To real scrap book or Fake it

Last year at Christmas I make scrapbooks for my grandparent of Isabelle's 9 months. I am still in the process of the one for Todd's grandpa. I just ordered $50 worth of scrap booking stuff, because I have grand aspirations.
I am now realizing that I will have to scrap book every night from now until Christmas if I want this grand dream of scrap booking the last year of Isabelle's life to happen (3 times over).
I was on snap fish tonight and I was looking at the photos books. I could create 1, print it 3 times over and then be done!
So do I make it or fake it?
I was thinking fake it, but now I'm thinking the grandparents that received the real ones last year will know I faked it.... I think this deserved more thought.

Where or where have I been

This past month has gone by way too fast. Below is a photos list of what we have been up to.

Isabelle and Mommy at Uncle Terry and Aunt Andreas wedding.
Isabelle and Todd at the wedding. Terry and Andrea had their wedding in a tent and pole shed at my in laws house. it was beautiful!

The flower girls.

The girls and Stanley- The free donkey we are trying to convince my father in law to let us have. We will love him and kiss him and ride him and feed him and love him and make him our own.

The two newest additions to the far, Pygmy goats. I affectionately call them Bert and Ernie. Isabelle loves them!

The pumpkin patch with Isabelle, Joe and Collin. This was obviously from earlier this month when it was WARM!

I would also like to point out the only reason I have time to write this now is because I have a fever and am ill, and thankfully my mom has taken Isabelle for the night so she won't get sick. (crossing my fingers). I now need to go and wipe down the computer so Todd doesn't get this as well. I hope this finds you all healthy and remember to wash your hands!!

I HAVE A SINK!

Approximately 1 year, 1 month and 20 days after beginning this blog I have a fully functioning bathroom! The sink is done! We can now was our hands in the bathroom! YEAH!
We are still working with no trim, no outlet and temporary lighting situation but I have a fully functioning shower, bath, toilet and sink! There are not words for how exciting this has been!

In other exciting news I found curtains to match Isabelle's room. They need a little sewing so as soon as I find the camera battery charger, and get the sewing done I will post photos of the sink, the curtains and our pumpkin patch!

A conversation over heard

After a clatter on the stairs this is what I heard...

Todd: No Izzy, we don't throw babies down the stairs.

Izzy: Poor Baby, Poor Baby.

Dirty Dancing Night

Thank you Patrick for making me a hopeless romantic!

mobile blogging

I wrote a wonderful blog last Saturday about my love for all movies Jane Austen. it expounded on my passion for even sense and sensibility with Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. There may have even been a little affection for Collin Firth in there (ok alot but who doesn't love him?). However because I was taking time on the couch and I was too lazy to get up to get the computer I was blogging on my phone. Then I hit submit and it didn't, so I hit save, and it didn't. So this is what you get.... I love jane austen movies.

Going too fast only leads to fallen cake... and dessert.

This weekend was our Church dinner. There are lots of festivities and as members we are asked to bring a few things and to help out . One of the items we are asked to bring are cakes for the cake walk. I took a leap and baked a layer carrot cake. It was from a box so don't be too impressed. But as a non baker I was excited and challenged by the idea. I put the ingredients together. baked the two layers, let them cool, cut the top off of the bottom layer so that the top layer would sit more level, and frosted it. It was by no means a master piece. But I was proud. And as Todd said I now gave myself away and he will be requesting layer cakes for every occasion.... Until Sunday morning.

We were in a rush to get out the door, Isabelle didn't sleep through the night so we were both very tired and trying to round everything up to go. In packing the car I brought out the cake in it's carriers and the cupcakes I had made as well. To open the car door I had to put one item down. I put the carrot layer cake on the hood of the car, open the door and put the cup cakes in. Just as I was going to close the door the carrot cake slides off the hood of the car and on to the ground. The cake carrier had a lid that locked on so all of the damage was contained. I picked it up and brought it inside. Todd just held his breath waiting for me to blow my top but instead we fell into a bucket of giggles. It was Sunday morning, what are you going to do? Upon Further inspection the cake and its layers had only shed the outer frosting on to the inside of the protective dome.

I left the cake at home and we went on our marry way to enjoy a beautiful day. That night we ended up having some close friends over. I told them the story, scrapped the frosting out of the cake lid, put i back on the cake and served the whole thing. They laughed, and loved it.

I smelled trouble.

I will answer all of your *burning* questions right now:
1) yes that is a bag of pee inside a sterile cup, inside a bag.
2) yes I took the picture while driving.
3) It's Isabelle's pee, not mine, that makes this picture ok to post (unless you are Isabelle at 14 reading this with a girlfriend. Sorry honey- it had to be done. Just be glad i didn't take a picture of the bag while you were wearing it! )
4) Isabelle has a urinary track infection (UTI).

Isabelle's pee has smelled like asparagus pee for about 3 days and my very wise mother said, "This is a symptom of a UTI." I was like really CRAP! Isabelle and I went to urgent care the next morning, however on the way Isabelle peed in her diaper. DOUBLE CRAP! Apparently the only way to test of a UTI is to pee in a cup. We tried to pee like a big girl in the cup but it wasn't happening. So 1 sterile baggie, 2 taped together butt cheeks and 3 other pieces of tape later the little miss was wearing a baggie to catch the pee. After an hour of sitting in the urgent care room the doctor sent us home with a prescription and a sterile cup, with strict instructions not to remove the baggie until she peed in it, then return it for testing. 1 crying mom and a 10 minute car ride home brought us to grandmas house. Where we had Popsicles and relaxed until Isabelle peed. Then the photo above was taken. Isabelle stayed with grandma, I dropped of the sample and went on my way. We received a call later in the day, positive, fill the prescription.

Pefect Sunday night

After a great day seeing my mom and dad and spending the afternoon at the lake the entire family spent about an hour in the garden. It was great! The girls were mud from head to toe and loved every minute of it. Our spoils include a cabbage, potatoes, flowers, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers (for pickling) carrots and onions. It's amazing to know that most of our meals this week and for several to come will come from our own back yard.

In other news Todd's brother came home this weekend because he bought the equipment to make biodiesel fuel. This essentially means that we are 1 step closer to being completely self sufficient. This also means that any vehicle we have from here out will be a diesel... thank goodness VW makes a great diesel car!

Who knows what will be next on Neumann Farms.

To sew or not to sew

Is it better to sew ones own curtains or to buy them? I have been in constant search for curtains for Isabelle's room for quite some time. I would love to get these ones from pottery barn kids but they are a little out of the budget but they are everything I want! Or do I wait until I have time to go to jo ann fabrics to get some fabric i like and then buy the black out material and make them myself? hmmmm, I think I'll wait until my resolution has weakened in October and buy them then...

19 months ago to day

19 months ago today we welcomed her into the world. Today we all did the pee pee dance to celebrate going Pee in the Potty 5 times today! Oh how our lives changed such a short time ago. We would not be complete with out you Isabelle, our Turkey Burger.

Library lady

With my odd new found time before bed each night I'm able to read more books, which is so refreshing. I have also discovered ordering books online to pick up at the library. I know I'm late to the game but I now have at least 4 things coming a week from the library. 1 book for me and a couple of books or DVD's for Isabelle. After doing this for a couple weeks I now have a designated canvas library bag that contains the items that are ready to be returned and items that have yet to be discovered.