A Little Slice...

And now I know why I haven't read in over 2 years!

2008-09-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

If only I had known it was going to be like this! My sister dropped off one innocent looking hardcover book last week some time and told me I needed to read it... Little did I know! Ugh! I put it off because there was too many things to do... Too little time in my life to do them and I didn't have the luxury of being able to sit down to read. Well, I got sick on Monday. A really bad cold that made it impossible to move so I sat on the couch and started reading. And reading.... And reading! I got through the whole book on Monday and picked up the sequel before I put my head down for the night... And then on Tuesday, I read and read and read and I was finished with that book. Well my sister only had the 3 books, but I took that last one from her and read that today and guess what... I just finished and I was so disappointed That now I have to go get the 4th book in the series and read that tomorrow! I can't believe that I read 3 books in 3 days! I used to devour books all the time but after having my kids I didn't have the time to sit to read them...

Well now I have to tell you what series I am talking about!
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Twilight! OMG! I should have guessed how good they were going to be by the praise I have seen all over the place for it! I can't believe that it took so long for me to get into it! I really am glad that I had the chance to read all the books at once, though! Because I don't think I could stand the suspense to wait for the next book to come out! Although, There is one last book that has been put on hold.... Because of someone leaked it and now Stephanie can't write it! I really can't wait!
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Now I am off to the bookstore!

Funky Playground Teachers Pet

2008-07-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

So I decided to take my chances at FPD... They are having an apprentice program and we are competing for a chance to be their next designer! here is my week 1 entry:
Its a freebie over at FPD right now! The only catch is it is password protected and you need to sign up for the newsletter at FPD to get the password! Here is a link to sign up for the newsletter:
http://www.funkyplaygrounddesigns.com/newsletter
Oh and there are about ohhhhh... 50 other mini kits to download too while you are there! So what are you waiting for! Go Sign up now!

Idon't know whether to dance or cry!

2008-07-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

I have been sitting here for 2 days all by myself!

No more whining! No more Crying! No more fighting! No more Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! No more climbing all over me! No More too loud TV! No more Spills that I am not told about so I don't find them until they start to smell! No more kids for a whole month!

But then again.... No more hugs! No More Cuddles! No more kisses! No more "love you to the edge of the universe"! No more good nights! No more mornin' mom! No more "can I hold your hand?"

Well I think that did it! It is definitely time to cry! I miss them so much and it has only been 3 days! Daddy took them on the plane to visit Grandma in Indiana on Saturday! It is only Tuesday and I really don't know what to do with myself! I did all the laundry on Saturday and did all the vacuuming on Sunday (with no interruptions which was nice)... But now I have Nothing to do. No making breakfast, no making lunch. No taking them to the park! No Swim lessons.... No soccer! What in the world am I gonna do with myself, the woman, without being the mom!?!?

I think I am gonna go curl up in a ball on my bed til this feeling passes! (you might see me in a month!)

Saying goodbye at the airport is so HARD!

Not to mention the fact that Daddy forgot to put K's meds in his backpack before they left. So I had to Drive 20 minutes back to the house and then 20 minutes back (driving at break neck speeds! I am lucky I didn't get a ticket!) And then pulling up to the drop off at the Airport just to give them a quick kiss and hug and then watch as they hightailed it through security! Lucky they didn't miss their plane!

It is getting a little frustrating!

2008-07-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have been, for a week now trying to get a lo done, and every time I open up more than one file in PS, it crashes! I am really getting irritated! And my DH (who is a Software programmer) either can't find the problem, or doesn't have the time to really dig into it right now. I can understand that, he has a big project that he has been working on that is first priority...

But what about me??? When Am I gonna get some scrapping done???

Ah well, thanks for letting me vent!

New Kit at Laura Lively Designs!

2008-06-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hi there Chicklets! Well, Summer is finally here! And I don’t know about you, but I for one love the warmer weather! We always spend our weekends up on the mountains camping and 4-wheeling. We love going to the pool and playing in the sprinklers too! Morning Dew is perfect to scrap those outside photos of your family! And for today only, enjoy 20% off the full kit.

We're in the home stretch!

2008-06-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

OMG! It is almost over! My baby girl is graduating Kindergarten on the 30th! I really can't believe it! She only has 2 more full weeks of school left. (they have the week of the 18th off for testing) Ok, I think I am gonna cry now! I sat down to write a happy blog post and it is making me sad! Because I know that At the end of August my baby boy will be a Kindergartener! What in the world will I do with myself! Both kiddos in school? having at LEAST 3 hours all to myself! I will go bonkers I tell you! Ah well... I am putting this out of my mind until I absolutely NEED to think about it. Period!

Now on to better news... I have a new post up at Laura Lively Designs Blog... Go check it out here... I know you won't be disappointed!

New Product at Laura Lively Designs

2008-05-27T11:42:00.001-07:00

First of all, I want to thank everyone who made my grand opening and my debut as a designer such a success. I really appreciate all of your support! The doors to my shoppe have been open for a week now. And since I opened on a Tuesday, I felt it only fitting that new products are released on Tuesday. But first, let me show you the new freebie... It is an alpha that I absolutely LOVE! And I hope that you love it too. I call it Picnic in the Park and it is inspired by all the times my kiddos and I go to the "big" (as they call it) Park and sit under the "big" tree to eat our lunch that we brought in brown paper bags... And without further ado I would like you all to meet "Picnic in the Park Alpha" (isn't she purty!?) Get this now because in one week it will be going up to full price ($2.99)

And a little closer...

Loaded into the shoppe today is a brand new Kit. I call this one Summer Sorbet because the colors are reminiscent of all the colors of summer when your a kid. The texture is a bit worn, but I promise you will love it!

And for today only get this kit for 20% off!

Have a Fantastic Week!

Laura!

My Baby WON!!!!

2008-05-22T08:13:00.001-07:00

I really love my boy! And he WON! David Cook Won! (although, I hope the idol machine doesn't turn him into a cookie cutter idol!) I hope he stays true to him!

And on to the news...

2008-05-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been keeping up like a good little blogger, but if there are any of you that actually read my blog then you know about my little secret that was getting really hard to keep secret! Well, after this it won't be a secret anymore. I have been a designing freak for the last month! I really didn't know it was in me until it just burst forth onto the screen! And now, after I told my Dear hubs about this new creative release, do you know what this wonderful man did for me??? He went out and bought me a domain name and set me up with my very own store!

(I used my new Down to Earth Kit for the ad)

And in related news, I have a new blog that I plan on using for this new venture of mine. You can come take a look over there... Laura Lively Designs Blog .

As for my new products, Here is a preview of them.... I hope you like!

A buncha Layouts!

2008-05-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

So over the weekend, I created 8... Count'em 8 Layouts. You wanna see them? Of course you do! (this first and third ones I used my Canvas Alpha, just to let you know!)

Click here for creditsClick here for Credits

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So I was a busy little bee this weekend. Not only was a creating LO's like a mad woman, I was designing too! sorry no freebie today... :( But I wanted to mention, that I have a few new teams to add to my sidebar. YAY! I was chosen to be a part of Scrapkitchen's (Susan Bartollini) CT (seriously, this is my DREAM CT) and Penny's Miscellany's (Penny Springmann) CT. And this month I am a guest for the lovely Birgit Kerr!

So how was your NSD??

2008-05-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

So I didn't get to do much this NSD... I had 2 soccer games and of course hubby was busy after the games so I couldn't pawn the kids off on him. I didn't get much scrapping done at all! But I did got "other" scrapping related things done...

If you would like a sneaky peak at what my news could possibly be...
Click here

Goopy Glitter Glue

2008-04-27T20:59:00.001-07:00

Another freebie! I am getting very excited, I am close to revealing the news that I mentioned in an earlier post! But on to todays freebie. As the title suggests it is a glitter alpha with a translucent glue backing. (It will also coordinate with a full kit I am working on!)

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Could you please leave me a little comment.... I really like reading all of your responses.

I've been Pubbed!

