Camera Research!

As I have mentioned and maybe seen in several posts.....I'm not happy with the quality of my camera and in the hunt for a new one. My hubby "got" me, well is getting me one, for my birthday! He wrapped up our old one and told me to pick out a new one......how sweet!!! I know all of you bloggers out there have camera's because I have seen your pictures and I need input on what camera will fit my needs. So, who better to ask than you.....moms that use it on a daily basis to capture our children's best....and maybe not so best moments. I don't want to spend a ton....around $200, 10 megapixel, at least 10x zoom, fairly simple to use and good video capability. I've seen many more options that I would like, but those are the biggy's for me! I'm not really sure that I want a compact point and shoot, but don't need some big professional one either. I have been looking at the Nikon's, but also know there are other great brands out there too. I've never had a Nikon.....Do any of you and what do you think of them.....honestly???

The one I saw and was doing some research on is the Nikon coolpix L100.......Does anyone have that one? I'm not sure if it has video capability, but was also looking at the next step up the Nikon coolpix L110 that does for sure......Does anyone have this one?

Any advice is NEEDED and appreciated!

Lately!

Here's another post of random things that have been happening around our house lately!

Last month we got to have another look at Baby Musselman. I know the picture isn't that exciting or that you're even able to see what it really is..... well it is a picture of the baby's face looking at us! We can't wait to meet the baby and actually be able to call it by name!


My girls enjoy the Wiggles and I know most of you out there can't stand them, but I say let loose at little and let um' dance!!! The kids love them.....Check out Kate's dance moves....Enjoy!

The other night we came home from small group and Mackenzie had this horrible swelled up bruise under her eye. I asked her what happened and the babysitter says..."I know I just saw it too, I never heard her cry or say anything!" She had run into the door, I'm guessing the knob. I know she's tough, but it really looked like it hurt. Here is what it looked like a few days later!

Last week Kate had her second round of Croup, the last being right before Thanksgiving. Rather than waiting like we did last time I took her into the Dr. and she gave us a round of Prednizone. The cough quickly turned from a barking cough to a normal sounding cough and I thought we were getting better. After a week or so it wasn't getting any better, if not worse and she along with myself wasn't getting any sleep, so I took her back in. Sure enough she had Bronchitis and they put her on Amoxocilon and Nebulizer treatments. I wasn't looking forward to this at all! To my surprise she is the best patient ever....she sucks the medicine right down and sits in my lap with the mask over her face the whole 5-10 min of treatment!!! Aaron and I can't believe it, she kind of laughs in the beginning at the steam part of it and just sits and watches "Fresh Beat Band!" She is quickly getting better....slept through the night last night, and not once did I hear her cough and she isn't acting as fussy as she had been!

Oh yeah....our hot water heater went out last week too! I heard a strange noise and as I was investigating, found water going all over our basement. Of course in a panic called Aaron, who was in a meeting, so I got a hold of my dad who explained to me how to turn off the water!!! Uuugghh...the blessings of home ownership!!! After having scheduled the guy to come the next day and replace it we went to a friends house that night and they offered their practically brand new one that had been sitting in their basement. In complete amazement and relief we got it in the next day!

God, thanks for providing in ways we never expect!!!

The Party!

On Saturday we had Kate's party! It was simple, but fun! Aaron's parents came along with his brother Andrew, my whole family and my grandparents. We had Haystacks for supper.....for those of you who have never experienced Haystacks....a souped up version of a taco salad (crackers, rice, cheese sauce added to the normal) piled high, hence the "haystack!" Anyways.....we did dinner, opened presents and then the grand finale!!!

I had my friend Anna make the cake this year! She has a business doing this and does a fantastic job. We tried to go with an Elmo theme, but it just ended up being the cake that was Elmo.

I knew I couldn't show her the cake earlier on in the day because that would be all I heard about till it was time to have it, and sure enough we sang Happy Birthday before opening presents and in the middle of her opening she took Aunt Amy's hand and led her over to the cake!!!

I just did a small cake for Kate and then ordered Anna's famous filled cupcakes for the adults to enjoy! She got many...too many great gifts! Her big one was a Dora Big Wheel......that makes noises. Thank you everyone!

My brother Dustin and his new fiance Leah with the girls!!!

You can check out my sister's blog for more pictures of the party as well!

Giveaway!!!

I have never done this before....promoting a giveaway from another blog, but you have to check this one out! My friend/cousin has started a business "Frills and Flowers" making those big flower headband/clips for little girls that you see everywhere! She has amazing talent! If you have a little girl or need a gift for someone that does....this giveaway is perfect! Click here "Frills and Flowers" and enter for your chance at a free custom designed headband or clip!!!

First Antibiotic!

