This is My life

A Family Weekend...

Our dorm boys go home for the weekend tonight.  So, that means we have two days just as a family, two days to enjoy our home being just us, and two days to rest and do normal "weekend" things (like go to church as a family!)  It's actually been quite a while since we have had this...our last home weekend we had company and before that it was back in November when we had a weekend off (since we had Christmas break in there).  We're looking forward to it!  No big plans (which is nice!) but I keep thinking we really should finish the whole house switcharoo thing!  Back before Christmas we moved everything in our house around and switched bedrooms.  However, we never switched decorations so the kids have our wedding picture in their room and we have painted elephants and a gumball machine in ours!  LOL!  Just one of those things we always say we will get to and then it goes on for so long that we don't even notice it any more.  But if we don't do it before baby arrives it may NEVER happen.

I also REALLY want to work on some scrapping/business related stuff.  There are things that I really WANT to do but every time I sit down to do them I can't concentrate. I know it is the pregnancy and I know that this feeling will end, but it would be nice to get some things done in the meantime. I hate feeling like I am letting others (and myself!) down.

Anyway...just rambling.  Not much to report on this morning. We had a nice, low-key Valentine's Day.  We exchanged small gifts in the morning, had a nice lunch out, and then I took a nice long nap!  LOL!

I had made Jason a little book for his card/gift.  And since Alaina saw that I made one, she wanted to make one too.  So, we had a good time putting stuff together.  For mine, I used the LOVE LETTERS quick pages by Anna Russell at Scrapartist and put them on some gorgeous handmade paper I have had since we lived in India.  Alaina used Anna's LOVE IS quick pages and we made a little accordion album out of them.  She picked out photos she wanted to use and then added an "I love you because..." statement on each page.  I love how letting kids use their own words totally captures who they are and what they care about.  Her book was filled with things like, "I love you because you take us to Disney" and "I love you because we watch the Price is Right together."

Alaina's Album

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And before I go, here are two LO's for you.  The first one is for this weeks DIGI DARE.

Journaling: Valentine’s Day is not a day that everyone loves. All the Hallmark hype, all the excitement, all the focus on what “LOVE” is supposed to look and feel like. It can be a rough day. I happen to enjoy the day...I like to think about the people and things I love. It’s good to reflect But I haven’t always loved the day. In fact, for a while I hated it. Perhaps it has to do with the worst Valentine’s Day EVER.

It was 1994 and I was a junior in high school. My boyrfriend and I had been having troubles but we were working through them. The week before Valentine’s Day I got to go to the Caribbean island of St. Kitts with my family. However, instead of spending the week at the pool or at the beach, I spent it in my room...making the best gift ever.

For a solid week I worked on creating the most memorable Valentine’s gift for Eric. I hand-made a coupon book for him, full of all sorts of fun “love coupons” that he could use. Things like fresh made cookies, a “date on me” night, and free kisses. It was a work of art.

When I got home I was so excited to give it to him. I was also excited to see what he gave me (he was usually really good at picking out gifts). I gave him my gift and he acted like he didn’t even care. And then I got my gift...a bag of frozen chicken nuggets. I think I knew at that point it was the beginning of the end for us!

Credits: Papers by Gina Cabrera, Chipboard Buttons by Kate Hadfield, Stitching and alpha by Lisa Whitney, font is Mom's Typewriter.



And here is a 2 -page LO that was in February's CREATING KEEPSAKES.  It was a challenge for the Scrapbooker of the Year finalists to scrap our passion.



(Click for a larger view)

The picture on the left page was actually from the moment we told Alaina we were having a baby. The pictures on the right side of the page are from a lot earlier...actually, they were from our last "girl's date" before Levi was born!

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Hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Some people hate Valentine's Day...

...but I am not one of them.  I don't necessarily care for all the Hallmark-hype, the $50 roses, or the stigma that singles feel on this day, but a day to celebrate LOVE...now I just can't hate that.

I know that many people feel like we shouldn't take one day to tell people we love them...we should do it all the time.  And while that IS true, the same could really be said for any holiday.  Why celebrate Thanksgiving?...we should be thankful every day.  Why celebrate Christmas?  Shouldn't we appreciate Christ's coming every day?  Why celebrate Easter?  Shouldn't we be in awe EVERY day that Christ conquered death once and for all so that WE could have LIFE?  OF COURSE WE SHOULD.

