Belle Rose Mama

Urban Farmers

2012-04-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

I guess that's what we should be called now. I haven't posted in a while because we have had a flurry of activity at our house. Mr. J has turned our backyard into an urban farm. I can't help but marvel at the talents God has given JC. When he came home one day and said he wanted to have chickens in the backyard I have to admit I was slightly concerned about his sanity. However, as this project has unfolded I am simply in awe of my husband. He took plans that he found on the internet and turned them into what I now refer to as the Chicken Mansion. God has truly gifted him and I have really enjoyed watching him use those gifts. Here's a little peek at what's been happening in our backyard:

This is what the chicks lived in for the first three weeks of life IN MY DINING ROOM!
Can you tell I was not very excited about their living situation?

JC started building...

... and building (the girls thought it was a stage)

Until, finally he had a finished product, complete with electrical wiring for lighting and a fan.

Belle has been so excited about this project.

Moving the chicks into their mansion.

I think she would sleep out here if we let her!
Rose prefers to watch them from afar.

The chicks checking out their new digs. It's been 4 days and they seem to be adjusting well.

So...although I was very resistant to the idea of chicks in my backyard, I have to admit JC did an awesome job putting it all together. (Did I mention I'm crazy about him?!) PLUS, we also have an aquaponics system he created (that's another post coming soon). I'm sure we will have plenty more stories and adventures to share! :)

Janessa
aka Mama Hen

Surprising Belle

2012-03-31T16:04:00.000-04:00

One of my good friends from college moved to our area about 9 or 10 years ago. She has two adorable boys, one just a few months older than my sweet Belle. Isaiah and Belle have been friends since birth.

In fact, if you ask them, they plan to get married some day. I've been encouraging them to wait until college is finished at least :) Last summer this sweet family moved to NC and broke poor Belle's heart. She still writes Isaiah and hopes that he'll move back to this area someday. His mom called me a few weeks ago to say they'd be in town, and she wanted to get together for lunch. I decided to surprise Belle and didn't tell her they were coming. Her face was priceless!

I can't believe how much they've grown!

Isaiah got to come over after lunch and play with the girls. I soon realized that some things never change! :)

Then...

...and now!

It was so much fun to surprise her! Who knows what God will do with those two one day! :)

Janessa

Spring Break Fever!

2012-03-28T22:50:00.000-04:00

We've got it at our house! Not the sick kind of fever, but squeeze as much fun a 3 to 5 year old can handle fun into one week kinda fever :) We're halfway through our Spring Break, and the girls and I have been having a blast. Our mornings are my very favorite part of the day. Both girls snuggle up with me in my bed and we just talk and watch cartoon. Yes, I admit, I love the getting out of bed much later than usual, but the real reason I love this time is I know my girls will only be this small for a short time so I'm getting in every snuggle possible. I'm secretly hoping they'll still want to snuggle with their mom even when they're in college, but we'll see... Anyways, I just wanted to share some of the fun we've been having.

Monday we hit the spray park:

The girls had a blast! Belle insisted on wearing her "boo-kini"

Tuesday we stuck close to home. We did some spring cleaning, a little organization and transplanted some flowers to hang on the front porch.

Today, we went to the zoo with Pap and Mimi.

They made a new friend

Mimi got roped into riding the train :)

This is what I get when I ask everyone to smile for a picture.

This is what happens when Belle gets to be the photographer :)

Rose made lots of friends at the zoo.

Can't believe how fast my sweet Belle is growing up!

I look at my family and feel so blessed. The only way to make this week any better is if Daddy had the week off too. We definitely miss him, but the girls are getting to enjoy some Daddy-time everyday when he gets home. I love how their faces light up when he walks through the door :)

Janessa

Spring is in the Hair!

2012-03-11T12:42:00.001-04:00

No, that was not a typo. At my house, Spring is in our hair :) The girls and I went yesterday for a hair cut. Rose got the most drastic cut (about 5 inches cut). I think they look adorable:

There's lots of activity in our house during this fun season. I happen to love spring. If for no other reason- we get SPRING BREAK! Yes, a wonderful week off in just two short weeks. I'm so looking forward to dusting off my sewing machine and having some fun while the girls and I are off school.

