Where did summer go?

Okay, I could bombard this post with summer memories....not one has to do with scrapbooking....thinking that is a winter sport for me, lol!

We have had a great summer! So relaxing and fun! Lots of water...pool, Beach Waterpark, Gulf Shores Alabama -- absolutely beautiful! Summer is my favorite time of year because I am off all season with the boys and just do what we want...coffee,morning talk shows, pool time, xbox, reading a good book, movies, bowling, hanging out, etc, etc.

Now, it is time for school...and I am ready! I am so excited about 23 new little Kindergarten kiddos who I get to teach 'everything' about school to...and I know they will teach me too. :)

I've had such a great summer with my kids...and I am so grateful that the end only means I get to start a new year (seasons) with some little kiddos who mean so much to me already too.

Have a great start to your school year...whether you teach, attend, or watch the busses go by. :)

Happy Summer!

Memorial Day weekend! It's finally summer. Yeah! :)

I am looking forward to those lazy, no school days ahead. We have a full day and a 1/2 day left this week and then we are free! :)

Today and tomorrow we are staying home and hanging out...pool, a little yard work, and reading a good book. Ahhhh...summer...so glad to see you!

Taking time to think about all who have and currently are serving in our military and their families. Thank you! Because of you my family has the freedom to choose to "hang out...pool, a little yard, work, and reading a good book".

Happy Summer Everyone! :)

Megan Elise

Delivered into this world and directly into God's hands on May 14, 1997.

I miss her so very much.

Altered mailbox :)

Love these papers. Hardest part was making the flag work. Decided to just go with Valentine's Day since now I'll actually have one finished before 2/14 next year and will only be rushing to make two more for the boys. ;)

Here are a few pics of how I made this...super easy altering...nothing fancy but it looks like it.

How many times can I say...

...how fun this all is??? I am so excited about all I am doing this weekend. I really, really, really don't want to go to work tomorrow!!!

Here is my layout for the kraft paper challenge. Another I have wanted to do for a while, and I picked up the papers when my Mom and I were at a Crop for the Cure a few years ago. It was really simple and fast, but with all the pics I have and want to scrap in my lifetime I really need to do this 'quick' scrapping more often. The part that took the longest today and yesterday, while thinking about this challenge, was figuring out what "Kraft" paper is....I finally found the answer at Robyn's (MPS) Facebook page...she said it's any paper that looks like wet sand...so here's my take on that challenge.

As for this page...I remember how scared J was when we bought this smaller quad...he didn't want to ride it himself. Now, there is no stopping any of them! :)

This may be my last post today...even though I really want to make the cupcake challenge (I can picture a group of cupcakes and the title 'Sweet Heart'), wanted to do the Mom challenge (have some beautiful purple paper with an overlay...thinking about how I never knew what being a mother would mean...how wonderful it is); and the altering challenge (I have three red mailboxes that I didn't use at Valentines' Day...thinking of making one into something else). So there are my ideas...if I don't make them in time for the challenge deadline Monday at least I have even more ideas rolling around in my brain. I LOVE SCRAPBOOKING!!! :)

Another MPS challenge completed this Mother's Day!

This NSBD...and really weekend for me...has been great because I have completed several layouts that have been in my head for years...seriously for years! I am so excited! :)

Happy Mother's Day...and more!

It's a great day at our house...we have nowhere to go and it's raining so we get to chill all day. Okay, I'll have to do some laundry -- or someone will. ;) The boys have a few projects to finish up that are due this week so we'll work on those -- that will definitely require Mom to help. :)

I had a great day yesterday scrapping for 8 hours, so I'm going to continue today. Yeah! I have one for the My Pink Stamper kid layout challenge that I want to finished and will submit (scanned and added above)....then I'll look back at the challenges I didn't do and see what strike my creativity today. Maybe the Mother's Day challenge...something about how I never knew just how rewarding it would be to be the Mom of these great boys. I also really want to do something for the cupcake challenge (#3 maybe?)....I have the cutest cupcakes on my Paisley Cricut cartridge that I want to play with....wish I had cupcake mix for inspiration.

