the sweet life

happy new year

2011-01-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

happy new year 2011

enjoying some sparkling apple cider

the awesome folks we rang in the new year with

you know me, it's not a post without a random picture...

well, another year has come and gone.

and what do we have to show for it?

some would say: a few more pounds, a few more wrinkles, and maybe a few more grey hairs {not me, mark- i'm grey free! just saying}

i would however say it was another year of:

love from one another
time spent with those we cherish
great meals {that might explain those "few pounds"}
travels to near and far
adventures in our own backyard
pictures to capture all that life has to offer
life
death
birthdays {37 x 2, 14, 9 & 5}
milestones {awards, grades, boyfriends, starting school}
opportunities to do the things we love
friendships {new and old}
understanding
patience, either learning to have some or never having enough
flaws that you don't like others to see
life lessons
thankfulness for the life we live
forgiveness for ourselves and for others

the list could go on and on for sure.

i am thankful for another year as a mom, wife, and friend.

and thankful to have friends and family in MY life that make life complete.

so, here's to another great year of:
love
food
adventures
birthdays
milestone
opportunities
friendships
life lessons
friends
and many more...

gotta love these peeps

2011-01-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

jessica in her way too small scooby doo costume on christmas day. i tell you some of the things this kid of mine does make me laugh so hard! where she comes up with these things i'll never know. i personally like to blame it on mark's brother michael, she acts just like him. well, at least that's my story and i'm sticking to it!

jordan and the keegan spending a little time together on christmas. as i've previously mentioned... these two are inseparable. always together somewhere, somehow. mark laughs and says, " i have no idea how in the world they can spend that much time together." guess he doesn't remember being 14... either way, we love him dearly and his is surely part of our family!

oh my little josie jade. as cute as you are, you are surely testing your limits. some days more than others. i guess it's because you are the youngest of 3 and your two older sisters, well, they are just as stubborn and smart as you are. or is it that you are as smart as them? who knows, all i do know is that i love you to pieces even on the days i want to return you to..... {where is it you return kids at?} ha ha

christmas

2011-01-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

can you believe that i would only take one, yep one picture on christmas?

i'm not too sure what is wrong with me, but this is all you're getting folks!

it was a quiet morning spent opening gifts and enjoying each other's company.

then it was time to feast that evening with to die for prime rib with all the fixing...

yeah, i'm still enjoying our christmas meal each and everyday i try to zip my pants,

gotta love the holidays!

award winning writer in family

2011-01-03T16:30:00.000-08:00

yep, you guessed it. the red head is giving me a run for my money on being famous.

she went ahead and won herself an award. a writing award. who knew she could do that, you know write?

just so happened that the awards assembly just happen to be on jammie day.

come on folks, i'm not that bad of a parent.

i was worried that my less than outgoing 3rd one would freeze up when it came time to read her "writing" but nope, she went ahead and did i like a champ!

after the assembly was the classroom holiday party where the kids feasted on cookies, hot chocolate and marshmallows.

hence the picture of josie eating..

so proud of you josie jade!

birthday girl

2011-01-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

okay, okay so we all know i am a complete loser.

not the girl shown above, me- her mother.

so i get all high and mighty and post tons of postings and then......

NOTHING!

wow, really is all i can say.

well, maybe that and sorry.

okay, on with the show, umm i mean post.

see this girl? yep, that one at the top of this post?

she turned 14 on the 20th of december.

14 really?

i know. i ask myself that often. mostly because i can't imagine that i am old enough to have a kid that age. but whatever...

all you need to know is that we love her very much and are so very proud of her and who she is becoming.

we ended up going to olive garden for her big day, ate way too much and had a blast.

so happy 14th birthday jordan michele.... WE LOVE YOU!

on your mark, get set, overload

2010-12-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-12-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

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

2010-11-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

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

2010-11-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

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

2010-11-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

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....

2010-10-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

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!

jordan {again}

2010-10-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

okay, i know i just had a post about jordan and volleyball, but....

i just have to brag.

did i mention she rocks?

yeah, she gets it from me! {so kidding}

she has been rocking at volleyball this season.

did i mention she is captain?

oh yeah {it's cause she's bossy and that she DOES get from me}

she is by far the loudest on the court.

you can always hear her.

i jokingly asked one of her teammates about her leadership skills and they replied with...

yeah, that's just jordan, why do you think we elected her student body president?

cause when she talks, most tend to listen.

guess it's good to be a leader.

gosh i love that girl.

she makes me pretty darn proud to be her momma!

mark

2010-10-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

see this guy?

he is the love of my life.

{well, him and the girls}

before too long we will be celebrating out 16th wedding anniversary.

did you know that he is a wonderful, amazing, loving, caring, funny and father, friend and husband?

did you know that right now he is juggling {with many balls} and hasn't managed to drop any yet?

i am so proud of him as he is in the middle of this term of school taking 11 hours worth of classes?

and working/owning a business. putting up with the drama his brother creates. being the dad & husband he was meant to be.

he is all around awesome.

i had no idea that almost 18 years later {as we've been together about that long} that we would be living the life we do.

there isn't one single thing i would change about our lives.

i love it. every single second of it.

and i love him more and more every single day.

jordan michele

2010-09-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

this girl is too beautiful for words {if i may say so myself}

remember this is my blog and i can say what i want, right?

i can hardly believe that in 3 short months my jordan will be 14.

really?

the thing i love about her is her humility.

she thinks of herself as so average.

when in fact she is far beyond average,

she is:
spectacular
kind
loving
smart
good
respectful
beautiful
caring
funny
giving
a leader
an amazing daughter, friend, sister, girl friend, student.. all around person.

okay, i'm off my soap box now.

thanks for letting me do a little bragging!

gentleman friends

2010-09-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

jessica and tj

where to begin..

they love to text
then call
then text
then call
{you get the picture}
call each other "buddy"
are really cute
they eat lunch together everyday
she loves to hang with him
he likes to hang with her
she even went to watch him race last weekend
totally smitten with him and his cute smile
they are simply adorable

jordan and keegan

where to begin...

they love to spend every. single. waking. minute. together
they text
then call
then text
then call
{you get the picture}
wait a second.. they are usually together so how do they do the fore mentioned?
we either drop him off at home or they drop her here or they pick up or we pick up and no sooner do we make it 50 feet down the street,
and her phone goes off.
seriously.
i'm not even kidding!
it's cute.
he calls her babe
she does the same
he tells her she is beautiful
she tells him she's not
they eat lunch together every. single. day
they are like old people
i'm so thankful jordan has found someone who makes her smile and her heart happy
they are simply adorable.

lately

2010-09-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

jordan as henrietta the hawk

jess and tj

josie

we've been up to... LOTS!

