Thanksgiving 2008

This year we broke away from tradition and celebrated Thanksgiving in a whole new way. We went to the beach! Not everyone could make it, (my hubby included) BUT I have to say, it was one of my most favorite Thanksgiving EVER.

Here’ just a few (ha!) photos to document our week.

I love this beach. Long and flat. It’s wonderful for the kids to run around on. We’ve been visiting this beach ever year since I was in grade school.

Mama K and cousin Rachel- my only girl cousin!

My girls, my cousin and aunt.

#3 brought in this shell, later we discover it had a lizard living in it. It escaped while I was trying to take a photo of it. He jumped on my cousin Rachel’s leg and then ran under the frig. Later that night my aunt found him in the half bath. We returned him to the outdoors along with his shell.

We got to drive around in “classy” old cars. This is my uncle. He cracks me up. He’s one of the funniest people I know.

The kids were outside in their bathing suits washing cars and playing with the hose. Rachel had the idea to take a photo of their silhouettes .

I LOVED cooking the Thanksgiving meal all together. My grandmother’s dressing will beat yours ANY DAY!

My girls made the place cards. I wish I had a picture of all the food. I ate so much I was almost sick, seriously. The hurt would let up just a tiny bit and then I would eat more.

The kids got to swim in a nice warm pool.

This is me, my kids and my parents.

I love this shot!

I love my kids!

We picked so many oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruit. The kids had such a great time.

So, now we’re home. It’s rainy and I feel lazy. The kids are playing nice and quietly with all their stuff that they missed. I have two birthday parties I need to get prepared for but I am having a hard time getting back in the groove.

Happy Thanksgiving!

love this couple

I got to shoot these two love birds recently. They are such a cute couple.

the mother fort

Late yesterday afternoon, my oldest began building a humongous fort in his room. The girls were thrilled with his work. By bedtime, they didn’t want the fun to end, so I agreed they could all sleep together in the fort. This morning school is starting late … because of the fort. They just don’t want to come out. I don’t blame them. Building a fort at my cousin Valerie’s house was one of my most top favorite things to do growing up. The only difference is that we didn’t call it a fort, we imagined it as a double wide trailer. See, when I was little I would ride past the modular home lots wishing one day I could own one. So, anyways – my heart wants them to just enjoy this time in their fort, school can wait. Better yet … we can take the school work to the fort!

WARNING: These are like the worst pictures ever!

I am crawling through and getting a tour. She’s demonstrating the strobe light.

brainwashed

My son asked me if I would like to make an appointment with him to have all my bad memories erased.

I guess it didn’t work b/c I can still remember how unpleasant it was to sit there while he hammered and shook and stuck all kinds of weird things on my head.

she's 7

Seven years ago today, early one Saturday morning, I was driving my man, my mom and myself to the hospital. My stomach was in KNOTS and I had been up the entire night with pains. Not labor pains – anxiety pains. I was so sick to my stomach that I had to drive the car so I wouldn’t succumb to motion sickness and lose it on the way. See, in order to get the doctor I wanted to perform my c-section (he was going out of town if I waited any later) he requested I show up at the hospital first thing and tell the staff I was in labor. I was so so SO nervous that I would get all the way there, just to have them send me home. Well, the nurses never checked me, they waited for my doctor. He arrived on time just as he promised and next thing I knew I was being wheeled into surgery to give birth to my first little girl.

I fell in love with her the moment I looked into her big beautiful eyes. She was a gorgeous infant who loved to be held and snuggled close. She never cried once in our hospital room and she was a very lazy eater. Today she still is the biggest snuggler in the house. She still is petite and doesn’t eat a whole lot. She continues to get prettier and prettier and those eyes just completely draw me in. The crying, well – right when we got on to the highway heading home from the hospital after I delivered her, she started to wail. I freaked out b/c she hadn’t made a peep since the birth! She’s had her share of cries ever since, but she’s a girl – fearfully and emotionally made.

I love this child and I am so blessed to call her mine.

Happy Birthday sweet thing. Mommy is so proud you.

little tennis

The girls finished their fall tennis lessons this week. When I went to sign them up for the class, they only had one opening left. So to get both of my girls in – I volunteered to help the instructor lead the class. NO … I have zero tennis skills but none were required. The biggest challenge I faced was to teach the kids how to stand in line to wait their turn (they are homeschooled – meaning no one has ever taught them to stand in line) along with paying attention to Ms. Nita (the instructor) and stop drawing dogs, cats and alien jelly fish in the clay.

