Silent Sunday

My lilies bloomed just in time for my birthday! What a great present!! Now I am off to spend my day with the people that matter most, my family and my church family!

Silent Saturday

Water & Rocks & Fun, Oh My.....................

After a good rain, what is more fun than going out to check on the flowers and finding a puddle with lots of rocks in it? The Diva did just that last night and had the best time and it was fun for me to just let her be an explorer!
It all started by giving the rocks a tubby and making sure they were all clean so she could play with them! But it quickly turned into something more fun!
By the time she was done, she was soaked and that was fine by me because she had a great time doing it and to be honest, I had fun photographing the moment!
This is such a fun stage for us because she is so inquisitive! She is a hands on type of girl! I can only imagine the things she will get into this summer and I am sure I will capture it all!

An Ode To Sweet Tea

If there is one beverage that I will cross six lanes of traffic for it is sweet tea! And I mean good sweet tea, not the kind you have to add ten million sugar packets to in order for it to taste a little bit sweet! So I thought I would give you a list of great places to get the best sweet tea and only one requires a trip over the Mason-Dixon line, thank goodness because most days I don't have time to drive that far just for my fix! Here is my list of the best places to get the best sweet tea (feel free to comment with your fav spot):

1. McDonald's - people around here refer to this as "crack" tea because after 1 drink you are hooked!!

2. Sonic - Happy hour 2-4 so I get my fix for 1/2 price!! Budget friendly!!

3. Lee's Famous Recipe - I can get it by the gallon for the whole crew to share! Not that I like to share my tea!

4. Bo Jangles - requires a drive but is great with a sweet potato pie!! Yum!

5. Arby's - It'll do, in a pinch!

So now you know where all my blogging energy comes from! Take a look at today's photo from a recent shoot!! Yup, that is McDonald's sweet tea next to the bouquet! Too funny right? Now go get some tea!

The Diva Speaks

Is today really Wednesday, I am so confused! I know Monday was a holiday but I am not sure why! Mommy said it was to remember the fallen soldiers who paid a very high price for our freedom. She mentioned some people like Justin, Jonathon and a couple other people that paid that price for us! I guess Mommy and Daddy knew them before I was here!!

We didn't do anything Monday because it rained! We were going to swim at the pool but we couldn't, oh well!

In case you are wondering, I am still not using the potty like Mommy wishes I would but I will when I am good and ready and when she least expects it!! Ha!! I am soooo stubborn! I just like to do thinks my way! Now that little man is not here, I can get down to business!! Ha! Ha! Business.........get it?

My green thumb is at it again!! Mommy gets upset because she can't grow anything (but kids) and bubby and I are good at it! One of my tomato plants is in bloom, I can't wait cause I love tomatoes! Mommy says that's all I would eat if she let me! She's probably right too! Mommy's red lilies started blooming this week too! They are so pretty! I also saw my first cardinal the other day!! I just love spring!

I gotta go pick out some pretty clothes cause Mommy and I are spending a girl day and going to visit one of her old friends that she has not seen in years!! She has a girl about my age so I am excited!

Today's photo is SOOC (straight out of camera)! Mommy is thinking about making this my "header" for my Wednesday blog cause she likes my "halo"! She also said she would edit it to make it look really good just for me!! I am so precious! Ha!

I need to give a shout out to my bloggy buddy Harriet!! We need to get together! I will talk to Mommy and maybe we can come to Shampoo-Banana soon to see you and Diana!!

Hugs,
The Darling Diva
You know you love me!

My Beautiful Niece Sings........

She is so young and so talented!!

I ♥ Faces Week 20, Silhouettes

Here is my entry for I ♥ Faces Week 20. Silhouettes have always been really neat to see but I never knew how to do them until recently and now I want to take tons more!! These were fun to capture while no one was expecting it! They were just having fun!! If you look close enough you can see that they are smiling! Just to clarify these are my children!! There is 14 years difference between the two and they adore each other!! Check out all the other great entries and enter one of your own if you feel so inclined!

Silent Sunday

God of This City - Kris Allen

I love this song!! It is one of my all time favs!! Yeah, Kris for keepin' it real dog!!

An Unexpected Shoot!

So I was watching little man the other day when the knight came home and said let's go outside! Great, I have help with the kids, this will be fun! Well when we put little man in the grass, after some meandering around the yard, I spotted a photo op and I was not disappointed and neither was his mommy when she pulled up next door and saw what we were doing! Yup, this was a freebie but I am giving them tons of cards to hand out to friends and family!! Ha!

