Emily's first swim, fireworks and cherries.

This is kinda a late night post so I'll keep it simple. This weekend was really nice. The kids had a great time with my mom and dad and it was nice having a little one on one time with Emily again. She's growing up so fast, walking more and more every day. Today she took ten steps to me (yes I counted). We took her in my parents swimming pool for the first time. We all went in, even Jimmy who isn't a big fan of swimming in general but he wanted to enjoy Emily's first time in the pool as well. She loved the water, she's a fish already. She actually does a little froggy kick around the pool it's the cutest thing ever, she was moving along. I have to get video of it next time. Of course we took a ton of pictures, she was all smiles and squeals. I posted most of just her on her blog. We all had a nice time. Kaylee is missing from the pictures, by the time we got the camera out she was already done swimming so we'll catch some of her next time.
Today we went to Indiana and bought our yearly fireworks. That is turning out to be a family tradition. You can purchase fireworks that shoot off into the air in Indiana where the ones you get here don't leave the ground. A bit against the law, shhh. Anyhow Nathan wants them for his birthday but we shoot them off for him during the 4th because I feel like the chances of anyone raising a fuss about them are slimmer during the holiday then if we wait for his birthday. He doesn't mind getting them early. Anyhow we go to this big warehouse with tons of fireworks and try to guess what they all do because none of them are labeled. It's always a fun surprise when we shoot them off, ha. There are some crazy people who end up with some big giant fireworks, I mean they probably spend a grand easy. NUTS. Some of those fireworks are huge, I would not want them in my trunk, I'm nervous enough with the smaller ones in my trunk.
Kaylee got to play with her buddy from across the street again, they haven't seen each other in a few days. Poor Nate needs a bud. He's always alone now I feel bad for him. I spent some one on one time with him today and that was nice. He's still mama's boy, he'll be outside playing and see me and wave to me and blow me kisses. I don't want him to grow up and stop doing that but I know it won't be much longer. Sniff.
Oh.. I forgot to mention that my fridge is full of cherries, we went picking this weekend. The kids went out to lunch with papa and Jimmy, Emily, my mom and a family friend went. It was a lot of fun, I love picking cherries and eating cherries, mostly eating them. I have three bowls full in the fridge. I love them but I eat so many that my tummy starts to hurt. So yummy though, hope Emily likes cherry flavored milk.
Jimmy is in the basement finishing up some work so I figured now was a nice time to post some pictures and blog. I wrote a little more then I planned on it so I'm going to step away from the computer before it turns into a book. Time to hit the sack. Enjoy the pics and check out Emily's page.
Emily and her turtle friend:



















We remembered his suit!!:













Getting ready to jump in:



















My hot stud muffing hanging out in the water, grrrr....:



















my little stud muffin wrapped in a towel:



















Emily cracking up at her goofy brother:

Struck me funny

Ok I'm editing pictures and I came across one of myself looking AWESOME... not really, but it struck me funny. Looks like I'm about to spank somebody. I mean business I guess.

Mission Beach Impossible

The kids spent the night at my parents house last night. Well all except Emily. She stayed home with Mommy and Daddy. So this morning I took Emily to the beach for some 9 month pictures. We went 4th of July themed since it's right around the corner. One of the things I think about when I hear 4th of July is the beach so thats where we went. She has now entered the magical stage of picture impossible. It's a wonderful time in a childs life where the chances of you getting a good picture especially at a place like the beach is basically next to impossible. Although I did get a ton of pictures with her looking anywhere but the camera. The beach is full of many amazing things to put in your mouth and feel and pull and touch and mommy is not very interesting no matter how many squeaky toys she pulls out or goofy noises she makes. Although I'm sure I entertained the rest of the people around us. Oh well, glad to give someone a good laugh. Best picture of the day goes to this one. I'll post some more on her blog after I get done with this one. It was nice to spend some time with just Emily. I plan on taking her on a bike ride later today if all goes well. Jimmy and I went on a bike ride with her last night. She really enjoys going and it gets us moving so it's a double positive. We also went out to Cracker Barrel where we enjoyed some yummy food. I haven't been in awhile so it was nice. Kaylee and Nathan were busy being spoiled by my parents. I think my mom took them to the beach and they had a cook out with smores and hot dogs. I'll be heading into South Haven tomorrow, lets hope the weather is nice to me. Off to post the other pictures.

Cherry Tornados

Thinks have been a little crazy around here. Aside from trying to edit all these pictures I have three little tornados that twirl around my house all day leaving a path of destruction where ever they go. And those darn tornados think they need to keep wearing clothes all day so there is a constant mountain of laundry I keep trying to tackle.
I did post some of the pictures from that wedding last weekend, just a few. I still have a lot to go through. Oh and I do have a cute new video of Emily I'll be posting. She's still taking steps but mostly crawls.
Good news... cherry season.
Oh yeah baby, I'm going to eat my weight in cherries this year for surely. I'll probably start turning a pinkish color. I might grow a stem out the top of my head. This Saturday, U-pick, more like I-pick or Jodi-pick. I'm excited.
Nathan went with Jimmy to his softball game last night. I sprayed that boy down with bug spray and he still got bit. Those things are nasty this year. Poor Nate has a a huge goose egg sized bite in the center of his forehead. I feel bad for him. We're still working on getting him to take off by himself on his bike. He can stop fine, he can ride and turn corners and all that. He seems to be nervous about the taking off part. He did much better last night when we went on a ride. I think the little squirts are going to spend the night at my parents tonight. This weather has been cooler so I have yet to have the chance to take Emily in the pool. Maybe this Saturday, looks like rain though.
Here's Emily crawling around with a toy, one of the cute things she does is hold on to the top and take the toy all around the room with her. If she looses her hold she'll stop, find the string on the top and grab on then continue her mission. It's really cute:

S-L-A-C-K-E-R

Ok I'm a slacker, I didn't post the pictures from the wedding on my last blog like I said I was going to and I didn't even write one today. I thought about it a few times but the day went so fast. I was going to post a video today or maybe some pictures and here it is bedtime and I didn't do anything. Sigh.. Oh well I'll try to be a good girl and post those pictures and maybe some video tomorrow... it's only a day away.......

I'm so excited that I just can't hide it.

Guess what?!?! I wonder how many blogs I've posted that start with "guess what". I'm just an excited person ok. I just had a feel good photography business moment and although this isn't my photography blog I'm going to write about it. I love repeat business. Do you know that I've been doing photography for a good three years now and that I have repeat customers each year. I feel good that I'm affordable enough that people could come back each year for new pictures. Thats so awesome! I feel great that people like my work enough that they come back each year. What I love more then anything is the twice a year repeaters and I'm not talking the ones who have babies who of course change so fast. I'm talking about people with older children. That is another wonderful thing. And I love love hearing "you come highly recommended by....". Love that! I'm thinking about switching my website name to PBJodi. Like peanut butter and Jelly only Jodi and it's not Peanut Butter it's Photography By. But isn't that cute. I thought it was cute. Thats my blog that I have for photography. I called that pbjodi but it's private still so it's unreadable to the average Joe. Anyhow, I thought it was a cute name. I'd stick some pictures or a movie on here but I'm on my lapith topith and I don't have any of my family pictures or movies on here and I'm too lazy to walk to the back computer room. Ha!
I took the kids grocery shopping, don't care much for hauling all three of them to the store. I feel like a cattle hearding dog keeping them all in one cluster. Now how did my Grandmother handle SIX!! I only have three and one of them doesn't even walk. Psst. Jimmy posted a blog!! Surpise of a lifetime. Read if you dare, it's a normal Jimmy blog full of crossing the line humor.
Well check back later, maybe I'll post a couple pictures on here of the wedding I did last weekend. Seeing how this blog was mostly about my photography stuff anyhow. Blah!!
Ok here are the pictures I was planning on posting from my first indoor wedding ever in my whole life time:
The Kiss:



















running out of the church:



















The Groom:



















The Bride:



















Well you get the idea, I haven't finished editing most of them. I still have group pictures, the two of them together, reception to do. For my first wedding in a church, not to shabby for someone who is self taught. So thanks to all my friends and family that told me I could do it!! Love the support! Now if the next couple go nice and smooth my confidence will be a lot higher.

