My First Cricut!

So I finally went out and bought my first Cricut machine. I happened to be at WalMart searching for some more letter stickers or some sort of paper to make the first page of my 2014 family scrapbook. So as I am browsing around I come across the last one on the shelf. A Cricut Expression, marked down. I really didn't want to buy one originally because they can be very expensive. Plus I honestly thought I would never get any use out of it. Now that I have a family to make memories with I have more stuff to scrapbook! So the picture below is my exact model of Cricut.

I also have tons of scrap booking paper that is just begging to be used! I went through them last week and sorted them all by color and holiday. It took a while but was well worth it. I have already found papers much easier now that I know where to look.

 This is what the mat looks like before you cut, the mats are sticky and the paper will stick so it doesn't move around while the machine cuts the designs out for you.

This is after me pulling off the first part of the paper. I did the name Moran across the top, and the numbers for 2014. The square was a really complicated design, and it died when I tried to remove it. New mats are SUPER sticky and I didn't know, so it was like a crime scene trying to get it off.

Here below is the finished product, the red polka dot letters were all from my first attempt. Then I did the darker red letters on another piece of paper and it came out great. I am getting the hang of this!

 The only part of the page below that was Cricut cut was the light blue paper behind the words Birth Announcement. But it added a nice touch to the page.

This one is my favorite I have done so far. I went online and printed off the white paper, it is a chart that says when the babies teeth are supposed to come in. So we wrote down Aries first tooth. Then I used the Cricut to cut out the boarder for the tooth chart. I did it as a frame and not a big solid piece, so I could use that extra paper that would have been in the center, later in anther project. Then I still had enough edge paper to do the letters at the top of the page too. I was really happy with how it turned out in the end.

Aries

So since my son was born I have gotten a lot of questions about his name. I guess I assumed the names meaning was more well known. So I am going to explain it a bit more here.

Aries is the Greek God of War. The name is spelled several ways, the primary ones being Ares, Aris, and Aries. You see which one I prefer. From what is read here it says the Aries was the son of Zeus and Hera. It also states he is the god of war, and his animal is the dog.

Now bringing up the spelling again, after a little research I found out that the spelling I chose goes more along with the sign of Aries the Ram. Which I named him more after Ares the God. Also, although his name is Aries, he is actually a Scorpio, and I myself am a Gemini.

Aries from mythology had several lovers and children. These family ties can be seen here. 

I know this is short, but I hope it can give you a better understanding of my sons unique name!

What We Look For in a Home

So in December we got approved for a home loan and have been house shopping. Now we have put a offer down on a home and are currently working toward getting it. I wanted to share what exactly my family looks for in their perfect home and why. What does our home need?

1. Three or more bedrooms, with the potential to add more. We have Justin and I, Jeremy, and Aries currently. I am hoping to have a daughter eventually, and her to have her own room as well.
2. Parking for at least 3 or more cars at once. Actually this needs to be parking for 5 or more cars at once. We currently own 3 cars, and I want to buy a RV in the future. Also when Kim comes to visit she will need a place to park.
3.MUST be off street parking. My van was totaled while parked on the street. So no street parking.
4. Has to have a decently large back yard. Has to have room for a swing set for Aries, a trampoline, a 12x12 garden space, and a area to grill.
5. The yard must be able to be fenced in. I want to be able to have a safe environment for my son and dogs.
6. A front yard is required. I don't want to live in a house basically right up against the street. The noise is awful. I would like to be able to hold a yard sale in the front yard as well.
7. The kitchen must be open and large. I own a lot of cooking tools, such as toaster oven, coffee maker, 3 different steamers, two crock pots, and tons of other items. Plus I believe in stocking and stock up food. I also have a full size stand up freezer and chest freezer.
8. The bathroom has to have a lot of storage for towels, soaps and etc, or there must be another place to store these items, like a linen closet.
9. There must be two bathrooms, or at least two toilets. There is nothing more horrible then someone have to take a poop while you are in the shower. It ruins it.
10. Must have a barn or garage for us to store our outdoor tools and items. It must also be big enough to pull in one car so we can work on them at home.
11. The house must have an area besides the living room for me to store my crafts. I have a lot and they need their own area.