The Mann Family

Kids' Korner Preschool Thanksgiving Program

2008-11-25T22:11:00.002-06:00

Hayden's preschool had Thanksgiving lunch and a little program today. Joe and I got to go and Hayden loved that we were there just for him and only him. He was so cute in his program. :-) Here are a few of my favorite moments.

Mrs. Sherrie, Hayden's teacher.

Our Family Picture for Cards this year

2008-11-08T09:06:00.003-06:00

All of us (except Angel, the guinea pig).

It was time for a picture of just the two of us again. Thanks Lisa! We love it. :-)

I got a quick shot of Carson before we left. Isn't he handsome? :-)

Hayden's 2nd haircut, but his first "real" haircut

2008-11-07T17:51:00.003-06:00

We had a photo shoot right before his haircut today. This was about the best one I got of him. He's always on the move and trying to make me laugh. :-)

He didn't cry at all this time, even though he said he was going to.

He looks so big now!

Punk Rocker

2008-10-17T19:17:00.002-06:00

Wonder Woman

2008-10-17T17:29:00.002-06:00

Oscar the Punk Rocker & Jasmine the Punk Pirate

2008-10-17T17:24:00.002-06:00

Ainsley's trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-09T13:32:00.003-06:00

This is the best time to go to the pumpkin patch for pictures. There are still a lot of pumpkins left. :-)

Photo opp. :-)

I found this shirt in a tub of Katelyn's old clothes this morning right before we left. Nothing like perfect timing!

Waiting her turn for the monkey bars. She's quite good at monkey bars actually!

Not my favorite picture of myself, but it's proof that I was really there, right? :-)

To Infinity and Beyond!

2008-10-07T07:18:00.002-06:00

Hayden is Buzz Lightyear this year for Halloween. :-)

Katelyn's Costume

2008-10-06T21:27:00.001-06:00

Katelyn is a Punk Pirate this year for Halloween. She is really excited about it. We had a little fun with a quick photo session the other day. :-)

Kylee's Flowergirl

2008-10-06T09:40:00.002-06:00

Waiting to practice dancing with Mr. Chris.

The cheesey side of Ainsey that we don't get to see too often. :-)

Going to practice with Mr. Chris.

Practicing for the big day.

I painted her nails like the big girls! She said her nails looked like Nana's and Mema's. :-)

Getting her hair done took awhile...

But it was worth it because it was beautiful.

Dressed and ready.

Playing with the white fuzzy caterpillars was a lot of fun. :-)

Waiting her turn for pictures.

Don't they look stunning?! :-)

Waiting in the bridal tent to walk down the aisle.

Nervous but excited.

Only a photographer's kid would make eye contact with the camera even when she's nervous and knows she has such a big job to do. :-) Such a pro!

There she goes! Note Mr. Mel in the background grinning. She loves him and he looks so proud of her. :-)

Almost there.

Waiting to dance with Mr. Chris for real this time. :-)

"She spins and she sways to whatever song plays without a care in the world...."

"So I dance with Cinderella...."

"....while she is here in my arms...."

"....cause one day the clock will strike midnight and she'll be gone."

Hayden vs. the Guinea Pig Cage

2008-08-26T08:23:00.003-06:00

The other day Lisa, Mike, Joe and I were all hanging out in the kitchen talking when Ainsley came running in saying, "Hayden's in the guinea pig cage!" We ignored her at first. When you have 8 kids running around one house you just tend to wait for the sight of blood before you take any comment too seriously. She repeated the statement, and we all just paused, looked at each other and said in unison, "Did she just say that Hayden is in the guinea pig cage?" She did! Oh no! Joe runs down the hall and I hear him yelling get the camera! Of course I'm not going to miss out this opportunity, so while I'm frantically looking for my camera and a clean card, Joe is pretending to help Hayden get out of the cage. Hayden's crying, "Daddy, get me out!" Joe, holding back laughter is saying, "I'm trying, son. Mommy, hurry with the camera!" He's also concerned that the guinea pig is squished between the cage and Hayden. Oh no! How are we going to console Ainsley when we have to explain to her that her guinea pig has been squished by her brother! Thank goodness the guinea pig was fine. She was pretty nervous around all of us for a few days, but overall she's fine.

How did this happen, you ask? Well, all I have to say is Hayden.... those of you who know him know if anyone can get themselves indside a guinea pig cage, it's Hayden. We were installing flooring in the girl's room earlier that day and their furniture and extra toys were all pushed into the closet. Hayden found their trash can and pushed it over to the dresser that the cage sits on. He opened the door (which is even hard for me to do) and put his entire upper body through the opening. From there all I can imagine is that he tried to pull himself, with the guinea pig in hand, through the door. He didn't fit as easily that way, so the entire cage came with him, collapsing down on him, shavings going everywhere. The pictures explain it better than I can.

So, in the battle of Hayden vs. the guinea pig cage.... I guess you can tell the cage wins! I'm hoping he's learned his lesson here.

Time for a Change

2008-08-25T22:40:00.005-06:00

I felt like my blog needed a new look, so purchased a blogger kit from Sweet Shoppe Designs (my favorite digital scrapbook store). This kit is called Blog in a Box: Bloom and Grow by Zoe Pearn. Isn't it fun?! With this new look, my layout is different, so I am having to go through and resize my pictures so that they won't be cut off. This takes time, so they aren't all done, but I'll work on a few every now and then.

Katelyn's Team Pictures

2008-08-16T10:03:00.004-06:00

We went to the mansion last night to take pictures of Stage Art's Xtreme Praise Team members last night. Katelyn is on the Teen Team this year (that name alone about kills me - TEEN? wow!). She wanted to pick out her own outfit for this and it had to involve jeans. :-) She did a good job all the way from the headband to the shoes. She looked so grown up and trendy. All that training about what matches and what doesn't is finally paying off. :-) I absolutely love these pictures of her. She is beautiful. I don't take the time often enough to just sit back and just look at her. She is changing so fast. 4th grader! I can't believe it! Anyway... before I tear up I'll just post these. Katelyn, I love you. :-)

Such a photographer's kid, isn't she?

Stage Art Productions Xtreme Praise Teen Team 2008/2009

Carson lost his first 2 teeth!

2008-08-15T14:06:00.002-06:00

Carson lost 2 teeth this summer before school started. This was a big deal to him because he thought he wasn't as smart as some of the kids last year because they had already started losing teeth. I'm not sure where that theory came from, but he really did believe that! He knows now that being smart has nothing to do with losing teeth, but he does know that it has something to do with growing up. Joe pulled both of them for him after weeks of Carson wiggling them. He looks so cute with those gaps in his teeth. :-) The others are already coming in, so the gap won't be there long.

