Photohunt: Truly my favorite thing these days, a SOLD sign in our frontyard

this week: share ANY photo
next week: candy

My creation, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

so so happy to have this sign in our front yard......Kentucky here we come!

But if I were to pick favorite shots of the kids...this one of Livi captures her happy-go-lucky self!

This shot of Will and husband was mere minutes after he got home from a 15 month deployment . It is still one of my all time favorite shots!

Organizing tips from Tommie #4...winter clothes

finished pool, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

Since we are supposed to hit 90+ degrees this weekend, I figured it was finally time to deal with the winter clothes. So here is another "tommie tips:"

I'll start with how I do the kids' clothes. Starting with the obvious, wash all jackets and coats. If it is something I think either can wear next year, it goes onto the far left of the closet on a different colored hanger. Livi has pink and white hangers, Will has blue and white. This was I can see at a glance if there are clothes I need to fill in on the next size (totally taking advantage of all the winter clearance sales going on now).

If it is already getting too small or snug, after washing, it goes into a trash bag lined Rubbermaid tub on the floor of the closet. These are passed along to cousins or the clothes closet at school. Livi has even gotten to where if she tries on something and it doesn't fit, she will put it in the tub for baby E.

In homes I have lived in that didn't have closets big enough to leave them on the left, I have stored them in clear flat Rubbermaid tubs. I fold sweaters with a white piece of tissue paper to prevent creases. Now get that handy dandy label maker out and label it sweaters, wool pants, wool skirts, etc.

While my feng shui side says not to store stuff under the bed, I have read that it is okay to store soft and cuddly stuff if you are lacking storage space/basement/attic. I have stored those thin bins under sofas even! You can get creative if you have to. Now to not forget where this stuff is stored, go mark you calendar in Sept or Oct (or whenever it gets chilly where you live): "winter clothes stored in ______ (fill in the blank with where you stashed them).

Throw in some of those little ceder chips in a sachet. Whew hoo, another year done.

Do you remember the big diggers for the pool next door ? Well, here it is finished. It is amazing. There is an outdoor kitchen, a hot tub, waterfalls, gorgeous landscaping.

Thursday 13.....#39....the letter S

In keeping with the ABC theme for 2008....the letter S:

1. Scott Kelby book: attempting to work my way through this.
2. Surfside City: the Beach house we are taking the kids to in a couple of weeks.
3. Shot at Love with Tila Tequila: <----guiltily raising my hand and admitting I watch it
4. SLR- well, digital SLR....favorite birthday gift last year
5. Shrimp and Grits: one of my all time favorite meals ever.
6. Sooner born and Sooner bred, when I die, I'll be Sooner dead, Go Oklahoma, OKU
7. Survived a 15 month deployment (but lost my sanity on a few of those days)
8. Swiss Army watch was a gift from Husband when we got married.
9. Summer: this summer (Which starts May 23 for us) will be hectic with a vacation, a move, living with my mom for three weeks, going to see the in-laws, buying a house, unpacking a house, painting a house, and finding a preschool....all before the end of July!
10. Simplify: I am really trying to simplify my life.
11. Second: My second grade teacher, Mrs. Odom, was one of my favorite teachers.
12. Six: I graduated with six of my cousins. There were only 46 in the entire class!
13. Senior: Finally Laski Gal from From the Cheap Seats asked to see our Senior Prom pics since it is prom season.......ask and you shall receive:
    

Just a few little thoughts about this picture. Oh me, oh my.....why would any one leave the house with white hose?? Not only white hose, but those why dyeable shoes? It was 1986.....but dang, didn't I have friends? Friends don't let friends wear white hose.

Next, why does it look like I am seven months pregnant? I promise I wasn't. I probably weighed all of a buck ten. One of my cousins was pregnant at our senior prom though! LOL

I was the shortest girl in my class. I am barely 5'3". My date was the tallest guy in our class....at 6'4". I was on the decorating committee......why wouldn't I have made the little streamer background taller??

Did I really think a mullet-sporting jock was the know all and be all of podunk high school? Apparently I did. In fact my eyes are shut in my senior prom pic...I must have been dreaming about my man!

Finally, can you see the mongo ring on my forefinger. I spent hours dying waxed dental floss pink to wrap around the bottom since it would match my flowers! Yeah, lots of time spent color coordinating my flowers to the floss!

