The Piper Family Blog

We're MOVING!

2010-05-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Blogs, that is.

Check me out from now on at

http://tinybellesboutique.blogspot.com

And TELL YOUR FRIENDS! We have lots of fun things coming up!

20 Weeks

2010-05-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I am 20 weeks pregnant.

With daughter #3.

(I'll tell you her name soon!)

I'm feeling really good! and, I'm looking pretty good, if I do say so myself!

I'm choosing NOT to gain 55 pounds this pregnancy.

But my love of all things CARBOHYDRATES isn't going to help!

What did you eat when you were/are pregnant?

and Baby Will Make...5!!??

2010-04-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

That's right, everyone! We are ready to spread the word! #3 is on his or her way! I am currently 15 weeks, due October 9th, 2010 (although babies arrival will likely be late September, due to my love of the scheduled c section!)

It all began in early February. MAN, I was exhausted! But being the mother of 2 kids under 5 will do that to you! Then, twice in one week, I forgot my ID at home. Its hard to get back home without your military ID when you live on a military base! UGH! Piper even commented that Im NEVER this spacey. Then I noticed I was getting nauseous really easily, especially in the car....oh, jeez! Im late!

So, on the night Piper and I were going to celebrate Valentines Day, I had Piper check the oven for me while I got ready...where I had placed a hamburger bun with a positive pregnancy test in it. Thats right. We had a "Bun in the Oven!"

Baby is growing well! We will find out what "# 3" is in about a month, and Piper is PRAYING for a penis! I think another girl might put him over the edge! ;-)

I will keep everyone posted on new developments. Not a lot of excitement to report yet, but everyone is happy and healthy and that is all that matters! :-)

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Raising a Sensitive Soul

2010-04-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about my little darling, Ashlynn. She is my sensitive soul. She cries when her friends have to leave. She likes her Disney/Fairy tale characters at a safe, 100 yard distance. She sleeps on the couch to be closer to my bedroom. And she is TERRIFIED of the idea of having ANY kind of holiday character under the same roof as her!

This has been making holiday "merriment" a challenge for me, and quite honestly, I've been getting mighty frustrated. The last Santa picture I have of Ash is from when she was 6 months old. We have told her Santa leaves her gifts in the garage, NOT under the tree, so he isn't anywhere near her bed. More recently, I have explained to her that the Easter bunny is in fact a tiny rabbit, NOT the big dude in the suit at the mall. Whose afraid of a tiny bunny rabbit, right? We shall see....

Lets just say holiday "folk lore" isn't as easy in my house as it is in others. But, upon further reflection, I've decided to take it as a challenge. I certainly don't want to take any of the excitement away from the younger kids, but I am DYING to hang onto that magic for Ashy. And If I have to bend over backwards to do it, so be it :-)

Let's see how this year goes ;-)

A Weekend with the Girls...

2010-03-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

I am blessed. Blessed to have a husband who, VERY bravely, took on both girls for an entire weekend so I could take a girls weekend with my mom, my best friend, Janel, and HER mom, Cheryl, to Seattle.

We spent Saturday and Sunday shopping, eating, meeting up with family and old friends, and enjoying some much needed peace and quiet!

My favorite part of Seattle is ALWAYS the market! We took my mom to the first Starbucks EVER! Our coffee (and tea) lovin' minds were blown :-) The flowers and produce were beautiful as always. LOTS of tulips this time of year. And some amazing daffodils. I love daffs. One of my all time favorite flowers :-)

Lots of fun. Lots of giggling. Lots of wine (for some of us, anyway!)

I cant wait to do it all again!

Here are a few photo highlights:

Tiny Belles Takes the Baby Fair!

2010-03-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Janel and I took our little shop, Tiny Belles Boutique, to the 2010 Baby Fair here in Spokane! And what a success it was! Not only did we sell quite a few of our newborn tutu sets and boutique hair bows, but we debuted our new line of hand stamped necklaces!

We hope to do it again this fall at a few local craft fairs! And please visit the shop to see all our new improvements!!

The Future Ballerina...

2010-03-04T22:03:00.000-08:00

Clearly, she is a natural... and cant wait to go back next week!

(like mother, like daughter! Ill find some of my old dance pictures, too. Memories...)

Happy Birthday, Dr Seuss!

2010-03-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

To celebrate Dr Seuss' birthday, we decided to have a family movie night! We watched MY favorite Dr Seuss movie, "Horton Hears a Who", and I made "Speck on a Clover" cupcakes!

Even my husband, who, while always supportive of my creative endeavors, was impressed with the cupcakes.

Ashlynn was just happy she got cupcakes!

My favorite part of that movie? This quote:

A person is a person,

no matter now small!

See? I Told You My Kids Are Perfect!!

2010-03-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

The results are in. Well, some of them anyway. Gracie is NOT anemic. At all. Her iron levels were low compared to that of an ADULT! (Rage, rage, rage...ugh.) So the transfer of primary care doctors is about to happen. Her cardiologist appointment is on the 17th, and I'm assured her VSD is muscular, and very small, or they would have operated on it already! (insert sigh of relief here)

Its a quiet week in the Piper house. Besides all the giggling and playing of course!!

My Babies Are Perfect

2010-02-25T21:46:00.000-08:00

Its been a day.

I took Gracie for her 12 month check up. 19 lbs 8 oz. 28 1/2 inches long. Right on track for her growth chart (her ALTERED growth chart. If you will remember, her last check up, she'd dropped from the 80th percentile to the 25th and there was a little alarmism goin' on via her Dr. so we did some blood work, and she was fine. Just like I thought. Babies don't grow as fat when they are on the move!!) She is lookin' good, healthy ears, eyes, nose, mouth (I think she actually enjoyed the tongue depressor. She said "numa numa numa" when he put it in her mouth. That's what she calls food. LOL!) Then I asked about her murmur. She was born with VSD, (a small hole in the heart) but I was assured most babies grow out of that in the first year. Well, the Dr thinks he can still hear a murmur. So, next month, we will be going back to the cardiologist for an EKG.

Heavy Sigh.

It's not rare. And its very treatable. But still. SIGH. So that shoots to the top of my personal prayer list.

Anyway, to add insult to injury, she got 5 (FIVE??!! SHEESH!) shots, and a screening for anemia. You guessed it. We get to go back tomorrow to draw more blood to test for anemia. Wouldn't it be easier to just do the ACTUAL test in the first place? Or check the blood tests from 2 months ago? Of course not.

So, this wasn't my happiest well baby visit.

But

We got home, and settled in.

