Tim Holtz Tags of 2012 - February

It's been quite a while since I last blogged, but I'm back to share my February tag.

I first stamped and heat embossed my script on the tag.  Next was to ink the tag with  several colors of distress ink.  A quick spritz with water further distressed my tag.  Then I used some Perfect Pearls spray to give the tag a bit of sheen.  While all that dried, I used my Cricut to cut the cupid on a cloud and covered him with Stickles.  I used pop dots to layer it up and applied it to my tag along with one of Tim Holtz' Adage tickets and a piece of kraft cardstock punch with a fun Martha Stewart Border Punch.

I am planning to complete a new tag for each month along with Tim this year, so I should be blogging a bit more regularly!

Happy 50th Anniversary!

Life seems to go by so fast!  I've been away for a while, but I'm back with a very special post today!

Yesterday, my mom and dad celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!  I wanted to do something very special for them, especially since they didn't want a big celebration.  I decided to commemorate their special day with something from my heart, so I created a special shadow box for them to display, and this is what I came up with.

Here is the shadow box and card:

Here's a closeup of the card

And another look at the contents of the shadowbox before it was assembled.

This was my first project designed with my new Gypsy and I am so pleased with how it turned out.  I used the following Cricut cartridges for my shadowbox:

Heritage
Lacy Labels
Martha Stewart Elegant Cake Art
Tie the Knot

I also used some stickles and a Martha punch for a little enhancement.  I have to say that I really love my new Gypsy and I will be using it quite a bit.  Thanks for stopping by!

Halloween Card

Just a quick peek at a Halloween card I made for the cricut challenge over at Scraps of Color.  This was the second part of the October challenge on the cricut lovers message board.

I used orange textured cardstock for the card base and the same cardstock for the embossed overlay.  I used the spiderweb folder to emboss the image with my cuttlebug and raised it up with foam dots.  I added a little interest with distress ink just to make the spider web show up a little.  The images were cut with my cricut from the October 31 seasonal cartridge.  It's hard to see in this picture, but I popped up the jack-o-lanterns.  I chose an orange striped pattern paper from DCWV fall stack from a couple years back and anchored it with brads.  Then, I finished it off with some ribbon that I picked up at Walmart.

I have another project I'm working on with the October 31 cartridge that I will share in a day or so.  More Halloween fun coming up!

Autumn Inspiration

Autumn has arrived and beautiful colors are bursting out all over.  The days have a slight chill to the air and the hills are alive with awesome color.  We've been rather busy around here getting into school and sports schedules.  They take a great amount of time away from my creative process, but I still manage to be inspired with everything around me.

We recently were invited by friends to help make apple butter using a huge outdoor cauldron and I can't tell you how much fun it was!  The smell of the wood burning and all that bubbly goodness in the pot combined to make for such a wonderful fall afternoon.  And the apple butter spread over homemade rolls along with all the other yummy foods were beyond delicious!

It was also a fun time to pose for a family photo...something that I don't get much opportunity to do since I'm the family photographer!

I've also been spending time adding fall color to my home.  Something about all those fall colors just kind of brings the cozy in.

And for the most fun of all....

I actually found some time to work on a home decor piece for the October challenge over at Scraps of Color.  We were challenge to create an over-sized tag using cricut cuts and an autumn theme.  Here's mine...

 

I used a tag from Tags, Bags, Boxes and More for the base cut from cream colored cardstock.  I used my favorite Tim Holtz distress inks to give it some muted mixed color all over.  I also used cuts from Lacy Labels & Thanksgiving and a stamp from Hero Arts and Inkadinkado along with a few leaves, flowers and a bit of raffia.  

All of this was inspired from all the beautiful autumn scenery here in New York.  This is going to be a beautiful weekend here, so I'm planning to get out and take it all in!

Thanks for stopping by!

Life Change and New Inspiration

Well, the last couple of weeks has been a rather busy time around our house.  It was a time of change for the kids as they returned to school schedules, and then new sports schedules.  I am spending a bit more time transporting everyone to their destinations.  I've also taken a little extra time from our already busy schedule to fit in my workouts so I can stay in a healthy place.