Mr. J has some big projects going as well. He is turning our backyard into a city farm. He is currently working on structure to support an aquaponics system. From my minimal understanding of its workings, we will have tanks of fish that fertilize plants and the plants in turn feed the fish. A great cycle that uses no soil to grow a garden full of veggies. The outcome should be great! PLUS, Mr. J has decided we need chickens. He is also building a chicken coop in the backyard. We'll have a yard full of veggies and eggs. Not something I was a big fan of at first, but I guess I am in for the adventure since the chickens will be arriving the first week in April. There will definitely be pictures as this adventure unfolds!

Happy Spring to all! :)

Janessa

I feel like all I do...

2012-02-26T13:17:00.000-05:00

... is go to baby showers! I guess that's what happens when you work in a field full of ladies :) We had another baby shower this past week, but this one was a little different because the baby got to be there! He decided to surprise his mommy and come a little early so we missed having her original shower and had to reschedule. It's always fun to have a baby to pass around at a baby shower :) Add 20 teachers who all want to love on the baby at the same time, and you've got an interesting situation. I was smart, I waited until most had already had their turn and left, then I got to hold this precious bundle of joy:

Isn't he cute?! His name is Mason.

So... I've tried to have some variety in my baby shower gifting so I've been searching Pinterest and some of my favorite blogs for inspiration. Here's what I made Mason:

When I spoke with his mom a few weeks ago, she said he loves books so this is the cover of his "MASON" book.

Then I had to add one of my favorite go-to baby shower gifts- the taggie blanket. Mason's mom is a Packers fan.

I hope Mason enjoys the goodies I made him. He is too cute for words! I've got some more projects in the works this week. Plus, I'm taking on some challenges in the kitchen! (Pray for me. This is not a place I'm gifted in.) Hopefully they'll be some fun things to show, and I'm sure some stories to share!

Janessa

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T21:20:00.000-05:00

The girls and I had a great time this year making their Valentines. I found a super cute idea on Pinterest (yes, I am addicted!) so I gathered all our old crayons around the house, bought a few extra boxes of crayons, found an ice tray heart mold in the Target dollar section and we made super cute crayon valentines. Want to make some your self? Here's what we did:

First, we soaked the crayons for at least an hour.
(I am so thankful one of my fellow dance moms gave me this advice. It makes the peeling process so much easier!!)

Then we peeled and peeled and peeled some more. Rose loved this part and was very good at it! :)

Then we divided the crayons into coordinating colors. This was Belle's favorite part :)

We baked them in a heart mold and a little gingerbread man mold for 15-20 minutes at 230 degrees.
If you try this be sure your crayons are fully melted and then let them cool completely before removing them from the mold.

We put these cute crayons in bags and labelled them "Valentine, you COLOR my world with happiness" and "Happy Valentine's Day for CRAYON out loud'. Yes, I know I'm a cheeseball!

These little guys were fun too!

Now the girls want a set of crayons for themselves so I see more crayon making in our future. It was a great project to do together!

Janessa

Tools for Baby

2012-02-05T21:53:00.000-05:00

Belle's teacher is expecting a boy, and we had her baby shower this past week at school. Now up until this point, most of my baby shower creations have been girly to the core so I had to do some major searching for inspiration. My inspiration came from a newly discovered blog that has quickly become one of my favorites. Ironically, it's called Girl. Inspired. She had made an outfit for her son that included a shirt with a hammer applique. I wanted to think a little outside of the box on this one, and ended up inside a box- a toolbox to be exact. Here's how I packaged my gift:

I found a toolbox at Target and used scrapbook paper to make a tag that said "Tools for Baby Lee." Then, I filled the bottom of the tool box with diapers, wipes, baby soap and lotion. It looked like this:

Then came my favorite part of the whole project. I made these adorable onesies:

I used felt scraps and my ever present friend Heat n' Bond, stitched around the edge of each tool with my sewing machine, and we were in business! :) I loved packaging these in the toolbox.

I was so glad to discover I can do boy gifts! :) There's a few more boy baby showers in the near future.

I can't wait to have some more fun exploring and trying new things!

