There is beauty in my yard after last weeks storm! This afternoon, as I walked the outskirts of the yard inspecting the plants (and mourning over my dead leaf lettuce and cucumber plants!) this beautiful red burst of color caught my eye. And when I drew closer to look at it, it had the most amazing fragrance too! It is our first bloom from the rose bush I planted for Ty and it now adorns a vase in the window of my kitchen. It is full and vibrant and beautiful. And to me, it holds a deeper message among its petals....that despite turbulent times, there is purpose and beauty and grace to behold....God's divine providence illustrated in my garden today. Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Beauty after the storm...
There is beauty in my yard after last weeks storm! This afternoon, as I walked the outskirts of the yard inspecting the plants (and mourning over my dead leaf lettuce and cucumber plants!) this beautiful red burst of color caught my eye. And when I drew closer to look at it, it had the most amazing fragrance too! It is our first bloom from the rose bush I planted for Ty and it now adorns a vase in the window of my kitchen. It is full and vibrant and beautiful. And to me, it holds a deeper message among its petals....that despite turbulent times, there is purpose and beauty and grace to behold....God's divine providence illustrated in my garden today. 
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Eating machine
We just finished dinner and I just had to blog, if only to log for myself how much sweet Ellie can eat! And eat she does...ANYTHING I put in front of her, aside from cottage cheese. That is the only thing she has ever refused from me. Tonight she had beets for the first time and loved them. Weird child! Ty and I wouldn't eat beets, but I bought a can to see what Ellie thought. They're not too shabby, apparently! I seriously think Ellie has a hollow leg! For dinner tonight, she ate 3/4 of a string cheese, 3 grapes (sliced in teeny, tiny pieces), 4 slices of beets, several smaller bites of the chicken we were dining on, a whole yo-baby yogurt AND 5 baby spoonfuls of those delicious baked beans we had last night for dinner! And....in spite of all that food, she fussed at me when I told her we were on done, as if to tell me she was still hungry. She even searched her bib pocket for pieces she might have missed along the way and gobbled up any 'leftovers' as I finished cleaning up the kitchen!!!! And you wonder why her cheeks are so big!!! Crazy kiddo! How vastly different you are than your brother!!!
BTW....Still not sure what this morning's behavior was all about. After a 3 hour, 45 minute nap this afternoon, Ellie woke up happy and 'normal'. Hmph. I'm still betting she will wake up snotty nosed or something in the morning. Guess we'll see. I see no teeth on the horizon either. But I guess you never know!
BTW....Still not sure what this morning's behavior was all about. After a 3 hour, 45 minute nap this afternoon, Ellie woke up happy and 'normal'. Hmph. I'm still betting she will wake up snotty nosed or something in the morning. Guess we'll see. I see no teeth on the horizon either. But I guess you never know!
Long weekend
Oh! How I love long weekends!! Plenty of time to just chill out. We did a lot of that this weekend. We mostly hung around the house, working on odd jobs and such. I cleaned out and re-organized Ellie's closet, we ran some errands and most importantly, we just enjoyed one another. We've also been on a 'disaster preparedness mission' for several weeks now in order that should a disaster (namely an earthquake) hit, we are....well....prepared! :) Last weekend our 'to-do' list entailed strapping and securing all the furniture to the walls and this weekend was picking up the last odds and ends to finish stocking our emergency kits. I'm proud to say that we are nearly done! Almost.
Yesterday, we had Ty's mom and brother over for a late afternoon bbq, since it had been several weeks since either of them had seen the kids. Ty smoked some really yummy baby back ribs, I made mashed potatoes, and Ty's mom brought some of the best homemade baked beans I think I've ever had! Mmmmm!! Delicious! Certainly not a diet worthy dinner, but it was fantastic!!! :) They headed home pretty early and we got the kids in bed by 7:30. Whoohooo! I love early-to-bed-nights like that!!! Normally, they are settled in closer to 8:00, so last night felt much longer. Ty and I snuggled up on the couch, fireplace ablaze (it is still kinda chilly up here at night with this weird weather we've been having) and watched the movie Atonement. Have you ever seen it? Kinda weird. Slow to start and a bit disjointed in how it presents the storyline, but I still thought it was decent. It had won so many awards that my expectations were rather high, I think. And while it didn't quite meet those expectations, it still wasn't a terrible way to spend a Monday night. :)
Today has been a typical Monday, except for the fact that it is Tuesday. I worked around the house in the early morning, straightening up from the weekend tornado that always blows through our house when we are all home together and making some phone calls about our health insurance. :( In true form for our former health insurance, I was informed again this morning that we have yet another 'pending' bill from the horrific coverage we had a short time ago. And wouldn't you know it that just this morning, we mailed off what we thought was our last payment for all that mess. Go figure.
The kids and I made a Costco trip after that, but I should have read the writing on the wall before we left and known that Ellie was in no mood for a shopping trip today. I think she is getting sick, although I'm not quite sure yet. She slept late (until 9am...she is usually up at 8) and then refused her morning bottle. She nibbled on some banana before we left, but fussed quite a lot in her highchair....behavior that is not normal for her. Then at Costco, I'm pretty sure she cried from the moment we placed our first item in our cart until we got halfway home on the highway. And I'm not talking about a whiny, whimpering cry here....OH NO! I'm talking about a full, screeching wail. Ahhhh...the day had started off with such promise too! But what are you going to do? Leave?? It wasn't as though she were throwing a temper tantrum. In that case, I would leave. This was just an unhappy cry. And I had no intentions of wasting MORE time and gasoline to drive back to the store tomorrow. So I pushed on.
I hustled through my shopping list, fielding inquisitive and sometimes annoyed looks from other patrons, trying to calm Ellie down. I desperately wanted to hold her, because I know that typically calms her, but with a cart loaded down with food and Luke making a ruckus of his own beside his sister, holding her was impossible. After I checked out, and had to wait in the refund line to get a few bucks back from a coupon that they forgot to give me. With tears stinging my eyes and Ellie's cries filling my ears, a nice, elderly woman standing behind me urged "Patience, Mom. Patience. You're doing great. " I'm sure she could see the frustration in my body language, because she couldn't see my face. As I glanced back at her and mustered up as much of a smile that I could, I found a friendly, "we've all been there', knowing look on her gentle face.
