Yesterday he played outside all day long with as much energy as you could possible imagine.

Today at church he kept lying down on the floor, including the asphalt in the church parking lot and inside the lobby.  If you know Justin, you know that he never sits down, let alone lies down, unless he’s sleeping, so that was a telltale sign that he wasn’t feeling well.

Back home we went for yet another day on the couch, infront of the television.

]]> http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/and-repeat/feed/ 0 Stacey IMG_0117 http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/the-best-i-could-offer/ http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/the-best-i-could-offer/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:47:45 +0000 staceybasler http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/?p=2342 ]]> This winter has been great here in Charlotte.  It has been so mild that I’ve hardly noticed it’s winter.

However, the past week has been pretty rainy and cold.  I thought the kids were going to wiggle right out of their skin from having to stay in the house several days in a row.

Today, the sunshine was back and the temps were in the mid-sixties!!!

But, it’s hard to enjoy playing outside with all of your friends when you are sick with a nasty cough and low-grade fever.

I felt so bad for him, after watching him watch Ella and his friends out the window for about an hour, that I told him he could sit on the porch and read.  At least he saw the sun and enjoyed the fresh air, because I think the clouds and rain are making a comeback the next few days.

I am going a little more modern this time, instead of your traditional “baby” decor.  I have already decorated 2 nurseries in the past with a more babyish feel, and I wanted to do something different this time around.

The colors:  Dark blue, light blue, gray, orange and a little bit of lime green here and there.

 I’ve found a lot of cute things at The Land of Nod and some really cute art for the walls on Etsy.

I know it will take me a while to put it all together (ummm…at least a month for me to clean out the room, which is used as a throw-any-and-everything-that-doesn’t-have-a-home-in-here spare room right now), but I have about 4 months before he’s due.

I am planning on putting some robot accessories in the room, and I couldn’t resist this cute fox toy bin (also from The Land of Nod):

How could I not buy that?

]]> http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/sneak-peak/feed/ 1 Stacey IMG_0072 IMG_0086 IMG_0088 http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/learning-about-the-human-body/ http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/learning-about-the-human-body/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:45:15 +0000 staceybasler http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/?p=2325 ]]> This winter, the kids are learning about the human body.

Every week we learn about a different part of the body and it’s function.

Last week, we covered the brain.

 This week, the heart and blood.

After our lesson, the kids color and cut out the weekly body part and paste it onto a life sized tracing of their own body.

When we’re all done in several weeks, the kids will have all the body parts glued onto their traced body.

Note:  Ella seems very interested in this.  Justin, on the other hand, does not like talking about blood and other body parts.  I’m thinking he may not ever work in healthcare.

]]> http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/learning-about-the-human-body/feed/ 0 Stacey IMG_9987 IMG_0001 http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/blah/ http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/blah/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:13:29 +0000 staceybasler http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/?p=2321 ]]> Sick again (sigh)…

At least I’m using my time stuck inside to get the rest of the Christmas decorations put away.

I started the day off doing my normal routine – homeschool with the kids, laundry, making lunch, etc.  But when Matt got home from work, we went out to dinner and then to the mall.  I told him I wanted a watch for my birthday, but I wanted to pick it out myself.  It’s nothing fancy.  Just something I can wear everyday.  I debated over getting one of the more in-style, bigger-faced watches, but then I ended up choosing something a little more classic instead.   Then I found some cute yellow shoes and scarf that I had to buy.  When you’re pregnant and wearing maternity clothes, you have to make things fun buy wearing cute accessories.

Thanks to all of my friends and family for the cards, gifts, texts, phone calls and facebook birthday wishes!

He had a small family party on Saturday night, followed by a friend party at Chuck E. Cheese on Sunday, followed by a sleepover with a few close friends Sunday night.

This was his gift from me and Matt.  A pretend Ducati motorcycle – battery powered, of course.  For Ella’s 6th birthday, she got a pink Barbie Hot Wheels Mustang, and Justin has been asking for his own set of wheels ever since.  He’s always been obsessed with motorcycles, so this was a no brainer!

It’s all about the Legos lately in our house.  For the past several months, all Justin has been playing with are Legos, and most of his birthday gifts were – you guessed it – Legos!

This year’s birthday theme – pirates!

