Christmas Portraits

Yesterday we took Christmas portraits of all the cousins in their fancy holiday attire! They really enjoyed feeding the multitude of ducks who were not shy and kept taking bread right out of their hands and pecking at their knees! It took quite a few shots to get one with all of them looking forward and smiling!

Keosha is a cheerleader this year and she is in 7th grade! She wanted some photos taken in her uniform at the park. She was a big help in getting the kids to smile and look at the camera instead of the ducks.

We tried to coordinate a pic of her and June in her Aggie dress but June was over it, and she didn't look up once since she had her candy!

Claire really made me work hard for a smile, after 440 photos, I finally got one of her smiling while her daddy was holding her.

After the photoshoot, all the girls took off their dresses to enjoy a lollypop courtesy of Aunt Celine's gigantic bag of everything you could think of or need at a photoshoot including snacks, drinks, and an extra pair of shoes for Junebug.

My beautiful sweet angel baby! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

"UUmmmmmm, I heard you had some bread over here, excuse me, can I get some bread please!?"

This was the only other smile we got from Claire after she was offered candy, and a Barbie princess from the toy store

This was the picture Charlotte chose as her favorite and we worked on the colors in this vintage antique photo action effect today and printed a huge16 by 20 that turned out BEAUTIFUL!!! The extra ducks were cropped off when the photo was finished.

June is looking so different with her top toofers coming in, I love it!!

Sweet Corby

Sweet Sophie

I reallly love taking pics of these babies! I had a blast and the kids had fun too as always. I'm glad I didn't go into labor after all this ation! I got my Christmas present early today, a new LENSE, and cannot wait to try it out on baby Shelbie Grace!!

Thanksgiving 2009

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever 1 Chronicles 16:34

I cannot measure the amount of love I have been given from God and am overwhelmingly blessed and thankful for that which He has provided for our family this year. I am thankful for ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes that kick inside me all day, getting to hear "mommy" and see my baby Juney's smiling face every morning, watching her put 20 mardi gras beads around her neck and walk around wearing nothing but that,hearing my husband's voice on the phone from work asking me how I'm feeling and if I need anything every day at least three times,seeing him play with June and hearing her squeel with delight and scream, Daaaaaaaadyyyy. I love my family and cannot believe we are going to be a party of four in just a few weeks.
Thursday we woke up and made turkey pumpkins. June loved the paint and explored it with all FIVE senses. Keke and I glued them all together.

I can't do much while I'm on bedrest but its pretty hard to pass up a holiday without a craft with my June bug and my Keke!

The holiday spread!

Corbin asked Pa to take him for a stroll and....monkey see, monkey cry and scream until they get what they want!

Daddy teaching June how to properly hold and swing the club

Coach June- "Daddy, nice follow through, but you need to tighten your grip and put a little more heart into it."

Tuuuuuurrrrkeyyyyyyyyyy

June was riding coach, first class was full

My sweet beautiful girls!

I am so thankful for all of these great folks! I love my family!

Corbin,Sara,Chris,Claire

Celine,Sophie,and Joe

My little punkin

We had so much fun Thursday and all went to sleep at five oclock and napped for at least three hours (except Keosha=5 hours=teenager) woke up ate some turkey and went back to sleep!

Crazy Few Weeks

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of changes. Last Tuesday I went to the doctor because I have been having lots of contractions. My doctor told me that I needed to get off my feet, and remain on bedrest due to preterm labor. I was in danger of having the baby early if I didn't get some rest. Since I am stilll only 33 weeks, the baby is just not ready, and could have so many problems if born now. That was quite a blow, and what came next made me feel so depressed. The Human Resources department told me that I had 12 weeks of medical leave total, so my maternity leave has essentially started now. If the baby arrives on time I will only have 5-6 weeks with her until I HAVE to return to work or my job becomes a vacancy. I had originally planned to spend 12 weeks with the baby so it just seems so early to go back. I have been on bedrest for a week now and have been overwhelmingly blessed by the love and support of friends and family. My mom and mother-in-law are the sweetest people in the whole world!!
I miss June soooooooo much because since I cannot lift her, she has to go to the babysitter while I am at home in bed all day. I feel so bad that I can't be here for her and play with her, and she doesn't get home till 5 or 6 at night and leaves at 6 the next morning. Here she is at her 15 month appointment(a little late since she will be 16 months tommorrow). She knows the doctor's office now and cried the whole time the doctor was in there. She had three shots which were not fun either. She is 20th percentile in weight and 75th percentile in height. She only weighs 20 lb and has only gained 7 oz since her 12 month appointment!