As I drove home, I thought about how nearly every one of us moms have been in situations just like that, but how ironic it is that, during those moments, I feel so completely alone and isolated. Like no-one really knows what it is like to be in that precise moment. A falsehood, of-course. Of that I am certain. I just wish I could figure out how to soak up extra patience and calmness in those moments from all those around me who have 'been there and done that'. Like some supernatural emergency support system beaming those qualities right into my heart. But even as I type those words, I realize that my Father in Heaven IS that support for me. And even in the trivial, yet trying moments of this mom's life, He is there to carry me through. Thank Goodness!!
Yesterday, we had Ty's mom and brother over for a late afternoon bbq, since it had been several weeks since either of them had seen the kids. Ty smoked some really yummy baby back ribs, I made mashed potatoes, and Ty's mom brought some of the best homemade baked beans I think I've ever had! Mmmmm!! Delicious! Certainly not a diet worthy dinner, but it was fantastic!!! :) They headed home pretty early and we got the kids in bed by 7:30. Whoohooo! I love early-to-bed-nights like that!!! Normally, they are settled in closer to 8:00, so last night felt much longer. Ty and I snuggled up on the couch, fireplace ablaze (it is still kinda chilly up here at night with this weird weather we've been having) and watched the movie Atonement. Have you ever seen it? Kinda weird. Slow to start and a bit disjointed in how it presents the storyline, but I still thought it was decent. It had won so many awards that my expectations were rather high, I think. And while it didn't quite meet those expectations, it still wasn't a terrible way to spend a Monday night. :)
Today has been a typical Monday, except for the fact that it is Tuesday. I worked around the house in the early morning, straightening up from the weekend tornado that always blows through our house when we are all home together and making some phone calls about our health insurance. :( In true form for our former health insurance, I was informed again this morning that we have yet another 'pending' bill from the horrific coverage we had a short time ago. And wouldn't you know it that just this morning, we mailed off what we thought was our last payment for all that mess. Go figure.
The kids and I made a Costco trip after that, but I should have read the writing on the wall before we left and known that Ellie was in no mood for a shopping trip today. I think she is getting sick, although I'm not quite sure yet. She slept late (until 9am...she is usually up at 8) and then refused her morning bottle. She nibbled on some banana before we left, but fussed quite a lot in her highchair....behavior that is not normal for her. Then at Costco, I'm pretty sure she cried from the moment we placed our first item in our cart until we got halfway home on the highway. And I'm not talking about a whiny, whimpering cry here....OH NO! I'm talking about a full, screeching wail. Ahhhh...the day had started off with such promise too! But what are you going to do? Leave?? It wasn't as though she were throwing a temper tantrum. In that case, I would leave. This was just an unhappy cry. And I had no intentions of wasting MORE time and gasoline to drive back to the store tomorrow. So I pushed on.
I hustled through my shopping list, fielding inquisitive and sometimes annoyed looks from other patrons, trying to calm Ellie down. I desperately wanted to hold her, because I know that typically calms her, but with a cart loaded down with food and Luke making a ruckus of his own beside his sister, holding her was impossible. After I checked out, and had to wait in the refund line to get a few bucks back from a coupon that they forgot to give me. With tears stinging my eyes and Ellie's cries filling my ears, a nice, elderly woman standing behind me urged "Patience, Mom. Patience. You're doing great. " I'm sure she could see the frustration in my body language, because she couldn't see my face. As I glanced back at her and mustered up as much of a smile that I could, I found a friendly, "we've all been there', knowing look on her gentle face.
As I drove home, I thought about how nearly every one of us moms have been in situations just like that, but how ironic it is that, during those moments, I feel so completely alone and isolated. Like no-one really knows what it is like to be in that precise moment. A falsehood, of-course. Of that I am certain. I just wish I could figure out how to soak up extra patience and calmness in those moments from all those around me who have 'been there and done that'. Like some supernatural emergency support system beaming those qualities right into my heart. But even as I type those words, I realize that my Father in Heaven IS that support for me. And even in the trivial, yet trying moments of this mom's life, He is there to carry me through. Thank Goodness!!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Beautiful Disaster
My calendar says that it is May 22, however the weather today would indicate otherwise. As the kids were napping this afternoon, thunder began to roll off in the distance and rain began pattering at my window as I sat here at the computer. "Ahhhh...I love the rain!" I thought. But soon, that pattering of rain and the low rumble of thunder turned into a loud roar, as kidney-bean-sized hail pounded our house and thunder ripped through the sky. Luke was soon awakened by the ruckus and together we sat in our family, watching the beautiful disaster that ensued outside. Beautiful because it looks as if it has snowed for quite awhile, but disastrous because our once beautiful landscape has now been ripped to shreds by the hail storm.
Ironic, isn't it, with the pool sitting there. We were just sitting in that pool this weekend, when the temperatures reached 103 degrees!
During the storm, this is what my thermometer read....the top number is the outside temp, the middle is the inside temp. and the time is there, but it is incorrect. It was 3:45pm
I couldn't hardly open the sliding glass door and screen to take this photo....the hail was already up to the lip of the door and had frozen solid! There was a sweet and spicy aroma that filled the air though when I opened the door. and lingers in our house now as I type! It smells delightful! Unfortunately for me that it arises from the shredding of leaves and plants. It does smell yummy though!
I am so sad as I sit here, still watching the rain and hail fall outside as lighting streaks through the window. Our yard is all but destroyed. My roses!!! My blooming, beautiful roses look like someone took a machete to the leaves, and our little potted garden, with its peppers that were just flowering and ready to fruit are now leaf-less. All of our larger trees have piles of leaves around their bases from the hail ripping through them! Here is what our herb planter looks like. There was basil and chives growing there...
By the way...that planter sits on bricks that are at-least an inch off the ground....you can barely see them. Man! Do we live in Colorado, or what?! This is NOT So Cal weather!
I am so dissappointed. All of our hard work in our yard feels completely wasted now. I feel like crying. :( And the thunder continues to roll......
Ironic, isn't it, with the pool sitting there. We were just sitting in that pool this weekend, when the temperatures reached 103 degrees!
During the storm, this is what my thermometer read....the top number is the outside temp, the middle is the inside temp. and the time is there, but it is incorrect. It was 3:45pm
I couldn't hardly open the sliding glass door and screen to take this photo....the hail was already up to the lip of the door and had frozen solid! There was a sweet and spicy aroma that filled the air though when I opened the door. and lingers in our house now as I type! It smells delightful! Unfortunately for me that it arises from the shredding of leaves and plants. It does smell yummy though!
