Suzanne McGrath Photography

A Husker Weekend Recap

I was right last week - I was too tired to blog last night.  In fact, I went to bed at 8:30!  Man, I'm getting old, huh?

We had a fantastic weekend!  Although our beloved Huskers lost, they fought till the very end and we still had fun.  Rather than a Six on Sunday type post, I'll just recap our fun weekend.  So if you don't want to hear about Lincoln, NE, you might want to skip this post.  You won't hurt my feelings.  (Very much.)

The weekend started with a stop at The Limited.  I am not joking when I say the last time I stepped foot in that store was probably back in high school.  Maybe college?  Suffice it to say I bought so much that I was offered a job.  For real.  I had to turn Jessica down, but I got a kick out of the job offer.  Apparently I have a great personality (and style) that would fit in with all the girls at The Limited.  Too funny.  I walked out of the store a few dollars lighter with a weekend wardrobe in tow.  I knew it was going to be a good weekend!  

Once we made it into Lincoln and checked in at the hotel, we headed to the bookstore.  Our friends, Brian and Kristen, beat us to the hotel so we all headed over to the bookstore together.  They had just stocked up the prior weekend, but they did not leave empty handed!  The hubby made it out with a cool T-shirt (picture coming) and a sweatshirt while I headed out with an awesome black zip-up hoodie.  Thank goodness because I didn't have any Nebraska clothes!  I mean, how is that possible?!  

Our friend, Vicki, also made the trek all the way from Denver.  So it was the five of us for the weekend and we had a BLAST!  Our whole weekend revolved around what bars we needed to hit and what bar food we needed to eat.  I'm certain I ate and drank my week's worth of calories in two days but it was definitely worth it.

We started out the evening at YiaYia's for some pizza.  Delish.  I seriously crave that pizza!  Then we headed over to Duffy's for a fishbowl.  Luckily, I brought my little point-and-shoot camera because it fits nicely in my bar purse.  Therefore, I was able to document our weekend!  Here's Duffy's:

Left to Right:  Me, Vicki, Kristen, Brian, and the Hubby.  (We all went to Nebraska except for Brian who went to Marquette and seriously enjoyed cheering for his alma mater at random times in random bars.  Go figure.)

We hit a bar or two after this one (I may have enjoyed some boneless chicken wings) before we headed home.  A delightful evening, all in all.

We slept in later on Saturday than I think we've done in ages - I think we slept 'till 9am!  Crazy old people.  We drank our breakfast at the hotel bar - yummy!

After breakfast, we headed out to find a bar where we could eventually eat lunch.  It took us three tries but we finally found a place.  Brothers.  It definitely wasn't anything to write home about, but it was food and we had a booth so we stayed.  (We are way too old to stand up and eat!)  Here's the Hubby (in his new T-shirt) with Vicki:

We stayed there until it was time for the game.  I may or may not have snuck in a small bottle of Crown Royal but I'm not telling!  The game was so close and so disappointing.  That darn mobile quarterback of Northwestern!  Oh well...here's a shot I took at halftime.

After that awful loss, we headed to Barry's for their final season.  We found a booth so we stayed there for quite awhile before it was time to head out for dinner at Lazlo's.  I swear, we don't even need menus because we all know what we're going to order before we even sit down.  Dinner was delicious but that was about it.  Despite our Red Bull Vodkas, we didn't make it back out after a stop at the hotel room.  

It was a great weekend with great friends!  It was our 20th year watching the Huskers since we were freshmen.  I can't believe it's been that long.  But I'm thankful for such great friends that have lasted all these years.  There's very few people who know me as well as these girls and I'm so glad we're able to get together every now and then.  Hopefully the next time we can all make it!  Angie, Darcie, and Tiffany, we missed all of you!!!

For all those that read this whole entry, thanks for indulging me!  Stay tuned tomorrow for an outdated sneak peek of Kristen and Brian's family.  Have a great week!

 

Six on Sunday

1.  9/11.  I can't believe it's been 10 years.  I remember exactly where I was when the first plane struck the tower.  I was home with #1 waiting to head to the doctor's office for her six month check-up.  I was watching the Today Show.  They had no idea what was going on and thought it was a small plane that accidentally hit the tower.  I listened to everything unfold while driving in the car that morning.  It was truly unbelievable.  

Thank you to all those who sacrificed everything on that day.  And thank you to those who are still fighting for our country today.  Thank you.

