One Crazy Day At A Time

A peek at the new....

2010-06-09T05:48:00.000-07:00

Nikki Sivils line debuting at CHA!!! One of the perks of the desgin team gig is that Nikki let's us see the new lines first....and she is sharing this one today!! LOVE,LOVE,LOVE the summer feel of this one. Can't wait to use it!!! You can check it out here Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker

I will leave you with this fun photo of how i spent most of my Sunday....i needed this!!

Something Simple this week....

2010-05-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Just a few treats from the bakery this week....

TIme to Scrap.....

2010-05-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

I finally found a little time to scrapbook! Life seems to be moving very fast right now. I have just quit my job of 12 years and am finishing up my last few weeks of that. Looking for a partime job and starting a new business. This week seems to be a little quieter, and i am enjoying it!!

I got my box of Design Team product from Nikki Sivils and have had it sitting on my table for 2 weeks. I opened it up and was thrilled with all the things inside. Her collections are so fun!! I used her Elle's Day out collection and Bella Blue and Oscar Too collection.

The first LO is daisy and i on Mother's day a fun picture that Taylor snapped when we were loading up to go to the flower lot. The Bella Blue and Oscar Too Collection was great for this. The colors and the design screamed Spring!! Even though mother's day this year was cold and rainy.

The Second LO is a picture that Kate had taken awhile back of Miss Daisy...i just wanted a simple LO that focused on the picture. THe nice soft colors of the Elle's Day Out collection were perfect.

Thanks for looking!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2010-05-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic Mother's day. Slept in a bit, woke up to breakfast prepared by my boys, french toast (my favorite). Spent the morning with Kate and mom and all the kids picking out flowers. Ate lunch out with them and then came home and planted my hanging baskets. I love spring and getting my summer flowers ready for the deck. In a few weeks they will be spilling over the edges of their baskets and i will enjoy them so much. I also got a nap in today, something i rarely do, but it felt really good. Hope everyone enjoyed their day as much as i did!!

Farmer's Market

2010-04-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Last night was the start of the farmer's market in Republic. It was a beautiful night and the market was alot more crowded than i had anticipated for the first night. Lots of garden plants being sold and several large meat vendors were there. Taylor and i got there about 5 and set up our table and started selling cupcakes right away...i wasn't sure what to expect, but most people wanted just an assorted box of cupcakes. They went fast!! We were sold out by 7. Next week we will take new flavors and a few more of each just to make sure everyone gets a chance to try them. It was really alot of fun and it turns out Taylor is a great salesman...i knew he was a talker and a charmer and both of those qualities worked to our advantae last night. Thanks to all of you who stopped by and i hope to see you again next week!!!

Nikki Sivils Design Team

2010-04-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

To apply for Nikki's Design team i had to submitt a LO using her products I used the Willow Bee Collection. This was an old picture of the boys, but one i really love.

She also asked that we make a project other than a LO using her product. I made this cute cupcake sign using one of her chipbard pieces and My Sweet Cherry Pie line of paper.

And the last thing we had to submit was a LO about ourself. I have only recently started scrapping about myself and i am enjoying it. I think it is really important for my boys and later my grandchildren to know about ME. I also have learned that it is important to tell the full story through my scrapping, not just the happy parts.

Random....

2010-04-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend i flew to Washington DC to see my Dad. About 3 weeks ago his partner, Linda, for the last 15 years past away. My parents were married for 30 years and when they got a divorce it was a surprise to my brother, sister and I and was not accepted very well. We are a tight group and having something disrupt that was difficult. I have always been very close to my Dad and that relationship was tested during the years that followed the divorce. I felt very torn about maintaining my relationship with Dad, i felt a little like i was betraying my Mom by continuing a relationship with him and definately if i had a relationship with Linda. What i finally decided was that i would take whatever relationship i could have with my Dad, not knowing what he was doing and my children not knowing him at all was not an option for me. It's not perfect, no relationship is, but it works for us. I grew to appreciate that Linda made my Dad happy and that he loved her. It made it much easier to accept her. I learned something about my dad that i didn't know during the last month of Linda's life. He was responsible for taking care of her every need while she was home. He did it. He did it with patience, and tender care and genuine love. I never saw this side of him. I am sorry for the circumstance that allowed me to see it, but i am also grateful for the opportunity to see a part of this man that i didn't know was there.

I didn't fly alone. Linda's daughter Carie flew out with me. I have spent time with Carie before, but not alone and not for a long period of time. We got to know each other and we are very similar in personality. We have become good friends and it is a friendship that i look forward to nurturing and letting it grow. Daddy's closest friend from here went out as well and that was a welcome distraction to the task at hand of cleaning out Linda's things and getting Dad in a position to move. Linda's Daughter, Tiffany, came in from Denver. Together we were able to get things cleaned out, packed up, sorted through and donated. It was a job. Tears were shed, memories were shared and some closure was achieved. I am looking forward to my Dad moving closer to home. He will never move back to Springfield, but he plans to move within driving distance. I want my children to be able to know him better and at least have the opportunity to develop a relationship with him.

SO Excited!!!

2010-04-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share that i have been choosen to be a part of Nikki Sivils design team!!! Nikki called me on Thursday to share the news. I was driving to St Louis to fly to DC to see my Dad and it totally caught me off guard and made my day. Can't wait to get started. Check out Nikki's blog and all the talent that her design team has to offer. If you are local you can purchase her products at Scrapbook Generation.

It's Allabout the Princess....

2010-03-30T08:16:00.001-07:00

I have had the cover for this mini done for about 3 weeks and hadn't had time to put it all together...last night i sat down and did it and i love it!! The album is by Nikki Sivils and so is the PP. She makes these great mini paper pads that are the perfect size for her albums, makes trimming easy and there isn't so much waste.

I painted my toesnails this morning....looking forward to flip flop weather!! ALmost 80 today, YEAH!

Some Layouts....

2010-03-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

The weather outside is awful....what happened to Spring? The wind has blown so hard the past two days. I am ready for the promised warm weather of this week!!! Yucky weather does mean a good excuse to stay in and bake and scrapbook. Yesterday I made fried pies, blueberry and cherry, really GOOD!! Taylor could barely wait for them to cool before eating another. Last night i made cherry limeade cupcakes. I thought they were a little too "limey" but the taste testers said they were perfect. I will post pictures as soon as Kate gets some taken.

Farmer's Market starts Thursday night in Republic, so I am trying to get my table setup figured out and decide what i am going to bake to take and how much i should take the first night. I don't anticipate it being very busy until the produce starts to come on. I am excited to see how it all goes!!

Here are a few LO's. I love the All American Girl LO. I couldn't get it turned around but i posted it anyway, it's one of my favorite right now. Reese is so fun to scrap. I also love the one of Papa's hand and Reese's little hand, I have had that picture on my desk forever trying to figure out what to do with it. I wanted the focus to stay on the picture, but to tell the story. The one of the little girl in the black and white photo is me when i was about 5.

Have a great day....and think hard about Spring, if we all do maybe it will get here faster!!!!

Spring

2010-03-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

It was really nice today. The sun was shinning and i had the back door open. Warm weather is on it's way. I can't wait!!!

Cupcakes!

2010-03-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

A new adventure...most of you that know me know that i have always wanted to have my own bakery. I love to be in the kitchen and baking things to share with family and friends. Why not turn that love into a business. Starting small and from my house i have been selling my baked goodies, eventually i hope it turns into more, but for now i am having a great time. The boys are loving being the taste testers for my gourmet cupcakes. I am sharing a few pictures of some of the flavors i have made so far. Katie too the pictures and did an amazing job as usual.

2010-02-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

Tonight Katie and I had a little photo shoot with Princess Daisy....she did great and i just love the pictures, here are a few. She is actually smiling in one of them.

2010-02-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

Just a few new pages to share. i have been into distressing everything lately. I love the look! I also love the jeweled swirls made by prima. These pages are using paper from Crate Paper, i made them for the designers challenge at Scrapbook Generation. Each month we all get the same paper and some embellishments and then meet back the next month to see what we all came up with. It's always fun to see how different everyone's projects are, even though we all use the same products.

I am SO ready for spring, well let's be honest, i am ready for summer!

Lots of Layouts...

2009-11-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long time since i blogged and even longer since i scrapped. I think it is time to do both again. Recently i went to a fantastic retreat hosted by the gals at Scrapbook Generation. If you have never been to one of their retreats you should definately check them out!Fantastic food, decorations, on site store and evidently the scrap magic i was looking for to get me back in the mood.

Guest Designer At Scrap4life

2009-02-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

I am so excited!! I am the Guest designer for this month at Scrap4lifethe gals over there are fun and it's a great community, come by and check it out! I got to work with the whole Cosmo Cricket Chemistry line as part of my gig for the month...here are a couple of the Lo's I have done so far. I am working on a mini album that I will post as soon as it is finished. Check out the Scrap4life blog for Kit information, this month it is full of Little Yellow Bicycle, Valentine Line. The blog is also loaded with other samples from the design team using the Chemistry line.

It's a SNOW day!

2009-01-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

It's not really snow, it's more like ice. The boys are out of school and they have actually already called it off for tommorrow. I have done nothing today. When I day noting I mean just that, i have not gotten off the couch except to take a shower. I am so ready for summer, I would settle for spring, but summer is really what I am craving!!

