Our New Little Addition

Ooops! I didn't mean to leave you all hanging like that!

And no, no, no, I'm not pregnant!

Though I would LOVE more children,

Kam is still a baby, and I'd like her to stay that way.

If only for a little longer.

No, my friends, we're not expecting.

BUT, we did add a new member to our family.

Meet . . . .

Kate

Is she about the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Yeah, we think so too.

But boy does she wear us out ;)

Sierra is definitely her adoptive mother.

She totes the little one around all.day.long.

It is absolutely precious.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

So that's that.

The surprise.

The little darling that has added even more excitement to our little household.

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition

I am totally slackin', y'all! Another week of EM:ME is upon us! My how the time flies.

Lovely Amber hosts, and is askin' us:

How are you doing???

Great, thanks for askin' Amber! :)

Actually, I'm at a stand still. With, two, 10-day rounds of antibiotics under my belt in the last two months, I've been feeling drained, and haven't been too motivated in the exercise department. {Oh, who am I kidding, I haven't been motivated in that department for a long time!} However, now that summer is upon us, and there are all sorts of fresh fruits and veggies around every corner, we have been enjoying eating FRESH! And with the 100+ degree days, you can't help but guzzle the water.

So . . . same ol', same ol', I guess. I know I need to add more exercise to my routine, and I wouldn't mind losing just a couple more pounds, but other than that, I'm pretty happy :)

Head on over to Amber's to read about other great gals' journeys!

*And, oh yeah, I may have another reason for feeling totally drained and left with no time for exercise these days . . . I'll post more about that soon ;)

Almost Wordless Wednesday ~ Hot, Hot, Hot!

It's been so hot here these last few days.

And wouldn't you know, just as we're reaching into the 100's . . .

Our air conditioning decides to call it quits.

Thank goodness for water activities,

And a Nana who lives right next door!

Six months . . .

Half of one whole year.

One hundred eighty-one days.

However you call it.

My baby girl is six months old today.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Kam, you bring me so much joy.

You are full of smiles.

Are beginning to act shy.

{which is soooo cute!}

You love, love, love your sissies.

{They bring you the most smiles}

Still don't have any teeth!

Are sitting on your own

{If only for a few seconds before you get too wiggly}

Have recently had your first tastes of rice cereal,

{oh so yummy}

But prefer to grab tastes {literally} of whatever I'm eating.

Continue to catch your ZZZs in bed with Mama and Daddy.

LOVE to be outside.

♥ ♥ ♥

You are getting so big!

You have hit the 17 pound mark, and continue to grow each day.

You have the chubbiest little baby legs and arms ever

{and everyone comments on them!}

You have beautiful blue eyes with the longest lashes

{and everyone comments on those, as well!}

You have come a LOOOOOONG way from this:

♥

We love you so much more than we ever thought possible.

If I hold you tight and wish hard enough,

could you stay just as you are?

Go ahead, give me the stink eye. You know you want to . . .

The other day we made a trip into town to pick up some groceries,

a birthday present, card for a baby shower,

a few odds and ends for our next camping trip,

waffle iron, you know, the basics.

These days I feel very much like I'm trying to function on half a brain.

I can't remember anything.

If there is something I need to do or buy,

I had better be writing it down on a list, or forget it!

Literally.

This also goes for my ability to take notice of my surroundings.

Yeah, not so much.

I am usually so caught up in making sure that Kam is comfortable,

Sierra and Makenna are having a good time and behaving,

all while mentally trying to go through the million items on my to-do list.

Summer VACATION. Ha!

There hasn't been anything relaxing about it so far.

So . . . .

There I was, pulling up to the check-out stand.

I had found everything on my list.

Kam was still in a good mood.

Kenners and Sierra were behaving

AND being helpful.

I start unloading the cart. The very full cart.

Once I have everything out, the cheker politely says these dreaded words:

Just so that you know, this is an express lane.

I glance around to find the big "15 items or Less" sign.

Then I notice it. On top of the lane number on a little sign.

Yep. That's right.

The lane that I pulled up to, the lane without any customers

{at first},

was in fact an EXPRESS LANE.

For those with LESS than 15 items.

I probably had 150 items!

Of course the second everything is up on the belt,

42 older ladies with 15 items or less in their baskets form a line behind me.

All the while giving me the dreaded stink eye.

Go ahead, you know you want to join them.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Popsicle Days

Friend Makin' Mondays ~ Vacations!

Yay for another installment of FMM!

Kasey from All That is Good usually hosts, but she is on an extended vacay, so this week

Jolanthe from No Ordinary Moments, is hosting. And the task?

Vacations!!!

1. Tell us the best or worst vacation that you've ever taken

Oooooh, I've got two.

Hawaii ~ October 2006

We had SO.MUCH.FUN! My parents came along, as well as two cousins, an aunt, and their families. Hanging around the beach was, obviously, our favorite activity :)

And . . . .

DISNEYLAND ~ April 2008

Oh what fun!

The girls were in awe the entire time.

*Sorry this is a little late . . . it was another long day :)

I love vacations so much, I just had to get in on it.

Better late than never, right?

Happy Monday, y'all!

I ♥ Faces Week 28 - Feet!

This is my first week joining in at i ♥ faces ~ a photography blog that hosts weekly photo contests for kids and adults. This week's theme . . . Feet! To join in, enter here.

Kameryn's little tootsies.

Taken May 2009, at 3 months old.

Enchanting Summer Days

In grand Summer tradition, we have been keeping busy!

One of our favorite places to visit each summer is

♥ Enchanted Forest ♥

A little, nursery rhyme - themed kids park

not too far from our house.

We visit every.single.summer.

