"You're Gonna Miss This...Moment" An American Girl

Time to join Pam and share the moments we're going to miss one day...because life is so short! Sometimes it's hard to find those moments among our busy schedules, but that's what I love about participating in this...it makes me stop and think about it and appreciate them so much more!

I say it all the time, and you all know it's true...but time goes so fast when you have children and they grow up too quickly!

Emily loves playing with her dolls so much, and I love watching her talk to them and dress them and comb their hair...and sometimes I even join in because I always loved doing the same thing as a kid!

Some day I'm really going to miss this!




I'll miss when she's too old to play with dolls anymore, dressing them and fixing their hair...and care more about what she's wearing and how her own hair looks!

Right now I'll cherish this sweet moment...so I still have an excuse to play with dolls too!

What will you miss someday? Please stop by Pam's and share your moment with us too!

{OH..and I forgot to mention...I received my Starbucks gift cards from Pam this week! Remember when I won her giveaway here? Thanks so much Pam! I got a Peppermint Mocha the other day...it reminds me of the Holidays! Such a wonderful carnival to be a part of every week!}

Inside Martin Manor - The Basement/Playroom

Did you think the tour of the Manor was over? Well...I did! I didn't think there was any chance you'd see our basement! It's a room that is usually so littered with toys that no one ever wants to go down there. It was more like...open the door and toss stuff down the stairs...and only go down there as quick as you can, get what you need, and then...GET OUT!


It is the playroom, though, so it's always going to be a mess...but it was beyond chaos and destruction! Sadly...I do no have a before picture {whew!} But I worked hard to get all the toys the kids don't play with off the floor, throw away old papers and put the odds and ends on the unfinished side. {Oh my, now that is another project! Do not enter door number 2!}


It was hard work, and I thought I might have given myself a hernia trying to move that old entertainment center! That thing is made of cement! {Dan would have helped me, of course...if I had asked! But when I get motivated to do something, I just do it!}

Emily and Whiskers were so excited to actually have a place to run...{that's her behind the chair trying to catch Whiskers!}


...and jump!


I hope as the kids are getting older they respect their space and will keep this cleaned up {so I don't risk any more possible hernias!} and enjoy it so much more!

Now that the winter is closing in and we start hibernating...this will make a wonderful place for Alex and Emily to hang out! And even a little place for them to hide out...



{Click here and here to see more updates on the basement!}

If you'd like to visit more of the Manor, just go here, because it probably doesn't look like that now! Thanks for stopping by!

Wordless Wednesday {Turning Over a New Leaf}

I ♥ Faces - Week 41 "Pink Week"

I ♥ Faces is a photography site focused on the art of capturing faces and their various emotions. Each week, people from across the world have the opportunity to enter their favorite face photos into two categories ~ kids and adults, and sometimes pets!

This week I ♥ Faces is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness month by celebrating pink!

This is Emily swinging in her recital tutu, all pink and frilly...with her rough and tumble bruised legs peeking out! I love how carefree she is and it just makes me smile!


Go check out all the amazing entries over at I ♥ Faces and if you'd like to join us just click here! It's easy to enter, not so easy to win {so many great photos}! But lots of fun! Show your support and celebrate pink this month!

"Not Me!" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and so many others have not been doing this week!

We are finally not done freezing our patooties off in 40 degree temps watching Alex play soccer! We are not so proud of him for doing his best and having the best time too! I don't think he's proud either...especially after receiving a trophy for all his efforts! {Way to go Alex!} We are not even more excited to move on to tennis and basketball...and all the comforts of watching indoors!


I do not feel so much older when Alex calls me "Mom" now, instead of mommy. Does that not sound much too mature for me? {...sigh...I so miss when he called me "nonny" when he couldn't pronounce his m's!}

We did not see Alex get into trouble during the children's Sunday service because he was being goofy and pretending to play the piano during music! {Dan and I did not even chuckle a little bit, though...heehee! We did not have to tell Alex that was not good behavior during class...and then laugh to ourselves and say Dan was probably the same way as a kid!}

I did not top off my week by receiving a speeding ticket worth $125 on Friday! {Yikes!} I was cruising along at 40mph on our way home from the library when a Trooper suddenly stepped into the road pointing his radar gun at me and waving me over! Oh, curses! Alex shook his head and said..."Mommmmy..." Emily was fast asleep, and Alex and I definitely did not snicker a little bit when I said he should have starting screaming about how bad he had to go to the bathroom...and that is why I was clearly going so fast in a 30mph zone...NOT because we were jamming to his KidzBop cd!

The weekend did not get even better after I took Emily to a roller skating birthday party {so cute!} picked up two large Diet Cokes for home...get home and spill one whole drink right on the garage floor! Oh, curses! That did not even get topped off when I decided to change the cats' drinking water by spilling the whole gallon jug all over the laundry room floor and flooding it with water! Double curses! I totally did not have butter fingers that day!

I could not believe Emily was in an ad for J.Crew's crewcuts for kids...


{...okay, so that's really not her! But it almost fooled me!}



How about you? What did you not do?
{And...by the way...I don't really curse, but I had some choice words under my breath! {...grumble!...}

"You're Gonna Miss This...Moment" A Day at the Museum

Time to join Pam and share the moments we're going to miss one day...because life is so short! Sometimes it's hard to find those moments among our busy schedules, but that's what I love about participating in this...it makes me stop and think about it and appreciate them so much more! Be sure to stop by Pam's and share your moments with us!

There's nothing better than spending time with family...and how great to spend some time at the Children's Museum exploring our inner child! We are on Fall Break, so yesterday I met my mom and sister and nephew Hunter here and we had so much fun watching the kids play, roaming with the dinosaurs and digging for fossils...



...waiting for the train to leave the station


...exploring what's under the sea
















...and hopping a jet to Egypt



{Alex navigating the tuk-tuk}




Alex and I even had the chance to experience the King Tut exhibit! It was so interesting to see all the treasures and artifacts that were uncovered from the tomb! Sorry...I have no pictures of the exhibit, it is top secret and the FBI will come to my house if I have taken any pictures and post them on the Internet! That is what I was told! I was able to get a picture of one Pharaoh, though...

{...but I made sure I was allowed to take a picture first! This one is acceptable!}

Emily went round and round on the carousel with Grammy while waiting for Alex and I to return from the tomb!


I am going to miss all of this! Having the kids home during Fall Break and hanging out with them along with my mom and sis! I hope that we are making some wonderful memories and there will be so many more to come! I love them so much!

Don't forget to stop by Pam's and share your special moment with us too! Don't you miss it already!

Wordless Wednesday {Sweet Potato Pea Pumpkin}