This is My life

A Blog post without pictures...

...is, in my mind, pretty boring.  So I don't usually do it.  But, I thought I'd check in quickly. I have no new LO's to share...haven't scrapped.  Yesterday, I just couldn't.  I had time after the kids went to bed but I had zero creativity.  None. Zip. And I know that when I try to scrap at times like that I just get frustrated.  So I read a book instead.  That was nice.  Then, last night as I laid in bed not sleeping, listening to Jason snore, the creativity started flowing.  Ideas for pages just kept coming to me.  Ideas for entire albums.  I was so excited (but knew I should keep trying to sleep so no, I didn't get up and scrap.)  So, this morning I was pumped and ready to go.  A few of my ideas called for a few new supplies.  So, I went digi-shopping, started downloading a few things, then life got in the way.  The day was crazy.  I never stopped.  Well, except that 2 1/2 hour nap my sweet husband let me take.  But the rest of the day was just too busy. Jason was in an out, he needed to sleep to rest his eyes, I was watching a friends son for a few hours, Alaina and Caleb both needed baths, etc. etc.  So, here it is at 10:30 pm and none of my ideas have had a chance to take form yet.  HOWEVER, in the odd moments I have had to sit down and retreat to the air-conditioning of our office, I WAS productive.  I did two very important things.  1) I FINALLY deleted old digi-scrapping supplies that I downloaded as freebies when I first started out that I know I will NEVER use.  Most newbies download everything in sight and are so awed by the whole concept of digi-scrapping that everything looks good.  And they're free, right? But now, ten months into this lil' hobby of mine, my hard drive is approaching half full and my digi-scrapping folder is one of the main culprits in that.  And so while I didn't make a HUGE dent in my file size, it is soooooo nice to have my digi-scrapping folder neat and organized by designer and to be rid of stuff that I always just have to sort through on my way to find the real treasures.  2) The other wonderful thing that I did, inspired by the witty Gina Miller, was to make myself a SOLIDS folder.  I spend so much time looking for solid colored paper for LO's.  I don't mean just a plain color -- I could do that with my paint bucket tool -- but solid TEXTURED papers.  I copied solid papers out of a bunch of kits (with a bunch more to go), renamed them with the designer name and kit so I know where I got them from, and then put them in individual color folders -- reds,, greens, whites, yellows, etc.  Now I will not have to spend 20 minutes looking for that perfect shade of cream I know I want but can't find.  I am SO GLAD I did this. 

Not much else to report. I think the baby is getting ready for the home stretch...it has been moving and wiggling and I've had funny sensations the last few days.  I am not saying the baby is ready to make its entrance, but I definitely think its moving into a head down-I'm-ready-when-you-are situation.

So excited to hear later who won all those FABULOUS gifts at the Shabby Shoppe.  I'll admit, I spent the minimum to be entered into the drawing, but I NEVER win ANYTHING so as much as I would love any of those packages, I'm sure they will go to some other lucky lady.  Boy, I sure am envious, though!

Night Night.

She finally gets it...

~ Alaina finally understands that she is NOT going to have a baby.  Mommy is, she isn't.  But it has taken a LONG time for her to grasp this.  When we first told her that I was going to have a baby (I think I was about 10 weeks) she immediately said that she was going to have one too! Ever since then, she has talked about HER baby every time the subject of my baby comes up.  Whenever I look in my pregnancy books she wants to see the pictures of what her baby looks like (you know, the week-by-week books with pictures?)  She had told me all sorts of stuff about her baby and what she will do with it.  She has told that it will be a girl, that it will be a boy, and so on.  Well, finally, she understands.  At the beginning, I told her that Mommy's belly would be getting really big as the baby grew (to which she replied, "Like Daddy's!" -- LOL!)  Well one day last week she asked to see my belly (she likes to "pet" the baby and make it kick).  I said, isn't my belly getting big?  She said in the saddest little voice, "Yea, and my belly is still small."  So now when I ask her if she is having a baby she just says, "No, my belly isn't getting big and my belly button is still open."  Apparently, now that my belly button is half popped out it is "closed" while her little inny is "open."  Gotta love kids!

