Documenting Life: Family Picture (Week 17)

In following the Documenting Life Challenge with Jenny Collier Photography, we are to post a family picture. I took a family pic of us for our Christmas card. My family was so excited (not) to pose for momma as I set the 10 second timer on the camera while sitting it on the bar on a tupperware dish. Hey, we got it done. Here is our awesome, almost professional, family portrait. :)

Did you notice the shadowed cross in the background? I would like to say that I'm just really that good of a photographer to do that, but in reality it was not planned at all. I thought it was really cool though. I love when God shines through in unexpected ways.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. It was one of the best ones for me! My girl makes it so much fun! Kids are the best! I'm going to do another blog on Christmas- once I go through the millions of pictures I took.

Love, Jen

Documenting Life: Your Child's Bedroom (Week 16)

You'll probably be seeing several post this week. I got behind on The Challenge with all the festivities of Christmas going on. I was supposed to show pics of my girl's bedroom a couple weeks ago. So here ya go...

Of course now, it'll look different once we add her new "big girl" toys in it. This girl has more toys than she knows what to do with. She's such a loved little girl.

Love, Jen

Potty Training for Grown Ups

So I think Molly's about ready to start potty training. I haven't been too concerned with it because I wanted her to be ready when we started the process, and I thought we would get completely settled into the new house before we started something else drastic in her life. Plus I don't think daycare really pushes it much until they are 2. But she's been showing signs of being interested, like watching me go, getting toilet paper and throwing it in between my legs, flushing the toilet, etc. And the other evening she took her diaper off and wore big girl panties until it was bath time with no accidents!

Well, she was at her Grandma Donna's today and Donna said she got "the look" on her face. This is the text I got from her:

Sorry for the poop pic, but I about peed my own pants reading this!!! Hilarious!

This reminded me of another incident that happened a few weeks back. Molly was taking a bath and she said "Momma, poop?" I said "Molly, you have to go poop?" She said "No". So I thought we were just gonna talk about it for a minute, until I saw it floating. I immediately got her in a towel and told her to go see Daddy so I can get the tub cleaned up. So, she goes to Joel and says, "Daddy, poop?" He said "Molly, you have to go poop?" (fully knowing what just happened in the tub). She said, "No" and then the next thing we know, she poops in the floor!!! (This story is funny now.)

So Molly's taught us grown ups 2 lessons so far in potty training:
1) Put her on the toilet when she says "poop"!
2) Let her finish!

I'm sure she'll teach us more lessons before she's potty trained. Hope we're quick learners!

Love, Jen

Documenting Life: Normal Breakfast (Week 15)

This week's challenge was to capture your kids eating their normal breakfast. During the week, Molly and I are driving to Muskogee (usually in a hurry, eating a cereal bar along the way) and she'll eat breakfast at school. At home, her usual breakfast is yogurt, a banana, and some toast or cereal bar with milk or juice. She likes to sit in her highchair, watch Dora or Mickey Mouse, leisurely eat, and just veg out for 30 minutes or so. It's her wake-up time I guess. I like that too, it just doesn't happen for either one of us very often. Anyway, here are a few pics of her eating breakfast this morning...

Thinking about it

Not completely awake yet

Getting better

DONE!!

Molly is growing up so fast. She is repeating everything now... like telling me "not nice" as I have said to her before, "Molly, you're not acting very nice". She really talks a lot but some other sayings that she's picked up from us that make me laugh are: "Cool!", "Hi (or bye) guys!", "Cute!", "See ya!", "Stop it", but my favorite... "Uv (love) you". That one melts my heart every time. They are such little sponges at this age. She amazes me daily on how smart she's getting and how much she knows. Kids are cool!

Hope you have a productive week. I need to have one! 2 weeks 'til Christmas and I'm not even half way done with my shopping- which is about par for me. :)

Love, Jen

Documenting Life: Decorating the Christmas Tree (Week 14)

Molly and I decorated our Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Joel went hunting (of course) so we put on cartoons, decorated the house, and stayed in our PJ's well into the afternoon. It was a great morning for me and my girl. Here are a few pics of the tree (a few days after we decorated it)...

Molly had to get my little camera out so she could take her own pics

Her fave "Dowa" ornaments

Molly's tree in her room

We also have to keep her "Mouse" blow-up in the entry way because she loves it so much. She had to take a pic of Mouse while I was trying to get pics of her.

Just a funny pic of why I love being a "girl" mom... pretend high heels with Crocs that are 2 sizes too small!