Justin and his best friend, Josh, ready to play some games at Chuck E. Cheese!

The whole reason why Justin wanted a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party?  To get one of those red, inflatable crowns you see on his head.  And I should mention that the very next day, he popped it by taking it on the trampoline and jumping on it.

Make a wish!

Okay, here’s the most memorable part of the party.  It started with the ticket blaster and the ticket that says 1000 on it that you see on the floor.

Wait for it, wait for it…

Hey, Justin, what’s that you’ve got in your hands?

OH YEAH!!!!!!!!!  They told him that he was the 1st kid ever to win that!!!  Way to go Justin!

(with Grandma, Papa and Uncle Scott)

After the party, it was back to our house for a sleepover, which I didn’t get any pictures of.  I was too busy passing out cups of candy, monitoring light saber fights and trying to get 7 boys into bed.   The next morning, Matt and I took all the boys out for Dunkin Donuts before dropping them off.

I think Justin had a great birthday weekend and hopefully will have some awesome memories!

Ainsley Wren is my very 1st niece, and she is also the absolute cutest thing!

We went to the hospital as soon as she was born, where I had to fight Ella just to get my hands on the cute little bundle of joy.

Ella, Ainsley & Uncle Patrick

Justin’s turn to meet his new cousin.

Isn’t she too cute?  I just want to kiss those sweet little baby lips.  I can’t wait to hold her again.  I am so excited to have a niece, and Ella is definitely thrilled to no longer be the only girl in the family!

Congrats Patrick & Shayne, and welcome to our family Ainsley!

If you live in Charlotte, you don’t want to miss this.  There have been people flying in from around the world to witness 12 of some of the most well known pastors from all over the country (and even Australia) preach 12 nights in a row.  People have been lining up outside of our church’s building starting at 2pm the past couple of days, even though the services begin at 7pm, just to make sure they get a seat.

For more information, including the list of speakers and the reason for the revival, go to codeorangerevival.com.  If you live outside of Charlotte, you can watch a live stream of the revival every night here at 7:12pm EST.

Get there or listen online.  It is awesome!!!

Right before Christmas, I realized that Ella was probably ready for chapter books.  She got a couple of Junie B. Jones books in her stocking and as gifts, and within 3 days, she had read all 3 of them (apparently using her book light to read after she had been tucked into bed).  I didn’t have any idea she’d be able to read them that fast, so last week I ordered her the first book in the Ivy + Bean series.  I gave it to her last night, and she’s already almost halfway done reading it.  She even asked me this morning if I can order her more.  I guess reading chapter books is much more interesting than level 3 of those I Can Read books.

]]> http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/ivy-bean/feed/ 1 Stacey IMG_9672 http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/baby-3-is-a/ http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/baby-3-is-a/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:38:36 +0000 staceybasler http://staceybasler.wordpress.com/?p=2275 ]]> BOY!!!

We are thrilled to be adding another little man into our family, and Justin couldn’t be happier that he is getting a little brother.  We had all thought that it was going to be a girl, so it was a little shocking when the ultrasond tech told us boy.  It’s funny because I had thought girl all along until the second I saw him on the screen.  The whole time the tech was taking measurements, I kept referring to the baby out loud as a “him”.  Then, when the tech was having trouble taking measurements because the baby was moving around so much, I figured she was definitely going to tell us it was a boy.  Justin never stopped moving in my stomach, and apparently this baby is following in his big brother’s footsteps.

As soon as the ultrasound was over, we headed over to the Gap to pick out a few little outfits for him.  The kids, especially Ella, had fun doing that.

Justin picked out glow in the dark pajamas, as any good big brother would!

We have decided on a first name already, which is Anderson, but we will probably call him Andy most of the time.  I have loved that name for a long time, and I knew that if I had another boy, that would be his name.  We are still in search of a middle name though.

Well, I am off to rummage through Justin’s baby clothes to see what we will get to use again!

The past few years the game has been played on New Year’s, but this year it was moved to the day after so that it wouldn’t be competing with football.  I don’t really watch it with the boys, but I did make some snacks for them this year…buffalo chicken dip, The Pioneer Woman’s Salsa, and I really outdid myself when I set out some spreadable cheese and crackers.  Boys are so darn easy to feed.

Happy New Year (a day late)!

Here’s what I remember most from 2011…

10.  The Big Trampoline:  My most memorable Christmas growing up was the year that my parents surprised me and my brothers with a big trampoline.  I was 10 and had spent all year begging for a trampoline after having so much fun on the one that my friend had.  My parents kept telling me that it was too unsafe and that we would never get one.  That Christmas morning after we had opened all of our gifts, my parents told us that they forgot to give us our last present.  They blindfolded us, took us outside and asked us to guess what it was.  I thought we were all getting new bikes.  I was so excited when they removed my blindfold, and I saw a big trampoline in my very own backyard – something I wasn’t expecting at all!  So, naturally, I wanted to get one for my own kids.  This fall, we finally purchased one, and the kids have been loving it ever since.  My kids use it almost every day, it is great exercise and all of my nephews, neighbor’s kids and Justin and Ella’s friends love coming over and jumping.  Plus a huge bonus – it doesn’t make a mess!!!

9.  iPhone 4s:  In May of 2010, Matt got a Droid.  In December of 2010, my Verizon contract was up for renewal, which meant that I was eligible for a new phone as well.  After thinking about it for a while, even though I liked my husband’s smart phone, I opted to forgo the additional $30 a month charge and just get another regular phone.  About 2 months later, I was seriously regretting that decision.  It started seeming like every time I was out of the house, I was in need of the internet.  Sometimes for directions somewhere, sometimes because I was waiting for an email to come through, sometimes because I needed to look up a store’s phone number/hours, and sometimes just because I was bored waiting for my kids at their activities and wanted to get on Facebook.  So in October, the day the iphone 4s was released, 2 days before we left for our Disney vacation, my awesome husband went and stood in line at Verizon at 6am to get me one.  He even gave me his upgrade instead of getting a new phone himself since I had already used mine last year.  I desperately wanted it before we left for Orlando, so that I could use the camera and take videos on our trip.  It has been my constant companion ever since, and has made my life so much more convenient.  I think my kids appreciate it too, because not only do they like to play with Siri, but they like the fact that I can check my email and Facebook anywhere, which means that I am on the computer at home much less.

8.  Mountain Vacation:  We spent the week of 4th of July at the lake/mountains with Matt’s family.  We made so many memories while we were there and got to spend time with Matt’s parents, his sister, her husband and their 4 boys.  Matt took Ella and Justin to the driving range and out on the golf course for the first time, we went horseback riding as a family in the mountains, we watched fireworks from the boat on the lake, made s’mores, played with sparklers with Ella and Justin’s cousins, went tubing, jet skiing, water skiing, wake-boarding, canoeing and explored nature.  It was relaxing and fun and full of many firsts for my children.

4th of July pinwheels for all headed out to see fireworks!

7.  Chris Moving Here:  In April, my cousin, Chris, moved to Charlotte.  He is 4 years older than me, and we grew up together in Phoenix. His mom is my mom’s sister, and our families spent every Christmas, Easter, 4th of July and birthday together while I was growing up.  It makes me so happy that since Matt and I moved to Charlotte back in 2003, all 3 of my brothers, along with my two sisters-in-law and now my cousin have all moved here as well.  I am so thankful that my kids get to experience having such a large family and that our holidays often include over 20 family members.

Chris and Justin after J’s preschool graduation.  Celebratory milkshake at Red Robin!

6.  Homeschooling 2 Kids:  Justin graduated preschool back in May, which meant he became a kindergartner this year.  Matt and I decided that I would continue homeschooling this year as well, and so in August, our school year began.  If I am being honest, I have to admit that homeschooling two small children is a lot of work!  Especially when one of them has a hard time sitting in a chair and listening.  It definitely is a huge undertaking, and some days I feel like I might lose my mind.  We started homeschooling last year, when Ella was in kindergarten, mainly because of Matt’s work schedule.  This year, I feel like it’s not working as well as it did last year, and I can’t say for sure that I will be doing it again next fall.  I do like that I get to spend so much time with my children and see with my own eyes how quickly they learn, but it is almost impossible to keep up with daily chores, extra curricular activities and everything else that is a part of life, when you are required to spend half of your day teaching.  I constantly feel like if I’m on top of school work, then I am behind on everything else (laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, emails, errands, etc.).  And if I am on top of everything else, then we get behind on school.  I am planning on seeing what happens this spring, now that I’m not feeling so sick and tired from pregnancy and now that the holidays are behind us, but I can say that I am not completely sold on homeschooling my kids again next year.

