Friday Is The Day We Do The Happy Dance...

Happy Friday everyone!!!

I have some fun things planned for the weekend. Tonight we're taking the youth group to play Laser Tag. I am actually looking forward to this. I have only played one other time and it was a lot of fun. Don't know how photos will work in there though. We'll see.

Tomorrow I get to have a massage and tomorrow night I will be eating dinner with my wonderful Hunny to celebrate our anniversary. Mom agreed to let the boys spend the night so this means we don't have to hear them complain that we aren't eating at McD's or some such place. We might go to Eckert's for dinner and do a little pumpkin/mum/fall decoration shopping. I really want to wait to do that with the boys and have Lisa and Kaitlyn go. The kids always have so much fun together, Lisa & I do too. I want to take some cool fall pictures there - so many photo op's, but we'll see what happens. It's supposed to be in the 80's sometime this weekend - sure beats the 45 we had this morning. YUCK!

Let's see, what else.....I am hoping to finish Denise's CJ this weekend. It's coming together quite nicely, Denise. It's killing me to not talk to you about it. I'm just glad you haven't been around this week to tempt me (even though I've been pretty bored). I had an idea for it, then Mike threw me a change-up ball and I'm going for it!!!! Sheesh, where did the baseball talk come from???

I'm on the lookout for a Scrapbooking Monthly Kit place and, thanks to V, I think I may have found it. Scrap Room looks really cool and I think you get a lot for your money. They also look like they keep up to date with the current popular items. So when the kit is posted on Sunday, I'm gonna check it out and probably sign up.

I'm hoping to leave the office here in a few minutes, so I'll cut this short.

Have a wonderful weekend - Be Blessed!

Thursday Thirteen

It's that time when we bring you another edition of Thursday Thirteen.

13 DVD's in my Queue at Netflix:

1) Over the Hedge (On hold waiting for release)
2) The Great Outdoors
3) Somewhere In Time
4) 24 – Season 3
5) Third Rock From The Sun – Seasons 1-5
6) Wild Wild West – The old TV series
7) Cellular
8) The Pacifier
9) Chocolat
10) Taxi – Queen Latifah
11) Desk Set – Old movie with Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn
12) Doogal – Kid movie
13) CSI - Season 6 (On hold waiting for release)




Here's a LO I worked on this week. While at a family reunion earlier this month, I was giving Jackson a hug and he reached up and hugged my face and said "CHEESE." He wouldn't let go till someone took our picture. Anyway I love they busy look here and the orange. It's another 8x8 thats hanging on my wall. This is quickly becoming my favorite size for fun, single picture LOs.

I actually did this on my anniversary. Mike went to the Cardinal ballgame and I stayed home with the boys. They were good and didn't bug me so I got to scrap.


K, that's all for now. Have a nice evening.

Challenges

I have always viewed the "Challenges" issued by people on the MB's as something for someone else to do. They sound fun while I'm at work, but by the time I actually get time to sit down at home and scrap, the challenge is out of my mind. Well, I've been checking out a new MB and they post a challenge once a month for to be a Guest Design Team member for the next month. You have to upload a LO based upon their challenge conditions. So this month, I decided to take up the challenge at CMK. Here are the rules:

Please create any size layout that includes the following:
6 Different Patterned Papers
4 Different Ribbons
At least 10 buttons
A minimum of 2 photos and
3 flowers of some type---whether hand drawn, rub-ons, stickers, chipboard, Prima, etc.

I won't be uploading it to their gallery for the DT spot. Even though I like how it turned out, I'm not DT quality. I do think I might do more of these challenges though - it really got me out of my norm. Here's the result:

This is my sweet little cousin Xander at his first birthday. Mike and I had been to a wedding and stopped at the park on our way to the reception. Xander wanted to leave with us.

By the way, you should know by now that I don't edit my pics, I'm too lazy, so sorry about the extra bg stuff.


Here's another one I did this weekend. I've had this pic of the twins for a couple years. They had so much fun playing with the christmas lights (I was using them for a family photo "shoot") and they decided to play with them. This is my second stab at arrows. Love them.





