Best Shot Monday

Adam and Daddy- What else can I say? My boys are TOO cute!


Make sure to visit Mother May I, to see more Best Shots!

Nadia, Be My Friend?

**I added a link to the video! It should work! :)**

After telling Nadia's mommy, that Adam and Nadia would be best of friends, Adam and I decided to make a video! :) So, Nadia, will you be his friend??? :)

Try this link if it doesn't play: http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j105/bams0803/?action=view&current=DSCF2000.flv


***

Don't miss my post below! It's a good one! :)

A TRUE Random Act of Kindness

Go read about it! If this doesn't give you hope, nothing will.

Feed the Dog, Please

DSCF1882, originally uploaded by Mrss1228.

This is what happens when I ask Adam to feed Sadie her breakfast.

Apparently he thinks we don't feed her enough and she needs a bigger bowl? hmmm.....

Photos

Why will blogger not POST PHOTOS? I have tried about 5 times, today.
I give up. sigh.

Theme Thursday: Collage/Collection

So, I don't really have the time to play around with photoshop, today.... So, I made a collage of one of my collections. MY SHOES. I don't have *THAT* many- well, at least I don't think I do. Andy thinks I have way too many, but that's ok.... because I <3 my shoes.






Go visit Stacy and see more Theme Thursday photos!

Catching Up: Meme and Update!

The past two weeks have just been insanity. With Easter and having so much going on, I feel like I've been seriously neglecting my bloggy friends. I'm sorry if I've not commented much and/or have let you down when you've stopped by to visit.

School is really rough right now! I have two pretty intense classes (both online) and I start a new one on Monday (in class). So, I will be taking three at a time for about 4 weeks. UGH.

I'm also planning Amy's bridal shower, and working on that in all of my spare time. Not that I mind, because I am having fun, and because I love my bestest friend. :) Besides, her shower is going to be amazing and it's going to be what she deserves!

Next... holidays! ah! Are there really ten-million holidays per year? Sure does seem like it.

Easter was amazing. It is my favorite holiday, honestly. I love showing praise to God, and this is the holiday that we should do it the most.

Here are some photos from our Easter (These are all unedited, because I just don't have the time! ah!):

My boys in their Easter outfits

Yay for the self-timer! We all look a little sleepy. haha.

Adam digging into his basket. I love the look on his face!

Matthew playing with his new toys. He looks like he isn't quite sure of me. Maybe it's because I follow him around with a camera 24/7?

Adam and his cousin, Josiah. Remember, he is just three week younger than Matt. Look how big this guy is! My poor tiny son.

Andy and Kayleigh. Isn't this just beautiful? I can't wait to play with this photo a little. This was a big day for uncle Andy, because Kayleigh doesn't normally let him this close to her!

Adam hunting for eggs at Nonnie and Pa's. Matt slept through this. :(

Josiah "hunting" for eggs

Thanks for sticking with me, my friends! Hopefully I will be able to make my bloggy rounds soon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Meme:

Dawn posted on her blog a meme about her kids' names and I just thought this would be so much fun! So I am playing too!

Adam Frederick: Andy and I decided, about a year into marriage, what names we wanted for our kids. So, Adam's name was picked out for three years before we needed to use it. Andy actually chose the name Adam; we both made a list of names we liked and then we narrowed the list down. Andy had "Adam" on his list and it was one that I liked as well. We chose Adam because of its meaning and strength. Adam means "first man." God's first chosen man. What a privilege for the original Adam, and what a strong Biblical man. And, as we already all know, I was kinda fond of the name Adam Frederick, from the beginning. :)

Frederick is a family name, on Andy's side. Andy actually traced it back 11 generations. The first born son, in Andy's family, is to have this middle name. It's very special and we wouldn't have it any other way. So, Adam is #11 ! :)

Adam's nicknames: Bubba (Andy is "Bubba" to his family, so we just passed that on too)

Matthew Alan: Matthew's name came about in a similar fashion, as Adam's name. After Adam was born we sat down and discussed more boy names. We loved the name Matthew from the start. It means "gift of God." We truly believe that Matthew is a gift. I knew he was a Matthew, the moment I saw him, too, and that sealed the deal. :)

Matthew's middle name is my daddy's middle name! My daddy didn't have any little boys, to pass on the last name, so I thought I would do what I could to pass on a piece of my daddy.

