Christmas photo shoot!

I've been overly excited about getting a Christmas photo shoot done by our photographer, Alison Kamper, but low and behold, Saurday brought snow and a grey dimly lit house! Boo! So I decided not to have her waste her time and instead, talked my mom into letting me break out my new 50mm lens. I have to say...I'm IN LOVE! That lens rocks! Anyway, here are a few of the awesome shots I got...not even edited. Next step...learn photoshop!

Sorry for my lack of posting...

but my camera lens broke! It was over something so stupid too...roof vents Todd wanted me to sell on Craigslist. The same ones we couldn't even give away on Freecycle! Ughhh! I was taking a picture of it, moving around on my knees, tripped on the strap and boom, went crashing into the hardwood floor, camera lens first. It's the basic kit lens, and I already know there is a 50mm waiting under the Xmas tree for me, so it wasn't a HUGE deal, but it still makes me cringe thinking of all the holiday photos I've been missing. =( I've got a few shots from across the room with my zoom lens, but trust me, nothing blog worthy!

I also should no longer be absent from blog posts due to my health. I FINALLY had my gallbladder removed on Dec. 1st. They call it a "minor" surgery, but it was a wake up call for me that I NEVER want real surgery if hat was just minor! I'm a big baby, but not being able to put on pants or eat for almost two weeks just about killed me. And I went about an entire day without helping out with the kids. How can you not hug them and squeeze them and tell them you love them? That is probably the hardest part of all. Anyway, one surgery later, a terrile cough and cold later, and one bout of hives and I'm FINALLY feeling better. Well, the cough isn't entirely gone, but the antibiotics will hopefully kick in tomorrow.

The only other news I have is our deposit was paid on our quarter of beef and pork this past weekend. This is something I have thought a lot about for the past several years ut never got around to it. There was just too much to self learn and I never found the time. Well, after watching Food Inc. with Todd, he never wanted to eat meat from the grocery again. So we found a small local farmer who does 6 beef a year and 6 pigs. We will be getting apporx. 100 lbs of beef and 60 lbs of pork. I'm really excited to try out some new recipes with cuts of meat we normally don't eat. The extent to our beef eating ends at ground beef, sirloin steaks, and stew meat. It'll be nice to cook Todd a NY strip and have him tell me it's more delicious than his favorite steakhouse! Anyway, we will be picking that up from the processor on Jan. 19th, so I'll be sure to share pictures and our experience.

Guess that is about it for now. I need to get working on those Christmas cards I've been seriously slacking on! =)

Beco Butterfly II

Brooke is now getting to the point where she's heavy enogh that she's starting to hurt my back in the carriers we already have - Hot Sling, SweetPea Ring Sling, HautePocket, and our LoveyDuds wrap (WAHM Moby). BUT I still need to carry her in something. She's not really old enough to sit in the carts at the store (and quite frankly, I'm not sure I want her in it anyway with all this H1N1 crap going around) yet I NEED two (okay well maybe 3 or 4) hands to keep tabs on Luke. So I've been looking for a new carrier that will last us quite some time. I've also been looking for something that my mom could easily throw on during the day and something that ::gasp:: Todd might even try to wear. This was not a small task! Here are some of the benefits of a Beco Butterfly in case you are unfamiliar with them:

* Comfortably fits users from under 5’ to over 6’ - I'm 5'4 and it's very comfortable and fits great. It adjusts great so it fits my husband excellent as well.

* Newborn to toddler up to 45 lbs - Excellent built in infant insert for little ones. I tried it on a doll (since my daughter is 14 months already) and it worked great. I also tried this on my son who is about 35 pounds and I was literally amazed at how well he fit and comfortable it was to carry him.* Ergonomically curved shoulder straps - The shoulder straps were great, adjustable and padded which made it very comfortable.

* New redesigned body style - The designs are absolutely the cutests things ever. The body style fits your baby great with no cutting of the legs.

* Inside panel enables to pass baby front one parent to another - I love this, it's so easy to get on and off, just like putting a backpack on with a baby and it is very, very easy to pass back and forth without worrying she's going to fall out.

* Easy and safe front and back carry - I wear this mostly on the back because my daughter likes to face out a lot and this lets her be up high and in the action. Both ways are easy to get on and with the buckles around your waist and one just beneath your collar bone, you know your baby is secure.

* Lightweight and Stylish - Very lightweight, but a little big for just stuffing in your diaper bag. This is very good for extended wearing, for walks, hiking, etc.

* Hands free nursing - A MUST and yes it works great!