For more from this shoot click here!

I Slept In.............Sort of..........

OK, by sleeping in I mean 6:45!! I took the moody teen to school and then read the paper on the front porch! Then at 7:30 I jumped into the shower knowing the kid would be here at 8:00! I was not ready when he got here! Ugh!!

Speaking of showers, yesterday I was in the shower when I looked down to see one of those jumping spiders in the shower with me! I screamed and no body heard me!! I could have died in that shower and it might of have been days before I was found! Ha! Well, I killed Mr. Jumpy when he leaped my way!! I hate creapy crawlies!!

Here is a sneak peak of a shoot I did with little man! Enjoy!

The Diva's YouTube Debut for Oscar Mayer!

A Day At The Beach (through the Diva's eyes)!

A week is a super long time to go without talking to you but I really am too busy to be troubled by blog business more than once a week! There are toys to be played with, messes to be made and, of course, trouble to be gotten into!! Yes, I do get into trouble on a regular basis! Ha!! My newest adventures include climbing on the computer desk and the dining room table to get things I am not supposed to have like: mommy's wacom pen, gum, camera (big no no), the salt shaker and whatever else I can get my hands on!! The problem is that once I am up there I always have to call for help to get down because I am not quite sure how yet! I call for help in the sweetest voice I can (sometimes in Spanish) knowing that I am probably going to get my fanny patted! When mommy pats my fanny, it doesn't really hurt but I carry on like I have been beaten! I KNOW how to turn on the tears!! LOL!

What else is new? Oh yeah! I got to go the doctor again only this time was to take bubby, he had an ear infection and an upper respiratory infection all at the same time!! Yuck, poor bubby! I got a sticker for being a good girl! I love the doctor!

Mommy and I went to the Depot (as in Home) on Monday without daddy!! We got 4 tomato plants, potting soil, and some big pots to put them in since daddy is getting ready to work on the backyard. I also got a big tub and 2 bags of play sand!! After mommy and I ate Chinese we went home and planted the tomatos and then she filled my tub with the play sand! Oh, I forgot that we stopped at the dollar store and got a pail and shovels and fun stuff to use in the sand! Since we live in Illinois, this is probably the closest I will get to the beach for a while! That's OK, I like my sand on the porch (my favorite place to be other than the park)!

Mommy took some cool picutes of me playing! I hope you like them! Hey I forgot to tell you that my mommy has a birthday coming up on the very last day of May! She would kill me if she knew that I told you! She'll get over it! Ha!! I think she is going to be really old like 24 or something!! That is old to me ya know!!

See you soon! Love, The Diva

A Little About A Lot!!

This is one of those mixed bag type posts where you just kind of throw everything in together and run with it!! Here we go:

I am so proud of my knight in shining armor because he made the Dean's list!!! He got three A's and one B all while working and doing those annoying honey do chores that keep him from having lots of spare time to study!! While talking about grades, the moody teen also got on the honors list at school! My guys are so smart (most of the time)!!

The darling diva has taken to singing along with mommy! She must pay really close attention when I rehearse or maybe I do it so much that it is just ingrained in her brain!! Enjoy the video of her singing with me!! That's the good, but.....................you knew it couldn't all be good right? Well, the diva is so not taking to potty training AT ALL!! Yesterday morning we got up and went straight to the potty where she sat for 3 or 4 minutes with nothing happening!! So I pull up her jammie pants and went to get her milk and banana, I thought she would be fine but OOOOOOOH NOOOOOOOOO, she peed her pants!! Ugh, she just got up from the potty! So we go about the day and I look at her at one point and here is the conversation that followed:

me: What are you doing?
diva: Pooping!
me: Why didn't you tell me? Let's go potty!
diva: I'm done! Diapee change please!
me: sigh...........................

Oh my gosh, she is so smart and STUBBORN (she gets it from her father although he will tell you otherwise)!! How do you handle a smart, strong-willed child?? I don't even beging to know!! I guess we will keep trying and find out what she wants (bribery works right) in return for using the potty like a big girl!

The diva will be taking over again tomorrow and boy I am sure that she has tons to tell you about some exciting happenings in her little life!!

I ♥ Faces Week 19, Blurb Book Photo Contest

Here is my entry this week for I ♥ Faces! Yes, I know I entered this one a few weeks ago but this contest is special and you can enter a photo that you have already used (but just this once)! Actually, this is a different photo because the crop is different and so is the coloring! Yup, I decided to change it up a little! Why do I like this one so much? Well, because it truly is all about the face! Head on over to I ♥ Faces and check out all the other great entries and maybe even enter one yourself!!