My mom was able to go with me and keep her entertained!

She can say Mommy (not very often though) Daddy (AALLLL the time), meow, moooo,woofwoof, Buddy, nigh-nigh(night night), two, three,(but not one),ball,and her new FAVORITE word is NOOOOO

My parents are so sweet and helpful. Every Friday I take June over there and they watch her. I LOVE Fridays! My mom is also going to help me on Wednesdays while I'm on bedrest!

Junie really loves her Nana and her Grammy! Whenever either one of them leaves my house June freaks out and tries to keep them there by gripping on to their pants and having an emotional break down. Trust me, I feel like doing the same thing sometimes, but I express it a little differently! They spoul me soooo much and I cannot thank God more for my wonderful mommy and Charlotte! They came over last week and helped clean and organize for our big garage sale. We got rid of sooooooooo much stuff to begin the process of making a room for baby girl!

Charlotte is so patient with all the kids. She entertained all the babies while everyone set up all our junk outside on tables Friday night for the garage sale the next morning (while I laid my pathetic self on the couch) Yesterday Charlotte came over to watch June so I got to spend the whole day with them! We were going to Sara's house so I could veg on a different couch for awhile and watch all the babies play together, and Charlotte surprised me on the way there with a surprise pedicure!!! It was so special and made me feel so loved and cared for! I thank Jesus for my family who loves me, my sweet husband who has had to take on soooooo many things now and basicly does everything since I am helpless, my baby who has to miss her mommy,my mother-in-law who loves and spoils me, my sis-in-laws who always check on me and sara who drives me to all my doctors appointments, and everyone else in my family and my sweet friends! Thank you sooooo much from the bottom of my contracting heart!!!

New Blog

I am so excited that I finally created a new blog to archive my art projects at school and get ideas from other art teachers. If you get bored on a Saturday afternoon and need an art project to do with your kids, check it out!!http://elementaryartfun.blogspot.com/

Halloween 2009

Saturday was Halloween and Jimmy's birthday. We celebrated Jimmy's birthday at Sara's annual Halloween party. We had a Texas Sheet cake for Jimmy and tons of sweets and pizza.


June really like trick or treating! She totally got the concept down after a few houses; walk up to the door (pushing anyone who comes in front of her our of the way, drop the bag,knock on the door, grab candy out of the bowl, put it in the bag, snatch the bag back from daddy,and run to the next house!

Jimmy would carry her across the street, and set her down and off she would run up to the door!

We tried to get a group pic of all the cousins with Grammy and Pa but.....this was the result.

There was a black cat pinata that the kids got to bang on with a broom, before the big kids came and busted it! Sophie was the cutest princess Leigha EVER!

Happy 30th Birthday to my sweet husband! I love you so much, Jimmy!!! Your two baby girls love you too!!

Here's Daddy kickin back a cold birthday brew, while June makes a bee line for the cooler!

June playing with her friend Kaylyn

June and her friend Cooper went around picking up random food and capri sun drinks that weren't their's off the kid tables. June kept finding peices of broken cookies and soggy cheeto puffs on the ground and trying to eat them!

This was her favorite toy of the night

There were so many adorable sweet treats!

Aunt Celine made these cookies and they were soooooo good!!

June buuuugg! 5 seconds before she squeezed the entire thing all over herself!!

Friday night we went to the Fall festival at my school! June had fun seeing all the kids dressed up and playing some games!

Juanita, June's babysitter, and her husband Jesus volunteered ALL day long. June REALLY likes Jesus and was crying for him to hold her!

June loves her Juanita!

and Jessica too!

I wanna go over there!!

This was my face painting booth and I was lucky enough to get lots of volunteers to help so I could leave early after being there since 6:30am

The kids had a pumpkin decorating contest and June was the "judge" She touched all of them and took a few pom pom ball souveneers.

Can I keep one? I will cry really loud if you say no!
Here are some videos of June bug trick or treating. You can see she had alot of fun!