The Lucas Zoo

>> Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Michelle G was the winner of the 100 postcards from UPrinting. Please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize or I will have to choose another winner. Thanks to all who entered!

>> Monday, May 30, 2011

Here we are. Happy Memorial Day! Thank you so much to the men and women who have served or who are serving to protect our great country. I am forever grateful to you!

The questions this week are:
1. What animal or bug are you completely terrified of?
2. How many cousins do you have?
3. What state are most of your relatives located in? How often do you see them?

Link up with Eighty MPH Mom and her Monday Mingles!

52 Weeks of Me - Messages/Little Reminders (22/52)

>> Sunday, May 29, 2011

Since Mother's Day May has been hard on me. Between losing another pregnancy and going through my original due date my emotions have been a roller coaster. I don't look in the mirror much because the reflection is someone who is foreign. I am a mama to 3 babes and I have to "keep calm and carry on". Throughout the deepest heartache I have to keep it all together for them to maintain normalcy in their lives. There is this print that I bought myself a few years ago from Kelly Rae Roberts that I hung on the way to my bathroom. I look at it every day and some of these words were from that print. Some days they make me cry and others they make me smile but they always make me think. The sayings that weren't on that print are my own and are urging me on. One day at a time.

Please remember to add your selfie to our flicker pool. Next week is Connections. Thank you Cara for continuing this project with me and for those who are still participating. You ladies inspire me each week to continue!

UPrinting Postcard Giveaway!

>> Friday, May 27, 2011

I receive postcards all the time in the mail to either remind me of an appointment or to tell me about a fabulous sale. Other postcards that come to mind are telling me about a new business in my area that might interest me. There are so many things that you could use postcards for.

How fun would it be to take that family vacation photo and send it to family and friends with a nice note? It makes me sad that little notes are going away. Today I have an awesome giveaway from UPrinting for 100 postcards! Bring back the notes!

Advertise an event or new product to your customers. I am thinking about using postcards as invitations for Piper's summer birthday party.

Maybe your business is having a sale? This postcard makes me want to make an appointment right away! So relaxing!

I couldn't be more happy with the quality of the products and service that I have received from UPrinting. Are you ready for the giveaway?

100 Postcards for One (1) Winner
5" x 7"
14pt Cardstock Gloss
Front Only printing
2 Business Days Print Turnaround Time
Restriction: Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only.

I am making this very easy to enter. Just leave me a comment telling me your favorite summer activity. Please also include a valid email address so that I can contact you if you are the winner. Want extra entries?

Like UPrinting on Facebook
Follow UPrinting on Twitter
Like The Lucas Zoo on Facebook
Follow The Lucas Zoo on Twitter
Follow The Lucas Zoo via Google Friend Connect (either the follow button on top or there is another follow button on the bottom of my blog)

Giveaway ends Monday May 31st at 11:59pm. Good Luck!

Team Up Thursday - Panning

>> Thursday, May 26, 2011

OMGosh this was harder than I ever thought it would be. I took about 50 shots or so of Piper going down the hill on her scooter and this was the one I chose. There were others that had ok focus but I loved the look on her face. This was taken earlier in the day and it was so light so I did some heavy post processing to try and attempt normal. Angie went with a rabbit. That woman is awesome! I could tell my subject to do it over and over again but a rabbit? Wow!

Wordful Wednesday - Fire Station (2011)

>> Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Piper's Daisy Scout troop visited the fire station for their last meeting. Who says that fire departments are only for boys? My girls loved every minute that we were there! From the lights to the sirens. Fun times!

Of course you got to sit in the truck. I was told that the seats weren't very comfortable by the 2 older girls.

Piper got the chance to try one of the helmets. She thought it was heavy. Um, it is 2 times the size of her head :)

All the while Ruby and I played around.

It was a great afternoon. Violet was thinking that she wanted to have her next birthday party there but then decided that she would much rather have a more girlie one. I told her that the firemen probably wouldn't mind if we painted nails and did makeup after they were done with their tour but she isn't buying it. Our children dream of their parties every year and it isn't that they are lavish or anything but they do love a good party. Like their mama :)

I heart faces - Yellow

>> Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Happy ♥ Joy ♥ Giddy ♥ Warm ♥ Violet

How would you describe yellow?