5.  Disney World:  In October we went back to Disney World again.  I think we should’ve invested in some sort of time share there or something, because that was our 3rd trip there in 18 months.  We just can’t seem to get enough.  We were supposed to go on a beach vacation this year with my brothers and their wives, but we just couldn’t get everyone’s vacation time and schedules to line up.  Matt and I decided that if we weren’t going to the beach with everyone, we might as well go back to Disney.  We also made that decision based on the fact that we were trying for baby #3, and we knew that if that happened, we would wouldn’t be able to go back again for a while.  I did end up being pregnant by the time we left on our trip, and while I had a great time, a lot of my memories include feeling very sick and completely exhausted every day.  I’m glad we got to go during the fall this time, because we got to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party for the first time and see the parks decorated for the season.  My kids are already asking to back again, but it won’t be for quite a while!

4.  Egroups & Ekidz:  This year I really got involved more at our church, Elevation.  It has always been hard for me to volunteer at church due to Matt’s work schedule.  He works long hours on Sundays, which means that I take the kids to church by myself every week.  Up until this year, I didn’t feel like my kids were old enough to be at church for 5-6 hours every week, because of their schedules (nap time, lunch time, snacks, etc.), and so for the past couple of years I did some volunteer work from home and we just attended service on Sunday and then went home.  This year, with my kids turning 5 and 7, I knew that they would be fine to be there all morning, so I signed up to volunteer in the children’s program, Ekidz.  This fall, I also said yes to something that the Lord put on my heart a long time ago, and I now lead a small group (our church calls them  egroups) at my home every week for high school girls.  I love doing all of this stuff, and my kids really enjoy being at church every week.  It is so important to me that I teach my kids that when we put our faith in Jesus, we then need to demonstrate our faith by serving and giving back to others.  I pray that I will be able to lead by example and that they will grow up to be godly men and women someday who have a heart for God.

3.  New House:  Last year, our town house was on the market almost the entire year, and never sold.  We pulled it off the market last December, because I couldn’t deal with keeping it clean for showings during the holidays.  In April, we decided to rent it out, and at the same time rent a bigger house for us.  I was sick of waiting for the market to get get better and wasn’t ready to own and take care of 2 properties, so that was the best decision we could think of.  I really wanted another baby (and room for another baby), plus a yard for the kids and more room for entertaining, and that is exactly what we got when we found a house in April.  The house we found is about 12-15 minutes away from our old neighborhood, and we are really enjoying it.  It is in a cul de sac, which is great for the kids.  It has a big yard – big enough for a trampoline.  And it has an extra room for the baby and a playroom for the kids.  One of my favorite things though, is that we were able to have almost 30 people in our house on Christmas Eve and Christmas, because we had the space!  That is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time but never had the room until this year.  There are some things that I don’t like about not owning the home we live in, like not being able to switch out the kitchen flooring that isn’t my favorite, or not having complete freedom over paint colors, but for now I am just thankful that we have the extra room I’ve been wanting for so long.

2.  Henry:  We got our first family dog this past winter, and it has been so much fun!!!  We have all fallen completely in love with Henry, a Chiweenie (1/2 Chihuahua, 1/2 Dachshund), so much so, that I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to be dog-less again.  He is extremely spoiled, but he’s so dang cute, we just can’t help it.  He’s super snuggly and curls up in our laps all day long.  He’s the first thing the kids look for when they wake up every morning, still, even though we’ve had him 10 months.  He’s the puppy we  didn’t intend to buy, that we now could never live without.

1.  Pregnancy:  My number one memory from 2011 undoubtedly revolves around babies.  This year we found out that my brother and his wife are expecting their 1st baby in January (only 3 weeks away now)!!!  It is a girl, and she will be my very first niece and my kid’s first girl cousin.  I am so excited for them, and for myself having a new niece!

Courtney (left – my sister in law), Shayne (middle – my sister in law), me (right) & Ella (front) at Shayne’s baby shower (December 2011).

