This Happy Life...

Thanksgiving Day Hike

2008-11-30T08:06:00.001-08:00

SIX (or a 1 and a 5)

2008-10-31T19:11:00.001-07:00

big sister is always there to read cards, and help open packages

The kid wanted a pogo stick, where did that come from?

so happy to be a 1 and a 5!

she is something!

Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

Minne Mouse and Dorothy, all ready for the great candy caper!
Minnie Mouse in our backyard!

Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz, or Wendy, from Wendy's restaurant?

Loooovvveee the freckles!

2008-10-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is the girls all bundled up to go out and see the pumpkins all lit up. It is cold here so Sophie is bundled in her coat, and Syd is using her blanket. Brrrrrr.....

Here they are, mine was supposed to be a spooky cat, yea, that didn't work out. Sophie was so patient and carved this wonderful spider in its web. Patience really does pay off!

Scott, the official scraper outter. He found a new tool this year and works like a charm.

Sydni is learning to be just like dad. Actually she just loves the gooey stuff in the middle. It "feels good" she says.

Note the tongue sticking out as she concentrates. She worked literally for an hour just to get the outline. Then I carved it for her. Not really ready for carving. It turned out awesome as you can see in the photos.

EIGHT

2008-09-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is the day before eight. We had a small family party at home. First, we headed to Sophie's favorite restaurant, The Golden Coral, for fruit buffet. Then we headed back to the house for cake, ice cream, and presents. The kid raked it in I tell you!
This is September 19, 2008. Here she is 8! This is at Libby Lu's where she invited her dearest friend Molly. They had their hair done, nails done, and make up was eveywhere. This is Soph's before shot!
Yes, they paint their nails and then dust the tops with glitter! It's pretty spectacular!
This is the rockin' girl look! It's also a look of pure happiness!

A place for girls! Scott, poor guy, he is surrounded by pink and purple smelly things.

Happy Birthday Sophie!

2008-09-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

We've expanded! Lucy is her name, and being a member of the Amick family is her game.

Sydni thinks she is just adorable! At 9 pounds she is easy to pick up and boss around. Here is the greatest part...she doesn't care! She loves to be loved!
Dumped into someone's yard she was free to us! We have got to get her housebroken but Louie is loving this little sweetheart.

An Evening with friends...

2008-09-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

We originally started as 10 adults and one child (one couple is obviously missing). We now have 13 children between the 10 adults. That's right, we're outnumbered! We had the best time getting together with our old friends. We started a small group when we started attending our church 9 years ago. We were all newly married, without children, and full of ourselves.

Now we are full of children, occupations, and doing for others.

We have grown in more ways than one...

Especially Baked, in an Easy Bake Oven!

2008-09-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

Sophie's oven was a gift at Christmas, we haven't used it all summer but we pulled it out to bake some fudge cookies. Anyone know if the batters ever expire? There's no expiration date and we have had them for a while!
Sydni, always wants to get in on the action. This is hard because she can barely see over the counter and mom is terrified that she will be burned by the oven!

I have a red plate I use for when someone is grumpy or having a bad day. If you get the red plate it means that you are even more special then normal! This is how big the cookies end of being! Daddy says, "just a little taste, yum!"
Ever tasted Easy Bake? Yuck, it's disgusting!

Off to School

2008-08-17T18:39:00.001-07:00

Sophie, 7 is off to second grade

Sydni, 5 is off to kindergarten

Mom was an emotional wreck but we have made it through two whole days of school. I start the new year on Monday.

Pre-School Graduation

2008-05-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Today, I watched as my little girl went from Pre-school to a new school adventure. I am so proud of her and all her hard work. She is so bright, and creative, and imaginative. We are so very blessed to have two healthy, happy, girls that love life and all that it has to offer.

Arrrrr! I'm a Pirate...

2008-05-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

Sophie's school carnival had a theme and we played it to the max! Love the butterfly t-shirt and the skull and crossbones head scarf! Nice! It was a blast and Sydni can't wait until Sophie's school is her school. Soon baby girl, soon...

