only two more days!

there are only two more days until i have a few books to giveaway! don't forget to come back! okay, enough of the PSA!

i was tagged recently, well, fairly recently, LOL, by my friend, Diana. here is my 6th photograph of my 6th folder on my desktop. i have to admit, i converted it to black and white, though. i hope it still counts!

now, i tag beth, elizabeth, kimmy, tammy, and tiffany. give us your 6th photograph in your 6th folder! :)

guess what i did today everybody? i actually played the piano for a good half hour. all music for ME, by the way, not for any little people in the house. sometimes, the songs i have to play include i'm a little teapot or jesus love me...things like that. i love to play those songs, but i missed my Mozart!

one thing that many don't know about me is that i really like to play blues on the piano. or ragtime. really i do! i especially like Gershwin. so, i had some good stuff like that going on today in between preludes and sonatas! LOL!

i also put on classical music, because my dad mentioned listening to it the other day. i really don't put music on much during the day anymore. i have no idea why. wait, i do know why, but it may not be much of an excuse for other people to understand. since having kids, i don't do a lot of normal things i used to do, such as actually listening to music! or taking the time to write, for heaven's sakes. for a journalism minor, i do a lousy job of it, i think. that really discourages me. someday i hope to be able to do what i used to do.

i have to close, now, but i'll leave you with this. here is a pic of buddy and his two puppies. one is named firetruck. the other black ivy. yeah...don't ask me! i didn't name them! cute aren't they?!

an end to Thursday

I am honestly glad for the evening to be at a close. I am physically and mentally exhausted. Hope to be renewed by the morning....

Will David has an ear infection, actually. Didn't expect, but it explains how fussy he was. I am sure we'll see a change for the best here within another day or so, as the doc gave him some medicine.

I am sitting here listening to my sweetie on his banjo and trying to get a baby asleep. He's been sleeping all night long these days, even with this stuff he is dealing with. Approximately 11 pm until 7 am. How about that?

Philip fell asleep kinda early tonight, at 7. VERY strange for him to do that. I think Grandma wore him out today! ;) It's been difficult for him not to kiss the baby. I've been making him stay away, with hs cough and all. Sometimes, why do I bother with that though? I mean, with kids, they'll be kids, and the germs are always shared with the family! LOL!

I have to say, it's so nice to hear so many neat things happening to my scrapbooking friends. Some land DT spots, others at a magazine, and so on. There is AMAZING talent out there....

(oh, I heard that a new "ahem" Harry Conick, Jr. movie really makes fun of scrapbookers so I DO NOT like that! LOL!)

This weekend Rich is going to take part in some music thing in the evening. I hope we can go see him play, not sure, but hopefully!

Thursday came

I am so glad Thursday is here! That means one more day of the "week"! That makes me very, very happy! I am anxious for the weekend, when Rich is off. I really don't care for the weekends that he works....

I am taking Will David to the doctor's soon. He has this cough that is getting worse. He coughs, and chokes, and cries, and spits up. He is sooooooooooooooooo congested, too. We set the vaporizer up last night and it did seem to help some, so he could breathe better. But that cough...I really do think he must have a sore throat as well. He just got what the other two are dealing with, of course!

I have not much to say today. I don't have time to be sitting here either! Both kids are "needy" right now.

Philip will be watched by my Grandma, my dear sweet Grandma!, while I take the baby to the doctors. That will help IMMENSELY! I am so thankful she is well enough to do that. She is strong, my Grandma! I am looking forward to seeing her too!

