little gi

i found these photos today...

& they made me smile...

some days i just feel so so so lucky...

today is one of those days :)

happy wednesday!!!

xoxoxo

gi

the word is out....

time to turn the freak switch to 11!!!!

only
three
days
left.......

SO happy there is snow on the ground this year....LOVE it...it just feels like Christmas to me...we may even get to take a sleigh ride tomorrow afternoon w/ a friend's family & his horses.....how freakin cool is THAT!!! 

& make sure you check out my girl, becs, & her photograpy tutorial over on Scrap In Style...SO AWESOME!!!! & just in time for the big day....i'm so psyched to maybe actually get pictures this year of the mayhem...& hopefully lots of the family....i always tend to get a bit caught up in the brandy alexanders & catch phrase...LOL

Happy Saturday before CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

gi

speaking of faces lit up by birthday candles....

we celebrated a big #5 for ryan on wednesday...
topped off with a big pumpkin bread with candles

we've been playing playmobil pirates ever since :)

happy friday!!

xoxoxxo

gi

when you let kelly help decorate the tree...

you'll get an organized...
like things grouped w/ like things kinda tree :)

these 2 gingerbread girls were kelly's & kate's ornaments from last year...
i buy everyone an ornament each year & try to think of one that epitomizes them for that time....
last year kate was a little chubby copy-cat kelly...
& kelly...she started to sprout, become a little kid (***tear***)....
i found these & i swear i did a jig in the store...they were perfect for what i was thinking.
ryan's last year was a lizard ("wizard" as he would say)...go figure :)

& yes...our tree does have 52,568,892 ornaments on it

& i love it that way...

happy friday!!!

xoxoxoxo

gi

this girl.....

turned 6  today....

yep...S.I.X...

isn't life grand :)

xoxoxoxoxoxo

gi

back for a sec....

i'm in a whirlwind right now...

just got back from marco island & the butson wedding...SO FUN!!!!!!!
here is the gorgeous bride & groom :)

was really bad at taking pictures during the weekend tho...too busy enjoying myself :)
& oooh we did....collected so many gorgeous shells from the beach of the gulf of mexico...actually sat w/ mike on our balcony and drank a whole pot of coffee in the morning while staring out at the beach....danced the entire night....drank delicious pina coladas....walked on the beach at 1am (coming back from the beach bar, of course ;)....laughed SO hard with such good friends....cried happy tears because my heart burst with pride...caught up with family that we don't get to see enough because we are all spread out all over the country...ate delicious food but didn't get to finish it b/c we were too busy dancing...witnessed 2 glorious sunsets right on the edge of the gulf...and lots lots more :)


i know this pic is totally blurry...& i'm a bit sad that i didn't get one good pic of mike & i all dolled up in our fancy schmancy clothes...but there ya go...we were too busy enjoying every second (& pina coladas :)
like i said...it was such a good time...such wonderful memories...i love weddings :)

and now i have lots to do before i head off again to silver bella with my girl kerry...
who, by the way, is this month's guest designer at hambly!!!!!!!!!  whooo hoooo!!!!  can't wait to toast with her in omaha w/ some champagne...make sure to check out her gallery over on there...UNBELIEVABLE!!!

i've got lots of scrapping to do before i leave on thursday morning...just got autumn bliss from SIS...hello! glimmer mist!!!

and if you have a free minute be sure to check out becca's blog...she is running an auction to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation...lots of wonderful stuff...i've donated my "a new day canvas" to the cause...

happy bidding!!!!

so have a happy tuesday!!!!!!

xoxoxoxo

gi

i don't know why....

but i love this picture...

maybe it is because this is how they are all the time...hangin' out together...yes, they do squabble like the best of them, but even those fights are hilarious sometimes....mommy!!!  ryan said he isn't my best friend anymore....mommy!!!  kate doesn't want to play tea party with me....& as you can see, their new fave place to hang is on kate's big girl bed

yes...you read correctly...

kate is in a BIG GIRL BED!!!  ACK!!!!  how did this happen so fast!!!  where did my baby go!!!!??!!!  she sleeps on the bottom bunk & kells bells sleeps on the top....& mike & i were just talking last night @ how it is really wonderful to witness their great relationship as sisters....when the lights go out at bedtime, those girls have their own little ritual....they talk to each other.....they say good night to each other....they exchange stuffed buddies....it is unbelievable adorable....mike & i camped outside their bedroom door last night to listen to their cute little chatter....night, night katie!!....nigh nigh delwee....kate, do you have paz?.....yeah, i got my paz delwee.....kate, do you have my giraffe?.....delwee? i seep wit grrraff?....ok kate, you can sleep with giraffe....danks delwee!!......love you!....wuv u!!!

i'm tellin' ya...it is freakin' priceless!!!  i can't wait to bring back these memories when they are 15 and 12 fighting over clothes!!!  lol