okay, where to start.

jordan:

is loving volleyball. plays the entire game {she's really pretty good}
was the school mascot at the family health day
loves spending time with her gentleman friend {more on him later}
is rocking {as usual} at school
is awesome.

jessica:

is a member of camera club
is now a member of the husky marimba band {think drums}
likes to hang out with her "gentleman friend" {more on that one later too}
is doing great in school
making all A's on test
is an awesome dancer

josie jade:

is loving school {except today as she doesn't like a particular young lady in her class}
dislikes girls who steal her friends
is an amazing artist
is funny as hell
makes me laugh every single day of my life
becoming more independent everyday much to this momma bears dismay

mark:

started his newest semester of school today
is taking 3 courses
is busy at work
is awesome
is the love of my life
the best husband and daddy a bunch of girls could ever want

me:

feeling completely deflated
feeling fat
full of self doubt
loving my flat, fat, doubtful life
couldn't ask for better kids or honey
busy with photography work
doubting said photography work
needs to publish a post all on it's own about insecurities

so there you go.. a quick recap of our lives
nothing too exciting, just life as usual.

more of this and that

2010-09-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

you know me..

i love me some quotes.

so, guess what.

i created and posted two more.

now don't you just feel so lucky?

happy sunny monday to all~

jord & volleyball

2010-09-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

sharing a laugh with her teammates

delivering her killer underhand serve

hustling to get into position as setter

jordan in position

yesterday was the first volleyball game of the season for sandstone middle school.

they won and jordan rocked her serves.

in the third game {where they play till 15, she scored 10 of those points in a row i might add}.

so volleyball season is upon us here in our household.

jordan loves volleyball.

and i must admit she's not half bad at it either.

she made the "B" team once again this year, whatever.

she likes this group of girls better anyway, not to mention she gets to play every game.

she is the "setter" for the team.

i love how her face lights up when she does something she loves.

probably didn't help her boyfriend came to watch her either.

she could care less if i'm there.... but i know she secretly likes it~

also on a high note, i'm going to be taking pictures for the middle school for the yearbook.

i can hardly wait. love hanging around that place, it's a lot of fun!

boyfriends, umm i mean "special friends"

2010-09-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

jordan and keegan

tj and jessica

so as you can see things are getting crazy around our house.

my two oldest have gotten seriously bitten by the boy bug.

jordan and keegan are inseparable and pretty cute if i may say so myself.

and jess,

well, her an tj are a hot item as well. they are so cute. really!

texting, hanging, gifting, laughing, dinners, "play dates"

these are all things that happen around here.

i think mark and i are in huge trouble.

HUGE!

oh well, they are good girls and obviously these boys know a good thing when they see it..

okay, that was a little vain for me to say, nah, they are awesome girls and i don't mind ya knowing it!

my loves

2010-09-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

i know what you are saying..

another post about my kids.

i can hear you now "i mean seriously don't you have a life?"

ha ha

nope, not much of one at all.

but when this momma loves her daughters as much a i do

you're gonna have to suffer.

ok?

i mean it's my blog and i can do what i want to~

right?

i so need to catch up on my blog.

we've been busy with well, life.

so until we meet again.

i give you my loves!

britches

2010-08-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

so i want to introduce you to britches.

no, you're wrong. we did NOT get a new dog.

she belongs down the street to some neighbors.

you see i was out on my "tourist" type walks in the neighborhood and she happened to be outside.

you see i heart her and love to pass out kisses to her every chance i get.

i mean seriously, who can resist a face like this?

i wish i had gotten her profile, because it's even better!

i know, you just can't turn away from her cuteness huh?

it's okay, i understand.....

awesomeness

2010-08-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

couldn't let the day pass without sharing jessica's rockn' shoes.

they are SO her.

like totally....

first day of freedom.. um i mean school

2010-08-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

hurray today was the day..

oh sorry i got all excited again.

today was the first day of school for the giordano girlies...

lets see, we've got one in 8th, 4th and kindergarten.

are you sitting down? {well, duh who stands up surfing the net and reading blogs?}

the morning went off without a single tear, fit, dirty word, nasty look or death threat.

it was AWESOME!!!!

i'm sure it was just first day luck, it will be back to business as usual tomorrow morning.

either way, it was a great day.

the girls all loved school and are even ready to go back tomorrow.

oh and on a side note, i didn't even cry when i took my joey to school this morning.

thought i might, but i somehow held it together!

yeah me!

i'll let you know how tomorrow goes.... i'm praying for a repeat of today, but i'm not holding my breath!

inspiration

2010-08-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

for those that either know or don't know, i love quotes.

there, i've admitted it.

there is just something about a collection of words put together on paper or in one's heart that make an impact on someone.

these latest "batch" of quotes i've borrowed from an artist named rodney white {i highly suggest you google him}

so you know me.

i set out to create my own art and attached his amazing words to some of my photography.

i love them.

wish i had the wall space to put them in my home, but if you've ever been in our home, there isn't much space left.

you see i've already filled them with other things that bring joy, happiness and love to all of us.

so, i'll just have to print them and make them into cards.

hope you enjoy these as much as i do.

happy sunny wednesday from me to you.

enough said

2010-08-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

this girl....

2010-08-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

just flew out on a plane to texas this morning.

i'm not gonna lie, it was rough on this momma.

probably didn't help that i was running on just a couple of hours sleep.

darn near broke my heart to see her walk thru the security gates.

i felt completely helpless {note to self, really don't like that feeling}.

she too was a wee bit nervous.

this was after all her first time flying ALONE.

not to mention how nerve racking it is trying to get thru the security.

first take this off, put that in here, now put that in this and so on...

it would make anyone crazy, let alone a hormonal 13 year old girl who finally at the end of summer has "found a boy."

silly girly.

she's gonna have a blast. swimming. traveling. sightseeing. rafting. floating. visiting.

and i feel it necessary to mention that she got to fly the second half of her trip today in FIRST class!

lucky! {insert voice from napoleon dynamite}

i hope she has the time of her life and creates new and exciting memories.

round two

2010-08-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

jordan and keegan 8/2010

keegan 3/2009

no this is not a repeat post.

yes, you are seeing this boy again.

so, my jordan's got herself a "boyfriend",

and funny how it is her "first boyfriend" again.

somehow 2 grades later they've decided that they like each other once again and have started hanging out.

funny how life is... goofy kids.

he has changed alot and for the better i might add.

a little more mature, respectful and caring.

and lets not forget to mention taller. the kid is now 6ft and wears a size 15 shoe!

really? boys did not have feet that big or be as tall as he is at 13 when i was that age.