Matthew's Nicknames: Matt, The Littlest Bubba, Little Bear and Adam calls him Little Buddy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And my two favorite photos from the past two weeks:

Adam's new hair. Such a little man.

My big boys, drinking sippies (oh yes, Matthew loves his big boy sippy! Who needs a bottle?), on a Sunday morning...

Congratulations BLUEBERRY and her family!!!

That's right! Adam's best friend Bean has a new.... BABY.... BROTHER! The happy mommy (yes, that's right, the mommy!) called me to tell me the news. I don't know much more than that, nor do I want to steal mommy's thunder! Mommy sounded great and seemed to be thrilled to be in two pieces!

I am going to go see the new little guy, tomorrow, so I will certainly have photos! :)

Congratulations!

WE LOVE YOU! :)

Counting Crows - You Can't Count On Me (live on FUSE)

**This was supposed to post on Thursday, last week! So... this was supposed to go up before my weekly wrap!!**

AND YES, they are coming "close".... 1-2 hours away is close, right?

Ohhh... This just makes me SO happy. New CD on Tuesday... and, and... I just found out..breathe..breathe.. Counting Crows. ARE. traveling with... MAROON 5 this summer! AHHH!!!! I can hardly control my giddiness!
B-r-e-a-t-h-e....

He is Risen!

Romans 1:4-5
And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.

Happy Easter! May God Bless you!

Weekly Wrap

1 ) This is an exciting thing for me. Two of my favorite bands, traveling together... AH! I got so excited when I heard about this, I almost peed my pants. Seriously, ask Andy...it wasn't pretty. And for 20 points, people, who are the two bands?? hmmm?
2) Adam has been so fun, this week! All he wants to do is make crafts and talk about Easter. I love the fact that he hasn't mentioned a bunny once. All he talks about is Jesus, and I like it that way! :) (We aren't secluding him from the Easter bunny, we just aren't making that the main emphasis. He will get a basket Sunday and we will do an egg hunt. But, we're also making a "Jesus cake" on Saturday. Don't worry, there will be photos!)

3) My two boys. What can I say? They are both growing up so fast! Adam is 2 going on 25 and Matthew is 8 months (almost 9!) going on 10. I am guessing Matt is just about 2-3 weeks away from walking. He is cruising and is getting very strong. I'm not looking forward to the walking; he's already fast enough!


4) This is going to become a very important part of my life, soon.... I can't tell you why, however; you'll just have to wait and see.

Hoppy Easter, Everyone!
*****
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
—Colossians 3:1-4, NIV

Happy Spring!

Today, Adam and I decided we'd celebrate spring!!! So we set-up a "party table," as Adam called it. We also made orange pancakes! I will admit, I may have had more fun than Adam did! :) Happy Spring, everyone!!




Also- we visited a new church on Sunday and received a lovely surprise from them, today, on our door- all for visiting! :) Attached to our free gift, was a card. I really think the card sums up what we need to be remembering, everyday, and especially this Sunday (click on the photo, make it larger, to see what it says!).

Theme Thursday: Self

So, today's assignment was to take a self portrait. Well, you all already know that this is something I do.... every now and then. And, I actually already posted some this week. So... here are some more, from the same batch of photos (and since I already posted the serious ones, I am going to post the goofy ones):


Head over to The Land of K.A. to see some beautiful people!

