The Pink To-Do List

I'm SOOO busy!!!!!!!!!  Whew, that feels better...  Seriously, though, this has been such a crazy busy summer.  I'm totally looking forward to fall and the start of our homeschool so we can get in a routine and SLOW DOWN!!

As I was roaming around, figuring out what to put up for Pink Saturday, I discovered several PINKS in my To Do lists/piles.  I'm hoping to have all outside obligations and pressing "to-do"s done by Sunday night...here are a few things on my list...

Elisha lost a tooth early today (Well, actually, he went through 4 different family members before someone could get a good enough hold on it to yank it out) so I've got to go find him a little something tonight to put out for a prize!

I've been blessed with so many nice gifts since I've had Kynthia...I want to spend some time this weekend writing out thank you cards!

My mom has planned a special baby shower for Kynthia and I on Sunday.  I'm going to make our cake sometime Saturday.

We want to start school on Monday so I've got to get our lesson plans done up for a couple of weeks.  Here's 7-year-old Cainan's math books for the year.  This is his first "formal" year and he's SO excited!!

Oh yes, and then there's laundry to be folded and put away...

This is as much as I can show you of my next "to do". My friend, Audra, is renewing her vows with her husband of 17 years next Friday.  My task is to bustle her gown...something I've never done before!  The picture above is actually the garment bag that her dress is hanging in.  You know it's bad luck to see the dress before the big day...and you never know if her husband, Bob, might just be lurking here on Pink Saturday!!

Everything's going great here in the Coller household with our new sweetie, Kynthia Joy.  Big brother, Liam, is learning how to play nice (he truly does adore her!) and baby Kynthia is learning how to be tough!

Thank you to everyone who sent happy birthday wishes Selah's way last week. She was thrilled to receive this awesome PINK scooter for her 5th birthday on Monday!

So, now that I've shared my to do list with you all...

Does anyone have any suggestions for the rest of this yummy PINK buttercream frosting?

Today I'm linking up with Beverly's Pink Saturday!  There's a whole lotta PINK going on there today so stop by and say HI if you've got a minute or two!

Celebrating Special Girls

This month has been one of celebration for our family as we brought our new baby, Kynthia Joy, into daylight on August 2nd, celebrated her birth with a dinner put on by my church friends last Friday, and are getting excited for daughter, Selah Elizabeth's, 5th birthday on Monday!

My sweet friends from church held a dinner and diaper shower for me and Kynthia.  It was so fun to get together and show her off!

My friend, Darlene, always makes the most gorgeous flower arrangements!  Big sister #2, Selah, had a matching rose in her hair!

Here's my gorgeous mother, Christy, holding Kynthia Joy.  She was asked again at the shower if she was my sister...sure hope I inherited those genes!

Kynthia received several nice gifts, including a pink ladybug outfit!  I'll be sure to post her on Pink Saturday here in 9 months or so when she can wear it!  Big sister #3, Avalon, took each gift over to Grandma to show it off!

Here's Kynthia posing with the pretty flowers Julie bought for her.

Me and Kynthia right before bed time...sleepy!!

This weekend I'll be busy wrapping up gifts and making a special PINK princess cake for sweet Selah's special day on Monday.  It's so hard to believe she was as little as Kynthia just five short years ago.  What a special blessing she has been to us.  "Selah Elizabeth" means, "Pause and Reflect (on the) God of Plenty".  Such a great reminder of God's blessing and provision in our lives.  I'm so thankful for this beautiful life!

I'm linking up with Beverly's Pink Saturday today.  Take some time to go visit if you can---there's lots of great pinks on display!

She's Here!!

Announcing....The Sweetest Little Pinkie of Them All...

Kynthia Joy Coller

Sweet Kynthia was born on Tuesday, August 2nd at 1:15 p.m.

 

Daddy bought her this sweet outfit to wear home from the hospital yesterday morning!

Welcome to the world, baby girl!  Life just keeps getting sweeter.  Thank you, Lord, for all my blessings!

I'm linking up with Beverly's Pink Saturday today!

Preparing for Baby

Only 14 days left until our sweet new baby is due to make her appearance in the world!  I've spent the week getting ready for her to come!

Her little bed is all ready...

Her clothes are all hung up...

Her pacifier...for the benefit of us all!!

A little mobile hanging above her cradle for entertainment...

A few days' worth of diapers!  Guess I better go stock up...

MY bags are packed and ready to go...all we're waiting on is you, Baby!

Meanwhile, big brother is exploring the nooks and crannies of the living room... This is what happens when Mommy leaves a 14-month-old to his own devices for awhile...

Sweet Baby Liam has no idea what's coming...  He will be a great big brother!

I'm linking up with Beverly's Pink Saturday today!

Happy Week!

It's been a happy week here at the Coller house!  Jamie and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on Monday!

He brought me home 18 of these gorgeous PINK roses that smell soooo wonderful!

I made us all a cake with our wedding topper.  We had hamburgers for dinner and shared our cake with the kids for dessert!  They all made us pictures and Lynzie painted us each a small painting.

Later in the week, I made Lynzie this pretty dress.  She has been saving her own money for several months now for a Revolutionary War era costume.  She ordered her own shoes and stockings and helped pay for some of the fabric for her dress.

Here's Lynzie showing off her buckle shoes! We still need to make her a lace shawl and mob cap but she's feeling pretty cute in her new outfit!

 Jamie will be home from work in a couple hours and then my weekend begins!  I plan to work on baby announcements all weekend and just generally be crafty!  Baby's due in 3 weeks!