Janessa

What a weekend!

2012-01-30T20:54:00.000-05:00

We had a crazy busy weekend! The girls had two birthday parties on Sunday. (I love that we do Saturday night church now!) One was Rose's sweet friend from dance who was turning 4, and the other was their cousin who turned 7 last week. If you know their mama, you know Belle and Rose rarely attend a party without a handmade gift so I went on a crazing making spree this weekend. You think I'd learn by now to plan a little in advance so my weekend sprees wouldn't be so crazy! Here's what I made:

Rose's friend got an art kit, complete with a crayon roll, of course :) Plus, an extra crayon roll for her big sister.
I put the art kit together in this:

Both my girls have bags like this that I fill up with activities we can do on the go.
We keep the bags in the car, and pull them out anytime we need them. The girls love it! We're hoping Ryann loves it too.

My niece got a spa kit complete with a personalized bath wrap
(just discovered how I could make these from a towel- super easy! YEAH!)

My nephew got a crayon roll too!

So excited about this cute "boy" fabric I found :)

I made the girls shirts b/c one of the parties had a "Rock Star" theme.
This is about as rock star as we get around our house- we're a little more redneck than rock star :)

Overall it was a fantastic and fun weekend, but for some reason I am exhausted...

Janessa

Best Daddy Ever!

2012-01-16T09:58:00.000-05:00

The girls are growing up so fast! It seems the more they grow the smaller my house gets. At this point we are in a small two bedroom house, and the girls are sharing a room. I expressed my concern to my sweet husband a few weeks ago that the girls were in need of their own space. He started brainstorming and came up with a great idea. Not only did he come up with the great idea- he actually made it happen this weekend! :) Here's what he did:

The girls had bunk beds and a little space to play, but no space of their own besides their bed. So...

Daddy built super sturdy platforms and turned the girls' beds into loft beds! They love it!!!

He built a platform and we had stairs so both girls can easily get in and out of bed.

Belle loves what she calls "My play spot". She's been under there for hours writing in her diary! :)

Rose likes to take everything out in her spot and play in the living room :)

... or in the middle of the bedroom.

PLUS, as an added bonus- he hung shelves for me so we could organize all the bags we have- school, dance and Awana bags. I love this man!!

So Daddy was officially the hero of the weekend. Way to go Daddy! :)

Janessa

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T21:19:00.000-05:00

I am overwhelmed with the ways God has blessed me! As we usher in a new year, I couldn't let the day pass without highlighting a few of my favorite moments from 2011:

I look forward to the many adventures in 2012! :)

Janessa

My Newest Obsession

2011-12-22T22:33:00.000-05:00

I seem to have a lot of these lately! I have been in super crafting mode this week. I am loving having time off from school to spend time with my girls and attack all the Christmas projects I've been putting off. Plus, it's been so nice I've moved my workspace to the table outside so the girls can play while I get all my projects done :) One of my favorite projects this week has been the crayon roll. I am by no means a skilled seamstress so this easy project is right up my alley. Just a few scraps of fabric, a hair tie, a button (you can substitute the hair tie and button with a ribbon) and my good old Viking and here's what you get:

I love it! Plus, you can change up the fabric to make it for boys, girls or even adults. I made one with colored pencils recently. I may just make one for myself to throw in my purse. I don't know about you, but I am constantly digging around in the bottom of my purse to find a pen. This would be a great solution to that problem! :) It's the little things in life...

I'll work up a tutorial on this the next time I make one.

Janessa

I've Officially Crossed Over...

2011-12-18T09:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess I am finally giving in and admitting that I am officially a Dance Mom now. I'm not sure how to do this job, but I guess I'm going to learn :) Both Belle and Rose have been involved with Christmas shows with their dance studio, Tampa Bay Dance FX. They are having so much fun! This is uncharted waters for me because I grew up playing sports so I am counting on learning as I go. There is a little part of me holding out some hope that the girls will enjoy dance AND want to play sports. I guess only time will tell. Until then, here's my life...

Rose does the Penguin Cha-cha in this adorable little outfit. I wish I would have had my video camera out a few shows ago because I looked over when the show was finished and the girls were visiting with the audience, and Rose was signing autographs!

