Smarty Child

I'm listening to The Carpenters' "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and Hannah heard the chorus, "What do you get when you fall in love?", and answered, "A RING!!". She then told me that when you fall in love, the man gets a woman a ring and marries her, like her Daddy did her Momma. What a smart child!!

A Happy Christmas!!

I wasn't really excited about Christmas this year - the Bah, Humbugs sorta bit me at the last moment. But we've had a wonderful time the past couple of days.

Monday, all seven of Mom's children were together at my sister's home. We usually all get together once or twice a year, so it's something special. There was lots of wonderful food, everyone got to visit, and we had a very interesting gift exchange, thanks to Ryan's Mimi! Everyone laughed so hard and got confused, but in the end, we all got really great gifts. The brothers brought their instruments, as did a couple of the grands. We all sat in a big circle and sang Christmas carols before opening gifts, which is nice. I video'd part of it. I have to remember not to sing next year, though! LOL

Yesterday, the newlyweds opened their home to us for the McCleskey Annual Christmas gathering. We did a non-traditional Christmas lunch of lasagna & salad. We prepared the food, then had our gift exchange. For the first time, we drew names, which was a hit.

After lunch, we played games and Poppi, his Queen and his offspring came down and spent the evening. It was really nice to see them on Christmas - first time in a long time! Peter had to work, but came to pick me up and brought me home in the early evening and I fell asleep in my comfy chair for a couple of hours.

I got wonderful gifts this year!

I got the coolest popcorn bowl set from Amy - they're stoneware and look similar to the popcorn buckets at the movies. There's a large bowl and 4 smaller ones. She included popcorn, butter flavored oil, Lawry's salt and two popcorn seasonings. What a great gift!

For several years, my sisters and I have made a tradition of giving each other "sister gifts". It's so much fun to put thought into something unique to give them. Beth gave me the cutest wristlet bag and a yummy candle. Kathryn gave us all beautiful dark red hurricane vases. Lori gave us the cutest notepad cubes with matching pencils.

At our gathering yesterday, Flora gave me a gown that was on my wish list and the coolest Maxine mini calendar.

Faith & David gave me the coolest ornaments. One's a silver cross with blue jewels and the other is mercury glass. Now I need to find the perfect place for them. Who needs a tree? LOL

Lori gave me a really neat perpetual calendar to go on my desk.

Mom gave me some MUCH needed cookie sheets and two cookbooks, one is from the Mast side of her family - I absolutely love Amish cookbooks, so I can't wait to sit down and read it from cover to cover. She also passed out wall calendars from the Mast General Store in Asheville, NC. They're really awesome, as they're not just a calendar, but are also an almanac!!

My sweet darling gave me 3 lovely gowns and an awesome MP3 player!! Needless to say, I've been loading music on my laptop today, and am going to load the MP3 player later on today. :) I'm so excited! I've been wanting one for several years now, so I'm tickled pink.

Meg, Greg & Hannah gave me a gift certificate for an online scrappy store, so I'm looking forward to shopping while they've got their Holiday sales going on.

So this year has been a really good one. All the gatherings were peaceful, happy ones, and we've got memories that will last through the year!!

How was YOUR Christmas??

*Smiles*

All Done...

This year is the one to break my record of wrapping gifts at the last moment. As of just a few minutes ago, all our gifts are wrapped and in bins, ready to take to the family gatherings we're scheduled to attend. It feels great, and now I can breathe and relax.

Can you tell I'm happy??

*Smiles*

Torture

Sometimes you just don't appreciate a good thing until you're not allowed to have it for a while! The doctor's got me scheduled for a test on Thursday, and in preparation for that, I'm not allowed to take any Nexium for five days. Not only that, but any sort of heartburn remedy is banned, as well.

So far it hasn't been too terribly bad, but today, I can feel the pressure and the slow, steady ache at the top of my stomach. It's not bad at the moment, but I can almost guarantee that by the time I leave the doctor's office on Thursday, my menu will be limited to applesauce, jello & clear soup. Ugh!! We'll probably stop off and pick up some inexpensive remedy so I can take it as soon as the test is over.

So those of you who can, please pray that I'll be able to make the next few days without too much misery. After being on proton pump inhibitors of one sort or another since about 1993, my body's not too happy to have to go cold turkey like this. I can do it, but your prayers would be greatly appreciated.

*Smiles*

Underappreciated

For a couple of years now, I've been totally trying NOT to like John Mayer's music. I had in my mind that he's just some young pop star and his music is bubblegum pop. Well, tonight I finally sat down and listened to an entire album, and I think my attitude toward his music has changed.

My sweetheart loves "Waiting On The World To Change", and since I'd put the album on my laptop, I thought I'd play it for him tonight. Well, apparently my media player has a mind of its own, so it just kept playing. And I let it.

This guy has true talent for songwriting and his voice has that smoky, husky quality that just makes me want to listen. I love some of the less radio friendly songs. I guess now I'm going to have to start downloading his music.

I thought my music tastes were extremely eclectic, but now I have to add him to my playlist. If you haven't listened to him, you might like it if you try it. :)

*Smiles*

Just for Gennie

I got a phone call from a good friend this evening, and she happened to mention that I needed to update here. So Gennie, this one's for you!

A lot has happened in the past few weeks. I've had quite a few doctor's appointments, and good things are in the works there. Peter's working quite a bit still, and we are no longer keeping Val and Monkey. I'm sad about that, and miss them something fierce, but hopefully they're happy.

We've finally started to get the Christmas spirit. We pulled out a few things to decorate the living room, which is nice. Guess I need to pull the autumn leaves window clings off and find some snowflakes or something to decorate the front door with. I've been doing most of my shopping online this season, just hoping everything is delivered in time. Got my fingers & toes crossed on that one. Now I just need to get busy wrapping stuff instead of leaving it for the last minute.

This weekend is our annual Yoder Family Cookie Day. Not sure what kind of cookies I'm going to be making, but Paula Deen has a cool cookie that I'm thinking of adapting to my own. It involves sugar cookie dough and Thin Mints cookies, but I think I'll just use Andes mints instead. Nothing like biting into a cookie filled with yummy minty chocolatey goodness. :)

Hannah's spending the night tonight, which is always fun for me. It's nice to have some companionship while my sweetheart's working. She's so much fun and keeps me laughing!

So that's about all that's going on in our little corner of bliss. What's happening in your neck of the woods?

*Smile*

One Smart Cookie

I just love watching Kellie Pickler, there's no telling what's going to come out when she opens her mouth. BTW, I got the answer right within 2 seconds of seeing the question on the blackboard. LOL

Super Easy Entertainment

The girls have such curious minds, sometimes it's difficult for me to think of things to entertain them. Today was a great exception.

We were chilling out and I heard this awful racket out front. I realized that the utility company was probably chopping up trees, so we all went to the front door. There it was - the coolest entertainment we've seen all week. A huge truck with a wood chipper on the back, a bunch of guys in hard hats and a HUGE pile of tree limbs. Presto! Easy entertainment.

The guys probably thought we were silly, but the girls thoroughly enjoyed watching the guys shove the limbs into the chipper and the way it sorta "sucked" the trees in and chopped them up. We could see the pile of wood chips in the truck when it pulled up the street a little, and that was even cooler. So for a wonderful price (free), we got to spend a very cool 20 minutes or so watching the free show that took place right in front of our house.

