James Family Snaps

To the End of the Year (. . . well last year)

2010-03-16T22:44:00.001-07:00

Well, I think it is about time I finished up last year. Bad blogger!

We spent a lot of last fall at soccer games and practices. Gatlin enjoyed it, but we opted out of spring soccer. T-ball is starting up at the end of this month, and for right now, one sport is enough!

Kids helped dad finish up the "farmin'" towards the end of October. Love this picture of my three rednecks.

Life became a blur from mid-October on to well February. I enjoy staying busy, but this year was a little out-of-hand. Halloween has taken on a life of its own. The kids dressed up in costumes at least 3 different times for various events.

Here's the Roberts crew at Halloween. Aunt Bev had a Halloween party for the kids. Joe was not so sure about Grandma's costume.

To make things short and sweet, we survived until Christmas. Both kids loved the holiday season this year and couldn't wait for Santa's visit.

Yep, he was good to all of us!

And please disregard the mountain man in the picture with us. He was going on a deer hunt in January so he always boycotts his razor for about a month before a hunt. I did get my real husband back as soon as he got home (with no deer . . . which is fine by me)!

Sorry for always being so behind, but it is the state in which I live!

Back to August

2010-02-01T23:12:00.000-08:00

In August, we took a trip up to Gunnison Colorado for a Metroz Family gathering. The kids had tons of fun with their cousins for a couple days and were not ready to come home. On the way back, we stopped at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. It was really beautiful.

This is just a view right out of Telluride. Yeah, no wonder all the rich people want to live there!

And here is my "minnie me." I had a session earlier that day, so she decided to set up her baby for some pictures before bed before I put all my stuff away.

Slowly, I will get caught up on this posting thing. We are all enjoying a little down time -- it is nice!

Gatlin Turns 5

2010-01-26T14:54:00.001-08:00

He was pretty excited for his birthday this year (Jan. 20) -- finally understanding what the whole birthday thing is about. He is also pretty convinced that because he is 5, he can now do more. The morning of his birthday he wanted something opened and I didn't have the time right at the moment. Well, he managed it himself, and then he told me, "See I did it all by myself. It's because I'm 5 now, right?" I also laugh because he swears he can now run faster too.

My little guy is bossy, particular, and a bit of perfectionist(I know, I know, he got that from me), but he is also so smart and has a big heart. I can't help not wanting him to grow up, but I am also excited to see what the future holds for him.

Happy Birthday to our family! I'm glad the January b-day season is over and maybe we can have a few relatively peaceful months. Things haven't slowed down around here since October!

Carsyn's Birthday

2010-01-05T23:12:00.001-08:00

Carsyn celebrated her 3rd birthday yesterday (Jan. 4). She loved receiving several phone calls (quite the popular little girl) and kept telling everyone Happy Birthday back. Her official party is happening in a couple weeks -- Gatlin and Carsyn get to share a birthday party -- but I had dinner and a little dessert for her last night. Yes there are pictures, but what can I say, they are still on the camera.

And I think it is safe to say, she might actually be getting the hang of the whole potty-training thing. Thank goodness! We have had a pretty good week. Everyone always says girls are easier than boys -- ummmm, not in this family! I was really worried we would still be dealing with this on her 5th birthday. She finally decided she was ready, and I guess that truly is the key.

She is my funny little gal. She came to us on her own time and terms, and that independence and stubbornness continues. Happy Birthday to my heart's sunshine!

Rewind to July

2009-12-29T22:27:00.000-08:00

I've probably lost most of the few readers of this blog -- it has been a hectic few months. We had a wonderful Christmas and I know I should be posting pictures of that, but my anal-retentive nature is making me go back to July to edit pictures so that I can keep them in order. Please bear with me.

A couple updates:

*The house remodel is finished (except for a couple minor things--Ronnie lost his motivation towards the end which is understandable.)

*I am in my new office, but we still have to move back in cabinets and such from the shop.

*We are STILL working on potty-training with Carsyn. Nuff said!

*Gatlin is an obsessive Lego and Tinker Toy builder, and we are not to touch his creations.

*We are all getting ready to turn a year older in January, though the kids are bit more excited than their parents.

Back to July:

Here are a few pictures from our garden. This was our first year planting potatoes. The kids loved digging them up.

And here are our purple potatoes. We got many more purple potatoes than any of the others.

I am not sure if it is just in my mind, but I do think the purple potatoes taste differently (I wasn't a big fan). Aunt Bev made creamed purple potatoes and peas from those that we brought her and seemed to like them. If we grow them again next year, I guess I'll give them another chance.

My purple mashed potatoes!

Our Family Pics

2009-12-07T23:38:00.001-08:00

I know I am soooo cheating on this blog, but I will back to it soon! We had our family pics done and the post is on my other blog :

Here

It is the 2nd post down.

I had my last official photo session yesterday, so I am looking forward to a little time away from the computer screen! Yeah right! Now I get to catch up on 5 months of our pictures, but at least they don't have a deadline! I will get you better caught up soon!

The Kids' Costumes

2009-11-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

Until I can get a few of the snaps from Halloween day posted, you can see a few from the kids' Halloween photo session on my other blog:

http://www.amberdawnsphotos.blogspot.com/

It is the 2nd post down right now! Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

No Pictures?

2009-10-26T22:25:00.001-07:00

Crazy days around here! Pictures will probably return in December! Luckily my little photo business is pretty busy, but it sure takes away from the time I get to spend on my personal stuff. I'll probably sneak up a couple Halloween pictures next week though.

Preschool is great. Gatlin's teacher said he is doing wonderfully. I have decided that he must be using up all his good at school, and we here at home get what is left over! The last soccer game is on Saturday (yeah!!!!!).

With our trips this summer, I decided to postpone trying to potty-train Carsyn until later. Well I have been trying with her for a couple months with very little success. At 2 1/2 she has become Ms. Independent, Stubborn, Obstinate, Moody . . . you get the point. I think I would have been successful if I had started right after she turned two -- but I didn't. Last week, I decided just to put her in panties and go for it. Well not too long after, she had her first accident of the day. She came running to me and said, "Mom, I peed. I'm sorry. " Then she points down the hall where the accident happened and said, "Now you are going to have to clean that up." Check and mate. We broke down and bought the princess potty that plays a little music when she does her business, and today we had our most successful day yet! Now don't get me wrong, she is still my cute little sweetheart, but she is definitely trying Momma's patience lately!

The house is coming along! Ronnie got the bathroom tile completed, so he is laying flooring and cutting trim. Just a little more electrical work and under the house work (hooking plumbing and heating up) and we should be done. It will still take a little bit, but the end is in sight!!!!

Sorry for being a bad blogger. I will do better here again soon!

Playing Catch-Up

2009-09-30T15:32:00.001-07:00

I'm taking a chance to update with some pictures I am catching up on. We had to cancel soccer pictures due to the lovely New Mexico winds.

House Update: The painting and drywalling are done!!!!! Unfortunately, I cleaned everything pretty well when the drywallers got done thinking that would be the worst of it. Boy was I wrong! Although the painters hung large sheets of plastic, the dust was unbelievable. I think I actually shed a tear watching my counters and table turn white again, especially since I just cleaned them like 5 days earlier. In Carsyn's words, "It was torrible." I think she it right -- beyond just terrible and horrible. It is actually looking like part of the house now though. Tiling the bathroom floor is the project of the moment. Ron is trying to be ready for the cabinet guy next week.

Had to share a few more from camping. Carsyn and Caydence were pretty good buddies.
Our fishing trip -- Gatlin's patience was slightly better than last year -- I think he stayed interested for about 3 minutes (last year it was 2)

Carsyn waiting out the rain with Grandma. She is just about the cutest thing ever (if I do say so myself!)

Showing off the day's catch.

Sharing a Family Pic

2009-09-24T22:49:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share a picture from while we were in Silverton way back in July. Yes, I'm still soooooo far behind. I have actually been pretty busy the last two months, so not much time for personal stuff. Thanks to my sister-in-law Chancie for taking some shots of us. She did a really good job!

We are plugging along. Gatlin is busy with school and soccer (I'll have to get some pictures up soon). Carsyn and I just chase after him it seems. Ronnie is still putting in long hours working on the house. We hired out the drywall portion, and they were here all last week. Talk about a filthy house -- I had a thick coat of white dust all over everything. I'm glad that part is over, and hopefully the painters will be out next week. Can't wait until the project is finished!

And a bit of sad news (especially for Gatlin). Some of you might remember his duck, Slanky. Well, we are not sure what happened, but Ron found Slanky dead (no apparent trauma) tonight. It is just a hard thing to try and explain to a kid . . . so many questions, misunderstandings, confusion. Gatlin and Slanky hadn't been too close for a while now. The duck really only wanted to hang out with his chicken friends and didn't want much to do with Gatlin, but it still upset Gatlin (and momma who had to try to explain the whole concept again this year).

Our Ribbons

2009-09-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

I put a few entries in the county fair this fair and was lucky to do well. Here's the kids showing off their pictures. Carsyn's won a Best of Show, and Gatlin's won Department Head's Choice.

Here are the photos:

And I entered this one I did for Gatlin's fourth birthday. Honestly, I was a little disappointed. It took third place. I wasn't disappointed in the third, more because I thought this photo would do the best out of all my entries. So imagine my surprise when I went to pick up my photos, and it had a rosette hanging on it. It won the People's Choice Award! I did not even know they were having people vote this year -- if I had known I might have actually voted for myself!

I also entered this one of the senior girl I did earlier in the year. It took second. I had a good (and lucky) year at the fair this year!

Gatlin is really loving preschool, and Carsyn and I are adapting. If you want to see a few recents of the kids from when we were in Silverton, click on over to my other blog: www.amberdawnsphotos.blogspot.com

First Day of Preschool

2009-08-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it through the day. It was certainly not easy to leave my little boy at the school, but he wasn't upset at all, and he is really enjoying it.

I think it is the control freak in me, but I feel like I am just kind of wandering around lost without him here during the day. I can't stand not knowing absolutely everything about his day. When I ask him about school, I sometimes end up more perplexed. He is four with a very active imagination, and I honestly can't tell fact from fiction sometimes!

He is obviously surviving and happy, so I guess that means that I am the one with the problem (Why is that always the case?) Carsyn is a little lost too, and every time we walk Gatlin up the road to get on the bus, she cries because she wants to go too. And have I mentioned how much this has messed up my daily routine?

On another note:

Time is going to have to be a fluid thing on this blog. I still have tons to share from the last two months, but I don't have time to get to my own personal pictures right now. So just a warning, we shall be jumping around a lot here!

Summer Joys

2009-08-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

June was actually a tough month. It is the month we lost Aunt Jo and Aunt Karla became terminally ill. We lost her the first week in July. So I want to concentrate on the joys this life brings, since sometimes it is the only way I can wrap my head around losing such wonderful people. We all know, no one can show you the joys of life like toddlers! (By the way if you want to see another cute toddler, Miss Caydence, her and her family pictures are on my other blog):
HERE

Here's Gatlin on Turbo. No time for a saddle -- just hop on bareback.

My two have a blast with the water hose. Sharing is the hard part!

Carsyn getting down! I am sure she is dancing to "Come On Eileen" since I'm starting my kids on 80's music early.

Now a little randomness:

I just thought this picture exemplifies New Mexico weather. We had just gotten through a downpour in Rio Rancho, but it was nice and sunny over the Sandias.
And I just like this one -- plus the blooms are already gone.

Motherhood has always been full of contradictions for me:

--When they're babies, you can't wait till they walk and talk

--When they're walking and talking, you wish they were back to being a baby

--You can't wait for them to sleep all night in their own beds -- now I find myself looking over them sleeping at night thinking, "If I woke them up, would they fall back asleep on me on the

couch?" (I haven't actually woke one up . . . yet)

Gatlin is supposed to be starting preschool in a little less than a month. Last year when I signed him up, I was ready. When I sometimes crave the peace and quiet that comes when he is away, I am ready . . . now I am not ready. I am already fighting back the tears of sending my baby off to school (peace and quiet are over-rated afterall). I need to remember to enjoy these next few weeks, cause like it or not . . . the times they are a-changing.

Under Construction

2009-07-26T11:19:00.001-07:00

Our little home remodeling project has begun. We are in the demolition stage -- fun, fun! My office is gone for the moment. I am temporarily relocated to the kitchen (like my house wasn't messy enough already). Gatlin got to put the first hole in the wall to tear it out.

We are doing most of the work ourselves -- or I should say Ronnie is doing most of the work and I am doing most of the supervising. Twelve years is long enough to be married right? We might not make it through this project! Well we might if I can learn to keep my nose out of things and my mouth shut, but, let's face it, that isn't likely to happen!

A Few From May

2009-07-21T22:30:00.001-07:00

(We are only two months behind.)

Some of our favorite things from May:
--Going to Papa's and Grandma's
--Getting to irrigate the grass

--Playing and fighting with each other (Gatlin had been wheeling Carsyn around the house in the bucket. I loved how he figured out to prop her up so he could take a break to watch Dragon Tales)
--Rainbows and playing on the slide
--Watching the horses run after being cooped up in the corral

Our Vacation Pictures Come to an End

2009-07-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

If only I were caught up on the rest of my pictures. Now I get to start into my "May 2009" folder. The San Diego Zoo was great as well. The kids really enjoyed riding the double-decker buses and sky tram. We really wish we could have gone to the Wild Animal Park as well, but now we have got something to do next time!

One of the biggest exhibits is the Panda Bears. My favorite was the gorillas, Gatlin's favorite was the giraffes, Carsyn's favorite was the elephants, and Ronnie's favorite was any exhibit that didn't require pushing the stroller up-hill!

Carsyn & her momma (No, I'm not always yelling like that) :)

We had a great vacation. The kids love it -- Mom and Dad lose their minds and all sense of restraint, but really we are just big kids at heart!

Favorite Spot On Our Vacation

2009-07-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry if you are sick of vacation photos -- I'm still plodding my way through them trying to get caught up. And . . . I took way too many pictures so I have to share them somewhere! The zoo is still to come.

Sea World was everyone's hands-down favorite of the whole trip! The kid's just loved all of the marine animals and were able to get up-close-and-personal with several.

Carsyn would always say, "Do it again!" after one of the whales jumped.

And Gatlin got the chance to meet one of his favorites, "Elmo!"

Yes, we spent a little over $20.00 feeding the Sea Lions the two days we were the there. Unfortunately the Dolphin feeding pool was being redesigned so we didn't get the chance to feed the dolphins, but it did save us another $20.00! (No we can't just do it once!)

Gatlin got to make friends with a Ray. This big ole' guy stayed with Gatlin along the entire length of the pool. Gatlin thought that was pretty great. The first time we went to the Ray pool, Carysn was standing up in the stroller to get a better look. One of the these big guys popped his head up over the side, and Carysn just about fell over. She wanted NOTHING to do with them!

Gatlin also got some lovin' from Zoe -- Carsyn's anti-character attitude continued!

Waving Bye! We are definitely going back to Sea World!

The Wonderful World of Disney

2009-07-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

I have come to realize going to Disneyland is a little like pregnancy and childbirth: you forget the pain and frustrations and only remember the good stuff. I thought we had picked a perfect time to go to avoid the heavy crowds but apparently not. Waiting in several lines for 45 minutes with a two-year-old and four-year-old is not exactly "vacation," but when I look at these I remember how much fun we had despite those lines. And would we go back? You bet!

The kids got to meet a few of their favorites. Gatlin thought it was way cool, but Carsyn didn't want to get near them!

Gatlin loved this giant swing ride. I also went on it with him, but I wasn't quite as crazy about it (yes, I'm a bit of a wimp).

The fireworks show was wonderful. I tried taking several shots, and as a fluke, I got this pretty cool shot!

Carsyn loved the rides.

One of our favorite parts was the parades. Here's a few from the Disney/Pixar Parade:

Carsyn loved Minnie's house (her goofy look and all)

And the following are actually from the Disney Photo Pass Photographers. Yes, I got suckered in to spending more money. This is actually pretty neat since these photographers take your pictures throughout the park. You get all of the photos and permission to print if you choose to buy the CD (which I did). It is just about the only way to get some pictures of all of us together. If you go to Disney, it might be something you want to look into beforehand.

At the Beach

2009-06-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

So I am finally getting caught up on some vacation photos. We loved going to the beach and actually went four separate times. Editing these makes me want to go back! You can see our attempt at family pictures at Coronado Beach on my other blog: Here

We stopped midway between Anaheim and San Diego at Oceanside. It had a great pier.

We went to Mission Beach in San Diego for a couple hours on two different days. Carsyn did finally warm up to the beach thing and we could put her down for a little while.

Yep, the whole ocean is out there, and my two little rednecks found their own "mud hole."

Our Newest Additions

2009-06-17T22:16:00.001-07:00

We sadly lost our dog, Paige, in April. She was Ronnie's and my baby, but she wasn't exactly crazy about the kids. Well, the house just felt too lonely without a dog, so we started looking. Meet Rein -- she is a pound puppy, and we have decided she is a heeler from the neck down but we have no idea where that head came from! The kids are in love. Carsyn calls her "my baby" and though Rein is getting bigger, Carsyn keeps doing her best to mother her.

Yep, we are pretty crazy about her!

So crazy we decided we needed another one. (It took two dogs to even come close to my Paige.) Meet Ginger -- she is a Plott Hound. Ron used to work with Ginger's owner who is really into hunting with dogs (bears, mountain lions, and such). Well Ginger didn't quite have the hunting instinct so he was looking for a new home for her. I was a little -- ok a lot -- worried about how this would work out, since Ginger had been on a chain in a kennel most of her life, but she has truly been terrific and won all of our hearts. I haven't gotten any pictures of the kids with her yet, but it is on the to-do list for this week. Ginger and Rein are the best of buddies by the way!

Tee Ball

2009-06-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

This was Gatlin's first year of tee ball. It was interesting! Ronnie coached his team this year, and Gatlin came a long way. By the end of the season, Gatlin actually made a few plays and had learned to run to first base rather than the pitcher's mound! Here's a few pictures from throughout the season.

I love these three. He almost always sticks his tongue out when he bats, he is actually fielding a ball, and the last one is his "ready" position (it always cracked Ronnie and me up).

A Sad Start

2009-06-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

I decided to have a personal blog where I can share more pictures of the kids and our family's doings. I wanted a place to share with all our more distant family and friends. Last Friday night, I got the new blog header and background set up and called it good for the night. The next morning, I got a call that my Aunt Jo had passed away.

I am truly blessed with a wonderful family on both my Mom's and Dad's side. I have the best aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmas anyone could ask for -- and Aunt Jo was truly one of the best. I hope she had even the slightest inkling of how much she meant to me. Jo was always so good at keeping up with me through letters and postcards for the kids (not to mention the occasional loooonnnnngggg phone call). I admired her adventurous spirit, crafty hands, and out-going nature.

When I sat down to talk to Gatlin, he immediately was worried about not receiving any more postcards (I think Aunt Jo would actually have appreciated that). Then he said something wise, like those little kids always tend to do. Trying to comfort his crying mama, he said, "It's OK Mom. We can still love Aunt Jo in heaven." And he's right.

I will miss her dearly. She always gave me a big hug and kiss on the cheek and said, "Love you sweetheart!" Right back at you Aunt Jo.