Day 241: Getting Ready

Summer is coming to an end. The kids' last day of Summer is tomorrow, they go back to school on Tuesday. Got Chelsea's back pack all ready to go, and she already knows what she is wearing on her first day of school,  her minion shirt. :D I still have to grab a few things for the boys, like some bigger notebooks, and gym shorts, and shoes. This year Summer we have been broke, so we didn't do much school shopping. I hate that, but they still have decent clothes to wear. And it's not like we shop once a year for them. Just is a nice tradition I like to do. I need to sell their old clothes that don't fit, and then use that money on new clothes. Kwin needs a whole new wardrobe, as he has had a growth spurt, and is in 4T shirt, and his pant size is tricky. He has a tiny waist, so 3T's are a little big, but perfect in length. Chris stopped over, and brought stuff for burgers on the grill. Frank started on the dog kennel, and I got a nap in. :)

Ready for School...

Day 240: Frank's Birthday

Today is Frank's birthday. :) His Dad came up, and brought up a car port so they set that up, only to find out he forgot the cover for it. LOL Kyle helped, and Kwin was running all around. It would rain, and then stop, and rain, then stop. Kwin loved that!! Frank is also getting the holes dug for the posts, for the dog kennel. Kwin just HAS to get in one of the holes. I couldn't help but snap a few pics. Hahaha He was SO dirty!! lol I also got a shot I thought was kinda neat, it's the tire swing pic. :) We were planning to make a fire & make smore's for Frank's birthday, bout it rained....Boo!! But he said he's gonna make one via microwave. :) Kyle did his ALS ice bucket challenge today, too. He did GREAT! He did not flinch!

                                             Boys will be boys....

                                 In a hole......

Day 239: Ice Bucket Challenge

I'm ready for this to be over with. LOL Today was Frank's turn to do the ALS ice bucket challenge, and Kyle's. Frank did his, not sure if Kyle will get around to do his? He is staying at a friends house again tonight. Today was a rainy, lazy kind of day otherwise. Not much to say about today.

                                 Ice bucket challenge...

Day 238: Gee, I Can't Wait Till I Go To High School......

Don't you ever say that! Stay as long as you can, for the love of God, cherish it. Haha Love me some Billy Madison. :) I just can't believe that Keagan & Kyle are going in to High School! Keagan is now wanting to try football, so we got ahold of the athletic director, and then I called the coach and left a message. Hopefully he will call back, and say that they are taking new players still. They already started 2 weeks ago, and have had some games. I hope he can join, I will LOVE to go to the football games, and I think Kwintyn will really enjoy it as well. I *think* the boys are excited for school to start, of course they are not keen on waking up early, and homework, but they want to see their friends. It was a long orientation 7:45am-12:00, we left a bit after noon. They served lunch, and the lunch ladies enjoyed Kwin. He was the youngest kid there, but he was so good, and so quiet you didn't know he was there. I just wish I had a a sitter because he was needing the potty, and walked so slow. haha They got their student I.D's today, and pictures taken as well. I hope the boys really enjoy their years in high school, and I hope that they join in some of the sports & activities that the school offers. They have a photography club!!!!!!

                                 High School!!!! :O

 Oh, and I got nominated for that ALS ice bucket challenge. That shit is crazy! LOL I will donate the next time.

Day 237: Open House

Today we had Chelsea's open house for school. We found out who her teacher was, and chatted with him for a bit. Didn't really need to walk around since she knows the place pretty well. Crazy to believe this will be her last year in elementary school. I forgot my camera at home, I was bummed. So I got a pic of the Student hand book. lol Tomorrow is a busy day, we have Keagan & Kyle's orientation and that starts at 7:45am, and goes till noon....UGH!

                                                      The rules for school.

Day 236: Eggs?!