~ Okay, what else.  Jason's eye surgery seemed to go well.  I can't wait to be able to see his gorgeous blue eyes without his stupid glasses!  But for now, I just get to see him asleep, with sunglasses on (which I have NEVER seen him in before!) or lying down as I try to get drops in his eyes.  He is the biggest WIMP when it comes to stuff in his eyes.  He CANNOT keep his eye open.  It is almost impossible to get the gazillion drops he needs in his eyes every few hours.  I'm talking pain killer drops, anti-bacterial drops, artificial tear drops, etc.  I can now see why he never wanted to get contacts...the poor boy would have never been able to get the things in his eye!

~ Caleb now officially has his own "security" item.  I have mixed feelings about these things.  I know they are harmless and can be a great source of comfort to kids. However, I also know that parents can spend half their life looking for the missing items and all the while listening to their kid cry when it cannot be found.  There is also the very real danger that there is only ONE of this item ever to be had so if they get it dirty too much, ruin it some other way, or lose it, you have a problem on your hands.  Alaina has her blankie.  We never intended for this to be "the" item, it just worked out that way.  Since she was four months old she has been incredible attached to it.  If she falls down and cries, she FIRST wants her blankie and THEN she wants Mommy.  We've done really well with it, though.  The standing rule was always that it didn't come out of the bed unless we were going to be gone overnight or in a long car (or airplane) ride.  She coped.  Admittedly, this has been much harder to regulate for the last year that she has been in a big-girl bed, but, she is old enough that she gets when it has to be put away and she understands that it can't go places with us.  Fast forward to Caleb.  He has had a few toys here and there that we thought would be "it."  This past summer he carried around his little Pooh Bear (well, actually, it is technically Alaina's, but she never cared about stuffed animals or toys so most everything went to Caleb...shhhhh! Don't tell her!) Anyway, so her carried around Pooh all summer and then after a month or two, lost interest.  He hasn't really had anything since.  Then, in the last few months we realized that he was kind-of attached to this big green elephant that came from who knows where (again, another Alaina toy that never get any love...actually, we were watching a video from her baby shower where she got this elephant from some relative and she says, "Ahhh...Caleb has an elephant just like that!)  Okay, this big green elephant.  We noticed that he really liked it.  For the past few months, it has been a nighttime companion.  For those of you who know anything about psychology, the kid has actually been conditioned to this thing (you know, Pavlov's dog?)  Caleb ONLY sucks his thumb in his bed when it is time to sleep.  Then we found out when we took a trip in October that Caleb will ALSO suck his thumb if he is touching his "Elly."  Give him his Elly, in goes the thumb.  Take Elly away, the thumb comes out.  Hilarious.  ANYWAY, so all was fine and dandy with this huge stuffed animal.  Then, in the past two weeks, Caleb decided to start having an opinion -- about everything.  And one of his strongest opinions is that he WANTS his Elly ALL THE TIME.  In the bed is NOT good enough.  We keep trying to put it back and the kid falls to the floor and just CRIES.  He cries like the world is going to end.  It is HEART-WRENCHING.  And yet I know that if we let this thing start going places with us we are in for the spending-half-your-life-looking-for-your-kids-security-item thing.  No thank you.  Plus, this thing isn't some small "silky" that some parents miraculously get their kids to love (and where you buy like 10 of them). Nope, this is one big green stuffed elephant.  Actually, see the post below.  I think one of the pictures has him holding it.  And, to make matters worse, sweet I'll-help-you-out big sister Alaina routinely offers to crawl into his crib and throw it out to him.  She thinks she is helping.  Ahhh, what a pain.

~ Anyway, I am way too long-winded today.  Maybe that is because of the fact that I have barely spoken to an adult today, unless you count me telling my husband to stop being a baby and just let put the stinkin' drops in.  But, it's late, and I really need to get some sleep before the weekend starts.  While most people enjoy leisurely weekends, Friday-Sunday is our busiest work time.  We work almost 50 hours in three days.  Phew!

~ If any of you made it this far, I applaud you.  You are extremely patient or maybe you just read fast.  Anyway, for being so nice and reading this far, a few new LO's for you.  It was our day off today so I had some scrapping time.  And surprisingly, these all came together rather quickly.

The first one should be recognizeable by all you mid-westerners who know what a great place Meijer's is!

Everything by Mindy Teresawa from her BOYS RAWK! kit (funny how I used this for a LO of Alaina!)

This picture was taken two weeks after Caleb was born.  I love these three people with everything within me!  Kit is TRUE LOVE by Heather Mezler (available exclusively at the Shabby Shoppe).

And finally, a simple LO of one of my all-time favorite photos of the kids.  I kept it all simple because the picture says it all!

