Photo Shoot at 4 years!

Miss Pumpkin had her four year old pictures on her birthday.  A little over a year ago, my sister told me about a friend of a friend who had a photography business out of her house.  The price was great and I decided to give it a try.  My first photo shoot was maternity pictures and I fell in love!  The photographer was great, it was priced right, and we had lots of time to play and make sure we got good pictures.  I have gone there ever since!  The photographer and I have become good friends and it has been fun to go to her throughout the year for my girls pictures.  Check out her website! Photo Shoot Photography

This was the easiest photo shoot I've ever had with my kids.  Pumpkin was ready and so smiley!  I have so many pictures to choose from its going to be hard to choose a favorite!  Enjoy!

OKAY. . .I'm struggling to get the web album to load. .. .check back in a bit and hopefully I'll solve the problem.. .. . Update- still struggling with the album, but I created the collage above!  Hopefully I'll get the album up soon!

Wordless Wednesday

Mother's Day Tea Parties!!!

Yes parties- two to be exact!!  We had a simple tea party at our house on Saturday for Miss Pumpkin and her grandma.  We invited my sister-in-laws since I thought they would enjoy the girl time with my girls and their mom.  I served little turkey and provolone sandwiches, nutella and banana sandwiches, brownie bites, cheese and crackers, and my sister in law brought a coffee cake for her mother to enjoy.  Our "tea" was served by Miss Pumpkin.  Our tea was really apple juice, our sugar cubes were crushed ice, and our cream was just water.  Miss Pumpkin had a blast pouring tea for everyone, adding the ice- I mean "sugar", and refilling her own cup.  She spilled a lot and we had a hard time keeping up with the spill, but it was a lot of fun to watch.  This was our second year of having a little tea party for her and her grandma.  Sweet Pea woke up towards the end from her nap and enjoyed the brownie bites! 

Pumpkin dressed herself for the tea party and decided she was a princess.  Her cousin C came over with his mommy and he is a few months younger than her and decided he wanted to be a princess too!  I LOVE the pictures!

Tea Party #2 was on Mother's Day at my sisters house.  This tea party was a little bigger- all four little girl cousins, my mother, my brother, and my sister's mother in law.  We had similar food, but added cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, chinese chicken salad, and individual angel food cakes with strawberries for desert!  I learned that Mother's Day weekend is not the time to think about weight loss and diet!  It is included in other holidays where the food is too yummy to pass up! 

The little girls were dressed in their Easter dresses and had fun playing with a miniature tea set.  We also decided to make "tea party hats."  It didn't go quite as planned and the wind also helped to make it a little more difficult as it was blowing our tissue paper away!!!  Next year I'll have to make sure I plan ahead for my craft!!! 

The day was lots of fun seeing all the girls together with their Nani and Grandma C.  Uncle S is always a blast and was fun to include this year.  We hopefully will continue this tradition over the years and our girls will have very special memories of their grandmas! (Unfortunately I only have few pictures- as I get them from family I'll add them!)   I'm hopeful that next year we will be able to use the gazebo in our backyard as a fun place to play tea party!!

Just Silliness, Smiles, and Sleepytime!

In January I started this blog as a place to record memories for my girls.  I do scrapbook, but typically I'm working on albums that are about a year behind (or more in Pumpkin's case!).  I have big plans this summer to make a big effort to get caught up, but who knows how that will work out!  My girls do so many cute little things that I want to remember, so I figured a blog would be a good way to capture those times.  Hopefully some day I'll print out my blog as a memory book as well!

My girls are so sweet with each other.  Pumpkin has always been very loving with Sweet Pea and loves to hold her and give her kisses.  Sweet Pea is at the age where either she doesn't want to be hugged OR she will go to Pumpkin and "attack" her with hugs and love!  They play so well together- I always wanted my children to be close in age so they could have their built in best friend.  I never imagined they would already be such good buddies at their ages!  When I pick them up from preschool, Pumpkin is always ready to get Sweet Pea.  Last week I took just Pumpkin to the doctor and she was so concerned about leaving Sweet Pea behind.  She ran into Sweet Pea's classroom when we got back and gave her a HUGE hug!

One of mine and G's favorite memories of the last year is when we have gone on trips together in the truck.  Our girls sit facing opposite directions in the truck and their car seats are next to each other.  I'm sure for some parents this would be a cause for concern, but our girls love it!  They giggle at each other, trade toys, and "talk" to each other.  I'm still trying to get it on video, but it is so hard since it is spontaneous!  Pumpkin loves to say "Hi, Sweet Pea (enter real name!)" in this silly sing-song voice.  It is the most precious thing!!!  I'm hoping that I'll capture that before she out grows that stage!

I LOVE bedtime (most nights. . . )- not because my kids are asleep and its mommy-time, but because I love the cuddletime in bed.  A year ago it was so precious to read books with Pumpkin while Sweet Pea was sleeping on me or playing on Pumpkin's bed.  I enjoyed having two little girls cuddled up in my lap.  Now they don't fit as well and Sweet Pea is so much more active!  Pumpkin always wants to read 2 books and sometimes tries to find a way to get a third.  She is starting to follow along better and ask lots of questions about what is going on.  I can't wait to start reading longer books with her and share stories with her that I read as a little girl!  Sweet Pea is just now that the age where she is really into books and I'm reminded of why I only read tagboard books with her!!!  She also gets her two books and then it is time to rock.  I'm a rocker- I LOVE to rock my babies and they love to let me!  Even Miss Pumpkin who will be four on Saturday!  After Sweet Pea goes to bed, then I get to lay with Pumpkin and rub her back.  She will stall for as long as possible to keep me with her and I'm guilty of giving in.  It drives G crazy, but I know she is only little once and pretty soon won't want me in her room!  I enjoy it more than her at times! 