Linking up today with Beverly's Pink Saturday!

What I've Been Up To...

Have you entered my Giveaway??  There's only 2 days left to win!  Go here to enter!

I have to admit, I feel like I'm sort of cheating for this week's Pink Saturday post.  I wanted a chance to give all my blogging friends an update on our life lately, as well as link up with Beverly and all the other Pink Ladies today!  Even though it's only been a couple of weeks since I last participated, I feel like I've been out of the loop forever!

Anyway, the big news is that our life has changed dramatically (for the good) in just a week!  On Monday, May 16th, my husband accepted a job in Pendleton, Oregon.  We have lived in Eastern Oregon all our lives, except for the last 15 months which were spent in northwest Washington.  


So, we literally had 4 days to pack up everything!  We've got most of it packed and about 2/3 of it moved---we are 6 hours away so must move in-between work weeks!  Jamie started work this past Monday the 23rd, and we moved into our new place the day before yesterday!


We were so blessed to be able to move right back into the house that we moved out of 15 mo. ago!  I just love this house and will post some pictures once I get things unpacked.  It's a Craftsman home that was built in the 19-teens.  There are so many little things that just give it great character!


On the first day of work, Jamie was promoted to a different position than they originally hired him for.  He received a raise in pay and it turns out that he's doing exactly the job he was hoping for when he first applied.  He's really excited about all the new things he's learning as a Software Engineer, and I'm excited that we finally have him home for dinner in the evenings and home on the weekends!


So...since we've only been in our new house for a couple days, I've not been able to take any new pictures...  In fact, I was just going to say that I can't even find my camera but I just spied it over in the corner!  Ha!

Back row: Avalon, 2; Me; Lynzie, 11; Liam, 1; Jamie/ Bottom row: Cainan, 6; Elisha, 7; Selah, 4; Michael, 8

However, I don't think I ever posted our family's Easter picture..so here we are.  There's a couple of little pinkies there, as well as a few other great looking people! 


Hope you all have a lovely weekend and don't forget to enter my giveaway!  I'll be drawing a name on Sunday afternoon and will contact the winner via email so make sure I have a way to get a hold of you!


HaPpY pInK sAtUrDaY!  Visit Beverly and wish her a Happy 3rd Birthday!

Set Free to Live Free Mother's Day Contest

 Good morning!  I wanted to share with you all a contest I just found out about in conjunction with a great new book on healing releasing this month.  

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of Set Free to Live Free  is sponsoring a “Set Mom Free” Mother’s Day Contest.  Everyone who enters is eligible to win a $100 VISA card, a bouquet of flowers delivered on Mother’s Day (for yourself or your own mom!) and an autographed copy of Dr. Dalton-Smith's new book. 

To enter, go to Dr. Dalton-Smith's “Set Free” Facebook page and click “Like” to become a fan.  Then  click on “Promos” at the left of the page. This will take you to the contest details.  Follow the directions from there to be entered.  Contest ends at 11:00 a.m. on Friday May 6^th

                                    

 Here is the press release for Dr. Dalton-Smith's new book:

A Physician Shows How Our Physical Health

Is Impacted By Spiritual and Mental Choices

Discover the seven lies women believe about themselves and how they can overcome them

Author Saundra Dalton-Smith, a practicing physician, shows women how to break free from fear, insecurity, and other lies they tell themselves into a life of health and balance in Set Free to Live Free (ISBN: 978-0-8007-1993-7, May 2011, $12.99). Smith shares with readers how one patient reshaped her practice and approach to medicine. One day, a patient entered her office, and as Smith listened, she recognized she would need to work closely with this patient if she was to get better. She could not simply offer the latest medications, but would instead need to walk with the patient and help her become free from the lies that had impacted her physical health. Readers will journey with this patient and others as Smith shares how their triumphs became her motivation to see others free.

Imagine life with unlimited possibility, where fear, misconceptions, and insecurities don't have the power to rob us of our potential or our dreams. Many women have trouble seeing this vision, because they are bound by mental ties that keep them from living free. In Set Free to Live Free, Smith will show women how to break free from seven mental ties that hold them back: perfection, envy, image, balance, control, emotions, and limits. She encourages women to embrace spontaneity, be transparent, nurture their bodies, and cultivate a balanced life through compassionate and inspirational writing.

A study guide is provided at the end of the book outlining each chapter with discussion questions.

Saundra Dalton-Smith MD is a board-certified internal medicine physician who has been practicing medicine since 1999. She treats a predominantly female population and has firsthand experience with the struggles women face trying to imitate the American dream. Dr. Dalton-Smith has been an adjunct faculty member at Baker College and Davenport University in Michigan. She lives in Alabama.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life.  They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet.

Contact: Donna Hausler, Publicity Assistant

                                                             dhausler@bakerpublishinggroup.com

For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.

Japanese Tea Party

A couple months ago, I showed off my new Japanese tea set that Miss Sue Flay sent me in a Tea Cup Trade.  For a reminder of that post you can go here.  Today I'm using it to complement another great Japanese item:  the beautiful painting I won from the talented Mrs. Amy Van Gaasbeck in the Japan relief auction she held shortly after the earthquake. 

Amy has several of these great geisha girl paintings, as well as notecards, in her Etsy shop!

Here's that adorable tea set again from Miss Sue Flay.  The cups are teeny tiny---just big enough to hold about 2 Tb. of tea!  I love this whole vignette and love that it came just about the time that we all began praying for the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan.  This set and painting will always serve as a reminder to me to pray for the dear people of that country.

Join me today at Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday!