Why I Could Never Be A Children's Photographer For A Living...

Okay...for the third time or so in a matter of months, I am going to attempt to write AND post an update on our blog. As most of you have noticed--and some even expressed to me--my lack of writing over the past several months, my number one goal this weekend was to get at least a little something written and posted. I started early in the week (Tuesday, maybe) by planning to dress Brinley up in something a little special and take a picture of her by mid-morning before it reaches 100* outside. So...we ate breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen from our meal and I put the sweet outfit that you see pictured below on Brinley. We head out into the backyard, I move around a few 'props' and set Brinley down on a bench that I had moved underneath a cluster of shade trees. Obviously it had been a while since I had tried taking pictures of Brinley like this because in my mind, I played out the scene that I would set her on the bench, snap a few shots and be done in a minute or two...thus being able to get the picture I needed of her without even breaking a sweat. Boy, was I in for a wake-up. Below you would be able to follow our little adventure--

"Hmmm...what's this here on the bench?"

Then she decides to look at something else--besides the camera.

"Gee Mom...all those embarrassing antics you're pulling just to get me to look at the camera and smile."

"Cheese!!!" ('A REALLY big cheese' as she says.)

Don't even ask me what goof-ball was doing in this one because your guess is as good as mine.

"What was that Mom? Did you say something about a COOKIE?!?"

I don't bribe too often, but when I do, I pull out the 'big guns'.

Finally...

By the way, I must mention that the lovely outfit was made by my Grandma. Brinley says, "thank you G-Maw!". And in case you are wondering, yes, her toenails ARE painted bright red. :-)

In case you were beginning to wonder if our little family had disappeared off the face of the earth, over the past month and a half, we've attended 4 birthday parties (all on separate weekends), one baptism, as well as traveled to Texas for Easter weekend to visit with family, some of which we haven't seen since Brinley's first birthday. Needless to say, we've been a little bit too on-the-go for me to be able to sit down and write. Below are a few pictures from the past several weeks starting with Brinley's birthday--

Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Girl!

By the way, the above picture was taken by a dear friend and talented photographer, Amanda before she and her sweet family made the move from Mississippi back home to Texas. If any of you readers in the Houston area are looking to get some pictures done, I highly recommend her! :-)

Next, at the end of March, we attended a neighbor boy's 4th birthday party at a local kiddie party venue (think: Chuckie Cheese-type-of-place). Brinley had a blast monkeying-around on all the indoor playground equipment, riding the kiddie train and, of course, munching on pizza and cake.

"Hold on Snoopy...we're going for a ride!"

Eating pizza...

~Happy Birthday!~

Then it was W's first birthday party-- W being the little one that I care for in our home during the week.

Brinley and her daddy eating lunch.

"Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You..."

Valentine Festivities

Well, as you know, Valentine's Day 2011 has come and gone. I don't know how each of you celebrate Valentine's Day in your homes, but in our home it is about the love that we all feel for each other...not just Bruce and myself. I know a lot of people think of Valentine's Day as a day that couples shower each other with romantic gestures--boxed chocolates, a bouquet of flowers, jewelry, etc. Sure, Bruce and I exchange small gifts, but they're typically gifts that other people wouldn't necessarily consider romantic. Instead, our gifts tend to say "I bought you this because I know it is something you are interested in or having been wanting. You work so hard for our family and I just want to show you how much I appreciate you." And not only do Bruce and I exchange gifts, but we also get Brinley a few little somethings as well to show her today is a special day that we are all celebrating as a family in our domestic church.

Gotta love care packages from Texas...thank you Nana and Papa for all the goodies!

The past few years, we really haven't done anything else for Valentine's Day besides exchange gifts. Either I was very pregnant with Brinley or Brinley was keeping us busy as an infant. This year however, I wanted a little craft that Brinley and I could do together that involved blessing others with Valentines, and when Elizabeth posted about Valentine Dots I knew it was something Brinley and I would have to give a try. Tried we did, and I think we have found a new tradition for our family. Not only can you make Valentine Dots for Valentines Day, but by simply using whatever seasonal colors of M&M's are out at the time, you can easily create Easter Dots, Thanksgiving Dots, Christmas Dots, etc. using the respective colors. Absolutely genius! Most of y'all know that our family tries to eat a natural diet by avoiding high fructose corn syrup, food-dyes, refined sugar, and the like, but I figure making these a few times a year probably won't be the end of the world AND it is an excellent craft for little ones to help with.

Helping Mommy unwrap the Hugs and Kisses.

"Cheese!"

After unwrapping the Hug, it had to be sorted in the right bowl.

After all the Hugs and Kisses were unwrapped, it was time to place them on the pretzels that were lined up on a cookie sheet.

