Our little Satna's Gift!

Christmas Eve started off as most do, with wrapping and jolly sing song. The kids were busy making letters for Santa and cutting cookies to go in the oven. Daddy was on the way home to pick us up to start our traditional evening of 'light' watching and more singing!

But something told me that I needed to stay home and continue wrapping. So as I kissed the kiddos, and shuffled them off into the car, the hubby gave me a kiss and a wink, and drove them off.

As I went back into the house, there was something different about the place. I peeked around the corner into the living room, and there stood a man in Red holding a little red ball of fur. He said, that this poor little guy was getting cold sitting in the sleigh and they took a detour to deliver him early. He said to take care of him and gave over the scared little puppy. As I was saying my hello to the new little guy, the man in Red made his escape up through the chimney. And I heard him exclaim, as he rode out of site. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!



That is the 'official' story at our house as to how Meko came to be with us!! He is a Shiba Inu going on his 12th week. He does not bark, and needs to be clean, which helps tremendously with potty training!! Yeah!! Isn't he cute!!

Yeah for Santa!! *wink*

Happy Holidays!

Just want to wish everyone a quick

Merry Christmas
and
Happy New Year!!

One Tradition

Bayle asked me a couple of years ago how Santa was going to leave Christmas gifts under the tree if we did not have a chimney for him to come down. And this made me start to make up a story about him having a magical key to get in through the front door, but then I thought that if Santa has all of this magic, we could make him a chimney to come down! And since then, we have been making one every year!!

This is too cute!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/9Vu8xxB3kxPuFoml

Oh, those teen years

Growing up, I had my share of good friends and not so good friends. I had friends that would start out sweet only to cut ties and gossip about my dreams and secrets as a joke to other girls. I had friends that would only call me when their 'other friends' were unavailable. I also had friends that would steal from me, and still continue to act as a friend. But I also had some amazing friends that stuck up for each other. And yes, unfortunately, I also found myself playing small/large parts in all of these scenarios. Hindsight is definitely 20/20.

Without these friends, both good and bad, hopefully we gals realize how to treat people and appreciate one another. And we have learned from our mistakes...hopefully.

So anyway, the reason I bring this up, is I have found myself trying to give advice to my teenage daughter. She is having some issues with a few of her friends. She is also very moody and distant. Brent and I have noticed something changing for a few weeks now, and last night I was able to sit her down and talk about some of the things going on in school and such. And she finally opened up. It seems that she is fighting what she knows morally knows is right vs. peer pressure. She is also being accused of something that started with a misunderstanding.

And I am fighting every inch of myself not to tell her what to do. She knows what is right, and all I can do is listen and give advice. She will need to make the decisions herself, right or wrong.

It kills me to know what she is going to go through and the hurt feelings that she will have. Am I a bad mother for 'letting' her go through this? I guess I don't see it this way. Without those girlfriends of mine who wronged me in some way, I would not have learned how to be a good person. And without me making some wrong decisions, and hurting others, I would not have learned the pain of seeing their faces. We all need to go through that to a point. I just need to be a good listener so she feels that she will always have someone to talk to.

An appology

My life drastically changed about a week before Thanksgiving. It all started when I answered the door and the police were standing there. Now, I cannot go into details as to why they came to visit, but to say that everything in the end will be okay. It is the waiting and not knowing that is driving me crazy. And I have thrown myself into other work until things get back to...well...not really normal, but back.

Anyway, I will be posting more often, and visiting other sites to leave some love. And when everything calms down, I blog about the nonsense going on. :)

A one-two kick

So both of my kiddos turned a year older yesterday. Yep, they share a birthday 6 years apart, and up until this year, it has been easy to juggle. And I guess, this year really wasn't soo bad, I am just realizing how much harder it's going to get.