This year, I will also remember with a little bit of sadness which revolves around my own pregnancy.  In June, Matt and I lost our third pregnancy in a miscarriage.  I know that is really personal information, and I didn’t share it when it happened, but my blog is supposed to be about real life and the things that happen every day – not just the good things.  I felt like I needed to share that information, not only because it is something that I will remember forever, but because it was helpful for me, while I was experiencing the miscarriage, when I found out that so many other women I knew had experienced the same thing.  I feel very fortunate that it happened very early on in my pregnancy, but it was still heartbreaking.  I made peace with my situation quickly though, because of my faith.  I know that God is in control, and that my baby is in heaven with him right now.

Only a few months later, in September, Matt and I found out that we were expecting again!  I was scared out of my mind the first 2 months, constantly worried that I would have another miscarriage, but the further along I get, the less worries I have.  I am now 18 weeks, and we find out the sex of the baby this Wednesday.  Ella and Justin are so excited, and Matt and I are thrilled to be adding a new member to our family.  We can’t wait to meet our new little one in 2012!!!

It has been a great year for us, with a lot of changes, and a lot of great memories.  We are so excited for all that we have coming up in the next year – new babies, new projects, new goals.  I love January – it is not only the month of my birthday and Justin’s birthday, but it’s a time that always feels so refreshing to me.  I love the feeling I have of starting new.  Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Click anywhere on photos to enlarge)

(Scrapbook Credits:  Miss Mint-sk8terboy kit, gina miller glitzy stars, lindsayj-wildchild kit, Miss Mint red plastic letters, kskdesigns-4theboyz kit, zgl-americana kit, cinnamon designs-little prince kit)

In case you missed the past 2 years, you can check them out here:

2009

2010

After church on Christmas Eve, Matt and I hosted a party for over 20 family members and friends at our home, which was so fun!  We were lucky to have 2 of my brothers and my sister in law spend the night after the party, which was great because we apparently needed a lot of help getting everything ready.  It took us until after 2am to get the rest of the wrapping finished, everything under the tree, all the stockings filled, the house cleaned up from the party and everything ready for the next round of people coming over in the morning.

On Christmas morning, we let the kids come downstairs at 7am (my family’s tradition growing up).  All 3 of my brothers were at our house, 2 sisters-in-law, my cousin and my aunt.  So, if you’re wondering why so many presents under the tree, know that there were 11 people at my house!

Santa brought the kids bean bag chairs this year, which were unwrapped under the tree.  After stockings, we at a yummy breakfast, which included The Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls and this yummy egg dish.

Then, it was present time!  Here’s what I was able to capture amidst all the chaos:

Justin with Aunt Shayne & silly Uncle Patrick!

How many aunts and uncles does it take to open a toy?  Toy makers sure love to make it almost impossible to get things out of the box, don’t they?

Ella with one of her favorite gifts from this year.

Ella with Uncle Duncan & Aunt Courtney, the givers of the Fijit!

Ella with her Lalaloopsy Doll.  When you come from a large family full of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, great grandparents and great aunts, you sure get spoiled!

We were so excited that my Aunt Kate, who lives in Phoenix, was able to be with us for Christmas this year.

Henry was enjoying his 1st Christmas this year.  I’m pretty sure that he got more gifts than Matt and I combined!

Uncle Colton & Justin

My cousin, Chris, who just moved to Charlotte this year!  This was the first time since Ella was a baby that we got to celebrate Christmas with him.

Justin’s big present was a drum set this year, and lucky for us, Chris is a drummer.  He had the whole kit set up in about 5 minutes!

I guess we were going with a music theme this year, because Ella’s last gift was a keyboard.

Christmas night we had 10 more family members come over and ordered Chinese food for dinner.  At that point, I was exhausted and done taking photos!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Baby #3 will be here on or around June 1, 2012!!!

We are so excited and thankful!!!!!!!!!!

And for all of you who hate surprises as much as Matt and I do, we will be finding out the gender shortly after Christmas!

We spent Thanksgiving at my sister in law’s house, as we do every year.  There were 18 people there, including Matt’s family and my family.  We are very blessed that our families like each other and get along, and that everyone can celebrate together.  We ate plenty of food, played games, looked at Black Friday ads, played a little football and just visited with each other   I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

In September, we bought a big trampoline.

