Honeycrisp...mmmm....delish

Today, Celeste and I, along with Suzanne, Ashley and their crews met and picked the yummiest apples ever at the apple orchard! Honeycrisp-need I say more?!

They only pick these apples for two weekends- and the always run out the first- and this year, it opened at 9, we got there at 9:30 and it was super packed!! There were only 4 rows of them, and man, were they going fast...

I picked 20 pounds- they won't last as long as it sounds, I promise!

Celeste just loved it- here she is, enjoying it down to the last bite...she ate on one apple for over a half hour, and it was still not gone!!

Life is good!

Workin 9 to 5

Well, 8:20 to 3:20, anyway! So, today I was hired by our school district to be a part-time substitute teacher at my kid's Elementary School!! I love subbing...I have been a sub before- I worked a few days a week when Alex was about a year and a half; my sister in law, Esther graciously watched him for little money (always grateful for that!)- then I took a year off when Leah was born, and then went back the following two years, just barely part time - a few days a month...but now...
I will be working about 2-3 days per week! It is exciting for me- I am anxious to get back to teaching, (what I love), it's been a long time, but also nerving because I am so used to not working at all!! I sort of do my own thing, and now, I am losing that luxury! Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful to be able to work, and work where my kids go to school is truly a blessing. They are excited that I will be with them too- for now anyway!! Wait till I get their class!
It is a great job and I am more grateful to Suzanne for volunteering (and making some cash on the side) to keep Celeste at her ultra-cool house (on the way home from her house today, Celeste said, "I wish I was Abby, so Suzanne could be my mom!" )- OUCH!! No, it is a great compliment, she treats Celeste as her own, and I am very blessed to have that. This is the first time I have really had to leave her for a period of time, but seriously, she is nearly 4- she loves time away from me!!
So, my blogging and facebooking will probably not be as frequent...sad, huh?! I am kidding...this is a great time- I feel very happy to be in this position- and let's face it- I love school- I love the kids, (most of them know me by now), I love the staff at our building, and it is a great school district- it is going to be great!

Family Fun Day!

Today was a great day! It was the first day we have had together, all of us, in a while! With school in and Dana doing soccer every night, it has been a long time coming...

We have our family picture taken every other year- so, since it was two years ago since we took them, it was needed! I had picked out and planned what everyone was going to wear back in June- needless to say, we ran out of time, lost some of our tan, and had to wait until today...but, we did it, and thankfully we could still wear our summer clothes! The kids did well in the process, Celeste is probably the most difficult...we found her with her eyes looking the opposite direction of the camera, (a common for her), and also with a cheesy grin...but we were able to get a couple good ones, relatively speaking, so I will post them soon.

After that, we headed to COSI, for the last day of our free pass that I got a few months ago! It is so hard to find time to go!! It was open, thankfully, and we got free parking, since the meters are on holiday!! Ha! I took a few too many pictures, as I know you know, so I put them in collages, since it makes it easier when I make my blurb.com book- which shipped Saturday- whoo hoo!!

Anyway, it was a great day, topped off by a really wonderful FHE with orange sherbet for dessert!

Here you go:

Alex

Leah

Celeste

The couple responsible for all this madness

Here is the funniest pic of the day- this was total Celeste- total impromptu at dinner tonight:

Just could not love her anymore...she takes the cake- and the grape!

Another one on the way....

Bet you thought it was about another kid, huh?!
Well, think again!!
Ha ha!
I just finished my second blog book from blurb.com!
It is 320 pages and is being published as I write this!
I will give pics and details when I get my hot little hands on it!

RAINgutter Regatta

So, it was the Cub Scouts' Annual Raingutter Regatta on Thursday....Our second year participating- Alex was very excited, since last year his boat didn't do too well- so he was hoping this year would be more favorable for him....

It was interesting, that's for sure...the weather seemed to be the UN-favorable part, with it raining the ENTIRE time of the races! We were soaked: translation- I was semi-soaked, since I stood under cover for most of it, while the Scouts and all the children and other not-so-smart parents were entirely soaked!! I would creep out to take a few photos when Alex was racing, but stayed somewhat dry besides that!

Alex's boat took 3rd place! He was ecstatic about that! Here are some pics of the drenched night of boat racing:

It wasn't just raining...it was POURING!!

When it was over, this was what my children looked like:

Oh well, at least they had fun! I am happy Alex loves Scouts- he has great leaders and great friends in the program...they serve so wonderfully! I hope he continues with fun and success!

BTS 2009

Tomorrow is back to school for Alex and Leah! Wahooo!! I am soooo excited for this school year to begin! It has been a terrific summer in so many ways, but it is always fun when school starts again- at least when the kids are in Elementary School! I know the dreaded day will come when they will not look forward to beginning a new year, so for now, we are treasuring it as one special day!!

Alex begins 4th grade- yeah, 4th...honestly, it makes me a little ill to think about...I student taught 4th grade in 1995- I know, that long ago...but I could never see having a 4th grader of my own! They are so much bigger than the 3rd graders, really, they are...trust me!

Leah starts 2nd...really?! How can that be?! She is the size of many of the Kindergartners- honestly, she is- but she pulls off her height challenge by being her...that is great!

Celeste just wants to go somewhere- poor thing- she is stuck with me! Another year or so- perhaps then she can go too...

Today we took a dry run at the first day and took pics of what they will actually wear on the real day...It takes me a while to take pictures, so I did it early- smart, huh? Plus, school starts earlier this year, so I must get up and get ready earlier, and that is not fun for me, so today, after sleeping in, I got up, got them dressed and shot these:

He is so cool, huh?! Well, I am off to make sure their bags are packed full of the hundreds of supplies I purchased for their big year...and to get their lunch items ready for tomorrow too! Wish us luck!!

Camera Coveting Part 2

JUMP, JUMP!!

I just loved the way these came out- granted they are my first shots with rapid fire shutter, but they were so fun to take!

More jumping, and she never tired of it, either!

Lish has a way with my girls...she got them to sit perfectly (well, almost) and did their hair in these amazing up-do's that I could never attempt or redo! The girls just love her and her talents- she even taught Leah to braid and now she does it non-stop! I couldn't resist taking so many of them with their fancy hair!
Someday I will learn more about posing and angles, but for now, these were random and fun and super easy- gotta love when you have cute girls to photograph!

34

This goes down as a really fantastic birthday- truly a wonderful day- filled with the people I care most about- my husband, children, parents, brother, sister and neices- great food, great cake, great gifts- a dream day- thank you for all the love! Here's to making 34 fantastic!

Like A Professional...

So, my great friend Alicia came to visit this weekend...she brought with her something very special...a new Sony A350 camera- the sweetest little thing- with all the bells and whistles and lenses and fun stuff- AND she let me play with it for hours and hours...I loved every picture I took, everytime I adjusted the lens I got a chill- my oh my was it wonderful! I have long wanted to learn photography- I just haven't had time or money- two very important things for this hobby! So when she told me of the deal she got (you would hardly believe it), I was dying to see it in person and play with it- it was not a let down, let me tell ya- it was super duper fantastic! 14 megapixels for one, (got me all giddy) and such zoom and clarity was even better. Here are just a few snipits of my fun time with a sweet gem:

I took a ton more, and have been trying for 3 days to get the on here, but to no avail...I have to keep trying other ways, I guess...my point in posting these, is that I am trying to get Dana to see that this camera purchase would be an investment- one day I want to learn photography and then can use it for real money- but right now is not the time, I get that- I don't have time to take a class to learn new techniques, nor do I have any clients lined up- BUT, someday, yes, someday I will...

Until then, I will just keep playing like a pro!

300 and Counting...

As I began this post, I realized that it is my 300th one! Honestly, I am glad blogger keeps track, because I had no idea I had written that much in the last year and a half, nearly 2 years, actually! I am working on completing my 2008-2009 book- it is coming along, but 300 posts, well, WOW- that is a lot of writing...I didn't think I had that much to say...ha ha...you are laughing because you know me and I am hardly ever without much to say!!

I told you last post that we have been busy...just normal summer stuff, but we have had a little time to hang out with people we like- so meet Carmen and Steve:
Dana met Carmen during his interview 7 years ago- she is a math teacher at his school...he instantly liked her- she is wonderful, fun, fit, and a gem of a friend....Steve we met a couple years later, as he became a security guy at their school...a year later, Carmen and Steve get married- and we hang out with them often- not as often as we would like, because they live 40 minutes away, but as often as we can...they don't have children, so they adore ours, naturally!! Our kids truly love them- they are an amazing couple, who treat our children as their own- our kids even stay the night there- all 3 of them! Lucky them, you are thinking, right?! They are two of the the nicest people we know- they are like family. We spent last Friday night playing cornhole with them, (we played girls vs guys - the guys won, but when Steve and I were on a team, we killed Dana and Carmen- go figure) eating guacamole and pizza and hanging out- plain, pure, simple fun...

They are hoping to move closer to here- closer to their jobs, but secretely, I think it is because of us, because we are so great! Honestly, we are ecstatic- we hope they do..that means more sleepovers for the kids with them and a house to ourselves!!