Best Shot Monday

It was a super busy, super crazy weekend, in our household! Here are some of the highlights:

Adam learned about the art of dying eggs:


Mommy got to get all pretty and go out for her Birthday celebration:


Matthew did laundry:


And... we got two more cats (hehe):


What about you? Do you have any best shots? Head over to Mother May I, to share your best shot Mondays!!

Pay it Forward

New post!

Check it out and share your ideas! :)

And the WINNER is.....

Courtesy of Random.org the winner of my Pampered Chef giveaway is:

Entry #1 !!!!!!! Law Student Hot Mama!

CONGRATULATIONS! :)

Thanks everyone for entering! :) Stay tuned... I have another giveaway, for next week! :) :) :)

"No, Adam"

"No, Adam" seems to be my favorite phrase these days.

Here's a typical conversation, following Adam doing something he shouldn't:

Me: "No, Adam, that is not nice!"

A: "I help you mama"

Me: "Adam, shoving Cheerios up Matthew's nose is not really helping me."

A: "I help you mama, see!" (Again, trying to shove a Cheerio up Matthew's nose)

Me: "Adam, Adam, Adam. We need to let mommy feed Matthew, ok? You need to be nice to Matthew. He's your brother and you need to love him."

A: (in a very sweet and tender voice) "Jesus loves me...." Oh yes, that's right... he resorts to singing "Jesus Loves Me."

Me: "Yes, Bubba, Jesus loves you. And you need to show His love to Matthew, by not hurting him" (Oh...he's one fortunate kid to have Jesus on his side... because...whew... soooommme days)

A: "Mama, Mama..." (as he grabs my face so we are nose to nose) "I hungry mama"

Me: "You just ate five minutes ago. Remember your waffle?"

A: "Eggs and milk, please."

Me: "Maybe you can have that later. Can you tell your brother you are sorry for hurting him? And tell him you love him?"

A: "Jesus loves me..." (clever little child)

Me: "Adam. Your brother, please"

A: "Machew... Jesus loves you..."

Me: TRYING NOT TO SCREAM!!!! "Adam, you need to apologize to your brother and tell him you love him, please"

A: "Machew... I loave you and I sowwy"

Me: "Thank you Adam, that was very nice!"

And...as I walk away... Adam picks up a Cheerio and shoves it up his brother's nose... SIGH.



Don't forget to enter my contest! :) You have until Tomorrow night at midnight!

A photo for Lauren

So, my friend Kim is hosting a photo contest, where her kiddo is the judge! how cute is that?

So, I am entering this photo :)




Hey everyone! Don't forget about my giveaway!! :) You have until Friday to enter!

GIVEAWAY! :)

I am so excited! It's my first BLOGGY GIVEAWAY!

I just had a Pampered Chef Party and within my order I got a few extra goodies. Now, I did keep a few things, but some of the goodies I just didn't need! So, my gain...well...is your gain!

The giveaway includes:

1) The All Purpose Spreader: Split bagels and add cream cheese or top a sandwich with your favorite spread. Its new contoured handle looks great in the kitchen and on the table! 4" serrated blade. Dishwasher-safe.


2) Mini-Whipper: Mixes chocolate milk or diet drinks right in the glass. Also can be used to whip eggs or whipping cream.


I'll also include some goodies to go with these kitchen gadgets! (If you win, you will win BOTH gadgets and some goodies)

To enter:

1) Leave a comment on this post.
2) Tell me, in your comment, about your favorite snack item.
3) No need to have a blog to enter, just leave a valid email address, if you do not have a blog.
4) Please enter only once; all duplicate entries will be thrown out!
5) Enter by Friday March 14, 2008 at Midnight. Winner will be pulled Saturday and posted, by noon on March 15th. Open to US, Canada, and Aussies (tee hee- That's for you Arizaphale!).

6) HAVE FUN! :) And Good luck! (Also, tell your friends!)

