Blessed with Richs

"Tired Much?" March 26, 2011 Photo 365

2011-03-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

"This photo is yet to be named" February 24, 2011 Photo 365

2011-02-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

O.K., so I didn't actually take this one, but I did have something to do with it so I should get some credit, right?!?

"Long Overdue... a 365 picture, that is!" February 16, 2011 Photo 365

2011-02-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

They couldn't be happier... and neither could we!

"Picking the Perfect Purple" February 3, 2011 Photo 365

2011-02-03T06:36:00.001-08:00

"Mommy, I'm not sure why, but pink is just not my thing anymore..."

"Progress" February 2, 2011 Photo 365

2011-02-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

Mission: Wallpaper Removal. COMPLETE!

"Time Out" January 29, 2011 Photo 365

2011-01-29T16:01:00.000-08:00

Maybe out of season, but never out of style. (At least to a four year old boy) January 27, 2010 Photo 365

2011-01-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

Wyatt fell asleep on the couch wearing his favorite shoes... his cleats. I guess he didn't see the need for socks.

"Bird Watching" January 25, 2011 Photo 365

2011-01-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

"Miss Independent" January 24, 2011 Photo 365

2011-01-24T16:13:00.000-08:00

She loves to make her own sandwiches! My little Miss Independent!

"Grandpa Bunny Bunny must be at it again..." January 23, 2011 Photo 365

2011-01-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

This beautiful sunrise was my view form my bathroom window this morning. Beautiful skies always remind me of MeMe and her telling us about how she would read the "Grandpa Bunny Bunny" story to Michael's Uncle Mike when he was little. Even as an adult, he would call her when he saw a beautiful sunset and tell her to look at the sky, because "Grandpa Bunny Bunny was at it again." I always thought that it was one of the sweetest memories that the two of them shared together. And now, whenever I see a beautiful sky, I can't help but think to myself Old Grandpa Bunny Bunny must be at it again!

"Cheap Entertainment" January 21, 2011 Photo 365

2011-01-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

Combine a few trucks, a baking sheet, and a bag of lentils...

... and you have hours of cheap entertainment.

"The Bubbly" January 17, 2010 Photo 365

2011-01-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

Rub-a-dub-dub, two kids in the tub!

"Something blows, and it's not Wyatt and his candles. Oh yes, it's that UGLY cake!" January 16, 2010 Photo 365

2011-01-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's the cutest boy I know blowing out the candles on the ugliest cake I've ever seen.

"Four" January 14, 2011 Photo 365

2011-01-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

Look who's four...

"Snow More Snow!" January 13, 2011 Photo 365

2011-01-22T10:56:00.001-08:00

No more snow... or pictures!

"Tandem" January 12, 2010 Photo 365

2011-01-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

Tandem... plus a dog.

"Snow Pooch" January 11, 2011 Photo 365

2011-01-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

She may look cute and innocent...

But really, she's a hat thief!

"To be Exact..." January 10, 2011 Photo 365

2011-01-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

We got almost 3 3/4 inches of snow!

"Da Bears" January 7, 2011 Photo 365

2011-01-22T10:32:00.000-08:00

Wyatt and his new friend, "Jack."

Allie building her new bear, "Nora."

Fast-forward one year and two months since the last post...

2011-01-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

... and you land here, January 21, 2011. I guess you could say that I fell off the blogging bandwagon, you know, for lack of better words. Well, in an attempt to change that (and because all my friends are doin' it...) I have decided to join the Photo 356 program. Well, at this point, it's the Photo 344 program, but I digress. It's a start none the less!

So, I Caron Rich do so solemnly swear to do my best to take one photograph a day and hopefully, at the end of the year, I will be left with some fun pictures to look back on and enjoy. I can already tell just from having glanced back at the blog form where I left off that time passes too quickly and you can never get those amazing moments back. Kinda wishing I had stuck it out. The time has come to make it right!

Footloose and 'Pull-Up' Free!

2009-11-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

Well, it's time to officially document another milestone in the Rich household! (considering the fact that this blog has turned into the closest thing my kids have to a baby book... but I digress.) Anyway... where were we? Ah, yes. Milestones. I am pleased to announce that as of about a month ago, we are now a diaper and pull-up free home! That's right, folks... Wyatt is 100% potty trained! Can I get a hallelujah? I have been afraid to actually put it into writing for fear I would have to eat my words, but after an entire month accident-free... including traveling for a week to and from Disney World... I think we are finally safe to say it's official. I'm so proud of my little man!

And on a side note, no... we generally do not make a habit of dancing on train tables here. He was playing (too) quietly in his room today, so I went to take a peek to see what he was up to and found him seated in the middle of the table playing away. Of course when I returned with my camera he saw me and was eager 'cheese' for me...

It was only after he saw me that the dancing started. Such a ham! Oh, and I know you are all DIGGING those red 'Big Boys!' I assure you those were his choosing...

The "Twinkie" or "Big Cheese"... Call it what ya please...

2009-11-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

Since her first day of kindergarten, Allie has begged and pleaded with me to let her to ride the bus. Why? I don't know. When I was a kid, I would have killed to be a car rider every day! The idea of Mama driving my pampered butt to school in the mornings and picking me up each afternoon would have rocked my 5-year-old world. Seriously! Anything but the bus... who wants to ride the bus?!?

Who??? My wonderfully independent and free-spirited Allie... that's who.

Ordinarily, this would be no big deal... except for the fact that in our county, all grades ride together... kindergarten all the way up to 12th grade. Same time, same bus. Now I don't know about you, but I for one don't necessarily want my 5-year-old repeating some of the things I know teenagers might say when mom and dad are not around to stop them. I'm just sayin...

Well, this year they finally changed the bus 'rules' and now the elementary kids ride on their very own bus! And so, today...

I gave in...

...and she LOVED it!

Drive In

2009-10-30T18:44:00.001-07:00

Don't ask me. They dream it up... I just take the pictures.

Trendsetter...

2009-10-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

So... a little over two years ago, I tell my family that I am going to start a blog. "A what?" my mom asks. "Ummm... why exactly?" asks my sister sarcastically. I gave them both the same answer. "I just thought it would be a cool way to share quirky little stories about the kids, and tell a little about the things we've been up to, and most importantly... post pictures." (Cuz' you know I gots to add pictures!) Anyway. I don't think they completely understood, but they went along with it. They even read it. (More often than not from what I've heard.)

Well, between the kids, and work, and the fact that I discovered Facebook, (LOL!) the poor ole' blog took a backseat. A month went by, and than two, and then six. And now... almost a year later, it still sits... just the way I left it.

And then one day, my Sister informs me that she has started a blog. (Mmmm hmmmm. So, what? You have a kiddo and suddenly feel the need to share pictures and updates? Like, on a blog? HA!!! Welcome to motherhood, Pam!) And my Mom? Well, it seems that she is now a blogger too! How is it that they both jumped on the bandwagon I fell off?!?

Well! I'm not one to be outdone, so consider this blog re-opened! It will take some work and some serious backtracking to get her going again... but I'm willing to do what I gotta do to keep up with the Jones's. (and the Bell's... and the Burrus's...)

Stay tuned, Folks!

Stolen Stole

2008-11-16T21:18:00.001-08:00

Well. It is cold outside and all.

Ummmm, not exactly. What we really have here is yet another addition to Wyatt's ever growing blanket collection. It's seriously getting out of control! There are a few simple rules we have learned to follow during the accumulation process. Here they are in no particular order...

1. If it's satin... it's Wyatt's
2. If it's soft... it's Wyatt's
3. If it's fuzzy... it's Wyatt's
4. If it belongs to you, but has any of the above three qualities... it's Wyatt's
5. No blanket is off limits & No pattern or color is too girly. If Wyatt likes it... it's Wyatt's
6. All laundry (clean or dirty) is subject to search. Should an item of interest be located therein...
you guessed it... it's Wyatt's

Pretty simple really.

Oh, and you want a actual count, you say?!?!? Here's a quick 'Blankie' roll call...

3 Small Army Green Camoflouge Blankets With Satin Trim
1 Small Blue Satin Blanket With Multi-Colored Satin 'Taggies'
1 Large Off White Blanket
1 Pair of Size 4t Satin Dora Pajama Pants
1 Pair of Size 4t Satin Pink Pajama Pants
1 Pair of Size 4t Satin Turquoise Pajama Shorts
1 Pair of Women's Satin Pajama Pants (Stolen from a bag of stuff I
was going to donate to Goodwill)
1 Cars Child-Sized Fleece Blanket
1 Pair of Men's Basketball Shorts
1 Light Blue Faux Mink Stole With Satin Lining (Ahhh!! A twofer! You can't beat that with a stick!)

Yes, that's 12.

You can only see 5 of the 12 in the pictures. The others are either in the crib or being are being washed. You know, before he notices they are missing or anything.

(oh, and if you look really hard in the first picture... you may catch a glimpse of my favorite pink bedroom slippers. Classy, I know. But yes... he LOVES them, too!)

Tomorrow, Tomorrow....

2008-10-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

That seems to be the story of my life lately! October has been SOOOOO busy... I have not had a minute to myself in I can't tell you how long. I've been shoving things off on tomorrow's to do list for weeks, so naturally the current list is about a friggin' mile long now. It has been an awesome few months to be in the photography business though, and considering the current economic state... I can't complain a bit!! I have been taking so many sessions here lately and have even had two preschools thrown into the mix, adding an extra 130 or so kids on top of it all. Oh well...aside from the fact that my head has not hit the pillow before 3:00 a.m. in weeks I can't complain.

In my daily mad-rush to get everything done, naturally blogging has been on the back burner. (Back burner... like... one of those things you use for cooking, right? Well, that my be kinda a bad analogy for me... my burners are always open since most of you know how much I adore (gag) cooking! LOL!) Anyhoo... sorry about that, dear blogging buddies! I promise I am going to try to do a little catching up. It may take a day or two (or four), but I am going to try to visit everyone's blog and play some serious catch-up.

Until then I thought you may want to see some updated pictures of the kids, so I figured I would post a few to hold you over until I can get back into the swing of things.

And now I present to you the Halloween costume selections for 2008!

XOXO,

Annie and Daddy Warbucks

Blessed

2008-09-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today has been a tough day to say the least. Michael's grandmother, Meme, passed away this morning after suffering through a series of illnesses which gradually weakened her over the past few months. Now I find myself trying to come up with words to describe what an amazing person she was. To simply say that she loved and cared for her family, or that she selflessly gave of herself to help others, or that she was patient and kind to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren cannot begin to describe her and what she meant to our family. In fact the only thing that's seems more difficult to me is putting into words how much she was loved. Or how much she will be missed.

I feel very blessed to have gotten the chance to know and love Meme over the past ten years. I used to kid with Michael and say the only reason I married him for his amazing family ;) If you have a minute tonight, please say a prayer for us all as we go through this difficult time.

Once Upon a Potty...

2008-08-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Today, while sifting through the abyss that is my hall closet, I came across Allie's old potty training seat. I didn't think much of it until I saw Wyatt's curiosity peak. Well, you better believe that I seized the heck outta' that lil' opportunity and promptly stripped Wyatt of his diaper and set the seat on the potty to show him what that gem was used for. I didn't think anything was actually going to happen... but I figured what the heck? Any chance for changing one less diaper was worth two minutes of my time. Well, to my surprise... he knew just what to do and within seconds he was down to business! I was shocked! The funniest part is each time he would go, I would cheer and clap for him... then he would stop and cheer and clap for himself... then quickly return to his 'game face' so he could try to go more. He finally spotted a magazine on the floor and pointed at it. I think the kid may be catching on. Not bad for 19 months!

Beacuse the cat never has her tongue...

2008-08-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Allie always knows just what to say... and just how to say it. (Be sure to watch the video all the way to the end...)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Well... does anyone have room in their home for a beautiful black kitten? It is a little stray that befriended me as I walked in the neighborhood tonight. It has the best disposition and LOVES kids. I would love to keep it... but Turner strongly opposes that notion. Way to share the love, T. So... any takers???

My Indian Outlaws...

2008-08-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

Michael actually had the weekend off last week, which a weekend off in the middle of the summer in his line of work is almost unheard of... but seeing as how WE HAVE NO WATER IN OUR FRIGGIN' LAKE AND GAS IS $4.00 A FRIGGIN' GALLON SO NOBODY CAN FRIGGIN' AFFORD TO BOAT ANYWAY... (whew!!) he managed to swing it.

We wanted to do something different, so we decided to go to Cherokee for the day. Not to mention that there just happens to be one of our favorite BBQ restaurants on the way and we were totally craving it.

The trip was tons of fun! Here are a few pictures from our day...

We started out at all the little shops in town. We let the kids pick themselves out a souvenir. This was Wyatt's first choice but he ended up settling for a toy police car and a cowboy gun and holster. He was satisfied, but thought we were total cheapskates.

This souvenir was a big negatory on Wyatt's end... or should I say "yippie-ki-yo-NO-WAY!!!"

Here they are with Chief Mega-Rip-Off. This dude actually charged 'per camera click', so needless to say I took what I could get with ONE shot. Good way to make a buck (or five...) I guess. Allie is modeling her new headdress and princess necklace while Wyatt watches to make sure the Indian doesn't try anything traumatic... like trying to hold him! (yeah... that was a TOTAL no-go!)

Since it was hot as crap, we decided to take the kids to the river to run around for awhile. This was the hit of the day! They played in the river and had a blast throwing rocks and wading in the water.

If you have seen a picture of Al or read this blog lately... you had to know this pose was coming. I guess it's her signature pose.

Here Wyatt offers step-by-step instructions on the art of rock throwing.
1. Select a rock.
2. Here's and example...
3. Throw the rock.
(repeat as many times as desired)

One last one of Big Al. That's my girl!

Hope y'all have a great weekend! Oh, and Katie... if you are out there in blogger-land... I TOTALLY miss your blog!!! What's a sista' gotta do to get an invite?!? (and getting a sausage of my own is outta' the question!)

Thought some of you Mamas out there might be interested...

2008-07-28T11:29:00.001-07:00

I came across a great deal on Stephen Joseph toddler backpacks on Ebay and wanted to let you all know about it in case you need one for your kiddo or as a gift. These are adorable and the lady who sells them will even personalize them for free with your child's name!! I've seen a friend of mines order and they are just precious. I ordered two today and can't wait to get them. Anyway, $21.90 will get you the backpack design of your choice (and there are lots to pick from), along with FREE embroidery and FREE shipping! I've seen them elsewhere and with shipping and monogramming the total comes to over $35.00!! Anyway, I wanted to pass it along...

While the Cats Away...

2008-07-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

With Allie gone for the night at Camp Meeting, Wyatt seized the opportunity to explore the forbidden treasure chest that is 'sister's room!'

(Please note that the green motorcycle in the picture did eventually trump all. He really is all boy...no really...I swear!!!)

Don't Blink...

2008-07-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

I was passing through the bonus room today heading towards my office to do some work when I saw something that stopped me in my tracks...
It's amazing what can change in the blink of an eye... and even more amazing perhaps is the way things seem to stay the same.
Man, how time does fly.

Been There. Done That.

2008-07-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Got the T-shirt!!Well, I did it! I ran my first Peachtree and it was AWESOME!! I have never seen so many runners in all of my life. If you have any interest in running (or walking for that matter) I definitely recommend trying it at least once. There is so much excitement in the air and there are so many people who show up just to cheer on the sidelines. I really wish I could have had my camera with me to take more pictures, but needless to say I wanted to carry as little as possible. There were tons of photographers there though and they will be posting their pictures on a website throughout the week, so hopefully I will have more to show as the week progresses. In the meantime, here are a few from the day...

Me, along with my brother Tim and my sister Pam in the hotel before the race...

Pam and her hubby, ChrisI decided to drop back so I could start with Tim's group so we could run together. Here we are moving ahead to the starting point. Woo Hoo!!
Mom and Dad kept the kiddos while I ran. They looked too cute and patriotic not to get a picture of... They even had their house dressed up for the fourth. This was them waving goodbye as we drove home last night.

Once we got home we met up with Michael and went to celebrate the fourth with some friends. Living as close to South Carolina as we do, fireworks are easy to come by, so it has become somewhat of a tradition to have a fireworks show each year. Truth be told, the men just like to light things on fire and so this presents the perfect opportunity. There are usually about 30 families contributing to the firework fund, so the result is usually pretty awesome.
Happy fourth, everyone!

Four Days and Counting...

2008-06-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

Beach Bums

2008-06-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

To quote a little Soul 2 Soul (ahhh yeaaa, baby!) it's 'back to life, back to reality' here at the Rich household. We're back from a week at the beach and missing every minute of it. Apparently I missed a lot. (You know who you are and I really, REALLY want a update and especially a picture... but I guess I'll be patient given the circumstances.) Anyway, we had a great week and tons of fun with our friends. All total, there were seventeen... yes that's s-e-v-e-n-t-e-e-n people that went with us and yes, we all stayed in one beach house. The kids had a blast and we were very fortunate that they all got along so well. Now, let's get to what everyone really wants in a blog entry... the pictures. Here are a few of my favorites...

Allie and Wyatt, taking it all in...

Allie LOVED the waves!

Allie & GeorgiaThe jellyfish were really bad one day. Here's one of the four we caught for the kids to look at...

The kids were bummed they couldn't swim much that day, but Wyatt had no problem finding other ways to occupy his time...Allie Loved putt-putt, which btw, I WON. It came down to the all the men and me in a very heated match. On the last hole I came on strong with a hole-in-one to tie the game with Michael. So... on to a tie-breaking hole we went... and guess what??? I got another hole-in-one to secure my victory. Oh, sweet, sweet victory!! (What?!? Me...competitive? Nahhh.)

Here's Allie... my little golfer-in-training.

Allie showing off the pose she now does in all of her pictures. The girls even got hair wraps. Allie learned to jump off the side of the pool! Next step... no life jacket!
I love this shot I got of the two of them!My little beach bum...

I also figured it was about time we had a family portrait taken since... well... we have NEVER taken one before. (Well, other than the d.i.y. one I took for the church directory, but that totally doesn't count. Plus, it was many pounds ago...LOL!) Since I'm usually the one taking the pictures, I never get to be in them myself. So we hired a photographer to come and take some family portraits of us on the beach.

Well, as a photographer you can probably guess I kinda had in mind what I wanted. After a long search, I found just what I was looking for at Beach Bum Photography. David and Jessica are a husband and wife photography team and they were awesome! They were both so sweet and wonderful to work with. Plus, they were totally affordable! Their session fee included a disk with all the images on it so I could crop, Photoshop, and print at my leisure. If you are ever in the Pensacola, Navarre, or Destin area, I TOTALLY recommend them! Here's a few shots from our session...
O.K., so that was more than a few pictures... but what did you expect? I was really happy to get so many shots. They shot hundreds of images... way too many to post so I had to narrow it down as much as possible. Seriously though... If you need some beach pictures and you're in their area you should totally give them a call. You won't find anyone sweeter!

Now, I'm off to comment on some blogs before I start loosing friends...

Best $20 I've spent in awhile....

2008-06-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

I was at a consignment store today searching (and searching... and searching...) for a full-sized play pin and happened upon this little gem. Well, actually Wyatt spotted it first and the look on his face left me with no other option but to take it home with us. As you can see... he is IN LOVE with his new Jeep. Not bad for $20!
BTW, if any of you know where I can find a full-sized play pin... the big old-fashioned square kind, but in a pack and play style... PLEASE let me know. I was lucky enough to find one at the last Kidsignments sale, but we really need one more to take to the beach and to leave at the other grandparents house. I have looked everywhere, so if you ever find one PLEASE let me know. Love ya for it!

Anyway... since the last two posts have been all about Wyatt, I decided that I needed to add one of Allie be fair. So... here's one that will be shown to all potential boyfriends...

Turning four has brought a whole new since of independence. This is most apparent in her choice of wardrobe. She insists on picking out her own clothes and getting dressed all by herself every morning. I think somewhere Stacey and Clinton just threw up a little...

Mama always told me to 'pick my battles...'

2008-05-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

...and this was just not worth fighting a loosing battle over. I mean, have you ever tried to take a blankie from a sixteen-month-old?

Update...

2008-05-16T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I thought I'd give you an update on Dad. First of all I wanted to thank each and every one of you who prayed for my father's healing. Your prayers were truly felt within my family and brought us all comfort during this stressful and frightening time.

God truly was looking out for my dad and I know he answered our prayers as the doctors do not think he had a second heart attack. His enzyme tests, ultrasounds, and x-rays were all negative so that is some AWESOME news. He is, however still in the hospital and is undergoing more tests to find out what has been going on for the last sixteen months.

He is currently taking a stress test (this is Friday 8:15 a.m.) which includes injecting him with dye to watch his heart function on monitors while he exercises on a treadmill. I ask you once again to join with me in praying that the doctors find NO BLOCKAGES or any other potential problems with his heart. The next tests would be heart catheterization and eventually open-heart surgery so we praying to avoid that.

I truly believe that God has preformed a miracle on my dad as he displayed every sign of a heart attack when he entered the hospital but left the doctors in amazement as they could not find any trace that he had actually experienced one. This news is such a blessing to us all as this means there has been no further damage to his heart.

That is all I know for now. Please continue to keep Him in your thoughts and prayers... and thank you again for your kind words. I know I am truly 'blessed' to have such wonderful friends!

Caron

A Prayer Request...

2008-05-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Well, I didn't make my goal of 5 blogs in 5 days. Worse things can and will happen I guess. I wish I could redeem myself with a funny or lighthearted blog, but tonight I need to ask a favor of all my blogging friends out there.

As most of you know, my dad had a heart attack when Wyatt was only two weeks old. Since that time, he has four stints put in to try to correct the problem. Unfortunately, the problems have persisted to spite of the doctors efforts.

Tonight, when Allie and I returned home from Cubbies, Michael told me that my dad had been taken to the hospital and was showing signs of a second heart attack. To put it mildly... I am a bit beside myself right now and I would really appreciate any and all prayers that you might be able to lift up for him. This has truly been a tough week as he also learned that a place on his skin he had biopsied last week showed cancerous cells. His surgery was supposed to be this Friday.

Anyway... it has been a long and exhausting week. Please remember my dad and my mom tonight in your prayers. I ask that you join with us in praying for his complete and total healing both from the heart problems and the skin cancer. I believe that God is an awesome God who had power over all things. Please keep my family, especially my dad Gil, in your prayers tonight. Thanks everyone.

The Calm Before the Storm

2008-05-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Post number Four... all about a (soon-to-be) four-year-old!

Well, tomorrow is party day!! I figured I'd better take a few pictures of Allie and Wyatt in their Care Bear outfits before they get covered in cake, ice cream, candy, and all of the other messy stuff that is bound to wind up covering them tomorrow. So here's a peek at Allie's four year pictures and a few of the she and Wyatt together. Allie (of course) is 'Cheer Bear' and Wyatt... well, 'Grumpy Bear' just seems to fit him lately.

I intentionally waited until 10:00 at night to shoot these because I knew Allie would be happy as a clam and Wyatt would be reeeeeeallly ready for bed. I was hoping to get his grumpy scowl, but these will certainly work too.

Well, I'm off to finish up all of the last minute stuff. I'll post party pics tomorrow if I survive.

Caron reporting live from the LONGEST traffic light on the face of the earth!!

2008-05-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

Three for Three! I'm on FIRE!

Here's a cute video I shot while at waiting at the longest frickin' traffic light ever! I was on the way to drop the kiddos off at my parent's house before the JBJ concert. Wyatt had had just about enough of being tied down in his car seat and Allie and I were were desperate for anything to keep him occupied....

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

'Calling Allie' has become a favorite past time of his. The funniest part about this whole thing was his reaction to seeing himself on the camera when I played it back for them. He LOVED IT!! I had to play the darn video about twenty times over and over for the remainder of the trip. I 'd hit play and set the camera screen facing the back seat for him to watch himself while I drove. Hey, it kept him happy and me sane. Man, I GOTTA get Dora's DVD player fixed!

Rich Girls

2008-05-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

Two for two! Not a bad start!

I thought that in honor of Mother's Day this Sunday, I would devote a post entirely to my little Allie-Kat and I. Nothing against Wyatt... He'll have his turn in a bit. I just thought the Rich women could use a little post to ourselves.

Today was the annual 'Muffins With Mom' breakfast at Allie's preschool. (Doughnuts with Dad was last week, but naturally I have no pictures of that since men are far too macho to think of taking pictures on their own, but I digress...) Anyhoo... back to the muffins. Allie and I had a great time! It was fun to get to spend a little time together, just the two of us. We had mini blueberry muffins and a little OJ to chase it all down with. (Sorry Katie... no mimosas, I guess they were fresh out. And after spending some time with that many three and four year olds... I can see why!)

Allie and I...

Then it was present time! Allie gave me an adorable picture with her hand print and a mini basket filled with chocolate kisses. (which, BTW, she promptly took and ate herself. A gal after my own heart I tell you. She loves her some chocolate!) Here she is adding her name to her work of art...Now fast forward to Wednesday night. I realized that I haven't posted any Awana updates in awhile, so here's her current stats. Allie has now learned around 15 Bible verses and earned tons of Luv E. Lamb and Ernie Elephant patches to wear on her shirt! I am so proud of all she has done! Awards night is in a few weeks and she is right on track to get her first pin!

Here we are all dressed for Cubbies.

Mrs. Angie reading today's totally riveting and action packed Cubby story...

Here's one of Allie and one of her BFF's Georgia. I just thought it was too cute not to share...Well folks. That's all I have for now. I'll be back tomorrow for day three of my blog-a-thon. Y'all have a great night!

It's. My. Life.

2008-05-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

'It's now or never... I ain't posted in forrr-evvvv-errrrr...'

Oh, blogger pals... it's been too long. Far, far too long. The last few weeks have been crazy-busy and we have had tons of things going on. Unfortunately the ole' blog had to take a back seat for awhile. Well... I finally got my priorities straight and I'M BACK, BABY!! Did you all miss me? Does anyone still read this? Hello?!? Anyone?!? Ah, c'mon... you all aren't fooling me. I know you have missed me because I did get a few e-mails asking if I was still alive. I knew you all loved me! Thanks for checking in. I am indeed alive and well. Stressed and tired, but well.

Anyhoo... I actually have tons of things to blog about, so my goal is to break it down in to several posts over the next few days. I'm trying to avoid writing a novel, so maybe this will help. And so... since my priorities are now 'in order', let's start with the most important event first...

And you thought I would start with the kids... silly you! Some mom I am, right? Don't worry, I'll get to the kids soon enough. Now where was I? Ah yes, Bon Jovi!! Oh, it was a great, great, GREAT concert indeed!! We went with a huge group of our friends and had a total blast! Chris Daughtry (from American Idol) opened and they were really good. We only caught the last few songs, but we got to hear the ones we recognized, so it was cool.

Here's a few of Daughtry...

And now, here's a few for Chris! Our seats were behind the stage but our I thought our they were awesome! We got the bird's eye view and the huge screens moved all over so we didn't miss a thing!

The special effects were great! Here his video image is shown on the stage. I thought it was awesome!JBJ and Daughtry together singing Blaze of Glory. Incredible! It's hard to believe how amazing Daughtry sounded. He had some big shoes to fill but I was totally impressed!!A blogger hook-up! Chris and I got to say a quick 'hi' after the concert. Here we are... two happy gals after an AWESOME night out!
Unfortunately they don't allow professional cameras in, so I had to take my little point and shoot instead. Bummer. I was even more bummed when I realized that I had grabbed my small memory card instead of my big one, so I was totally limited all night. I had to shoot and delete when I would run out of room. No fun. Oh well, at least I got a few. After accidentally deleting the video of Bed of Roses ($%#@) I did manage to get another short video before running out of space...

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Yes, It was an awesome night! I even refrained from flashing 'the twins' at everyone which is more than I can say for the girl who sat a few rows behind us... and let me tell ya... she was no featherweight. Ughhh!! That was more flesh than I cared to see. It was great for laughs though. Oh well... I still consider myself a fan even though I choose to keep the gals covered. I'm already looking forward to the next concert already!

I'll end the post with these two pictures.

Since we're on the subject...this is Allie's tribute to the big hair of the 80's... a.k.a. 'trampoline hair'. It does this whenever she jumps.

Well, one post down... tons to go. 'Muffins with Mom' is tomorrow (ooohhhh... I know you're totally jonesin' for pictures of that action!!) and Allie's birthday party is this Saturday, so keep checkin' in! I'm setting myself a blogging goal. A 'quota,' if you will. I am going to try to post for the next five days straight, and I need your help to hold me to it. It might be something quick and simple or it might be something totally thought-provoking and profound (ummmmm...yeah. lmao). Who knows. All I know is I have some SERIOUS catching up to do and I'm ready to face my inadequacies and try to become a better blogger. I guess that would mean I'm joining "BB" instead of "AA" HA! Oh, it's tooooo late and I'm toooo sleep deprived. Obviously!

...so with that 'I say... Have A Nice Day'!

Easter In a Nutshell (or should I say 'Eggshell'?)

2008-03-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll spare you form starting this post like I have the last one or two (or six) posts... with 'sorry it's been awhile, things have been crazy, yadda, yadda, yadda...' Anyway... I'm here now, and that's what matters, right? Right!

Anyway... I'm glad to see that everyone had a great Easter! I have read all of your posts, but I have not gotten to comment yet. I figured I better catch up with my posting while I had a few minutes on my own to think straight. ('cuz y'all know that doesn't happen often...)

