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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

#3 Picture Perfect

So number three it is.

Here's the thing.

Truth be told.

NONE of these are new. 

I wish I could say I got all fired up and inspired and went out and shot some great shots.
I didn't.

I kind of feel like a cheat.

These are all pics from this year...

but they aren't new.

Including this one....It was from last summer.

but it is an all time FAVORITE!

I love love love it.

Our oldest girl.  A teenager.  Holding her Daddy's hand. 
That right there is some serious heart melting going on there...

So here it is..
My number three..


Come on over and join us...

There are some amazing pictures!

SO fun!

Click here...its so easy!



 

Picture Perfect #2 Daddy and little one.

#2

Click here...
and check out ALL the super cook pictures!


Ok.  Seriously love these two. 

LOVE that I caught this moment.

Do not love that I haven't printed it, framed it and hung in on my wall..

but I will...
Someday.


Picture Perfect #1




So here's the thing.  I almost didn't enter. 

Black and white for me is a tricky thing.  I either LOVE it...or I HATE it.  There is no in between.  I also find I haven't ever really loved a b&w that I have taken.

But going through some old shots...I decide to enter.

I just keep going back to the old saying...
"You always regret the things you don't do...not the things you do do."

So, here goes...

First submission.

This is my nephew.

He was in Iraq.  Fighting for our Country. 
He came home for a ten day visit. 
There was a cook out to so everyone could see him.
We will really celebrate when he is home for good. 
Can't wait to find out when that is.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

My HAPPY list this weekend!


Summer makes me happy.

Letting them wake up whenever they feel like it...happy.

Days at the beach...happy.

Day trips to all the fun spots in our area...happy.

Grilling out and eating on the deck...happy.

The smell of suntan lotion...happy.

Slip and slides in the front yard...happy.

Cold beer on a warm evening...happy.

It being light until almost 9 o'clock...happy.

Long walks...with good friends...happy.

Shorts...tank tops and especially FLIP FLOPS....happy.

Days off from work...happy.

happy....happy....happy.....


Come get some HAPPY with Dandelion Wishes....



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Saturday, June 18, 2011

The Surprise!~Sunday Snapshot~ 11/365



Ni Hao Yall

About two months ago I sent out these...


At first I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. 
Don't get me wrong.  I wanted to do it...but I knew it was gonna be a lot of work.



and to be honest...
it wouldn't have happened without this lady...


The most important thing.  Was that he would be surprised.  I was so afraid someone....somewhere was going to "spill the beans.."

The girls were so excited for the big day.  They couldn't wait to see his face..


He was surprised.
We told him it was a surprise party for our niece who happened to graduate from High School the night before. 
I tend to plan what we do and where we go...and Ryan, well he tends to just be where I tell him to be when I tell him to be there...
It's kind of just easier that way...

So when he walked in the door...
and saw this...


He couldn't figure out why we were all so excited...
and then when everyone yelled surprise...
Well I think his expression says it all...


It was tons of fun and so worth all the work.
He so deserved a night like this...
A night with friends.
New and old...
and boy did we have fun...

catching up...





and dancing the night away...






and speeches from his daughters...

one that brought tears...


and one that brought laughter...


and spending time with family...

young...


and old...


It's always nice when we are all in one spot...


Our girls...
They danced hard...
and they crashed hard.

but we sure did have fun...
and when it's all said and done..
us girls...
we know...

He's working...
for us...
So it was super nice to have a night...
that was all about him...
Cause if anyone deserves to be celebrated...
it would be him...
Happy Birthday Honey!

I love you!





















Wednesday, June 15, 2011

We Want to Know Wednesday Q&A wk9


We Want to Know Wednesday Q&A wk9


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This week's questions are from the, super duper cool Mamarazzi!!


{1} You have been asked to give a 10 minute speech to teenage girls. What is it about?
I would talk to them about how they treat each other.  Girls can be so mean to one another.  They are so competitive and so ready to bash each other in order to make them selves look good.  These are their friends.  These are the people they should be leaning on.  Boys come and go...but good girlfriends are forever.
{2} Do you have a pet? Tell us about them. No pets? Why?
YES!  We have two yellow Labrador retrievers.  BOTH over 100lbs.  Our boy's named Fenway, after the greatest place on earth...FENWAY PARK (GO SOX) and his Sister is named ROXY, because both of my girls would love to surf if where we lived the water didn't feel like the arctic.  We also have a cat named Mr. Chancey.  He is the awesomest cat in the whole world.  We tried to have hamsters...but we are crazy hamster killers in our house.  4 hamsters in 4 months...we're all done with that thanks!

{3} What is the biggest inconvenience about the place you’re currently living?
There are a few things actually.  A.  It needs a lot of work.  Like... A LOT... It needs new EVERYTHING...siding, windows, flooring, the entire kitchen needs to be re-done.  The downstairs bath needs to be re-done.  The master bedroom needs to be re-done.  The yard needs work....and it's on a really busy street and we can't afford a HUGE privacy fence right now.  But....My bestie lives a block a way and it makes it ALL worth it.
{4} What do you think is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?
Ryan Thomas Leary.



Without him, I wouldn't have my babies.  He is by FAR the very best thing that has every happened to me.
{5} What are the THREE "nevers" of your life? (things you would never do or have never done)

I have NEVER jumped out of a plane..or bungee jumped...and I NEVER will.
I have NEVER bought a brand new car...but I will SOMEDAY...
I have NEVER wanted to work outside the home...unfortunately I have always had to.

Q2 is brought to us by McKenzie
Q4 is brought to us by DateGirl

Monday, June 13, 2011

{8/365} My how things have changed

At the beginning of the year.
Before school started, I was a little worried.
My Reagie Roo had always come to work with me.
If she slept in...I just brought her into work in her jammies and got her dressed when we got there.

I didn't really worry about her morning routine very much.

Before she started Kindergarten...I started thinking about what I could do to help her get into a routine...

This is what I came up with.



Yeah, I know, it's a pretty simple concept.
But, I have to say...it worked.
Like REALLY REALLY well.

It was actually really cute. 
For the first few months of school...
she would run out and see "what she had to do next!"


She knew from day one what was expected of her.
and...
she did it..







and then all of the sudden about half way through the year...
I noticed she wasn't looking at it nearly as much as she had been...
and now.

It's the end of the year...

and in just a few days...

she won't be a kindergartner anymore...

and she isn't using her "chart" anymore..
because she knows what to do without it...
and she does it.

We've even added to it..

She makes her bed before she comes downstairs now.

Now...
We have to wait and see if she still has the hang of it after a whole Summer off...
and...
if we can get her teenage sister to make her bed before she goes to school...

Than I'll really feel like I accomplished something!






7/365 Flowers.yuck.

In 2006, when we bought our house, we had all kinds of big plans.

The first thing I did when we received the keys was walk into the master bedroom...
and rip down the wallpaper.

It was horrible.

See this boarder...



It was an ENTIRE wall...
a 25 foot wall of these flowers...


seriously. 

It was bad.

Well...

what was underneath it was worse.

There was wallpaper under wallpaper...
and under the wallpaper was vinyl wallpaper.

It looks like this...





We tried to get the wallpaper backing off...
We tried it all.
A steamer.
Wallpaper remover.
Scrapers.
Fabric Softener.

We researched it.

NOTHING, worked.

I we finally decided we would just have to re-sheet rock the entire wall.

Yeah.  That was almost 5 years ago.

And it hasn't quite happened yet.

Other things have.

The girls bedrooms are finished.
The upstairs bathroom is never ever going to be finished almost done.

While I wait...
I decided to "wallpaper" myself.

and this is what it looks like now...
this I can live with until it's really done..


















My babies art work.

Beautiful isn't it.

I have to say...

I can't wait for a nice new wall.

One without flowers...

but until then...

This...

well...It's pretty great.