BAH.

Today I spent most of the day with a headache. Wait, ALL of today was spent with a head ache. I got ZILCH done. No crafts, no Hobby Lobby- nothing! All I wanted to do was lay around and sleep. I didn't even do THAT! It rained here- ALL day. It was a BLEH day. I DID get two fun packages today though! A FANCY lens and flash for my Sister in laws wedding! The lens, I admit is AWESOME, but I'm struggling with it more than I thought I would. I thought it would be brighter than my 85mm, its not. It was rainy and dark today though, not enough light at ALL! I'll figure it out! The flash is amazing. I never thought I would give two hoots about a flash, but this thing can make a dark room look like its beautifully lit! I took lots of random pictures today and I thought this one was cute enough for posting. Lexi hooting away in the bath tub... I used the flash on this too.

All this fun gear makes my camera weigh about 1,000 lbs! Its a good work out!

A Packing I have BEEN.

Well, we are officially on our way! The suit cases are sitting in the halls, PACKED! (Brians is still empty.) Ive got 80% of the house cleaned and all of the garbage is out on the curb right now waiting to be collected! Brian is working one of his last shifts tonight. I have to get an oil change tomorrow, a car wash on Saturday and I still have a short list of crafts left to make before we hit the road. I have one last trip to Hobby Lobby planned for tomorrow. My craft room has been buzzing. I'm LOVING my space, my VERY OWN space! Lexi loves my space too. She likes to play with all my sparkly things while I am gluing, sewing, glittering, painting, nailing, drilling....Ive been taking pictures too, just not of Lexi. (I put them here if you want to see them!) Ive got so many things going right now and I feel surprisingly calm about it all! I cant wait to hand out all of my hand made things! I cant show you any finished projects, but this is what my desk has on it right now... There is just something about the MESS of my craft room that I LOVE!

And my little pile of trinkets... I collect so many things for no reason, but when it comes time to make ANYTHING, I always have a good selection to choose from!

Only TWO days LEFT before we HIT THE ROAD!

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Oh and I Have a PS!

Guess WHAT!

There is a CHANCE, a GOOD CHANCE that my very BEST BFF might be moving here! TO SAN ANTONIO OF ALL PLACES!!

I tell ya, I'M crossing fingers AND toes on that one!

The BrewGIRLS take a HIKE!

Us Brew girls did something today that we don't typically do... today WE WENT HIKING! My friend Laura took us out! I'll admit, I thought we were going to be wandering around in the desert. The UGLY desert. I mean, Texas is pretty UGLY from the side of the road views Ive had so far. BUT I was quite taken by the FOREST (yep, its a FOREST!) and the desert within! One minute you would be walking through desert with cactus and tall wispy grass and the next minute you're in a tree canopy forest full of fallen leaves and bright green moss! Seriously, I couldn't get it all on film, but I sure did try!

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Today was also the first time I took Lexi somewhere WITHOUT a stroller. The first time I took her anywhere and said "HERE KID- RUN ALL YOU WANT!" And she DID, for about 20 minutes and then she just wanted to be carried- OF COURSE!!! This picture is about the point where she decided walking wasn't very fun...

I tried to keep her walking here and there, but by the end she said "carry or SCREAM, you decide Mom!" I carried her.

Check out the CACTI! Oh baby, did you know (those of you who DIDN'T grow up in Arizona or here) that Cactus has FLOWERS? I cant say I think any of this is pretty... but here you are- a cactus blossom!

And did I mention the trails? There were trails, within trails, within trails- all over the place! Pretty amazing, seriously! This was just one little trail I snapped a picture of (and I'm proud to say that I did NOT use my new lens toy on this!) I've got this sun flare thing down I think! (maybe)

And this is Laura.

She digs cameras as much as I do and she is also the keeper of Lexi when I have sneak away! One of the few people I would trust to take care of my BOO. I snapped this picture of her quickly, as I was holding my screaming child and while Laura was telling me how bad she looked. Yah. Right....

And then we saw THIS! DEER! A mom and baby! SO CUTE! We were tip toeing along trying not to scare them... getting closer and closer. Then Laura grabbed Lexi so I could snap a picture and thats when my MEGAPHONE baby started screaming!!!!!!!!

Amazingly, while I was getting CLOSER, HOLDING A WILD SCREAMING TANTRUM (Lexi) AND SNAPPING PICTURES- this Deer just looked at me like "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" instead of darting off the other way. Lexi didn't scare her one bit! Nor did I! It was pretty cool to be SO close to them! A BONUS POINT FOR TEXAS!

We made our way down into this pavilion where the ONE and ONLY fall tree in San Antonio lives. And there at the bottom, she stood in all her glory holding a few branches of RED LEAVES! I shed a Maryland tear and snapped a quick picture... 10 BONUS POINTS for TEXAS!

While I was admiring the RED, Lexi was busy trying to jump off the 15ft cliff into the water. She was SO mad that Laura stopped her... and somehow, in all of that, I caught this quick picture too! If Lexi hadn't been mad, I know she would have had a smile on her face! She loves Laura and I think Laura might like Lexi too! =)

I totally needed this.

I'm so surprised that Texas is pretty (if you JUST get out of the car!) You're growing on me Texas! I think I might miss you while I'm away!

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(PS, Im now a BIG fan of hiking too!)

Sparkles!

I got a fun little accessory for one of my lenses today. I thought it would be fun for Christmas with all the lights!! Pretty cool, don't cha think?

A lovely AFTERNOON.

Once upon a time

there was a tiny princess girl

who LOVED stories....

and being tickled!

Her Mommy was always happy to do BOTH!

The END.

SOAPY DELICIOUS!

Today Lexi got some SUPER BUBBLES for being GOOD at the store. Not the non-popping kind, the GIANT kind (although they weren't as big as I had hoped). They were the kind you DON'T have to blow- you just WAIVE the WAND through the AIR and they appear, like MAGIC! My kind of bubbles!

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She thought they looked PREEETY tasty because she kept trying to EAT them.

(you have to enlarge them to see the bubble spatter...)

Not sure HOW she thought they tasted good.......

But she spent all afternoon trying...

and trying...

to get one in her mouth!

with no success!

It was pretty funny to watch!

OHHH and one LAST thing........

DEAREST ANIE,

and MY DEAR KATIE,

These nappy roots will see you SUNDAY!

Lexi's BED.

Lil' crowded DON'T CHA THINK?

So this is the typical stuff Lexi sleeps with every night. By morning, there is usually MORE too. I find diapers, baskets, changing pad and even the picture frames from her walls in her bed. Pretty much everything in her room ends up in her bed and THIS is just how she likes it. I have NO clue how she can sleep like this. And if I take anything out, she KNOWS! She will frantically look for whatever is missing! You can't see that shes got two other blankets in there too! (They are stuffed under her brown bear.) She also smuggles MORE toys in through out the day. I have to weed it out daily. Its comfort for her I guess???

Not really sure how we're going to handle Arizona for a month......

{SPOT}

Found a DANDY little spot for pictures and its SUPER close to my house!

Its no BIG RED, but its still pretty...