all things Bella

Isabella is changing so fast. I wish I could tell her to slow down, but she's just having so much fun doing it, I cant bring myself to do anything else but smile at her. In many ways, I wish she was a baby again so I could keep her little longer. I dont know if its just the age, friends influences, or just her natural progression, I am leaning toward the latter, but she just has an extra bounce in her step these days. Its wonderfully exciting, yet I all too often find myself pathetically reflective of the past 5 years and weepy that the time is flying by.

One of the new things in Bella's life is that she has become quite an enthusiastic reader, and I think that opens many doors to her imagination lending itself to a springy step. She even wrote her first sentance by herself to go with her illustration, I was so impressed. I definatly didnt teach her that.

She talks with her hands all the time and has become quite expressive. She asks me things like "what does encouragement mean?" and "what does it mean to be responsible?" When we explain, or try our best to, its always more questions about what our explanations meant. To be honest, its slightly exhausting, all these questions.She is the reason our cell phone bill was $60.00 higher this month, I am sure of it!

I've noticed her blossom at school in her friendships and relationships to others. She swings on the monkey bars like a wild woman, just 6 months ago, she wouldnt go near them with a ten foot pole. I've seen her confidence soar as she has memorized her lines for her play and earned petals in girl scouts. She's just feeling more comfortable with the world and her place in it, and it warms my mother heart.

Her latest accomplishment is learning to tie her shoes. Its funny to say it, but its positivly exhilirating to see her struggle and try over and over to finally getting it done and beam with delight.

Being the first child, she is our first to do everything, so naturally, its easy to gush. I'm sure she gets tired of every new thing being a big deal, but I just tell her "You're a big deal" and thats that.

it sucks...

to say goodbye! (Okay, I had to, the picture just begged for that title)
The last month has been crazy. Crazy fun and crazy loud! This morning we had to drive my sister Andrea and her boys to the airport to say goodbye. The tears were not absent as Isabella weeped the whole way home. I am sitting here tonight not quite knowing what to do with myself. Buddy is working graveyard again and I am used to having Ann around to talk to. I just want you to know Andrea that I will always support you and love you. You are a great sister and I so love what you bring to my life. We are different in so many ways, yet I find myself always learning from you. We will surely miss you and the boys. Here are the last of my favorite photos. Poor Karson, he really was in front of the camera all the time, I just couldnt help myself! And I just dont have it in me tonight to pull up ps and add my watermark and edit some of these, so they are kind of all over the board as far as that goes...but who cares, really.

It was Andreas idea to take Kaids shirt off for a tie photo, I love that we did that, because I just think these pictures are precious.

Andrea lovingly nicknamed Moses "fatal" as in fatal attraction to Karson. He was all over him, for close to 30 days, couldnt get enough. I think of Andrea saying in this picture "Will ya just leave the baby alone for 2 seconds?!"

And to finish of...Andrea took this picture of us at the park, not to shabby Ann! Although our kids do look a bit, shall we say, overjoyed to be taking a photo, I do love that I am in it with them. We miss you already.

its not fair

Its probley not very fair to every child in our home at the time that I only post pictures of little Mr. Shannon. I just cant help my infatuation with taking his picture. He is deliciously adorable and obviously, the camera loves him. Mind you, I have plenty of pictures of my camera shy love bugs, but for now, I just had to share this one of my little nephew.

I went for the painted look

and since I couldnt paint if my life depended on it, this is the closest I am going to get. I kind of like the artsy, muddled look. We went to Antelope Island recently for a Sunday drive. We packed a little picnic and did some bison searching...although we only saw 2, way down on the beach, it was still fun. The seagulls loved our kids, rather the scraps they knew they would gorge on when we left. Maybe we arent supposed to feed them, but you cant really stop two 5 year olds and a 2 year old. The birds were absolutly circling them, just waiting for us to leave. When we left, they swooped down and feasted like little seagull kings. Anyway, it was fun and the kids gota huge kick out of it.

