Long Time, No Blog!

Wow, it's been a while since I last blogged!  The yucky sickness has hit our household, and in full force.  I first got it at the beginning of October, and it has yet to go away.  This last week has been the hardest.  In a month in a half I have been to the doctor a total of 5 times.  Yes 5 times.  I *finally* saw a real doctor today who was completely frustrated that none of the pa's had run any tests on me.  So after being there for less then 5 minutes she ordered a chest x-ray, breathing test and some blood tests.  I was really worried that I had pnemonia.  It's been bad.  Bad to the point where I have coughed so much that my voice was going, I couldn't keep any food or liquids down due to the coughing and I wasn't getting any sleep.  Sooo after the tests, she told me I didn't have pnemonia!  Pheww!  She said I have a really bad case of a viral bronchitis.  She sent me home with 2 different meds and an inhaler.  And i'm already starting to feel a little bit better!!!  Emma has quite a cough too, and I think i'm going to end up taking her into the doctor as well.  She hasn't had this nearly as long as me, but I don't want it to get to the point to where I got.  Brian also has had a tad of this stuff too.  Sooo not fun! 

But anyway!  Before we get to Thanksgiving, I had better share my Halloween photos!  We had such a blast Trick-or-Treating this year!  We head over to my husbands Uncles neighborhood for trick-or-treating.  There are so many kids, and almost everyone there decorates their houses.  It's very cool.  Emma was sooooo cute running up to the houses, she was so excited.  I have never in my life seen someone get as much candy as she did!  She made out well. {and so did brian and I} hehe.  But here are some photos of our little "Jessie" I mean Emma! =)

And there is all the candy!!! 

And before I forget I have to share these photos!  Emma was a "model" for a local photographer.  I had never met her before but I think she did an amazing job!  I cannot wait to see the rest of the photos that she took, but for now here is the sneak peak of them!

I'm sooooo excited to see the rest of them!  She is an amazing photographer...and I may be a little biased but she had a pretty darn cute model to work with =) 

Fall =)

Fall is definately here, and I have lacked really bad at blogging!  Life has been super busy lately!  We've had lots of fun lately =)  We enjoyed an afternoon at a local orchard a couple of weeks ago.  We had already picked apples at another orchard, so at this other one we went through their cornmaze and then got free ice-cream after.  Yummm!!  They also have goats there to feed.  Emma loveesss this! 

Every year this place we go to has a cornmaze.  And every year it's in the shape of something different.  Last year I believe it was a butterfly.  This year it was a Unicorn.  It's really quite cool! 

I love this photo of Emma and Brian =)

Our little family! =)

Emma had a Halloween party to go to last weekend.  Well, I ordered her Halloween costume.  She's going to Jessie from Toy Story =)  And...of course the costume didn't come in time for the party.  So we had to piece something together for her.  Brian and I went to Wal-Mart one morning after dropping her off at school and we pieced together an adorable little witch costume for her!  She looked so cute and was excited to be a witch for the party!

The afternoon before the party I took Emma to have lunch with Brian at work.  After, of course I had my camera in the car with me so I wanted to stop and take some photos of her in a field in the town where my husband works.  I *love* taking photos of her =)

Well, that's it for now!  Tonight Emma and I are going to make cupcakes for her class tomorrow.  It's Fall Festival at school...so we are making Candy Corn Cupcakes!  I'll post photos of that soon! =)

Apple Picking!

It's that time of the year again!  Apple picking! This is probably my most favorite time of the year!  I love being able to go outside, in jeans & long sleeve shirt and being absolutlely comfortable!  After school this past Wednesday we took Emma apple picking at our favorite orchard.  We have been taking her there every year since she was born.  Love it there!  Not only do they have apples, but they have pumpkins as well.  And a great little farm store with fresh veggies and homemade apple cider.  Super yummy!  We picked what they call a "Bushel" of apples.  Which is basically a very large shopping bag full of apples.  So far i've made apple crisp with it...and as soon as i'm on days off from work i'm going to get going on homemade applesauce =)  Here are some photos from our adventure =)

Totally loving this time of the year.  I wish that we could have about 6 months out of the year with weather like this.  I'm not ready at all for winter.  Hopefully fall sticks around for a while =)

5 Years Old & Zebras!

Well Miss Emma turned 5 years old this past week!  Friday was her actual birthday.  I packed a special cupcake in her lunchbox for school and put a Birthday card in her lunchbox as well.  That evening we went out for Pizza with some family & friends.  The kids had soooo much fun and were so good.  After that we spent the evening at our house in the backyard having a campfire and toasting marshmallows.  It was the best evening we have had in a long time.  All the kids got along perfectly  And us adults had some great adult talk! 

