everybody say AAAARRRRRRRG!!!

Olivia is FOUR! I still can't really believe it. And she pretty much overnight has become a big girl - she goes to her best friends house (our next door neighbors) pretty much daily, she's demanding her independance, and she wants to do everything herself. She also now flies off the handle at the smallest setting off, which is frustrating! What happened to my good natured girl??

Saturday was her pirate party with her cousin Niko. He turned six. There were about 10 kids at the party, and Olivia loved every second of it. It was definitely a humid mess out, and we were sprinkled on a couple times, but overall I thought the party was really great!

This was actually the second cake I had made... the first attempt was at an open treasure chest, and all was going well, but somewhere in the construction, there was disaster. I got so frustrated with the whole thing that Tim and I just ate what wasn't destroyed, and I made a new one after I got home from work.



Here's the pirate princess in all of her glory




The highlight of the party, for the kids at least, was the bubble machine. They just loved those dang bubbles!











I loved this one would be the kids' bands cd cover


Olivia technically didn't blow out any candles this year, because it was just too windy. She was confused by this.


And here's some more of present opening, and guests...




























Thanks to everyone who came out and made Olivia and Niko's party special!!

Lets go to Chuckie Cheese!

For Claire's birthday party, we had a Chuckie Cheese party. It was definitely worth it! The girls LOVED it! I started out trying to take 'good' pictures, but quickly realized that I was going to fret over pictures, rather then enjoy the party. So I threw the camera on auto, and just enjoyed the day. So outside of the 365 day picture, these are just any old snapshots anyone could take ;)

347 of 365: roller coaster!


wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!


Karen's probably going to kill me, but Olivia just loved this basketball game, and I think her favorite part was that Grandma was playing with her.






I was out of piping icing, so I cheated on Claires cake, and just make a giant 2 out of sprinkles


Chuckie Cheese himself comes and crowns the birthday kids, and they get a medal too (Claire took hers off)






Haley and Karen wanted their pictures with Chuckie too. Karen, I think this should be your new facebook picture!

away to Cleveland

So if you remember far enough back, in the middle of August I had to travel to Cleveland for some training at my other job. I was so thrilled for the two nights by myself in a hotel room. Honestly, I think every mom should do that... spend two nights away at a hotel - no computers, no work, no children, no husbands... just do whatever you want for yourself for a couple days. What did I do? I read and ate chinese. And that was about it. And I loved every minute of it.

229 of 365: Sookie Stackhouse, where have you been all my life??
I read the first two book and about half of the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse series while in Cleveland. I've since read the seven I had in my set, and now need to go buy the other two to read them. Its like crack!


230 of 365: You call that a reciept!?
I could expense everything I ate while in Cleveland. But the only food around was a Subway next door, and a Dairy Queen across the street. I drove around forever the second day to find anything different... and found a hole in the wall Chinese restaraunt. That proceeded to give me that as a reciept. So much for expensing that.

231 of 365: Happy Birthday to Me
I drove home on my birthday, and was greated with a rose. I'm 28 now... in case you were wondering ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!

My dad is 52 today! So finish off our weekend of parties, we went over Sunday for a cookout to celebrate.

So I think I have an unhealthy obsession with closeup portraits. I love looking at shots other photographers have done that close, and have recently been getting closer and closer to my subjects (I'm sure you've noticed) So I kinda had the goal in mind going over to my parents house, of getting a close shot of Dad. I knew he wouldn't be for it, so I couldn't tell him.

207 of 365: Father


Though I have to say, I love the second click I got...


He's basically saying to me "Jesus Christ Heather, do you have to be so close!!?!??!"
Yes Dad, I do :)

Obviously Haley has no issue with the lens being close to her face