My one-legged elf. I couldn't get her to stand still for a picture.

One of Rose's best buddies just happens to be the owner's son.

Her choice for a future husband is a tough race between Owen and Buzz Lightyear.

The older girls at Dance FX are awesome with the younger girls. Belle loves Miss Mac!

Now, 10 years ago if you had asked I would have said I would never become a dance mom. Don't tell anyone, but I think I might actually be enjoying it. Shhh! That's our little secret! :)

Janessa

The Christmas Countdown Is On!

2011-12-12T17:25:00.000-05:00

Last year I went looking on the Internet to find an easy advent calendar. I ran across the cutest idea at Tatertots & Jello and decided to give it a try. I grabbed a few cookie sheets at the Dollar Tree, some festive scrapbook paper and my Modge Podge (love this stuff!) Here's what I came up with:

I glue gunned a ribbon to the back to make a hanger for it.

I made these fun magnets by gluing scrapbook paper to small magnets.

The girls love taking turns each day putting a magnet on. Plus, as an added bonus when there's a picture of a candy cane on the magnet, they get a candy cane. When there's a picture of a present, they get a small present. I love the dollar section of Target for these little gifts. :) The 24th has a present which always ends up being new pajamas because you have to have a new pair of super cute jammies for Christmas morning pictures! Baby Jesus is our last magnet to remind us of the real reason for Christmas. The girls love it, and it was super easy to make :) Anyone else have a cute idea for counting down until Christmas? I'd love to hear any new ideas!

Janessa

Island girls

2011-11-29T22:06:00.000-05:00

At every port we visited last week there were ladies offering to braid the girls' hair. Belle begged and pleaded until Daddy finally said okay with the agreement she didn't fuss about how long it took or how much it hurt. She loved her braids! In fact, we just took them out tonight. She had to keep them in to show her friends at school, and I was loving the low maintenance hair-do :)

She got to pick which beads she wanted in her hair.

She said not one word, but those eyes say enough! That had to hurt!

Super cute! :)

My sweet Rose opted for a maraca instead :)

I love my little Island Girls!

Janessa

Back to Reality!

2011-11-27T19:13:00.000-05:00

We had a FABULOUS time on our cruise! I have lots of pictures to share, but I thought I'd start my series of cruise memories out with the girls' favorite nightly picture. We would come home every night after dinner to a different towel animal. The girls loved posing for pictures each night with the animals. We got some great shots :)

Cabin sweet cabin!

What a bonus! The couch became bunk beds! :)

Towel animal: Day One. This is what we came home to each night: I think this one is a sea lion- PLUS if you look closely you'll see four pieces of chocolate. A girl could get used to that! :)

Day two: the girls decided they needed to pose with each animal.

Day Three

Day Four. Notice Belle became an island girl while we visited Belize. More pictures of that later! :)

Day Five. My sweet Rose who usually hates having her picture taken turned into our little model this week.
She was even stopping at all the cruise picture stations and hamming it up.

Day Six. We swam with the sting rays in Grand Cayman and then came home to a sting ray on our bed.
The girls were so excited!

This week was exactly what I needed! I am so blessed! It was nice to have some time to relax and enjoy our girls. Tomorrow is back to work, but only a few more weeks until Christmas break! :)

Janessa

Whirlwind week

2011-11-19T08:27:00.000-05:00

We have had a crazy busy week! The girls swim lessons ended, we've had lots of fun stuff happening at school and we've been packing for our CRUISE! We are heading to the Western Carribean tomorrow!!!! I'm just a little excited :) Here's some snapshots of our week:

Rose is a swimmer now! Belle's become a fish :)

Rose's class at school ready for our annual Pre-K Family Feast. Yes, she's the one crying her eyes out!

The kids got to make feathers about the things they were thankful for. Then they shared the feathers before our feast.

We added the feathers all together to make this super cute turkey.

I found these shirts I made the girls last Thanksgiving. They were made with felt and hand sewn.

