JAKA 365

Day Sixty-Three...

2010-03-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

Feeding Herself...

Yes, you read that correctly.

As of today, Ariana is 9 months old, and rapidly becoming Miss Independant.

From feeding herself, to pulling up, she has got it going on.

Want to read more about Ariana at 9 months of age? Click the link below.

Click here.

Day Sixty-Two...

2010-03-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

Hangin' w/ Mom and Dad

Mommy stayed home sick, and daddy had the day off. So we went grocery shopping (ewww!).

Day Sixty-One...

2010-03-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

Mr. Bed Head

He didn't want me to take his picture today. Silly boy!

Day Sixty....

2010-03-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

Lavendar Vanilla Amazingness

Finally got to enjoy my new candle. Lavendar Vanilla smell. Oh. My. Gosh!!!

Soooooooooooooo freaking yummy!

Day Fifty-Nine....

2010-02-28T19:34:00.000-08:00

Park Day

Being spoiled with more nice weather, the kids, Justin, and I all headed to the park. Ariana LOVED the swing!

Day Fifty-Eight.....

2010-02-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Silly Kiddos

Ariana pulled herself onto the side table, and I just happened to snap these pics of her and Konnor playing. CUTENESS!!!

Day Fifty-Seven....

2010-02-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

Rain, Rain, Rain

Another rainy day in Oregon. We have been spoiled with sun the last weekish.

Day Fifty-Six.....

2010-02-25T19:34:00.000-08:00

It's the Photographer Again...

Did my best to salvage this crazy cell pic... With little success.. Bah.. Here you have it :)

Day Fifty-Five...

2010-02-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

Shot Day

Daddy had to take Ariana to get shots today. She apparently screamed bloody murder, but was seen around the house as happy as could be that evening (seen in the above picture).

Day Fifty-Four....

2010-02-23T18:43:00.000-08:00

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Konnor is doing amazing in pre-school.

A mommy couldn't be more proud!!

Day Fifty-Three.....

2010-02-22T19:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Me

My mommy bought be a Pirates cake. Haha!

Day Fifty-Two....

2010-02-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

Soaking up the Sun

Day Fifty-One...

2010-02-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

Who's Dat??

Another crappy cell phone pic, I know. *le sigh*

Ariana's new obsession is that baby in the mirror. In the sliding glass door. In the oven door (pictured here).

Yes, her new obsession is herself.

However, she doesn't realize it's her. Not yet anyways.

Day Fifty.....

2010-02-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

Applebee's Adventures

Ahhh, it sure is amazing how two very smart 3 year-olds can attempt a trickery such as Konnor and Kaden's this evening.

"mommy can i go to his house?" asked Konnor. "Yeah can he? Now or later?" Kaden added. "Please mommy, please" Konnor pleaded, while Kaden pleaded as well.

Those two really tried to work me tonight at dinner!

Needless to say, they lost. This mommy isn't getting suckered into anything.

They tried the same thing on my BFFFE, Jenny, but she didn't give in either. Haha.

ps, excuse the crappy quality. Inside a restaurant + cell phone camera = crappy quality! I did all I could but this was the best I could make it

Day Fourty-Nine....

2010-02-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

Sick Day #2

After the doctor told us yesterday that she would be fine with time, I must admit I felt releived.

Until today.

Stress level shooting through the roof between Konnor's new inability to listen and Ariana's crying over every. little. thing.

Poor kids! Haha

Day Fourty-Eight....

2010-02-17T18:27:00.000-08:00

The Sun is Shining!

It was an absolute gorgeous day in good ol' Portland, Oregon today.

Unfortunately, by the time Justin and I were motivated, Ariana was ready for a nap. Being sick, we didn't want to take her out in the weather since it was rather windy.

I can not wait for Spring. For going to the park. For walks.

I did get a few ghetto cell phone pics, this being one of them.

Day Fourty-Seven...

2010-02-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

The Day Alex Bought A Shiney New Toy

I know, I know, where is the new camera, right?!?!

Well, lol, Best Buy was having a kick ass deal on a new Toshiba, so I jumped on the offer. The new camera is on temporary hold. Soon, though, i hope.

Day Fourty-Six...

2010-02-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

Self-Humiliation

I could find nothing better to photograph today, so here I am. In all my yucky glory!

Haha.

Who photographs themselves? (Jenny, don't you dare say anything! lol)

Day Fourty-Five...

2010-02-14T23:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

This is what Justin got for me. :)

Sorry, that's the only preview you get. Heehee!

I love you, babe!! Thanks for being my Sweetheart for 2010. Here is to many more years of the same love we share.

Day Fourty-Four....

