Play Day

My best friend Melissa and her daughter Samantha are in from Omaha this weekend.  We decided to enjoy the beautiful day with a trip to the park for playtime and a picnic.  The kids had a blast running, climbing, sliding and chasing the Geese.

I actually let my best friend use my precious camera to allow me a chance to be in a few pictures.  I generally enjoy being behind the camera.  But realize that my kids may look back on their pictures and wonder where I was since I'm usually behind a camera.

Anyway, here are a few more from today along with a slide show.  Enjoy and have a GREAT weekend!

Edited to add that the video clip was supposed to have music with it.  The song was "Here comes the sun".

I vacuum!

I hope it's not just his age, but Garrett LOVES to vacuum.  If he sees the vacuum he will stop what he is doing and run to it and say a hundred times "vacuum".  I wish I had gotten a photo of his face when I asked him, "do you want to help me vacuum?".  You would have thought I offered him candy.  

His sisters on the other hand will run in the opposite direction.  Claire freaks out when we get the vacuum out and burst into tears if someone isn't holding her.  But for whatever reason the little man loves to vacuum.  I hope this is true a few years from now.

Finally...

Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made 

and forgot to put a soul into.

Henry Ward Beecher

I think spring has made it's way to Kansas City!  Yeah!!  The poor tulips in our yard.  They have already weathered cold temps, frost and 2 hail storms.  The leaves look a little worn out, but the blooms are finally coming out quite beautifully.

This tulip picture is one of the tulips that were planted 6 years ago.  They are few in numbers now, but still as beautiful as the first year they were planted.  

Above is the same tulip with an effect applied in photoshop.  Just having fun.

Bits and Bobs

This was taken at Avary's last dance class. I wanted to capture her feet in action.

Love Thursday

I'm off to help set up for the twins club garage sale. So Happy Love Thursday.

My Sunshine

You are my sunshine my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You never know dear how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away...

You are my baby my sweet baby

You need your sleep so close your eyes

Close your eyes and dream your dreams

Go to sleep my baby bye...

You are my sunshine my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You never know dear how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away...

This is what I sing to  my kids before they go to sleep.  I made up the middle verse when Avary was a tiny little baby.  We were on a trip to Florida and I needed her to sleep.  As I rocked her and tried to soothe her to sleep, these words came into my head.  They stuck and I've been singing them ever since.  The only difference is, sometimes in stead of "my baby" I'll say the name of the child I'm singing to.  Or, if I'm singing to the twins, I'll say "babies".  

Having Fun

Sorry that I haven't posted much this week.  It has been a crazy one and next week will be worse.  Getting ready for the twins club garage sale takes up so much time.  But we are having a great weekend and hoping it gets warm soon.  

The picture above is from last Sunday when we took the kids to the playground for the first time this year.  Everyone had so much fun and keeps asking when we can go back.

One Day...

One day Claire will look at me and wonder why I ever took these pictures of her. One day, she will shriek at me and probably say "Mother!!!". But I just couldn't help it. My normally cute, curly headed little Claire bear woke up this morning with the biggest, most messed up hair I have ever seen on any of my kids.

She seemed to love it or at least not care what she looked like. After breakfast she saw her hair in the mirror and just smiled. After taking these pictures I tried to comb it all down, but it would not have anything to do with that. It took water and putting "pretties" in her hair for the craziness to be tamed.

Hopefully one day she won't be too mad at me for taking these pictures. Because with this crazy hair comes some really great memories for her momma.

Omaha - The Pictures

I finally had a chance to put a slideshow together from mine and Avary's quick trip to Omaha for Sami's birthday.  Here are a couple of my favorites.
Enjoy the other pictures and have a great Sunday.

Finally

I have been using Photoshop Elements to edit my pictures.  I'm not great at it, but have really tried to learn as much as I can in the little time that I have in the evenings after the kids go to bed.  

Up until last night, I have been using version 2.0 to edit pictures.  To some of you that might not mean much, but lets just say I think I've had this for about 5+ years.  Anyway last night I finally had a chance to download the upgrade - which is version 6!

This is one of the first pictures to be edited using the new PSE.  What do you think?  

Love Thursday

Just a couple more pictures from the trip to Omaha. We really had so much fun. I love getting away with my daughter and seeing friends. But I was a little sad that we didn't have enough time to visit everyone we know if Omaha. Sorry to my family who we didn't get to see.

Avary really loved going down this slide. Though I have other pictures that I will post that shows the terror in her face, until she got to the bottom and smiled and said "let's do it again".

Happy Love Thursday. Click on the Shutter Sisters button to see more.

Easter - Final Pictures

I'm finally getting around to posting the rest of the Easter picutres. You can see them here and enter Easter.

Best Friends

Forever true: forever friends

I am so grateful that I was able to spend this past weekend with my best friend. We share so many things in common, our names being one of those things.

It has been a long winter without seeing her and her daughter. Five months is the longest we have gone between visits. Never again my dear friend, never again.

Our visit is exactly what I needed to feel refreshed and ready to tackle the world. Thanks Melissa and Sami for a wonderfully great weekend.