The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

We had lots of Christmas Eve magic today. Aaron was a perfect cookie helper...

 

we added some more cards to the Christmas Card Tree...

watched the Polar Express and left out goodies for Santa and his reindeer. Can't wait for the morning!

Christmas Eve at our house

This morning started with some Entemann's raspberry danish, a Christmas tradition I adopted from my mom. We always have a tough time finding it right around Christmas, so it must be tradition for a lot of people! Chris searched for it at three places and finally found it and bought two, so we get to have it for TWO mornings! After breakfast Aaron got in a little time with the Polar Express and Chris went to Costco on an emergency trip to buy a new DVD player because ours just quit last night! HOW RUDE! How can we watch Rudolph for the 60th time or Polar Express tonight without a DVD player? I worked on this new winter blogwear (since I totally missed the opportunity to make Christmas blogwear, but isn't this ADORABLE?) while Chris put the new player in and Handy Aaron working on "fixing" the old one. We have some more cookies to make before Aaron's nap and then I am back into the wrapping room. If we had not had the snow days, today would be our first day off. I am SO happy to have had the extra time to get things done around the house without the usual frantic pace of Christmas preparations. I am kind of struggling with dinner ideas for tonight. I realized this week that I focused so much on cookies and Christmas dinner and let the rest of the dinners for the week get neglected. I will concoct something. I am really looking forward to Aaron putting out cookies for Santa this year, he is really understanding all the traditions much better this year. Last year, Aaron got REALLY upset that he didn't get to eat the cookies we were putting out, here is a picture from that meltdown last Christmas!

More Fall gorgeousness

Farmer's Market

I waited until I had a coupon to get an adorable kit called "Eat Your Veggies" to make a farmer's market page. I love going to the farmer's market! We have lived here for 9 years and have never gone, even though it is only 10 minutes away. What dorks! I listed all our favorite things to get on the page, but we have only ever gone in the late summer and fall. I can't wait to go next Spring when it opens up again to see what they will have!

Aaron's Baby Book

I have s...l...o...w...l...y... begun working on Aaron's baby book (now that he's 2 1/2), which I started in paper scrapping form and plan to take up to his first birthday. Since I was also working finishing summer scraps and am now working on Christina and Nathan's wedding album, Aaron's book has stalled. I also got a great idea for a couple of Christmas gifts, and have to fit those in sometime, in addition to scanning Courts' baby pictures so I can work on that book, and, and, and....

Aaron's book so far...(I already had a spread about my pregnancy and one about making his room done paper-style). These were all pages I did for challenges at ScrapMatters, too. These have been difficult because it is hard for me to narrow down pictures...I love them all! At the same time I don't like cluttered looking pages, so I have been trying to find good templates and inspiration from scrapping sites for pages that include a lot of photos without looking cluttered.

A blog makeover...

I am back on the blog! Once August hit...well...we spent a lot of time out of the house and them it was time for school to start! And like most other things around the house, the blog just took a REALLY far back seat. But now, since I am procrastinating starting both my grading and my own grad school work, I made some new autum blogwear and I am going to be adding some posts. Fall is my favorite time of year, and this is a beautiful place to watch it happen. To me, the colors, the excitement of going back to school, and the start of the holiday season all make fall so inspirational. I also love a crisp cool day!

Grandma Fairweather

Scrapping gives me a way to express things that I can't by using just words. Auntie Janet sent me a copy of a picture of Grandma at 2 1/2 years old. When I thought about how it showed Grandma the same age Aaron is now, I thought about how that tiny little girl getting her picture taken on a horse could never have imagined the amazing family she would help create, and that is where the idea for this layout came from. Hard to find the right pictures to use to show the growth (in time and in members!) of our family, but I like how it turned out. I hope my family likes it too.

Some recent pages...

Here are some things I scrapped while we were on our Ohio trip. I have never scrapped in the car before, but my hubby was really supporting me, and he didn't seem to want to give up the driver's seat at all! That's right, he drove THE WHOLE WAY, there and back! That is 20 hours of driving! I have been scrapping away at summer memories, it is really fun to scrap things WHEN THEY HAPPEN, which I have never done before. Being a part of the ScrapMatters forum groups has made it fun and easy.

My New Sandbox

iLove my phone!

