Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm quickly learning that most things in life are a whole lot more fun with little kids around.  Valentine's Day is no exception.  Largely thanks to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, one of the only shows Reagan watches every day occasionally,  she has been looking forward to "valentimes" day for a couple of weeks now.  And, her excitement was contagious.  So, about a week ago, neither of us could stand it anymore.  I got my sister-in-law's sugar cookie recipe...so good... and I made my first ever solo batch of sugar cookies.  I personally think they turned out wonderfully.  Now that the real day is actually here, and I had left-over ingredients, we made more yesterday.  The cookies, while delicious, are killer on the diet.  So, if you live close you just may have a surprise delivery tomorrow!  Especially because yesterday I started a 10 week commitment to the Farrell's Extreme Body Shaping program.  I've already lost close to 50 pounds since coming home from having Breckin, thanks partially to Weight Watchers and partially to nursing, but I would be thrilled to lose another 40.  There's a $1,000 prize...I'll be honest, I'm hoping to win it!  Once I finish with the 10 weeks, I'm hoping to start triathlon training again!  Who knows, maybe this year I'll be a little competitive in the triathlon arena!  Since the longest ones I've done have been sprints, I think it would be pretty cool this year to try for an Olympic distance...  so, no more cookies for me!  :)

I got some pictures of Reagan helping with the cookie process.

I foolishly let her shake some sprinkles onto one of the cookies unassisted...

And here was the result.

This one was my favorite:

Reagan's favorites were the ones with names on them.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Hope you got to spend it with the ones you love.

The Show!

As I noted in my previous entry, I did my very first wedding expo on Sunday!  Time will tell how successfull it was.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed and saying my prayers that it wasn't all for not! 

I wanted to post some quick pictures of the booth.  I was very lucky to be placed right next to the door, so I saw almost everyone coming in and again going out.  I have a list of things I need if I decide to do another one...time will tell whether it would be worth it.

A big HUGE thanks to my friend Brooke, who gave up her Sunday and her bedroom furniture (the chairs and ottoman) to help me out.  It was great to have someone to talk to all day, and nice that she and I could take breaks and see all the other vendors and sample cake and treats.  Mmmm....wedding cake.  :)

Anyway, here are the pictures.  I'll post the same images in a fancier format on my other blog later today. 

Also, I get asked this a lot: "Amanda, you teach part time, you have 2 little kids, AND you have a photo business?  How do you do all that?"  My answer is twofold, and very simple.  Reason A: Coffee.  I don't drink as much as I'd like since I'm still nursing, but the little bit I do gets me through.  Reason B: My husband.  He is SUCH a gem!  He helped me make my display, let me take our living room rug, spend a fair amount of our own money to do the show in the first place, and even watched both kids and brought my friend Brooke and me lunch while we were at the show.  And that was all just for the show.  He's a regular hero almost every day, and I love him for it.  Thanks honey!

Baptism and he's 6 months old!

Breckin seems to be growing up MUCH faster than Reagan did, and if you're a long-time reader, you know that I think that all went entirely too fast (and continues to do so). 

Anyway, I finally got around to taking some pictures of the poor kid.  The first ones I've taken since Christmas! 

Before I get to those pictures though, I need to post the ones of his baptism.  He looked SO cute, I must say.  He did really well, and only cried at the very end with the pastor took him up and down the isles.  What can I say?  He's a total mama's boy.  Reagan did a great job too.  She stood up at the front and looked like a proud big sister (she is!). 

Afterwards, we had a little party here at our house.  We had lunch, and a little birthday celebration for my nephew, Tanner.  He's 12!  And, I  must say, he's a very responsible and kind young man.  Reagan absolutely adores him, and really, it's no wonder.  Every time he's around her, he plays whatever game she suggests, endlessly makes her friends "talk", and is truly wonderful with her. 

(While he's definitely strongly resembling Jim, he really looks a LOT like my Grandpa Pianalto in this picture!)

