Through My Eyes

New Blog

2009-07-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

So I know any followers of my blog that I may have had, have probably all lost faith in me and quit looking here. :) I have a new blog now and the web address is www.noelwarburton.com. If you do happen to check this blog I am surprised and grateful, but come on over to my new one. I'll try and be better about updating!!

Walking with my Ellie

2009-03-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

Britlyn and Makenna were at a friends house having their first sleep over... a miracle in it's self... anyway, so it was just Ellie and I at home hanging out. She had been so sad that the Britlyn and Makenna weren't home with her, so I asked if she wanted to go for a walk. She got really excited and wanted to go see the horsies (unfortunely we didn't make it on the walk that far). We still had lots of fun walking, making faces, blowing kisses, and singing together. She is definitely one in a million. :)

Sending out a little LOVE

2009-02-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

These are the Valentines I made for my girls for their classes. Just wanted to share the love. :)

Front

Inside Spread

Front

Front

Back

It's almost that time....

2009-02-10T06:01:00.001-08:00

Sending a little love your way!!

Spring is in the air

2009-02-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

I guess Spring comes early when you live in Southern California. We've had these blossoms on our tree for a week or two now. It is beautiful, but I just wish we'd get a little more winter...

It's raining, it's pouring

2008-12-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true. I am actually updating my blog. :) I've been so bad lately. It's been really really busy. So, living in Southern California doesn't give much hope for a white Christmas. This rain we've been having is as close as we're going to get. We are actually going to stay in a cabin in the mountains the week after Christmas, so we won't be completely without snow. The girls haven't been in snow much in their lives. They are so excited to go, but we'll see how much they love it after 10 minutes of being in it. :) I'm sure we'll hear plenty of, "I'm cold Mommy!" It will still be fun though! They have never been able to make a snowman or go sledding. Aren't those like rites of passage for children?? Anyway, here's our rainy day pictures.

They are waiting for the wind to blow the umbrellas so they can chase them

She says it looks like she's flying

Of course Makenna decided to go barefoot

This is what it looks like to have rain splash in your face

Random Child Thoughts

2008-10-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

I've got a few things that Britlyn and Makenna have said recently running around in my head and I want to get them down before I forget them.

Britlyn: "Mommy, what kind of an animal would a unicorn look like if it didn't have it's horn?"

Me: "A horse."

Britlyn: "No. A bloody horse."

I busted up laughing so hard!

To preface this next one, Makenna had been coloring on her legs with a pen and had ink on them. She was now trying to wash it off.

Makenna: "Mommy, I got all the ink off."

Me: "Oh yeah? Great baby."

Makenna: "Yeah, there's just a tiny bit left. People will probably just think it's guts."

Now, may I ask, how on earth is it better to have guts rather than ink on your legs??? Once again, I just busted up laughing.

Last one

Jeremy: "Makenna, how come you never obey Mommy, and you never obey Alyson (our babysitter), but you almost always obey Daddy?"

Makenna: "Because they don't know how to spank hard and you do."

So that's all it takes, huh? Of course how could I not laugh at that? So I did. I just looked at Jeremy and we both just burst out laughing.

Soccer Mom

2008-10-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

I've officially become a soccer mom. :) We signed Britlyn up for soccer a while back and now they are a few games into their season. She is on a team they named Rainbow Sprinkles. That is sure to intimidate the opponent! :) I have to admit, it is about the cutest thing to watch them play. Britlyn is so funny because she doesn't really even know how to run. Her running more resembles leaping or prancing. She's a bit timid when it comes to going after the ball, but she gets more confident each game. Unfortunately there was a mistake and her team was put in a division with girls a year older than them, so they have yet to win a game. They play their little hearts out though! We should have signed Makenna up too, she is just itching to play. She just ends up running races with who ever is subbed out over on the sidelines. We've got a family activity now every Saturday for the next few months! It's great.

This is for you Mom & Dad

2008-09-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

Here it is... The long overdue family picture! Anything had to be better than the last one!! Thanks again for putting on the reunion, it was really great to get to see everyone, we don't get to nearly enough. I love you guys!! (Once again, click on it to make it bigger.)

Has there ever been a...

2008-08-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

group of sisters this hot?! (Click on the picture to make it larger - it looks better) My parents organized a family reunion in Park City, UT last week, so we snapped a few shots of the family and we had to get a few of the sisters too. I have to say that we all look pretty good. :) Unfortunately my sis-in-law, Milagros, wasn't available for the shot, but my other sis-in-law, Darina, got to be with us - she's the one on the far left. Beautiful girl, huh. My sisters-in-law definately fit in as sisters, they are great. Of course, my sisters are all incredibly beautiful too. It was fun to all be together again. We're kinda of spread out all over, I'm in California, Penny is in Utah, Mindy is in Washington, and Tiffany is in Oregon. I love these girls!

Cutest little cowboy ever...

2008-08-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Isn't he the sweetest thing? This is a little sneak peak for the wonderful "L" family. I hope you guys like them! The rest will be done soon.

Happy Birthday Baby!

2008-08-02T08:48:00.001-07:00

I'm bitter sweet about this birthday. Ellie is my baby, and she's just growing up too fast! It doesn't seem like a year ago we celebrated her first birthday. She is the greatest kid. She is so fun loving and just happy all the time. She is by far the best 2 year old we've ever had! I just sit back all the time and watch her. She is so silly, she makes me laugh all the time. She LOVES to be part of what her big sisters are doing, and if they aren't paying enough attention to her, she definately makes herself be heard! Two years old is more of a toddler. Before I know it they are going to be teenagers! Oh goodness, help me! :) Ellie just brightens our family in a way I didn't realize we were missing until she filled it. I also love that she loves Mommy time. Sometimes she doesn't want to play with Britlyn and Makenna, she just wants to hang out with me. She loves to lay on me or be really silly with me. She's got the greatest sense of humor. I am so in love with this kid! Happy Birthday!!

A couple to share

2008-07-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy month! I've only been home for 10 of the 31 days in July, with 3 different destinations. It has been a lot of fun though. The girls and I got to go to Seattle for a week to visit my brother and his family. The kids all had a blast together. I was there taking their family pictures too, so here's a couple from the bunch. Dad with the boys, and Mom with the girls. Beautiful kids, huh. Thanks again guys!!

Where's the soap?

2008-07-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

**Warning**
Some cursing in this post - read at your own risk :)

Last night I was putting Britlyn & Makenna to bed, when out of no where Makenna says, "Mommy, you're ass." Figuring I couldn't have heard her right I asked her, "what?" Once again, she says, "You're ass." At that point I commit the biggest mistake as a parent..... I laugh like crazy. It just struck me so funny at that particular moment. Then I asked her, "Do you even know what that word means?" She said she didn't - just as I had thought. So I told her it wasn't a very nice word for a bottom, or it can be a word for a donkey. So then she starts saying, "You're ass - the donkey kind." Somehow that is supposed to make it okay, I guess. Still I can't help but laugh. Bad, bad mommy!! I know. So then Britlyn wants to join in on the fun and she starts using "the word." After a few minutes I tell them that's enough, we really shouldn't say that word. It's a swear word and we don't talk like that. Normally, that would work for them. Well, of course not this time..... I had already laughed once. I couldn't get them to quit saying it, but they were getting better at using in context, so I had to call in the big guns - Next person to say it would start getting stuffed animals thrown in the garbage. That worked until songs were all sung and done, but then the silliness just took over and once again I hear a little, "ass" sneak out of one of them. I finally decided to let Jeremy take care of it... even though they probably learned it from him! lol It seemed to work anyway. My little princesses have little sailor mouths it seems. I'll know better than to laugh next time. :)

Usually you see the pretty little ladies, but I thought this time these were much more appropriate! :)

So big so fast

2008-06-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

My sister was here for a few days and she had her little man with her. I took pictures of him when he was only a few days old, but now look at him! He's gotten soooo big!

Here's before:

Here's now:

He has got the longest lashes and the biggest squishiest lips ever! He's such a cutie! My girls loved being little "mothers" to him.

True Joy

2008-06-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

I shot these pictues about week ago I just love them. For me I can just "feel" the joy the the happyness. I just adore what great friends they are. They are so sweet and just perfect in their own little ways. Too bad Ellie was down for a nap otherwise i would've snapped some of her beauty also. These little girls just light up my life.
Sometimes I have a very difficult time getting a true smile out of Britlyn, so I just adore this, because it is just soooo her.

