help!

OK, so I need your help. This weekend we're going to go look at Christmas lights and I need to know good places for lights in the Iowa City/Coralville area.

I promised Meredith that some evening we would take hot chocolate and popcorn in our car and go look at lights. I hear of one place that's incredible (as in, you tune your radio to a certain station when you are out front and you hear Christmas music that I think is coordinated with the lights.) But I need to know where else to go...

I know that we can just drive around aimlessly, but it would be more fun if we knew where to go that had really good lights.

So leave a comment with places that you know of that are good for lights!

Blizzard Adeline, Take 2

Snow Day #3.

The anticipation of Meredith getting out of school in May

is now

just a faint

memory.

Blizzard Adeline

So I'm wondering why only hurricanes are named. Anyone know?

Because I think I'll start naming storms. I decided it was Blizzard Adeline that caused the snow yesterday and today.

So instead of saying, "Hey, do you remember the Ice Storm of 2007?" You would say, "So did you lose power during Ice Storm Hazel?"

Do you think it will catch on?? :)

Anyway, since I really can't write a post without a picture, I'll show you what Meredith was busy doing on the first snow day of the year: organizing presents!

Winter is here!

Well, it's official. The calendar might say it's not winter yet, but you need just look out the window and you see that it is here.



Yesterday we had our first snow that amounted to anything, and Jesse and I got to play outside. Actually, Jesse played and I finally put up some Christmas lights and garland outside.

Is it Christmas yet?

Mommy, are you sure there isn't anything in my stocking yet?

i heart snapfish

I've been working on photo books a lot lately. Seriously. A. Lot.

Last week, snapfish had a 50% off photobooks sale and I decided to make a book for Meredith and another one for Jesse for Christmas. Meredith's is full of photo's from her trip to Florida that she took last February. Jesse's is an ABC book full of things that he knows.

Each are really cool, but they took forever. Seriously. Forever.

Between picking out pictures, doing a little editing when needed, uploading the pictures to snapfish, and then designing the books, it took hours.

But it was really fun to make them, and will be even more fun to see the kids open their own personalized photo book at Christmas.

Not to mention the great time I had reliving the year through pictures.

Like Jesse's birthday party...


and my trip to Florida with Meredith...


Meredith's birthday...


and other random fun times...

the classics

Ahhh, there's nothing like reading a good classic...

you know...

like Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Junie B. Jones!

only in iowa!

Yeah, I'm thinking maybe only in Iowa do you see a combine and tractor and wagon parked at a gas station getting lunch!

remind me why

So we just got back from Florida.

And I'm having a hard time reminding myself why I live in a place that has 4 seasons instead of living in a tiki hut on the beach.

Seriously.

blogging withdrawal

Blog, what blog?

Can you tell I'm having a hard time balancing my facebook time with my blogging time?

Someday I'll be back...


maybe soon...

Quilt retreat

= happiness

it's the little things in life

Mommy, want some sweet corn, applesauce and pizza?

to taylor

Taylor...

we...

miss...

you.

first day of school

When kindergarten ended for the summer, Meredith didn't want to leave school.

In fact, there were quite a few tears involved on her last day.

And even though she had a fun summer, she was thrilled to go back to school and start first grade.

The day came and she was up bright and early. Her bag was packed, complete with the essentials like High School Musical pencils,

and a my little pony for good luck.

And...it didn't take long before she was tired of taking pictures and of squinting.

I think she had a good day!