If only I could stay on this roll.....

I'd be a scrappin' machine. :) I finally decided to take the plunge & scrap something 8 1/2 x 11 & WHOAAA! does that feel good! I have gotten so many layouts done & am pretty pleased with most of them. Who knew 8 1/2 x 11 was so fun??!!??

And this one? I was really beginning to think I couldn't do it. I did it for the challenge over at Scrapncircle. It was to create a different shaped layout that normal square/rectangle, include one pic, include lots of words, & include something from the office on it. The shape was what really was stumping me but when I finally decided on it, the other came together a little easier.

Now it's clean up time & then it's off to bed!

Since I'm already up...

I might as well blog. :)

Well things will be changing soon. We've decided to switch apartments & sign a year lease over in Marionville. I'm not super thrilled but I know I didn't want to sign a year lease here. At least when we move over there we'll have a bigger apartment, the kids will have a playground to play at, & it'll be $100 less a month. Plus that will be good so we can actually be saving money. So the end of this month is going to be B-U-S-Y! I've talked Jim and dad into helping so maybe things can go quicker that way!

And here's a little of my scrappy creations:





Those were a couple I've done for the contest over at ScrapNCircle. I doubt I'll get very far but it's fun getting challenged - especially with things I don't normally use!





And those from my DT package from Scraplove. Suzanne totally rocks these kits! Sketch ideas for my 2 DT layouts were from Chris Greiser at Sketch Me if You Can (VERY cool sketches there!).

Now I'm tired so I'm heading to bed. :)

Rockin' Girl Blogger

Today I was tagged a "Rockin' Girl Blogger" by my friend, Suzy. Thank you girl! :)

So... it is my duty to pass it onto five people:

1. Em
2. Michelle
3. Tanisha
4. Coni
5. Babs

You're all rockin' bloggers so enjoy your awards, ladies. Put them on your blog, wear them proudly, and pass them on down!

So I really NEED to get organized...

Or at least that's the conclusion that I've came to today. I had a million things to do & didn't even end up getting very much done at all. Errgghhh! I think I'm just a little more sane when I have my lists made out, schedules planned, & things in order. I don't know when I lost it though, I'm thinking probably back after the house fire - that's about when I started letting things go by the fly. I'm not a 'fly by the seat of my pants' kind of girl so this has hit me hard today. I need to get organized!! Plus, I have the major task of insurance submission that I have to have done by October 15, so that's even more reason why I've got to get a hold of things. I did get a little organizing done today though- made my to do list, finished my layout for the ScrapNCircle contest, & did some super cleaning (the tub is seriously the cleanest I've EVER seen it!). I just wish I had all this determination last week, when vacation first started. Oh well, maybe now I'll get myself on track. :)

Oh & just because I'm super impatient, here's a little peek at the upcoming Funky for Flannigan Challenge @ Scraplove on Friday. :)

Thanks Michele for inspiring me with this idea!!!

Having a little bit of a creative spurt....

and have really gotten busy the last couple of days with my scrapping. Here lately I usually can crank out a page or two during the week but haven't been real impressed with how they turned out. Somehow these last two days I have been a scrappin' machine (ok not really! but for me yeah - kinda!). I think it's the fact that I've been chillin' & relaxing on having yesterday & today off but then I have to go back to work tomorrow. Bummer! At least maybe with my upcoming 2-week vacation I'll hopefully have this same mojo to keep me creating!

We've had a nice weekend....

It started out with Lana's beautiful wedding on Saturday, 7/7/07. Kalli was my little photographer & was snapping pictures of everyone. Here were some of my favorites:



She was so beautiful! It just seemed so unreal that she was old enough to be married. Makes me feel REALLY old!

Then yesterday dad came up & spent the day with us. We started with a yummy Taco Bell lunch, then on to a matinee movie - Ratatouille, then to Braum's for ice cream. Needless to say the kids were a bit spoiled yesterday.

Then today me & the kids went to White Water. The last time they were there they were really little so they didn't remember anything about it. We had such a good time. We had a bit of cruddy weather come through but luckily enough it passed over pretty quickly & we were back out there. The coolest things about today was Dylan. He actually RODE the slides & WAS NOT AFRAID of them! This is from the child that is terrified to get on practically ANY ride. I was so VERY proud of him today that he was brave enough to try & got to see that once he did, he loved it. It would have been awesome to have the camera there getting it all but there just was no way! We had a great time though & just now need to figure out when we can get back down there.

Tag..you're it! And other cool scrappy news!

If you haven't already (and someone is actually reading my blog), you need to go see all the cool happenings over at Scraplove.com. The site has a total makeover & looks awesome thanks to the talented digi girl - Michelle! So so totally cool! Also, we're coming up on an awesome contest starting July 10th. Scraplove is having the Summer for Scraplovin' Contest which has some really amazing prizes! Just be sure to come over, register, & join in on the fun! Also, we'll have a freakin' cool spotlight on the amazing ELSIE FLANNIGAN! Is that cool or what?

