Baggage Included

Put a ring on it!

2012-01-29T21:40:00.000-05:00

This morning I tried another one of my beloved Pinterest recipes, the Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring!

Every weekend that the whole family is home (hubs is usually known to be golfing or hunting on his weekends) I like to make a big breakfast and least one of the days. The usual suspects are found on our plates - eggs, bacon, biscuits, etc. But if everyone is lucky (and Mama remembered to buy them at the store) you will find a yummy, gooey, delicious cinnamon roll. Of course this was not one of the weekends I remembered to buy them. BUT...the stars did align for me to have all of the ingredients to make the yummy treat. And they were so easy!

Don't those look amazing? The only thing that could have added to the sticky goodness would have been a little icing drizzled over the top of them. But they were certainly winners in our book! So a big thank you to The Jones Way blog for posting the recipe. It has made a permanent home in our recipe box! :)

Dear Pinterest, I love you.

2012-01-28T20:49:00.001-05:00

I am in love. No, seriously. I have had a closeted love affair for a couple of months but I am clearly ready to shout it from the rooftops. Pinterest, you have my heart.

If you've never been on Pinterest (boy are you missing out), it is basically an online bulletin board and the world wide web is like your magazine. But instead of ripping out pages of cute shoes, great recipes, and chic decor to stick on the front of your refrigerator, you pin it to your Pinterest board. And let me tell you, it is addicting.

Where else can you plan a wedding (when you're already married), redecorate your two story mansion (when you live in a ranch), and plan gourmet meals (for your family that prefers chicken nuggets and corn dogs). :)

I did try a new recipe from my beloved new addiction this weekend and it was pretty good. I will be altering it slightly next time but all in all, my family tolerated my desires to try some new things. The recipe was Lemon Garlic Chicken.

I won't bore you with the prep as you can read the recipe linked above. I will tell you that in the future, I will omit the sliced lemon in the bottom of the pan. It made the green beans and red potatoes super tart. But other than that, it was delish! I forgot to take a picture of the chicken after it came out of the oven so here is the photo that I found originally. You can find the pin here.

I am excited to try more and more recipes as my family allows, and I will definitely be filling my house with some new decor thanks to my new love, Pinterest!

Disney World, 2012

2012-01-23T23:09:00.001-05:00

We were super excited to get outta dodge and go to Disney World with our family. This was the first time we were there with my parents, and my brother, my sister in law, and their kids. And I might I add the first time we were going to meet our almost 2 year old niece, Ellie!

I've always been taught that a bad day on vacation is better than a good day at home. Well, I expect that rings true in most cases. However, does that still apply when your entire family comes down with the stomach flu at Disney World? It was a rough go the entire week as it seemed that each mini family was sick in shifts. Good news, we did get to go do some things. Bad news, only once was everyone together and there isn't a single photo to prove that we were all in the same place, at the same time. And even though we weren't able to spend the entire week frolicking through the parks together (yes, I said frolicking), we still had a wonderful time being together.

{the highlights}

Driving onto Disney property unaware of what we were in for.

The only photo of the boys with Grandma. :(

Zachary teaching Grandpa about Pokemon on his 3DS.

Damion schooled me on the Buzz Lightyear ride.

The boys make friends everywhere!

Andrew & Zachary bonding with their super cool and gorgeous cousin, Alix.

Going through these pictures I have now realized that I have zero pictures of our sweet niece, Ellie. And there are no pictures of Damion and I. I am definitely calling for a Mulligan. Here's hoping that our next trip will be virus free and lots of fun.

Happy Birthday, Andrew

2011-12-22T21:52:00.002-05:00

If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to do...Is to save every day till eternity passes away, just to spend them with you.

This is what I think with every birthday that comes and goes for my boys. I just don't know how they keep getting so big so quick!

Happy 11th Birthday to my sweet Andrew. I couldn't imagine how dull my life would be without you. Thank you for choosing me to be your Mama. I love you!

Cirque du Christmas Cards

2011-12-20T22:03:00.006-05:00

There are two words that plague me every December...Christmas Cards. Strange? Maybe...But I always feel so much stress about them. Every January I swear that next Christmas will be different, and then December rolls around and I end up with the stupid cards that feature what looks like the Easter Bunny in a Santa hat greeting us with a Hoppy Holidays. Okay, it isn't really that bad, but - it's close.

This was going to be our year. We were going to own the Christmas Spirit with our cards. I wanted something different that captured our personalities and I wanted it to have that certain WOW factor that I so desire every year. I thought it would be really fun to hire someone to take our family pictures, hoping they would share my vision, or at least humor me. There are a few of problems with this... #1. It's already the middle of December. #2. We are blessed with a child that has Asperger's Syndrome, that loathes having his picture taken. #3. We are traveling for Christmas and that leaves about 30 seconds to find someone to take the photos, edit them, give us a disk, order cards, address them, AND actually mail them. #4. Refer to #'s 1-3.

Thankfully, I was creeping on my neighbor's Facebook page and saw that she recently had her family's pictures taken by a local photog. I called her immediately and she was surprisingly up to the challenge. We made arrangements for her to come photograph my motley crew 2 days later.

All that are close to us, know that we live our lives with lots of love, laughter, and understanding. I truly think all of these things were captured in our session. Here are just some of my favorites!

Doesn't Zachary look excited?!?

I have to interrupt and tell you that it couldn't have been more perfect for our kitty to be taking his leisurely stroll during our mini photo session. It's like he knew. LOL

I love how Belle and Zachary are still watching the cat. This continued for several minutes.

I couldn't be happier with the results of our session with Melissa Jenkins Photography. We definitely got lucky. I have vowed to book our next Christmas Card session in October to give us plenty of time to get it just right. It is written in stone to remind me - well, as in stone as the Google Calendar can be on my iPhone. :)

Take a look at what made the cut for our card.

I apologize for the horrible cell phone photo, but you get the idea. I am pleased to tell you that we had our cards in the mail with only days to spare. Talk about sneaking in at the 11th hour. Well, there's always next year. ;)

The Perfect Tree

2011-12-03T21:10:00.001-05:00

We took a family outing in search of the most perfect Christmas tree today. Although we will be making the pilgrimage to my parents house in Raleigh for Christmas, the boys still wanted to put up a tree. And of course, one of the three artificial trees we have just wouldn't have been good enough. ;)

Much like the Griswolds, we were kicking off our fun old fashion family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols. Mind you, it was in the 70's with a light breeze - gotta love South Georgia in the winter.

We ended up at a tree farm called, Busy Elves...And were they ever. We were pointed in the right direction of finding our family tree. The boys picked it out and even assisted Damion is cutting is down and carrying it to the car.

And even though it will end up in our living room with only lights on it but I will tell you that we made memories that won't soon be forgotten. <3

Happy Homeowner-iversary!

2011-11-19T23:50:00.000-05:00

Today marks 1 year since we closed on our first home! I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by. Being a military family, we are so used to picking up and moving our entire lives every 3 years to a different Marine Corps Base. Before now, we never had to worry about mortgage payments, yard maintenance, and power bills. Living on a base, all of that is taken care of for you. It's truly one of the perks. But after living in this beautiful brick house for the last year, I can't imagine raising our family anyplace else.

~Home is where your story begins~

We've got spirit, yes we do!

2011-09-23T23:03:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!

It has been a pretty exciting one indeed! One of the best things about living in this small town (other than saying that Luke Bryan and Buster Posey grew up in little ole Leesburg) is the community outreach. This morning, the Varsity football players and cheerleaders from the high school came over to spend some time with the kids at the elementary school for a pep rally. They sell spirit wear, sigh autographs, and make these kids feel like a million bucks.

Zachary's teacher snapped this photo and sent it to me during the day.

The only thing missing is spirit fingers. :) Have a good one, y'all! God Bless.

Cruella DeVille's got nothin' on me

2011-09-05T22:15:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day! :)

I hope you have had a splendid weekend with family, fun, and laughter.

We were lucky enough to spend some time with our extended family down the road from our house (okay, about an hour down the road but it's all good). Our cousins, Matt and his wife Holly were generous enough for us to spend a few days crashing with them so we were able to spend some time together, all of the kids were able to play, and most importantly, we got to see THE PUPPIES!

Holly had to work a majority of the weekend (booooo) but that just meant that I had some unsupervised time snuggling, and hugging, and kissing, and squeezing those precious little furry pups.

I must tell you that there is no possible way they could get any cuter. Look at the puppy pile and tell me that you aren't going nuts right now wanting to cuddle them.

We had the very difficult task of having to choose our puppy out of the 13. Well, out of the 7 girls to be exact. We decided to let the kids pick their favorite. Since Zachary is a die hard Tubby Kitty fan, he said he didn't care. That left the sibling pick up to Andrew. After some not so careful consideration *he literally picked the puppy closest to him, just so happened to be a girl.

Please give a warm bloggyland welcome to our puppy, Belle.

What a noodle, I tell ya. Her eyes won't be open for quite a while but I have to say that she really has the cutest face of all of the puppies.

After the stress of picking our puppy on Sunday morning, we decided breakfast would be the best way to celebrate. So Uncle Damion made all of the kids B&E (bacon and eggs). All of the cousins sat and ate like queens and kings celebrating the time we all had together.

With breakfast dishes done, we knew it was time to head home. It was a wonderful weekend with some great family and we are so blessed to live so close. Puppies or not, there is no place we would have rather spent our weekend. God Bless.

Happy Birthday, Damion!

2011-08-26T22:00:00.001-04:00

The love of my life turns 30-something today but still has the energy of a teenager. I don't know how he does it. Between work, play, and everything in between, he is such a wonderful dad, husband, provider, and comedian. Doesn't hurt that he is pretty easy on the eyes. ;)

His birthday present came a few days ago which we went ahead and let him open.

New GOLF CLUBS! WOOHOO!

He is spending the weekend playing in a golf tournament. So one would say he is doing exactly what he loves.

Happy birthday, baby! I hope it's the best to date, and I hope that your year ahead is full of nothing but the best. <3

You can't help but smile at a puppy. :)

2011-08-25T22:01:00.000-04:00

For the longest time, Damion has wanted a bulldog. It didn't matter what kind of bulldog, he just had to have one. It must be the Georgia Native thing. And for those that know us, there is very rarely a time that he doesn't get what he wants. ;)

Much to our excitement, Damion's cousin (who might as well be his brother...our kids even call him Uncle Matt) has a beautiful American Bulldog named Brinks. Matt and his wife, Holly decided to breed Brinks with another local American Bulldog, Hoss (Can you stand these names??? LOVE THEM!)

We have been not so patiently waiting the arrival of these sweet babies *err puppies as we are lucky enough to have been promised a girl. So, without further adieu, meet the newest members of our Canine population...

Aren't they adorable? We are so excited to tell you that Mama Brinks gave birth to 13 puppies! Isn't that amazing! 7 girls and 6 boys. We cannot wait to go meet them all this weekend and pick out the newest member of our family. I am sure Tubby Kitty will be ecstatic at the new addition. :) God Bless.

Twin Oaks Elementary...Here we come!

2011-08-12T21:00:00.000-04:00

The first day of school. New backpacks, fresh haircuts, and squeaky clean shoes. What's not to love? Oh, that's right...Early to bed, even earlier to rise, and that dreaded word, homework.

The boys are beginning a new year at another new school. When we moved to Georgia last year they started at one of two local elementary schools. We bought our house halfway through the school year and wouldn't you know it, we are zoned for the other school. They Superintendent was nice enough to let them finish the year at the same school but this year they had to switch.

Being the Mama of a child with extra challenges causes many more concerns for the first day at a new school. We don't just worry about if they will get along with the kids in their class, or how will they know where their classroom is. Not that those aren't valid worries. It's just on top of those, we have to think about things like, will the other kids notice that your child is different right away, and will they treat them different, and will the teacher know how to cope when your child kicks over his desk and starts slapping himself in the face because that is his normal reaction when his little mind gets overwhelmed.

We were able to go meet the teachers the night before our first day at Twin Oaks Elementary and I have to tell you, we have never felt better about starting at a new school. I was so worried that they wouldn't have someone that knew about Zachary and his challenges, and boy was I wrong. We walked in to his homeroom and his SpEd (Special Education) teacher walked up to me and said, "Hi, I'm Mrs. D., and I will be here in the morning to meet Zachary at car pickup. We will walk to class together and I will be here to sit with him and make sure his day goes perfectly smooth." No words had ever sounded sweeter to my ears than those. She immediately put us at ease and we didn't have to think about what was going to happen. She was just there to say, "hi, I am here, and I will take care of your precious angel".

We met Andrew's homeroom teacher as well and she seemed equally eager to be involved in "the new kid's" experience and assured us that he would do great.

So, early to bed and early to rise for our first day of 4th and 5th grade. How did my babies get so big?

They look thrilled, don't they?! :) Here's hoping their school years are full of fun, friends, success, and happiness. And here's hoping that your kiddos find their year to hold the same. God Bless. <3

Second Chances...

2011-08-11T21:40:00.002-04:00

I know what you're thinking.

There she goes again with some {early} mid-life crisis wanting to catch up on blogging again. And...you're right.

The truth is, I always want to sit down and write on this beautifully, neglected blog. I don't know why I don't. So here we go...Second chances. Right? Everyone (well-most everyone) deserves one.

On the eve of 4th and 5th grade beginning for my boys, I am making a list in my head of second chances for this year. Because when you're a Mama, you get to start fresh every August with your kids. New expectations, new rules - for the most part, a new you.

So here's to second chances. God Bless.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T23:30:00.000-05:00

Christmas this year has been a bit bitter sweet for us. While it is amazing to be celebrating our first Christmas in our first home, we are sad because my parents were unable to join us for the festivities. My mom has been struggling with her recovery from her last surgery and fate was just not on our side this time. Sometimes, it just happens that way. Like it or not. This was also a difficult year because we decided (we, meaning Damion mostly) that this was the year to have the "Santa talk" with the kids. I begged for just 1 more year. But as luck would have it...My husband has an excellent memory and reminded me that we had made that deal...last year. So, in honor of keeping my word, we had the Santa = a state of mind conversation. I was very fearful that Christmas would not feel as magical as it had in the past. Boy was I wrong. I mean, how could it not be magical when there are still so many surprises.

Christmas Eve was very low key. Andrew and I took homemade cookies and bread to our neighbors to wish them a happy holiday, while Zachary invited himself to play in a neighborhood front yard football game. We spent the evening hanging out, just the 4 of us (well, 5 if you count Tubby Kitty - which we of course count him). When the kids were all nestled in their beds for the evening, Damion and I got to work on the Christmas surprises.

If you look at the mantle closely, you will see that Hedwig from Harry Potter found a new home with us. He is waiting on the garland to surprise Andrew Christmas morning.

The boys were in awe of the amount of loot under the tree! We of course had to get our annual picture of them sitting in front of the Christmas tree.

Since they are die hard Cornhusker fans, every year Grandma and Grandpa make sure that the kids have something Nebraska to open. We thought it right to humor them with a picture. (Even though we bleed red and black in this house. :P ) We didn't take a lot of pictures of the gifts being torn into but here are some of the other things that the kids opened up.

I'm telling ya, they made out like bandits! And that was just a couple of their presents! Along with the Nintendo DSi's that they each opened, they both received several games for them!

Mom and Dad were incredibly spoiled too! Damion got some new clothes, gift cards, a new iPhone case, Meat Dehydrator (for his Venison jerky), and his favorite gift (next to the dehydrator of course) a Snuggie! There is a story behind the snuggie that makes it a gag gift but let me tell you...I was able to surprise him with that one gift, and he has actually gotten a lot of use out of it!

I got a gift card, digital picture frame, some beautiful things to decorate our new home, a hand carved pug (a story goes with that too which in turn makes that my gag gift), among other things. I was most excited to receive a very special gift from my parents...Christmas China! Ever since I was little, I have always loved the Christmas China by Nikko with the Tree on it. I swore if I ever bought china, it would be that. Well, this year I received a set of 12 place settings along with some serving pieces. How memorable it is that I was given this amazing gift the first year in our new home! Thanks Mom and Dad! Here are a couple of pictures of it in our hutch in the dining room! (Apologizing in advance for the crappy iPhone photos.)

Isn't it gorgeous!!! Needless to say it was a wonderful day!

I think I have mentioned that Damion grew up near here and his family all still lives within an hour of our home. We were lucky enough to celebrate with the Ellis side of our family in the evening at Aunt Susan and Uncle Roy's house. I remembered the food and the presents to exchange but of course forgot the camera so I have no proof of us being there, lol. But I can tell you that the food was amazing, the wine was flowing, and the company couldn't have been better. So many blessings in our lives.

We hope that y'all had a wonderful Christmas wherever you were. And we hope that your New Year is full of good health, good fortune, family, and love. God Bless.

Double Digits Happy Birthday, Andrew!

2010-12-22T00:39:00.002-05:00

Today was a monumental day in the Ellis house. Our baby, Andrew turned 10 years old!

Since Andrew's birthday is so close to Christmas, Andrew is always on Winter Break from school. Which means sleeping in is usually on the schedule. Except for today, of course! Damion and I got Andrew (and Zachary) up bright and early to sing and wish him a Happy Day! Since he was going to be home, we decided to let him go ahead and open his birthday presents first thing, instead of making him wait all day until dinner and cake. That worked out really well, especially because we need he was getting a metric ton of Lego's.

The first gift he opened was from Grandma and Grandpa. Andrew is so into Harry Potter, so he was very excited to get the Hogwart's Express from his grandparents!

Next, he opened the presents from good ole Mom and Dad. Andrew had seen this Lego book at Toys R Us a couple of weeks ago while shopping with Damion. It is a complete encyclopedia of every Star Wars Lego ever made.

Both Andrew and Zachary were so into this book. They went through the entire thing mentally making their new Christmas wish lists.

Alas, the Pièce de résistance... Andrew opened the last gift from Mom and Dad. And much to his surprise, he got the Lego Hogwarts Castle! Does he have the coolest parents or what?!?

After Andrew opened all of his presents, he and Zachary wasted no time getting all of the Lego's organized and began construction. And those poor kids...It took them ALL DAY to put together both Lego sets. Our poor kitty just wanted to help. ;)

Andrew decided he wanted to go out to dinner for his birthday, so we all loaded up and went to his favorite place, Ruby Tuesdays! Even though they didn't sing to him (stupid restaurant with mediocre service), we really had a wonderful time together.

When we got home, it was cake time. Fitting with the Harry Potter theme, Andrew asked for a Hogwart's Crest on his cake. Of course, Mom pulled out her less than stellar decorating skills to annihilate the cake. Even though it looked nothing like the crest, Andrew loved it. God Bless that boy!

All in all, Andrew had a fabulous day! I can't believe how fast the years have gone by with this amazing kiddo. If only I could figure out how to slow it all down. If the first 10 went by this quick, I can't imagine what's in store for the next 10.

Slowly but Surely...

2010-11-30T00:05:00.002-05:00

We have been in our new home since November 22 and it has been a dream! We love everything about where we live. The neighborhood is very quiet, but it isn't unusual to drive down the road on a weekend and see a front yard football game going on. Also, we feel like we have hit the neighbor lottery! All of our neighbors are so nice and we can't imagine what it would be like to not live here. Because we had such a emotionally trying month in November, we have been slow to get things unpacked. Okay...I have been slow at getting things unpacked. But...I wanted to share a couple of pictures of the boys' rooms. They are finally completely unpacked and organized. All that is left is hanging pictures on the walls, and putting up curtains.

Zachary's Room:

Andrew's Room:

And just for kicks, here is a shot of our living room with our brand spankin new furniture!

We are so thankful for this beautiful home and the boys love their new rooms. More pictures to follow of the rest of the house. Slowly but surely....That is my new mantra. We are getting there for sure. God Bless.

Unity - Friends with Flair

2010-11-12T09:00:00.004-05:00

Good Morning Crafty Friends! I am very excited to be part of my first ever FWF Blog Hop! I have 2 cards to share with you today. My family and I relocated about 2 months ago due to my husband's job, and I created both of these cards to send to a couple of now distant friends. I apologize for the poor picture quality. I am hoping Santa brings me a new flash this year! ;)

This first card was made with the adorable Tiny Giggle Grove set, some Bazzill Cardstock, and Cosmo Cricket Designer Paper.

The second card was created with the October Kit Of the Month. I dug out my embossing powder to give the clouds some extra texture.

Thank you all for stopping by today! Make sure you start at the Unity Blog to get the entire list of our Friends with Flair (it will be up at 9:00am CT). You will want to visit everyone to see if you can locate the hidden blinkie. Once you find it, make sure you leave a comment to be in the running for some suh-weet Unity Rubbah! Don't forget to leave all of our peeps some love for their amazing creations! Happy Hoppin and God Bless. :)

Thank You

2010-11-11T19:33:00.010-05:00

Because you are brave.

Because you are strong.

Because you love me.

Because you love our children.

Because you have a deeper love for this Country than anyone I have ever met.

Because you are willing to make the greatest sacrifice of all for people that don't know you, asking for nothing in return.

Because you spend days on end in horrific conditions with no warmth except for the person next to you, doing the same thing.

Because you make the world a better place.

Thank you to all of the Men and Women who serve our Country. There is no way we can ever repay you for all of the sacrifices you make every day. And thank you to My Marine. I love you more with every day that passes. And I thank God for you and all that you give up for us all.

God Bless.

In a crowd you're bound to spot him,
He's standing so very tall
Not too much impresses him;
He's seen and done it all.
His hair is short, his eyes are sharp,
But his smile's a little blue.
It's the only indication
Of the hell that he's gone through.
He belongs to a sacred brotherhood,
Always Faithful 'til the end.
He has walked right into battle
And walked back out again.
Many people think him foolish
For having no regrets
About having lived through many times
Others would forget.
He's the first to go and last to know,
But never questions why,
On whether it is right or wrong,
But only do or die.
He walks a path most won't take
And has lost much along the way,
But he thinks a lot of freedom,
It's a small price to pay.
Yes, he has chosen to live a life
Off the beaten track,
Knowing well each time he's called,
He might not make it back.
So, next time you see a Devil Dog
Standing proud and true,
Be grateful for all he's given;
He's given it for you.
Don't go up and ask him
What's it's like to be in war;
Just thank God that it's your country
He's always fighting for.
And thank him too for all the hell
He's seen in that shade of green,
Thank him for having the guts
To be a United States Marine.

Small Town USA

2010-11-09T20:45:00.005-05:00

I never thought I would be the type of girl that liked living in a small town. Now, when I was born, we lived in a very small town. I doubt there was even a stoplight to joke about. But since then, I have always been fortunate {or so I thought} to live in a bigger city that had all of the conveniences of life. My perspective changed today.

This morning I went about my morning routine and got the kids up and at em. They had breakfast, morning bickering, and then we piled in the car to go to school. I had a few things to mail today so I thought I would run by the post office after I dropped the kids off at the door of their school. I have only been to the post office in Leesburg a few times. Once to mail something to my beautiful, perfect, and ever so brilliant niece, Ellie...And the other two times were to mail some Snail Mail orders to clients. Anyway...I planned on stopping to mail my goods this morning. And much to my surprise when I walked in the door, the Postal worker (forgive me if I have not used the pc term), Mr. John said, "Well, good morning Mrs. Ellis, how are you on this fine day?" I looked at him funny and said hello, shocked that he might possibly remember my name. And right at that moment, he said "You have that Snail Mail, right?" Right then, I was amazed at how good I felt living as a new resident in this small town. I felt like I belonged here. And that, was worth a million dollars to me.

As promised in the previous post, here are a few pictures of our new house (we move in on the 22!) that is in this amazing small town, that we now call home.

God Bless.

Fall Back...to happy :)

2010-11-07T01:04:00.003-04:00

I know what you're thinking...I have yet again neglected the once loved dearly blog. Well, I still love it ever so much, there has been so much going on with family and life, that something had to give {again}. As I sit here waiting for the time to fall back, I had no excuse but to give you the cliff notes on the last 2(ish) months of the happenings of the Ellis Family, Here it goes...

Once we left Camp Lejeune for good, we spent several days in the Raleigh area with my family. It was wonderful to be able to get some time with my parents, since we knew it would be a while before we would see them again. It has been quite an adjustment for me to not be within a reasonable driving distance to parents but we have learned to appreciate the phone calls a little more. :) My mom is truly my best friend and I hate not having her close.

Once it was time to head to our next duty station, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, GA...We decided to make it a mini vacation with the kids. We had the time of our lives because we surprised the kids with a night in Atlanta going to a Braves game! It was perfect! Our seats were 24 rows up from the Braves dugout. I have been to many games, and never had seats that good. It was worth every penny. (pics to come - in other memory card)

The next morning, we arose bright-eyed and not so bushy tailed, and headed to our final destination. Now, the Marine Corps Base is in Albany, which is Dougherty County, Georgia. While researching the areas before Damion returned home from The Stan (aka Afghanistan) I discovered that we did not want the boys to go to school in Dougherty County. We are so used to Department of Defense schools, that I was naive to the fact that not every base has them. We would have to rely on County Schools from now on and in researching the area, we decided to rent a townhouse in Lee County, which is the county to the North of the Base. So anyway, we drove to our new home...Or at least we thought it would be home for the next 3 years. Our furniture came the same day and blah blah blah, we were moved in. /sigh

While unpacking and getting acclimated to the area, 3 things were certain.

We were very impressed with the Lee County Schools. The faculty has made our transition so easy and they have proved that we had nothing to worry about with moving the boys to a new school. Honestly, this was the biggest blessing of all.
We loved the area. The people are amazing, the town is the perfect size, and we are close to Damion's family. That is such an amazing thing for us because the boys are able to have time to get to know this side of the family and are able to build relationships with their cousins who are all the same age as them. And that, is so cool!
And number 3....We absolutely hate where we are living. When I was originally researching places for us to rent, I was doing it blind. I stumbled across an apartment complex that had brand new apartments, as well as renovated town homes. I saw pictures of the complex, photos of the outside of the town homes, and detailed floor plans. So, with the stress of not having a home to call our own when we moved, we decided to sign the lease while we were still living in NC. All I can say is that whoever drew the floor plan of this place needs to be put in front of a firing squad. (not really, but seriously lectured) The rooms are tiny, the kitchen is the size of a tic tac, and there is no insulation in the entire upstairs. After many tears, kicking and screaming, and full out temper tantrums, I was trying to turn over a new leaf. I was going to make the best of this cardboard townhouse and we would just look for another rental for next year. My husband had other plans.

Damion saw how unhappy I was and how difficult it was going to be living here for a second longer than we had to. He made an executive decision. We were going to buy a house. It took very little persuasion to get me on board. Within 5 days, we were pre-approved for our mortgage and were out looking at houses with our realtor. We viewed a total of 6 homes before we entered the house of our dreams. And lucky #7 was bound to be ours. We put in an offer on our hopeful forever home, and it was accepted! To make a long story even longer...We are under contract with our new house and will be moving in the week of Thanksgiving. I am so unbelievably excited to have a piece of heaven to call our own. Who knows if it will be our forever home, but it will for sure be out great length of time home. :)

That pretty much brings us to now. The kids had a blast for Halloween. They dressed up as Harry Potter and Voldermort. We took them Trick or Treating to our "new neighborhood" and we could tell that we will LOVE living there. The neighbors are so nice and the streets are throwing up with kids their ages. WOOHOO! We are looking forward to being settled into our new life in South GA. If only I could get a job, we would be set. There are a couple of things in the Hopper so I can't complain. We are happy, healthy, and together. Can't ask for anything more.

Well, if you were able to hang for the entire post, Bravo to you! I will post pictures of our new house in the next post. And stay tuned for some crafty projects...I have been a busy bee making cards, cd cases, etc. That is all part of my Fall Back to Happy scheme. Life is too short to not do things that make you smile. I hope you all take time to bring back your Happy. Good night and God Bless.

Sweet Carolin(A), good times never seem so good

2010-08-31T08:57:00.004-04:00

It has been a while since my last update and so much has happened (which is the reason for the blog neglect).

On August 4th, we welcomed our HERO home. Damion arrived home very early on that Thursday morning. Our homecoming was everything I imagined for 7 months and made every heartache worth that time of happiness. We stayed wrapped in a bubble of bliss together for the next week before the moving madness began. Here are a couple of pictures from that amazing day!

While enjoying our time together, we were also preparing for our upcoming move to our next Duty Station. That brings us up to today. In the last week, we have packed all of our belongings, emptied our home of 3 years, and moved away from Camp Lejeune. We have spent several days with my parents in Raleigh before heading to GA tomorrow morning. I have been very thankful that we have been able to spend some time with my parents as it will be a while before we are able to see each other again.

It was very hard to leave Lejeune and all of the wonderful friends we have made. I know that we will see each other again as the Marine Corps is such a small family. The new chapter of our lives is beginning now and we are so excited to see what Albany, Georgia has planned for us. No matter what, we will be together as a family. And you can't get any better than that.

God Bless.

Homecoming: We can just about taste it

2010-08-11T01:54:00.004-04:00

We are almost there.

Seven long months are coming to a close and we can just about put a fork in this deployment. There are so many feelings that surround a homecoming. There is the inevitable excitement that you can't help but feel from the anticipation of seeing your loved one for the first time in so many months. Then you feel the butterflies and nervousness when you realize that you have been alone for so long and you are hopeful that things will not only be the same as they were before, but you hope that while you both grew during the time apart...You want to make sure that you grew together. If kids are involved in the process, they are your main concern. You hope that the transition from a single parent home is smooth so the deployed parent can just ease back into their routine. I think the most prominent feeling you have though, is the overall concern for the transition of your family that has been broken for a period of time, finally becoming whole again. The easiest way we have found to do that is by just sticking to our schedule and not forcing anything to happen. I know that no matter what, we will be a stronger and much happier family when our "Daddy" is back in our arms. :)

Here are a couple of shots that I took today as the kids and I hung the Welcome Home sign on the fence outside of the Main Gate of Camp Lejeune. It is a time honored tradition that when your loved one returns from a deployment, you get to hang a welcome home sign on the fence to show your gratitude, appreciation, and love for your Marine/Soldier. Some are made of bed sheets and spray paint, others of vinyl and glitter. No matter what the material, they each hold the same meaning as the next...They are full of love for a person that has been gone from their family for too long. Homecoming at Camp Lejeune is such a magical time. As you drive down Highway 24 past the Base, you can't help but feel pride for your Country, and love for these men and women that give up so much for us to have.