The kids love it and use it almost daily.  It’s not attractive, and I’m not a big fan of looking at it from my kitchen window, but they have been having such a great time.

This is a totally random photo, but it is extremely rare that Justin is looking at the camera and smiling, so I had to put it in.

In October we went to Disney World for a week.  Again.

I know – we might have a problem.  We’re Disney World addicts.  We just can’t seem to get enough.  This time we went in October so that we could go to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.  I really didn’t get many great photos this trip.  I’m not sure if it was because this was our 3rd time there in 18 months, and I just wanted to enjoy myself and not worry about photos, or if it was because I thought that my new iphone 4s would take all the photos.  While it’s nice that the phone has a camera, the pictures it takes are not the same as my Canon Rebel.  So, because I was too lazy to carry around my big camera, most of my pics are from our last day there – the only day I took my good camera.

It was fun seeing Disney all decorated for fall.  It was kind of weird that the weather was warm with fall decorations up, but it was pretty.

Goofy – Justin’s favorite character this trip.

Ella & Sleeping Beauty during our lunch at Cinderella’s castle.  My #1 must for Disney World is character meals.  You have to eat, so why not get autographs from your favorite characters at the same time.  It is such a time saver, and the kids love it!  This time we also did a breakfast with Mickey & friends (Animal Kingdom) and lunch with Disney playhouse pals (Hollywood Studios).

I try to get one picture of both of my kids in front of the castle, and this is what happens.  I actually have a whole series of photos I took in front of the castle – all like this – just a few different poses.

Moving on…

Halloween 2011

Ella as Dorothy.  Justin as a ninja.  Uncle Patrick – a hockey fan???

Yep, again I did a terrible job taking photos.  This one was taken after trick or treating.  This was the first year Matt did not have to work on Halloween evening, which means this was the first time he got to take the kids trick or treating.  I stayed home and passed out candy, which was fun since I usually have to put a bowl out on the porch.  I ended up giving away 8 big bags of candy in an hour and a half.  We actually ran out before the trick or treaters stopped ringing our doorbell.  To be fair, I did give out 3-4 pieces per kid, but I never would have thought we would have gone through so much.

And last, but not least, Ella with her sign:

Ella got invited to be in competition dance this year, which is part of what is keeping us so busy this fall.  She is doing tap, ballet and jazz and will be competing in several competitions all over the Carolinas during the spring/summer this year.  I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I agreed to let her do this, and usually I find myself wishing I had said no every Monday evening when I have to drive 40 minutes in rush hour traffic, sit in a small, crowded waiting room for 2 hours and dish out hundreds of dollars every month for costumes/tuition.  But then, when I see her dance and see how much she loves it and how good she is, it makes all the work worth it.

That’s it for fall pictures.  Sad, I know.  Maybe I’ll get some at Thanksgiving tomorrow, which reminds me – I better get back to the kitchen.  Food is waiting to be prepared!

I saw this online tonight, and I had to share.  It’s the Apple logo with Steve Job’s profile replacing the traditional apple bite (designed by Jonathan Mak Long).

About 10 years ago, my husband, told me that he was going to purchase an Apple computer.  That was before the ipod, the iphone, the apple t.v. and of course, the ipad.  I was a little skeptical, because I didn’t know anyone else who had an Apple computer at that time.  He insisted that it was the thing to get, because he was going to be using the computer for video editing, which would best be done on a Mac.  Even though I was skeptical, I didn’t really care, because I rarely used our computer.

Then things changed.  He bought the Mac G4, and I fell in love.  It was so pretty – unlike any other computer I had seen.  It was clear with a thin screen.  It was modern and easy to use.  From that time on, I had a new appreciation for technology.

Right after we bought our first Mac computer in 2001, the first ipod was released.  I worked overtime that holiday season to save up $400 to buy Matt the original ipod for Christmas.

Since then, we have purchased an iMac, several other ipods and an Apple t.v. (which was Matt’s Father’s Day gift this past June).

This post serves as my own, personal tribute to Steve Jobs.  10 years ago he made me realize that computers are not just for nerds.

Thanks for everything, Mr. Jobs.  I hope you rest in peace.

P.S.  I am sure when I get my iphone 4s later this month, it will be awesome!

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