Sitting outside, and Kwin is playing in the dirt....what's new?! lol And he picks up little balls of dirt, and says they are eggs. I question him, like what kind of eggs? Are they dinosaur eggs? No. Are they chicken eggs? Yes! They don't look like chicken eggs, you sure? Yes! Oh, O.K. Haha he then on to make scrabbled eggs. He then was off running'!! Said in my Forrest Gump voice. hehehe That boy sure likes to run. :D Made me happy, get that energy out!!! And yes, his outfit of choice is just lovely. The vest doesn't even fit, he stole it out of the get rid of bag, and wouldn't let it go. Haha Frank came home, and I had to go with a friend to check out some property for an upcoming photo shoot, so the kids stayed home & played with Dad, and he cooked them dinner. Was nice to get out for a bit. :) Very beautiful property.

                                           Eggs.....lol

Day 235: Can't Stop.....

Been editing all day long, but I *think* I'm done. :) I totally forgot a picture for today....haven't been doing so well lately, but life gets busy. My legs & feet were swollen from sitting so long from editing.   I forget about what really goes in to the photo shoot. You talk to the client prior to get ideas, you do the session, and I'm not one to get warm, but I start to sweat, and get hot. I was so thankful that I was doing a session next door, I ran home & changed. LOL So I was working hard. ;P It took me about 14 hours to edit the session, some can take longer, or be shorter. And then all the other delivery of the good stuff come in to place as well. So when I think about it, what I am planning to charge is really cheap. I know I don't have "Pro" quality, and why should I pay if you are not a Pro? Well in today's world, ain't nothin' for free. You still pay a handy man & he's not a "Pro". Plus it takes time away from my family time, and that is important. Did I say my feet swell really bad, too?! ;) Eh, I feel like I have to babble to make up for my slack on my project. Haha!

Day 234: Sugar & Spice, And Everything Nice.....

That's what little girls are made of. :) I had a newborn shoot today, so I was busy with that, and did not get a 365 picture. Kids were busy helping Frank clean the yard, and get the shed tore down finally!!! He even added siding to the side I have been complaining about forever. So a productive day today. :)

                       Sweet, baby girl from my session.

Day 233: Going To The Fair

We went to the Otsego County Fair today, I think the kids had a lot of fun.  Kwintyn was taller this year, so he was able to enjoy more rides this year. Of course he loved all the animals & he fed a few goats, and gave some pets to a lot of animals, even the pigs. He said to the brown cow, "How now, brown cow. lol We watched the Fireman show that was put on, and Kwin seemed really intrigued but that. He even went through the smoke house all by himself. I think he had the most fun out of the kids. He LOVED the rides that were the fun house style, and the one with the bridge, he went on it over  & over, again. Chelsea didn't ride to many rides, she went on a lot with Kwin. She did ride the swings by herself, you should have seen her expression.....you could tell she was having such a fun time....think Wednesday Adamms. LOL Which she does a great Wednesday act, by the way. haha The boys met up with their friends, and walked around with them & rode rides. That is just crazy...I'm getting old. It cost us $75 just for wrist bands, and $18 just to get in to the fair. We went after Kwintyn's appt. with DeAnna, so 12:30-4:00, then we grabbed a bite to eat, went home, and ate, let the dogs out, change, and we went back up. We wanted to get our money's worth. LOL Shit, aint cheap. We enjoyed a funnel cake, corn dog, and son-cones before we left. Was a good day. :)

I do want to add that at today's session DeAnna ordered a book about Selective Mutism, as I have talked to her about this before. She wanted me to read it, and hear my input. I really liked the book, and am planning on ordering it. But she did say she see's Kwintyn on the path to selective mutism. She see's how he doesn't talk much anymore at the session. He really didn't say much even when I asked him questions, I usually sit in the waiting area, but lately he needs us to go in. He did speak at the very last, and it wasn't much, and it was to me. I see how "shy" he is getting, and will be quiet around people, or he gets easily embarrassed just as Chelsea did. So it's not just me seeing sings of selective mutism with him. I don't care if he has it either way, I mean, I hope he doesn't because it's just so...complicated, and it's heart breaking.

                                           FAIR!!!!!

                                            He loved this!!

                    Got to ride the "big" rides this year. Oh, yeah!!

                                    Feeding the goats

                                Watching the fire show

Day 232: So Dreamy....

