s.s.parker

Birthdays and Back Tracking

2011-12-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

Playing catch up yet again. Our little peanut Saylor turned 4 at the end of summer and her heart was set on a "tangled" party. We were flying out to Utah the next day, so it was a quick, quaint little get together with some close friends and family, but she had the BEST.DAY.EVER!!! a day doesn't go by that I thank my lucky stars for having this little girl in our lives! simply two words love.her

It started off with decorating her door

the tradition sprinkle donut on the birthday plate

sprinkles donuts for her class

saying the "Pledge of Allegiance"

saying "grace" for snack time. love this picture

she requested a pink cake with purple and yellow sprinkles so I improvised with skittles.

loving her jasmine costume. i stocked up on halloween sales from last year:)

Much Gratitude

2011-11-23T20:00:00.001-08:00

I'm beyond grateful to have these three people in my life. Without them life isn't worth much.

Forgetting the "Thanks"

2011-11-13T13:15:00.001-08:00

I feel like after Halloween comes and goes, everyone is so focused on Christmas, ok maybe not everyone but I know I tend to overlook the one isle of decor at Joanns usually consisting of a festive cornucopia and a few pilgrims and head straight to the Christmas isle. It seems as much as we all love Christmas, Thanksgiving kind of gets overlooked in some ways. Shouldn't Thanksgiving be one of the most important holidays? I mean it is the holiday we share our gratitude for all we have which is ALOT! Can you imagine life without all the blessings we have tangible or not?!

I've always had intention of posting once a day until Thanksgiving of what I'm "thank"ful for and thought I had until I checked back in my history blog and of course yet another thought that never was fulfilled. Ok so I'm a little behind (story of my life) and it is already November 14th, but it's never to late to get started right? I've got a lot of ground to make up but here's a few things I'm greatful for big or small, practical or impractical, silly or serious.

I discovered this miracle in a tube back in high school and have never looked back! I have one in every bathroom, at least 2 in my purse and can't go to bed without it slathered on my lips! I also used it on my kids when they were little tots and Sawyer asks for it every morning on the way to school for his "whips":)

Without these I wouldn't be able to visit family and friends we love and miss.

Last night we lost power for about an hour and your forget how many things utilize energy in the house. Thank goodness that it wasn't cold outside and the kids thought it was pretty cool with all the candles lit and playing with flashlights. not to self remember to turn all power switches off before the power goes back on at 11:30 pm and all lights are beeming full force!

I'm a Pin Head!!

2011-11-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

ENOUGH SAID::))!!!

Spooktacular Night

2011-11-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

Halloween started off with the kids school parade. It was pouring rain outside so they had it in the gym. Yes I was the only mom dressed up! yes a little awkward:), but Saylor was having a meltdown because I wasn't going to dress up, and it's hard to tell what the kids are actually dressed up as until you see Mary Poppins and then it all comes together. So Mary Poppins made an appearance.

Later that day after naps, we decorated pumpkins with stickers. Traditionally we carve but in the Florida humidity they don't last long and our paints were all dried out so stickers it was, and stickers it might be every year.. they loved it and easy clean up.

showing off there creation

The only decent family pic we could get that night. Who wants to take pictures when there's some serious Trick or Treating to be done.

And there off.......

the kids and there cousins

Trick or Treating is a tough job but somebodies gotta do it!

After we got home I threw out the bad, kept some good for me (my favs: tootsie rolls, twix, twizzlers) and then hid a small stash for the kids as bribery:)) And I still can't believe there wasn't even one box of Dots this year!

A Jolly Holiday

2011-11-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

there are a few more fun pictures from our supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Halloween, but I'll post when my kids aren't climbing on me like monkeys while I'm sitting here!

Halloween Costumes

2011-10-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

Been working on our Halloween costumes (last minute as usual) and they still need a few finishing touches here and there, but here's a sneak peak of what's to come this weekend:

it will be a Jolly Holiday!

End of Summer

2011-10-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

Always sad to see summer come to an end, but when you live in Florida 100 degree temperatures and 100 percent humidity can last 6 months, so it feels like summer will NEVER end:)) but here are a few more adventures had over the last few weeks before school started.

rolling down the hill over and over again, luckily no one got sick

my minnie Rachel Zoe

made these scrumptious evil goodies for a good friend, let's just say she wasn't disappointed.

my beautiful sister came to visit for her birthday. I surprised her with tickets to see our ultimate favorite singer, Sade!! I had waited 16 years for this and oh baby was it worth it!! one word...A-MA--ZING!! ....ok two words.... LIFE CHANGING!!! Hopefully Sade doesn't wait 10 years for her next concert tour! I cried, laughed, danced, sang my heart out.

knowing every word to every song I'm sure the lady next to me wanted to tell me to shut up. she didn't pay to hear me belt out tunes:)) and let's just say Simon Cowell would not put me through to Vegas!

my car hit the big 100K and still going strong...i hope! (fingers crossed, just knocked on wood)

in the summer you can only swim so much so we found other ways to beat the heat

we tried skipping naps. which usually led to this

made a trip to TX and like they say "everything is BIGGER in Texas"

bought a sprinkler to put under the tramp....just wondering why I didn't think about that at the beginning of summer!

Home Improving

2011-10-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

when it comes to DIY home improvements I have a habit of starting and not finishing. It seems one source of motivation is when family or friends come in town to visit. Few months back my parents came in town, so I put on my painters pants and hammer and finally finished the hallway (it only took a year and a half !) The left side is a little lonely and needs some TLC. I guess that can wait until the next visit:)

the beginning way back when.

