Day 46. Baby Girl.

Finished this proof album this week, and liked this little collection, so I thought I'd use for today's photo.  Love this family.  Such a great testimony of God's faithfulness!

Day 45. Sick Day.

My husband has a plethora of little quotes he likes to use.  One of my favorites is, "Some days, you're the windshield; some days, you're the bug."  This day, I was definitely the bug.  Fighting a bit of a cold this week, and this was the worst day.  When I don't feel well, this tea is my favorite treat.  :)  Makes me feel better for all of three minutes!  So, yes, I drink a lot of it!

Day 44. DIRT!

This is a photo of my son's pants, after recess at school.  He came home, took everything off, started his bath water, and said, "Mom, I am FILTHY!  I need to get cleaned up!"  Well, at least he acknowledged it!

Day 43. Food Challenge.

I have been doing some research recently.  I will tell you that, as a mom of three children, what to feed them is a very common dilemma.  There are very few food choices that all three would agree in liking... and not a single ONE of them has ever been great about eating fruits and veggies.  Don't disparage me yet!  It's not that I don't offer these as choices!  They are all pretty good about trying something if I encourage it.  However, I can't control the gag reflex and almost vomitting that may occur after they've reluctantly put whatever it is in their mouth!  You can understand why this may be a bit discouraging for a mommy!  Often, I've been known to offer snacks such as granola bars or string cheese as a substitute, thinking I was giving them a healthy alternative.

I won't bore you with all of my findings, but the fact is, I've decided to make some changes for my family.  My husband encourages it 100%, and is glad I've finally jumped on board with what he would have loved all along.  Even if I continue to get the turned down mouth when I offer carrots to my children, it doesn't mean that I can't find a healthier option for what they DO like. 

We've dragged our kiddos to four different grocery stores this weekend.  We've looked at online recipe planners.  We've gotten advice from friends.  We watched Food Inc.  Wow, Wow, WOW!  We've read ingredient labels until our eyes are tired!  Last but not least, I went through and pitched a good portion of my pantry contents!

I still have a lot to learn.  I'm trying to remember that it's a process!  Little steps are okay.  I have to keep my kids interested and on board.  That means finding things they LIKE...  For example:

This is a better option to make their chocolate milk than what I previously had in the fridge.  Have you read the back of Hershey's syrup?

This is our new bottle of ketchup.  My oldest didn't like it quite as well, but he'll get used to it.  It actually HAS tomatoes in it!

And this is the new hamburger for our family.

Yes, some of these things are more costly.  It certainly takes more effort to find them.  I have been nearly to the point of tears in the grocery store, due to being completely overwhelmed!  It will require more planning and organization, because I will have to be more particular about WHAT I buy and when I buy it.  But like so many other things in life, it's about making choices.  We will be paying closer attention to what is IN the foods we eat, and making more meals from scratch at home.  So, wish me luck!  It will be an adventure!

Day 42. Sweet Baby Girl!

This is why I LOVE taking pictures.  :)  Just look at this precious face!  I had the pleasure of photographing this family only a week before this little miracle entered the world.  What an amazing story this awesome family has.  I am honored to be a part of helping them cherish these special memories!

Darling!  Darling!  Darling!!!

(You can take a look at their maternity session if you click here:
January 2010)

Day 41. Breakfast

This picture is weird.  For the life of me, I couldn't make the color accurate. 

This is a picture of the french toast I made for my kids and their friends on Saturday morning.  We swap with some sweet friends of ours, and let our kids have sleepovers at the other's house while the other couple goes on a date night.  Both ends of the spectrum are fun.  Our kids are great friends with theirs, and it's always fun to spend time with them, listening to them play... watching movies and eating popcorn... and they love to get all bundled up in their sleeping bags on the family room floor.  The next time, will be our turn for date night.  Needless to say, that's fun, too!  :)  Good friends are certainly a treasure!

Day 40. Threes.

Well, here I am on day 40.  That should be a marker of some kind, right?  I woke up yesterday morning, and let my doggies outside, and I was trying to get my camera fast enough to take a snapshot of the cardinal bird that was flying around my back yard.  I missed the bird.  :(  But in my search for him, I found these three, perfect raindrops.  I've mentioned before that anything in 3s catches my attention.  :)  Always reminds me of my children.  I felt like this was God's little way of telling me "good morning."  :)