Veggie Day

Guess what?!?! Emily took five steps from me to the couch the other day! Wow! My big girl, she's been letting go of objects and standing by herself for longer lengths of time. Today I caught her letting go of the couch then standing for awhile and then taking a step out by herself before she realized that there was nobody to step to. It's only a matter of time and my little baby will be walking all over the place!! I'm going to try to get some video of her walking today, if she will actually walk for the camera. If that works out I'll post it on here a little later. We had a busy Saturday so today I'd like to just kick back with the family and relax. Be a veggie. Maybe go on a long bike ride. I still am loving that bike seat for Emily, she loves it too and I'm sure it will get lots of use.
Kaylee got to spend the night at a friends house for the first time ever Friday night. She was so excited. I'm sure they were up giggling late. I remember my first sleepovers and how excited I was. Hmm.. I think it's time for lunch. My tummy is talking.

Emily was walking to her daddy a lot this evening:

Emily's bike seat.

I LIKE IT I LOVE IT I WANT SOME MORE OF IT!! Ha, I think that's from an older country song back when I use to listen to country music years and years and YEARS ago. Anyhow, I really really do love Emily's new bike seat. It's awesome, if you have a toddler or baby I'd buy it, well if you like riding your bike anyhow. It's called an ibert safe-T-seat. I got it in the mail yesterday and even put it on the bike myself, all by myself. That means it's really easy to put together. I don't feel like it throws me off balance at all, I can tell there is a little extra weight with her on the bike but not much. My knees don't run into it, her head doesn't bang into me at all. She sits in it fine and can see where she's going. It's grrrrrrrrrrreat, magically delicious! So I'm basically excited about it if you couldn't tell.
Oh, Nathan finally lost his tooth. Whew, it's been hanging on by a thread forever. Kaylee is close to falling over, Kyla has spent the night at her Grandparents the past two nights and Kaylee's walking around lost. Jimmy lost his softball game but made it across home plate twice. I love Emily's bike seat. Oh and Emily learned a new tick that she likes to perform all day long. Check out a few video clips and pictures. Psst. all the video clips are 30 seconds and under.
New bike seat:



















Biker babes:



















Emily with Daddy:


Bike with mommy:


Silly new trick:

Emily turns 9 months

Today Emily had a doctors apt, no shots though so it was ok. Check out more about it on her blog that isn't posted yet but I'll get to it a little later today. I forgot to mention my big news yesterday.. geez I'm slipping in my old age. Emily took her first step to her daddy on fathers day. What a perfect gift. Aww... Of course she only took one and I haven't been able to get her to do it again. Oh well. She turns 9 months today. Wow, crazy.
Daddy got Kaylee a bigger bike yesterday so now she doesn't have to turn her legs a million miles an hour just to move like she did on her other. Speaking of bikes I'm anxiously waiting for my bike attachment for Emily. I hope to get it some time towards the end of the week. We got her a bike helmet so she's ready to go. Soon we can do family bike rides.
I had to return something we got from Walmart last night and that was torture TORTURE. I waiting forever in line and then when I got up to the front of the line the lady had two teeth, thats it. I took that as a sign that I'll probably be there awhile and why is it that if someone is missing a bunch of teeth you can help but stare at their mouth? I don't mean that rudely, I'm not trying to be mean. I just can help but stare at it... and count them... and analyze them... from different angles. Seriously, I'm not the only one who does that. Anyhow after I got home and brushed mine, and flossed mine and told them to never leave me it was pretty much bed time. Exciting stuff.

