Pics, Pics...and more Pics!

We’ve been on a park craze this past week, going almost every day! It sure has been a lot of fun and good exercise since I walk there (and lately I’ve been having Kyra walk too). One of our highlights was playing ball with the girls before my softball game on Sunday. We packed up the waffle balls & bats, loaded up some sandwiches & snacks & headed for the park!

Ava likes to pick up the cones & stack them up, despite my efforts to keep them in place! She’s here in this pic, trying to hit the ball off the tee.

Daddy & Kyra are having a blast in the background!

Kyra is a natural athlete & really enjoys hitting the ball. I just love how this pic turned out with the sun peeking through, her swinging pigtail braids & the twist of her shoes on the grass. Plus as a bonus, Ava made it in the shot! This was my pick for the Project 365 pic of the day last Sunday.

After a while, Ava kinda lost interest in the ball, and wanted to try on my shades. She loves to try on hats of all sorts, eyeglasses, shoes or any other accessories! She’s getting so big and is now putting 2 words together.

I have seen a couple tutorials on how to make your own dress form using duct tape & wanted to try it out. So I picked up some purple duct tape from Jo-Anns the last time I was there & asked my hubby to tape me up!

Believe it or not…there IS a method to this madness! You start with an old t-shirt & cut up the side seams. I sewed another 12” to the bottom (like a skirt) using another old t-shirt. Then you start taping the spine up & down in rows, then the waist. Then you tape from the back to the front in a v-shaped taper. It goes on and on…

Here are a few pics I just had to have my hubby take of me!

I felt like a samurai warrior or something in this deal! HI-YAH!!!!!

And here it is after we cut it off me & re-taped the back…now just to stuff it!

I was so excited when both of the packages I was waiting for arrived on Wednesday! The first was a big box filled with fabric!!!! Thanks so much to materialshoppegirl.etsy.com for awesome customer service & quick shipping. I am in heaven here with all this beautiful fabric! Take a peek at all this goodness!

Heather Bailey, Joel Dewberry, Amy Butler, Anna Marie Horner and more!

My business cards came in as well. I got 100 free from my favorite place, OvernightPrints.com . They have awesome quality, quick turnaround & good prices. I use them for all my postcards, business cards, birth announcements & nice invitations. They have a nice (and free) UV coating which adds strength & thickness to them…not to mention a nice glossy look. I added the rounded corners for just $2 more…keeps them from getting bent & messy looking.

I designed these myself!

Wednesday was more exciting than I had hoped. Ava took a header off our little slide on to the concrete driveway! I almost caught her, but she fell forward off the slide, hit her head on the ground & flipped all the way around into my arms. Luckily, she didn’t have much of a bump (we had a hard time finding it until it showed itself) and not even a scratch! You can hardly see her red mark on her forehead by her hairline. This was taken a couple hours after impact!

I was trying to get some pics of the girls on the slide (before the incident) & managed to get this one of Kyra, telling me, “no pictures!” It reminds me of a celebrity with a case of paparazzi paranoia! I chose it for my P365 pic.

It was certainly an exhausting day, and even Kyra was wiped out! Here I snapped this shot of her in her bed with several books strewn about! There are three on her left, at least one under her pillow & the mini Horton book on the floor next to her! My little bookworm…I LOVE YOU!

Thursday brought our little friend, Jordan! We had fun reading stories, dancing, playing ball & exploring the “river” in the backyard. Here they are, all lined up on the couch watching Dora & Diego! Talk about a captive audience!

Out of nowhere, Kyra wasn’t feeling well & had a little fever. I should have known something was wrong when she didn’t eat any graham crackers! She’s feeling better but now Ava has a runny nose…sheesh!

Here she is in my P365 pic of the day for Thursday with Arthur, getting some good face time. She’s talking to him about the cool Barbie fishing pole she carried around at Target the day before. She wants it and she wants to go fishing! This reminded me of my experiences fishing with my dad & sister at El Dorado park. I couldn’t stand to see the fish flopping around & gasping for air! It was so sad! I liked hanging out & being outside in the (somewhat) fresh air. Good times nonetheless.

