OOPS

My girls

Ornamental grass

Working on my different camera settings

Hibuscus

Wow! Life has been crazy

Just realizing it's been forever since I posted a 365. I've taken them but alass they sat in my new cameras memory card for wayyyyy tooooo llooonnng...

Down loaded them the other night. Will post a few but not enough to catch up. Will guess I'll do my best to continue on with it. I so enjoyed looking at everyones 365 blogs. I just looking at life through other peoples eyes & see where they live.

Oh, I started another blog for my crafts. It's in its infancy.

Check it out-
charmcitycrafts@blogspot.com

Nana

Grandparents

Relaxing in the sunroom

Deer

There were 3 of them. With my new camera I couldn't figure out how to get to different settings at the moment. So it became a look & find for deer pic. I do now. :)

Mommy by Alyssa

Amythest Geode

My sisters, who live an hr from me in a little town in PA called Littlestown, sent me on a mission to find a geode for my father's 60th birthday present. Took all sorts of pics to send to my sissies. This was my fav.

Ok doesn't look as good on my plate as it did in my mouth

Crock Pot Curry Chicken:

10 boneless skinless chicken thighs. Place into crock pot.
Then in seperate bowl put 1 jar chunky salsa, 1 C sour cream, 1/2 of an onion- chopped, & 2 TBS of curry powder. Mix together in bowl & then pour onto chicken in crock.
Turn on low for 8/10hrs, high 5-6hrs.

It was delish! Oh with the pic. I started to cut up the chicken & rememebered that I wanted to take a pic. So it looked better b4 I went to town on it. Really no knife needed just melted in your mouth.

Summer's all done

Happy birthday to me!

these are cupcake icecream from Coldstone Creamery! This was soooooo yummy!

Storms blowing out

evening snack

The bread was made with my bread machine. It's banana chocolate chip bread. However the chocolate chips went to the outside of the bread but it's still very yummy. My fav of all the breads that I've made so far.

Steering wheel

visited my sister & my cousin was in town from GA

Met my great cousin Lydia (3yo) for the 1st time. Lydia is on the left, Lys is in the middle & my nephew/ God-son is on the right. These are the younger kids there. There were more but going crazy in the basement

bad storm

took down the tree. It was dead anyways. Nature just did the job for me. That's Sparky my dog. He just had his 9th b-day the day b4. Happy Birthday Buddy

flowers

Mums & chives.
the mums are special to me b/c I got them from my grandmother's funeral service almost 8yrs to the day now.

the talk of the neighborhood

FIOS is being put in. Not too happy about the markings placed all over my yard. This is not all of them but the most concentrated spot.

Homemade breads in new bread machine

date & oatmeal bread on left & reg white bread on left

herbs gone wild-

Ok I'm gonna go against the grain of 365. I have taken most of these pics once every day but it's been a week sinc ei downloaded my camera or posted a new pic. So enjoy my massive postings.

Plants you see in the mix. Blueberry bush & yes got blueberries this yr, strawberries, then lemon balm, oregeno, rosemary.

7mos today

Baby Brie is 7mos today. Where has the time gone???

She just about ready to get herself into a sit postion on her own. She's been sitting unsupported since 5mos. She's just about got crawling down in the last 2 days. Today she figured it out how to get it going for 2 cross crawl arm movements b4 she falls then she army crawls the rest of the way, which she only got good at yesterday.

I've found her in her crib asleep & up on her hands & knees rocking in her sleep, silly girl. So I have started to roll her in a blanket like a bug in a rug to start out her arms being restrained a bit. She likes this. Forces her to relax & give up practicing her new moves for a bit. Much better sleeping after I went back to this form of swaddling. She gets herself outta of it but all I want to use it for is the falling asleep part.

We have started our 2nd week of swim classes with both girls. Lyssa is in her own class with a girlfriend of hers & Brie & I are taking a mommy & me class. Lyssie has taken off. She's now not afraid to put her face under the water & she's blowing bubbles. Big change fromthe girl on the way to class said that no way no how that she was gonna do that til she was 5yo. Brie has gone under the water too. We are working on her relaxing int he water which she does pretty well. I can get both of her ears under & she even got her arms & legs moving for a basic swim movement.

Last thought- still no teeth but preteething since 3mos.

Gotta love toothless baby grins.

taking an early fall walk

Fall is in the air. Leaves are starting to change & their is a nip in the morning air

water wheel

after many years of the water wheel in ShawneeLand it's finally back to working. It was so much in disrepair that it wasn't working for years then taken off to be repaired for another couple years. It's great to see the water wheel working once again & I think they landscaped it beautifully.

Family

This is my 91yo grandfather & 88yo grandmother with their children. My uncle Doug, mom & my Aunt Bonnie. My mom is the baby of the family unless you count the furry baby, Baby.

break in the storm

My travels to Virginia was delayed by this massive NoreEasterner that was sitting off the Coast of the Delaware Bay. I didn't want to travel in the curtain of rain & wind it was bringing down on the metro Baltimore area. So we waited it out til the worst passed us b4 getting on the road. It started letting up when we headed towards Harpers Ferry, WV. However this was the 1st true break of clouds that we saw the entire trip. Right over the lake in my parents development.

off for a few days

Me & the girls are headed to the mountains to spend some time with family. My Aunt is up from Fld & my grandfather is celebrating his 91st b-day. Each of his kids are taking turns then the grandkids with great grandkids in tow are headed to visit the patriarch of our family.