2008-04-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

Not once but twice! So I was checking out my FREE copy of April's Bella Scraps Magazine searching for my LO that was published (the very first reader inspiration LO) and I came across a LO that had my Canvas Alpha as the title! I was ecstatic when I saw it! Unfortunately, my name was left off the credits, but I emailed the LO artist and she confirmed that it is mine! But there is nothing she or I can do about it so, oh well! So if you haven't picked up your copy of Bella Scraps this month, go get it! It is so full of inspiration! (I really have to get a subscription!)

I am working hard on another freebie! So check back here this weekend!

And I did this for The Sweet Shoppe Blog Challenge:

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer

You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.

You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules.

Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.

You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller!

In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart.

You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. And you do break a lot of hearts.

At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do.

You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding

When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused

What's Your Personality Type?

Soccer and a freebie.

2008-04-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Today was the 1st game day for Spring soccer... And I gotta tell ya, I did not have a blast! Corbin had a REALLY bad morning. First, he was afraid to get on the field with the other kids because they weren't his team. (He was on a team during Fall soccer last year) His team is the Green Gators NOT the Green Dragons... Finally after about 10 minutes of watching the other kids having fun kicking the ball, he decides that he wants to go play. Well after his turn playing he comes and sits down (on top of me) and tells me that he has to go potty. walking back to the field after going potty, he spots a golden retriever that he HAS to pet! And finally we make it back and it is half time. Well let me tell you, you should have seen the face that he made when he saw the orange slices. So half time is over and he gets to play one more time. And I don't know if you all have seen 4 year olds playing soccer, but my Hubby lovingly refers to it as Amoeba-ball. Because watching it, it looks like an amoeba kicking the ball around. Well Corbin was in the middle of this pile-o-kids and of course the domino effect runs its course and some poor little boy reaches out and grabs Corbin 's ear. And what does Corbin do???? He PUNCHES the other little boy... Several times! And all the parents around me were like "did you see that kid throwing punches?" I don't embarrass easily so what they thought meant little to me, but Corbin comes running off the field crying. He never wants to play soccer again! Until 5 minutes before the game is over and he wants to go back in again!

Oh and let me tell you, when the snack is something that your kid 'might' like, don't open it up and let the 50 mph winds take it and throw it across the parking lot. Because you will have a screaming 4 year old in the back seat all the way home!

On the other hand, according to Hubby, Kaylee's Game was AWESOME!! She kicked it in from the sideline and then followed through with a goal! I can't tell you much about this time because I didn't go. Hubs and I are switching off... I go to Corbin's game the week and he goes to Kaylee's. Then next week I will go to Kaylee's and he will go to Corbin's. Oh and Corbin did make a goal. He is getting better at controlling the ball.

So now on to the freebie! YAY!

I love this paper pack! Grungy Grids is a rainbow of 9 beautiful background papers with a subtle painted edge. And the texture on them is Fantastic! I really like how these came out! So without further ado....

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And once again, if you like em let me know! I really want to hear your feedback on this. Even if you don't like them, Let me know how I can improve!

It's Almost Friday!

2008-04-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

So I had another new Freebie to share, but I took another look at it and I am not particularly happy with it. And since I am not about to share something that I (at this point) wouldn't use, I decided to rework it and try and get it up tomorrow. I hope that is ok with you...

In other news, Kaylee is starting to do a lot better. We decided to put her in ADHD medication (the last thing we ever wanted to do) and I have to admit, the stuff works! the only side affect that is really bad is that it cuts down on appitite. She has lost almost 5 lbs. since she started taking it and it is hard to get her to eat. It is really ironic though, here I am trying extremely hard to loose weight and I have to powerpack the calories to get her to gain weight. In fact the Dr. said that the best snack for her right now is fast food french fries! Now how can I go and get her some without getting me some! So unfair! And besides, if I partake in any of the high calorie/carb/fat foods that I am basically force feeding my daughter, Kim, my trainer, would KILL ME!!! After all the work that she and I have put in to me losing the little 22 lbs that I already have... I really don't want to go back there!

Where'd I go???

2008-04-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

So I have been a busy little bee... I have had my head buried deep in Photoshop trying to complete kits that I have started, but never got around to finishing... So don't be surprised to find a little sumin sumin a little bit later on this week... Oh and I am giving you all a little heads up... I have a Secret! But you all are gonna have to wait a little bit to find out what it is... hehehe! I am so not good at keeping secrets! But I promise it will be a good one!

Lowercase Canvas Alpha

2008-04-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

I finally got these done and uploaded to 4shared! Once again I have broken it into 2 different downloads...

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And once again, if you Download it and use it could you leave me a little linky so that I can leave you some love... Thanks and enjoy!

Well Here it is

2008-04-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well, you asked for it! LOL! I am jumping in head first into this designing thing! And since you are all here at the beginning, you get to reap the rewards! Here is my Perfectly Scratched Paper Pack... And in case you forgot what it looks like...

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I am still working on the lower case Canvas Alpha so bare with me on that k... I have to admit the response to my first freebie was a little overwhelming! I could not have hoped for anything more! Thank you all for your support!

WOW!

2008-04-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

So Yesterday was Sean's birthday... I think he had a good day. 1st of all, he got to take a nap in the middle of the day, which never happens because the kids don't let him. The kids and I wrapped his gifts (3 Iron Man Figures...because that is what he wanted, lol) and then we made him a Devil's food Bundt cake. Without frosting cuz thats how he likes it. Of course I put a little frosting on the kids pieces.

After Cake we left the kids over at my moms house and we went out to dinner. Just the 2 of us. We went to Tempanyaki which is our favorite restaurant at the moment. And of course we stuffed ourselves. All in all I think that it was a really good day.

So I am so overwhelmed by the response to my little freebie! There have been so many downloads! But I have a little question for you? Would you like to see more???? I haven't yet created the other characters for that alpha brush set. Would that be something that you all would like? If I get more than 10 people that would like it I will make it and get it uploaded for later on this week.

Also I have a paper Pack that I was thinking I would give away too... So tell me what you think... I haven't zipped it up yet so I haven't uploaded it to 4shared yet. But if you would like it let me know and I will get this one up too.

Designer???

2008-04-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

So I have been designing for a while now. But would I call myself a designer... Not really. I haven't offered any freebies... I don't sell anywhere. And most of all I haven't finished anything. Until now! I have a stamped alpha that I am giving away! Yes! You heard right I am finally giving something that I made away! I am so excited! I hope you like it!

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(It has come to my attention that I should probably have the .png uploaded too...)

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And if you like it or even (forbid) use it could you leave me a little comment so that I know. I would love to leave you a little love if you share your layout using it so leave me a little linky-poo too... K? Good!

I am a BAD BAD Blogger!

2008-03-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

I hate Winter! I hate the snow and I hate the cold! Now that we have that out of the way, on to more pressing news...

I have been chosen to be a new Sunshine sweetie! Woo Hoo!
http://sunshinestudioscraps.com/blog/

My time with Traci Murphy has come to an end! I am so sad... I was only supposed to be a guest for the month of October but it turned out to be a 6 month gig! And today marks the end!

Back from our Cruise!

2008-01-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

I would love to still be in Cabo San Lucas right now! It was by Far my favorite stop. And the shortest! So I think that next time we will just fly there and spend a couple of days! I did LOVE my cruise, but I ate way too much and slept way too long! I am relaxed and refreshed! I have a TON of Sunset Pictures. A few photos of the ship. And about 2 photos of Sean and myself! HEHEHE! My Favorite by far is the photo of our shadows on the beach in Cabo with the water rushing over it! By the way, The best pedicure ever was on that beach! The Sand was course and every time the water came in we would sink to about our ankles! Then after walking about a half mile down the beach we stopped at a restaurant called the Mango deck and had the most incredible shrimp fajitas! So I told Sean that I wanted that for my birthday every year! A walk on the beach in Cabo And Shrimp Fajitas! That's not too much to ask right???

I need to get back in the swing of things so I will upload photos later!

The Joys of Public school.

2007-10-06T07:41:00.001-07:00

So Yesterday we had a BUSY day. Kaylee had her 6 year check up with her Pediatrician. When I had told her what has been going on, she suggested that Kaylee have an evaluation by a Psychiatrist. I think she read my mind. She also suggested that we get Kaylee a Sleep evaluation. She told me that even though Kaylee was sleeping more than 12 hours a night, she might be only getting a couple hours of actual quality sleep. So I came home and made those appointments. Hopefully, we can get the help Kaylee needs.

