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*