Makes My Monday: Family Swim Time

This weekend, we went swimming at every possible family swim time... Friday night, Saturday afternoon (even after spending all day at the yard sale), and Sunday afternoon. Dakota used to be nervous of the water. But Grandma brought life vests for the kids and since then, they have been swimming like little fishies!
Dakota is now jumping into the pool...and actually going under the water. Wow!!! The video below says it all!! Enjoy!



Lilyann is more of a lazy swimmer. I think she would be perfectly content to sit in a hammock in the water. But she does love to splash. And once she gets to kicking her legs...there's no stopping her. Lily has learned how to blow bubbles in the water and plug her nose before going under the water..but she usually ends up plugging your nose instead.

We swim in the the resistance pool...so it is a workout for us (Daddy, Grandma, and myself) while the kids have pool time!!

Seeing the kids learn new things and have fun is definitely a Makes My Monday. If you want to share what Makes your Monday...swim on over to Cheryl's blog Twinfatuation and link up to share your Monday making memories!!

Way Back When-esday: Cantaloupe

2006

Above is my Little Kota man! He was gnawing away on some cantaloupe at his Boo's house. He was only about 4 or 5 months old and was cutting his first tooth. Ice Cold Cantaloupe was his favorite teether.
Dakota is now 3 1/2 years old and still LOVES cantaloupe. I think we rarely have a meal at Boo's house without Cantaloupe. And Kota always gets a plate of melon. He could be running around and playing or wanting to go outside and all we have to do is say, "Boo made melon for you, Kota!" and he comes a running.

Wanna play along...stop by Cheryl's blog at Twinfatuation and share your photos from way back when.

Makes My Monday: Friends and Monster Poops

Lu Bell and Bubba...she chased Bubba all over the house, calling his name

What makes my Monday?
Dakota makes my Monday by having fun with his "best friend" (Alexis), making new friends, and finally pooping!!!

I know...lots of explaining for those that don't know all about Kota and the Poopy Monster.

I will start with having fun with his "best friend"...
Dakota loves his cousin, Alexis; and he calls her his best friend. They like to talk on the phone a lot when they aren't together. You see, Alexis lives 4 hours away...so we don't get to see her as we used to. Dakota and Alexis are 4 months apart in age and the best of friends...always have and will always be...even with all the hitting and chasing...lol
Dakota (6 months) and Alexis (2 months)

Dakota (3 1/2 yrs old) and Alexis (3 yrs old)

This weekend, we went to Lexi's house and had lots of fun....the splash park, the zoo, Discovery and Science Museum...lots of busy fun!

At the Science Museum

At the zoo, we met up with an online friend, Jenn and her girls, Grace and Liv. Dakota, Grace, and Lexi became new friends. It was sweet seeing Kota holding hands with both girls. Jenn and I became online mommy friends back in 2006 after Dakota was born..We were on the same mommy board where you can ask questions and what not. I was seeking help for colicky Dakota. And we have "talked" ever since. It was neat to finally meet in person.

Lexi, Kota, and Grace ~ at the zoo

After 2 days at Lexi's house, we headed home...only to stop like a million times (okay, maybe not a million, but it sure felt like it) to pee pee on the grass (Kota, not me...lol). Dakota had been doing good with potty training. We went 2 months with very few accidents...and then he started having accidents all the time. And Pooping in his pants. Well, about a week ago, I bought Gogurts ... and I think those constipate him. He went a week without consistent pooping...holding it in. And that doesn't make for a Happy Kota, or Mommy. Finally, on the way home, we stopped for a pee pee on the grass stop and he started trying to hold it in...we got him to stop and not cross his legs (i know it all sounds quite weird...but if any of you of been there, you know exactly what I am talking about) and he Finally pooped!! the Monster of all Poops!! We were cheering him on and giving high 5's on the side of the road...can you imagine what passerbyers (is that a word?) were thinking? What are those crazy people doing??!!

We definitely had a makes my Monday weekend!!

Wanna play along?? Stop by Cheryl's page at Twinfatuation and share about what Makes your Monday.

Writer's Workshop: Things I Learned From my Toddler(s)

Hats can change your whole personality

Things I Have Learned from My Toddler (s)

Here are some things that I have learned from my toddlers.....

