look at the edited one - it's gone! I'm telling you, for some of you this may be boring stuff...but I am just soaking it in like a sponge and loving it!!! Here are a few more pics I edited just for the fun of it!!!

I wanted this photo to have a "harder" look where the colors are really, really vibrant. It's much harsher than I would do on other photos...but on this one I liked it.

I wanted this photo to look aged and antiqued. I'm not completely content with this one yet...still working on getting the contrast correct, but I thought I would share it anyway! As I said, I'm still learning!

"Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all of your life."

--Helen Doherty

Just had to share...

I took this picture this morning of my little girl....and instantly fell in love with it.

Some like it HOT!!!

I am a girl that likes to "kick it up a notch" as Emeril would say...in other words, if I can add some spice to my cooking I normally do. Even foods that are suppose to be more bland (like baked potatoes) I find much better with a good dose of hot sauce dumped on top to spice it up a bit. At Mexican restaurants I've been known to embarrass people I am with because of the mass amounts of salsa I consume. It really is a little ridiculous but I just loooooove spicy food.

Matt likes spicy food a lot (he didn't use to but I've rubbed off on him a bit), although he doesn't enjoy it to the extent that I do. Eva does not like anything spicy.

Then Jaden was born....

When I tell you that this boy loves all things spicy I am not kidding!! At Mexican restaurants he will go through his own bowl of salsa. When he has a cracker he wants hot sauce for it (he actually asks for it). And that taco he is eating in the picture? Well, that is not only taco meat, but also a combination of spicy sausage, hot banana peppers, and fresh jalapenos!!!

And he asked for seconds!!

Matt and I just laugh....but we know he gets it honestly! He is a boy after my own heart when it comes to all things spicy and I can't get enough of it!!

Not for the faint at heart...

This post is for all of you that may think my blog is pretty sugary sweet. For those that think the Blissfully Happy Housewife usually ends her blog posts with happy endings and everything always comes up rosy....

This post is NOT for the faint at heart...brace yourself my friends.

A few days ago we were playing outside and I came inside to get something. When I came in Eva followed me carrying a little white worm. She was excited about her new friend, and I took some time looking at it too. I ultimately told her that our little worm friend needed to stay outside though (looking back I can NOT tell you how glad I am I did that)!

Now, I would also like to point out that I can assure you I didn't make her wash her hands after this little encounter. We were playing outside and quite honestly we always seem to find bugs and such. In my opinion, it's just all part of the fun of summer.

So Anyway, the worm went outside.

The next morning I had to take something out to the trash bin in the garage. I opened it up and stuff was dripping from the top of it. I thought, "What in the world leaked?!" and then I looked closer.

They were MAGGOTS.

Yes, you read that correctly. And they were EVERYWHERE.

I have NEVER in my life seen one maggot....let alone a whole flippin' colony of them. Naturally, I did what any girly girl like myself would do.....screamed, dropped the lid, and ran inside to take a shower. I was completely grossed out.

But the kicker was that Matt wasn't home at the time. I had to be the one to take care of those....those....those....MAGGOTS!!!! I mean seriously, is there even a worse word I could call them?! The word MAGGOTS sounds like word vomit anyway!

So I took a deep breath, put my big girl panties on, and dealt with it.

I quarentined the kiddies to one end of the yard/garage and I went to town on the area with the trash can. I sprayed....I scrubbed....I sanitized....I honestly nearly threw up more than once. Not only were there a ton of them, but in some cases they were curled all around eachother the way snakes do when they mate. It. was. Disgusting.

As I was cleaning my mind drifted back to Eva's little white worm friend. I immediately asked her where she had found her friend at. She told me the garage. Oh yes, I'm the mother that sat there and admired my daughter's little MAGGOT friend that she was holding in her hand, talking to, and playing with!!!! How disgusting is THAT??!!!!!

I still have no idea what caused them, as they were NOT there a week ago. Obviously something must have been tossed in the trash and not put in a plastic bag where somehow flies got to it. I can assure you that we are clean people....I promise.

I can also assure you that I may never eat white rice again. Ever.

Impromptu Block Parties are the BEST!

Sometimes the best "parties" are the kind that take absolutely no planning at all....the kind that just "happen". In our little corner of our neighborhood we are quite skilled at this....let me explain.

We have great neighbors and every so often when we are all standing outside watching our road warriors...I mean children...play together the subject of dinner comes up. Sometimes we get dinner ideas from each other, share recipes, etc. Other times we find that not ONE of us really has an idea in mind for dinner....and that is where the beginning of our "party" begins....

As we talk we realize that one family has some brats....and another has some pasta salad....and another can round up some chips and salsa....

And then of course there are the gardens.....

Before we know it we have rounded up enough food between all of our homes to feed everyone!

Tonight we enjoyed one of these impromptu cook-outs. It's so nice to spend time together just laughing and sharing. Everyone is welcome and the more the merrier. The children play...the adults enjoy a few cold ones...and everyone makes themselves at home...

Tonight I noticed that it is starting to get dark out earlier....a few citronella candles and the pool light gave us the perfect amount of illumination! It was so fun to watch the kiddies running around in the evening light catching fireflies and curling up on lounge chairs to have bedtime stories read to them.

As I said earlier, we are so lucky to live next to such special friends. As the evening wore down I felt we were just soaking in all we could of the warm summer evening. We know our summer nights are limited and we are enjoying it to the fullest. Ahhhhhhh.......

"Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbors noisy party than being there!"

--Franklin P. Jones

They're Baaaaaack....

We have enjoyed our hummingbirds again this year! Last year I posted about how I put the feeder right up by the window, unsure if the hummingbirds would be too timid to come or not.

Well, they weren't....and this year they are back again!

It amazes me how small they are and quite honestly how bold they are. One time this summer Eva had her face right up by the window watching them and a hummingbird came right up to the glass and fluttered in front of her face for a moment. It was amazing! Our little birds have most definitely become our family friends.

Another favorite of mine regarding our hummingbirds?

Jaden thinks they are ducks. Yes, you read that correctly. He consistently refers to them as ducks. He often informs me that the, "Quack Quacks are drinkin' their juice!!!"

It cracks me up every time!

Now let's talk for just a moment about my new baby (a.k.a. camera) shall we? Can I just tell you how absolutely amazed I was at the ability to up my shutter speed enough to actually STOP the wings of the hummingbird? I mean, have you ever SEEN how fast hummingbird wings move? Yes, I was impressed to say the least.

Another thing has been happening around our home since my new camera arrived....the "photobug" has hit my daughter. Eva has a Fisher Price digital camera that actually takes real images. She has carried it around with her for days, moving it around at different angles to get pictures. Informing me that she "needs to get just one more shot of this" when I seem to be rushing her in her photography endeavors. She actually sat with me for quite awhile to get the shot of the hummingbird above. She had her camera ready....and I had mine. Two little budding photographers hoping to grab a great image of a little bird in flight....I have to tell you it makes this mama beam!

And while we are on the subject of photography...

I had intended that after I got this camera I was going to upload all of my images to Photoshop and edit them before posting them to my blog. I wanted my blog to have a more "professional" look to it...even considered having it redesigned into a photography blog. Unfortunately, I am not able to upload my images to Photoshop right now. Not sure what is wrong...but don't loose any sleep over it my friends (wink-wink). I have a photography class scheduled for Monday and I'm hoping it can all be worked out then!

And guess who is joining me for the class? My little Eva. I'm sure she'll be toting along her little Fisher Price camera and soaking in some good info too! Love her!

A Letter to Eva's Teacher on the First Day....

To A Very Special Teacher,

You have her now....our daughter.

She looks a little neater than she may on other days. She normally prefers shorts to dresses, and her hair may not be done quite as perfectly. But today is different. Today is the first day of school...a special day.

My daughter has waited all summer to meet you as, I must confess, have I. For yours is a great profession charged with a great responsibility...the mind of a child. And we want to thank you, her father and I, for caring.

Although she does not recognize the fact yet, my daughter will know that you draw from your past experiences and your education for the purpose of teaching her. She has a young child's innate ability for sensing the truth, and for this reason she has great trust in you.

When she returns home this afternoon she will speak of no one but you. Because of her shyness she will go to great lengths to keep this from you, but she admires you greatly.

We, her family, will find a new place in her education. For years we have been her soul educators, but it is to you now that she will often take her questions. Opinions that her father and I have may quickly be disputed with, "But my teacher said!!"

I ask that you do not become discouraged. Do not let the thoughtlessness of some, nor the trivialities of the day deter you.

For my daughter I ask that you, by your example, keep alive her desire for knowledge. Tell her each day of God's love so that she may that that which is truly most important.

We will be continuously praying for you and your class...and we appreciate you so very much.

Sincerely,

Eva's Mommy

Note: Eva had a wonderful first day of school! We are so excited for her!

A Special Time Approaches...

My baby girl starts preschool tomorrow. I can't believe it. We've talked about it all summer....discussed all of the fun things she is going to do....all the amazing things she is going to learn....we've talked about it all.

But I never thought it would sneak up on us this quickly.

On the outside I am as happy as a clam....I want Eva to feel my excitement and to know how special this is.

But inside I am torn up. I love having my little ones home, and this is quite honestly an end to a very special chapter of our lives. But deep in my soul I know that more beautiful chapters await us....and I know that even though my shy little Eva is hesitant about going to school she is going to love it.

The part she is most excited about? Her backpack. She picked out the color and we had in embroidered with her name. We've bought all of her school supplies and she has already loaded it all up...

We've already picked out a very special dress for the first day and it's hanging on the door of her closet ready to go. Today we had the special honor of visiting her classroom and meeting her teacher.

As I said, this is a big step (for both of us)...but I know it's going to be the start of something beautiful.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

--William Butler Yeats

Helllllooooo Love-ah!!!!

My new baby is here....finally. I honestly can't contain my excitement! Isn't she beautiful?!!


After an extremely busy weekend I finally sat down last night...just me and my baby...and started to experiment. There is so much this camera can do. There is so much it is capable of. I am awestruck.

Just the mere size of it is impressive. She's a big girl.

As I look at the various controls my mind snaps back to photography lessons I've had where I have learned about these controls and how they affect my photographs. At the time the camera I had was not capable of allowing me to utilize all I had learned.

This is different. This is a whole new ballgame.

I've decided it's time to get serious. I need to learn as much about this camera as I can....I need to soak it all in like a sponge. I want the use of this camera to become second nature to me....an extension of me.

That is going to take time, patience, and practice.

But I am soooooo excited.

(just a little peak at some of the flowers in my backyard...taken this afternoon with my new baby)!

Family Reunion

Matt and I were honored to host his family reunion at our home this weekend. We enjoyed the time spent with family - talking, swimming, playing games, and eating!

The...er..."older generation"....oh boy, I'm gonna get some slack for that comment! Ha!

The youngest generation! I love watching children just instantly bond, even if they have never met. It's as if they are bonded by the fact that they are all kids, and quite literally "all in this together!"

Our little guy ran smack dab into the corner of a shelving unit right before everyone arrived. The amount of blood running down his head led me to think a trip to the ER was in order...but after I got him calmed down and cleaned up he seemed just fine!

We look forward to hosting this special event next year!

Parade Fun!

I've posted before about our neighborhood "warriors"...err, I mean kids....in their little battery powered Jeeps. Our little ones, along with their friends, rule the road at a raging 2 miles per hour (if that)!!!

A little town close to us was having a kiddie parade this past weekend and we decided that the "road warriors" needed to strut their stuff in the parade! What a HOOT! The theme was "patriotic" so we decided to decorate the kiddies Jeeps in red, white, and blue. On the front we put a large sign that said, "WE ARE AMERICA'S FUTURE" and then let each of them dress up as something they would like to be when they grow up! It was so much fun to see what they decided they wanted to be. The only little glitch was convincing one little girl that she probably couldn't be Ariel from The Little Mermaid when she grows up (she later decided on Miss America). I love it!

Enjoy a few pictures....

Although we dealt with a little rain, we didn't let it stop us....and in the end the kiddies took first place! One of the parts that I loved the most was that the children could have cared less that they won! In fact, I'm not even sure they understood that they did win when their names were called.....alllllll that mattered was that they were in their Jeeps with their best buddies in the neighborhood and they were having a great time.

And in the end...that really is all that matters.

I DID IT!!!!

Well....it's official.

I officially ordered my new camera this morning and I can't even BEGIN to tell you how excited I am about it.

On top of that I even went ahead and took the plunge. I decided not to get the D60 (as originally intended) or even the D5000...but instead to get my dream camera....the Nikon D90.

Yes, my friends I could literally pee my pants right now.

I want to walk down the road and tell everyone that I meet about my recent purchase....I don't even care if I know them or not. I just want to talk about. I want to talk about how amazing it is....all the cool stuff I can do with it....just how pretty it is.....

Sooo......Friday is D-Day. The arrival of my newest little bundle of love.

Stay tuned.....

Side note: Thanks to my awesome husband for always standing behind me and believing in my dreams. YOU ROCK!

Windy City Weekend

Last weekend we enjoyed some quality time in the Windy City! We all had such a fun time and as we were leaving were already talking about what we want to do the next time we go! Matt and I love Chicago and we are so glad that Eva and Jaden think it's as much fun as we do!

Enjoy a few...well...alright...a LOT of snapshots of our weekend...

We spent an afternoon at Navy Pier and enjoyed a Skyline boat tour!

The rides are always a good time!
A little time was spent admiring Lake Michigan.

Eva and Jaden were in awe of how TALL the buildings are...

So we traveled to the top for a "birds eye" view!

At the John Hancock building they give each person a headset that gives you a "tour" of the all of the sights you can see from the top...Eva loved it!

The view was breathtaking! I loved looking at the shadows of the buildings cast out on the lake.

We also spent some time shopping...of course! Jaden thought these big football players at Niketown were pretty cool!

Of course NO trip to Chi-town would be complete without a trip to my absolute favorite gourmet chocolate shop....

Sorry about the horrible pictures...I honestly think my hands must have been shaking I was so excited! Ha!! I've actually done an entire blog post on this place - I love it that much! This was Eva and Jaden's first trip to Vosges...I figured I'm starting them young! I figured Jaden's future girlfriends/wife will thank me that he knows about this little gem! Ha!

Of course no trip to Chicago would be complete without some good eats! Grand Luxe is one of our favorites!

Our weekend - in my opinion - was perfect. A combination of my favorite people, an amazing city, great food, and a lot of laughs!