Naomi's phrases change almost weekly and here are a few that have stuck around for a while. She may not always use them in the right context but she uses them a lot!
"just for pretend"
"who gave that for me?"
"all by myself"
"I don't want to go potty"
"but that's okay"
"_____'s gonna come over" (whoever is on her mind at the moment is just minutes away from coming over)
"soon" but she doesn't really understand what that means she just uses it a lot knowing that it doesn't mean right now, example: "I'm gonna take a nap soon" but this can never mean right now in her little world.
She'll pick up her cell phone from uncle Eric and have a conversation something like this: "Hello, this is me....babbling...are you gonna come over? no? okay, bye"
Dana and Holly, we have started the indoctrination into Annie...Naomi has watched it twice and asks to watch "Mannie" regularly. It's already begun, Micah will have the songs memorized before too long just like his daddy (because big sister(s) want to watch it all the time :)).
Ahh, two year olds! gotta love em!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
getting married
Naomi informed me the other day that she was getting married. She got out her "married dress" and fancy shoes and told me that she is marrying "uncle ciffy". So, like any good photographer would do, I took photos of her in her "married dress". Then I decided to play along a little more and got her some flowers and a wedding ring. She also said that she was going to marry "uncle Jewwe" and "daddy". I asked if daddy knew that she was planning on marrying two other people and she said no. Should make for an interesting wedding! Here are some of the photos from her "wedding day". 
birthdays
For our MOPS@ playdate this month we went to McDonald's and had a small birthday celebration for two little ladies who turned 3 in Feb. It was fun to hang out and talk with moms and it's always nice to get the kids to run off some energy. Of course, Micah was cooped up in the highchair the whole time because I was NOT about to let him crawl around on that floor (yuck) but he seemed to do okay anyway. The cupcakes were great and Greg was even able to join us for a little bit, which made Naomi and Micah really happy too!
great aunt
Greg's great aunt Sylvia and her friend Bart were in town on Wednesday. They had been vacationing around southern Texas and were able to come to church on Ash Wednesday to have dinner and worship with us. We hadn't seen Aunt Sylvia since our wedding so it was really nice to catch up with her. She lives in MN, so I'm sure she enjoyed the nice weather too! Thanks for coming to see us and meet your great great niece and nephew...it was fun to catch up!
the great outdoors
...we just watched the end of that classic movie. Ahhh...memories!
I love that you can actually see the bubble pop here...wow, what a fast camera! love it!
I don't know how many of you know how talented my husband is ... he took these next four photos! Talent man, talent!
It's been pretty nice here lately so we've been playing outside more. Micah got to play in the sandbox for the first time the other day. He didn't try to eat the sand but every little leaf that was in the sandbox made it to his mouth. We also got the bubbles out. Micah got a cool bubble lion for Christmas from his cousins and it was great that we could put it to good use. The kids loved it! Micah got so happy when the bubbles were coming out and Naomi of course wanted to do it "all by myself". Yesterday it was 94 degrees and we tried to turn the air on but alas it did not work. Bummer. Not sure what the problem is but we're okay for now. It's cooler today and only in the 60's and VERY windy. So, for now we can still say that we haven't turned on our air, although we did try! That's so crazy to me...but whatever, it comes with the territory. And having air down here is like having heat in WI....you just can't really live without it (so hopefully it will be an easy fix). Here are some photos from our fun outside the other day.
I love that you can actually see the bubble pop here...wow, what a fast camera! love it!I don't know how many of you know how talented my husband is ... he took these next four photos! Talent man, talent!
