A bunch of sickies!

Well, I guess it had to get worse before it could get better! Christmas Day night Zach came down with Strep throat and pink eye! that same night I was an idiot and slipped on the ice and bruised up my body pretty good (reminder to self: I am too dang old to handle another fall);) The next day I ended up with a killer soar throat (which is now strep)AND and a super sore body from my digger! Well, just when I thought things were about to calm down and get better.... DADDY woke up with pink eye AND Emmie with pink eye & an ear infection! Are you kidding me!!!!???? We have pretty much started our own Pharmacy in out kitchen if anyone is up for any drugs!!! he he he!!! Since every last one of us is on some sort of antibiotic - it has to get better from here!!!! For those of you once again waiting for your pictures, they are just about done! Sometimes being a mommy has to come first in cases like these - Thanks for understanding!
Here are a few from a session I am working on! Try not to notice the out of focus arms and hands - she was CONSTANTLY swinging them around!

Our poor Christmas Angel

Well, our Christmas didn't go as planned. We started the morning off by opening all of Santas' GREAT gifts and then off to the the InstaCare Rachel and daddy went! Our sad little peanut woke up with an eye looking like this! She really wanted to love her her new kitchen, but she couldn't quite get up the energy to play with it for more than 2 minutes at a time! It looks like a bad case of pink eye. She is at home right now with me while the others are at Grandmas house with the cousins. She is such a sweet little thing, she told me that she didn't want to make her cousins sick,
so she would stay home with me! I played house with her for about 5 minutes before she begged for her nap! besides that, we have had a wonderful Christams - Zach is in LOVE with his real pirate ship that makes sounds, shoots balls AND best off all....has a jail! As you can see in the pictures, all emily cared about were the chocolate kisses stuffed in her tiny little mouth! A girl after my own heart!:) Hope you all had a wonderful day!

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to pop in wish everyone a Merry Christmas! I took these pictures today after church.and completely forgot to change my camera settings from my photoshoot yesterday - I HATE when I do that! I wanted to blow them up bigger, but I guess I will have to keep them small so they will look clear! Anyway, We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and we wish that we all lived closer so we cold celebrate together! {{{{HUGS & SQUEEZES}}}}

OH! I forgot to mention that Zach is starting to believe again! Thanks Grandpa...I mean SANTA;)!

Where has my baby boy gone?

So this morning was a great morning... freshly falling snow, hot chocolate & toast for breakfast, nowhere to be but at home (except taking zach to school), but the magical morning seemed to quickly disappear. On the way to school Zach said so seriously, and out of the blue," santa's not real." I was shocked and replied, " what makes you think that?" He just sat there and starred at me. My heart sank. How can a Kindergartener NOT believe in Santa?! So my mission for today is to somehow put that **SPARK** back into his Christmas and make him believe in santa again! If anyone has any brilliant ideas, let me hear them! I believe that kids need to be kids a little longer these days!

I haven't taken any new pictures in awhile, so I thought I'd go back to Dec.21st 2006 and see what i could find! I know I posted this one last year, but it is one of my favs! I can't get over how much they have changed!

She looks just like me!

I keep meaning to write this one down, but for some reason it seems to slip my mind! There is this adorable little black girl in Zach's Kindergarten, the first time Rachel saw her she yelled out on the top of her lungs," Hey! That girl looks just like me!!!!" I started laughing so hard! I asked her why she thinks so, and her response was "cause she's really cute and she has a bow in her hair!" i just love her.

Zach has suddenly learned how to read!!!! We have been practicing and practicing, but really no luck. Something has just clicked!!!! He can pretty much sound out any word he sees - I can't believe how fast they grow up once they start school! A cute little girl in his class came up to me yesterday and said, " I think Zach is cute and really nice!" OH NO!!!!! It can't be starting already!;)
Daddy was teasing him about it lastnight.... Zach was so embarrassed!!!

Well, I have shared about both kids, so I must share a bit about Emily! All I have to do is look at her and I start laughing! She makes all the babies at church cry because she tackles them to the ground to hug and kiss them! Her new words are BYE BYE - HI! - Ho Ho Ho - and Cheese.

for Shanda

Well Shanda, I have finally finished your pictures! Here are few to share - sorry they aren't very good, I am not an indoor photographer at all! Thanks for inviting me to practice though - I had a lot of fun! OH! You were AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL!:) Rachel says you are a princess!;)

littlest boy ever!

My dear friend fizzy (Felicity) has posted this sweet baby boy on her blog - he is in need of some extra prayers! I can't get over how tiny he is. Makes me a bit more grateful for my healthy babies! Her link in on the right in my list of friends.

I wore her out!

I think rachel is worn out! After a morning of Ballet and Tap,
an afternoon of playing with her friend Natalie - I sent her to her
room to play dolls while I put emily down for her nap. She must
have been tired too, cause when I went in there, I found her sacked
out like this!

where O where could it be????

I am turning to whoever reads this post today!!!! I need your help!!!! Emily has hauled off my phone!!!! I have been hunting all morning for it! Normally it rings off the hook, but today - not so much! I did hear it once and decided the ring was coming from upstairs....now the question is where!!! So, If you are reading this - stop what you are doing and CALL me - if my voicemail picks up, keep trying - eventually i will find it!!!! Thanks!!!!:)

snow igloo

Here is the final masterpiece!!!! The kids think this is the coolest thing
ever!!!! This morning Zach says,"I'm surprised that dad knew how to
build this, because snow wasn't even invented when he was a little kid!"
How old does he think we are?!!:) paul says this post is for my sister...
You may have Disney World, Sea World, beaches and 80 degree
weather, but you can't build an igloo!!!!:)

GRRRR.......

Do you ever just have one of "Those Days" where EVERYTHING goes wrong???!!!!
I have a bunch of people who are expecting to get their pictures tonight and of course
the place I print them at tells me that they won't be able to print them until late tomorrow!!!!
Then, I was trying to use my debit card and the pin was was invalid - What???? I have used that card many a times and have never had a problem with it! I was so flustered and a bit embarrassed that i literally left Rachel in the store! I got all the way outside before I noticed my little bug was missing!!! This has happened to me before - but last time it was her fault!!!! I ran back in the store to find a panic stricken little one laying on the ground trying to breathe!!!! She was so panicked that she lost her breath and couldn't even cry!!!! She saw me and ran and collapsed in my arms! She cried for a good 1/2 hr!!!! I felt like the most terrible mother ever! the thing that really irritates me is that everyone just stood around and watched her - nobody even tried to help her!!!!
What a day!!!!! Just thought I'd vent a little!!! Maybe I'll just give up for the day and start over in the morning!
Here a few pictures of session from yesterday! She was such a good little girl, but for sure a fast little one! :)

The things I get myself into!

Here a few more dance pictures! Notice the top one... she kinda
reminds me of .....ME!!!! Always facing the opposite direction!
No wonder I was pretty much banned from dance class!!!!:)


So, today was Zach's field trip the Children's Museum downtown - What an adventure!!!! We had 60 kindergarteners and NO bus to take us to the Trax station!!!! So, off we all went on foot to the trax station at 9:00 this morning! The sidewalks were pure ice and the little girl in my group was wearing slick cowgirl boots! She was slipping and sliding and hanging onto me to keep herself from falling! I was so exhausted by the time we even got to the train! We all piled on the FULL train, the same girl insisted on sitting on my lap because all of the seats were full!!! Just as the train pulls away, she says " I have to poop!!!!!" GREAT. I didn't think we were ever going to get there!:) Zach's teacher had an emergency and had to leave during the trip - WHAT????? She left the moms in charge! I sure hope we didn't leave anyone behind!!!! :)

Now that's a bad hair day!

Check out that hair!!!! We were in a hurry to take Zach to school - no time to do hair!!!! This is what the poor girl looks like just about every morning! I will have to show her future husband this one!:) Just thought I'd share - it gave me a giggle!

Fishing in the toilet!!!

Emily didn't want anyone else in this picture with her!





So this morning I was emailing my cousin ( Hi Holly!) who I haven't seen or talked to in YEARS!!!
I was trying so hard to ignore my little rugrats and their fighting so I could concentrate! I must have been doing a better job at tuning them out then I thought cause I heard, " MOOOOOM
Emmies fishing in the toilet with your measuring cup!!!!" I ran into the bathroom and was greeted with a "HI" from emily! Sure enough, there she was so proud of herself with measuring cup in hand! I sure hope she wasn't drinking it!!!!:) WELCOME TO A DAY IN MY LIFE!!!! I wouldn't trade it for the world!
After I cleaned her up we went outside to get our morning energy out (8:30am) - much to our surprise......SNOW!!!!!! We tore our closets apart frantically hunting for last years snow clothes to put on! Well, Apparently Zach has grown like 10 inches and his snow suit gave him a major wedgie! He didn't seem to mind a bit! YEAH!!!!! SNOW!!!!! Personally I HATE winter, but I must admit, there is something magical about the first snowfall!!!!
I know, this is way too long - I promise I will finish up! Last night I went with the Young Women to see the lights at Temple Square - It has been a few years since I have seen them! We seem to always have a new baby or someone is too sick to wander around in the cold - so it was so fun to go this year! The Manger scene is AMAZING - Zach will flip over it!!!! Anyway, I love that i was able to go and have the reminder of the true meaning and spirit of Christmas! I am so grateful for my calling - We seriously laugh histarically the whole time - Sometimes I forget that
I am the leader and not the girl!:) Loves to all!

woo hoo - go Zach!

Just another sign.... he's growing up! Yesterday
Zach asked me out of the blue to take his training
wheels off!:( I was a bit sad cause I love little kids
and training wheels! I ran up and down the side walk
with him for only a couple of minutes before he was off
on his own! He was so excited and has to show everyone
that comes over his new big boy trick!

This morning rachel, Emily & I trespassed onto our neighbor's
lot to take these pictures! our property used to be divided by an old
potting shed, but was never replaced with a fence! Hopefully for my
sake they never do! The adorable flower clips were a gift from a client
of mine! Have I ever mentioned that i have the BEST job ever!
Thanks Laura! www.louloudesigns.blogspot.com
For some reason the format keeps changing....I know -
it's hard to read!:)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Sqirmy Little Angel

Here is a favorite from today! I just love her mouth in it!
I have been tagged twice this week and I promise I will get to it soon!
I just have to find some time! :)

our singing debut!

Well, I just had to drop in and tell you about the bolton family singing debut! Today was our Primary program! paul, and I had to sing with the kids the second verse of " Love is Spoken Here" Well, Paul can't and won't sing worth a darn, so we have been practicing FOREVER!!!! He actually got the hang of it - (good job my love!) Anyway, Little Rachel knows EVERY word and Zach has been bellowing it out for weeks! SOOOOO.... The day is finally here and Rachel gets up and her eyes are as big around as I've ever seen them! She is TERRIFIED!!!! She cluthches the hand held microphone and mumbles a few things here and there! In the mean time, Zach is literally swallowing his Microphone and singing on the top of his lungs! I don't know if everyone was crying because they were so touched, or crying because they were laughing so hard! Maybe is was a bit of both! I love how proud he is of himself! When we got home he said, " mommy, I sang loud like the singing lady told me to, huh?" Rachel says that she wants to sing in church next week too!
Hmmmm......NO!!!!!

sQueeZe those cheeks

I had the chance to photograph cute baby
Mitch! It was all I could do to keep from squeezing
those yummy cheeks!!!:) Thanks for a fun shoot!