Picture-palooza!

Nothing really specific here...

Just some pictures I don't want to gather dust

I've taken these over the last couple/few weeks 

Love Love LOVE!
My beautiful babies!

Milo lovin' on his panda bear

Preparing a proper tea time

Oh Milo! This is the best tea!

Littlest Pet Shop Animals are her newest favorite thing in the world
(they're all over our house)

Climbing up to his big-boy bed!

She's almost always up for a photo shoot
& posing for me is her new thing!

One of the coolest books we have-
a magnetic Cars activity/story book
Milo just discovered it in our collection

"How many cars are there Milo?"
"Two, two, two, TWO!!"

Bead explosion in Xandra's room
Clean Up Time!

Oh, how he loves noodles!

Linking up with Stephanie today!

Technology

Technology
Love it
Hate it
Our family is a decidedly Apple family - Macs, iPads, iPhones, iPods...

And our children have more than embraced technology.
As most kids do...

What are you looking at sissy? It looks really interesting.

I know our kids shouldn't have too much screen time, and this looks like they have a lot

But in my defense, the games on the iPads are almost all educational (I will admit to a few fun games)

So I don't feel too horrible about letting them play for a while

And they don't make messes when they're using these!!

Linking up with my girl Lisa! Go check out her incredible pictures & some other links!

Bubble Bath

After last week's donuts, the kids were a disaster of chocolate & glaze & crumbs & yumminess...
So, it was time for a bubble bath in mom's big tub!!

They *love* my big tub.
But they get scared of the jets, so we left them off.

The love these 2 have for each other is so obvious.
Watching them (especially when they think someone has "wronged" the other
& they become uber-protective) warms my heart.

Matt is doing much better.
Still not 100%. But better.
Of course, when it rains it pours...
So he's now dealing with a gout flare-up.
Ugh.
But he's getting back to normal, slowly.
Thankfully (for Matt) the rest of us go back to school tomorrow, so he'll be able to work from home, alone.
And maybe get some more much needed rest, without his kids & wife hounding him to do stuff.

(We're working on getting Milo's big-boy bed painted & set up. I hope to have pictures of it by next week! Of course, my classes starting back up will put a dent in my picture time again.)

Donuts

I adore donuts.

So I never buy them.

Because I would totally eat them.

(Yes, I would even stoop to stealing them from my children... I have a problem)

So, the fact that you see my kids with donuts in these pictures is an exception to our daily lives.
But there was a good reason.

I was unexpectedly thrown into "single parent" mode for a few days.
And I was desperate.

The Sunday before New Year's (12/30/12), Matt started having pains in his stomach.

Severe pains.

He dealt the best he could for a few hours, but by dinner time, the pains won.

And I had to take him to the ER.

We got home after 10.

But he was still in pain.

Even after taking his ER prescribed pain meds.

Even more severe pain than before.

So at 1 am, I began calling friends to see who was crazy enough to answer their phone.

One finally did, and we were back off to the ER by 2 am.

I stayed with him until 5, and then came back home to relieve our sitter crazy friend angel who answered her phone.

I finally picked Matt up at 9:30, but the pain meds they sent home this time knocked him out, and he slept for the next 4 days.

I however, had only had about 2 hours of sleep.

So, donuts were requested by the kids, and donuts were served up.
The doctors *think* Matt had a kidney stone. Or maybe gallbladder issues. Or who knows what else.
Basically, they have no idea what was wrong with him.
His symptoms indicated a stone, but they never found one (CT scan & ultrasound).
We don't know... probably will never know.
He's still in pain today, but it's a bit better.
So, a lot of stuff I'd wanted to do on this last week of my school break didn't get done.
But that's ok.
We made it through.

And the kids thoroughly enjoyed their donuts!!!

 

2012- Year in Review

We made it through 2012!
Here are a few highlights of our year (I couldn't narrow it down to 1 picture per month... sorry)

January

Chinese New Year celebration


Trying to keep the kids busy during on those stay-inside-days (playing with rice)

February

We had a very mild winter, so we ended up getting to spend a lot of time outdoors.

March

My first outside-the-family photo shoot!!

And some time at the park.

April

Big Day!! We re-adopted Milo in the States! Now he has an American birth certificate!

Thanks to our mild winter, we got to work on our garden earlier than normal.

May

Splashing in the puddles!

Milo & Xandra have grown so close to each other.

June

This was a bad month.

My mom passed away at the beginning of the month. 

I miss her terribly. 

Every day. 

We introduced Milo to the slip-n-slide.

July

I started another photography class.

So, we headed back to the park.

And when the park got old, we explored our backyard.

August

We drove to a larger park near our house where there were awesome photography opportunities.

Xandra started 1st grade!

And I got to do another photo shoot with this little man!

September

More photography class assignments ~ silhouettes

and a self-portrait (AAAHHHHHH!!!!!!)

October & November

I didn't post because I was so swamped with school!! Between classes & my clinical rotation... well, things got crazy around here.

December

I got to visit one of my very best friends in Portland over a long weekend in October to meet her brand new baby girl. It took me until December to finally finish editing her pictures (thank goodness my friend is understanding!).

Xandra is getting so grown up.

Milo's 1st time playing in the snow!

It was an interesting year. I'm glad it's over, though. 

I learned a lot and was able to work on my photography (thanks Lisa!!). 

I lost one of the most important people in my life, which is still so so painful.

Xandra & Milo continue to strengthen their relationship, which is beautiful to watch & be part of.

So, bring on 2013!!