2.  OK.  Back to the normal mundane mumbo-jumbo that is Six on Sunday....I had a relapse yesterday.  A Craigslist relapse.  I bought a secretary for our master bedroom.  It's circa 1940 so not exactly mid-century, but I really, really, really liked it.  So I bought it.  Check it out:

He's going to get a coat of shiny white.  He's going to look awesome when I'm done with him!

3.  The hubby went to the Chief's game today.  Apparently, when going to a pro game, you must get there EARLY.  He left the house at 6:45 am to meet up with his posse.  They arrived at the stadium before the gates even opened.  Crazy.  

Thankfully, the girls are fantastic!  We had a really nice day together.  #1 had swim practice, we stopped by at a friend's house, picked up Old McDonald's for lunch (a SPECIAL treat around here!), had a friend over, took naps, and walked to the playground.  All in all, it was a really nice day.  

4.  I'm taking part in a large consignment sale next weekend.  I've never done this type of thing before.  However, I have a TON of toys to get rid of and I thought this would be a good way to earn a little cash at the same time.  But I have to say, it is a lot of work.  So I'm definitely hoping it is worth it in the end.  Wish me luck!  Here is the back of our Suburban so far and I still have a ton of stuff left to cram in there.

5.  It's been a few months since I wrote about our dog, Chloe.  Well, even though she was given 4 to 8 weeks, I'm happy to report she is still here and doing well.  Today, she even walked to the school playground with us.  And she enjoyed it.  I know because she stopped to sniff random objects just like her usual self.  Needless to say, we're living in the moment and happy to spend whatever time she has left with her - doing her favorite things.  

6.  I hear my menu planning has been rubbing off on people:)  I love it!  Since I'm running out of interesting tidbits to write about, I thought I'd list our menu for this week.  

Saturday:  Husker night game = appetizers for dinner.  Fruit + dip; buffalo chicken dip; sausage, cheese, and crackers; and Chex mix

Sunday:  spaghetti; French bread; salad

Monday:  Chicken taco soup (in crock pot), Nachos (for the kids), green beans with almonds

Tuesday:  Tilapia, Chicken Nuggets (for the kids), asparagus, fruit

Wednesday:  BLTs and fruit

Thursday:  Salmon burgers, hot dogs (for a few kids), broccoli, fruit

Friday: Pizza and watermelon

I'm thinking about trying out eMealz.  It's a menu planning service that is very reasonably priced.  I feel like our weekly dinners are getting really stale.  This plan helps you plan your grocery list and your dinners for the week - along with recipes.  Have any of you tried it?  What do you think?  If I try it, I'll definitely let you know what I think.

Have a great week!

 

Ten on Tuesday...a Special Edition

Since we were busy Sunday, I thought I'd do a special edition of Ten on Tuesday to make up for my lack of posting Sunday night.  Fair's fair, right?

1.  We had a fabulous long weekend!  It was a great mix of productive and family time - which is hard to pull off.  We started off the weekend with a Papa Murphy's night.  That's my favorite Friday night meal.

2.  Projects...  

• I managed to complete my cane chair transformation.  It was fairly involved and I'm proud of myself for pulling it off!  
• The hubby managed to finish the top of the window seat.  He borrowed a biscuit joiner for the job.  It looks awesome and I can't wait to stain it.
• The hubby also trimmed down a coffee table I bought a few months ago.  It is the perfect length for a bench, but it was way too deep.  So he literally cut out a chunk of it and re-joined it with the biscuit joiner.  Cool.
• Lastly, I sewed my Roman shades.  All three of them.  Now I need to finish them by attaching nearly ONE HUNDRED little rings so I can thread the chord through them.  Yuck.  But, they look pretty cool.

3.  The girls played outside a LOT this weekend since it was gorgeous outside!  I love it when they play outside because it's fun to watch.  And they truly get along very well.  Adorable.

4.  Overheard the other night at the dinner table...#3..."Mom, when I bless you my nose hurts."  I love that she calls sneezing "bless you".

5.  #4 has stopped calling #3 "Line Line".  It's totally bittersweet.  She now calls her sister by her real name, Caroline.  I miss Line Line.

6.  Yesterday we took advantage of the beautiful weather and rode our bikes to Deanna Rose.  We all love riding our bikes and it's even more fun to have a destination at the end.  The littles were so tired out from all the fun that #4 took a FOUR hour nap and #3 took a TWO hour nap on the couch - in the middle of pure chaos.  And yes, they went to bed just fine.