And here's my tag! Thanks Tracy!

So this is how it works. I must post the rules, 7 random things about me and then tag others to do the same. Sound fair enough, right? These are the rules…. each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

Here goes!

1. I cannot stand Chinese food! The smell just turns my stomach & makes me want to gag. Must have been that bad encounter with the egg roll & watching Ernest Saves Christmas that got me on that one.

2. My dad is a vet so we grew up with tons of animals. Yeah - I was a cat lady (actually girl) with like 20 cats. Weird thing is now we only have one pet.

3. I had my head stitched back together twice - 2 different spots. Yeah! That hurt! Both times!

4. I was a nerd in school. Actually now that I think of it, I probably still am one.

5. My second toes are longer than my big toes. Yeah - gross I know it but totally totally random!

6. I had my first child at 17. Very young but something that I would NEVER change or regret. They are my world!

7. I've gotten one speeding ticket in my life. Cop was a total jerk & I totally did not deserve it but paid it anyways.

I am tagging Michelle, Michelle, Suzy, Emily, Amy, Denise, Tanisha, & Coni! Whoops that's 8 - oh well!

......

Well I'm not really knowing right now what to blog about but since I know it's been awhile, I am forcing myself to blog.

Today has been a bit of a sad day. My Uncle Bob died yesterday. He was really the sweetest man you'd ever meet. Never upset, never a harsh word - just always smiles, joking, & a true caring heart. It's just one of those times you know it's best because there's not one bit of me that wanted him to be in pain, but then it's just so sad to think of family togetherness without him. I guess one of the things that really hurts me is knowing that my kids will never get to grow up with him like I did. With as little as we've been able to see them over the last few years, Kalli & Dylan really loved Uncle Bob & were heartbroken when they heard he was getting sick. He was the kind of man you could meet once & be friends forever - a truly geniune individual. Tomorrow is going to be pretty tough saying goodbye at the funeral.

Now since this post is already tearing me up, I need to talk about a little good. Jim is coming home! He is finally completely done with the Marines! Now instead of worrying about him out in Iraq, we can just stress about him here. Go figure! But it will be nice having him home. :)

And then there's this:

A little something that's been good for me today - creating this layout with these old pictures of Kalli & Dylan. Everytime I look at those pics, they just make me smile.

Guess that's it for now..... until next time..... :)

Nothing can stop this girl...

She has a broken arm & still manages to hang upside down in the swing. Go figure! I wouldn't even attempt that without a broken arm!

Anyways, here's a few fun pics that we got at the park today. It was absolutely beautiful outside so we made sure to bring out the camera.

And see Kalli's hair? That's her new haircut - otherwise know as "a Swedish girl haircut" as Kalli now calls it. I think it's cute plus it's super easy & doesn't take much to fix - something Kalli definitely needs.

And here's the family pic from the day. Believe it or not - this is the only known family picture that we have. It turned out pretty cute so I'm happy that we took it.

Also, since I haven't posted any in a while & got a couple done this weekend, here's a couple recent scrapbook layouts.

Whoooaa what a week!

Well I thought this wouldn't happen (or at least not this soon) but it did. Kalli re-broke her left arm. The same arm that she broke back November 2005. The same arm that required surgery & a metal plate & five screws. The same.....exact.......arm. :( Except this time the break wasn't as bad but it did require surgery.

Kalli had basketball camp Wednesday after school. She was working with the coaches learning all these drills & tripped & fell on her left arm. We were on our way to go watch when we got the dreaded call. When we got there I was immediately freaked because her scar from the first time (which is just about the length of her whole forearm) was sunken in & everywhere else was massively swollen. We opted to go to the farther hospital just "in case" something was wrong. Something was wrong. So the plan was either for the doctor to reset it (which he explained was probably not going to happen with the plate in there) or have to open her scar back up, remove all the hardware, & replace it with a pin. She ended up coming out 2 hrs later with the pin in her arm.

I swear, any mother whose had a kid in an operating room, knows that time is torture - it wasn't long or anything, just enough time to seriously stress me out. The bad part was there were 2 other arm fractures Wednesday night & Kalli was the last to be fixed. She was all done at 12:30 the next morning but then spent all day trying to keep her comfortable & trying to keep her from getting sick from the pain killer (couldn't leave the hospital until she could do that). So, instead of leaving at 1:00 like we thought, it ended up being 6:30. The best part about it is Kalli is a super trooper when it comes to being tough. She gets her moments but for the most part, she is tougher than probably most boys.

Oh & to add to all this headache - got to looking at Dylan & he has lice. And Kalli does too. Ewwww!! Yeah I know! So I spent all night last night trying to get their heads washed (which is not easy with a splinted arm) & doing boat loads of laundry. We've treated all our heads & I'm on bug patrol so hopefully we've got them all killed & gone. I cannot stand the thought of them & it just itches me to death just thinking about it.

