Photo Tag

Ugh.  Yeah.  So, here are the rules: you must take pictures of the following things, as is, no straightening up etc.  Can you tell why I'm less than thrilled to get this tag? lol

I received the tag last night and didn't have time to do it; I was running out the door to a meeting in about 15 minutes.  I did consider for a moment that I could just do the tag today but I knew that I would have straightened each of these areas before I "had the chance" to take the pics.  So, instead I ran around taking the pics right then to post today.  And here you go. 

My fridge- Now I do admit that I only took a picture of the outside last night.  Then I realized that other people doing this tag were showing the inside, too.  So... I took that one this morning.




My toilet.   Really people, my toilet???  


My kitchen sink, which really should be replaced.  The porcelain has been chipping away on the edges and one of these days (like if we ever finish our backyard) we're going to get a new one.


My favorite room in the house.  I debated on which room that would be but I decided it was definitely our family room since that's where we all spend the most time and where we are almost always together.



My closet.  Okay first off, my closet is small and there just isn't enough room for everything.  Then, my side of the bed is really close to it and so I couldn't get a decent pic.  Okay, I guess I could have gone over to the other side of the bed and taken the pic from further back, but I didn't even think of that until now.  But the thing about this pic that bugs me the most is that you can totally see a Goodwill tag hanging off a blouse in there! lol 


My laundry room.  Yeah, I don't really have a "laundry room".  My, how I wish I did!  But I do have a little area right off the kitchen, next to the garage door, where my washer and dryer are tucked behind a couple of doors.  (Not that I ever really close those doors since I'm always doing laundry, lol.)



Ooh, and one day (yeah, probably the same day that I get my new sink) Ryan's going to get me new shelves that are deeper and that will come down lower, right above the dryer.  Then I won't have all that stuff sitting on top of the dryer.  Yep, that's the plan. ;)

My kids.  Well, see this is another reason why it's a good thing I took the pics last night instead of waiting until now.  Right now, Cadi's at school and Aurora is napping so I wouldn't be able to get pics of either.  (And if you think for one minute I'd sneak into Rori's room during naptime just to take a pic, you're sorely mistaken.  And you must not be a mom.  The instant that door were to crack open, she'd be up in a flash and I VALUE naptime! lol)  So, this is what my girls were doing last night when I got tagged and started running around taking pics.

Here's the good one...


And here's the naughty one...


Our pet, Simon.  Poor old, deaf, half-blind dog.


My dream vacation.  This is hard because I have a few "dream vacations".  I want to see church history sites, I'd love to go to New Zealand, I want to try a cruise, I can't wait to go back to DisneyWorld, I hope I get to swim with dolphins again.  And so, I just chose which one was the easiest to show a pic of. lol


My favorite shoes.  I don't have a pair of favorite shoes.  I have several that I like a lot and I have favorite shoes to wear for certain things or with certain outfits.  But these are the ones I wear the most simply because they are so comfortable.


And that leaves the self portrait.  I set up my camera to take my pic.  And, uh... it took a couple of tries. lol







And now I must share the joy and tag some friends.  Please forgive me.  I tag: Aimee, Sidnee, Jessica, and Wendy.

Count Your Blessings

•I have a loving husband who works hard to provide for our family.

•Ryan has a great job that is stable and provides for our needs as well as many wants while allowing me to stay home with our kids.

•He gets holidays off, unlimited sick time, and not only does he get a generous amount of vacation time each year, but he is the one who handles the vacation schedule and can most times arrange for us to get our vacation time whenever we want. And we have a nice week long vacation coming up in two months. :)

•He gets paid hourly, which means when he works extra, it's overtime pay.

•And when he works enough hours, it's double time.

•None of the plans I have this week require him to watch the girls for me.

•Even when he is at work, he can often call home or chat briefly on IM.

•This next week or two are just a tiny little part of the eternities we get to spend together.

•My girls are good girls who, while often they drive me bonkers, it's usually in a good way.

•My girls also have a pretty decent bedtime so if I get really tired of being the parent, all I have to do is hold on until they go to bed and then I'm released from my immediate duties and merely placed "on call".

Can you guess who's going to be working late every night for the next couple of weeks?

These Boots Were Made for Walking

As I was uploading pics yesterday, I came across these that I took a little over a week ago.  Rori loves to wear shoes - especially other people's.  These are Acadia's boots.  They come up to Rori's thigh!  Anyhow, I thought they were cute.  Enjoy!

 
                
 

What I would post if I had any pics that would cooperate...

The girls and I had a very fun evening with friends tonight.  Several families all met up at the park for picnic dinners to let the kids play while the grown-ups visited.  It was kind of a last-minute kind of thing.  We had a great time.  I think it would have been even more fun if Ryan was with us.  (He was called into work this afternoon and is still there.) 

It was relaxing to visit with friends, and since the girls hadn't taken their baths yet but were going to when we got home, I didn't even mind at all that Aurora brought half the sandbox home with her - in her hair.  Of course, she minded as I was trying to wash it all out.  I didn't get it all, so for those of you who attend church with us, don't look too closely at her scalp. ;)

I did take pictures but most of them are of the group and I don't have permission to post everyone else's kids on here.  I do have a cute pic of Rori and a tree.  She kept running up to it and kind of hugging it.  I think she wanted to climb it but it's not a climbing tree; there are no lower branches at all. lol  So I'll share that... but nothing else.  Just use your imagination. ;)

Open Up Wide!

Today the girls had a dental appointment.  This was Aurora's first time!  I was smart and took my camera.  I was not smart and did not bring extra batteries, as the camera's batteries were dead.  However, I shook, shook, shook that camera and managed to turn it on 3 seperate times, just long enough to take one quick photo each time.  *phew*

And so, I am pleased to be able to show you Aurora's first dental check up:

Acadia did go first and of course, Rori wanted to do whatever Cadi was doing so that worked out really well.





Rori didn't exactly "love" getting her teeth checked and cleaned but she didn't fight it either.  She was eager to get out of the chair when she was told her turn was done.  But she was also eager to get BACK in the chair to play or even when the dentist came in to look. 

I managed to get this one of Cadi and the dentist, too. 



Of course, both girls had a great check up and no one had any cavities.  *Yay!*  The dentist did recommend a consult with the orthodontist for Acadia because one of her permanent teeth isn't coming down correctly and they may want to do something there.  We don't see her until later in October though, so for now we're good!

United

I have only a few short minutes and so, I would like to direct you to my friend, Millie's post today which contains a letter written the day after the attacks.

Reading that letter really reminded me of all the feelings I had during that time and the feeling of strength and unity that were abundant, even amid the feelings of shock, pain, and loss.  I think it is important to remember that we all have more in common than what divides us.  And when it comes down to it, we all hope for the same things.  I think that is one of the biggest reasons why it is important that we remember days like today, to put things back into perspective and to reunite ourselves.

Happy Birthday to the woman who gave me life!

Yep, it's my Mom's b-day today... She had to work. :( But then, doesn't every mom have to work on her b-day? Though, she actually had to go into the office and work at her desk. That's totally not fun. :(

But I hope she's still managing to have a great day anyway!

Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!