This past week

Man this was a stressful week. Each day waking up thinking things will be better...be back to normal and everyday it was the same as before. I feel that I did well handling it. Resigning myself to the fact that I would be with Megan 24/7 and there was nothing I could do about it. I did enjoy her snuggles, but pretty much nothing else. I felt guilty for not being with the other girls, but grateful for their cooperation. I must say Friday was really the only thing pulling my through. I had a fun time with my friends and although I didn't really finish anything I have a great foundation for several layouts and will post asap. I am happy to report that megan is feeling much better and so much more like herself. Good to have her back.

Lori moved out yesterday. It is weird to see her room empty. It was weird to watch her walk out last night. It was weird not knowing she is here with us. We miss you Lori. I'm going to miss our talks and just hanging out. Visit often.

finding good

I am beginning to forget what normal life is like. My normal routine. I am sitting here on my couch checking some sites listening to Journey to Joke-A-Lot for the thrid time this week (heaven help me it is so lame) while I hang with Megan who is enjoying a popsicle during the snow storm. Anything to keep the fluid in. Tess is taking a nap which is really going to screw me up tonight, but is totally worth it right now. I am just about to face the storm to pick bella up from school, which is not easy considering it is up hill. Thank goodness for 4 wheel drive.

So what do i find good in all of this? Well, even though my day/week has not been what I thought. It is quiet now and I am thankful for that.

I'm up and everyone's asleep

I've pretty much been up all night. Megan keeps getting up and after the 3rd time I couldn't get back to sleep. Wish I could say I have accomplished more with my time, but alas I have not.

I have been looking through my photos in order to prepare myself for Friday, as I have already explained. I apparently have not looked at my photos developed from film for a really long time. I have forgetten what I had and how cute they are. Like the photo of tess from her bday party (taken by Jill) and these adorable photos of meg.

I am really enjoying looking back. The girls have changed a ton this past year. It's really weird for me to think a year ago Megan wasn't talking or walking. Man how time flies. She's a crazy girl with a huge personality and I wouldn't have it any other way. If she could only start to feel better.

Now off to sleep.

thinking about friday

I am so looking forward to Friday. I actually usually am because of game night, however this friday will be different. I am going to a scrapbook store to scrapbook with my friends for 6 straight hours. I cannot wait. I have not done this in a long time and miss it. I enjoying working at home in my studio, I have everything I need, but I sure miss the days of getting together with friends talking, eating good snacks, getting ideas & opinions. So tonight after a really bad day, well mostly for Megan since she was throwing up, I am trying to put together some ideas and be prepared so I can actually get something done Friday. I work better prepared.

In other scrapbooking news Amy, my sister-in-law has started to scrapbook. Glad to have her on the team and hope to do some scrapbooking together. I was able to see her layouts last night before the big event, 24. I must say for her first pages she is really really good. My first pages are horrible. I try to keep it in persepective and remember when I started there were no embellishments and no good patterened paper or cardstock to pick from. Honestly that probably wouldn't have made a difference, but i like to think so. I actually do enjoy looking back and seeing my progress. I have come a long way and certainly enjoy my style that has emerged.

Ok so back to layout prep and vomit patrol. Poor Megan has been sick most of the day, well since 10am. Who gets sick at 10am. I kept thinking it was something she ate because she wanted to eat, and didn't act lethargic. I was wrong.

24

So i am very excited for the two hour premiere of 24. It's tonight on fox at 7pm in case any of you are interested. I have been waiting since last May to start season 5. I think that is one of the reasons why I didn't start watching another show because I just kept waiting for 24. I regret not getting into Grey's Anatomy, but hopefully i can rent the dvd this summer and get on track for fall 2006. Sadly i don't think the dvd will be avaliable, but here's to hoping. Anyway we are going over to my parents to watch together. Sort of a 24 party. I think I am equally excited I didn't have to worry about dinner. love that.

enjoy!


edited to add: for those of you who did not watch 24 last night you made a "huge mistake." It was the best season opener I have seen. Two hours again tonight. Looking forward to it.

alone

Two hours with myself today. Need I say more. Thanks mom for watching the kids. It is hard these days to get a break with Adam gone so much doing house stuff.

Before I go and enjoy my little break I thought I would share these photos I love of sweet Bella engrossed in a book. Love that she enjoys spending her time that way.

tagged

Been tagged by Jill.

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. sales at Express
2. receptionist
3. event planner
4. mother

Four movies you would watch over and over:
I am not a big movie watcher so when I watch something it is usually something new.
1. Pride & Prejudice (A&E version)
2. Anne of Green Gables, it takes six hours to get to the best line and totally worth it.
3. Meet Joe Black, love the music, love brad, love the message


Four places you have lived:
1. Sandy, Utah
2. Provo, Utah
3. Jerusalem, Israel (6 months, must count it or my answers will all be UT)
4. Salt Lake City, Utah

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. The Office
2. Everyday Italian
3. 24 (starts on Sunday)


Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Maui, Hawaii
2. New York City, New York
3. West Palm Beach, Florida
4. Cancun, Mexico

Four Websites I visit daily:
1. Two Peas
2. Ali Edwards
3. Cathy Zielske
4. My fellow bloggers

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Chocolate
2. Fresh Fruit
3. Pasta with a cheesy cream sauce (italian)
4. anything with avacados

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Moved into my new House
2. All day pass at a spa
3. A romantic get away with Adam


Four bloggers I'm tagging:
Sadly all the bloggers I know have been tagged.

so this is what happens...

when you husband goes out of town for the night, well assuming that you are feeling motivated and I was. Last night I put the kids to bed at 8:00 and went to work. I just kept going. I was enjoying myself immensely. I even got to bed at a decent time.


