Things That Make You Go "Hmmmm?"

What is so magical about mom and dad's shower that causes all the kids to fight over who gets to use it?



How come every toddler has a normal, everyday word that comes out sounding like the worst possible swear word. Branson's is "frog." Although Anderson's was more of a phrase. Whenever we would drive past a gas station he would get excited thinking we were headed to "go get some gas." But in his toddler voice he simply stated, "get gas" but it sounding more like he was wanting to "kick" something.



Why do the dirty clothes get dropped or thrown onto the floor only to land inches away from the laundry basket...repeatedly?



Really? Does she really think that cute tan boots, slick basketball sweats and a nice flowery shirt match? Yes...yes she does.



At church on Sunday, why does everyone (including John) think that Branson's snacks are a free for all. Come on guys it is not a movie with concessions!



What on earth is Branson's thing with garbage cans!? He loves to push them over and then body slam them on the ground. This is just peachy when the can is full of potato peelings and raw chicken.

Why do we love our pets so much? The dog is untrained, fat, lazy and she smells . Our cat is completely bipolar...I am sure of it.

What is it about Fishy Crackers? Between the older kid's school lunches and Branson's snacks I am pretty sure we could keep that company in business.

Why is it that all of a sudden things just start falling apart around the house. The kitchen faucet starts dripping, one of the toilets starts running all the time, the garage door won't shut, and the bathroom fan sounds like it's going to explode!




Why did Sydney choose the topic of "Not Bullying" for her Family Home Evening lesson this week? And why did she continue to look at her older brothers the entire time she was giving it?


(I completely stole this one from my cousin Noelle...)
Why does motherhood often feel like you are stuck in the movie Groundhog Day?

How Do You Get To School?

Sydney and Grandpa Cazier

Why I am Soooo Excited!

Why am I so dang excited? Because ALL the photos on this post are my very first photos taken MANUALLY! All by myself...shutter speed, aperture, and focus! Up until Saturday I was taking all my pictures on auto. The only thing I have done to these photos is size them down and change them to JPG to fit on my blog. I didn't retouch any of them. I know they aren't perfect but hey...it's a start!So I discovered that when you are super pumped to do a photo shoot and the lighting is perfect, an over-active toddler is NOT your best subject. But what do you do...he was the only one home.
I went to Seattle on Saturday to attend an amazing crash course taught by Nicole Gerulat
It was worth every penny. I took a picture of my class notes in an incredibly dark room.

She even brought in a model for us to teach us about proper lighting. (And yes she has clothes on :) She was wearing a strapless dress.)

Danyelle was the one who told me about the class and talked me into taking it. She even posed for me so I could practice.

So I am thrilled! I feel like I can take my photography to a whole new level and I can't wait!

I am saving up for my dream lens (one that can capture shots during basketball games) and I have made a bit of extra money taking family photos for friends.

Need your picture taken?

I only charge $75 for a 1-2 hour family photo shoot and $50 for a photo shoot of a single person, child, or baby. This pays me for my time at the shoot and for the hours I spend editing and retouching your photos. When the pictures are ready you get a CD full of every photo taken at the shoot and another CD with the retouched photos.

Give me a call if you're interested!

I Can Wait

When on earth did it happen?

When did my first baby boy turn into a young man?

It seems like every time I look at Anderson he is growing and changing into the man he will someday be.

I remember my mom saying that she never understood mom's who "couldn't wait." They "couldn't wait" until their kids were walking. Then they "couldn't wait" for their kids to start school. And they "couldn't wait" for their kids to get out of the teen years. My mom said often that she enjoyed each year and every stage that her children went through. She told me that if I spend my motherhood "waiting" for the next stage all the good times will come and go without me ever experiencing the joy that comes with each of them.

I have enjoyed my kids. Now I will admit that there are times when I want to put them in a box and ship them to Timbuktu, but I love being a mother and I realize that motherhood comes with a price (the price being our patience, our sanity, our sleep, our time and our love.) We give it all and I think 18 years is just too dang short. I feel cheated already...that is not enough time.

Anderson played the role of a good son and let me take a bunch of photos of him while we were watching for trains with Branson. Did I mention that we will be purchasing him a razor on Monday...I am not ready for this.He doesn't like the smiling shots...not cool enough I guess.The next picture is Anderson's choice look. There were several other black and white shots that he liked and he seems to prefer the "overexposed look" I love that he cares.

Walkin' On Sunshine--With Both Feet!

Yesterday Branson got his cast off for good!

He remembered the "scary" saw from the last cast removal and began to cry and say "Bye Bye" as soon as we walked into the lobby of the Doctor's office. But despite being scared out of his mind he was so good. Ignoring the NO FOOD ALLOWED signs I snuck in a large Jack in The Box French Fry to help with the experience. The nurses and doctor thought the fries were a great idea (but then they are the ones who had to pin him down to the table.) All trauma aside, the second we got home he was walking stiffly around the house as if nothing had ever happened. Now that the cast is gone he is on to bigger and taller things...climbing.

What is on My Mind (in no particular order)...

Day Camp

Contact Lenses

School Book Fair

Homeschooling

Meetings

Doctors Appointments

Parenting

Weight Loss

Spirituality

Kids Sports

Scrapbooking

ADD

Photography

Potty Training

Hawaii

Now I know where the term "puzzling" came from.

Out Cold

With a little coaxing from Dad, Anderson joined his school's wrestling team. They started practice after the winter break and the workouts have been kickin'.....his.....booty!