no more need for a hole punch

So awhile back I walked in on delia sitting at the kitchen table fashioning a earring gun out of a hole punch, and I decided we MUST go get that girl's ears pierced.

Today was finally the day.

After a fun lunch with the Nelsons (and Eden remembering her very first neighborhood friend) hugs and goodbyes to Tatum, we decided delia must pass this lifetime milestone. (she was ecstatic!)

Too much shopping from the Moms & grumpy girls made me decide we needed to wait until Dad got home to brave the ear puncturing, so after a quick bike ride we headed to the store.

Who knew Pickily-poo would be so brave? They had to do one ear at a time and she didn't cry or even complain. Just grinned from ear to ear... the proud little devil.

She is more than excited and wants to touch them every second. So brave :)

Christmas 2008!

Ok ok ok...

So I have been horrible at blogging as of late! I think next year I am looking at my blog as our family journal and am going to make it a goal to keep it updated. (2009 goal #1)Maybe my incentive will be to make it into a book at the end of the year hmm? Here's our Christmas card for this year. No one has seen it because I have yet to send it out! But hey... see the girlie's ADORABLE Christmas dresses? Yeah I made those without a pattern and lets just say I'm no grograinfabulous. But I'm sure with practice I'll get better :) (2009 goal #2)

Here's what delia thought of the dresses. Whaaaa. A mother never gets a break.


So I have many a more posts that I have wanted to share, my camera's card needed formated and my mac wouldn't read any pictures and annoying things like transfering images from Lee's computer to mine don't hold my attention very long.

But no worries... it's in the works, and Eden's 5th birthday is in the planning stages so we'll talk again soon!

Earbug's eyes

So apparently the world through Eden's eyes has been looking a lot like this lately:

She says she doesn't like carrots so everything got fuzzy. This is her at 7:58am this morning. 1st things 1st... she needed to put on her glasses we constructed out of pipe cleaners yesterday. Apparently they are her prescription and "cleared" up the matter :)

And since you got to see Eden bright and early this morning I wanted to capture delia and what our mornings are like right now. Every morning when delia wakes up I am usually on the computer editing, checking email and the likes.(Hence the computer glow) She always crawls up and snuggles me in the down comforter all wrapped around us. She is holding a bunny dolly that I made with my mom when I was little. I'm so glad I saved all the fun little projects my mom and I made to let my girlies love.

Happy Morning!

Pilgrims are us!

Happy Thanksgiving! Spend time with your family and count your blessing!

Cougharific

Story of Pickily-poo's life lately. We hate the never ending cough! At least she is still her fun little self that does the hokey pokey while hooked up to the hose :) Poor GF! Happy Weekend! And thanks Mr. P. today for eternity!

Tastiest Pumpkin Dessert Ever!

I love love love this next week.....

anticipating getting out the Christmas things (and day after Thanksgiving shopping)

making all things pumpkin (I love almost anything pumpkin and this is TO DIE FOR!!!)
the recipe is from Kraft and its simple and seriously amazing!

Speaking of things to die for.....Itsn't he just scrumptious as well?! My husband really put on the true meaning of Halloween this year and apparently the true meaning is hilarious (even if it makes you hideous!) Yeah he's at work... and he's fairly new at work, so UOP really knows the crazy side of Lee pretty early on. Awesome.

Lee's brother Rusty left for his mission today. Yeah! Congrats Rustifer :)

Back up for the back up

So apparently I've got my backside covered at weddings I shoot. If I ever miss a shot (heaven forbid!) I can just ask my temporary bridesmaid's boyfriend (a.k.a. backup shooter to the professional) if he happened to catch the moment...... and if he fails me....

...well there's always the back up's backup to record the moment (shouldn't she be in the picture?!)