I brought home milk shakes for everyone (well, if Gracie can't have a shake after all that, shouldn't we at least get a treat??)

And I began watching that little monkey crawl after her sister, playing tag, giggling, laughing, snorting (as all of us Piper girls do when we laugh real hard) and it put my heart at ease.

My babies are perfect.

Gracie Turns One!

2010-02-22T11:41:00.000-08:00

I think the photos will speak for themselves. A small gathering, lots of happy, warm hearts, and one face chocked FULL of frosting!

A few minor details...

The Birthday Princess

And frosting in between our fingers!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

{oh, and I just LOVE this shot! Can you say SUGAR HIGH??!!}

{scrapbook word art credits: Scrapaholics Oh, BABY! wordart}
click here!

2010-02-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

I was wandering around the house with my camera...here's what I've found...

But mostly, I love this face.

Tomorrow, we celebrate Gracies First birthday.

Happy Birthday, Gracie Pie!

I {heart} Baking!

2010-02-04T09:52:00.001-08:00

I really do. I love baking goodies, I eating the goodies. I love GIVING people the goodies!

Today, I get to bake. I've been REALLY GOOD about not baking lately (Pipers watching what he eats) and now, because Im helping throw a baby shower this weekend, i get to BAKE! Not just bake, bake CUPCAKES! AND break in my new Cupcake Tower! (Which I got, btw, for $12 at Joanns after a 40% off coupon. SCORE!)

Ill follow up with pics this weekend. Now, Im going to BAKE!!

Happy Weekend!

2010-01-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

Hubby is home for 4 days, its fantastic! We have even gotten to go shopping and errand running TOGETHER! That NEVER happens!!

Back to the fam...

But before that, a short story. I was at Walmart a few days ago, and a cute old man was in line in front of me. He was making eyes at Gracie (surprise) and bantering politely. Before he left, he handed me a dum dum sucker and said "Sweets for the sweet!" Awww! I thanked him, and put it in my pocket (NOT to be consumed, mind you. Don't take candy from strangers! At least, don't eat it!!) When I pulled it out the other day, well, look at it...

Sometimes the coincidences are just too hard to pass by!

Happy weekend, everyone!! XOXO

Wordless Wednesday...Time to get ORGANIZED!

2010-01-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

Im going to start a new "thang" on Wednesdays that I've seen on other blogs, and I enjoy it. I even look forward to it! Its "Wordless Wednesday!" Each Wednesday (that I remember, LOL!) I will post a picture or 2 having to do with what is going on in our lives at the time.

I have had my new desk down in my "studio" now for 2 weeks. Time to get it all organized! So during nap time today, I will be in my ((COLD)) basement, organizing, setting up my heaters, and creating a lovely studio to call my own! HURRAY!!!

In the weeks to come, Tiny Belles Boutique has our first tutu birthday party, a tutu/jewelry photo shoot with Stillpoint Photography, our website is in the hands of an AMAZING and capable designer, Becky Wilberding, and, on top of all that, I am helping throw my dear friend Marie a baby shower, and preparing for Gracie Pies FIRST BIRTHDAY!! (which, of course, is coming with all kinds of fun new product ideas!)

Well, this was hardly a "Wordless" post, was it? ;-)

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

The Illusion of Progress...

2010-01-26T08:40:00.001-08:00

Its better than nothing, right? I got myself a sewing machine, made a list of new tutus Id like to make, even got some great advice from a few fellow Etsy sellers. Motivation Station, right?

Now...to clean this cluttery house!! ;-)

January 3rd-10th

2010-01-11T21:30:00.001-08:00

January 3rd
I didn't take this picture, but I made a copy of it today. This is (l) my grandmother, Doris Anne Moye-Aiello and (r) my Great Grandmother (and namesake) Emily Shimmon Duncan Moye. I just think its beautiful. This will be added to my family photo wall soon!

January 4th
Meet Gracie. Gracie Loves Cheerios. Give the girl a Cheerio, and you have her heart. End of story.

January 5th
For Christmas this year, Ashlynn got Uno. Micky Mouse CLUBHOUSE Uno! So, now, every night before bed, we play Uno. She even kind of gets the rules!

January 6th
Every now and again, the stars align, the moon is blue, and 2 moms of toddlers and babies get an evening out! Tonight, Angela Parris and I went to Twiggs and enjoyed a beautiful martini and some fries. And I don't think either of us were able to finish a sentence or a thought all night. SIGH. I love good friends!

January 7th
I love this smile. She is my partner in crime, my best friend, and my biggest challenge. Without her sass and spunk, my day wouldn't be complete.

January 8th
I wanted to get a shot of the girls in their matching(ish) Christmas jammies in front of the tree before I took it down. I think they speak for themselves. Gracie is on the MOVE!

January 9th
Like I said, Gracie is on the MOVE! I have been getting a lot of blurry butt shots of this one in the last few weeks.

Did I mention she is on the MOVE?? Shes only been really crawling for about 2 weeks!! Today, like it was nothing, she got up on her knees, and stood right up like she'd been doing it her entire life! You can see how proud she is of herself. (Note: a few hours later, Gracie's first goose egg.)

January 1-2 (It was a short week!)

2010-01-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

This year, I've decided to keep a photo a day blog. Project 365! Ill pick my favorites at the end of the year and scrapbook them. Thank you Maegan and Angela for the inspiration!

January 1st
The aftermath of 2 Christmas celebrations, 5 grandparents and a 10 day holiday trip to Texas. Ka BOOM!

January 2nd
I recently had one of those "I'm a grown up now" moments. I got a generous gift cart to Kohls for Christmas from my MIL and FIL. Piper and I went to the mall to shop, and what department did I go for? Housewares. What did I get? The tyrannosaurus Toaster. The Abominable Toaster. He is the Optimus Prime of Toasters. I love it.

Hello Bandwagon!

2010-01-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

One of my ((many)) goals ((NOT RESOLUTIONS!!)) for 2010 is to take more pictures. In fact, I am even trying my hand at Project 365 this year! (Hello, bandwagon! Im here!!) I want to improve my photography skills. I've gotten a few books, and have really been enjoying playing with my camera.

I've been following the I ♥ Faces Blog now for awhile. And every week, they have challenges.

This photo of my Gracie pie from last summer. I love her sleepy face. LOVE IT!!! It is also my official first entry in any I ♥ Faces Challenge!!

GIVEAWAY time!

