Anna's 3rd Birthday Pics

She loved her soccer presents: a ball & shin pads.

My hubby's so good at making cakes. :)

Happy Third Birthday, Anna Daisy!

Born November 19, 2006
8:10 PM
7 lbs 11oz
19 inches long

{3 year picture yet to be added}

(Above) 2nd Birthday

(Above) 1st Birthday

Newborn

Daughter, you bring us so much joy. You make life unpredictable in the most amazing ways.
Today you turn three and I still remember the teeny little baby that I birthed and nursed. I miss those days sometimes, but I'm so excited to see you turn into an amazing woman. Strong. Knowledgeable. Funny. Obstinate. Sweet. Loving. Silly. God-Following. Mom-Correcting. And eventually... Maternal.

Every year, every day, every step is an adventure being your mother. Thank you for teaching me what true love is. Thank you for teaching me the meaning of motherhood. If ever I had a purpose in life, I know that it is to be your mother. I have no doubts about that. You make me proud to be called Mama. I tell everyone that I'm a mother. Because it is a privilege to be your mother.

I cannot tell you how thankful I am for you. I prayed for you before you were born. I prayed for you while you were in my womb. I prayed for you. You were the child I prayed for in every way. I am blessed by you. I look forward every day to be hugged by you and to kiss your little lips. My prayer, sweet girl, is to someday earn that unconditional love you so easily give to me. I don't deserve it, but I promise to try every day of my life to deserve you.

You are my greatest blessing.

~Mama

Wedding Weekend

This weekend my brother-in-law got married. Here are some pictures. Just a few! :)

Blast from the Past

(Above) Geek Day at NU... actually, it was COLLEGE then. I'm second from the left. These girls rock.

(Above) I'm somewhere on the right. Camo day?

(Above) Some of the girls on my floor. I was not pictured.

BIRTHDAY TWINS! I had totally forgotten what this was all about until about a second ago, but this was my birthday and Kortney's birthday (the other girl holding the cake). October 5, 2003

*

Don't you love social networking? One of the girls who was on my floor my freshman year of college posted these photos. Wow! I do not even remember some of these things! It was six years ago now. Yikes! I've been in school way too long. Actually, I've taken lots of breaks to be a mommy and marry Paul. hee :)

Some Photos...

(Above) I found her in front of her bathroom's mirror checking out her reflection today. She knows she looks cute when she wears bows and dresses.

(Above) I asked her to smile and she's smiling... at her reflection. lol

(Above) My cuddlebug.

(Above) She drew and I labeled. She drew the shapes first and then I asked her what they were and she told me which was the circle, the square, and the triangle! *proudmama*

(Above) This is the tree Anna drew. I was impressed. There are limbs and foliage! And it actually looks like a tree. This kid inherited daddy's artistic gene.

Anna Daisy is now just 9 days away from being three years old. I recently taught her her middle name. Sometimes she gets it mixed up with the age question, but it's cute to see her reply to these questions. I ask, "How old are you?" and she'll say, "Um... fwee" and hold up three fingers. Then I'll ask her, "What's your name?" then she sometimes says she's 'fwee' to this, but then when I clarify, it's cute to hear her say, "Anna Daisy". :) She's so cute... OK... here are some pictures...

Hectic Schedule to Come

Thursday Nov. 12... Lesson Plan Due for a final...

Friday Nov. 13... traveling to Oregon...

Saturday Nov. 14... Brother in Law's wedding...

Sunday Nov. 15... Traveling back to Washington...

Monday Nov. 16... I have to teach a PE lesson...

Tuesday Nov. 17... Coffee/Tea with a friend...

Thursday Nov. 19... Anna's THIRD BIRTHDAY...

... a multitude of assignments and classes ensue...

Wednesday Nov. 25... Thanksgiving Break, then traveling, then Thanksgiving, then celebrating Anna's birthday in Oregon...

*facepalm* *headdesk*

Did I mention that I watched "Julie and Julia" today? It was a great movie. I don't care so much for food, but I identified with Julie's character... wanting to write. I loved it. So, go out and watch that movie! And in the meantime, you can check out Julie Powell's blog here:

http://juliepowell.blogspot.com/

Totally worth the click in case you were curious.

Halloween

(Above) Anna tried on a boy's robot costume. She loved it!

(Above) Anna is fearless. She basically trampled kids to get to the top and slide down this thing.

(Above) Princess Anna. I had to force her to stay dressed up this time. Weird. Guess she wanted to be Pooh or Lightning McQueen instead! lol

We had a fun Halloween. We did a little Trick-or-Treating and then we went to a Harvest Party and let Anna run around. It was great to just sit back and relax. It's now November and Anna will soon be THREE YEARS OLD. I can hardly believe it. I should probably do my homework, but I'm procrastinating. hehe :)

Tonight...

(Above) No joke, Anna scaled the steep side there of that rock with no help. Paul ran over to stand by her so I could take an evidential photo.

(Above) She's addicted to lipstick. I don't personally wear it, but Paul's brother bought me some makeup set for Christmas one year. I thanked him and Anna has gotten more use of it in the last few months since she's discovered LIPSTICK than I ever have! I'm always taking it away from her.