Holidays are just one way to step back and focus on something more in depth on a particular day.  Any read through Scripture and you can see that God cares about our holidays and celebrations.  He ordained many of them!

I know Valentine's Day isn't quite up there with Christmas and Easter, but, I do like the idea of a day that I can really think about LOVE -- the people and things that I love.  I don't do it enough.  As I wrote Jason a very long V-Day letter I was filled with so much love for him.  It's always there, I just don't always let myself FEEL it to its fullest.

So, I am not one of those people who hates Valentine's Day.  I hate that it makes some people feel sad and alone (no one should feel like that even if they are "single") but I do love thinking about love.  And so, in honor of this day, here is a list of 50 things I love.

1.  God.  My Rock.  My fortress.  My HOPE.

2.  My husband -- The one who symbolically stands in Christ's place to show the world how He loves the church.  The one I can always depend on.  My very best friend.

3. Alaina --the precious little girl who made me a mom.  The one who brings LIFE into my life and whose spirit and energy cannot be contained.

4.  Caleb -- the little "me" in a boys body.  The one who is teaching me more about myself than I could have ever imagined.  The one who does everything in his own way, in his own time. Velvet steel (and yes, I totally stole that phrase from John Piper...it fits Caleb perfectly.)

5.  Levi -- my antagonistic little cuddle bug.  The one who could get away with murder just by flashing that grin and showing off his huge dimple (which, by the way, he got from me :)

6.  This baby within me...the one who makes me smile as I see piles of pink all over my house.  The one who would totally make my day by coming out NOW.

7.  Our family -- the precious and amazing totality of the six of us together.  The whole is most definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

8. My parents -- who did many, many things right as I grew up and from whom (or is it who?...my parents will be sure to email me to tell me which it is!) I learned many valuable things. 

9.  My siblings -- suffice it to say, "We're creepy and we're kooky, mysterious and spooky, we're altogether ooky, the Bryan family." 

10.  My in-laws -- even though we are far away, they love our children.  Having someone love your children as much as you do means the world.

11. My work -- I love that I get to not only be a parent to my own kids, but also to others. Even when the days are rough and the nights are too short, I love being a part of kids lives.

12.  The many adventures I have had -- I have lived in the US (Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, Colorado, Nebraska, and Florida), India, and Malaysia.  I have visited 45 of the 50 states, Canada, India, Israel, Jordan, the Netherlands, Korea, Thailand, Japan, and Singapore.  I've ridden camels in the desert, seen the sites of Christ's life, and experienced the wonder of the Taj Mahal.

13. My friends all over the world -- through work and through the internet I have made some of the most amazing friends and cultivated some of the most amazing relationships.

14. Scrapbooking -- the way it helped me find an outlet for the creativity I knew was inside but couldn't quite reach. The way it makes me record and remember all the precious moments of my life. The way my kids light up when they look through our albums.

15.  My template business -- the way doing something I love can contribute to the needs and wants of our family.  The way it helps other families record the precious moments of their lives.  The way it makes me feel like I am using my gifts to help others.

16.  My camera -- the way it captures all the little moments of our life and helps me make time stand still.

17.  My computer -- the way technology can benefit our lives (in the midst of how it can destroy our lives if we let it). Email, internet, web-cams, websites, message boards, scrapping.  All because of a machine.

18. Coffee.  When I don't want to get up in the morning it is the one thing that can motivate me.  There is nothing like a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning.  Even better if Jason makes it and brings it to me.  Even better if it is in one of my many mugs that has a memory attached.

19.  Falling asleep at night -- crawling into a comfortable bed with my beloved pillow and falling asleep.  I spent a year with severe insomnia so I do not take the ability to fall asleep lightly. ** This is totally ironic ;)  I prepared most of this post last night (as I do many days)..who knew I would be up until three in the morning for NO reason :{

20.  Holidays -- taking a day and focusing on something special.  Letting ourselves FEEL and REMEMBER.

21. Going out to eat.  Enough said.

22.  Biographies -- the way we can look deeply into the life of another.  My favorites?  A CHANCE TO DIE (by Elisabeth Elliot, about Amy Carmichael), No Compromise (by Melody Green, about Keith Green), and George Muller of Bristol (can't remember the author's name right now, it was his son-in-law).

