Simply Craig

Every year, the kids look forward to one of their favorite Halloween traditions... Pumpkin carving with Grandma Kelly. Grandma has always had a way of making holidays feel special. She puts so much thought, energy, and excitement into creating traditions the kids look forward to year after year. And Halloween is no exception. Out come the pumpkins... The carving tools... The gooey handfuls of pumpkin guts... And plenty of creativity. Each pumpkin seems to take on a personality of its own, and the kids are always so proud of their finished masterpieces. But I have a feeling that years from now, they won't remember exactly what their pumpkins looked like. They'll remember sitting around the table with Grandma. They'll remember laughing together. They'll remember getting their hands messy. And they'll remember that Grandma Kelly made an ordinary Halloween tradition feel like something special. Here are a few pictures from this year's annual  Pumpkin Carving Extrava...

Do you ever get tired of the same old curls and French braids? I do! With two little girls in the house, I'm always looking for cute new ways to do their hair, and I recently came across a hairstyle blog that gave me a little inspiration. It's full of step-by-step ideas for those of us wanting to spice up our little girls' everyday hairstyles. So naturally... I've been practicing. My favorites so far are the  fall-through French braid  and the  twist-back side ponytail . So cute! And thankfully, my girls don't seem to mind being my little guinea pigs while I figure them out. Just thought I'd pass along the inspiration to all you other mommas who might be getting a little tired of the same curls, ponytails, and French braids. Sometimes a new ’do is all a girl needs.   ADOPT A 'DO CUTE GIRLS HAIRSTYLES  

Yesterday, I received a call from the school nurse telling me that Breeley was complaining of a bellyache. No fever. No other signs of sickness. After talking to Bree, I felt like she could probably make it through the last hour of school. I assured her that I would be there early, waiting in the parking lot, just in case she started feeling worse. The phone never rang again, and she made it through the rest of the day. But the minute I saw her... I knew. She wasn't her usual self. This little youngster gets  super cranky  when she isn't feeling well, and by the time we got home, she had plenty of complaints to share. And I made myself available to listen to every single one of them. Later that evening, I mentioned that I wasn't feeling so great myself and wondered if maybe I was coming down with something too. Suddenly, my sick little girl forgot all about herself. She threw her arms around me and said, "I'm so sorry that I was whining to you about everything. If ...

WOW! You guys were incredibly kind after reading my last post about our home being burglarized. Of course, most of you are friends and family... So maybe you were just being nice. Our story was picked up by the local news ( http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story/Burglars-pose-as-home-buyers-steal-30-000-worth/0t7Am63x50yGPhY8uk3-pA.cspx )aired last night. It was also posted online, where complete strangers were given the opportunity to comment. Let's just say... They weren't quite as gentle. Apparently, according to some of them, I may be one of the stupidest people alive. Who knew? I'll admit, some of the comments stung. It's interesting how easy it is to look at someone else's unfortunate experience after the fact and see everything they  should have done differently. And believe me... I can see it now too. Should we have verified the agent? Yep. Should we have secured our valuables somewhere other than inside our home? Yep. Should we have been more cautious about ...

We lost thousands of dollars within minutes. No, not in Vegas last weekend... But in our own home Thursday afternoon. We were headed to the lake for one last wakeboarding run of the season. As we were launching the boat, B.T.C. received a call from a woman claiming to be a real estate agent. She asked if she could show our house to potential buyers. Our home was for sale, so the request seemed routine enough. We agreed. When we returned home later that evening, we noticed the front door had been left unlocked. Unusual. B.T.C. called the number back to ask about it. No response. The next morning, we discovered that an envelope containing cash was missing. B.T.C. called again. Still no response. Then reality hit. I went to put on my wedding rings...my original ring and the new one B.T.C. had given me this year for our 15th anniversary. They were gone. My heart sank. We had been burglarized. I began searching the house, checking the places where we kept valuables. One after another... Gon...

We enjoyed a little getaway to Las Vegas and stayed at the beautiful Bellagio. Good food. A little shopping. Great entertainment. And, of course, plenty of pictures. The view from our room was pretty spectacular, especially once the city began to light up at night. And you know you've got a good man when he's willing to lug your camera equipment around on his back without a single complaint. Thanks, B.T.C.! The Bellagio fountains were every bit as spectacular as I'd hoped. There's something mesmerizing about watching the water dance to the music with all those Vegas lights surrounding you. We were also able to meet up with family—my sister, mom, sister-in-law, niece, and my brother Matt—which made the trip even more fun. One evening we all got together before heading out to see  Cirque du Soleil . What a show! Afterward, I couldn't resist trying to capture a few photographs of the city at night. No tripod. Just me... My camera... And an attempt to hold VERY still. V...

I have been asked by several of you how I make the pictures on my blog bigger. There are other ways of doing it but here’s what I do. You will need a place online to store your pictures. I use Photobucket, it’s FREE! You can find it HERE . To sign up click the green box titled join now. Upload your pictures by selecting “Albums and upload” from the drop down menu. Next, under the blue box titled “Upload images & videos” you will see this: ( more options ) click to size your pictures ( I use Large 640 x 480) Now you are ready to find the file you want to upload by selecting “Upload images & videos” Simply highlight the file and the upload will begin. Once it’s done you can add a title if you would like. Then select “return to album” The picture itself will have its own pull down menu. Go to “Direct Link” and highlight the link and copy it. (right click and select “copy”). This is the link that you will paste into your blog. To paste to your blog you simply follow the same proc...

Recently, I watched a video by Stephanie Nielson that left a lasting impression on me. Her perspective changed mine. Since then, I've found myself embracing motherhood a little more fully and appreciating the countless ordinary moments that fill each day. Somehow, life has seemed to slow down. I've tried to be more present while holding my children a little longer... Bathing little ones... Packing lunches... Washing sticky faces... And doing all those small, repetitive tasks that can so easily feel ordinary. This morning was a perfect example. As I pulled into the school drop-off line, I handed out the usual hugs, kisses, reminders to  "Do your best,"  and one last wave goodbye. Just before Wesley climbed out of the car, my little soccer star—the one proudly wearing  #2 —leaned back in and said, "Mom, can you please wash my soccer socks, dry them, and bring them to the school office by 11:00? I need them for tonight's championship game!" Before I could e...

It was time for piano practice. Apparently, Breeley had decided that if  she  didn't want to sit on the piano bench... Maybe someone else could do it for her. Keelo. Her faithful stuffed Rottweiler was carefully positioned on the piano bench, looking every bit like he was ready for his lesson. Nice try, sweetheart. But piano practice only counts if  you're  the one sitting at the keyboard. I'm afraid there are no fill-ins allowed around here. Keelo will just have to settle for being the world's cutest piano audience. Maybe one day he'll learn to play... But until then, he'll have to remain a very quiet observer while Breeley does all the practicing.