5 Years and 2 Babies Later...

I have been meaning to try on my wedding dress on my wedding anniversary, but I had an excuse each time.  The first time I was too sick to get off the couch.  The second time I was too chubby from having a baby.  The third time I was sick again.  The fourth time I was chubby again.  So this year I wasn't sick or chubby so I decided to give it a try and ... it fit!

Hopefully my dress will continue to fit for a long time.

5 Years

Tomorrow is our 5 year anniversary.  It's hard to believe that it has been 5 years already.  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband.  He is an amazing daddy to our little princesses.  He works hard at his job even when it means working late.  
I love hims so much and and so glad that he is mine!


Just a little reminder of the vows we said to each other.  We are married for life!

I, Jessica, take you James, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part. 

A little flashback to our wedding day, July 30, 2005.

Seeing each other for the first time


My grandpa Harvey married us.  So special!


Bridesmaids:  Kristin, Penelope, Erica, Chelsea, Abby
 

Husband and Wife

We're Married!



Pretty sure we don't like this picture at all.


The Wedding Party

Leaving on the Trolly

I love you so much

Wedding Portrait

Looking back I am reminded of the wonderful day we had.  We were so in love and still are.  After only 5 years I feel like there are some things I would change (like how I did my make up).  Now I feel a little bit bad when I make fun of my mom's wedding.  Styles change.  I guess as long as you marry the one you love, the rest is just a wonderful memory.

Happy Anniversary to Greg and Shannon.  They were married the same day as we were.  Some people even attended both weddings.  

 

 

$10 - Week 6

Well this week I spent $11.


I spent $6 on some 2 bows for the girls hair.  I had to have them because we didn't have blue and yellow and how were we going to live without blue and yellow flowers for the hair.  They have already worn them a couple times so it was worth it.

I spent $5 on some little craft things at Joann's.  Caden was coming over and it was rainy so I thought we could have something to do.  We ended up going to the Grand Rapids Children's Museum so we didn't do the crafts.  It will be nice to have them on hand for another rainy day though.  They were only $.50.

________________

Total Spent:  $11
________________

Total Saved $18
________________

Photo Shoot

This.afternoon I spent quite awhile taking pictures of Annabelle and Ariel.  They wanted their pictures taken together hugging, dancing, and just being by each other.  I love to have pictures of them together so I took as many as I could.

 
I love my sissy

This was Ariel's idea to lay on the floor



        
 

I love it when my girls want to play together.  

Joy List Addition

I cannot believe that I forgot to put this on my list.


*Harlan Coben. 

Have you ever read one of his books?  You have got to read one of his books.  They are scary books, but written so well that you just want to keep reading.  So the first book I ever read by him was The Innocent.  I liked it so much that I e-mailed him to let him know.  In like 2 days he wrote me back!!!  I am positive it was from him and not somebody for him because that seems to be the kind of person he is.  So read one of his books and tell me you don't love Win.  In real life he is somebody I would never associate with, but deep down I really really like him.  I want to meet him.  I want to meet Harlan Coben.  I want to meet Myron.  I am just waiting for the next book to be available so I can read it.  It takes only 2 days to read one of his books. So go to the library and check one out.  I bet you will love it!

Joy List

My sister-in-laws Michal and Starr made Joy Lists.  These are lists of things that bring joy to their lives.  

Michal's list was all about Cornerstone and everything she loved about going there and Starr's was a list about things in everyday life.

I thought it sounded like such a great idea that I wanted to make my own joy list.  So often we take for granted the little things in life.    

What brings joy to your life?

Here is my list.  It is not in any order as I am just going to type what I think of while I am watching cooking shows.

*Cooking Shows

*My kitchen aid mixer

*Anything pink and green - I'm serious, I like anything that is any shade of pink and green.  My girls' life colors are pink and green.  When I plan a party for them it is pink and green, when I want to buy matching outfits I try to find pink and green.  I regret not doing my wedding in pink and green.

*Staying home with my girls

*My job working with migrant students - these are some really special and neat kids.  Take a moment and think about what their parents are giving up to give their children a better life.

*The combination of polka dots, stripes, and cute flowers.

*My sisters - I'd put a link to them, but they decided to quit their blogs

*My mom and dad

*My wonderful husband

*Chocolate chips - I pretty much like them in anything: plain, yogurt, cereal, mandarin oranges, cookies, muffins

*Things that begin with C:  cookies, cake, candy, carbs, chocolate, you get the picture

*Watching my babies sleep

*A clean house

*I"m sure finishing a home project would be a joy in my life, but I've never experienced that since I can't think of a project that I have ever finished.

*Good hair days (stolen from Starr).  I haven't been seeing too many of them lately though.  Thanks a lot humidity.

*Making cakes for Annabelle and Ariel's birthday.

