Suzanne McGrath Photography

Six on Sunday

OK.  It's late.  I spent too much time letting #3 comb my hair, then I had to edit pictures (I almost forgot how!), then I had to watch Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.  Oy.  So I'm going to dive in...

1.  #2's BFF made it!  Remember last week when I wrote about picking her up from the airport?  Well, we did and was so fun to have her around again.  She just slid seamlessly into our routine and we treated her like another daughter.  But most of all, I was so thankful that #2 had this entire week to spend with her BFF.  I know how much she missed Addie and they are already plotting their next get-together. If I can have a hand in creating a life-long friendship, I'll certainly do my best!  

Here are the girls right before we left for the airport this afternoon.  We hated to send Addie back to Dallas but I was pretty sure her parents wanted her back!  Aren't they simply adorable together?

2.  Here are a couple iPhone snaps from this week.

#4 has been playing in this laundry basket all week!

 

I posted this next one on Facebook.  My "five" girls.

All my girls were excited for Addie's visit - even #3 and #4!

3.  #1 had her first swim meet last Thursday night.  Aside from it being a four HOUR event, it was a lot of fun.  She swam the free, back, and a relay.  I'm not exactly sure how she did against the entire group, but I know she still looks good.  And I simply love watching her race.  It's so fun!

4.  Speaking of swimming, #2 is swimming for the Olathe Cyclones this summer, too.  And I think I've finally convinced her to compete in the next meet.  I can't wait!

#3 and #4 are also taking swim lessons.  We signed them up for a two week boot camp of sorts.  They each have lessons from Monday through Thursday for 30 minutes.  They started last week and continue this week.  I'm hoping the quick 8 days will really jump start their swimming this summer.  And so far, so good.  If you're looking for this type of swim program, check out McCracken's swim lessons in Olathe.  We've been extremely pleased with them!  (Our older girls attended but that was years and years ago!)

5.  This has been a weekend filled with soccer.  Not games, but try-outs.  Honestly, I'm glad it's over.  I'm ready for a break from running around!

6.  I saved the best for last.  #2 had her 9th birthday party last Friday night.  Of course it was a sleepover - ugh.  But honestly, I can't complain at all.  The girls were awesome!

She invited 5 friends (including her BFF who flew in for the big event).  The best part?  Everyone who was invited was able to attend!  Seriously, that never happens.  Especially in the summer.  

We started the night out at the pool where we had pizza, chips, and watermelon for dinner.  (And I got to keep the mess out of my house - score!)

After the girls wrapped up their swimming, we headed back to the house for face painting.  They were all so excited!  They spent tons of time on the internet researching their designs.  And I have to say, they were all really, really creative!

Here are the close-ups...

We didn't make it out onto the deck for cake until about 10pm!  Of course the late hour didn't slow down these girls - oh no.

We ended the evening by opening gifts.  She received great, thoughtful gifts.  But my favorite part?  The homemade cards or the really personable notes included in store-bought cards.  They were crazy, stupid, and hilarious!  I love that these girls all get along so well and had so much fun together.  I was really happy that #2 had a fantastic birthday party!

And there you have it!  Have a great week.

Six on Sunday...a Busy Weekend

It was a busy weekend!  

1.  Last week I talked about the South Beach Diet.  The first time I tried it was after #1 or #2 was born.  (I can't remember which one!)  It was the first time in my life I had to lose weight and I didn't know the first thing about "dieting".  I thought the SBD sounded the most realistic and it was/is really more of a lifestyle than a true diet.  So the hubby and I did it.  It worked.  We've done it (phase one - very restrictive) a few more times through the years when we've needed it.  (Mostly after babies were born!)

The hubby and I started two Mondays ago, so today is day 14.  It has worked.  I lost about five or so pounds.  And the hubby?  He's down about 10! Woo-Hoo for us!  Just in time for swimsuit season.  However, after running a half marathon yesterday and subsequently gorging myself/ourself, I'm probably up a pound or two!  On to Phase two - which is much happier (fruit comes back into play!).   

2.  Yesterday the hubby and I ran the Rock the Parkway half marathon.  I was gunning for a 2:05 but was three minutes off.  I attribute my horrible race to the SBD in #1.  Of course, the humidity didn't help, either.  But I really think the lack of carbs was a factor.  Don't get me wrong - we carbed it up for dinner Friday night.  But I really don't think that was enough.  Eating protein and vegetables for two weeks straight is great for getting rid of belly fat but not so great for energy.  Oh well.  You win some.  You lose some.

3.  #2 played in a soccer tournament this weekend. It wasn't a bad schedule - one game each on Friday, Saturday, and today.  They won, lost, and tied.  I think the competition was really good for our girls.  They're not used to losing but they played a pretty good team on Saturday and it showed them what passing can do in a game.  I hope they take that knowledge and run with it!

