Spring Walk

A new layout to share using Sahlin Studio's new kit, Rejuvenate.

These pictures were taken last year (Meagan took a lot of them herself) on a spring walk we took together. I am SO ready to see the trees blooming like this again!

Journaling: Many of these pictures Meagan took on our walk one spring day. The world was full of things to discover, from little tiny creatures to bright beautiful flowers.

Click here to view full credits.

A 3-Hour Tour

This evening was Sebastian's first practice with team... from 4:30 to 7:30. He'll now be doing 3 hours on Wednesday and 3 hours on Friday until we get to the point that we're ready to move.

All in all, he did a great job, considering he's used to a 90-minute practice. I could definitely tell that he hit a 90-minute wall... his body was thinking 'practice should be over right about now,' but he still had a good 90 minutes to go. By the time the 2-hour mark rolled around, I wasn't sure he wasn't just gonna throw in the towel and fall down asleep right where he was. He looked beat. He managed to find his second wind for the last 45 minutes of practice, though. And by the time it was over, he was back to loving life and thinking gymnastics is the best thing ever.

Where did it go?

Yesterday, Isaac made an interesting discovery. Actually, Sebastian made it for him. We were driving home, when I heard Sebastian say, "Hey Isaac, your tooth is gone!" I looked in the rear-view mirror in time to see Isaac stick his finger in his mouth and feel for the tooth that has been loose for a few weeks now. He looked a bit surprised to find that no tooth was there. "Hey Mom!! I lost my tooth!! I don't even know where it went!"

I'm not really sure HOW you lose a tooth without realizing it. I can't help but wonder if it fell OUT or if he swallowed it. LOL! Oh well. See, I KNEW my short-cut would come in handy. Now I have already established precedent for giving kids $$ for teeth and skipping the whole tooth fairy thing. Just think, if I would have never done that, Isaac would have been all worked up because he didn't have a tooth to leave for the tooth fairy! Instead, I just simply said, "No worries Buddy. I'll give you a dollar when we get home." He was perfectly fine with that. :)

Memory Lane Monday

My good buddy Krista Sahlin (aka Sahlin Studio) has something new going on, and it starts today. I love the idea... take a new look at an older kit. It's SO easy to bury a kit on the hard drive somewhere and forget it's even there! I'm sure I have more unused kits stashed away than I would like to admit. Anyway, this month she is featuring her kit, So This is Love. The idea is to dig that kit out of the stash (or snag it from her shop, or just grab the freebie that goes along with it), make a layout, and get a memory documented properly. At the end of the month, she'll choose a winner and give away $10 to her store. If your interested in knowing more about it, you can find all the details here on her blog.


I had never used this kit before, and I wanted to play along. So I dug out a photo of Sebastian and Lucas from WAAAAYYY back in the day (can you believe this was taken almost 9 years ago!!). Such a sweet photo, really (although I must say, digital cameras have come a LONG way since then... the photo was tiny on its max size. Oh well, work with whacha got, right?).


Anyway, I love Krista's idea. For my own self, I'm thinking I may try to do this a bit more often... pull out those kits that have been tucked away just waiting to be put to good use. I'll be sure to pass the results along as I get them done. :)

Easter Pictures

I decided rather than creating my own slide show... which takes a TON of work... I would let Photobucket do it for me. (It took me forever to figure out how to put this little slide show into this post, so you BETTER look at it!! If you want to see them bigger, just click on the slideshow.) :)

We had a BEAUTIFUL Easter Sunday! God is good! He gave us plenty of warm sunshine to brighten an already amazing day! We got up early, got everyone ready in time for a few pictures, and then headed to church. When we got home, Lucas, Guy & I hid eggs for the kids to find while Jane kept them busy upstairs (or kept them from peaking out the windows, more like it). They had a great time!! I love love LOVE watching their minds at work and their excitement when they find what they're looking for! We had a great lunch out (yes, we did the restaurant thing for Easter dinner... so I cheated!!) Great day! I'm happy!



Just as a side note... the deal with Meagan and the curlers. Yesterday Jane and I kept trying to convince Meagan to let us curl her hair for Easter. She kept insisting that she did not want curly hair. But we bought sponge rollers anyway. After bathtime, and a wee bit of coaxing, I convinced her to let me try it... if she didn't like it, we could wet her hair down & make it straight again. So I put curlers in her hair while she colored.

This morning, when we took the curlers out, she LOVED it! At one point, she turned to Jane and said, "See, I told you my hair was gonna look pretty with curls." Later she declaired that she wants curly hair every day! I think we've created a monster!! LOL! But it was worth it 'cause she looked CUTE!

The Best Kind of Surprise

Last night I was sitting at my computer browsing the internet. It was about 10:00, the kids were in bed, the house was all locked up, and all was quiet, when all of a sudden, I heard a sound that made my heart jump. The garage door was opening!! That could only mean one thing.... Lucas was home early!!!

I wasn't expecting him until way later this evening, so I was definitely surprised to see him last night! He had come home early to be at the "Farewell" dinner for the salary staff at his plant. Yesterday was the last day of production. As of today, the plant is no longer in operation. *Insert sad face here*

Anyway, the funniest part about the surprise was that he had been home earlier (while I was away), and had left his stuff lying around... his coat on the back of the kitchen chair, his shoes by the door, water bottles in the fridge where there had been no water bottles. Somehow, I didn't notice any of these things!!! LOL! I guess it's because I haven't really been busting my backside to keep the house clean this week... taking the week off of obsessive cleaning before we list (expecting it to be next week some time). So his stuff lying around just sort of blended in with everyone else's stuff lying around (which maybe is an indication that I took too much of a break from cleaning??). No matter... I am SO happy to have him home with us today!

I think this morning he is going to go golfing with his work buddies, while the kids & I go Easter outfit hunting. I guess then, later I shall be doing a bit of straightening up around the house. :)

Have a wonderful Good Friday! What a wonderful day to pause and think of why we celebrate this season!

There's no Crying in Baseball

Oh my goodness, the other day Meagan was on a roll with the crying and whining! Truly everything she said came out in the form of a whiny whimper. Aaaaah! Finally, it came to the point where I said something really simple to her and was met with a fake cry response. So I looked at her and said, "What's wrong? Why are you crying? There's no crying. There's no crying in baseball." Apparently I caught her totally off-guard by this. She stopped mid-word, looked at me with the most confused look on her face..... at this point, she had, momentarily stopped crying, and I thought maybe she was going to regroup and return to her normal non-whiny ways... and then she started crying again and said, "Mommy, this doesn't have anything to do with baseball!!" Poor kid! (It was an early bedtime night, FYI).

