My goals for the coming year!

Do you make resolutions? I heard today on the news that only 14% of people are sticking with their resolutions after only 3 weeks. Wow!! I decided I don't need to make a resolution, that odds are I am not going to be sticing with in 3 weeks. I did decide that I am going to list my goals that I hope to accomplish this year.

School related:
1. Graduate in May!!
2. Study and pass my CRC exam on April 28. (This one scares me to death.)

Family:
Take a summer vacation, school has been a bugger the last couple years and we have put off major family trips. Okay gas prices didn't help either.

Spend more time, just enjoying them. Taking walks, riding bike doing whatever, just enjoying the time I have left with each of them. (Heck Megs will be a senior next year and Jerad right behind her as a Sophmore.)

Craft Related: (this will be long)
Get ORGANIZED, I really need to do this in my scrapbooking and quilting areas. Figure out what I have and get it all organized.

Do Mike's WWII scrapbook. I already sorted the pictures, but really want to get the entire album done documenting that time in history.

Scrapbook all my old photos. Get them all put into albums and done so that I can scrapbook in a proactive way rather than reactive way. I sorted all the photos into groups the last couple days, and now I just need to get tons of pages done.

Quilting, I want to get Megan's quilt done (started it last week), do a quilt for Jerad and one for Sam and I.

Those are my basic goals. Oppss forgot the most important one.......ME!!! I want to really work on becoming healtier, I am not going to say loose weight because I think by becoming healthier that will be part of it. I really want to just enjoy life more and become healthier. I really worry about Sam's health and so maybe by the two of us working together we can do it.

Okay they kind of sound like resolutions, but they really are my goals for the year.

Merry Christmas to all!!

Hope everyone is having a great Christmas. Ours is very mellow, just the way we like it around here. We do most of the cooking on Christmas Eve, so we can spend today just munching and hanging out together. We splept in, opened all our presents and are just hanging out playing with them. The kids are playing with the new ipods, and Jerad is jamming to his Guitar hero PS2 game.

Sam is watching football, I am scrapbooking and just trying to go through some old pictures. I am working on a heritage album from the Marman/Geiger history. Here are two layouts I have done today.

Happy Holidays

So I can't believe it is already December 20th. On this day I take a moment to think of what life would have been like had Jesse grown up. She would have turned 21 in October. Oh wow the drinking and partying. She only lived just over 2 short years. She was killed in a car accident on icy roads. My friend Ellen was driving that day. She had her girls in their seatbelts and Jesse in her car seat, but when she hit ice there was not much she could do. Ellen and Jesse both lost their lives that day, and Maria went through some major surgeries and has come out an amazing woman because of it. Beth was not seriously hurt that day. Jess and Ellen will forever be in my prayers.

Saddness is such a powerful thing, I try to understand it but not wallow in it too long because it could suck one into a deep dark hole. So movin on to happier thoughts. There are only 5 more days till Christmas? WHAT?? Say it isn't so. What ever am I going to do. I have most of my presents purchased, but I am still working hard on finishing Amanda's present. I decided to whip out my sewing machine that hasn't been used in probably 3 or 4 years and put it to work. I am making her a quilt. The amazing thing is besides buying the batting for the lining, I am using material that I have had for the last 4 or5 years sitting in boxes. I moved the family room around and set up myself a little sewing place in the corner in the back. It is kind of nice because I can sit and watch tv in there and just hang out with my family while I am working on her quilt. I have the top almost done and than I will be busy putting it all together in the coming days. I am going to really work hard to get a lot of it done tonight.

Seeing Red

 

This was a fun layout I did this mornig of Sam. He use to have these one piece long john pajamas that he would put on and we would all get a chuckle out of how he looked in them. Seriously if he had a santa hat and beard he could pass for him. I had to srap them in a funny way because when I look at the pictures I still laugh. 

Love

 

This is a layout I did of Sam and I with a picture that the kids took a couple years ago. It is one of my favorite pictures of us. 

Simple Pleasures

Okay here is a fun layout I was working on tonight. I am going to try to get better about posting my layouts here. The last week or so, I have really been pushing myself to get a lot of layouts done and just try to get caught up on some of my old pictures. I have so many of them laying around I need to get them scrapped and out of the boxes. I am also on a mission to redo my scrapbook room so it is modern and up to date. I want to take full advantage of my storage and redo my paper storage system. I have started investing in the target cubes but I am going to also try to get my husband to build me some boxes to hold the cropper hopper verticle storage so I can get it all together.

