top 11 pictures of 2011

Remember:  Go link up your Pinterest Challenge projects at Kara's Blog!
Then, our special Guest Pinhead {Holly} is showing off her amazing creation at 504 Main.  All I can say is, that from the preview, it looks vintage... it looks lovely... and it might either be something you wear or something you hang on the wall.  Hard to tell - you'll have to go see for yourself.

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Amber at Click. Pray. Love. is hosting a fun link party where you choose your top 11 photos for the year.  You don't have to be a professional photographer to enter, either!  The goal is just to take pictures all year long of your precious kids (or animals) and share them with each other.  There is a prize package for the winner (chosen by Random.org) and I'm giving a $25 gift certificate to Better Life Bags as part of the prize package!  You have until Wednesday to enter {sorry I'm so late at getting the word out on this}.

{in no particular order}

He used to LOVE to color.  And those eyes... beautiful, right?

 This picture was taken the day this happened.  The tractor and all that dirt... he was in heaven.

We added a new family member to our little Smith clan in January.  Here JoJo is reading up on what it's going to be like.  Love his little piggies in the corner of the shot!

Little sister is here!  While he probably isn't, I love that it looks like he's reading to her.

Isn't she beautiful?  Clara, you are a precious addition to our family.

This is her 9 month shot.  That finger in her mouth... man, she has wrapped around that finger!

Her 6 month picture.  That bow just kills me.  And those eyes... just like her brother.

When Clara was first around, Jonah loved to go stand at her crib and peek in at her sleeping.  I love that I caught that moment on camera.

Just a lazy day watching cartoons... upside down!

The beaches of California.  Love that this shot shows their footprints.

Jonah and his Bampa in the corn fields of Illinois.  Precious.

I'd love to see your favorite pictures from 2011, too!  Go link up at Click.Pray.Love!  Who knows... you might win the gift certificate to my shop!

BLB of the day:

The Lunch Bag

Save 10% with BAGOFTHEDAY {good only on this bag until midnight on date of blog post}

pinterest challenge round 4 is here!

Welcome to January!  And WELCOME to the first Pinterest Challenge of 2012!  It's definitely not our first round {Round 4 to be exact}, but it's sure to be the best one yet.  Here's why:

First of all - we have gotten rid of the categories.  You are FREE!  Free to do anything you pinned from Pinterest.  So, that awesome outfit you copied the other day?  Snap a picture and link it up to the party!  Those cute cookies that look like melting snowmen you made for the holiday party?  Write up a blog post and link it up!  Anything goes!

Secondly - you can link up up to FIVE projects.  Just make sure they were done within the last 4 weeks.  Honesty here people, honesty.  This means five chances to win to grand prize package!

Yep, there are still prizes.  And yep, there are still Pinheads.  But, we are adding a special GUEST PINHEAD to each round.  See below to find out who our special guest is this month.

Last - the link party will be hosted on ONE Pinhead's blog.  You'll have to tune in the first Monday of each month to discover where the party is going to start.  The voting will all happen there, too.  So you'll want to make yourself real familiar with that Pinhead during the challenge!

Ok, enough of the details.  Now to find out how to play!

We {the Pinheads} have been busy working on our Pinterest Projects, too!  Here's a sneak peek at them.  See if you can tell what each project is.  The full versions will be revealed each day during the Challenge!

Here's the party schedule for the week:
Today: Head over to Kara's blog and start linking up your Pinterest Challenge pieces!  (link party will be open until midnight on Sunday).
Tuesday: Check out our Guest Pinhead, Holly @ 504 Main and see her Pinterest Piece!
Wednesday: Visit Amanda @ Ninth Street Notions and see her big reveal.
Thursday: Ashlee @ I'm Topsy Turvy shows us what she worked on.
Friday: I'll reveal my Pinterest Challenge piece right here!
the weekend: spray paint, link up, sew, link up, cook, link up (just get those projects linked up!)
Monday - Wednesday: VOTE for your favorite Pinterest Challenge piece!
Thursday: Winner announced!

Ready for some Pinterest fun?!  Start linking up!  Or just go check out the awesome prize package that one of you will win!

