The Express Lane

A little list

2011-03-09T06:58:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I get the best ideas from others. Ok, well, I'm just a plain ol' copycat. Whateva. This is fun! (Got it from Dear Lizzy, but the answers are mine!)

praying for: a little peace for Kevin.
wearing: Jammies at the moment. Of course I'm blogging instead of getting into the shower to get dressed for the day.
working on: Laundry, trying not to work late every night.
eating: well, drinking, but coffee that my hubby makes every morning with Vanilla creamer.
dreaming of: My Thirty-One business taking off this month.
realizing: I need about five more hours onto my day to accomplish all of my goals.
impatiently waiting: A new car for Kevin.
anticipating: the weekend already. is that sad or what? Two days into the week and I'm burnt.
loving: My long hair right now. It's been forever since I've had long flowing locks!
stalking: My email & phone. I feel like there's something great coming.
feeling: overwhelmed. *sigh*

My Mom told me to & I listened.

2011-02-08T21:33:00.006-05:00

And did what she told me to do. Wow, that must be a first. LOL

What's happening blog universe? It HAS been a long time. I guess I didn't feel like having yet one more commitment/obligation in my life. Maybe I'm ready to express myself again. Why not? I suppose I have some things to share. :)

Since my last post, I have started my own business, celebrated 10 years of marriage to a wonderful man, lost a job that I hated in the first place, luckily found another one that is shaping up to be pretty incredible, and well a whole lot of everydays in between.

I haven't scrapped much and would like to dedicate time to do that. I haven't taken many pictures, either.

We welcomed another baby into the family this past weekend. Steffan Crane Tarcea. My brother in law and sister in law had their first baby and he's so cute! I cannot wait to hold him. It's incredible how life reminds you that even the small things are so important and can also be the big things.

I wonder if anyone reads this anymore. Mom, it just might be a place for me to share my thoughts with you. That's ok, right? Do you want photos, too? Ask & ye shall receive. A few random photos:

And of course, I can't leave without a shout out to my business, which dare I say is going so very well right now. I love Thirty-One! New Spring catalog just launched Feb. 1 and the products are so FUN! Check out my website: www.mythirtyone.com/etarcea
where you can download the catalog, shop online, & just browse to learn a bit more about it and me. :) Here's some additional images of some of the great items that will have you organized and on the go in style!

Ok, so that's all for today. Hopefully much more to come. If you're out there - say hi. :)

Moody Blues (Warning, it's a pathetic rant)

2010-05-11T12:55:00.003-04:00

It's a band, right? Well, it's also a description of how I feel today. It's just a really ridiculously emotional & blah day. It's pouring rain outside. Maybe that has something to do with it.

Maybe it's because there are just days when you feel the world is against you. I should've retreated back under my covers and said, "you are right, universe!" I should listen to your wisdom more often.

I was late this morning, which never helps. And even though I told myself I wasn't going to do that anymore, it happened again. *sigh* Stupid commute and traffic. Ever have one of those days where you just want a friend to listen to you be awful and whiny, like Eeyore? Everyone loved him despite his melancholy mood. I feel like Eeyore today, only without my piglet and pooh. I got to work and I just feel like all that I need to get done won't and everyone I have to deal with I'd just rather not. I forgot my lunch, nothing good is for sale in the company store, and it's still gross outside so I'm not going anywhere for anything good. Boo hoo. Well, I have fought back the tears already more times than I can count. Why can't I be a big girl today? I wanna put my big girl pants on! I think they're still in the laundry.
I'm ready to spit out this day and have another one that's bright and cheery and warm. I wanna be a billionaire. Heard that song on the radio. That's pretty funny actually. I will survive. Another song. Perpetually over-karaoke'd.

Ok, so there's my pathetically whiny overture and quite the universal reminder that I'm far from perfect. Can't wait until the universe decides to remind me that I'm going to be ok. Oh, and a little sunshine wouldn't hurt. I'm putting in my order in hopes that the master chef has that on special tomorrow. :)

My Caribou cup spews encouragement, it goes a little something like this:

2010-05-07T10:34:00.000-04:00

Go home early and play with your kids
Max out your passport
Stir emotions
Sip it, sip it good
Take a 7 day weekend
Run your feet, not your mouth
Your are as wonderful as your dog thinks you are
Teach a child to fish
Technology is good, but people are better
Re-read your favorite book
Question authority
Roll down the hill
Marry your sweetheart
Dream big, act bigger
Do more cannonballs
Surprise your BFF with a cup of coffee
Build communities not empires
Read poetry
Pick up the check
Give a kid some crayons
Sleep under the stars
Take the stairs
Tell someone you love them
Hold hands not grudges
Get there on two wheels
Do the hokey pokey
Say 5 nice things about the person sitting across from you
Kiss slowly and forgive quickly
Remember where you came from

Twenty two lessons

2010-03-24T14:21:00.017-04:00

http://stacyjulian.com/blog

Stacy has prompted me to make a list of 22 things that I learned as a Mother.
Think it's easy? You try it out and create your own list! (Don't forget to share yours in comments!)

Here's what I've learned:

1. Time goes by FAST! Really fast. Take lots of pictures.
2. I can actually multi-task. Really.
3. I have an impact on others. I'll let my kids sort out what was good or bad in therapy.
4. Just when you think you can't do anymore - you can.
5. Vomit always happens at night. It's like some weird nocturnal freaklike phenomena. And it's gross.
6. Nothing makes you feel more incompetent than helping with math homework above the third grade level. When did they decide to change all that stuff?
7. You will eventually have to look them in the eye and explain what really happened.
8. A penny saved is a penny found in the laundry.
9. A mother's work really is never done. So take some time out - spend it with your family or for yourself.
10. That no matter how much taller they are than me or older they get, they'll always be my baby. And I can still kick their butt.
11. Cuz I'm the Mom, that's why really works.
12. How to cheer someone on. REALLY full out until I no longer have a voice cheer or just the simple huggy kind.
13. The TV will stay on for all eternity unless I'm there to shut it off. Same goes with the bathroom light.
14. If Momma ain't happy, kisses always work. And hugs.
15. Patience only applies to your own kids. By the time you deal with them, there's not much left for anyone else.
16. Being flexible is the best resource for sanity.
17. It's a thankless job but I still accept gratitude.
18. I learned to respect my own mother and all mothers for that matter.
19. Mothers are not perfect but as long as I'm willing to keep trying, I will be good enough.
20. I don't have all the answers. (refer back to #6) That's why I surround myself with other amazing women, just in case in need something.
21. Helping hands are the best form of applause.
22. The journey is so worth taking.

Thank you Michaela & Megan!

More tidbits of everyday inspiration

2010-03-19T14:45:00.002-04:00

Not only did I get a wonderful cup of dark chocolate espresso deliciousness this morning, but it comes with all these lovely phrases that are just terrific:

Thank a teacher
Learn to dance a jig
Laugh so hard you cry
Love what you brew, brew what you love
Make today special
Compliment a stranger
Do it for love, not for profit
Be a hero minus the dorky cape
Enter a pie eating contest
Start right now
Continue more conversations offline
Become a bee keeper
Smile first, ask questions later
Eat when you are hungry, Nap when you are tired
Grow older without ever growing up
Follow your heart
Take all your vacation days
Dance to your own rhythm

and my personal fave of the bunch:
Make time for silly

Have a wonderful weekend to all visitors! Be swell! :)

Today's tidbit for worthiness:

2010-03-11T11:42:00.000-05:00

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Christopher Robin to Pooh

I am worthy NOW.

2010-03-10T16:23:00.013-05:00

We all are. RIGHT NOW. One of my favorite blogs to visit is Brene Brown's. She has spent years studying, lecturing, teaching, and writing about shame resilience, compassion, and worthiness. I adore her and her courage to continue to speak from the heart and from the place that all women should be comfortable being in. Love her quote "No matter what gets done and how much is left undone; I am enough." She's doing a week of worthiness on her blog that is so worth checking out.
http://www.ordinarycourage.com/

Her week of worthiness is about looking at those moments when we don't feel like we are enough, have done enough, etc. I have been telling myself it will all be better when but not until then.
I'll be enough I have more money.
I'll be enough when I have more friends.
I'll be enough when I am forgiven.
I'll be enough when I get that college degree.
I'll be enough I gain 10 pounds.

This is all about embracing worthiness NOW. Imperfection oozing, flaws hanging out, and with all those things being undone, untrue, without.

As some of you that know me well may already know, I have weight issues. Not the kind that I have too much, but the kind that I don't have enough. I don't have enough of me and physically I am a reminder of not being enough. This past Saturday, I was dropping my daughter off at a friend's home for a sleepover. There were a few Moms hanging out in the kitchen and as we exchanged niceities, one decided she wanted to exchange, imo, something else. "Oh, now I see why your daughter is so skinny. Look at you! It all makes sense now. I was wondering if she was being fed." Would you say any of those things to anyone? How could she have meant this as a compliment? I wouldn't chalk her comments up as confidence builders. All I could think of was she was now subjecting my daughter to it. And I hate that. I wanted to scream that my daughter is perfect just the way she is, right now. And I sort of had a light that went off and I thought, dammit, I don't want to feel this way anymore. I am sick of people commenting on my weight. Period. I am sick of those daggers being thrown that I'm not big enough, tall enough, round enough, curvy enough, blah blah blah. Why is it ok to say anything? Sometimes it's not even a personal dig as it can come from hearing discussions about movie stars - she's too thin/thick/etc. If they are saying something negative about someone that may indeed resemble my own size, my first thought is to agree and say "I'm not worthy until I weigh enough". Then I start to think, what is that number? How will I know when I get there?

I know I am worthy of acceptance. Everyone is individual and we come in all shapes and sizes. I have things that I wish I could change. I'd have thicker lips, no translucent dark lines under my eyes and bigger breasts. I could also learn to be less brash with my own comments, mail a birthday card on time, and return phone calls. But I am worthy of feeling enough today. I am worthy to feel confident when I got dressed and take on the challenges of my day. Today I have the courage to say:

I am worthy of acceptance and compassion without needing to eat an ice cream cone (or a sandwich).
I am worthy even though I ate that ice cream cone and it didn't go to my middle.
I am worthy without needing to gain 5 or 10 pounds.
I am worthy without a college degree.
I am worthy without validation from others that I am enough.
I am worthy for love.
I am worthy and enough right now.

Everyday moments

2010-03-09T10:00:00.003-05:00

On Ali's blog today, she is offering a lovely giveaway and it was about sharing everyday moments. Of course it prompted me to think about what I think are the best everyday moments in my life. Should I share? Of course I should! Here's my list:

The smell of the coffee pot brewing and that first cup of coffee.

When I make lunches for the girls and the dogs come out of the bedroom just in case there's crusts that need to be cut off.

After I drop Megan off at school, I get about 10-15 minutes of one-on-one time with Michaela as we drive to drop her off at school. It's usually when I get the lowdown on her friends, her teachers, her everyday.

Hearing my favorite radio talk shows chatter away during my commute. It takes my mind off the pressure of the work day.

Checking my personal email and my daily horoscopes.

The text messages that I receive from my husband. They are rarely about anything in particular, but I think it's our way of staying connected during the day.