(my little sweetness, about to electrocute herself;)

the middle

and the end

This is what I'm thinking for the left side wall..

august fields

isabellaandmaxrooms

cocoa and hearts via Made by Girl

and maybe jazzing up the rug

mommy-chic

charmhome

while-the-sun-shines

Tantrum 3's

2011-10-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Saylor took ballet at school last year and is doing it again this year which she LOVES and can't wait each week to pack her bag and see Mrs. Gina. Over the summer there was a three week program through the city that I put her in 'thinking' she would enjoy it, but oh boy was I wrong! hence the last picture. She was doing ok at the start and then it took a major 90 degree turn on a cliff and then crash and burn:) The last day of class they performed a little program which she was throwing one of the biggest tantrum. I ended up picking her up off the floor and taking her home kicking and screaming. It was one of the most embarrassing moments ever, yet the most heartbreaking to have to do and I felt such guilt about it later. I only knew one other mom that goes to church with me and that Sunday she came up to me and said "You did the right thing, I would have done the same". A: That just tells you what a little stinker she was being! and B: didn't feel that guilty anymore:)

remember what they say:

Terrible 2's

TANTRUM 3's!!

Love her still:)

Summer Part Deux

2011-10-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Yes I'm as shocked as you that I've blogged two days in a row!! I'll forgo sleep for you entertainment:)
This year was the first that we didn't make it on our annual Bahamas trip :( Bobby ended up having back surgery the beginning of June so pounding the waves on a boat wasn't exactly what the doctor ordered. Didn't stop us from having fun. If you live on the East Coast your summers consist of sun, sand and surf which we did a lot of.

we love when cousin Isaac comes to visit!

no your eyes are lying, that is me actually in the lake

at disappearing island, one of our favorite beach spots.

highlight at the beach was playing with dead jellyfish

2011-10-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ding Dong! Oh hi there! Long time, no see. Why don't cha come in and stay awhile!......ok so there's been a bit of laziness when it comes to blogging lately...or shall I say since May!! The problem is whenever I get a chance to sit and post, I end up blogging everywhere else or spending WAY to much time with my new obsession PINTEREST!! If you haven't heard of it you're missing out! it's a marketing genius!

It seems with email, facebook, and texting who needs to blog? it's so much quicker and easier, but after having a few people (i won't name names:) haze me on my lack of blogging here it goes. I can't promise consistency, but I will be making more frequent trips.
In a nutshell summer came and went as usually with many adventures along the way. Here's a recap

Memorial Weekend at the Beach

Sawyer LOVES surfing

bobby and I were able to sneak out one night and have dinner at our favorite beach side bistro. (no the kids were not left alone:) yes we had a sitter)

First Soccer Season and Last Soccer Season

Without sugar coating it, Saylor hated soccer. The first game or two was exciting because it was something new, but by the third she was over it. The only way I could convince her to get on the field was telling her she could get a slurpee after. So all I would hear from across the field after she kicked the ball was "can I get a slurpee now?" Sawyer wanted to play so bad but was a good cheerleader.

We'll just stick to ballet :)

Summer randoms

lucky he belongs to me

saylor's scribbles are turning into artwork. wish my legs were that skinny:)

little Hugh Hefner

to be continued....

still here

2011-05-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

yes i've been MIA but still here on planet earth and I promise I'll be up and posting again soon..until then happy mothers day! Love, The Parker Clan

Some Days

2011-03-20T20:11:00.001-07:00

As a mom I can't help but think whatever I do isn't enough, my list never ends, it just repeats itself, and at times (or all the time) you feel pressure to be the best cook, baker, seamstress, organizer, neighbor, business woman, photographer, wife, maid, friend, decorator, sister, artist, crafter, blogger, and so on and so on. Some days I have to remind myself that I'm doing the best job I know how and from the look of it, I'm doing ok.

Rare

2011-03-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

pictures of me and my kids together seem rare because i'm always the one looking through the lense. while waiting for sacrament to get over, yes we were late...again....saylor said "take a picture with me mommy". I just love that little smile

Bowling

2011-03-08T18:51:00.001-08:00

Now that the kids are getting older and it's much easier to hop in the car and just go... we have dedicated Friday as "Family" Date night, and Saturday is mommy and daddy night. The kids had never been bowling so we thought it would be fun to watch them roll (i.e. throw) balls twice the size of there noggins down some lanes. Even though we had to have the employee come rescue our bowling ball(s) a few times and it was hard for them to understand you can only put one ball down the lane at a time, the kids had a blast and mommy beat daddy again!! Even the kids whooped there dad. It's a on going joke in this house that Bobby has never beat me in bowling. If it ain't broke don't fix it!:))

Makeover

2011-02-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

When we bought our current home in 2006 there were quite a few home improvements we had to do before moving in, and many more STILL on the list!! It's never ending! I absolutely love my kitchen and it's layout to the family room, but I had wanted to re-paint the cabinets from its original natural wood to white when we moved in but at the time there was only so much that we could do to fit in the budget and had to stick with the priorities.

A white kitchen makes feel happy and refreshed. It seems that it's the new popular and trendy thing to do to kitchens but I think the time has come to jump on the bandwagon. After years and months of convincing the hubby, he's finally ready to take the plunge with me. Now we just need to decide, do we try and save money and get our hands messy with paint or hire the handyman?

My current domain :) the kitchen really is the heart of the home. it's amazing how much time I spend in here. and yes that is 3 boxes of girl scout cookies! originally a total of 5! I couldn't just buy one after those little puppy dogs eyes are asking you if you want to buy to support the cause

a few of the beautiful inspirations

Love the stainless steel, but unfortunately my black beauties will stay!

if we can fit it in the budget, would love to add a subway tile backsplash.