Oh the holiday fun.

Thanksgiving is over. I loved having a 4 day weekend. It was so relaxing just hanging out with the family on Thanksgiving. Gotta love Sam, he cooked dinner and had it all in the oven going when I finally decided to emerge from the bedroom a little after 10 am. I never use to be one to sleep in, must be my getting older that makes it easier for me to sleep in lately, or the fact I didn't go to bed till almost 2 am that morning. I get downstairs in my scrapbook room and I just don't want to leave. Good thing I don't stay home, I would be a hermit in that room.

So anyway we had a nice meal, Amanda came over and we all visited and played games. The kids dug out all the holiday decorations and set the tree up and got it all decorated. One of my favorite things about putting up our tree is watching them dig out their ornaments from over the years and put them on the tree. They love telling about where it came from or when they made it. We always laugh and have fun. Whenever we use to travel to someplace I would pick up ornaments, like yellowstone park or glacier. It was kind of the fun part of the trip to look for an ornament on our summer vacation. We also have kept some that the kids made when they were little. Just fun time for all of us. They usually end up fighting over whose turn it was to put on the star on top, but this year their dad tricked them and had them looking for something while he put it on.

Thanksgiving afternoon, we decided to drive to Billings and get a hotel room so we could all swim and relax in a hot tub. Was kind of nice just being away from home. I had to laugh because late that night we decided to go to Walmart in hopes no one would be there since it was night and a holiday to boot. No one was there (best time to shop) but across the street at the closed Best Buy we had to laugh at all the people already camped out around the outside of the store for the sale on Friday morning. People are seriously nuts.

The rest of the weekend I spent in my scrapbook room. I got tons of layouts completed and things done and ready for the holidays. I am on a mission to get most of my old pictures scrapbooked and into albums.

Happy Turkey Day

Yeah tomorrow is Thanksgiving and in this new job that I am so loving I get Friday off as a paid holiday also. We are having dinner tomorrow at home. Just a quiet family meal with the kids. Friday we are all going to Billings to go shopping and have some fun. Maybe get a motel and do some swimming if we want. Nothing like a relaxing weekend with the family.
Happy Thanksgiving all.

David Berg in the Morning

There is a morning radio talk show that is on the radio. I finally had to turn it off this morning because this guy is so one sided, opinionated. Boy the republicans should have mixed feelings about him. He is so republican but yet so closed mined that he scares me. I hope not all republicans are that way. This guy literally made me vote democrate this year. Seriously I was listening to him before the election because it is him or Deery Brownfield, take your pick. (Someone shoot me now.) Yestereday he was talking about how over half of Montanan's should be ashamed of how they voted for John Tester. He said they were dooped and lied to and it was 18 month campaign to smear and lie about Conrad Burns. Okay let me see over 1/2 of the voters voted for Tester, shouldn't he be proud that people got out and voted. I mean the numbers were like 2/3 of voters voted in this non-presidential election. I say way to go Montana, you let your vote count and be heard.

I will be honest, I don't know how I feel about John Tester. I keep hearing all the ney sayers saying how our State is doomed and this or that will be gone, but I guess I wonder how they know all these bad things will happen when this guy hasn't been a Senator in Washington DC before. I hope he will do a good job. I really went back and forth on how to vote. Conrad Burns has been there for years, and do we give up that senority and his ability to pork barrel for our State for change and someone new that won't have that senority? I went with the side of change. I think there should be limitations on the length a person can serve. I will be honest, I think Conrad Burns was bought by Jack Abromoff. Come on if someone gave me $150K in contributions just days before I voted on issues that affect him, would you vote in his favor? Conrad did, I am sure I would too because why shoot a donor in the foot. He says he did nothing wrong, I say the vote doesn't matter, it is the fact that he voted at all after taking the money. He should have either not taken the donations, or not voted. But not do both, that is a shame as David Berg said. Montana voted, and people like David Berg should respect that vote. They shouldn't be using their talk show to discredit Montana voters by saying things like shame on you 9 times in just several minutes. They should be saying things like way to go Montana, you voted and you were heard.

