Ten on Tuesday

1.  My poor husband worked until 11:30 PM last night, 16 hours!  But he left again this morning with a smile on his face!  I love him so much, and his dedication to providing for our family!!!  He never ceases to amaze me!

2.  Had well-checks for the girls today.  Lauren was in tears from the moment I told her where we were going!  The doctor had so much compassion for her, he said he could tell she was trying SO hard to be brave.  She did pretty well until the shots, four of them in her arms - screamed "Owie!!!" and turned bright red.  I was really loving our pediatrician today though, he had wonderful things to say about both the girls, and about how they almost never see us in their office.  After their shots (Paige only had one and didn't make a peep), he came back in with little books as gifts to the girls.  Lauren managed a small "Thank you," through her tears and gasping.  ;)

3.  The percentiles you get at the doctor always bother me in one way or another.  Of course the Dr. himself always says they look great - but I just don't like the numbers!  Lauren was 50th for weight and 75th for height - like she has been forever.  Paige was 30th for weight and 60th for height.  That 30% bothers me a bit... just as a number.  I know the girl eats Lauren under the table in all areas, so she is surely not starving!  =)  Of course they were both over 95th for head size -- no surprise there!

4.  My parents got the girls a sandbox, and they are in heaven!

5.  While I love that they have this to play in outside, I am trying to figure out the best way to get the sand off off them before they come in the house.  AND they want to play in it every time they go outside, so that is a lot of dusting off and/or bathing!  

6.  Justin and I are going on a getaway this weekend!!!  I am so excited!  We haven't done anything overnight without the kids in three years, and we will get two nights away this time!  We aren't going far due to the pregnancy, just up to Sedona - but the time alone will be great no matter where we are!  

7.  Lauren is officially in love with Polly Pockets!  She was given this pool set for her birthday and then today chose to use a birthday gift card (from Uncle B and Aunt Jamie) to buy another "Polly" with lots of clothes to take on and off.  She told me after playing with it for an hour and a half during Paige's nap-time today, "This is great!"  Yep, just what Mommy was thinking, too!

8.  I *might* have found a birth photographer!!!  Don't want to jinx it or anything, so I will introduce her after everything is confirmed.  VERY excited!

9.  Had to pull out some parenting books this week and try to remind myself how I want to be as a parent.  My train had seriously derailed recently, but after only a few chapters I am starting to feel back on track.  Must keep reading.  I think it is so important to keep feeding helpful things into our thoughts so that everything else doesn't block out what is truly important!  I need to just keep a child-rearing book out on the table all the time and pick it up whenever I can!  Plus, Dr. Leaman's books make me laugh too, "We have seen the enemy... and they are small."  LOL!

10.  Starting to feel bruised from the inside out!  This baby girl (that we still haven't chosen a name for) is strong!  I don't recall having to brace myself because of pain from kicking in my other pregnancies.  ;oP  But, it is always reassuring to know she is happily flopping around in there! 

Where has the time gone?

It is so hard to believe I haven't posted anything in eleven days! Our iMac was having a screen issue and I took it in to be fixed. That, along with our week of holidays - made it too crazy around here to get anything extra done!  So now I am catching up -- and this is a long post!  But, I promise to try to give you the highlights.  Okay?

Let's see... there was Mother's Day:

Can you tell they were SO excited?  Hmmmph!  We had a very nice day though, and it was great to spend time together as a family!

Then we had Justin's birthday on Tuesday:

I was mean and put 32 candles on the cake!  But he had a lot of help blowing them out.  And we didn't even set of the smoke alarm!  *snerk*

Thursday was Lauren's 5th birthday:

She was pretty excited.  =)  Mostly about not having to take naps anymore.  Ha!

And Daddy surprised her with a pretty awesome present, too!

