One Fine Day

Vacation

2010-07-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

So, after spending 18 minutes trying to remember my blogger password, I am back-at least until my next hiatus. So far summer has been hot and, well, not a whole lot else. We have been pretty low-key around here and I am trying to enjoy it while it lasts. We got back from Louisianna last weekend and, while it was nice to spend the time with Ryan's family, we are so glad to be home! As hot as it has been around here this week it's still not as hot and sticky as it was down there!Eww.It's a leezard. Again, eww.Love this. Paw-paw.Seriously, eww. We really had to watch where we walked.

The best $0.50 ever spent:

Next year I have a date with a beach house and a book.

Eat dessert first!

2010-01-25T11:32:00.001-08:00

Yesterday at church our pastor gave a sermon on Psalms 90. The message was essentially about how short our lives are and how we need to make them count. He also mentioned that we should treat ourselves more often-by having dessert first! Emma and I were already planning on going to lunch after church while Ryan went to a hockey game so it was fun to surprise her with dessert as our appetizer. We rarely get dessert at all so this was a double bonus!

The dessert was great and so was our lunch but what was really amazing was the time Emma and I spent just talking and hanging out. Panera was packed, of course, so Emma and I ended up sitting in the armchairs by the fireplace. It was such a change of pace to sit back and chat and instead of focusing on the food, we focused on each other. In these precious moments when I see Emma acting and talking like a big girl I really do realize just how fast time goes. Don't get me wrong--I am not a perfect mom and Emma is not a perfect kid, but on this day, at this lunch, I felt like we were doing a pretty good job.

Good Stuff

2010-01-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Is anyone there?

Here is a recap of the past few months!

Emma spends lots of time being crafty lately. Tons of cards, pictures, projects, and experiments. She needs gallery space.

Family game night made a come-back.Umm, no. Not gonna happen. Maybe next year...Definitely one of my favorite holiday traditions. Emma was thrilled to be able to set up the nativity all by herself. I am happy to report that I didn't make a single adjustment. I can't say the same for Phil-cat. Keeping him away from the decorations was a full time job.
Another favorite tradition. Krispy kreme doughnuts at Emma's school party. The snowman didn't have a chance.We had 7 Christmas celebrations to attend this year. Quite a lot and made me work to remember that time spent with family is something to be cherished, and not managed. We really tried to slow down this year and enjoy the moment. Very cold trip to Chigaco to see Alli and visit Shedd Aquarium. Oh, look at that family with the matching outfits. How cute. Umm, not. Let's try to make sure that doesn't happen again, k?The obsession begins. One of the favorite gifts of '09 for sure. Can't wait to share this passion with you, my dear.And this is what happens if you refuse to give me a normal smile when I try to take your picture. Dear Dad, next time just say cheese. Love, your daughter-you know, the one with the camera attached to her hip. And this is what happens when you do smile for the camera! Alli and Alex. Thanks for the fun day and the warm place to hang out. Oh, so cozy! Love it!
2009 was a good year. Thank you for all the prayers. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends supporting us.

Rather than one new year's resolution that I would give up by February, here are my goals for 2010:

-Care less about what other people think and more about what my husband and child think of me.

-Pray more, want less.

-Exercise more, eat less.

-Nurture friendships, new and old. Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold. ;)

-Spend more time being creative and less time on the computer, Ipod, Blackberry, tv, etc...

-Find ways to spend time as a family without spending a lot of $$$$.

-Blog more. Or at least scrapbook/journal more since blogging kinda goes against goal #5. I look back at the pictures of when Emma was a baby and the stories I have for each of them. These days the photos just end up in a box waiting to be sorted.

-Focus on capturing the memory, not the picture.

Weekend Update

2009-10-10T07:50:00.001-07:00

We had a great time with friends in Galena a couple weekends ago. It was totally relaxing and we definitely had/caused lots of laughs!

How not to watch a baseball game

2009-09-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

We've been going to a ton of my brothers baseball games lately (he is on his school's 8th grade team). Emma gives up watching the games after the first few innings so she comes up with ways to entertain herself. The game was pretty distracting and she needed to concentrate, hence the sweater over her head. At least she watches when Matt is up to bat!

Emma was pretty bored at this game so we pretended her barbies were at a game and you can't go to a baseball game without taking pictures, right? Barbie may just need her own scrapbook...

7 year pics

2009-09-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Emma wasn't really feeling the photo shoot this time. She got bored really quickly and was way too interested in posing and the fake smile thing. These are a few of the more natural shots. Maybe we will try again in a more seasonal setting to get her in the mood!

Happy Birthday Emma!

2009-09-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while but I'm back. I hope people are still reading! Emma started school a few weeks ago so I am glad to be back to my normal routine.

Today is Emma's birthday so she woke up early (not holding my breath for that to happen again). I made her pancakes with sprinkles and she opened one of her presents. It was a webkinz that looks like Kiki. We had to put our cat, Kiki, to sleep a few months ago and Em is really missing her. The webkinz' tail has a little orange tip just like Kiki did. We both had tears in our eyes when Emma opened it. The Birthday Fairy dropped by a present too (another webkinz that Emma has been wanting) and Emma was so excited. I think Nana had to go to work too early to see Emma this morning! Emma got calls from everyone (even uncle Matt on his way to school!) which made her feel so special.