Come on, Sunshine!

i am loving this sun! now, only if it would stop snowing! this snow is deterring me from many, many things.



we still have a fairly sick child..Philip.



he had a fever through the night, and is still coughing and has a runny nose. ella has a cough, too, but she's fair. the baby's cough was bad this morning. he spit up A LOT! right after he had his breakfast. he would cough cough, then cry....cough cough, then cry. now, he's okay as far as that goes. he has some congestion, too, so that contributed to the problem. i am almost certain we shall be visiting the doctor soon.



tomorrow, rich is off work, since he worked the weekend. i have a doctor's appointment with a NEW doctor..it's for my thyroid, and i hope to see how i am doing as far as my adrenal exhaustion issues. my previous doctor had said we'd get back on track after i had the baby, so i hope that i can get back on track with that stuff. rich's mom's birthday is tomorrow, too, and he wants to do something special. any ideas, folks? :0

i have been scrapbooking here and there lately! yeah! trying to use some older stuff so i can use my newer supplies without the guilt! hehe!

last night, i met with my friend, Katie, at Panera's for two hours. it was sooo nice to get out. i took Will David, though, as he would "need" me later. he did great- just fussy at the very end. i was starting to feel as if i were blending in to the house...disappearing..haha...it was nice to get refreshed with soup, part of a lemon poppyseed bundt cake (i didn't eat it all, as it was a bit hardened on the outside- ick), and hot cocoa with whipped cream and syrup dabbled on top of it..yummmmmmmmyyyyyy!

Some great friends of ours have very blessed news---they are now parents to a beautiful little girl named Jameka! they have been her foster parents for some time now...i do believe she is a year and a half now. or maybe two. anyways, their names are Amy and Matt. they have two other foster children. Please pray for the adoption for these two boys...they've had one since he was 7 months old...and he is nearing 4 years now. i love these people to pieces. they are so wonderful. some heartache, since they had been unable to get pregnant, but God has truly blessed them always....and what a day today is for them! Jameka is officially in their family! PRAISE GOD PRAISE GOD PRAISE GOD!!!!

I have some photos of this sweet little girl. If I get permission, I'll show them. I did photos for my friend Amy and her children here and there, the past few years...since they are foster children, i've been unable to share them publicly.

I have tears in my eyes and goosebumps!

the other day pics- *smile*

Ahhh, if only we could all be this confident!

will david's little shirt reads today....







I love Mommy. Mommy loves me. I love Daddy. Daddy loves me.







Everybody loves me. I love Everbody.







Isn't that cute? I just love the "Everybody" part!







today is a slow day. i have a headache. i am tired. there.....maybe now that i said it i can get over those two things!







i am going to make a deal with ella....about piano practicing. they just started offering popcorn, freshly popped, at school in the cafeteria on tuesdays and thursdays. so, if she practices for 10 minutes on sunday and monday, she gets a quarter for popcorn on tuesday. if she practices for 10 minutes on tuesday and wednesday, she gets a quarter for popcorn on thursday. i hope it works. the only reason i'm doing it is to see if she starts "volunteering" for practice. that's all. not that she doesn't WANT to practice. she does, but i am hoping this makes her think about it herself.







i am struggling with some scrapbooking layouts yesterday and today. they just aren't working for me. and i don't like when that happens. i feel like i've been wasting my time! oh well!







rich works this weekend so i think that is why i already feel tired today. i do plan on going to church, though. today we should be packing up to go visit my parents' a little bit. tomorrow night, my friend, Katie, is having a super bowl party at her house. i am planning on taking the kids just for the food part, ha! i am NOT into football at all. neither is rich, really, for that matter. but, rich works anyways, so that's okay.







i have several new books in my hands that i will be posting about the next few weeks..and giving copies away! so, stay tuned. several are for married couples, too..and perfect for the special loving holiday coming up.


what do you think about these three little kittens? several pics from their cousin Abigail's birthday last weekend!












*editing this to add, please pray for philip- he has the start of something....came home tonight and he has a slight fever, along with this cough that started last night. looks like we'll be staying home tomorrow! that's really disappointing to me right now, but there's no other way! unless he has a complete turn around!

Coming back here...I think

so, hopefully this won't irritate nor confuse anyone...
but I am thinking of just returning to blogger (no offense, wordpress!)
the other is too limiting!

mind this post

i will certainly keep this blog up forever and ever and ever....especially so you can see the most recent pics of Will David, like the one right below this!, however....

I decided to try Wordpress blogging.