Cool beans!!

*Smiles*

Abundantly Blessed

I've been intending to go through my closet and clean it out for a while now. Everything needed to be sorted into seasons, not to mention there were loads of things in there that I just don't wear anymore. So I bit the bullet today. With no children and my sweetheart working all day, this was the perfect time.

Everything is now sorted and the seasonal clothes are in bins. The only items left in the closet are the ones I love and can wear right now. There's also a basket of purged items to pass on to someone who needs them. It's like a huge weight has been lifted. Why do I procrastinate about things so much? It took roughly 45 minutes or so and I'm all finished! I'm so thankful for the clothes I have. There was a time when I had roughly 2-3 outfits and that was it. Now there are not only clothes in my closet that I can wear now, but also at least 2 bins full for later!! I am abundantly blessed.

A dear, sweet friend called me this morning. She invited Peter and myself to go to the beach with her for the weekend. We had to decline, although we really wanted to go. I'm so thankful for wonderful friends who love me and allow me to share in both their good times and bad. I am abundantly blessed.

I talked to T this afternoon and she's going to come up to spend the day with the girls and myself tomorrow. She's helping me get our house straightened out and cleaned so we can entertain again. I'm so thankful for the loving family who is always there for me when I need them. I am abundantly blessed.

My sweetheart is going to put in for his vacation time, hoping to take it at the same time the babies' Mom is going to take hers. A whole week with just the two of us - how awesome would that be?? Even if we just have Hannah here, it will be so wonderful. We haven't had more than a couple of days alone in a few years, and we need it. I'm thankful that he is a hard worker and good provider, allowing me to be a SAHW. I am abundantly blessed.

The doctor called me yesterday afternoon with my latest lab results, and all the levels are WAY better than they were just 2 short months ago. The medication is working, and all the doctor's appointments we've had lately are worth it. I'm so thankful to have a great MD who takes the time to talk to me and answers all my questions. I am abundantly blessed.

I'm just in an extra thankful mood this afternoon. I have a beautiful, warm, well-built home; I have lots of clothes to wear; I have plenty of food to eat and don't have to worry about not having food to feed the girls; I have a husband who loves me and provides for me without having to nag him all the time; I have a family who allows me to be a part of their lives; I have friends who love me and worry about me; I am clean and sober (15+ years now!!). These things may not seem like much, but to me, they're simply awesome. 15 years ago, I didn't have ANY of these things. So I am ABUNDANTLY BLESSED.

Have a fabulous week. :)

*Smiles*

Busyness

Wow, it's been pretty busy around here since my last updation. There was Halloween, sick babies, we had Emma here a couple of days, Peter's been working crazy hours and my allergies have kicked into high gear. Not to mention the doctor's appointments and get-togethers with our family. It's all good though.

Hannah was Ariel from Disney's "The Little Mermaid". Love the hair - I'm actually almost jealous. Sometimes I miss being a redhead. LOL Val and Amber were hunters, complete with guns and hats. Not sure where their orange vests are, though! Val dipped into her basket and gave me a Reese's cup. How sweet is that? Hannah brought me some candy the next day since I didn't "get" to go trick-or-treating. My girls are SO sweet!

The past couple of weeks, the girls have been fighting colds. The doctor gave them an oral antibiotic that caused Val some bad gastrointestinal issues. I had to give her two showers on Friday, so her Mom took her back to the doctor and got a shot for her. Hopefully that's going to take care of all the snotties, pukies and all the other yucks that go along with it. I really am hopin that once we get them well, we can keep them that way for quite a while. It seems like such a vicious cycle - about every month or two we all pass this crud around. We're all ready for a long bout of wellness.

Other than that, we're just enjoying life. I'm itching to get back to my scrapping desk and be creative. I just got a rather large package of photos in the mail on Friday, and I can hear the siren song now....

Here's a couple of pics of my sweet babies. Enjoy! :)

Such a Special Child...

The scenario: Hannah was smacking her forehead with both hands over and over.

Me: Hannah, what are you doing?

Hannah: Trying to get my brain out.

Me: Why? You need your brain. It tells you when to breathe, it tells your eyes when to blink and it tells your tummy how to work.

Hannah: Well, I've got boogers in my brain and I'm trying to get them out.

BOOGERS? In the BRAIN? Where on earth did she come up with this? Probably from the discussion we had earlier about her ear boogers. It only stands to reason that after she grasped the concept of nose boogers and eye boogers, her brain just has to have boogers too.

She may be a booger-brain. but at least she's good for a laugh!!

*Smile*

Long time, no blog

Since I've been (reasonably) gently reminded that it's been a long time since I have updated, I figured the world must have a burning desire to know that I'm still alive and kicking. One of the reasons for the lack of updation is that there's really nothing going on around here. Same old, same old. Get up in the morning, get the girls, go back to bed for a few hours, get up and feed them lunch, chill until time for them to go home, eat supper, chill out until my sweetie gets home and hit the hay somewhere between 12:00am and 1:30am, then get up the next morning and do it all over again. See, I did say boring, didn't I??

There have been a few wonderful things happening to those around me.

There's been a much anticipated reunion with our Caleb... it's SO wonderful to have him "home" again. He still gives the most wonderful hugs. Truly an answer to the Saints' prayers. :)

We've had bubble chases at our home. My sweetheart blew the bubbles, the girls chased them, and I sat back and took photos of the whole thing. It was just one of those things that made my heart smile. There's nothing like the laugh of a child!

Oma got a chance to catch up with KayKay. This was the first time I've seen a photo of them together like this in years! Time may have changed them somewhat and they sure are a lot wiser, but they're both just as wonderful and caring as always. :)

EmmaLemma had a blast at Mandy's house, scootching all over and having a blast. We've bonded lately, which is a good thing. She's such a little firecracker, and is so adorable. Her Mommy thought she'd look good with her balloons helping her along, so she tied them to her strap on her dress. Guess baby girl was planning to go on a ride! Cute stuff!

There was a BEAUTIFUL wedding last weekend. My beautiful niece, Faith, married David, who's a really nice guy. I created this digi page in their honor. :)

The ceremony was beautiful and Faith looked like a princess. Her dress was so beautiful. Wonder if she wore glass slippers?

Lighting the Unity candle. My wish for them: A long, happy, blissful life together, with all the best that life can give them. A quiver full and prosperity. We love you both!

The newly minted Mr. & Mrs. Persle. You two look so good together!

A very dedicated groomsman! After trying to get him to smile for a photo with his lovely wife the evening before, I was in the right place at the right time to catch him with a pew bow on his head and a full smile on his face. This bow later made it's encore appearance on the back of the newlyweds' getaway car.

While hanging out with "PetePete" during the ceremony, I got this adorable shot of EmmaLemma. Love the tongue hanging out. Too cute!

Emma had a birthday last weekend. She turned the big "O-N-E"! She had her own little cake and instead of digging her fingers into it, she just picked up the whole plate and licked the frosting off it! Even after her Mommy showed her how to dig into it, she was just too feminine to do it. She did eventually poke one finger into the cake very delicately, but decided she's just rather lick the thing rather than get her fingers dirty! Cute, cute, cute! (Thank goodness the cake stuck to the plate instead of sliding off into her lap!! Now THAT would have been a photo opportunity!!)

