Our Weekend in Pictures -- Some Noteworthy, Some Not

Over the past month, I've found myself not writing as much as I'd like.  Typically I have my "computer / coffee time" right after breakfast.  The girls play [usually pretty well] together, and I sit, perched atop my bar stool, and enjoy the opportunity to warm up to the day.

Many days over the past few weeks, though, we've been up and running.  Either we've had morning swimming lessons...or we've had something to do with the house...or we've been off on an adventure.  It's all been good...but I surely miss my "quiet time" [RELATIVELY speaking] when I don't have it for a few days.  And I really miss my writing therapy, too!

I am trying to keep up with my camera, though.  I continue to try to balance the desire for a photographically good picture with wanting to capture the day-to-day as best I can.  I've definitely gotten better at that balance.  You'll see some "nicer" photos, and some that just had to be taken...no matter the lighting...'cause I had to capture the moment.

Even busy-busy-busy, life is so very sweet!  And even if I don't reflect that in words as often as I'd like these days, I'm thankful I have some pictures to jog my memory.  

Here are some of the highlights from our weekend!

On Friday my Baby B wanted me to take a picture of the "smile" she'd made with her necklace.  Baby A came up behind her for an impromptu hug.  L-O-V-E!!!

Saturday morning we went to a birthday party for one of the girls' sweet little classmates.  I'd climbed to the top of their play structure to try to coax A down the slide, and I snapped this picture of B, swinging below.  [Marcia, do you love the negative space?!!!]

Here's B, showing me some kind of nut (???) she found.  I love those baby hands so, so much!!!

Here are A&B, checking out the birthday girl's chicken coop.  They were talking in baby-speak, "Hey, baby chicks!"  So sweet!

On Sunday morning, Baby A asked for some white paper (NOT cream!), and she drew this house while I was making breakfast.  Perhaps we have an architect in the making???

The girls play "vet" very frequently, but to date they've always had a very humanitarian focus.  Sunday morning they got out both cash registers -- one for each of them -- in their vet's office set-up.  I guess they finally decided to cash in on the deal.  HA!

And Sunday afternoon, Hubby and I embarked on cleaning out the garage.  The girls played SO well while we worked...something I would not have thought possible, even six months ago.  At one point I found some puzzles that were mine as a child.  They were dusty and musty...but perfect for a driveway project.  The girls had so much fun!  And how fun it was for me to see them playing with something I last touched more than 30 years ago!  :)  :)

Pictures.  Some are pretty good.  Some are not.  But I love them all the same!!!

A Bit About Me, June (Anniversary) Edition

My birthday is February 23, so on the 23rd of each month, I post a couple of random things about me.  My wedding anniversary is June 22, so I usually dedicate June's randomness to something couple-related.

We’ve had some pretty hectic anniversaries.

Not less than a week before our first anniversary, we’d just made our first move, from Alabama to Mississippi.  We were in a tiny rental house while we searched for a house to buy.  We were living out of boxes and trying to find where we’d packed our drinking glasses.  We had to ask a neighbor we’d just met to recommend a nice restaurant. 

Our next two anniversaries were relatively uneventful, but we had another “just moved” celebration for Year #4.  Ten years ago, we moved into our current house, and we again dusted ourselves off the best we could to treat ourselves to an anniversary dinner.

This year, I’d REALLY hoped to mark another “just moved” celebration with the move into our new house, which was originally scheduled for June 20.  The completion date has been moved back a few weeks, though, so we had a relatively uneventful (in a good way!) celebration instead.

We don’t look to make these anniversaries so helter-skelter, I promise…but maybe it speaks to marriage…home is where your family is…and it doesn’t have to be picture-perfect to be good.

I love sushi.

This is no secret, but we haven’t had sushi in quite a long time.  Our favorite restaurant is one the girls like, too, but it becomes really pricey, really quick, so we don’t take them there often. 

Last night, after the girls were soundly in bed, Miss Jenny came over to monitor-sit.  Hubby and I scored “our” table (Table 5) at “our” restaurant, and lucked out with the owner’s daughter waiting on us.  It was a little surreal, as we haven’t sat there – one of the few two-tops in the restaurant – in a really long time.  We savored our favorite rolls and some yummy sake, and then were surprised with Japanese ice cream for dessert.

Yes, I love sushi…and I loved sharing the evening with my hubby, enjoying some of our favorite things, together.

Super Stuff on a Saturday -- with PICTURES!

It’s been another B-U-S-Y week, as evidenced by the sad lack of blog posts…but even amid the busyness, there’s a lot of super to be found!

1)      We’ve had so much fun over the past couple of weeks, keeping tabs on the bunnies in our yard.  One afternoon, we saw two adult bunnies, seeming to play with each other.  One would charge at the other, and the second bunny would hop straight in the air to avoid the collision.  They did this for a good three or four minutes.  All the while, the baby bunny grazed nearby…so sweet!

2)      My very dear friend – M&C’s mom – had her precious Baby A on Monday afternoon.  I got to visit her a couple of times in the hospital, and the girls asked after each visit, “Was A out of Miss Demara’s tummy already?”  I can’t begin to imagine how they were processing everything, but that just made me laugh.

3)      Since Miss A was born, my A&B have been very attentive to their baby dolls.  It’s so sweet to see, since they’ve been more focused on their furry babies over the past six months or so.  They are absolutely chomping at the bit to meet Miss A soon!

4)      Baby A called for me a couple of hours after bedtime one evening, which is rare.  I bounded up the stairs to check on her, and was met with the sweetest, raspy little voice.  “I love you, Mommy,” she said, and then she hugged and kissed my hand.  She just needed a little reassurance, I guess, to settle back to sleep.  It was definitely one of those I-love-being-a-mommy moments.

5)      After a particularly busy afternoon, when I realized there just wasn’t enough time in the day to cook what I’d planned for supper, I made a quick decision to pick up a pizza on the way home.  As we started to drive away, B said, “Mommy, I saw a sign on the door.  It was an advertisement for a large pizza with two toppings, for 10 bucks.”  I probably swerved the car at her deadpan statement.  I didn’t see the advertisement, and I can’t imagine that was quite right – as it doesn’t sound like a very good deal – but her “10 bucks” had me rolling!  I don’t think of myself as saying “bucks” very often…but maybe I do?  She had to have heard it somewhere!

6)      On Thursday morning we went out for breakfast…a rare treat that is almost always reserved for the weekend…and then we headed to Lost River Cave for an early morning hike.  We hadn’t been since April, and it was so nice to see all the trees in their beautiful bright greens.  It was a very hot day – even before lunchtime – but it’s so very shady there we were quite comfortable.  I never tire of enjoying hikes with my sweet babies…and I love how observant they are of some of the neat little things that I would probably miss along the way.

7)      The girls and I have been working on a multi-layered art project over the course of the past few days.  It never fails that they pause at some point and say, “This is fun, Mommy!”  It makes the gluey hands and fabric strings so very worth it.

8)      Seeing the girls working on their silly faces!

9)      I’ve let the girls help me unload the dishwasher the past few days.  I know that’s something that most kids have been doing for a while at their age…but it’s a chore I REALLY dislike…and I am usually so focused on just getting it done that I didn’t want to invite any “helpers” into the mix on a regular basis.  The girls have taken turns – one doing the utensils, while the other stacks dishes on the counter for me to put away.  So far, they’re having a blast with it…and it’s actually made it a bit “fun” for me, not quite as dreaded, actually, as it typically is.

10)   Aunt Alison sent the girls new outfits to mark their first day of preschool last August.  They were a bit big at the time, but they fit perfectly now.  The girls wore them for the first time this week, and they could not get enough of their “twirl dresses”.  I fear they could get used to this!