My Love, My Challenge

2008-06-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I love this kid soooo much. She just really challenges me. I guess it's a sort of self improvement test for me. She has just this great firecracker personality that I adore.... most of the time. Along with all the wit, engergy, and sweetness she possesses, there is also a lot of defiance, stubbornness, disobediance, and disrespect. If it's something she doesn't want to do, she just won't do it - well, that is until the punishment gets bad enough, but even then she'll say things like, "Fine, but you can't watch me," or "I did it mean," or "Don't say thank you when I'm done." I have to really watch myself with her because I don't want to let her learn that behavior is okay, but I also don't want to have power struggles with her all the time. I want her to love being a kid and growing up, not remember getting in trouble all the time. She really is so sweet too though, and so beautiful, but sometimes I just want to lock her in the bathroom all day long. I know that I can't change her, so I have to change and improve myself. I have to really look at what is important and make sure my emotions are always in check. I want her to know what a great kid she really is... I am just hoping some of the negatives in her personality are kind of a phase and can be molded into something more positive. And if not, I pray for more patience!!

A few more...

2008-05-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hey Mil, I'm almost done, but I wanted to throw a few more up here for you!

Preview

2008-05-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is a little preview for my beautiful sis-in-law. I was lucky enough to get to take these pictures of her with her brothers and sisters. I hope you like them! There's lots more, these are just a few.

My Very Own Personal Tornado

2008-03-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

Yep, I've got to be the luckiest person alive. I have my very own tornado - and like all terrible storms it's even has a female name - Ellie. Saturday I decided to document her day of destruction. I was happy to see my little tornado did not disappoint! First stop was in my bedroom. The once potted plant was her first victim.

If you look closely, you can actually see her dumping the dirt all over the floor.

This is her very dramatic reaction to the words "no no."

Next stop was the pantry. The strawberry milk looked just too good to pass up.

Now Makenna's Easter candy - really though, can you blame her?

Here's the remains of the chocolate and carmel she was chewing on - well, spitting anyway. She wanted to leave her mark around the pool table, so she left little globs of chocolate, carmel and spit all around it on the floor.

Back to the pantry.

Oatmeal, always a favorite to spill on the floor. Luckily the container was almost gone, so not too much on the floor.

Most days I feel like I am running around constantly, but when I look around it doesn't seem like I've gotten anything done. Now at least I have proof I actually do something! On top of all this I managed to take all three girls grocery shopping, feed them, do an absurd amount of laundry, and take Britlyn & Makenna to the movie Horton Hears a Who. What a day. Here's my monstrous pile of laundry. I do have to say though that I love my little tornado, I'll just be glad when she's big enough to clean up her own destruction!
Now, just in case the pile in the top left corner looked small, here's a better shot of it.

"K" this is just for you!

2008-03-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

I know you've been waiting on some of these, so I thought I'd throw out a little sneak peak for you! I hope you like them!

Yeah, I couldn't resist putting one of little bum on here!

Blah, blah, blah...

2008-03-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago, we had the whole family in the car driving home. Jeremy asked Makenna if she liked granola or something simple like that. First she said "no," then she said, "actually, I do." Then once again she was back to "no." She's very indecisive about some things. Anyway, so then Jeremy said, "Makenna, do you even know what you like?" Immediately she just says, "blah, blah, blah." I laughed sooo hard! Now, hopefully, that answer isn't one I hear when I'm talking to her at age 16 or so. :)

And of course I have to add a photo. :) I took this yesterday. The flower & the pose were all her, but I thought it came out adorable!

Happy Birthday Princess!

2008-03-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my little girl is 6! That's just starting to sound like an older kid. Britlyn was so cute last night. When I was putting her to bed she'd say, "This is your last kiss ever from your 5 year old." She kept doing things that were her last as a 5 year old. She's such a great kid. I just adore her and love her to death. Yesterday we had David, the boy that gave her the chocolates, over for a play date. Of course I had to snap a couple shots of them. They weren't really into it, so I got some funny looks, but I think they are adorable!!

Isn't it funny how at this angle it looks like they are holding hands? I assure you that was definately not happening. They had a lot of fun, but they are not even sort of trying to go anywhere near there. Thanks goodness!!

We're done for

2008-03-02T17:53:00.000-08:00

This is a little late, but that's pretty much how I always am with my blog. There's a little boy in Britlyn's class that she has a crush on, well he has one on her too. So, for Valentine's day she got this from him.

Her first present from a boy, and she's only 5! Really though, it was the cutest thing ever. His dad had told me a couple weeks before that he wanted to get her a special valentine gift and asked if it was alright with me. Of course I didn't care. Britlyn was soooo excited for Valentine's day. The night before, when I was putting her to bed, she said to me, "Mommy, tomorrow I might scream in the car because I will be so excited for Valentine's Day." Well, when I picked her up for school, I asked her if David gave her anything. She said he didn't. I was a little surprised, but figured something else had happened. A minute later his dad walked up to me and asked if David had given it to her, I told him he didn't and he said, "Oh, he's just so shy. I've been trying to coach him all day on giving it to her. He was so excited he got a haircut and everything for today." Then he left to go get his son. I was buckling Ellie into her carseat when I heard, "Go over there and give it to her, and tell her Happy Valentine's Day." Britlyn was already buckled up in her seat, so he walked over to the car, he handed the box to her and said, "Happy Valentine's Day." She said it back to him and then he left. Her face just totally lit up when he gave it to her. He was all smiles too.

Whadda think?

2008-02-22T15:38:00.000-08:00

So my logo has been bugging me lately. Nothing real wrong with it, it's just kinda blah. So I spent about and hour today and came up with this. Any thoughts? Anything that bugs you or you think might look better? I was practicing some sun flare outside the other day, so that's what the picture comes from. Oh, I've noticed I'm such a good blogger lately, huh?! :) (if you click on the picture you can see it bigger)

She's looking like a toddler

2008-02-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

Ellie has been growing up so much lately. She just seems to really be catching on to things a lot more. She mimics a lot and she is saying more and more words. She LOVES to play with her big sisters and be just like them. She has a thing for shoes - true woman! She loves to put on my shoes and try to walk around. Makenna did the same thing, it is so funny to watch them wobble around in my heals. Ellie loves to be outside, in these shots she was just running back and forth in the front yard relishing her freedom. She just looks older to me in these - there goes my baby.

Does this work? or is the next one better?

My baby and me

2008-02-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

I took this recently and I just love it. I love the way Ellie is holding my leg. This was the first day I ever put her hair in piggies too. Awe, my baby is growing up. Check out my legs, I look like I am on stilts!

Finally!

2008-02-14T10:30:00.001-08:00

Well, it's done. I have officially launched a photography website for myself, and I am really excited about it. For anyone who wants to check it out the web address is www.noelwarburtonphotography.com. Let me know what you think - good or bad. Thanks!!

I told you...

2008-02-12T18:21:00.000-08:00

that I would be playing with textures a lot. :) I have been loving them, they just add such a unique feel to shots. Here are some that I've been playing with.

Okay, so that was more than just a few. :) I love the first four. Some take to it better than others, but I think it's fun.

Best Weekend

2008-02-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

I have the sweetest husband in the world! :) Last Thursday he came home after work and told me he planned a weekend in Carmel, CA for us the next day. He arranged for the babysitter and everything. Okay, so I still had to do the packing, but man I'll do that any day for a weekend in Carmel! It is just absolutely gorgeous there. We haven't been away for a weekend from the girls in 2 1/2 years, it was a really good thing for us. I loved it, I seriously kept thinking how it was crazy because I kept feeling for Jeremy like I did when we were dating. I was all giddy and twitterpated (however you spell that) with him. We left Friday at about 7:00 pm and got to Carmel at about 1:00 am. Saturday we got up early, went to breakfast, and then we drove the 17 mile drive at Pebble Beach - Breathtaking! The house sizes there are nothing short of insane. Then it started raining, so we went to the grocery store, bought some playing cards and went back to the hotel and played gin rummy for about 2 or 3 hours. It was so fun, it was just so cool being together. Then we went out for lunch, ran back through the rain and played a little more. Oh, our hotel room was right on the ocean, so the view while playing cards was amazing! I started to get dark, so we built a fire in the fireplace and gave massages. Then it was dinner time, so we got ready and went to dinner. After dinner we put another log on the fire and read from our book that we are reading together, The Kite Runner. All too soon it was really late and we went to bed. In the morning we got up early again and went to breakfast then it was time to go back home. Oh, it was the best weekend ever. We'll definately have to do that a little more often than every 2 1/2 years.