And finally, my babies are getting SO grown up! I happened to look over on Friday and saw Monkey and Val reading books together. Aren't they just simply adorable?

Soooo, I hope that's enough of an updation for now. I'll really try to be a better blogger and update more often. :)

Have a fantabulous week and don't forget to *Smile*!

Lovely weather!

After a summer that has lasted a little longer than usual, it's so lovely to have a change in the weather. Having our windows open is a special treat, since we get all that lovely fresh air. Having grown up in the country, open windows is something that I really miss during the summer and winter. Of course, I've been known to have the window nearest my bed open a few inches, even when it's close to freezing. It's a little weird, but somehow I sleep better when I'm cold.

This afternoon was a lovely day to have a shower. Not a physical shower, but the one where you get together with lovely ladies and shower a special person with gifts to celebrate a momentous occasion in their life. The weather was perfect, the location was beautiful, the company was great and the gifts were simply lovely. It was a great shower, and I hope the special lady had a great time and likes all her new goodies.

Tonight, we had a special treat. Flora got a hankering for B'gards, so we went out for a late dinner. My sweetie met us after he got off work, and we just spent time together as a family. We relaxed, visited and just chilled. It was so nice - with the wedding coming up, it seems like everyone is just so frenzied and frazzled. We haven't had just "chill time" in a while. We just really needed that tonight. Guess you can say it was the break that refreshes.

Hope your weekend is going great. :)

Perks & Marching Bands

There's a lot to be said for living really close to a university campus. There's a Starbucks on the corner, literally 2 minutes from the house. There are fireworks shows from time to time, and we can stand at our front door and watch the show. And this week, since it's turned a bit cooler, I can sit in the comfort of my home, have my windows open and enjoy the sounds of the Alabama A&M marching band practicing in the stadium that's just across the highway. How cool is that??

I've always loved parades and watching football games because of the bands. For some reason, the sound of a marching band makes me happy. So it's doubly delightful to be able to hear the band almost every evening. I'm thankful to live in a relatively quiet neighborhood so that I CAN enjoy the sounds of my environment.

Yes, there are drawbacks, such as needing to find an alternate route out of our subdivision when there's a ballgame, and having cars parked all up and down the streets during a game, but hey, I'll take it! All the perks make it A-OK with me.

*Smiles*

Good times & lots of adhesive

Today we did something we don't get to do nearly enough. We took Lori and Mom out for lunch, then went to their house to chill. Peter took a nap while I helped Lori work on swap stuff. It was pretty cool - she had her laptop on her table and I had Mom's laptop on my table, and we were able to work together.

I just love their new craft room. I'm hoping to figure out how we can both sit at my desk and work together! We might just have to put our laptops behind us so we can stay in touch with the rest of the world.

Anyway, Flora made a really good supper for us, and we got home early enough to go to bed at a decent hour. So today was really fun. Thanks, you guys, for putting up with us hanging out there all day! :)

Better than I thought

Over the years, I've been typing, steadily getting faster and a little better along the way. On a whim, I did a typing test here today, and was totally astounded by my results! According to the site, with a one minute test, I typed 77wpm, with 92% accuracy. My gross wpm was 83. WOWSA!! I'm still tripping out! If the day comes that I need to go back into the workforce, I'm definately going to look for something that will put my skills to use.

BTW. anyone know of a doctor who needs someone to do transcription? JLMK. :)

A Special Day

Yesterday was Mom and my oldest brother Harvey's birthday. Mom was nice enough to keep the girls for a bit while Peter and I took care of an errand, then we went to her house and just visited. While we were there, Harvey came in from MS to take Mom out to celebrate. We got to visit with him - something we haven't been able to do in quite a while. Before we left, I was able to get a really great photo of them with my cell. Can't tell that I scrapbook - totally forgot to bring my camera!

I hope you both had a wonderful birthday, and I'm so glad that I was able to see you both on your special day. :)

All Alone

It's a Holiday weekend, so I should be thrilled, right?? Well, most of my local family members have gone to a family reunion in Indiana and I miss them. Nothing like spending a long weekend alone! My sweet darlin' has to work quite a bit, and I'm having a pity party. I'm bored, I'm feeling blah and I'm lonesome!! But it's all good. :) Life's actually quite peachy, it's just the weather, right?

Peter's been home with me today and it's just been a relaxation day. We haven't done anything except fix some lunch together. That's it. He's taking a nap and I'm on the computer. I've been playing a game, but that's boring. I'm listening to some classic rock and feel depression trying to creep up on me. Guess it's time to change the channel! Then again, maybe I'll just turn it off and go snuggle with my honey. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

I hope your 3-day weekend is wonderful and full of fun! And if your family grills out, please eat a hot dog and think of me! :)

*Smiles!*

Duh moment!

I've been sadly MIA lately, not only here, but in my real life. My desk is piled with unread mail, my stuff from the crop last weekend is piled up, I've got errands that need to be done and they're still waiting. We've been eating sandwiches because I'm not alert enough to cook. It makes me sad, but hopefully things will look up really soon. Of course, it doesn't help that the weather is so stinkin' hot that I can't function, either.

I started 3 new medications and I have been sleeping way more than normal. The other day I went here and looked up the side effects of each med. Well, turns out that a potential side effect of all three was drowsiness, sleepiness, or fatigue. Wow, that explains it, right? I get up each morning, eat a little something so my stomach isn't empty and take the meds, then go right back to bed as soon as I get the girls. This is not optimal, folks!

Last night, I had the "Duh moment". Since the meds make me so tired when I take them in the morning, why not wait until bedtime so I can get a quality night's rest instead of lying awake until 1 or 2am?? DUHHHHHHH! So this morning, I didn't take my meds, and will take them tonight. Hopefully that will help me be more alert during the day.

There ought to be a law

Man, it's HOT outside!! It's 10:30am and it's already 95* outside! There ought to be a law against such things! But then again, August does have its reputation for being the hottest month of the year - and deservedly so.

I haven't ventured outside the house at all this week while the temps have been up. I've been hanging out inside, right by the air conditioner! Today is the exception, though. We're headed to the 'Ham to go cropping. That's about the only thing that could entice me to go out in the hot and humid misery that is Dixie in August!

Sad thing is that the heat is drying up the fruits and vegetables right on the vine. The CSA I signed up with has been bringing sad little baskets. Let me just say that I am sick of greens & squash. Anyone want a bunch of pattypan squash? I got an email from the farm yesterday informing us that they're going to be buying produce from others to put into our baskets from now on. Sad, sad, sad. Thank goodness for the Farmer's Market!!

Those of you who can pray, please do so for a break in the heat and some much needed rain! :)

Have a great day, and don't forget to *smile*!

Bad blogger, bad, BAD blogger...

Wow, it's been a while since I updated. Sorry about that. Life's been a bit hectic around here. Family gatherings, doctor's appointments, going shopping, etc. It's been fun, but blogging has been the last thing on my mind for the past week or so. Sometimes it just has to be that way, I guess.

