Hello again....

I think I had and recovered from a minor midlife crisis (yes...sad to say but I think my age qualifies me for that). Seriously. I think it started when I took a week off from the gym due to some pretty good muscle fatigue and lack of being able to recover in a timely fashion from my workouts...then a week later went back and still felt like crap and promptly injured my right hamstring doing what? don't know. But it hurt. Bad. Lacking the natural endorphins that my body has become accustomed to on a regular basis I promptly started feeling sorry for myself. Feeling sorry about my life situation...you know doing the single mom thing 99.9% of the time by myself, taking care of this big old house and yard by myself, supporting my girls 100% by myself, being just plain old completely and absolutely exhausted...physically, mentally, emotionally.... everything. Wondering what the hell I did to deserve this load of crap that has been dealt to me. Then I would of course start feeling guilty for feeling like my life was crap as I am extremely blessed. I'm healthy (except for the stupid leg...but I have a leg none the less), my kids are healthy,smart,kind, beautiful little people, I have a great job, I have some great people in my life, I'm smart, I have a lot going for me....and yet....blah, blah, blah. So no, I didn't buy a new convertable sports car, or find myself a 21 year old hottie, or tatoo or pierce myself in odd places. I almost sold my house, but decided to not do that at the moment (i did decide to try to finish my painting projects just in case I got the overwhelming urge to sell again, I will be ready). So how did I come out of my funk? Being the rebel that I am, I put red in my hair...seen nicely in the sun here....

I also bought this necklace here . It is blurry here, but it has 2 little initials on it...an "I" and an "E".
I splattered some paint on some paper (not seen here), but decided that making a mess with paper, paint and glue tends to make me a happier person.


Thus a scrapbook page, seen all cockeyed here.


















Then I decided to go see the chiropracter who told me I was inches away from my pelvis twisting itself in circles and my neck falling apart (so i'm exagerating a bit). She pounded on me a bit and told me I needed to spend thousands of dollars coming to see her so I could be all better. I then went and saw my trainer and he stretched the crap out of my legs which are incredibly tight. I hate stretching. Always have. It was almost worse than giving birth. I was feeling a bit better, but still in a funk. I turned the t.v. on one night and looked at my dvr'd stuff, randomly put on a joyce meyer show (group I went to cambodia with last year) and it was about feeling sorry for yourself. Had to laugh. Decided that I was just plain stupid for feeling sorry for myself and that I was not going to let any human being make me feel bad about my life or myself ever again (yes, i know that probably won't last but right now it is working for me). And so, I've been pretty good since then. Having fun with my girls, painting walls, painting random papers, taking pictures, reading, going to a big old art festival tomorrow, looking forward to a much needed vacation in a few weeks. So that is it. The story of my life the last month or so. Hope it was an enjoyable read. I'm hungry, going to go have a bowl of cereal (my new food obsession...) Good night.

It's been a while

Didn't realize how long it had been since I updated. Been having a little flooding around here. Luckily, it really hasn't affected me other than I have lost one of the routes to get to my house...here is what it currently looks like.

We all got our hair cut on Thursday. Emma was very adament that she was getting it cut short. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wanted nothing to do with it, so I decided to let her do what she wanted. When we got to the hair salon, she looked through all the magazines and picked out her favorite and chopped off about 8 or so inches. I about cried. Bella, who was just going to get a trim, also got into the spirit of hair cutting and chopped a ton too. Here are the results.... I wasn't so brave and still have my long hair. Have a lovely day...will try to post more often.

Scrapfaith Layout

Here is my layout for the Scrapfaith site (can't seem to make the link work so go to the sidebar for it). Go check out the other girl's layouts also. The topic was what 3 spiritual truths do you want to pass on to your kids.

That is about all for now....except.....SOCCER IS OVER!!! Doing a little happy dance here. Last game was Saturday, we kicked some buttocks...Bella scored 2 goals and had about 4 assists...was a good game.

Yes it's true...

She still scrapbooks. This isn't even what I had planned. Those pictures didn't arrive so I found some others laying around and did them all last night and today as I was on call. Can't really do anything else on call, so I scrapped in between phone calls. Anyway, enjoy.....


Don't really have a clue what to do with the team photos....I always end up hating these =)

Bella having fun at Grandma's

One of me taken by my brother or SIL...not sure who.

Miss emma exploring...

Don't know if this even counts as a scrapbook page, oh well...

Me and my girlies...

My grandma and grandpa...

That is all for now, have a lovely day.

I suppose it is about time.....

that I blog again. Soccer is finally winding down, and I almost feel the sweet relief of no extracurricular activities for several months. I have some scrapbook projects in mind, didn't get around to making them this past weekend, but I did order photos....so I am getting much closer.

Emma graduated from preschool last week. Here is a picture that I took of the momentous occasion. She passed with flying colors =). I think she is well on her way to med school. This morning she wanted to open the head of a dead bird that Betty the crazy Idaho cat brought us as a gift. She thought it would be interesting to see what it's brain looked like and then she wanted to know about the bones too. I am hoping she will chose Dermatology so she can keep her mama looking young...oh well, maybe I should just let her start kindergarten first =).

Photo number 2: from my photo a day quest....chives growing in my yard.

That is all for now. Have a lovely day.

Up to nothing...

Hello all....still alive here. Haven't been up to much of anything. Just the same old stuff....soccer, soccer and more soccer. Thankfully it will be ending soon. Been enjoying my camera, working, pretending to train for a 5K (i say pretending cause it is highly unlikely I will run in one, but I'm running like I'm going to =). Spent $70.75 on gas today, that would be a record. Luckily for gas purposes, I don't really drive anywhere so I only have to fill up once a week. Anyway, here are some pictures to keep you entertained for a bit. I'm getting a mild urge to scrapbook again, so maybe I'll have a layout or two to show you in a few days. Until then, adios.

My very cute Emma looking at something...not sure what.

















Me and my girlies...



















Another one of me and the girls...




















And Emma playing soccer....she is being so aggressive this year....very proud of my little meanie....=).

all apologies to Bella who is very underrepresented in these photos...not done on purpose.

Catching up....

Well, I gave in....I realized that my Norton upgrade happened around mid month and that to get to 70% of my upload limit would take forever...so I upgraded my internet package. I'm sure they probably did that to me on purpose cause I just don't spend enough each month on that stupid satellite. Anyway, here are the last two layouts from scrapfaith. Check out the site www.scrapfaith.blogspot.com to check out the other's work.
April:


May: (in honor of my mommy...happy mother's day)


ETA: I just realized those two layouts look very similar....strange, didn't do it on purpose =).

What else....
After months of thought, touching one at bestbuy (that was the turning point in my very futile effort to avoid buying a new one...although I lasted a month after that), playing with my SILs camera...I upgraded my camera to the Canon 40d. It makes me happy. I have had it for about a week. I'm having fun trying to figure it out...shoot more in the manual modes. I've joined the masses that are attempting to take a photo a day for a year (yes I know I am almost 5 months too late in starting, but who says you can't start April 27?)...I've got 8 days worth taken so far...kind of fun. We'll see how far I'll get. Not too stressed about it, if I make it cool, if not...oh well. So far I've gotten some cool photos.

I'm sure there is more to talk about, but we'll leave it at that. Have a lovely day.

Naughty, Naughty...

I've been kicked off the internet by my ISP for being an internet hog. Apparently they do that? I was trying to figure out why that has happened as I really truly am not an internet hog and I really don't spend all that much time online. I'm blaming my new upgraded Norton antivirus which I think has been trying to back up over and over again (unsuccessfully) important files to their online server thus using up my monthly quota of uploading (that is where I am over, not downloading)....at least that is all I can come up with. I turned that feature off and and we'll see what happens....until I'm back below a certain level though my internet is very slow and spotty. Anyway, that is all for now. Have a lovely day, I'll be back when my ISP is done punishing me =).

Monday

Got a couple of pictures from this weekend...Bella looking all grown up and Emma with her poor captured frog. The girls love to catch frogs and play with them...I'm not sure how many make it through the playing process however....



Also a layout from my digi class...

Have a lovely day.

Another Digi for you

Here is another digi layout from the Digi In Deep class I am taking. I was completely uncreative with this one...didn't even change the topic of the sample layout. Oh well.
Things have been busy here with soccer 5 out of 7 days each week. Luckily it seems to rain every Thursday so Emma has yet to have a practice, leaving me a day without practice. Been tuning up my fitness routine for swimsuit season, enjoying my nike/ipod thingy, find it motivating...was going pretty well until I got strep throat for the 6th time since Thanksgiving. Got it good this time and actually went home from work I felt so cruddy. Very odd, never got strep since childhood until thanksgiving and now...not sure what is going on, but I am feeling better now. Anyway, have a lovely day.

