Official Blog of Marcus and Lisa Burnette :)
iCloud was introduced in iOS version 5 and allows us the ability to sync content on devices to one another and backup our devices to "the cloud". Setting up iCloud and it's backup services on an iPad isn't too difficult. Below, I'll go through the steps one-by-one and mention anything noteworthy. Enjoy!
A quick note: For iCloud backup to be available, you must have iOS version 5 or later. If you do not, simply connect the iPad to your computer and walk through the upgrade process in iTunes. (You can also see which version is installed in iTunes.)
Step 1: Where to Find iCloud and It's Backup Options
iCloud backup is found in the Settings app that comes standard on all iPads. Ours happens to be in a folder called "Utilities". It looks like the one below:
Step 2: Navigating to iCloud and Choosing Settings
For reference, I've included the screen below and numbered the notes for clarity. It looks like a lot, but it's not too bad.
(1) Once the Settings app is open, you'll find the iCloud options button on the left hand side. Press it to reveal all the options for your iCloud account.
(2) If you aren't already logged in with your Apple ID (or the one you'd like to use), set that up first by pressing the "Account" option.
(3) iCloud does more than just backup your device, it also syncs the device to other iOS devices! Select which features you would like synced (not backed up) to other iOS devices. If you want to sync multiple devices, they will all need to be set up with the same Apple ID.
(4) When you are ready to set up the iCloud backup services, press the "Storage & Backup" option right above "Delete Account" at the bottom of the screen. The "Storage & Backup" screen will slide in from the right and you will be able to set up your device.
Step 3: Setting Up iCloud Storage and Backup
(1) Although the "Storage & Backup" screen has a few options, there's really only one that matters and that is the switch to turn "iCloud Backup" from OFF to ON. Your iPad will ask you to confirm your decision and will then automatically back up your device when it is plugged in, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi.
(2) You can also see all the devices associated with this account (and how much of your free 5GB is being taken up by each) by clicking the "Manage Storage" option.
Step 4: Buying Extra Storage (Optional)
If you're going to connect more than 1 device to this iCloud account (Apple ID) - especially if you plan on backing them all up to the cloud - you may consider purchasing additional storage for your account (Apple ID). To do this, simply press the "Buy More Storage" option from the "Storage & Backup" screen (step 3) and you will be presented with this list of options:
As you can see, I've purchased the 20GB extra plan at $40 per year (for a total of 25GB = 5GB free and 20GB paid) to backup 2 iPhones and an iPad to my account (Apple ID). When you consider the peace of mind that all your documents (especially pictures!) are backup up, it's worth the $40 a year.
Hopefully that clears things up for iCloud! Happy backing up!
Halloween at the History Center! Bethany enjoyed looking at all the displays and walking around the exhibits.
Bethany loves slides! We checked out a local family event in our city at had a blast. We even went on a hay ride!
Our super fun, budget-friendly Halloween costumes. My costume cost $15 on super clearance. I saw it online on clearance for $50! Crazy! And SO NOT worth that much money. Bethany's costume came super inexpensive from EBay. (Also much pricier elsewhere.) Bethany and I both already had our headbands. For Marcus's costume all we had to buy was the cape. I'm not sure how we're going to do something this fun and affordable again next year, but I'm sure we'll figure it out!
October is winding down and that means we're getting closer to Halloween! Today I got to spend the first day of my three-day weekend celebrating with B's class. Since I don't get to go into her class regularly, I enjoyed getting to be a part of her day so much. I was elated when I found out they were doing their Halloween party on Friday instead of on Halloween, so I could be there!
Pumpkins painted for B's school!
Sensory table time with Teddy Graham "dirt" and Halloween spookies!
Trick-or-Treating at all of the different classrooms! B really likes trick-or-treating and was excited for the little rubber ducks, stickers, and squeaky toys that the classrooms were handing out.
Playtime!
I also got to have lunch with Marcus and his coworkers today, too! The workdays where we get to have lunch together are such a treat. We went to TJ's and I tried their new shrimp and grits! So good!
It was just a good day! In addition to all the fun above, I got some laundry done, organized some things in the garage, and even did a little shopping for B's winter clothes. In the evening, Marcus and I had a movie-date-at-home after B went to bed. A great way to relax after getting my grades in and submitting report cards earlier this week!
We visited both sets of grandparents on Saturday and had a really great time! We actually got my mother to agree to go to Boo at the Zoo. She isn't really big on that kind of stuff, but she enjoyed walking with Bethany around the zoo and seeing the other little kids in their costumes. Bethany loved carrying her own trick-or-treat bag which we all thought was too cute.
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Marcus was excited for the Ewok and Storm Trooper. Bethany, however, was undecided.
Except for the ears and tail, we already had the pieces for Bethany's lioness ensemble. She got lots of compliments and it was totally simple to put together!
My husband completely SURPRISED me with tickets to this concert that I had mentioned to him awhile back. I am SUPER excited for December!! Did I mention that I am married to the most wonderful man? What a lovely and sweet Saturday!
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Weekends in the fall are so wonderful. You can't help but want to be out and about! They are especially wonderful when you get to have a three day weekend! We took Bethany to Disney recently and she had a blast. It is super fun because she loves the shows and parades and also recognizes certain characters now, especially Minnie and Mickey Mouse. In one of the stores in the Magic Kingdom Bethany walked around picking up every Minnie and Mickey she could reach, but we kept telling her to put them back. She ended up melting two of the cashiers' hearts because they gave her a small Minnie doll and Mickey doll. I was pretty touched by the sweet gesture and sweet Bethany was thrilled!
We also visited the pumpkin patch near our house. Bethany loved it this year! Definitely a difference from her experience last year as a one-month-old newborn! She got to see other toddlers, play with pumpkins, and help us pick out our pumpkins! We haven't carved our pumpkin yet, but hopefully we will soon. I love toasting pumpkin seeds, so carving is definitely on the to-do list!
Our second annual family pumpkin patch photo!
There is just something super fun about pumpkins!
They're goopy, messy fun while you carve them and they're exciting to look at once they have been carved.
They taste delicious baked into breads, pureed into soups, and infused into coffees and ales. Oh, and of course, they make one heck of an amazing pie!
I am itching to make my homemade pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting. It's a fall fave. I have also been doing some homemade pumpkin coffee at home in an effort to avoid giving Starbucks more of my dollars than necessary . . . I have given into them twice this October. It will probably happen again, but I'm trying not to make it a habit. All of those $5 lattes add up! Plus, International Delight and CoffeeMate make delicious pumpkin spice creamers and pumpkin coffee at home every night is awesome.
There is also a pumpkin roll with my family's name on it headed our way thanks to the ARS band fundraiser. I am not sure which meal the delicious dessert will accompany, but I'll be sure to make it a good one.
I've never ventured into making pumpkin soup, but maybe I will this October. I've been scouting out some recipes.
Pumpkin scented candles? Yes!
Marcus came home and said that the pumpkin patch we visited last year had its banner out, but no pumpkins. My guess is that they will be delivered this weekend! I'm getting excited. We aren't headed to the patch this weekend, but soon!
This is random, but pumpkins also make me think of the book, Pumpkin, Pumpkin. That was the first book I taught my brother how to read when we were teeny, tiny children. Seriously, I think my brother was in Kindergarten and I was in second grade. I remember reading it to him and going over the pages night after night after night.
Well, it's obvious I like Halloween. I'm not into the creepy side as much, but I do think pumpkins, costumes, and candy are lots of fun! Hopefully, I'll stick with updating this blog and there will be lots of not-so-scary and splendidly serendipitous posts about our October!
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As of lately . . . .
. . . I am very excited that it is October and that the mornings have been cool and lovely. There is something special about every month of the year, but I really do love the months we're heading into. They're some of my all time favorite!
. . . Bethany is quite daring when it comes to playground slides. She wants to go down them all by herself! We will let her go on small to smallish-medium sized ones alone, but nothing too big. (Of course, we catch her at the bottom!) Maybe she will inherit her mommy and daddy's love for roller coasters.
