HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :)

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you that stop by and read this blog of mine! :) Today is a day of gratitude and togetherness. I hope and pray that all of you are happy at home with your families, or if you are going to families- I hope your travels are safe and you arrive and are able to spend time with those you love. For those of you that can't have your family with you, whether they are away because of the military or just can't be with you...I pray that they are safe and will be home with you soon.

There is so much I am thankful for! I wake up everyday and am always in disbelief that I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom.  It may be a constant sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice that I would happily make again.

I am so thankful for my little family! :)

Christmas pic for 2009

My husband is my best friend and the love of my life! Sure he can be a pain..but I KNOW I AM a pain in the butt a lot more than him! :) He accepts me and adores me for ME! :) He doesn't mind that I am not the thin girl he met 17+ years ago. He says I am just as beautiful now as I was then! :) He works hard and comes home and still helps out with the kids and the house. He is not one of those men that thinks because he works that he can come home and just be "DONE" for the day. Thank God for that....his parents did a wonderful job with this man! :) I say that because he is so much like his daddy. Although, my father-in-law passed 6 years ago...he lives in both my husband....AND.....

My son!  :)

Football 2010

This young man is one of the reasons I wake up in the morning and try to be the best mother I can be. When he came into my life 11+ years ago, I was overjoyed with love and life! :) It has been a joy to be raising him and see him do well in whatever he chooses to be doing. :) He is truly one of the best kids I know. I love the way he is...it can be hard sometimes because he has a very stubborn way about him and he is a little analytical, but I am truly so THANKFUL for him. I love that he speaks his mind and will not lay down and be a victim. I am proud of that! :)

Then there is this little light of hope for me! :)



Fall 2010

 This little girl was something that we ALL worked for! :) Jon (my son) was so easy to get pregnant with and I had a pretty good pregnancy with him. With Sasha, it took two miscarriages, a tube removal (I had a cyst), and 9 months of morning sickness. Not to mention 12+ hours of labor and then a C-section anyway....to bring her into this world. I also had post partum depression really bad. BUT....I look at her everyday and am overjoyed that God has given me another precious gift to hold and love. She is me all over again for my father...I love how he glows when he sees her.

Halloween 2010

This picture cracks me up! :) Sasha is such a character and I love her for it! :)

I am also thankful for my family and Garth's family! :) They have helped us so much through a lot of life! :) I am not sure where we would be if we didn't have them. We might be ok, but they have made life nice and easy for us. :) Between babysitting so Garth and I could have date nights to being a listening ear, they have always been there. Just because we are adults doesn't mean they stop being parents and that is a very good thing! :)

I love this woman!

My mom-in-law and great niece, Me and Sasha on a Hay Ride

That would be my mother-in-law! :) We had a rocky beginning, but I love her to death now! :) She has been there for every important day in my life since I have been with her son! :) She has a HUGE love for her family and accepts us regardless of our mess ups and shortfalls. When I need someone to talk to, she is ALWAYS there..even if all she does is just listen. I always hear my friends saying that they don't have a relationship with their mother-in-laws like I do and that makes me SUPER HAPPY! :) You have NO IDEA! :)

Now, last but not least......This girl!

Bex and Me 2010

This is Becky! She is my best friend and someone who has been there for every part of my life for 6 years! :) She got me through my father-in'law's death, my miscarriages, the hard spot in my marriage, the ups and downs of motherhood...and my day-to-day. I love her! :) Sure, I have gotten her through things in her life, but that is HER story to tell. :)


I am also thankful for everyone that is in my life...I have made new friends and love them dearly and feel so blessed to have everyone of them in my life. :) I love you all! :)

I was lucky enough to see this on the Brave Girls' Blog! :) It is awesome and perfect for today! :) Click here and enjoy! :)

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

Totally Stamps Christmas Tag Swap Tag!

Is it really almost Thanksgiving??? Which means it is almost Christmas??? EEK! :) I have so much to do still between cooking, cleaning, decorating, crafting.....you get the idea! :)

Anyways- I signed up for the Totally Stamps Christmas Tag Swap in late October and finished a couple other projects on hand and then got to it. :) I love tags. They are simple, yet you can decorate, embellish, anything you heart desires on them. :) They are the BEST! :) I even have a friend that is doing tags in place of Christmas Cards this year. :) That would be a fun idea! :) TeeHee! :)

So here is my tag!