Neti Pot

2011-02-17T19:21:00.001-08:00

Feeling under the weather with a sinus cold. Has anybody ever tried one of these for relief?

Dr. Oz swears it works. Do I dare? ugg, gotta go blow my nose...again.

All we need is LOVE

2011-02-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

Hoping your Valentines is filled with LOVE....(and chocolate :)

how cool

2011-02-02T20:23:00.001-08:00

I've been looking for some cute ideas for Saylor's classmates Valentines, and saw this cool idea!! I think three year old's are a little to young, and the mom's might think I'm crazy, but I'll definitely file this one in the craft folder!

365 days

2011-01-30T19:45:00.000-08:00

No new pictures today on my phone so I thought it would be fun to look back and see if I took any Jan. 30 2010 one year ago today. This is what I found,

Self Control Come Back

2011-01-25T19:01:00.000-08:00

After watching the news and hearing there was a storm 'a brewing tonight, I knew we were going to be staying in, so daddy picked up pizza and mommy made these:

I decided to add dark chocolate m&m's into the mix and there were 4 happy smiling faces in our house tonight. I'd like to blame Target for sucking me in and buying those evil little morsels!!

My best friend treadmill & I will be having an hour long meeting tomorrow!

My Sunbeam

2011-01-24T19:06:00.001-08:00

Bobby & I were on our cruise when Saylor had her first Sunday as a Sunbeam, so we missed the special day, so yesterday we got to take her to Primary and yes I kept my composure in front of all the kids, but when I turned and left my eyes welled up. Seeing her little tiny fingers and toes sitting in the chair first of all made me feel old! but made me feel so proud. This year she was the only one going into Sunbeams, so they put her in with the 4 year old CTR class which I was relieved to hear. She's 3 1/2 next month so I'm a little nervous because she's with the older kids but I think she'll have a great time. After we picked her up she said "Mommy, I was such a big girl and I sat so good next to Jane" :) These little yet oh so big moments in life are what it's all about!

A Few Favorites of 2010

2011-01-11T14:11:00.001-08:00

Make your own free photo collage

6 years

2011-01-06T20:11:00.001-08:00

Tonight my husband surprised me for our anniversary with a trip on this,

headed to here!

Happy Anniversary babe, good times ahead!

Beepers

2011-01-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

I could hear Saylor yelling "mommy come up stairs" at grandma's house, but I told her to come into the kitchen because mommy was busy. well this is what she was up to:

She discovered grandpa's heart monitor device, and decided she would check and make sure she was healthy :) She has always called "them" beepers and her voice cracks me up everytime!

kids do the darndest things! And no mom, she didn't learn it from me!

Snow Bunnies

2010-12-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

We've headed to Utah for Christmas and right now we are at our timeshare in Park City. From the looks out our window it's going to be a White Christmas. It hasn't stopped snowing since we got here and the kids are having a ton of fun in the snow. They only last 45 minutes or so until one of them says there cold!:) We were going to put Saylor in ski school, but it's too cold and she probably wouldn't last very long, so we'll try when we go back in the spring. While daddy's been snowboarding everyday the kids & I seem to do the same thing, play in the snow, hot tub, lunch and nap. Why is it that vacationing always makes you tired :) I know the kids can't wait for Christmas, but mommy might be a little more excited to see there cute little faces christmas morning! Everytime Sawyer sees Santa he says "be good boy" and if you ask Saylor what she wants, the list never changes:

................Cinderella, Belle, Barbie, Tangled...............

The snow definitely makes it feel a lot more like Christmas, but I will say it's fun to see and play in but I don't know if I could do it 4 months! :) Merry Christmas!

warming up after playing in the snow.

Snack Time

2010-12-10T15:31:00.001-08:00

Somebody decided to help themselves to a snack after nap time.

"ut-oh mommy I make messes"

......................................................................................................................

i think I'm finally done trimmin the tree. After getting our Charlie Brown tree out of the box this year, I had enough of looking at that dinky small thing for the past 5 years so I bought a new one on black friday. Totally worth every penny!!

Messy but Fun

2010-12-07T19:48:00.000-08:00

Daddy went to the Magic game last night, so we had FHE tonight and made our gingerbread house. Kids had a ton of fun, but did more eating then decorating! :) Here's it is! Ta-Dah!

Saylor said it needed a kiss because it was "cute"

Can't Sleep so I'll blog....

2010-12-02T03:22:00.000-08:00

Up and can't sleep so what better thing to do then blog. Here's a few pictures that are feeling lonely and need some recognition :) Here's a few of our latest adventures. warning: some pictures might make you squirmy:)

The officially opening of "Elf on the Shelf"

Saylor quickly gave our "elf" the name Andy. I think because his skinny flimsy legs and arms remind her of Andy from Toy Story:)

Kortney and Christopher came in town for Thanksgiving and we headed to the beach! Had a blast!! This was the only picture I could find on my camera, pathetic! I'm kortney has some gems on her camera!

Saylor's acapella performance :)

train ride at the zoo.

...........................................................................................................

We took a trip to DC to see Kortney's last volleyball game of her college career!! It was a bittersweet moment. She is amazing!

Only a few hours after flying into D.C. we ended up in the ER! Saylor smashed her little finger in the hotel door. They took the finger nail off and had to put two stitches on each side and one in the nail bed. She was soo brave, but mommy was a hysterical wreck! The cute little finger is much better and she's always telling me, " don't worry mommy the doctor said my finger nail will come back"

Hoya's #1 fan!

the girls and the rugrats

DC was so much fun and words can't describe how proud of my sister I am!!! I love you sis!