Hot Cocoa

Today is new BYOC day at The LilyPad! I LOVE BYOC's!!! Seriously! I did this layout with some of the new BYOC products as well as some older BYOC products (from February I think) and a few fun alphas.

Journaling: Hot cocoa with marshmallows is the perfect treat on a cold snowy day.

Change it Up

Yet another face lift to the blog. I simply get bored easily, and was ready for something new (again). I was just recently invited to join Joyce Paul's creative team, so I thought I would use one of her kits to create a new look for the blog. Hope you like it!

If you want to check out Joyce's stuff, you can click on the blinkie at the right side of this page. Thanks Joyce for the chance to be a part of your team!

It Worked: Crock Pot Stuffed Shells

The manicotti turned out really well! Yea for experiments gone right! So we had stuffed pasta, dinner rolls (left over from the sliders we had for lunch) and steamed green beans. Yum! And the fruit roll-ups worked well too! They're gone already. So here's the recipe I used for the manicotti (partly to share with you, and partly so I don't forget). 1 lb ground venison, browned with chopped onion, garlic powder, pepper 1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce (15 oz jars) 1+ cup water uncooked manicotti shells 15 oz ricotta cheese, part skim 1 cup shredded mozzarella, part skim 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese 1 egg oregano, black pepper, 1 clove garlic minced 1) brown the meat & onion; add 1 jar of spaghetti sauce & 1 cup water; combine 2) in a bowl, mix the ricotta & egg; add mozz, parmesan, oregano, black pepper, & 1 clove of garlic, minced (I'm not sure about the measurements of the herbs...I just added it until it looked well balanced and smelled good???) 3) using a butter knife, stuff the uncooked pasta shells with the cheese mixture 4) in a crock pot, add sauce mix to the bottom of the crock pot to cover the bottom (about 1 cup or so) 5) lay one layer of manicotti shells in the bottom of the crock pot, close but not touching 6) cover with a layer of sauce 7) add another layer of manicotti shells and cover with remaining sauce 8) top with about 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce to cover noodles completely; add just a bit more water to the top of the sauce; 9) cover & cook on high for about 1 hour; reduce to low and cook about 2-3 hours, until the pasta is tender.

Night at the Improv

That pretty much describes our dinner tonight. I was completely planning on making lasagna. I got all the meat and sauce ready, made the cheese mixture, and then realized I have no lasagna noodles. I do, however, have a pantry full of various pastas, so I decided to try something. I pulled out a box of manicotti shells, and decided to try crock pot stuffed manicotti. I stuffed the cheese into the center of the uncooked manicotti shells, added some extra water to the sauce, and layered it up in my crock pot. Hopefully it will work similar to crock pot lasagna. If not, we'll get a good laugh at yet another cooking flop on my part, and we'll either make the best of it or figure something else out.

Part of the deal with our relocation is that they will move the freezer for us, but it has to be emptied out before they will move it. Uggh! That is a LOT of ground beef, steak, and venison to eat in the next month. And I'm not really much of a red meat person, so finding meals that I actually enjoy eating is going to be quite a challenge. I will either have developed quite an affection for red meat by the end of this, or I will be 100% sick of it, and we'll live on chicken & fish for a week straight! We'll see.

Lunch today was cheeseburger sliders. Love that! My mom and Mike got me a slider skillet for my birthday, and I've used it a few times now. I'm starting to get a pretty good technique! :) So easy really, and the kids eat them so much better than a big giant cheeseburger. (I know it's hard to tell in this picture, but the buns are actually dinner rolls. They sort of look like full-size sandwiches in this photo.)

I also improved on a bit of a snack for later. I used peach applesauce & strawberry applesauce in the dehydrator to make homemade fruit roll-ups. Hopefully they taste okay. We'll see. This could be a really interesting eating night. :)

Food Revolution!

I'm sure that you all have heard about this... Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I missed the first episode on TV, but was so pumped to see that the whole episode is posted online. So I sat down tonight (after a 3-hour trip to the grocery store, ironically enough), and watched it. LOVED the concept! This has been a topic that has had my interest for some time now, and has been much of the catalyst to our Dining In endeavour. I realize that we have become way to dependent on and accustomed to fast food, processed food, and the like. And with everything in me, I am DETERMINED to make a change. I desperately want to find ways to prepare fresh, healthy meals that will work into our schedule. I want to create good habits for my kids, and for us as a family. I know that it is vital, for so many reasons, not the least of which is that we are working totally contrary to God's design and will for us when we put garbage into our amazingly designed body systems.

If you missed the first episode, here's a link to it: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.
If you're at all interested, please take the time to watch it. I just think that it's so easy to forget how much really yucky junk is actually in the processed foods and all that is such a normal part of the every-day American way. This episode was a direct reminder and a push toward fresh whole foods. Mmm hmm. I feel inspired and ready to make up a menu!

Girls' night out!

This evening I went to a friend's house, where about 30 women were all gathered together. A local salon donated their services, and gave manicures, pedicures, facials, and all kinds of other great stuff! I got a pedicure and a scalp massage. *sigh* Soooo nice! It was just absolutely so much fun to hang out and talk and get to know new people and just relax. I love little blessings like this in life.

Egg Crazy

Okay, finally I've gotten around to Sebastian's 2009 Easter Egg Hunt layout. Can't do one for the other two and not for the third! I used a cute little mini-kit by Kaye Winiecki... isn't this little Easter bunny adorable?!

(Image is linked)

I had to laugh as I was looking through our pictures of Sebastian hunting for his eggs... a lot of the pictures are just him wandering around looking confused... that would be because "The Easter Bunny" *coughDaddycough* felt the need to be a little extra tricky with Sebastian's eggs! So the poor kid had to climb trees, climb the swing set, dig through plants, and even look around the air conditioner unit on the side of the house. Poor kid... those are the breaks when you're the oldest I guess! LOL!

