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"God gives us dreams a size too big so that we can grow into them."

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Friday, November 30, 2007

Boy, isn't life easy :)


Once upon a time, about a month or so ago, Ben and I decided we needed to go to Walmart and buy one of everything. So, to scratch this itch we did so random shopping and Christmas shopping. As we were walking thru the store we walked past the GIANT display of "Aquadots". So, Kobe, being his charming little self, decided that is what he needed as a prize for waking up that morning. AND me, being the wonderful Aunt I am, decided that was also what Brook would like for Christmas (mind you, this was before the giant recall). So, we bought that and one of everything else Walmart had to offer and went home. Kobe got his toy out, used up every little dot there was and was done with it. After watching him I decided Brook was a little young for this toy and then planned on returning it. Well, before the recall I returned Brook's (rejected Christmas gift #2) and Kobe's sat here doing nothing. THEN Ben and I heard about the giant recall. We really didn't do anything, just moved it from Kobe's room into my office so he wouldn't eat all the little dots while we weren't looking and have a sesure.

So, about a week later I was working on a video and Kobe wandered into my office, saw the Aquadots and started playing with them. I mentioned to Kobe that I was going to take them back because if you put them in your mouth or swallowed them you could die. Then I walked out of the room. At that moment I had a bad feeling, I walked back in the room and everything seemed fine. Then Kobe walks up to me and says "feel my heart, it's racing" and has a funny look on his face. I took one look at the worried look on his face and said "What did you do?!? Did you swallow one of those?" He looks at me, and says " I just put it in my mouth, then I spit it out and put it in the machine"
Oh my goodness, now I am feaking out inside because I hadn't really payed attention to what exactly the recall was all about. So, as I am questioning Kobe over and over again trying to make sure he isn't lying I look up the recall online. Online it said that 2 children had had sesures and then gone into comas after eating several dozen of the aquadots And that you had to ingest quite a few of them to have any problem. So, I calmed down, but WHAT IN THE WORLD?!? I JUST got done telling him that could KILL him and he had to try it out to see what would happen?

Just so you all know he did get in big trouble for that.



Now, onto my lovely morning at Kohls. This morning I stopped by Kohls to pick up some dress pants for Kobe, they were having a big sale and he needed some for "Brunch with Santa". So, I picked up a few things and went to the register. I had one in store credit thing I wanted to use and one $25 gift certificate I wanted to use. (Ben got a $50 Kohls gift card from work and I had just the week before had it split into 2 at the service desk). So, the cashier swipes my gift card "oh, there's no money on here" Ok, that's not good, "try this one" (I had both of them in my purse still). "There isn't anything on this one either" I start freaking out inside but try to maintain my "Christmas spirit". She rushes me over to the service desk and I explain what is going on and I have no receipt to back my self up and they have that look on their face. You know the one, the "You have no receipt, how are we supposed to help you" look. I am super annoyed by all this, but I don't say anything because why would they want to help me if I am a jerk. So one of the ladies takes them in the back and is trying to find the transaction where they took my $50 gift card, you know-the one with MONEY on it-and then handed my to empty gift cards. She takes a little while in the office, I am getting more and more nervous and then comes back out. "I couldn't find the transaction..." -my heart sinks- "...but I called the toll free number on the cards and there is Money on them, the cashier must have hit a wrong button when she tried to scan them."
So, I thanked the lady at the desk for taking the time to try to find the transaction and for her help. I go back to the register, pay for my stuff and leave. Christmas shopping is such a joy :P

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Go Vote!

No, I don't mean for our elected officials, I mean vote in a photo contest!

Check out:

http://www.merakohblog.com

Me Ra is a female photographer that is so fun to check in on from time to time.

Right now she is having a photo contest and the pictures brought tears to my eyes! I thought you guys might appreciate them as well so I wanted to share.

So go to the web address I mentioned above and be blessed (and thankful :) )

Jennifer & Daniel's Pre-Ceremony Highlight Video

Jennifer and Dan were such an amazing, easy going couple. They are so beautiful together. They were two of the most kind and considerate people we have worked with!

The Corner Brownie





I am dying laughing right now.

1. Someone (besides me) actually wrote a blog dedicated to her love of the edge brownie verses the middle brownie
2. I can't believe I felt so strongly about this I had to investigate (because I love the edge brownie too)
3. THERE IS A PAN DEDICATED TO THIS OBSESSION!!!!

Oh my goodness, we all have WAY too much time on our hands!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

My other favorite picture from Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Weather Report






Snow.

Do you ever feeling like you are forgetting something-but your not?

Every once in a while Ben and I will get this overly anxious feeling like we are forgetting something, but there wasn't anything to forget or really to feel anixious over. I think it just might be because when you are constantly going-going-going when you aren't you feel like you should be.

I woke up that way this morning. I usually only feel like that when I first wake up or late at night. I didn't have anything to feel anxious about, I just did. I think it is because I don't write anything down in a planner or on a calendar. When I first started doing weddings I would constantly feel like I was forgetting about some wedding I had to shoot, I think that was just because I was nervous. Now, I just feel like I am foretting about something that needed to be done.

I think that is a sure sign you need a vacation right? :)

Monday, November 26, 2007

Terrible Idea?


10 Reusable Shopping Bags

Ten of Our Best Selling Shopping Bags in Your Choice of Color.

Available in a range of colors, this bag is suitable for daily grocery shopping and stylish enough for a trip to any shopping center. Every time you reuse it, you help save precious environmental resources.



This is ALMOST what Lindsey got for Christmas from me. If I was into being enviromental I would like them, but I just didn't think they were fun enough for a Christmas present. Just thought I would show you one of my rejected Christmas gift Ideas :)

Backwards thinking in a very Forward thinking direction


Buy Handmade Video from Etsy on Vimeo.


You know what would make for a very interesting, relaxing, enjoyable Christmas? "Hand made" gifts. Now, don't worry, I have not turned fully "green" (yet) but I would love to be part of a green Christmas with a twist. I would LOVE to have a Christmas where everyone brings their own specialties to the table and gifts that to each other. Like me, for example. I could put your home movies on DVD for you (which people pay big bucks for by the way). OR I would make a video out of your Kids first Birthday pictures, you know, stuff like that. People like Grandma Corey could make us all Salsa! (Boy would everyone miss you Christmas cards with $ in them though! I better be careful what I say/suggest on here :) ) Maybe I should leave the salsa suggestion for Vicki :)

Anyway, my point is, if we used our abilities instead of our wallets to give each other gifts wouldn't that be fun and less stressful :) BUT since I have already finished 95% of my shopping I am not formally suggesting this. I just think it would be a cute idea if we all need a year off or something :)

Unsolved Mystery: Why does Kobe end up half naked where ever we take him?



Saturday, November 24, 2007

Gingerbread House

Kobe and Brook spent the day after Thanksgiving with Grandma & Grandpa.



This snowman is Brook (thus the pink boots :) )

This snowman is Kobe



Cindy has a ladder hanging from her ceiling now :)

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Thanksgiving 2007

Well, as you can see, those of us up here woke up to SNOW!

My Mom and Kobe went out and had a snowball fight after breakfast. Kobe LOVED it!




Here is Brook pretending to sleep so I can take a picture of her.

This is my Favorite picture from Thanksgiving 2007! (is Kobe's head huge lately or is it just me? :) )

Caleb spent a lot of time tempting himself with Cindy & Mark's surround sound. Those buttons were just looking too good to be true to him :)




Well, in the spirit of Thanksgiving I think I will tell you what I am thankful for.

1. I am thankful that God sent his SON to die on the cross for me. The longer I am a mother the more I understand the sacrifice that was.

2. I have been blessed with a husband that I love and is my best friend. I need that.

3. Kobe is the most amazing, important thing in my life. It is amazing how a baby can come into your life and turn it into everything it was meant to be.

4. I am thankful I have two amazing families to call mine. Ben's family and my own are full of amazing people that I am blessed to know.

5. I am thankful for a job-and for Ben's-as much as I don't care for either some days.

6. I am thankful that we have the freedom to talk about God, worship HIM openly, and tell others about what He did for us and how we can all go to heaven. I am thankful that the way to get to heaven is to accept that Jesus took care of my sins for me and that I cannot do anything to get myself to heaven-because I am sure I wouldn't make the cut.


I hope you (who ever happens to read this) is able to say they are thankful for all these things too. If you can't-I hope one day you can.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

I'm telling you...Life of Fighting Crime Here He Comes....



See, I caught him levitating again :)

Side Note:
you should see me this morning. I didn't feel like putting my contacts in and I can't find my glasses to save my life so I am sitting here with my nose about 2 inches from the computer screen squinting to make sure I am spelling thing correctly :P

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

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He sure thinks his Mom is something special...




...she gets a smile from him everytime!

Christmas...the final shopping frontier


Once in a while I get a little anal. It is usually when it comes to money. So, because I am so busy these days I made a list of everyone I needed to get gifts for and then next to their names I wrote down what I have bought for them so far.

Out of morbid curiousity I decided to total up how much I have spent so far, and I knew I would be surprised.

$358 so far. $20 of that was sales tax. If I counted in Ben and I's presents to each other that would be another $275.
That gives me a total of $633. Now, taking into consideration I AM NOT FINISHED YET and I HAVE NOT BOUGHT ONE THING FOR KOBE YET I am very taken back by these numbers. No, it isn't that big of a deal, but still, that is a lot of money! I think last year I spend around $1000 on Christmas gifts and trust me, I didn't mean to. That is a whole mortgage payment. More that our actual Morgage if you don't include the taxes we are paying on this place because it wasn't homesteaded by the deadline, but that is another story.

So, anyway, I would just like to encourage you all that you are not the only ones spending way more money than you thought you would and maybe by seeing this you will realize how good you are doing budgeting, unlike me :)

So Merry CHRISTMAS :)


OH, PS

This does not include the Christmas cards I will send out ($20 for cards and $20 for postage)
'tis the season...to go bankrupt :)

Extreme Close Ups

Ben got a new zoom lens for his camera and has been using it on all of us...


and, this is Cindy's broken nose. She ran into a door :(

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Caleb's First Birthday Party!!! Part 1

Yea! I finally got all the pictures loaded! I went thru and chose the best ones and there was still about 35 that I decided I had to post.


This was Caleb's little cake I made for him. I tried to make a little car, it turned out kinda cute



Todd's family decorated very cute for the party and the food was great!









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