Life is flying by

I remember when I was a child and adults use to say, enjoy each day because when your older they go by so much faster. Well I am not sure I consider myself old (just yet) I mean after all I am not even 40 yet!! But boy do the days just seem to fly by. I almost feel like I need to take more time and enjoy each day. Just get out and walk in it and marvel in the fact that it is today. The last three years I have put all my energy into doing this Master's program. The degree means so much to me. Being the first person in my family to have a BA and MA will be an amazing thing. It has just been something I have always wanted. I would like to go on and get my PhD. but I really just need to work on making sure the student loans for this degree get paid off. It is hard to believe that next week will Thanksgiving already. I have been so busy getting ready for a craft show that my friend Jill and I did last weekend. It was a huge hit and great money maker for us. Things went so well. I have osme of the canvas left over from it posted on ebay (luvnmontana) and than I am going to post the frames and clocks that we have left over too.

Back to homework, I am so looking forward to this semester being over and than graduation in May. Boy I have so much to do before May. I have to finish up my internship and than study for my CRC exam and be turning information in for my LCPC, so much work so little time.

Happy Halloween

Oh man it came and went so fast this year. It was Halloween before I knew it and now it is over. I miss the days when my kids were young and they dressed up and loved to go trick or treating. Now I just have to worry more about keeping them from throwing eggs at cars and causing trouble as teenagers.

Hope everyone had a Happy and Safe Halloween.

Rest in Peace Moe! He was 79, and passed away this past week.

Catching Up

Wow it has been awhile since I have posted last. I can give you the excuses, but lets just say they are new job, 12 master level college classes this semester and no time to do anything.

We did get out to take our family picture the other day so I could get some Christmas cards mailed out on time this year. Last year, Megan and I had fun making our cards, but I actually got tired of making them that mailing them out wasn't any fun. So anyway, they are done and ordered. Here is the picture that we took down behind our neighbors backyard. I love the picture, even our dog Shane is posed so nice for his picture. I was ready to strangle my son by the time I was done taking the pictures. He doesn't take good pictures anyway, but every time we took a picture he decided to make a funny face on purpose like sticking out his tongue, doing an O with his mouth, just something stupid. I got back home to look at the pictures and the computer and wanted his hid so bad. He thought it was funny, but the rest of us were not laughing because we were all outside with no coats on in 30 degree weather taking pictures. So expect your pictures and card early this year. HAHAHAHA who am I kidding it is almost November already. So guess I better get busy shopping since I don't have much time left.

First day of school

Today was the first day of school for the kids. Amazingly I am having a harder time with my youngest being in high school than I was when he went to school. I just feel like my time with them is very limited and I need to treasure every minute of it.

Here are their first day of school pictures.


Jerad is a freshman this year. I just can't believe how fast their early years went. I thought having my baby as a freshman was so far away and yet here he is. He is so excited about school. He has such a head on his shoulders for knowing what he wants, setting his goals and doing it. He has enrolled in all honors classes in high school and is just loving it. He is in football and not sure yet what postion he plays but his first game is Friday!!


Megan is a junior this year. She is just like me and really struggles in school. She tries hard, but math and science just aren't her things. Can't believe she will be graduating next year. She decided that she would like to go to Paris after graduation and together we are saving money so that we can take a trip to Paris in 2 years. It will be so fun, just the two of us to spend some time in Paris, seeing the sites. She is doing cross country right now and than will be playing basketball all that just to keep her in shape for her true love of sports, TENNIS!!!

Riley Erickson, isn't he just the cuties little boy. He came over and spent an evening with me a couple weeks ago. Of course I had to take some pictures and post of my little godson. He has those eyes that just touch your heart like his mom's. They are so deep and dark brown and just make you fall in love.

We had to have some fun in the back yard and light a fire in the fire pit and roast some marshmellows to eat. Nothing better than smores in the summer.

10 more days

Counting today, I only have 10 more days at this job. I can't wait. I thought I would be nice and give them a months notice but now I realize that being nice isn't so nice for me. All of a sudden all the little quirks and things I have just put up with the last 8 years are driving me crazy. My biggest pet peeve is my supervisor. She hasn't even bothered to keep up to date on all the rules and regulations of the program I run. So when I am gone she will meet with clients and tell them things that she has no business telling them. For instance last month she told a client to come in to the office at a set time and she would help her with paperwork. Which would have been fine, but supervisor decided to leave the office and wasn't there for the appointment, so she talked to the client later on the phone and told her she would just date her application as of that date. Well than the client figuring her paperwork would be back dated to that date just didn't bother to turn it in for almost 5 weeks. So I dated it on the day she turned it in, because we do not back date applications. She is now upset because supervisor told her she would, however if they audit her file in the reveiw this year and find she received services for over a month before her application was even dated or signed by the parent she would have to pay it all back. I refuse to back date it, my supervisor had no business telling her she would because she doens't even work in that program. Grrrr I hate stupid people.

I am so not going to miss working with her. I really will miss my job, but I just don't understand people who think they are above the rules on everything they do.

New Job!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I finally made the brave step towards getting a new job. I had interviewed for a job in June and was called because I was the first choice for the job. However at that time, I really felt like I needed to give my current employer more than 2 weeks notice. (My job is very detailed and someone just cant step into it without training.) and I also wanted to take my vacation with my family for a week up west. They wanted someone that could start in 2 weeks, so I passed it by. Last Friday, I got a call asking if I would be willing to take the position and that they would wait while I gave my employer a months notice. So I gave them the notice and accepted the new position. I start there on September 11th. My last day at my current position is September 6th, but than I am flying off to Phoenix for 4 days of scrapbooking fun at Creative Escape!!!

I am really nervous about the new job, but so excited because it is such a great opportunity to me. I am starting my internship on September 7th and the position will fit all my internship goals so I won't have to really do much outside of work, like I would have had to in the old job.
Hard to believe I will be done with school in just 9 months. I start my CRC exam preparation class next week. I sent in my payment for the CRC exam which will be held on April 28, 2007. I am really going to force myself not to be a procrastinator and to study and prepare for this exam.

Life with out Diet Pop.

Well I am on day 4 of my new life without drinking pop. I was seriously addicted to my diet Pepsi or diet coke depending which was on sale when I bought it. Over the last couple months I have been reading about how bad drinking diet pop is for you. I am not sure what triggered me giving it up. But last Saturday night (August 5th) my husband and I were walking through the walmart grocery section getting snacks to take out to the races in Dickinson. We were talking about getting a 12 pack of pop to take with us and I was telling him about how bad it was from the research I have done. I am not sure what made me decide at that time to give it up cold turkey, but I did. Maybe it was saying it out loud to him and knowing I was the one so addicted. He was normal in drinking 1 or 2 cans a day, but I could easily drink a 6 pack a day. I had to have one first thing in the morning when I got to work, than kept on drinking them throughout the day while I sat at work. I was okay in the evenings once I got home, but I need my pop at work.

Well I just swore off pop that night and it has been amazing how easy it has been to just give it up. I had a headache terrible on Monday morning, but nothing some advil couldn't handle for a couple hours. I have been drinking a lot more water and ice tea. I am going to try to cut out sugar next, but I really want to get a good month of no pop under my belt first. I am finally on a track to a healthier lifestyle.

Lewis & Clark

This past week Sam, Jerad and myself took a little vacation. We combined a bunch of fun things into one trip and had the time of our lives. Last year I had won a stay at a condo at Big Sky and we decided to use it up. So on Wednesday we drove to the resort and got into the condo and set up our home for the next 2 nights. It was awesome to have our own little place to just lay around watch some tv and play lots of games.

Thursday we drove to West Yellowstone and than took a drive over to Hebgen Lake. This was such an amazing place. Hebgen Lake was hit by a 7.5 earthquake in August 1959. There were 28 people killed and 19 of them were never found again. The earthquake litterally caused a mountain to fall. There are 3000 ton rocks that went from the side of one mountain down and ended up on the side of another mountain across the valley. The destruction here was totally awe inspiring to see. It really made me appreciate life to know that people were just innocently camping in a campground one summer night to wake to an earthquake of such a magnitude as this one.

After spending a couple nights at the condo and hanging out in the Big Sky area, we drove to Red Lodge and went up the Beartooth Highway. We wanted to see all the repairs that had been made since the road was closed last summer because of a series of mudslides that tore out most of the road. Of course we had to get out and walk in the snow and have a snow ball fight in the middle of summer. Our trip was great.

It just hit me

A true "Ahhhaa" moment for me. I have been working hard this last week to get my internship set up. I have been worrying for the last couple months on how to do the internship for my Masters degree. The panic was over the fact that I had to fit 600 hours of internship into a semester. This basically meant giving up my full-time job to do it. Just not able to happen for me as I need to work!! So in discussing it with my professor, we worked it out that I would start this fall (September 6th) and complete the first 300 hours of my internship by the end of December and than do the other 300 hours in the spring semester.

Anyway it just hit me that all this hard work is really paying off because I will be graduating in May of next spring with my Masters degree. Oh my god this has been a dream of mine forever and now I am so close to it actually happening. Graduation next spring!!!! Than I will need to worry about finding a real job!!

Meeting Chelle

On Tuesday, July 11th, I got to go meet a great online friend. She lives in Arizona and just had her son Asher last fall. I have known Chelle for at lest three or four years now since we were posting together on Un-scrappable and we have been on several boards together. Chelle, her husband Jeff and Asher were in Lemon, South Dakota visiting her family this last week and they drove up to Dickinson, North Dakota so I could drive over and have dinner with them. If there is ever a person that you just know you will bond with, she was the one. I have always known if we lived close we would get along so well because we are so much alike in a lot of ways. I am so glad that I finally got to meet her and her family. I am sure in the years to come we will get to meet each other again. Thanks for a great evening Chelle.

The Champs!!

This past weekend my son, Jerad, played some awesome baseball. He really made me so proud to call him my son. They played very well this season in the regular baseball season with 10-3 record. The team went into the city league tourney in first place. The first game they played on Thursday night was one that would put my son to the test in terms of team spirit and commitment. I have to say he made proud.

The top of the first inning he was playing his usual position of 2nd base. A ball was hit off to his left side and he dove to stop it. Breaking his hand. He stayed out on the field and played the inning out catching a pop fly to end the inning. Once in the dugout we knew the hand was broken because it doubled in size and turned black and blue immediately. He was determined to finish out the game, knowing that without him they would be short one man. (The extra player went on vacation over the tourney, so they had just enough players.) He finished out the game that night. As we talked about what to do with his hand after the game, he was determined not to let his team down. Winning the tourney was very important to them all.

His dad and I decided we would wait till the next day and see how his hand was. He iced it and took advil to keep the swelling down. Friday night he went out and played an awesome game, but they lost 8 to 7 agaist a team that had beat them twice during the regular season. They knew they would be up against them later in the tourney. Jerad was even more determined to stick out the rest of the tourney. While I worried about his hand, I also knew the break was in the palm area and wasn't a break that would be life threating or anything more serious.

Saturday afternoon, they went out and played their hearts out in the looser out game and came out on top. They now faced the team they had lost to earlier in the tourney for the championship game. They knew they had an uphill battle because they had to beat them twice to take the championship. The first game they trailed them up till the bottom of the 7th inning they were always one point behind them in the entire game. The bottom of the 7th inning they came up with three runs to win the game. After a short break and a lot of determination they started the 2nd game. The attitude of the team was awesome. You could see the determination in all their eyes, there was no way they were going to loose that game. They played the best game of the season and won it all 13 to 2. Within an hour of winning the championship, Jerad was ready to go to the ER and get xrays. Sure enough it was broke and now he gets to wear the cast with honor. While as his mother it is hard to watch him play baseball, knowing he is in pain. It also makes me so proud to know he is committed to all the players on his team and was determined to finish out the tourney with them all. He has always given everything he does 110%, and than some.

Siblings

This is a layout I worked on today. I came across this picture from when my kids were much younger. It reminded me of how connected they are to each other and will be for their entire life. The stitching of the layout isn't the best. I really need to work on that.

Mildred Montana

Have you ever heard of this place? I hadn't and I had lived in MT most of my life, heck it wasn't even that far away from Glendive. A couple weeks ago Sam and I took a drive out to an auction in Ismay, Montana (it was Joe Montana for a big celebration one year). Driving down this dirt road we came to a little old ghost town named Mildred. We had to stop and check out the old jail in the town. It was awesome, I can't image what it was like to be in jail back in the old days. The last prisoner was in this jail in the 1960's. It was just a little 2 cell jail, but it was great we got to stop and take some pictures. I guess I have to go out exploring the backroads of Montana more often.

Opps

Guess I haven't updated in a couple weeks. I really need to download my camera and post some pictures too. Stormy the kitten is growing like a weed. He has really ventured out and started discovering the house. He use to keep to the living room only, but now has ventured out to the whole main level of the house. He hasn't learned to go up/down the stairs yet but I am sure it won't be long. He isn't going to like me later this week because he will get his first set of shots on Friday.

Storm thinks he is so big and tough. He loves playing with this empty water bottle. He bats it all around the room. The little attack kitty. Hard to believe we have had him over 2 weeks now. He has grown so much.

Storm is in the house!!!

This is storm!! He came to live with us tonight when we found him laying in the middle of the street. I jumped out of the car because I thought he was going to get ran over by the car coming the opposite direction. Thank god the other car was a police man and he saw the kitten. He is tiny, guessed to be about 5 weeks old if that. He doesn't know how to eat or drink on his own yet. I went out and bought an eye dropper and gave him milk. Tomorrow we will figure out how to feed him when he goes to the vet.

He has taken to my golden retriever as him mom, but my sheltie isn't too keen on having him around. He is so tiny and cute now that we cleaned him up. He is really thin, but I am hoping he puts on some weight now.

Here is shane meeting the kitten, Storm. (He got his name because we were on our way home from a baseball game for DS, when it was cancelled because of a big thunder storm we are having.

Summer

Baseball and taco's in a bag. What more does one need? Summer is here. The kids last day of school is Friday. My baby is graduating from 8th grade. I can't believe I am old enough to have kids in high school, heck I even have one in her 2nd year of college already. This is just wrong!!!!!

Sam and I are getting excited to take a drive up the Beartooth highway next week. I am really hoping that my camera will be back in time so I can get some great pictures.

I love this time of year the grass is green, the flowers I have planted around the yard are growing and flowering. The smell of the last lilacs are still in the air. Humm I love the smell of spring/summer before it gets too hot.

Friday Ramblings

I love Friday's!!! Especially this time of the year because I get to spend the whole weekend outdoors enjoying the fresh spring air. Ohhh can't you just smell the lilacs all around my yard!! I have been busy planting the flower gardens and new grass seed in areas of the lawn.

This weekend is Mike's first race at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson. Care to guess where I will be on Saturday night? Sitting in the stands watching!!!

Not much else going on around here this weekend, the kids only have a week left of school so they are ready to have the summer off. They are all so busy running between sports and work.

I am actually home alone most of the time, can't say it is this great thing I tought it would be when they were little kiddo's and fighting with each other and I was dreaming of the time I would be alone and they would be grown. Wish they were back to the fighting days.

Yeah!!!

My college classes are almost done. I have one final to finish up today and than to take a final test by Friday and I will be done for the semester.

I am spending my summer months doing a practicum this summer, but that is actually exciting and I am enjoying it.

Megan is busy finishing up her Tennis for the Dawson Co. High School. It has been an awesome year for her. She is a sophmore, but is ranked number 3 in singles for the varsity team. She has been playing her heart out and doing awesome. Last weekend she had 5 matches and actually won them all. She has a couple matches this weekend and than next week it is off to divisionals in Miles City. I am really excited for her. Part of me is really hoping she makes it to State this year, but than part of me is hoping for the rest of our sake she doesn't make it. State tennis is in Polson this year and it will be a 2 day drive for them to get there. I would really want to go watch her at State, but that would mean missing Jerad's award ceremony at the middle school on the last day of school. I will have to update next week after divisionals and we know what is going to happen.

My journal

My journal. I finally created a journal where I write all my scrapbooking plans and sketches in. This journal is so great because it is an area where I can write down layouts or albums I would like to do. I can check them off when they are done and date the completion date to keep track. I never realized how many thoughts of layouts I had before that never became realized because I wasn't documenting them. Now they are all put down on paper right away!

Spring

I finally feel like spring is here. I am smelling the fresh air and loving the sunshine. Even enjoying the daylight that is still left in the evenings when I go out for a walk to enjoy the grass turning green and the trees budding out!! Thank god it is springtime. I love winter and the snow, but each winter seems to last longer than the next.

Spent the evening cleaning and organizing in my scrapbook room. I am really working on becoming more organized. I have created a journal where I am going to write and sketch my scrapping ideas to help me get more organized on things I want to create. I really need to clean and organize though. Guess that is why they call it spring cleaning!!

Only a couple more weeks left of my college classes and than I will have lots of free time. I am working on my practicum this summer and trying to just enjoy the free time this summer.

Creative Escape

I am in!!! I have registered for this great weekend in Arizona in September. I am so excited and can't wait till it is here, even though that means summer will be over. I am so excited because four of us from here signed up to go and we will be flying down on Thursday morning and coming home on Sunday. I have never been to Phoenix, although there isn't much time for site seeing it will still be exciting for me!!!!!

CKU Chicago Albums

I LOVED my track at CKU this past weekend. I created a beautiful scrapbook album there using some awesome techniques. This was the most amazing weekend. Some things I loved about my weekend.

Shopping and spending the day with Ann on Wednesday. My room mates Ann and Mary B were awesome, I totally enjoyed the time we got to spend together.

My dorm "Aged and Distressed" were awesome. I loved spending so much time with each of the girls and getting to know them all. Thanks for the great time Patience, Robin, Sara, Brandy, Ann and Mary B.

I loved almost all my classes and the albums I made. Tim Holtz classes were awesome. I learned so much, and ended up buying most all his inks and pearls to play.

Those Junkitz girls rocked!! What more can I say there was nothing better than singing, dancing and running through the halls of CKU. I look at my album and it inspires me to be creative. While it is a piece of me, it is also a challenge that really boosted my creative spirit. I learned so many things. Simple things, I had never thought to incorporate in my style of scrpbooking.

Instead of just inking the edges, doodle on them for a creative flair. Use pen stitchig around things to give it a finished look, ink dots, lines anything to draw the eye.

AHHHHHH

I am so not ready for CKU. I spent most of last night scanning and digging for pictures to use. I have none printed, but that is because I don't have time to order them. So I will have to stop along the way and print them off. I am going to buy a nice photo printer though when I am on my trip so I can print off my own pictues when I need them. Now to decide what kind to get. I am not sure how much I would use a larger format one that does the 12 x12 prints although man that would be sweet.

Tonight I will be finishing my homework for my albums class by scanning and burning a disk with my pictures on it. Yea I have finished the dorm center piece or most of it anyway.

3 days and counting.

In just three short days I will be on my way to Wisconsin to see my dad!! I haven't been out to see him since I was there in August 2004. I am leaving Friday night after work. I get to stop off and have a little fun along the way. I am finally getting to met my friend Shevy IRL. I have known her for a couple years now online. I can't wait to meet her. Than I am hanging with my neice Tina and her boyfriend that afternoon before heading over to hang with my dad for three days.

Than I will be off on my adventure to Chicago. I get to go to CKU-Chicago which is an albums. I can't wait. I am meeting up with another online friend, Beth while I am there. Than going to pick up Ann, a friend I met last year at CKU in Minniapolis. We are roaming together at CKU this year. It will be so great to see everyone. I am in the junkits album track and will post pictures of my albums when I get back.

My new laptop.

My new toy!! I got a new laptop on Friday and I love sitting on the couch hooked up to the wireless just yacking it up with friends and surfing the net!! This thing is amazingly fast.

One thing great is it will let me sit in a motel and watch dvd's or the kids can when they are on the road!

Becoming a girly woman

Well I have officially done it!! I had my nails done for the first time. I have never been much of a foo foo girl, no primping and pampering for me. I finally decided I needed to take better care of myself and so my daughter and I went and got acrylic nails yesterday. I am kind of enjoying them but working to get use to them. I even got them green this time in preparation for st pats day celebrations next week.

Today is the day. I am going to spend the rest of the day doing homework and preparing for my albums class at CKU-chicago that I do the end of the month. I have waited till the last minute!!!

My photography class

I am taking a photography class at www.betterphoto.com and I am loving it. At first I thought I knew enough about digital cameras that I really didn't need to take a beginners class. Boy was I wrong, I have learned to many things, mostly I have learned the reasoning behind the things that I have been doing through trial and error. This week we were working on taking action shot pictures by adjusting the shutter speed on the camera and changing the apature. Oh man I love this picture of my son.
http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/dynoGallDetail.asp?photoID=1705691

I am learning so much and really enjoying it. I am actually looking forward to taking more classes.