Grace, the animal whisperer....

All of my children have a love for animals and because of this, it is the only time that i think God picked the wrong Mamma for our girls because i don't have a love for any other creatures besides human beings.  Our girls live vicariously through friends and neighbors and with my luck they will all be veterinarians or have five dogs and 3 cats each when and if they ever move out of our house.

Jeff was out in the yard the other day and found broken bird nest on the ground along with a baby bird that had fallen out as well.  He summoned the girls to come take a peek and Grace took the little bird under her own wing and played Mamma to it.  I don't think she put the bird down all day and it was absolutely amazing how calm the bird was with Grace.  So calm, that it even gave a frog that Grace had found, a piggy back ride. :-)  She made a make shift home for the bird in a box and proceeded to Google what it would need to eat to survive if it's Mamma did not return.  Oh, and i know some of your are thinking, the Mamma bird will not return because Grace had touched it's baby.  That is just a myth.  You can feed a baby robin tinned cat or dog food, preferably for robins: or small pieces of earthworm.  Of course we did not have the first two options and our girls loved digging for worms to fill the baby robin's belly.  The first day, the baby was not diggin' the worms but by the second day it must have been hungry because it took a couple of bites and the third day, i believe it gulped down NINE worms!  After the first day of caring for her new baby, during dinner, all Grace could talk about was the bird.  She claimed, "It is really hard taking care of a baby, isn't it Mom?  And you have to take care of three!  Isn't that hard"?  Daddy chimed in and said, "She actually has to take care of four babies".  Nice one Daddy. :-)

On the fourth day, the girls went out to check on the baby bird after school and it was gone.  I got a lump in my throat and i thought...uh oh, one of the neighbor cats found the baby and made a nice little meal out of it.  The girls frantically looked around the yard and to their surprise they found it in the neighbors back yard flying around.  They were sad that their 'pet' was gone but i had to remind them that this is what happens when you are a good Mamma, your baby will grow up and be able to take care of it's self because of all the care and love you gave it.

Today Grace found yet another frog.  She made a home for it and kept it prisoner for a good couple of hours before setting it free.  Isn't it pretty?

Wonder what she will find tomorrow.....

Ahhhh, that back rub felt great!

This one just cracks me up.  It should be on a card or something.  The frog looks like it has atenas growing out of it's
back but it's just a piece of grass or something.

This is NOT the same frog as above.  Aren't the colors so vibrant?

In it's pretty pink home.

Kind of cool, huh?

Momtographer is my name, picture taking is my game!

I learned how to "really use" my camera today.  Can you believe i've been faking it this whole time?

Headed out the door this morning and the girls said, "Mom, where are you going"?  I replied, " I am going to go learn how to take pictures".  They all started whining, "Noooooooooooo" and then almost started crying.  What do you think?  Do i take too many photos of them or what?

I had the privilege or taking a photography class at our church for beginners with Nicole Schauer and then i crashed the intermediate class that her husband Tom taught during the last hour because i thought i was all that.  NOT!  But i came away with new words in my vocabulary like, aperture, iso and metering but what was most exciting was, i took my camera out of  'automatic' mode and i am fond of the results!  Even though i am still frightened of being in "A" on my camera instead of the circle with the squiggly line it, i am going to give it a go because, well, i feeling pretty fancy right now and love what my lens captured today . 

Thank you Tom and Nicole for the gift God has given you to share with others so generously!

The photos below are taken from our field trip to Chambers Bay and my long time wonderful friend Victoria came all the way from Seattle to join me for the day.  Love her!  And.....got to hang out with my besties and whole bunch of my other favorite people in the world.  I am soooooo blessed!

Love you V!

Taking pictures of the nature is fun but taking pictures of my friends is so much better!

Miss Victoria

Peace baby!

Jenny, Rachel and Annie

Coolest 12 year old i know with one of the coolest names as well, my blog designer...
Grace

Isn't she gorgeous?  I tried a little editing and playing around with colors in this one.  So fun!

As you can see, she comes from good genes.  Really, they could pass for sisters!

Cynthia

And the model behind the lens.

My dear Lorina

Andrea

Jenelle

McKenna

Lisa

Rebecca

Anne

Electra

P.S.  Rachel, are my photos big enough for you? :-)

The sun brings out the best in me!

Normally a 5:30 coach pitch practice would irritate me because it is usually cold, drizzly or windy plus we try to scarf down dinner beforehand, but not today.  Today the sun was shining and when the sun shines, this Mamma is in a good mood.  I wanted to share my joyous mood with others and i couldn't think of a better place to celebrate than at practice tonight with some of my besties.  Broke out the cozies and brown paper bags and one of the Mommies said,  "Hmmmm....tastes like Jr. Prom".  :-)

Mike's peach margaritas and a little beer cold beverages for the big kids
and milk for the littles.

Bag it or go home!

Rachel and Chris enjoying a cool refresher.