A Weekend With the Grandparents

2008-05-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

Daddy, trying not to tangle the fishing lines! We didn't catch anything! The lake was cold and the fish were still sleeping. We did have fun watching the geese and ducks! Louie thought about getting in but decided against it. Too cold!
All through our marriage we have several of these pictures. Scott took it, I always wonder what they will turn out like. This is pretty great actually!
Scott's mom with the girls. One goofy and the other pretending not to notice anyone!
Shake what your mama gave you! These girls know how to get down and boogie!
Scott's mom and dad. She loves to dance and he loves to just stand and watch. Sometimes she even makes him hold her hand while dancing! This was one of those moments!
My in-laws have a home away from home down in Southern Indiana. We took a weekend and just got away. We fished, and hiked, danced with a state senator, and enjoyed our time away from home.

A Day At Metea Park

2008-05-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Sophie, is truly a tree hugger in this photo! I love those blue eyes!!!!
Sydni with two pine cones she picked up, no worries Aunt Sharon, we follow that rule of leave no footprints while out in the woods. She placed them nicely back into the needles where she found them.
There could be not better sisters than these two, one minute ready to pull each other's hair and the next defending!

Over spring break we went to Metea Park, a local nature preserve her in the Fort. The girls and I hiked. We went through the woods and down a very steep embankment. It was a little chilly that day but it was fun to get out and about during that week.

A Day at the Toledo Zoo

2008-04-02T09:03:00.001-07:00

The beautiful butterfly emerges from its cocoon! Wait, nope, that's just Sydni at the zoo's new butterfly exhibit. Pretty cool though huh!
Sophie, age 7, on top of the zoo's bronze statue of a tortoise. Same picture when Sophie was 2 at the zoo. Ah, the memories! (Mostly, she just complained that I made her get up there and take the pictures!)
Sydni, loves to just ham it up! We had so much fun and it was cold and rainy, but we had a lot of fun.
Aunt Sharon would love this exhibit! The baby elephant was born two years ago and it gets better every year. They were out that day exploring and we got the greatest shots of them. We love the elephants!
The girls and I love the baby elephant. We stayed and watched them a long time. We couldn't see the hippos though, they were inside and their enclosure was fogged over with Hippo evaporation! Sydni has decided that we should sell all that we have and move to Africa. Or, we could just go to the Toledo Zoo more often!

Off to Kindergarten... Orientation

2008-03-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

This is what she looked like when we left for Kindergarten Orientation! Can you believe that this little cherub, 5 years old and 33 pounds will be loading a bus for Kindergarten in the fall? It's hard to believe but she is so excited! I am dragging my heels a lot and just dreading my baby going off for a half day to school. She'll do really well, she's so smart and she loves to learn new things. I hope her teacher gets a great rest in over the summer because she can challenge the best of us!

Here comes Peter Cottontail...Hoppin' Down the Rabbit Trail

2008-03-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

"I haven't dyed eggs for years!" said Paw Paw.
"Daaadddy, are the eggs ready for dying yet? Can we start? Huh, Huh, Huh?"

begged Sophie

"Nice and gentle, no need to stir them anymore." warned Daddy.

"Check out my egg!" said Scott.

2008-03-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's a stick she's licking the snow off. I had to pull the camera away to stop her from doing it. "But mommy, just picking the snow up is cold in your hands!"
My Sophie meant to just have her picture taken but her sister had to just ham it up in the background. It was a beautiful day! Since this picture, the snow has melted. We have that wonderful spring rains that are falling. I truly believe that spring is finally here. Happy Easter!

Sophie's Photography...

2008-03-10T18:49:00.001-07:00

Bought Sophie one of those kids' VTech cameras for Christmas. One of the best buys ever because she loves it. She takes some pretty creative pictures. This is just a few that she captured on a Sunday walk in the woods. She had her camera pointed to the sky for most of the trip, happily snapping away.

It's a Crazy Day!

