First Family Photo

I've been waiting for this for some time....sooo excited to have some family pictures now! And fantastic ones at that thanks to the talented Meredith Rowley, she's the answer to all your family photo needs, lol. Bruce was such a stinker. Try getting him to sit still AND smile, riiiiight. Oh, you may need to scroll down a bit on Meredith's Photo Blog.

Trippin

I've jumped on the CVS couponing bandwagon! For those of you who are unfamiliar with this I'll summarize...
- each week CVS has sale items that give you Extra Care Bucks (dollar off coupons good for your next purchase)
- the idea is that you combine these Extra Care Bucks and coupons to make your purchase items free, almost free, or money makers
- you initially have to spend a bit to build up Extra Care Bucks, but you'll ideally be using only these to pay for future purchases

My first trip went like this...

Spent $63.26
- $17 in Coupons = $46.26
- $20 Extra Care Bucks earned = $26.26

I bought 2 packages of 30 count Huggies Diapers, 2 Johnsons Baby Wash and 1 Shampoo, 1 package of Always, 1 Listerine Mouthwash, 1 Listerine Whitening Pen, 1 Family Size Herbal Essences Shampoo and 1 Family Size Conditioner, 1 Gerber Veggie Crackers.

On this first trip I wanted to spend money on items we would actually use. So I shelled out almost $50, but have a credit of $20 for my next shopping trip. I'll make sure those purchases are earning Extra Care Bucks so I shouldn't be spending more than a few dollars if any in the future. Here's to saving some money!

Mormon Battalion Rocks

Well yeah, just sharing the love...check it!

Recent Developments

It has been fascinating watching Bruce learn new things. He knows how to open doors (our handles are the newer long handles) so we've had to shuffle a few things around to keep him safe. This clip is from one of the first few times he started opening our kitchen closet door, which previously had been barred from him. It's long...it may be something only Bruce's mom can appreciate, but here it is. I guess I'm taking care of my promise to Carrie to post a video of him walking...muahaha. I love how he runs a few steps away when he gets it open...he knows that was somewhere we didn't really want him to be.

He twirls around. This began a few weeks ago. I was shocked when I saw him do it the first time. It really made me wonder where he picked it up from...crazy kid! Today for lunch I had soup. It was too hot to eat so I was blowing on it. Now Bruce is blowing on his food. He is starting to be a bit cuddly when he wakes up. He'll tuck his little arms in and lay his head on my chest. It's really quite dear. Also, if a blanket is on the floor he'll lay down on it and do the same thing for just a few seconds, tucking his arms under his body. And probably not the last thing he'll learn from us that we wish he hadn't...he laughs at all burps and toots. Apparently they are very funny. What a fun little guy he's turning out to be!

Photo Shoot

Every Christmas, Kirk's company sends out holiday greetings to their clients. Last year, all the principles in the company shared a recipe. They put each of them on a cute card with their photo in the kitchen and the recipe. This year they highlighted 10 ways to use a paper bag. He was asked to participate in this. As you can see, this particular idea is origami. I appreciate that Kirk enjoys his job. He coordinates company outings and socials, participates in a drafting committee, and has most recently presented information on new software he is testing for his group.

Birthday Goodness

I love to see the temple...

and now I can everyday if I want...well, sort of! We're getting a temple in the Kansas City area, wahoo! This is really wonderful news.