Blissful Chaos

Okay, Okay...I know I have been a neglegent blogger...

2009-10-06T09:06:00.002-04:00

It seems silly now to be keeping two seperate blogs, one for photography, one for family, so I think I am just going to start combining the two and including my family "stuff" in my photography blog.

So....be sure to check the photography blog for misc family AND photography fun. Thanks everyone!!

New Hairbows!!

2009-08-07T16:02:00.002-04:00

I ordered new hairbows the other day for Tatum.

The ones she has are all pretty small, and I thought she needed bigger ones.

So, I ordered a few from Baby Sew Chic.

I purchased six, all in different colors.

Well, we got them in the mail today and LOVE them!

First, she offered great customer service and put up with me changing my mind a time or two.

Second, she has a very large variety of colors and patterns.

Third, I got them SUPER quick!

I highly recommend this seller and the product.

She also sells those cute korker clips and pretty burp cloths.

Anyway, check her out!!

Here are some pics of Tatum sporting her new bow.

This is her favorite one right now :-)

Can you help??

2009-07-17T14:30:00.004-04:00

We are going to an event in August for a very special boy. You may remember this post. All donations are going directly to the University of Michigan Congenital Heart Center. They will be earmarked in Jack's name for research. If you are interested in making a donation, all checks should be made payable to Michigan Congenital Heart Center and have 'Jack Carlson/research' written in the memo line. You can feel free to mail them to me (for those of you that have my address).

Also, they are in need of silent auction items for the event. If you have something you are willing to donate, I would be happy to take it with me the day before the event. If you have any questions, please email me (peytay at gmail.com) and I will do my best to help!

Thank you so much!!!

Kel

Some AWESOME templates!

2009-07-14T13:26:00.003-04:00

I have my eye on some of these templates. This girl has some rockin designs that I'd love to get my hands on. You'll have to check out her SITE. SO many cool things to choose from! What is your favorite design on her site??

Catching up....

2009-07-11T14:10:00.002-04:00

I have been very bad about getting caught up on my own photos.

In doing pics from May, I came across one from Peyton's last day of school.

I decided I would do a quick flash back and combine it with the pic from the FIRST day of school last year.

So, here is the shot of P & T on his first day of school...

...and on his LAST day of school:

Where did my babies go?!?!?!

Extreme Makeover Home Edition: Erie style!

2009-07-01T22:51:00.004-04:00

So, Extreme Makeover, Home Edition came to our old hometown this week!

They are redoing a home for a lady that has helped many children in her neighborhood.

My friend Tina and I decided to go check it out tonight.

We are SO glad we did.

It's a very cool thing.

Here is the house.

It's almost done.

Tomorrow is the big reveal!!

Some big thingy.

I'm very technical with machinery.
One of the many assembly lines.
They were sending all sorts of home goods to the house.

Arbonne!

More assembly lines.

Someone else made a special appearance...

TY!

SO COOL!

Ya, he and I are pretty much BFFs.

LOL!

Being silly.

He was so cute with this little boy!

He even let him get up on his back.

Then he RAN with him!!

MOVE THAT BUS!!!!!

What an awesome night!!!!!!!!

Cute PJs!!!!

2009-06-30T11:10:00.002-04:00

So, I heard about these cute new PJ shorts from a friend of mine. Her friend makes them and they look SO comfy!! Oh, and the best part is she makes them for moms AND for little girls! How cute would Tatum and I be in matching shorts? ;-)

She's just getting started, so you'll have to check out her new Etsy store and let me know what you think! She also has a website and will accept custom orders!!

Check it out!!!

Happy Father's Day!!

2009-06-21T21:42:00.002-04:00

I want to wish a happy father's day to all the great dad's out there.

Peyton & Tatum are so fortunate to have such a great dad in Bryan.

He adores the kids and has so much fun with them.

I am one lucky girl :-)

I hope you all had a wonderful day!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Please join us!

2009-06-12T14:09:00.004-04:00

In August, we will be attending the 1st Annual Jack Carlson Memorial Golf Outing in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Good friends of ours had a beautiful boy who was born with Congenital Heart Defects. He was a sweet, wonderful boy full of joy and love. Unfortunately, he passed away on Halloween of last year. He fought a brave fight for those [almost] three years. His parents, with the help of their family, are holding the 1st Annual Jack Carlson Memorial Golf Outing and all donations are going directly to CHD Research. They are determined to help other families avoid going through what they went through. They don't want one more child to have to suffer because of CHD. Please help them in their fight.

If you are interested in attending the event or donating to the cause, please visit their website for more information. Thank you so much!

Jack's Event

Monkey see...monkey do.

2009-06-07T23:57:00.002-04:00

That's these two.

Whatever Peyton does, Tatum wants to do.

So, when Peyton stood up to look out of the fort on the swingset,

Tatum had to follow suit.

She's a monkey and would have climbed up the outside of it if I would have let her,

but that's against the rules!

Anyway, here they are.

Aren't they getting big???

YEE-HAW!

2009-06-02T22:52:00.001-04:00

My little cowgirl.

Wearin' mama's boots.

Man, do I love her!

Introducing....

2009-05-28T09:45:00.001-04:00

www.kellygorneyphotography.com

This is the reason I have been so neglegent with my blog lately.

I've been busy spending nearly every minute working on my new website.

Please feel free to look around.

I hope you like it!!

Soooo, I got bored..

2009-05-15T23:24:00.003-04:00

...and that's never a good thing!

I was SICK of toys taking over my already small house.

I love that the kids love to play, but I don't like tripping on things non-stop.

One day I had HAD it and was wishing for a playroom.

That's when I decided to go for it.

Yup.

I moved Tatum's bed into Peyton's room.

VOILA!

A playroom.

Tatum's old bedroom is now the new playroom!

Here is P & T's new room:

It's a bit snug, but it works.

I like to think of it as...cozy.
Here's little Tatum peeking over her bed in her new room.

The transition went as well as I could have expected.

The first night they talked for about an hour,

but the next night, there were both out like lights.

They love sharing a room together, which I'm thrilled about.

Even more than that, they love having a playroom:

It's not very organized yet, but we'll get there.

Of course, their furniture doesn't match, but hopefully it's not too bad.

We're really excited about this change

and I hope it continues to go well.

Steven's graduation, part 2

2009-05-14T22:37:00.005-04:00

Warning:

Pic overload!

I finally finished the pics from Steven's graduation.

These are the post-ceremony pics.

The mandatory family and friend shots

(and a couple not-so-mandatory ones).

So, without any further introduction....

The Pics.

Steven & Mom

Steven & DadSteve, Steven & Mom
The greatest sister ever, Collin, Steven & Joe

Big hugs to Lauren!

Big hugs FROM Christine!