Pictures from Kaylee's Friday Party:
My brother and Rachel:













Little blueberry eating a shoe:



















Nate and Emily:



















Princess Kaylee opening gifts:



















New video game:



















Kaylee's cake:



















Blowing out all the candles:













Is this dolly real:



















Eating cake:

Kaylee's Parties.

I had this big plan to start my bloggings about this past weekend on Sunday and that flew out the window so better late then never.
First off, strangest dream last night:
I was in somebodies wedding (not sure who) a lot of my old friends from high school were in it too. Well it was a Catholic wedding and before you could go into the sanctuary area you had to get the popes permission (fancy wedding) well I was running late and I was running around the church trying to find the pope so he could bless me so I could get into the sanctuary. Then we were all in a car (bridesmaids from my old high school) on our way to the reception we get there and the reception is outside. Which some people have except it was winter... yeah.. anyhow each seat had a heater below it and above it so everyone could be warm outside. Really odd dream.

Now about this past weekend. Kaylee had 50 parties this year, we took her out for dinner on her actual birthday on Thursday. On Friday we went to my parents house for a BBQ, presents, and DQ cake. Then we went down to harbor fest to hear my cousin play, and it poured on us. I when the smartest person award for wearing white capri pants made of cotton, you know extra see through when wet and of course white underwear. Luckily I managed to Kaylee next to me and she had an Umbrella or I'd surely have showed everyone my who has and what nots.
Saturday was her big friend party, the first party she had where she had friends over usually it's just family. So she wanted to do this "fancy dinner party" theme and it turned out really cute! And thats if I do say so myself, which I do! We decked out the back room, moved the dinning room table in there, balloons, streamers. Jimmy even moved the air purifiers into the room so we could have floating balloons. Snazzy huh? Then we had Hannah Montana music playing in the basement with balloons all over the floor and streamers hanging from the ceiling. Yeah, I rocked it. HA! So all the girlys arrive and there were six of them and thank goodness that was all because Kaylee is the most well behaved child on EARTH! ALL OF THE EARTH!! These girls were a little bonkers, reminded me of a bunch of boys. They had more energy then Nathan. Really there was just one who was super hyper and most of the others seemed to feed off of that energy except Kayle and Kyla (across the street). I learned that when one girl has to use the rest room it only works if four others cram themselves in with them and that of course once one runs through the house screaming "I've got to pee" the others have to scream and then it's only fair that each other girl takes a turn screaming and running to the bathroom just so she can have the pleasure of four other girls running after her. Thank goodness Kaylee is not like that or I'd lock her in a cage and wait for her to turn 25. Whew. Anyhow, it was a little crazy but Kaylee had fun and nobody stained my carpet or broke any windows and thats all that matters. I can always take a few advil. So fun stuff.
Pictures:
My beautiful Party room:



















Isn't that yummy looking:



















Balloons=smack each other













Dinner:



















This picture just about sums up the night:













Well those are from her Saturday Party I'll probably get to posting some from Friday tomorrowish.

Happy Birthday Kaylee!!

Today is Kaylee's ninth birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLEE!!! In honor of her birthday I thought I'd do a blog about her favorites and share some pictures of Kaylee from this past year.

