Pictures, Videos & Audio = Together FINALLY!

I could not be more EXCITED or HAPPY! Over the moon-Squeal like a kid-Pee my pants EXCITED. I'm not even kidding.

I have finally found a way to pull my pictures, videos and even music all together in one unified approach to scrapbooking. This has been a goal of mine for at least 15 years and finally, the technology has arrived to make it all possible. Here is how it works.

In this example, I have designed a layout of two, 12 x 12, facing pages. The subject matter; my favorite pictures of Nathan playing Fall T-ball.

 Left Page:

 Right Page:

As you can see in my right page, I have a QRC (Quick Response Code) image included in my page.  Later, when I am looking back at my 2012 scrapbook, I can use a QRC reader to play the accompanying video included in my page.  Watch below to see how it works:

Revolutionary, right?  I know.  It's so exciting to be able to incorporate pictures, videos and even music all together for scrapbooking purposes. YAYYYYY!!!

If your interested in watching the Tball video in it's entirety, here ya go. :-)


By the way, the background music to my video was not random by any means.  It's the Forest Gump theme which we played at our wedding.  So even that detail in this page will bring back good memories. :-)
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Every Day Life

I am mildly obsessed about documenting life.  I am adamant about capturing and recording the details of life.  Real life.  Not just the vacations, not just the grand moments but the good, bad and ordinary.  Because that's what real life is about. Good moments.  Bad moments.  And every ordinary moment in between.

That being said, back in January, I made a series of videos to capture just a regular day in my life.  I just finished working on this video because I want to incorporate into our 2012 family scrapbook by means of a Quick Response video Code (more on this at another time).

So I'm just sharing the video, that's all. :-)

The Missing Months. Hello again.

July. August. September.  Those are the missing months for 2012. Hello again.
Where were we, you ask?
Did we go on a voyage around the world?  Hardly.
Did we enter the witness protection program?  Nope.
Did we win the lottery?  Definitely not.
Nothing so dramatic, we just went through a lot of changes.  At once, it seemed.
Pretty much our pattern, right?  Hello Hulls.

I took a look at the scarce number of pictures taken over this time period, they tell the story best...

We decided to move and put our house on the market, hello house showings...

 We bought another home.  A short-sale.  It was a four month process, hello patience... 

Greg was offered an IT job and it was to good to pass up. Hello commute...

My job announced management and team changes, hello stress...

We got the house keys at the same time Greg started his new job and  we had to immediately begin house renovations in order for the carpet installation, hello time crunch...

 This floor also had to come out in order for carpet to be installed, hello last minute changes...

While Greg ripped out walls and cabinets.  I cleaned. And cleaned. And cleaned. The new house.  For six days. Hello germ-a-phobe...

Though we didn't actually 'plan' to move this particular Saturday, it happened, hello manpower...

We made trips back and forth. A lot. Hello gas station...

While we were tearing out, cleaning up, and moving around...school started.  Kindergarten. Half day. Hello schedule changes....

And then there are the hundred little details that go alongside a move, like forwarding the mail,  hello small but important details...

And so much more.  To much to go into.  For a while it felt like we were drowning in a sea of change and conflict, all crashing towards us at once. Hello overwhelmed.
But the waves have finally calmed, our heads are above water now, we are still afloat, gently rocking back and forth.  Hello peace.  I've missed you.

-

Our June Date: Breakfast & Batting

Six months after Christmas, it's the gift that keeps on giving. :) Greg opened June's date from our date book and discovered we would be going on another day date and participating in 2 of his favorite activities!

Greg loves to eat. I love to eat breakfast, so this was my favorite part of our date.  Check out the awesome Cafe Au Lait that "The Farmhouse" serves and I drank it all, hehehe! We found the same size portions in the breakfast dishes we ordered, needless to say we were miserably full but it was so worth it!

The second half of our date took place at the batting cages, captured in the video below.  Someone (male) once said Greg has a sexy swing and as you'll see in the video, he really has this beautiful natural swing.  Now what about my swing?  Let's just say I'm the equivalent in a batting cage to Charles Barkley on the golf course.  Hahaha!!

(Soundtrack "Centerfield" John Fogerty)

July's date is just around the corner, I can't wait!! :-)

My 12 yr old keychain broke today.

I’ve been carrying this keychain for 12 years.

 

I know this because I bought this shortly after the Columbine school shootings.   

The inscription reads “Yes, I believe in God.”  

Cassie Bernall’s final words before she was shot to death.

This has been my one and only keychain for the last 12 years. 

A regular reminder of a young girls courage in the face of life or death. 

 She was only 17 years old. 

Cassie's story has remained with me all these years because of this keychain.

Now it's broken and my keychain feels strange.

It's missing a piece and all I have left is the word "Yes".

12 years after Columbine, after Cassie's brave stand.

I suppose it's time to move on.

"Yes" its time to get a new keychain. 

Our May Date - Frisbee Golf & Lunch!

Today Greg and I took time off from work for our date in May which was a round of Frisbee Golf followed by lunch.  Greg had mentioned a few times in the past that he would like to try this, so I figured one of our dates would be a perfect time! :-)

We played in Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, at a very beautiful course surrounding a community lake and one of the largest fountains in the world which sprays up to 500 ft high.

We found the 'tee' (landing pad) for the first 'hole' (basket).  I went first doing my best to throw towards the 'hole' - notice the athletically poised stance as I throw, buwahh!

And I threw my frisbee in the lake.  On the FIRST hole.  And that was it.  That was my experience at playing Frisbee Golf.

Meanwhile, Greg continued playing.  He offered to let me throw his frisbee but I wanted him to have the full experience so I just walked with him and enjoyed the day and our time together.  THEN halfway through the course, Greg was attacked!  By a bird.  This bird dive-bombed Greg about 3 different times and actually grazed the back of his neck!  As the attack went down, I had just a split second to catch this picture of the bird turning back around for his final attack!

Ironically, my frisbee was recovered from the lake by a park employee immediately after Greg finished the 18th hole...

Despite losing my frisbee on the FIRST hole and Greg getting attacked by a bird, it was a great date! ;-)

Monster Truck Mayhem!!!

I'm hesitant to admit, we actually went to a Monster Truck show.  Uh, to take Nathan of course and needless to say, it was a spectacle to be seen!  Despite the car crunching and the fire-breathing-dragon-robot it was one of the most family friendly events I think I've ever been.  More family friendly than a baseball game - seriously!

Here's a video of our night with the Monster Trucks: