New Look!

***Update***

OK, here are the pictures, what do you think?

This picture doesn't really show the true color of my hair because of the lighting. Also,the sun was in my eyes..

I love the warm color with Carmel highlights! Bryan was making me laugh, he was telling me to strike a pose!
It looks darker in the photo then in person..

I took some much needed and waaaaaaaay overdue time to myself today. I will post pictures when I get back from picking Ashley up from preschool, but in the mean time, I will leave you in suspense on how it looks! I got my hair cut and colored, I love it and I feel great!!!!!

5 years!

5 years ago today September 18Th, 2003 during a really bad hurricane, I met my dear husband and life has never been the same since! =)

I never imagined that in five years we would be where we are today, and with two kids!

Thank god for hurricane Isabelle! If the electricity wasn't out everywhere, except at The Bungalow in Shirlington Virginia, we *probably* never would've met.

Old pictures...

New York - 2003

Two little love birds sitting in front of the Capitol Building.

Bike ride through Washington DC.

The Lincoln Memorial

The White House

Fort Story, Virginia - Our first camping trip together!

Ashley's 1ST Day of Preschool!

This is Ash just three years & four months ago, on the day she was born. Below are pictures of my baby on her very first day of preschool. She's such a big girl now.

Getting ready to leave for school.
Arriving at Ms. Clemens house - Little Apple Preschool.
Let's go to school mom!
Welcome to Little Apple Preschool..
Zion and Ashley. Zion, Ashley, Morgen, Ava and Mckayla.
Ms. Clemen and Ashley, she was a little upset because she thought I took her backpack away. She didn't understand why it had to stay in her cubbie. She was fine after two seconds of tears.

PRESCHOOL!!!!

OK, where did the last three years and four months of my life go??? Can you believe that one of my baby Ashley is going to be starting preschool tomorrow afternoon?! We are both really excited.

Ashley has her clothes set out, new little back pack, and lunch box ready to go. I will post pictures tomorrow.

When we went to Ms. Clemen's for orientation on Wednesday, Ashley cried when it was time to leave, and then she was mad at us for a good 20 minutes after we left. She kept saying "I don't like leaving, I want to stay at my preschool with all of my friends", and she was totally sobbing. I hope she has a wonderful day tomorrow, it will be nice for Lauren and I to get some one on one time in while Ash is at school, OMG... school!!! That just sounds weird.

OK, I better get to bed. I'm already up an hour past my new bedtime. I need extra sleep with my new age, 25 is rough! OK, just kidding, it's not the age, it's my crazy schedule with the girls. Lauren has therapy five days a week now, plus other appointments and then with Ashley starting school, it's a lot of running around. I'm in the process of trying to combine some of the appointments to the same day, It looks like in a couple of weeks I might get two days off during the week, which would be awesome because appointments everyday is starting to kick my butt.

I'm so procrastinating right now.... have a good night. Look for new pictures of our little preschooler tomorrow.

GOOD NIGHT! =)

Lauren's first time playing at the park!!

Now that the trach is gone, Lauren is able to play in the dirt, sand, etc....
She was crawling everywhere...
Sisters-a-swinging! =)
Look at her knees from crawling in the wood chips. It looks like it would hurt, she drags her knees when she crawls, ouch! She had a blast though!

First "real" bath after Trach came out!

Look how excited Lauren was to be in the bath. We get the same reaction every time the water gets turned on. It's so funny, she's a little fish!
Lauren wasn't able to take a real bath the whole time she had the tracheotomy, we had her in the infant tub and then we would just use a cup to pour the water over her. bath time is her favorite time of day now. She practically tries to jump into the bathtub head first every time she goes into the bathroom. I love it!