SHE asked ME?!

Just becuase she has new school clothes that she is so excited each morning to wear........SHE asked ME to take her picture, and actually smiled for me! I love my Lolly-lue!


I love how blue makes eyes just sparkle. She has been doing her hair all by herself most days, and is doing a pretty good job at it. Makes me sad thinking she is growing up gaining some independance. Could someone please stop time!

Caught "BLUE handed".........

I was in at the computer tonight editing some pictures.......Cara is USUALLY in here with me, not allowing me to "quickly" edit, but prolonging the process with her "three year old" distractions. I got caught up in editing, probably becuase I was getting SO MUCH done, that I didn't even notice that my little "shadow" had disappeared......NOT GOOD! She was found coming to tell me that "someone" had gotten into the blue craft water paint and got it ALL OVER her!! How mysterious huh? I didn't think so either! Before I got all into upset mode, I seized the opportunity to capture this one as a memory. She posed willingly (which she NEVER does) and then proceeded to tell me all about "someone" getting paint on her. I attentively listened, and then was directed to the playroom where the empty bottle was. She THANKFULLY didn't get it anywhere or on anything except her hands and a little on her face. She definately keeps me hoppin'! You cannot let that girl out of your site for even a minute, or you are wondering what she is into next. Her latest has been my lipstick and chapstick! My favorite Clinique color (which was a brand new tube) was so creatively colored all over in my bathroom sink just the other day. Then, my other favorite was used in painting on some paper......what do you do? I have hidden everything I own from the stinker, and she still ends up finding things to "create" with. She always shows me her work though, which I so firmly talk to her about crayons and "mommys things" and the difference between the two. I have a feeling she is just exploring her artistic side,(at my sanities expense) and could grow up to be a world renowned artist. Gotta love her though......and I definately do!! TONS!

I don't see anything wrong with my hands.....so they are blue!


If I can't see you, you can't see me. She thinks that one is gonna work on me


Do you think she tried to taste the paint? Good thing it is "non-toxic" and Crayola brand huh? Come to think of it, nothin' she has ever put in her mouth that she wasn't suppose to has ever done anything......well, not that we were aware of!


she KNOWS she is so stinkin' naughty....and she makes me sooo happy!


I have two little hands folded snuggly and tight......not this time!


peek-a-boo.......my hands are blue!


STICK EM' UP!!

I REALLY POSTED!!

I just decided to actually post a few things for your reading pleasure. If you so want, read up till Feb 14th for all the new stuff, if not, you LOOSE! I will get another chunk of posts done soon since I took the thousands of pics off my camera yesterday (it was really a couple of thousand pics too!)

Still in training.....

After I took a few pictures of Lolly, I turned around and saw Cara on the floor watching Dora the Explorer. She had her dress-up "Dancing in the Stars" (that is what she calls it) dress on too, so perfect opportunity to show pics of her little, I mean BIG personality. I knew that she was not moving from her spot the whole time she was watching it. She is not a tv girl, but has taken a liking to just a couple of cartoons and Dora is one of them. I quietly sat next to her and started snapping away. She didn't even flinch a bit! Normally, you know by my pictures, she does everything in her power to look away from my camera and not let me get her picture. This was hillarious because I was literally a couple of feet from her and clicking away. I took advantage of the situation and took lots of pics because I hardly ever get good ones of her. Here are the pics....

Just sittin' there watchin' Dora and Boots


I love this one because of her little pinky finger untucked just resting on her cheek so slyly


Just layin' there not even noticing me


Same picture as above but I vignetted it a little


She bites her bottom lip when she is thinking....I like it!


She is my kid who I wish I could pick her brain. At three years old, her wheels are going faster than most adults I know. She is a smart little cookie for her age. Love this "deep in thought" pose


Same pose, just vignetted


She is biting her lip and smiling at the Swiper no swiping part of the cartoon....so funny!


Okay, I almost cried tears of joy when I saw this one once I got it off my camera. IT IS TO DIE FOR!! I was soooo proud of myself #1 for capturing something like this, and #2 for getting all the settings perfect (a lot of the good ones were blurry, overexposed, or underexposed) This is just the plain picture...but absolutely so amazing to me!


I altered it black and white.....the detail is stunning I think. Her eyes, lips, and her little butterfly ring just POP out of the picture!


I did a little vignette on this one......I LOVE IT! I just stare and stare at how beautiful my little Cara is, and I captured an amazing picture.....IN MANUAL!!! I gotta call Holly to see this one I am so proud of it! (she was the one I took the photography workshop from to learn all about manual focus, and she is an UNBELIEVABLE photographer! Take a look at her blog from my links on the side under Brimhall....you will be hooked on peeping in on her, and she is a dear friend of mine)


This is another one that I vignetted and lightened just a little bit. I think I like more color in the pics. I love her little ring in all the pics. She is so darn cute!

Manual in training...

I took the opportunity to slyly take pictures of the girls today. My kids are so used to me taking pictures that they are such stinkers when I pull out my camera. It has been hard for me to practice taking them in manual because they will never let me bribe them to take them out for a "photoshoot". Lolly asked to do one of her birthday crafts after she was done with her homework after school today. Normally I tell her that she has to wait till stinker Cara is preoccupied doing something else, but I got the great idea to let her if she let me take pictures of her. She was all over that. Here are just a few. I feel like I am getting more and more used to the button adjustments, and my pics are getting a little bit better each time. It is going to be a lllloooonnnnggggg road learning this whole "manual stuff"!

The pictures are just so crisp and sharp. This one I got the setting wrong because it came out a little light, but still an okay pic I think


Lolly was pulling some pretty funny faces for me. They were totally out of the blue! I was trying really hard to get the settings and focus right and just as I was about to press the button and take the picture, she would pull stuff like this. I was laughing so hard and it messed up all the settings I had just worked so hard to get right......she is soooo silly sometimes!


I love capturing the candid pictures. They are probably my favorite ones of my kids. Lolly got to where she forgot that I was snapping away and just was in her element of crafting, which she could do all day long if I let her.


I asked her to just look at me and smile. She is the prettiest thing huh?


I am also tinkering around in Photoshop and liked the picture enough to vignette it a little bit. (when the edges look burned or darker) I really like how this one turned out!

Priceless Treasures

This is what has filled the abundant amount of lonely time that Grandma has. I am sad for her loneliness, but happy that she loves to be productive. She is an incredible seamstress and crocheter! She has been doing alter cloths for the Temple, and garment bags in place of the pouches. She wants to make one for each of her daughters/in-laws and all the grandaughters. I was the lucky one who got the first one quite a while ago. I still KNOW that I am secretly her favorite one!! (at least she has has never told me otherwise, so it must be so!) She told me she had made some new patterns, and to come see if I wanted another pouch since mine was pretty plain. I had mentioned a while ago that I wanted one that had a feminine floral pattern or something. Little did I know that she really listened and went to work. This is the one she made "just for me"! It brought tears to my eyes because I know that the whole time she was making it, she was thinking of me and if I would like it or not. Are you kidding me? I have never recieved anything from Grandma that was not absolutely loved and cherished so dearly. Words just cannot express how greatful I am for a Grandma that thinks to pass on something so precious and priceless to her posterity. I love you more than eternity Grandma!

This is the one she "thought of me". It is just what I wanted!


I love that these are "just the right size" for your pouch items in the Temple.....nice and snug and little for holding.


A dainty but simple pattern. I could not pick only one that I liked.......I wanted them all!


I am going to go back over and take these pics again and put a piece of colored cloth in them so you can see the patterns and how amazing they are. My pics don't even come close to showing you how neat they are.


I really like this pattern. You cannot see the detail very well but it is so dainty and pretty. This is also one she did for the Temple sealing altars.


I put a white cloth inside to try and let you see the detail but it didn't help out very well.


I tried to take the picture at a different angle, but it still doesn't do it justice to how detailed it is. This one is also a Temple altar cloth she did for one of the sealing rooms.

Lunch with Granny Grunt

It has been LONG overdue.....me spending some time with my most favorite Grandma EVER! I called her a couple of days ago and asked when we could come and visit. Of course she had a lot of free time, so we waited till the knuckleheads were back in school. I know they would have wanted to come, but thier span of restlesness only lasts for so long, and with Grandma living at an "adult community" there is only so much for them to do. They love coming to see Grandma Poco and will be sad they were at school. It will just make for another day where we all can come see her. Anywho, Cara and I got up today, headed off to swim lessons, came home and got all showered and ready to head in and see Grandma. She was sooo excited to see us. We headed out to Chili's for soup and salad and then ran a couple of errands together. It was so good to just sit and visit with her. I have not done that in a long time. I learned a lot more things that I didn't know about Grandma's past and my ancestors. I love hearing the stories of her youth and younger days. They are things I will cherish forever because they are a part of who I am. I was sad to end our date, but had to get home for the kids who were getting home from school. I just hate leaving her all alone because I know she gets so lonely. I know she has had way more time than she would like to be by herself, and it just makes her miss Grandpa even more. We are going to try and make this a regular thing we do together. I love seeing how Grandma's face just lights up when she sees Cara, and Cara loves it! Their faces are just mirror images of pure happiness! She has so many neat things in her house that Cara gets entertained by, and Grandma loves telling her all about each one. I enjoy just sitting back and seeing them interact with each other. I want Cara to know and love my Grandma as much as I do. My children have been lucky to grow up with them nearby and hopefully will have great memories of my Grandpa and Grandma Payne (Poco).

I love how Cars is holding her hand. When we were out and about, the second I got her out of her carseat, she would run around the van and get Grandmas hand to hold the whole time. I love it!


Cara would not look at me for nothin'!


Sooooo......Granny pinched her little bumm! Look how cute that is!


The look on both of their faces is absolutely priceless to me, and will be to Cara in years to come.


Cara loves Grandma and lets her know every time we see her. I am thankful for that, and I know Grandma is too. She was giving her the biggest "tight squeeze and smooches". sooo sweet!


Isn't she still so beautiful? She will be 80 in October!


She means the world to me!

Football has started...

So another thing has added to the craziness at our home.....FOOTBALL! The boys started the same day they started back at school. Ty is playing for the Pee Wee Cardinals this year. The league started a new program with teams and did away with the Patriots for everyone but the Junior High team. He is still playing with the same boys from last year, they just all are Cardinals now. Coach Diggs will be greatly missed, but his good friend Coach Short will be the new head honcho, so we look forward to a great year of football with him. Grant switched from playing with the Tigers last year to being on the Jr. Pee Wee Cardinals. I needed to switch things up and decided to put him in the same club as Ty to make it easier for us with practices and games. He has a new coach who is new to the league, and so far so good with him. It is really good physically and emotionally for the boys to play football. The benefits of what it teaches them is a huge plus and is something that frankly I cannot teach them, nor want to. I am excited to see how much they have retained from last years season, and hope this one is even better!

NFL in training


Do they look really amused to head out in the 110 degree heat to "get conditioned" (sweat buckets and buckets) for the next two hours? They love it though.....NUTS!


Would you be scared to see this across from you? Grant is somethin' else.....he ALWAYS is pulling crazy faces the second I snap a picture. I wonder where he gets that from?? his father? oh how you know it!!

Just the 2 of us......

After the door shut at 7:45, the house was so quiet. Cara was still snoozing and I was really sad for the quietness, but happy that it was another school year for the kids. They were also so excited for this day, and getting to see their "school friends" again. I went in and got the lazy bones up and going so she could get on the same schedule as the rest of us and not be up till her mother is every night. (if you can believe it, I am TRYING to get to bed before midnight every night......SHOCKING, I know!) Cara went looking for the kids, and then asked where they were. I told her that they started school today. She disappeared for a minute and then came out of her room and told me that she was "ready to go to school" with the other kids. I laughed and laughed! She is such a smart little cookie and has such a strong personality that if I could make a fake birth certificate, she could totally pass for kindergarten, and do better that most the other kids there. I just had to get her to let me take her picture because this will be a funny one in years to come when she rereads this story. She is getting pretty good at matching her clothes, and wearing HER cloths instead of Lollys. The boots came out of hiding again, and she wears them all the time, including jaunts to Target and Fry's. Gotta love this little spunky girl of mine! I cherish these last few years I have with her till I have to send her off to school. I love you Carebear!

She is such a happy girl, I would LOVE to know what she is thinking all the time and what goes on behind those big baby blues of hers. Don't you love the "morning bedhead" look?


Her pick of a "first day of school" outfit


Nice choice of shoes.......definately a necessity in Arizona huh? But they do match whatever she decides she is going to wear each day, or so she says.


I know she is just looking at the school from our doorstep and wanting to just head that way, thinking she is ready to conquer kindergarten.

hi ho, hi ho, its off to school we go.........

I cannot believe that it is time to start another school year. It seriously seems like the kids got out of school just a couple of weeks ago. I guess technically it was only eight short weeks of summer vacation, and when we packed in all the fun that we did, it FLEW BY! I am sort of sad to see them leave again, off into the world of learning, by someone elses teachings. It makes me really evaluate what I have enstilled in their little minds so that they can defend themselves from the garbage that is going to entice them from all the classmates they will encounter this year. (feeling Mommy guilt I guess!) I did shed a tear when I closed the door behind them and it was just me and "my little buddy" (aka Cara) home for the day. I am thankful that I still have her to keep my company.


Ty 7th grade


Grant 5th grade


Laurel 3rd grade