Our 11th Week ~ 2014

Wow, am I behind this week or what?  Helping Keira and her classmate all day Sunday work on their science project really threw me off.  I'm still trying to get caught up!  But I didn't want to miss posting some pics from last week (at least the ones I didn't use for Sunday's Scavenger Hunt), so here you go!

If you saw Sunday's Scavenger Hunt, you saw that Alex helped me bake some gluten free cookies this week.  Let me just say that gluten free doesn't necessarily mean healthy.  :)  I will have to play with this recipe to see if I can make them less bad for you.  But still just as tasty.  It is a good thing that they are all gone now.

I have so many pictures of Alex playing indoor soccer that this year I decided to only take my camera a couple times.  Saturday was one of those times.  Doesn't he look excited to be playing goalie?  :)

On Friday afternoon I met up with my friend Tricia to take some head shots.  She's an actress who has been using her photo from about 20 years ago, so she thought it was about time to get updated.  :)  We took most of her pictures outside at a local conservancy, but we did venture inside and were given permission do some indoors.  They usually charge for that, but I guess the woman in charge was feeling generous that day.  Anyway, this is one of my favorites from the day - one of the indoor shots.  I had a huge picture window behind me totally lighting up Tricia's face.  So soft and lovely.

Other than teaching a friend how to use her camera on Monday, my week was pretty quiet.  The weather was typical for Pennsylvania in March.  50+ degrees on Monday and Tuesday and freezing rain and snow on Wednesday.  That caused our church to cancel Wednesday night services.  So we hung out at home and watched a VeggieTale DVD once the boys had their homework done.  (That is kind of a big deal since we don't watch TV on school nights).  Then Keira's violin teacher had to cancel her lesson on Thursday.  So I had several days of hanging out at home in my yoga pants.  :)  Gotta love days like that.

So that's about it from me.  Hope you have a fabulous week!  Tomorrow is the first day of spring - YAY!  This morning I noticed something green popping up in my flower bed.  Tulips or daffodils maybe.  Either way, it is encouraging!

Linking with Tamar - better late than never!  :)

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Scavenger Hunt Sunday 03.16.14

Hello!  Welcome to another Scavenger Hunt Sunday!  We had lots of beautiful sunshine this week.  I even got outside on Tuesday to do some running (actual exercise running - not errand running).  :)  It felt so good to get out and enjoy the warmer weather.  However, Wednesday we had rain which then changed to snow and ice.  Ah, winter in Pennsylvania.  You gotta love getting two different seasons in the same week.  :)

Anyway, you are here for the hunt, so I'll get to it ... 

{doorway}

Keira agreed to help me with this prompt, so after doing some shopping, we sought out an interesting doorway downtown.  We found these on a church.

{candid}

This candid shot of Doug and Alex cracks me up.  They were looking at Alex's eye spy book together.  Doug is hiding from the camera, as usual.  :)

{open}

I already mentioned that we have had lots of sunshine lately.  Soon it will be warm enough to open the windows and let the fresh air in.  Yay!

{look up}

After taking Keira's picture in the church's doorway, I only had to look up to see this steeple.  

{stuffed}

Alex helped me try a new gluten-free cookie recipe on Saturday.  Once he stuffed a couple in his face :) he gave me a big thumbs up.  They are yummy!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to stop over and say hello to our gracious host, Ashley!

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Project 52 - Week 51

Last week had so much crammed into it, it seems like it lasted a month!  Is that possible?  :)  I mean, our church's Christmas play was just last Sunday but now that feels so long ago.

Anyway, just days before Christmas and not one gift is wrapped.  Maybe today I'll get a few done.  If not, they just won't be wrapped this year.  I'm not fretting about it.  Keira and I want to make some cookies.  Mainly to give as gifts to family.  And because they are fun to make.  And eat.  :)

But enough about that.  Let me show you a few photos from our week ...

Sunday morning was our Christmas play, The Legend of the Candy Cane.  The folks in this photo were the masterminds behind the whole thing so it seemed fitting that they get their picture taken in Mr. Sweets' candy shop.