We also went in for Kaylee's IEP meeting. That was FUN! So basically the school guidance counselor and the Special Ed teacher gave Kaylee a bunch of tests and we went over the results. The Special ED teacher is going to go into Kaylee's Class for 15-30 minutes 4 times a weeks to work with her. And Kaylee will be going to the Guidance Counselor's office once a week for 30 minutes to work with her.

I am looking into some Homeschooling curriculum so that I can get Kaylee used to having me teach her. She will be going off track (which I hate) in a couple of weeks. So I am going to be her teacher for the weeks that she is out of school. That way she will not have such a hard time with transitioning back into school.

What and I doing wrong....

2007-10-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a month Since my Last post. I am up to my eyeballs in Kaylee drama. Seriously, how can a Kindergartener get into SO much trouble. My last post was about her birthday. And that was the day before all the issues started.

We had gotten a couple of phone calls on the 13th from the principle and the VP and finally one to come pick her up. That same day right before I went to go pick her up from school, I got a phone call from the nicest girl named Aubrey. Now Aubrey is a social worker for Children's Services here in Salt Lake County. She asked if she could come over to 'visit' with us. I, of course, said Sure. After picking Kaylee up and Dropping Corbin off at Preschool, I waited for this Nice Girl to show up.

Finally at around 2:00pm, she showed up. With a Salt Lake City Police detective by her side. At this point my heart came up into my throat. I began shaking and had the urge to throw up. What the HELL was going on here???? Why was this Nice CPS worker here with a COP! At this point, she asked if she could speak with Kaylee ...Alone... Now I really didn't have a problem with her speaking to Kaylee. I knew that Kaylee would tell the truth, RIGHT? After about 20 minutes with Kaylee she asked to speak with me... Alone... And that is when I got an earful!

Kaylee had told this Nice Lady from Child protective services that Sean and I physically fight and throw objects at each other. She also told this woman that I drag her around the house. Granted there was a carpet burn on her shoulder. And I think I had the LAMEST excuse as to why it was there. But it was the truth. Kaylee had physically gotten out of control. So I went to restrain her so that she was no longer laying on the floor trying to kick me. I got a hold of her legs and pulled her towards me so that I could get a hold of her arms to restrain her and because she was wearing a tank top, her shoulder got dragged about 2, maybe 3 feet. I would never intentionally hurt my child like this. I think that Aubrey could see that.

The next day, we get called into the principle's office. We talked about what we could do to make Kaylee's experiences more positive. Aubrey was there for support. ANd of course Kaylee had gotten out of control. I am actually glad that she did, because it proved that I was not Lying about Kaylee after all.

So since then, I have had appointments with the school guidance counselor, the Children's Center's Psychologist and other professional people to help make this a little better. Kaylee has been officially diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and she meets the criteria for Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Although we have all these diagnoses, we still haven't gotten a treatment plan.

Hopefully today, after I take Kaylee to her pediatrician for her 6 year check up, I can ask about a referral to a child psychologist or psychiatrist. Then we might be able to control her behavior a little better. I need some tools to help me at home and I can't seem to find anyone who can help me. I don't want to medicate my child... At all... What I want is a basic tool kit to make things a little better around here. I want Kaylee to have a positive outlook on school. If this is happening in Kindergarten, I can only imagine what its going to be like when she gets in the higher grades.

Today my baby girl is 6!

2007-09-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted about 9-11 and how it was such a different experience for me. Today my little girl turns 6. I can't believe that she is growing up so fast! we are not celebrating tonight... She is having a birthday party on Saturday. But we may go to Ikea to get her a new loft bed for her birthday.

She is just so excited to be 6 today!

So Tonight is Corbin's 2nd Soccer game. I hope he wants to play this time! On Saturday, he just wanted to sit on the sidelines and watch!...

remembering 9-11

2007-09-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

Today is a day that has a completely different meaning for me than any other person. Sean and I were living with my parents in San Diego, CA. Sean had just gotten out of the Marine Corps. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton. I was also VERY pregnant with our first child.

I was scheduled to go in for an induction on Tuesday September 11, 2001. We had woken up early on that day, around 4 am, and waited to call the hospital to see if they had any beds available. I had decided to go back to sleep since I was having mild labor pains already. All I remember is Sean coming into our room and turning on the TV. The first plane had just hit the first tower and all I could think about was there must have been an accident. The black smoke was rising from the top of the building and everything seemed to move in slow motion.

Then the second plane hit the other tower about 15 minutes later. This wasn't an accident. We were under attack. The FAA grounds all flights, but there were still two planes missing. An hour after the attack started the pentagon was attacked.

All day we sat at home, calling the hospital every hour to see if we could get a bed, watching the towers. First it was just smoke. Then an hour and 15 minutes after the first plane hit, the south tower collapsed. Five minutes later the fourth plane crashes in a Pennsylvania field and the Pentagon collapses. Then the north tower collapsed 15 minutes after that.

All of this happened while I was slowly going into labor. Finally, at 5:00 pm, I was admitted to the hospital. The Pitocin was started and I was thrust into labor. The TV was on in my room and we were following the story for the rest of the night.

I didn't want the Dr. to stop the Pitocin that night, so I was in heavy labor all night. I was the only one who didn't get to sleep. The next morning, the anesthesiologist came at 8 am and I was only 3 cm dialated. As soon as he put in the epidural, I dialated to 10 in less than an hour. I started pushing at 10:30.

Kaylee was one stubborn baby. I pushed for 3 hours before she made her appearance. After an episiotomy, and vacuum help, She was born on September 12, 2001 at 1:45 pm. That is all I can really remember about September 11th 2001. The fact that I was working hard to bring my baby girl into the world.

As you can see, September 11th has a completely different meaning to me than most people. And I want to remember it that way. In the midst of this tragedy, a blessing was born.

I am so Grateful for the men and women serving in the US military. I am after all married to a US Marine.

And she strikes again!

2007-09-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Kaylee that is!

This morning before I got up, The kids got into the 'candy cabinet'. I keep a couple of bags of mini candy for when they are being good. I woke up and found the cabinet open and I KNEW what had happened. Kaylee RAN to her room and slammed the door. I opened it, but she tried to stop me from going in. There were empty candy wrappers all over her bed and floor.

"No momma, Corbin got them down!" Is all she had to say for herself! I know from experience that Corbin is a follower and NOT a leader. He would never have gotten them down by himself. So needless to say, that was their breakfast.

I seriously need to put child locks on all my UPPER cabinets. I thought I was done with this, but apparently at 6 and 4 they can't be trusted to stay out of the cabinets that they KNOW they need to get mommy for.

Oh well!

On to other non kid related stuff.

I just downloaded the September Songbird Avenue kit! It is AMAZING! And it is for such a great cause. I love that the designers in the digital community can come together and create a gorgeous kit for charity. It warms my heart.

Here is a preview of the kit: (clickable)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

2007-09-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

So how much do you think my kids will go for on ebay???? I know that it is illegal/against the 'rules' of ebay, but seriously, how much! Right now they have been banished to Kaylee's room to play and I can hear that it is not gonna stay friendly for very long....oops look at that I just went in and seperated them.

So after picking Corbin up from Preschool, we came home and both kids rushed to the bathroom. I thought 'ok, they will be out in a bit.' But after 5 minutes of silence, I knew there was something wrong.... I called to them to come out. They came right away, which in my house is a sign they they have been into something they shouldn't have.

All of a sudden I can't breathe. And something hits me like a cloud of sweet smelling baby... Can you guess what they did??? I bet you can't... I walk into my bathroom, MY bathroom, and the appearence of my master bath has changed. It no longer has navy blue mats. It no longer has a light blue floor. It no longer has any color WHATSOEVER! It has been covered in a very thick layer of lavender baby powder! It was all over the place. In the bathtub, in the shower, on all of my shower supplies! EVERYWHERE! I Can't even clean it. Every time I try to, I get hit with a puff of that obscene smelling, very fine powder.