I joined the forum community at my favorite scrapping website, Scrapmatters.com. I have been visiting their site and using their products for more than a year, but never joined a forum until now. They do all kinds of challenges each month, one of them is called Everyday Magic. Every two weeks they send out a prompt, and the goal is to scrap about things that are seemingly small parts of everyday life that would not usually "deserve" a page because the little things are important too! This is my first entry to that challenge, and I have many more to catch up on, because I love this idea and would love to have a completed book of my own everyday magic. This week's everyday magic challenge was an object. I am going to do a second one on the blue chair in Aaron's room, another very important part of my everyday magic! I kept thinking and thinking about this layout in my mind before I did it. I knew I wanted little squares the same shape as my app squares and that I wanted to photograph my cord and include that. I also really love how my journaling turned out!

Cousins

I love this :)

Our many playground days...

WOW we have spent a lot of time at the playground this summer.

"Go pwaygwound Mommy?"

There are a few around here that we like to go to, this layout has pictures from the two we visit the most. Some of these pictures are courtesy nanagrampy's awesome camera.

Aaron at the Battlefield

Potty Excitement!

Courts and Aaron at the lake

Tonight, when I asked Aaron to go get a clean diaper because he was stinking up the joint, he said, "No, I have to go potty. I have to go peepee and poop!" So I went with him into the bathroom, thinking he was just stalling and not wanting a diaper change. He is NOT a fan these days. But he kept saying he had to go potty, so I took off his pants and diaper, which was full of poop, and he sat down and immediately peed on the potty! He was looking up with a big HUGE grin during that whole pee! Oh my I almost cried. It was so exciting! It's amazing how the smallest things our kids accomplish give us so much joy!
Let's see if he can do it again...

My last Tahiti layout, for the time being...

I have reached an obstacle with Tahiti pictures. I have now scrapped all of the digital pictures I have, including our very sad departure. Boy we hated to leave and come back to real life! Chris and I took A LOT of pictures with disposable cameras and underwater cameras. We went snorkeling a few times and went on a motu (island) picnic. I know we got them developed, but now I don't know where they are. I also can't find any Tahiti "artifacts" like papers form the hotel, receipts, plane tickets, anything. I am guessing these things are all together in this house somewhere. I have been looking a lot, but can't come up with anything! So until then...more summer fun layouts!

Bungalow Serenity

Pages 28 & 29, I'm on a roll! In and around our beautiful bungalow. We loved everything about the decor and we planned to make our guest room a Tahiti room when we moved into our new house in 2004. It has housed many a guest since then, all of whom can get a glimpse of the simple beauty of Tahiti.

How about another layout?

Pages 26 & 27, scenes of Moorea and the beginning of some shots of our overwater bungalow.

Tahiti Gorgeousness

Pages 24 & 25, just gorgeous stuff. We kayaked out away from our hotel and took some pictures of it from past "the dropoff". It is truly paradise.

Aaron doesn't understand when people leave...

So far this morning since the Rothe departure...

"Mommy take a bath with Cam-ran, washclofs, and play?"
"No honey, they went back home to California today."
"They sleeping?"

next...

"OH NO where Cam-ran's toys go?"

Luau Layout

A new Tahiti Layout

Kayaking and swimming around our hotel. Some of the shots are looking through the glass section in the floor of our overwater bungalow into the water below.

Back to scrapping, again....

Moorea Pearl Hotel, a perfect paradise!

Paper is done, that was tough! My topic was really interesting, but the research was challenging and getting focused on writing the paper was even harder. I ended up taking Aaron to day care for 5 days and spending that time in the library. Since Chris is in summer school, it really was the only solution. The work is to big brain to concentrate on while interaction with

Aaron. But that is done (along with my second masters class!), the Rothes are here, and I am back to scrapping. I have A LOT of summer fun scrapping to catch up on, I need to get started on a wedding album soon and the cute pictures of Aaron and cousin Cameron are already rolling in!

Potty Progress

Aaron playing in the Forest of Fun, Busch Gardens in July, taken by Grampy

After 2 weeks at the start of summer pushing and agonizing (Aaron and I both!), we decided to back off on the potty training. I got a lot of advice from mom friends who said, just wait! And yesterday and today, Aaron has been telling us when he has peed or pooped in his diaper! Not every pee, but every poop today has been reported! Not only that, he says, "I pooped" and walks right to the bathroom to get a clean diaper! It's really exciting. :) I was feeling a lot of potty pressure, self-inflicted, to get Aaron all neatly potty trained during the summer, like it was going to be that easy. Also, I have worry in the back of my mind that he will take "too long" or be traumatized. But already he is more ready than he was two weeks ago! Patience Mommy, patience!

