{Feels Like Fall}

Leaves falling off the trees, wind wrustling (is that a word?)... the sky's are gray and it's a bit damp and cool. Weird weather for the end of August. Hmmmm, maybe I'm just hurrying it along with my wishful thinking.

Hannah's napping so I thought I'd upload this new stitching set which will be a freebie on Holly's new site coming up soon.




Any Designers out there looking for a new home... give me a shout out and we'll talk! :) Download it here.

Baby's Drawer

Download ithere

Meg's Prompt

Has there been anyone that you've encountered in your life (however briefly), that you wish you had gotten to know better?

There are quite a few actually. Teachers in school, friends of friends, even distant family members. The person though, that I wish I had gotten to know better was the husband of a friend. No, it's not what you're thinking! Sadly, he committed suicide and left a son and a widow. I wish I understood him better.

Halloween Sunday

Such a quiet relaxing day. Hannah's at her dad's, Kristin's off in college, the boys were at thier house resting from a hard week's worth of work, so... I'm scrapping. Made a new kit. And then found the inspiration from a new magazine to dig out old Halloween photos to make another kit! What a blast. Michael got pizza and I had a half of a cold cut sub and sat on the porch working on my laptop. I miss my babies... but a quiet few hours scrapping can be just the mental therapy us digi-scrap-aholics need to restore our creative souls, kwim?

Here's the Halloween page I made using my fun little kit... I'll be uploading the kit as a freebie after Michael and I watch the blockbuster movie that's due back..uh, yesterday. It's Posiedon. I know, I know, I loved the first one too and I know it won't compare, but I'm thinking the graphics on this new technology aged one might be pretty cool. I'll let you know :)

I am so ready for Fall and Halloween...

WARNING: Your gonna need sunglasses to view this baby!

My Ex Husband always said I was "such a control freak"... Well, is he right?

I remember when I was big huge pregnant with Hannah we drove to the doctors office for those last appointments that you have every week... I really was a mess by the end of the pregnancy (lol... doing childbearing is really for the younger crowd if you ask me) and I don't know whether it was the fact that this was my fourth baby or what but I had those braxton hicks contraction which were really quite nasty whenever I rode in the car... Anyhooo, we pull up to the doctors office and I roll my big ole' self out of the car and he gets out of the car and comes around to my side and starts walking along with me. Well, as I'm waddling along he gets mad at me and says, "you're just doing this on purpose, trying to control me!"... (Apparently, my waddling along wasn't moving along fast enough). Sadly enough, our marriage only lasted until Hannah was 18 months old.

You Are 36% Control Freak

You have achieved the perfect balance of control and letting go. You tend to roll with whatever life brings, but you never get complacent.

Are You A Control Freak?

What 3 Random Acts of Kindness?

The prompt is, "if you were able to, what 3 random acts of kindness would you do where no one would know that you did it?"

Wow, the possibilities and potential are endless. There are so many. The key seems to me to be in the first part of the prompt - If I were able....
#1. I'd cure every childhood disease so no child ever had to endure this again. #2. I'd rid the world of child predators. #3. I'd lead the world to God so we could all be saved.

Wow, that was easier than I thought :) Have a great weekend everyone!

A little Layout Therapy

Credits: IOD papers freebie, Tracy Simms stitches, ribbon and butterfly, flower doodle I can't find the name tag Pink Kisses, by ksharonk.

Journaling Reads:
It seems as though I spent the summer watching you go. First was Prom in May and then your high school Graduation and then your senior week trip to OC on your own with your friends and finally, you moved to Florida Southern College just this past weekend to begin your four years of studies there.
I’m so proud of you and I love you so much. Letting go is so painful even though I know it is what I have to do.. I say a prayer for you always and I ask God to please Bless my butterfly.

Moving into her Dorm

Such a great best friend Emily is... here they are packing kristin's car for the road trip to Florida.


Saying goodbye to Emily was very hard for Kristin.


Goodbye to Grandma Mary and her crazy early birthday concoction!


Her Dad gave her that last kiss before we got on the road.

Standing in front of the dorms, if you go to the left, that's Kris's building.

This was the first view of the dorm room. Her roommate hadn't gotten there yet so she got first dibs on what side of the room she wanted. She ended up choosing the window side and by the time we were finished, it was looking pretty comfy! That's my Dad there looking all great and in shape (especially those calf musces after hiking those 3 flights of steps!) And that's my sister "Aunt Holly" and Kris sitting on her bed after a little re-arranging. She just had to have that lamp from Target that my dad says looks like tentacles that might attack her during the night! Oh and if you look really close you can see the "snack shelves" way back in the corner that we put together thanks to the brilliant suggestion from my sister! She even has those horrid raymon noodles which were a part of the thoughtful care package put together by her best friend Emily.

What do you like best and least about where you live?

I have to say that I really do love where we live. We are on the water with a beach and it's like a dream come true. The water is shallow (2 feet deep) all the way out past the end of the dock so it's safer for the little ones. The moonlight on the water is serene and beautiful. The house is newly renovated and modern with an airy and open feel including cathedral ceilings and a huge master bedroom with a jacuzzi tub.

