Thursday, November 30, 2006

last night's crop

we came, we cropped, people sang, inspiration was in the air, fun was had, and very cool projects were made! I have to thank everyone who popped in over at CK last night for making my very first online crop so much fun! That is really what I love about all of this; connecting with people, sharing ideas, and leaving eachother inspired. I really hope I was able to inspire some of the ladies as much as so many of them inspired me! please go and check out the challenges HERE and post them in the image gallery leaving a link in the challenge threads, or here on my blog in the comments. I would really love to see your work if any of these happen to inspire you!

Tiara is really super sick so she was up off and on all through the night. I ended up just staying up all night long going between helping her and writing/ scrapping like crazy! I'm sooo tired today but she feels loved, and I got a lot of stuff off my plate. ahhhhhhh, that has got to be the recipe for a good nights sleep tonight....I hope :)

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Come and crop!!!

with meee!!!!! there is a CK online crop with me tonight ( wed Nov.29th) from 8-midnight EST. come and hang out, ask questions, play... it should be fun! I have made up 4 challenges one for every hour. and I have to say I am excited to be able to share my work again, and check out everyone else's! it is so much fun to share together, so so good :) I hope to "see" you there!

this is my life


to be a 4 year old ballerina! I love it, Tiara is so incredibly focused and passionate about dancing. We got to go in for her lesson to watch the class and see where they are at. I just couldn't believe what a difference a year has made. look at her little pointed toesies...the focus in her eyes! heehee and that bit of toddler belly that is still hanging on :)

and my baby, who is so not looking like a baby at all these days, across the room at the safety of her daddy's leg, she has changed a whole lot lately. all of a sudden talking so much and such stories to tell us. I love 2 years old, it is just a magical time of discovery and wonder.

on that note, Hellooo blogland peoples! I have been so out of touch these past couple of weeks. I was in a couple of car accidents years ago and I struggle off and on with those injuries. More off than on thanks to good therapy, but I strained my neck pretty badly on my trip out to Salt Lake ( thinking I'm tough and strong and carrying WAY too heavy bags) and I have been fighting through awful migranes. Pretty intense.

There HAS been lots of good stuff going on though. Tiara got into a program for her sensory issues at the children's hospital here, and this is a really good and important step in our journey with her and all that she deals with. 5 kids with 2 teachers everyday for 2 hours. It is a lot for her to take in , quite draining on her but a good thing and will be done after this week.

Emilea ( 7) has been an angel as always, just so kind and helpful. She made me smile tonight as she sat cutting out small wallet photos I had printed and doodled on for her... then you can see the wheels turning as she thinks of what she will do with them. She decided on a notebook album ( all on her own!) wanting to cover the front and back with patterned paper and make a ribbon handle. I love it!!! She is so creative and always watching what I am up to. Kids really take in and soak up so much.

and In my scrapping hullabaloo- I have just wrapped up getting everything in for my insert coming out with the March issue of Creating Keepsakes!!! how exciting is that?! Even a cover with me on it! I had never imagined I would be scrapping a cover for anything , nevermind scrapping one with my own pictures! WOW!!! Anyways, I have jam packed it with challenges and extra ideas, so be on the look out for what I hope will be a fun and inspiring read :)

be safe , be happy, give out a hug! T.T.F.N.!
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Friday, November 17, 2006

Thankful


Just a picture I came across from the summer, that I like. My wonderful Cam, he is always a good guy but especially now, I have been needing to work much more than I ever have before, and he has really risen to the ocasion, taking on the things that I can't do, and helping in so many extra ways around here. Knowing that him and I are a team is something I am so thankful for I can't even begin to explain it.

We had our visit to the dentist this week. Girls did great, no cavities and each a photo on the smile wall ! I was thinking how blessed we are to have really good benefits through Cam's work, that we can get really good dental care. I don't take that for granted for one second, I know there are many people who aren't so fortunate. I am thankful. What are you thankful for today?
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Thursday, November 16, 2006

Silly me!

So, this past week when I was stuck in the Vegas airport for the night I pulled out the laptop I had brought and was chatting with Cam, he asked me if I was safe at least where I was for the night? and I said " I don't know" I had found a corner to settle into and couldn't really see what was going on elsewhere, but I had been hearing this security person around the corner go to this gentleman and ask him repeatedly "sir can you please place your metal objects in the bag" the man would grumble and make some angry grumpy sounds at her ( getting more and more agitated each time, or at least, that is how it sounded to me) she would leave him be and then go back and ask him again in awhile "sir can you please place your metal objects in the bag", so I told Cam in response to his question; "there is this guy who won't give up his metals, but I think they are taking care of it, so I should be safe" We chatted for awhile longer and this was still going on around the corner, so I told Cam " geee this dude still won't hand over his metals, he sounds totally grumpy" Cam told me he would pray for me, and we said goodnight. I settled into my corner floor spot for some good scrapping, praying myself for my own safety. But this continued every 15-20 minutes throughout the night, the security woman would ask the guy to hand over his metals and he would be angry about it.....Then after what must have been a hundred times I realized it was an airline security video playing over and over! , I laughed so hard at myself for being such a silly! Funny how your mind plays tricks on you in the middle of the night when you haven't slept in a couple of days !!! LOL ah well, keeps things interesting anyways!

My adventure to CK!