Just Playing

2008-01-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

I've been playing with some textures in photoshop and I came up with this

I thought it looked kind of cool. Anyone else have any thoughts on it? Yeah or nay?

That's what big sisters are for

2008-01-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

Makenna is our little conniving one. She is just ALWAYS into something. Poor Ellie has had to learn the word "don't" out of necessity to get her sister to stop tormenting her. Well, back in December, the day we were going to fly out to Washington for my dad's surprise birthday party, I was really busy packing and getting everything ready to go. Makenna and Ellie were playing and being surprisingly quiet - which should have been a warning all in it's self, but I was not going to look into it because I was actually getting stuff done. Well, it was about 1 minute until I needed to leave to get Britlyn from school, so I call out to Makenna so we can go... she walked out of the pantry with a huge smile on her face and said, "Mommy, look at Ellie!" Out comes Ellie, and she is covered, I mean covered, in cinnamon. Now, I don't have time to stick her in the bath because we probably should have already left to get Britlyn. I wanted to be upset at first with Makenna for doing that to her little sis, but it looked so funny too, I couldn't help but laugh. So instead of get upset, I decided to just get out my camera and have a good laugh about it. Then I took Ellie over to the kitchen sink and got out the sprayer and sprayed off her poor little head. I think we were only a few minutes late getting Britlyn.

Recent Family

2008-01-18T10:10:00.001-08:00

Just thought I'd share some shots from a recent family session I had. I've had a session with just their girls before, but this time we got them with mom & dad too.

My Dad

2008-01-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy trying to get photos edited lately. These are a bit late, but I have to post them. It was my dad's 60th birthday on Dec. 11. There are eight kids in our family and we decided to throw a surprise birthday party for him. My parents live in Washington State as well as 3 of my siblings. There are two more siblings in Utah, one in Oregon, one in Texas, and I'm in California. We all managed to get there for it though except for my brother in Texas because he's on a mission for our church and couldn't come. It was really cool. My dad was sooo surprised. I think it is probably one of the best things our family has ever done. My dad told me it was probably the best day of his life. My oldest brother, Doug, made a slideshow video of his life, and after it we all shared memories and thoughts about my dad. I love you dad, and I hope you remember all the good words about you because they are true!

Now, the pictures are not anything to brag about. The room was really dark and I don't have a flash, so my iso was really high making the shots grainy and few kinda blurry, but they don't have to be technically perfect because the sentimental meaning is way more valuable to me here.

Dad just walking through the door as we yelled surprise!

Just a shot of the room as everyone was eating

A failing attempt at getting a shot of all the grandkids together

Penny and Mindy with the cakes as we sing Happy Birthday

Blowing out the candles... with a little help

Fun for the kids

A group shot of all of us together. Somehow my brother Jared escaped being in this and of course Craig wasn't there so he is missing. My grandma is also here. This shot is courtesy of Brooks, and I am sorry Brooks, but your last name is escaping me right now, so just your first name will have to do.

Sneak Peak

2007-12-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

Wow, I have been so busy this week! I have been designing Christmas cards for families, and I have been putting together a photo book for my parents & my in-laws for Christmas. This year I decided to design all my own pages... I had no idea what a project that was going to turn into! I have stayed up almost the entire night 2 times this week because I can accomplish so much more when I am alone. I am still only about half way done - I have way to many pictures! Anyway, for my secret little blog stalkers, I decided I needed to post something this week. I am such a slacker, I know! So here's a couple pages from the photobook that I am doing. Shhhh, don't tell mom & dad. :)

Now the white borders won't be there in the printed book, they are just for ease of viewing here.

I hope you are all enjoying your holiday season!!

Happy Birthday to Me

2007-12-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

It was my birthday a week ago, and on Friday I got one heck of a birthday present. Drum roll please.... I got a Canon 5D! Yeah!!! I'm doing cartwheels here. :) I LOVE it! I got the girls out of bed on Saturday and bribed them with making cookies so I could have a few minutes to practice with it on them. Here's my first couple shots:

Thanks babe, I loooove it! (and you too :))

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T00:32:00.000-08:00

We are leaving to Utah in about 12 hours, so while the house is quiet I thought I'd jump on here and wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. I know my life has been so so blessed and I am just so grateful for it. Thank you to those of you who actually still check my blog after my long abandonment. :) Just a few of the things I am grateful for:

My husband
My daughters
My health
My family's health
My prosperity
My freedom
My faith
My parents & siblings
My body that took my 13.1 miles
My optimistic mind
All the challenges I have faced
All the people in my life who have influenced me to become the person I am
Photography :)
Good food
Good friends
Love
Laughter
Tears
Make-up
Crayons (you'd be amazed how many hours they entertain my girls)
Heros - people who really make a difference
Car dvd players
Good music
Sleep
Learning
Guidance
Cute shoes
Convictions
People who stand up for theirs
All the little moments in life that make me smile and think "This is what it's all about"

Have a great holiday everyone... I am so grateful for you too.

Here's a picture I took that I am grateful for

Personal Triumph

2007-11-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

So I have to toot my own horn here for a minute. Last weekend I ran a half marathon in San Diego. I haven't been training for it, but I do run 3 days a week with a couple girlfriends. One of them runs marathons and half marathons all the time, so she convinced us to do this one with her. I wasn't real worried about it because the weekend before we did an 11 mile run and it was no problem. Well I was in for a little surprise. :) I, of course, wanted to see how fast I could do it, so I ran at a faster pace than we ever do. At mile 10.5 I wanted to quit so bad! I was so done mentally. I did slow a little, but by mile 11 I got a bit of a second wind and picked up my pace again. I was so happy to see that finish line, wow was I happy. I finished the 13.1 miles in 1 hour 46 minutes and 55 seconds. This is my official time from the web site.

11/11/2007
San Diego CA
Silver Strand Half Marathon
Bib: 239
Name: Noel Warburton
Gender: F
Age: 30
Place Overall: 309 out of 1731
Women: 66 out of 888
F 30-34: 16 out of 142
AgeGrade: 61.15%
Place: 272
FINISH: 1:46:55
pace: 8:10
Chip Time: 1:46:55

I have to say I was pretty proud of myself. I have NO idea how people double that distance and do marathons. AHHHH Maybe someday if I actually train for it.

Head in the clouds

2007-08-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

So Makenna says to me the other day,
"Mommy, we don't have space helmets."
I tell her, "We don't need space helmets, sweetheart."
She says, "Why?"
I say, "Because we're not going to space, babe."
Then she says, "When we die and go to heaven, will we have space helmets?"

Just typing this makes me smile. I love this kid!

Little Miss Chubs

2007-08-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

Don't you just want to squeeze her?!!

Where did it go?

2007-08-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

Time

Where did it all go?
Britlyn starts kindergarten in five days. Wow, five days.
I don't know if I am ready to "lose" her to the world.
I know that we will still have a huge influence on her,
but... she'll definately be influenced by others too.
She is just so so sweet and kindhearted; I don't want her
to lose any of that, or for others to take advantage of it.

Lately she's been real clingy. She really wants me to hold her
and rock her a lot. She tells me she doesn't want to grow up.
I remember doing that as a kid too. She's nervous to start kindergarten.
Well, that is until I bought her a bunch of new school clothes,
now she's excited. True girl!!

I wonder if I've stopped enough times to just play, listen, teach, read, comfort, enjoy. With all three so young, I always seem to be busy with at least one of them. Keeping up with it all is a challenge, but it's a challenge that I love. My girls are just the highlight of my life. They make me laugh, cry, sing, dance, lose my mind, and fill my heart. We really do have it good. I am so blessed with my family. I just want to bottle them up and keep them young forever. With Britlyn starting kindergarten it is the begining of a whole new phase in our lives. It's exciting, but I also like how it's been and don't really want things to change. I hope I can always keep the relationship I have with my girls open and safe. I never want them to even second guess telling me something. I'm their mommy and I'll love them unconditionally no matter what.

No pictures this time, I just wanted to let my feelings out. Thanks for listening.

Time for a change!