**Popsicles heal all boo boos

**Die cast Thomas trains shouldn't be projectile toys
**Any spot can be made a comfy spot


**Finger painting is more fun when you use yogurt and put your creation on the television **Smiles are contagious...as are yawns.


**anything is fun through the eyes of a child.
**Kitchen utensils....can be used anywhere.

**Playing in the water/sprinkler is fun no matter how many times a day you play.
**A stick and a twig can turn Mommy and Kota into Captain Hook and Peter Pan
**Trampoline plus anything makes for lots of outdoor fun.


**No matter what it is, if it is something you have...your kids want it, too. (I was showing Jed my blisters from raking and Kota wanted to have blisters, too.)
** Crayons take (+/-) 3 hours to run through a toddler's system.
**When nap times actually happen with toddlers, mommies should take advantage.
If you enjoyed this and want to play along...stop on by Mama's Losin' It and play along. This is today's Writer's Workshop...there are 4 other prompts to choose from.

Way back When-esday

Dakota and Lilyann....pictured here from way back in February of 2008. Lilyann was a little over 2 months here and Dakota had just turned 2 yrs old. He loves his Lili.

And here are the kiddos now. Dakota is 3 1/2 yrs old. And Miss Lu is almost 21months old. We were walking in the shaded area around the park this week. Even in the shade, it was Hot...thanks to the wonderful humidity.
Kota still Loves his Lili (though he now has the name "pretty girl" for her), but he just has other ways of showing it.

Wanna play along? Link up with Cheryl at Twinfatuation for Way Back When-esday

Step back and examine

Step back and look at yourself from all angles

And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
~Romans 5:3,4~

This was the passage that our Pastor spoke from last night. And it was a message that I needed. Do you ever think about what happens when things happen in your life? Did God send them your way or did I create those "tribulations"?

When I step back and look at all the "tribulations" that have happened in my life and the lives of those around me, I see that most are self appointed tribulations. And I have to ask myself, why? Why do I do that to myself, try to have that last word, or provoke "so and so" to the point of arguing? It could all be stopped and I would have fewer "tribulations" by just keeping my mouth shut.

This is my goal for the week....to let all my tribulations be God appointed and not self appointed. God appointed tribulations are those that teach me patience, creates experience (in that situation), and provides me the hope (confidence) to undertake the next tribulation.

Self appointed tribulations just turn into pity parties.

What does your dash say?

On a gravestone, it's not the birth or death date that matters..it's the dash in between, because that's what holds the memories..THANKS FOR BEING PART OF MY DASH!!

Way Back When-esday

Lilyann with Dr. Eric Mendeloff (heart surgeon)...April 22, 2008..the day she was discharged after her open heart surgery

This addition of way back when-esday...isn't so way back. It was last year.


Last year, Lilyann had open heart surgery (April 15, 2008)...3 months after her surgery (August 3rd, 2008)...she was given the all clear and a little over a year later (August 10th, 2008)....she was put on the every 5 years list to see the cardiologist. Her heart is perfect!!! If you didn't see her "zipper", you would never know what she has been through.

August 3, 2008...with Dr. Penn Laird~ cardiologist

August 10, 2009...with Dr. Penn Laird~ cardiologist


We serve a BIG God!

If you would like to play along...link up to Cheryl's blog at Twinfatuation.

Lily's heart visit

Just wanted to post an update from our Cardiology visit on Monday. This was Lily's yearly heart checkup. She did great...she laid still on the table for her entire echo watching Baby Neptune. She tried to pull some lead wires off her chest, but then was happy just to rub her hands in the gel they put on her chest to do the echo. After her echo, she played around in the room waiting on the Dr. And when the Dr came in...we got outstanding news. Lily's heart is perfect. Looks the best it ever has. She doesn't have to go back to the Cardiologist until she is 5 yrs old...and after that, she will be put on the every 5 years list. Dr. Laird said that she cleared to do whatever activities she wants...no restraints on anything.

We were so excited for this news.

After Lily's cardiologist visit, we headed out to the Nature and Science Center. I thought it was pretty neat. There was a farm setting where the kids could "try to milk a cow", look for eggs under the chickens, ride John Deere trikes, etc. Kota dressed up as a fireman. Lily loved playing the large xylophone with Daddy. We took pictures in the Kaleidoscope, made huge bubbles, saw T-Rex bones, wore funny hats (we were ants and bees), and climbed through tunnels like ants.
The kids played hard and slept most of the way back home.

