Theme Thursday - Home

With winter already at our front steps (we woke up to an inch of snow on the ground), I have been practicing my photography indoors. Thank goodness for windows! That's all I have to say. Although it is still a tricky recipe for me, trying to figure out the shutter and aperture, I am starting to get more comfortable with my manual skills.

This is Ella and I at home. My content little girl....quiet (very rare)...watching some toons....and allowing me to photograph her beautiful little face.







For more Theme Thursday shots, head over to The Land of K.A.

Mushy Mommy

I dont have much to say today....Im in the middle of doing some work for my job and my brain feels pretty mushy. I am sure ALL of you know what that feels like. Am I right? So I just thought I would post a few pictures today and then see what everyone else is up to.......

Best Shot Monday

"Mommy I need you." She says it to me all the time. Although it may frustrate me when I know she is capable of doing something by herself.....I hope she never stops needing me.



For more BSM's, head over to Tracey's.

Look What Landed by our House.....

What could all of these kids be walking towards?


What could make Ella drop her jaw in amazement?


This helicopter! One afternoon last week, we heard this loud noise outside so we ran to the window and saw this helicopter landing behind our house. It was SO LOUD! Ella was amazed. We sat and watched it for minute and I noticed that the propellers were stopping. So I told Ella, if we hurry up and get our shoes and coat on, we could run out there and see what was going on.


We live a couple of doors down from an elementary school and apparently this helicopter came to visit the kids at the school. So we walked up to the school and over to the helicopter that landed in the baseball field. It was so cool.


It was a really neat thing to happen in the middle of the day when nothing was going on. Not only was it a treat for the kids at the school, but it was a treat for Ella and I.

Six Random Things

I was tagged by Jen over at New Green Mama (like over a week ago...SORRY Jen!) To name 6 random things about me. So here goes....

1. I was supposed to go to the Celine Dion concert on October 30, but Celine postponed the concert (the day before) because she was sick. It was rescheduled to sometime in February and then I just heard it was rescheduled for December 18, 2008. So since we bought tickets over a year ago now, we were really excited to go, but in the end this will all work out for the best. My sister in law is pregnant and ready to pop any day now, so by December, she will be feeling better and we will all have a great time.

2. I am mesmerized every time I listen to James Blunt. I was totally taken with him the first time I heard his music, but so much more so when I see him perform. Although I have yet to go to one of his concerts, I have a DVD of a live concert he did and he gives the most emotional expressions when he sings. I just love him!

3. I am very much a Sci-Fi Geek! Stargate SG-1 is my most favorite show of all time. The series ended after its tenth season, but is in reruns like crazy. I am now addicted to Stargate Atlantis, and for any geeks out there like me.....Hubby and I used to have a Friday Sci Fi night years ago when the lineup was Farscape, SG-1 and Atlantis. Gosh I miss those days!

4. I enjoy reading books about the Middle East, history, woman's studies and culture. One of my favorite books of all time is Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir.

5. I can not just sit and watch tv or a movie without doing something else at the same time. Whether it be reading a magazine, a paper or sitting on the laptop. I just can not get myself to sit there and stare at the tv without something else to keep me busy. It drives Keith nuts!

6. I watch all of the ABC soaps, All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital. And since I just got a DVR (like a Tivo), I do not have to miss one episode!

To end this post, I will share a photo of two of my favorite people in the world, sharing a campfire. There is nothing better to me than seeing Ella spend time with her Daddy.

TIMBER!

These two trees have been the bain of my husbands existence ever since we built our house almost 8 years ago. When we were clearing the lot, I told them to leave as many trees as possible. Since we live in an older neighborhood, there are many tall and old trees around, which I love. Well, come fall time, these two trees drop not only leaves all over the place, but sticks and full branches that make it a pain in the butt to have to pick up before mowing the lawn. And when a storm comes in, these trees sway all over the place. It wouldn't be far fetched to think that one could fall right onto our garage. It never fails that at least one large branch comes off this tree into our driveway when the winds are just right.

So after years of begging, Keith finally got his way. Not on my giving in though. These trees are like 90 feet tall and cost a pretty penny for someone to take them down. Without going into too many details, we are planning on building an addition on the house in the next year or two and would need for these trees to come down to extend our driveway when the addition goes up. So down they came!





You wouldn't think so, but the way this guy took them down was quite an art in itself. He did not just drop them. They would have fallen into the road and over to the neighbors yards causing lost of damage. Each time he lopped the trunk down, the ground shook. I could feel it in my house. I thought for sure that one time he hit the house, but it was the ground.....On the top of the tree, he wraps the rope around the tree so that it makes a pulley system and his little helper (just a teenage kid, and Keith) would catch the piece and slowly bring it down.




Ella loves the wood pile that has been left over. She wants to climb on it all the time. The other day after painting pumpkins, she told me she wanted to dance and make funny faces. Then she said, "Take pictures of me Mama!" What Mama could resist that? :)

Halloween and BSM

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween. I cant wait to go look at every one's posts. We had a great Halloween this year. Hubby took Ella out trick or treating and I stayed home to pass out candy. Hubby even dressed up as Bob the Builder! Unfortunately, they rushed out of the house so quick that I didn't get a shot of him. I contemplated going out with them, but I felt like if everybody took their kid out, who would be home to pass out the candy to the other kids? After talking to a few people, apparently it is doable! I will definitely have to rethink my strategy next year!



Ella was so excited to trick or treat. She practiced for 3 hours before they actually went out.

She would pretend to ring the doorbell, come up to me with her bucket and say "Trick or treat!"

I say, "Oh, what a cute mouse you are!"

She says, "Thank you! Happy Halloween!"

Turns around and walks away. God I just want to gobble her up! ;0)



Candy, candy, candy! She could not wait to come home and show me how much candy she got. I couldnt wait to see what goodies were collected on their travels too! Her favorite is M&M's. I think because we use it as a treat sometimes when she goes to the bathroom by herself, the fact that she could hold a whole bag in her hand and eat it was just way to scrumptous of a reality.


Look at those gooey, chocolatey fingers......





I am calling this last photo my "Best Shot" because the two of them just sat on the floor eating candy for 10-15 minutes while I snapped away. Hopped up on sugar? Can I hear a HELL YA!



To see other BSM's, head over to Tracey's.