Slurping...Blurbing...oh what Fun!

For awhile now, I've wanted to share a little info on a very fun website. If you've ever wanted to make your own book, you will love this sight! It's called Blurb. I first found the sight when I was making a cookbook for Matt's Grandma's recipes. It was so user friendsly and so fun. And best of all the software was free! You just go to their website and download the Booksmart software. You design your book at your own pace and then when it is finished, upload it to their bookstore. Then you buy the book from them.

After having such a positive experience with making the cookbook, I decided to make my blog posts into books. Since I don't do a good job keeping my photo albums filled or writing in baby books, this is probably the best source for me to keep our memories in hard copies.

It was so simple because Blurb can come to blogger and "slurp" your blog for all the posts that you want to use. Then you can arrange the books how you like.

Here are a few pictures of the books I've made from the past couple years of blog posts.

You can buy the books in soft cover like I did, hard cover with a jacket or hard cover with the image wrap. The last option obviously looks the best but is also the most expensive.

For Christmas I got the hard back versions of my blog books for my Dad. He is the hardest person to buy for because he never needs anything and always says we shouldn't spend money on him. But he loved the gift. It was so fun to be able to give him something I had made. Since then he's told me how much he has enjoyed reading through my thoughts and he feels like he has gotten to know me better through it.

So anyway, I just thought I'd share the info on this fun little sight in case some of you other bloggers would like to have your blogs slurped and made into a book! Enjoy!

To go to the sight, just click on the "blurb" logo at the top!

A Couple Pictures for the Week

Darci started preschool this week. The bus came and picked her up today and she was so excited to get on that I couldn't get my camera up in time to catch a shot of her getting on the bus. So, here's a picture of her waiting for the bus. I think it will be good for her but I think Josh put how we all feel into words when I told him Darci was starting school. "But I'm going to miss her". I agree Josh. I miss her too.

And here are a coupld pictures of Garrison with his eyes open. He is the best little baby. He sleeps all the time, eats well, and lets me sleep quite a bit at night. I'm very thankful.

Garrison Wayne

Our family is now a family of 6. Little Garrison Wayne made his appearance into the world on January 25 at 12:18pm. It was a good delivery and I'm thankful to finally be done with the pregnancy. Here is a picture in the delivery room shortly after Garrison was born. Don't I looked pooped?! This picture cracks me up because I look as drugged as I was feeling. I actually didn't have any drugs but you wouldn't know it by how dazed I look! If anyone things I didn't do the drug thing because I'm brave...well, its actually because I was too chicken to get the epidural again. But thankfully, my labor was quick and there were only about 10 minutes that felt horrible.

He was worth every bit of the horrible ten minutes or the uncomfortable pregnancy.
(He looks rather miffed that he had to join us doesn't he?)

that's more like it...he was warming up under the heat lamp here.

Here he is two days old. He has quite the head of black hair. It's so soft and he's just precious. He's been so sweet and I love cuddling him and feeling his soft skin against my cheek. I LOVE this newborn stage...even though there are sleepless nights. It's just too precious and is over so quick, I don't want to have it pass by too quickly.

Sorry this blog has been so inactive the last two months. Hopefully, it will pick up in action here agian. Anyway, I wanted to share a couple pictures of our new little buddy. I will hopefully take more pictures here soon and put more up of him...maybe some where you can see him with his eyes open.

Love,

bek

Glad to Wake Up

Last night I had a bad dream. The funny thing about it is that it seems to reveal what I've been worried about this week...my kids being too loud. You see, we have two lovely ladies living in our basement. One being my sister, Tami and the other being Matt's cousin, Leah. Tami has been living here since about the middle of August and has kindly never complained about the noise that we make. But she did comment once that my kids sound like puppies running very fast above her. I can only imagine how loud it must get! Especially now that Josh has this little "thing" he thinks he has to do all the time which involves jumping high enough to bump his rear with his feet.

So, now that Leah just moved in, I have been even more conscious of how loud we must be. I have been telling my kids, "Stop jumping! If you're going to jump go upstairs! Please do your running outside! Leah and Tami are trying to live underneath this floor!....etc."