Inhale, Exhale

2010-11-29T20:46:00.000-08:00

I feel like I can't catch up and every time I scratch off something on my "to-do" list, three more things get added! am I the only one feeling overwhelmed?! 'Tis the season!!! :))

Grateful

2010-11-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

Today I feel blessed. And I'm grateful for these three......

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Santa

2010-11-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

I think I've been a good girl?!:) Here's my Christmas list:

Is that too much to ask?:))....ok I'll be realistic, I'd just be happy with a new pair of these.

All Hallowes Eve

2010-11-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

We had a great Halloween weekend. Weather was great, well a bit on the warm side, being that as a child I remember trucking through inches if not feet of snow. Saylor knew exactly how the process of Trick or Treating worked and I apologized to a few homeowners for the 20 hard pounding knocks on their door before someone would answer!:) Sawyer's little voice saying "chick or cheet" was priceless. I managed to not eat one single piece of candy which is a first, but my kids made up for it!

Whenever I put my costume on Saylor would only refer to me as "Queen of Hearts" and Sawyer would say that daddy was the "Cat Catter" :)

Saylor and her friend Mary Jane from school. They walked hand in hand to every house.

Enjoy It

2010-10-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hope your Halloween weekend is Fa-BOO-lous. I know ours will and there will be alot of this:

and a lot of this:

A snippet

2010-10-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a snippet of halloween 2010~

things.

2010-10-20T05:06:00.001-07:00

I read this today and it made me laugh. One of those laughs I couldn't stop that made my stomach giggle and my eyes water because a. i needed a pick me up, b. i'm tired, c. it just felt good to let a little stress out :)

annie was talking to me about the days of the week.
she said "what comes after saturday? another saturday?"
i said "no...each day only happens one time each week"
and she said
"but the song i gotta feelin' says...friday, saturday, saturday and sunday"

=====================================================================

Was looking for cute halloween treat ideas that would be easy and fun for the kids and came across these:

I LOVE halloween!!

Happy Monday

2010-10-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Taking Advantage

2010-10-16T05:14:00.001-07:00

Saylor didn't have school Thurs or Friday and they said the weather was going to get a bit on the chilly side starting Friday so I thought we would take advantage of the last few days of high 80 degree weather and head to the beach. So I packed up the kids on Thurs. and we had the best time. Saylor said she wanted to "take a nap at the beach" Wish we could have all joined in and stayed longer but we had to get home because mommy and daddy had a date with the new Amway Arena. Which by the way is pretty freaking cool. There's something so peaceful and calming being at the beach and can you imagine the kids played together "nicely" the whole time!:)

I did take my regular camera and of course left it at the pool, and missed the chance to catch the most precious photo op of the kids running back from the beach hand in hand, then pausing for a few seconds as both took a look back at the beach and said "by beach". But just maybe they'll re-create that moment for mommy without me having to ask :) not.

A good laugh

2010-10-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

can't stop watching this!!

Simply said

2010-10-10T19:19:00.001-07:00

I love my kids.

Latest

2010-10-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

her latest obsession:

little Annie

my latest obsession:

if only I was 5'8

Welcoming Fall

2010-09-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the clouds rolled in, the sky turned dark, and the temperature started dropping (finally!) Hopefully this trend continues. I think it's a sign of "fall", but we all know that can change daily in Florida. So I dusted off the crock pot and cooked to me what is the ultimate fall recipe....soup and cornbread.

then i whipped up a batch of these oh-so scrumptious pumpkin delights

welcome fall

Random nothings

2010-09-25T19:26:00.001-07:00

Smells like fall in our house......

this is what i should be doing right now.....

wished i lived in colder climate "sometimes" to wear this cute trench...it's MAJOR!

walked into the kitchen and bobby had done sawyer's hair.....yikes! i think he should stick to selling boats!!:))
future tony hawk?!.......and yes that's annie, making an appearance:)

Silly Billy's

2010-09-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

my two little silly billy's having too much fun on daddy's "stretch roller". such cheap entertainment!

Bye Binks

2010-09-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

After three years of "binks" it was finally time to say goodbye. She was very excited to give them to the "babies" in heaven. Yes I know I should have done this a long time ago, but my philsophy was "if it ain't broke don't fix it". Surprisingly mommy had a harder time with it i think then Saylor did! I almost started crying. Pathetic I know but I feel like it was the last thing to go in my mind that still made her my little baby. She fell right asleep last night until 6:30 am, and took a 2 hour nap today! Maybe we should have done this a long time ago. She says she's a big girl now and the babies are sad and need her "binks". Much easier then expected but I wish I could freeze time.

helping mommy put them on the string.

...i could only find two and I know there are two more hiding somewhere, hopefully mommy finds them before she does!

Surf Session

2010-09-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sun was shining, daddy was off work, and Sawyer surfed it up!

Birthday at School

2010-09-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

Little behind on posts, with Saylor's birthday and my parents in town my camera was busy clicking away and making memories. more pics to come..

Saylor got to celebrate her birthday at school and couldn't wait to tell everyone she was 3! She helped me make sugar cookies and she choose the shapes of butterflies and stars. When I dropped her off to school her teacher had a birthday hat ready for her to decorate. She also got to be the line leader and thought that was cool.

snap shots

2010-09-08T19:46:00.003-07:00

just some shots to keep ya'll entertained.

having some mommy time outside while saylor was at school.

My two little "amigos"

this is what I did over labor day weekend, and yes I have BIG big toes :)

cooked us some yummy spaghetti

and wished i would have ended it with these, but I just couldn't convince myself to buy them.

Somewhere over the rainbow

2010-08-24T19:35:00.001-07:00

Somewhere over the Rainbow.....

