one more "for fun" layout

credits:
template by teresa ferguson for the cookie decorating challenge at ssd 03142007

dani mogstad and hunibuni's spring chick kit at ssd
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fonts: my type of font, pea mystie unicase

another "for fun" layout

credits:
spin-a-lift from mandabean at ssd

amanda rockwell's a mother's love collection: fun Kit at ssd
flower from amanda rockwell's pretty petals at ssd
flourish from christine smith flourish pack
old paper from amanda rockwell's a mother's love collection: unconditional
green & turquoise swish by hunibuni & dani mogstad's springchick kit at ssd
glitter heart from faith true's valentine's odds & ends pack
diamonds by amanda rockwell from the ssd february 2007 mega kit
screw from amanda rockwell's back in black collection: bright kit at ssd
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fonts: pea sdflenner, my type of font

new random layout

this is my niece, same photos i posted before...
template by teresa ferguson for the cookie decorating challenge at ssd - 03282007
robin cabana's calm kit from the colorfully you collection at scrapdish
sequined flower from correen silke's spring-ful things at scrapdish
stitched stem from laura burger's strawberry swirl kit
straight stitches from christine smith's rather ragged stitching
white flower doodle from amanda rockwell's back in black collection: bright kit
pink half flower from amanda rockwell's pretty petals at ssd
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fonts: segoe script

a new month...

so, i was just getting used to march, when i realized that it will be april tomorrow. we don't do april fool's pranks, so i may just do a fun dinner. someone on one of my creative teams is doing meatloaf and mashed potato cupcakes and a rice krispie treat meatloaf! what a cute idea! i may try to do it. one year i tried to do a green dinner for st patrick's day and thomas wouldn't eat it because he couldn't handle eating green potatoes!

this month promises to be life changing! i have a doctor appointment on monday to see if our daughter is a little closer to arriving. but before she decides to come i have a lot to get done. i need to finish cleaning my craft closet, and figure out where to put all of the baby's stuff. I have about 4 loads of baby stuff that I washed and haven't put away yet because I can't figure out where to put it. We don't have a changing table or a closet for the baby. I just need to make some more room under the bathroom sink. the baby's clothes are hanging in my closet. they look so cute hanging there! as soon as we figure out if we are moving or not, we'll decide whether to put the crib up or wait until we move. if we put it up, we have to figure out where to put hannah's toys! :) our little apartment was not designed for a family of four! it's tight for a family of three! i had forgotten how much stuff kids have. i need to clean out another shelf in the kitchen cabinets for baby bottles, medicine and formula. And I have no idea where I am going to store baby food when the time comes! Our kitchen is tiny and we only have a few cabinets! so all of our plans for the month of april revolve around getting ready for our new daughter! thomas starts work on monday, for real. he is going to be selling cars at the Nissan dealership. well, i am going to go now. i have some scrapbooking to get done before midnight tonight. :) have a great weekend!

I HAVE A NEW NIECE!!!!!!

I got to see my new little niece born earlier tonight. Little Chloe arrived at 8:44pm. She was 6lbs7oz, and 19.25 inches. She is beautiful!!!

8:54pm

9:03pm - she was watching her daddy and stopped crying immediately when she heard his voice.

9:13pm - proud daddy

the porter family! 9:31pm

crazy day

so, we finally got around to attempting to put the baby seat in the car... it doesn't fit. we can't get the seat to be tight enough in the car. so, i spent about 2 hours trying to find a place to have the car seat installed and inspected. it is the same seat we used with hannah in the same car, so we know that at one point, it worked. and we installed it on the side seat once and it worked fine. don't know why it won't work now. so, after searching and calling a million different places, we found out that we have to go to our "nearest" police substation. So, I called one close to our house and oh! we don't do that. So, we actually have to go to one of the ghetto malls, where they have a police substation (yea! with a two year old!) and see if they can get it to work right. and we have to be there at 11am tomorrow. they only do seat inspections at 11am monday thru friday.
i asked if i could make an appointment.
no. just be here at 11am.
is there a guarantee that i will get my seat looked at when i get there?
no. we start at 11am.
so, if i get there at 11am and if there is a line, i wait.
yes ma'am.
if i get there at 11:10, will you still look at my seat?
no ma'am. 11am.
okay, have a nice day.

so, if the carseat can't be properly installed, we have to buy a new one. and then when the baby outgrows that seat, we are screwed again, because a convertible seat isn't going to fit backwards in the side seat. hannah's seat barely fit in the middle when it was rear-facing and it is a small one. so that was frustration #1...

and number 2... don't ever leave pyrex on lit burner on the stove. oops. we made dinner for my brother and sister-in-law. i grabbed a pyrex pan of rolls out of the oven and threw it on the stove, popped the casserole dish in the oven. after ten minutes, i grabbed the casserole out of the oven and we ran out the door to get dinner to them. we walked in the house after we dropped dinner off and smelled something burning. i thought it was thomas' dinner that we had left in the turned off oven. nope. burning bread. amid a kitchen full of glass shards. the pyrex pan that originally housed the dinner rolls had exploded and the rolls were burning. apparently, when i pulled the rolls out of the oven, i left a burner on. we are extremely lucky that nothing started on fire. i am glad that we didn't stop and get gas on the way home. i am really glad that thomas and hannah came with me to take dinner. had they been home, hannah could have been killed. there were glass shards (big ones) 7 feet away from the stove, in the laundry room. she loves to play in front of the fridge with her abc magnets. it took me about two hours to clean up all the shards off the floor, the counters, the cabinets, the microwave, etc. There were shards embedded in the microwave right next to the stove. i ALWAYS check the stove at least twice. i have no idea how i could have been so stupid and careless. i have superficial scratches all over my hands. gotta love it. i am sure i missed some and i am sure that in a couple of weeks i'll step on a glass shard or with my luck, hannah will, and we'll end up in the emergency room.

i am having a lot of gall bladder pain right now. i need to add that to my list of complaints for my doctor appointment on monday. my sister-in-law has an appointment tomorrow morning. she may have to be induced. her blood pressure is so high.

okay, i am going to go to sleep. i am exhausted and i don't want to miss my 11am appointment tomorrow. have a great day!

new layout with LAURA BURGER'S cherry blossom

credits:
Laura Burger's Cherry Blossom Kit at eclectic digital designs
notebook from Laura Burger's Little Bit of This Kit
satin ribbon & knotted ribbons from Laura Burger's Luv Ya Collection: Elements Bundle at digiscrapshak
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fonts: times new roman

new layout

credits:
laura burger's alcohol inked foil flowers at eclectic digital designs
amanda rockwell's back in black collection 2: flavorful kit at sweetshoppedesigns
paper fold by christine smith at thedigichick
cardboard star from traci reed's boy theory at scrapbookgraphics
paint star from traci reed's blendstrokes at scrapbookgraphics
purple button from sprung love by traci reed and dani mogstad at scrapbookgraphics and sweetshoppedesigns
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font:repent, pharmacy

Layout with LAURA BURGER'S stuff

I love these photos!
credits:
Laura Burger's Luv Ya Collection: Artistry Bundle at digiscrapshak
Laura Burger's Luv Ya Collection: Shabby Bundle at digiscrapshak
Laura Burger's Luv Ya Collection: Element Bundle at digiscrapshak
photo cluster and flourish from Laura Burger's Layers With a Lift Set 4, template 3 at eclectic digital designs and digiscrapshak
Eclectic Curled Flowers by Laura Burger at eclectic digital designs
cardboard: Laura Burger's Spice of Life Kit at eclectic digital designs
brown bag alpha by papermoons on her blog
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fonts: times new roman

Layout with LAURA BURGER'S Ms. Fancy Pants

credits:
laura burger's ms fancy pants kit at digiscrapshak
laura burger's eclectic curled flowers at eclectic digital designs
doodle from laura burger's luv ya collection: elements bundle at digiscrapshak
stitches from christine smith's linens
title from michelle coleman's hand stamped alpha on her blog
precious tag from Amber Clegg's Delicate Days kit
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fonts: times new roman

layout using SARA AMARIE'S Gram's Veggie Garden Kit

i love this kit! it is too cute!
and guess what hannah is having for dinner again tonight? :)
credits:
saraamarie's gram's veggie garden kit at oscraps
saraamarie's bent flowers at oscraps
jen caputo's corner fold action
green button from jeanine baechtold's sugar & spice kit
ricrack from saraamarie's beginning anew kit
stamped alpha by melinda staley for rakscraps, available at scrapdish
red button from michelle underwood's button element pack
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fonts: larger mime

new layout of jake & amber

this is my brother and sister-in-law
credits:
Laura Burger's Wishful Kit
flourish by Christine Smith
lavender cardboard flower by amanda rockwell from little lauren lalas
tag from KSC Vintage Nursery gift at ScrapGirls

couple layouts with TRACI REED'S new collab kit

credits:
Linda GB's Cardboard Edge Overlay at ScrapArtist
Love Sprung Kit by Dani Mogstad & Traci Reed at Sweet Shoppe Designs & ScrapbookGraphics
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fonts:larger mime

credits:
LoveSprung by Dani Mogstad and Traci Reed at SweetShoppeDesigns & ScrapbookGraphics, some recolored
SpringFul Things by Correen Silke at ScrapDish
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fonts: times new roman

MY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

I AM A PAGE ARTIST FOR SCRAPQUICK.COM!!!!!

I am more than a little excited about it! Can you tell? I hope my designs actually sell! :) I get to create beautiful quickpages using gorgeous professional digital kits! Be sure to stop by the store on April 2nd. I will post a link to my pages on my blog that day so that you can take a peek at what I created.

The beauty of this site is that it is designed for both digital scrapbookers and non-digital scrapbookers alike. From what I understand, there will be tutorials on how to use the quickpages for people who have never done a digital page. And they are even going to offer a printing service! NICE!

Baby Names

Okay, I have heard through the grapevine that more than a few people are concerned that we might actually be considering the name Paprika for our baby girl... that is a myth! :) We just call her Paprika because that is what Hannah calls her and we haven't come up with a name for her yet. Thomas and I just can't come up with a name. We are going to wait to make up our minds until we see her.

Hannah's new favorite name for the baby is Ella. She was watching Blues Room and saw Cinderella on the Love Day episode. Apparently, Cinderella (mary stuart masterson) and the prince, his name is Charlie, get married and they have a baby named Ella. So, Hannah wants to name her baby Ella, too. Elle was on our short list of names, primarily because you can spell it forwards and backwards, just like Hannah. But good luck coming up with a third name like that and we wouldn't want baby #3 to feel left out if there is a baby #3.

So, here is our "short" list of possible names... in no particular order. If anyone has any comments or strong opinions about any of the names or any suggestions at all, please feel free to share them! :)

Ella Cardall (i like the middle name Joy, because that is thomas' grandma's name and i don't think any of the other kids have that middle name. thomas does NOT like it...)
Avery Cardall (there is an adorable little Avery at church... cutest little girl!)
Madison Cardall (thomas' choice)
Emma Cardall (i like this one)
Hailey Cardall (but with Hannah it might get too confusing)
Isabelle Cardall (too many "l"s???)
Taylor Cardall (another thomas name... not too sure myself)
Rebekah Cardall (I do NOT like this one, but thomas does)
Megan Cardall
Alexis Cardall (we actually like Lexie)
Brooklyn Cardall (i think it's cute)
Kennedy Cardall (but my step-sister-in-law just named her daughter that... 3 months ago!)
Addison Cardall (my sister-in-law has a four month old with the same name! stinking name stealers!)
Sophie Cardall (thomas doesn't like it)
Julianne Cardall (thomas doesn't like it)
Baylor Cardall (thomas doesn't like that one either) i think i prefer it for a boy anyway...

and hannah, zoey, chloe, jordyn, ashlyn, makayla, gracie, addison, kennedy and madeline are all off limits... :) too confusing to name cousins the same thing in this family! :)

Reading Quiz!

The blog at Sweet Shoppe Designs has a reading quiz up this week... I LOVE BOOKS! Here are my answers!

