Memories With Meaning

Trying to take it more seriously

2010-01-22T15:16:00.001-08:00

Trying to take my blogging more seriously, so I'm moving my blog to typepad. Come and visit me at lorianderson dot typepad dot com for fun, photography and more. :)

What's Up?!

2009-10-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

OK. So I'm tired of getting crap from a few of you that I'm not blogging--hey, it's only been 8 months! That's not so bad, right?! I've been a little busy . . . okay. A lot busy! We've been going non-stop all year and really, I'm actually quite shocked it's Halloween this weekend! Where did the year go? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Between work, summer, baseball, school, football and soccer, we've managed to keep pretty busy (and lucky, still stay sane). Here's a quick re-cap of our fall so far:

Zack's team made it to the playoffs this year; however, we had to play the returning mini-bowl champions in the first round, and sadly our undefeated season came to an abrupt end. Bummer! We can't seem to get past the darn first round! This is one of my fave photos from the season. That's him blocking a punt. He did that twice this season. Too cool!

Josh was on a new team this year, and it was his first trip to the playoffs. It was pretty exciting for everyone, and like his brother, his team lost in the first round as well. Double bummer! He blocked on the O-line all year and was a blitzing fool as a defensive end and he had a blast. Can you believe the kid in the grey is 10 years old?! Josh managed to hang against all of the supersized linemen he came up against and was rockin! So proud of him!

As for the girls, well, it's all about soccer. They both love it and play hard. (love that they are both the same uniform this year) Twinner girls lovin twinner sports. Lots of fun!

Are you ready for Halloween? Costumes purchased and candy ready to go? I am (finally) and I can't wait to check it off my list. Sad, isn't it?! I'm looking at this fun holiday as an item on my to-do list. Don't worry...I'm trying to slow down a bit and enjoy life. Deep breaths in and deep breaths out.

Hopefully I'll be back for another post (sooner than 8 months, I promise). Leave me a comment and maybe I'll be tempted to write more often ;) You know who you are!

Chow!

YAY!

2009-02-20T12:00:00.001-08:00

We are in love. Our family has NEVER watched Hollywood week of American Idol or any auditions (except maybe a few of the reallllllly bad ones). This year is an exception. And can a girl just say, it's been such a ball! We cheer (loudly!) for our favorites, and anxiously awaited the announcements this week of who moves on to the top 12.

Who is our favorite? Danny. We love him! His story, his voice, his attitude--everything! My kids and I sat on the couch, watching, as he stood there with Tatiana pondering his fate. "There's no way he's NOT making it? Right?!" is what we thought to ourselves. Afterall, we voted around 400 times for this dude! (NEVER done that before either, but we jumped to the call this year) Although, Tatiana was deemed "The most talked about contestant this year" by Miss Paula Abdul herself (Ahhhh...I can hear Tatiana's annoying laugh now) YUCK! So what does that mean? Is he out?

As they announced Danny's name, each one of my kids' arms shot up in the air and an overwhelming "YAY!" rang through the living room. My arms were held high as well--celebrating his moving on. What an exciting feeling!

It's so great that we can all watch this show together, cheering for our favorites (Michael and Alexis Grace are 2 of our other favorites--both also moving into the top 12) and laughing (and cringing at some of those performances) together. Thanks Simon, Paula, Kara and Randy and American Idol for bringing a busy family around the DVR to celebrate the victories of the girls and guys "next door" who inspire us to dig deeper, and try to sing...even if we do stink!

Be gone winter!

2009-01-22T18:33:00.001-08:00

All of the snow that we had awhile ago made for some fun afternoons outside. We took the kids sledding a few times, and to say they loved it tremendously is an understatement! They are all quite the dare-devils, that's for sure! They tried hitting the jumps on the hill, burried their faces in the snow, and overall had a great time.

Why is it that when we get older, things like this look like fun, but after 20 minutes our brains tell us, "OK, I'm done. Can we go inside where it's warm, please?!" Don't get me wrong . . . I had a GREAT time watching them, but as a big storm worked its way towards us I wondered why am I out here when there's a huge storm hitting the valley any minute now? No, that's not the lovely INVERSION we currently have here in Utah . . . it's the edge of the black storm clouds. I thought it was a cool photo, so I posted it. Let's just say that I'm counting the days until Spring (do I say that every year?)

On a different note, American Idol has begun--YAY! Our whole family loves the show. This is the first time we've started watching from episode #1 and it's been a lot of fun. Even the hubby is watching it with us :). We goggle at the bad auditions and pick our favorites from the great ones. Who's your favorite? There are a few that we plan to follow. I can't wait to see the competition in Hollywood! (and I'll be even happier to not have to see people like this anymore...need I say more?)

Holiday Wishes

2008-12-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

"The greatest gift you can give is the time you spend, not the money."

I love this quote. Sometimes I admit that I get wrapped up in the hustle-bustle of the holiday and want to give my kids some of the cool gadgets and trinkets that are out there. I mean, come on, what little girl wouldn't love the $200 Barbie Jeep that everyone else in the neighborhood drives around in?! Then I remind myself that really what the kids really want is to hang out with Mom and Dad and a "purple wig" will do (that's Ellie's request this year!).

