Family Session-The Dibbles

I'm a little excited to say that recently I have had a bunch of friends ask me take some family pictures. Some you have already seen Little Miss M's Birthday Party. I've always loved taking pictures so this is a win-win for me.  There's still so much I need to learn.  I'm still in the beginning sages of everything when it comes to this. Especially the business side, craziness!

I've decided to start another blog just for my photo stuff so that this blog doesn't  get bogged down.

Emily Hughes Photography

Here is a sneak peak of of their session....click over to see some more ;)

Eckert's Apple Orchard- Things I love about Saint Louis

(This is the 8th post in my "Things I love about Saint Louis" series. Click here to read more)

 When I was younger my parents would take us apple picking over the Mississippi in Illinois to Eckert's apple orchard. It is about a 30 minutes drive for us to the Millstadt location. ( they have three locations) Back in the day, we would get there stand in a line where a tractor would pick us up and take us on a ride to pick the apples. We'd pick the apples,come back pay for them, and leave. Pretty simple and alot of fun. We would eat the apples out in the orchard until we couldn't walk anymore.

This is the only building I remember from my youth. It looked just like this 25 years ago

When J and I had kids, i knew I would take them there as well.  It's so much more than just a tractor ride now.  It's all about having a family day out there. It is  $10 per person for anyone over 2.   Sometimes you can find coupons online so always check first. I did and found one on their website.  There are even deals for weekdays and after school stuff.  When you walk in, there is so much to see and do.

There is a rocket ride...

 a mini tractor train ride....

 pony rides...

 piggy races at Billy's Bob ( he was hysterical. So worth the wait!)....

The girl's were assigned a pig and he won! Go Green!

 tire swings and tires...

...bird feeding, a maze, a magic act, camel rides, the golder goat bridge ( ha)....

a mini petting zoo...

and so much more. The food here was great and not any more expensive than the zoo or other tourist attractions. Super yummy pulled pork sandwich!

They grow apples, pumpkins and Christmas trees here. They have a booming business from august through December. 

After all of that fun, we boarded the tractor to pick apples. They have many varieties that they grow but this particular day they were letting us pick the Jonathan, Red Delicious and the Golden Delicious. When I asked them which would be the best to make a pie or dessert, the woman that gave us our bags said , Jonathon. So that's what I went for.

The girls were amazed that we could pick the apples off the tress and just eat them.  Although i had to keep telling S that we don't pick the ones on the ground since we didn't' know how rotten they were. The trees were so laden with fruit it was  unreal.  They said the very warm summer we had caused all of the apples to come in earlier than usual.

Don't worry ...she wasn't eating them off the ground. Just adjusting her bag.

Someone else getting a bite.

The nice tractor driver took our pic. Not too shabby.

We filled all of our bags and bellies and headed back in.  All in all, we picked  10 lbs of apples and  they were $1.99 a lb to buy. But it's well worth it knowing where they came from.

As we were leaving , we noticed that they were firing off  pumpkins in the pumpkin chucker.  It shot those suckers hundreds of feet in the air.  I couldn't get a good shot but a photo would not have done it justice. A video would have been better.

I hope that they enjoy doing this for a long time to come because I enjoy taking them there and seeing how much fun they have. And I get to eat and buy apples that are fresh.  Wait until I show you what i made with them....mmm...mmmm!

Monday
What is the Gunny Sack -Making the world Cuter -Debbie Doo -DIY Show Off
DIY Shop -I should be mopping the Floor
Great Fun 4 Kids

Tuesday
How to Nest For Less - Tip Junkie - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia -The Kurtz Corner
Sugar Bee - Romance On A Dime  - Funky Polka Dot Giraffe
The Winthrop Chronicles

Wednesday
 Thrifty Home - Someday Crafts - Sew Much Ado
- Junk in Their Trunk  - Southern Lovely  -SNAP

Thursday
 Beyond the Picket Fence - Somewhat Simple - Live Laugh Rowe
Loving this Crazy Life - The Shabby Cottage
The Taylor House- House of Hepworths 
Two In Diapers-Mommy Brain Mixer


Friday
Naptime Crafters - Stay At Home Nation
Young and Crafty -  My Turn(ForUs)
Delicate Construction
Serenity Now
Here Comes the Sun

Saturday

Six Sister's Stuff
Cheerios and Lattes
Natasha in Oz -Say G'Day

I love mail!

When I saw that  Kim (Pink, Pearls, Polkadots) and Haley (Haley's World)over at and were having a postcards swap, I had to sign up. I love swaps and getting REAL mail...especially when it's not a bill!

I got matched up with Tori from over at Lil Mrs.Tori. She has the sweetest little family of boys, that I can't get enough of. Maybe it's because I have all girls :) It's fun to hear the stories from the other side of mommyhood.

Tori lives in  California and she is currently getting ready to move to LA.  With her husband in the military, she moves alot and I don't know how she does it.  I can't imagine how hard that is.  Here's the postcard she sent me of  Avila Beach, CA . I hope I can make it back to Cali some day( I went once to San Francisco for a few days).  Sun all of the time and warm,  what's better than that?

Tori  is a crafty momma doing stuff like this baby blanket.

And this awesome nightstand redo.

Tori  also hosts some cool linky parties:



A party where you can link up what you have been up to in the bloggy world.


And the Instafriends party to show off all those cool photos that you have taken on your smart phone. Now that I have a smart phone ( ya, I know, I'm behind the times) I can finally join in the fun.

I'm so glad I got to meet Tori and follow another cool blogger.  Check her out!

Linking up with Pink, Pearls, and Polkadots

What parts of me will they get?

My cute little monsters

When you are pregnant with your children, you kinda wonder what they will look like and kinda wonder what they will act like. Will they laugh at fart jokes? Cry when you yell too loud? Then you start watching your tiny  babies grow and change and become their own tiny little person with their own tiny little personality. As they get older and older you start to see THEM. The person they are going to be. Sometimes you see yourself in them , sometimes you see your spouse. Sometimes you smile. Sometimes you cringe.

I started thinking what parts of me  I would want them to get and what parts of me  I  SO don't  want them to get....

What I hope they DO get


I hope they both love to read.


They both already seem to love books as much as do.  I hope in continues through their lives and  makes school that much more enjoyable to them.  I remember my sister and brother hating book reports and other school stuff  because they disliked reading.

I hope they both love animals to a fault.

I can't imagine my life without the amazing dogs that have been in it.  I love riding horses and  will pet  a cat whenever I have the chance.  I want them to always be kind to animals. They need our help as much as we need theirs. Maybe they'll even volunteer with them someday.

Charlie and K 2009

I hope they are artistic.

It's so much fun to create and even if they are not the next Picasso....i want them to feel comfortable with whatever they do. Just because it doesn't look like someone else's doesn't mean it is bad.

I hope they can just BE.

Sometimes it just feels good to be by yourself and do what you want to do.  That may be the introvert in me talking but you  need to learn to be and do things by yourself and be ok with that.

S collecting her "treasures".....seed pods from the trees

I hope they love to document their lives

Whether it is photo albums, video, journals, or  family tree stuff... I love to remember what I've done and how I felt about it. It's so comforting and grounding to me.  I love that my mom did it for us and now I'm doing it for them.  Maybe they'll do it for their kids too.

Hold still, S..... with K in 2011

I hope they'll be choosy about their friends

Friends are so important in our lives. It's been hard for me to accept that quality is better than quanity as I've gotten older. They don't have to settle when it comes to friends.

I hope they love to sing

Nothing makes me happier than singing in the car. Music just sends me to a better place. I hope they always love to sing and it beings them as much joy as it brings me.

What I hope they DON'T get


I hope they talk more than me

It's hard to make friends and feel like you fit in school if you're too shy or scared to talk. I want them to feel free to speak their minds ( as long as they have nice things to say)

I hope they have a thicker skin

I hate when people pick on me even if their joking. I never think it's funny and sometimes I wonder if life would be easier on me if I did.