So, you will have to go here from now on: www.look2theskye.wordpress.com

And, for my photography business (haha..for this one....as I am not really able to accomplish this at this time)...you will go here: www.cthphoto.wordpress.com

It may be that I decide to come back here. Who knows. We'll see!

Be Prepared For Cuteness!!!!

Wednesday Evening

A few photos to tide ya'll over....until I can talk about our life. Take Care!

It's Our Anniversary!

Seven years!

We are probably going to Panera Bread for lunch, with the boys, for a quick lunch. It's Rich's day off, so how about that for timing?! Ella returns to school after a nice 2 week Christmas vacation. We'll miss her, but I think Philip will miss her most! He had a nice playmate during the day and he'll definitely miss having her here to play with. Oh, how I wish I could write more, but that's not the case these days! Have a great day, readers!

Okay, well, I'm back!

I wanted to say some things about my Richie....

good things. all good things.

I love how he eats breakfast standing up.
I love how he teases the kids.
I love how he teases ME.
I love how handsome and cute he is.
I love it when he lets a beard kinda grow.
I love how he gets me chocolate.
I love how he gives hugs and kisses...to me AND to the kids.
I love how he is a kid at heart.
I love how he enjoys playing his instruments.
I love how he introduced me to Alladins and talk radio.
I love his family.
I love how he took over caring for our cat Kodak when i wasn't really in the mindset to anymore...poor kitty...but he has a second loving owner!
I love how he understands me.
I love his calming nature.
I love hearing his voice on the phone.
I love how he prays.
I love holding his hand.
I love how he takes care of himself and walks or rides his bike.
I love how he likes to work hard.
I love how he loves his Mother.
I love how he needs me to make phone calls.
I love how he smiles.
I love that he came after me to propose several states away.
I love that we can enjoy the life God gave us...together...
Happy Anniversary my love!

Still here!

Rita won the book giveaway, and she was contacted Thursday, but I have been slow to get back to blogging. So, yeah for Rita!!!!!!

We enjoyed our vacation days, and Ella returns to school tomorrow! More later, it's hard to type one handed, let alone, with my LEFT hand!!!

Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight

I've recently joined a wonderful thing.

No, not the convent. Heehee!

Join in with me on this blog tour review and giveaway! I've recently read a book that encourages change within yourself and gives great suggestions on how to accomplish it. The authors writing style is one that brings you in with ease, with her frankness about herself and a mix of both humor and seriousness.

Book: Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight by Karen Linamen.
Summary: Every woman longs for change in some area of her life. Unfortunately, fear, fatigue, adversity, heartbreak, past failures, and even the choices of other people get in the way and make lasting change seem out of reach. Having been there herself, Karen Linamen knows exactly how to take readers from where they are to where they want to be.
In Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight, she examines 52 powerful actions readers can apply to any change they long to embrace. Her insights apply to career, finances, personal health and fitness, relationships, faith—in fact, every facet of a woman’s life.
Blending laugh-out-loud humor and sage advice, Linamen shows readers the link between dissatisfaction and transformation, how to remodel habits, the little-known truth about procrastination, how to generate the energy they need to pursue the life they desire, how to benefit from options and resources they never dreamed they had, and much, much more!

Author Bio:
Karen Linamen is a popular speaker and the celebrated author of ten books for women, including Due to Rising Energy Costs the Light at the End of the Tunnel Has Been Turned Off and Just Hand Over the Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt. She has been featured on more than one hundred radio programs, including FamilyLife Today. Publishers Weekly describes her as “funny, forthright and unforgettable.” Linamen lives with her family in Colorado Springs , Colorado . Visit her website at http://www.karenlinamen.com/.

