what's new?

we're still busy around here! we've had a lot of days off from school for conferences and winter weather. our family has a lot of on our plates right now, and the stress is starting to take it's toll. so the days off have definitely been a blessing. it's great to have just a few days to sit in our sweats and play operation and princess monopoly. even if i do get beat at operation EVERY time! lol!

anna has been reading a TON, and i think staying up way too late at night to read. but really how can i discourage reading? especially because when i was her age when i was told not to read i would sneak under my covers with a flashlight. i'm sure that wasn't good for my eyes! anna is really into junie b jones and the american girls books. i've read a few american girl books along with her. i tried junie b too. she's cute, but her poor grammer really drives me crazy! and that's really saying something since my grammer isn't all that great anyway. in my defense, as an engineer i only had to take 1 english class. lol!

e is doing very well too. her teachers recommended that she start kindergarten in the fall, so i guess she will! since she has a summer birthday and she's so teeny tiny we thought about waiting a year. but she's really been growing up so much lately. i think i'm just still a bit hesitant because i'm just not ready for her to be gone all of the time. i thought it was supposed to get easier with the second!

wilson is still great too. he's talking more every day too. one of his new favorite phrases is, "bye, bye. see ya!" and then he gives a big smack. he's got me wrapped around his little fingers. he knows just when to give me the love eyes and melt my heart. he runs up and gives me a huge hug, puts his head on my shoulder and gives me little pats on my back. am i in trouble or what?! :)

i've been busy scrapping and trying to learn as much about photography as i can before my brother andy and diana's wedding in april. i hope i can do a halfway decent job for them. i've bought a little bit more equipment to hopefully help a little. kelly sold me her 85mm lens, and i love it! i'm definitely still learning it, but i've been really happy with the pictures i've gotten so far. hopefully my flash will be coming tomorrow. i'm really anxious about learning how to use that. i really prefer natural light, but i know i'm going to need the flash sometime. i really would like to take at least one class before the wedding too, but time is really running out. i wish there were more hours in the day! i haven't even started buying spring clothes or Easter outfits or anything like that, either. ack! help! lol!

here are my it kit pages and a few picts taken with my new lens.

i have 3 minutes...

until we have to get dressed for dance. we also have about 12 more valentines to finish for anna, i have 50 love bugs parts to get ready before anna's big party tomorrow, and wilson is currently holding a marker. so no time like the present to write a blog post, right? lol! i also need to scrap with my really FUN it kit for this month! i can't wait to start that! i should say i do have some pictures ready to go and a layout all planned in my head. they never turn out the way i plan, but at least it's a start. the busy-ness has been none stop this month! i guess i should start just getting used to it! here's a peek at the girls' valentines. we got the cupcake liner idea from martha (stewart, of course. lol!) but the rest of the design is all e. anna also designed hers too, if you couldn't tell. there are about 50 sequins on each and she insists on putting them on with glue dots. hence the reason why they aren't finished yet. why do i have a feeling this could be a late night? :P hee! we have had a lot of fun crafting together, though, and that's what it's all about, right? ooh! -ps - willsie got his first pair of tennies yesterday too. we happened to be getting the craft supplies at walmart and he pointed them out. thank goodness they had his size! pps - i love the pict of anna - she always sticks her tongue out when she's concentrating. and notice wilson's little head by the printer - getting in trouble as always!!!

okay...

is wilson's new favorite word. would you like a cookie? okaaay. are you tired? okaaaay. well, i guess usually the answer to that one is still no, but sometimes we'll trick him. we've been keeping busy even though we've mostly been stuck inside. ella has been teaching wilson about coloring and drawing. wilson likes to try to decorate the walls a lot, and for some reason he loves to color in the handles on our drawers. i think he wants them changed out as much as i do!


the girls and i got to have a fun day out last weekend. we had lunch, found some fun new tshirts at the gap, and went to see the movie enchanted. it was the first time the girls enjoyed a movie the theater. well i should say anna LOVED it, but ella was still pretty scared.



(i'm not sure why anna always sticks her tummy out in pictures. she really doesn't look this much like the suite life of zach and cody twins in real life! lol!)

we've been doing a TON of baking too. usually we make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but last week we tried to branch out a little. our monster cookies flopped - we tried to do a few substitutions and i'm still not completely convinced the girls measured the oatmeal correctly. lol! i can't remember how i got distracted, but when i came back they had already poured it all in. oh well! we had much better success with our heart cakes.




i love wilson's "who me?" expression after he rubbed frosting all over his head and shirt. guess who was the recipient of the frosting covered hug? lol! it was one of the best hugs ever! nothing like a little sugar bribery. :)