I hope they can let some things go.

Sometimes I'm so hurt that i can't move past it and it has, I'm sure, put up walls in my life. I'm not saying they should let people walk all over or hurt them. I'm saying that once it is over, I hope they can either forgive and move on or just forget about the person all together.

I hope they like to play sports or at least like to watch them.

I was horrible at sports as a child and still am. Again, it made school miserable and made me feel left out.  If I had played or at least gone to games, maybe it would have helped. I kinda watch our home town teams now but  I'm no super fan.

I hope they don't get my crappy immune system.If someone sneezes in Ohio and there's a westerly wind, I'm sick the next day. Where as their dad never seems to get sick. But I will say that  I'll take a million small colds over a horrible, life threatening illness any day.

I hope they only see the good/ positive side of things (at least most of the time)

I feel like it's an inherited trait in my family. Sometimes I feel like I'll never be able to break the cycle of negativity and I sure as heck don't want them to be that way. Again, I want life to be easier for them than it was for me, emotionally.

I hope they are not so scared or so unsure that they don't follow their dreams

Everyone has dreams or things they think they might want to do or be. Just because someone else doesn't think it's a good idea,  doesn't mean they should do it.  They should do things for themselves. not for other people . Not even for me and their dad. It's their lives and their dreams. Please go live them.


What is your top thing you hope your kids get from you and the top thing you hope they NEVER get from you?

Monday
What is the Gunny Sack -Making the world Cuter -Debbie Doo -DIY Show Off
DIY Shop - Lines Across My Face -I should be mopping the Floor
Great Fun 4 Kids

Tuesday
How to Nest For Less - Tip Junkie - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia -The Kurtz Corner
Sugar Bee - Romance On A Dime - Debbie Does Creations - Funky Polka Dot Giraffe
The Winthrop Chronicles

Wednesday
 Thrifty Home - Someday Crafts - Sew Much Ado
- Junk in Their Trunk  - Southern Lovely  -SNAP

Thursday
 Beyond the Picket Fence - Somewhat Simple - Live Laugh Rowe
Loving this Crazy Life - The Shabby Cottage
The Taylor House- House of Hepworths 
Two In Diapers-Mommy Brain Mixer


Friday
Naptime Crafters - Stay At Home Nation
Young and Crafty -  My Turn(ForUs)
Delicate Construction
Serenity Now
Here Comes the Sun

Saturday

Six Sister's Stuff
Polkadot Pretties
Cheerios and Lattes
Natasha in Oz -Say G'Day

Co-hosting the Mommy Brain Mixer

I was super excited when I found out I got to co-host the Mommy Brain Mixer with  Cassie over Two In Diapers. She is so sweet and her family is just adorable.  It is so much fun to meet other mommies and hear all the other crazy stories and know I'm not  alone in my craziness. Please join us and tell us your best/funniest/craziest/poop-filled stories!

Welcome to week 8 of the Mommy-Brain Mixer, ladies!

Last week we had a fabulous 112 link-ups! The Mixer is thriving!

If you haven't noticed, one of my favorite things to do here at Two In Diapers is to share stories about motherhood and my littles. One of my favorite things about sharing these stories is your comments with stories of your own children!

Welcome to...

At the Mommy-Brain Mixer, we will be linking up our writings about anything and everything motherhood!

We want to see funny posts, serious posts, sweet & sappy stories, mommy-brain episodes, memories from when your older children were younger, thoughts & lessons learned, and anything related to motherhood or little people. You know that post you wrote yesterday about your teething baby? Or that hilarious post you wrote about your 2nd grader's school play? Those are perfect, so link 'em up! 

The Mommy-Brain Mixer is the perfect place to find some great new blogs to follow, make some wonderful new blog friends, and enjoy some entertaining new reads!

To make things even more fun, my friend Mar, over at Raising Bean, is hosting a sister link-up for you to join, too!

Head on over there after your finished here and link up your recipes, DIY, arts & crafts, and sensory activities!  