Journaling: The egg hunt tradition might be "fun" for some, but to you, it's serious business! The moment we turn you loose, you are off on a mission to find those eggs! You get a bit egg crazy, but it's so much fun to watch! And of course, Daddy makes sure your eggs are in some tricky hiding spots.

Progress Report

Well, so far, we've talked with the home loan financial guy & have a pre-approval in place; we have an appointment with one of the real estate agents for selling this house; and I've talked with the real estate agent who will be helping us find a house in Ohio. All within the last 24 hours. We're still at the front end of things, but we are definitely making progress.

Live

Not a lot of scrap time to speak of, but I was REALLY needing a battery recharge after the long week of cleaning. Solution: bust out a template! I used one of Fizzy's new So Simple templates. This page came together start to finish in about 45 minutes.

Journaling: "As I sit at a distance on this day, your fourth birthday, I pause to breathe it all in. Where has the time gone? Where is my tiny baby? I see before me a little girl with so much life in her. I see a precious gift, whom I love more than life. On this day you have taken my breath away with your beauty, and the fullness of all that you are. On this day, I pray that you will live life always with the energy and passion that is in you today."

(Click here to view full credits.)

Dual DS's

Last October, we had our first round of parent-teacher conferences, at which time, we were informed by Isaac's teacher that he was doing great academically, but that he was really struggling socially. He was having outbursts, like snapping crayons and smashing others' projects. He was also not playing with others, generally speaking, and had pretty much made zero friends at his new school. I spoke at length with the teacher, both then and in subsequent conversations. We tried to find things that we could work on together to help Isaac make progress in the areas where he was struggling.

One of the things we did at home - well, pretty much, Lucas did (and I totally agreed with, but it was just really an Isaac and Daddy thing) - was to give Isaac some pretty big incentive. For those of you who know Isaac at all, you know that he is completely and totally motivated by electronics... wii, PlayStation, computer, and DS. One thing he has been wanting for quite some time is his own DS. So Lucas sat down and talked with him about his behavior. He told him that if he would work really hard through school, change his attitude, stop acting out at others, make a true effort at making friends, etc consistently for the next few months in school, then he would take him to get his very own DS.


Well... last week we had our second and final parent-teacher conferences of the school year. Again, Isaac was doing very well academically. Reading at a high second-grade / low third-grade level, doing great in math and science, and writing very well. All great! But the best part was that his behavior section had all positives! No outbursts. No tantrums. No attitude. And he has been really opening up and making friends, interacting with others, and so on. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was, and I could just see Isaac's face light up as we were talking about it at the conference.

That night, after conferences, we went home and he got to talk to his daddy on the phone. And FINALLY, after six long months of hard work and consistent effort, Isaac earned his DS! So yesterday, amid other things (like a trip to the movie theater to watch Alice in Wonderland in IMAX 3D.... sweet), we took a trip to Wal-Mart, where Isaac got to pick out his DS. He chose a red one. He was sooooo very excited! And he should be! He definitely worked hard for that sucker! The first thing they did when they got home (after the movie) was find a game that they could play battle-style with their 2 DS's.

Today

On the list for today: Shampoo all of the carpets and scrub the hard floors. Anything beyond that is bonus! I figured, it's supposed to be a gorgeous day - the last one for a few days, according to the weather experts - so I'll send the kids outside to play, open up the house and get to work! That's the plan in a nutshell. Off to get started so I can get done. Later!

Make a Wish

Wow, things have been non-stop around here this week! I am definitely feeling it with Lucas being out of town during the week! He gets home this afternoon... can't wait to see him!

In the midst of all the activity, I did manage to get ONE layout done this week... I guess one is better than none, right? And I am REALLY liking the way it turned out, which is always a bonus!

Here's the kit I used... Make a Wish... a collaboration by Sahlin Studio and Spotted Dog Design.

I pulled out some un-scrapped pictures from Sebastian's birthday party last year. I usually really struggle to scrap birthdays... and pretty much every major holiday. But this one came together REALLY easily. I am seriously liking this kit, and will most likely be using it for a few more un-scrapped birthday pictures. Maybe I can just get them all done (just in time for more pictures this year, right?)

Journaling: This year you wanted a monkey birthday. And of course, Grandma H. came through with amazing results. She made you your own big monkey cupcake, & smaller cupcakes for the guests. You couldn't have been happier! And yes, you just had to be a monkey!

(Click here to view full credits.)

So Close

Well, after a long, hard weekend of packing, stacking, and rearranging, we are SO CLOSE to being able to get our house on the market! We have every bedroom, closet, the living room, the kitchen, and the basement all arranged and in order. I have only to do a bit of cleaning - appliances, the kids' bathroom, the carpets - and we should be completely set! I can't tell you how good it feels to have things in order. I just can't understand why I waited five years to get our house put together like this. ??? Oh well... gives me some ideas for how to do things differently in the next house.

Our living room...

Why am I showing you my bathroom? Because I LOVE it! LOVE, I tell you! I bought a shelf and a new shower curtain, added a few candles that I had stashed around... LOVE it.

Sebastian's Birthday Song for Me

I know my birthday has come and gone, but I just have to document this so I don't forget it. Sebastian rearranged the words to the 'Happy Birthday' song for me.

Happy Birthday to you.
You are 32.
You are the best mom.
And I love you.

Dining In

Last night for dinner we had some chicken & veggie stew that I had made a few weeks ago and froze. It heated up nicely in the crock pot and made for a quick & easy meal after gymnastics and before small group (about a 20-minute window to eat and clean up).

Tonight's dinner was homemade pizzas on whole wheat thin crust. One was ham, pepperoni, green peppers, black olives, and pineapple (that is my favorite pizza concoction!), and the other was plain ol' pepperoni, green peppers and 1/2 black olives. We had a friend over for dinner, so it was a nice, laid-back dinner for hanging out and chatting. Plus, easy clean-up before church.

Spring Fever!

The sun is shining! The snow is melting!! The air is warming up!!! I am definitely in the mood for spring! And it was so refreshing to see a few new spring-themed kits hitting the digi stores! I did a few layouts with the new Build-Your-Own-Collab kit (BYOC) at the Lilypad... LOVE the spring colors!

All of these pictures are from Easter 2009.

Bunny Ears: While I was trying to get NICE pictures of the three kids on Easter morning, a bunny ears battle broke out! They were seriously cracking up! It was the funniest thing ever... so much for 'good' pictures... these were even better!

