She is signed up!

I signed up little Miss Cambree Jo up for pre-school a week or so ago. I am super excited to see her enjoy a little school. I think she is completely ready for it. It starts August 25th about the same time that baby should come. Well, I hope anyways. If it happens like the last two pregnancies I was induced exactly one week before my due date which is about that time. She will just be going twice a week up through May I believe. Cambree misses the deadline for Kindergarten just barley so when she starts she will be one of the oldest in her class which I like. I'm happy to have another year with her home with me before she starts going to school every day. That is just to hard to imagine for me just yet.

I can't wait for her to meet new friends. I see her try to make friends at the pool and I wish she had more her age around where we live. I'm excited for her to run out of school and tell me everything that she has learned that day. For all the cute fun homework she will do and all the fun projects she will get to make. This school has a great program and I can't wait for her to be able to read. She pretends all of the time and makes up her own stories which is totally sweet.

I am blown away at how fast the years have flown by. Seems just like yesterday I cradled her little body in my arms. Now she is getting to be a bit heavy to carry up the stairs. I'm doing my best each day to enjoy EVERYTHING about being a mom GOOD and BAD. I know the days aren't endless as they will grow up and not be by my side every minute of the day. So today and everyday forward I am doing my best to soak it all in.

Every twist and turn is so exciting though and watching them mature and get smarter and achieve things is such a great feeling!

xoxo,

Shannon

A couple more favs from June

I have noticed that I have a lot of pictures that I haven't touched in the archives. So here is another favorite from June and linked up with little somethings photo challenge. I really wish that I could suddenly have all that energy I had during my second trimester so I could keep up! There is lots I haven't blogged lately. I guess you can only do what you can do. Hope to be back soon and catch up on everyone's blogs!

xoxo,
Shannon

June Quarterly Top Five

I'm linking up my top 5 favorite photos for the quarter with Click it up a Notch, Amber's Articles and Naptime Momtog! I can't believe we are already looking at the end of June. Really?! We are loving Summer so far! Lots of swimming and hanging outside in the sun! So I picked a few photos that I ended up liking for one reason or another. It's been a little challenging getting around taking pictures when you have a huge 8 month pregnant belly to work with. I will look forward to being able to move around a little better here shortly.

Okay so on with some photos...

1. One of Jo Jo's favorite hobbies is finger painting. She loves it! She is getting to be quite the little artist. She loves to paint rainbows, stick people, animals and the letters in her name. I can't believe how grown up she is becoming. She is so eager to learn. She always wants to play the rhyming game with me. She starts pre-school next month and I can't wait to see how she does. I think she will really enjoy it.
2. We spend at least one or two days at the clubhouse pool. It's been pretty relaxing just watching the girls play and swim and it's been so hot! This photo was takin' yesterday and I'm not exactly sure why I like it so much I just do. The angle is a bit much, but it shows how soft and gentle my little Jo Jo is and it's this face that I see daily as she looks up at me.
3. My little firecracker! Just another sunshiny day hanging out in swimsuits. She was just being her silly-self and she is always in the best of mood while playing at her cousins house. Oh goodness, what would I ever do without her?! I just can't ever get enough! Love this face...
4. I couldn't decide which image I liked better. I love her cheesy smile and excited expression as she is playing with the hose and I loved the way the water looks in the other one. So I combined them. :) It just isn't summer time until you mix some trampoline and lots of water!
5. We just finished our lunch outside right before she noticed some raindrops starting to come down. I love her expression while looking up and the bokeh in this photo the most. I think the colors are bright and vivid.

Our week in phone picts. Week #2

A little of what you see this week...

Finger painting in the front yard, learning the alphabet, Chinese food & fortune cookies, baby girl practising her Big sister skills, trampoline + water = Summer fun, tuckered out on our way back home, a little Cold Stone for the girls, more trampoline and afternoons spent in swimming suits and playing with cousins!

Hope everyone has great plans for the weekend!

xoxo,

Shannon

*photos taken with my Droid camera phone. Still jealous of all of you with the iPhone/instagram app! Oh well...this will have to do for now. Using the Retro Camera app!

Strawberry Days Carnival

I hope you're enjoying your warm-sunny-summer days!

We started the weekend off early on Thursday and took the girls to the carnival. Joined with my SIL Michele and her kids. I love when she has days off and we plan fun stuff! :D :D Usually when I think of the carnival it sounds a little painful (to be honest)! But this year it was so much fun watching the girls ride the little rides. To them it was like Disneyland!

They had a blast! I got a kick out of Sienna. She wanted to ride the spaceships over and over and over again. Well, I guess that was pretty much every ride she went on. :) That would be her wearing her pink polk-a-dot sunglasses joined with her Big Sis!
Havin' fun!

Love Jo's face here...

Lots of Smiles after every turn...
Dashing in for the next exciting ride...
The girls on the Carousel...
Patiently waiting her turn...
And watching the rides...

We couldn't resist buying the BuBbLe gun... :)

And before we left we had to get Kayslynn and Cambree's face painted. I was trying to get Cambree to pick out something a little bit more girly, but she insisted on a Tiger! (Like I knew she would). I felt horrible afterwards trying to persuade her into something else. I know I just need to let her be herself. It turned out really cute and it was so SO her!

Have a sunshine-y lovely week!

xoxo,

Shannon

My girls.

{I ran a crossed this picture today and I loved it. There is something so profoundly sweet about sisters laughing and playing together.}

Right now I am sitting in the quiet on the computer snacking on wheat thins (because it is the only thing I could find) and feeling like a shmuck thinking about my day.

Both Cambree and Sienna could of spent 89% of the day in time out, and the other 11% I had smoke coming out of my ears and nose and eyeballs because I was so easily agitated and impatient.

Sometimes I feel so bad for these little people who have to be my guinea pigs in this strange parenting journey. And sometimes I wish so bad that I knew the best way to handle an irrational meltdown over a $4 toy in the middle of a Old Navy exchange (for her, not me) because I tell her that she can't have it.

But I don't. I don't know anything about four-year-olds, because I've never been a parent to one before. And it's hard. And sometimes I get so frustrated when Sienna takes the most obscure toy or snack from Cambree just because she is the little sister and just because she thinks she can. Or when they both want to play with the exact toy and the exact same time and no matter what you do - one or the other is going to cry and have a fit over it. I am not going to lie, I anxiously await the moment when dad walks through the door or the clock to strike 'bedtime' so I can finally think for a minute without needing to get someone a cup of milk or wipe a bum or rescue a toy from the toilet.

And then I sit here. And I miss them. And I realize I am letting moments slip through my fingers just because I am being selfish and want "me time."

And little hot tears well in my eyes.

because God has trusted me (& Mike) with these precious little ones.

He trusts me to teach them.

And to love them.

And to hold them.

He trusts me to patient with them. Even when Sienna cries and only wants to be held. Even when Cambree is screaming at Sienna for crying and screaming at me for holding Sienna instead of her. And even when Sienna yells at me or swipes something from Cambree for the bazillionth time that day.

He trusts me to do the little things like get them a cup of milk and wipe their bums and fetch the toilet-y toys.

But He trusts me with the biggest thing - to love them, and be sure they know they are loved.

And I feel ashamed that sometimes I don't honor that trust.

Being a parent is tough. Real tough.

But that's no excuse.

And so now I will go kiss heads and toes and promise to be better tomorrow.

(shouldn't be too hard).

xoxo

Insta-Friday

First time joining in here at Insta-Friday! Here are some random phone Pict's of our week...

1st row (left to right)

Having some play dough fun! #leisure time

Checked in on the girls and I found Sienna like this a sleep. She actually feel asleep sitting up right in between two pillows...it was so cute. By the time I got my phone she moved, but I took it anyways cause she is so stinkin' sweet asleep.

Had a doctor's appt. Baby is good - Me on the other hand not so much. I have suffered with my sciatic nerve all week. It's been miserable!!!

2nd row

My view of Baby girl 3.o @ 28 weeks

ME

Note daddy left on the table! He always draws cute little things on his letters and cards. I love that about him!

3rd row

Sienna loves the squirt guns! I think we have broken her into liking the swimming pool! :)

Cambree Jo at the Carnival!

Sienna walking around at the Carnival hanging onto her favorite Uncle Clays hand.

Happy Friday!

xoxo
Shannon

Wordless Wednesdays...pool time fun!

Knocking down Summer one squirt gun at a time...

Hope you are doing lots of super fun- n- cool Summer-ish stuff!

xoxo,
Shannon

Baby bump at 28 weeks

I am getting so anxious to meet baby #3. The more I get to know her in my belly the more excited that I get. And being just about 12 weeks away from seeing her face it's starting to become more and more real.

I am so excited to see what she will look like. My two other girls are complete opposites so you just never know. Maybe this one will be red headed with green eyes?! Well, you never really know. So this baby has been pretty chill inside the womb. I feel movements all the time but she is pretty calm in the womb. I wonder if she will be the same outside the womb?! What do you think?! Did your kids personality reflect your pregnancies?!

Wild fetus = Wild child Calm fetus = calm child

Also we finally have a name for her! It's been a name I have always liked ever since I heard it a few years ago. We considered other names for my husbands sake, but nothing has stuck. He likes the middle name better so he may call her by that?! I won't be revealing her name yet cause we want to look at her before it's official. I'm getting so excited to meet her!!!

Here are some phone Pict's taken by my 4 year old (well the first one)...

xoxo,

Shannon

Our Typical Life...a mom, 2 girls, & a camera

Has anyone noticed that I changed my blog name? If you want you can go ahead and make the change to Our Typical Life...a mom, 2 girls, & a camera! (Soon to be 3 girls!!!) If you follow us! I think it seems to fit a lot better. If you wanna. :)

So we had a fun week. I decided to share the photo album this week. I had my camera around my neck all week snapping away. Okay so whats new?! But I rarely share very many photos that I take so I am trying put more up. Mostly for my own sake. Here is a little glimpse of our Life this past week...

Enjoy!

Watching cartoons

and taking a timeout nap!

Getting Wet!

Cute cousin Lily joined us for some trampoline fun!

playing with balls and squirting water guns

hilarious girls pulling funny, cute and silly faces! :)

happy Kayslynn with cute shades

People watching while eatin' snacks!

Playing and running from cousins

Playing in the fountains @ Splash Pad...loads of FUN!

Cooling off while slurping a Capri Sun

Watching the wind kick up and waiting for the rain.

Havin' some lunch outside on the grass cause it's more exciting that way!

Pretty much lovin' Summer!

And that's our week!!!

:)