(Above)Whose monkey is it in that tree? Yup. It's my monkey! She loves to climb trees and she has impressive balance. Don't worry... the tree is low and Paul and I are standing beneath it with paranoid arms wide open.

Tonight I'm just sitting here. I have a messy house and I ought to clean it. I have done dishes and laundry today, but the living room looks awful. Someone tell me please how there are people in the world with toddlers and a clean household?! Maids? No other hobbies?! I can't keep up with this little chica. She has too much energy for her own good. I'm exhausted. It's only seven. I'm just trying to waste time until we have to go to bed. We'll wake up and scrub the house clean, then pack, then go on the TRAIN to Oregon and pick up our car! I'm excited! I'm so happy to have freedom again. You never know how awesome it is until it's lost. Let's see if I have an interesting photo to append to this little letter... I have three! And they illustrate my point! lol

I'M CHANGING MY MAJOR!

Today I met with Dr. Leach and we had a great discussion! I'm feeling so good about this decision. I've had a smile on my face all day despite the fact that I'll probably be up until two finishing a paper for my Bible course. It turns out that since I began school in 2003 under the old system that now I can major in General Psychology and finish in just three (very easy) semesters with five classes or less each. I'm very excited for this. And I can't wait to graduate and start on my MA. :)

We're Getting a Car!!!

We're getting a car next weekend and I'm so excited! Finally, we'll have freedom to roam and enjoy ourselves!
We went and took photos of Anna today. It was great. I also saw a new picture of my niece Lily-Ann... which is the only reason I remain on Myspace... so I can see her!

Big Decisions

I'm considering changing my major. I've put a lot of thought into this and I am going to talk to Dr. Leach on Tuesday-ish. Right now I'm so unhappy in my education classes that I usually end up in tears each night. I figure that that is probably a bad thing. ;) My goals aren't changing. I still am working toward an MA in educational psychology (school counselor). I feel like all of these education classes are going over my head. I feel like an idiot in all of those classes. I only feel smart three times a week (in Dr. Kowalski's class)... and even in there, I'm surrounded by other-majored people who understand the material and are passionate about the Greek context, etc. But I enjoy it more than the other classes. I feel like it's now or never. I'm at the pinnacle... I have to decide now what I want to do because they want to place me in a classroom for practicum. I just don't want to fail and I'm feeling like a failure five days a week. I'm going to have that meeting with Dr. Leach so that I can make an informed decision. I just hope I make the right decision. Please pray for wisdom.

Touch a Tit, Save a Tit (Breast Cancer Awareness Vid)

THE BOOBY SCARE Featuring Alyson Hannigan, Emily Deschanel, Kat McPhee, Minka Kelly and Jaime King - watch more funny videos

Have I Mentioned...?

I have I mentioned that Anna will start preschool in the spring? It's true. I'm very excited. I hate to admit it, but we're terribly boring people! Haha! I just don't have the energy to run after her and oh how I feel so bad about it, too. I hate knowing that she doesn't have a playmate and it hurts knowing that a built-in playmate (AKA a sibling) won't be coming along for a few years yet. I feel like I'm depriving her of something innately wonderful. Anyhow, I am excited for this adventure. Whenever we see children, she says, "Look, Mama! A boy!" or "Look, Mama! A gril!" (I spelled that wrong on purpose! That's how she sounds, bless her heart!)
And to top those things off, twice a week for half an hour each, Anna spends time with Paul's friend Rachael (while our classes overlap) and Anna just loves her! I know she'll love having teachers and peers. I wish it could come sooner.
We're still praying for a car. Our feet are our only transportation, aside from a car we borrow once a week for groceries. Does it get boring? Sometimes. We take lots of walks! That fends off the boredom... that and classes, which take up quite a bit of time.
I look at Anna Daisy as I sit here and I can't get over how beautiful she is or how perfect and wonderful... and big! She's getting so tall! Which begs the question, do I buy 3T clothes for her this winter and possibly waste money... or do I buy 4T--a size she can wear but may be baggy? I'm taking the middle road. I'm going to buy 4T dresses with warm tights. Dresses can be worn long or short. But I should still get some pants for her... so 3T or 4T? Does anyone know if Old Navy's clothing runs small or large? Just in case... I'm staring down their clearance section.

Photos & Stuff

Oh isn't that a creative title? Props? Ha! It's hard to feel creative when I just feel so awful... right now I am not loving my major... Oh, I haven't felt excited about it for a while and I just don't think I can turn back. But I do have joy thanks to this little girl! Am I not the luckiest woman alive? I get to wake up to that smile every day of the week! I am truly blessed.

School is Hectic

I'm a senior this year... and I'm already discovering that I'm losing my mind. I've broken down into tears twice this week... I'm overwhelmed and I just hope that I can make it to the end of this semester with my sanity in tact.

Anna is old enough for preschool now and we're hoping she can get in next semester. I hate the idea of putting her in 'daycare'. I hope that she can learn and have fun in a preschool setting. I think she'd love it. She's so social and bright. She turns three in November... NOVEMBER. Can you believe it's so close? I can't. My baby girl! A preschooler!!!

Now, I have a four day weekend and I'm going to spend it wisely... get away from this computer, get dressed... go out and play with Anna because she's LITERALLY climbing all over me as we speak and I think it's a sign that I should spend time with her.

TTYL