They both want big parties with all of their friends and games and prizes, etc. Last year, we threw a Murder Mystery Party for Taylor with clues and a fancy dinner. All the girls dressed up as their character and played their parts. Bayle had the Transformer Party where all the boys had to go through Transformer Training and in the end they got awards. Both of these parties took a lot of work and time and honestly I just don't want to do it again. Although it would be unfair of me to say they can no longer have parties, they did agree to switching off between years. Yeah!! :)

So now, one will have the big party and the other a smaller one with just a few friends. They rolled Rock, Paper, Scissors and it looks like Bayle will have the big one this year. And he wants a Wii party. How easy is that!! He gets the bigger party and he picks one that is soo easy for me to plan. lol But Taylor still wants her sweet 16 party, so the parties will stay as is!

Easy :)

MomDot Christmas of Dreams Day 12

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I'm Thankful this year because...

I am Thankful for the blessing of being able to pray to the God of our choice.

I am Thankful for those men and women who are fighting for our country.
I am Thankful for the change that this country is willing to make.
I am Thankful for the life that I am able to lead.

I am Thankful that my children can choose who they want to be.

I am Thankful for family living so close.

I am Thankful that my family that is healthy.

I am Thankful for my Husband and children who make me who I am.
I am Thankful for my friends.
I am Thankful for a day to remember about all of the things to be Thankful for!!

Happy Turkey Day!!

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Now here’s the tough part, if you could only pick one food to eat on Thanksgiving, what would it be? I know, pure torture! Do you have a home-cooked meal or eat out? Does your family dress up?

One food...Baklava!

Thanksgiving is held at my Mom and Dad's home, with her 8 brothers and sisters and their families. We set it up like a potluck and my Aunt Marcia brings the Baklava!! There were a few years when she lived in Nebraska or Texas when she could not make it, but she is back and living close by...yeah!!! :)

We do not dress up, but I do try to instill the meaning of giving. And this year, Bayle came home from school and told me all about Thanksgiving. It was great to sit and listen!

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Do you decorate for the holidays? Do you have a themed tree? Share pics! Do you think there is such thing as OVER decorating?

Yes, No, When I find them, and Absolutely!

I do decorate. I blogged before about the manger that my mom gave me, then there is the traditional tree. Every year, I try to get crafty and have the kiddos take part in some part and make something. A couple of years ago, I bought the craft foam and cut our large stockings and laced them up with colored string. Then each kiddo decorated it making it their own. And last year, they were filled up with so much that some of them tore...so we need to make new ones this year.

We do not have a theme tree, unless you consider kids crafty stuff a theme! And yes, there is such a thing as OVER decorating!!! Not every inch of your house needs to have something holiday-ish. :) When your electric bill is more then it is Jan-Nov....it is time to stop decorating!

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So I want to hear, what is the most unusual gift you’ve received? It doesn’t have to be bad, just unusual.

Wow...this is a hard one. I guess the most unusual gift was a donation made in my name. It's actually a very good...great gift to give. My dad did it a couple of years ago. Actually, this gives me an idea for family this year. :)

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Do you shop on Black Friday? What time do you start? Do you finish all your shopping on that day? What’s the best deal you have found? What’s your shopping strategy?

I do not shop on Black Friday. It's scary, people are crazy, and I like to sleep in! Although, Micheal's is having a sale Friday morning...Cricut Cartridges normally go for $89.99...and they are on sale for $29.99...for this I may attempt to venture out...I might send my husband.. :)

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Tell us who is on your naughty list? Who is on your nice list? Why?

Everyone is on my nice list!!!
:)

Reaching

I have come to find that when life gives you a bowl of cherries,

it usually comes in the form of a pie being thrown at you.

This last two weeks have been a whirlwind of ups and downs,
and seems to have ended on the same note.
And the fallout is still not over.

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We would like to know what is your favorite holiday memory from your childhood.