Ainsley's First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-15T09:46:00.002-06:00

Ainsley had fun her first day of school. She has Carson's teacher from last year, Mrs. Ary.
A few interesting details about her first couple of days of school:
* Mrs. Ary said the first day she pretty much played by herself and was quiet.
* The second day she made friends with a little girl named Evan. I asked Ainsley about her new friend Evan and she said, "Everyone calls her Evan, but I call her Sarah. Her first name is Sarah, her second name is Evan." She is Grace's little sister (Katelyn's friend from last year).
* This morning when she was getting her backpack ready for school she pulled her Dora blanket out of her bag and said, "Mommy I need a different blanket for rest time because my toes stick out of the end of this one." She's grown this summer. :-)
* Ainsley came home yesterday with a red rash on her arms and red cheeks, so we think she's got Fifths Disease - one of those childhood rashes. Intersting thing is, Katelyn had it this same time last year.
* She's the youngest one in her class again this year. She probably always will be since her birthday is right before the cut-off date. I noticed she's one of the shortest too, or there are some pretty tall kids in her class. :-)

Hayden's 1st Haircut

2008-08-12T00:19:00.003-06:00

We finally took Hayden to get his first haircut last week. It was quite an ordeal! It took me several weeks to finally make the decision that it was time to get it done. After having the girl at Starbucks say, "She looks just like that little girl in ...." (I didn't hear much after that because the words "she" and "little girl" rang in my ears like a siren), I made the call to Barbara to schedule his appointment. He hated every minute of it. Cried from start to finish. Joe tried his best to distract him from crying by talking to him about the animals on the front of his apron, and how cool it was that he got to wear a cape. But nothing worked until it was over and he got the reward. Three pieces of candy. He does look really cute with his new cut, and the most important part for me, he kept some of his curls. I'm just not ready to give them up yet. :-) Besides that, we have big plans for Halloween for his costume, so he's going to need that wild, curly hair in October.

Hayden & Sadie Dancing

2008-08-11T22:14:00.003-06:00

This video was taken a few months ago, but I ran across it again tonight. It's just so funny that I had to post it. Note the mess in the boys' room. It pretty much stays this way. I know what you're thinking, Mom. Sorry. :-)

A few favorites

2008-07-21T00:34:00.003-06:00

Hayden is taking a drink from the Hillbilly Shower :-)

Oh yeah!

2008-07-21T00:33:00.001-06:00

Hayden looks like he is in love with this huge sucker! We didn't realize until we got ready to open it that it's called a paddle sucker. Hmmmm... I wonder how it would hold up?

Candy!!!!

2008-07-21T00:29:00.003-06:00

I love this picture of the kids! This was at the very end of our Frontier City trip. We closed the park down, but not before we went to the candy store and let them all pick out something. They were all just starting to get that sugar rush look in their eyes.

Ainsley's look says it all: don't you wish you were me?!

Adam & Carson: photo booth

2008-07-21T00:21:00.002-06:00

We had a great time in OKC during our vacation. As you can guess, there are lots of pictures to go through and play with, so I have to start somewhere. Here is a quick page of Carson and Adam in a photo booth at Frontier City. We didn't want to waste money on photo booth quality pictures, so we took our own. The kids all really liked taking a turn. The girls' pics will be coming soon. :-)

Cardboard Testimonies

2008-06-26T11:43:00.001-06:00

This is just way too powerful not to post. Please take 8 minutes and 4 seconds to watch this video. It changed my day today. :-)

Meet Angel

2008-06-22T16:40:00.000-06:00

We have a new addition to our household. Angel, the guinea pig came to live with us yesterday. She was given to us by a lady who could not keep her anymore. She came with cage and all. Ainsley has been wanting a guinea pig ever since Teddy came to stay with us, her class pet from Pre-K. When I told her we were going to Tulsa to pick up a guinea pig she said she was going to name her "Angel, no Nana's Angel".

She called her Nana to let her know that we had picked up the guinea pig. And this was how the converstaion went:

Nana: "So you finally have your ginea pig. What are you going to name her?"
Ainsley: "I don't know."
Nana: "I thought you were going to name her Angel."
Ainsley: "No, she's not a girl."
Nana: "How can you tell?"
Ainsley: "Because she doesn't have a hair bow."
Nana: (Laughing) "She doesn't have a hair bow?"
Ainsley: "No. So she can't be a girl."

So this conversation should explain why they have matching hairbows in the following pictures. :-) And in case you are wondering, yes I take pictures of everything, even guinea pigs with hairbows!

There are, of course a lot more pictures of Angel and Ainsley.
Click here to view them all

There are, of course a lot more pictures of Angel and Ainsley.
Click here to view them all

Ainsley's dance costume

2008-05-09T23:50:00.002-06:00

Here is a sneak peek of Ainsley in her costume. She was is a really bad mood the day we took these. She was up later that night crying with an ear infection, so she really did have a good excuse for her bad mood. Anyway, bad mood and all, we still managed to capture a couple of good pics. :-)

See what I mean by bad mood? :-)

Stage Art Productions 2008

2008-05-09T23:47:00.002-06:00

This is Katelyn's 5th year with Stage Art, and she loves dancing! She is in several classes this year. Here are a few of her costumes for the showcase.

The girl can do the splits!

2008-05-09T23:42:00.003-06:00

Pretty awesome, huh! Her legs are so long, and they really look long when she does this!

Carson Rookie Year T-Ball

2008-05-02T10:08:00.001-06:00

Carson's Trader Cards

2008-04-30T09:17:00.004-06:00

Carson is playing t-ball this year and last night I got to see him play for the first time. His team sponsor and name is, ironically, Photography by Sherry. :-) His games started last week, but I had Stage Art pictures all week, so I was't able to go until this week. He wanted me to be sure and take pictures of him. Adam went with us and watched. These are some trader cards that I made for Carson to pass out to all his friends. He is excited to get them! :-)

Favorite Dance Photo of Katelyn

2008-04-24T15:30:00.002-06:00

I'm right in the midst of Stage Art picture week, but I thought I'd take a minute to post one of the pictures. This is one of my favorite pictures, so far this year, of Katelyn in one of her dance costumes. This is her lyrical with sign language class. She really seems to enjoy this class and I love to watch her sign and dance at the same time.

Katelyn's other costumes are not in yet, and neither is Ainsley's. When they come on and I get those pictures I will be sure to post a few . :-)

Trio Dance Composite

2008-04-20T23:32:00.002-06:00

FINALLY! I got to scrapbook again! I have been so busy with work that it has been months since I have been able to sit down and just make a page. This is the girls' trio routine that they are in this year. Lisa and I discovered the perfect kit for these pictures.

New Composite of Ainsley

2008-04-20T21:26:00.002-06:00

Potty Training Update!

2008-04-20T21:18:00.002-06:00

Well, Hayden actually screamed this morning, while fighting with Katelyn about his shoes, "I need to go potty!" I heard those five little words out of all the commotion and said, "Someone go put him on the potty!" At that point I had to leave for ensemble practice, but I later learned that he pooped on the potty and it was his idea! Yeah Hayden! That was the only potty moment for the day, but it was progress. :-)

Update on Hayden - To use the potty or wear the potty on my head.... THAT is the question

2008-04-19T22:05:00.004-06:00

Well, after going through about 6 pairs of underwear today, and remembering that I have to take him to church tomorrow, I finally decided to go to Wal-Mart and buy more pull-ups for Hayden. I know what you're thinking... I should have stuck to my guns because now he realizes that we aren't really ever out of pull-ups. All we have to do is buy more. But I couldn't stand it any more. Too much wetness! And I know he went outside in the front yard at least 3 times today buck naked (because I am making him put on his own underwear and for awhile today he refused and didn't wear anything). Did I mention that our neighbors were having a yard sale and there were at least 5-6 cars outside our house at one time? Lots of people on our street today watching my son streak around the front yard!

The funniest thing that happened with the potty training happened last night, though. Hayden decided to slip the potty ring over his head. You know how this goes.... what goes over your head doesn't always come off as easily. I think he almost ripped his ears off trying to get it off of his head! After composing myself, I ran and got my camera while Joe smeared lotion over his ears and helped him get it off. As you can tell from the pictures he was not happy at all. He got a little lovin' from Daddy, then he got the "Joe Mann lecture" about why we sit on the Sponge Bob potty ring instead of putting it over our head. :-) Fun stuff! He'll kill me one day when he realizes what I put on this blog!

Look what Hayden is wearing today!

2008-04-18T14:08:00.004-06:00

Well, we have been talking to Hayden since about a month before his 3rd birthday, that it's time to start using the potty. He has been adamant about it - he's not going to use the potty! We've bought underwear and pull-ups. We've tried to bribe him and even force him to wear the underwear (thanks to Katelyn). He's at the point that he seems scared of the underwear! Well, today I told him that we ran out of diapers and pull-ups and I asked him what we were going to do. What can you wear? He went to his drawer and said, "I can wear Thomas the Train underwear!" So.... here he is in his underwear! He hasn't needed to "go" yet, but he did try a few minutes ago. I need to run some errands, but I'm afraid to take him out of the house because I know as soon as I do I'll have wet clothes and probably a wet car seat to deal with. But what do I do? I have told him we have no more diapers or pull-ups! A mom's gotta stick to her word, right? So maybe this will be the weekend that we get past our fear of potty training. Maybe, just maybe... the Mann family is done with diapers! :-) I'll keep you updated....

I think they are a little itchy. He's not used to that waistband!

Ainsley in her new bathing suit

2008-04-18T13:52:00.003-06:00

Ainsley is ready for summer! I think she has been asking me everyday since the beginning of April when we are going to be able to go swimming. I keep telling her when school is out, but she still asks me everyday. I let her put on her bathing suit and sunglasses for a quick little photo session. I got a new white seamless backdrop and a new camera, so I've been dying to try them out on one of my own kids. :-) Ainsley was pretty goofy in this session, but here are a few of my favorite pictures.

Snow Favorites

2008-01-31T18:16:00.000-06:00

Hayden falling down in the snow.

Katelyn taking a break from snowman construction to take a pic.

The ends of Ainsley's hair got wet after about 2 minutes outside, but she didn't care.

Carson holding a big snowball on top of his head.

Carson and Ainsley waiting patiently to put the final touches on the snowman. Ainsley and I made a special trip to Wal-Mart to get real carrots. She told me that Frosty would not be able to come to life without real carrots. ;-)

The poor dogs... everytime they come in from the snow they look like they are wearing those furry snow boots on all 4 legs. They walk so funny, and my laundry room floor is one big puddle after they thaw out! Jasmine looks really sad here, but she really had fun playing in the snow. :-)

What is it about snow?

2008-01-31T16:53:00.000-06:00

You know what I mean... you did it as a kid too. Snow falls and out comes the tongue! Gotta try it. Can you catch one? Hayden, Ainsley and Carson did. Katelyn just put her face to the ground. It's much tastier to get a mouthfull instead of one flake! :-)

Snow Day 2008

2008-01-31T14:45:00.001-06:00

Here's what we did today!

Teddy

2008-01-31T14:17:00.000-06:00

Meet Teddy the guinea pig. He is Mrs. Pierce's Pre-K class pet this year. He came home to spend the night with Ainsley Tuesday night this week, and of course, any visitor at our house has to endure a photo shoot! He was a real trooper. Ainsley was very proud to have him here with us. She informed me that we better not feed him anymore carrots because he would blow up and die. She was also very concerned on the trip back to school that Teddy was going to be arrested because he wasn't buckled up. :-) Ainsley loves Teddy. We went to the pet store today to look at guinea pig cages (which, by the way he desperately needs, so anyone reading this if you have one you could donate or know where one can be purchased relatively cheap let me know). While we were at the pet store Ainsley decided we needed a guinea pig and a cat for our house. Which DID NOT AND IS NOT HAPPENING! She will just have to enjoy having a guinea pig at school. :-) Here are a few of the pictures we took. Thanks for staying with us, Teddy!

"Teddy you better hold still or my mom will never stop taking pictures!"

Teddy, in his happy, serene state.

Teddy and his "someone please rescue me" state.

Hayden really enjoyed having Teddy here too. He still asks, "Where's Teddy?"

"I wonder how tight I can squeeze him before his eyes pop out?"

Some of my all time favorite pictures

2008-01-22T19:23:00.000-06:00

I am finally decorating my studio and living room walls, so I have been going through 1000's of images trying to pick my favorites to print and frame. It was so much fun looking back at everything I have taken over the last five years, that I just had to share some of my favorites. All of these are soon to adorn either my studio or living room wall, so if you come to my house you'll see them again. Some of you may have actually seen most of these, but it's still fun to look back. I haven't made it through all of my pictures yet, so I may be posting more in the next few days, but here's a start.

Hayden at 2 months (Katelyn is on the left & Carson is above him):

Katelyn's baptism with Pastor Joe (October 22, 2006 - 7 years old):

The Mann Clan at Spaulding Park in Muskogee - Katelyn (7), Carson (3), Ainsley (2), Hayden (7 months) (Fall 2006):

Ainsley going cross-eyed looking at a clover flower:

Carson peeking through a wooden truck:

Hayden have the ride of his life on my studio rocking horse:

Katelyn loving being a big sister to Hayden (2 months old):

Ainsley being a princess at her tea party:

Emily and JD:

Doris & Warren:

Whitney:

Blake - about to become a new dad:

A sign at Prairie Song:

Emily:

Expecting Baby Shiloh:

Whitney:

Another sign at Prairie Song:

Tyler & Erykah:

Madelyn:

Amanda:

Beth:

Baby Forrest:

Tiny Fingers:

Mooreland Family:

Marcy:

Rob & Beth Ann:

Tiffany & Bobby:

Marcy:

Tanner:

Our Weekend Project

2008-01-21T21:22:00.000-06:00

Joe is making progress on our shelf. I am trying to decide if I like the big white frame in the middle and what I am going to put in it. I am thinking about using my four colored leaf art and making it big enough to fit in the frame.

With the lights on

Without the lights on

Got Milk?

2008-01-19T18:26:00.000-06:00

The kids had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and milk for dinner tonight. They all had worked really hard to get the perfect milk mustache and it was just too funny not to photograph, so we did it. Katelyn asked me when she saw me uploading the pictures on my laptop, "What are you going to do with those pictures?" Can it be that she's starting to worry about being embarrassed by silly pictures? Oh, she has no clue how many embarrassing pictures I am saving for her wedding slide show! :-)

Speaking of embarrassing photos... I am reminded of these little gems that I had of Joe from Halloween. These were Hayden & Carson's eyebrows and mustache pieces from their Mario and Luigi costumes. Leave it up to Joe to try these out for himself. What was so funny was that he didn't make any big deal out of it. I was busy working on things in the kitchen and I look up and see this sight. Isn't he fine?! I wonder where our kids get their sense of humors? Hmmmmmm.....

Katelyn all dressed up

2008-01-19T15:35:00.000-06:00

This is Katelyn's favorite dress right now. When Ainsley got all dressed up for her tea party, Katelyn had to get dressed up too. She raided my jewelry box and found the necklace and earrings. The tiara was something that came on a doll, I think. All I did for her was pull her hair back. She took care of the rest.