2007-08-09T12:20:00.001-07:00

Okay, so my blog was in terrible need of a makeover. Nothing fancy, but a nice change. We are going out of town for a week starting tomorrow, so I will be MIA again for a little while. We are just taking a road trip to Northern California and maybe into Oregon. Nothing real planned, we're just going to see where it takes us. :) I just had to leave you with this though.

I laughed soooo hard when I saw this! She actually burned her finger on a plate at a restaurant and this is how she was showing me her burn. Her finger is fine, but the picture is priceless!!

What's that you say???

2007-08-05T21:04:00.001-07:00

I just had my very first birthday!!!

Yep, it was Ellie's birthday on Thursday. So, my baby isn't a real baby anymore. :( I had bought this adorable party hat for her with all these grand visions of cute pictures, but she wasn't having it - at all! I would put the hat on and not 2 seconds later it was off. Then she started crying. I couldn't torture my baby on her birthday, so I had to quit. I did manage a couple shots, not the greatest, but good enough I suppose.

I baked her a cake, but realized all my cake decorating supplies have gone MIA since the move, so I improvised and used a ziploc bag. She wasn't real interested in the cake either, I so wanted her to attack it, but once again she really didn't care what I wanted. Oh well, I guess it was her birthday. We all went for a dip in the hot tub ( I should say warm tub) after. She started giving these open mouth wet kisses that night, I was sooo cute! Oh I love my little girls!! Here's a few more from her birthday.

I'm Baaaack

2007-08-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, I've been gone from here forever it seems!! We moved into our new home 2 1/2 weeks ago and things are finally starting to settle down. I've got all the boxes unpacked and everything put in its place, now I've just got the whole hanging pictures & stuff to go. I was without internet access for over 2 weeks and I about went crazy! That's probably why I got the unpacking done so fast though! :) We are thoroughly enjoying our home! Jeremy has been giving Britlyn swimming lessons and she can now jump in the deep end of the pool and swim all the way to the shallow end by herself!! This is coming from a girl who would barely dare put her face in the water before. She's so proud of her self and it's so cool. It's so nice having a front yard where the girls can play too & I don't have to be out there with them all the time. One really great thing since we moved here is it took about 10 days to get satellite set up, so we didn't have tv for that time and the girls totally got out of the habit of watching it, so they rarely ever even watch tv now. I love it, they just play, really play, and it's great! I'm sorry to those of you who read my blog that I was gone for so long! The past while has been nuts! I'm going to be better now though, I promise!! Here's a few pics of the girls playing in the front yard.

I'm SOOOO Excited!!

2007-06-17T00:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah!! Today we finally closed a deal for leasing out a new house! Ever since moving to L.A. we've been living in a small 1,400 square foot townhouse, and a few weeks ago Jeremy came home from work and found a naked guy hiding in our bushes. Scary. Apparently he lives right by us too. Jeremy made a police report about it and went to the office of our townhome and complained. They said they would evict the guy, but it hasn't happened yet. So, here we are trapped in our house because I can't let the girls go outside and play anymore without my constant supervision. The L.A. school district isn't the best either, so we decided last week to go look at some homes in a different school district, a better one. There aren't many homes for lease around here. We really only found 2 that were sort of what we were looking for. The first one was alright, but the second one was it. You know when you just feel right in a place, well, that's how this was. The owners were in Europe when we put in the offer and to make a long story short, they almost backed out of leasing it. They decided maybe it wasn't a good move financiall for them. I was about in tears, I want out of this place so badly. Well, today we met with them, got all the paperwork done, and handed over the $$$. They are supposed to be out by July 15 or sooner. I can't wait!! Yeah, we get a home! Here's a few pics of the place. I didn't take them, they just came off the website. Obviously the furnishing aren't ours, but soon it will be our home. I love that we'll have a place that is safe for our girls. Oh, it is in a guard-gated community, and to even get in you have to have the person's name and address that you are going to see. We are also up on a hill with no one else on it. It's very private, and had gorgeous views of the hills and canyon. We actually saw deer running up the hillside right by our house today. Anyway, thanks for letting me share my joy!!!

Why I Blog

2007-06-17T00:38:00.000-07:00

Well, Debbie, tagged me a few days ago to write 5 reasons why I blog. Let's see if I can get five!

1. I'm not very good at keeping a journal or a family history, so this is a way to keep some of our families events recorded.

2. It's a way for me to share some of my photography with whoever wants to enjoy it.

3. When I blog, it's just "me" time. It is something I definately need sometimes!

4. I want my girls to be able to look back on it someday and see how much they were loved and enjoyed.

5. Sometimes I need to just sit down and write something out to really see how I am feeling, and sometimes I just need to get things back into perspective.

There, I was kind of reaching a bit, but I think I got it! Thanks Debbie!

A Few More

2007-06-17T00:29:00.000-07:00

I've gotten more of the wedding pics edited, so I just thought I'd share a few more.

Isn't it cool how their bodies form a heart?

Zach & Melissa

2007-06-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

I've only proofed a few of the shots and have TONS more to go through, but here's a few from the wedding. We almost didn't even make it to the wedding, but that's a whole other blog entry!

Off for the Weekend!

2007-05-24T00:37:00.000-07:00

Jeremy's brother, Zach, is getting married on Friday, so we are leaving tomorrow (well, technically now it's today) for Utah. Zach and Melissa asked me to be their wedding photographer. I am so excited! It's always fun to have opportunities to shoot people that want to be shot! Lots of pressure too though, it's not like you can just schedule a re-shoot if you mess up the shots!! You only get one chance to get it right. So, look forward to lots of wedding pics! I coudn't leave without posting any pictures, so here's a couple of Makenna. I realized the other day that I don't have many shots, other than snapshots, of her since like October. How did that happen?? Anyway, here's one of my gorgeous little girls!

You know, she has the most infectious beautiful smile, but I am having the hardest time capturing it lately. Whenever I have the camera out, she absolutely refuses to look at me. I'll be talking and joking with her and she will smile and laugh, but all I see is the top or back of her head. She just will not look at me when I have the camera. Anyone have any ideas on how to break through this?!

She loves her blankie

2007-05-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

I think it is adorable that Ellie already knows, at 9 month old, that this is her blankie! Whenever I put it over my shoulder while holding her, she will immediately lay her head down on it and relax. It definately gives her comfort. Notice her hands grasping it!

I couldn't resist this shot too, I see this site quite often on Saturday mornings. Britlyn, Makenna, and Ellie all love being together. Lots of times Britlyn and Makenna will actually even crawl in Ellie's crib with her. I adore it when they are all together!

What's the best thing about microwave popcorn?

2007-05-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

The bag!! My girls always fight over who gets to lick the bag once they've eaten the popcorn. It's for sure their favorite part. Crazy kids!

Another One Bites the Dust

2007-05-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

He's had it 2 1/2 months. He's loved it. He's taken great care of it. Well, Monday morning Jeremy called me about 9:30 am and let me know he'd been in a car accident and he crashed his brand new Porsche. Luckily no one was hurt, just the cars. He was turning left out of his office parking lot and there was a big truck blocking both lanes of oncoming traffic, so he thought it was clear. He got through the first lane of oncoming traffic, but into the second lane of traffic the front drivers side just got slammed into. It was more the front, not so much where the door is, thank goodness. It was also a Toyota Prius that hit him, a small light car. If it would've been a big SUV or dump truck or something like that, I hate to think of how different the phone call would've been. I had just dropped Britlyn off at preschool, so I took Makenna and Ellie and we picked him up. He did hit the top of his head pretty good, he had a bit of a goose egg. The side airbags went off and everything. I convinced him to go to the doctor because you just never know, so they took an x-ray of his neck and looked him over, but he seems to be fine. If he'd had the top down, he probably wouldn't have hit his head, he's just so tall in that little car. Now he's totally paranoid about his car in L.A. traffic. It's not drivable right now. Our insurance just called us today and let us know it is fixable, so he's got a little Kia rental for the time being. We know a lot of things went in his favor, and we are so blessed. I'm so grateful he was being watched over that day. I love you baby, and I'm sorry about your car. :(

Totally Deflated

2007-05-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Jeremy & I went on a date. We had some extra time before Spiderman 3 was to start, so we went Ben & Jerry's for some ice-cream. Well, we're standing in line and Jeremy asks the girl at the cash register, "How old would you guess us to be?" Okay, I know I'm not 23 anymore, and that I've had 3 kids, but... I still feel like I take pretty good care of myself and that I look pretty good for 30 with 3 kids. So, this girls looks at me and says, "I don't know... maybe 40." I just laughed and said, "Nope, I'm 30." Inside I was screaming, "What?! What's wrong with you? Of course I'm not 40, I don't look anything close to 40!" I was totally deflated. Of course, Jeremy only makes it worse, as we're sitting there eating our ice-cream he says, "Don't worry about it babe, I still love you even if you look like you're 40." Then I try to say something about how she's 16 (she told us) and doesn't have a clue what she's saying, and he just says, "If that will make you feel better to think that, go ahead." Now normally I wouldn't really care that much, only Jeremy of course, just has to play on it. He has to make a big deal of it. I am 10 months older than him, so he loves to tease me about how OLD I am. In all fairness, when he asked the girl to guess our ages he did say to her, "How old do you think we are, oh, and she is older than me." Well, people have been telling him he looks like he's in his mid or so 30's for about 8 years, so he told me later he thought she probably guessed his age and then based mine on being older than him. Who knows, doesn't really matter. So what if I look 40, I'm a dang hot 40 year old! :)

I took these yesterday, what do you think, do I look 40?

Now you see me, now you don't!

2007-05-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night we put the girls to bed around 8:30pm and then stayed up until about 11:30pm booking our trip to Greece. :) Before I go to bed, I always go in the girls room and check on them... pick them up off the floor and put them back in bed, put blankets back on them, just make sure everything is okay. Well, I went in and I didn't see Makenna. Now it's not too uncommon for her to go into their bathroom or closet and play if she's not tired, so I went in those places to find her. What did I find... no Makenna. So I went and checked her bed again, not there. I looked in Britlyn's bed so see if she'd crawled in with her, again no Makenna. I checked Ellie's crib, no Makenna. I thought maybe I was loosing it and just wasn't seeing her in her bed (she has about 100 stuffed animals and 10 baby blankets in there). I picked up all the animals, blankets, & pillows... still not there. I went into me and Jeremy's room and looked in a closet she likes to hide in. Nothing. I went back to her bathroom and checked the bath. Nothing. I looked all over their walk-in closet for her. Nothing. I started to worry a bit by this time. Then the thought hit me, "Go look under your bed." I went into my room and this is what I saw:

She had completely made a bed for herself under our bed. She had her blanket, pillow, two stuffed animals, and her sippy cup. What a nut! I just started laughing when I saw her. Much relived also. I called Jeremy to come upstairs so her could see her, then I got her out and tucked her back nicely into her own bed, glad I could now see her in there.

9 Months Old

2007-05-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

Sigh... she's growing up too fast. She's not quite crawling yet, but she's mastered the military crawl quite well. She, of course, loves to stick everything she can find in her mouth. She's such a smilie little thing. Everyone comments on how she just smiles all the time. She's finally sitting up now too, but she doesn't like it much. She LOVES her sisters! She just goes crazy squealing when they come around. She is such a light and joy in our family, and dang isn't she cute!!

Gotta love the drool!

She's learning WAY too soon how to get out of a photoshoot!!

Wicked Good

2007-04-25T22:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's been almost a month since we went to this musical, but can I just say WOW!!! It was beyond words. The music was incredible, the acting was fantastic, and we just left speechless. I had no idea what it was about before we went, and for any of you that may not know also, it is the story behind the Witches of OZ. I don't know if living in L.A. makes a difference in quality or not, but we've been to musicals in Salt Lake and in Las Vegas, but they just don't compare to the production we saw here. Everyone in L.A. is trying to "make it" so maybe there is just more talent to work with, I don't know, but just wow, wow, wow! I would highly recommend it to everyone. Jeremy is very much a man's man. He loves to hunt, watch sports, hates to shop, etc. and he loved it too. Definately not just for the girls. If you have the opportunity to go, then for sure GO!

Two little cuties

2007-04-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

First off, I apologize for being such a bad blogger lately! I've been sooo busy and haven't had time to play. I did have the opportunity to have a little shoot with these two cute little girls. I'm not done proofing, but here's a couple of the shots I have proofed.

I can't decided if I like the color or b&w better on this one
(If you click on the images you can see them larger - they look better that way :) )

Right now, go give your kids a hug

2007-03-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Today was just like most days, nothing special going on. Britlyn and Makenna were watching cartoons around noon and Britlyn started getting really upset because I had picked out her clothes today. She started throwing a fit, so I put Ellie down on the floor while I was trying to reason with Britlyn. I checked on her every now and then, just to make sure she wasn't getting into anything she shouldn't. Britlyn just wasn't letting up... crying, whining, pouting, etc. you name it! I was getting upset at her defiance and she was just about to get a time out. I glanced over at Ellie and she'd rolled herself into the pantry, no big deal. I only keep waters on the ground. Well, apparently the girls must have been in the pantry recently because I looked over again and I saw her with the strawberry milk powder container in her hand. I kind of laughed to myself, but then I noticed the lid was off. I immediately ran over to her and her whole face was covered in the powder. I picked her up ran over to the sink and began to dig the powder out of her mouth and throat. I jammed my finger as far as I possibly could down her throat trying to dig it all out. She wasn't crying or screaming because her throat was completely closed off. She couldn't breath. I was terrified! With all the adrenaline going I just shut the fear off. I just kept digging the stuff out of her over and over. Finally she let out a bit of a cry. I've never been so happy to hear my baby cry. I knew that meant she had AIR! I dug out a bit more, but then she seemed to be able to breathe okay. I tried to feed her real quick thinking the liquid would help dissolve the powder, but she wouldn't take any. I told Britlyn and Makenna to get in the car, and we drove over to the Urgent Care clinic right by our house. She had coughed up some really red gunk and I wasn't sure if it was all strawberry milk or if some of it was blood from me digging in her throat. By the time the doctor got to her she was breathing fine and wasn't coughing anymore stuff up. The doctor looked her over and said the only thing I need to watch for is if she got any of it powder in her lungs it would cause some kind of pneumonia, so for the next couple of weeks if she starts to have trouble breathing, gets a fever, gets a cough, anything like that, to bring her in immediately. I am supposed to take her into our pediatrician on Monday and have her lungs x-rayed too. While it was happening I kept my cool really well, but in the car on the way to the doctor it just started to hit me and I was shaking soooo bad. I was yelling at the red lights to turn green. Makenna asked me why I wanted Ellie to be green. I explained I didn't want Ellie to be green I wanted the light to turn green. I've never had to take any of my children into the doctor for any sort of emergency like that, and I never want to have to again. It was the scariest thing. I can't imagine anything worse than if I hadn't looked over and seen her with that container. She wasn't making any noise because she couldn't, so I would've never known she was in trouble. Go hug your kids!! Poor little Ellie has had a rough day since then. I don't think she's feeling very well. She's been real clingy and cries real easy, and that's just not like her. I am so grateful she's okay. Tonight in Britlyn's prayer she prayed that Ellie wouldn't die. My heart just sunk, she was so scared too. We love you little Ellie, and we're so glad you are safe and with us tonight!

Okay, okay, here's a few more

2007-03-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist, I am almost done editing these shots of my new adorable nephew, so I thought I'd add just a few more. Hope you like them T & R!

Is there anything sweeter...

2007-03-27T02:43:00.000-07:00

than a brand new baby? Here's my newest little nephew Finn, what a little sweetheart he is! I got to fly out to Washington D.C. to snap some shots of this little guy. I loved seeing you guys! I have soooo many more shots to proof, but Tiff and Ryan, here's just a few to really make you want more!!

Of course I didn't want Pi to feel left out, so I snuck in this one of him too. :)

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

2007-03-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

So how did my baby turn 5?!! Ohhh, it just goes too fast. Britlyn's birthday was actually on the 5th, but we didn't get a chance for pictures until last weekend. We had a blast together. Jeremy watched Makenna and Ellie, so it really was just the two of us. We were gone for 2 1/2 hours and both of us loving it.

Britlyn, baby, I hope you always know how much you are loved. Mommy and Daddy just adore you. You are becoming such an amazing little person. You are absolutely just beautiful, and so so sweet. You love to play with Makenna and Ellie. Ellie just lights up around you. She squeals with delight when you play with her. You always make sure you tell us that you love us and you try so hard at everything you do. You are quite a little artist and have told us when you grow up you want your drawings or paintings in a museum. You have so much hope and love in your life, you are an inspiration to those around you. Never give up on your dreams, you are truly incredible and we love you!