I am so sad as I sit here, still watching the rain and hail fall outside as lighting streaks through the window. Our yard is all but destroyed. My roses!!! My blooming, beautiful roses look like someone took a machete to the leaves, and our little potted garden, with its peppers that were just flowering and ready to fruit are now leaf-less. All of our larger trees have piles of leaves around their bases from the hail ripping through them! Here is what our herb planter looks like. There was basil and chives growing there...
By the way...that planter sits on bricks that are at-least an inch off the ground....you can barely see them. Man! Do we live in Colorado, or what?! This is NOT So Cal weather!
I am so dissappointed. All of our hard work in our yard feels completely wasted now. I feel like crying. :( And the thunder continues to roll......
Ellie Belly
Ellie turned 9 months last Friday. *sniff, sniff*. NINE months. She's as old as I was pregnant with her. I know....random thought, but nine months just seems so....so....OLD! I despise the fact that she grows so fast, yet I love each and every new stage in this passing of time. As she grows, she is a ton more fun and capable of so many new things that I adore. As of now, she still is not crawling and I'm still not 'encouraging' this! Interestingly enough though, Luke, being the preemie that he was, crawled at 8 1/2 months. Hmmm. Interesting. Butt Ellie is most certainly capable of getting around just fine. She creeps and scoots...arms and fingers stretched out as far as physically possible to reach that elusive toy she is after, and when all else fails, she rolls. I am constantly amazed at how quickly she can get places with these measly forms of transportation. She is darn quick! I know that my days of controlled chaos around this house of mine will soon morph into some form of maddening disarray with TWO children moving in, around and about my home! But somehow, I can't imagine that even more toys could find new homes strewn about my kitchen, playroom, family room and patio. Oh! And in the pantry, kitchen cabinets and bathroom too!! LOL! Seriously...I find toys in the most random of spots! Anyway...I'm digressing...that could be a whole different blog!
Back to Ellie. In addition to her scooting and creeping, she can efficiently feed herself bits of food now that she has mastered the pincer grasp and last week, she began clapping on command (something Luke didn't do until 11 1/2 months). She is still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to eating too. She will eat just about anything we put in front of her, including spicy meats or vinegary three bean salad. The more flavorful, the better it seems. Oh how different and, in some realms, completely opposite my kids are! I still have to nearly bribe Luke to eat. It's a wonder he still grows! But not his sister....she loves to eat!! And it seems she is putting back on some weight recently. Her little thighs are rolly and chubby once again and that face of hers is round and full! I'm pretty sure she is readying herself to grow soon. All this past week, she was an eating and drinking machine, but the last few days, not so much. We'll find out her 'stats' tomorrow when we see the pediatrican for her 9 month well baby visit and re-check of her UTI and ear infections. Hopefully all is well again. We receieved notification that her VCUG and renal ultrasound are scheduled for June 24th, so that will help us know better if she has any irregularities or problems with her kidney functioning. I'm guessing that this last UTI was just a fluke (I'm hoping for that anyway) and that all will be well. We will see.
So...that's what's new with my Ellie Belly for now. With computer time at a premium lately, I think that I will wrap my post up for today and leave you with a few pictures of her (and Luke) from our weekend. Enjoy!
Back to Ellie. In addition to her scooting and creeping, she can efficiently feed herself bits of food now that she has mastered the pincer grasp and last week, she began clapping on command (something Luke didn't do until 11 1/2 months). She is still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to eating too. She will eat just about anything we put in front of her, including spicy meats or vinegary three bean salad. The more flavorful, the better it seems. Oh how different and, in some realms, completely opposite my kids are! I still have to nearly bribe Luke to eat. It's a wonder he still grows! But not his sister....she loves to eat!! And it seems she is putting back on some weight recently. Her little thighs are rolly and chubby once again and that face of hers is round and full! I'm pretty sure she is readying herself to grow soon. All this past week, she was an eating and drinking machine, but the last few days, not so much. We'll find out her 'stats' tomorrow when we see the pediatrican for her 9 month well baby visit and re-check of her UTI and ear infections. Hopefully all is well again. We receieved notification that her VCUG and renal ultrasound are scheduled for June 24th, so that will help us know better if she has any irregularities or problems with her kidney functioning. I'm guessing that this last UTI was just a fluke (I'm hoping for that anyway) and that all will be well. We will see.
So...that's what's new with my Ellie Belly for now. With computer time at a premium lately, I think that I will wrap my post up for today and leave you with a few pictures of her (and Luke) from our weekend. Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
A circle of friends....
Over the past weekend, we were blessed with visits from several out of town friends. On Thursday, Luke, Ellie and I got to hang out with Heidi, Amy and their little ones. It has been a couple of months since we saw them last, and I was amazed at how much our kids have grown and changed in just a short amount of time! We had a wonderful time chatting and going through old books and letters that Heidi's mom had kept through the years, as we kept the kids entertained. We headed out for some lunch after a bit (three children a year & under in age, all together in a restaurant seem a bit daunting at first, but they all did really well....minus Ellie's incessant squawking from her place beside me!) We parted after our Cuca's fix and returned home for nap time. Amy and Sara planned to stay the next two nights at our house, but had a family get together to attend for the afternoon, so I readied the house for her arrival later that night when the kids were down for naps. Luke asked ALL afternoon about when Baby Sara was returning...he was SO into playing with her and loved having her around. At times, I shook my head in disbelief as I watched him interact with her because he is usually much more possessive of his toys and less interactive with Ellie. But he coddled Sara and was so gentle...handing her toys and talking sweetly to her. Hmph. Not that he doesn't do those things with Ellie...he does. But more often than not, I find him stealing toys from her hands (I usually discover this by the sound of Ellie's shrill cry and the 'I didn't do anything' look of guilt on Luke's face!) or getting right up into her face as he pretends to be a dinosaur! LOL. Brothers.