11)   The girls and I have eaten a couple of times at a new-to-us bakery close to downtown.  This week we had the opportunity to visit there with Daddy for lunch.  The girls were so cute, showing Daddy “our” table and telling him what they like there.  Fortunately, Daddy liked it to, so we’ll definitely be going back!

12)   For a long time the girls have been making up words.  “What does 'alla-bob-kich-a' mean, Mommy?” they’ll ask…and then LAUGH.  Usually their “words” are so conjured it’s almost impossible to transcribe them, but they threw out an easier one a couple of days ago.  I thought I would note it for posterity’s sake.  "'Bop' is another word for 'pillow'. I just made it up," Baby A told me.  That was followed by hysterical giggles, in stereo.

13)   One morning, the girls were planning a trip with their babies, and I asked them where they were going. Baby A stated emphatically, "The Empire State building!" A few seconds later, B reconsidered, "Or maybe the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I'm not sure."  B proceeded to make the tallest tower she could manage, and told me it was, in fact, the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

So thankful for lots of super with my baby girls!!!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to our very favorite Double Daddy!!!

The girls helped me make stuffed crepes this morning.  They seem to have an innate ability (perhaps coming from generations before them) to roll crepes.  Filled with a sweetened ricotta cheese (which B said needed "just a little bit more sugar"), the girls were all too happy to join their daddy at the breakfast table, too.

The girls presented their daddy with this book, "Kisses for Daddy".  We have lots of books about mommies and babies...but this is the first one truly focused on a daddy and his little bear cub.  The girls loved snuggling with him to read...and I know he loved it, just as much.

We were running a bit behind this year, so we didn't have our traditional Father's Day handprints to present at breakfast.  We had a fun time making our handprints today, though.  Maybe we'll do a mid-week catch-up for that presentation.

We rounded out the day with one of Daddy's favorite meals, shrimp in Cajun cream sauce.  The girls licked their bowls, and Daddy had two big servings himself.

Before bed we read "Kisses for Daddy" one last time.  The girls bid their daddy goodnight, and wished him Happy Father's Day one last time.

It was a great day celebrating a great double daddy!

Cherry Pickin' in PICTURES

I'd never realized before that our local orchard allows people to pick their own cherries.  I happened upon that little gem of information a few days ago, and quickly carved out time on our calendar.  Of course I was looking forward to some yummy cherries...but -- truthfully -- I wanted pictures of two sweet cherry-pickers just as badly!

We checked in with the store and chose a couple of flat boxes to collect our bounty.  They pointed us towards the trees, and we were off!  Of course the girls wanted to carry the (empty) boxes!

Here's A, looking up at the cherries in the trees.  The girls were SO excited!!!

Here's B, getting started...

Baby A, adding her cherries to the growing collection...

Baby A with a huge handful!  (These were picked by Daddy, and she was carrying them to add to the box.)  (And I love the cherry juice under her fingernails!)

Baby B with another huge handful...I love her expression in the sun!

This was a posed picture...although it didn't turn out like I'd hoped.  I wanted each of the girls to hold up a stem of cherries.  They finally got into "position"...but only after a series of directions from Mommy...and by then the moment was long-gone.  HA!

Daddy was ready to call it a morning, and I think B was with him...but Baby A wanted to keep going!  I love the look of concentration on her face!

We finally agreed to call it quits.  Here are the girls, surveying our bounty.

After such a fun adventure, it was time to head home.

When we weighed in, we discovered we'd picked a little more than four pounds of cherries.  I can now confirm that cherries can be hand-pitted at an approximate rate of one pound per 15 minutes...much better than I thought!  Four pounds of cherries, at our house, yielded one cherry pie, one 9x13" cherry cobbler, and 1/2 a recipe of fruit spread.  We're loving the goodies at our house...you can truly taste the freshness!!!

And even if the cherries we picked had all been given to the birds...it still would have been worth it to me for the sweet pictures and precious memories.

Happy Summer, y'all!!!