Love my besties, Rachel and Jenny!

Oh, and the whole reason for the
festivities tonight.
Isn't she cute?

Don't you wish you kid was on our team? :-)

Golden Mommy

Have you heard of this?
Have you nominated someone for it?
Have you been the recipient of one?

I received my Golden Mommy 4 years ago when i started MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) at our church.  It is an outreach for Moms who have children that are under the age of five.  Basically, an amazing support group while you are in the "survival mode" of your life. 

I never really felt the need for MOPS when Grace and Bella were infants but decided i might need a little more interaction with other adults while Jeff was away in Kuwait on deployment.  Jeff left for country in August and i started MOPS in September.  October my Mom's cancer had returned and in November she had part of her spine removed to keep it from collapsing.  My world had already been turned upside down due to Jeff being gone but my Mom's illness almost put me over the edge.  She was supposed to help me with the girls while Jeff was away and instead i was having to try and figure out who would watch my children so i could relieve my younger sister and Aunt from the daily care for my Mom.  Guess who stepped in?  My new found friends from MOPS.  Between these wonderful women and their second Mommy, my friend Marisa, all the details of childcare worked out.  God knew i needed MOPS and brought it into my life at just the right time.  My only regret is not starting  when Grace and Bella were little. 

I was given the Golden Mommy because MOPS felt i held it together while all of the craziness above was going on in my life and that i could continue to always have my girls in matching clothes as well.  :-)  I LOVE my Golden Mommy, not because of the "award" part of it but because it will always be a reminder that i was surrounded by incredible support and love at a very difficult time in my life.

And the Golden Mommy goes to........
All of you marvelous Moms out there!  I nominate all of you.  I can't make you all a Golden Mommy, so here is my silly tutorial and you can make your own.  Mine is still displayed proudly!

My Golden Mommy.
I should name her.  Suggestions?

Barbies from the Dollar Tree.

Aren't the shoes hot?

In the "plank" position w/ tape headband...ready to be sprayed.

Backside done....

Flip.....and viola, you have Golden Mommy.

I forgot to take a photo of my finished Mommies but that could be because i was doing them at 11 pm the night before they were to be awarded.  :-)

Funny Lily moment.  Lily said this to me while i was preparing the Golden Mommies.  "Mommy, please do no spray paint her face, it makes her look so angry".  She's a nut!

P.S.  Gentlemen friends....feeling a little weird looking at naked Barbies?

Take me out to the ballgame X 3!

Oh, i've done myself in again!  I signed all three girls up to play t-ball, coach pitch and girls fast pitch.   Didn't i learn anything last year when it was nearly impossible to be three places at once?  Thank goodness for my 'village', couldn't do this without all of you!

Even though it is pouring now, today was an amazing day to play ball in the Pacific Northwest.  Thank you coach Brubaker for ordering the sunshine for this high maintenance Mommy, she was very happy!
Bella had a game at 9 am, Grace at 10:30 but...had to be at practice an hour before her game at 9:30 and then Lily had her game at 12 noon and was snack person and to top it off, Jeff had Guard duty this weekend.  :-)  Yes, CRAZY but worth it!

These photos are from several days of games but today was the first of Grace's games i could actually attend.  And on a kind of funny note.  I signed Grace up for the wrong team.  I wanted her to stay with the coaches she had from last year but did not realize they were moving up with their daughters who were a year older than Grace.  Our 4th grader, Grace, looks teeny-tiny next to the 5th and 6th graders she is playing with and to top it off, softball is definitely NOT her sport but this child who sees everything through rose colored glasses does not care.  So our little pipsqueak actually walked onto first base today (good eye Grace)  and then was able to run in a point for the team and that is what she has raved about all day.  So even though i want her to be 'great' at everything, she has shown me, you don't have to be great at everything you do,  but you have to have a great time doing whatever it is you are doing.  Thank you Grace.

And please do not forget to notice my little fashion plate Lily.  Yes, she has on Cuggs, (Costco Uggs)because this Mommy was too tired to argue with her.  Jeff says i've ruined it for any other game or practice now and we will never get her to wear cleats again unless i throw the Cuggs out.  What do you think?  Can you stand her nasty Cuggs through the rest of t-ball season? :-)

Looks like they are stuck in a cage...
let me out to play!

Ready position....

Okay, that squatting makes me kind of tired.

Is Chris Barrett a brave man for picking
up this child?

Wheeeeeeeee!

Do it again!

Coaches daughter Morgan.

Go Bel-Bel!

Who is the clown behind them. :-)

What do you think?  Only a barely
blond 5 year old could sport this outfit
with such confidence.

Look at her form though!  You are going
to want to have this her on your team
in high school!

Posing.....

MOM.....enough! 
Can't you just hear it?

The next few just crack me up.
They are supposed to be playing ball and
instead they are having a full on
conversation.  About what?

Whatever it was, Anderson thought it was funny! :-)