Let's start with Easter! We had a busy morning as usual which consisted of me dashing around frantically to get everything ready for the day. (All this after going to bed at 4:45 the night...err... morning before, but I'll get to that in a second...) I had to get everyone dressed and ready, teach my Sunday School class, and then play hand bells during the 11:00 service. We did manage to get the morning off to a good start. First thing's first...

Easter Baskets!! The Easter Bunny came by and brought some good stuff for the kiddos...

We decided to do things a little different this year. We usually go to Michael's grandmothers house or to my parent's house, or struggle to do both. Well, this year we decided to let them come to us. We invited my family up for lunch at our house and it was AWESOME! We actually got to enjoy the day since we weren't rushing from one place to the next. Mom, Dad, and my brother Tim even came up for church, but Tim decided to rest at the house instead. He was diagnosed with Mono last week, so I'll cut him some slack... but just this once. Chris and Pam came up right before lunch, so we all got to spend the day together.

After church, we all went outside to take pictures by the cross. The cross is put up in the courtyard and everyone brings fresh flowers from home to hang on it. By the end of the morning it is covered with all different kinds and colors. It is amazing to see in person. We have taken a picture by it each year and it is a great way to see how the kids have grown.

Here we are...

Dad & Mom

D-Daddy, Moo-Moo, & Allie
(Wyatt is coming down with an ear infection (ughhhh), so he was not feeling too cooperative at the time)Wyatt...
Allie...Allie and Sarah. The two have known each other their whole life are absolutely joined at the hip. I was devastated this week when I found out her family is moving to Columbus this summer. I haven't had the heart to tell Allie yet. I'm waiting to tell her so the thought isn't hanging over her head for the next few months. I dread that task... it's going to break her heart.

Next stop... FOOD! I made everything myself, which I must say was totally delicious to spite the fact I usually hate to cook. I actually had a lot of fun making it all though! Maybe I don't hate it so much after all. I cooked all of my favorites... a spiral glazed ham, homemade baked macaroni and cheese, sweet potato souffle, green bean casserole, rolls, and made a whirlwind cake and icing. (I did stay up until 4:45 am the night before, but it was totally worth it!) It was all so good! I totally had to talk a day off the ole' diet to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I didn't go overboard, but man... it was good!

We all got to spend the day together as a family and it was great to have everyone up for a visit. I really hope that one day we can get all of the family to come to our house for holidays. We really missed being with Larry and Nancy and the rest of the family, but we're glad they got to continue the tradition of Easter at MeMe's.

Now, let's rewind to Saturday. Our church had a huge Easter Egg hunt for all the kids. It was a gorgeous day and they all had a blast.

Allie and (of course) Sarah... before the huntAnd they're off! While it looks like Allie is dodging a pile of dog poop, she is actually stopping short to grab a egg she almost missed out on. I could have had some fun in Photoshop with that one... Showing Wyatt her loot...

Score!

Ah, Sam! The apple of Allie's eye. This kid is such a doll!!
Showing off the eggs he found...Wyatt enjoying his one and only egg. He actually found two, but as he ate the one shown here some kid actually robbed his basket of the other egg. Nice huh?!? Wyatt didn't seem to care much though.

Sam, Wyatt, and Bonnie Greer emptying all their eggs so they can be used again next year...The hunt was so much fun. They had all kinds of activities for the kids before and after the hunt. One of which was bubbles. This picture might look like no big deal to the average parent... but to me it means progress. Allie has never been able to blow out her candles or blow bubbles on her own. It's all related somehow to her speech issues. We've been working hard, and she can now do it all by herself!! I am so proud of her!!

And finally, here's their official Easter picture...

Well, that about covers it. We have been working hard lately to paint and redecorate the house, so hopefully I will have some pictures to show for it soon. We got a new table, new curtains, and I framed tons of pictures of the kids for the shelves. I think it's going to look good when we finish... but finding the time to to it is the trick. I'm just ready for a change! Well, y'all have a great week!!!

Sickness, BE GONE WITH YOU!!!

2008-03-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

What's up everyone?!? No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth, and yes, I did survive the 80+ hours I volunteered at the Kidsignments sale! I know some of you who went and experienced the chaos first hand probably wondered...

1) Is Caron completely crazy for voluntarily subjecting herself to this?
2) What time will these people get to go home tonight?
and
3) Will the line ever make it to under4 hours long?

Well...

1) I don't think so... but I'll let you judge for yourself
2) 3:12 a.m. was the latest we got out
and
3) Yes! it took some doing, but we didn't stop 'till the last tag was cut!

So was it worth it? Heck yeah, baby!! I got tons of great deals and lots of adorable things for the kids. Plus, it's always awesome to get to hang out with all my friends I work with twice a year. It was also great to see Andrea and Lara, and finally meet Chris and Tara in person!! I wish I could have seen y'all more... we'll just have to plan it better next sale!!

Unfortunately, working the sale has been the about the most exciting thing that's happened around here lately. It seems that 2008 is turning out to be 'the year of the antibiotic' for us. This is way out of character because generally speaking, we rarely get sick! I don't know... it's like there's some kind of beacon light flashing above our house, just begging the viruses and crap to 'STOP HERE!' Or maybe 2008 just happens to be the year the stars and the planets align just right creating some kind of weird gravitational pull that automatically sucks germs and funky illness towards the kids. I mean really... we have never had as many issues around here as we have had lately.

The year started off with your classic 'mini-flu', which is every bit as bad as the regular flu, but just doesn't last as long. Then came Mr. Cold, which naturally brought his good friends Cough and Wheeze. Ear Infection stopped by for awhile. Even Fever who we rarely see has made a few appearances here lately. Needless to say Sleep took off as soon as he saw those guys coming. Finally Penicillin and Albuterol laid down the law and things quited down. Peace was in sight. That is, until the One Year Molar Twins showed up and interjected their own bit of chaos in to the mix.

So, is it over??? Are we finally getting a break form prescriptions, and Kleenex, and nebulizers? Ummmmm, that would be a big, fat NEGATORY. (sorry, I just had to reference that... the definition #3 was just hilarious!) So where was I?? Ah, yes... so today ole' Stomach Virus found out that he'd been missing out heck of a party at 'Casa De Rich' and was slightly peeved that he hadn't been a part the preceding festivities. So he decided to drop by today and went straight for first victim... Wyatt. Of course Michael was at work, so I had the joy of cleaning up the aftermath all by my lonesome. His crib resembled a scene from the Exorcist. I had no idea one kid could possibly puke that much. And to top it off, Wyatt has recently invented a new game called 'Lets pull the crib sheet off the mattress so mommy has to put it back on'. This great game is played daily now, not just at night, but at naps as well. Well, needless to say the game was over and the sheet had been successfully removed leaving the bare mattress to catch the brunt of it. All in all, I had to wash the mattress, the sheets, the bumper pads, the crib skirt, and scrub the carpet. All of this, of course after I bathed Wyatt. I had to put him in the tub fully clothed and still holding his blanket. After I got him cleaned and dressed, I had to clean the tub, start the nasty load of laundry, and scrub the affected pacifier. I finished all this... washed my hands, and turned around just in time to see round two hit. This time... kitchen floor. At least this was easier to clean.

Fortunately it was gorgeous today so we played on the porch a lot. The warm weather couldn't have come at a better time because Allie got to run around while Wyatt took it easy and enjoyed the fresh air. It took his mind off of how bad he felt. And don't think that I hadn't thought about the fact that you can simply hose off a deck when something nasty happens. Carpet... not so much!! Anyway, after four or five more episodes and a few changes of clothes... I think we are past the worst of it. I am sooooo praying that Allie dodges the barf bullet. (But seeing as how we just aren't that lucky... I must confess that I completely lined the carpet in her bedroom with towels in case we get any action tonight. 'Cuz hey, if there's one thing I hate more than scrubbing barf off a carpet, it's scrubbing barf off a carpet at 3:00 in the morning... ya feel me?!?!

Anyway... sorry to gripe so much! A lot of this 'blog update' (O.K., 'vent'...whatever...) stems off my sheer frustration towards parents who insist on sending their kids to school or church or any place when they know they're sick. I mean, I know we're all bound to get sick sometimes... but if Little Sally has a fever and strep throat, PLEASE... for the love of God, don't take her to the McDonald's playground to 'cheer her up' until she is totally well. (Yes, I actually encountered this last week. And yes, I did refrain from informing that mother that she in fact, was a 'effing idiot who showed blatant disregarded for the health and well being of other people's offspring. Yep, I kept my mouth shut alright. Oh ALRIGHT!! Who am I kidding... y'all know me too well. The fact of the matter is I'm a total wimp who avoids confrontation like the plague. If I had any kahunas at all that day, I would have explained to that dumb woman that she was now responsible for the four insurance co-pays we'd have to fork out at $40 a pop, plus another $20 each for medicine. I would have then handed her a calculator, seeing as how as she probably would have needed one to do the simple addition necessary to calculate how much she owed me for her stupidity. I would have then quickly yanked the calculator back, telling her to allow me being that she was probably not intelligent enough to figure the math out on her own. Because after all... if she had any speck of intelligence or common sense about her she would have NEVER MADE THE DUMB ASS DECISION TO BRING A SICK AND CONTAGIOUS CHILD TO PLAY WITH OTHER KIDS!! Sheesh... I told you I had some frustration. Anyway... it's the same kind of thing at school and church... kids barely get over a virus and boom... parent's bring 'em anyway. I hate to be so grumpy, but sickness has already taken a huge chunk out of our year and I am ready to move on with it!

Anyway, I promise to be back in a better mood and with any luck, some better things to blog about. Until then, here are some of the shots from Wyatt's one year pictures. Naturally, Allie wanted to be in on it too, so I took a few with her.

I hope you all are doing well! I'm off to check in on every one's blog!

Overboard...

2008-01-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

I don't know... does the purple necklace make it a bit over the top?

Well, Allie has officially been bitten my the make-up and accessory bug. She loves to play with her pretend make-up, and especially loves the real lip gloss she got from her second cousins. We have to play it several times a day... and only slightly disturbing is the fact that Wyatt likes to get in on the fun too. I'll wait awhile before I get too concerned...

Excerpts From Week One In The Adventures Of learning To Self-Feed...

2008-01-22T17:25:00.000-08:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

He was actually doing great with the spoon... right up 'till the point when I started recording him! Kids love to make liars out of you! Oh well... I am happy to have gotten one of his 'growls' on camera. What do you expect... he's full-blooded Bulldog!

And since we are on the topic of food... here's the rundown on Wyatt's birthday. Since the 14th was on a Monday, we waited until the following weekend to celebrate with family. I couldn't help but feel a little conflicted about doing it on a day other than his actual first birthday. I told myself 'Dude, he's one and he doesn't even know what's going on' and that 'I need to quit being so firggin' OCD about pointless crap' I mean, I know he won't remember it or anything, but I still felt like I was cheating him somehow.

Adding to my guilt was the memory of Allie's first birthday party. We threw her a huge Luau (on her actual birthday, no less), complete with lays and awesome decorations and tons of food and guests. It was awesome, and so memorable! I think I'm just worried that I'm becoming 'that mom,' the one who tries and tries but just can't keep up with her second baby as well as she did with her first. I'm realistic about it... it has to happen to some degree since time obviously gets divided with two, but I just don't want Wyatt to look back at pictures and feel like he was overlooked. Besides, having a birthday that just happens to follow the chaos of Christmas can be a problem in and of itself.

I think part of it might be that I feel a little selfish having returned from the ski trip only one day before Wyatt's birthday, which suddenly made me realize that I hadn't even planned a party for him. Or maybe it's just the fact that I can hardly believe my baby boy is already an entire year old. Anyway, needless to say... I'm already trying to think of something great to do for his second birthday! I just hope time doesn't fly by quite as fast...

Well, enough of that... on to the pictures!

Wyatt wisely chose Johnny Carino's for the occasion and it was a darn fine choice if I might add.

Here he is after dinner with his homemade... er... Publix cake.

Alright, time to loose the shirt and get down to business...
Here you see his first attempt at feeding himself with a utensil other than his bare hand. Now that's what I call concentration... meticulously watching said utensil for any sudden or unforeseen movements, and guarding against potential miscalculations by the untrained operator (which could prove to be catastrophic...) Wyatt quickly notes that the hand is much quicker and far more efficient...He also notes that he loves him some CAKE!!

A little bit of Park City in our own backyard...

2008-01-19T18:34:00.000-08:00

O.K., first off a rant. Sorry, but I GOTTA VENT! I want you all to know that I had worked long and hard on this post last night. I actually had it completely done. Finished! Complete! I went to click 'Publish Post' and it told me it was 'unable to do so at that time'. No problem, right? I'll just hit 'back' and re-try it, right? WRONG! When I hit back to try again... the handy-dandy little 'auto-save' feature obviously had some issues of it's own and none of my post had been saved. No, wait... I take that back... it saved the FIRST TWO SENTENCES OF MY POST! That's it! Let's just say I took it about as well as Katie took her 'rainbow cookies burning in the fires of Hell ' In fact, I do believe I quoted her little rant verbatim. Yeah... I was a little mad. So, it was lost. And I had to start over. But not last night. Today. Because last night, well... I was honestly afraid at what I might do if I stayed within punching distance of the computer.

Whew... sorry for that, but I had to voice my frustrations towards Blogger and it's 'Auto-Save' that is not-so-much 'auto' and only 1/4589th 'save' A word to the wise... click 'Save Now' from time to time and save your frustrations for more important things. Like scorched cookies.

Anyway... back to the post. The Georgia snow has come and gone, and so have my dreams of keeping the blog up to date. I have been trying for days to find the time to post some pictures from our ski trip, but yeah... that ain't happened. Fortunately for me, Mother Nature seems to have given me a free pass and allowed to kill two birds with one stone. (Sorry about your birds, Mother Nature...)

So, first... our ski trip. Several years ago, some friends of ours decided to plan a ski trip each year in January. Well, this worked great until we all started having kids. First it was Erin, then Jennifer and I the next year, and finally Dawn. We managed to go three of the past five years, and the husbands even managed to finagle a guys-only trip once. Not too shabby considering there are nine kids between the four couples. Anyway, the first year we went to Lake Tahoe, then Banff, Canada the second, and this year to Utah. We look so forward to the trip each year and we always have a blast! Not to mention that it is nice to have some 'kid-free' time with our friends.

Now to the pictures...

Day One: We started off our trip at Park City. (This was my favorite!)

Here we are waiting in the she ski rental store...

The girls... Erin, Me, Jenn, and Dawn (What do you want to bet that she is actually smiling under that mask?)

This was the view looking down on to one of the restaurants on the mountain. Here you see two half-frozen Richs, looking a bit rough at the end of the first day.

Day Two: The Canyons. This place was also really nice, but a bit of warning to the newer skiers (like myself) who don't have the skills or the sheer stupidity required to do the crazy, thrill-seeker slopes. There were no green trails present at this resort. (Even though the 'effing web site clearly stated that there were...) So if you're coming lookin' for the bunny slopes, well... you'll just be S.O.L at The Canyons. The blues are great and pretty manageable if you have some experience, though.

Jennifer and Alan on the sky car up to the resort.

(Left to Right) Some Random Snowboard Guy, Jenn, and Erin on a ski lift. (Bottom Right) Two random and lost-looking skiers. Brad looking at a trail map while Jennifer feels the effects of altitude sickness. I felt so bad for her... she felt terrible that day!Day Three: Alta (and yes, the sky was really that blue... it was gorgeous!)

The view form the top...Here we are in front of our condo on the last day... sad to be leaving, but so excited to return home to our kiddos.

And speaking of which... being that we are the most thoughtful, wonderful, loving, and caring parents around... we brought the kids back the best surprise we possibly could... SNOW! Well, so the snow came a few days after us, but who cares. The kids loved it!

Here is my little Snow Princess... just slightly happy about getting to 'play in the snow like Caillou'! (B.T.W., does any other mom out there happen to hate that whiny, bald headed little cartoon freakshow as much as I do? And what about his parents... total jobless pushovers with never-ending patience who totally allow the brattiness? Anyone?? Well... maybe I just have some deep-rooted Caillou-hate built up. Maybe I should look in to some therapy...) So where was I? Ah, yes! Allie, my beautiful Snow Princess...

Finally getting to try out her new snow boots...

...and loving the prints they leave behind.

Here she is trying out my latest, greatest invention! It's a snowball maker! This fabulous little creation lets you make snowballs without ever laying a glove the snow! Because, really... who out there likes cold, wet gloves??? O.k., so it's a measuring cup. (which I've heard is used for cooking, which it that thing where you prepare meals yourself at your own home. Needless to say that little cup got more action that it's seen in awhile. I'm just not much of a cook!)

Figuring Wyatt was too young to enjoy the snow, I kept him inside while Allie played on the back porch. However, when he saw her outside... well, let's just say he would have no part of that. He went straight into tantrum-mode and totally freaked at the idea he was not included! So I bundled him up and let him go out and play with too. My bad, Wyatt! Excuse the heck outta' me... Who am I to underestimate you? Here's my handsome little Snow Monster, hamming it up as usual. The hat lasted almost as long as the snow itself, which was gone in no time.

Well, that's it. Consider yourselves almost up-to-date. I still have to post the pictures of Wyatt having his first taste of birthday cake. But, you know... I'll get to it. Sometime.

For my precious little Birthday Boy...

2008-01-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We're OFF!!

2008-01-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Well, it's been awhile once again. Long story short... the kids got the virus the day after after Michael came down with it. Which, if you are following the natural chain of events means I got it as well. I was the sickest of all... it took me almost 9 days to completely recover, which thoroughly sucked. But, I'd much rather it be me than my one of my babies so I guess things work out for the best. Still sucked, though. Anyway... sorry I have not read any of your blogs lately. Just know I am having withdrawal, so I'll do my best to catch up on them soon, I promise!

Anyhoo... in better and drastically more exciting news.... we are leaving first thing tomorrow for Park City, Utah for our long awaited Ski trip!! WooHoo!! We are going with all of our closest friends and sans kiddos, so there should be some good times and plenty of great pics to follow!

While I am really exited, I am having a surprisingly hard time leaving Big Al and Dub. Most days I would kill to get an afternoon away, let alone score a whole night to myself. But when it comes down to it, it just gets...well...strange for me. This is the first time I have been away since Allie was 9 months old. Today we had the sobering task of updating out Will and preparing the power of attorney. I tell ya, all the 'what if' details just made me cry like a baby. That coupled with the fact I could greatly benefit from a bottle-and-a-half of Xanax with a Valium chaser in order to board a plane calmly makes for a tearful day... but I'm sure I survive. No jokes though... I friggin' hate to fly! I always have. Funny considering my brother-in-law is a pilot, and a darn good one at that. Nothing personal... love ya, Chris... but planes... not so much. The noises, the recycled air, the engine failure, o.k., enough of that.

So... we're off! We'll be back on Monday, and with any luck I'll be fully intact with no sprains, broken bones, concussions, or stories of having my life flash before my eyes as the plane spiralled wickedly out of control... Hmmm... just where is that bottle of Xanax????

Y'all have a great week!!!

Basically, the month of December in ONE SINGLE POST!

2007-12-28T11:24:00.001-08:00

Grab a drink and a snack and make yourselves comfortable, folks. It's gonna be a long one.

It's the post you have all been waiting for!! (Well, at least the post the grandparents have been waiting for...) CHRISTMAS!! Since I have been a total slacker over the past month when it comes to blogging, I am just going to post tons of pictures and let them do the talking. 'Cuz lets face it... the pictures are the best part anyway!

I'm going to do my best to get all this in somewhat of an order.

First, we had a party at my parent's house on December 16th. This was for my mom's side of the family. We all brought a covered dish and there was tons of seriously awesome food like Honey Baked Ham, turkey, rolls, green bean casserole, and my specialty...baked macaroni and cheese. It smelled soooo good... but I was so strong and resisted it all!!! Even the Godiva Chocolate cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory! And that my friends, took some friggin' will power if I do say so myself!! After dinner, the adults played a super-fun game we made up to hand out the white elephant gifts while the kids each got 'real' presents to open.

Here's Allie waiting as patiently as a three year old can wait...

After dinner she and Kate wasted no time and dug right in...

Here's Michael's look of 'yes, I do take a genuine interest in all things Care Bear' as Allie shows off the 25th anniversary bear and DVD she just opened. He was quite proud of himself since he was the one who picked that gift out for her. (Yep, she totally has him wrapped around her little finger!)

At first Wyatt thought he would rather cruise around the gifts than open them...... but after a little help from Cole he soon got the hang of it The result... one happy boy! He was so glad to get his first big boy toy. His baby toys were getting a little boring for his taste, and Allie's dolls and princess stuff are just not suitable options for guy who exhibits macho qualities, like himself!

Allie shows him how to work his new truck

My happy boys...

Next, Granny had a surprise for all the women. She gave each of us a beautiful wind chime that she had made herself out of silverware and beads. The silver belonged to both her and her mother, my great grandmother. They were absolutely beautiful and sounded so pretty. I can't imagine how long she worked to get them all made! I love anything handmade... especially if has sentimental value like the wind chimes!

Now off to Christmas day. Michael likes to be home Christmas morning so the kids can wake up in their own house. I guess it's kind of our tradition, but I think it's a good one.

Here's all the presents Santa left... Allie's loot......and here's Wyatt's. Turner made sure to give it a thorough inspection first. We added his truck in so it didn't look like all got was boring ole' clothes.
Next the kids opened their wrapped presents. Allie got some Care Bear pajamas, which I might add, are now a favorite and considered proper attire for all day wear. Sometimes we parents have to pick our battles, right???I give you the people's exhibit A. The p.j.'s went into immediate action and were paired with the pink guitar she had asked Santa for repeatedly for the last two months.

At this point Wyatt is an ole' pro at the whole present thing. He went straight to his stuff. Too bad I... er... 'Santa' was a total looser and didn't bother to read the box that said 'adult assembly required'. Dub was a good sport though and played with everything else while mommy put it together.
After all the presents were opened and each toy had its four minutes of glory, the madness of Christmas officially began. Both families live in Georgia, which is great... but makes holidays totally hectic.

My family is an hour and a half away form our house. Michael's is an hour away from my parents house, and then it's an hour from his family's house back to ours. To try to make things fair, each year we try to spend the majority of time with one family and then travel to the other family's house for a short visit. Then, the next year we switch. Ya still with me??? It's the best we can do. We try to stay on the same rotation as Michael's sister and her family who come every other year from Texas.

This year it was my family's turn for the 'biggie', so most of the pics are from their house.

Mom (aka Moo-Moo) made us each a scarf and some mittens to match! Allie loved hers just a little bit!

Here we are showing them off...Here's Dad, as happy as a kid on Christmas!And now I have a confession. Well,... you see... my mom... well,... my mom is a hooker. A rug hooker, that is. She loves it and is very, very talented at it. She hooked my sister and I each a rug for Christmas. Here is Pam with hers...

And here's mine... it's a portrait of Turner! I took a picture of him with it so you can see how amazingly similar they are! Man, I LOVE ME SOME HANDMADE PRESENTS!!!
Yes, I realize this one needs some explaining...

Last year about a week before Christmas, the mail truck that delivers my parent's mail caught on fire. The mailman was able to save some stuff, but most was lost completely. The crazy part was that the USPS never bothered to tell anyone. They simply delivered the charred remains of letters and scorched sections of boxes. The gift that my mom had ordered for my brother-in-law was totally melted and black! It was only after my dad called to report it that they got the whole story. Way to go, snail mail! That's what I call dependability. So this year, my dad jokingly burned the packaging of Chris's present.

Next comes Michael's family.

New house... new presents to open!

Wyatt loved the singing , rocking puppy on a sleigh.

And Allie liked her new Doctor's Kit

She made Dr. Poppy test it out right away.Michael showing a little gratitude gangsta' style for his new ski hat. We can't wait to leave for that trip!!!

Sadly, this is the only picture I have of my poor Mother-In-Law. (Sorry Nancy!!) Things were hectic and We all were totally exhausted. I meant to take pictures of the kids with Nana and Poppy and Uncle Jon-Jon but my brain just quit. This picture was the result of Jonathan sticking two bows down on the ottoman right as Nancy went to sit. Classic! She had no idea!!
After she finally found out, she actually moved them to another choice spot a bit north of the belt... I tried to snap a picture of it, but I was not quite fast enough. Dang! It would have been for you, Katie and read a little something like this... "You like my bows? They're real. My bows." I'll be more on my game next year...

Finally, I leave you with this little jewel of a picture...

'What's a guy gotta do to get a little supervision around here?'

Yep, there's just no denying what happened here. It was one of those situations where I thought Michael was watching Wyatt, and Michael naturally assumed I was watching him. I knew there was trouble when I found Michael enthralled in a T.V. show and the house was eerily quiet. It was one of those quiets where you just know something is up. I dashed down the hallway and Michael bolted from the couch and we began the semi-frantic search for my mischievous little guy. We found him in Allie's room consuming the last of about 10 pieces of foil-wrapped chocolate from a goody bag her Sunday School teacher had given her. Yep, foil and all! Whoopsie. (Note to self: in the future, check kids rooms for hidden baggies of candy, food, or other consumables.)

Well, you've reached the end at last!! Sorry for the marathon-post. It took me days to type this little novel. And, to top it all off, Michael woke up with the Flu this morning so the interruptions were... um... slightly multiplied. I could say 'I told you so' and bring up the fact that he was 'just too busy to wait the fifteen minutes at the doctor's office' for the nurse to give him the shot, but me being a loving, caring, forgiving wife... well, I just won't even go there.

Oh, and tomorrow is my birthday!! WooHoo!!

A little Post Christmas Dance Session

2007-12-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I promise my hiatus from blogging is almost over. I'm going to try my best to post all of the Christmas stuff later tonight, but until then I wanted to post this little video. It's for Chris mostly... (you'll hear why) but I thought everyone might want to see what the kids were doing while Michael and I tried to find a place for all the new stuff Santa brought. Naturally I missed all of the really cute action while searching for my camera, but you get the idea.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Weekend Update (Chris... if you are the least bit nauseous you may wanna skip this...)

2007-12-17T21:45:00.000-08:00

What??? A blog entry with no pictures??? TRUST ME, you'll thank me for it later.

Ah yes, the chaos of the season continues. I had to take Wyatt to the doctor Saturday morning ('cuz the kid can't seem to get sick during weekday office hours, mind you...) Anyway...the doctor said she thought it was Rota Virus or something equally as disgusting. I am completely and totally convinced that it is some of the nastiest funk a kid can possibly get. I mean AWFUL!! He's had about 10 to 12 huge, nasty poopy diapers each day and and 6 (count 'em, S-I-X major blowouts that involved entire outfit changes (socks included), carpets scrubbed, my comforter being washed, and his sheets being changed REPEATEDLY. And this ain't no ordinary poop either. This is some crazy, nasty, mutant-shizz that is the gnarliest smelling thing you have ever smelled in your life! Wowza!!!. To top it all off his poor little butt is so red and raw. Nooooo fun! I'm sure I don't even have to mention the fact that he has been just a touch whiny because of all of this. My poor, poor little boy! Oh well. I'm hoping we're entering the home stretch of this nastiness and that it is gone by Christmas.

In other (not-so gross) news... Wyatt got his first haircut on Sunday!! We just buzzed the back and sides and left the top alone. He looks so cute and grown up!

We also went to watch Allie sing in her preschool's Christmas musical. It was adorable and the kids did great! I promise to post pics tomorrow. For now... I'm off to bed. I'm headed down towards Atlanta tomorrow to finish up some Christmas shopping. Michael is going to watch the kiddos, so I get to go alone! Like, with no kids! Like, TOTALLY by myself! No car seats, no strollers, no potty breaks, no falling asleep when we are 3 minutes from the store, no nuthin! Can you tell I am a little happy to get out???

Y'all have a great week!!

All I want for Christmas is some time to blog!

2007-12-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

Well, that's not all I want, but you get the idea...

O.k., so just saying I have been 'busy' is the understatement of the year. Maybe even of the century. Things have been C-R-A-Z-Y around here. I have been working like a mad woman to keep up with my business, and the house, and the kids, and all the events going on at Allie's preschool. It's a madhouse I tell ya. So... my apologies for neglecting the ole' blog.

Anyhoo... each year the preschool hosts a fund raiser called 'Snack with Santa.' The name in itself is pretty much self explanatory, but it's where the kids get to go make Christmas crafts, eat tons of good finger foods, watch a puppet show, and most importantly, they get to sit ole' Santa's lap. It's tons of fun for the kids... well... at least for those not afraid of poor Santa.

Sadly, I don't have any pictures to go with all the fun and excitement the evening offers. (((((gasp!!!))))) But I do have good reason. Each year I get play 'Santa's little photographic helper' (minus the kickin' elf outfit) and take all the kids pics with the jolly old man himself. Just like that poor gal you see in the mall trying to get a decent picture all while the poor, terrified kid is in full hysterics. I kid, I kid. It's not that bad. I actually really enjoy it. I only had two screamers out of about 60 or so kids. Not too shabby. Anyway... here are a few pictures of the kids with Santa to hold you over until I get a sec to post.

For the Love of a Bargain

2007-11-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope that you all had a great day with your loved ones and got to enjoy some seriously good grub! We had a nice, relaxing Thanksgiving ourselves, thanks for asking! We went to Michael's Grandmother's house and enjoyed a great dinner with his half of the family, though we missed his mom and dad who were visiting his sister and her husband and baby Hannah in Texas. While the day was fun, there was nothing that was necessarily blog-worthy.