on a side note and a funny story- he had dinner with us last night. after dinner he "stretched" and could touch the ceiling with his palms..

mark looked at him and then me and just laughed and said/asked "wow, are we vertically challenged?"

fair time

2010-08-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

the girls and their friends

jp ready to ride the typhoon

joey taking to the air

my jordan happy and smiling from the inside out

this week has been our county fair.

the girls have pretty much lived there most of the week.

checking out the animals, riding the rides and eating yummy elephant ears.

delish. {sorry i got distracted by the elephant ears}

nothing better than hanging with your sister and friends and having a blast.

i'm sure they are looking forward to next year!

joey

2010-08-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

just a little impromptu photo shoot in the rain the other day.

nothing better than raindrops on your face, tongue and hands.

it's the simple things in life that make one happy.

happy friday from me to you.

may i introduce

2010-08-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

just a couple of pictures of my newest love.

you know me... i fall in love so very easily.

especially when things are old and vintage.

oh how i love you little brownie.

i'm now on a quest to find you some friends.

so stay tuned.

but if you don't, i completely understand.

i'm sorta strange, but i'm sure you already know that about me.

especially if you've followed or read this blog for any lenght of time.

happy monday from me to you!

just a little eye candy...

2010-08-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

just some what i like to call "eye candy" from the yard.

i love this time of year, well hang on a sec...

i take that back- i really could do without the heat.

fat girls don't like to sweat!

happy sunny and hot thursday from me to you!

learning to ride

2010-07-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

this past week i was a mean, mean mom.

i made/forced/threatened/begged josie to learn to ride her two wheeled bike.

talk about stubborn.

she wasn't having it.

the entire time as i am holding onto her seat {dying from the heat} running up and down our street, she is crying.

and when i say crying, i'm talking, crying like you just broke your arm, toe, foot, your head!

you would have thought we were torturing her.

but the best part of it all is... she CAN DO IT!

she just doesn't want to.

she can make it down the entire street, all alone- then she realizes you aren't holding on, she looks down and about wrecks!

i ask her if she wants to ride her bike and she tells me no. i say how about tomorrow and she says "i'm never riding again".

she is a turd. she gets it from her dad! :)

so enjoy these photos as she is being made to ride, thru the tears and screaming.

one day she'll figure it out.. or i'm gonna die of heat stroke trying!

more.. more... more

2010-07-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

jordan, elise and chuck

josie and jess playing at the river

josie and elise

sir chuck and i

okay, so are you ready to jump from a cliff yet?

have you had just about enough of the sweet life?

it's okay i understand.

you see this is what happens when i get behind on something.. i feel the need to catch up.

aren't you lucky?

wait, don't answer that!

family

2010-07-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

joyce, rick and norma {mark's dad's siblings}

mark and michael with the aunts and uncle

norma brought her collection of wigs.. she and jess

one of norma's bucket list.. jumping on a trampoline.

so once the coast trip was over the family came back to hermiston with us and spent a couple of days here.

it was great.

once again we:

ate too much. laughed tons. made more memories. saw alot of sights. had a blast.

i mean who else brings wigs on vacation with them?

mark's aunt norma that's who!

oh and as for mark and norma on the trampoline.. i could not stop laughing. she was screaming and laughing at the same time. it has to be one of the funniest things i have ever witnessed!

what would a post be without...

2010-07-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

an awesome sunset

well lookie there, another one

wow, i am starting to see a trend here.. sunsets.....

lighthouse love.

some photography work.

sometimes this passion/hobby/love of mine is too much.

i find i take way too many pictures.

you see the problem with that is.. there are just too many to choose from.

in fact over the course of our coast trip i took over 1,300 pictures.

see, i told you i have a slight problem! :)

2010-07-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

mark's cousin elise and her boyfriend louie

mark showing off his cupcake

we had a cupcake decorating contest.. that's a whole lot of cupcakes

josie and i {she made mine for me} showing off my cupcake

more coast

2010-07-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

mark's aunt joyce, randy her husband and their son, ryan

our entire family at the tillamook cheese factory

mark's aunt norma and her husband larry

then there is mark's uncle rick... he is alot like mark's dad. always pulling out the props and jokes. this was during the golf tournament!

sorry to post these kinda backwards, but for some reason blogger is being silly and not uploading pictures thru an edit.

so i have to just make additional post.

silly blogger. maybe i put it into over load with all my post.

:)

family reunion

2010-07-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

our family the day we went and rode sand rails.. omg that was a ton of fun!

the family

smores and a campfire on the beach

at the lighthouse

so in the middle of june we went to the coast for the giordano family reunion.

this is mark's dad's side of the family. since his dad's passing four years ago, this was the first time everyone had been together.

it was a blast.

we went sightseeing.

ate way too much.

laughed tons.

shared stories.

relieved memories.

just hung out and made new memories.

in all there were 21 of us.

can't wait to do it again that's for sure.

president

2010-07-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

i almost totally forgot.

may i introduce you to the next president of the student body class at sandstone middle school.

jordan was elected by her peers as president.

how awesome is that?

really!

so proud of her and all of her accomplishments.

jordan and jess

2010-07-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

figured life could not go on unless i shared with you these cuties.

this is what happens when you give silly goofy girlies their own camera.

they take goofy shots of themselves with 3D glasses on.

jordan and jess have become the best of friends lately and i find them leaning on each other more and more.

they hang out, talk, do hair, nails, and activities together almost daily.

they hardly ever argue or fight.

in fact you can usually find them together in one another's rooms.

a couple of weeks ago they went to see despicable me in 3D together.

they had a blast.

i'm so thankful they are becoming more than sisters.

they are becoming friends.

love them girls!

old rail car

2010-07-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

this is the old rail car that someone in our town bought and moved onto their piece of land.

it's awesomely cool. but i must admit- it has a haunted feel to it.

don't know what has happened in there and don't know that i want to.

we'll just leave it as a cool prop in the photography aspect of things.

i {heart} these ladies

2010-07-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

just some shots of my three favorite girlies.

they are growing up so fast.

they are headed to 8th grade. 4th grade. and kindergarten.

really?

do i have to send my baby to school?

ugh.

life, it happens whether you are ready for it or not.

more randoms

2010-07-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

see, i'm betting you are still thinking.....

oh my gravies. really?

what is this crap?

it's what i do.

random crap.

just a little photoshop love.

that's it, nothing else.

you can un follow this here blog now if you like.

i will understand, completely.

so random

2010-07-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

an awesome hermiston sunset

a HUGE dandelion {i mean who else would take a picture of such?}

a little hydrangea love

and of course no post would be complete without the trixie boston? i mean seriously?

being i've been such a horrible blogger lately and am now into post overload, you can expect to find post on some really random things.

you see i've got to get you up to date on our oh so exciting {kidding} lives.

it's at this point that you are thinking... maybe it was better when she didn't post! ha

so i give you some random shots seen thru the lens of my beloved camera.

enjoy.

jessica

2010-07-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

this daughter of mine.

hates to have her picture taken.

don't ask me why, for i have no idea.

she finally let me take some of her and to be honest-

when i look at these, it melts my heart {not to mention, makes it hurt}.

she is growing so fast.

ready to be a 4th grader.

really?

times really does fly.

our house is done....