2010-01-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

I am hosting a little blog give away! When i reach 100 blog followers, I will give away one of the AWESOME new necklaces Im working on for the shop! Want to see a picture? Well, you'll just have to keep following!! ;-) (anticipation, you see, makes it more exciting ;-)

XOXO

My Favorite Pics of 2009

2010-01-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

I had originally thought of posting a "Year in Review" blog, but that is mentally and physically exhausting, so here are my favorite pictures of the year!

More to come later this weekend! :-)

New Year, New Blog Look!

2009-12-29T23:24:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update, a new blog look, and a little relief that I AM actually still capable in my Photoshop!!

We had a WONDERFUL trip to South East Texas for Christmas, spending time with the entire Piper family. I was able to capture a few pictures of all of us together!

Santa was nice enough to follow us all the way to Texas, and Gracie had quite an eventful first Christmas, surrounded by her sister and 2 cousins PLOWING through gifts in record time! And, upon our return, Ash was thrilled to discover that Santa HAD remembered to stop by our house too, and left a few gifts under the tree for the girls. He ALSO left a few at Cama's house. Can you say SPOILED GIRLS?? :-)

Gracie had another check up, and her weight is acceptable. The Dr says he MAY have over reacted when he requested all the blood work last month (ugh.) but she is healthy. And MOBILE!! MAN, is she mobile!!

On a business note, we were SO blessed to have a fantastic opening Christmas season in the Boutique, and I look forward to turning Tiny Belles into a stand alone website in early 2010.

So, here we are, busy playing catch up, and enjoying the last few days of 2009. And looking forward to all the joys and excitement 2010 will bring!

XOXO

We Wish You a Merry Christmas...

2009-12-28T22:57:00.001-08:00

And a Happy New Year!

New updates after the holiday, I promise :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Enjoying a day of puttering and cooking with my little girls, eating and being surrounded by wonderful family. Ill add some photos later :-)

I am thankful for each and every one of you!!

Happy "Wis"giving, as Ashlynn says. Its time to cook up that turkey and start simmering the "gib-a-lips" ( I dont know what I would do if she could talk right! I really dont!!)

Dont forget to check out the HUGE Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales in the store this weekend, too!

http://www.tinybellesboutique.etsy.com

Etsy Shop Find: Lola Decor!

2009-11-24T12:04:00.000-08:00

One fateful day, browsing status updates on Facebook, my dear friend Maegan posted a link to this DARLING Etsy shop, Lola Decor. Way to enable, Maegs. She carries vinyl appliques for your house! Think Uppercase Living, but reasonably priced and BETTER!! :-)

She strives to create a unique environment for every room of your house, at a reasonable cost! Here's mine after I put it up:

LOVE IT!!!! And how about this for the holidays? Put it up, and just PEEL IT OFF after Christmas!!

And how cute is this for the nursery!!!???

Please, go visit Lola today, and tell her Emily @ Tiny Belles sent ya! And, thru December 15th, if you buy one item, you get the second for 25% off!!! Make sure to convo her so she can create a custom listing for you!

Enjoy!!

What a cough Week at the sniffle Piper House

2009-11-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

Well, its been quite the week. First, Gracie started snifflin and sneezing and BAM! Ash and I were sick. Ash sniffles for about 5 minutes, and she is better, but Gracie and I are still sniffling! Piper still hasnt gotten sick, and hopefully he wont. He has another trip to the woods coming up.

Man. I hate being sick. I had finally gotten caught up on chores and BAM! Huge mess. So for the next 3 or 4 days, I will be catching up on orders and chores. Then, my first Thanksgiving dinner! Im so excited!!

Hope this week finds you all well, and that your thanksgiving is wonderful!!

And the winner is....

2009-11-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

And our winner is...

Tigrrlilly! (Lila)

Congratulations!! Please email me at TinyBellesBoutique@yahoo.com for details on collecting your necklace!!

EVERYONE ELSE!! THRU WEDNESDAY NIGHT!! Comment your order "tweethearts" and get this necklace for $15!! Thats $10 off!!

ORDER HERE TODAY! The clock is ticking!!! :-)

Http://www.TinyBellesBoutique.Etsy.com

Operation: Christmas Child!

2009-11-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

The first thing you read when you're reading the "who we are" page on the Samaritans Purse website is "Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God." Bob Pierce, the founder of the Samaritans Purse, wrote this in his Bible after seeing just a small part of the suffering that effects children in the poverty stricken portions of the world. Since 1970, Samaritans Purse has helped people the world over who have been stricken by hardship, poverty, hurricanes, war, famine. And I have cant help but want to lend a hand.

Every child, not just "lucky" or privileged children, deserve a merry Christmas.

Operation Christmas Child is a world wide collection of shoe boxes, filled with Christmas gifts for these children. Some include toiletries, toys, school supplies...things we have all grown to take for granted each Christmas.

This week, November 16-23, is National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child. And, for this next week, for every item purchased in the Tiny Belles Boutique, we will donate an item to Operation Christmas Child. My hope is to send out lots of full boxes for at the end of this week. Help us reach this goal will you?

I will be adding new items every day this week, hosting give aways, and reminding you all via our Twitter and Facebook pages of these opportunities!

Please, help us give children all throughout the world a happy, healthy Christmas!!

"Go, and do likewise..." Luke 10:37

Blog Features on our Store!!

2009-11-11T19:34:00.001-08:00

So this week, I was approached by a few blogs to let them review "Tiny Belles" and offer give aways on their sites! We are also advertising on a few different blogs...check us out!!

Couture Nerd

Blog Sponsors on:

Steady Mom

Cathy Zielske

It's....quiet...er....

2009-11-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

Dont get me wrong. Ashlynn is my world. I love that little girl and all her sass more than anything in this world. But, man, on days where she spends a few nights at my parents house...the quiet is...well, its heavenly.

I dont know if other mommies can relate, but Ash has hit the age of "no off button." She is CONSTANTLY asking questions, telling me jokes, singing songs, counting things...all of which are things Im grateful she can do. But I find my rope shortening, thread by thread, especially after a week of Piper being in the woods.

So, I happily drop her off with Cama and Bapa for a few days, and let them enjoy her banter. And I play with Gracie (without feeling like Im neglecting someone ELSE lol!) and enjoy quiet dinners with my husband...and about 24 hours in...here I am, blogging...cause Im bored without her!

Dont forget to visit the store and check out the new things Im adding this week.

http://www.tinybellesboutique.etsy.com

ANND dont let me forget to wish every everyone a happy Veterans day!! I couldnt be prouder of mine :-)

Proud To Announce...

2009-11-09T22:29:00.000-08:00

We are SUPER proud to announce that Stillpoint Photography is now the exclusive photographer of Tiny Belles Boutique! Not only will we be working in conjunction with Angela to bring our customers premier photos of our products, but we will be supplying tutus for upcoming photo shoots and discounts to mutual customers! So if you are in the Spokane/Coeur D Alene area, and are looking for DARLING family/child/wedding/senior portrait photography, please contact Angela!

(all images marked "Stillpoint Photography" are copywritten to Stillpoint Photography and Angela Parris. All others marked "Tiny Belles Boutique" are copywritten to Tiny Belles Boutique and Emily Piper)

Blog Features!

2009-11-05T22:35:00.000-08:00

I am REALLY excited! In the next 3 weeks, we will be featured on 3 different blogs!
Granted, we are advertising on 2 of them, but they are gracious enough to feature stories and give aways from our store!!

Keep your eyes peeled :-)

Cathy Zielske
The Steady Mom
Moonlight and Magnolias

and, in the meantime, come do some Christmas shopping :-)

www.TinyBellesBoutique.Etsy.com

Family Update November 2009

2009-11-03T10:58:00.000-08:00

So lately, I've been pretty preoccupied with my store and with the girls, so I haven't been updating the blog as much as Id like. I hope to fix that soon!! In the meantime, here's a quick update!

Ash is LOVING school! She is so smart, and is back to writing her letters and recognizing letter sounds like she was at her Pre School in Pensacola.
She was Belle for halloween, and I will have pictures up asap.

Quote of the last month:

"Buh. Buh. MOM!! BUTT STARTS WITH THE LETTER B!!!!"

Gracie is growing like a weed! She is getting longer and not gaining so much girth, and my back and hips are grateful! MAN is she heavy!! At 8 months, she is weighing in at 18 lbs even and 28.5 inches. That means she has grown an inch every month! Sheesh.

She is SUCH a happy baby. She got her bottom 2 teeth, and her being "grumpy" basically means she doesn't give EVERYONE the full face smile every time you look at her. She isn't fussy and her reflux is totally gone. She is eating 3 meals a day and still nursing 4-5 times. I'm holding out and hoping I don't have to ween her until 12 months, but at this rate, she will be weening me!

She has discovered how to pick things up off the floor and stick them in her mouth (hurray.) and is scooting all over. No crawling yet, but she is certainly mobile.

Piper is keeping busy with school, his field flight and us, of course. He is doing VERY well in school! (He has gotten 97% on both of his recent research papers) He is in the field for 6 days each month, but in all honesty, I think its a great break for all of us. He gets to play in nature with guys and do all those guy things, and we get to hang out at home and do all the girl things (which are, in his opinion, pillow fights and talking about stickers.) He should be putting Master Sgt on sometime early 2010, and I am ENDLESSLY proud of him and the way he handles all his responsibilities. He is quiet a guy.

I have been keeping busy with my new business venture, and trying to keep up with the house. The store is really fun for me, and I'm really enjoying all aspects of it. And sales haven't been bad, either!! Make sure you visit when you're doing your Christmas shopping! I have tutus, personalized hand stamped necklaces and my girlfriend, Janel, is making DARLING hair accessories!!

www.TinyBellesBoutique.Etsy.com Tell your friends!!

I've also been exploring my creativity more with photography, something my brother and I both really enjoy. If I ever get to go back to school, I think that is what I would study. Its fascinating.

Anyway, hope this finds everyone well! With the holidays approaching, I know I will hear from more of you soon.

I did it!

2009-10-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

I opened at ETSY store! Custom tutus and hand stamped mothers necklaces!!

Its SO fun! I get to dress up my kids in cutsie tutus and take their pictures!!

And my friend, Janel is in on the action now, too!

Shes been making ADORABLE hair do dads that can also be worn as a lapel pin. SO CUTE!!!

Come see us soon!

www.TinyBellesBoutique.Etsy.com

and follow our blog!

www.TinyBellesBoutique.com

A Soup-y Fall...

2009-09-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

OK, so this begins a new chapter in my blogging adventure. I really love to cook. And bake. And putter around my house. So, I've decided to start sharing some of MY own recipes on here :-) They are either family recipes or recipes I myself have adapted from others.

I am a big fan of fall. I love the crisp air. I love the colors. And I absolutely love love LOVE the food!!! I decided I was going to make a bunch of soup to freeze and store for the convenience. Not to mention the fact that canned soup has gotten SPENDY!! Anyway, I made my own chicken broth and a friend asked how I did this. Here ya go, Liz ;-)

Chicken Stock
1 whole chicken, or chicken pieces, cooked
1 onion
3 carrots
4 stocks celery
(all chopped coarsely)
10 peppercorns (or about 2 tsp pepper)

Place chicken in large and add about 10 cups cold water (or enough to cover the chicken)
heat on medium to a boil
Add onion, carrots, celery & peppercorns, and reduce heat to a simmer

(at this time, I removed the chicken and cut off all of the large chunks of meat.
I then replaced the chicken pieces in the pot
You do not HAVE to do this, but the chicken is SO moist at this point in cooking, its DELISH!!)

Simmer, partially covered, for 3-4 hours

cool, uncovered, in the fridge and skim fat

ENJOY!!

Today is the day...

2009-09-18T14:59:00.001-07:00

I've noticed a theme in my life lately. I've been PROCRASTINATING!!! (imagine THAT!!) I have this HUGE long "to do" list, including hobbies and chores, just general everyday things I want to be doing or changing about myself. And it just keeps getting LONGER!! SO, I have decided today is the day. I will get up off my butt, and start checking things off my list!

First up, I am starting MY project 365! This is where I commit to taking a photo every day for a year, to document the life and times of the Piper family.

Next, I need to wash the windows! MAN they are gross! And the hard water stains from the sprinkler are going to be a PAIN!

And tonight when things cool down, I will play in the kitchen for awhile. Tis the season for zucchini bread, pumpkin loaf, and other yummy tasty things that make my house smell yummy and my tummy feel bloated! HA!!

Which brings me to going back to the gym...which has been missing me since MAY! (thats right, a summer of laziness!!)

In the meantime, here are some recent photos of my beautiful babes....

I think that, maybe, I don't completely suck at this photography thing!!

6 Months Old

2009-09-04T17:52:00.001-07:00

That's right, folks! Our little Gracie Pie is half a year old now!! She has her 6 month check up this week, and she is an impressive 18 lbs, 8 oz, and 27 inches long! STILL in the 90th percentile for her age. She is wearing 12 month clothes, and I'm really hoping that lasts awhile!