Best Shot Monday

We had an amazing amount of snow, here in central Ohio. We measured, in our backyard, about 20.5 inches of snow! There were snow drifts almost three feet tall. Schools are still canceled today!!! ah! The only good thing about the snow: the photos I was able to take! Here's one of my favorites, doctored up a bit! :)

If you make this shot larger, it is really amazing. Look at all of that snow falling!


For more Best Shots, head over to Mother May I!

The Middle Name Meme

One Scrappy Chicklet has graced me with a meme, so here it goes:

So here are the rules for this MEME:

1) You must post these rules on your blog before you answer the questions.

2) You need to list one fact about yourself using each letter of your MIDDLE name. If you don’t have a middle name use your maiden name instead.

3) When you are finished with your answers, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name.

My Middle Name: Ann Marie

A: Around 10'oclock every night... I poop out. I get into bed and I blog and check email. I then fall asleep, to the sound of CSI.

N: "Nitney" was what my sibs used to call me, when they were youngin's and couldn't pronounce my name.

N: No one understands my love for celery. I could eat it 24/7.

M: My middle name is partially a family name. My Grandma's middle name is "Marie"

A: Adam was NOT named after the lead singer of Counting Crows (Adam Duritz). I know that no one believes me, based on my previous obsession. Yes, Adam Duritz's full name is Adam Frederick, and my Adam's name is Adam Frederick.... but Frederick is also my husbands middle name... got it? ok. Good.

R: Really, maybe secretly I wanted him to be named after Mr. Duritz.

I: I've dreamed about opening a coffee shop, someday. Maybe I will.

E: Every week or two weeks I spend an hour or so cutting coupons and planning grocery trips. I save between $25 and $50 each grocery trip, in coupons alone (sometimes more!), because I am so thrifty. I love my coupons. :)

So, here's who I tag: Amy, Elaine, Jenn, Sassyfras, Law School Mama, Nicki, Krissy, & Bradley... oh... I'm doing 9, because I am a rebel! So... Maggie... you're tagged, too!
Ok, hop to it friends! I am timing you... You have.... 24 hours. GO. ;) Just kidding... take your time.... or don't do it at all.... whatever floats your boat. ;)

Happy 8 Months, Matthew!

My little boy, so loving and true
My little joy, so kind, that's you
How can it be, you're eight months old?
I never knew the love you'd hold
My life without you, I cannot see
You're growing up, how can it be?
I'm proud to say you are my son
My glowing bundle of happiness and love!

Oh, Matthew. How can it be? I can't believe you're eight months old! You are a true joy to mommy and daddy, and a good friend to your brother! I can't wait to see what the next month holds! Please don't eat our entire grocery budget in Cheerios! Ok? Thanks ;) Mommy loves you little man; you are my sunshine each and everyday!

Why does the poor little guy always end up with things on his head??? Oh, right... he has a big brother who thinks he's funny. ha ha.

P A R T Y!!

Oh yes, that's right. There's a party going on... no not just because it's my Birthday today, or because we are snowed in (20 inches of snow!), but because 5 minutes for mom is hosting the ultimate Blog Party!!! Meet new people, join the fun, you know you wannaaa.....



Get your balloons, cake, and PRESENTS (yes, every party has to have presents!), and head over to 5 Minutes For Mom and join the party!!


OH, and if you're a new reader to my bloggy haven-- WELCOME to the madhouse! :) Read a few of my posts and you'll know all about me. I have two boys (Adam 2 and Matthew 8 Months) and I've been married to my High School Sweetheart for almost 7 years. OH... and I turned 25 today. Yay me. :) Thanks for stopping!

Happy Birth....Blizzard Day To Me

What a day. We currently have almost 14 inches of snow, we are under a "blizzard warning" until this evening, We are under a level 3 emergency (meaning we can't be on the roads at all, or we are ticketed and fined), and we are stuck at home. STUCK.

Somehow I don't think Adam and Daddy mind:

Happy Weekend Everyone! :) Hope you're all warm and dry!

I shall spend my Birthday..... Playing board games and loving my boys! :)