Why this crazy holiday has turned into whatever you want, whenever you want is beyond me. The economy has put a pin in the overspending and overindulgence of the past, and for that, I am so glad! For those that are out of work, or have a loved one out of work or facing layoffs, this isn't such a good thing. We are all reminded of the state of our country as we watch the news or read the paper, which is why I am avoiding BOTH for the next two weeks. I just want to enjoy my family and remember why this holiday is on the calendar in the first place!

As the kids sat on Santa's lap this year, I was so happy to hear "surprise me" and "a nerf football" instead of the more expensive options that are out there. I must be doing something right, right?! As I look around at those out there that are trying to keep up with the next "greatest thing," I hope that they find true happiest within themselves and stop trying to find it in the department store. Are you with me? :D

Go check out this free mini-kit from Lisa Habisreutinger on CreatingKeepsakes.com and go meet Mandy Douglass, our new Scrapbooker of the Year! It's a great gift for yourself!

Thanksgiving and cousins

2008-12-13T09:27:00.000-08:00

We're well on our way to Christmas! I can't believe it . . . it really seems like Thanksgiving was only a few days ago. I made this digital layout of my kids with their cousins to capture the fun we had together at my sister's house. We don't see them often even though they only live 2 miles away (that explains how busy both families are)!

Aren't they all too cute?! My sister has 6 kids and we have 4, so to get the two families together is crazy for everyone. No broken bones, no blood and best of all NO FIGHTING that day. That's always a bonus! I had to make the turkey and one side dish--my sister was too chicken to cook her first turkey! I, of course, said yes, because the turkey is the easiest part in my opinion! My bro-in-law was ruler of the kitchen and made yummy potatoes, gravy, beans with bacon and lots more. It was a great afternoon, topped of by a concert of guitar-playin fools (just the kids this time).

This year, I'm thankful for having a job (with this economy, that's a biggie!), a home, my family and our health. Hope you had a great day!

Halloween Re-cap

2008-11-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

Halloween was a riot! The kids had a blast and wore poor ol' mom and dad OUT! We started off our night with our annual neighborhood pot-luck and filled up the belly with some nutritious grub before everyone ran off for their sugar high. One of our favorite houses to visit is the Elliot's down the street. Each year, there is loud organ music, a black-light inside of their entry way, and scary goings-ons once you step in. My kids ADORE this house at halloween.

Not quite sure if they should be scared or not, and always wanting to see what scheme they came up with this year. Brother Elliott is the singing teacher in primary, so they have fun seeing him think up creepy stuff.

The boys are old enough that to run the neighborhood with some friends and check in occasionally with mom and dad (thus, no fun photo of them). I did manage to snap this one of the girls . . .striking a pose for the camera. Aren't they hillarious?!

You have to love Halloween--when else can you run around with "Sharpay" and "Dorothy" and snag lots of chocolate to munch through November?!

Shhhhh

2008-11-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

Oftentimes, as the kids have been growing, people say things like, "Your kids are so cute!" To which my hubby ALWAYS replies, "Yeah, when they're sleeping!" It always gets a chuckle--I roll my eyes.

Last night, as I came upstairs and saw Ellie sound asleep on my bed, I had to agree that kids are so adorable when they are sleeping. There's something about their sweet skin and the little breaths they take. Also, as they get older, it's fun to peek in on the older ones as they sleep and let all of their ignoring, arguing, slacking and grumpiness of the day slip away and be amazed that they are still so precious. Don't you think? :D

It's hard to believe we're well on our way to December. Are you ready for the holidays? I'm getting there--the only present I want this year is for our basement to be finished. We're almost done . . . painting trim, carpet and completing the bathroom are the last items on our list. WOO HOO! It's been a long time coming and to say that everyone's excited is an understatement. I'm not looking forward to more house to clean, but I'm definitely looking forward to getting my garage back (1 side is completely filled with our JUNK from downstairs)!

Go check on your kids, right NOW and remember that they are sweet and wonderful (even if earlier today, you felt like duck-taping their mouths and locking them in YOUR basement). :D

Frame credits: Katie Pertiet, designerdigitals.com

Happy Fall

2008-10-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall! At our house, it doesn't feel "officially" like fall until we've gone on our annual pumpkin patch excursion. There is a local farm by our house that offers hayrides, spooky monsters hiding in the cornstalks and pick of any pumpkin in the patch (as large or as small as you'd like) for only $5 per person! That's an amazing deal, considering the fact that at Walmart you get a so-so sized pumpkin for $4.98!

Sometimes, it's big pain in the rear for our family to get there. But we make it a priority and there is fun had by all. It's one of my favorite things to do with the kids--run around the patch and find the biggest, creepiest pumpkins we can. Daddy has to help out with the larger ones because sometimes our eyes are bigger than our muscles :D

This year, K found the coolest one, I must say. It's muddled green and orange and kinda creepy--just what she was looking for. E picked one that "looks like an apple!" and Z & J were on the hunt for the largest in the patch. We had to hurry J up because he was holding up the hayride back to the parking lot, because he wanted to find just the right one!

After we get all of our loot home, we line our steps to the front door with these monstrous, wonderful pumpkins to welcome our guests during this festive fall season. What fall traditions do you take part in? I need more ideas, so let me know!

Has it really been that long?

2008-10-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe that it has been 4 months since I last updated my poor neglected blog (bad girl, I know!). To say there is a lot going in my life is an understatement ;) New job, summer craziness, football and soccer season, school beginning . . . I could go on and on. But I won't. I'll act like we all do when we run into an old friend--smiling and saying, "It feels like we just hung out the other day," when oftentimes, years have past (months, in this case). Hello blog. Nice to see you again.I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Kids keep you busy, but it's a good busy. I'm so happy to have them in my life. They teach me new things every day, they keep me on my toes, and they remind me that love and family are the most important things in life. Hope all of you are surrounded by love, happiness and night-time snuggles!

12 on the 12th

2008-05-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

For those who have heard of Stacy Julian's "12 on the 12th" project, you'll understand the title of this post. I heard about Stacy's project through our local PBS scrapbooking show, Scrapbook Memories. Stacy spoke about how she tries to take 12 everyday photos of what is going on in her life every month on the 12th day of the month. Such a great idea, don't you think?

Well, I missed out on April (spaced it right off!), but thanks to Miss Cathy Z, I was able to download her free template and wait for the 12th of May to arrive to begin the project. It was kinda fun reminding myself to "follow myself around" (Stacy's words) with my camera all day. I must admit, I'm not used to carrying my camera around all of the time; however, with one goal of mine this year being TAKE MORE PICTURES, I need to improve on this. This project sure helped me out!

This is such a fun peek into our world. I think everyone should do something like this! As you glance at the photos, you will find that:

1) E loves to snuggle in my bed the afternoon--me too! 2) after 2 hours and 5 bags full of clippings, I got the lawn mowed after being out of town over the weekend (whew!) 3) E's latest obsession is the movie Monster House - I *love* Chowder! 4) stacks and stacks of laundry were attacked today - again, after being out of town over the weekend 5) I can't go a day without my McDonald's $1 diet coke (can you say addicted?) 6) Z loves hanging in his room, sports theme and football posters and all, and listing to the radio 7) our schedule is PACKED! - this is my overflowing calendar in the laundry room (still have 1 baseball league to add) 8) the blooms outside on my trees are beautiful and these smell good too! 9) miss K in gets to bed on time, as usual (wish all my kids went straight to bed when asked!) 10) I made yummy asian food tonight - orange chicken, spring rolls, fried rice and veggies YUM! 11) J (after being asked multiple times - as always) is finally brushing his teeth and flexing his muscles 12) the view out my front door after sunset is so calming- I just missed the sunset. Next time, I'll catch it!

She's Unbelievable

2008-05-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

I just need to say it...my daughter ROCKS at soccer! I am so proud of her! The past 2 weeks in her Saturday soccer games, she has scored 4 goals...4 goals PER GAME. Unbelievable, I'm tellin' ya. It is such a blast watching her run from one end of the field to the other chasing down the ball. She has moments where she is really starting to show a bit of talent for this game. Last year, it was all about the social aspect of the game -- giggling with her friends, dog piles and rolling around on the field being silly. Finally at 7 she is starting to "get it".

I think sports are so great for kids...especially girls. It gives them confidence, a positive self image, teaches them how to set goals and work towards them and to work as a team. I could go on and on, but I'll spare you the soapbox speech :) Our family is big into sports so I'm a bit prejudiced.

Speaking of unbelievable girls, I see that one of my favorite designers is having a huge sale in her shop to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day! Heather Ann Designs has all of her items at 40% off through Mother's Day (the cute frame below is one of Heather's freebies from valentines day). I know what I'm asking for!!! Get over there and treat yourself!

My Niece

2008-05-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

I am an aunt, again! My sister had her 6th baby last Friday and she is such a doll! I've gotten to be in the delivery room for the past 3 of my sister's deliveries and it is such fun being an observer and not a "participant" in the delivery :)

My sister is so tough -- all of her deliveries are via c-section -- something I absolutely could not do 6 times! Definitely look up to her for her strength! I'm just glad I can be there for her and support her through such an exciting time.

I forget how small these sweet kids start out (although this baby weighed 9 lbs 10 oz, which isn't small at all). It makes me feel like I need to get all of my kids' baby pictures scanned and organized so I can scrap their sweet faces digitally too :)

Happy, Happy

2008-04-28T08:17:00.001-07:00

I am so happy today. This week, my spring bulbs have hit their stride and are being so showy in our front yard. It is such a happy feeling driving up and seeing all of the color awaiting as we come home.

Some people think that planting bulbs in the late fall is such a pain. But believe me people, it is so worth it. Although the blooms don't last as long as I would like, the happiness these guys bring in the spring makes the hunched over pain of planting them worth every ibuprofin you pop afterward :)

The color of these tulips is a funny accident--I had gone to the local nursery and Ellie helped me pick out bright pink tulips in bulk. We grabbed handful after handful until finally we decided we had enough. After we got them in the ground, we anxiously awaited the day when they would bloom. Each winter day, Ellie would ask me, "Mom, are the flowers ready yet?" I kept reminding her that they would be here around Easter time.

Then, when our precious tulips decided to open up and enjoy the warm spring sun, we saw that they weren't pink at all...they were a beautiful coral color that adds a wonderful contrast to our two-toned daffodils. A nice surprise I must say (although, we were really looking forward to pink). Sometimes things don't work out as planned, but the results may surprise you and you may just like them even better.

For anyone who's interested, I found 10 free fonts from scrapNfonts that you can use for your digi scrappin' (or traditional scrappin') delight. You can find the free fonts here. Enjoy!

Time for a change?

2008-04-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I explained how I was going to move scrappin' up my priority list...has it happened yet, nope. I can't seem to get to that perfect balance of life, work, hobbies, family etc. lately. Spring sports keep our family busy now, and we are running around to different activities almost every night. It's a good thing -- to be involved in so many things and have such a full life. However, some days, I wonder if things need to change.

I'm in the middle of trying to decide whether or not to pursue some other projects in my life -- a job change, shifting the kids' schedules etc. Not an easy place for a mother to live...uncertainty. It seems as though this comes up every so often in our life and it's something I'm accustomed to. But sometimes change is HARD (on you and everyone in your life!). The great thing about change is that it can bring wonderful things into your life. Opening new doors, presenting new opportunities and giving everyone the chance to grow. I'm very excited about the possibility of change today and my fingers are crossed :)

This picture of Kailee pretty sums up life right now...burried up to my eyeballs, head poking out, gasping for air. I'll get back into the groove soon. I've just got to figure out which way is up :) As far as this pict of Kailee--she burried herself in the pea gravel at a playground in St. George. She was dusty, dirty and the cuffs of her shorts were FULL of the gravel when I went to do laundry. Nothing like the clang clang of rocks in the washer to put mom in a great mood.

As far as Jessica Sprague's Digi In Deep Class...I'm officially 1 week behind. My hope is to get started on week 3 tomorrow and try to find that balance we all long for. If it has to wait for awhile, I have the chance to access Jessica's classes *for life* (as she states on her class pages). Not too bad. It's nice to know that some things in my life WON'T change.

I Was Sinking

2008-04-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

But I think my eyes are above water, now. Have you ever had one of those weeks where everything seems to happen at once? The boys have started baseball full-swing (pun intended:), and Kailee and Josh are back into soccer, the yard is screaming at me from neglect, and the house...let's just say I've got a lot to do in that department. I've let my weekly lesson with Jessica slip, but FINALLY got to work on it today.

We learned how to make our own custom drop shadows, which is so completely awesome. We learned so much in fact, I need to go through it all again to keep it straight.

This is a layout of my Josh. Such a sweet picture of him at 2 years old. I can't believe how big/tall he's gotten. This is the first then and now layout I've put together and I must say that I really like it. It is amazing to see the changes right in front of your face like this.

Perhaps I can find a way to get my head above water and not sink into the deep end of Digi In Deep again. Only 1 week behind and I felt as though I was a "drop out". I'll be moving scrappin' up my priority ladder, promise!

Credits:
Background papers: From Monoblendz Paperie - Lima paper pack by Anna Aspnes ; Rounded corner square die cut: from Border Templates pack by Katie Pertiet ; Striped patterned paper: from Bohemian Garden kit by Mindy Terasawa; Dirty Journaler Label: from Dirty Journalers set by Katie Pertiet ; Grunged Up Photo Block: from Grunged Up Photo Blocks No. 2 set by Katie Pertiet ; Staples by Katie Pertiet; Stitched Brush and Layout Design: from Jessica Sprague

I'm in Deep!

2008-04-08T08:52:00.001-07:00

Last week I started my second class over at jessicasprague.com called Digi: In Deep. Can I just say that I am again so very impressed with Jessica's teaching style and content of the class?! She is amazing in all she does (I worship her;) and I have to say that I'm happy I signed up.

Education is an amazing thing. If you have a desire to know more, and the means to educate yourself, why not do it? It is a scary thing learning something new...stumbling through the wide abyss of uncertainty. But let me tell you people, it is so worth it when you realize that you CAN do this.

This is my layout I completed for the first assignment. I learned so much about creating my own clipping masks, and about design...and there's still 3 weeks to go. I have yet to begin week two--been busy the past few days. I am headed to get caught up on laundry right NOW so that I can scrap the time away later and create another exciting page. Catch you later...

Layout credits: Layout design by Jessica Sprague. Brush by Mary-Ann Wise. Papers by Jen Wilson, Trish Jones and Katie Pertiet. Ribbon by Katie Pertiet. Frame by Nancie Rowe Janitz. Tag by Linda Gil Billdal. Button by Lynn Grieveson.

