Well I am playing around with my blogs to see if I should keep them both going- I was thinking of just keeping the one........ but I thought I would add some pics to this one and see how it looks.

I love Autumn- it is one of my favorite times of the year and I LOVE Halloween!!!!

I have the 31st off and I am going to be having some fun!!! I am going to have my own special time to myself-  a day for me and then I am going to make some delicious treats....... very festive  for Halloween !!!  

 These I couldn't resist- they have nothing to do with Halloween - but they are sooooo funny!! Owen looks petrified and Jake is thinking about what he wants for Christmas--  Classic!!!

 

Birds of Paradise

These are one of my favorite flowers- I love the red, orange and yellow colors

To continue or not......

I have been thinking about having the two blogs and not sure, if I should continue both. My time lately has been stretched so thin that obviously this blog ( and the other) haven't really received much attention...... so here I am, do I keep this and just do photography on this and art projects?? Not sure, I will think about this..... in the mean time, here is a little friend, one of a few, we have seen on our patios

Collections

Here is my latest addition to my collection of Starbucks gift cards

If you have any used up gift cards from Starbucks- do not throw them away, or give them to the SB baristas- save em' and recycle them to me.........

I am saving these for something really special that I am going to make out of these little cards.... so pass them to me once your are done using-- I would love it

This one is cool......

One of my favorite flowers

I received these flowers on Valentines day....... I love the colors

Now that I have a new camera, I am back to my 365 day challenge for a picture a day!!
Enjoy!

these are the sweetest smiles around

a little painting goin' on.....
if there is a fire, put it out- do not let is fester or build
these will take me places.....

Balancing...... well, still a work in progress

I am a mom, wife, cook, chauffeur, accountant, lunch packer, homework director, laundry girl, laundry folder, cleaning lady ( sort of) , 40+ hr worker, dresser, boo-boo comforter, referee, daughter, sister, friend, partner, photographer, memory keeper, artist, reader, writer, but most of all a woman trying to balance it all.........

if I wasn't for a wonderful, supportive guy in my life, I wouldn't be able to do much....yet, I am still trying to work in ME time- which is always last..... I have managed to work in some exercise during my work day, and off time... it is not enough- I need to schedule me in- but that is last thing I do when it has to do with our kids, so I tend to sacrifice my sleep in order for me to blog, write, scrapbook, read, or just relax...... so then BOOM- I am fighting bronchitis, or a cold or whatever........my health suffers. I am still focusing on my goals of 2011- live today, create and relax- but it is a motto I must repeat ( over and over and over ) in my head when I am feeling overwhelmed- what is that saying "remain calm and carry on"

My Hike Today

I realized something today- I really like hiking. I love being outside doing something physical and having an end result that can be measured. It beats being in a house or gym, on a treadmill- I just get sooo bored with that. I realized that in order to get more active and adding exercise in my day, I need to find something I really like.
I think I found it.

I also love to ride my bike- there is something fun about it, tooling around on a bike, hair blowing in the wind- I guess it reminds me of my childhood, where we rode our bikes EVERYWHERE. All day long, we road and with that came a little bit of childhood freedom.

Today was a really good hike- and the best part- it is a really good workout but it doesn't seem like exercise because it is fun!

silliness

Well- we are just being silly at home- I was getting ready to read stories to the boys before bed and J decided to "hide" under mommy and daddys bed sheets, then we played a game where I pretended I didn't know where he was, and then daddy got involved and was looking for J- then, daddy decided to go to bed and sleep on the very spot where J was hiding. The whole time, O, he was seriously looking for J, and was asking "where is he" , looking in their room, coming back to ours, and then realizing J was hiding and Daddy was laying on him. It was very funny- you should have seen the look on O's face- saying "J, you were hiding unders the covvverssss???

I know it doesn't sound so funny, but when you add in little O's comments and the way he talks it was incredibly cute!! ( I am biased though ; ) Anyhow, this is a little pic of O, he loves to get on the scale and then I say " 34 pounds ( or whatever weight he is), what a big boy you are"
We have been doing this for a long time, ever since he could stand on the scale and get that reaction!

Poinsettia

Well it is a Christmas miracle I managed to keep the poinsettia plant alive- I thought I better take a pic of it before that changes!!

I am in this 365 project where I have to take daily pic and post it. My sis invited me, and so I thought I better participate- just another way to make sure I take a daily pic here and there!

I have been purging, organizing all weekend. I am not done yet- but man, it feels good to get organized. I still have my desk to finish, paperwork and some clothing to figure out what to do with. I fell asleep on the couch today when the boys took a nap and , that felt good. I must have needed it