Bring on the Lloyds...

Lots of Words, No Pictures

2012-01-31T23:08:00.000-06:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again...the educational system down here is not what we're used to.

Monday Breck started his second new school here.

We pulled him from the private school and put him in public. I think he's liking it and it helps that two of our neighbor kids are also in kindergarten at the same school, albeit different classrooms. The two things I hadn't expected were:

1. The traffic...we live 6 miles from the school and it takes us no less than 30 minutes to get there...in a car! Most of that is waiting in the car line to drop him off. And then we get to do it again when it's time to pick him up.

2. The other shocker is the sheer amount of busy work {aka: homework} they send home with him every day. We're talking packets of poorly photocopied worksheets with no instructions and/or requiring him to cut out 63 small astronauts and then glue 55 of them to another sheet, for example. The amount of time it takes a 5 year old to do that is absurdly disproportionate to the low education value he gets from doing it. I'm really hoping there isn't a packet in his bag tomorrow....two hours of homework each night for a kindergartner will quickly lead to a conference with his teacher.

Somehow tonight, between the 2 hours of homework and dinner, Breck found time to draw, color and cut out angry bird characters he'd made from memory. I am seriously impressed with his ability to remember such details! I told him this weekend he could dedicate as much time as he wanted to making a full-view angry birds scene, which he can put above his bed. {pictures will follow!}

***

Rowan is doing a pretty good job potty training....or at least for her she's doing a good job. She is actually taking an interest and initiative with it, which is light years from where we were before we moved!

And we've been working on writing her name and the names of our family members. She's been very busy drawing and cutting!

***

Seth works. And works. And works some more. I hope after mid-February things will calm down...a lot.

For me, life in Texas is starting to feel more like regular life and not some homesick melodrama. We're slowly but surely getting to know our neighbors better and we're clicking with all of them. I think we've got some friendships in the making as well as a trustworthy babysitter across the street!

{Score and bonus!}

I've been keeping busy crafting and organizing, but have somehow managed to not get out for a photo walk....it might have something to do with a potty training diva and traffic that's just as bad!

Letter Sounds

2012-01-27T08:08:00.000-06:00

Last Fall Breck got an alphabet bingo game in a goodie bag from a classmate's birthday party.

It. Is. Awesome!

The "call cards" have either a missing letting in a word or a blank space in a portion of the alphabet.

Both kids love to play it and for Rowan, it gives her practice with letter sounds and identification.

...she's much better with those things than I thought!

PS - This came from the Target Dollar Spot!

Project Pinterest - No Sugar Cookies

2012-01-26T03:00:00.001-06:00

Two weeks ago I came across a recipe titled "No Sugar Oat Drops" and thought that sounded disgusting.
A cookie without sugar?No thank you.
But since I'm trying my best to make healthier food choices I decided to at least give the recipe a read.And it didn't sound too bad!Coconuts, almonds and raisins won me over.
Now, keep in mind that these are out-of-the-box cookies.{Not from-a-box...out-of-the-box.}They are VERY thick and do not spread, so however big you form them is how big they will be.
Here are mine, uncooked on the baking sheet.{I used a medium biscuit cutter to shape them.}

And here are my {super badly photographed} baked cookies.
Do not let the poor lighting fool you...these bad boys were D. Licious!I deviated slightly from the original recipe and used what I had on hand.And bare in mind that 175C approximates to 350F.Also, the recipe says to bake for 20 minutes, but mine could have baked much longer...upwards of 35 to 40 as it bakes more like a quick bread than a cookie.
You can find the original recipe at Anja's Food 4 Thought | Repinned via DJ Hornsby

Follow Sarah on Pinterest
Follow me on Pinterest

Here are the rules:

1. Decide which pin on Pinterest you’d like to recreate.

2. Create it!

3. Flop or success, create a blog post about your re-do and include the original pin’s url.

4. Add the Project Pinterest button to your post so others can join in too!
5. Link up and check out other bloggers’ posts!

Jesus' Helmet

2012-01-25T12:14:00.001-06:00

On Sunday we went to a local church's service.

The kids had a blast in Sunday School!

For one of their crafts they colored and glued a picture of Jesus to a popsicle stick.

On the ride home Rowan sang us a song about Jesus and his helmet...

Monday

2012-01-24T20:50:00.000-06:00

Monday was a pretty full day.

I finally got around to taking my car in for a "state inspection" which led to them fixing the red brake light on the dash and a recommendation for me to get new brakes...which I unofficially knew about since they keep squeaking. And as awful as people drive around here I want to be sure my brakes are in tip-top shape.

...I'm also blaming everyone else's bad driving as the reason my insurance rate is so much more here than it was in Kansas...seriously.
There's even a billboard on the interstate that reads:
"The way people drive should drive you to pray!"

Awesome.

I also got Breck enrolled in public school.

He's been going to a private one, which we had hoped would be comparable to Small Beginnings, but turned out to be more comparable to Malcom in the Middle. When I drop him off the kids go straight to recess...and when I pick him up they are having snack time which consists of glazed donuts, microwave popcorn, etc.

Once Breck came home and exclaimed that for lunch that day they had "cheese balls just like on Alvin and the Chipmunks!" which means cheese puffs.

Zero. Nutritional. Value.

So to celebrate the structure and healthy foods he will receive at public school, we bought Breck a lunchbox!

Clearanced Scooby Doo.

Win-Win....Win

I add the extra "Win", not because of that one The Office episode (Season 2, #21), but because Rowan had been throwing a gianormous make-people-stare-at-us fit in Target and when she saw the lunchbox, her fit stopped as if I had flipped a switch.

Nice to know she can embarrass me at will.

In the evening the kids and I had a game night!

We played Hungry Hungry Hippos

Somehow Rowan is a master of Hungry Hungry Hippos.
She wins every. single. time.
...I wonder if there are college scholarships for that...

Next up we played Elefun!

Breck always catches the most butterflies and Rowan is always the most accessorized.

It's a Beautiful Autumn....er Winter

2012-01-19T10:13:00.000-06:00

It is absolutely nuts how many differences there are climate wise between Kansas and Texas.

A normal January for us is single digit temps and shoveling snow.

Our new norm is swatting mosquitoes and raking leaves that have dead snakes in them.

{ok, it was only one dead, non-poisonous grass snake and it was the size of a pencil. but that's one too many and way too big for this girl. thankfully I married a knight in shining armor who disposes of gross dead things for me without complaint.}

...and if you were wondering...yes.
The kids are playing in the leaves after I found the you-know-what.
But they ~~never listen to me~~ have no fear and disregarded my pleas to not jump in the leaves, to not touch the leaves, and to not even look at the leaves...at least they didn't jump in the pile that had the you-know-what in it.

Project Pinterest - Yarn Alliums

2012-01-19T05:00:00.001-06:00

I love alliums...those big puffy floral balls that sit atop rather skinny stems.

I'd love to have them line our mantle, but I have no interest in shelling out a small fortune to keep fresh ones in the house.

Enter: Alliums made from yarn!

They are so simple to make and I already had everything I needed on hand: yarn, glue, sticks.

The pom-pom tutorial calls for wool, but I didn't have any pretty wool that I was willing to waste on pom-poms, so I used regular acrylic yarn with sparkles...and I think it turned out just fine.

{Pom-Pom Flower Tutorial from PoppyTalk.blogspot.com | Pinned here}

Follow Sarah on Pinterest
Follow me on Pinterest

Here are the rules:

1. Decide which pin on Pinterest you’d like to recreate.

2. Create it!

3. Flop or success, create a blog post about your re-do and include the original pin’s url.

4. Add the Project Pinterest button to your post so others can join in too!
5. Link up and check out other bloggers’ posts!

Bubble Buddies

2012-01-18T11:08:00.000-06:00

Whirlpool tubs make for the best bubble baths...

Counting and The Dora Song by Rowan

2012-01-17T16:13:00.003-06:00

I finally figured out how to work the movie mode on my camera!!
Unfortunately, I didn't figure out how to stop it....please ignore the last few seconds!

Isn't Unpacking Fun?!

2012-01-16T10:00:00.001-06:00

We've nearly gotten everything unpacked and are now in the process of finding a place for it all!

Rowan found a good place for the shower curtain rings...

And Breck found a good place for the cookies...meaning his stomach.

Breck & Rowan

2012-01-14T17:16:00.000-06:00

The other night I busted out the camera to get some "normal life" shots.

{I would like to make it known that Rowan chose her own outfit.}

It started out as "aren't we cute, Mom?!" ....which led to "aren't are awesome?!"

...which led to "get out of my space!!!" ....which led to "I'm done! Hmph."

And somewhere in there was the piece de resistance.

Howdy, Y'all!

2012-01-09T18:07:00.000-06:00

We are nearly all unpacked, we've met our neighbors, school and work have both started back up, and life is slowly getting back to a normal pace.

Here are some pictures from our travel days: KC to Houston.

This was our hotel room near the KC airport. My car was shipped and Seth turned in his work car, so we decided to stay at a hotel that offered free shuttles to the airport.

As you can see, we made a stop at "Happy Meal"...as the kids call it.

Breck on his first ever plane ride!

He did awesome!

And here is ~~the holy terror of air travel~~ Rowan.

This about sums up how well she did.

We also stayed at a hotel our first night in Houston, which happened to be New Years Eve.

There was no party.

This is in our new house. I felt like taking a nap on the steps too after all the days and days of unpacking.

Finally, this is some red flowering thing on a giant bush in our backyard.

I have no clue what it's called, but think it's rather pretty!

It's Been a Whirlwind

2011-12-31T17:34:00.000-06:00

For those of you who do not follow along over at my photography blog, allow me to catch you up on the past month and a half...

Nov. 15th :: 12:00pm - find out that Seth was given a {much awaited} promotion which would move us 700 miles away to Houston, Texas.

Nov. 15th :: 6:00pm - start packing clutter

Nov. 16th thru 24th - declutter, depersonalize, touch up paint, move 95% of our furniture around to stage the house, spread new mulch, plus many other things I'm forgetting

Nov. 24 - Thanksgiving lunch with friends, travel 2 hours for Thanksgiving with family

Nov. 26th & 27th - relax

Nov. 28th - house goes on market, fly to Houston to house hunt for 7 hours

Nov. 29th - Find a house, negotiate a price

Nov. 30th - fly home

Dec. 1st thru 23rd - lots of house and relocation stuff

Dec. 24th - drive to Iowa for Christmas with family

Dec. 25th - Christmas with family, drive home

Dec. 26th - I came down with what felt like strep, went to doctor, not strep instead is virus that morphs into every possible unpleasant symptom

Dec. 27th :: 8:30am - movers arrive to pack the house and break a few things in the process

Dec. 27th :: 5:00pm - everything we own is in a box

Dec. 28th - special packers come to crate some glass table tops and tv

Dec. 29th :: 8:30am - movers load the truck

Dec. 29th :: 5:00pm - Everything we own is in a truck

Dec. 30th - spend night at airport hotel, close on the Houston house

Dec. 31st - fly to Houston and on the decent Rowan throws the BIGGEST fit I've ever heard/seen a child throw. Evil stares and parental suggestions are given as passengers walk by our seats.

Right now we're at another hotel with a rough week still ahead.

Bubble Blowing

2011-11-13T15:55:00.000-06:00

Just another day at home...blowing bubbles on the deck.

Piano Man

2011-10-24T17:49:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend Seth's parents brought us their piano!
We are planning to get the kids started on an instrument and this seemed like a good {and free} option.
Both kids love "playing" and Breck has even started requesting to have an audience.

Christmas is Almost Here

2011-10-23T14:13:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again for photo sessions and Christmas card buying!

Deciding on where to buy your cards, let alone choosing one that fits your family and pictures perfectly, can be overwhelming. Thankfully Shutterfly makes it easy to pick that perfect card to fit your family's style. And you know you're getting top quality cards!

I could spend hours browsing through all the different and beautiful cards at Shutterfly.

This year they have made it easier than ever to find your card quickly by browsing by card theme, number of photos you want on your card, or the card format, such as a flat or folded card.

Our family celebrates the birth of Christ at Christmas and we want our cards to reflect this important event. Where many companies fail at providing beautiful and relevant religious holiday cards, Shutterfly gets it right! They have many amazing cards that share the love of Christ!

And if you're like us, you always mean to write up a letter of all the exciting things that happened to your family over the previous year, but just never seem to get around to it!

Well, Shutterfly has you covered there as well with their story cards!

Are you a blogger? Want a chance at 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here: http://goo.gl/DDw7Q

This post is sponsored by Shutterfly.com.

2011-10-23T13:20:00.000-05:00

The quest for the skin map continues in The Bone House, book number two in the Bright Empires series. Kit, Mina, and Giles band together against Burley and his henchmen in a race to find the secret of ley travel. One piece of the skin map has been discovered, but it's only the beginning! This book takes us along for the wild ride through ancient Egypt, old world Bohemia, and the Stone Age! Mina continues to show her strength, Kit continues to figure it all out, and Giles proves a valuable addition to the team.

Stephen R. Lawhead has done it again!

He continues to paint the scenes with vivid imagery, making the reader feel part of this exciting story. His use of multiple scenes, times and stories really helps solidify the concept of ley travel: the travel between dimensions, crossing cultures and time. Lawhead also does a wonderful job of allowing the reader to gradually understand each character, as you learn about people in real life. Each main character unfolds slowly, but surely to reveal a much deeper and genuine person.

{to read my review from book 1, The Skin Map, go HERE}

***

I received a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

"The Light of the Scary Monster and the Kids Who Fight the Monster" by Breck

2011-10-15T21:01:00.000-05:00

Lately Breck has been in a story telling mood.

Here's one he made up to share on the blog...

"The Light of the Scary Monster and the Kids Who Fight the Monster"

"The kids tried to trick the monster and they leave traps behind. One of them is the most secret trap. Then the monster catches up with them and none of their traps work. But there's one last trap to build. It was a secret traps of all the traps. The kids called it the "Sting Reger" and it stings big things. It stings monsters. Then the monster found another monster and they went inside but then he found a button and pushed it! Then the monster zapped his whole self by pushing that evil button. Then the kids knocked out the big scary light monster."

The End.

Rowan

2011-09-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

Rowan's 1st Day of School

2011-09-07T13:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Rowan's first day of school...ever.

She went into her room with minimal nudging.

Of course, she has the same teacher that Breck had for the past two years, so there's at least some level of familiarity.

I don't think she cried at all, but when I picked her up she said it was a bad day and she would not be going back.

I'm pretty certain Breck held those same sentiments during his first few days of preschool, so hopefully she'll make friends and be happy to go to school soon!

To Vegas & Back

2011-08-31T10:40:00.001-05:00

Last week Seth and I, along with another couple, headed out to Vegas for a short vaca.

We saw several thunderstorms on the way.
We never went through a storm cloud, but it was really cool to see the rain and even lightening in the distant clouds.

This is the strip as we were landing.
{I'm quite certain I wasn't supposed to have my camera on at this point in the flight, but I'm going to blame the three Chardonnays.}

Here was our view from the hotel room:

And here's the view from our friends' room:

We stayed at the Flamingo, so naturally they had a wildlife area with flamingos.