My parents came in town to celebrate Saylors 3rd birthday. I asked her for weeks what kind of party she wanted and most three year olds response is something along the lines of, Princess, Dora, Tinkerbell, Mikey etc, but without hesitation every time, she would reply loud and clear "a dorothy party". I would assume that most children at the age of two would be a little nervous and scared to watch Wizard of Oz but from the moment she laid eyes on the classic film she was hooked (i.e. she was dorothy for halloween and the costume still comes out to play dress up at least 2 or 3 times a week) She was very concerned the last time she put on her dorothy shoes that they were too tight, so she couldn't wait to try on her new ruby slippers.

So with "Dorothy party" on our brains I started to get to work. Now if you all don't know by now, I love a good party. I think it starts from my childhood, where my mother never disappointed when it came to birthdays or any celebration! thanks mom :)

We had a swim party (more like a sweat your butt off in the humidity party). All day the sun was out in full effect beams and all, and as the day rolled on clouds appeared and I crossed my fingers for no rain but the greek god of storms had other plans. As I was setting up for the party I could see a big dark cloud slowly making it's way and by the time guests had arrived the storm was in full effect. lighting+thunder=no swimming, but the kids had fun splashing in puddles and chasing each other around.

It seemed I was doomed from the beginning with that big dark rain cloud because I finished setting up and planned on snapping a few shots of the cake etc, before everyone came and of course one of my worst nightmares came true.....battery dead, not just dead but dead with no chance of resurrection!:) Luckily my dearest friend stepped in as photographer and captured the celebration in all it's rainy glory. THANK YOU!!

Saylor loved every minute, every cupcake x2, and every piece of cake and candy she could possibly eat in a 3 hour time period. She was so excited to have all of her friends there and especially her grandma and grandpa. My beautiful little peanut is no longer a little toddler but a little girl and man am I lucky to be her mom!! I love you Saylor more then words can say and I'm greatful for you each and every day!!

**note....as the last family left the pool and the party was coming to an end the sun shined through and we were able to take a dip for a bit and it was all worth it!

**note #2 - next year's party will start at 11 a.m. to miss mid afternoon hurricane showers!

rain on her parade

2010-08-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

sneak peek of what we did this weekend!!!.....

it was a rainy birthday but a magical one! more pics to come.....

Soaking it in

2010-08-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a special day. Saylor started preschool and mommy cried. Mixed emotions on my part of excitement and sadness. Three years came way too fast, but she loved every minute of it and the first thing she said when I picked her up was, "mommy my new girlfriend is Emma":) I was hoping for something more like.."mommy i missed you soo much!" We sure miss her when she's gone but Sawyer & I are going to get to spend some qt time together. Life is all about these special moments so I'm soaking it all in.

Sawyer insisted on being a part of it all:) but i didn't mind with a face like that

Saylors "fake" smile

of course the best picture I got of her was from my iphone

open wide

2010-08-04T11:06:00.001-07:00

Saylor had her first visit to the dentist yesterday. She did a lot better then I expected even though she wouldn't lay flat on the chair because the light was too bright. It kind of broke my heart because she kept telling me she was going to the dentist so they could put her "teeth together". I tell her that her gap means she's very special:) Dentist said she has healthy teeth with great space and not to worry about her gap for a few years. Just means we get to love that sweet little gap for a few more years!

what a cute spectator

Bahamas 2010

2010-07-23T18:59:00.001-07:00

This year's trip to the Bahamas was all about family and fun and we had plenty of it!! It was a week of pure paradise and we're so lucky to have a family tradition that hopefully continues for years to come...

these two were quite the musical dueo

future Captain

Saylor mastering the ring game, daddy's favorite

Scuba Saylor

A Slice of Heaven

2010-07-11T04:14:00.000-07:00

This is where we are headed today.....

I'll be thinking of you in paradise! See ya'll real soon

My American Idol's

2010-07-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

No Fear

2010-07-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

After seeing Grandma go off the diving board, Saylor followed suite! She didn't even hesitate up there and kept going back for more! I think I've got a little dare devil on my hands!

dry my eyes

2010-06-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

You never think the day will come when you send your little one off to pre-school, well that day is fast approaching but first we started with summer camp. I thought Saylor would be so nervous and would cry and not want to let mommy go when dropping her off, but she was the total opposite and just walked right in, turned around, blew me a kiss and said "bye mommy, you run errands, I love you". As I turned around and walked away, tears started to fill my eyes. My little peanut who was so tiny and small isn't so anymore but it's so fulfilling to see them grown and learn.

Sawyer gets so excited taking Saylor to camp and leads the way

All smiles!

Walking the streets

2010-06-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with the streets of Georgetown. We walked everywhere we went, and along the way, I noticed there were a lot of homes with beautiful flower boxes in there windows and beautiful front doors. I've been taking some camera classes, (which I still have no idea what I'm doing!:) but thought it was a perfect time to try out my skills!

green is my favorite color and I loved the idea of wrapping a simple ribbon around a wreath to create something so lovely

you don't see a lot of rounded entry doors and the cherrywood color is so rich and elegant

yes this was a residential home. can you image opening that door everyday.

screams traditional with a black door and lemons, I just pictured walking in and smelling fresh baked cookies at this house.

you can never go wrong with a red door

these huge trees had grown around the metal fence. i thought it was so cool looking.

Beautiful peonies were in bloom everywhere. my absolute favorite flower!

Georgetown Graduate

2010-06-02T17:38:00.001-07:00

Can't believe my baby sister graduated from Georgetown. She has fought and beat so many odds to be where she is today and I am beyond proud of her! Kortney you wear so many hats...a mom, sister, student, daughter & friend, and you do it so well and you are an inspiration to me! I love you and the skies the limit!