The clock is counting down to homecoming time. Please say a prayer for all of the Marines that are coming home as well as their families. But also say a big prayer for the families whose loved ones have paid the ultimate sacrifice and will only be returning in spirit. They are the true heroes. God Bless.

Playing Catch Up

2010-08-10T01:17:00.006-04:00

Wow...Where did the summer go? I feel like it was just yesterday I was giving the last update. Well, I am glad the summer seems to have gone by quickly, but lots has happened in that time. Let me try to play catch up.

On July 1, Damion got promoted to Gunnery Sergeant. We are so proud of him! He emailed me pictures as soon as the ceremony was over. It was wonderful to see the pictures, but it was bittersweet since we weren't able to be there to see him. Such is the way of the Marine Corps.

In the midst of coming to the end of this deployment, we are also preparing to move very shortly after Damion comes home. We will be pcs-ing (civilan term = moving) to Leesburg, Georgia the end of August. Damion will be stationed at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia. We are very excited about the move as it means that Damion won't be gone more than 59 days at one time for the next 3 years! We are welcoming this break from deployment for sure! 2 deployments in 18 months is more than enough for the next 3 years. The boys are very excited about the move also. They are not however excited about school. They will have to remember how good they've got it though when they realize that their new school starts this Friday and they won't be starting for another month. That never happened when I was a kid. LOL

Well, as I type this, my darling husband is on his way home. I can't say when it will be due to Operational Security but I can say that I can almost feel his arms around me. :) We are counting the days! As I say, there is nothing in the world like a Homecoming!

I hope you all have had a wonderful summer, and I hope that it will calm down a bit in the next couple of weeks so I will be a little more frequent with the updates. Love to all, and God Bless! <3>

Summer Haps

2010-06-24T00:23:00.002-04:00

We have been in the full swing of summer for a little over 2 weeks now and so much has happened already! Summer is supposed to be relaxing but I swear as of late I can't get out of my own way. Ever feel like that?

The Thursday after school got out (the 10th) we got the most amazing news! Damion was selected for Gunnery Sergeant. For those civilian friends of mine, he is getting promoted. July 1 is the promotion date. I am so proud of him and the amazing job he is doing while he is deployed. The only drawback to his promotion is that we won't be there to see it. He has promised me lots of pictures so I will share them when available. :)

The following week, I was able to get most of our move set up for the end of August. We are looking forward to being stationed in Georgia but are a little apprehensive since we don't have a definite address yet to call our own. I have put a deposit down for a townhouse lease but we aren't sure if they will have any availability when we need it. There is base housing but the schools that the base kids go to are just not good. So, we have opted for renting (for now) and living one county over from the base which has amazing schools. We hope to know more about the townhouse within the next month. Please cross your fingers!

The kids and I have been visiting my parents for the last week. We have had a really nice time and are glad for the break in the monotony. I will be back home for the weekend to have one last get-together with my friends since several of us our moving this summer. It will be bittersweet but I know that we will all see each other again. That is the great part about the Marine Corps...You are never too far away from family. We never say good-bye, it is always 'see ya later'.

The past week I have made several changes to my little business, Snail Mail Crafts. I am excited about what is ahead and I can't wait to share it with everyone! Just be patient, I swear it will be worth the wait! :)

Well, that's all for tonight folks. I will have more to share tomorrow as there is so much I left out. But, I can't give away the farm all at once...Please remember when you drop to your knees at night to say a prayer for all of the men and women that are deployed. Please also say a prayer for the families that are left behind. Every night after the boys and I say the nightly prayers, we follow it up with "Dear Lord, Please keep our Daddy safe and bring him home soon. Amen"

God Bless Y'all.

Does the Sweet Always Have to Taste Bitter?

2010-06-10T00:13:00.006-04:00

Today has been a very bittersweet day. Well looking at the clock, it could now be classified as yesterday but roll with me on this one. ;) Today was the last day of school for the kids. Andrew can now officially be classified as a Fourth Grader (gag) and Zachary is now my big ole Third Grader (double gag). But more than just them getting older, it is coming upon the time that we will be saying "So Long" to Camp Lejeune. We will be moving to the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia come September. This move means that Damion will no longer be in a deploying unit. While he will still be traveling, he will not be gone for more that 59 days at a time. That is a HUGE plus for us. We just have to get through the summer so that we can countdown to Damion coming home from Afghanistan. He has been deployed since January 3 and it just seems to be taking forever for him to get home. But, so is the life of the Marine Corps family. :)

Anyway, as I said, today was the last day of school. Andrew's teacher (Mrs. Hickox) began teaching him halfway through the year and she is now retiring so we didn't have a whole lot of time to get really "attached" to her. But Zachary has had the same teachers since Kindergarten. It has been 3 years of trial and error to get to the point we are at now. Mr. Larson and Mrs. Vinson have continued to be so patient with Zachary (as well as this over-bearing Mama). I am certain that we would have never made it this far without them. They have both been such Guardian Angels to our family and we will forever remember them with great fondness and admiration. I put baskets together for Mr. Larson and Mrs. Vinson with all the fixins for a Fourth of July Party. They both seemed really thrilled with the gifts which made me incredibly happy. (By the way, thanks Mama Ann for the Longaberger hook-up!)

It was really an emotional time for me to watch Zachary say good-bye to the two people who never gave up on him through this new journey of finding the right programs and medication to help him cope with his challenges. They truly are such amazing people!

As you can see, they really have a wonderful relationship with Zachary and they will both be painfully missed.

Now that school is officially out, we have already started the sleepover shenanigans. :) Andrew has his best friend over for the night and they are wound just a little too tight.

All I can say, is this Mama is praying that they sleep in! Have a great night y'all. God Bless!

Back to the Basics

2010-06-08T23:25:00.002-04:00

It has been a long time. I know that. Life has gotten in the way and at times it feels as though I am over my head. Between the kids, deployment, and gearing up for what seems to be our millionth move in 12 years, things have fallen by the wayside. So I have decided to stop. Get back to the basics of my life that make me so happy. My husband. My kids. Our life together. I have decided to let this blog become what it should have been all along. Our family journal. So here it goes, getting back to basics. God Bless.

wakey - wakey, eggs 'n bakey

2009-10-09T21:53:00.004-04:00

I wanted to share a few quick pictures from our morning! After brekkie this morning, Damion and Andrew stole a few moments to read one of Andrew's favorite books!

But my favorite pictures are of Zachary. :) He was busy watching a cartoon while eating his cereal this morning. All I can say is Flock of Seagulls...Here we come! :)

I hope you are having a great start to your weekend! God Bless.

hello stranger.

2009-10-07T22:36:00.004-04:00

How are you? What's new? I miss you. Three things I say to all long lost friends. As of late, blogger has been the long lost friend that I have missed dearly. I have no excuse other than life happening. First, school ended. Then, Damion left. After that, school started again. You get the drift. :) I have so missed being part of the blogging world but struggled with what topic to blog about since so much time had past. After watching Oprah today, I know what has to be said.

Today on Oprah, her show was about things that change your life in an instant. The first segment was on the heart-wrenching story about the couple in Florida that were brutally murdered that forced them to leave behind 9 special needs children. Being the mother of 2 special needs children, I couldn't imagine how horrific this has been for those left behind. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with them.

It was however, the second story that inspired the clicking sound of my keyboard so late tonight. Her name is Stephanie Nielson. Some know her as a witty blogger, Nie Nie. Others know her as the kind hearted wife and mother that lives for her family and her friends. I have read her blog for over a year now and have continued to be amazed by her. A plane crash changed her life forever. Now everything that was once normal and monotonous is now a struggle. Everything that we know as our daily routine is different for her. This got me thinking...Why take so many things for granted in life? This is the only life we are ever going to know. Every day that we live is a day that we will never get back.

I often take the little things for granted (as we all do, I'm sure). I also dread so many things about my daily routine. It was 5:00 yesterday afternoon; homework time. Of all the things that happen in the course of my day, this is the worst. There are usually screams, and tears, and frustration (and that is usually me :P) But yesterday, I was given a gift. Both boys sat down to do their homework with minimal struggle. Andrew finished his homework pretty quickly while Zachary was hovered over his math worksheet. Then...it happened. Andrew got up from his chair and walked around the table to assist his brother in completing his work. They were a team. It brought me to tears to see them working together and taking care of each other. This was a gift. And I savored it.

God Bless.

MIA (all summer long)

2009-08-03T11:37:00.002-04:00

Okay, I know what you're thinking...Where the flip have you been all summer?!? It has been exactly 2 months since my last post and I am horrified at the thought that I have neglected this beautifully designed blog. :( But, between having the kids home, having Damion gone (for yet another summer), and trips back and forth to help my parents it has been a busy summer. I hope now that everything is {somewhat} back to normal, I will be back for my regularly scheduled programming. I hope you have all had a wonderful summer and I hope you soak up what is left of it as well! God Bless!

Blog Makeover

2009-06-03T22:50:00.001-04:00

Just a quick post tonight...I know, I have been MIA yet again. I will be better, promise! I just wanted to give an amazing SHOUT OUT to my girl Veronica @ VK Design for the new blog lookie! :) If you want one for yourself then click on the link to the left. Thanks so much Veronica for the amazing blog design and for being so amazing to work with! Hopefully, I will be back tomorrow with a little more to say. Good Night and God Bless.

today.

2009-05-20T22:23:00.004-04:00

Today was an amazing day. One for the books as some would say but that doesn't really do it justice in my book. Today, I met my son for the first time. For those that know my family, you know that our son Zachary has been struggling with everyday life for as long as we can remember. He has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS (a form of Autism) for some time now. Knowing that PDD-NOS is a very broad diagnosis we have been working our way through treatments with Zachary for years with little to no results. He has always seemed unhappy and in pain. As a parent, there is nothing worse than knowing your child is in pain and you are not able to fix it because you don't know where he hurts. As my "other Mom", GiGi (my BFF's mother) said, it is like a puzzle and you have to find the piece that fits. Well, I am simply overjoyed to tell you that we found the piece. We have been taking Zachary to a group of Doctors for the past few weeks that have seen a much bigger picture than any other specialist we have seen. On Monday, I took Zachary to their resident Psychiatrist for an evaluation. Within minutes, he diagnosed Zachary with ADHD and said that he absolutely needed medicinal assistance to have any quality of life. With much prayer and understanding, Damion and I agreed (Damion felt this was the case all along) that this is the route we needed to take. Today is day 3 of being on the medication and I saw Zachary for the first time today. It is like night and day. For the first time in his 7 years, I can tell you that he is Happy. Playful. Healthy. I saw the most genuine smile on his face today, I really saw him and I believe he is truly seeing the world for the first time. We are so incredibly blessed. The only flaw is Damion's absence. I know that there will need to be some adjustments with the medication. I know that we will still have some dark days, but this is definitely a start. So let me just say, thank you to all that have been here for us. Thank you for supporting us and loving us. We are so excited for the future and can't wait to see what God has in store for this amazing little man. Without further ado, I am pleased to introduce you for the first time to our son, Zachary.

God Bless.

Mojo Monday!

2009-05-18T18:27:00.007-04:00

And so it begins...again...Pre-deployment training for my husband began today. He will be gone for 3 weeks training for his upcoming deployment to Iraq. This will be the 2ND deployment in 1 year. Yes, you read that right...He will not have been home a year by the time he deploys again. That doesn't even count the 2.5 months he is training while home before actually going to Iraq. Now, I don't want you to think I am bitter...That's not it at all. I am proud. I grow more proud of him every day. Of course every second he is gone we miss him. Every. single. second. With that being said, I am using this MOJO Monday as an opportunity to "plug" a very important cause that more people need to get involved in.

Cards for Heroes is an amazing organization that not only allows our Heroes to stay in touch with their loved ones, but it helps us to thank each one of these selfless men and women who keep us safe every day. If you can get involved you should. If you don't make cards, then donate...Donate $ for shipping costs or sit down and write a letter to a Hero. Tell them about your daily life. Nothing is better for their morale then to learn of the normalcy in our lives. And, you never know, you might have just made a friend for life. Learn more here.

Now, I have to announce the winner winner chicken dinner from my RAK 3 posts ago. I am pleased to tell you that my darling eldest son, Andrew happily chose the winner.

KTLuv...Come on Down!!

Please email me your address so that I can get your prize out to you. Congrats!

On that note, I am going to say good night. I hope you all have a fantastic Monday night. Don't forget to tune into The Bachelorette on ABC!!! God Bless!

Keep On Keepin On!

2009-05-16T07:34:00.004-04:00

Blog Hoppers - Hop down 1 post!

For a chance at an RAK - Hop down 2 posts!!! (it's really important)

Have a great weekend!

God Bless

Blog Hop till ya drop with Unity's KOM!!!

2009-05-15T09:54:00.003-04:00

Good Morning Hip Hoppers! I am sure you have already been drooling over the fabulous projects that all of these talented ladies have provided today! Just a quick post from me showcasing a stamp from Unity's March KOM. Let me tell you that I have never joined a kit club before and with Unity I could not resist! I have used every single stamp! Make sure you sign up to get yours here!

I decided that I needed to have some generic, but pretty cards to send out on a whim. This card literally took 5 minutes to make with the March KOM and some embossing powder!

Now, make sure you hop on over to my girl Valerie!

Also, if you want in on an RAK, read my post below this! Have a great Friday and God Bless!

Therapy Thursday - RAK!!!

2009-05-14T22:03:00.004-04:00

Good Evening! Today is Therapy Thursday and I was going to talk about friendships and how meaningful they are to us. But...I just received an email from a good friend of mine who is a School Psychologist. She needs our help. So, I feel there is no better time to recruit help for a good friend who happens to be an AWESOME School Psychologist than on Therapy Thursday. Here is the email, and take note of the link at the bottom.

Hello everyone.
I am asking for (yet another) favor from you. As most of you know, I am a school psychologist...so is Scott.

The American Psychological Association is attempting to put into place a regulation that will have dramatic impact on school psychologists. They want to limit the title “school psychologist” to only doctoral level people. Currently over 75% of school psychologists practice at the master’s level. If these individuals were not allowed to practice as school psychologists, the service that is delivered to students would dramatically change. As it stands now, we are able to counsel students in groups and individually, help create interventions for struggling students, meet with parents, students, teachers, administrators...all for the good of the students. I, personally, run about 20 groups per week focusing on school skills, inattention, bereavement, social skills, feelings, divorce support, etc. I can only do this because of the number of school psychologists in my district. I can focus my energies on being proactive, vs reactive!!

Just to bring this home, my district currently employs 6 school psychologists across 5 schools – only one of them has a doctoral degree. Imagine if the other 5 were not able to practice…how would the support delivered to students in my district change? I.e., how would one school psychologist serve the entire district? And serve them well? What supports would need to be eliminated in order to cover the entire district at the 'bare minimum' level? There are simply not enough doctoral level psychologists out there to support all of the children in need.

Additionally, the difference between the TRAINING/QUALIFICATIONS of masters vs. doctoral level psychologists is non-existent. The difference is the completion of the dissertation (a research project)...which is arguably not integral in the DELIVERY of school psychology services to students.

Here is what I am asking…the National Association of School Psychologists has made a one-click opposition letter. If you click on this link, it takes you to the form. You simply need to fill in your name and contact information, scroll down and click ‘Submit’. You do not need to know anything more than what I have told you.

http://www.nasponline.org/standards/apaletters/oneclick_apa.aspx

That’s it!

Can you please take just a minute (literally one minute) of your time to do this? The deadline is June 1…
Please advocate on my behalf and for the good of students everywhere..

Thanks for your help!

Heidi MacDonald

***RAK ALERT*** Everybody that submits their vote on this link and leaves a comment that they did so gets their name in a drawing for an RAK. You have Sunday 9PM EST to be included in this RAK. I will draw the winner winner chicken dinner on Mojo Monday. Trust me, you won't want to miss this RAK! Don't forget to join me tomorrow morning for the Unity Stamp Company Kit Of the Month Blog Hop. Start here at 11:00AM EST! Good night and God Bless!

Wildcard Wednesday - What the Freak?!?

2009-05-13T22:07:00.002-04:00

Okay...Seriously America?!? No, really...You would rather have some freaky guy with eyeliner and his tongue sticking out as your American Idol? Huh...I don't get it. Let's look passed the fact that Adam is kind of talented...Are you really prepared to go to a concert of his where his tongue is sticking out for 90% of the song? Really? Man...I knew I should have voted more. I swear you should have to take a test before being allowed to vote. I guarantee most people would lose their voting privileges. Of course, it doesn't help that my husband is an "Adam Lover". What is this world coming to?!? Anywho...

Wildcard Wednesday is upon us, and I was trying to decide what to share. Sorry about my run-on with Idol. As Damion says, I am visibly upset. (As I type my husband is dancing in his chair - I might have to sell him on Ebay). So anyway...I thought I would give you some random facts about myself. I was on Facebook earlier and noticed how many "tags" people get of their "friends" wanting to learn more about them. Sooo....here are some random things about me that I have been tagged on. 30 to be exact...

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops? No

2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters? No way! I love them!

3. When is the last time you've been sledding? About 4 years ago...So much fun though!

4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone? I would always rather sleep with my hubby

5. Do you believe in ghosts? Yes

6. Do you consider yourself creative? Definitely

7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife? Without a shadow of a doubt

8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie? Aniston totally.

9. Can you honestly say you know ANYTHING about politics? Absolutely

10. Do you know how to play poker? I can hold my own

11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight? Yes...Sick kids take priority over sleep.

12. What's your favorite commercial? The blackberry commercial, the one where the guys butt calls his girls phone...so funny

13. Who was your first love? My first real love was my husband.

14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around you, do you run a red light? No way

15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you? Nope - Pretty open book here.

16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees? Ummm, I'm thinking Braves all the way!

17. Have you ever been Ice Skating? Yes - so much fun!

18. How often do you remember your dreams? Pretty often. I dream every night

19. What's the one thing on your mind? Freakin Idol

20. Do you always wear your seat belt? On Base, yes

21. What talent do you wish you had? I wish I could disappear

22. Do you like Sushi? Yum!

23. Do you hold Grudges? Absolutely. Forever. And I have a great memory...If you did something shady or something that hurt me years ago - I still remember it and Yes, I am still mad about it.

24. Do you truly hate anyone? There are a few I could live without but life is too short to truly hate them. They aren't worth the air I breathe

25. If you could sleep with one famous person, who would it be? Actually, I'm all set. :)

26. Do you know anyone in jail? Nope

27. What food do you find disgusting? Liver

28. Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back? I can honestly say no.

29. Have you ever been punched in the face? Nope

30. Do you believe in angels and demons? I do.

So, I'm not going to tag anyone but if you copy this to your blog, leave me a link. I would love to hear more about you! Therapy Thursday is tomorrow! Be here or be...some place else. :P Good night and God Bless!

Tasty Tuesday

2009-05-12T22:20:00.001-04:00

Good Evening Y’all! What an interesting night on Idol, huh. I have to say that Danny is still “my guy” but…I did love Chris tonight too! I am sad to say that after being an Adam fan for many weeks, I am so over him! I hate that he has started to scream songs and can I just tell you that I am so sick of seeing his tongue when he sings…Anywho…

Today is Tasty Tuesday and I thought I would share a yummy recipe with you. It is my Grandmother’s recipe for Roast with Gravy

Rump Roast w/ Gravy
1 – 4lb to 5lb Roast
1 – can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 – can Golden Mushroom Soup
1 – package Lipton Onion Soup
1 – can water
1 – small bag Baby Carrots
1 – package of sliced mushrooms (from Produce Section)

Mix soups and water together. Pour over roast in Crock pot. Let sit on High heat for minimum 5 hours. Add carrots and mushrooms to Crock pot and let simmer for minimum 2 hours. Shred meat and enjoy.

I usually make mashed potatoes to go with this since it has its own gravy. Also, I make green beans with this dish and mix them with the baby carrots and mushrooms. Trust me…this is awesome, and all my boys LOVE IT!

I hope y’all have had a great night. See you tomorrow for Wildcard Wednesday! Good night and God Bless.

mojo monday

2009-05-11T20:55:00.004-04:00

Happy Mojo Monday to ya! I hope today has been a fantastic start to the week for y'all! I just have a quick card to share with you this evening...I made it a few weeks ago for a crop on wescrap. It is actually a card that will hold a cd. Isn't that neat?!?

Cardstock - Bazzill, Stamps - Unity Stamp Company, Colored Pencils - Crayola, Liquid Glass - CTMH, Ink - CTMH

That's it for tonight. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the night and I will see you back here for Tasty Tuesday! Good Night and God Bless.

TGI - FRIDAY!!!

2009-05-08T19:29:00.002-04:00

Whew...What a long week! Might I say that I am on a blogging roll!!! Woohoo! Just a quick post tonight though. I wanted to share some knowledge with the entire bra wearing community. If you have never had a bra fitting, OMG - go get one!!! I went shopping today and just happen to be in a store that does bra fittings. Can I tell you that I have been wearing the wrong size bra for oh, I don't know....FOREVER! Okay, I am off to do laundry and hang with the kiddos since tonight is Damion's night out with the Guys. :) This now ends my public service announcement for the day. Back to your regularly scheduled programming. Good night and God Bless.

Therapy Thursday

2009-05-07T20:51:00.006-04:00

Good Evening! What a crazy day! The weather has been gloomy today and it has been a great day to stay in and get caught up. I hope you have had an uneventful day as I have. :)

To kick off my first Therapy Thursday, I want to share a few things that are therapeutic to me.

~listening to the rain~

~creative inspiration~

~a really good book~

~a long, hot bath~

~sweet lovin from my sweet boys~

Now, I have to tell you that I have been very fortunate as everything I listed above was part of my day. Since it was raining like crazy today, I was able to sit on the back porch and read. My fellow Marine Wife friend, Stacey, has turned me on to some fabulous books. The latest in my collection is an awesome read by Elizabeth Gilbert.

I am usually a fan of fiction books by authors like Nicholas Sparks and Stephenie Meyer, however, I am loving these non-fiction {memoirs}. If you need a really good read then I completely suggest Eat, Pray, Love...You can purchase it here. Talk about a great self-therapy session. I will for sure be sad when this book comes to an end.

Today also included lots of creative inspiration. As most know, every Thursday Unity Stamp Company hosts a blog hop. I had such a fabulous time going through the Design Teams blogs. Such talented chickies! If you haven't hopped over, then make sure you do. Angela has some sweet specials that are good through Sunday. Don't miss it!

That's about all I have to share with you tonight. Have a great night and a fabulous start to your weekend! God Bless!

Catching Up...

2009-05-06T22:29:00.010-04:00

Hey y'all...miss me??? I have to say that the last month has been a complete whirlwind and I have no idea where the last 4 weeks have gone. We have had lots of fabulous things happening here that I am so excited to share! I apologize for the super long post but hopefully it will make up for the 4 weeks of being M.I.A.

We have had several new additions this past month and I am thrilled to say that each one has enhanced our lives in such positive ways. The first that I would like to share with you is the addition of my husband's new "baby". The first weekend in April we were very excited to welcome a brand spankin new 2009 Ford F150 into our humble little family. This is the truck that he has wanted for years and years. He has worked so hard for it and I couldn't be happier that Daddy's got a new ride.

Can you tell he loves it? This truck has been washed every weekend since we got it. And yes, he did wash it in the rain. :) I can see that we will have many wonderful memories as a family thanks to this fantastic purchase!

The next addition has kind of been sprung on us the last 2 weeks. Our neighbor's kitty escaped while he was out of town and she ended up hanging out at our house until her "Daddy" got home. Upon his return, we found out that his son is allergic to her and he wasn't able to keep her. Well, as luck would have it...We love her! She is a very pretty girl and gets along well with everyone! I am not sure if she will stay with us permanently (as my parents now have an eye on her) but we know that she will be in the family for the rest of her life! :) Please meet Ms Minnie Mouse!!!

As you can see, Mousey-Girl and Zero Kitten get along pretty well. Trust me, it is a relationship we are forcing Zero to embrace. :)

In the last couple of weeks we have also inherited another person to grace our dinner table.

His name is Mark. He used to work with Damion and I have to say that he has become a very important part of our lives. It is very difficult to find really good, quality friends on a military base and we are very lucky to have his friendship. I swear he and Damion are peas and carrots. Case in point...

I am sure that I will be catching some heat for posting these pictures. But as I always say...If it ends up on my memory card, it is fair game. :) I love watching friendships develop. So much fun.

So...last week the boys had Career Day at school. This is one of my favorite spirit days at school. We are never surprised by Andrew's future career. As long as I can remember he has said that he wants to be a Marine just like his Daddy. As a mother, I pray that his decision changes for my own selfish reasons. But how could I deny the pride when I see this smile.....

Oh my, he looks so grown up. I pray that he slows down a bit. His old Mom isn't quite ready for all of this yet.

Now, Zachary's career choice this year caught us a bit off guard. He came home one day and informed us that he wanted to be a P.E. Teacher. Now, those of you that know us personally, can understand our shock since this child has hated school since the beginning. However, we will never pass up a chance to let him carry a whistle to school and sport the "I've Got Your Tickets to the Gun Show" t-shirt. I would definitely be taking orders from this kid!

What big boys...I know we have time before the day comes that their careers have to be part of our daily lives, but...I am thrilled that they are learning every day who they are and who they want to become. And no matter what they decide, we could never be more proud of them!

Still with me?!? If the answer is yes, then you are my new Hero! I want to put on paper (figuratively speaking) that I am vowing to be a better blogger. And, I am enlisting my friend Tracy's help. Not only does this chick have mad scrapping abilities, she is a rockin blogger too! I am following in her wise footsteps by having some themed Blog Days. Here's how I am thinking it will pan out. I am committing to 4 days a week to have bonified new blog entries...

Monday - MOJO MONDAY!!!

Tuesday - TASTY TUESDAY!!!

Wednesday - WILDCARD WEDNESDAY!!!

Thursday - Therapy Thursday... {wasn't sure I should "yell" Therapy} :)

Aren't you EXCITED!!!

I really think this will be a lot of fun and I am hoping to have enough to share with y'all at least the 4 days a week. :) If you want some descriptions on this fool proof blogging process (hehe), you can see Tracy's fab blog post here.

Okay, I think if you are still reading this, I apologize that you have nothing better to do now and I relieve you to go take a nap! :) Thanks for hanging in! I am going to leave you with one last picture of my entire world. I took it on Monday when they wore sweet outfits that Grandma sent their way, complete with matching Crocs. Such hams! :) I will see you right here tomorrow for Therapy Thursday! Good Night and God Bless.

my scrappy space

2009-04-02T22:39:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to post quick (two in one day) to show off my new scrappy space that my darling husband hooked me up with. I'll tell you what, people should be jealous of how well he treats me. :)

I hope y'all have a great night!

God Bless!

got mojo?

2009-04-02T20:00:00.004-04:00

Don't waste that scrappy mojo this weekend. Head on over to wescrap.com for their Spring It On crop. It goes from Friday to Sunday. It looks like it will be a blast!

Hope to see you there!
God Bless!

HIP HOP - Ya Don't Stop!!!

2009-03-28T09:54:00.003-04:00

Hey there Hip Hoppers, how ya hangin in? Can I just say Holy Inspiration already!!! I can't believe all of the amazing projects that have been posted and we aren't even half way through the blog hop! Don't forget to leave all the ladies some mad love for all of their hard work. If you are just joining, click here to start at the beginning and make sure to take a look at all of the amazing specials that Angela is rockin this weekend! :) Without further delay, here are my projects for today's Hip Hop!

The first project is a card I made for my son's teacher. She continually goes above and beyond for him and I wanted to send her a little love note to make sure she knows how much we appreciate her.

Project contains - Unity's Shine On Unmounted Kit, Basic Grey Patterned Paper, Kraft Bazzill, Colorbox Ink

My next project is a few fun bookmarks I made for some girlfriends. They are in honor of a little movie named Twilight that just came out. Not sure if anyone has seen it yet. :P

Supplies Used - Unity's Worn Grid Mounted Slide, The "BOO" Crew Unmounted Kit, Bazzill Cardstock, CTMH Ink, Sharpie

Thanks so much for stopping by my piece of the net...I want to leave you with a couple of my favorite quotes.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" ~Eleanor Roosevelt

"May God grant you always... A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you. Laughter to cheer you. Faithful friends near you. And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you." ~Irish Blessing

Now, head on over to see Naomi for the next fabulous stop on the Blog Hop, what a talented cookie she is! I hope you all have a wonderful day full of inspiration!

God Bless!

need some inspiration?

2009-03-26T21:59:00.002-04:00

Need some creative inspiration? Then join me (and about 200 others) this Saturday for the first ever Unity Stamp Company World Record Inspirational Blog Hop! The blog hop starts here Saturday morning at 11:00AM Central time. Angela has some great specials through the weekend so you are all in for some major Unity enabling! :) I'm so excited as every blog will be dripping with creativity and...you guessed it...Inspiration! So don't forget to grab your coffee and join us for the fun!

God Bless.

Spring Cleaning {clean out your clutter}

2009-03-16T13:40:00.004-04:00

So I planned on having a post today with pictures of the kiddos from their first baseball practice of the season....But...the weather man had other plans {lots and lots of rain happening here}. This works out though because I received an amazing email from my friend Carolyn that I felt I had to share with the world! It was originally sent out at her Dad's Company and I am so thankful that she spread the word. I hope you enjoy the read and are able to use some of this amazing insight in your daily life! :) I will be back with pictures later. God Bless...

Greetings! Spring is a time where most people take time to clear out cluttered space. Clearing out the clutter seems to bring about a sense of newness and tends to make people feel more alive and vibrant. We tend to have cluttered space both at home and in our place of work. Yet today, the clutter to which we are referring is not the clutter in your physical space, such as your desk or desk drawers or the clutter in your closets at home or storage spaces. The clutter to which we are referring is the clutter in your life. This is the worst form of clutter because you carry it with you wherever you go and it often weighs you down keeping you immobile and stuck. This form of clutter can be quite dangerous because it manifests itself in many ways leading to lack of productivity and creativity, depression, anger, grief, despair, and the list goes on.
Do you have clutter in your life today? It might be time to take personal inventory to figure out just where to start with clearing out the clutter. Here are some simple tips that might help you get started.

