Pickles and Moose

All around, this year has had some tough adjustments for us.  But the toughest by far was loosing both of our dear family pets after 14 years of companionship.  Pickles had been struggling over the past year with health issues and we lost him suddenly on September 12th.  Unfortunately, just a short three weeks later, Moose began to struggle with his kidney disease and we lost him on October 3rd.  It was very difficult for all us and the change its had on our lives has been significant.  Despite the sorrow of losing such loving friends, we are so thankful that God blessed our lives with them for all the years that they were with us.  We loved them both dearly and miss them so much.

Dr. Seuss Day

I was a little disappointed that I missed out on Read Across America this year.  For those that don't know, Read Across America is celebrated in March across the US in honor of Dr. Seuss's Birthday.  I've taken part in Read Across America for years.  It was one of the first "extracurricular" activities that I became a part of when I first started at ExxonMobil.  We partnered with elementary school's across the area and served as guest readers.  After reading to countless classes over the years, I was very excited to finally get to read for my own child's class.  So excited that I ended up leading the program last year for the kindergarten's.  It was a lot of fun for them and me and I looked forward to doing a similar program this year for our first graders.  Unfortunately, Read Across America was the same week that Jacob and I were in Canada on the house hunting trip, and without a volunteer to lead the program it was dubbed as part of the spring book fair with no special hoopla.

So, I was thrilled to hear that Canada has a similar celebration called Dr. Seuss Day, where the kids get to pick their favorite Dr. Seuss character and dress up.  I tried to talk Brenna into Sam I Am, since Green Eggs and Ham is her favorite Dr. Seuss book, but she asked to be The Cat in the Hat.  Then, just two days before, she decided she wanted to be Sally!  I thought that was a great idea, so we rummaged through her closet until we found a very Sally-ish outfit and completed it with her classic top-of-the-head bow.  However, before we left for school we had to winter-proofed the outfit.  She's the only Sally that ever had to wear a snow bib and snow boots, but we made it work.  Here's some pics I snapped before school!  Pickles always gets in on the action!

Can't I Just Sleep!

Pickles was trying to take an afternoon nap on the couch.  Then Brenna finds him!  She wanted to love on him, but I told her not to bother him.  She says "But he always wakes me up in the mornings to get lovin'!"  I really couldn't argue with that since most mornings he does get impatient waiting for her to wake up and often goes up to her room, hops in bed, and does the job himself.

Piglet and Roo's Honey Cakes

A couple of weeks back we spent the morning playing with friends.  We were on our way home when we decided on a whim to stop off by one of our favorite book stores.  It's called the Book Worm and its a resale book store tucked away in a small shop thats busting at the seams with books.  They have a really fun children's section with little couches and chairs to smuggle up in and read.  We usually read several books while we're there and then since their resale, we'll pick up a cheap book or two to take home.

This time Brenna picked a Hundred Acre Woods book called Honey Cake.  The book is about how Kanga leaves little Roo and Piglet to make Honey Cake for the Hundred Acre Wood Picnic.  Well, Roo and Piglet had some trouble following the instructions, so their cake was a flop.  Brenna loved the story and guess what was at the end of the book?  The recipe!  So how could I say no when she asked "Please, please Mama, can we make Honey Cakes?"

Easter 2012

My mom and dad came over for a visit the week before Easter.  Dying Easter eggs with Mawmaw has become a tradition for Brenna and after weeks of waiting she insisted we do it the day they go here.  So they got busy decorating eggs and the Easter tree.

What Are You Looking At?

Back to blogging........again.  This year has started off on the run, so I'm already behind on blogging.  But, stay with me, because I'll be catching up over the next couple of days.  Until then, here's a shot that makes me laugh!

The Only One Who Every Does......

I took my camera out a few days ago to practice some sun shots.  That's when the subject (supposedly Brenna) is backlit by the sun so that you get that really pretty shine through her hair and around her face.  After several attempts to place Brenna in the right location to attain such a picture, as always she rebelled and ended up on the swings.  So I tried the best I could. 

Swing Batter, Batter!

Since the weather has cooled off (meaning its on 90 instead of 100), we've been playing more tee-ball.  Here's Brenna in action with big hits and getting Daddy out.

Pumpkin Palooza!

Enchanted Gardens is a local nursery that's just beautiful.  It truly is like stepping into something enchanted with flowers, fountains, and fish ponds around every corner.  This past Saturday they held their annual Pumpkin Palooza where all the kids get to come enjoy cookies, popcorn, and juice boxes while they create their own unique pumpkins!  Here's the pictures of our crew having some enchanted fun!