Let's get to it, friends!

 

RULES:

1.Follow Two In Diapers

{the first link below}

If you are new to the Mixer, please leave me a comment so I know to follow you back! I try to get around to all the posts but, as the Mixer is growing, there are some weeks that I'm not able!

2. Follow your co-hosts

This week's lovely co-hosts {the first 3 on the linky} are:

Emily from Entirely Emily

Eva from The Evas of Bellabini

Lena from Mom2MemphisAndRuby

3. Link up your mommy post!

4. Make sure to visit some of the blogs in the link-up and maybe even follow them!

{and comments are always loved} 

5. Tweet about the Mommy-Brain Mixer to help spread the word! 

Tweet  

6. Grab this adorable button and place it somewhere on your blog!

<a href="http://www.two-in-diapers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Gracie%20Marie/mommybrain-mixer200.png" /></a><br/>

7. Don't forget to check back throughout the week, as we gain many new links throughout the week!

If you are interested in co-hosting a Mommy-Brain Mixer, send Cassie an email at twoindiapers@gmail.com!

Memory Stone for my Pet

Ever since my buddy Charlie went up to heaven last year, I've been wanting to make a memory stone.  He was more than just a dog to me. He was my baby.  I took him everywhere I could and he was a part of every family function. Because he was family. All of my close friends know this is true.  I took pictures of him like I now do to my kids. I still miss him.

I wanted something to put in our backyard to remember him because it still feels like we are missing someone when the whole family goes outside to play.  When a human loved one dies, they get a stone,  I wanted him to have one too.  So  I bought one to make and it sat under my bed for a year.  Half the time  I forgot about it and the other half we just had so much going on.

I bought this kit at Micheals with my handy dandy weekly 40% off coupon. It ended up being like $12.

It came with some stampy things and some rocks. Not too exciting or very him. Now you know me, I'm never one to just go with a pre-bought design all the way so I also bought these glass gems at Micheals. It was like  $3.99. I'm sure I can use the rest for something.

Then I knew I wanted to draw his face on it. I went on the computer and found a good picture of him. That I though was really...him.  I used Photoshop to trace a basic outline of his face and markings for a simple drawing that would look good in concrete. This is what I got.

 I went outside with my bucket and my box of stuff for Micheals  which included a bag of concrete  and a mixing stick. The instructions were easy to follow... Mix two cups of water with your concrete bag in a bucket and mix until it looked like brownie batter.  And they weren't kidding on the instructions when they said watch out for concrete dust. It was very dusty. I wouldn't let the girls stand by me while it was poured.

Then you spread it into the plastic pan they give you. This was harder than I thought because all I had was the mixing stick. But it worked out and then I leveled it but shaking it gently. It also said that if you had to move it to put it on something very hard so the mold wouldn't bend. I found some MDF in the garage and used that.

Then the girls got to work with the glass marble things. I asked them to only put them along the outside which K was great at , S, not so much. It became her job to hand the marbles to K in the order of Big Clear, small blue, Big Clear, Small blue.

Then it says to let it sit and start to set for a least 30 minutes before you can start to write on it and if water starts to form on top to soak  it up with a paper towel and wait some more.  Wwwweeelll... it kept doing that for 3 hours after! I would go outside and check on it and soak up some water, go outside and check on it and soak up some water. You get the idea. I did that for 3 hours!  The green circle shows all of the water that kept coming up. Now it  was 85 degrees and very humid so that may have had something to do with it but you never know.

At some point I got tired of waiting and worried that it would set after too long so  I started to try and sketch out his picture in the concrete.  You can kinda see it below. It was still too wet.

Here's how it turned out after five hours of drying out and 24 hours of curing.

I really like how it turned out. Now it can sit outside by the swing set and I can look over at it and smile.

The girls enjoyed making it so much  that I think I'm going to go back and let them make one of their own that they can decorate any way they'd like.  Now I know what to expect with the whole process.  Have you ever made one? Did you make it for a certain reason or just for fun?