The next morning, Luke was the first to arise (surprise, surprise!) and the first words that fell from his lips were "Is baby Sara still here??" He really loved having her around! And do did I! :) Our morning was a blurred rush as we scrambled to ready the kids....it was picture day for them all! Since we have never had the opportunity to photograph all four of our kids together, today was the day. We had to hustle though, since Heidi and Amy were looking forward to a morning of shopping at the outlets in Cabazon! (When you live so close, you forget how cool all those stores are!). So....in a mere ten minutes we snapped some shots of our tot-sized group. Ellie had just woken up, as I had to pull her out of bed for the pictures, so she had a major case of bed-head. And Luke had just had a time out for not being willing to share his toys, so his poor little face is all puffy and red. Oh well! So it goes, right? They were quite cooperative otherwise though. Here is the finished product....(can you believe how chubby Ellie has gotten lately!!! Wowzers!)
After Amy returned from her short shopping excursion, Ty graciously stayed with the kids (who were napping, so it was pretty easy for him!) while Amy and I got to steal away for a little girl time. We sipped frosty frappucinnos from Starbucks while we pampered our piggies and talked. So, so, SOOOOO nice! Ty spent some time with his buddies later that night, so once the kids were snug in bed, Amy and I cracked open a bottle of wine and sat on the patio talking until all the light had faded from the evening sky. Then we headed indoors, made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and parked ourselves on the couch to talk until our eyes were heavy and the buzz from the wine had worn off! :) I think it was sometime close to midnight when my head hit the pillow. Good times.
Here we are just before Amy left...
Saturday brought a shift change for our guests. Amy and Sara headed out around 9 and Ty helped me re-ready the house for my friend Roni, her husband Neal and their little girl, Kennedy, who arrived about noon. Roni is an old co-worker of mine from Loma Linda, who moved back to Colorado about 6 or 7 years ago. And it has been that long since I have seen her, so this visit, albeit brief, was so sweet for me. We spent our afternoon enjoying my favorite picnic spot in Oak Glen; catching up on lost time. We headed home around 2 so my weary visitors could nap awhile. Poor Kennedy was so exhausted from all the travel that she gave Roni and Neal a run for their money that night with her tantrums. But before all that, I was able to get a couple of cute pictures of her and Luke together in Oak Glen.
Isn't she the prettiest thing you've ever seen?!
Collecting acorns...
Luke LOVED Kennedy...they loved each other, in fact. They are just 6 months apart in age (Kennedy being older) and they got along so well together! There was an instant connection and comfort between them. Before we had even unloaded Roni's rental car when they first arrived, Luke had taken Kennedy by the hand and lead her to his playroom to show her his toys. And their silly antics the rest of the day were evidence of their comfort with each other. They were adorable to watch!
Our families....
(that crazy, long hair of mine got cut this week, by the way! More on that later!)
Saying goodbye...
Roni and Neal left Sunday morning and Ty and I spent much of the rest of our day vegging around the house. I was completely wiped out from the week, so I wasn't in to doing much. I stole a much needed nap in the afternoon, Luke, Ellie and I lounged in his little pool later in the day, and before I knew it,it was time for bed once again. (Thank goodness!!!) It was a long, yet super quick weekend. How wonderful it is to spend time with old friends. Its like wrapping a warm blanket around your soul. Comfort and ease...the soothing balm of life. I consider myself so blessed!
The next morning, Luke was the first to arise (surprise, surprise!) and the first words that fell from his lips were "Is baby Sara still here??" He really loved having her around! And do did I! :) Our morning was a blurred rush as we scrambled to ready the kids....it was picture day for them all! Since we have never had the opportunity to photograph all four of our kids together, today was the day. We had to hustle though, since Heidi and Amy were looking forward to a morning of shopping at the outlets in Cabazon! (When you live so close, you forget how cool all those stores are!). So....in a mere ten minutes we snapped some shots of our tot-sized group. Ellie had just woken up, as I had to pull her out of bed for the pictures, so she had a major case of bed-head. And Luke had just had a time out for not being willing to share his toys, so his poor little face is all puffy and red. Oh well! So it goes, right? They were quite cooperative otherwise though. Here is the finished product....(can you believe how chubby Ellie has gotten lately!!! Wowzers!)
After Amy returned from her short shopping excursion, Ty graciously stayed with the kids (who were napping, so it was pretty easy for him!) while Amy and I got to steal away for a little girl time. We sipped frosty frappucinnos from Starbucks while we pampered our piggies and talked. So, so, SOOOOO nice! Ty spent some time with his buddies later that night, so once the kids were snug in bed, Amy and I cracked open a bottle of wine and sat on the patio talking until all the light had faded from the evening sky. Then we headed indoors, made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and parked ourselves on the couch to talk until our eyes were heavy and the buzz from the wine had worn off! :) I think it was sometime close to midnight when my head hit the pillow. Good times.
Here we are just before Amy left...
Saturday brought a shift change for our guests. Amy and Sara headed out around 9 and Ty helped me re-ready the house for my friend Roni, her husband Neal and their little girl, Kennedy, who arrived about noon. Roni is an old co-worker of mine from Loma Linda, who moved back to Colorado about 6 or 7 years ago. And it has been that long since I have seen her, so this visit, albeit brief, was so sweet for me. We spent our afternoon enjoying my favorite picnic spot in Oak Glen; catching up on lost time. We headed home around 2 so my weary visitors could nap awhile. Poor Kennedy was so exhausted from all the travel that she gave Roni and Neal a run for their money that night with her tantrums. But before all that, I was able to get a couple of cute pictures of her and Luke together in Oak Glen.
Isn't she the prettiest thing you've ever seen?!
Collecting acorns...
Luke LOVED Kennedy...they loved each other, in fact. They are just 6 months apart in age (Kennedy being older) and they got along so well together! There was an instant connection and comfort between them. Before we had even unloaded Roni's rental car when they first arrived, Luke had taken Kennedy by the hand and lead her to his playroom to show her his toys. And their silly antics the rest of the day were evidence of their comfort with each other. They were adorable to watch!
Our families....
(that crazy, long hair of mine got cut this week, by the way! More on that later!)
Saying goodbye...
Roni and Neal left Sunday morning and Ty and I spent much of the rest of our day vegging around the house. I was completely wiped out from the week, so I wasn't in to doing much. I stole a much needed nap in the afternoon, Luke, Ellie and I lounged in his little pool later in the day, and before I knew it,it was time for bed once again. (Thank goodness!!!) It was a long, yet super quick weekend. How wonderful it is to spend time with old friends. Its like wrapping a warm blanket around your soul. Comfort and ease...the soothing balm of life. I consider myself so blessed!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Mother's Day
Better late than never, right? For a Mother's Day recap, I mean. I've been swamped this week and tonight is my first opportunity to blog. Someday, I'll resolve to post (if even just a few sentences) each day. Someday....