Catching up!

2009-01-16T07:49:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to post a few LO's that I've done recently. I had some really fun pictures of Daisy and I wanted to get those done. She poses so well! The "Breathe" LO is one of my favorites right now. I really like the Pink Paisley Paper, but the photo, I love! The Pirate Lo has hidden journaling that features the lyrics from Jimmy Buffet's song, A Pirate looks at 40. We love the song and i used the lyrics to talk about how Gregg looks at his life so far.'

We have had a busy few weeks getting back in the swing since the holiday break. The boys are busy and we are too. This weekend we have a PTO movie night that I am in charge of and they are all 3 working it with me, so that should prove interesting!
have a great weekend and stay warm!

Project 365

2009-01-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

Sleeping Olivia. Back to a full schedule this week with school back in session.

Pretty in Pink!!

this makes me smile, reminds me of the beach.

Sums up how we all felt on Friday!

Playing settlers of Catan on New year's day!

Hard to believe that it is already a new year, 2009 is actually here. Where does the time go? Some scrappy sites I visit have been talking a lot about project 365, the idea is to take a picture evryday and then compile those pictures with just a bit of journaling about each. These pictures aren't of major events, just your every day. I am going to give it a shot. I started on Jan 1 and hopr to share my pictures every week. I hope I keep up. It seems simple, but I tend to forget to take my camera, or to just pick it up.

The start of a new week!

2008-12-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

Last week was just wild for us. We rarely do much during the week and last week we did something every night. Tucker was in a ball tournament in Springfield so we had games Monday, Wednesday and Thursday . I taught a class at Scrapbook Generation on Tuesday night. Taylor had his winter semiformal dance on Friday and then we played in a ball tournament on Saturday Morning! We were all done by Saturday night. It was really warm over the weekend and then the temp bottomed out last night, it is soooo cold here today. The boys were hoping for a snow day and didn't get one, but they only have this week and 2 days next week and they are out until the 6th of Jan. Tucker and I did some holiday baking on Saturday night and then I continued with some more on Sunday. I got a few presents wrapped and under the tree so we are getting closer to being ready for the big day! Hope everyone is warm and toasty somewhere and enjoying the season!

I love this Girl!

2008-12-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

Nice Tree....Lots of Sap!!

2008-12-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

You either know the quote or you don't! Christmas vacation is my ALL time favorite holiday movie. We watch it at least once between Thanksgiving and Christmas and usually more like 3 or 4 times. We all have our little sayings from the movie and our favorite scenes. No matter what, sap or not, when the tree goes up in the stand at our house, on of us says, "nice tree, lots of sap!" It's a tradition!! Another tradition that is a little more special is unpacking the ornaments. The boys have gotten an ornament from each of their grandma's since they were babies every Christmas. They are all packed away in little boxes that are dated. Gregg's mom even writes a little note with each one, telling why she picked that ornament that year. Like this year she and Gregg's dad taught the boys to play tennis and so she bought each of them a tennis themed ornament. The boys still like to look at all their ornaments and they each hang them on the tree, they have their favorites. Tucker is a huge Batman fan and always has been, so he has a whole collection of Batman ornaments. Taylor has always loved basketball so he has many that represent that. They hang their ornaments on the tree and I fill in with ornaments from my childhood and one's that i have collected over the years. I have some of the balls that hung on my mom's tree when she was a little girl. I love the Christmas tree. I look forward to it each year. It makes me smile!!

What to buy?

2008-12-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

It's so hard to decide what to buy the boys for Christmas. I wouldn't say they are spoiled and the for sure would tell you we don't buy them everything they want, like cell phones, but they don't need anything. This year I had them each make a list and there wishes had to fall into one of four categories...something to wear, something to read, something to do with your hobby and something to play. We told them we would pick one gift from each category, they were thrilled with the "read" category! So 4 presents each, sounds good to me, of course they will have stocking stuffer things. But I am already done and not stressed a bit, thank goodness for online shopping and free shipping!

Do You Speak English?

2008-12-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

This is a question i silently mumble to myself on a regular basis these days. I do not remeber anything in the paperwork when I brought him homefromthe hospital that suggested that I would need to learn a second language, they failed to mention this part!

If you have a teenager or have raised one you know what I am talking about. Sometimes I think I am speaking a foreign language or possibly the pitch of my voice can not be heard by teenage boys. How do you day, hang up your towel? I guess I missed the meeting where they handed out the secret decoder rings. At what point will we again speak the same language? Until then could someone please share the code word for, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

Thanksgiving Recap!

2008-12-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

I am terrible about taking pictures of our inside celebrations. I have a zillion pictures of our outside avtivities, but rarely bring the camera out for inside pictures. I always have good intentions of getting pictures of Thanksgiving and Christmas, but don't get it done!

We had a great Thanksgiving, our tummies were full!

I am so Thankful for my family, the ones who live with me and the ones who I ahre my heart with. I am so thankful that my children are surrounded by people who love them, what they say about it taking a village to raise a child, is so true, and i am thankful that they have different influences to guide their choices and shape their character. I am thankful that we have had my grandfather for so many years and that he is still able to join us for celebrations(he smoked our turkey for dinner this year. I am thankful that God blessed my life with a man like Gregg. He balances me-he encourages me and supports me, but mostly he loves me in spite of my flaws. I am blessed!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving .

In Good Times and Bad!

2008-11-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

So what if they are the worst team in the league, we still continue to cheer for our Kansas City Chiefs! They are having a terrible season and we were lucky enough to be at the game on Sunday when history was made, the Chiefs allowed the most points EVER in franchise history! YIKES!! It's time for some changes! Hubby thinks it's time for Marty to come home!

We scored some pretty cool seats, our tickets were for row 31 and when we got there we snagged a couple of seats on row 6. I told the boys it was even better than HD!! They were not laughing, because they thought we should have choosen one of them to be the recipient of the 2nd ticket since I don't even like football. Well I may not like football, but I like being alone with my hubby and that dosent' happen all that often, so I took the 2nd ticket and we made a dash to KC for the night and the game. The car ride alone was enough of an incentive for me to go. I had his undivided attention for 6 hours! After the last few weeks, it was a good break and we enjoyed it completely. We got a nice visit in with my Aunt Glenda and JD, which was a bonus!

GO CHIEFS!!

So Very Daisy.

2008-11-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

She makes me smile!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR!!

2008-11-21T06:34:00.000-08:00

14 years ago today I became a mom for the first time! I can't believe how fast the time has gone (most days). Taylor arrived in true Taylor fashion, exactly when he wanted to. I went almost 2 weeks past my due date, was scheduled for induction the morning of the 21st and seriously, just like he is today, Taylor said no one is going to tell me when I will be born and I went into labor at about 2:30 am. He was born at 9 am a mere 3 hours after we got to the hospital. The doctor almost missed it! Taylor was the "first", first son, first grandbaby on both sides, first nephew, first great-grandchild to my Papa. He was needless to say spoiled with attention and I believe the most photographed child in the history of this family!!

At 14 Taylor is smart and funny. His blue eyes will charm you as will the dimples! He loves to fish! He is a useless trivia nut, he retains goofy information. He is a fact person and can give you the stats on his favorite teams and players without a thought. I have been cought more than once questioning something that he said he knew to be a fact only to be proved wrong again! He loves children and is an excellent older cousin, he will someday be a great dad!

Have a Great Day, Taylor! We love you!!

Just Sharing

2008-11-14T08:55:00.000-08:00

My Scrap Space is cleaned up!

2008-11-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

I have always just stored my stash in my room in this and that and scrapped at the dinning room table. Well a month or so ago I got a new dinning table and I don not like to see it all covered up with a project, so I made me a space in my room. I have a large bedroom, so it can more thatn accomadate a scrapping space. I love how it all turned out. I seriously can not believe how much stuff I have. I told my mom and sister that they could just come "shop" in my space! I am a hoarder i guess. I have tons of pattern paper, ribbon and embellies that Iwill probably never use. I see things at the store and I know i must have an idea in mind when I buy it. Of course I love to go to the Scrapbook Generation and breathe in all the new product! Gregg was surprised at the table I put in the space, commenting that he wasn't sure I could work on a table that small since I would not be able to pile tons of stuff all around me while I work. I guess he pays more attention than I thought!

Gregg is feeling much better. He still is not seeing much out of the eye and it is still swelling some. He had a visit with the doctor yesterday and had some additonal tests done to try and make sure that there is not a specific reason why he is still not seeing. The doctor did not clear him to go back to work yet, probably after Thanksgiving. He will see him again next week.

A few Layouts

2008-11-03T17:59:00.000-08:00

This was for a challenge at Scrap4life
This was a fun Layout I did for a challenge. It talks about how Janet Evanovich's Number series books, especially Stepahnie Plum makes me laugh!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-03T17:57:00.001-08:00

We are Blessed

2008-11-03T17:38:00.001-08:00

I have always been close to my family and to Gregg's parents. We have good friends. When you have things in your life that complicate the normal day it is so nice to have this support system in place. We would have been lost this past week and in the next few without the help of so many people. We have never had to worry about the boys or them getting to where they needed to go. Our families and friends have stepped up and helped us with this and offered moral support as well as prayers.

You know, there have been times that I've thought it would be nice to live somewhere that wasn't quite so close to everyone, not far enough that they couldn't visit, but maybe not so close that they could just stop by. My attitude has changed, not just with the events of the past week, but because I know that not everyone has what I have. I have been able to focus on Gregg this week and getting him well, because I know that the boys are taken care of, if I can't get them a meal prepared someone will, if I can't get them to an activity, someone will. And the boys don't have to be stressed. It's nice.

I hope that I am gracious, and those who help me know how much I appreciate it, because I do. I hope that I never have to wonder what it's like to do it alone. I hope that I can be the kind of person who returns the favor.

So thank you to those who help us everyday. Thank you to those of you who have been praying for us.

Muffin Monday!

2008-11-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Well it was pumpkin muffins today! This is probably our favorite sweet bread of all time. We do all like banana bread, but these are so yummy. You can make two big loaves or lots of muffins. I did a loaf and a dozen muffins. Here's the recipe so you can try them yourselves, let me know what you think!!

Pumpkin Bread:
3 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Oil
4 Eggs
1 can pumpkin
3 1/2 cup flour
2tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2tsp ginger
3/4 water

Mix the sugar, oil and eggs, add pumpkin. In separate bowl combine dry ingredients and then alternatley add the dry ingredients and the water. Mix well. If making bread loaves, grease two pans and fill with batter, or line muffin pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour for the loaves or 18-20 minutes for muffins.

All is Good!

2008-11-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

He can see his ballgames in the mirror, so we may make it a few more days!!

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-01T12:26:00.001-07:00

Drive thru Surgery

2008-10-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

Gregg's surgery on Tuesday went well. It was outpatient. I am amazaed at how quickly they send people home after they have been knocked out and operated on! We got to the hospital about 7:30, did some prep things, he went back to surgery at 9:30, was in recovery by 11:30, back in his room by 1:00 and we were in our driveway by 3:00. That is fast and kinda scary, he doesn't remember the drive home, walking into the house or most of the evening after that. I was telling a friend and she said they sent her mom home after her masectomy the same day with a video on how to take care of the site! I understand it is more cost effective to send patients home. But it is so crazy to me that this is what our healthcare system has come to, that we just cycle people through this quickly! Oh well. Gregg is fine and we are trying different positions trying to find the one that is most comfortable to have his face down in. He has to have it down all the time and so far obviously sleeping has been the biggest challenge. I think we have something new figured out for tonight, I am crossing my fingers that it works out and he sleeps well.

Dances, basketball and the pumpkin patch...

2008-10-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend! Both the boys had dances on Friday night. Taylor went to a costume dance, he was the Joker. He decided to kinda be a cross between the new and the old. He looked great and had a fab time I guess. He had bought a ticket for the girl he had called his girlfriend for the past 2 weeks, and planned to meet up with her at the dance. Apparently she didn't like how close he was to some of his female friends at the dance and broke up with him, but in true Taylor, and I thnk 8th grade fashion, he had a new girlfriend by the time we picked him up! Funny stuff!

Tucker on the other hand left the house with his two best buddies. When we picked them up from the dance, they all came back here to spend the night. The first question we asked was, "did you dance with any girls?", and the unanimous answer was NO WAY! Craked us up. Evidently they don't even play slow songs at a 6th grade dance. Probably a good idea!

We got up this morning and head to SPringfield for a basketball game. Tucker and Brandon and their Renegades played a great game. It was really close and could hav egone either way, but they won! They are fun to watch especially when they play hard and do well!

We came home and packed the cooler to head to Campbell Farm. We met the Katie and Scott and the small Frey's as well as Katie's in-laws, and some nieces and nephews on Scott's side, as well as Mom and Rick. We all hung out and enjoyed a really pretty afternoon of hayrides, corn mazes and pony rides. Griffin and the littlier kids got their faces painted by a really cool face painter. We had a firepit reserved to roast hot dogs and make smores. The evening gt a little chilly before we left, but it was an excellent time and everyone had a really good time. I think this is probably going to become a tradition!

Gregg is still fighting this cough. Tonight I went to Walgreens and bought a new product by Alka Seltzer, he has always used their cold medicine that you dissolve in water ant then drink. They now make one that is specifically for a cough. he took one dose already and I am hoping that with one more that he will not cough all night and we can all get soe rest! If this crazy cough does not go away, he won't be able to have the surgery on Tuesday.

Just a few Layouts...

2008-10-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday! (almost)

2008-10-22T12:46:00.001-07:00

Hoping that maybe this week the Chiefs won't be the worst team in the league!

Muffin Monday!

2008-10-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

I planned to make pumpkin muffins this morning, but didn't have all the ingredients, so chocolate chip it is! They didn't smell as good as the pumpkin would have, but they will get eaten just the same.

We had a busy weekend. TUcker had his first basketball game of the season. They won, and all played really well. They played as a team better than they have in the past. Tucker was not feeling very well and spent most of the ret of the day sleeping on the couch. Gregg had the stomach flu during the week last week and the boys both enjoyed it over the weekend! I have managed to avoid it!

I finally got my fall decorations up on Saturday. I love all the pumpknis and scarecrows and was happy with the way it all came together. I wanted to get a picture of Daisy with the fall scene and with the help of Gregg and some nilla wafers we got this great shot!

Not too much going on this week. Both the boys have a school dance on Friday night. Taylor's is a costume dance , so we have to get a costume together this week. He actually has a girlfriend right now, so he has a "date" for the dance.

We are preparing for next weeks surgery and trying to figure out the details of all of that. Continue to pray for us and for Gregg's quick recovery!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRIFFIN!!

2008-10-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

Today is my nephew's 5th birthday! Griffin is one of the coolest kids I know. He is smart and funny and has a great big heart. I remember the day that Griffin was born and how excited we all were to meet him! Have a great day Small Frey, we love you!

Muffin Monday

2008-10-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today was Blueberry muffins.YUM! I didn't get them done in time for the boys to eat them for breakfast, but I had mine and they were really good, and still warm. They wiil eat their muffin in the morning and be HAPPY!

Monday!

2008-10-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

I wonder if the week started on Tuesday if we would dread it? Mondays are always difficult to get going. Anywhoo! I got a few things done this weekend. I have been wanting a new purse for the fall. Definately don't need one, but really wanted one. I was blog surfing theother day and saw one that I liked, asked where she got it and went to find me one. They didn't have the same one, but I fot this one instead, Isn't it cute! I also came across this blog, and was inspired to create this...
I altered the little frame from walmart by brushing some paint on and letting it dry then sanding it off in places. I cut a piece of Pattern Paper for the background inside the frame and then printed out BOO on card stock and cut the letters out into blocks and inked the edges. So simple, but I love it!

Makes me want to snuggle in...

2008-10-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

I love fall mornings and crisp cool air. We sleep with our windows open in the fall, yes, even when the temps drop into the upper 40's. It's comfortable when we go to bed and then the temp drops in the night and we snuggle deeper in the covers. Of course when the alarm goes off we are cozy and it makes the snooze button very handy! I love to just lay there in the quiet of the house and the dark of the early hour and snuggle in for just a few peaceful moments. There are very few quiet moments in my world and I savor everyone! So sleep with your windows open tonight and make good use of that comforter and snuggle close to the one sleeping next to you!

Thankful Thursday!

2008-10-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

It seems strange to have thankful as the title for this post considering it is about Gregg's impending surgery. But I am thankful. I am thankful for the technology needed to fix his eyes, I am thankful for a doctor that we trust, I am thankful that we have a support system that surrounds us with love, prayers and help with anything we need. Gregg will have the surgery on the 28th, we are both a little nervous about it. I think the surgery itself is relatively routine as far as that goes, but the recovery for Gregg will be at least 3 weeks. I think that more than anything the mental preparation for this is what is taking it's toll on us. Gregg had convinced himself that he was not going to need it, fortunately I did not let myself think tht, so I was more prepared for the decision. Gregg does lots of things really well, stress and changes are not his best thing! Pray that he will be settled with this, pray that all goes well and pray that he does not drive me crazy while he is home with me for three weeks!

On a much happier note and also along the lines of being thankful....I got my new dinning room table today, and I love it!

Wordless Wednesday!

2008-10-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

And me without my camera!

2008-10-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

What kind of scrapbooker am I? I left the house Saturday morning for the American Diabetes Association Walk for a Cure and totally forgot my camera. Katie and Reese were walking with me and she forgot her camera as well. Oh well....It was a beautiful day! I wish I had my camera because Reese looked so cute in her walk T-shirt, she was a real trooper for the whole route!They had a great turn out and as of the walk end had raised over $200,000 for the ADA! Katie and I have been actively raising money for the American Diabetes Association for the last two years. Most of you who know me know that Gregg, my hubby, was diagnoised at age 7 with Type 1 diabetes. The last few years have been a challenge for him and for us to learn how to deal with the complications that come from having a chronic illness for 33 years. I appreciate so much those who donate money through our team, and through all the others, I hope that we see a cure in my lifetime, and his. On this subject please pray for Gregg this week, he is seeing the eye specialist tommorrow, he has had some complications with his retina, that have been closely monitored for the past few years and in the last few months some changes have occured and may need to be addressed more closely. He is dreading the decision that will be out of his hands if there are any more changes when he goes tommorrow. Please just take a minute or two and think of him, and say a little prayer for good news.

On a totally separate note...I have been competing in a challenge at Scrap4life Imade it to week 3 and I totally loved my LO, but I didn't advance to week 4. Oh well, I was a little bummed, but I know that the team they pick will be great and provide lots of inspiration. I actually had wanted to do this LO and the challenge made me get it done, so thanks Jodie for that! Here's the LO, and it has made me smile every time I walked past it this week! It was really a good time!

2008-09-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

My last two Lo's from the weekend.

River pictures...

2008-09-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from the trip to the ELk River this past weekend. It was a beautiful day and we had an awesome time!

Scrappy Weekend!

2008-09-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

I had a super busy, but productive weekend! Friday night was Scrapbook Generation's Scrap Pink CropDebbie and Karin outdid themselves, it was really fun! I haven't actually been to a crop since the retreat in the spirng and i did get some LO's done and it was for a good cause! Karin made pink cupcakes and cookies and they gave away lots of pink prizes. I was also participating in a online crop ove at Scrap4life.com Kazan Clark was the host this month and she put up some great challenges. I only got 4 of them done, but I was happy with the LO's I did. I have been competing in a design team search atScrap4lifeand I did advance this week! It went from 27 to 16 this week so I am thinking about the challenge for this week, we are supposed to do a paper piecing on our page, I have had a crab pattern layed out on my desk for a few weeks to do a lO of the kids crab hunting at the beach, so I am excited to get that started.

The boys and I went with Katie and her kids and Mom to the River on Sunday. The weather was beautiful and the kids loved getting to spend some time floating in the river, collecting rocks, and tadpoles and crawdad's. katie and Griffin brought home one of the tadpoles and are hoping to see it to maturity. She researched online last night and found out they eat dry dog food, simple enough right? We'll see! here are a few of the pages I did this weekend, I have a couple more, but they need the journaling yet.

Challenge 1

2008-09-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

Scrap4life.com is hosting a design team search contest. Last week the challenge was to use circles for your background. This was my entry. I love these pictures of Brian and Taylor. The most recent one where Bub is holding Taylor was the start of this LO, it cracks me up! I was pretty happy with the finished project. I used the new My Minds Eye Paper.

A Tail of Puppy Love

2008-09-23T07:42:00.001-07:00

Thisis a mini album that I am teaching at Scrapbook Generation tonight. It is super cute, featuring a cover made from a transparency and a fun bone shape made with the cricuit. Each page features a quote about dogs and our relationships with them. There is room for about 3 2x2 photos on eage page. Of course mine features the lovely Daisy dog! It is a pretty full class so I am excited about that! Gregg is meeting me in town after for a dinner out, just the two of us. We are actually going to Red Lobster his favorite. We never went out for our anniversary, so we are using that as an excuse to share a nice meal, that I didn't have to cook!

She may look like a sea dog...

2008-09-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

but she's not! We spent the weekend at Stockton Lake, we camped and fished and just had a great weekend. Saturday we were all out on the boat, Daisy included. It was cloudy and cool when we headed out onto the lake so I had on Capri pants and a t-shirt, not intending at all to get in the water. The sun did come out after we had been on the water for a while and i got kinda hot so I decided to hang my feet off the edge into the water and cool off. Daisy does not like the water, she likes the boat and is perfectly content to lay on the deck and nap. When the boat is in motion we make her wear a life jacket, but when we are sitting still I take it off. We had been in a cove for quite a while so she didn't have her life jacket on. When I decided to hang my feet over, she was on the front deck, she decided to come sit next to me, only she took the faster route over the top cap of the boat. Those of you who know us know how much time Gregg spends washing and waxing the boat and vehicles, needless to say the top cap is very slick. Daisy went in and went under, from where I was I was not convinced that she was going to make it back up on her own and so I jumped in, fully clothed, and the water was not warm! By this time, gregg and the boys are laughing their heads off, Daisy is fine and I am soaked! Are dogs born knowing how to swim? I don't know and i still don't know if she can actually swim. Oh well, I was cooled off and Spent the rest of the afternoon laying in the sun trying to dry out! My camera battery went dead shortly after I took this picture so I have none of the two of us after the trauma, but I can tell you we both needed a nap!

October Classes

2008-09-18T06:53:00.001-07:00

In October I will be teaching 2 classes. The first is a Disney album class, using the Maya Road binder album. the cost will be $18. The second is a single page Halloween Layout. Usually I wouldn't teach a single page, but this one has quite a bit going on, lots of distressing with sandpaper and ink and paint. I am using the Little Yellow Bicycle line. the cost will be $8. I am not sure of the dates yet, they will be in the SG newletter or you can always call the store and the girls there will hook you up with the information.

Just a few pictures...

2008-09-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot going on, just a busy week! I am working on some scrappy stuff for classes at Scrapbook Generation I am competing over at scrap4life.com in a contest for their design team. These are pictures from Bubba's birthday party. This is Katie, my Aunt Glenda, and Me. These two happen to be 2 of my favorite people and I enjoy being able to spend time with them, we always laugh and have such fun together!This is Taylor and Glenda...the boys are lucky enough to have two awesome grandmothers and they also got Glenda. From the time they were born she has been a big part of their lives. I am so blessed to have had her in my life growing up, as an adult and now to share in the lives of my boys!This picture totally cracks me up...Bubba and Taylor have a very special relationship. At Bubba's party we watched a video that had many pictures of Bub and Tay together and it prompted this picture to be taken, mind you the last time Bub was holding Taylor in a picture he was about 2.

15 YEARS!!!

2008-09-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

September 11, 1993 I became Laura Parks! I have said in earlier posts that it does not feel like 15 years, the time has flown by. I remember the morning we got married, it was cool and a little overcast as I got ready, we were having an outside wedding, so I was a little concerned. As the morning progressed the weather did as well and the sun was shinning bright by the time my dad gave me away. We were lucky enough to have both of Gregg's grand mother's and both of my grandfather's present at our wedding, since then we have each lost one. We were surrounded by family and close friends for the day. It wasn't a big wedding, it was simple, which perfectly describes our life. We like the simple things. We love each other and we laugh a lot. We get mad at each other, but we quickly make up. We support each other, and not just when it's going well. We have difficult things that we deal with each day, Gregg's health tops the list, but we do it together. When asked how we make it work these are the things I tell people. Seriously laughter fixes alot, even if you are laughing at each other! You may have heard the expression..."You Might be a redneck if you had a dog in your wedding party", well,we did. Our dog wizard was just about a year old when we got married and yes he was in the wedding, and he was really good through the ceremony! Have a great day!

Almost 15 years...

2008-09-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

Well tommorrow it is official....15 years of marriage. Wow! It doesn't seem like it has been that long. We got married. Celebrated our first anniversary when I was 7 months pregnant. By the time we had been married 3 years we had a full house, our family was complete. I have said before that this is not the life I imagined. My LO for today is about just that, it sums it all up. And no if I could do it over I would not change a thing. It is not aways easy to be married. IT's work to live with someone else. Unfortunately our society has mad marriage disposable like so many other things. It seems that people think if it works out great and if not that is fine too! It's not fine. When you get married and have children you learn to compromise, you learn to adjust and learn to work it out. I can't always have my way, although I try hard to convince anyone who will listen that i should. I have been blessed for 15 yearrs to be married to gregg and I look forward to many more and I know that there will be many more compromises on his part, and some on mine. I hope that our boys learn by watching us that it's okay to disagree, and that working it out is half the fun! I hope they see that it's not all bliss, but that evry moment is worth it, even when you don't get your way.

The first LO I want to share today is just a simple silly one of Gregg at his birthday party a couple of years ago...he is so silly sometimes, we laugh alot!

The next Lo is of Tucker and Gregg at the beach about five years ago. It is actually a candid moment that I caught when I was still using a camera with film. I remember the day that the film was developed looking at this picture and almost crying, it is still one of my favorite pictures of all time and hangs in our dinning room. It is so perfect because Gregg does take the TIME to sit and listen and talk to the boys...who knows they could have been making fun of someone, but I prefer to think he was telling him something important, one of those things that you lock away to use later!

Posed or not...

2008-09-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

Do you like pictures that are posed or just candid shots the best? This was a question on one of the message boards I cruise every day. My answer was both. I do like posed pictures, I think they serve a purpose especially when you want to get a group shot. For example every year at my Grandpa's birthday we take a group photo, I think it is so cool to look back and see how our family has grown and see how much it changes in just one year!

But I love a great candid shot. While on vacation this summer, my brother's girlfriend captured a moment between my brother,sister and I that I love. None of us are looking at the camera. It was when we very first arrived at the beach....Bubba was already there and katie and I got there and we were all just looking at the water and you can almost here us *sigh* as we let go of everything else! I can't wait to scrapbook this picture. Now there are some pictures that are kinda in between posed and candid....like this one of the three of us and our cousins in the dugout at royals stadium, my sister was definately posing!
So which do you like best candid or posed?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBBA!!

2008-09-09T10:01:00.001-07:00

My brother turns 40 today! We celebrated over the weekend with a shrimp boil at his house, really fun! His name is Brian, but when my oldest was a baby we started calling him Bubba and he has been that to all of us ever since, it suits him. So here's to hoping you have a great day,BUBBA, we love you!!!

More about the man I LOVE!