I have two. :)

#1 I don't remember how old I was, but I was young, still in elementary school, and my parents were still together. My sister and I had the rooms upstairs and my brother had the room across from my parents on the main floor. The tree was on the main floor as well, so on Christmas morning, dad would carry by brother, with his eyes covered, by the living room and to the stairs that let to the top floor. The stairs were located in between the kitchen and the living room, so it was a perfect spot to wait. Mom and Dad would make muffins for breakfast and we would eat as fast as we can. Finally when we finished, we were allowed to walk into the living room to see what Santa had brought.
This particular year, when we walked down, I found a big cruise ship for my Barbies. I can't remember the exact name, but from one side you could see the outside of the ship and the other, all of the rooms. It was probably 3x3feet in size and I LOVED it!! I kept that thing much longer than even my barbies and well into my teens. :)

#2 Every year, my dad would take two of us kiddos out to buy a gift for the third one. This would teach us the gift of giving and the joy of watching the other open their gift. Anyway, I love Garfield, and my sister knew this so she had convinced my brother to buy a kit that she would sew and then put in a picture frame. And what made this gift extra special, is that she did spend her extra time sewing it together, for me. That just struck at my heart, and I still have it!!

Happy Birthday Amanda!

Today is her sweet 16!!

Have a great day sweetie!

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Today, make a blog post about what you do to give back during the holidays. Do you volunteer your time? If so, please tell us where. What do you do to teach your children the true meaning of the holidays?

I do try to teach my children the true meaning of Christmas. Growing up, my mother had a manger scene that we would put on the mantel right after Thanksgiving. As we put each piece up, she would explain their 'purpose' in the birth. A few years ago, she sent the manger to me and I have put it up every year since. Taylor and Bayle love to help place the figures as we discuss the story.

One thing that we are doing this year, is taking three of the kiddos out to buy a present for the forth. This way they can feel that they are participating by giving to others. My brother and sister and I did it while growing up, and I remember taking every second to find that 'just perfect' gift and then seeing them open the gift on Christmas morning!

A couple of weeks ago Bayle brought home a book order form and very quickly explained that this was not for him, but that he could get a book for someone else. So he definitely is getting the 'giving' spirit!

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What is your favorite Holiday Recipe?
I try to cook and bake, but it never really works out very well...meaning...not edible! Although my aunt always brings a 'special' dessert for Thanksgiving! Baklava!! Honey, and nuts, and so very messy...so yummy!!

Describe your Holiday Table?
Thanksgiving consists of 30-40 adults and 15 kiddos or so. We meet at my parents' home almost every year and bring dinner potluck style. Our family lives so close to each other during the year, it seems that we only really get together during the holiday's. And I love it. To see the kids running around and playing, getting to know each other again.


What is your biggest Holiday Cooking Disaster?
I do not cook...otherwise I would have a whole bunch of stories to tell here! :)

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Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Do you budget for the holidays? Do you always stick to your budget? Share with us any budgeting tips you may have!

Sponsored by: Appledonia, Hippos Toes and My Bag.

Between November 17th and Christmas, there are three kids birthdays and then...Christmas! We save all year for the last 40 days, so we have to budget. I try to start shopping early November but I still end up going to the mall on Christmas Eve to grab something that I overlooked. And do I stick to my budget...no...I like to think of it as a jumping off point. :) My husband has to pull me back.

Until tomorrow~

Mom Dot Christmas of Dreams Day 1 and 2

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I am joining in a day late...but here it goes!

Introduce us to your family and share Holiday pics or videos of past years (Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving)

Sponsored by: La Belle Toile and This and That

Let's see. There is my husband whom I married 7 years ago. I had a daughter of my own at the time and he had two from a previous marriage. So we started our life as a pre-made family. Nine months after the wedding came our youngest son. Amanda will be 16 this month, Tyler is now 13, Taylor will be 13 this month, and Bayle will be 7. We have two kitties, Wonka and Tipsy.

Taylor, Tyler, Amanda, Bayle, and the Hubby!


Just the kiddos Trimming the Tree

Traditions

Sponcered by: La Plates, Let's go Strolling, and Natitys Design

Thanksgiving is always spent with my Mom and Dad's family. We come in from all over the state to celebrate. The women are usually talking and helping with the feast and the men folk find themselves plopped on the couch watching football :) ! Although depending on the weather, they will step out to re-live some deep set image of each other playing professional ball! :)

My brother Dusty, Amanda, Dusty's son Jacey, and the Hubby

Christmas is a whole other story. It starts on the Eve when we pick up the kids and drive around to look at lights. There are a couple of neighborhoods that have little contests, and it's always a fun time to drive up and down to see the 'show'. After a few hours of this, we head home to make hot chocolate (with marsh mellows), make cookies, and read 'Twas the night before Christmas'. We get cleaned up and say our good nights and head to bed.

Although, this is where my night begins! I start by finishing the wrapping of the gifts. I know, I know, not really a tradition, but every year I end up with some to wrap, and I expect and plan for it, so there for, it fits under tradition. lol I take down our stockings and start to fill them with the various gifts for each child. The boys always get a Hot Wheel car as Daddy's signature gift. I try to buy the big candy canes that are filled with M& M's...but they get sold fast. Each get their favorite candy and assorted treats. And then Santa comes. The Hubby really gets into this part. Placing them just right so that everyone can see as they walk out. And we finally make it to be about 1am or so.

Christmas morning, our alarms go off about 6am. I will get out muffins or dognuts for breakfast and we wake the kids. We have the kids eat breakfast in the 'boys' room and about 7am make the long awaited walk to the living room. They will walk in order of hight and put their hands over the eyes of the kiddo in front of them. And then on a count of 3, they lift! We look at Santa stuff, grab their own stocking and claim a spot in the living room. I usually play Santa and hand out gifts. We open, say thank you, and then for the rest of the day...play.

Yeah...this is fun...come back tomorrow for Day 3 and if you would like to join, hop over to MomDot.com!!

A scary situation

Sorry that I have not been around to blog to much. We have been dealing with this cold that is going around. (I am now on week 3) How long is a cold allowed to last?!?!

But the biggest reason I have not been around has to do with what I do for a living. As some of you may know, I have a daycare in my home. I have been doing this for about 5 years and love doing it! Well, one of my little one's scared the crap out of me...to the point that I had 911 on the phone.

Everything, in the end, turned out okay. But at the time, I was frantic as to what should I have done, or could have done. Should I have not done something that I did. If the baby had stopped breathing, I could have revived him, but this was not the case. Here I was holding this little guy, and I was helpless to troubleshoot what was happening.

But we now know what happened and we now know how to prevent it. And I have signed up for an emergency first aid class. By doing this, I should feel more capable and confident to access problems as they may occur, build up some confidence that I have lost this last week.

This is the first and hopefully only time that one of the little one's in my care need first aid. I am just thankful that everything turned out okay.

I Voted!!!

Did you?

You have all day to get out there and make sure that you have a say for the next four years!

I was one of the first 20 peeps to vote here in my area, and I brought my son and nephew along to see how it all worked. Bayle had talked during school about the election and the kids took a mini vote yesterday at school. So he was excited to learn and watch how it was really done. He asked questions that I did not think he would understand and even watched me push the buttons. It was a great experience for him at age 6. And a good example set for when he comes of age to decide the country's future!

Sugar Rush

What a weekend!!

Here in Colorado, it almost always snows on Halloween. In the last 7 years it has done just that. But this year, we were out without jackets, and in flip flops! It was amazing!
Taylor decided that she is now too big to go running around with her parents during the night, and I had decided that she is still too young to go around with just her friends. So we settled on she going with her friends and a mother walking 'a house' behind. So as Taylor was up ahead, I had invited my brother and his little one to walk with the hubby, Bayle, and I. Bayle went as 'Scream' and Jacey went as the Hulk. And the kids were running from house to house with their baskets filling them up, trying to race to the next house and be the one to ring the doorbell. But in the end, they all came home with enough candy for the next two years.

Changes

I have decided to make this blog mostly about my life, my family, and the other silly things that I will want to jot down. Which means, my scrapbooking stuff is moving to another blog, so if you come here to look at pages and such, hop over to Sketch Me! And if you come to read about me, stay a bit, I will be posting a lot more!

And you can always just bookmark me and visit both!! :)

Have a great Wednesday!

We can no longer spell it out

Actual Conversation

Me: Taylor's waiting out in the car. We are going to run home so that she can change and then go to the movie. What are you boys thinking about doing?

Hubby: I thought we would go to a movie too, but (spelled out) B-O-L-T is not out yet.

