Blog to Book

Some may wonder why I've gone crazy with the amount of blogging I've been doing lately. Here's why:

I used blurb.com to change my blog to books and I LOVE them. [I used blurb because a long time ago one of my fellow bloggers posted about it and I uploaded the free bookmaking software. There may be a better co. I didn't do much looking around.] You can spend a lot of time designing them but I didn't do anything fancy just uploaded the posts and then chose layouts for each page that would optimize the picture sizes. It took a little while to do but it was nothing compared to the time I've spent scrapbooking. I did 2 years in a matter of hours and it cost me less than it would to get the pictures developed! Wahoo-- love a good deal!!! Each book was about 120 pages for $50-- that includes taxes and shipping.

Things I learned doing these:

1. premium paper is the same as the other paper just a little thicker


2. go with the image wrap option, otherwise it's just a paper cover and when that is destroyed there is no cover


3. make sure you check to see if anyone's head is cut off after you select a new layout : (


4. journaling just got a whole lot nicer!!!

i'm sorry

Well Mr. Clint and Mr. Kade were in the backyard playing today. They like to walk along the railroad tie wall that lines the garden. I hollered to them to make sure they didn't step on any of the dirt or play in the garden. We planted the peas, onions, corn, chard, and beets yesterday. Kade came in to use the bathroom and about 15 min. later Clint runs through the door excited as can be. "Look what I found!" thinking he'd just found some great buried treasure. "Peas and corn!" I quickly turned my head in his direction and I wanted to cry and scream. He had a handful of seeds! He helped plant them so why would he take them out? What do I do with that kid! I took the seeds and ran out to the garden to try to find the stirred up soil. I couldn't figure out where they were plucked from so I guessed. We'll see how crazy the garden looks this year. I should have been nicer to him but I was frustrated that I'd told him not to mess in the dirt and he still did. He just kept saying, "I'm sorry." In the end it isn't that big of a deal and so I say I love you little boy and the crazy cute things you do-- like get excited about finding buried treasure that you put there yourself.

chicken-coop

We finished the chicken coop today! The boys helped paint and I had to keep telling my perfectionist self over and over that it was just a house for chickens and that a few run spots are not a big deal. It was so worth it I know to teach them how to work and help the family. They loved every minute of it. Abby was over playing so she got in on the fun too. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture before she left. The kids were so funny we kept hearing, "Oops! Sorry." They were painted almost as much as the chicken coop. Cole was not a fan of me helping with the coop. [Thanks Vickie/Wendy for the cute cute hat!] If he was awake he was siting in the stroller being grumpy and crying-- we're both glad that project is over. Darryl did a great job of building the coop-- and he did it in 2 days. There was a business trip in between those days but still that was quick! Darryl went to get another gallon of paint and came home with 2 more chicks. That is the second time he's done that! He's not allowed to go to the hardware store anymore! They are super cute, they have afros/mohawks, but we really don't need that many chickens.

Reunited

The boys were so happy to be reunited. Kade woke up first this morning and kept asking when Clint was going to wake up. When he finally did come out of the bedroom Kade ran to him and gave him a big hug--so sweet. Darryl said that while in Florida Kade mentioned he missed Clint. Clint too often mentioned that he couldn't wait for Kade to be home again. They were so excited to spend the day playing with each other. Kade really missed his friend Abby too. They have such a good time together-- it's fun to listen to them play. Kade and Clint played Lego's(Kade and Darryl purchased our first Lego's while they were in Lego Land), played airplane/lawnmower/sawdust spreader with their Mickey and Goofy spiny toys(definitely worth every penny--if I knew they would play with them so much I would even pay more for them), played with the String Thing the one thing Kade picked out at Disneyland(Kade can crawl through the loop without hitting it when it's only a about 8 inches wide!), and played in the suitcase all morning. The suitcase was sitting out waiting to be put away and Kade asked Clint if he wanted to get in and he'd zip it up. "Sure! was Clint's reply. They took turns and even tried it together. Kade says, "It's going to be really crowded I think."

Date with Clint

Since Darryl had Kade for a special trip Clint and I needed to have a special day together. Sunday I watched him wash his hands which always turns into playing in the water and I thought, 'He needs to go to the Discovery Museum." So today we went. He LOVED it--beyond LOVED it. He can't quit talking about it and telling everyone in a screeching voice that he went to the museum. He loved the helicopter as long as the real helicopter noise button wasn't pushed. He liked the water sink a lot but he did leave it to go play in the grocery store, the construction site, and the ball beehive. I think his ultimate favorites were the helicopter and the balls. It was so much fun to just have a day all about him. We did whatever he wanted when he wanted(with reason) and it was so great to watch him have such a good time. It was an added bonus that few people were there and I found discount tickets!-- I was happy too. Cole was an angel through it all. I had to feed him once at the museum, no biggie just sat on the couch in the corner of the tot play area and Clint played in there while I fed him, other than that he was just content all day.For dinner he wanted to go to, "The pizza place with the fire oven(aka Cafe Galleria)." He loves to dump the parmesean cheese on his plate and lick it up-- terrible manners and disgusting-- I know. This time I talked him into rubbing his pizza in the cheese and eating it that way. He was beaming all day. I loved "Clint Day."