Amazon or brick and mortar? whichever is cheaper! :) usually walmart or target because I can't wait to get a book I want to read!
Bookmark or dog ear? depends. if i borrow a book, i always bookmark. if i buy a book, it just depends on if i can find a bookmark or not! :)
Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? by author, then in the order they were written
Keep, throw away, or sell? KEEP! I can't get rid of a book. I have books from middle school. And I can't wait for Hannah to read them! If I start reading a book that turns smutty or has too much bad language, I usually either throw it out or donate it to goodwill.
Keep dust jacket or toss it? Definitely keep it! There is way too much dust in my house not to! :)
Read with dust jacket or remove it? With it on
Short story or novel? Novels.
Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? neither... not into fantasy books
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? It depends on the book. If I am near the end of a book, I will read until it falls out of my hands! At the beginning of a book, I stop at the chapter ends.
“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? Once Upon a Time... I used to read mysteries but can't since I had Hannah.
Buy or Borrow? Buy. I hate parting with books. I really should check them out at the library and then just buy the ones I LOVE.
New or used? I prefer new because of my allergies, but I'll take a used book
Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? Recommendations and browsing
Tidy ending or cliffhanger? oh please don't leave me hanging. it will drive me nuts and i won't read another one of the author's books unless i know it has a "real" ending!
Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? anytime
Stand-alone or series? both
Favorite series? Anita Stansfield - First Love and Forever
Favorite children’s book? ChickaChickaBoomBoom
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Anita Stansfield - First Love & Forever... I have read it AT LEAST ten times.
Favorite books of all time? Pride & Prejudice
Least favorite book you finished last year? some Nora Roberts book... it was terrible. i should have thrown it away.

What are you reading right now? Alma... i'm stuck in the middle!

What are you reading next? Helaman! :)

new layout with CORREEN SILKE'S Spring-Ful Things

I forgot to post this layout last night... It is one of my favorite pictures of Hannah... from February of this year.
credits:
Correen Silke's Spring-Ful Things at ScrapDish
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fonts: kingsthings typewriter

new layout with LAURA BURGER'S new templates

a few more beach photos from a few weeks ago!

credits:
laura burger's layers with a lift set 4 at eclectic digital designs
laura burger's spice of life kit
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fonts: segoe script

new layout with TRACI REED'S new collab kit

Hannah loves to sleep with her stuffed animals! And as many of them as she can get away with!


credits:
Love Sprung by Traci Reed & Dani Mogstad at ScrapbookGraphics
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fonts: segoe script, times new roman

new layout with LAURA BURGER'S new stuff!

credits:
Laura Burger's Layers With a Lift Set 4 at eclectic digital designs
laura burger's wishful kit at digiscrapshak
curled flowers from laura burger's curled flowers at eclectic digital designs
knotted ribbon, doodle, blue ribbon & tag from laura burger's cherry blossom kit at eclectic digital designs
paper tear style by anna aspnes
circle stitches from christine smith's rather ragged stitches
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fonts: segoe script; kingthings typewriter

LAYOUTS!!!

Okay, normally I love getting digital scrapbooking kits before they are released. It gives me some time to get some really good layouts done. So.... this week I got SEVERAL new beautiful kits from designers like SaraAmarie, Laura Burger and Traci Reed... and NONE of the kits are out yet. I have 12 layouts done that I can't post yet! And it is KILLING me!

AND I still can't tell you guys my digiscrapping secret... another week! :)

Okay, I have to go scrap with some kits that are already in the stores so that I have something I can post. I have some lovely Mish Gasser products that need to be used! :) a very cute alpha that is calling my name! talk to y'all later!

another beach layout

credits:
Correen Silke's Spring-ful Things at ScrapDish
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fonts: segoe script

funny story

okay, hannah has struck again! she is such a funny little girl!

Last night, I was trying to get her ready for bed. I put her jammies on the couch and then sent her into the bathroom to get a diaper and a wipe. I finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher and walked into the family room to get her ready. She was laying on the couch, had taken off her diaper and was cleaning herself with the wipe. She also had her nightgown halfway on! Too cute!

Then this morning, we were getting ready to leave to go run errands. Hannah said that she needed to go potty. So she ran into the bathroom, took off her own diaper, threw it in the trash, and sat on the potty. After a couple of minutes of her playing with her bathroom toys, she said she was down. I told her to wait just a minute because I had to finish dishes (i think i do dishes too much!). When I went into the bathroom, she was laying on the floor on her changing pad, with the "seatbelt" part buckled around her, cleaning herself and trying to figure out how to get the diaper under herself while she was buckled down. It was sooooo funny! I tried to unbuckle her and show her how to do it, but she freaked out about not being buckled on the changing pad. I haven't used the buckle since she was tiny and kept trying to roll away while I was changing her.

anyway, I just thought you guys might get a kick out of this story! oh! and a couple more! she has been really funny the last couple of days!

she has a little bag of stuffed toys that is shaped like a circus tent. all the stuffed toys inside are pieces of the circus. she hasn't been interested in this toy EVER! suddenly last night she is in LOVE with it. so, this morning she was running around the house with the little stuffed lion roaring at the top of her lungs. "hannah, what are you doing?" "I'm pretending to be a lion in the circus. Mommy, when I get big like you can I be a lion in the circus?" Hmmm.... please no. And of course, thomas had to tell Hannah that Mommy doesn't like clowns. So, Hannah keeps running around with the clown and shoving it in my face every few minutes and saying "Clowns say hahaha. They make me laugh!"

And one more...
Last night, Hannah came running out of her room with a clean changing pad cover and a box of her stuffed animals. Then she ran back in her room and came out with a tiny basket filled with plastic dishes and food! She laid the changing pad cover on the floor, lined up her stuffed animals around the "blanket" and set up the dishes and food. Then she started jumping up and down saying "Look, Mom! It's a picnic! I made a picnic for my guys!" She was so incredibly excited. I don't even know where she has seen a picnic before! So, tomorrow, we are going to go up to the pool, grill some strip steaks (thanks, mom & dad!) and have a little picnic. It is supposed to rain tomorrow, so we aren't telling Hannah until it is time to go. I took pictures of her little picnic last night, so I'll have to get those on the computer and upload a couple.

Hannah amazes me lately. She has grown up so much in the last three weeks. She keeps telling us that she is a "big sister now" so she has to take care of herself. My baby is a big girl! But then this morning, she curled up next to me on the couch and needed a snuggle with her Mommy. That made me feel a little better!

another update...