...and I am kicking myself because I did not get one single picture of Seth and I during our entire time there.
{Next time...next time.}

Oh, and if you would like to see my more artistic shots from Vegas, head on over to my photo blog.

Mat Kearney "Young Love" Album Review

2011-08-30T15:52:00.000-05:00

As a member of the One2One Network I was able to review the spectacular CD "Young Love" by Mat Kearney.

Seriously. This is a fabulous album!!!

The upbeat tempos will make you want to get up and dance and what's best about this album is it's child appropriate. I can comfortably play this CD with my children around. Even the ever-so-picky Rowan loves a few songs on it. Here's one of her favorites:

Now, does that not make you want to get up and shake it?!

Mat Kearney is on tour this Fall and it's very likely he'll be playing at a venue near you.
Tickets are insanely reasonable {as in $20} and I have a feeling he'll put on a good show.

..now play that song again and get your groove on!!

Our Summer

2011-08-19T07:13:00.000-05:00

I've been really bad about updating this blog.

...you may have noticed.

Last week the kids and I went to the Iowa State Fair.
We went two days and were able to make the visiting rounds to all the grandparents and great grandparents.
It was a super fun and super packed trip.
Not surprisingly, both kids slept the entire 3.5 hour drive home!

Here's Breck riding one of the fun toys at Great Grandma and Grandpa's...

This one was a redo of a similar shot from last year that I took for an interview/guest post for my photography stuff.

Here's one shot from the family portrait session I did for my BIL's fam:

Rowan took a more creative approach to this summer.
She painted several times

But played in the laundry basket more.
{please excuse the inadvertent bird}

Seth worked like normal and I have been busy with my Etsy shop as well as my photo blog.
Things are finally starting to take off and it feels great!
I was able to put that college degree of mine {marketing} to good use and implemented a new marketing strategy for my Etsy shop, which has produced better results than I expected. And I've done a handful of interviews and guest posts recently for my photo blog.

This Fall is gearing up to be a good one...Seth and I are going to Vegas soon, Breck will be in school all day M-F and Rowan will go twice a week, I've joined a Building Better Moms group at our church, and I plan to use my new-found free time to keep the house clean {it's all about the thought, right?}, work on my photography and maybe even keep this blog updated.

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-18T07:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Breck's first day of kindergarten.
He was so excited to go and his first day went spectacularly!

I absolutely love the school he's going to.
He's in a multi-age classroom with students from K-2nd and there are 12 of them...total!
And his class is so diverse! There are kids from all over the globe...different cultures, different races, different languages. It's awesome!

And we can't forget Rowan...
who slept in her backpack the last two nights.

She is so ready to go to school too.
But her class won't start until after Labor Day, so she'll have to sleep with that backpack a little bit longer.

Hope You're Having an Exciting Summer

2011-07-31T15:44:00.000-05:00

Oh, Pinch Me!

2011-07-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

What could be better than attending a Women of Faith conference?
Winning tickets to it!!!
I was one of many lucky bloggers to win two tickets to the conference in Kansas City, courtesy of Book Sneeze - the same publishing program through whom I review books!!!

I am so stinkin' excited!!!

I've never been to this conference, but have heard nothing but wonderful things about it!
If you've been I'd love to hear about your experience.

In case you've not heard of it before, here's a pretty compelling promo video to explain....

At the conference I'm attending there are a handful of great speaker, entertainers and some amazing musical guests...Mandisa, Amy Grant....hello!!!!

It's going to be a blast!

Women of Faith has conferences all over the country and dates from August through November!
There's a really good chance that one will be near you.
You can check out the 2011 schedule HERE.

Our Morning at Deanna Rose

2011-07-15T14:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning the kids and I headed out to Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead!

We love going there!

{especially since it's free}

This time we participated in many activities.

{some of which are not free, but are still worthwhile!}

The kids love the petal tractors.
Breck was so excited, I'm surprised he didn't hurdle fences and push over babies and the elderly to get to them.

We fished, which was a first for just me and the kids.
Unfortunately, a personal worm hooker is not part of the package, which meant I had to man-up and do it.

Below was about as close to catching a fish as we got.

I blame a faulty hook...or maybe super smart fish...because those worms were on there securely.

Trust me.

We also fed goats!
Well, Rowan fed goats...

Breck watched from the sidelines.
He's rather scared of the pushy goats.

With looks like this guy was giving, I'm not sure I can blame him.

Turns out Breck is a good judge of character.

And since I know some of you don't travel over to my photo blog
{even though you should!}
here are some of the more artistic shots from the day...

The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead

2011-07-15T14:26:00.000-05:00

It was a day much like any other bad day, until Kit Livingston took a wrong turn where he met his great-grandfather, Cosimo. Little did Kit know what journeys laid ahead of them to worlds he never knew existed! Nor did he know of the dangers and evil men who waited for them. In this magically suspenseful book, we follow Kit and Cosimo on an otherworldly journey through time and dimensions!

This is my kind of book! I loved it! Stephen R. Lawhead has an incredibly amazing ability of making the reader feel as though they are in the story! His use of vivid details made me both see and smell the environment which was laid out before me. And while there were multiple stories intertwining, each was unique and concise as well as easy to follow. This book isn't just for sci-fi fans, it has it all: romance, adventure, suspense, drama and more!

I can hardly wait for the next book to come out!

***

I received a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Secrets of the Vine for Women by Darlene Marie Wilkinson

2011-07-15T13:54:00.000-05:00

Secrets of the Vine for Women is a small devotional style book based on John 15. In this book, Wilkinson tells a story of a vinedresser and his daughter which wonderfully illustrates and translates to the relationship between Jesus and ourselves. Through this fictitious story, she is able to explain the analogies that Christ used of vines, branches, etc. Having never been on a vineyard, these explanations are much appreciated!

Wilkinson also included a study guide at the back of the book. There are seven questions for each chapter. I found the study guide to be very helpful and beneficial while reading through this book. If you find yourself in need of a short devotional that's jam packed with inspiration, be sure to pick up Secrets of the Vine for Women!

***

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.

How to Make an Animated GIF in PSE

2011-07-13T12:59:00.001-05:00

This post is specially made for those of you who asked how I made that animated gif of Breck swimming!

I only have PSE, so that's what I used.

I searched YouTube and found many videos, but most were sooooo boring and/or had bad audio. So I'll just type it out, because I'm quite certain that reading this will be more clear and take you less time! ;)

If you have regular Photoshop, not Elements, go here for a great tut!

The steps between the two are completely different.

1. This will be obvious, but take lots - as in 20+ - consecutive shots of whatever it is you want to make a 'movie' of. I used the continuous release option on my camera to make things easy.

2. You'll now need to edit and/or resize all of the images exactly the same way. An easy way to do this is to do a batch edit. You can do this by going to: File > Process Multiple Files

(note: you'll want small files. Mine were sized to 400 pixels wide)

3. As far as I've found, Elements does not offer near the ease of layering all your photos as Photoshop does. This part takes a lot of time because you have to do it manually.

Start by opening your files. I opened about 10 at a time to keep things more organized.

Start with image #1 and drag all other images, in order, onto that #1 image. This will build your layers in order.

(the starting layer will be on the bottom and the last layer will be on top)

4. Once all your layers are in one file, go to: File > Save for Web

(you can also use the shortcut: ctrl+alt+shift+s)

If you get a yellow triangle error, your photos are too big. Simply go to: Image > Resize > Image Size and make your file smaller.

If your photos are the correct size, you'll be taken to the Save for Web menu screen.

From here you'll want to select GIF from the drop down box.

Just below that is a check box option for animate. Check it.

Next, towards the very bottom you can select the speed at which your animation will play.

You'll have to play with this to get the speed that works best for you.