4.  #1 is in St. Louis tonight.  Her Girl Scout troop took the train this morning and went to a museum where they get to spend the night.  I sent her with my point and shoot and strict instructions to take lots of photos.  I hope she complies!

5.  Our yard is haven for birds and butterflies.  Check out the proof:

6.  Today was #4's birthday!  I can't believe my baby is three years old today.  She really didn't understand the significance of the day, but she loved opening her presents.  We also went out to Orange Leaf and had cupcakes tonight.  We missed having #1 here, but celebrated nontheless.

At three years old you are:

• STUBBORN comes to mind!
• You love to make us laugh but then you tell us not to laugh at you
• You still love your bobbie but tonight was your last one.  Sippy cups or cups from now on, kiddo!
• You love all your sisters to pieces and seem to have a special connection with #2.
• Your favorite food is chocolate.
• You love your babies.
• You dress yourself - in some crazy outfits
• You are so very loved, my dear!

 

And there you have it!  Six on Sunday.  Have a great week!

 

Six on Sunday...playing catch-up

I'm back.  I have to admit, the break was nice.  I have no reason for not blogging except for the fact that I was busy and something had to give.  This was it.  So let's catch up, shall we?

1.  The hubby had a birthday about a week and a half ago.  Of course it was very low-key, which is how we celebrate birthdays above - say - 20 years around here!  He opened up a few presents and we had chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  (We had our date night the weekend before, so we called it a birthday date night.)

2.  My sister moved into a cute little townhouse last weekend.  My mom and I both helped her with the move.  (Thank goodness she had movers.)  I have to say, I was really happy for her to be able to make this move but I was more than a little sad to see her go.  She has been staying with us a couple nights a week and every other weekend for the past year.  We all LOVED having her around!  My kids would always ask if she was coming over.  It's not like we won't see her anymore, but it just won't be the same for us.  (She, on the other hand, is probably doing the happy dance to get a little peace and quiet!)

3.  We finally had #1's 11th birthday party.  She choose to invite 3 friends to Coco Key for the afternoon.  Then we came back here, pigged out on pizza, and they had a sleepover.  Of course all her sisters had a blast swimming, too.  And I have to say, I love this age.  They are finally old enough to just leave them alone.  I can go to bed and know they will be just fine.  It's awesome.

4.  The day after the birthday party found me in a little Pontiac Vibe road tripping down to Bella Vista, AR with my mom.  We were on a mission.  And unfortunately, we were not successful on said mission.

My parents sold their house in Sioux Falls and now they are headed down south.  Naturally, they need a place to live.  We thought with 300 - 400 homes for sale in the area we could find something.  Uh, we were wrong.  We looked at about 12 - 14 homes (I can't even remember anymore) and the only one that would have worked was a new build but it was already under contract.  Nuts.  It's looking like they will have to build.

5.  The hubby and I started South Beach Diet phase one last Monday.  It's hard.  But it's working.  He's losing a pound a day!  We'll see where I land, but I'm positive I won't be down anywhere close to 14 pounds!  I'll be ecstatic with five.  The worse part is that I really miss crackers.  Seriously.  I'd kill for a bowl of Cheezits!  

6.  As for this weekend, it's been really nice.  Yesterday was busy - gymnastics, Dunkin Donuts, and two soccer games along with an 8 mile run.  Oh, and we also dyed Easter eggs and hung out with my sister and her kids.  

But today?  Awesome.  We got church in last night and just hung out around the house today.  Awesome, no?

I was able to finish sanding a beautiful chair so it's all ready for stain.  And we *almost* finished sanding the table on our deck.  It was a $20 Craigslist purchase last year and when it got hotter than hell last summer, we just let it go.  So it was finally time to help it out.  After an hour of sanding, it almost looks brand new.  Seriously.  We just have to finish sanding it and give it a coat of sealer.  Can't wait.

We did manage to squeeze in a bike ride to the playground this afternoon, too.  It was such a beautiful day that we all wanted to be outside the whole day! 

Anyway, now you know what we've been up to lately.  Have a great week!

Six on Sunday

I'm back. I was sort of forced into taking a hitatus last week.  Our beloved Mac has been acting up lately.  I love it but I am not savvy enough to fix it.  Thankfully the hubby took it to the Genius Bar yesterday.  The diagnosis?  It's old.  It needs more RAM (where in the h*ll can I find 1 GB 800 mhz SDRAM?).  And we need to update the Operating System.  The genius at Apple also showed the hubby how to run a system clean-up every three months.  So right now it's running, but slowly.  OH well.  At least it's running!

As for my six?  Here goes...

1.  The last time I visited you on a Sunday night #2 was Dallas, TX.  I'm happy to report she made it back safely.  She had an awesome visit!  Her aunt and uncle (the hubby's sister and brother-in-law) took her and her BFF out for dinner and miniature golf that Saturday night.  Thanks, Erin and Chris!  And mostly, she and Adeline just played and goofed around.  I asked her to take some pictures while she was there.  Well, she did that!  She took a picture of every single room - including the closets!  Now #2 can't wait for Adeline to visit us - hopefully for a week this summer.