The end result...yum! Now its time to package them and share with others.

We hope you all had a blessed Valentine's Day and that you were able to spend it with someone that you care for--whether that be your child, friend, neighbor, significant other or even pet. ;-) Most importantly, I pray that each of you have felt the most significant love of all...that which comes from our one, true Savior. ~Blessings~

Daybook: First of 2011

Outside My Window: ...its a dreary day. The sun hasn't peeked out yet and it probably won't today. It's shortly before noon, and the temperature is in the low-40's and will be going down from here. We're expected to have from mid-aftertoon all through the night. What a yucky winter day! I know I won't be setting foot out of the house today.

I Am Listening To: ...the woosh of the dishwasher.

I Am Wearing: ...a pair of Bruce's flannel pajama pants and a long-sleeved shirt. This just might be my outfit for the day.

I Am Thankful For: ... modern conveniences. Everytime I start dreading household chores, I remind myself to be thankful that I don't have to wash and dry each dish by hand or wash each article of clothing with a washboard and bucket in my backyard. I can also take a picture in the morning and within a few hours all eight of my readers have seen it....even if they do live in three different states.

I Am Pondering: "If I saw the gates of Hell open and I stood on the brink of the abyss, I should not despair, I should not lose hope of mercy, because I should trust in You, my God." ~St. Gemma Galgani

I Am Reading: ...Small Steps for Catholic Moms by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss--as well as working through the Small Steps for Catholic Moms Companion Journal--and Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home, also by Elizabeth Foss. (If you are interested in purchasing any of the above books, you can visit Elizabeth's E-Store, here.)

To Be Fit And Happy: I'll be honest...when the weather is consistantly under 55*, I tend to go into a mild form of hibernation. I've really been trying to find the motivation--and time--to do a little indoor excersicising to get the heart pumping at least a few times a week.

From The Kitchen: Yesterday I made a large stockpot of Taco Soup and some homemade Mexican Cornbread. It will definately be a treat tonight for supper when its cold and rainy, Also, Brinley helped her Daddy make pancakes and bacon this morning for Sunday brunch. Yum!

I Am Thinking: ...about and praying for those affected by the shooting yesterday in Arizona. I especially pray that our Lord will grant comfort and peace to the families of those that have been injured or killed in this incident.

I Am Creating: ... memories. The interesting thing about memories is that you can choose to remember and cherish the good ones or the not-so-good ones. For me, I like to remember and cherish the good ones. There are too many terrible things in this world...I like to savor the good.

On My iPod: I haven't downloaded any new music lately, but I did download the Pandora App and it is my new love. If you aren't familiar with Pandora, it is internet radio. You simply search for an artist or song and Pandora will create a 'personal radio station' of similar artists and songs and play them back to you....for FREE! You can't pick what song you hear at a particular time, but if a song comes up that you don't care for or you'd rather not listen to at the moment, you just push the 'next' button. Muy Bueno!

Towards A Real Education: I've got approximately seven months to make a lesson plan for next fall. Holy Trinity, Have Mercy On Us! Mary and Joseph, Pray for Us! Saint Thomas Aquinas, Pray for Us! Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Pray for Us!

Towards Rhythm and Beauty: Since the Twelve Days of Christmas have come and gone and we have celebrated the Epiphany of our Lord, I guess it is time to take down and pack away the Christmas decorations. (Sigh...) I'll be honest...I'm one of those people that dread taking down Christmas decorations. Its not the labor aspect of it at all. I just know I'll miss looking at the twinkling of lights, the glow of candlelight and the shimmering of ornaments. I keep trying to tell myself that in only ten short months it will socially acceptable to bring it all out again. ;-)

To Live The Liturgy: Focusing on making our little domestic church as peaceful as possible during this time of year.

I Am Hoping And Praying: ...that the sun will continue to shine.

In The Garden: So far most of the vegetation in our flower beds has held up well this winter. This next week the weather will test them again as our highs will be in the mid-40's and lows in the low-20's. Brrr...

Around The House: We've just been piddling around this weekend. Brinley helped her daddy take down the outside Christmas lights yesterday while the weather was tolerable. Bruce also replaced some weatherstripping on the back doorframe that a particular four-legged fur-child has shredded. Also, after living in our home for 18 months, we've finally purchased a large mirror to hand above the mantel of the fireplace. No more large blank wall...yea!

On Keeping Home: It seems as though Mount Laundry has finally been tamed again after all of our holiday travels. I also spent a little time yesterday going through a couple of small boxes of odds and ends that have collected...and seem to breed on their own.

