Happy Spring, Happy Linky-love, Happy Winnings!

I can't believe it's almost Easter Sunday! They say we will never again see Easter this early in our lifetimes. I can't remember why . . . something with the moon . . . but how interesting that is! It's really really early this year but maybe it's a sign that we are going to have bulbs poking their beautiful heads up earlier than usual? I hope so. When I peeked outside this morning, I saw some new green grass poking out above the dead wintry grass. What a nice feeling to see beautiful colors of nature.

It is our first spring here at the new house and it's really bittersweet for me. While I'm excited to have the first spring here in the new house because it means my children have a new year of being a kid with brand new adventures, it's hard for me because I really really really miss where we use to live. Like tons. I don't know. It's just hard. There are many a days where I want to be back there. I hold back tears thinking about it. You know me, attachment to everything.

But on the positive side of this, with spring brings lots of new things. New flowers, of course, which I absolutely can't wait for. Neil and I can't wait to get our hands dirty and begin getting a new garden started and design a new perennial garden for our new and very empty back yard. With spring also brings new adventures for the kids. I'm hoping Maia will be able to actually pedal on her bike this year. Last year we had to push her everywhere and that got awfully tiring! I also am excited to find a walking trail for us to go on. Back in D-town we had a "route" we walked every single night. It equaled out to 1-2 miles. It should be interesting here in this new very small town because it's not all that big and 1 mile would take us to the other side of town!

In the blogging world, spring for me means finding new blogging friends. And with the Ultimate Blog Party, I managed to find a handful of friends through their fantastic blogs. Here's s a sampling of my faves in no particular order:

Minimalist Mommy
Adventures of Wondermommy
Robin Bielman
Valley Girl - I like her name, don't you? :c)
Candi @ All Day Night
Write From Karen
Sheena @ Mommy Daddy Blog
Jimaie.marie
Jessica in Rome
my melange
Conversations with my HairdryerA Sample of Jennifer's Thoughts (we have tons in common!)
Thoughts From Dimple Queen
Noel from Pretty By Nature
Becoming Me
Little Bird Creations
Daily Randomness
Figments
The Impoverished Preppy

Now I have to figure out how I'm going to keep up reading these when I constantly already have troubles doing so with the ones I already have in my bloglines . . . { sigh . . . }

So one of the people I mentioned above won my contest!!! Only FIVE people answered correctly! I give huge kudos to these five { Aimee, Candi, Erin, Jennifer, and Katie } because there were a lot of questions to answer and a lot of reading to answer those questions! I truly thank everyone who entered because it means a) you wanted to learn more about me and/or b) you really really wanted a canvas print! Either way, thank you. I had a lot of fun doing the contest and I hope this means you learned enough about me to want to come back.

Now for the winner . . . drum roll . . . Noah drew the name for me this morning . . . and he drew . . . Candi!! Yay, Candi!! I will be emailing you to find out how you want to go about the canvas. Be looking for your favorite digital photos on your computer! Congratulations, Candi! I'm so excited to have met you and I look forward to our future blogging frenzies. :c) Sorry dear Aimee, Erin, Jennifer and Katie . . . I hope to have more contests again with the same awesome prize! Thanks so so much for playing and being so loyal!

Anyone interested in the answers? Let me know and I'll post them. I feel like this post has probably already gotten a tad bit long, eh?

We're off to see the Easter bunny tonight. We've never done it before (Santa, either) so I think we may give it a try finally. Happy spring, happy Linky-love (amanda, I hope you don't mind I stole that slogan from you -- please forgive your bbbf) and happy winnings to Candi!

Game Over!

So . . . it's time for answers to the Val Quiz!

I think I have answered them all. The only one I didn't answer was what my dad does for a living. So . . . I will just tell you. He's a seed corn manager for a seed company. If you aren't from a farm community you'll probably wonder what in the world that is, but I don't have time to get into it now. Just know he is in the agriculture business :)

Please send me your answers by tomorrow, Wednesday March 19th at noon CST. Answers not received by then will not be counted. Even if you don't have all 25, I suggest sending them anyway because if someone with all 25 is wrong with one answer, well, they would then only have 24 answered correctly too, right?. Remember, the winner will receive a canvas gallery wrap! Woo-hooo!

Check out the first post with the questions, rules, requirements and my email addy.

Thank you for visiting and playing --- it's been such fun! Hope you'll be back!

I'll post the winner tomorrow evening!!!!!

Documenting the past week in pictures

I haven't been blogging much at all lately (posting or reading) and it's because on top of work stuff, I've never been so busy in my life. I'm thankful for not only the technology of cameras and preserving moments, but for my love for doing so.

One week ago Noah participated in his first ever Christmas program. He was a shepherd. I think every student in the school participated, which means pre-school through junior high. It was a really awesome experience for Noah and just as much of an awesome experience for his mommy, daddy and O'ma.