2010-07-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

well, sorta. i mean is a house project ever REALLY done?

this is as done as she is gonna be for now.

between it being too darn hot out.

mark taking 3 classes this summer.

mark having a full time job.

trying to spend a few free seconds with out girlies.

this is it for now.

we would really like to add some craftsman style shutters, but we are unsure.

i love the house, the concrete, flowerbeds, rocks, colors, well i guess everything about it.

i'm so thankful we were able to do all this to our house, well, i mean our HOME.

we are alive

2010-07-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

okay, so i know you probably think that i have forgotten about this here blog.. sorry.

truth is we've been busy doing.. NOTHING!

it's summer for gravies sake. :)

well, actually we have been up to some stuff, let's see...

jordan has a babysitting job, when she's not doing that she can usually be found at the aquatic center with her sisters.

jessica has been busy texting anyone and everyone since she got her very own cell phone.

josie.. well, she is just busy running our household the way it should be run, with lots of snacks, kisses and love.

i promise i will give a more detailed update to our lives tomorrow... but don't hold your breath just in case something really exciting happens.. only kidding. i've got lots to share!

oh and as for these photos.. they are of my three favorite girlies. enjoy!

really?

2010-05-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

does anyone know who this young lady is?

because she is surely not my child.. way to beautiful for sure.

jordan had an event to attend tonight and is oh so very lucky enough to have a mom with a {small} obsession when it comes to photography...

so, i give you just a couple of my jordan...

maybe i should lock the door and surely throw away the key...

okay, gotta go do that right now..

wait, she is still at the dance, must wait until she gets home to never let her out of the house again, ever! :)

offically done with school

2010-05-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

yesterday was josie's last day of preschool....

it was a fun day spent with all of her classmates at a classmate's house.

there were toys, fun, horses, snacks, songs, stories and lots of good memories made.

hard to believe that my "baby" will officially be in kindergarten next year...

next thing you know, she'll be leaving the house.

you think i'm joking.. but you blink and they've grown up right before you very eyes.

i'm so thankful to her teacher's at Bethlehem Lutheran preschool- miss tess and miss veronica for a wonderful year.

so, it's officially summer for the joey and you can bet that she will be reminding her still going to school sisters that she gets to sleep in for the next 8 days...

updates....

2010-05-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

happy tuesday!
just a couple of our semi completed house.
we worked on our yard this past saturday finishing the flowerbeds and i must admit i love it!
we are planning on finishing up the paint this coming weekend {fingers crossed for nice weather}
and then all we will have left will be:
finishing touches like,
shutters
detail trim above the windows and door
top hat cap redo on pillars
you know really, this list could go on and on so i will spare you the agony.
so, thanks for stopping by and see ya soon!

happy birthday my love~

2010-05-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

a mere 5 years ago today this amazing redhead came into our lives and we haven't been the same since!

for today is my joey's birthday....

oh how i love her.

i could go on and on about this one.

so if you don't mind, i will {for just a second}

let me see....

she can add and subtract {in her head and without her fingers}
write anything and everything under the sun
sound out words and write them down
send email
send text
do amazing hair do's
run the direct tv remote
entertain herself for hours on end
make a pretty awesome pb & j sandwich
loves her sisters like no other
loves her mom and dad more
love to play with chuck and trixie
loves home more than anywhere else on earth
she is:
shy
super smart
bossy
redheaded
5 going on 15
so ready for kindergarten
ready for school to end and start
loves her life

as a mother who loves her children dearly, i could go on and on, but hey, you don't have that much free time on your hands.

so thanks for giving me a second or two of your time...

until then, josie says "rock on"!

justin and jacob

2010-05-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

justin above her bed

jacob at the foot of her bed

trying it out...

ahh.. heaven!

first of all- i'm sorry i've been such a bad blogger lately. do i even still have any followers?

hello, is this thing on? anyone out there?

okay, back to the business at hand-

i would like you to meet josie's men.....justin and jacob!

so, is it bad that my almost 5 year old buys herself a justin bieber poster at the store and asks me to hang it on the ceiling?

let's not even mention the flag flying on the wall that says "women who behave, rarely make history"!

ha ha ha ha

we are such bad parents!

nah, we just have kids who know what they like,

and it happens to be two really cute boys.

can't say i blame her on the one. {justin}

i've been known to listen to his cd's in the car.. even when i am alone.

i'm a big girl i can admit it :)!

don't look too close to joey's room as it is about to go thru an overhaul in the next week or so...

i'll keep ya posted.

just imagine poka dots, hearts and butterflies-

and jacob and justin, of course!

we have rock!!!

2010-04-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

i am so excited i can hardly contain myself!

we have rock on our pillars

and some paint on the house!

mark will make some "top caps" for the rock this weekend

and we are hoping to finish painting the house this weekend too!

i must tell you, i'm in love!

progress!

2010-04-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

hard to believe but we have actually made some progress around here! the porch is painted and done, well almost.

the rock guy will be here on tuesday to rock the pillars.

and i need to finish painting above the door.

but, the porch part is done, caulked, painted and adorned with it's very own copper star!

ahhhh, it's sort starting to feel like home.

for today is...

2010-04-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

a much, much better day.

so sorry for the woe is me post yesterday, damn hormones!

after some much needed outside time {i cleaned up the garden beds, ready to plant some carrots now},

my attitude was much, much better.

i made up my mind to "not sweat the small stuff" and realize that this is life, my life to be exact.

i've made this bed of mine, {so spoiling the peeps in my house} and now i must lay in it.

to reflect, i live a pretty darn good life, heck, i live a fabulous life.

my girls are great. they make straight A's. they are respectful, responsible and thoughtful {to one another and strangers on the street}.

my husband is wonderful. working ever so hard so i can do my job as a stay at home mom {even though i have days like yesterday, where i would love to find another line of work}. he is a great provider. father. husband. friend.

and i have wonderful friends who say just the right things at just the right time.

and as much as i mumble and complain, i wouldn't trade my life for anything.

we have:
food in our house
a roof over our heads
clothes on our backs
money in the bank
material objects too long to list

but most importantly, we have love and one another. and at the end of the day, when everyone is tired from their own day {be it good or bad} isn't that all you really need?

yeah and maybe a public blog to complain to and have amazing people you know and some you don't lend a voice of support at just the right time. so, thank you to all of you for your sweet words and encouraging thoughts, it means more to me than you even know.

so happy day {or evening} to you.

and i promise, i'll try not to be grumpy again for awhile....

ever just wanna....

