Shopping Trip Disaster!!!

Today was just not my day when it came to our shopping trip.

First, we tried to go to Ulta to look for a new curling iron I wanted. It wasn't open yet so we decided to go into Bed, Bath & Beyond to look for a tie rack for Chip while we were waiting. Well, we did find that, and a few other items we needed so I guess that was a success; but upon getting back in the car I realized something horrible! My phone was missing! NOOOOOOOOOO! I wanted to scream. I had taken it out, texted a friend, and then set it on my bag in the cart. I figured one of the 2 boys in the cart got it and either dropped it into the cart, or dropped it on the ground in the store. I quickly, and I mean as FAST, got the boys unbuckled and ran back to the store check my cart and hopefully get it back.....but alas, my cart was gone, and so it wasn't just in the cart. We went inside, and my heart was racing, I was sweating I was so panicked (and due to the humidity outside too) and asked the front desk girl if anyone had turned it in. She said no, but she would try calling it. Here another problem came up - it was on silent! So even if it was somewhere in the vast area of the store - and yes, we had walked around the ENTIRE store of course, I would never hear it. I was hoping it would just be where I first had texted from, so we set off. But no! It wasn't there. After 3 times through the store and nothing turning up, I came up with the idea that maybe it was in the tie box that we had gotten because Cash had taken the rack out and so maybe it got put in there. So we set off back to the car - hurrying again as fast as I could possibly go with my 2 kids in toe, and yet - NOTHING! It wasn't in the bag, wasn't in the car, just GONE!!!

My heart sunk, my stomach hurt like I was going to be sick, I dreaded calling Chip and telling him yet another Iphone was gone under my care. I knew he wouldn't let me get another one and I just felt like it was deja vu and someone had taken it like they did in China and that it was going to be so awful. However, we headed back again to try one more time. Which turned into 5 more times around the store. Still nothing......and by now I was just plain mad! Why would someone take my phone, with my pictures of my kids, my contacts, and pretty much my life in it. Please just give it back. Well, I told Cash we needed to pray about it and he said he would and he said a little prayer for us. We went 2 more times around and nothing. Bother! So I left the front desk with my husbands phone number to call if it ever turned up, and we headed out, with a really heavy heart! As we were walking out the door a grandpa and his grandson were entering and I heard him say - "we need to go give that back now to the lady....you can't play with it anymore budddy!" I looked up immediately and saw in his hand a phone. I asked, "did you find that phone here?" To which he replied yes and I told him it was mine. He looked at me at first like he wasn't sure and I told him to turn it on and he would see a picture of my little son right on the front. So then he gave it to me and told me it was in his cart. He had let his grandson play with it as they walked around the store because it was keeping him busy and distracting him and he was just going to give it back now that they were done! Well, at first I didn't care what had happened I was just so relieved to get it back. I don't care who he had called, what he had dialed, if he had erased an ap, whatever! I was SO HAPPY it was back in my hands! Phew!

Upon getting in the car, however, I was a little bit annoyed - and then after a few moments REALLY annoyed when I realized that instead of turning it in when he first found it - 45 minutes previous, the guy just let his grandson play with it while I was frantically searching?! Hello - didn't you think someone might come asking for it?! Oh well - at least I got it back! I am glad I was in the US this time because in China that thing would have been stolen for sure!

Well, so the kids were good there, and what was going to be a 15 minute trip had turned into over an hour, so I should have known the next part wouldn't be so great. We then went to the mall to do some returns and look for more clothing for the kids for the wedding next week! They did great during the first store, and then it was downhill quickly!

Cash wanted icecream from Chic-Fil-e! I said of course after his kids meal, and so we set off. However, upon ordering he instantly had a breakdown and a HUGE tempertantrum, as in getting out of the stroller, stomping his feet, throwing his hands up, and screaming at me that he just wanted his icecream first and not his chicken nuggets. I was embarrassed because it was quite the scene, but finally calmed him down enough to sit him at a table. As soon as I had gotten the straws in the chocolate milk, the nuggets cooled and the sauce packet opened, and Cash taking one bite, of course another thing had to happen! Cash had to go to the bathroom - right then! Oh no! So we had to pack everything back up, which was a royal pain, and wasted some of the food, and head off to the bathroom. We entered a family one and he immediately freaked out and started to cry saying he didn't need to go. Well, as a mom and a great spotter of the potty dance I knew this wasn't true and lifted him up to sit on the toilet. This turned into another HUGE tantrum of him screaming and crying and saying he didn't want to go and just wanted to get off. I couldn't understand what the big problem was and so I was getting pretty mad. He got off and continued to cry while I grilled him on what his problem was and why he was acting so ridiculous. Finally it came out! He didn't want the potty to suck him in and flush on him (when we went and saw Alex he had gone to a public restroom where the toilets flushed automatically without pushing the button and it had done this while he was on the toilet and so he was terrified now of public restrooms now and that happening again to him apparently! Alex had told me about this before, but I didn't know what an impact it had made. Now it makes sense why he wouldn't go for Chip on Saturday in the public restroom and then peed his pants on the way home - I thought it seemed odd since he never has accidents!) Anyways, so finally we worked it out and he stood up and it was better and I told him it wouldn't flush and we got through that fiasco. We then preceded to go back out to get his icecream cone! We got it, and it seemed maybe things were going to get better! NOT!

All the tables were full so we found ourselves an empty one at the front of sbarros pizza. He was eating his icecream cone and then Griffin wanted some. I gave him a lick and Cash came unglued again! Screaming, not wanting to share, etc etc. He made such a scene it was all I could do to not just throw the thing in the trash right then and leave.....however, I did calmly get him to calm down and sit and eat it. We decided it was time to go home for naps - all the rest of the errands could be done later, and so we headed off. Well, in the parking lot yet another tantrum occurred as Cash stuck his finger through the bottom of the cone and then was upset because he was "freezing". I grabbed the cone, threw in under the car, strapped the 2 kids in, and told Cash not to speak the entire ride home because mommy was just too mad and I couldn't listen to anymore whining or crying! He did stop, and by the end he told me wouldn't do that and wouldn't cry at all if we went to Wal-Mart to look at the big Buzzy! I told him we weren't doing that at all after how he acted. At first he was upset, and started crying. But then he stopped. I looked up a few minutes later in the mirror thinking he had fallen asleep, but he was looking out the window (almost asleep mind you), and then he said "I'm sorry mom. I'm sorry I acted that way. It won't happen again!" Thank you Cash for realizing how awful it was....or probably not realizing it but at least saying sorry because how could I stay so mad now after this?!

I think part of it was Cash was so tired. Or at least I hope. And since we still have to get a few items I hope that when we go back we won't have to endure any more tantrums! Ah what a morning! Anyone want to come tend my kids while I go to the mall alone?

Vamos a la Playa!

Griffin turned 11 months last Monday and we decided to make it a party and pack up and head off to the beach early Tuesday morning with some friends. We went down to Nagshead (outerbanks) and stayed with our friends Bonnie and Joel and Kate! It was a blast! I was worried a little about the 2 kids alone, but they were great little travelers, happy the entire 4.5 hours of driving, and then were SOOOO happy to be at the beach. The entire way Cash kept saying - "are we almost to the beeeeech! I am SO excited for the Beeech!" It is really cute how he says it and his excitement never stopped. He wanted to spend every waking moment there - which happened to be a LOT of time as he didn't take naps any of the days and also woke up at 5:45 each morning! So there was a LOT of beach time!

It was so great to just kick back and relax in the sand. We had a great time with the kiddos, catching up, eating yummy food, lounging by the pool, playing games, laughing, and sleeping a little too! It is so easy to see why you lose track of time by the ocean. It is just calming and makes it seem like nothing should matter! Griffin also enjoyed it and was super happy to just be around everyone. He never stopped smiling and is at a really fun stage. He waves, points, claps, laughs a TON, smiles at everyone, is always happy, sleeps like a champ, is a HUGE daddys boy (so fun since Cash wasn't), and is the cutest little 11 month old around! You can't help but smile as you watch him do his little scoot across the floor and see his infectious smile. He babbles a lot, altho doesn't say any real words yet....altho I swear he sometimes says thank you! But he is great and it was a fun celebration of his little time here with us so far!

So happy to be out at the BEEEECHH!

Griffin enjoyed the intertube!

Love his cute toes!

Smiling as usual!

hi mom!

Here's a toy for you!

Just kidding!

How can I get out of here now?

My favorite pic of all - this happy face is my little Griffin's happy demeanor 99% of the day!

Cash and Kate, playing in the ocean!

Joel was the kids favorite adult because he helped build the cool sand castles and trenches and tunnel!

Hard at work!

Cash and Levi doing their part!

Look at me boys!

Griff also enjoyed the boogie board! A little unsure at first of the ride!

Ok I can do it!

Hey mom this really is fun!

Cute Kate and Cash digging a pit! She is such a doll and when Cash first arrived he told her she has pretty hair like Rapunzel and she is a girl!

The kiddos in action!

Cute little chocolate and Vanilla!

Griff and Levi join the pic!

Cash hard at work - Griff hard at play....and smiling! :)

One of my favorite pics as well - Joel was so great helping these 2 learn to build sand castles!

Using the water to pack the dirt in!

Now time to play in the water!

Kate taught Cash to not be afraid of the water - thanks Kate!

Running from the water!

Thanks Bonnie and Joel for a fabulous few days of hanging out with some of the coolest people I know. It was fun meeting their friends too who joined us, and the kiddos were so cute together!

On Thursday we left early in the morning to go up to Fort Lee where Uncle Alex was graduating and to celebrate his 23rd birthday with him. We were all soooo excited to see him and spend some time with him. Cash had told Bonnie Alex was his favorite uncle and when we got there my boys jumped to him as if they see him everyday. He looked awesome, seems so happy, and we all love him so much! It was fun to get to celebrate his special day with him!

He had gotten Cash an entire army outfit and Cash loved putting it on. My favorite moment came when he gave Cash his dog tags. He showed Cash what he wears and told Cash he had got some for him. The first dog tag says his name and what company he is with. Cash said "but my name is not Alex." Alex told him that is why his own tag says Cash Brown. Then, Alex said that the other tag is one he wears all the time too. It says "I am a Mormon!" Cash said, "we like Mormons!" It was a cute moment, and one that made me almost burst into tears of joy! To hear my brother talk about how he wears something that says he is a member of the LDS church and talk about it so proudly made my heart almost burst. It was a very touching moment and one I won't ever forget. He hasn't always felt so strongly it was important to go to church or even wanted to be affiliated with it so to wear something that defines his as such and that he is proud to have just is so awesome! He really seemed THE HAPPIEST that I have ever seen him and you could just feel the spirit about him! It was really cool to see how he has changed. He also looks awesome, so different with his really short hair, but great all the same. He is one handsome, tall, lean, and now very ripped young man! Definitely a catch for the ladies! We love you Alex......so glad we got to spend your birthday with you!

My boys with Uncle Alex

What a handsome crew!

Alex and Griffin - he was clapping he was so excited!

Smiling so big - we LOVE uncle Alex!

We met up with Aunt Suzie and Uncle Greg at a great Chinese place for lunch and it was so much fun. Perfect too for us because it had items that everyone liked, and the kiddos ate free!

Aunt Suzie printed off a sign for my mom and got a pic with Alex!

Cash enjoyed the pizza, jouza, his soda, and sampling the desserts!

Griffin ate a ton of chicken nuggets, jaouza (potstickers), pizza, and anything else anyone would give him, and enjoyed playing with Uncle Greg!

After lunch we went and hung out with Alex at the mall for awhile before taking him back. We wished he could come stay with us for the next week before he heads to flight school in Georgia, but the rules were such that he couldn't leave base. Bummer! So we took a few pics of ourselves before saying goodbye! (I only have 2 because the better ones were on Alex's camera!)

My favorite army brother Alex! We love you and are so proud of you!

It was hard to drive away, not knowing when we will see him next. Hopefully in August, but who knows! We are grateful for the few hours tho we had. What a great day!

A Weekend With Daddy!

Hooray for having a weekend where we finally g0t to spend every minute with our daddy!

Home at 5:45 on Friday in time to go to Chic-fil-A for dinner with the family!

Saturday morning cleanup with the family before heading off to a fun waterpark by our house!

Naps followed by a date for mom and dad while Paige (Cash's favorite babysitter) came over!

I got to trade in my diaper bag for a purse and had a blast just the two of us for a few hours followed by dinner with friends at one of our favorite Charlottesville places - Boylen Heights!

Home to the kiddos to give hugs and say good night and then just hang out more together!

Sleeping in on Sunday (by this I mean 7 am instead of the usual 6 or 6:30) and then a yummy breakfast of Mountains via Cash's request! "Because Grammy makes these at her house mom!"

Duh!!! (How could I not know why we were having these?)

I didn't take pictures of all of these activities - but got a few fun ones this weekend!

It has been a great weekend! It is nice to have you back with us honey for a few hours!

This waterpark place was at capacity when we got there so we waited outside for 45 minutes before people finally left and we got in! Cash couldn't wait to get in, and yet is pretty cautious when it comes to water - as in, freaks out if anyone splashes his eyes, clung to me the moment he got remotely close to where he thought he couldn't touch, wouldn't go down any of the slides for him, and had to always have Chip or I right next to him even just wading in the very shallow areas! What happened to my little fish from last summer??? However, he did tell us numerous times that "this is so fun, we are having so much fun, this is so fun!! Let's come back again mommy!" So despite his fears he did have a great time. Griffin also had a great time and is fearless, doesn't mind water pouring on his head or getting splashed, going in the lazy river, or really anything else that Cash was scared of. We even put him down the boat slide and he laughed and enjoyed it! Think he might be more of a daredevil!

Here are my 3 handsome boys at the wading pool area!

Enough pictures mom, let's play!

Enjoying the water and daddy helping feel up the squirt gun!

Getting the lid on and ready to go! (check out Griffs HUGE diaper)

"I'm gonna squirt your glasses mom!"

Griffin splashing with a random kid wanting to play with him and protective Cash coming to his rescue!

Cash wanted a picture of his breakfast so here is one of the delicious mountains he ate that are just like what Grammy makes in Utah!

Hope you got to have as much fun as us this weekend!

Notice Anything New???

About this cute kid? (HINT: it isn't that he chose a green cup to drink out of - that is the norm at our house)

He is POTTYTRAINED!!!!

Yes, my cute little 2 year old boy has mastered this and it is SO AWESOME!!!

And the best part about it --- it really only took me 2 days total!

I have written before about my half-hearted attempts and that I would always give up after about 5 hours. Finally, I decided to just wait til he was ready!

How we did it so quickly:

A chart with Toy Story Stickers

A little potty

A promise to get a big Buzzy or a big dragon when he went a week without accidents!

And.....Voille! He mastered it quickly!

He even wakes up from his naps without having accidents!

Good job Cashee!

I love this little no-diapered man! He loves his big boy underwears too!

NOTE: it has brought about many a funny conversation of bathroom talk. I will spare you most, but the funniest one that is recurring daily is when Cash yells to me to come check out his poop in the big toilet. He says "today my poop is brown mom, yesterday it was green....I just want it to be blue"!!! Oh the funny things kids say! Hopefully we won't have too many more poop talks tho! I am proud of this little guy!

My Post-Partum Depression

I never planned on writing about this.

Actually, before this past year I never even thought this was such a real thing or really even gave it a second thought. I didn't have it with Cash, I never ever thought about it or worried about it being an issue with Griffin. In fact, I really never understood what it even was.

Then I had Griffin.

In a foreign Country.

Alone.

And things ALL changed.

At first I was fine, just figuring out my life with 2 boys, figuring out how to do the basic necessities in life such as grocery shop, travel, even just go outside with 2 boys to cart along instead of one. Just the normal changes that every mom goes through when adding another kid to the family. I was happy, things were good, the baby was good, and I was adjusting pretty well I thought for the first few months.

Little things bothered me or caused stress and I just passed them off as normal and kept telling myself it was the unknown date of moving back to the US, this or that, or the next thing. I didn't ever even consider the thought that anything else could be the problem.

Then, after we came back to the US, had our great stop through Utah, and then made our way back to VA things got a lot worse. I would find myself still making excuses - we just moved across the world, we left family and now I am once again alone across the country, my husband is working insane hours and we only see each other for less than 30 minutes in the morning (or not at all for 2 weeks while he is in China) and so I am more stressed cuz I never have a break, I am away from family for the holidays and that is a bummer, I am tired because Griffin is not adjusting well to American time and still wants to be on China time - 12 hours ahead! And the list goes ON and ON and ON!!!

I thought our trip for Christmas would fix things, and yet when we got back I felt even worse. Things just got so bad I finally hit what I felt was rock bottom. I didn't want to get out of bed in the morning, didn't ever want to leave the house, had NO motivation for exercising or eating healthy, didn't want to have friends over or host parties (which as all my friends out here know I normally can't even go 5 hours without having stuff planned or events to host!). I lost all desire to do anything with my days and as a result was just wasting away the days watching the drone of the TV, letting the house stay messy, staying in my pjs all day, and getting into what I considered a WORSE and WORSE FUNK!!! I gained all the weight back plus more from when I was pregnant (which made me feel even worse about myself), and just was miserable. I would find myself crying for no reason many a times per day.