Anyhow...Mother's Day 2008 was fantastic! As has become our tradition in recent years, we made our first trip of the season to the beach. The weather had been pretty unpredictable all week, so we weren't quite sure that we would even make it there is year, but when Saturday turned out to be sunny, we made the final call to attempt our Mother's Day beach trip after all. I was SO glad that we did! Krystal, Will and the kids joined us this year (it was the twin's first time ever to the beach!) and we had a wonderful day! It was cool and grey when we arrived, and the beach was unexpectedly barren, which surprised me since it was a holiday and all. We parked ultra close to the sand (wooohooo!) and settled ourselves in for a day of playing and relaxing. The kids instantly busied themselves with shovels and buckets (minus Ellie, of-course, who is still too little), and I plopped myself down on the blanket where I remained much of the day. :) Ellie and I nibbled on blueberry scones as we chatted with Krystal and watched the others run in and out of the frigid waves.
Luke had an absolute blast this time around! Especially in the water, where he showed very little of the trepidation he's had in years past. And despite the water being so chilly, he giggled and played for a long while in the surf! It made my heart happy to watch him! By lunch time, the sun began to peek through the clouds and we peeled off our sweatshirts and doused ourselves for a second time in sunscreen. Will and Ty helped Luke and Matt dig a gigantic hole in the sand; deep enough to hide in and I snuggled into Ellie as she napped close to my chest in the Moby wrap. What more could I have asked for in a day??? I eventually made it to the water's edge too. Luke and I played a game of chase for a spell, and in no time,he had me jumping in and over the approaching waves! We had so much fun! That is, until my feet began to ache from the cold and I made a b-line for the blanket! :)
The beach trip would not have been completed had Ellie not dipped her toes in the water too (it was, after all, her first trip to the sand too!) so I peeled off her clothes to reveal her cute little suit and attempted to get her acquainted with the water.
You can see from this picture though, that she wanted little to do with that cold water, and she made every attempt to avoid putting her feet down on the wet sand! LOL!
She began to cry when her feet actually got wet and I just had to laugh! Silly, sweet little girl!! We opted to wiggle our toes in the warm sand after that. She seemed to enjoy that, and did not attempt to eat it, as I thought she might! :)
As the kids tired and nap time drew near, we packed up and headed for home. It was nearly 4:30 before we arrived, with a take-out dinner from BJ's pizza in hand so that I was saved from cooking! :) We ate early and then Ty took Luke down to see his mom for awhile. Ellie and I shared her first shower ever while the boys were gone, and before I knew it, we were all pj-clad and ready for a good night's sleep. I was intensely tired that night, as there have been too many late nights and early mornings in a row for me lately, so I didn't stay up much past putting the kids down. I think it was 8:30 when my own head hit the pillow.....something that is almost entirely unheard of for me these days. But I relished slipping between the cool sheets after such a beautiful day and enjoying a long sleep! A perfect way to end a perfect day!
Anyhow...Mother's Day 2008 was fantastic! As has become our tradition in recent years, we made our first trip of the season to the beach. The weather had been pretty unpredictable all week, so we weren't quite sure that we would even make it there is year, but when Saturday turned out to be sunny, we made the final call to attempt our Mother's Day beach trip after all. I was SO glad that we did! Krystal, Will and the kids joined us this year (it was the twin's first time ever to the beach!) and we had a wonderful day! It was cool and grey when we arrived, and the beach was unexpectedly barren, which surprised me since it was a holiday and all. We parked ultra close to the sand (wooohooo!) and settled ourselves in for a day of playing and relaxing. The kids instantly busied themselves with shovels and buckets (minus Ellie, of-course, who is still too little), and I plopped myself down on the blanket where I remained much of the day. :) Ellie and I nibbled on blueberry scones as we chatted with Krystal and watched the others run in and out of the frigid waves.
Luke had an absolute blast this time around! Especially in the water, where he showed very little of the trepidation he's had in years past. And despite the water being so chilly, he giggled and played for a long while in the surf! It made my heart happy to watch him! By lunch time, the sun began to peek through the clouds and we peeled off our sweatshirts and doused ourselves for a second time in sunscreen. Will and Ty helped Luke and Matt dig a gigantic hole in the sand; deep enough to hide in and I snuggled into Ellie as she napped close to my chest in the Moby wrap. What more could I have asked for in a day??? I eventually made it to the water's edge too. Luke and I played a game of chase for a spell, and in no time,he had me jumping in and over the approaching waves! We had so much fun! That is, until my feet began to ache from the cold and I made a b-line for the blanket! :)
The beach trip would not have been completed had Ellie not dipped her toes in the water too (it was, after all, her first trip to the sand too!) so I peeled off her clothes to reveal her cute little suit and attempted to get her acquainted with the water.
You can see from this picture though, that she wanted little to do with that cold water, and she made every attempt to avoid putting her feet down on the wet sand! LOL!
She began to cry when her feet actually got wet and I just had to laugh! Silly, sweet little girl!! We opted to wiggle our toes in the warm sand after that. She seemed to enjoy that, and did not attempt to eat it, as I thought she might! :)
As the kids tired and nap time drew near, we packed up and headed for home. It was nearly 4:30 before we arrived, with a take-out dinner from BJ's pizza in hand so that I was saved from cooking! :) We ate early and then Ty took Luke down to see his mom for awhile. Ellie and I shared her first shower ever while the boys were gone, and before I knew it, we were all pj-clad and ready for a good night's sleep. I was intensely tired that night, as there have been too many late nights and early mornings in a row for me lately, so I didn't stay up much past putting the kids down. I think it was 8:30 when my own head hit the pillow.....something that is almost entirely unheard of for me these days. But I relished slipping between the cool sheets after such a beautiful day and enjoying a long sleep! A perfect way to end a perfect day!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
First solo show....
So I lied about not being back before next week. :) Just had to post about Luke's special outing last night. We called it his 'date' with his cousins and Aunt Jenn (and Grandma too!) It is Great Y Circus time around our parts, and so my mom and sister were gracious enough to take all the kids for one of the first evening performances. Luke was SOOOO excited all day about going. I had been preparing him for some time that he would be going to the circus without Mommy or Daddy...that this would be his special date with his cousins. He seemed completely unconcerned with this idea, much to my surprise. I guess my little boy is growing up! As he awoke from a late nap, his eyes were bright with anticipation and excitement. Aunt Jenn was due to pick him up around 5:30, so we tanked him up with some dinner and got him all 'spiffied up' for his big night out.
