eight whole years

Eight on Vimeo.

Yessssss!!!  The video, she is completed!!  It came together quite nicely and I think it goes along with the happy-go-lucky sort of year we had.  Last year I got to put the vid together right after some bad news about the husband's job, and it's a more subdued feel, like we were at the time.  But this sums up this year quite nicely.

You know, every year I swear I won't use Windows Movie Maker again because it's archaic and crashes constantly, but then I go on the hunt for new software and realize I'm lucky to be able to do what I do because I'm too dim-witted to understand any other videoing software.  We even have some high caliber ones installed and I tried and tried... I'm just too slow.  And if I use stuff for dummies, it doesn't let me customize it like I want.  They aren't the fanciest of vids, but I take a lot of joy in being able to time things right to the music and Windows Movie Maker lets me.  Sigh.

And onto something less dull... well, actually this is all dull.  My anniversary is upon us (obviously) and that was when I started this 365 self-portrait thing, so I'm 2 days away from being done.  It has been quite the challenge this year and I feel like I'm starting to get this photography thing just a wee bit more.  I've taken a lot of bad pictures, and composed a few really cool ones, but the nifty thing was that I managed to be consistent and do it every day.  I've even wondered if maybe I should keep it up for another year, but I got the impression from both my husband and my mother that they are sick of seeing pictures of me, so I'm going to modify it a bit and try and keep my momentum going.  The rules for the 365 club I was in this year were that I had to be in every picture and had to take every picture - so this year I'm loosening the rules for myself and am doing a 365 project on my family.  It'll be a really interesting year to do it, because we're going to be going through a huge life change in just over a month (OH BABY), so I can focus on documenting our lives as we transition through that.  I'm not going to keep the rule that I have to take every shot, either.  Just collecting shots, good and bad, composed and not, of our crazy 9th year.  This means I won't get to stay in the same club thingy I was since I won't be following the rules, but I hope I'll be able to keep accountable anyway.  You make me, m'kay?

And then I had another crazy idea.  How cool would it be NEXT year to do a project with the husband where we have to write and record a song a month??  I saw a blogger do a similar project so that in a year's time, she'd have a whole album done.  And the husband and I are always playing music and trying to meet somewhere in the middle of our two totally different musical backgrounds, so this could be super cool.  Although whenever we do record together, I stress out and he gets ridiculously impatient, so this could also be a super terrible idea, but why not??  We can take turns figuring out melodies and lyrics and see what happens, although this is NOT the year for it what with new baby and sleep deprivation.

Speaking of, I've been having nightmares about new baby life.  I really don't dig the uncertainty of when they'll sleep or eat and how I'm completely out of control for so long.  Last night the husband messed with our normal life and finished up a bunk bed for the kids.  They've never slept in the same room aside from vacations, and I was terrified.  We even put them to sleep separately so that ritual was going to be different too, and I was stressing big time, until I peeked in and saw this serene little scene:

Not only did they fall asleep almost instantly, the Dude fell asleep without a pacifier for the first time!  I'm always amazed by the husband's genius.  We went to sleep happy and thrilled.

Until 12:59am when poor WonderGirl screamed out that she had to throw up and we didn't make it in there in time.  She tends to throw up in her sleep pretty regularly whenever there are bugs going around and we always have a bowl next to her bed... except for last night which was our first time trying out this arrangement.  Le spew all over.  The poor Dude was confused by all the ruckus and somehow magically fell back asleep, even after the second explosion, and slept though the next dozen or so.   Our poor girl got put through the ringer last night, throwing up almost every half hour and then hour. I'd run to her bed and rub her back when I heard her throwing up and feeling her muscles convulse so hard like that broke my heart, even at 2am, 2:30am, 3am, 3:30am - you get the point.  She stayed home from church (obviously), and was in this state in the living room when I came home:

So I'm sleep deprived right now.  I still managed to make it to church and teach a lesson, so maybe there's hope for me for when this baby comes... although I'll have to try and feed and dress 3 whole children in the morning after tough nights with no sleep... eep... well, one day at a time.  And the photography thing will be a nice distraction, like it was this year, although it will be nice to not have to force myself to get in front of the lens.  I think I'll like a break from that.

AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaand  I hope this far-too-verbose post makes up just a wee bit for how absent I've been.  Anywho, enjoy the video and hopefully, better heath than our family!