glad you are here Ann

the tooth fairy letters

There are a few things you may not know about me. I am a wife, a mother, a Jetblue employee, a chef, a taxi driver, an accountant, a plumber, a teacher , a physcologist and.....I AM the tooth Fairy. I transform into a tiny little fairy whenever a tooth is lost. See, I just cant stand the thought of a lost tooth. I am one who believes strongly that every tooth needs love, and in return for lost teeth, a reward must be given. When this transformation happens, I become as teeny tiny as a spool of thread, and can fit through the smallest crack in a window sill or appear instantly by a flick of my wand, anywhere that a tooth, or sweet child needs me. I have a mysterious and magical wand that puffs glitter every time you lose a tooth. I inhereited it from Cinderella's fairy godmother, she was a dear friend long ago. And when its your first tooth, its extra glitter, otherwise known as fairy dust. I am always happy (except when I pick up a tooth with a cavity, then I get a little sad) I am very shy and do not care to be seen when I am at work. I like to be anonymous in my fairy dealings. My rewards are sometimes generous, sometimes meager. The reason being, sometimes I just cant carry alot on my wings, every fairy has those days. I am best friends with Mrs. Clause and the Easter Bunny. I have even heard that kids are as excited to see me as they are to see Santa clause, that is a compliment of the highest regard. I very much prefer one pillow versus two, preferably feather, my little fairy arms have a mighty difficult time lifting all that fluff. Last night, on a routine tooth recovery, I got a call on my fairy phone that this tooth was no ordinary tooth. It was the very first baby ever to leave this precious girls mouth. I got very excited and my wings fluttered faster that they have in millenniums. I found the closest flower petal, grabbed my dew drop glitter pen and penned a special little something for this special little beauty. I tucked it in my wing and off I went. As I approached her window, I got a wee bit stuck and lost some of my glitter behind, what a mess I can make sometimes when I get excited! I pinned my note to her pink curtain, lifted her light as a feather pillow and dropped my treasure in her wooden box. Well, wouldn't you know, I got stuck in there too, I have never left so much fairy dust behind in my life! She was such a pretty little thing, her light shined so brightly, even when asleep. And she had the most fantastic Dora and boots pillow my fairy eyes have laid eyes to, but I digress, I knew this tooth would be just what I was looking for. I needed that perfect tooth to illuminate my whimsical and all so important tooth fairy-ing trails. Tonight was a magical night indeed...even for Ms. Magic herself.

Dear Isabella,

Your sweet little tooth is magic to me

For it comes from a girl as sweet as can be

It sparkles and shines just like you

and will be my perfect night light with a drop of fairy dust....or two.

You have a beautiful smile, as white as can be

so please brush your teeth and leave them for me

So, until next time, when you leave me such treasure,

I'll leave something for you that will give you much pleasure.

Love,

the Tooth Fairy

and it just so happened that she lost her tooth on her dads birthday, she couldnt have been any more elated!

mark this day!

I am so proud of my meager attempt at a sewing project. To say I dont sew is like saying the Pope is Catholic, its an absolutly true statement. But after this project, I may move myself up a notch and say, maybe I can sew..a little..in a straight line with no patterns. I had an idea to make aprons out of some cute little dresses I saw. I later realized that if I were to google this idea, there would likely be a million people that are crafty-er than I making gorgeous little numbers, but I, I whipped out these one of a kind little beauties (just dont look to close) And Bella thinks I'm so cool. And, I am.

these pockets, I love how they turned out, they are my favorite part of this apron!

And then I made one for me. But I cant stand to keep it, I love it so much I just have to share, I'll probley give it to my sister, since she looks so cute in in anyway.

and these pockets are cute too...I just cant beleive I made pockets :)

and the back.

look who's special day it is...

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

here for a visit

My other nephew Kaid and my sister Andrea are here to, she just wont let me post the picture I want to of the both of them. We are glad to be able to spend some time with them! I took some pictures of Karson a few days ago, he's so precious.