Baseball, Plumbers, and Parties

So the fact that we were up before seven and gone by eight and not back until nine....thirteen hours later means very little to the to do list that continues to grow.  It was an amazing day though and for that I am very thankful.  I am still feeling pretty queazy, I am not sure what is happening there, but I am determined to suck it up. 
This morning when we were getting ready and I was saying my prayers, I asked God to let the rain hold out and he did for this I am so super thankful.  Two whole days of rain for Mother's Day weekend would have been too much!
John Michael's game started us off.  It was a win for them, but definitely not one that came easily.  They were tied for a while and it was truly a great game.  I love to see everyone playing baseball!  I was proud of John Michael, he hit the ball great and he even got a hold of the ball once and got it in quick! 

Danny's game followed a couple of hours after John Michael's not enough time to go home, but we did manage to grab lunch.  I have stick to my gail...no money for the creepy consession stand guy.  Danny's team did great.  They won and I was so proud of them all.  Danny made an AMAZING catch!  I am so super proud of him.  He hit the ball awesome too! 

We have a pretty awesome announcement that we learned about today but we are going to wait to share.  And before everyone calls my mom, NO I am not going to announce a new baby!  It is about my baby though.  Just hold on and wait for it and I will share soon. 

We headed to gocheck on the new house and the plumber had been there.  He is not finished, but the upstairs showers and tubs are in.  I loved seeing my garden tub!  I have waited so long for one.  I cannot wait to get it in, wait I did that today!  I cannot wait to actually enjoy it though!  The  lines for the outside spickets were done, and well I just cannot wait it is so exciting to go by there and see progress.  Less than a week for the walk through and then it is sheetrock!  YAY!!!!! 

Well I am so excited and so exhausted.  I was fortunate enough to have a job tonight but it was for an awesome friend and her mom's suprise party.  It was so great to be around so many people who were in the mood to celebrate!  I love smiles and happy occassions!  Stay tuned to my facebook page or to the blog at http://www.monicaannephotography.com/ for more on that!

Now I am off to bed.  Showers for everyone and now almost everyone is asleep.  With seven minutes until Mother's Day I want to go to dreamland....I will be dreaming of the beach I need my toes in the sand. 

Spread Thin

I love Saturdays, but they also mean that there is a lot to do and with Brandon at Homestead Hollow there really is just one of me.
I am very thankful that he is working because we desperately need the extra money, so I am not complaining. There is so much to cover and not so much to cover it with each month and with Christmas approaching way too quickly I do not think that this will change much anytime soon. Hopefully they will stay busy and he will make some decent money. They should put out a tip jar and split it between all of the workers....Hmmm? Maybe in November they can try that.
We had two birthday parties, but they were at the same time so we could only make it to one. Connor is 6, which is hard for me to believe. It means John Michael will be 6 all too soon. Connor's party was great it was at Fox's Pizza in Argo. The boys had a blast. Danny was really glad that Chandler got to come with him. They all had so much fun.
By the way the boys passed out at 2:00 this morning, and were up at 6:30. I cannot believe it. I worked all day on channeling their energy, but never got it.
Well, the Auburn game started off great, but the end left a lot to be desired. Win or Lose I love the boys in orange and blue, but I did hate to lose tonight. Another W would have been great on the esteem of these new boys. I know that they will improve though. No matter what I love to watch them and I hope that we can manage to get to Auburn for at least one game.
Well, I am off, 4 hours of sleep is nowhere near enough for me!

Sneaky Fridays

So today Brandon and I got a good bit of running around done. Not much in the way of accomplishments, but it was a good day. I did get my "I DO" to Crystal, of Crystal's Creations, for you who do not know her work...you should!!! She coated them to give them a little umph....so I would not have to feel like I was carrying glass instead of wooden letters. YAY! I feel much better now. She also told me that "BOO" was on its way.