Emma at 7

~ You have learned to tie your shoes-just in time for school to start. It took a little longer for you since you hardly ever wear shoes with laces. We are all about flip flops and slip ons around here!

~You are reading a lot more these days. It's so funny to hear you in the car reading signs as we go by or reading the words on your CD's and DS games all by yourself.

~Most nights I wake up with you squeezed into bed with us. Funny how you always end up on my side of the bed.

~You are quite a sassy pants lately. I am trying to remember to be a good example and stay patient with you. I know my attitude isn't always perfecy so I can't expect yours to be. We will work on this one together little girl.

~You love music and singing. You don't go anywhere without your "Ipod" and you want to be a rock star when you grow up. You are quite the little songwriter and love strumming on your guitar.

~You are very creative. You love to do any kind of art project and are bummed that you haven't gotten to do much at school yet this year. You love to scrapbook with me and you just discovered a love for photography. I wonder where you got that from?

My sweet girl, I love you so much more than I can even say. I am so proud to be your mom and I can't wait to see how you grow and change this year. Loves!

We have lots of birthday celebrations coming up this weekend. I have always loved that her birthday falls on Labor Day weekend so we can celebrate with everyone and still have some down time. I will be taking Emma's 7 year pictures at Ewing Manor tomorrow. I hope I can do justice to the amazing setting. Emma is excited to be going to "the castle" so hopefully she will be in a good mood! I will post pictures soon!

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Father's Day! We went to the lake with Ryan's family and had a "Mexican Fiesta". The food was great but it was super hot. The kids cooled off with a little dip in the lake. Notice I took all the pictures from the sand. I like seeing what is in the water with me!

Speaking of icky lake critters, Emma caught her first fish! It was a little sunfish and she was very proud of herself. Emma takes her sketchbook with her everywhere in case she gets the urge to draw. This was a masterful scene of the lake. Happy Father's Day to some of the best dad's I know. (We are celebrating with my dad this week!)

Wonderful Summer

2009-06-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally here and we have the schedule to prove it! We have had a busy few weeks filled with lots of family, friends, and fun.

We tried out the local farmers market and the selection was pretty good for this early in the summer. We are going to try to make it a regular outing-especially when the berries and the sweet corn start rolling in! Ryan got some perfect looking (and tasting) spinach and I got a new basil plant. Hopefully I can keep it going-I don't have the best luck with keeping things green.

Cari and the kids came over to my parents house to swim but it was a little cold still. The kids didn't seem to mind too much but the moms only lasted about 5 minutes. At least we got a little sun! After we were sufficiently frozen, we headed over to their house for a cookout. Emma and Evan are at that age where they would rather beat each other up than play and Ella is content to just go with the flow. They all came together for a little dancing at the end of the night-too cute.

I saw a cute idea for a camping invitation online and decided to make it into an invite for a smore party. I have been wanting to have lots of fun little parties throughout the summer for Emma and her friends and this was a fun last minute get together. We just sat around the fire and chatted while the kids ran around being crazy from all the sugar. For Mother's Day, we had gotten my parents tickets to see Mary Poppins in Chicago. We all headed up there for the weekend. Overall it was pretty low-key, just a lot of window shopping and a quick trip to the zoo. We saw some lovely flowers at the Lincoln Park Conservatory and I am going to try to use the pictures for some kind of project. Mary Poppins was fun and Emma really liked it but it was no way near as cool as Wicked. I guess when you already know the story it isn't really as exciting. It was very well done though, and perfect for Emma's first musical.We don't have anything big planned for a while which means a lot of time by the pool. Ahh, summer. I always love these first few weeks when you have the whole summer ahead of you. The possibilites are endless. Playing outside until your parents have to carry you in because you are so tired. Eating dinner at 9:00 because you were having too much fun to come inside. Parties in the cul-de-sac with all your friends. Spending the entire weekend by the pool. Tan lines. The smell of barbecues, sunscreen, and even bug spray. The excitement of hearing the ice cream truck coming down your street. A pair of flip flops for every day of the week. Watching the Cardinals beat the Cubs. Again. Popsicles and lemonade. Camp-outs and sleepovers. September is so very far away.

I get no love

2009-05-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

Mom-I love you so much.
Em-Can I have a ring pop?
Mom-I love you.
Em-Can I?
Mom-I love you.
Em-Can I?
Mom-I LOVE YOU.
Em-I love you too. . .Can I have a ring pop.
Mom-No. ;)

Memorable Weekend

2009-05-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Emma and I had a great time in Chicago. For me, the best part of the weekend was on the train there. We had a great time talking, coloring, and anticipating all the fun. Aunt Rachael came and picked us up at the train station and we drove back to her apartment and realized that the power was out. Rach's building has a courtyard that you have to walk through to get to her place and it was sooo dark. We were all a little creeped out and there were huge sighs of relief when we made it in the door! We had a little candlelit pizza party--a nice way to start the weekend!

