I was searching though the computer to find some old beach pictures but didn’t get past the first folder I clicked on.

Immediately taken back, to a summer 5 years ago.  A little boy that just celebrated his 2nd birthday.

Nothing special, just an ordinary day at the farm.

In the pasture.

Cole spots a windmill.  And doesn’t know what to think of it.  In fact at first he is a little scared of it.

Stops to check it out

Turns to give me that look

Maybe it might be a good idea to get the big brother involved, he had just celebrated his 6th birthday.  He was old, and knew about these things

Touch it, he dares

Lots of squeals of laughter

Watch the wind make it move

Just an ordinary day- two brothers in a horse pasture.

And I have a record of it.

Childhood.

Because they grow so stinkin’ fast

In a blink of an eye

Look mom, I picked you flowers!

My life would not be the same without photography.  Go grab your camera and capture those ordinary days!!

Two boys and a girl, the park at the end of the street, and a point and shoot camera

How cute is this girl?  Seriously cute

I love these kiddos

And this?  So stinkin sweet

And this one cracks me up, shows how she can be a handful, but I am just checking email (and not always behind the camera!)

Two girls will be staying home and watching movies from the couch.

I found this picture of Blake that he took of himself on my phone.  Silly kid.

Cole’s schedule is probably the craziest.  Half day K is 2 1/2 hours.  So it seems that he is only there 30 minutes.  He does rec center classes three days a week.  Art, swimming, gym.  Otherwise he gets so bored.

I have so many good intentions to scrapbook, good ideas pop into my head, plus I love watching the boys look at their books.  I am hoping that I get enough down on my blog so that I can go back and reference when I actually find the time to sit down and do something.

I want to remember Austin and Matt’s conversation about pole jumping on the way to LAX practice, I want to remember Eva getting freaked out over MB’s doll, I want to remember Cole learning to rollerblade and holding Lynne’s hand up the middle of our street.

I want to remember that although our days are crazy, I am loving every minute.  Ok well not every minute.

These minutes

Because this boy is crazy.  Yesterday he told me that he wanted a new mom, a nicer one.  Because I told him he had to come home with me after his rec center class, not go with a friend.  By this point in the day he had gone to K, had a friend over, gone to rec, and now it was time to go home and get Blake to guitar, then Austin to LAX.  He was mad.  He wanted a nicer mom.  I told him good luck with that.

He changed his mind later in the evening, when I took him rollerblading again.  And man was it helpful to have an extra pair of hands- thanks Lynne!

The park was hopping.  They replaced our whole playground down by the river over the winter.  Now they have all kinds of stuff, even swings for Eva.

I didn’t get back home to make dinner until 7:30.  Which is fine when your husband doesn’t get home until 8.  See there are some benefits.

There was wrestle mania on the floor.  The girly jumps right in

Poor Blake

She loves her Daddy most of all.  This brother is probably her 2nd choice.  I think I might run a distant 3rd.

It all depends on her mood.  Daddy is always #1 though.  I guess after three boys that love their mama, he deserves that.

Happy Monday.  Heat wave here- we are up to 36 degrees!

And it was great to hear from those of you that want to try to do it too.  We should link up.

Anyway- now for all of the options.

I have followed 365 groups on Flickr for the past few years.  There are some great projects there.  Some do self portraits, some do themes for each day.  Clickin moms has a whole thread on it.

I don’t want 365 pictures of me, and I hate having restrictions so there will be no theme.  I am leaving it all up in the air.

I am not going to do a separate blog for it, so some days there might be more than one post.

I am not going to have any rules for myself.  Making it as easy as I can to actually do it.  All I am asking myself is that the pictures represents my life in some way.

If my iPhone is all I have to take a picture one day, that will do.

So, on this last day of 2009, I am ending my post with no picture.  Giving myself a break to rest up for the 365 days that I will be taking pictures next year- starting tomorrow!

Oh ok, I will leave you with a picture.  I just can’t resist.

It’s a crappy picture but it cracks me up

Happy New Year!

After reading an article in Country Living about how it is actually more green to chop down a tree than to use an artificial one, I was all for it.

I have so many pictures from our tree outing so I am not editing any of them.  They are coming at ya straight out of my camera.  Eva thinks she sees the perfect tree.

We always have at least one of these little melt-downs

But then his brother gives him a lift

I make them pose for a shot in front of the tree we pick

and another

and then one more without the tongue

A few with dad

Eva says hi

A couple with mom

Then we wait for the bus

And now our house looks and smells like Christmas!

You know the kind, where you find a ray of sunshine coming in your window and you plop yourself down in it and you let it go. You cry, you pray, you turn it over.

That was me today.

That was me, up at 4am, and then hours of an un-ending 104+ degree fever from Blake. After meds and cool towels. Fever, a high high fever that just would not break. His cheeks were purple, his body almost painful to touch. His tears. My tears.

Calls to the dr., and then more..

She says to double his meds- try advil and tylenol at the same time- adult dose.

It worked.

His fever came down to 101.

And then he could eat, say goodbye to his grandparents. Feeling good enough to allow me to head a couple street over to watch Austin’s Super Bowl game. And then later an hour at his end of season football party.

When I get home he is happy, watching movies. His color is back to normal, he does a little dance for Eva.

I feel more peaceful, but cautiously so.

I love this kid.

Love that little face.

And this one too (a recent one of Cole)

I love photography. Love having these memories of my boys.

And getting more pictures of the moment, like when Darth Vader got into my freezer

Or when football practice is held in the rain

Off to volunteer in the K classroom, better find my hand sanitizer!

Have a great weekend.