Since it was a special occasion, he asked for a splash of Daddy's cologne, which we allow for very special events, and oh my goodness!!! You should have seen the look of pride on his face (I think it was mixed with a tab bit of embarrassment too!) as he picked out one of Daddy's colognes and I sprayed it every so gingerly on his neck!!! I always make a HUGE deal out of things like that, so he feels so special on days like this! He soaks it up!!!!! After his hair was combed and he was smelling scrumptiously, we made our way downstairs to grab his tickets and some money for a special treat to eat during the show. Once he got his hands on those tickets and that crisp $5 bill, he was NOT about to let them go! He was holding on for dear life, it seemed and antsy with excitement until Aunt Jenn arrived. Of-course, knowing me, I couldn't let the event go by without taking a picture! He was being so silly, as you can see here!
This was really the first time he has ever gone out to a show without Ty or I (we haven't even taken him to his first movie yet), so it was quite a big deal around our house! He went to a puppet show one afternoon a few months back with my mom for an hour, but going at night (the show began at 7pm!) and going with his cousins to a 2 1/2 hour show seems so much different to me! As Jenn came to the door to pick him up, his excitement momentarily turned to fear and he welled up with tears at the thought of leaving. I was able to talk him through it though, by assuring him that he would be home in time for bed that evening and that Mommy and Daddy would be here waiting for him when he got back. I think maybe he thought he was leaving overnight or something. As soon as he got buckled into the car beside Kailyn, his tears turned to giggles and apparently the rest of the night went swimmingly and he had a BLAST!
While Luke was out for the evening, Ty and I decided to take advantage of having one less kiddo and headed out for a bite to eat. Ellie was an absolute angel at the restaurant and Ty and I reminisced about how different it was with just one. LOL! We shopped around a bit after dinner and headed home when Ellie was too tired to take much more. Being that it was a Friday, Ty and I were both zonked out on the couch as we waited for Luke to get home. As I was laying there, blurry-eyed in front of the tv sometime around 10pm, I could foresee myself in about 14 years doing the exact same thing as I waited for Luke to return from a date or something. LOL! It was a little strange to be 'waiting up' for my 3 year old to return home!!! But return home he did....at 10:45!!!! Phew! Late night! Needless to say, we all headed straight for bed with promises to hear all about the circus show come morning! He seemed to have a fantastic time and hasn't stopped talking about it all morning. Thanks Aunt Jenn and Grandma! He had a blast!!
PS....So not to leave Ellie out of the pictures today, I thought I'd post these...I was playing around yesterday with a fancy camera I'm borrowing from my brother-in-law and caught Ellie being her adorable self! You wouldn't know she was sick, would ya?! And did you notice those teeth???
Since it was a special occasion, he asked for a splash of Daddy's cologne, which we allow for very special events, and oh my goodness!!! You should have seen the look of pride on his face (I think it was mixed with a tab bit of embarrassment too!) as he picked out one of Daddy's colognes and I sprayed it every so gingerly on his neck!!! I always make a HUGE deal out of things like that, so he feels so special on days like this! He soaks it up!!!!! After his hair was combed and he was smelling scrumptiously, we made our way downstairs to grab his tickets and some money for a special treat to eat during the show. Once he got his hands on those tickets and that crisp $5 bill, he was NOT about to let them go! He was holding on for dear life, it seemed and antsy with excitement until Aunt Jenn arrived. Of-course, knowing me, I couldn't let the event go by without taking a picture! He was being so silly, as you can see here!
This was really the first time he has ever gone out to a show without Ty or I (we haven't even taken him to his first movie yet), so it was quite a big deal around our house! He went to a puppet show one afternoon a few months back with my mom for an hour, but going at night (the show began at 7pm!) and going with his cousins to a 2 1/2 hour show seems so much different to me! As Jenn came to the door to pick him up, his excitement momentarily turned to fear and he welled up with tears at the thought of leaving. I was able to talk him through it though, by assuring him that he would be home in time for bed that evening and that Mommy and Daddy would be here waiting for him when he got back. I think maybe he thought he was leaving overnight or something. As soon as he got buckled into the car beside Kailyn, his tears turned to giggles and apparently the rest of the night went swimmingly and he had a BLAST!
While Luke was out for the evening, Ty and I decided to take advantage of having one less kiddo and headed out for a bite to eat. Ellie was an absolute angel at the restaurant and Ty and I reminisced about how different it was with just one. LOL! We shopped around a bit after dinner and headed home when Ellie was too tired to take much more. Being that it was a Friday, Ty and I were both zonked out on the couch as we waited for Luke to get home. As I was laying there, blurry-eyed in front of the tv sometime around 10pm, I could foresee myself in about 14 years doing the exact same thing as I waited for Luke to return from a date or something. LOL! It was a little strange to be 'waiting up' for my 3 year old to return home!!! But return home he did....at 10:45!!!! Phew! Late night! Needless to say, we all headed straight for bed with promises to hear all about the circus show come morning! He seemed to have a fantastic time and hasn't stopped talking about it all morning. Thanks Aunt Jenn and Grandma! He had a blast!!
PS....So not to leave Ellie out of the pictures today, I thought I'd post these...I was playing around yesterday with a fancy camera I'm borrowing from my brother-in-law and caught Ellie being her adorable self! You wouldn't know she was sick, would ya?! And did you notice those teeth???
Friday, May 9, 2008
Better today
Ellie awoke this morning with only a low grade fever (100ish) and she seemed to be feeling better than she was last night. Phew! Last night was BAD! :( Poor little girl.....she was feeling so terrible! BUT...today is a new day and those antibiotics have begun their work. She is still a bit less tolerant to certain things that normally don't bother her (like Luke taking a way a toy she is playing with, me walking out of her sight, or laying her down to change her diaper) so I know that means she is still feeling a bit under the weather, but there is marked improvement. I think tomorrow will be even better for her.
With this weekend being Mother's Day and all, I'm guessing that this will be the last time you hear from me until early next week. I hope that all of you Mommys out there have a much deserved break on Sunday and enjoy an abundance of love as it is reflected back to you from your family! You are all such phenomenal moms!! Happy Mother's Day, my friends!
