I Heart My Digital Camera!

During Thanksgiving Break, we did our 2ND annual family photo shoot. The girls and I went out to the backyard and I just started taking pictures. It only took about 20 minutes, but I ended up with great pictures and they will wind up all over the place: My art journal, our Christmas card, various Christmas gifts, smilebox, and all sorts of art projects.
These are two of my favorites. The "High School Musical" shot only took 2 tries! The one from the back tugs at my heartstrings a bit, because sometimes I really do feel like they are walking out into the great unknown and I'm left behind, watching them go..... Anyway, I love these pictures! These, along with others will soon succumb to photoshop filters, Tim Holz distressing inks, and acrylic paint! My latest project is to make
"puppet people" with them, based on an e-book by Lani Gerity that I found on Artella. They will be AWESOME! I also got an ezine by Lani, and she just sent me an email telling me about some free give-aways on her blog--a couple of free spots in her e-workshops that I would LOVE to take!!! To be considered I had to announce this offer on my blog and include a link, which I have never done before, so I am going to give it a try...her blog can be found at http://www.lanipuppetmaker.blogspot.com/. She is very inspiring. I am already a big fan.
(I tried it out...the link worked! Woot!)

SNOW DAY!!!!

Today was our first official snow day! Woot! Of course as soon as everyone was up it was a mad hunt for hats, gloves, boots, scarves, etc....which were spread all over the house in little nooks and crannies. They spent a good hour outside with my camera got some great shots. The hearts in the driveway were especially cool, since they were made by a car turning around in our driveway! The girls added the "S" and "J".
It really is a beautiful day here in West Virginia. I am grateful for this extra day with everyone home. Watching movies, eating popcorn, not having to get up at 5:15 a.m......I mean does it get any better? No, I don't think so!

I Love Smilebox!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Happy Anniversary, Scott!

Yeah, I am actually doing another post today, because today is also Scott's and my 18th wedding anniversary. Every year it takes the back burner to Nat and Em's birthday, which is okay, I mean, really, how could I be bitter? :)

I just wanted a little note in here documenting it as a separate event, just as special to me. I love you, Scott. I'm not sure where 18 years have gone, but I'm sure we could find parts of them amid diapers, moves, new houses, laundry, food bills, christmas memories and in lots of pictures I have stuffed in a box upstairs! It has been a great journey so far. I guess you could liken it to a rollercoaster! It has had it's ups and downs, slow climbs and fast descents, upsidedown times and times when we screamed so loud we couldn't talk the next day! However bumpy it has been it has still been the best years of my life, and I hope to spend many, many, many more with you. Soon our girls will be grown and living their own lives and I am so glad that when all is said and done. you will still be my rollercoaster buddy! I love you, Babe!

Happy Birthday, Natalie and Emily!

It's crazy to think these two are 14 now! It really is unbelievable! I can remember like it was yesterday when Scott and I were in the ultrasound room, just praying that all would be well. Our previous pregnancy had ended at 16 weeks and we had found that out in the ultrasound room...and here we were, at 16 weeks again and scared beyond comprehension. I couldn't really look at the screen. All I could say was, "Is the heart beating?" and the tech said, "Oh, honey, sure it is. See, here is one heart beating, and here is another one......!" Scott and I looked at each other, mouths hanging open, tears welling up in our eyes, TWINS! I was stunned. It was such a happy day! And, even though they were born 5 weeks early, on our 4th anniversary, they have been nothing but angels sent from heaven. They are two of the best-behaved girls in the world. They have never ceased to amaze me with their intelligence, (reading the scriptures when they were barely 4 was a moment I will NEVER forget!), beauty, (I mean look at them, they are gorgeous!) and love for their family (they still give me a hug and a kiss before they go to bed...every night!) They are good to their friends and they have always been willing to help me, especially when Kellie and Annie were little. They have always been amazing daughters, and they are truly exceptional people. I am so grateful Heavenly Father sent us these two bundles of joy! Here they are at lunch with their best buds at Famous Dave's for lunch before they all went ice skating for their birthday (the date stamp on the pictures is wrong!!) Happy Birthday you two, I love you so much.

Life is Good!

Wow! It is really amazing to me what a difference a couple of weeks can make. About a month ago I was really on a downer. I don't think I dwelled on it too much in here, but I knew I had to do something, so I just hung on til my scheduled appointment with my doctor on the 14th. After talking with her, she agreed that things weren't quite right and increased my medication. I also talked to her about my hip trouble which seemed to be getting worse since I had started to exercise and so she had me set up some visits with a physical therapist. Well, is has been two weeks and I feel like a new person! I feel more motivated than I have in a long time. I'm not crying all the time and even if it is cloudy outside, I don't have a cloud over my head. Things just seem better, easier, less overwhelming. I am even feeling like my being "just a mom" is okay and important. My hip is feeling 100 % better and that is truly amazing, since it has been hurting since Annie was born. I have to use a foam roller of all things on my hip and using my body weight, I can stretch the ligament that runs all the way down the outside of my leg. It is so nice to not have that constant pain! Life is good, baby!

The Eyes Have It!

The other day, I walked into the kitchen the same time as Kellie, to find her with my camera in her hands. I said, "Hey! Whatcha takin pictures of?" To which she said, "Oh, stuff, inside and outside." Hmm, I thought, I need to see what caught her eye out there, and well......

Find the Joy in the JOurneY

I'm not sure if you can see the drawing on the van...but, everytime I go to get in the car(which is several times a day), I am greeted by this sweet picture drawn by Annie. Rainbows and happy faces make me smile everytime I see them. A small reminder that my simple life is a good one. (And now, I have a great reason to NOT wash the car!!!) Here's to noticing the wonderful things just waiting to be found and enjoyed by those who will just look!

Friday Night Football!

I am so excited!
I haven't been to a high school football game since, oh, I don't know, 1985 maybe!!!
Tonight is our high school's Homecoming Game.
And, it just so happens we are ranked #2 in the state and our opponent is ranked #1...
so it is going to be a heck of a game.
Lindsay's best friend is in the Homecoming Court! Yeah, Jen!
Kellie and Annie can't wait to see her riding on a car!
(Gosh, I did that um....22 YEARS ago....yikes.
It's a scary thing to go down memory lane sometimes...)
Anyway, fall is is the air and I am ready for some football
Go Redskins!!!

UPDATE: We lost, 21-14, but it was a good game. It was fun and loud and we had a good time! Saturday was the dance, and here's a pic of Jennifer, Lindsay and Kathryn before the dance.

Happy Monday!

Well, I got a little behind on the everyday thing, but I am not giving up! Thanks to my sister, Laurie, blogging is way more fun! I've got a cool background and can put up pictures and change colors and stuff! Fun!
The weekend blew by as usual. On Saturday we all went to Lindsay's last soccer game in Buchannon-Upshur. It was a beautiful day and the leaves are changing. Unfortunately the girls lost, but It was still nice to all be together for once! Sunday for me was a weird day. I woke up at a normal time, took a shower and then felt like a ton of bricks hit me. I went back to bed and didn't get up til 6 p.m. Scott held the fort down for me and got everyone to church and fed. I haven't crashed like that in a long time. I'm back to being me today, although there is no school, so the house is full of friends and little people! Lindsay is actually vacuuming and cleaning her room. Will miracles never cease? Anyway, there is a really neat art project in the new Workshop issue by Stampington that I want to start today....that's my plan, oh and of course LAUNDRY. Now, there is one battle I know I will never win, but I have to try. You should see the pile in the laundry room........yikes.

Rats!

Well, i missed yesterday. Dang! It was Lindsay's birthday and I wanted to write a little about her on her ACTUAL 16th birthday! I have to admit, I thought about it around 11 p.m., but I was pooped. Anyway, I'm back and I have to give myself a break. It WAS a busy day. Besides that, I didn't see her again after I dropped her at school. She had a soccer game a couple of hours away, and didn't get home until midnight (yikes, a school night, too). But, I did make a pan of "Fudgey Oatmeal Things" for Scott to take to the game and she said everyone loved them. And, this morning, the little girls and I gave her the presents we all bought yesterday. She seemed truly happy about the e-pet Annie picked out (so they could play on the computer together, which I thought was sweet of Annie to think of), the HUGE white sunglasses Kellie picked out--really, they were perfect, a cool belt and some pearl earrings from Natalie and Emily and a waver from me. Daddy's in charge of getting her a new cell phone and I'm taking her and her 5 best buds to Hibachi tonight. It is just crazy to think she is 16. I hardly act older than that myself! She's just such a great kid. I have always felt that way about her. I hope she always knows how much I love her and how blessed I am to be her mom.

Day Three

Mama's on a roll! Today it is raining.....I went walking anyway and what a gorgeous day it really was out there on the trail, with a light rain. The leaves are changing and is was just so peaceful....even with my ipod and bon jovi!!! Came home, knowing the house would be empty and straight away vacuumed all the floors-i know, shocking-and now I am sitting here dutifully writing. I still have my ipod on, maybe that helps keep me moving. I have been checking out other blogs and found a neat art journal challenge, with a theme for each week of the year. I am trying to get started on doing that in my journal, but I thought it might be good to write about them in here. So, the first one is , "Something I am proud of"......I have started a page in my journal of this one with a picture I took of the girls. I am really proud of my girls. I know I can't take much of the credit, because they were pretty much born good! But, I have to believe my staying home and raising them has helped. If I didn't believe that, then what am I doing? I am grateful that these sweet girls have been entrusted to Scott and I. It is hard to believe that our oldest is going to be 16 tomorrow. What a neat young woman she has grown up to be! I don't think I have ever heard a negative thing about her from anyone (well except her sisters of course!) I am sure she will never let us or herself down. She has come a long way. (note to self: figure out how to get my pictures from the other computer over here!) More about her and the others tomorrow and so on!

Another day, another post

okay- I did it. two days in a row. even i am impressed. ok. well today was a hard one. I have been having a hard time dealing with all the girls being in school this year. I can hardly stand being in the house alone. I hate the quiet. I have been seriously considering getting an indoor dog to help with the lonlies. I thought I had found one, (Stanley, a terrier mix, so cute,) but he already has two applications in on him, so i kind of gave up. I actually cried about it. I'm just pitiful, huh? This morning, Scott was gone when I got back from taking the girls to school and exercising and he has been here most mornings til 11 or so, so when I came home to an empty house, my motivation evaporated and I decided to get caught up on Heroes. Around noon I showered, ran to the store, did the dishes, made cupcakes and put another load of laundry in, all before Kellie and Annie hopped off the bus at 2:30. Since then I have been making sandwiches and hot dogs for my starving kids and decided to take the 10 minutes I had left to write in here before it is time to go get Nat and Em. Haven't really had too much get and go lately....is this normal to feel so blah right now? I have all this time now to do art or quilting and all I feel like doing is........well, nothing. I need to talk to my doctor, but will she just tell me to forget myself and get to work? Well, Curious George is half over, time for the taxi to leave for another pick up....til tomorrow then....

Ok, I am going to do it this time!

I have tried to start this blog a couple of times now, but I end up deleting it. I am just going to have to force myself to keep going. I am too worried about doing it right or not at all, and the key is to just hang in there and it will begin to evolve on its own. Right now, I just want a place where I can write down some of my feelings and maybe show off a few pictures of my girls and record my favorite books, or just keep track of all the little things that happen in my day. So, I am pretty sure no one will ever see this first post, so I am not going to worry about it too much. As usual, I have to go and pick up one of the girls, race home and then take off again for a meeting. Well, that is my life and that's okay. I'll be back this time....not sure when, maybe after I color my 6 years-olds hair with Hannah Montana hair glitter sticks......