I also scouted a new location for session, and let me tell you guys I am in LOVE!!! I cannot wait to do a session there, it is going to be amazing. If I could move there I would be there tomorrow. It was seriously Mayberry! I am so in love, but it will be ok. It would be a great place to raise a family for so many reasons! Anyway, it will definitely be my new favorite location for photo shoots! I cannot wait to do some there. The sooner the better.

So I guess today was pretty productive, I wish I could have gotten more done at home, but hey that is what next week will be for....to try again. No promises though!

The boys had great days today at school. They loved it and the best part was they had minimal homework for the weekend, reading is the most important thing and that we do every night. I love to read and have always wanted that for the boys. We have been reading every night since Danny was born and that will not change anytime soon.

Danny really wanted Sneaky Pete's for dinner. He has been asking for it for a while, so tonight we made an exception and went out to eat. I really wanted Munoz and tried to change their minds, but Danny's was set and John Michael is not much for mexican, yep he is that kiddo who gets a corn dog. Gotta love it though. I have to admit that Sneaky Pete's was good and the HUGE Diet Coke that I was able to get was great!!!

Well, the boys are in bed and we have a very special first birthday party to get to tomorrow so I am headed there myself. Good night everyone, and know that you are all in my prayers. I hope that this weekend is full of many blessings, expected and unexpected.

Danny's Party

Today we knew was going to be a bog day for Danny, it was time for the 8th birthday party. We started to downsize this year, which was hard for him, but it is definitely time. I am also happy to announce that the party was not here, which makes my life much easier. He opted for Lightening Strikes, and it was a lot of fun. I am not sure that they guy who was our "Party Host" had much love for children though. We seemed to spend most of the party chasing him down. That was pretty frustrating considering the cost of the parties. I asked to speak to a manager, because there was no air in the party room and again the "host" was more like a ghost. I was told that one was not available. I am thinking a phone call on Monday could definitely be a requirement. I was slightly upset, but I tried to hide it.

Danny had a great turnout. We just invited the boys from the class this year. Again it was different for him, but definitely a good thing. He was so excited that Baily came, Danny has been a little sad that Baily will not be at SFX this year so when he was at the party it meant a lot to Danny. I think all the guys were glad to see him.

Amy as always did and amazing job with the cake, Danny loved it. He wanted Baseball players bowling and he got them. It looked great and tasted great! Thank you my cake making friend!

After the party we had to go spend some of the money that he got at Academy. He wanted some fishing tackle. He got a few things, and was pretty excited about them. He cannot wait for school to start now, but only because that is the weekend we are going to the lake. He cracks me up sometimes.

Party time again tomorrow, but after church and some work around the house. The plan is to get up at 7, alarms are set and hopefully it will happen!

Very excited about some plans that were made today and the new grill for the lake that is on layaway at Kmart! Yay! Many blessings today. I know that tomorrow will be full of even more.

Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers! I know that this is a hard time for everyone, for many different reasons. Know that whether or not you have voiced your requests I am praying for everyone. Many blessings tomorrow for you all!

Zydeco

Today was a strange day. I did not sleep well at all last night because of my back, well actually it is my shoulder. Anyway, I was just exhausted all day. I do not like feeling that way at all. Anyway, it will pass, I hope. I would go to the chiropractor but the $600 deductible is in my way, I will accept a donation for it though! J/k

The boys went to Nana's tonight to spend the night because I had a job at Zydeco and Brandon came along to help out. It was so much fun. I was photographing Honey Baked as they did their reunion concert tonight. They were amazing and I am so glad that we went. Nothing like working and getting a semi date night out of it too. We had dinner before the show since it did not start till 10:30.

Now I have to buckle down this weekend, I have to finish editing the wedding I am working on, get the concert done, as well as some personal pics that I have taken, like Danny's 8th birthday. Not to mention his birthday party and Morgan's on Sunday. It is definitely a photography filled weekend. All definitely blessings though! I also have some school work to get done. I am hoping to do it in the morning. At least a good bit of it.

Well, I am off to bed. It has been a long time since I was at a Club til after 1 and we have to get the boys by 10 in the morning. I will be praying for you all tonight. Hopefully I will get some sleep.

Bath and Body Works

So everyone has a weakness and Bath and Body Works is definitely mine. When they are having a sale as amazing as the yellow sale and I have a coupon I cannot say no. I did 2 things. I placed an order online, and then printed the coupon and went shopping in the store. I got a few things of shower gel and a lot of hand sanitizers and wallflowers. It is possible that some of these will end up as Christmas gifts, but even more possible that I will enjoy using them all.

We were supposed to go to a birthday party this afternoon but the boys were just not minding. Nothing I said was heard and I was not about to take them anywhere. Needless to say I felt bad, but we will send Krystal a card.

I have a lot going on with the business that I had to work on today and will continue to work on. I am ready to make an amazing living doing what I love.

Well, I managed to stay a day behind, but I hope to catch up tonight and be blogging in real time!

They are Up

So today was not as fun as I had hoped. Both boys ended up grounded due to some serious attitudes and in turn we missed a birthday party and Danny's Chess tournament. I really hated to do it, but I also knew if we did not stick to the punishments that it would be a long summer. The boys were both excellent so it must have worked.

We spent the day cleaning, working on the business stuff, doing Handwriting homework, and just being together. It was pretty nice.

Back in January when we were putting our Christmas stuff up it would not work. The closet where we always put it just would not hold it all. Brandon finally gave up and we stuck the boxes in the bathroom downstairs. The tornadoes that ripped through the state on April 27th had us pulling the boxes that were in there out so that we could get in. This closet is under our steps and we knew that it was the safest place to be. The tornado that damaged Tuscaloosa and so many other areas of the state came directly over our house, but it had lifted up and we were okay. Today Brandon decided to put what he could in the closet. It all fit. We figure that God knew that it would have taken us much longer to clean out this closet if it was all in there, and by not letting it fit we were able to get it emptied out and us in it very easily. While it was frustrating in January it all made sense. Now all of the Christmas stuff is where it belongs.

This simple Little act reminded me that there truly is a reason for everything and while we usually do not understand it right away the answers sometimes come later.

Well, I managed to get a day behind on my blog so there will be another one tonight! I hope that you all have had a great weekend so far. Enjoy the last few hours.

Sometimes Fridays Trump Mondays

So today started off great. Danny was excellent this morning. He got ready and everything without any fighting. We left early enough to stop and get breakfast and just enjoy the morning. He is my little man and it is rare to spend some quality time with him, even rarer for that time to be in the mornings. John Michael and Brandon stayed home in bed while I took him to school.

Anyway. Brandon, John Michael, and I were able to get a good bit done in the house today, still have a ways to go but progress was definitely made.

After school it was like a Monday lightening rod hit the house. Danny was not minding at all, refusing to do his homework, and pitching an all out fit. I do not know where those genes come from but they need to disappear. Needless to say he is grounded, which means no Chess tournament. John Michael is grounded which means no birthday party. Part of me really wants to cave, but the other part of me knows that he has to learn a lesson and I am concerned that this might be the best way. They have both got to realize that this behavior is NEVER ok. I am going to bed praying about what to do. I know that I do not want this to be my summer and I think that carrying through with the punishment will be best.

Well, the boys are in bed, and trust me that was no fun either. Now I am headed there. I am praying that this weekend improves otherwise the only time we will go out is when we go to Mass. Not that we can afford to go anywhere, but we can at least go outside, but until homework is done even that is not happening. Mainly because of the horrible fit that happened this afternoon.

I will pray for all of you. I hope that your weekend has started off on a lighter note than my own! I also hope that it continues to be a great one.

Beach countdown....29 days!

Mario, Batman and Auburn

Mario, Batman, and Auburn...what do these three have in common? Well it is the theme for John Michael's 5th Birthday party. He just could not make up his mind so he decided he wanted them all. We had his party at Pump It Up in Trussville and while I have been to a lot of parties there this is the first time that I had one and I have to tell you, it was wonderful. I will definitely be having other parties there. The kids all had a great time, even the parents had a blast! Thank you all so much for coming and celebrating John Michael turning 5....he is so proud to be one whole hand now!

We left the party and he wanted to go to Game Stop, he got money for games and could not wait to spend it.

Well, I have to say a weekend full of birthday parties has worn me out. If the boys would go to sleep, they are in bed, but still going. As soon as they go on to sleep I am right behind them. It has been a great weekend. Friends, family and fun! I have to admit I am looking forward to a week with some down time and I think this is it....so maybe a scrapbooking night should be planned! An email we be going out soon ;)

Before I go to bed, I will remember everyone in my thoughts and prayers. This weekend has been exhausting but fun and I can seriously feel the stress leaving my neck and shoulders. At least it was all good stress! We all experience some form of stress, but how we deal with it is so important. I have tried to convert it into creativity or productiveness, and I have to say it works. Whatever stressors that you have in your life you should enjoy them or get rid of them!

Happy President's Day

Happy President's Day everyone. I have had a really good day even though I did not get half of what I wanted or needed to accomplished. I will keep working on it though. I have all week right?!

The boys were both out of school today even though so many had to go to make up the snow/ice days. I was glad to have them here. I love spending time with them. Danny's asthma has been acting up though so this gave him a lazy day. They did spend some time outside, but he was relatively calm today, in fact he was asleep by 6:45 and John Michael by 7! YAY!!!

These early bed times and the fact that I am writing this at 8:3o means that more than likely I will be in bed by 9:00. I knew it would have to happen sooner than later and this week I think I will need some rest!

John Michael had fun in his Buzz Lightyear costume today and when it was time for dinner he made a mess, but it was hilarious! Of course now I have to wash the tablecloth again, but for this picture it is more than worth it!

Tomorrow is John Michael's last day to be 4, I cannot believe that he is almost 5, it seriously blows my mind. I am excited about his party though. I have to call my cake baker because he wants a batman, mario, auburn cake...it should be interesting! If anyone can do it though, she can. I love you in advance Amy!

Looking forward to some photography sessions that are coming up and some that I am editing from this weekend. I plan to work on those a little more tonight before bed!

Before I go to bed I will remember you all in my prayers. I also ask that we say a prayer for our country's leaders. I am not a fan of the current administration, but they are our leaders and I hope that with prayers they will be enlightened to their mistakes and have the courage to admit them. We should also pray for the country's past and future leaders.

Parks, Parties, and Cinnamon Rolls

Today was a gorgeous day and one that I was thankful to spend so much of it outside and all of it with my amazing family.

We started early this morning, with a photo shoot at Rail Road Park. The family came so after the shoot we hung out and the boys enjoyed some ice cream. It was so nice today and with the water running again at the park it was so pretty. I was glad to be there with my family, and make some special memories.

After the park we drove around Birmingham scoping out possible photo shoot locations for the future. The boys were not in the mood to pose so we just ventured around town. I cannot wait to take advantage of some of these locations. We came home and fixed lunch, and I uploaded my photos from today so that the editing and posting can begin.

We had a birthday party for one of Danny's friends. Happy 8th Birthday again JT. The party was great and the boys had a blast. Even Brandon and I had a good time. Thanks Tonya.

After the party we talked about going to Mass, but again the boys were in some funky moods so we went to the Galleria to quench Brandon's craving for Cindy's Cinnamon Rolls. We walked around and even grabbed dinner. The boys love food courts, I think it is because everyone can get whatever they want and we only have to go to one place. It was a treat for them usually it is whatever I cook they eat or they can have a bowl of cereal. We rode the carousel and then on our way out the door we went to Cindy's.

Now everyone is tucked in. Well the boys are and Brandon and I are pretty tired. Tomorrow we are going to start the day with an early Mass and then we are going to the lake. We want to make a list of what we need to do because this year we are going to enjoy it.