Just like Christmas!

2007-03-10T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well, almost... I've been saving up for a new lens and it finally came the other day! Woo hoo!! It's a Canon 24-70mm 2.8L for those of you that know about lenses. I just don't see this thing coming off my camera, I love it! Color & sharpness are wonderful. Here's a couple shots I took with it today.

ETP: The web compression just doesn't do them justice. They are way sharper in real life.

Fun in the Sun

2007-03-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

I've haven't posted in a while, I feel like I've been so busy lately, but I don't really know with what. It was Britlyn's 5th birthday on Monday, and she wanted to go to Sea World for her birthday. So we took a trip down to San Diego last weekend. We weren't planning on going to the beach, but we were walking on the board walk after breakfast and the girls really wanted to go. None of us were dressed for it, but it ended up being such a blast! We all got our pants wet running in the water. The weather was absolutely perfect! We could have stayed there all day. We were there for about 3 hours as it was. These shots aren't as good as they could be. I was holding Ellie on my hip the whole time so the camera wasn't real steady and she kept pulling on the camera strap, but I still love them because of the incredible time we had!

**Warning** Picture Overload!! :)

We stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado, it is such a cool hotel! It was built in the 1880's I believe and is just beautiful! It is what is in the background of the first picture up there.

Britlyn found a hermit crab, but was too scared to touch it, so we let our bravest little one go after it.

Here's a rare one with me in it! Jeremy took this, the focus is off a bit, but it's kind of nice to actually have a shot of me with my girls. (Notice the baby on my hip, that's where she stayed the whole 3 hours!)

The light in the hotel room was so incredible I just had to snap a few shots. Nice bed for a baby eh! She shared with me.

Britlyn and Makenna got the hide-a-bed. Better than their usual "special bed" they get at hotels which is a bed made out of comforters and blankets on the floor.

Mmmmm.... cookies...

2007-02-27T17:54:00.000-08:00

Britlyn and Makenna have been begging me to make chocolate chip cookies for a couple days now, so they helped me make them yesterday. They are way too delicious! I always eat way too many whenever I make them. So, just to mess up any of you on a diet, I am going to share this incredible recipe! :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 Cups Shortening (I always use butter flavored)
4 teaspoons Vanilla
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
4 Eggs
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
5 Cups Flour
1 Bag Chocolate Chips

Mix together shortening through baking soda. Slowly add flour. Add chocolte chips. Form into balls and on ungreased baking sheet bake at 350* for 8 - 10 minutes. ***Don't over cook*** They may seem soft at first, but will get more solid with a little time. I always use Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips, they are wonderful! Enjoy!!

Now don't hate me when you eat 10 all by yourself! :)

Bedhead... with attitude!

2007-02-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

Just had to share, she is such a nut!
Oh, and for all you that only have boys... just imagine trying to comb through this each day! Imagine screaming & you pretty much got it.

These are the Moments

2007-02-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

Monday was a difficult day. Just a lot of drama to deal with. It was late and I asked Jeremy to take Ellie while I got the other two girls in bed. This is what I saw when I came back downstairs.
It just warmed my heart, and any hurt I was feeling just melted away. Seeing them asleep together like that just made me stop and think about how important families and the relationships you have with them are. I obviously already knew that, but sometimes on a bad day, it doesn't hurt to be reminded.

Licorice Anyone?

2007-02-19T10:18:00.000-08:00

From the looks of it, I think she likes it! That means she fits in pretty well around here, we've all got a bit of a sweet tooth. I was trying to do the dishes and she was crying, so I gave her the licorice to occupy her for a few minutes. When I looked back at her this is what I saw. I laughed so hard, quite a difference from milk! What do ya think, will her shirt ever be the same again?

My Baby's New Baby

2007-02-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

We'll he's officially livin' the dream. I've been hearing him talk about a Porsche 911 convertible for I don't know how long. Jeremy is a rather "spur of the moment" type of person, so Thursday night he was online just looking at cars and it must have really gotten to him because the next day he went out and got himself one. He loves it which makes me happy. Hey babe, you look great in your new car!!
Hmmm, now where's my Canon 5D? :)
(The relection from the sky makes it look kind of blue, but it is black)

What Has Photography Done to Me?

2007-02-16T08:01:00.000-08:00

The other day Britlyn was just on one. She was real whiny and complaining a lot, so I did something I've never done before. I called her by her whole name. Britlyn Leah Warburton. That did it... the flood gates broke and she was just beside herself. Now normally if she was crying because she got in trouble, I would try to calmly talk to her about it and make sure she understood why. Well, I just couldn't resist... She was carrying on sooo much that I just had to grab my camera and document the scene. See what photography has done to me?! My poor baby is in tears (well, not literally, I'll explain in a minute.) and I am shooting away at her. Something funny about her though is that she rarely ever cries tears. Ever since she was a baby she's been like that. I remember the first time I saw her cry tears was at like her 3 month check-up when she got her shots. I about lost it because those tears just started flowing and that was something I'd never seen with her before... It makes crying seem so much more serious when there are tears involved. Here's to documenting the good and the bad. (Just as a side note, I did put the camera down and hold her, rock her, and love her once I was done... Does that make up for being a bad mom? :)

Greece... Need I Say More

2007-02-14T22:28:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit negligent of my blog this week... Well, Jeremy came home yesterday and asked if I'd like to go to Greece this summer.... ummmm....hmmmm.... YES!!! We went to Italy in the summer of '05 and had an AMAZING time! Oh it was sooo wonderful! I think we're going to book it sometime this weekend and I am so excited. When we went to Italy I wasn't into photography as much, but I did find a few shots of that gorgeous country that I thought I'd share since it's on my mind.

I got tagged...

2007-02-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, so Julie, http://thatreddirtroad.blogspot.com, tagged me for 6 weird things about myself, and Megan, http://megan-myeverydaychaos.blogspot.com/, tagged me for 6 things that make me happy. Man, after writing the 100 things about myself, I don't know if I can come up more!! First I'll start off with weird:

#1 - I always want to like the hair wash when I go to a salon, it seems like it should feel so good, but I just can't. It hurts my neck to much.

#2 - I never paint my fingernails, but I always have my toenails painted.

#3 - I have permanant nerve damage in my face from having Bell's Palsy twice. If I pucker up or suck something real thick through a straw my left eye starts to close involuntarily. Not completely close, but about half way.

#4 - People can never quite tell what ethnic background I am. I've been asked if I am Latin, Spanish, Italian, Southeast Asian, Hawaiian, Egyptian, Greek, Native American, and others. I am just English & Danish - not nearly so exotic.

#5 - I love creamed corn, but rarely eat it because my husband makes so much fun of me.

#6 - My ears are slightly too high on my head making it difficult to find sunglasses that don't tilt in on my face. I've even been told I look like a pixie or something because of my ears; on more than one occasion.

Now for happy:

#1 - Watching my girls laugh & play together - love it!

#2 - Taking a really great photograph - I get all giddy & stare at it for so long.

#3 - Going on dates with my husband.

#4 - Having a really good hair day.

#5 - Walking into my parents house - even after 12 years it still seems like home.

#6 - Being home with my family each night with everyone safe & healthy.

Whew! I did it! Now to tag some others. For 6 Weird Things I tag Amy, Kellie, Megan, Tracie, & Tracey.

For 6 Things that Make you Happy I tag Amy, Tracie, Roseann, Kari, & Tara.

And here's a couple pics for your enjoyment :)

It's so hard to say good-bye

2007-02-05T00:21:00.000-08:00

We've had a few rough days since we moved. Poor Britlyn and Makenna miss their friends - especially Britlyn. She is so sensitive (she gets it from me, I cried at everything as a child). There's been a couple days here that I've had to let her just cry it out in my arms, and then we talk about finding new friends and how she never has to forget her old friends, until she feels better. It breaks my heart. I hate seeing my little girls sad. I know it will just take a little more time and they'll be back into the swing of things and loving it here too. I don't know how many times I've heard, "I don't want to live here anymore. I want to go back to Utah." Where we live doesn't have many kids, so they don't have to opportunity to just go out and make friends in the neighborhood. At least they have each other. One of the last days we were in Utah, we had Amara, one of Britlyn's best friends, over to play for the last time. I snaped this of them all together so my girls could have it in their room and always remember.

My Baby is 6 Months

2007-02-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

Time really seems to have gone fast with Ellie. I think I've just enjoyed all her baby stages so far more. With Britlyn she was my first, so I was always wondering when she was going to roll over, when was she going to sit up, crawl, walk, etc. I've seen all those stages before, so with Ellie I've just enjoyed right where she was more and it seems like it's gone so much faster. They just grow up too fast.

Kisses!

2007-02-03T09:42:00.000-08:00

I really like something about this one.

Ellie Belle, you're killin' me

2007-02-01T01:51:00.000-08:00

You have been the best baby up until a week or so ago. Recently you won't go to bed until somewhere between 1:00-2:00am. Britlyn & Makenna go to bed around 9:00 and Jeremy goes around 11:00, so then I am up with you for a couple more hours. I've tried putting you down at 9:00 with the other girls, but after an hour or so of screaming - screaming so hard your hair curls up because you're all wet and sweaty - I finally have to get you so Jeremy can get to sleep for work. I finally get you asleep and then I get to bed around 2:00am, only to wake up at 7:00am to help get Jeremy off to work. I was getting up at 6:30am to go running, but since all this happened, running hasn't been much of a priority... I'm just too tired! Please baby, I need you to get back on your regular schedule! Only positive thing to this is I don't have anything else to do, so I get to blog, read other blogs, or mess around in Photoshop. That is a big positive. Notice the time... there's no way I'd be up doing this if it weren't for you little Els.

I can't decide which I like better on these - the color or b&w
Also, why is it that when I upload my photos they don't look as bright or vibrant as they do when I ps them?

Lollipop, Lollipop, Oh Lolli, Lollipop, Lollipop!

2007-01-31T12:11:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a few recent pics!

Saved from the Cannibals

2007-01-30T08:52:00.000-08:00

Conversation Makenna had with me yesterday:

"Mommy, when someone eats you, I'll save your legs, and when someone cooks you, I'll save your face. I'll save your face and your legs, okay?!"

She seemed so proud of herself. Oh to be three and completely crazy!

Dishes can wait

2007-01-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

I am not very good at throwing what I need to get done to the side and just playing and being with my girls. Sure, I do it for a few minutes at least each day, but not how much I would like to when I stop and think about how fast they are growing up. I get caught up in all the housework and errands that need to get done, and with 3 girls, 4 and under, sometimes I don't get it done as fast or smoothly as I'd like. Here in California people look at me like I'm crazy when I've got all three of them along with me at the grocery store, or Target, or the bank, etc. I don't have a choice though. Jeremy goes to work at 7:40 am and doesn't get home until around 7:00 or sometimes 8:00 pm. I don't know any babysitters yet (we went through a babysitting service for Saturday night - 4 hour minimum is just too long for running errands). So they have to come with me everywhere I go. I don't know how many people have said, "Wow, you've got your hands full." It seems like when we lived in St. George people were more sympathetic to having your children with you and they'd laugh or smile at their craziness. Here it just seems like people get annoyed. My kids aren't horribly misbehaved children either. People just look at me like I am trying to repopulate the world all by myself - come on it's only 3!! Anyway enough ranting! So my baby Ellie has been in a terrible sleep pattern lately. She stays wide awake until somewhere between midnight and 1:00 am. I've tried just sticking her in her bed and letting her cry it out, but after an hour or so the girls and Jeremy just have to get some sleep and so I have to go get her. Last night was no different. I got Ellie out of her bed about 10:30 and finally got her to sleep at 12:30 am. Well, in that time Britlyn came downstairs around 11:30 pm and told me she couldn't sleep. That little girl has so many personality traits like her daddy, and poor thing, occasional insomnia is one of them. Normally I'd make her get back in bed, but for some reason last night I told her she could stay up with me and Ellie. We stayed up messing around on the computer - looking at other blogs. She asked if she could play nick.com for a little while, so I let her while I rocked Ellie and got her to bed. I came back downstairs and asked Britlyn if I could rock her. She said yes and so off to the rocking chair we went. I held her, rocked her, and sang to her. She looked up at me and just said,"Mommy, this is my best night ever. I feel really good right now." Right then I realized I don't spend nearly enough time doing things like that with her. Ellie usually takes precedence and Makenna is more demanding too, so Britlyn usually doesn't get as much. It was one of those moments where everything you do becomes worth it. I told her she'd always be my baby. She asked, "Even when I'm old and you die, will I still be your baby?" I told her of course she would. Then she told me she'd never forget that she loves me. Oh man, you just can't put a price on times like this. She asked me to tell her a story and I was so tired I started to fall asleep while telling it. She was like, "Mommy! What are you doing?" Then she realized I was falling asleep, so she said she'd tell me a story. What a sweetheart. Finally about 1:30 am I told her we had to get to bed. She still didn't seem at all tired, but she willingly went. I really need to be better at letting the dishes wait and having more times like this with my girls.

Now here is one of her favorite bedtime songs - my mom sang it to me and her dad sang it to her, and I'm sure it goes back further than that, but stopping and thinking about the words - it is kinds of a messed up song!

Oh don't you remember
a long time ago
There were two little babes
their names I don't know
They wandered away
one bright summers day
and were lost in the woods
I heard people say
The moon went down
and the stars gave no light
Those poor little babes
how sad was their plight
They sighed and they sighed
and they bitterly cried
Those poor little babes
They laid down and died
And when they were dead
the Robbins so red
brang strawberry leaves
and over them laid
and sand them a song
the whole night long
those poor little babes,
those poor little babes

I know what you're thinking - "What's wrong with you?! Why would you sing a song like that to your kids?!" But you know what? They love it, and I remember loving it as a kids too. So, the messed up tradition continues...

Only in L.A.

2007-01-29T00:55:00.000-08:00

Time for a crazy story... Last night Jeremy and I finally got a babysitter and went on a date. We went to dinner and a movie, but I needed to go to the grocery store before we went home to get some things for dinner today. So there we were walk in the grocery store and we're walking towards an older, kind of homeless looking man, who is just standing there staring at the gin on the shelf. As we get closer he looks over and says, "Man, you must be the luckiest man alive. How'd you get her?" We stop for a minute and laugh. Then he says,"My arm is broken, would you mind getting me one of those bottles of gin and putting it in my arms?" So Jeremy bends down and gets him one. Mind you, he already just reeks of the stuff, so Jeremy says, "Now don't you drink that all tonight." The man just gives a sly grin and a little laugh. We start to walk away and he starts with the, "You really are the luckiest man alive" stuff again and starts to follow us. He then says, "You don't know who I am, do you?" We look at him for a couple seconds wondering why we should know, and then admit to him that we don't know. He says,"I'm Henry Hill." Now for those of you that don't know, Henry Hill was a prominent mobster back in the day. The movie Goodfellas is a story about his life. Jeremy just says, "Come on, are you the real Henry Hill?" He said he was. So Jeremy starts asking him a bunch of questions about his life to see if it really is him. (Jeremy has mounds and mounds of useless trivia stored in his head) He seemed to know everything, so I believed him. He stood there and talked to us for about 20 minutes. He was sooo drunk and was standing sooo close to us. He found out we'd just moved from Utah to L.A. and asked if we were Mormons. We told him we were, and he said he's read the Bible, Koran, and the Torah, and thought maybe he ought to read the Book of Mormon to see if there was something in there for him to help straighten out his life. He leaned toward me like he was going to whisper something in my ear, but then he kissed me on the cheek. It was so funny, he was the drunkest old thing you've ever seen. He actually kissed me again probably 5-10 minutes later, on the cheek. He said if he'd known me back in the day he would've taken me to the Copa. He asked Jeremy if he was a Fed because he was asking him so many questions. He also tried to get Jeremy to open the bottle of gin for him right there in the store, but we told him he'd probably better buy it first. I was buying some basil for the spaghetti I was going to make and he about lost it that I make Italian food from scratch. He's half Italian and has an Italian cookbook out, so he pretty much fell in love with me. :) Just what I always dreamed of, having a drunk, 60 something mobster in love with me. lol He asked if I was a TV star - what a crack up. Anyway, he was quite an interesting guy to talk to. I don't think I can ever watch Goodfellas quite the same... I'll be watching Ray Liotta play this mobster Henry Hill and think - That guy has kissed me! I tell ya, this only happens in L.A.