Goodnight! (Well, good morning to all you North Americans!)

Randomness...

It's been a few days since I've posted...partly because I have been busy and partly because I am getting frustrated with Typepad.  Every time I go to edit/spell check it makes my entry all wacky and then REFUSES TO LET ME FIX IT!  And this isn't just with this blog...I have two other ones (one for our family and friends and one for our dorm) and each one is the same.  And so, sometimes the frustration just isn't worth it.  I'll post today, but no hyperlinks or anything else because I think they may be the secret cause of all the craziness.  Anyway...

Let see, yep, I'm STILL sick.  No improvement.  In fact, if anything, I'm getting worse (basically all the other stuff with a chronic headache -- 7 days now -- thrown in.  My ENT (Ear, Nose, and throat specialist) just says he doesn't want to do surgery because it isn't good for the baby and that "eight weeks will go really fast."  So basically, he's saying, too bad, so sad, be miserable, and after the baby is born maybe I'll look into it.  OF COURSE, I want to do whatever is best for the baby but I really have a hard time believing that he is doing all he can now.  I mean, the only medicine he is having me take is an allergy pill?  And what may I ask will THAT do for a sinus infection I have had for TWO MONTHS?  Nada, I tell you.

Oh well.  I'll just keep going on with life.  I was telling Jason yesterday that I was really tired (like he hasn't heard that before!) This time, however, I went on to list all the reasons I am tired and how just ONE of those reasons would make a normal person and I am dealing with all of them.  Want to know my list?  1) I'm seven months pregnant.  2) I have had a sinus infection for two months which not only wears me down just from being sick, but also, I don't sleep well at all since I can't breath through my nose I have to breathe through my mouth.  Then my mouth gets so dry I can't move it so I wake up, have to use the bathroom (see number 1 above) and so on.  3) I am a mama to two wonderful, but very energetic kids (age 3 and 22 months) and I spent a good portion of my day attending to their every need.  And 4) I am a "mom" to 14 teenagers who I love dearly but nonetheless keep me very, very busy.  How would you like to start your day every day with cooking breakfast for 16 people?  I don't mind the cooking, actually, I love to cook, but I DO NOT like rushed mornings.  I would much rather start my day slowly with a hot cup of coffee, having time to read, etc. before the demands of the day hit me.  But nope.  At 6:30 the alarm goes off and I am in the kitchen cooking away.  Wouldn't you be tired?  So anyway, those are my reasons for being tired.  However, before you start feeling too sorry for me, do know that I LOVE my life, I LOVE my kids, I LOVE this baby within me, I LOVE my job, and a for being sick, well, I don't love that but hey, everyone gets sick, right?  And, in the not-feeling-sorry-for-me train of thought, it is 10:40 pm right now and the dorm is in bed, my kids are in bed, and where am I?  At the computer.  As Alaina would say, "Silly Mommy."

In other news, Jason gets Lasik surgery tomorrow so the next few days should be interesting.  Hopefully he recovers quickly.

Today was one of those days that I realize, yet again, that although there are things in my life that I don't like, things that I want to change, things that scare me, that worry me, that just make me mad, I do LOVE my life and I WILL EMBRACE it.  I was having a bad afternoon and then tonight, at bedtime, when I usually just want to get the kiddos in bed so I can have a few minutes of quiet before the dorm gets back from study hall. I just ENJOYED my kids.  Jason was with some of the dorm kids and so I was with the kids in our bedroom.  I always enjoy playing with my kids but tonight was just magical.  We just played and laughed and acted silly.  I loved being with them, hugging them, getting tackled by them, watching them love (and tackle!) each other.  It was so special. And it was downright hilarious.  They were watching the end of Jo-Jo's Circus and Jo-Jo finished up something and said, "Ta Da!"  So then of course Alaina had to do it.  But what shocked the daylights out of me is that my little Cabe stood up on the bed, held out his hands, and screamed, "TA DA!"  This from the kids that doesn't even say mama (notice I didn't say he couldn't say it, he just doesn't say it!). 

So cute....So anyway, I just fell in love with my kids all over again and realized that no matter what else is going on in my life, even with all the uncertainties, I have my family.  I have what I always wanted.  I have a wonderful husband and two wonderful kids and well, I just couldn't ask for anything more.  God has been so good to me.  I am so blessed.

Hmmm...I guess that is about it for now.  Before I go, a few new LO's.

I took this picture of Cabe yesterday morning.  He is just so into sticking his tongue out all the time.  What a cutie!  Everything here is from Mindy Teresewa's new kit called STRENGTH AND COURAGE, available at SWEET SHOPPE DESIGNS.

A page I did for a LO contest (had to use this kit).  This GORGEOUS kit is by Shabby Princess and is called Bluebell Road (available at the Shabby Shoppe).  There is a neat story behind this kit.  I will break my no hyperlink rule just so you can see all the info on this HERE.  Oh please, Typepad, don't mess all this up for me!

Okay, now this page is very special to me.  It came together REALLY fast, but that's not why it is special.  I love it because it is a picture of Alaina with Uncle Johnny, the man who founded the camp where I grew up going and where Jason and I met.  This man and this place are SO SPECIAL to me.  Papers and elements by Jen Wilson from her Highland Mt. and Forest Glen kits. Note paper is by Gina Miller from her Note This collection.

And one more that I just finished.  Don't know if I really like it, may change it later, but for now, here it is.  This is a HORRIBLE quality picture but I found it today and really wanted to use it.  I tried to salvage it.  See what you think...

Stuff here is also by Jen Wilson, from her LAUNDRY BASKET paper and element packs.  Torn paper is again by Gina Miller from her Note This collection (I am getting SO MUCH use out of these!)  The book covers I scanned in.  Oh, and staples are by Shabby Princess.

Okay, now for the crucial moment.  I will attempt to run the spell check.  Right now, all of my formatting looks good.  No guarantees for afterwards.  So I apologize if this comes across to you looking strange.  I promise, it's not my fault (or if it is I have no idea what to do about it!)

Fun New Stuff...

Okay, so I told Jason not to get me anything for Valentine's Day (or my birthday in April either, for that matter.)  I am "saving my gifts" for a new camera. Yes, I know I just got a new camera LAST SPRING but I am getting more and more picky on my pictures.  While my camera takes great outdoor shots, my indoor pictures are severely lacking.  My ISO only goes up to 400, forcing me to use my flash (uggh!)  So anyway, luckily my hubby knows me well enough to not let the day go completely unnoticed, he bought me some gorgeous roses with these beautiful red berried mixed in that he knows I love.

However, after all the money I made him save not buying me a gift, I *kind of* went overboard with new scrapping stuff.  I didn't WANT to spend the money, BUT, with the SHABBY SHOPPE reopening with such new gorgeous stuff, I could not resist. 

Some of my favorite purchases... Shabby Princess's

BLUEBELL ROAD

and FLEA MARKET CHIC, Sara Carling's AUTHENTIC, and a bunch of boy kits (FOR THE BOYS, SURF CLUB, AND SPORTO).

Just when I was shocked about the amount I spent at the Shabby Shoppe, Jen Wilson’s dad had to go and have a birthday. And well, 52% off JW products is just too good to pass up, so I picked up some goodies there, too.  I  will admit, though, that even though I spent a lot this week, I am really not that bad about spending money on digi-scrapping supplies, especially since I get so much free stuff from my design teams.  And, for me, since I actually use the things I buy (and often more than once) digi-scrapping is still MUCH CHEAPER than paper-scrapping.  AND, I actually get pages done (instead of letting the supplies pile up without actually ever completing any pages.)

Okay, back to the Valentine's Day update.  The day was fun.  This was the first year that the kiddos were really old enough to be involved, so that was lots of fun.  What was REALLY fun is that since Alaina is in preschool now, she had to bring Valentine's for her classmates and teachers.  I decided to put my good 'ol digi-scrapping supplies to good use and made candy bar wrapper Valentine's.  And since I figured why bother stop at making just 5 for her class, I made some (with a little variation) for all our dorm kids and all of the dorm staff.  It was so fun and they were so cute!

While Alaina was at school, Caleb wasn't feeling well (I'm starting to get scared that he is picking up my sinus infection).  So, he was kind-of whiny (which is very, very unlike him) and then he crawled up on Jason and FELL ASLEEP!  This is also TOTALLY unlike him.  My kids fall asleep in their beds and only their beds.  He was SO CUTE!

Luckily, when Alaina got home from school Caleb seemed to be doing better so we opened gifts and then went out for a yummy lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant.  The lighting in the restaurant was great (we were right by a big window) so I got some sweet pix of Caleb. Warning, these are straight out of the camera....no cropping or tweaking.  Just my sweet little boy.