7.  My sister and I took a little trek down to the West Bottoms on Saturday morning to shop.  We had a blast!  The shops down there are so cute but Good Ju Ju was heads and shoulders above the rest.  The vendors in there were awesome and the prices were fantastic.  I had never been able to get down there on the first weekend of the month and it was totally worth it.

8.  I spent a couple hours in the kitchen yesterday.  #1 made chocolate chip cookies while #2 and I made lasagna for later this week.  I also made chicken enchiladas for tomorrow night.  I managed to cut up all the veggies for the week which makes dinner time so much easier during the hustle and bustle of the week!  Lastly, we had steak, chicken, asparagus, and risotto last night.  Delish!  So yes, that equalled a couple HOURS.  Whew.

9.  We were invited to a get-together on Sunday night at the home of daycare friends.  There were five families there and who-knows-how-many-kids?!  We had such a great time.  It was so fun watching all the kids play together.  And since the kids are used to each other, they really do get along great.  And when the kids get along, that means the parents get to hang out together - a total bonus!  I took a few snaps here and there.  This one was my favorite.  Unfortunately, it is missing one of the "kindergarten" kids...but here are Brody, #3, Will, and Taylor.    

10.  Wow - 10 is a lot of things.  

I'm out.  Have a great week, everyone!

Six on Sunday...a typical week

1.  I know some of you are probably tired of hearing about my knee issues.  If so, skip down to number two!  I had my MRI almost two weeks ago but finally got in to see the ortho on Friday afternoon.  Basically, the diagnosis was an entire line long - degenerated meniscus, bursitis, and tendonitis.  Nice, huh?  

We decided to go for another cortisone injection.  Only this time I went straight home and went for a run.  The doctor told me to run as soon as possible since my knee was completely numb.  If I experienced any pain, that meant I had more going on than just the degenerated meniscus.  Sure enough...I felt some pain - still.  Ugh.

So, I have tendonitis in my hamstring which I noticed for the first time Friday.  I suppose the meniscus was bad enough that it blocked the pain of the tendonitis.  And the inside of my knee still hurt - not as bad - but it was noticeable.  I think that's the bursitis.  So...what does this mean?  I'm not sure.  I did manage to get in a nice, six mile run this morning.  I wore a pretty substantial knee brace that helped a TON.  I'm hoping that I can control the other two issues now that the meniscus is better.  We'll see how long it lasts.  My fingers are crossed that I'm good to go for quite awhile!  I'm just not ready to give up running yet!

2.  I'm going to switch gears completely now.  #1 loves to bake.  She doesn't love to cook as much as she loves to make cookies, cakes, and pies.  Fabulous, I know (except for my waistline)!  This weekend she made a Chocolately Cookie Cake out of chocolate devil's food cake and oreos.  It was truly divine.  And the best part?  She did it almost completely on her own.  I love that she tries new things.  And she was so proud of herself - it was so sweet.  Take a look for yourselves...

3.  Friday night we had some friends over for dinner and to just hang out.  It is so fun to watch the kids and just shoot the breeze!  I managed to sneak in a few pictures, too.

Caleb is three.  He is trying to prove that point in this picture although it is coming off as six.  What a ham!

Here is Kendall - the oldest and in first grade now.  She is obviously much too cool for my camera!  Notice the hesitant, fake smile...

And here are the BFFs - their #2, Taylor, and our #3.  Aren't they adorable?

It was a totally laid-back evening and a great start to the weekend!

4.  This weekend was beautiful.  We managed to spend quite a bit of time outside.  #1 had a soccer game Saturday at noon.  Only is was HOT on those turf fields.  I thought my feet were going to burn from the bottom up.  Yikes.

Both #1 and #2 have switched to play in Premiere leagues rather than Rec leagues and the competition is crazy good.  It is especially fun to watch #1's team play.  Their footwork is amazing - and they're only 10 year olds!  I hope they enjoy playing as much as I enjoy watching.  

We also hung out in the driveway, too.  It's just so nice to be able to sit outside and watch the kids play (or watch the kids wash the Trailblazer!).  They play so well together even though the age range is 8 1/2 years!

Here is #2's favorite pastime these days - throwing a tennis ball against the garage...

And this is truly #4's favorite pastime - playing in the car.  Yes, we remove the keys first!

5.  #2 and #3 had their last swim lesson of the summer last Monday night.  The amount of progress they both made in three short months was amazing!  We signed them up at Midwest Aquatics and I couldn't have been happier.  