Kaylee's Favorites:

Color: pink

toy: Barbies

book: Harry Potter

movie: Harry Potter, Chamber of Secrets

game: Mario Cart Wii

food: pizza

dessert: ice cream

drink: koolaid- black cherry

place to go: beach

restaurant: Captain Nemos

school subject: Math

hair style: Piggy tail braids

candy: suckers

outfit: dresses

friend: Kyla

Thing to do at Nana and Papas: play go fish

Thing to do at Grandma and Gramps: play outside

veggie: broccoli

fruit: blueberries

animal: horses

sport to play: baseball

Pictures:
Kaylee's eighth Birthday:



















Swimming at Nana's and Papa's:



















Happy July:















Picking Peaches:



















Playing kick ball:



















Emily's open house:














First day of third grade:













my little apple head (apple picking):













Trick or Treat:



















Christmas Eve:



















Nana and Kaylee Christmas:



















Sisters:














Great Wolf Lodge:












Easter dress spin:



















run Kaylee run:



















Hammock queen:



















Happy Memorial Day:














brr.. first dip of the year:



















So Happy Birthday Kaylee, we love you very much.
Love,
Mom, Dad, Nathan and Emily!

Crrrrrrrrazy Kids

My kids are crazy!! I tell you Crazy! They've been playing with Emily a lot lately, I caught them on video today:


We're researching Emily's bike riding options now that Nathan can ride by himself. I'd hate to shut her in a trailer at the back of a bike so did a little research and there is a front bike seat called the ibert safe T seat and I want it. Actually I'm on amazon looking at it now. It was down to that or weeride front seat and the ibert looks easier to ride with. I think I'll order it. I bet Emily will love it, she loves going fast in her jogging stroller. I look forward to taking her out on the bike. I'll need to get a little baby helmet for her. Aw...

Jodi and Jims mistake.

So we made a mistake and stayed up way to late last night. Bad Jodi, Bad Jimmy. We got stuck playing Mario Cart on the Wii. You can play against people online and we kept getting our butts kicked so I think we were trying to at least make the top three once before going to bed. That didn't happen. I wish the kids slept in until ten every morning, that would be great. Oh and Jimmy didn't have to be to work until ten but he still got off at five. Yeah. Anyhow we are night people, not morning people. Both of us would much rather stay up and then sleep in longer. We could never be farmers. I think if you pop out of bed at five am and are all awake and alert you need counseling or medication. Ha! Just kidding, but neither of us function that early. We both look like we got hit by a truck in the morning, we kinda act like we've been hit by a truck too. Anyhow, Mario Cart on the Wii is a good game.
Little update on Emily:
She is getting her two front teeth... awww she'll look like a little beaver soon. Ha! I was hoping she would start walking in her eighth month. She's been going along furniture and stuff forever now but now I'm thinking she's probably still a month away. She could do it, I can tell she's nervous to let go with both hands still. Oh well, Kaylee was ten months and Nathan a year so we'll wait another month.
We're getting closer to Kaylee's birthday and party. She's excited. I'm kicking myself for telling her we'd make each friend a bracelet. Because guess who ends up making them... Me. Those tiny beads are hard to string. But they're turning out really cute.. maybe I should do a little jewelry making on the side. I'll put some on Kaylee and take a picture and post it later, thats how cute they are.
I usually don't talk about my business or jobs on here because I have a photography blog but I just have to say, I'm excited about this next one, well kinda. They're bringing me along for a boat ride on the tall ships in South Haven, I'll be taking pictures of two little boys on the ship. Sounds different, interesting and fun. Too bad I suffer from major sea sickness. Yeah... I mean barf my guts sea sickness. Just ask my brother about Mexico he'll tell you all about it.... dang brothers. So it should be interesting, I do ok if I drug myself but then I end up sleepy. Ah well, I'll figure something out. Oh and I do have a photography blog I've been keeping for awhile now thats top secret hush hush. Actually I have it set to private, I've been thinking about making it public for family and friends. Maybe in the future. Just family and friends though, not potential clients. I figure there are examples of my work on my website, no need to get all "look at me" about it. Of course everyone and their Uncle has photography blogs now and everyone posts links on their website, blah.
Well I'm off to smooch on my kids and make a million bracelets! Yippee!!
Nathan learning how to ride his bike:



















running along:



















Jimmy showing him how to brake:



















All by himself:













Tough guy: