The End

The Website has reached its end of use, obviously, so instead find our family on facebook and find Mandy at www.mandysrokaphotography.com

The snow!

Here are some quick photos of Emma & Josh playing in the snow. When I took the girls in the snow, it was a little difficult to get photos of them without getting my camera wet. These pictures are from behind our glass storm door, so they aren’t too great. I had a really great view until Josh scared me something fierce by slamming a snowball into the glass as I was looking through my lens! Here you’ll see Emma throwing snow balls at her daddy.

Bubbles & Hippos

Well, as I type, there is a virtual blizzard-like scene outside! It’s so crazy! I know we are still officially in winter, but when I took the pictures that will follow, it was 60+ degrees outside! I’m thankful we got in one warm day before this snow. Now, all I hear every five minutes is, “Mommy, when can we go play in the snow?” Sorry Emma, your momma is not a snow bunny! Here is the “bubbles” part of the post:

And onto the hippos….
Emma got a sweet gift of money from a relative and decided to use it to buy Hungry Hungry Hippos! I didn’t realize it was such a loud game, but she loves it, so it’s worth it. Now we just have to keep Brooke from swiping all the marbles!

Some play-doh & valentines

Today has been a BEAUTIFUL day in Maryland.  If you haven’t been outside then shame on you!  We played outside a bit and even had a mini picnic of peanut butter sandwiches on Emma’s Dora table.  Sadly, I did not bring the camera outside, instead I just enjoyed my girls.  However, I do have some photos for you of Emma & Brooke playing Play-Doh a few days ago, when it was much colder.

And since its February, Valentine’s are on our minds as well.  Emma’s 3-year-old class is having a party on the 12th, so we needed get some cards for her little classmates.  Due to lack of funds, and an over abundance of paper, we decided to make card for her friends and teachers.  There are seperate cards for the boys and girls, as requested by Emma.  She did a great job decorating the insides with LOTS of stickers.  Hope you enjoy our craftiness!

The teachers cards

Emma has three teachers

Girls card

Boys card

Emma's decorating

She wrote her name: E-M-M-A!

Snow-covered Tulip

(This is a repeat from Mandy’s Photo blog…just wanted to share with family & friends of the Sroka family blog.)

See this poor little tulip?  Covered with snow, trying to break free of winter’s grasp?  That’s how I feel right now…like a little flower yearning for Spring, yet covered with Winter’s ice.  I think I go through this every year.  When the hulabaloo of Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Year’s are over, there’s not much to do, especially for the stay-at-home mom of two young girls.  My days are filled with staying in because it’s too cold to go out, coughs, sniffles, mentoring sisterly arguments, entertaining an almost four-year-old who thinks things are “boring,” and basically just cleaning up the same mess over and over again.  It sounds depressing, I know.  And sometimes it is.  So, I thought to help lift me, and possibly YOU, out of these winter blahs, I’d post some signs of Spring.  Who cares what Punxsutawney Phil says, right?  We can still have a little Spring early.

Here are some photos of flowers I’ve taken over the years.  I don’t always know what to do with them, but nevertheless, I still keep taking them.  They are yours.  Take them.  Drag them and drop them onto your desktop.  Use them to brighten your winter as you wait for spring.  And I will leave you with this quote: “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”  ~Josh Billings

Winter colds

With this super cold weather (and now snow…as I type!), we all seem to be getting our usual colds. I stayed home from church yesterday to play nurse maid to Brooke as she had her second round with this cold. She seems to take them harder than the rest of us. I’m not sure if it’s her age, her birth defect, or just because. She seems to be on the mend now and slept until almost 10am this morning! Now she’s running around chasing her sister and pausing to cough. I had the chance to get some photos of just her yesterday because she was much calmer due to being sick. Therefore, she was in focus…mostly. Here’s Brooke, growing up!

First thing in the morning

"No-nos" (donuts) and TV

We like Franklin

Saw herself in the lens

Eyes on the TV

Hair getting longer

Room Make-over

With the help of many family and friends, I recently had the chance to make-over our “master” bedroom. Josh and I had painted it while Emma was a baby, but I wanted to give it a fresh, airy new feel. I had a dear woman, Beth Smith, come over and give ideas on color, furniture, and function and she was right on! All in all, my mom, my dad, my sister, Maggie, Heather, Bethany, & Stacy all came to help “get ‘er done!” While it’s not completely finished, I am very pleased with the results!

Brooke modeling the new chair

TV & bathroom door

Closet

Favorite new curtains from Ikea

These shelves were black...now white

This table is harder to put together than it looks

Comfy new chair from Ikea

Enter the bathroom

Dad put up a new light fixture

Sink (not usually this clean)

Hmmm...not sure what to do here

Shower curtain - the inspiration

We like to pose

This morning, Emma kept saying, “Take a picture of us!” So I had to…all I had was my phone, but here they are. I swear, she does wear pants some of the time.

A few from Christmas

This is a little late coming, but here are some photos recapping our Christmas. I hope to have a video up soon as well. Thank you all for taking your precious time to spend with us.

Lovely, Emma

Opening Cinderella

Hello?

Grandma Polly

Brooke's camera

New baby princesses

Mackinzie & Jennifer

Aunt Lena & her granddaughter

Baby Arianna

Brookie-boo

Brooke Can Dance

Here is Brooke dancing to “Single Ladies” by Beyonce as we wait in the car for Emma to finish with preschool. Enjoy!