2008-09-09T07:28:00.001-07:00

I can't seem to post everyday so I am going to post a few LOs today to catch up. From the previous story you know that I never intended to date this man let alone marry him, he knows it, but he knows that I am so glad I did! I knew after our first date That he was the one for me, I know people say that, but I really did. We clicked immediately. He is very close to his family, like I m mine and he likes to do the same things I do...well maybe I like to do the same things he does! I knew he wanted a family, he was clear from the git go however that two kids was what he wanted. We have been blessed with two boys. The first LO is from a mini album "Just Us" it features one of my favortie picutres of him...he didn't know I was taking it, it was at my nephews birthday party and I was across the yard from him, I just love it! The next two are from a mini album about our vacation to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary. I do not like to have my picture taken, but I love to have pictures of us together, doesn't make a lot of sense. The last one today is of all 3 of my boys. This is so them...he is such a fun dad. He loves to play and be silly and he truly enjoys being their dad! I am so very lucky.

Just for fun!

2008-09-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

I found this on someone else's blog....copy and paste it to yours and highlight the things that YOU have done!

Have you ever...(if it is bold I have)

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given to a charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Held a lamb
25. Gone skinny dipping
26. Taken an ice cold bath
27. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
28. Seen a total eclipse
29. Ridden a roller coaster
30. Hit a home run
31. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
32. Adopted an accent for fun
33. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
34. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
35. Loved your job 90% of the time
36. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
37. Watched wild whales
38. Gone rock climbing
39. Gone on a walk on the beach
40. Gone sky diving
41. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
42. Bench-pressed your own weight
43. Milked a cow
44. Alphabetized your personal files
45. Worn a superhero costume
46. Sung karaoke
47. Lounged around in bed all day
48. Gone scuba diving
49. Kissed in the rain
50. Played in the mud
51. Gone to a drive-in theater
52. Done something you should regret
53. Visited the Great Wall of China
54. Started a business
55. Been in a movie
56. Gone without food for 3 days
57. Made cookies from scratch
58. Won first prize in a costume contest
59. Got flowers for no reason
60. Spoken more than one language fluently
61. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
62. Bounced a check
63. Read and understood your credit report
64. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
65. Called or written your Congress person
66. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
67. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
68. Helped an animal give birth
69. Been fired or laid off from a job
70. Won money
71. Broken a bone
72. Ridden a motorcycle
73. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
74. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
75. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
77. Had your picture in the newspaper
78. Read the Bible cover to cover
79. Changed some one's mind about something you care deeply about
80. Gone back to school
81. Changed your name
82. Eaten fried green tomatoes
83. Read The Iliad
84. Taught yourself an art from scratch
85. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
86. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
87. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
88. Been elected to public office
89. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
90. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
91. Dyed your hair
92. Rocked a baby to sleep
93. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
94. Raked your carpet
95. Worn a mood ring
96. Ridden a horse
97. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
98. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
99. Buried a child
100. Gone to a Broadway play
101. Been inside the pyramids
102. Shot a basketball into a basket
103. Danced at a disco
104. Played in a band
105. Shot a bird
106. Gone to an arboretum
107. Tutored someone
108. Ridden a train
109. Brought an old fad back into style
110. Eaten caviar
111. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn't need
112. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
113. Published a book
114. Pieced a quilt
115. Lived in a historic place
116. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
117. Asked for a raise
Made a hol118. e-in-one mini golfing
119. Gone deep sea fishing
120. Gone roller skating
121. Run a marathon
122. Learned to surf
123. Invented something
124. Flown first class
125. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury hotel
126. Sang a solo
127. Gone spelunking
128. Learned how to take a compliment
129. Written a love-story
130. Seen Michelangelo's David
131. Had your portrait painted
132. Written a fan letter
133. Spent the night in something haunted
134. Ran away
135. Learned to juggle
136. Been a boss
137. Sat on a jury
138. Lied about your weight
139. Gone on a diet
140. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
141. Written a poem
142. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
143. Gotten food poisoning
144. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
145. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
146. Gone to the opera
147. Gotten a letter from someone famous
148. Worn knickers
149. Ridden in a limousine
150. Attended the Olympics
151. Can hula or waltz
152. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
153. Been stuck in an elevator
154. Had a revelatory dream
155. Thought you might crash in an airplane
156. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
157. Saved someone's life
158. Eaten raw whale
159. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
160. Laughed till your side hurt
161. Straddled the equator
162. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
163. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
164. Sent a message in a bottle
165. Spent the night in a hostel
166. Been a cashier
167. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
168. Joined a union
169. Donated blood
170. Built a campfire
171. Kept a blog
172. Had hives
173. Worn custom made shoes or boots
174. Made a PowerPoint Presentation
175. Taken a Hunter's Safety Course
176. Served at a soup kitchen
177. Conquered the Rubik's cube
178. Known CPR
179. Gone fishing
180. Found a long lost friend
181. Voted for a contestant on American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance
182. Successfully convinced someone you were of a different nationality
183. Received a promotion
184. Movie-hopped (Gone to two movies in a theater and only paying for the first movie)
185. Planned a surprise party for someone
186. Beaten all levels of a video game
187. Driven more than 2,500 miles on a cross-country trip
188. Cried yourself to sleep
189. Stayed awake for more than 24 hours
190. Crossed a national border by car
191. Been to an island
192. Been completely out of debt (student loans, house, and all)
193. Read a book from the Twilight series
194. Traveled to Italy
195. Given birth
196. Found a bra that fits perfectly
197. Learned to meditate
198. Owned your dream car
199. Learned to love eating raw vegetables
200. Seen all 50 states

Football Season, Fall and Falling in Love....

2008-09-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well Football season is upon us! Last night was the first "real" game of the season. I am not that huge of a fan, I watch, i could take it or leave it, but this is not the consensus at my house. The 3 boys that i live with LOVE football, it begins in August with preseason and the drafting of their Fantasy Football teams, and continues until the final celbration of the superbowl. I know that not everyone agrees, but where I live, by that i mean my house, the Superbowl should be deemed a National Holiday. In my little world Football Food is it's own food group! Oh well, there could be worse things they love! In honor of Kickoff weekend I drug out a coupl of older LO's that feature MY Fans. They are die hard CHIEFS fans, winning or losing they cheer for the Chiefs!! Who do you cheer for?

The last few days it has rained and been chilly and dark, but today the sun is shinning and the air is dry and cool and I can feel Fall coming. We have the windows open on the house and are loving the fresh air! This morning I baked a loaf of poppyseed bread and a loaf of Pumpking bread, so now not only does it feel like fall, but it smells like it as well. I don't know about you, but fall means baking at my house. The summer months it's too hot and I hate to heat the house up with the oven unless I have to, so not a lot of baking gets done. The boys love it, because it means muffins and bread for breakfast, and cookies after school!! What do you like to bake in the fall?

I said in my last post that I would post a LO a day in honor of my 15th anniversary next week. I did not get one posted yesterday, but today I have one. This is one of my favorite ones I have done of Gregg and I. It was for a challenge several years ago to make a top 10 list. I like the picture of us...kinda simple, but that is who we are! I challenge you to make a list of the reasons you love...it could be anyone or anything, it's just kinda fun!My list reads....1.I love that you are my best friend, there is no one I trust more.2. I love that you love the beach as much as I do. There is nothing like sand between your toes. 3. i love how you are with the boys. i see your influence in the choices they make each day. 4. I love that you make me smile when I'm mad at you. Sometimes it makes me more mad, but I still Love that you can do it. 5. I love that in fifty years it will still be you that I go to sleep next to at night and wake up next to each morning.6. I love that you choose to coach the boys ball teams. You could be at the lake, but you choose to be on the field o on the court. 7. I love that you remember our first date as well as I do.8. I love that we laugh together.
9.I love the way you swat me on the rear when you walk past me in the kitchen. 10. I love that you take our life seriously but don't let it make our lives serious.

This and That..

2008-09-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a beautiful weekend at the lake. The Weather could not have been more wonderful. It was so nice for a change to go to the lake and actually have SUNSHINE the whole time we were there! The boys had a great time fishing. BY the time we left on Monday they had cought between the four of them almost 200 fish, now bare in mind that some of the fish were about 2 inches long, the largest was a keeper small mouth that Taylor caught, probably about 3 pounds. They jsut fished off the bank and really enjoyed it. We could hardly get them to do anything else. We did manage to pull them away long enough to got to Celebration City on Friday night and we all enjoyed some time in the pools, and laying by the pool reading. I read Nora Roberts, Tribute. It was good.

Todya we are getting lots of rain. We needed it and right no it is nice gentle rain, soaking in!

In honor of My 15th wedding anniversary next week, on the 11th, I thought I would post Layouts between now and then of me and Gregg. Today's is one of my fav's.

The journaling reads..."I never date my brother's friends..."
Summer 1989--I had just graduated from high school. My brother was home on leave from the Navy. This particular summer Braian's friends were hanging around our house all the time. One night Gregg was over and he and I got to visiting and He asked if I wanted to go out sometime. My response was, "I don't dat Brian's friends."

Thanksgiving 1991--I was working in Kansas City and Brian was stationed in Washington State, we both were home for the holiday weekend. Brian and some friends were going out for the night and Brian asked if I wanted to go along, I said no. Later ther night Brian said, "Gregg Parks wants to know if you will just go out with him." I said i would. That night and for the next two years I dated my brother's friend.

September 11, 1993--my wedding day. I married my brother's friend!!