2.  I also talked about #1 trying out the Blazers.  She has been to three practices and so far, so good.  I think she's really enjoying that her good friend is also on the team.  There hasn't been a bunch of complaints to get her to practice which is such a welcome change from synchro!  And I'm just thankful she's trying something new and staying busy because she loves to be busy.  (Like mother, like daughter?)

3.  My kids have all dressed themselves once they turn two.  #4 is no exception.  Check out her outfit from the other day:

I especially like the footwear.  And in case you're wondering, yes, she wore this to school.  I learned long ago to pick my battles.  And as long as she has clothes ON, we're covered.

Here is a shot of #3 today.  She calls this jersey her Nebraska shirt.  Mind you, it has nothing to do with the Huskers except for the color red.  It's actually #1's soccer jersey from when she was in kindergarten.  But #3 is going to wear her "Nebraska shirt" to school tomorrow.  Oh yes she will!

4.  We're anxiously awaiting next Saturday.  Why?  We're headed west to the mountains!  We can't wait to spend a week in Breckenridge, CO.  The three oldest girls are going to ski school for two days.  #2 and #3 aren't thrilled to "have" to go to ski school but we'll send them, anyway.  We keep telling them they won't get any better if we try to teach them ourselves.  Plus, we'd be stuck on blues and greens all day.  This way they can get better, we can ski what we want to ski, and we can meet up at the end of the day for a few runs as a family.  I can't wait!!!

5.  I tried a new recipe for Meatless Monday last week.  It was phenomenal - lentil tacos.  Seriously, you should try them.  They tasted just like meat and even the kids loved them!  What about this week?  Here's what's on our menu:

Last night:  hamburgers (with blue cheese crumbles) at my sister's house

Tonight:  meatball subs, broccoli, and strawberries, kiwi, oranges, and bananas

Meatless Monday:  tofu stirfy (cross your fingers it turns out well) with brown rice and quinoa

Tuesday:  salmon burgers, broccoli, apples

Wednesday:  chili, spinach, fruit

Thursday:  chicken marinated in Italian dressing on the grill, asparagus, fruit

Friday:  Papa Murphy's!  Salad and fruit

6.  I saved the best for last tonight.  Guess who turned 11 today?  My oldest.  Isn't that just crazy?  So what did she get for her birthday?  Well, it's kind of a story of it's own.

You see, my kids get to pick between a big party and a big present.  They're not supposed to get both.  This year #1 picked a Coco Key swim party sleepover which meant she would get a small present.  I went to Plato's Closet (a consignment shop) to find a cute pair of jeans.  She's had her eye on these Miss Me jeans since Christmas time.  I looked and looked and looked at that store.  Nothing.  And then I put myself into her shoes.  I remember being in sixth grade and dying for a pair of Guess jeans.  I didn't want a cute knock-off pair, I wanted a real pair of Guess jeans.  

After my failed attempt, I had 30 minutes left.  I zoomed over to Von Maur and found the Miss Me jeans (after being told they were on the "blue" carpet - not the green carpet).  And then I did it.  I pulled the trigger.  I paid more for a pair of jeans for my now 11 year than I've ever spent on myself!  But I will say the look on her face tonight made it totally worth it.  She was so thrilled!  And for that I am extremely grateful.

So that, folks, wraps up Six on Sunday.  I should be back later this week for a fun project.  I have so many to choose from I don't know which one to highlight!  Have a great week.

 

Six on Sunday...Veteran's Day and a Birthday Weekend

Phew! I'm here but I'll admit I'd rather be in bed.  It was a crazy-busy weekend.

1.  Our weekend started off early with a Veteran's Day celebration at #1 and #2's school.  (I wrote about it here last year.)  This year we were super lucky - both grandpas made the trek down here.  The girls were so excited to be able to walk into the assembly with their grandpas.  The hot breakfast was great, the assembly was nice, and the small group discussions were informative and fun to watch.  Most of all, it was such an honor for us that both grandpas so willingly drove down here from Omaha, NE and Sioux Falls, SD.  Thanks Jerry and dad!

My father-in-law, Jerry, is on the left and my dad, Gary, is on the right.  #1 isn't in the picture because she was busy doing her Girl Scout duties.

2.  Guess who is turning FIVE on Tuesday?  Yep, #3.  We had her party Saturday afternoon.  When I asked her what kind of party she wanted this year, she insisted on a party at her house.  I was totally willing to oblige, but I knew I needed to call in reinforcements.  Therefore, I hired a balloon artist from Up, Up, and Away Balloons.  John was AWESOME!!!

The kids ran around like maniacs on a major sugar high.  Seriously.  It was a mad house!  But once John showed up and started making balloon hats and animals, the kids were pretty much mesmerized.  And I was mesmerized.  The things he could do with balloons - purely amazing.  Of course I didn't get a good shot of the birthday girl with her mermaid, but I did get a couple others I can post on here.  (I don't post the kid's friends without permission.)

