spring is in the air.

here in the south, it seems like it went from 25 degrees to 80 degrees in less than three days. there really wasn't that slow transition from winter to spring. we went from hooded coats and furry boots, to fun summer tops and skinny jeans.

we were so excited when we could take vegas to the park for the first time a few weeks ago. it was right after she really started walking without falling every 2 steps. she loved it! she was a little timid because of all of the other kids there. not to mention they probably all seemed 10 feet tall to her.

she's also in the stage now where she wants nothing to do with looking at the camera. so sad for me!

static slide hair!

she l o v e s to swing. if we even go to a park, it has to include baby swings, because she is still so small that we know she will enjoy this.

this last picture with her daddy simply melts my heart. the look on her face is one of pure love for him. <3

ps - mamas with DSLR cameras, how can i get blogger to not compress my pictures so much? i hate how grainy they are uploading. 

why hello there.

well hello everyone! long time no talk, THAT’S for sure! my blogging life [what little i had] got away from me, and it shows by not having a single post since october. i’ll spank myself for that one. ::ouch::

lots has happened on the home front since our last encounter together. there was thanksgiving, a 3 year wedding anniversary, christmas [which included a new camera, more on that in a bit!], me going back to school, vegas talking, walking, and basically running now. and i’m sure so many other things that i am forgetting, as i should have been blogging to remember them all!

to not bore you with the longest catch up blog post ever, i decided to make this a multi part series. so here you go - part uno.

christmas.

this was this FIRST year that cj and i set a limit on christmas gifts for one another. it was $150 this year, and let me tell you that was significantly dwindled down from the past few Christmases. We did this not to spend the excess on vegas, we just did not want to be one of those families that finds themselves in a huge amount of debt come December 26th.

don’t start on me about how that’s not what christmas is about, i know, but again we are not religious and you would be beating a dead horse if anyone tried to preach to me on the importance of this holiday. moving on, i was a good girl and stuck to my budget, almost to the penny. funny thing is, cj seemed to be having a hard time with it. he kept making comments about how it was “hard to find gifts that i would like”, and still have a bunch to physically open on christmas morning. opening gifts around our house is a two hour event; each person opens one gift at a time while the others watch. i understand NOW why cjs family did this, it makes for a longer and more enjoyable experience in my opinion.

let’s fast forward to the good stuff. about five or six presents in and still have a few to go when i get to this box that has that is adorned with about every scrap piece of ribbon CJ could find. needless to say it wasn’t the “prettiest” present under our tree. we like to save our “big” presents to one another for the very end. i start to open it and notice cj get pretty excited. guess what i found?

THIS! [well, almost this] Canon Rebel XSi – someone went over the budget this year!!

He said he got it for me because he knew i would actually use it and im convinced he was just tired of hearing me whine about how i wanted one. i was realllllly shocked that he got it though because i truly was not expecting it. THOSE are the best presents! and this was most definitely the best christmas present i have ever gotten.

im definitely still learning all of the features, even now - but i can say with confidence, that my portfolio of vegas pictures just doubled or possibly tripled.

i’m glad to be back blogging! i missed you all!

*the first two pictures are from my old point and shoot. you will not be missed!

hayrides, pumpkins and pig ears.

as children, CJ and i had never been to pumpkin patch that either of us can recall. it was a no brainer that we wanted vegas to experience this.

when i refer to a pumpkin patch i most certainly do not mean this.

i'm sorry, but unless you live in downtown NYC there is no excuse for this. why not just go to walmart like everyone else to get your pumpkin, and not waste your money on this "pumpkin patch" experience.

after some much appreciated referrals we headed to carrigan farms for a hayride and a real pumpkin patch! it was a first for all of us! the weather was absolutely gorgeous, 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. the actual pumpkin patch was huge, a lot bigger than i pictured. we definitely had our choice, there were literally hundreds and hundreds to choose from in all shapes, sizes and colors. they were so fresh we had to rip them off of the vine they were growing on. they even had a mini petting zoo which just put the icing on the cake. enough with the blah blah blah, here comes picture overload.

i live for the weekends i can spend with my little family. <3.

happy birthday vegas landry.

today you are one.

that's 365 days old, which to me... is unbelievable.

how did i ever function before you? what were my goals? what were my dreams? oh yeah, they were YOU. you are my everything. you are the drive that pushes me to want to become a better person. on my worst days, that gummy smile makes everything disappear. you are so innocent and clueless to the real world and i want to keep you that way for as long as i can. all you care about is eating, sleeping and tapping things with your middle finger... which is a pretty awesome life if you ask me. you pass no judgment, i am your mom and that's all you care about. you don't care if i have an important job, drive an import or even pay the mortgage. all you ever want from me is attention, and i really do try my hardest to give you as much as i humanly can because i know you will not be this little forever. while my heart aches just typing those words i cannot wait to watch you develop into an amazing girl. hell, you already ARE amazing, in more ways than your little brain could ever imagine.

you changed my life one year ago today, and for that i am eternally grateful.

i love you [mama].

i know you will not remember your first year, but it is forever etched in my brain. thank you for being awesome!