Making pumpkins.

Naps are Better with Friends!

Hanging with Hammy

Rainbow Kitty

Recently, Brenna discovered a new game with her side walk chalk.  She likes to scribble two or three colors over one another and then rub them together with her hand to see what new color she can make.  When Abraham came over to investigate, Brenna gave him a big pat on the head which resulted in a red ear!  And that started a whole new game!  Abraham the Rainbow Kitty!

My Little Photographer

One morning this week we went outside to play.  It had been awhile since we've let the cats out to play in the back yard, so we brought them along.  Brenna and pickles are like a duo.  So up into the playhouse they went.  And eventually they made they're way up to the crows nest.  It wasn't the best kinda day for pictures, but they were so cute perched up there together that I got my camera and snapped a few.

Because She Loves Him So Much!

Before Brenna came along, Pickles and Moose were our "kids".  When I got pregnant, we had some concerns about their adjustment to our new addition.  It took awhile, but once they realized that she wasn't going anywhere, they both warmed up.  Now, Moose isn't particularly needy of Brenna's attention, but he does take her lovin'.  Pickles, on the other hand, seeks her out in his waking hours (though be it, thats not very many) and sticks with her where ever she goes.

Brenna is like me, in that she is a creature of habit.  She falls into routines that then become a way of life.  The particular routine I'm about to describe has been carrying on for about a year now.  She wakes up in the mornings, calls me to let me know she's up.  I go up there and we gather up the gang (Minnie, Daisy, "Big" Minnie, and blankie), then she says "Lets go find those kitties."

And so we head downstairs where Pickles is sitting patiently in the chair waiting for her to get up.  Once he sees her coming down the chairs, he jumps out of the chair and stretches out on his back, waiting for his morning rub down from Brenna.

After he's properly loved on, he and Brenna head to the living room where they stretch out in the floor in front of the TV and watch the morning cartoons.

Here's the pictures.  Different day, same scene.  It's like this every morning.

I Got a New Toy!

My wonderful husband bought me a brand new lens for Valentines!  He was even sweet enough to give it to me on Friday so I would have all weekend to practice with it.  (including our Saturday morning Photography class, which I'll have pictures coming soon).  This will most likely be the last addition to my photography arsenal.  But I'm so excited over my new lens!  While  I still need alittle more work with it to get really good at it, but its already by far surpassed all of my other lens in indoor picture taking capabilities.  This was the primary reason I've coveted this lens since first getting my camera.  Here's a few shots from my "opening weekend" with my new lens!

Let's Make a Hat!

The Rest of the McAlister Clan

Well, I want to start this post by saying that I bought a new lens!  Yay!  I know what your thinking "Jacob's flight was barely over international waters and Kawanda runs outs and buys a new ($$$) lens!"  It's true he wasn't enthusiastic when I told him I was considering adding a new lens to my collection, especially when he saw the price tag.  But, shame on you for thinking I'm the type of wife who would live by the old tale "While the cats away, the mice will play!" I am a frugal woman (I know some of you call me cheap!) and I came across a really great lens for sale on Craigs List.  When I say great thats code for cheap, but the lens actually was pretty good and it was a whopping cost of 10 BUCKS!  It's manual, of course, not automatic, but that just means I get to continue to improve my skills.  I didn't pray for a lens, naturally there's lots more pressing and significant issues that make the list, but God is Good and he threw this old girl a bone.  A $10 lens that generally matches what I was looking for can't be anything else but a gift from Heaven.

So, I've put it to use the last couple of days.  Especially with Jacob being away, I traded cooking dinner for camera practice (the only benefit to Jacob overseas trips, is I get 7 straight days of no cooking, Brenna and I live off McDonalds and frozen pizzas!)

I decided that this post will be dedicated to the rest of the McAlister Clan, the kitties!  I used them for practice, because Brenna had fun playing camera assistant and trying to make them "Smile!"

Of course we have Pickles and Moose, but some of you may not know that we've acquired a 3rd cat which Brenna named Abraham.  He's a stray that showed up on the front porch one days and decided to adopt us.  He's a tomcat that lives outside and roams the neighborhood and comes home when he's hungry.  With Jacob away I depend on the cats to guard and protect.  That's being said, its a good thing I know how to shoot Jacob's pistol.