3.10

Here is our family picture for the month of March. It was taken at the Guardian Easter Egg Hunt. Brrr it was cold! But the kids love it and received tons of fun loot.
Here are a few tidbits about our month:

The kids' rooms are driving me CRAZY! They are always a mess. How do I get them to pick them up and have a desire to keep them clean? April is going to be Operation: Clean Room month.

Craig has been traveling more for work this month. California and Texas.

Christian and Sydnee ran the St. Patrick's Day Race at CASI. It was cold, and the rain held out. Ella and I had fun watching them, and eating Lofthouse cookies afterwards.

I almost had a nervous breakdown this month. I registered my baby for Kindergarten and went to a meeting about my oldest starting Junior High School.

We were able to see our neighbor perform with her Show Choir and also in the school musical "Anything Goes!" Christian and Sydnee enjoyed the musical after I finished explaining that not everyones mom will wash their mouth out with soap if they say a bad word. Both of these events made me miss high school just a little bit.

We are the proud owners of a new washer and dryer. Craig and the kids' were excited to learn how to start a load in the washer and transfer it to the dryer. That excitement lasted less than 12 hours.

The kids went to the dentist. Ella found out she has 6 cavities. Why is this always so hard on the parent? I feel like a failure in the teeth-brushing department.

We went to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid on the first day of Spring Break.

Ella and Sydnee love to go to the school skating parties. Mom likes to remember her Classic Skating party days...when the skates didn't hurt her feet so much.

Christian spoke in Sacrament Meeting for the first time. His talk was on how God shows love for us and how we can show love in our families. He did a great job. We were very proud.

This month I am grateful for a healthy family. I am grateful for amazing friends who have the strength to endure hard, hard things. I feel cliche in saying that life has its ups and downs, but that is just what life is. And I guess that is what makes it worth living.

Spring Break

We have done lots...{and I haven't taken one picture!}
Slept in until 8 am
Cleaned out kids' closets {work before play}
Went to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid with 2 friends from the neighborhood
Played outside in the FABULOUS weather
Sidewalk chalk creations
Fast lunch and dinner meals...who has time to stop playing to eat?
Golfing at Red Hawk
Car washed inside and out
New kites prepped and ready
Planted seeds {crossing our fingers they will sprout inside before it is time to plant outside}
Soccer practice
Clean kids. Nails clipped and polished.
Ready for another fun day of NO PLANS and NO SCHOOL!

I did think about taking pictures several times during the past 2 days..but I just didn't want to interrupt the spontaneity of it all.

Thank You!

I am so grateful for all your kind wishes and concern for Reese. She is not out of the woods yet. She is in the best place she could be, getting all the help that she needs....the Mayo Clinic rocks! Reese is such a kindred soul. She is so easy to love and you want her around. She is a loyal friend. My kids adore her! Her quiet personality is a joy. Reese's smile is happiness that melts my heart...even the way she asks me for chocolate milk, with that smile, how can I say NO?

But tonight I want you to meet Reese's mom. She is a very good friend of mine that I met through Oprah. I love telling people that! But it is the truth. We met through Oprah.

A few years ago, Candi made the bold move to call and invite me to go to the Oprah show with her and two of her best friends. I didn't know her very well, we just met every month at the scrapbook store for class. I was beyond thrilled. She didn't know then that I had been a huge fan of Oprah's for years.

But now I am a huge fan of her.

Candi is such a determined friend. She emails encouragement, texts inspiration, starts businesses, plans parties, creates projects, goes on adventures, all with her 3 kids. She is for her kids....always. I actually met Candi when she was pregnant with Reese and there are not many times when I have seen her alone. She is always with one or all of her girls. She is a mom who loves, smiles, laughs, worries, fights, cheers...all for her kids.
When she called me a few weeks ago about Reese sleeping, and sleeping, and sleeping. She was thoughtful. She had been passed by the doctor's office with another antibiotic. She didn't stop there. She was rescheduled for the next day and she didn't take that for an answer. She took her beautiful sleeping beauty to the hospital.

Now as Reese is undergoing numerous tests over and over again. I don't know how Candi is a witness to all of it. Well, actually I do. She is strong, determined, and commited to her little ones by love. With her husband by her side and God watching over, I know that Candi and Ryan will do everything they can for their daughter because of this love.

We have collected many, many loving thoughts for Reese and her family. Thank you!

I know that with faith, anything is possible. Keep Reese in your prayers today!

For our friend Reese! We need your help....

SPARK Tutorials

This is the shirt I made with Kelly McKaleb at SPARK....I loved learning how to make these flowers and feel that as my first attempt these were good....fun....and I kind of got carried away with the fabric glue. Sigh....
My friend has perfected these flowers and many other Spark projects while mine still sit unfinished.

Here is Erin with three tutorials from SPARK!

T-Shirts

Fabric Flowers

Hairspray Transfers

Sandee also has shared her creations with the fabric flowers here.

Have a great weekend! I am off to clean my creative space and finish something fabulous!

Little Surprises from Spark

Tonight I had a little insomnia {what's new?} and decided to clean out my email! I went to my email address that I don't use very often and found these pictures that were sent to me from Erin. As I opened each picture and found these wonderful tidbits of one of my favorite weekends from last year I was almost brought to tears {again!} but then I just smiled.
I love to see the perspective through her lens....

{love these! they were taken by erin with jefra's lens baby...}

{these were taken during jefra's photography class....that could have lasted ALL DAY LONG!

{during rhonna and elizabeth's class....this is where I first experienced the I-top!}

ahhh....my bff...could look at this snap forever!

Thanks for the photos Erin. Come back tomorrow and I will have some fab tutorials that Erin made from some of the techniques that we learned at *Spark*. I know I am a little late...but better late than never.

Good Night! {Or good morning to my friends in Scotland! You know who you are *wink*!}

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Look who was the lucky leprechan at school! He got to wear o' the green last Thursday to get the school excited for the CASI St. Patrick's Race that was held last Saturday. I surprised him at lunch to get a few photos, but he wouldn't do an Irish jig.....

Unwritten

As I was thinking again about this layout what I forgot to say on the journaling is:
I love to be with you.
You make me happy
You are a true joy to be around

You are my peace...

For this little album I used the infamous Maya Road chipboard album {4x4}
and I filled it with random pics of 'things'
no peeps....
just pics!
from the tulips at the park, Chicago, an old bike, fireworks, the SLC 2002 Olympic fountain, frozen trees, Iowa Sunset, Nauvoo temple, Easter table setting, etc.
I hate to say it, but I love it. Every time I look through it I am happy. I know I am not the best photographer, but I am good enough for me.


I think this is my most favorite line by Reminisce.

Next Up

So overwhelmed with photos this week {and last week, last month, LAST year...} I am grateful for the thoughts that I have to just grab the camera when I have the feeling. She came in the door from school on Monday and I made her go right back out to take this.

This is the next picture that I will scrap....thanks Stacy!

Edit: I have this page D-O-N-E! And will share it with you on Monday! Yay!

My Favorite Seasons

NBA Basketball Season has ended for our guy.....his team had a great season! Two games that I especially remember were complete nail-biters!!! I really feel he has learned so much this season and has really started to take what his coaches tell him and put it into action. It was also fun to see him with his team. They are great friends on and off the court. As he is starting into the 'tween' years...I am so grateful for good friends and families' of friends!

Indoor Soccer season also just ended for Christian and Syd. So glad to have these sports during the winter months to keep them active and give them outlets for all that energy.

Be Creative....It is NOT a waste of time!

{a quote from the guy at the Oscars that won for best animated short film }




After the Oscars I got a bit inspired and created with my Two Chicks March Kit
I have lots more ideas running around in my brain so be watching!

Grandparent Holiday

We were the 'halfway house' for my parents while they road-tripped to Florida to see my little brother get his gold wings in the Navy. So we got to see them twice within a week! My kids love when grandpa and grandma come to our neck of the woods. They get to experience the everyday pulse of our life and immerse in what we are doing 'right now'. Which I think is a great way to see us!

On the first couple of days that they were here we went to see the bald eagles on the Mississippi River. We have lived here four years and never seen the birds while they vacation on this part of the river for the winter. It was amazing {and cold} but amazing! Those eagles are as big as Ella! I think that is why she headed back to the van where grandma was eagle-gazing...didn't want to get swooped away and her toes were frozen.

More about their trip tomorrow.

BTW....I hope you are enjoying the 'new look' of the blog. I have a wonderful friend who is very computer-saavy; and she has made this place look fab! I am still working on a few of the pages up top, but didn't she do an amazing job??? Thanks, friend.