How cute is this?

These girls can be so sweet to each other. This was right before starting class at the parks and recreation in Chandler.

After class they totally had a fight and Camryn shoved Adrienne. Miss A then proceded to have a crying fit because she wanted to be the leader. She was crying quite loud...ugh! I got a few looks.

Rainy Day

It has been raining off and on around here all day long. The girls had built up quite a bit of excess energy so I let them go outside. It was not raining at this point, but they somehow managed to get themselves muddy and wet. They immediately went into the tub after these pictures were taken.

Template Challenge at Scrap2Basics

Template by ConnyB

Kit by Misty Cato...Bugs for Kaityln

Font: Tekton Pro

January Layouts for 1 hour Scrap Challenge

Kit: Snow Much Fun by Spellweaver

1 hr Scrap

This kit was given away as a freebie. I downloaded pieces each day. There was a challenge to make a new layout each week. You received bonus pieces if you completed the challenge.

I am looking forward to February already :)

December layouts for 1 Hr Scrap Challenge

Kit: Tidings of Joy by Spellweaver

1 hr Scrap

4 Year Pictures

Portraits were taken today at Portrait Innovations. I was very pleased. They took so many great shots it was hard to pick out my absolute favorites. I would definately recommend them to anyone.

SBE Jan Template Challenge

I did this layout for a challenge on Scrapbook Elements a digital scrapbooking website. It is a template where you lay in your pictures and papers following someone elses layout idea.

I am enjoying my Photoshop Elements software. It is so easy to learn and use!

Sting Ray Bay

There is a new exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo where you can actually pet the sting rays as they swim in front of you in the pool. If you are really lucky you can feed the rays. The zoo people volunteering at the exhibit said they feed them at random times so no way to plan when to be there.

I got to feel a few rays as they swam by. They feel like slippery rubber. If it had not been so cold outside, I think the girls would have been more eager to stick their hands in. The water was warm but after you took your hands out they were cold very quickly.

The rays will come to Phoenix every year from November through April and then go back to their zoo in Cleveland...I think in the summer.

Swinging Girls

A perfect example showing how my girls are so different. Adrienne loves to swing as high as I can push her....while Camryn preferes to propel herself at her own pace.

We went to the park today. We were there for about 2 hours...believe me it did not feel like it was that long at all! I needed to get out of the house and so did they. I have been thinking about alot of stuff and it helped me get my head clearer...praying does that you know ;0.

Cute Chicks

Make your own at http://www.blessthischick.com/btcmachine/index.php very fun indeed :)

Christmas digital page

Luis gave me Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 for Christmas. This is my first digital page in the new program (click on the picture to see it larger). It was so easy for me to do. I did get a tutorial from Digitalscrapbookplace.com which helped me creating my first layout. It showed me all the buttons and tools I needed to utilize my new software!

I have had Jasc Paintshop Pro on my system and the learning curve was too hard for me. It took me hours to do the same layout.

I am looking forward to doing more digital layouts this year. I am actually taking on a 365 challenge to take a picture a day in 2007. The photos can be of anything...my most favorite subjects though are 4 years old ;0

My goal though is to still finish A and C's first year books in paper! I will get them done in 2007! I am already working on March 2003....

Gingerbread House

Adrienne and Camryn putting the finishing touches on their gingerbread house.

Shangri La...oh la la

The girls and I had fun putting this house together. It definately was a process. We started on the Tuesday before Christmas putting up the walls and roof. I thought it was pretty secure and left it alone to put some laundry in. I came back and one side of the roof had collapsed onto our table. lol

We did not get a chance to put the candy on until Friday. They totally enjoyed eating more candy than the actually put on the house.

O Christmas Tree...

Camryn and Adrienne in front of our tree. Yesterday we went to a Christmas concert so I dressed the girls up in their finery. We had a great time....the program was quite long. They wanted to give the opportunity for every person involved in the dance academy to have a chance to shine. The costumes were really amazing.