Multi-Tasking

Since we don't live very close to our families, the phone has been a major presence in the girls' lives since a very early age.  I first remember the girls actively talking on the phone when they were about 14 months old, when they said their first word outside of "mama" and "dada".

As soon as they uttered the word, "Baby!" -- Baby B first, followed within about 10 minutes by her sister -- I started dialing.

Phone time over the next couple of years consisted mostly of "performances".  The girls would gladly recite the words to a nursery rhyme, or sing a song, or eventually recount the morning's adventures.

It was only over the last year or so that actual conversations began to happen.

These days, as long as the girls are in the mood [ahem], they can be quite the conversationalists.  During the school year, they talk to Daddy during his lunch break.  And we usually chat it up with GG at least once a day.

A couple of days ago, the girls were very consumed with coloring, first thing in the morning.  Since we'd missed our night-night conversation with GG the day prior, I asked if they wanted to call her.  They were very excited to do so...but they didn't want to put down their crayons.

I couldn't resist snapping this picture of B.

She didn't miss a beat in coloring the pig she asked me to draw for her...she reminded me of a busy executive (in her ice cream cone pajamas) working away while tending to the phone.

I guess it's never too early to learn to multi-task!

[DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY from EASY CANVAS PRINTS...through 6/19!!!]

A Picture-Perfect GIVEAWAY!!!

As many of you probably know, we are in the process of selling our house.

With that, we've had what has felt, at times, like a veritable parade of different families, peering into our closets and measuring our bathtubs.

By and large, the feedback has been very positive.  Everyone loves our location, and our backyard has garnered many ooh's and ahh's.  Another comment I've almost come to expect at some point during a showing is about the artwork that adorns our walls.

Yes, there have been plenty of ooh's and ahh's over my babies.  While I really just want to SELL THE HOUSE, I have to say that part has been fun.  To have complete strangers stop in front of a picture and use words like, "Stunning!" or to lament, "I wish I had pictures like these of our family," it makes having polished the baseboards with a toothbrush all the more palatable.

I was so excited to receive an offer to review a canvas from Easy Canvas Prints...it was a complete no-brainer for me!  I'm already a very loyal customer, and I love to share my good experiences.


photo canvas prints


Consider...

Here is the view of our living room, just after you enter our front door:

And a closer look at one of my favorite pictures:

16x20" hanging canvas

And I think this is the perfect complement to our master bedroom:

8x10" canvas with easel back

Both these canvases are from Easy Canvas Prints, and I love them so, so much!  The quality of printing is beautiful...the canvas material has such a buttery hand to it...and cleaning is a cinch.

In exchange for writing this review, I received a voucher for a 16x20" canvas.  By far, the hardest part of placing my order was deciding which picture to use.  Once that arduous decision was made, the ordering process took literally less than 5 minutes.

So...which picture did I choose? 

This picture of our Bama Belles in their crimson-and-white finest will be such a fantastic addition to our "Alabama wall" in our NEW house.

[I also want to mention that I worked with Easy Canvas Prints a couple of months ago to purchase a canvas for a very dear friend.  Instead of buying a gift certificate in a traditional sense, they worked closely with me to allow me to set everything up, so all my friend had to do was upload her photo.  Their customer service was outstanding.]

I'm thrilled to be able to offer an awesome GIVEAWAY from Easy Canvas Prints...an 8x10" canvas!!!

Get as many entries as you can between 6/11 and 6/19 to increase your chances of winning! AND...all entrants will receive a coupon for 60% off their Easy Canvas Prints purchase!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to share this awesome GIVEAWAY with your friends? Click HERE!

Easy Canvas Prints also highly suggests BuildASign:

 
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Easy Canvas Prints will select a winner at random on 6/20 and notify the winner directly. In exchange for writing this post, I received compensation in the form of a free canvas. All opinions herein are my own...can ya tell that I truly love these canvases?!  Best of luck...I know you'll love these canvases as much as I do!