Seriously, this started when I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Sierra.

Actually, if truth be told, it started years ago,

when my parents took my sister and me.

But, I'm getting off track . . .

{I do that a lot, don't I?}

Anyway, 93 degrees was the forecasted temp for Thursday.

Being that the Enchanted Forest is in, well, the forest,

we figured it would be the perfect day to go have some fun in the shade.

So away we went . . .

Our first stop was the castle.

Anyone care to guess what the girls were doing in this picture?

Making wishes on pennies thrown in the wishing well, of course.

A quick stop by Humpty's digs.

Kam enjoyed the stroll for about 6 1/2 minutes.

After that she wanted to be carried.

Photo opp with the Mad Hatter

Wheeee! They REALLY enjoyed the "shoe slide".

Kenners did a great job driving the train.

And Sierra took Gramps for a ride at the Bumper Cars.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Stay tuned . . . we'll be visiting the Enchanted Forest again next month . . .

with ALL the cousins. Can't wait! :)

A Little More Like Myself

Whew, life has been a little crazy lately.

Thankfully I am feeling much better.

Tired, but better.

I'm finally ready to post pictures from our camping trip!

So . . . get ready for some super duper cuteness . . .

Mom, are we there yet???

Kenners enjoyed putting puzzles together

And Sierra loved our family auction

And for good reason . . . Grandpa bid on an iPod especially for her.

Take a look at this cutie!

My nephew Jaymes . . .

Gotta love all that dirt ;)

My niece, Sonoma.

Is she a punkin, or what???

We had such a great time.

Can't wait till next year!

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, Week ???

Wow, it's been awhile! I've been slacking in blog-world, but for good reason{s}, people, I can assure you. First, the normal hustle and bustle of Summer. We don't get months on end of beautiful sunshine here in Oregon, so we gotta take advantage of it while we can.

Second, I have {stupid} mastitis again {waaaahhh, Idon'twannabeonantibioticsagain, } and I'm wiped out! Alright, fit over.

And, do I need to remind y'all of the 14 loads of laundry, trailer clean-out, and week-long camping trip I'm still recovering from? Okay, then.

So, the lovely Amber, host of this beautiful weekly gathering of ladies who are in pursuit of bettering themselves, poses this question:

What's been inspiring you???

I am inspired by other people's health and fitness. Last week, while at my family reunion camp-out, I got to spend some time with my younger sister and her precious family. Her daughter, Sonoma, is 11 months old and soooo super adorable {as is her son}. Anyway, Annie {sister} looks FAN-tastic! She is the thinnest I've ever seen her. Ever. And not just skinny, but toned as well. Of course, she IS superwoman. Chasing after two little ones, working part-time at Starbucks, AND coaching high school dance team, just to name a few.

Anyway, what an inspiration! After days of snacking on Golden Oreos and Snickerdoodles, I wanted to just toss the rest of the snacks in the garbage! Of course, I didn't. I am a snacker, and I won't give it up totally, but it was a reminder that if I want to change my body, I'm going to actually have to do something about it. Crazy, huh? Now, don't get me wrong, I am pretty happy with how far I've come. I can happily say that I am down to pre-pregnancy weight. A weight that I've been within a few pounds of all my adult life. About 112, if you need a number, people. BUT, I need exercise. I need to tone. I know this, but somehow it seems so difficult to fit it in. Something to work on, I guess.

So, that's that. How are you doing with your fitness goals? What inspires you? Head on over to Amber's to join in, and link up. You'll be so happy you did!

Not Me! Monday ~ Camping Edition

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not discover Golden Oreos while camping, and then proceed to eat almost an entire bag of the minis all by myself. Nor did I indulge in Snickerdoodles every.single.day. Please, I have way more self-control than that.

After seeing my skinny mini of a sister this weekend, I did not swear off said Oreos and Snickerdoodles {along with all other junk} in hopes of losing just a few more pounds. And I certainly didn't head right back for the sweets the following day. Not me.

In an effort to spend less time in the trailer slaving over dishwater, I did not buy paper plates, and disposable everything {yes, that includes diapers}. I am so much better at conserving than that, and would never do such a thing.

I did not remain in my jammies until 4 o'clock this afternoon simply because I was so busy unpacking the trailer, starting load after load of laundry {12 thus far}, and generally running around like a mad-woman trying to get everything clean and put away. Four thousand trips back and forth from trailer to house in jammies, greasy pony tail and without a stitch of makeup??? Unthinkable!

Alright, let's hear it, what didn't you do last week?

We're Baaa-aack

Ahhh, it's so good to be home!

I want to sit here today and play 'blog catch-up'

BUT, the laundry is calling my name . . .

All 14 loads of it. Sigh.

I'll be back soon with pictures.

Hope you all had a fantastic week!

We're Off!

Wishing y'all a fabulous week full of sunshine and memories!

Can't wait to catch up with you when we return!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Whew!

I think I need a nap.

We have had a busy few days,

and are preparing for many more.

We are headed to our Family Reunion Camp-out,

albeit a few days early, to get some fishin' in.

Our first camping trip with three little ones,

and already I'm noticing the extra "stuff"

as I make my couple hundred trips out to the trailer :)

So . . . I may be MIA for a bit,

but that's okay because we're sure to be having

LOTS-O Summer Fun!

And now I'll leave y'all with a few fun 4th photos ;)

The girls enjoyed making {and eating} a very festive cake

Patriotic donuts are the food of choice during a parade, don'tchaknow

{Um, are you totally lovin' the super-cool shades as much as I am?}

Enjoying Kam's first parade

A few fireworks

Front-row seats for the show

Hope you made lots of great memories too!