Long weekend !!

2008-08-28T07:44:00.001-07:00

Today is my Friday! We are headed to the lake for the Labor Day weekend Tommorrow! This is an annual trip that we make with Gregg's family every year. His parents rent a couple of condos on the lake and we all hang out and have a great time. The kids love being able to spend so much time with their cousins and play in the pool and the lake. They all love to fish and play on the tube behind the boat. Where we stay has a little dock that we pretty much spend our days on, really fun. This year we are heading over to Celebration City on Friday night, we have season passes and have free passes for guests, so this should be fun. I am just looking forward to relaxing and not worrying about anything for a few days! Hopefully the weather cooperates, sounds like it may be rainy off and on.

Well, Tucker is officailly 12, we celebrated with all the family on Tuesday night and had a great time. He had asked for a stereo for his room, we told him that was more than we spend on birthdays and maybe he could get it for Christmas. We went on Saturday and actually found one very similar to the one he wanted, that actually was in the birthday busget and so he was super surprised! Our windows were shaking Tuesday night as he ENJOYED his gift! It's nice when they are genuinely surprised at something you give them.

Tonight is the kickoff for the American Diabetes Step out for a CUre. This is a walk that we will be doing on October 4. Katie and I had our 2nd annual Crop for a Cure in April to raise money for our team. Right now we are the leaders in donations. The effort to find a cure is of course very close to our hearts, Gregg has delt with this disease since he was 7. It is challenging for him as well as me and the boys and really our whole family. They are making great strides in the research of diabetes and it is our hope that they find a cure in our lifetime! I am excited to go tonight and get energized for the walk and to kickoff the next phase of our fundraising effort.

These are a few older LO that I am just getting around to posting. The one of Taylor is one of my favorites, but he will be 14 in November. The others are of Princess Reese, the girl in our lives!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TUCKER!!

2008-08-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Twelve years ago today Tucker James Parks was born! He was born at 35 weeks, and seemed so tiny. The whole labor and delivery was so different from when we had Taylor. Taylor was almost 2 weeks late and when he decided to come he came fast. Tucker on the other hand had decided to take his own sweet time, not so different from how is still is. My labor started in the middle of the night on Saturday and was slow and steady all day Sunday and through the night and he didn't make an apperance until Monday morning when they broke my water. I remeber after they took him to get cleaned up it seemed like forever before they came back to see us, then they let us know that he would be in the NICU for a few days, he needed some help with breathing and antibiotics. He was in an oxygen tent for the first 36 hours and we couldn't hold him. He spent the next 7 days in the NICU before we could take him home. It's been a fun 12 years. Tucker is a fun kid, who laughs a lot. I thought in honor of his birthday I would list 12 things I LOVE about Tucker.

1. His belly laugh....it is contagious.
2. His deep brown eyes, they will melt a girl's heart someday.
3. His kind heart
4. His ease with new people
5. His imagination
6. His genuine desire to please
7. The way he look like a mini version of Gregg...right down to the way they cross their toes.
8. His willingness to try new things.
9. His silliness.
10. His laid back attitude
11. He is loyal to his family and friends.
12. He makes me smile,even when he is driving me crazy.

Happy Birthday,Tucker!
I Love you!!

Scrap Pink

2008-08-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Scrapbook Generation, my LSS is hosting a Scrap Pink Crop, actually a whole weekend of activities to support the "Susan G Komen for the Cure" breast cancer foundation. Saturday September 27 they are having a Scrap Pink Crop, I can't wait I haven't been to a crop in a while, part of the proceeds go to the Foundation. Saturday they are having a special day of sketch classes, featuring all pink lo's. All day Saturday they are holding a silent auction where "Pink" projects will be bid on. If you live in the neighborhood come by and support this great cause!

Here is one of my donations to the silent auction...it's a mini album. You can't tell from the picture but the letters are actually glitter covered foam thickers.

Last Day of Summer Vacation...

2008-08-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

The boys head back to school tommorrow! They are mostly ready, school supplies are purchased and loaded into backpacks. We meet Tucker's teacher tonight.

They have had a great summer, gotten to do lots of fun stuff and just hang out.

We have been having unseasonably cool weather for August the past few days...we took advantage of the weather and headed to Silver Dollar City on Saturday with the Durr's. It wasn't as crowded as we had expected and we all enjoyed the day. The boys (big and small) enjoyed the rides, including the water rides! They were soaked most of the day. Finally Taylor rode Wildfire and loved it....we couldn't keep him off once he got a taste for it!

I am already in the fall mindset even though I know we will have lots more warm days before the fall actually gets here. My house right now has the wonderful smell of chicken soup cooking on the stove. I am looking forward to fall camping and spending evenings on the deck without the bugs!
Enjoy this last day of vacation!

Sweet Summertime Mini Album!

2008-08-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the ladies who I had in class last night, it was a lot of fun! I was glad everyone enjoyed the beading and hope that all of you will use it on future Layouts or projects! Put pictures in your albums and show them off!

Out of the mouths of babes.

2008-08-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday Sfternoon I was at my sister's house, some family was in from out of town for a quick visit and we met up there. Griffin, my almost 5 year old nephew, was unusually quiet, in fact he spent much of the visit playing in his room. After we had all gone he continued to play alone in his room until my sister asked if he wanted to go to the store with her. On the way ther he asked her if she wanted to know what was bothering him (this is so Griffin), of course she said yes. He shared with her that he had heard us talking about our brother and that made him think of his brother ( who died before Griffin was born) and he was sad because he wanted to play with him, and he wanted to just go to heaven too so that they could play together. my sister assured him that his brother would be waiting in heaven to play with him, and tht he was not alone. While Griffin does not understand that if he goes to heaven he would not be here with us, he knows that he just wants to be able to play with the brother that he only knows in his heart.

What struck me about this was, perhaps i don't always appreciate the relationships that I have. i expect a lot from the people I love. I need to take a lesson from Griffin and realize that people may not always be what I expect, at least I have them here to love and to "play" with.

Take time today to tell someone you love them, slow down and just listen without expectations, you might jsut se something new that was there all along. And remember that the little ones in our life can make wonderful, unfiltered observations of the world around us and it would do all of us good to listen!

Dwelling in the Past.

2008-08-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

My day Saturday was spent doing just this. My Grandfather, who is 89, and I spent the day Saturday exploring Springfield. Papa was a carpenter by trade, and built many buildings in Springfield. It was more than just a chance to see the structures themselves, but an opportunity for him to remember the experiences and the people he's known along the way. Through the course of the day he shared silly stories of men who worked for him or interesting things about a certain job. he recalled what year a job was some by remembering where he was living at the time or what was going on with his family while he was working on a project. When we stopped at Westminster, he told me of the day he was digging the basement and someone came to tell him my grandmother had had a stroke.

One project that over the years I have heard him talk about was the Fountains at what is now Cox North Hospital. At the time he built them there were three, nowd only one remains. He has often talked about the challenge of building them. The fountains were covered inside and out with a mosaic tile and filled with colored lights, they nolonger have the tiles and sadly no longer have water in them. Lester Cox, namesake for the Cox hospitals, after seeing how fond my Granfather was of the project and especially the tile gave him a box of the tiles to use on a project at home. Papa was rnovating a farmhouse and he used the tiles to cover the bathroom vanity.

We saw many things on our journey around town, but, our first stops holds the most memories and the most signifigance for our family. Our first stop was the corner of Fremont and Central, "the old neighborhood" as my mom and my Aunt Glenda refer to it. My Papa proudly served our country in WWII, prior to leaving for his tour he built a small house for my Grandma,their daughter Glenda, and my Grandma's sister Orean to live in while he was gone. The house did not originally sit where it does now, it was moved and then added on to, but the original structure remains and he is so proud of it. The second hous that sit s on this corner is a small white house that he built for his young family, this is the house that my mom came home to when she was born. This house sits much the same as the day he built it.

I love spending time with Papa and love to hear his stories. He has lived a full life, had many adventures and has much to be rpoud of. I appreciate that he takes the time to spend a day Dwelling on the past with me so that my children will be able to tell their children the full story of who this man was, because it is a story worth telling.

If life were only this SIMPLE....

2008-08-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Daisy Dog and her noon time nap!

Sweet Summertime....

2008-08-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that August is here and Summer is almost over. The heat the past week leads me to believe that we still have a little left, but the boys go back to school in just two weeks....where did the time go! We have had a packed summer, vacation with the whole family to the beach, trips to the lake, between rain showers, we have hit Celebration City, Silver Dollar city and White water and gotten our money out of our passes! Both of the boys dared to ride things this year that in the past we could not get them on. Taylor still won't go on WildFire at SDC, but next year we will get him on there! I wanted to share some pictures that I haven't posted yet. I also want to let anyone who is interested know that I am teaching at Scrapbook Generation in August and September. You can check out their website for times and details on my classes as well as the other desiners classes.

My First....

2008-07-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Published Layout!!! I am so excited to finally have a layout in print! Last summer i submitted to this call and one of mine was picked up. It took a long time for the book to materialize but it finally has and it is really cool. I think it will be a great go to book for ideas...most of the LO's have many photos, which is nice. This is my LO, it's Taylor when he was learning to skim board. i love big picture of him.

We went to the Movies....

2008-07-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

We usually wait for a movie to come out on video before we see it, but we actually went to the movie last week when it was raining. The boys and i saw Get Smart. It was so funny. Just slap stick humor and silly. We all loved it. Rarely is there a movie made that satisfies both mother and sons and since they think I am the meanest mother in Republic for my censorship of what they watch,it was a nice change for all of us to enjoy one together!

It's July...

2008-07-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

and I haven't blogged since February. I have been in a scrapbooking rut, just not in the mood, no ideas. We have been busy with summer and vacation and the endless rain!! Finally last night I was in the mood and I got a couple of pages done. I am really happy with both of them. One is from Vacation last year of Tucker and Brandon. And the other is of my pretty Daisy Dog! She is so very funny! I am working on samples for classes at Scrapbook Generation for August and September. I am going to do a Summertime mini album and a fun album for your dog, shaped like a bone!
This is a Picture of Daisy and Wizard that I love!

MY New Kids Class....

2008-02-21T15:31:00.000-08:00

Thisis for my March kids class at Scrapbookgeneration. It should be really fun, lots of flowers, felt ,buttons and bling!

From the storm...

2008-02-18T10:28:00.000-08:00

I took these on Thursday after the ice stopped falling on Tuesday! It was a mess! One of my little girls I keep kept saying it was so sparkly outside and yes it was! I'm ready for summer!!

2008-02-13T08:50:00.000-08:00

At least the sun is out!

2008-02-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

That seemed to be the greeting around our house this morning. It might be cold but at least the sun is out. Hopefully it will get above freezing today and some of this will melt off. The kids are home from school for the third day today and are a little restless, it's not like snow where they could at least go out and play in it, it's just ice and cold! I got my scrap stuff cleaned up and organized yesterday, no small task. I might be able to find things now. Gregg asked if i found anything I didn't know I had, I said no I just didn't know where it all was! I am not a tidy scrapper, so it was nice to get things in their place.
I made valentines cupcakes while we have been homebound and yesterday I got another challenge done for the month at scrap4life.com.

The Weather Outside is Frightful!

2008-02-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

It started icing here about 5:00 this morning...yuck. The kids are out of school. Even Missouri State University canceled classes today, they never do that. It rains for awhile and then ices for awhile. Last year we had an ice storm that led to 6 days without electricity for us and longer for some. My inlaws and my sister both bought a generator after the last strom so if we lose power at least we have a warm place to go! Hope someone is enjoying warm weather today, i just wish it was me!

Music and Lyrics

2008-02-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

I just watched this movie for the third time. I Love, Love, Love it! Hugh grant and Drew Barrymore, you can't go wrong. if you were a teenager in the 80's you will get a kick out of this! Give it a try.

Finally I did A Layout

2008-02-09T16:22:00.001-08:00

I found a new site that I really like, Scrap4life.com, they have a lot of fun challenges for the month. This was for the color challenge which was Red this month, fitting for Valentines day. I used BO Bunny paper. I am not very happy with the picture I took of the LO, it was kinda cloudy today, but I am so happy that I finally got a LO done.

Amish Friendship Bread...

2008-02-09T11:31:00.001-08:00

it smells so good when it is baking. The whole house smells like warm cinnamon! YUM-O!! A friend gave me a start last week and today was baking day. It will make a good snack later, can't wait!

2008-02-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

These are pictures from Katie and i's Croppin' for a Cure event last year. The group picture isn't all that great someone who wasn't familiar with my camera took it. We have gotten derious about planning this years's event. We are holding it the first weekend in May. We have already been gathering door prizes and items for the raffle. Yesterday i was able to get a Cricut to raffle off, that should bring in some donations. We also fund a really cute bag that is the perfect size to travel with a cricut, it's pink and green, super cute! I will post pictures in the next few days of some of the prizes and raffle items. Last year we were so lucky to raise almost $2000 for the American Diabetes Association. Our goal for this event is $3500. By the time we do our walk in October we hope to raise $10,000. If you are interested leave me a comment and I will get back to you.

CRAZY weather!!

2008-02-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, what is going on with this crazy weather? Thursday and Friday were snow days for my boys....they predicted 8-10 inches we got about 2 inches. Sunday it started to warm up, it nice to cook out for the superbowl party, and then yesterday and today the boys have worn shorts to school. We have the windows open in February. Don't get me wrong i am not complaining, i much prefer shorts to snowsuits, but it is just weird! here are a few pictures from the snow day...Katie took the boys and Grifin and Reese sledding!

Handy Manny he is not.....

2008-01-30T07:12:00.000-08:00

What should have been a simple project turned into a nightmare project that finally found it's conclusion on Tuesday when the nice professional arrived to fix it! Let me start at the beginning....Saturday we had to run to Lowes to pick a part to fix the heater. While there Gregg asked if I wanted o get new handles for the shower(the ones in there just needed a little update), I said sure, and why didn't we just replace the shower head and spout as well while we were at it. After looking for a few minutes we settled on a nice Moen set ($82) and also decided to purchase new faucet sets for the two sinks in that same bathroom. $175 later we head home! We quickly fix the heater, and it is still working today, and decide to wait until we get home from Taylor's basketball game to work on the bathroom. We get home around 4:30, this is where the nightmare starts....first Gregg took the old spout off and got ready to put the new one on,this should be simple, it shouldjust screw right on, no, it will only go about 1 turn...what the heck? After trying for about an hour he decides that somethibg is wrong with the threads, so i take it back to lowe's where they inform me, with visual aid, that there is nothing wrong with the threads...back home i go. So when I get home I say to Gregg, "Why don't we just box it all back up and return it and we will just get new handles and be done with it?" No, he says, he is sure that he can get it on... and to his defense he knows this is what I want and he is jsut trying to make me happy. So for the next two hours, yes two hours, he tries to get this stupid spout on. Basicly he is making new threads in the new fitting....finally he just needs about a quarter of a turn and he will have it, and this is when it happens, the fitting breaks and the faucet,not on andnot off is stuck. I don't mean stuck a little and we eventually can get it off, it is stuck to the point that a hack saw is required to get it off! We are done for the day! Sunday we start fresh just planning to put the new shower head on and the new handles. We get the water shut off and beign....the shower head goes on with no major crisis, Yeah! It does not take us long to realize that the handles will not work on the current pipes that we have, the pipes that are buried in the wall behind the shower. Universal handles here we come, so for a recap, basiclly we have a new shower head that cost $80. I go to Lowe's and get new handles and we get the adapters on and turn the water on to make sure we are all set to install the handles and this is when it happens, a leak,not the kind that you can ignore and just move on,the kind that has to be fixed before we can install the new handles. At this point it isalmost 3:00 and he has to go out of town for the whole week, he is done. He looks at me and says call a plumber and just get this fixed. It is fixed now and I am happy to say that now I have the handles that I wanted and I also have a new lovely hole in my wall. And all of this for the bargin Price of $250. The moral of the story is...if it sounds too easy to be true, it probably is.

Cupcakes, Cold and Catchup....

2008-01-17T10:39:00.000-08:00

It is so cold here, YUCK! I hate winter and all that comes with it. We are stuck inside and the kids are getting a little stir crazy. The one thing good about the cold is it makes me want to bake. Right now my house is filled with the smell of cherry cupcakes baking. The yummy scent of almond and cherry is wonderful.
I am planning to frost them with chocolate, can't wait!
We have been busy with basketball, Taylor is finishing up his season. He has been playing in a tournament in Marshfield this week and will finish it up tonight. Next week we have the COC in Willard. Tucker has started his league in republic, they have won the first two games...not by much but they have at least won.
I am definately feeling the need for a trip to the beach. June can not get here soon enough. I need to scrapbook our trip to the beach from last summer, maybe I will drag those pictures out and try and get warm just by looking at those.
Have a great day and try to stay warm!

Looking back....

2008-01-01T12:50:00.001-08:00

Just a few of my favorites from the year.
March 2008
Thanksgiving
Labor Day
Dillon, Joey, and Taylor
Viola September 2008

Croppin' for a Cure
Ice Storm, Jan. 2008...We were without power for 6 days!

Go Bears!

2008-01-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Just a fun picture of all the kids in their Bear wear from Grandma!

hAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2008-01-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is welcoming in the new year healthy and happy. We celebrated last night with friends at our house, playing games and snacking...losts of fun. The blys each had a friend spend the night and were up until about 5:00am playing games and waching movies. They were quiet after Gregg and I went to sleep so we did't care. This afternoon we might pay for that decision, Tucker will crash about 5:00 and when he goes sown it won't be pretty! The boys are outside right now have an airsoft war with their buddies. It's pretty cold outside, but they don't seem to mind. I probably need to get up and put some hot chocolate on, because they will need a warm up when they head back in! Happy New Year! Enjoy the last few days before school starts back!

2007-12-28T14:05:00.003-08:00

This is Christmas morning...new hats from Brad and Mary.

It's Friday already!!!