. . . Our household is WELL again. About a week ago, Bethany was sick, Marcus was sick, and I was also recovering . . . but now we are healthy and it is great! Health is such a tremendous blessing and gift.
. . . I usually detest television dramas, but Pan Am kind of has me hooked. Historical fiction is just super fun to me.
. . .We inherited my grandparents' piano. It is the piano that I grew up with and the piano I used to practice my piano lessons. I wasn't home when it was delivered and when I walked in and saw it I got teary-eyed. To have it in my own home is beyond wonderful. I hope that Bethany will be able to use it to practice her own piano lessons someday.
. . . My classroom is gearing up for their month of Edgar Allan Poe. They really enjoy Poe even though so many of his stories are, frankly, disturbing! I really enjoy sharing the literature with my students, though, because the difficulty doesn't scare them at all! They are eager and excited to work through it and figure it out.
. . . Marcus has agreed to be the Snow Prince for Halloween, but now we have to find a way to economically put together a Snow Prince costume. Hahaha. This will be interesting.
. . . We are looking forward to visiting the pumpkin patch later this month!
Our little Bethany is one year old!
It is hard to believe, but Bethany is one year old! She is such a sweet, special, and wonderful girl. We have had such an amazing year watching her grow and learning how to be parents. We are so blessed!
Marcus and I brought cupcakes to Bethany's preschool class and she seemed to really love having both of us there for a little bit. We got some really great pictures. In the evening, Bethany played with her new musical instruments and we took some cute photos in the backyard while Bethany played with and ate a little of her smash cake. She wasn't into getting super messy with it, but she did like the icing.
We're so proud of her and so thankful for her! Happy Birthday to our precious baby girl!
Because of the events of this weekend, I feel compelled to write this blog post. I haven't really felt compelled to write in awhile due to being busy, but I want to make sure I take time to write this.
I love my husband.
He loves me.
A lot.
He and I both know this. We have been learning what it means to love and how to love one another for over nine years . . . but sometimes something happens that makes you realize ALL over again just how much you love each other.
WARNING: This is about a miscarriage. If you don't like reading about things like that then STOP reading! Go to another page!
This weekend, I finally had the miscarriage that we have been expecting for over a month. (I was diagnosed with a blighted ovum pregnancy loss at nine weeks gestation. Our pregnancy stopped developing at six weeks.) It is a long story. And sad. Going for your first ultrasound and being told that there is no baby and that the pregnancy is not viable is devastating.
I wanted to have a natural miscarriage and so we waited and waited and waited. Our last ultrasound (we have had LOTS of ultrasounds during this whole ordeal) showed my gestational sack deteriorating and since my doctor knew she wasn't going to get me to agree to a D and C, she suggested I take medication to help my body go into labor. I asked for one more week of waiting. She hesitantly obliged, but agreed. By the time this weekend arrived and after quite a few prayers, however, I was ready to take the pills.
The whole experience was awful. Lots of women on the internet write about their blighted ovum miscarriages, so if you want details, they're out there. The one thing that made it less awful, though, was having Marcus there to make sure I was okay and to care for Bethany. He is such a good husband and such a good dad.
Weekends like this make me realize just how blessed I am to have him. It makes all those times that maybe weren't as easy seem really miniscule. It makes petty arguments really laughable. It makes those times when you've been frustrated with each other just melt away.
How do I know my husband loves me? Because he was not too tired or disgusted to clean the remnants of one of the most terrible experiences of my life off our shower floor. He wasn't grossed out by the sight of my blood all over the bathroom tile. He cared for our sweet baby when I was too weak, dizzy, and lightheaded to move. Did I mention that Bethany also threw up all over him this weekend? And yes, he cleaned that up, too, because his wife wasn't able to help him.
Good gracious. I am loved. God has blessed me with a good man. May I never take him for granted.
We are all feeling better and are now moving forward. Even though I felt worse during the miscarriage than after my c-section, today has been much better. I am feeling more like a human again. We even went out for a little bit this afternoon.
I love my husband more with every passing day, but this weekend, he just blew me away. I fell in love with him all over again.