Love, Jen

Documenting Life: Thanksgiving (Week 13)

It's Sunday night and the past five days have been a blur! Where did my long break from work go??? Oh well, it was worth it. We had a great Thanksgiving! We started Wednesday night at Jeff and Carrie's (my bro and sis-in-law). Jeff smoked a ham, turkey, and ribs. The food was excellent! Molly paticulary enjoyed the ribs. :)

Yum! This is good stuff Mom!

This is my boy "Cake"(Molly's name for Drake) Isn't he adorable?!?

We've been trying to figure out who Drake is going to look like... I think this picture says alot. :)

Papa Dean and Molly!

Grandma Karen and Molly!

Drake and his momma, Carrie. He LOVES his momma!

Good pic of my bro- He's fun!

We stayed in Coffeyville Wednesday night and stopped by my Grandma and Grandpa Bunny's for breakfast. Then it was off to Muskogee for lunch with Joel's Nan and Pa and family. Our last stop was Joel's mom's. We ate good all day! Here are some pics at Joel's mom's house...

Eating again!

The spread... Thanks Donna! It was yummy!

My girl in her Turkey dress!

Molly and Chooch (her cousin) playing!

Reading "Dowa". He's a great big cousin! (and a good baseball player, just got recognized as one of the best high school baseball players! Go Chooch!)

Friday morning, Mom picked me up at 4:00 am and we headed out for a long day of shopping. Yes, we are the crazies that go out and fight the crowds. We got what we wanted though, and didn't have to use our pepper spray. Hehe!

In all seriousness... I have so much to be thankful for this year. I'm the wife to my best friend. I'm the mom to a beautiful baby girl. I'm the daughter to wonderful parents. I'm a friend to some amazing people. And most importantly, I'm a Believer in Jesus!

Hope you had a wonderful holiday with great food, family, and friends!

Love, Jen

Documenting Life: Bath Time (Week 12)

Molly really enjoys her bath, especially in the new house! It's like a swimming pool compared to what she was used to. In our old house, we only had a shower so we would put her infant tub in the shower. Here are a few pics of how Molly grew into and out of her bath!

Just a few days old

One month old

Two months old

Nine months old

One year old (and yes still in the infant blue tub)

And our pics from tonight!!! In our new tub!!! (21 months old)

I love her face!

Love, Jen

Documenting Life: Favorite Article of Clothing (Week 11)

Molly is a true female and LOVES shoes!!! She doesn't care if it's my shoes, daddy's shoes, or shoes that are too little- she wants to try them on. It's hard to pick just one pair that is her favorite! And she has lots!

Hope you enjoy the weekend. I'm loving this Saturday morning. First morning since we moved to the new house that I've gotten to relax, drink coffee, and stay in my pj's. I'll be doing another post soon about my new house! (Big and little Martha Stewart were here) :)

Love, Jen

Lucky or not???

So Joel was hospitalized last Tuesday for viral meningitis. He had an incapacitating headache that would not go away. It started Sunday night, he went to the doctor on Monday (which gave no answers), and then drove himself to the ER Tuesday morning. After a CT scan and a spinal tap, they diagnosed meningitis. They admitted him overnight to confirm it was viral and not bacterial. Now you may ask, " how in the world did he get that!?". The doctors seem to think that he caught a normal virus that by chance got into his brain and spinal fluid... lucky, huh? BUT, he really was lucky because viral meningitis is way better than bacterial meningitis! I'm not sure what our overnight date is gonna cost us, but I've learned over the years that when Joel does something, he goes big. :) I'm hoping for another date night soon that doesn't include my husband being in a gown. Love ya hon!


Happy Friday!
Love, Jen

Documenting Life: Costume (Week 10)

Monday night was Halloween! Molly was in her costume 4 days in a row. My work had their trick or treating on Friday, we went to MJ and Tina's costume party on Saturday, our church had their Trunk or Treat on Sunday, and then Molly had her school party on Monday! I think she was about Jessie'd out by Halloween night. :) It was a fun weekend though! Here are some pics from all our Halloween activities...

Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie

Playing games!

Getting candy with Gandma!

Our friend Princess Caedence

Jupiter Jump! So much fun!

Family Pic

Dancin' Baptists! :)

Another Jessie!

Waiting on trick or treaters!

Silly picks while we wait for trick or treaters!

Hope you guys had a great Halloween! We sure did!
Love, Jen