Ainsley's Tea Party

2008-01-19T15:16:00.000-06:00

Ainsley was so excited last Saturday to get all dressed up and have her own tea party. She has decided that she wants her birthday party this year to be a tea party and she's been telling all her friends at school about it. I can't get her to understand that she'll be in a new class and it will be next school year before she has a party. All of her little friends have been coming up to me all week asking about her tea party birthday. There are a lot more of these pictures posted on my new proofing site. Go to Ainsley's Tea Party
to see the rest.

Carson's Sparring Gear

2008-01-19T14:57:00.000-06:00

Carson is so excited about karate now because he just got his sparring gear this week. He had to try it all on and I had to take pictures of him. It wasn't long before Hayden had to get in on the action and Daddy had to practice some of Carson's moves. Boys... need I say more? :-)

I love this picture because you can see Carson's 1 year picture in the background. My little guy is growing up.

Sparring time with Daddy and Hayden. Hayden is having a blast in these pictures. He kept pretending to fall every time Carson hit him. He never got hit very hard, but he sure knew how to play it up to make it look real. Carson loved this. :-)

Hayden had to try on the gear while Carson was gone to school Friday. He came in wearing of of this, so I just had to take his picture, of course!

Hit me with your best shot.

When Mom's away...

2008-01-19T13:50:00.000-06:00

Some of my friends and I went out for a "girls' night out" last night for dinner and a movie. We were out from about 6:30 until after 11:30. We had so much fun and the movie (27 Dresses) was fantastic! Great chick flick! Anyway... I never worry about the kids when I am gone because Joe is very capable of taking care of all of them, but this time he went above and beyond the duties of dad while I was gone. He made the cutest sugar cookies with them and he cleared off and repainted our built-in bookcase while I was gone! What's even more awesome is he thought to take pictures while he was making the cookies with the kids. He knew that would be important to me. He also made me my own SHMILY cookie! Isn't he sweet? :-) Here are the pictures to prove it. Way to go babe! The kids had a lot of fun and the shelf looks great. I really appreciate you. :-)

Ainsley and Carson working hard to make the best cookie.

Hayden's version of making cookies - a crumbled pile ;-)

The cookies are on their way into the oven.

The finished product.

My own personal SHMILY cookie :-)

The painted bookcase. We have big plans for this bookcase, and painting it was the first step to getting our project started. I'll have to post an after picture when we are all done.

Hayden and Carson Video

2008-01-12T21:42:00.001-06:00

Lil' Frosty

2008-01-09T12:11:00.000-06:00

Ainsley's dance class danced to "Frosty the Snowman" in the annual Christmas show this year. They were all so cute! Here is the photo session of her in her costume.

Caught in the Act!

2007-12-19T12:02:00.000-06:00

This is exactly why I don't have any extra time to blog any more! Hayden is ALWAYS into something. Today I left him alone (strapped in his chair watching Lord of the Beans) for about 15 minutes while I took my shower. When I got out of the shower it was quiet (never a good sign), all except the sound of tearing paper. When I came around the corner here is what I saw. Hayden was tearing into every package that I have wrapped so far! Ugh! These packages took me so much time to wrap, and now I have to re-wrap them before the other kids realize they are missing. Not gonna happen! I have Ainsley's school party today at 1:45, cards to get in the mail (which requires waiting in the line at the post office), a trip to the bank, picture orders to deliver, and church tonight. Oh well. I have bagged them all up in black trash bags, which Hayden now thinks I am throwing them all away, and they have ended up in the back of my closet AGAIN!

Yes, Hayden, that is Mario, and no I'm not excited that you know this!

You little stinker!

Don't smile at me!

I'm glad someone thinks this is cute! Your mom doesn't agree!

The aftermath.
I know all of you are wondering if Hayden is still alive. Yes he is and no I did not spank him. I gave him a bath instead. I needed to cool off and he needed to be in a place where he couldn't destroy anything, at least for a few minutes, while I called Lisa to vent!

I have officially updated my blog, which took all of about 10 minutes, right? Well it's just enough time for Hayden to get into another mess, I'm sure. I hear the water running in the bathroom and at least 3 or 4 electric toothbrushes running! Better go! :-)

Hayden finding Luigi in himself

2007-11-02T21:47:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween from all of us!

2007-11-02T15:53:00.000-06:00

Here are all of the kids in their costumes. Ainsley wore her dance costume. She was a ballerina. Katelyn was Hannah Montana's friend, Lola. And the boys were the Mario Bros., Mario and Luigi.

Mario Bros.

2007-11-02T15:41:00.000-06:00

Carson & Hayden were the Mario Bros. for Halloween this year. These were fun costumes to make. I finished Hayden's about 10 minutes before I put it on him.

Mall Kiosk

2007-10-01T19:39:00.001-06:00

Well, we did it! Lisa and I put together a kiosk for the month of October at the mall. We have been wanting to do this for the last few months, so it was really exciting to get it up. Lisa has started a little business called Scrappymom Creations. She does digital scrapbook layouts for people, and many other things. Check out her blog for more information. She's awesome at what she does! www.scrappymomcreations.blogspot.com
We designed the to kiosk to have her stuff on one side and mine on the other. We were assigned the area just outside of Goody's and that's where we put it all together. I went in early this morning to add some stuff and it had been moved to center court! About that time a man walked by and said that he had been instructed to move it because it was the best kiosk in the whole mall! I could have jumped up and down right there! How exciting! Needless to say, it has huge exposure where it is and we are anxiously awaiting the calls and emails for appointments and assignments. Lisa already received one email today about it! Woo hoo, Lease! Anyway... see the pictures below.

Picture Day

2007-09-20T13:22:00.000-06:00

Today was picture day at school, and as you can probably guess, we didn't purchase any again this year. I did decide to snap their pictures really quickly before they left for school this morning. I got them at their best. Katelyn's hair is freshly curled, Carson's is perfectly spiked, Ainsley's hair is not wet on the ends from her chewing on it, and Hayden's, well.... his little curls are showing. :-) They have clean clothes and faces, which will make their Nana very happy, and they all had that fresh, good morning glow about them. Perfect opportunity for pictures. Nevermind that we were almost late for school and Carson and Ainsley both threw fits about the shoes they were wearing. Or that Katelyn and Hayden had just had a meltdown into tears minutes before. Oh, the trials of bringing up children. Every morning is pretty dramatic and they aren't always clean and smiling, but at least for this brief moment in time I got them all to smile. :-)

Our Karate Kid

2007-09-18T13:43:00.000-06:00

Carson started karate class today at Mid-America Karate. He loved it! We are very excited for him to have his own activity that no one else in our family has done or is doing. We are really excited to see how much this helps Carson.

Fall Session with Hayden

2007-09-17T21:11:00.000-06:00

My blog is starting to look like the Ainsley Blog. I don't meant for it to come across this way. She just has given me ample opportunities for pictures the past few weeks. I did get Hayden to sit still for a minute to try out my fall set. He did a good job being my little model. :-)

Blogging Again.... It's been a while

2007-09-17T20:56:00.000-06:00

I have so much to add to my blog that I really don't know where to start. Life has been crazy lately. I'll start with Ainsley's 4th Birthday. She had her party with Adam at the Conoco Phillips Gymanstic Center. It was a lot of fun for both of them. On her actual birthday she received this Candy Bouquet from Meema and Papa. We still have candy in it! Thanks Meema! :-)

Ainsley's Get Well Bear

2007-08-22T20:36:00.000-06:00

Ainsley had surgery this morning at JPMC to remove a tube that had fallen in behind her ear drum. It went really well and she was a great patient. This afternoon after her nap the doorbell rang and this sweet little bear and balloon were delivered by Haines Florist. She was so excited to get it. She named her bear Princess and of course we took a few minutes this afternoon to stop by Frank Phillips Mansion and take a few photos. Thank you Nana and Pops!