Here I am at CK! yep, for real!!! filming the DVD segments that I have been working so hard on. Totally cool and fun experience! This was my first time on the set of anything, so it took a bit of getting used to being in front of the camera, but once I did I had a blast! Everyone I met out there was wonderful, and I got such a kick out of walking around the offices and seeing where it all goes down. Once again, Leslie Miller was over the top good to me, and after our super busy day was done I totally enjoyed grabbing some eats with her and her husband Matt, and meeting their wonderful kiddos. I wish I had gotten a picture of Alexander (5) he had such great stories for me, we're definitely buds now!
Check out my new glasses, I traded in my blue ones, just did. I am happy with the choice :) Woke up on Saturday to a bit of a chilly morning ( nothing like here though!), but enjoyed a meeting over scrumptious breakfast, and I even fit in a quick trip to bath and body works and target before heading back to the airport. We don't have those stores here, so that makes a cool little field trip for me :)

The mountains everywhere were just breathtaking. A friend and I were talking the other day about how the good thing about living in totally flat prairies is that you never "get used to" the amazing splendor of the mountains. And I think it is true, I love being so in awe of such a cool creation, and I guess if I saw them everyday all of my life it may not be quite the same.

OK, so I have to rewind for a second and tell you why this trip was so much more of an adventure than I am making it sound! LOL! So the true goods are; I had come down with strep throat and an ear infection just a few days before my photo shoot, and made it in to the doc for some antibiotics. No biggie, nothing some tylenol and a big smile can't handle right? Well half way through photo day I knew something was wrong, but of course pretty much ignored it in favor of the tylenol and a smile route. I was supposed to catch a plane the next day ( yes, I said supposed to), so once the guys left I began packing and gathering all of my projects etc. Problem is I was having such severe stomach pain that I couldn't stand up straight, I tried to push through for several hours until I was literally on the floor, and sweet Cam was trying to finish gathering and organizing my stuff. Well I , by this time, was just trying to mumble at him where things had to go. Finally we knew there was no way I could travel like this, wrote to Leslie, and put in a call to the doctor. Anyways...Saw the doc, and turns out I was having a pretty bad allergic reaction to the antibiotics! So we stopped that in a hurry, and CK rescheduled the flight.

Well, should be good from here hey? Not completely! Cam brought me to the airport and I was told my flight would be slightly delayed, no biggie. Well it ended up leaving here 2 hours late and missing my connection. Where? In Vegas! So I land there and go through customs, am told to walk to the other terminal to get help and when I do NO ONE I need is anywhere, they have all gone home! The connecting airline people were trying to be nice and help me get ahold of someone but since they did not make my flight late there was nothing they could do. I ended up spending the night in the Vegas airport listening to WOW worship yellow ( totally awesome btw) and scrapping on the floor. It was actually pretty peaceful, I would even do it again.....Not today though. A bad attitude was not going to solve it all for me so I figured I may as well have a good time! LOL. A little excerpt from my journal says: " one month ago I was here in Vegas and my life was completely changed, I never imagined I would be back here so soon and definitely not under these circumstances, but it is a pretty cool way to celebrate and reflect on one rockin' month!"
Other than some issues getting an airline to take responsibility for getting me to Salt Lake in the morning, and a couple of teary moments, it was pretty smooth sailing from there and I must report that the trip home was MUCH smoother!

that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!
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Sunday, November 12, 2006

CK photo shoot!!!

Hellooo!!!!! sorry for the absence in blogging, it has been a wild and wonderful week of CK goodness. Above is a peek at my work space right here in our family room. As you can see our home is filled with colorful fun! We have been working on an area for me down in the basement for the times when I need to get away and concentrate, but for the most part I really LOVE to be right here with everyone, having the girls sit and work on their crafts with me at my island while I work on mine, or chatting with Cam in the evening while he watches a show or plays a game. It is good.

Brian and Skylar came out last week to do my CK photo shoot. They did photos here at home with Cam and the kids, and we also got out skating and playing in the snow!!! whoo hoo! I seriously had such a blast! ( I even managed to forget about having strep thraot and an ear infection, and totally ignored the reaction that was coming on from my antibiotics!!!) The guys were wonderful, and totally cool to hang out with, working really well together, and making me feel completely at ease. Emilea said right after they left " those guys are just like dads" which from her means that they were kind and fun and comfortable to be around :) she was so right.

Below is Skylar and I shooting in our living room; different space, more stripes more color! I totally can't wait to see the photos, from what I saw of them here Sky is just as talented as he is fun! And Brian is perfect for his job too, kind and good with the perfect eye for making things look awesome! This definitely goes down as one of the coolest days this year, though we have had a few lately hey?!

Thanks so much guys!
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Friday, November 03, 2006

a giraffe, a princess and a bumblebee in the snow!


and last but not least in any way, my baby giraffe was totally oh so happy. All day she was asking everyone " what you be?" and then telling us "I be j-raff" when the time finally came she was squealing with delight, and did NOT want to take her costume off at the end of the night. she carried a little lunch bag and said thank-you at every door. Oh and as you can see I was Minnie mouse ( minus the wee red dress and black nose) lol. Cam and I dress up to some degree every year. It just makes it extra fun and the kids get a kick out of it. It was great fun to join our good friends, the Kornelsens over in their neighborhood. Kris and Kristie and their three boys are the perfect match for us and our three girls, when ever we get the bunch of us together you know good things are going to happen...or at least great adventures! Friends like them are the greatest treasure, they make every day better just by being them, and I am totally incredibly thankful.


the prettiest princess to ever wear a touque instead of a crown! Tiara "got it" 100% this year and it was the first time that she just had fun and did her thing without feeling appriehensive about it all. I am SO proud of her. She deals with so many sensory issues and though it is hard for all of us at times, she is always so brave and tries so hard to be her happy little self

my sweet bee :) she wore this bee body for halloween the year she was two, and this year at the last minute decided to forgo her pink fairy costume and go for the bee again! only this time she mixed with with a teletubby head. and wore it over the puffy-est jacket she has. Cam and I laughed so so hard at our big eared oh so round bumblebee...too funny! I love this kid to bits, she makes me laugh every day