I've (finally) been tagged!

Rules: (1) Link to the person that tagged you. (2) Post the rules on your blog. (3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (5) Let each random person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their site

Well, I finally got tagged. Thanks Megan! Okay, here are my six random things.

1.) I cannot watch TV without having something else to do such as reading, crafting, or sometimes even laundry. lol It feels like I am just wasting time if I am not doing something.

2.) I don't really like "character" themed clothing for the kids but I will by it for myself in a heartbeat. I have sweats, underwear, socks, t-shirts, etc. I don't wear it all the time mind you but it makes me laugh when I do.

3.) I am terrible at housekeeping and am not at all a neat freak, but clutter bugs me. I cannot work in a messy space and I love organizational ideas (even though I don't always implement them). I get stressed out when there is too much clutter around.

4.) I am one of those people who cannot let their food touch on my plate. Buffets stress me out especially when I see everybody's plates piled sky high with food. Some things were just not meant to be combined.

5.) I hate to talk on the phone and will do just about anything to avoid it. I will even have Matt call places if I can just to get out of it. Caller ID is my best friend when I am at home.

6.) I am not a spontaneous or daring person but I would love to climb a mountain, walk across the Great Wall of China and take a hot air balloon ride. (I almost put sky dive but the thought of jumping out of a plane still terrifies me, maybe in another couple of years I will work up the courage!)

Okay, so I think that I will tag:

Erika
Ronee
Keri
Matthew
Michelle

Once again, I had the privilege to go stamping with a great group of ladies. Thanks for letting us use your lake house, Claudia and thank you guys for all of the great new techniques. I am so excited to get started trying out all the stuff that I learned.
These are just a few of the projects that we created today.


This is an awesome technique using lace and a LOT!! of glitter. Love it!!!


This sail boat was created using Tim Holtz's Alcohol inks. Have to get me some!!!

This one uses embossing powder to showcase a cool stamping technique along with pearlescent powders for the accents.
Definitely going to try this one at home!!!

It was a lot of creating, a lot of laughing and a good time was had by all. Good food, good friends, good times!
Can't wait to get together for the next one. This time I think I will drag Mom along. (Kicking and screaming of course! lol)

A Thankful Thursday

I found Julie 's blog from the blog of a friend of mine and she has decided to start "Thankful Thursday". I am not usually very good at these "daily" type things but I felt led to participate in this one today.

There are a lot of things that I am thankful for in my life but I have been reminded several times this week about how thankful I am to have a God that watches over me and loves me unconditionally. He is a good God, a loving God and a faithful God. I had intended to go to a Women's Ministry this week at our church but didn't make it home from work in time to go. I had felt a calling on my heart for two weeks to be at this particular meeting but we were stuck behind an accident on our way home and were delayed about 45 minutes so I did not get back to town in time to attend. I was devastated because I "knew" that I was supposed to be there and felt like I had disappointed Him. He has shown me on several occasions since then that even though life sometimes gets in the way, He is still a presence in my life and that there are other ways that I can serve Him. I am so thankful for all that He does for me and my family, and I am glad that I am able to pass that relationship on to my children.

So, I have been working today in my craft room to get things kind of in their places. It has been so messy in there that lately I have been relegated to working at my computer desk or the coffee table in the living room. Hopefully now that I have it a little neater (hey, at least there is workspace now! lol), I will be able to utilize it more. I still need to go through and declutter and such but this is pretty much it. I spent most of the day going through boxes that littered the floor so next I get to tackle the shelves. I have two workstations as you can see because Skylar always wants to craft with me so she has a place of her own to work too. Now, if I could just buy a few more supplies. lol

Well, I finally have something crafty to show. (literally!) lol

Today I went to the Pink House for a Cricut Club meeting. We had to bring a project to share with everyone. This is the card that I made. Thought it came out pretty well considering I haven't used the machine before. I used two patterned papers and a solid cutting out the same flower shape but using different options such as the silhouette and the shadow. Simple but cute.

Skylar decided to craft with me using some of my scraps and this is the card that she came up with. Love the puppy and the smiling sun. I am so glad that she takes after me and loves to craft and make things. That is my girl!!!

Update on our night...

Well, things were a little rough last night. Peyton woke up again at 3am screaming the house down. She was not being put back in that crib alone. Matt got up with her at first but he doesn't handle the middle of the night trips real well so I ended up getting up. I rocked her and talked to her to no avail. Finally, I just put her in the crib and laid down in the floor next to her. She was okay then I guess because she knew that I was right there. I laid there for about 15 minutes and when I finally decided she had gone back to sleep, I crawled out as quickly and as quietly as I could. lol Made for a pretty nasty morning as you might imagine. Peyton was grumpy, Skylar was grumpy and Mom and Dad weren't too friendly either. lol She did a lot better tonight. Skylar had Girl Scouts so Matt put Peyton to bed before we got home. Skylar hung out with us until Peyton fell asleep and then went to bed herself. No tears from anybody except maybe me. lol I still can't believe that I have my own room back again! We have had at least one child in with us for most of the last six years. Matt and I are not going to know what to do with ourselves. (Okay, minds out of the gutter guys!!! lol)

My Poor Baby...

