Just some stuff...

So, my goal is to organize for 1-2 hours per day and clean for another hour! (Yes, I'm seperating the two!), so that means way less computer time... Matt will be sooooooo thrilled! I didn't get to far last night, we ended up going out for dinner (Olgas, I LOVE thier snackers) and to Gander Mountain for... fishing supplies!
Matt sooooo needs to go fishing, he needs to for himself and to get me some salmon to eat! When I was pregnant I wasn't able to eat all that much, so this year I will be indulging, I figure it could be something way worse to crave, so fish isn't all that bad!
If you have any tips or tricks on organizing, I would be happy to read them... (like hiring someone would be a good one, not cheap but a GREAT idea). We are having a garage sale, but I am to lazy to price everything, so I'm still going to be giving quite a bit to Goodwill! I have two huge piles already. Another site I use to get rid of stuff (besides e-bay) is Freecycle. I get rid of so much stuff so quickly this way, I totally recommend it! Seriously! When we got new furniture we needed our other stuff gone, it wasn't that great so we didn't want to mess with selling it, so I listed it and it was gone by that evening, I had at least 10 people respond and want it! I just listed some micro-steam bags (for cleaning bottles etc) and I received an e-mail request for them within 2 minutes of the listing being posted, not sure when she will pick up, but whatever, it's gone, I don't have to look at it and I didn't add it to a landfill!

We spent quite a bit of time outside this afternoon, Elliot loved it, and so did I. I walked 3.5 miles this afternoon too and guess what... my cheeks got a little sun! I then went shopping at the Gap Outlet, lucky me they had 50% off a bunch of stuff, so I picked up a few things, 2 skirts and some shirts, it feels so good to get new clothes, especially skirts. It's been a LONG time since I wore a skirt! Now I just need shoes, so hopefully tomorow I can make time for Payless! (Thanks to Amandas cute pics)

So, no great plans for the weekend, we are watching my brother and sister tomorow night so my parents can go out, then they are taking our kids on Saturday so we can go out with some friends, I think we are going to go to Mongolian Barbecue (did I spell that right???), we've never been so it will be fun to try something new, plus it's a little ways away from us so it will make the night last longer, I so need a long night! Sunday is church and I think Matt will try to take the "Dinner Bell" his boat out for the first time this year!


I just finished a layout too, it didn't take me that long, so I know it's not that great, but I liked the kit with the colors of Bailey's shirt! I also loved the style of the kit too! Anyway, here it is...

Great Friday and weekend to you!

Just another day!

Today was an ok day. This morning I was seriously at the, end of my rope with Elliot and feeling like I was going to explode, but then he finally fell asleep! He was so tired, but just fighting it, I tried getting him up once just in case I wasn't reading him right, but he was so cranky there just wasn't any denying how tired he was, so back to bed, then crying for 45 minutes before he finally fell asleep. It just stresses me out! I went for a long walk with a friend (after stopping at the cafe for a cinnamon roll...hmmmmmm????), some cleaning and laundry (I've figured out that I have to do at least 2 loads a day just to keep up! How in the world do five people create 2 loads of laundry per day (FULL loads), well, let me tell you, it's because my dearst daughter puts clean clothes in with dirty clothes just because she doesn't want to put them away... how lovely is that?????? Matt came home for lunch, it's always nice to be able to talk to an adult, and he brought me Subway, so nice of him! My little sister came over to play with Bailey and to take a nap, the kids all took great naps/quiet time so that was so nice for me... it was rejuvinating, just quiet time when I should have been cleaning, but was on the computer instead... (I need to work on prioritizing better). Then we picked up my van which was being fixed, it feels so good to know that nothing is wrong with it, no tires are going to fall off or anything, I just HATE to spend all that money on something that I have nothing to show for! Tonight Landon had a roller skating party for school, and Matt was working on getting his boat ready so I took all three of my kids and a friend of Bailey's.

Here is Bailey (middle) and her friends Maddie and Morgan enjoying ice cream!

Landon (left) and three of his friends...

Elliot and his friend/cousin Mayci, aren't they sooo cute?!? Elliot loved to hold her hair!

So anyway, that's pretty much all, nothing deep or thoughtful today, just a boring day! And a layout to share... a double page, and I'm pretty sure I've already shared these pics, but now they look prettier don't they?????

So we decided...

So, we went to the meeting for the gifted and talented class for Landon tonight. Earlier today I had been talking to a friend about how Landon doesn't know what it's like to work for his grades, he doesn't have a clue how to study or ask for help when he doesn't understand something. Then at the meeting they addressed this word for word and how being in this class may take kids from the top of the class to the bottom, they may struggle a bit, but they will learn how to ask for help, they will learn how to study, they will learn to make smart academic decisions on thier own! They said that some kids do struggle in the class at first, but eventually adjust. I just felt as if God was telling me that this is what we need to do. Neither one of us wants to tell Landon though (it may be a while until we actually do, I know him and he will stress about it so bad), but we know that no matter what his reaction, he doesn't know what is best for him at his young age and we do, we know that this is the right decision for him right now!

It is so amazing when you God speaking to you. I have really been trying lately to discern what His will and desire is for my life, with so many random things happening, specifically cancelling my plans for last week. I just need to wait and trust that He has a purpose, I may never get the answers but he has them and I know in my heart that he knows what is best (although difficult, because I, like most people, like to be in control, but need to turn that over to Him). OK, did I ramble enough about that? Are you still with me?

I missed the discussion part of BSF tonigh (Bible Study), but made it for the lecture portion and I'm glad I did. I struggle so much with lack of self control (hence the belly that won't go away and my supply of digiscrapping stuff) and one of the principles that she gave us was... Christians prepare to meet Christ by living a self controlled life, so I feel very convicted now to work on that this week. Another point she made was that we are not shocked by evil anymore because we are so used to seeing it and hearing about it, but we are suprised when someone shows God's love, how true is that and how sad? And one more priciple to share... The opportunities God gives today may be gone tomorow, what am I putting off that should be done today? There may not be time for repentance tomorow, right now is the time, for myself and to tell others about God's love!

I went to help in Bailey's class at school this afternoon, I love helping out, and since Landon is so much older I realize that they just don't need the help anymore when they get older, I need to take advantage of knowing her friends and teacher so well at this age. We did a book on animals with the kids, with examples of thier body coverings, i remember doing the same exact book with Landon when he was in kindergarten! After that was Ballet, then I had to bring my car to the shop where Matt picked me up, took us home, then off to the meeting, then bible study and here I am, so really very little time to even think this evening, it's great to relax a little!

I did a quick layout this morning for Digi-Dare...Journaling is a little depressing, but it's just me right now, it reads:
So, the dare is to find something you like about yourself... not an easy task. I’m not a super positive person lately, so really there was nothing, but if I HAD to pick, it would either be my eyes or my hair, but only the color of my hair, I really don’t like how thick it is, or how it just lays limp, but that’s my own fault for not taking the time to do my hair every day, but who has the time? I hate my unruly, grow to fast eyebrows, with a chicken pox scar on the side so there is no eyebrow there, I hate my dry cracked chapped lips, and if we head a little further south I hate my stomach, three kids later it is just plain old fat (love the kids, hate the gut), the legs aren’t terrible, except for that awful sore on the right ankle that will never go away, so I guess I’m stuck with my eyes, there not that bad, the color is ok, I guess


Have a great Monday night/Tuesday (depending on when you are catching this)!

Just a quick layout...

Click on layout for credits in DST gallery...

New Stuff...

So excited, I FINALLY got an external hard drive... I went to install Nero on my computer today so that I could back up my digital scrap files to DVD instead of CD (wouldn't want to loose all that...) and there wasn't space on my computer for the program. So after a little research I found one at Circuit City that looked pretty decent! 250G Western Digital, on sale for just $79.99 (that is IF i remember to mail in the rebate, gotta do that tomorow) So, as I type I'm copying EVERYTHING over to the ehd, which is going to take FOREVER!



I have a new layout to share too... I shared this pic earlier, but wanted to scrap it...
Credits can be seen here!

And a story to share too, about how incredibly dumb I can be! Bailey goes to school two days/week and every other Wednesday, Landon had the same schedule as her, three years ago, never had a problem. Well, this morning I dropped the kids off at school, Bailey get's on a bus at Landon's school and takes that to her school and drove off as she was climbing on the bus, off to Wal-Mart (a store I normally absolutely HATE, but have discovered that if you go at 8:30 in the morning it really isn't all that terrible, it's as good as Wal-Mart can be I guess). So I'm in line waiting to return something when my phone rings, I don't recognize the number, but answer anyway... good thing! It's Bailey's school, it wasn't her day to go to school, so she was waiting in the office for me to come and get her! At this point I'm near tears, I don't mess up like this, I've lost some of my organizational skills (as far as scheduling and keeping track of papers etc) in the past few years (a little goes with the addition of each child), but this is a pretty big mess up. I called Matt and luckily he was able to go get her quick. Luckily when she got home she was smiling, in the past something like this probably would have upset her pretty bad, but she has grown up so much this year. I guess there was another little boy in the office that did the same thing, and I know it's not the first time someone has done it, but still! Oh well, live and learn I guess, I will check the calendar closer next time!

Well, have a great day, there is nothing exciting going on in my life right now, no great pics to share or anything, sorry!

A layout...

I really like how this turned out...
Credits can be seen here.

OK, ta-da!

Can't believe we did this...truly. As crazy as this sounds, at the risk of sounding like a freak, I actually teared up when they started, when I saw the first strands on the floor! Matt is so not happy with me. I actually asked for shoulder length, this is ear lenght though! The important thing is that she really likes it. She came out of the bathroom spinning her head, hitting herself in the face with her hair and said "I can wack myself all the time now!". I guess if that's what makes her happy whatever! I want it to grow a little longer now, like 4 inches longer! But this is what we have for now...
And a layout I wanted to share too... I did this for Lifts with a Twist
Credits can be seen here.