Ringing in 2012 in style with 2 parties!!

We went to a sweet little Diva's birthday party for the first part of our New Years Eve celebration. 

She got lots of great gifts and we even rang in the new year, really early, with a toast to the birthday girl!

We then headed over to my friend's Mom's house to party karaoke style...

Everyone got into the action and had a turn at singing....

and there was even dancing to several songs

It was a great time that was had by all who was there.  We all had so much fun, food, and the boys were excellent...although if memory serves me correctly my lil man didn't make it to midnight.

Cheers and a Happy Blessed New Year from our family(ies) to yours!



More on loosing weight

Or should I say NOT loosing weight!!  I don't think that I have lost anymore.  When I went to the Dr's office on Friday I was still about the same than what I was when I posted last about my weight :-(.  The good news though is that I have not been exercising like I was and still I have not gained any weight back- YAY ME!!!!  So I guess there is nothing really to post except this picture so here it is...

2010                                                                          2011

I don't know about you but I don't see much difference...oh well...in due time I am sure :)

Birthday Parties

One of our very sweet, close family friends has 4 daughters & they held two of their birthday parties within like two to three weeks between one another.  I have to say it was quite fun. 

The first party was themed Hannah Montana Birthday Bash!  I got to be the "press" and even had a press badge during the party.  My camera & I have been having some issues lately (I am not sure why though :[) & so her party pictures did not turn out like I had hoped but they aren't horrible either.  Here are some of her pictures...

The second birthday party we were invited too had a tropical theme to it and since it had "snowed" the week it was so welcomed to see the nice weather inside AND out!!  Here are some of the pictures from the Tropical party...

We went to

the circus last month!!  In fact on Jan 29 we got to go to the 3:30 show & we found out that many people we know were there also.  We only ran into one person we actually knew but heard that many were at this sold out show!  I'm not at all surprised that this show was sold out you should have seen all the people.  Our seats aren't great (picture wise) but they were awesome just to watch the show.  So now I will let the pictures do the talking :)  Enjoy and if the Circus comes to your town o to it..you will not be disappointed!!!

Being a "SAHM"

Let's get one thing straight, this post is NOT to knock on being a stay at home Mom or anything like that nor to be down about our each own personal circumstances.  We each live different circumstances & each live different lifestyles that has made us choose the situation we are currently in. This post IS about how MY views on the subject has changed over the course of the last 10 or so years. 

When I had my first son, I was ready to go,go,go with my little precious bundle of joy.  I could NOT stand to be in the house any longer with him- not because he was bad, just because I had cabin fever.  I wanted everyone to see my sweet faced baby & I showed him off to anyone who would let me.  By the time 6 weeks was up I was ready to go back to work & be with my friends, but I wasn't really ready to give up my baby.  Luckily, our family worked together to allow us to pay only my S-I-L and the rest of the time my Dad, Step-Mom, or Mom watched him.  I feel so incrediably blessed that they were willing to watch him during these special months.

By the time I found out I was pregnant again, I wanted needed to stay at home or at least be a WAHM!!  My second baby ended in a still born birth & you can read some of the story over on the right hand side where it says "Her Story".  I stayed home for 4 weeks after the death of my baby, but I still had the need and want to be at home for our next little miracle.

By the time our second son arrived, I was a homebody.  I liked meeting friends and hanging out but I also like the time I got to spend at home.  Our "Angel Baby" & Lil D brought something out of me that I didn't know I ever had, it was contentment.  Contentment to stay at home and be happy.  I was happy to spend time at home with the males of my household, but I was also happy to go on vacations & spend time with family & friends away from home too.  I wanted it to last forever.  It was pure joy & honestly I liked not having to be anywhere at a certain time or keep up with dates or anything.  I was enjoying the life God had given me.  The joy didn't last long, I only had a 6 week maternity leave and I was back at work. 

I wasn't happy, but I couldn't quit working completely so finally when my husband sortof agreed I quit my night time job and started to work at a local Mom's Day Out program.  It helped, it really did and the kids seemed to really enjoy that I was home more at night and all.

Then about two weeks ago I got to experience something that has brought me PURE JOY!! We actually had an ice storm (no that isn't what brought pure joy!) to our area & I got to experience complete stay at home-ness with my boys!  I even thought that it would be very easy for me to be a sahm and have the house sparkly clean and the laundry completely done and even another thought came into my head...homeschooling the boys!  I am not sure where I was going with that thought completely because if anyone knows our boys one of them will be great for me to homeschool, the other not so much!  I am Mommy, to that child..the one who cooks, cleans, cares for, etc but when it comes to teaching him things from outside of the home & of course God I am not supposed too.  

I think the older I get and the more I see my kids getting older I know I want to be in their lives as much as possible.  I also want to be able to love on them & give them the things that the need or want.  So for now being a SAHM is only a dream & it may never come true.  That is ok though for I know that going to school and then finding a job & working is what I am meant to do.  Who knows, the good Lord may find favor on me & if He ever gifts us with another child I may...just may get to be a sahm :) 

Wordless Wednesday: Tracks

My Journey into photography -in manual

I have taken the 365 day photo challenge and said that I would do most of my pictures for it in completely in manual.  I think I have done an okay job.  Here are the pictures I took today to find that perfect picture for the blog.

Thru the glass & with the flash on..otherwise pretty good picture.

This one is cute, but the flash was still on

Kindof blurry and still the flash

Getting better but the flash is still messing it up.

No flash, but it is blurry (this is a process)

He is ok, but the background is all blurry, hummmmm....

Much better, I took about 5 more in between the last one & this one but they were all kind of on the dark side.

A little blurry but still not bad...

Best one #1 for this batch-very proud of myself!!

The one that I put on my 365 day blog

My personal feelings are that the last two are the best ones.  All of these are straight out of the camera (SOOC) and all of them are in complete and total manual.  So, how do you think I did?

What can you do with a broken dishwasher?

Use it has a drying rack of course!!!