#2's strokes are really pretty and her confidence just blossomed this summer.  I think she's going to try swim team against next summer.  I'm so happy for her because she is the one who is by far the most shy of all the kids.  

And #3 - what can I say?  She can now jump into the deep end of the pool and swim to the side.  It's definitely not the prettiest stroke but it is much better than just a doggie paddle.  And I feel good about her around the pool.  I know if she falls (or jumps in), she can at least get to the side of the pool.  Don't worry - we still watch her like a hawk!  Here she is practicing her "stroke".

6.  Lastly, I've had a few people ask me what I typically fix for dinner in a week.  So, I thought I'd write it out this week, just to give you an idea.  I plan my menus from Saturday - Friday because we always go to the grocery store on Saturdays.  This is not to say I don't shuffle meals based on what I feel like on certain days.  But I at least have meals planned out and the groceries to make them.  I'm anal - what can I say?  It's just how I operate and survive in a busy family of six!  

Saturday:  Cheeseburgers (#3's favorite), corn on the cob, and watermelon (I forgot to make the baked beans - no harm, no foul)

Sunday:  Greek Gyros - I showed you the recipe here (#6).  These are just fabulous!  However, I only make them on the weekends because they are fairly time-consuming unless you make the sauce ahead of time.

Monday:  Whole chicken in the crockpot.  I'm trying a new recipe.  We're also having "mashed potatoes" which are really made out of cauliflower.  Another new try.

Tuesday:  Chicken stir fry with broccoli and egg drop soup

Wednesday:  Salmon burgers and fruit

Thursday:  Shrimp in a spicy white sauce along with roasted veggies.  (The girls won't eat this - they'll get something else)

Friday:  Either breakfast for dinner or Papa Murphy's pizza.  Most likely pizza:)

And there you have it!  Another Six on Sunday edition is done.  Have a great week, everyone!!

Six on Sunday...This and That

I can't say there is anything particularly memorable to write about from this weekend.  You will therefore be stuck with a little of this and a little of that.  Although now that I think about it, that's pretty much how I roll every week!  So I guess nothing will be different tonight:)

1.  This weekend pretty much revolved around wrapping up the window seat.  And I can proudly say it is this close to being finished.  Seriously, we never work this quickly.  These projects usually drag on for months.  (For example, we finished our basement right before #4 was born - over two years ago.  We still don't have framed out windows down there.  True story.)

Anyway, Friday night took me down to Home Depot - with #3 and #4 in tow for reinforcements.  I had my list and bought the remaining lumber.  As soon as we got home I deposited the little girls with the big girls inside and I escaped to the garage.  I proceeded to cut the remaining pieces I needed for the drawers while the hubby and my sister sat out there and drank beer.  How's that for help?!

Saturday brought more building after #2's soccer game.  We just about wrapped it up except for the drawer pulls which I installed this morning before we left for #1's soccer game.  The only piece we have left (besides paint) is to finish out the top.  Hopefully we can wrap that up this weekend!  Here are the pictures so far.  I have to say, we're really excited because they look nice!

 

2.  I have done remarkably well on the allowance front this past year.  Sometimes we go two or three weeks between payment, but it's not bad.  And since we sometimes go a few weeks between payment, we may forget how much is owed.  Queue "Kids Allowance Bank".  It's a free website.  I signed up first and created three accounts for my three oldest girls.  Then, each child gets to set up their own account so they can see how much they've earned.  

I set it up so the girls will see money "deposited" into their accounts every Saturday.  They can then log in and request a withdrawal.  Once I actually pay them - in cash - I can mark that I paid the requested amount.  The whole idea is that this website tracks how much I owe to each girl.  So far it's great.  #1 has already requested to receive her withdrawal.  I hope it lasts.   

3.  I had an MRI last Monday.  After the cortisone shot in May my knee got better for a little while.  However, the nice, long run I took a couple weeks ago seemed to have done it in.  I tried to go out for a slow run a couple days later and only made it a mile before I had to turn around.  So I decided to suck it up and have the MRI to see if there is anything really wrong.  My fingers are crossed that I'm not dreaming and whatever it is will be easy to fix.  That's not too much to ask for, is it?  

4.  Organization has set in.  I realize our mornings flow much more smoothly if I am dressed and ready to go BEFORE waking up the girls.  That means I need to make my lunch the night before or at least have things easily ready to throw together that morning.

And our evenings - man, they are busy!  Monday = #1 and #2's soccer and #2 and #3's swimming lessons.  Tuesday = relief or nothing.  Wednesday = #1's soccer.  Thursday = #2's soccer and #1's volleyball.  Friday = #1's swim practice.  Saturday and Sunday = soccer games, volleyball games, and swim practice.  Busy, busy. 

To that end, I made two dinners tonight.  Well, maybe one and a half.  I made enchiladas which are completely ready to bake.  Then I made rice for Chicken Fried rice (because the rice needs to be cold to make fried rice).  I also cut up two bunches of Romaine for our salads this week.  Sheesh.  

5.  The girls ran down to say goodbye to their summer nanny, Ashley.  She is headed back to Arkansas.  Luckily, I managed to snap one picture before she took off.  Good luck this year, Ashley!!

6. I am in heaven these days.  TWO of my FAVORITE shows are on:  Design Star and Project Runway.  I love Monday and Thursday nights.  I DVR the shows and then watch them in no time!  Do you have any favorite TV shows?  How many?

All right, folks.  That's all for me.  Have a great week! 

First Day of School!

We did it!  We got all the girls off to school and I can say this was the very first year nobody was late.  Score one for mom and dad.

While we didn't have a 100% success rate in the happiness department, we were at 75% which isn't too shabby.  

Here's how the girls like to start of the morning...

#1 is out of the frame because she was already eating her breakfast.  #2 and #3 like to drink their chocolate milk in front of the TV to wake up a little bit before interacting with the world.  #4 MUST have her bobbie before she even contemplates getting dressed.  And of course we couldn't leave out Chloe.  She loves to snuggle with the girls before school - I think it's one of her favorite times of the day!

I dropped off the littles first since the big girls don't have to be to school until 8:30 or so.  

#4 was a champ.  No problems today.  She has been in this room on and off for awhile, so she didn't really think anything of moving up.  Her hair was all wild and crazy because we didn't get a brush through it this morning but she is all the happier for it.  I love her.

 

Poor #3.  She was NOT happy.  First, she was tired.  She has been sleeping in this summer - like until 8:30 or 9:00 some days.  And the past two days of staying home with her sisters (after going to school last week) didn't help matters.  Secondly, she moved up to her pre-kindergarten class.  Mind you, all of her friends moved up, too.  However, it is a new classroom with new teachers.  Therefore, this morning was rough.  (Don't worry - she had a great day.)  She did ask me, right before I left, "Mommy, can you pick me up short today?"  Short means early.  So I did because I love her.

 

#1 and #2 are old pros at this.  They carried in their supplies and were ready to rock and roll!

 

Here is #1.  She didn't wear her finest today because she wasn't sure if they were going to have gym.  And she doesn't like to get her "nice" clothes sweaty.  So practical.  I love her.

 

And last but not least, here is #2.  She wore her new shirt today and I'm about 100% sure it will be the only day of the year she actually cares how she looks!  She usually rolls out of bed and puts on whatever we hand her or whatever is closest to her at that moment.  I love her.

 

And there you have it, folks. The first day of school for the 2011 - 2012 school year.  Just crazy to write 2012.  But alas, that's correct.  I hope you all had a great day, too!



   

Six on Sunday

This week was pretty run-of-the-mill for us.  Nothing crazy.  Not a lot to report.

1.  #1 and #2 left for Sioux Falls today.  Yep, my parents took them home for the week.  It's already quieter around here.  I will miss them but I know they are going to have a blast.  #3 is going to miss them the most, though.  She cried when they left - even though she has already had her turn up north.  

I am going to enjoy the earlier bedtimes.  Since the big girls are gone, we can get away with putting the little girls down around 8:00.  Woo to the Hoo!

2.  I love summer eating!  You know what I mean?  The light dinners.  The fresh fruit.  Love it.

That image got me thinking...We had a gathering at #3's BFF's house tonight with some other families from her school and we got to talking about dinner.  Every Saturday morning I plan out all our meals for the week and then buy whatever we need at the grocery store.  (I rarely make a second trip to the grocery store during the week.  Very rarely.)  Apparently, that is not the norm these days?  I like that I know what I'm going to make and there is no guess work.  Plus, I don't know how people have time to go out to eat with activities and all.  Seriously, our weeks are crazy shuffling the kids from activity to activity!  What do you all do?

3.  I have a confession to make.  I may have "forgot" to tell the hubby I purchased a couple (totally cool) chairs using that awesome list Craig puts together.  I may have purchased said chairs months ago?  I don't remember.  

