My boys

Are any of you the mom of boys only? I am certain there is a special place in Heaven for us...where there is no fart talk, where whites remain white, and the menu never has McDonald's on it! I'm just kidding...sort of. I love being a boy mom, but there are days that they make me crazy!

My children are four and a half years apart. I thought I would have until now before they started fighting. Wrong! They started fighting when my youngest was eighteen months old! It is an everyday battle. When they play together and are being nice to each other, I an just waiting for the first punch, scratch, or kick!

Yesterday was a rare day. A day that there was far more love than loathing. I live for those days!

Here's hoping for an argument free day!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Woweee!

It's been a while since I have blogged.  Things have been crazy since my last post.  I currently am unemployed, but somehow have been busier in the last six weeks than I was when I was working full time!

I have had two really great things happen and am so thrilled to share that my dad had a pet scan two weeks ago and found that he is cancer free!  His lymphoma is gone.  Whew!  What a relief.  I am a daddy's girl and I have been so scared about what the future will hold for my dad.  I know the cancer could still come back, but for now, it is gone and we are rejoicing!

Here is a photo of me with my dad and my boys taken by the fabulous Brooke Martin!

We had such a great day on this day.  We went to the flea market, a few pawn shops, and then did photos.  Oh, and we had Coney Island coneys for lunch!

The other great news I have to share is that my best friend had her first baby on May 27.  I have three very best friends who I will introduce in posts soon, and Andrea is the last one to have her first baby.  And she had a girl!  Just for me!  When we went to the ultrasound to find out the sex, I cried when the tech said it was a girl.  I'm emotional all the time anyway, but I just pictured how precious this sweet baby was going to be.  And boy was I right!?!  Layla Evyn made her entrance at 2:32am on the 27th.  It was a long wait for her.  When she was born, she wasn't breathing.  She never took a breath on her own and was intubated within minutes.  She was then put on a ventilator where she stayed for 5 days.  We were unable to touch her.  It was painful and heartbreaking to be so close to her and not be able to touch her.  The doctors and nurses didn't say much, only that she was the sickest baby in the NICU.  We were scared, but didn't really speak about it. She began to improve drastically after three days.  And by the time she was ten days old, she was on her way home.  The doctor said she had made a 'magnificent recovery.'  Indeed she had, thanks to all the prayers that were lifted up for her.  I love her as much as I love my own children.  Her arrival has changed us, made us grateful for every single minute.  Meet Layla...

Just a few more photos of my sweet boys.  Baseball season is now over so we have our evenings back!  I love being a baseball mom.

Until we meet again,

Kendall

My New Facebook Page

I took the leap and finally created a Facebook page for my photography.  Look it up and Like me here.

I had a great shoot this weekend which you will see a lot of on my FB page.  It was so fun.  Looking forward to a senior shoot this weekend and then another prom shoot next weekend!

Have a happy day!
Kendall

Weirdness Abounds

People are weird.  I am sure if you are a person, you know this, but I just felt the need to share it.  I mean, really.  Sometimes I feel like I am the only normal person around.  Maybe I feel that way because sometimes I am only around myself?  Today someone asked if we had any 'photo frames?  You know, frames for pictures.'  I wanted to say, "No, we don't have any photo frames or frames for pictures, but we do have portrait frames."  That would have thrown her for a loop!  But alas, we did not have any frames, so I just had to say no.  I know this particular story is not that weird, but it got me to thinking about people in general and the things we say. 

So, tell me a weird story.  Something that has happened to you that made you think people are weird.  Unless you are one of the few who think people are normal?  And please don't include stories about me being weird, because, well... I am not weird.

Testing

Blogging from my phone! Just checking out how it works and how it looks. Big things are coming for me, my blog, and SparksFly Studio so stay tuned.

In the meantime, here is a random picture from my phone...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

My P64 Submission for the Week!

Check this out!

Click on the picture to go to Project:64

thirty.one

Today is my thirty-first birthday.  Sometimes I wonder how in the world I got to be this old!  I mean, really, I should still be 17!  But I wouldn't change my life for the world.  The last month has been extremely difficult for my family as my dad was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  He seems to responding well to chemotherapy and I am thankful that I am able to take him to his treatments.  It is a good time for us.  Going through these trials makes me thankful that I am thirty-one, that I have been blessed with a beautiful family and amazingly fantastic friends.

Me at Seventeen

If I could go back to my 17 year old self, I would tell her that she will have heartaches that make her feel like she could die, but she will come out on top! I would tell her, her parents are the biggest blessing and the smartest people in her life.  That her silly, shaved-head boyfriend will be the best husband and best dad in the world.  I would tell her to enjoy the time she has with all the people she loves and to take lots of pictures, because when they are gone, pictures and memories is all she will have.  I would tell her to appreciate her friends more because they will be the ones there, still by her side, even at 31!  I would tell her when she is 22, she will fall madly in love with a tiny six pound, four ounce boy and her life will never be the same.  And then again at 26, her heart will double in size all because of little curly headed boy. I would tell her that her annoying brother will grow into a sweet man with a big heart who loves those tiny baby boys as much as she does.  I would tell her that 30 isn't old even though she thinks you shouldn't trust anyone over 30! Thirty is actually liberating, because at 30, she will know who she really is and what she really believes in.  And thirty-one?  Well, it's good.  It's really good.

"My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to.  I hope your dreams stay big and your worries stay small."

Starting Over...

I can admit when I have failed...and I have failed already with the 365 photo journey!  My life has not been conducive to what I planned to do.  And I am ok with that.  So I am scratching the 365 photo journey.  I am a contributor to Project 64 so I will continue to post those photos here along with other randoms!

Week 1:

Week 2:

Week 3:

Week 4:

Six

I didn't take a photo today...I'm failing already!  So I decided to go with a favorite.  When I think of my favorite photos, this one always makes the top of the list.  My brother got married in July and this is his new neice and nephew.  I LOVE it so much. 

Day 5: From Turkey with Love

The boys received some fun gifts from my dear Sheryl all the way from Turkey!  She sent them hats and sent K some coins.  He took the coins to school with him today and was so excited to show his class the coins he had from Europe, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Hungary.  It's good to have a world traveler as a friend when it comes time to impress third graders.

We love you, Sheryl and THANK YOU for our gifts!

This one is my favorite!  He reminds me of one of those little toy monkeys that claps the symbols.  I thought of that AFTER he was already done taking pictures.

Day 4

If you know me, it's no secret how much I love my boys.  They are everything to me.  I always imagined myself being a girl mom because I love girly stuff...makeup, clothes, jewelry, pink!  But being the mom to two boys has changed me into a different kind of girl.  I like to refer to myself as a Skater Mom.  I love skateboarding (watching only), Rob Dyrdek, DC shoes, Tony Hawk, and anything else the boys are into.  It is nothing I ever thought I would love, but now can't imagine anything different.

I love this boy.  He is so much like me and so unlike me, sometimes I just sit and stare at him (which drives him crazy).  He loves skateboarding, video games, baseball, and money.  And he LOVES his mama.  He isn't so affectionate to everyone else now that he is getting older, but he does love me and I am so blessed to be his mama.  Such a sweet, sweet, ornery boy.

Have a happy day!
Kendall

Day 3

We're just going to go back to the program like today really is day 3, okay?  Yes?!?  Thank you for your cooperation.

It is snowing here...

Had to get out a little this morning to take K to the dentist.  He broke his front tooth on Saturday.  He threatened me with my life if I posted a picture...and if any of you have an 8 year old, you know they mean business.  So, I will not be posting a picture, but it looked pretty bad!  They were able to replace the peice that broke off and it wasn't too painful for my nerves or my wallet.

This week should be the beginning of my dad's chemo.  It's going to be a long road for our family, but we are strong and have been blessed with friends who are more than supportive.  My mom has warned people, if they have offered help, she will probably be accepting it!

Hope you are all warm at home, enjoying the snow from inside your house.

Kendall

Getting Back to the Regularly Scheduled Program

So much for thinking I was getting a good start at the 365 thing!  My world has been turned upside down and jumbled all around.  My dad was just diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Diffuse Large Cell Lymphoma.  All that sounds like to me is a big fat Cancer, but it's supposed to be better than what it could have been.  So for the last week, I have been at the hospital.  It's been draining, to say the least, and this is the first time in a week that I have even been on the computer!

I will soon return to the regularly scheduled program, but it may take me a few days!  My laundry and my children need my attention!  I should also add that while I was at the hospital yesterday, my sister-in-law called to inform me that my oldest son (8) broke his permanent front tooth in half.  All I could do was laugh. 

So, pray for my dad and my family.  We need it and appreciate every single one.

Kendall

P.S. I am participating in a super cool project with some super cool ladies and hope you will visit us:
http://project64colors.blogspot.com/

Day 2 of 365

I did not take these photos today, but I did create this template for them.  My dad actually took these photos and built the cars too!  I am having these printed in 11x14s and will be hanging them in my boys' new man cave!



A few favorites from 2010

January 1

It's 2011!  Wow!  That is weird to say.  I am embarking on my 365 daily photo challenge today.  Here is a photo of one of my Christmas presents.  So cute!

2010 brought many different things into our lives.  There were good times and a lot of heartbreaking times.  I am hoping for a better 2011 for our family and yours too.  My only resolution this year is to keep from going crazy!  We'll see if that works!

Happy New Year to you all!