AE Story Kit | Two "Firsts" Layouts

The day after Christmas, I signed up for Ali Edwards' Story Kit subscription, intent on making at least one scrapbook layout a month this year.

When my first box of goodies arrived in January, I was giddy with excitement. And I was just holding the box, mind you. (If you've been reading my blog long, you know what a fan I am of Ali Edwards + pretty much anything she creates.)

Then, I opened it up and was treated to an assortment of stickers and chipboard embellishments and cork letters and 3x4 cards and 4x6 cards, all relating to the theme: firsts.

Because I just couldn't stop myself, I created two layouts with the "firsts" kit, both about my FIRST (and only) trip to Click.
 
It's one of those "firsts" that I think about often.  A first that was both challenging + fun. A first where I definitely stepped outside my comfort zone, and because of that, came away with renewed self-confidence, a well of courage, and a willingness to attempt other firsts.



1 | "The Story of a First"

I love this image.  To me, everything about it screams the Outer Banks -- from the lattice fence to the staircase leading down to the beach to the reeds blowing in the wind to the sandy beach filled with footprints. I go back there instantly, hearing the roar of the ocean waves. 

I know it's ridiculously hard to read the journaling in the above photos, so I've typed it below:

It all began with the click of my mouse. It all began by saying "Yes!" to Click, even though I knew it would be hard for me. And because I stepped out of my comfort zone, I got to meet Ali Edwards for the first time! I got to meet Me Ra Koh and Tracey Clark, too. I got to visit the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I got to meet lots of lovely bloggers, take photos, eat yummy food, learn about photography, play carnival games, and experience a crazy-loud crack of thunder.  Boom! I missed Noah and Brian, but I had so much fun at my first blogger retreat. {Oct 2013}



2 | "Number 1"

I wanted to include more than one photo in this layout, so I started by resizing the ocean image to 12x12, and then placed it on a 12x18 canvas and ordered it at Costco. I also resized five photos to 2x2, and placed them on three 4x6 canvasses. 

To make the big #1, I reused packaging from a matching game that Noah received for his birthday. Originally, it had 12 squares; I just took a razor blade and trimmed it down to seven. (I also used the blade to cut the cork number 1 off of the word "number.") I painted the number one white and let it dry.

I had planned to insert a bookmark filled with journaling behind the photos, but then totally forgot when I was piecing the layout together, and glued the photos down instead.  Oh, snap!

Plan B: Attach journaling to the back of the layout.   

Thank God for Plan B. 


Lastly, in this kit, Ali poses a really thought-provoking question, that I thought I'd share so you could gnaw on it, like I am.

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

I'm still thinking (probably not a good sign), but if you're so inclined, please share about the last time you did something for the first time in the comment section.

A Letter to Noah @ 3

Dear Noah,

Today you turn three, my precious boy.

Like most moms out there, I'm kind of in shock that you're not so little anymore. 

I think...three? Already? You're growing up so fast, baby bear. 

Last Friday, I was at the post office mailing an envelope to your birth mother when it hit me.

The USPS clerk entered your birth mother's address into the system, but for some reason, it didn't recognize it. I was surprised and said, "Wow, really?  I've been sending envelopes to that address for three years."

Turns out, he spelled the street name incorrectly, but when I heard myself utter those three words, for three years, it really sunk in that it's been that long since I laid eyes on you for the first time.  That long since I fed you a bottle for the first time. That long since your birth mother lovingly placed you in my arms.

It's true I became your mama that day, but it wasn't until a year later that you started saying my favorite word in the English language: mama.

And you've said it countless times since. It's music to my ears, I tell you. 

Your birth--and the courageous, loving, and selfless decision your birth mother made to place you with our family--made me a mama.

And man, am I grateful for that.

Oh, how I adore you, Noey.  

Oh, how I cherish you.

Oh, how I love you. 

About a week ago, in anticipation of your birthday, I started jotting down as many things as I could think of that I love about you right now. 

I love that you...

• Love helping with the dishes. We push a dining chair up to the sink and you climb up and stand on it, so you can reach the faucet. Inevitably, tons of water ends up on the floor, but the dishes get very clean and you have so much fun in the process.

• Love the ocean, love the beach, love the sand, love the sunsets.  (I snapped the photo above on a beach in Del Mar.)

• Adore singing. You sing at home, at Music Together classes, in the car--even at Target. (In fact, we were shopping at Target last week and a customer complimented your singing voice. I said, "Thank you," and you just kept right on singing.)

• Have so much energy and enthusiasm and zest for life. 

• Have curly hair. (We got your hair cut a few weeks after the photo above was taken. It was a 25-minute, two-lollipop kind of haircut. It was tough on you, and it was tough on me. Since then, several people have commented, "Oh, you got your hair cut, Noah!"  To which you quickly reply with a frown, "I didn't like it.")   

• Love taking the back roads. When I give you the option, and I try to as often as I can, you always choose the back roads over the freeway. Reminds me of that Rodney Atkins' song, Take a Back Road--a tune your daddy loves.

• Are playing independently more, and for longer periods of time. Right now, you play with your Jake pirate ship, your trains, and your fire truck most often.

