Shutterfly Freebie

As most of you know I am a Shutterfly finatic. I have always used them for my annual photo books of our daughter. I am currently in the process of making christmas cards(the Folded Versions are my favorites since they allow me to add our yearly story) and I ran across an offer to good not to share. If any of you are like me, and I am sure most of you are, you will be sending out Christmas cards this year. Don't forget there are always Wall Calendars and Christmas Ornaments too! What better way than to get 50 free cards? I am so excited to share that the shutterfly community blog is hosting a give away. Thanks Margaret Ramsey, for letting my know about this great freebie! YAY!!

Just a quick little note: LAST MONTH was our 8th Anniversary!

Thanks to my in-laws we were able to go out to dinner & also spend a couple of hrs at Six Flags!

Officially Falling Apart..

I have been dealing with a lot of bum body parts over the last couple of years... I have admitted to the hubby that yes in about 10 years he might be toting around an elderly woman with a walker/cane/or wheelchair. I feel like I am much older(in my bones) than a 26 yr old.

For the last 3 + weeks I have been nursing a pain in my lower leg(just below the shin and above the ankle... It doesn't really have a name). Out of paranoia I finally made an appointment.. I thought it had to do with my back, something stemming from a pinched nerve, b/c when sitting my shin ankle area would become numb. I have at the same time been having a lot more back pain.

Come to find out yes I am a old lady... I ended up having x-rays and lab work the x-rays confirmed a stress fracture in the lower femur bone and I haven't heard back from the lab work yet but I am on calcium supplements. I have also been referred to a physical therapist for all my back pain. The Dr and I are hoping for some relief as I start building more muscles in my back. Woo Hoo! I can't wait to not have as much pain anymore. It makes me quite the grouch. I am looking forward to being a nicer wife and mom. Keep me in your prayers. I have a referral to see someone in Orthopedics to make sure my leg is healing properly. It takes about 6-8 weeks to completely heal and I am not allowed to do extra activities...In fact my Dr said the only reason she wants me doing anything is if it is life or death. So I am allowed to walk but nothing more.

Hope Every One Has A WonderFul Weekend!

These photos are irrelevant to the post today... They just make me smile..These are photos from back in March when my little sister and Miss G had a Impromptu Fashion Show.

Oh What Fun It Is To......

COLOR :)

Miss G and I spent a good bit of time today coloring in this city. We had such a good time doing it too. She delegated what I could color and what she wanted to color(dare I say, I did alot of coloring???) I recommend checking out made by joel to download your very own creations....

Golfing With Daddy

Jonathan really enjoyed getting to introduce G to golf. She loved it. More to come :)

This is where you would find me the entire night...

Can you help me help my friend, Crystal, show God's love to people in Africa?

Crystal has put it in such beautiful words that I could never sum up even a portion of what it means to be able to help. Please go see and know what I am feeling. I cannot help as much as I would like but I just skipped our normal going out for one day so that I could help her with this cause. I feel that the thing I can help more with is by posting this on here and on facebook. I might be able to help one more family.

If God places it in you heart to help, Thank You! Crystal has put her wonderful talents to work to make sure it get out to everyone, she has been generous enough to make this beautiful quilt and put it up for a drawing... This beauty could be yours.

Friends Are Wonderful

Really Really Wonderful...

I hope you are as blessed as I am to have friends who will help you move 1000+ miles across country... I couldn't have asked for more...

We went to the city ...

Drove in the big city without any accidents....

We saw the bones of a T-Rex...

Did lots of window shopping...

Ate famously stuffed pizza at Giordano's Pizza...

Used the CTA system...

Ate at Jimmy Johns...

We learned G is a rather good photographer if needed in a pinch----> I have always been nervous of asking a random stranger to hold my prized possession(talking about my camera guys not my child.. :p)
We also learned she takes about 30+ photos for one sitting...

Walked WAY to far by accident....

Rode the Bus System ....