You may go here to purchase the book! Also, I have a copy to giveaway, so please comment on the following to this post: What a perfect time to state something you would like to change about yourself this New Year. I will pick a random number Wednesday evening, so let's say Wednesday at noon the giveaway closes. :)

a photo summary

what my hubby put in my stocking...mind you, he is a dietitian. i think he loves me. by the way, caramellos and 3 musketeers are my favorite candybars. happy happy happy little boy. at uncle bill's house christmas day. i accidentally shrunk that little outfit. all wool, put it in the dryer. oops.

will david under one of the trees at uncle bill's. aunt lisa is such a talented decorator.


similar photo to one of my niece awhile back...
heehee....our 2008 family photo, minus the babe, who was too short for this timed photo. we were doing the christmas story with mask, if you couldn't tell. it was quite the production. my niece had the angel's words all memorized. oh and i didn't have a mask because i was taking pictures....
i'd love to chat more about christmas time and stuff, but time is short around here. much to do. very little free time to type. i love to browse though. one handed stuff like that. lol.

i hope and pray everyone's christmas was very blessed, very much like ours.

Just for laughs

I am being brave. LOL! Here is a video of Ella reading to Will David yesterday. She had actually been reading to him for awhile, while I was busy making a mess in the kitchen, because of baking and decorating cookies. He loved it, you can tell. So, here I am, makeup-less, trying to get the web cam in the right direction, struggling with that, and then a baby, who is trying to fall asleep and well, at one moment, is just being a baby LOL. It's funny. It's cute. Enjoy.



Okay, here's one of Buddy singing Jingle Bells. Mind you, I have a great old morning voice here and am very VERY tired. LOL. But, Buddy's cute at least! And the baby!

girl scout cookies, anyone???

let the selling begin!!! hehe so glad ella is a girl scout- great excuse to buy lots of cookies!! hoping to post better tomorrow..pics?

Half the cake is GONE

My grandma, dear, precious grandma, baked me a cake yesterday for my birthday today! And, it was one of my favorite flavors, too...Spice cake. The kids sang to me, Rich too, and then we all blew out the candles- a little early, but we wanted to eat that cake since it was here already. Yummy!

My birthday present, along with Christmas I suppose, is this lovely new laptop I am typing on. I think, truthfully, it is Rich's gift too. LOL. He has been using it lots as well.

The only other birthday plan we have is for Thursday. A friend of mine will watch Philip, since Ella is in school, and then we and the baby will go to the Outback. Rich was given a gift card there from coworkers. Perfect time to use it. I am craving steak so so so very badly.

Will David is doing wonderfully well, and he does not have days and nights mixed up really, but he is not sleeping the best anyways. Hopefully soon that will change.

Ella went to a Girl Scout meeting last night, as a neighbor who takes her girls came and picked her up for us. They went to the Ginger Jar, to paint a ceramic peice.

Philip had his first visit to the dentist yesterday....oh, how the tears fell when we got to the office. I had to sit on the chair myself, and hold him, so he would actually SIT there and open his mouth. Poor little guy. But, he made it through and did end up learning that there is nothing to fear (at least when you are little and your teeth are great!).

So, this is all I shall blog for now. I have to get a certain little girl ready for school!

My babe

Will David Has Arrived!!!!!

The night before....



And the morning after, plus a few days! ;)

He was 8 lbs 8.2 oz. Just so beautiful, as I can say that since he's MY baby boy...hehee....

The surgery went well, it's been a bit rough since then though. The eating thing isn't going so smoothly, due to the fact that I am in a lot of pain from that, but we have a plan, and are working things out. I am thankful for the help of a wonderful person at the hospital who has given me so much great encouragement and information. Third child, so I thought I had the nursing thing all figured out. Guess not!

He is so alert, and was quite a bit alert during the day today. So, hopefully we'll have a good night. The first night home, I didn't go to bed until 4:30 in the morning. Thank goodness, we've have not had anymore nights like THAT one.

Kids are coping well enough. Some behavioral changes have occurred, and we are praying we can turn that around with some effective parental skills and wisdom.

As you can see, not a whole lot of time for computer things. Took me forever just to get these photos uploaded from my camera.

Rich has another week off, so that is wonderful. He has been such a great husband, new dad, and dad to two other children. I love love love love love him, dearly!

you always hope to awake happy the day before!

But sometimes it just doesn't happen! LOL!