Emma took her sketchbook with her and drew a picture of Chicago. It was cute to see her vision of the city.Friday we walked around and went to the American Girl store, of course. When it finally warmed up a little we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. All the animals seemed like they were so close. It was cool to see them like that but it's a little daunting to look a lion in the eye with only a little moat between you!It's been a long time since Emma and Aunt Rachael were able to spend this much time together. Emma was super excited so she got roudy quite a bit but I think Rach understood.The weather cooperated a little better Saturday so we walked along Lake Michigan and Emma played at the beach for a while. The water was absolutely frigid but, of course, Emma didn't mind. We also went to Navy Pier and rode the ferris wheel--Emma loved it. I loved when it was over. Emma's favorite was the swing ride. She rode it twice and probably would have ridden it all day if I let her!

There was this sweet little lily pond on the way to the lake. I would definately like to spend more time there the next time we go up.

Today was Emma's last day of school. She was very emotional and sad to say goodbye to Kindergarten. I am sad too, but more excited to be able to spend the summer together. I'm sure it will be a long summer and we will be happy for school to start again but I really miss getting to see her throughout the day. I know it will be a challenge to have her here while I am trying to take care of the kids but I think she will be a big help. She isn't allowed to watch tv except on the weekends so I am trying to come up with things for her to do while I am busy. Remind me of my positive outlook in a week or so...

Hooray!

2009-05-21T06:40:00.000-07:00

Yea! 2009 American Idol!

And can I just say Kris Allen + Keith Urban=yum! Whoever thought of that duo deserves a raise!

Don't want it to end!

2009-05-19T06:46:00.000-07:00

I am almost done with Breaking Dawn (4th book in Twilight series) and I don't want it to end! I am so in love with this story and the characters. I have been stealing moments to be able to read a page here and there. I stayed up way too late last night and I'm sure I will do the same tonight to finish it! I think I may start reading them again when I finish!

Taking the train to Chicago this weekend! Stay tuned...

Thursday...

2009-05-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Kris is in the finals! I'm so glad the one season I decide to watch American Idol, my fave makes it to the end! Hopefully he can pull out the win next week, but either way I can't wait to hear his first album.

I am into the third book in the Twilight series--Eclipse. I honestly didn't think I would get into these books but I am loving the story! I have been waking up early just to read more! I can't wait for the New Moon movie to come out in November. If you haven't read these yet-do it!

Any mini vacation ideas? I have a long weekend coming up for Memorial Day and Ryan will be at Summercamp. We aren't able to go to Sarah's cabin since someone rented it-bummer. We thought about going to Chicago -- Emma's favorite place, and there is plenty to do, not to mention free lodging at Rach's. The only thing is we'll be going up there in a few weeks to see Mary Poppins so I would be up for something different. I don't want to go too far since Ryan won't be with us. I guess I should make a decision since it's only a week away!

Mother's Day and More

2009-05-12T06:42:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day! Emma and I celebrated twice! Her school hosted a Mother's Day tea for the Kindergarten classes. It was so cute-I got there and Emma took my arm and led me into the music room where all the children put on a little concert/play. Then she took my arm again and led me to our table and pulled out my chair. She was so sweet-she really got into the role of hostess! We had fruit and cookies with our drinks-very ladylike. I am so glad I was able to go but it reminded me how fast she is growing up. She is almost a 1st grader! On Sunday we went to Springfield with my family. We visited the Abraham Lincoln museum and then went to New Salem. Emma loved it-she is so fascinated by history and museums in general. I don't know where she gets it! We had a picnic lunch and walked around talking about how different life used to be. It was a very relaxing and fun day together!

Emma didn't want to sit and have her picture taken with Abe until after we went through the museum-he was a little intimidating. When we were walking to the car she said "I'm ready to sit by Abraham". I guess she felt like she knew enough about him by then-though she still didn't want to sit too close!Emma has really missed her aunts lately. We didn't get to see Rachael since she spent the day with Ryan and their mom but she had a great time with Aunt Alli. I need to spend less time behind the camera -I am really sad that I didn't get any pictures of me and Em together on Mother's Day. I need to remember to pass the camera to someone else once in a while!We ended up rescheduling the photo shoot for this weekend but it was a little windy and chilly. The kids did great anyway and we ended up getting several great shots! I think we will try again when it is a little warmer-and sunnier!

Everyone that has been around me lately knows I have been going crazy keeping a secret! My friend Cari graduated from ISU on Saturday. We threw her a huge surprise party and I can't believe it but it was actually a surprise!! She knew that her family was taking her out to dinner after graduation so they were able to get her to the restaraunt without tipping her off. After dinner we had an after-party at our house and celebrated all that she has accomplished. Cari was so grateful and kept saying how much it meant to her. The turnout alone was a testament to how much she is loved. There were over 70 people there! She is a wonderful wife and mother and was so happy to be going back to school even though it meant juggling everything else. I have always admired her ability to stay positive and enjoy the moment--she is a great example for everyone and an amazing friend. Congratulations Cari-we love you!!!