2010-02-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

Hittin The Town In Style

For our Valentine's Day dinner, Justin and I took ourselves out to Outback (which was really Saturday night, not V-day itself). Due to his "starvation" we hauled Ariana with us instead of having my sister watch her.

I dressed her in a tutu for more of my own amusement than hers.

At least she has good humor.

Day Forty-Three....

2010-02-12T17:04:00.000-08:00

Jail Baby

Snapped this pic just after Ariana woke up from her nap. Those white things are, indeed, the bars of her crib.

I love how, after a nap, she is so very happy.

Day Fourty-Two.....

2010-02-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

Our Last Hoo-RAH!

Justin's mom left today. After about 36inches of snow where she lived (West Virginia) and two cancelled flights, her extended stay (by four days) came to an end.

We took a few last minute pictures of Ariana, in all sorts of outfits. This was one of my favorites.

Ariana and her Easter dress

Day Forty-One....

2010-02-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

It Wasn't Me!!

Ariana has found out that her big brother's room is pretty cool!

After spending about an hour (no exaggeration) with Konnor in there earlier, she decided that's where she'd like to spend her evening.

Technorati Test..

2010-02-10T12:06:00.001-08:00

T8TXHMFQ3HJN

Day Forty....

2010-02-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

Doctor Konnor!!!

At preschool today, Konnor learned all about doctors. They sent him home w/ a "doctor bag" (which he is holding but you are unable to see) which included this adorable face mask, the hair net, band-aids, q-tip, and some gauze.

We played doctor for a little bit, and he just thought it was fun to put band-aids on my leg.

Day Thirty-Nine....

2010-02-08T21:17:00.000-08:00

Family Dinner

Ya'll, I cooked!!!

Not just for me and Justin either, since that is normal.

I cooked for my mom and siblings, and Justin's mom. We were all packed into my litte bitty 2 bedroom apartment.

Who knows when we will see a day like that, ever.

Day Thirty-Eight.....

2010-02-07T22:42:00.000-08:00

"She's Hangin Around..."

Ask Konnor, "Hey Konnor, what's your baby sister doing?" and he will answer, without fail:

"She's just hangin' around."

That's what we did most of Sunday. We just hung around.

Day Thirty-Seven.....

2010-02-06T22:53:00.000-08:00

SNOW!!!

We drove up to Mount Hood in hopes to catch some snow. We did. The kids, however, were not too thrilled with the hour-long car ride, so this was about the best picture I have.

Day 3 of Grandma Christine's stay in Oregon

Day Thirty-Six.....

2010-02-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Oregon!!

We took picture's today for National Wear Red Day.

I did not take this picture, but felt that it was necessary to document this day as it is important to fight against heart disease!!!

Last month, one of our co-workers lost their wife to a long battle against heart disease. Not only did we wear red to show our support nationwide, but also for our co-worker and his family.

Aaaaaand, to celebrate Oregon's 151st birthday which is February 14th, 2010.

I love Oregon.

Oregon is me.

I am an Oregonian.

Day Thirty-Five....

2010-02-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Dalton~!

The celebration of a birthday. My baby brother, Dalton!

(Thanks, Mom, for uploading the pics!!)

Day Thirty-Four....

2010-02-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

Houdini...

Today we stayed home.. Mommy with her migraine and Ariana being.... well, Ariana..

Except, we have a new trick. Perhaps it was a one-time deal. If you can see, she wriggled her way out of her jammies. Yup, and she was pretty happy about it.

I keep calling her my little Houdini baby

Day Thirty-Three.....

2010-02-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

Fun With Color

I don't need silly color filters on my ghetto point and shoot camera - I have Ariana's toys!

Lol

The keys featured in the first picture is how I turned Ariana blue in the second. The first picture I used some other toy.

Great entertainment, at least for one of us!

Day Thirty-Two.....

2010-02-01T20:52:00.000-08:00

Where the Baby Becomes the Photographer

Or tries to, anyways. She grabbed as i snapped, and this is what we ended up with.

Also could be named "The Baby's First Juice."

Day Thirty-One.....

2010-01-31T21:19:00.000-08:00

Social Interaction

Today Ariana met her future BFF, Brooklin. Her mommy, Kristin, and I met while these two were still in utero. Today was the first time her and I met face to face, and the girls seemed to like each other.

Ariana pulled on Brooklin's shirt while Brooklin pulled Ariana's hair.

Awww, the joys of super curious babies. :)

Day Thirty.....

2010-01-30T23:00:00.000-08:00

Ariana Does the Splits!

Not only is Ariana crawling all over the place, but she is pulling herself up into a sitting position after she gets to her destination.

Today that destination happened to be under the coffee table. After Konnor made a fort with her under said table for Ariana, it has been one of her favorite places in the house.

Here you see she is doing the splits.

Day Twenty-Nine....

2010-01-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

Working Necessities...