2010-04-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

give up?

ever want to just run screaming for the hills and never look back?

that is where i am today. and to be honest i was yesterday. and the day before.

i know i am not normally like this. sad. depressed. emotional. tear filled.

but i feel like i am ready to scream.

maybe it's the fact that i-

have an emotional 13 year old in the house.

and a 9 year old with an attitude in the house.

and let's be honest, a 4 year old who think she runs the place, in the house.

that somehow i have managed to gain 8 pounds.

that the list of "to do's" is so long, i see no end in sight.

a husband who is super busy at work and even busier at home with school.

i hate feeling and acting this way, it's just not me.

i hate that i want to cry at this very moment, in fact there are tears rolling down my face.

i hate that i can't appreciate that fact that i have really, really good girls, yet find fault in all sorts of things they do.

i hate finding messes in each and every room in this house.

i hate that when i say anything to said 13 year old, i am a jerk and picking on her.

i hate that my 9 year old comes up the stairs every single morning with a crappy attitude.

i hate that i feel fat has can be, yet have no motivation to do anything about it.

i love that i ran this weekend and loved how i felt, then monday comes and all hell breaks loose.

and this puts me to where i am at right now..

i just don't have the motivation to want to do anything, at all.

to be honest i just want to throw my hands up, curl up in a ball and cry my ever loving eyes out.

is that an option?

NO.

totally not the type of person i am.

i am however sick and tired of being made to feel like,
a door mat,
jerk,
mean mother,
yeller,
screamer,
rule enforcer,
time manager,
mess cleaner,
butt wiper,
taxi,
maid,
dish doer,
let's be honest, this list for me today could go on and on and on.

i won't make you suffer thru my complaining any longer....

sorry for such a yucky post. felt like maybe saying these things "out loud" would make a difference.

guess i just need to pull my big girl panties up and get on with life.

because sitting her crying over it isn't going to change a single thing.

it's life and as much as i complain about it, i'm thankful for it.

just sometimes, i wish it wasn't so damn overwhelming!

enough said.

sunrise....sunset

2010-04-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

first of all i know what you are thinking...

two post in one day? how can this be?

first she goes forever with none, then a couple here and there and now, two in one day?

well, aren't you so lucky?

actually, i have 2.2 seconds to myself so i thought i would actually sit down and upload some pictures.

{as i sit here jordan is yelling at me from the downstairs to come and help her color her project, ignore her- she will stop, eventually}

okay, back to the subject of this post-

this was the sunrise on friday and the sunset that very same evening.

what a gift.

a new day begins.

a day ends.

start. finish.

new. old.

pink. orange.

awesome. great.

so thankful for the vision to see, feel and appreciate the start AND end to each and everyday.

may you find the joy in the beginning. middle. and end of each day.

updates

2010-04-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

just a few updates to the ongoing saga of our house redo.

on saturday mark and i hand, {yes you read that correctly}, hand dug out the flowerbed on the right {and left side too} and moved our beloved crap apple to the other side of the yard.

it {that side of the yard}had told us it was feeling really left out of the remodel and needed some attention.

we moved a load of heavy rocks and tried our hardest to clean up the yard.

we are unsure what we are going to do in the now empty bed on the right, but at least it looks better than before.

oh yeah, mark had the concrete guys come over today to give us a quote on doing a matching arch on the left side of the yard.....

and the price was right.

so, just when i thought i was home free of more concrete, mark jumps in and commits to more..

oh well. i'll survive because the end result will rock.. i promise!

and i almost forgot- the mason guy will be here next week to rock our pillars in the front.

i'll start drinking now!

happy easter

2010-04-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to you and yours.

May you have a wonderful, sunny, loved and blessed day.

just a few....

2010-04-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

these are not from today, but i must tell you that today is the first time in almost a week a took a picture.

what is wrong with me?

did i forget i have a camera?

did i forget i have a small obsession with taking pictures?

i don't know why i've been so neglectful of my addiction or why i've been so mean to this blog lately.

i'll work on it first thing..... tomorrow. {ha}

we are constantly working around here although it seems as NO progress is EVER made.

it is very frustrating and irritating.

i'm not a "unfinished" project kinda girl and all these unfinished projects are driving me loco!

it's pouring rain here today {my wish after i fertilized yesterday} so i can't complain, but i'm hoping it's gone by tomorrow, so we can do some work around the house....

until then, i leave you with a couple of captures from my beloved nikon.

a sunset the other night and our nectarine tree {which i don't have the heart to prune}.

happy friday to you and yours....

the ladies

2010-03-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

just a couple random shots of the girlies.

jordan and i did a "photo shoot" on saturday afternoon {both loved it}

and jess and her beloved trixie.

and don't forget josie and trixie- although i must say trix is never too happy when joey has a hold of her.

she of course would rather be in her mother's arms {referring to jess of course}.

happy up coming week to you and yours.

photography

2010-03-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

i've been such a bad blogger lately.

sorry.

between working around this dump, em' i mean house,

taking pictures,

trying to hang with the ladies on spring break,

and feeding my spray painting addiction-

i haven't had the time to blog about anything {really}.

so today i got sucked in by the computer and playing with some editing

and this is all i have to show for it.

sorry.

hope this can tide you over until i become a better blogger.

will you forgive me?

thanks.

over and out, must now get showered, so i can get some work done around this dump, i mean house.

happy saturday~

thought for the day......

2010-03-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

enough said!

just a few

2010-03-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

so obviously we've been super duper busy around these parts.

so much so that i haven't taken a single picture of anything pertaining to me or my family.

{how sad is that?}

so this last saturday i shot my first wedding.

i left feeling pretty confident. and the feeling continued even once i uploaded them to the computer.

beings i feel as though i am cheating all my faithful followers with no post, i thought i would share some from the wedding.

these of course have no bride or groom or wedding important stuff to them, just a couple of the details from the day.

it was beautiful, both the wedding and the day.

enjoy.

i promise to get back to work here soon.

as i type this i can hear the concrete truck backing up and dumping "mud" in the driveway. hurray~

happy thursday to you.

fear not

2010-03-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

fear not my faithful followers-

for i am not:
dead
broken
gone
forgetful
ungrateful

i am just super duper busy.

between mass destruction at the house

and editing picture i took at a wedding on saturday.

i've hardly had time to do anything fun;

i lie, {the photo editing is fun}

so, i promise my friends in bloggerland that i will be back soon with an edge of your seat post.

promise!

chuck, you're a JERK!