We lived through the loss of an extended family member of mine, which was so unexpected and rather emotional.  In dealing with her loss, I have come to a place where I don't want to spend my days putting off the things that I would like to accomplish.  I think sometimes the passing of a life allows us to step back and take stock of our own lives and rethink how we really want to spend our time.

Here in NY, we are transitioning into the early fall season.  The leaves are changing and the views are just splendid.  I have begun the process of redecorating my home with fall colors and I find it all to be rather inspirational.  I just received new scrapping toys and I would love to spend some time creating in my craft space.  Here's a couple pictures of my new toys, and although most of this is old to most scrappers, it's new to me and I can't wait to get crafting.

I finally picked up a 12 x 24 mat for my cricut, so now I can cut those wall quotes for my family room.  I also snatched up some Tim Holtz tools that he had on HSN last week.  The best part of it all is my new Martha Stewart scoring board.  I love this!!!  Now, I just gotta find some time to scrap...

Back To School Again

Yesterday was the first day of school for my kids.  Everyone was feeling confident and in good spirits, surprisingly!  My oldest child started high school, 9th grade, so life for him is about to change significantly.  My middle child is in 5th grade and seems determined to have a great year.  And my baby is in 2nd grade and seems to love everything about school right now, but that could change any minute!

I of course couldn't resist getting those yearly shots of them prepped and ready before heading out.  And I also couldn't resist getting my daughter at her desk taking all those supplies from her new backpack.  I hope this year turns out to be a wonderful year for everyone!

Halloween Timspiration

I love Halloween just like everyone else.  The costumes, the candy, and Tim Holtz inspiration...or Timspiration for short.  Tim posted some spooky goodies on his blog just in time for Halloween crafting season.  I especially love these.  For more yummy "creative trickery", hop over and check out Tim Holtz blog.

Inspirational ATC Challenge

I stayed up last night to work on this ATC for the challenge over at Scraps of Color.  I'm just happy that I actually completed a challenge on time!  I embossed kraft cardstock with my Cuttlebug using the script folder and distressed it with a bit of Tim Holtz distress ink in vintage photo and black soot.  I used paper from Colorbok's Truffle paper pad that I picked up over at Walmart.  I also cut the word "faith" with my Cricut from the Home Accents cartridge and layered it and distressed it a bit with ink.  Threw in a bit of ribbon and embellished a corner with a corner punch.  I also dabbed on a bit of  crystal Stickles over the already glittered paper just to emphasize those leaf-like edges and give it a bit more shimmer.  The stamp is one that I have had in my stash for ages, so I'm not sure of the manufacturer.
Thanks for looking!

Now, This is Cute!

I just read about this fabulous Pottery Barn Cubby Organizer over at Dawn McVey's blog  and I just had to share it here.  This is such a cute Cubby Organizer, and I love all the Christmas decor in there!  I'm working on a project for our Women's Ministry Christmas banquet and this is great color inspiration.  I promise to share them once I'm finished.

My how time passes...

It's been 4 years since I last posted here and so much has changed.  My kids are growing up.  Life is going on and I'm trying to simplify as much of it as I can.  I am going to try to keep my blog current.  I changed the look a bit.  I'm still learning how to do this so there may be changes that come and go until it feels right.  So for now...here it is!

Vacation.......Finally!!!

We just returned from a week at our condo down at Myrtle Beach, and it was just glorious to finally get away and not have to think about the daily grind! We did our normal trip to the aquarium, the amusement park, movies, and my favorite....the beach. I'm discovering a new love for the beach that I didn't think I would have. I love listening to the sound of the waves crashing to the shore. The wind, sand and water just make such a relaxing place to sit and think, and dream. I even found some time to do some scrapping....mostly blank layouts that I will add photos to later. All in all, we had a wonderful time, and I can't wait for out next vacation at the beach!