Then Saturday was her Fairy birthday party!  This theme was chosen because about six weeks ago we were walking by the bakery in Super Target and she saw this cake.  Her eyes were huge and she asked me if she would be able to have a cake just like that for her birthday.  So, fairies it was!  And it was a beautiful cake - gifted to her by Grandpa Randy and Grandma Linda.

We started with some pizza and fruit - birthday girl's choosing of course!

The kids decorated canvas bags with foam stickers and adhesive jewels:

Then we went outside to do the pull string pinata - Lauren's only requested game!

Note to self - if you put chocolate inside a pinata, hang it in the Arizona sun only moments before the activity is to begin.

Those poor melty Hugs.  It was a crime against chocolate, really.  

Then we had to cut into that beautiful cake!

Missing iMac aside, it was a great week!  =)

Hope you all had a nice one too!  I promise not to be another week or more before my next post!!!

My new lens arrived in the mail yesterday just before dinnertime, so I only had a few minutes of light to play with it before life demanded other things from me.  So far, I am in love with it!  It is amazing how after only a few shots you can just tell you are working with a finer piece of equipment!  So, on to some updated pics of the girls!

Lauren was happy to model for me for a change!  I think she could tell I was excited.  Her hair is getting quite long again - which will mean lots of braiding for the summertime!

She was hamming it up pretty good.  Check out the hair twirling!  This one is SOOC and I love it.

I still don't feel like my images are tack sharp when I am hand holding below f 2.8 - but it gives me something to work on!  See?

I know I was focused on her left eye, and neither she or I was moving.  But it is just a little fuzzy.

This one too... not quite sharp enough.  But she sure is cute!  =)  Still making her scrunchy smiley face when she sees the camera come out.

Oh, and to have these eyelashes!!!  She gets them from her Daddy (how unfair is that?!?), and I will be working hard on her not to ruin them with mascara in 12 years!

Anyway, I hope to have a lot more to share really soon.  There are some parasols and petti-skirts hidden in the closet that are just dying to get in front of my camera!  I think a trip to the park is in order.

Happy Friday-eve!

Thoughts on a Wednesday

Justin left this morning for a three day conference in Wickenburg. Which means I will be up late watching movies and being an insomniac. That is the time I truly dread when he's out of town - after the girls are in bed and I am craving that adult conversation! Plus, I have the HARDEST time sleeping when he is gone!!!

I am stalking the UPS man today. My new 85mm 1.8 lens is supposed to arrive today and I am super anxious to try it out! It is really an outdoor lens, since I will have to be pretty far away to avoid an extreme close up. Maybe I will pull myself and the girls together and go outside somewhere tonight to get some pictures! Maybe.

Pregnancy is starting to wear on me a bit. The bump is starting to get big enough to make getting up/down a chore... plus I am getting the lovely ligament pain! What is the deal with those things?!? Man alive! They have gotten progressively worse with each pregnancy. My OBGyn told me yesterday with the heel pain and the ligament pain that I really shouldn't be on my feet for more than 45 minutes at a time (and sitting without your feet up doesn't really count as sitting). Riiiiiight - any other mom's out there with me? It is impossible to sit and put my feet up every 45 minutes with two children and a house to take care of. I am trying to be better, but life just happens!

Anyone want to go to the Rhea Lana consignment sale that is coming to Norterra in a couple weeks? I have a mom-to-be pass for the early shopping session and the half-price sale at the end.

I am counting the days to Lauren's birthday solely because that is the day I will no longer require her to lay down in the dark and pretend to nap. The girl has mastered the art of forcing herself to be awake -- and while she is totally silent for 1.5 hours in there... she isn't napping. I told her when she was five she didn't have to nap anymore, but we are going to do quiet-time activities while Paige is napping. She could just be using that time to learn, or maybe to help me clean up. Bwahahahahahaha! Like that will happen.

I really want to rip down all the studio portraits in our playroom/office. They are always crooked, and while I love to see my girls as babies... they are just awful. Studio work is my least favorite style of photography. But, I haven't done it because there will then be 26 nail holes in my walls. Walls that are devoid of paint and desperately need to be washed. Not sure which is worse... the portraits themselves, or the idea of drawing more attention to the walls in question.