Saturday, we got to go to my sister's house for a get-together. We all had a great time, and the food was good, too. We had to rush home so Peter could be at work at 8pm, though, so that cut into the fun a tiny bit. But at least we got to go and visit with family we haven't seen since February!

Sunday was just a lazy day. We took a long nap in the afternoon, which was nice for a change!

Monday, we met Poppi & The Queen at the Blue Plate Cafe for breakfast - if you haven't eaten there yet, I totally recommend that you check it out!! After a great meal, we went back to Mom's house and visited some more. We even got to see Ben, which was an unexpected treat!

Tuesday, we had an early appointment at our new Doctor. Got things taken care of there, then went to the Farmer's Market. We came home with a bunch of fresh produce, so we've really been enjoying the fresh veggies! Peter made fried corn this afternoon, and I want to make some fried green tomatoes. Yum!!

So anyway, we're just chilling out, trying to stay cool and trying to be good. I've actually got my Christmas 2006 photos sitting on my desk and am trying to figure out the best way to scrap them. Guess that's my mission for the next couple of weeks. :)

Have a fabulous one and don't forget to smile!

The Joys of Potty Training

Monkey has finally decided that she is ready to train. Soooo, we've started the whole potty training adventure once again. We'd tried it a few months ago, but she simply wasn't ready. But now bribery seems to be winning her over to the whole idea. She's been dry all day today, thanks to continuious vigilance and the promise of jelly beans. Thank goodness for that bag of Jelly Belly's I got for my birthday!! :)

At the same time, we're getting Val used to the whole idea. She sees her sissy getting on the potty and getting jelly beans when she goes, and keeps asking for her jelly beans. I've been putting her on each time I take Monkey, just hoping that it'll work. So far we haven't had any luck, but I'm not going to count the girl out. After all, Em was fully trained at 18 months, and Val's almost there, so I do have some hope.

So, like I said, it's truly an adventure. Wonder what it would be like to have NO diapers to change?? Someday, perhaps, I'll find out. :)

Relaxed

As I walked through the living room yesterday, this was how Val was sleeping. I couldn't resist getting a photo of her - she just looks so soft, sweet and huggable like this. Of course, she's all of those things and more when she's awake, but she was just too cute to resist!

How I Scrap

This is how I scrap when the girls are around... When Val's being clingy, I just pop her up on top of the desk beside me and give her something to play with. In this pic, she's got a sheet of journaling that I goofed on. It keeps her quiet and I can be close to her while not actually holding her. :)

Proof

It's over!

The past two weeks have passed in a blur of cardstock, paper, photos, adhesive and embellishments. The fast and furious pace that I've set for myself has been exhausting. I turned in my final page count for SFYS as 196, and 76 of those I created today. A lot of my pages are relatively simple, which befits the subject matter.

I completed two trip albums, and an album of Peter and I from the beginning until around 2004. I also scrapped all the photos for a flower album that I've been wanting to do for a few years and have been putting off. That album is a work in progress, as I'd like to have each letter of the alphabet represented, or at least as many as possible. I also scrapped the photos of Val from the time we started keeping her at 8 weeks, and that album is also ongoing.

In all, I finished enough layouts to fill 7 scrapbooks! That's pretty amazing. So now I have 18 filled albums from the time I first started scrapbooking in October 2003!

I am now exhausted, and my body is screaming for me to stop. So I'm going to. I've gotten a lot of projects finished that were nagging at me, so from now on, I hope to just scrap what pleases me when I want to scrap it. At least until the next SFYS rolls around! :D

And that, my friends, is a very good thing...

*Smile*

Have you ever...

Have you ever been so sick of doing something that you just wanted to curl up with a good book and forget the rest of the world for a while?? That's my dilemma. At this particular moment in time, I have a love/hate relationship with scrapping. I'm in 2nd place in the SFYS challenge that I'm in. As of last night, I've scrapped 120 pages since the 8th. That's not including all the pages I've done so far today.

It never dawned on me that I'm fiercely competitive, yet I guess I am. I have this desire to win that doesn't even make sense to me. But it's all good... I have until midnight tonight to scrap as many pages as I can, then I can take a break, sit back with my Diet Coke and read Harry Potter. Yay!! Right now, that sounds like an awesome idea.

The good side to all this madness? I've completed my Florida trip album, my Train trip album, my Book of Blooms album, gotten a good start to Val's album, got a bunch of pictures scrapped that I've been wanting to but have been putting off, and am now working on a relationship album for Peter and I. It feels really good to get all these projects finished - it's actually a weight off my mind.

Hopefully after I get done with all these and take a break for a while (probably a few days), I'll feel more inspired to get to all those projects that I've been putting off. There's a school days album, an album of my babies and a few other albums. As a matter of fact, I'm almost caught up with all the photos that I plan to scrapbook! That's a scary but welcome thought.

Sooooo, it's back to the scrapdesk I go... cross your fingers for me! :)

Berry Cute

Credits: This is the 'Berry Cute' Quick Page Freebie.
GypsyChick Designs by Jodie Patterson Copyright ©2006

I got this digital quickpage a while back and couldn't figure out how to use it. I finally figured it out, and thought this photo was the perfect one to use with it. Guess it helps to learn how to use my image editing software, huh?

I've been scrapping crazy the past ten days or so. Since the 8th, I've created 67 pages!! I've almost finished one complete album, and hope to get it completely done this week yet. :) I'll try to share some of the layouts later, when I get a chance to take photos.

On a roll

Since being on the SFYS challenge, I've been a busy bee. I created 35 layouts last week and just finished my 6th page for tonight. I've got enough photos spread out on my desk for two more, which I'll do in a few minutes.

I've just got to say that after going through a dry spell creatively for so long, it feels really good to just let go and do what feels good. I was getting bogged down with a certain set of photos earlier and it was taking me way too long to figure out how to scrap them, so I decided to put them to the side and go on. Well, that worked. I'm really trying hard to let go and know that simple is fine, that I don't have to have all the latest techniques and products, that as long as I document the memories, events and people that mean something, that's ok.

I'm listening to the Eagles' "Take It Easy". What a cool song to have come on while I'm writing this entry.

Anyway, I'm going to go back to scrapping now. Just wanted to share. :)

*Smile*

UPDATE: I got 12 pages completed tonight. Yay, me!! :)

Amish Crayons

Got this cartoon yesterday and it made me laugh out loud. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

If you'd like to see more cartoons like this one, please visit Strange Breed. If you like Steve's sense of humor, please sign up for his email newsletter and get his cartoons delivered directly to your inbox.

An Even Better Evening

Peter set up a surprise party/dinner for me at the new Beauregard's on University & the Pkwy. Lori, all three of her girls, David, and Mom were there when we got there. Meg, Greg & Hannah joined us soon after.

We had a great dinner (after waiting for ages - but hey, that's the nature of the beast!), and Mom made a strawberry-rhubarb pie for me. Peter bought a cake and Lori, Mom & Flo all gave me hand made cards. Lori bought me a pack of Bazzill Bling (yep, it's been a great Bazzill day!!), and Meg gave me two skirts and two shirts. Mom also gave me a gorgeous Angel Wing plant that's in bloom, as well as the first two zinnia blossoms from her garden. Boy, did those bring back childhood memories!!