Monday
What is the Gunny Sack -Making the world Cuter -Debbie Doo -DIY Show Off
DIY Shop - Lines Across My Face -I should be mopping the Floor
Great Fun 4 Kids

Tuesday
How to Nest For Less - Tip Junkie - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia -The Kurtz Corner
Sugar Bee - Romance On A Dime - Debbie Does Creations - Funky Polka Dot Giraffe
The Winthrop Chronicles

Wednesday
 Thrifty Home - Someday Crafts - Sew Much Ado
- Junk in Their Trunk  - Southern Lovely  -SNAP

Thursday
 Beyond the Picket Fence - Somewhat Simple - Live Laugh Rowe
Loving this Crazy Life - The Shabby Cottage
The Taylor House- House of Hepworths 
Two In Diapers-Mommy Brain Mixer


Friday
Naptime Crafters - Stay At Home Nation
Young and Crafty -  My Turn(ForUs)
Delicate Construction
Serenity Now
Here Comes the Sun

Saturday

Six Sister's Stuff
Polkadot Pretties
Cheerios and Lattes
Natasha in Oz -Say G'Day

What we DO for our kids

There they are... those two annoying little kids. If I never watched them again, I'd be ok.

A few weeks ago I talked about what I won't do now that  I'm a mom. There were lots of things that may or may not have happened anyway. I got to thinking about how many things that I never thought I would have to do.

 Below are my list of things that :
1) I really had no idea  I'd have to do
2) I was really hoping that wouldn't  have to do
3) I knew was going to do but totally  in denial
4) Things I only do because I love them SO much

- Putting up with certain people in our lives, because I HAVE to

- Having to bite my tongue around those people...because I HAVE to

- Wiping the butts of my daughters' friends ( nobody told me about that one)

- Watching so much Dora and Diego that I want to blow my brains out.

- Going outside when it's WAAAAAYYY too hot or WAAAAAYYYY too cold and then 5 minutes later going back inside becuase they changed their minds

- Being a short order cook, waitress, and dish washer everyday

-Scheduling out play dates , trying to get other moms to come over or  go to their house and working around our naps and their naps and after school events

- And I'm not there yet  but having to spend countless weekends engrossed in  whatever sports they decide to go into  ( not looking forward to losing my weekends too... I'm not going to lie)

- Cleaning up the same room 3 times in one day

- Carrying around a mini Walmart in my purse of : snacks, drinks, books, tissues, band aids,  toys, crayons, notepads. I forgot what I used to have in my purse before kids.

- Answering the same question 20 times in one days without screaming

- Trying really hard not to run away at least once a week

-Being so tired at night that you forget  what you used to do with your own time

- Never getting another solid night of sleep ever again

- Lost my boobies breastfeeding ( wouldn't trade it for the world but sad that they got even smaller than they were before. I didn't think that was possible.)

What did you have no idea/ in denial/hoped wouldn't  happen when you had kids?

Monday
What is the Gunny Sack -Making the world Cuter -Debbie Doo -DIY Show Off
DIY Shop - Lines Across My Face -I should be mopping the Floor
Great Fun 4 Kids

Tuesday
How to Nest For Less - Tip Junkie - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia -The Kurtz Corner
Sugar Bee - Romance On A Dime - Debbie Does Creations - Funky Polka Dot Giraffe
The Winthrop Chronicles

Wednesday
 Thrifty Home - Someday Crafts - Sew Much Ado
- Junk in Their Trunk  - Southern Lovely  -SNAP

Thursday
 Beyond the Picket Fence - Somewhat Simple - Live Laugh Rowe
Loving this Crazy Life - The Shabby Cottage
The Taylor House- House of Hepworths 
Two In Diapers-Mommy Brain Mixer


Friday
Naptime Crafters - Stay At Home Nation
Young and Crafty -  My Turn(ForUs)
Delicate Construction
Serenity Now
Here Comes the Sun

Saturday

Six Sister's Stuff

Cheerios and Lattes
Natasha in Oz -Say G'Day