So, I'm Not The Worst Mother Of All

I found the pictures from last Christmas morning!

I actually remembered later that I did not use my camera last year because I dropped it in water at the beach and I did not have a camera to use.

Soooo, I used my daughter's camera and all the photos were still on her data card!  Isn't that lucky great?!?

Now I can finish my Christmas album with dignity.

Scrapbooking - There Has Got To Be An Easier Way

I used to scrapbook a lot when my kids were very little.  Actually, when B was born I scrapbooked her every move.  Then the second came along and well, you know how it goes.

I have friends that still document the milestones of their children in beautifully decorated scrapbook pages.  I am envious of the time and energy they have invested in them.    You can tell they have a great love for what they are doing.

I think that is part of the problem.  I LOVE the finished product.  I love having the albums for my family to flip through.  I kinda hate the process of getting there.  I don't like the mess.  I really don't like the continual buying of supplies.  I despise having to store it all.   Oh and my aching back, after I finish hours of scrapbooking!   I know, could I whine any more???


However, even though I dislike all those parts, I am really always pleased that I took the time to at least place pictures in an album.   Even if it simply done without a lot of embellishment. 

So, last night I decided to update our Christmas album.  It's an album I started beginning with our first year of marriage.  I document each Christmas morning.   All the pictures of the kids with Santa go in there.  Some of my favorite pages are the ones that display each Christmas card we have sent out since B was born.


I updated it because the last set of pictures in there were from 2004 - the year Bubby was born.  Ugh.
THEN, I discovered something terrible.  I had pictures from 2005 and 2006 of Christmas but nothing from 2007 and 2008.  I searched my computer files.  I searched Snapfish.   I found 2007 on Snapfish and ordered them.  But nothing from 2008.


I do not have one picture of Christmas morning from last year.


How can that be?
Did I just not take any?
Did I just forget to download them?  Ack! 

This is a little sad for me.  I'll keep looking but I think I simply dropped the ball here.  I'm sure (maybe) I have video so it's not all lost.  I also have some photos from the church service and from our annual outing to the Nutcracker.  But nothing of them opening presents.   sigh

As I looked at all the pictures I have stored on my computer and on Snapfish, I am faced with the very daunting task of getting these pictures in some sort of form my children can enjoy without spending a fortune.

I have many albums from Creative Memories just waiting for me to fill them up.  The biggest problem there is that CM changed their sizing of pages and discontinued the old.  I do not have enough to even fill up the books I have now.    Do I start all over with the new books and try to sell what I have on eBay?  Or do I try to find old pages on eBay?

Or I could do photo books which are also expensive.   If I do decide to do it this way then how do you add things little keepsakes, diplomas from preschool graduation, special written notes and art projects.

So.  I am wondering.  Pleading actually for your ideas.  What do you do?

How do you document your growing family? 

Do I just need to realize that there is no easy way?


**After I wrote this, I realized that I have been documenting my growing family on this blog for almost 2 1/2 years!!!  But I don't even have that saved.    Do you back up your blog on a separate hard drive or something?   I have heard of a site called Blurb where you can place some of your blog posts.  Has anyone out there used that? 

Prayers Would Be Appreciated

***updated***
Tomorrow morning ,at an unspeakable hour, Hubby and I will take our B to a big hospital to have a much needed surgery.

I don't want to go into too many details here.  Something about having my baby girl's medical history on the web just freaks me out a little.    She's had a recurring issue for a few years now and finally a specialist recommended a surgery to take care of it before it gets any worse.  He gave me 3 options.  I've labored and prayed over all three for months now.   The easiest option has a lower success rate but does not require an overnight stay at the hospital.  And no scarring.  So, we choose this one for now.   She'll be home and resting by the time her little brother gets off the school bus.

She is scared.  Of the IV.  Of being put under anesthesia.  Of the not knowing.

I have faith in her doctor but mostly that our great God will be watching over all of us.    We have many friends praying for us from church and I appreciate that so much!  Of course, family is praying and sending well wishes. 
But no parent likes to see their child put under or wheeled into a surgical room.  So, I would covet your prayers, too.  That I would be strong for her.   Whatever she needs me to be.    

While I have worried and stressed over which surgery to have, I have also come to realize how blessed we are.

• Blessed to have 2 of the best hospitals in the country right in our back yard:  Duke and UNC.  I got an opinion from each and both doctors recommended the same options. 
  

• Blessed that her issue is fixable!   How many parents pray over sick children daily that have challenges or illnesses that are not so fixable?  It breaks my heart to think of how many.    So, while I pray for my baby tonight and tomorrow, I'm going to pray for those parents too. 

I'll keep you posted!  

***Update:  The surgery went great!  The staff and doctor at UNC rocked and B is home now resting.  Thanks for the prayers and well-wishes.  

Advent Calendar

I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Ours was full of family and food - good times all around.

Last night was the night that we had to get the Christmas decorations out because the advent calendar is in there.  The one that starts today! 

This year, though, we have a new advent calendar which is proving to be a lot of fun and cause for great anticipation for my kids.

The Playmobil Advent Calendar "Knight's Duel".

Each day we get to open a little box with a little Playmobil toy in it.  Once we open all of the boxes, we will have a complete knight scene.   It's like a puzzle that my kids get to play with as they go along.

We've never actually had anything Playmobil, so I was pretty excited when MomSelect sent it to me to review. Yes, they sent it to me, my kids are playing with it and I am talking about it here on my blog.  That might happen a few times during the holidays.  They generously sent me a box full of goodies to review.  Thank you! 

Anyway, it did take me 40 minutes to put together last night. That is the only downside.   I would say it is very worth it, though.  The toys are really well-made.  I can tell my kids will enjoy them.


The only other downside is the fact that I have 2 kids so they have to take turns with a box each day.  Thank goodness, I have another advent calendar that the other child gets to do his or her off days.   It is one the kids actually made a couple years ago that says Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!  I love that one. 

They also have a girls set and a couple other winter scene sets and a Nativity Set.

I am not an Amazon Affiliate.  North Carolina does not participate in that program anymore.  I'm just directing you to Amazon because it's the easiest and cheapest I found online.   You can get some of these sets at Target and Toys R Us, too.  

So, do you do an advent calendar?