The Flood of 2006

The days since the rain began have just flowed one into the next. My home was spared, but so many people have been affected by the flood waters. People have lost entire homes, some lost cherished items, and a few lost their lives. This has been such a devestating event for this little city. But it just wasn't our little city. Area all over central New York have been devestated with the flood of 2006. They are saying that this will be one for the record books. Roads are washed out and we have been under a state of emergency for several days and some places have even been washed away altogehter. It's all anyone is talking about. The river kept rising even after the rain, and parts of the city had to be shut down. Here are photos of my road at the start of everything and the playground once the water rose.




There are sections of major highways, and country roads completely washed away. The plant were Darryl works was flooded, so he spent most of his time there getting things secured and getting the clean-up underway. Families all over the city are taking stock of what they could save and have begun piling debris out on the curb for removal. It's so sad seeing families who have lost so much. The photos on the news and in the papers are just unbelievable, and it's not over for a lot of folks. The cleanup and restoration is now beginning, and in some places it will take a long time before things get back to normal.

Peace like a River...

Life here has been crazy! Stuff just happens and I get so caught up in it all. Time slips by and I wonder what just happened!

I had my second carpal tunnel surgery at the end of June, so my parents came to help out while I recover. The boys celebrated their last day of school and summer vacation began.



David had another birthday celebration with his friends from school at a party at Mcdonalds, and all had a great time!

Darryl and I had a special night out to celebrate our 13th anniversary. The food was great, the atmosphere was great, just a great night out without the kids.



Then it began....

It began to rain the day we celebrated our anniversary....and it didn't stop. It continued to rain, and didn't let up. I had a feeling that something was about to happen, but I never would have guessed how it would all end up.

I began to notice water running through the back yard. It was running a bit harder than it ever has. The nervousness began to set in and I went into watch mode. The area where our new home is located used to be a swampy area, so I wondered if we were headed for trouble. As the trickle of water in my yard began to increase to a fast moving brook, it began to collect further down into my neighbors' yards. I went down to the basement to double check for water and found an outdoor deep window well filled with collected water, and inches away from entering my house through the window. Panic set in, and life changed in that instant for me and many of my neighbors.

We grabbed umbrellas, and buckets, and anything we could find to cover the window well. We managed to bail out the water and keep most of what was falling out of the sky from filling it up again, but I couldn't be sure it would hold with the torrential rain that was now drenching us. After dealing with that little mishap, I began to hear the rush of water in the creek behind the houses across the street, and noticed that it was coming out of its banks. As some point the rain let up and the sun came out, so I ventured out to see what was going on. Several of my neighbors did the same, so we were all shocked and amazed at what was happening right before our eyes. Water began flowing down our road and begain to rise higher. The creek that usually runs across the street, was now flowing in the street and flooding out the lower streets down from our subdivision. The school playground across the field was taking on water and streets down below us were filling up with water. The city was flooding, and there wasn't much we could do but watch and wait.

Happy Birthday David!

Yesterday was my middle baby's 6th birthday! Somehow it doesn't seem like it has been 6 years since he was born. He took munchkins from Dunkin Donuts to celebrate with his class. Although he could have managed to carry them in on his own, he asked me to walk him in to class, so I did. As I was about to leave he gave me his morning goodbye kiss, but today instead of doing it in the car, he did it in front of the other students! I thought that was pretty cool! I gave his teacher invititations to his birthday party, which we will do on the 24th. When I picked the boys up at school, David came out wearing his bright yellow paper birthday crown. His present was waiting for him when he got home, and of course he was pretty pleased. Later, we did the cake and icecream and sang Happy Birthday. Overall he seemed to enjoy celebrating his special day! Even Daniel helped make the day special by not fighting with David, and making a special effort to be kind and loving. Although all that changed this morning when it was time to get up and ready for school. The battle lines have been drawn, and it's back to the normal daily chaos.

Altered Stuff!

Here's a little project I just completed. My first altered clip board! I had problems with the paper wrinkling under the Mod Podge, but it's not too noticeable. I used papers from the Rob & Bob Studio line, misc ribbon, stamps by Rhonna Farrer, diecut letters from my new Cricut, and a flower from Walmart. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.










