Archive - September, 2006

MAN TOY

James has been waiting for a year for a very special delivery; it finally came yesterday! He earned a free XBOX 360, on the internet, through an on-line promotion. I’d like to extend a BIG, “THANK YOU!” to our friends who participated in the promotions to help James earn his free game system. If you aren’t familiar with the XBOX, it retails for over $400. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!


It’s hard to get a man to pose for a picture!!


Out of the box!


The girls LOVED playing their favorite game, Star Wars Legos, on the new system!!!!

girlie-girl bed


Anjelia is delighted.

My sister, Beth, bought and painted a twin bed for Anjelia’s birthday. Notice all the cute pastel colors that she carefully painted. It is the sweetest girl bed EVER. Beth and I went shopping yesterday and I found the absolute CUTEST bedding set for it at Wal-Mart on clearance. The bed looks like something out of a magazine. I can’t stop looking at it. Thank you Aunt Beth!


This bed makes me wish to be a little girl again.


The bunny is Anjelia’s new Build A Bear bunny from Elaina’s birthday celebration. Isn’t it precious?

celebrating Anjelia

We celebrated Anjelia’s birthday at Mom’s house.

We love you baby girl!

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my baby is three!

“Talk not of wasted affection; affection never was wasted.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

just my size

Hey, Aunt Kathryn! Look what I found!

Mother’s Day Out resumed this week, so Karen and I headed off to our favorite hang out! The DAV thrift store is such a fun place to go. I love the thrill of finding a treasure. The best shopping trips are the ones where the camera comes out!

These are the real deal, leather cowboy boots. I just love ‘em.

i think I’m in love. . .

Slugger whistled at me, gave me a kiss and a big hug! Sigh. . .

It was a beautiful night at the ball park.

a few more highlights


Each of my girls receive a special birthday keepsake from me on their 5th birthday. Elaina received a set of adorable dishes. She’ll get to use them each year on her birthday!


We took the girls to Build a Bear Workshop tonight to celebrate. They each picked out a stuffed animal. It was a real cute process. We brought home a giraffe (Elaina), a bunny (Anjelia), a wolf (Jessica) and a cat (Lydia).


I always have my picture taken with each of my girls on their birthday! Being a Mama is the greatest gift of all!

Elaina fell in love with her monkey James and I gave her. It looks, sounds and moves like a real baby monkey. It hugs, claps, drinks from a bottle, burbs, cries, makes happy excited sounds and gets the hiccups.


This wasn’t the picture I was going for, but I kinda like it anyway. Make a wish baby girl.

a cake with pink insides


the blank canvas


the creative process


the finished masterpiece

Happy fifth Birthday, my joy!


ELAINA JOY

gone are the days of diapers

After nearly nine years of changing diapers on a daily and sometimes hourly basis, we are now officially a diaper free home!! Our last (sniff, sniff) baby is out of diapers for good!

Isn’t she adorable in a really ornery way! My baby is almost three! It just can’t be!

There’s a little training left to be done. For example, Anjelia needs some coaching on the appropriate amount of toilet paper usage. I think half a roll per pee is a little too much!


I hope this isn’t too much. I felt a visual aid would be helpful!

I am surprised there’s any water left. It’s nearly all soaked up!

This is such a pivotal time for us. James and I keep talking to one another about it. It’s like we are totally shocked that this diaper free time in our lives has arrived. It’s odd. . . very odd. Our babies are all little girls now.

A girl is Innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot” Allan Beck

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