Friday, February 27, 2009
re-purposed
Maybe you remember this bag that I made. Well, one of the handles fell off and since I made it prior to really learning much about sewing I decided to make it better. I fixed the "hem" so that the edges were under and wouldn't fray. I made new handles from the front pant leg so that they would be seamless and longer. I also made sure to sew them so that no edges were exposed. I also took one of the back pockets from the pants and sewed it inside the bag so I would have an inside pocket as well. I'm really happy with how the re-finished bag turned out and I use it as my purse. It's great to re-purpose old clothes that are worn out or no longer fit. It's my little way of saving money and "going green". I have an old pair of jeans and cords just waiting to become purses for someone else!
apron
I made my first apron and I am very excited about it. It turned out really good for my first attempt at following directions from a book. Usually I just make up my own "patterns" as I go. I used the apron pattern from In Stitches by Amy Butler. I haven't used the apron yet since I haven't really done any cooking since I made it, but I am excited to use it! ... and I can't wait to make more for my loved ones. If you get an apron for Christmas or your birthday this year please act surprised!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
30 things...
In honor of my sweet husband turning 30, I would like for you all to know
30 things that I love about Greg...
1. His love for Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior
2. That he loves me for me and doesn't expect me to change, (not that he doesn't want me to sometimes but at least he doesn't expect it)
3. His special bond with Naomi
4. His love for little Micah (and their bond is growing and growing as Micah gets bigger)
5. That he's left handed just like me
6. That he's a "professional driver" and reminds me of it when we're in the car
7. That he loves his congregation so much
8. That he's transparent and you almost always know what he's thinking
9. That he loves to communicate, more than any male I've ever met
10. That he has special songs for the kids that he made up
11. Listening to him teach Naomi about Jesus is priceless
12. He's very faithful and devoted, not just to me but to anyone that he gives his word to
13. That he's creative
14. That we can laugh together and be silly
15. That he trys new things and encourages me to try new things
16. That he doesn't give up
17. That he loves serving in different ways other than just in his specific church
18. That he loves to get down on the floor and wrestle with the kids and just have a great time playing with them
19. That he's a great son, son-in-law, brother, uncle...all those things
20. That he's musically inclined
21. That he's athletic (the best of both worlds...a creative jock!!!)
22. That he's way more spontaneous than I am
23. That he LOVES to cuddle
24. That he's great at picking out an outfit and I never have to worry if his clothes match when he leaves the house
25. That he's passionate about many things and isn't afraid to share that passion with others
26. That he has hobbies and pursues them and that he allows me to pursue my hobbies
27. That he is so encouraging of me and my photography business (I don't think I'd have the business if it wasn't for his encouragement)
28. That he's VERY handsome!!
29. That he has a heart for people
30. That he's not afraid to pitch in around the house and with the kids even after working all day at church
Obviously this is not an exhaustive list at all. There are MANY more things that I love about this man!
Obviously this is not an exhaustive list at all. There are MANY more things that I love about this man! Greg, I pray that your birthday is a great day. I praise God for giving you life and seeing it fit to give you to me. I am thankful for the man of God, husband, father, and Pastor that you are. You are amazing and I want you to know how much I treasure you. I love you! Happy 30th Birthday Old Man!!!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
a new photo
I'm slowly getting more of my photography up on our walls. I love to be surrounded by photos of the people and things that I love. AND, it's good advertising to people that come over. Today I hung this photo of Micah under the one of Naomi at the Mission. I love how they look with the white matts and the Midevil Gold on the walls.
t-m-i
This post will fall under the t-m-i (too much information) category so feel free to skip it.
Potty training is hard. Not only are you training a small child to know "when to go" but you're also training an adult to know when they need to go. Naomi decided a couple of weeks ago to try out the potty. She did good for a couple of days, (staying dry most of the day) and then decided she didn't want to use the toilet anymore. For about two weeks she was sparatic at best and used the toilet only when we really showed interest in it too. I know that she can tell when she has to go to the bathroom, she's just too busy playing sometimes or just lazy. And sometimes, I'm just lazy and would rather just change her diaper than take her to the bathroom.
Seriously, it takes much more time and effort to actually take her to the bathroom than it does to just change her diaper. Here's the run-down. First we have to walk to the bathroom and stop and pick up a photobook or an antique camera on the way. Once we finally make it to the bathroom we have to drop the drawers and get her on the toilet. Then we usually here this, "go out and close the door, I need my pivacy (privacy)". So, we wait outside and pray to hear a little tinkle in the toilet. Is it weird that I get a huge smile and feel happy inside when I hear that noise? Sometimes things take a little longer and that is when I know code brown is going down. Not a problem, I usually run to the kitchen to clean something up while I'm waiting. Once she's done it's the whole wipping process, then, "can I flush the toidet (toilet)?" and, "let me wash my hands, all by myself". So the water runs and the soap overflows on her little hands and she enjoys splashing and making a mess. Once I turn the water off she gets the towel, dries her hands and wipes the counter (isn't she sweet to wipe the counter after she got it all wet?). Then she needs to turn off the light and shut the door before leaving. Do any of you moms out there have little ones that HAVE to shut the door all the time?
Side note: when Naomi wakes up from her nap we can usually tell because we can hear her shutting the door behind her. I think it's funny that she does that but maybe it's normal...I don't know.
Back to the potty training. We've read books and watched Elmo go potty and used pull-ups. But the pull-ups are too much like diapers so we went out and bought Naomi some big girl panties yesterday. She picked Elmo over princesses, and we got some generic ones too. So, today is the first day in "panties", which Naomi calls "onesies" most of the time. She did pretty good this morning for a couple of hours. Then she pooped in a pair. We went to the potty, nothing more was coming out. Ten minutes later she peed on the kitchen floor. We changed her and got her third pair of panties and second pair of pants. She spilled all her milk on the floor at lunch so I cleaned that up. Then asked her if she needed to go potty after lunch. She said no, then proceeded to pee on the kitchen floor again about five minutes later. Seriously kid! She did not like being cold and wet so maybe that will help with the process.
I have a pretty clean kitchen floor now though. I guess I can be grateful that she peed in the kitchen and not the living room. I think we'll be playing in the kitchen or outside for the next couple of days. So she got a pull-up since it was nap time and a new pair of pants. So, after the nap we'll be on pair number 4 of panties and pair 3 of pants. We'll see how the rest of the day and week go. I may need to go get more panties! ugh! I'm excited that we're well on our way to having only one child in diapers!
Potty training is hard. Not only are you training a small child to know "when to go" but you're also training an adult to know when they need to go. Naomi decided a couple of weeks ago to try out the potty. She did good for a couple of days, (staying dry most of the day) and then decided she didn't want to use the toilet anymore. For about two weeks she was sparatic at best and used the toilet only when we really showed interest in it too. I know that she can tell when she has to go to the bathroom, she's just too busy playing sometimes or just lazy. And sometimes, I'm just lazy and would rather just change her diaper than take her to the bathroom.
Seriously, it takes much more time and effort to actually take her to the bathroom than it does to just change her diaper. Here's the run-down. First we have to walk to the bathroom and stop and pick up a photobook or an antique camera on the way. Once we finally make it to the bathroom we have to drop the drawers and get her on the toilet. Then we usually here this, "go out and close the door, I need my pivacy (privacy)". So, we wait outside and pray to hear a little tinkle in the toilet. Is it weird that I get a huge smile and feel happy inside when I hear that noise? Sometimes things take a little longer and that is when I know code brown is going down. Not a problem, I usually run to the kitchen to clean something up while I'm waiting. Once she's done it's the whole wipping process, then, "can I flush the toidet (toilet)?" and, "let me wash my hands, all by myself". So the water runs and the soap overflows on her little hands and she enjoys splashing and making a mess. Once I turn the water off she gets the towel, dries her hands and wipes the counter (isn't she sweet to wipe the counter after she got it all wet?). Then she needs to turn off the light and shut the door before leaving. Do any of you moms out there have little ones that HAVE to shut the door all the time?
Side note: when Naomi wakes up from her nap we can usually tell because we can hear her shutting the door behind her. I think it's funny that she does that but maybe it's normal...I don't know.
