a Girl, a Puppy, and a Push Up Pop

This picture just says summer fun to me. A crazy hairdo - courtesy of her girly cousins. A bandaid knee. A bowl of whipped cream and berries. A porch swing and rocker. A Schwan's Push Pop to share with maltipoo puppy. (No I didn't let her eat anymore after she "shared"!)

Monkey's in the Trees

A week spent with cousins was a blast. Higher elevation brought much cooler temperatures and more playtime outside. My battery died toward the end of my visit so I don't have photos of the mural I was there to create. My niece requested a Parisian theme mural for her room . . . and Voila! C'est Magnifique! My kids joined them at VBS so I could paint in peace. From what I saw on parent night - they had a lot of fun! My younger niece was baptised (again - dead battery so no pics) A lovely visit.

Free Car Wash!

Their very best fireman imitation.


Do they look like they are working?? I thought not.


Yes I did notice the kid on the roof. And yes I did something about it.


Who said photographers kids are posers? This guy didn't get the message.

Madame Blueberry

Rest assured, we presoaked this dress and it came clean! Now as she indulges in her very most favorite snack: she is stripped to her diaper. Fed frozen blueberries until full. Sent immediately to the bathtub. And has her teeth scrubbed until she's blowing toothpaste bubbles. Is it worth it?? I try to remind myself those antioxidants are very important. :P

Inspirational Music

We've recently purchased a Casio Privia piano/keyboard. To inspire my sons to play, we attended a recital of their friends. This little guitarist played football with my son. A great athlete and I had no idea he was so talented musically! His grandfather plays Spanish guitar and composes music. He wrote both the pieces his grandson performed. The strumming, picking, etc was just beautiful. You could close your eyes and never picture a boy this young playing it.

A few kids short of the Von Trap Family Singers, but none the less an inspiring family. The one playing steel guitar on the right is the music teachers son - I'm not a honky tonk country girl myself but this steel guitar sounded great.

And if ever there was a Mama's darling - this is she. :) Madamoiselle Pianist.

Pool's Open for the Summer!

Lincoln went to the pool for the first time with his cousins! He has no fear and kept making a run for the big pool! Yikes!

Amber's Post

I'm going to post a bunch tonight because I've finally got a card reader working! (Bent pin issues with the other one.) These pics are of Eliya (of course) at one of the last baseball games. And I titled this "Amber's Post" because these shots all remind me of her signature style. Kinda off kilter, looking away, candid type shots. And though I drool over her camera, it's so nice to have a buddy to talk shop with. :) We plan to team up and do some weddings if possible! You can take a peek at her work at www.twopeasinapodphotography.blogspot.com

Apache Taxi

Just about finished this site. The owner really likes it. He's got a few businesses and these links will show you his old site and the new one.

BEFORE and AFTER

Voila! Need to finish up our site now . . . and on to more business!

Do you need a website??

Too busy to blog lately - starting a web development and design business. And of course at the very bottom of that list of priorities is redoing my site! LOL must be 'cuz I'm not a paying customer. :) Here's a screenshot of our first site. We got this job before our business site was even done! I'm learning a lot and enjoying it - using skills I've had and learning new ones.

This site isn't published yet - still under development . . . but I like the look of it and am anxious to show off our own site. Check back soon!

Herb Infused Oil

extra virgin olive oil
lemon zest
black pepper
rosemary
Barely heat the oil, pour it over the mixture, let cool
Enjoy with crusty bread

my little Arizona garden . . . just a collection of pots. I've made seviche with the cilantro, sandwiches with the basil, salad with the lettuce . . . still waiting for the tomatoes to grow a bit more and then we'll have pico de gallo!

Morning with Nana

all before we're even out of our PJs . . . we've done puzzles . . .

taken a "ride" around the house . . .

and had our morning coffee . . .

now we're ready to start our day!

Vintage Polaroid

A love that will last forever . . . beauty that stands the test of time . . . you can get pretty cheesy describing these vintage look photos. . . but I like the way the effect adds some feel and mood to the picture. By looking old, it almost makes it timeless.

Flowers for Mother's Day

My sweet husband and children surprised me with these gifts on Mother's Day. The boys also sang in the children's choir before Sunday's church service. They looked so handsome smiling up there . . . little angels. "My mother is the fifth gospel. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and my Mom. . . " They were so cute.

These tulips are for his mom who is visiting with us.

This colorful bouquet is my sister-in-laws who is visiting as well.

The first bouquet of roses I ever received was from my husband back when we were dating . . . 15 yrs later he still gets them for me. :)

few things are prettier . . .

but to a Mom . . . the kids playing happily in the living room are just as beautiful.

Focus on the Family

Nana came to visit the grandkids and the fun's already begun . . .



One last laugh before they hit the road for home . . . we always enjoy our time together.

Another Day, Another Game

"These afternoon games are killing me! Girl, you gotta protect yourself from the sun! Sit in the shade, get some huge glasses, and slather on the sunscreen. Keep that skin baby soft."

A double header today, 1pm and 3pm. Both teams played really well. The boys got some hits and some action out in the field.

. . . future Hall of Famer and a girl who only likes baseball cuz the snack bar sells lollipops . . .

Checkmate

Once a year I help run the chess tournament before summer break. I think the club has between 20-30 kids but only 14 were able to make it tonight. It was a great group. Ages range from 8 to 15 yrs old. I was impressed by the range of talent! Never underestimate a younger player. Almost anyone in that group could beat anyone. Without offical rankings, we seeded the kids and ran it Sweet 16 style with double elimination. Lots of great close games, younger kids giving the big boys a run for their money. Isaiah did great and was contending for the 3rd place game. You can see the boys enjoyed playing.

After 3+ hours of playing, there was still one game left . . . vying for third place are two brothers. . . they'll be playing this game at home in the living room . . . results to be announced at a later date. :)

the kids said he got lucky in beating out his older brother (last years champion) but I say there is no luck in chess - if you captialize on a mistake you deserve that win. . . he had a good run tonight.

and last years runner up clitched the deal and brought the big one home this year. WHOOO HOOO Mathias! Keep it up! Brawn, beauty, and brains . . . that's my boy.

First Place Winner: Mr. Ramirez