2010-03-10T22:22:00.000-08:00

this is what i came home to today.. i was gone only a couple of hours......

and this is how i found chuck not two minutes later after letting him in. must be exhausting destroying one's pet bed.

i know, at first you thought it snowed here in hermiston, but then you thought to yourself wait, it's the middle of march and it's only in one specific spot, so maybe... not.

ha fooled you~ it's styrofoam from the pooches previous pet bed. notice how i use the word previous. as in past tense. before, as in no longer.

i seriously think chuck has some some hidden opposable thumbs. this thing was zippered closed. magic i tell you!

at any rate, i wasn't real happy about his gift and now the best part is, the jokes on him. no more outside, warm, cozy, fleece lined, cushioned pet bed for you. you tore it up, silly!

i say chuck is a jerk- to be honest this is not the first word that popped into my mind when i saw this and decided to post the mass destruction he left in his wake.

but it's a public blog and i gotta keep it at least pg 13!

and let's not tell trixie what a ding bat she is.

after all her nose is like two inches from his exhaust pipe. i've smelt the fumes that come from this vehicle, there not good folks!

so if you happen to see chuck, tell him what you think of him. maybe some shame will do him good.

my addiction 101

2010-03-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

i see all these really cool things with numbers on them, so i made my own. i used the #5 due to the fact that there are 5 of us!

and the "g" well that's obviously our last name initial-

okay, so my name is shara and i have a slight addition to spray paint!

there, i said it- {admitting it's the first step, right?}

ha ha ha ha

yesterday i was stuck in the house all day because our concrete was being poured, so i went to the ole' crap {i mean craft} closet to find some goodies.

you see i store items i would love to do something with and when inspiration moves me i head downstairs to said closet and "shop".

then i break out my trusty "magic in a can" and DO WORK!

jordan cleaned her room the other day and was going to throw out these here bowling pins. the junky side of me said "no way" and stole them from her garbage pile. i then tucked them safely away in my crap closet for a rainy day.

well, i was surfing some blogs yesterday and felt inspired to do a little crafting.

this my friends is the end result.

some spray paint and some vinyl and presto changeo- cool vintage bowling pins with character.

hope you enjoy them and they in turn inspire you to do something "crafty".

happy wednesday~

for today i wish you~

2010-03-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

happy tuesday to you and yours.

may you enjoy the beauty and the simplicity of this day~

a day without my joey can make one weak~

2010-03-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

just a couple randoms of josie-i can hardly believe in a couple of months my little one will be 5. how is this possible? seriously?

it breaks my heart...

enough said!

update to the chaos at the casa~

2010-03-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

view from the driveway looking east

sidewalk view

new and improved porch. complete with arches and semi finished pillars

where there once was really cool {ha} red sculpted bricks, will now be exposed rock borders

so as one can see we are living very dangerously, again.

i am about one shovelful of dirt away from a nervous breakdown, seriously!

since our new concrete froze and wasn't level, we had to have it removed and since you're there, you might as well dig up and destroy the yard some more, right?

we decided to add some steps leading up to our new and improved {via my honey} porch and then add some exposed rock borders along the edges of the driveway and sidewalk.

this will mean that now, we {and when i say we, i mean i} will have to redo and re landscape the flowerbed that is now left.

i am excited, overwhelmed, sore, nervous, undecided, unsure, confident and impatient about all of these changes happening to our yard.

keep your fingers crossed that i don't have a nervous breakdown before completion~

i'll keep ya up to date on all the happenings as they happen {cause you really have nothing better to do with your time then to check back to this here blog, wondering what is going to happen next}. it's okay, i understand- you, like me have a life :)!

a great visit

2010-02-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

this past week my dad decided to fly on up for a visit with us. it was a great surprise and we really enjoyed our time with him.

the girls loved hanging out and spending time getting to know their "papa john".

the last time jordan and jess saw him was almost 6 years ago and i was pregnant with josie.

he was able to go to eat with each of the older girls at their schools and went with me to pick josie up.

our week went by too quick, but we cherished the time he was here.

here's hoping he'll be come back next year!

big winners

2010-02-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

this past weekend the ladies entered an art/talent show at the local "hermiston's got talent" show which was held at the high school.

jordan entered two photographs {taken with my camera when she was supposed to be putting it up, ha ha} and won first and third place on them.

jessica entered a drawing of an owl she drew in art class and she too won first place.

the best part of this whole deal was, they both received a check for $100.00 for first place!

seriously, $100.00!

they were surprised and excited and i was one proud momma!

{sidenote- even though jordan won 3rd on her flintstone feet photograph, she was only eligible for one cash prize}

now they are both plotting what to do with their earnings... josie and i are trying to convince them to split the cash with us, but we aren't having much luck!

oh well, good job girls. you guys rock~

simply said

2010-02-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

new and improved

2010-02-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

some recent pictures of the new and improved porch.

way cooler.

more homey.

more inviting.

let's be honest- just plain awesome.

can't wait to finish it up.

did i mention my honey rocks?

yeah, he does! {don't tell him or he will get a big head}!

trampoline fun~

2010-02-07T22:18:00.000-08:00

it's that time of year again when it stays light a little longer and it's a wee bit warmer out, which only means one thing-

the kids can play OUTSIDE when they get home from school!

{can you sense the excitement in my text}?

they love to jump, scream, wrestle, fight, argue, cry, play games, laugh, smile and just be together!

for those that don't know, i watch adriann and ryan three days a week after school, so it's just double the fun!

i know that they are glad it's getting nicer out too, because they come in, hang up their bags, get a snack and are out the door till dark!

silly kids~

puddle fun

2010-02-07T22:11:00.000-08:00

wet wrinkled little piggies

splashing

love her little face!

on wednesday joey and i went for a walk thru the neighborhood and happened upon a rather large puddle on the next street.

so she did what every little kid loves to do... jump and run thru it!

and of course i did what i love to do... shoot it.

she had so much fun and was soaked all the way thru to her underwear.

i on the other hand was a little disappointed {in myself} as i totally for got to change the iso on my camera, therefore my shots aren't the best, but that really wasn't what it was all about-

it was about having fun and watching josie have a blast playing in the water!

with the weather we have had lately, in no time we will have a huge puddle to jump and play in again!

judging {to be honest something i do on a daily basis}

2010-02-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

The Window Through Which We Look

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood.
The next morning while they were eating breakfast,
The young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
'That laundry is not very clean,' she said.
'She doesn't know how to wash correctly, perhaps she needs better laundry soap.
'Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:
'Look, she has learned how to wash correctly.
I wonder who taught her this.
'The husband said, 'I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.
'And so it is with life.
What we see when watching others depends on the window through which we look.

