Holiday Recap...A-Z style

A...An amazing and absolutely busy Thanksgiving!!

B...Black Friday shopping was just not the same as years past, but I still managed to come home with a car full of crap presents.

C...Could someone please tell me where the entire month of November went?

D...Decorated for Christmas!!

E...Ended our long, busy weekend with frozen pizza and football!

F...Football...Thomas is officially registered for winter season and Tom is coaching!!

G...Golfed twice...oh wait not me...Tom did!!

H...Harding's came to stay for the Holiday and it was a great little mini-vaca!!

I...I let Taylor have ice cream for dinner on Saturday night. She was so EXCITED!

J...Just in case you were wondering pregnancy is going great, 28 weeks and counting!

K...Kicking, as in this baby LOVES kicking me 24/7

L...Listening to Christmas music is one of the best things about this time of year!

M...Made lots of hair clip, bows and headbands for my upcoming Holiday Boutique.

N...Next year I will remember to buy some sort of Thanksgiving centerpiece...my tables were not festive AT ALL...but that was the only thing I forgot, so I cut myself a break.

O...Other than the little bit of fighting Thanksgiving night, the kids were so good. 4 kids ages 3-7...could go either way you just don't know.

P...Played Cabela's Monster Buck Hunter for the Wii ALL DAY YESTERDAY!

Q...Quietest baby ever. Little Alexa Jo Harding (one of our five house guests) is the best baby ever. I am not sure I heard more than two peeps out of her the whole time.

R...Rest...I need some!

S...Starbucks coffees, as in I had a few too many over the last 6 days!!

T...Tree is going to be a REAL one this year, our first ever!

U...Utterly amazed that neither one of my kids complained once at Thanksgiving dinner, a pure miracle.

V...Very nice to be the host of Thanksgiving this year.

W...Weather, only in AZ would you be sweating while putting up Christmas lights. It was absolutely beautiful weather last week.

X...I got nothin!!!

Y...Yesterday I got a glimpse of what it would be like to have a "GAMER" for a husband and let me just tell you that I am very thankful I do not.

and

Z...Zero time to relax last week and not looking good for the next two weeks either!!

Why?

Sparked from an impromptu trip to Costco this morning I thought it should be said...

I have two complaints in regards to parking and the holidays, as they relate to each other that is.

Why do people insist upon blocking traffic for a parking spot in the front?

Why do people do this??

Why do people drag out the process of getting into their cars when clearly others are waiting for said parking spaces.?

Why do people do this??

If you see a spot, take it...if you have to walk...well...IT IS NOT GOING TO KILL YOU!!

I spent 10 minutes trying to back out of my parking space because of both of the questions I posed above.

Two ladies...unloading their Costco carts (oh you can just imagine how much stuff they had)...into their cars at a slow, nonchalant pace. Short of being legally blind I am not sure how they could miss the line of cars waiting for their spots.

Two cars holding up three other cars from backing out (one of which was me) to get said spots in the front.  As I sat there in reverse I counted 7 spots that I could see on the next row over.

Seriously people??

Just a couple things...

I remembered to post the final TD's that Thomas scored in the last game, but completely forgot to post any of the pics I took. I actually got quite a few good ones and think that I might put something together for Thomas for Christmas.

If you don't know my son beyond this blog then you don't know how excited he gets over things that would blow you away. He notices things that no other 5 yr old would notice...example... if my mom changes something in her house he notices, if I wear something new he notices. It really is quite hilarious.

Anyway...I just know he would be equally excited over a photo collage of his football season as he would new toys (don't worry he is getting lots of toys).

On another note...

Of course I would prefer to post pics of my kids all the time, but lets be honest...my kids are so sick of me with the camera in their faces. Luckily for them my camera lens has been in other peoples faces lately.

I did another shoot with my friend Jackie on Sunday, only this time it was with her whole family. Although 10 people (including a 1 yr old) is a challenge...it was really fun.

Thought I would share...

Of course I took a few more of Landon and Evan...these two are such hams!

Can I just tell you that I really have been having so much fun lately. I have been super busy with the kids...making tons of new hair bows and accessories...planning a Holiday Boutique at the preschool with 17 different vendors (very excited about that)...hosting my first Thanksgiving this year...taking photos. It is all of that that is making this pregnancy fly by.

Being Thankful...

Although Thanksgiving is a take it or leave it holiday in my book it does not mean I do not get the meaning behind it.

So... I thought I would share the things I am thankful for this year...

1. My husband and my munchkins...I know that they love me despite my yelling, despite my moodiness, despite the fact that at times the laundry is a strategically created mountain and despite the fact that I ask them to do stuff and THEN tell them how to do it (I know it should be one or the other).  I really do not know what I would do without all three of them.

2. The bump that is my third baby...I am so lucky to have had three very easy pregnancies. I am nearing the end of this one and besides having discomfort while I sleep...I have NO complaints and cannot wait to meet this little girl.

3. My family...I am reminded everyday how lucky I am to have a family that is close.   I know that not everyone has what I have in the way of family and for that I am a million times thankful.

4. As an extension to #3 I am going to single out my mom. She is the best inspiration a girl could ask for. She definitely challenges me to be the most productive SAHM possible. I honestly wonder sometimes how I used to have a job. I feel guilty when I am not working on a project because I know she has at least 4-5 on her plate.

5. MY FRIENDS...I have some of the greatest friends. About a year ago I was highly contemplating seeing a therapist. Not because I am crazy...well I might be...but more because I just felt I needed a sounding board. Having friends that know exactly how I am feeling just by the look on my face is so great.

6. All of the people that are boosting my confidence and pushing me to follow my dream of making photography a bigger part of my life. I am SOOOO thankful...grateful...even amazed...that you have taken a chance on me.


I know that my little list is probably no different than Sally down the street, but I thought it needed to be said.

What are you thankful for??

Back at it

I have had my camera in hand a lot lately, but not just to capture my kids' every moment. Last weekend I had the pleasure of taking family photos of my good friends The Becker's and The Tavenner's.

I thought I would share a little of what I got. I can not begin to tell you how nice it is to take photos of kids that actually respond when I ask them to look at me (without even having to use bribery).

Thanks to these two ladies...Jackie and Dane...I have three more family shoots in the next couple of weeks. I am loving all this practice and I cannot begin to tell you how nice it is have this extension in my life.

On the Farm...

Sunday morning I took Taylor to a birthday party at what will probably be the destination of her next birthday...Marley Farms.

This is the second time we have been to the farm and she loved it just as much this time.

She would have fed the animals all day if I had enough food to accommodate.

Teaching a Kindergartner = Torture

If there is one job I am 200% positive I would suck at...

It would be teaching! In fact my teaching skills are so great I am actually blogging while I am supposed to be helping Thomas with his homework. Don't judge...he is right next to me at the dinner table and I am multitasking. A while back (I think, not positive) I mentioned that I truly believe things like child birth are suppressed deep in your memory for good reason. If you remembered such things it may keep you from repeating. Well, I am adding learning to spell, write, read oh just learning in general to the list. I have absolutely no idea how to teach my almost 6 yr old how to do these things. None!!

And as if that wasn't challenge enough all on its own add to it he is EXACTLY like his dad. In what respect you ask...every respect. His concentration is horrible, he argues with 99% of what I tell him and says "I can't" more times than I care to hear.

Don't bother asking me why Tom doesn't help him with his homework...I compare my reasoning to why someone dieting should not go into a bakery...nothing good can come from it. I will leave the teaching of sports to Tom and take one for the team when it comes to the education. Although he had a great first flag football season, I haven't seen any scouts just yet.

In case you were wondering...

In the time that I have typed all of this...Thomas has asked me five times what the score of the Monday night football game is. I don't know Thomas...keep practicing writing your address please...Do you think Green Bay is winning?...I don't know Thomas!!!...Please pay attention or you will never know what the score is.

Seriously people...we aren't even through Kindergarten. I see lots of wine in my future.

Unbroken Streak

Saturday was the Bowl game for Thomas' flag football team and the boys went out in style. They won their game earning them the cutest little third place trophies I have seen.

I would be proud either way, but Thomas was not about to break the streak on the last game, so right out of the gate he sealed the deal.

First play of the game...



His 2nd touchdown of the game...last one for this wonderful season...

Breaking out the winter clothes!

Although my complaints about the AZ weather are minimal I do wish we hung around in the 80's just a little bit longer.

It was just a few weeks ago and we were still in tank tops and flip flops...if you don't believe me just ask my sister what she wore to my Halloween party. Shorts and a tank...It was in the 90's.

Fast forward a week and I am scrounging around looking for anything that resembles winter clothing for my munchkins to wear. Looking for pants that have not become capris and coats that have not become three quarter length. I have pulled out my boots and scarves and instructed the kids that socks are to stay on (they hate socks).

Needless to say I will be doing a little winter clothing shopping this weekend. You only get a pass in AZ for about a week before people start questioning your parenting if your kids don't look warm.

My pictures this week are dedicated to Jaime Frederick for commenting on our "WINTER" in AZ. No it is nothing like Seattle, but it's all relative people and for us it is COLD!

In Case You Were Wondering...

The streak continues as my Thomas scored two touchdowns on Saturday!!





On a side note after the game on Saturday it is very clear why there is a parents code of conduct. The sidelines were pretty heated, you just had to laugh.

Next Saturday is Bowl Games and our first season of Flag Football comes to an end. Not to worry...he will be back on the field in January for winter football.

Tired, but so worth it!

I think if you ask the kids they will tell you that Halloween 2011 was great! We threw a party, went to a few school parties and of course ended with some good ol' trick or treating!!

Again my mom did an amazing job on the kids' costumes!!

She even whipped up a costume for my sis to wear to work and I couldn't resist getting a picture of the kids with Aunt KiKi!!