With this weekend being Mother's Day and all, I'm guessing that this will be the last time you hear from me until early next week. I hope that all of you Mommys out there have a much deserved break on Sunday and enjoy an abundance of love as it is reflected back to you from your family! You are all such phenomenal moms!! Happy Mother's Day, my friends!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
A trip to the pediatrician....
Ellie had a visit with Dr. Mailander this morning. :( She has been fighting a moderate fever (usually around 102-102.5) for the last three days with no other symptoms as to what may be causing it, so it was time to see Dr. Mary. Glad that we did. In addition to a very mild left ear infection, my sweet little girl has her first urinary tract infection. :( (Amy...you will appreciate this with everything you've gone though with Sara). UTI's with a moderate to high fever are something to cause a bit of concern in infants apparently, because Dr. Mailander has ordered a renal ultrasound and a VCUG (voiding cystourethrogram) which, for those of you unfamiliar with that procedure, involves the injection of contrast (a liquid that can be seen on xray) into the bladder that is then watched as it processes through her little system via x-ray. She also put Ellie on a strong antibiotic. :( Not fun. I guess she (Dr. Mailander) wants to rule out any physical abnormalities and/or the possibility of urinary reflux.
Although Ellie hasn't seemed to be feeling too badly over the last two days, today she seems to be much more affected by it all and is not looking like she feels good at all. When I put her down for her nap, her fever had climbed to 103.3 too. :( Fevers like that make me worry. But thankfully, she had her first dose of the antibiotic with lunch and some Tylenol as I put her bed, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will awaken feeling at-least a little better (and cooler!!!)
So, if you could just say a tiny, little prayer that she not only feels better soon, but that there aren't also any underlying problems, I would most certainly appreciate that! I'm off for now to tackle a few chores before nap time is over! I'll let you know what comes of the ultrasound...we should be scheduled for that early next week. The VCUG will have to wait until her UTI is cleared. More to come...
Although Ellie hasn't seemed to be feeling too badly over the last two days, today she seems to be much more affected by it all and is not looking like she feels good at all. When I put her down for her nap, her fever had climbed to 103.3 too. :( Fevers like that make me worry. But thankfully, she had her first dose of the antibiotic with lunch and some Tylenol as I put her bed, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will awaken feeling at-least a little better (and cooler!!!)
So, if you could just say a tiny, little prayer that she not only feels better soon, but that there aren't also any underlying problems, I would most certainly appreciate that! I'm off for now to tackle a few chores before nap time is over! I'll let you know what comes of the ultrasound...we should be scheduled for that early next week. The VCUG will have to wait until her UTI is cleared. More to come...
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Fun in the sun!
Its late Sunday night as I sit here to type. I have a twinge of the "Sunday night blues".....sad that the weekend is already over and that Ty will be heading back our for another work week. We SO love having him home with us on the weekend! Luke especially! He is ALL about Ty lately!! Each morning when we wake up, he asks me "Where's Dad today, Mom?" and we go through the same script as we do everyday about Daddy working so hard so mommy can stay home with him and that he will see Daddy come dinner time. On Friday night, as I put Luke to sleep, he asked me to stay with him a little longer to 'sing him the Jesus song." (Jesus Loves Me...although I've always sung it to him as 'Jesus loves you' ever since he was a wee bity thing in the NICU). Anyway...as I finished up the song and snuggled close into him, I said excitedly "Guess what?! Did you know that tomorrow is Saturday (he's really been into knowing the date and time lately) and that when you wake up, Daddy will be here?!" Luke met my enthusiasm with a loud "Yessssss!" complete with the arm motion and all! :) And boy was he delighted come Saturday morning when he crawled under the covers in between us and Daddy was there sound asleep! :) So cute! He sure loves his Daddy!
Much like other weekends, we relished time together over the past couple of days. On Saturday, we stuck close to the house, doing yard work and tending to the spare ribs and tri-tip we had cookin' in the smoker for a neighborhood BBQ later that evening. Since the weather was warm and we were planning to be outside a good part of the day, Ty and I decided it was as good a time as any to break out the new pool we bought for the kids a month or two back. Despite the chilly water, Luke could hardly wait to get those new swim trunks on and get to splashin'! He stayed in there for well over an hour and let me just tell you...that water was C-H-I-L-L-Y! Brrrr! We kept asking him if he was cold and ready to get out, and each time, despite his chattering teeth, he adamantly responded that he was not cold and wanted to stay in. So we let him. And Ellie joined him for a short little dip too. Here are just a couple of pics. Wish I had my camera nearby afterwards when we were eating lunch and his poor little tips were blue with cold! But he didn't seemed troubled by it. Crazy kid!
Later that evening, we headed over to our neighbor Kristin & Bill's house for a bbq to celebrate with our other neighbors Tabitha & Damon who will be having their second baby tomorrow morning. (Yes...she thankfully made it to term, despite all the trouble she had early on!!) We are so lucky to have such friendly neighbors! We had a great time with them, and the kids all love playing together too!
Today we had a birthday party to go to in the morning and then it was home for the rest of the day (minus my short jaunt out for a photo shoot late in the afternoon). When I came home, Luke entertained himself in the backyard for nearly an hour by fishing out all the bugs that had drowned themselves in our new little pool. :) He is SOOOO into bugs lately! "Which kind is this one, Mommy??"
We took a short walk after dinner and once the kids were in bed, it was time for Ty and I to pay some bills, do a little 'puter work and for me to blog just a bit before bed. And speaking of bed...it is now much later than I thought, so I had better get my tail upstairs! Monday is just around the corner and I need my energy for a full week ahead! Hope you all enjoyed a blessed weekend like we did! Nighty-night!
Much like other weekends, we relished time together over the past couple of days. On Saturday, we stuck close to the house, doing yard work and tending to the spare ribs and tri-tip we had cookin' in the smoker for a neighborhood BBQ later that evening. Since the weather was warm and we were planning to be outside a good part of the day, Ty and I decided it was as good a time as any to break out the new pool we bought for the kids a month or two back. Despite the chilly water, Luke could hardly wait to get those new swim trunks on and get to splashin'! He stayed in there for well over an hour and let me just tell you...that water was C-H-I-L-L-Y! Brrrr! We kept asking him if he was cold and ready to get out, and each time, despite his chattering teeth, he adamantly responded that he was not cold and wanted to stay in. So we let him. And Ellie joined him for a short little dip too. Here are just a couple of pics. Wish I had my camera nearby afterwards when we were eating lunch and his poor little tips were blue with cold! But he didn't seemed troubled by it. Crazy kid!