So lately I have been over editing a few photos, and I like the out come. I like the magical & dreamy feel it gives. I know Photoshop has actions for things like this, and others, like sun flares, ect. I don't have Photoshop, so I'm stuck. I'm still playing with Lightroom when I get a chance, and watching Youtube tutorials. But I don't get to much time to sit & do that stuff. Frank took a tire, and made a tire swing with it. The littles...aka Chelsea & Kwintyn, really like. So does Maggie! LOL She bites at it, and barks. Too funny! I snapped a few pics of Chelsea while she was on it, and I liked how they turned out, but they were just blurry due to the swing moving. Lately I have been on a kick were I think OOF ( out of focus) photos can be interesting. So I'm playing with that too. :)

                                                       Such a beauty!!

                                                       My Turn!

Day 231: Some Things Never Change

I had to laugh, and grab my camera when I saw Chelsea under the trampoline digging. What's so funny about that?! Since she was little she has always liked to go under the trampoline, and dig in the dirt. I would get on her about it, but eventually just said Eh, what the hell...get dirty. LOL She now has taught her brother this fun game. I finally just said if you are going to dig holes, please don't do it in the yard, go to the woods. :) Just seeing her dig the way she was, made me see that little girl under the trampoline digging away.

     My Little TomBoy who loves all things pretty & glittery. :) Best of both worlds.

                                        Teaching little brother.....

Day 230: Fill Er' Up!!

At Kwintyn's Gas Station. Frank took down his ghetto shed, only to make a new ghetto shed. Kwintyn thinks it's his gas station. He say's this is station #2. LOL He likes to pretend that the garden hose is a gas pump. He's seen gassing up the snow blower here. ;) That boy still LOVES trucks, and anything that has to do with trucks. Frank sure is making him in to a lil Redneck! Trucks & Mud.

                                          Kwintyn's Gas Station

Day 229: Happy Tuesday

Just an ordinary Tuesday here.  Chelsea had to go back to the Dentist again to get her spacer put in. We are done with the Dentist now, hurray!! Frank didn't work due to the rain, or the rain we were suppose to get. It did rain, but not all day. He did do a side job this morning, though. We picked up a few things from Walmart, and came home. So I guess it just wan't an ordinary day, same ol', same ol. Frank is finally getting his junk outside cleaned up, and organized. Been nagging him only forever!! So hopefully soon, the dogs will have a fenced in area. They have been doing pretty good in the yard when we unleash them. I got bored & went walking around the yard, and snapped a few pictures. So that is what is the pic of the days. :)

Day 228: These Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty

Kid's love the soft pretzels. I have to go back to Gordon's and get another big box. Gordon's is the place to go if you need to bulk food shop around here. There is no Costco, or Sam's Club. The nearest is Traverse City. It sucks! Especially when you need to buy bulk, because you have a big family. We've talked about going over once a month, and we would need to take cooler's with us. Maybe we should just try it out sometime? Keagan was a nice brother, and gave up the last pretzel, and gave it to Kwintyn. Brought up the totes to go through some clothes, with hopes of that yard sale. ;) I'm debating about putting some things on the new & used on Facebook, but this group has so many rules, and it's kinda crazy. LOL We'll see how it goes, I guess. :/

You talking to me?! That is a Kwin favorite right there. He is always saying that. lol

Day 227: Watch Dogs

I was just going to leave it at Sarge & Maggie today. After all they are like kids! I have to yell at them as much as the kids, and I'm always on them about rough housing. They love to look out the window, and often the dog down the street with come down by our drive way, and just start barking. Sage & Maggie, just look out the window, bark here & there, or whine to go out to say, Hi. lol Today Maggie was so excited, she was all tensed up, and shaking. Hahaha She's our window licker. LOL While sitting out side today the kids found a tree frog, so I got a few shots of him. And then Kwin & Chelsea were hanging on the rope, well Kwin wanted to hang, so I snapped a picture of him looking up. I played around with the picture, and came up with this dreamy looking photo. It's a bit over edited, but I really like it. I've just been down in the dumps.....again. I really do feel depressed. Hopefully this will pass soon. But with Winter approaching I think it will be back in full force, by then. I hope not. I just am frustrated with a lot of things. Things that are simple things, but these things stress me out SO much, and I hate it. Like messes. You've heard me complain about it. It's just getting old, and I had enough. But anyways, today felt like a better day. I hope tomorrow is pleasant, too. :)

                                                     Watch Dogs

                                 Nature always soothe's my soul.  Beauty that bloomed.