Before I go to bed I will remember you all in my prayers. There are so many little things that might seem like nothing today, but tomorrow they will be everything. Enjoy every minute!!!

Basketball, Party, Basketball

Today was a great Saturday, as always it was busy, but it was a lot of fun. Any day that is spent with my men is a great day in my opinion and today was just that.

This morning started with Danny's basketball game. The St. Francis Xavier Saints went to St. Rose Academy for basketball this morning and came out on top. The score was 20-11. This was the closest game that the boys have had to date. I was so glad that they won and have maintained the undefeated season. One more game and then they can claim the Toy Bowl trophy. We shall see how it all happens. They have a break next weekend and then they go to Our Lady of the Valley for their final game.

When we came home Danny and I got to work in his room. He cleaned off his desk, dresser and nightstand while I tackled his closet and his drawers. I still have the closet floor and the shelf in the top of it to completely be done in there. We still have a lot to do in his room, but we made a HUGE dent today. I also have the three drawers in his bed. Since we are not going to the morning Mass but to the 4:30 PM Mass I am hoping that we can finish it up in the morning. It would be a GREAT Valentine's Day present to me!

We had a birthday party and the boys had a blast. They always have a good time with Sasha and Conner and with even more kids added to the mix the good times were even more in abundance. Of course Sasha's birthday just reminds me that my babies birthday is around the corner. These kiddos are growing up so fast. I remember when Amy and I were waddling around Wal-Mart trying to go into labor.

We finished up tonight with a trip to the UAB game. UAB vs. Rice. It was a great game and we were glad to see the Blazers come out on top. This was a cub scout trip and those boys got a kick out of being called out by the announcer! Pack 357, had a great time at the game! I am going to see about getting some patches made for them, we will see what I can come up with. I don't think I will have it for the Pack meeting this month, but hopefully the blue and gold.

Well, it is definitely not before 9, but I knew that was not going to happen today. Before I go to bed, which will be in a moment, I pray for all of my family and friends. You guys are amazing!

Spaghetti with a Sprinkling of Love

Dinner tonight was spaghetti. I made enough to freeze some and to make some baked ziti and freeze it as well. John Michael decided that he wanted to add sprinkles to the spaghetti and of course Danny followed suit. Well, adding it too all of the spaghetti was not going to happen so we let them add it to their plates. It was pretty humorous. Danny added a few too many, and he fixed another plate, but John Michael said that his was perfect! They definitely made dinner time even more enjoyable than usual. I love our family dinners, they mean so much and I hope that the boys will continue this when they have families of their own.

We have another early basketball game, but it is a lot of fun. Danny is loving it. I am a little sad that they only have tomorrow's game and then one more.

Time seriously seems to pick up a little each year. They get older, busier, and the clock speeds up. I wish that it would slow down some. The blog is allowing me to make sure that I enjoy each day though. Everyday is a blessing and this allows me to really think about all of the blessings that I have.

Well, I started on laundry catch up this afternoon. The heater/ac man assures us that the leak is not coming from there, but we went through this a few years ago, and after paying 2 plumbers guess what it was...the AC. I swear I do not know what to do. If money were not an issue it would be easier, but money is a HUGE issue. I will just wait and see I guess. I will keep you all posted.

Tomorrow after the game, before the birthday party that is before the UAB game....seriously going to be a busy Saturday I am hoping to get Danny's room done. I am making it a project that he tackles with me, whatever we do not get done tomorrow will be done Sunday! I am determined, that means next week after the Valentine's festivities I will be able to tackle the den (which is also the playroom) and the office (which is also the catch all. I worked on it some to get all of my taxes done, but there is a lot to go!

Well, it is still not before 9, but it is all good. I will be remembering all of my friends and family in my thoughts and in my prayers. I hope that everyone has a great night. A friend of mine's husband left at noon today for Afghanistan. I am praying for his safe return and for her and her son. They are amazing people and have faith, but prayers also give them added strength so please remember them and all our troops and their families. These men and women put their lives on hold for America and should always be respected!