A Revelation.

Yes.  I had a revelation the other day.  I am assuming that many of you mothers out there will totally get what I'm saying too.  (Or those of you who are super good at this can give me advice...)  I can get somewhat...actually VERY...lazy in family event planning.  Event planning is something that I *love* but I think that I may just be so busy planning things for the people outside of my family, that by the time I think about doing things with Tobe and the kids, I hope they'll simply "just happen."  


My revelation was this:  FUN and may I add, inexpensive, events don't "just happen."  We have to plan them.  Duh.  I know.  Sure, we'll take the occasional walk to the park or bike ride around town but I am looking for something a little less "normal" for us to do together.  Maybe being away for a week has renewed my desire to spend more quality time with Tobe and the kids.  


Anyways, here is something I planned for us last night...baking cookies together.  DUH! I KNOW!  lol  It's so easy peasy (albeit a lot of messy), but it was a blast!  Yes, it took longer.  Yes, Jacob dropped an egg on my carpeted (eek!) kitchen floor.  Yes, the kids ingested more icing than they put on the cookies.  Yes, we dropped tons of sprinkles on the floor that Tobe just cleaned that morning.  Yes, we had to give them a bath afterward.  But, YES, spending that time with them, allowing them to do something mommy just normally likes to rush through on her own, was splendid.  


Anyways...the photos...

Very carefully mixing the flour in.  (He said, "That doesn't look like a flower!")  =)

I totally remember watching cookies bake in my mom's oven, don't you?

Concentrating...

Feeling very proud of himself right about now.  

Lots of love was baked into these cookies.  And shhh...I really think this may have been my first attempt ever at "made from scratch" sugar cookies.  

Now, go and plan something out of the ordinary for your family to do together!  :)

Home Again, Home Again. Jiggity Jig.

Left Florida this morning...what a fun week!  As I was flying home, I was secretly hoping that Tobe would bring the kids with him to pick me up but since we hadn't discussed it prior to my takeoff, I wasn't sure if he would want to do that.  After I landed, I was standing in the Baggage Claim and I saw him walk toward me with two of the cutest little kids I have ever seen...Mine!  :)  Being the emotion person I am, I immediately started crying (I know, I just can't help it.) because I had missed my family so much!  Leah said, "Mom, why is your eye dripping?"  She knew I was happy so certainly I *couldn't* be crying!  


Determined to spend some quality time together as a family tonight, we walked to a lake near our home.  We brought a whole bag of bread with us for the ducks.  We arrived. No ducks.  "We'll feed the fish!"  No fish either.  So, Jacob just basically fed the lake.  And Leah ate the bread.  

I think he missed me, with my camera in front of my face.  lol  He's always good for a smile.

I love this girl.  She'll always be my "baby."

Nice little fake grin here.  She, on the other hand, probably did not miss the camera much.

So proud.

I love my husband.  And I love my children.  So thankful for the week with my best friend, Kari, but I really missed being a wife and a mom, too.  

School Supplies. Glue Gun. Wall Decor?

Saw a fun wall art idea in a Pottery Barn Kids magazine recently so Kari and I decided to give it a try for their kid room.  It was fun, inexpensive, and made with love....

Couldn't help but grab a fun DOF shot.  Craft: In progress.

Wasn't sure how to get the colored pencils lined up correctly one by one, so I came up with the idea to glue the backs of them together and then flip them over as one group.  It worked.  For the most part.  =)

Here's Kari, working on the button piece...

The final product!  I think they turned out really well!  Colored pencils, Buttons, and Crayons!  Super appropriate for a kid's room!  BTW...awesome shadow box frames from IKEA.  

On a different note, tonight is my last night here so I started packing...realized that I bought a lot of stuff while here...LOL.

And yes, I managed to get everything into my suitcase, even that big obnoxious wooden photo prop that I bought on clearance at Homegoods.  HA!  I will probably be fined by Allegiant Air for being over the 50 pound limit but, oh well, it was on *clearance*!  ;)

Got My Hair Did.

Another "those who know me well..." comment coming up....


Those who know me well know that I get my hair cut like - eh - twice a year.  (Go ahead, chuckle.)  Once by my fabulous cousin, Ashley, when I travel to my hometown in Ohio.  The other is when I go to Florida to visit Kari.  As previously mentioned, Kari manages a salon/spa and I get my hair cut & styled by Stephanie while I am there.  


Here is a before & after:

BEFORE:
So, here is my previous "style."  I like to pretend that I enjoy just casually throwing my hair back into a sloppy bun and sticking a workout headband in it to keep my crazy bangs back..but I really don't love doing that.  Although that "style" is quite convenient, I was in desperate need of a change.   Oh, and pardon the ridiculously off-centered photo...I guess I am not that great at self-portaits.  ;)

AFTER:
Oh, and I forgot to mention that I had some *major* rootage going on too.  So Steph hooked me up with a shorter style and a rich glaze.  I am loving it.  Whattaya think?  Can you tell I was concentrating really hard to ensure I was actually centered this time?  lol

After the haircut, I had a work day over at Panera.  Man, I love that place.  I got two sessions pre-edited, some emails out, and worked on some other RBS (Red Balloon Studio) items that have been on the checklist for awhile.  Feels good.  Meanwhile, I managed to take shots of my two favorite things at Panera right now.......

The Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad...oh.my.word.  Yum.  Seriously, it's the perfect salad.  

And my *for real* favorite drink...The Caramel Latte - skim milk - with whip.    So delish.

I have one more full day here in Florida...not sure what tomorrow will bring but I'll bet I'll have *something* to take some shots of!

Food. It's good.

Those who know me well know my appreciation for a nice dining experience.  I take it all in.... The ambiance, service, food presentation, and obviously the flavors.   I'm no Gordon Ramsay but I love good food.  Kobe did not disappoint.  


Yes, I was the annoying one at the table who was taking photos...at least I wasn't using flash!  (wink, wink)

Love me some Miso soup.

I could have seriously just eaten all of these veggies.  Sooooo good.

"My name is Sunny.  They call me Sunshine."  This guy scared the crap out of me when he started banging his tools around...I seriously thought he had dropped them and they were going to chop my head off.  I'm a little jumpy.

My dinner...steak.  Never liked steak until I was pregnant with Leah, but that's a different story.  BTW...so good.  

Kari and I...This is after they had to roll me out of the restaurant...

We're going to start painting the "kid room" tonight...after lazing around all day, I need some physical activity.  :)  

Busy Day.

It was so busy that really all I had time to take a photo of is a cute baby that Kari and I watched during church today.  :)  

Some chubby baby goodness....his mom surely feeds him chocolate milkshakes!  I hope to have a chunky baby like him sometime.  So adorable!!

Tonight, Kari and I tackled the last 4 unpacked boxes of kitchen stuff and rearranged her cupboards...gosh, I love that kind of organizing!  Should have taken a before and after...silly me.

Spa & IKEA...what could be better?

Today was superb.  Kari treated me to a facial and pedicure at her salon, Abacos Salon & Spa....Wow.  Great facial and I now have lovely toes! 

Also, we're working on a project while I'm down here...designing she and Tyler's future "kid room!"  They are in the process of becoming foster parents with the purpose of foster adopting - and seriously, they will be SO awesome!!  It's fun to be a part of their journey toward parenting.  =) Want to follow Kari's foster parenting blog???   Click here!

Here's what I captured today: 

I truly love a good pedicure!

Had to do it.  Couldn't refrain.  Sorry, Kari.  =)

Kari, getting a sweet pedi from the awesome Heather.  

Alright - who puts their unmake-uped (is that even a word??) face on a blog?  Me! The facial was so awesome that I had to post one of my newly rejuvenated and Vitamin C'd up skin!  Thanks again, Kar.  

Oh, IKEA, how I love you.  It's probably a good thing that I can't take much back with me on the plane.

The goods.  We found a fabulous bed, bedspread, leaf canopy, light fixture, etc, etc....Oh, and a "money tree."  

Later, we went and picked out paint for the "kid room."  I told Kari that I am a dead ringer of a paint color chooser but she didn't believe me and bought two different paint samples...  :)  

Florida, Here I Come!

So.  I arrived in Florida yesterday to see my very best friend from college, the one and only Miss Kari Zielasko!  I had super awesome intentions on doing my very first blog post last night but ended up having too much fun with she, Tyler, and her sister and brother-in-law, Kelly and Mike.  And really, how rude would it have been if I said during the middle of the evening..."Excuse me, I'm going to go to my room now and do my blog post."  


Here's what I captured yesterday...

My absolute favorite part of flying...looking out over the earth and realizing how SMALL I really am.  And then praising God that He knows *me*! He has counted every hair on my head, He knows my name, He cares for me!  So humbling. 

My $6.00 "lunch of champions."  Don't tell my kids.

Some sweet interaction between two really well behaved passengers.  :)   That little guy and I played Peek-A-Boo until we both cracked up laughing!

I have a fellow FB friend and budding photog, Diane, who has asked me to give a workshop on how to build her newborn photog business...some of my notes.  It's so rewarding to be recognized for good work and to encourage others in their new businesses as well!

Kari's grilled zucchini  and onion goodness.

Wits and Wagers (to which Kari lovingly called Wits and Waggers).  Silly woman.  Anyways, I was not good at this game.  Not at all.  

The super yummy cake that Kel made.  I had two pieces...and didn't feel bad about it...until I started feeling bad about it.

Well, that was my first day here in sunny Florida!  Today, Kari and I are going on lots of fun adventures!