Before I go to bed, I almost always check on my girls.  I sneak into their rooms, cover them up with their blankets, pray for them, rub their sweet checks, and just sit amazed at how precious they are.  I've done this since Pumpkin was first sleeping in her own room.  It started as a way to help me feel better and know that she was okay. . .now I just love to watch them sleep!  They are such blessings to me and I know how very special they are!  They may get tired of hearing it and getting extra hugs, but that is just one of many things they can later complain about me! 

Silly pictures below!

T Ball Season is Here!

I'll be honest. . .I really didn't want to have Pumpkin play Tball this year. Soccer was difficult in the fall- she really had a hard time playing the entire game. Neither G nor I are huge baseball lovers (although I did play softball for many years), so we figured we would sit this out. . . .

Pumpkin has two cousins her age and they both come from families that love baseball and they were planning on signing their kids up for Tball at the same church where we had soccer. Knowing that two of her cousins were going to be playing, as well as knowing how much my dad would enjoy watching her play was all it took to convince me to sign her up. It is adorable to watch and so much fun with two of her uncles coaching and her cousins with her! She is the smallest on her team, but definitely not the youngest! One amusing fact is that the bat they use is 15 oz. . . .same as she weighed at birth! Crazy! This past Saturday was her first game. . . I couldn't decide which pictures were my favorite so I'll warn you there are a lot!!  You'll see that this is definitely a family affair- lots of help from Daddy, two Uncles, Papa, and Grandpa!

It makes it easier to run to the base when you are running to your Uncle!!!

Getting some batting tips from Uncle V

She made it to third!!!  Papa was waiting!

Yes!!!  She hit is all by herself!!! Woohoo!

Running home!!  Notice Grandpa coaching third behind her!

Love this picture!!!  Mom tells stories of me making daisy chains in right field!!!

Playing the infield with Daddy!  Her cousin is in the pink pants on the right!

 Miss Sweet Pea was busy during the game playing on Grandma's chair!  So proud of herself! 

Sweet Pea watching the game!

March for Babies 2010!

Team Little Feet Big Dreams!

I can't believe its already over!  This was our family's fourth year walking and it was a fun day.  After Pumpkin's early arrival, I knew I needed to give back in some way.  Through a random Internet search, I discovered the March of Dimes (that's a blog for another day!).  I learned that they developed surfactant therapy which saved Pumpkins life- without it her lungs would never have been able to function.  Our first year walking we had a small team- my father, sister, and my coworker and her boyfriend.  It poured for most of the walk- we were cold but had a blast!  The last two years have gone even better- good weather, good food, and now it has become a time to get family and friends together that we do not see often.  I am usually torn between trying to be the host of our team and also working as the Family Team Chair at our tent, but it is such a great experience I keep going back for more!  The walk is usually an emotional time for me, but it also reminds me of how precious my little miracle is.

This years walk was extra special for a few reasons.  My oldest sister was able to walk with us.  She lives out of state and she was here visiting for the weekend and I was so excited to have her participate with us!  She is such an overachiever she asked if she could run the 6.2 miles!  haha  Also we were so lucky have the support of both my parents and G's parents.  We could not do this each year without them and their support is so special to me.  I also had students walking again this year- each year I am amazed by the support of my students.  I have students that fundraise and also that come walk.  My friend Tami was able to come again this year. . .this year was extra special for her as well.  The memories that we make at the walk each year are very special.  I am privleged to walk for Pumpkin and Sweet Pea and to have the support of such good friends and family.

 As always you are welcome to donate still:  www.marchforbabies.org/girlyhurley (or click on the link on the side!)

Here are some pictures from the walk!

Silly Uncle!

                                         Tami and Me                                        

My dad's friend and his daughters!  They have walked with us every year!

Grandma, Pumpkin, and Me

"D&D Days"

Every year I feel like I say "it's been a hard year."  This school year is turning out to be another hard year and I've decided that that is just life and its time to move on.  We'll get through it and our family will be stronger.

Sadly, we lost a dear friend unexpectedly in Feburary.  G and I were youth group leaders when his three kids were in junior high/high school and now his wife works at the girls' preschool.  I sat at the funeral service and reflected on many things.  What an example this man left behind- so committed to his family and his church.  He was rich in God's eyes and he knew what really mattered in life.  His daughter talked about "D&D Days"- which meand Daddy and daughter.  It was so sweet to hear about the special things that they would do together without the boys around.  I think he would be honored that G is going to have his own "D&D Days" with his daughters.  Hopefully they will turn out to be more than just the girls hanging out with him while Mommy goes to MOPS, but they are still young! I'm sure there will be some "D&D" campouts in the future!

One of the sweetest memories of Pumpkin and G was a few weeks ago.  She was learning about community helpers while at school.  A few parents came in to share what they did and I asked if G could bring his work car by the school for the kids to crawl through.  He loves doing this kind of thing, but technically he works in a different city ( by two blocks!) so he had to ask his Sgt.   Miss Pumpkin was sooo excited that morning that her daddy was coming to school and going to see all her friends.  He was there early with his car as clean as could be and ready for the kids.  It was adorable to watch the kids crawl through the car, play with the lights, drive it, and see how many preschoolers could fit in the back.  Pumpkin wanted her turn, but also just wanted to have her daddy hold her!  It was so sweet.  I have cute pictures of her and her buddy driving the car, as well as one with her and her daddy in front of the car! 

(Sorry- no pictures will be shared out of respect for G not wanting work pictures posted. . . will be scrapbooked!!!)

I hope there will be plenty more "D&D Days" memories to share as time goes on!

L