I am skipping my workout today...but I've earned it and I will not feel guilt (for a change, lol). I have worked out as scheduled for 41 days straight (with the correct rest days inserted of course accordng to my trainer), but today I'm taking a Mom day...and I might even have some of those cinnamon rolls that DH is making for me. Yum!

So for anyone who actually reads my blog and is a Mother I wish you a great Mother's Day filled with whatever it is that makes you happy...time with kids and DH, skippin a workout, sweets, a favorite activity, etc. For all women who aren't Mother's in the 'traditional' sense I say Happy Mother's Day to you too. I know many women who don't have children but are Mothers to many...their pets, their students, a great Aunt and/or Godmother, and loving to all who know her...so to all women I say Happy Mother's Day!

Pink, green and black card

This one came to me instantly...my good friend is moving to Malaysia and I will miss her so much...I remembered a line from the play at school recently when Horton always says "An elephant never forgets"...and so this card for the My Pink Stamper NSBD challenge. The nose circle cheek below the eye is actually a dark pink like the heart on the card, but it wouldn't scan that way...very cute I think. ;)

Glimmer mist card

Another fun challenge for www.mypinkstamper.com for National Scrapbook Day! Yeah! :)



I'm going to make a set of these and give them to a friend who sells purses and bags for Thirty One. She'll be so surprised! :)

Scrapbook Page for NSBD at mps.com

My National Scrapbook Day challenge for www.mypinkstamper.com. FUN! :)

I love the idea of this lo...but it's really bothering me...it just doesn't have the zing I want with the title especially...and I need to get a new picture of him with the car printed at the store...hmmmm just some thoughts. :)