*Ice cream - I like it all 

*Pineapple and ham pizza

*My front loading washer and dryer

*The fact that I have never had a cavity - I"m pretty sure you don't want to be around me when if I do get one someday.  I get a little teary eyed when they poke longer than I think they should be poking.

*Our toaster/convection oven - You need to get one!

*Seasonal dishes

*Bare Minerals make up - You need to try it!

*When my phone rings (and I can find it)

*Freckles - Ariel is starting to get some!  Annabelle doesn't really like "thimples" though.  I think she wanted to call them pimples, but knew that wasn't quite right.

*My steam mop

*The Monster Steamer

*Reading

*Taste of Home Magazine

*Getting an actual letter in the mail

*Finding jeans that fit

*My whaki pants (gone, but not forgotten)

*Hobby Lobby

*Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

*Mint anything - hot chocolate, brownies, candy

Well that's all I am going to write for now.  Maybe another time I will do another addition of my Joy List.


 

                                                           My dancing princess girls

$10 - Week 5

Well I totally made up for spending all my money last week. 
This week I didn't spend any of it.  I didn't even get it out of the bank.

I did spend $3 on a special (dorky) gift for my sister's wedding shower, but I took that out of the money I had saved from previous weeks.

So I took the money out of the bank and added it to my saved money.  

Total Spent:  $0

Total Saved:  $19

What are you spending your money on?

Could They Be Any Cuter?

I may be bias, but I'm pretty sure we have the cutest girls ever.
Check out what they have been up to lately and tell me they aren't the cutest ever (right after your own babies)

 

Digital Camera

I have had some bad luck with my cameras.  
I had one that I left at a park.
I had on that I got for Christmas 2 years ago and it stopped working.
I got another one and after 5 months it stopped working.

I don't know what the first one was, but the last 2 were the Nikon CoolPix.  I really like it, but I don't like that it seems to stop working so quickly.


What camera do you have?  Do you like it?  
What camera should I get?  
I don't want to spend a ton of money, but I really need to have a camera in my life.
How am I going to capture Ariel standing in the toilet? Or Annabelle doing a beautiful dance move?

Splish Splash

It has been so hot that I have been staying inside with the girls a lot.
On Wednesday when James got home from work we ate supper and then went downtown to play in the fountains.
Annabelle had a ton of fun running through the water spouts and cooling off.
Ariel was unsure about the water squirting at her.  She kept reaching her hand out to Annabelle to help her, but Annabelle was too busy.
We did get to try out Ariel's new swim diaper.  I got one of those reusable ones from TipToes.  I think it is going to be great.  It is close to the same price as a package of disposable swim diapers.
They had a pink one and a green one.  I was debating about which one I liked the best, but the pink one won.  I think I knew I was going to choose pink even before I was thinking about other options.  Here is the one I chose. It fits great under her bathing suit.

I didn't get any of Ariel because she didn't leave James' side.

$10 - Week 4

Well I blew it this week.  I spent all my money.

$3 at the Dollar Tree 
     *A ball for Ariel (it was pink and sparkly, she had to have it)
     *A princess wand for Annabelle 
      (she only has 3, she really needed another one) 
      (It broke in the car right after we got it)
     *Batteries for some toys I got at a garage sale
$1 at the farmers market
$2 at a garage sale on 3 toys
$4 at Taco Bell for lunch for Annabelle and me.  Pretty good deal I think.
 __________________ 

Total Spent:  $10
__________________


Total Saved:  $12
__________________

I'm not feeling too bad about spending all the money.  I mean it was only $10 and the past 3 weeks I haven't spent it all. 
It looks like I need to stay away from garage sales and the Dollar Tree.
 


What are you spending your money on?

Icy Creamy Ice Cream - What A Treat

Icy Creamy Ice Cream - Can't Be Beat!

We went for a drive last week and ended up at a gas station.  James and I got a little ice cream treat.  While driving we let the girls have licks of our treats.  James ended up giving Annabelle his about half way though.  Well, once Ariel saw that Annabelle had her own there was no way she was going to let me hold mine for her - she had to take over and I let her.

"Oops, I spilled." 
(the first of many between the two of them)


"Um, hey, where is mine?"


"This is soooo good!!"


"I'm lovin this!"


"Yummy Yummy"


"I'm not sure why you never let me have one of these before"


"All gone"

Could she look any sadder?

Now check out Annabelle at about this age

Sometimes it is fun to let them get messy.  

Street Performers

This is a little late in being posted, but just too cute to skip.

Last week my friend Jen (who makes really cute things) and I took our little ones downtown to see the street performers.  Little did we know that we actually brought out own performers along.  We stopped at every performer who was singing and our girls danced the entire time.  I think we actually brought in money for them. We decided that next time we should just set out a bucket in front of them.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

We also took some time to play on the statue.

Annabelle had to have her picture taken with this girl because "she is just my size"

This is Jen's daughter, Addi.  Isn't she so stinkin cute?