Later that evening, we headed over to our neighbor Kristin & Bill's house for a bbq to celebrate with our other neighbors Tabitha & Damon who will be having their second baby tomorrow morning. (Yes...she thankfully made it to term, despite all the trouble she had early on!!) We are so lucky to have such friendly neighbors! We had a great time with them, and the kids all love playing together too!
Today we had a birthday party to go to in the morning and then it was home for the rest of the day (minus my short jaunt out for a photo shoot late in the afternoon). When I came home, Luke entertained himself in the backyard for nearly an hour by fishing out all the bugs that had drowned themselves in our new little pool. :) He is SOOOO into bugs lately! "Which kind is this one, Mommy??"
We took a short walk after dinner and once the kids were in bed, it was time for Ty and I to pay some bills, do a little 'puter work and for me to blog just a bit before bed. And speaking of bed...it is now much later than I thought, so I had better get my tail upstairs! Monday is just around the corner and I need my energy for a full week ahead! Hope you all enjoyed a blessed weekend like we did! Nighty-night!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Dino Day and other exciting adventures....
My self-induced, albeit brief computer hiatus has come to a close, but I must say that the few days 'vacation' did a world of good! With my focus taken off the computer and my 'work', I was able to attend to what is really the most important...my family life. Aaaahhhh!!! All I can say is that I feel refreshed and rejuvenated from the last few days of being back to my normal pace. My heart is not pounding a marathoner's pace like it had been and I feel like I have it together again. For awhile there, I was beginning to think I was loosing my mind!! The kids and I spent quite a lot of time together, just playing, taking walks and doing our normal routine, and during nap times...instead of gluing myself to this computer screen, I deep-cleaned the house, finished (well...almost!) the piles of laundry and cooked good meals. Life. I love this slower pace!
Today, as you can see from my title, was Dino Day!! A much anticipated day for Luke and his best buddy Hudson! Sarah and I ventured out to see the gigantic dinosaurs just outside of Cabazon and the boys LOVED it! Here is the link, if you want to check it out...http://worldsbiggestdinosaurs.com/. It is a pretty interesting place! The apatosaurus (which I thought was a brontosaurus...shows how much I know!!!) has a cool gift shop inside it's huge belly and the T-Rex in its bold presence, is so neat to stand beneath! Apparently, the dino's were recently purchased and are Christian owned. The new owners are building an addition onto the original dinos with a pro-creation theme. The new section will open Memorial Day weekend. We snuck a peek at the new area...looks pretty neat! Definitely worth another visit (or two!!)
Luke, dressed for the day in his T-Rex shirt, was all smiles as we climbed on and around the huge creatures! We had to hang around for awhile until the gift shop opened, but it was well worth the wait! Luke got to take home a new dinosaur place mat for the dinner table, a cute new dino book and a little package of 'magically growing' dinosaurs that double their size when placed in water. You remember those from being a kid, right?! It was great fun! We ate at a nearby restaurant for lunch, which with a very sleepy and fussy baby, was admittedly not my favorite part. Especially when the other patrons near to our table shot me irritated and annoyed looks as Ellie squirmed and screeched in her chair and in my arms. :( I was fit to be tied for a while there! Definitely feeling a little stressed. BUT....Luke was so well-behaved and such a good eater that it made this stressed momma feel much better! :) Here are some cute pics from the day....
Thanks for checking in my friends! Until next time....
Today, as you can see from my title, was Dino Day!! A much anticipated day for Luke and his best buddy Hudson! Sarah and I ventured out to see the gigantic dinosaurs just outside of Cabazon and the boys LOVED it! Here is the link, if you want to check it out...http://worldsbiggestdinosaurs.com/. It is a pretty interesting place! The apatosaurus (which I thought was a brontosaurus...shows how much I know!!!) has a cool gift shop inside it's huge belly and the T-Rex in its bold presence, is so neat to stand beneath! Apparently, the dino's were recently purchased and are Christian owned. The new owners are building an addition onto the original dinos with a pro-creation theme. The new section will open Memorial Day weekend. We snuck a peek at the new area...looks pretty neat! Definitely worth another visit (or two!!)
Luke, dressed for the day in his T-Rex shirt, was all smiles as we climbed on and around the huge creatures! We had to hang around for awhile until the gift shop opened, but it was well worth the wait! Luke got to take home a new dinosaur place mat for the dinner table, a cute new dino book and a little package of 'magically growing' dinosaurs that double their size when placed in water. You remember those from being a kid, right?! It was great fun! We ate at a nearby restaurant for lunch, which with a very sleepy and fussy baby, was admittedly not my favorite part. Especially when the other patrons near to our table shot me irritated and annoyed looks as Ellie squirmed and screeched in her chair and in my arms. :( I was fit to be tied for a while there! Definitely feeling a little stressed. BUT....Luke was so well-behaved and such a good eater that it made this stressed momma feel much better! :) Here are some cute pics from the day....
We had a few other adventures this week too...mostly surrounding my hunt for good locations for a few upcoming shoots I have. On Sunday we scouted out Oak Glen again, to see if spring had finally 'sprung' up there. It had! It was a gorgeous day! The sun was shining and a warm breeze blew. Luke, Ellie and I ate snacks in a meadow and climbed trees. (Luke did anyway...Ellie's still a bit young for that!) :P Ty was with his buddies at SuperBike (a motorcycle thing-a-majig) so we went Daddy-less. :( We missed him, but made the most of it! Here is a favorite shot of Luke from that afternoon.
And when I snapped this picture of Ellie, an old one of Luke came instantly to mind, and I was inclined to compare the two. Given Luke's early arrival, they are developmentally the same age in these two photographs. Luke was 10 1/2 months, while Ellie is 8 1/2. I didn't realize until seeing this picture, that she is doing exactly the same things now that he was doing at 10+ months. Makes sense. And its interesting to see! Here you can see their resemblance as siblings, but they are most certainly different kids! :)
This one is at the Lincoln Shrine by Smiley Library...we stopped there too!
Waving hello to her fans! :)
Thanks for checking in my friends! Until next time....
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