Thanksgiving 2010.
I thought ahead and made them a size big last year so they could wear them more than once. Hopefully we can get Rose to agree to wear her's. She refused to wear it to school. Gotta love it when their 3 and opinionated! :)

I am so thankful for my friends and family!

I hope you all have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

Janessa

My Little Supergirl

2011-11-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I took Belle to Dance Revolution in Orlando. We went just the two of us. Daddy was on call for the weekend for work, and my sweet parents volunteered to keep Rose for the weekend. Belle and I had a blast! What a great organization Dance Revolution is! They encourage young people to use the gifts God has given them to glorify Him! I thought the weekend was going to be fun for Belle, but I never realized how blessed I would be as well. It was nice to have that one-on-one time too. She got to take some fun classes, and we even snuck to Sea World one afternoon just the two of us.We treated ourselves to dinner, ate Oreos in the hotel room and stayed up late. We told anyone who asked that we were on a Girls' Weekend. :) My only regret is there was not one picture of the two of us on our girls' weekend. Guess we'll have to put that on the priority list for next year! I did catch some great shots of Belle and her friends having fun:

The first night they had a Superhero themed dance party. Belle loved this costume!

The Superdancers from Dance FX

Day One. All the girls dressed alike. How did she grow up so fast?!

Ballet class

Hip Hop! This class was awesome! It was all I could do to stay in my seat.

My sweet Rose had a great weekend too. She loved having Pap, Mimi and Auntie Laney all to herself. When we got back on Sunday I asked if she wanted to go with us next year. She told me Belle and I could go to "Mylando" again and she would stay at Mimi's house all by herself! :) We did miss Daddy a lot,but even he had a great time because he got to tackle some of the house projects he's been wanting to do for months. What a fantastic weekend! I am so glad God gave me the family He did.

Janessa

Halloween Fun

2011-11-06T19:48:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a little late, but we had so much fun this year I have to share. Rose had four different costumes! She wanted one for dance, one for the party at Uncle Kevin and Auntie Heather's house, one for school and one for Trunk or' Treat. It was a blast! Just take a look:

Belle fell in love with this costume. I think she'd wear it every day if I'd let her :)

We even talked Daddy into dressing up. This is as dressed up as he gets for Halloween.

Belle has two nights of dance so she wanted to wear her "Bride" dress one of those nights.

Rose's costume #1: Ariel

Cousins Halloween party. Rose costume # 2: Purple Ballerina

We had some fun at school too!

My whole team dressed up like Toy Story characters. I had a little too much fun.
(I put together my costume and the potato heads. I got the inspiration from one of my favorite blogs- Oopsey Daisy )

Rose costume # 3: Hula girl

Rose costume # 4: Minnie Mouse princess

I love these sweet girls!

Too much fun! I am so blessed :)

Janessa

37 Years & Counting!

2011-11-02T15:28:00.000-04:00

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Thirty-seven years ago today a handsome baseball player married a sweet majorette who loved Jesus with all her heart. I am so blessed to have them as my parents. Because of their faithfulness in serving God, my family is also blessed. They are two of my all time heroes! I appreciate the example they have given me not individually in their walks with Christ, but also as a couple who has God as the foundation in their marriage.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for all this and so much more. Love you!

Janessa

No Sew Halloween Tote

2011-10-30T22:20:00.000-04:00

I have been in crazy project mode this weekend! By crazy, I mean 4 costumes and 8 trick-or-treat totes (6 were sewn and the other two were no-sews). Believe it or not, it was actually a great weekend. This kind of stuff is super fun for me. I shared a tutorial earlier on the easy sew bags I made so I figured I'd do a quick tutorial for my friends who don't sew. I made these super cute bags for my girls to carry tomorrow in about 30 minutes start to finish for both bags. Interested in making one of your own? Here's how:

Here's the bascis of what you need: an iron, ironing board, scissors, some fun fabric, Heat N' Bond Iron On Adhesive (LOVE this stuff!), a canvas tote of any size and if you're a girl like me some ribbon (this is used as added flair)
You may also want a piece of scrap paper and some fabric paint. (We'll get to those later)

First, follow the directions on the Heat N' Bond package to adhere your fabric.