52 Weeks of Me - Catchlight (21/52)

>> Sunday, May 22, 2011

I am tired. I feel old. Today's selfie shows my age. Last night I stayed up way too late and watched The Black Swan (freaky), caught the end of the All Star Race, and then saw that J.T. was hosting SNL and Lady Gaga was singing so I stayed up for that too. 6 am came oh so very early this morning. The cherry on top was the little black ants I woke up to that I have been battling all morning. So there. I am allowed to feel 40 today :)

I just wanted to take a minute to say that my thoughts and prayers are with Mitchelle's family right now. Her husband was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and is in the hospital receiving treatment. Send her a little comment love/prayers if you can.

Please remember to add your selfie to our flicker pool. Next week will be message/little reminders.

Violet Locks of Love 2011

>> Saturday, May 21, 2011

After seeing Piper's new hair cut Violet was more than ready to be done with her long hair too. Mama not so much but I did know that mornings would be easier and there would be a lot less crying and hair grows back right?

She passed on getting her hair washed because the chair and sink looked weird to her :)

You can't see it but Ruby held her hand while she was getting it cut :)

Violet donated about 13 inches on Friday. Way to go Violet!

Can you tell that she just loves it a little? I am so proud of my girls! I told them both that we can cut their hair again before school starts and at that time they can decide if they want to do it all over again. I wonder if they will.

Flip Friday - If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

>> Friday, May 20, 2011

Then it is eating bread in our backyard :) We have a bunch that have braved our fence, yard full of dogs, and a very sneaky cat all for bread. The girls used to hang out on the deck and quack at them and all of a sudden they came. Now we feed them almost everyday. Ruby loves it! I have 2 videos of them doing this but I chose this one so that you can see where the girls got their quacking skillz from :)

Team Up Thursday - Light

>> Thursday, May 19, 2011

Angie's shot is great. I have attempted those action light photographs but haven't quite got the result I was looking for. Her daughter Abby helped her out. See the name (it's backwards but there). Yay Angie for an amazing job! Mine are just a row of candles that I took the light out of. I guess it is my moodiness right now coming through.

I heart faces - May Flowers

>> Monday, May 16, 2011

My family surprised me with 2 bouquets of flowers this year for Mother's Day. Each girl picked out a smaller bunch to create 1 big one and then hubs got me another one from him. The lilies smell beautiful. They have completely opened now and their fragrance hits you when you walk in the living room. It makes me want to run out and buy a bunch of lily plants for outside so that I can make my own bouquets next year.

52 Weeks of Me - Sun Flare (20/52)

>> Sunday, May 15, 2011

It has been raining or overcast here much of the week. I tried Saturday night to get some flare but the sun wasn't low enough yet. My neighbors probably laughed at me trying though :) This morning the girls and I went out front to get it. I look so serious in all of mine alone and I know I look the same in this one so here is the one Princess Piper snuck in to lighten the mood a little :) She is so darned sweet!

Thank you all for joining Cara and I each week! Make sure to include your selfie over at the flicker pool's. Next week is Catchlight.

Doesn't it stink when things don't go the way they are supposed to?

>> Saturday, May 14, 2011

At least the way that they are supposed to in your mind? In my mind and heart I was supposed to be delivering a baby next week but that is not going to happen. In my mind there was supposed to be another post announcing that we were joyously pregnant again. Unfortunately that will not be happening either. My body is sitting in limbo right now caught between being pregnant and needing to miscarry. My u/s last Tuesday showed that the there was just a sac when I should have been 6 weeks along. Now I wait and hope that it will happen soon. May is turning out to be really hard this year. Thankfully I have so much love, laughter, and happiness in my life to get me through these long days. Our three beautiful girls don't give me much opportunity to be sad and feel sorry for myself. I have a wonderful husband who loves me and holds me close even on my very worst days when I am horrible to be around. Although I know that I am blessed beyond words I am just going to say that this sucks. Excuse my french.