I am submitting this photo into the www.iheartfaces.com Blurb book photo contest. If chosen, I grant I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites.

Balloon Release for Kayleigh

We released a total of four balloons for Kayleigh (one from each member of our family)!

Silent Sunday Says Goodbye to Kayleigh

Rest now sweet angel!

There will be a pink balloon release at 4 PM (EST) today following Kayleigh's memorial service. If you would like to participate please attach a card to your balloon that says:

Kayleigh Anne Freeman
Our One Pound Miracle From God
6/28/08 - 10/11/09
www.kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com

Don't forget to take photos of your release and I will let you know where to send them next week!!

I LOVE Your Site Satuday

<br /><a href="http://lifesperfectpictures.blogspot.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330985643934826146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 121px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHX0foeaP82RQdlfABbfBtzZxiziGe_YL3PVlQMqaCTkKBYZH3XJJEE-dKQPdHWoNTWpdVHWdTCd9kiYn-ZvwERmV4TZ797Wy_idXRD6iJ-QUNN2yhGVm4m7rGdXjG__YMZp_MhWGXv3m/s320/funny_face.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />

I love Dana because she is a down to earth type gal who keeps it real!! I have been stalking her site for several months now! She has another site too but I will let you discover that one on your own! Trust me, it will jump off the page at you when you are on her site!!

Head on over to The Homesteading Housewife and check it out! I promise you won't be disappointed! If you are featuring a site that you love then grab my button above and link up!!

What Could You Do With 10 Grand?

I know that I could do a ton of things with this kind of cash!! A vacation would be the first order of business or maybe a new camera body, the possibilities are endless. How would you like a chance to win 10 Grand? I know I would so let me fill you in on the details and then the rest is up to you!!

All you have to do is head on over to Charter's Win 10 Grand Contest Page and answer questions about Charter On Demand and you could be a winner!! How easy is that? Answer the questions all 4 weeks of May to get four entries for the big prize but you gotta hurry because May 31st is the final day to enter! The best part is that there are multiple chances to win and other prizes too!! You could also win one of four 52” Sony Bravia HDTVs!!

Why is Charter doing all of this? To reward customers in new and exciting ways! I would say that this is pretty exciting! If you really want to keep up with what is going on with Charter, you can follow Charter's Twitter Feed! You set it up to get their alerts on your mobile phone so you won't miss a beat during this exciting contest!

What are you waiting for? Hop on over to Charter and get yourself entered to win! If you do win, please come back and let me know so I can brag about you!!

Flashback Friday

Yup, I am taking another journey down memory lane today! Every time I look at my darling diva I can see all the wonderful changes that have taken place! She has gone from this tiny baby who needed me for everything to a toddler who is smart, funny and VERY independent! I love watching her "become"!!

These photos were not all that long ago but I have changed them up using another great PSE 6 action! In the top photo she was all of 7 or 8 months old (no hair) and she was just watching me watching her play! The second photo is from last July (the hottest day of the year) at the zoo. She was hot and tired but loved all the animals and the third photo is from last August 10th, the day of her baby dedication at church!

I just realized that since I did not start blogging until September of 2008 that these photos will be new to most of you! This is also with my old digital camera (pre DSLR) and before I really got back into photography! It was just a few months after the last shot that I got my Nikon and actually started making money doing photography! My how the times have changed! I am also happy to say that my photography has evolved as well!

I also have a favor to ask of all of you!! It is super simple! I need sites for I love your site Saturday and I was wondering if you have any that need to be featured? If so just leave me the url in a comment and I will check it out! It is just getting so hard to find time and energy to find new sites and with summer upon us, I just need a little help from you!!

Am I Really Doing This??

I really cannot believe that I am posting this but it is my emotion, today! Enjoy and please be kind!! By the way, I will be singing this Sunday at church if you are in the Mattoon, Illinois area!

Now, click on the button above and head over to my buddy Tim's place aka Fort Thompson and check out all the other Vlogemotion posts!

Is It Over Yet?

The week, I mean! For some odd reason this week is just dragging on and on and I am ready for a day off! I am ready for the knights finals to be over! I am ready for the moody teen to start finals, so they can be over! I am ready for the rain to be over!