23.  Warm weather. Notice I said WARM, not HOT. Florida has been glorious since November.  I walk outside every day so THANKFUL for the fresh air, cool breezes, and sunny skies.

24.  Different Cultures -- the way that God made us all unique and loves each of us the same.  The knowledge that one day every tribe, tongue, and nation will all worship together.

25. Knowing that God has a purpose for my life.  My days were ordained before there was one of them.  I am not a mistake.  I am not a waste of life.  I am not here on accident.  God has a plan for my life.

26.  A clean house.

27. Smiles from my kids.

28. Cuddles.

29. A good movie.

30. Fresh flowers.

31. The beach.

32. Fazoli's

33. A hot shower

34. Packages in the mail

35. Peanut butter and bacon sandwiches.

36. Flip flops

37. Watching my kids do something new

38. Watching my husband love on our kids

39. Pedicures

40. Hot baths

41. Quiet

42. Scrapping magazines

43. Yankee Candle Co tarts

44. New scrapbooking supplies

45. The bassinet I am looking at right now

46. Foot rubs

47. Blog updates (not mine, other peoples :)

48.  Saying good morning (and goodnight!) to my kids.

49.  The ability to see, hear, touch, taste, smell, and feel.

50. Valentine's Day.

What do you love?

Playing Catch Up...

That's the plan...need to catch up on the little things today.  Nothing that HAS to be done, but just lots of little things that will feel good to get moving on.  Might even start on taxes...ugh...or, I could just take a nap ;)

A few things today...

I changed up my deal of the day items at SBG and some of them might make a great last minute V-day gift :)

And, a few LO's...did these in the last few weeks but don't think I posted them.

(click for larger view)
SP 'Twas the Night kit

SP Carousel Kit

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And don't forget about the sale at scrapbookpictures this month!  I got about 65 more LO's printed which brings me totally up to date!  So, over the last three years I have scrapped approximately 725 layouts!  WOW. What a ride!

Feeling Blessed...

Just feeling blessed today...my CT is just the SWEETEST group of gals.  I walked into our campus office to see two huge boxes with my name on them.  They sent me the car seat and bouncy seat we registered for.  How amazing is that?  Some of them barely know me and yet they went out of their way to bless our family.  I am so touched.

And I am reminded once again how amazing this scrapping journey has been for me.  The women I have met over the last three years have touched my life in so many amazing ways.  There are lots of people who don't "get" it.  Not only do they not get the scrapping, they don't get the internet relationships I have.  But the last three years have brought some of the most amazing people into my life -- women who I have shared my heart and soul with, women who I have shared my family with, and even women I have now shared a meal or a hotel room with.  How blessed am I to have friends ALL OVER THE WORLD who care for me like they are my next door neighbor.

And isn't that is really what is happening?  Years ago it would be the "woman next door" that you would go to when you were in need of a listening ear, a fresh meal, or a cup of sugar.  The world has changed, though.  We don't necessarily know (or go to) our neighbors.  They aren't our closest friends.  With the internet, email, and web cams we can FEEL like we are next door and when the need arises, our friends (wherever they are geographically) are RIGHT THERE with us in spirit and in friendship.  How amazing is that??

For example... a few months ago I was running out of the medication I use to treat my eczema.  Our insurance wasn't settled here and it costs a lot of money to buy the cream.  I knew how cheap it was (the same brand!) in Malaysia and that you can get it without a prescription.  So, I emailed my friend Jacki and asked her to send me some.  I sent money via paypal and voila!  Medicine at my door.

So THANK YOU...thank you to my CT but also THANK YOU to ALL OF YOU...all of you who have been a part of my life these last three years.  All of you who have encouraged me in my art, my business, my family, and in my relationships.  Thanks for sharing your lives with me and letting me share mine with you.

I feel blessed.

A New Week...

I like all things new.  New days.  New weeks.  New ideas.  New adventures.  I guess I just like the chance to start over, to not have any mistakes on record, to just be FRESH.

And so today begins a new week.  Nothing exciting or amazing planned...just the feeling of NEW.  Hoping to complain less (especially to Jason), hoping to rest more, hoping to SAVOR these last few weeks of pregnancy instead of wishing them away.  There truly is a miracle within me and I need to appreciate it.

Thanks to all those who gave me their sympathy and stories about the end of pregnancy.  At least the "wishing it away" and the "other worldliness" seems to be a common experience...so it's good to know I am not alone.

As mentioned, I have a gift for you! It has been a long time since I have done a blog freebie, so, I figured it was time.

And here is a page I made with it:

You can get it HERE and if that is expired you can get it HERE.

And here are a few more recent pages...

First is the Digi Dare for this week...scrapping for someone you love in non-traditional V-Day colors...

Credits can be seen HERE

And here is one using Michelle Coleman's new PINK CHOCOLATE kit...soooo yummy!

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Alrighty...sorry to be so brief but the weekend seems to takes its toll on the house and I just want everything CLEAN.  "See" you tomorrow!

Interplanet Janet...

When I was little my brother and sister used to sing this song to be all the time.

Of course, they added a part to the song that I didn't know wasn't really meant to be there.  Their version was along the lines of, "Interplanet Janet, she's a galaxy girl.  Everybody hates her because she comes from Mars."  Yep, all my life I heard that song and it wasn't until college that I learned where the actual song came from and that that lyric wasn't supposed to be there.

In any case, I've heard "Interplanet Janet" all my life. And now, it is exactly how I feel!  LOL!  I was apologizing to my creative team for not being around much and that I just don't feel like myself lately.  They all were very sympathetic and shared some of their own stories about how the last few weeks of pregnancy feel.  It helps to know I am not alone in my "other-worldness" and to remember that once this baby comes out, I will once again feel like ME.

As I was stewing over something yesterday morning (no idea what!) I reached for my well-worn GIRLFRIEND'S GUIDE TO PREGNANCY. As a mother of four herself, the author is beyond the idealistic (and simplistic) thoughts of pregnancy and motherhood and tells it to you how it is.  She also has a healthy dose of sarcastic humor which I believe any pregnant woman can appreciate. I was reading about those last few weeks/days and the emotional stress it puts on you.  I could so relate! Here is what she says (and why I am feeling even more that my irrational behavior and mood swings can be fully blamed on this baby STILL being inside of me):

The whole section is worth reading, but in the name of time, I will just type out the most important part:

"As they face the biggest task of their lives, many women begin a subtle kind of withdrawal from their everyday lives.  They develop what I call the "Stranger in a Strange Land" Syndrome, where they go through the motions of their usual business, but feel distanced from and uninvolved in it.  Things that they would normally find amusing become trivial or irritating. They are sick and tired of being pregnant.  They want to get the ordeal of birth going so that they can stop dreading it, once and for all.  This is a good time for friends and family, especially husbands, to stay out of the pregnant woman's way as much as possible, and to answer 'yes' to anything she asks, because any confrontation now is bound to be messy."

See, I'm not alone.  So go ahead, make my day and share your end-of-pregnancy stories.  At the very least, it will amuse me.  At the very best, I might have a gift to send your way :)

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Don't worry, it's not all bad.  I really am generally in a good mood...just feeling a little out of it and wondering why things I normally love either bore or bother me.  And then there are things I don't normally like that seem much more interesting.

I'm passing the time, though.  I do a lot of walking at night.  It hurts to walk, but it hurts to sit and like I explained to Jason, at the least the pain is different than what I feel during the day :)  I also love all the fresh air.  With temps being in the mid-80's all week (you Northern people really should come for a visit!) the evenings are perfect. A nice breeze, gorgeous skies.  Wonderful and peaceful!

I am also filling some of my time with getting ready for the baby.  We finally bought some of the bigger things that we still needed (like a bed and a stroller!)  We still need a car seat but our registry says it has been purchased so we'll wait to see on that one.  We set up the little bassinet that we bought last night and I can't stop looking at it! So sweet! We also bought some odds and ends...a new monitor, washcloths,  a few pacifiers (as if a baby of mine would actually use one), a teddy bear for the month-by-month pictures, and a few other things.  I feel good knowing we are ready!  My plan today is to organize clothes, diapers, and generally just make space for the new little one.

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Today is our family day...good times ahead :)

I want to be a nice person...

I like nice people.  I tend to shy away from rude people.  And I don't mean in the big things.  I am thinking more of the little, seemingly insignificant things that really can make or break someone's day.  I have encountered a few of each kind of person over the last few days and it has got me thinking more about how the "little" things really are big things and taking a moment of my day can totally change someone else's day.

An example of a rude person -- This isn't a real story, because this is about someone I know and while I know she doesn't read this blog, other people do and well, I am not really trying to make a point about her specifically.  Anyway, there is someone who did (or didn't) do something so small but that was very hurtful. And so while I can't really tell the real story, it is along the lines of someone you interact with a lot knowing it is your birthday, being told it is your birthday, and yet when they see you just refusing to even acknowledge the day.  Even more, they go up to someone whose birthday was a while back and lavish birthday wishes upon them.  No big deal, not something I would lose sleep over, but really rude nonetheless.  You don't have to like someone to extend common courtesy, right?

And an example of a nice person -- I was at the grocery store yesterday picking up a few things.  I declined the guy to help me with my bags, happy to push my own cart out (yes, our grocery store still helps people with their bags!)  i brought myself to the car, loaded my things, and then went to put my cart away.  Naturally, there was no cart coral around and I have a thing about not leaving carts just sitting in the parking lot.  So I decided I would just walk back up to the store and drop it off there.  As I was going, the guy who had been behind me in line saw me and said, "there is a cart thing right by my car.  Would you like me to put this away for you?"  See -- so small, and yet it totally made my day.  Reminded me that little things can affect people in a big way.

So, I want to be a nice person.  I want to take the extra 30 seconds to do or say something nice to someone.  I want to ignore my mail long enough to smile at the person I pass coming home from the mailbox.  I want to wait an extra ten seconds and let a car who was in the wrong lane scoot in to where they want to be.  I want to be the person who bends over to help the 8 month pregnant woman pick up the change that has once again fallen out of her wallet :)

How can you be nice today?

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Sorry to keep this so short today...however, I feel a little burst of creative energy (which hasn't come much lately) and I want to take advantage of it while I can.  So hopefully I might get something scrapped today and get a few other things that I have been stalling on done.  Hope your Wednesday is creative as well :)

Restarting this post...

Maybe the third time is the charm.  I have already deleted two starts to this post.  I just sound like a whiney pregnant woman and I don't want to be that. So, I will keep my last-month-of-pregnancy thoughts to myself ;) I will say I will be glad when this is over and I have my body (and mind) back. 

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I haven't been scrapping much lately.  Actually, I haven't been doing much of anything lately.  It's not that I sit and do nothing -- in fact, I stay rather busy.  But I just don't seem to do any ONE thing very much.  My attention span is extremely limited and I find myself getting bored doing anything that takes more than five minutes. However, I did have a spurt of creative energy this weekend and did some scrapping.  A lot of it i can't show you because it is for upcoming stuff (I never know when my next creative burst might come so I was trying to work ahead ;)  But I will share a few...

The first one I did as a TOTAL scraplift.  I don't tend to lift pages much but I couldn't resist the chance to lift my friend Jacki!  She is the first guest Dream Girl at Little Dreamer Designs and some of us welcomed her by lifting a page from her gallery. Her page was so amazing that I basically recreated it exactly as-is...same kit and everything!

Credits: Beautiful Journey kit by Michelle Coleman at Little Dreamer Designs.

Here is  my page for this weeks DIGI DARE.  We had to scrap a Valentine's type LO to something other than a person.  So, I paid tribute to my happy place :)

Credits: Pink paper and brackets by Miriam Lima (Crush Kit), white paper by Jen Wilson, stitching by Emily Merritt (recolored), glitter paint strokes by Meredith Fenwick, staples by Shabby Princess, heart beads (recolored) by Kimberly Giarusso, Hallowed-Out alpha by Kate Teague, font is Mom’s Typewriter

And here are a few older ones that I don't think I shared...

I'll have to go back and check the credits on this one but most everything is from LDD.

