#7 Be Spontaneous with Amy

So for Amy's birthday we got spontaneous #7 from the list.   We started out picking her up blind folding her and taking her to the JW for a slumber party (that was also #38 on my list).  She was so excited she also had no idea what was happening.  

The after church Sunday we had a surprise limo pick her up for lunch and cupcakes.  Lunch was mcdonalds because Amy loves mcdonalds. 

Then we got dropped off at Game paradise for a surprise with more friends and 1300 board games to play.  It was super fun.  Happy birthday Amy!

362/365

What almost through a year of these photos.  The numbering is off somehow but not sure where.  But here's the next to last week of these well what I took.

Monday - Tea and Cookies

Tuesday - trip to the nursing home with these fine folks 

Wednesday - no photo

Thursday - I wanted to get Dustin's step niece his doctor kit sadly I was out voted

Friday - no photo

Saturday - Lo's shower

Sunday - early Christmas someone got beard posters.

Merry Christmas!

Hope you have a very merry Christmas!

Christmas Gift for Dust

Dustin is universally hard to buy Christmas presents for because he refuses to just say what he wants except a $1200 gym in the garage.   So I got him a few gifts and made him one of the only gifts I'm making this year.  I got this idea when googling "beard gifts".  My initial thought was to order him some kind of straight razor kit but I couldn't find one I would buy without seeing physically, but then is saw these posters someone was selling for $20/poster so naturally I just made my own (sorry) - I can't pay $20 for an Unframed poster.  

Supplies needed:

Computer

Clip art

Printer

Card stock

Frames

1. I downloaded some beard clip art right in MS word.  I ungrouped the image to remove the portion I didn't want in my poster.  It's simply ungroup then delete while clicking the image.  I added glasses and recolored the beard red.  One one image I had to also add a extra piece to change a goatee to a beard. (Yes this originally started as a smiley face clip art).

 

2. I then picked an expression typed it in and manipulated the fonts until I liked it.  I used Blackoak Std and Rosewood Std regular both which came pre-installed.

3.  I centered the image below the text and printed it on a white card stock.  I debated using gray or brown but didn't like how it looked.

4.  I popped open the frames I bought which came with mattes.  I wish they were black not white but too late now.  I centered the print in the matte closed it back up and boom frames art for Dustin's man room.  (PS the color is not funky in the second one it just looks like it is in the photo.

Project Life Week 42

The 42 was totally stolen from an idea from Pinterest and I plan to steal it again! This week lacked photos but I filled in extra pockets with cards.  It was the same week we found out we were pregnant too.  I picked up some neon scotch Washi tape and I am totally in love with it thus why it's featured here.  I am inserting some hidden journaling about the baby behind the we are pregnant.  And the back side is about the Optical Popsicle event and when Dan and Meg visited nothing fancy really for either of these but the Washi tape gave them character. 

Project Life Week 39

Week 39 whoops only like 12 weeks behind!  This week was really about two things 1) the Highline (front) and 2) mike and Hannah's wedding (back).  I created the crosstitched cards freehand.  I busted out paper from like 2003 and finished this one off.  I saved the invite, napkin and program from the wedding and used the napkin in a pocket.  I added the invite and program to a pocket cut from a Design E page (ps this is the most useless page size). The mini photos are my attempt at printing those panaromic photos.  I just put them in a pocket with various threads and cut hearts.  

Anyhow feels good to be back.

355/365

This year is almost over.  How did that happen already?  

Monday - work keyboard

Tuesday - wrapping presents in our useless newspaper subscription

Wednesday - cereal in a NYC mug

Thrusday - no photos!  Sadly I also had a bunch of people over for soup!

Friday- dinner at Legends squash ravioli with spinach

Saturday - our tree

Sunday - Jingle Bell run with the mister and we ran into uncle Eddie 

Best of Life Videos - September 2013

This is a really short video sadly. However I do love the clip in the middle where Dustin tries to out cartwheel our friends daughter Meghan who's like 9. It's totally priceless - I cannot wait for him out cartwheel our kids or at least try. The song is Thunder Clatter - Wild Cub (Youth) which from the moment I heard I knew I wanted to use it for a video. I even put it in a video song list - we can use more songs like that.  PS Not sure why the video is so blurry it's fine in the original file.

Best of Life Videos - August 2013

Prepare to be seeing several of these in the next few weeks as I try and get caught up. This is from August 2013. 
August was a crazy busy but fun month. We went to Detroit, Columbus, Northern California, and we were home for a bit as well, good times in the summer.   Three main themes from August 1) Baseball, 2) Boats, 3) Paul & Carolina's Wedding - that's where my videos and photos were concentrated I had to cut out a lot of photos I took at these events so this video wasn't 45 minutes long.  The song is Get Lucky by Daft Punk - I totally get that the lyrics are a little inappropriate for the video but I love this song and it was definitely hitting my playlist strong in August. If the video below doesn't work click here to view straight on you tube.