Little Dancer

2007-08-15T12:06:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Ainsley's first day of dance for the new year. She was so excited to go, which was a big change from last year. She has all new shoes and clothes, so we had to have a photo shoot, of course! She is really growing up. She reminds me so much of Katelyn in these pictures (maybe it's the hair).

Her class went very well. She participated the entire time and she got 2 stamps because she had her wistening eawrs (listening ears) on.

Angel kisses, spwinkles, freckles....

2007-08-14T07:22:00.000-06:00

My, how fast summer has flown by! School starts tomorrow and I'm not sure if I'm a little sad because I'll have 3 kids old enough to be in school or if I'm overjoyed because 3 of my kids will be in school! It's a mixed bag of emotions for sure! We have had a fun summer and the "sprinkles" on Ainsley's nose prove how much time we've spent playing in the sun. We've had sunscreen on every time we've been out, but it's inevitable for all of us... those freckles will be coming eventually. We've got them on both sides of the family. :-) We affectionately call them angel kisses, but Ainsley calls hers sprinkles. She discovered her sprinkles this summer while looking at herself in the mirror. She said, "Mommy! Look at my face! I have spwinkles! He, he, he!" Even Hayden has a few (I just haven't been able to get him to hold still long enough yet to get a close-up).

Family Mission Trip: Day 3

2007-07-21T19:33:00.000-06:00

Day 3 of our trip was the same assigment as day 2. We went to 2 more apartment complexes and had backyard Bible studies. Don bought a few balls and a large frisbee for the kids to play with, so we had more things for them to do. The big boys loved throwing the football around. The smaller kids liked the soccer balls and the frisbee. It was really hot, but the kids didn't seem to mind. Well, that is, except for my kid. :-) Katelyn complained about the heat and the bugs and her foot might be bleeding and on and on. I realized very quickly that she is quite the pampered little princess. We had a heart to heart, and then she and Daddy had another heart to heart, then she finally decided to quit complaining and join in the fun. She met a 7 year old little girl named Amber Star. She was quite the talker, so Katelyn sat and listened to her for quite a while. That's good for Katelyn... to be the one listening instead of talking. :-)

As you can tell from Carson in this picture, he was mad at me for making him sit in the shade for a few minutes. Right before this he was out in the middle of the dirt in the sun playing with beer bottle caps. You know Carson... :-)
The other kids pictured here were all enjoying the Bible study and songs.

This litle girl on the top right has those eyes that look like they have seem more in their lifetime than most adults. She was such a sweetie. She was hot and tired when I took this picture because she had been kicking a soccer ball with Ellen and the other little girls for quite a while.
The little girl with the ball walking down the sidewalk was a little apprehensive about all of us being there at first. After talking to her and looking at her ball I finally figured our her name was Marie. She brought her own ball, but she wasn't sure she wanted to play. She warmed up to us, though, and she had fun.
I had to coax Katelyn into interacting with the kids. After a little "mom/daughter talk", she decided to color with this little girl. She seemed to enjoy it after she got going.
Carson is really hot and tired and very dirty in this picture. He spent most of his time playing in the dirt. :-)
The little cutie on the bottom left came with her sister. She is so cute! I could have photographed her all day long. :-)

After our day with Mission Arlington, our group headed straight for Hurricane Harbor, which is a 47 acre water park with so many huge water slides and more! We had a great time, but our time there wasn't quite long enough for us. We didn't get to try everything before they closed, but it was a great way to cool off! Not a camera friendly environment, though, so sadly I have no pictures to share of it. :-(

After Hurricane Harbor, we went to Grapevine Mall to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. It was fun and we ate way too much! We ordered the VOLCANO dessert in honor and James and Kerri's 16th Anniversary. It was yummy! Happy 16th to the Veits! :-)

I have so many more pictures to share with you, but after our trip I am exhausted. I wanted to get a few from Day 3 on here before too many more days went by, but I will post more in the days ahead. We are safely home and we had a wonderful time. We are so glad we went, and we are planning to go again next year.

Family Mission Trip: Day 2

2007-07-20T05:25:00.001-06:00

Today was the first "real" day of our mission trip. We made it to Mission Arlington where Miss Tilly and a group of her staff members gave us our first assignment. We were to go to a local apartment complex and basically have a backyard Bible club for them. We had a guide named Sara, who came with us. She has been interacting with these kids all summer, so they knew her and were ready to come and play. We went door to door and told every apartment that answered that we were from Mission Arlington. I wasn't sure how many kids were going to come, but it was a huge success! We played games, had a Bible story, and were able to share Jesus with them while having fun. They had lunch delivered to them around 11:00, so we helped them make their way to the lunch area and then we went and had lunch on our own.

We had 2 places to choose from for lunch, and we picked Wendy's. We had been outside in the heat all morning, so a Frosty was in order!

After lunch, our next assignment was to visit another apartment complex for another backyard Bible study. We did everything the same as before, but this time we were on our own - no guide. We knocked on several doors, where you could tell they really didn't understand a word we were saying, but they just smiled politely and nodded. I can't even imagine what that must be like. We didn't have as many kids show up to our Bible study, but the kids who did come were precious, and were excited to be there with us. We opened up with songs from our Sunday school years, and they all seemed to love that. Joe taught the Bible study, and he did a really great job. I know I'm biased, but he just has a real knack of being able to communicate with people. He did a wonderful job. :-) After the lesson we all played a game of Simon Says and then we passed out fun worksheets for the kids to color.

At both the morning and afternoon sessions, the kids were so fascinated with our digital cameras. It was so cute to see them gaze at them as if they were seeing and touching something for the very first time. For most of them, I'm sure that was true. Something that our kids are so used to seeing and touching everyday because we are fortunate enough to have them in our home.... Something that we take for granted and toss around.... Something as simple as a camera.... They found so cool and interesting.

The best part about the entire day, for me, was seeing their eyes light up when we talked to them about Jesus. Seeing the big smiles on their faces when we sang songs and praised the Lord. Seeing them hug an adult and cling to them even though they had only met 10 minutes earlier. These kids were so trusting and so open to us. I wonder what they did after we left them. Did they go back inside their apartments and show their parents the papers they had colored? Did they play outside in the heat? Did any of them get to go swimming in the swimming pool? I will always remember each of their sweet faces, and I hope we planted a seed in their lives that will someday lead them to Jesus.

There are 13 pages of pictures here. It was hard not to take so many. James took my camera during the afternoon Bible study and took many of the pictures there. With his help we captured the entire day, so now we can share these precious kids with you too. Thanks James!

After our day with Mission Arlington we finished up with swimming, then dinner at Buck & Loons, and then swimming again. It was a long, busy day, so I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed, which is why I didn't update my blog until this morning.

We are looking forward to another day of whatever God has in store for us with Mission Arlington. I will update again tonight or maybe tomorrow morning. Stay tuned...

Family Mission Trip: Day 1

2007-07-18T21:30:00.000-06:00

Our first day of the mission trip was mostly traveling, but we had fun riding on the bus. It was a new, big adventure for the kids. Carson and Ainsley were really excited about it. We left Bartlesville around 1:00 P.M. and arrived in OKC to meet Kyle and Shannon. They took Ainsley and Hayden with them, and the rest of us headed to Arlington. We stopped again in Gainsville to have dinner at the Cracker Barrell. Katelyn and Carson got to have pancakes for dinner, so they loved it! We spent some time visiting and rocking on the front porch and then we finished up our evening traveling to Arlington. We arrived at our hotel around 9:00 P.M. and took the kids for a moonlight swim. They have had their showers and are now tucked into bed excited about tomorrow's events. I will update tomorrow with more pics and news! Stay tuned....

Let's Give Ainsley a Kiss!

2007-07-10T13:06:00.000-06:00

During our Patriotic photo shoot Adam and Carson laid a kiss on Ainsley. I was never more glad to have my camera than that moment. The look on her face was priceless! This is the series of photos as they happened.

Just Splashin' Around!

2007-07-02T17:36:00.000-06:00

There's not much to do around here with all the rain and high waters, so we decided to play in the puddles in front of our house. So glad to have rain boots! The first picture in this slideshow is the floodwaters at the bridge at Frank Phillips and Hensley. We used to take this bridge every day to Dewey when we lived there. There is a car in the picture that is covered up to the windshield. Poor Kiddie Park.... it will be a long time before it dries out!

Rain Boots

2007-07-02T16:50:00.000-06:00

These rainboots were a major impulse buy that I felt really guilty for buying several months ago. I didn't know at the time that we were going to have so much rain this year. I am really glad now that I bought them, and the kids love them! Katelyn is the only one who doesn't have a pair. I haven't found any in her size yet, but I'm on the hunt for some. ;-)

Ainsley took a turn!

2007-07-02T16:38:00.000-06:00

Ainsley was able to put on her own boots and go for a splash in the puddles outside. She had a blast!

Hayden splashin' in puddles

2007-07-02T15:39:00.000-06:00

Hayden has been putting on Ainsley's rain boots the last few days, and I just had to get a picture of him in them. What better place than in the puddles in front of our house? I know they are pink, but he just looked so cute in them! He had a lot of fun splashing. He kept looking back at me with a look of, "Is this really okay Mom?" I never let him splash in puddles. Oh what fun!

Fishing at Honor Heights Park

2007-06-22T08:18:00.000-06:00

Carson finally got to go fishing with Pops last night. The weather and the lighting was perfect! This was Carson's first fishing experience, and he had so much fun. He caught 5 fish total, and they threw them all back at the end of the evening.

Katelyn's Day

2007-06-22T08:17:00.000-06:00

Happy Father's Day

2007-06-17T14:03:00.000-06:00

Joe is such a great dad to our kids. I always knew he'd be a great dad, even before we had kids. Here a just a few of the things that make Joe a great dad.

Top 10 reasons why Joe is such a cool dad:

1. He loves God and he shares Him with our kids daily.
2. He loves me in front of the kids.
3. He is so gentle and patient.
4. He never misses tucking them in bed and he tells them the coolest stories starring themselves.
5. He listens even when they are wining.
6. He's quick to find a Band-aid and Neosporin when there is an owie.
7. He loves an occasional dogpile and tickle-fest.
8. He laughs at their jokes, even when they are really bad.
9. When they are in trouble, he talks first, disciplines second.
10. Even when he's has had a really long, hard day at work, he still comes home with a smile on his face and open arms for all of them.

Blue Eyes

2007-06-17T02:01:00.001-06:00

Art

2007-06-11T08:48:00.000-06:00

Some of you that have seen our living room color have wondered how we are going to decorate. I took a few pictures of the plants and flowers we have in our front yard, and I came up with this piece that we are going to hang in the living room. For those of you who don't know, our living room is bright green, and we love it! We are planning to get black furniture and decorate with black and red accents. This picture should look great in our room. :-)

Our Little Ballerina

2007-06-10T14:34:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures of Ainsley during her dance recital. It was such a proud moment for Joe and me to watch our little sweetie dancing on the big stage. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. :-) I wasn't sure that she would even get on stage, but she surprised us and actually danced in all of her routines. Our favorite part of the performance was when she kept pushing back her tutu looking down to make sure she was still standing on her mark. So cute!

Hayden's "Spid-a-nan"

2007-06-08T20:59:00.000-06:00

This is Hayden's "Spid-a'nan" He loves this little guy, and he takes him almost everywhere. He likes to take it to Wal-Mart and drop it about 50 times while we I am pushing him around in the cart. I think he likes to watch me bend down and pick it up over and over. The last time we were in Wal-Mart we got to the front registers and he started asking me "Mommy, where's Spidanan?" I didn't know, but we retraced our steps and found it by the rugs on a shelf. Thank goodness we found it!
I thought I'd better get pictures of Hayden and his Spidanan before he loses it for good or he loses interest in it all together. :-)

Carson's Pre-K Graduation

2007-05-25T09:08:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 was a proud day for our family. Carson graduated from Dewey Public School Pre-K! It has been a long year of encouraging Carson every day to go to school and try his best, but it has been worth it. He has changed so much since the beginning of the year. He has learned all the things that a pre-k student should learn, but the most important development in Carson this year was socially. He has really come out of his shell. He talks all the time now, and he loves to play with his friends. This time last year, Carson would have hated being up on stage in front of a crowd of people, but just look at him in these pictures! He loves it! He knew that it was his big day. We went to the candy store and bought him a green Chinese take-out box full of his favorite candy as his graduation present. He couldn't have asked for anything more. :-)

We are so happy that Carson finished the year out and we are really excited to see what Kindergarten brings for him. He will be in a new school district next year with a lot more kids, but we are sure that he will be fine. Pre-K got him off to a great start, and we are so thankful for Mrs. Wilson for constantly working with him and encouraging him to keep up the good work. She is precious to our family and we will truly miss her as Carson's teacher.

Did someone kill a blue ostrich in the house?

2007-05-21T21:26:00.000-06:00

After leaving the dogs out one day while I ran an errand, I came home to blue feathers all throughout the entire house. They had found my blue feather boa that I use for a photo prop and had played tug-o-war with it. I kept walking through each room wondering how much of it, if any, I would find left in tact. It all started in the studio. Do they look completely guilty or what?!

The Girls' Dance Costumes

2007-05-21T17:24:00.000-06:00

Ainsley was in the Pre-School Combo Class at Stage Art this year. She was in a tap and a ballet routine during the show, as well as the Father/Daughter Dance. I was so proud that she actually stayed up on stage and did the dances! ;-)

Katelyn was in Tap, Ballet & Jazz, Xtreme Praise Team and Recreational Cheer this year at Stage Art. She was in 5 routines during the show. She did such a great job!

Father/Daughter Dance

2007-05-21T00:46:00.000-06:00

This weekend was a busy one for us. The girls had their dance recital and it was so wonderful! The Father/Daughter Dance this year was a slow country song about a dad and his little girl. Since Joe can only dance with one of the girls at a time, he decided to dance with Ainsley because it was her first year in dance. This left us needing a fill-in "daddy" for Katelyn, and the perfect person for the job was Uncle Kyle. They had a lot of fun. I'll post more pictures of the actual dance later, but here are a few of the official photo shoot. :-)

Hayden is a mess!