Ok, here are his 6 month pictures.  Personally, I think he's the sweetest little boy that ever was.  But perhaps I'm right biased...

We started Breckin on "solids" at 5 months.  He was totally ready.  Then, about 2 weeks ago, I let him eat a graham cracker by himself.  Ever since then, he has had absolutely no interest in being spoon fed.  In fact, the only way he'll allow it is if there is nothing in his sight or reach that he can eat himself!  So, I just went with it, and he's been eating table food ever since.  It certainly makes my life easier, so no complaints here.  I've been reading a lot about "baby-led weaning" thanks to my friend April.  I was nervous about taking this approach because of the perceived choking risk, as well as the food allergies.  I'm trying to avoid those all-together this time around!  But, Breckin made the decision easy for me.  :)

The other news, and most recent reason for my absence from the blog, is because I've been working my little tail off trying to get everything ready for my first-ever wedding expo.  The people putting it on are promising hundreds of brides.  Hopefully 10 or so will want me to photograph their wedding!  I'd be SO very excited.  I think I'll keep teaching 1/2 time as long as they'll let me.  It's nice to have steady income, and even nicer to have so much time to spend with the kids. 

We've also been busy pre-school shopping for Reagan, and found out quickly that it can be extremely expensive!  Our wonderful nanny took-and passed-her CNA test this week, so she'll be wanting to work for us a little less (but lucky for us she wants to keep coming back!)  So, the goal is to try to find a place that will take both kiddos, just to make things a little easier.  I'm hoping to find something for 2 half days per week.  We're sort of struggling, so if you are reading this and live in Colorado Springs, let me know if you have suggestions!

The Butterfly Pavilion with Leslie and Jeremy

Before Jim left, I had made plans for us to go up to Denver to see my friend Leslie and her boyfriend Jeremy, and go to the Butterfly Pavilion with them. I have been wanting to go to this place for quite some time...and I'm so glad I went! It made our first day with Jim gone go by very quickly, and Reagan loved seeing all the butterflies.

The Pavilion is a very neat place, and if you live here and haven't been, I recommend it! It's not horribly expensive, and it's a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. I was especially excited about how warm it was where the butterflies were. To quote Leslie, it felt like Costa Rica (except that I don't know what it feels like in Costa Rica because I haven't been, but I trust her.) In addition to the butterflies, there are some other fun things for kids, including a "hands on" water room, where kids can learn about and feel some neat sea creatures. There is also a room with scorpions, cockroaches, and other creepie crawlies that gave me the heebie-jeebies the entire time I was in the room. Shivers down my spine just thinking about it... Overall, I was super pleased with the Pavillion. It's certainly doesn't compare to the wonderful aquarium we saw here as far as fish go, but it's pretty cool considering Colorado is a landlocked state. And I've never seen a cooler place for butterflies!

At one point, when we were walking around and Reagan was hitching a ride in the stroller, a big butterfly landed right on her foot. She paniced a little, but told her I'd help her get it off if I could get a picture. She obliged, and I got just the shot I was hoping for!

Considering that Breckin was WAY off his little schedule, and that Reagan was about an hour and a half late for her nap, they were very well behaved. They crashed hard in the car on the way home.

Reagan asked (for the millionth time) tonight if she could take a bath with Breckin. Breckin had, up until tonight, been in his infant sink bath, and we would just use it in the tub. It was fine, except that Reagan really wanted to take a bath with Breckin, but she couldn't. Jim reminded me the other night that we had a second baby tub. I knew it had the sitting support that I want, but I didn't know how to get it to work. I had tried when Reagan was a baby, and couldn't figure it out. I am proud to report though, that tonight, they got to take a bath together. I guess I'm a professional mom now...I can figure out even the toughest of gagets!

100!! On Palindrome Day! (01/02/2010)

What a trip down memory lane this blog has become!
It is truly hard for me to remember Reagan as a little baby, like Breckin is now. Looking at some of my old pictures now really brings back memories. I'm so glad I started this blog, and I hope you are too!