1.Take a personal inventory of yourself. Create a checklist of all the things in your life that may be weighing you down and create a plan for reducing or eliminating them.

2.Get rid of guilt which is a common immobilizing condition. You might need to seek professional help if you are unable to understand your guilt and its origin.

3. Eliminate unhealthy things and people in your life. You should list these things and people on your inventory checklist and decide how you are going to scale down and scale back on things or people who are cluttering your life.

4. Bury the past and create new and healthier ways of thinking and behaving.

5. Make a commitment to take care of our physical and emotional health. Develop a plan for a healthy diet, exercise plan, and "ME TIME."

Written by: Dacia P. Hastings, LICSW, LCSW-C, CPM

what makes you happy?

2009-03-15T17:21:00.004-04:00

That is a question I asked myself today after visiting with a friend who has things going on in her life that make her unhappy. I think you have to focus on the big things that make you happy but more importantly, the little things. So here, is my impromptu list of {littles} that make me smile.

the smell of my boys after a bath
having dinner together as a family
my new scrapbooking alcove in our house
conversations between my boys
hearing my husband walk through the door at the end of the day
backpacks on the chairs at the counter
my crock pot
listening to the rain on my back porch
long talks with good friends
conversations between my mom and husband
coffee in my Cheshire cat coffee cup
watching the kitty sleep on the top bunk in the boys room
scrappy blogs
organized drawers
clean laundry
walking barefoot in the front yard

Ahhh, pure bliss...and that was only a few! I hope you take some time to remember the littles in your life that make your heart {sing}. God Bless.

and the winner is...

2009-03-04T15:10:00.001-05:00

Amy said...
I'm such a sucker for puppy dog eyes!!! Cutest dog ever!!
February 27, 2009 8:04 AM

Congrats Amy! Email me with your addy at saellis079@yahoo.com

Thanks to all who voted! :)

scrappy/stampy giveaway for a non scrappy request

2009-02-26T06:03:00.004-05:00

Alright girls. I need your help. My good friend Jenny Fabulous (full name - true story) has an adorable dog named Kaylee. She is in this puppy picture contest with Bissell. If you look to the side of my blog you will see that hello...Kaylee is gorgeous! SO...Here is what I ask of you. If you click on the widget or click on this link and vote for pretty girl Kaylee by the deadline (March 3) I will put you in for a random drawing for a sweet scrappy/stampy prize! :) Just vote for that sweetie pie and leave a comment back here. It takes 2 seconds, they don't put you on any mailing list or anything so you have nothing to lose. I will do the drawing on March 4. Remember...You can't win if you don't play. :)

you never realize how fast time goes by...

2009-02-25T23:25:00.001-05:00

Until your baby has another birthday. Our baby boy Zachary James had his 7th birthday today. I remember the day he came into our lives like it was yesterday. We were so truly blessed to have this little man choose us as his parents and we have continued to be blessed everyday since then.

Thank you Zachary for teaching us what life is truly about. Thank you for letting us love you. Thank you for loving us even when it's hard for you to let anyone in. You are the most amazing little guy and Daddy and I can't wait to see who you become. We love you so much sweet boy; Happy Birthday!

sicky sickersons

2009-02-24T22:16:00.006-05:00

Can I just say that I can't wait until Spring...It's not that I hate the winter...I just hate having sickos in the house. Both boys have been home since Friday with a nasty virus. It is looking like they will be home tomorrow too but they are slowly getting back to being healthy, bouncing boys.

In the midst of our quarantined household and upcoming move, Damion had his Mess Night last night. He actually allowed me to snap a few pictures of him in his dress blues. I had to promise not to post the last pic but sorry babe...If they end up on the memory card, they are fair game.

There is just something about a man in uniform...LOVELOVELOVE this Guy!

Please excuse the messy house. We have moving boxes EVERYWHERE!

Well, as they say, that is that. I hope y'all have had a wonderful evening! LoveLove and God Bless.

box o' fun

2009-02-22T20:32:00.005-05:00

I just had to share a few pictures from our Sunday afternoon...We are moving next weekend and the boys (all 3) were "helping" me pack today. Damion was the biggest kid of all.

He was to pack the boys' toys up today and that was it. When we moved here a year and a half ago every box that he packed was labeled "MISC" and took forever to go through...SO, he made sure to label each box. What a nut.

That is all for tonight's quick post. I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend with their loved ones...I know we did. God Bless!

i voted...{american idol style}

2009-02-18T07:29:00.004-05:00

love him.

somethings gotta give

2009-02-16T14:02:00.003-05:00

So it's been a while since I posted. Things have been terribly crazy here the past month. Damion started this new training which has him leaving the house by 4:30AM and not getting home until at least 6:00 every day. We also finally got word that we are moving to a renovated house here on base in 2 weeks! So, in the midst of being a single parent while Damion is training, I have been packing our house up for the upcoming move! So needless to say, something had to give. So...Picture a day was the first thing to go. I will be better about posting now that we have a majority of our lives under control. I hope everyone has had a wonderful month so far! :) God Bless! :)

yummy, yummy, yummy

2009-01-07T21:44:00.007-05:00

Today I made the best snack EVER!!! Some people call it Muddy Buddies, others call it Monkey Munch, but I call it Puppy Chow! If you haven't made then go out and get a box of Rice Chex immediately. The recipe is on the back. All I can say is YUMMO!!!
My picture of the day that I am going to share with you is from my rough afternoon. I needed something to make it "all better." So, here ya go! :)
I hope you all have a wonderful night! Lovelove and God Bless!

have you seen my mojo???

2009-01-06T23:36:00.004-05:00

Tonight was one of those nights that I wanted so bad to be scrappy but the mojo was nowhere to be found. I was attempting to work on my challenge layout for the Dancing With the Stars Challenge at Scrap-A-Latte, but I did more staring than scrapping. Hopefully I can finish it up tomorrow. For now, I will leave you with my picture of the day...I snapped this pic of Zero Kitten napping tonight. Isn't he a cutie?!?

I will hopefully be back with something a little more interesting tomorrow. Sleep tight and God Bless!

it is amazing...

2009-01-05T21:04:00.005-05:00

What a rose will do to a room...As I sit here watching the season premiere of The Bachelor and I can't help but cringe at some of these girls. Maybe because I am not one of those giggly girly girls but is it wrong that I want to smack them for being all bouncy and annoying? Anywho...to have real problems. It is too soon to tell who my favorite girls are for the single Daddy from Seattle but I am sure I will have my opinions formed soon enough.

Today was the first day back in school. Zachary actually was home today with me. He has Occupational Therapy on Mondays and it is very difficult for him to transition from therapy to school so we make adjustments depending on his sessions, and today was not a good one. We had a great day though despite his struggles this morning...We ran to Target and then went to lunch at Ruby Tuesdays (his favorite restaurant). I feel so blessed to have him in my life. I learn so much from this little guy every day! So...I feel I must make my picture of the day today one of my favorite 6 year old...Zachary James.

I hope you all have a wonderful evening...I will be back tomorrow hopefully with some scrappy goodness. :) Lovelove and God Bless!

the day before

2009-01-04T20:49:00.004-05:00

I love the day before a break is over. Whether it be summer break or an extended break due to holiday, it is so exciting to me to anticipate the routine. Today was a low key day. We ran some errands and I worked on laundry to get ready for our busy schedule to resume. Today was also haircut day. So, I decided to snap my picture for today while Andrew was getting beautified.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend! Have a safe evening and God Bless! :)

operation resolution: in full effect

2009-01-03T22:16:00.011-05:00

Today seemed to be a very productive day! I got lots of housework done but was able to scrap my day away just the same! :) I want to share a card with you that I just made. One of my goals for this year is to be better about calling my Grandma...Well, I decided that I would also drop her a little snail mail love to keep her spirits up! :)

So my friend Sarah is doing a picture a day on her blog for 2009 and I think I will attempt to join her in this task. Since today is the 3rd, I will post 3 pics that I have taken in the last few days. :)

{Jan 1}
{Jan 2}
{Jan 3}
Well, that's it for now. I hope y'all have a great night and a great rest of the weekend! God Bless!

last day of vaca

2009-01-02T22:56:00.006-05:00

Today is the last day of Winter Break. We have had so much fun with the kids home from school but in the same breath I can say that I can't wait to have a routine again! Damion starts Staff Academy next week which means his hours will go from being 7:00-4:00 to 3:30 (that's AM!!!)-5:00. Yikes! I also start training next week for my new job! I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home. The company I am working for is called West at Home. I am going to be a contract Client Service Rep for Citibank. It will be nice to be back in the work force again, even though I have the most supportive husband in the world that wants me to do whatever makes me happy. Let me tell you, I am so thankful for him. The job sounds perfect but I have to say that the best part...I can do it in jammies! :)

I hope everyone has enjoyed their Holiday Break whether it was from Christmas until now or just a few days here and there. I have loved having a house full and loved having some time to actually scrapbook! Here's a couple of pages from the last few days. I am working on getting some calendars completed for my parents so these are pages for those. I know it is already January, but they are very forgiving of my tardiness. ;)

Well, that's all I got for ya tonight. I hope you stay safe and warm! God Bless.

new year, fresh start

2009-01-01T20:18:00.007-05:00

This is the first year that we have had a party and let me tell you, it was so much fun! We had food, drinks, Rock Band, and games with our favorite people! The best part, we were able to have the boys and all of our friends kids with us! There were no babysitters, no curfews, no worries of safety. Just a big ole fun time!

I love New Years! I love the idea of a fresh start of a new year that let's you wash your hands of your previous mistakes, and strive to reach your goals for the future. What are your Resolutions? Do you make them? I tend to stick with the same Resolutions every year, exercise more, save money, be happy. This year I am changing my goals to things that are very attainable and mean just as much to me as the broad empty promises that are usually made for New Years. This year I am striving to live a healthier lifestyle, laugh more, send Birthday Cards to my loved one on time every month (eek), and making it a point to call my Grandma every week. I hate when life gets in your way and you lose sight of the people that matter so much to you and that need the extra thoughts and prayers. I am going to work hard to stick to my goals and I hope that you are able to keep yours! I hope you all have a safe and prosperous New Year! God Bless! :)

we hope you had...

2008-12-27T23:54:00.004-05:00

a wonderful and blessed Christmas...

God Bless!

remember when???

2008-12-22T22:54:00.005-05:00

I remember 8 years ago today...It was one of the most important days I had ever experienced and will continue to be cherished forever. Eight years ago today my sweet boy Michael Andrew Ellis was given to us from Heaven. All 9lbs. 3ozs. of him blessed us at 6:02PM. We were stationed in Okinawa, Japan and he was 2 weeks late. And I can honestly say that his delivery was the most difficult time I have ever had from him. Can you believe how fast time goes by??

Andrew, you are the most amazing boy! You have such a heart of gold and I cherish you so much. I have never met such a sensitive, compassionate, and humorous person in my life and I feel so honored that you chose me as your Mama. I am so excited to see who you become. If the last eight years are any indication to Daddy and I, you have some amazing things in store and there will be no limit to what you can do! I love you so much my sweet Andrew!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!!!

ghetto-fabulous bowling parties and scrappy mass production

2008-12-13T22:30:00.008-05:00

Ahhhh...there is nothing sweeter right now than the pure silence of my living room. Today has been one of those days that the noise level made your brain turn in circles from son up till son down. ;) It has actually been a super fun day with lots jammed into a very short amount of time.

Today we had Andrew's 8th Birthday Party! His actual Birthday is on 12/22 but we had to schedule the party early due to our very close friends moving to another Duty Station next Friday. :( We had his party at the Bowling Alley...All I can say is Ghhhhetttooo-Fabulous! This was the most unorganized place to have a party as the party attendant (that we paid for) called out sick. So...we were able to wing it and the kids really did have a great time! :) The no-show list was greater than the attendees but who cares. Here are a few shots from the party.

After the excitement of the party was over, we were home bound! We ordered pizza, watched The Santa Clause 3, and then I went to work on Teacher Gifts.

Now is where I must profess my love for two things...Jennifer McGuire's blog, and Unity Stamp Company. Jennifer McGuire is an incredibly talented scrapbooker and stamper whose blog I have recently started following. {Damion says I stalk it but what does he know...} Anywhoo, Jennifer did a tutorial on these adorable treat bags and I knew instantly that I had to make them for the kids Teachers this year. You can see the tutorial here. In the midst of creating my treat bags, I knew that I needed some sort of image for the front which is why I love Unity Stamp Company so much! Their product line is so incredible and they had just what I needed. What do you think??? I only have 14 more to make...
Cardstock - Bazzill, Stamps - Unity Stamp Co., Ink - CTMH, ClearSnap, Embossing Powder - CTMH, Ribbon - Michaels Brand, Treat Sacks are from Target and are filled with Hershey's Miniatures.

Well, that about wraps up my evening. I hope y'all have had a wonderful day! Tomorrow my plans include grocery shopping in the morning and scrapping the rest of the day away. If you are able to, you should stop by Scrap-A-Latte this weekend for our Christmas Crop. It is being hosted by the amazing and talented Lou Stiner! Hope to see you there! Good Night and God Bless!

just another manic monday

2008-12-08T20:45:00.006-05:00

Happy Monday Bloggers! :) What a busy day following a busy weekend! It has been so nice here but it turned crazy cold in Coastal Carolina today. I hope everyone has a restful weekend! First of all, I want to thank everyone that posted ideas for scraprooms! Everyone has such wonderful organization ideas and I am so excited to put them to use! I had my darling Husband choose a winner winner chicken dinner of the RAK and the winner is {drum roll} numero quatro DAWN!!! Congratulations Dawn and thanks for playing! I will get your RAK out to you this week! :)

I want to share with you a project I have been working on and finally finished today! One of the past challenges on A Sassy Affair was to make a ribbon topiary. Well, I never got to complete the challenge but I had to lift an idea from one of the participants, Tracy. She is so inventive and I knew when I saw her project I had to make one too!

Thank you Tracy for the inspiration! This is actually a gift for my Dad for Christmas. He is a huge Disney fan and I know he will love it! :) It will be assembled on a black dowel rod and set with acrylic in a glass vase. I love it! :)
Did you notice anything else in that picture of the topiary?!? I am excited to tell you about this extremely talented person I found while participating in the Unity Stamp Company Hip Hop last week. While searching for MOJO and inspiration, I found Dina Kowal's blog. She creates these awesome watermarks! I didn't hesitate to contact her as I knew after seeing her blog, I had to have one! The her follow-up and communication was wonderful and I had the watermark that I had decided on by Sunday! Shut up, it's true!!! I was able to pick my font and background and she whipped it right up! So run don't walk (HA!) over to her blog and email her for one of your very own! There is nobody better. True story! :) I do have to tell you that when I received my watermark, Damion had to show me how to put it on pictures with PhotoShop. It is so easy to do thanks to my husband's mad skills! ;)
I also have to tell you how excited I am about a new venture of mine. I actually opened an Etsy shop today! WOOHOO! I don't actually have anything listed yet but I will post when my store is O-P-E-N for business! I was trying to come up with an uber creative name for my shop but I decided to stay true to my roots and it will also be called...Baggage Included. One day, I will tell y'all the story behind that name.
So one last thing I have to share happened in the midst of my Etsy Shop construction. The boys wanted to go to the park and informed us that they were riding their bikes to the playground. Now, we live on a military base which is incredibly safe but as a Mom, I was very apprehensive about this little outing. Damion of course called me overbearing and a "worry butt" for not wanting them to go so against my better judgement, they kissed me goodbye and rode the 1/4 mile to the playground. I think I counted to 17 before I was in the car to follow them. I tried to be incognito but decided to stop for a few minutes with them. I gave Andrew the cell phone and told him that I would come back in a few minutes. He called 15 minutes later to tell me that they were cold and coming home. I will tell you that there is nothing better than the sound of the door opening and hearing "Hi Mom, we're home." :)
I think I have y'all caught up for now. I hope you have an enjoyable week and stay warm. God Bless!

sing for your supper {kind of}

2008-12-04T21:14:00.005-05:00

TGI{Thursday} bloggers! I hope everyone is having a good week! I am anticipating the weekend like nobody's business. It seems that this week has been so long! So this is going to be a short post with not much substance but I need your help so I am going to make you sing for your supper. We are going to be moving to a renovated house on this military base in a few months which has a bonus room in it. The great news is that I will be able to move out of the corner of our dining room that my scrapbooking occupies and I will have my own room! Shut up, it's true! I am looking for ideas on organization and storage to begin planning my "Scrap-haven". If you post pictures in your gallery or on your blog of your scraproom and link it back here with a comment then I will put your name in a drawing for an RAK. I will give ya till Sunday night. It will be a good one, promise. So go on, show me whatcha got! LoveLove and God Bless! :)

phone calls, giveaways, and throwaways, OH MY!!!

2008-12-02T23:05:00.008-05:00

{RING RING}

ME: "Hello?!?"

CALLER: "Is Andrew there?"

ME: "Who is this please?"

CALLER: "Oh, this is Sebastian."

ME: "Just a second please."

ANDREW: "Hullo?!?"

CALLER: "???"

ANDREW: "Oh hey Sebastian, what's up?"

Never in my life did I think my 2ND grader would be getting phone calls so early on. Tonight Andrew received his first phone call from a friend. I feel so old! Their conversation lasted for about 5 or 6 minutes and when Andrew hung up I was dying to pry! I asked what this boy had called for and Andrew said he was just calling to say "What's Up"...Are you kidding?!? How are my kids so old?!? And why do 7 {almost 8} year olds care what is up after school?!? It really was the cutest thing I have witnessed in a long time so I snapped a few shots. ;)

How much cuter can you get?!?

So in the midst of the phone call excitement, I had to mourn the loss of some scrappy supplies. A couple weeks ago my Mother's dear cat Tinkerbell (whom I affectionately call "Stinky" but whom should really be named "La Diabla") came to visit. During her visit, little miss princess took it upon herself to urinate all over a bin of scrappy embellishments. I couldn't believe the mess OR the things that I had to throw away!

Of all the goodies, I was only able to save a few things.

The only thing that is helping me right now is that I have a box full o' goodness en route from Scrap-A-Latte. That should help my wounds heal nicely. ;)

Anywho...I wanted to let you know that I stumbled onto the Glitz blog today and they are doing some product giveaways. They did one today and mentioned that they will be doing another tomorrow. Go check them out here.

That is about all in our neck of the woods. It is supposed to get super cold tonight so make sure you bundle up and drink some cocoa. Be safe and God Bless!

Do you ever wonder when

2008-12-01T20:58:00.006-05:00

we became adults? I was talking to my Mom today and I told her that I couldn't believe that I just turned 29. Getting older doesn't bother me at all, but thirty is my "grown-up" age. I say this tonight because as I sit on the sofa with my trusty laptop in tow, I am listening to my kids play in bed when they should be sleeping. We have gone in with the Parental Warnings several times but I can't help but sit here and laugh to myself at the thought that they have no idea we can hear them. I remember those days of playing in my room and thinking that if the door was closed I was in my own little world that could not be invaded unless I invited someone in. Oh how age makes us realize that this is not so. :) I loved the idea of my imagination running free and not being self conscious of where the thoughts were taking me. I admire this wonder in my children so much and I hope you do with yours as well. Off to give the {final} warning. ;) Good night, and God Bless.

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-11-29T18:31:00.010-05:00

I love the weekend after Thanksgiving. You get to eat leftovers, shop for amazing deals, and you aren't looked at like a freak for decorating your house and singing Christmas carols. :) I actually experienced my first Black Friday yesterday and I had so much fun! My girlfriend Jessica and I braved the stores and got some amazing deals including an artificial Christmas tree for 25 bucks! Shut up, it's true! We left to shop at 4:30 yesterday morning and we were done with our lists and home by 9:00AM. The lines weren't really bad at all and I am so glad that my experience was positive. Once I got home, I was able to shop the sales online at Scrap-a-latte. Boy did Carla have some good sales yesterday! :)

Andrew and I decorated the tree this morning and it looks pretty darn good. I unwrapped all the ornaments and he placed them ever so carefully on the tree. He's such a cutie patootie! After we were done with the tree, Damion took the boys bowling so I could decorate (and do laundry) in peace. Here are some pictures of the decor so far.

What do you think about the wreath? I was one of my suh-weet deals yesterday! I am hoping to get lights on the house this week while the kids are in school (since Damion is home on leave :P) so I will post pics when it's done.

Well, that is about it for now I suppose. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We all truly do have a lot to be thankful for. God Bless!

and so the lion fell in love with the lamb

2008-11-26T18:50:00.012-05:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I blogged. Since Damion returned home from Iraq we have been spending every minute together as a family. It has been a dream to reconnect and just be together. We took a week and went to Disney World which was so much fun! Now that we are back, it is full swing time for the holidays! WOOHOO!

I did take some time yesterday to go on a date...with myself. I went to dinner and then to see Twilight. Oh my goodness, I am so hooked. I am not sure what I expected in the movie but all I can say is that I loved it! I could have seen it again as soon as the credits were rolling. What a magical movie. If you haven't seen it yet, go check it out!!!

I have to tell you quick about a super cool contest that is going on right now at Scrap-A-Latte. They are doing a Dancing with the Stars 8 week Elimination Competition. Here's how it works. They will post challenges each week and you complete the pages that they call for. The ever so talented and fabulous Design Team will then judge the pages and the scrappers they choose will move on to the next round. And the grand prize is 100 bucks worth of Scrapping Products. Shut up, it's true!!! So go to SAL and sign up! The first page has to be uploaded by November 30! :) Did I mention that you receive a 20% coupon just for signing up for the competition?!? See the rules and challenge thread here.

With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I have to say that I am truly the most blessed person in the world. I have a wonderful husband and the most amazing boys on the planet call me Mom. I have a family that would do anything for me (and have). And, I have the best friends that any person could ever hope to have. God is so much better to me than I deserve. I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a truly blessed holiday season!

God Bless!

out for publication

2008-10-19T20:43:00.011-04:00

Those are not words you usually hear or see associated with me or my scrapbooking. BUT...I have to say that my good friend Dawn, who is on staff at Scrapbook News & Review picked up one of my altered items for an amazing article she wrote on Gaffer Tape. This is my first time ever being published so...WOOHOO! Skinny Bitch, my composition book that was altered for a diet journal is in the October issue (#7) of this fantastic mag. If you haven't gotten a subscription to this online inspiration then what are you waiting for?!? Head on over there and hook it up buttercup! Thanks again Dawn for the recognition...You rock! I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend! Stay warm in the lowering temperatures of this fabulous fall weather! God Bless.

Our Hero is Home!

2008-10-15T16:47:00.016-04:00

Finally!!! We were reunited with Damion this morning at 9AM and we couldn't be more thrilled! He is home safe and that is all that matters! Thank you so much for the love and prayers! I will be updating more in the next day or so but now we are really focusing on some much needed family time to get reacquainted. Below are pictures from the reunion and then a few from when we first got home. Of course no pics of Mom but maybe we will get some this weekend. Thank you again for all of the support throughout the last 7 months and thank you to the Marines and their families that are just beginning their deployment so that our Hero could come home. We love you all! :)

His manner was happy.

His face wore a smile,

His eager eyes searching

the last endless mile.

Ribbons of yellow

and red white and blue

adorned every front door

that passed into view.

His heart swelled with pride

for he'd done his job well,

but a part of him wept

for his buddies who fell.

His emotions were jumbled.

His feelings were torn.

He needed some time now

to quietly mourn.

He had left here a boy

and now he'd returned,

and in the short span

there was so much he'd learned.

Today all that mattered

was a few miles ahead,

and anticipation

was beginning to spread.

At last, the bus station

and people galore,

but three, only three

was he searching for.

All tear streaked and laughing

their faces filled his view,

and with all his mixed feelings

there was one thing he knew.

He had hated that desert.

He had hated the war,

and he knew only freedom

was worth fighting for.

He wasn't a hero

with ambitions to roam.

As he ran to their arms

he at last had come home.

~by B. V. Dahlen

Leap Of Faith...

2008-10-14T19:47:00.011-04:00

That is what you take with the Military giving you an exact show time for Homecoming. I have not heard from Damion since last Thursday but I am still going on the original "word" that they will be here tomorrow morning! WOOHOO! So...the signs are hung and the car is as obnoxious as can be! So... Now. We. Wait. Here are some pictures that we took today. You can click on them to enlarge.

I pulled the kids out of school a bit early to go hang the sign on the gate. It is tradition that you hang a sign on the fence coming onto the Base to welcome your soldier home. The picture isn't great as with the sun shining it sparkles beautifully. And I have to give a shout out to my girl Dawn for telling me what kind of glue to use on the sign. Thanks Girl! :) Thank you for the love and prayers. Hopefully I will be back tomorrow with some pictures of the actual festivities! LoveLove and God Bless!

OHHH Sweet Mail!!!

2008-10-13T22:40:00.010-04:00

Lookie Lookie Lookie what came in the mail this weekend!!!

This is the first of Damion's Foot Lockers to come to the house which means that Operation Welcome Home is in full effect! WOOHOO!!! The house is cleaned, the signs are made, and we are ready! The past 7 months have been a whirl wind and we are so excited for our Daddy to be home! Just 1.5 more days and we will be able to udder those favorite words, "Welcome Home".

I know it has been a while since I blogged but it has been a crazy week around here. In the midst of getting our house and hearts ready for Damion to be here, one of my best friends here had her precious baby last week. Owen was born 5 weeks early and weighed in at 7lbs, 1oz!!! Isn't that crazy!!! No pictures of him yet but I will be sure to share when I can. A cool bonus for the boys and I was that while Mama and Daddy were at the hospital, their 15 month old daughter got to stay with us! It was interesting to see how the boys would react but they acted like perfect substitute big brothers and I was very proud! I have the cutest picture of the 3 of them but I haven't gotten permission to post it yet so stay tuned.

I hope you all have had a wonderful Columbus Day. Tomorrow after school we are hanging signs and decorating the car so I will make sure to post some pictures of our excitement! God Bless!

peas and carrots

2008-10-03T21:51:00.009-04:00

This week we have had a full house. My parents went to Nebraska to visit my grandparents which left me to have a couple of crashers. Their pets Trixie (yellow lab) and Tinkerbell AKA. Stinky (kitty) are with us and we are thrilled as they bring such excitement to our lives and are such great company! :) Trixie has more or less been hanging out trying to pass the days so she can get back home. I guess you could say she is old and set in her ways. ;)

On the other hand, you could say that Stinky (Tink) is having a wonderful vacation at her sissy's house. She and Zero get along really well and have spent every waking (and sleeping) moment together.

I am wondering if I need to charge for time on the sofa by the hour. ;) I am trying to find a way to explain their "relationship" to the kids. They think Stinky and Zero should get married. Maybe so...

Well that is about all for our neck of the woods. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Be safe and God Bless! :)

Love is...

2008-09-29T22:47:00.007-04:00

the smile you get when you think of how many days you have left.

Our paper chain is a beautiful thing! We started out with 200 links and are now under 20! I can't believe it! The signs are getting painted, the house is getting cleaned, and our hearts are so full they could explode at any minute! Every day the boys and I sit and marvel at how long it has been since we have been able to touch him but smile because we still feel the warmth of his hugs. We all miss Damion so much and are walking on air knowing we are in the home stretch. My love and prayers goes out to each hero in his Unit that is coming home with him and to their family members who are taking one breath at a time like we are. We are so close!!!

Lovin the Twenties!!!

2008-09-14T00:07:00.008-04:00

No, I'm not talking about "my twenties"...I am talking about the countdown to Damion finally coming home! We have twenty [something] days left until he is on US Soil again! We are so excited getting everything ready for his Homecoming! WOOHOO! Thank you all for your love and support and prayers while he has been gone. We are still not out of the woods (or sand) so your continued prayers are so very appreciated! I can't wait to finally be able to post that he is home. Twenty something and a wake up. *deep breath*

I will leave you tonight with a few pictures of the kids from Roller Skating. One of their BFF's Ashley had her birthday party {yesterday} at the Roller Rink.

This was the first time the boys had been roller skating and what fun. I hope you have an awesome rest of the weekend. God Bless!

Never Forget

2008-09-11T20:58:00.010-04:00

We were stationed in Okinawa, Japan so we were 14 hours ahead of the US. Damion was at home with Andrew in bed. I was with a friend playing cards at another friend's house. I was pregnant with Zachary. The only real time channel we got was ABC and it was on in the background. The report of the first plane striking the tower played. We were sure it was an accident. The second plane hit and cards fell to the floor. Nobody could move. It was almost as if life was moving in slow motion. Without speaking a word we all went home. Damion was playing a game on the computer so he didn't even know about it until I got home. We were supposed to fly back to the states a few days later to go to Disney World and visit family. We knew instantly that not only were we going to be on lock down in Okinawa but our Country would never be the same. Just like it was yesterday I remember everything as do you. We were all touched that day in different ways. But the one thing that remains constant is our overwhelming pride for our Country. My heart goes out to the families that have been touched by the tragedy that struck our Country 7 years ago. May God watch over the families that lost a hero on that heart wrenching day. And, God Bless the brave men and women who are protecting our Country. Remember to take a moment today (and every day) to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. I love you all.

God Bless America!

spinning in circles

2008-09-10T21:09:00.006-04:00

That is what my head has been doing this week. I have been so busy this week with the kids, PTA, life, etc. Yesterday I was able to spend all day at the kids' school volunteering at their Book Fair. Let me tell you how much more respect I have for teachers. I was able to see just a glimpse into their daily schedules and holy cow, they have got some patience and stamina. I was lucky enough to have lunch with both boys and play in PE with Zachary. We got home at 3:30 from school and had to be back there at 4:45 for Family Night and the extension of the Book Fair. Thankfully, today was a Teacher Workday so we got to sleep in. :) Today we did Dr's Appointments, grocery shopping, and laundry, laundry, and more laundry (are you catching the pattern). The kids are now in bed and I am sitting here thinking that I should make a list of other things that still have to be done this week. Ahhhh, it never ends. Hopefully I can take some time to get scrappy this week but with the schedule it's not looking good. ;) Have a great night all! God Bless.

Love, Auntie Stinky

2008-09-08T06:48:00.006-04:00

So...I am helping my BFF with her blog every week making a slide show of her beautiful son, Austin (or as Uncle Damion calls him, "Tex"). So...I wanted to share some bragging rights this week of my adorable nephew! Isn't he so stinkin cute!?!? I love you Austin!!!

Sometimes A Little Rain Must Fall

2008-09-06T23:43:00.011-04:00

This has been quite the weekend so far. We have had a relaxing few days at home waiting for TS Hanna to come and go. The rain fell, and the wind blew while the boys and I played games, watched You Tube videos, and cleaned up Lego's. :) While surfing the web, Andrew and I found the coolest site where you can make your own Lego people. It was so much fun that we made Lego people for each of us!

Aren't they great?!? Want to try it out? Get "Lego'd" here.

In the midst of our quality time together, I actually was able to sneak away long enough to scrap a page for a challenge on Scrap-A-Latte. Okay, it is actually 1/2 a page but I think that still totally counts. :)
Patterned Paper - Fancy Pants, Felt Fusion - Queen & Co., Photo Corners - Making Memories, Flowers - Making Memories, Heidi Swapp, Ink - Colobox, Pen - Sharpie, Bling - MAMBI

On another note, I was able to briefly chat on-line with Damion tonight and they have had a very tough situation the last few days. All I can say is that there were life changing events that are causing me to ask you to pray for the Marines and their families that were involved in this tragedy. Blessings are found in every situation. In this one the blessing is that while limbs were lost, lives were spared. My thoughts, prayers, and love go out to all members involved. I hope with everything I have that what is seen and felt so far away from home, doesn't change their hearts and souls. Continued prayers are so greatly appreciated until these brave Men and Women return home safely.

I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend. Hold your loved ones tight and tell them you love them every minute that you can, because you never know when the day will come that it is too late. God Bless.

2008-08-28T23:13:00.010-04:00

A little Spook with a lot of Sass!

I just finished my week 1 project for this new challenge blog that my friend Summer has called A Sassy Affair. We had to alter something for Halloween. They had so many cool ideas listed that it was easy to get inspired to get a little spook goin on.

PP - Provo Craft, Cardstock - Bazill, Stamp - Imaginisce, Ink & Embossing Powder - CTMH, Paint - Delta, Glitter - Stickles, Scalloped Velvet Ribbon - American Crafts, Adhesive - Mod Podge, Wacky Tack, Cauldron - Michaels, Ribbon - Misc.

Well, if you haven't already, there is still time to check out HIP HOP Thursday over at Unity Stamp Company! There is quite a bit of blog candy and some supa sweet deals so hop on over there! :)

That is about it for me. I hope you all have had a wonderful Friday Eve! Take care and God Bless.

Happy Birthday

2008-08-26T16:32:00.009-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

To my amazing husband, Damion.

You are such an phenomenal father, amazing husband, and dedicated Marine. Thank you for being such a huge part of who I am. You make me laugh, cry (happy tears), smile, and roll my eyes. You make me feel silly and loved all at the same time. I still get butterflies when you walk into a room. Thank you for making me want to be a better person. Thank you for having patience with our children through their developmental challenges. Thank you for having patience with me even when you say something is "common sense". Thank you for serving our Country and sacrificing time away from your family and friends so that we can live our lives with freedom and safety. Thank you for having the most amazing sense of humor I have ever encountered. (Thank you for your rock hard bod). Thank you for being the "fun" parent that camps out with the kids in the living room and rocks the house on the Xbox. Thank you for loving me. I hope you have had a wonderful birthday so far from home. We love you and miss you with all of our hearts! Happy Birthday Baby!

God Bless.

Puppy Picking - Week 2

2008-08-23T23:44:00.010-04:00

So today was marked the 2ND Saturday that we have gone to the Pet Store looking at and playing with different puppies. Ever since having to get rid of The Bogey, I am adamant about the boys not being scared of dogs so this is our form of therapy. That way, we can see what breed we are all the most comfortable with and also make an educated decision to present to Damion when he gets home. (Did I mention he will be back on US Soil in like oh 50 something days. WOOHOO!!!!!!) Today we played with a Boston Terrier. He is by far my favorite! What do you think?

I apologize for the bad quality picture, I took it with my cell phone. I really did like him but the boys are stuck on the Bassett Hound we played with last week. I don't have any pictures of her but trust me, she was incredibly cute too!

Other than the puppy playing today it was pretty low key. I took a nap while the kids watched a movie and then we did some sparklers (aka. Fire Sticks per Zachary) in the front yard. It was quite a lot of fun! :)

I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend so far. I will leave you with a few LO's that have recently been completed. The pictures on the LO's are from 2004 so it shows that I am a bit behind on my scrappin. Oh wel, I can't be too perfect, huh?!? LOL. Again, the pics aren't great but I still haven't mastered my scanner.

Oh...P.S. If you haven't read the book sTori Telling by Tori Spelling you totally should! I bought it last week and couldn't put it down. She is totally different than you would expect! Buy a copy here. You won't regret it. Okay, it's late. Good Night and God Bless! :)

Back 2 School with a little Hip Hop Hooraaaaay, Hooooo, Heyyyy, Hooooo

2008-08-21T19:58:00.011-04:00

Sorry, got a little carried away with the 90's flashback there. :)

Well, they did it! My babies went back to school. I told a friend of mine today that it is so amazing how fast are kids are growing up and yet we aren't aging at all. :) The boys both had great days today! Andrew gets to sit next to his BFF, Tyler, and Zachary is happy not to sit next to Alexa. Boys will be boys I guess! :) The teachers that the kids have are the same as last year since the classrooms are multi-age so it was nice to go into familiar territory. Plus, their teachers are phenomenal and that makes Mama happy! :) Here are a few pictures from this morning's photo shoot!

Aren't they little hams?!? Well, I can't say little for much longer since Andrew has grown about 4 inches this summer and Zachary is only and inch behind his big brother! Yikes!!! You would be very proud to know that I only cried twice today. :) Such strength, I know. :P

If you haven't discovered it already, you need to HIP HOP over to the Unity Stamp Company's Blog for HIP HOP THURSDAY!!! There are reveals, give-aways, and blog candy, OH MY!!! They also have some awesome DT Members with the sweetest creations EVA!!! Check em out!

Any who, I hope y'all have had a fantabulous day! Go on, HIP HOP outta here! God Bless!

This is what happens...

2008-08-20T22:54:00.013-04:00

when you run out of coffee filters.

This just about sums up the type of week I have had so far. Most people call it Murphy's Law, I call it Ellis' Law. :) Hopefully with schedules getting in order this week a routine will stop the madness! Here's hoping anyway.

So...Backpacks are loaded.

Lunches are made.

And clothes are layed out.

Yes, it is that time of year already. School starts tomorrow. I can't believe I have a 1st grader and a 2ND grader! Someone please tell me where in the world the time goes...I always reflect the night before school starts thinking about how far we've come and I just can't believe how fast the time comes and goes. I am truly blessed to have such amazing kids! I have so many hopes for them in life that every year just brings another milestone and I can't help but beam with pride for the accomplishments the boys have already made in their short lives! They really are the best and we are truly so lucky!

Well that is about all from this corner. I hope you are all having a wonderful week! :) I will be back tomorrow with some super sweet Back to School pictures! God Bless!

Letting Go...

2008-08-13T19:04:00.010-04:00

Those that have known me for the past year have heard me talk with great affection for Bogey, our rescued yellow lab. We adopted him almost a year ago from a breeder who rescued him from an abusive home. For the past year he has been such a cuddle bug and a huge part of our family. I am devastated to say that this all changed last night.

Zachary was laying in bed with Bogey (he always laid in bed with one of us) watching a movie and winding down from the day. I had just sat down in the living room to watch the Olympics and also wind down. It wasn't five minutes that had passed when I heard Bogey make this horrid snarl and seconds later Zachary screamed. I ran into the room and Zachary was holding his eye and blood was dripping down he face. Bogey had bit him. I was afraid to have Zachary move his hand as I wasn't sure what I was about to see. An inch above Zachary's left eye, Bogey's tooth punctured his skin. I got it cleaned the best I could, took pictures of it to send to Damion and I ran him to my neighbor's house to get her opinion of how bad it was. She thought that it would be okay but suggested I find out if he needed a tetanus shot. I called the nurses help line at the hospital here on base and they informed me that it is Base Order to take any Dog Bite Victim to the ER. So off we went. To make a long story short, the doctor cleaned it out good, put a butterfly bandage on it, and instructed us to keep a close watch on it. Zachary was very brave and I was and still am incredibly proud of him. He handled the situation with grace and courage which was much more than I could say for myself.

The Emergency Room Staff informed me that they would be contacting Animal Control and that we would be visited by a member of Animal Control to evaluate the dog and the situation. I was informed that 9 times out of 10 they take custody of the dog and most of the time it is at owner request. After talking with Damion and shedding some tears we decided that we would be requesting to be released of all rights to Bogey. While we have loved having him in our lives and with our family, we love our children so much more. The unfortunate part of rescuing an abused dog is that you never know what they went through and what could possibly set them off.

So this afternoon with a heavy heart, I drove Bogey to the Animal Shelter. They will have him in quarantine for 10 days to make sure he does not develop rabies and then they will be putting him down. Unfortunately because he was involved in a bite incident, he is not adoptable. Needless to say, there is a very dark cloud over the Ellis Household tonight. I know we made the right decision, as Bogey will no longer suffer from the nightmares in his head of the struggles that he has had to go through in his life but it doesn't make our hearts hurt any less.

Andrew and Zachary are taking the news as any child would. I think the person this is the most difficult for is my father. He has a special place in his heart for The Bogey and I know he wishes the situation had been different. So please say a prayer for my dad to understand that we truly had no other choice. And please say a little prayer for us too that we will be able to grieve this loss but at the same time we need a thankful prayer that this situation wasn't any worse. Please take some time to hug your kids tonight and thank the Lord for all of the amazing blessings in your life. I sure am. God Bless.

Happy Scrappy Monday!!!

2008-08-11T20:26:00.007-04:00

Happy Scrappy Monday!!!

Okay, so it was really a "Happy Scrappy Sunday" but I didn't take pictures of anything until today. I have so much to share with you all and show you too! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Ours was quite eventful...Zachary had a stomach bug that I think is finally under control! YAY!!! Nothing worse than being a kid sick during the last week of Summer Vacation. Poor guy. In the midst of the sickness, the rain, and the refereeing of kids and animals, I was actually able to get some scrapping AND altering done. Shut up, it's true! I didn't get any of my layouts scanned so I will share them tomorrow. But...I did get some things altered for First Day Of School Teacher Gift's.

Okay so I have to tell you that the key chains are actually pages from Scrapworks Acrylic Album's. You can purchase one here. Aren't they adorable?!? I wish I could take credit for the idea. I actually lifted the idea from my friend Summer . She is such a talented chick-e-doo. Speaking of Summer...Have you all checked out her new blog? It's called A Sassy Affair and looks like it will be super fun so check it out! :)

All of the paper (and the turtle stamp) used on the above items is from Close To My Heart. I so love their paper as it is all double sided and has a white core which is prefect for distressing! :) CTMH also has the best stamps!!! They are acrylic so you can see through them! Isn't that awesome?!? I am not a stamping genius so it helps me to be able to see the image actually going onto the paper. I swear they were made just for me! :) You want to know where you can buy these fabulous stamps and incredible paper?!? Well...You are totally in luck! It just so happens that my good friend Tracy sells them. Take a look here. And while you are clicking around, you should totally check out Tracy's new blog...here. Go ahead and show her some love! Oh and BTW, if you haven't seen the new CTMH Catalog all I have to say is OH MY GOODNESS!!! They have so many new and wonderful products including an Acrylic Album!!! The new catalog isn't in effect until September but trust me, their goods are worth the wait! :)

So I was going through pictures online tonight and look at this one that I found of the boys!!!
This one was taken while visiting Grandma and Grandpa. It is so fun to go through older photos. If you haven't done so in a while, take some time to browse through. It will definitely add some sunshine to your day. :)

Well, it is coming up on bed time for the kiddos so I better make like a tree and "get outta here". (Remember that line?) I hope you all had a wonderful Monday! Make sure you enjoy the last few days of summer. They are numbered now. God Bless!

I'm A Tigger. What Are You?

2008-08-06T22:55:00.007-04:00

I'm A Tigger. What Are You?

When I was visiting my parent's house last week, Betsy (my cousin) had me watch something that has honestly changed my life. It was a You Tube video of Dr. Randy Pausch. He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. He had given something called The Last Lecture. It is to be said that if a professor knew that he was dying and could give one last lecture, what is the message he would give to his students. If you click on the link above, you will be connected with the original lecture that he gave which is a bit over an hour long. I am posting the condensed version that he gave on Oprah which I have to say, I got more out of. (pause the music at the bottom and then press play)

This man has become a new hero of mine. Even faced with the most difficult tragedy of all, he chose to live his life full of fun, love, and family. He was a fighter. With great sadness I must tell you that Randy Pausch passed away on July 25 of this year. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and all those that he touched through his years.
One of the greatest messages Randy had in that lecture was to not be afraid to express your creativity. With that being said, I want to share with you some pictures of what went on in our house today.

Andrew has been asking to paint characters on his wall for quite some time. He is such a wonderfully creative kid and his fantastic art ability seems to be quickly becoming his passion. I have really turned my head at the idea of him "messing" up the walls until I watched the Last Lecture. The words that stuck out to me were, "expressing your creativity is more important than the pristine nature of the walls". When you hear those words, you can't help but agree. So today, Andrew got his wish, and I can't imagine not letting him have that freedom.
So as I sit here with a sleeping kitten on my lap I want to leave you with this thought. Do your best to live your life to the fullest. Don't worry so much about the laundry that needs to be done, or the toys that are all over the floor when your door bell rings unexpectedly. Live your life, have fun, share love. Because this is not a dress rehearsal. I love you all. God Bless!

Long Time No Blog

2008-08-02T23:18:00.009-04:00

Long Time No Blog

It has been so long since I have blogged, I almost forgot my password. ;) Things are good on the home front, just busy. We are on the countdown for school and Damion's homecoming! The boys go back to the grind on August 21 and we have roughly 72 days until the flags will be waiving (and I will be sleeping through the night). In the midst of school shopping and Dr appts, we were able to spend last weekend at my parents house while my cousin and her boys were there. Betsy, my cousin is much more like a sister to me and I am so glad we were able to see each other. Here are some pictures of the album I made for her birthday. I love the Clear Scraps Acrylic Albums so much! I am totally addicted!!!

Isn't she beautiful?!? Let me tell you, she is such an amazing Mother, friend, sister, woman. I am so proud of her and hope that she knows how much she is loved!
Anywho, that is about all from this end. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! God Bless!

Doctor Update And A Little Scrappy

2008-07-18T07:03:00.009-04:00

Doctor Update And A Little Scrappy

I'm sorry that it has taken so long to post about the Doctor's Appointment for Zachary. It went really well and I really like the Doctor. It was a lot of information which brought out a lot of emotions that I wasn't expecting. Zachary did awesome during the visit (so did Andrew). The Doctor (Dr. Harum) is wonderful and I am really impressed with her style. She wants Zachary to start having language therapy as she thinks that he has trouble with the meaning of words to use to express his feelings. I spoke to the school and they will have him evaluated when the school year begins. Also, she thinks that a big part of his picky eating is that he possibly has reflux. She put him on a Zantac, a Pro biotic, and also a digestive vitamin that will help his digestive tract process his food better. She also put him on Fish Oil to help with brain development since he is not getting the nutrients from his food. Dr. Harum said that I can put the vitamins and fish oil into Dixie cups with juice concentrate to make popsicles and he won't even taste it. Here's hoping! He is going back on September 2 for blood work, genetic testing, and also the Autism Evaluation to help narrow down a concrete diagnosis. She also is concerned that his sudden emotional outbursts could make him prone to seizures. He will go through testing (EEG) on July 30. It is a machine that he will be hooked up to for 24 hours and must be monitored by an Ambulatory Unit. That scares the hell out of me as it could force him into a seizure. They want to try to complete it without sedation however if they can't get the reading they want to sedate him. If that is the case then I will have my Mom or Dad come down to stay with me as I don't think I can emotionally handle that myself. It was so much information and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed but I know it will all be fine. Absolutely nothing to be concerned with at this point as we have him heading in the right direction.

On another note I realized while lurking on my own blog (HA!) that it has been a while since I shared anything scrappy. I thought I would post a few things that have been completed in the last few months. I am hoping to scrap this weekend as it has been too long since I last played with my scrappy schtuff.

The first 3 LO's were for a book that I made for Damion to keep while he is on deployment. The last LO is from a challenge to scrap about your favorite sayings or quotes. I also want to share an altered Composition Book with you that I am using as a Diet Journal. The diet is not working out so well however, I am in love with the journal!

I hope you all enjoy your Friday! Have a safe and fun weekend! Thanks for stopping by and God Bless!

An Unexpected Trip With Unexpected Blessings

2008-07-14T22:22:00.012-04:00

An Unexpected Trip With Unexpected Blessings

Today has been quite a day! We started our morning on the sofa at home and our day is now ending in a hotel room 60 miles south of our house. Let me start from the beginning...
We have been trying to get Zachary in to see a Developmental Pediatrician for months. He has needed to have a professional evaluation to narrow down the form of Autism that he has so we can zone in on what type of treatment will be the most beneficial for him. The reason it has taken so long is that we wanted him to see a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) Dr. that uses a biomedical approach instead of automatically prescribing medication as a band aid fix. Anywho...we have been on a waiting list for the DAN! Dr. in Wilmington for months and had decided that we needed to take a more aggressive approach. We were to see the DAN! Dr in Winston-Salem which made me cancel my plans for going to CHA in Chicago. Well...as luck would have it the Dr's office in Wilmington called us this morning to see if we wanted to take an appointment Tuesday Morning as someone had cancelled. I don't think the person on the other end of the phone had finished the statement before we were packed and in the car heading to Wilmington. It has been a whirlwind day but so so much fun.
We put food out for Zero and took Bogey to the kennel, then headed on our way southbound. We got to the hotel and got settled in.
Then we headed down to the indoor pool for some fun in the not so much sun.
But I think their favorite part was the Hot Tub.
After our much needed R&R, we went to Target for some retail therapy and then to dinner. We came back to the hotel and the boys went to work on their new purchases.
They worked really hard. Our evening is now winding down. The boys are in bed, all new patient paperwork is completed, and I can't help but sit here in the dark feeling so blessed to have such wonderful children and such a charmed life. This has truly been a wonderful day with the only flaw being Damion's absence. We will have to make another overnight trip like this when Daddy is home safe with us. I hope each of you are lucky enough to have half the love in your life that I have in mine. God Bless!

Just Another Day In Paradise (or something like that)...

2008-07-10T22:16:00.009-04:00

Just Another Day In Paradise (or something like that)...

Hello my lovelies! I wanted to share a few pictures from the day today. Can I just say I am loving my new camera! I feel like such a grown-up with it. :) Well, Zachary began his Extended School Year on Wednesday and it seems to be going very well! It is good for him to get the one on one time with a teacher and at the same time, I am loving my date time with Andrew! Today while Zachary was in school, Andrew and I went to breakfast and then to the library. When all was done we came home and read every book that we checked out.

Can you tell the kids love reading? Needless to say we will be going back to the Library tomorrow.

This evening was a Karate Night and we got some pretty good pictures of the festivities. The kids are enjoying having that activity and I am thrilled that they are able to go!

I hope you have had an enjoyable day. The weekend is almost here! God Bless!

Have Your Tissues Ready!

2008-07-10T00:05:00.006-04:00

Have Your Tissues Ready!

My friend Michele has this video posted on her blog and I had to share it with you. Just scroll to the bottom of my blog first to pause the tunes and then click on the video.

What an amazing story with a wonderful message. God Bless!

Will RAK For Blog Help...

2008-07-09T21:07:00.004-04:00

Will RAK For Blog Help...

So I go to so many adorable blogs and y'all have these super cute blog headers that make me so jealous. I have tried to make one but I am a Photo Shop drop-out. Here's the deal-e-o...I will give an Uber Suh-weet RAK to someone who can either make me one or walk my digi-challenged a$$ through it. Pleaseeeeeee!!! Any takers? Oh yeah, I also would really love to know how to make a watermark for my digi pics. Thanks loves! God Bless! :)

96 Days and Counting...

2008-07-09T17:47:00.007-04:00

96 Days and Counting...

Woohoo! We are finally out of triple digits on our countdown until Damion comes home! Let me tell you, that feels so good! The last few weeks have been so enjoyable as we were able to spend that time with my parents in Raleigh. The kids had a wonderful time getting spoiled and we have all seems to recharge and are ready to enjoy the remainder of our summer. Zachary started his Extended School Year today and I am pleased to say it went so well (so far)! We have scheduled for him to do 2 hours every Wednesday through Friday until school starts. Hopefully, this process will make his school year so much easier. :) Not much else going on here, just loving the summer days and letting my class kick my butt! OH!!!!! I received my camera from Iraq finally(thank you baby!) and I snapped a few pictures last night. Andrew was very compliant but Zachary took some convincing.

Anyone that doesn't have a Nikon camera needs to go out and get one right now. It is freakin amazing! I also received a few pictures from Damion.

I say it everytime but I miss him sooooo much! I hope you all are enjoying your lazy summer days! God Bless!

Jumping On The Wagon...Again.

2008-06-17T22:46:00.007-04:00

Jumping On The Wagon...Again.

I know what you're thinking...I have been a bad blogger. With the kids out of school since last Wednesday and packing to come for a visit to Grandma's there has been little time for anything! Things are going well here and the kids are having a blast with no expectations of school work. We have been with my parents since Saturday and are having such a nice time! I heard from Damion this morning through email and things are quiet where he is (Thank God). Everyday he is in Iraq brings us one day closer to him being home! I almost don't remember what it is like for him to be in the same house with us. It will be nice to rediscover our family! :)

So I have some news...I have decided to go back to school. I am going to be taking a Medical Transcription course most likely beginning next month. I am so nervous to even think about going back, even if it is online. I have been toying with different ideas on whether I should continue school to complete my degree to become an RN or if I should just find a part time "something". I do have a medical background which will help and the plus side to this opportunity is that I can work from home, which is huge when you have a situation where you can't have your children in child care. My best friend just completed this course that I will be starting and she was offered a job within 2 weeks of graduating! WOOHOO! So now comes the hard part. I have been out of school for roughly 9 years (going back a few times to complete a course here and there). I now find myself with a blank Word document to write a Scholarship Essay. In a one to two page Essay, I have to describe myself. Yikes! I thought I would use this post as an opportunity to get some writing MOJO but it doesn't seem to be working. Hopefully the words will come easily and I will hear good news that I have been granted a little break in the tuition. :)

I hope you are all enjoying your summer weather! Take time to have some fun in the sun! God Bless!

Sarah In Real Life...(I Wish)

2008-06-08T23:14:00.010-04:00

Sarah In Real Life...(I Wish)

My dear friend Carla from Scrap-A-Latte posted a Blog Challenge for us today. The challenge question was if we had to pick actors to portray ourselves and our spouses in a movie who would it be and why. I for one would love this chance as it would mean my life would potentially have a happy ending, high ratings, a potentially smaller backside, and be an overall box office hit. Kelly Preston and John Travolta come to mind just because I think they are not only fantastic actors, but they are also an amazing couple. While choosing your "life double" is desirable, making this choice leads to an even better perk...It would also mean that my life could be controlled by a Director when it got out of hand. You have no idea how much I would love that right now. I would give anything to have someone call "Cut" in the middle of my life to make it stop and replay with more compassion, understanding, and strength. I haven't been sleeping well. Every time I close my eyes these days I have visions of Damion being killed in front of me. I wake up in a cold sweat and I can't breathe. I feel as though I want to scream but nothing comes out of my mouth except me gasping for my breath. I don't think I was prepared for these feelings. There are just so many unknowns with him being so far away. I have no idea what he is going through and it scares me. I worry that he won't be the same man when he returns to us. I worry that the things he is experiencing will push us farther apart when I am praying that they will bring us closer together. I worry that I will still be just as lonely when he returns as I am this night laying in bed with my laptop typing these words. In the military there are unwritten rules that you follow when you have a loved one so far away. You make sure you remain strong when you speak to them, you carry on with this brave face with your yellow ribbons hanging from your porch. And under no circumstances do you ask what they have seen when they return. When he is ready to talk he will. I just hope this is true. We have a paper chain draped in our living room now. It is red, white, and blue with each link representing every day he has left away. We are at 126. I am praying that these days go fast for us as well as the other families that are not together. My thoughts and prayers are with them...All of the military personnel so far away and all of the families left behind. Thank you. Thank you for giving up so much for us to live our lives with freedom. I pray that this freedom will continue forever and that our families will have fewer days apart. God Bless!

What's a Scrapbooker without her camera???

2008-06-02T22:29:00.009-04:00

What's a Scrapbooker without her camera???

SHE'S LOST!!!

Yes, it is a sad time in the Ellis Household right now. My camera (actually the 2nd camera in a year) broke - aka was killed. It actually was in my purse safe and sound...Ready to capture memories in an instant. Well, my purse was knocked off the stool in the kitchen and fell to the floor. Of course, that type of damage is not covered under warranty. Anywho, I am without a camera for now BUT...my future is looking bright! Damion found a great deal at a PX (Personal Exchange - Like a military Target) on a Nikon D40. I have begged and pleaded for this camera for quite some time. I am just awaiting it's arrival with a postmark from Iraq. WOOHOO! I have quite a few things to share but it will have to wait until later in the week. I hope you are having a wonderful beginning to the week!

God Bless!

Five + Zero = Six

2008-05-27T10:41:00.009-04:00

Five + Zero = Six

Okay I know what you are thinking. My math must be wrong above. And for those of you who know me, you would not be surprised as you all know my math difficulties. :) I assure you that it is not only right, it makes us complete. Since Zachary was able to talk, he has only ever asked for one thing...A orange and white striped kitten with green eyes named Zero. We are not sure where he got the name from or why in fact he wanted this kitten but he has asked for it for at least 4 years. Well, due to a recent visit from Grandma, I am proud to introduce the newest member of the Ellis Family - "Zero Kitten Ellis".

Isn't this adorable? I have to say that I regret not getting the kitten sooner as I have never seen Zachary so happy! He has opened up and is talking so much more and is also doing better in school. I could not be more proud to welcome another member into our family! :)

In other news, I have to ask for prayers for Damion. As if being in Iraq wasn't enough of a struggle, he has been very sick the last week. They had him at medical testing for an appendicitis and kidney stones. Thankfully both of those were negative but he was diagnosed with having IBS. However, while at medical, he had to assist in bringing in several wounded men (who happened to be from his unit). I have not received a health status on them yet but in my mind, no news is good news!

I have to say a public thank you to all that have sent cards, well wishes, and goodies to Damion in Iraq. He and his guys are so appreciative and are taking full advantage of all of the goodies sent to them! Here is a picture that Damion had taken of him with the box he just received from my dear friend Carla.

I promise he doesn't always look that goofy. I can prove that with this picture!

Anyway, thank you all again for the love gifts, prayers, and good thoughts going overseas. And thank you again Carla, for making him smile.

I think this about wraps it up. I am hoping to get my hands into my new scrapping goodies that I received from my hubbie and kids for Mother's Day(thank you again Carla for helping him out - I don't know what I would do without you).

I want to remind you all that my good friend Aaron is still trying to raise money for his Service Dog. He has about $2000 left until he is able to bring his dog home. So those of you that are wondering what you could possibly spend your Stimulus Checks on...Remember you could always throw some his way. (Then you could write if off next year - what doesn't sound good about that). :) Aaron is a pretty amazing kid so please keep him in your thoughts!

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the day and keep those creative juices flowing!

God Bless!

Baggage Included

Put a ring on it!

Dear Pinterest, I love you.

Disney World, 2012

Happy Birthday, Andrew

Cirque du Christmas Cards

The Perfect Tree

Happy Homeowner-iversary!

We've got spirit, yes we do!

Cruella DeVille's got nothin' on me

Happy Birthday, Damion!

You can't help but smile at a puppy. :)

Twin Oaks Elementary...Here we come!

Second Chances...

Christmas 2010

**Double Digits** Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Slowly but Surely...

Unity - Friends with Flair

Thank You

Small Town USA

Fall Back...to happy :)

Sweet Carolin(A), good times never seem so good

Homecoming: We can just about taste it

Playing Catch Up

Summer Haps

Does the Sweet Always Have to Taste Bitter?

Back to the Basics

wakey - wakey, eggs 'n bakey

hello stranger.

MIA (all summer long)

Blog Makeover

today.

Mojo Monday!

Keep On Keepin On!

Blog Hop till ya drop with Unity's KOM!!!

Therapy Thursday - RAK!!!

Wildcard Wednesday - What the Freak?!?

Tasty Tuesday

mojo monday

TGI - FRIDAY!!!

Therapy Thursday

Catching Up...

my scrappy space

got mojo?

HIP HOP - Ya Don't Stop!!!

need some inspiration?

Spring Cleaning {clean out your clutter}

what makes you happy?

and the winner is...

scrappy/stampy giveaway for a non scrappy request

you never realize how fast time goes by...

sicky sickersons

box o' fun

i voted...{american idol style}

somethings gotta give

yummy, yummy, yummy

have you seen my mojo???

it is amazing...

the day before

operation resolution: in full effect

last day of vaca

new year, fresh start

we hope you had...

remember when???

ghetto-fabulous bowling parties and scrappy mass production

just another manic monday

sing for your supper {kind of}

phone calls, giveaways, and throwaways, OH MY!!!

Do you ever wonder when

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

and so the lion fell in love with the lamb

out for publication

Our Hero is Home!

Leap Of Faith...

OHHH Sweet Mail!!!

peas and carrots

Love is...

Lovin the Twenties!!!

Never Forget

spinning in circles

Double Digits Happy Birthday, Andrew!