Will be back Sunday!

We Remember Today- 9/11

Hibuscus after the rain

Daddy's girl

Fountain

3 little pigs

18 piglets hrs old

Day at the park

Everyone calls this park the giraffe park & this is why. The real name is Lyn Stacey Getz park. That's a main road right behind it & was pleased as punch when I was able to snap the pic sans cars.

been waiting all summer for this!

a pedi!!!! YIPPEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Flying Buffalos

tonights dinner at Chilli's

diaper shoot

Mommy work is so hard but wouldn't trade it for the world

Brie's latest accomplisments...
my 6mos 1 wk old is now getting on her hands & knees. Sleeping is becoming a little more difficult for her but she's still sleeping much better than her sister ever did. She has learned how to turn on her bird & butterfly mobile after I showed her. I was amazed to watch her turn it on & off as she was in her crib. Then today I heard the music coming through the monitor the other day. She had a good long dry spell today where we even caught her pees with ECing- poos still catching those. Teething- still teething no teeth in yet. She's been pre-teething since 3mos, I would have thought a couple would have broken through by now.

Alyssa & I had a big go around this evening. She's been waking really early like 5am. She wants to climb into bed with mommy. Then she's flip flopping all around. She gets outta bed at night telling me she's scared. Maybe she is a bit but really I think it's an excuse. She wants to be with mommy & that's the main reason. So I started taking one of her dolls every time she got outta bed. That was a good idea for about 2 days then she started coming down stairs & handing me a doll as she asked what ever she wanted. Tonight I took all the dolls. Then she started crying. I don't wanna hear it but told her she can cry as long as she did it behind closed doors. That lead to screaming, banging & kicking the door. Door is coming off next. I also told her today since she's been getting outta bed so early int he AM. That she can do it but it's not fair to mommy. So for every minute she gets outta bed b4 7a, she owes me in her room in the afternoon when Brie takes her nap. If we are out running in the afternoon she goes to bed that amount of time earlier. This is my plan for nights & I'm praying we can turn the corner.

She's testing me all day long & I feel like it's a constant battle. I'm feeling like she's split personality one minute she tells me she loves me & the next she tells me I'm the meanest mommy in the world.

Dinner is back to being a battle. We had about a 6mos reprieve on that one. She doesn't have to eat but she needs to try everything. Then I require her to tell me no thank you. I'm no longer making her anything else (ie cereal or a salad like I did b4). It's her choice to eat or not to eat. She must sit at the table with me & Brie. However one day this week she screamed bloody murder about the food she had before her & I put her on the steps for a time out & that's where she stayed til I finsihed eating. I'm tired of listening to her screams & whines.

Alyssa is a bright, loving, sensitive girl just very head strong. I want to bring her up right now & her not be a brat as she becomes older & we have bigger issues.

Brie is easy for me. Her needs are basic & she's a happy child. Alyssa is just in a very trying time right now.

This mommy work is very hard but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

My seeds drying for next year

My marigolds

I have lots of marigolds around. I save my seeds from the year b4. They help with my rabbit problem. Did you know that if you put marigolds around rabbits will stay away from your plants?

Remembering my little ones in Heaven on Oct 15th!

Sun behind clouds

growing cantalope

rambling for today

My sister had a big blow out for 2 of my nephews birthdays. Andre will be 7 & Matthew her baby will be 3. Kevin even got in the action & came to the party. Alyssa had a ball but it took her awhile to get used to the activity of 40 running about & she only knows her cousins.

We came home around 4p &Kevin got ready to go back out to his work's get together with Karaoke. Then he'll be home to watch his pay per view & up all night writing his wrestling blog.

Tomorrow for us is IKEA breakfast with Karon & Eric.

PTL for my neighbor!!! He fixed our lawn mower for the 3rd time this season. Kevin really broke it now & it needed a big over haul. I'm praying we can get through this season. Then next year I'm finally on board with paying a lawn service to get it done. B4 now I just hated the money shelled out for this when I have a husband that can do it. However I'm tired of the nagging & I just want it cut on a reg basis. Plus now having an infant I'm not able to get outside & trim, which Kevin refuses to do. My yard needs lots of work b/c I can't even get outside for a long period to pull weeds. It's soooo sad to see.

storms a comin'

Bubble magic

Brianna @ 6mos

Brianna's birthday 2/18/09
7lb 10ozs & 21 in long.

Today 6mos old: 8/18/09

16lbs 26 3/4in long

Time is just flying by! Where has my little newborn gone? My heart aches that I'll never have this again but also at the same time is over joyed by what God has blessed me with.

Brie's eyes are changing from the blue they were to a ocean water green. Who knows if they will stay this form of hazel or go completely brown like mine. Alyssa's are blue all the way. Brianna is sitting up on her own. Definately will go after what she wants. She rolls around to get where she wants to go. Still having some great success with our ECing. She's all smiles & will just brighten for anybody but mommy always has her eye.

She's started food. She's allergic to banana & had to call the pedi one night to get a Benadryl dosage to give her. I pray that she doesn't end up with severe food allergies like her sister. Her skin is very sensitive & has excema. Sleep wise she does very well & can go sometimes 11hrs a night without eating. She's still pre-teething since 3mos old & I thought atleast 1 would have broke through by now. We are still exclusively breast feeding & that is going well for us. She doesn't take a bottle very well so starting to think cup now & just skip the whole bottle thing.

My heart is just bursting with love for my little suprise miracle, Brianna Lynn.