I found myself blowing up at little things my boys would do, and then feeling SO AWFUL right after like I was the worst mom ever and feeling so guilty for how angry I had gotten and how terrible I had been to my kids! (I never ever hurt them for those wondering). I just would feel myself losing it and screaming at them and then instantly crying and apologizing and I made what I thought was a realization that I was the worst mom on the planet. I blamed myself for everything, started wondering why my husband even wanted to be married to me because I didn't even like myself, and just found the days to be very long and harder and harder. I kept wondering when I was going to get out of the funk, and yet each day seemed to get worse! I also developed SEVERY ANXIETY in this time where I would worry that Cash was going to wake up throwing up in the night with the flu bug! This probably sounds crazy to everyone that this was my fear, but yet I couldn't go to sleep at night because I was dwelling so much on the fact that he was going to get sick and wake up barfing and I was just sure of this. This went on for the entire month of December and also part of January. It was awful, and totally unnecessary because never did he once display symptoms of having this and it never happened....and yet I couldn't get myself to stop worrying over it. I would dwell on it when I was in the car, think about it whenever we went anywhere, worry about it during naps, and just became so full of anxiety that it consumed my whole being. I literally was a stress case and although I would rationalize and say that even if he did get it it wasn't the end of the world, I would clean it up and move on, for some reason I couldn't get over it. It was horrible.

Finally, when I lost desire for a few other things that are so totally not me (and no family, it wasn't a loss of appetite for icecream - that I could still always eat) I realized that there was a big problem. I wanted my old life back, and I felt like everything good was slipping out of it. I didn't want to die, but I really didn't care to live either, and I wasn't enjoying anything in life. I had so many good things in my life and blessings so I just couldn't figure out why I felt so bad. I just wanted it to all go away and be back to my "normal" self. I was talking to a friend one day about it and she mentioned that she thought I might have post-partum depression and asked if I had seen my Dr. about it. I hadn't, and didn't really want to, but after thinking about her words of advice thought maybe it was a good idea and maybe I should go. At this point I would do anything to change my life.

Anyhow, to make a long story short the Dr. did think I had it and after listening to me cry to her about everything that had happened and was going on and discussing all the different solutions she gave me a prescription for a medicine she said would help. She gave me the lowest dose possible and enough for 1 month and then told me I needed to come back to see how it would work. She said my hormones with everything going on were very out of wack and that this should help and she thought I would see a huge change, and if not and if I needed a stronger dose we could visit that in 2 weeks also. Anyways, I set out hoping that this would change me life!

It DID!!! It completely changed and helped me!

I took the medicine for 3 weeks and then felt I was back to myself and was doing so much better and so just went off it then. It was faster than I had expected, and I am so much happier now. The only thing I regretted was not going to see the Dr. sooner so that it could have been fixed, instead of waiting and enduring that awful time for 4 extra months. I now understand what people are talking about when they say they have post-partum depression, and it is such a real thing and such an awful thing. I am truly sorry for all those out there who suffer through it thinking they are alone or that it is normal or that there is no end or fix to it. I know some are worse cases then mine, some take more than just a little pill for 3 weeks, but I also know it can be fixed and that getting help changed my life IMMENSELY and I never want to re-visit that time again. Each case is different - I never ever wanted to hurt little Griffin, or didn't want him, or wanted to hurt myself or anything like that...but I did feel awful and guilty and hated myself and who I thought I was becoming.

I am grateful for the friend who recommended me to see a Dr. and see if it might be something I was struggling with, who told me about her experiences with it, and who shared with me in such a way that I was able to overcome it quickly and move on with my life. I write it down today because I have so many friends who are having babies, experiencing hard things right now, and I want anyone who might be struggling with this to know it is ok to get help. To understand it is a real thing and that it is normal and that it can be fixed. It might not be as quick for everyone, and there are other solutions out there to help, but it is real. And it is ok to ask for help.

I know I didn't have it as bad as some, and yet for me it was an all-time low and was a very difficult thing to accept and to get through. I am grateful that I feel so much better and I hope that if any of you friends out there are struggling with it that you know you can come to me, or that there is help available. I am soooooooo glad I got the help and can now move on.

Anyone who has been through it knows it is a real thing and it is hard.

But hey - we are women, and we can do hard things!

I know I am stronger now because of it!

On a side note, I love being a mom of 2 of the cutest little boys you could find - they make me so happy and when I am away from them for even just 2 hours I find myself missing them and excited to get home to give them hugs and kisses. I wouldn't trade my job in for anything, despite the hard days. Life here is good and I have lots to be thankful for!

Have a great day!

2 HUGE Projects!!!

I have a confession!

