HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY, REESE!

Let me caveat these photos by saying for the last year of Reese's life I have felt guilty. I really 'dropped the ball' in regard to celebrating her first birthday. On Nov.12th of last year, Ben and I were on a plane home from Mexico where we attended a close friend's wedding. Upon arriving in the late evening in Grand Junction, CO, I was lucky to have a small store bought cake waiting for me- I mean, Reese. (Thanks Kathy!) It was a quiet evening with a gift or two and few balloons. I hadn't planned for any 'party' for that evening, knowing that a subsitute party would follow in Laramie with her cousins, aunts, and uncles, etc. Upon that day's arrival, I came down with a horrible flu bug of some sort. I stayed home in bed while Ben celebrated a joint party for her and Harrison. All I have in memory of this day are photos...(I don't even have these photos anymore because they were on the stolen computer!) So, with all that being said, although it was an intimate family affair, I wanted to do it right! So the family dressed up for photo ops, I purchased a beautiful custom cake that I designed, and a bouquet of balloons. I may have gone overboard with the pics, (these are just a small sampling of what was captured) but I wanted everyone who reads this blog to get the sense you were actually here!

Any Given Sunday

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

I had a nice and informal celebration of my 31st birthday at home with the family. My adoring husband baked me Godiva (chocolate) brownies- I'm not a huge fan of cake. (Note the long 'Duraflame' fireplace match, serving in place of traditional cake candles).

When the 'Cat' is Away, the Mouse will Play

Apparently this is what takes place when I am out running errands, and Daddy is left in charge (I use the term 'in charge' loosely).

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

"The Great Pumpkin" Charlie... Martin

Getting 3 children to smile and pose for the camera is just about impossible!

Eating corndogs just before the big game- Halloween, that is.

Harrison is having a hard time getting his web to work... Reese is standing by, 'cheering' him on!

"Go web, GO!"- says Spider-man

"Go Broncos, GO!"- says the cheerleader

I see a pumpkin in the stroller, but no sign of Charlie!

Charlie looking bored...Ben looking handsome!

I love my lil' punkin!

Reese loves to, "ZUMP! ZUMP!" in the bounce house!

One of several 'bounce houses'- the steeper, the better!!

He asked for, "A black spider"- he got a 'yellow doggy' (balloon)!

Fishing for candy

Helping himself to a handful of candy

If you look close- Harrison made the shot!!

Charlie askes, "Are we done yet???"
This shot taken just minutes before the candy crash- take note of the blank stare and the dilated pupils

Getting Back to Normal- Part 2 (What is'normal,' anyway?)

Okay, so I haven't updated my blog in quite some time...but I have an excuse! My picture camera broke and our house was burglarized- and so I had no computer on which to blog. (What the robbers didn't know, was that the camera they stole didn't work anyway! (He, He!)) Although, I am very sad that we lost ALL our pictures- they were either on the computer, the external hard drive, or the camera memory stick, itself. The burgulars took all of that, plus 2 TVs and 2 printers! I am put back together again, and Ben and I have since learned our lesson and have made major improvenments to the security and privacy of our home. I dare them to try it again! The silver lining to this dark cloud is my new and improved camera! I have been reading up and testing out all the new bells and whistles! Have a look!

BOO!!

"I'm Black Spider-Man!"

"Go web, GO!" Can you guess this masked crusader?

It's Reese!!

Playing around with the 'sepia' function on my new camera

This is the black and white function! (I think...) Reese posing for the cameraJust looking adorable as ever!Charlie at about 6 1/2 months- I'm starting to lose track...Just hangin' out- it's hot in Georgia!

Getting Back to Normal...

Sorry to those of you who hold your breath daily in anticipation of new posts with candid shots of my kids doing 'the darnedest things' - but I took a 2 month hiatus from blogging. Things were out of the norm while out in Colorado but now the entire family is now back in Georgia (Ben included!) and we're getting back into the swing of things. Harrison started preschool and Friday he will be visiting the fire station and learning fire safety! Reese is adorable as ever and Charlie loves to eat. He keeps getting bigger...and bigger...! The not so good news is that I had an incident that rendered my camera virtually inoperable, but an occasional shot is captured, though it may be blurry or discolored. But there is a silver lining to this cloud... I get a new camera for my birthday (I hope!) Those of you who enjoy my blogging photos, and want to see it continue, can send cash donations to my camera fund! (He He!) As state earlier, Ben did return home safely and there are pics out there to prove it! Check out Kathy's blog located on my favorite blog links under: anecdotes, antidotes... for pictures (the post is below the breast cancer awareness tributes.) Thanks for being loyal visitors to this blog site and it will soon be back in business...