You rock sista!

these two little rugrats were not behaving themselves during graduation ceremony so mommy/auntie a.k.a "me" had to take them outside and hold them hostage in the box!:))

all dressed up headed to the graduation ball. I love the glimpse of the capital in the background.

C'ya real soon

2010-06-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

This was our last trip to Disney before our passes expired. I hope they have that deal again soon! But I can definitely bypass Disney in the summer. Sawyer was so excited to see Mickey but he was a little bit larger in person then he expected :) Saylor got to see "tink" and the fairies, and was on cloud nine. I remember when I found out I was going to have a girl, I thought to myself is it possible to avoid the whole Disney and princess obsession, but truth be told it's actually quite fun, and makes me feel like a kid again too. I was never the biggest fan of Disney in general, but after having kids, let's just say me and Goofy are bff's now :)

Warm up to summer

2010-05-18T18:42:00.001-07:00

Saturday we were invited by our dear friends for a swim and bbq party! Kids had a blast and it was a great way to warm up to summer time.

Saylor made sure she had my full attention every time she would go down, I think she was in the middle of counting on this one :)

Sawyer was all smiles

taking a yogurt break, swimming is tough work!..

Saylor is doing great in the water and will be swimming by summers end. Can't wait for the official kick off to summer...Memorial Weekend at the Beach!

A room with a view

2010-05-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a file on there computer or a folder tucked away with ideas and dreams of how you want your house to look like or feel like. My folder(s) seems to get bigger and bigger all the time.

My new favorite show is "9 by Design" on Bravo. I'm no interior decorator, nor will I ever be one or have the talent for it, but I appreciate beautiful home design inside & out.

When I came across this picture it went straight into my home folder. I've always loved the look of these chairs and the exaggerated drapery and don't get me started on wallpaper. Yes I know it's so circa 1980 :) I'm a huge fan of it, but our walls are pretty heavily textured though I did find out that with backing paper it might just be possible! If we decide to do the addition on the house some day (i.e. more kids=more space) (another i.e...no I'm not announcing anything:) this kitchen table would be loverly! and I know now that with little ones dark cushions is the only way to go and I love the contrast of dark and light. Nate Berkus would be disappointed, but my flowers in the vase would probably be silk and not fresh. I'm not Oprah!:))

The past couple of weeks I've been doing some home projects...I'll share some pictures soon.

Life's Good

2010-05-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was absolutely wonderful. As a girl growing up you always wonder and imagine what life will be like when you have kids. There is no Motherhood 101 book to explain how it all works, it's a daily quest and you learn as you go. I am pretty sure every mother wonders at some point why their child chose them and what they can do for their child that no one else can.Saylor & Sawyer have already taught me more life lessons then any professor could teach, to not sweat the small things but to embrace them and most of all the meaning of unconditional love! My mother's day was memoriable and beautiful.

wow he's a keeper

i'm lucky these two call me mommy

my two cute boys

it was basically impossible to get a good picture with mommy, but i just love saylors pose

Mommy Daughter day

2010-05-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

It's not very often that I'm able to spend alone time with just one child. Saylor & I were able to have a mommy daughter day, so I took her to Magic Kingdom, and what a magical time we had! She met the princesses for the first time, and grinned from ear to ear! It was so special to share the day with Saylor. I took advantage of every minute!

classic disney picture

was a little shy with sleeping beauty

i think it's tradition now that she has to have her faced painted like minnie

waiting for the movie to start, i love this picture

one can dream

2010-04-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

I saw this and thought it was the coolest idea in a kitchen, maybe I can do this is my next kitchen....... in my next life!!!:)

oh and do we have a future golfer on our hands?! dang that is one cute kid.

anybody home?

2010-04-05T17:26:00.001-07:00

has it really been since January 16th since my last post?! yup....do i have an excuse? nope, just laziness and all i really want to do is look at everyone else's blogs. all of my pictures are on my pc until we transfer them to the mac, so in the meantime enjoy some pictures from the iphone. i'll be back soon, i hope :)

spring is here and we are loving it!

my little minnie at disney

this is where i found saylor after yelling for her in the department store and freaking out because i couldn't find her, i turned the corner, to see that she had thrown all the pillows off the display bed and was pretending she was asleep!:)

ready for the big hunt!

some qt time with mommy at starbucks

I'm 30! don't really want to talk about it:)

all dressed up for a friends wedding, we had a blast! can't believe he actually took the plunge!;)

peanut and mommy

surf session with daddy

Sawyer's "Buggy" 1st Birthday

2010-01-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

My little bug isn't so little anymore. Because we were flying back on his actually birthday, Jan. 4th, we celebrated the day before with all of our friends and family in Utah. I know they say kids grow up fast, but I guess with two it seemed to fly even faster. Sawyer loved all the attention and unlike his sister, he loved every minute of his cake and couldn't get enough! It's true what they say about boys loving to be dirty and messy! It was a special birthday to remember. We love you Sawyer "bug"!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-16T07:43:00.001-08:00

Christmas, New Years, Birthdays, Anniversarys OH MY! The Holidays have come and gone, and "oh what fun" it was! We headed out west to Utah for a white Christmas. It was so great to have daddy for two whole weeks! And the best part was his laptop wasn't working, which meant we really had him by ball & chain!:) Just like every Christmas it was filled with joy, laughter, the spirit, and so much family! This year it seemed there was a little bit more of it all, and I felt so blessed to be where I am , who I am, and to have my friends and family around me. Of course Santa spoiled everyone way too much, but the kids were all smiles, and Saylor has mastered the art of "opening". Here's a little glimpse into our Christmas ~

finding the Christmas Spirit

2009-12-17T13:24:00.000-08:00

Why is it that Christmas seems to be the only month that literally flies by so fast, it's hard to feel the christmas spirit or at least stop and have to time to enjoy it!! With all the hustle and bustle, we stopped to spend family time so we could keep our christmas traditions going.