The First Trimester

So we announced last week our big news.   But we have known for sometime about the baby.  I actually just finished the first trimester and I am into the second trimester now.  We were apprehensive about sharing it "worldwide" especially after we had many friends lose babies in the first trimester.  But Baby Burford is comes from good hearty baby making jeans so we felt like it was safe to share now.  I plan to document the baby much like I document other aspects of our lives but hopefully this doesn't over take my blog.  

Anyhow I wanted to share some of my experiences from the first trimester. I figured list form seems to be appropriate:

We found out at five weeks.

I took at least four tests to confirm it.

We actually weren't trying, but had just stopped birth control like the moment we conceived.

See baby making genes ;)

I wanted to make it special when I told Dustin.

I just blurted it out to him.

We weren't going to tell anyone until Thanksgiving.

Dustin couldn't keep a secret and told everyone.

I was much more intentional telling people.

I am the first one of my siblings to have kids

Technically aside from Dustin's step sister so is he. 

Hello excited grandma's, aunts and uncles.

My sense of smell is now on crack.

I have been mostly nauseous every third day but not much getting sick, which is good.

Tomatoes seem to cause heartburn which was a brand new experience for me.

HOLY COW am I sleepy.  

I seriously find I cannot get enough sleep.  

I don't know that the books, movies, and iPhone apps warn you enough about this.  

In addition to being sleepy I have found I cannot drink enough of anything.  

I am always thirsty.  

That in turn also ups the visits to the bathroom, especially in the middle of the night.

The first prenatal visit was seriously like 1 million tests.  

All negative except I didn't have a rubella vaccine or it didn't take to I am susceptible to rubella (which is a low risk).

As for cravings I have been craving donuts for weeks but have yet to eat any.

Most days I crave oranges, green beans, ice cream, and baked potatoes but not together.

Dustin likes to call himself "baby daddy" and me "baby momma".

Dustin decided we must be having twin boys because he thinks that would be ultimate.

I think it's more likely 1 girl.

I have only gained 1lb.

As I hit the second trimester my jeans instantly became tight and so now I leave the top button undone or wear leggings or a dress.

We decided on cloth diapers both for economical reasons and because it's better for the environment and baby.

We are very agreeable on names but still need a middle name for a girl.

Our baby is now about the size of a lemon although I would imagine it's much taller.

Oh and one more thing - 

WE COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT THIS BLESSING.

Best of Life Videos - July 2013 "It's Time"

I'm waaaaaay behind on videos! I tried making them on my iPad in iMovie which proved to be a bigger pain, which I thought would make it simpler I could download the images video from my photo stream or google drive and make it in a snap.   Well iMovie didn't want to find the videos I recorded not a single one. It also didn't want me to pick the zooming/panning of the photos or the duration.  I do however like the way iMove did the title slide.  But either way this month is done and I can now move onward to August.  
The song is It's Time by Imagine Dragons.  Direct Link to this on YouTube in case it's not working on your phone is here.  To see more of the videos you can find them here. 

Somewhere in Middle America Family Vacation - Part 3

A big part of our family vacation was Thanksgiving.  We had a big crew in a tiny apartment all week but we made it work it was like Michigan but with less beds.  We fixed a big meal for thanksgiving.  Traditional thanksgiving.

We all went shopping together as a big team.

Lo's mom taught her how to make turkey.  

Jono carved his first turkey with guidance from Dustin.  

Dustin saved my lumpy gravy.

Momo cooked my friends corn casserole recipe.

While the meal cooked we watched the macys day parade.

It was a feast for champions.

We even shared things we were thankful for.

After eating we went bowling and to play laser tag to burn some calories.

Then we came back to the apartment for a fun photo game.

Here's a group photo I think I must have just glanced at Jono.

And in this lovely one my eyes are closed - lol sometimes it happens.

And my personal favorite snap.  Dusty and his big turkey leg.

Family vacation 2013 ended with a really long drive.  

We tried not to stop much but with 5 people you just can't avoid stopping sometimes.

And in closing I am reminded about how awesome it is to be part of this family, I miss us being closer in distance but we still treasure the moments we do have.  And I look forward to next years trip to Florida for the Jono and LoLo wedding (even if I will be eight months pregnant).

Somewhere in Middle America Family Vacation Roadtrip - Part 2

While on Family vacation in Omaha we went on the Jonathan Jones POI tour.  It took us down dodge into the city, past the yellow house I lived in as a baby, and to see all good Jono Points of Interest.  I documented the tour for other future visitors.  We also stopped off for lunch and to see the wagon train.  The wagon train is a super sculpture right in the city.  

We also went across this bridge Jono had never crossed before.

We saw a giant cornhusker.

Rode a Ferris wheel

Visited with Ronald Regan (jj is way taller).

Ate jones brothers cupcakes - super appropriate for Joneses.

And we went bowling.  

348/365

Monday - I made meatballs

Tuesday- NYC for doner veggies and pitas

Wednesday - ugly carpet

Thrusday - flatiron from a cab

Friday - baking Christmas cookies with Kathleen

Saturday - I made this chicken ornament for the IMQGswap

Sunday - IMQG party