22/365 Party Prepping, Cookie Baking, & Actually Getting Along

With Collin's party less than 24 hours away, 

we've been prepping.

We changed it from appetizers to all desserts.

Who knew desserts would be so much cheaper?

Especially if you do the baking yourself.

While the youngest napped,

the boys and I baked Chocolate Chip cookies,

Peanut Butter Cookies, 

made Peanut Butter Bars,

and chilled the oatmeal cookie dough.

We were a bit upset when Bailey awoken before the oatmeal cookies were in the oven.

We were all shocked when rolling these cookies,

and placing them on the cookie sheet,

turned out to be the best part of the day. 

Yes, she stole many balls of dough off the cookie sheet. 

Yes she annoyed her brothers.

But they spent so much time giggling, laughing, and just getting along

that it just didn't matter.

This photo may be no where near technically correct,

but it is one of my absolute favorites for this year already.

18/365 Gloominess, A Hint of Sun, & Melting Icicles.

Shockingly this icicle is pretty much SOOC (straight out of camera).

Other than cropping, a quick noise removal, sharpen, and auto contrast, 

nothing was done to alter this photo.

This was taken through my screen early this afternoon. 

We've been having icicles hanging from most homes for a week now.

I have a pretty row hanging right above my living room windows.

But this one icicle hung so much lower,

it was almost the entire length of my window.

After taking nearly 150 photo's of this and the rest of the icicles,

this is the only one I am happy with.

The only one that doesn't look like my husband snapped the shot. 

17/365 Birthday, Candles, & Cake

My sweet Collin has officially turned 3.

All day I reminisced on his actual birth day.

The not having the slightest clue he'd be born on his due date.

The induction being scheduled for the following morning.

Going out to eat still, even though the contractions began.

Everyone yelling at me to get to the hospital.

Only being at the hospital for one hour before we finally met.

Not having time for an epidural when I was finally wanting it.

Pushing him out in 1, 2, 3 pushes.

Not believing how small he was,

and how much he looked like his big brother.

What was once a 6 lb 15 oz newborn is now a 32 lb child.

I still look at him as this tiny boy.

Then today, he looked just oh, so, big.

I love you my (still) baby boy.

Happy 3rd Birthday

(click to enlarge)

16/365 Delicate, Curls, & All Girl

After having two boys,

of course I was thrilled to get a little girl.

Especially one I knew would be fair skinned, blonde, with big blue eyes.

Seeing her grow is already amazing.

So very much like her big brothers,

yet delicately girly at the same time. 

At 15 months, 2 weeks her hair is still really short.

Much more than the boys at this age, 

so I can't complain.

In the tub the little big in the back reaches down to mid shoulder blade.

But when dry, 

it forms the most perfect, girly, curl.

15/365, Blue Eye, Eyelashes, & Reversed 50mm

I just recently learned I can reverse my 50mm to get macro shots.

Of course I had to try right away.

Snapped photos of everything from my lens on my cell phone,

to Bailey's itty bitty eye.

Of course, considering my eye sight sucks, 

and having to move closer and further back

 to focus on whatever I want to take a picture of,

makes taking a photo of a very hyper 15 month old, 

a bit tough. 

14/365 More Ice, More Snow, & Still Cold

Today was Thomas' first day back to school since the storm. 

The snow is still piled way too high to notice any melt-age.

This morning, due to the snow,

 and a last speech therapy session for Collin,

all 5 of us had to venture out first thing in the morning.

It was brutally cold out there.

Just from the front door to the van,

had the boys complaining of cold hands and faces.

It didn't help the van took forever to warm up.

This is my view of the windshield

from the passenger seat. 

13/365 Meatloaf, Broccoli, Rice, & Potato's.

I spent all day taking photographs.

Nothing seemed to work.

Nothing jumped out at me to use for my 13th photo in this project.

While hubby was cooking, 

I switched my 50mm for my 28-80mm lens.

I pushed a chair behind his 6'4" frame,

and snapped a few shots.

Too yellow, too angled.

They all sucked. 

Yet, still...

I chose this as today's 365 photo. 

Based on the 13 photographs I've chosen so far, 

I think I have an obsession with food.

12/365 Cold, Snow, & Stuck Inside

It snowed. Again.

It snowed a lot. Again. 

30 fresh inches fell over the night of the 11th 

and well into late morning of the 12th.