Me: Oh...

My smart thinking 1st grader: Bolt?

Hubby: (looks down at him stunned)

Me: So no more coded conversations in front of the kids anymore...

Never want to go back

You hear every sound...every creek of the house settling, every noise of a car driving down the road, everything. You get up to check the locked door, to tuck the kiddos in one more time. You check the windows, you and glance down the street for unknown cars. You see shadows in the doorways and know that they will not be there when you open up your eyes.

This was my paranoid self last night. The hubby was in Utah on an overnight trip receiving an award and is flying back this afternoon. I was up all night just re-checking things.

I never realized how much I depend on him to keep us safe.

Thanks Babe!

Thursday Thirteen 28

The Name Game - I saw this at My Little Drummer Boys...

1.Your rock star name (first pet, current car)
Tashy Jeep

2.Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe)
Mint Flop

3.Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal)
Purple Tiger

4.Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born)
Rene' Thornton

5.Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name)
Ayech

6.Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
Cream White Russian

7.NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers)
William Fredrick

8.Dancer name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Sun Musketeer

9.TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Gunn Galvinston


10.Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Autumn Calla Lily

11.Cartoon name:(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now)
Coconut Shorts

12.Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Coffee Cotton

13.Movie star name (first pet, first street where you lived)
Tashy Garfield

Happy TT!

The good...the bad...and the ugly

The Good~

The weekend was awesome!!! To start, I got my own room! Usually, they have us staying in a dorm like building and there are 2-3 gals in each room with 17 rooms total. We all share a bathroom and showers. Not really that bad, but there is no privacy. This time, when I went to check in, the lady stated that the dorms were full and they did not want to open a new one, so they were putting me in a 'motel style' with my own double bed, bathroom, and locked door. It was definitely a nice change, but I do believe that I will be in the dorms next time! I have too many stupid horror movies about 'camp grounds' to stay alone. lol
Anyway, I finished 21 pages and even won some awards!! Here are a few pages. (I won't show them all, but I will add them to the link on the left side)

This first page won for a monochromatic page (shades of the same color).It then went up for a vote for page of the weekend and it came in second!!! The journaling is what won it, although my kitty is pretty cute too!

The Bad~

During my weekend away, the Hubby also had work obligations that he had to take care of. So most of last week, was spent calling family to see if anyone could help with taking the kids to games, and keeping them for some of the weekend. My brother offered to take Bayle to his football game. But I guess Bayle still thought that Daddy was going to show up, and somehow I would be there and when he realized that we were not, he was very depressed and was not really into the game. The coach pulled him aside, even my brother tried to pump him up for the game to no avail. He is a lot like my husband in this regard, but that is for a different post.

The UGLY~

Okay, here it goes...I hate, dislike, distain, loath my picture being taken. (Kind of ironic when I love pictures soo much). Anyway, I went back and forth on whether to post this next picture or not. I wanted to go in and fix the colors and the skin tone. Take the bags out from under my eyes. But I decided that...this is me...on 4 hours of sleep I might add...but this is me. Small eyes, all the wrinkles... And it definitely fits under the 'ugly' portion! :) So here it is...this is me on Sunday afternoon before heading home. Oh...and it's my new hair too. Yuck!!! I am much better in person!

Actual Conversation

(Actual conversation had with girlfriends during the retreat this weekend.)

Friend 1 - I am not even sure my husband thinks sometimes.

Friend 2 - It's a known fact that all men share the same brain.

Friend 3 - well (my husband) needs to borrow it back.


(side note, we all love our husbands!)

Away, away

Tomorrow...I am gone for the weekend to Nebraska! I have the car rented, my bags packed, the pictures printed, and my scrap stuff ready to go!!
Three years ago, I started going to this camp with only one bag (the black one in the pic) and it has spawned from there. And I come home with a full extra bag of more scrap stuff and loads of finished pages!!

Basically, I arrive and check in at four and scrap for 48 hours straight! They do have little dorm rooms for you to sleep in but most are only in there for a few hours and then back to scrappen. They also have a kitchen with a staff that makes three meals a day, and an espresso machine that is open all day and night!