It also has it's negatives. Hannah's bedroom is on the main level away from the master bedroom so rather than have her down there, we put a toddler bed in our room so I can feel secure as to where she is at night while we're sleeping. Of course that's working ok now, but it won't be lasting forever! I'll have to get an alarm eventually.

We are also 10 miles to the nearest gas station, etc. We also live on an island where there are no movie theaters and the only department store is a K-Mart! Have to go across the Bay Bridge to get to a target!

Life's a compromise though, right?!

Jason & Hannah

Credits: Carrie_Stephens_FishScrapssnuggles_and_sunshineQP found as a freebie on her blog ~ Thanks Carrie!

Violet Dreams Freebie

I created this little Violet Dreams Kit for my blogger friends! Hope you enjoy! If you use it, please send me a link, I'd love to see what you do with it... :) Have a great Thursday!

She's In her Dorm...

After a long 1000 mile drive together, jamming to Staind, Nickelback, Tupac and a little country music, we made it Saturday to Dads in Tampa. Sunday morning came fast. Moving Kristin in to her dorm room and shopping at Target to get all those extra items was fun with Holly and Dad. Dad says to not forget the 3 FLIGHTS OF STEPS!! oh yes, she's on the third floor.... The point is, after Prom, Graduation, Goodbye parties and all the college preparations... she's in. She's there and settled in. I'm headed home. God Bless my butterfly...

Who would I trade with?

If I could trade my life with anyone's who would it be? I have to agree with Tink, trade.....? They might mess mine up. Not sure they could mess it up any worse than I have, but then again, things can always be worse. I am way too furtunate to risk it!

Meeting the girlfriend

Ok, I have to admit, I was so happy to hear that John Paul had gone out on a date with a "new girl"... visions of my little grandbabies dancing in my head :) Meeting Alexandria, "Alex" for short was "interesting" and great. She's 24, training to become a hairstylist and very friendly. I liked her right away. I guess we'll just have to see what happens with the new "happy couple".

As for this weekend... It's been a blast! Michael's sister is in town and she and her family as well as Michael's mom and dad and my mom came over for a barbeque yesterday. Jason showed up in the early evening and John Paul with Alex came over too. We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, cooked corn on the cob, pasta salad, fresh cantalope as well as fresh ice tea, a little beer and wine. We just hung out doing a little swimming, fishing, paddle-boating and ended the night with a bonfire on the beach and the little ones loved doing the s'mores :)

Now I'm worn out and lazing around... Hope you all had a great relaxing weekend too :)

Serious Swimmer

Places of My Life

If you could tell the story of your life by taking someone to a half dozen places, where would you go?

The first place I'd take you is to my Grandparents house's (both on my Dad's and Mother's side) to meet them. First thing you'd find is a warm welcoming handshake from the most kind hearted people, rich conversation and laughter and loads of comfort foods being offered to you until they thought you could stand no more. Love my Mom and Dad, but it was my Grandparents who provided me with the unconditional love and attention that I needed to validate that I am a person worthy of concern. I miss them very much and thank them for being such wonderful Grandparent role models. I pray I do half as good a job when my turn comes as they did.

Next place we would go is to the beach. Anytime there has been real trouble in my life I have ran for the water. Standing there at the waters edge, hearing the sound of the waves, seeing the constant motion and the vastness of nature, it has always provided me with the knowledge that life is as God intended and the world is a beautiful place.

My children's worlds would be next. They are my life. If you wanted to see the story of my life, it is there in them. Football fields, swimming pools, teacher conferences, countless playgrounds, the dinner table at suppertime, in the car singing to music, packing and moving a zillion times, hollering at them for things they should have or should not have done, countless hours watching scary movies together, playing and loving the many pets. Through every tears and all the laughter, they are who I am.

A courtroom in the PG County Courthouse. That courthouse was witness to 2+ years of hell. It was a place where life decisions were made. Where battles were waged, lost and ultimately won. That experience profoundly changed who I am today.

And finally, I would bring you to our home to meet my husband. We would have a barbeque and you would find out why I fell in love and married him. He would offer to drag you down to the pier to do a little fishing and he would try to cater to your every need. If it meant singing you a little rock n-roll, doing a little silly dancing, he'd be doing it. If you're nice back, he might even fix your car :)

I thank God every day for my life...

All the Leo birthdays!

ok, now it's a shout out to Dad... Happy Birthday Dad!

Blog Prompt: Indulgences
My favorite indulgence is my computer time. I so enjoy dsp and digital scrapbooking and learning new techniques. It is hard balancing all the things I want to do and the time I have to do it. So again, more computer time with be my indulging wish or like someone else said, more time in a day would be good too :)

Ok, First I have to sent a Happy Birthday Shout to my Mother-in-Law.... Happy Birthday Sweet lady!















Prompt from Meg:

Describe a childhood game you used to play. Who did you play with? Any special (ie. made-up) rules?
I don't remember much before the age of 10 or so. I do remember riding bikes where we lived in the culde-sac. We'd go around and around in circles, all us kids in the neighborhood. That's wear I chipped my front teeth...lol.. oh and the rules, well I only remember one... which was from my parents -- you have to sit and let your food digest before you can go back out and play after dinner. I was always plopped down at the front door just staring out at all my friends riding around while I "waited for my food to digest".... fun fun!