For our 10th anniversary, I gave Dan the book I had made.  I had found pictures for each of the years we’d been married and was also able to describe where we’d been and what was happening during those times in our lives.

I, of course, had intended to keep it up.

Ha.

So, when Dan found the book last night, we got a good laugh looking at some of the pictures and then I decided that I would up date it.  I had three anniversaries to add.  Should be a cinch.

During Sam’s naptime this afternoon, I got out my external harddrive and started sifting through pictures from the last three years.  As I did this, I became more and more depressed.  There were some terrific pictures of our kids.  And of other people’s kids.  And our house.  And a couple of baptisms.  But very, very, pathetically few of Dan and me.  Virtually none, as a matter of fact!

This tells me a few of things:

1.  We need to make it so we focus as much on ourselves as a couple as we do on our children.

2.  We need more people to come visit so they can take some pictures for us. (You are welcome any time!)

3.  We need to either start taking some self-timed photos, goofy hold-out-the-camera-in-front-of-you-photos, or relinquish the camera to the kids once in a while.

As much as I dread having my picture taken this late in my pregnancy, Dan is going to come home to a photo shoot today.  While I managed to find pictures for most of the years that we’ve been married, I was unable to find ANY for this year!  Three months into 2010 and there are no pictures of us together.

Pathetic.

I’d show you all the pics I have in the book so far, but my scanner won’t work without ink (whatever) and the kids have used up all my ink, printing crap from NickJr.com.  So… here are the few I can show you:

1997

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2008

2009

As I was making the earrings, I was disappointed that I didn’t have a pair for Maria.  She loves to dress up and be “fancy” and she would have loved to have been included.  She doesn’t, however, have piereced ears.  Well, it dawned on me as I was browsing at Hobby Lobby the other night, that if they have the makings for pierced ears, then surely they have the makings for clips, too, right?  Some people still wear those, right?

I figured my chances for finding something were slim, but I was not disappointed!  I found some small clips that would work perfectly to make Christmas bulb earrings for Maria.  As soon as I returned home, I showed Maria what I had bought and she was thrilled!  So were the boys, but call me what you will, I did NOT make them any.

Maria pranced around all evening in those earrings.  The base color doesn’t match the gold on the bulb and they’re too big for her.  And the green doesn’t go with her PJ’s in the least, but she didn’t care!

I also managed to capture these pictures that night.  After, of course, I put the Christmas cards in the mail.  I know – there’s only three here instead of all four, but still.  Why can’t they look like this when I want them to?

The alternative is to go to this post and choose one of those pictures.

I am NOT taking any more pics.  Sober anyway.

You know… maybe next time I’ll give the kids the wine…

Here’s our first attempt.  (Notice how the situation deteriorates, despite the fact that these were all taken within a 30 second period.)  There will be more to come, trust me.

1. Go to your pictures file.
2. Go to the 4th file.
3. Go to the 4th picture.
4. Post it and tell the story.

These are my Little Boys, Sam and Luke, on Christmas Eve last year.  I have no idea what’s in that Amazon box, and it probably wasn’t for them, but Sam sure looks excited about it!

Here are a few pics of the kids.  Jack and Maria helped (seriously!) rake leaves the other day while Sam napped and Luke cried inside because he couldn’t find his rain boots and those were the only acceptable footwear for the day.

On Monday, the neigbors had a huge tree removed.  Lots of entertainment value there.  Hours.

Sam loves the new granite countertops (as do I).

It’s a HAPPY DAY because my mom found my missing camera!!  No – it wasn’t my kick ass Nikon DSL that I lost, thank God, but it was my little Nikon digital – with a LOT of pictures on it.  Including pics of my kids with Troy’s kids.  And Maddog’s 70th celebration.  And Maria’s 5th.  And Sam’s 2nd.  Oh, and a couple in front of the Magnolia hotel.

So, I’m doing the happy dance!  I thought the camera was gone, gone, gone.  It was SO frustrating not being able to find it – many of us looked EVERYWHERE.  I was left to assume it had gotten mixed up with birthday paper and thrown out by accident.

However, Mom found it – right next to a bag of birthday paper in the garage, waiting to be taken to the garbage can.

WHOOOOOHOOOOOOO!  St. Anthony rocks, by the way.  He helps finds things every time – even when you think there’s no hope.