                                             It ain't easy being green.

             You would not believe your eyes if 10 million fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep.

Day 226: Little Helper

Kwintyn helped me take care of Brownie's area. I have to keep her in our room still because Ruby stalks her. I don't know how to stop this stalking business either. It's like Rubie see's her as prey, and goes for the kill pretty much everyday. Rubie & Ollie's area is in the basement, and poor Brownie doesn't even really go down there. She has ventured down, only to be cornered, or chased back up. I hate having her stuff in our room, but it's the only room she feels comfy in. Thanks god she isn't much of a stinky cat, like the other two are.  Although she gets litter, everywhere!

                                    Helping feed Brownie, and clean up her area.

Day 225: On Another Adventure!

We went on a walk today, or an adventure as Kwin say's. It was a little chilly, or so I had thought. lol Kwin slept in today, so he has been in a pretty good mood today. Maybe that has been his problem, he  just needed more sleep. Spent the day cleaning.

Did I mention that Kyle went with his friend to Drummond Island?!?!?! I can't remember if I did? I don't think I did. :/ Well, Kyle got to spend the week with his friend in Drummond Island, in a beautiful stone house. He comes home tomorrow, so I'm sure I will hear all about it. He text Frank earlier this week, that he caught a few salmon. A few pics were posted on Facebook, and he looked like he was having fun.

                                                        Adventure Time!

                                 My fairy looked extra pretty today. :)

Day 224: Happy Napper

Chelsea & Kwintyn got in to playing with their Happy Nappers today. They haven't played with them in a long time, and they played nice. :) If you don't know what a Happy Napper is, it's kinda like a pillow pet, I guess. But with this, you get an animal, and his home. He even has his own doorbell.

                                      Here's Kwin with his.

Day 223: You Say I'm A Witch Like It's A Bad Thing

Laugh and the world laughs with you, cackle maniacally and people back away from you slowly.  True story. LOLLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!! ;D Chelsea decided to wear her old witches costume today. It doesn't fit anymore.....Ok, so it fits, it's just a lot shorter. Kwintyn was sporting his skeleton shirt today, he got that shirt from his friend, Rory last year. :) I was going to get pictures of the kids playing, as I thought it was cute they both were representing a Halloween theme. But, he went inside and changed, so that changed the whole thing. haha Eh, he didn't care not to get in any pictures anyways. Was going for a whole mystical/woodsy/Halloweeny theme, didn't get the images I wanted, but I was also being lazy. :/

                    Children see magic because they look for it.

Day 222: Crabby Patty

Kwintyn is a crabby patty today. Him & Chelsea have got in to it today, fighting over the chair. UGH! Frank didn't have work, due to the rain, so we picked up a few groceries today. I was happy to hear that my special package arrived today, and put a smile on a few faces today. :) I sent a sunshine box out to a friend a few days ago, and it arrived 2 days early! I think I sent all the sunshine to her, because it has been raining the past few days here. LOL

                             Fighting over the chair. What a fit he had!!

Day 221: Does It Fit?

Going through some clothes today, hoping to have a yard sale soon. I really don't want to, because yard sales suck! I'd rather have a garage sale.  Woke up early today, thanks to Kwintyn. He got up, and came to our bed, and I couldn't go back to sleep, and neither did he. Then it was time for Frank to get up for work. Frank gets up at like 5:30 am. I knew he would get sleepy again, so I hoped he would go back to sleep. He finally did around 11:00. I hate getting up early in the morning, makes me so tired around 3 o'clock. But I did get a lot accomplished today. So I guess, Yay!

Piles of clothes will soon be all over my house. Sorting, and pricing. UGH!