Today I got a great little shot of Kyra getting her hug on Ava. She told me she just wanted to give her a hug. Ava wasn’t so thrilled, but that’s okay. I appreciate what a loving sister Kyra is & she certainly is affectionate as well! This is my P365 pic for today…“holding on.”

Another walk…more stops to smell the flowers & check out the bugs. We had a nice conversation with a crow…he squawked, we squawked, etcetera, etc.! It was actually really cool but I had no idea what he was saying. The girls got a kick out of it and enjoyed the back and forth bantering.

I have been talking to my girls about everything and anything…counting at every opportunity, pointing out colors & talking about the differences between things. It’s a conscience effort to teach all the time. I am putting an emphasis on reading, arts & crafts, physical fun & sign language. I actually enjoy all of those things! I’m hoping hubby will pick up the slack in the math department. Kyra is coming along with her writing skills & can sound out many words. I haven’t done any aggressive reading programs with her; just instilling a love for books is the main thing. Thankfully, it is paying off with both of my girls. Ava can often be seen curling up with a couple books by herself! She is extremely vocal & is saying new words everyday.

I know that I am very blessed to be able to stay at home with my girls.
It’s worth more than any amount of money that anyone could pay me for the time I have with them now.

Lots of pics...Lots of exercise!

Okay...I've been trying NOT to spend soooo much time on the computer at night, so I've still been taking lots of pics everyday, but not taking the time to EDIT them...which is my favorite part! I've also been spending LESS time editing them as well (for the most part). I seem to like the same few actions and have stopped trying the crazy new ones that take forever to run & the results aren't what I'm looking for.

Project 365 is keeping me busy...and I'm lovin' it! Here's my pic of the day for Tuesday, 2/03/09. One of 2 more quilted wallets sewed up. I LOVE this dragon pattern & you always have more fun sewing with fabrics you love. I'm planning on opening up an Etsy shop & selling these.

Boost, Sharpen, Boutwell Magic Glasses, Quick Edge Burn

Wednesday, Ava had her 18 month check up & started crying as soon as we got into the elevator to go up to the Dr.'s office! She was deemed very healthy but needs to be seen by a pediactric opthalmologist to check out a potential plugged tear duct. We'll find out more next month at her appointment.

Here she is, enjoying her reward for going to the Dr.'s office...despite crying for every single examination & measurement! Luckily, she didn't have to have any shots this time around!

(Binky in hand...baby bear tucked away)

After the Dr.'s office, I stopped by my parents house to pick up my stroller & we hung out for a while. It was a HOT, HOT day so my mom busted out the ice cream & turned on the sprinklers...a great way to cool down!

Ava was apprehensive at first - running next to the sprinklers, but not going in like big sister. I showed her how to play with the sprinkler & that's all it took to get her going! She LOVED how the water splashed all over herself when she put her hand on the sprinkler. It was a fun tactile experience for her! This shot was my P365 pic for the day...I love little hands!

Boost, Sharpen, Boutwell Magic Glasses, Quick Edge Burn + my own brush strokes

Kyra got to showcase her batting skills with Grammie. They played with the tennis ball & retractable sword...my girl is pretty good!

Thursday's events & pics...I hadn't had a haircut in so long that I couldn't remember! My auntie honey (yes, that's what we call her) was in town for her birthday so I was able to get a free haircut! Yaaaaay! I always feel guilty spending money on stuff like that!

Anyhow, I've been wanting to chop my hair & donate it to "Locks of Love," a non-profit organization who makes wigs for disadvantaged children. It must be a minimum of 8 inches, tip to tip. I had my mom take a picture of me before my haircut...

...and after!And here is my P365 shot of the day...my hair, before I mail it off.

For more information on how you can donate, please visit their website at: http://www.locksoflove.org/

Friday's stuff...
Kyra & Ava...they are definitely quite a pair! This is a pic of the two of them on the kitchen floor at snack time. Legs sprawled & a Costco container of animal crackers between them! They were very happy girls...and my P365 pic!