I Want to Remember This...

2008-04-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

FINALLY we have had some good weather (until the weekend when it snowed 3 inches again...but we won't rant over that small detail). The kids and I got to go to the park last week and enjoy the sunshine. My Ellie loves the monkey bars and over at the general board on jessicasprague.com, there was a challenge to scrap a moment that makes you think "I want to remember this". So folks, here it is.

I love that Ellie isn't afraid, that she is determined to cross alone, and I especially love that she will never give up. She keeps on going back, no matter how many times she falls from the middle of the bars.

Sometimes we can learn a lot from our kids! That is something to remember -- for sure!

For credits, click here.

Happy Easter

2008-03-18T13:16:00.001-07:00

Well, Easter isn't here until this weekend, but at our house it seems to have come early. Ellie saved up her allowance money and decided to spend $1 of it at Target on bunny ears. She was so excited to choose her own item to buy with her hard earned money.

Once we got home, she came downstairs dressed to the nines in a dress-up dress and bunny ears and asked if I'd take her picture. How can you resist this face?! There were so many cute photos from that day.

We threw a white sheet over a door, opened up the shutters and let the natural light come in and had our own little photo shoot. It was a fun day.

I hope you all have a great Easter with your family!

For credits, click here.

Spring is Here

2008-03-11T10:06:00.001-07:00

It's official! With the temperature hitting the 55 degree mark yesterday, I am declaring that spring is officially here! I can see my tulips poking their heads out of the dirt and I cannot wait to see the color they bring to our yard.

I took a minute to organize my email box (BIG project-took more like 1 hour!) and browsed a newsletter I get from BHG. Saw some really cute spring decorations like these adorable pinwheel flowers. If we were going to be around during Easter, these would be fun for me and the kids to make. Looks like a painted pot, dowel, patterned paper and tacks. Not to difficult! But, we are headed South for another baseball tournament, so the crafts will have to wait. Perhaps we can do something fun for the kids and the whole team!

I also saw these container gardens in the newsletter, which really put me in the mood for gardening! I didn't get any bulbs planted this year, but I can wait for the few I have to bloom. Besides, I'd rather spend my gardening dollar this year on a few trees and perennials. It is so nice to have color in the yard all year long.

There is nothing like Spring. New growth, cleaning up the yard and looking out to see the grass turning green, awaiting the beautiful flowers to bloom, flip flops and capris. Yes, we are ready at this house for a change of season. Now I just have to get out and get to work!

Yes, She is Getting Too Big

2008-03-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

Ellie is such a blast! The other day she shows up next to me while I'm on the computer and says, "Look Mom! I'm a baby! Take my picture!" (giggling and laughing). Of course, I had to take the picture, and make a layout. But she isn't a baby any longer. The baseball shirt underneath this baby outfit cracks me up more than you know.

It is so fun watching them grow up. And fun laughing right along with them when they realize that indeed the clothes don't fit anymore (she didn't believe me until she tried them on).

I'm so glad I took the time to snap this photo. Putting this layout together was fun. Not normally my style, but I think it shows the fun we were having that day. And it's PROOF, forever, that Ellie is getting too big!

For credits, click here.

Goof Off

2008-02-26T11:06:00.001-08:00

Ellie and I were goofing off the other day, snapping silly pictures. We had such a fun time. Her giggles when she saw the photos on my camera were priceless. It is so hard with work, house work, and 4 kids to take time to slow down and PLAY...let alone be goofy. Because Ellie is off to Kindergarten in 6 months (hard for me to believe!) I am resolving to take more time to play.

It seems when you have kids, you are looking forward to the next phase. For us lately, it's been "when they're all in school..." and I seem to have lost sight of the joy of having them at home. Kinda crazy, I know. So, here's to enjoying our kids, being silly ourselves, and taking time to GOOF OFF!
For credits, click here.

Stunning Views

2008-02-21T15:53:00.001-08:00

I am lucky enough to live in a wonderful state where you can experience georgeous views of snow, scenery and beauty all around. This weekend we were lucky enough to escape the cold and head south to St. George, Utah. If you have not been there, it is definitely on the must see list of your life. The red rocks and the blue skies are amazing. And later in the year, when the grass is green, contrasting against all of the color, well let's just say there is NOTHING like it.

My oldest son had a baseball tournament over President's Day weekend, so it is the perfect excuse to head out. His team did well, and we enjoyed mid 50 degree weather during the days all weekend. Our family loves baseball, and my younger kids enjoy hanging out at the park all day playing games with their friends, riding their scooters and the swimming that takes place after a great day of ball games. We all had such fun!

I wish we were still there. Coming home to the high 30s and inversion/smog makes the soul wish for the sun. We have another tournament in March--I'm counting the days :)

The View Layout

2008-02-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

After convincing from Heather and Leigh, I put together a "The View From My Seat" layout. I tried to stay with muted color tones, so that the photo of the kids would stand out. What do you think? I may tweak it a bit. I feel like it's missing something.

