[shurley grammar]

are you smarter than a third grader?

apparently i'm not!

this is what i'll be learning this morning so i can help my cute little student with her grammar.

it's been too many years... i didn't learn this way or this proficiently.

i hope i can catch on.  i'm told they go a lot faster than this is shown too.  i'm in trouble!

here is a demo clip i found of how it's basically done:

[corny]

this weekend was,

lets say,

pretty chill.

we have been utterly exhausted by the weekend this last month.

ever since school has started, we are non-stop busy around here.

so, by the time friday night hits, we want nothing more than to crash!

this little one (above) just wanted a to wrap herself around this big bowl of popcorn and keep it all to herself.

content as could be, she lay munching and guarding her bowl until every last kernel was gone.  lol.

i can't forget to mention she sang popcorn popping on the apricot tree repeatedly all weekend too.

what a little nut!  corny?  maybe a little.  cute?  definitely.

what's your favorite snack?  mine would have to be kraft caramels today.

more finished photos for viewing here and here

[blue]

can you tell i'm in baby mode?

i will be sharing two of my latest newborn sessions with you very soon.

yesterday i went out and bought my first newborn baby boy outfit!

it's so fun to buy "the other"!

for so many years i've always passed right by the boy clothes and on to the girls, so it's a whole new world out there for me!

happy friday!

[drum roll please]

take a look...

there's no mistaking this part!  now that's a close up!  

i think this is the biggest baby "unit" picture we've ever seen!  LOL  he'll win all the contests!

it was crazy, when we first began looking for "parts" the newly trained technician could not get a good view.  she decided to take other measurements and come back.  

well, when she returned, there it was - a very visible penis!  

yep, after three daughters, we are thrilled to shake it up a little with a son!

we are all sooooooooo super excited!  wish us luck!  this will be a whole different ball game!

time to go boy shopping!

thanks for sharing in our fun news!

[me & my bump]

(photo taken @18 weeks & a few days)

we find out what this little baby bundle is tomorrow!

excited would be an understatement.

stay tuned.

xoxoxo

[today's paper]

sam ran back in the house as he was leaving for work this morning and threw down this morning's paper for me, slapped me on the behind and gave me a big kiss.  "have a great day!" i hollered, "you too!"  he replied as he hurried out the back door.

cleaning up breakfast, packing lunches, and shuffling around the kitchen in my flannel pants and one of sam's big comfy tees, i opened the wide pages of the world (with our utah flare).

as i flipped through and found the mormon times section of the deseret news, i was inspired by an article about a new ad campaign featuring normal, talented, wonderful people who are mormons.  

i wanted to share these awesome stories with you today!  they're fabulous!

watch this:

here are the rest
have a rockin' day!

[grilled tuscan chicken]

although summer is coming to a close, grilling season is hardly over...

it's actually one of the nicest times to cook outside.

found in one of these martha stewart food cookbooks (i can't remember which one)

this grilled tuscan chicken is one of our family favorites. 

 it's easy, moist and tasty.  even our kids gobble it down, so that must say something :)

it should even be *todd approved!

here's the recipe:

grilled tuscan chicken

martha stewart everyday

• 2 T chopped fresh rosemary

• 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• salt & pepper

• 8-10 pieces of chicken, boneless, skinless

• 1/4 C fresh lemon juice

heat grill to medium heat.  combine all ingredients in a re-sealable plastic bag and turn to coat.  cover and let marinade at least 15 minutes at room temperature.  cook and grill turning and basting frequently to prevent burning.  20-30 minutes or until cooked throughout.  

serve with zucchini and squash.

enjoy!

and you must visit my favorite new blog.  *my brother-in-law's hilarious posts will keep you craving for more!  he's so witty & clever!  these are some of the best posts i've read in a long time.  check it out!

[latchkey kid?]

she asked about this homeless key.  

i was grateful she inquired instead of just snatching.  

for the last few years i have wondered what it belonged to - what it would open.  

busy working on something, i quickly consented just to stop the begging and decided to give up my speculations and give in to her pleads.

she decided this carribeaner looked really "cool" and with it a bubblegum chunky bracelet and dangling key.  

i believe she even wore this fabulous fashion statement to her activity days. 

so funny.

i just love how little minds work (most of the time) lol!

before long, she'll be asking for the car keys - yikes!

[crisp]

the bite in our september air sends cool shivers down my spine.  actually warm and cool at the same time.  

i am a lover of all seasons, but as we head into each forthcoming one, i swoon.

bring on the pumpkins, wassail, and cowl neck sweaters!

out of nowhere, my little crabapple tree developed the most beautiful little reds.

pulled off my bookshelf and dusty as the dickens, i thumbed through an old fairy tale book given to me by my great grandmother.  

dated 1922 by the PLATT & MUNK CO.

this tattered & water damaged book holds deep sentimental value to me.

found inside are exquisite and whimsical drawings.

sadly, it does not name the illustrator.

(little red riding hood featured below)

hmm, would a pregnant little red riding hood be cute for halloween?

[to be thirteen]

i am so excited about this shoot!  

the crisp fall morning was so beautiful - we were given the perfect light and a beautiful breeze.

we had a such a riot!  

tara's birthday is quickly approaching and thirteen just doesn't get any brighter!

love you girl!

see more here
p.s. happy labor day!

[heavenly]

this is freshly baked baby laney!  a brand new fragrant little spirit born to some of our best friends!

did ya notice?  she's a blondie...  it seems like most newborns come out with dark hair, so it was really fun to see this little blonde babe :)

 she's unique!

only hours old, i got to hold this tiny angel and feel of her warm sweet loveliness!

.i love her so much.

i can't wait to get my hands on her again and take more pictures!

 sigh she makes me so excited for mine!

[i hate pee]

"don't tell me it's raining when you're peeing on me!" -mason cooley

above: marinated ice in my super cold water that i know is good for me and feel like drinking, but really worry about the immediate ramifications!

oh my gosh!  first, i can't believe i'm posting about pee, but second, i can't believe it's made me so batty!

basically, it's been a thorn in my side lately.  

as many of you know, being pregnant brings on increased bathroom breaks.  i have wondered why exactly so i googled it and i came up with this good explaination:

Why do you suddenly need to go all the time? It's mostly because the amount of blood in your body increases dramatically when you get pregnant, which leads to a lot of extra fluid getting processed through your kidneys and ending up in your bladder. Eventually, you may also feel pressure on your bladder from your growing uterus.

lets face it, i have never wanted to be bothered by it [pee].  i remember as a little girl asking and wishing that someone could just "go" for me.

so between being prego and my eternal lingering cough, (i can't help but laugh) i keep wetting myself.  yuck! note to self: get some depends!

and that brings on extra wash that joins my youngest's wet laundry; that's a whole other issue.

wanting to curse as i wipe my toddler's puddles off the floor, 
sadly for us, we have never had an easy time with potty training here at our house.

i don't what we've done wrong, or genetically passed on to our kids, but FREAK, they have all taken FOREVER!

just when i think they're good and trained, BAM! accidents all over again.

bless their little bladders, i am DONE!

my hands are raw from all the washing and my house and i probably continually smell like pee.  

i just don't have time for it.  please make the accidents stop!

signing off, mrs. pp

love these yummies