My family on the other hand...well... they decided to shake things up this year. It all started when we were trying to decide the travel-lunch-travel-dinner schedule for this 'holiday'. See, almost all of our family lives in-state, close enough that we can drive to their houses for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but far enough from each other that we spend most of the day in the car getting to and from all the houses. It has gotten even more difficult now that we have kids. So this year we decided to do an early Thanksgiving with my side of the family to 'simplify' things. But that all changed when Chris's (my sister's Husband) flight schedule changed. So, long story short we decided to do our own thing for Thanksgiving and make up for it at Christmas.

So, where you might ask does the 'shaking things up' and the 'bargains' come in??? Well, right... about... here...

That's right my friends! As we speak my father, my brother, and my sister are camped out in the freezing cold at the local Best Buy. There, they patiently wait for it's opening at 5:00 am tomorrow morning. They have been there since 12:00 NOON today. All in the name of a great deal on laptop computers. And while part of me thinks they are totally freaking crazy for spending the night on the cold, hard sidewalk surrounded by strangers, the Bell in me wants to be there right beside them... hunting down that bargain.

Here's Tim & Dad waiting it out, fully prepared for the frigid temps.
Hats? CHECK!
Blankets? CHECK!
Gloves? CHHHHHHH... What the...???? Ummmmm, yeah. Those would be women's gloves my dear ole' dad is sportin'. When I asked him about them and commented on their lack of masculine features, he promptly popped his pinky finger up to add to the effect. I never knew my dad's love for a deal would drive him to cross-dress. He told me he couldn't find his and that my mom's just had to do. Well dad, as long as that's as far as it goes... At least Pam is still fashionably minded...Dad and some of the other crazy bargain huntersAnd finally, Pam and her line buddy James. They are all becoming like a big family there. Well, good luck guys! I love you all and I wish I was right there with you!!! There's always next year...like I said... Bells can't resist a good deal!

a few new toys for the studio...

2007-11-20T19:16:00.000-08:00

O.K., so the whole 'Babies-Babies-Everywhere' weekend got me thinking. NO, NOT THAT!!!! Two is all I can handle for now, thanks! I meant thinking I need a few new infant props for my studio. I typically shoot very simplistically when it comes to babies, but I wanted to 'spice' things up a bit. Change is good, right?!?! Anyway, I bought two new neutral pillows, 2 new blankets, a fur rug, and a new basket. Seeing as I didn't have access to a newborn at that very second, I was left with only one option when it came to finding a model for the new props. I don't think he minded a bit...

Here he is showing off his four new chompers, which were cut all at once I might add! This was an adorable full length shot but it showed... ummm... a bit too much. I'm sure that he will appreciate the fact that I cropped out 'Willie and his two nutty friends' one day, but for now... he has no modesty!

I finally added the diaper. I figured we were living on borrowed time anyway! This blanket is sooooo soft! I love the basket too!
Here he is on the furry rug. Love it! Found it at Lowe's of all places!

I couldn't resist this one...or this one...

or his eyes in this one...This blanket passes the taste-test...
And finally his Playgirl centerfold pose... tastefully cropped of course.
Eat your heart out, LADIES!!!

And he didn't even Christen any of the new blankets during the session! Such a good boy!

Also, I wanted to say congrats to Lori and Jennifer!! We all know all about the lovely Miss Jamie Marie, but Jennifer's baby Deegan was born this morning at around 2:00 am. He was 7 lbs, 7oz. and I've been told that he has more hair than both of my kids put together. Naturally, pics will follow in a few days...

Oh, and the baby week continues. My friend Ginger just found out (read: was totally, TOTALLY, shocked to find out) she's pregnant. With. Her. FOURTH!!! She's now preaching the word of 'NEVER TRUST THE MINI-PILL!!' LOL! Girl, I know you are still in shock, but congrats!!!

...because all my friends are doin' it...

2007-11-15T21:03:00.000-08:00

Since all my fellow bloggers seem to be in to this tagging thing... I guess I better do it to. In case you don't feel the need to snoop on other blogs...er...I mean... read other blogs, I'm supposed to blog about 7 things I'm thankful for this season. I'm going with Chris's thought in thinking we're supposed to give 7 random things other than the obvious ones like my family, my friends, and my camera. (LOL!) So here it goes...

1. I am thankful for Photoshop! L-O-V-E Photoshop. Being the complete and total control freak that I am I can fix ANYTHING with the help of my trusty sidekick. Take my dear, sweet husband's family picture. Total freaks, right?!? I mean Michael totally looks like friggin' Sloth from The Goonies. But with a little Photoshop... they look totally normal! Oops... I mean... normal. See what I mean? But seriously though. It totally helps with my business and profits and all because I can take that drool off a baby's face, or snot out of its nose, or fix the scrape from where he ran down the driveway at full speed... cus' perfect looking kids equals more pictures sold, get it??? Cha-Ching!!

2. I am thankful for OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover. (The kind that comes in the blue spray bottle with the yellow handle) This Shizz can get out ANYTHING! It has saved many, many of the kids outfits from having to be trashed. Love it. If you have not tried it... you must.

3. I am thankful for TiVo. I cannot live without it. I just can't. TiVo is one of those things that once you have it you will not be able to exist without it. I still try to rewind things I heard on the radio. It remembers things I don't and lets me watch my shows in peace. When I want to. Love it!

4. I am thankful for BK Mocha Joes. Totally not healthy... but they are soooooooo yummy. And don't get the McDonalds Iced Coffee and think it is the same thing, because sista'... it just ain't!!!

5. I am thankful for my Hip Panda Baby Carrier. Wyatt is so clingy and wants to be carried everywhere and this has been such a blessing. If you are forced to carry a 24 pound baby on a 2 hour shopping trip to Wal-Mart I've found that this is the best way to do it.

6. I am thankful for my Day Planner. Without it my life just might cease to exist. I am one of those people who has to write down EVERYTHING or it is totally forgotten. It is so wonderful! It has a calendar with tons of lined spaces to keep track the kids activities, appointments, photography sittings, etc. AND a notepad for my lists (all 43,000 of them) I really would be lost without it.

7. Last but not least, I am thankful that my cat warns me before he pukes on my carpet. No, really... he does!! Now weather or not I can get to him before he does or not is another issue completely. But really folks, if there's one thing I hate doing it's cleaning anything off the carpet... especially that! Seriously though, he really does let me know. He rarely makes a sound on a daily basis, but right before he tosses his 'Friskies' he makes this strange 'meow sound thingy' for about 30 seconds... not gagging... just a long meow. You'd just have to hear it... it's totally unmistakable, even when it jolts you from a dead sleep at 3:00 in the morning. I can usually get to him and throw him outside just in time. Thanks again for the heads up, Turner.

O.k., that was fun. I realize that most of the things I was thankful for were merely possessions. All of course except #7... LOL! It was actually really hard to come up with things other than the usuals... family, health, home, sending your kid to preschool for a few hours of peace, (how do you do it, Katie?) etc, etc. that you are grateful for. It was kinda neat to think about the little things you just couldn't live without.

For My Husband of Eight Years...

2007-11-13T17:33:00.000-08:00

It was this date eight years ago that I married my best friend. As I sit here today, I am grateful beyond words that our friendship and love for each other has endured, and is as strong today as it was the day we started our journey as husband and wife.

The past eight years have truly flown by. It kind of strange to think back to the time when we were dating. Or when we were just newlyweds with no children and few responsibilities. I still remember the day when we got a kitten. And we thought that was a responsibility! I know it is such a cliche', but it seems like only yesterday. Where has the time gone?

These eight years have proven that I couldn't have picked a better husband. Michael is a provider and a constant companion. He loves me unconditionally, and in spite of my many idiosyncrasies. As a father, he is patient, loving, and understanding. I stand in constant awe at how naturally he takes to his role as a father. I remember seeing him hold Allison for the first time. His tears of joy were so genuine and heartfelt. He never once balked at changing diapers or cleaning spit-up off his shirt. He was never inconvenienced by reading 'just one more' bedtime story. Now... all of the sudden we have been blessed once again with a son and are now a family of four.

I know that I have truly been 'Blessed with Richs', not only with Michael, but also with the gift of our two precious children. I can't even begin to describe how much my family means to me and how proud I am to be a wife and mother. God has blessed our family in so many ways and I am thankful beyond words for my 'Richs'.

Here are a few pictures from our wedding day. Ironically... the weather today was just as warm and beautiful as it was eight years ago. It couldn't have been any more perfect!

From this...

To this...

Allie at 3 months Wyatt and Daddy through the nursery windowgoing home...Allie's first time golfing with daddy
My Boys At Great Granny's houseThey love listening to the Ipod

I love you so much Michael! Happy Anniversary sweetheart!

Oh, and see these gorgeous flowers??? They were a gift for my anniversary. Isn't Michael sweet? Uh, well... hmmmmmm. They actually were sent by my awesome inlaws, Larry and Nancy. Those are a few more 'Riches' I have been blessed with! Thanks so much for the flowers! They made Allie's day too!!!
(Don't worry... Michael brought Chocolate... so all is good in the world)

A Day with the Dentons (with an emphasis on the 'dent')

2007-11-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hello y'all! It's been awhile... but with good reason. I've been so busy with pictures, pictures, and more pictures! Tis' that season, ya know! Anyway... I've been shooting a ton here at the studio, but this past weekend also took me to Alpharetta, Duluth, and last but not least to 'Andreatown'!! That's right! I got to go hang with Andrea and her sweet family, which means I finally had the pleasure of meeting the infamous David!! He is such a cutie! I had so much fun taking their family pictures!

O.k., so now to the whole 'emphasis on the dent' thingamajig... well... hmmm. When I was visiting good ole' Andrea... I sorta-kinda backed in to a dogwood which happened to get in my way while I was backing out of the little park in her neighborhood. I mean... a tree... in the middle of the woods and all. Whowoulda thought?? My poor, poor Dora!! She was all like 'crunch' and I was all like 'ahhhhhh shizzzzzz!' Oh well. At least I was actually at fault for this one, unlike the first and the second incidences. So now she has a nice dent on her back door which means she's off to the shop for another repair. Oh well... it was still a fun day and I wouldn't trade it! I guess you could say I'm living my own 'D' week here... a Delightful Day with the David Denton and a Dogwood Dent in Dear ole' Dora. (Damnitol) Ha!! Oh, and I saw a huge Deer in her neighborhood, too! (Thank God I didn't hit that!!)

I'll be back to blog about other good stuff later on. I have to get some sleep at some point and figure it's now or never. These late nights filled with Photoshop and editing is really taking it's toll!! Just figured I'd let you all know that I am alive and kickin'. See y'all!!

Halloween... From Start to Finish!

2007-10-31T10:48:00.001-07:00

Here they are...

Well folks, it's Halloween! I hope y'all have had a fun, exciting, sugar-filled day! I know my kids have. It's been such a busy day here, and the kids have had a ball! I took tons and tons of pictures. So many that I'll pretty much let them do the talking and add captions so you can see all the excitement.

First off... Allie's preschool had all kinds of fun planned starting with Trunk-Or-Treating. Here's her class picture before it all got underway...First stop...the church office...
Mrs. Rosemary hooked them up!

Now to the real action... the cars! I thought the mom's totally did an awesome job this year. They all got really in to it and made the trunks look so fun and festive. Here's a few form the day...

This was Shari's. I thought it was really cute!

This was Brandy's. Her pumpkins were awesome! She had a wolf howling at the moon and a spider.

Here's Cindy'sI thought this was creative! The mom who did this one dressed up like a doctor and made a Babyland General Hospital theme.
The kiddos... making their rounds...

And my car? Well... I ( being the slightly competitive gal I am) wanted to do something different than the traditional decorate your trunk bit. So Michelle and I decided to tag-team and decorate our cars together. Now I may very well pull a muscle patting myself on the back here, but I must say my idea was pure genius in the eyes of the kids! We made a tunnel using the lifted doors of our SUV's to make an arch that the kids walked through to get their candy. And how did it turn out you might ask??? Well... in the famous words of Katie...

'Shizzam!' Complete with dangling pumpkin streamers to walk through. Yeah, the kids totally DUG IT!!

Here's the view from the inside . We decorated my cargo space with pumpkins and stuff and sat in Michelle's cargo area to hand out the treats. After the Trunk-Or-Treating, we all headed inside for the class party. The kids all got a head start on their sugar consumption for the day and had some awesome homemade cookie cake, along with Jello cups, Chex Mix, and other great junk.

Here's Allie enjoying her Jello... using the best manners a little ole' lady could possible use...

Next, we went down town where each year they do Trick-Or-Treating on the square for the kids. They get to go to all of the store fronts and get candy. They also host a Halloween Costume Contest and Allie won $10 bucks for her age division of 3-5 years. Not too shabby!

Big Dub looking wise in his old age...

Lastly, we were off to our church for the "Light the Night" celebration. It's our church's alternative to Halloween. The kids had a blast there too! The turnout was incredible!!

There was a puppet show... (I hate puppets but the kids were all about those freaky things)

Allie and Sarah danced with some random lion...

Then Trunk-Or-Treated...again. (Andrea... how bout that score behind Carole?!?) Got their faces painted...
And finally the evening ended with a goodbye hug from none other than the one, the only
'Spider Sam'. Yep... this day was indeed good. And with all that said... I'm off to bed. I am totally exhausted. Well... maybe I'll just quickly check Allie's loot... for any good chocolate...er... I mean candy that needs to be tested. Yeah... that's it. Tested. Aren't I a loving mother???

G'Night, Sonny!

A birthday shout out... well... sing out...

2007-10-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy 30th Birthday Amy!! We love you and hope you have a great day!

If at first you don't succeed... DON'T try, try, again!!!!

2007-10-29T05:53:00.000-07:00

Well, when it comes to flushing toilets that is.

This morning Allie learned the hard way about these crappy water-saving toilets that you have to install in your house if you've built in the last few years. You know, the ones that get clogged all the time with even the smallest amount of toilet paper. I mean really... should you have to use the good ole' plunger even when there is no 'poo' involved?!?

So, from a dead sleep we (thank God Michael came back from the UGA game yesterday) wake to hear "Mommy...Daddy... my potty is WEAKING EVERYWAWRE!" and dash to the bathroom only to find that yes, the potty is in fact leaking everywhere. Up, over the rim, onto the floor, covering the floor, and creeping rapidly towards the carpet in the hall. Allie had apparently continued to try to flush it after she noticed the toilet paper wouldn't go down. Friggin'-crappy-cheap-water-savin'-mother-friggin'-toilets.

And, to add insult to injury, as Allie ran before us to show us 'said flooded potty', she slips on all the water and lands flat on her back. Sprawled out... yes friends... in none other than toilet water.

And so our day began.

Welcome home, Michael... welcome home.

Lets play catch up... AGAIN.

2007-10-27T14:06:00.001-07:00

But this time it's not my fault. Blogger was acting more difficult than my three year old when a grandparent is around. And let me tell you... that's difficult! It wouldn't do a thing I asked it to. I tried repeatedly to get it to upload pics and it was all like 'No pictures for you, beeotch!' And really... what is a blog entry with no pictures?

So here they are at long last. Thank ya kindly, Blogger.

First we have Jason and Lacie's wedding. Precious couple and a beautiful wedding. It was outside at the Methodist campground and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. I totally had to fight every urge in my body not to take a thousand pictures, but I didn't want to get in the photographers way. I have retired from shooting weddings because they are just not my thing. (read: I hate shooting weddings because the stress makes me need strong pills') I really just assume come with camera in hand and shoot for fun. And so I did.

Here is the family. AWESOME bunch of folks. Alan (on the far left) is Michael's best friend, and Jen and Nat are two of mine. Michael trying to be suave striking a GQ pose he dreamed up. Yep. He's a dork, but he's my dork I love him!

Here's a few from the rehearsal dinner the night before. Betcha can guess the theme...

the cake...It was cool. They had it all decorated in a UGA theme and asked all the guests to come dresses in red and black. Somehow Allie and Michael dodged getting their picture made, but I did get this one of Wyatt kicked back takin' it easy. Sittin' like such a little gentleman...
The food was awesome! Low Country Boil!

Now to Sam's birthday party. Sam is Allie's little boyfriend and let me tell you this kid is CUTE! Love, love, love Sam! He is just adorable and he has the sweetest personality. His Mom Michelle is one of my really good friends and let me tell you she threw one heck of a party! It was a Diego party and they went on a rescue mission and everything!

Here's the proud birthday boy... I just want to squeeze him!

Here is the rescue mission. They drove all over the yard finding clues and all that good stuff.

Bring on the cake...His cake was awesome!!!!!!

Allie was like... 'Sam and cake... does it get any better???'The gang...well...most of them

Sam got a power wheels 4 wheeler from his parents. The girls loved chasing him all over the yard. Man, it starts young now-a-days, doesn't it???Al and her two BFF's. They are all inseparable. Adorable family!!! Happy 4th birthday, Sam!!!

For all you 'Young Whippersnappers'....

2007-10-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a costume update...

Old Man Rich got his jacket in today. Thank you, Ebay!!

He kinda looks like a professor or something now. I think it will really come together when I add the shoes and the gray bushy eyebrows. I may even try a gray mustache... but only for a picture. I'm pushing it with the glasses as it is.

And here's Allie's in case you missed it from the previous post. They are going to be the cutest darn old couple ever!!!

Have you been going through withdrawl?

2007-10-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back, baby!

Here's your fix... and prepare yourselves everyone... this post is going be crazy as all friggin' get out! We have all been so busy lately that I have had zero time to blog. I have read everyones a time or two... but since we have been out of town I have a lot of catching up to do. So, in my feeble attempt to fill y'all in on the last few weeks I'm going to have to hop from topic to topic like a frog on speed to cover it all. Cool??? O.k., buckle up, 'cuz here we go.....

First comes preschool pictures. I usually specialize in individual family portraits, so I was not sure what to expect. I just knew several parents weren't happy with the guy who usually takes them for the school, so they asked me to try my hand at it. They were actually really fun to take, and it went a lot better than I thought it would. Granted... I have never moved so fast, nor have I seen so much sweat pour from my body... but it went pretty smooth overall. You can check them out if you like at www.richbeginnings.com/ffpreschool

Next we are off to a speech therapy update. Allie has started "Straw Therapy." This is where she uses a series of different straws over the course of about 10 weeks or so to strengthen her tongue to help her articulation. The straws are the same cool straws we all has as kids, but they are each different lengths, widths, and sizes to work on different parts of her tongue. Sounds crazy, but her speech therapist has been teaching for over 30 years and swears by this new method.
Oh, and in related news... Allie has totally given up her paci she used at night!!! She was such a good girl about it and as a reward she got a new Care Bear! (her latest obsession)

Now to Halloween. The costumes are under construction. I know y'all are chompin at the bits to know what they will be this year. I have been collecting little things here and there and the masterpieces are almost complete! I know... the suspense is killing you.

Let's start with Turner. He's going as a pile of laundry. I kid. The freak is a sucka for some laundry fresh outta the dryer and insists upon spreading his nappy cat fur all over it!

Now to the kids. I debated long and hard over their costumes. After seeing Allie's 'buggy' I thought I should dress her a a friggin' bag lady, but decided against it. Really though... the 'buggy' is kinda a compulsion. I'm a little worried. She piles all of her favorite things into it and pushes it around. Like... everywhere. Lets get a quick inventory, shall we???

In no particular order, we have a...
1. Vera Bradley purse containing 8 Care Bear figurines
2. Backyardigan's sing along radio
3. Ballerina Slippers
4. Cheer Bear stuffed animal
5. Wool baby blanket
6. Sock Monkey purse
7. Toilet paper roll (what?!?!)
8. Baby bottle
9. Comb
10. A hand drawn stop light (by Allie)
11. Three Pennies and a nickel
12. Four Leaves (crumpled and flaking everywhere)
13. An old grocery list (OBSESSED with lists of any kind... totally my kid!)

She can account for EVERY item in the buggy. She calls them her 'things'. Should I worry???

Anyway... back to the costumes. Here's a peek at Allie...

Is she freakin cute or what?!?!?! Not pictured are her nude pantyhose that are about four shades too dark for her skin tone and her shoes. She will also be sportin some pink blush and pink lipstick for the occasion. Now, I bet you can guess what Wyatt will be as well! I figured it was appropriate since he was bald, has only two teeth, and wears diapers. HA! They will be the cutest Old Farts...er...'Grams and Gramps' evahhhhh!!! The hat was actually her Great, Great Grandmothers, the purse and broaches are her Great Grandmothers, and the skirt??? A women's size 12 that I picked up for a whole two dollah at Goodwill and altered down to fit her. Love me some cheap homemade costumes.

Now to vacation. We went to New Bern, NC which happens to be the birth place of Pepsi for all you 'pointless facts freaks' out there. I for one happen to despise Pepsi, so I didn't give a rip... but it was a great vacation anyway. We left on Saturday and spent a few days alone with the kids, and then on Tuesday Michael's parents and Brother drove up to join us. We had an awesome 4 story condo and had a relaxing week doing not much of anything. We drove to the beach one day, played plenty of putt-putt, went to the Tryon Palace, shopped, ate tons of great seafood, and swam. Michael played a ton of golf so he should have his fix for awhile. Well, almost. He's playing tomorrow but then... that's it!! I mean it!! Enough explaining... here's the pics...

Our view from outside our condo

Allie loved to chase the geese... which was fine with me because they crapped everywhere...

My boys

Allie loved the playgroundWyatt became a swinger...

Allie played a little putt-putt to spite the full moon...

Katie, I found humor in this particular hole on the course. I thought you might as well seeing as how our minds seem to spend excess time in the gutter. What the frick kinda shape is this??? Who designed this course anyway?
The pool...The beach Thiese wee the NC Aquarium. Allie loved it!Here's hoping the Gators won't take a bite out of us this weekend!

My adorable little crabby crabs... quite fitting at times....Allie and Poppy... one of her most favorite people in the world!The family

Michael is in a wedding this weekend. Our friends Jason and Lacie are getting married and we are so excited for them! I'm sure I'll take plenty of pics so the ole' blog will stay good and stocked for awhile...

For the lovers of Robeez and the Georgia Bulldogs

2007-10-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

Check out the new style... I had to have them and ordered them today. They are limited edition and only available on the Robeez web site...

Just wanted to share in case anyone was interested. Andrea... I know you'll love these!!

I'll be back to blog about other important stuff later... not that shoes and the Bulldogs aren't interesting and spectacular and wonderful or anything...

for Grandmother...

2007-09-22T23:54:00.001-07:00

Today Mom, Dad, the kids and I went to see my grandmother at her new home in Gainesville. For those of you who don't know... my Dad's mom is an identical twin, and she and her sister Ellen still look identical... even to this day at nearly 90 years old.

My grandmother Helen, and her twin Ellen moved recently and I had not been to see them since the move. At their last nursing home we were always worried about the level of care they were receiving. After catching the caregivers in a few lies involving medicine and other care issues we decided they needed a change. Mom and Dad found a new place in Gainesville and we have been thrilled with it and very pleased with the family who owns it. It is the family's personal residence and they have added an extra wing with small apartments for elderly women. They only have room for six residents total so we know they are getting individual attention and the best care possible.

Anyway... for the last two years, Grandmother has really seemed to go down hill fast. She began falling and things seemed to spiral downhill quickly from there. Her memory started to go and she started having some dementia. She lost a lot of weight and was becoming so frail. She just looked so bad. I was always thought as I left her at visits that it might be the last time I'd see her.

However, when I walked in to see her today I was shocked. She looked amazing! She was Grandmother again. Her hair looked so nice, her nails were painted, she was back up to a healthy weigh, and she was dressed in clothes and not just a nightgown. It was so nice to see. She instantly smiled when she saw the kids and was fascinated with them.

But she didn't remember me. I knew that her memory was going... I knew that I'd probably have to remind her who I was. I guess I assumed it would just 'click' with her and we'd talk like we always have. But it never did. This is the first time she did not know who I was. It's funny... it was somehow easier to accept that her memory was slipping away when she looked so frail and week. Having her look strong, the way I've always known her just made it harder to accept. I really didn't expect it. I have never had to deal with anything like this and it's so amazingly difficult to even describe.

I'm so glad that I got to spend time with her today. I took joy in seeing the happiness she felt just watching the kids, even if she did not fully understand who we were. I soon realized that at times she thought Wyatt was my brother Tim, who is now 21 years old. Dad said she remembers things about the past remarkably well, but has trouble with recent events. I guess that is the way it should be. I, like her, have been blessed with a wonderful, loving family. I know that if I was going to relive anytime in my life... it would be the stage I'm in now... young and healthy and surrounded by people whom I love and who love me. And for that reason alone... I will not be sad.
I love you, Grandmother!

And who wouldn't have the same reaction?

2007-09-21T06:11:00.001-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Things you may or may not want to know...

2007-09-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I always blog about the kids, so when I saw this on Katie's blog I thought I'd give it a try.
Brace yourselves, folks! things are about to get deep.

>1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? Well, my mom always liked the name Caron and it was also her best friend in College's name. She did choose to spell it like 'Big Caron's" (that's what I called her as a child). I don't think I was technically named after her, though.

> 2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Probably when I was worried about something. I tend to do that. Usually when a family member or friend is sick or something.

> 3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? No. I actually hate it. It looks like a man's. A lazy man's who has zero fine motor skills.
>
> 5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? One girl, one boy. Nice round number, ya think???
>
> 6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yeah, sure. I'm loyal, I'm there for others when they need me. I love to help people out, I like to go out and do stuff. Oh, and keep secrets really well. Sure... I'd like me.
>
> 7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?> Um...do you know who you're talking to??? Heck yeah I'm sarcastic!
>
> 8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? No. I got them out when I was three because I has ear infections constantly. I still remember it. Crazy how that works.
>
> 9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? 'Ellllllllllll No. I can't even look over a second story banister without my stomach turning. I hate heights!
>
> 10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Great Grains with Pecans...no raisins because those things are NASTY!!!!
>
> 11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No. But I untie them to put them back on.
>
> 12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically... not super-strong but I can hold my own in a good bar fight. Kidding. No, but I am pretty good at lugging a 24 pound kiddo around. Emotionally I'm pretty strong, but I do worry a lot.
>
> 13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? mint chocolate chip. It has to be green and it has to have the shaved chocolate and not the chunks. Again... I'm a snob like that. Oh, and I love butter pecan too.
>
> 14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? If they have a smile on their face. It just gives a better first impression if someone is smiling when you meet them.
>
> 15. RED OR PINK? Red for the bulldogs and Pink on my girl!
>
> 16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I'm totally compulsive about certain things. My work, things I sew, projects I do. I am a perfectionist when it comes to them and I have a big problem leaving well enough alone. I'd rather toss out hours or days worth of work and start over if I think I messed up. I know... I need therapy.
>
> 17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Seeing my family more often. Oh, and my neighbor Marvis who passed away when I was in eights grade. He was basically a grandfather to me. Loved the man!
>
> 18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Sure. I'm always down with learning a thing or two about a friend.
>
> 19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black work out pants and silver, red, and white Nike shoes. I'm headed off to the gym.
>
> 20.WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? A chocolate chip cookie. Which is why I'm having to go to the gym in the first damn place.
>
> 21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Allie chatter on and on about something and Turner eating dry cat food.
>
> 22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Well, my fav color is purple, so why not??? What the heck does this mean, anyway????

> 23. FAVORITE SMELLS? The kids after a bath with the pink Johnson's baby wash, Michaels cologne, coffee.
>
> 24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Michael

> 25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I swiped it off Katie's blog. Never met the gal... but I think I'd like her a lot if we ever met.
>
> 26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Football.... GEORGIA football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> 27. HAIR COLOR? Blondish with blond highlights
>
> 28. EYE COLOR ? Blue
>
> 29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Only if I want to see anything!
>
> 30.> 30. FAVORITE FOOD? Oh, snap. Where do I begin. Alice Springs Chicken from Outback. Chinese food, but only form Chin-Chin 7 off Sugarloaf Hot and sour soup, mongolian chicken, and sush. I want some right about now!!! No, obviously not a health nut!
>
> 31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Either depending on my mood.
>
> 32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Deja Vu
>
> 33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Black
>
> 34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
>
> 35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
>
> 36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Cheesecake!
>
>>
> 41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Dog the Bounty Hunter. Love me some WTTV!!! (white trash TV) LOL! Don't judge though. I really like Law and Order SVU, and Grey's Anatomy, and LOST, and stuff like that.
>
> 42. FAVORITE SOUND? The kids laughing.
>
> 43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Both
>
> 44. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Canada... skiing
>
> 45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I've been told I'm pretty creative.... but nothing in particular.
>
> 46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Atlanta

Nebulize THIS!

2007-09-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been another eventful few days here at the Rich household. Nothing groundbreaking, but never a dull moment, ya know?

Let's start with Wyatt. He's had a mild cough for about the last week, no fever, no other symptoms, nothing serious. Well when he woke up on Saturday morning, the mild cough had gotten much worse. I could hear a nasty rattle when he breathed and I knew something was not right. So I called his pediatrician and being that it was Saturday morning, the only appointment they had was at 9:45 (o.k., it was 9:05 when I called AND I am 45 minutes form the doctor's office, AND I had not had a shower or bathed Wyatt yet...) so we neglect the hygiene and bust butt to attempt to be on time. We pulled it together quite nicely if I do say so myself and were only 15 minutes late.

Anyway... we get there and they call us back almost immediately. When the doctor heard Wyatt breathe he was concerned because he was wheezing terribly. I have never heard a wheeze before so I was a little freaked out. He immediately hooked him up to a machine and gave him a breathing treatment. It helped, but not as much as Dr. Maddox would have liked. He prescribed Prednisolone which is a steroid, and Albuterol which is a liquid inhaled from a nebulizer machine.