Anticipation

2009-04-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

Em's class has been talking about caterpillars and butterfly's for the last month or so. They built a little habitat and got 5 caterpillars for class pets and last week they went into their chrysalis' just in time for the school's education fair. Emma was super excited to show them off for us. Everyone is eagerly waiting for beautiful butterfly's!The caterpillars are the brown blob on the back wall. Everyone contributed to the habitat and Emma made the American Flag (minus the stars!).

I will be taking pictures for a family with two adorable kids this weekend. We will be outside so hopefully the weather cooperates--we don't want a muddy mess! Hopefully the shoot goes well and I can share pictures next week!

And yet another shout out for my favorite American Idol, Kris Allen! This week he sang The Way You Look Tonight which is one of my all time faves-my dad and I danced to it at my wedding! I loved his version and I think he just keeps getting better. He was in the bottom 3 last night and had me a little worried but he made it through. I can't wait to see what he does after the competition is over!

Words

2009-04-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

We had another very full weekend around here. We had game night Friday night (which turned into the guys watching the baseball game downstairs and the girls chatting upstairs most of the night). It was a lot of fun and awesome weather so we took advantage and played a few games in the garage. If we had to lose the guys to the game at least the Cardinals won! Ryan and I were sooo outnumbered on that one! I think that out of 16 people, only 4 of us are Cardinal fans.

Sarah and the boys came down for the weekend and the kids played great. Ethan kept calling Emma his cousin and Emma really misses him already! I can't believe I didn't get a single picture the whole weekend! I hope we are able to make it to the cabin for Memorial Day this year! Sarah's family owns a cabin in Wisconsin but we don't know if it has been rented for that weekend yet. We should know by this weekend so Emma and I are keeping our fingers crossed!

Emma and I went to watch Heartland play today. We haven't been able to catch any games this season so I was glad to finally make it out there, especially on such a nice day. It was super windy but the warm temps and the sun made up for it. They split, losing the first game and winning the second but they were good games to watch. Their record was 25-3-1 as of last week.

I decided to start reading the Twilight series since I have so many people telling me how much I am missing. I'm not sure what I am getting into-I don't usually like that kind of fiction-but I figure it's worth a chance! I'm going to start this week so I will let you know how it goes for those of you who are as reluctant as I was to read them!

Easter

2009-04-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

I have never been an American Idol fan-in fact I could count on one hand the number of times I had watched it before this season. After hearing everyone talk about it I decided to give it a try. I have been DVRing this season and I am a little hooked. I love watching the performance night but I really don't care much about the results as long as my two faves stay in. I loooove Kris Allen (a few of my faves are in my playlist!) and I like Danny too. I really don't get what everyone likes about Adam. Obviously he can sing but I am way more into the singer/songwriter groove. Idol rambling over. But, did I mention I looooove Kris?

Easter was lots of fun. We packed a lot into one weekend so we are a little tired around here. The Easter bunnies (at home and at the Nana's) were very good to Emma and she is having fun playing with all her new goodies. She got a few new webkinz, a new DS game, and lots of art supplies. She really enjoys drawing so we got her a sketchbook and colored pencils and she has taken them with her everywhere!

I was dropping Emma off at school today and trying to say goodbye. She was talking to her friends and ignoring my request for a hug. Finally she gave in and hugged me (no kiss) and I said "I love you". She looked at me, mouthed the words I love you, and then shooed me out the door. I hoped this day would never come. Just wait until you are a teenager, my dear daughter. That's when the real embarassment begins.

Etc. . .

2009-04-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

TGIF! This week has dragged on but unfortunately the weekend is gonna fly by! We have an egg hunt to go to tomorrow plus two birthday parties and then the Hannah Montana movie (been using this one as a bribe all week!) and then Sunday we have church, Brunch with my family, followed by dinner with Ryan's fam. I love that we will get to see all of our family but I know Monday will come too soon.

Emma has been sick this week with a cold/ear infection. I thought she was feeling better Thursday so I had her get ready for swim lessons. Ryan and I were talking upstairs when he asked, "are you sure Emma should go?" Then I heard the snoring.

Poor thing. She went to the doctor today and is already feeling much better so it looks like the weekend plans will work out.

I never knew what a little prankster we had. Emma played a few jokes on Ry and I on April fools day. She hid Ryan's coffee maker in her closet so he didn't get any coffee and then she hid my new DS game, which of course I didn't realize until I sat down to play later that afternoon. She was at school so I couldn't have it until she got home. Then Ryan woke me up when he got home from a game asking where the remote was. She had gotten in one final prank and hid the remote! She thought she was pretty clever. Payback's not so fun my dear. Just wait til next year.

As most of you know, Ryan is an assistant coach for Heartland Community College's baseball team. They are having an awesome year which almost makes up for the time he is gone! Their record is 19-1 and they are undefeated in their conference. I haven't been able to watch them play yet this year but it sounds like they are a great group of guys. You can check out their schedule at heartland.edu

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter. We will be spending it with family--hopefully not getting sick off of candy. Most of all we will concentrate on remembering what we are celebrating.

Catching Up

2009-04-03T08:47:00.001-07:00

I hope you haven't given up on me. We have been without a computer for a few months. Thanks goodness for the blackberry and email access! After dealing with the laptop and putting off having it fixed for months, we finally sent it in and, of course, they couldn't fix it. We went and picked out a new one last night--happy we had the extended warranty--and I am up and running with a shiny new desktop. Can't say I don't miss the laptop but we will hopefully have far fewer problems this time! I have lots to catch you up on!

We went to the Science and Industry Museum with Alli, Matt, and Nana. We had fun but not so sure Matt was in his element!

We had a great time celebrating Cari's birthday in Feb. We went to a local bar for dinner and festivities. Emma wanted to take pics of mom and dad all dressed up. Doesn't happen too often!The Birthday Girl!Cari and her Hubby, Andy.Blue Steel...I think.Emma and her Grandparents had a great Grandparent's day at school. Emma drew a very realistic picture of everyone. Papa had chest hair in his picture so he is going to be sure to button up his shirt all the way from now on! Sorry dad--Emma likes details!Couldn't get this pic to turn the right way but notice Lenny the Crab has a band-aid. He was bit by a shark! The nana's had to empty their purses for this project!We went bowling for Alli's birthday. Emma beat my score (which doesn't take much) and even got a few strikes--notice the high five. Emma is definately papa's girl!
Emma went a birthday party at Backyard Adventures and had lots of fun until...

A few too many times around on the tire swing. Can you tell she was a little green? It's not a party 'til someone pukes! She snapped out of it pretty fast and was able to enjoy the pizza and ice cream!Emma lost one of her top front teeth! The permanent tooth is almost in now and the other front one is loose. She looks so different now, I wonder what happened to my little girl.

We had a girls night a few weekends ago and had sooo much fun. We went to a Tapas bar first and the bartender was so nice and bought us all this amazing shot called a Rainbow Bright. I already loved it because of the name and how pretty it is but it tasted so good. I have been searching for the recipe but no luck so far. We just may have to go back ;) It was a great night and a very interesting cab ride home! We are all going out again this weekend but this time the guys are invited. I'm sure they will keep us in line! Felicia, Me, Jen, Jess.

Lazy Weekends

2009-02-16T05:23:00.000-08:00

It's very rare that we have a quiet weekend around here, and even rarer that we feel refreshed on Monday morning! We didn't do much for Valentine's day--just cards and nice notes and a few little things for Em. I gave her a certificate to go buy High School Musical 3 when it is released Tomorrow and she was very excited. For dinner, we celebrated with friends while Emma went to Nana and Papa's. Dave and Felicia made awesome steaks -just as good if not better that we could have gotten at a restaurant! It was a pretty low-key night--exactly what we wanted! Especially for Ry who says V-day was invented by guys who wanted to sell cards. So romantic. Ryan had ball practice Sunday afternoon so Emma and I were lazy and took naps and played Webkinz! It feels good to start the week awake!

My Scraproom

2009-02-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my scraproom. I wish I had more time to play in here! I try to keep it super organized so it is easy and inviting to work in. My dad did most of the work in here with a little help from Ry. He installed all the drywall, shelves, cabinets, and countertops. This is still a work in progress-we need to install the trim and the drop ceiling and some other finishing touches. I didn't have a lot of room to work with--the other side of the room is the laundry area so I tried to make the most out of the space. This works out well for me anyway because I like to have everything at my fingertips. I love the height of the counters because they are low enough to be able to use a tall office chair but high enough to stand up and work, which I recently started doing a lot.

These are the supplies I use the most. I wanted to have both open and hidden storage so I could display the things that inspire me and keep the messier or unattractive things out of sight. The tall cabinet has household items and wrapping supplies. The two boxes on top of that cabinet hold all my pictures. I try to keep these very organized so it's easy to just pull out one event and scrap it. The top shelf holds all my ribbon and stamping supplies and the black boxes hold small embellishments. The second shelf holds all my main supplies: paper, letters, rub-ons, paint, flowers. This part of the countertop holds my must-haves. My paper trimmers, cutting mats, etc... are stored on the left by the cabinet. More on the rest later!

This is my main work area. The cabinets hold all my punches, extra adhesives, card making supplies, fabrics, glitter, paint brushes and lots of other odds and ends. The ledge holds all my buttons and more ribbon and some favorite pictures. Kiki's food bowl sits up here so Bruno can't get to it. She usually sits up here while I am working and keeps me company. To the right is a small t.v. and a mini fridge for beverages! My tool caddy holds all the everyday tools like scissors, adhesives, crop-o-dile, and pens. I like my area to be really clean when I scrap so I keep the paper towels handy! My paper and cardstock, sorted by manufacturer.

Buttons and ribbon. Acrylic paint. I haven't even used half of these but I love the display. Having all the bright colors around is definately inspiring!
Journalling spots, alphabets, rub-ons, and paper embelishments. I have a few of these white baskets sprinked around the room. I like that I can see everything in them but the supplies are contained.

Another basket--flowers in this one.
Chipboard and acrylic alphabets. I have them stored in hardware organizers found at Lowes.
The frog prince was one of my favorite stories when I was little so this little guy was an awesome find!

School Daze

2009-02-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

Emma has been a busy little bee lately! Especially with all the activities at school. We had a lot of fun at her last field trip to the Children's Discovery Museum a few weeks ago. It was nice to see her interact with all her school buddies. They are a really sweet bunch of kids and very well behaved. I was a driver and having three girls in the backseat wasn't any louder than one-which says alot about Emma's volume!

Yesterday at Chapel, Emma's class did a little program where they dressed up as bees and encouraged everyone to "Bee Cheerful, Bee Positive, Bee Helpful, Bee Prayerful, and Bee Forgiving". It was super cute and Emma even got a little solo part! The other mom's and I joked that the three girls got the solo parts because they are probably the loudest in the class! We are working really hard on being all of these things at home so this was a very timely lesson. We are especially working on being positive and helpful and only saying nice things. It is definitely a work in progress! My faves the Avett Brother's say it best, I don't need those words to say what I mean. Correction, this says it best:

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. Ephesians 4:29

We are going to make Em's Valentine's and decorate a box to take to school tonight. We haven't had a chance to do crafty stuff together lately so I am excited to see what we come up with!
I have been working in my scraproom a little more often these days. Making cards mostly since we have tons of Birthday's coming up.
I have had a few requests to see my scraproom so I will try to get pictures today after I clean it. ;)

About Time

2009-01-30T08:14:00.001-08:00

I finally got around to uploading Christmas photos! We had an amazingly blessed Christmas this year. I had two weeks off after Christmas so we had lots of time to lay around and play with our new toys. We also made a few trips to Chicago. We went to the children's museum on Navy Pier--fun for younger kids I'm sure, but a little boring for Em. Good thing we went to build a bear afterwards--the highlight of the trip. Aunt Alli had gotten Emma a gift certificate to go since Bruno ate the bear Alli had made her when she was a baby. Em made a bunny with roller skates named Kit, cause if it's not an American Girl, it may as well have the same name as one!!

It was totally an American Girl Christmas. Mia is having fun getting to know her friends. We have had a few game nights with all of our new games. Em's favorite new game is Operation and the adults have had a lot of fun with Partini and Rigamarole--similar but fun in their own ways. Emma and I have been enjoying our Nintendo ds's but Emma is actually getting better than me at Mario Cart since I have no time to play these days. Was that me that thought things would actually slow down after the holiday's?

It always amazes me how Emma can find wonder in things I tend to take for granted! We had an impromtu pillow fight last night after a game of Clue jr. Daddy started the craziness by being a cheater pants and it escalated from there. It is moments like these that Emma says are the best times ever. I agree.

I'm still here!

2009-01-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's been a while. Give me a break, it was December! I promise to catch up with December pictures/happenings this week. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years!

Happy Birthday Baby Brother

2008-12-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

Not the best picture ever but it is the most recent one I have of Matt and Em together. They were playing one of the racing games at Chuck E. Cheese and apparently concentrating really hard. We are going out to dinner to celebrate tonight so I need to get some pictures while he is in a good mood! Pizza, ice cream cake, and lots of presents might just do the trick. I can't believe my baby brother is 13--a teenager! We love you, Matthew!

Wicked Cool

2008-12-03T06:08:00.001-08:00

In my best Bostonian accent: Wicked was wicked cool. The show was great--though a little slow at first. I don't think the regular theatre goers behind us appreciated Ryan's snoring! I loved the show -- especially the subtle, okay not so subtle, references to The Wizard of Oz. Some of the songs weren't as catchy as others but it was still really well done. We got to go on a backstage tour after the show (thanks to Rachael and her wicked connections!) and it was really interesting. We got to see all the props and some of the costumes. Lots of behind the scenes "magic". The show will be finishing its Chicago run in January so I am so glad we got to see it when we did.

After the show we went to eat at Brazzas, which is a Brazilian steakhouse where they bring the meat out on skewers and you pretty much eat until you sweat. They give you a little disk that you flip over back and forth and it tells the waiters that you either want more or need a break. It was sooo good. Who knew grilled pineapple could be so amazingly delicious? We were all so stuffed that we went back to Rachael's apartment and fell asleep. So much for a night out on the town! Seriously though, I am still full.

Oh and I am sick. Yuck. I have a cold and just feel blah. I am so excited for my Christmas break. I need it. My to do list grows by the minute. I really don't want to use my vacation to clean my house so I am trying to get everything done before then so I can sit back and relax. That is, if I remember how.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Emma had a great time playing with all her cousins and the mom's all loved the 2 minutes they sat still to have a semi-decent picture taken!

Baby it's cold outside

2008-11-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

It is so tempting to stay inside these days. I have so much to do and lots of errands to run but, instead of crossing things off the list, Emma and I stayed home and played board games under blankets last night! Unfortunately Emma doesn't lose gracefully. I don't know where this came from--we have always played lots of games and we have never made it a habit to "let" Emma win (especially Ryan). She always acts like her little heart is broken and makes excuses like "it's not fair, I didn't know how to play". I try not to make a big deal about it and just let her know we will play again and maybe she will win next time. I am so ready for this phase to be over.