I don't know if he'll read the 'ol blog today, but just in case....Honey, - Happy Anniversary. It's been 14 amazing, wonderful years!!!!! I have NO regrets. I love you with all my heart.

T.G.I.F.

Wonder how many blogs have that for a title today. Intersting. Anyway, I am very glad the weekend is about here. Can't wait to leave work today and get on with my life. WOO HOO!!

Silly Picture:

What is a "Booty Bag" supposed to be? A bag for my butt? Any excess butt I have? Can I purchase more Booty if I want? Weirdness I tell ya. Oh and why does the florist carry it?

Here's a little math question for ya...

Hypothetically speaking, you smoke.

It takes you about 7 minutes to smoke one cigarette.

You have to take at least 2 breaks a day. Sometimes more, but lets just figure it as 2 per day.

You 18 days of vacation time per year.

You get approx. 10 days for holidays.

How many days off do you get for just smoking??

My answer to follow.

Nothing more today. I worked on a LO yesterday and I took a pic but it didn't turn out. So I'll have to do that next week. It's a cute one of an old picture of the twins AND I'm working on another LO hope to have finished this week. One more scrapping thing: I got the pics back for Denise's book. Not really happy with them. So I'm thinking on it some more.


MATH QUIZ ANSWER:
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.
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6.75 days. And she wants to haggle over a half day of vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Still chapped about that.

Yeah, well anyway hope ya'll have a great weekend. Be back next week and we'll have even more fun that we've had this week. If that's even possible.

1. I really wish God would move me from my job to something better/different.
2. I wish Mike made more $ so I could have more options for my next job.
3. I actually pray that I don’t have to work.
4. But if I do, I would love to work closer to home
5. I need a new work environment
6. Lisa has the perfect work schedule.
7. I would love to be home with my kids when they get home from school.
8. I just want to be a homemaker and cook and do laundry through the day so our nights can open up for more family time
9. Dear God, If I can’t change jobs, can my co-worker?
10. I really am thankful that I have a job when so many people are unable to find work or are physically unable to work.
11. I am worried about our youth group
12. I learned to spell Mischievous – thanks to 4th grade spelling
13. I’m waaaaaaaaaaaay too moody
    

For more information on Tursday Thirteen, see my post of 9/14/06.

Praise God!!!!

Blogger is letting me post pics today, or at least right now. It's so frustrating to get these pics up. I sent them an email letting them know of my problems - like they really care. We'll see what happens.

So, this first one is a pic of the Flamingos at Sea World. The colors were so cool. My only regret is cutting that poor birds head off at the bottom. I wish I would have paid better attention to my composition. Oh well, Live and Learn I guess. This is 8x8 (which I'm totally in LOVE with) and right now it's hanging on my wall in a pageframe (LOVE those too). Oh, and another attempt at circles.

This will probably be the pic I use for our Christmas Card this year. I love it. I wanted to do a fun LO with it and practice the "empty space" look. I obviously didn't do real well since I filled most of it up, but hey, it's progress. LOL It's amazing how long it takes to get 4 little scraps of paper to look like I randomly threw them on the page. I love that look - gonna keep workin' on it.


And now for a Blogger question....those of you that read my blog and have some experience with Beta, *ahem* Faith - J/K - anyone really....Here's my deal:

I have 2 blogs (one I use as a test blog to try out new stuff on and then the one you're reading) .
I want to see what Beta Blogger looks like but I don't want to do it on this blog. I wanna try it on the test one. Is it possible to do that? I've also asked this question of the Blogger help people, but I wondered if anyone reading might know.

I know there was one more thing I wanted to write about, but I can't remember what it is....oh well. Ok, that's all for this Wednesday's random addition from the "Queen". If you like random read Faith's blog, now there's some serious Blogger ADD - just kidding ya girl.

Peace Out!

