Thursday, December 2, 2010

Holly (not so) Jolly!!!

Remember how I was saying it is not easy to get pictures of a toddler and an infant?? Yeah......I wasn't kidding!

Two weeks ago we went to Portrait Innovations to get some Christmas pictures of our kids. We did get a few really cute pictures - you wont see those until after we mail out our Christmas card!! - but we also got some really funny outtakes. Ethan was **NOT** amused by the idea of getting his picture taken. Lucky for us, Hannah isn't mobile yet!!

Everything started out good. Both kids seemed to be in a good mood before we left the house!




and then it went south!!



















but I promise we did actually get some good ones! and I promise to share those soon!

Happy December......let the countdown to Santa begin :)

Thursday, November 25, 2010

So much to be thankful for...



During the month of November, I posted once a day on facebook - something I was thankful for. I decided to collect those thoughts here and share them on Thanksgiving.

I really do have so much to be thankful for!

Thankful Day 1: I am thankful for my husband. He really is my very best friend and my rock of sanity. He loves me no matter what. He works hard to provide for our family and is the most AMAZING Daddy. I love him more and more every day and I'm so thankful he is in my life. :o)



Thankful Day 2: Today, I am thankful for my amazing son. He changed our life in the best way the very minute we even knew he existed....and has not stopped since. He's funny and energetic, loving and silly. He loves to kick a soccer ball, dance, and give hugs. I'm the luckiest Mommy in the world. :o)




Thankful Day 3: I am so thankful for my daughter. I knew it was love when I heard her first cry and saw her Daddy tell me "It's a girl." and I became a girl Mommy. I love her to pieces! Her beautiful dark hair, her cute little nose, her fuzzy pink clothes, everything. I can't wait to watch her grow up and I hope we have the same relationship as adults that I now have with my Mom.



Thankful Day 4&5: I am thankful for my parents and my grandmother. My Mom and Dad have been by my side through EVERYTHING and always believed in me. They have helped to make me what I am today! My Grandma is the sweetest, wisest person I know. I am honored to carry her name and proud that I was able to pass it on to my own daughter.



Thankful Day 6: I am thankful for my sister. When she was 12 and I was 6, and we had to share a room, we were the best of enemies.....but now she is my best friend!! I can call her and tell her anything. We can talk for hours and not really say anything at all. I'm so lucky to have her as my sister and my friend. I love you sis!!



Thankful Day 7: I am thankful for my home. It's not a sprawling mansion - but it is our home. We have a warm place to put our children to bed, a wonderful yard to watch them play, everything you could ask for!



Thankful Day 8: I'm thankful for my husband's family. They welcomed me 8 years ago, when I had no local family of my own. They love our kids and would do anything for us.



Thankful Day 9: I am thankful for my extended family - cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. I have a very large family - and for all the craziness that comes with it - I do love it! There is always someone there to love you for who you are!

Thankful Day 10: Today I am thankful for my friends! I am very lucky to have a great group of friends here. it was awesome to be pregnant with almost all of you and I can't wait to see our kids grow up together :o) You guys rock!


Thankful Day 11: I am thankful for our veterans. My father and my husband have both served, as well as many family members and friends. For your service to our country, I say thank you!

Thankful Day 12: I'm thankful for my education. I worked very hard to be where I am professionally.



Thankful Day 13: I am thankful for my job. I love teaching. I love making a difference. and I'm pretty darn good at it too


Thankful Day 14: I am thankful for fall leaves, and gorgeous weather, and toddler giggles!!



Thankful Day 15: I'm thankful for my crockpot!! No seriously, my house smells so good! I hope this dinner tastes as good as it smells!!


Thankful Day 16: I am thankful for great coworkers! It makes all the difference in the world as I start to get things ready for going back to work. Good lunch, good visit at my school!!


Thankful Day 17: I am thankful for my daycare provider, Carrie Carlin . She is so good to Ethan and he loves her too! Of course I would love to spend my days playing with my kids, but I have to work. I have no worries about leaving him while I'm at work and I know Hannah will love her just as much as Ethan does. Thanks for taking such good care of our precious ones Carrie!


Thankful Day 18: I'm thankful for email and blogging! I can keep in touch with my family and friends back in Maryland so easily - and they can watch my kids grow up!