The photos from this layout are from Jill. She is awesome at taking pictures. In fact many of my favorites are from her camera. Thank you Jill for sharing your talent. I owe a lot of my pages to your fabulous photos. Check her photography here.

today ten years ago

It's so weird for me to think it was ten years ago i set out for the holy land. I actually left for Jerusalem on the 9th, but technically arrived there on the 10th in 1996. It wasn't a hard decision to go. What an awesome experience I would have, but when the time came it was difficult to leave my friends and loved ones.
My boyfriend at the time, aka husband now, made this book for me to read on my journey. I remember on the plane sitting next to a girl I didn't know, who would later become a great friend, with tears in my eyes reading the words he had written to me over the last few months. So priceless to me.

These are the journals I kept while I was gone. The one advice I had received from someone who had already gone was to write in a journal everyday. I did and it was the best thing I could have done. These books are full of my thoughts, emotions, and experiences that I can never get back, and could realistically never remember. It is a snap shot of who I was at twenty on my own experiencing the world. I plan to read my journal throughout the next 6 months, a day at a time. I hope to learn more about myself and how much I have changed from the young naive girl I once was.

new recipe

This evening I tried a new recipe, penne with spinach sauce, and it was a complete failure. It was from our (Bella & mine) favorite show on the food network "Everyday Italian". I must say it wasn't the fault of the recipe, but me. First of all I should have known, I hate goat cheese. I really wanted to give it another chance since I had a delicious goat cheese spread at a restaurant. Secondly, I should have stuck to the recipe and used spinach instead of arugula. I know these two ingredients are completely different, but I love arugula and thought it could be even better. I'm really glad it was just me at home trying this out. Perhaps next time it will be more of a success. I suppose I should choose something I think I may like more, but I wanted to be daring. I guess that is what this new recipe thing is all about.

Could this be any simpler?

I was able to do this last night and just finished the color behind the dots this afternoon. The whole thing took about 20 mins. easy easy easy. The title/journaling is the song Adam had made up for megan. All my kids have jingles to go with there names, thanks to their dad. He actually had come up with one completely different for her, but once we saw her personality this seemed more fitting.

new Sunday schedule

So of course with the new year comes other changes like our church schedule. This is our second week going to church at 11:20am and I am not quite sure what I think. Last year my Sundays included a large nap around 1:30p. I really looked forward to it. Adam would even joke with me as we got ready for church if I was thinking about taking a nap. Always a smile across my face implying the answer. Unfortunately, because of Megan napping through church, mine hasn't been a reality. I am really missing that nap. I miss it desperately. Love the Sunday nap!

it makes me happy...

to have a clean works surface.















My magnet board full of memories.





















My stash of paints.























My alphabet stamp set from Impress.















Listening to my girls playing dress up.






















Love Saturdays like these where I can do some organization. Do something for me. Feels good to see my desk again.

a project a week

So I wanted to see what big picture scrapbooking was all about. I really wanted to try Donna Downey's class, but didn't want to fork over $$$, so i opted for the 1 month plan just to see what it was like. Jury is still out on it, but I know it is just getting started.

Anyway the first project was to decorate your planner cover. I didn't have the SS planner so I used the one I will be using this year, an ugly stock planner from who can remember. I am so glad I took this on. Not only did it take under 20 mins to make, now I am very excited to use it. I love opening it up and looking at. Simply put, it makes me happy and I am very glad I took the time to do it.

So i was going to go to bed...

so glad I didn't. Instead I was creative. I have wanted to document Tess's relationship with her dad for awhile. Fortunately I had the perfect photo of them.

I must say I am happy with my efforts. It's interesting when I finally tell myself to just go for it...let go of the notion that my scrapbooks have to be perfect or something worthy of publishing, I end up with a layout that I love and only took about 1hr 2omins start to finish. It feels good to take the pressure off myself. Why it was there in the first place...who knows, but now I want to be in my studio creating all day. Too bad that's impossible. Anyway, I can't take all the credit on the layout, the folding paper and stapling idea came from Jenni Bowlin.

In other news I went and took a picture of the progress on my house. We have windows and doors. How exciting.

It's quiet in my house.

Adam's got the girls...well at least two of them, the other one is asleep. I love it when its quiet in my house and I can think and get stuff done.

I was able to work on this layout. Actually I had already started it before the holidays, but am finally getting back to finishing it. Love it when I feel like a layout only takes 30 mins.

So I guess I'll get back to being productive. I am shredding a bunch of files and bills I don't need anymore. I know it sounds really exciting, but it feels good to get rid of the clutter.

Happy New Year...here's to a fresh start.

My years have always started in September. Naturally that is when most things started over...well mainly the school year. Even when I was no longer doing the school thing it was hard not to want to start fresh in September.

This year seems different. I am ready for a new start. A fresh start. One of the reasons why I created "intentions" was to keep my goals in prospective and make sure I am on the right path, accomplishing what I feel is most important for me and my family to grow. I am really looking forward to this year and all that it brings. The ups and even the downs...as we all know they do come.

I feel great about 2006!

new blogs

my sister-in-laws got on the blog train. hip hip hooray...as my kids would say. Looking forward to reading their deep brilliant thoughts.

Jill
Lori

enjoy....links also found in sidebar

resolution...INTENTIONS

I like the way Ali Edwards put it in the January 2006 Creating Keepsakes...think of resolutions as intentions. I truly need to be honest with myself and look at my track record. I have not been so great in the past about completing my goals. So I find in more fitting to say intentions and then I won't feel so guilty if I don't get to them all.

Here it goes.

1. Positive Positive Positive.
2. Read the Scriptures with my family everyday.
3. Hold regular FHE...every Monday night.
4. Do a Layout/Project once a week.
5. Try a new recipe every 2 weeks. (i'm being realistic)
6. Read my Sunday School lesson every week even though I don't get to go.
7. Stay on top of my fly lady goals...organization.
8. Continue to read and educated myself in the things i am interesed in like photography.
9. Attend the temple once a month.
10. Continue to write my thoughts so to be more comfortable with me.
11. Stop talking and just do. ACTION!


Sure feels good to get it out there. Here's to keeping my Intentions and really striving to be a different, better, more unique me.

new thing

Ok so I have known about this web site for quite some time and even started to put my binder together, but stopped. First mistake...I didn't follow through. It seemed some of the ideas didn't work for me with 3 little kids, one being a baby. Of course i was completely wrong.

I'm sitting here thinking I need something, I want something to help me get my life together. So starting January 2 I am getting back on the flylady plan. She rocks and her ideas are really great for someone who isn't a natural organizer, but wants to be. Check it out and good luck.

Merry Christmas

Ahh Christmas Morning! Such an exciting time as a child. Not quite the same as an adult but a I learning to love the change just living through my children. It is fun to see them starting to get excited about Christmas and the concept of gifts on Christmas morning. Interesting to point out my children slept in until 8am. Normally my husband and I would be cheering, my kids are early risers, but I was up excited waiting for them to get up. So I had showered and was reading by the time everyone decided it was time to go out and start the festivities.

So Bella got what she always wanted and was pretty much busy playing the rest of the time. Tess got a dress up box and had to put one of the dresses right away and of course megan had to get on in the action. So apparently we were all dressed up this year.

I must add it was very nice to go to church on Sunday afternoon and celebrate what this holiday is really all about.

this week

so two of my girls were sick on wednesday...than lucky me when i actually had a night out with my friends i end up coming home earily...sick. it sucked. i hated everything about it, and all i could think about was how i never want to be pregnant again. it was that same nausious feeling i had for 7 weeks. in times like that i truly can't believe i endure 7 weeks of feel so crappy and on top of it taking care of 2 other kids. so here i am sick not feeling well and my husband gets sick. sadly i had no sympathy because 1) i was still not feeling my best 2) all i could think about was i did that for 7 weeks.

so glad everyone is feeling well again!

2 parties...the holidays are crazy

Sadly we had two parties scheduled for the same night. A family party and Adam's work party. We had no choice because of Adam's position at work we had to at least make a showing to the work party. So while we were gone my kids were with their cousins and Santa Clause showed up.

I heard they were very excited. Too bad I didn't get to see their reaction. When we got back Bella did tell me he (Santa) forgot to bring the heffalump gift she wants. I explained to her that it was probably for Christmas morning, though disappointed I could tell she is really looking forward to Christmas now. She also told me she explained to Santa to make sure and come to our old house and not the new one. So adorable to be so concerned that he would go to the wrong house. Made me smile. Now if I can only get this gift to show up on time (I'm still waiting on the heffalump toy to come in the mail).

busy busy day

So I have had a very busy day that in an instant began something entirely different. Two of my three children are sick...throwing up to be exact. Something I wasn't expecting and yet something I am embracing. Not that I delight in them being sick, but I actually don't mind their mellow change and just being with them. So of all the stuff I needed to accomplish today I find myself homebound enjoying the quiet of the day. Hanging out with my kids just chillin'. Listening to David Gray a and soaking up the sun that has evaded us for days. I just love the way the sun glistens off the fresh fallen snow.

So here's to being positive and making good out of an unpleasant situation....and they say I don't have it in me.

mellow vs. a beat

As I put in David Gray my sweet Tess said to me, "not daddy's song, the girls songs". It was so funny that she would put it that way. I knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted to listen to music with a beat that was easy to dance to, not the mellow deep kind. This girl love to dance.

I understand how she feels. Dancing and loud music has a way of helping me cope and I enjoy the break and release I feel when I move. But there is always a time and place for the songs that make you think, that take you to a place you need to visit...and right now I'm in one of those moods.

girls music next!!