One Of My Favorite Things: ...is spending an evening out with two of my favorite people in the world. Yesterday evening, Bruce, Brinley and I stopped by Cracker Barrel for dinner (Thanks Mom and Dad for the giftcard!) then we ventured over to Lowe's for the mirror that I mentioned earlier in this post (Thanks, again, Mom and Dad for the giftcard!) and then to Marble Slab to savor some of their yummy goodness. (We didn't have any giftcards to use here, BUT if someone would like to send us one, I would happily accept...wink, wink.)

Brinley Anne This Week: ... is changing from a sweet little baby to a rambunctious little girl. When she turned one, I was easily able to convince myself that she was still a baby. When she turned two, I was still able to convince myself that she was still a baby. Now that she's almost three...there's just no denying that she's turning into a 'big girl', especially now that its not uncommon for her to call me 'Mom' instead of 'Mommy' or 'Momma'. (Sigh...)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Hmmm....stay warm. :-D Seriously though, I don't think we'll be doing a whole lot this week aside from buddling up, sitting by a warm fire, drinking cocoa, etc.

A Picture I'm Sharing: No still pictures today...at least not yet, but I do have short videos from our Christmas morning. I hope y'all enjoy! (Not sure why they are a bit off-kilter...I'll try to get that corrected.)

Daybook: I Can't Believe Its Been Five Months Since My Last!

Outside My Window: ...its dark. Its been dark for several hours now and quite honestly that annoys me. Since we live just a few short hours drive west from the Alabama/Georgia border--which is where the time zone changes from Central to Eastern--the sun sets quite early here in the winter...like before 5:00PM! Needless to say, I miss the sunshine and fresh air that we get to enjoy so abundantly during other seasons of the year.

I Am Listening To: ...the gentle hum of the clothes dryer in the next room.

I Am Wearing: ...red and white striped pajama pants and a red long-sleeved tee.

I Am Thankful For: ...the simple things. In particular, sharing an ice cream cone with a certain blond-haired, blue-eyed two-year-old in my life. Sweetness!

I Am Pondering: this wonderful post written by the ever-talented Elizabeth Foss. If you are not familiar with her or her faith-filled writings, please go check this post out now. It will speak volumes to the heart.

I Am Reading: ...The Discipline Book and The Fussy Baby Book, both authored by the Sears. Yes, I know I've been reading those two books for several months now, but if it counts for anything, I'm almost finished with both of them.

To Be Fit And Happy: Oy...I have to be honest that I haven't done much beyond lug babies around. I'm hoping that counts for something because my back says it does!

From The Kitchen: I've been keeping it simple the past several days--lots of soups, salads, etc.

I Am Thinking: ...that weekends go by way too quickly. It seems as though Saturdays and Sundays almost always go by at least twice as quickly as the week days.

I Am Creating: ...a special something as a Christmas present for a special someone. ;-)

On My iPod: Hmmm...I think the most recent thing I've downloaded would be Wow Hits 2011-30 of Today's Top Christian Artist and Hits. Such a lovely, heart-lifting collaboration of music for when I can't listen to my beloved KSBJ...or I get tired of the Christmas music that they play non-stop from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

Towards A Real Education: While we ultimately chose not to rush formal homeschooling curricula onto Brinley this fall, she is constantly learning new things. Over the past several weeks she has been recognizing more and more words. I just hope her love for reading is something that she holds onto for the rest of her life.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty: While it seems as though the Advent season slips by us every year, I am really trying to pull the reigns back, slow things down a little bit and savor this blessed season for what it is.

To Live The Liturgy: Focusing on making this Advent season as peaceful as possible for our little domestic church.

I Am Hoping And Praying: ...that the sun will continue to shine.

In The Garden: Well, not a whole lot besides various plants and hedges that can tolerate the cold weather we've been experiencing lately. I've already been making plans in my head for the flower beds once spring comes....which plants need to be replaced, where mulch needs to be added, etc. I'm thinking I need to start putting some of those ideas to paper before they disappear all together!

Around The House: Things have been going fairly smoothly. The only thing I've been finding a struggle to keep up with during this time of year is the laundry. With all the traveling, it seems as though just as I'm getting caught up from one trip, it is time to pack for another. That's okay...I think the time spent visiting with loved ones afar is well worth the sacrifice of having to wear jammies around the house the first day or two after we're home from a trip. ;-)

On Keeping Home: Bruce, Brinley and I finished 'decking our halls' last weekend. We hung icicle lights on the house, edged the walkway and flower beds with bulb lights, put up and decorated the Christmas tree and hung our stockings just in time to celebrate Saint Nicholas's feast day.

One Of My Favorite Things: ...is the sight of a lit Christmas tree. I love it so much that I keep ours on all. the. time. In fact, the only time that it goes off is if we are out of town. Otherwise, its kept on. Even when we go to bed, I like to keep it on all night just for the shear fact that I love walking out of my room into the living room on a chilly winter morning to catch the sight of twinkling lights draped on the boughs of an evergreen (or an artificial one). All I can say is thank goodness we live in the age of LED lights or else our electric bill might be as high as our mortgage payment for the month of December!

