Holy Neglected Blog Batman!!!!!!!

I can't believe it has been almost a year since my last post and I can't promise that it will be the first of many but what the heck, I found my blog and I remembered my password so it must be fate, right?
Way too much new in the last 11 months to recap, let's just say that things are going well.
Kids and hubby are all healthy and happy (well as happy as any teen or pre-teen ever is) but it is what it is.
Come on over to Lovebug and play with us if you get a chance.
My goal for this weekend is to actually get in my scraproom and complete atleast 1 layout. Who thinks I can do it?
Oh, and here's a fun fact..today is my 16th wedding anniversary..how bizarre is that.
So I shall leave you all with this...
Look how young and skinny I was...sighhhhh

Oh and thanks to the lovely Anna for the great hair cut today (and free to boot for my anniversary!) and for the link to her blog, check it out gals, she's got some great stuff on there!

Survivor Pool and Today

We have a new Survivor pool started at Lovebug, even if you dont' watch the show you can play, it is going to have a fun twist that we are sure you will love, come and check it out in the Survivor Forum

Logan is feeling better and off to school today, he missed their overnight field trip though. I think he has mixed emotions about it, he was looking forward to the dogsledding etc, but wasn't so keen on sleeping in an arena overnight so I guess it depends on how you look at it. I guess I will have to contact the school to see about getting my $50 back that I paid, but atleast Logan is feeling better and back to his old self again.

So much going on, so many things I am thinking about that I don't even know where to start. Let's just say the main debate for me right now is still about going back to work. So many pros and cons for both sides, staying home or going back to the workforce. Unfortunately the choice isn't wholly mine as the job situation here isn't exactly great. Time will tell I guess.

So to fill some place let's play "today"...

Outside my window... it is bright, sunny and cold.... - 26C
I am thankful... for health and my family
I am thinking... to go back to work or be a stay at home mom and that I am going to try to call my girl Nicky this afternoon, it's been a year since she was here and I miss her
I am celebrating... the freedom to make the above choice LOL...sort of...okay, extra money would be really really helpful..
From the kitchen... I think tonight will be shepherd's pie, haven't had it in a long time and I love it
I am wearing... my comfy Jockey Person to Person navy roll top pants and my blue and black hoodie
I am reading... Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
I am hoping... that I can find a way to take the kids away for a mini vacation during March break
I am hearing... the glorious silence in my house, kids are all at school and DH is at work
I am working on....the final details for the Lovebug Survivor Pool and a nice litte reward challenge for our players
Around the house... laundry, dishes, vacuuming, laundry, dishes, vacuuming...never ending vicious cycle
One of my favorite things... my cup of coffee that right now tastes like a little bit of heaven right here on Earth
A few plans for the rest of the week... grocery store this morning then to the Red Cross to fill out some paper work that I need to do when I am volunteering there, helping them update their computer files etc, should be fun and it will be nice to be around grown ups too LOL

WHY???

Okay so most of you know that I am working part-time casual right now, generally only 2 shifts/week from 9:30 am - 1 pm.
So tell me why it is that those 2 days/week seem to be the only days of the week that my kids get sick and need to stay home from school?
Thankfully the boss is a Mom and knows too well what's it like with sick kids and the deal when I hired on was that if the buses got cancelled, it was a PD day or the kids got sick I didn't come in to work, but geesh....I have had to bow out of 3 of my last 6 shifts between ice storms and flus....
Okay, vent over...
I am scheduled to work tomorrow morning, so let's all keep our fingers crossed that there is no storm and no vomiting in my future.........


And on an unrelated note (or two)..

Some big stuff coming up on Lovebug, so stay tuned

And, I miss Courtney LOL She is away with the family in Florida (where I am sure it is MUCH MUCH warmer than it is here) and I can't wait for her to get home so we can chat and play.

It's a Sighhhhhhhhhhhhh day

Not sure why, it's bright and sunny for a change, but having one of those heavy sigh kind of days.
Kids are home from school for a PD day, but they are getting along great and behaving quite nicely today and still


SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


Every have those days?
Come on people, talk to me here, I need to know I'm not the only one

And now for your listening pleasure...

Enough said........

Good Times, Good Friends

What an amazing week.
My dear friend Nicky is moving from Hellifax (no, that isn't a typo, believe me Halifax as NOT for her) to Vancouver and graced us with a visit on her travels. She arrived Monday early evening and I finally allowed her to leave on Friday morning.
So sorry to see her leave, but I know she is on to bigger and better things for sure.
Of course a visit with Nicky is always filled with much laughter and fun, and so I invited my friend Courtney over "to play" as well.
We scrapped the day away and of course much silliness ensued.
I love this photo of the three of us together.