Now I'm just glad it's the weekend & hopefully we can have a pretty peaceful long holiday break. And NOT break anything else!

So what's been happening since my last post?

Well lots & lots of baseball & softball practices and games with Kalli & Dylan. I think a majority of the week, we are at the Little League fields. This week Dylan's team won their game & although Dylan keeps the outfield lookin' good, he was so so happy that they won. We ended up at the batting cages yesterday so both of them could get a little practice hitting. Dylan was hitting them right & left (Kalli was too) & had the bruises today to prove it. Poor kids! But I was so proud of them sticking it out.

See how proud this little boy is? This was his other accomplishment. He finally completed lego construction on his Crusty Crab. Got to love the toothless smile! (which happens to be his very first!). Don't ask about the scissors, I have no idea why those were needed with his lego building.

And last but not least, I am the luckiest mother ever. Kalli decided to surprise me this morning with this:

Isn't that just the sweetest thing ever?

A little sneak peek....

of what I came up with for the DT projects for Scraplove.com. Lots of goodies from WRMK!

And here's the inspiration layout from last week (also WRMK products):

Check out Scraplove on Monday for the Grand Re-opening day!

So, I've been a little behind

on my blogging. So here it is. :-)

Last weekend was Easter. The kids woke up to these awesome baskets:

Can you tell they were still pretty tired when they got up?

Then we went to Grandpee's farm to hunt eggs there. They had a blast running outside & getting some fresh air.

Then last Tuesday, Jim flew in from San Diego. He is now quite the tattoo freak & still seems to think he's a stud. Ha! At least he thinks so. :-) Here's a bit of his tats:

Yeah - he's a super freak!


Now fast forward to today--> Dylan's birthday party at Skateport in Springfield. He had so much fun getting to skate around for 2 hrs. Plus he got tons of video games - his favorite thing. I think it pretty much wore everyone out - except Dylan. It's midnight & this kid (who by the way - skated the full 2 hrs) is still WIRED. If only we all had the energy Dylan has.


Anyways, that's it for now.

Nice little drive...

Well I'm finally going to post about our nice little drive last weekend. We decided rather than go to Springfield (the usual weekend getaway), that we'd just take a drive down to Arkansas. We all loaded up in the car & I made sure to take the camera! Here's just some of the photos I got:

Towards the start of the journey - down an old country road:


At an old rickety bridge (and yes, we actually drove over it):


On the winding road home:


Anyways, we all had a good time & it was really nice to get away from the normal routine for a little while. We just need to try to do it more often.

Did a little scrapping this weekend....

And here's what I accomplished:

Not much else happening this week. It was really nice having a 3-day weekend but makes it even harder to go back tomorrow. :( Maybe the day will go by quickly.

I got my hair colored last week (and then touched up on Saturday). It's definitely different and more funky than I've done before but I think I like it. Here's what it looks like:

The kids also had their baseball/softball try-outs on Saturday & we stood outside in the COLD for an hour and a half! They both did good though but were amazed at how fast the pitching machine pitched. It'll be fun though to see them learn how to hit off that!

Fun week ahead....

Today there's not much on the agenda but cleaning and maybe some scrapping & sleeping in my new bed!!! It's not that big of a deal but it is so so nice to have a dresser again. We just need to put the mirror on the dresser and it'll all be together. My next mission will be to find some new bedding for it, since what I have now looks terrible on my new bed. :) Anyways, here it is:

We also got the kids new mattresses & they loved them! I've never seen kids so excited for new mattresses but I don't blame them - the ones they had were pretty hard. Needless to say they both slept really well last night!

Tomorrow is just a lazy TV night - American Idol, House, SVU (if I remember) - but then Wednesday after work I'm getting my hair done. I'm loving the different streaks & love the way this looks:


I just hope mine turns out looking that cute!

Oh & just so I don't forget - I WON, I WON, I WON!!! I ACTUALLY WON! Dad kept the kids Saturday night so me and Jerry went out for a while & ended up in Miami, OK at Buffalo Run. I played on a machine for a while & wasn't doing so good so I decided to move to another machine - a Wheel of Fortune $1 slot machine. Total max bet was $3 so I put $100 in & crossed my fingers hoping that I would win. I had already planned to quit after about $30 if I hadn't hit very much but I kept hitting. It was amazing. I'd go a few spins & then I'd get a SPIN button (which spun the big wheel thing on top). First free spin I won $200 & FREAKED out! Then I hit it like 3 more times before I hit the big one. The $1000 big one! I ended up cashing out of that machine with $1800. I hit on a few other machines & lost on a few other but I still came home with a good stash of money.

Can't think of much else. This week at work is going to be a pain because I need to check in all the MAP materials. Definitely not a fun thing to do. Oh well at least I have Friday off (March break) so I can keep looking forward to that!