LOL!

Stevie & the kiddos

Oh my...

Peyton.

I can't think about this yet.

He's only four.

Kisses from Tay-Tay

The guys...

Collin, Dad, Steven, Bryan & Joe

Steven, doin' his thang

My favorite!!

Stevie & Stacy

Silly Stevie

Steven with his buddies, Stacy & Zack

Hope you like!

Brotherly Love

2009-05-13T23:50:00.003-04:00

Can you say...

DORKS!

Poor me.

Am I really related to these guys??

Well, at least they have fun!

LOL!

I'm still working on the rest of the graduation pics.

Hopefully I'll get them up soon.

Thanks for checking in!

Commencement: Steven style.

2009-05-12T23:03:00.003-04:00

My little brother, Steven, graduated from college on saturday.

We went down to his commencement and I'm so glad we did.

I'm very proud of my little brother.

He looked so grown up in his cap & gown.

I remember the day he was born, yet here he is, graduating.

Oh my!

The commencement began with a beautiful parade of flags.

Each flag represented a country that the various students were from.

It was awesome.

Here is Steven entering the building.

YEAH!

Filing in....

Fast forward past all the speeches and now Steven is on his way to collect his diploma!

So proud of him!!

Going back to his seat now...

I will post some post-ceremony pics later.

Please stay tuned!

A new hat

2009-05-12T13:15:00.002-04:00

Well, I say new, but it's a couple weeks old.

I'm just a bit slow to put my own pics up here.

For example, I still never posted my Easter pics.

I better get on that.

Anyway, a couple weeks ago, I was at the mall with the kids.

Tatum saw a cute Easter hat at The Children's Place that she loved.

She put it on and it didn't come off.

She wore it around the mall, in the stroller, in the car...

She was in love!

She also got new sunglasses that day.

Here's a shot of her wearing them in the car after we bought them:

She was kind enough to let her brother try it on, though.

He's a silly one:
Don't feel too bad for him, though.
He was acting.
Yup, he's my little actor.
He told me "I'm gonna be mad now" and made his "grumpy" face.
A minute later he was happy :-)

My Mother's Day Present

2009-05-08T22:00:00.002-04:00

...from Peyton!

Wednesday, when I picked Peyton up from school,

he came out yelling, "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY"

and handed me my present!

He painted it all by himself,

and he planted it all by himself.

They started as seeds and he got to watch them grow.

He was SO very proud of it.

So am I :-)

On the sides are the little fingerprint lady bugs he made, too.
I just love it!

The Park

2009-05-07T21:20:00.001-04:00

Nothing too exciting today,

just one shot.

It's a shot a got while I was at the park by my house.

The sun looked so pretty

and I couldn't resist.

There's one in color:

and one in black & white.

Have a nice day!

Uncle Stevie

2009-05-04T20:46:00.003-04:00

My brother Steven with his niece/nephew...

They SURE love their Uncle Stevie!!

Just one...

2009-04-29T13:50:00.002-04:00

...of Tatum that I like from my grandma's party.

Granted, she didn't sit there for long,

but just long enough for me to snap a quick pic.

I like her when she's sitting still.

LOL!

Dress-up fun

2009-04-27T23:24:00.003-04:00

Playing dress-up is one of my favorite things.

I love when the kids get their costumes out and have a blast.

Peyton pulled out Spiderman and Optimus Prime the other day.

Tatum was a bit afraid of Spiderman, so Peyton went the other route...

Scary, isn't he??

Maybe a little silly, too.
But, I bet you didn't know that Optimus Prime also fixes cars!
He's quite the handy-man!
Princess Tatum.
Ballerina Tatum.
Whatever she chooses her name to be at the moment.
My opinionated little girl :-)
You mean the little girl with this sweet face can be sassy and opinionated?!?!
NEVER.
I don't believe it.
She's an angel!
"NO MORE PICTURES, MOM!"
GOSH!

Nope.

She's a perfect little lady.

Haha!!!

Bust a Move

2009-04-26T22:16:00.001-04:00

Bust a move.

Peyton has been obsessed with breakdancing lately.

Here he is "busting a move" at GG's 80th....

GG's 80th Birthday - a preview

2009-04-24T21:23:00.005-04:00

My beautiful grandma recently celebrated her 80th birthday.

I was blessed with the opportunity to take some photos of the event.

Here's a shot of the birthday girl :-)

I still have many more left to edit, but here's a sampling.

Well, it's mostly just the goodies,

and they are looong gone by now!

Haha!

A wonderful berry cheesecake.
This was Peyton's favorite.
Tatum, on the other hand, spit it out.
She preferred the chocolate...
that's my girl ;-)
Bryan was fond of the Pecan option.
I also enjoyed the good ol' plain.

The party was held at Nick's Place.
They did a fantastic job with everything, as always.

They went way above and beyond what we had hoped for!

Happy 80th birthday, GG!

We love you and hope you had a great day!

Kisses.

2009-04-24T09:30:00.002-04:00

There is nothing better

than seeing your daughter

give her big brother

a sweet little girl kiss :-)

A boy and his scooter

2009-04-23T14:19:00.002-04:00

I had to share a couple pics I got of Peyton enjoying his new birthday present.

He was very excited about his scooter.

Although it would not normally be allowed, we let him ride it in the house a bit.

Such a silly boy!

Man, do I love him :-)

Yankee Birthday Party!

2009-04-21T21:09:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday we had a joint birthday party for the kids.

It had a YANKEES theme!

It was so much fun.

Then again, what is better than a party complete with all the fixins of a baseball game?

Hot dogs, popcorn, soft pretzels, nachos...

...plus the "normal" baseball game beverages.
A Yankees cake was a MUST.

The living room was decorated.

Although, with the weather being as nice as it was,

not much time was spent in there.

Mmm....food!

What's the saying?

No birthday party is complete without a basket on the head?

Nope. That's not it, but Tatum still wore one :-)

Baseball shirts with names and ages were involved, too.

Sweet boy, Nathan, enjoying the weather.

Gift overload.

The birthday girl/boy!

When did my baby get so big???

Opening presents is so much fun!

Shh....he's concentrating!

My little reader.

And finally, time to make a wish!

Thanks so much to everyone for helping to make the kids' day wonderful!

We had a great time and hope you did, too!

Fun time at the Doctor's!

2009-04-20T21:17:00.004-04:00

Today the kids had their well baby/child visits.

I wasn't quite sure what shots (if any they were getting).

Last time we went to the doctor,

Tatum was less than thrilled.

She cried, sobbed and screamed the whole time.

It was awful.

This morning, I figured I would prep her for what was going to happen.

I gave her a play by play of what was going to happen...

"first, the nurse is going to weigh you on their big scale.."

"they will see how tall you, are.."

etc, etc.

I used our little kiddie doctor kit and showed her how he would do each thing.

I told her she needed to take deep breaths when he listened to her heart, etc.

I was still very nervous about how the visit would go, though.

Normally Bryan is with me, but he had a post-op all the way across town,

so he couldn't be there with the kids and I.

Oy.

Well.....they were ROCKSTARS!

Both of them!

I had to fill out a couple update forms at the front desk when I first got there.

Well, they both sat over in the waiting room by themselves.

Sitting in their own chairs.

Quietly.

Sitting still and waiting SO patiently while I filled out the forms!!!

I couldn't believe it!

YEAH!

Then the nurse called them back.

"Peyton & Tatum!"

They both got up and walked over to her all by themselves!

Wow.

Peyton walked right back, took off his shoes, coat and hat,

and stepped up on the big scale.

I just looked at him in awe.

When did he get SO big?

Tatum followed suit, just a touch more reluctant, but not bad at all!

The nurse started leading us to the room and Peyton busts ahead...

"I know what room we're going to. I'll show you."

LOL!!!

He walked right in and the nurse stood there laughing.

Oh man, that kid is funny. He knew right where we were going somehow.

The nurse measured their heads, etc and they just sat in the chair quietly.

Doctor came in and told us that Tatum didn't need any shots!

YAY!

Peyton, however, needed 3 :-(

Peyton told me very matter-of-factly that he didn't need shots.

Haha!

After the exam, I talked with Peyton and told him he would get 3 shots.

He decided that it was ok.

He hopped right up on the table and waited while the nurse drew them up.

I brought his Cars video game to keep him relaxed.

She came in, gave him one shot in the right leg and two in the left.

Peyton NEVER CRIED.

He didn't complain, or whine, or whimper or anything.

I was so incredibly proud of him.

Tatum just sat over in the chair all by herself and watched, too.

I just can't tell you how happy I was that this appt went so well

and that the kids were so well behaved.

I am so proud of both of them.

Onto the stats...

Tatum weighed in at a whopping 29 lbs (70th? percentile)

and measured 34.5" tall! (about 70th percentile).

She has grown a TON!

Previously, she was always in the 25th for weight, so this is huge!

Peyton weighed in at 42 lbs and measured 41.5" tall.

He's a little lower in the percentiles than he has been before,

but they didn't seem concerned.

It's certainly not for lack of eating because child doesn't stop!!

Anyway, all in all a good day :-)

Peyton's Birthday, part 2

2009-04-19T20:40:00.004-04:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to get these pics up.

It's been busy lately!!

I think Peyton had a great day.

We went out to dinner and then came home for some presents.

He was concentrating very hard on opening this one.
This is what happens when you have a 2 year old who had a birthday 4 days earlier.
She doesn't really understand that the presents aren't for HER now...

Peyton was lovin the new mini Cars!

AND the scooter! YEAH!

Cake time, baby!

He was so excited about it :-)

Make a wish,

Blow out the candles!

Stay tuned for pics from yesterday's party!

Happy Birthday, Peyton!

2009-04-13T09:21:00.007-04:00

Ahh, Peyton.

I know I said this with Tatum, too,

but I really can't believe my baby boy is FOUR!

These past four years have gone by so fast.

Peyton has gone from being a beautiful baby boy to a handsome big boy!

He is smart, kind, sensitive, compassionate and so funny.

He loves cars, blankie and reindeer.

He is growing up so fast and makes us proud every day.

I can't wait to see what the world has in store for him.

Here's a look back at the last four years....

Look at that HAIR!!!!

He used to love jumping into a pile of pillows!

Peyton,

It's been an awesome four years!

We love you so much and feel so blessed to have you in our lives.

Have a wonderful birthday.

WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

We hope you had a wonderful day!

Big girl, big day!

2009-04-09T23:14:00.003-04:00

Today was Tatum's 2nd birthday!

We had a fairly low-key day.

We did go to Pizza Hut for dinner (Tatum *loves* pizza), though.

I had to snap a pic of Tatum in her outfit.

I thought she looked cute :-)

Once we got home from dinner, it was present time.

Tatum was very anxious to rip into them!
Daddy read the card to her...

Then she tore into the gifts!

She got a little Rose Petal Cottage Birthday Set...

...to go in her new Rose Petal Cottage!

We probably should have put it together first, though.

I think it would have had a better impact.

She did think the box was fun!

Haha!

After presents, we had cake.

Mmmmm....

She blew the candles out like a pro!!

It was a nice day, but a touch bittersweet.

I can't believe my BABY is two.

Now a couple more days and then my other baby turns four!

OH NO!

Well, I'm not rushing it.

Right now I still have a 3 year old ;-)

Hope you enjoyed the pics from Tatum's day.

Thanks for looking!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Tatum!

2009-04-09T08:17:00.005-04:00

I cannot believe she's two.

It seems like just yesterday that Bryan & I were on our way to the hospital to meet our new little one.

Now she's turning two.

Oh my!

She is a vibrant, energetic, funny, adorable two-year old now.

She makes us laugh every.single.day.

She has so much life and personality.

We can't imagine our lives without her.

Here is a look at the past two years...

Thank you for these two amazing years, Tatum!

We love you so much.

Have an awesome birthday!

Mean Mommy

2009-04-08T13:31:00.002-04:00

Tatum.

She's such a big girl now.

When did my "baby" learn how to climb up the ladder on the swingset...

All by herself?

I'm not ready for this.

Of course, I grabbed my camera to get a few shots of her going down the slide.

Here she goes!

Ok, I *think* this is fun
WHEEEE!!!!

Oh.....

NO :-(

Poor Tay-Tay.

Bad Mommy.

How dare I catch this on camera?

Hehe...it's kinda cute, though, isn't it?

Disclaimer: she was okay after the fall and proceeded to climb and slide numerous times after the fall. She's a trooper!

Vote for Diesel!

2009-04-07T21:37:00.003-04:00

I took a pic of my friend's dog for her a while back.

Now it's in our local Pet Photo contest!

We need your help.

If you have time, please vote for Diesel!

He really wants to win ;-)

Here's the link:

http://cyberink.upickem.net/engine/Details.aspx?PageType=VOTING&ContestID=5914&SubmissionID=705047&IncrementNumber=1#SubmissionDisplay

He's on page 7.

You can vote once per day!!

Thanks so much :-)

I am DONE with his attitude.

2009-04-03T21:37:00.003-04:00

This is what Peyton told me about "reindeer" his stuffed animal/imaginary friend.

Apparently he and rocket were being mean to each other.

They were not being nice and he told me he was sick of their attitudes.

Sooo....they were both put in time out.

By Peyton.

OHHHH MYYYYYY!

I couldn't stop laughing!

