Gobble! Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving!

E Playing and a peak at our weekend adventure . . .

(I love the look of wonder on his face! This little kitchen has been THE best toy for him! It is the perfect size for him to climb all over and not get hurt, usually.)

This weekend we attempted to go and visit the San Juan Capistrano Mission. When we got there we found out they charge $9 per person! Good thing I got to go there when I was in High School! We had a great time walking around the rest of the town though. I'll post more pictures later on "Creative Cookie."

Thanks Moms!

I just have to document this momentous occasion. After 2 years of having a blog both of our Mom's left comments for the first time this week!

Parents will do all sorts of things once you give them a grandchild;)

I think it is really do to the fact that they are becoming super tech savvy! Go Grandmas!

Thanks!

We love you!

Uuuuuuhhhhh......

My brain is going in a million different directions right now. Needless to say, I am feeling a little overwhelmed. You know those times when you can think of about fifty things you could be doing, but don't even know where to start? That's today!

I have also been thinking about how my blog has been pretty lame lately, not that E is lame, but I don't want our blog to be ALL baby ALL the time. I have a list of things I want to blog about, but alas I can't seem to conquer any list right now. So, until I get around to that list I have a little secret to share with all of you...

Although I generally post daily, I don't blog daily. I LOVE batch blogging! I usually sit down on a Saturday (when Paul is taking care of E) and spend some of my "alone time" blogging. I download my pictures from the past week and put the aforementioned list to good use. Hopefully that will be the case this Saturday and you will all have delightful posts to read daily next week!

PS I just finished my first custom card order this week and it was so much fun! I loved working with my client to create something specifically for her family that totally suited their personalities and complimented their family photo. I think it was extra gratifying because I don't even know this woman! She just stumbled across my blog.

I feel blessed. I hope you do to!

Now I better go tackle the five to do lists I have sitting on my desk...

Little Blue Overalls

Whenever I dress E in his little Osh Kosh overalls they make me smile. Why? because when I was pregnant I went shopping with my Mom and Grandma. We stopped at D.I. to see if we could find some decent baby clothes. I found a lot of stuff, some of it was brand new with original tags! Anyway, I was going to put these overalls back because I was far exceeding my spending limit. My Mom and Grandma insisted that every little boy needs a pair of Osh Kosh overalls so they each paid $1 and bought them for me.:)

Tag

My friend Brendi tagged me for this QUIRKY tag. Here's how it goes: I am supposed to tell 6 quirky things about myself and tag 4 other people (and leave a note that you tagged them on their blog), so here it goes:

1. My hands are a little on the large side. My brothers call me "Lori Ann man hands." (I can't believe I just shared that.) I know the next time I see any of you, you will be staring at my hands!

2. I don't like Italian food.

3. I don't like the sound of sports on the TV. I am always asking Paul to turn it down, or on Sundays we have an agreement that sports are muted.

4. I don't like to exercise by myself and basically don't, unless I have someone to go with. (I am so grateful for my walking buddy!)

5. I don't like to cook something that requires more than 5 or 6 ingredients.

6. I enjoy organizing, but I don't enjoy cleaning.

I know you are thinking Paul is the luckiest guy in the world right now! Ha! I tag, Christie, Danielle, Mikelle and Lisa.

Hey Mom! Look what I can do!

Peek - a - boo!

I wanted to post these pictures because you can really see the color of E's eyes (and it was funny to turn around and see his little body under the coffee table). They are a deep grey blue. In most pictures you can't tell if they are brown or blue. Maybe they are still changing?

Today's equation

My hands in these . . .


+

My little man in this . . .

= Friday

Our little superstar!

On Sunday night we went into E's room and found him doing this! He is growing up way too fast!

Today I took E grocery shopping with me and he was stopping traffic all through the store. At one point five people were stopped in the grocery isle playing with him and capturing every little sweet smile they could.

He brings so much joy to our lives! It is fun to see him bring a little bit of joy to so many others as well. I feel so blessed to be his mother.

A Saturday at the park with Grandpa

The lighting was so good I couldn't stop taking pictures. These are just some of my favorites of E. The little bruise on his forehead is his first battle wound. He got into a fight with the door frame.

Fun Tag

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you are not ill (also known in education as a "mental health day")
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michaelangelo's David
41. Sang Karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful in person
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported by ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. visited the Great Wall of China
57. Taken a martial arts class
58. Started a business (still in the process of trying)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. gone Whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (Few, I just made this one;)
85. Swam in the ocean
86. Visited the White House (but I haven't been inside)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (it was a fish...but I wasn't the one who caught it...does that still count?)
88. Had Chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

44 out of 99, not too bad for 24 years old, I guess.

Paul dressed up as a nerd when he went to work on Halloween

What consumed my time last week?

Listening to this CD:

While working with all of this stuff:

To make all of these things:

Our decorations weren't very fancy, but I think they helped everyone get into the Halloween spirit. Most everything I used to decorate for our Halloween party was purchased at Target's dollar spot. I love that place!!

I wanted to show my punch bowl and share a little trick. Can anyone guess what other purpose the punch bowl serves? It is acutally a glass cake stand with the bottom and the top flipped upside down. Pretty cool huh! Now go see if your cake stand can do this too, I bet it will come in handy someday.

Family Picture

Paul in the costume parade introducing us as the "McDonald family."

As promised, here is our family picture from the trunk-or-treat. Thanks for taking these Lisa! You're the best!