I HATE HATE HATE scrapbooking!!! I know that to some of you out there this might seem blasphemous, that it is your hobby, your outlet, your greatest treasures, etc etc

For me, however, it has always seemed an overwhelming, daunting, and HUGE task that I never wanted to tackle.

I use my blog as my scrapbook, a place to store all my photos and keep track of them in an orderly fashion, to journal and document our exciting (or mundane) lives that we live, the different places we have been, and so I have a record of when things happened. I update it quite frequently so as to keep a pretty good record of things. Thus, the first project will not seem out of the ordinary. I decided to take my blog and slurp it into a book using Blurb, and print out a copy so we would have it as a record of our year in China. Since doing the last 5 years seemed to big a task, I started by just doing 2010: Our life Abroad, and documenting our adventures in China. It was so much fun, and I found myself reliving each day as I remembered it from the past year. I worked on this book for hundreds of hours (literally), as I wanted each page uniform in some ways, customized in others, had to format all the pictures (over 700) and make sure each one looked perfect before moving on. Once I finished all 226 pages I went through and re-edited them to make sure the wording, grammar, spelling, and writing was exactly what I wanted. All in all I feel I re-wrote some of the posts completely, and yet it was exactly what I wanted!!! I had it printed off and was going to give it to Chip for Father's Day....altho he saw it hit the credit card bill first and so after asking if we had gotten it and Cash saying "you can't see it yet because it is wrapped up in a present" he went and found it and opened it early! (this is why you never get presents ON your day honey)! Anyways - Chip loves it, I love it, and it is one very special treasure we will always have! I recommend doing this to anyone who has a blog! It is an awesome way to journal/scrapbook all at once in an orderly fashion! I used every spare moment of Griffin's nap times, and even a lot of the kids awake time, early mornings, and late nights to get this done in just a few weeks and couldn't be happier!

The only bad thing was I upgraded to a higher version of Booksmart after I had ordered it and now my book is lost somewhere. I have a guy from Blurb helping me to try to get it back, but so far have been unsuccessful. I can, however, order more copies just like the one I have, so at least that is good! It made me physically sick though when I first realized this!

Anyways - here is the finished product - shipped right to my house and absolutely perfect!

With 115 posts for the year and my perfectionism demanding that each post had a different font, layout, and pictures customized to that specific post, that is why it took so long!

Here is an example of one of my favorite pages - A post I did on my beautiful sister and then the 9 picture layout that went along with it. Each post is fun, different, and looks awesome!

PROJECT #2:

Up until 3 weeks ago I had printed less than 50 pictures total since before Chip and I got married, over 5 years ago. Although I hate scrapbooking, as I said above, I do enjoy looking at pictures and started thinking that maybe I should follow in my mom's footsteps and do some so my kids have pictures and I have them too. I realized that after computers crashing this past year, many different sites I upload too, and the way things are going if I didn't get started this project would quickly get out of control! (as if it weren't already).

I decided to just jump in and get started, so ordered over 5000 (true) photos of our lives, including all our wedding pictures, graduation from college, moves and new houses, births of our babies, and our lives together since 2006 and put them all into books. After getting most of them in I discovered in my bin downstairs pictures of my HS basketball team, senior trip, HS graduation, college freshman year, ALL my dance photos, dating photos, engagement photos, bridal photos, and more that I had at one time printed but never put anywhere. I decided these must go into books too. Thus, this HUGE project took over my life for the past couple weeks as I worked many hours a day to get each book done. (At least I had something to do since Chip has been working so many hours each week too!) I still have many a photo I need to track down and a few big events I still need to find the pictures of online somewhere, but I must say it is coming along. It seemed an unconquerable idea, and yet I am almost done with my stuff and now can start re-printing some of the pics and doing them for each of my kids.

I don't do anything extravagant, as I don't have the time, energy, or desire to do that - but rather just bought some 3 ring binders, colored cardstock paper, a LOT of gluesticks, the sheet protectors, and then with a pen write a caption for the pictures as they go in describing them and VOILLE!!! There you have my scrapbooking! It has been fun to see the changes and realize how great a life I really have had and the fun experiences my kids have had too!

Phew - it is exhausting to think about but now that I have started I will keep on it and hopefully never have to play catch up quite like this ever again!

Here are the 8 books I have completed thus far!

An example of what my pages look like!

I don't need embellishments, stickers, or any other creative stuff.....I just enjoy seeing the pics and the satisfaction that I have them in a book in chronological order and can access them any time I please!!! Now, where are those pictures of my little Cashee's first birthday? Off to find them to print off and get in the books!

What projects do you have going on right now?