She is eating 3 different veggies now, and tried bananas for the first time last night. NOT a big fan yet. I know she will be tho! I am, like I've mentioned before, making my own baby food, and freezing it in ice cube trays. Each cube is about a tablespoon of food, and, right now, she is up to 2-3 cubes at a time, 3 times a day. I have been mixing it with a splash of cereal mixed with breast milk so she is getting all KINDS of good stuff in there! She is nothing short of a RAVE NOUS eater! Just like her sister was. We sure love our food in this family!!

Gracie is rolling both directions now, and starting to get up on her knees. I would guess crawling no later that mid October. But I think that is a generous estimate! She wants to chase her sister SO BADLY!! She is also sleeping in her crib now, and sharing a room with Ashy. Ash is not too impressed with her when she wakes up in the middle of the night, but thanks to Dr. Ferber and his sleep training methods, we are working on this.

Gracie is more and more beautiful everyday. And HAPPIER! She is SUCH a happy baby!! I cant wait til she develops more personality! (If that's possible!)

Speak of the devil! Guess whose up from her nap!!

Project: CREATE!

2009-09-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

It never really occurred to me that I'm a creative person. Other people have told me that I am, but I've never felt creative. I mean, I do my graphic design/scrapbooking stuff, but that's all cut and paste and drag and drop. I'm not hands on crafty. Until now! Turns out, I am creative!! (did you know?)

Now, here is where my A.D.D and my creativity make an UGLY union, and nothing ever gets done. For instance, here is a list of things (CREATIVE, crafty things) I want to do right now.

-make wooden signs. Sounds lame right? I could SO do this! And how cute are they? yeah, Ill let ya know when I make it to the LUMBER store...HA!

-make hand stamped jewelry. (I own this necklace. The Vintage Pearl is AMAZING! So simple and classy. My jewelry hero. Check Erin out!) Its surprisingly simple! I want to open up my own hand stamped jewelry store on Etsy, targeting mainly military spouses and families. GREAT project...and I am slowly collecting the supplies I will need...

-making my annual fall wreath. I love fall. A lot. I love the colors. I love the smells. I love the cooler weather. This will be happening sooner than later!!

-painting the coffee table. Its AWFUL!! I think its actually been chewed on! (Not sure by who or what, but it looks like it has tooth marks, I swear!) I have a great plan to prime it and either paint it DEEP chocolate brown or black. Then I have this image of either decoupaging or lacquering a damask pattern on top, almost like a table runner. Wouldn't that look cool? (I don't think Piper is sold, stay tuned) I'm hoping for this to actually happen next week, we shall see.

-Re staining the CUTE little end table I just acquired (read:STOLE!!) from the 2nd hand store down the road for a mere $15!! Should I strip and stain it or do it up to match the coffee table? (thoughts?)

Anyway, on top of this is my Cathy Zielske workshop, during which, for the next month, I will be creating a scrapbook all about ME (YAY!! I LOVE ME!!!) Ill post progress.

I've always had this feeling. This feeling I cant exactly explain, but basically, I know that I could build my own Mini Empire sitting right here in this spot on my couch. I know I could. So I'm exploring all the ways I could possibly make that happen. Right now, my thoughts drift towards the aforementioned craftiness and my love for graphic design. And now, as the winter months close in, I figure if I can keep myself (and the kids) busy with projects and creativity, we will ALL be happy!

Lets see where it takes me!
XOXO

Back from Vacation...

2009-08-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks, I've been mentally and even physically on vacation! Piper took his first trip back up to the "woods" as the flight chief! WOO HOO!! So while he was gone for 6 days, I packed up the girls and we joined my mom and dad at Waitts Lake for a little vaca. Unfortunately, it was overcast nearly the entire time, but we still had a lot of fun. Ash took her princess fishing pole out for its inaugural run, and caught 2 fish!! She also had a lot of fun picking wild flowers, and "marrying Prince Eric," her make believe fiance. (this is me shaking my head...sigh...) Gracie didn't really know what it was she was enjoying, but she seems to really like the fresh air. But then we all came home at once, and so reorganizing the house has been chaos! Laundry EVERYWHERE!!!

Anyway, we are all back, preparing for school to start back up (Piper and Ash) and generally organizing the small world we live in. Pics to come. Soon. Like, at nap time soon. :-)

5 Months!

2009-08-02T22:28:00.001-07:00

Gracie is into her 5th month now, and I'd say this is her busiest yet! New food, new tricks...lots to share!

Gracie, as I mentioned in previous posts, has started solid (ish) foods! We began rice cereal once a day a month ago, and she hasn't looked back! Last week, we started green beans. I decided with Gracie I was going to make all her baby food, so I've been busy steaming and food-processing green beans and, for next week, yams!

Mid July, Grace rolled over for the first time! She rolled back to tummy, which I think is pretty impressive since tummy to back is typically easier. She hasn't stopped there! Now, she is trying to crawl!! Well, I don't know that she realizes she is trying to crawl, but she is! She scoots across the floor on her belly. Its adorable. Our days are defiantly numbered!

I also started weening her from her Zantac in the last few weeks. I think the solid foods have helped her reflux a great deal, because our happy girl is here to stay! QUICK! Someone knock on wood!!!!

I have a feeling months 6 and 7 are going to be even more eventful than this one! Next week will be her first trip to the lake, and I'm sure that will prove eventful too!

BUSY Week At The Piper House!

2009-07-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

We have all been VERY busy this week!! We will go alphabetically, hows that sound?

Ashlynn has been going to Vacation Bible School for the first time. The theme is "Fear Not!"' and she is really enjoying learning more about faith. Shes been asking me for weeks to tell her stories about Jesus, and asking me about prayer and God...she has such a good heart! And today, at VBS, she accepted Jesus into her heart. Had me in tears! SO SWEET!! She is such a better person than me already...

She has also been learning to ride her bike! One of the father/daughter rights of passage, right? Watching this was adorable! She is a very lucky girl to have such a great daddy!!

Gracie Pie, well, she is on the move! Ok, not quite LITERALLY but close! She is doing a kind of Army crawl maneuver while trying to get up on her knees to crawl. She gets SO frustrated when she isn't quite strong enough...its hilarious and tragic all rolled into one. I have a feeling she will be crawling in September. Dad says walking by Christmas, and I do not doubt it! So its time for me to start thinking about baby gates and baby proofing again! Our days are DEFIANTLY numbered!