Sunday afternoon I had a mini snowy session with this lovely couple.  It was COLD!  But we still had a good time.  And I discovered how fun it is to do photo sessions in the winter.  I hope I get to do more!  (Her eyes are so gorgeous, don't you think?!)

My boys crack me up.  We bought new Santa hats this year since our old one had seen better days.  The boys agreed to let me snap a few shots of them together.  I don't really know what they are doing here, but I'm sure they are up to no good.  :)

On Wednesday afternoon I had another mini snowy session with this family.  When Rachel contacted me, she said she wanted a "fun" session so I did my best to deliver.  This idea isn't mine originally.  Sarah did something similar during her Christmas minis and posted a photo to Facebook.  As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to try it too.

During our Wednesday night Children's program we had a Christmas party for the kids, which included a White Elephant gift exchange.  Only the kids didn't bring gifts; we provided them.  Things like old dish cloths, stale bread, last year's phone book, and old muddy boots were among the "gifts".  Most of the kids got a good laugh out of it.  Like Sarah who got a kick out of her old dish cloth.

On Friday afternoon I helped at the Christmas party in Nick's classroom.  One of the games the kids played was a dress up one of your teammates game.  Nick's team won.  They had to dress Clayton up like a Christmas tree.  The other teams were a snowman, a gift, and a reindeer.

Keira loves to bake.  Another great thing about having a teenager in the house.  If I need something made and don't have time, I can typically ask her to do it and she does.  So I gladly returned the favor.  I helped her make cookies to take to her youth group sleepover Friday night.  She needed help getting the Kisses unwrapped and placed once the cookies came out of the oven.


We had a family date on Saturday at the Carnegie Science Center.  The kids had a great time in the sports center.  Keira and Nick kept going on the BOYO.  It was like a human yo-yo machine.  FUN!  We also sprinted against each other and rode in the roller coaster simulator.  It was a great day!

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Project 52 - Week 12

The kids are having their second snow day of the season today.  Yeah, March 25 and we're having a snow day.  What is up with that?!  Oh Spring, where are you?!  :)

However, I'm happy to report that I'm feeling much better this week!  After dealing with a cold and an incredibly annoying cough for the better part of last week, I seem to be on the upswing.  Yay!  I am still coughing but not nearly as much.  However, now Alex and Nick seem to have picked up the annoying cough.  :(

Despite being sick, I still managed to take lots of pictures.  I worked on my week 12 Project Life pages on Sunday and had a hard time narrowing down the pictures, which, I guess, is a good problem to have.

So here's a peek into our lives last week ...


Alex loves it when Daddy looks at books with him.  Doug, however, hates it when I take his picture and always seems to make this face.  This is his I'm-going-to-hide-your-camera-from-you-unless-you-stop-taking-my-picture face.  :)


Nick used his own money to buy the new Geronimo Stilton book and it came in this week.  He was so excited to get it, he read it in just a few days!


Alex had fun playing with the big blocks that had been put away.


This little bird flew into our big picture window and stunned itself for a few minutes.  No worries though.  It flew up into the tree and started fighting with another bird once it got its bearings.  :)  I don't know if this is the same bird I shared in yesterday's Scavenger Hunt or not.  We seem to have lots of these little guys flying around here.


Doug had a birthday this week, so I tortured him by making him get his picture taken.  I don't have many pictures of him and I don't want the kids to wonder what he looked like one day.  Like I do with my dad.


Alex had his last soccer game on Saturday.  All the kids got a medal in the pre-game ceremony.


Keira made chocolate chip cookies on Saturday.  I caught her with a mouthful of chocolate chips - hence the face.  :)

Thanks for stopping by! I can't wait to see what you were up to last week!

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Photo of the Day: September 22

ISO 400, f/5.3, 1/100s, 18-55mm lens on Nikon D40

These yummy pumpkin cookies ... along with some yummy bokeh ... make me very happy.  :)  These are what kept me occupied all afternoon yesterday ... making about 150 cookies (I could be exaggerating ... but then again, maybe not) for Keira to take to Youth Group last night.  And apparently they were a HUGE hit.

     

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