Merry Christmas!

Love, Brandon, Jenn, Ella, and Lily

Lights and Pics

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

For some reason, i can not upload pics to blogger but i will say that i have taken quite a few here lately. Things are crazy as usual around our house getting ready for Christmas. I"m trying to finish with school this week and have a couple of weeks off before i go back. I will say that the girls are driving me bonkers with their craziness! Lily bit Ella the other day on her leg and left two perfectly round bite marks that looked like vampire bites. On the way home, i heard Ella say to Lily, "You bit me you vampire" Tis the season, right?

A day in the life of an Intern

It's not too often that you have the fear put into you when you're at school but on the day that i was at the high school that i am interning at, i did. One of the teenage girls(she's 16) went into labor and came into the office complaining of pain. She took off for the bathroom before i could yell, "Wait" and i said to myself if she didn't come back in 2 minutes i was going in. Seriously, you read those stories about girls that have babies at school in the toliet and then go back to class. She did come back and i spent the next hour timing contractions and helping her breathe until her mom could come get her and take her to the hospital. They left, i was drenched in sweat, and told myself that if the counseling gig doesn't work out, maybe i could get a job as a midwive??? Who knows!!!!!!

Topless Pumpkin Carving

Girls gone Wild! Girls gone wild! Do you see Ella in the first pose?

Happy Halloween

Just some pics from our halloween party at playgym. Ella decided to be Barbie from Magic of the Rainbow and Lily just wanted to be a cat. Check out the look Lily is giving Ella.

Hillcrest Orchards

We took our annual trip to Ellijay, GA to visit the apple orchards at Hillcrest. The girls love going to this b/c they get to go to a petting zoo, ride on the tractor, see a moonshine exhibit(you read that correctly), ride tricycles, go on a big slide, and a nursery rhyme trail. This year my parents and Andrew went so it was extra fun! We also always get apples to take home along with apple fritters and apple doughnuts. Sooooo good! You can also go apple bobbing, milk a cow, watch cloggers, and ride a bull. All for $5!!!

Curl Up and Dye

Have you heard of hair salons by that name? That honestly how i felt today when i went to get Ella's hair cut. I mean it needed to be cut but we cut 5 inches off which is a lot and the hairstylist kept saying " Are you sure?" Ella wanted it shorter and it's still shoulder length but it makes her seem so much older! I included a sweet pic of Brandon and the girls playing outside this afternoon and enjoying the weather. I love to see the joy they get out of playing a simple game of tag.

Yummy Gummy Peaches

On a trip to our local CVS to pick up a prescription, Ella and Lily made it to the candy aisle. The candy is located at child eye level(Smart marketing if you ask me) and so i let them pick something small. In my rush to get out of the store, i hadn't really noticed what they had chosen until we got done. When i got in the car, i realized that Lily had chosen those peach gummies rings. Remember the ones i'm talking about? I know my friend Sara Parker would. I thought of her when i saw them and smiled. See, when we were in college-Sara and i were roomates and still really good friends-Sara came back to our room one night after running around in downtown Nashville telling me about this homeless guy she had seen on the street. He asked her for money and as usual Sara didn't have any but you know what she did have? Yes, these yummy peach gummies. And she said to the man when he asked for money "I don't have any, but take these peach gummies. See, that's the kind of person Sara is......she'll give the peach gummies which was the only thing she had.... because her heart is that big. She could have said no and kept walking but she didn't. For some reason, maybe it was the tears i saw in her eyes while she told me the story or maybe it was the way i felt when i realized how much she cared about a stranger, i've always remembered this. So when i saw that bag of peach gummies, i am reminded of my friend Sara Parker and how sometimes it's the little moments in life that can make us smile.

And what to my Wondering Eyes......

did appear, but peace between my girls. Normally, this is not the picture when they are at the computer. They usually can not share but this is what i captured when i came in the room and i just had to take a picture

Baby brothers, kitties and puppies

A conversation at dinner the other night went like this.....
Ella: Maybe i'll get a kitty or puppy when i get older Daddy
Brandon: Probably when you get older
Ella: Maybe a baby brother too, huh Daddy?

Do you think there's a 3 for 1 sale???

Twinkies in Pajamas

Since the weather has turned cold, this is the girls new matching pj's. I thought they were too cute in posing!

The love of Popsicles

The girls love to eat popsicles especially pink ones however today Ella had a green one. This is the pic i got after they got done eating them.

Hello Fall and Hello Friends!

I am really embarrassed when I realize how long it's been since i've posted. Over the past month, we've been busy with school, Disney on Ice, football games, and birthday parties. I turned 29 on Sunday and this past weekend we took the girls to Disney on Ice which they both enjoyed. I am so glad that fall is just around the corner as we are looking forward to pumpkin patches and apple orchards!!!!!!!

Hot days of summer

Just wanted to share not that they are the greatest pics( i am getting a new camera soon!) of the girls playing dressup. They have clipon earrings and a veil to complete the picture. Things are going good with our family. My internship keeps me busy 3 days of the week and combined with our weekends, we're busy!!!! We have watched High School Musical 2 now probably 5 times and know all of the songs that get stuck in your head. Oh well!! I repeat I am ready for fall!!!! This weather has got to go.....