I couldn't even keep a straight face when he told me!

Haha!!!!

Here's Peyton hugging that troublemaker, Reindeer, a couple months ago:

Ah, the things kids say!

Surgery Day

2009-03-31T20:12:00.002-04:00

Well, Bryan had his surgery yesterday.

He had his deviated septum corrected and some nasty stuff removed from his sinuses.

He also had tubes put in to help widen his sinuses (or something like that).

The doc said he got a blockage the size of an EGG out of there!

Guess it's a good thing he had it done, huh?

Well, he'll be laid up for a bit, but hopefully it will all be worth it.

After how many years of not being able to smell or breath out of your nose,

it's gotta be an improvement, right?

Anyway, thanks so much to all of our family and friends who kept him in their

thoughts and prayers during this time.

It means the world to us.

We love you all :-)

Fun in the Sun(room)

2009-03-28T19:02:00.002-04:00

I made rice krispie treats and gave the kids each a spoon.

Yummm!

They sat together in the sunroom and enjoyed a spoonful of goo while, apparently having a nice conversation...

Tatum likes to talk with her hands.

haha!

Peyton, being the good big brother he is (most of the time),

was trying to help Tatum put her shoes back on.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work so good when she's laying on her belly.

It works better like this, but still managed to end in a meltdown.

Ahhh...the joys of motherhood.

Biggest Helper

2009-03-22T22:19:00.002-04:00

Tatum is my biggest helper.

She loooves when I do laundry and she always wants to lend a hand.

She usually starts by trying other people's clothes on for size.

(in this instance, Peyton's shirt)

Then she very carefully "folds" all the clothes.

She shakes them out and then lays them side by side on the floor!
Then she tries on Peyton's underware (hehe)...

...and his pants, too!

Sometimes, though, I have to be a mean mom and pick them up off the floor.

Poor Tay-Tay :-(

[un]extreme makeover, kelly edition

2009-03-19T13:05:00.004-04:00

Ok, so it's nothing too exciting, but anyone who knows me, knows that I get bored easily.

I liked our room ok.

No real complaints about it, but we have had the same bedding for, well, 5 years?

We weren't looking to change it, really.

We happened upon a pretty set at Target that was clearanced and decided to get it.

It didn't match our old curtains, so we decided to just put it aside until we found something.

I ended up finding some curtains at a discount store nearby for $4.99/pair!

SCORE!

I snatched them up and, voila! Our makeover was complete.

Here is the before.

And the after!!

So there you have it. My $35 bedroom "makeover".

Sleepy Heads

2009-03-17T22:05:00.002-04:00

Does Peyton need to nap?

If you ask him, he'll say no.

So...I let him stay up and watch TV while Tatum naps.

About 30 min later....

Not sleeping. LOL!

Now Tatum...she doesn't deny that she needs a nap.
I lay her down,
she curls up like a little sweetie.
Grabs binkies and Ally,
And she's OUT!
Sweet girl!

Fun with friends

2009-03-16T22:16:00.004-04:00

This post is coming much later than it should have. I got busy and finally got my butt in gear and edited some pics!

We got together with our friends and their little boy for a belated Birthday/Christmas celebration. It was good to see them. We definitely don't get together as often as we'd like, so we need to work on that.

The kids had a great time!

They love playing together

Nathan was fond of Peyton's garbage truck...
but he REALLY loved my exercise ball!

Peyton played with...shocking...his cars

Presents were involved.

Tatum just...being Tatum.

More presents...

Good buddies :-)

What's better than watching TV?

2009-03-11T13:51:00.002-04:00

Watching TV while cudding on the couch!

Tatum is just now starting to pay any attention to the TV and she likes to sit with her big brother and watch it sometimes.

I just thought it was so cute.

Needless to say, I grabbed the camera.

MOM!

Camera? Again? Really?

Yep.

(oh, and this was pre-haircut incident, in case you didn't notice. lol!)

Oops.

2009-03-10T13:31:00.003-04:00

A little off the top, right?

Yes.

Unless you use the wrong clipper guide!

Oops.

Poor Peyton...

At least he doesn't seem to mind! LOL!

Doll Stroller??? HA!

2009-03-09T14:32:00.002-04:00

This little girl doesn't think so!

She thinks it's much better suited for an almost-two-year old girl.
Yes. That's a better fit!

Have I ever mentioned how often she makes us laugh??

The Cora Project

2009-02-24T12:51:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine told me about this amazing effort called "The Cora Project". They are raising money to build a playground in memory of a little girl who lost her life to cancer before she even turned one. A wonderful online shopping community, called ETSY, has numerous sellers that have offered to donate proceeds of their sales in her memory. Check it out if you have a minute. It's pretty awesome, if you ask me!

http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/love-is-a-movement-the-cora-project-3450/

Here is Cora's family's blog, too if you're interested:
http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/

Peyton's Valentines

2009-02-23T22:01:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. This is VERY late, but I wanted to share the Valentines that Peyton gave to his classmates. They were to write their own name on each of them, so it was a bit of a project, but Peyton had a great time doing it. Of course, I HAD to snap some pics of them once he was all done! When did my baby boy get so big???

The front of his cards

The back, after writing his name.

You should be able to click the pic to see it a bit bigger if you want.

Thanks so much for looking!

Pigtails again?

2009-02-20T23:39:00.002-05:00

Clearly, I am running out of things to post! LOL! Here is Tatum in pigtails again. She was being a ham and, for once, WANTED me to take pics, so I jumped at the oppotunity. She's been so funny lately. Today after we dropped Peyton at school, she kept saying "Pey hug! Pey hug!" She was upset because she wanted to give her big brother a hug. So sweet!

This is how she watches TV...

2009-02-15T23:01:00.002-05:00

Tatum rarely sits still long enough to watch anything on TV. On occasion, she will, but those days are few and far between. One day when she was feeling a bit under the weather, she did sit still and watch a show for a bit. She looked less than comfy while doing it, but hey, she was quiet! Haha! Here is how I found her:

Silly girl! We always find her sitting in the most uncomfortable positions. Whatever works for her, though! Haha!

I swear I didn't plan this.

2009-02-09T14:05:00.002-05:00

I keep forgetting to post this! After I got Tatum dressed in this outfit (thanks, Jen! She wears it all the time!) she ran into her room and grabbed this baby doll. You'd think it was planned, wouldn't you? It was so cute and she walked around with her doll all morning. I think she was really proud of herself for noticing they matched. lol!

Brotherly Love

2009-02-08T21:49:00.002-05:00

Even though he gets frustrated and annoyed with his baby sister, Peyton really does love her! He gives her hugs and kisses and she gives 'em right back! Here are a few shots for fun :-)

Can't get enough of those Cars!

2009-02-03T12:25:00.002-05:00

Peyton just can't get enough of his Cars.

This child plays with them ALL day long.

He loves them.

I think it borders on obsession, really. It's very cute that he makes them "talk". Some of them are friends and some of them are mean. We even think he dreams about them at night. He mentioned to Bryan yesterday that at night he watches Cars while he sleeps. Haha! Very cute. Maybe it's because he insists that Bryan read him the Cars book every night before bed?? Silly boy! He makes us smile all the time!

Movin' and Groovin'!

2009-02-02T18:36:00.004-05:00

Have you seen Imagination Movers yet? My kids are IN LOVE! This show comes on and they are singing, dancing fools!!! I love it! It's great to watch. I had to snap a couple pics of them the other day when they were dancing. SO FUN!!!

JUMP UP!

GET DOWN!

STAND UP!

TURN AROUND!

TURN AROUND, TURN AROUND, TURN AROUND!!

Play Time!

2009-01-31T13:39:00.002-05:00

Just some random shots of the kids playing :-)

Peyton enjoys using Tatum's cash register every chance he gets, even though it gets her ALL fired up. haha! It's the one toy she is super-protective of. Who knows why, but it starts many fights. lol!! Tatum has also been getting a lot of use out of her kitchen (thanks papa frank & ginni!). She likes to cook and peyton sometimes acts as the prep cook ;-)

Hope you're all enjoying your winter. For those of you who aren't as buried in the snow as us....phooey!

Because one dress is never enough...

2009-01-28T22:30:00.002-05:00

Sorry I am behind in posting. I will try to be a better blogger, I promise!

The other day, I was going through the kids' clothes and sorting out things that were too small, things for next year, etc. Well, Tatum was so intrigued by all the clothes! She was ripping through them, looking at everything, etc. I had nice piles in place and got up to get something else out of her room. I came back, and she had decided to take it upon herself to get dressed, not in ONE dress, but TWO! Not only 2 dresses, but 2 dresses on top of her jammies! LOL! What a clown! I was shocked that she actually managed to get one of them all the way on. Of course, I had to snap a pic.

Please ignore the junk in the background, I hadn't cleaned yet that day.

A facelift!!!

2009-01-23T21:23:00.001-05:00

Thanks to my friend Amanda at Blog Savvy, I have a new look!!! What do you think? I think I'm in love!!!

Thanks, Amanda!!!

MORE SNOW!

2009-01-19T13:10:00.003-05:00

I know I just recently posted the pics of snow from last week, but we got more this weekend. Here are the updated shots. I tried to take them similar to how I took them last week, for comparison. It's lovely, I tell ya. Bryan really loved shoveling it out of our driveway, too. Don't let him tell you otherwise! Haha!

Picnic table again...

Grill again

This is a shot of the top of the shrubs out Peyton's window

Is it spring yet?

GO STEELERS!

2009-01-18T23:09:00.002-05:00

Pittsburgh's goin to the Super Bowl!! YEAH! We are so excited! The kids were excited to wear their Steeler's gear today and I managed to snap a couple of pics.

TOUCHDOWN!

Of course, he had to get one with Reindeer and Blankie

Runs with Hammers....yes she does.

Tights AND babylegs in this weather!

GO STEELERS!

Snow much?

2009-01-17T23:29:00.003-05:00

Well, just as many across the country experienced this week, we got lots of lovely snow! We're used to snow, sure, but the below freezing, no..below ZERO, temps were a blast as well. I couldn't resist snapping a couple pics, too. I was just happy the sun was out!!

This is the kids' picnic table out back.

...and the poor grill.

Like I said...at least the sun was out!

Sweet girls!

2009-01-13T14:40:00.003-05:00

As some of you know, my mom and I recently acquired a couple horses. Here are a few pics of Lily & Bridgette! They are very sweet girls and we are so excited to have them!!!! The other day we let them out and they had a blast in the snow. Here they are:

Lily & Bridgette

BridgetteLily's a feisty little thing!
Bridgette was moving pretty good out there!

Such good buddies!

Thanks for looking!

There are some nice people in the world!

2009-01-13T13:28:00.003-05:00

Today I took Peyton & Tatum to Tim Horton's for some donuts. The kids were being very good, despite having to wait in line behind 4 men. The kids got some Timbits and I got coffee & a donut. We sat back down at our little table and a few minutes later, a nice man came up to the table and complimented how well-behaved the kids were. I thanked him and he set a $5 bill down in front of Peyton and told him he could buy next time :-) I sat there shocked!! It's so rare to encounter such kindness and generosity. Thank you to whoever this nice man is!! You made our day!

On an unrelated note, today is my little brother's 19th Birthday!!!! Happy Birthday, Collin! Have a great day!

One last thing...My OTHER little brother plays basketball for LaRoche College. He has been doing VERY well this year and we are all proud of him. Well, this week, AMCC named him PLAYER OF THE WEEK! Great job, Steven!!! We're proud of you!
http://www.amcconf.org/mbb.htm

Hugs & Kisses

2009-01-11T23:02:00.000-05:00

Girl loves her daddy.

Kisses.

A boy loves his baby sister.

Hugs.

Hairbow Holder!

2009-01-10T22:05:00.002-05:00

So, because I apparently have nothing better to do, I made Tatum a hairbow holder the other day. I, somehow, accumulated a bunch of hairbow over the past few months and had nowhere to put them. I have seen hairbow holders like this for sale (for $$$) and I knew I couldn't spend what they wanted on one, so I took it upon myself to make one. It is far from perfect, but it works. And it was cheap.

Thanks for looking!

Such a silly boy!

2009-01-09T22:36:00.003-05:00

So, I was testing out my new "toy" and Peyton was proving to be a very willing subject! He was being so silly and had me cracking up. Here is a sampling:

Such a silly boy!

So cool.

2009-01-08T23:49:00.003-05:00

When you WANT her to wear sunglasses, no can do. The other day, we were getting ready to take Peyton to preschool and she found them and put them on. She did not take them off. Not in the car, not at school, not once we got back home. She left them on forever! It was so cute and so funny and, knowing me, I just HAD to get a shot!! Here's my 'cool' little girl!!!

Hehe! She makes us laugh all the time!

A girl's first pigtails

2009-01-07T23:30:00.003-05:00

She wasn't too sure about them, but I managed to get two itty-bitty pigtails in Tatum's hair! Not perfect and not great, but sorta...cute. They lasted all of about 10 minutes, bit they were 10 fun minutes! I am so excited about this :-)

Great giveaway!

2009-01-02T13:28:00.002-05:00

So, you know the necklace Bryan gave me for Christmas?? Well, she's doing a great giveaway right now! Check it out! http://www.thevintagepearl.blogspot.com/ She's giving away a Priddy Creation camera strap cover & lens cozy! Maybe I'll win ;-)

Merry (belated) Christmas!