Credits: paper by Gina Cabrera, chipboard alpha by Kate Hadfield, Ribbon  and paper clip by Shabby Miss Jenn, stitching by Lisa Whitney

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Alrighty...off to Bible Study this morning and then this afternoon I am hoping to get a little bit of shopping for the baby done.  We still don't have a few major things we need and even though I still have four weeks, I will feel better once stuff is done.

Hope your Tuesday is a good one!

**Oh, and today is the last day for my grab bags!

Smallness...

I had a baby shower yesterday, and here is a poem my friend (and boss) read to me:

For all the smallnesses
I thank You, Lord:

small children
and small needs;
small meals to cook,
small talk to heed,
and a small book
from which to read
small stories;
small hurts to heal,
small disappointments, too,
and real
as ours;
small glories
to discover
in bugs,
pebbles, flowers.

When day is through
my mind is small,
my strength is gone;
and as I gather
each dear one
I pray, "bless each
for Jesus' sake --
such angels sleeping,
imps awake!"

What wears me out
are little things:
angels minus shining wings.
Forgive me, Lord,
if I have whined;
...it takes so much
to keep them shined;
yet each small rub
has its reward
for they have blessed me.

Thank you,
Lord.

-- Ruth Bell Graham (mother of five)

So much more I could say...so many thoughts running through my head.  Even a few LO's I could share.  But instead, I think I will focus on these words today and how much they ring true in my life.  Makes me think of my own small needs that the Lord tends to each day...and without whining. 

Smallness.   

I am living proof...

...that MURPHY'S LAW is alive and well!  For those of you unfamiliar with the term, simply put, it states that

"things will go wrong in any given situation, if you give them a chance"

or

"If there's more than one possible outcome of a job or task, and one of those outcomes will result in disaster or an undesirable consequence, then somebody will do it that way."

or

"Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong"

or

"Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way"

Take your pick...and then know that I am their poster child :)

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Actually, I say all of this tongue-in-cheek.  I am really not upset.  I am actually finding all the little things that seem to going wrong somewhat amusing.  Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones, maybe it is just that I have gained perspective, maybe it IS amusing.  But really, I am still proof that 'ol Murphy must have known what he was talking about.  If it can go wrong, it will (at least in my life this week! LOL!)

So, sorry I didn't pop in yesterday.  I actually just had a long post explaining the ins and outs of my utter exhaustion from one solid week of go, go, go along with the sad stories of a stomach bug that will not leave out house (well, it leaves for a few days and then returns at the most inopportune moments).  But, since this is "chuckle at Janet's misfortune week" the power cut off for a split second and TypePad hasn't enabled an automatic draft saving and so I lost it all.  Okay though...just me whining a little about yet more vomit that had to be cleaned up and how all of this cannot be good on a body that is eight months pregnant.  I won't bother going there again...it was therapeutic just to type it out the one time.

I spent yesterday taking it as easy as possible. I tried to do very little that required physical activity or brain power.  Of course life had to throw in a couple of injuries due to smashing my toe into the train table -- TWICE! -- and had to include cleaning up vomit out of Levi's crib -- TWICE -- while the other two kids slept soundly and obliviously in the same room!  Life.  Just life.  There are always good days and bad days. 

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Thankfully, I had my grab bag all done and packaged.  I don't think I could have handled having to finish that up in the midst of everything else.  So, late last night it went into my shop.  I had a lot of fun with this one and it has been SO FUN to see what my new creative team has done with it.  I LOVE seeing people's "takes" on the templates.  Here is a sample of their awesome talent!

Some seriously great stuff.  They inspire me to want to scrap! So, if you want them, HERE they are!

I also FINALLY changed out my DEAL OF THE DAY offerings at SBG.  So head on over.

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Well, I have just been informed by "Diego" that "I hurt Boots" so I have some tears to wipe and kisses (and discipline) to be given.  But I do have one quick public service announcement.  I have been stalking SCRAPBOOK PICTURES waiting to see what kind of sale they would have this month and all their square prints are on sale.  8x8's are $1.49 ($.50 off).  Their last sale was last April so you may want to do some printing.  I loaded my albums yesterday hoping for a sale.  I'll order today!