Enhancing the blog style...bear with me!

This week I've spent alot of time reading lots of blogs. I have a LONG way to go in getting this thing decent! I am going to promise to do a better job of adding pictures! I always feel like we get up and rush rush to work and school and then when we get home we are cooking, cleaning, getting the girls ready for bed and then doing it all over again the next day. I hardly have the time to get a camera out! But, I decided to MAKE myself. So this week I tried. =) Here we go....
I am wanting a new lense for my camera. I have a friend at work with the lense I am looking into and she let me borrow it! Great friend! Here is my first picture with it. The girls were in bed and I put a doll (Savanna) in front of a pile of toys. I am still loving my new flash I got for Christmas. But what do you think of the lense?

So Thursday night Tim had to work out of town and my mother came over to help me out. I didn't get the camera out before The Boo went to bed. She conks out about an hour and half after we get home. Here is a look at what I got of The Litttle Missy Princess and Gigi.

Girl Talk...

Sweet Kisses...

Say Cheese...

In the spirit of Vday coming up I bought these:
Cropped pic to cut out an oven covered in fingerprints LOL...

And the best for last. I have an old pink boa that I had bought thinking I'd eventually use it in a craft somehow and it's ended up as a toy for the girls. Caydence grabbed it and ran into the hall with the dog. She said "look mommy he looks like a lamb." All of this was in the middle of me trying to do hang and fold laundry. Ofcourse he ran for it before I could grab the camera...BUT below are the after shots when we had a redo!
Take One...the happy dog:

Take Two...He's getting love:

Well, that's it for now. I know it was a LONG post. Lots going on. Stay tuned. I am getting SO inspired from reading DIY blogs and I am starting some projects that I hope to post soon!

How great is our GOD

The last couple of weeks have had me thinking about my life and how marvelous our God is. Tim and I have been cleaning up the house and decluttering. In the process we found lots of old cd’s with photos from my past. The bulk majority were of my stepson. I hated to throw them out as I loved him dearly. But my life had changed and those memories no longer belonged with me. I decided to contact his mother to see if she might be interested in having them. She and I never had a good relationship which goes beyond reasons that would be obvious. (that would have to be a whole other post). Since we didn’t have ongoing contact and the last time we communicated was negative I wasn’t quite sure how she’d respond. But being a mom I had to try to give them to her. I felt like those memories of his life belonged with her for safe keeping. She was very polite in her reply and she did want the pictures. She also sent me a friend request. I contemplated accepting it for a while. I’ve never contemplated accepting any friend request before. But this one had me remembering things in my past that were painful. And that got me thinking...
How great is our GOD! From all my pain and misery in my first marriage God has truly blessed me. I have a husband who has marvelous qualities. He is faithful, handsome, hard working, very intelligent, devoted to family, and he loves me with all that is in him. We have been blessed with two daughters. And there was that time in my life that was void of these three wonderful people that God has placed in my life…two of which HE has trusted me to help guide in life. Life is never perfect. But we each should choose to celebrate the day for the goodness that God has placed in our lives. I am so thankful for what God has done for me. I am so thankful that God’s plan was so much greater than the one I had in mind!

One of my favorite songs inspired the title to this post.

Here's the handsome hubby:


The Little Missy Princess

The Beautiful Boo

Photographer Pet Peave

So on facebook this week some of my favorite photographers joined a new group. "Just because you have a nice camera doesn't make you a photographer" Something along those lines. Well, that really got under my skin. Just because they are good at their chosen profession doesn't mean that they should belitte anyone trying. I mean, come on folks, have some humility about you! I personally think that it was a bad move on their part business wise. I mean who likes it when someone says "I'm better than you are"....not me. I for one think you can be blessed with a God given talent, be very good at editing, both, or be a product of hard work. But why bash the person just starting out? I don't get it. Didn't you, professional photographer, have to start somewhere????

Mall Trip

Yesterday Tim and I took the girls to the mall. Tim wanted to spend his gift card he'd gotten for Christmas to American Eagle. Since we were not planning to go and we didn't have the stroller with us I thought the girls and I would just hang out in the play area until he was finished shopping. When we got there we found some friends that we already knew playing. Caydence and Bella immediately started to play and I sat down with the other mommy and Tim was on his way. Before I knew it Bella had toddled out of the play area. When I noticed I jumped up and went to get her...at that point she was almost two tables into the cafeteria! After that heart pounding episode she decided she wanted to hang close to mommy (thank goodness). Tim was back just in time to see Caydence, in the middle of the play area in a little 'boat' with two boys who looked to be her age. She had both little boys attention and was chatting away. I pointed it out to Tim and he wasn't too thrilled about her making friends with two boys. LOL! Next thing I see all three of them are getting out of the boat and are holding hands. Within seconds I hear Caydence crying. About that time I ran over to her and the little boys mommy is running over. When I got there her had was turning red he'd been holding it so tight. He looked like, 'what did I do?' After consoling Caydence she was ready to go home. It was all fun and games until he held on a little too tight for her comfort. He was only trying to play and have fun with his new friend. It was sweet seeing the interaction.

Ralph...RIP

The hubster, Tim, had a pet from his younger days...the cat named Ralph. Tim claimed him as his own. It has been an ongoing discussion as to just whose cat Ralph has been all his life. Apparantly his original name was Shadow and Tim found that too unoriginal so he renamed him....King Ralph. And it has stuck. Ralph was not just any cat. He was a cat with a dog's personality (in my opinion, that is the BEST!). So all the brothers loved this cat, grew up with this cat, neighborhood kids and friends loved this cat. He could speak his own name, he hated homework, and he loved lunch meat. Ralph was getting older but our girls were able to get the opportunity to meet him just before he passed. They were instantly in love with Ralph. All I heard for the few days that he was around them was "where's ralph" , "can I pet ralph", "i want to snuggle with ralph" and my favorite of all "is ralph a cat"...ofcourse she knew the answer to that one. ;-) At first I was suspicious of him because after all he is an animal and the girls are only 2.5 years and 1 year old. I quickly determined he loved them loving on him just as much as they loved doing it. Ralph had some health issues that were ailing him in the end of his days. He was in lots of pain and was unable to eat...his favorite thing to do. Even though he was having a tough go he was so good and gentle with the girls. He certainly made an impression on our girls. We were driving back to Mimi's one day and Caydence busted out with "There was a farmer had a cat and Ralph was his namo...R-A-L-P-H" I had only sang that to her one time. Good memory that girl! And she loves to sing! The Missy Princess and the Boo both enjoyed the few days they spent with him and it is certain he will be missed by our family.

December Pictures

Got an opportunity to load photoshop on the laptop over the weekend after our desktop died. FINALLY got around to editing 'some' of the 800 photographs we took through December. Yes, I love pictures. Photoshop will automatically take out the redeye for you. I haven't had issues with this previously, however, this go round the red eye remover placed 'blue eye' on many of our pics. I was SO dissappointed. So family members, if you do not see many pictures of yourself and you know I took them, you probably got the blue eye. ;-) Don't worry. I am trying to figure something out but for now only the 'easy to edit' photos made the blog. By no means are our memories complete without you!

Bella's First Birthday