just thought this picture should be on there.  look at grandma and grandpa fayleo in the middle.  makes me smile.  thanks milah for snapping it!

lessons in waiting

though i'd share some images and new work from my solo show, "lessons in waiting", in the tannin gallery at three rivers college in poplar bluff, mo... 

love you(s)

31 Years of Mom & Dad

"Don't you know that it's your laugh,

we laugh and it pulls us through.

And the strength and the love that we carry,

we got it from you."

                                         -The Be Good Tonyas

Through times of happy and sad, you have always been our parents.  Even on the worst of days, we know that as longs as dad is putting things on his head to make us giggle and mom is laughing with us in the kitchen, we will get through it.  And we just wanted to say thank you for that.

We love you.

Love,
All your children

Charli Jo's 3yr old dental check up...

Soo... every year since Charli Jo was born I have been very diligent about her making it to the dentist for her annual teeth check up, well it just so happens that I tend to plan that right before her birthday so since it's September it is that time of year again. Now I know the first years do seem pointless but I am a firm believer that it is never too late to get your children in the habit of good hygiene. The sooner the better. And we still are not perfect about it but it seems the more years we have under our belts together the better. Heck, I just wish my own parents would have been more sticklers about it towards me when i was young. Any way moving on. Last year they tried getting "pictures" of her pearly whites but it didn't happen but this year take one guess as to which little girl got up in the x-ray chair all on her own. Yup, you got it and I'm sure you didn't even need the picture on the left. But just in case you did need it there she is bright smile and all. After getting her pictures taken of her teeth it was time to go back to the procedure area and if you have kids you know how that usually goes.

Well not for our little big girl Charli Jo! That little stinker was beyond perfect it almost made me cry during her entire appointment while she was getting her teeth cleaned for the very first time. Every other moment I had to suck it up or distract myself from how much of a big girl she was being. She was even a great little helper too! She helped her hygienist by holding her bib down on her chest and maintaining to keep her mouth open almost the entire time from the very moment she laid back on the table and turned the light on. I am sure however that having Dora on the TV in the ceiling helped a whole, whole bunch too but I still think a lot of the credit is due to all that practice we have had and conversations about what to expect when we go show the dentist how pearly clean our teeth are. Let's just hope that mommy gets better at the routine herself. Geezers, this kid is really putting me to shame, I gotta step my game up and quick. The only thing that made it awkward was the poor five or six year old boy that came in and sat at the table next to her. That kids poor mom was having to hold him down and force his mouth open and pull all kinds of "mom tricks".

When her hygienist was done she absolutely got the "all clear" on having no cavities but they did say that she has almost no space in between her teeth meaning she may be likely to have to have braces when her adult teeth come in. It's too early to tell but hopefully those puppies space themselves out or else mommy and daddy better lock in prices today! lol After her dentist was done she got a token to get a prize out of the toy machine and I even let her hop up on the wooden zebra rocking horse to get her picture taken for being so amazing. Now hopefully all the rest of her appointments in the future go this smoothly. Way to go Charli Jo, you make us sooo proud baby girl!!! Now stop growing up so quickly!

First day of pre-school for CJ

After many threats from "Katie-Bird" I figured it wise I post some updates to the blog before the year is over. This year has been one heck of a whirl wind but I do believe we are all headed in the right direction. August 21st, 2012 was Charli Jo's first day of pre-school at the Central Center for Learning in the Hand in Hand program. For the occassion she and I went a few weeks before hand to the mall to window shop and "look" for her her first backpack. By the time we hit the first store with backpacks her size she had picked out all on her own and stood firm it was the one she wanted even though mommy had told her we were only looking that day. Bottom line mommy is a sucker and folded and got it for her that day and she left with the cutest sunflower backpack ever that she actually managed to wear for three days straight after taking it home. As for her first day, she had it all planned out weeks ahead and very clearly had it figured out that her mommy was going to drop her off at school and her Papa was going to picke her up. She's too genius which is the reasoning why we decided it was time even if her mommy and daddy weren't ready for it. On her first day Brannon managed to meet us at the entrance so we both could walk her in just in case she had any first day jitters which she did not have one bit. Actually as soon as we walked her into her class and signed her in she turned to us and clearly directed us that " You can leave now." Let me tell you it instantly broke our hearts. Overall she had an amazing first day of school and by the second day she didn't even want to come home the little stinker.

this must be kentucky cause we got all the wood grains!

yes, that is "wood" paneling on our new walls and the floors are "hardwood" laminate - that i should mention were put in ON TOP of the carpet that is still under then.  its a special little place this new house of ours.    

Pancakes

Brant took Owen to breakfast this morning and then to do "boy errands"-aka car stuff. He sent me this picture and caption- so funny!  

"Your sending pictures of the pancakes, aren't you!"