• Ask me to "Talk Mickey?" which in Noah-speak means "Would you please talk for Mickey?"

• Ask me for a granola bar by saying, "Can I please have a handlebar?"

• Are obsessed with the Disney show, Jake and the Neverland Pirates. The other day, you were playing in the family room when I said, "Okay Noah, in 5 minutes, I'm going to get you dressed and then we're going to get in the car and go see Nonni and Pop." You looked up at me and said, "Aye, aye, Captain Mommy!"

• Love persimmons.  See, we have a persimmon tree in our  yard, but neither Daddy nor I particularly like the taste of them.  So, for years, we've been giving them away to friends. But not anymore. As long as we remove the skin, you will eat and eat and eat some more.

• Think of Zoey, even though she no longer lives with us. When we're in a restaurant, you'll say, "We need to get a highchair for Zoey" or when we're in the car, you'll ask, "Can we pick up Zoey and go to the park?"

• Came out of your room last week wearing your orange Home Depot apron, your safety goggles, and your fire helmet, and you said, "I have to go to work, Mommy!" I asked, "Where do you work?" and you replied, "Grass Valley." 

• Carry your chainsaw up on your shoulder--just like the loggers do. (Last week, there was a crew of 10 loggers working up the street from us and you were fascinated by their chainsaws and ropes and chaps and helmets.)

• Love animals. We were driving in the car one morning, on a windy country road, just you and me. The temperature outside was about 30 degrees.  I saw two horses in a pasture off to the right and I said, "Gosh, those horses must be cold." Your reply? "They need a sweatshirt, Mommy."

• Placed my iPhone, Pandora music playing from the speaker, under Lucy's head so she could listen to some instrumental music. You turned to me and said, "It makes her happy, Mama." Oh, be still my heart, sweet boy.  

You, dear Noah, make me happy. 

I can't wait to watch you grow and learn and play this coming year.

Love,

Mama

A Quick Camping Trip

During the last week of May, Brian, Noah, and I went camping at Sugar Pine Reservoir.

It was our first time camping as a family in the trailer, and while some parts of the trip were super fun, others were really challenging.

First up, the challenging parts:

• Our 17-month-old, Noah, only slept for three hours the first night and then didn't want to nap on the second day.  He eventually fell asleep when we went for a drive in the truck, but Brian and I were really tired and wanted to nap, too.  

• It was my first time staying in the trailer (Brian stayed in it during his guys' camping trip in April), so there was a bit of a learning curve.  How do I turn on each light?  How do I activate the pump so I have water?  Where is the aluminum foil?  How can we deadbolt the door so Noah doesn't accidentally fall out?  How do the two slides work?    

• Since Noah is constantly on-the-go now, one of us was on "Noah patrol," while the other person set up camp or cooked dinner or washed dishes--leaving little time to just sit and relax. 

On a more positive note:

• We scored a really nice campsite near the lake.  Definitely one of the perks that comes with being able to camp mid-week. 

•  Noah was a really "happy camper," despite not sleeping much at night.

• We got a chance to visit Morning Star, a nearby campground where my family and I stayed for three summers when I was a child.  I have so many wonderful memories there: swimming in the lake, walking on the log (and trying not to fall off), painting rocks, hiking, sleeping in tents, and (one year) getting rained out.  Still looks much the same, only now there are showers and a general store.     

• I toted my big camera around and snapped lots of photos, which always makes me happy.  Here's a look at some of my favorites:

Noah had fun checking out the camper.  He climbed the steps, walked all around it--and underneath it--and loved playing inside it.


Knock, knock.  Anyone home?!


We'd only just arrived and already Noah had "camping" dirt on his face.  Smile.  




Noah enjoyed standing on the wood blocks and turning the handle on the tongue jack.  He also played in the bear locker, watched the birds, and chased a ground squirrel. 
 
The first evening, we hung out in the trailer for a few minutes before bath time.  Brian and Noah played with some toy trucks on the sofa.  As I snapped this shot, Noah put his left hand up, made a fist and said, "Click!" mimicking the sound of my camera.  Apparently, it's something he hears quite a lot.  Smile.   

During bath time, the campground host, Jason, knocked on our trailer door.  Jason's dog had run a bear up a tree nearby.  (Earlier in the day, Jason had warned us that bears were coming into the campsites during the daytime searching for food.)  Brian, eager to see the bear in person, grabbed my camera and bolted out of the trailer.  Noah and I were perfectly content to stay in the trailer.  

The following day, we hiked around the reservoir, discovering several rope swings along the way. 

This is Noah's "I'm-tired-but-I'm-happy-because-I'm-outdoors" grin.      

Later on, after Noah's nap in the truck, he and Brian waded into the lake.  Noah was in heaven--being a huge water fan--even though it was quite cold.

I adore this shot of Noah playing in the sand.   

And these two shots are super fun, too. 

I can hear Noah giggling when I look at this photo.

And here's proof I was there.  Smile.  Love that this shot captures Noah in the backseat (facing forward now) as well as the truck and trailer.

We plan to camp again later this summer.  We're not sure when or where--but I'm hoping that Noah sleeps better.