Love those eyelashes!

Anyway, so all in all it was a good day.  We still had to work but at least we got to spend a few hours as a family.  In honor of Valentine's Day and my new purchases, here is a 2-pager for you...

I used two kits here – Heather Ann’s TRUE LOVE kit and Gina Cabrera’s DAYDREAMS (both exclusively at the Shabby Shoppe).  The torn paper is by Gina Miller from her NOTE THIS collection at SBB (recolored with one of the papers from the DAYDREAMS kit.)

Then, a LO of an old picture of Alaina taken a few weeks after Caleb was born.  The journaling is just about how well she has adjusted to all the change in her life since Caleb arrived.

Everything is from FIRST BLOSSOM by Mindy Teresawa at the SWEET SHOPPE.

And one more LO...I started this a few weeks ago and just couldn't get it quite right.  So, I closed it up.  Then I reopened it today, tweaked a few things, and voila!  Done.  I'm loving the bold and bright (especially since I tend to use more soft and muted colors and papers.)

And with that, I close.  It's almost time to put the dorm kids to bed and I have some things to do before then.  Have a great day!

I'm sooooo tired...

Ever feel like you are living in a fog?  That's me right now.  More tired than I know how to express.  I've got lots going against me...a busy job, two little munchkins who never seem to get tired, being 31 weeks pregnant, and still having this nasty sinus infection (and therefore not sleeping well).   Oh well.  Tomorrow is our day off.  Our family day.  I can't sleep in...have a doctor's appointment...but at least it won't be so busy.  Oh, I *should* mention that some of this tiredness could be my own fault.  I probably don't quite get to bed when I should...but hey, I was waiting for the Shabby Shoppe to reopen, I like to check in on the message boards, I like to leave some praise.  But boy oh boy do I need to sleep!

ANYWAY...enough complaints.  Basically my life is very, very good and hey, who isn't tired?

One of the downsides to being tired is my lack of motivation to scrap.  I want to want to, but my head gets too foggy and I can't seem to get the creativity flowing.  But, sometimes you just have to push through.  So I've done a few LO's in the last few days.  Two that in my opinion are just okay (but I HAVE to limit how much time I play with a LO!) and one I am really happy with.  I'm so happy the one I love is of Cabe.  I'm really trying to be better about scrapping him!

First, my two "just okay" LO's:

I LOVE this kit, I just don't love what I have done with it.  But oh well.  Kit is FUNNY VALENTINE by Mindy Teresawa and Sara Carling @ Sweet Shoppe Designs.  "A" alpha is by MandaBean, also available @ Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Another pink one...

Again, gorgeous kit, so-so LO.  Kit is MINTY PASSION by Jasbeanie available exclusively at A Cherry on Top. 

And the one I really like:

My little Cabe.  Isn't he sweet?  I have loved these photos and wanted to scrap them ever since I found this quote months ago.  Kit is NEAPOLITAN by MandaBean and Mindy Teresawa @ Sweet Shoppe Designs.  Aged Polaroid alpha also by MandaBean at the Sweet Shoppe. Stitching is by Shabby Princess from her free SPLENDID kit.

Okay, Valentine's Day.  We had to work so there wasn't a lot of time to celebrate, but it was still good.  I told Jason not to get me anything (I'm saving all my holidays for a new DSLR!)  He still got me some gorgeous roses, though.  I got him a few things he has wanted and we got the kids a few things.  Then we went out to our favorite restaurant for a yummy Indian meal.  It was fun.

Alaina had fun at school, too.  She got to bring Valentine's to  her classmates and teacher and they got to make fun V-day crafts.  I decided to try  making some candy bar wrappers for her to bring.  I figured it wasn't worth all the work for just 4, so I made some for our dorm kids and the dorm staff as well.  It was fun.

Okay, well, this post has taken me a while (I keep having to get up to do things).  I was going to past V-day pix, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.  I have to put the dorm kids to bed and then I AM GOING TO BED!

A Good Reminder that I am SPOILED...

