Christmas Cards!!! MY Favorite mail of the year!

Just had to share that I ordered our Christmas cards and I am sooo excited to start sending them out and receiving them in the mail. There is something about going to the mailbox and seeing a box full of cards from friends and family near and far. I love it...everything.about.it!!!

If you received a card from me last year, then I have your address and you are getting a card. If I didn't get you one last year and you'd like one this year, send me your address to:

sissy2paige@yahoo.com

It's the MOST wonderful time of the year :)

To make things even better...Paige let me roll her hair tonight and she is going to sleep in them and actually wear curly hair to school tomorrow!!! It's the little things, people, the little things...

A very Happy Thanksgiving

We spent a low key Thanksgiving this year going to a brunch at one friend's house and then dinner at another friend's home. I think we ate more this year than we have in years past! Whew...I am still feeling stuffed (pun intended :) This has been a nice weekend. The weather has been really pretty and I have caught up with some old friends and had a blast. Paige and I went and saw two new movies and shopped and went out to lunch and dinner. AND, today, ... I haven't even gotten out of bed!!!! Aaaahhh, I have lots to be thankful for.

Bullet Sunday

• I am so happy this is a two day work week! Waaa hoooo!!!
• Life has been super busy lately with work, school, dance, photo sessions, editing, Christmas shopping. I love being busy, but honestly, I am ready for some pj days.
• I bought Paige her first pair of skinny jeans today...sigh! She looks so darn cute in them with her UGG@. I am 35 and don't even own any UGG@... now I see what I put my parents through with wanting name brands. Ridiculous!
• Thought I saw my dad the other night and for a brief second, all was well with the world. When I realized it wasn't him, I cried like I had just lost him. Will this EVER get any easier?
• We are spending Thanksgiving with two sets of family friends and feel sooo blessed by their friendships. I love that I have so many people in my life that I love like family. It helps when you have a small little family like mine.
• School is getting to be a bit much as of late. Lots of unnecessary behavior problems. It's really sad that I spend the majority of my day putting out fires. I love my little babes, but with so many of them and so many different needs, I feel that I am not making the difference that I usually do.
• I only have 15 1/2 more days until Christmas break...do you have any idea how happy that makes me???
  
  Have a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are blessed beyond measure... I know I am!

I Heart Faces...Autumn Beauty!

This week's theme on I Heart Faces is "Autumn Beauty". In my eyes, here she is :)

Go check out all of the other amazing photos!!!

"Sissy, you are MEAN"

That is what I heard this morning as I was hacking up a lung! Geez, thanks Paige...way to give a sista a break :) I have been on a steroid pack to lick this awful respiratory infection and it has made me EVIL! Oh.MY! There should be a major public service announcement while taking these things. It has given me sooo much energy. I was awake at 2am cleaning bathrooms, closets, etc... I am very fiesty and was feeling bad about being snippy, so took my fav. little girl for some leaf and photo time. We raked leaves and laughed and had a ball. In the midst of the raking, she allowed me to snap some shots and they are my new favorites. For those of you who have adopted, do you ever just sit and stare at your little one and wonder...I mean, deeply wonder, what their biological parents are like? Today was one of those days for me. As P. laughed and was being goofy, I could just envision her dad being a character. When she was on the ground examining leaves and playing with her cat, I wondered if her mom is a tenderhearted, inquisitive person. Sometimes it is truly overwhelming. I just wonder what goes through her little mind. I once asked her if she could meet her China mom and dad what she would say. She said she would ask them if they like to dance, play basketball and study history. Then I said, do you wish you still lived in China. Her reply, "NO, duh, I wouldn't have you and my family or MacDonald's, DUH!" What a great kid!











Happy Fall Y'all!

The Beauty in Fall

I have been reeaallly sick this week. So sick, in fact, that I haven't gone into work the entire week :( I have 25 students this year and usually that would wear me out, but I LOVE my students so much! They are so enthusiastic and eager to learn. Love em'.

I digress. My photog mentor has been giving me assignments. One was to find beauty in something that I would usually overlook. So I got down on my big belly :) and took a pic with his Canon Mark 5ii... this pic is SOOC (straigh out of the camera)... I am proud of it.



After I worked with him a while, I practiced some new tips on Paige. I loved the fall colors and I love the fun she was having. If you can't tell, I am IN LOVE with
this child :) No way, you say? ha ha! Hey, everyone needs a number one fan in their corner, right???







What? Don't look surprised Miss P. I'm your number 1 fan...always!

Recap of Halloween

I was so very happy that my school district had parent/teacher conferences on the day of Paige's school parade. Our school opted for a flex schedule and had the conferences days prior, so we could leave a 1/2 day on Friday.

It was so bittersweet to pull up to Paige's school and know that it would be my very last Halloween party/parade. I am so happy that squirt is growing up and becoming an independent, self-sufficient, young lady. However, part of me wishes for the times again where she needed me and mom to help her into her costume, fix her hair, put on her make-up, etc... When she was little, she would wave and wave to us in the parade and now, well, let's just say, I had to practically scream her name so she would even look my way. She was too busy being "too cool for school" and socializing with her buds.

The parade and party went on without a hitch and a great time was had by all. Afterwards, Paige and I went to see the Michael Jackson movie "This is It". It was sooooo good!!!! I laughed, I cried, I relived my childhood. Paige could barely stay still in her seat. Her head was just a bobbing. I certainly don't agree with things that Michael Jackson got involved in, for sure, but I have always LOVED his music.

Halloween night we didn't break tradition. We went to our dear family friend's house. My mom is close to the grandma, I am close to the mom, and Paige and Olivia are inseperable. We always go over there and eat yummy soups and eat appetizers and gossip while the men take the girls trick-or-treating.

Perfect Halloween in every way!

This is photo heavy...sorry!

Paige and friend Annika in Kindergarten...awww


Little Princess with her first "boyfriend", Noah. They were a school joke. They walked around kinder holding hands! ha :)





...and NOW...

Paige and bff, Olivia


Paige and Gracie


The Vampiress, The Fashion Police and Cake Boss :)


Paige and Mrs. Pursley


Paige and Gracie


Before Trick or Treating

Pictures, assignments and bulletins

I promise not to keep talking about my photo assignments, but this one was too fun not to. My photog friend and I are working on composition and finding the light. I really am trying to work on using natural light so that I don't have to use off camera flash that often. I have so much to learn, but am having SO much fun doing it.

Let's do a little bullet post, shall we :)

• Paige is doing so well in fifth grade. Academically, she is pulling her own weight, even though she has made some lower grades this year. She made her first "average" grade (as she refers to it). It makes me laugh, as I was always praying for that average grade. Paige, on the other hand, is a perfectionist. Always striving to be the BEST! She is dancing 7 hours a week and I keep telling her that it is all a BALANCING act. She is starting to ease up on herself. Bless her little sensitive heart.
• I am having fun thinking about Christmas...yes, I said Christmas. I am so excited to start shopping and wrapping and baking and ... It is my favorite time of the year.
• We are getting together with my brother and sister-in-law this weekend for dinner. I just adore my brother and I have to say, it has been hard having to share him with someone else. Anyone else feel that way when their brother got married? I do enjoy my SIL, though, and think we will be good friends.
• I'm excited to start planning a summer vacay. We are thinking of spending a week in Cozumel. Anyone been? Any tips for travel? We usually go to Destin, Florida or Hilton Head and we really want to do something different this year.

Well, that about sums it up for now. I plan on blogging more. I am still compiling email addresses for the blog when it goes private. I've already received some emails from people asking to continue to follow. I just have to say, if you don't have a blog or I don't know you, don't be offended if you don't get extended an invitation. I am starting to feel really protective over little bit and don't want to infringe upon her privacy.

Hope everyone understands! If you are on my side bar or have a blog then you are as good as in :) Hope you all have a GREAT week!!!

My little spook

This Halloween was fun, because the weather was perfect! It was crisp and cool, a little overcast with the leaves rustling around. Paige dressed as a Vampiress. She loves the movie Twilight (particularly Edward), so she decided to be his counterpart.

I am currently working with a photographer in my area and it has been sooo much fun and sooo much work. He gives me tutorials and then sends me out on assignment. I have really stepped out of my comfort zone and am loving it.

This pic was to be "moody". That was the assignment. Paige was walking towards me, not posing and didn't even know I was going to snap this, but she looked the part. I felt the 'tude, if you will. I'll be anxious to see if this is moody enough for him :) lol!

Hope you all had an amazing Halloween! I am already getting excited for Christmas!!!