Tuesday's Blog

Here it is, day 2 into a new week and I've not blogged yet. *sigh*

I haven't shared any pics for a while, so that's what you get today - pending Bloggers cooperation. Let's see what we get ~

I was hoping to get the pics to show up side by side, but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen. This is a LO for a CJ I'm in with some friends. This book was really hard cause the rules were that we could only use SU stuff. Her theme was vacations and I don't have that SU stuff, much less stamps for the pool. On top of it, there isn't really that much available for the pool theme from SU. So, enough of the complainin' here's the LO - Thank God It's Done!!
















I had to borrow stamps from a couple friends to get me this far and many, many, many thanks to Just_V for helping to inspire me. I think the crazy thing is growing on me. Every time I look at it I like it a little more. I HATED it at first, but I think I was just tired of looking at it.

So, Denise with that particular pain in the pah-tootee out the way, I’ve been thinking on your CJ and ideas are formulating. I’ve ordered pics but didn’t do 1-hour due to $$ issues, but we’ll see how they turn out before I work on this anymore. It all depends on the pics. AND no previews. LOL.

Hoping for 2 more -
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Blast!!! Aint gonna happen. Well, I guess that's it for today then.


BTW: Did you know It takes approximately 6-8 minutes to smoke 1 cigarette?

Veggie Tales

Ever heard of Veggie Tales? It's a MUST in our house. The stories are good, the music is good and the moral of each story is good and the kids love them. So I hear that NBC has signed on with BigIdea to show Veggie Tales on Saturday morning cartoons. That was kinda shocking since each show is based on Bible story with many references to Moral rights and wrongs spread throughout the show and a Bible verse application at the end.

Well, apparently NBC, who also aired anti-moral shows such as Will & Grace can't let it air as is. According to Phil Vischer, the creator, they are having to do some editing -- "those apparently unacceptable, insensitive references to God and the Bible" have to come out. "So NBC has taken the very essence of "Veggie Tales" -- and ripped it out. It's like "Gunsmoke" without the guns, or "Monday Night Football" without the football."

Why can't NBC leave it alone?? How many times would my kids, if I had a TV, hear cuss words, sexual inuendos, and see a variety of immoral content while watching saturday morning cartoons or their network any time? Why do we have to sensor things that could help our kids to grow up being responsible, caring, moral, God-fearing adults? And no, I'm not naive enough to think this is the cure-all to being an upstanding citizen, but to coin a phrase - Garbage In, Garbage Out. Actions like this one by the networks are what makes me very, very happy to be one of the few who can say "No, I didn't see that. We don't have a TV." What I would really like is for Mr. Vischer to just say "Forget it." Is compromising really worth it?

Ok, I'll get off my soap box now.


And I'll leave with one thing I know ya'll wanted to know about me LOL ~

Your Celebrity Boob Twin:

Jessica Simpson

Who's Your Celebrity Boob Twin?

Have a great weekend!

13 Totally Random Thoughts

1. I get to have lunch with my mommy today
2. I have to go to a family reunion on Saturday
3. I have to go to SIL’s house Friday night because "we need to get together." UGH!!!!!!
4. I probably won’t have time to scrap.
5. That dang pool really needs cleaned
6. After tomorrow I don’t have to see co-worker for 2 whole days!!!!
7. Purchased thermocouple for hot water tank
8. I finally purchased a weed eater. Now my yard doesn’t look like a jungle anymore.
9. Called repairman to fix water heater
10. Purchased 2 more thermocouples
11. Called repairman, water heater went out again
12. Still no hot water
13. I may end up buying another hot water heater

THE PURPOSE BEHIND THE THURSDAY THIRTEEN:The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. What do you do? Write Thirteen things about yourself, summarize your week in one entry, make it easy for other bloggers to get to know you on a weekly basis. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! Thursday Thirteen

Thanks Denise for the idea.

WARNING -

WHINEY VENT AHEAD: If you aren't up for a whiney post about my co-worker, just back out of the blog now.

My co-worker is a pain in the butt!!!! Most of the time I really try to not get into it with her since there are only 2 of us and we have to work so close together. However, I know she watches my time. When I come in from lunch or in the morning...her head whips around to her clock when I step off the elevator.