This was a little frame I found at Walmart, and I immediately thought this could be really cute if I added a little something to it, and this is how it turned out. I used some misc cardstock and drybrushed it with a little white paint. Then I added a few flowers, a tag, and some rub-ons and ribbons, and there you have it!

Gonna get back to it!

I can't believe that I haven't made a single post since this year started. Well then, I guess I better get it going again! I've decided to use my blog to showcase what I'm doing with my scrapping along with keeping the family journal here too. It's been an interesting 6 months already. I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand and will get the left one done next week. So my scrapping will be limited till things start to feel better. I've been taking some of the classes over at BigPictureScrapbooking.com, and I am loving the opportunity to do the classes at home on my own time and at my own pace. I'm currently taking Stacy Julian's Library of Memories class and right now I am working on sorting and organizing my stash of photos. I'm tearing apart my magnetic albums and placing those photos into an archival photo album. I started puling my digi pics from my old computer and placing them on my laptop. They are all organized according to date, so not much organizing there. All the loose photos are already sorted chronologically and are in archival boxes, so not much to do there either.

What else has happened? We bought a vacation home in Myrtle Beach and are renting it when we're not using it. I'll put a link to it on the sidebar so check it out if you're interested.

We're in the last couple of weeks before school lets out, so the kids are pretty anxious for it to all be done and over with.

I'm busy trying to catch up on some of the interior decorating at our house. It's been almost a year that we've been in this house and we have finally finished all of the punch list with the builder. So now, I can finish accessorizing my rooms!

I've been trying to jumpstart my creativity again. My scrapspace had a makeover, and I am almost done setting it up, so the pics will be up soon! I've been spending more time chatting with more of my cyber friends on some pretty interesting message boards. I mostly hang out at DiversityDesigns.net, ScrapsAhoy.com. Scrapbook.com, and TwoPeasInABucket.com. I haven't done many challenges lately, but that's about to change. I also intend to step up my game and submit more to the various scrap mags. I'm ready to finally step back in and get inspired and create again. The fruits of my labor will be showcased here and maybe a couple other spots, so I'll try to keep things going and get back to it!

Goodbye 2005...Hello 2006!!!

Well it's new year's eve, and the night is quiet. Everyone is asleep except for me as usual. Once again, I am looking forward to spending new year's eve with Dick Clark and it's good to have him back. 2005 put our family through many changes, and I am happy to begin a new year. Since I don't normally make resolutions, I'm not gonna even begin. What I will do is just promise myself to try to do better. Whatever it is that I'm doing now, I will try to do better in the coming year. I would like to be a better mom and wife, look better, feel better....just be better. All I can do is try.....so I will!!!!

Love 'em while you have 'em...

I just heard something that really struck a chord with me. A guest on the Oprah show today was talking about coming through a rather difficult time, and his words were that you get very few opportunities to be in the same room with all the people you love and care about and who love and care about you.....mostly weddings or funerals, where of course you can't enjoy their company. I paused upon hearing this and it definately is true. When I think of gatherings of my family, it is usually at a wedding or unfortunately at a funeral. Over the past 5 years, we have begun having family reunions, and even with that we have lost loved ones and we shared warm thoughs of them at the first reunion without them. Family is important, and staying in touch is even more important. We all have family members that we take for granted. Once they are gone, there are no more words, laughter, touching, feeling, or sharing. 2005 has been a year of loss for many, and it is hard to step forward after that loss. As we enter a new year reach out to your family. Love them while you have them.

The Chronicles of Narnia...The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

We went to see it today, and everyone just loved it! I knew I wanted to see this movie from the minute I found out it was being made. I have the books, but haven't read them yet. After seeing the movie, I'm more eager to start reading them to the kids. I think they will get more out of it now that they have the imagery floating around in their heads.

Long Time......No See!

Well........it's been a long time since my last post. Life around here has been upside down! Daniel celebrated his ninth birthday. Darryl had another birthday. We celebrated Thanksgiving together. I had another surgery, and we began to prepare for the Christmas holiday season. More construction work is going on in the house. It has been a whilrwind of activity around here and in the midst of it all, I'm working on making me better. Feels like I'm taking on a mountain of responsibility, but in the end, it will have been worth it all.

This was our first Christmas in the new house, and while trying to decorate and get everyone in the holiday spirit, the construction began again. Tile workers are repairing the shower leak and we have had to share the kids' bath for over a month now. There have been cracks in the walls, and the painter and carpeter have been back to take care of those items. The garage has finally been finished. My light in the stairwell has been finally installed.....Yeah!!! Why it took the builder so long to get this done is beyond me, but it's complete and I can now stop obsessing about it. The dishwasher broke about 2 1/2 weeks ago, and I have had to spend more time hand washing dishes over the holidays. It was finally fixed, and we found that one of the attachment screws came loose and jammed up the drain valve. My dishwasher has not been attached properly to the counter, and what they did do ended up messing up my brand new dishwasher. It's working right now, but still not attached to my counter. Anyhow, life goes on......

I actually did some scrapping!!!!!!! As usual, I got the big idea to send both sets of grandparents a mini album of the kids. As usual, I started late, and only have one of the albums completed. The grandmas know it is forthcoming....but I actually put in the time and did some scrapping. My scrapspace is set up and looks organized, but the feel is not exactly right, but I can work on that! Now, I just need to stop buying so much stuff and get busy using it!

5 Days and Counting...

Well it's that time of year again. With the change in seasons, comes another birthday. I usually tend to get a bit reflective this time of year. Where have I been, and what have I been doing, and what should I do different? My biggest concerns right now for me are my health. I am finally getting care for a couple ongoing conditions that I have overlooked for the past few years. As a wife and mother, I tend to care for everyone else first and put my health aside for another time. Well that time has come and along with it comes time for a change. I want to be better....look better...feel better......just overall be better than I am right at this very minute. I'm going to make my life over. I'm not just trippin on Oprah advice, but I just feel like it's time for a little more "me time". Time to care a bit more for how I am living. Better diet, less weight, more style & a little flair....just make me over and kick me up a notch...BAM!!!

Home Not-So-Sweet Home

It's been a while since I last posted. We have had various issues come up concerning our "new house". It really doesn't feel like a brand new house since so many little and some big problems have popped up. I'm not going to list them all since it would take up too much time, but working with our contractor has been like pulling teeth. I love the new subdivision, and I love our house. Most of my neighbors have ongoing complaints with their homes, much like we do. I feel like my life has been consumed with "this house". All I want is my home completed so we can finally settle in and enjoy our new home.

School Daze...Again!

Well school started on Sept 6, and the boys were excited to start fresh in a new school. We all were ready early, and had time to sit and talk about my expectations for this year. All was well received, and I realized that this new school year would mean changes for me as well. Up till now, they rode the bus, but now I am dropping them off and picking them up each day. David is beginning Kindergarten, and Daniel is in fourth grade. Seems like he was just born yesterday, and now he is in fourth grade. David is learning to read, and is loving it. I am trying to spend more hands-on time with them before and after school...especially after school to reinforce that learning is so important. Already, I am seeing changes in their attitudes when I mention homework. Now, if I can only keep Tiffani seated and quiet while homework is going on, I'll be doing well. She missed them the first day, but now she is into the new routine and enjoys getting her hat and backpack in the morning and riding to school with them. She looks forward to their return in the afternoon, but most of all....I am enjoying the "girl" time I get with her during the day. I love my boys, but I am so happy that school has started again. I did the happy dance on the first day, because I get some well deserved "me" time while they are in school. Now, if I can only stop catch-up cleaning and start scrapping again I will certainly be working my "me" time.