2007-05-20T21:57:00.000-06:00

One of our favorite family outings is to Maggie Moo's for ice cream. Hayden, as you can tell, loves their dark chocolate ice cream with M&M's mixed in. He usually makes a pretty big mess when we go, but this time it was necessary to get the camera out. :-)

The Boy's Birthday Parties

2007-04-11T00:57:00.000-06:00

We had Carson's 5th & Hayden's 2nd birthday parties this past Saturday. They had a big dinosaur party here at the house. It was a long day, but a lot of fun!

Easter Slideshow

2007-04-10T22:13:00.001-06:00

We had a lot of fun on Easter Sunday. It was chilly, but we didn't let the cold spoil our day! Here are a few pictures that we took that day. We missed seeing all of our family in Muskogee. We hope you all had an Happy Easter!

Our Five Year Old

2007-03-27T00:39:00.000-06:00

Carson is five years old today. I cannot believe that our 2nd born is already 5! It just doesn't seem like he should already be 5. I remember his birth vividly like it was yesterday. I remember my water breaking at home at 5:00 A.M. and being scared wondering if we would make the drive to Tulsa. I also remember Joe almost getting stopped because he was speeding through downtown Tulsa. All he did was point to me and my belly and the cop waved us on. I remember standing in the elevator at the hospital totally embarassed because I was getting the floor wet, and thinking this has got to be the longest elevator ride ever! I remember thinking I was having strong labor pains and knowing that our baby boy was coming any minute and the doctor telling me, "You're not quite dilated to a 1 yet." WHAT? Not even a 1? That couldn't be! I remember how much he looked like Katelyn when we first saw him and how much he didn't look like her by the time we left the hospital. He had black hair, yes, black hair! It didn't stay long, but it was black for a while. He was and is our laid back child. He was an easy baby and, for the most part, he is an easy kid today. He doesn't have to be the center of attention, but when he is he has that shy little grin on his face. I love his smile and his eyes. He could ask me almost anything with a sweet smile and those eyes and I would say yes. He tells me at least 4 or 5 times a week that I look pretty or that I am beautiful. He has also started telling Katelyn and Ainsley how pretty they look when they are dressed up. I love that about him. He also reminds me often that he loves me so much. Back when school first started, he was having a hard time, and it seemed like every day I was getting onto to him about school. After a few weeks of this, he started telling me "Mommy, I still love you." It just broke my heart because I knew that he was needing some positive reinforcement. He was feeling like he was a constant disappointment. He loves shiny objects, sharp objects and small objects - basically all those things he's not supposed to touch. I don't know how many times we've been walking through the mall or Wal-Mart and I'll see something in his hand. It's a screw or a bolt and he has taken out of some clothing rack somewhere. He loves video games and cars, and he also loves to play BINGO. His best friend is Noah, but he fights with Ainsley and Adam about why Adam should be his best friend. He loves to have secrets whispered into his ear every night as we tuck him in, and he loves it when Joe tells stories where he is the hero that saves the day. He has touched my life in so many ways. He has made me smile many times when he brings me a fist-full of flowers. He has made me laugh when he tries to break dance and do the robot in our living room. He has made me chuckle when he walks in from outside with a dirt mustache. He has made me proud when he writes his first and last name on the menu at Monterey's. Carson Riley Mann. Our first little "Mann" is now our big boy five year old. My, how time flies. Thank you God, so much, for Carson.

Our Trip to The Felser's Farm

2007-03-26T22:14:00.000-06:00

We went to Bill & Carolyn Fesler's farm today to see all their goats. They have so many Bill is not even real sure exactly the number! They had two twins born just this morning! We had a blast. The sounds the goats make is so cute, and sometimes it even reminded me of the sounds my kids make when they are playing. Of course, I took a ton of pictures. I thought I'd post a few.

As soon as we got there a few of the goats ran up to us and started nibbling on our clothes. This really surprised Ainsley. She wasn't scared though. She is saying in this picture, "Mommy, he's eatin' my shirt!"

I love this picture of my girls together! This is one I'll have printed and framed for their room.

Hayden's favorite part about being on the farm was finding rocks to throw in the water trough and make a big splash. He would toss one in and wait for the splash and laugh and say, "Oooo, nasty!" He did this about 50 times I think!

Carson loved feeding the babies with the bottle. On our way out he was carrying one of the goats and someone asked, "Are you going to take that one home?" He ran up to me and said, "Mommy! He said we could take that one home!" No, he didn't get to take one home, but somehow I got talked into going back to the farm in the morning to get one to take to Carson's class for show and tell. It is his birthday tomorrow, so I guess the birthday boy can have his wish!

Katelyn's favorite part was finding all the newest babies and carrying them around. She wanted me to take her picture with each one she picked up. As we were driving away she was already asking me if her friends could come out with her next time. I'm sure I will be getting asked every day when we are going back. She was right at home on the farm. I've told her before if she wants farm animals she'll have to marry a cowboy. :-) I can actually see her living the farm life.

Ainsley feeding the baby. She's been practicing a lot with her baby dolls at home. She's a natural! ;-)

Can you tell she's loving this?

I really like this picture of Hayden because you can tell by his chubby cheek that he is grinning really big. It reminds me that he won't have that chubby face and extra chin for much longer. He'll grow out of his "baby" face before we know it.

Carson getting chewed on.

Ainsley holding one of the newborn twins.

Carson getting a little love from one of the twins!

Hayden choking one of the kids. :-) It was okay... really!

Ainsley must have smelled yummy because those babies nibbled on her the whole time we were there. They even enjoyed her hair! I wonder if she had syrup in her hair from breakfast? :-)

Well, Angela, we have our own "poop" shoes! We all had to take our shoes off before we got into the van. Next time the kids will wear those rain boots that I have always felt ashamed for buying because they were not a neccessity. They will get a lot of use now!

The best part of the farm trip for me was seeing the smiles and the excitement on their faces while we were there. And not worrying how dirty they were getting. It didn't matter. All that was important was being in that moment with them. And don't worry Mom, I put them in the shower the minute we walked in the door. :-)

My future's so bright I gotta wear...

2007-03-25T15:46:00.000-06:00

Shades! The kids were playing around with an old pair sunglasses today and they were all 3 ready to strike a pose. I love it when they goof around! My favorite part of being a mom - watching my kids play and make me laugh. Great times!

Hayden vs. The Driveway

2007-03-25T15:34:00.000-06:00

And the driveway wins! Yesterday we were outside most of the day getting ready for our yard sale, and Hayden had a battle with the concrete. He was pushing a car around and he ran into a big crack in the driveway. His car tipped and he went face first onto the concrete. He looks like he's been to battle and he lost! He has bumped that side of his head so many times here lately that we aren't sure where one bruise ends and another begins!

Changes

2007-03-25T14:01:00.000-06:00

My theme for myself for the year of 2007 is "Change". The biggest change I want to make in my life is my weight. I started Weight Watchers at the beginning of January with the idea that I would "try" to lose weight. I have been attending meetings weekly, and it has been the best decision I have ever made. I am finally starting feel like I have a direction and a goal for my weight loss. To date I have lost 27 pounds and have reached that 1st 10% goal. It has taken 11 weeks for me to get here, and every single week has been worth it. I rarely find myself on the other side of my camera because I have always been self concious about pictures. I never take full body shots and when I do no one ever sees them. I decided that I am changing that about myself. I will be in pictures and I will be happy with showing off full body shots. Joe took a few pictures of me today after church because I thought it was about time to take a few "progress" pictures of my journey so far. I really hate to post these before pictures, but they are really important for me to see them compared my current pictures. It really helps me to see how much progress I've made, and it encourages me to keep going. I am not completely pleased with my "now" pictures, but that's good because it make me want to keep going. Dixie, my WW leader, tells us all the time that the year in going to go by anyway. So my plan is to look back on this year without shame or guilt because I will know that I have done everything I can to get healthy. I have short term goals for my weight loss, but my big goal is to be 100 pounds lighter by next January. Ultimately, I would like to lose about 125 pounds. I no longer want to shop in the plus sizes for clothing. I want to be able to run and play with my kids in the backyard. I want to be able to play on the church softball league and feel like I have something to contribute. I know that I can do this and I am positive that I will reach my goals. 2007 is going to be a wonderful year for me!