I get to talk with my girlfriends that live up there and catch up. Learn new techniques, and just relax without the stress of 'life'. And I get to do this two times a year!! I cannot wait!!!

See you on Monday!

Thursday Thirteen 27

Thirteen things I have always wanted to do...

1. Visit Venice, Italy

2. Fully learn Sign Language (this one I will accomplish)

3. Get (re)married at the Vegas Drive-thru Chapel

4. Go skinny dipping (I never got the chance in my 'wild and crazy' younger years...although I'm not sure that it's such a great idea in my older years either).

5. Go sky diving!

6. Go snorkeling.

7. Finish my 'Award Winning Novel'.

8. Win the lottery (I don't play, but I still want to win :) )

9. Ride a race car

10. Go back to school and get my teaching degree.

11. Live on a beach in the middle of nowhere!

12. Sail across the ocean.

13. Run for President (because anyone can run for president!!!)

Have camera, will shoot

I would never claim to be any type of professional when it comes to taking photos, but I also do not see the point in shelling out money for the pre-posed version that the schools offer. So, for the last couple of years, I have taken all of the kids and shot family photos. Some turned out okay, and some...not so much. But this year, I think they turned out pretty good. Although, it's more about the one's in the photos then the photos themselves. Anyway...enjoy!

My kiddos

Amanda Kay

Taylor Rayne

Tyler Lee
Bayle Austin

And these are just some fun stuff that we did...

I will add a link later with more of the ones taken, but I wanted to share just a few. :)

A few pages

Here are a few pages that I have gotten done these past few weeks. They are all for Tyler's book. I was trying to clean up my area the other day and I have 4 boxes of pictures that I need to scrap for all of the kiddos. And they are just taking up space. So now, I am in a rush to get their books updates and make more room...for more pictures!!! lol Enjoy!

Weekend update

I heard from my mother, through voice mail that is. They all made it through okay. No power and most of the phones were down. I don't know if there was any water damage, but they live on the west side of Houston and Ike seemed to hit more on the eastern side. I was very happy to hear that they were safe, but many did not come out so lucky. And there is so much more to do to clean everything up.

On Saturday, we were out and about with football, soccer, and cheer leading games. The kiddos played great. Taylor is made for cheer leading and she looks so natural. She is the third one in from the back.

Bayle's football team is soo dang funny to watch. These short kiddos with big heavy helmets trying to run and tackle each other. He has fun though. And enjoys the games more than the practices. (He is number 56)

Sunday we took our Fall pictures of the kids, they turned out so great! I need to fix a few, but I will post them this week. Oh, and I also cut off more than 8 inches of my hair this weekend. My hair has never been this short...maybe in Jr High... I will post a picture of the new do when the sunburn fades from my face. (I forget just how much sun does come through those clouds)

Eye Opener

An actual conversation

(hubby is walking through the door)

Me: Hello

Him: Hey

Me: {half serious-half smiling} Where have you been? You said you were going to the store for milk, and that was an hour and a half ago.

Him: Really?!

Me: Yep

Him: I went to the book store first. (He LOVES the book store)

Me: Oh...What did you get?

Him: Stuff.

Me: Your not going to show me?

Him: {after a few seconds} What I spend my extra money on is my business.

Me: {a little caught off guard} Yeah...it is. Your really not going to show me?

Him: {smiling} Do I have to?

Me: Why wouldn't you want to?

Him: Hmmm...

My prayers are with her

My mother lives in a suburb of Houston and if you have been watching the news, they were hit with Hurricane Ike last night. So far from the news, Galveston was hit and flooded but now the water is receding back into the Gulf.

My mother lives in a trailer home, but was able to pack up and stay with her mother who lives about 20 minutes away. I did talk with her yesterday afternoon and they were ready for the storm to hit (water, can food, camping cooker, etc). But she only has a cell phone, no landline phone. So now, we have no way to know if they are okay. But the plan is that she will try every hour to get a line out (if the towers happened to stay up) and let someone know.