She has had a couple of days full of changes. She got her first haircut yesterday. She did really good. I came armed with a sucker and as soon as she had that, she was just fine. Sat through the whole thing without so much as a flinch. I didn't have her cut too much off. Just trim the bangs and shape up the back. I haven't gotten an after picture yet. I need to do that.

Today, she started at her new preschool. She and Brayden are at a wonderful Christian daycare here in town. The were a little apprehensive about going in this morning but warmed up after I broke out their crackers (Hey, food bribes always work with my kids! lol) They were fine when I left but I know it was a big adjustment for Peyton. Then to top it off, she only had a one hour nap (She is normally close to three hours) and I dont think they gave her her pacifier. While we are trying to break her of the habit, she still wants the security in certain situations. I hope that wasn't too traumatic. I was afraid to ask.

And then the final straw...I took the day off today to "put Christmas back in the box" as Mom always said growing up and to do some cleaning around the house. I decided that while I was cleaning Skylar's room that I might as well go ahead and move Peyton in there. (She is still in our room) No point in cleaning and rearranging twice. The girls were so excited when they came home and saw the room. Skylar practically tackled Peyton, laughing and giggling that they were finally going to share a room. Peyton agreed that it was going to be fun...that is, until Skylar fell asleep. She then proceeded to get hysterical. It is now 11:15 and she has only been asleep about 30 minutes where normally she is passed out by 7:30. We rocked and patted and sang and consoled but as soon as we moved to leave the room, she was screaming again. I am not sure how Matt finally got her to sleep (We were taking turns) but I am terrified to move and cause the floors to creak. lol She has had a rough two days. My poor sweet baby girl!

My word for 2008 is....

GROW! Ali Edwards has challenged her blog readers to come up with a single word to describe what they expect from 2008. I was having a hard time deciding on just one word until I found the picture above in my digital scrapbooking library. Originally, I was leaning towards "Create" or "Improve" but neither seemed to encompass everything that I want to accomplish this year. When I saw the word "Grow" I knew that it was the word that I had to go with. "Grow" means: to increase gradually in size, amount, etc; to expand; or to come into being. It matches perfectly with all of the goals that I outlined in yesterday's post. I want to "grow" in my faith, I want to "grow" seeds of happiness within my family, and I want to "grow" and pursue more creative endeavors in 2008. Of course, "grow" is not really my intention when it comes to my weight loss goal. lol But maybe we can say that I want to "grow" my self-confidence and improve my body image as I achieve my goal of losing 30 pounds. I guess that will work. As we move further into 2008, I hope that I am able to continue down the paths that I have started out on and to share my "growth" with you. So, what is your word for 2008? And if you don't have one yet, it isn't too late to get started. Just think about what word most describes what you want to accomplish. Be sure to write it down and keep it in a place where you can see it every day. Good luck on your journey. I can't wait to hear all about it!!!

A New Day, A New Year...

Welcome 2008. It is a brand new day and a brand new year. I didn't really make any resolutions this year because I am finding that whenever I label something that way, it is just begging to be broken. Instead I am making a few goals for 2008:

1. Eat better and healthier. I have cut out my Dr. Pepper's :*( and have been drinking mostly water. Also limiting my portions and recording what I eat. Trying to limit my sugar intake and making sure that I take my vitamins.

2. Continue with our Biggest Loser challenge at work. I lost a total of 9 pounds at the end of 2007 but have another 30 pounds to go. My goal is to be halfway there by my birthday in March.

3. Create something everyday. Be it a scrapbook page, a card, a painting or a photograph. I want to keep nurturing the creativity that I have found in the last few weeks. To that end, I have already joined the design team at the Pink House, I am participating in a Photo-a-day challenge (the above was my pic from yesterday) and I am joining a new stamping club. Should be a productive year!

4. I plan to focus more on my spiritual journey and my relationship with God. Attending church regularly is just not enough. I want to build my faith and be an example for my children.

5. And last but not least. I am committing to spending more quality time with my family. From family game night to field trips to just simple family meals at home. I want to spend time playing more and yelling less. I want to build a better marriage and a happier home.

These are my goals for 2008. I can't commit to blogging every day but I am going to try to be better about it. It has been a lot of fun to record my journeys and it is a great way to keep myself accountable. So, for 2008, look forward to following my progress on my goals and of course the countless stories about my kids. Oh, and I might share a few projects as well. lol Hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!!!!

Charlotte Trip

Just got back from spending a weekend in Charlotte with some of my online friends from Brayden's baby board. The weather was horrible and Michelle had the worst luck with her flights. It took her 14.5 hours to get to Charlotte from Lafayette, LA. CRAZY!!!
We had the best time though just hanging out and chatting. It was so nice to finally meet her after spending almost 4 years together online. She was such a doll and it was so nice to get away for some quiet time sans kids.

This is Angie, Michelle and Bobbi, the Three Amigos, outside of the Mexican restaurant that we spent FOUR hours at! Yay for free chips and salsa. It was a lot of fun girls, and can't wait to do it again soon!!!!!