August 28, 2010

an {old} picture: a cute sister

Minus the bad quality of this picture it's definitely a favorite!

I was looking through some {old} pictures I took 2 summers ago with my point&shoot camera and found this picture.
Courtney was so cute when she was 2(she still is:). Super dark brown eyes, hair that was almost never in a ponytail or clip, and a personality that has no description. If you know her, you know what I mean by a "Courtney" personality! I love her like crazy!
Last night she slept in me and Ashlyn's room. Me and her did a face mask, ate peanut m&m's, and watched part of Princess Diaries..
The funniest things come out her mouth! And the best part is she doesn't even try it..(: Like when she asked how early we were gonna stay up.lol



---- ----

Her biggest accomplishment this summer: swimming all by herself!!


-



-corina.dm

August 27, 2010

The things I did:


WhirlyPop in candy store at Ashley Park

Some wonderful friends from DE were in town for nearly a week in July.
One day us older ones headed out to town to do some shopping.
We ate ice cream at Coldstone Creamery, found $1 shirts at Rainbow, and took pictures at Ashley Park among other things.



-----------------



Harrison eating his birthday cake!

Feeding big brother

Gotta love that face!


--------------------



5 days. 5 nights.

You watch movies like Cheaper by the Dozen and Yours, Mine, and Ours, and think, Wow! What an adventure life must be with all those children! Well I'm tellin you, going from 7 to 12 kids WAS quite the experience!!!(even is it was for only 5 days)
The ages of everyone was 16, 14, 12, 11, 9, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 20 months, and 1.
All I can say is more children = more troubles, but it also = more laughs!!


The little boys watching Baby Einstein

Did I mention LOTS of dishwashers??

Sunday we packed up and headed to a lake about an hour away to for a picnic and swimming.

van load



The 3 youngest girls playing Sorry

These girls were hilarious.

3 little girls with big imaginations + a drawer full of hair stuff = VERY unique hair styles






Trying to get a picture with at least half of the little ones(and big ones!) looking....

The best we got.lol (:


Tuesday morning I was home with the 4 youngest(4 under 4).
With Harrison taking a nap and Isaac playing contentedly I had a few minutes to spare, so I got Courtney and EliseJoy dressed up did a little tea party and mini photo shoot.

 
Cuties!



--------------


Last summer I got this awesome pink shirt at Target and I really like it except for the fact that the sleeves are too big for my arm and I prefer having sleeves snug around.

This is what it looked like before.

and after

I just folded and sewed it.
Super quick and easy fix!


------------

Eleven picture frames all for less than $3!! 
Sure, they're not all that nice and maybe a little scratched but nothing paint can't cover. 
Harrison helped me wipe them off.. (:


I plan to add some to this collection on my bedroom wall.
(pardon the crooked pictures. It's a pet-peeve of mine too.)


----------



My workspace for most of the summer.

"desk" - half painted dresser.(I did finish painting it a couple weeks ago)
I've done so many random sewing projects this summer...



----------------

Lots and lots of swimming!!!


----------


A camping trip I will NEVER forget!!

So we packed the camper and van, pull out of the driveway and the van doesn't seem to be working right. We pull off the road(barely) less than a mile from home. It's one of those super hot summer days so instead of staying inside the van that's getting hot from being parked in the sun, us children get out and sit in the ditch for a while than head over to the Methodist church and hang out on the front steps. During that time mom walks home and brings back the truck. Then mom and dad tow home the van and camper(one at a time). After that mom comes and picks us up in our other van. We go home, move everything from the big van to the truck and camper than leave(again). This time truck pulling camper and since we don't all fit in the truck, the car follows with the other half of the family in it. From the first time we left home till we pulled out again it was a little over an hour.

sitting. waiting.

The reason we went camping in the first place was to celebrate Elise's 7th birthday.
blowing out the candles

Chandler skateboarding

Breakfast made over the fire. Nothing can compare!
The evening before we left Harrison burnt his fingers on the stove.

Me and sweet baby brother

On Monday morning me and Chandler woke up before 7 so I could go out to the lakes to take pictures. He's a trooper!
Ducks in the fog
There are 2 lakes with a land bridge between. We sat in the middle, on the edge of the walking trail, on our blankets. Chandler "told stories" with his sillybands(lol), I took pictures, and we read the Bible together. It was such a special time with crazy funny memories made..





These next 7 pictures were taken with my cellphone(2mp camera) while on a walk the evening before.
Absolutely NO editing whatsoever.
double sunflare is hard enough to get with an SLR!




 
we the children

----------



Harrison modeling a headband I made.

It's so funny, you walk up to him anytime and say "where's your pretty hair?" and he grins(proudly) and puts his hands on his head.(:
But believe me, he's 100% boy. No matter how much he loves "pretty hair" and wearing pretties in his hair, most of the time you'll find him playing with a truck, ball, or dirt! Oh yeah, and he loves to eat too!!

----------


 
Shakes at Steak.n.Shake
checking out the menu
This summer our library had a reading program. If you read a certain amount of books or read so many hours you got a prize, which was coupons for about half a dozen different restaurants, including Steak.n.Shake. Also for the older ones there was a drawing for $100 cash and what'd know my brother won it!!!!

----------



He could LIVE outside!!!
Offer to take him outside and you'll be his bestie!

--------

 

Biscotti and coffee in the morning.
This recipe for biscotti is amazing!!!





-corina.dm