Super excited for him...getting his license is huge! :)

~~~Spring Break~~~

Ahhh...we made it to Spring Break! Last week was so busy at school...end of quarter, St. Patrick's Day, mini-festival, and more! It was exhausting! Oh yeah and the time change did nothing to help...well it did make the kiddos a little tired.

So we are off and the weather is warm...showers expected but warm is great....of course, later in the week we go back to cold. I can't wait until the weather stays warm for good.

We have spent the day relaxing and have plans to continue to do so through most of the break. I will spend a day or two at school getting ready for the last quarter. Hoping to spend some time...not sure when...scrapping. I just bought two new cartridges: Simply Charmed and Paisley...and they along with all my other neglected cartridges deserve to be used during this week. :)

I hope that the weather is warm wherever you are...and that you find time to relax this weekend and even into next week. Our thoughts and prayers are with so many family, friends and strangers around the world who are dealing with so much...it should remind us to take the time to relax and enjoy our life instead of always rushing through it.

Take care! :)

Beautiful day...but...

I am home from school today with a sick kiddo. :( DS3 is running a fever and is home for the second day. My second day too and it's hard when your kid is sick, but it's added stress when you are a teacher and have to be out of the classroom. I'd love to not have 'teacher guilt' when I'm away, but I just can't. Plus having to prepare lesson plans for a sub, then not getting a sub and my team teacher having to cover both classes just makes the guilt grow and grow. I know I've talked about guilt here before, and I should let it go....but when it has an impact on others I just can't.

Hopefully my baby (who is about to turn 10!) will feel better soon. Luckily, it's a fever but no other symptoms and that's the lucky part...plus he doesn't feel too bad and for that I am glad.

The weather here is beautiful....mid 60s...and the sun is shining. It makes me yearn for Spring and get my hopes up way too high because the forecast is for a wintry mix on Monday...ugh.

Soon it will be nice again each day, and so I've changed my blog design to cheer myself up.

Take care!

A favorite lo and....yep....snow pics!

Another snow day....it's a nice long weekend, and I'd much rather travel to school on clean dry roads, but....enough already! lol

The florist lady trekked through the snow to our house today and brought me a beautiful planter of flowers and Birthday balloons! So beautiful and a sweet surprise from DH and the boys. :)

Here is the lo of Blossom that I wanted to share (I think I mentioned that on an earlier post). I did post it at my sb.com site too. Goal achieved! :)



And....now...snow pics...just a few from this Winter Wonderland. :) It is so pretty and it is winter...so I'll just enjoy it.

Pic from the front porch.


Back of house....so glad we live in a time where we do NOT use that outhouse! Can you imagine??? OMG!!!


I am going to post some of those sports los soon. Take care and stay warm!

Rhonda

Inspired to scrap...and snow!

More snow is headed our way for Thursday. The hard part is that it may not be too much until mid-morning...well, that means we may have the kiddos to school and then have to do an early dismissal..ugh..that's always so stressful.

I have started doing some major sorting of the boys' sports pics...want to do some work with those this week, especially if I am home.

I really need to be at school and teaching, we've had snow and sickness -- I had 5 out of 16 kiddos out last week on the one full day out of two that we were in school. Okay, I will be fine....it's still 180 days in the end. :)

I hope to work on those sports lo, scraplift a fun 'oh the places you'll go' lo, and some other ideas I've found during the My Pink Stamper blog hop. I also need to post a lo for her challenge, and add my lo of Blossom (one of our dogs, the crazy one) to my sb.com site and perhaps here.

Okay, lots of plans.....we'll see 'where I go'. :) Stay warm!

Blog Hop Fun!

I have been Blog Hopping with the My Pink Stamper Design Team this weekend...when I can fit it in....we were super busy this weekend!!! Since it's my Birthday Month I took the time to follow this super fun blog hop and at least look...I can't wait to make some of the adorable creations.

Angela's mailbox would be super cute for the kids on Valentine's Day morning. Tracy's card is just too cute with the little plaid bird. Cristi used my new cart...destined to be a fave...Country Life on a super cute card. So many talented scrappers. How do they find the time???? I must learn the secret!

Have a great evening and a great week too!

Goodies for my Kindergarten kiddos

Today was another snow day...nothing like in the rest of the country but icy roads and the constant blowing wind across them is continuuing to be a problem.

Anyway, I cleaned all my scrap stuff and pulled things I'll never use...I'm going to donate them to Children's Hospital...they can always use craft items. If you are looking to clean-up too you can always donate to a hospital or school. :)

Here are a few pics of some goodies bags I made for my Kindergarten class. I gave these to them on the first day back in January. They loved them! I got the idea from Robyn at My Pink Stamper...she makes this kind of goodie bag a lot for her kiddos and she had a great penguin for her most recent bags. I didn't have the Simply Charmed cartridge, so I used the cute little guy you see here from Create a Critter and I also added his igloo. The stamps are from Stampin' Up...and I used Stickles on the flakes and snowballs for a little added touch. The kids probably only noticed the goodies, but I think they came out really cute. I can't wait to make some for Valentine's Day.

Wherever you are stay warm...I heard today that 49 states have snow (even Hawaii does in the mountains)...only Florida does not, but I'll bet it's not as warm as usual down there...sooooo....everyone stay warm and be safe! Now, here are the pics!

Snow and Braces

K got his braces today. He seems fine about them, but as a Mom I feel bad...or is it guilt?..that he has to have them. :( Probably "Mom Guilt" (can you hear the scary music when I say that...kind of like 'duh, duh, duh')....because we all know it's my fault, right? ;)

Snow day today! Didn't do a lot at home...I wasn't home long when they called to say they could do the braces today instead of tomorrow...yahoo no missing school for him. I did work on some 50th Birthday cards we are sending to our Priest for his 50th on 1/23 which is also my Birthday. :)

I don't know if we will have another snow day or not...it hasn't stopped all day but not a lot of accumulation on the roads when we went to the dentist at 2:00, but the roads were really bad when we came home from the dentist. DH and the other two boys are at the ski slopes. May need those skis to get home!

I will scrap if home tomorrow, and hope to post some projects here on my blog this week.

Ahhh, kind of like talking to myself here...but never know who might be checking in...if you do please give me a holler in the comments if you don't mind. :)

Stay warm!

Happy New Year!

Our New Year 2011 has started out to be busy at times, but surprisingly relaxing too. I had time this weekend to scrap one Create A Critter critter for each of my students and can't wait to see their faces when they get them tomorrow. :)

The boys have been busy getting back into the school routine and skiing.

A little snow here and there but nothing to support my fear that we will be having tons of snow days and be in school until July, lol...not funny I know.

So, Happy New Year to anyone who might actually be reading this blog. Enjoy your day!