Thankful Day 19: Today, I am insanely thankful for the Starbucks drive-thru! When you have 2 screaming cranky kids and just need to get out of the house - but you wouldn't dare take them inside of ANY store - the drive thru is the perfect solution!! And a peppermint mocha helps brightens Mommy's mood too!! :o)



Thankful Day 20: I'm thankful for my car!! I know it's a luxury that not everyone has - and I seriously love my car!! It gets me and my family around safely and it gets me out of the house when I think I might go stir-crazy. :)

Thankful Day 21: I am thankful for childrens' Tylenol!!! Bubble gum flavored to be specific :) Ethan has a head cold and is a cranky mess. Thanks to Childrens' bubble-gum Tylenol, we are all getting some needed sleep and hopefully this cold will exit BEFORE it ends up requiring a dr visit!

Thankful Day 22: I'm thankful for milkshakes!! Tonight, peppermint chocolate chip from chick-fil-a. but I dont discriminate. I wont turn down a milkshake :o)

Thankful Day 23: I am so very thankful for modern medicine. Two years ago, modern medicine brought us our son after a very very long failed induction. and 2 months ago today.....we got our daughter!



Thankful Day 24: I am thankful for Ethan's doctors/specialists. We have a lot of people who work very hard for our little man! His pedi, his ENT, and his SLP come immediately to mind. We are blessed that they are here to guide us and help him!


Day 25:
Today....I'm just Thankful! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Siblings???

Do you think they look alike?

Ethan....................Hannah



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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

It's that time of year again...

You know, that time when everyone gets a haircut and you shop for cute clothes..........it's Christmas card time! Christmas cards mean Christmas pictures - both an exciting time and a time of great fear!!! I mean, come'on, I have a 2 year old!! He might be in a good mood, he might be in a rotten mood. He might smile and be adorable. He might have a meltdown and scream his head off. You just never know!! and I have an infant - who might be sweet and angelic and practicing that new gummy smile she just learned how to make. OR - she could be hungry and miserable and practice exercising her lungs....which I promise you are in full working order! Haha

But after the pictures are done - then I get to have fun and create a Christmas card!! The past few years I have used Shutterfly to make my Christmas cards and I have never been disappointed. It is so easy to just drop-in the pictures you want to add, type in your greeting, and pick a background. No frustrating hours trying to adjust photos or backgrounds. Did I mention I have 2 kids?!?! I dont have time for that!!

This was last year's card.


This year I get to add in another adorable little face!! I can't wait!! and there are so many different choices.

There is the Christmas Card Collection. Full of red and green!!

Something like this, gives me lots of options for adding photos....


but I really like the design of this one......


and this one.........


Or, I could chose from The Holiday Collection where there are gorgeous blues and silvers!

This one is kindof fun!


and I like this one too.....


Then I also have to decide if I want to make some other fun gifts, like a desk calendar or a wall art canvas.

So many choices!! Which one will I pick?!?! I'm not sure yet. I guess it depends on how those pictures turn out! Will I have two screaming kids or two smiling angels? Keep an eye on your mailbox to find out! :o)

Want to try making your own Shutterfly cards this year? Follow this link if you are a blogger and you could get 50 free cards!

Happy picture taking and card making! :o)

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Chateau de Muth!!

While I was in the hospital, Ethan stayed with my good friend Natalie. She has a daughter 6 weeks older than Ethan and they are great playmates.

Natalie and David (her husband) took great care of Ethan!! He had so much fun that we are pretty sure he went through withdrawl after he got home and it was only Daddy to play with. It was like a 3 day vacation at an all-inclusive resort!

There were snacks and crafts at Paige's table!


Painting!


Jumping on the trampoline!


Fun times at the sand/water table!


Bathtime fun with cool toys!


and..........

Bedtime stories with Paige and her Daddy!


Thanks Muth family for taking such good care of our little man! It made those few days so much easier knowing that Ethan was happy!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Then and Now

Here's a little "Then and Now" fun for your Tuesday!

39 weeks pregnant (2 days before Hannah was born)


3 weeks after Hannah......same shirt!


and 3 years of fall photos!!

2008





2009





2010