Photo Book

I take literally thousands of pictures throughout the year.  I saw on another blog, Enjoying the Small Things, a genius idea.  She makes up a photo book every year for her girls.  You can pick and choose your favorite pics and add some savvy commentary or informational blurb to the pages.  You can even add titles and dates to the binding and customize the front and back cover.  Of course, I made mine on Shutterfly.  I waited until there was a 50% off photo book coupon code available and for about $60 I have a year of memories packaged in a 12 X 12 hard cover photo book!

You can check out the book I made below:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbtWzdu0btmLyw

Birthday Boy

Growing up, my parents always made a big deal about birthdays.  I know that some families don't, but mine did.  There was always a party (sometimes big, sometimes small), a cake, presents, the whole works.  It was a day that you were made to feel special, out of all the other days of the year when you may not feel special.

After having Sully, the events, feelings, trauma of the day still ingrained in my cells and playing on a projector in the back of my mind, I don't know how you could not make a big deal out of your child's birthday.  It was the most significant, horrifying, magical day of my entire life (of course my wedding day is right up there in significance, not horror, but I am going to give Sully's birth first place today).

And what has followed, times of pure joy and awe and love that I have never known before right along times of frustration and pain and feeling overwhelmed.

It is all significant because it adds up to now.  

I would spill some more of my guts but I hear my birthday boy over the monitor stirring...and we have some celebrating to do.

Happy birthday Sullivan James.  We love you more than you can ever know.

"And I will never be the same because we met."  -Brandi Carlisle

Stop, its Bokeh time.

Just some Bokeh practice with my fav subject.  No biggie.

And here is some practice with the lens cover I made with a snowflake hole punch and some black construction paper.  I found I had to use the flash with the cover so you can see the image in the foreground.

Oh yeah, and you get a peek at our holiday cards.

Oh, I am so excited to try more!

Party People

Caution:  You are entering a picture heavy post!

Today we celebrated Sully turning 2 with lots of friends and family, cars and mustaches.

It was your standard cars/trucks/bikes/automobile and mustache party.

Everyone enjoyed the mustache portion...

whether it was the straw 'staches

...or the stick on 'staches

Serious parents.

Present time:

Teepee from Gama and Papa.

Opening all those presents makes you hungry.  After we ate, we attempted to break the pinata.

After lots and lots of whacks with the bat and Chuck-it and a punch and drop kick from Jens, we resorted to Jens just ripping it open and dumping out the goodies.

It was about now when a 2 year old gets way over stimulated and starts melting.  But the show must go on.  Cue the singing, cake and ice cream!

By this point, why not force a cousin pic?

And the obligatory family pic.

After that, everyone pretty much ran out of the house and I don't blame them.  Once the crowd had gone and Sully settled down, he played with every single new toy and we read every single new book.

 Life is so much better for him when he is sans pants.

Thank you all for coming and celebrating this boy's life (even if he is super sassy and only wants his Mama to hold him).  You will never know how it makes my heart smile when so many other people show so much love to my boy.