More Thoughts on Katrina

I've been reading various posts on several message boards around the net concerning the looting and "ungratefulness" going on in New Orleans. As I said before, I can understand people given the situation they are in getting food, water, clothing, and medicine the best way they can, but stealing big ticket items just blows my mind. The various comments have amazed me, enraged me, and some just plain don't make sense. As we all sit here in the comfort of our homes casting stones as we always do during times like these, I can't help but think about how most of us would handle the situation if we were in their shoes. As a wife and mother, I know that I would do whatever I had to do to ensure my children had clothes to wear, food to eat, water to drink, and maybe a toy to play with while they waited endless hours for aid or transportation. I can't imagine being contained with thousands of now homeless people in extreme temperatures, with overflowing toilets, no real food to mention, for endless hours waiting for some communication about evacuation. Most of us cringe when we go into a filthy gas station restroom....imagine being herded into close quarters with the stench of rotting bodies, perspiration, malfunctioning bathrooms, filthy standing water and no communication for days on end. People are literally dying in the streets while displaced families are looking on and wondering what their fate will be. I credit the people who are there trying to help, but I'm having a hard time with how fast the help is coming. Law enforcement is nonexistent, and they are overwhelmed with the wave of criminal activity. These people have their own misery to deal with even though they are on the front lines rescuing and attempting to control the lawless behavior. There just doesn't seem to be enough police to patrol all of New Orleans and rescue people at the same time. I realize that many roads in are flooded or blocked by debris, but the news media found ways to get in and up close and personal and show us all first hand the deteriorating circumstances. We are seeing the best and worst of human behavior from their viewpoint. I don't condone the criminal activity that is being played out around New Orleans. Some of the reporting paints such an ugly picture, and so many of us back here in our homes believe what they are seeing is being repeated by all people all over the cities affected and choose to condemn...pass judgement even on people who are helpless and trying to survive. I think we need to try to keep an open mind about what is going on. When you are stripped of everything you ever had or worked hard for, and your future minute by minute is unsecure, you will do what you need to do to survive. It's the survival instinct that kicks in. If you have a conscience, it will direct your behavior. So much of the criminal element is being shown and played up. But for every criminal, there are hundreds of caring people that are trying to survive and help their fellow man. I have seen so many images of people individually fishing others out of the water onto dry places, and reaching out even though they themselves have lost all. But on the other hand can you blame people for their anger when they are being treated like unwanted animals. Even the dolphins in one of the aquariums were evacuated and taken out before the storm even began. Why are we treating human beings like they are less than an animal? Our reaction to this truly makes me shudder. This catastrophic event could be played out in cities around the country through terrorist attacks, and we choose to sit back and throw stones. Just like we came together during the horrible days after Sept 11, we need to come together as a unified country and help our own. It's easy to feel detached because we do not live in the areas affected, or because those affected don't look like you do, but we are all part of the human race, and if you can't put aside your differences to lend a hand, or offer a word of encouragement, then maybe you need a reality check. Put yourself in someone elses shoes and walk around in them a while. You may be surprised at the thoughts and feelings that come to the surface. Casting stones never got anyone anywhere. Taking those stones and building upon them creates change not only for yourself, but for everyone whose life touches yours.

Hurricane Katrina Aftermath

I have been watching the recent and ongoing coverage of the hurricane over the weekend. I can hardly believe the devastation that has been left in her wake. The images are heart-breaking. Knowing that thousands of people have been killed or have lost everything they have in this world is just hard to fathom. Seeing the devastation in Mobile, Alabama makes my heart ache mainly since that is where my family originated. Also seeing the images of catastrophe in New Orleans, Biloxi, and Gulf Port is just plain unbelievable. I wish more people where in a position to have evacuated before the storm raged. Unfortunately, many were not able and chose to stay behind and ride out the storm....a deadly decision. In the aftermath, once the waters begain to rise in the city of New Orleans, I sat horrified to see the hundreds and hundreds of people make their way to the Superdome for shelter, only to find utter chaos. Many homes have been reduced to piles of rubble, and several towns have been virtually wiped of the face of the earth. People in dire situations will do what they need to do in order to survive, and the basic instinct of survival has already kicked in for many people who have lost everything. As I sit here warm, dry, and comfortable in my home, my eyes fill with tears and my heart aches for those who have lost loved ones, their shelter, their livlihood. I also get enraged when I witness the looting of useless items in places where no one has electricity, water, functioning bathrooms, or food and water. What are people thinking??? I can certainly understand taking what is necessary for survival, but some of my people have gone too far and make an awful situation even uglier. I will step up and send monetary aid to help those who need it, and continue to offer my sincere prayers for healing, strength, and perseverence. For those who know the Lord, continue to have faith. For those who don't, I invite you to get to know Him. With Him, all things are possible.