I was so excited yesterday because I thought the baby had started to drop. NOPE! She's right there up under my ribs again today. Little stinker! And I am ITCHING like crazy! My entire body from the top of my head to my toes. I have been itching for three or four days now. At first I thought I had eaten something I shouldn't have. But they never turned into hives and they didn't go away. Last night it got so bad that I took a Tylenol Allergy and was knocked out at 10:45p. That is really early for me. I fell asleep on the couch and woke up at 2am when Mad About You came on. . . Helen Hunt irritates me. Then, of course, Hannah woke up at 8am. I still felt drugged and tired. So, I just laid on the couch until about 10am. I finally feel human again. I can't imagine what would have happened had I taken a benedryl. I used to pop Tylenol Allergy everyday without any effects, because the lady I worked with had cats and I had an allergy attack everytime she came near me. Oh well. That was before all the medication formulas changed, though. I am so grateful that I stocked up on Tylenol Sinus before they changed it. I am almost out, though. Thomas kept laughing at me last night because he could tell that I was really trying not to scratch because that just makes it worse. And I was still itching after I took the medicine, I was just too tired to scratch. It gets worse at night, so we'll see what I do tonight! I was going to call my doctor today, but by the time I got around to it, I realized it is FRIDAY and they close at noon. So, I'll call them Monday morning. Severe persistant itching can be a sign of liver issues during pregnancy. I have been swollen the last couple of days, too. But there isn't anything I can do about it right now.

So, our big plans for today include scrubbing the shower and going to Costco to get carrots. 5 lbs of organic baby carrots for $5.99. It now looks like Thomas is not going to start selling cars until April 1st. He might be moving to another store, but with the same company. I really don't care as long as he goes back to work. I'm just glad that he had so much vacation time saved up. Well, I am going to scrap for a few minutes. I have some new kits to unzip and play with and a couple of other kits that I need to use.

today...

so today hasn't started off as planned. i am sooooo tired today. we are going to take hannah to the park again in a few minutes... as soon as WonderPets is done. Then we are going to tackle a few of the things on our to-do list. Thomas is going in to work this afternoon to talk to one of his old managers. We'll see what happens from that one.

Hannah went peepee on the potty THREE times yesterday by herself... meaning she initiated it. I felt like such a bad mom last night. Hannah was throwing tantrums during dinner and was yelling at me. So, Thomas told her that she had to sit at the table until she could eat some of her dinner and she could be nice to me. So, she was sitting there trying everything she could to get down. She even threw her bread on the floor so that she could get down and get it. We didn't fall for it. Then she started saying that she had to go peepee. I didn't let her get down. So, after ten minutes or so, she finally calmed down and started to actually eat her dinner. She told me again that she had to peepee. So, I told her to get down from the table and go. She climbed up on the potty and actually went. What a bad mom! My poor little girl really had to go peepee and I didn't believe her! She got an extra sticker for holding it in so long! :) She was so cranky last night. Major tantrums... kicking her baby dolls... putting them in time out for things that she did... putting them in time out because Mommy & Daddy are mean. :) so funny!

Well, WonderPets is done. I am going to go get ready to leave or we'll never get out of here! Today is much better than yesterday!

a new layout

this is from our beach trip a couple of weeks ago... i just loved all the photos i took that day!

this was a fun layout to do...
credits:
OScraps' [url=http://www.oscraps.com/shop/product.php?productid=16727&cat=0&page=1]Bikinis & Boardshorts Kit[/url]
blue paper, twine, scalloped frame by debra tope
bead strip, journal strip by saraamarie
page corner, yellow paper by lauren reid
teal flower by vicki stegall
bent paper by windgefluester
binder clip by LaWanna Desjardin
black doodle by carla gibson
staple by amanda rockwell from her back in black collection 2: flavorful kit
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fonts: my type of font

couple newish layouts

as requested by my sister, ashley, a pregnant belly photo from a little over a week ago!


Laura Burger's Border Tears at Eclectic Digital Designs
Laura Burger's Doce Luz Do Sol
Laura Burger's Alcohol Inked Foiled Hearts at Eclectic Digital Designs
curvy stitch: Laura Burger's Little Bit Of this Kit
photo corner: Laura Burger's Wishful Kit
heart doodle: Laura Burger's Luv Ya Collection: Doodle Bundle
michelle coleman's hand stamped alpha from her blog
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fonts: AbrazoScript; Segoe Script

Laura Burger's Wishful kit
stitched stem: laura burger's strawberry swirl kit
foil flower: laura burger's alcohol inked foil flowers at eclectic digital designs
cardboard edge overlay by Linda GB at ScrapArtist
stamped alpha by melinda staley for rakscraps at scrapdish
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fonts: augie, larger mime, my type of font

Joyful Kit by Studio Traci Reed at ScrapbookGraphics
blue paint stroke from BlendStrokes by Studio Traci Reed at ScrapbookGraphics
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Fonts:minya nouvelle, orlando, segoe script, vivaldi, pea mystie unicase

this is from when we moved into our current apartment last summer!
don't worry! it isn't that bad right now! :)
scraplift of layout by dia barnas "donut eating kid"

mellow kit by studio traci reed at scrapbookgraphics
brown paint from blendstrokes by studio traci reed at scrapbookgraphics
negative strip from boy theory by studio traci reed at scrapbookgraphics
inked frame from strappy sandals from the natural woman collection by traci reed at scrapbookgraphics
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fonts: my type of font

mellow kit by traci reed at scrapbookgraphics
torn paper borders by laura burger at eclectic digital designs
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fonts: segoe script, my type of font

today...

okay, so thomas didn't go back to work today. it's looking more like friday now. i am putting him to work tomorrow! my shower needs scrubbed and guess who is going to do it! i scrubbed hannah's bathroom this morning and it totally winded me! how sad is that? :) i scrubbed my entire bathroom this morning, too, except for the shower. I just can't bend over like that long enough to scrub the shower floor. I can do Hannah's bathtub because I can use the bathtub to brace myself and rest on. We just have a standing shower in our bathroom so my big ol' belly just hangs there and it HURTS! Plus, he is going to start working on organizing the garage. I need to clean out the deep freezer and just organize it so that I know what we have in there. When my parents moved to Chicago, they left us their deep freeze with TONS of food in there. We have been using a lot of it, but the freezer is so big, it is hard to see what is in the back. I do know that there is some homemade freezer jam in there that I am looking forward to finding! We are putting the baby's carseat in the car tomorrow, too. We are also going to pack our bag for the hospital. Yikes! I can't believe that we haven't done that yet.