Here he is... tokin' away. He has to do this every 3 to 4 hours 'round the clock. A great way to get even less sleep than we were already getting.

Wyatt really has been so good for the treatments. He kicks back and watches a Baby Einstein movie and takes them like a champ. His breathing still sounds terrible, but hopefully this will help him.

Here he is chillin' after his treatment. He always lays like this.... like he's in Playgirl or somethin'. And no... we did not steal the floral carpet outta some 78 year old woman's house... that is actually a sheet we have to put down inside Wyatt's World to catch the 'consequences' of the terrible reflux that still bothers him.

On Saturday night, we went to a couples shower for our friends Lacie and Jason who are getting married in October. It was a basket shower and each guest was given a different theme to fill their basket or container with. There were all kinds... kitchen, bath, golf, UGA, and entertainment just to name a few.

So here's where the night starts to get hilarious! While they were opening the baskets, two of the hosts were secretly writing down comments Jason and Lacie made about the items in each basket. After all was said and done... the two hosts got up and read a few things said. The idea was to take the comments they made and use them totally out of context. The result...

"Ooooh, I've been wanting this for a long time!"....(a DVD)

"Oh look, Jason! You got some balls!"....(golf balls)

"I know right where I'm gonna put that!"....(a figurine from the Georgia basket)

"I'm gonna get Mama to to show me what to do with one of those!"....(kitchen utensil)

"Jason, don't you like these?"....(glasses from the UGA basket)

"Ooooh batteries...we'll need those!"....(from the gadget's basket)

"I bet that tastes GOOD!"....(a recipe from kitchen basket)

"Now, what do you do with that?"....(a kitchen utensil)

"Help me get the plastic off this thing!"....(plastic covering a basket)

"I am not sitting on that thing!"....(a laundry drying rack someone joked was a flimsy fold-out chair)

Yes people, it was hilarious. Maybe it's because... I dunno... I seem to possess the sick sense of humor of a 14 year old boy?!?! But really. It was all in good fun. What made it even more funny was that the people giving it and those in attendance were all people we go to church with. But we're all crazy Baptists, so ya know. Our church is just cool like that. LOL! There were people of all ages, young and old and its always fun to see that everyone gets a laugh outta that kinda thing. I had never seen this done before, but I know I'll be taking in every comment made at future showers and laughing a little to myself. Again, the 14 year old boy in me.

And finally... I want to day HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my daddy who it turning 60 today! I love you Dad, and hope you've had a great day and hope that you will have many, many more! You're the best!

This one's for you, KATIE!

2007-09-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

Katie, I hope this helps.... at least a little....

CAUGHT!

Notice she took down the load of shizz that was her blog??? Niiiiiiiice.

Hey, wait a sec... I seem to remember a certain children's movie where a naughty little wooden puppet LIES and ends up getting himself and his father swallowed by a WHALE.... Maybe this crazy wanna-be marine chick needs to go back and watch a little Disney flick called PINOCCHIO!!!

Oh, and is this what you were thinking when you described what you thought she really was like on your blog... Say hello to "Heather" (if you can 'stomach' it!!! LOL!)

(and just so ya know... I have not commissioned any sharks, whales, or any other marine or aquatic life to devour 'Heather' or anyone else for that matter. Although the thought may have crossed my mind a time or two...I'm just not that vengeful. HA!!!

one last thing for ya...

Baby Showers Bring Real Showers!!!

2007-09-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well it finally rained today!!! We needed it so badly... everything is so darn dry and the lake is soooo far down. Not good when your family is in the marina business! Anyway... It was not a big rain, but it was definitely nice to get what we could.

And in other 'shower' news, Michelle, Natalie, Erin, and I hosted a baby shower for our good friend Dawn and her new baby. You may remember seeing the pictures of him a few posts ago. We decided to wait until after her baby arrived to throw the shower so we could find out if the baby was a boy or a girl. You see, it seems to be a trend around here not to find out the sex of the baby before it's born, and this was no exception. I personally love waiting to find out. It gives the day an extra element of excitement, ya know? Now don't get me wrong... it is really, really, really hard at first! Especially at that second ultrasound and you know the answer is just one one little question away. But if you can make it past that point you're home free. Now, where was I going with this??? Ah yes, why we waited until now for the shower. Anyway... we had a great turn out to spite the rain, and Dawn, baby Keyes, and her husband Wesley got all kinds of great things. Oh, and big sister Grace didn't come out too shabby either. Now to the pictures...

Big sis Grace and Dawn

Opening one of many gifts...

Keyes slept the entire time...

Michelle, Natalie, Erin, and my gift to her... a hand painted toy chest

Erin and I busted out a sweet lil' paint job on this toy chest if I do say so myself. We bought it unfinished from Wood-You Finish Furniture and painted it to match his nursery pattern. Erin painted the trunk and I did the lid and letters...
And finally, here is Grace showin' off all the loot that came with the evening.

It was an awesome night and we are so happy for the Harbin family! Y'all have an awesome night!

Enough Carpet Science to become a Carpet Scientist...

2007-09-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

The following is a list of things I have successfully cleaned off of my carpet today:

1. Beach Nut Chicken & Stars Baby Food (knocked off the coffee table by Allie, who was entering the third straight hour of demonstrating the 'Hokey Poky' dance she learned at school today.

2. Fecal matter from a 7 month old. (my guess would be Chicken & Apple Dinner and Garden Vegetables with a hint of breast milk if I had to guess based solely on color and texture)

3. Baby throw up (stemming from incidence #1. Ummmm, yea, note to self... Wyatt is not ready for the Stage 3 foods with texture yet... the chucks causes exorcist like vomiting spells)

This year for Christmas... forget Santa Claus. I want Stanley 'effing Steamer to come and visit my house. Or if Santa does come, he better be bringin' me some hardwood floors.

After all was said and done, I found Wyatt asleep like this...

Thinking this could not be the least bit comfortable, I attempt to move him which abruptly ended his one and only nap for the day.

Michael, my dear, sweet, love... when you finally return home this evening from your weekend of fun, just know this... IT'S YOUR TURN!!!! I'm need a break.

What does speech therapy, engagement pictures, and a four wheeler have in common?

2007-09-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

This blog entry. Other than that... nothing at all.

Hello everyone! Things have been crazy here the last few days! We've been running here and there doing a little of this and a little of that. A lot has happened so I'll try to sum it all up in one post, but be prepared for a random-as-all-get-out post!

Thursday I took Allie to the elementary school to have her speech analysis preformed. In case you don't know, her pediatrician suggested we go ahead and start speech therapy now so she can correct some simple articulation issues before they become problems. And lets face it... kids can be cruel and I'd hate to have to take out some little brat kid who tries to make fun of her. Anyway... the analysis went really well. Anything between 85 and 115 is considered normal. Allie scored a 75, so there is a slight need there. However, in the listening and comprehension skills area she scored at a 4 year 9 month level! Not too friggin' shabby for a gal who just turned 3 in May! Even I was impressed at some of the things she knew and the tasks she could do. I really had no idea how much went in to speech analysis. I thought it would be simply listening to her talk, but they had her doing all kinds of things. My guess was they needed to be sure she was physically and developmentally ready so the therapy would be effective. She actually had a lot of fun! I feel good about helping her learn, and my only hope that she will benefit from it.

Next we were off to Atlanta to take William and Amanda's engagement pictures. William is Michael's cousin and he proposed to Amanda last month. She is super sweet and they are a precious couple! I'm so excited to have her join the family. They are planning to get married next October. Here's a few pictures form their session...

I also got to photograph a friend of mines new little boy! Dawn and I have been friends for awhile and I was lucky enough to take her little guy's first pictures. He is just precious and so sweet to work with. Here are a few pictures from his session...

Keyes and big sister Grace

He slept through the whole thing!
I love to take hand and feet shots

All newborns should sleep this well!

In other news, Michael along with his brother Jonathan and their cousins William and Sean are headed off to Tennessee for a weekend four wheeler trip. They are going to a place that has over 200 miles of trails to ride. I'm hoping they will take some pictures, but you know how that goes. I know there will be some awesome views and knowing them some great photo ops! We'll see.

As for me... I'll be here. Working. And watching the kids. Definitely not cooking or cleaning. Gotta have some fun, eh?!?!

And lastly, I got all fancy-schmancy today and updated the ole' blog with some new links. I never imagined I'd actually meet so many great people here! I finally linked all the blogs I read to mine. Consider yourselves cool! I even alphabetized them. (OCD, much???) What started a easy way to keep family informed on the kids milestones has turned into a fun way to meet new people and read some hilarious stories. This is a shout out to all my blogging buddies who I've never met, but feel like I've known for years!

Y'all have an awesome weekend!!

My weekend in one sentence...

2007-09-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well. There's not much posting going on here in the blogging world. Mel and Tara have done a little updating, but for the most part everyone must be busy with birthday parties, 'B' week, and other fun stuff. I myself don't have much to report. Over all, the weekend was kinda boring. I can pretty much sum up the holiday weekend like this...

Michael hunted, Turner slept, Wyatt didn't, Allie swam, my brother visited, my sister made a new friend, and I worked.

Good times... good times.

Y'all have a happy week!

AWANA learn a Bible verse!

2007-09-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

I do believe I may have said almost every curse word I know trying to get this video to post. I think I may have even coined a few new ones. (Forgive me, Lord!) Anyway... I thought this was cute. Allie started the AWANA program at our church this past Wednesday. This was the first verse she had to memorize...

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

In case you can't understand her, she says "God loves us and sent His son. 1 John 4:10"

I would like to give a big shout out to Andrea for all the help and technical support she gave to make this video post possible. I couldn't have done it with out her! Andrea, I love you, girl! (shedding a tear) LOL!!!

Bring it, OK!!!!!!!! O.K.?

2007-09-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Glory, Glory to ole' GEORGIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's game day, BABY! Let's get it on! Here's hoping the Bulldogs start the season strong! If not, pray for my husband as he will instantly enter in to a three stage turn of events. Step 1. an extatic, cheering, devoted fan Step 2. yelling, raving, freak, and finally, Step 3. woulda-shoulda-coulda Monday quarterback . But these are the Dawgs and they just don't loose very often! I have all the faith in the world in my Bulldog team!! On to the kiddos...

I mentioned before that I have taken pictures each year of Allie at the start of Georgia football season. I plan on doing this up until she attends UGA herself on a full academic and athletic scholarship... no pressure!!! I kid!! Anyway, I just love to see how she changes from year to year.

This is before digital. I had to snap one of a page in her scrapbook. This is the 2004 season.

This is the 2005 season....

...and the 2006 season.
This season she has a new little team mate of her own! GOOOOOOO DAWGS!!!

Thank you, 'MAM'!!! (MAM paci's that is...)

2007-08-31T17:23:00.001-07:00

And then there were two. Boppy-suckers, that is. O.k., so our dirty little secret is out. Allie still sucks a boppy (only at night, though) ...but now so does Wyatt!!! After months of trying to get him to take one, I finally gave up and threw it in with his toys. He'd occasionally play with it, and maybe chew on it, but never would he suck on one. Well, well, well... someone must have flipped his friggin' switch, because now he takes one like a champ. I mean all of the sudden! I caught him with it in his mouth yesterday and the rest is history! I waited a day to blog about it because we all know how the whole bottle thing turned out, but it seems to be official. He now scoots around with a boppy in his mouth and a blanket in hand. The house has been so quiet... I'm not sure what to make of it.

Here he is with the ever-present camo blanket and the apparent new fall must-have.... a boppy

Anyway, back to Allie. She still sucks her boppy's at night and it proving to be a tough habit to break. I guess I shouldn't complain... it's not as bad it used to be. This picture, along with exhibit B and exhibit C show that we have made drastic improvements. I have just worried about taking them away completely since Wyatt came along. I figure her sucking them for the quick fifteen minutes before she falls asleep isn't so bad.

Anyway... We finally got some rain today. Whenever it rains Allie always begs to go out and play in it. Being that it is summer, there is almost always lightning with the rain, but today there wasn't! I let her go out for awhile and she had a blast!

Here she is twirling her "um-bwa-wa"

Y'all have a great holiday weekend!!

"Queen Teef, Mommy! I have Queen Teef!"

2007-08-30T12:29:00.001-07:00

Today Allie had her first trip to the dentist. Me being a photographer and now a blogger... naturally I took my camera. I was hoping to get some interesting shots for the blog... but Allie behaved quite well and did not freak out a bit. Not much to write about... the pictures pretty much tell it all...

Shelly showed Allie how she can squirt water in her mouth...

Checking out the 'baby mirror'...

Checking all the teeth...

a final check with Dr. Dale

No, she's not taking a dump on their mat, although it does look like it.... she's actually showing off her "queen teef"

I couldn't resist adding these of Wyatt. I bought him a cowboy hat on Ebay and of course it is too small for his massive head. Oh well, I guess I'll list it myself and look for another!

Not much else going on... Here's hoping Friday will be more blogworthy!

I'm sorry, but I like my Pampers Cruisers just fine, thanks!

2007-08-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

O.k., so did y'all read this craziness on Yahoo news this morning???? I guess I respect them if they are trying to be more environmentally conscious or something, but really people. I'd know I'd sure hate to miss a 'signal' while shopping at Wal-Mart! "Clean up on isle 12!!" What do you all think???

School Days, School Daze...

2007-08-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well everyone... Allie is back in school! (is that the Hallelujah Chorus I hear?!?!?) She was pretty tired from having to get up early for the first time in ages... but soon the excitement kicked in and she was just fine. I walked her in instead of doing the car pool line so I could try to get a few pictures of her and her classmates.

Here she is... all ready to go!

This is her teacher Mrs. Angie

Waiting in the hall during carpool

Finding their book bag cubbies

This is Allie with Sarah. They have been best friends ever since they 'did time' together in good ole' time out on the first day of school last year. They got in trouble because they snuck out of the gym during recess and went back to the classroom to play. Double Trouble!! The thought of their upcoming teenage years together frightens me...
An attempt at getting the entire class together (notice Allie next to Sam)

Everything seemed to go well. Allie is very eager to go to school and is so excited to be with all of her friends. She got a red sticker on her behavior chart today, which I think is good... but it said 'HOLY MOLY" so I hope that is meant in a positive way.

On Wednesday it is Allie's turn to bring snack for the class, which means she gets to be the 'leader' that day. Translate that in to three year old terms... 'I am the high and mighty, all powerful one who leads to the potty, playground, and music class. I am the first in line and will conquer any who may try to get in front of me!! I brought the highly coveted snack...so WORSHIP ME!!' You laugh, but really... this is a HUGE deal to them. I actually witnessed horns growing from Allie's head and flames shooting from her mouth as she went for the kill last year when Jonathan was first to line up on her 'leader day'. I kid you not! This week, she has selected pretzels, vanilla creme wafers, and HI-C fruit punch juice boxes for the occasion. Nice choice.