It is so much fun to look at your life from afar. Usually the car rides KILL me, but seeing the kids act up for the camera and laugh at the photos we got made this outing so much fun!

Credits: Paper: Hugs & Kisses Kit, Marnie Adams Scrapgirls.com; Frames: Vintage Storyboard Frames and Ledger Frames 2, Katie Pertiet Designerdigitals.com; Brushes: 1/6 Ad Challenge, Dana Zarling Designerdigitals.com; Ribbon: Audrey curly ribbon, Natalie Malan Seejanescrapbook.com; Alpha: Cardboard alpha, Natalie Malan, Seejanescrapbook.com; Pin and Tag: Digital Scrapbook Day Kit, Corina Nielsen Memorymakersmagazine.com; Staples: Jessica Sprague, Jessicasprague.com; Fonts: Mufferaw, Segoe Print, Century Gothic and Mom's Typewriter dafont.com

The View From My Seat

2008-02-08T15:56:00.000-08:00

Having 4 kids can wear you down. Some days you wonder how you got to this strange place...Parenthood. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change it for the world. I am just in awe at the whole idea of being a parent. I was thinking to myself as I looked at this picture These are my kids-this is our life. Yes, I know they are mine (I was there for all 4 deliveries!). What I mean is that stepping back, looking from a distance, parenthood is a pretty cool thing...and having 4 healthy, hillarious kids is a true blessing.

So this is the view from my seat. In the captains chair of my mini-van (vehicle of all cool parents :). We are constantly on the go with all of our activities -- running around town. I had my camera with me and I grabbed it, pointed it backward and just started shooting. This is my life in a nutshell-Chaos! The photo may be a bit blurry, but looking at this photo helps me see my life pretty clearly!

In this photo I see that Zack is becoming "too cool", Kailee is trying to get equal face time - always pushing just a bit, Josh is imaginative and creative (happy meal toy in hand and a monster battle occurring), and Ellie is a total ham.

I should do a layout soon about this - I really like what I see. What do you see from your seat? Give it a try!

Tag, I'm it.

2008-02-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

OK. I guess it's my turn. Tina tagged me last night, and being new at this blogging thing, this is my first time being tagged. I have to tell you seven interesting things about me -- can I even think of seven things. This might take some serious mind melding...

1. I know how to ride a unicycle - crazy huh?! This will be the most interesting thing in my list, I'm sure. I lead a pretty boring life. (Remind me to tell you why I learned how to ride some other time...:)

2. I come from a family with 2 boys and 2 girls. Now I have 2 boys and 2 girls, which I love!

3. I love holding hands with my kids. Have loved it ever since they were newborns. I hold out my hand, and they put theirs in mine and I rub my thumb on their little (and not so little, now) knuckles.

4. I could eat chips and salsa every day of the year. Love it!

5. This year I put together my first DVD for my son's football team full of music, pictures, videos and stats using PSE and photos/videos we shot. The team loved it-it rocked! Part of me wonders if I should spread the word and start my own little business on the side.

6. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

7. I used to own a 4 wheeler and rode in the desert on the weekends.

8. I love warm weather and beaches. Having 4 kids now, I cannot remember the last time I saw a beach (and being in Utah, can't remember the last time we saw warm weather either)!

9. I'm married to a wonderful guy whom I dispised in Jr. High.

10. My new hero is Jessica Sprague!

Okay, now I'm off to tag. I think I'll tag my new friend Heather! Hope you don't mind, Heather, and that you'll play along :)

I do love snow

2008-02-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

Maybe if I say it 3 times, I'll mean it :) We got another 4 inches or so of snow today (on top of the 6 or so we got on Wednesday) and I'm SO trying to embrace it. We need the snow here in Utah for our water levels, so I have to keep reminding myself that IT IS A GOOD THING.

To celebrate our never-ending snow, I did a layout of my Ellie playing out in the back yard for my Challenge for week 2 of Jessica's class. Meeting lots of fun friends and seeing some amazing work. If I haven't said it before (I have;), this class is so worth it.

I'm off to shovel out the snow from the garage that my car dragged in. Oh, the joys of snow. I do love snow, i do love snow, I do love snow...

Havin' a ball!

2008-01-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

This is just getting better. Every day, Jessica Sprague emails all of us students and each day is filled with inspiration and joy! I am so glad I signed up for this class! Each day, the light bulb goes off in my head and I think, "So, that's how they do that...".

This is a layout I created for my week 2 assignment of my son Zack his first year of competitive baseball. What a fun layout to put together. I'm havin' a ball...pun intended :)

Assignment Complete

2008-01-25T16:17:00.000-08:00

Finished my 1st assignment for class. I had fun downloading brushes from the internet, which was on the list to do. Found these awesome valentine and japanese foliage brushes by Jason Gaylor at designfruit.com. I really like how they added a garden feel to my layout and how it all turned out!

I am amazed!

2008-01-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

I signed up for Jessica Sprague's Now We're Rockin' with Photoshop class with some money my parents gave me for my birthday. I figured I needed to treat myself, and a digi class was just the ticket. It is my first time taking a "class" for PSE. I have taught myself most of the things I know in the software, but I figured I'd take the class to see if I was doing things the "right way".