(Click here to view full credits.)

Egg Hunt Layouts: So I managed to get a layout done for Isaac and for Meagan. I have every intention of doing one of Sebastian as well. I just have been rather short on scrapping time lately! I'll get to it! Will probably come right back to this kit for it... LOVE it!

(Click here to view full credits.)

(Click here to view full credits.)


I am SO ready to bust the windows wide open and send the kids outside to play (minus snow boots!). Spring fever has definitely set in!!

Have I Ever Mentioned...

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE my husband?! Seriously. For starters, remember that we're in the midst of house prep/messiness... and the basement has caught the major bulk of it, since it is, in fact, a basement. Also know that the basement is the place where all the kids go during small group (which will be held at our house tomorrow, like every Tuesday night). Well, tonight at dinner, he mentioned something about having to do something with the mess in the basement before tomorrow. My heart sank. I had totally forgotten, and I had already made plans to go to the grocery tonight (as this was the only night of the week I would be able to pull it off kid-free...bonus). Oh well, not the first time I've had to rearrange plans... no big deal. Then after we finished eating, he took my hand and drug me downstairs to the basement...

NO MESS! While Meagan, Isaac and I were at gymnastics tonight, Sebastian and Lucas completely cleaned and organized (as much as possible for the moment, anyhow) the entire basement... even swept the floor with a shop vac. LOVE. I can't tell you how happy I was!!

LOVE. That's all I can say about that! :)

In Disarray

Well, we've wiped down most of the walls that really needed it; we've taken down pictures; we've patched and sanded the walls... just waiting to go get the paint on Friday so we can do some touching up.

As of right now, our house is in total disarray. There are piles of picture frames that have been taken down but not yet packed away. There is furniture that has been pulled away from the walls and is currently sitting at random in the middle of the room. There is laundry overflowing in the boys' hamper, and clean laundry overflowing on the ground. There are boxes and bags and piles in virtually every room.

And we have people coming over for small group tonight. Hmmm... could be interesting.

I'm just taking a quick break from all of the vacuuming and wiping and organizing and throwing away. But I'm about to get back to it. Hopefully I can at least find the living room and kitchen before this evening. Not sure where to put everything. Until I get some packing boxes, it may all end up piled high in our bedroom. Oh well. Temporary, right? That's what I keep telling myself so I don't go crazy (I may not like cleaning, but I can't stand a cluttery house!).

Pray for us that we get through this with our sanity and peace still in check. Maybe if I get a chance later (on my next break, perhaps), I'll try to post some "really messy house" pictures (LOL) so that you all can laugh at us a bit and get a feel for the chaos we are currently living in!

One step at a time. Keep moving forward. :)

Dining In

We've had quite a few surprises with our dining-in efforts. Yes, there have been the expected responses of whining and/or complaining about vegetables or chicken or whatever. But there have been a few meals where I was totally expecting complaints and resistance, and instead, got compliments and requests for seconds.

For instance, I made a vegetable venison stew... was TOTALLY expecting that one to crash and burn. Instead, both of the boys really liked it, and have even requested to have it again since then. ??? The other one that was a surprise was meatloaf. I made little mini meatloaves in muffin pans. I was really not expecting a good response to that either, but Sebastian said, "Mom I just love it when you make this kind of stuff that tastes like meatballs" and Isaac ate seconds.

The last one that surprised me was chicken alfredo & veggies pasta. Although Meagan (and Lucas... he is NOT a fan of chicken) both kind of wrinkled their noses at it, the boys ate it up. Isaac (again) ate seconds. Sebastian's comment was, "Meagan, stop crying and just TRY it. It might not look like it tastes good, but it actually really does." LOL! Nice.

I still get frustrated because it seems like no matter what I make, inevitably someone doesn't like it. I'm not sure what there is to make that everyone will like, other than maybe spaghetti or lasagna... but you can really only eat that so many times in a month, can't you? Like Lucas said, though, there are five people in our family; it's going to be hard to please everyone. I figure if I'm doing the cooking, I can at least be sure that I will like it! If someone else wants to take over cooking duties, then THEY can decide what we're having. :)

Change and Rearrange

A bit of an update for you... we are for sure relocating! We still don't know all the specifics, so I wont' share all that for now, but we at least have some forward progress! Since we've found out, we've started working hard to get stuff in order around the house... time to start thinking about putting the house on the market! Eeek!

I've started working on clearing out clutter and rearranging a few things here & there. So far, we've de-cluttered the living room quite a bit, organized the closet by the front door, and rearranged Meagan's room so that it looks more open. Today we spent most of the afternoon wiping down and patching walls. Still lots to do, but we're making progress!

Jelly Belly's

This was one of the many things we did today... we made a stop at CVS for a few "other" things, but we ended up walking out with a bag of Jelly Belly's. I'm not usually one for sweet sugary candy (I'm more of a chocolate girl myself), but I am always up for a bag of Jelly Belly's! There's just something so FUN about matching the jelly beans to the pictures on the back of the bag to see if you can guess the right flavor! I always tell myself "Just one," but I get sucked in and can't stop! So today I exposed Meagan to the joy of Jelly Belly's. She apparently has the same addiction as I do! We put away half the bag in one sitting! It was sooo much fun!

Road Trip

A quick layout I did of some 'mustang' pictures from last summer. We spent HOURS last summer down at the end of our street while the kids drove around and around and around the circle. They would stop and park, get out and 'go to the grocery' or 'go hunting' or 'go to work'... all kinds of grown up things. I couldn't help but think as I was putting this layout together that we may have very likely had our last drive around the circle. Isn't it funny how something seems so ordinary and commonplace while you're doing it. It's so easy to not even consider that it may be the last time you ever do that very thing. I guess there is always a last of everything. Just a teeny little reminder to appreciate every experience while I have it to appreciate.

I used a new kit by Sahlin Studio and Britt-ish designs... It's a gigantic kit and mini-kit combo that's way to big to even try to describe here. Here's a link to Krista Sahlin's blog to check it out.

(Click here to view full credits)

Pixos

Another layout to share with you. This one I threw together quickly the other night... quick scrapping is a HUGE plus when free time is scarce, as it seems to be lately. I used this new set of templates by Sahlin Studio to get the job done fast!

