If you are still reading...

Thanks for hanging in there! Things have been so busy around here lately. We have been through the sickies here so that was a lot of fun. Matt had the flu and spent the better part of last week in the bed. Skylar missed three days of school as well but never got terrible. She just ran a fever all week. Thankfully we all were prescribed Tamiflu and so the rest of us were spared the ick. It was hectic trying to do it all for those couple of days though. I don't know how the single mom's do it. My hat's off, truly! Thankfully, at the end of the week, I got a reprieve. For my BIG birthday present (at least in my mind), Mom and Dad volunteered to keep all three of the monsters for the night. So, Friday night I was able to have a break and a breather. I went shopping, had dinner, spent some time with myself and just relaxed. It was very nice! I also got to sleep in for the first time in FOREVER!!! It was really awesome. I haven't done a lot of crafting but hope to do some while I am in recovery in the next couple of weeks. I did make the decision to become a Stampin' Up! demo. My starter kit should be here tomorrow and I can't wait to start playing with all the stuff. I am not much of a salesman but I have really come to love stamping so hopefully I can pass that along to others and have some fun with it. I am not really in it to make money (at least right now). I just wanted to stock up with some product and couldn't pass up the opportunity. Thanks to Patti for all the help and advice. She has been amazing and I could not do this without her! Last, but definitely not least, my surgery is finally here. I go in on Monday and am getting really nervous. I know that it will be all right and I guess it is normal to second guess myself. It is just really making me anxious. Skylar asks me all the time "Did you get your boobies cut off today?" lol She was full of questions and I tried to answer them as best she would understand. I assured her that they would not be "cutting them off as small as hers" nor would they be "popping them like a balloon." She is very excited because I have asked her to be my "little helper" in the coming weeks and she thinks that is the greatest thing ever. She is 'Big Stuff'. lol Anyway, I guess I will close for now. No pictures tonight because I have been slack in that area as well but I promise to get back to that soon. If you are still visiting my blog and have made it this far, thanks again and I pledge to do better in the future!!!
Hugs and happy stamping!!!

Okay, last one for the night...

I had one more swap that I had to get done and decided to use my bird stamp set again. I just love this set! (Thanks Mom!) Not completely thrilled with it but I think the actual stamp came out great. I love to do the water color effect and the owl is just adorable.

Now I need to finish up my house for the Pink House. Hopefully, I will have pics to share of that by Saturday. It is a chipboard (kind of a thin cardboard/thick paper for you non-scrappers) house by Doodlebug Design, Inc that you decorate with cardstock and other embellishments. Really cool idea. Now if I could just translate my concept into reality I will be doing good! lol

A few pics to share

Been awhile since I shared pics of all the kiddos. This is Skylar with her front tooth that is coming in all crooked. Definitely braces in the making but then her Daddy had them and so did I so not unexpected. lol She lost her 6th one tonight. It was so loose it just fell out in her hand...no pulling, no pain. She was so proud that she "pulled it herself".
My stubborn girl. She is going to be the death of me I think. I thought that the other two gave me headaches...oh no, this beautiful, sweet face is going to be trouble in a few years. She is the stubborn-est of all of them. Definitely got my hard head.

My sweet (on most days) boy. He loves to talk on the phone. I am not sure what he was "talking" to Pop about here be he was completely immersed. He definitely did not get that from me!!!

Awww. Sweet Sisterly Love

My latest craft...

Just a quick crafty for tonight. I finally got my last swap done that is due next week. I was first introduced to these a couple of weeks ago at the Pink House during a Cricut class. These cute decorated jumbo paper clips can be used as money or gift card holders, as book marks, place cards, etc. These were made using my Cricut and I had a blast making them.

Okay, so I have once again been a bad blogger! I have been meaning to write about our "camping" trip this weekend but didn't have the pics uploaded until now. So, here they are. Skylar had a Girl Scout camping trip on Saturday and we went out for the day. I wasn't comfortable letting my 6 yr old camp out in the woods with virtual strangers even if it was Girl Scout sanctioned so we just went for the day but she had a blast. We hiked in the woods, learned about camping safety, got to pet and feed the horses and ate s'mores by the campfire.

Here she is with a couple of the girls from the troop.

Picking out beads to make her stepping stone.

Making the stepping stone.

The girls were excited to find turkey, deer and raccoon tracks on our hike.

We also spotted a couple of alligators sunning by the lake which was a big hit! It was a great day and she had a lot of fun. The ladies were very gracious and I helped with a lot of the activities. It was a bit hectic with 12 little girls but we managed. I also learned a new truth about myself: I am soooooo dreading the days of little girl slumber parties! Might have to let her Daddy be in charge of that! lol

Thankful Thursday (on Friday, lol)

So, I missed this yesterday because I have been such a bad poster but I just had to get in on it this week. I am so thankful this week because I have finally gotten the word that my surgery has been approved. I go next Thursday for my pre-surgery consult and then my surgery is scheduled for March 10th! I really can't believe that it is finally happening. I have been waiting for this for so long and now that it is coming to fruition I can hardly believe that it is real. I guess now is the hardest part because a part of me never believed that I would get approved and that it would happen. Now that it has and it is only four short weeks away, I am terrified. Am I doing the right thing? Am I being selfish knowing the time that this is going to take away from my family? Will it all be worth it in the end? I don't really know. I just have to trust that I would not have gotten approved if there wasn't a reason and that God will take care of me. It is a sacrifice but I believe that in the end I will be a much happier, healthier person. A new me, a better me!

Wow, where does the time go? We are already in to the second month of 2008. It is amazing how time just passes you by without you even noticing! I guess I should update on us and where I am at with my goals for 2008. I have been sick this past week which has not been a lot of fun. My household doesn't function very well when I am not at full strength. I am hoping that is all behind me now and as soon as I can get past this migraine that things will start to be better.

The kiddos are all doing good. Skylar got an "amazing" in school yesterday and her report card was okay. She has been struggling with listening but hopefully we are working on that. Peyton is a nut as always. She is quick to smile but will let you know as soon as you have done something she does not like. Those eyebrows go down and the lips purse up. lol As you can see, Brayden got a major haircut this week courtesy of his Daddy. (Mommy had no input into it whatsoever!) I am getting used to it but man, I wonder where my little boy has gone. Of course, then you get the hangdog look like in pic #2 and he is back again. I just miss all of that beautiful blonde hair. I guess I shouldn't be so sentimental. It is only hair, right? (Tell me it's only hair!)

As far as my goals, I am doing okay. Back to drinking Dr. Pepper again although I am limiting myself to one a day if that. I have been crafting up a storm and should have some new pics to show shortly. I joined a couple of online swaps and have two of the five done. It has really been a lot of fun to branch out and do things that I have never done before. My assignment for the Pink House is definitely a stretch this week but it is going to be so cute when it is done. Pics to follow. I fell off the Photo-A-Day band wagon last week when I got sick but am back on now. You can see some of my latest creations there. This month I hope continues to be even better than last. I have a few things that I have been thinking about to make life a little easier so hopefully I can get them going and start enjoying myself a little more.