Strolling the Neighborhood Looking at Lights
Saylor thought this was the coolest Mickey & Minnie!

She insited that she stand in the middle and said "mommy take my picture" . especially love the hands on the hips!

Making Sugar Cookies

Enjoying every last sprinkle!

Sawyer bug watching from the sidelines. Cutest bench warmer I know!

Off to Utah for the Holiday!!...Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Not a baby anymore

2009-12-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

Saywer "bug" has taken his first big boy steps all by himself!! This was the second attempt, because I didn't catch the first one in time. He literally went from standing up and taking one step, to cruising! Saylor thinks its so fun, and wants to hold his hand to help him. Oh the places he will go now :) maybe I should think about getting locks on the cabinets now!

Cup runneth over

2009-11-26T07:11:00.000-08:00

I'm overflowing with gratitude this Thanksgiving! Especially during these hard times that America is going through, I can't take for granted the bountious blessings around me. I am blessed to have a beautiful healthy family, with two precious children who make me smile and laugh everyday, and for a wonderful and supportive husband who loves me for me and who works so hard to provide for us. I'm greatful for friends that I can lean on, and my beautiful surroundings. Today I am thankful.

Growing

2009-11-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

this little sweet boy is 10 months old today.....pure LOVE

Hallow's Eve

2009-11-04T12:45:00.001-08:00

not quite sure what Saylor's face was doing. giving mommy dirty looks?:) that's the cutest scarecrow i've ever seen!

Saylor couldn't wait to run to the next house. The ruby slippers are fast!

after a very long day, one tired pouty little girl all "chick and cheated" out!

Halloween was so fun this year!! We went to the in-laws house for soup, scones and cider. Saylor loved every minute of it! Except getting the costume one. Once it was on she was fine, but when I would ask her if she wanted to put it on, her response was usually "itchy", and then when I told her we needed to put piggies in her hair her response was "ouch" :) She would follow the yellow brick road to the door make sure she knocked 3 times to make sure they heard her, and would say "chick or cheat". After they would put candy in her basket, she had to scope it out and make sure she liked it and that it was edible. A few times she would say to them "Sawyer candy" and make sure Sawyer got one, which usually ended up in her basket!:) After a thank you and blowing a kiss, she would say "next house". We only made it to about 10 houses, before her litte ruby slippers were tired. Saywer strolled along for the ride, chewing on the glow stick the police officers were handing out. Bobby's finally glad he can hang up the tin man costume after wearing it 4 times! .......Can't believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

Pumpkins Galore

2009-10-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Pumpkin Patch is a must do every Halloween! Even though we couldn't stop sweating because Florida has forgotten that summer was over 2 months ago! we still had fun!!

Somewhere over the Rainbow

2009-10-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

This is what we did today, Happy Halloween!!

nine months

2009-10-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

Sawyer bug turned 9 months yesterday and he is a so much fun and full of personality! He loves playing with his big sister, eating rusty's dog food, is already a momma's boy, and is growing and changing everyday! We love you Sawyer bug!

Hello Fall

2009-10-02T12:53:00.001-07:00

it's hard to tell when fall is here in florida, because the temperature hasn't changed much! ok except for one day when we dropped a few 5 degrees! I love Fall, and miss the change of color on the mountains back home, but to celebrate fall this is what we did:

hi sawyer bug

but wait daddy I want to go

two peas in a pod

2009-10-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

While in the kitchen and the kids playing in family room, I find sawyer being a little stinker!:) reminded me of the time Saylor did the same thing, the same age even!

haha mommy, this is what happens when you're not looking (love the 'little devil' look on his face)

September

2009-09-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

September seemed to come and go so fast! The family headed to Utah for two weeks, and Bobby & I drove to Aspen to our friends wedding while my mom & sister watched my kids!!! a BIG HUGE THANK YOU to them!! and yes they made it out alive! :) Aspen was unbelievable, and definitely going back when the chance comes. The wedding was spectacular and was worthy of a Martha Stewart spread. My mom is running for city council, so where ever we went we wore our Vote t-shirts! Saylor loved her's, and would always say "vote gammaw". Gammaw won the first pre-lims! GO MOM!!

Grandma gave sawyer his first Sees sucker

he loved every lick

Dad & brother on the elk hunt. Scored a big one!

Beautiful wedding! I mean seriously what a back drop!

Vote Gammaw!!

Happy Birthday Peanut!!

2009-08-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Saylor Sophie turned 2 on Monday! We celebrated by taking her to Magic Kingdom for the first time and it was "magical" watching her take it all in!! Defnitely more trips to come...can't believe we only live 30 minutes from Disney, and we don't take advantage of it! We got home just in time for the kids to take a quick nap, because it was party time! Saylor loved her castle cake, and couldn't keep her hands off the candy! It's pretty amazing when you think of how fast they grow up and how much you can love someone. Saylor you bring us absolute joy and happiness, and keep up smiling everyday! We LOVE you!...love, mommy, daddy, sawyer & rusty...............pics below

2009-08-26T07:28:00.001-07:00

swinging on by

2009-08-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

been mia lately, but here's two good reasons why:

dang i love these two!