I never used to like templates, but they are definitely growing on me! I'm seeing their value more & more. I was always set against them because I thought a layout made with a template couldn't be "original," but I've come to believe that sometimes having an "original" page just won't really matter 30 years from now. What will matter most then will be simply that the memory was recorded and I can look back and recall the details... template or not! Besides all that, a good template is versatile enough to be used several ways and still be fresh.

Here's what I did with this template pack this time around... I'll most definitely be using these templates again in the near future!

Journaling: I have such mixed emotions about pixos... the tiny little beads that go everywhere when they fall... the giant box of supplies to be stored in the kitchen cabinet... the drying time. Yet I can't help but like a toy that brings out so much creativity in each of you. No matter what my opinion may be, you LOVE them!

(Click here to view full credits.)

Dear O-I

Journaling: Dear O-I, I am writing this letter to thank you. Now, I know that might sound odd to you. You are, after all, an inanimate object - a building, a factory, a company. You have no feelings or emotions. Yet you have taught me, or rather, you have reminded me of some things I had lost sight of... you've reminded me of the many blessings in our lives. You've reminded me that family is the greatest treasure we have in this life. And most importantly, you have shown me yet again that, no matter what circumstances may be, we are held by God, and He alone is our Provider. For these reminders I thank you.

I used a gorgeous new kit, Tranquil, by Leora Sanford and One Little Bird Designs. You can follow the link to check it out.

(Click here to view full credits.)

Clean Room Awards

A few weeks ago, we implemented a pretty basic new awards system in our house. I was SO tired of having to clean up EVERY room in the house. Our kitchen, living room, basement, and all the bedrooms (and even the bathrooms) were littered with kid STUFF on a daily basis. That, together with the fact that we had sort of been floundering to define and stick to a clear-cut list of responsibilities for the kids, led to this simple little chart - the Clean Room Award chart.

At the beginning of each week, I print one for each of the kids and stick it to their bedroom doors. At the end of each day, we go through the house and examine the rooms. If the room is clear of their things, they get credit for that room for that day. At the end of the week, if they have at least 30 stickers, then they get $2.50 for the week. They get paid in quarters - 10% ($.25) goes into a savings jar, 10% goes into a giving jar and the remaining 80% ($2.00) goes into their ATM machines to use for spending money, or whatever they want to do with it.

I have to say that so far I have actually been pretty surprised at how effective this simple little concept has been. The amount of cleaning that I have had to do on behalf of my children has significantly decreased in the past 3 weeks. Plus, the upside is that they are learning to tithe & to save.

(Credits: I used "Make Chores Fun" by Kate Hadfield & Jacque Larsen to make this chart.)

On a Loop

Lately our kids have been watching movies on a loop. It seems that they will latch onto a movie and stick with it for several weeks, during which time they just watch the SAME movie.... over and over and over..... and over and over.....

Over the past month or so, we've seen a loop of The Lion King, Milo and Otis, and most recently The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (which, by the way, we watched for our family movie night tonight... actually cuter than I was expecting).

Productivity

Well, it ended up being a rather productive day yesterday. Once I got started, I was on a roll! Meagan and I worked together to get some stuff organized and cleaned up. We organized the living room and cleared out the movies and clutter. We even wiped down the walls and moved some furniture around a bit.

Today was more of the same. We concentrated most of our efforts in Meg's room today. We got it cleaned, first & foremost (because it was a disaster area!), and then rearranged the furniture and wiped the walls down. The shelves in her closet are tidy even again, which they have not been since the explosion of Christmas gifts. She was SUPER excited about having her room "be different" and was really looking forward to sleeping in her bed since it's now on a different wall. I love that too, so I know what she means... after I rearrange a room, I like to just sit in it and take in the freshness of it! Funny the things that bring a sense of satisfaction! :)

We still have a LONG way to go... I haven't even touched the kitchen walls, or the walls in either staircase, or the upstairs hallway, or the boys room.... you get the point. There's lots to wipe down and patch. There's lots to get straightened up and organized. I already have about 8 bags full of kids' clothes and toys ready to go to the local pregnancy center (and a car seat, now that Meagan has outgrown it). And I still have a few closets and a basement full of stuff to go through. Aaahh, the joys of preparing to move! In the five years that we've lived here, our house has NEVER been as organized as it is right now... Why did I wait five years to start doing this? Wouldn't it have made a lot more sense to actually LIVE organized? Just a thought... oh well... maybe next time! :)

Like I said before, I'll keep you posted. Until then, we'll just keep plugging along, preparing as though we are moving. If, for some reason, we don't end up moving, I guess we'll just have a very clean and organized house.

Checking in...

I am having one of those days where I feel torn... I KNOW there is lots to do, but so far I haven't done much. Meagan and I have payed Tinkerbell on her Leapster, built a puzzle, and watched a movie. I have finished a layout (I'll post that later), posted it in online galleries, and browsed forums. Now I REALLY need to get started on something productive. There's so much to choose from to do! I think Meagan and I will set a few goals for the day and see how far we get... she is actually VERY excited about the prospect of helping me wash walls (funny what is exciting when you're 4... housework seems magical... I could use a little bit of that magic!).

Wish me luck! I'll check back in later.

Ouch, That Stings

Do you remember this.... when Isaac got stung and his poor little face swelled up like a balloon? Poor baby! I've never done anything with these pictures as far as scrapping goes, though, because they aren't exactly easy to scrap, and it's not often that a kit comes along to help out with those tough scrap subjects... seriously, some pictures just don't look so cute on a page, no matter WHAT you do with them! LOL!

However, I got lucky! Kaye Winiecki released a Bumps and Blah's kit that was perfect colors and perfect little elements to actually do something with these pictures (at least one of them). No matter how pitiful he looked, the story is still worth documenting.

A preview of the kit:

And here's what I did with it:


Journaling: Isaac's poor little face swelled up so badly when he got stung by a bee. 08/08

(Click here to view full credits.)

Cutting out the Middle Man

Yesterday I did something I didn't actually expect myself to do... it just sort of happened before I even thought about it. Yesterday, I broke away from tradition; I skipped the rituals; I cut out the middle man...

What do I mean? Well, yesterday Sebastian lost another tooth. He had lost it at school some time during the day. He was careful to keep it in a little envelope to bring it safely home, because we all know that a lost tooth is good for a dollar in the piggy bank! When we got home, he announced to me that he had lost his tooth, and he pulled it out of storage to show me.