It rained again, so we were stuck inside & my softball game was once again postponed. I wanted to get some exercise in, so I tried my "H2O bottle deadlifts" on top of my step and it kicked my butt (more like my hammies)!
These are 5 gallon bottles and have these nifty handles...just PERFECT for picking up & carrying around! Farmer walks, squats, deadlifts...I could go on! (The mirror & step are from my friend's garage sale...I swapped her for my dog backpack. Woo-hoo!)

This past week I've ran 3 times for a total of 8 miles...not bad! It rained sooooo much today...then in the afternoon the sun peeked out & it was beautiful. I took the opportunity to pack up my Kyra girl & take her on a run with me. She was pretty high maintenance at first, but soon after was singing & enjoying all the sight & sounds of a fresh rainfall.

This is the riverbed that I cut through today. It is usually mostly empty, with just a small 10 ft. wide river going down. Not today! It was so full, I had to stop and take a bunch of pictures! I liked this one the best because of the contrast between the sky & clouds vs. the brown bridge, so it's my P365 pic for the day.

Mostly done in Picasa - bumped up the saturation, sharpened.

Then ran the Boost action from Pioneer Woman.

I have seen some homeless people taking shelter in the riverbed where there are run off drains. I can't even imagine how cold & miserable they must be when it rains. I spotted a blanket hung up and some clothes too. There was a roll of toilet paper left in the sun to dry. I am so thankful for every single thing I have. I appreciate the comforts that are usually taken for granted. It sucks to run out of TP!!

Catching Up...KEEPING Up & Running

I'm playing catch up with my Project 365 pics...I didn't have much to choose from since I wasn't officially doing it yet, but managed to find a few that I liked so far.

This is New Year's Day, wearing my very first pair of size 2 jeans! They are from Express, who is so generous with their sizing, so it is more like a 4-6! =) That's okay, I was just thrilled to have to buy smaller jeans because my skinny jeans were falling off of me! I had been working really hard (running 3 miles at 6 AM before my girls woke up) to get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes so it was VERY satisfying for me.

I have gotten a LOT of satisfaction from sewing, so I was excited to take a picture of the new thread I got from Jo-Anns. I used the purple/pink one for the quilted wallet shown in the picture with it and I loved how it turned out.

One of my very favorite things to do is GO to the public library & GO CRAZY! I check out a million books at a time & do heavy skimming for the most part. I look for what interests me & soak up as much as I can, when I can. I love reading to my girls (Dr. Seuss is my favorite to read) and they LOVE being read to! Another thing about the library that I love is all the cheap books you can buy! I try to pick up something everytime I go. Today, I bought a little wooden bookshelf for $4! I was so excited!

So today's P365 pic is of Kyra at the library. She was excited to wear this flower clippy that I made. I love how big & bright it is! She is really soaking in Mrs. Campbell's story about Groundhog's Day...look at the focus on her face!

I had a personal victory today - running to & from the library with the double stroller! It is a tough workout...especially against the Santa Ana winds! It works out to be a 2 mile round trip, so I feel good about that. I DO miss running my 3 mile route and will have to work up to taking the girls with me on that one. Knowing that my girls are "watching" me run makes me push that much harder. They make me tougher & better.

3 Days of Adventure

Here are my Project 365 pictures for the past few days...enjoy!

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THURSDAY, 1/29/2009

This is not an easy time for most families out there. Financial pressures are at an all time high & every time I see the news, it's seemingly getting darker & bleaker by the minute.

I've had more down days lately than usual, so it was very theraputic to get some good shots of what is most important to me...my family. Here is a rare shot of Arthur...he's very camera shy. I love his interaction with the girls. They just love daddy!



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FRIDAY, 1/30/2009

This is Jordan - a potential future son-in-law! Actually he's my good friend's (Lisa) son. He came home with from today's big adventure at the park so Lisa could take care of some business.
He's always well behaved for me & plays well with my girls. They just adore him and so do I.

Here he is intensely focused on Perle beads & putting them on the pegboard. My kids LOVE doing this & it keeps their hands busy.
Anyhow, I loved getting up close & seeing those lashes in all their glory. He is very photogenic & I never have a problem getting a good shot of him. =)

Thanks Jordan!


Sepia & adjusted highlights & shadows in Picasa, Quick Edge Burn in PS...I'm addicted to this action!!!