Coming home and feeling the comforts of either routines or lackthereof. Sometimes we soak up our favorite TV shows, sometimes we all do something different on our own, and sometimes half of us are at a Brownie meeting or Dance practice. It's all good.

One of the best everyday moments that I cherish right now is when Megan says goodnight. It's the way she needs it to be: A hug, followed by a kiss, another hug and then the exchange of "Good night, love you, see you in the morning, love you." If it's not in that order, we start over. I love that goodnight has to be perfect and that sometimes I mess it up, just because I want to start over.

I love when my family is snuggled in bed and I have a few moments to myself before I go to bed to wake up and start again.

Adventure and spontaneity is thrilling, but I love and appreciate everyday moments best.

And then some more

2010-03-02T22:47:00.003-05:00

More more more

2010-03-02T22:38:00.003-05:00

Back to share

2010-03-02T22:26:00.002-05:00

Here's some recent layouts that I've completed.

I'm going to keep trying!

2010-03-01T14:30:00.002-05:00

To update my blog that is. Not sure if there's anyone out there but hey, I will anyway.

I'm determined to begin taking more photos and I have been scrapping again. I'll post next to share what I've been working on creating.

For today, I got so many bits of wonderful & upbeat tips on my Caribou coffee cup. Like little perky daily doses of inspiration. I enjoyed them so much, I am sharing with everyone today. The last one is from me. ;)

Donate blood - you have plenty
Sing out loud
Lighten up
Get your hands dirty
Don't wait to make a New Year's resolution
Give your spare change to charity
Be the first to apologize
Spend time with your kids, tomorrow they're a day older
Dance in the rain
Pour yourself a cup full of karma, then savor every sip
Step one: Rake leaves, Step two: Jump!
Only look back if it makes you smile
Marshmallows have no nutritional value and that's ok
Be the ruler of your own life
You'll only be your current age once
Be the first to enter and the last to leave the party
Plant lots of trees
Learn to say Thank You in ten languages
Dare to adventure
Have a favorite charity
Indulge in chocolate therapy
Smile at everyone - it's free!

Hiatus

2010-02-13T17:01:00.003-05:00

Another hiatus. URRGGGH

I've been inspired to play with paper...again! Yay!
The Forum is at http://www.scrapbookdeals4u.com/forums

They are having a Roses are Red online crop this weekend. Well, I am ready to join in and be CHALLENGED! Lots of them are posted - 12+ and I'm happy to be inspired by the great new faces there. Check it out with me!

Off to make lots of layouts to love...

Holidays in Hand - Assignment One

2009-11-16T12:18:00.004-05:00

Today is the first day of Jessica Sprague's Holidays in Hand class. I love her approach to projects and took last year's Stories in Hand class and loved it, too. Plus, you've gotta really adore free. I think today may be the last day to sign up so visit jessicasprague.com if you haven't already!

My first assignment is to focus on holiday values and create goals to meet those values. So, I put together a list of words/phrases that matches what I think matters most through the holidays. Here goes:

Togetherness
Family
Fun
Tradition - same activities that bring JOY
Gifts
Sharing
Delicious treats (not-your-everyday stuff!)
Carols
Tree decorating
warmth
magic/wonder
glow
stockings
special
connecting
meaningful
memorable

So, my goals for this holiday season include:
1. I would like to create memories that will be special for my kids to reflect on when they are grown and maybe carry on their favorites as well. We will pick three of our favorite activities we do every year and do them! Decorate the tree and drink egg nog, bake cookies, and drive around looking at lights.
2. I want to keep some magic and wonder with my kids during this season. We will do that by giving gifts to others and both Kevin and I shopping for a few of those items on their lists.
3. I would like to feel connected with my family. I would like togetherness, with those that we will be with and those that will be distant. I will send greetings and personal messages to those that I miss most! We have offered to host the family gathering this year with Kevin's family.
4. I would like the gifts we share with family to be more meaningful and special and that involve much less/none at all money to obtain. I plan to make some homemade gifts and will suggest some sort of exchange this year with that in mind.
5. I want to listen to as many carols as possible until they go away until next year. Thank you Magic 105.1 FM. :) I will also dig out my Christmas CD's and see if I can download some favorites as well.
6. I'd like to celebrate and have fun this year that is both the same and different than other years. We'll get new jammies on Christmas Eve and plan to do an activity together this year at our gathering, like have the kids build a gingerbread house.
7. I'd like to be a big part of making the day special and sweet for someone else by touching their heart. I think saying "I appreciate you" is the nicest thing during the season so we'll be sending many greetings around. Also, we will choose one charity or benefit to give to this season. Last year it was Make a Wish foundation. This year I'd like to find a local charity or organization.
8. I would like to have breakfast & dinner on Christmas Day be something we don't normally have very often and is considered a real treat! So, I plan to make stuffed cabbage to go along with the main course and will bake our favorite Christmas cookies. Yum, I can taste those pecan sandies right now!

For now, I will keep these close to me so I can plan to have enjoyable holidays. Wow, what a focused start to the season! Anyone else thinking about their own plans?

Thankful for scrap time!

2009-11-15T22:12:00.004-05:00

As I type out this simple blog post tonight, I am feeling thankful. 'Tis the month for that, right? I have been running and working and doing, well, too much lately. So, I am thankful for November and all the slowness it brings with it. I had no plans this weekend. NONE. So, the family had some down time. Aaaahh, that's nice.
I used all my spare moments to scrap. Yep, I totally did! I scrapped more than I have in the last three months! So, as I sit in my cozy basement family room, I am thankful that no one really cares if I didn't vaccuum or pick up my mess down here this weekend. I am thankful for relaxing TV like football & NASCAR. I am thankful that we had the fireplace going, the crockpot cooking, and the laundry humming while I played with paper until my heart's content. And, I am content that the family is tucked in and I get time for the final relaxing hour or so until I give in to the work week once again. :)

I thought I'd share the results of my creative downtime (thanks TSR for the challenges this month!). Thanks for checking them out! :)

Halloween fun

2009-11-01T08:56:00.002-05:00

Megan dressed as a crazy witch this year and it was my fave costume of hers so far. It just turned out cute, I think.
We met up down the street with some neighbors and their kids for trick or treating and handing out candy. We get so many kids through our family-friendly neighborhood and I went through 250 pieces of candy! We got home and sorted through the bag, which is always such a fun part of the night. Now I can share Megan's candy for my faves - Milky Way, Twix, and Reese's. That is - when she'll let me or when I can sneak.

Now it's November and I can quickly start getting into Christmas mode. Yep, carols will play on the radio already and I am getting shopping done early. I think if I get things started every payday I'll be in good shape! :)

October fun

2009-10-17T10:33:00.005-04:00

I do love this time of year with the weather changing from warm to cool, the leaves boasting colors that are warm and vibrant, and the traditions that we have as a family. The cider mill is one of my favorite traditions. This year we visited Spicer Apple Orchard & Cider Mill. They have all sorts of play areas for the kids, pumpkin patch and apple picking, and an awesome corn maze. We also enjoy a warm donut (or two!) and fresh cider. I love the photos and are usually some of my faves taken all year. Here's some from our visit...hope you get the feeling of Autumn in your neck of the woods, too!

Best shot of the week

2009-10-07T06:34:00.007-04:00

An online friend has started a blog about photography, which I love, so of course I went to check it out. You can too - http://sundayshutterbugs.blogspot.com
Edie has challenged everyone with posting their best shot of the week. Love that idea! Not just because it gives you a bit of bragging rights (it does!) but it also gets my shutter flying a bit more now because I want to get a good one every week to share! I'd love to see yours so please join in the fun! Here's my shot which I took over this past weekend while camping with Megan's girl scout troop. We went for a hike in the cool, damp weather and the girls still enjoyed every minute of it.

My baby turns 7!

2009-10-06T15:11:00.004-04:00

Yep. She's still my baby. But she's changing. I see her changing right before my eyes. I see her teeth no longer fitting, becoming loose and ready to fall out anytime now. I see her face looking less round in the cheeks and instead I see her features becoming more mature. I see her childlike habits likely to go away soon. (I hope not!) I see her learning quickly and being able to read, which is amazing. I see her loveable, social nature taking flight. I see her taking more of the world in. I see her growing up too quickly for my taste. I see her growing in ways that I want to remember forever. I see her celebrating and of course I celebrate with her. But I still see her as my baby.

Happy Birthday Meggie Moon!

And Happy Birthay to my hubby too, who turns another year older tomorrow. I love that guy!

I've missed...

2009-10-05T13:29:00.009-04:00

- You
- Blogging
- My blog's anniversary
- Everything I hold onto just for me

What the heck? Why do I not seem motivated to do what I love lately?

I am in that dark, cramped space right now and I am fighting like mad to get out.
You know where that is...between the frames and walls of life. Weaving in & out of daily patterns but not really noticing the colors or designs. I've gone from one square on the calendar to the next. *Sigh* I've missed out on taking it all in.

I've not exactly missed everything. It's just that I tried piling too much on my plate. I know I can eat a lot when I'm hungry but I feel like I've lost my appetite and I've been forced to stay at the table until I've eaten all my food.

No more! I'm declaring war on the self-deprivating acts of not noticing, not paying close attention, and just getting things done. I'm not eating all that crap anymore! I'm not staying in this small space! Anyone else ever feel this way? I don't want to give in and not take care of the responsibilities of life because that's the other side of the scale dip.

The balancing act of being a woman - a wife, mother, friend, professional, etc. is just really hard sometimes. In order to stay sane right now, I'm building weapons and I'm ready to fight. Here's parts of my plan of attack against the force of this self-deprivation:

1. Take the time to do something I enjoy EVERYDAY. In example, I'll pick from: Reading, Blogging, Scrapping, or Watching TV. It doesn't have to be for a long period of time, either. I'll allow at least 30 minutes per day.

2. Eat better so I have energy to keep up. I'm struggling with limiting my sugar intake so I am starting to trade in some treats for more healthy snacks to serve a better purpose. I love the new Delights yogurt parfaits from Yoplait. They are only 100 calories and completely satisying. Chocolate raspberry is my fave!

3. Be grateful. I am most of the time but if I'm feeling down at all - it does help to stop and try to immediately list three things I am grateful for. I try to think of things outside of my husband, my kids, and my health but those are certainly enough to make me smile! I can begin to feel the tension drain when I think of things that I adore about my life. Maybe I should start keeping a Gratitude Journal. Lots of women do this, right?

4. Let go of those perfect expectations. It's perfectly ok to expect alot from yourself, right? Of course! But to expect too much too often is not. It's ok to not be involved with every PTA event. It's ok to not agree to be there. I have been to eager to want to be a part of everything that I end up being disingenuine to myself.
I need to be better in tune with what I can handle and say no to those things that will ultimately be what takes away from me being my best.

5. Continue to celebrate who I am and throw out the idea that I shouldn't be anything but me! Why do I have periods or moments of conformity only to find out later that I'm miserable during those times? Being genuine and bringing that person to every place I'm expected to be is always better than trying to fit into others expectations of what I am. Why do I have periods or moments of insecurity? I need to just continue to embrace the person that I am because I am not like anyone else. This is not easy. It goes back to number 4, too.

I don't want to ever surrender to the dog eat dog world or allow the day to day mundane parts of my life take over the parts that bring me joy. I hate being in that dark, cramped space because I think I'm much more suited to the free, open air with lots of sunshine. So, today as I realize that I have begun to miss out...I am choosing not to any longer. I'm putting my sassy sunglasses on, pulling on my five pieces of armor and keeping my chin held high.

More layouts to share

2009-08-14T06:53:00.008-04:00

I've been very busy this month scrapping and it feels good!

Whatcha up to this weekend? We are going to the Woodward Dream Cruise which is an awesome event - old cars will be everywhere! Love it! On Saturday we are having my brother in law and his wife to our house for a bbq and then on Sunday we are headed to the airport for an open house where you get to see all the planes and aircrafts. Fun! Then, it'll be so soaking hot that we may head to the spray park or the nearby rec area for a swim in the lake. I should have lots of photos from all of that! Gotta love busy fun weekends. Whatever you end up doing - have fun with it!

Frankenmuth fun

2009-08-06T07:15:00.010-04:00

Last Saturday we decided it would be fun to have a family day (and to have a nice dinner to celebrate 9 years of marriage) so we headed to Frankenmuth, MI. It's a little Bavarian village kind of in the middle of nowhere. The biggest attraction is the family style chicken dinners from Zehnder's. Across the street is the Bavarian Inn, which is also owned by the same family so you pretty much get the same thing. Why there's two...I have no idea except that the places are alsways so packed with people, maybe they just had to! ;)
We had fun shopping in all the little shops along the walkway and along main street.
We stopped for fudge (of course!) and just enjoyed a nice long afternoon with each other. I hope we can go back when it's colder outside so we can stay overnight at the hotel and swim in the splash park.
Sharing some photos from the day. Thanks for stopping by!

More more & then more

2009-07-27T12:51:00.001-04:00

Yes, I have three months to catch you up on! ;) Most of these were done with challenges at TSR, which are really fun to work on.

Catch up on scrapping

2009-07-27T12:43:00.003-04:00

Here's what I've been up to in scrapping. There's quite a few! I'm trying to get some of the older photos I have scrapped, too. I've been having fun capturing older moments in my albums before they are long forgotten.
Most of these were created with kits from The Scrap-Room (aka TSR). If you don't already subscribe, these kits are awesome and so worth the $ every month.

Crickets Crickets

2009-07-24T10:45:00.006-04:00

Yikes. What happened?

I got lost...or something like that. ;)

Anyone left out there? Anywhere? If you are, I guess I should start updating this thing again. I mean, seriously. There's been a lot going on!

Let's see if we can do a quick recap:

May -
~Michaela turned 12 *gasp*
~I reconnected with an old friend. That lifted some haze and some heaviness. Hopefully healing can begin!

June -
~Michaela finished 6th grade and Megan finished 1st grade. They both did so well this past year and made their parents beam with pride at their progress and success as students.
~My niece was born! June 24, 2009 :) My dear sister gave birth to a beautiful little lady named Sadie. We are all so thrilled to have a new baby to gush over. (I'll try to load some new photos)
~Michaela danced in what she says is her last recital. :( She's been in dance since she was 5 years old so I am sad to hear that she does not want to continue. She was so great, as usual and is so beautiful on that stage! I love to see her perform and hope she begins a new activity next year that I can see her do well with.
~On a sour note, Kevin's job has been a bit unstable as his hours have been cut to 32 per week. We're managing but hope it's not permanent or any indication of something worse to come.

July -
~Michaela and I went to the No Doubt & paramore concert on the 3rd. What fun we had! I had some health drama afterward but nothing that didn't fix itself within a week or so.
~So far, just have had a vey cool summer temperature wise and have attended a party or two and had a BBQ at our house. The kids have been spending lots of days with their friends.
~Kevin and I will be celebrating our 9th Anniversary next week. Wow how times flies. I just love him and am grateful for everyday with him!

Thursday again

2009-04-16T06:53:00.008-04:00

I think Thursday seems to be the day that I blog. haha
Today I'll share some photos taken from my birthday, Easter, and some more typing about stuff.
Easter table:

The girls with their baskets during & after egg hunting around the house:

Kevin and me at dinner with our BFF's after bowling:

Michaela and me:

Megan and me:

Right now:

I'm happy to be 35. When I was in my twenties, this was scary. Now that I'm here, well, I'm content and that feels good. Content with myself, with my beautiful life.

I'm thankful for two good friends - Catherine and Mike. They're the best kind of BFF's. They bring joy and think it's ok to hurt sometimes. They are there for that stuff. And the clinking glass stuff. But, the best is when we all get together for the everyday stuff.

I am wanting another really good book to read.

I am yearning to take my camera on a field trip.

I'm aching for some truth at work. Also, there's something amiss and I can't put my finger on it. Until then, I'll plug away and hope to keep my paycheck. Someday I'll reach out for a new step in my career.

Sweet teas at McDonald's are my thing again. That delicious sugary stuff is only a dollar, too.

I am reading along on this blog - it's awesome. I dare you to join me.

What's going on in your life, right now?

Scrappin fool

2009-04-09T07:17:00.006-04:00

Hi! I've had some serious mojo spurts again and have been scrapping a lot!
Just wanted to share a few pages. ;) TFL!

BTW - Megan has four loose teeth. Yep, 4! One is so loose I'd say we'll have it gone in the next week. Stay tuned!

Happy Thursday everyone!

Love the one you're with!

2009-04-07T09:38:00.003-04:00

Remember that song? Cheesy, but love the message.

Today, I am feeling overwhelmed with the need to hug everyone and have everyone feel ok, including me. There is so much going on in the world to worry about and it's smeared all over the news. It's talked about over the radio airwaves. Hard to avoid hearing about - and feeling along with them - the heartache that you, your family, or your neighbor are going through.

Being in the Detroit area, in the automotive capital, and in the state with the largest unemployment rate, I am troubled with wanting to fix it and not knowing how.

Today, I refuse to complain about anything. NOT ONE I-O-TA. Hold me to it, you guys! Well, except maybe the clock. That darn thing ticks too much. Ok, so I want it to be the only thing that's ticked off today. ;)

Remember my word for 2009? Yep, REACH. Today I'm using it.

I want to REACH out and say it's going to get better. It has to. Share some hope, optimism, spend any money you may have to help someone today, uplift, and if anything, hug. If you are not all too comfortable hugging peeps, well, smile. If you are struggling to rub those pennies together - hugs and smiles are free. Love the ones you're with. We're all in this together.

Pages & Personality

2009-03-31T07:09:00.004-04:00

Hi!
Over the weekend, I did four scrap pages and thought I'd share. I have so many projects to work on that I need to stop doing online challenges at TSR and focus. But they are so fun and addicting! This Friday's crop will be it for pages/challenges for a while. I'm looking forward to seeing an old friend again and getting reaquainted while doing my favorite thing - scrapbooking!

Also, I took a personality quiz. These always fascinate me. Here's the site if you want to see what COLOR you are: www.colorcode.com

I am...BLUE.

"blues are motivated by Intimacy. They seek to genuinely connect with others, and need to be understood and appreciated. Everything they do is quality-based. They are loyal friends, employers, and employees. Whatever or whomever they commit to is their sole (and soul) focus. They love to serve and give of themselves freely in order to nurture others' lives.

blues have distinct preferences and have the most controlling personality. Their personal code of ethics is remarkably strong and they expect others to live honest, committed lives as well. They enjoy sharing meaningful moments in conversation as well as paying close attention to special life events (e.g. birthdays and anniversaries). blues are dependable, thoughtful, and analytical; but can also be self-righteous, worry-prone, and moody. They are "sainted pit-bulls" who never let go of something or someone once they are committed. When you deal with a BLUE, be sincere and make a genuine effort to understand and appreciate them."

Mostly true - besides the birthday anniversary stuff. I totally miss the boat on those, but only because I am a procrastinator to the highest degree! (Really true, I have a shoebox full of greeting cards purchased to send to my loved ones that never quite made it on time)

YOU ARE AWESOME!

2009-03-27T17:01:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to drop in for a sec to tell you that

:)

Thinking Easter & Scrapbooking

2009-03-22T13:30:00.005-04:00

Hi! We spend some time on Saturday to start celebrating Easter. Megan's school does an Egg Hunt and we had fun again this year. A hunt for a dozen eggs with treats inside, a scavenger hunt, coloring with friends, & decorating a sugar cookie made for a fun late morning activity. :)

Then I scrapped until my heart was content. I could keep going but the clock is telling me "no" in that drill sargeant role it plays in my life. ;)

A day to stay at home (kinda)

2009-03-12T06:25:00.006-04:00

It was a planned day off to spend with the girls since there was a random day with no school. But, I got the day wrong with Michaela which bummed me out. So, it was just Megan and me. Those days are rare so I was happy all the same.

First, we slept in. It was great especially since the clocks moved forward an hour this past weekend and I stayed up late on Sunday night. I woke up at 8:30 and Megan about 45 minutes later. We baked muffins. I swear the cheap little blue & white box of Jiffy muffin mix has got to be the best deal out there. Well, maybe next to Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. You seriously can't go wrong with either of those. We made raspberry and they were delicious! Megan wanted to play restaurant. Ok, this is one of the cutest things she does and I love that she uses her imagination. She pretends to take my order. I ask if there are any specials today and she tells me Chicken Stars Magic Soup. It must be my lucky day because that sounds delightful! Then she goes to her restaurant kitchen (aka, the bedroom down the hall - last one on the left) and comes back to announce that they are all out. I was disappointed but ordered eggs and hashbrowns instead. She came back with a tray full of items. Mmmm mmmm good! (see pic above for my goodies!)

Then we went to the library. I love the public library. I have since I was a little girl. I loved going to the Wyandotte Bacon Memorial Library and coming home with a stack of books - thanks for the memories! (I'll have to blog about that one day) I always love the smell of the books and strolling through the aisles to find a random spine that I can pull out and see what is so interesting about that one. It's like shopping for shoes. You have to look at every pair and occasionally you may stop to try one on. There is such joy knowing I can get something without having to pay for it, too. We sat and read books in the children's area and picked out four to take home. It is so rewarding to listen to my child read. I am so proud to see the progress she has made this year!

We also went to Burger King for lunch per Megan's request. Not my first or tenth choice but it made her happy. She even put on a crown. Those are the moments that make eating a Whopper Jr. ok in my world.

We went to the dollar store, too. I didn't need anything - it just happens to be another one of those places that is fun for Megan and she can take something home without breaking her Mother's pocketbook. ;)

I capped off the day with a trip to the laundromat. Fun, right? Haha. I needed to wash those big comforters and quilts that so would not fit in my home machine. I did get to read a bit and I love the smell of clean laundry, so I was fine with it. And it feels so good to have that done!

This weekend is busy so hopefully I can stop in and share more. It felt really good to let my camera tag along and capture our special "stay at home" day.

Random & Right Now

2009-03-05T06:50:00.003-05:00

What happened to February? I think I blinked and POOF! it's now March.

I've been incredibly busy with work the past 6-8 weeks now and am ready to do a mandatory slow down. It's hard to cope with all the stuff that life is when things get unbalanced. The scales have been tipped WAY too far over into work. With the economy the way it is, I worry about making sure I do everything I can to keep my job and my work as good as it can be. I think though even with putting in too much effort, I ended up with things that fell through the cracks and didn't get done. So, my efforts were, well, just efforts. So, I am taking the pressure off and just doing what I can within a reasonable time frame called a "work day".

Right now I feel like I'm missing a lot of things. Missing the emotional connection with all that I care about in this funny little world. I miss my kids, my hubby, my friends, my scrap paper & glue, my camera, a clean house, control over the things I can control (are there any?!), warm weather, walks in the neighborhood, and hearing the voices on the phone of those I care most about. Hi Mom! :)

I have Spring Fever like nobody's business. I want a new hair cut. One that has swish and swagger. Color that is bright for the season. I'm ready for light colors & fabrics. Please come, spring - and soon!

March is reading month - I'm sure all parents out there with kids in school or teachers can relate. So, what are you reading? I'm reading Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. Yep, the Twilight series. The third book. I'm not sure why I keep reading them. The plot is not thick, the writing is not clever, and the characters are just ok. I'm a sucker for a happy ending when it comes to love. Will Edward & Bella's love be everlasting? Hehe. Probably not but I'll read these books any way. Just in time for Spring & Summer when I can breeze through some more intensely interesting and lovely. Maybe. ;)

Two kids & their sleds (and one cold Mom!)

2009-01-26T06:03:00.010-05:00

I think she was cold but stubborn and wanted to keep going! Of course, my little snow bunny!

Michaela was frozen, too. I love her face in this photo - she looks so sweet. ;)

Yep, I'm freezing my arse off. Frozen solid and lookin' fine, tee hee.

A view from the bottom as we start to climb one more time...

That's wee little Meggie at the bottom of the hill on the other side.

This is the steep, packed, & bumpy side. It's fun but you get air on the way down and a butt-ache. LOL

That's them, together, holding the green sleds. I think it took 2.5 seconds to get to the bottom. The screams of terror mixed with delight were so funny.

A pose at the top of the hill at the big one. These two were ready to go, and go, and go!!

A quick smile ot two from my ladies.

Michaela finally makes it all the way down.

Megan lands on her head. She was so stinkin hilarious to watch. That girl does not feel cold, I swear!

From the top, here they come!

This is them trying to make a trail in the snow on the small hill at Megan's school.

The story:

Last weekend, it was cold, of course, but we could no longer resist the urge to go sledding. It was actually considered a "heat wave" at 15 degrees. LOL The girls & I bundled up and attempted the small hill in the school yard. It served as a warm-up (no pun intended) for us.

Then, we decided that the snow was too powdery and that we needed to try the large hill at Indian Springs Metro Park. Oh, did that hunch ever pay off. It literally is the largest sled hill I've ever seen! It was cool because not only were there kids sledding, tobogganing, & tubing down the hill - they were snowboarding too! Which is also great because the kids can learn before going and spending $40+ dollars to go to the nearest ski hill (Alpine down the street). Well, my girls did not snowboard but we tried our green disc sleds that Santa brought. Wowza was that FUN!! It's been years since I've gone and I think we'll be making this trip way more often. I decided I do need to invest in some snow gear though. Just a hat, gloves, and boots doesn't exactly cut it. This is some serious sledding.

Tonight we are going to a PTA sponsored event at the toboggan run "The Fridge". It will be a blast - this is normally a water park/slide in the summer, if you can picture that.

I'm sharing some photos with you and two videos from last weekend. Enjoy!

I'm FABULOUS!

2009-01-23T14:05:00.000-05:00

I know you're not surprised. ;) I am so thrilled...the incredibly talented Frances awarded me the "My Blog is Fabulous" award! I know that my family and friends love my blog, but now others (at least Frances) loves it too. Now I must list five addictions and tag 5 other bloggers!

1. Scrapbooking - I have fallen head over heels with this hobby. Yep, finally got one! ;) I adore all the ladies that challenge, inspire, and make me laugh over at The Scrap-Room message boards.

2. Coffee - Mmmm how I love everything about it. The smell, the temperature (cold or hot!), the flavor, and most of all the comfort that it brings to my every morning. In the winter, it's often the afternoon & night, too. I have a thing for mochas - Starbucks or Biggby. Tim Horton's is still cheap, delicious, and on the way.

3. Lately, NPR. I love listening to all the information as well as the cool segments I wouldn't otherwise learn about. Marketplace with Kai Risdoll at 6 PM on my way home is my favorite.

4. Anything orange. I love it! Check out this cool blog that is mostly all About Orange.

5. The internet. I heart checking out blogs, scrapbooking sites (TSR!), eBay, Etsy, Facebook, and of course, email.

Here's some blogs that I think are fabulous that I visit often - consider yourselves tagged!

Weighing In (A "REACH" post)

2009-01-19T13:28:00.002-05:00

I am deeply affected by the words of Brene Brown, in response to a recent Oprah segment/article. She has so much to say about compassion, integrity of leading an authentic life, and most of all shame resilience. She often speaks to my soul on her blog and I am hoping to pick up her book soon. I am in a "REACH" inside mode right now and attempting to identify so many things that will hopefully bring me to a more authentic life, and healing for the many bruises that I carry with me. I am finally ready for the journey. Her entry last week made me think a lot about my body image and how the vision of a perfect self sometimes gets in my way.

This is the time of the year that so many women add dieting and modifying their weight to what they'd like to resolve to change for this year. I feel that getting fit, eating a diet that will keep a healthy body, and maintaining that over time is so important. How each woman defines what that is is different from woman to woman. I do think setting goals and making the commitment to changing what you need to is a great thing. What I want to write here today, though, is about the shame that many women carry around - myself included.

I wish instead of the images of women that we are bombarded with - you know the ones that have long legs, a perfect derriere, volumptuous curvy breasts, and perfect hair & skin - we could be shown the true varied body types and be ok with them. That we wouldn't stop and critique. The media hounds celebs that are too thin or that have gained or are overweight and smears the headlines with their lack of "perfection". That crap continues to perpetuate the awful notion that all women should be a cookie cutter of the next, and if we dare to be anything other than that, well we must be undesirable, imperfect, less than/more than, and should change ourselves to meet those standards of beauty.

I wish we could lift each other out of the misconceptions that we seem to think should define us. If that is what feminism means, than call me one. I hope we decide to look to one another and share enough to break through those transparent images. What makes you authentic, individual, and beautiful? Embrace that we can all be true to ourselves - be vulnerable, be courageous, and don't hide behind the misconceptions.

I have been underweight for my entire life and have struggled with my perception of what I should look like. It is often that I allow others' opinions of me direct my body image.

"You must be able to eat whatever you want!". Yeah, and those 4 pieces of greasy pizza, a cup of ranch dressing on what was a healthy salad, and 39 grams of sugar that are in my Coke really pay off.

"Don't you ever eat?" Never. I have 3 cups of coffee in the morning and basically pretend to eat only when people are watching. It's how I keep my teenage boyish figure. When I want to feel good about myself I eat pizza, salad, and drink Coke. (I'm being sarcastic of course!)

"You are really skinny!" Wow. I still don't understand why people think it's a good, positive thing to blurt out the obvious on someone's physical appearance.
Seriously, this would apply to anyone - insert how tall, short, big or small you are into that statement. Why can't we just say anything other than that during casual conversation? I'm sure if we tried we could get really creative.

Of course, everytime someone says something ridiculously obtuse like the above, I fall hopelessly into a path of shame. Which of course, leads to destructive food behaviors. It's a vicious cycle if I allow it be. Food behaviors are not just for those that are overweight, but those that wish to add 15 lbs. so that they can feel perfection, too. This is usually a very private battle for me and I'm ok with sharing today for some reason. I think being honest is what I can't help being and I hope by sharing my vulnerability with all that read this, I am being my authentic self - and I'm learning to embrace it.

I know I need to work on giving up that image of what I think I should be and embrace what I am. A petite woman with a powerful soul and a big heart. I've never put that into words quite like I have today. Much love to you all today. What makes you authentic, individual, and beautiful?

Right Now

2009-01-10T20:59:00.004-05:00

Taking the same method as another blog I visit, here's a snapshot of life right now -

Out of my window: It's dark but cold with snow everywhere (we got about 6 inches this weekend).
I am wearing: Fleece sweats, a Michigan wolverines sweatshirt, Halloween skull socks, cozy slippers, glasses, & a ponytail. I'm quite the sight.
I am hearing: The washing machine on spin cycle, the squeak of the dryer tossing, the fireplace fan, & the TV - Golden Globes!
I am thinking: I don't want to go to work tomorrow. I know it will be a busy week. Wow does Colin Farrell look hot. I always wanted to be an actress/singer. What am I going to wear tomorrow. I'm tired. I wish I would have finished one more layout. I hope my pillows are dry soon so I can go to bed.
I am thankful for: A warm home, a loving family, a good job, antibiotics for Michaela, the wonderfully lazy weekend I just had, the photo of my sister's growing belly that I received on email, the internet, my blog viewers, clean clothes and dryer sheets.
I am creating: Scrapbook pages for my albums; tags for a swap, & a gift for my Mom; a to-do list for the week.
I am going: to bed soon.
I am hoping: the rest of the family stays healthy for a spell. No more colds! I get my projects done on time. I can keep momentum at work so I can feel good about my job. I can hold myself together this week.
I am reading: A romance novel. I'd type the forgettable title but it's upstairs. Around the house: Everyone is sleeping. It's tidy but not the cleanest. I need to do some scrubbing.
One of my favorite things: Chai tea at night. Yum. & Hibernating in the basement. I didn't leave the house since I arrived home on Friday.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Michaela has dance, Megan has Brownies, Kevin & I are bowling with friends on Friday. There's lots more but terribly boring. ;)

Just Like Me?

2009-01-05T06:42:00.012-05:00

No, this isn't a threat like you may think it is. It's a note that my dearest Megan wrote for a clever little boy named Cameron that has caught her attention. Yes, she admits that she chases him around the playground during recess. And that she is going to get her other friends to chase him, too, because they think he's cute also. *Sigh* I'm doomed. You see, this loving and emotionally expressive child of mine has a gene that starts off innocent enough. We saw the signs in pre-school when she would only talk about Vito and AJ. There may have been two other names but they escape me. And our best friends' middle son Benjamin. She couldn't decide which one she wanted to marry. Cute, right?

So, kindergarten starts and her stories about Thomas were endless. HE was the cutest boy ever or so she thought. I asked her, "Why do you like him, Megan?" to which she replied, "Oh, he's funny like Daddy." Adorable, I know, right? (We ran into Thomas who was with his Grandmother at a craft show. He was darling.) Here's where we get to this being a big deal. This year, she decides she's all into Jayden. He's apparently cute and hilarious, too. One evening last month I joined the PTA group for their annual meeting at the local watering hole. It was fun and I wanted to branch out and see if any of these ladies were fun to hang out with. They are. I introduce myself and begin to share that I have a daughter, who is six, yada yada. Three of them exclaim, "OH, YOU'RE MEGAN'S MOM!"

Huh?

I find out that Megan has caught the attention of a Patrick, a Logan, and an already famous Thomas. In fact, she's all they spoke about over summer vacation. *Sigh* You should see the look on Kevin's face and the shake of his head whenever this stuff is mentioned. It's disdain for anything male and the inevitable trouble this fantastic little lady is going to be for us and those that decide to come near her.

Today, this Monday in January, it's Cameron. He's likely to have the cutest dimples anyone has ever seen. I do know that all this will eventually will warp into BOY - CRAZY. Mix that with teen-age and there's an instant recipe for wrinkles, the rest of my hair turning grey and a speed dial number to the manufacturer of chastity belts when she doesn't meet her curfew. Do they still make those or do I have to break into a museum? This of course lends me a memory or (ahem) two that I may have of having crushes on boys (Joshua Jackson - first grade - had the most endearing freckles). Maybe she's a bit like me after all.

My daughter may not have blonde hair or grey eyes like me, and may be charming & funny like her Dad, but has all the makings of announcing herself as an official carrier of the boychasing gene.

*Sigh*

Hey, there stranger!

2009-01-04T23:05:00.004-05:00

The rest of vacation.

Kevin & I

Mike & Catherine

Mike & Jill

The gathering. Drinks are flowing and midnight is approaching.

Tim & Harmony

Me & My BFF Cath.

Penny drank too much Tequila and got upset when she didn't win poker.

Victor, my FIL came in for the holidays with his wife Marilyn. It was so nice to visit and see them.

The annual cousins photo. Carter, Michaela, Lorren, & Megan.

The Christmas aftermath.

Opening presents. Fun!

Look MOM! :)

Thanks for coming to see me while I've been out. It's gotta be like going to the store to find it closed. again. Sorry. But I do welcome returns. ;)

Happy Belated everything! ;) I have been out of the normal email, blog posting, blog stalking, & anything-that-resembles-my-routine routine!
I have been doing a lot of cleaning, organizing, scrapping, & any other entertainment kind of stuff. I am probably going to wake up in a fog tomorrow morning and say to myself, "Wha-at happened?" I think I remember how to get the kids up, lunches made, clothes ironed, hair did, make-up on, and drive to school & work before 9. ;)

No, really, I enjoyed having so much time off of work and so much to do and celebrate. I really cherished time with my husband, kids, family, and friends. Unfortunately, if you are far away & not within the mix of my activities, you were probably missed altogether. I'm thinking ahead this year to avoid the panic that ensues every year come Dec. 20 when I realize I forgot to actually send all the stuff I have for my family that lives at least 5-7 ship days away. I wil get better at that & you'll see why when you read below. I did get some good cards from those with small kids - I love the photos!

And I also get to say publicly, WAHOO! I'm gonna be an AUNT! Well, technically I already am but this feels new all over again because it's my sister Amy's first baby (and her hubby Mark's too - I should probably mention the Dad. lol). Yep, the baby's due in June. Oh, boy the fun I'll be having soon! And by Oh Boy, I mean I really want it to be a boy. A healthy boy that I can send dinosaur stuff to. Cuz those things are cute. My girls are into glitter, pink, purple, yada yada girly stuff. I heart dinosaur stuff. And last time I checked, orange is pretty sweet for boys. ;) I'd be happy no matter what but you know that I'd be buddah rubbing for if she was here. Not that she'd let me. Ok, I'm done. For now. hehe

New bloggy stuff for 2009:
I'm starting a few content parts that you'll see repeated. I'll continue to share bits & pieces of my randomness but along with that, I'll be sharing a story per week. I would like to eventually gather these stories and create a book for the memories at the end of the year to keep with my scrap albums. Also, at least one entry each month to extend the action & depth of my inspiration word. I have decided to play along with Ali Edwards (you know, the lady I go on & on about because she comes up with the best stuff ever!) and chose a word for 2009. It will be echoed here all year through and with my everyday. It is REACH. It encompasses all that I want to add to my life this year. I will reach the goals that I have set for myself and will find comfort in the plan as I work toward them. I will reach out to those that I love more than ever before. I will reach out to those I don't know that are struggling and help (by volunteering and donating as I can). I will reach inside of myself, find the parts of me that I have pushed down into the depths and embrace what is there. I'll be inspired by all that can be gained by extending my REACH.
What would be your word for 2009?

Thanks Grandma! Megan loves her clothes!

2008-12-23T22:09:00.002-05:00

Check out this lady trying out all her stuff. Grandma rocks!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-12-21T11:41:00.005-05:00

Snow day!

Megan checks out how deep it is!

Hilarious girl buries herself and then eats handfuls of snow. LOL

The supplies for baking! Gotta have the old version of Betty Crocker's Cookbook

My favorites - Pecan sandies. Love 'em!

The final tree :) There's even some gifts under there already!

Megan visits Santa & of course I've already finished a layout with it. ;)

The stockings are hung by the fireplace.

The girls are finding fun ways to spend the cold weather days. Making a tent to play in!

Shhhh if you listen closely, you can hear them playing board games in there...

A gift for Megan's teacher. The finished gift included green & red M&M's!

It was fun to work on an altered item. I was so surprised at how easy this was!

We've been busy getting ready for the holidays (sorry I haven't posted recently!). I thought I'd share some photos I've taken over the last week.

On Friday we got a foot of snow dumped on us! The girls ventured out into it to frolic a bit. Megan loves the snow. I can't wait to order some prints and get scrapping!

Last minute stuff to do - get stuff mailed, buy holiday dinner items, wrap the rest of the gifts, and then it can be Christmas. :)

What's on your last minute to do list? Or, if you're done, when did you finish?

Tagged!

2008-12-11T06:09:00.003-05:00

I was chosen by Angela (aka Aloughridge) on her blog so here are 7 random things about me:

1. I collect snowman stuff. I love the holidays when I can bring out cute fluffy guys to spread all through the house. :)

2. I often call radio stations to win stuff. It's been forever since I actually won, but I try like mad anyway. Who doesn't love to win stuff? Math is on my side, right?

3. Orange is my favorite color. I love all shades and variations of orange! It's vibrant, warm, and original. I heart everything about orange, lol.

4. Crazy bad habit of chewing on my cheeks when I am bored, nervous, or deep in thought.

5. I have a random crush on a barista at Starbucks. Totally harmless but big secret fun to stop in for my favorite mocha and have it prepared lovingly by a cute guy.

6. My hubby & I bowl on a couples league every other Friday with our BFF's and my average is 101. hehe

7. I no longer have an appendix or a gall bladder. Yuck, right, but it's hard to come up with random stuff!

Sunday night delight

2008-12-07T23:27:00.004-05:00

I was playing with the settings on my camera and got this one - isn't it cool? Our tree. I need to take more pics. I was playing around with photos.

The girls & I putting the ornaments on. I so look like my Mom in this one. :O)
Kevin did the tree and the lights.

Michaela adds one of many...

Megan reaches for hers to go in a good spot. I think she only decorated in one concentrated area. I helped to spread out afterward.

This picture was funny because I told Kevin to take pictures and he said, "Smile so Mommy can have the perfect photo!" and these were the faces in response. LOL

Hello! I am so excited to finally have my Christmas tree up. It feels so much more like the holidays are coming. :) I have some gifts done and need to wrap them so I am not overwhelmed at the last minute. A list would be fab - I should do that this week. Michaela and I helped out at the Santa Shoppe at Megan's school yesterday and it was fun. The kids are so cute shopping for their families! Megan and Michaela both got gifts to put under the tree. Megan wanted to give me hers already and I must have told her a hundred times that we are waiting for Christmas! I thought I'd share some photos and say a brief hello. How are your Holiday plans coming along?

Totally Random Tuesday

2008-12-02T22:22:00.006-05:00

Welcome December! Wow, when the heck did you get here? I barely remember November! That's ok, though. I like you much better!!

I've been doing some Holiday Spirit RAK lately around town. Like, buying a few extra cans of soup and some ketchup & mustard when I ran into the grocery the other day (for just 2 things!). I gave it to the women collecting for their organization at the door onthe way out. I always donate small stuff this time of year. I also can never pass up a red bucket and a jingly bell. And at lunch today, I drove to the ghetto Wendy's to pick up some quick food (WAY too busy at work these days & noted that I'm packing tomorrow. No, not packing, jeez. Ghetto, yes. Guns, no.) - - anyway, there was a stray cat amongst all the falling down, burned out, and boarded up houses on the street near the drive thru and I bought an extra 5 pc. chicken nugget for him. He was happily eating them at the edge of the street when I tossed them out the window. I think I'll call him Danger.

"Danger, danger" must have come out of my mouth at least 12 times today. You know, like that robot with the dryer vent arms from that old TV show...I don't have any idea where that came from. I used it for when the very loud Guardian alarm test system went off in the middle of the work day today, as I was leaving for lunch. That's also why I named the cat Danger. And no, I didn't set the alarm off either.

I am finished with New Moon and am dying to get Eclipse. Yep, now I'm officially in with the Twilight series. The second book was way better than the first.

My December forecast was pretty uneventful from Astrology Zone. There's some angry full moon to occur on the 12th and everyone is at risk for some upheaval. I'm pretty used to making people mad lately so I'm just going to figure it's just another day...It's full of career and work activity - surprise! I am so slammed at work that I can't think straight while I'm there. I hope it gets a bit less challenging. It hasn't been easy to let things roll off lately even though I know I should.

Oh, being Diva of the Month for December at The Scrap-Room is pretty cool! I am enjoying being part of this small online community and it's fun to have so many cyber friends in such a short period of time. Check it out! http://www.scrap-room.com/ I am hosting a challenge for the month where someone will win a fun prize from the team. I will be adding lots of other fun posts this month too.

I completed two layouts so far this month and am hoping to continue with Layout of the Day (aka LOAD). I need to get some pages done! (Pictured above) I also have a layout I completed last day of Nov. to squeak in for Edie's Diva Challenge.

This upcoming Saturday both Michaela and I are helping out at the holiday shoppe at Megan's school. It should be fun. Megan will come in with Kevin to shop for gifts that she will be able to wrap and give to her family. It's the cutest thing ever. I helped a few times when Michaela was younger. The kids are so into it and they are very sweet with their choices.

~ Ok, now I'm tired and am ready to snuggle up to my snoozy beagle and hubby. Thanks ya'll for stopping by. Add a comment if you had something random happen in your life today!

Happy Birthday Amy!

2008-11-30T11:40:00.009-05:00

I hope it's a great one. My sister Amy celebrates today along with my niece, Shannen, who is turning 4. :)

Amy has had a brilliant year. It all started with last year's proposal. So much more on the horizon for her this year and I can't wait to cheer her on.

My sister Amy is the most brilliant and beautiful person I know. Today I am celebrating her and all the things that make her so special to me. How about 38 reasons why? Here goes:

1. She's my older sister and who doesn't adore their older siblings?

2. I have many memories that I keep from my childhood and file under her name. Like the one about how we used to listen to the Top 40 countdown every Sunday morning and write down the top 10 as Casey Kasem announced them one by one. We'd try to guess which one would stay in the top spot, or would our newest favorite knock out the previous week's and claim the title? It was rare that we'd root for the same one. Maybe "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper.

3. She knits things for my daughters and recently for me. :)

4. She is a very loving Aunt to my girls.

5. She and I have the same laugh. The kind that bursts out when something is really hilarious and is followed by a crazy round of giggles. Contagious, really.

6. She always seems to pick out the perfect gifts. She's deeply sentimental with many and thoughtful with all. Like, the set of bowls that we remember making cakes with as kids and fighting over the batter on the sides that we would scoop onto our fingers and lick clean.

7. She is a wonderfully creative writer. Her poems are soulful that require thoughtfulness and reflection to appreciate.

8. She is so gorgeous, especially with joy around her. (Thanks Mark!)

9. She loves ice cream - the creamier the better.

10. She cooks lovely dishes that I have to open a cookbook to find even the mere mention of. Yep, she totally rocks an apron and a stove.

11. She bakes the best shortbread. Mmmm.

12. She inspires me to be a sincere person and to truly be honest with what I embrace in life.

13. She is very resourceful. Seriously, who just moves across the country like 5 times just because they want to make a fresh start?

14. Amy says what she wants to me because she knows I will forgive her. Like the time she made a crack about my ratted up hair in the late 80's before she even said hello when I went to visit her in college.

15. She used to let me hang out with her and her friends when she was at college. Is that love or what?

16. Amy has the most porcelain skin tone. I'm starting to look older than she does and that's totally unfair. I'll work on forgiving her for that...

17. She introduced me to bands like the Violent Femmes before anyone my age could even comprehend music outside of Duran Duran, Van Halen, and Huey Lewis and the News.

18. The countless hours of playing Clue, Sorry, and Life.

19. She pretends not to be hurt when I don't call first or if it's been a bit. Still working on getting better with that.

20. She tried scrapbooking for the first time ever and I think I may have slightly influenced that decision. ;)

21. She makes and keeps her friends for life. She has an amazing way of allowing people to trust her.

22. She's like M&Ms. Colorful shell with a totally irresistable inside that no one can help but love. And she's fun to bring to the movies. ;)

23. Amy never does anything half-way. She puts her all into anything she decides to write as part of her story.

24. She's the only person alive that understands experiencing both my Mother and my Father.

25. Amy totally gets being silly.

26. She taught me how to be ok with appreciating the differences in others' opinions. (Just picture Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Michael Jackson posters hanging in the same room. That was us!)

27. Whenever I hear the terms 'Motivated' and 'Successful', I think of my sister.

28. I swear I'm smarter just from being around her. I was learning her vocabulary while helping her study. Who learns the meaning of voracious in the fifth grade? I did! And, we must have been to the library a hundred times over as kids. Too bad I can't have my library cards and laminate them. I'm sure Amy would win some kind of Bacon Memorial Library award.

29. I can honestly say I have been to see many, many Orchestra concerts play. I'll leave out the other stuff I may want to add to that. ;)

30. All the miles between California and Michigan got nothin' on us.

31. She has a sarcastic sense of humor. Gotta love that!

32. We may not be alike in a lot of ways but if we both were to paint a picture of what we want from our lives - our hearts would draw the same rainbow in our skies. We both are strong, vulnerable, determined and meaningful women. I truly believe it's because we've had each other for part of the way.

33. Amy is a great teacher. I don't have to be in her class to know, I have been a student all my life. I could list at least 38 things I've learned from her, but that's another blog entry...

34. Amy is like Audrey Hepburn with classic and timeless beauty, style and grace.

35. I am also reminded of how much my sister means to me with watching my own two daughters. They fight, make up, experience the same situations, and bring their own unique personalities to each other. Having a sister is something to treasure.

36. Now that we are adults, we get to continue to celebrate our experiences even if they happen to the youngest first. Who says the oldest gets to do all the milestones before her sister? I think it's a good way to stir things up and keep things exciting. :)

37. I hope to always appreciate the new things I learn about my sister as well as the stuff that I keep in that childhood file cabinet in my head.

38. I love you, Amy!

Totally Random Tuesday

2008-11-25T06:51:00.008-05:00

Few things for this lovely Tuesday:

~ More snow as we wake up here in Michigan. Almost two inches. The commute should be interesting.

~Megan was chosen by her art teacher to be the school's artist of the month for November!! It's that the best?! Look at the display that she has on the wall across from the office. What a proud Mommy I am. :)

~ I finally got my hair "did" at the salon. Not great, not too shabby. Just thankful that I was able to go.

~ My house is in shambles so I am glad that I have a four day weekend. I can clean, do extra stuff I've been putting off, get some gifts complete, and hang with the family. Now THAT's what I call a weekend!

~ I've got some good news to share in the scrappy world but will need to edit later when I can share.

~ I met a friend from Canada over the weekend that I normally just chat with on The Scrap-Room message boards. Julie was so lovely in person and I enjoyed hanging out all day Sunday with her at Archiver's. I got some layouts done.

~Don't forget to donate your canned goods today!! If you don't know a good place - check out your local grocery, library, post office, fire dept, elementary schools, churches, etc. for a start. Oh, and don't shop this Friday and ignore the red bucket. That bell ringer volunteers for a good cause!

~Much love today - spread your inner wealth. :)

Wowza Wednesday

2008-11-19T06:23:00.005-05:00

There are things in life that just make you say WOW. I like to take it a bit further and say WOWZA. The class I'm taking with Jessica Sprague right now has got me saying that. I have been so inspired to write. It's awesome. Many, many stories that I'd forgotten about that need to be told. They've been living tucked inside my head and I'm starting the process of remembering and telling. I can't wait to share - just fine tuning some right now. Seriously, this class has "rocked my world". In ode to that, my girls did some rockin'. LOL

Also - WOW is November going by fast!

In the mean time, I'd love to hear what's wowing you right now. Post a comment!

Hello Snow

2008-11-16T21:31:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again. Snow. It's the beginning of the next 6 months. *Sigh* I like snow better than the rain, though. I went grocery shopping yesterday morning and it was 38 degrees with steady rain. Now that makes you freeze to the core. Standing in the parking lot, loading 10 bags and cases of pop & water while getting cold & wet really is NOT a good time. Remember when I said I didn't like November? Precisely!

Megan got her hair cut into a cute short bob again. She is so stinkin' adorable.
Michaela comes home tomorrow. I will say she was missed this week. Deeply.

Good things - I bought the next book in the Twilight series, New Moon. I can't wait for the movie - it comes out this week!!

Also, the free class I'm taking with Jessica Sprague is awesome. I have several stories to write and will start sharing them here. Sometimes I'll add to scrapbooks, too. I'm looking forward to having writing + photos being a focus for 2009.

Toodles - see you this week. I'll be playing with my camera and hoping to get some good shots. ~

Stories in Hand & other random stuff

2008-11-11T07:03:00.008-05:00

The semi-permanent cover

My random shot that turned magnificent of Megan, Nov. 9th

The inside of the binder, this is one of the 6 sections with tabs. I just realized these were out of order. Oh, this is such the way today. LOL

Megan's shot of me sitting with our puppy doggies. Not bad for a 6 year old, eh?

I'm taking Jessica Sprague's free online class for creating a Stories in Hand binder. It's so fun already! It's more like a complete guide to journaling and telling your stories. Sharing your soul. Telling your tune to all that wants to hear your sweet song. I have shared the beginning pages and it is truly still a work in progress. I have core question pages to print and add today but I like how this has really got me excited to create like nothing ever before! I will buy a small binder and convert this design into that but for now, I will work with this. The hole punching is the hardest part. *Sigh* I'm just not a total perfectionist when it comes to this and it's really something I should want to finish perfectly. I'm sure I'll get it soon. So, I can't wait until it's time to start telling my stories and getting down on paper all those things that make me, well, me.

Oh yeah, we saw our first flutters of snow this Sunday & Monday. Yikes. It stuck around for a bit Sunday evening. Megan was SO excited. She has always loved the snow. She wanted to go out right then and buy a sled - ha! Hmmm, holiday gift perhaps?

Also, I took a gorgeous photo of Megan and it was by just goofing around with the camera. I wanted to get a photo on a tilt. I recommend this! Sometimes those make the best shots. Oh, and my little creative camera girl took one of me, too. She really is a shutterfly. Hmmm, holiday gift idea, perhaps?

I have holidays on the brain. I've been making gifts and listening to Christmas music. Ahem, yes, I said Christmas music. I'm a total dork when it comes to the holidays. Love it all! Nothing like a good Carpenter's rendition of a classic tune. hehe

Another random thought before I'm done rattling today. My car officially has over 100,000 miles on its odometer. WOW All those miles to and from work really tack it on thick. I have this OCD thing, too, when it comes to my odometer. I love number patterns. I totally freaked when it read 99,999.

Have a great day everyone! If you didn't already think I was a dork, you will now!

If you want to share today, leave a comment. I'm curious on anything sweet that has come your way that either inspires you, came for free, was unexpected, or random, etc.

2008-11-06T11:12:00.007-05:00

Here's a letter from one of my far away friends that I haven't seen since 1998 but feel so strongly in my heart. Shannon continues to share her life with me through pictures and updates. When I get an email -I feel like I am right there with her. I want to share her family's personal story and bring some light to something that touches so many families and children every day.

Hi all! To those of you who know our son Parker’s story and have supported us and walked with us over the past 4 years –THANK YOU! We hope that you will forward this to anyone and everyone and let this letter be heard- and help find a CURE! Our letter this year is intended to inform those who don’t know about Parker and type 1 diabetes, as well as bringing as many people as we can to walk and support us. As many of you know, our little guy Parker is almost 6 years old with type 1 diabetes and has been a type 1 diabetic since the young age of 15 months. Parker is insulin controlled and given several shots daily as well as several finger pricks a day. We have to watch Parker’s food intake and exercise every second of the day. This has become much more challenging for us now that Parker is in school all day long in the 1st grade. We do not have a full time nurse at school so you can imagine the struggles much less the stress we go through everyday. We have had to educate his Teacher (which she is awesome), but she is still very fearful of what can happen to him being under her care. Lunch time is our biggest struggle just making sure he is watched like a hawk and has eaten everything he has been given. We still wait everyday for a cure to be found for our little dude. There is NOTHING worse than having your son break down and tell you that he hates having diabetes and why does he have it. He will require shots and blood testing for the rest of his life.
This is a disease that he will NEVER outgrow and is why we HAVE to find a cure for Parker and all these kids!

Shannon, Parker, his sister Sydnie, Dad (Mike) and the whole family along with many, many friends get together this time every year to participate in a walk that raises money to help find a cure for this disease. During this time of year, many of you make donations to causes that you feel strongly about. This is one that could use your help, no matter how small. It all adds up! Consider this foundation this year for a donation and you wil be helping many kids like Parker. Make donations online at
http://www.jdrf.org/. All major credit cards are accepted on the secured web page. All donations are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.

Thank you and much love to all of you!!

New leadership

2008-11-04T23:09:00.003-05:00

"A new dawn of American leadership is at hand." ~ Barack Obama

"Look over your shoulder now and then to be sure someone's following you." ~ Henry Gilmer

I'm behind you.

Election Day!!

2008-11-04T11:58:00.005-05:00

Every four years we are fortunate to stand in line to cast our vote for the President of the Unites States. The highest executive office. WOW.
Today was great - I got up, went to Precinct 1 that is literally the driveway next to our neighborhood to the church that occupies the voting polls, and cast my votes. I spent exactly one hour doing my civic duty. That felt great. Bummer thing is, they didn't have any of those "I voted!" stickers. No free Starbucks for me. :( It's the one day that we as adults can get away with wearing a sticker that doesn't say, "Hello, my name is..."
I do think it's interesting that I step through church doors to vote, though. Isn't there separation of church and state? Doesn't this violate some crazy rule? Not that I care but it does ring ironic.
I will share my views on my political soapbox for today, because it doesn't happen very often. If everyone turned out this much for every election, we'd sure have a big say in what goes on in our own neighborhoods. It would create much more responsibility for those elected to the local, county, and state civic offices. Why can't we? Not only did I fill in a circle for whom I feel is best suited for President, I filled in circles for county sheriff, county executive, school board members, and judicial seats. I did research on who's names I would see there to make sure I could fill in those circles, proudly and responsibly for those that make decisions every day for my kids, my neighbors, my community. So, cast your votes today and be proud that you made them count. Not just for Obama or McCain, but for your choices for your communities. And make sure you show up for the next one, and the one after that - not just again in 2012. Ok, I'm climbing down now.
Have a wonderful day everyone! I'll be tired tomorrow for staying up to watch history unfold.
~ Emily

Halloween fun

2008-11-01T08:47:00.005-04:00

Kevin as a gorilla. LOL

The giveaway loot. I still have the best candy leftover. ;)

The costumed girls.

Back with all their new goodies!

A shot of the kids across the street. (Nevermind the ugly house)

Michaela the mime.

Megan the goth witch.

Oh, Halloween was a blast, as usual. Michaela made her own costume and with a little help from white & black make-up, became a mime. She had a dry erase baord with the phrase, "Don't mime me, have a happy Halloween" - too cute! Megan dressed as a red witch (which was very gothic) and had very cool face paint designs. Her hair was sprayed with a touch of red but my photos came out as pinkish. They t & t'd around the neighborhood and got lots of treats! The kids were out and having fun because we had a surprise blast of warm temps - it got to 72 degrees yesterday! Woo hoo! Then we went to our friends' (the Pattersons) and hung out around a fire for a while. Kevin decided to wear his gorilla costume. HAHA it was hilarious. It was a great night!

Oh, and I want to mention that the best monthly forecasts will be posted today from awesome astrologer Susan Miller. Make sure you check out http://www.astrologyzone.com/ for yours! You will not be disappointed.

And the Scrap-Room has the best kit ever this month - check it out here http://www.scrap-room.com/

Happy first day of November. I hate November. Its only redeeming qualities is Thanksgiving and my sister's & niece's birthdays. It's always rainy and cold and ugly. I'm hoping for some good hermit time in the house getting ready for the holidays.

How was your Halloween? Do you like November? Don't forget to post a comment!

I believe in...

2008-10-29T11:03:00.005-04:00

being honest. It's a value that I like to say that I weave through my everyday life. I haven't always been honest. Not with myself, not with those in my life. I have lost some really good friends and loved ones because honesty was not a value that I was emotionally mature enough at the time to embrace. I have made some choices that ended up creating pain because I wasn't being honest when I made them. I try to be honest now whenever possible. I have gained more by being honest than I have lost so this value means so much to the integrity of my "self" than ever. It seems like such an easy thing to do, right? I think it can be easy. I think it can be terribly difficult. Sometimes I can be too honest. I also speak bluntly, which can be abrasive to the person that I am speaking to. I know that about myself. It's a fault, a weakness, a challenge for me. It's something I strive to be conscious of when I relate to others. I would like to believe that sometimes this "speaking my mind" trait is also good for those that appreciate getting to the point. Ha! I try to withhold my honesty if I think it will be better for the other person. When I'm aware that I'm being too honest, I try a bit harder to phrase what I am expressing for the other person so that my response is a bit more diplomatic than I really feel. Sometimes I wish more were honest toward me so I can continue to improve on my honesty skills. I'm a work in progress and like to think I get better with age. Wisdom, maturity, and reflection really do prove to be infinitely helpful, I say. I'll be so great at honesty if I age into my 80's, right?! Sometimes I wonder if I'm being honest enough. With my doubts, my fears, my successes, and my triumphs. A looking glass can be scary honest so choosing to not be that honest with myself is a self-preservation masher. How do I get past the slump I've been in? Well, by being honest with why I've digressed from my intended path. I've had to do some soul searching and self-evaluation to honestly see what I needed to see. I am ready to self-medicate. Being honest with myself is the best medicine. So today, as I am re-writing my goals and focusing on the path I want to be on, I believe honesty will lead the way.
What do you believe in?

Girly Sleepover

2008-10-26T22:35:00.003-04:00

The fashion show finale from left to right - Aubrie, Jadyn, Lorren, Michaela, Megan, Emily, & Bella. Not pictured was Felicia.

Opening goodie bags & gifts. Fun stuff!

Megan is happy to be six and to have friends & family to enjoy celebrating with.

They also played charades & simon says. The kids were too cute.

Well, we made it through. Megan's first sleepover party. We had 8 girls altogether and it was a smashing success. We almost had to have one girl get picked up but we were able to convince her to be brave and stick it out. They ate brownies & ice cream with sprinkles, opened gifts and goodie bags, sashayed down the Diva-in-Jammies runway, struck awesome fashion poses, watched high school musical until past midnight, and woke up bright and early at 7 AM to eat bagels. We are tired today but are thankful that after having to cancel the original date that we had a full turnout. What a fun birthday memory to have. :)

Routine, not mundane. ;)

2008-10-22T06:29:00.006-04:00

Yes, some routines are very mundane. As I scrapped over the weekend about my routine from the photos I took while doing the WITL project, I realized that parts of my everyday routine are comfortable, welcome, and on some days, a cherished act. Mine is showering. I love to take showers. I'm not a sit and soak in the bathtub kinda girl. Nope, I love the feel of the warm hot water pouring over my head and curling around me. I love the smell of the shampoo and soap, and best of all is when it's time to turn off the water and I bury my face in a clean, fluffy towel. Aaaahhh the spoils of the day. When something happens and you don't get to take a shower - like a power outage or if you've been sick for a day or two or you have a newborn - that routine thing can mean so much. Sometimes my best thoughts come to me while I'm shaving my legs. Sometimes I am singing and sometimes I am interrupted by family that need something at that particular moment. That's ok and they know I will forgive their interruption. Sometimes I'm gathering the courage to put on a great presentation at work. Sometimes, I get an extra five minutes to languish. So today I am quietly celebrating my shower taking haveeverythingplacedonthesinkwaitingforitsturnhopethedayisasrefreshingasIfeelrightnowkindaday routine. What do you enjoy during the regular steps of your day that refresh your soul?

Happy Monday

2008-10-20T06:16:00.003-04:00

Scrappy weekend! I stayed up WAY too late last night. I sooo wasn't ready to give up my weekend. I scrapped so much. I completed the 4 - 8 x 8 pages below and also did these 5 - 12 x 12 pages. I had so much fun and the ladies on The Scrap-Room boards were awesome to play/online crop with. They really "got my creativity on". :)

Michaela gets her first pair of glasses today. Yep, I knew one of them would at least. She needs them to help her see the boards at school a bit better so she'll only wear them when they do that kind of work in class. I'll post a picture later!

I'm signing up for Jessica Sprague's FREE (yes, free!) online class. Registration starts today and the class is unlimited in size. Join me!

What's going on in your world today?

Week in the Life project

2008-10-18T19:10:00.002-04:00

Results! Ok, I'm so happy to be making progress on this. My photos came in the mail yesterday (thanks snappy Snapfish!) and I got started today. I am making an 8 x 8 album that has 28 pages. That's 4 pages for each day of the week. I did take a lot of ictures. Like 86 or something like that. Wow! Ok, so here's me sharing the first day - Sunday. :)

For My Mom

2008-10-14T17:23:00.021-04:00

When I was pregnant with Michaela, I felt a strong connection to my Mother - an unfamiliar bond as it was different than the one we'd had thus far. Sure we had had our differences, our conflicts, our joy, our pain over the years. But this new journey I was taking began a whole new layer in the Mother/Daughter dynamic. How can you not relate the feelings that you are experiencing with those that have also experienced the same thing? It made me realize how much my Mom must have loved me, still loves me. It was hard to not be with my Mom as I was in California and she was in Michigan. We called each other A LOT. Michaela arrived and I never thought I would ever feel that way about another person. The intense emotion that I now felt toward my daughter is often referred to 'unconditional love'. WOW is that the most complex feeling. Can it ever be translated? It clarified the close bond I felt in my heart for my Mom. Our relationship added another layer to it. I now could relate what I was feeling to how my Mom felt about me and I began a new layer of respect for the journey she has taken with me because I was on my own motherhood journey. Only I was to find out a few months later that we were to begin to add yet another layer to our relationship. We were just getting used to being Mother & Grandmother!

My Mom was diagnosed with cancer. Breast cancer. I was hurt, devastated by the fear, sad, mad, and those were only my feelings. What must my Mom be going through? It was hard not to be with my Mom. I wanted to listen, cry, laugh, sit by her hospital bed while she had surgery. We called each other A LOT. We saw each other in Colorado that Christmas and I was happy to see her on the road to recovery. She had an early detection & diagnosis - her cancer was the kind that was operable. Eventually we would learn that the surgery was successful in removing it all. That was eleven years ago. WOW did I experience the most complex feelings I've ever felt during that time. How could I even begin to translate what she was experiencing? Today I feel joy and gratitude. I can still call my Mom, who is in Colorado, and I am in Michigan. I will always have that layer - one of respect for the journey she has taken.

Her journey was one that she is able to talk about, share, and bring to other women in hopes that they respect their bodies enough to go to the doctor, regularly, and take care of their health. Let's look within ourselves and reflect on the unconditional love we share with other women. Make that appointment - that yearly check-up. If you've had one - kudos to you. Add layers to your relationships by sharing your experience and encouraging other women to do the same. The complexity of truly how hard this was for my Mother I hope I never find out for myself. I hope I never share that bond with my Mom. I hope I never have to add that layer to my own relationship with my two daughters. It's a journey I hope never to embark. If for some reason I do, I will reflect on my Mom, and know that I will be able to reach out and in the many layers, in those bonds of unconditional love, a most intense connection will be waiting there for me.

What encouragement or journey can you share today?

Full Moon Tuesday

2008-10-14T06:44:00.003-04:00

Megan with her Dad last year. This is one of my favorite pics.
Megan and her beloved Melissa. That Sea Otter is so loved!
Megan at 12 months. It was fun to rewind and do a page of her as a baby.
Here's the Moon pic above the neighbor across the street. Not as big as it looked with my eyes but I do like the big reddish orange tree. The colors around town are at their peak this week. So pretty!