That stuff that we all thought was great when our babies were first born and we would sprinkle on their cute little tushies. And then we would put them down in their crib and they would drift away to dreamland. Where we would watch them sleeping peacefully and think... Now this is heaven.

Well I got an overload of heaven stinking up my bathroom right now and I wanna puke!

Schedules...

2007-08-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Kaylee has been off track since monday...(Did I mention I HATE track/year-round schools?) So I decided to put her in an off track program at the local rec center...Great idea I know! She gets to run around and work off some energy, have lunch and go swimming EVERYDAY! so the issue I am having is when she is in school, I get almost 3 hours of uninterrupted mommy me time... Now I have to take Corbin to Preschool at 8:45, take Kaylee to her program at 10:15, pick up Corbin at 12:00 and then pick Kaylee up at 2:30! I am in the car all day long! I can't sit down to scrap because by the time inspiration hits, its time to get in the car again! I can't wait til school starts up again...

Oh and on another note... I have some super exciting news coming soon! so stay tuned!

Ok...so I have an issue!

2007-08-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

So recently, I have been perusing the scrapping forums...And I have to vent. I know that scrapping is all about the photographs, but what makes the mwc (moms with cameras) think that they can be pro photographers. I was reading a post, written by a mwc, asking for advice for being the photographer at a relatives wedding. She really has no idea what she is doing, and it is making life hard on the pro photographers. I am a professional photographer. I have gone to school to learn my craft. I have been perfecting it for years. And now I have to compete with people who are trying to become professional on a whim... They bring down the quality of work and expectations of customers. If you really want to become a pro photographer. If making images is the first thing you think of when you wake up, then go to school. Become an assistant. Do something to make your dream a reality other than trying to do something you are obviously NOT qualified to do!

Ok rant over!

OK...so now what?

2007-08-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have totally gotten into Digital Scrapping. The only problem... It's way too easy to spend money! OMG! I can't seem to control myself! A little bit here and a little bit there...It really adds up! I need to go on a spending diet!

1st day blues!

2007-08-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

So this morning I get up early, made breakfast and then Lunch, Got the kids up and had them eat and take baths and then the worst thing happened. I took Kaylee to her 1st day of Kindergarten. Ok so its not the worst thing that could have happened, but I cried like a mom watching her baby take giant leaps into being all grown up! I took lots of photos, but as soon as the Kindergarteners were lining up to go inside, Kaylee took off! I didn't even get a hug and a kiss! They started walking towards the classroom and as soon as she was out of sight the tears started flowing!
After I stopped crying, I took Corbin to his 1st day back at preschool! I don't think I'll be able to handle his 1st day of kindergarten next year! But the kids are gone and the house is quiet again...at least for a couple of hours. Now to will myself to get some stuff done before I have to go pick them up.

1 day home!

2007-07-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

The kids came home yesterday! YAY! So I went to the airport to pick them up and as soon as I saw them coming out of the security area, I bent down and opened my arms. Well the kids ran to me and literally knocked me on my bum. Then they proceeded to maul me with hugs and kisses! I was so happy I almost cried! I missed them so much!

So today, we went and met Kaylee's kindergarten teacher. Kaylee said that she liked her alot. That's good because a love of school begins in kindergarten. Then we went and bought a new backpack and lunchbox (even though she won't be eating lunch at school.) for both Kaylee and Corbin. So they really can't wait to get back to school. They start on Wednesday.

Sean is Leaving in a couple of hours!

2007-07-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

To go get the kids. He will be gone all weekend so I will be all alone! I think I will spend some quality me time in the tub.... But seriously, I so miss my babies and I can't wait til they get home! I think that maybe I will end up hugging them for so long and so hard that they will be begging to go back to grandma's cause mommy is squishing them to death!

I passed 8th grade math...

2007-07-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Only 1 more week!

2007-07-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

So the kids have been gone for 3 weeks. They spend a month at grandma's in Indiana during the summer and now they are coming home in 1 week. Sean is going to fly to Chicago on Friday and then Fly home on Sunday. I miss them so much! And at the same time, I feel like I could use about a week more! Oh well...

2 days after they come back Kaylee starts Kindergarten. We had put in a request to have her moved to D track, But we didn't get the response we needed in the time we needed it. Of course, Friday I got a call that they could get her into D track and that would mean she would start on Aug. 27th instead of the 1st. I like that idea but Sean thinks it would be a bad idea to have her sitting at home for 3 weeks. So she is starting on the 1st and will be off track beginning Aug 20th.

In other news, I got a wild hair and decided that the basement had to get finished before the kids got home. Well guess what.... It definitely ain't gonna get finished! But we have all the walls framed, the insulation in, the electrical in, the drywall up, and 1 wall mudded. So that isn't bad at all. I still have all week to get the mudding and taping done. Then we just have to put down a subfloor and the flooring, Put up the cool drop ceiling, and paint! Fun! I think the kids will have fun helping us though.

That's it for now!

I'm so spoiled!

2007-06-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

So I am sitting here at my kitchen table with my fresh non-fat, sugar free vanilla latte that I just made on my Starbucks Barista. Sean got me this espresso machine back in March when Starbucks had their coffee machine sale and I have used it EVERY day! I think by now it has paid for itself. I don't get a $4 coffee everyday anymore and I can make it exactly how I like it without having to explain it everytime.

In other news I have my first digital toot! Actually my first 2. I am now part of two great CT's. The first is for Julie Bullock. Here is one of her kits:

You can find her designs here.

Here is a Layout I did using this super cool kit! This is my Kaylee looking so bored while I was taking her picture on the swings out back. I think she was just tired of the camera in her face.

The other CT I am on is for Pamela Gibson Designs. Here is one of her kits:

You can find her designs here and here.

And here is a layout I did using Pamela's Old stained graph paper and beaded felt stars. Corbin was playing with his cars in the hallway and this was the first time he realized that this sweatshirt had a hood. He thought it was so cool to have his hood up.

Corbin's Birthday

2007-06-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

So Yesterday was Corbin's 4th birthday! I can't believe my little baby boy, my youngest, is 4 already... It seems like only yesterday I was walking the hallway outside our apartment while he was a snuggled up in his sling to get him to fall asleep. Now we live in a house with a huge backyard and I don't have to sing him to sleep anymore. It makes me more than a little sad. Since I know I won't be having anymore babies. He is my baby. He always will be.

Anyway on to something a little less depressing. We took the kids to a place called Sky High Party Pizza Play. It is basically an indoor place to play on a bunch of inflatable slides and bounce houses. The kids had a BLAST! Corbin received a ton of Transformers for presents. Simply because that is what he asked for. And right now he is watching Transformers DVD that Chrissy gave him. Its all of the old TV episodes from like the 80's that Sean and I grew up on. It's so cool! Corbin can't wait until the movie comes out on the 4th of July!

I must follow my own advise!

2007-05-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's May right? So why haven't I blogged since SEPTEMBER! I really am horrible at this blogging thing! I never kept a diary or a journal so I guess this is a little too foreign a concept for me to keep at it!

But I just have to write this down before I forget it.... Last night when Corbin came out of his room for the 4th time, I asked him for a kiss and a hug and to get back in bed. His response: how many kisses mama? Me: A Million! Corbin: Oh No! That's too much! I wish I could relate the sound of his voice! he was just so cute when he said it that Sean and I just had to laugh. But after my kiss and squish, he went to bed and stayed there the rest of the night...

Starbucks!

2006-09-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

Is it sad when you walk into the Barnes and Noble Cafe and the people working there already know what you are gonna order??? That's what has been happening lately. Maybe I need to cut down on Starbucks! I have already gone to 1% milk though! Maybe that's enough right now!

So Yesterday was Kaylee's 5th Birthday! I can't believe that she is 5 already! We went to Build a Bear and she got Another Stuffed animal! This time it is a Pink Poodle named Fefe. Last time it was a White cat named Pink snow. She had so much fun!

So Monday was 9/11. It was wierd though, Both my kids made american flags at school and I was completely clueless as to why. So I asked and of course it was 9/11 and I had completely forgotten. Of course that day was a different experience for me since I was GIVING BIRTH! of course she was stubborn as usual and sisn't come out til the next day Thank goodness! But my point is this. I guess everyone was affected by that day differently!

