on your mark, get set, overload

all i can do is say "i'm sorry" for which you are about to be forced to do.

i am sooooo far behind on this here blog.

so i decided to update it, with several {and i use that word loosely} post.

so, sorry.

i'll understand if you turn back now.

actually, i'll never know, so it's okay.

love, me

festival of trees

believe it or not, i'm kinda famous around these parts.

got ya! only kidding. i mean who am i kidding. i'm a nobody.

well, not a complete nobody. i am shara to most or mom the three sponges that live in our house.

okay, back to the original post:

this was the second year i was asked by the festival of trees committee to photograph the trees that were decorated and auctioned off for a good cause.

you know me, i never pass up an opportunity to spend sometime with my boyfriend, mr. nikon and take some pictures. especially of beautifully decorated trees.

also a plus i get to use the images for my own personal use. like the one in my new updated banner.

see, being famous has it perks.

so kidding.

stop laughing.

didn't your mother tell you it's not nice to laugh at people?

i guess my mother told me to never lie and i just did, you know the part about being famous..... :)

basketball

no, your not on the wrong blog.

yes, you just read a post entitled "basketball"

yes, you are seeing a tall boy and you are saying to yourself, doesn't this crazy lady have all girls?

just thought i would share with you a couple of the "tall boy" as he is kindly referred to in our house.

i'm gonna be honest, he is an awesome basketball player.

i'm pretty darn proud of him and he's not even my kid!

well, i guess he kinda is, i mean he is at my house almost as much a my own. i'm still negotiating for half the tax credit. HA

anyhoo, at 6'1 he is the tallest on the team and an all around awesome player and i'll be honest, kid.

okay, we now return you to your regularly scheduled blog post about girls and their drama!

christmas program

josie and jordan

josie jade

jessica in the marimba band

my girlies home from the concert

the other day {well, last week to be exact} the ladies, minus jordan had their christmas program.

it's 2 fun filled hours {enter sarcasm here} of christmas music and kids singing out of tune.

nah, it's all good. it was awesome to watch jessica play in the marimba band AND sing a solo.

she totally rocked it. did i mention she was awesome? are you sure? if not, i"ll proudly tell you again, jp ROCKED the house.

josie was a little nervous to be up on that "big"stage and having to sing in front of so many people {she's a whole lot like her dad} but she too did awesome.

love living in a small town and the life we life. honestly couldn't get much better!

jordan and keegan

okay, so hold on to your pants.

my jordy and keegan are still going out.

can you believe it?

it's been like 4 whole months. that is eternity in middle school years.

actually, i'm not shocked at all.

they are a good match for one another.

as mentioned in previous post {not that i expect you to remember} this is her first boyfriend {just the second time around}.

i swear they are like an old married couple.

i know judgment is probably being passed on me as we speak {or you read this} that we would let her have a boyfriend, and a pretty serious one at that at her age. but to be honest, she is old for her age and mature beyond her years.

it is a good relationship, a positive one and one that does both of them good.

plus, i mean come on, how cute are they? nothing better than tall boys..... {well not in my case, i prefer them a "husky petite"} ha ha

tukey day and more snow

the ladies on thanksgiving

the griswald, umm i mean giordano family thanksgiving

my dad and the girls

linda threatening me with shovel full of snow {only kidding she was waiting for the kids to go by on the sled to throw it on them}


so right before thanksgiving my dad and step mom flew out to see us.

i think they secretly brought the crappy weather with them, because it started getting crappy the next day {i'm not accusing, just saying}.

while here we had a great time. ate too much, stayed up too late and enjoyed each other's company.

heck, my step mom even got in on some snow shoveling!

so, can you forgive me?

jordan and keegan

josie

jessica

i know what you're thinking..

this lady really does do a crappy job on updating her blog.

i know, i know- i'm sorry.

it's just that you know along the way, life just sorta happens and you get lost in the moment of it all and you totally forget about your little ole' blog.

the one you love to write on and share your pearls of wisdom on.

the one you think you are funny on. the one that when you {as in me} read it you actually chuckle to yourself.

so, it is with sorry puppy dog eyes and pouty lips that i ask for your forgiveness for being such a slacker.

okay, so on with the show.

mother nature has somehow gotten her timing all messed up and has been kind enough to dump a bunch of snow on us.

so, what to do when you've got the day off from school and lots of snow on the ground?

you break out the boots, hats, gloves, coats, sleds and four wheeler and play in the winter wonderland.

the girls and my adopted "son", better known as jordan's boyfriend keegan {i know you shocked about that too, YES they are still together} played in the snow for most of the day.

the girls ended up having no school the next day either, so that meant more playing in the snow.

day 4- josie jade

on this fourth day of gratitude i am truly grateful for:

josie jade

the love i have for this cute redhead is off the charts.

she is so stinking funny yet opinionated it's not even funny!

she is 5 going on 15 and makes her presence known to all who enter our home.

outside of the house she is a quiet and shy.

inside these four wall, watch out- she runs the place!

i love that she is the spitting image of her dad, both in looks and personality.

they are two of a kind for sure.

the world is a better place because of our little red.

