The finale

Summer is over, but we wanted an encore!

We built sand castles at the beach (Eagle Island State Park) with the Pearson family! Miss you guys!

Before long, the sand castle wasn't enough. Every castle needs a swimming pool right!

We had a visit from a friend we don't see very often. Thanks for stopping by Kristy and Jazlyn.

We went to a birthday party and my kids LOVED this swing. Maycie thought she was in "Rocket" from Little Einsteins!

Turn your head taco style for this one. At the party, there was a zip line that ran across the pond. Conrad tried it, spread Eagle as you can see! They also had a seat you could hook up to it, so Maycie and I went on it together. She cried....because she wanted to go again!

And Maycie had her first photo shoot. I didn't know she had taken pictures until I downloaded them on my computer...if you are wondering...yes I backed them up! I was thinking to myself when it came up that I had 76 images to downloaded. "Weird, I didn't think I had that many pictures on there." Well, I didn't! Maycie took about 25. She captured the elegance of our ceiling, the couch, carpet, her toys, and of course the favorite...the television (this one won by a landslide...a whopping 17 pictures). I have a small digital camera that I leave either in my purse or on the counter for easy access when scrapable moments present themselves. Maycie must have grabbed it, snatched some photos, and put it back where it belonged. Hey, at least she put it back. Wish I could say the same about everything else she "plays" with!

Dear Mr. WD...aka...hard drive,

I have had a huge problem trusting things, especially one of your nature. If you remember the reason you came about...because my last laptop's hard drive fried to a crisp. Something had to be done. I got your co-worker, laptop No. 2, which has been running great and doing his intended part of the work. But, even though he was new, fresh and full of space, I still had a hard time trusting him. I hesitated putting my hard work on there, which you know included digital scrapbooking tools, photography shoots, completed scrapbook pages, and most importantly, family memories. Because my hesitation got the best of me, I relied on you to carry and store these valuable items. I trusted you!
Now, one might say it is my fault, which partly it is. I should have had a backup. That is what you were supposed to be right? Well, I didn't trust Laptop and Mac as much as I trusted you. When Laptop and Mac got too "full", they quit working as effectively; hence, my reason for putting everything on you. You had plenty of space, 500 GB with 380 GB remaining.
I don't completely blame you. It may not have been your fault. Mac doesn't get viruses, that is why we purchased him. He made us feel safe, like nothing could harm him. However, I wasn't aware that you could still receive a bug by being hooked up to him while he was browsing the internet.
I am probably most disappointed with myself. This has happened to me before. The quote: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on ME!" is constantly ringing in my head. I cry different tears. Some because I am mad at you. Some because I am mad at me. And some because I am distraught about what I have lost. All my hard work GONE!
Yes, I can move on from here. Start over with the scrapbook pages....can't...don't have MOST of the pictures to do this. I don't want to start over and I don't want to move on. I am holding on to a glimmer of hope that you will come back to me. PLEASE come back to me.
I have been so concerned by your sudden "death" that we have called a specialist to help. Free examination and then could be up in the $100's to retrieve the hard work I trusted you with. Now I cry tears of deciding whether or not it would be worth it.
My conclusion through all of this chaos: I relied and trusted you TOO much. You were my friend. You were the only one I trusted to store my hard work. But, now I realize, I should only trust Mr. CD! At least he likes being burned!

Please come back!

Mandie

Suburban Cowboy

While we were home a few weekends ago, Con's Uncle Terry took us horse riding. Maycie has been begging to ride a horse. I forget they will grow up as "city" kids. Well, when it came time, she clenched to my shoulder. She changed her mind...personally, I don't blame her. On the other hand, Jaxon LOVED it.

He was waiting so patiently for his turn.

I love how the wind is blowing her hair in this picture. You can't see them, but she has her cowgirl boots on...with shorts and a Disney Princess T-shirt...classy!

If pictures had sounds, you would hear him giggling and saying "wee". Maybe that's what a horse sounds like in the mind of an 18 month old, or maybe he thought he was going to slide off the neck, or maybe he uses that word as describing something fun. What ever it meant, he enjoyed the moment!

Idiot!

