Carmella, One Year Old.

My little darling turned one right at the end of my semester, so unfortunatly for her

that meant waiting for school to end to do her

one year photo shoot.

School officially ended yesterday, so this morning me and my two little girls

took off for a little photo shoot. I had a lot of fun. I think the girls did too.

 I have found my new favorite location for photos. There are so many

interesting colors and backgrounds, not to mention the cool props. I was so

excited to find the iron bathtub. How often do you

come across something that neat just sitting out

waiting for you!

 I will definitely be back for more photos in this neighborhood.

The following are my favorite five photos of Carmella. I don't know if

 I can decide which is my #1. Leave a post and let me know which you like best.

Bring on the Sandbox!

Carmella just turned one on April 16th, and for her "big" present, we filled up the sandbox, and gave her numerous sand toys. Jason and the

girls were a bit confused when they helped her



open her gifts, and all she had was shovels and pails and tractors.

Ella, however loves her gifts.

I know, I know, filling up the sandbox doesn't really seem like

a big gift, but I never filled it up again last year after Addie threw all the sand under

the trampoline, so Carmella had not yet experienced the wonder of sand.

Carmella is lovin this gift. It was perfect for her. Just about everyday she

toddles out to the sandbox to play. She has eaten quite a bit of sand,

and I've upped the number of baths she gets,

but it is so worth it to have a happy baby who likes to play outside.

It's nice to know the simple things still work.

Here she is, Carmella and her sandbox, and a little Adelaide too!

Easter Egg Hunt

The good and the bad.

Do you ever have a day that you wish you could go back and do again? Or a moment at least, that you would like re-written? I experienced that today. This morning after dropping my girls off at school, I hit a little boy on his bike with my car. He is fine. He actually got on his bike and rode the rest of the way to the front of the school. I could go into a full account of what happened, but I will just say that he was a small boy, on a small bike, and I simply did not see him. I had the surreal experience of sitting in the principal's office, in my jammies, sobbing (yes, as I have stated before I am a pajama driver in the mornings), with my baby in a onsie with a snotty nose, explaining things to a police officer. I felt like a naughty child, and at the same time, an irresponsible, reckless adult. 
These feelings were even more compounded when I talked to my mom tonight and told what I had done. I truly felt like a penitent teenager who had an accident while driving her parents car. 


As awful as all of this was, I am so thankful for the good things that happened today. That I was just starting to pullout from being completely stopped when I hit him. That I only hit his back tire, and the worst injury he received was a scratched elbow that didn't even bleed. That I didn't get written a ticket, because, technically I didn't break any laws. That the school staff was so wonderfully kind to me. That I have an amazing friend who immediately drove to my house as soon as I explained what happened, and let me cry on her shoulder. Then would not leave till she could see that I was okay again. That my sweet husband didn't get upset when I told him what happened when he got home, and gave me a blessing for my peace of mind. Lastly, that I have a loving Heavenly Father who is watching over me, and this little boy, protecting us both. 
Today, I have been truly blessed.