Here is #2 with her octopus:

Here is my niece with Rapunzel:

Lastly, my nephew with his alien (this was by far the most popular selection):

After the balloons were done, we turned towards an ice cream cake.  It was delicious and the kids seemed to enjoy it.  Here is #3 blowing out her candles.  

Party favors were super easy because we really didn't have a theme.  I just picked up random bits here and there.  But I figured kids love balloons - so we just tied a balloon right to the container.

All in all, the kids seemed to have a blast and I know #3 was mad at me when everyone left.  She wanted them all to stay a lot longer!  But I'm glad we ended on a note of wanting more.  That is better than meltdown city. 

3.  While my parents were here this weekend my mom kept remarking about how much #4 is talking now.  As in, she doesn't STOP talking.  It's so funny to hear that because just a few short months ago we were having her tested because of her lack of talking.  She has a couple little quirks that crack me up.

When we ask her a question and the answer is affirmative, she stresses it.  Like, if we say, "Is that your purse over there?"  She'll say, "It IS."   It's just so cute because she's so expressive.

And I've said it before, but she says "otay" instead of "okay" and I can't get enough of it.  Just adorable.

4.  Today we went to our first ever indoor soccer game.  And we all loved it!  I swear, I wanted to get out there and play.  #1 decided to play it this year and therefore we asked #2 if she wanted to try it out, too.  And sure enough, she did.  Since we couldn't find a team for #2 to join, #1's coach is letting her play with his team for the first session.  (Second session is full.)  She did great.  She was a little timid during her first rotation out on the field, but that didn't last long.  She got right in on the action.

And #1 got a lot of touches, too.  That's nice because she prefers to play defense so she doesn't always get a lot of touches.  And not only that, it was really fun to watch them play together.  I saw #1 give #2 a pat on the back while they were rotating out.  It was really sweet.

5.  The new fad in third grade seems to be animal hats.  The first I heard about it was Friday morning.  It only took two days of pleading for #2 to talk me into taking her to JC Penney to buy a hat.  I have to admit, they are adorable.  She chose a monkey with a flower in the monkey's hair.  It looks so cute on her!  When she went over to her friend's house to play later today they both wore their hats all afternoon - in the 70 degree weather!

6.  I made it to #6.  WooHoo!  I figure I should provide a photo update.

I have two galleries to post and one to finalize which will happen tomorrow night.  It's been a really busy fall!

Once the galleries are all finished, I need to start on Christmas cards.  I have finalized one family's card and have a few others to create.  They're so fun to make that I can't wait to get started!

I had my last session of the season this afternoon.  It was such beautiful weather and they were really great!  I run with Carmen so it was fun to see her all made up.  Carmen - you clean up nicely!!  And I loved how they coordinated together.  Since I have all girls it's really fun to see how boys dress and act.  (They climb on EVERYTHING!)  Here is just one sneak peek:

That's all folks.  Time for me to hit the hay.  Have a great week!

Six, I mean Seven, on Sunday

I'm back.  Here goes another round of Six on Sunday.  This one is really going to be a catch up post.

1.  Father's Day came and went.  We celebrated.  Hopefully the hubby enjoyed his day.  The girls made him the most awesome present!  (I had NOTHING to do with this.)  They decorated a cooler just for him.  (They had a little help - by way of our summer nanny, Ashley.  Apparently, this is all the rage at Arkansas?)  They worked so hard on this and they were so pumped to give him their gift.  It was simply adorable to watch.

(As you can see above, we are still two handprints short.  But what a cute idea, huh?)

Those are all my favorite recent pictures.  I couldn't figure out where they got them?  The answer?  My blog.  Duh.  Isn't that neat?  They mod-podged the pictures to the coolor.

And yes, my baby is wearing nothing but a diaper.  Yes, we are those people.  We figure why get another outfit dirty after dinner so this is what we've come up with...our short-cut, if you will.  Classy.

2.  Project updates.  I have several updates...  

I am almost finished with the mid-century dresser that is going in the family room.  As I was getting ready to poly, I accidentally knocked it off the 2x4s it was sitting on which knocked the door off the top of the dresser and gave it a nasty scratch.  So, I almost had to go back to square one.  I had to sand out the scratch, re-stain it, and now apply two coats of poly. Major Bummer.

I have applied no less than four coats of paint to our front door and the side windows.  It's red.  Red is NOT a friendly color.  It's streaky and it goes on hot pink.  I am thinking I'll be done in one or two more coats.  Cross your fingers for me.

I sanded all the drawers to the awesome Dixie dresser that's going in our master bedroom.  (Yes, that's really the brand.  Cool, no?)  That dresser is going to take a little lovin' with some wood filler.  But she'll be drop-dead gorgeous when I'm done with her.  The hubby is skeptical.  But I have told him time and again, my ideas always work out!  (Well, maybe a 90% success rate - but I'm not admitting that to him.)

3.  Photography updates...I have a couple here, too.

I finished editing the wedding I shot.  I think I hand-edited almost 200 images.  The gallery is going up tonight.  I'll put together a post to review, too.

And just tonight I finished putting together three different mock-ups for fantastic display canvases for the ballet I shot a couple weeks ago.  I'll have to post those on here, too.  However, it deserves it's own post, too!

4.  We've been living in a war zone for about a month now.  OK.  Maybe I'm being a tad bit dramatic, but you get the idea.  Thanks to the hail storm we had earlier this spring, we were able to get a new roof. Score.  We've been praying for that hail storm since the day we moved in over seven years ago.

On top of that, we are also getting new siding on the front and south side of our house.  It was just time.  We have that crappy siding that got nailed in a lawsuit several years ago.  And to top it all off, we had some stone work put on the front that takes the house from ehhh to wow!  When they're all done, I'll show you the reveal.  But you'll have to sit in suspense for now.  

My view for at least the last two weeks:

5.  Last weekend I took the older two girls to see The Sound of Music at Shawnee Mission Park.  We had never been to theater in the park and it was great!  We brought a blanket and some snacks and enjoyed the beautiful night.  It was perfect timing because they had each seen a few scenes from the movie during the last couple weeks of school.  

The girls waiting for it to begin.  (#3 was in Sioux Falls with my parents or you can bet she would have been there, too.  Where her big sisters go, she goes.)

Of course we had to get dessert.  #1 choose Italian Ice.  It was almost too pretty to eat:

And here was the view from our "seats": 

6.  The girls have had a busy summer!  #1 is on the swim and dive team in addition to her synchronized swimming.  She also has soccer practice (no games, thank goodness), and Tae kwon do.  #2 decided to forgo the swim team in lieu of swimming lessons.  She is taking tennis this month, piano lessons throughout the summer, and is also doing Tae kwon do.  (She had her last softball game on Saturday.)  #3 has swim lessons right before her older sister.  The three of them also participated in Vacation Bible School last week and have School of Religion coming up in June.  Can you say busy?  I get tired just typing all that out.  Phew.  

7.  The Bonus #7.  #2 celebrated her 8th birthday this past Friday night.  She had a blast!  In fact, I think #1 had almost as much fun as #2.  It was so fun to see her in her element with all her friends around her.  We celebrated with pizza at the pool followed by presents and birthday cake.  Of course it was a sleepover.  Apparently, that is a requirement.  So we had 9 girls sleep downstairs Friday night.  (#1 and #4 slept in their rooms and #3 slept with the big girls.)

Scenes from the party:

All the decorations were either made by the birthday girl or purchased by her.  I had absolutely no say in it and that was just fine with me:)  

Dear Little Lizzie Coco,

Man, 8 years old, huh?  I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday and here you are an 8 year old.

You are so awesome.  You are so very different from your older sister yet you two are still so close.  I hope you never lose that.  I love to watch the two of you together.  As for the others?  Well, the only sister that can get under your skin is #3.  I don't know what it is with the two of you, but you are the only two who really ever fight.  And it's usually more like bickering.  It's actually kind of funny to watch. You are fantastic with #4.  Rather than mother her, you play with her and she ADORES you for that!  You fit in to your role as #2 ever so perfectly.

You are drama.  Still.  After all these years.  That is one part of your personality that has been consistent from the get-go.  I still remember when you had an Oscar-winning performance because we were having"Chicken for dinner!  You know I don't like chicken for dinner!" complete with tears and histrionics.  But with the drama comes such a fierce love.  You can go from being totally and completely mad at me to totally and completely loving me in about two minutes flat.  You like to give "huggies" and I eat it up.  

You definitely wear your heart on your sleeve.  You were simply devastated by the news of Chloe's declining health.  You came into our room after midnight just crying because you were so sad.  And even now, you can't really talk about it.  Your feelings are always right there on the surface.

You do not like to be alone.  In fact, you can hardly stand it.  You have a friend over almost every single weekend.  Thankfully, you have a lot of friends or I don't know what I'd do with you.  But at the same time, it's almost unbelievable...when you do start playing with something on your own, you get totally engrossed in it.  You used to play with all your Littlest Pet Shop toys for upwards of an hour at a time.  Quietly, just by yourself.  You have a HUGE imagination.  I love watching you and your friends play.  I love watching the things you come up with to entertain yourself when - gasp - nobody is home!

Lizzie Coco, I simply adore you and love you.  

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That's all folks.  Have a terrific week!