In other Gracie news, she has been eating rice cereal for dinner every night for the last few weeks, and really enjoying it. So last night, I got out the food processor, set up my make shift veggie steamer, and made her some green beans. I froze them in the ice cube tray so they are already split into 1 Tbsp servings (thank you, Maegan! GENIUS!!) They made their debut tonight: BIG HIT!! Its so entertaining!! And I don't think its any coincidence that she also began raspberrying with her tongue this last weekend...so funny!

I am really not up to much, just playing soccer mom and happy house wife. And loving every second of it! I never would have imagined in a million years that I would love the day to day like I do!! I'm working on a few small projects here and there, still enjoying my scrapbooking, and beginning a baby book for my best friend, Katie, who is due in early October. I'm really enjoying capturing all these moments with my new camera! It brings everything to the next level, that's for sure!

Patrick took over his field flight this week, and has been working hard. He is a great leader, these guys are lucky to have him. And I know he is thrilled to be getting back into the field, and really getting back to what he loves about his job. He goes to "the woods" for the first time next week, and, even though I know he will miss us, he is SO EXCITED to get out in the field again. Its really what job is about.

More soon! The baby is fussing and I've got laundry to fold! Ah, the glamorous life....

Hello. My name is Emily...and Im a Scrapaholic!

2009-07-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

NOTE: I cant take credit for the cute title. My friend, Maegan, actually has a scrapping business CALLED Scrapaholics, I just think its DARLING!

On our trip to Seattle last week, I got the chance to work on a bunch of unfinished layouts I had created over the last 3 or 4 months...and completed a BUNCH!! I have updated the links under "Scrapbook Pages" so that it will actually take you to all of said layouts. They are categorized by Library of Memories albums. Its pretty self explanatory. I will begin posting credits now, too, so you can see where I'm getting my supplies from.

I am also in the process of organizing and backing up every photo I have taken since 2005, tagging them, and filing all the pics I want to (eventually) scrap. Busy Busy!!

Anyway, Enjoy! And check back! I will be posting new layouts as I create!!

Around the House...and On the Road!

2009-07-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

So, as I'd mentioned before, Piper has been in Georgia at Jump Master School. I'll let HIM fill everyone in on the excitement he is experiencing there later. (note:heavy sarcasm) But while he has been away, I have been trying to start and wrap up some projects around the house. Not only is it helpful not having him under foot (I love you, honey. But you get in the way sometimes ;-) BUT it makes the time fly by and before I know it, He's home again!

First off, I cleaned the carpets. I LOVE having clean carpets!! It made me ENDLESSLY happy to erase all those stains and icky footprints from our HORRIBLE winter! And may I recommend Procyon as one of my favorite things! (Great carpet cleaner AND stain remover! Dad sells it, and I'm TOTALLY on board! oh, and it's a GREEN PRODUCT!)

Then, I packed up the girls and we went to Seattle for 3 days. We spent our time with the Birr family, minus Kelly, who was out of town. I got to have some GREAT mommy quality time with Maegan, while Ash and her 5 year old daughter, Zoe, played happily for all 3 days! What a nice mini vaca for all of us!

Well, we got home, and the real work began! We moved into this house in late December, and the office STILL hadn't been completely unpacked! SO, my mission (and I began to regret accepting it) was to put the office together, and make it PERFECT to surprise Piper when he gets home. (I also have a little surprise within the surprise, Ill post pics of that after he gets home as not to blow it) So, I began putting away books, merging CD collections, filing paperwork, dusting, decluttering and altogether delousing the tiny space that had become the catch all for all of the "Where should I put this?" crap! I'm pleased to report that you can now see the floor, close the closet doors, and actually fit a computer onto the desk! I will be getting some closet organizing supplies eventually, but now that (most) everything in that room has a home, I am a happy girl.

Next up: OUR CLOSET! May I just say, I've seen it worse...BUT it's time to part with some of the things we just cant ever seem to let go of. Ill be making piles and letting him sort thru a few items, but there will be a BIG Goodwill run happening the next time we go to my parents house!!

Piper returns Saturday afternoon, and I'm hoping he will not be met by the chaos that comes before the organization is complete. But I'm really not too optimistic about it.

I have, however, been enjoying some scrapping time, both in the evenings when the girls finally go to sleep, and from our trip to Seattle this last week. I will be posting some of that sooner than later. (my nose will need a break from the dust everywhere!)

Looking forward to reporting on Pipers outcome at Jump Master School, and his anxiously awaited arrival home. I was informed tonight that "Daddy is just BETTER at putting me to bed, mom. Sorry." There ya have it.

Right Now...

2009-07-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

I found this idea on a blog I follow daily, a scrapbooking diva/domestic goddess Ali Edwards. Periodically, I will post a RIGHT NOW blog, just to document moments in our every day lives.

Right now...

Gracie is playing, fat and happy, in her swing.

Ash is playing dress up. She is a princess, marrying Alex, the lion from Madagascar. (She has some imagination)

Piper is still in Georgia, celebrating his freedom today by going to see a movie and getting a tub of popcorn ALL TO HIMSELF for once!

I am cleaning up around the house, getting ready to prepare some fun salads and a dessert for our 4th of July bbq with Cama and Bapa tonight...

The sprinklers are on, soaking the lawns. Dad always taught me to keep the lawn VERY wet on hot 4th of July days...dont want a stray spark from the celebrations to catch fire!

Right now, Im watching a special that we Tivo'ed about the Gettysburg speech, "Gettysburg: The Speech That Saved America." It features computer generated Abe Lincoln, the images taken from actual photos of him. Its pretty incredible. And pretty amazing that a 4 year old is watching it...

Happy Birthday, America. Thank you for letting us live here, free!

Gracie Rolled Over!

2009-07-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

June 30th, 2009! Gracie rolled over (back to front) for the first time. In the same spot that her sister rolled over for the first time, no less! (Cama and Bapas living room floor) She is getting SO STRONG!! At her last check up, she weighed in at 16# 7 oz, 25.5 inches. 95th percentile all around!! ANNND they got her dose of Zantac perfected and now, she is our happy baby again! GOODBYE REFLUX!!!

I Was Going To Marry Michael Jackson...

2009-06-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

I do not think of myself as a big "fan girl." Read: I enjoy celeb gossip, its funny. But I'm not a lunatic when it comes to falling all over celebrities and their pedestals they sit upon. But there have, I can honestly say, been a few moments in my life that the death of a celeb has made me have to stop and catch my breath.

When Aaliyah died, I was sad. I felt bad because it was so tragic, so untimely, so sudden.

When George Harrison died, I actually shed a tear. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is one of my top 3 fave Beatles tunes, and I grew up listening to their music. It made them all a part of my family. That was a sad sad day.

But yesterday, I picked up my blackberry, and saw the words "Michael Jackson suffers heart attack. Dies." WHHHAAAAAA? Nah, hes only, like, 50! Hes creepy, and possibly some kind of chi-mo, but hes MICHAEL FREAKIN JACKSON!!! Text messages start pouring in, as EVERYONE I am close to knows I was deeply in love with the man in my youth. I had his "Beat It" poster over my bed til I was at LEAST 10! I dreamed of marrying him, and the two of us living in my parents basement (you know, it would be tough for the King of Pop to afford our own place...) I loved to watch him move. I sat, at age 3, watching "Thriller," just MESMERISED! (I watched, mind you, hands over my eyes, peeking thru my fingers. Come on! It was scary!) Thriller was the first tape I ever owned. And the second CD I replaced a tape with! (since has been replaced with the 25th anniversary addition...quality...) He was the Elvis of my generation. Im choosing to remember the Michael I fell in love with, not the creepy, self destructive MJ. To my mind, he will always be "Thriller" MJ, just as Elvis will always be "Young Elvis."

Rest in peace, old friend. You inspired me to dance my way thru the early years of my life, and I know in that I am not alone!

3 Months Old...

2009-06-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

Ok. ok. So she is closer to 4 months old, but come on! We are a busy family!! Ashy and I took Gracie to get her 3 months pictures done today. When Ash was 3 months old, we took her to Penney's and got the CUTEST Anne Geddes style pics done with this ADORABLE rose blanket they have. So I thought, HEY!! Lets do the same with Grace!! How CUTE to see them side by side, right? MAN was I right!! Of course, I ordered more than I intended (you're welcome, grandparents) so here's a preview...

She is getting so big, so quick!! Weighing in at 16lbs, 12oz, 26 inches long...suffering from what we believe to be reflux, but now taking Zantac twice daily to help. It seems to be helping a bit...Im hoping time will show more improvement. Dad and I get a LITTLE tired of screaming baby every evening. Still eating like crazy (although now I am more careful to keep feedings at 2-3 hour intervals so as not to upset her reflux) Im not worried about her wasting away any time soon. Although another trip to Other Mothers for some bigger (9-12 month) clothes is right around the corner...

My Favorite Things...

2009-06-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently blogged that the sunshine in summer seemed to motivate her in her everyday life. I have been feeling similarly! Organizing, cleaning, gardening, working out, planning activities for the kids and the family, joining the Womens Ministry at the church...etc. I've been kind of all over the place lately. So today, one of the things I decided today I was going to become more vigilant about is blogging the things I think of every day. I know my fellow mommies read, and family, and I know how much I love it you all share your thoughts and ideas with me, SO I will finally begin doing the same!!

I was cleaning my kitchen sink today, and the idea occurred to me to start sharing my favorite things. This may change daily from my kids habits to my favorite cleaning supplies, but all of these things are valuable, right??!!

Anyway, while cleaning rust (and God knows what else) stains off my sink today, I was thinking about how much I love my Magic Erasers. And, as anyone who knows me would realize, I am CHEAP so I always buy the store brand (usually Target) but MAN those things rock!!! Here are some of the family wide calamities I have solved with this MIRACLE (yeah, I said it) product:

-Ashlynn coloring an ENTIRE tile on our all tile floor bright red with her crayons. Took it all of, grout and all!
-Shoe scuff marks on the floor. Enough said.
-the NASTY grime that collects in the texture of the bottom of the bathtub. I HATE that! And no amount of bleach cleanser and scrubbing takes that off. And the ring around the bathtub. And the GROUT in the bathtub. Pretty much the entire bathroom.
-Scuffs on furniture from moving.
-Dirty SHOES!!

the list goes on...but let it be said...the MAGIC ERASER-DEFIANTLY one of my favorite things!

KID UPDATE!

2009-06-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Gracie and Ash are both growing SO MUCH!! They will go in for their 4 year/4 month check ups the end of June, but just a little update on growth for ya...

Ashy is almost 43" tall and about 38#! She will NOT stop growing but refuses to gain an ounce! Needless to say, it is still a challenge to find pants that are long enough AND fit her tiny waist!! She is SUPER psyched (as she would say) about the summer, and anticipating her new preschool next fall. She is going to be taking swim lessons starting next week, and cannot WAIT for her 4th birthday party on June 20th. Also, she just got her first pair of real flip flops and its VERY proud that she can get around in them all by herself (Im pretty impressed too, I have to say...)

Gracie Pie, well, this kid cannot be contained! She is a wopping 16# and 22" long at 3 1/2 months old! The kid will be past 9 month clothes and probably into 12 months by July. Her thighs are HILARIOUS!!! But she is happy and healthy, showing signs of a little bit of colic and teething in the evenings. But otherwise, PERFECT!

The girls are still getting along perfectly! Ashy is an even better big sister than I'd ever imagined. She is SO proud, and cannot keep her hands off of Gracie. And Gracie has a smile that is DEFIANTLY just for Ashy!

I will update new stats after the girls check ups, and HOPEFULLY get pictures on our SMUG MUG site updated this week :-)

Project: Organization!

2009-06-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

For the first time in a few weeks now, the weather is less than perfect, so, I am on an organization SPREE!! Its begun with my photos, and now has moved into the kitchen!! I dont know about you, but I LOVE Better Homes and Gardens!! LOVE LOVE LOVE it! (this was the first clue I got that Im getting OLD!) I will occasionally tear out recipes, helpful articles, pretty pictures...so I made myself a BHG cook book!! I am going to make a cover graphic and some section dividers. Im kinda proud of myself! ;-)

Im onto the office next. Id love to have a spot to go and hide away to work on my graphics or scrapbook or read if I want, and I know it would be nice for Piper to have a place to study that is chaos everywhere!

Now, onto birthday party invitations for a little girl I know who is about to turn 4!! I cant believe my baby is almost 4!! And my baby brother turned 18 and graduated HIGH SCHOOL!! What a week...Much more later, I am sure!! XOXO

June ins and outs

2009-06-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

June is a BUSY month for the family Piper!! It began with Evans graduation, as I'd mentioned before. Followed promptly with my 29th (really) birthday. Ev and I shared the celebration with a dinner at Nicks Restaurant at Waitts Lake. What a beautiful day! And I was surprised by some BEAUTIFUL gerbera daisies from my handsome husband!! (thank you, honey!)

