Who else is completely, utterly, wholly ready for spring? My bones ache to go outside comfortably. I so badly want to go spend the day at the park with a picnic and spring flowers and WARMTH. I don't think I've ever wanted spring to come this badly. I've always been a "cold person", taking showers that turn my skin beet red, longing for summer, enjoying flannel sheets in August, and I'm absolutely ready for winter to end.

In an effort to trick my seasonal affected disordered self into thinking that one day it may be warm again, I planted some tomato seedlings a few weeks ago. I did this a few years back, and I was totally proud of my tiny seedlings until I went to the store and saw that huge tomato plants were only $2 and the things I had been growing were only a couple of millimeters thick. Oh well, I thought I'd get an early start this year and see what happens. I don't have high hopes for these babies, but it makes my soul feel better to see them growing every day. The kids run over to them and yell, "THEY'RE GETTING BIGGER!"


I think I may be giving my kids a big head with all my picture-taking. I asked Connor if I could take some pictures of him today. I got MANY dramatic model-esque poses out of him, but I think my favorite is this VERY serious picture where he's contemplating the meaning of life while sipping a Capri Sun. The world is a confusing place for a three year old.




One project that has been keeping me busy and my mind off of the late-winter doldrums has been redecorating our room on a strict budget. It's been a fun challenge to find decor that completely transforms our uninspired bedroom into a nice oasis while repurposing, recycling, and pinching our pennies. There are a few things that I have left to paint, arrange, and find before I want to showcase the room, but here's a sneak peek at our color palette! So nice and cheery, especially since our room faces north and doesn't get any direct sunlight.


I've been killing it with the couponing for the past couple of months. Walgreens really is a girl's best friend, but you have to have a thick skin and be prepared to be treated badly when you have more than three transactions. I used to feel really guilty when the employees would treat me like I was doing something wrong when I'd walk out with $100 worth of stuff for $30, but hey, I'm not the one that decided on the sales. I'm buying their product, and they get reimbursed for the manufacturer's coupons, but I still have to give myself a pep-talk as I'm walking up to the register. There's been a month-long deal on trail mix, and we are burning through a bag a day around here.


Those eyes. She is never allowed to date.


I'm still keeping up my effort to get some good, simple portraits for my mom. These are always the types of photos I get. :P Gotta love 'em.

Our Valentine's Day was great! Anthony and I have still yet to officially celebrate, since Valentine's Day is a very busy night in the restaurant business. He surprised me with flowers and chocolate when I got home from my long shift! It was my first time getting a traditional valentine, with roses and candy, so I was a happy girl!




I took these photos the morning after, and the kids were just beside themselves at the sight of all this candy! They had to touch every one over and over again, and I had to let them, since they were doing it under the guise of practicing counting. :)


I love how much Anthony knows me. I've never understood spending 5 bucks on a card that has impersonal sentiments and ends up in the trash, so he made me a custom card out of the kids' construction paper. I love it.


My gift also included a bath set. Very exciting, since I had been using shampoo as bubble bath. :)


You would be proud of me! Usually I am THAT mom whose kid trick-or-treats with a bucket from McDonald's instead of a hand-made bag with their name on it that matches the costume that they will only wear for one year. I always feel bad about this, but I'm still learning how to keep up with the Momses (a very difficult task, especially with all these Utah crafty moms). I knew that Connor's class was doing a Valentine exchange, but the flyer said nothing about how we were to transport them. I ALMOST sent them in a grocery bag, but, refusing to be the lazy. uncrafty mom, transformed the box they came in into an understated but cute valentine box! Yay me! However, I was the only mom who made one. So much for fitting in. Oh well, at least I was on the other side of the fence this time!


And now for the yearly heart sunglasses photos. First one: 2009. Alaina just liked sucking on them. I don't have a photo of Connor with them, because if my memory serves me right, I had just given these glasses to Alaina to keep her quiet while Connor napped.


Last year:




This year:

I had to share that one so that you can see the difference in her hand. Much less baby-like, but still hanging on to those "edamame" fingers. I will be crushed if they slim down in the next year.



Much more attitude than last year! :)


It's fun for me to see the difference in my photography from a year ago. Last year's photos were the first time I broke out my 35mm 1.8 lens, and I had no idea what to do with it. I actually put away the lens for a couple of months after that because I was so clueless as to how to use it and how to achieve how my photos were "supposed" to look. I look at the older photos and see too slow of a shutter speed, weird color casts, too much post-processing, and it makes me happy that I'm progressing. Until next time!

I've been trying to get out of my photography slump. I got really burnt out in December when I had my busiest month at work and tried to shoot and edit five sessions on top of that (throw in a family reunion, family party, anniversary, and Anthony's birthday, too). January was spent avoiding my camera, and pretty much everything else at all costs. :P I've been trying to document our daily lives better, since I am a nostalgia junkie. I have journals starting from when I was in first grade, notebooks passed between my friends and I in middle school, and emails from years ago. I love looking back and remembering what was important in my life at that time. I forget the details sooner than I would like, and I'm trying to be better at documenting the nitty gritty (aka boring), because what's boring now usually becomes a fun memory if given a couple of years to age.

Tax time! Dependents make tax season fun!


This picture sums up Anthony's life...doing an assignment that translates to a webpage about Thomas and James racing. I love how his two worlds are perfectly described on one screen.


This is why we can't have nice things. :)


I'm loving our new schedule. I get more closing shifts because I'm not working doubles. Those shifts translate into more money and more hours, so we get to actually have at least one day a week at home as a family! It's awesome. Aside from the weird February patio shift, this schedule is suh-weet.


This laundry basket is the most coveted real estate in our house right now. I know I will miss it so much when my kiddos can't fit in a laundry basket with a pillow pet and their favorite blankies.


I caught Connor singing Alaina a lullaby in the basket. Cutest. Thing. Ever.


Forgive the terrible music in the background (why, oh why, must you insert the weirdest songs into my playlist, Pandora?). Connor's singing things like, "Go to sleep. Enjoy your dream. When you wake up it will be nice and comfy." And then Alaina begs for water, like she does every time we put her to bed. :)

Oh, January. How I will not miss thee. We haven't been up to a whole lot around here, other than avoiding the cold and hanging out in the kids' bedrooms all day. Those two rooms get the most sun and they're so WARM, a nice contrast from the weather we've been having. In short, it's been the same ol' scene in the Dietrich household.

Connor has been getting into video games lately. Who would have thought that a three year old can play games that I won't even attempt because they have too many buttons? My only excuse is that I feel like there are enough buttons to learn on my camera.


Fancy abstract of the boys playing the Playstation Move.


I volunteered at Connor's preschool the other day, and Alaina spent the afternoon playing at Grandma's instead of taking her daily nap. I knew she was tired, but you've got to be pretty exhausted to fall asleep with your book still propped up in your hand.


My mom keeps asking for portraits of the kids, and I am officially the worst person to keep her updated with current pictures. My excuse is that the cutest photos I take of my kids are always situational, such as this day, where Alaina was potty training. She does so much better sans clothing, but I'm so wishing she had a shirt on in the photo. It would have been frame-worthy!


The best part about potty-trained kids are the pinchable bums!


I will be one heart-broken mommy when that thigh roll disappears. It's on its way out. :(


If you're wondering why all my pictures are of Alaina lately, it's because Connor runs from the camera and Alaina says, "Doe det your damra and tate pitchers of meeeee!"