Okay, so, I know it. I am very SPOILED.  My husband and I work together AND we work at home so I rarely, if ever, have to be by myself.  Mind you, that does have its downsides, but what I LOVE is that I get soooooo much help with the kids, the house, etc.  We completely share the workload of the kiddos and everything else that comes with it.  But today, he was busy.  We hosted a Valentine's Banquet for our dorm kids and he was gone all day getting ready for it.  So I was home, alone, all day, with the kids (and the dorm).  I am worn out.  I know, I am spoiled.  So  many of you do this every day. Every week. Every month.  Granted, I do also work at home, taking care of 14 teenagers as well as my own two little ones, but today it was Alaina and Caleb who wore me out.  They did nothing wrong.  They are kids.  They wanted to eat, they wanted stories read, Alaina wanted to tell me stories and "make" me food in her kitchen.  They made a mess, they cried, they needed to be changed.  Caleb missed his daddy. Alaina had to go potty what seems like 15 times.  I didn't even have time to shower.  It just makes me realize how much I love having my hubby around all the time and how much I appreciate what he does.  He is such a great dad.  We make a great team.

In other news...

I am so excited.  DISNEY ON ICE is coming.  Now for many of you that might not be a big deal, but hey, this is Malaysia and these kinds of things are rare.  The really fun thing about it, though, is about two weeks ago Alaina started getting really into ice skating.  During my doctor-dictated "resting" time I popped in ICE PRINCESS one day and Alaina watched with me.  Ever since then, she talks about "skating on ice."  We even bought her skating panties for keeping her diaper dry all night.  And then, the other day, we went into the staff work room to get our mail and tucked way in the bottom of one of the mail cubbies was a flier that Disney on Ice was coming.  I showed it to her and she said, "Ah!  It's all my friends!  Mickey, Donald, Nemo...." and she proceeded to list all the ones she knew.  I am so excited we can do this with her.  The only PROBLEM in all of this is that the show is two day before my due date.  Not to worry, my dear friend Debbie has agreed to take her if I am otherwise engaged.

I know I said a while back that my plate was "officially full."  Yes I have two really little kids. Yes I am pregnant.  Yes I "mom" to 14 teenagers who need a lot from me and yes I am already on two creative teams.  But, when Mindy Teresawa put out a call for new creative team members I couldn't resist.  I love her work....it is so beautiful.  And, what I am realizing, from being on MandaBean's and Jasbeanie's teams is that it is good for me.  It makes me scrap.  Not that I wouldn't want to anyway, but now it helps me to do it, to try new things, new pictures, etc,  So, I was very excited the other day to hear from Mindy that she wants me on her team.  Yea!  She has already sent links to a ton of kits and they are gorgeous.  I already made one layout...which is a 2 SCOOP kit by MandaBean AND Mindy...so that was fun.  Here it is:

This was Alaina's favorite outfit for MONTHS.  She would have worn it EVERY DAY if I would have let her.  She has moved on to a few other favorites now, but I really wanted to scrap this.  I showed her the LO this morning, and a few hours later when she was getting changed she pulled all of this out again!  This is the NEAPOLITAN kit by MandaBean and Mindy, available at Sweet Shoppe Designs

And one more...this is a quick one I did using a a kit that will be offered for FREE by Jasbeanie at SBB during the Saturday night chat INSIDE THE DESIGNERS STUDIO where Jasbeanie is the featured artist. I love all the soft colors and how great it was for a boy/girl layout.

 

Patterned paper and flower centers by Jasbeanie.  Stitching by Shabby Princess.  Flowers by Sara Carling.

Okay, that's about it for tonight.  I am tired, I need to put the dorm kids to bed in a few minutes, and I need to brush away popcorn crumbs out of my bed.  Thanks Alaina and Caleb, I love having popcorn in my bed.

Oh wait.  I didn't even mention how the Valentine's Banquet went.  Oh well.  Maybe tomorrow.  It was fun, though.

Proof that I DO have a son...

Okay...so looking through my scrapbook you might never know I really do have son.  Well, I do.  I have a wonderful almost-two-year-old named Caleb.  I have proof:

Everything is by Jen Wilson from her A REAL BOY kit, available at SBB.

Gotta love this picture of Cabe.  Patterned paper and elements by Jasbeanie from her BOYS WILL BE BOYS kit, available at SBB and at Jasbeanie Designs.  Dirty edge overlay and wire by Jen Wilson, Note paper by Gina Miller from her NOTE THIS collection at SBB.

Okay, see, I do have a boy, even if I don't scrap him very much.  I WILL get better.  I WILL get better.

Okay, so nothing much else is new.  Well, actually, there is a TON going on in my life right now but nothing I can really share with the world (or at least the strangers who read this blog.)  So, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, but good at the same time.  In a weird way, I kind of thrive on chaos and change.  It stresses me out, but it keeps me going.  Odd, I know.  I think that in the next few weeks things should calm down a bit.  Some things will get sorted out, plans will be made.  And then I can just concentrate on some of the more important things in my life: my husband, my kids, getting ready to have the baby, my dorm, my scrapping (for those of you who don't scrap, this may seem a little shallow to put with things like family and my ministry, but to be honest, scrapping is one of the best things that has happened to me.  It is something that I enjoy, am good at, and find satisfaction in.  A creative outlet is soooooooooooo important.  When I find a way to really be "me" like I do when I scrap, I feel like I have more "me" to give the important people in my life).

Okay, that's all for tonight.  It's our day off, so it is one night that Jason and I can be together (both kids are in bed) and we can sit and talk, play games, or pop in a movie (of which we bought 4 or 5 tonight -- nice when they only cost the equivalent of about $1.50).  So goodnight.  Or good morning.  I guess it depends on what side of the world you live on.

2 hours for 3 minutes...

Yep, that's right.  I waited TWO HOURS at the doctor's office today for a THREE MINUTE consultation.  Three minutes I tell you!  Enough time for him to do his favorite camera-up-the-nose thing, the vacuum-out-my-nose thing and to tell me that he doesn't want to do surgery so he will give me new pills to take and in two weeks I will be feeling much better.  Forgive my pessimism, but after 7 weeks of being sick, I really don't think "much better" is anywhere in my near future.  Afterwards, I had the luxury of waiting for 25 minutes at the pharmacy.  Then, because these hospital people love me soooooo much, I waited for 20 minutes for a taxi that never showed up (after being assured I would only have to wait 5 minutes), then waited another 10 for a different taxi to come.  So, I spent a total of almost FOUR hours in this whole doctor-visit fiasco just so he could tell me that TWO WEEKS from now I will feel much better.  Well thank you doctor. 

Okay, feeling a little better now that I have vented.  I am really trying not to be so impatient.  I really should be thankful for all the down time and solitude I had this afternoon.  But I was tired, missed my hubby, and missed my kiddos.  So you can't blame me for being a little annoyed, can you?

Okay, moving on.  I'm back working (though I'll try to take it easy).  Alaina is still being super sweet and Caleb is growing up right before my very eyes.  Whereas Alaina developed (socially, verbally, etc) in a gradual way, Caleb is "stair-stepping" like crazy.  One day he can't do something and the next day he can.  One day he doesn't understand something and the next day he acts like he has always known.  Like yesterday, after  MONTHS or so trying to get this kid to sign "please" (an he always refused), he finally did it.  He was standing at the fridge looking at the orange juice (another very new thing for him -- my kiddos have always just wanted water) I say (assuming I am wasting my breath), "Say please."  So what does he do?  He rubs his hand on his chest to sign please.  We're on to you buddy.  You know A LOT more than you let on!

Okay, onto a few more layouts.  I really, really, really need to scrap more of Caleb.  You'd barely know I had a son looking through my scrapbook.  But for some reason girly layouts come easier for me.  Maybe it's because of all the yummy girly kits out there.  All the pinks and flowers...so pretty.  And well, the digi-world is severely lacking in boy stuff.  But, no excuses.  I need to get cracking on those.  BUT, for now I show you two new Alaina layouts. 

This one was a picture from a couple of weeks ago.  Alaina was soooooo proud of herself for writing an "A" in the sand.  She ran up to me and said, "Look mom!  A is for ME!"

Papers and elements from MandaBean's GORGEOUS kit called PIXIE STIX CHIX, available at www.sweetshoppedesigns.com 

This picture is one of Alaina's Christmas portraits.  This isn't the look I was going for but this is what "evolved" as I worked on it.

Paper by Dani Mogstad, Beaded wire by Jen Wilson, Word Art by Gina Cabrera, diamonds by Ronna Penner, Purple bling by Holly McCraig, and inked edge by Shabby Princess.

Guess Who's Talking?

Yep, it's Caleb.  Finally, at 21 months old, the boy decides that yes in fact he does have vocal chords and that they are meant to be used. Mind you, he says little that we understand. I can definitely pick out "Hi Dad," "Alex" (the cat), "Enny" (Alaina), and "eye yu" (thank you).  BUT, he is babbling non-stop. Everywhere he goes he has something to "say."  This is VERY NEW for my strong-and-silent-type son.  Even our friends are noticing.  The only downside to all this vocal-chord-discovery-thing is that he has also learned he can make a very high-pitched squealing sound.  His favorite place to show off this new-found talent is in the McDonald's playland where it ECHOES really loud and where he encourages all the other kids to see how loud they can be.  I guess the grass is always greener on the other side...when he wasn't making noise I worried a bit and wondered if he would ever talk and now that he is, I'm not so sure I'm ready for the noise TWO toddlers can make.  Heaven knows Alaina makes plenty of noise all on her own.  Add a screaming baby to the mix in a few months and earplugs will be a must in this house.

Speaking of Alaina, she has been SOOOOO SWEEEEEEET lately.  Of course, she has her moments, especially when she is tired, but the last few days have been so fun.  She comes running when she sees me in the morning and throws her arms around me and gives me "little kisses" all over my face.  Then she wants to give me Eskimo kisses.  Nothing better than a little girl who loves her mama.

In medical news, I guess I am a bit better, but nothing drastic.  I go back to the doctor on Monday so we'll see what he has to say.  I am getting sick of not working, though, so it will be nice to get back into the swing of things.  I'll have to take it slowly, but it should be fun.

Okay, onto new layouts (well, some new ones and an older one I forgot to post.)

This is one I did for the MandaBean team (you can see my whole MandaBean bio at www.mandabean.com  She wanted us to do a LO called, "PIECES OF ME" and answer the questions, "Who am I?" "Why do I Scrap?" and "What makes me unique."  I struggled with this one a lot and still wasn't thrilled with the result, but sometimes you just have to quit.

Everything is from the GALILEE KIT by MandaBean@sweetshoppedesigns.com

Here's a simple one I did of Alaina.  This picture was from almost two years ago.  But I loved this paper and found the perfect picture to go with it.  She's so sweet.

Paper and pink ribbon by Mindy Terasawa from her PASTEL SPRING mini-kit, part of the DESIGNER SAMPLER at www.sweetshoppedesigns.com This little kit is soooooo gorgeous!  Sheer white ribbon is by Ronna Penner.

Another one using a kit by Mindy Terasawa, this one from a blog freebie from a while back called SWEET ASHLYN.  Pin is by MandaBean from her Galilee kit.

And finally, one of Cabe.  This is how he usually looks.  Teething or not, this kid DROOLS!  But I love him lots anyway!

Paper and elements by Jen Wilson from her BACKYARD BOY kit.  Alphas (recolored) also by Jen Wilson from her Seasonal Scraps alpha pack.

That's all for now.  Have a good day!

Nothing new...

Yes, that's right.  Nothing is really happening around here.  I am still "resting" (with no noticeable improvement in health), Jason is busy with the dorm, Alaina is as busy as ever, and Caleb still sleeps a lot. 

So, with the lack of any interesting information to give you, I'll post some new layouts I have done.  Oh, by the way, I've had lots of people ask me about my scrapbook pages.  People are wondering if they are really digital or if they are traditional paper pages scanned in or photographed.  They are 100% digitally created.  Digital scrapbooking is a growing branch of scrapbooking.  People (like me) can download "papers" and "elements" from the internet (some free, some for purchase) and use them with digital pictures and computer graphics program to create the pages.  If you want to know more, please feel free to email me and I can give you more information.

Here's a 2-page LO I did of Caleb

   

Papers and elements by Jasbeanie from her BOYS WILL BE BOYS kit, available at www.scrapbook-bytes.com and www.jasbeaniedesigns.com  Brown paper by Jen Wilson from her A REAL BOY page kit, also available at scrapbook bytes.

Here's a 2-page spread celebrating Alaina at three.  The journaling focuses on the little things I want to remember about her at this age.

Everything by Jasbeanie from her incredible new kit called A COCKTAIL OF SURPRISES, available exclusively at www.acherryontop.com

And one I just did today...It is hard to believe that this was TWO YEARS AGO!  Here's Alaina in the Tupperware cupboard at our house in Colorado Springs.  No title on this one (a new thing for me) but the working title I have been using is, "Who needs toys?"

Everything here is from GRAPE ESCAPE by MandaBean at www.sweetshoppedesigns.com. Isn't this kit B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L??  I can't tell you how much I am loving these colors! 

And finally, just wanted to say congrats to my good friends Jon and Stacy who just welcomed their seventh little angel into their family.  I knew this picture I took of an old rusting Ford car would come in handy some day!