Of course I also love these 3 pics, with all of us being goofy beyond words...scrap supplies are obviously not just for scrapping anymore LOL

Courtney...A Flapper at Heart, we drew the line at hanging Queen & Co felt from her shirt


Of course, I am so coquetish (it's a word...look it up!) aren't I? And would you look at the size of "my girls"...amazing what packing materials can do!


Nicky apparently has some "issues" and so has signed herself up for a 12 step program (otherwise known as Chipboard Letters for Everything Anonymous)



See, now you are all sad you couldn't come and play too, aren't you? Come on over, the door is always open my friends...

A Way Funner Post

After my little venting post of yesteday, let's make things more fun, shall we?

Here are some great little things that make me smile...enjoy!

Principles of Fun

In The Motherhood

Things I Have Learned In My Life


And this video clip, (taken by accident by my dear friend Tanya) when I was in Toronto in 2005. This is my "go to" when I am feeling down and need a good chuckle.
There is a tad of colorful language (not too much), so make sure no kids around.
Are these laughs not the best, that's my girl Tanya cackling. I MISS YOU GIRLS!

Have you ever been disappointed?

By people you thought were friends? Okay so those I am speaking of for the most part are only "online" names to me, but I feel we have formed friendships. Now most of these are genuine and true and mean more to me than words can say.
But there are others who I "thought" were like that that have disappointed and saddened me of late.
You all know that Lovebug is my online home, I adore the place and the people there.
I work hard to put up fun and different events for our members and time and time again my ideas have been "borrowed". For the most part I take it as a compliment, but when it comes to those who have played them with me on there and "know" me, and then take the ideas to other sites and take them on as their own ideas, it just really gets to me. A simple, quick email of "I loved what you did with the Canada Games/Olympics event, would love to share it with others, is that okay?" or something like that would go a long way, kwim? And yes that was a BIG hint about what the most recent "borrowed" (using the term loosely as I am striving to be polite) was, and the worst part is several other "friends" took part in the borrowed event and didn't bother to tell me I had been plaguarized either. If only ideas could be copyrighted huh?
When I began at LB, I borrowed an idea for a contest from a dear friend Traci who had an amazing online site (sadly she has sold it and I don't play there anymore, long story for another time), but before implementing the idea, I talked with Traci at length and got her approval and when I posted the contest, I gave her all the credit for the original idea, it's the right thing to do, isn't it? Or am I just too worried about "right" and "wrong", who knows? LOL
Sigh, I guess I just take these things too seriously, don't I? I know where the idea came from and I know how hard I worked at it (along with the rest of my team) and I can rest easy knowing that I did it myself, I wonder if my "friends" can say the same thing, I don't think so...
Anyway rant over, going to play will all my lovely new scrapping goodies that arrived yesterday and put myself in my happy place.

The Beckoning of Lovely

Reading the blog of one of my fav people Cathy Zielske this morning has prompted me to do several things today.
I am going to library, I need to find a book, called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life
byAmy Krouse Rosenthal.
The other thing I am doing is right now, I am posting this link to this video and I hope that you will all take a few minutes and watch it. It is completely awe inspiring and amazing.
Sending happy thoughts and wishing blessings to you all.
I don't know what I am going to do, but I am determined that this will be something I will participate in in some way.

Countdown to Freedom LOL

Tomorrow is my light at the end of the tunnel day, all 3 of the kiddos start school, full days and all 5 days woohoo!
Don't get me wrong, I adore my children and wouldn't trade them for anything, but this summer has had me feeling something like this...

Of course you realize that being the pathetic fool I am that I will be excited until approximately noon and then be bored out of my mind, right?
I have such a long list of things I want to accomplish now that school is starting up and we can get back on some sort of schedule.
First on the list is to get back to doing my Wii Fit again, no way was I going to let all of "me" wiggle and jiggle with the kids home to make fun of me, I will keep the jiggling to myself thank you very much LOL

To those who have been emailing about my surgery earlier in August, thanks so much. So far, so good, a cycle has passed and so far nothing so I have high hopes that the ablation is a success, won't really know much until a few cycles have passed though. But, the fact that I have gone over 3 weeks with no bleeding is a positive in my books (sorry if TMI, but since I don't think anyone but my loyal few read this, I feel free to elaborate) LOL

Anyhooooooooo, off to the library, I'll likely be back tomorrow to whine about my boredom and lack of drive to do anything on my "to do" list...

Have a good one everyone!!!!!!!

Woohoo! Tomorow is the BIG day!