Back to the potty training. We've read books and watched Elmo go potty and used pull-ups. But the pull-ups are too much like diapers so we went out and bought Naomi some big girl panties yesterday. She picked Elmo over princesses, and we got some generic ones too. So, today is the first day in "panties", which Naomi calls "onesies" most of the time. She did pretty good this morning for a couple of hours. Then she pooped in a pair. We went to the potty, nothing more was coming out. Ten minutes later she peed on the kitchen floor. We changed her and got her third pair of panties and second pair of pants. She spilled all her milk on the floor at lunch so I cleaned that up. Then asked her if she needed to go potty after lunch. She said no, then proceeded to pee on the kitchen floor again about five minutes later. Seriously kid! She did not like being cold and wet so maybe that will help with the process.
I have a pretty clean kitchen floor now though. I guess I can be grateful that she peed in the kitchen and not the living room. I think we'll be playing in the kitchen or outside for the next couple of days. So she got a pull-up since it was nap time and a new pair of pants. So, after the nap we'll be on pair number 4 of panties and pair 3 of pants. We'll see how the rest of the day and week go. I may need to go get more panties! ugh! I'm excited that we're well on our way to having only one child in diapers!
baby blankets
Last night I took the time after the kids were in bed (and after we watched 24) to sew some baby blankets. This was a very simple project but I just love the way they turned out. The fabric is so cute, I don't want to part with them. But I'm happy to be able to spread the love and send them to little ones that I love! I used a half yard of two fabrics and stitched them wrong sides together, leaving a small opening to turn them right side out.
I've made pillows before and didn't really know how to close them properly, so last night I got online and found a tutorial for stitching things like that closed. I guess if you sew a lot it seems silly that I didn't know how to close them properly but I've really just taught myself a lot of the things I do. So, I used a blindstitch and I'm really happy with the way it finished off the blankets.
I am so excited that they turned out pretty good. They may be a bit small but I envision them being used more as lap blankets for the stroller or car seat, or somethinng like that. I hope the little ones who receive these in the mail really like them as much as I do. M is sleeping with his right now. Hopefully the jungle animals won't wake him up!
I've made pillows before and didn't really know how to close them properly, so last night I got online and found a tutorial for stitching things like that closed. I guess if you sew a lot it seems silly that I didn't know how to close them properly but I've really just taught myself a lot of the things I do. So, I used a blindstitch and I'm really happy with the way it finished off the blankets.I am so excited that they turned out pretty good. They may be a bit small but I envision them being used more as lap blankets for the stroller or car seat, or somethinng like that. I hope the little ones who receive these in the mail really like them as much as I do. M is sleeping with his right now. Hopefully the jungle animals won't wake him up!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
surprise party
On Saturday night I threw my husband his sixth surprise birthday party.
Not six in one night.
Not six in six years.
But six within the ten years that we've known each other. Each one was different, with different people, different stories leading him there but each one was successful. This one was a little less dramatic but fun none-the-less. There were three people there to surprise him but we still had a great time hanging out and laughing. The night started out with Greg, his best friend Jordan, and I going out for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. It was nice to go out, just the three of us (it's been a LONG time since that has happened). Then we went home and had the party, and some really yummy chocolate cake. It was a fun night and I hope Greg was at least a little surprised! Happy 30th Birthday babe! I love you!
I made a gift bag for Greg's present from a fat quarter of fabric and some ribbon! I think I'll do this more often, really saves from wasting more paper!
N helped her daddy blow out his candles!
Not six in one night.
Not six in six years.
But six within the ten years that we've known each other. Each one was different, with different people, different stories leading him there but each one was successful. This one was a little less dramatic but fun none-the-less. There were three people there to surprise him but we still had a great time hanging out and laughing. The night started out with Greg, his best friend Jordan, and I going out for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. It was nice to go out, just the three of us (it's been a LONG time since that has happened). Then we went home and had the party, and some really yummy chocolate cake. It was a fun night and I hope Greg was at least a little surprised! Happy 30th Birthday babe! I love you!
I made a gift bag for Greg's present from a fat quarter of fabric and some ribbon! I think I'll do this more often, really saves from wasting more paper!N helped her daddy blow out his candles!
birthday banner
I've always wanted to make a some-what permanent birthday banner...and since my sweet husband is turning 30 this year, I thought this would be a great time to do it. I had the idea that I could really make it happen on Friday...and I was having a surprise party for him on Saturday. I wasn't sure if I could actually get it done on time...but I did. Well, mostly done. I haven't decided if I'm going to stitch each letter to the ribbon or not. I like the flexibility that I have right now with being able to make it shorter or longer...so we'll see.