2008-12-31T14:44:00.005-05:00

Wow. I have been SUCH a negligent blogger! I apologize that it has been so long. We have been busy, but things are finally starting to settle down. We had a wonderful Christmas! The kids were absolutely thrilled with Santa and the excitement of Christmas morning was just fantastic. They received all sorts of fun new things.

Santa Bryan was good to ME, as well. I received a new lens (woo-hoo!!) among other little gifts. The kids (by way of Bryan) got me a beautiful new necklace! I just love it! It's from an Etsy seller named The Vintage Pearl (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5135533), who was apparently awesome to work with. Here are a couple pics of it:

Here are a couple pics I took with my new lens, as well. So far, I love it! I can't wait until we have more sunlight and I have a chance to *really* use it. I think I'm going to love it!!

I promise I will be back to post the few pic of Christmas that I have. Nothing too exciting, but I'll be sure to share. Check back later!! In the mean time, I'd love to hear what YOU got for Christmas!!!

Christmas...getting closer!

2008-12-20T13:04:00.003-05:00

Well, here we are, less than a week before the big day and I don't feel close to ready. We still have presents to get, cookies to make, gifts to wrap...so much to do. We did go see santa at the mall a couple weeks ago and it was a success. Peyton practically jumped into his lap and rattled off a dozen things he wants for Christmas. I set Tatum on the other knee, but she was a bit weary. She looked at him funny and then said in a tiny, pathetic voice "mama, mama". She wasn't so sure.

We were also able to see santa at a brunch last Sunday and it was nice. Again, Peyton was very anxious to see him, but Tatum wanted nothing to do with him this time. He was kind enough to give Peyton a kid-proof digital camera and Tatum a doll. They were both big hits. Peyton is quite the budding photographer, taking pics of anything he sets his eyes on. He loves it! I am a bit sad that I don't have a pic of the kids with Santa this year, though. :-(

Tuesday, Peyton had his first sleepover! His best friend Kenan came to stay with us Tuesday and spent the night. The boys (and Tatum) had SUCH a good time. Peyton kept saying, "I love you, Teenan." Very cute. They had a blast and Peyton was sad to see him go. I'm sure that was the first of many sleepovers to come!!

Well, that's all that is new and exciting at our house. I hope everyone is doing well!!

Getting ready for Christmas...Santa-style

2008-12-12T23:29:00.002-05:00

Just the kids. Just playin' with their Santa hats. I thought they were cute, so I dragged out the "backdrop" and started shooting! Here ya go!

Peyton's new hat

2008-12-09T19:24:00.004-05:00

We found Peyton a new hat the other day and he loves it! I, personally, think it looks very cute on him, but I'm biased. ;-) Anyway, here are some shots of him in his new hat!

Being serious.

Cracking up at his silly sister
Cheesin' it up for the camera

Peyton was talking to her about something.

Such a good big brother...most of the time.

He was trying to kiss her nose!

As always.....thanks for looking :-)

Oh Christmas Tree!

2008-12-02T14:09:00.001-05:00

As I posted earlier, on Friday we put up our Christmas Tree! I am like a little kid and I just love decorating for Christmas! If I get a chance, I will take some pics of my other decorations to share. Anyway, just one pic. Meet our tree:

Happy Belated Turkey Day!

2008-12-01T23:19:00.003-05:00

Ahhh....Thanksgiving. What a great day filled with joy. Ya right. More like running around the kitchen hoping you don't burn anything! Mission accomplished. Granted, by the time I sat down to eat, it was a bit cold, but still yummy, nonetheless. My dad and my brothers ended up coming by to eat with us. Initially, I was going to skip the whole turkey thing, but decided to suck it up and cook. I'm glad I did. The kids...not so much. Turns out they aren't huge fans of the traditional thanksgiving dinner. They really didn't like any of it. Neither of them like meat. They both GAGGED on the mashed potatoes. I kid you not. They GAGGED. What kids don't like mashed potatoes?!?! Mine. They didn't really care for any of it. Silly kiddies.

After dinner, we just hung out. The kids got to see their uncles, which they were THRILLED about. Two of the three live out of town, so getting them all in one room at the same time is quite a feat. They were sad to see them go, but luckily, Christmas is right around the corner.

Friday was our kick-off for that. We got the tree up and most of our decorations up. I'll post about that later. Not now. Too sleepy. I also had a photo shoot Friday (pics on the photography blog for those interested).

Anyway, onto the pics!

I set up a little table for the kids since there just wasn't room at our main table

Our little main table
Peyton being...Peyton.

Uncle Stevie being...Uncle Stevie! haha!

Uncle Collin with his buddy, Tatum

Tay-Tay giving Uncle Joe kisses

Ahhhhhh!

Uncle Collin and Peyton

Joey & Tatum again :-)

Just some random pics

2008-11-22T16:32:00.002-05:00

Nothing much going on here. We've gotten a decent amount of snow lately, but other than that, pretty boring. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone over Thanksgiving, so that will be good. Kids are doing well, just have little colds right now. I'll try and get some pics of the snow to post, too. Hope everyone is doing well!!

LaRoche v Pitt

2008-11-17T13:34:00.003-05:00

My brother plays basketball for his college and they had the opportunity to play Pitt recently. Well, we loaded the kids up and took the trip down there to watch them! It was very cool. My brother Joe and his girlfriend Lauren came into town to watch as well, so it was a good chance to try and catch up. Collin and Kayla rode down with my dad, as well. Anyway, the kids loved the game and we can't wait to watch him again!

Here's Steven...

My littlest bro, Collin with Kayla

Lauren, Peyton, and Uncle Joe

A sweet moment between Peyton and Uncle Joe

10,000th pic

2008-11-17T13:25:00.002-05:00

So, I knew I was nearing my 10,000th pic on my camera. I had envisioned some wonderful shot, technically correct, just perfect. Well, I got to 10,000 sooner than I thought. What was this shot of, you ask???

My brother. Being goofy. Not correct, not good color, just a goofy snapshot. So, Joey...you managed to be the star of shot #10,000!!!!

New friends...

2008-11-08T23:15:00.003-05:00

This past week, I met up with a friend from High School. She happens to have a fun four year old boy, so we met at the park near our house so the boys could play...they had a great time! We will definitely be doing this again soon (weather permitting)!! Here is a quick pic from the fun day...new buddies already :-)

Halloween, part 2

2008-11-06T13:17:00.006-05:00

Here are the pics from actual Halloween. They dressed up the same, but it was SO much warmer Friday night than it was on Thursday. The kids had a wonderful time. Of course, they got more candy than they need, but I'm sure I can manage to help them eat it. ;-)

Peyton's a scary monster!