Trace whatever you want your tote bag to say onto your scrap paper, cut it out, and then trace it onto the Heat N' Bond paper. Make sure you trace your letters backwards b/c when you iron them you'll get a mirror image.
(I've learned this the hard way!) Cut out the letters and remove the paper backing.

Make sure to line up your design before you start ironing.

I like to add fabric paint once I have finished adhering the fabric.
This gives it a little polished look and prevents the fabric from curling or fraying.

Now if you're a girl like me, nothing is complete without a bow so use your ribbon to add a cute accent and you're done!
(Want in on a secret? This tote's bow doubles as a hair bow! I love those little surprises!)

See how easy that was? Now go try it and tell me how it goes!

Janessa

10 Minute Trick-or-treat Tote

2011-10-30T22:00:00.000-04:00

I am by far a very novice sewer (not even sure if that is the correct term), but I wanted to share a super easy way I've discovered to make super cute tote bags that take very little time. In my crazy world, that's a huge thing! So... ladies and gentleman, please bear with me as I present my very first tutorial!!!

Materials needed:

Sewing machine
Scissors
Some fun fabric (I chose a glittery Halloween print I just happened to have in my stash)
thread (preferably some that accents your fabric)
ribbon that matches your chosen fabric

That's it! Are you ready?

Step one: Cut the fabric to your desired size. Make sure you make 2 cuts of fabric the same size!

Step two: Fold the fabric about 1/4 inch at the top and do a seam stitch.
Do the same to your other cut of fabric.
If you want exact precision you can iron the fabric before you stitch, but I'm lazy most of the time and just eyeball it.

Step 3: Once the top of your tote is hemmed to prevent fraying stack
the two pieces of fabric right sides in facing each other, like this:

Step four: Make sure you are looking at the wrong side of the fabric on both sides. Line up the sides and seam stitch around the sides and the bottom, leaving the top open.

Step five: You'll need a handle for your tote. Ribbon is one of my go-to's. Place the ribbon about two inches below the top of the bag, lined up with the side seam. Then do two vertical stitches and two horizontal stitches like you see above. Repeat on the other side. Make sure to go back and trim all the excess thread you have, and guess what?!!!!

Step six: You're done! Turn the bag right side out and you have a cute little tote.
An added option I do with most of my bags is to add about an inch and a half of Velcro
in the middle at the top of each bag for a closure.

JC quickly informed me when he saw this that it was WAY to small for candy collection, but the fabric stash I had was already cut so I had no choice on the size. We can always carry more than one :)

I hope you're now inspired to try this on your own! Please comment and let me know if you do.

Janessa

Happy Birthday, JC!

2011-10-24T21:12:00.000-04:00

My handsome hubby is 40 today!

We went camping this weekend to help him celebrate the Big 4-0.

Here's some of my favorite moments from this weekend:

French toast for breakfast :)

We brought my sister along with us. The girls have a blast with Aunt Laney Bird!

Even G-man came along for the party

JC's mom decorated our tent while we had a family rest. Love those afternoon naps in the tent!

Some of us napped a little longer than others :) I think all that kite flying did her in.

Between Barbies, dinosaurs, kites and kickball I don't think Belle and Rose gave their Auntie Laney any time to rest :)

Being silly with Daddy's birthday crown

Happy birthday to my sweet hubby!

I look forward to the next 40 years of adventures alongside my best friend. I'll make sure we celebrate his 80th camping too! Hehehe! :) God is so good and our family is so blessed!

Janessa

Brave Belle

2011-10-18T22:33:00.000-04:00

Belle gets the award for bravery today. She had her first hospital experience this afternoon. She had a tiny spot on her eyelid that started out as a sty about 6 months ago and ended up as some sort of growth on her eyelid. It didn't seem to bother her, but her eye doctor wanted to remove it so we got to spend the day in outpatient surgery. We prepared ourselves last night as we read stories. We read A Trip to the Hospital by Mercer Mayer (one of her favorite authors), and I did my best to walk her through what would happen. It sounds like an awful day, but I actually think Belle enjoyed herself for most of the day. We had to meet with the doctor first thing this morning in his office and then report to the surgery center two hours later. Crazy, I know! So... we found a great playground right near Albert Whitted Airport, and she got to hang out with Mommy and Daddy and watch the planes take off. She was all smiles and dancing around until she heard her name called in the waiting room. Then my spirited little girl instantly turned super shy and said not a word. She warmed up quickly when the nurses spoiled her rotten with fake tattoos and stickers. Plus, they let Daddy and I hang out in the pre-op room with her too. Once they wheeled her from the room I tried to read the book I'd brought with me. I think I read the same page over and over again for a half hour and then she was done. Quick and painless!

