If you're happy and you know it...

I am clapping my heart out. I am praising, thanking, and giving glory to the "big man in the sky" for everything that I've been given this past week.

We are finally moved into our new HOME.

We still have lots of work to do but the point is that I feel at home, finally. I love it. I keep sitting here at my make-shift desk, taking it all in, trying to convince myself that God really did just bless me with a beautiful house to raise my children in.

For quite some time, I just felt like I was here in Topeka, just going through the motions, just in "blah" mode. And ever since we moved in, I have felt like I finally belong. I feel different at church, at the store, and in my kitchen. I am ever so thankful that my attitude, mood, views, and love for a town have been changed.
And I'm so sure that this is where I belong for now.

And to be able to take this step with Matt, as a family, has changed us as well. Everytime we walk in the door, we're excited about what projects we can tackle...together. I love the thought of raising my children here. I just love it. LOVE it.

(Thank you to everyone who has helped us move, adjust, and helped us get ready to begin living in our house. And also to everyone who helped make this possible for us!)

Today was not a good day but I kept my head up and pushed forward. Why didn't I have a good day? Matt had to go back to work today after a week long vacation. I am SO thankful that he has the job he does. He loves his job and I love that he has one but I hated to see him go today. I love spending all of my time with him. He makes me laugh all the time and I really enjoyed having him home, even if we were working most of the time.

We had a great, busy Easter. Most of Matt's family came to town and we had a delicious lunch with them after church and then headed home to spend the rest of the day with our girls. The Easter bunny even visited us in the morning!

Look foward to some photos. We've been changing things here and there to make it our home and I can't wait to share!

Xoxo,
Tanna

Blessed

I'm feeling very blessed today. I am blessed beyond measure everyday but today seems more special.

Maybe it's because we're less than a week away from owning our own home. We are so excited and can't stop thinking about all of the freedom we'll have with our new house. And with today's economy, we're definitely blessed to be taking this step together.

Or maybe it's because I have two very adorable little girls.  I know I brag about them all the time, but it's hard not to. You can't deny how cute they are.

Perfectly made by our Creator, that's for sure. I love their soft, girlie voices. I love having conversations with Jaelyn and I love the questions she asks. I love Finlee's oneryness and I love her sweet, sweet personality. And I even love how she can be stubborn sometimes-something she definitely gets from her dad. :)

 I'm afraid that I'm losing time on their innocent childhood. I'm so desperately trying to find the pause button so I can enjoy their little lives, at the ages of almost 3 and 1, for just awhile longer.

So today, I thank God for the beautiful and most gracious blessings that he has allowed me to raise.

Ooorrrr maybe it's because I have the best parents in the world. Even though my circumstances aren't the prettiest, we've all come a long way. I am so proud to have the daddy that I do. I've learned a lot from him. I laugh a lot at myself because I remember the snooty attitude I always had with him yet I find myself using those same tactics and lessons that he once tried to teach me, no matter the attiude I had. He's the best and I couldn't have chose a better dad for his dedication to me, how proud he always is of me, and how he loves unconditionally, no matter who the person is. And I love him too.

And my mom? Oh boy. She's quite the character. We always laugh in our home because I seem to find myself doing something my mom would do or say. And I'm not ashamed. :) Regardless of the past, I am proud to be her daughter. She'd do anything for me and my family. Love you, mom.

And my brothers? They're great too. I never thought we'd be as close as we are now. We've both changed in times and I'm so happy that I can be their little sister, even if I'm just here to be picked on. :) Don't tell them, but I secretly enjoy it..because I can dish it out as good as they give it.

I can't go without mentioning my grandparents. I have three that I'm really close to and I can't say enough about the memories that I have with each of them. My Grandpa is the most loving person I know. He makes me laugh all the time and I want to cry just thinking about everything in my life that I have gotten the privledge to share with him. And my Grandma has taught me everything I know. Cooking, sewing, and life lessons. I think and pray for her, and my other grandparents, every day. And my Grandma Vivian may be the sweetest woman I know..except she keeps life exciting with her outlook on life and I love that about her. She has such a spunky attitude that I can't get enough of...and she was the first grandparent to see me when I was born so it seems we have a very special connection. :) I love them all so much!

My next blessing I can't say enough about. My "in-laws". I hate calling them that because they mean so much more to me than that. Mama and Papa Pollock. They have done so much for me. And nothing is too much for them. They give and give and give to us, regardless of the situation. And at any time, they would drop everything just to help us out, even if just for a night to ourselves. And the meaning of family to them is priceless. I have never felt anything less than a real daughter to them and I can't really thank them enough for taking me in at my worst and praising me at my best. I am truly blessed to have found them as my second set of parents. I love their values, their lives, and I just love them.

And my sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law? (Again, weird calling them that.) They're amazing. Always full of life and fun and even though I'm suppose to be responsible and "grown-up", I can't help but be a kid with them. We have so much fun together, it's hard when everyone leaves to go home and back to reality. I can't thank them enough for making me feel like a part of them and for becoming my bestfriends. 

My friends I can't say enough about. I love who they are and how they impact my life. I never knew how much I would rely on my friends. I am truly blessed to have the friends I do and am looking foward to making more memories with them.