Then after dinner, Peter took me to Books-A-Million and we chose some books to read and he bought drinks for us to enjoy. When we got ready to leave, he went and prepaid for the new Harry Potter book that's coming out next weekend.... Yay!!!! I've got all the other books, as well as the companion books, so I'm really excited. I'm not sure how it's going to be after reading this one, though, as it's the last in the series. Bummer. Hopefully the author will think up an even better character and start a new series, because she's a really great author, and easy to read.

Sooooo, that was my birthday. In all, it's been a great one. I've really had a blast, and it was nice to share the weekend with the ones I care about most in my life. :)

A Great Day!

Last night my sweetheart took me to the crop in Helena. The ladies there surprised me with a handmade card, complete with signatures and well wishes from all of them. They totally embarrassed me with a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday". Um, thanks, I think.... I got a wonderful gift from Suzanna. She gave me some BeautiControl hand scrub and two packs of Tastefully Simple Nana's Apple Cake mix. Yum-o to both items!! Thank you, girlie!!

Anyway, I got 15 pages scrapped. My page kits totally worked. I will definately do that again. :) My sweetie got 8 pages done. He's creating a book about his job, which is cool. It's nice to share a hobby with the one you love.

Yesterday before we left, Peter bought me a bunch of scrappy stuff I'd been wanting. That was my birthday gift from him, so that was cool. Then today was a great mail day. We got two Priority Mail boxes full of Bazzill. For those of you not in the know, it's a really great textured cardstock. So now I've got lots of pretty colors to choose from. We also got a ton of rub-on alphas, so I don't have to go searching for the perfect colors anymore.

I also just have to say that I love State Farm Insurance. They actually sent us two checks - refunds for part of our premiums on both vehicles. Apparently they've had a good fiscal year and chose to share the dividends with their customers. If you're in search of a good insurance company, I highly recommend them. :)

Now I'm off to scrapbook for a while. Peter says we need to leave here at 5:45 this evening. No clue what he's up to, and I haven't asked many questions, but I'm going to trust him. Can't wait to see what's going on. Guess he's celebrating me getting ooooold. (But he'll always be older than me, so I guess that makes him ancient, huh??) LOL

Too tired

Have you ever been too tired to sleep? Well, that's me. Dunno why but I am. I'm on a scrappy roll and completed 8 pages in the Florida trip album that I've been putting off since 2005. I've finally gotten two of the five days done, and now I'm just feeling like ughhhh.

I'm a little excited about tomorrow (or today, as the case may be), since Peter and I are going to a crop. I've got all my page kits ready, complete with photos and ribbons. Now we just need to pack up the last little bit of stuff tomorrow and hit the road. I'm looking forward to not having to drag all my paper with me. I think I've got enough kits for 15 pages. Hope that I can get them all assembled, then I can come home and work on this FL album a little more over the weekend.

For some reason I really tried to scrap while the girls were napping this afternoon but only got one page done. Then after the two little ones left, I managed to whip out the other eight. Guess I'll just shoot for scrapping in the evenings and weekends from now on...

Anywho, have a good one, and don't forget to....

*Smile*

Scrappin' and Yappin'

I've been a busy bee this week. I'm taking part in a scrapping challenge, and so far since Sunday I've created 11 pages. It feels good to get some of the photos scrapped that I've been procrastinating about. Here are a couple that I really like - they were both from a scrap kit that I received in a swap.

And now for a few photos of the girls doing their own thing. They have a set of play keys, which they use as screwdrivers, and they love playing with cardboard boxes and plastic bottles. Hey - cheap toys that encourage their imagination - that's a VERY good thing!!

And finally, the other day, Hannah came strolling up to me and she had her fancy socks on and my flippies. I just had to laugh at this silly girl. It was just too funny.

Food for thought

I was watching a video about how snack foods are made, and while the narrator was talking about how Pennsylvania is the home of the "potato chip belt", they were showing old photos (late 1800's, early 1900's) of Amish farmers in their fields. In one picture, the farmer had turned around and looked directly into the camera. I got a chill up and down my spine, and the first thought I had was "Wow - wouldn't his future generations be SO happy to have that picture!!". I know I sure would be tickled pink to have good photos of my forbearers.

I realize that the whole issue of not taking photos is just a part of the Amish lifestyle and creed, but as a scrapbooker, it's almost as though there is a gaping hole there. Yes, I have the geneaology books and know about our family history, but it's sorta hard to put together a heritage album when all you have are stories. I did one of sorts when I first started scrapping, but it's nothing like what I'd love to be able to put together now, if I only had the photos to go along with the history and stories. I have two photos of my maternal grandparents and one or two photos of my paternal grandmother. That's it.

Am I the only one who feels this way about not having photos to document our family history?? What are your thoughts on this subject, especially if you come from an Amish background?

And if any of my family has pictures they wouldn't mind sharing - please email them to me. I'd sure appreciate it!!

Another Note To Self

If you're planning to scrapbook, don't go cut your nails down to the quick!! At least leave a LITTLE white so you can open the prongs on brads, open packaging and pick up papers without having to slide them off the edge of the desk!! ESPECIALLY when you've just signed up for a two-week no buy to Scrap From Your Stash!!! It's really hard to scrapbook without ANY nails at all!!!

Doofus.....

LOL

I've Been Tagged

* I must post 7 random things about me
* Tag 7 other bloggers to do the same.
* Post rules and the bloggers I tagged here.
* Leave tagged bloggers comments on their site so they know they've been tagged.

1. I love to be home alone or just here with everyone else asleep. :)

2. Loud, shrill or squeaky noises hurt my ears.

3. My favorite ice cream is plain old vanilla.

4. I don't go anywhere, not even in the house, without my cell phone.

5. If I have to go without internet for more than a few hours, I get antsy.

6. I hate the cold but love looking at snow as long as I don't have to be out in it.

7. Blueberries are my favorite fruit.

I Tagged: nobody. I'm tired, ready for bed and I'll try to figure out who to tag in the morning. :D

Don't you hate it when...

You take a nap during the day and then can't sleep at night???? It looks like my sleep schedule is all wonky again. Ugh.

On Wednesday night, I was totally stressed out and having a panic attack, so I took a sleeping pill, hoping it would help me sleep. Well, it didn't. It didn't kick in until somewhere around 3am!! So yesterday when the girls got here, we all went down for a nap. BIG mistake!! I woke up feeling worse than I had before I slept.

Then last night my sweetie and I went to bed around 8:30pm because we were simply beat. And I slept great until about 11:30pm. Then I woke up, got some things ready for him to take with him, and sat here and played a computer game until 1:30am. Then I went to bed, finished a book, looked through three or four scrappy mags, then got up and got a fresh batch of scrappy mags to look through. Not sure when I finally dozed off, but it was well after 3am! Then I woke again at 6am, and again at 7am. Then I just stayed up. Not sure how, but I am really going to try to stay up until bedtime tonight. I need to get my schedule back right!!

The bright side to all this? Well, looking through all those scrappy mags has brought me some new, much needed inspiration. I got up and took some photos for a layout that I've been planning for several months now, and just need to sketch it out so I can put it together as soon as I get my latest Snapfish order. Yay!! So I'm not going to count the night a total loss. At least now there are some new, fabulous ideas floating around just waiting to become reality on a scrapbook page. :)

Have a fabulous Friday!!

