The dread pirate...

My mom's birthday was yesterday, and in honor of such a great event I made her something. She had said she would like a pirate like the one I made Ruby. So I got to work. I decided of course to get going on this project on Tues, birthday is on Thursday. Why be smart about such things? I love the pressure! Someday I will realize how super not fun the pressure is and it will motivate me into being organized.
Behold the Dread Pirate Chadwin! Or Pirate Grandpa as he is known.







I will tell you that putting hair on this guy is a horrendous task. So, since I was running late and only hours before mom's birthday dinner J had the brilliant idea to stick a mustache on him and he would be my dad. And that is the story of the dread pirate Chadwin.



He's pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. The boy loves him, but he loves his Grandpa so it makes sense. Even Tater calls him Grandpa. 10,000 awesome points for me!

I am doing this health challenge and I got to tell you, it's been very difficult for me to get 10,000 steps a day in. Much of caring for a baby involves sitting and caring for the baby. Have you tried to crochet while walking? It doesn't go well. I have been cleaning my "house" today and I still barely have any steps. I hope I don't totally bomb this thing, I would love to win, but I am loosing hope.

I also got tagged by the fabulous Jill to tell you all 7 random things, but I have some pictures I need to take this weekend, so I think I will save that joy for the next post. I am sure you are waiting on pins and needles. :)

Oh I almost forgot. This is Toby.


He is huge. He came out and played with The boy and I while Pirate Grandpa had his photo shoot.

More family pics...

Last week we took a quick jaunt up to Flagstaff. Our friend Justin told us he would take our pictures in the sunflowers when we came up. Only problem is, a sunflower field of goodness and light is not a forever thing. I wish I had taken a picture of the field we were in only a month earlier. It was nothing but dried up sunflower middles. It was sad, but we got some pictures anyway! We do not give up that easily!

I am happy to say they did not all turn out like this one. I look like the flying nun!


Let me tell you something about my hair. I made J wait to go so I could pin curl my hair. We had a slight tiff about it. I didn't want my family pictures to look bad and my hair needs cut, so I have to curl it when it is in this state. So I made us late by curling my hair, then I went everywhere with a big ugly green bandanna on my head. Not a great look to be sporting. I got weird looks and I hated it. And for all that trouble and irritation, I looked like a flipping flying nun. So much for vanity.



I also had some lovely yellow heels to wear, did I wear them? No. Why? I don't really know. My head hurt and I wasn't thinking. In all honesty though, the flip flops are a better reflection of my everyday.



I like this one. Sam's cheeks were pretty rosy. He is one cute cutie if I do say so myself.



But my favorite ever just makes me smile.



Thank you Justin!

Happy times, the bff, and low carb is hard to do...

Not much to report. The boy is eating veggies.




He hates carrots, but likes squash. Green beans are up next. It's a slow process.


Today he found his new bff.




And this is him laughing at the store. That's where he laughs most.



I know I am boring, but this guy is pretty much my life, and I am totally OK with that.

I am trying to go low carb. It's not fun. I love sugar. I need some good low carb ideas.

But I heart bread and bread hearts me. It told me so, I have proof.


It's hard to give up on love.

Just cuz he's the cutest pudgy boy ever...

You agree, I can tell. :)

My family...

I like how I complain about how I have no family photos and talk about it and then forget to post them. That's awesome! Kelly for the win! So here they are...


I am so cheesy! When will I ever learn to stop smiling like that?

Hence I like the one that you can't see my face in best.


I want to go back and take more, anybody want to come be the photographer? Is there anyway to do that without the three hour drive? No? bummer.

Something you really must know about Flagstaff...

It's August, and we are heading to Flagstaff. I think to myself, "Self, we really ought to bring the camera and USE it this trip." We don't usually use it. I pack it and it just sits. So I grab the camera and we head out at 4 am to cooler weather.

I wasn't thinking about the wonderfulness that is Flagstaff in August after a hefty monsoon.

There is something you need to know about Flagstaff in August after a hefty monsoon.







and



Visions of family pictures, (Since every time we try to get a picture with all three of us it somehow doesn't work.) Blog headers featuring my awesome purple chucks, and just all out and out joy began to fill my soul. I had brought the camera! I had prevailed! But wait! The camera's SD card is sitting at home in the computer where we had left it. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I had missed my opportunity again!

So I made Jason buy me a new SD card at walmart, because this blog header was not going to get away from me!

We tromped out into a field of gold, it was full of holes, and bugs, and I don't know if you know this but sunflowers have prickly little itchy things all over them. Not real fun in shorts but we trudged on. I had to have my picture! We only had a 4 gig card so we had limited space.

I think they worked out though. Next time, we will be more planned and prepared and it will be amazing and the light will be better and the boy will have had a nap and he might even smile more. He was sleepy and had had it by the end.










See he can smile. He smiles all the time, especially in the morning, just don't mess with his sleep time.


He also was really interested in all the yellow. He just kept staring at the flowers.


My other header option. I really like this one too.


J kept telling me to close my mouth, and I know I look like I am going to eat him or just like a total goober, but I like this one. He is happy, I am happy, the flowers are happy, it's just happy.

The moral of the story is, remember your camera and your sd card if you are going to Flagstaff in Aug, you just don't know what kind of floral awesomeness may tug at your soul.

Caught like fireflies in a jar...

I am so glad my phone and I caught this one. It just makes me happy. It makes me miss my grandma too, but it's still happy because I imagine this was a similar scene before The boy made his debut here on Earth. I am glad he has his Aunt C to squeeze him and love him here.




Hooray family, and hooray forever.

I bought myself something.



When I was a little girl my favorite show ever was Cinderella and I couldn't wait for my happily ever after. I bought this as a reminder and a symbol to me that I am living my happily ever after right now. I am going to wear it everyday and I hope it reminds me every single day, several times a day how truly blessed and wonderful my life is, even the bumpy parts. I am sure that riding in a carriage, even a magical pink and wonderful carriage is bumpy. :) I have the best husband ever and a sweet baby boy and I guess I just want to commemorate that and remember how I am feeling right now, even when it gets to be years later and a little bumpy.