Going Home

So i've been such a slacker in posting but we have been busy. Today i started my practicum/internship at Boyd-Buchanan. For those of you that don't know, this is the school i went to from K-12 and absolutely love. I worked there for the first 2 years after i graduated before i stayed home with the girls. Last Wednesday, i went for registration and saw many familiar faces and friends. Yes, Amy i saw Heidi and sweet little Matthew getting ready to go to register with Jeff. For me, this was like coming home. You know the feeling you get when you haven't seen someone close to for a long time, you know how full your heart feels? That was the feeling. I love those people there and am so thrilled to be back working on my internship. However, let me note some differences since i've been there
1. I'm pretty sure I'm now 10 years older than the seniors
2. Certain areas(namely one sag on my body than before)
3. It is HARD to get up in the morning with 2 kids!
4. I have grey in my hair and wrinkles around my eyes!!!
5. And finally, I am even more confident that I can do this job of school counseling and that this is where i am intended to be, God willing!!!

In other news, our house is on countdown to High School Musical 2 which comes out this Friday. My 4 year old has gone from Disney Princesses to Troy Bolton!!! Help us all!!!

Sweet Dreams

If i told you about the beginning of our day yesterday with Lily clawing Ella's face and leaving marks and then how our day ended, well this would be it. Lily was so exhausted by the time we got home, she fell asleep and Ella decided she needed to take care of her.

On another note, it's just too stinking hot outside!!!! I am ready for fall.

We'll take cheese with that pleaseeeeeee

Who doesn't love a trip to Chuck-E-Cheese???? We took the girls Friday and they love it. However, for me i miss the days of Showbiz with the bears that had those eyes that would blink when they sang and the bodies that moved soooooo slowly, does anyone remember that? Anyways, after we spent the $20 which was cheap because we had a coupon, this is the prize we got that Lily is holding. Some eye glass thing and 2 tootsie rolls, 2 magnets, and a chuck-e-cheese squeesy toy. Personally, i could have bought these things at the flea market for a dollar, thank you very much but you would have thought the girls won the jackpot. The pics were taken after they got home. Oh, and them already asking "Chuck-E-Cheese pleaseeee again, Mommy?"

Little glasses

I learned yesterday morning that my grandmother had passed away and while this was a grandmother i wasn't that close to because she didin't live close by, i still have fond memories of her. When i was a little girl and we would go and visit her, she had these little glasses that were just the size for my hand that i could drink with. Recently, my mom and i came upon these glasses while cleaning out her house and she asked if i wanted them. Of course because of the memories associated with them. I brought them home for the girls who were excited to use "big" glasses to drink from. I realized that often times it's not the expensive gifts that are important but the cheap ol' glasses that bring smiles to little ones faces. Plus, every time i get them out of my cabinet, I'll always think of my sweet Granny.

Manuel for Dummies

This is my ceiling in my garage and that is my sheetrock on the floor of my garage. I must be the only person alive that doesn't know that you really shouldn't step on sheetrock because it's not meant to hold a person's weight. I nearly killed myself trying to get a booster seat of Ella's that my husband had put on the OTHER side of the storage space. If i hadn't been holding on to the beams i would have fallen straight on top of my car. My body is quite bruised with fist sized marks and scrapes on my legs from where my legs buckled when the piece fell through. Not one of my best moves.........

At night time, the kids always give each other a hug and kiss and it's the sweetest thing to see when they love one another. I happened to catch them in the act and then another of them being cheesy! Also, we just got the Baby Einstein First Signs dvd and it's the best for teaching sign language. Lily has learned to sign a ton of words even just at 2. I totally recommend it.

Love to all!

More party fun, another Barbie cake and one pic from the 4th. Class is back in session for me and I am busy. I took Ella to the dentist to get a cavity filled(yes, shot and all) and she did extremelywell! I'm glad that is over with.

Let's get this party started

Tomorrow is Ella's 4th birthday but we celebrated today with a party at my parents and of course too many presents. For Christmas, Ella got a Fisher Price dollhouse and we had got a couple of the rooms but my mom went and got all of the other rooms which was about NINE of them. Do you see the pic of the 9-1-1 book? Isn't that funny? Lily already has that one down as she called 9-1-1 when she was 15 months but mom thought that Ella could use these as a teaching tool. And of course, the baby doll, only the 21st one that we have.... This year it was a Barbie party instead of Disney princess. I could say that i can't believe that 4 years have gone by but i have and Brandon has felt every one of those years. However, i HATE that she is grower older because she's not my baby anymore but i love to see how her imagination grows as she grows. So, Happy Birthday to my sweet girl Ella Annelise Daniel~

Must be a girl thing!

I was reading Christy's blog about sweet Baylor vacuuming when i looked up and there was Lily with her vacuum except she was just in a diaper. Weird coincidence huh? Must be a girl thing.....

Counting my Blessings

Okay, i know we are trying to get rid of the pal and now Ella has one but the girls were too cute in these pics, don't you think and i couldn't resist sharing. There are days where i think that i'm going to lose my sanity and that i am a failure as a mother. Do any of you feel this way? Ella is so overemotional about EVERYTHING!!! and Lily is the exact opposite. Everything is a huge task with Ella and I am so tired. We still have trouble getting her to sleep at night and taking naps. Teethbrushing is hard, taking a bath is hard, getting clothes on is hard, do you see where i'm going with this? It makes you feel like a big fat loser! However, i was driving along and thinking today how fortunate we were that she was healthy and happy and that she was ALIVE! Not every parent is so fortunate and i count my blessings everyday. So this picture is a reminder that i have two healthy happy(save for the meltdowns) children that i can thank God for each day. Love to all!

More Wedding Pictures

Lora with the girls
Brandon's mom and the girls
Just wanted to show the back of Ella's hair