Now, Daddy and Belle's fabulous nurse thought it would be fun to get some pictures while we were waiting for her to go back into the operating area, so of course, I have pictures to share:

This nurse was FABULOUS! She had Belle giggling from the minute she walked into the room.

Belle had to practice how to breathe into the mask.

Of course, Daddy made her pose pretending she was asleep.

After surgery, a little out of it, but looking good.

Getting cleared to leave.

A happy mommy and a groggy HUNGRY baby.
The worst part of the whole day was not
being able to eat until after surgery.

God is so good! Being the typical mom I was so worried, but He worked everything out beautifully today. JC and I got some special time with Belle, and Rose was so proud that she got to be the only Jannarone girl at school today. We had great nurses and I felt the many prayers of sweet family and friends who were thinking of us today. My sweet sister called me this morning and prayed for me while I was driving Rose to school. I love that girl!

Belle definitely got the treatment and soaked in every minute. She got a special lunch date with Mommy and Daddy. By far my most favorite moment of the day was picking up my sweet Rose. Belle and I walked through the door and when she realized it was us she came running and said, "Oh Belle! How's your eyeball?" Gotta love sisters :)

Janessa

A Little Hair Flair

2011-10-16T16:44:00.000-04:00

Today we took family pictures with JC's mom and brothers. We were all wearing similar colors, and all the girl cousins had the same dress. I thought it would be fun to add a little flair to their hair so the girls and I took a trip to Michael's. We came home with some flowers and new buttons, and I went a little crazy with my glue gun. Here's the final result:

I wasn't kidding when I said I went crazy. These were the first of about 12 clips I made last night. The girls ended up wearing these. It looked nice with their black dresses, and they each had a color of their own.

These I couldn't resist because they're so darn cute! They may end up in my hair too!

I LOVE these ladybugs. I happened to find these felt stickers a few months ago and I love that I can just glue gun them to a clip and have a super cute accessory for the girls' hair.

Rose's friend from school had a birthday party today so she got some butterfly flower clips and these super cute cupcakes. These were felt stickers I found too.

I'm loving how easy and super cute these are. Plus, it satisfies my need to have Belle and Rose's hair out of their face. It used to be bows, but now that Belle insists that bows are not "cool" I had to get creative. What will I do when she's 15?!

Janessa

An Awesome Field Trip!

2011-10-11T20:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my sweet Rose went on her first school field trip. Luckily, I happen to be one of the teachers on the trip so I got to be in on the fun. We've been studying Community Helpers at school so we took all of the Pre-K classes to the Pinellas Park Fire Station 33. The kids had a great time! The firefighters were so great with our kids! They gave them a tour of their station and let the kids each have a turn with the water hose. Rose couldn't wait to get home and tell her sister and her daddy about shooting that water! I was so impressed with the guys at Station 33. They gave our kids a great example of true Community Helpers and heroes. :)

Of course, I have pictures to share thanks to my sweet mother-in-law who came on the field trip with us.

In Nannie's car. Waiting for the fun to happen!

Patiently waiting my turn for that hose! :)

I think we may have a future firefighter on our hands!

This was a week of firsts already, and it's only Tuesday. Belle went on her first field trip today all by herself! (Meaning without her Mama!) I was spoiled last year because I got to go on all of her field trips. I was so nervous this morning and gave her the typical Mama Speech about staying with the group and not wandering off. Fortunately, she had a great time on the field trip, and I survived the hours of worry while she was gone! :)It was so nice to hear her chattering all the way home about the fun she had today. Next time I'll have to send my camera with someone so I can get some pictures. Better yet, I might just have to volunteer to go on the next trip!

Janessa