InstaFriday - Ahead of the Game!

Has it really been two weeks?!  I struggle to post here as it is, but try to do my best to get a weekly post up!  I swear I have another good reason this week as to why I didn't post last week (that and I wanted my family pictures left up just a little while longer)...but I'll tell you that reason later!  

Our life, the past two weeks, in pictures!

Nerdy and Thirty was the name of the surprise-themed birthday party Chad and I attended!  The look on our friend, Jared's face when he walked into a house full of nerds was priceless!  It was fun to play dress up too for the night, as we didn't dress up for Halloween!  Our kids that we looked pretty hilarious and just kept giggling and staring!

Finally got to visit my girlfriend, Angela, and her family's new addition, Joshua!  He slept the entire I held him, such a muffin.

New wire and bands on Kyan's braces!  He chose gray for his bands this time and I think I approve!!! 

One HUGE reason I feel ahead of the game, as the title of this post suggests, is because of that picture there on the right!  I worked my booty off to get the wedding I shot three weeks ago finished and I did it in time to enjoy the long Thanksgiving weekend!  It was a nice surprise for the bride too, as she wasn't expecting her photos until after Christmas!

Did I mention that we had a progressive Thanksgiving meal in second grade and I volunteered to cook the turkey?!  Yeah, I don't cook turkey (Chad does), so I emailed my incredible parents and BEGGED them to help me out!  Not one, but two sets volunteered to cook for the entire 2nd grade!  One parent brought in the entire deep fried turkey (omg, so good) for me to cut!  Did I mention I don't cook turkey?!  Oh yeah, I really don't cut turkey!  Lots of instagram friends gave advice, but really, when it came down to it, I felt like I was ripping it to shreds (so I took a funny picture to represent)!

Oh Lola!  I big red puffy heart you!  Sleeping, dancing, and confused about the weather (flip flops/shorts, hat/sweatshirt/scarf)!

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day.  We spent the morning over at Chad's mom's house with all of our cousins, playing game after game after game!  When it was time for lunch, we drove to Aunt Lori's, who it seems like it has been a year since we have seen, and enjoyed dinner with them!  It was so nice to catch up and be together as a family!  

Black Friday, errrrrr, I mean Thursday?!  I really was so excited this year to go out and shop!  I had a plan and finally had friends to go with!  Chad was so much a part of the plan this year too!  He watched the kids (both ours and the Adairs)!  We shopped for 11 hours before we finally dropped!  I managed to get all of the things I needed from the stores for Christmas during that time and only have handmade items to finish up (this weekend hopefully) before my list is crossed off!  The presents are already wrapped too!  This has never happened in the history of forever, just sayin', and it has put me ahead of the game!!!

 After Thanksgiving, it is tradition that we bust out our Christmas decor!  My favorite decoration is that Merry Christmas paint chip banner I made last year for a photo shoot, best part about it, totally free!  The kids always want to help, as they know that their elf, Zelt, comes back for his month of reporting to Santa!  Let the good behavior begin!  We always read the book each year to remind us of the "rules" that accompany our little friend and this year, Kyan took over that duty.  It was so precious to hear him read to his sister!

 Their relationship.  I love it and them so much.

iPad.  School Computers.  Reading books.  Xbox Kinect.

 Cooked my favorite stuffed bell peppers and I forgot the parmesan cheese.  Yes, I had 27 packets from random restaurants in my cupboard.  Yes, that is approximately how many you need to get half a cup!

My mom sure does know when I need her.  This time, her love came in a medium sized package delivered USPS!  Bracelets for the kids and two new shirts for me!  Love you mama.  Perfect timing.

Happy Weekend, hope yours is as productive as I plan on making mine!

Family Pictures 2012

This year, we didn't scramble to quickly get our family pictures done at the last second.  

This year, I tried to time it during a month that we weren't freezing during the shoot.

This year, I found what everyone else was wearing and then threw my outfit together.

This year, my husband cooperated fully and made me less stressed.

This year, Jobrina Hofleit Photography captured our family.

This year, I am speechless.

I love them all.

Enjoy the picture overload!

 

InstaFriday - Quickie

Notice anything new?!  Hopefully it will inspire me to post more than just InstaFriday updates.  

I know for sure that I'll be sharing the new family photos on the blog tomorrow, so stay tuned...

Until then, I'll leave you with a newly made over page and a few photos from this past week!

My mom brought me the coolest ornament for the tree, little did I know she just wanted to show it to me so that I could make more myself!  I begged, not to hard, to keep it and she let me!  Can't wait to add it to the tree - as our tree has a collection of random ornaments from growing up!

Lola and her makeup compact.  Not the smartest move on my mother's part to give her.  She put so much on during our freezing cold dinner that her face was white!  It was hilarious!  

Really, when grandpa and grandma are in town, I don't see too much of my children.  They countdown the days until they get to spend the night at their house.  This quick trip out to visit was no different!  I had plans to craft all day on Saturday and shoot a wedding on Sunday, so I spent the night with them on Friday when they came in with just Lola.  We had so much fun!

Before the crafting began, Kyan played in his last game of the basketball season!  He did so good and earned the nickname "Money" from his coach!  Fits him perfectly!