Annnnd, one of the biggest blessings God has given me is...drum roll please...

Matt.

He is definitely a God-given blessing. I love spending all of my time with him. He is the best husband and father to me and my children. I can't thank him enough for how well he leads our family, loves our family, and for the effort he puts forth for us. Thank you, honey, for all that you do!

So now that I've been sentimental, it's time to go pack because we're moving in less than a week!!!

Happy Friday!!

Xoxo,

Tanna

[Photo]graphy

There's no hobby I love more than Photography.

Except for playing with these two lovely ladies...

I love capturing the girls while they're playing and I love watching their personalities blossom through photos.

 I love taking photos of them with their daddy and I love looking at photos over and over and over again.

And not only do I love the thought of telling them their lifestory through photos when they're older, I love the thought of doing it for someone else.

I carry my camera with me everywhere..the thought of missing a good photo opportunity doesn't settle good with me. And if I happen to miss one, it takes me awhile to get over it.

I take atleast two photos a day. And by now, the girls are use to me..and sometimes annoyed with me. But someday, they'll understand.

[Photo]graphy is my passion...photos are my passion. I love chubby hands and little toes. And big cheesey grins and playful giggles. And loving eyes and slow gazes. I love photos and [photo]graphy.

Through much prayer, research, and dreaming..I've decided to do [photo]graphy on a more serious level for not only my children but for my friends, family, and even strangers. I love the thought of making friends through this process and also capturing the lives of other families, just like mine, and their children.

Green Sheep Photography will soon come to life. (Yes, Green Sheep Photography...don't ask, just shake your head and read on.) :) I've been working hard on getting together my resources, building a website, and working hard on ideas and poses and capturing shots of "life". And I can't wait to show my love and passion of

[photo]graphy to other families and friends. Pass my name on...

Enjoy the photos and look foward to more information on my new, exciting journey!

Xoxo,

Tanna

Annnndddd, we're back!

I am so glad to say that Matt has successfully fixed my computer problem. I never knew how much I would miss my blog and my blogger friends! Ready for a quick update??

On another note...

Why is it that I always crave pepperoni pizza when I'm in a hotel room??

I don't know either but the point is that I was in a hotel room. :)

For my 22nd birthday, Matt took me out for a night away while his sister, Melissa, watched our girls.

(Thank you, Mel!) It was a surprise to me but apparently every one else knew!

Our friends got us a good deal on a jacuzzi suite with a king-sized bed and I have never felt more like a princess! Matt also took me out to dinner, swimming, and we also played games and watched movies! It was a much needed break!

And complimentary champagne and strawberries? Yes, please!

Thank you, hunny for making my birthday so special!

And we move in a week and the belongings in our house are becoming less and less. It's almost like we're camping in our house but we are so excited to be moving into our own home!

More pictures and posts to come...life!

Xoxo,
Tanna

Blog Standstill

Hello all!

So you might have noticed that we haven't updated in awhile. Well, I've been having technical difficulties lately with my laptop! Matt is suppose to fix my problem this evening so I can get caught up. :)

I am excited to share a few answered prayers and updates with you all so hopefully tonight is the night that I can do so!

Prayer Request: We close on our house in a week! Just pray that everything goes smoothly! We are so excited!!

Xoxo,
Tanna

Girl's Night

For Matt's birthday present, he headed to Oklahoma City to watch the OKC Thunder play basketball. So the girls and I had the house all to ourselves. After church this morning, I took Jaelyn to get a cheeseburger and we headed home to take naps.

For supper we picked up a yummy pizza for a good deal.

We love pizza at our house-especially if it's cheap!

After supper we made a quick craft, something Jaelyn loves to do, and painted our nails.

Our craft was a cute kitty key chain. It was easy and a lot of fun!

Jaelyn chose purple, of course!

And Finlee "chose" pink!

I love having two little girls to spoil. Even though I'm not girlie myself, I don't know what I would do with a boy. We had a lot of fun spending time together today but we definitely missed our Prince Charming!

Xoxo,

Tanna

March Madness

The month of March has already been a crazy month for us and it has barely started! At the beginning of March, we celebrated Finlee's 1st birthday.

And soon after, we celebrated Matt's 22nd birthday. We celebrated here in Topeka with our close friends. We ate cake and homemade pizza. We also celebrated with Matt's family at his parents house. They made us a delicious steak dinner and cheesecake for dessert.

                 

And every day in between we've been running errands, spending time with family, and watching our girls grow. Not to mention, waiting for the closing our our new, very first home so that we can move at the end of this month.

This week we'll celebrate my birthday and soon after Jaelyn will be turning 3.

Not only do we make time for school, work, and our girls, we also be sure to make time for actually spending time with our girls and our family. We believe that family time is something of importance. What do you do, we ask?

Slumber Parties, Tea Parties, and Dress-up of course! And nothing less for the princesses that we are raising. :)

On any given night, we air up our air matresses and pile up in the living room to watch movies and eat snacks. Even McCoy joins us!

And Tea Parties and Dress-up? To be expected at our house. :)

Spring Break is this week for us. I'm certain that Matt is ready for a break because I know that I am. Enjoy the pictures!

Xoxo,
Tanna