SV PAD complete!!

Happy New Year's Eve...Nat kissing Bella...I am playing on the MB...









Two for Saturday...I finally felt like actually scrapbooking...yea!! pic of my LO before I glued it all down...






Nat working on her December book report.






Friday...had some yucky dental work done in the morning and worked from home in the afternoon and Bella took a nap on my lap while working...awww...

Thursday...Fairly quiet day...worked and got to spend some time on the SV MB & 2SD's MB.

Again...more pics...

Thursday evening Bella wasn't feeling well so she found a compfy place to nap during the Illini game...must have been half time because it looks like Dwain is napping as well.






Tags I made Friday to use on Christmas presents!







Tags I made Saturday for Santa to use on gifts! After making tags last night...I guess I was in the mood!









Sara & I after Christmas Eve Mass...







Ms. Natalie helping hand out gifts at G'ma & G'pa Shulers, Christmas Day

PAD Challenge...

More pics for the challenge...Sunday...Monical's pizza (yum!!)...Monday...Nat & Em in their UGGs...soooo cute!!...Tuesday...look what has become of my scrap table...tonight...pic of me...yuck!!

More pics...

All I want for Christmas...2 parties in the last 3 days...

8 days later...

N


Whew...my last week of pics for my PAD challenge from SV...

It's my birthday...

and what a great birthday it has been! When I arrived at work my Secret Santa made me a chocolate cake...was it ever good!! Then one of my co-workers brought me in some WW candy (you know since I am still trying to loose weight but not doing so well right now)...and my other co-worker is taking me out to lunch tomorrow! My family took me to dinner and then we went to Nat's concert.

Tonight was Nat's Christmas concert...it was so cute! My pic for today is her in her penguin costume! Oh and she had a solo...made me cry!!

Sunday...

I love Sundays! I love to catch some football and just relax after church! Today was no different, it was relaxing to just chill inside since it was 20 degrees outside! Tomorrow is my birthday and so my daughter brought me an early b-day/Christmas present...a pillow top for our bed!! I am so excited I can't hardly wait to go to sleep tonight!

Also for my photo-a-day challenge at SV, I took some pics of my lit candles...I love candles, they are so calming and inviting!!

Photo A Day Challenge

Decemeber 2nd








December 1st


Yea!! It's been a while since I posted anything...been kinda busy...but I am participating in the photo a day challenge and can't wait to blog again!!

So here are my pics for Dec 1 and Dec 2...just like last year, our first real snow fell on December 1st, it started on the eve of Dec 1st with an ice storm, luckily it wasn't as bad as they predicted however it's funny because it was 65 deg the day before. On the 2nd Nat wanted to play outside and so I took pics of her eating snow (no it wasn't yellow, thank goodness)!!

Not being good enough...

I spent this last weekend participating in my first ever virtual crop! It was so much fun...but yet it was so exhausting! A couple of LO's from weekend.

Pics from our QT!!

Nat's painted face!!





Nat riding on a pony!!



Doesn't it look like fun!! I want to go down this slide!!

Quality Time!

Well, even though I am so bummed that I cannot post any pictures because my laptop died and I am using the "family" computer, at least I can still talk about the awesome time I have been having the past couple of weeks!

The weather here has been just beautiful. Last weekend, I got to spend som real quality time w/Nat & Sara...Em is too busy for us anymore!! On Saturday Nat & I took Sara to work in the morning then we started our day at breakfast, we then went to the park and I swung while Nat played...she did stop to swing w/me a little!! It was so much fun! I have swung in years! Then we came home and grabbed DW and went to the Farmer's market, which I am ashamed to say I have never been...love fresh veggies!! Later in the afternoon Nat & I went to Curtis Apple Orchard and played some more!! It was a blast! Then Sunday when we got up I wanted to go to Chicago, but no one else really did so we ended up in Turkey Run, which is a State Park in Indiana. We were going to horseback ride the trails, because Ms. Nat is a huge and I mean huge fan of horses...but unfortunately by the time we go there they were booked, so we hiked for 3 hours! Whew...that was a work out...good thing I started going to the gym earlier in the week!! On the way home we stopped at the Beef House and ate an awesome dinner!! I will post some pictures once I get my laptop fixed!!

Sadly, I only lost .4 lbs. when I went to weigh in on Tuesday...I am getting frustrated! The first 10 lbs came off so easy, but I am really struggling with the next!! However for the first time in my life I am actually exercising and I hope that helps me to take it off a little quicker!!

Then we come to today!! Another beautiful day here in Central Illinois!! Nat & I met by best friend and her daughter at the Orchard again and we had a great time and then this evening I took Nat to where she is going to begin taking horseback riding lessons! Was she ever excited!! I got some of the most awesome pics these past couple of weeks, I can't wait to post!

Well I can truly say that I have been having fun in "My Little Patch of Heaven" here lately!!

Disappointed.

Well even though I knew I didn't have much of a chance of getting on the Piggy Tales DT, I have to admit today I was sad when I saw the names and mine wasn't on it...it's ok, I know that God has something better and bigger planned for me...I just will wait patiently for his leading.

Maybe this is why I haven't really submitted before...it is really depressing when you put so much work into a LO and you think it's great, but it's just not good enough, it sort of makes you feel inadequate.

On the lighter side, it's been a great week!! The girls are settling into their routines and everyone is more relaxed. Work is less stressful and I am feeling better about my job...all in all life is good!!

Impatience...

AHHH!! Still no word from Piggy Tales and anxiously awaiting for September to hear from ScrapVillage. I just don't have very good patience...I can't help but check out 2Peas every 15 seconds to see if anyone has "tooted" (that sounds funny)...I want to be a "tooter"...someday. I have hope and confidence in my work...it's just a matter of time!! I just need to think about something else...like the new workout program I have begun (ugh!!!) Oh well...I am making changes across the board, joining weight watchers, starting a workout program, submitting LO's for design teams!! I must be crazy!! LOL

I finally did it!!

Well I finally got up the nerve to submit some of my LO's for DT's. I have only been scrapbooking for 5 years...it's about time. I know my chances are slim but I have been having a great time scrapbooking...it's been a while since I was able to spend so much time scrapbooking and I am loving the results.

These are 2 of the LO's I submitted for the ScrapVillage City Planner position. The deadline for entries is September 9th so for the next few weeks I will be patiently waiting...not!!! I am not a good patient person...I will have to keep my mind on other things, let's see like...Christmas!!





2 of the LO's I submitted for the Piggy Tales DT. They are going to post winners for this DT on August 31...that's next week...my stomach is all in a knot!! Oh well, I had fun and I love all the LO's I have been able to do!!

Busy Week

Wow what a busy week, school registration and starting. Em is a sophomore in college...Sara a Junior in high school and Nat started 2nd grade...OMG my baby is growing up!! Since everyone's schedules were really crazy I got to work from home w/Nat...we had a blast!! I worked and played and scrapped...what a heavenly week!

Finally Natalie gets to go to Holy Cross. She makes the 4th generation to go to Holy Cross. She looks so cute in her uniform!! (I am glad I didn't have to wear a uniform when I went)!

I wish every week could be like this week!

The Perfect Friday!!

Wow this ended up being a pretty great week...I started out the week kinda blue, but as the week went on, I began to feel better. The past two days I have been working at home because I haven't had daycare for Nat...man has it been awesome!! I love working from home and it seems like I get more done in less time!

What a great day today was, it was dark and rainy this morning which makes for a perfect excuse to stay in bed a little longer. I got up got ready and went out to my client's for a little while and came home, worked this afternoon and this evening I watch a movie with Natalie and after she went to sleep I headed for the scrapbooking room. I just created a page I am really excited about, but I don't want to post it just yet because I am submitting it for consideration of a design team...It's taken a few years, but I finally have the nerve now to submit.

I am looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend. It is supposed to rain again tomorrow (I know call me crazy) but I am excited and I want to stay inside and play!! Going to Church, spending time with the family & scrapbooking...now that's my kinda weekend!

Banquet Night!

Tonight was Sara's softball banquet and I was in charge of deocrations so I thought up this idea for some of the tables, much to my surprise everyone loved them...I am glad because even though I only had to make 12, it took me 12 hours at least to get them finished...I worked yesterday from 2pm until about midnight and then I got up this morning and started right in and didn't get finished until after 3pm this afternoon.

It was a lot of fun remembering the summer of softball...even though it was really tiring being gone all weekend and then having to come home to a messy house and get up the next morning and go to work...Mondays were really hard! However, the memories that I have to cherish, well words just can't describe...thank you Sara! I feel very blessed!






Pic of centerpiece...








16U Red team (dd in front row 2nd girl from left)


Oh and by the way I didn't count my points for tonight's potluck...I am going to have to be really good the next couple of days so that when I weigh in on Tuesday I will at least loose something...fingers crossed!!

Is it Friday yet???

Whew, what a week, I can't believe it's almost Friday!!! Thank goodness! I am working on making centerpiece designs for Sara's end of year softball banquet...once I get them done, I will upload a pic, I am hoping they turn out pretty cool...

I have also been brainstorming some new LO ideas. I am submitting for a couple of design teams and it's amazing at how stressful it can be...it's like you want these LO's to be perfect, like you are trying to anticipate what they are looking for and you try so hard...but in the end it's probably just easiest to work from the heart and not try so hard to create the "perfect" piece.

Wow I can't believe it, tomorrow is the last day of day camp for Nat, which means I will probably have to take time off the next couple of weeks since both Sara and Em have jobs now and she doesn' start school until August 24th...but that's ok, I love to spend time w/Nat...we scrapbook...oh check out the pics below...Nat made some thank you cards for her teachers at the end of last year and I just had to take pics...I think it's about time to scrap these pics...


Nat making cards for her teachers
What a pro...
She loves t scrapbook w/mama!!

It's Monday!!

And it was a great day...wow, I can't believe it's almost time for school to start again! It's registration time for Sara who's going to be a junior in high school...that just blows my mind...it goes by so fast. I don't register Nat until later this month, but still...it's just around the corner. I had such a great weekend, I got to spend a lot of time in my scrapbook room! At 9pm on Saturday night, Nat came in and said she wanted to go to bed...so I talked her into laying on the floor for a little while...I wasn't ready to go to bed, I was in my groove...


Nat w/Bella both sleeping while I am scrapping!!
Isn't she sweet! I love how precious our children look when they are sleeping.

Even my older ones still look sweet when they are asleep!

Weekend update...

What a great weekend it's been so far and it's only Saturday night!! One of my best friends from grade school, Beth, came into town for the weekend to celebrate her parents' 45th wedding anniversary and we went out this morning to grab a bite to eat and catch up! It was so much fun...I miss that all of my good friends are out of town. It was also nice to see her parents, they were the "Leave it to Beaver" household when I was growing up and since my childhood was very dysfunctional, it was nice to reminise about good times we had at their home.

I didn't do so well with my WW points today, it's a good thing I still had 33 points left for the week...I will have to do really well tomorrow and Monday so my weigh in on Tuesday is good.

After hours and hours of research, I finally took the plunge and went out and got myself a new HP Scanjet 4850! It's way cool...I am so glad I did it! The bed is long enough that I can scan a 12x12 layout in just 2 runs and it doesn't cut off the bottom...I also got a great deal. Dwain & I walked into Staples to look at it and the Epson 4490 ($250)...I really had decided that I was going w/the 4850 because of the length of the bed and the dpi is the same as the 4490 and the price of the 4850 was $100 less...so I was fully intending on spending $150 for the scanner and I was presently surprised when the tag showed $128.98!! Yipee plus I had a 12% customer appreciation coupon with me...I really felt like God had honored by being patient (which I don't do well at) and researching this purchase well!

Weight Loss Update

I have been doing Weight Watchers for 3 weeks today and as of yesterday's weigh in I have lost 5.6 lbs.!!! Yeah!! I am so excited and now motivated to lose more weight. I can already notice a slight change in my clothes!

It is so hot...

Oh my gosh it is so hot...for the past 5 days it has been humid and I don't even want to go to the pools it's so hot. Even though I would rather be scrapbooking, at least it's nice and cool at work.

Well we thought we were done with softball for awhile, but lo and behold they called us to see if Sara could sub in a game last night. She did...now we are done with softball for at least a couple weeks, fall ball will begin in September but it's only double headers every Sunday afternoon for 8 weeks or so...not too bad.

Pics of last week's Nationals...we had such a good time!!


Sara in Right Field
Natalie w/blue lips!