Camryn fell asleep during the first portion of the show for about an hour, and Adrienne fell asleep right after the intermission for the remainder of the show. Grammy totally had a wonderful time. We went to lunch before hand with her.

Future Hairstylists?

I have told my girls over and over that scissors are for paper only. Whenever, I let them use them they dutifully parrot back to me what I want to hear.....

So...here is how I found my girls yesterday afternoon.....

All the black stuff on the ground is fur from their horse Belly. They were giving him and the dog hair cuts with the scissors. I handled the situation pretty calmly but I could have screamed!

4 Year Well Check

Today A and C went in for their routine physical exams. They are both doing really well. The doctor was really pleased with how well they looked and acted.

Adrienne showed the doc how she could hop on one foot. The doctor was surprised and said she expected that from a 5 year old. Way to go Adrienne.

Camryn had to show the doc too that she could hop as well. She has been practicing but not as stable and sturdy as miss A. The tube in her left ear is almost out. The right ear is still good. I am hoping we don't have any more ear problems with her. Time will tell.

Adrienne weighed 30 lbs (10th percentile) and was 36 inches tall (3rd percentile)

Camryn weighed 34 lbs (41st percentile) and was 38 3/4 inches tall (21st percentile).

Luis and I are not tall people...so the girls are right on track. Their numbers have remained pretty consistent since they were newborns.

They both got 3 shots each today. Polio, DtAP and MMR. I remember the MMR from the first time around. No fun. I hope the girls just have a slight reaction from that one. I gave them a dose of Tylenol when we got home today.

The good news is that they will not need any more vaccinations until they are 11 except for the yearly flu shot.

My girls are 4!

Happy Birthday to my two beautiful girls!

I wish you many blessings in this next new year.

I love you,

Mommy

Pondering...

I just gave my girls their last baths as three year olds. Tomorrow morning they will turn 4 at 8:34 and 8:37 am.

I am just amazed at how fast the time as gone. There are times when it is excrutiatingly slow and others where I wonder where the last 2 weeks have gone.

Everything is prepped and ready for their party tomorrow.

In certain ways this third year of their life was difficult and rewarding. They learned so much and matured so much it was amazing to be here to watch.

We dealt with hearing issues with Camryn, got both girls using the potty, and started going to school. They are loving going to school and want to ride a school bus very badly! I don't have the heart to tell them it won't be anytime soon. lol

When kids are three they are still closer to being toddlers and babyhood. Turning four puts them closer to big kids and going to school. My girls are not babies anymore and they let me know whenever they can. :) That is another thing that blossomed this year was their speech. We have two witty and intelligent girls.

I am looking forward to how these two change and grow in 2007. I will still be blogging so I can record the ride.

Christmas Cards

I ordered our Christmas photo cards today from Wal-Mart. I am making some cards of my own and sending out a few of these also.

I guess I am in the holiday spirit sort of. I just like getting things done ahead of time. The thing that takes the most is addressing all the envelopes ;o. lol I am going to try and do labels on our printer this year too.

Pre-School Pictures

I love these pictures. You just never know how these type of pictures will turn out!

Miss Camryn

Miss Adrienne

Class picture

The girls are at each end of the front row....my bookends :)

Operation Christmas Child

Our stuffed to overflowing boxes

Adrienne and her picture

Camryn and her picture

This year our MOPS group decided to fill Christmas Boxes as a philanthropic outreach for each of our discussion group tables.

Our table got together last week and filled 5 boxes for little children all over the world. It is unknown where our boxes will actually end up.

I decided to do two boxes from our family one from Adrienne and one from Camryn. I had the girls draw pictures to the little girls who will be getting the gifts and I took a picture of them. I put the actual drawing and a 4x6 picture with our name and address on the back in case the child is able to contact us in the future.

The Operation Christmas Child program is run by Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son. I have always felt that this was a very reputable place to give my time and money to.