Katelyn's Song Menu

2007-03-23T08:02:00.000-06:00

Katelyn came in to me yesterday with this song list. She asked me if we could roll the piano out in the front yard. I said, "The big piano?" She said, "Yes... it's on wheels! And I want to play songs for people for 25 cents each. Here's my list. I can play all of these." I asked her, "So you think people will pay you to play a song for them?" She responded, "Well, yes! It's only 25 cents per song. That's cheap!" What was I supposed to say to that? Just like her Daddy, she thinks she can make money doing anything. :-) I told her when we have our yard sale she can set up a lemonade stand. We will probably sell one of our pianos, so who knows, maybe someone will pay her for a song or two!

Going for a walk

2007-02-06T18:36:00.000-06:00

It was such a beautiful day here today! The kids wanted to take the puppies out for a walk (their first time). They did pretty well. I think Carson & Katelyn about ran them to death! They were so thirsty when they came back inside. We are going to have so much fun playing outside with them this spring. :-)

Brothers

2007-02-06T17:43:00.000-06:00

I finally had a photo shoot with the boys. I know there are a lot of pictures here, but I just couldn't choose from any of these. They really show both of their personalities. They both love cars and planes, and that's all it took to get them to sit still a minute for a few photos.

Sisters

2007-02-05T11:36:00.000-06:00

Last night Ainsley & Katelyn decided they wanted to take a few pictures together. They were already in their pajamas, so we just a fun, goofy time (their favorite kind of photo shoot). I love how they look at each other and giggle. This is Katelyn's new thing to do with Ainsley - pick her up and tip her upside down. As you can tell, Ainsley loves it!

Ainsley & Jasmine

2007-01-31T01:07:00.000-06:00

Ainsley & Oscar

2007-01-31T01:03:00.000-06:00

She cut her own hair!

2007-01-31T00:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I think it's a right of passage at the Mann house for our kids to cut their own hair. Before church Sunday, I trimmed Ainsley's bangs and then I put the hair scissors back in a box, not realizing little eyes were still watching me. Before we went to bed Sunday night I found Ainsley in the bathroom with her hand on her forehead with a scared looked on her face. I asked her what was going on and she dashed out of the bathroom and went straight to her bed. Those of you that know Ainsley know that if she voluntarily gets in bed, something's up. I asked her what she did and she wouldn't move her hand. I knew immediately. She had cut her bangs, again for me. She left about an inch of hair right in front. It's hard to see in this picture because I pulled some of her hair down and cut a few more bands to cover it. You can really tell when she's just running around playing.

I took the whole thing amazingly well. Not at all the way I took it when Katelyn did it. Katelyn did the same thing when she was three, but she cut off her little sprig of a ponytail on the top of her head. Katelyn's hair took forever to come in to begin with, so I was really upset. I was pregnant with Carson, at the time, and Joe came home from work and we were both crying when he walked in.

Dogs wear cute outfits too!

2007-01-27T16:41:00.000-06:00

We had another puppy photo shoot today. I think they are getting used to the camera. We went to Tulsa and got these cute little sweaters for them.

Oscar, the Harley Dog!

Hayden is feeling much better!

2007-01-27T00:32:00.000-06:00

This is big sister giving baby brother some valuable advice... "You can't go outside unless you have your rain boots on, Hayden. It's really muddy and there is snow all over the backyard."

As you can tell, Hayden is feeling much better. He had his 2nd Rocephin shot this morning. He knew the minute he saw the nurse who she was and why she was here. One more shot tomorrow and he'll be finished. :-)

Puppy kisses!

I was working on my laptop today, and I looked up and there was Hayden inside the pet carrier. I love moments like this. When he does those funny little things that I never expect, but I am not really surprised about either. He is our little clown! A true baby of the family. :-)

Having new puppies is so fun!

2007-01-27T00:26:00.000-06:00

Carson & his pal, Oscar.

Yes, Ainsley is wearing her nightgown, but at least she had enough fashion sense to put on her pink rubber boots with it!

Ainsley with Oscar.

Ainsley with Jasmine.

Jasmine & Oscar 's First Day Here

2007-01-24T17:31:00.001-06:00

Today was our first full day with new puppies in the house. They did great! They have been really good about waiting to potty until we get them outside. They have had a couple of accidents, but they are just getting used to a new environment. They slept all night in their carrier, and I didn't hear anything out of them until this morning. I found Oscar in Carson's room on his bed playing Nintendo this afternoon. Carson had gotten him out of his crate and taken him to his room so he could watch him play. He left Jasmine in the crate (it must have been a boys only thing). Joe said that he found Oscar playing Nintendo with Carson last night too. :-) He said that Ainsley had Jasmine in the girls' room in a doll carrier covered with a blanket. She made the perfect baby doll! They seem to be adjusting really well, and the kids love having them around.

Carson playing Nintendo with Oscar (Oscar looks thrilled, doesn't he?)

Katelyn - proud mama of 2 new puppies!

Katelyn with Oscar.

Katelyn with Jasmine.

Carson with his Nintendo partner, Oscar.

Carson with Jasmine.

Sick Kids!

2007-01-24T17:22:00.000-06:00

Man it seems like everyone is sick right now! We've all been stuck inside way too long and now we're passing germs around. I took Hayden and Ainsley in to the doctor earlier this week and they both have double ear infections. Hayden just wasn't getting any better, so I took him back today. Dr. Bumpus did a chest x-ray, a flu test and an RSV test. The chest x-ray and the flu test came back fine, but he did test positive for RSV. Home health will be coming by for the next 3 days to give him Rocephin shots. Dr. Bumpus said she thinks it will take 3 doses to get his ears and the RSV cleared up. He's pretty grumpy, he coughs a lot, has a fever around 102 and he's wheezing, so he's just not himself at all. I'll be glad when he's better. Ainsley, on the other hand, went to school all day yesterday and she says she feels better. :-)

Our New Additions!

2007-01-24T01:24:00.000-06:00

Well, we've added two new "babies" to our Mann clan! We have two

Shih Tzu puppies, Oscar & Jasmine. We went to the pet store tonight, and somehow we ended up bringing home these little cuties. Joe was there and he approved it all. Actually, it was his idea to get them both! They are brother and sister, and they were born November 1, 2006. That makes them about 12 weeks old. They are both very spunky, and the kids are thrilled to have them. Katelyn and I went to Wal-Mart tonight and bought all the stuff that new puppies require, and some that they don't ;-). Of course, they had to have their first official photo shoot, so I could show them off to everyone. Katelyn came up with the name Oscar, and our friend Morgan gave us Jasmine. Their names really are perfect for them. Oscar is a little smaller than Jasmine, but I think she just has more hair. They seem very happy to be here, and we are so excited to have them! I'm sure I'll be getting pictures of them playing with the kids really soon, so be looking for them!