Kade's 1st Trip

Since I'm not able to leave Cole this year to join Darryl on one of his business trips he asked if he could take Kade with him to Florida. He was doing a short training and thought it would be the perfect trip for Kade to join him. It turned out that Darryl's parents were going to Florida for a conference the same week so they watched Kade while Darryl went to his meeting. That was such a great coincidence. We were worried how it would go over with Clint; he was disappointed he didn't get to go but we've reassured him that he and Darryl will go on a special trip after he turns 5 too. Darryl and Kade flew out Sunday. We didn't mention a word of the trip to Kade until they got in the car to go to the airport. If we ever tell Kade of something great he just asks if it's time for the event repeatedly every minute until the event. We're working on patience. Kade was loved flying in the "real jet." The hotel was one of his favorite things, so much that he even asked to go back to the hotel when they were at Disneyworld. He loved swimming in the pool and going down the cool slide. The first thing he said to me when I talked to him on the phone was, "I slept in a hotel!" What is it about kids and the novelty of hotels. I'm thinking the next family trip will just be to a nice local hotel. He really loved Disneyworld too. Darryl said he loved churros too. :) Here are a few(ha ha) pictures of their trip. Some of rides, some eating and waiting for the fireworks, some on the airplane, and some with Granny too. Kade's favorite ride at Disney was a race car ride. He said it went REALLY fast! Darryl said there was a night they were ordering dinner and Kade said he wanted to order all by himself. The waitress came and he said, "I want a cheese pizza, please." She asked what size and he said, "A kid size." He was such a grown-up independent little boy. Kade also got this 1st Time badge-- he considers it a prized possession.

The hotel pool was one of Kade's favorite things on the trip so I pulled a couple pictures off their website.

Month 3

This is Cole at 3 months. He's such a talker. He coos and goos, sucks his fist or binki, sleeps, and eats. That's pretty much him in a nutshell. He's such a sweetie!

Backseat Drivers

The boys have become really interested in helping us drive lately. They inform me what all the signs say as we pass them-- however, they can't read so they just decided what they think it says. They are pretty good with the picture signs. They say, "Watch out for reindeer Mom," or "Watch our for bicycles," or "Watch our for swervy arrows," or "Get ready to go straight."

Easterin' 2010

The annual Easterin' outing was great as always. My family has always gone down near Capital Reef for Easter but the current tradition started about 25 years ago. My family[meaning all of my Grandma Brown's kids and their families--they don't all come every year-- just whoever can make it each year but we haven't missed a year] have been going to the same clay hills just west of Caineville to have an egg hunt; eat a potluck lunch; roll eggs down the hills; sled down the hills; ride ATVs; and shoot shotguns at clay pigeons, pop cans, and eggs. As of Thursday no other extended family except my immediate family were planning on going this year. Well, the Browns can't stay away from that place. It's just what we do that weekend. There was an enormous crowd. I've never counted how many people put I'd guess average is 100 people. It was pretty nice weather wise--except for the insane wind. I kept Cole in my parents trailer the whole time because he just can't breath in strong wind yet. I bought a tie-dye Easter egg coloring kit that I figured would be a flop, as most of those kits are, but it was really neat. Darryl said he won't color eggs any other way now. It's fast and much less messy. There is a picture of the best tie-dyed egg we did. Kade's wanted to keep it, read on to find out how that went. As you can see Cole slept through the egg hunt but the Easter Bunny (aka Grandma Brown) didn't forget him. There was a big blue egg with his name on it and the traditional $2 bill inside. The boys were so excited to open their eggs after the hunt. Clint can't wait to eat the candy and Kade can't wait to count the money; They never change. My niece had a baby last November, Carver, and so we were excited to get pictures of him and Clint together. That boy is a football player, and Cole is a baseball player. Carver is seriously the happiest kid I've ever met. He's always lit up with a huge smile--except for the one picture of all the grandkids(minus Logan, Britain, Ryan, and Jordan). He was doing great and then suddenly cried/screamed. Love the picture though. He thought it was great when we put Cole in his lap for a picture. He grab him with both hands, held on and smiled. Cole, however, looked a little bewildered.
Without knowing that the other was doing it Kade and Clint both stashed one egg to save. Kade carried his around for quite awhile before he discovered he could put it in his hoodie pouch. Well before the day was over he had boiled egg juices soaking through his shirt--yep it didn't make it. Clint's did because he stored it in an egg carton and then he put it in the storage compartment in the backseat of the van. It wasn't until 1 1/2 weeks later that I saw him get it out and so I convinced him that it was smelly and needed to be trashed. I'm surprised the van didn't totally reek. This year we stopped at the waterfall on our way home. When I was a kid we would always stop but I think the last time I've stopped was when I was like 13. It's such a neat waterfall and you can get so close to everything--which is scary with two independent climbing boys. Cole was sleeping in the car so he missed out on the family picture opportunity. :( Notice my clothes--not Easterin' attire. I went and stayed with my family this whole week while Darryl was gone and in my packing I didn't get anything for me to wear Easterin'--oops.
The one picture show the traditional sledding down the hills. We all thought these two, Austin and Porter, were going to end up in the hospital.