Two things I was looking forward to: Super Saturday with my girlfriend Meghan at her church.  I made way to many bracelets, but had so much fun!  My family pictures from the amazing Jobrina Hofleit Photography!  Her packaging is a amazing as her photos!  Can't wait to share more soon!

 Whenever my mama is here we happened to shop.  I found a few animal print skinny jeans on sale at Target for $6.88 that I couldn't say no to!  Lola scored a new pair of slippers, picked them out all by herself!  Great taste if I don't say so myself.

 Thanksgiving Feast was at school on Tuesday and I ate lunch my boy, as we share the same lunch you know!  We also went to the grocery store to pick out some smell good for his pits!  It was time.  Never, ever thought it would be this early of an age, but after teaching 2nd graders and smelling them coming in from recess, I knew.  We probably spent a good 10-15 minutes smelling the different kids until he settled on an Axe scent!  Good call daddy in suggesting to take him to pick it out himself!

That's it!  Short and sweet!  Check back tomorrow for family pictures!

InstaFriday - Two in One...Again!

I have a good excuse as to why I didn't blog last week - it's called grandma's sale!  More on that in a little bit, promise, but first, what happened in our life before grandma's!

Trunk or Treat at Grandma Donna's church.  A tradition each year!

Walking Taco, reminded me of high school basketball games back home and growing up in a small town.

Reading more than ever!  I just finished Barely Breathing, the second book in the trilogy (I have to wait for a while before the third book to come out and it is pure torture).

Lola sleeping.  She always comes in at bed time and doesn't feel well.  The cure is always to cure up in mama's arms and snuggle.

 Two weeks ago it was definitely hoodie weather in the morning!  

I worked all last week on my Sub Tub - everything in there a sub could ever want, and more: lesson plans and copies made, supplies, schedules, behavior expectations, what to do in an emergency, band-aides, nurse passes, snacks, books, etc.  It took me forever to do, but I am so thankful that it is done, and in the event that I need to miss another day of work, I feel like it will be a piece of cake to do so!

 Halloween was exciting for the simple fact that it was one of our favorite holidays to celebrate, but for two other BIG reasons:  vocabulary parade at school and student of the month awards.  Kyan and Lola were both of their classes student of the months for October!  It was nice to be able to celebrate with them both the entire day!  We enjoyed donuts and juice after the parade and assembly!  The vocabulary assembly has become a tradition at the school as well.  Kyan and I had to choose a compound word and design a t-shirt.  He went with snowman, so I played off of his word and went with snowflake!  Felt kinda funny to have a Fall party in my classroom decked out in a winter shirt!  Each member of Lola's class was a number, she was number 25!

Passed out candy on Halloween night after we walked around the neighborhood together as a family.  I think my kids like this part more than getting treats!

 The morning after Halloween, I went to wake up Lola and she rolled over and said, "I just need a break off today!"  I couldn't help but giggle and let her sleep for five more minutes!

 Thursday after school let out, I set up my sub tub for my classroom the following day, and waited for my husband to get home, very impatiently, I might add.  As soon as he walked in the door, I ran out and picked up my friend, Meghan, and we headed to grandma and grandpa's for a quick little getaway!  We laughed so hard with them and my mother-in-law Donna the whole weekend!  Not only did we laugh a lot, but we scored some amazing deals in between the dusting of all the furniture!  I really hope that this sale sticks around for years to come!  Thank you grandma and grandpa for such a great time!

 

 Saturday morning we returned from the east valley and went to a friend's baptism.  I had 800 other things that I should have been doing after the party got over, but I was so pooped from the 40 hours away from home, the only thing I wanted to do was hang out with my babies.  That is exactly what I did with the two of them the remainder of my weekend!  They swam on Saturday (it was so nice outside).  No, our pool isn't heated, they are just crazy!  They didn't make it past the first step in our pool, but they were in, splashing away!  Sunday evening the kids rode the quad around the backyard giggling away.  We even had an outdoor dance party to cap the night off!

 Monday I found myself in LOTS and LOTS of pain.  To the point where I couldn't take it anymore and ended up in the ER.  I feel like I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, but I couldn't take this.  Found out I have TMJ.  At 11:30pm, Meghan dropped me off at home with pain meds in hand, in hopes that it would help.

 I went to work on Tuesday and then took Lola to gymnastics later that night.  She is still loving her class so much!

As soon as I got home, I was wiped.  After being up so late the night before and still in quite a bit of pain, I read myself to sleep...extra early!

 Wednesday morning I found her like this and smooched her awake!  Couldn't resist those sweet cheeks and lips!  She is always so tired in the mornings, but makes for some good sleeping pictures (and I seem to have plenty of them this week of her doing just that).

 Thursday was sports day at school in support of the book fair so we dressed in our Arizona team gear and headed to school!  

I spent my prep and my lunch with the heating pad on my head/neck.  It felt so good and relieved a little bit of pressure.

Headed to the dentist after school to make sure all was good with my night guard and that it was fitting properly and wanted to see what the dentist had to say about TMJ.  After our talk, think we figured out what triggered the incident and how to hopefully fix it in the next week or so.  If I continue to stay in pain after a week, I'll look into a Plan B, but not going there until I try Plan A first!

Whew, what a week!  

Hurry up mom and dad and get her already!  

Can't wait to see you this weekend!!!