The idiot who posted the last post misspelled the link.

http://capturedmomentsbymandie.blogspot.com

Thanks Nicole!

Captured Moments

I just started a new blog to post some of my favorite pictures from the portraits I capture while doing my photo shoots. You can view the sneak peeks at:

http://caputuredmomentsbymandie.blogspot.com

Where have I been....?

I have absolutely no desire to do anything but READ. I am not an avid reader, and I wasn't excited to read these books. I was just tired of everyone talking about them, so I decided I would read them....but I was NOT going to like them.My kids have had brownies for breakfast and watched too many movies to count. I am behind on laundry, grocery shopping (hence, the brownies for breakfast), and cleaning. I haven't touched my digital scrapbooking for at least 2 weeks...this one is the biggest shocker! And most importantly, I haven't posted in a week. Hhhmmmm.....if only I were a VAMPIRE.......

How'd he do that?

(Eagle Island State Park)

Well, Conrad has won both our kids over. We have a daddy's girl and a daddy's boy! How'd he manage that? Well, I don't think it is fair...and I am feeling left out. All well, I really wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks Con, for being the BEST dad ever!

I should have been cleaning....

The conclusion....

Would someone else teach this kid how to eat! Hint: Food goes IN the mouth. I finally figured out why he is so skinny...nothing EVER makes it in his mouth!

I miss you already!

Burrito
Hoagie

This Summer I have been to the park at least 3-4 times a week for the free youth picnic in the park. The lunches are free for any youth 18 years or younger. Adults can purchase a lunch for only $1. As funny as this sounds, it feels like less effort for me to put my kids in the car and drive to the park. I have grown to love this. The kids eat, play and then when we get home, NAP time! They also have daily activities for the kids....coloring, painting, tie dying shirts, making picture frames, key chains, etc. Did I mention FREE! My monthly food budget has gone down. Well, this fantastic program ends once school starts...bummer! Back to 3 meals a day. Wish me luck!

Every photograph tells a story.......need I say more!

Kormylo Part 1

Durrant Family

I LOVE taking pictures, so if you are interested in booking a photo shoot, please email me. I charge $35 for a children's session, and $50 for a family session. Both include a portrait CD.

Einstein!

I walk in to the bathroom, Maycie is laying in the bath tub like this, and the conversation goes as follows:

Me: "Maycie it is time to wash your hair."
Maycie: "Mommy, don't get my ears wet okay!"

She must have gotten her mother's common sense!

Chapter 5: Big Boy Job

The famous saying has always bugged me, "there is light at the end of the tunnel." Well, for us, that tunnel was very dark for a very long time. We are still in this so called "tunnel". But, ladies and gentleman, we have reached the light. Conrad has received an offer from Micron as a Tax Accountant. He doesn't graduate until December, but they want him and are willing to work around his last semester. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see what this next chapter in our life holds. It isn't a jump to financial freedom, but the increase has brought the light. We hope to post the next chapter soon.

For those interested in the parts of the book you have missed:

Chapter 1: Boy meets Girl
Chapter 2: She Said YES!
Chapter 3: Campus, pennies, and diapers.
Chapter 4: Making room for one more.

Stay Tuned:

Chapter 6: Home Sweet Home

My #6

To those who remember, and for those who don't care, a few years ago our old computer crashed. The hard drive was fed up and decided it no longer wanted to run for the Anderson family. And, being in the age of technology and digital cameras, I very rarely developed pictures. I used up my memory card, transferred the pictures to the computer, and started over. Some of you may know where this is headed. Well, if "lazy" Mandie never printed off pictures, and had them on her computer...aka hard drive...and it crashed...well, Mandie doesn't have those pictures anymore. I lost all of Maycie's new born pictures until she was about one year old. I had about 2 dozen that I had printed off. I cried! Hard! I felt like the worse mother and that was before I started doing digi scrapping.
Well, a dear friend of Conrad's, MR. NEAL KOSKELLA, being the computer wiz he is, retrieved those pictures from our old hard drive. Once again, I cried! So, Neil, you have officially been added as #6 on my list of hero's. (For those wondering, I am not sharing the other 5).

THANK YOU NEAL!