The Valley and the W. Front

I took these out the car window on our way down south. They are basically straight out of the camera with a little added contrast. My first love really is landscape photography.

Location Location

Today I wanted to try some shooting locations with bright backgrounds. I think the colors turned out great! Even though my girls were tired and uncooperative. I like the composition so be warned that there will be more of these locations to come.....

CMA's

I watched part of the CMA's (Country Music Awards) last night while getting the girls ready for bed. The performances were awesome! Especially Carrie Underwood. Her voice is so incredible, she totally hit it. She used to bug me because she looks like a barbie but while I was watching this video again on youtube I also watched her American Idol audition and she was so cute, she grew up working on a farm, a totally innocent little girl. With a rockin voice.

You have to watch her performance last night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYyAtSk_6X4

Maybe you'll cry like I did.

Watch her "So Small" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUtFEKhtB30

I also cried at that one.

Now that we are speaking of my blustering baby ways, go ahead and watch this one too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8iWEktQhg0

If you aren't balling by now, your heart is dead.

Love, Kyla

PS. Here's another one so pop some popcorn, make some hot cocoa, and grab a box of tissues!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBPUZY0LFJk

Does anyone remember the movie with Keanu Reeves that this was originally from? I loved that movie...

***Remember to turn off the music at the bottom of this page first

***As a note, the beginning of the third video is a little intense

Prom!

My friend Jamie,

turned 26! Happy Birthday! She threw a prom party, since she missed our senior year of high school. She went all out with pictures, catered dinner, yummy chocolate pie and cheesecake, and of course dancing. Jamie you throw a great party!

Miami Vice

Kristen

*Whistle Whistle* Me, I always make weird faces.

Hot Dates. At least with this prom we know we can get some action without missing curfew...

Steve and Stacey, this was during our "pee in the shower" conversation lol

This is what Dan did most of the night, check scores and stocks

This is how dan really feels about dances and he's taking it out

on the poor Martinellis!

Prom Queen toast

Kris and Gray Steve and Stacey Sue

Us at the dance.
Little did we know that we would feel so old. And that the guys there were way better dancer than any of the girls. Seriously a riot. I had a great time dressing up and being away from the babies. There are far to few reasons to dress up really nice and party. Thanks Jamie James!

911

If I ever have a heart attack, Adrienne will save me. I wake up 8 out of 10 mornings with Adrienne kneeling next to me or on top of me with both of her little dimpled hands on my sternum straight locked arms compressing my chest, with vigor. Her little mullet flapping up and down with the movement. Once she sees I'm awake she tightens her lips says mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm and leans in to give me a full on kiss. With a lip smacking noise at the end. It could be considered mouth to mouth.

On other frequent occassions Adrienne will come to me babbling full sentences raising her eyebrows, pointing, raising her arms high in the air, and anyother number of gestures so that I fully understand the gravity and importance of what she is trying to tell me. One time Dan witnessed this and said, "Kyla, I think Lassie is trying to tell us something".

So if I had a heart attack, I'm sure Adrienne would try to resussitate me then if that didn't work she would contact the neighbors with her outlandish gestures.

Funny funny

I have to be honest. I love this age. Both girls personalities are so funny these days. Here are some of my favorite faces recently.

I love these pants

This is a little girls we babysit. Aren't those eyes gorgeous.

Leaf rubbings

Ash got to wear her costume to gymnastics, I guess I should have taken pics before she did somersaults and handstands in them. She was saying, "I'm so happy now!"

I am grateful that babies grow up to be funny toddlers!

Plunger

So yesterday Adrienne brings me the plunger. EW. So I promptly take it out of her hands and take it back to the bathroom. She comes in so I can wash her hands then she says, "PeePee". I check her diaper and it is clean. She points to the toilet and says "PeePee" again. Like mom, how much more obvious could I be. I ask if she wants to go in the toilet and nods her head in a way only Adrienne can. We sit her on the potty and she goes! Number one and number two. Awesome! I can't believe this girl. She is such a character!


So the Question: What should I do now? Should I start potty training her or should I chalk it up to her being sharp and very curious because she sees Ashton and me (on separate occasions) using the toilet. Seriously can you potty train an 18 month old?

Someone who has had experience with potty training a child before 3 1/4 years old (like the last one) please tell me what to do.

Prez?

Okay. I am not going to eat my words. Mainly because my mouth is too full from all the Halloween candy I've been sneaking from the kids. Butt, I mean, but, When I was watching the Obama acceptance speech, I was in complete awe over the words coming out of his mouth. Obama is very very smooth. And convincing. And persuasive. Which is encouraging. Its about time we had a confident and brilliant spokesman in the White House. Obama's resume is impressive and well rounded, it puts on airs that he is caring and compassionate and well educated. His wife's resume is equally as impressive. Not to neglect how beautiful their girls are.

Both husband and wife are flawless in the way they carry themselves, the way their arms move at the perfect time, their facial expressions are always on cue and appropriate. This could be ground shaking and peace making for foreign relations. I can see Obama wooing all foreign leaders to being his buddy and suddenly they see his side.


I am hard core conservative and his speech was bringing thoughts to my head like, "why did I not see before how amazing he is. I totally underestimated him." I had to pinch myself a few times to remind myself that I voted against him. Did anyone catch that line where he talked about how the Republican party was based on hard work and self reliance and then so smoothly transitioned into how everyone should be equal financially. I'm like wait, was he agreeing with self reliance or disagreeing and bringing in his distribution of wealth. He is your friend and on your side, but disagreeing without you knowing. He could use this diplomacy for very very good things or just the opposite.

I will be watching in stunned fascination with this new President. I hope things go well and that my convictions in earlier posts about one leader not being capable of changing things too drastically are correct.


I have to admit that I felt a sense of happiness and pride knowing that the first Black President had just been elected. Finally part of the dream of Martin Luther King is coming true when a man "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character". It is neat to know that our country has reached a point where there can be more racial equality. And that those terrible barriers will be brought down quickly. On both sides of the coin. In fact, I don't remember many people in the media mentioning his skin color since Hillary dropped out of the race. Until his "Yes We Can" speech last night.

I wonder how long he has been working on that speech. It must have been years in the making, with all of his anaphora, it seemed patterned after MLK's speech. Whose speech (MLK) was rated as the top American speech of the 20th Century.

Now I don't agree with Obama on many many many issues, but I think he is leaning towards a more socialist view because in some twisted way he thinks he is helping people just like he did in Chicago when he served on the board of directors for the Developing Communities Project, the Joyce foundation, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, and the barriers he broke in becoming the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.

See how persuasive he is. He almost gets me. Almost. There is still something so unsettling about his perfectness. There are a lot of strange questions raised about his religion, his birth records, college transcripts, or a lack there of.

I am very very interested to see which side of him is manifested throughout his challenges as President of the United States. We will see. It surely will be fascinating, no doubt.

I am interested to hear what everyone else is feeling and thinking about it. Feel free to comment, even you democrats.

Who likes to laugh?

If you do, then click on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9m2FLHlEwA

and then part II:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM-HWkbnDfg&feature=related

then comment!

oh yeah, scroll down to the bottom of the page and pause the music first. Its the top music thing.

Election Day Jabs

My friend Ashlee found this creative experiment on Obama's tax plan to be quite interesting. It was performed by a citizen and reported in the Eagle Tribune...
"Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read 'Vote Obama, I need the money.' I laughed. Once in the restaurant my server had on an 'Obama 08' button , again I laughed--just imagine the coincidence. When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need--the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight. I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server inside as I decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was grateful. At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn even though the actual recipient needed the money more. I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application."

HaHa

Party like its 1969! Halloween Style

Who's ready to do some Trick-or-Treating?!!

Ashton getting hooked up by Zan

I don't think Ashtons too excited about going do you?

That, ladies, is pure joy:

You never know whats coming next...da, dum, dum

A scary boxer:

Adriennes getting out of there. Wait, its just a harmless king: cute puppy Bodie. We love bodie.

Well, most of us.

Give the girl some candy and things are all better.

Now on to 1969: Me and Rachel my new BFF

Kazia and I. love her as a granola, don't ask what my face was doing..

Sue and Ashton. Love her too.

Cade. He is awesome!

Ash and her BFF Olivia

Ashton won at the cakewalk!

Ashton and Madilyn

Madilyn and Jodi

Our friends

Take every chance you get to have some candy!!

Me

Dan cleaning up after the party. One of us had to be responsible right?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

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