*Smiles*

We have a winner!!

Since we've been getting fresh tomatoes from the CSA we belong to, I have been experimenting with tomato salads. The first time I used feta cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and it wasn't very good. :(

This morning, I tried again. And boys howdy is it good!!! Even Peter likes it. So it goes on my "do-over" list. It tasted SO fresh and luscious. I used string cheese, since it's just plain mozzarella and we've always got it on hand. I also used fresh basil that's growing right outside my front door. :) Now I just hope they keep those tomatoes coming....

Tomato-Mozzarella Salad

Mix together:
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
6 sticks mozzarella string cheese, sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 handful fresh basil, roughly chopped

In a small bowl, combine about 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, about 5-6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground paper and sea salt. Whisk together until it emulsifies. I didn't actually measure the ingredients, I just sorta chucked it all in and went for it - measurements here are guesstimates.

Pour dressing over tomatoes & cheese, stir well to coat. Cover and chill for at least 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to "marry".

If you try this recipe, please let me know how you like it!!

Anita

Happy Independance Day!

Just wanted to wish all of you Happy Independance Day!! Hope you're having a great one, with lots of yummy food to eat. I got my dishes all finished about an hour ago, so I've been playing online and checking emails. My sweetie's grilling and he's just about got everything done - he says he's ready to close up the grill because it's HOT outside!! We didn't really eat breakfast - we were saving room for the food. :)

I also want to take the time to thank all of our Armed Forces men and women for all that you do to ensure that our country remains THE greatest in the world. I appreciate your sacrifice to dedicate your life to your country. Politics and opinions aside, we all owe you our deepest gratitude.

Graphics provided by: http://www.holidaygraphics.com/

A Special Surprise

Lori IM'd me this morning and told me to keep our evening clear, because we were going to dinner. That's all she said. She was very tight-lipped on what was going on. So I cleared the evening with Peter and we planned to join them. Then around 4:30 or so, she told me what was going on.....

Our cousin Loretta was coming! As a matter of fact, nobody knew that she was coming except Lori, from what I understood. So she got here around 6:30pm and we all went to dinner.

Kathryn was at Mom & Lori's when we got there - it was nice to see her again - it's been a couple of weeks. There were three of us sisters present, which was neat. It's amazing the things we learned tonight!! Well, me, anyway. There were loads of laughs going on, so much so that I noticed the service wasn't that great, but I was enjoying myself so much that it didn't really bother me. :)

'Retta and Flora were the troublemakers at the table (not really, but they look like they're up to something, don't they??) LOL There were stories being told right and left - it was really neat to hear them!

These two sat at the other end of the table... didn't get to talk to them much, but we did manage to sneak in a few fairly decent pictures! He's a true ham and had us laughing!

And last but not least, I think she just looks so pretty here!! Just HAD to take a photo of her tonight. :)

So after we all filled up on salad and got our handy-dandy to-go boxes filled, we all went back to the house and noshed on watermelon. Yep, it was tasty, too!! Gotta love that my sweetie doesn't mind going shopping. And he even carved it up for all of us. :)

Sooooo, the evening was a fun one, filled with family, great conversation, really good food, lousy service and topped off with yummy watery goodness. I think it definately qualifies as a success!!

Loretta - SO glad you stopped in!! :)

*Smiles*

So Adorable

I went into the living room this morning to check on the baby and this is how I found her:

If you'll look closely, she is looking up at me just out of the corner of her eye. Isn't she just the sweetest, funniest little being you've ever seen? Then again, maybe I'm prejudiced.... :)

Yay, me!!

I've made a new resolution - to drink more water. That's just about all I drink anyway, but just don't drink enough of it each day.

Soooo, my sweetheart bought a 64-oz jug thingie for me, and I filled it with ice and water this morning and decided that I was going to drink it all today. And I did - PLUS some! Woo hoo!!!! I think I got at least 72-oz down today. And I've gotten the exercise (running to the ladies' room) to prove it. LOL

*Smiles*

Good morning!!

After a somewhat stressful few days, yesterday I just chilled. All by myself at the house. Slept when I wanted to. Ate when I got hungry. Did nothing but chill and play computer games. And it was great!!

We've had some drama here the past couple of days. None of it was fun, some of it was hurtful to others, but it's all water under the bridge. You know that old saying "don't let the sun go down on your anger"? Well, when you practice that, it REALLY helps!! :) Try it sometime - it makes you sleep so much better when the air is cleared before you go to bed. And the making up part isn't so bad, either - it gives you peace in your heart & mind. Getting to that point is the difficult part, and being the first to say "I'm sorry" isn't always the easiest, but someone has to do it, right?

Monkey is sick. Well, WAS sick. Poor baby went through some stuff on Friday that wasn't so fun for her. She spiked a high temp and then endured being stripped down and being bathed with tepid water and alcohol while the a/c was jacked up on high. Poor little mite kept crying that she was cold, but we managed to drop her temp from 105.3 (actual) to 99.6 (actual) within an hour, so it was worth it. Her Mommy took her to the doctor as soon as she could get here and they gave her a strong antibiotic injection, and as of yesterday afternoon, she was feeling much better and was running around playing. Whew!!! Poor kiddo!

Princess Savannah hung out with us for a few hours on Friday, too. THAT was an adventure, but after she had a nap, she just played and played with the other children. She's such a loving child, and after all the crying was over, we really enjoyed having her here. :)

Anyway, I'm off to (hopefully) scrapbook today. Need to make some lunch too but I realllly need to scrap!! It does my mind good.

Have a fantabulous day and don't forget to....

*SMILE*

A "heart-sweet" moment

This week has been a sorta rough one for my sweet honey. He's working weird hours, isn't managing to get enough rest, and has had his world sorta topsy-turvy this week because our home has been turned into a scrapbooking whirlwind, and has somewhat disrupted our routines. That's not a bad thing - we got the biggest part of the project done, and on time, which is awesome. And we were SO thankful to have our sister and one of our best friends here with us for the past few days. That's been sweet. :)

But going back to the no-rest thing, he's been really helping with the little ones this week, which is wonderful. He hasn't been getting enough sleep, though. Yesterday he was so tired, he slept on the couch and we actually had people coming and going, and he never knew anyone was here... now that's tired!!

Today we all took about a 4 hour nap. That was nice. He fed the girls lunch while I carried on with the project at hand, and then they played in the office with me while he sat outside on the swing. Right now, he's sitting in on the couch, Monkey lying across his lap with her head on the armrest, and they're having a conversation. Not just a sporadic word to each other here and there, but a fully concsious, intelligent, almost grown-up conversation (well, on Monkey's part, anyway!). It makes my heart smile to hear them just enjoying each other's company like that.

The girls all think the sun rises and sets on him, and he absolutely adores each of them as well. But he doesn't often have the time or take the time to just sit down and talk with them. I believe that the snuggles and conversation will help both of them to be just a little more happy tonight.

And that's a heart-sweet moment. :)

*Smiles*

Another Share

Since I've already got PSP 9.0, I thought that it might be fun to attempt to do a digital layout using it. It's the program I use for all my photo editing anyway. It took me longer - it's a tiny bit more complicated than PSE, but it turned out well in the end. Thought I'd share my latest creation. :)

Created using PSP 9.0 & the "Refresh" digital kit from Scrapgirls.com.