Can I just say that Jessica's class is AMAZING! Each shortcut I've learned is WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD! I'm shouting it from the rooftop, "Jessica Sprague rocks!" Even if you know quite a bit about PSE, the shortcuts you will learn will make you feel like the money was well spent! I promise!

This LO is from Week 1 of my class with Jessica. I had fun working on it and I was a good little student and followed the directions to the "T". Now I have to go, because I cannot wait to go play with all of the things I've learned. It'll be a miracle if my kids get to eat one warm meal this week!

I am blessed

2008-01-20T10:57:00.000-08:00

Winter is official upon us. Here in Utah, we've been seeing more snow this year than we have in years past. I love the snow pre-holidays, but once the New Years ball drops in Times Square, I'M DONE! This is a layout I created to remind myself that I am truly blessed to get to live where there are 4 seasons, long winters included. My kids love to play in the snow but I'm no big fan of getting them ready to head out in the cold, as I've mentioned before. Oh well. I'm dreaming of green grass and lovely flowers--only 2 months away. I can hear the birds chirpping now... :)

This is a layout of my Ellie out in the snow. It is one of my first digi submissions, and one I'm proud of. I'm finally getting the hang of PSE and lovin' every minute of it.

Clean and Simple

2008-01-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

In honor of Cathy Zielske's, advice in her book Clean and Simple The Sequel, I created a clean and simple layout of my 8 year old and his love of the colors green and yellow. It is so cute how he loves these colors and the "awesome" Brett Farve. With Dad and brother liking the Saints, Falcons and Buccaneers, we have way too much red and black around here. I love that he went out on a limb and found a team he likes all by himself. He is embracing his individuality and I love it.

I couldn't bring myself to scrapping the bright green and yellow of Green Bay (imagine cheeseheads!), so I used 2 muted tones for the layout. Kind of fun to work on a simple, sweet layout without all of the fussiness.

Beautiful Snowy Day

2008-01-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

We've had our share of snow lately. I'm not complaining. It's just hard to totally embrace once the holidays have passed is all ;) We've been shoveling and playing outside in the snow and enjoying it while we can. The girls had an especially great time the other night after it snowed 5inches on Saturday. Check out these shots I got of them just as the sun was setting.

They were building "snow dogs" and making snow angels. It is so much fun to get to experience the thrill of new snowfall through their eyes. Lots more cleanup as an adult, but so worth it!

Authentic

2008-01-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

Thanks to inspiration from Ali Edwards, I have chosen my word for 2008. That word is Authentic. More specifically, living an authentic life-being my authentic self. So many activites in today's world pull us from one direction to another. Whether it's being a mom, an employee, a wife, a friend, a church member, volunteer...whatever. This year I am reaching within myself and making decisions and choices that will help me to be my authentic self. Concentrating more on myself, just as I do everyone else.

I mentioned earlier that my hubby got me a few gifts for Christmas. Another inspiring gift he gave me was Ali's wonderful book Life Artist. I'm about half-way through and I am really loving it. Ali's style is a bit different than mine - more eclectic, artistic and "busy" (in a good way). Although her style is different from mine, I'm really feeling motivated by her layouts and her words. I need to get my Christmas decorations down (I know--slacker!) and get through the rest of the book. I especially like how Ali finds inspiration EVERYWHERE. I'm beginning to keep my eyes open, noticing the small things around me, and soaking it all in.

Here's to being AUTHENTIC!

Feeling Insipred!

2008-01-03T08:01:00.001-08:00

Happy 2008! I'm ready to begin the year getting organized, eating better, exercising, being a more positive person, drinking more water and scrapbooking! Now, if I can only keep them all going at the same time ;)

My hubby surprised me this Christmas with a few goodies that have really gotten me inspired! First, was Cathy Zielske's AWESOME book Clean & Simple Scrapbooking, the Sequel. I had some time last week just to sit and read and soak in every page of the book (shock, I know). What a great read and just the push to get me going on getting some layouts done. Cathy is funny and down to earth and she taught me one important lesson: you DO NOT have to scrap EVERY picture you take. No, I don't scrap every picture (the 200 baseball photos of my son's games - in one day - etc.), but what I do find myself doing is going through all of the early pictures of my kiddos and feeling as though each little moment we snapped a picture of NEEDS to be put in their book.

Face it- each time you feed your kid in a high chair and take their photo do not need to go in their scrapbook. I am OK. I will not feel guilty if I skip over a not so "magical" moment the camera caught and decide to not spend time scrapping it. It is OK. Perhaps I'll follow Cathy's lead and put them together in a real nice photobook for them to flip through instead.

Note to self: Let it go - do the best you can with the best you have!