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SATURDAY, 1/31/2009

Today we ventured with my parents to my cousins birthday/graduation party in West Covina. He double majored in international business & marketing! Way to go Leighton!
It was a beautiful day & my girls were gazing at the pool & listening to it summon them. I captured this shot of my Kyra girl & she's awfully cute when she's happy! =)

Sewing Stuff: I'm continuing to do something everyday. Today I shortened the straps on the dresses they wore to the party (Kyra's pictured above...and Ava's is the same in green). I also completed the quilted top pieces to both wallets...did some quick chain stitching the other morning. It's time I picked up my Hawaiian quilt again...keep stitching away! I'm 3/4 done with the section I'm working on and then it's time to move to the BIG outside piece...yeah!

Exercise Stuff: I went for a great 2 mile walk at Central Park in Huntington Beach on Friday. That park ROCKS!!! It is dog & stroller friendly, great scenic route & challenging hills too! There is a playground & fitness gurus go there to teach classes! Anyhow, that was fun...we stopped along the way and did some of the trail exercises with the kids...AWESOME! I even did a bit of a pull-up...which is good for chicks! Later that night, I played softball & hit the ball well so that made me happy. It was a good time with my family there. Sorry Chris - we just gotta get on the SAME team already!! =)

Bundle of Fun!

This is Ava. She is my 17 month-old bundle of fun. I've noticed that I usually take more pics of my 3 year-old (she's a camera hog & being a little cutie doesn't hurt either) so I wanted to capture my little "Booga-Booga" in action. Here's my Project 365 pic for today:

I did a lot of playing around to try to salvage this shot--it is rather blurry.
PW: Quick Edge Burn
TRA2: Slice Like A Ninja (Sharpen)

I've been feeling pretty good physically and have been getting back to running. I started the day off with a little yoga to get the blood flowing & stretch out my sore muscles. We were expecting some possible rain today, so I wanted to go for a run before it started. I bundled up the girls, loaded up the double stroller & ran to the park. We had the whole playground to ourselves! Before long, Ava wandered to a nearby patch of flowers so I snapped a few shots, trying to get a good pic...this wasn't as clear as I'd hoped for, but what can you expect with her moving all over the place! =)

SOOC - this pic isn't edited...yet...but still wanted to share it with you!

On the way home, we stopped at 7-11 for a little treat. Kyra picked gummy bears & I picked Fritos (hey, I work out to pork out)! It started to drizzle while we were inside so I ran, ran, ran home quick!

Announcement...Teeth...Run...Firetruck...

It is my pleasure to introduce to you my youngest & newest niece, Cruz Hokula'ela'eikealalani Koepke! My sister asked me to do the birth announcements again (this is her 4th and final addition) and I convinced her to splerge on the Complete BE Collection by Sweet Genevivie's Designs. I knew that with 4 kids, she'll need some variety for coming year! I had another version (or 2 or 3...) using a dark brown background to add more "drama" and take away from the busy-ness of the background. Maybe I'll post it up later. For now, the final print...to come via UPS Ground anydayyyyy noooooow.




Here's the back...and my favorite picture. She just looks so comfy & she just wanted to be held by her mama. I took the pics so the pressure was on to get some good shots! Babies just do what they want & are not so reliable to be happy when you remove them from their very warm & snuggly spot! Luckily, my sis was able to nurse her between position changes & setting up pillows. That kept the little chunkers happy so we could keep going. There were a lot of cute pictures and never enough room on the postcard for all of them!

Ava's new teeth are almost cutting through...I can see them coming & taking shape in her gums...ready to pop open! She's been extra fussy and needing lots of extra love & attention (it runs in the family)! I took her out in the backyard today & it calmed her down. She especially likes to hear the birds flying by & makes a point to talk to me about it. She is signing more and more words all the time. It's amazing how quickly kids absorb information.

Thankfully, Kyra has been well doing much better when we (especially me) are more patient with her & take time to really listen to her. She wants to be heard! Makes me think of Dr. Seuss's, Horton Hears a Who - "a person's a person no matter how small!"

