30 Days of Pictures - Day #6

A picture that inspires you

Dancin' queen
This picture perfectly showcases exactly what I love about Ashley; her spirit. And it's that spirit that inspires me. So many times I catch myself expecting her to make adult decisions, or I'll get exhausted with her when she can't seem to follow instructions. But I have to remember that although there are times she's wise well beyond her years, Ashley is still just a 3 year old. She's learning about life and how exactly everything fits together, and we could certainly all learn something from her.
So when I want to take her outside and snap pictures of her in her new sweater (thanks Grandma!), and she insists that she's a dancing monkey who absolutely cannot sit still because "if I don't dance like this, Mommy, the moon won't come out tonight", I have to just go with it and see where her spirit takes me. Today it took me someplace amazing. Imagine the fun I would have missed had I not gone along for the ride?

30 Days of Pictures - Day #5

A picture of your morning

Hands full
Sometimes we measure success just by getting 2 wiggly spirits washed, dressed, fed and out the door in time for the 11 am church service.
Yes, even small victories are victories.

Monkey'n around

I love my wild, little crazed monkeys!

Sisterly love
Kicking it in my pink kicks
Got my swagga on
Up to no-good
Chillin like a villain

30 Days of Pictures - Day #4

A picture of where you went today

Hiiiiigher!A rare sunny day in January calls for a morning run with my two favorite co-pilots and a stop at the park. Nothing beats it!

Blonde and beautiful

Not only is Natalie's personally changing daily, but so is her hair color. Check out how light she's getting!
I'm sure it won't be long before the blonde jokes start.

Can't get enough of this smile
One of the rare days where I'll actually leave my hair-tie in

Basket case

It would appear Midget and Spunky share my love for laundry. I share so much with them already, do I have to share my washer and dryer, too?!
Well do I?

Laundry basket roller coaster rides
...later that evening...
Curling up with homemade granola and a good movie
A caged, wild animal

30 Days of Pictures - Day #3

A picture of what you did today

Just call me Mommy
This pictures pretty much sums up my favorite title: Mommy.

Princess Castle Building Blocks: Ashley *loves* making towers and Natalie *loves* to cruise by and knock them over! Often times Ashley will rush over to play with her blocks while Natalie is locked up in her high chair, finishing a meal. She'll then announce "Sister isn't done eating, Mommy. She wants more. She doesn't want down yet." as an attempt to keep her away as long as possible. Pretty smart if you ask me.

Mini-library: right now I can't even think of the last time I read a book that didn't have pictures? This picture showcases some of their current favorites: Big Red Barn, The Potty Book For Girls, Fraggle Rock Countdown, Disney Princess': Snow White, Cinderella & Sleeping Beauty, Who Pooped In the Black Hills?, Poems & Prayers For Children, Where the Wild Things Are and Disney Nursery Rhymes & Fairy Tales. I love that they love to read, but I really love when Ashley "reads" to Natalie. I cherish those outward sisterly-moments. All 15 seconds of them.

Smurf: self explanatory: it's Smurfarific!

Toy camera: has been the root of a lot of sisterly squabbles lately. As the girls see me playing around with my camera, taking pictures, they rush to get their camera to join in the fun. It warms my heart when they want to do what Mommy is doing.

I'd like to share that this is possibly the first time I've *ever* posted a picture that I took using the 'manual focus mode'. Gosh. Talk about a lot of extra work! Auto-focus is definitely a lot easier to use! But the point of this whole assignment is to get out of my comfort zone and learn about myself and my camera.
Lesson accomplished!
Oh, and the original picture is really bright with oranges, pinks and purples. Normally I naturally gravitate toward the bright colors (hey look, something shiny!), and I really like the original. But it just didn't seem to to 'fit' what I was trying to say with this picture. I guess I toned it down to make it a bit more girly.
Pshaw. As if our girls are girly?! :)

There you have it. Project Riane 2.11 continues (remember to be gangsta and pronounce it two-point-one-one). Aren't you thrilled to be taking this ride with me?

Songs and first words

I wanted to share a video of Ashley singing a favorite of hers. She calls it 'The City Song', but you may have heard of it as 'God of This City'. She asks for it the second she's buckled in the car, and asks Jake to sing it to her a bedtime. Click here to listen to her perform. But please note, the video is taken in the car and you can't actually see anything since it was late at night. I'm a bit bummed at this recording; it doesn't fully showcase her singing abilities. Normally she's belting out at the top of her lungs, but this particular night she was feeling a bit more reserved I suppose. :)
I also have a video to share of Natalie saying one of her first words: UP! She can say Dada (her first word, just like Midget), Mama, that and now up! Click here to hear.
Aren't our girl the cutest?

30 Days of Pictures - Day #2

A picture of what you're wearing today:

Lady in leather
I'm certainly nowhere near 'artsy' but I've been having fun trying. There's so many interesting angles to play around with, not to mention lighting. I can see how this could become very addicting.
The ring was a Christmas present from Jake when we were very first married; pearls and diamonds are a favorite combo of mine. The pearl necklace was a gift from Kathy and Danny for Christmas a few years back. And the boots, my very first Mother's Day gift from Jake and Ashley. Each of these three items carries special memories for me; when I wear them I am reminded of people that love me.
And yes, in case you are wondering, I do wear my pearls with my Old Gringo boots. Every woman needs to be able to work like a man and act like a lady. It's the man's job to do the work and leave the acting to her.

Curling up with a good book

Lately Natty's favorite thing to do when we take her upstairs to get ready for bed is grab a book (usually Brown Bear) and climb into the rocking chair.

She couldn't be any cuter if she tried

30 Days of Pictures - Day #1

A picture of yourself plus 15 facts:
1. Sometimes I look at my girls and am blown away by the fact that they used to be inside of me, all scrunched up, kicking and hiccuping. Then I'm so overcome by love and admiration that I can't help but smile. And hold back tears.
2. I'm in my marriage for LIFE: if there was ever any question, consider the fact that I took Jake's last name.
3. I can do some crazy, funky things with my tongue. Perhaps there will be an assignment in the next 30 days where I can showcase that?
4. I'm afraid of the dark. 1 word: Boogyman.
5. Currently I'm working on 'getting to know the Bible and becoming a better Christian' as part of my Riane 2.point.11 list of things to accomplish.
6. I love my freckles; when I was younger I used to worry they'd fade as I grew up. Good news is I'm still as freckly as ever. Well not as freckly as, say, Shawna, but freckly just the same. :)
7. Every time I hear 'DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love Again' by Usher I instantly think of my girls in South Dakota. First I smile because I love them so much, then I frown because I miss them so much!
8. The 2nd toes on both of my feet are crooked (totally ruined my foot modeling career). There is indication that Natalie's toes are like mine. Poor Spunky.
9. Even though I've been with Jake for nearly 10 years, and he's my bestie, there is still a long list of things I'll never do in front of him. I like to keep the magic alive, people.
10. I love getting my groove on at Zumba. Make that I love getting my groove on anywhere. Nothing more fun than shaking the money maker.
11. I like to pretend I can cook. Although everyone in my family is still alive, so I must be doing something right.
12. I was totally chill when I turned 25, but when Jake celebrated his 25th five months before mine, I had a mini freak-out.
13. Life as Jake's wife means I understand diesel compression and why it makes more horsepower than a gasoline engine. That's right, people. Be jealous.
14. I'd love to visit all 50 states before I leave this earth; 15 down, 35 to go.
15. When I was in 5th grade I was scared I'd never be able to operate the lock on my locker because I could never get my PE basket locker open without help from friends. Luckily I tamed that beast by the end of the school year and went on to have locker-free mishaps clear through senior year.

Tuesday Tidbits

A fun tidbit about Ashley:
She is pretty crazy about the moon. Not only does she want to know where it's at all.the.time, she also wants to visit it one day soon, with Grandma, when she's bigger. It really is quite cute. Makes me wonder if NASA Space Camp is in our future?
She's so crazy about the moon and rockets that Aunt Katie hooked her up with the most adorable pink bomber jacket. Seriously Katie, you rock! We, er uh I mean SHE, loves her jacket.

1 word - adorable
A fun tidbit about Natalie:
In some foreign country the name Natalie must mean monkey, because Spunky climbs anything and everything. She's too strong for her own good. I'm ready to take out her knees if it means she'll stay ground-level.
Unfortunately my hands are too occupied getting her down from the counter-tops, stairs, ceiling that I don't have a picture of her latest endeavor. Soon, though. Very soon. In the meantime enjoy this picture of her wearing a self-portrait. Oh. I mean a monkey shirt.