Okay so my non-scrapping friends will be eye rolling now, but scrappers will understand my excitement.
Tomorrow is the beginning of the new Lisa Damrosch class, "Product Playground 2" at Big Picture Scrapbooking. I have previously taken 2 of Lisa's classes and I swear she is my favorite teacher ever, she is a ton of fun, more talent than you can shake a stick at and I am beyond excited to see what she has in store for us.
I will be sure to share some creations with you when time allows.
BRING IT ON BABY, I'M GOING TO PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back from Surgery, All is Well

Got home yesterday afternoon after having my endometrial ablation. Things seem to have gone quite well.
Today I am feeling pretty good actually, better than I thought for sure. A little crampy but nothing that I can't handle.
Time will tell how successful it was, will know more once a cycle passes but I still have high hopes, it certainly can't be worse than what it was before that's for sure.

I want to take a few moments to thank everyone for all the emails, posts etc that you made with your well wishes and prayers, you have no idea what they mean to me.

Today I will be taking it easy, DH is busy doing laundry for me and I am planning on spending some time down in my scraproom playing and relaxing.

Again, thank you all my friends, chat soon!

My Scrap Room is Doing It's Job!

Well it is working I think.

Now that I have a dedicated scrapping space and can leave stuff out on my desk etc, I am digging in to all those much loved but ignored supplies. I have been playing for 3 days and have got 7, yep 7 layouts done, that's more than I have done in 3 months I swear.

And the best part, I am using up my old stash and old supplies that I couldn't use before when the kids and hubby were invading my space.

So far this week I have:

** painted, I played with my paints that I have had for over a year and half of them weren't even opened yet!

** played with my Stickles - again had for a long time and never used them because of the drying time...woohoo!

** pulled out my Versamark and embossing powders and heat embossed, can't even remember the last time I did that!!!!!

** played with good old glue, did the "rain drop" technique and just plopped globs of glue on the page to mimic rain...way cool!

** played with loose glitter and got it all over me, but who cares it was fun!!!!!

**played with my stamps that are so sorely neglected, love the Inque Boutique Stamp Keeper system by the way, if you haven't seen them, you must check them out! You can see a video of them HERE You can buy them at Lovebug of course. Here's the link.


I hope to snap some pics of the layouts later to share, but right now, I am just having too much fun.

On another note, my kids have been gone since Tuesday evening, camping with my sisters and are due back today. DH and I are so pathetic, we moan about the quiet time and alone time we crave when the kids are here, and by 8 pm on Tuesday evening, we were bored and wishing they were back home. Of course they'll be home for an hour and the wishes for quiet and aloneness will return I'm sure LOL

I'm Moving Out

my scrap stuff out of my bedroom that is.
Finally decided to brave the dreaded dungeon that DH calls a basement.
I have commandeered the "bedroom" (insert garbage dump here) to use as my very own space. It ain't the prettiest place in the world, but now that I have it cleaned out and fumigated (picture that the basement has been used primarily by DH and his friends to watch such thrilling and stimulating things as UFC fights for the past 12 years or so), it isn't so bad.
I have the tables and shelves ready to go, now to move everything down there...geesh what a job..on the plus side I am finding tons of stuff I forgot I had.
It's going to be great I think, I will be able to leave my stuff where I can see it and hopefully use it finally.
Carly keeps telling people that there are NO kids allowed down there when Mom is scrapping, but she qualifies it by saying "unless we are bleeding, then we come down" LOL The kid has the right idea I tell ya.
Now I am hoping that in this pathetic, shopping-challenged town in which I live that I can find some cool, fun and funky stuff to decorate it down there so it is cheerful and happy, just what I need.

In other news, I am finally going to have my Endometrial Ablation done, August 12th.
Thoughts and prayers that the surgery is a success and I can get back some semblance of a normal life again would be appreciated.

Off to bribe the kids to help me carry stuff downstairs...wonder if a Dairy Queen Blizzard offe will do the trick?

Has Anyone Seen My Summer?

Holy crap Batman! It is almost the middle of July and we have had ONE decent day this year...rainy, cold, dreary...UGHHHHHH

Off to take the kids to the pool today, hopefully they will burn off some pent up energy and stop fighting long enough for me to fight the urge to drown them all (come on, relax, you know I am kidding,I wouldn't REALLY drown them...)

Hope everyone else's summer is going better than mine with this yucky weather.

Anyone willing to send some sunshine this way???????

Be back later after swimming and working on the building plans for the ark......

I'm a Grandma! ??????????

To an Eastern Grey Kangaroo LOL

Megan adopted one for Logan, Evan and Carly while she was in Australia. The kids think this is totally cool (way cooler than adopting a WebKinz according to them BWAHAHAHA).

His name is Ugg and he is apparently quite the character. Seems he tried to kill Ranger Tom by kicking him off a cliff or something...figures he'd be "one of mine", huh? LOL

Here is the adoption certificate and a picture of Megan "spooning" with the adorable little creature.

How freaking fun is this!

It Ain't Right, G'Day Mate, and Silly String

I have to say it just ain't right that my children are so photogenic and every picture of me is horrific. Check it out, 3 kids with gorgeous blue eyes and angelic looks...check it out a mom with atleast 3 chins and a spare tire around her belly, and no that is not where my boobs normally are...it was the weekend, a girl shouldn't have to wear one of those things on the weekend..



We'll blame it on the fact that I was wearing my old sweats, and old sweatshirt and my niece's jacket. We'll also blame it on the way I am slouched so totally unladylike in that chair.
In reality,I am a very svelte lady, just so you know....... (I also have some prime real estate in the Brooklyn Bridge area if you are interested...)



Anyhooooooooo, This photo is of my niece Megan, nephew Tim, and of course my rugrats, Evan,Carly and Logan. Point of interest...Megan is heading to Australia in days. She is going as a volunteer and will be working at the Wildlife Walkabout Park just outside of Sydney for 2 weeks, and then spending 2 weeks doing those death-defying activities like white water rafting, rock climbing etc that I am way too much of a fraidy kat to do LOL Gonna miss her tons g'day mate!

And look what Megan did on Saturday night to her parents' nice clean house...she attacked...completely unprovoked...with silly string, see how she almost got it all over her brother Tim's plate and his friend Stephanie's plate? How rude LOL. It wasn't me...honest it wasn't... okay so it was my idea, but she didn't argue when I told her to grab the other can and help me LOL

I'll admit it..right here...I'm not afraid to say it...

I am not perfect, I am not a super mom, but I'm a damned good mom.
I read a lot of blogs and sometimes it just annoys me. Why can't people
admit they aren't perfect? Why do they always paint these rosy pictures
that their lives and families are absolutely ideal? Let's get real folks, everyone has a bad day, everyone has something that isn't going exactly right, don't they?
I'm not a Dr Phil fan, I find him to be condescending and just plain annoying, but I caught a bit of his show late last night on the dish and wanted to reach out and smack both him and his wife. I've always admired his wife, she seems so together and real (isn't that his catch phrase "get real"), well maybe they should
Phil's wife Robin said that never once in the entire lives of their children did she ever raise her voice to them, NOT EVER!!!!!!!!!! Anyone buying that? I sure as heck am not. There is no way in heck they raised 2 boys to adulthood without at least once in their lives yelling...bah humbug......

Boy, I am really on a tangent today, huh?
Moving on, be back later with something more interesting and relevant to say...just needed to get that off my chest....now I think I'll go yell at my children LOL (just kidding, even me with all my faults don't yell at the kids when they don't deserve it **wink**)

Oh and to prove that my kids love me with all my faults, here's a few pages of the "My Mother" book my 6 year old son Evan made for me. Also in the bottom photo is a gorgeous wooden tulip that my 5 year old daughter Carly made for me. SO THERE DR PHIL AND ROBIN

13 years on the 13th

Today, the 13th of May is my 13th wedding anniversary, do you think that's bad luck? LOL
I think Paul should give me 13 presents just to offset it, don't you agree?
Not much to say today, but I'll share a crappy scan of one of my wedding photos and a few layouts I did awhile ago that seems fitting today somehow.
Have a great day everyone!
There's another layout I wanted to share but can't find it on my computer right now, I'll have to go searching.
Again, to see the pics bigger, you can just click on them

Shout Out to my girl Kirsten!!!!! And Happy NSBD!!!

The internet is an amazing thing!
Through an online scrapping community I met a girl, and this girl is a sister that God forgot to give me(of course not to lessen my love for my real sister...see how I save myself there? *wink*).
She is my soul sister, so much like me it is almost frightening...or atleast it would be if it wasn't so darned awesome
Kirsten, my dear, sweet friend. I miss you to death and can't wait until we find time to get together again. Know that I think of you all the time and you are the BEST baby!!!!!! I was so happy to get your email today, gave me the biggest smile I have had for a long time.

Oh and a reminder tomorrow is National Scrapbooking Day. Come and celebrate with me and the rest of the Lovebugs. Our online crop starts tonight at 7 pm CST and will run until midnight with new challenges each hour. Challenge posting will begin again Saturday morning at 9 am CST and run until midnight again. We've got lots of challenges, make and takes, games, surprises, prizes and fun going on. On and an amazing sale in the STORE too! (Did I mention that with the sale you can earn goodie bags AND get guilt-free shopping in June?)**And if this is your first time shopping at Lovebug, be sure to tell Denise in the comments section of your order that I sent you. Nice to let the boss know you are doing a good job, kwim?