Things my kids say

Sometimes at my house we have days where the girls' say phrases to one another or to me or sometimes even to the cat that I wish I could say to others, to them and sometimes even to myself.

1. I'm having a really hard day
2. I am not going to clean my room (insert dishes, laundry etc)
3. No (insert a variety of questions here)
4. Get away from me!
5. That's mine! Give it now!
6. Don't watch me go to the bathroom (though this is one I do use sometimes)
7. I don't want to play with you!
8. You stink!
9. That wasn't nice!
10. I can't do it (insert dishes, laundry etc...)
11. I'm too tired
12. why?

So, one day I'm going to actually try some of these favorite sayings to others, myself or even say them back to them!

Happy Friday to all!

What a weekend!

We just had one terrific weekend! I attempted a cake. It was quite an experience. So, Zoe wanted a Barbie cake for her birthday and after seeing some pictures online... such as this one... I mean... how hard could it be, right? Instead of the frosted top, I'd just put on a Barbie shirt and match the skirt to it. Yeah... easy enough.

So, I borrowed a Wilton Barbie Doll Cake set from a friend and at 11:30 pm the night before her birthday. I was told just to bake it like normal, of course there is no pictures of a bowl on the back of a cake mix box so as for time... I was lost. I just averaged it and went for about 30 minutes. I took it out when it started turning brown and my toothpick came out clean. I let it cool for 10 minutes and then turned it over and it broke in half and the inside was not cooked at all! Ooops! So, I emailed Patrick on his phone to pick up a new cake mix and then I preheated the oven back and then turned it off and left the cake in to bake for 1 hour hoping it would fix it. Then I thought... I'll just "glue" it back together with frosting and I can save this cake. So, I did just that. I put it back together, but it was crooked and a little off, but hey. Then I had to decorate it. Easy enough, right? I mean look at this cake sample above... So, I got out my frosting tips, cut the corner off a sandwich bag, like I've done countless times and commenced to decorate... the bag broke around the tip. I got another bag and tried again.... this time it opened out the zipper part of the bag! After this I was very frustrated. I just gave up and started pushing frosting in the tip with my fingers and just did it that way! Anywho... at about 2 am I called it done! I mean, it is just for my 5 year old daughter who is easily pleased and not even for guests. I mean, good enough.... or at least as good as I could do. So, here it is...

And though I was beyond frustrated at 2 am and annoyed and wanted to scream and throw things, it made it all worth it to hear Zoe exclaim "Mom, it's beautiful!!"

Here are some more pictures from our great weekend trip to KC where we went to The Deanna Rose Childrens Farm in Overland Park. It's wonderful! So, enjoy!

Time Flies

WHAT A DIFFERENCE 5 YEARS MAKE!

My oldest daughter turns 5 on Sunday! I've heard since day one with her to "enjoy her while she's young because time goes soo fast" and I of course said "yes, I'm sure it does!"... well it does. She turns 5! We went to Kindergarten round up just the other night for her school. It's truly a bittersweet time for me. It's wonderful that she is growing so fast and so well and that I feel she truly is ready to start kindergarten. I've done all I can to give her the foundation that she needs to be ready for the real world, well she's not ready to live on her own, but I feel confident in the job I've done as a mom to at least prepare her for kindergarten.

I went for a walk with the girls the other day while Patrick was at work and we stopped and smelled the flowers- literally, we talked, we sang, we acted silly and then I realized that this time next year when the flowers start to bloom and the birds start to sing that their won't be three of us on our walks anymore. She'll be starting a new chapter of her life as I close a chapter in my life as her mom. I am now one of those parents that trusts her daughter to a virtual stranger 35 hours a week, 10 months out of the year for the next 18 years! Don't get me wrong... as a parent my job is far from done, now come the days of homework and sports and birthday parties and friends and sooner then I want to belive make up and boys. Now my job as a parent of a schoolage child will change to mainly one of prayer and listening and helping and loving as she grows into the beautiful young lady that God has made her to be. I can't wait to see God's plans for my little girl! So Here's wonderful birthday wishes for my beautiful little Miss!

28 years young...

Today, i'm 28 years old and as I've pondered how I've actually spent my last 28 years- legacy's left... successes under the belt... etc... I've realized that at one point I had dreams... lofty dreams - a degree in Business... starting my own photography company specializing in Architectural photography, etc...and looking back I don't see that many of those were accompolished, in fact I only have a degree in Photography, not business, I started and then shut down my own business where I specialized in Senior Photographs.... and yet while it's soo easy to perhaps feel like a failer... I don't. It just took me a while to realize that though those dreams didn't come true that I've succeeded in so many other areas of my life. I'm a wife of almost 7 years to my very best friend in the world. I am a mother of 2 beautiful little girls! My little girly girls that just proves that God has a sense of humor by giving me such girly girls...Despite knowing that it is soo easy sometimes to think that I don't really have a life, that I'm not that important in the grand scheme of things and then I realize that what I do IS important. It's probably the most important thing I've ever done! I am not putting stock in money or my job or power but in my future and the future of so many more people then I would have had I stuck to my plans by influencing and teaching my girls the most important of things - the fact that we do serve a loving God, that Love is really the most important thing and that we need to treat others the way we need to be treated, that money isn't all there is and that truly family is soo important as are friends, that personal success is measured in how close we are to God and that if we live a life destined by Him we will all be successes! I've realized that if I had accompolished those other dreams of mine, I would have missed out on the best thing that ever happened to me. So as I look back today I'm going to thank God that my plans aren't His plans and He has soo spoiled me with this life I've been blessed with. So, here's to another 28 years of living a Blessed and successful life and being soo very spoiled by a Very Loving God!