Her World | My World

My best friends come up a lot here. My girls Brandy and Regina are like family to me. Regina and I have been best friends for about 19 years...for us...a lifetime. Our friendship with Brandy just a couple of years shorter. Live a little...deal with one too many "girl friends"...and spend just one hour in our presence and you can easily see that our friendship is unique. It's a gem and I know that I'm blessed to have those girls in my life. As a mommy to three little girls, I constantly pray and beg of God to bless my girls with friendships like the ones I share with those two special girls. We are never too far out of touch. Via email, text, or phone calls, we pretty much have some sort of contact several times a week. There have definitely been seasons where we talked everyday...work and kids strain that today...but we are still definitely there for each other when the need arises.  I love that miles apart we still bounce ideas off of one other, pray together, cry together...laugh together...and well yes we are girls...so we also roll our eyes at each other :) 

I recall being in college at OU and my oldest sister once telling me something to the effect that we were all kind of one in the same. Today I'd say that our worlds are all very unique.

I've mentioned here before that I joined in with 19 photographer on a creative journey...52 Fridays. I love what the project has done for my personal sense of creativity. I was THRILLED when Regina told me about a month in that she was going to join in on 52 Fridays...but with her own spin on it. Regina is a writer - a darn good writer. For the past several weeks she has used the same themes and used them for writing prompts. I LOVE her posts. We are 16 weeks in to the photography challenge, but last week on my drive to work, I called Brandy because I'd thought of a way for her to join in on the challenge. Right now, her world is centered around raising her miracle baby girl. I'm so excited to announce that Brandy is going to take on the themes each week as well and teach Hannah's lessons around the theme.

A year from now, I hope to compile Her World | My World into a book dedicated to our friendship and our five baby girls between the three of us. I'm so excited about the project and invite you to follow along. Our timing is off, but here below, I will link you to each of our Week 1 Post - Self Portraits

Her World | My World  | 52 Fridays | Week 1 | Self Portraits

Hope's World
Regina's World
Brandy's World

And because it's Friday...and I love joining in on the fun...here is my Flashback Friday! This is a picture of the three of us about a week or so before Brandy's daughter, Hannah, was born prematurely at 26 weeks. We had no idea how different life was going to be so soon...

And sure, I should be embarrassed, but here is another pic of us dressed alike during a girls weekend in Dallas - Regina's home at the time.  It was hilarious...but somehow when you get the three of us together...we don't care much about what anyone else thinks...ok...I admit...I can't believe we did that...LOL (totally ripped this pic off of Regina's blog...it's mutual...she's done it to me too :))

Don't forget to join in by visiting Jen's blog and linking up!

Happy Friday!

Flashback Friday

Easter is this weekend and I'm hoping to make it fun for the girls.  For the first time ever, I have purchased Easter baskets that I plan to put together...nothing fancy...but something.  I'm hoping we can dye and decorate eggs tomorrow.  I'm also hoping that the weather holds up so we can possibly do an egg hunt in the backyard.

This is a flashback from last Easter.  All three girls have grown SOOO SOOOOO much.  It's unbelievable.  Last year, I purchased MacKenzie's dress early on from Dillards on sale and I got the twins dresses from Target for $24.99.  This year, I found them dresses again at Target for $14.99/ea.  I'm thrilled.  They aren't fancy, but I'm not really one for the fancy dress, white shoes, and hat.  It just isn't me... :)  I ordered MacKenzie's online from Hautelook.com.  It's by US Angels.  I like it a lot, but  I'm just glad it fits!  She's seriously growing like a weed.

I hope you enjoy your Easter Weekend ! May your heart be filled with thanks for the sacrifice Jesus made for us.  For this, we were not worthy, but he paid the price anyway.  We are so very blessed.

This is probably a really dumb question, but why does the date of Easter change so drastically?  Last year, Easter was the first week of April...

I'm sure this is something I should know...but I'm going to have to google it... Enough of my blabbering...wanna play?? Head over to Jen's blog and link up!  !