So here’s a little background regarding my current vent: We keep track of our own vacation days. Since no one has abused it, it kinda works on the honor system.

So, yesterday Mike got off work at 11:00 and surprised me for lunch. I have a lot to do at home so I was going to take a half-day of vacation and go home with him. John was at lunch and I couldn’t run it past him, so I decided I would go to lunch and when I got back, if John was ok with it, I would wait for D to go to lunch then leave after that.

According to my list, I have one day of vacation left until January. Well, what I didn't know is that D keeps track of my days off too. And while I was at lunch she checked her list. When I get back she tells me I only have a half-day left. And she told John that too. WHATTHEHECK!!!!!

Eventually she says, "If I’m wrong just let me know." How in the world am I supposed to prove it? It’s basically her word against mine. But the bottom line is, she screwed me out of a half-day of vacation. How can I take a full day now cause my boss is gonna thing I'm stealing it. I am so ticked!!!!!!!

So I guess this morning she felt it necessary to inform my boss I may be late. I had to take Nick to school this morning and told her I might be a few minutes late. Wonder what else she told him.

It's her job in life to be up in everyone's business and, I might add she is very successful at it.
Usually I feel better after venting like this, but I’m still really ticked off.

I’ve got to start keeping track of her smoke breaks….I did this morning and so far they both lasted 8 minutes each.

I’ll stop now.

~ 9/11/01 ~

It’s been 5 years…hard to believe it’s been that long. It is still in my mind like it was yesterday. I can still see the images in my mind which were playing across the TV at my office. I know this is one of those occasions that you can remember forever where you were and what you were doing when you heard about the attack.

5 years ago I was working for a law firm in downtown St. Louis. We had a TV but never turned it on as it was in a back office/file room. My mom called the office asking if I had heard the news. Of course I had not so we all crowded in the office watching the scene unfold. I remember seeing the 2nd airplane crash into the second tower. It was surreal. This is America and things like this don’t happen here. What devastation. What a tragedy. I don't think there are words to describe the feelings and devastation, everything I type just seem inadequate.

I personally didn’t know anyone who was killed in any of the events that happened 5 years ago, but I do know people who were affected by it. It is my opinion that EVERYONE was touched in some way by this attack. My heart aches for those who are mourning today and having to re-live the day because of media. I pray they find peace and comfort.

In trying to find the good that might have come from the events of 9/11, I came up with:
God became important in America once again.
People started caring about each other.
Race was no longer an issue. We were all Americans!
Families spent more time together.
Children got more hugs.
People prayed more.

For a long time "We Will Not Forget" was plastered everywhere. But I wonder if we have forgotten. It is easy to slip back into a carefree lifestyle and forget the change in our lives from 5 years ago.

So I ask you, did you make a commitment that day to God or to your family? Are you still following through with your commitment? Even though there is no longer the visual reminder plastered across our TV’s and newspapers every moment of the day, please don’t forget the people who live with the results of this tragedy and don’t let their deaths be in vain. Take advantage of today and make a fresh start. Focus on what is important in your life…hug your children, husband, family and, above all, put God back where he belongs – on the throne of your life.

Oh beautiful for spacious skies

For amber waves of grain

For purple mountains majesty

Above the fruited plane

America, America

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea.

God Bless America!!!

Love Your Handwriting?

I was reading a MB and the Heidi Swapp book was getting mixed reviews. Some people it really really helped and others still were not "in love" with their handwriting.

As I was reading I was thinking that I'm OK with my handwriting when I'm jotting notes or doodling during church. Shocking I know, but I'm a total doodler (is that a word?). Anyway my problem is when I go to put in on a public item , like a LO, I clam up. I just can't do it. I'm afraid of messing up. It's a very valid concern though cause I've doodled on a total of, um, maybe 2 LO's and didn't like either one. In my defense though I must say that I have a new white pen now and I'm thinking they writing instrument could make a big difference. I do wanna try again. We'll see, but I'm just not a risk taker.

