Inkin' & Thinkin'

Lexi's 11th Bday Photo Shoot #1

I was so excited when Lexi wanted to do a photo shoot for her birthday (today) so we grabbed up a whole lot of props and costumes and headed out.  We only made it through one outfit and I had to come home and unload my memory card.  We're heading back out now to do another shoot in a new place.  I can't wait!  But before I go, I wanted to give you a little peek at this morning's shoot (in no particular order).

This one is my fav so far!

And we're off for round 2!  YAHOO!!!!

Easter Day & a Freebie!

How was your Easter?  Mine was abnormal.  LOL!  My children that sleep until we wake them up at noon on Christmas morning were up extraordinarily early on Easter morning.  I don't know what in the world got into them but I hope it's not something that will be reoccurring on future holidays!

Andy and I went to bed around 3:00 am after keeping the girls up until 1:00 am in hopes that they would sleep in...ha!  So you can imagine our shock when Kaylee comes be-bopping into our bedroom at 6:00 am...6:00 am!!!  I looked at the clock and told her to go back to bed...that it was too early.  She said she couldn't....she was too awake to go back to bed.  Ok...so my options are limited because I don't really want to wake up and have the argument with her that I should have and send her back to bed with great authority.  So I tell her to get in bed (on her dad's side) and I turn on the tv.  I reassure her that I will wake up when it's time and we'll go see what the Easter Bunny has brought her.  She's doesn't like it but she does it and I go back to sleep.

It seems I have barely closed my eyes when I am awoken by the creaking of the stairs...oh crap!  Another child is coming down.  I peek at the clock...it's now 7:00 am.  What in the world is going on in my house?  Don't they know I was up all night making sure they had great baskets full of goodies and eggs hidden all over the place?  It's Lexi.  She comes in and taps my shoulder until I open one eye and make eye contact with her.  "Mom, can we get eggs yet?"  I think she already knew the answer to this but she asked anyway.  I tell her we have to wait for Izzy to wake up and then I rethink that thought and tell her to just get in our bed and watch tv with Kaylee.  Again...not happy, but she obeys, thank goodness. 

Now I don't know why I'm so tired.  I usually don't require that much sleep but on this particular morning I was so tired and I really wanted to sleep in.

I go back to sleep, although I don't think it was very deep because every time one of the girls moved I was on alert...no one was going in that living room until we were all ready and by we were all ready, I meant me and my camera (Hey, I'm a scrapbooker, I have the right!).

It seems only a few moments later when I hear Izzy scream (ok...I'm up!) and come running into our room.  "Mom!  Mom!  Mom!"  I'm pretending to be asleep hoping that she'll be sweet and just get in bed with the rest of us.  No such luck.  "Mom!  Mom!  Mom!"  I crack an eye.  "Mom!  The Easter Bunny was here!  I got new shoes in my basket!"  Oh crap!  I put the kid's stuff in the wrong basket!  How do I cover that one up?!  I'll figure that out later.  Moving on.  "Mom...there's lots of eggs in the living room and Kaylee only got one thing in her basket...ha, Kaylee, you only got one thing and I got lots!"  I whisper..."That's not very nice to say, Izzy"  To which she climbs in bed and cuddles me.  PERFECT!  Maybe I can squeeze in more sleep.

Kaylee got just as much as the other girls by the way...her's just wouldn't fit in her basket so it was beside it.  Her basket was labeled so nicely by her before she went to bed so she got her stuff in the right basket!  LOL!

Well, cuddling wouldn't suffice so Izzy was back to begging.  So I resorted to my last option.  "You girls have to wait until your dad wakes up."  I see him grin out of the corner of my eye and elbow him a little.  So now all 5 of us are under the blankets of our queen size bed and suddenly the urge hits...I have to pee.  I hold it as long as I can in hopes that a miracle will occur and everyone will fall back asleep so I can sneak out, go to the bathroom and sneak back in undetected.  No such luck!  The girls are wiggling and one good knee from Izzy to the bladder and I'm up.

I take care of business, grab the camera and slowly make my way back to the bedroom.  I walk in and the girls run for the door.  I have to stop them...Andy is still pretending to be asleep.  So after numerous kisses for daddy, he still isn't budging.  Well, if I'm up, he has to be too.  So one good, "Andy, come on...they're waiting."  and he sits up in bed.  Well, the girls took this as their cue to rush me and push me out of the way so they could get to their baskets. 

The rush was on...I think I may have caught the backs of their heads as they ran to the dining room table for their baskets.  It took 5 seconds to dump the baskets and appraise everything.  Then the egg hunt began.  They searched high and they searched low until all of the eggs were collected. 

Now we have a couple of hours until the city Easter Egg Hunt begins so I relax.  I check my email and make a digi page while they enjoy their new goodies.  As I'm doing this, I'm orchestrating showers for everyone.  We only have one bathroom and the hot water goes fast...a little too fast on this morning.  I chose to go last and wouldn't you know it, there's 20 minutes until the egg hunt begins and there's no hot water.  Luckily for me, Kaylee took a bath and left it in....so although it wasn't wonderful, a cold bath was better than nothing!

Off to the egg hunt we go...the girls are in 3 different age groups in 3 totally different parts of the park...wonderful!  So I stick with Izzy and Andy goes with Kaylee and Lexi is a big neglected girl and goes by herself.  All of the age groups start at the same time so we have to split this way or not participate at all. 

The egg hunts last about 2 minutes (literally) and then we stand in line for 30 minutes to collect their prizes.  Each of the girls nabbed 5 prize eggs so they are thrilled!  And because they are thrilled, I am thrilled! 

Going to the park here is such a fun event.  We always run into so many people we haven't seen in forever and we have great conversations.  I love it!  That is one of the things about this town that I love...the gatherings.

After the egg hunt, we head home and life continues on like any other day...whew!

So, now that I told you my life story, would you like to see some pages and collect a freebie?  I thought so!

Since I was telling you about Easter today, I decided to stick with the theme and work with Creations By Rachael's newest kit Easter Day.  I have to tell you that I love this kit.  The papers are worn just enough to make them yummy and the elements are so cute!

This first layout is all about Kaylee.  She is so photogenic and really has a timeless beauty to her expressions.  These are a few pics from a photo shoot we did right after Izzy was born...so 2004...which would make Kaylee 4 at the time.

This second layout is all about waiting for Izzy.  I'm not sure I love this layout but I rarely love anything with my pic on it so I tried to minimize that part by covering me with paper.  LOL!  She was a stubborn little girl (and still is) but she was sure worth every painful second of the wait!

 So how would you like a freebie made with this kit?  You can use it for your Easter pics!

You can download this freebie QP here. 

Enjoy!

ps.  Mom, if that's not enough of my life, I don't know what to tell you!  LOL!  Love you!

An Excited Cowboy

This post is purely selfish on my part as I am just showing off my little brother.  If you watch this video...you will find him doing the happy dance 4 minutes 25 seconds in after he rides his bull.  I love that part!  He is just too stinkin' cool!

You can find him again at 5:14, 6:00, 9:00 and 9:17.  He is so awesome!  I'm so proud of him for his accomplishments at the West Yellowstone Rodeo.  He just rocks!

You can also see my mom and dad at the fence too!  So cool to see them online!  LOL!

Blinkie Enabled!

I have been blinkie enabled!  LOL!  I have always wanted to know how to make a blinkie (I know...so tech deprived here) and today I read some instructions that actually made sense (thank you Manda!) and since I'm thinking it's time for a new blog header I thought I would make a blinkie to match.

But first I wanted to try the technique and make sure it worked (why would I doubt the all-knowing Manda?  DUH!) so I created this little valentine for my girls.  I tried to fit Andy in there too but it was just too many layers.

I used Teri's kit He Loves Me to make this blinkie for the girls.

My Soulmate

I met Andy when I was 15 years old.  I was at a party I wasn't supposed to be at and it was all because his room mate set up the party so that we could meet.  I had met his room mate the weekend before and I didn't like him at all and he didn't like me either.  But he went home and told Andy that he had met Andy's future wife (me). 

So he and a few mutual friends set up a party so that Andy could meet me  the next weekend.  I thought he was cute and a total smart alec.  We flirted and teased each other and by the end of the night we were "going out."  Within a week I knew he was meant for me.  I was only 15 and he was 19  but I knew that I would marry him someday.

Well, 3 months later he graduated college and left Missoula.  I was still in High School so I had to stay behind.  We saw each other twice in the next year and my young heart was broken so I broke it off.  He took it well and simply said, "The ball's in your court.  If you ever want to get together again, just let me know."

He continued to call and when he had to come to Missoula for his job, he would come and stay at our house.  He was already family...I just wasn't ready to admit that yet.  So I would disappear until after he had gone to bed and I would avoid him.  I was still so in love with him but I was also a young girl who didn't know what she wanted.

Well, about a year after we broke up he came to visit and when it was time for him to go, he kissed me on the forehead and I was so mad!  Why didn't he just kiss me and get it over with?!  We had this same goodbye several times and it always left me so mad at him and at myself. 

One night I was sitting and thinking and I decided that I was through partying and I was ready to settle down.  Why was I wasting my life?  I called Andy and simply said, "The ball is back in your court."  His reply was, "When are you coming to Libby?"

We talked for hours (we're talking $400.00 phone bills!) every night...I don't think either of us got much sleep all week.  Then I drove to Libby in the middle of winter, blew all 4 tires on my car, ran it into the ditch 3 times on Bull Lake Highway and limped it the rest of the way there.

He opened the door to his apartment and I kid you not, it was as if we had never spent a day apart.  I was so in love with him and it was perfect.  About a year and a half later we were married.  I could hardly say my vows.  I was so overcome with emotion and love for him. 

Now here we are on our 11th Anniversary with three beautiful daughters and a very good life.  Our love has changed and we are not the hot and heavy teens we once were.  But I think it's better.  We know each other.  We understand each other most of the time.  We have put up with each other's crap and we have made up.  We have yelled and we have fought.  We have cried and we have loved like crazy. 

And after all of these years, I know without a doubt that he is my soul mate.  He is my best friend.  He is my warrior.  He is my children's father.  He is my compass and I am so very blessed to be his wife.  He is everything and without him, I would be lost.

Credits: 
Midnight Silhouettes by Cathy Cher
Word Art by Inspired Mommie Designs

A What's In The Box Challenge

Over at Pretty Scrappy they have a challenge called What's In The Box.  Basically you download a mini kit and you have to use everything in the kit on a page.  This was particularly hard for me for a couple of reasons. 

#1.  I am not a pastel lover.  I have a hard time with pastels...I don't know why but I just do.  I am more of an earth tones person.

#2.  When have you ever known me to leave things like they are and use things that are suppose to stay together...I'm more of a mix and match kind of girl.

But I decided to go for it anyway...I don't love the results but I don't hate them either. 

There is still time to play if you want to play along.  Just go to the forum and visit this post.

Here are my results.  I would love to see yours!

2009 A Week At A Time

So in addition to my Photo-A-Day project, I am also attempting to complete a project I'm calling A Week At A Time.  I am basically expanding on the photo-a-day idea and simply putting it into a weekly review.

I downloaded this template from  Digitreats as well as her awesome kits and went to town.  I plan to use this to create a 12x12 book at the end of the year (possibly as Christmas gifts or something along those lines).  I'm excited to finish this project and am really excited to have one whole week done (even if it is only 4 days!).  

So here is our Week 1 layout...

  

Andy's Buck

Ok...if you don't like hunting pictures you probably shouldn't read this post or look at the pictures.  If you do, read on.

Andy was pretty excited about this buck.  He shot it with his pistol (this is a first for him) and he was pretty jazzed.

I don't know all the details but I promised him I would post it for his friends to see.

Foxy Ladies ~ ATop Note Creation

A few days ago I was blurfing and found this cute little cat card made with SU's Top Note Die and I thought it would be fun to make with the girls.  I can't remember where I saw it now though so I'm not sure who to link the original back to.  If you know, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.

This is the original:

 

Of course I don't follow directions well and it wasn't long before my cute little kitty took on a new form.  I thought maybe she was a sex kitten but then as she matured I found her to be more of a foxy lady.

  

Lexi joined in and decided she wanted to make one like mine.  Kaylee on the other hand decided to make a wolf instead.  I think she did pretty well.  She even added blush and blue eyeshadow to her wolf...now that's creative!  Izzy took her pieces cut them into little bitty pieces and painted all over them and then threw them away (thus no picture but the effort was there!).

  

 

Chicken Pox Chics

The girls round with Chicken Pox lasted a little over 2 weeks and there were good days and bad days...good nights and bad nights.  LOL!  I am thankful it is over.  The girls were so awesome about it.  They tried to refrain from scratching and so far Izzy is the only scab picker.  But she is only 4 and she doesn't get it so it's all good. 

Kaylee definately had the most spots.  She was covered head to toe with tiny little spots everywhere.  She itched really badly and was the first to be finished with them.  She spent a lot of time soaking in the tub because that was what seemed to soothe her the most.  We even had a few baths at 3:00am because the itch was so bad.  She shows very little signs of even having had them.  YEAH!

Lexi got them the worst.  She had pox the size of pencil erasers all over her face and it was so sad.  She did gross me out one day though and thought it was pretty funny.  We were in the car taking a drive when I look over and she is licking blood from the palm of her hand.  I'm thinking that this child just picked a pock and is licking it.  I "eeeewwwwed" in disgust and she laughed.  She had found some of Kaylee's Halloween blood candy and was eating it.  Of course, once I told her how gross it looked she made it an even bigger gesture and grossed me out even more!

 

Izzy didn't get them too badly but she was the most uncomfortable at night.  She figured out that we could put Caladryl on and then if it stung we could blow on it.  I spent an entire night doing that every five minutes.  She would sleep for a few minutes (literally less than 5 at a time) then wake up with a new itch that had to be lotioned and then blown on.  It was a long night but what can you do when she is so little and so cute?  

I am thankful it is all over now and that they are back to feeling normal.