Favorite Foto Friday #55 - OH BABY!

I had a hard time finding old baby pictures tonight (of course, waited until the last minute)...

Here is my father, about two years old (on the left, with his brother)


Here is my mother... not sure of her age, but probably around 6 months old...


Then there is me... around 6 months old


Morgan at one day old SMILING and doing the hula


Grant about one week old snuggling with his bear


And Sophie at one week old... wish I were the one holding her!


And, you want to see something uncanny... look at these three pics together...

...my mother, me and Grant all at about 6 months with the exact same expressions and smile!!! Talk about spooky!

** All but Sophie's pictures are actually pictures I took of the old photos... I would love to get a scanner to scan in the thousands of pictures I have of Morgan and Grant's early days... any recommendations of a good photo scanner? Do they scan and become jpeg files?

I have had some questions about FFF and how it works... it is very easy. Every Friday, post your Favorite Foto of the week... it can be of the "theme" that is given out each preceding Friday or simply your favorite of the week. Label your post FFF and if you want, leave a link back to this blog to have your friends find other FFF posts. If you would like to link your blog, please follow the Mr. Linky instructions and you are there!! I always check each link to make sure that it is a legitimate FFF post but rarely delete any links unless the links don't work.

You never have to follow the FFF theme... if you would like to be included in FFF, just post your link into Mr. Linky below... it is fun to follow our FFF friends each week!

Now... for the MR LINKY FFF LINKING DIRECTIONS!! Go to your blog and click on the title of your FFF post - your post URL will appear in the address bar in your browser and it will contain the exact link to your post! Simply highlight the address, right click, choose copy and then paste it in the "URL" spot in the Mister Linky - just under where you put your name (you can put your name and the name of your child/ren in the picture). Don't forget to click the "Enter" button and voila... you are linked!

It is important that you are linking just your post and not just your blog web address so everybody can link directly to your FFF post!!




Next week's theme... YOUR OWN THEME!! Pick a theme for yourself and I will use one of the themes for the following week for everybody!! So, basically, post your favorite picture next week and give it a theme... I will choose one Friday afternoon and post it as the theme for the following week for all of us!! (OK... this is me being a tiny bit lazy... but I know you guys are up for the challenge!)

Relax...

Is it just me or does it seem as if the world is just on fast forward? It is already September!!! I never seem to find the time to blog and write down the little things that are happening in our lives. With school back in session, I thought I would have more time to get things together, instead, it is still going in super fast forward! I have to find time to sit back and enjoy the little pleasures in life.

One of the ways that I am trying to capture that now is by using my new front porch. Yes, the porch of my dreams! Complete with porch swings that I have always wanted!! My kids and I are learning to find time to relax on the porch for a little bit every evening. I have found it to be a place where I can catch up with the goings on with my big kids and just rock and relax with my little Bug.

Thought I would share our new little oasis. Here is the before... short little 70's ranch.


Here is the after...




Complete with little model...


A perfect backdrop for swinging away those summer nights.



Stopping to water the flowers with your sister...


Even though it was a complete disaster to live through... it is so metaphorically worth it in the end. It is a good reminder that you have to go through the hard stuff to see to the reward in the end.

Have been trying to slow down and enjoy more of the little things. After our vacation in HH this summer, I have been trying to find ways to spend more time as a family. This past week, I bought a bike trailer off C*raigslist and am now in search of a beach cruiser bike, like the ones we rode at the beach, for myself to start taking the time to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. Until I find one, Grant has been taking Bug out in it in the evenings... she LOVES it!





And just some random cuteness... my little crabby pants!! LOL!






It is the smiles like this that take my breath away.


The past year has been a tough one for our family. It is through the pain of things that make your children hurt on the inside while appearing fine on the outside that has made me slow down and try to find ways to pull them closer during the very time that they want to push away. It is a struggle to figure it all out and still find the time to get everything done that has to be done.

I hope that life never gets so busy that I can't see the joy in the every day. I would love to find out what kinds of things you and your family do to relax and reconnect with one another...

Favorite Foto Friday #54 - BLACK & WHITE

Here are my favorite Black and White pictures as I found them on my computer...













I have had some questions about FFF and how it works... it is very easy. Every Friday, post your Favorite Foto of the week... it can be of the "theme" that is given out each preceding Friday or simply your favorite of the week. Label your post FFF and if you want, leave a link back to this blog to have your friends find other FFF posts. If you would like to link your blog, please follow the Mr. Linky instructions and you are there!! I always check each link to make sure that it is a legitimate FFF post but rarely delete any links unless the links don't work.