Other times, thankfully, she is a huge sweetheart! For example, I came home from Chicago last weekend and Emma had made me a welcome home sign and taped it to the front door! It was so nice to come home to smiles and hugs instead of whining and nagging. I guess I just need to leave more often!

Here are a few pics from Chicago. There were only a few decorations up when we were there but it was still very festive. And very cold.

Funny story to share: Emma and Ryan were riding in my mother and father-in-law's new Prius last weekend. Apparently a lot of the features in the car are voice activated, including the GPS. Clint was trying to see what the GPS could do so he said "Gas Station" very clearly. That prompt didn't work so they tried "Restaurant". Apparently Emma had other things in mind because very slowly and clearly from the back seat came "Disney World". I wish I could have been there!

God Bless America

2008-11-11T16:45:00.001-08:00

Happy Veterans Day.

Beauty and the Treats

2008-11-10T17:23:00.001-08:00

Emma had a great time this Halloween. I think she spent more time passing out candy than she did trick-or-treating. She loved seeing all the different costumes and she didn't want to miss anything so she sat on Nana Kathy's front step and waited for "customers".

Emma got her costume when we were at Disney this past summer. She wanted me to do her makeup just like they did at the bibbity bobbity boutique and thank heavens the weather was nice because "Belle does NOT wear a shirt under her dress". Um, I hate to break it to you babe but Belle doesn't wear flip flops either. What can I say--like mother like daughter.

The before:

And the after:

Now that Halloween is officially over I have thrown myself into Christmas projects. I promised myself I would keep it simple this year but I keep adding stuff to the list. I'm hoping to get a big chunk of my shopping done this weekend in Chicago. Mom, Alli, and I are going for a much needed girls weekend. Can't wait.

Never did get those pumpkins carved. . .

Time well spent.

2008-10-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

We finally had our photo shoot. Emma did really well and put up with the weather amazingly well. That is until she got slapped in the face with a leaf--it was soooooooo windy yesterday! I took her to a beautiful park near our house and the leaves were all falling and it was actually a really nice day for pictures. I should point out that aside from a few little prompts from mom, Emma did all the posing on her own. I told her where to go and she took it from there. Thank goodness she likes having her pictures taken. I really don't know what I would do if I couldn't take pictures all. the. time.

Emma spent the night at her Nana's house on Saturday night so Ryan and I could go to a party. She is such a sweet talker! You know how we went to see HSM3 the other night, well Emma has been begging for the soundtrack all weekend. I decided to surprise her and stopped by the store to pick up the cd on my way to get her yesterday. Well imagine my surprise when I walked into my mom's house and saw the very same cd sitting on the counter. The little mooch got Nana to buy it for her! She also got them to take her to her favorite restaurant instead of the one they were planning on going to. Weekends at Nana's are great but, come on, how can I compete?

Just kidding, Mom!

Is anyone else ready for Christmas????? I am so excited. My shopping list is almost finished and my cards are about half done! I love it! Please don't remind me that we haven't even carved pumpkins yet...

So Excited

2008-10-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

High School Musical 3 premiers tonight! I have to admit, I am probably just as excited as Emma. We are going out to dinner and to see the movie tonight and, amazingly, we talked Ryan into going to see it with us! I just hope he doesn't snore too loudly.

We are going to try again with Emma's 6 year pictures. I ended up getting sick last weekend so we are going back out tomorrow for round 2. I am crossing my fingers for nice weather!

Going Places

2008-10-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Chicago was a lot of fun. Emma loved the train, though Mommy thought it was a little bumpy! Kit had a wonderful time seeing all her friends at the American Girl store. I must admit that I prefer the old store to this new location at Water Tower Place. It just isn't the same but Emma loved seeing all the new displays. She got the cutest little witch outfit for her doll and a few other things with her birthday money. Emma also got to have her picture taken and it was displayed on a jumbo screen for the whole store to see-pretty cool for a girl who wants to be a rock star!

We had brunch at the Grand Luxe Cafe with Alli, Rachael, and John and it was soooo yummy. After a little shopping on Michigan Avenue we went to dinner with my family for my mom's birthday. We took a taxi which was a total highlight for Em and saw a wedding party taking pictures in one of the little parks. Of course Emma wanted to stop and watch--she thinks all girls in wedding dresses are princesses!

Emma is such a city girl--we caught her spacing out a lot just looking around. We were at Crate and Barrel and Emma was standing at the window just staring out at all the people. I asked her what she was doing (cause it's just not like Em to be so quiet and still) and she said "just watching". She loves all the noise and movement. I think she will grow up to be like Alli and Rachael and leave her Momma for the city.

Last week Emma had her first field trip. We went to Funk's Grove and it was gorgeous. It was a morning spent just enjoying being outside and experiencing nature. It was fun to see Emma interact with kids in her class and to get to know some of the other moms.

We are heading back to Funk's Grove this weekend for their autumn festival and I plan to take Emma's 6 year pics while we are there. We still haven't gotten any pumpkins or mums so we definately have to do that this weekend. Emma has been home sick--yesterday and today--so I'm not sure if she will be up for another busy weekend. She is supposed to go to West's homecoming parade with Nana Kathy tomorrow so hopefully she feels well enough to go to school.