Just for grins and giggles...here is a prom I went to my junior year. I was going out with a senior, so I got to go to his prom. I think he was the shortest guy in his class. I think I wore ballet flats so I wouldn't be taller than him. That dress had to be taken apart at the waist to be hemmed. I think it is still hanging at a closet at my mom's house!

I dare you, no I double dog dare you to post your senior prom pics!

Bye bye butterflies

Bye bye butterflies, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

We have had a blast raising the butterflies. This morning the fifth butterfly came out of the chrysalis. The other four are now two days old. The little bit of sugar water, fresh flowers, and orange slices were enough for them for now. Since they were banging around into their little net house, we thought it was time to let them go.

This evening we carefully unzipped the little hut.........waiting patiently the first one flew out. It flitted around and flew into the tree in our front yard. I wasn't going to include this blurry pic of Livi, but it totally showed how excited she was. If you look closely, (or click on it, it takes you to the big one on Flickr), she kind of looks like she is three degrees of crazy.....not that that isn't too far from the truth!

One landed in the flower beds, long enough to snap a few pics. I think this was the one that was only a day old.

All in all, it was a great project. We will definitely do it again. It was almost two weeks to the day that we got five tiny, barely an inch long caterpillars and watched them turn in to beautiful Painted Lady butterflies.

Manic Monday and some butterflies (day 12)

day 12- caterpillar to butterfly, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

Manic Monday brought to us by the talented Fleur-de-Lisa.

What name would you want have if you were the opposite sex? being that I already have a "boy" name (shortened form of my name), I will pick a girl name. I would be Stacy Lynn....but I want to spell it Staci...because that seems cooler ! LOL

Would you share the tooth brush of your spouse/significant other? Why or why not? Hell to the no! Maybe if we were on a desert island and it was the only one. But that just kind of grosses out my germ issues.

What is a song that you love to hate? Don't hate but I do like R Kelly's "Thank God It's Friday"....in fact I might even have the CD. Or anything from Tony Rich....

Here are a few shots of the butterflies. This morning another one came out of the chrysalis just as the kids woke up. In the big shot on the left, you can see the wings still curled a bit. We still have one in a chrysalis. But it took two more days than the others to even start the chrysalis. We will release them this weekend probably.

weekend recap

Livi and I did go get a mani. Note to self: a three year old does not have the ability to sit still for the time it takes an adult to get a mani. So we should stick to the mommy-done mani's, done at home! So there are no cute shots of her hands. The lady put a clear top coat on them, which just made them smudge better!

The boys washed cars. Look at him raisin' that boy up right!

Husband absolutely loves his Mr.clean car wash thingy. It has a place to put soap, as well as a spot-free rinse filter. Just hook it up to your hose and it does the work!

Plenty of sunshine makes for lots of time outside, riding Powerwheels, tricycles, and scooters.

Finally, two of the butterflies came out of their chrysalis's.....we didn't see them come out. But we did see it very soon after. The wings weren't even completely uncurled yet. We have put some flowers with the sugar water on them in the bottom of the net container. The paper that came with them also said they liked fresh oranges and watermelon. So we put some of that in their too. It is so amazing to see these little creatures right before our eyes!

weekly winners, April 27- May 3, 2008

Thanks to Lotus at sarcastic mom for hosting this fun way to see all those extra pics that I didn't blog about this week.

These are all from the Change of command we went to this week....apparently I didn't get my camera out much more than this! The caterpillars are still just hanging in the chrysalis stage, so no need to take their pics!

Will, just as the horses were charging across the parade field. The guys were shooting guns and hootin' and hollarin'....he loved it!

This shot just cracks me up, but it is totally all Livi. She was trying to imitate the band members as they walked in front of us. In no way, shape or form were they shrugging their shoulders....but in her little Liv-a-licious mind, they were.

I have come to love "the blur" so much, I have a set in my Flickr labeled just that.

I think these are donkeys.....but are the ones that pulled the schooner across the field.

We sat under this tree on a picnic blanket. It was a bit away from the crowded grand stands where the kids might be expected to be quiet for the entire ceremony!

A wheel from the schooner....

My favorite shot of the day, (well besides the one with the kids and Husband)....I swear this horse stuck her tongue at me just as I was taking her picture!