My phone would have been included if that were not my only means of photography today..

My Ipod keeps me sane at times that I feel there is no hope.
The headset, of course, is how I do my job.
The pen is to use on
The paper, which i use to doodle all day.

If I am missing even one of these things, I cannot concentrate and I cannot do my job.

Day Twenty-Eight

2010-01-28T20:24:00.000-08:00

And We Call It Sibling Love

When the baby sister grabs your hair and PULLS!!!

Day Twenty-Seven....

2010-01-27T09:09:00.000-08:00

Blanket of Fog

This reminds me of the movie, The Mist. I almost turned around and went home half in fear that weird buggie creatures would consume me, and half because I am still so sleepy!

Early morning picture. Woot! It isn't everyday that my inspiration comes before I get to work.

Fine by me, the rest of my day includes taking the kiddos to get shots. :(

Day Twenty-Six....

2010-01-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

Green Means "GO!"

As in, go home!

Hate these stupid lights that control the flow of cars getting onto the interstate. Just saying.

Today I noticed that I am now driving home while the sun is setting, rather than in the dark. Signs of Spring, lovies!!

Day Twenty-Five...

2010-01-25T21:34:00.000-08:00

Kix - Kid Tested, Mother Approved...

Ariana was so interested in what i was munching on today, that I figured it wouldn't hurt to let her try a Kix.

Biting one in half, I gave her the other. She took to them instantly. They dissolve pretty fast, so it was mushy in her mouth before we knew it. She thought they were pretty tasty, too!

Day Twenty-Four....

2010-01-24T23:40:00.000-08:00

Just Hangin' Around...

Sundays are generally pretty chill. Aside from watching the Jets' dreams of going to the 2010 Super Bowl go up in flames, we just hung around. Did nothing. Mommy dealt with a migraine while Ariana played on the floor.

Day Twenty-Three....

2010-01-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

Portland Children's Museum

Ahhh, Sir K-man. The Children's Museum was a blast today. Your favorite, of course, was the train station. While you didn't enjoy sharing those trains with other kids, you did. Mommy has tons of pictures of the fun we had. We both loved it, and will be going back soon.

I love you, bug! Thank you for being an absolutely fantabulous kiddo!

Day Twenty-Two...

2010-01-22T21:34:00.000-08:00

The Power of Chocolate...

Somehow, chocolate can heal everything wrong in the world and make it right again.

After eating a dove chocolate and throwing away the wrapper, I remembered the saying that lies within said wrapper. Diving back into my garbage can (its my own-personal-changed-everyday-because-the-cleaning-lady-changes-it-every-night garbage can at my desk at work!) I unfoiled the foil to read these words.

That got me thinking. Sometimes you just need to slow down and remember the good in your life, and stop stressing about everything else.

I love my family. I love the friends I have. The relationships I have created with these people are mine. They are around because they care.

Dove chocolate RULES!!

Day Twenty-One....

2010-01-21T13:18:00.000-08:00

The Light... It BURNS!!!

First time we have seen the sun in weeks. It actually FEELS a little bit like Spring, too. When did that happen??

Day Twenty...

2010-01-20T19:36:00.000-08:00

My Phone is Love

I heart my Crackberry to pieces, but today it was on the back burner while Ariana was sick and I was dealing with a migraine.

It looks so dead when it's off, doesn't it? The life and soul sucked right out of it. Haha.

Day Nineteen...

2010-01-19T21:59:00.000-08:00

Sick Fussies Always Find Happiness.

Snotty nose and goop in your eyes - that's how Mommy was greeted today when picking you up from daycare. Sick with a migraine and you with your ickies, we were both in a foul mood.

Of all of your toys, you grabbed the lion we bought from Old Navy. A toy that had never been played with before, and that made you happy. Kind of anyways.

Listening to you cry in the bedroom, I know it's mommy's bedtime as well. You aren't going to sleep on your own tonight. Shall be a long night for the both of us. But you are so worth it, sweet pea.

Day Eighteen....

2010-01-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

"I Don't Wanna Go Nappie-Time"

Oh sweet Konnor, how you hate bed time. But tonight was really a tough night for you to go to bed. For some reason, 8 o'clock came and went, and you were NOT down for bedtime.

Day Seventeen....

2010-01-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

This Game is a Nail-Biter

Justin and I went out to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the Jets play the Chargers today. The winner of the game advances to play the Colt's in next week's game. Justin has been a Jets fan for the better part of his life, so this game was not watched for fun.

Next week, the Jets will play the Colts for a shot to advance to the Super bowl.

Now, due to Justin's love for the Jets, I have advised him that he will not be watching the game at home.

Day Sixteen....