And on a side note... if you know anyone looking for a really good kitten please let me know. We have 3 strays that have taken up here and they are precious and soooo good with kids. I'd love to keep one myself, but someone would have no such thing. I really would love to find them loving homes.

Two of the three kittens.. the little black and white one was hiding
This is my favorite kitten. She even posed for a picture! I call her Tailor... comical because as you can see, she has no tail!

Preschool Registration, Dora, and a Date!!!

2007-08-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, this week has flown by. It was the last week before school starts for Allie on Monday. (Yea for me!!) Thursday night we went up to the preschool to see her teacher Mrs. Angie. We know her well from church so it was fun go and see her and the classroom. (Oh, and Katie... I totally checked out her teacher's wall for you and it don't hold a candle to yours, girl!) There are eleven kids in her class and she knows all but one well. Lets just say that this class will be a riot to say the least! All of these kids have practically been raised together since birth and they are the best of friends, but not afraid to hold their own either. Plus, all of these kids have personality to the max so there is no telling what they will do and say together. I didn't get too many pics because it was a busy night, but here are just a few...

Allie was working a puzzle until she spotted Sam, one of her little boyfriends...

This is Efrain, Sam, and Georgia

This is Allie's all-time FAVORITE babysitter Kate. She in 9th grade and came to watch the all of the kids while the parents attended a meeting.
Another of Allie and Kate

O.k, so back to the boyfriend thing. Allie has two little boys that she talks about constantly. Bachelor Number One is Sam. He is just precious! I could just eat him up! He was in Allie's class last year and also goes to church with us. Bachelor Number Two is Dane... also very adorable and such a sweetheart! He too goes to church with us. Allie once informed me "Mommy, I don't like Dane... I LOVE Dane!". This is totally apparent in exhibit A and also in exhibit B. I guess only time will tell how this little preschool puppy love saga will play out. Who knows...watch her ditch em' both and go for someone totally different. Again people... we are in for a very interesting year.

Now on to Friday...

I am so excited because I got Dora (my Explorer) back!!

'Reunited and it feeeeeeels so gooooood'

Oooohhh yeah, I totally went there... a little Peaches and Herb for the occasion!! LMAO!! She looks great and the shop did a fan-tabulous job on her repairs. I don't think that I ever mentioned that less than a week after she got hit the first time, she got hit again!! This time it was by a huge riding lawn mower. It left about a foot and a half scratch across the back bumper. Naturally it was on the opposite side of the first accident so she looked like crap from both angles!!! Yeah, I was thrilled about that! Anyhoo... she is fixed and beautiful again. Now everyone needs to kindly stay the frick away from her!

We ended the day with a date! Like, a real date!! Like, with no kids, no 5 trips to the potty, no chopping up food, no eating with one hand and holding a kid in the other, just a nice, quiet, relaxing meal among adults! Can you tell it's been awhile???? We went out to Outback with some of our best friends and had such a great time! It was so nice to have an evening out. Thanks again Dee Dee and Dennis for driving up to watch our crazy kids!

I hope you all have a great weekend!!!

An update on Pam

2007-08-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

My sister Pam had her surgery today and it went very well. Thanks to everyone who said a prayer for her. She seems to be doing well, and I just got an e-mail from my brother-in-law with a message form her...

'Hey everybody just wanted to show you my new trophy!!! Surgery went well. It took about an hour and twenty minutes. They completely put me under. The first thing I said when I woke up was, "I dreamed about web sites". :) I'm in a little pain now but I have a very good care-taker at home with me.

By the way, notice the very sophisticated "exercise device" they attached to the cast. It's a rubber band tied to my fingernail with sutures. Nice, huh? The doc who did the surgery is great...I was glad we had him.

Love you all,

Pam--'

Here's the picture I took with my crummy camera phone to send to Pam's phone when she was waking up in the hospital.

For those of you who don't know, she had a freak (very freak) accident earlier this week. She had opened a can of chicken to make chicken salad and when she was cleaning up, she picked up the can to throw it away and the lid was so sharp it immediately sliced through the inside of her little finger. She said it barely bled, but hurt like crazy and when she went to try to bend it she could not. She went to the ER and they gave her 3 stitches, but after two days she still could not move it. She went to a specialist yesterday where it was determined that she had severed both tendons in her finger and they had recessed back towards her hand. The Doctor immediately scheduled surgery for today during his regular lunch hour. She has to stay bandaged for several weeks, and then has to undergo months of therapy. I told you it was freak!! Anyway, she is doing well, and hopes she will be able to get back to her job as web designer soon. Thanks again for all of your prayers!!!

The New, Used Fall Wardrobe...

2007-08-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well, the sale was a success! I bought all kinds of stuff for the kids, but nowhere close to what I usually buy. I actually got out for about $120 this time which is crazy-low for me. I always come home with way more stuff than I need and toys that I have no place for! This time I knew I was on a strict time schedule so I had to get down to it and get my happy self a place in line.

I found shirts and pants for both Allie and Wyatt, and even a few pairs of brand new shoes. One was a pair of Stride Rite boots that still had the tags attached and I got them for $2.00! Another was a pair of Robeez (which I am totally obsessed with and have way too many of) that looked like they were worn maybe once at most. I got them for $3.00 and they were perfect! I found Allie a new pair of Elefanten Mary Janes that are precious. I think they are pretty well set... just a few things here and there, but over all... not bad for a days work!

Here's a few pics of my finds...

Wyatt's shirts

Wyatt's pants

Allie's shirts

Allie's pants
I also found Allie a doctor's kit and she totally loves it

Oh, and I ran in to Andrea there! Or, I guess I should say she ran in to me. I haven't seen her since her baby shower, so it was so nice to get to see her and her sister! I was so hot and sweaty and looked like total crap, but somehow she got me to take a pic with her. Bloggers... ya know...

So what, you might ask, were the kids doing while I was taking pictures of all the new clothes to stick on this here blog? Well, they were playing nicely together with Allie's dolls. I won't worry about that too much until he's a little older...

O.k., wait a minute... What's wrong with this friggin' picture?
And here?!? What's he doin' now?!? This picture was taken about 2 minutes later! What the freak??? Is he trying to mess with my mind???

The bottle days have come and gone...

2007-08-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well, the bottle days are over. Well, I guess I should re-phrase that... the one and only time he took a bottle is over. Ummmmm, yeah. He did it that one and time and now...NOTHING! It's like he never did it at all. I myself had to refer to the pictures to make sure I had not dreamed the whole thing up. Damnitol ! (oh yeah... check me out using the little click-here-reference thingies. I figured it out all by my little myself!!) Anyway, sorry y'all... I know you all are probably sick of hearing about my bottle woes, but as I have stated before... blogging is cheaper than therapy. I would just love to get to go have a day to myself!! I do, however have another plan up my sleeve. If it works I'll let you all know. If not, well... crap on it all. I'll just continue to live my life in 3 hour increments.

On a brighter note... my favorite sale of all, the annual Kidsignments sale is here again!! I love this sale and I look forward to volunteering at it every year! I am a little bummed because I can't work my usual shifts because... well... you know... someone is all friggin' anti-bottle and all, but I digress. I am going to get to work one shift. Anyway, back to the sale... I am all about a bargain and this sale is full of them! I love to buy clothes and things for the kids and this is a great way to do it if you have time to spend and patience. It is major packed and the lines are long, but well worth it! If you have never checked it out you may want to.

No other major issues to blog about. School starts back for Allie in a week and I can't wait!!! Then I'll have some interesting stuff to blog for sure!

The day has come!!! It has happened!!!

2007-08-13T19:21:00.001-07:00

He took a bottle!! A real bottle!! He actually drank it... like...all of it!! Can you tell I am excited?? We have been trying for 7 months to get him to take an occasional bottle with NO luck! So... over the course of the past 7 months, I have invested in almost every bottle they make....

1. The Playtex Nurser Bottle
2. The 'Traditional' Bottle
3. The Nuk Bottle
4. The Soothie Bottle
5. The HealthFlow/ TriFlow Bottle
and finally this little beauty...

6. The Adiri Breast Bottle
(yes, this is the entire bottle... it looks like a big ole' boob!!)

After all that... he decides to go with option 1. The Playtex Nurser Bottle. You know... the kind I have 25 of... the ones I've had all along that Allie took with NO problem. UUUGGGGHHH!!! But who cares?!?! I can actually leave him for more than 3 hours now! Oh, sweet freedom!!!

Wyatt says "This totally BITES, man!"

2007-08-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

I had to take some pictures for a girl down in Atlanta today, so I dropped the kids off at my parents so they could watch them for me. I was gone several hours and when I returned home I found this...

Cute, huh? Well... look a little closer...

Um, yeah. See that? The mark on his chubby little cheek that strangely resembles the size and shape of say... a three year olds mouth??? Yeah, that.

I was like "Mom, what the frick happened to his cheek?!?! Did Allie... did she bite him????" and she was like "Ummm, well.... she's already been punished for it." I was so mad. I mean, what the frick would possess her??? Mom said they were just playing happily and rolling around on the floor when he suddenly screamed bloody murder. At first mom thought she had accidentally hit him and made his cheek red, but the longer she rocked him the more visible the little dots became.

I still have no idea what made her do it. I don't think she meant to hurt him at all. She's never done this before, and never been bitten herself. Mom said that she seemed totally shocked and confused when she told her that biting hurts. She said Allie immediately teared up and hugged Wyatt while apologizing repeatedly. I kinda felt bad for her when I heard that. Who knows. I'm sure this won't be the last thing she pulls that leaves me wondering...

Anyway. In other news... I know that I have neglected to post updates in awhile. Let me start to fix that now. Wyatt can now sit well on his own and has been able to for several weeks now. He's not smiling here because... well... he's still miffed about the bite.

But as you can see here... he gets over it quickly.

He has one tooth on the bottom that he got over a month ago. We're still wondering if he has another inside his gums anywhere. He is rolling all over the place and is starting to try to scoot a little. I have a feeling life is about to get waaaaaaaayyyy hectic. Oh, and if you are wondering... he still gets up anywhere from 3 to 7 times a night AND still refuses to take a bottle.

Could someone please pass the Damnitol??

2007-08-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

Let me start this post by saying that my intention when I started blogging was not to have a place to vent, or bee-otch and moan about all of life's little frustrations... but lets face it... it's rapidly becoming just that. Hey, it's cheaper than therapy. Anyhoo... things have been so crazy. I've been so crazy. If you have a moment and want to read about the reasons that Damnitol is needed (btw...thanks for the prescription, Katie) keep reading. If not, be patient...I promise that my next post will be more positive!!

Common indications you might need one... or four of these powerful little pills...

1. You are shooting over 400 family pictures in 3 days by yourself for the church directory (maybe I should get 'Darnitol' for this since it does have to do with the church and all...)

2. Your husband gets sucked in to doing a out-of-town boat show the same week you have to shoot over 400 family pictures for the church directory.... and you have no family that live near you to help... and all of your babysitters are out of town or at band camp (o.k., I can't help but think "there was this one time...at band camp...")

3. You finally get your two kids in bed and get to enjoy a quiet bath... and get to shave your legs- uninterrupted- only to find out that you must have nicked your ankle and not known it until you start finding red dots on the carpet... 17 of them to be exact... that show you that yes, indeed you did cut yourself and you are tracking blood all the frick over your rug.

4. You don't realize that you are out of toilet paper. And I mean not just in the bathroom that you are in... but in the whole friggin' house. I mean not even a partial roll shoved a closet or under a cabinet... nope, notta, nothing. And the other bathroom?? It was left high and dry as well. Just a lone cardboard tube on a roll. Nice... (we resorted to baby wipes...)

5. A guy shows up on your doorstep with a bag full of about 40 golf balls and demands to know if it is "your husband who is responsible for driving golf balls into his pasture and almost hitting his mini-horse" (um...oops... my husband and about 4 other neighbors. The friggin' pasture was no ones until about a month ago when it finally sold. They have all been hitting balls out there for like 7 years now. There's probably 4000 balls out there! (and no... thank God it was not my husband that day!)

and last but not least...

6. Your brand new car... the one you've had only 8 weeks... that still has that heavenly new car smell...that you special ordered way back in February and waited so patiently for... gets side-swiped in the church parking lot while you are shooting said directory pictures. Yea... still waiting on the insurance guy to come and assess the total damage.

Yes, friends... this has been my week.

Damnitol!

My Aliases...

2007-07-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well folks... things have been slow here in blogging land. Nothing too spectacular has happened. I've been so busy with work I have not had much time. Oh, one crazy thing...my identity got stolen... yea!!! Fortunately the credit card flagged it before they bought too much. Only about $700 dollars worth of crap from some super saver sofa place and somewhere called Slumber Parties. (Yea..I have no idea what they sell...) $700 wasn't too bad...it's a far cry from the $9200 someone spent on Michael's when his identity was stolen late last year. Good times... Good times. Some people are total freaks! Thank goodness we aren't responsible for the charges.

I figured I'd do the name-thingy on Katie's blog since I don't have anything groundbreaking to blog about. Sorry... I'll work on finding some interesting stuff soon.

1. REAL NAME: Caron

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 3 letters of real name plus "-izzle"): Carizzle

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color and favorite animal): Purple Cat

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name and current street): Jennifer Bradford

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom's maiden name): Ric-Ca-Cas

6. YOUR SUPER HERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Teal Amaretto Sour

7. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's middle name and father's middle name - switch if you are male): Jane Wilton (Katie, Michaels Grandpa's name was Marian!! LOL!)

8. YOUR GOTH NAME: ("Black" and the name of one of your pets): Black Turner

9. YOUR PORN NAME (name of your first pet + first street you lived on): Punkin Bonnie... You like that one, don't ya! Oh, and Katie... Punkin was a sausage, too!!! So that's two weird things we have in common... go figure.

Y'all have a great week!

My Very Own Cabbage Patch Kid

2007-06-22T14:50:00.000-07:00

Alright, so my last post got me thinking. I really need to get rid of some of the friggin' clutter in my house. (Not that our stickers are clutter Andrea... but you know what I mean.) I made the mistake of going up to the attic to begin this painstaking task, and after seeing the monstrosity that is my attic, I came to the conclusion that there was only one thing could get me to the crap-free lifestyle I'm hoping for... a YARDSALE, baby!! I can bid farewell to all my useless crap and sell it to someone who is looking for useless crap to clutter their own homes with. Nice, huh? A win/win situation. Plus, I make a little money to put towards the new lens I've been eying for my camera. So, with that I started digging though boxes of stuff I had no idea I owned... I even found boxes of toys I played with when was a kid!! I came across this Cabbage Patch Kid...

I went to toss it aside when it hit me... I know that face!! It had a strange resemblance to a certain little boy I know....

And there he is... my very own Cabbage Patch Kid! Crazy, huh?!?! Look at the noses... they are identical! Maybe I should check his butt to see if Xavier Roberts stamped his name there too!!