i was sent this via an email this morning. there are times when you receive something in your mailbox, your in-box, or someone {you know or don't know} looks or talks to you and the power of the words you read or hear moves you.

i will be the first to admit i am a very judgement person and tend to hold a grudge for awhile {lets be honest, sometimes forever}. i know it is not right and there are times when i feel bad about this and want to change.

i have several blogs i read on a daily basis and some of them are so inspirational and moving that i too want to be this way, but it's a hard thing to do.. change.

you have to want to and then be able to keep doing it even though it may be hard.

change is alot more work than you really realize.

you may want to: lose weight, be nice, forgive and forget, smile everyday, greet each day with a smile and a happy heart- but it isn't always possible.

admitting your flaws is a step, changing them for the better is the second, making an effort to uphold your need/desire to change is something you have to want to do, for you and no one else, everyday.

none of us are perfect and i don't think we will ever be. but i guess that is what life is all about.

learning.
changing.
growing.
winning.
failing.
losing.
hoping.
wishing.
praying.

i believe that old saying goes "those that live in glass houses, shouldn't throw rocks"...

so true.

so all i can say is i hope you realize that i am who i am- nothing more, nothing less.

i try to be-

real
honest
thankful
truthful
humble
grateful
positive
dedicated
friendly
quiet
a role model
not a role model
creative
a mom
a friend
a wife
a daughter
real

but sometimes i don't always hold up my end of the bargain.

see, right there i am just being honest.

here's hoping you can appreciate the good and the bad in yourself

and the good in others.

because judging someone thru your window {s} isn't what life should be about~

i've got my eye on U!

2010-02-03T22:13:00.000-08:00

the other night i was messing around with my camera and was hellbent on blinding my children forever...

i mean it's winter around here folks and there isn't much to do except torment your kids.

seriously, why else do you have them? you know, kids?

anyway, where was i at.....?

oh yeah, i was messing around and told the girls to hold really still and open your eye really wide.

josie "looks" normal and i just so happened to get a surprise out of it, my reflection in her pupil.

jess on the other hand looks "surprised"... it's obviously really hard to hold your eye open when you have eyelashes that long!

so there you go, two eyes from two girls.

you can sleep well tonight knowing and seeing these sorts of things.. ha!

random awesomeness

2010-02-03T21:46:00.000-08:00

last thursday {my really cool neighbor} kim came over and simply said-

come quick and grab your camera.

i'm not one to argue when someone tells me to grab my camera, so did just that and slid on my flip flops {which sit by the front door, just in case warm weather approaches or i need a quick pair of shoes} and headed out the door, across the street to see what kim had in store for me..

when we get to the back yard i am looking for something huge, dead, alive, blooming or something obvious.

he simply points to his {really awesome homemade birdbath} and shows me the most beautiful pattern in the frozen water.

i had no idea that when water froze it made such an amazing design.

so, i give you my attempt at capturing the ice. it was a wee bit cold and to be honest i had my macro lens on.

i was trying to hold really still as to not blur the shot, but it was really cold and i was freezing.

being a thinner girl does have it's disadvantages.. you get cold and stay cold way too easy.

there's a reason bears store up and get fat... it keeps you warmer!

but i will admit, i would rather be cold and thinner than warm and thicker. :)

so thankful for wonderful neighbors who feed my addiction!

tulips- abstract

2010-02-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

so i know you are shocked to read two post in one day. {hey, if this comfy office chair keeps treating me right i may even post more}!

aren't you a lucky blog reader..

i can't recall if i ever posted some of these from a couple of weeks ago.

i got some for my birthday and found them to be fun to photograph.

i of course went over board and took way too many of them. it's okay- admitting is the first step right?

anyway, looking, seeing, smelling and photographing these beauties makes me want spring to come even faster!

chuck, living the life- one nap at a time!

2010-02-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

chuck the jerk

ahhh.... nothing like taking up the entire couch while napping the day away

one must use both pillows and the center of the leather couch when catching some z's

nothing like sleeping with your eyes open and rolled back into your head while resting up to go outside and destroy something.

okay everyone, i know you have just been dying to know what chuck has been up to lately...

well here you go. sorry about the rated R shot of him in the second picture. i don't really know how to blur it out {and to be honest, i'm too lazy to read how to}.

this is how chuck spends most of his days. hogging the entire couch and napping.

if he isn't napping, he can be found outside, pooping under the deck, barking at the new neighbors dog {who i think must not hear their own dog barking} or his new hobby- digging in my empty {they have dirt in them} flower pots.

he will so be a nugget less chuckie if he continues this new hobby!

so there you go. don't hate him cause he's 1. cute 2. lazy 3. fat 4. napping 5. cool

just appreciate the fact that he is just keeping it real!

happy tuesday to you and yours~

breakfast of champions-jessica

2010-02-01T22:25:00.000-08:00

this past friday jessica {as well as several other kids at her school} were honored for their nomination as "breakfast of champions". the school held an assembly and the principal read a short note about each student that was written by their teacher.

it was awesome to hear the nice things said about jp by mrs. plum {her teacher}.

jessica loves her teacher {this is her second time having her, she also had her in first grade}.

she {mrs. plum} is wonderful, thoughtful, caring, nurturing, creative, positive, strict, carefree, awesome, supportive and everything good in between.

she and jess have a wonderful relationship and jess seems to really come alive in her class. the school system needs more teachers like her for sure!

it is sure does a momma proud to have not only one daughter, but both older girls selected for such a wonderful honor.

i know that all parents think the world of their own kid, but i have to say- i REALLY do have 3 of the most wonderful girls on the planet!

way to go jessica payton. i am super proud of you and your accomplishments! you rock!

it's that time of year again....