Let's see...we got the weekend here so this is what I've got to do:

• I really need to find a weedeater. Our trim work is taking over our yard and is quite embarrassing. NEED to work on that. But Walmart didn't have any more. Guess I'll be going to Lowes. **
• Need to clean out the pool and get it ready to put up.
• Laundry is coming out the wah'zu so I gotta get that done.
• Mike has a golf tourney tomorrow. So he'll be gone.
• I am going shopping at Archivers this weekend and spending a minimum of $50.00 so I can get a free Daisy D paper pack. It's gorgous paper with some tags and flowers I think. Can't wait. I have no idea at this point what I'll buy but I'm definately spending a chunk of change. When I told Mike he didn't say NO so I guess all systems are go!! PAR-TAY!!!!!!

** On a side note, I told Mike the other day that one summer I would LOVE a landscaper to come in and do our yard that whole year. I want to know what would make it look better and get it in shape so I can keep it up. He thought that might be a good idea. I'll be looking into that for next year.

That's all I got for today. Have a wonderful weekend.

Brag Book...

I made this little book while I as at church camp with the twins in July. I had a great time making it. It made for a great conversation piece. The people around me who were scrappers would look at it and comment on how cute it was and checking out all my stuff. I only took the stuff with me that you see in the book - NOTHING EXTRA! I got to talking with them and discovered that most of them were CM-style scrappers. Now, I don't see anything wrong with CM. I think it is a wonderful place to start - shoot, I started there. But it's not a great place to stay, at least for me it wasn't. There is a whole world out there that includes metal and patterned paper and flowers and chipboard and soooo much more. So this little book generated a lot of conversation. And hopefully it inspiried someone to go out and try some new things. I love it too!!!!!






















There's so much extra stuff I used on here. The kit is from Daisy D's. I know the safety pins and colored brads are MM, the chipboard flower is BG, CS is Bazzill, ribbon came from SU and ??, Rub-ons - ??, Primas, Heidi Swapp - clear flower.

T.G.I.F. Baby!!!!

Whew, another week under the belt and a 3-day weekend coming up. This has been a really long week, I guess it's because of the anticipated long weekend. Soooo, as you'll find out by continuing to read this entry, tonight we'll be at home. Hopefully I'll get some scrapping in.

As for the rest of the weekend, I'll be hanging out at my mom's tomorrow. Her 2 sisters and some of their kids are going to be there. It will be a fun time with all the babies and toddlers. Then Sunday, of course, is church. I can't wait...God has been really speaking to me. I never want that to stop. I always want to be able to hear his voice, whether through song, Word, preaching, silence, etc. So I anticipate Him showing up Sunday. Then Monday is Labor Day wherein I refuse to Labor in any way. We usually go to the picnic. I hear it's supposed to rain though. It wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if it did. I really wanna stay home. I have Scrappin' Fever. Maybe it's contagious and I should stay home just in case. I think I'll ask Mike about it.

And now for a little bit of business: After blogging yesterday I think I may have misled you all. I'm not depressed nor do I think my life is without meaning - I was just saying that I don't think there is anything interesting enough to share. I appreciate the comments though.

Anyway moving on to better things>>>>>

Last night I finally got DH to go to Lowe’s and get our Father's Day/Mother's Day gift. I really wanted to get him a BBQ grill for Father's Day and since I really wanted one too we forfeited the gifts for both occasions and have been saving up since May. We managed to pull together $300.00.

N-E-ways, Lowe’s is having this good sale this week....Free Assembly, 20% off the grill, & free Propane exchange. Even better is they had quite a few pre-assembled in the store and they just happened to have the one we wanted. So we brought that baby home last night. Tonight’s dinner will consist of Brats & Hamburgers. I've had brats and pork steaks in the freezer for a week waiting for time to get out there to buy this grill. That, my dear readers, was Faith in Action. Faith that I can get Mike to actually go out and pick the thing out and bring it home. So my mission is completed.

Oh and for the good part. We bought the grill we wanted, a mat so it doesn't mess up our patio and a cover and I only spent $29.00! How's that for budgeting?!?!?!?!?

Alright readers, that’s all for today. Have a wonderfully long weekend.
Happy Labor Day!!!!!