"That's great!" I said to him, knowing that he was excited about it (he had been predicting the loss of this tooth for a few weeks now, so all of his waiting had finally been rewarded). Then... this is the part that I wasn't expecting... the part that I didn't think about before I said it... it just sort of came out... "I'll give you a dollar right now if you'll just throw it away."

He looked at me, a bit surprised at first, but then said, "Okay!" Apparently he wasn't too concerned with HOW he got his $1, just that he got it! LOL! So I took the tooth, tossed it in the garbage, and handed him a dollar worth of dimes (which, of course, he split up into saving, giving and spending).

There now. That was the EASIEST way to get rid of a tooth I've ever encountered. I'll have to keep that in mind, seeing as I have 3 mouths full of future lost teeth. I may not forgo the Tooth Fairy all together, but maybe I'll at least give them the option - the quick way or the Tooth Fairy way... maybe I'll get lucky! :)

Sunny Saturday

I am loving the way this day is going so far! I got a good night of sleep; woke up at 7:30 (on my own, not with the help of kids!); made some tea; read my Bible; browsed online; and am now getting ready to make a breakfast pizza!

I am hoping this day will continue to be productive. There's lots to do around the house. Besides the normal stuff - laundry, bathrooms, blah blah blah - there's also other stuff like get ready for the Super Bowl party tomorrow, clean out closets, maybe do taxes. So many options! But if I'm going to get any of them accomplished, I'm going to have to stay away from my computer! Wish me luck!

New Friday Goodies

I have a few new layouts to share with you, as there are lots of new releases coming out today. The first layout, I did with The Lilypad's new Feb BYOC (build-your-own-collab). LOVE the colors... brown & teal get me every time really! Here's the layout I did with it... Sebastian and his tootsie rolls from Grandma & Grandpa H. (an early Christmas present I think).

(Click here to view full credits.)

Another new release.... Wild at Heart by As You Wish Designs. This layout is of Meagan and her friend, just being silly, giggly girls.

Journaling: I love a house full of little girl laughter, giggles and smiles. I love an afternoon full of princess costumes and high-heeled shoes of the plastic, bejewelled variety. I love that friendship can be so genuine and true at any age, and that the 2 of you have been given this precious time of your lives to not only get to know each other a little more, but to teach each other a little bit about life, love, and friendship. The joy that comes from being with a friend is one of the greatest blessings we can ever know in life. Enjoy this time. Enjoy each other.

(Click here to view full credits.)

It's all a little fuzzy....

The other day, as I took my glasses off and laid them on the counter to put my contacts in, Meagan snatched up my glasses and shoved them on her face. She stood for a minute trying to get acclimated, but apparently she just couldn't adjust. She looked at me and said, "Momma, I don't know why you even bother to wear these things. They just make everything look all fuzzy."

She just makes me smile!

New Life

Ready for a flashback to 2001? I just felt like digging through my photo stash (all 33.5 GB... yes, really) for something I hadn't seen for a while. I found this - one of my favorite pictures of Sebastian the day he was born. What an itty bitty peanut all swaddled and snuggled in. Oh I just want to reach into that picture and squish him with a great big snuggly squeeze. He was such a tiny little snuggly bug... and now he is a gigantic, almost-as-tall-as-me crazy boy who rarely sits still long enough to snuggle.

Aah, well. This is what time does to us I suppose. And I do LOVE the little boy he is today. But it is wonderful to be able to look back and remember those precious, brand-new-life moments - way before we had any clue what we were doing as parents - back when we had not the first clue what we were in for or how life was about to change! So his new life brought us a new life as well.

(Click here to view full credits.)

Sweet Tea

I swear some days I just sit back and think, I am one of the luckiest girls ever! I am just constantly blown away by all the gorgeousness I get to play with for fun! It is one of the best things ever! The other night I made a layout using Leora's new kit with Paislee Press, Sweet & Tart. Here's the preview (with links... because it's on sale today, so I thought I'd share it with you!).

I took these pictures Friday during the day. Meagan decided it was her stuffed animal's birthday. So she gathered up some of her favorites (at least for the moment) and set up, what else, a tea party for them. She used her play food for the food, and apple juice for the tea (which she only poured in her own cup... I just didn't think juice and stuffed animals would mix well). She even 'wrapped' gifts for Moley (the birthday mole.... I always thought it was a bear, but she has insisted it is a mole, and I figure it's not worth the argument). Anyway, she spent a good hour or more playing tea party birthday party. At the end of it all, Moley had turned three!

Journaling: Today's events included a birthday party for Moley, who was turning three. What better way to celebrate than with a tea party? On the guest list - Floppers and Husky and Purple Bear (and you, of course). You were a wonderful tea party hostess. It is such a privilege to be a part of these moments.

'09 Valentine

With all the new Valentine-themed kits coming out in the last week or so, I've been itching to actually DO something with the pictures I took at last year's Valentine's Day parties at school. Clearly, this is Meagan's party... I swear every school party feels exactly like the last... but I still love to be there! She is growing up so fast!

I definitely stepped outside of my norm on this layout. Sometimes it's just fun to try something new! Even better when that effort is rewarded in some way... this layout was featured on the Gallery Standouts Blog today! I really did enjoy making this, and will probably do something like it again soon.

Journaling: "Celebrating Valentine's Day at preschool... Friday morning, Meg's class had a party to celebrate the holiday of LOVE. A classroom full of 3 and 4-year-olds running crazy with the anticipation of candy and cookies with sprinkles! They played games. They iced cookies and decorated them with red candy sprinkles and red hots. There was even a game where they had to blow through a straw to melt a heart shaped ice cube to get a colorful heart ring out of it. Although sometimes it can feel like every school party is the same, I still love to go and be a part of it with them. I know that these chances are few, and if I don't take every single opportunity, I will look back with regrets when they are grown and gone. These moments are precious, and so worth the time out of my grown-up day to go and party at the preschool! 2009"

(Click here to view full credits.)

The List Grows On

A while ago, Meagan started a list of things she wants to be when she grows up. For quite some time now, the list has consisted of:

1. A zookeeper
2. An electrician (yes, really.)

Recently, though, her aspirations for the future have expanded some to also include the following:

1. A cooker (I believe she means chef)
2. A queen.

As for the boys, Sebastian has his heart set on the arts. He plans on being an author and illustrator. Isaac has determined that he will be a builder... he just hasn't decided which TYPE of builder. He could either be the guy who designs the buildings or the guy who hits the nails. "Mom, do you have to go to college to be a builder?" he asked me the other day. "If you want to be the one who designs the buildings you do." After a long, thoughtful pause, he said, "Well, I might do that someday, but I think I might be the guy who hits the nails first." I love watching the way his mind works - very entertaining, and good for a chuckle.

It's a Date!

Since we've been making an effort (albeit somewhat unsuccessful lately... breaking bad habits is a slow process I am finding...) to eat less fast food, we have decided to start picking one day a month to plan a special dinner date out. Ours for this month was last night. We went to Steak n' Shake for burgers (or hot dogs, as the kids would have it) and shakes. Nothing fancy, for sure, but definitely an enjoyable dinner date. Plus, since we spent $30, we scored 2 cool glass Coca-Cola drinking glasses. I like.

I'm hoping that as we continue moving further and further away from the crutch of fast food on a much-too-regular basis, these dinner dates will develop more and more into something we all can REALLY look forward to and not take for granted. It's great to have those kinds of things in your life.

A Change is Gonna Come

What an interesting week we have had. It's easy to forget how quickly one phone call - one bit of news - can redirect the course of life as we know it. As of late, I had lost sight of that a bit. This week, life abruptly reminded me.

Wednesday was really going on as quite a normal, nothing extraordinary, kind of day. Until about 3:45 when I got the first hint of something not-so-normal. I got a text from Lucas that stated 'the big wigs are here,' meaning there were people from corporate visiting the plant where he works. Then, 'we have a 4:00 meeting. I won't be home for a while.' At about 6:00, I got a phone call at home from him saying they had just been informed that the company had decided to close the plant - this plant - the one where my husband works, effective May 1st.

So, fast forward through all of the details..... we are not sure at this moment what that means, other than we will very likely be moving sometime after May 1 (which is the last day of production here at this facility). We don't know where. We don't know when. We don't know much really. Just that change is coming, that God is a good God, and that we are relying on Him and trusting Him to make a way for us. We both feel confident that something good will come out of this, and that we, in the grand scheme of things, will be just fine. So please be praying for us if you are the praying kind... we would appreciate all the prayer possible. I'll keep you all posted as we find out anything new.

Life is an adventure and a story waiting to be written. Although this chapter in our lives seems to be coming to a close, we still have much to experience, and the rest of the story to write. It is an awesome thing to know that the Creator of the Universe holds us in His hands, and that He is guiding every step of our way. So we move forward, not knowing what lies ahead, but knowing with the fullest faith that we can trust Him with it all.

First Kiss Collab

Two of my FAVORITE designers have teamed up this week to bring us one of the most fun collaborative kits I've seen in a while - First Kiss. First, here's a preview of the kit, with links if you're interested...

And here's what I did with it...

This picture of Meagan is from 2007... doesn't she look so little?! Ugh, time flies! Journaling says, 'Who could resist those big blue eyes and that sweet smile? You are so lovable!'

Precious

While waiting for my picture files to transfer to my new external hard drive, I got a chance to play. This is a hodge-podge of stuff from different kits, different designers, just thrown together for fun. I used Simple Solutions Templates by Leora Sanford for the base and then just starting building around it. You know me - I just can't leave things clean & simple.

Anyway, I took this picture of Meagan last week when she was sick. She was crashed out on the couch, snuggling her puppy and fluffy lamb (who didn't make the cut in the picture, I'm afraid, LOL). She just looked so peaceful, I couldn't resist the picture.



(Click here to view full credits.)

1 TB

Just a dumb little thing, but a little thing that makes me happy. I have been wanting to get an external hard drive for a while now. Just to store all of my digital stuff all in one place, so I can get it all tagged and labeled & organized for easier use. Today I got one. One terabyte. Yea! Now I have plenty of room to store my digital supplies and my pictures and back up my layouts.

1/2 Day

Yesterday was a 1/2 day of school. The boys got home around 12:30, so we had a special day together. For lunch we hit up the Pizza Hut buffet and ordered a plate of chocolate bread sticks for desert... YUM!

In the afternoon we worked together to get kids' bedrooms cleaned up and organized (why is this always an ongoing project?). It may not have been a special treat for the special afternoon off of school, but it needed to be done. At least we were in it together I guess!

Then after a quick dinner (dinner IN, I might add), we headed to the Aquatic Center for family swim night. It only cost $1/person to swim, and they played Ice Age up on the big wall of the family pool area. We staid until about 7:15 - just over an hour. By then, we were cold (the water in the big pool, where we spent most of our time, was a little less-than-ideal-temp) and getting tired. So we headed home, got snuggled up in pj's and the kids tucked in for some bedtime movies.

Silly Boys

I FINALLY got my laptop table I've been waiting for! I had asked for one for Christmas, and Lucas got one for me. However, the one he got me had feet that wouldn't fit under the chairs and couches, so we returned it and kept looking. There was one at Wal-Mart I had seen that would work just right, but every time we went to the store, it was out of stock. I mean, I had honestly taken to semi-stalking Wal-Mart. LOL! Finally, after much waiting, and stalking, my persistence was rewarded! They got one in and called me the day it came! I went to Wally World right after work and got my table. Of course, it was then necessary that I try it out that night. So I plopped my back-side on the couch, busted out my new table, and spent the evening making a layout.


Here's my first layout ever created on my new laptop table (LOL).


These pictures are from our family silly string fight back in September.

(Click here to view full credits.)

Est. Dates

One more new thing to share with you today. These Est. Dates by Sahlin Studio are the kind of thing I will use over and over again. Love the style, and the extra brushes that come with it are way too cool to add a little extra to a layout. Here's the preview:



And here's just one of the layouts I've made with these since I got them:

Journaling: Like every June, this one was full of activity! The boys had their last day of school, followed by an afternoon at the park with friends (complete with a water balloon fight). Sebastian celebrated his 8th birthday with a pool party at Grandma & Grandpa H's. And there was plenty of t-ball and baseball to go around. We even got to take a trip with Grandma B. to Ottawa Park and play in the lake there. June is always full of fun!

(Click here to view full credits.)

I *Heart* Books

Kaye Winiecki has a new mini kit out today that I LOVE! She is the guest designer at Scrap Matters this month, so it's available at Scrap Matters until the end of the month.

Here's the layout I did with this kit. The picture may look familiar (from my previous post). Isaac and his book!


Journaling: Isaac is a wonderful reader! He is reading at a high 2nd grade level in 1st grade. For his Christmas book exchange at school, he got a book of Curious George stories. He has read it over and over again since then, and is so proud of himself because it has over 100 pages. What a smarty pants!

(Click here to view full credits.)

Week 1

As with last year, I started out this year with the idea of documenting the entire year with photos. The idea - one photo a day to capture every-day life. The reality - sometimes I forget. Life goes by so quickly sometimes, and I just simply forget to grab the camera, or to stop and take a moment to snap a photo.

Although I have not gotten a photo EVERY day, I still plan to do my best to document each week of this year through a combination of photography and blogging. This should make it much easier to pull together a complete album at the end of the year, having the photos and the stories already captured.

So here is the start of it all.

Week 1: Jan 1 - Jan 7, 2010

Grandma H. cut Meagan's hair. Meagan was not pleased with the whole process. Too much sitting still.

Isaac used the money he had been saving to buy this dragon mountain, among other things. It was, much to my surprise, quite a hit.

She is forever in a costume. Some days, she is in every costume she has at one point or another.

Isaac got a book for his school Christmas book exchange that is a collection of Curious George stories. He is turning into quite the reader.

Meagan had a friend over to play for the afternoon.

Our weekly routine - picking the boys up early so that we can get to gymnastics on time. Our first week of January was full of a steady supply of snow.

Credits: Photo editing utilized Leora Sanford's Photo Overlays: Celebrating Color

A Fun Little Photo Treatment

I have to show you my new-found addiction! Leora Sanford came out with these photo overlays a few weeks ago, and I am HOOKED! It's the easiest thing in the world to do, and it's so much fun to play around. You can get so many different looks just by overlapping colors and playing with blending modes and opacity. Here's an example of a picture I edited using these overlays.

Before:

After:

I swear I didn't do anything else to this photo besides apply a couple of overlays and mess around with the blending. I LOVE them! Definitely using these on just about every photo I use from now on!

I Love Your Style

I can't remember if I ever told you... we FINALLY got around to taking Isaac to his birthday movie. Over Christmas break, we all went to see Alvin & the Chipmunks. The kids LOVED it, and are STILL singing the songs and quoting the lines! Anyway, I took this picture just as we were walking out the door - Meagan and her funky style. She had on her little plaid peasant dress with hot pink leggings and hot pink socks and hot pink boots. LOL. Gotta love that girl!

Journaling: Stay true to yourself You are so special & have so much in store!

(Click here to view full credits)

Celebrate

I know I never really got around to posting any pictures of Isaac's birthday. Hopefully this will make up for that in some very small way. I put this layout together to showcase some of the birthday activity.

Journaling: A birthday celebration full of color and fun. Snowman cupcakes, candles and balloons. Family and friends. Not to mention birthday gifts. It was wonderful to see your face light up with joy and excitement. You were happy the whole day through. A day to celebrate YOU.

(Click here to view full credits.)

2 Less Teeth 2 Brush

Journaling: Just before school started, you lost your 2 front teeth. I thought it might make you hesitant to smile, but I couldn't have been more wrong. As far as you were concerned, it was just 2 less teeth to brush. Sept. 2009

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they all fall down

It happened. It got us. All of us. We all fell victim to the flu garbage that Meagan had early last week. Our week went something like this...

Sunday: Around 11:00 at night, Meagan started getting sick. She was up ALL NIGHT on the hour. No fun.

Monday: Meagan was home from preschool, therefore I was home from work.

Tuesday: I don't work on Tuesday's so I already had the day free to stay home with Meagan and give her some extra recovery time. Although she had slept through the night, Tuesday morning, she started in again. Tuesday afternoon, the school called and said Isaac had gotten sick on the way to gym class. About an hour later, Lucas walked in the door, home from work early. It had gotten him too. Thankfully, we had cancelled small group. Later that night, it hit me as well.

Wednesday: Meagan and Isaac were home from school. Lucas and I were home from work. We sent Sebastian to school. We all laid in bed all day long. By the end of the day, the kids were starting to show signs of feeling better, although they still hadn't eaten any solid foods. Still, though, I was feeling hopeful for being able to send them to school on Thursday. Until... just before bedtime, Sebastian started in. (Are you freakin' kidding me!! Aaaah!)

Thursday: Well, once more, I knew I was going to be missing work (my third and final work day of the week, now gone). Still, I was planning on sending Isaac to school and Meagan to preschool, giving Sebastian quiet resting time, and hopefully giving me a bit of a chance to get some work done. However, after breakfast, just before the bus came, both Isaac and Meagan got sick yet again. Oh for the love! So, the coats came off, and they all grabbed a couch or chair to plop down and rest. So much for a quiet, peaceful house.

Friday: Finally, both boys returned to school. Meagan was doing much better. I was starting to turn around, and Lucas was back to work for the 2nd day. Still buried in laundry and carpets to scrub clean, but heading in the right direction at least.

Look at the Bright Side

Well, it has been a not-so-great day around here. Last night, around 11:00, Lucas and I were laying in bed watching an episode of Heroes (my Christmas gift!!), when we heard the dreaded sound of vomiting coming from the other room. We both went to see who was the culprit, and found Meagan, still in her bed, getting sick everywhere. Uggh. Lucas scooped her up and took her into the bathroom, while I started stripping the bed, washing the laundry and scrubbing the carpet. We made a bed for her in our room, and attempted to lay back down. However, she was up about every 15 minutes getting sick all over again. It was a long night.

Today has been much more of the same, although it has slowed to about every 45 minutes I would say. She did manage to finally fall asleep around 1:00, and has only woken up a few times to run to the bathroom, do her thing, and then collapse back on her bean bag bed and go back to sleep.

I have been doing laundry and scrubbing bathrooms for most of the day. And there is still MUCH to be done. The kitchen is a mess, and I have 2 more bathrooms yet to do (not to mention that the laundry is nowhere near being finished). Looking at the bright side, though, I DID get to spend the day with my baby girl; and I have one very clean bathroom.