It is Finished....sort of

Well we have finally moved into the new house. We closed and moved in after vacation. Some things are still unfinished, but we can start moving boxes from the garage and unloading them. Seems like it's been the longest move on record. Living in close quarters for over a month has not been fun. But we survived! Here we are now a month later and most of the boxes are open. We have a good bit of stuff to part with. It actually feels good to pare things down. I'm happy to finally get my scrap space organized. My stuff has been packed up in the garage for the past couple months, and I worried whether it would survive the climate in there. Most of it is unloaded and it seems like it made it through. Now comes the task of getting my space organized just right so the creative juices can begin to flow again.

Almost Moving Day...Again

Well, I had a chance to walk through the new house again, and the workers have come a long way in just one week. There is still a bit more to complete before we can call it finished, but I think we are finally on our way to getting officially moved in this week. This has been the longest move I think we have ever had. We vacated the old house June 26, and here we are late in July and almost ready to finally get in. I keep feeling like we are never going to make it, but I think I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I have to admit living in such close quarters over the past few weeks, I have truly come to know what "togetherness" really is. The 5 of us have been "together" in this little cottage, and as much as I love my family, I'm ready to spread out and enjoy some private time in my new scrapping space. Now, I just have to carve out some time to put it together between unpacking the rest of the house..... Stuff just never seems to end....

Vacation Time!

I have been looking forward to vacation this year like you wouldn't believe. I so have needed to get away from everything going on and just kick back and relax a bit. So, as in years past, we went down to Myrtle Beach. Our home away from home was the Barefoot Resort, and once again we had a great condo for our time there. The view from the screened-in porch was fabulous. We had a large pond with several fountains in it, and it drew several families of ducks. The kids loved seeing the ducks each day. We did our usual visits to the aquarium, Grand Prix fun park, shopping, and the beach. This time we did get to the Alligator Adventure, and the boys thought it was awesome. They loved the alligator feeding. Tiffani looked at the gators and yelled out "dinosaur...dinosaur." Too funny!

We did get rain several days in a row, but it usually only lasted till the afternoon, then cleared out by evening. So even with the rain, we were still able to get out and enjoy the day. Of course, Darryl spent his mornings golfing with the usual crew, and we did all get together for dinner midweek at the Santa Fee Station. The kids loved the train theme. It was nice to finally meet some of the other families this time. I even finished reading The Indwelling and am ready to start the next book in the series. I even checked out a couple scrapping stores, and worked on a few pages with the minimal supplies I brought with me. Overall, I have to say I relaxed and rested, even though I spent my mornings alone with the kids. Although, it would be nice to leave everyone at home and take another vacation........alone.

Moving Day...Sort Of

Well the day has finally come to move into our new home.....sort of. The movers were here a little ahead of time. We were there on time. The house is still not ready, but we made do. The kitchen is still not in, nor the bathroom fixtures and cabinets. The flooring on the main level is still not complete. The carpting in the basement is not finished yet. But, we were able to do what we needed to do. Hopefully the next couple of weeks will go by quickly, and we will finally be able to completely move in.

Independence Day

Today is Independence Day....the Fourth of July. It's an odd situation we're in, but we will make the best of it. We still haven't moved into our new home yet, but it will be finished in a couple more weeks. So, we will be celebrating in our temporary home...a one-bedroom cottage. Being new in town makes one feel a bit on the perimeter, but our new neighbors have made us feel at home, even though we are not quite at home. We probably won't be hosting a cookout this year, but there is a great place in town that has the best barbecue I've had in a good while. We will stop by and pick up a little something, then maybe take in some of the local flavor. There are quite a few things going on around town today, so I'm sure the kids will enjoy the day without feeling like they are missing our usual celebrating. Of course, what would the Fourth of July be without fireworks? I am told there will be fireworks, so hopefully the kids will enjoy those too. Happy Fourth!