Luckily not this time. We were just getting the couple to cozy up on the couch literally minutes before they walked down the aisle to tie the knot forever! (Well in this case until death do you part) but aren't they looking attractive? What do you think was going through their minds. They don't look nervous. ..
... not that I care as long as they work it for the camera :)

ps- I would give my right leg for her lips
pps- her flowers had almost black lilies? and some kind of leaves folded around the outer edge... so fun!

Whispered Truths

The moment that makes a LONG day filled to capacity with TOO much to do....

.... as Eden knelt by her bed saying her evening prayers..

.. "Please bless Daniel and Grandma Funk on their mission. Help them to be a little bit happy.... really happy."

I LOVE my girls to know the plan of salvation. That their Grandma and young Uncle are alive, ok and a little bit happy... really happy.

7 more days till the spooks come out!!!

We are doing a dance for Halloween!


7 more days til the blessed best Holiday ever!!!! This year we are off to see the Wizard! I guess I'm excited for Wicked to come!

Caa

Yeah!!! One of my best friends from high school is down from Utah this week visiting and I always forget the level of hilariousness she is until we get to hang out again! Chelise w/ baby Bayleigh, Becca, Candace, Me and Caa(a.k.a. Ashlee)
Some of us met for lunch on Tuesday and had such fun, it was just too short! We ate a Pete's and realized it doesn't matter if you are in high school and work there, or a grown man... one of the requirements to be a Pete's employee is you might be too cool for school. Seriously why the chip on the shoulder? Yeah for old friends and yeah for the day that we are all moms and can hang out way more!

ps delia to Ashlee at lunch~ "Caa rememeber when your house burned down?"

Eden to Ashlee at lunch~ "Caa why did my mom call you ashlee?" thoroughly confused

Business Practices

Just to warn ** This is a venting post** So don't read it if you are a regular at the store I am about to howl about!

So, I decided awhile ago to try and support the little guy more often and not subscribe to Walmart's slogan: "Yes we have the lowest prices but our workers are gross, and we have no customer service" *disclaimer... I'm sure not ALL the workers are gross, just a majority of the ones I meet up with :)

So I don't shop there if I can help it period. Unfortunately, I need my oil changed and I don't know where else to go. Luckily it only needs changed a few times a year so I am not faced with the moral dilemma I have put myself in, too often. And I will admit that I kind of really feel bad every time I support them and go against my standards, so suggestions please on where else I can get my oil changed. After today's encounter I officially HATE Walmart. Hating something or someone is not very lady like and I strive to be of that nature so let me explain.

Emily and I dropped off my truck to get the oil changed at 11am-ish. The attendant said it would be ready in 45 minutes. That's fine I explained... I was leaving and would be back later that day. Very much later in the day.... around 5:30pm.... over 6 hours later we went and picked up my car. Eden hopped out to get in the truck and I explained we needed to go pick up the keys and pay. Next thing I know, I turn around and she is inside our truck. It was unlocked.

So I go explain to the Walmart employee behind the counter that my car sat unlocked in their automotive area for a good portion of the day. "Isn't that alot of liability?" I ask. Not even a smatter of appologies or concern. She simply explained to me.. "Well I guess some guy must have hit your lock button wrong" And nothing. Seriously? Not a free oil change, not a discount?

But really that was not what I was looking for. I just wanted some sort of feeling, "Wow I'm sorry! That is crazy" or "I'll talk to the automotive employees, I understand your concern" Wouldn't that be the customer service that should have come out of her mouth?

In conclusion..... my big fat folder of CDs was stolen, our stroller and all the quarters in the center console. Actually not, nothing was stolen. But seriously. Do they not care at ALL about their customers well being? As long as you make you way out of their store with a cart load of "low prices" what do they care?

The end of my ranting. The regular Amanda will be back shortly. And seriously I am not a hater, just in awe of their horrible business practices.