& thanks everyone for your good wishes for ryan...he is feeling SO MUCH better & went back to school on monday....& actually got back just in time to be class leader & bring home Mr. Bear!  he was really happy about that & has definitely been eating up a storm today....for lunch he ate 2 1/2 whole wheat bagels, an apple, a banana & a monkey (yogurt) drink!  whew!!  that is a lot for him!!!

so here's to some kind of a return to normalcy...whatever THAT is!!  lol!!

happy monday!!!

xoxoxoxo

gi

i was completely wrong when i thought....

that when the kids started school i'd have more time to do stuff...like scrap....and blog....and do stuff...

because life has been absolutely crazy and shows no signs of slowing down...now i know what the whole "mom taxi" thing is about!  lol!!  because i totally feel like i've driven the equivalent in the circumference of the earth these past couple of weeks from cheerleading and games...to speech therapy and then to lunch with friends...to target and to the farmers' market and then to the local grocery market....to a playdate at the park and to doctors' appointments...to the post office and then to the bank....to target again :) and to the outlet mall.....to meetings here and there...to bbqs and pool parties....a christening and a retirement party....to model's to find kate new crocs (she has grown out of her pink ones)...to the city a bunch of times for different parties....& oh yeah!  & we also went to the aquarium!!  whew!!! 

i definitely need to get the whole getting up before the kids thing down....lol!! 

so....needless to say i have some catching up to do....

yesterday was my father-in-law's birthday!!  so happy birthday!!!!!  & i was totally thinking of him when i made my layout this week for onelittleword....i have been looking through old pictures ever since kerry launched her favorite moments challenge and pulled this one out the other day...it was taken at my in laws vow renewal ceremony & celebration last august...and it happens to be one of my fave pics & the memories from that night are also some of my favorites....i was never so proud to be a kennedy than on that day...it totally fills my heart up just thinking about it...

 

& i've been tagged by my girl sarah....dude...she is like my inspirational maven....LOVE HER!!!  i've gotta take my pics tomorrow for that one...so super cool & then i'll be sure to pass it on :)  & just thinking that tag would be THE COOLEST layout or mini book come to think of it....hmmm.....told you that sarah is an inspiration!!

& i was so happy to be able to chat w/ my other main girlie, kerry, tonight...she is knee deep in preparing for her upcoming classes in norway that i got a little scoop on & let me tell you....those Norwegians are LUCKY!!!!!!  she's posted a few sneak peeks on her blog & the product alone is freakin' marvelous!    but the thing that is gonna make those classes THE BEST is getting to meet kerry & talk to her & listen to her...kerry is one of those people who has such a fresh outlook on stuff....i know my life is definitely richer for knowing her :)

ok...if i'm ever going to get to sleep i've gotta wrap this up!  lol!!

so...hope you have been having a happy week!!!

xoxoxoxoox

gi

my little girl....

is off to first grade...

she was so excited...
got right up & dressed & did her "jobs"...
after being loved (read...licked & jumped on by ryatt) she came downstairs
ate her koala crisps (the special cereal she picked out for today, read....expensive organic cocoa krispies w/ a koala on the box)...
mike called her to say good luck & "i love you"
her backpack holds a little package of ice breaker sours (2 for the way TO school, 2 for the way HOME)
she has a special tag from mommy in her "surprise pocket"
her lunchbag holds a PBJ, teddy grahams, an apple, lemonade & another special love note from mommy.....
she also carries a little piece of my heart with her too :)

as you can see...i'm having a little trouble coming to grips that my little ones are getting bigger by the second....

here they all are...in the crazy glory...ryan could not contain himself...either could ryatt now that i think about it, both of the "ry boys" were out of their heads this morning :)

& here is tater running after the bus after she asked me "where Dell-eee doe?" 

& you know what is funniest about this morning?  i actually got up at 6:30...BEFORE the kids & i still am drinking cold coffee...LOL!!

also today is a new word up over at onelittleword (notice we've got a brand new gorgeous home!!)
funny how everything comes together...this week's word is PURE...and i kept going back to a picture i took of mike w/ kelly in the hospital when she was born...it has to be my favorite picture...it totally captured that look of pure love that mike had all over his face...he instantly fell in love & embraced his role as a father (i, on the other hand, needed a bit to get used to the idea of the whole "i am a mother" thing)...i remember my mom telling me that when he called to tell them @ kelly's arrival "he sounded like he grew 6 inches...you could hear the pride in his voice" & it makes me love him all the more to see what an amazing father he is...he loves his family so much astounds me sometimes...can't believe how lucky i am :)

awwww...look how little my little girl used to be!!!  now really...where the heck did the time go???

hope you have a happy wednesday!!!

xoxoxoxo

gi