Trick-or-Treat
I told Peyton to be scary and growl...are you scared yet?

Then he growled, but apparently monsters remove their costumes when they growl...

Not-so-scary monster (and sweet little butterfly)

Barack and the kids

Tatum...well, she wasn't so sure about him

Peyton, on the other hand LOVED him!

Halloween, part 1

2008-11-03T23:06:00.002-05:00

I apologize that this post is a bit half-hearted. Jack's passing just has me in a bit of a daze. I know I am behind in the update department and I have had several requests for pics, so I managed to finish part one.

In our town, we have trick or treating the Thursday before Halloween. Strange, yes, but that's how they do things here. SO, we got the kids all dressed up and took them to our friends' house for some good old fashioned trick or treating. There were 9 kids in total in our group. They had a very good time. Peyton was very into it this year. He loved his costume, too, so that helps! After TOTing, we went back to their house where they treated us to some yummy chili, amongst other goodies.

Thanks, Susan and Drew for treating us to a wonderful evening!

Kendall & Peyton, hand in hand...

Sweet Lulu

A couple of the bouncers, er, um, dads.

Peyton hitting the streets

Tatum and Lulu catching a ride in the wagon.

I was sorry I didn't get more pics. The kids move a bit too fast when there is candy involved! Hope you enjoyed what I DID have. Part 2 to come later...

Please say a prayer for Jack.

2008-11-01T00:45:00.001-04:00

One of my dear friends lost her son tonight. If you would please, say an extra prayer tonight for her and her son. Thank you so much.

Halloween Snow.

2008-10-29T13:26:00.004-04:00

Last night, we got our first real snow fall of the season. When Peyton woke up and made his way into the living room this morning, he was SO excited! He ran down the hall yelling, "Mama, Dada! The Mercury is covered in SNOW! So is the Nissan!" Haha! I guess snow is really cool when you're three. Heck, even I love the first snow, but by January...well, I'm quite sick of it by then.

Today was Peyton's Halloween party at school. He got all dressed up in his costume and then we had to bundle him in his winter jacket, too. Fun, fun. Anyway, here are some pics of our winter wonderland.

Peyton outside before school.

Our backyard.
The kids' picnic table.

And, of course, Peyton in his costume :-)

SUN FLARE!! (and digging in the dirt)

2008-10-24T16:09:00.001-04:00

18 month Doctor Visit

2008-10-21T23:27:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Tatum had her 18 month doctor visit. She did really well. She weighed in at 23 pounds, which is between 25th and 50th percentile, so she gained a bit from her 15 month appt. She's a tall girl, measuring in at 33", which puts her right about the 95th percentile!!! I guess we're going to have two tall kiddos! She got the second half of her hep A shot and then Tatum, Peyton & myself all got our flu shots.

Peyton was a trooper. He offered to go first for his shot, even though we had planned that I would go first and show him that it is ok. He did cry a bit, but not too bad. Tatum...well, she cried for both, but she was crying before she even GOT the shot! Haha!

Now we're all set for a while. YEAH!

Scarecrow Festival!

2008-10-19T23:27:00.006-04:00

On Saturday, Bryan's dad, Frank, and Ginni took the kids and I to a local scarecrow festival. We had never been there before, so it was quite interesting. They had hundreds of different scarecrows all along a trail. We were able to ride on the horsedrawn hayride to see them all. Halfway through, the ride stopped and we were able to get off and let the kids play. They had a large area of round hay bales set up with tunnels and slides. The kids had a great time! Here are some of the highlights from the trip!

Peyton practicing for the pony ride

Yeee-haw!
Gobble-gobble
Peyton feeding the goats.
Tatum got her face painted with a butterfly. She was SO good! The lady was seriously impressed (and I was seriously shocked)

Peyton didn't want them touching his face, so he got his hands painted, instead.
Papa Frank and Ginni bought Peyton a pony ride. He LOVED it. Now he wants a horse. Oh boy.

The pumpkin cannon...it was SO loud! Peyton loved it. The horse-drawn hayride.

The beautiful horses
Peyton on the hayride
A view from the top! haha!
Tatum and Peyton on the hayride
Peyton in the hay-play area

Peyton and Tatum in jail with the convict scarecrow
Peyton with Snow White and her seven dwarfs
Tatum with one of the seven dwarfs
Peyton with Snow White
This was my FAVORITE part! The headless horseman! It was really very cool.

A couple more shots of the horses after our ride.

It was a very fun time! Thanks so much, Frank & Ginni!!!

Dentist!

2008-10-18T16:37:00.002-04:00

I forgot to post that Thursday we all (minus Tatum) had dentist appointments. It was Peyton's first visit and he did GREAT! He sat in the chair like a big boy and watched the Disney Channel while Dr. D worked on him. He said his teeth looked great! No problems!! YEAH!

Bryan and I....well, we each have a cavity. Yay. We go back in November to get those filled. Bryan also needs to have his wisdom teeth out. Joy. Apparently, they are really bad. Hopefully everything will go smoothly. He doesn't have a date yet, but Dr D seemed to think the sooner, the better. Wish him luck!

Oh my stars....

2008-10-17T23:17:00.002-04:00

So, a while ago, we started a "star" system for Peyton. When he does something nice, helpful, whatever, Bryan or myself will give him a star on the chalkboard in our kitchen. If he does something mean to his sister or if he doesn't listen, etc, a star gets erased.

Tonight, before bed, Tatum was asking for a banana. We gladly obliged, seeing as she is a difficult eater. I broke it in half and gave her the first piece. It lasted about 2 seconds. She gobbled it up! She was asking for more "Me-nana, peeeese" so I headed over to give her the rest. Peyton quickly swooped in and grabbed the banana off the counter. He peeled it and gave it to Tatum. Ohhhh my! Bryan and I were grinning from ear to ear and SO excited that he was so eager to lend a helping hand! What a proud moment! I headed right over to that chalkboard and put a big star up there. Such proud parents!

.....well, Peyton gets this smirk on his face and says...

"THAT'S what I wanted!"

Stinker.

Pumpkin Farm!!!

2008-10-17T15:17:00.008-04:00

Earlier this week, we went to the pumpkin farm. The kids had a blast! It's not a very fancy one, but it was sure fun for them, nonetheless. Here are some (ahem, a ton) of pics from it! Enjoy!

Peyton & Tatum on the log car

They all wanted to get pics in here! Haha!

Tatum needed a boost!
This was inside one of the "houses" ...it was a spooky one!
Peyton in the spooky one...
Bryan & the kiddos

My turn...
She is gonna be t-r-o-u-b-l-e!

Every year since Peyton was born, we have a pic of him kissing a pumpkin...
Tatum joined in as well!

