Brrrr....

This little guy has finally taken to the snow! I say finally because this is the first year he has actually enjoyed it. It's the first year he hasn't screamed his cute little head off every single time we bundled him up and took him outside to play. It's the first year he actually gets how cool it is to run around, make snowangels, build snowmen, go sledding, and just plain enjoy it!

This is also the first year that this Mama has had to get use to the idea that sometimes winter's calling comes bright and early. Yes...these pictures were taken at 8:00 in the morning! I've learned that sometimes the call of fresh snow outside just can't wait for a 2 year old and a 5 year old!

"Snowflakes are kisses from Heaven"

--Unknown

Indoor Fun....

It's always good to find things to occupy the cold winter months. My mom got Eva these noodles for part of of her Christmas gift this year and they have provided a LOT of entertainment for us!

You just wet the noodle (which feels like a packing peanut) on a damp sponge, like Jaden is doing above, and then it will stick to another noodle. When you are done with your creating you can just toss everything away (since they are biodegradable it says on the box that you can put them under water and they will "melt"....after experience I would just toss them).

If interested in purchasing this fun craft project for yourself you can find them at Hobby Lobby and I think also at Target (seeee....another reason to loooooove that store)!

Winter Fun for Everyone!

Fun Spring Photo Opportunity for YOU!

I am planning a FUN spring photo opportunity this March - photos of your little ones with REAL bunnies!! Yep, I said REAL ones.

Seriously....think about how cute would your little ones would be dressed in their Easter outfits holding real-live-honest-to-goodness bunnies! I am sooo excited to get pics of my OWN little ones with them...it will make a special Easter decoration to set out every year!

Would you like to join me for your own photo session?

It's going to be a great time, but spaces are very limited my friends....if interested in having a session please contact me via the e-mail address on the side of my blog as soon as possible.

Until then...I'm thinking WARM spring thoughts....

Hugs,
Jamie

Quote of the Week....

I forgot to mention in my last post something Jaden said to me during our Valentine's Day celebration. As the kiddies and I were preparing for Matt to get home I got both of the kiddies dressed up, and then I got dressed up myself. I have a tendancy to like to play around with eye make-up a bit and I decided that night to do my eye make-up kind of dark (basically just a smoky-eyed look). I finished my make-up and walked into Jaden's room. The little guy took one look at me and asked point blank,

"Why are you dressed up like a monster?!!!!"

lovely.

Catchin' Up...

I have quite a few things I need to catch up on regarding my blogging so I thought I would just do it all in one big post. Grab a cup of coffee my friends and buckle your seatbelts for some SERIOUS catching up - ha!!!.....

1. My computer is just about dead. I am in the process of backing up all of my files as I type this. If you are wondering why I haven't posted this week it is because I took it into the computer hospital a few days ago for a diagnosis. When they called me to tell me the scoop the guy describing it to me was kind of laughing....it's bad. Not only is it missing keys, it has some viruses, it needs a new hardrive, and there is pretty much no more space left on it. To put it simply....Mama gets a new computer!

2. Update on Haiti: Many of you have asked my status on this - and I sincerely thank you for your care and concern...you guys rock. That being said, the trip has been postponed due to political unrest in the country, as well as some pretty massive aftershocks (one just killed 3 people). I would still love to go....but in all honesty....I am hesitant to go with the group I had originally planned to go with. This is due to lack of organization by the team leader, as well as some other issues. I'm still praying about it - and I will be meeting with this group in about 2 weeks to discuss it further - but my heart is very unsettled about a few key issues. As I have said, as much as I feel called to go the bottom line is that I have a family that needs me and I need to feel comfortable going. So...if you are praying for me regarding this...keep it goin'! I appreciate it!

3. As many of you know, Eva loves sports. One of my former students is fantastic girls basketball player for our local Middle School. We've run into her from time and time and Matt and I have mentioned that we really should take Eva and Jaden to one of her games. Matt and I try to expose Eva to women's sports as much as possible because she went through a time where she thought she had to be a boy to play sports (which was pretty disappointing to a girl that loooves sports). We always want her to know that girls can ROCK the athletic arena too!!!!! Anyway, yesterday I decided to bundle up Eva and Jaden and head over to one of Taylor's games. Eva just sat in absolute AWE. She loved every single minute of it and watched Taylor like a hawk. I found myself looking at Eva more during the game than I did Taylor!

Jaden on the other hand found his own little niche at the game....he sat there yelling "GIVE TAYLOR SWIFT THE BALL!!!!!!" over and over and over. hilarious.

After the game Taylor came over and gave Eva and Jaden each a big hug. They both wanted her autograph (too cute) and Eva couldn't wait to get home and hang it up on her wall. It was absolutely adorable and made me even more determined to make sure Eva is exposed to girls playing sports!

4. Valentine's Day ended up being so fun this year - and it spanned for TWO days! Unfortunately, Matt wasn't home on the real Valentine's Day but the kiddies and I still celebrated. Growing up, my mom was always super creative with food on Valentine's Day and she has inspired me through the years to do the same. So on Valentine's Day we enjoyed pink heart shaped pancakes for breakfast and homemade heart shaped pizzas for dinner! Eva and Jaden loved it! The next day we celebrated Valentine's Day with Matt. Here is how the kiddies and I surprised him...

We spent the day baking special cupcakes...

I may have had more colored sugar on my floor than on the cupcakes, but they had a ball and that is what is important!
Then we set the table super pretty...

Eva made everyone a special place mat (this was Matts...she put a picture of me on it because she said, "Mommy loves Daddy")

We even had heart shaped plates...

