Rewind {September}

I wanted to do a quick recap of randomness from September.

First up random photos.
Last year for my birthday I wanted to get our family pictures updated. That was nearly 1 year ago {this Sunday} and still I have no photos. I didn't even take the time to take proper 4 year photos for MW and 6 year photos for Lo. It's my own fault for just not making the time...I just kept putting it off. This year I am planning on getting them done next weekend. I do them myself in case anyone was wondering.

Moving on...my kids over heard this and were subsequently looking at the last photos I had of them in our large collage frame and they decided they wanted to re-create those. How could I say no...this was totally spur of the moment and I didn't expect Lo's to turn out so cute.

First up MW:
Here he is at 6 months with this tie. Ginger took his ONE year photos in this same time and I plan on doing it again when he is 5, 5th grade promo, 8th grade promo, and a senior.  Even though we are still a few months out from 5 we gave it a practice shot.

Not exactly what I was looking for, but how can you not love that face?!

There is another photo of Leighton in the frame of her looking just like this. I for the LIFE of me can not find it on my computer, so this is a poor fb quality one. :( 

MW re-created for me. HA!

Then there is Sass. This is one of her 4 year old photos. She will be 7 in February!!! TEARS.

She doesn't really seem that different looking to me. Just a little sassier. :) This is straight out of the camera and I think she looks super cute.

Bouncing on my bed. What the kids love to do most. We should think about getting them a trampoline for Christmas...o wait! WE HAVE ONE! That they seldom use because evidently our bed is way more fun. I saw a photo like this on some photography blog/site and wanted to re-create it, but here is where actual photo skills come into play, that I don't have. Oh well, it was fun. She loved doing her flips on the bed. With her guard dog. HA!

School picture day.

Growing up so fast. And becoming a little lady.

Her school does Pawsitvie Awards for 2 kids from each class each month for being good role models etc. Lo got one right out of the gate this year. She had no idea and I surprised her at school. She was so confused why I was there.

Always the nervous nellie in front of a crowd.

faces of others kids intentionally distorted.

Well that is all that has been going on lately. Just living life and trying to enjoy it. The years are passing quicker and quicker.

Rewind: April AND May

So let's rewind shall we to catch up on all I have neglected these few months.

Mid- April we had a family wedding in nowhere KS. But the hotel we stayed at was super nice {amenity wise}. And may I add that the kids view staying in any hotel as a major vacation. HA!

 Weddings are fun, but oh so boring to the kids; until the reception. Bring on the dancing and cake and they are happy. Actually we didn't get to stay long because they were running on empty and getting a tad cranky. Of course once we get back to the hotel room they are bouncing off the walls. MW was quite the comedian as we were all trying to go to sleep.

I hope they are always friends.

Look out word a crime fighting duo is on the prowl!

Who sleeps like this?!

I found this app called little hoots. A fun way to capture my "kids say the darnedest things" series. 

What can I say he is my little buddy. I have really loved all the time we get alone while sister is at school this year. It is our bonding time. He is a tad crazy and loves me fiercely, but I wouldn't trade him for the world.

I love her face. She went through a phase of wearing her hair like this. I have no idea where she learned this style but she rocked it. But she is growing up way too fast.

An impromptu picnic with friends at the park.

My mom wanted to take the kids to HOME. We don't have cable, so I don't see commercials and never know what movies are out. I wasn't sure what this movie was about and if we would even like it; but it was good. No Big Hero 6 in my book, but close the message of friendship was fantastic. Two thumbs up from the kids.

Our church did an amazing "Thank You" night for their Kidzworld volunteers at All Star sports. It's has several rides and we as a church group got to have free run. The kids loved it. It was a beautiful night for KS and a great night to ride rides and hang with friends!

Me and the girls on the Tilt a Whirl! Our favorite!!

Lo and MW school of beauty is now open. Daddy was their first satisfied client. 

Ah, gymnastics. It takes over my life in the spring with meets nearly every weekend. This is one of our gym tees and I hate t-shirts unless they are fitted. I learned this little trick from pinterest last year to fix all Lo's over-sized school tees and tried it on mine. NAILED IT. Basically you just lay a fitted tee you like on top, mark it, and then sew down the line, cut off the excess material {make a headband for your daughter out of it}. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy. Tips: use a triple stretch stitch AND sew a little wider than your marks so there is more give. The end.

This daughter of mine. I love her. She got this from reading Audrey Bunny by Angie Smith. Amazing book and lesson!! Clearly my baby girl latched on.

Gymnastic meet "coma." All weekend long meets =exhaustion. But I love my job and the impact the girls have on me and sometimes I have on them. It is a blessing.

One day, well, actually since we moved in I wanted a new look for my living room. I was over the "country bumpkin" look as my husband loving refers to it as. BUT, there were more important things to do, update and spend $$ on. However, after 8+ years of the same living room, I got a spark under me and just took it all down. I thought 1). I will never be "inspired" with all of this still on the walls and 2). I am getting pretty good at tweaking and re-decorating with no money and stuff I have around the house. So here we go...I wanted a window pane for a focal point, but didn't know where on earth I would find one for a reasonable price...so I got to thinking about my frame collection that I hoard keep and decided I would just make one. So I did.

I even notched those flat "dowel" rods to make the grid. NAILED IT. I then sprayed painted the glass with looking glass spray paint to make it a mirror. Cost ~$9 {$8 of which was the spray paint!!}

There is more to come, but I am proud of how it is coming along with very minimal money spent. I feel like I am coming into my own on the decorating front and finding my "style" if you will. Each room tends to hold a lot of similar patterns and colors/hues, so I guess that is a good thing.