2010-01-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

it's that time of year again.

you know the one where nothing exciting is happening in our lives.

so i have to resort to posting pictures of our really uncool animals and telling your really unimportant things about each one of them.

i know, some of you have been waiting all year for this post and now it is here.

so without further ado {sp}, i give you:

chuck- to be honest, he is pretty darn cool. i mean who else do you know that can snore with their eyes open? breath as loud as a hibernating bear? sound like a 300 pound man {or woman} when they run thru the house? aside from all these things, he is one cool dude. plus it makes mark feel good to have another guy in the casa!

trixie- well, she is still the same nervous nelly she has always been. still loves to look nervous, pathetic and scared at all times of the day. the only difference is she now is getting a regular whipping {usually on a daily basis} from chuck. she still has her horrible licking issue and love to lick the air and hold up her left leg for pity.

fat cat- guess what! she is still matted to the hilt, well actually not too hairy as jordan took the scissors to her last week. but she still definitely doesn't have the coat of a show cat that is for sure. although she has redeemed herself lately with the announcing of not one but two mice over the last couple of months. and she did corner the second mouse {on my birthday} so mark and i could commit cold blooded murder in the kitchen with a couple of brooms.. another story for another time....

minka- has gone from being a barn kitty, to a ferrel kitty! since chucks arrival, she pretty much keeps to herself. she really only hangs out downstairs in jordan's room and on the downstairs chair {shedding hair while there, thank you minks}. oh wait, she did bring me a gift on my birthday- a dead bird! you know, these animals of mine are so thoughtful!

well folks there you have it. your yearly run down of the stupid, umm i mean awesome animals that live in our house. who eat lots of food and deposit said processed food in yard and cat box that i get to clean... i guess i should look at it as job security!

happy tuesday to you and yours. may you find the beauty in those around you and enjoy every single minute of it!

proud momma, once again....

2010-01-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

so my jessica payton came home with this little gem today...

she too was selected as a "breakfast of champion"!

she was so excited when she opened the envelope that was address to the parents of jessica giordano..

guess reading isn't her strong suit { ha ha}

it was fine, we were in the car headed home and to be honest i already knew what it was. her teacher told me about it a week or so ago.

i was just waiting for the letter to tell jess so she could have something concrete in her hands.

she threw her hands up in the air and yelled.. "YES"!

she is an awesome girl who is good role model and leader at school. not to mention, pretty darn good grades too!

we are super proud of her and her accomplishments.

it has been an awesome feeling as both jordan and jessica were selected for such an outstanding honor this quarter at their respective schools.

way to go jp- love you , mom

jordan's holocaust project

2010-01-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

caution- images in this post are kinda graphic

jordan has been working on this project for a couple of days and is finally done with it and so very ready to turn it in.

they are learning about the holocaust in literacy and were asked to do a project depicting various events from such a terrible event.

she chose to show how the bodies of the victims were burned in large fire pits.

she molded and created the people {and parts} as well as made everything else.

i think she did a really good job and it really taught her alot about such a horrific event in history.

so much in fact, she felt sick to her stomach as she was doing it.

even josie was very interested and kept asking her if people were really burned like that.

she couldn't believe they were and told jordan how horrible that was.

glad the two of them {as well as myself} could learn something with this project!

proud parents

2010-01-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

this morning was the ceremony for the hermiston chamber of commerce "breakfast of champions".

all 4 of jordan's teachers were there to support her and her teacher mr. smith spoke about her and her achievements.

jordan was a little overwhelmed this morning and started her morning off in tears.

i asked her why she was crying and she told me she had no idea.

she is just like me in that aspect, i get all emotional and cry too!

she is such an awesome and deserving kid of this award.

it was awesome!

makes a momma very proud!!!!

not to mention the other recipients that were there. the place was packed with kids of all ages.

there are quite a few outstanding kids in our school district as evidenced by the huge number of people at the breakfast.

so, way to go jordan {and the other kids who were awarded} on such a wonderful achievement!

delish

2010-01-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

first of all i know what you are thinking..

two post in one day? how can this be?

i know some of you loyal readers are already familiar with this story {via facebook} but for those of you that aren't, i shall tell it again.

okay, so it all goes back to this summer when i was feeling like i needed to do some canning.

i made about a billion batches of salsa, which i must say is awesome and we have made a gigantic dent in.

but, you see i also canned pears. after this horrible event i decided i was never going to can them again as it was-

1. a messy job
2. a lot of work
3. sticky
4. bees were swarming me
5. i don't even eat these nasty things

and to be honest the list could go on and on.

anyway, i have given several jars away thinking that mark will never eat all i canned and i am surely not going to eat those nasty pears.

well.......... mark decided to finally open one up this past weekend and much to my surprise, they are the most heavenly thing i have eaten
in, well forever.

so, i guess i will be canning those babies again this year. not to mention the fact that i'm peeved i gave so many away {just kidding}.

now i can hardly wait for summer to i can suffer again, but this time i'll know it's for a good cause! :)

i will confess to you now that i did finish off the rest of the quart yesterday afternoon with my lunch! sorry mark

house updates...

2010-01-12T21:34:00.000-08:00

west side of the house above the garage

again west side {where mark parks the dodge}

okay, so i know i failed you the other day with the promises of a new post and updates to the house...

well, all i can say is- i did take the pictures,

they have just been on the memory card inside of my camera.

for me all it takes is a spike in temps and the sun to shine for longer than 5 minutes and i instantly think it is spring.

today i must have had spring fever BAD as i tore my kitchen apart and cleaned every nook and cranny.

{well, let's be honest with the fact that after taking all those macro shots, i found out how dirty my house really is}!

but now i give you...

fake cedar shake siding on the gables of our house! yeah

we are undecided about the porch- it is awesome, but my friend kacee saved a curb appeal for

me {on hgtv} and showed it to me,

and wow, i think we are going to do a little adding. but, what is done looks awesome!!!

so, who's getting sick of these?

2010-01-09T22:20:00.000-08:00

jordan's spurs, you know from back in the cowgirl days!

cheese please?

money, money, money, money~ {you know that song, right?}

can you guess?

i know, you're sick and tired of all this up close crap.

i know, but guess what folks,

it's too cold outside for this girlie and to be totally honest-

there isn't anything alive to even begin to take pictures of.

so, if you want a new post, this is the stuff you get!

just kidding. feeling bad about not posting anything new and exciting lately.

well, that's cause there's nothing new and exciting to report.

well i guess i could have gone and taken pictures of our semi finished house, but i always seem to forget about it till it's dark out.

maybe tomorrow. yeah, that's right- that will for sure get ya back here to this here blog...

wow, maybe i need to go to bed, i'm starting to crack myself up!

leadership

2010-01-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

one proud mama!

2010-01-06T17:07:00.000-08:00

*DISCLAIMER*

if you are offended by a mother's uncontrollable pride-
i suggest you turn away NOW!

so this my friends is what i received in the mail today...

the best part was jordan had no idea.

i didn't tell her about it when i picked her up,

but what i did do was tell her to get upstairs because she was in huge trouble-

to which her reply was, really? why? what did i do?

as she rounded the corner to the kitchen, i had the note hanging on the refrigerator.

i simply pointed to it and her face lit up-

she said really? and gave me a high five.

cause you see this is a really big deal.

they only pick 2, yep that's right, 2 kids out of her entire school!

what an absolute honor for jordan and us as her parents.

we are so unbelievably proud of her and ALL her accomplishments.

so, all i have to say is...

WAY TO GO JORDAN!

U ROCK!!