Happy Birthday Blizzard!

This is so crazy but we are in the middle of a full on Blizzard right now. There were raging winds all day but it was nice out in the 50's but lots of wind and now everything is covered in snow! The wind is blowing so hard I feel like it's going to come through the windows! I can't wait to see what it will look like in the morning, although I bet it's all gone. I'll try and go snap a picture so you believe me!!

Ava and the Fashion of Toddlers!

So Ava has her own opinion of what she should wear. I know I have mentioned before how we have battles at times because I want her to wear something and she wants to wear something different. Well I have finally decided that it is no longer worth the battle and have been letting her pick out what she wears.
Which now leaves me contemplating making a blog just to show off her outfit (or on some days outfits) of the day.
Here is her outfit from a couple days ago.

I'm ready for Spring!

I know that winter has barely begun but I am soooooo ready for Spring. I am ready for warmer weather. We have been freezing our tails off here in New Mexico the past week. It has been in the 20's and that is too coldf or me! I keep telling Steve I think we need to move some place thats warm all year long, because I'm freezing.

Debbie keeps suggesting Dallas. That sounds good to me, even with the humidity and amazingly big June bugs! I just want to be able to wear my flip flops year round and right now the result of that has been some seriously frozen toes!

I'm not a big sock and shoe person - I like sandals and flip flops. I feel as though my feet need to breathe, does that totally sound weird? I sleep with them sticking out of the covers at night because otherwise I feel like I'm suffocating. So now you know a totally weird fact about me.
I'm not trying to complain, although it does appear that way. I guess for all that complaining I should give some things I'm thankful for. I am thankful that although its freezing outside I have a nice warm home to live in and a car that has a heater that works (most of the time) to take me places, and since I have a blog to complain on, that means I have a computer and electricity!

My kids, who should have been in bed 42 minutes ago, are still up so I will go ahead and go help Steve put them down instead of complaining about the cold weather :).

My Goals For This Year!

Okay, so it's a new year and of course with every new year comes new resolutions, new goals, new dreams, you get the point. Anyways they say that you are more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down, and so I guess I will do just that so here are some of my goals for this year, although I do reserve the right to add new ones at any time, simply because it seems as if everyday I find something new I want to do or try. I would love to have Martha Stewart's job she really does lots of fun things all sorts of crafts from sewing, knitting to cooking and gardening. See I would really love to knit. I do own a couple pairs on knitting needles and I can cast on, and knit some basic stitches but it seems I always get distracted and find myself stopping with a small square that Ava could use as a blanket for one of her Barbies. I will come across something in a store, and think I could make that and thus the beginning of a new craft in my life or see someone doing something a movie or on T.V. and think that would be fun to do, so yes as Steve can tell you I am always wanting to do something new.


My 2008 Goals in no particular order

Add some more color to my life by adding color to the boring walls in my house!!

Play my guitar and get some lessons (it's been a long time)!

Sew some aprons for my girlfriends, some curtains for the kitchen, and dresses for the girls, and maybe try and get enough blankets and bibs sewn to do a craft fair this year.

Take more pictures for my portfolio building and getting my website up and going.

Get Maria Hays Photography (maybe my hearts moments photography) off the ground.

Master the use of natural light inside without having to bounce my flash.

Practice taking pictures as much as possible so I can continue to get better, although I think I will always be striving for this.

Go on an adventure of some kind with my kids at least once a month, and photograph it all.

Take more video of our family (we were terrible this last year)

Eat more whole foods and cut back a lot on processed food and sugar.

Exercise daily.

Make Sunday's God's day and spend them as a family having fun and acknowledging the blessings we have been given, and not doing housework, or errands.

Reading my Bible everyday and keeping a prayer journal.

Writing handwritten letters and notes to my friends and family. It's always fun to get a real letter in the mail instead of bills, credit card offers, and catalogs.

No more $100 laundry detergent (you know when you go to Target for laundry detergent and you leave with $100 of stuff you didn't intend to buy!)

Find creative and new ways to let my husband and children know how crazy in love with them I am.

have an extremely fun themed Super bowl party as we watch the undefeated Patriots win! (come on don't be a Patriot hater, be an appreciator!!!)

Cooking one new recipe a week.

Writing on my blog at least once a week or at least post pictures.

Be a woman after God's own heart.

Live more simply.

Every other month have a big dinner with family and friends.

Let Ava pick out her own clothes and not spend at least a half hour pleading with her to wear what I want (this has helped me greatly with my previous baby clothes addiction!!)

Make our yard look great for dinner parties, BBQ's, and pictures (no more dirt!).

Getting an estimate and then saving for and replacing our kitchen and master bathroom floors.


Getting down and playing with my kids more instead of worrying about what the house looks like or the mountain of laundry and remembering what it's like to see things through their eyes.




Okay so that probably seems like a lot it does looking at it but it is nice to write it all down, so here goes. I just know this year is going to be a great one.

A New Do for the New Year!

So my hair hasn't been cut since right after Gianna was born, and it was in major split end city!! I love short hair, I always have, I also get bored with the same hairstyle and so this has definitely been the longest I have gone without cutting or changing it!

So here is the new do!