So, this morning we got up and cleaned the house and then we went to the beach. By the time we got there, it was cloudy and windy. Hannah was so sad because she wanted to play, but it was seriously chilly. Most of the people there were wearing sweatshirts and/or had blankets. So, we didn't stay on the beach long. We walked on the boardwalk and let Hannah run on the grass at the pavilion. We had forgotten how scary the boardwalk area can be... lots of shady characters there. We had to run a couple of errands and by the time we got home, it started getting sunny! and now, it is completely sunny! How funny. Rita's Italian Ice is handing out free small ices today. So, we may head back down to the beach to get one in a bit. The lines are out the door, but Hannah would have fun.

AND, just for the record, I wasn't complaining yesterday about having lots of crocheting to do. I am excited to do it. I love crocheting and especially little baby blankets! And Chrissy, I already bought your yarn and started on your blanket. It is really cute! It looks more like a potholder right now, though! :) Afghans are perfect summery blankets because they have holes in them. But if you put a simple receiving blanket over an afghan, it makes it super warm because the air acts as an insulation.

Well, I am going to go do some more laundry and scrap a little. I still need to post a few layouts... I'll do that now!

it's been a while

it's been a few days since i last posted. my father-in-law came and went. my house never did get totally clean, but it did look better than it did the day before. hannah LOVED having her grandpa here. she even talked to grandma shelly on the phone a couple of times. i finished ashley's baby blanket and sent it out to utah with jim. ashley had a doctor appointment this morning and she walked out after her appointment and she saw jim standing there with a bag talking to his daughter, jen, who works at the office. she was really surprised to see him and even more surprised that he was bringing her a baby gift! :)

today is thomas' last day of vacation. tomorrow is back to real life and work and house cleaning. my house desperately needs to be scrubbed and vacuumed. and i have got to get caught up on my scrapbooking deadlines. a bunch of my designers came out with really awesome supplies over the last few days and I have been downloading like crazy all morning. i am so excited!

chrissy, i started your baby blanket, but then my mom sent me a new blessing gown for the baby. it's ivory. so the white blanket i made for the baby's blessing doesn't work. so i had to put your blanket aside and start an ivory one. i am hoping to get it done pretty quickly. i already finished the blanket for my sister-in-law amber. so i still have my blessing blanket, chrissy's blanket, and one for angie's baby. lots of crocheting to work on!!!!

well, the baby is bouncing on my bladder, so i am going to go now. i'll try to post some new layouts later tonight or tomorrow!

a few things done!

okay, my house still looks like a disaster, but at least things are getting crossed off THE LIST! We moved the bookshelf out to the dining room area. And I cleaned a bunch of books out of there and into the garage. we set up the port-a-crib. i got a couple of cluttered corners cleaned out in my room, too. my goal tonight is to get my craft closet area cleaned up. i am probably just going to shove it all back in the closet for now.

i have ashley's baby blanket about halfway done now! It's cute. And we are driving to Orlando and back tomorrow so I am going to take it with me and hopefully finish it.

my mom sent me a new dress for the baby's blessing. it is ivory and GORGEOUS! And of course, I just finished making a white blanket for the blessing. So, now I have to find ivory yarn and make another one. I think I have some in the garage, but i am not sure. we have to clean out the car tomorrow, too. hannah's carseat is getting moved to the side. we're putting the baby's seat in the car after thomas' dad leaves.

that's about it for now...

i scrapbooked

yea! with no thanks to adobe at all, photoshop is now up and running on my laptop again. thanks to my friend! :) i did an adorable layout, but i can't post it until next month because the products i used won't be released until then! so pretty!

and i got some gorgeous new traci reed stuff that is coming out later this week. y'all are gonna die when you see what she has been up to! i am going to go play with them in a few minutes.

i went to the doctor today... i think it finally hit thomas how quickly this baby will be here! :) less than 2 months now... my doctor is going out of town this weekend and thomas is terrified that i will go into labor just because she is out of town! :) at least grandpa cardall will be in town to help with hannah! it is way too early to have this baby, though. i do not want to have to leave another baby in the nicu. it was so hard to leave hannah for 5 days. anyway, back to the doctor appointment. everything looks fine. i haven't gained any weight since last week at all. the baby's heartbeat is strong and healthy. i almost passed out several times today. my blood sugar drops which triggers my blood pressure to drop, i almost pass out, then my heart starts racing and i break into a cold sweat and get nauseas. it has been really bad today. thomas reminded me that this happened at the end of the pregnancy with hannah, too. we bought a barstool so i could get ready in the morning without passing out and cook dinner without passing out. i am okay if i am sitting, but when i stand at all, i get sooooo dizzy. i have no idea how i am going to get my house clean enough for my father-in-law to visit this weekend. actually, the house itself is pretty clean. but hannah's room is a mess and that is where he is staying. and there are boxes and bins of baby stuff EVERYWHERE! I am hoping to get all of that corralled into one place tomorrow if I can get thomas to help me for a couple of hours. i have washed about 5 loads of laundry this evening and need to get that folded, too. and there is a sink full of dirty dishes from dinner. i get to do those tonight before i go to bed. i was too dizzy after cooking dinner to wash them then, and that is when i usually do it. the baby has been up under my ribs all day today. they are so sore. it hurts to even take a deep breath.

okay, i am off to scrap a layout or so and then clean my house. have a great day everyone!

a few layouts...

