Running With Scissors: All my memory card holds

So I've slacked...yet again. It feels like I haven't stopped since I got back from Missouri, but in reality I've just been doing an awful lot of nothing! So here's some things that I've taken pictures of over the last few weeks that I thought I would share:

My awesome husband has gotten me some form of heart jewelry for almost every valentines day, and anniversary since we met. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of hearts but since it's become such a tradition I throughly enjoy looking forward to what he's going to get me the next time around. This anniversary, however, he surprised me with something a little different (when I say "surprise" I mean that he ACTUALLY listened to all of my hinting and got me what I was asking for.)

A BEAUTIFUL antique/remodeled jewelry box for all of the

things he's gotten me over the years.

Next: Emily has this new fascination with being outside. Well, I can't really say that it's new because she's ALWAYS been an outside girl, but ever since her Uncle Chris (who didn't have a child of his own at the time) taught her how to unlock the door herself, if has been a fight to keep her inside.

Our big issue is that she doesn't just stay around the house, she takes off to explore. Now, I might be a paranoid mom, but the few times that she has attempted so sneak out and succeeded, it has been one of the worst feelings in the world. Walking into the living room and seeing the door wide open and the curtain flapping in the breeze and seeing nothing but darkness outside, not knowing where she is, is a pretty gut wrenching feeling. I would compare it to being in the grocery store and looking down to ask your child if they want cherrios or fruit loops and seeing no child at all. (this hasn't happened to me yet, but I could only imagine that panic feeling)

So with all that said, we are pretty firm on our disciplining when it comes to this issue. 1) We don't condone sneakiness and 2) because she needs to learn that all she has to do is ask us FIRST and then she can go outside. 3) you never know who's house she's going to be at and if they have a pool, or not so nice dog.

Now, the story: Aaron was in the kitchen, I was in the bedroom, and Emily was in the living room (clearly visable from the kitchen) Aaron looked at Emily who was standing by the sliding glass door. He said "Emily, don't open the door" She looked at him, threw the curtain over her back (hiding from Aaron) and continued to unlock the door. Aaron says "Emily, if you open it without asking, you will get a spanking". She looked at him, with that look that parents know all to well, the squinty devious look of sneakiness, threw open the door and jumped outside. I will never understand how a 2 year olds mind works. She knew she was going to get in trouble. She knew she was going to get a spanking. She knew that what she was doing was bad. As soon as Aaron started in her direction she bolted to get back inside, tripped on the mat outside the door and flew in the door, superman style, but without her arms in front of her, right into our shiny hardwood floors. The result:

Emily's first, big, fat, goose egg!

Aaron explaining to Emily why it's not okay to be sneaky and

why it's important to listen to daddy.

I love this last picture. It just shows the tender heart of my husband.

Next on the list: My ferocious beast. I never take enough pictures of our animals. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because Emily takes up all of my camera time.

So I gave my fluffy pomeranian a "de-fluffing" She was loosing all of her winter coat and needed a little extra help. After 3 hours of brushing, I kid you not, I had a pile of hair at least 10 times the size of Molly.