What I used: Tag is from Micheal's, tulle (red and cream) is Walmart, the snowflake charms are from China somewhere (ebay), I used Distress Inks (aged mahogany, pine needles, and tea dye) and a foam applicator from Ranger. The Stamp is from The Angel Company. I also added some bling..I really never remember where I get my bling! :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Jeanie D's Christmas Goodness! :)

Hey all! Did you know I have a really good friend in the Digital Design business? Her name is Jeanie Dickinson and she has her own design name now...she is Jeanie D's Designs. :) I am beyond proud of her and she keeps me really happy with sharing her digi goodness with me. :) She has a vintage, yet whimsical feel to her work. I also love it because it is beautiful, yet clean. :)

Anyways- She was designing a kit a couple nights ago (She is gonna be a part of a HUGE Blog Hop here - that is where the details are.) and had the papers done for it. I LOVE THE PAPERS! :) She sent me a lot of them, but the two that got me so far are the burgundy Merry and Bright and the music sheet paper. I used them on hybrid projects for right now...BUT be on the look out for some digi layouts from me using this paper..I also think I am gonna use the paper for some Christmas card swaps I am in. :) Everytime I look back at the file..I see something else I can work with and really for me the only other digi designer who has been consistently making me do that is Katie Pertiet. :)

I will say that Jeanie has evolved from a paper creator to a wonderfully creative digi designer. Love you, Jeanie! ((HUGS))

So, here are my projects.

Full View

Close up view

For the wall hanging I used: Jeanie D's Designs Merry and Bright digital 12x12 paper, all ribbon and lace from Michael's, I did spray the outlining ribbon/lace with homeade glimmer spray and some Shimmerz Spritz mists, Tim Holtz Idea-o-logy clock face and spinners, Stamper's Anonymous Santa Stamp, Ranger Distress Inks, Blending Foam

Card

For the card: Jeanie D's Designs Music Sheets paper in 12x12, Chatterbox (Brown Brad), Basic Grey (shiny green brads), Mulberry paper, Recollections (Kraft Card base),Shimmerz Spritz Spray, TAC Christmas Stamp, CTMH (flourish), Fiskars border punch, Nik Bantok stamp pad (Van Dyke Brown)

I should say that I sized what I needed in PSE 7. :)

Thanks for looking. :)

Champion Layout

Hi All! :) Oh, how I love sports and I love the ones my kids are in A LOT! :) Jon (my son), used to play every sport, but as time went on..he chose one....FOOTBALL. :) He loves it. :) He loves everything about it. :) He is a defensive player and is really good at it. :) He loves to get in there and take people down. As a mom, I have learned to get over seeing people push, run into, and ram into my kid. They are just doing their job and since I don't see other parents getting too upset when my son is doing his, well all is fair, right?

Jon's first year of Football for The Boys and Girls' Club was last year (2009). He played for two of the nicest guys ever. :) Those two guys were awesome to our boys. :)

I decided to take pics at our home that year, because the whole photography bit or even if we would have pictures done was not something that was even scheduled so I wanted to be safe.  I am a scrapbooker after all! LOL! :)

I look at this picture and can't believe how little Jon looked last year. It is also a reminder that he is not my little guy anymore. :( But....along with that comes hopes for the future and I think and hope I don't have to worry a whole lot about his. :)

I used Teresa Collins' Sports Edition line for this layout.  It is perfect for this type of layout. :) Besides the picture, I started with the quote that was originally framed. It is by Muhammad Ali.  It says: CHAMPIONS AREN'T MADE IN THE GYMS.  CHAMPIONS ARE MADE FROM SOMETHING THEY HAVE DEEP INSIDE THEM- A DESIRE, A DREAM, A VISION.   Wow, is that NOT the truth???

The only other thing I used on this layout that wasn't Teresa's? Were the gears from Tim Holtz's Idea-o-logy. Which really goes perfect with this line. :)

Thanks for looking! :)

Friends Forever Card

Hey all! I have been a busy girl this past week. I have a couple of fun projects I did that I will be sharing, starting with the card today. I hope to finish up with a video looksie of my BOOK project I was working on.

So now...on to it! I just love the Teresa Collins Friendship line.  You don't need to just use it for friendship projects. The colors and design are so workable into any project. :) It is one of my fave lines to work with. :) That being said, I DID use it on a FRIENDSHIP project this time. Here it is! :)

Front of card

Inside of card

What I used: Teresa Collins' Friendship paper, Best Occasions cardstock, ribbon from Michael's, Colorbok (bling).

Thanks for stopping by! :)