You never have to follow the FFF theme... if you would like to be included in FFF, just post your link into Mr. Linky below... it is fun to follow our FFF friends each week!

Now... for the MR LINKY FFF LINKING DIRECTIONS!! Go to your blog and click on the title of your FFF post - your post URL will appear in the address bar in your browser and it will contain the exact link to your post! Simply highlight the address, right click, choose copy and then paste it in the "URL" spot in the Mister Linky - just under where you put your name (you can put your name and the name of your child/ren in the picture). Don't forget to click the "Enter" button and voila... you are linked!

It is important that you are linking just your post and not just your blog web address so everybody can link directly to your FFF post!!


Next week's theme is "OH BABY" - post the earliest baby picture of yourself and your kiddos!!

Exciting News - Going Back to Guatemala!!

I am going on another mission and I am so excited about it!! And also big news... Morgan is coming with me!! I had to get special permission from her school for her to be able to go and after many careful negotiations, she is going too!! And the biggest news... we are honored to be going with the famous Mamacita, Tricia!!! Please check out her blog post for all the wonderfully organized details!!!



We will be hosting a Christmas Party for the children at Casa Hogar Feliz, helping to assemble and distribute Tamale Baskets for Mayan Families and hosting a Christmas Party for 255 children at the Tierra Linda School! And, as all of you know, Tricia has each party planned out for these beautiful kids and we can't wait to have busy hands helping her out!!

There are many ways to help out if you are interested!! Check out Tricia's blog to sponsor a child or activity for the parties!!

She Did It!!

Sophie~Bug is POTTY TRAINED!!! Woohoo!! Goodbye diapers, hello itsy bitsy teeny tiny underwear!!



Yep... can't believe my mommy is posting this news for all to know, but I am pretty proud of myself too!!



And guess what I get to do now?!?



Yep, I am a ballerina now!!!



I am so excited and my mommy is too!!

Favorite Foto Friday #53 - FRIENDS WITH STUFFING

This week's theme is Friends With Stuffing... a picture that shows your child's special relationship with a favorite stuffed animal or lovey. For those of you that know Sophie, you know that she is NEVER without her beloved "Mimi", her frog blankie that she cannot function without!! It is a nightmare if mommy somehow leaves it behind at home and she asks for it and it is not there. So, it is a constant companion! I scoured the ends of ebay earth to find a duplicate to have on hand as a spare. Well, not long after it arrived, she found it... and it is now known as "Udder Mimi" (or Other Mimi) as she most definitely knows the difference!!! I am still on the prowl for another if anybody recognizes it and has one around that they could part with for a true spare!! (SERIOUSLY!!!)

This girl loves her some Mimi!!!


But, a friend with stuffing... I dug back and found our favorite friend of all! Leggy Larry the Octopus has been around for all three of my kids. Sophie LOVED him as a baby! Here are some of my favorite pictures of her loving on Leggy Larry!

Look Larry... this is a block with a kitty. Want to play?


What did you say, Larry?


You say that an octopus is more delicious than baby fingers?


Well, I am just not sure about that... these taste pretty good to me! Pretty tempting offer though!


Oh Larry... I think I am just going to have to plant a beso on you just to find out!! I love you!!


I have had some questions about FFF and how it works... it is very easy. Every Friday, post your Favorite Foto of the week... it can be of the "theme" that is given out each preceding Friday or simply your favorite of the week. Label your post FFF and if you want, leave a link back to this blog to have your friends find other FFF posts. If you would like to link your blog, please follow the Mr. Linky instructions and you are there!! I always check each link to make sure that it is a legitimate FFF post but rarely delete any links unless the links don't work.

You never have to follow the FFF theme... if you would like to be included in FFF, just post your link into Mr. Linky below... it is fun to follow our FFF friends each week!

Now... for the MR LINKY FFF LINKING DIRECTIONS!! Go to your blog and click on the title of your FFF post - your post URL will appear in the address bar in your browser and it will contain the exact link to your post! Simply highlight the address, right click, choose copy and then paste it in the "URL" spot in the Mister Linky - just under where you put your name (you can put your name and the name of your child/ren in the picture). Don't forget to click the "Enter" button and voila... you are linked!

It is important that you are linking just your post and not just your blog web address so everybody can link directly to your FFF post!!



Next week's theme is not really a theme... let's just call it "BLACK & WHITE". Post a picture that you love that is in black and white. I just love playing with pictures in my photo editing software (Picasa) and the feel of certain pictures changes when you change them to black and white... can't wait to see what everybody comes up with!

Wordless Wednesday