I found some great stress relief today by just packing up the girls in the double stroller & going for a jog in my neighborhood. I didn't go for a 3 mile run or anything crazy...just a jog on my normal walk-around- the-neighborhood route. Kyra was on edge before we left, so I didn't want to walk...just RUN! She started seeing some Christmas decorations & got excited. Yaaaay! Ava was enjoying the fresh air, Kyra was happy & I felt good too. I felt so good that I ran to a nearby preschool that I want to enroll her in.

We zipped over to the school & Kyra was so interested in the kids & especially the playground. She made a point to tell me about the slide she saw. Then, as we were talking in front of the school, a firetruck pulls up & stops in front of us! Kyra had her mouth open & didn't know what to say. My little chatterbox couldn't get ONE word out of her mouth...or ONE sign either! It was pretty cool (and overwhelming too). It was big and loud and a bunch of firemen jumped off when it stopped. I can't exactly blame her. All that was great, but maaaaan that double stroller is heavy and sooooo hard to manuver! I think I get the best workout when I'm running with them. I use my core muscles like never before!

Lastly...

I got this great quote in my email today. Surrender means the decision to stop fighting the world, and to start loving it instead. It is a gentle liberation from pain.
—Excerpted from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles


Nice! See the good...be the change you want in the world...breathe...be.

--Nani

Progress Picture

Friends & family have been commenting on my recent weight loss. I tell them that it didn't happen on accident! After having 2 kids, I dreamt about fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes again. I had been wearing my maternity clothes for months after Ava was born talk about depressing! I refused to buy any new clothes at that weight. I got bags of hand-me-downs from my mom. That's when I got MAD! I cut back on the portions & junk food to start but the real change came with sweat. I bought my neighbors inline skates for 5 bucks at a garage sale and started 'strollerblading' with my girls. Then I started getting up at 6 am to get my exercise.
--Nani

A Tough Day...

My biggest challenge is my 3 year-old daughter Kyra. She has been the toughest little girl to deal with as of late. From whining to kicking & screaming, this girl is testing my every bit of patience. After a meltdown, I am emotionally & physically drained. My 15-month-old, Ava, is usually crying by now as well & my husband is ready to jump out the window of our 2nd-story house. YIKES!!!


I seriously don't know what to do. I have tried all sorts of methods & end up feeling defeated, not to mention the guilt of having a household that is in turmoil. I'm not talking about a couple of fits or a few power struggles. I'm talking about waking up upset & going to bed upset & being upset for the majority of the time in between. I dropped her off to my mother-in-law's house for some relief today, but as soon as I picked her up, the tantrums resumed.


On a positive note, I made it out for my morning jog. I made it all the way (a little more than 3 miles) without stopping! I sprinted at the end for a strong finish. It's been so cold in the mornings that my hands are freezing! My eyes tear up endlessly and am constantly wiping them. I usually start with my jacket on & end up tying it around my waist when I get too hot to wear it anymore. Today I left it on the entire time!


On a crafty note, I finished up the burp cloths for my friend Amy last night. They turned out pretty cute...white flannel trimmed with Heather Bailey Pop Garden brown Sway fabric & pink ric rac. I was going to quilt them but decided not to after all. I also started Heather Bailey's Hooray For Headbands using the same fabric...I'll finish up after posting as crafting is the other stress relief outlet I have (exercising is the first)! Pics to follow soon....hopefully!

Post 6 AM Run!

I did it...I woke up early & made it out for my run yesterday. I have been so out of my routine of getting up at 6:00 AM and exercising. I was a reluctant early bird but what matters is that I got up & out of bed! I claim that as a victory for me. Kyra was awake when I got home after my run. She was so enthusiastic and encouraging about my run. Did you have a good run mommy? Great job mommy! That was much needed fuel for my tank. She has been extra challenging the past couple weeks. Sometimes I feel completely out of control but when she says stuff like that it just makes me beam.
--Nani

Yoga Girls!

Booty to booty!
--Nani

Just the Essentials

Running shoes, iPod & pocket knife! All done with my 6 AM-3 mile run!
--Nani

Today's 1st Blessing

This morning we walked & got to watch the sunrise. It was amazing & inspiring. This is Margaret holding up her hands victoriously!
--Nani