I need to update my blog more often since I haven't since JULY!

Kayaking and the Provo River

2006-07-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Sean and I took the kids down to the Provo River to do a little Kayaking. The River was really calm except for a couple of spots. And I know the Kids had a ton of fun. We rented 2 Kayaks andSean had Kaylee in one and I had Corbin in the other. They were so good and Corbin barely moved from his spot for the entire 2 hours we were out there! I didn't get any pictures of us on the river because I was too scared to take the digital out of the waterproof case we got for it! Everytime I did get it somewhat out I had to get it in again because I had to paddle. But I did get some good shots of Sean and the kids before we got going! And I of course got a couple shots of the kids fast asleep in the back of the Jeep, running down the freeway at 65, with the top down! Funny stuff!

The Weight Issue!

2006-07-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

So I have been feeling completely disgusted with myself lately! Depression + Food = Fat Laura! I eat to feel better only to end up feeling worse! SO I have decided to do something about it! I am going on a diet and excersise regmine! And I thought to myself there has to be a way to motivate myself to lose this weight other than, "I will lose it by my next birthday!" So I came across this article on ABC News, Lose the Weight, or Wear the Bikini on TV. SO I have challenged myself (starting tomorrow cause it is already 10:45 pm here) to lose at least 15 lbs in 2 months or be seen on my blog wearing a bikini...Or something similar! And since I know I don't want to be seen as much as you all don't want to see me in a bikini, I know I will try hard! And since I am the one who manages my blog I am gonna give Sean the picture to post if I don't reach my goal! And since I know he thinks I am sexy anyway, I know he will post it!

All about the 4th (on the 5th)

2006-07-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a good day! We went to the West Jordan Parade for about 30 minutes...The kids got bored really fast! Then we took Sean's new Jeep up American Fork Canyon and went to Tibble Resevoir. Then took the Alpine Loop back down the mountain. That's when it started to rain... I swear it was like October in July! The wind was blowing about 50 mph and the rain was coming down in Horizontal sheets! That is when things got rough with the kids. They had been in the car a bit too long and so were a bit (overwhelmingly) cranky. When we got home it was still too rainy to see any fireworks ands so Sean sent the Cranky kids to bed early. I guess its a good thing we set off fireworks on Sunday night huh?

J4K Blog Challenge

2006-06-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

What what your nickname as a child? Who gave it to? Does it still stick??

I had a few nicknames as a kid... The most obvious one is Lauri. My mom still calls me that. I also had Dimples, because , well, I have dimples. (of course some are artificial! Our dog bit me across the face when I was three.) Then there was Candy. I guess that one needs a little explination since my last name is now Lively. My maiden name is Kane...Get it now Candy Kane? I hated it when I was little but I actually used it as a nickname in HS. Of course now I am just Laura or mom and that is alright with me.

How...

2006-06-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

Freakin cute is this photo?

Some Photoshop fun!

2006-06-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo that I took on Saturday at Thanksgiving Point. It was originally a color shot taken with my digital SLR. In Photoshop I used the channel mixer to make it look like B&W Infrared film and then I used Virtual Photographer to add a soft filter to it.

So anyway today was a lazy day! Kaylee was sick so I kept her home from school so we didn't get out today. Which gave me time to catch up on laundry and clean up the living room...FUN! But she is feeling better so she is definately going tomorrow! Tomorrow is her last day of regular pre-school and they are having a water party and she would never forgive me if she missed it! She loves the water!

Sunday, Bloody Sunday!

2006-06-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

Or something like that! So this week has been really hard! First of all Kaylee decided to cut her own hair on Monday! So I had to take her in to Fantastic Sam's and have it evened out. I think that I had the girl take like 2 inches off her length.

I think she actually wanted to get her hair cut and that is why she did it. And she has also been getting sick so I think that is why she has been such a BEAR this week.

I think that Sean noticed that I needed a break, so he took us to Thanksgiving Point yesterday to see the Gardens. Which were beautiful by the way.

Then last night he set up the tent in the back yard and we had a camp out. He built a fire in the fire pit and we roasted marshmallows. Of course, Kaylee wet her sleeping bag so she and Sean went inside at around 3 am and Corbin and I actually spent the night out in the tent! (And, Oh, I just really like this long exposure of Corbin in front of the fire)

And this has to be a record of the most pictures uploaded to my blog at one time!

Blog Challenge June 23rd

2006-06-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday Everyone! I was thinking that something quick and fun was on the boards today. Who wants to work hard on Friday..KWIM?? What is your favorite hobby..other than scrapping???

Well I think that this is a no brainer. It would have to be Photography. Although I hope to one day make it a profession instead of just a hobby. I am in fact in the works of opening up my own studio. I don't just wanna take the same ole kiddie portraits you can get done at Penney's or KiddieKandids etc... I want to do Fine Art black and white custom prints. Where I can go into the darkroom and play! I miss playing in the darkroom! It was funny, just the other day I was at my chiropractors office and she does her own x-rays. Well she also developes them there too and the smell of the chemicals was like ambrosia to my nose! I was transported through time when I would spend litterally 5-7 hours a day in the dark room perfecting my prints.
I have been (secretly...But not really) been brushing up on my lighting skills and I hope to talk Sean into letting me get a studio lighting kit. I broke out my Mamiya RZ and although I haven't used it in over a year, It's really like riding a bike...You never really forget, you just need a refresher. So right now I am trying to line up some models to do some location shots to build up my portfolio. Then I am gonna take my business plan and my portfolio to a bank and see if I can get a loan. I am really trying hard to make this dream a reality!

It's way too soon!

2006-06-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

So yesterday Kaylee, while driving home from Ice skating, informed me that she has a "crush" on Darren and Daxton! Darren is I think in her pre-school class, although she insists he lives in Hawaii. And Daxton is the little boy that ice skates with her. I asked her is she even knows what "crush" means and she told me that it was a way to say that you are in love with someone! HOW DOES SHE KNOW THIS STUFF! I mean she is not even 5 yet! Hello!!!! Don't I get a few more years with my beautifully naive little girl? Geesh! If she is this lovey now how is life gonna be when she is 16? I think she just may kill me!

My Baby!

2006-06-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

Corbin, my baby, will be the big 3 years old tomorrow! I still can't believe how big he is already! It seems like just yesterday I was still pregnant with him! Oh how time flies... So this year we are not doing anything big like we did for his 2nd birthday. We are just gonna have cake and ice cream with Family and a few presents. This photo was taken yesterday at sunset. He loved to watch the sunset behind the clouds and mountain. I love his expression here!

Ice Skating!

2006-06-06T22:50:00.000-07:00

Well I took the kids to Ice skating lessons tonight. This was Kaylee's second session, but this was Corbin's first time on the ice! First of all I noticed right away that he was pidgeon toed. He kept tripping over his own feet. Then when he finally got on the ice he spent most of the time on his butt! But he was just too cute! He kept trying to get up but just couldn't quite get it. So after a half hour he was done. (The lessons are an hour). Kaylee on the other hand was all over the ice. She was doing so good! Even though she did end up on her butt a bit too! She went over to play with her "boyfriend" Who is in a higher level than she is. And a year older! And then he came over and played with her. It was just too cute... *Note to self* Watch out for him! All in all it was a great time for all!

J4K Blog challenge 6-6-06

2006-06-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

Todays blog challenge is to remember and share where you were when 9-11 happened.

This day didn't affect me like any other person. I mean I watched it unfold before me just like everyone else, except for one big HUGe difference. I was in labor with my daughter Kaylee. We were supposed to have gone in for an induction at 5 am that morning, meanwhile I was already in minor labor. But when I called to see if they had any open beds, they told me to call back at 11 am. So I went back to sleep. The next thing I remember was Sean waking me up and turning on the TV in our bedroom. That is when the second plane hit. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. So I called the hospital and asked if I would be getting in that day (we thought they might be shutting the hospital down for non-emergencies) But eventually did get in there at around 4:30 pm. So the rest of the day I watched this horrific sight from the comfort of a hospital bed. With the pit running and my labor pains getting worse, all I could think about was I wish that my Daughter would not be born on this now infamous day! Thank God that she wasn't she was born the next afternoon at 1:45 pm. Yes, a 22 hour labor will change your perspective on alot of things. In fact I can hardly remember the actual events today. All I really remember is that my beautiful Kaylee was born the day after.

I really need to post everyday...

2006-05-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

So I have a bunch of things to share today... My sister, Christen and I went to go see The DaVinci Code on Tuesday. WOW what a great movie! This was the first "adult type" movie I have seen in the theater since the Dukes of Hazard last year! Let's see, what else... I think that Corbin has an ear infection. He started screaming when I took his shirt off and was holding his ear. When I looked in it it was filled with wax. Both kids are suceptable to ear infections so I am going to call Kids Care tomorrow and see if I can get him an appointment.

Sean came with us today to see Kate (Kaylee's therapist over at the Children's Center.) He had been suggesting that the kids go to Indiana for the entire summer (instead of just August) to help me "get back on track." But she assured him that that would be a bad idea. (something I had been telling him everytime he brought it up) But she put it into words a little better. If we send the kids away for 3 whole months at this period in both thier lives than the bonding that should be going on will be replaced with a sense of abandonment. Not only that but it would rip out my heart! I may be going through some depression issues, but I still love my kids and never want them to feel as though I abandoned them.

This post is getting a bit lengthy and highly personal so I am ending it with this... Go hug your kids right now!

More sickness

2006-05-21T23:33:00.000-07:00

Well Corbin has basically slept for the last 2 days! He has been running a fever and coughing and has a runny nose! Poor Baby! But that has left me with ample time to scrap! I have completed 3 layouts in the last 2 days! Amazing since I usually only get about 2 done a week! Here is my latest one...
This photo was taken in February when Kaylee and Corbin decided to play with Daddy's shoepolish (that Daddy forgot to put away) and got it all over their faces. Well it took a Magic Sponge to get it off of their skin. Corbin was so taken with the sponge that he studied it for about 5 minutes. SO I had to get a photo of the expression on his face!

2006-05-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

This is just too funny!

On another note, Sean has decided to try a new form of punishment with Kaylee. He taught her how to do sit ups today and is now using those instead of a time out! Yes I have a Marine husband! But she is just too funny watching her do them! But if given the choice of either doing sit ups and having a time out, she would choose sit ups!

SICK!!

2006-05-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Everyone (except me) has been sick!!! First it was Kaylee, then Corbin and now Sean is coming down with it! If I get it it will be worse than anyone else because thats just how it is! I always get sicker than the whole family put together! But my poor Corbin though! So far it has hit him the worst! he has thrown up every day for the last 4 days! If he doesn't get better by tomorrow I am calling the doctor! He has actually slept all day today (which is a good thing because he hadn't slept at all last night!) I hope this goes away soon!

I did it!

2006-05-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

I finally set up a slider at the top of my Blog! With a little help from Sean of course! But I got it!

SO anyway, today is Cinco de Mayo! It would have been my father's 62nd birthday! And tomorrow is my parents Anniversary. They would have been married for (I think) 35 years! I miss him a lot! But I know that my mom is missing him more...I can't believe it has been almost 6 years since he died....Sometimes it just seems so unreal, like he would be walking in the door any minute and other times I miss him so much my heart aches and then again at other times it seems as though he never existed! I know that is a harsh thing to say, but life has a way of making you forget! I NEVER want to forget, but life gets in the way! I miss you dad!

"Kaylee tell me a story!"

2006-04-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

Driving home tonight from Kaylee's Ice skating lesson, Corbin asked Kaylee to tell him a story. Mind you, Corbin is 2 and Kaylee is 4. Anyway, Kaylee begins...

"Once upon a time, there was a MONSTER. A Pizza monster, that only came out at night. And this Pizza monster likes to scare 'chilhen'(children). Then a Pillow monster comes and scares all the parents."

That was the end of her story to Corbin, but I thought it was so cute. Sean and I were laughing (quietly) in the front seat while all this was going on. I think Kaylee has camping on her mind because she is obsessedwith making "tents' out of blankets and telling ghost stories, at least her version of a ghost story!

I love this!

2006-04-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

A friend at Just 4 keeps pointed this out to me...And it is Awesome! That's all I have to say about this!

Chris Dunmire's 10 Creativity Resolutions for a New Year

I will create because it helps give meaning to my life.
...and not because someone else tells me I should, or that if I don't I'm wasting talent that someone else wishes they had. I am in charge of the meaning-making in my life.

I will decide which creative outlet is right for me.
...and not choose an art discipline based on what's popular among my friends, family, or peers. I may have to try out and experiment with different art forms, writing styles, or craft mediums before deciding on which creative outlet is best for me.

I will explore and investigate areas related to my creative outlet/discipline that are relevant to my continued education, growth, and progress.
...It is up to me to decide where I want my expressions of creativity to lead me. If I want to learn a new technique, I shall seek training. If I want to take my creative passion to the marketplace, I shall seek out experienced advice on how and take the appropriate steps to do so. If I only want to doodle my art on greeting cards for friends and relatives and take it no further, that's my prerogative too.

I will not allow other people to discourage me.
...I cannot control how other people respond to or behave towards me or my expressions of creativity. It is up to me to determine the intent of any feedback I get (good or bad) and discern if criticism has merit. I will be open to constructive criticism and will learn to improve from it.

I will become my own best advocate.
...It is my responsibility to become my own best advocate in regards to my creative life. I do not have the right to place that responsibility on my friends, spouse, creativity coach, or anyone else. I am the primary source that propels my creativity wherever I wish it to lead me.

I will carve out regular "me" time to pursue my creative interests.
...and I will not feel guilty about doing so. I give extraordinary care to being a parent, spouse, friend, and employee, and I rightly deserve to invest time in myself for self-care, intellectual pursuits, and creative interests.

I will decide on my own short- and long-term goals related to my creative interests.
...and I will not waste time and energy comparing myself to others or trying to match their progress. My circumstances, ability, and energy levels are unique to my life — and I am the most qualified expert on "me." My planning, goal-making, and subsequent efforts towards them lie squarely on my shoulders.

If I fall short of meeting my goals, I will not beat myself up or berate myself for it.
...as long as I'm alive, I have the ability and strength to try again. My goals are not rigid and set in stone. I can adjust them at any time for any reason.

I will remember that "success is not a measure but a feeling," (1) and I will strive to feel success in any effort I make towards pursuing my creative interests and goals.
...every little bit of effort counts towards investing in my creative interests and moving towards my creative goals. Whether I spend three hours painting or writing, or simply ten minutes planning the next day's creative agenda, I have been successful. Small successes stitch together to form larger successes.

I will remember to enjoy the journey.
...being creative takes a lot of time and energy. My goals may dictate a lot of hard work, frustration, failures, and restarts. But I still choose to be creative because it gives meaning to my life. I expect highs and lows, and despite the latter, will remember as often as I can to enjoy the journey. I shall celebrate my creative freedom. •

Ok so I have been sick!

2006-04-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

But today I have to write this down before I forget it! Last night while my family and I were sitting down watching our nightly Danny Phantom, Kaylee started this conversation...

Kaylee(who is 4 now): When I turn 14 I want a dog that doesn't eat cats. I want one that eats dog food!
Corbin(who is 2 now): But Kaylee, cats are dog food!

After this, Sean and I couldn't HELP but kill ourselves laughing! And you really can't get the whole effect, without seeing the face that Corbin made to excentuate the whole idea of Cats being Dog food! And the kicker is that Sean actually suggested that the next time Corbin made his 'discovery' face, that I needed to get a picture of it and scrapbook this particular memory! It amazes me sometimes how Sean can pretty much ignore (or mock as he has in the past) my obsessive habit, but when something like this happens he is right there on the scrapbooking band wagon!

Today!

2006-04-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

Well It's official! WE are getting old! Today is Sean's birthday and he doesn't want to do ANYTHING! Although we are getting Olive Garden to go (YUM!)

Kaylee is being a TERROR! I never knew one little 4 year old could cause so much Distruction! It is absolutly amazing!

I finished 2 books in the last week! The Secret Life of Bees and the 5 People you Meet in Heaven. Both are wonderful! I am so proud of myself! I have always been a reader but for the last couple of years I haven't been able to read very much and I have read more books this year than the last 4 years combined! YAY!

KAYLEE'S HOME!!!!!

2006-04-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

Oh my! I can't believe how much I missed my little girl! We went to Indiana on the 10th of March for Nikki's Baby shower, and Left on the 20th...Kaylee has been there, with Grandma to herself, for 2 weeks now! Of course after the initial hugging and kissing (for about 30 minutes), we were right back to fighting! This time about how she had to have her own toothpaste to brush her teeth! So after she finally said please I dug through the 2 huge duffle bags she ended up bringing home and found 'her' toothpaste! But I am so glad she is home...I missed her!

Ok here goes!

2006-03-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

This is a challenge on www.Just4keeps.com

1. Inside, I feel like I'm (what age): Not as old as I really am...More like 26!
2. A goal I'm working on right now: Getting published.
3. My most recent achievement: I don't know if you would call it an achievement, but getting my kids to pick up after themselves is a big one that we work on everyday!
4. The last gift I bought for someone: For Erica at J4K for her Cyber baby shower!
5. The last CD I bought: I don't buy CD's I Just borrow my DH's MP3's
6. My current favorite song is:
7. The last movie I saw in the theatre: Curious George! I need to get DH to take me to an aldult movie!
8. The last book I read: The Time Travelers Wife. For the J4K book club! So Far I have to say it is my all time favorite book!
9. The last new thing I learned: To Doodle on my pages!
10. What I'm wearing right now: Jeans, a grey T-shirt from Old Navy (my Favorite) Sneakers, and a Dark Grey Hoodie (hey its cold down here in the basrment!)
11. The last person I talked to on the phone: My Mother in Law. We are going to visit on Wednesday and SHe is so excited that she calls every single day to talk to the kids!
12. What I ate for breakfast today: A Strawberry toaster strudel! ( yeah I know healthy right!)
13. What is the weather like right now: Over cast and gloomy!
14. Something I'm saving up for right now: A Trip to OK to visit The real Just 4 Keeps store!
15. Someone I think about a lot: Sean, Kaylee and Corbin! My family!
16. The last person I helped: Kaylee
17. The last thing I apologized for: To Sean for Acting like a You know what!
18. Something I'm worried about: Money and my kids happiness.
19. What I wish for when I see a shooting star: The continued health and happiness of my family!
20. What my plans are for the rest of the day: Give the kids some lunch and then maybe go to the store and then outside for some fresh air!

I think I lost something!

2006-03-03T22:59:00.000-08:00

Like my Mojo! It has been harder and harder for me to come up with anything especially 'creative' on my scrapbook pages! But I have to say that I am shaking things up a bit! Here are 2 of my recent LO's for your looking pleasure!
Well there you have it! I haven't been doing 'bad' work persay...Just my creative juices aren't flowing like they normally are!

Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T22:55:00.000-08:00

Ok...So I am not one of those girls who is absolutely in love with this day! In fact it could just come and go and I probably wouldn't notice (MUCH). But since Sean quit his job yesterday, he has been at home the last two days. Today he took us all out for V-day dinner at Outback. And of course I teased him about not getting me flowers and he bought me a BIG bouquet of roses!

Today was a good day!

I even got to go out shopping by myself tonight! What a treat let me tell you! I got everything on my list because I didn't have to hear all the whining and crying and screaming that usually happens at the store!

Did I mention today was a good day?

So Here's the deep insight

2006-02-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

Into my Kaylee. We went to the Children's Center this morning and had an evaluation by a psychologist. FUN!!! The kids (almost) distroyed her office! Of course she had pictures of her office that were much MUCH worse. Anyway, she recomended that Kaylee and I have one on one counseling. Kind of expected that . What I wasn't expecting was when she suggested that Kaylee may have Sensory Integration Dysfunction. I never realized that Kaylee's absolute horror when I tried to comb or wash her hair was a sign of something much deeper. That she hated it when I tried to give her a bath she was in physical pain. I just thought that she was being difficult as usual! I feel HORRIBLE! I am a terrible mommy!

So anyway, we are going to put her on the waiting list to get her into their day program and hopefully she will be able to get into that by next fall. It is 5 days a week 3 hours a day. I am hoping that we can do both that and preschool. Because her birthday falls 12 days after the cut off to get her into kindergarten, she is going to have another year of preschool. I am thinking that this is going to be a VERY bad thing! She is so extremely smart that if she is kept back she will fall into the same trap that her daddy and I fell into. We were both bored in school and even though we were smart we only did "average" work. And eventhough I am not a micro-managing type of mom, I am thinking that I need to be in regards to her schooling.

So Wednesday was....

2006-02-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

Our Anniversary! 7 Whole years Married! I really can't believe it, I thought that it would maybe last 2-3 years at the most! Sean was a bit of a wanderer when we met! BUT 7 years and we are still going strong! We went out to dinner at Olive Garden and we both got our usual...Shrimp and crab ravioli for me and Steak Gorgonzola for Sean! Of course we had LOTS of left overs and I got a Tiramisu to go!

On the Scrapbook front I finally finished my HOF Entry and I will hopefully get it off into the mail today! I can't believe I actually finished it! Of course I probably won't make the cut but it has been an incredible experience just doing it! I had to dig a little deeper, emotionally, than I have ever done before!

Kaylee's collarbone is healing nicely! We went and got another x-ray on Wednesday. I wish I had seen the 1st one because then I would be able to tell if there was a difference. But we actually got to keep the films from the other day! That was a big deal to Kaylee because then she could show her Daddy her bone.

Monday was FUN!!!

2006-01-25T22:21:00.000-08:00

So Monday was my Birthday...And usually I like my birthday! But not this year! I was so depressed thinking about how my life isn't anything like I hoped it would be! And then something happened that made me rethink the whole depression thing! Kaylee decided to jump on her bed and fall off! SHE BROKE HER COLLAR BONE!!! I ended up in Urgent Care for about 3 hours getting her all fixed up! SHe loved getting an X-ray! No really she loved it! THe only thing that she wanted was to see her bones...But the Dr. never showed us her films. But anyway, I digress. The reason I was rethinking the whole depression thing was how well I handled this situation. I mean I was a real MOM! I was calm and soothing to my screaming 4 year old! I handled it quickly and decisively. I called my mom to get her to watch Corbin and then took her to the Dr. I couldn't have been more proud of the way I handled everything!

Of Course now I have to take her to an Orthopedic Doctor because of the way the bone broke! It broke right in half and it now looks like an upside down "V" So we have an appointment NEXT Thursday and both Sean and Myself think that that is way too long for her to be seen so I have to call back and see if I can get her in any sooner.... This is her wonderful sling she refuses to wear! Isn't it Cute!

Before I was a mom...

2006-01-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

-I slept in til 10 am!
-I did what ever I wanted whenever I wanted.
-I only had to take care of myself.
-I could pick up and be out of the house in 5 minutes.

-I never knew my capacity for love was so immense.
-I didn't 'do' butterfly kisses, eskimoe kisses or Fairy kisses. Now I can't live without them.
-I thought that my life was complete. Was I ever WRONG!
-I don't remember a time when I didn't love you.

J4K Monday Challenge

2006-01-16T19:40:00.000-08:00

Ok...SO I am going to start posting my challenges from Just 4 Keeps here and hopefully I can inspire some more scrappers out there!

So here is today's Inspiration piece:

What else is new...

2006-01-06T22:06:00.000-08:00

SO what can I say... I am on a path to self-destruction! I have no path and it is killing me! Sean is trying to help, he really is. But, my life is crumbling around me and I feel like I am drowning and no one is reaching down to save me! I guess I need to learn to save myself! I really am trying! I have been going to the gym and it is giving me more energy to deal with my tornados I mean kids. But the mess! Oh the mess! I can hardly handle seeing my house looking the way it does and it overwhelms me! I get so frustrated I don't know where to start, so the mess builds and builds until I have a breakdown! I truly don't know what to do! It is the reason I don't want to get out of bed in the morning and the reason I feel like a slug for the better part of the day!

But I think I am reaching am epiphany! one day at a time, one room at a time! today I CLEANED my kitchen! I even MOPPED the floor...Something that hasn't been done in weeks! Tomorrow I will be working on the living room! The biggest disaster area of them all! I need to do something with that room! WE have lived here for over a year, our first house, and it still feels like we are living in an apartment! I think it has to do with the windows! There are no curtains on any of my windows and I think that would make a huge difference! Now how can I get my dear sweet Sean to realize that we need them?

Hair cut!

2005-12-30T22:02:00.000-08:00

On November 21st at 10:45 am I Cut Kaylee's hair!!! It was getting to the point where I wanted to smack her upside the head everytime I tried to wash it or brush it! About 6 inches of my beautiful red-head's curls ended up in a zip lock baggie! (yes I AM keeping it!!!) Here is a LO I did to comemerate this momentus occasion:

Journaling:
In one quick motion,
I completely severed all
of Kaylee’s beautiful
Curls from her head!
I was tired of the constant
battle every time I brushed,
washed or even looked at her hair
as though I would touch it! I am a little sad, but I can
already see her curls growing back! Thank goodness!

Kids say the darndest things!

2005-12-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

So Sean and I took the kids to the mall the day after Christmas and we were standing in line at Hot Dog on a Stick when the lady in front of us bent down to pick something up that she had dropped. I wasn't really paying attention, but Sean said he saw it all in slow motion. Kaylee started jumping around and pointing to the aforementioned woman and Sean just Freaked out because he knew what was coming next! He yelled at Kaylee to stop but it was too late! She said "but I see her bum crack Daddy!" Hopefully the sound of him yelling drowned out her pointed exclamation and the lady didn't hear it. Because I had to ask Sean what happened and when he told me I Just busted up laughing! Not because of the woman's misfortune but because Sean got so worked up about it! Kaylee is just 4 she will say ANYTHING!

our perfect weekend...What happened after we left!

2005-12-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

Journaling reads:

"About 30 minutes. That’s how long it took to get the truck out of the snow. Sean had pulled off the road so that I could take some scenic photos and when he tried to turn the car around we got STUCK! Can you say Frustrated!

Since we had been skiing the only shoes Sean had were his sneakers or his ski boots! And since you can’t really move in ski bootsguess what he ended up wearing...After trying, in vain, to dig the tires out with a fallen tree branch, he ended up having to push with me at the wheel. We got it to move a foot.

He got back in and, with the snow flying everywhere, he finally rocked it out of the rut. Then, about 5 minutes down the road, he realized that he left his gloves in the back of the truck!

What a “lovely end” to a perfect weekend!"

It's SO funny! WHile this was happening I replayed a conversation Sean and I had about owning a 4 wheel drive truck! He had told me that the only reason to have 4 wheel drive is to get you out of a place that you shouldn't have been in the 1st place! HAHAHA! Well I guess its a good thing that Sean likes to off road and does own a 4 wheel drive truck or else we wouldn't have gotten out so easily! I think that we would have been stuck there until someone with 4wheel drive came along and pulled us out!

Condo, massage, skiing....what else can I ask for!

2005-12-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

Sean's mom flew in on the 9th. She was supposed to get here on the 8th, but the plane she was supposed to get on slid off the runway at Midway! Well, when she finally did get here Sean and I went up to Solitude for a little 'US' time that was desperately! The Condo we stayed at was fantastic. I had to get pictures of every aspect of it.

On the first day, we went skiing and got in three runs before our massage. Our Massage, Oh let me tell you, It was absolutly AMAZING! It was a couples hot stone massage that lasted 80 minutes! After that we went to dinner at Creekside (which Sean thought was a little pizza place, but wasn't). We had Pasta Bolognaise with Gorganzola cheese, which was a little strong for me, but was godd none the less. Then after dinner we sat by the fire. I wanted to go back outside to take some pictures of the resort but really didn't want to get bundled up again. So Sean read while I took some close-ups of the details of the condo.

When we woke up in the morning (I got to sleep in...YAY!) we got bundled up agin in our ski gear and headed out to the slopes. We got in two runs before we had to get going to take Darlene to the airport. And what happened on the way home is a story for another Layout!

A first for me!

2005-12-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

I started this Layout with something specific in mind but no photos! I ALWAYS design my Lo's around my photos! And this time I hadn't even taken the picture yet! It all started with the journaling which reads:

"SL...It's the little things really...How you empty the dishwasher because you know I hate to do it. When you give me a kiss goodbye every morning before leaving for work and every evening when you come home. It's how you hold me tight whenever I need to be held. Or leave me alone whenever I need some "ME" time. It's ALL the little things my love! LL"

Another first for me was what happened when I tried to stitch! The needle actually BROKE off! I heard this LOUD bang and it wouldn't move I couldn't get the needle out of my page to see what was wrong! I had to take the dang machine apart to get my paper out of it! SO now I need to go buy a new needle!

But other than that I LOVE this page! It came out exactly how I pictured it in my head!

Almost a month!

2005-12-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a month since I last updated!!! Well I almost have Christmas shopping done *phew* and my cards are almost finished.

Sean's mom will be flying here on the 8th! She will be here for 4 days and she is going to do 'Christmas' with the kids while she is here! But the good thing is that Sean and I get to spend 2 nights at Solitude ski resort for a little rest and relaxation and of course a lot of skiing! YAY!!!

What can I be doing WRONG!!!

2005-11-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is, but my sweet little angel has turned into a horrid brat! She never listens...to the point where it is dangerous! Like today, We were at REI and she had to go potty. And So did I...So when we went into the stall I let her go first...I guess that was my first mistake! So when It was my turn, she decided that it would be more fun to crawl out of the stall under the door! Even after I told her to stop 3 or 4 times! What was I supposed to do... stop mid stream so that I could stop my otherwise smart 4 year old from going under the stall door! I really don't know what to do! Because what I am doing now is obviously not working right!?!?! But what is worse now she has her 2 year old brother acting just like her! So here was go again! I need to figure out a way to get her back under control, so that I can get our lives back under control!

J4K Blog Challenge #2

2005-10-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

Where do you see yourself one year from now?

Well, I don't normally look that far ahead! I actually hope to be back in school! I know this sounds really wierd, but I can't wait to get back into school work! I love being a stay at home mom, don't get me wrong, but I crave the challenges that school offers. And to tell you the truth, I really can't wait to get behind a professional camera again! I love my cybershot, but I miss my RZ! I miss the weight of it when I pick it up, still on the tripod and throw it over my shoulder! I miss the sound of the mirror locking up as the shutter releases. I miss the feel of the of pushing the winder and setting up my next shot! I really can't wait to get back in school!

Well Here I am...

2005-10-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

I am not one to put my thoughts onto a page...I was never good at keeping a diary when I was a girl, But here I go with this Blog thing!

Today, it snowed! Can you believe it, October 4th and already there is snow in the mountains! Just a week ago we went for a drive up into the American Fork Canyon, along the Alpine Loop, and the leaves were just changing! Now there is snow up there! Of course this makes my husband happy. He has discovered a passion for skiing this past winter and now he can't wait to get back up into the powder! Me on the other hand, I am from Southern California! I crave the temperate climate of San Diego! Why oh why did we ever leave??? Oh yeah, I remember....with a new baby, it was cheaper to cut off an arm than to try to buy a house there!

Anyway, I digress...

Our annual trip...

2005-10-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

We went on out annual trek up the American Fork Canyon on Sunday September 25th. I thought I would Share this photo!

I love this photo...

J4K Blog challenge #1

2005-10-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

What's something you've always wanted to do, but have been afraid to?

Let's see...I am not one to be afraid of much, but I am afraid of falling! Not heights, mind you, just falling. I have done alot to over come this. Namely the Dive Devil at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I even have the video to prove it! But I have always wanted to try Sky diving!!! It seems so graceful and poetic when you watch the divers at 1000 feet in the air. But what happens when you get closer to the ground! That is what I am afraid of!