Bring the JOY

Don’t forget to bring the JOY to the season. It’s so easy to get stressed out and forget the true purpose  for this amazing holiday season. It’s a time to take a step back and truly appreciate everything we have been given in this life. Time to enjoy the little moments and the big moments too because memories can be made in both instances. It’s a time to give of your heart and your time, not just your finances. You may not have a lot of money to give but you do have heart and time. Be the person who makes a diffeeence in someone’s day. Perhaps your smile, holding the door, paying for a coffee could change someone’s perspective and cause a ripple effect. Remember, it does not take much to bring the JOY!

Welcome back to blogging!

Let's start fresh! So much has changed in the last 3 years and honestly I have been "blogging" more on Instagram than this page, it appears! Going to make a change for 2019 and that means I'll be here sharing my journey more often.  What a long and amazing journey it has been!  I'll give you the brief synapse of what we have been up to! Zach is now in middle school and loving it, Ava is in 5th grade and going through the normal 5th grade girl stuff. Dear lord please help me! This parenting gig gets so different as the years go on.  I would go back to the baby and toddler days any day over tween drama.

As for me, I finally took control of my health once and for all.  Adopted a whole new lifestyle that has brought me so much joy and a sense of purpose.  Turns out  I am a helper and I love to see people set goals and achieve them.  I've been slaying goals and helping others do the same for the last two  years.  It's been pretty amazing!

Yeah, that's me! I did a thing. I never thought in a million years I would do this but I competed in my first fitness competition.  Me! How crazy is that? It's amazing what some confidence and proper nutrition can do for a girl! 

That's not all though, our family has been up to some great things.  Traveling, learning, growing as people.  All because we have been blessed with this amazing opportunity to do more and be better.  

We can't wait to see what 2019 has in store for us! 

WOW! Time flies!

Well, time is sure flying for us! I have not blogged in YEARS? Could this be true? The kids have grown so much and our family has been so busy.  We have now been in the house below for 2 years! 2 fabulous years in a wonderful neighborhood making great memories and great friends.  Zach is almost 9 and going into 3rd grade and Ava is 7 going into 2nd grade!

A recent pic of my big kids with their cutie pie little cousin! 

Ava started gymnastics a couple of months ago and is loving it and flourishing! Zach is starting football in August and is very excited and nervous at the same time.  I have my reservations about football but when he sets his mind to something, it's what happens, generally.  Tis the life you lead living with a child with Oppositional Defiance Disorder! You pick the major battles because if you don't, they ALL become major.  The diagnosis is new for all of us although I suspected it since he was about 3 (but aren't all 3 year olds defiant?!).  This comes along with the ADD diagnosis that we were just waiting for.  My gut told me it was true before it was confirmed.  Now we are going through all the fun stuff involved in parenting and being a child with a "diagnosis".  The first step was counseling for both of us and extended school year for him.  Let me tell you that that battle has NOT been fun.  Today was day 4 though and although he asked to skip school he did not cry, throw a fit or make me feel like the worst mom ever so I would say it's a success!

Lots of changes and happenings for us!

Well, it is now May and I am way behind in blogging.  I have so many other ventures going on that my blogs have been neglected, along with my digi scrapping :(  I still love both but there is only so much time in the day.  Snaps of Real Life had a steady winter considering there was horrid weather throughout the winter months and is now picking up as the warmer weather comes and stays!  I decided to start selling Matilda Jane Clothing because Ava and I are both obsessed with it anyway.  We want to make the world a better place by giving girls and women cute clothes ;)  We just want everyone to feel like we do when we get dressed!  Love the skin you're in and the clothes that you put on! 

The big family news is that we are finally buying a house again!  We are in the process now and just waiting for final funding!!!  That also means I will have even less time to blog because it needs some work.  We will be throwing a wallpaper party some time in June if you are proficient at removing it lol! 

                                                         The only picture I have right now :)

Chrismas time photos!

Well hello there!  It's been a very long time!  With Facebook and Instagram, my poor little blog has fallen by the wayside.  I hope to post at least a couple of times a month with fun family stuff and little sayings that my kiddos say that crack me up!  My favorite of the moment is "you are/are not my best brother/sister".  Zach and Ava use it ALL THE TIME.  If they are smitten with each other or angry with each other, it comes out in one way, shape or form.  It cracks me up each time because they are each others ONLY brother and sister haha!  The holidays have been a blast and lots of fun memories were made.  You can see a lot of them on my Instagram page by following me, zachandavasmom.  I'm starting a new project over there this year too!  I hope I can follow through....

Project 365!

This year I am restarting my project 365.  Last year I attempted a 52 and while I am sure I took at least one picture a week, I just stopped compiling them in one place.  This year I am doing "one a day the instragram way".  I coined the name and will mark each photo with the hash tag so I can find them easily!  Join me in the fun and follow me as zachandavasmom on Instagram!   The focus for this year will be "everyday moments captured".  No need to set up any fancy photo shoots, just capture the little things that make every day extraordinary!  Happy New Year and may God bless you all in 2013!

Happy Father's Day!

I have the best husband and Zach and Ava have the BEST dad!  We had a fun filled Father's Day today and this was one of my favorite shots from our impromptu photo shoot :-)

 It made me think of this Epiphanie contest and I just had to enter for the chance to win! 
My "fly" photo submission in the Epiphanie Camera Bags + My Four Hens photo contest! http://bit.ly/junephotocontest

May Review!

May is the month of birthdays!  We celebrated our 35th this year and I can't believe it.  We also celebrated Mother's Day and it was so nice to be with my mother and Nana on this special day for the first time in years! 

Ava's Birthday!

My sweet girl is 4 years old!!!  We had a wonderful birthday day with Lalaloopsies all over and then we went to Friendly's for dinner.  On Saturday we had a small party with the family and she was in Lala Heaven.  Where did 4 years go???

Busy busy busy!

Well, this blog is totally getting the shaft!  My photography blog and trying to start a business is taking up the majority of my "down" time right now.  Oh, and Facebook, can't forget Facebook.  I swear, I go there to check in on my business page and all of a sudden I am trapped and it's been an hour of wasted time!  I have no idea how FB does this but it's like the black hole of social media!  If you want to see what we have been up to then head on over to my FB page or check out my photography blog at www.snapsofreallife.com  It's been pretty fun and exciting around these parts ;)