I think you all get the picture! I just have so many things on my plate right now that are not what I consider fun (like photo shoots)! Just everyday, mundane junk that has to be taken care of and since I am home all the time, it falls to me!

The darling diva and I went for a walk a couple of nights ago and she got excited when she saw the pool! She cracked me up when she said she wanted to swim like a fish in the ocean! What an imagination she has! I am so looking forward to spending lots of time at the pool with her! Maybe I can just pretend to be on the beach!! Ha!

Today's photo is an old one with a new twist! This is from the diva's 2 year shoot with a reflection added at the bottom of the photo! Pretty cool, huh?

I Am Planning My Perfect Vacation (With or Without My Family)!

I think the title says it all, don't you? I know I need a vacation and I know I need to relax. I cannot think of a better place than Kissimmee because they have just what I need to relax my brain and body!! Please don't get me wrong here, I could park hop for days on end and enjoy all the great rides and attractions and come home exhausted from the fun or I can just enjoy a nice relaxing time!

Right now, at this stage in the game, I am opting for some relaxing on the beach listening to the comforting sounds of the waves rolling onto the shore! I am a beach girl, I can't help it! I love the sand, the water, the smells and the sounds! For me this is paradise!

Here is how I envision MY perfect vacation: lazy days on the beach soaking up the sun followed by some shopping in some of the quaint little shops followed by a nice dinner at one of the many great restaurants and finally a moonlight stroll on the beach to end the day! Does it get any better than this? Not for me it doesn't!

It’s never too late to start planning your Kissimmee vacation. The great news is, Kissimmee is giving away three (3) weekend getaways (3 days/2 nights) for two (2); and two (2) week-long vacations for four (4). Drawings will be held on or around 6/1/09. So enter the sweepstakes today! What have you got to lose but a little stress should you win!!

Wordful Wednesday by Sadie

It has been crazy since I talked to you last week! I was sick for a long time, coughing, snotty you know all that junk that is going around! Mommy took me to see the doctor on Friday (I love to go to the doctor cause I get stickers) and they gave me some good tasting pink medicine so I am feeling so much better now!

I have decided that I am really tired of sharing my Mommy with the little boy next door! He needs to go to his other babysitter and leave me alone and my stuff too! I am tired of slobber all over my stuff! He really is annoying because he cries for no reason! Like when Mommy changes his diaper, he throws a big fit! Personally, I like to have my diaper changed but that is just me! He cries when he can't move or when he falls over or when he gets bored with a toy even though there are a million things to play with!!

Mommy has been moody this week, if ya know what I mean! I hope I don't get that way when I get older! It doesn't help that she was mad at Daddy all weekend!! Yesterday he bought her roses to say sorry! I don't know if it worked or not! He has had finals the last two days so he has been knee deep in books trying to cram!

Mommy has also been trying to fix the big computer and nothing has worked so she is going to have to take it to the doctor to fix! She is complaining that she has to spend more money on the stupid thing! She didn't say stupid but I can't say what she said!! Ha!

Oh yeah, another thing that needs fixed is the window in Mommy's bed room! Daddy broke the glass the other night when he was trying to close it! At least he didn't get cut!!

Do you like my pictures? Mommy made the head band for me to wear with my dress on Mother's Day! I got lots of compliments about it!

Well gotta go, "you know who" is coming early today and I need to baby proof the house! See ya later!

A Very Sad Day!!

I have just learned that little Kayleigh has flown from this earth into the arms of Jesus! If you do not know of this little 11 month old's struggle for life, please click on the button above and read her story of struggle and hope and ultimately her journey home! My heart breaks for Adam and Aimee and their other children but I rejoice that this little angel will never suffer again! It will never be known how many lives she touched!!

Rest in peace precious child!

Mother's Day Adventures

Needless to say, Mother's day was not the best in the world for me but it wasn't the worst either! The knight in shining armor got a few more chinks in his armor but I will spare you the gory details since it is over and done and on the way to being forgotten! The day wasn't a total waste since my niece and I took all the kids mini golfing! It was the first time for the darling diva and she really had a great time but by the 18th hole she was ready to be done!!

Today's photos are from Sunday! I hope you enjoy them!

By the way, the moody teen went to the dentist and, as expected, the wisdom teeth were shining through in black and white! The bottom two are coming in at a slant so the bottom line is that they all need to come out! Ouch, and it is coming out of my pocket! Double ouch! Only $2200 to cut four teeth due on the date of the surgery!! Oh well, life will go on!!