I did it!!

After almost two years of wanting to attempt a digi page, I finally did it today!! I downloaded a trial version of Photoshop Elements 5.0 and installed it, then snagged a free digi kit from Scrap Girls and sat down to play. I'm SO proud of this page. It's simple, but I just had to share. PLMK what you think. :)

Software: PSE 5.0
All Digital Elements: Scrapgirls.com

Whatta week...

This hasn't been the best week for any of us by a long shot, but hey - it's the weekend again, and we've all survived!! Yipppeeee!!

Hannah has been sick all week with strep - yay. Ughhhh. The babies are STILL sick, and as of Wednesday, I've been sick. Eww.

Hannah went to the doctor and chose the hiney-shot instead of 10 days of antibiotics. The babies are getting Benedryl and acetominiphen for their allergies/fevers. Me - it's back to hitting the bottle. Nyquil, that is. I'm feeling somewhat better, but we REALLY need rain to wash the allergens down some.

Went to our favorite Mexican place for lunch today - Hannah turned 4 on Wednesday and we didn't get to celebrate with her, so we did it today since we were both feeling better. Man, it was SO hot outside when we came out of the restaurant. Went out shopping at the scrapbook store, and one of the signs we passed said it was 100 degrees out! I totally believe it. It was SO miserable, so I believe that I'll be staying in the house most of the time from now on.

It's also been a long week since Lori, Mom and Faith have been gone to CM in Lakeland. Flora did come up on Tuesday and brought Emma Grace, but she cried most of the night, so we didn't get much done. It was nice to see both of them, though.

A couple of bright notes - we got our car fixed and out of the shop on Tuesday. Yay!! It's been down since somewhere around or before Christmas. We also got the a/c fixed, so my sweetie can have a nice cool car to drive around and I'll have a vehicle again. :) We went out on a date on Tuesday night and met the nicest young man. He was our server and happens to be from London, England, so we had a great conversation. He was really encouraging us to take a trip to England, and gave me a website to check for great airfare prices. Maybe someday we'll get to go on that dream vacation. :)

I'm off to play with my new paperstickyfoldystuff. Have a fabulous rest of the weekend.

*Smiles*

A Good Day

After a rocky bedtime last night and calling Lori at midnight, really upset, I finally got to sleep early this morning. Even after she talked to me and got me calmed down, I couldn't just settle down and sleep, so I was very tired this morning. However, it was just Val and I today - Monkey's still sick and Hannah was with her Mom today. We napped, nibbled and cuddled. That's pretty much it for the whole day. It was really nice to have some alone time with her - we don't get that much.

Went to a crop tonight at the LSS in town that I haven't been to in probably around a year. Had a good turnout, which made me happy, since I'm the group leader & scheduler. I got 15 cards made. I'm trying to use up scrap paper and also make cards for various occasions so when I need a card for something, I'll have it ready to just pull and give.

Last night's dinner was a hit. Someone even went back 2 or 3 times for more cabbage, and I've been informed that it's a MUST make-again dish. :) It was really yummy. I'll try to post the recipe later in the weekend. Love it when I find or make a new recipe that turns out to be well liked.

Tomorrow (or should I say today), I'm off to yet another crop for some sister time. Looking forward to it, even though I'll have to leave for a bit to go to Hannah's birthday party. It's ok, though. Hopefully I'll be able to get lots more cards created while I'm there.

So you all be good and have a fantabulous weekend....

*Smiles*

Scrappin' & Yappin'!

I got up early this morning and went out to water my plants before 7:30am! I waited on the babies, but they never came. Seems Monkey is sick. So it was just Hannah and I for the morning.

Since she was doing her own thing, I decided to put together the layout I sketched out last night. It turned out really well, and I thought I'd share it. LMK what you think...

The journaling is this blog post. I just really really loved this picture for some reason and felt it just HAD to be scrapped. :)

I had a very special phone call a little while ago. Em called me and said she'd like to come by. We haven't seen each other since Christmas - I've been so out of the loop that it never dawned on me that it's been that long. But she's coming over this afternoon, so I'm really looking forward to seeing her. :)

Lori, Mom & hopefully the girls are also planning to come over for supper tonight as well. I've got the crockpot filled with pork chops with apples, onions & cabbage. It smells awesome. I also made a wonderful tomato salad yesterday. Will try to get a picture of it and post my recipe if it's a hit tonight. Am planning to make some mac & cheese a little later this afternoon, as well as oven roasted squash & onions. Watermelon for dessert. I'm SO loving all this fresh new produce right now!! :)

I'm off to put something relatively cool on so I can sit in the swing out front while Hannah swims. Have a fabulous day!!

*Smiles*

Note To Self:

Do not update your Internet Explorer at 12am, especially when there are five critical updates to download and install. Be aware that if you do, you will be up until almost 2am, waiting on the system to go through all sorts of checks and scans before it will reboot so that you can turn it off.

And while you're waiting, be sure to have at least three complete catalogs to read, all of the junk mail from the past three days to sort through, and a layout that you need to sketch out and get together so all you have to do is print out the journaling when said computer is back up and running.

Oh, and make sure that you are really, really tired and ready for bed when you hit that "restart now" button. Grrrrrrrrr!

Yep, it's now 1:52am and I'm STILL not in bed. Oh, and I'm going to get three little girls between 7:30am and 8am tomorrow. AND the Salvation Army people are supposed to come and get all the junk out of our garage so we can walk through it again and the driver never bothered to call me as promised to schedule a pick-up time, so I have NO idea if or even when he's coming. Whaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!

So can I PLEASE get some cheese and crackers to go with my whine???

And through it all, I'm still.....

*Smiling*

Good night!! :)

For you...

Used with permission from FzyWzy

Sharing...

It's been an interesting day today. The girls are in rare form - don't know if there are storms in the forecast or if it's full moon or what, but they've been whacking each other, knocking each other down and just being kids. Val's trying to move into her "terrible twos" early. LOL

Anyway, I managed to get a few really cute photos this morning and wanted to share!

The girls love to climb on "My Pete"!

Isn't this just too cute??

My sweet Val - I just love the look on her face. :)

Val looks so sassy here! And yes, for those of you who were wondering - those are my SU! stamp blocks - the kids love them! :)

I looked over and saw that Hannah and Val were sitting in the block basket, and Monkey has her feet in and was upset that she couldn't sit in it too!! They cheesed it up for the camera. LOVE this!

From the mouth of babes....

"Sorry I knocked you in the brain." - Said by Hannah to Monkey after smacking her in the head with a wooden block. Not "head", but "brain". Guess I need to educate her on the difference! LOL

Yes, she's been punished. Stood in the corner and is now sitting in a chair, waiting for Peter to come home.

Too funny, though.

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*Smiles*

Boy, it's hot outside!

The weekend was so nice and cool - perfect weather for sitting outside. A lady came by the house this afternoon and I stood on the porch talking to her for a little while. I was SO ready to come back inside!! It's just WAY too hot for me out there!! I did enjoy some outside time early this morning with the girls, though. It's really nice to sit in the swing and watch the birds, squirrels and cars that pass by.