Brinley Anne This Week: ... LOVES having the Christmas tree up. Every morning, as soon as she walk from her room to the living room she says "Cwistmish Twee!". She also enjoys looking at the neighbors' outdoor Christmas lights as we drive in and out of the neighborhood.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Aside from having W in our home next week, I need to finish up shopping for one Christmas gift and then I think I'll be done...I think. Then, I'll just need to get started with the wrapping. Normally, I do pretty good and wrap as I buy, but this year I just can't seem to get in the mood to wrap. Oh...I also need to finish crafting that special Christmas gift that I talked about above.

A Picture I'm Sharing: I'm actually sharing two. The first picture is of a cup of cocoa for my sweetie pie...the little one, not the big one. ;-) The second picture is of the previously mentioned sweetie pie enjoying her cocoa. A small cup of cocoa has become somewhat of a mid-afternoon custom on chilly afternoons for Brinley and myself.

~Marshmallow-topped Cocoa~

~Yum!~

Halloween 2010

Although this was Brinley's third Halloween, I can say without a doubt that this was this most celebrated Halloween thus far for our little family. For her first Halloween, back in 2008, she and I were still staying with my parents so that I could help my mother after her major surgery. I dressed her up in a costume and we went to visit a couple of my parents neighbors, but that was pretty much the extent of that. Last year, she wasn't feeling very well--teething, I think--so we just dressed her up and she 'helped' me pass out goodies to the trick-or-treaters.

I think Brinley was too mesmerized by the fire engine to give a hoot about getting candy.

Walking towards the Great Lawn. I love a man that's willing to push a stroller...especially when it has a pink diaper bag hanging from it. ;-)

Brinley was mighty intrigued by this lady's costume...I think she was a cat???

This year, we decided to head out to Bellingrath Gardens on Saturday for their annual Balloon Glow in the Gardens. At the Balloon Glow in the Gardens, the little ones are encouraged to come dressed in their costumes and area business set up to pass out candy along the path through the gardens. On the Great Yard at Bellingrath, hot-air balloons are set up and 'glowing', thus the name Balloon Glow in the Gardens, and further up the path near the Bellingrath mansion, The Shed (a local bar-b-que restaurant) was set up selling their scrumptious bar-b-que. After walking along the path through the gardens, grabbing some brisket sandwiches for supper, and then taking a few minutes to watch the hot-air balloons 'glow', Brinley was ready to call it a night. Needless to say, she must have had a lot of fun because the girl slept soundly until ten o'clock the next morning.

By this point, I think the trick-or-treating experience was losing it's 'cool' factor in Brinley's opinion.

'Glowing' Balloon

This evening, we dressed Brinley in her costume again and hit up a few of the houses on our street and the next with some of our neighbors including Baby W (that I care for in our home during the week) and his parents. Overall, I think Brinley had a good time again. She really has 'trick-or-treat' down and saying 'thank you' after receiving her treat. Both nights, the weather was absolutely beautiful including clear skies and temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50's, and overall, I really don't think we could have had a better weekend.

~There's no place like home.~

We had a bag on the front porch that was motion activated and it said "Happy Halloween" in a witch's voices. When Brinley first heard it she said, "A chicken!"...I think she confused the cackling for clucking.

Where's the jack-o-lantern's nose?

We hope you all had a wonderful Happy Halloween, and I hope you enjoy the pictures of our little 'Dorothy'.

Still trying to figure out that bag...

"Cheese!" (We've been practicing smiling for the camera.)

"Trick-or-Treat!" Picking out which goodies she wants from Baby W--the pumpkin--and his mommy.

~Best Buddies~

When the festivities were all over with, the two little ones loved going through all the goodies they accumulated and those that were left over. Who says you have to eat candy to enjoy it?!?

Gammaw and Pappaw Come For A Visit

Last weekend, Bruce's parents made a quick trip to come and visit us. The guys--Bruce and his dad--did a few odd and end jobs around the house including replacing the weather-stripping and hinges on the back door that leads to our patio, rebuilding the single gate on our privacy fence so that it could become usable, and adding latches to both the single gate and double gate on our privacy fence. Like I mentioned, it was a short visit so only a handful or so pictures were taken. Here's a few to enjoy...

Helping Daddy pull the old weather-stripping off the back door.

Watching Gammaw roll out the clay.

Using molds to make different animals and shapes.

Showing Gammaw how we play with clay.

~A Simple Moment~

Bruce and his dad getting boards measured and cut for the 'new' gate.

Bruce hanging the new boards on the single gate.