Well after driving almost 2 hours to a store in Columbus called Sprout Soup, I tried on the Beco I'd read so much about and LOVE it! It's everything I've been asking for all wrapped up in one. But okay, I feel bad for saying this, but I just KNEW I could find it online cheaper. I'm all about small businesses, and I do understand they need to mark things up, but sorry, someone else can pay the mark up, I look for deals! Anyway, a deal I did find. Be sure to check out BabySNAZZ. With coupon code flipflop5 you get 5% bringing the price down to $132.05. Plus, they offer free shipping on orders over $75. Then, as if that isn't enough, they also have a 10% back rewards program. So I should expect $13.20 in store credit coming my way! I've got my eyes on some of those super cute baby legs in their clearence section! ;P

Anyway....if anyone is looking for a new carrier, I HIGHLY suggest buying the Beco Butterfly II from BabySNAZZ!

In other news...

Of course our biggest news is the newest member of our family. Meet Harry. Yes, Luke has started naming Todd's lawnmowers. Haha! We have NO idea where he comes up with this stuff or where the heck he heard the name Harry, but whatever, the laughing is good for our health right? Anyway, Todd made yet another "risky" mower purchase. One of these times I'm convinced he's going to get burned but he's now 2 for 2 on Ebay. He paid WAY below market value and got it for only $4800. Now I know.....$4800 for a mower seems like an awful lot, and it's sad to say that this is just one of 15 other mowers, but he's gotten to the point where mowers are like shoes with me. You buy a new one, you must get rid of an old one. So the one he got rid of he had used for over 3 years, and although he took very good care of it and it'll last someone many years to come, he still got $2,000 for it! Craziness in my opinion! Anyway, Harry, meet my friends!

Now onto something people more normal than us might care about, my sewing skills are getting better and better with each project. Yes, I'm still in the beginning project stages, but still, they are finally starting to look like they were done by someone who knows what they are doing. I'm really proud of myself for sticking with this and finding time to dedicate to it. Normally, I'll get real into learning something, make an investment in all the stuff needed for it and then a week or two into it, I'll just give up, espeially anything that requires creativity, since I basically have none of it. Haha!

Anyway, this is another fleece soaker I made for Brooke for under $2. These are working great at night over Brooke's diaper just in case there is a small leak. I made the size up so she could grow into it, but it's working great even now.

And this is my first attempt at a cloth wipe. I kept reading up about how to make them and they seemed so easy, but there was several options and tons of different materials you could use to make them. I ended up buying OBV (organic bamboo velour), some terry cloth, and flannel. Then there is single layer wipes where you just cut and stitch around the edge. There is a double layer where you just put two layers together and stitch around the edge. Or, the third option is a T&T wipe (which I believe stands for turned and top stitched). Basically you sew wrong sides out and leave a little gap. Then you turn the wipe right side out an do a decorative stitch around the edge. I decided I thought I could try option 3 and it tuned out perfect. I'm glad I went the extra mile as it turned out really well.

Halloween was a howlin' good time!

We had a really great Halloween night. This is the first one since we've "been on our own" that was on a weekend. Normally we're rushing home from work, figuring out that we forgot to get candy or forgot to carve pumpkins and then afterwards it's a mad dash to get to sleep because the daily grind starts again the next day. Plus, the past two years since we've had Luke, it's been down right miserable and especially cold. So not only was the night perfect, but the temperature was perfect too. I doubt we'll get a Halloween this nice again until the kids are graduated from high school. Haha! Isn't that funny to think about.

Anyway, Saturday afternoon after Todd got home from work, we started carving pumkins. We had picked up 5 pumpkins along the way and somehow only paid for one of them. We never made it to the pumpkin patch to pick our own, but it's top on our list next year. Anyway, the one pumpkin we did by was the enourmous one from Sam's Club. I HAD to have it because I'd always dreamed of putting one of my kids in a carved pumpkin. When I saw them at Sams for $8 I jumped for joy, quite literally. ;P

Anyway, here is Brooke posing for her pictures in her pumpkin....she's getting SO big but she still wasn't happy sitting in a giant, cold, damp pumpkin. She's a trooper though!

After that, Todd tore into carving it. Luke's ben real obsessed with the movie Monster's Inc. right now, or "Inky" as he calls it. He LOVES talking about "scary guy." So when Todd decided to make Mike from the movie, I thought it was not only way out of his reach, but a really cool idea. It turned out pretty good with the help of a few toothpicks, haha!

And a picture of the pumpkin all lit up. It was the talk of the neighborhood.....everyone was saying ti was the best of the night! Haha!

Then the picture of the kids in their costumes. Is it sad that this is the best one I have? Luke's new thing is "rubbing bellies mommy." He LOVES rubbing him and Brooke's bellies together and she just thinks it's about the funniest thing in the world. And if you can't tell what they are, Brooke was a bumblebee and uke was an Indian. I was feeling unmotivated this year so store bought costumes all the way! Go me!

This picture pretty much explains how our entire night went. Luke ran from house to house yelling "I need more." Glad I've done well teaching my child manners. Actualy though, it was a great opportunity. I wouldn't let him leave a single house without saying thank you and he did a spectacular job. We managed to make it through about 3 blocks in 2 hours.....how that for a world record? Just kidding! He enjoyed running house to house, ut he'd also sit right down on people driveway and start counting all his pieces. Haha! What a site to see.


Anyway, I hope everyone had as wonderful of a Halloween night as we did! And shockingly enough.....what does this mean? Holy crapola....I'm hosting Thanksgiving in less than 1 month....AHHHH!

New Family Pictures...

Here is a preview of our fall family pictures - http://alisonandoliver.blogspot.com/2009/10/todd-andrea-luke-brooke.html

I once again super shocked that there was any good pictures at all. Since Luke's been about a year old, and basically not sitting still for 10 seconds, I have no idea how anyone captures pictures of our family at all. And then to throw our baby Brooke in the mix just makes it all that more interesting!

The first day of our shoot ended up getting rained out. It started out just cloudy and sprinkling. We braved through it and got the chair/field shots and then went to a giant sunflower patch b our house before it started to really pour. We rescheduled for three weeks later and thankfully it worked out pretty good. The leaves had begun to change and the day was beautiful, but chilly and windy. Brooke was not real happy about it, but she did great! Luke didn't get his nap that day either. Can you tell? Anyone hope everyone enjoys them as much as we do!

Plus, the highlight of the shoot was actuall finding out some super information about our photographer that I had been praying about nightly. I even bought her a little something already because I couldn't contain my excitement! ;P Yeah....

Feeling accomplished!

It's almost bedtime and I just had to come blog about my day, I just feel so accomplished, like the old me. I did take a half day off work today since I apparently slept wrong last night and needed some heating pad time and lots of Mortin, but still. I woke up as usual at 5am with the babe. I'm not complaining considering she's zonked out by 7pm....hoping she'll last anymore than 5am is wishful. So I get her her bottle and of course uke just somehow knows we're up and comes right in asking to watch "Inky, Inky mama" (aka - Monster's Inc.).


Anway, I'll spare you the rest of the lame details of my day and get to the good stuff. So basically, I was super bus at work this morning, but hunchd over my keyboard at work was just not working for me. So I headed home at lunch time, took some Motrin, laid on the heating pad and took a little nappers.

I was feeling better so I thought I'd run some quick errands before starting dinner. In less than an hour, I dropped off my WAY overdue dry cleaning (I'm pretty sure I'm going to wear the same pair of black pants three days in a row), dropped by the grocery for Halloween candy ($1.48 a package - score!), and got some lost books taken care of at the library. Funny how I found them on their shelve huh?

Then I came home and made this delicious salmon dinner. Normall, I try to make fish about once a month. Really, it's all we can handle. I've tried recipe after recipe and we just eat it because I made it but you can tell no one likes it, incuding me. I saw reviews for this recipe saying it didn't taste fish, some said they hated fish but loved this recipe, etc. So I figured, well salmon is only $3.99/lb for fresh wild caught salmon, so why not give it a shot. OH MY GOSH! Wonderful! Of course allrecipes.com is down right now (go figure), but it's called Baked Salmon II I believe. I'll come back and edit this post with the recipe. I just paired it up with some white rice (with the marinade poured over it) and grilled broccoli. Even Luke ate every single bite and kept saying "mmm, mommy, mmmm."



We also decided to start Brooke on her solids tonight. I had made that butternut squash this weekend and there was about two servings that wouldn't fit in an ice cube tray. She ended up LOVING it and being totally read for it. She did great!


She also enjoyed plaing with her "spoon" afterwards too. I picked a few of these up at Target when Luke was starting solids and they work great. It's a little gross to me to let them use our finger like a lot of the books suggest, but this is very similar. Hopefully I can find some more at the store since I can only locate two of them in our house. I'm sure the'll pop up sometime when she's around a year. Hehe! So much for my super organized pre-kid self huh?

And here ou can tell just how happ she was about her first experience with solids. =)

After dinner I had my last table decor sewing class at JoAnne's. I honestly thought about not even going to the second class. I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out (the front of the pattern looked really ugly) and I had some major issues in the first class with getting the wrong fabric, not knowing how to use the machine at the store, etc. BUT, I paid for the class, I was going to go. So in I went and not only finished my first placemat, but also finished a second one in a little over an hour as well. YEAH! It's amazing what nice fabric really does for something. Goes from looking like something grandma made to something hip. Oka, so maybe hip people don't sew placemats, but hip moms do right? Can I at least be a hip mom?

Oddly enough, while I was in my class, our local Kroger store had trick or treating for the kids and a big sale. Of course I'd already told him we got plenty of candy, but of course he thought he needed an extra 10 bags for whatever reason. He also decided he needed enough carmel apples and frosted brownies to feed an army. The kids got ANOTHER huge bag of candy too. Seriously, we now have three giant bags of candy from three different Halloween events and trick or treat isn't until Saturday! Gesh people!

All in all, I can say we had a pretty exciting day. Hard to believe it's onl Tuesday.