 

 

Six on Sunday

1.  We did it!  The hubby and I each ran in the Rock the Parkway half marathon.  His time was 1.54 and mine was 2.05.  (Those are both unofficial because we failed to check the chip timing.)  We both pushed it harder than we normally do.  While that was good in that our goal times were achieved, our bodies paid the price.  Yesterday afternoon we were a sad, sad sight.  My knees, especially, hated me.  Today was a little better, but we're both still sore.  I'd say it was worth it.  We had a great time and celebrated by eating lunch at Oklahoma Joe's with our friends who also ran the race.  A good day, indeed.

But...if I could expand just a little further...I decided I really run for the enjoyment of it and for the social side of it.  Of course it's great that I get in a work-out, too.  However, I think the next race I run, I will run it with a friend.  (This race was run solo - just me and #2's iPod - that's a story for another time.)  I won't think so much about my time, but rather how much fun I have during the two hours of the run.  That's more my style.  I don't really care a whole lot about the time.  If I did, I'd try to beat two hours.  And truly, I don't want to have to work that hard!  And my knees really, really don't want me to work that hard! 

Lastly, I couldn't write about Rock the Parkway without giving out kudos to my sister!  You see, I don't think it would be possible to hire a babysitter to come to my house at 6:15am on a Saturday.  Aimee to the rescue.  The littles stayed at her house on Friday night and had a blast!  (#1 and #2 had sleepovers.) When I picked them up, they were delightfully eating mac-n-cheese and getting it all over her kitchen. And we were able to get a solid night of sleep before the big race.  It was awesome.  

2.  I had the camera out a lot this week - WooHoo Project 365.  Today was no exception.  Check out their clothes.  Do you see what they're wearing?  Or rather, do you see what they are not wearing?  Yep. No coats, no long sleeves, no jeans.  It was a beautiful weekend, weather-wise.  We definitely took advantage of it, too.  We played outside quite a bit.  

And this image?  Love.  This one is a framer.  For Sure.

  

3.  We celebrated a birthday in our house this week.  The hubby turned 38.  Man, we are getting old:)  It was a low-key celebration in keeping with our style.  The girls and I baked a cookie cake on Monday in preparation for his birthday on Tuesday.  We had candles and sang happy birthday.  

4.  #1.  One word I would use to describer her is "reader".  She loves to read.  When she gets into a book, she can hardly put it down.  I catch her reading all over the house.  Here she is reading in the dining room which is in shambles because it's getting painted - but you wouldn't know it by looking at her.  She was waiting for dinner...  

 

5.  I had grand plans to paint the living and dining rooms this weekend.  However, I failed to account for how drastically my knees were going to revolt.  Therefore, I was only able to paint one wall - the accent wall.  I had quite a bit of help, as you can see from this photo.  

6.  I am working on another project.  This was one can be worked on a little here and there.  I'm just going to show you a teaser...

 Have a great week!

Sick - I mean Six - on Sunday

1.  The weekend started off great!  #1 had a small birthday party with just three of her friends.  At first she wanted a hot air balloon ride for her birthday gift but then changed her mind when she realized that would be ALL she'd get.  So she opted to have a face painter come over for her party.  We hired MJ Matthews and she was awesome!  #2 also had a friend over that night so there were seven girls all huddled around MJ.  (#3 got a tattoo but wanted nothing to do with getting her face painted.)

Here is #1:

The girls were all fantastic, easy to have around (read: not too loud) and fun.  I think #1 had a great - and very memorable - 10th birthday!

2.  Unfortunately, the weekend didn't stay great.  I had a really nice 8 mile run Sat. morning.  However, my knee didn't agree with me.  It was and is really, really sore.  I've done the whole ice and ibuprofen thing.  I just hope it gets better in time for my race next Saturday.  

3.  I decided we should paint the front two rooms this weekend since the weather wasn't very nice.  #4 and I trekked to Home Depot to pick out paint and I was ready to roll by naptime on Saturday.  Unfortunately, when the hubby scraped the ceilings, he left a mess on the walls.  It took him ALL DAY Saturday just to prep the room for me to paint.  To add insult to injury, #4 woke up from her (too short) nap really, really, really grumpy.  It was awful!  She never really came around and was grumpy and hard to be around for pretty much the rest of the day.  Ugh.  It made for a really long day since the hubs was otherwise occupied.  

4.  To make matters even WORSE, I came down with some form of stomach bug.  I wrote about #4's puking episode at church last weekend.  Well, she got worse before she got better.  Then #3 got knocked down with something on Wednesday.  She didn't get off the couch until 4:30 that afternoon.  Yesterday afternoon my stomach started to feel funny.  That meant I didn't eat more than two muffins and two pieces of pizza ALL DAY.  And today wasn't much better.  I really didn't eat anything until dinner tonight. I then had an epiphany...I get grumpy without food!  Yes, I will admit it.  I was really grumpy this weekend.  My poor kids.

5.  I managed to paint today.  It took me four hours!  And what's even worse?  I ran out of paint.  I couldn't believe it.  The walls sucked up a lot more than I bargained for.  And what's even worse than THAT!?  The paint color isn't as dark as I thought it was.  It looks exactly like our foyer even though it's a shade darker.  So I think I'm going to go a shade even darker.  I want there to be some contrast to the two rooms.  That means I will have to cut in again.  Yuck.  