Bad Habit | Finger Sucking

Spend any length of time with Nia and you are sure to see her doing this at some point.  I won't say it's constant, but it's a frequent habit.  We wanted it to be a phase.  We obeyed the doctors and dentists and tried not to make to big of a deal out of it...but she's two now.  I'm ready for this habit to go bye-bye.  It may not be a popular choice...but I'm going to be trying out  Finger Guard.  We are hoping that if she wears it for 3 weeks or so she can break the habit.  I feel bad, because I can see that it's effected her teeth.  She has a bit of a cross-bite, the slightest bit of a lisp (so far only noticed by me...), and gets seriously mad when she's tired and you bother her finger sucking.

So...I'm hoping it will be here by the end of the week.  I'll document our journey.  Hopefully it will be smooth... It looks pretty funky, huh??

They recommend it for ages 3 and up, but I've read that some kids have had success at 2...here's to hoping Nia is in that group!

Interestingly, I'd never seen nor heard of this habit prior to Nia, but it really isn't all that uncommon from what I've read and heard now.  When I've talked to other people about it, they almost always say they know someone who did or does.  And oh my goodness, I was checking out Oklahoma City photographer, Beth Jansen's blog and saw the cutest little red head doing the same (look!!! serious adorableness) ...I showed Nia and she instructed "No Fingers!!"... mimicking what she hears from us...Now if she'd just take her own advice... :P

Ponytails!!!

Black women and our hair.  It's a very very very long story.  I'm amazed at what black mamas can come up with when styling their babies hair!  Nia and Nala were born with a little bit of hair but lost it pretty quickly.  It's been... well...rather slow growing...but today I present to you...Nia's TWO PONYTAILS!  In the world of all mamas this is reason to celebrate...In the world of black mamas...it's a reason to stop by Nanas and show off!  My mom, a.k.a Nana, could never braid hair and I've followed in her foot steps.  HOWEVER, what Nana can do is create a head full of ponytails on the shortest of short hair.  Whenever the girls are left with her, you can nearly always guarantee that they will come home with MULTIPLE ponytails...yes, even Nala...I know! I know!  Don't ask because I can't figure it out either.

But today, we celebrate Nia's two ponytails - styled by yours truly.  Look at my big girl...it only took TWO years...

Next goal?? One Ponytail...

disclaimer - this was the end of the day...they were neater this morning...

Check out a few more shots of my three sisters blog that I'm way behind on!!

Flashback Friday - One Pound Difference

My girls...one of their first nights together...still amazed by the difference one lb can make.  Nala was 1 lb bigger than Nia...and now...2 years later...so much bigger...

They go to the doctor on the 12th for their 2 year check up.  While neither of them were on the charts with their birth weights...they've made up for it...two healthy girls today :)

Wanna play, head over to Jen's blog and link up!  I already peeked...some wonderful flashback this week!

Happy 2nd Birthday to Nia & Nala

It happened faster than I ever would have guessed, hoped, or dreamed...but today...I have two year olds!  We celebrated with a party at the Little Gym...not much went quite as planned (cake collasped in the heat, Nia's dressed was stained because her cousin thought she could drink out of a gatorade bottle, I left the favors at home, etc, etc), but I'm learning to roll with life as it comes.  And what matters most is that my girls had fun.

Happy Birthday Nia & Nala!!  Love you both to the moon and back!

Flashback Friday - In the Arms of a Sister

The twins will be two on Sunday so I've been thinking back a lot lately to the day they were born.  The first picture is one of maybe two or three pictures we got of MacKenzie together before Nia was taken to the NICU.  She loved her sissy at first site.   The second is from January of this year.  It was one of the first pics I posted on my 52 Week Blog for 2011.   Love love love the way my big baby loves my little babies. 

Wanna play, head over to Jen's blog and link up!  I already peeked...some wonderful flashback this week!

Flashback Friday

Found this old photo in my flickr stream...from 2007.  Yep, I was torturing Mack even then.  It was Fall Break and I took her out to take pics during the day.  I remember the day so clearly.   Man she's grown a lot.  So who does she look like here?  Nia? Nala? Neither?

I miss her little ponytails.  I'm not mad at that backlight...I know this pic is wonky but to me it's a treasure.  It was taken with a Kodak Z650.  I thought it was a wonderful camera.  I still have it (I have a LOT of cameras) but it failed me early on...

Wanna play, head over to Jen's blog and link up!

When you are done, I think you want to check out my 52 Fridays Blog...I'm just saying, it could be a treat...week 10 will be published by 8 a.m. cst.

Exhausted!!!

So...yesterday I admitted something to my best friend Regina something that I really hate to admit.  I'm exhausted.  I just feel REALLY guilty saying it.  As I type, I'm looking at my husband who has finally gotten a much needed opportunity to crash on the sofa. He works soooooooooooooooooooooo hard.  Good...no great, right?? Well, yes and no.  Sometimes it just really leaves me feeling inadequate and guilty for not doing my part.  He's been working non-stop even putting in overtime, taking care of the girls when I'm at work, still manages to clean, do laundry, and today he prepared a full course yummy meal.   Oh and he still managed to workout. Whew!...the mere thought exhausts me.  Me?  This weekend, I was too exhausted to do anything and during my work week, forget about it.  I honestly don't know how he does it.  The hours just don't add up.

I too would love to be able do it all, but I can't.  Ugh!  I hate admitting that I out loud/in print because I do honestly have a desire to...it just doesn't happen.  In fact the parts that I generally do hold down have gone wayward.  It's been really bad for the last week or so.   I went out of town a couple of weeks ago and have yet to catch up.  I'm ready to go to bed as soon as I get home from work, but when I go to bed, I find myself constantly waking up and looking at the clock.   My mind is CONSTANTLY busy. This coupled with the fact that the girls are at a demanding stage has just worn me down (this "stage" includes constant fights, jumping in and out of their beds, emptying body wash all over the bathroom floor, running me all over the church - resulting in a wipeout -yes, by me...ok...don't get me started...not tonight anyway).  At least I think that's what it is.

Is it awful that reading this Pioneer Woman post made me feel somewhat better. Because like KT, I often wonder how in the world she does it ALL.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday which begins the 40+day journey to Easter and marks the beginning of Lent.  "Lent" comes from a word meaning simply "spring". It's about God's call to restore us, make us new.  I begin this season somewhat fragmented and look forward to something new and refreshed in the season.  Exhaustion is just not for me so here I am with an open heart, prepared to make more room amongst this chaos of life for God.

Flashback Friday (on Saturday)

Jen, mom to Jae has one of my favorite mommy blogs 525,600 Minutes .  I've enjoyed watching her little girl, Jae, grow over the last year or so.   Jen is a great photographer and captures the most beautiful candid moments of her girlie.   Last week she started hosting Flashback Friday.  I meant to participate and forgot and once again, I'm late, but still wanted to play. 

Here is my flashback pic.  It's taking it back................... way back.  To my kindergarten year.  Yesterday my cousin tweeted that this appeared in the Mardi Gras Bulletin in our hometown.  I had to see it and am so glad she scanned it for me.  We don't have many pictures of us growing up so it's always fun to see anything from the early  years.

Denhamtown Elementary
Bogalusa Louisiana
Kindergarten Class of 1986

Yeah, I should probably be embarrassed.  But...I'm not.  ha!

Not much - but just for fun - $5 giftcard to your choice of Starbucks or Target to the first person that comments with the correct guess to identify me amongst the crowd of very poor looking children here! ha! Should be pretty easy :)  Leave your email address so that I can email you and get your address...

Wanna play, head over to Jen's blog and link up!






ETA:  First two people guessed right!  Ok, girls, I think I know how to contact you both.  I will do so later today to send you both a g/c.  Thanks for playing :)