Ate at Noodles...

Took fabulous photos with crazy girls....

Ventured the metra with a 6 yr old ...

Used our GPS to find non-existent restaurants..

Miss read the maps, which caused us to walk an extra couple of miles...

We stood ashore & looked out over a lake that seemed as large as the Gulf of Mexico...

Did I mention ate good pizza??? :)

Went to many Museums...

Walked everywhere.....

Ate a Chicago Dog.... the one I had tasted just like a regular hotdog---> did I get jipped? was it supposed to be better?

Went shopping and found great deals...

We stood on a see thru ledge overlooking the city 103 stories up(approx 1350 ft), where by I didn't look directly down when standing on the ledge...

Went into the city to see the Sky Deck at Willis Tower to only have it closed due to high winds and window blowouts...

Realized our walking shoes hurt our feet more than our flipflops...We are Fl girls...

Had a wonderful birthday breakfast with the girls...

Dropped my best friends off at the airport....

One Bestie arrived just a little late(oopsie) and missed her flight...

Good thing it was early enough in the day that she could catch the next one....

I didn't cry...not that day....

Goodbyes are Hard

Arent Ashleigh and I cute... James offered to redo the photo of us... I personally love this one b/c it is us.. Mama, my parents and James and Mindy were there to see us off. Miss You all

Oldies But Goodies

We were able to spend an afternoon with the kids I Nannied almost 4 years ago. It just so happens that a friend of mine,Elisabeth, took the job after me and thanks to the kids Elisabeth and I are now best friends. I will miss you guys. G & I can't wait to visit you over the holidays.

G's last Day of Kindergarten

Last Day

for friends from Liza Jackson

for Mrs. James

for getting on and off the bus at Mama's

for going to school where her Aunt Ashleigh attends with her

for riding the bus with Aunt Ashleigh

for going to school in Fl

for going down the yellow hall to class

Last day with Travis, Coleman, Sarah, Holla & Aleah in the background.
Last day with Travis , Mikayla, Coleman, Zionna, Sarah, Layla, Holla and beside G is Sophia. Again Aleah in the background.

Last day with Travis and Coleman(as you can see they loved her, Coleman loved my camera more)

Last day with Mikayla

Last day with Zionna

Some Favorites:

pink and blue and red

chicken nuggets with ketchup

Sarah was her favorite friend in class

the mean girl on the bus, Zandrea was her best friend by the end of the year

play dough was her favorite thing to do at school

recess was awesome

you learned your phone number and address

you had a chore chart to complete once you got home from school: it had shower, hang up towel get dressed, put dirty clothes away, get out folder and start homework

you loved your bus ride
your favorite thing to do after school was go swimming with either Ashleigh or hunter

your favorite breakfast was pop tarts and cereal

you favorite lunch at school was hamburgers with ketchup

favorite snack at school was cookies

100Th day of school was great

loved being a car rider too!

thanksgiving celebration was fun

when you grow up you want to be a police officer, b/c police officers shoot with guns and have hand cuffs and mommy will be your nanny for you 3 kids

you loved making projects at school like gingerbread men and making puppets in art

in Spanish you learned numbers & colors and how to speak in Spanish : adios-goodbye, Ola-hello,

things that were popular : silly bands(shaped rubber bands that you wear on your wrist like a bracelet that you traded for other ones at school and on the bus)

your favorite song right now is all the wonderful horses(the yodeling christian CD)

some things you like to do when you are bored go outside to play, eat food, playing the computer and watching cartoon, and going swimming

you go to bed 800 and wake up at 700 for school

the school bus comes at 800, school starts at 830 & ends at 300, you get off the bus at 400

you collect pencils, silly bands, rocks, bookmarks

you love cats and dogs

your favorite outfit is the light pink and grey dress with hearts and your long jean skirt with your purple little pets shop shirt
every time I have asked you a question tonight you have responded with ....that's a good question... hahaha