Piper's Locks of Love - 2011

>> Friday, May 13, 2011

2 years ago at just 3 years old Piper decided that she wanted her hair cut. Like her Daddy's. What was a mama to do but talk her into a bob :) Luckily for me though the movie Bolt had just come out and Piper thought that Penny was just about the greatest thing since pb & j. We decided together to donate her hair to Locks of Love. I had explained to her where her hair would go and how wonderful it was that she was donating it but a 3 year old doesn't really understand. It wasn't until her hair started getting long that I talked to Piper about Locks of Love again. She loved the idea of donating her hair to a little boy or girl who was sick, until Christmas time. Piper wanted her hair cut so badly she could just taste it. We were at the finish line so I told her we would cut it before her 6th birthday. You know what she did? Took a little piece and cut it. I told you she could just taste it. Oh my goodness, I couldn't believe it! Thankfully it was just a little piece. Yesterday though she made me a very proud mama. Yesterday my 5 year old again donated almost 14 inches to Locks of Love.

I am proud because she was a big girl and stuck to it.

I am proud because even though she wanted her hair cut last year knew that the right thing to do was to donate it.

I am so very proud of what a big girl she was as the stylist cut off all that hair. Mama did shed a little tear though.

The finished product was so much more than I could ask for. Adorable! Piper was beaming with pride.

I am proud every day of my girls. We try to teach them to be good, honest, and charitable. After watching Piper growing her hair out for Locks of Love our Violet decided she wanted to do the same. I hope that they continue this path of giving. It is something they can do themselves and take ownership of. They feel their own sense of pride for starting something and seeing it completely through. Yay Piper!

This is an entry to the Proud Mom contest, I'm in the running to win $50! Sponsored by UPrinting event ticket printing services!

Random Thursday Post & Giveaway Link!!

>> Thursday, May 12, 2011

My normal Thursday post is a Team Up but Angie and I decided to skip this week but will be back at it again next week. Our Ruby loves sunglasses. Normally she puts them on upside down. When I took these pictures of her she actually put them on normal. Figures the one time right?

She is also our kid that ends up leaving the house with something on her face. It is enough to try and get her to pick out what shoes she wants to wear and get them on her feet and leave before she takes them back off. Who has time to also check to see if she is dirty, which by the way 99.9% of the time she is.

Violet's preschool class had a Mother's Day celebration. It was so cute! They sang songs and showed us what they have been learning all year. Violet just beamed while performing. I am so proud of that little girl.

Piper's Daisy Scout troop put on a Mother's Day Tea for us. I lucked out to have Matt home to watch the younger girls so I was able to just go with Piper. She loved that! It was a special morning for us and I realized I need to make more time for just Piper and I.

Mother's Day was so awesome this year. I got more gifts than I could ever imagine! Literally boxes (normally cereal) of beautiful crafts. Yep, they would rob my recycling of the cereal boxes and reuse them. Good girls. Anyway, us on Mother's Day.

Finally I spoke of a giveaway. This is actually a super cool one! I am a contributor over at Eighty MPH Mom's blog and I did a review of Country Crock. Well there is a giveaway involved. Head over there before May 25th for a chance to win $200 or 1 of 2 Country Crock prize packs which are packed full of fun activities to get the kiddos excited about eating vegetables.

Every Once In Awhile

>> Tuesday, May 10, 2011

You sneak up and they are getting along. Piper reads everything. Everything. I think that she has almost gotten through every book we have in this house. Violet loves it because if it were up to her I would do nothing but read books all day long to her. Now she has 2 of us to split her requests. Win win in my book :)

I heart faces - Motherhood

>> Monday, May 9, 2011

The girls and I were out front where I was trying to get my 52 week selfie and they kept coming into the picture. Hams. We started talking and decided to try hunting for the elusive 4 leaf clover that we are bound and determined to find again some day. This is the best part of motherhood. Enjoying them. I want to hug this picture :)

52 Weeks of Me - Ground Level (19/52)

>> Sunday, May 8, 2011

Let me start by saying Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there. I should have switched out lenses but 2 weeks in a row without a head is alright too isn't it?

Thank you all for joining Cara and I each week! I was thinking if each of us think of just 1 theme we might almost make it to the end. Just post a quick idea over at our flicker pool's discussion thread after you add your fabulous selfie. Next week is Flare.