Busy...

No other word to describe it... I even missed posting about E's SIXTEENTH birthday. What mom DOES that? Sixteen... crazy! And what a beautiful sixteen she is! She is beautiful on the inside and outside! She loves her family, she loves her friends, and she just loves life! And nothing makes me happier than her random "just because" hugs! Gotta love that! Here she is on the banks of St. Thomas showing the world!Guess that leads into why we were in St. Thomas... My beautiful in-laws took us on an NCL cruise over Thanksgiving for our Christmas present! It was gorgeous... stops in St. Maartin (below Christmas card photo), St. Thomas, and the Bahamas. What a great way to spend time with family. We are blessed!

Then there is Pinterest! Pure evil, and I love it! Gone a little crazy with pinning and creating, but a great stress reliever and makes the house purty as well! Here are a few things I have created thanks to the fun site!

T's teacher gifts - dry erase boards using a normal frame, scrapbook paper, and I eventually attached the pens. Trust me, they work!

Santa Bellies - holiday tradition is to make my cards and an annual ornament. Didn't get the cards made this year (did photo cards), but made these... Jute - don't sit still for too long... you might be covered in jute! Love the way this took old things and made them look classy.

From our family to yours... Hope this new year finds you as happy and healthy as can be! Love us!

Lights Out!

me

3, 276 days...

I just don't know where the days went, but this boy turns NINE today! He is one amazing kid!

I had a conversation with him earlier in the week asking him what he wanted for his birthday,

T: Well, I really don't want to be mean...

Me: What do you mean by that?

T: Well, I really don't need anything, so I don't want to be mean by not asking for things!

He is NINE... what nine year old does that?

He is truly a treasure and really completes our little family of four!

So... to continue the tradition...

Nine things about this little man!

1. He is so very sensitive, but it doesn't get in the way.

2. He has a great imagination. He can play with his legos for hours and create the coolest things from a bunch of little plastic blocks.

3. He is a team player. He loves the sport of baseball and is the first to support his fellow teammates no matter what the score is.

4. He is a natural born leader. He proves this in school and on the ball field.

5. He has a natural sense of humor...

6. And when the humor comes out he has the richest laugh that makes the whole room break into laughter.

7. He is a momma's boy, but not in a sissy fashion. He says he will always take care of me... even said when he is a "rich baseball player, I will buy you a house!"

8. He is a good natured, well mannered Young Man!

9. And he is MINE! We just love this guy so very much!

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

Lights Out!
me

Half Way...

OK, so tomorrow is July 1st! How is it possible that 2011 is half-way through? Big things are happening next month!

E is coming home - she has been at the in-laws for the month of June, and I just down-right miss her! I don't have any recent photos... with her being gone, but I am sure to add plenty!

We are sure to be seeing lots more of this view as well! We have three baseball tournaments scheduled this month, AND Little Man is turning NINE! What? I have loved seeing him grow, but I sure miss that little guy. Good thing he is still a little momma's boy, because he is still liking to snuggle, and I love that!

And on the scrappy front... Look what I have accomplished this month thanks to the challenges at Scrap Friendzy! We held a "SPA" themed month of challenges. I didn't get as many as I would have liked to get done... but I got a whole lot more than I had!

Challenges really get my mojo going... and if that is your case, come hang out in July! The challenges that are being prepared will get anyone scrapping! Just click the link to take you to your mojo! Promise... the "guys in blue" will not be coming after you for joining the posse!

Lights Out!

me

Happy NSD!

I realize that this day is a mere hour and twelve minutes from finishing, but over at Scrap-Friendzy, we are celebrating all month long! There are challenges every Monday/Wednesday/Friday from the DT, but there is even more! NSD bonus challenges! They all went up today, and are good for the entire month!




We are trying something new in the prize department as well. Every challenge you create gets your name in the proverbial hat. The more you do, the more chances you get. The cool thing about that... If you only get a few done, you still have a chance of winning! This works for me!

Here is the answer to my bonus challenge - 2 or more fonts in your title. It is one of my favorite things to do!

Here is my response to Cheryl's challenge. Her challenge was based on today's date of NSD - 5.7.11. You had to use those number to include that many supplies... I had


5 patterned papers and/or punched clusters
7 purple brads
11 photos

I need to have my camera fixed, but at least I can show what I finally get a chance to do!

Come check out what all the fun there is to be had over at SF! You will love all the stuff you get done! I have a few more projects up my sleeves with these fun challenges. Some of them I haven't seen anywhere else! Man those girlz are creative! And check out May's kit! I can't wait for it to arrive on my doorstep! It is yummy!