6.  We purchased an adorable desk for #3.  She has been begging for one since her sister received a desk at Christmas.  Where did I find such an adorable desk?  Need you even ask?  Craigslist!  Yep - the hubby picked it up today.  It's blue so I'll have to paint it, but it's the perfect size.  And #3 is simply ecstatic!

So that's all, folks.  I had grand plans for today's post along with pictures and getting you up to speed on my projects, but it fell by the wayside when my energy level never perked up.  Plus, the batteries in my point-and-shoot are dead and I need a wide angle lense to show some project shots.  Be on the lookout for that post later this week.  Have a good one! 

Six on Sunday...in March

Wow - can you believe it's already March?  That's big news in our household...

1.  #1 turned double digits!  I just can't believe it.  I'm not sure how 10 years passed by in such a flash. To celebrate, she requested Chinese for dinner.  (The "official" party isn't for a couple more weeks.)  It's not that she loves Chinese.  Rather, she LOVES to use the chopsticks I brought back from San Francisco.  She also requested homemade egg drop soup as an appetizer.  And of course I had to oblige my 10-year-old daughter!

(Yes, I realize that photo was blurry.  We were in a terrible hurry to get out the door to swim practice.)  And yes, I will take her outside to do a proper photo session - just the two of us.  I can't wait:)

Dear Cate,

How in the world did this happen?  How did I blink and you turned 10?  

You are such an incredible daughter.  I love that you still have a child-like innocence.  For example, you want me to teach you "phertography".  You like to make "woshes" - not wishes.  But at the same time, you are so very wise; almost beyond your years.  

You embrace your spot in our family.  You are most definitely the oldest.  If one of the littles gets hurt and I am not right there, they immediately run to you.  You are their second mother and they don't resent it for a second.  They love it.  They look up to you.  

You have such a zest for learning - one that, I hope, follows into the future.  You like to read about new things, new places.  You love to learn - like the samba dance for your girl scout activity.  While you could do without math, I don't know what you'd do without books.  You received the entire set of the Chronicles of Narnia for Christmas.  You are already done with those and have moved on to Harry Potter. Last week I caught you still reading at 10:15pm!  You get so caught up in books that you forget to check the time.  I think you were genuinely shocked when I caught you.  You simply had no idea it was so late. 

You are also a little type A.  OK, a lot type A.  You just want things how you want them.  You can't bear to clean your room regularly because it's such a big task for you.  You can't simply hang up your clothes, you have to fold everything just so and it takes you a LONG time.  When you paint your nails, they have to be perfect or you will start over. 

And you are so thoughtful, so considerate.  You gave your American Girl doll to your sister.  When #2 asked you if she could have it, you didn't even hesitate.  You think about others feelings - like bringing two types of snacks to school because you know not everyone likes chocolate.

I am so very lucky that I get to be your mom.  I love you very much!

**sigh**

2.  Friday afternoon was crazy - and not in a good way.  You see, our dog is almost 14 years old.  As in - she's an old lady.  While she bugs the crap out of us many times (she whines - and whines - and whines), we still love her to pieces.  Well, on Thursday, she wouldn't walk.  Her paw really hurt.  So I took her to the vet Friday afternoon.  As we were sitting at the vet, I got the dreaded call from daycare.  #4 wouldn't get off her cot after her nap.  She was sick.  

I left Chloe at the vet and drove over to pick up the two littles from school.  #4 had a low-grade fever and hadn't been acting herself.  I decided to take her to an after-hours clinic since the weekend was looming ahead.  I dropped off #4 at home with dad (who was on his way out to pick up #1 and #2 from school).  I managed to get some ibuprofen into #4 and scooted off to the after-hours clinic.

It didn't long for us to be seen - thankfully - and what did you know?  #4 had a double ear infection!  She hasn't had one of those for a year.  Crazy.  And we had NO IDEA.  

Cut back over to the hubby.  He picks up the older girls from school and heads over to pick up Chloe.  And what do you know?  They can't tell us what is wrong with her paw.  They give her a shot and send us home with some medicine.  Our fingers are crossed that she gets better.

When I got home with #4, the hubby headed out to Target to get the prescription while I whipped up a Chinese dinner fit for a 10-year-old!  Man, talk about teamwork.  We get an A-plus for that effort.   

3.  I've talked about it enough.  Here is my table.  In all her glory.

It's really hard to show it off in a picture.  But trust me - she's gorgeous!  My sister even had to eat her words:)  

We brought her in from the garage on Saturday afternoon so we could put her back together.  Of course #4 got in on the action.

Now I just have to recover the kitchen chairs.  And wa-la - just like that - a new kitchen!

4.  OK, Internet.  I am going to do it.  I am going to post a picture of me, sans make-up and not having done my hair.  Don't laugh. I'm doing this because I don't have nearly enough pictures of me with my girls...