Saturday we had Emma's Birthday party!  When I asked what kind of Birthday she wanted she immediately said, "I want a Zebra Party!"  Well that worked for me!  I love to decorate for parties and getting ready!  Here are some birthday photos =)

Happy 5th Birthday to my little princess Emma!!! =)

September 11th -Ten Years

It is hard to believe that today marks the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on our country.  I remember the day vividly.  I was 19 years old, and working at a coffee shop.  I was out back in the kitchen and I remember someone running through the doors of the coffee shop saying that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.  My first thought was that this was just a small plane.  I ran over to the TV and there was the images of the Towers.  I immediately knew from the damage that it obviously was not some small plane.  We then witnessed the second plane hit the tower.  I was in complete shock and remember just being silent.  Then we learned of the Pentagon attack, and then the plane that went down in Pennsylvania.  I pray for the families, victims and everyone else effected by these attacks, and will never forget. 

I am now a mother to a little girl who will soon by 5.  How do you explain to them what happened on that day?  The past week images and videos of that day have been all over the television and magazines.  I have done the best I can to explain to Emma what happened.  This morning I asked Emma to draw me a picture of America and how she felt.  She saw a flag on a magazine and she began to draw it.  Here is her photo. 

First Day Of Kindergarten!

We survived the first day of Kindergarten!!!  As I said in my last post I had a mix of emotions about this day.  We woke up at about 6:50 this morning, showered, packed Emma's lunch and got her dressed for her very first day!  Brian and I took her to school, i'm way too much of a worry wort to let her take the bus just yet! HA!  The first 4 days of school she is only going a 1/2 day, at the start of next week she will start going full days!  We picked her up at noon today, and she told us she had a blast!  She was so excited that she got to eat her lunch in the cafeteria today!  Here are a few pictures from the first day =)

She was so cute walking into the school!  Here is something that I came across on another blog.  A gift for the teacher!  Emma thought it would be a good idea to get something for her teacher so here is what we put together!

It was a really cute idea that we found!  And Emma's teacher enjoyed it as well! 

Well we start another day of school tomorrow, so I have clothes to lay out and a lunch to pack! =)

Mix of Emotions....

So tonight I have mixed emotions.  My little princess is officially starting Kindergarten tomorrow!  I am extremely happy for her, she will be meeting all kinds of new friends and will have a blast.  But there is a part of me that is completely sad.  I'm sure these emotions are completely normal.  But I go from one minute laughing with Emma to the next minute crying because she is growing up so fast.  It seems like just yesterday she was my little 3 pound baby, and now tomorrow she starts school and next week she turns 5!  Since having her life has compltely flown by.  I cherish every minute I have with my family and we have made some of the best memories ever. 

I remember the day she was born.  2 months premature and weighing 3 pounds 2 ozs.  I was so scared to hold a baby that size, but I quickly grew acustomed to it.  She was my tiny miracle that's for sure.  This picture of her she was less than an hour old =)

This photo reminds me of a little baby bird in her nest =)  She was born completely healthy, but due to my really really high blood pressure I had to have an emergency c-section.  She spent a month in the neonantal intensive care unit learning to take a bottle and then we were able to bring her home =)

Last year at this time Emma was starting Pre-K.  I was nervous about that too.  But she only went for 3 hours a day.  She had the most amazing teacher last year and learned so much.  Here is a picture of Em last year on her first day of Pre-K

Tomorrow sure will be a day of lots of emotions.  But I know in my heart that my little princess will be completely fine.  She will have so much meeting new friends and getting to know her new teacher.  Time sure does go by quickly!