Days 148, 149 & 150

Kate won a Ninja party at her Karate studio, she couldn't have been more excited. I put together these party favors using sour "Punch" twists, (it was the only thing I could find that connected to Karate at all...) I looked online for inspiration for a girl ninja and created these little ninja girl in photoshop.

So the party was a lot of fun, Lucy got to participate (as much as she could with her short attention span and extremely short legs...) Here's Kate running and doing a jump kick on the bag...

and Lucy running up... stopping... grabbing on the bag for balance... and lifting her leg slowly up to the bag... it was hilarious! She was determined though!

Finally here's the girls being my "fast action" models. They were jumping around in the driveway so I could practice my fast action, quick shutter speed shots. :)

Day 147

Kate playing Uno with Jeff, she was having a grand old time, especially when she could play the "Draw Two" card. There's something so great about beating your dad in a card game!

Days 143, 144, 145 & 146

We had such an incredible weekend! We met 6 other families that we traveled to China with when we adopted our older daughters in Pittsburgh for the weekend. We have travel group reunions about twice a year and have been doing this for 6 years. We couldn't feel more blessed to have such wonderful friends, we live so many miles apart, but all value the friendship so much that we have been able to remain close. Our girls (and the adults too!) are sooo sad when they have to leave their "China Friends" to go home. I really wanted to post a picture of all the kids (there were 14 together this weekend!) but I didn't ask for permission from all the families. So here is Lucy with her dad at the amusement park that we took all the girls to...

and Kate having fun mothering a little girl in the group that is actually letting her (Lucy gets a little tired of it! LOL!)...

and Lucy zonked out in the car on the way home after not getting much sleep over the weekend...

and just a cute smile from Kate to round it all out! :)

Days 141 & 142

I couple of things first... I had a question about "BFF's", it means "Best Friends Forever". It's a typical thing written in school year books and text messages (for kids, and like me, childish adults, lol!)

The tags on my girls lunch boxes have their pictures on the front and their names on the back, I bought plastic baseball card covers to hold them. they're pretty durable and have lasted all year. I also have tags on their book bags. :) Thank you all for your nice comments, it is so much fun for me to read them, it is truly a highlight in my day! Thank you for taking the time!

On to Day 141:
So I had a banquet to go to for my Teacher's Associaton for my school district, my friend had been nominated for an educator of the year award. These nights aren't really that exciting because they involve lots of speeches that go on too long... until I'm sitting there and realize someone is talking about ME. In front of tons of people. Me. I still get a stomach ache thinking about it. My wonderful friends LIED to me, I was being honored and I had no idea! I received the Distinguished Service award, I feel so honored and completely overwhelmed. I still can't believe it. The hard part is that I have to organize a dinner and help determine next year's winner and give a speech for them at next year's banquet... I'm already stressing about it! Still feeling good about my award though, how cool to be noticed! :) (The big plaque has names going back to 1967, many of them union presidents.)

I took pictures of the girls in their new bathing suits, we joined a pool this year so they each got a few new ones. I figured it would be nice not to have to rely on just one suit. (I have to admit, that I also have a few AMAZING scrap kits that I wanted pictures for, I work backwards a lot... pics have to match the kit, right?! lol!) Another typical crazy Miss L pic (this was after she calmed down about the fact there might be mosquitos outside, she's terrified of bugs. I felt bad after we came in she had two HUGE mosquito bites on her shoulder. both of my girls swell up like crazy from any bite.)

Days 138, 139 & 140

Kate had her recital tonight, I know you are probably tired of me gushing about how cute she is in her costume, but I can't help it! One more pic of her, this one a bit different... Here she is shakin' her tail. She was cracking herself up too (and me along with her!)

My kids at school made these Sculpey clay aliens today - they are so funny all together on the plate like that. Got to bake 'em now.

Everyday moment: the girls lunch boxes all ready for tomorrow. I hate packing lunches, but Kate helped me out tonight, she was such a helper. It reminded me how much she really can do, sometimes I just do things and don't think to ask her to help. She really had fun helping me get things ready for tomorrow. It was nice.

Day 137

We've had a fun friend filled weekend. I took the girls to the park with a few more "BFF's" today. I love how they are cracking up (my friend is sooo great at acting like a loon to make them smile for pics, I need to take her everywhere, I guess!)

Days 135 & 136

Lucy and Spongebob again, the Ice Cream man visited our neighborhood. It always makes me laugh because for the first 4 years of Kate's life we told her it was a "music" truck. She had no idea that it carried yummy treats. It couldn't last forever, lol!

Recital time is finally here, today was the dress rehearsal. She's here with two of her best friends in the world. I just love her costume so much this year, you'll be seeing at least one more photo of it I'm sure for Monday's post, it'll be the big show night.

Days 133 & 134

Oh my gosh, look at these!!!!!!!!!! Heaven in a bowl with fake cheese on it, YUM!

and um.... they are HUGE! I must have done something good in this life to deserve a treat this delicious. (and yes, I shared!)

Days 131 & 132

Kate painted this vase for me for Mother's day at a fun Kids Night Out at a local ceramics studio. Isn't it beautiful!! (And the pretty, and fragrant! lilacs stolen from my neighbors are perfect in it. LOL!)

So these shoes take me back to high school, it was buy a pair of shoes get a pair 1/2 off at the Shoe Carnival today... I couldn't resist a new pair of All Stars - check out the cute tongue! Still trying to decide between the white and black laces...

Days 129 & 130

Goofy Lucy, I just can't get enough of her silliness. She all of sudden, is happy to look at the camera as long as the second after you click, she can run around and admire herself on the LCD screen.


My sister, Lucy, my mom, me and Kate posing for a Mother's day photo, we had them over for a yummy lunch. Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you!! Hope everyone had a great mother's day!

Days 127 & 128

A shot of the tulips my DH bought me for our 15th anniversary on Thursday. For each anniversary he buys that number of flowers :) I loved the centers of these and how the top one looks like it's floating. I didn't realize until too late that I had my ISO up too high so I'm disappointed that it's a bit grainy, but love the bright color anyway!

I ordered Shutterfly books for my mom and DH's mom for Mother's day. I just resized a bunch of my recent scrap pages and made them into a book for each of them. They really came out nice, it's so satisfying to see a bunch of layouts printed and all together like that.

Day 126

Kate's class went to the farm today - I missed out, but my husband went along to grab some pics! What a great day, she got to milk a cow, (a live one! Kate says) hold baby chicks and ducks and feed a menagerie of other animals. Here's Kate with the (live) cow. BTW the guy in orange works there.

Days 123, 124 & 125

It has been such a busy few days, I just can't seem to keep up with anything! I decided to take break from real work long enough to update my blog, I hate letting it get so far behind.

First, I love this picture of Kate on the trampoline, it's funny that it looks like she has no feet, and I love how she's looking at her cousin.


My new favorite way to take pics is by laying on the ground - I like the depth it gives this pic of violets.

I love how the buds on this (pear??) tree in my yard are pink. Isn't it funny that there's no pink in the flowers?

Days 120, 121 & 122

One of the girls from Kate's sleepover this weekend left her little stuffed guinea pig, we wanted her to know that we were taking good care of him and that he was eating well... (well not well, but yummy!)

My girls playing so nice together - they will sit and both play with Kate's DS. Love it!

We spent Friday night with friends (and Marilyn) at a Mommy Daughter dance. This pic was after a night of food, dancing and fun! (Why is that dumb Macarena song soooo long??? I think we both lost 10 pounds of perspiration!)