Two Things

By Amy

1) First of all thanks to my sissy Ang for re-designing our blog! It looks great doesn't it! She's the best.

2) Guess what I got today?!?!

Oh momma! I have wanted a nice camera for a long time. Last weekend when I tried to capture my nieces' smile I was so frustrated. And then when I got my pictures developed I was disgusted. They were blurry and grainy. My lens was shot. See what I mean?

However, even a bad camera can't hide her cuteness. But she deserves better. (:

My little Rock Star

By Amy

My youngest has always loved music. A few years ago we bought him a acoustic guitar. A cheap one from Walmart. He loved it. He would turn on my ipod and totally jam out on it. He didn't know how to play a single note but that didn't stop him.

(check out my homemade strap. sad.)

(all rock stars must make this face)

He has broken so many strings I lost count. I would say that we have gotten our money out of that thing. The past year he has been begging for a electric guitar. We tried to hold him off for our sanity's sake. We told him that if he could save up for half of it, we would pay the other half. We didn't think he would actually do it. I mean, this is the kid who gets a dollar and wants to go to the Dollar Tree ASAP to spend it. So we were shocked when he saved up seventy dollars. SEVENTY DOLLARS!!! We had to give in. So we searched and searched and finally found something we could afford on ebay.

(slightly excited)

Everyone had to get in on the action.

Even dad had to try it.

(look ma! a REAL guitar strap!)

I think he likes it. (: I guess we better think about lessons. And load up on Tylenol.

The Weekend

by Ang

This weekend was busy and I am beat! But it was fun and it's a 'good' tired.

I am dog-sitting for three huge, lovable dogs. I am going to miss not seeing them every day! I know I probably shouldn't have favorites, but I do anyways. HE is my favorite:

Look at that face! He is such a sweet boy.

On Saturday, I took my younger nephew to see High School Musical on stage. He loved it. He basically loves anything live and that has to do with music. My sister once took him to the symphony and he was so disappointed because they had to leave at halftime. He just loves watching people play any kind of instruments.

Here he is with Troy & Gabriella who were signing autographs after the show:

And the perfect topper to a great weekend was seeing little Miss A tonight! Amy and I went to visit her for a while. She is so completely adorable and is SMILING now!!!

At first she didn't know what to think of us:

Check out the ONE raised eyebrow. My brother can do that and so can my nephew. And apparently, she can too:

But then her crazy aunties starting making faces and talking silly and it began to work...

We got lots of smiles tonight. It was so much fun! I miss the little cutie already.

I'm off to bed to recover from my GREAT weekend!

Je suis fini!!

By Amy

I am finished! After two months of sifting through hundreds of pictures, photoshopping, journaling, and planning the perfect layout, I am finally finished with my Paris scrapbook!

Here are some of my favorite pages.

I tried to make the pages look uncluttered but interesting. I'm pretty happy with most of them. I think my husband is hoping that I will clear out my little (kind of big) scrapbook corner (mostly wall) in our bedroom. Little does he know that now i am going to start making some cards and start organizing other photos. Mua ha ha ha!

Non-Toxic

by Ang

I've always loved plants. A few years ago I had a great apartment with these floor to ceiling windows that were perfect for sunning plants. I had plants in every window.

That is, until I got animals.

Most plants are poisonous to cats and dogs. But I love plants so much and miss having them around, so I thought enough is enough! I went online and printed off a list of non-toxic plants and went to the store. I was hoping to find at least one that I could have in my apartment without killing my pets. I was thrilled to find THREE!! I found a spider plant, a pony tail palm and some other palm that's name is too long for me to remember.

Before I could even get them re potted, this is what happened:

(and no, I do not let my cats up on the counter. This all happened in less than a minute.)

I thought maybe it was just this particular plant that she liked and that she would leave the others alone.

Nope.

I was SHOCKED when I came home today. I was fully expecting my plants to be on the floor and half chewed up. I was pleasantly surprised to find them all in tact where I left them.

(the rocks are to keep the critters from playing in the dirt).

I get good light in my apartment and I think the plants will do well. That is, if the two furry creatures that allow me to live with them don't kill them first.

The Other Side

By Amy

I am blessed with two big, beautiful families. My own and my husband's. I love my husband's family. It's bigger then mine. They are loud and funny and tell it like it is. Here is just two members of his family. I've talked about my new little niece before. But here is the youngest niece on my husbands side. She is a doll.

I'm addicted to her hair.

I think she likes me too.

This is my husband's sister. She just got back from being in Ecuador. She had been there for two years working as a missionary. She told us on the way home tonight that she had forgotten what it was like not to have to hand wash her clothes.

She is a true gem. The most self sacrificing person I know. We are so glad that she is back for now.

I think her nieces and nephews are glad too.

When people complain about their in-laws, I just sit quietly. I've known mine for 16 years and my heart would not be whole without them.

Spring

by Ang

I'm so glad that we are actually having a REAL spring. Sometimes here in the middle of the country our Springs last 2 weeks. It usually goes from 30 degrees to 100 just like that. It's the same with Fall. Usually we don't have one. It's 100 degrees and then 2 weeks later it's snowing. But I can honestly say that this year we are having a great Spring. We've had a few weeks (straight!) of high 60's to low 80's temperatures. And a few showers to make everything a little greener.

There's a nice park about 5 minutes from my office. Today over my lunch break I went there armed with my lunch, water, book, and camera. It's so nice to see things growing and blooming!