Forever, For Always, For Love...Remembering Luther

I just found out the one of my favorite R&B artist has passed away today. Just say his name, and all sorts of musical images come to mind. Luther..... Luther Vandross. He has to be my all-time favorite. His smooth voice and lyrical styling was pure genius. I have to admit, that I absolutely love his music. I don't think that there was a single song he released that I didn't like. Luther could sing anything, and it sounded good.... "Here and Now was our wedding song. Darryl sang it to me on our very first date, and it is such a special song to us. I don't think there ever will be a voice that can compare to his. There are a few who follow in the same vein, but they just aren't Luther. I have missed his voice ever since he fell ill, and I will continue to miss his voice now that he has passed on. Long live "The Power of Love".

Together Again, and On the Move...Again

Well, the family is now reunited after 4 months being apart from Darryl for work reasons. With his new position, comes new challenges. This is our 4th move in 5 years, all with the same company. Darryl's new job began in February, and he relocated without the rest of us. The kids and I stayed behind in order to finish school. We would move after school let out. So this past week has been an interesting one for us. The last day of school was June 23, and the movers were in the house packing it up that same day. We spent a couple nights at the Best Western in order to attend church on Sunday for the last time at Calvary Baptist. Everyone was teary eyed as we said our goodbyes. It has been a nice place to be for the past 5 years, but I am ready to leave the North Country. This transition has been without many issues, but as we wind this thing down, we come to find out that the new house is not quite ready yet. So, here we are all 5 of us staying in the builder's one-bedroom cottage. It's cozy, but a bit too small for us all. I feel like we're camping, since I don't have all my personal stuff. It's on a moving van somewere in NY state waiting for us to take delivery this Friday. I just hope the house is ready enough for us to get our belongings....

David's Birthday

Today is David's 5th birthday. This child has been anticipating this birthday since his last one. Just about each day, David would tell me and anyone else who would listen what he wanted for his birthday, a Buzz Lightyear with no belt. Every day, David reminded everyone what his birthday gift was to be, and he also asked how long it was till his next birthday. As the days, week, and months went by we had this daily discussion about his birthday. Well, today it finally arrived and the look of joy on his little face was just too cute. We celebrated yesterday with cake and his present. I told David that finding the Buzz he wanted was pretty hard, so he may need to think about something else. He received the RC car from Toy Story, with a miniature Buzz and Woody. He was thrilled beyond measure, and somehow forgot about that Buzz Lightyear with no belt. Overall he had a great birthday weekend at the funpark on Saturday, family party on Sunday, and his happy meal today on his actual birthday. So now David is 5...I wonder what he will cook up tomorrow for his next birthday?

Catching Up

I feel like I've been "catching up" in all aspects of my life over the past few months, even more so now, though. Moving day is coming next week, and there is so much to do to get ready. This will be our third move since August of 2003, so I am hoping this one will be easier than the previous two moves. The new house is almost complete, so the schedule will be very tight, but I am thinking it will be finished on time. I'm excited to finally get a dedicated scrapbook/craft area in the new house, I just don't know where yet. I got dibs on the guest room, but I am thinking the basement family room would be a better fit. Once I get to see the rooms, I'll make a decision. Building a house from afar has been challenging. Just trying to imagine how everything will come together using my imagination and photos does help, but it will be even better when I get to see the real thing. Yes, the past few months have been a challenge, but one part of our lives is ending, and a new one is beginning. Hopefully I'll be caught up and ready for the new challenges that lie ahead!

The Gold Medal

This is the beginning of the last week of school for David's Kidstart class, and today was their awards assembly for the Books & Beyond reading project. David was extremely excited to be receiving his gold medal for reading through the 8 stations throughout the school year. We worked extra hard the last two weeks to get from station 5 to station 8. With the help of both of his grandmothers, we actually did it. We went up to the wire to complete the reading. All of the children either received a blue ribbon for making the attempt, or a gold medal for completing 8 total stations of 225 reading minutes at each level. Darryl arranged his schedule to be home this morning, so we attended the ceremony. David looked so proud to receive his gold medal. That's quite an accomplishment for a soon-to-be five year old!