Hi! The weekend turned out to be uneventful. We had to cancel Megan's party. Hopefully the kids can make it again in two weeks. She's still not eating much and resting a lot. It's a good thing she has a Dr. appt. tomorrow. I just want to make sure things are alright. For a well visit, she'll be checked for weight, etc. so I know she'll be underweight, especially since she's eaten so little since last Wednesday. Good grief. Surprised anyone? ;) She's so teeny!

I did get some scrappin' done over the weekend. (Pics above) Michaela made a page in her book, too. It was fun! I ordered over 60 photos for the 'Week in the Life' project that should arrive any day now. I can't wait to start working on it!

There is a big full moon today and last night I took a photo of how it hung just above the house across the street. Of course my little camera didn't take anything of what I saw with my own eyes but I thought I'd post the pic anyway.

Take care today - that full moon is in Aries, which means impatience, impulsiveness, and overall aggressive moods for most. Hopefully it will give you a kick to start something new. What are you itching to begin but keep putting off?

More Birthday love

2008-10-09T09:24:00.005-04:00

Today is my younger sister's Birthday and so I want to share a little love - Happy Birthday Stephanie!! AKA Teffy

I love my sis and will be calling to hear her voice later. She's making big plans for this year and I hope the best is around the corner for her! She has the best sarcastic humor of anyone I know. You rock, sister!

In addition to birthday, it's also barfday at my house. Megan awoke at 2:49 AM, came in to my room crying, "My belly hurts!" and clutching her stomach. Ok, so all the moms out there know what to expect next. Nothing like having to jump out of bed and react to the pending doom of vomit that is about to occur any second. Yep, and it has been just lovely ever since. Thankfully I have the best husband in the world and he's home with her today. I had to come in to the office - client meeting today! I just hope the queasy uneasy I am feeling is nervousness and power of suggestion. Hope you all are feeling good today! What's the best remedy for belly aches that you use with your family? How do you comfort your little ones?

Birthdays!

2008-10-07T06:30:00.006-04:00

Megan turned 6 yesterday. Wow. Was all that really 6 years ago already? I am always amazed at how fast that happens. *blink* Ok, whew, she's still six.

We bought her a fish tank. Surprised anyone that that would be what she wanted? I thought not. ;) She brought brownies to share with her classmates and decided on Applebee's for dinner. We had the wait staff sing to her and she was so shy about it! LOL She ordered a chocolate sundae for dessert to discover that it wasn't chocolate. It was vanilla ice ream with chocolate sauce. She was so incredibly disappointed. Ok, my baby CANNOT be disappointed on her birthday. So, we went to DQ and got a chocolate ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles. She was renewed in delight. Ahhh the birthday spoils are good, aren't they? She is having a sleepover party with friends on Sat. I'll take some cute pics and share then.

Kevin turns 37 today. Wow, is he not liking his birthdays. I surprised him with an MP3 player. (Of course I gave it to him early, silly!) I wanted to get him something he wanted but would never buy for himself. :) It'll be no big fuss for him since it's also dance class night. Ah well, this is the disappointing part about birthdays when you get older. The responsibilities never cease just because the calendar shows that you're a year older. I will make my first bundt cake tonight, though, for him. Only because, well, my baby CANNOT be disappointed on his birthday! Marble cake with chocolate drizzle. Yum.

I need to post also about the Week in the Life project. I am pulling together my notes/journaling since I was not good at writing at all. I took about 200 pics though throughout the week. I am planning on completing an 8 x 8 album to document all of this and hopefully can do this again next year. I miss my camera this week...I thought I'd share a few more photos and then I'll begin to share the progress of pulling it all together. I'm hoping Ali's blog today will be filled with inspiration. I just know it will.

Photos are: Friday- waving as we do every morning from the door at child care before school. Me at my desk at work. Saturday- Fish tank is ready for fish. Megan is just captivated. Me getting ready to go out with friends. Sunday - laundry. Bah.

What are you up to this week? Any thoughts on what activities are good for young ladies at a sleepover?

TGIF

2008-10-03T07:24:00.002-04:00

I am completely engrossed in the Week in the Life project. I am just in awe at all the possibility that this project has implied so far. I have learned more about how I take in my surroundings and how self-assessment is playing a big role in my thoughts. Some of the struggles I face in my daily routine require some changes but in a good way - to make my life easier & more efficient. The looking glass is scary but I also am learning to be ok with the imperfection and share it. :) I also like capturing the big and the small things. Big things happen - it's part of life and to see it unfold while I'm going through my routine is just an awesome perpsective. I am so thankful for the inspiration. I think as I begin to pull the actual photos, words, stuff onto paper I will end up being inspired to bleed over onto other styles of pages. I'm glad to be doing this project this week!

2008-10-01T14:56:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the world, Bryson! Michaela's brother arrived today at 12:20 PM and weighed a healthy 8 lbs. 3 oz. He's 20 inches tall and has dark hair like his Sister and Dad. Isn't he cute? Bryson Lawrence is definitely going to be spoiled by his entire family - especially his 3 sisters.
Michaela got to be in the delivery room and is very happy to spread her joy. I'm sure it will be a moment she will never forget. What a special day!

Welcome, October!

2008-10-01T06:53:00.005-04:00

Oh how I love October. It's tied neck & neck with May. Both months have birthdays for my darlings but besides that, the weather is perfection. No central air or heat necessary and it's awesome to be outside! I am looking forward to both Megan's & Kevin's birthdays, Harvest Happenings at Hess-Hathaway park, Diehl's Cider Mill, Halloween and anything in between. I've packed my capris and flip flops and have brought out the sweaters and ahhh, boots. Not the big winter weather yucks, but the fancy black knee high ones and the high heel shorties to wear under pants. I'm ready October!

Today is mid-week for my week in the life project and I feel terrible that the journaling isn't going as well as I'd planned. I am determined to get caught up with my notes today. The pages will be nothing without it! I do have a bazillion pictures. I took my camera to work yesterday and took lots of photos. From the top, this is my morning routine. Coffee (one at home, one to go), ironing something to wear, a view of my shoes surrounded by already falling leaves, myself in the car driving, and Zone 2 is the view from my parking space when I arrived at work. Dontcha love the barbed wire? It's the part of my job that I dislike and try to overlook. Many days though I will admit, it doesn't blend in as well as it should. Not sure how many of the ugly Highland Park pics I'll add to this project, but I took a few yesterday and should do a layout with my thoughts on how seeing such an environment on a daily basis affects me.

On a lighter note, don't forget to check your new October forecast on http://www.astrologyzone.com/ as Susan Miller is the best there is. It's like unwrapping a gift every month. Ok, a bit dramatic, I know, but it's true for me. ;) I do so like to peek ahead and this is my little dose of what to expect.

Take a good look around today and soak in all that it is. ~ Emily

New week

2008-09-29T06:25:00.003-04:00

Hello -

Today I'm excited to start day 2 of the project I decided to be a part of this week. It's called 'A Week in The Life' and comes from the inspirational Ali Edwards. The goal is to capture the everyday life with photos + words and create a project/layout at the end of a week. I've begun taking photos and journaling. Sunday is the best day of the week and I started with all the family activity that happens. It was fun! Now that it's the routine of the new work/school week, the real fun begins, lol. I'm looking forward to approaching a project in a new way and seeing the results.

Today is also hopefully the day that Michaela can meet her new brother. Danielle had what she thought was labor over the weekend. Maybe today? She is so very excited and I think it will be such a great new beginning for their family.

Adios for now. Here's a few pics to glimpse into what we did yesterday. :) Is anyone even reading this? If you are, please leave a comment. Cheers ~Emily

Happy Friday!

2008-09-26T06:32:00.006-04:00

SO glad it's Friday. I want to relax and do regular stuff this weekend. Like fall yard cleanup, finishing cleanup of Michaela's room (so she doesn't have to be bothered by my stuff still in there!), catching up with my DVR'd shows, and scrappin'! Tonight is bowling, baby! Hope I can push up my 101 by a couple few pins and maybe have a beer. :)

Oh, and check out October monthly 'scopes posted at www.frankpilkington.com
Speaking of scrappin', I did my first two layouts with the kits from The Scrap Room. Have a looksee!

Wednesday update

2008-09-24T11:45:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone!

Ok, so mercury retrograde is starting and I have been feeling its effects for a bit. I got a speeding ticket last week. Bah! I know I am irritable with things and people (at work) when I know I shouldn't be. I was introduced to another new astrology related site - http://www.davidcammegh.com/ and his actually videotapes his forecasts. Interesting character and gave some insight into October. Visit yourself and see if there's anything worth taking away!

I'm hostessing a Wine Taste/fully Simple party on Nov. 6. It will be fun! Wine tasting a bit and tasting the yummy Tastefully Simple items will be a fun girly night and will help give everyone ideas for hosting during the holidays! Look for your invitation arriving to your mailboxes soon!

In scrappy chat, I'm looking forward to doing some creative projects instead of regular layouts. Some will entail creating gift items for my lovey dears this holiday season and a mini-book or two that I just want to attempt. I am bringing my sewing machine into the "tool" mix and will post my first creation, good or bad. I'm finding inspiration on http://www.teresacollinsdesigns.com/ and of course Ali Edwards' blog. Making Memories, Scarlet Lime, and Prima Marketing have had some cool things posted lately also. I have the Bind-it-all machine and the Slice on my wish list. Also wanting to get my hands on some of the great teresa items, too, even though I have to order online. Oh! and my sister Amy created her first three layouts this weekend. I believe they were for her honeymoon. I'm so excited to see them and can't believe she actually did it.

In other news, Millen is fired today - he's now the Detroit Lion's boss that bombed. Looking forward to seeing the first debate on TV on Friday. I have to DVR and then watch on Saturday morning but at least I can fast forward thru commercials and rewind if I want to hear something over. And, maybe Kevin will watch. He still has a week to be convinced to register to vote.

I'm officially over half-way through Twilight and already peeked forward. Bad, I know. I hate the suspense. LOL It's ok so far. I'm not in love but the series will be entertaining enough to possibly read them all. I'm trying desperately to not get hooked back into TV. I have a few shows I like to watch and I want to keep it that way.

Look for updates soon to include where I visit (websites, blogs, etc.) and what I'm reading, listening to, and working toward. For today's fun: http://www.blogthings.com/whatstherecipeforyourpersonalityquiz/

~Emily

Hi everyone!

2008-09-22T16:10:00.005-04:00

Well, this is officially the first blog entry. Kinda strange to be doing this. LOL

I started this blog for a few reasons: 1. I feel like so many others are doing it and I don't want to feel left out. 2. I want to be able to share my thoughts & life with anyone that may be interested. I want to express myself! 3. In hopes that I can have my family & friends visit and see what I've been up to. Maybe they'll feel more connected since I am pretty lame about keeping in touch on any regular basis. :)

I will be sharing photos, hopes, dreams, scrapbooking projects, and overall banter on what's happening in the world. Hope you'll come on to see what's new and to add your own comments.

Today's the first day of Autumn and it's nice to be starting something on such a fine day. Have a great rest of the day!