2008-03-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

This is Sydny, on February 29th before she went to school. Her teacher decided that since we were all celebrating Leap Year that her students should dress crazy. Sydni thought that meant to act ridiculous too! We also got to celebrate daddy's birthday. He is officially 8 years old and has 32 more years until he is old enough to drive. We had a big birthday bash with moms, dads, sisters, and brothers. My girls missed Aunt Sharon, but seeing cousins was nice too!

Sweet Valentines

2008-02-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

We got these sunglasses from our dear friend Kathy on Valentine's Day. They are so sweet aren't they? And ornery too!

My girls the factory workers...

2008-02-27T19:12:00.001-08:00

Got the girls free hats when I was in Chicago. They say, "Hershey Factory Worker."

Daily Something #6

2008-01-22T17:52:00.001-08:00

I love this shot of us! My girls and I...

Daily Something#5

2008-01-20T19:40:00.001-08:00

Waiting...
Always waiting....
For the little people...
Come home from school, waiting...
I miss you so, I'm waiting....
Come my little people...
I'll be waiting...
Right here...
Waiting...

Daily Something #4

2008-01-16T16:11:00.001-08:00

four loads in one day, and again, the mountain is building... How do four people create so much laundry? Yikes!

Daily Something #3

2008-01-15T16:38:00.001-08:00

Note the title of the book: Together. Sometimes I give books away to people having babies. I always write a dedication page inside, it usually says, "May you always have a lap to sit in, may you never grow tired of hearing a good story, and may you always love the joy of a great book."

A father's love

2008-01-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Love to take photos of Scott with the girls. But, I love this last photo, he has such a joyful look on his face, and the hand reaching out to him. This was taken while they wrestled on the floor, the three of them.

Daily Something #1

2008-01-13T18:28:00.001-08:00

I thought that I would start a daily something photo journey. I think that it will really stretch me. I love the art of photography but never really feel like a photographer. I hope you will enjoy the journey.

*Note: the photos will usually be my girls!

Day 1:

Sophie and I took these pictures, I used my new camera to change them to black and white. I love the lighting effect that comes across her face.

2008-01-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

So, officially it's been over a week since our dear Aunt Sharon left and went back to her rainy home in central California. The girls still talk about her. Little bits and pieces of their conversation circle back around about their dear aunt. I got to thinking about my dear Aunt Ny. I remember spending hours upon hours with her. I cried when she got married, not sure where I would fit into her new life. I cried when I discovered that she too would become a mother, again, not sure where I would fit into this new life. And through it all I never left her warm embrace. I remember just recently, at the Christmas party, we looked at each other... "You know Sarah, I have known for quite some time that we could live peacefully together..." She's right, because I would do just about anything for her, and I know she would do the same for me. I relish that my girls have that same kindred bond with their dear Aunt Sharon. I love the fact that they count the days for her return, and call her to just say, "hi!" We all need that kind of relationship where people come in and completely surround us in their loving embrace. Thank you Aunt Sharon for being that person in my children's lives.

A Weekend with Friends

2008-01-02T18:47:00.001-08:00

We spent an enjoyable New Year's weekend with some old friends in Chicago. We started as a small group from church. We were just four couples then with no children. This weekend we were dominated by our offspring. All together in one house there were seventeen people, 8 adults and 9 children! We had a blast! My favorite time was when the kids went to bed, the adults stayed up until the wee hours of the night, catching up. My children cried when we left, next year we'll be back. What a great memory!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2007-12-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

So we have been hit hard in Indiana with some wonderful, winter, snowy weather. The girls headed out to play in the snow, we met up with the neighbor girl and went sledding down the driveway. Syd, the thinnest child on the planet, played for a while and then begged to go inside. It snapped a few photos to comemorate the day. It was really nice to see the stuff. The picture of Scott is after he completed the drives and sidewalks. He started at 7 a.m. this morning, I wish I loved blowing snow as much as he, however, I am thankful that I can get the mini van out if I desire to go out! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!

