DONE!

So what else did I do on my summer vacation you ask? This :)
the before

the after
proof that I can have a clean desk
So I still have lots to do like
1. hang pictures/bulletin board
2. put ribbon away
3. make labels for the library catalog (tee hee my favorite purchase EVER-only $75 bucks off of $250. Had to get it (kind of like a metal bedframe for $10 ;)
4. get basket for my mini albums
5. Bookends for my books up top
6. sort through a LOT of stuff that is sitting in piles that you can't see
7. clean the rest of the house that has SERIOUSLY suffered as a result of my one track mind this week

When I am completely done I will have some better pictures, but I am SO excited just had to share now. Oh and Suzanne I am ready for your creativity now :)

What I did on my Summer Vacation

This summer was different than any other I have ever known. I saw this summer through the eyes of a Mama. But one thing was the same, and always keeps coming back…the thought “where did my summer go?” I can’t believe that September is just around the corner. School has started for just about everyone and cooler temperatures are on their way.

We only made it to the zoo once, when I had planned to go more. We went swimming, but only indoors and we never went to the wading pool like I had planned. We went to a fair by the river front, but only once. Even though we did not do many things, we did take many, many walks around the block and around the neighborhood. There is something so soothing, something so comforting about a walk around the block. Pushing Lily in her stroller, or pulling her in her little red wagon is one of my favorite things to do-especially when we do it as a family. Talking to Bj, pointing out leaves and flowers to Lily, people watching, and just enjoying each other’s company. I love walks around the block and I hope we will have many more before our outside time is up.

So what did you do on your summer vacation?

Flashback friday

One year ago this week you looked like this...
your very first walk

this just in

I need your help. I just got an email from Bj and he said that if I can get his "pictorial" up to 20 comments he will wear a tie and take me to dinner. Help me out would ya?

Wonder if it would count if I did it all myself?

Happy Birthday Lily!!!!

Dear Lily,
I can't believe you are already one year old. This year has flown by...this day has flown by too-although taking not one but two naps does seem to pass the time...that would be me I am talking about, not you :) You have changed so much this past year and have changed your Daddy and me too. You already have so much personality. You are so expressive. You are so loud ;) You love your books, you love crawling around with a ring in each hand. You love your binky, but when sleep time is over you take it out of your mouth and drop it in your crib. You love food, and will eat just about anything, but STILL not bananas. You clap when I ask you to, and when are in the car, or playing with a toy, or at any random time. I love it when you make yourself giggle, for no apparent reason. I love how happy you get when Daddy gets home. I love how you reach for us, your grandma, grandpa, and Mor Mor, but sadly, still not your Uncle Matt-he is really not that scary...really

I can't wait to see what you do next (or how much you will weigh tomorrow at your 12 month appointment!) I hope you have a wonderful second year of life and I can't wait to be there with you.
I love you,
Mama

Now for some more party pictures!!
cupcakes
the kids

my family
p.s. Lily I want you to know that I had NOTHING to do with the ahem super embarrasing picture on your Daddy's blog. Can't find it? It is at the END of the post ;)

I have a problem

We have too many CDs. I am attempting to organize them again. But I keep finding more. I forget to look somewhere and there are ten more that need to go into the M's or the S's. Ummm, if you think of starting a band could you just name it something that doesn't start with M? or S, or P? Oh and I have way too many C's too. So since my solution is not going to entail never buying another CD in my life, I need a solution. I know, I will take out all of the Classical stuff. Not enough room. Ok. Soundtracks. That will help. NOPE not enough room. OK. Musicals. It has to help if I take out musicals. Various? Can I just say that we are on our forth? shelving solution and I still don't have room? I am really getting to the point where I will take out all the CDs and their booklets and put them in a ginormous (that is my very special made up word thankyouverymuch) case. Any other suggestions?

Oh, and for you OLD SCHOOL mac users, a trip down memory lane right here (and I'm sorry if this causes you to get NOTHING done today ;) *edit* can you say Oregon Trails, Frogger, Shifty Sam, AND Olympic Decathlon!!!!! it is like my childhood all over again!!!

My weekend...the great, the good, and the really really bad

So you all waiting to hear how Suziebeezieland Ohio convention went?
Suzanne did you enjoy the WORST message ever left on an answering machine in the history of leaving messages?
Do you want to see some pictures?
Do you want to hear a REALLY interesting story?
Here you go.
some tunes for the road...
where we met
what we ate...guacamole of course :)
we discovered very similar tastes...
and we had a great party...see you all are there :)
Katy was so much fun to meet...can't wait to do it again!!!

And now for something not so good. Actually, something REALLY REALLY not good.
Bj called on Saturday afternoon and said that Lily had learned a new trick. She learned how to take her diaper off. She was in her crib. She ummm, well went to the bathroom. In her crib. And yes, the worst kind of going to the bathroom you can imagine. It was everywhere. On the sheets. On her stuffed animals. On the slats of her crib. On her mirror. On her binky. On her hands. On her face. Yep. This will now be the horror story that spreads like wildfire to all new parents that don't realize that this kind of thing can happen. Trust me, it can. And husbands-if you are home alone for the first long trip your wives take...it will be that weekend. And Bj, once again, this wasn't your fault. Really. Just really, really, really bad timing.

Have you heard?

Did you know that MY niece Maddie is on the COVER of the Hall of Fame Creating Keepsakes magazine?
Yep. MY niece. MY sister's daughter. MY daughter's cousin.
COVER GIRL.
I'm pretty excited to get this in my hot little hands I tell you :)

we need your help

Bj and I are thinking of starting a new show. We are thinking that we need to spend some time couching it together. But we can't figure out what to watch, so we need your help becoming complete and total vegetables. So what do you think? Our only request is that it must be on DVD. Here are some previous suggestions...

Rome
Sopranos
Battlestar Galactic (ummm, I don't know about this one)
Stargate (or about this one)
24

So I know, we seem like the most boring couple ever, but as we don't have the ability for late night Target runs, this is our idea to get us in the same room instead of an office/craftroom split. So, what do you think?

I have been a bad blogger...

But I will try to make it up to you.
with this...

and this...

and finally, this. the cake. my birthday cake. on Bj's shirt.

And as for the story about my rehearsal dinner you have all been waiting for, remember that monsoon that hit Ohio the night before our wedding? Well it rained so hard that the church basement flooded. Which would be where we had relocated our rehearsal dinner. And where the preschool program keeps their art projects. So, Matt, Jessi and Jack (the pastor) were furiously mopping to prevent the rising water from taking over. I missed most of this as I was upstairs, but I hear they were REALLY glad to be a part of this WONDERFUL and FUN part of this celebration. I wish that was the only thing that went wrong that night, but alas, it was not, but that is for another day. Let's just say that Lily will be having her rehearsal dinner in a restaurant, where I have to do NOTHING to prepare.
So there you have it. And so sorry I have been a bad blogger. I will try to do better next week :)