Birthday Girl

Well. . . .we made it. One YEAR! There were some days I wasn't sure either one of us would make it through the day alive.
In the past year I have laughed AND cried for joy more times that I can count. I know every parent says " I can't imagine life without my child" but it's not a cliche. I have such a hard time remembering what life was like without Mia.

One year ago today at 4:52 pm Saylor and I became a family because that is when this wonderful little girl entered our lives. Little did we know what the next year held for us. Good times and bad. Easy times and hard. And lots and lots of happiness. She makes us laugh everyday and there is no better gift that she could give us than that. Can't wait to see what the next year holds in store for our little family.

Happy Birthday Mia! I love you.

Leaves. . .

I have so many Christmas pictures to share but in the meantime here are some I took yesterday of Mia playing in the leaves. It was a beautiful day! Warm enough for shorts. In December! I love the way these turned out!

Too tired to eat

Poor Mia. She just couldn't handle it anymore. She was so tired she couldn't even finish her dinner. When I went to pick her up to take her to bed she grabbed another piece of chicken nugget and put it in her mouth without even opening her eyes. She just sat there with it in her mouth and didn't even chew. It was so funny! Can't wait to show this picture to her boyfriends. I'll tell them not to bore her on the date or she will fall asleep during dinner. Ha ha ha!

How to make Christmas candy

Step 1: Roll the candy into balls
Step 2: Taste test to make sure you mixed them right
Step 3: Melt the chocolate
Step 4: Dip Candy in the chocolate

The finished product

Don't forget the final step. . . .

Lick the spoon!!!

Just had to share this picture

Isn't that sweet! I am so excited for it to finally be Mia's first Christmas. Today I bought wrapping paper and wrapped presents while she took a nap. I wrapped her gift in the paper I bought just for her. Green with white snowmen. When she got up she went right for that present. She didn't bother any of the other ones, but she can't keep her hands off of the snowmen. She gets really excited when I plug the lights in on the tree also. I am so glad Mia loves Christmas as much as I do.

We finally got our tree. . . .

So we went to Wal-mart Sat. night after our Christmas party to get our tree. . . .finally! They were locking the outside gates just as we got there. This is the one we all loved! Mia was really tired and not too interested in the tree. Since the outside gates were closed Saylor had to carry the tree through the store to the front to check out. What a funny picture.

The tree spent the night in the garage and we put it up on Sunday night.

Mia loved the orange stuff the tree was wrapped in.....and the lights.


And here is the finished product.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Also I took some maternity pictures for some friends and added some of them to my portfolio. Go check them out. I'm really happy with the way they turned out.

Go take a look. . .

At my new website cindymillsphotos.tripod.com

I have decided what I want to be when I grow up. A photographer. Well, for now at least. A few of my friends, my husband included, have talked me into it. I really enjoy taking photos so. . .why not? So tell everyone you know and even some you don't. I have a student loan to pay off . . .someday.
This was my first try at building a website. It doesn't look exactly as I had imagined, but it will do for now.

In other news. . .it is cold. VERY COLD. For Texas anyway. Mia and I went grocery shopping today and she looked like the Michelin man in her new parka. You know that kid in "A Christmas Story" that falls down in the snow and can't get up. Kinda like that. She has trouble walking with her coat on. I think it makes her top heavy. Maybe tomorrow I will video it. I have to have something to torment her with when she's a teenager.

I worked on a scrapbook page with Mia's Santa picture on it. I tried 8 1/2 X 11 for the first time. Kinda like it. I used a snowflake stamp and A LOT of glitter. Not sure how it's going to turn out, but I had fun working on it. I have been inspired by Ali Edward's Christmas Art journal. She is so amazing. I wish I was that talented. I suggest looking at her blog and you just might be inspired too.

Meeting the big guy. . .

Mia got to meet Santa Claus last night. He came to our bible class Christmas party. She didn't take her eyes off him from the moment he walked in the door until she got to sit in his lap. She was one of the few little ones that didn't cry. What a big girl. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the picture of her looking up at Santa. What a sweet picture. I have to get that one enlarged. I hope she told Santa what she wants for Christmas. Can't wait til he visits us again.

Creative Clutter

I have been working on several projects in the last week. Here is the mess left behind. I plan on cleaning it up today. I don't mind a creative mess. It usually means I have been accomplishing something. In the past week I have:

• made a birthday crown for Mia to wear on her birthday
• finished a baby album for my friend Lindsey
• made a Christmas ornament for a ornament exchange I am going to tonight
• embellished Christmas decorations for my living room
• made a mini-album for 2005 Christmas pictures. It's done and ready for the photos and journaling.

Sounds like I've been busy huh? Well. . . .see the photo above and you be the judge.