We were so very proud of him. I've never seen him appear so grown up. I've also never cried before for being this proud of him being so grown up. It was bittersweet and so hard to keep from crying. The last time I remember having that overwhelming feeling of love and joy for him was the moment I got to see and hold him for the first time when he was born.

Here is Noah's class right before the program. I took it upon myself to take a pre-school picture and a kindergarten picture. (hehe) :c) Do you see my Noah? He loves to observe people which is exactly what the camera catches him doing here.
(click on the pictures and you'll see them way bigger)

Then here he is during the program, singing. What really got me was when he spotted me on the floor taking pictures and that look he gave me just melted my heart. His eyes sparkled as he was watching me as though he was saying "mommy, look at me being a big boy. I love you so much, mommy". That's how I felt in that moment. Sorry for the cheesiness, but it's so true.

Afterwards, since O'ma is heading to Oklahoma for Christmas, we went out for ice cream and then she came over to give Noah and Maia a couple presents. Here they are unwrapping a few. Noah was mighty excited of his new undies!!


Then Friday and Saturday we got hammered with snow. Lots and lots of it. 9 inches to be exact. I loved it; it was so beautiful. So we stayed in all weekend playing games, decorating the house, working (well, I was working), and making food for Sunday.


Sunday we had our dear friends (Nikki and her family and Leann and her family) over for a Christmas dinner at our house. Neil was given an 8 lb ham as a gift from one of his customers, so we made that along with other yummy fixin's. It was really nice.

Vanessa is 10 months old and has very little hair. So Leann and I sneaked back into Maia's room and put her hair up into this little pony tail. Nikki almost cried when she saw it! Mommy and daughter . . . aren't they cute?!

Then Monday after I picked Noah up from school, I drove out to my favorite park in the world because I just knew it probably looked heavenly after the snowstorm. The main entrance was closed, so I drove around to a side entrance. I'm actually so glad it was closed because I saw some spectacular views back there. Here's just a couple out of many I hope to post later at flickr.



The rest of the week we went to the retirement party, I delivered a 30x40 sized canvas of a photo I took (see below), I goofed around with a reflection in an ornament on our Christmas tree (see below), and then today I had to cancel two appointments with clients because Maia and I are bundles of yucky-wucky-uckies now.

We both journeyed to the doctors today and we were both put on antibiotics for an ear infection (Maia) and a UTI infection (me) which has made both of us feel really miserable. I've been fighting this for a couple months with OTC things, so hopefully it will now be gone for good. I'm praying because they're no fun!! And right before Christmas . . . both of us . . . why of course!
(click on the picture . . . I dare ya! . . . then you'll see me in the Christmas bulb!)

I'm so so so thrilled, though, because last night I finished my last wedding album of the year (honestly, I didn't even think I'd get this 4th one done before Christmas). I delivered it today on the way to the doctors and I feel SUCH a huge huge weight off my shoulders . . . so much so I just want to run outside and scream it at the top of my lungs, but it's freezing outside and I am not feel all so swell, so I'll save that for another day I suppose :c) But but but but but! I can scream it here, right?!?!

I'M ALL THROUGH WITH ALBUMS AND ORDERS FOR THE YEAR ----- WOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

5 days till Christmas! Now I can really be excited and happy. I can concentrate on those things that are really important now like my family, friends and remembering the birth of Jesus! :c)

Merry Christmas!

Canvas won by my contest winner, Amy!

A while back, when I was indecisive on a new tag line for my business and new website, I ran a contest at my personal blog in order to find the perfect tag line for me and my biz! I had an overwhelming amount of entries and out of those chose around 20 of my favorites (I'm tellin' ya, I am an incredibly indecisive person!). I then had a poll for best tag line based on those 20 favorites, and the tag line with the most votes would win. The tag line that won was "Capturing Moments, Inspiring Memories" which was very cleverly thought up by my friend, Amy, in Phoenix. As a thank you and as a prize for winning, I had a canvas print made up for her and she just received it on Friday. She sent me a picture and here it is!!

Doesn't it look so great?! I LOVE IT!

Again, I want to thank her so so so much for all her brainstorming for me. I know she put a lot of her shower thinking time (you know, that one time in the day where you are alone without kids or any bothers?!) in just for me and I appreciate it millions! Thanks dearest, Amy!! (Hope Randy had fun back home here in Illinois . . we missed seeing him . . hopefully again soon, though!)


*** note to file *** I did not take this photograph, so don't give me credit! (But thanks to those who have!) Amy took it herself. She also lives STATES away (I forget how many hours) in Arizona, so she just emailed me this picture and I just ordered it for her on canvas. Too cool, eh?!