It was a good experience and one I think we will repeat in the spring.

#2 leading her class in jumping jacks.

Aren’t they just so super cute!

my button

You know the phrase “He really knows how to push my buttons!” Well, who knew there was a express elevator button on me that when pushed – sends me to a level of anger and frustration like never before. AND if, that button actually existed on me, it would read “Freshly Cleaned Dog Found SITTING in the Litter Box EATING Cat POOP.” Now that’s a lot of words to fit on to one button, but believe me – every word would be printed on there b/c that is the exact combination that made me about lose it last night. I know that many dog owners get peeved by finding their dog eating kitty poop and the expression, “DANG IT!” fits their mood. For ME – my dog, who has just been bathed, teeth brushed, combed and dried is found no less than five minutes later SITTING in the homemade boot litter box munching on cat dookie drops – well there is just no word or even cuss word to adequately express my feelings. Now I am not an idiot – well at least I think I’m not. The litter box was stored behind the girls dresser which is caddy cornered against the wall. Macy isn’t allowed in the girls room – period – she still chews their toys. The dresser had gotten moved just enough for her to squeeze back there. When I found her, oooh – she looked so guilty. I scratched the girls floor trying to reach behind there and drag her out. I couldn’t yell since the girls were sound asleep, but my grip and my stare communicated enough that she peed on the floor.

So … this morning I had a talk with the kids. I didn’t tell them what I was really feeling – sorry guys we’re ditching both animals – I just explained that this behavior from Macy makes me crazy and I can’t have it happen again so the new kitty has to live outside until the new owner can take it home. Their eyes welled up with tears, they held the kitty, kissed it goodbye and out it went.

Five minutes later, I find the cat climbing the back screen door meowing. So I took it’s kennel out and even made a little litter box for it (I know I am so dumb) and I went back in. Same thing happened. It kept climbing the screen meowing for us to let it in. I stepped outside one last time and pulled it off the door. It began purring like crazy. I cuddled it close. He wildly rubbed his face all over mine. I so wanted to say to the kitty “I really want to want to WANT to let you in. Let’s keep you and find Macy a new home, but no – you POOP and scatter litter everywhere, and you’ve already begun to climb up on tables and I don’t want you to scratch up my furniture AND leave cat hair everywhere …… NO you are an outdoor cat now.” I placed him down in his little kennel, turned to go inside, he ran in behind me and looked up at me. This tugged at my heart again, but I picked him up and placed him right back outside.

old school bus

I have been eying these old school buses for months. They sit abandoned way in the back of our county’s school bus maintenance lot. You can see them off in the distance from the main road. Well, I didn’t think they’d let me on the property but on a whim I pulled in, stopped at the security gate, smiled and then the little old man waved me through. (a whoo hoo moment!) The kids were so excited to explore the old buses BUT none of them wanted to be photographed.

See, I told ya. They didn’t want their picture taken.

can I get a "whoo hoo"

In children’s books you read, “Suzy shouted, “weeee as she rode on the merry-go-round.” Authors will quote their characters saying, “whoo hoo” as they speed down a slide. I used to think it was ridiculous that they wrote these parts in. I could never remember a time when I heard one of my kids shout out anything like that … until my #3 came along. She is my WHOO HOO girl.

Standing at the kitchen sink, scrubbing away, I can see the kids whiz past me on their scooters and bikes. A HUGE smile grows as I hear loud and clear over the commotion, “WHOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” It’s my youngest. She just can’t help but to shout out her excitement. I absolutely love her outburst. You can expect to hear “Weeee” or a “WHOO HOO” on these occasions:

Informing her we are going spend time with her friends.
Swinging on a swing.
Riding her scooter.
Running to battle the boys at the park.
Telling her that her grandparents are coming for a visit.
Riding her bike.
Jumping into a pile of leaves.
Taking her to one of her favorite stores.
Feeding her something she loves.

There are so many more, I can’t even think of them all. She is such a happy child and her enthusiasm is totally contagious.

Here she is skipping around the front yard. She loves to gallop and skip.

family portraits, anyone?

I am going to be in my hometown this weekend. If anyone wants some family portraits made, contact me by leaving a comment to this post. (I promise not to publish any personal contact information that you leave!)

Thanks!