Aaron loves me best at Bedtime

Aaron and Mommy in the Land of the Dragons Treehouse at Busch Gardens, taken by Grampy

Because of the way our school mornings go, we decided when it was time for me to go back to work after having Aaron that Chris would be in charge of Aaron in the mornings, and I would do nighttimes. There are a few exceptions, but we stick to this routine pretty closely. Aaron thrives on routines. I think that is an age thing, but is also pretty true for most of our household. No matter how cantankerous a day Aaron has had, or how much he fights during instructions, or resists brushing teeth, or hollers while changing into his jammies, once Aaron and I are in his chair and he is drinking his milk and cuddling under his blanket, a switch is flipped and he is at his very most loving. It has been widely known that Aaron is a Daddy's boy. He prefers to be with his Dad in almost any situation. That is starting to even out a bit, but even at his most Daddy-loving, Aaron is so affectionate with me during our nighttime together. Here's how it goes, I want to make sure I remember this years from now:

1. Aaron brushes his teeth, checking for sugar bugs and now he flosses.
2. He walks to his room in his diaper and then puts his clothes in his hamper.
3. He picks his jammies and I put them on.
4. He calls "DAAAAAADDDY BWING MIOUK PWEEEASE!!!!"
5. Chris brings up milk and Aaron turns on his twilight turtle, closes his door, and turns off his lamp (he is especially proud of that).
6. He gives Chris a hug, Chris puts him in my lap in the chair and covers him up with his blanket.
7. Aaron drinks his milk and requests his first song, Baby Mine. He then requests LaLaLu and then You'll Be in My Heart
8. Then, Aaron cuddles up in his blanket and puts it over my arm too. He then pushes on my chin so I lay my head down on the side of the chair and says "Close you eyes Mommy, go to sleep." I pretend, he keeps his eyes open watching me, but makes a fake snoring sound. Then I open my eyes and catch him watching me and he giggles. He also sometimes rubs my face or hair during this part.
9. Finally, it's time for kisses. One lip smooch, kisses on each cheek, rub noses, and then noggin. He says "Noggin, Dude."
10. Then it is into the big boy bed, where he lays on his big stuffed "Dude" as a pillow and insists on having both blankets put on him. I always make him say love you Mommy, goodnight, no matter how many times it takes.

Many times Aaron has done excruciatingly sweet things during this ni-night time like singing to me or holding my face, and it is not at all unusual for me to come downstairs crying due to the overwhelming love I feel for my boy. Chris humors me and listens while I tell the stories, which are repetitive to be sure. I love this time I have with Aaron. Sometimes I am tired or cranky and I don't want to wrestle with him while trying to brush his teeth or even trudge up the stairs and Chris tag-teams for me. But really, it is my favorite time of day with my little man.

The End of the Inner Island Safari

More Inner Island Safari

My first blog layout!

A couple of hours and a lot of frustration aside...this was fun! Well...being done was fun. This is my first blog layout, made with a digital scrapbooking kit called Recess that I got from Scrappersguide.com. I like being able to make the blog look exactly the way I want it too. What do you think?

Back to Scrapping...

I finally got another layout done, sheesh! Sometimes when it is late at night (that and naptime are the only time I can scrap and Aaron just flat out skipped his nap yesterday) and I have tired eyes or a headache, I can't really start scrapping. Also, I have this thing where if I start a layout, I can't go to bed with it undone. This is partially just neurotic, but also because I take so much time to load the photo bin in photoshop with the supplies I need for the layout and if you close photoshop everything leaves the photo bin. Anyway, we have reached the end of a week long visit from my parents, layouts from the visit and from Busch Gardens trips coming up soon...but I got this Tahiti layout done yesterday. It is the beginning (there will be AT LEAST one more full layout) of our Inner Island Safari, an exciting adventure around the island of Moorea in the back of an open land rover type vehicle on a very bumpy dirt road!

Summer Project Update!

Linen Closet, CHECK!

My desk, CHECK

Yeah baby!!!

(let's see how many more of these I will work on in the next week to continue putting off my paper...)

The Other Side of the Island, the other side of the island...

This is the rest of our scooter ride. I haven't been leaving out any photos of us...there was just so much amazing scenery like no place we had ever seen before! It was 2004, my camera was nice then, but still had comparitvely low resolution, so the pictures can't always be as large as I would like while scrapping. I am interested to see how these layouts will look printed.