This year, we decided that since we've had such bad luck with real Christmas trees in the past, that we'd go ahead and buy a fake, or as Reagan says, a joke tree.

It wasn't horrible, but I told Jim that I liked the way our house smelled with a tree in it, so I went to Yankee Candle and bought a tree scented candle. Still not as good as the real thing, but I was happy not to have the mounds of needles on the carpet when the decorations were gone. Maybe someday when the kids are older we'll head into the national forest and cut down our own. Breckin's favorite part was laying underneath the tree.

Breckin started eating solid foods on his 5 month birthday, the 21st.



A definite milestone, and Reagan was very excited for him, too. She hasn't asked to help feed him yet, but I am guessing by the intent stare she has when I feed him that it's only a matter of time.





On Christmas Eve, as is tradition, we went to my parents house for homemade, traditional, from scratch Italian ravioli (my maternal great-grandmother's recipe) and Swedish meatballs (my paternal great grandmother's recipe). Perhaps one of these years I'll get my Mom to write down the recipes so that I can someday recreate them myself. Having her write things down is really asking a lot, because like most Italian women, she measures nothing. Anyway, I got to spend some time with most of my brothers and their families, which is always time well spent. The best news of the holiday is that my brother Austin and his wife Jill are expecting their first baby in June! Reagan and Breckin (and me!) are so excited to have more cousins close to their age.

























Our other tradition is spending Christmas Day with Jim's family. Santa was very generous this year, making two stops for Reagan and Breckin. Mikey and Julie came, too and I think Mikey spent most of his time assembling the 1 million (or so) piece puzzle, which is also a Christmas tradition. However, that is a tradition from which I stay far. The real excitement in the Lamb family will be coming in a couple of weeks when Bill and Debbie take off for their month in Hawaii. Mikey and Julie will be joining them for a week, as well. (Luckies!)






And finally, there is some sad news. Jim's grandpa Jim passed away yesterday. While he will be greatly missed, I think everyone is relieved that he is finally able to be at peace.I regret that I didn't get to know him as well as I would have liked, but I will always remember him fondly. I'm thankful that we were able to see him at Thanksgiving, and that Reagan might be old enough to remember him a little.

I'm so grateful that I married a man with all of his grandparents living, because all of my blood grandparents have passed, some before I even got to meet them. Jim will be heading back to Tyler for the funeral with Mikey and Julie. I would really like to be able to go with him, but I used all my time off work for my maternity leave. I'm not sure how we'll get by without him; he's extremely helpful around here! I hope that Reagan will understand that he'll be back soon.

I think I'll try to post a little something each day for Jim (and you, too of course) to read while he's gone. Our life isn't that exciting, but maybe I'll get some good pictures to post.

Whew, this has been a long one! Thanks for reading our blog! And...please...leave me a comment so I know a few people still read this thing! Sometimes I wonder...

Thanksgiving

I can't believe there are only 14 days until Christmas! This year has FLOWN by...especially the part that happened AFTER July 21st!

Thanksgiving was quite eventful! We drove down to Tyler, Tx to see Jim's grandparents and other extended family. It was so great that the kids got to spend some time with their great grandparents, great aunts and uncles, and cousins galore! Jim and I were more tired than we'd been a very long time, but we survived. The trip was well worth it, and luckily there wasn't too much of this(I know, not a side of my sweet little angel that we see very often):

Reagan with Great-Gram Dot

Breckin with Great-Gram Lamb

Overall, the drive went rather well. We decided that it would probably be easiest if we drove through the night both ways. I think it was probably for the best, as Reagan was pretty restless in the car when she was awake. There was really only one major episode, about an hour away from Tyler on the way there. Let's just say it's a good thing we had Breckin along because otherwise, without his wipes, we'd have had a VERY messy 2 year old. Sugary muffins, DVDs in the backseat, and many sharp turns in a row are not a good combination!!

Thanks so much to everyone for your hospitality, and thanks to Bill and Debbie for most of these pictures!