2007-12-28T08:08:00.001-08:00

It's strange when I am off for a few days and start my week at the end of the week. The boys were very confused about what day it was. I'm not confused just happy that It's Friday and I am off again until Wednesday. The kids don't go back to scool until Thursday, but the teachers have to work on wednesday so I will be busy that day. Our Schedule fills up quickly afer they go back...Taylor Plays ball on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Fortunately 2 of the 3 games are at home. They start at 5:30 so if they are away I have to close early and head out.
Yesterday was Katie's birthday, she turned 35. We celebrated with lunch, just she and I and 10 kids! I am glad she chose to spend part of her day with me! Mom's birthday is today, we will all meet at Roco's Pizza on Tuesday to celebrate her birthday
I have enjoyed Christmas, but am ready to get back into our normal routine and I am ready for my house to be back in order. The tree is down but the ornaments are all laying on my dining table witht he other decorations from around the house. Hopefully this weekend everything will get put away and stored in the attic, ready for next year!
I have a few classes coing up at Scrapbook Generation I will be starting a new kids series this year, but I am doig it a little different by doing a project each month instead of an album for the year. janruary i am doing a mini paper bag album about family.It is really pretty. I am also teaching a 6x12 year in review album. I will post pictures as soon as I have my samples done, hopefully today sometime!

What fun...

2007-12-27T12:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas at our house was very relaxing. With the boys being older it doesn't seem to be quite as crazy. We got up early, they still love to see what is hidden under the tree. They were both excited about new mp3 players and guitar hero! My dad got them a new playstation 2 for christmas. We hooked the guiter hero up in the living room for the morning and all gave it a try. Not so easy...Gregg and I were both booed off the stage! BY the end of the day both of the boys had figured it out and now claim to be master rockers!! We spent most of the day playing games and just hanging out, the grandparents all came over for a late breakfast, yummy if I do say so myself. Gregg's parents stayed on into the afternoon and the boys and Grandpa played a few rounds of clue and grandma and I worked on a jigsaw puzzle we have set up in the living room right now. I spent the whole day in my jammies, a perfect day for me! We did venture out at dinner time to Gregg's grnadma's house for dinner and visiting with cousins and aunts and Uncles. All in all it was a great day all about family and together time.
Yesterday Gregg had to go back to work so the kids and I met Katie and Griff and Reese for lunch. Katie took the boys home with her to play with Griff for a while and I stopped to look at new bedroom furniture. I really want some, but they really want a lot of money for it, so we'll see.
Tonight Jon and Shannon are coming to town and we will celebrate with dinner and Presents at Jerry and Cinda's. The boys are already there waiting for the cousins to get here. They will spend the night over there tonight and possibly Friday night to be with their cousins. They never seem to have enough time with them.

2 Peas Question of the Day.....

2007-12-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

What do you like and dislike about the winter season. As I am not a winter person, what I like is not much! I do like my winter jammies, (I could live in them) I actually have more pjs than I do jeans. I like to settle in after the day with a bowl of chilli or homemade chicken noodle soup, neither is asappealing in the summer months. I enjoy watching my boys play basketball, which where we live is a fall/winter sport. Now what do I not like...I do not like the cold! I miss the sunshine. I do not like snow, and no I do not think it is pretty when it is falling. I hate the sloppy mess snow and ice leave behind when they melt.

I do like christmas and the time with family and I guess that that falls into the winter season, so that is a positive about winter. Speaking of Christmas...the presents are wrapped. The boys last day of school is today(yeah)! Tonight we will settle in and watch CHRISTMAS VACATION. Saturday we will celebrate with my family at Katie's house. I will be fun. We are going to open presents first so that the little ones will be in a good mood and then eat dinner. After the kids are settled in with a movie or bed the adults will play games. We are board game junkies, we are competitive with each other and just have a blast when we are togehter. We stay home on Christmas morning and just enjoy the time with the 4 of us. Gregg's Parents will come over for breakfast about 10 and then we will go to his grandma's for the evening. All his cousins and aunts and uncles will be there. This year they are having a chilli cook off between his dad and his siblings, it should be fun and yummy! There will be lots of good food and probably some singing and silliness. We will celebrate with Jon and his family sometime during the next weekend when they are in from Saint Louis. I plan on doing some baking tonight and Saturday, but mostly just enjoying some much needed down time.

GINGERBREAD HOUSES....

2007-12-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

We actually made seven but these are the ones who cooperated for a picture. They really did turn out cute.

A New years resolution....

2007-12-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

I am determined to be a better blogger. Let's be real what I am determined to do is be a blogger. I love to read blogs and take a peek into other people's daily lives. Not stars, just ordinary people. I am going to do better. my resolution is to blog at leasest twice a week, I would love to say i will do it everyday, but reality is I won't and life just gets too crazy, so i am setting my goal at twice a week.
I will also try to post pictures with each post. I want to get better about this as well. Even if no one else ever reads my blog I want to have this journal of our day to day.
I am almost ready for Christmas. I need one more present for Tucker to make it even under the tree. Nothing big, but gotta have one more or take one of Taylor's back. I am planning some fun baking for the next few days. I already did a bunch of cookie trays for friends and teachers, now need to do some for our Christmas gatherings. Among the favrites that will for sure be on the platters are Peanut butter Ballsand Peppermint pattiesmade with ritz crackers, yum! I am also planning some yummy sugar cookies, with cream cheese in the mix.
We have been basketballing for the last three weeks almost non-stop it feels like. We have not had a single night for the last three weeks that we did not have a commitment. Fun, but busy. Last night was the best game that Taylor has had since he mad the Middle School Team. he scored 10 points and made some really amazing steals and plays! It was so fun to watch, Gregg wasn't there to see it because he was coaching Tucker's team in a tournament in Springfield. Tucker finishes up this tournament tonight with two games. Hopefully they play well tonight, they lost by one point last night. Hopefullly the adult fans act a little more responsibly tonight, i guess they got a little out of hand last night and were calling each other names in the stands....ugly!
Friday we don't have a thing planned and we are going to settle in and eat dinner togehter and watch our favorite Christmas Movie of all timeChristmas VacationGregg and I have always had the tradition of watching this movie and last year we introduced the boys to it. I can't wait to just have some down time!! The boys last day of school is Friday and they are definately ready for a break.
Today I had my company christmas party...now understand that I own a daycare so the people that I spend my day with, "my company", consists of 4 two year olds, a four year old and a 6 month old. For our party we made gingerbreadhouses out of graham crackers(super Cute) and we had a book exchange. This is the first picture that I will post. we only had one cave in and it was easily repaired. look for pictures soon.

A lot has happened in a month....

2007-09-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

what a bad blogger I am...Lots has gone on here since the last time I wrote.
We had an awesome camping trip to Viola. We took Joey Preston and Taylor's friend Dylan with us. The Durr's joined us as well. The weather was HOT, really hot! It was perfect for hanging out in the lake all day. The boys tubed and kneeboarded. We all floated while anchored in the cove. FUN TIMES! We love the lake and avored our last trip before school started.
Yup, summer break is over. School started August 15. Taylor started middle school, yikes! He loves it! He is doing student council and playing football. He is busy- he practices everyday rain or shine. Tucker couldn't be happier with 5th grade. He loves his teacher, and brandon is in his class and sits right next to him, LIFE IS GOOD!
So between school, footballpractice, basketball practice, fantasy football drafts, etc. we are busy.
Oh yeah, Tucker had a birthday, he turne 11. He had hhis best buddies over for a sleepover and an air soft war. We also visited a really super fun place in downtown springfield, called 1980. It is an arcade packed with 1980's video games.You pay a cover charge when you go in and then you can play any games for as long as you want. FUN STUFF!
We spent Labor Day Weekend at the lake with all the Parks' . It is an annual trip that we all look forward to all year. The weather was wonderful! We aonly had one complication. Gregg scratched his cornea, so we got to pay a visit to Skagg's ER. It was very uncomfortable for him. Peyton rode the Tube for the first time, and loved it. The boys always have a blast when they are together.
Taylor had his first football game on thursday...he is so excited. We wil travelto Ozark. I can't wait to watch the action.
It feel like fall. We have the windows open tonight and the attic fanis pulling in the fresh air. NICE!
I will post pictures from this past month in the next few days!

Headed to the Lake ....

2007-08-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

to camp for the weekend! Yes it is going to be hot, but we will be in the water most of the time. The boys are both taking friends. The suburban is loaded the groceries are bought and packed all that is left to do is fill the coolers and we are out of here. The water should be perfect for playing this weekend. We haven't tubed or kneeboarded all summer, the weather hasn't been exactly cooperating. I know we will all come home sunkissed and tired, but i wouldn't want it any other way.

On a totally different note check go check out Consideryourselfchallenged the new challenge is up. It is an ad inspiration. The Design Team Lo's are up and are really great! You have until the 14th, i think to post your LO'S.

It is almost time for school to start, I can't hardly believe it! We bought school supplies last weekend. Open house, orientation is Monday night for Taylor at the middle school. I can't believe I have a middle schooler, I am not old enough to have a child in 7th grade, am i? Oh well!!

have a great weekend.

Just a few of my favorites....

2007-07-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

from vacation. of course i took around a zillion pictures while we were gone, but just wanted to share some of my favs! Last year we did family pictures in white t-shirts and I loved them, but this year i wanted to do something a little more us, so i made tye dye before we left, i really like them, i haven't picked out my favorite of the whole family yet, but i really like this one of all of us looking out at the water. tucker loved the boogie board, the waves were perfect on Monday and Tuesday, they really carried the boys all the way to the shore! FUN!! Too bad Gregg didn't have his sunglasses off in the pic of the two of us, i like it anyways. I will post more pictures later. I am definately going through beach withdrawl. the weather here is great though, we have the house open and it feels good to have the air off. Have a great day!