Summer Vacation is Here!

I know....a week has gone by without a post! Lots to do!! Catie is done with Kindergarten, and is on summer vacation! She had a great year in Mrs. McClurg's class....here is a layout I did on my lunchbreak today!

I have until tonight to upload 10 layouts for my free prints I earned for the Mother's Day contest I won with a scrapbook page I did. Nothing like procrastinating until the last day!

credits: Jen Caputo template, Little Dreamer Designs Michelle Coleman Cherry Berry Burst kit,
font: Girls are Weird and Century Gothic (click to enlarge)


credits: Shabby Miss Jenn Princess kit, LIV designs template from Jessica Sprague.com
(click to enlarge)

Here is another layout that I finished the other night of Anna in May when we went for a walk down to see Baby Jesus statue in our town. She discovered that you can put flowers in your hair after Mommy showed here...I just love this photo!

My wonderful mom comes home from Knee replacement rehab tomorrow! She is doing GREAT...all the nurses say so--they took away her wheelchair from her on Monday--which was a big step. I know she can do it! Luckily we are right in town--and can give her any help she needs! All the nurses say she just has to believe in herself now--they all know she is ready!

Matt and Stacey had their family baby shower on Sunday --it was beautiful, despite the downpour! The girls got soaking wet running in the raindrops--loving every minute of it! It was also Mom's first time back in the real world since her surgery!

Father's Day, A New Knee and Techno Geeks!

Yes, I meant to post this the day after our trip to Mom and Dad Long's for a fabulous Father's Day cookout and swim for the kids...and a great visit with the family. My brother-in-law Greg even asked why my blog hadn't been updated in a while...which made me feel great that they think what I write is fun to read! So Greg, I meant to post this Monday--but life...it whirls fast during the last week of school! This photo above is of course my most wonderful hubby Rob and our two beautiful girls who truly worship their Daddy and so do I. Taken at his parents' house on Father's Day.

We had other big news last week, on June 16th--my fabulous Mom had one of her knees replaced! Catie called Gramma the bravest person she knows...so true! I drove mom to the hospital and spent the day there with her...she did fantastic! After a groggy first day...she started therapy the very next day! After I got home from the day with mom-- Catie, Anna and I had a blanket party in the backyard and snapped this photo of the day!

Here is mom and the girls during our first visit to her "hotel" room at the local nursing home which also doubles as a rehab center! She has her own private room and it is right in our hometown...which means it is extra easy to go every day to see mom! She got her stitches out today and is doing great with her therapy...even doing stairs! Anna and Catie are so cute and say hi to all the other residents of the home...and they love to see their bright young faces!

Catie took a field trip to the zoo for her school on Thursday, June 18--and I took the day off to go with her on the bus! We had a great time....Catie's friend Alexis stayed with us too...it rained pretty much the whole time...but we didn't care! Here are a couple photos, including one with their fab teacher!


BIG news in the Long house....I picked up my brand new iphone 3Gs last Friday, and I also surprised Rob with one for Father's Day! His didn't come in to the ATT store until yesterday-and I ran over at lunch to pick it up for him..what a wife, huh? So then we lay in bed last night texting each other and playing with our new iphones!
Here is the text that I sent to my phone for the Father's Day surprise and printed it out and cut it out to look like a real phone and put it in my new iphone box. He was SO surprised! (well, he did admit to having the thought cross his mind, but didn't think I'd actually do it!)

T0morrow is Catie's last day of school, Thursday, June 25th! She finds out who her first grad teacher will be!
She has had a wonderful year in kindergarten with a great teacher, Mrs. McClurg, and a great longterm sub in Miss Carlsen when Mrs. McClurg had her baby. I'm so proud of Catie! Good luck on your last day sweetie!

Then on Friday, she and Anna get to go work with mommy for a special photo shoot at the college for a story on creative play therapy! They are going to models for the day...they are very excited!

Project 365 update! I'm gaining!

Well....yes, Project 365 is alive and kickin! I did lose some ground with a crazy month of May...but I am determined to keep with this important document of our family's life in 2009! Here is a look at the month of April....I'm almost done with May...I'll get there!

All the templates are from Jen Wilson Designs and all the kits are the
fabulous Shabby Miss Jenn's of course!
Thanks for taking a peek!

Who Says Mug Shots aren't Cute!?

My best friend Kel and I....taking a mug shot?! Actually...it was a the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Prism Awards last night...at Casa Larga Vineyards no less...the site where Rob and I had our beautiful wedding reception! It was so nice to attend and event there...but wish Rob could have been there too!

Kel and I have come a long way since our days as newsroom producers...now we are both in PR for colleges!