Bahamas '09

2009-07-20T19:01:00.001-07:00

The bahamas trip this year was one of my favorites. The weather was awesome, Saylor got to spend a lot of qt time with daddy and sawyer bug just loved tagging along. Everyday was the same agenda, playing in the pool, then on the boat out to sea for the day, then back to the pool...it was an agenda we could definitely stick too!! Saylor loved jumping off the boat into the ocean with daddy, and would always say "ginn" and wanted to do it over and over again. We can't wait for next year!

watching the sunset

saylor loved the straw market and got a princess straw bag

even after taking a nose dive, sawyer learned to sit up while we were there

chillin pool side

my view from the pool, a slice of heaven

the boat we went on

daddy taking a cliff dive off the shipwreck

saylor's ready to hit the pool in style

Lovin summer!

2009-07-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

it's already been a busy summer here in florida! boating trips, weekends to the beach, 4th of july and much more! here's a little of what we've been up to

my cute family

saylor had a blast with her cousins in town

surf session in the ocean

sawyer bug is 6 months!

pool time with daddy

love him

love her

off to the bahamas! more to come!

HAPPY 33rd!!

2009-06-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Wishing my handsome hubby a Happy Birthday!! I love you!!

Playing Catch up

2009-05-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

It's been quite awhile since my last post, that's because life has been full of fun adventures with no time to blog. The kids & I took a trip to Utah for two weeks, to celebrate my dad's BIG 50!! Saylor had so much fun riding four wheelers with grandma, eating snow shacks, and playing with her cousin Isaac. She would stand at the door and yell "Isaac!!" ten times a day waiting for him to get home from school. We celebrated mother's day with out Bobby, but he was so sweet and surprised me with a new camera with everything but the kitchen sink!
Memorial Weekend we went to Hammock Beach in Palm Coast. We had a blast swimming in the pools and going down the slide. We're ready to go back!! Here's a little sneak peek....

Surf Session

2009-04-30T18:29:00.001-07:00

Today Saylor had her first surf lesson!! She had a blast paddling with her daddy in the lake. Can't wait for the summer!!

Easter Sunday Funday

2009-04-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter! Saylor loved every minute of the Easter egg hunts. Nursery did one and she loved the purple bunny bag they gave her. She carried it around the rest of the day like it was her handbag! it was too cute! My sweeties looked so cute in there easter outfits, but they didn't stay clean for very long :) My only camera right now is my iphone so the pictures are a little fuzzy. Hope your Easter was joyous!

mommies precious little ones

seems i'm always behind the camera, so there are few pictures of me and my sweeties.

Saylor especially loved what was inside the eggs

Saylor's "cheese" face

her handbag

Sawyer just smiled and looked cute

modern medicine

2009-04-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

I feel like with each year I age, there's an extra wrinkle or two or three...i blame it on those tanning beds that were my best friends before each high school dance! I've never been one to spend a lot of money on makeup or face products (which maybe I should have). My beauty regiment consists of products from your average drug store, and Lubriderm has always been my idea of night cream. So before I hit the BIG 30! i'm going to try and tackle these wrinkles one at a time!

If any of you know of a miracle cream let me know. What works for you??

like mother like daughter

2009-04-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Shoe fetish already?! she's going to be expensive!:)

Just keep swimming Just keep swimming

2009-03-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

Saylor has been taking safety swim lessons for the past 5 weeks. She is doing awesome and is my little nemo!! One week left to go before she graduates! She loves the water and we can't wait for summer so we can play in the pool!

Where's Jillian & Bob!

2009-03-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

The post baby weight is lingering! that's probably because I eat ice cream while watching The Biggest Loser!! I finally re-joined the gym on Monday! definitely long over due. It's crunch time with swimsuit season right around the corner, well technically in florida it's all year round. I have a feeling it's going to be harder this time around, then with Saylor, so I better start now! If only I had a person Jillian or Bob!

momma's boy

2009-03-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

With two little ones, duties have doubled and every minute of the day seems to be filled with, feeding, changing, playing, cleaning, cooking etc etc! When it was just Saylor, I had the time to blog about how she's growing and changing and every little thing in between, so now I feel like my poor little Sawyer is neglected. So here's to you my sweet boy, I love you and mommy hasn't forgot about you!!:))

Love this

2009-02-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

I saw this on etsy and I luff! It's a must for the kid's rooms!!

Change

2009-02-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

I guess this year is all about change. Obama, the economy, your babies name!....yes that's right after 1 week of being Pierce Sutton Parker, we decided to make a change. I know this sounds weird and some of you might think we're crazy, but long story short, the name Pierce just didn't fit the little guy, so after an Aaahh Haaa moment as Oprah would put it, our sweet little boy is now Sawyer Sutton Parker!!

6 weeks. his first time to church

Month of Love

2009-01-30T11:30:00.000-08:00

I love the month of February! So much love in the air, not to mention sweet treats and it's the perfect time of year for these pretty & delicious little gems. So if you decide to make them, share the love and send some my way! just kidding. Maybe i'll find some motivation and do a little baking.

LOVE this girl

2009-01-21T19:00:00.001-08:00

The many adventures of Saylor!!

Unconditional Love

2009-01-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who so graciously offered to take the kids pictures as a gift! I absolutely love them!! Here's a sneak peak of the few she sent me. Thanks again Cari!

4 and to many more!

2009-01-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

This was the night we got engaged. Wow how 4 years can give you 40 more wrinkles!:)

This is for that special guy in my life!! I'll never forget the day I saw bobby and knew that was the man I would marry and spend the rest of my life with! Can you believe 4 years and now two babies! It only gets better from here!! I love you and can't wait for what's to come! Happy Anniversary babe!