Mackenzie my extremely healthy.....never gets a cold even when everyone else in the house does girl got put on her first antibiotic this week! Again, this is one of those posts for my memory keeping....It's a monumentous occasion for me! She started out with a horrible sounding cough and was starting to loose her voice on Monday. By Tuesday she was not acting herself.....just laying on the couch all day and I thought she had a slight fever, but I don't trust my new ear thermometer very much. Can someone please give me some advice on a good, reliable, quick and easy to use thermometer??? I am not one to rush to the Dr. one, because I feel like every time I make the apt. they start acting better and two, most of the time if it's anything it's a virus and they can't do anything for it anyways. My girls have been pretty healthy.....I think I filled a prescription for Kate once or twice when she got an ear infection and then when she had croup, I think they gave her something at the ER. So by Wednesday night Mackenzie was not getting any better and REALLY not acting herself, see previous post about our trip to Walmart, and I had seen on facebook some other kids having pneumonia and bronchitis, so I just planned on taking her in on Thursday morning. We are also having people for the weekend for Kate's birthday and I didn't want to wait any longer. So I make the apt and sure enough I'm second guessing myself as to whether I should take her because she was not seeming as bad..... she had a slight temp but was more herself. The PA listened to her chest and thought she might have bronchitis, but then with her large tonsils that she found and the fever she was suspecting Strep. Mackenzie really hadn't complained much of a sore throat, and I would ask her several times a day, so the PA wanted to put her on antibiotic to take care of it. Oh, I was so hesitant filling that prescription......I guess I should be thankful that we have made it over 5 years without one! She is still not completely herself, but with her meds, Mannatech, extra naps and a lot of TV time, I think she is slowly getting better!!! The first sign was the fighting with the little sister...it's been a little more calm and quiet around the house this week! I guess something good can come from your children not feeling well!

My baby is 2!

Today Kate turns 2 and at times I believe it and can hardly remember her as a baby, but for the most part it blows me away every time she does something that is so "2yr old" and can't believe how fast she is growing up. I know in a couple months when the new baby comes she is going to even seem SOO much older! That is when they truly "change" overnight....does anyone else ever experience that?
I know I just did an update on Kate within the last month, but just in the past week or so she seems so much older....doing "big girl" things and talking SOOO much more! Just yesterday she was playing babies, and I really mean playing....she knew what to do...she would bring the baby to me, tell me to hold it and that they baby was tired. So I told her to go put the baby nigh-night and sing her a song. She trots right into her room, where the baby doll bed is and sang her "Jesus Loves Me" and laid her down! She loves playing babies with Mackenzie, but yesterday it was all by herself as Mackenzie wasn't feeling well. She'll go and get one of her diapers to put on the baby, feed the baby food from her little kitchen and take the baby for walks in the stroller! If you ask her what the baby's name is, it is of course......Baby!
She can almost count to 15 on her own and LOVES to sing.....BINGO, Jesus Loves Me, Twinkle Little Star, Happy Birthday, etc. She is really into Dora and her new saying is "Come on, Vamanos!"
She is turning into quite the stinker....agitating her big sister! Isn't that what they are supposed to do for the the payback from the first 2 defenseless years??? She messes up what Mackenzie is playing with or will just go up and take something out of Mackenzie's hands if she wants it. Now I'm sure Mackenzie didn't have it coming as she is the one she learned it from. Although I will have to say Mackenzie is really growing up and handles it fairly well! She was starting to take swats at people, but has been doing it less after a couple "breaks" in her bed!
Kate has just been such a joy to raise....keeps us laughing all the time!

Since we aren't having her party until this weekend, I wanted to make the day special somehow and in a way that would be fun for her! Every time we talk about her birthday she always says "Grandma" and I'm not sure exactly why, except for the fact that she can be quite the Grandma's Girl sometimes. Since Mackenzie still wasn't feeling well and I was keeping her home we decided to go to Grandma's house for the day to play!
On the way home we met daddy at one of Kate's favorite places to eat (if a 2yr old really has a favorite)....McDonalds! After that we headed to Walmart to pick out some presents. I had one but I wanted to save till her party. I wanted her to be able to open up something on her actual birthday and Mackenzie wanted to pick out her gift to her. Thankfully with a 2 yr old you can just take them to the store with you to shop! It was fun...we let her play with things and see what she really liked.
In the middle of shopping Mackenzie sadly says she wants to go home....so instead she opted to just lay in the cart on our coats.....ok, this is not my Mackenzie..... healthy, energetic, no stop talking little girl. On the way home she says to me, "Mom, I don't think I'm going to be able to stay awake for Kate's birthday party, I'm too tired!"

We sang "Happy Birthday" and ate some ice cream! We got her a new Wiggles movie, so the girls wanted to watch that!

Since Kate is really into babies, Mackenzie picked out a baby that makes drinking noises when you hold the bottle to her mouth and coo's and giggles. This is the first baby we have that makes any noises or does anything special, so needless to say it has been a hot item in the house!