love you josie jade!

day 3- jessica payton

oh jp where do i start?

see this girl?

she is so a middle child.

she is a fashionista. a punk rocker.wild child, yet rule follower. she can drive you to the edge and then have you rolling on the floor laughing.

she is smart. talented. funny. artistic. organized. grumpy. bossy. beautiful. a skinny minnie. independent. loving. caring {sometimes} and is my middle child.

even when she was little she was a turkey. this child of mine cried, and cried and cried, constantly.

if she wasn't held at all time, she would CRY! ugh.. seriously thought something was wrong with the girl.

although she is quiet at times, she makes her presence known. she is a leader at school and gets straight A's.

i am curious as to what our relationship will be when she gets a little older... shall we pray? {ha}

so i love ya jessica payton, our lives wouldn't be the same without you!

day 2- jordan

for on this second day of november and in listing my 30 days of gratitude, i am thankful for jordan.

she is by far one of the most amazing young ladies i know.

i know all mom's think this way about their children, but there isn't enough space in this post for me to list all of the amazing things she is.

one could not ask for a more delightful child.

she has always been good. even as a baby. never cried, never complained. you could literally take her ANYWHERE and she was happy.

she is the same way now.

it's hard to believe in that in a short amount of time she will be 14. it seems like just a few years ago she was so little, and now she is growing up so quickly {right before my eyes}. before we know it, she'll be gone living her own life. i'm not sure i'm going to like that to be honest!

so on my second day i am ever so thankful to call jordan my eldest wonderful daughter!

day 1

so i guess it's all the rage to have 30 days of gratitude {well at least what i am hearing} so i thought i would extend this to my blog.

now, don't you just feel so darn lucky?

don't answer that, i don't want to know how you really feel about me..

okay, so on with the purpose of this post.

i think {or shall i say i will try/hope/really try/really hope} to post my 30 days worth of gratitude here on the sweet life.

so i give you day 1:

i am thankful for my awesome husband.

for he is kind, loving, caring, giving, respectful, wonderful, hard working, supportive, smart, funny, smelly, goofy, grumpy, smiley,
great, creative and all around amazing.

so very thankful for him and the life that he provides for us!

updates....

first of all, yes we are alive.

second, i'm sorry for being a really bad blogger.

so, are we still friends?

okay, i'll take that as a yes-

so, where to start:

jordan just finished up her final season of middle school volleyball. she loved every single second of it but, is thankful it's over. she is now looking forward to basketball season. not for herself you see.. it's so she can go and watch a certain young man that she is slightly attached to.

jessica is loving marimba band and camera club. she spends 2 days a week at marimba practice {post on that one soon} and 1 day a week at camera club. in her free time she loves to hang with josie and her friend kayla.

josie is well, josie. nothing too exciting to report other than she is loving school {for the most part} and loves spending time with jessica. well, that is when jessica is being a nice big sister and letting her hang out...

mark is in the middle of a seriously busy term of school. hating every single second of it. {well, not every single second of it, but pretty darn close} i'm super proud of him and all of his hard work.

me, well i'm hanging in there. my schedule is pretty full with photography work {for which i am thankful} and somehow i signed myself up to be the classroom parent in not one, but two classes {jess and joey's} rooms. oh, hang on a second- i was also sweet talked into being on the site council for jordan's middle school. i swear i must be drunk when these forms come home. i never recall signing up for this stuff! ha ha

anyway, that's what we've been up to lately.

i'll try to not be such a bad blogger and update my blog with stuff that is a little more exciting!

loves

these are my loves.

my life.

my everything.

they brighten my day like no other.

they make me crazy.

they make me mad.

they make me proud.

they make me happy.

and at the end of the day,

they make me so happy to be their mom.

i've got the best job in the world and wouldn't trade it for anything.

for these are my loves.

beauty

couldn't post to my blog without some eye candy.

did i mention how much i love to take pictures?

did i mention that i forgot all about my beloved macro lens?

i have no idea how i did that, but i did.

sorry mr. macro.

so i broke him out and took some pictures.

love them all.

could sit and shoot and edit for hours.

but there is not enough time in the day for that!

so, i give you a mum, macro/shara style!

the little ladies

okay, so i know it's not nice to brag, but who says i'm nice!

so, last week i get not one, but two cards in the mail from jessica and josie's school telling me that BOTH of them are being honored at their school for respect and responsibility.

seriously? both?

figured it was a mess up.

well, as you would know it josie was SO excited about the award. she picked out her outfit 3 days in advance.

jess, well she's kinda an old hat at those sorts of things so she was like "cool"

well, wouldn't you know it, i totally messed up {big time}

one would assume that since it's an awards ceremony it would be held at the same time, right?

WRONG~

josie's was at 9 am and jess' at 9:45.

i of course only read the one that said 9:45, so guess which one i missed?

by beloved joey's first award.

i was completely heartbroken and felt like such a horrible mom.

i apologized many time to joey and to which she replies, "it's no biggie mom, i'll get other ones"

gotta love my girl!

so, needless to say mark and i are extremely proud of these girls of ours. they make our job look easy.

love you girlies!