School closed,

plows couldn't make it up the hill.

Neighbors shoveled out the circle

at our (dead) end of the street.

And the kids watched.

Together, without a fight,

with their hats on,

waiting to go out and play.

11/365 Laundry, Laundry, & More Laundry

Laundry is never ending in a house of 5. 

Especially after a weekend of vomit.

This is just a small portion of Mt. Laundry.

And another reason I need a wider lens. 

28 mm is just not wide enough in this small of an apartment. 

10/365 Frank's, Nuggets, & Ranch Dressing.

..together always make everything better.

Unfortunately the hubs bought Texas Pete,

 instead of Frank's Red Hot, 

so I had to make do.

A bit of hot sauce, 

Tossed in a bowl w/ diced Chicken Nuggets,

Put on a plate with shredder chedder-jack cheese,

Microwaved long enough to melt,

A thick bed of lettuce on a tortilla,

Drizzle of Ranch,

All wrapped up,

Equals a party in my tummy.

And my mouth.

Oh, so yummy!

9/365 The Pukes, The Runs, & The Porcelain Throne.

Yucky stomach bug hit hard this weekend.

Saturday morning and afternoon it was looking like the whole weekend would be great.

Even though the youngest was sick the previous night,

and the hubby was sick all morning,

I didn't think anyone else would be effected. 

Then it hit the oldest, 

then me,

then the middle child.

I don't think any of us got much sleep last night except the youngest.

And we laid around all day.

At least when we weren't taking turns occupying

The Porcelain Throne. 

(Sorry for the visual, this bug took all my creativity with it..)

8/365 Coldness, Hotness, & Chocolatey Goodness

Today the children and I went out in the snow! 

Shoveling and digging,

Playing and Throwing. 

Tons of fun out there. 

Once Bailey came in, 

it was snowman time!

Unfortunately, after making the 1st big ball for the bottom,

I could not get another one to grow too much. 

Yea, I suck at snowman building.

So we made Frosty instead, 

ya know, with the legs, and arms, and big round belly?

Yea we made him.

Once we came in, 

we were beyond freezing!

Of course there is only one way to remedy that!

7/365 Sniffles, Snot & Sweetness

Poor Collin's nose has been running something fierce the past two days.

Have gone through way too many tissues.

Daddy didn't have work today.

And spent some quality time with the kids.

This photo here, while not technically correct..

Melts my heart more each time I see it. 

<3

4/365 Vampires, Immortals, & MethHeads

I like to read. A lot.

Up until recently, for the past 6 years I've read only parenting related books.

Since November 19th, I've read these books.

All but the Vampire Academy books, which I've just started. 

House of Night, The Immortals,

Vampire Academy, and a series by Hopkins about drug addiction.

All great books.

All perfect for day 4's photo.

3/365 Sweetness, Cuteness, & Indecisiveness

Took photo's of Collin for his third birthday which is fast approaching,

Bailey wanted in on the action.

Now Mommy can't choose..

Sneak Peak! Family Creations

With the boys old enough,

I wanted to have some molding, painting, crafting fun.

Crayola's air dry clay just hiding in a cupboard,

waiting to finally see the sun.

We used cookie cutters, 

And Gingerbread siblings were born.

A tree for Mommy, a house for Daddy,

And our family was formed.

48 hours later the clay was dry,

And we couldn't wait to begin.

We painted our 'family,'

The tree, the house, and the gingerbread men.

Thomas' work of art.

Sweet Collin's...

Bailey's little girl.

Daddy's house. 

Mommy's tree.

Added some silver string,

And now they hang on the Christmas tree.

Hosted by Cecily & Lolli

Welcome!

After seeing my pal Trish's new blog here, I felt inspired. Again. Trish has a habit of doing this to me. Ah, just call me a sheep or a copy cat or whatever. I have been wanting to do a 365 project for the past 1-2 years, but always seem to forget on the first of the year.

If you are planning on doing a 365 project this year, I'd love to follow you as well as add your button to my side bar, just leave me a comment on this here post, which I will get an email telling me, and let me know where I can find your button. I need the support and motivation to stick with this!

Well, I'm looking forward to seeing you all in 2011. Wow, 2011! Can't believe another year is fast approaching...

For this first welcome post, I will leave you with a peak of what's to come:

 See ya' in 2010!