It has been a trying morning. So many things to do all of a sudden, including some emergency laundry for everyone. Forgot to get breakfast. Very emotional. Tired, due to lack of good sleep. Hubby off to work, and not wanting him to go. Wanting to relax, but just not able to. Little things to focus on.....happy kids. A new baby to hold tomorrow. A wonderful family time later today. A set of the photographs I took, including the piano one previously posted, in a Top Ten list on twopeas! Having happy photography customers. Getting my point and shoot digital camera all ready for DH tomorrow to use. Smelling those wonderful baby clothes again. Reading scripture. Prayer. Hope. and finally.....

some peace.

Let me tell you a little story

Once upon a time, a mommy really wanted to do something special for her little girl.

But, what?

The time was coming soon for the mommy to have another baby, and she wanted her daughter to know that she was so loved and appreciated....even though she would be sidetracked for awhile.

The little girl was delighted when her mommy told her they'd paper her dollhouse and put snow on it.

The only problem was, the mommy had so many times of not feeling well or not feeling up to it, and the little girl was quite impatient.

Nonetheless, the project is finished. A little kraft dollhouse, that badly needed some decorating on the outside, is completed. No, no pictures of this little bit of creativity....but to have a vision, imagine a house with colors or brown, pink and maybe some red and green. Brown paint, as well as girly scrapbooking paper in dots and stripes. Green painted windows. White snow, placed with care by the little girl and her mommy. Let dry with coming excitement for the morrow!

Someday, perhaps near the end of November, small treasures will pop up in and out of this little house. Candy canes, wreaths.....a few trees on the porch. The vision is there...and the little girl is so happy.

"You're the best mom ever!" she told her mommy.

She told her mommy that several times, over and over. The mommy just basks in the glory of that comment....for it has been a memorable time to share with a most precious daughter.

Friday update

Here are some Halloween pics...better late than never, right? Daphne (look at THAT HAIR, it was truly unruly!) and a handsome, handsome Pirate...arrrr!!!

Also, a pic of my neice, Abigail, at her piano in her home. I LOVE this photograph, and oh so hope to get a photograph like that of Ella.

We are ready for a baby on MONDAY, not Tuesday like we had expected. There was a csection conflict. That's okay....no problem having this boy a day early! :) I've been very uncomfortable, and very much ready for the next few days to pass by!

I'm ETA that we need prayer, also, for sickies to STAY AWAY for awhile. AND, for Ella NOT to have the flu. Although, she has been throwing up this morning and doesn't seem to have any other symptoms. Sorry for the TMI, but it's so frustrating. I personally do NOT need to be sick, and since Philip had something LAST weekend, I do think it's possible. We're going to try to be low key this weekend. Rich works Saturday and Sunday, so this mommy will not be out and about. Only to go to my mom's for dinner this weekend...she's so sweet to want to do that for me. Love you mom!!!

just a few comments

*Saturday late evening, Philip woke up and thus was very very sick to his stomach, poor guy. :(
*Sunday, Ella woke up with a sick stomach as well, but bounced back pretty quickly.
*So did Buddy, however, we didn't make it to church as both Rich and I had been up with Philip throughout the night.
*I keep getting comments about the baby coming any day, when I am out and about ...just thinking I must have a face that tells all! LOL! Exhaustion, etc.
*Did some Christmas shopping today, but lost my coupon in the store. GRRR. Have to go back by the 8th with the one I got from someone else :) to get it adjusted.
*One (or maybe 2) more loads of baby laundry to do.
*Pack and play needs to be constructed.
*Covers with bassinet and carseat need to go back on.
*And, need to take pics of my neice, Abigail, this week too!
*Our first Kindergarten parent-teacher conference is Thursday. Shall be good, I hope!
*Saturday, I went with my SIL, her mom, her sister, and her friend to Medina for a great time away. Met my mom at the stores there, too. Oh, I got some neat goodies. And a feather tree for Ella that was sooooooooo cheap. A few ornaments. Vintage scrapbooking things for me. A few little gifts for teachers/classes Ella has at school. Hope to get pics of those things up by the weekend.
*I'm scouring Etsy for some wrapping goodies for Christmas. Love love love Etsy. **SIGH*** I need a job! LOL!