Scrapfaith

Check out the Scrapfaith website tomorrow (4/15) for the new layouts (mine included). Too lazy to post it here =). Have a lovely day.

Another digi layout

Here is my last layout from the 2nd Jessica Sprague digi class I took. Now I am ready to move on to the final class...only a 1 1/2 weeks behind now =). I went with Jeremy a few weeks ago to take photos of his girls at their horseback riding lessons. Anyway....to my friend Emilie who so kindly complimented my last digi layout. I made it, but unfortunately I can't take credit for it as the actual creation did not come from my brain, I just followed directions in how to create it. However, I did learn how to make it, so hopefully someday I can apply my new skills to create something completely out of the depths of my own brain...we'll see. That is all for now. see ya.

My new toy...

I got this on my Wednesday day off...a Nike+ Ipod thingy....so far liking it alot. It tracks your distance, speed, etc. You hook one part of the sensor into your ipod nano and the other sensor is in your shoe. I had to buy Nike shoes, which I usually don't do, however I found a pair that felt like my lovely Addidas that I usually buy so I am happy. You can then upload it to the nike+ site and track everything. Here is what it looks like. I haven't calibrated it yet so it is off I believe by a bit...unfortunately in the "I'm running slower than that direction"...but even if it is off I can still see my progress and close to the distance I am running. Anyway, that is all for now, just excited about my toy and wanted to share. Also...if anyone else has one I think you can do challenges or something like that with your online nike friends...if anyone is interested =). by for now.

Day off

I took the day off today. It was lovely, I did nothing productive. I roamed Target, the mall, spent a little money, ate bad for me food...did not do a bit of work of any kind. Lovely. Anyway, another layout from my digi class...catching up as I'm taking the last class she is offering and I haven't finished the 2nd one yet...oh well, I'll get to it. This layout shows a few of the hundreds of pictures I took while visiting Angkor Wat this summer. Definitely would recommend it if you happen to be by chance roaming in Cambodia. Later.

A digi layout....

from the Jessica Sprague class I took in Jan (I know I mentioned it before but highly worth the $$ if you are interested in digi scrapbooking). Miss Emma's birthday.

Tired...most go to bed, have a lovely day.

A new banner

So much better...at least in my eyes. It has my favorite things on it...ink, staples, rhinestones....what more could you want? Yes, I know not everyone loves the grunge thing like I do, but I'm much happier now.

Anyway, it has been awhile. Not been in the blogging mood I guess. Have been busy with soccer starting again. I'm helping to coach Bella's team and Emma is playing as well. What else? Went to the Lifehouse concert a few weeks ago. I loved it. I could become a Lifehouse groupie I think. Anyway, I can't think of anything else to talk about, that is how exciting my life has been. I need to clean up the mess I made making the banner...you would be amazed how I can destroy an area just making that little thing. All for now. Have a good day.

another blurry layout

Sorry for the crappy photo, but once again, didn't feel like taking more to get a better one. you get the picture. I was running last Thursday, outside for the first time in months and I just kept going...ended up running 5 miles...and it was easy and fun (relatively speaking). While i was running I started thinking about how important it has become to me (gasp!) and how much I rely on it to stay sane, how much it helps me to keep my head on straight, how much it has helped me deal with all the crap of life in the past few years, how it makes me feel strong and powerful, how it gives me confidence, etc...so in honor of that....a layout. Have good day.

Still here....

Yep, I'm still here. Could it be that spring is actually coming? This has been the longest winter that I can remember. I'm sure it's probably not, but it is getting very very old. So it was lovely today to have sun and 60 degrees. The girls took advantage of it and got to play outside...without coats even...wow! I took a couple of pictures, but no one was terribly interested...thus the pictures suck...but still pictures in the sun....nice. anyway, will try to be a better blogger. bye for now.

Nothing much

Got a new header...don't particularly like it. Will have to try again soon. I had just noticed that the picture I had up was very old so I thought I should change it. Life has been a little roughed up lately, so don't have really much to share. I am going to a lifehouse concert next Friday night which I am excited about. Also am getting $$ back from my tax return...so that makes me happy. That is all for now. Have a great day.

Another little album

Can you tell I really like the mini album thing lately? I think it is because I feel finished with it and like I have actually accomplished something...unlike a big old layout you put in a big old book that is technically (at least in my case) never finished. Anyway, I had a bunch of these Heidi Swap mini file folders sitting around, so I hand sewed them altogether and fashioned this little book. Actually even used some really old supplies on this one. Perhaps someday I will run out of those. Anyway...enjoy.