Anyway, they came home this week.  So, while watching the little girls play outside at various times this weekend, I worked on ripping out all the fabric.  It actually wasn't half as bad as I thought.  These are definitely not at the front of the project list, but since I was stuck outside, I figured I might as well make myself useful.  These chairs are going to get a make-over that is inspired by David Jimenez.  They will look totally updated when I'm done with them!  They were in immaculate condition and only $40 for the pair.  I think that qualifies as a steal.

4.  #3 had a sleepover Friday night at our house.  Finally.  She has been asking for a sleepover since the day after she slept over at her BFF's house in July.  Seriously.  They had an absolute blast and they are so good together.  They play great and both girls are fairly laid back.  

5.  You all remember how I lamented the miss on the new refrigerator due to the AC breaking down?  Well, we did it.  We "found" some cash and I promptly turned that cash into a new refrigerator that will be delivered tomorrow.  I CANNOT WAIT!!!  I discovered (through close inspection of the model number) that our current frig is only 22 cubic feet.  For SIX people.  That equals small, people.  Our new frig is going to be 26 cubic feet.  While it's not the 31 cubic feet that is new to the market, it's still 4 cubic feet bigger than what we have!  Plus, we can move our current frig out into the garage in case we ever need the extra space.  I truly don't remember the last time I was so excited about such a dumb purchase:)

6.  Last but not least, Baby Garrison.  I had the pleasure of photographing this charmer only a week after he was born.  He was adorable and oh so small!  I will put together a post featuring him in the next week or two.  But here is just one...

And I'm out.  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!

 

 

No Thrifty Thursday and an Update

First of all, thank you, thank you, thank you.  The emails, text messages, and notes on facebook meant the world to me on Monday.  Chloe is doing a little better - almost as though it took a few days for the pain killers to fully kick in.  Mind you, she will never be "herself" again, but I see glimpses of it now and then and I know she still has time left with us.  We are all taking this opportunity to spoil her (Steak for dinner? Yes, please.) and love her.  I am so very thankful for these few days or weeks we have left.

Next order of business?  Thrifty Thursday.  I have to skip this week's post due to a few obstacles.  First, the hubby was out of town all week which left me to manage the four girls mostly by myself (Thanks, Aimee!).  It went really well, but by the time the girls were in bed, I was too exhausted to do anything remotely productive.  So I didn't.  I watched DVR'd episodes of Candice Tells All.  I admit it.  Don't hate.

Next obstacle?  #1 had a swim meet tonight and it was my turn to take her.  She had a great meet, too!  She took fourth in freestyle (37.78) and first in breast stroke (50.??).  Lastly, her relay team did an awesome job, too.  But more than winning or placing, I just enjoyed watching her swim and have fun.  She is totally in her element around the pool.  She truly is a fish!  And we topped it all off with a stop at Twisters - delicious.

See you Sunday!

Six on Sunday

I can't do it tonight.  I would love to prattle on about the minutia in our lives this weekend, but it doesn't feel right.  

You see, we have a dog named Chloe who is a 14 year old Bishon.  14 equals 98 years in people time - in other words, old lady status.  Chloe drives us CRAZY sometimes, but she is also the sweetest soul.  Unfortunately, she has been going downhill for the last few months.    

Then yesterday we were dealt a pretty big blow.  You see, Chloe had been spending more and more time in her kennel.  Then Friday night she refused to come out.  That was the first night since we brought her home almost 14 years ago that she didn't sleep in our bed or with the kids (unless we were gone).  So we knew it was time to take Chloe back to the vet.  

After checking her blood work, the vet took an X-ray and that's when she saw it.  Chloe has a growth between her tummy and bladder.  I talked to the vet in-depth yesterday and then the hubby called his sister this morning (she's a vet).  We decided we are going to take the do-nothing route and make sure Chloe is comfortable.  I don't think we have long with our old lady.  

I'm not a crier.  But I've had tears in my eyes more times than I can count this weekend.  We've told the older girls and they know the end is near.  For now we are just trying to make sure Chloe is comfortable so we can enjoy her company.  That's all we can do...  

Spring, 2011

Chloe with #3, summer 2008

Chloe and #4, Jan 2010

 

Chloe enjoying some of #4's birthday cake, April 2010

 

Chloe with #3, Dec. 2006

 

Chloe enjoying Santa's leftovers, Dec 2010