Lights Out!
me

ONE last chance...

to pick up an amazing kit from Scrap-Friendzy! Amy and Cheryl have worked really hard to make their kits versatile, fun, and chock full of goodness! There is only one kit left at and you can buy it HERE! This is what I have made with mine so far, and I have enough left over for this much and more... Come check us out at SF, order a kit, and have a blast! Lights Out! me

Scrap-Friendzy's Bunny {Blog} Hop

Welcome to your SIXTH stop on the BUNNY {blog} HOP sponsored by Scrap-Friendzy! If you are following the links from the beginning of the hop, you should have come from TRACEY'S BLOG. If not, and you wish to participate in the blog hop, please start at the Scrap-Friendzy blog HERE! I made a fun little "egg tree" to go on my mantle for the Easter season. I wanted to get a jump start (no pun intended for the blog HOP) on some cards, so I made an Easter card for a special someone as well! Your next stop on the blog hop will be HEATHER'S BLOG. Don't forget to leave a comment here, and on each stop on the blog hop. Then, make sure you finish up at the Scrap-Friendzy forum and post that you have completed the hop. Your name will be entered into a drawign for a fabulous grand prize! If you are taking the additional BIG BUNNY HOP CHALLENGE, my "ingredient is: RIBBONS for those wonderful Easter Bonnets! In addition to the BUNNY {blog} HOP grand prize given by Scrap-Friendzy, I'm offering a fun RAK too! To be entered into my drawing, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post! How easy is that? Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the rest of the hop! Lights Out! me!

Hoppity Hoppity... the blog hop is on its way!

Do you plan on hopping all the days? Just click on the blinkie to take you to the site!There will be chances to win prizes along the way... follow the hop and leave comments on each DT member's blog, and you can have a chance to win a fabulous Scrap-Friendzy prize. Some of us will be giving RAKs away on our blog for just stopping by.

Each blog will showcase a project using an "ingredient" for you to work with. Make sure to stop by all eight blogs to get all the ingredients for you to work with in your "recipe." Then use those them to create a project/layout of your own!

Lights Out!
me

Before/After

How do you get from this cute little time in your life...

to THIS?

Try and compete in The Warrior Dash! You, too, can have the time of your life running a 5K with thirteen individual obstacles. Can you climb 35 feet in the air on a cargo net? They can! Can you leap beat up old cars? They can! Can you jump flames? They can! Can you survive a "Texas Tornado"? They can! Can your allergies make it over the Hay Fever? Theirs can! Can you forge your way through the Texas muck? They can! Why? Because they are WARRIORS! E finished the race in 42:40 and Chuck finished in 43:59! He told her to go on before the last three obstacles, and that she did!

I am so proud of them, and so VERY jealous! I want to do it next year! There were people there that once I saw THEM finish... I knew I could finish! Then there were people that were all in crazy costumes! E and Chuck were the Wonder Twins! Rings and all! But some of these people had NO business wearing what they were wearing! Free beer in the end made for a great afternoon!

Look for MY photos next year! I plan on doing this! Just wait and see!

Lights Out!
me

Spread Your Wings & Fly Kit

At Scrap-Friendzy is just beautiful... I haven't had much time to play with it, but I have sketches/photos and the monthly challenges ready for Spring Break next week. Wait till you see their April kit that they are planning! It is even prettier.

For the month of March, there are new challenges every Monday, Wednesday, Friday... The bonus challenge last week was to use black and white and a touch of color... Here is my answer to that one!


Then I posted an ad challenge, and this is the layout I created based on the ad... go check all of the other challenges out if you are in the mood to create! Those GIRLZ have the Mojo flowing in March!


Baseball and Track are in full swing... E's 4X400 relay team came in first.. It was just so exciting to watch. She is the youngest on the team and had never ran the relay before! It was amazing to watch!

T's team got new uniforms, and they are sharp! I will post photos of both when I get them off of the school's camera! Yep... my camera is in the shop! Thanks for letting me borrow the big bertha of school's computer!

Lights Out!
me!

Wow...

I know I have mentioned a great little site called Scrap-Friendzy before... They are a fun challenge scrapbook site with an amazing group of ladies! I am not just saying that to brag 'em up, they really are! Amy and Cheryl work so hard to give it a laid-back, relaxed feeling filled with challenges and support!

Now I can say that I am more than a member of the boards! I am on their DT as well! I can't wait to see what the next six months has in store for me!

Come check us out, and be prepared to get more scrapping done than you ever have!

Lights Out!

Me!

What a GREAT month!

Not only is February the LOVE month with Valentine's Day, but it is the month I was born! Now I am not one of those fools that tries to pretend that I am younger than I really am... I am turning 42 today, and I am ok with that! Now... I could do without the extra softness around my middle that has taken residency since I turned 40 and all those fun meds I was on last year! But somehow watching the kids in action doesn't burn calories!

Here I am at ONE. I don't have any younger ones of me on my school computer, and I have no doubts Mom would be willing to share some beauts... but this will have to do!

Apparently someone decided that the zodiak that I have believed for as long as I can remember, has changed. According to him, I have changed to Capricorn... well... for 42 years I have been an Aquarius... I am going to continue believing that! Sorry, dude... I am not listening to your science. Not out of stupidity, but out of stubbornness! I love being an Aquarius!