So, last night I dreampt that I had to go downstairs to the basement for something. As I passed Leah's room, I noticed that it was completely empty! All her clothes, furniture, any trace of her ever lived there was gone. I said to matt, "Where did Leah's things go??" He didn't seem to know and Tami wasn't around to ask. I began looking around for a note or something she may have left behind to explain what had happened. I finally found a note hurridly scribbled on the garage door (odd I know!). It read, "I've moved in with Grandma...the noise just got too bad. I can't sleep!!! I hope you'll understand!" I was horrified!! She had been forced to move out after only living here a couple days! I went tearing into the house and began crying as I told Matt what had happened.

When I woke up, I was so afraid that maybe it was true that I went and peeked from the upstairs door into their kitchen. Her kitchen stuff is still here so I'm hoping it means that it was all just a bad nightmare!

Anyway, all I can say is that Tami and Leah deserve a little more slack from anyone they come in contact with because they are having to live underneath all the noise we make!

-Bek

Seriously?

I recently read that Disney is offering full refunds on any Baby Einstein video made between 2004 and 2009. Do you know why? Because people have figured out the awful TRUTH that they will not make our kids little geniuses. GASP!! Did YOU know that?

Seriously?! What is wrong with people? Can you believe people were really naive enough to think that putting our children in front of a screen where little toys were pulled and pushed across a black or white back ground with classical music played on a synthesizer would actually make our kids smarter?! People were so upset when they realized their kids were not smarter that they threatened a class action lawsuit...hence the full refund offered by Disney.

I just found the whole thing so ridiculous! I mean honestly, when I've watched the show with my kids, it is a harmless little show but I almost feel dumber after watching it because it is so simple and non-intellectual.

Actually, you know who's the genius don't you? The mom who decided to make these videos? Every time my sister Tami sees them she can't believe how much this mom is making by buying a few toys and puppets and having them slide in front of a screen. I agree! She was able to convince SOME parents out there that their kids would be little geniuses in the end.

As for me, I just say, let's get worked up about the important things! Don't count on a video to do the impossible! Then maybe we'll have more time to come up with our own ingenious idea!!

Have a great Tuesday!
-Bek

Baby Names

A few people have asked me if we've picked out a name for this baby. The answer is not yet. Well, I think we've decided on a first name for a girl name. For some reason, names are coming a little harder for this one. We like several, it's just deciding on a name that is appropriate as a baby all the way till it's an old person (if it lives a long life).

I asked Josh what he thinks we should name the baby. First off, he is sure it is a boy and is going to be pretty disappointed if its not. But he's found a name he thinks would work no matter what sex the baby is. Josh's choice: Erp. Or I suppose it could be spelled Irp, or Urp. Anyway, when people ask him what the baby's name is, he'll probably tell you "Erp". But of course, no body has ever heard of that one so they usually ask, "what was that?" Then he gets shy and usually won't repeat it. Anyway, I told him that can be his special nickname for the baby.

so, the search for a fitting name continues. I just hope we've got it figured out before the baby comes.

Remember

Matt and I had the chance to go to Nashville, TN this past weekend. While we were in the area, we went to a nearby town, Franklin to visit a couple Civil War sights. We first went to the Carter House where the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought. Afterwards, we went to the Carnton Plantation to see where many of the confederate soldiers who died that day were buried.

It was a moving experience to walk on the soil where thousands of Americans died. There were so many moving stories about the battle and the lives that were affected by it. But as we remember all our Veterans today, I thought I'd leave you with my favorite quote from the battle.

At one point, during the battle, it was obvious to the Confederates that they were clearly at a great disadvantage and would lose many men. A soldier turned to General Cleburne and said that it looked like not many of them would make it home to Arkansas to tell about this battle. General Cleburne answered, "If we are to die...LET US DIE LIKE MEN!" He charged forward with his men and was slain in the brutal battle.

Let's be thankful today for the many Veterans who have died bravely so that we can still live in a land of freedom.