I just won $100 gift card!!!

YOU CAN TOO...

I won an online photography contest, with this photo!!!
If you go to http://prize.komando.com/enter.asp you will see the entry form. Here is the site home page http://www.komando.com/, Check out the gallery to see weekly finalist and winning photos! I hope you win too!!!

I want a slip and slide

Today Rhylan and I used the "sprinkler park" for a slip and slide!! We were having a great time. Gracin kept to bum sliding while we moved on! First we were running and sliding on our knees!! Rhylan got pretty good at this. Then we moved up to running and sliding on our bellies. I was surprized Rhylan even did this...our faces got wet!!!!!!

Gracin's best splash

Great knee slide!!

Wow I make a big splash compared to little 24 lb Rhylan

Rhylan's belly run!

Coming the other way.

I think Slip and Slides are $9 with a slash pool and all. I just might have to go get one...any adults up for a slip and slide party? Do you remember how fun they were? I did today. In college I remember my friend Preston would through the best parties. He still lived at home so he had a big back yard to set up a HUGE slip and slide. We soaped it up real good and went for distance, crazy slides, and group slides. Not one person broke a bone! Oh man there are times when I miss doing fun stuff like that... like today... (Thanks Rhylan and Gracin for sharing your toy with me!)

They love Zelda

Gracin started giving Zelda hugs! She doesn't really enjoy them, in fact she moans. Rhylan also likes to hold Zelda. Even thought she is tortured, she still hangs out with the kids. She is usually in whatever room we are playing in...just out of reach of Gracin's death grips. I am glad Zelda is a social cat, my kids sure love her:)

A good reason to do laundry

It has been pretty rainy over the weekend, leaving a lot of mud around our house. We have one spot, right next to the front door, where all the rain water runs off the roof (no rain gutters!!???!) Rhylan calls it the bug pool:) We were out side Saturday evening mowing the yard, and weeding the flower beds. Gracin slipped and fell right in that mud pit! He was so filthy. He also had an orange Popsicle beard. Not even 1 year old yet and I am getting a small taste of what our future holds with Gracin. Boys, gotta love them (the bath tub was extra gross that night!)

Ten reasons...

Why the pet store is better than the zoo:
1. It is air conditioned
2. We don't need to pack a lunch or own a member pass...although we do:)
3. The animals are usually awake and running around
4. No sunscreen and no sunburns
5. It only takes 15-30 min to see everything
6. Little puppies can lick your fingers
7. You can get your picture with a HUGE snake
8. You can buy crickets for your pet frog while you are there
9. You can get right up to the glass and see the animal up close
10. Its only a 5 min drive home when we are done!

We took out some change from our jar and put it in Rhylan's wallet. She was so excited to ask for the crickets. She carried them through the store and loved paying for them with her "own" money. This is the moment she was given the crickets, and turned to show us.

R-H-Y-L-A-N

I have been working a lot with Rhylan on the letters in her name! We spell her name in the bath with foam letters, we use letter stamps to write it, we use stickers, and magnet letters. We play memory with these letters and any other way I can think of! It is paying off. Today we made a sign for her room. She found all the letters and put them on herself with very little help. She even remembered the order of the letters! What a little smarty:)

My birthday

I had such a great birthday this year!! I am now 26 years old...closer to 30 than 20 so weird. But I don't feel old. I am married and have 2 kids, 26 sounds about right. We celebrated a couple days in a row. Saturday, Riley took me out to eat at my favorite, Olive Garden! I got this new dish that I am pretty sure was the most delicious food I have ever tasted. I also got a new desert that was wonderful.

Then Sunday, we did the cake because Riley was going to have a late day at school on Monday--my birthday. I asked for an ice cream cake this year. Riley was so good and picked the prettiest cake with flowers and fun candles...the letter T was missing?! Then when I cut into the cake... no ice cream. Riley was so disappointed, he said it was right there with all the other ice cream cakes. I still thought it was yummy:)

Monday morning Riley gave me some great gifts and a sweet card. (I got a watch, thick cream lotion from Bath & Body Works, a gift card to my favorite store a Spa Pedicure gift card, and 2 UV lens filters for my camera lenses--way too much) I also got a few cards and gift cards in the mail that day from family, and some nice phone calls and texts. My friend surprised me and got a babysitter for our kids and took me out to eat for lunch!!! Then we spend the afternoon sewing projects, while the kids napped and watched a movie. The perfect afternoon.

I had a wonderful day!! Thanks everyone who wished me happy birthday.

TWOpeasinabucket.COM photography Course: 12 Weeks to Better Photos By Mark & Joanna Bolick

Okay, since I am not going to be able to take an actual college course right now, I am taking a free internet course! Its called 12 Weeks to Better Photos. Anyone is welcome to do it with me. Here is the link :http://sites.google.com/site/biowbiow002/twopeas_12week. I will be posting my homework assignments here on the blog. And hopefully, in 12 weeks, you will see a big improvement. (The course is made for SLR cameras and point and shoot.)

funny story of the night

...I say funny only so I won't get mad! I was checking my e-mail after I gave Gracin a bath. He is running "free." In a whole 20 seconds, he opened a craft drawer, pulled out some cute alphabet stickers, dropped them on the floor and peed on them!!! Pee got on all 3 pages of stickers he pulled out!

2 days of swimming!!

Last week, it was SO HOT outside. We spent a lot of time in the backyard playing in water. One day I decided to fill both our pools. It was kind of funny, Gracin stayed mostly in the bigger pool and Rhylan hung out in the baby pool:) The kids shared the last ice cream bar after wards.



(This pic of Gracin cracks me up! This little swim shirt is size 2-3T. See it's a little tight on the tummy, and big in the shoulders?)

See day 2 below!!!