Eva, Jaden, and I got alllllll dressed up and surprised him at the door!!! I loved watching the excitement in Eva and Jaden's faces as they jumped up and down and yelled, "SURPRISE!!!!!!" Together we all sat down and enjoyed a candlelit dinner. In my opinion - it was a perfect TWO day Valentine's Day!

Hope you are all having a great week!!!!

Hugs,
Jamie

Choices...

This past weekend my friend Kim and I decided to lug out my old tub of childhood/high school/college memories and look through it. We had some good laughs (could my hair have gotten any bigger?) and I will admit that I was most definitely wearing my Prom Princess tiara the whole time we were looking through things (and just maybe while we were making dinner too).

But while looking through it I started thinking about something a little more serious.....choices.

After Kim left I started going back through that tub (this time without the tiara on)....and again today I did the same thing. I looked through pictures, and notes, and yearbook messages. I looked at artwork, and poetry, and journal entries. I looked through cards, and letters, and special mementos.

I looked through my life for nearly 20 some years (up until the time I got married). As I sat curled up for the umpteenth time with my tub of memories, I laughed and I got teary-eyed.....but it also became very clear to me that so many of the choices we make (especially during our high school and college years) have such a huge impact on our lives. A HUGE IMPACT.

Yes, God's hand was in many of those decisions....and yes, I believe in fate. But I also have a free will and ultimately those decisions were mine.

It was kind of amazing/scary/overwhelming to think about.

I also realized how much our choices impact others. It's an intricately woven web. The choices I made were the cause of happiness for those around me....and unfortunately the cause of hurt and sadness too.

It may sound odd but this allll came rushing at me today like a tidal wave as I sifted through everything. I came to the realization that the choices I made during those years (good and bad) got me to the exact point I am in my life today. Had I made even one of them differently my life could have taken a totally different path.

Unreal.

And for the record, I think I made some great choices during those years and I am so very thankful for where my life is today....but there are choices I also regret and my heart hurts for those.

Soooo my friends....just a little nugget to sink your teeth into and think about. I personally am just a little overwhelmed by the thought of it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year is the first year that Eva has had to have Valentine's for school and we had a ball making them. We wrapped Teddy Grahams and heart candy together with a ribbon and attached a note that says, "Bear Hugs from Eva". The part that I liked best about these Valentines was that Eva was able to do a LOT of it on her own.

For her teacher we picked out a nice hand lotion (we actually found a kind that is a lotion AND hand sanitizer all in one - perfect) and we traced Eva's hand. Eva cut it out and we taped one hand to each side of the lotion. We wrote, "Mrs. Minder, you deserve a hand!" on one side and on the opposite side Eva signed her name.

Valentine's Day in our home is a family affair. We celebrate by making a special meal and we eat it on heart shaped plates! It means so much to me to celebrate this holiday with the people that I love most - Matt, Eva, and Jaden!!!!!

Heading to Haiti?

This Happy Housewife has been contemplating a very big decision lately....heading to Haiti.

It's something I have thought about for weeks. Our church was sending a team of medical personnel and I told Matt that I wished they were sending people to help with the children.

The following week our church changed the original request to include people that would be willing to help with the children in that country. Matt just looked at me and said, "Go."

To make a very long story short there were only four positions available to go and I qualified for one of them. I am honored....I am excited...and I am scared.

I have been thinking a lot and praying a lot. I will not let my insecurities and fears keep me from going - but some of the questions I need answered regard my safety and the safety of my children once I return from those conditions and that would prevent me from going. My family and their safety is my first priority.

That being said, I feel called. I've never had a desire to walk into a situation like this before...but Haiti is different. The images of the children there are killing me. I just want to hold them, rock them, and do anything I can to help them heal.

Sooo my friends....please keep me in your prayers at this time. It's a big decision and one that I do not take lightly.

Hugs,
Jamie

Quote of the Week....Superbowl Style.

While I was getting Jaden ready for bed Eva came tearing into the bedroom allllllll excited and exclaimed,

"MOMMY, THE COLTS ARE AT 61 MILES PER HOUR AND THE OTHER TEAM DOESN'T HAVE ANY!"

Ok....so maybe we need to work on the basic principles of football just a teensy tiny bit.

Naptime...

Crash Course in Studio Photography!

I continue to pursue my passion for photography. I love learning new things...and today was a BIG one! At this point I have only done outdoor photography, but recently I've been contacted by a few people that would like me to do some indoor shots.

I was hesitant in my ability and had decided to tell them no when Justin (my photography coach/teacher/mentor) told me to go for it...and said he would allow me to use his studio...and he would give me a crash course in studio lighting.

How could I refuse an offer like that?

So today I got my little munchkins dressed in cute little outfits, grabbed my camera, and off we went to Kelly and Justin's studio....

Justin and I spent a lot of time talking about lighting, and posing, and camera settings, and all of that other stuff that I find fascinating...and confusing...and overwhelming....but deep down I LOVE.
My little peanuts were the perfect little models and looked forward to their special treat - baking banana bread with mommy - as their reward for being so patient while I learned.

Justin really helped me not only learn about studio lighting, but also some techniques in my shooting style that needed to be changed a bit. One of the big ones was that I have a tendency to shoot "up" on my subjects and he suggested I start shooting "down" more often, like on the picture below...

Love the way it looks don't you?!

At the end of our session Justin wanted to demonstrate dramatic lighting to me...and guess what he hauled out to use as a prop?!!! Just look......

I think it's an understatement to say this little girl was pumped about this picture!

Thanks Justin for allowing Eva, Jaden, and I to spend time in the studio and for alllll you taught me!

"You don't take a photograph...you make it."

-Ansel Adams