And grab a button if you play along!






<center><a href="http://www.pinterestchallenge.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="The Pinterest Challenge" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFc-A8VKB1RVfIIt1d1psk68gKsBx8EO2zkC7Hd5GlRTzEOsH3XRyHPhT4l_qphdxJ1fKPKSVvnaLwjNqs-efgBwrDACZJShtJVTCdX8PEQraAYJM4VurKwy8McOkO_gzBnDwcninb41Z/s1600/Do+you+pin+button.jpg" /></a></center>

BLB of the day:

The Rachel 

Save 10% with BAGOFTHEDAY {good only on this bag until midnight on date of blog post} 

5 things i'm loving right now

I love this new link party idea over at Chesterrific:  5 Things I'm Loving Right Now.  It's a chance to document the here and now.  I think I'll take a little different spin on it and document the 5 things I'm loving about my kids right now {so I can have this as documentation for later}

1. Music Time

One day, JoJo just decided that we all should have "music time".  Ditty loves blowing her whistle now that she figured out how to do it!

2. Dare Devil Ditty

Ditty has the heart of an adventurer.  She loves to climb on anything and everything.  I often look back to see her on top of the child size table, or balancing herself on her brother's ride-on airplane.  She has no fear.

And she loves anything with a thrill.

You'd never guess it just by looking at her!

3. Imaginative Play

JoJo has really stepped it up in imaginative play.  His favorite "game" is "Dinosaur {or dragon} is coming!"  He often plays the role of the fireman and swoops in to save Mommy or Ditty.  If he comes up to me as says, "What's wrong, Mommy?" - I know he wants me to say, "Oh no!  There's a dragon!"

The other day, he was playing "Santa".  He rode around on his airplane with these sunglasses on, pushing a wagon in front of him saying, "ho, ho, ho!  Merry Christmas!"

His toys go on such magical adventures around the house!  I'd love to be one of JoJo's toys.  His favorite toys right now are Super Duck (a duck with a cape on), his train set, and his firehouse.

4. Her snuggles after nap

While she is STILL not sleeping through the night, she takes a good nap during the day.  When she wakes up, and if Daddy is around, she'll snuggle into his chest for a few minutes.  Just Daddy, though.  So precious.

5. His comments

This kid is full of funny {and sweet} sayings.  Here is a rundown of my favorite this month {via my Facebook Status updates}.

Scene: Reading Jonah his "Goodnight Construction Site" book that Uncle Tyler got him for Christmas.
Jonah: "Waz dat?"
Mommy: "That's an excavator!"
Jonah: "is an esssssecccc... {pause} it's a tractor!"

Jonah is apparently disappointed that there are child labor laws. Today he said "Help I need to go to work!"

"Dora is beautiful!" ~ Jonah

Scene: Jonah is saying goodbye.
Neil - "Say see ya later alligator."
Jonah - "See ya late {pause} ... you're not an alligator - you're mommy! Bye Bye Mommy!"
Jonah to Neil - "Mommy's NOT an alligator!"

I quickly changed into my sweats and a green t-shirt when we got home. I walk out and Jonah stops in his tracks, put his hand on my shirt and says, "Mommy - your shirt is BUTIFUL!" (guess he likes the color green).

Jonah has started to become afraid of things (dinosaurs, monsters, dragons), so we've been showing him how to rebuke things in Jesus' name! "Go away monster, in JESUS NAME!"
Tonight I was explaining to him that we say that because Jesus is powerful. And he responds with "Super Why is powerful!" Oh dear... lots of training left to go. :) 

Jonah: "merry Christmas!!!! I'm Santa! Ho ho ho! I got you a present, daddy!".
He looks around...
"hey, I need reindeer!"

Jonah has already figured it out. I pointed to a Christmas decoration and said "who is this? is it Santa" He said "Yeeaah... Dad is Santa" Hopefully he doesn't ruin it for to many other kids ;)

It's snowing outside and Jonah's first reaction is, "Is Santa out there?!"

Mommy: "Jonah, who is this?"
Jonah: "It's Mommy! PRINCESS Mommy!"