Recently, I have met some great ladies, and ran into quite a few that I already knew at a great little scrap site... Scrap Friendzy! Come check out what Amy and the others have in store for us! And take a peek at the January sketch challenges! WOW!

See... February is a GREAT month!

Lights Out!

Me!

For MOM!

One of the hardest things for me to accept about mom "retiring" and moving away, is the fact that she never gets to see my tree. So... this post is for her!

Chuck came home one Friday evening a tad bit later than usual. Said it was a long drive home. Then he took us out to his truck to see what held him up... This MONSTER of a tree! It has to be the biggest one we have ever had! We have TEN foot ceilings! Needless to say, the top had to be lopped off!

Now we are very traditional when it comes to tree decorations! I like my lights white! I have a ribbon chain that is from 1972 that I made with my mother when we were waiting for my little brother to be born. It has been added to, fixed, and adjusted MANY times. But it will always go on the tree! We have ornaments that are hand made from Chuck's and my elementary school days. Probably the most treasured items! Hand made ornaments from our kids' art activities are also on there. Then we kept the tradition that our parents sort of started. When we got married, we each received a box of ornaments that were "ours" growing up. We have also started that with our kids. These are the ornaments for this year...

E's is a stopwatch to represent her running. Haven't figured out which event/run/race to personalize it with!

T's is a snow man made from baseballs with bats for hands. Anyone that knows us knows that running and baseball consume our family right now!

When the kids found the lamp ornament from our favorite Christmas movie A Christmas Story we knew Chuck HAD to have it! And my obsession for snowmen could NOT let me pass up these furry little guys! There are THREE of them, and they are just too adorable!

OK, so there is our tree... The fam? Well... E turned 15 and is always a willing participant with my camera! Mom has one of the shots in the calendar, so I do not want to ruin that one! Here is another of my faves! She is also a willing participant in T's fan club! However, she was not pleased that the temperatures were in the low 40's! That is football weather, not baseball! She was buried and covered the entire game! I don't know where those green eyes came from, but they melt my heart! And those freckles! :) And what would be a weekend without baseball? Cold or not T was rocking the diamond! This hit was yanked out of the sky by a TEN foot eight-year-old (ok, he was just big). It should have been at least a double!
And here is his attempt at catching a fly foul ball! It was IN his glove untill he hit the ground hard! Balls tend to bounce when that happens! But it was an amazing attempt! He never ceases to amaze me! Just love that enthusiasm!

Then we can NOT forget our four legged friend. The kids found this headband in the decoration boxes. I guess their first instinct was to put it on Pepper!I still can not believe that she was a willing participant! Until she headed out the dog door. The funny thing, it has bells on it, and when she hears the bells, she comes running and sits in front of you. Well, she did that day! Chuck said we are humiliating her. I say NOT!

Might have to be all for this December update! Go grab a spiced apple cider and find a good book!

Lights Out!
me

Christmas Cards...

for the most of you, the cards are in the mail, your mailbox, or you have already opened them. So excited with how the photos turned out. I showed the three final photos to Chuck and let him pick the card photo... here are the others! The top one was my favorite, but only because I loved the accidental background. If you heard the story from the kids you would have thought we were in the house of a serial killer! :)

I am so excited about the M. I had a wild hair and Chuck helped me make it! Now it is decor in my scraproom!

I still have quite a few to mail out, but waiting on addresses, a spare moment, or to see if you still exist!

Three more days of school then we are off on holiday break! Wish it was from practices as well, but at least we get a school break. Something is better than nothing!

If you don't hear from me before Christmas/New Years then Happy Holidays to all of you!

Lights Out!

me

525,600 minutes plus

Or is that times? Times 15 equals 7,884,000 minutes! I would love to start this off by saying something classy, or smart, or thought provoking; but it just isn't coming. This beautiful young lady catches my breath almost daily. And now she is turning 15l That means the world is really opening up for her. She is just amazing!

15 things about Monkey #1:
1. Has an attitude, but usually cracks a smile in the end.
2. Runs... And she is good at it! Who does that?
3. Is taking the "Pioneer Viking" spirit up another notch in HS
4. Is taking on new challenges even when they seem to catch her.
5. Is learning that there are consequences to actions and is acutally learning from them
6. Really loves her little brother and looks after him.
7. Steps up and helps out without being asked too much.
8. Unless it is feeding the dog. Don't get it, but it is almost humorous... except at 3AM when the dog is hungry.
9. Has her daddy's sense of humor
10. And his stubborn streak
11. Supports her little brother in all of his baseball stuff, even when she is bored out of her mind!
12. Is so very creative
13. Isn't afraid to show me that she loves me.
14. Means the WORLD to me!
15. Is all ours, and we love every part of her!

I love you baby, even though I am not ready for you to grow up and leave me!

Lights Out!
me