Remember When-esday: Hugs and Kisses

Me...Christmas of '86..4 years old

We are back to Wednesday...half way through with the week....and back to remembering when.

Remember when...the only thing you had to worry about was playing all day after you completed your chores. I would love to have a day like that and not have to worry about being responsible for anything but my dollies. But those days have come to an end. My dollies are alive and require lots more than just hugs and kisses. My dollies aka the kiddos are adult supervision required!

I enjoy being a mommy and have always wanted to be a mommy, in addition to a teacher, pianist, artist, and chef. I think I have 3 of those job titles all ready...and when we have extra room in our house, I would love to be the pianist for my children.

It is neat how it grows in the heart of a child...the love and passion for those "someday dreams"

I remember when....life was all fun taking care of my dollies. And now I remember when..just this morning, life IS fun taking care of my kiddos.

Enjoy the pictures of our fun times this week (so far)....These dollies eat real food, mess their clothes, but still require hugs and kisses.

Kota playing "drums" with whisks...wild imagination

Didn't I say? Adult supervision required...Lily caught up in the horsey's reins

Kota showing Lily how to make the sprinkler turn...he is already being a teacher

Want to play along...Remember When-esday? Visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation and remember when.

Priceless Weekend

The sky on our walk...in between the storms

What a weekend it was...hot and humid and then stormy. But our lawn was watered and watered some more...thanks to the rain.

Lilyann playing in the bird bath

We headed out Saturday morning to Boo's house to help do some hedge clipping in the backyard...Jed and Boo did the clippings and I watched the kids while burning the clippings. Lily ventured around the backyard...and Kota was in and out of the house most of the time. I felt like we were always looking for him..calling his name...he finally stayed outside when Daddy started throwing limbs and clippings over the back fence...calling to Daddy to "throw some more".

We got all the hedges clipped, the yard weed-eated (is that a word?), and the clippings/limbs burned before the rain came down.

Then we ventured inside for a turkey sandwiches with tomato slices (my absolute favorite) for lunch. And as the rain continued, we stayed inside and browsed through old photos. Lots of memories shared.
Waiting on the rain to stop...Kota and Lily

The rain stopped and we decided to stay with our original plans out taking the kids out to Lake Gilmer for a walk. We got there and started our walk...We saw all different trees (thankfully, they were marked or I wouldn't have known the difference)...and we saw deer...but I didn't get a picture before they ran away. We found a small pond on back around on the walk. A nice quiet little spot. And then heard the thunder start...so we headed back to the van and climbed in just as the rain started.

Pictured below is Boo and Dakota

Lily and Myself...Lily was holding on by way of my eye sockets...lol

It was a nice relaxing day...even with the yard work included.
While waiting on the rain to calm down, we had dinner with Boo....yummy green beans, baked red potatoes, and pork chops.

Lily had quite the full tummy after all the eating we did at Boo's. It seemed like every time she walked through the kitchen, she wanted to be up in the high chair eating.
Here she is patting her tummy after dinner:


Nothing like spending time with family, and a full tummy to help you enjoy a quiet ride home.

Kota man
Lilyann

Alicia's Photo Challenge

Alicia's Photo Challenge:


This was our challenge: get familiar with your Post-Editing program, and try some different effects and filters. Learn how to crop your photo. Learn how to increase the contrast and balance it with brightness.

All of us, participants of the Alicia's Challenges, had a month to work on this challenge.

I am still not very good with the photo editing techniques...but I'm still learning. I downloaded a photo editing program GIMP and I am still working on learning the program. The pictures loaded for this challenge were all edited on Photobucket. Another mommy friend told me how to do the effects on your pictures.

Enjoy!!

Before
After

Here is Cash, my nephew, enjoying the watermelon at the 4th of July fireworks show!!


Before
After

Miss Lilyann...I was trying out new "hairstyles" on her. Trying to make use of the bows that she rarely wears. I did this picture on gray scale and but kept the coloring of her hair bow. I also softened the edges of the picture.