Deeply Fried

Who is this beautiful babe with the long flowing hair? ok... its not long or flowing, but I blew out delia's curls and she was a completely different person! Lee didn't like it at all, and she had a mello chilled personality with straight hair. No crazy curly hair for Picky this day no sir.
After her straighten we headed to the one place the Jones' let their guard down ALL year. Yes its trashy and yes gross people are the majority, but can you smell the deep fried moon pies? Its the fair!!!
Annie was loving to sneak into all the pictures :)
It was breezy and cool and we had the best time ever! Seriously maybe the most fun we have ever had at the fair :) The only downer was we couldn't find the full sized cow sculpted out of butter. It may have been replaced with a gerbil maze?! What!? Where are people's priorities?
And here sisters are showing their excitement to be at the fair. They were kinda ticked because as soon as you walked in you could ride an elephant for $5 and I wouldn't let them. They quickly got over it as we headed to the funnel cake stand :) Oh our love for grease!Here's Bubs and Delia eating onion rings, they might have been better than the ones at Disneyland. And for the price they charged they better have been dipped in gold.After we ate grease dipped in grease we headed to the crazy eight races. Not as amazing as the demolition derby but a close second. #5 would speed up every time he came to the intersection to t-bone someone. He did not mess around.Delia's caramel apple was serious business also. She seriously couldn't stop to take a family picture? Or maybe she was just following the race too closely?

The Porters might have a tradition of taking a picture in front of Piggly's BBQ every time we go to the fair. I think our last picture I was bumped out with Delia. We might have missed a year or two of the fair due to raises in Deep Fried Twinkie prices. And yes, I did just capitalize Deep Fried Twinkie. I hold them with respect and honnor.
This is the same face you would see on Eden on Christmas morning. The jumbo cotton candy was almost at tall as her. We were in heaven..... and also very sick afterwards.In conclusion... if you don't go to the Fair you are seriously missing out!!!! I also enjoy going so the rest of the population can see what a normal person with clothes covering their body looks like. Nice and bring your hand sani.

Friday Fun

This is what goes on at the Porter House when Mom has to work on pictures ALL day long. But hey, who wouldn't want to watch Barbie and the Diamond Castle like 7 times in a row. Yeah for the weekend and no weddings!

Eerie Evening

The day started off as normal..... I think Eden was the cause for the rest of the evening. She began by drawing monsters..... With scribbily faces coming to eat a beautiful girl complete with high heels. Next came the one eyed one horned purple people eater.

After that... all the creeps came out. We sat down to dinner. A nice bowl of cheesy broccoli soup, we thought.
Eden was spooked by a spider. There were spiders all around. Since we had no control over the witchy creatures we decided to build them a home.

Brit's baby girlie!

Yesterday I went to a shower for my sister in law Brittany. She is having a baby girl on October 29th and she is so cute!
She decorated her two girls room in brown and pink with stripes and polk a dots and I kinda wish it was my room it turned out so well! My husband's aunt Liz is pretty much the best and put on the shower.

The treats were adorable and super tasty too. After all what girl doesn't want sparkly cupcakes? Congrats Brit!!!

Finding fun for $12 an hour

A weekend ago I met on Mill to take these amazingly stylish peoples pictures.... I had my favorite assistant with me

and then we went out for an evening on the town for his birthday :) We gobbled up our tasty dishes from Bamboo Club.... and then Lee had a surprise adventure. They have paddle boats you can rent at Tempe Town Lake. The lights of downtown sparkled their reflection in the still water. We played truth or dare... and talked about life. Once again Mr. P. surprised me with a spectacular evening. I love this man :)

The Porters on Mill

A few weeks ago, us girls from DEP (Darby Elizabeth Photography) met with our families on Mill Ave to do some quick family portraits.

You might think my choices are far from portraits, but I tend to lean to the artsy side :)

Luckily my girlies are hams and we have a great time in front of the camera.

They are getting so grown up! delia was begging for earings like Eden, and luckily I had some clip-ons that matched her outfit.


I love their silly faces and am in love with the fun life ahead as we "grow" our family.