One Friday Lo was out of school, so we took advantage of our zoo membership. We all love the giraffes! Again another beautiful day in KS. Perfect zoo weather.

This photo cracks me up...the Giraffe is photo bombing us. HA!

My two favorite guys reading together! MW chose reading a book over TV. You have no idea how HUGE this is. HUGE!!!

My little gymnastic buddy now along with his favorite gymnastic bear. HA!

Happy Mother's Day to me! Being a mom is just about the greatest thing I have ever done in my life. I love these two so much. It's been 6 years, and I am still in awe that Chad and I made them. They are such a part of us each in so many ways it is frightening. A huge thank you to my MIL for taking the kids over night so I could get the day "off" to just do whatever, whenever. I ended up crafting the afternoon away! It was bliss. Then the next morning Chad got up early and got me QT coffee and breakfast, it's my favorite--aside from Scooter's but apparently they can't be asked to be open by 730a!

Last Tues we took in a WSU Shocker baseball game. Chad was gifted the tix for teacher appreciation week and since it was my only day off all week we took full advantage. MW was only there for the popcorn. We weren't able to stay the whole time but had a great family night none the less.

Lo: Micah you are a red head. Protect your head!! Protect your head!! 

A moment of sibling love!!

Wow. Long post.
I found this note while cleaning up Lo's room. You know while she is at school and can't intervene as I toss out 100 papers she has scribbled on. This is the first thing I have seen that she sounded out words on her own!! This was something I wasn't sure she was capable of yet.  It says : "Do Not Touch my number without Leighton's permission." I had to ask. And then she proceeded to tell me that even if we did ask she would tell us "no." HA!

Friday night we had Pre-Team and Team tryouts. Leighton was so nervous. See aforementioned fear of new situations and change in previous post. After I bribed her with Braum's if she would stop crying, mostly so I could do my job, she tried out. It was basically just a regular practice, but we moved through all the events with specific skills in mind that we would check off. Based on what we saw the coached would decide where they would fit best. Lo was already on pre-team so the next step is team. I was unsure and still am if she is truly ready, but technically skill wise she is...big decisions. She was most excited about getting a medal last night! I am proud of her and she has been working hard. As an added bonus I may get to coach her next year...not sure if that is good or bad?!?! HA!

Finally, Saturday we went to Stearman's for a grad party. It is an air strip/hanger/burger joint. When we arrived there was an Army Helicoptor parked outside and then were loading up. So naturally we had to watch it take off. The kids thought it was super cool and loud.

And that concludes our REWIND. Super long, and if you made it to the end YAY!!! Maybe next month I will get it together better?! Yeah, don't hold your breath. HA!

November Part 2.

Taking photos is savoring life intensely.
I saw that quote on pinterest loved it. Sometimes I slack on photo taking, because my house is too messy in the background or it isn't the "right" setting, the kids clothes are mis-matched --if in fact they even have pants on. HA! Or I don't want to be in the photo because I have no make-up on and 2 day old hair. However, photos capture not only a memory but emotions. And at the end of the day this is our life, messy, mis-matched and with no make-up and it's beautiful just the way it is and I want to remember our story.

Reading together. Lo is really gaining speed in her reading and is good at memorizing stories, so she loves to read to MW and MW loves to be read too.

Snow watch 2014.
There was word snow was suppose to come this day, so they set up camp at the sliding glass door to wait for it. It took 2 days but we finally got some. Must be nice to be able to get it wrong in your job routinely and still get to keep it. ;)

SNOW!!!

Yep, no coat {but snow pants!} in freezing temps. I asked him if he was cold---NOPE! He was only outside for 2 minutes trying to catch a snowflake on his tongue.

These. These are the moments I want to cherish forever. It's why I created an instagram wall and print these not quite frame worthy photos out, but still want to see them everyday photos.
Daddy is reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' somehow Chad has every word memorized, it blows me away.

Kindy craft project. It was to be a family effort so naturally Lo and mommy did all the work. I did the gluing but she did all the crafting. The only thing daddy and MW did was put their finger prints on a feather. I think it is the prettiest turkey evah.

So one day it was 70* and the next a polar vortex hit and it was 30* with even lower feels like temps. She rocks that hat. I call it the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants hat, because it fits everyone who tries it on head. We bought it for daddy one year, but she sort of took it this year for recess. She looks way cuter in it anyway.

My BFF had a her 4th baby girl and 5th child the day before my birthday. We are all in love with her. She gives us all our baby fix. Lo unfortunately do to school rarely sees baby girl, so she was excited this night when she came to our house for a visit. She sang her Jesus loves me and held her tight.

Night time reading by our pink Christmas tree.

 Found our Christmas program dress in the hand me down box. She looks adorbs.

Kindy Thanksgiving Feast.

A little mini program.

MW loves to play make believe. He can sit for minutes just playing legos, pirates, doll house, etc. Lo never did that she is more of a baby doll and artsy kind of gal. Just love to capture his imagination.

My heart. We are having some great times just me and my little buddy.

We voted!

"Helping" me fold laundry. Mostly he just loves to watch Gilmore Girls with me. He belts out the theme song every time.

Waiting. oh so patiently for the LoLoSass to come out of school. Most days we have a good 15+minutes to kill in the car line. So bring on the legos and Frozen Free fall.

This boy and his imagination.

And to conclude November we had a 5 hours gymnastic practice the day before Thanksgiving and apparently 3 hours in and they are spent! I love these girls and coaching them. I love working with all their quirky personalities and motivating them to succeed.