You can figure this out by previewing it. This option is even further down and titled Preview In:

My options box did not have any browser as an option, so I had to find one.

If you also need to do this, here's the path I followed using Windows 7:

Other > Computer > C: > Windows > explorer (the application, not a file folder.)

5. Once you set your speed, click OK at the top of the Save for Web menu screen. And save as normal.

6. I uploaded my animation file directly to blogger, but then it wasn't showing the animation. So, I clicked on my image to make it bigger, and for whatever reason the animation played in that window, so I simply copied and pasted it into my blog post.

And that's it!

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment or email.

...I hope this little tutorial is clearer than mud. ;)

Swimming Laps

2011-07-11T16:43:00.001-05:00

Breck has been "practicing" his mad swimming skillz in our little pool...

We're excited to see what he will do in a real one!

Fashion Show

2011-07-09T20:09:00.000-05:00

The kids came down this morning for a fashion show...

Miscellany from the Weekend

2011-07-06T09:29:00.021-05:00

This was the view out our car windows when we were almost to Grandma and Grandpa's:

Saturday evening the kids got a lesson in firework safety:

Fireworks safety lesson in practice:

Kids posing:

Harvesting the section that was saved especially for the kids:

Yep, it was a great weekend!

Goofballs

2011-07-05T22:35:00.000-05:00

Running in the Yard

2011-06-26T16:26:00.000-05:00

Not many things beat playing monster chase in the backyard on a beautiful June evening...

More Fun in the Pool

2011-06-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the squirt guns Aunt Amanda!

Birthday Fun

2011-06-18T08:33:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we went to Iowa to celebrate the kids' birthdays - as well as my sister's - with my side of the family!
First we went to Grandma & Grandpa H's where the kids blew bubbles, had sword fights, water gun fights, and general fun!

Oh yeah, there was cake, pie, ice cream and of course presents too!

The next day we went to church with Grandma S. & Granddad!
After service, which was quite good by the way, we stopped at McD's for lunch then headed to the park for some playtime, more cake and more presents!
(the one advantage to having divorced grandparents is that you get double of everything!)

Forget the Bowl...

2011-06-14T12:16:00.000-05:00

Hey Rowan, what's that in your shirt pocket?

Who's That Kid??

2011-06-06T16:27:00.000-05:00

This afternoon Breck had a haircut.
He hasn't had it cut for a really long time - and the last time it was by me because a certain little sister had mashed sticky tack into it!

Before:

After:

Summer Days are Here!

2011-06-05T09:37:00.000-05:00

Recently we had our roof replaced, thanks to a crazy hail storm a couple months ago. And at some point during the roofing process our glass patio table top was shattered. The company definitely made things right (seems like we're on a roll with excellent customer service lately!) but for the time being we have no furniture for our deck.

And the kids are lovin' it!
Because it means that we now have room for our small blow-up pool! I don't think there could be a better spot for it - our deck gets the morning sunlight and then is shaded in the hot afternoons. Plus, we have hangers for plants attached to our house, which serve as perfect spots to hang the swim suits out to dry! ;)

And since we normally do not go swimming, we really don't have any pool toys to speak of, so the kids improvise. An air pump, for example, can easily be turned into a water gun!

...of course, plain ol' splashing is always a fine choice.

(if you also follow my photo blog you will see this exact same post over there later in the week.)

Evening at the Park

2011-06-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

The other night the kids and I went to the park near our house...and I chronicled our walk there, playing on the equipment, and our walk home...which, in other words means this is a really long post!

Hot Air Balloon Festival...Almost

2011-06-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

This year's hot air balloon festival was canceled due to terrible weather, but a few brave souls inflated their balloons for about 10 minutes to give the general public a show...

Just Another Day at Home

2011-06-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago Breck found this feather in our yard.
We're thinking it's from a hawk or an owl??

***

And we've recently unlocked the super-fast mode for the kids' jeep.
...Pedestrians Beware!...

The Graduate

2011-05-30T21:11:00.000-05:00

Here is the long awaited graduation video and photo!!

The kids all came out in their cute little graduation caps and gowns and performed several songs and showed off their smarts! They recited the pledge of allegiance, sang a song about the continents, counted to 20 in spanish, and put on a play about what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Breck wants to be "the best race car driver."

In this video Breck is helping lead the graduation song!

I have to add that we were in the very back row - even though we did get there on time! - and short + back row = no good pictures. A huge thanks goes to another kid's dad who shot this video and then sent it to us! He was in the front row, saw we were in the way back and very thoughtfully took this video of our son's shining moment for us.

Spunky Brewster

2011-05-30T07:00:00.002-05:00

On this particular day Rowan had just sneaked (snuck?) a candy bar...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a giant dose of high energy + mischief + sheer cuteness = getting away with lots of trouble? ;)

She also has impeccable timing.
As I was writing this post, Rowan came into the room shoving a "secret" cupcake into her mouth....
I'm pretty sure we can rule out a career in espionage.

Playing In the Driveway

2011-05-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

"Look Mom, no hands!!"

Afternoon at the Arboretum

2011-05-27T15:57:00.000-05:00

These are from several weeks ago.
The kids and I went to the arboretum for a nice, quiet afternoon.

Here are a few flower shots since the above images don't truly capture the beauty of the arboretum...

Oh Yeah, I Have a Blog.

2011-05-24T21:12:00.000-05:00

Boy, did May fly by lickity-split or what!?

Breck turned 5 this past Saturday!

...and I didn't even get one blurry candid of him...

I do have a handful of photos of the kids to share, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer as the rest of the week and weekend are looking to be very full! Breck has his Pre-K graduation this week, which I'm planning to video, provided I remember to charge the camera battery, load the memory card and actually take the camera with us! Then this weekend my mom and sister are coming down, Monday I'll be doing a mini-photo shoot and editing those shots. And then summer will be upon us...sleeping in, gardening, leisurely trips to Deanna Rose, the library and many other places is on the list.

I really need to get organized with a schedule...if only Rowan would stop writing her own plans on my calender we'd be in fine shape.

Here's her latest to-do list:

^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^

...and then she asked me to read it to her!

A Lesson from Breck

2011-04-25T13:17:00.006-05:00

Sometimes the things our children do or say are flat out funny, other times they are insanely embarrassing, and every so often our children teach us how to live.

Over the weekend Breck exhibited the latter.

We were coming home from our church's Easter service. When we were a few blocks from home, Breck asked if I would roll down his window in the backseat. He likes to stick his hand out the window and let the wind carry it - which I think all kids like to do! - so I rolled it down assuming that's what he had in mind.

What he actually did surprised both Seth and I.

Breck shouted as loud as he could out the window:
"God and Jesus are good!!! They love me!! They love you!! And they are good!!!"

He was sharing the Good News with anyone who would listen!

How beautiful on the mountains
   are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
   who bring good tidings,
   who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
   “Your God reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7

He was not ashamed.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Romans 1:16

He was proclaiming God's love from a heart filled with joy, not obligation.

I will rejoice in the LORD,
   I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:18

I am quite ashamed to say that my gut reaction was embarrassment. Thankfully it was fleeting and I realized that those of us who call ourselves Christians and followers of Jesus Christ should be exactly like this each and every day! We need to be bold and joyful, to proclaim the Good News loudly and unashamed!

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”

Luke 9:47-48

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2011-04-24T16:49:00.000-05:00

After getting Rowan into her extra pretty and ruffly Easter dress, she went to talk to Breck:

Rowan: Breck! What do you think? (referring to her dress)

Rowan: Breck! What do you think?

Breck: (after Rowan finally got his attention!) You look totally awesome!!!

I hope you are all having a wonderful, safe and reflective Easter!!

Play Time

2011-04-23T15:44:00.000-05:00

Last week we went to the school playground near our house.
They have a large open field that is covered in dandelions!

So we stopped to pick some...

And plant more...

After that, we swung...

...in a variety of ways...

went down the fastest slide...

Oh, and Breck was there, too!

God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren

2011-04-22T13:20:00.000-05:00

In this short but sweet children's book Little Cub wonders where he came from, so he asks his Mama. Little Cub asks a lot of "Then what?" and "Why?", just as all children do! This book explains where children come from in a Christian-based method: that we all come from God. But it also addresses what happens during pregnancy in a child appropriate manner; such as Mama's belly growing bigger and bigger, hearing the baby's heartbeat, etc.

The illustrations are gorgeous! And the main storyline is consistent and solid. My kids, however, had no interest in listening to this story. But I think children who enjoy quiet and sweet stories will love this book!

***

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.

Unleashed: Release the Untamed Faith Within by Erwin McManus

2011-04-19T15:46:00.000-05:00

Jesus lived a barbarian life.

And so should we!

Some may find this statement a bit too radical...and others may find it spot on!

In his book, Unleashed, Erwin McManus challenges the notion that God only wants us to live comfortable and cushy lives. He suggests, rather, that Jesus taught the disciples to be bold and courageous! Jesus told some that they would meet a terrible death in His name and others would serve Him throughout their lives, dying of old age. Everyone has a unique path and a unique way to serve God. Are you living your path in the most comfortable way possible? Or are you living it the barbarian way?

McManus was not brought up a Christian, which is why I think he can see things a little differently. Not wrongly. In fact, I'm inclined to say rightly. In his eyes Christianity has become civilized and domesticated; it has become mainly a group of people who have hopped on the easy train to heaven. Jesus never said we are to live easy lives. "Take up your cross and follow me" does not sound like "put your feet up, relax and enjoy the in-flight movie." McManus suggests that we get back to our barbarian roots. But it should be noted that the term barbarian is not referring to anger or violence. It is more about courage and living a bold, yet loving life in the name of Christ.

Paul, Silas and Timothy all agreed: "And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you." (2 Thessalonians 3:5-7)

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants the fire lit under them to go out and share Christ in bold ways!

***

I received a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Grocery Deals from Last Week

2011-04-19T15:39:00.000-05:00

I got everything in the picture for barely over $16!
It has been a loooong time since I've really had a good day of great bargains. While this isn't as great a deal as I'd like, I'll still take it considering had I not used any coupons the total would have been $40...and that's with sale prices!

Easter 2011

2011-04-18T17:53:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Easter early this year with Seth's side of the family.

Here are a handful of shots from the hunt:

I never realize just how round her little face is until I see it in a photograph.

And I'm pretty sure this is the fake smile that we will see too much of in the years to come...at least it's still a cute one!

Max on Life by Max Lucado

2011-04-18T07:42:00.000-05:00

Max Lucado is one of my favorite authors and when Thomas Nelson Publishing gave me the opportunity to review his newest book, Max on Life, I jumped at the chance!

This most recent book is all about answering tough questions relating to God and life. There are seven sections: Hope, Hurt, Help, Him/Her, Home, Haves/Have-Nots, and Hereafter. Each section is broken up in a Q&A format, with real questions Max Lucado has received over the years as a pastor and author. But the answers are not from Max, as the title may lead you to believe, rather they are from God's Word.

I found this book to be inspirational, eye-opening, and convicting. There were some questions, verbatim, that I've often wondered myself and it was nice to finally have a Biblical based answer to them! I love that Max uses and then references specific verses in the Bible to provide insight and answers to some very difficult questions. And, as with all of his books, he stays true to the Word of God.

I was a little disappointed that his book does not touch on angels and demons, which is something I have numerous questions about. Some of the questions seemed a little repetitive, but I can see where that repetitiveness could be helpful for someone in a similar, but slightly different situation. All in all, I would highly recommend this book!

You can preview the first 18 questions in Max on Life here!

***

I received a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Deanna Rose: Start of the New Season!

2011-04-13T14:26:00.001-05:00

Our local children's farmstead, Deanna Rose, recently opened for the season!
Thankfully, we've had mostly nice weather so the kids and I went one afternoon.

Our first stop was to bottle feed the baby goats.
They. Were. CUTE!
If someone would have told us we could take one home, it would have been much too tempting to pass up!

Rowan, being the brave and fearless girl she is, stepped up to the plate and fed those babies without hesitation.

Breck, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with those pushy little animals.
He much preferred the pedal tractors.

And he was the only one I could get to stick his face in a cut-out long enough to snap a picture!

Aside from the pedal tractors, looking at the fish and turtles in the small pond is Breck's favorite thing to do.
He could stand near that water and watch the fish for hours.

I wish I could say that our trip ended as peacefully as that turtle looks,
but after getting a treat at the newly built ice cream parlor, the melt downs started...of both the ice cream and the kids.

I think our next trip should be in the morning!

Ode to Batman

2011-04-12T13:47:00.003-05:00

Don't Put "The Canary List" on Your Reading List

2011-04-06T15:49:00.000-05:00

The Canary List is about Jaimie, a young and troubled girl who has been shuffled around the foster care system and her interactions with the Catholic church and satanism. By turning to her school teacher, one of the few adults she can trust, Jaimie unwittingly drags him into a tangled web of conspiracies and cover ups by Vatican officials.

Needless to say, this book is on par with the Dan Brown genera of Roman Catholic mysteries; except this book very well could have been written by a teenager. The generalizations of groups of people such as the homeless, foster parents, and Catholic higher-ups is nothing short of stereotyping ignorance. Characters are not well developed and the overall tone of the book is inconsistent. If you're wanting a Vatican conspiracy novel, just read a book by Dan Brown.

***

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.

L'Oreal's New Eye Enhancing Cosmetics

2011-04-05T11:14:00.000-05:00

I'm a member of BzzAgent.com. Through this site I am given products to use and try out and am simply asked to provide my honest feedback and share that feedback with others.

***

I am not a big wearer or buyer of cosmetics.

Mainly because I have other ways of using that 5-10 minutes every morning. Since I stay home with our kids, I rarely have a reason to spend that time getting 'pretty'...plus my kids couldn't care less if I have makeup on or not!

But recently, I was able to try out two new L'Oreal Paris cosmetics: mascara and eye shadow. Both are designed to compliment and enhance eyes based on your eye color! This sounded pretty cool to me, so I signed up to test it out...

Double Extend Eye Illuminating Mascara

The Double Extend Eye Illuminating Mascara is available in four shades to compliment the following eye colors: blue, green/hazel, brown, and there's also one shade that is made to compliment all eye colors. The tube is dual sided; one side is the Black Basecoat and the other side is the Illuminating Topcoat for that extra bit of pop and enhancement!

L'Oreal boasts that it is clump free and I have found this to be 100% true! They also claim that it is suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers - I'm a contact lens wearer - and I have noticed some slight irritation from the mascara. L'Oreal should keep working on this aspect.

The suggested retail price is $10.95.

---

The One Sweep Eye Shadow

Like the mascara, this eye shadow is also designed to enhance and compliment eye color. There are eight total shades available in natural and playful tones that compliment the following eye colors: blue, green/hazel, brown, and all eye colors.

The One Sweep Eye Shadow is designed to apply three shades at one time...in one sweep! If you're like me and use multiple colors of eye shadow anyway, you'll love this simplified process. The application is a bit tricky at first. Getting even coverage takes some practice but once you've got the hang of it, it will greatly reduce the amount of time it takes getting your eyes all dolled up.

The suggested retail price is $9.95

All in all, I think both of these products are great and are especially beneficial to busy mom and busy women in general. Since receiving these cosmetics, I'm continually finding myself making time to apply them - especially considering it only takes me 2 minutes start to finish!!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2011-04-04T08:18:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday Seth and I went to the Royals' Opening Day game with some friends.

(kids were with Grandma and Grandpa!)

It was cold, windy, and for a short while rainy.

But we had a blast!

It's just too bad the Royals couldn't pull out a win against the Angels.

(although they did win the remaining games in the series!)

Oh - funny story...

Seth and Breck were watching the final game of the Royals/Angels series on tv and Breck asked who's playing. Seth told him and that we're cheering for the Royals. Breck gave a quizzical look and asked why we weren't cheering for angels.

I have the more artistic shots posted on my photo blog.

Yanni's New Album, Truth of Touch

2011-04-03T15:53:00.000-05:00

Who hasn't heard of Yanni?!

It's been over eight years since his last instrumental album release, but his name is still familiar.

On February 8th the album Truth of Touch was released.

I must be honest - when I received this CD to review, I thought it would be so relaxing and soothing that I could play it and fall asleep. (in a good way of course!) But I was so wrong!
The album as a whole is incredibly relaxing, but not so much that it lulls me to sleep. It is a calming relaxation which is wonderful! But, there's also an energetic beat to it. Some tracks feel like mellow new-age techno, other tracks have more of an opera vibe, and others still sound like they have a tribal base. The majority of the tracks are instrumental, but there are a few tracks with vocals. This really surprised me! Yet somehow, all of them come together to form a very cohesive album. Yanni certainly has hit a fantastic balance!

I've been listening to Truth of Touch while I edit handfuls of photographs from a recent trip to the arboretum. And it is a great album for that! The rhythmic beats mimic the rhythms that are often found in nature and in a way, this helps keep me focused a bit more.

Not only has Yanni released a new album this year, he's also currently on tour through the end of May 2011. The cities included in the tour are mainly coastal cities. So, those of us in the Midwest are out of luck. If you are interested, you can find a list of dates and locations for the tour here.

*****

I was given a complimentary copy of this CD for review purposes courtesy of One2One Network.
By posting this blog article, I am also entered into a drawing for a $200 Visa gift card.
All opinions expressed are honest and my own.

This and That

2011-03-30T07:54:00.000-05:00

Looking at a spider...

Playing hide and seek....with each other.

as you may have guessed, that round didn't last very long.

The first scrapped knee of the season.

Good thing we had just bought bandaids two hours earlier.

Impromptu Jam Session

2011-03-28T07:13:00.000-05:00

...we certainly have two great entertainers in the house...
(The only camera that takes video was with Seth this day, so my still shots will have to do.)

Ooops. She broke a string.

And tried to fix it.

Christmas in March?

2011-03-26T08:12:00.001-05:00

Back at the beginning of the month, the kids put together their gingerbread house!

(please excuse our messy kitchen!)

And this shot is horrid, technically speaking, but that grin from Rowan just had to be shared.

"Look! I stuck my finger in the frosting...and ate it!"

Chalk Drawings

2011-03-25T07:56:00.000-05:00

The kids love to draw with their chalk on the driveway.
And Breck is becoming quite the little artist!

Mr. Tooth

Laser Gun

Bear
(that pink thing is it's 4th leg)

Hello Spring,

2011-03-20T10:00:00.001-05:00

We've been waiting for you.

Love & War Devotional by John and Stasi Eldredge

2011-03-18T19:11:00.000-05:00

I'm just going to say it...This is a fantastic book!!!

I'm a big John Eldredge fan anyway and this devotional, which was written with his wife Stasi, is another home run! The book is divided into eight 5-day sections. Each daily reading is incredibly short, yet manages to pack a punch and a wealth of useful information into it! Each week also has a theme, such as companionship and intimacy. And at the end of each week's section there is a worthwhile exercise to do as a couple. Many of these exercises are simply conversation starters for getting to know your spouse better. It's amazing how so many couples can live in the same house, yet not know much about the other!

John and Stasi offer solid, Christian-based marital advice and this book would be great for any married couple, regardless of where they find themselves: madly in love or mortal enemies. I will definitely be keeping this book on my shelf and plan to reread it many times throughout my own marriage!

***

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.

The Jesus Inquest by Charles Foster

2011-03-17T16:41:00.000-05:00

The Jesus Inquest: The Case For and Against the Resurrection of the Christ by Charles Foster is a book that aims to bring both viewpoints - those who believe and those who don't - of Christ's resurrection to light. He argues a plethora of points both for and against, and goes back and forth between the two. In the end, Foster concludes that there is sufficient information and evidence to support Christ's resurrection.

I was very intrigued by the title of this book and chose to review it so that I might have some information in my pocket if and when the day came that I would have to explain why I believe in Christ's resurrection. However, this is not a book for light reading. Foster goes incredibly in depth on both sides and in my opinion it reads more like a court transcript than a book. For this reason, I found it incredibly tough to get through. I also think that this book would have benefited from Foster arguing for the resurrection and deferring to a non-believer to argue against it.

In the end, I would only recommend this book to someone who loves meticulously detailed books!

***

I received a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes, all opinions expressed in this review are my own. I was not paid for this review.

Winner of the $25 GC is...

2011-03-10T07:10:00.000-06:00

32 Christina said...

I follow you via GFC

MARCH 4, 2011 6:39 PM

Congratulations Christina!!

I will send your email tonight.

(When I set up the giveaway post, I completely forgot that I'm in an all day culinary workshop today.)

And thanks to everyone else who entered!

If you saw a print in my shop that you really love, remember it's March Madness the whole month long so it's a great time to get that print on sale!

$25 Gift Code Giveaway to the MommyMakes Etsy Shop!

2011-03-01T20:36:00.004-06:00

It's my birthday!
The big three-zero.
(Technically March 2nd, which is also Dr Seuss and Jon Bon Jovi's birthdays, too...but they're much older.)

**Please scroll down for rules to enter!**

And I thought I'd celebrate by giving something away!
Up for grabs is a $25 (USD) gift code to my Etsy shop, MommyMakes, where I sell fine art photography prints and postcards.

This whole month there's a March Madness Sale going on!
The current promo, in addition to this giveaway, is Free Worldwide Shipping!
This gift code can be combined with the March Madness Sale.
(enter frugal cheers here!)

Here are some examples of what you can buy with $25 right now:
*One set of postcards + one 5x7 print of your choice.
*One 8x10 print of your choice + one 4x6 print of your choice.
*Two 5x7 prints of your choice + one 4x6 print of your choice.
*Or apply the gift code to a large print for a smokin' deal!

And here is a sampling of what you'll find in my shop:
I have a variety of prints that would be perfect for any room in your home or even to give as gifts.

Here's how to enter:
You can earn up to 7 entries!
**And don't forget to leave a way for me to contact you, should you win!**

Mandatory Entry

1. Visit my Etsy shop, MommyMakes, and leave a comment telling me which item you like best. - 1 entry

Extra & Optional Entries

You may do any or all of the following.

Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!

1. Blog about this giveaway - 1 entry
Please leave the direct link to the post in your comment.

2. Tweet this giveaway - 1 entry
You can copy the following text, please leave your Twitter name in your comment.

Enter to win a $25 Gift Code to MommyMakes: Fine Art Photography on Etsy | http://bit.ly/gtavp8 | Giveaway ends March 9th.

3. Follow me on Twitter @KatieLloydPhoto- 1 entry
Please leave your Twitter name in your comment.

4. Like the MommyMakes shop on Facebook - 1 entry
Please leave your Facebook name (this can be your first name only) in your comment.

5. Post about this giveaway to your Facebook Wall - 1 entry
Please leave your Facebook name (this can be your first name only) in your comment. You can use the following text:
Enter to win a $25 Gift Code to the fine art photography shop, @MommyMakes! Giveaway ends March 9th.

6. Be a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect - 1 entry

Fine Print:

1. Giveaway closes at midnight CST on Wednesday, March 9th, 2011.

2. I will choose one winner the following morning using random.org.
The winner will be announced on the blog and contacted by email with the gift code and full directions on how to use it.

3. Gift code does not expire. It is good for as long as my shop is open. (and I don't plan to close anytime soon!) Gift code must be use in one transaction, no cash back will given for a remaining balance. Gift code can be used on sale items, with promotions and may be applied to shipping. Gift code is transferable and may be given as a gift.

4. This giveaway is open to everyone, worldwide!!

Thanks for visiting and good luck!

The 100 Club

2011-02-28T15:37:00.000-06:00

Look who can count to 100!!

Breck counted to 100 for his teacher, then got his name on the 100 board as well as a crown to decorate and wear!

And what's the fun in getting your picture taken if you can't make silly faces?!

Color Color Color

2011-02-21T15:04:00.000-06:00

Just a few shots of the kids' coloring session from the other day.
I'm somewhat surprised that they actually put crayon to paper - usually they spend most of their time tearing the wrappers off!

A Few Good Products for Your Business or Crafts

2011-02-15T12:26:00.000-06:00

If you are in need of sturdy, ridged photo mailers with a professional look and feel, then CSN Stores has the envelopes for you!

Quality Park makes some fantastic photo mailers!

They are plain white, have a redi-strip for easy sealing and are incredibly sturdy.

The 6"x8" size easily - and pretty perfectly - accommodates a 5"x7" photo print, while the 9"x11.5" size is perfect for 8"x10" photos. There's also room in both sizes for additional flat items and/or additional packaging.

Not only are these great quality photo mailers, but they are also very reasonably priced.

***

Another item that may suit your business or craft needs is Wausau Paper's Index Card Stock.

I was incredibly pleased with this paper!!

It's heavy weight and an incredible bargain!

You can use it for anything from business cards to notecards to scrapbooking!

***

The last product I was able to review was Avery Business Cards.

These were a colossal disappointment and caused me more frustration than I ever care to experience with a product that is intended to make a task easier!

The paper itself is wonderful and the design makes it easy to remove each business card.

However, all of Avery's templates for this product were off by a noticeable amount. I have no doubts that Avery is aware of this problem, but they have yet to offer an updated template download that is accurate.

***

Thanks to CSNStores.com for providing me with these items to review. All opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own. I was not paid for these reviews.

Flowers from Seth

2011-02-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

Some of you know that Seth was out of town on our anniversary.
But, he had flowers sent to the house!
:D

...and more important than just flowers is that he listened when I told him which kinds I like.
(it used to be lilies...until he bought me those really smelly kind...you know, the ones that smell like dirty diapers 4 hours after fully blooming.)

I have no clue what this one is, but I LOVE it!

and here are some of the white daisies, in black and white...

...awesome job, Seth!!
Love you!

Kickboxing Kids

2011-02-06T20:36:00.000-06:00

I'm starting to think it's very likely that we have two children who might become professional boxers...

(inside control)

(left hook)

or capoeira pros at the least.

and don't, for even a minute, feel the least bit sorry for Rowan...

she is often the instigator and can hold her own.

Happy Anniversary, Seth!

2011-01-28T10:21:00.000-06:00

Today Seth and I have been married for 5 years!

And I can honestly say that I love him more today than I did on our wedding day.

In just the last 6 months of our marriage, we have really grown as a couple. I greatly attribute this to the fact that we are regularly attending church and seeking God in our daily lives.

It's not that things have ever been terribly bad, we just never had that alone-time together to build up our relationship...four months after we were married, we had Breck. There was no honeymoon period, even though we took a honeymoon. (which by the way, was not terribly pleasant - when you take a 5-month pregnant woman on a 6-hour flight, who's ears never 'pop' upon decent, and then expect her to hike all over Dublin for the duration of the stay, you'll not be greeted with kindness. ;) )

(yep, I look as bad as I felt!)

But now that the kids are getting older and more independent, we find that we are gaining more time together as a couple. And it is making all the difference!

Happy 5th Year Anniversary Seth!

I LOVE YOU!

The Kids' First Snowman

2011-01-21T14:28:00.000-06:00

Seth took the kids outside one late afternoon, when the snow had become good packing snow.

And they made their very first snowman!

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2011-01-20T09:05:00.000-06:00

While talking about coloring, Breck and I had the following discussion:

Me: "You can use your imagination to draw whatever you want!"

Breck: (long pause) "Oh, kind of like bears?"

***

At dinner one night, Breck was not eating his 'try it' bite of food, so we brought out the big guns:

Seth and I: "If you don't try it, you will be on Santa's naughty list."

Breck: whine, moan, complain.

Rowan: "Call Santa. No presents."

***

Breck: "Hey, I have a pretzel on my shirt!" ...referring to a peace sign.

Mommy's Little Helper

2011-01-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

I love it when our kids reach the age when they are able and excited to help around the house!

Rowan is now our official silverware-put-er-away-er.

Snow Day

2011-01-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

Last week Breck was off from preschool for a snow day,

so the kids and I went outside to play in the snow!

The snow was coming down in beautiful flakes. I was able to capture some, however, the photos are awful, so please excuse the hideous lack of focus.

Duck? Duck? Goose!

2011-01-16T16:18:00.000-06:00

"Hey, where'd all this stuff on the sidewalk come from?!"

"Oh. Gross!"

Ramblings and Stuff

2011-01-11T18:57:00.000-06:00

The other day I had some extra time (read: housework to avoid) so I headed over to CSN's site to browse.

Just because it's fun.

First I headed to their modern rugs section.

And I found this beauty:

I also found this:

I've had my eye on this for some time...and I think it would be the perfect thing to serve lemonade in this summer!

Just like the picture.

***

This Thursday I'm starting a 7-week Women's Bible Study!

We'll be studying the Old Testament books of Genesis through 2 Kings.

I am so excited!

Fellowship with other women is something I have been craving.

And stupid me, I never prayed about it once.

But God being God already knew my heart's desire and marked the path out right in front of me!

Just for the record: I did finish the entire Bible last year!

And now I have more questions than before I started. ;)

***

I'm having a giveaway on my photo blog for an 11x14 print from my Etsy shop, MommyMakes!

It ends Monday, January 17th at midnight CST.

***

And I think that's it.

Rowan the Artist

2011-01-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Thankfully, she received a ton of art supplies for Christmas!

Bad Day/Good Day

2011-01-08T12:00:00.003-06:00

One of our recent mornings started out like this:

But when I picked Breck up from preschool, he had won the much coveted calendar page!

(each day, the child who best listens to directions and is generally good wins the calendar page from that day)

So we celebrated the miraculous turn of attitude with McDonald's!

Misc. Shots of the Kids

2011-01-07T21:24:00.000-06:00

Rowan sitting on the world's most comfortable naughty spot:

and a few shots in the tub:

A Tripod, Trains and Some Paper

2011-01-06T10:52:00.000-06:00

First, I want to tell you all about the most wonderful (and very affordable) tripod I was able to review for CSNStores.com!!

Carson The Rock Professional 65"/26" Tripod

I love it.

Love. It.

Don't let the binoculars fool you.

This tripod can be used for just about anything that would need a tripod.

It has all the bells and whistles of an expensive tripod, but at a great price!

And it ships free!

I was going to go into deep detail of each and every aspect I love, but then I realized that would be about a mile long post. So, I'll defer to the trusty Pros and Cons list instead.

Pros:

1. The plate which you attach your camera to the tripod, detaches. This feature makes it so easy to screw the two together without having to contort you body to see what you're doing! Just flip the quick release button and off or on the plate goes!

2. It is incredibly lightweight!

3. It folds up to be very compact and even has a carrying handle!

4. There are two levels - one horizontal, one vertical.

5. It is really easy to swivel the camera horizontally, vertically, OR you can flip the whole camera to rest in portrait orientation rather than just landscape!

6. There is an extra lever that you wind which will allow for greater control over the height at which you're shooting.

8. The feet are almost spike-like to allow the tripod to grip the terrain better.

9. The legs are attached to one central slider, which makes it very handy and quick to set up. But each leg also adjusts independently for greater control when on uneven terrain.

Cons:

1. The plastic feels on the cheap side to me, and I'm a little weary that something will break. But only time will tell, and thus far it has held up great.

***

Melissa and Doug Diesel Train Cars

It's Melissa and Doug. Need I say more?!

This company rocks every toy they make!

And this is no exception.

These cars are really cool because five of the six can detach from the wheels and are interchangeable, they fit with the standard wooden tracks, and the cars with the double wheels pivot.

Not to mention they come in a stylish wooden display case!

***

Pacon Creative Products Art1st Newsprint Pads

Don't waste your money.

I wanted to try these pads out because my kids have used large sheets of newsprint before - for their everyday artwork that ends up in the trash anyway - and liked them.

These pads, however, failed miserably. Neither of the kids want to color on them, as crayons don't mark as nicely on this as they do on, say, regular copy paper.

Wow, That was a Long Break.

2011-01-06T09:50:00.000-06:00

But, I'm back!

So let's catch up, shall we?!

December 23rd through the 26th we were gone, celebrating Christmas with the Lloyds and Taylors. On the 26th, Seth and I came home without kids!! Seth's parents kept them from that Sunday all the way until the 30th! It was a much needed break that we got to share together. Seth took vacation that whole week and it was like a second honeymoon! Pure bliss.

We watched 5 movies:

Eclipse (don't waste your time or even your dollar - and this is coming from someone who loved the 1st two Twilight movies!),

The Green Zone (although it sounds like it will be just another Borne movie, it isn't and was pretty good.),

Shutter Island (not a scary movie...it'll make you really confused while watching, but not scary. I refuse to watch scary movies, but Seth likes them and I was feeling bold that evening - plus I demanded to watch a predictable romantic comedy immediately afterwards, to hopefully save me from any nightmares.)

Leap Year (cute, predictable romantic comedy. I liked those!)

On the 30th, we had friends over and for New Year's Eve we chilled at home.

Here's a lesson we learned - very old silly string will not work properly. Our kids will probably never trust us again when we say we have a "fun treat" for them.

This week I've been catching up on housework. I have a semi-schedule that I'm going to try hard to keep up with. It only requires me to clean 3 of the 7 days, so you'd think I would be able to do that!

I've also been working on my Etsy shop. There are a bunch of new prints and more to come. Starting Monday (Jan 9th) I'll be giving away an 11x14 print on my photo blog, Katie Lloyd Photography.

And I've been doing a lot of photography. But, I'm not participating in the 365 Project this year. (yes, I know. I didn't finish posting from 2010...if you go to my photo blog, you can see a bunch of shots from the end of 2010 there.) I do highly recommend it though if you are wanting to improve your own photo skills. You can join the same awesome bunch of girls with the Mommytography 365 Project! You won't be sorry. Tracy has a new site for it and everything - and from the looks of it, this year will be pretty awesome!

I have two reviews to get done soon, some shots of the kids to post, and I'm sure something else that I'm forgetting!

See you soon.

A Year with God by R.P. Nettelhorst

2010-12-23T11:07:00.000-06:00

A Year with God is a daily devotional based on God's words throughout the Bible. As one might assume, there are 365 short readings. Each reading takes approximately 5-10 minutes, depending on your speed of reading. And each reading reflects and analyzes not only God's word, but the meaning behind them as well as what is being revealed about His character.

I found this book to be surprisingly in-depth for such short readings. The first half of every reading is a portion of scripture directly out of the Bible. Each piece of scripture is identified and labeled with the translation from which it came (ie: NLT, MSG, NKJV, etc.). The second half of each daily reading includes, but is not limited to, extra pieces of information such as: geographical facts, historical facts, application, narrative summary, as well as what each piece of scripture reveals about the character of God.

Although the individual readings are short, this book offers Biblical based perspectives that we may have overlooked about the caring and loving nature of God. This book is great for those who are short on time but recognize the need for time with God.

***

I received a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes, all opinions expressed in this review are my own. I was not paid for this review.

Play Time

2010-12-21T17:35:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Rod and Genn for the kids' gifts!

Breck headed straight outside with his new 'dart' gun to try and shoot the squirrels.

Unfortunately, none were to be found.

(Breck is sporting one of his new outfits from Grandma & Grandpa Hildreth! A big thanks to them for all the awesome winter clothes - now Breck won't look like a beggar when he goes to school.)

Rowan thought my new tripod doubled as the perfect pirate ship.

It even has it's own built in telescope for spying merchant ships.

Winter Swimming

2010-12-20T08:00:00.001-06:00

After Christmas #2, we went to my Dad and Stepmom's hotel...where there was a pool!
They were on the 16th floor, which was pretty awesome.
You could see forever, and the cars on the interstate looked like matchbox cars!

Breck tried on Uncle Ethan's swim goggles,

and then we headed to the pool!
We had it all to ourselves for a whole 5 minutes.
Apparently we started a trend.

It took Rowan a while, but eventually she loved the water.
She hung out on the steps and jumped and splashed and had a grand time.

I'm pretty sure the kids spent a solid 1 1/2 hours in the water!

Christmas #2

2010-12-19T15:52:00.000-06:00

My Dad's side came down over the weekend and we celebrated Christmas with them.

This massive pile of gifts was Rowan's. And only Rowan's.

You can see some of Breck's pile on the table.

(no worries, his was equally as massive!)

Here Breck is asking Rowan if she wants any help. ;)

Nope. No help needed!

Needless to say, it was a wonderful and abundant Christmas!

Both kids got things they need and things they want.

Thanks Grandma & Grandpa for all our wonderful gifts!

Our First Snow!

2010-12-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

Almost a week ago we got our first snow!

It wasn't a whole lot - most of the driveways on our street didn't even need shoveling - except ours!

So before we headed to church, Seth shoveled while the kids played.

Crazy Hair

2010-12-17T08:00:00.002-06:00

With winter comes dry air,

and with dry air comes static!

The Rowan Show

2010-12-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

Rowan-in-the-Box

Little Lady

...err, Silly Lady

Home Alone?

Outside after Lunch

Scoping out the golf club

(I believe that's chocolate on her face)

Sleepy

A New Use for Chicken Nuggets

2010-12-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Breck Show

2010-12-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Breck isn't one to sit still for pictures, but every so often I can get him!

The Silly Duo

2010-12-13T08:00:00.009-06:00

It's a rare moment when these two will smile for the camera.

...without shouting "SILLY FACES!"

365-339 through 365-346

2010-12-12T16:36:00.000-06:00

365-339: Snowglobe

365-340: Juice and Bokeh

365-341: Last of the Tomatoes

365-342: Last of the Leaves

365-343: Grass

365-344: Tree

365-345: Dress Up

365-346: Sleepy Head

O Christmas Tree

2010-12-12T16:14:00.000-06:00

The kids love our little Christmas tree.

Thankfully, Grandma Lloyd supplied them with ample kid-friendly ornaments with which to decorate.

And they rearrange them nearly every day.

(sorry these are all so out of focus - I used my new 50mm lens which I love, but happens to auto focus with every single other Nikon camera....except mine. I think I should avoid manual focusing with my kids. ;) )