Christmas Cookie Extravaganza 2007

2007-12-12T18:04:00.000-08:00

Here they are the official pictures of our cookie making done with the hen party. The girls had a lot of fun. Sydni went to bed hopped up on sugar. Sophie just enjoyed being with the girls. It was another night of memories:

While They Sleep

2007-12-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

While You Sleep

While you sleep

the world marches on

The T.V. blares, the computer drones,

my hands are busy, preparing, collecting

while you sleep

marches on, marches on

Your face at ease

your mind far off dreaming

happy places, smiling faces

your body charging as you sleep on

while you sleep

marches on, marches on

Your beds snuggle you

safe and warm you rest

blankets of your happiness surround you

while you rest the world

marches on, marches on

Christmas Traditions

2007-12-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

Ali over at {a} has a post about Holiday Traditions. I thought this would be a wonderful place to put our family traditions. Starting at Thanksgiving we'll move through to Christmas:
1. Thanksgiving day we all go to my Grandmother's home. She has a creek and woods behind her house. The girls love to go on a hike after dinner with their cousin Amy and my mother. This has been a tradition for many years.
2. The day after Thanksgiving we put the trees up. We have a decorative one that goes in the family room. It goes with the decor of the room. We place a "family" tree in the living room. Last year I did a picture tree. The girls chose pictures from the boxes and we taped them to card stock and hung them on the tree. This year we just put up the ornaments that we have collected over the years. It is very lovely. We also decorate the banister and entryway of the house. We turn off all the lights and play Christmas music real loud. It's magical!
3. Around the 2nd week of December we get the hen party together and have a cookie making night. We all bring the ingredients for two different kinds of cookies. Last year we did 104 cut out cookies because we tripled the recipe. (Why did we do that?) We all walk away with tins and canisters full of cookies. They are especially nice to take to an impromptu party on a festive tray.
4. Christmas eve- we go to service all dressed up and full of anticipation. We then go downtown to see the Santa Claus on the side of the building. We usually get our picture taken, and if we're lucky we see Old Saint Nick himself. We spend some time at Scott's parent's house visiting and then my mom spends the night.
5. We place our stockings on the mantel and every year he fills them and leaves them by our bed. He usually leaves a note about how much we have grown!
6. On Christmas morning we get up and open gifts and have a breakfast together. Then we bask in our Christmas glory!

Just thinking about Christmas and traditions gets me excited about the upcoming weeks. Can't wait!!!!!!

Indiana Basketball at Its Finest!

2007-11-26T15:52:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the last night of "Little Hoopsters." Eight weeks of fun basketball for students in K-2. This is Sophie's second year. Really it is just for fun, and the trophy! Sophie enjoys all things active. I hope she will continue to have this attitude throughout adulthood.

Just Goofing Around

2007-11-25T15:39:00.000-08:00

The sisters spend the Saturday after Thanksgiving playing in the playroom. They finally came out for lunch. One looked all decked out in her plastic princess wear. Yes, they are still in their pajamas, and it's lunchtime. Saturdays around here can be very lazy!

I love the sisters, they can play so nicely with one another and they can fight like the worst enemies, but they will always be sisters.

It's Spooktacular...

2007-11-25T15:33:00.000-08:00

Here are some very scary pictures of some very scary witches. We had so much with the neighbors. We had so much candy! Daddy went through it all and stashed some chocolate for the grown-ups.

Off to School

2007-11-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

I know that these are old pictures but I know that you would like to see the girls on their first days of school. Sophie, 7 now, is in the first grade. She has a lovely teacher that goes to church with us. Sophie thinks she is just the greatest ever! She is learning to read and write and is asking us to read everything to her. We don't, tough love says to make her sound it out.

Sydni, now 5, is in her last year of preschool. That's right, my baby will go to Kindergarten next year. She is excited mostly about riding a bus. She is rapidly learning her letters and their sounds. She wants to read badly! Lately her interests have been these wonderful Golden Books:

She also loves all things ocean, we read about dolphins and sharks. She loves school and we are so pleased that she loves it!