Now we are staring down the barrel of Fathers Day, Ashy's 4th birthday party, followed closely by both her actual birthday and Patrick's departure for 3 weeks to Jump Master school at Ft Benning, Ga. Needless to say, I am going to have my hands full! But I have great aspirations of spending lots of quality time with my girls and catching up on some scrapbooking.

Im getting closer and closer to my goal of saving up enough money for my NEW CAMERA, to help support my scrapbooking hobby! I cant wait!!! But, you know how that goes. Things like gifts for children keep coming up... ;-)

Also, Im adding links to the blog where you SHOULD be able to click and see pics of the girls, as well as some of the scrapbook pages I've made!

Ashlynn's Quotes....Words to Live By....

2009-06-04T08:10:00.001-07:00

Everyday, this kid is saying something else that makes us laugh. Or cry. Or want to get out the yard stick (j/k) So i thought Id start keeping track! Its becoming a crucial part of my scrapping journey, and taking a que from Stacy Julian, Ive began keeping notepads around the house to compile ideas and quotes it. Brilliant, even if you dont scrap.

28 Jan 09: "Mom, be patient with me. Im eating here!"

27 Feb 09: while playing ball with her dad in the backyard, singing "Me got it! Me got it! And I dont know what to do with it!"

14 March 09: "Mom, you are TOO OLD to be a princess!! You be the prince!"

16 Mar 09: Me: "Ashlynn! Mind your own business!" Ash: "But I like your business better!"

01 April 09: "Dad, your eyes are beautiful! Let me poke them!"

03 June 09: ...after following me into the bathroom in the morning..."MOM! Were having privacy TOGETHER!!!"

03 June 09: Me-"How many times should I have to ask you to do something before you do it?" Ash-"Ummmm, 40? Im not really sure."

Dont worry. There will be more. Im sure of it! HA!

To LEARN or NOT to LEARN...

2009-06-02T09:50:00.001-07:00

So yesterday, I started the ball rolling to go back to school. I want to study Graphic Design. I really enjoy it, and would LOVE to be able to learn more and apply it to building my own business so I can stay home with my girls AND earn some extra money. I see SO many ambitious mommies out there, starting their own businesses, building web sites, designing all kinds of graphics for everything from the digital scrapbooking elements to blogs to custom websites for businesses.

My BABY brother is 18 and attending the Falls in September, studying Graphics. I am SO proud of him, but SO jealous! So I decided to see what FAFSA would give me to go back. It isnt official yet, but they estimate that I'd get a full ride! THAT was a definite check in the PRO column. Plus we would get a little extra to help pay for daycare for the girls. Another check in the PRO column. Ash will be in preschool 3 days a week next year, and she will be the first to tell you that she would WAY rather be at school with kids that home with me most days, but the biggest check in my CON column right now is leaving Gracie before she is a year old. I was spoiled with Ash in that I stayed home with her until she was about 14 months old, and I really feel strongly about the importance of that. So Im in the midst of making phone calls and trying to sort it all out. Id really love to go back, at least part time, but it may have to wait, you know?

Advice? Thoughts? Encouragement? Stay tuned for the decision!!

My Newest Passion...

2009-05-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

This year, just before the arrival of our Gracie Pie (aka Fatty Farts-a-Lot...classy, Dad!) I began a new journey in the world of crafty Momminess...digital scrapbooking!! I had been playing with Photoshop since back in '07 when Piper deployed to Djibouti for 4 months, and it NEVER OCCURRED to me to use it to scrapbook! Paper scrapping is just not practical for me. I SUCK at being creative hand-to-paper...but give me elements and fonts to copy and paste? JACKPOT! I've since started taking photography more seriously, enjoying the editing of pictures, and creating not just photographs, but memories for my family and friends to share!

I just started reading Photo Freedom by Stacy Julian. Its an introduction into making your scrapbooks into a Library Of Memories. Its a FANTASTIC reference into organizing and creating memorable and BEAUTIFUL scrapbooks! As much as I've enjoyed and learned from my classes from Jessica Sprague, I had NO IDEA how I was going to sort thru all these beautiful layouts (if I do say so myself!) I recommend this book to ANYONE who has any desire to make their scrapbooks, digital or paper, mementos for our childrens children to cherish!!

ANYWAY, Im about to jump feet first into reorganizing THOUSANDS of pictures (2005-now), meanwhile saving up for my new camera! WOO HOO!!

Our First POST! WOO HOO!!

2009-05-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

So after a lot of procrastinating, here is the Piper family blog!

TA DA!

Ill be adding things here and there, it seems I've always got some kind of antidote about Ash or milestone of Gracie's, and Piper and I do cool stuff too!!! (ha! We all know that once you have a kid, you lose most of your identity. I'm OK with it!)

Recently to report, Patrick made promotion! He is now a Master Sgt Select! WOO HOO!! He will put on Master sometime early 2010 (we estimate) and hopefully that will come with a field job for him. He gets awfully bored in the office all the time! Hes looking into starting to compete in triathlons again, which would be a lot of work, but how can I complain when its so good for him? He's taking the summer semester off of school to spend more time with all of us, and he will be going to jump master school in late June for 3 weeks. Georgia in the summer...ugh!

I have been busy around the house with the kids, and CONSTANTLY trying to get things more organized. It seems I'm fighting a losing battle. I have been challenged to learn a new graphics program (CoralDraw) to make vector images. So I am taking some online classes to learn that (in my "spare time" HA!) I have been having lots of fun with my digital scrap booking, and will post some of my "progress" on here as it comes.

Ashy is staring down the barrel at the end of the "school year" (she attends preschool at Michael Anderson Elementary School here on base.) Her classes have been twice a week, and the focus has been on her social skills. As we all know, Ash is NOT lacking in social skills, so we got her signed up for private preschool starting in the fall. She will attend 3 days a week and learn basic writing skills, some math, Spanish and a little science to help her ready for kindergarten. The preschool program on base is a real blessing, but I believe that this new school will challenge her in a very positive way.
Her 4th birthday is coming up in about a month, and she has decided a pizza party is how we will celebrate! I cant believe my baby is almost 4!!

Gracie is growing like a week, fitting in 6-9 month clothes at 3 months old!! UGH! She is my beautiful little moose! At her 2 month check up she weighed in at 13lbs 15oz, and 23 inches. A full 5 lb growth!! Average is about 2! She is starting to stay awake longer now, and is working on finding her thumb just like big sis.

This seems like a pretty good catch up post...Ill be posting as often as possible to keep every up to speed on the kiddos, pictures, and happenings of us crazy traveling Pipers!!