Simple Joys

2007-01-26T16:43:00.000-08:00

This just melts my heart. Laughter from my girls is just the best!

Can I just tell you how much I love these girls?!

Which one of these is not like the others

2007-01-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

I was doing laundry in my dungeon of a laundry room and I needed to hang up a couple shirts to air dry, but I didn't have a place to put Ellie. Sooo, after looking around for a minute, into the basket she went. She was just way too cute not to take a picture of.

100 Things about Me

2007-01-25T02:59:00.000-08:00

I saw a challenge on another blog to write down 100 things about yourself. I thought it sounded cool, so here's mine:

1. I’ve always wished I was taller
2. I love Italian food
3. I think I am just now figuring out who I am
4. For the most part I am pretty happy with that person
5. I hardly ever get stressed out
6. I am very forgiving, some would say to a fault, but I say where is the fault in realizing
someone’s mistake is not who they are, and looking to see the best of who they really are.
7. I’ve lived in 4 states – all in the west
8. I grew up thinking I didn’t have a creative bone in my body. It wasn’t until I was about 27
that I even realized I did.
9. I think sisters are the greatest thing
10. I get teared up every time I hear the song “Earl” by the Dixie Chicks when Wanda’s friend
Maryanne flies in from Atlanta on a red-eye midnight flight, and feel so stupid about it.
11. I would like to have one more child
12. I have learned so much about myself by being a mother
13. I love being a mommy
14. I’ve never had a female best friend that I could tell everything about me to
15. I have a great relationship with my parents
16. I don’t talk to my siblings enough – 4 brothers, 3 sisters
17. Don’t know who I’d be without my religion
18. I almost drowned when I was 22 and I realized I am not afraid to die
19. I’ve always been kind of a loner
20. I felt so inadequate compared to my sisters growing up
21. I dated far too many frogs before I found my prince
22. I hate getting fat when I’m pregnant
23. I love wildflowers
24. I love photography
25. I get all giddy when I take a picture I really love, andI have to look at it about a hundred
times that day
26. I feel guilty and neglectful when I am on the computer
27. I enjoy being in shape
28. I love clothes, but I don’t have near enough
29. I wish I had an unlimited supply of funds to decorate my house, I love decorating
30. I want to take voice lessons someday
31. I never had braces
32. I love to travel
33. I don’t like soda
34. I’ve gone through way too many hobbies
35. I am horrible at small talk
36. I feel very alone at big gatherings
37. I am shy
38. I have a hard time making friends
39. People have thought I was stuck-up my whole life until they got to know me and then told
me I was one of the nicest people they knew
40. One of my best compliments – I overheard a guy (not one of the toads) tell one of my
roommates in college that I was so real not fake at all. That what you saw was what you got
with me. It made my day.
41. I don’t like to clean, but I hate a messy house
42. Being married has boosted my self confidence so much
43. I am terrible at expressing the way I feel, especially in writing
44. I’m not very organized
45. I hate being late
46. I rarely watch TV
47. The closest I get to reading a book is reading a magazine (photo or decorating)
48. I wish I was funnier/wittier
49. I want a good girlfriend
50. I hate brushing my girls teeth
51. I walk kinda funny (or so I’ve been told)
52. I always wanted to be a model, but I’m 5’4”
53. I’ve never had a flat stomach, no matter how thin I get
54. I call moles beauty marks, and I like the one on my chest
55. I love my hair
56. I have to color my hair because I’m going grey… sad sad
57. I eat tons of fruit, but struggle with veggies
58. I love how it smells outside first thing in the morning
59. I know God loves me because I asked
60. I’m competitive
61. Getting cut from the volleyball team my senior year in high school was devastating
62. I love a good chick flick
63. I detest raw tomatoes
64. My ears sit too high on my head
65. It drives me crazy when people don’t follow through with things they said they would
66. I hate finding babysitters
67. I feel apologetic for things I do too much
68. I love to dream
69. I’m too defensive
70. I don’t own an ipod – gasp, I know
71. I’ve never had my nails done
72. Sometimes I feel like no one really knows me
73. I want to be a funner mom
74. The thought of losing my girls as they get older scares me to death
75. Swimming in the ocean scares me
76. I get in creative slumps sometimes and I hate it
77. I always want dessert when I go out to eat
78. I’m almost never alone, not even in the bathroom
79. I can’t say no to people
80. I hate contention
81. My dad has always called me a leader, but I’ve never seen it
82. I quit college after 2 ½ years because all I ever wanted to be was a mom
83. I met my husband in a job interview (yeah, he hired me)
84. I feel self conscious when I dance
85. Being married is a lot harder than I thought it would be, but also more rewarding in ways I
never imagined
86. The thought of camping is so much better than really doing it
87. I almost always have shoes on – healed shoes
88. I need to stop worrying about what needs to get done, and play with my girls more
89. I was hand-cuffed once for sneaking out of my house when I was 17. I told the cops I was
my sister, who was 18, so they wouldn’t take me home. I snuck back in successfully
90. I’ve never been in a traffic accident when I was driving
91. I hate being hot
92. I sleep with my feet out of the covers
93. I get cold after I drink something
94. I hate foul language
95. I heard my 3 year old say “oh my hell” and felt horrible because she heard it from me.
96. I love to eat
97. I want people to like me
98. I’ve had bell’s palsy twice
99. I never remember to take medicine if I have a head ache or a cold
100. I love being told I’m beautiful

Loving this

2007-01-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

So, I've been feeling like I'm in a creative slump lately - until today. I'm a member of an online photography board and a challenge was issued for shooting fruit. I have to share because I am loving these.

They do listen!

2007-01-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

Conversation between Britlyn and Makenna yesterday in the bath.

Britlyn: Ewww! Kenna, why does it stink? Did you toot?

Makenna: No. I didn’t.

Britlyn: Is that the truth?

Makenna: I don’t want to tell.

Britlyn: That’s not good, it’s not good to not tell the truth. And that’s the lesson. That’s the lesson to always tell the truth.

Can you tell Britlyn's had the lying talk a few times? :) It's nice to know she's listening.

Stir Crazy!

2007-01-23T02:52:00.000-08:00

So we've been in California for 3 weeks now, and I just barely finished getting the house unpacked, put away, and cleaned. Poor Britlyn and Makenna have been going nuts around here! I have been so busy everyday that we haven't had much chances to play. They die of boredom sitting in front of the boob tube, so the other Saturday we took them to Toys-R-Us and bought them some roller skates, a mini trampoline, and a fort playhouse thing all for their outside enjoyment. Well, they can't complain too much because we have taken them to Disneyland, the beach, and a little carnival thing all since we've been here too. I wish there were more kids around here because they do miss their friends, but I am so glad they have each other.

getting it

nope, not quite!

looks like big sis won this time!

A Few Recent

2007-01-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

Here she is at 4 months...

Perfection

2007-01-22T15:59:00.000-08:00

This little angel truly is. Ellie is the sweetest little girl ever. Yeah, she is five months old now, but I love these baby shots of her. She is so good natured, I just love to hold and love her. She's the cuddly type. When I hold her, she lays her head on my shoulder and just cuddles with me. I love to look at her; she is so beautiful. I love her eyes and the huge mop of hair on her head. As any parent knows there just aren't words sufficient to say how you feel about your children, but I hope they can always know and feel how loved they are.

Here I go!

2006-11-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I've finally done it. I've been think about having a blog for a while now, but now I've committed I guess! I mainly want this as a place I can just put down my thoughts about whatever and use it as a place I can share my photography - which I love!

I've really been getting into photography for about 8 months now. It's funny for me to look back at old photos and see how bad I really was! I hope I am still saying that in a year from now. I am far from the skill level I want to be at, but I do see some huge improvement these past 8 months. I hope in a year what I do right now seems bad compared to the level I am at then.

I'm going to post a few shots of two of my girls painting. They LOVE to paint, color, draw, you name it! If they can get their art down on paper they love it. I hope they always keep that creative flare. I never thought I had a creative bone in my body until about 5 years ago, and I turn 30 this month! 25 years is a long time to go without realizing a talent. I want to encourage creativity in my girls always. I hope as they grow they will experiment with it in different mediums to find what they really love. I'll now introduce Britlyn (4) and Makenna (3), and their artwork!