We ran in the Truffle Shuffle on Saturday.  And can I just say, IT WAS COLD!!!  It was so cold, in fact, that while we were huddled at the starting line, I offered to take them to Dunkin Donuts without running the race.  But, #1 wanted to run and #2 didn't...so we did it.  I am so proud of those girls!  The air temperature was right at 25 degrees but there were strong gusts of wind.  I have no idea what the wind chill was - I don't even want to know!  They trudged along and walked/ran the entire thing.  I'm not going to tell you it was perfect - far from it.  But they persevered and we made it through.  And then rewarded ourselves with a stop at Dunkin Donuts to warm up!

5.  This weekend it was the hubby's turn for projects.  He scraped another ceiling!  This time, he scraped the (empty) living room.  He also managed to sand about a third of it.  Those two rooms are going to look so good with them by the time we're done.  But can I say...MESSY.  It is a gross, messy, dusty process.  

My projects were of a much smaller variety.  I managed to give away our broken office chair and an old highchair.  Thankfully, they were gone within a couple hours of posting them on Craigslist.  I also managed to get rid of a dresser I bought and then decided we didn't want to keep.  We finally managed to post our old kitchen table.  It's so beautiful now after I sanded it and refinished the top.  I almost hate to get rid of it except we have no room for it.  I'll be sad to see it go.  

Let's see, what else did I do?  I bought an adorable, square mirror at Target and spray painted it orange.  It's going in the half bathroom.  If it works, that room will officially be done and I'll post the pictures.

And finally, #1 joined me and we found some awesome fabric for her bathroom.  Since it's a little too green, we are going to break up the monotony with a cool, striped shower curtain.  And I'll use the leftover fabric to make a little valance for her window.  I'll post pictures when it's all said and done.  

We also managed to find some fabric - half off - at the same store to use on my kitchen chairs.  All in all, it was a REALLY productive weekend!

6.  Oooh, PROJECT!  (Can you name that movie?)  My friends, Chad and Christi, were shopping down in the Crossroads section today and happened upon an awesome dresser.  I have been looking for just the right one on craigslist.  Christi found one and Chad approved.  It was perfect because I trust Chad's judgement of the quality and Christi's judgement of my taste.  They picked it up for me and I brought it home this afternoon.  I think I'm going to try to set aside Friday to sand and paint all three of my dressers.  My fingers are totally crossed.

OK - that's all.  Have a great week, everyone!   

Six on Sunday...Busy Weekend Edition

1.  This will be quick.  It was a busy weekend!  But a good kind of busy.  The kind where I can go to bed tonight and feel like my bucket is full.  I like that feeling.  I know I accomplished a lot and enjoyed it.  

2.  My parents came down this weekend.  #1 and #2 go to an elementary school that goes ALL OUT for Veteran's Day.  We've never participated and I'm not sure why?  This year, the girls were able to host my dad!  (My dad served in Vietnam back during the Tet Offensive before I was even a twinkle in his eye!)  It was awesome!

Parents at the school donate a wonderful, hot breakfast!  (I got roped into my homemade cinnamon rolls - yum)  The breakfast was at 8am.  There was an all-school program at 9am.  It was so neat.  The students who hosted a veteran were able to walk in with their veteran and sit at a place of honor during the assembly.  After the assembly, there was a group photo.  All in all, 57 veterans were there that day - seven from WWII!  It was just wonderful to realize that our school is really helping students understand what Veteran's Day means to them, personally.  After the photo, some of the veteran's - my dad, included - went to the kids' classroom for a Q&A session.  

Here is a picture of #1 and #2 with their Papa:

3.  My parents were lucky enough to be able to time their visit to coincide with #3's fourth birthday party.  Since there are quite a few November birthdays in #3's class, we had a combined party with one of her besties, Taylor.  We held the party at Jumpin' Jax.  I think the kids had a blast and it was really fun to watch them run around like crazy.  The other great part about Jumpin' Jax is that all four of my girls enjoyed it!  And that is so hard to come by given their age difference is eight years!

4.  I have two sessions ready to go.  I just need to get the galleries loaded.  So you will DEFINITELY see them this week!

5.  I shot a session down at the West Bottom's tonight.  It was decent weather, but a little chilly.  I could have kept going but the kids were done.  I don't blame them - their little hands were COLD!  They were so much fun, though.  And thankfully for me, they were really quick with their genuine smiles!  That's great because sometimes it's really hard to coax the REAL smiles out:)

6.  Lastly, (random, stream of consciousness - just how I roll) I now have 16 people (including myself) that will be here for Thanksgiving dinner!  We'll have nine adults and six kids.  I am really looking forward to it.  I love to cook Thanksgiving dinner.  Seriously.  Love it.

OK.  That's all, folks.  It's my bedtime.  Come back here because it should be a busy week on the blog!  Have a good one.