My herbs are loving the heat, though. My basil has doubled in size in just two weeks! I've got a craving for fresh tomato salad with feta cheese, fresh basil & balsamic vinaigrette dressing. YUM!!

We got our weekly basket from the CSA yesterday. Got some greens that need to be cooked, sweet banana peppers, garlic, onions, potatoes & squash. I'm looking forward to getting things other than green stuff in my box soon! There's nothing like a vine ripened tomato that is still warm from the sun, sliced and put between two slices of bread with plenty of light mayo, salt & freshly ground pepper. Can you tell I haven't had lunch yet? LOL

Hope we get some rain soon. We so desperately need it. The rain we got Friday was wonderful, but our area has such a huge deficit from the past few years that it's just terrible.

One last note - a dear friend of mine told me this morning that she's been diagnosed with lymphoma. The particular strain that she has is normally extremely aggressive, but somehow hers is less aggressive. She has been fitted with a port for chemo already. She desires prayer, though. So those of you who can pray, please do. Her name is Virginia. She certainly would appreciate it.

Have a fabulous day!!

*Smiles*

Fun Weekend

Yesterday, Peter, Mom, Lori and I went to the monthly crop in Helena. Got to hang out with our friends, do some scrapping and a little shopping. I spent way too much money, but that just means I'll have to scrimp somewhere else. Got a beautiful album for $15.00, which was great. All my others are full. I counted all my full albums up last week, and since October, 2003, I've completed 10 albums, so that makes me feel good. Getting those memories preserved for whoever wants to look at them, and it's relaxing.

Today, I got up when Peter got home. He brought all my stuff in from last night, and I put everything away and finished the layout I didn't have time to finish last night. I chilled out all day and enjoyed a bagel from Panera. Yummmm-O!! This evening we went to the VBS program, and Peter got to video the whole thing. Hope it turns out well.

So now I'm exhausted, and am headed off to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will just be a chill day - I plan to cook lunch, but I think it'll just be something simple, cool and light.

Hope you're having a good weekend as well.

*Smiles*

Free Root Beer Float Day!!

And who doesn't like a root beer float, especially when it's free???

Tonight, June 7, between 8pm and 12am, you can go to Sonic, push the red button and order a FREE, yes, I did say FREE root beer float.

Have fun!

FYI

We took the girls to O'Charley's today for lunch because of their "kids eat free" thing. So we get our check, and they charged us for all 3 girls' meals. Yikes!! Just wanted to give a heads up to those of you who like to take your children there to let you know they discontinued it. :(

It's so quiet

I'm sorta getting a feel for how all the mothers out there feel when they send their little one off to school. Hannah got to go to Bible school this morning, a very sweet lady stopped by to pick her up, which was wonderful. I feel a little lost without having her here - she's my little helper - but I'm sure she's having fun.

Now the other two babies are asleep and it's SO quiet in our house! Peter's at work and I'm on the computer. I can hear the radio in our room playing very faintly and the sound of myself typing, but other than that, it's absolutely still. Weird. Even when the girls are napping, there's usually some sort of sound going on.

In the meanwhile, I think I'll have some breakfast and play with my paperstickyfoldystuff. :)

Here's a photo of Val yesterday. The girls were playing with sidewalk chalk, and when she turned around, this is what we saw:



Isn't she a funny little thing??

Have a fabulous Tuesday...

*Smiles*

Yep, it's Monday!

Saturday, several of us went to Rosie's for lunch. While nibbling on my chips & salsa, I noticed a distinct grittiness. Yuck!! I managed to get the source out and upon investigating it further, realized it was part of my tooth!! Double yuck!!

I dealt with it over the weekend... no pain, no sensitivity to heat or cold, just little bits of grittiness whenever I ate. So this morning, I called my dentist's office as soon as they opened, and was able to go in right after lunch. Yay!!

I ended up having a (rather large) filling removed, and a new one put in, as well as a bunch of x-rays. The tooth has a crack in it, but they're hoping the filling will work for a while until our insurance will approve getting a crown put on.

The moral of this story: Don't eat Java jelly beans if you want your fillings to stay intact!! I've been hooked on jelly beans lately, and this is what happened. Apparently, the gumminess pulled out part of my filling....

So looks like I'm going to be abstaining from the yummy treats for a while.

Now Peter's gone to p/u dinner, and here I sit... the medication is wearing off, the feeling's coming back, and I'm wondering just how o earth I'm gonna be able to eat!

Yep... it's Monday all right!

*Smile*

Busy week

Since it's been a week since I checked in, this post might be a "little" long....

Saturday, we did.... NOTHING!! Yes, that's right. We napped, chilled out and just did absolutely nothing except bag up our Avon orders. And it was so nice to just be together and not be busy with life stuff. Sometimes we just have to do that. :)

Monday, Lori and Mom came up and we cleared out the office and set up tables in here and scrapped all day. I got 5 layouts done, which is great. The girls were here as well, they hung out and did their own thing, then Tausha came and brought Emma for supper.

Peter "worked" until around 2pm. He was put to work grilling for a lot of the group homes. When I spoke to him, he was on his 5th rotation of food on the grill and still wasn't done, and it was a big grill. He came home with a 9"x13" pan of meat that was left! The supervisors divvied out pans full to each house, and then he got one for being the cook. That was nice.

He pulled out the grill when he got home and cooked up an awesome dinner for all of us. Flora made macaroni salad and baked beans to go with, and they were soooo tasty. We had a blast just hanging out with each other.

It's been a hot and smoky week, and I've been dealing with major sinus/allergy issues because of the smoke, but I'm feeling somewhat better now. Am taking OTC Claritin and it's helping quite a bit, thank goodness.

Yesterday, Peter and I planted all our earthboxes, two other big pots with coleus and dusty miller, and repotted a peace lily and Christmas cactus. The walkway in front of our house looks so nice right now. The herbs we settled on planting are basil, oregano, parsley and thyme. He has looked all over town and we can't find a store that has chives on hand, so we'll keep looking and I'll pot them inside. :)

The girls were outside playing while we were busy - I stripped the babies to their diapers and they all three had fun playing in the water hose. They all ended up thoroughly soaked, then they played with the sidewalk chalk, and played out in the yard. They wore themselves out, so we brought them in and gave all three of them a nice shower, and fed them lunch, then it was naptime. By then, it was really nice to have about 45 minutes to just chill out and hear nothing. :)

Here's a few pictures from the past week:

Princess Emma enjoying the great outdoors

The view fom the front porch. The plant in the orange pot came inside last night. We're planning to paint the blocks so they don't look like blocks. Hopefully it'll make them look nicer.

"Wave" petunias. He thought he'd gotten two pink ones, but the one on the right is purple. I really like the colors. Hoping they'll spread out and get really full.

I got this cactus on Freecycle - one of the best groups there is! It was in a 6" pot, and I didn't realize how huge it was until we got it repotted in this 12" hanging pot. I'm really hoping it'll take off and grow now, and hopefully bloom.

And lastly, my wonderful honey - the hard worker that made all this planting possible. Actually, he did the bulk of the work while I corralled the children and "stupidvised". I did help, don't get me wrong, but he did all the heavy lifting and most of the actual planting. Thank you, Honey!!!