Saturday, February 28, 2015

Yea or Nay?

I recently took a photo of the girls.
 While asking Eloise and Dinah to look at me... 
this is what I got!!


I posted it to Facebook and everyone has been commenting on it.

Here is my question...
Do you think it's appropriate to have this made into a canvas print 
(or something similar) to give to my mother-in-law for her
birthday in March?

It's obviously not your standard "professional" or "posed" portrait!

And if the answer is YES... 
would COLOR or BLACK & WHITE be better?


Needing some opinions here! 
I will not be offended if you tell me not to
use it... I am just trying to see what others might think
if they saw this hanging on someone's wall!

And.. no.. I still never got them to look at the camera for a "nice" picture!
Haha!

Friday, February 27, 2015

3 Months!

Here is our little sweetie, Audra, at 3 Months!


She currently loves to watch her sisters dance and play.

She lays on her play mat and "plays" with toys - which is mostly her discovering that she can reach out and touch them.  I love to watch that!


She still loves mama most (sorry everyone else!).

She has started sleeping for 7 or more hours straight at night!

 (She's no longer smaller than Mr. Monkey!)

We aren't sure her height/weight as she doesn't go for her next check up until the end of March... but let's just say she is not a slight little thing!!  I'm guessing she's around 13 or more pounds.

She loves to smile at anyone who smiles at her!


Such a blessing to our life, she is!


Tuesday, February 24, 2015

I was going to try to take some time to post something today... and then Audra woke up!  Eloise is entertaining her for a few minutes, so I can't commit to sitting down for long!  I just have to say that we are SUPER tired of winter!  These temperatures below zero every day are getting old!  But I am SUPER excited that we are going to have a garden this year when all this snow finally melts!  We're starting small because, well, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing (don't worry, I've been reading and looking things up!).  Eloise is excited to help and soon we will be starting to plant a few things inside, once we get our seeds!  They may actually have come today because I saw the mail man leave something at our door!  I should go check that!  If you are planning a garden, here is the place we got our seeds:  SEEDS NOW (That's my referral link, should you choose to use it!).  They are non-GMO, non-HYBRID and Heirloom, which is extremely important to us!  If anyone has any sweet tips they want to give me, please feel free to comment! 

Here is a picture of me and my girls from last night!  



They sure keep me on my toes... and sometimes they make me want to pull my hair out!  Haha!  But I am so blessed!

Happy Tuesday!



Tuesday, February 3, 2015

I haven't had time to post lately as the beginning of 2015 has held many trials for our family..... mainly Cory's dad (which of course affects us as well).  If you have followed at all, you may remember that he was diagnosed in 2011 with Esophageal Cancer.  He had surgery, chemo, etc... and was able to get past that... only to later be diagnosed with tumors in his brain.  He had Gamma Knife, medications, etc... then had a recurrence which led to Full Brain Radiation, etc.  I can't even keep the whole timeline straight.... but on January 1st, 2015 he had some sort of "episode".  Doctors weren't sure if it was a seizure or stroke.  He was taken to the hospital because he couldn't walk or remember things.  This has happened 2 or 3 more times in the weeks since... he has been in and out of the hospital and also a nursing home.  It is believed that the medicine he was on to help him was actually harming him.  They have since removed him from the medication.... and he has been slowly improving... able to walk (with the aid of a wheeled walker) and remember things again (though not completely).  The damage to his brain from all of the radiation is not reversible.  And now that he is off the medication that is supposed to help with that - the doctors say there is nothing else they can do for him.  They suggested for him to go home and enjoy his family and dog for the time he has left.  It could be weeks... but probably not more than a few months.  As you can imagine, it has been a very trying time.  The roller coaster of emotions has been almost unbearable at times.  Cory has spent many days and evenings after work with his parents.  I have been holding down the fort as best I can.... not easy with a new baby.  Of course Cory comes home and helps out as much as he can as well... we are both emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted.  (Hence the reason I have had zero time to blog).  We have still managed to have birthday parties for the girls... and are managing from day to day.  If you read my sister's blog at all... hopefully you were able to see the pictures she posted!  I will try to continue to post as I can... but will probably be sporadic as life is hectic.  Thankfully Cory's dad is home now and is enjoying sitting in his own chair, watching the news and the dog snoring on the couch.... and we hope to go over there often as weather (and health) permits.




Hope your New Year has started off better than ours!