I made it all up on my own and maybe next time (if there is a next time), I'll make the letters bigger. I made the letters in Microsoft Word (arial black) and then cut them out, traced them (backwards) onto the maroon fabric and then cut them out. I cut the background piece to be 5x14 and stitched the letters to the bottom half of the fabric. I have never really been taught how to stitch and move things at the same time so the stitching on the letters looks a little funny on some of them (just makes it look more homemade). Then I folded the pieces right sides together and stitched around the three sides leaving a little space at the top of the sides to turn them the right way and also to hang them. I didn't have to stitch the top since it was just folded over. They turned out pretty good. I made a blank one so that I can put numbers on there...maybe with velcro or something, I haven't thought that one all the way through yet. Any suggestions?
Greg helped me hang the banner (not knowing it was for his surprise party) by putting two hooks in the wall so I could attach the ribbon. I'm excited about these hooks because I plan on putting ribbon and some clothes pins there to hang art work or photos when it's not someone's birthday!
A little more detailed.
I made it all up on my own and maybe next time (if there is a next time), I'll make the letters bigger. I made the letters in Microsoft Word (arial black) and then cut them out, traced them (backwards) onto the maroon fabric and then cut them out. I cut the background piece to be 5x14 and stitched the letters to the bottom half of the fabric. I have never really been taught how to stitch and move things at the same time so the stitching on the letters looks a little funny on some of them (just makes it look more homemade). Then I folded the pieces right sides together and stitched around the three sides leaving a little space at the top of the sides to turn them the right way and also to hang them. I didn't have to stitch the top since it was just folded over. They turned out pretty good. I made a blank one so that I can put numbers on there...maybe with velcro or something, I haven't thought that one all the way through yet. Any suggestions?
Greg helped me hang the banner (not knowing it was for his surprise party) by putting two hooks in the wall so I could attach the ribbon. I'm excited about these hooks because I plan on putting ribbon and some clothes pins there to hang art work or photos when it's not someone's birthday!
It's hard to get a good picture of the banner because it's not hanging in front of a blank wall. But I think you get the idea.
A little more detailed.
sewing time
I've put my machine to work.
I've made a banner,
a gift bag,
and have big plans for some blankets.
I guess it's B time!
Finished projects will be shown later!
I've made a banner,
a gift bag,
and have big plans for some blankets.
I guess it's B time!
Finished projects will be shown later!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
great mail day
Wednesday was a great mail day! My order from WHCC came! yay! I had ordered some prints for one of my brides and I had also ordered the storyboards of Meagan. I was so excited to see my work so large and mounted and professionally printed like that. I've gotten 8x10s before and that's nice but it's so great to see 16x20's and larger. I am really happy with the way they turned out and so are Susan and Meagan. Thanks, Susan for taking a "chance" with me and helping me find out how great they are (they, being the prints and the printers!)! Now, I just need to order a couple of canvases. I have the photos in mind, just need to make it happen! I'll let you know when I do.
When I was photographing these photographs (only a photographer would do that right?), the kids wanted in on the action. Naomi grabbed one of my cameras off my antique camera table and started shooting right along side me. Awesome. I get to train my second shooter! yay! She loves to tell Micah to smile and pose and she was even saying, "Meagan, smile" and she would snap her fingers to get Meagan to smile (she sees her daddy doing that when trying to get Micah's attention for a photo). It was too funny!
When I was photographing these photographs (only a photographer would do that right?), the kids wanted in on the action. Naomi grabbed one of my cameras off my antique camera table and started shooting right along side me. Awesome. I get to train my second shooter! yay! She loves to tell Micah to smile and pose and she was even saying, "Meagan, smile" and she would snap her fingers to get Meagan to smile (she sees her daddy doing that when trying to get Micah's attention for a photo). It was too funny!
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