Speaking of crooked -- does anyone know a good trick for hanging pictures so that they stay straight? Mine are always moving and I am not sure how to hang them so they stay in one place without using some sort of adhesive! ;o)

I wanted to share the meanings of the top three names with you so you can maybe see more detail on what you are voting for:

Brooke: Literal - Near the small stream/Peaceful. Christian - Refreshed/Zec 2:10 ~ Sing for joy and be glad, for behold I am coming and dwell in your midst.

Courtney: Literal - From the court/courtier. Christian - Amidst God's Love/1John 4:16 ~ We have known and believed the love God has for us.

Faith: Literal - Enduring belief that does not require proof/Firm believer. Christian - Faith in God/Mark 9:23 ~ All things are possible for the one who believes.

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!!!

On Saturday we went to Camryn's 5th birthday party at "Sweet & Sassy", a little girl salon just around the corner from our house. They played Princess for an hour, and though I wasn't quite sure how Paige would do (especially since she woke up with a 'tude that morning) she LOVED it. Played along just like a big girl!

Here she is patiently getting her nails painted (by a girl named Courtney - how weird is that?) and sparkle make-up put on:

Camryn was truly enjoying her special birthday!

The hair-do's cracked me up, they were all very UP-do's and my girls' hair just doesn't stay that way for more than 5 minutes! So, this was the last shot of them really looking put together. After this, they danced all around the store and the hair took on shapes all it's own!

All nine girls together - have you ever seen so much sparkle in one place?!? =)

Of course, even a Princess has to make time for cake! Shawn's mom made a beautiful fondant cake with the best tasting marshmallow fondant I have ever eaten. Yum!!!

Happy Birthday Camryn!

Looking at these pictures just reminds me that Lauren is turning five in nine days! Never-mind that I have nothing prepared for that day yet, but how can she be five? My little baby girl. The one who made me into a Mommy. Turning five, starting Kindergarten, moving into the next stage of life! *sniff* Craziness!

Help us name the baby!

Today I had the realization that we only have two months left of pregnancy!  After that, the baby really could come at any time.  SO - there are some things that really need to be taken care of soon!

See that new little gadget over there in the sidebar?   <---------

It is a poll to see what you all think of the baby names we are currently considering.  Please help us out and vote for your favorite - AND, if you are so inclined, leave a comment on this post telling us a different name that you'd like to suggest instead!  We are interested in hearing all your ideas!

We don't want to be those people that are still trying to name their child AFTER they deliver!  ;o)

Thanks for your help!

We were able to go to the zoo on Friday with Jaclyn and her boys.  The kids all had a blast and it was a beautiful 70 degree day to finish off our April with!

Checking out the baby Zebras -

They were cracking me up with this:

My girls were obsessed with the Komodo Dragon!  We arrived at feeding time and got to watch it gulp down 1/4 of a raw chicken, they thought it was the best!

The statue of the dragon was even better!!!

Lauren was so excited to ride the dragon on the carousel after all that!

Paige on her seal - 

And Jaclyn was able to snap a picture of the three of us to prove I was there!

Thanks so much, Jaclyn!  We had a blast!!!

Painting

Last week I decided to pull out the watercolor paints to see how the girls would do.  Frankly, I avoid messy crafts with Paige.  I just hate cleaning up the mess, it is very selfish.  ;o)  They did great - with only one spill, which was really Mommy's fault!  Ha!  I am pretty sure we will be doing more of this art all summer.

My Lauren.  She loves her some paints!

Paige thought it was pretty awesome too!

Do you see all her hives?

In true Beeler-girl fashion, she had her very first outbreak for three days this week.  No idea what they were from!  But, we don't let them stop us... we just load up on Benedryl and carry on our merry little way!