My whole Naz crew went...our College President Braveman won CEO of the Year (after I wrote a winning nomination! ;) )--and he was out of town, so I helped our media services staff produce a video of Daan accepting the award. Then I find out when I get there last night that they want me to introduce it! Yikes...I kept it short and sweet, and people laughed at my "on the fly" joke...so it was a success I guess!

Then my colleagues won a PRism for a great piece of work on the Flight of the Flyers website...take a look! Congrats Col, Fran and Alumni folks!

Here are a couple pics of us enjoying our first strawberry shortcake of the season! YUM....thanks to my wonderful fabulous hubby....who made it for us!



Tomorrow is Stacey and Matt's baby shower that mom and I are hosting! I have 1/2 day Fridays now for summer...so luckily, we got a lot done this afternoon at our church, where we are having it in the hall. Lots of pretty pink for Olivia! Here is the diaper cake we made!

Bird's Eye View

This spring has been a fun nature lesson literally at our front door! I have a beautiful new wreath from dear mom-in-law Anne--hanging proudly on our front door...and one day our little neighbor girl across the street knocked on the door and then said--"the mamma bird just knocked an egg out of her nest when she flew away!"

What?? I looked at the wreath--and a tiny little nest was built inside. So cute! Four little eggs...


The girls were so excited...we watched the eggs--but also had to be careful of mamma bird--that we didn't scare her too much..She flew away whenever we got too close.

A couple weeks later....ta-dah...three little baby birds. One egg never hatched. :(

Look at the little puffs of feathers...


Now--here are they are a bit bigger! We can look at them all the time! The girls would stand there all day on a chair if I let them!



We don't see the mama there--I wonder if she comes early in the am and feeds them and then watches from a nearby tree. The babies are growing--so they are getting food...and there is lots of evidence that they are getting food...meaning we're unfortunately going to have to discard my beautiful wreath! I'm sorry Anne...waahh.

Can't wait to see if we'll be able to watch them fly away someday soon!

Also--I've tried lots of times to upload my new HD video from my point and shoot Canon camera..and blogger takes forever--and doesn't upload. So I'm taking a hint from my friends Betsy and Molly--and trying Smilebox!

Here is a video from way back on Mother's Day when I got the camera of Anna singing her Little Mermaid fav! Ignore my singing--and listen to her sweet little voice!

Make a Smilebox invite

UP photos!

Here are the photos of UP that I promised! A windy day! Perfect for seeing a movie about balloons and a floating house!

This end "UP!"

We were so excited that we were able to accomplish all of our shopping, lawn-mowing, etc. after church yesterday so we could take the girls to see the new Disney Pixar movie "UP!"

Wow...it was so awesome! I loved it! I made sure to snap a couple of quick photos of Rob and the girls by the "sign" but I didn't download the photos yet! Tonight!

Both girls got a bit out of sorts after the matinee--we got home at 6 p.m. and Catie said she felt horrible and climbed in her little footie pjs and went to bed without supper. (it could have been due to the popcorn -and m&ms that I packed to go with the popcorn--that gave them tummy aches)--but Catie had a sore throat, aches...blah.

She then woke up at 11 p.m. when Rob and I were going to bed--and wanted supper! I brought her down for a cereal bar and milk...then back to dreamland.

Rob and I attempted to watch "Curious Case of Benjamin Button" on Blu-ray--in two nightly installments because it is nearly 3 hours long! Of course, after we started it--Anna called for me--she was scared--and I fell asleep on her floor for 15 minutes! :) Then, as soon as the movie started downstairs again--I made it a 1/2 hour in an fell asleep! sorry Rob! We'll attempt it again tonight! :)

I forgot to tell my loyal blog readers that I am the proud new owner of an iphone! Of course, they are now talking that the "NEW" iphone could be released at some big techie conference next week--but there is no way to keep up with the technology sometimes. I LOVE it! I have the 16 GB version--and I'm still adding photos, music, etc! So bright and shiny!

Also--I never posted any dance recital photos! Here are a couple--the good ones of Anna on stage are from dress rehearsal! (her dance assistant Miss Jessica is in one with Anna--she helped coax anna into the room at the beginning of the year---Anna just loves her!) Catie was such a little "Hannah Montana!"


These next photos are from the night of the recital! Such fun! I was MC for the Thursday night show--which neither of the girls was in..but that way I earn a free month of dance! I didn't want to MC on their night--just wanted to be with them and watch.also--I forgot to say that I won the Scrapping Simply layout contest with my mother's day layout--so I win 10 free 12 x 12 prints and also a framed print! I think I'll chose the mother's day photo to hang in the house. pretty cool!