I'm laying it out there...

Laying it out there...so that you all can help hold me accountable!

You hear me talk (all the time) about how I make updating this blog so important, because it is our family scrapbook. Where I document all of our family memories with pictures and journaling. AND how I plan to print a blog book each year of all my posts, so that we will have an actual scrapbook to hold in our hands. I started my blog in April of 2008, and at the end of 2008, I started working on our blog book for all of my 2008 posts and pictures. I "slurped" all into a book at Blurb. Well, I didn't really know what I was doing at the time, and it was all a little overwhelming to me! Plus I'm way too much of a perfectionist when it comes to things like this.

NOW...it's November 2009!
Almost another year of posting has gone by, and I still haven't printed my 2008 book! Eek!

Here what my book looks like now...in the designing stages of the software:

So, I got just the {push} I needed the other day to FINISH the stinkin' 2008 book and get it printed before the end of the year! An email from Blurb with THIS OFFER! 20% off a book AND free shipping!! If you're interested in making a blog book, I think anyone can use this offer and code. You just have to create an account, download the slurping software (Booksmart), and get started! Don't be a slacker like me though, and take a whole year to print your book :)

Here is a sample of one of the blog books a Blurb user has made....

You can flip through the book HERE

It's easy to see I'm sooo excited about this...so WHY is it taking me forever and a day to get it finished and printed?!?! Not sure, but that's why I'm telling you, my friends! The above offer is good through November 24th, so that is my deadline! I hope to be able to share pictures of my finished book with you sometime in December!

Wish me luck! Happy book-making to you, if you decide to give it a whirl!

Halloween '09: Part II

We have a tradition with our friends (Brent & Megan and Audra & Kane) to get together and carve pumpkins every year. I think we've been doing it for about four years, but I'm not quite sure. Megan, is that right? (*Not right...see end of post!! Time flies!)

The evenings festivities have changed a bit over the years. When we first started, it was just the couples...we engaged in adult conversation, enjoyed adult beverages and were all able to leisurely carve pumpkins. In 2007, Megan, Audra and I were ALL pregnant...so we engaged in adult conversation, skipped the adult beverages, and leisurely carved pumpkins. This year, the kids are all between the ages of 20 months and 23 months...we engage in kiddie talk, and discuss if we should get the H1N1 vaccination for our children, continuously pick up food and toys from the floor, and one spouse from each couple carves a pumpkin, while the others watch the children.

It's a bit different, but every bit as FUN! Thanks to Megan and Brent for hosting! They have the perfect front porch for our annual group picture.

Just for fun...here are some pictures from previous years:


2008...
We didn't carve pumpkins this year, the kids were little and it would have been crazy!
We were happy to have Hadley (and her mommy & daddy) with us though!

2007...babies in the bellies
The night we got together was our 5th Anniversary, so they made a special treat for us!

2006...can't find this year's pictures.


2005....had to dig back in my shutterfly account and copy these pictures!
So, sorry the quality is horrible and they're little.

2004...can't find this year's either


2003...REALLY, we started it this long ago?!?!
That's what the file on my Shutterfly account said! Probably right, we all look so young!

What a great tradition! Looking forward to many more years of it!
Next year we'll have the newest (7 month-old) Hittle baby with us. Whoa, that's crazy to think!

Halloween '09: Part I

A few pictures of our little cowboy...

Barrett's Mimi helped me make the leather chaps and vest. I found the wranglers and boots at a consignment sale,
and the hat was borrowed from his cousin Emily.

I made Barrett this little bucket on Friday. It was a little last minute, but that was when I realized he didn't have anything to carry for his candy. Kim and I had made lots of these decorated paint buckets, several years ago. I remember making one for my niece Emma's 2nd or 3rd Halloween. I even have a black, white and orange one I use every year to put our candy in for trick-or-treaters. All the ones I've made before are frilly and have lots of ribbons around the handle. So I decided to use twine for the handle of Barrett's, and I found some stickers at Walmart. It was the ONLY sheet of cowboy stickers they had, but they were perfect! Barrett loved carrying it around, and every time we'd stop somewhere he would empty all the candy out, and then slowly put it all back in. Now that Halloween is over, I'm going to empty out the candy and hide the bucket. I'm planning a cowboy theme for this 2nd birthday, so it will be used again for that!

Hope you had a Happy Halloween!!
Halloween '09: Part II (the annual pumpkin carving party)...coming soon

Halloween Week

This week has been full of Halloween festivities, and lots of chances for Barrett to wear his Halloween costume. THANKS to my sister-in-law, Kim, who helped me make the chaps and vest for his cowboy costume. The Wrangler jeans and cowboy boots came from the big consignment sale I go to every Fall and Spring with my girlfriends. The boots were brand new when I got them, and they fit him perfectly!

The kids were invited to wear their costumes to our PAFT playgroup on Tuesday morning. Funny...Barrett, Lydia and Norah Kate were the only ones in costume. We tried to get a few pictures of them together after playgroup was over. Easier said than done!

Tuesday evening was the annual Spooks Parade down Main Street. It's always a bit chaotic, but there were some super cute costumes! It's so fun to see all of the creative ideas. Barrett did NOT want to leave my hip the whole night. He's usually a momma's boy, but not to this extreme. He wouldn't even go to Mimi, Gigi, Grandma or Daddy! I was worn out by the end of the night, and not able to get many pictures. I had to hold him while we waited for the parade to start, and then carried him for 2 blocks (I think) in the parade. Lydia was out of sorts too, and wanted to be carried. I think Norah Kate was the only one that wanted to walk. After the parade, they awarded prizes to all the age groups and gave out goody bags. I love that our little town has such great events for kids and families. Hopefully Barrett will walk next year!!

Tomorrow, Barrett gets to wear his costume to KDI (Kids Day In)/school. That reminds me, it's almost 11, and I need to pack his lunch! Goodnight, friends!

I hope to get some better pictures of him in his costume on Saturday when we set out to trick-or-treat! Happy Halloween!!!