Time to end the epic post! Watch for new pics soon!

I Dare You

2008-10-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I just started reading The Love Dare, by Stephen Kendrick and it is amazing. It is based on Christian principles and it has been a wonderful gift for our marriage. The book encourages you to focus on one dare per day for 40 days--some are pretty easy and some are going to be a challenge (don't tell Ryan that I looked ahead!!). With the crazy and stressed out lives that we have been living, it is so easy to forget to nurture our relationship. I will let you know how the next month goes. . .I love you Ry.

2008-10-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

Yes I know...I am a very bad blogger. Things have been nutty around here. Emma is loving Kindergarten but we barely see each other anymore between all of her activities and Ryan's coaching schedule. We are definately going to be cutting back on stuff soon!

We are going to see Alli and Rachael in Chicago this weekend. Emma has birthday money just burning a hole in her pocket. I'm sure most of it will be spent at the American Girl store. We may go to Navy Pier and let her ride the big wheel--she saw it from Alli's apartment last time and has been begging to ride it!

Our computer crashed a few weeks ago so I have been trying to reload all my pictures. I have too many to keep track of and the list is growing. I just took pictures of two super sweet sisters on Saturday and they turned out really cute. I am getting more and more pictures to add to my portfolio!!

Emma had a great birthday. The celebration seemed to last all month with all the different friend and family parties we had. We went ice skating for the friend party and she loved it. I think there was a contest to see who could fall the most!! Guess who hung out in the party room and on the sidelines taking pics! Thanks to everyone who made her 6th birthday so special!

First Day!

2008-08-25T12:01:00.001-07:00

Well it is officially Emma's first day of Kindergarten! She was so excited--she grinned all the way to school. Emma was thrilled to find out that one of her new friends was sitting at her table! Mommy did pretty well, only a few tears. I have been thinking about her all day and I can't wait to hear how her first day as a Kindergartener went!

Emma got a new backpack for her American Girl's as a first day of school present (it would have been for her birthday but I thought this was more fitting!) and she put it right on Kit and had her ride along in the car with us! She asked me to babysit Kit today so she wouldn't miss Emma too much! I love the way she is such a smart, growing girl one minute and then she reminds me that she is still my little girl. She always will be. . .

The Countdown Begins

2008-08-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

There are only 5 days left until Emma starts Kindergarten. I am sad, excited, worried, and proud. It truly seems like only yesterday that she was learning to walk and saying her first words. We found out that there will be a little girl that Emma was great friends with at preschool in her class so her nerves have settled quite a bit. I am happy that she is so excited. Really. I will try not to let her see me cry Monday morning as not to upset her or make her nervous all over again. Emma starts ballet and gymnastics next week too so we will both be tired and looking forward to labor day break already!

To celebrate the end of summer we spent the weekend at the Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock. Emma's cousins, Isaac and Aiden, and Aunt Beth came with since daddy had baseball. We stayed in a villa so there was plenty of room to spread out and the kids had such a blast. The waterslides were great and Emma loved the wave pool. The view off of our balcony was amazing. We were able to see deer and lots of birds which is always more exciting when you're not at home!

Hello Life

2008-08-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

We have had an awesome summer and as it is coming to an end we have been looking back. Emma and I had a wonderful weekend at the lake with Sara and her kiddos and as I was scrapping the pictures I started remembering all the fun and how nice it was just to sit and chat with a good friend. The kids had a blast playing in the freezing water, running on the beach, and eating ice cream, and I enjoyed being able to talk to Sara without a phone and a few hundred miles between us. I think it will have to become a tradition. Thanks again Sara for a great time and fond memories.

By the way, my journaling inspiration for this layout came from Ali Edwards Blog- aliedwards.typepad.com . If you are into photography or scrapping you may want to check it out. My journaling: hello life. hello outdoor fun. hello weekends at the lake. hello wind. hello glorious sun. hello sand between your toes and the freedom to run and roam. hello fresh air. hello exploration. hello friends old and new. hello boats. hello rocks. hello sand in your shoes. hello silliness. hello summer. hello good times and great memories.

Ready or Not

2008-08-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at blog life. What part of me thought I would have time to contribute to a blog? Hoping this will offer me a way to keep in touch and stay sane by venting--even if no one reads this. I may not be the most productive blogger ever but here goes. . .

Yesterday was the last day of vacation bible school and, while we had a lot of fun, we are all exhausted and ready for normal bedtimes. Emma had so much fun and has been listening to the music from VBS constantly. We are getting to know the songs pretty well by now ;) Emma made a few new friends that will be in her Kindergarten class though it took a little encouraging on my part. You may be surprised to know that Emma is actually pretty shy when it comes to meeting new people and she was nervous because she only knew a few kids to start with. As we were saying our family prayers at bedtime Tuesday night, Emma asked God to "please help me not be nervous when I ask people to be my friend" Oh, if only it were that easy for me! We are so ready for the weekend. I have a date with the DVR tonight. Project Runway season 5 - Love It.