2010-01-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

Fort-Building

Ariana has been rolling all over the house and then some. She almost got herself completely under the rocking chair, at which point Konnor decided it would be fun to make a fort.

oh yeah, and Konnor also thought that Optimus Prime would be a great friend for Ariana.

Day Fifteen....

2010-01-15T22:12:00.000-08:00

The Crock Pot Put to Use

Justin and I received some new kitchen gadgets for Christmas. This crock pot was one of them. Tonight, I used it for the first to serve our family beef stew. While the stew doesn't look super yummy, I assure you, it was!

Day Fourteen....

2010-01-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

Tree's Have Hearts Too!!

Went for a walk on my lunch to jump start my new "healthy" attitude. I took my camera, KNOWING that I was going to find today's picture. Low and behond, I did!

Remember, trees feel too!

Day Thirteen.....

2010-01-13T15:04:00.000-08:00

Saying Goodbye to Christmas

Eating the last few peppermint Hershey hugs that one of my team mates at work brought in for Christmas. There is nothing quite like white chocolate with peppermint bits wrapped inside foil. Melt in your mouth, orgasmic, chocolatey goodness!

Oh my, all of a sudden, I wish they weren't all gone!

Day Twelve.....

2010-01-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

Apple-Eating Baby

APPARENTLY going pee is no longer an option for me. I leave them alone for a minute and come out to find Konnor has given Ariana his apple. Love my children, but for Pete's Sake.......

Day Eleven.....

2010-01-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

Froggy-Style

Ariana, in an attempt to start crawling, has adopted the Froggy Stance. She looks like she is ready to hop hop HOP! lol

Day Ten.....

2010-01-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

Sunday Morning Cartoons

They laid cute and cuddly like this for at least an hour before Ariana decided she didn't enjoy her brother's company that much.

Day Nine....

2010-01-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

Ariana Takes a Ride to the Hospital.

(1) We had to call an ambulance today.

(2) Which took Ariana to the children's hospital.

(3) So she could be checked out after having choked on an unknown object.

X-rays showed nothing, which is good and bad. She is fine now, and was found resting an hour after it all went down.

So sorry that I broke my own rule, 9 days into the challenge. Today was just one of those days.

:o)

Day Eight.....

2010-01-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

Bouncy Ball - Up For Ransom...

"Stole" it from my co-worker today hoping for a ransom. He didn't seem to care, which means Monday will start again.

Day Seven.......

2010-01-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

Redline..... A customer service representative's best friend!!

I was really tired today. This, saved my life! haha.

Yes, I answer phone calls all day, every day.

Ewww!

Day Six....

2010-01-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

Bath-time Duo

Tonight was the first time Konnor and Ariana took a bath together. Konnor kept pouring water on Ariana, which would make her laugh like crazy! They were adorable!

Day Five....

2010-01-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

Sick Day..

Stayed home sick and watched movies today. One in particular, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" really tugged at my heart strings.

Crappy quality. Thank you cell phone of awesome! You totally rock my socks.

Day Four...

2010-01-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

Chicken Enchiladas

Was dinner tonight. Made them using a brand new skillet Justin and I got for Christmas from my grandma.

Day Three...

2010-01-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Drool-a-licious!!!

Day Two....

2010-01-02T15:31:00.000-08:00

Bath-time Tunes.

Ariana and I decided to take a shower/bath together. She kicked and played in the water while I sat over the tub and shaved my legs. Then we let the water drain and I washed her off so no trace of said shaving happened. All the while we rocked out.

Day One...

2010-01-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!

Let 2010 be the best ever!

Project 365... Year 2010

2010-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

So I decided that instead of using my main blog to participate in Project 365, I would make my own sub-blog just for the occasion.

Project 365 challenges you to take a photo every day for the entire year so that you may reflect on things you did, places you saw, foods you ate, and so on. If you are like me, and have an absolutely TERRIBLE memory, you will understand that sometimes you don't remember the minor details in life.

When I realized that I had such a horrible memory, I dove into the world of photography. Through my picture-taking, I remember things I would not ordinarily remember. It is fun for me to see pictures of when Konnor first rolled over, or when Ariana ate her first bites of rice cereal, or even when I went to West Virginia to visit Justin for the first time. Those memories, had it not been for my camera, would be hidden somewhere deep in my memory, never to be heard of again.

Now, I do blog. My main blog, The JAKA Files, is a way for me to write down things that happen, or memories I would like to preserve. Writing comes naturally to me. But so does photography.

So let this be another expression of my creativity and my spirit.

Things to note:

Picture junkies can not always stick to one picture. For the sake of this project I will do so, but if there are more I want to share, I will link up to my main blog.
Writing junkies can not always post a picture without a little story behind them. So, for that, you will have to deal with my ramblings about some, if not all, of my pictures.

That is all. Let the good times roll, baby!!