Watching CNN, so far there are only 3 fatalities. But it is still very early. In my heart, I believe that she and Granny are in a 'safe' structure, and they will mostly only see water damage. But we don't know for sure, so my prayers are with her...

Send some wishes!

A friend of mine, Keekah, is celebrating her birthday this weekend. So if you have a moment...please stop by and wish her a happy birthday in one of the comments!!

An Existential Keekah

OMG

Like....I totally cried watching the Hills last night. Tears and eye liner running down my cheeks while Lauren spoke those words... "I don't want to make you be my friend. I just want you to be my friend." *sniff*

{forward to this morning, back to being the adult}

After watching, I realized that there is not much different between what they are going through and what most of us go through. Friendships need work from both sides and an understanding that there are priorities in each others lives that, at times, will get in the way.

Plainly, friendships are just hard to keep, no matter the age. What changes is the maturity in which we view them.

First time project

I watch the Carol Duvall show almost every day and they always have these ladies that come onto the show with extravagant projects using Polymer Clay. So I thought that I would give it a whirl. And even though my outcome is no where near what some others could do...here it is!

I made Tic-Tac-Toe boards with game pieces. One for Bayle - orange and black for OSU (I am a Sooner fan myself, but could not make crimson red), one for Jacey, my nephew - orange and blue for Broncos, and then one for Vivian, one of the little girls that I watch. For her, I tried to make flowers...first try, the next ones will look better. :)

Thursday Thirteen 26

Thirteen Reasons why I Scrapbook

1. To keep a family album
2. To document our family history
3. So that the kids will remember
4. So that they can tell their children
5. It is my creative outlet
6. Scrapbook supplies are cheaper than shoes
7. I get to hide away for hours at a time with no distractions
8. Twice a year I leave on a 'Vacation' for the weekend to a scrapbook retreat
9. It's time that I get to talk with adults
10. When I am scrapbooking, I am not thinking about food. No snacking, and that is always great for the diet!!
11. I can network online with other scrapbookers
12. Challenges
13. And my kids want to come in and help create their pages for their books.

Happy TT!!

Christmas in July

I am a freak when it comes to carpet marks...you know, the marks that the wheels make when you are sweeping the carpets...I LOVE them. I got this from my mother who would demand that there be marks when she got home from work. And I do agree...they just make the room look more organized and 'finished' than it really is!

So for years, we have bought $100 Sweepers, and invested in a nice steam cleaner. Kind of defeats the purpose, I know...but I was saving up for a Dyson. And I finally got one. This past July, my husband announces, after the current sweeper fails to do it's job again, that we were leaving to go shopping for another one. I thought it was going to be just the same 'ol sweeper type again, but we came home with a beautiful purple Dyson!!! One of the first models, but after one sweep through the house, I was amazed at how much it picked up *grossed out really*. And....drum role please.....

It already puffs up the carpet enough to show
CARPET MARKS!!!!

Ahh....this is heaven! :)

How the years have flown...

A couple of months ago, we went to a co-workers wedding, and as we were outside waiting for the bride and groom to come out, we talked with a few of the other guests. One of them happened to be the husband of the photographer. And as his wife came down the stairs, she snapped a few extra shots of the guests. Today, Brent emails me this picture from that day:


This is my oldest daughter Taylor and she looks absolutely amazing. She is only 12, and...wow... And this got me looking in some of our older pictures, and seeing the maturity grow in her eyes throughout the years.

I had her when I was only 20, and she helped me grow up. It was just her and I for almost 4 years. She taught me responsibility and love that I had not felt from anyone. She was mine and I was hers. No matter what went on around us, in the end it was just us.


She is my girly girl. She loves to dance, and is an amazing singer (she did not get her voice from me). She is outgoing, loves to perform, and be in front of a crowd (THAT she got from me!)



She is at that age where boys are a factor in how she looks before she leaves for school. She is wanting to wear make-up and color her hair. She is asking more 'adult' questions about life. She amazes me everyday.

I am so very lucky to have had her. She has made me smile, cry, and feel like I was needed. I cannot see where my life would have lead without her, but I know that she has made me who I am today.

I love you Bear!