Happy Holidays

2007-12-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

It's been a whirlwind of activity around here lately. A good whirlwind :) We FINALLY got to our gingerbread house on Christmas Eve--just in the nick of time. The girls were asking every night to start the project, but it seemed we always had something going on. It turned out fairly well, considering we had 4 project managers on the project; each wanting to add to the design. Notice how my 10 year old slapped 2 peppermint candies on the Mrs. Gingerbread and messed up her cute frosting face (Mr. Gingerbread's gumballs fell off and we didn't have the energy to hold them there for 5 minutes). When I asked him why he did that he said, "Because I wanted to". Ugh--10 year olds. You just gotta love 'em.

Aren't these the cutest stockings? My mother-in-law made each of them by hand for each member of our family. She uses coloring books as patterns, and cuts the felt and pieces each one of them by hand. Made with love, and so cute! A great idea for us digi-scrappers! There are lots of online ads, coloring pages and fun things we could make clipping masks of and use on our pages...hmmm. Oh the possibilities. Hope you all had a great Christmas and are enjoying the season!

So excited!

2007-12-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

Today, I popped over to Noel Culbertson's blog and found out that Computer Tricks for Scrapbookers 2 by Jessica Sprague will be released in Jan or Feb. The original book is the one item I purchased that made the jump to digital scrapbooking a "no brainer" for me. Jessica's mini-tutorials are easy to follow, and the layouts in the book are pure eye candy. This sequel is sure to please. If you're interested, it can be pre-ordered here.

For those of you that don't know Noel, she was in the top 10 of the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbooker of the Year contest. I have seen her work through my "lurking" on the Creating Keepsakes Message Board and Gallery -- I really like her style! Anywho...I guess Jessica asked her to contribute some layouts, which is so great for her! Congrats Noel, and thanks for updating us on the release of this great book!

Christmas Cards

2007-12-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

I finally had a minute to sit down and put our 2007 Christmas cards together. For some friends and family, you may only see these via email. Others may actually get a card in the mail - which is better than I have done in the past few years (I know, I've been lagging).

Originally, the background of the card was white. Crisp, classic, clean layout--just my style. But... the kids got home from school and put in their requests for "snowflakes" in the background. We decided on multi-colored flakes, and they all were looking over my shoulder as we "painted" each one on a new layer with the paintbrush tool. It was kinda fun to have them asking questions like, "all you have to do is click the mouse and it stamps the snowflake?"

The jury is still out on whether I like the snowflakes or not. What do you think? The good thing about PSE is that if I don't like them, I just hide the layer. :)

The frames are from Jessica Sprague's Computer Tricks article in the Jan '08 edition of Creating Keepsakes (*love* Jessica's stuff). You can find the freebie frame from Katie Pertiet in Jessica's article here. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Beautiful

2007-12-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

I spent some time this afternoon playing in PSE5. I really wanted to finish one layout this afternoon, but I really wasn't sure what pictures to scrap. Then I found this adorable photo of Kailee after I cut her hair.

During the summer, Kailee asked me to cut her hair short. She wanted it "up to my chin". Pretty hard for me to swallow, seeing that if we were to go up to her chin, it would amount to around 6 inches of cut hair. After reminding her that we cannot put the hair back on her head once we cut, and telling her several times, "you cannot get mad at me if you don't like the way I cut it", she agreed she would accept her decision and we went for it. (I did manage to talk her into keeping her hair around shoulder length so we can pull it back for soccer :)

So, out came the scissors, and off came the locks of hair. In a matter of moments, my little girl was gone -- the one with braided pig tails and baby teeth -- and the person who emerged was a beautiful young lady, grinning with excitement (with new permanent teeth!) about her independent decision to have her long hair cut. She was so proud of her decision and exclaimed, "I love it" the moment she looked in the mirror. Thank goodness for me, she liked her hair. She is growing into such a beautiful young lady. Independent too!

Supplies: Papers, ribbons and flowers are from Jessica Sprague's Flower Girl Kit from her special issue Computer Tricks for Scrapbookers, the flower buttons (recolored) are from Natalie Malan and font is CK Becky from Creating Keepsakes.

2008 Calendars

2007-12-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about these 2008 CD case calendar pages! The design team over at pclayers put together a scavenger hunt for eveyone who visits their blog pages. All you have to do is visit each designers blog, and download the freebie file from each designer. It's that easy! Add your georgeous pictures, and you've got a great present for family or for yourself. The grandparents are gonna love this!

Look how great the calendar pages make my pictures look! And the whole calendar took me only around 1 hour to complete. Talk about quick and easy! Check it out! You can find links and more info here. Can I just say - I *love* freebies and *love* quick gift ideas even more!

Supplies: the only element I added was the K tag on the January page. You can find it at shabbyprincess.com.

Christmas Cupcakes

2007-12-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

I gave in. Yesterday I was cramming on my laptop, trying to wrap up some last minute Christmas creations here, and Ellie came over with a bottle of sprinkles and asked, "can we make cupcakes?"

I'm not typically a big fan of messy projects in the kitchen with the kids (this is something I need to work on-it's just easier to do the cooking myself), but after looking into her big blue eyes and seeing her smile while shaking the multi-colored candies, how could I resist?

I think she enjoyed licking the batter more than eating the finished poduct. Note to self *a little mess makes for great memories and even better photos*