2 feet on the ground - just the way Daddy & Mommy like it. I say booooring

Prepare yourself

Kelly, who is a good friend of mine, is doing '30 Days of Pictures' on her blog. As if I don't have anything else to blog about, I figured I'd take the challenge, too. It's a great way for me to 1. share random things and 2. practice more with my camera (which I have decided is MUCH smarter then I will EVER be).
Maybe by the end of the 30 days I'll be able to take better pictures? Which means more pictures for the blog!
So prepare yourself - I begin the journey tomorrow!

At Ashley's request...

...she asked that I take her picture in her new pajamas from Uncle Isaiah and Robyn. They're her latest obsession. She loves telling us "Ooh, they're so cozy and soft. They keep me so warm!"

Thanks for the new nighttime threads

Make room for baby

It won't be long until we get to love and cuddle with the newest member of the family. Katie is due in just 4 weeks with baby Wyatt and we couldn't be more excited! Last weekend we had a chance to shower Katie will love. Jamie and Jean co-hosted and threw such a lovely shower! I had such a wonderful time sitting back and watching Katie enjoy herself. Makes me reminisce about my baby showers. I will also admit that it makes me long to be pregnant again. :)

Isn't she adorable preggo?
Tasty shower favors
Mommy-to-be
Fantastic cake
Complete with Baby Wyatt on top - I bet he has that much hair when he's born ;)
Getting love from Aunt Jean
The loot
A chance to brag - Ashley was insistent that she be allowed to pick out a present for Wyatt. Any surprise this is what she chose out of hundreds of outfits and toys? She also asked to not only pick out the wrapping paper, but to wrap it as well. I should have snapped a shot of the wrapping - Scooby Doo paper with enough tape to build a barn! Ashley also picked a card to give to Katie; a lovely Halloween one which she 'wrote' Katie a message in. I'm so proud of Midget!
Getting cozy with Wyatt's quilt - handmade by Kathy
Adorable!
Grandma Kathy, Mommy Katie and Baby Wyatt
Excited sisters
Wyatt's favorite aunts (I'm sure, right?!)
Great Grandma Marilyn
Mommy with her hostess' - great job Jean and Jamie (and Jean there's no way you can tell me this picture of you is anything but fabulous!)
Picture time with Makenna
Thanks for the adorable invitations Adrianne :)
The party preggos - the gal on the left is due in April, the gal in the middle probably had her baby girl by now, and Katie on the left due February 22

Party time!

Darn it! I was hoping to get these pictures of Ashley's birthday party posted within a month of her birthday - looks like I missed my deadline!
Thank you to everyone that came by, partied with us and celebrated Ashley's 3rd birthday. With her special day falling so close to Christmas, Jake and I promised ourselves we'd make her birthday special every year, and totally unrelated to any Christmas festivities. Thank you for helping us keep our promise! Also wanted to give a big fat thank you for all of her gifts. We're so fortunate and lucky that she's surrounded by family and friends that love her so much!

Mm! Mickey Mouse cake - thank you Nana and Papa
What's a party without a family photo?
Loving on Nana and Papa
Big squeezes for Auntie A
Always happy when Auntie A's around
We looked over and Ashley had taken all of the red and yellow Mickey chocolate molds, bit off the ears, and then stuck the face/head part back into the cake (in random places obviously)
Don't worry, that's just frosting and not a Heil Hitler 'stash
Ashley was SO excited when we started singing Happy Birthday to her
Never so happy
Blowing out the candles like a big girl
Present time!
New PJs from Great Grandma Marilyn
Thanks for the outfit, Kari! (in case you don't remember, Kari sent a matching outfit for Natalie for her birthday present - Kari knows me well!)
Digging through for more goodies
Ashley's very own suitcase
Making off with Big Sister's new hat
My new coat - thanks Grandma!
Playing dolls with Uncle Martin
When are you going to come over so we can play Easy Bake Oven?
Birthday girl
Play piano with Aunt Lindsay
Winding down after the party in my new jammies - "Mommy they so soft and comfy!"