Day 220: Sprinkler Shower

Frank got the sprinkler out today, Chelsea & Kwin enjoyed that. Kwin said he was taking a sprinkler shower. He can make me laugh everyday with some of the things he says. Kids have been busy with Dad today, playing outside, and taking tractor rides. Frank got the pulley fixed on the mower, so that made Kwin's day. I have been busy all day editing photo's, I think I am done! 121 edited photo's later!! No other photogs give that many photos out, or I don't think they do? Usually they offer a max of about 25-30 images, as stated on their site. :/ I know mine are not "pro quality" but I got some really cute shots, and so why not give those memories out, too? I'm sure that is because they have way more clientele than I do, so images numbers could change, but I always over edit. I can't help it.


No editing of these pics today, I am just to busy! lol

                                                     Running through the sprinkler!!!

Day 219: Mom's Busy

I did not get a pic for today, but I did take pictures, just not of my kids. LOL I had a newborn shoot today, so I was busy with that, and then I came home & started to edit. I then realized I didn't get a pic for the day. OOPS! I'll just post a picture of some cute baby feet instead. :D

                                                     Sweet baby feet

My babies have grown SO much! *sniff*

Day 218: So Long, Farewell To You...My Friend.

Goodbye for now until we meet again......Cameron & Ayden are going back to their Mom's, so today was the last day they came over to play with the kids. Made me sad. :( These are 2 nice boys, and Chelsea & Kameron will miss them. They will have to wait a whole year to play together, unless they visit their Dad, who then visits the neighbor, who is Nana. They did get to meet their baby sister, she arrived before they left, so I thought that was nice they got to see her before they left. They sounded like some proud big brothers when they were talking about their baby sister. I didn't get to say good-bye to them, I had to leave. Kwin had an appt. with DeAnna today, he didn't talk at all. It makes me a little nervous to see him like this, and it question's me if he is on the start to selective mutism. I had already wrote a while back about my worries on this, so we shall see. If he does, no biggie, I would just like to get him some help earlier on, unlike we did with Chelsea. I know he sees he not talk so this could just be a phase with him. I sent out my special surprise today. I procrastinated, as usual. But I needed money to mail it out, and Friday is pay day. Guess it really wasn't under a certain time frame to get there, I just hope when it does, it helps spreads some sunshine. :D


                    Good Friends never say goodbye, they say See Ya Soon!

                                            Be Silly!!!

Day 217: Happy 1st Birthday, Maggie Mae!!

Today is Maggie's first birthday! I made her some treats & put together a cake with them using yogurt, whipped cream, and I added a few sprinkles, too. She had a good day, she played in the yard with Sarge, and chased him around. Then she decided she wanted to get on the trampoline. That was hilarious!! She jumped up, and hit the net, and stood on the base like WTH just happened?! LOL She got in & had some fun! She liked playing keep away from Sarge as he could not get in the trampoline to get the ball she had. He would run around the trampoline, and try to jump up, but he's a little chunky. haha Maggie really enjoyed the trampoline, even took a little break in there. She did so well today, she was off her leash, and only ran off to the neighbors twice, but that was Sarge's fault, and she listened, and came back. Very good girl today. :) She enjoyed her cake, and even shared some treats with the neighbor dog, Bentley. Sarge even got his own cake, too. I felt bad, we didn't celebrate his birthday, it was hectic around that time, so he enjoyed his treat, too. Neighbor's daughter is in the hospital, so maybe she will share a birthday with Maggie?! :D

It's crazy to believe a year ago at this time, we didn't even think about getting a puppy. That idea sprang about a few weeks later. So in 6 weeks she will officially have been in the family for a year. She has grown SO much in that time. She is a crazy dog, but we love her to bits. So happy we added her to our family. She's been great.


                                                  Maggie & Sarge....So little!!

                                            Day Maggie came home

                                          Jump, Maggie!!!

                                       Chilling, and LOL at Sarge!

                                           Birthday treats!

                                Happy Birthday Maggie Mae!

                                             YUM!!!!

                                           Birthday Girl!