this is from the beach this week
credits:
amanda rockwell's back in black collection: bright kit
green frame: amanda rockwell's tropic blast kit
large flower: amanda rockwell's pretty petals
silver photo corner: Miriam Lima's Finding Amy kit
gingham ribbon from amber clegg's ribbon bin: plaid
pscs2
fonts: larger mime

this is hannah singing to shelby over the phone last month for shelby's birthday!
credits:
angela sharrow's sweets for my sweet at scrapdish
polaroids from amy teets' beatitude kit
butterfly from amanda rockwell's flitter
special thanks to atomic cupcake for her inked edges action
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fonts: his name is honey

some layouts

this is from last fall...
credits:
angela sharrow's sweets 4 my sweet at scrapdish
stitches from angela sharrow's autumn elegance
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fonts: his name is honey; marketing script

thomas & hannah at the beach earlier this week!
credits:
Laura Burger's Layers With a Lift Templates Set 1, template 3, altered to fit rectangle at digiscrapshak
Laura Burger's Doce Luz Do Sol Kit at digiscrapshak
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fonts: Larger Mime

this is thomas with my granny while she was in hospice last year.
credits:
Amy Teets' Beatitude Kit
stitches: gina miller's stitch essentials
flower: little lauren lala's by amanda rockwell
pscs2
fonts: pristina

flustrated

and yes, i know that is not a real word. just in case kimmie or susan are reading, they'll get a kick out of it! :)

anyway, i am really frustrated! my trial version of PSCS2 ran out today. so i decided to try to download PSE5 to see if I want to buy it. I can't get it to work. I have been working on it for HOURS! And no luck... and no help from Adobe so far. So, I no longer have any scrapbooking software on my laptop. I am very upset about it. I can't afford to buy PSCS2, it's $700 and even with a student discount it is almost $300. I refuse to buy PSE5 until I can tell that it does what I need it to do. And that it will work with Windows Vista. I tried to download the Vista patch, but it only works with purchased retail versions of the software. Ummmm, how the heck are you supposed to know if you want it if you can't try it? I do still have PS7 on the PC, but with Thomas off all week I can't get near it. Besides all my scrapbook kits are now on the laptop. So flustrating! :)

i really hope i didn't get anyone thinking that we are moving anytime soon with my post yesterday. thomas really doesn't want to leave florida. financially, it would be much smarter of us to find a job here and just deal with full time school and full time work. i am just tired of not having any family support here. we have a few friends that are great, but it isn't the same. i still have no idea what we are going to do with hannah when i go into labor. my friend, kimmie, says that we can bring hannah to her house. but she has four kids and if one of them is sick, we are in big trouble. another friend said that i could bring hannah to her house, but she lives in a townhouse on the beach and there are tons of stairs and i think that hannah would drive her nuts! we aren't even allowed to take hannah with us to the hospital orientation. jacob and amber are going the same night as us, so i can't even leave her with my brother and sister-in-law that night. argh!!!!!


we are going to be doing a lot of work over the next few days trying to get ready for the baby. we are moving furniture around to make room for the baby's bed in our room. Our lease is up at the end of June and Thomas doesn't want to move, but we have seriously outgrown this place. The kitchen is tiny. I have to move half of my dishes out just to make room for a few bottles and a can of formula. Our cupboards are so shallow and there aren't many of them. Plus, with all the crap with the heater not working for a month now... and constantly being out of water... and construction traffic constantly... and electrical issues .... and parking issues... I am seriously over it! I don't want to move either. Because i will end up doing most of the work alone with a 2 month old baby... sounds familiar. I did it when Hannah was a baby. Thankfully, my mom lived here, though. She and Tom, a good friend of the family, did all the lifting. They didn't let me do much of the lifting. I just did the packing and unpacking. anyway... enough complaining. things will work out. i am trying to just throw stuff away. i have purged quite a bit lately. i am going through my cookbooks again and only keeping a few... mostly that have sentimental value since i never use the recipes. i hate having food allergies and a picky -eating husband. i used to cook all the time and i loved it! okay, really going to stop complaining now. i have to run to the potty! again!!!!!!!! :)

life is beautiful!

i actually got almost 7 full hours of sleep last night! hannah didn't fall asleep until about 2am, and then she woke up coughing and choking. i ran into her room to check on her and she was shaking and had tears streaming down her little face. it was so sad! i picked her up and she calmed down, took a drink and begged to come sleep with us. So, of course, being a softie, i let her. none of us woke up until 9:30. then thomas got up with hannah and let me stay in bed. i didn't get out of bed until 10am! i can't even tell you the last time that happened! definitely before hannah was born! then we went to the beach for almost an hour. hannah had so much fun playing the freezing cold water and building her very first sand castle. i am going to try to get a couple of layouts done this afternoon and i'll post them then!

i have a secret and i can't tell anyone! and no, all you Utah people, we aren't moving back... at least not yet! :) it is a scrapbooking secret and I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! i'll let you know as soon as i can! BUT as far as utah goes, we are closer today than we have been so far! :) but that could change tomorrow. we are waiting for some phone calls from a couple of places here. we haven't heard back for a while, though. i am pulling for utah and i will remember all those offers to help us move! :) you may regret it when you see how much crap is in our garage! we'll probably have to get rid of half of everything we own if we move. which might be a good thing. start keeping your eyes open for good places to live... cheap! :)

anyway... that's about it. i'll update either tonight or tomorrow with layouts & photos... Okay. Quit twisting my arm, i'll post one beach photo now!

i love this little photo! doesn't really look like hannah, but I love how she was running from the cold water! she told me "mommy, that big wave of water is coming to get us!" silly little kid!

no motivation

no motivation to scrap
no motivation to cook
no motivation to clean
no motivation to get out of my chair
no motivation to do anything but SLEEP
daylight savings time KILLS me every year, but this year is worse. I only got about 4 hours of sleep last night. I took a half hour nap after church this afternoon. That helped some. Hannah fell asleep about an hour ago. I just know that she is going to wake up in half an hour and be up until 2... and thomas has to get up early to be at work for a meeting tomorrow morning. so, that means no sleep for me again. I guess I better get used to it.

So, our lease is up at the end of June. We have to let our landlord know if we are staying by the end of April. And with all of the issues we have had lately, we don't want to stay. We had no water for several hours on Friday night. That makes it a bit difficult to do things like laundry, dishes, cleaning in general, cooking... all things I had hoped to do on Friday. Thomas ended up being off work this weekend, so I didn't get much done then, either. We have tons to do before this baby comes and I just don't feel like doing it. Does that make me a terrible mom? When I was pregnant with Hannah I couldn't wait to get things ready. And I still can't wait to get things ready for this baby, I just don't have the energy to actually do it.

My parents are coming in the middle of April for my brother's baby's blessing. I am hoping that they will be able to spend a little time with us. Maybe they can distract Hannah so I can get a few things done around here without her throwing major tantrums. She has been really clingy lately. She gets upset anytime I do baby stuff. Thomas brought up a bag of baby shoes today from the garage. Hannah started trying to put the shoes on herself. When I told her not to put the shoes on because they are for Paprika, she started throwing them and saying that she wants them. Little stinker. and oh! the shoes are so precious. I forgot how tiny they are. and they certainly seem larger when they are kicking my ribs! She almost kicked the computer off my lap last night.

anyway... i am going to go put some jammies on hannah and hope and pray that she sleeps through it so that we don't have to stay up until 2am. wish me luck.

here are some more...

credits:
layout inspired by kate hadfield's daddy's girl layout
http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=58857&cat=all&ppuser=851

cardboard edge overlay by linda gilbildall at scrapartist
papers: amy teets' beatitude kit
circle stitch: christine smith's rather ragged stitches at thedigichick
stamped alpha by melinda staley for rakscraps available at scrapdish
flower from pretty petals by amanda rockwell at sweet shoppe designs
butterflies from amanda rockwell's flitter element pack at sweet shoppe designs
gingham ribbon: amber clegg's ribbon bin: plaid
felt flower by amanda rockwell from a mother's love collection: unconditional kit
lavendar flower by amanda rockwell for the sweet shoppe designs february 2007 mega kit: be inspired
pscs2
fonts: my type of font; segoe script

credits:
dotted paper, staple & straight ribbons: amy teets' beatitude kit
hand-stamped alpha by michelle coleman for her blog
knotted ribbon from amber clegg's delicate days kit at scrapartist
butterfly from amanda rockwell's flitter element pack at sweet shoppe designs
pscs2
fonts: pristina, my type of font

Some recent layouts...

credits:
layout inspired by whatkatiedid's curtain call layout for the spin-a-lift challenge at ssd
http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=80827&ppuser=851
amanda rockwell's a mother's love collection: unconditional kit at sweet shoppe designs
paint stroke: laura burger's spice of life kit
cardboard butterfly- amanda rockwell's flitter at ssd
stamped alpha: michelle coleman's hand stamped alpha freebie from her blog
gingham ribbon by amber clegg
ricrack: saraamarie's beginning anew kit
pink photo corner" Jeannie Papai's tranquil kit
pscs2
fonts: segoe script

credits:
black bk: traci reed's punk love kit at acot & ndisb
cardboard edge overlay: linda gilbildall's cardboard edge overlay at scrapartist
swirls: carrie stephens' sparkle puffs
ladybugs: amanda rockwell's flitter at sweet shoppe designs
stitched frame: sandra boddington from the sweet shoppe designs february 2007 mega kit: be inspired
stamped alpha: melanie violette's tall stamped alpha at simply clean digiscraps
pscs2
fonts: segoe script, times new roman

credits:
template: traci reed for acot, altered to rectangle shape & to fit 2 photos
amanda rockwell's back in black 2 collection: flavorful kit at ssd
flower rub-on: amanda rockwell's back in black collection: bright kit at ssd
amanda rockwell's pretty petals at ssd
blue paint strokes: hunibuni for spring chick by dani mogstad and hunibuni at ssd
stamped alpha by melinda staley for rakscraps available at scrapdish
pscs2
fonts: mistral

credits:
template: Maria LaFrance's Catch a Wave Templates at Digital Freebies and DigiScrapDivas
amanda rockwell's flavorful kit at sweet shoppe designs
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fonts: times new roman, pea jane

more recent layouts...

credits:
Laura Burger's Layers With a Lift Set 1 at digiscrapshak
laura burger's wishful kit
curled paper edges by anna aspnes at designer digitals
sequins by Laura Deacetis for the SSD Feb 2007 mega kit
glitter heart by robin cabana for the feb 2007 mega kit for rakscraps
pscs2
fonts:pea jane, pea shirley, segoe script

credits:
Laura Burger's Layers With a Lift Set 1 at DigiScrapShak
Laura Burger's Strawberry Swirl Kit at DigiScrapShak & DigiScrapDivas
PSCS2
Fonts: Pea Mystie Unicase, Segoe Script

credits:
Laura Burger's Wishful Kit at DigiScrapShak
stitches: Laura Burger's Thang Called Love Kit at DigiScrapDivas
Folded corner action by jen caputo
wordart by Katie Pertiet for the quote challenge at Designer Digitals 12107
PSCS2
Fonts: Segoe Script

credits:
Laura Burger's Lifts With Layer Set 2 at DigiScrapShak, resized to fit rectangle
Laura Burger's Wishful at DigiScrapShak
PSCS2
Fonts: Impact, jane austen

Some recent layouts...

my granny & my cousin, Iris
credits:
Laura Burger's Lifts With a Layer Set 2, resized to 8.5x8.5 at DigiScrapShak
Laura Burger's Wishful Kit at DigiScrapShak
PSCS2
Fonts: Highland Perk

this was a fun one!
credits:
scroll doodles: amy teets' beatitude kit
background: christina renee's urban love kit, recolored
diamond brad by amanda rockwell for the ssd feb 2007 mega kit
screw by amanda rockwell's back in black collection: bright kit at ssd
cardboard flower: amanda rockwell's little lauren lala's at ssd
word art: maria lafrance's refreshing duet with stacy carlson at digital freebies
bent photo by me
pscs2
fonts: times new roman

my aunt, my granny and my aunt's husband
credits:
ashley olson's comforting quilt paper pack
curled paper edge by anna aspnes at designer digitals
bent flowers by saraamarie at oscraps
zigzag stitch by saraamrie from grams veggie garden kit
fastener from amanda rockwell's a mother's love collection: unconditional kit at sweet shoppe designs
staple from amanda rockwell's tropic blast kit
word strips from amber clegg's delicate days kit at scrapartist
journaling strip from amy teets' with love kit
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fonts: pristina

credits:
template: laura burger's tempting templates set 7 at digiscrapshak
christina renee's heritage kit from her blog
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fonts:tahoma

From My Blog to Yours... 03/09/2007

this is for the blogger challenge at sweet shoppe designs...

1. If you could witness one supernatural event–whether you believe in the supernatural or not–what would it be? Why?
I would love to witness the creation of the earth. What a spectacular and amazing event to witness. To witness the organization of matter into something so spectacular and beautiful as the earth.

2. What is your earliest memory? Why do you think you have remembered that particular event or thing?

okay, this is a crazy one! I remember being three years old and watching my mom swallow a tylenol for the first time. i was playing in my room and decided that I wanted to swallow a pill, too. So, I grabbed a penny, threw it in my mouth and swallowed it down with a glass of water! It didn't go down easily, so I ran out of my room and told my mom what happened. i wasn't choking so she didn't worry at all. Everything worked out okay, but I remember being terrified. I couldn't swallow pills until I was about 10 years old.

3. Pick a friend or acquaintance with whom you think you would like to start a new business venture. What business?

I would love to have a business renovating and selling homes. I would love to do something like this with my husband, but since neither of us has a clue about home renovation, it would be a big disaster. But I would love to do something like that one day.

5 Songs that Sum up my Week

this is the blogging challenge for Sweet Shoppe Designs from last week... I'm probably too late to get any points, but I thought it would be fun anyway!

1. Baby Mine by Bette Midler - everything is about baby girls right now! either the baby in my belly or the one trying to hit the one in my belly. yeah, we have issues! But I am so excited about this new little baby girl.

2. I Hate Everything About You - I am going to blame this one on the pregnancy hormones, but I just get really cranky lately! I have to watch what I say now, though, because Hannah started yelling "I hate people!" at random cars as we were driving down the road. Too much road rage for me! :)

3. Love At Home - I am really really really trying to make our home a place where everyone feels loved and accepted. I want it to be a refuge from the storms and craziness of the world.

4. It's the End of the World As We Know It by REM - ummmm... have you watched the news lately? totally scary! a 40 year old man just disappeared last week during the middle of the day from our old neighborhood... a nice, gated community. He's just gone. No trace of him or his bike anywhere. kinda like the twilight zone.

5. I am a Child of God - I have been having such a hard time lately. I know I'm pregnant and that a lot of my issues will be resolved after I have this baby, but I am so tired of being tired and so tired of feeling heavy. My knees hurt, my ankles hurt, my hips hurt. I feel like my back is going to rip open and I constantly have to pee. Normal pregnancy stuff. And on top of all that, Thomas is working constantly at a job he doesn't love anymore. We have all these decisions to make and things to do to prepare for this baby and I am just so overwhelmed that I could sit down and cry. But what would that do? When I feel the most overwhelmed, I sing that song to myself and I remember that I am a child of God and as such He loves me and will help me get through these trials. He won't take them away from me, but He can help me get through them. I am so grateful to know that.

A Digi Crop?

Imagine... a Digi Crop

Okay, I just read that article and it kind of irritated me. She basically said that digiscrappers are an anti-social lot with nothing to share. I bought a laptop so that I can take my scrapbooking with me. I can still share photos and ask for help and advice from other digiscrappers. I may not be able to physically share my supplies, but I can tell someone where I got something or I can teach a technique. If I only have one piece of Stampin' Up patterned paper, and it is already on my layout, it isn't like I am going to take it off and give it to my sister-in-law just because she likes it, too! Of course, since we would probably be scrapping at my other sister-in-law's house, we couldn't possibly run out of any Stampin' Up! product. anyway, i digress... With my bad shoulder, it is a heck of a lot easier to carry my laptop bag than my Cropper Hopper. I don't have to lug my albums around worrying about bending the corners of my pages. and... the open container of liquid is a MUCH bigger worry with digiscrapping! Don't want to fry my laptop and lose everything! AND I can still enjoy the social aspect of a crop while I digiscrap! anyway... that's all i have to say about that.

Life

isn't it funny how one little decision made 10 years ago can affect your life today? almost ten years ago i decided to go home with my college roommate one weekend. at the time, the decision was easy. go home with jen or sit at home with no tv and no friends? hmmmmm... let me think about that one! and yet, that was the weekend that i met my husband. had i stayed home, i am pretty sure that i would have eventually met him, but things would have been different than they are now. and if the little decisions can make that big of a difference in our lives, what about the big ones? where to live? where to work? whether to go back to school? how do you make those kinds of decisions? thankfully, i believe that we have a loving Heavenly Father who answers our prayers. but do you ever get the feeling that Heavenly Father is going to let us make some of the decisions ourselves? going to let us test the waters alone? that's how i feel right now. like the next step we take is up to us. like it doesn't really matter whether thomas gets his education in florida or in utah. he just needs to get his education. and if i could actually convince him of the importance of doing that, it would be a miracle. anyway... that's it! nothing too exciting going on right now!

funny lunch story!

oh my goodness! my daughter is hilarious! a terrible monster, but hilarious!

our day started with a trip to the property management office where hannah threw the biggest temper tantrum of her life! i was mortified! then we went to the post office, where hannah threw another tantrum... almost as bad as the first one. then we went and paid a doctor bill and ran a couple of other errands. So, we were in the car on the way to Costco and Hannah started asking for french fries. I told her that we could maybe get some on the way home. She said that she wanted to go eat lunch in a restaurant with Daddy. So, i called Thomas and we went and picked him up. In the car, I asked Hannah what she wanted to eat. She said that she wanted chicken nuggies and fries. I told her that the restaurant (chili's) doesn't have chicken nuggies, they have chicken fingers, which are like big nuggies. She asked me if I would cut them up and make them little like nuggies. I told her that I would. And then she said.... "Okay, Mom. I want to go to the restaurant and get fries and chicken fingers and A CHICKEN THUMB!" What??? She wants to eat the chicken's fingers and thumb! :) What a crazy kid! She even told us which one was the thumb at the restaurant! Then she stood up on the bench at Chili's and started shaking her hips and announcing to the entire restaurant, "I'm shaking my hips! I'm a ballerina. I'm so beautiful!" it is a good thing that kid can make me laugh! I have been laughing about the chicken thumbs all day! :)