They each wanted a pic in these as well.

Peyton is still a bit too short!

Tatum needed a boost from daddy...
and my ever-so-mature husband!
Tatum thought Pooh was funny

Peyton preferred Charlie Brown...his "buddy"

Thanks for looking! Happy Fall!!!

Poor girl....chipped tooth.

2008-10-13T10:37:00.002-04:00

I swear, this little girl is crazy. She is forever going at full-speed and then getting hurt. She fell on her face last night, she dropped a heavy die-cast car on her foot this morning AND she chipped her front tooth (teeth) a bit. She was hanging onto the counter in the bathroom while I was putting my makeup on. Despite my best efforts, she slipped as she was trying to look over the top of the counter and hit her front teeth right on the top of the counter. As soon as I looked I could tell she chipped her teeth. The one only has a tiny little chip, the other one is worse. Here is a pic:

My poor little girl. :-(

Buddies....

2008-10-13T10:24:00.002-04:00

Holiday Confusion.

2008-10-13T10:03:00.002-04:00

The other day, Tatum was wearing a cute Halloween outift (thanks Jen & Gianna!) and she was acting oh-so-cute in it. She was prancing around the living room in all of her Halloween glory. She then ran down the hall in her room and when she returned, she was sporting a Christmas hat (also thanks to Jen & Gianna)! She did not want to take that thing off! Even when we had to leave to pick Peyton up from preschool it was a fight to leave it behind. Haha! I guess she has a little bit of holiday confusion!

Photography Blog!

2008-10-11T22:22:00.002-04:00

Alright. Since I am starting to do some photo shoots, I figured I would create a seperate blog for my photography. I'll keep the family stuff here and the photo stuff there. So, here is the link to my photography blog for those interested. Check it out!!!

http://kellygorneyphotography.blogspot.com/

....and a sweet boy!

2008-10-07T20:59:00.002-04:00

Today, toward the end of the kids' naptime, I decided to lay on the couch and try to close my eyes for a minute. I am not a good napper, so it's rare that I even attempt this. Well, Peyton woke up and came into the living room. He saw that I was laying down and stood right by my head. "Mama, are you ok, sweetheart?" and a kiss to the forehead. How sweet is that?!?!

Silly Boy.

2008-10-07T12:25:00.002-04:00

Today we ran to the store quickly to pick up a few things. As we are walking along, there is a young couple holding hands and whipering to each other. Peyton says (in his not-so-quiet voice), "MAMA, LOOK, they are holding haaands". I said quietly, "yes, yes they are" to which Peyton replied loudly, "Good. That is safe". Haha! Thanks, Lou and Lou Safety Patrol!

Cute Family!

2008-10-05T17:53:00.003-04:00

Here is a sneek peek at the cute family I had the chance to shoot today. They were so much fun!!! I know I promised them I would put one up tonight, so here it is!

I hope you guys like it!!

Catching up on Summer!

2008-09-28T21:30:00.005-04:00

This is WAYYYY overdue, but I am sharing some pics from the summer now! We had a wonderful trip to the zoo earlier this year. It was a gorgeous day and the kids had a blast. Here are some pics...

Peyton finally decided to take the plunge and walk across the lillypads

But only after daddy did it!
The polar bear was actually SWIMMING!
Daddy and Tay-Tay!
Tatum's first ride on the Merry-go-round
Peyton loved riding the zebwa!
Tatum in her pretty dress...thanks, Gigi!

Right before it closed for the season, we made a trip to the amusement park. It was Peyton's first trip and he was in love. He couldn't get enough of all the rides! Tatum loved it as well, but wasn't big enough to go on all of them. Hopefully we will get to go back again next year.

Peyton riding the horses. He rode this twice.

And the boats. Again, he rode them twice!
The rocket. He only rode this once, but he WANTED to ride again.
Daddy, Tatum and Peyton on the "Big Rigs". Tatum thought they were great! They all rode them twice.

Me and Peyton on the kiddie coaster! He wasn't a huge fan of this. Although, he still rode it two times! Haha!
The frog hopper...only once. Not his fave.
Mama and Tay-Tay

It was a great summer! Thanks for looking!!!!!!!!!!

BIG GIRL BED!

2008-09-25T09:45:00.002-04:00

Sigh. Our baby is a big girl now. We had a couple REALLY rough nights this week. Tatum decided she didn't want to sleep in her room. She cried and screamed. We would go in, pick her up and take her to our room, where she would quietly fall sound asleep. We knew this would not work for us. I was trying to figure out what might be wrong and what we could do to get her to sleep on her own in her OWN room. I figured it was a long-shot, but we brought her mattress and box springs into her room and decided to try it. IT WORKED! She loves her new bed. I guess our BABY is now a BIG GIRL. Sigh again.

The C Family!

2008-09-20T22:07:00.002-04:00

I had the pleasure of photographing some dear friends of mine on Thursday. They have an adororable little 3 year old boy who started off a bit camera shy, but came out of his shell soon after. It was so much fun and I can't wait to do it again!

Mom & Dad

Who could resist this face?!?!
What a sweet family :-)
He LOVED the lollipop!!!
I just love this shot...

Thank you so much for allowing me to practice on your family! I hope you are happy with the results. Love ya!

Sleepy Head and BabyLegs!

2008-09-15T13:16:00.002-04:00

A week or so ago, when Peyton was a bit under the weather, he passed out on the couch, despite his arguement that he wasn't sleepy. Well, of course, it was too cute to NOT take a picture, so I took a couple. I had covered the couch with a sheet because Peyton thought it was comfy. I know these are the best pictures, technically, but I couldn't resist...

And for some exciting news (to me, at least)...Tatum and I are big fans of BabyLegs. She has a few pair and they are oh-so-cute. Tatum dances around when she wears them. Well, the BabyLegs website was accepting customer photos last month. I submitted a couple of Tatum sporting hers. They were running a polka.dot.com.contest and every submitted photo was qualified to win a pair of polka dot babylegs. Well, I received an email stating that I won a pair!!! I was able to select the color and I chose gold. I thought they would be perfect for football season, given that we are STEELERS fans!!! So, here is a pic of Tatum, showing off her NEW BabyLegs!!!

Water FUN!

2008-09-08T20:16:00.002-04:00

After Peyton's first day of school, it was very nice out, so we went outside and the kids played at the water table. They had a great time!! I'm glad we had one more nice play day before fall sets in.

Sit n Spin!

2008-09-08T13:09:00.004-04:00

So, Tatum took it upon herself to learn how to use the Sit n Spin over the weekend! She had messed with it before, but never really "got it". Well, she hopped on it this weekend and just started spinning! Granted, it's a bit slow, but it's a start!!! She certainly picked it up a lot quicker than Peyton did! Here's a look: