Blissful Chaos

School

2010-08-20T15:59:00.002-05:00

So, I went and got most of my books and uniforms yesterday. I still have a few books left to get that the bookstore was out of, and a stethoscope, white shoes, lab coat, watch, and a few other little things. I can't believe I'll be starting Nursing school in 10 days!!!

Ryan will be home next weekend for 2 weeks. I wish he could have come before I started school, but I needed his help for those first 2 weeks. Caleb is in Pre-K and can't ride the bus until he is 4, which will happen on September 14. I was having a hard time figuring out how to do transportation for those 2 weeks, but we decided Ryan would come home and take care of that. I miss my hubby so much!! It's going to be hard concentrating at school knowing he's at home, but maybe the excitement of starting the nursing program will motivate me to stay focused and prioritize those two weeks.

Now, to start reading on all those books....

Obsessed over a news story?

2010-08-11T06:47:00.003-05:00

Ok, so the last few days I have been obsessed with a news story. I don't know why, other than it just seemed to really interest me after reading comments associated with the story. I'm hoping maybe getting all my thoughts out will free my mind for something else!

It's a story about a Lexington, NC teen, Shelby (17) who died during surgery. She had been struck in the liver by a concrete paving stone that had been thrown by Michael (21) towards the car she was a passenger in. According to news reports, they had both been at a party where alcohol and drugs were consumed. Friends say Michael had gotten mad when Shelby, who had previously dated his cousin, showed up at the party with her new boyfriend. Friends and teachers describe Shelby as the sweetest person, always smiling, full of life.

Okay, after reading that, it should be cut and dry, right? He threw the "brick" which killed her and now he should be put in jail for the rest of his life. But, then I read the comments which is linked to the Topix website...all 400 of them so far. Comments are from people who knew Michael and/or Shelby and from just random people. It became very interesting to see all the different perspectives that I just want to see the real facts of this case. Here is a summary of the "facts" from the comments-not necessarily true:

*Friends of Michael claim he wouldn't hurt a fly, but he became hot-headed when he was drunk. * Some claim that he had a drinking problem.

*He wasn't aiming the brick at Shelby, but at someone else.

* He may not have known at the time that he even hurt Shelby.

*The party was thrown by a teenager that just graduated this spring and included those students and this coming years graduates (which included Shelby).

*Michael and his friends crashed the party.

*The car Shelby was in was moving.

*The car Shelby was in was parked.

*The brick was thrown around 3 am but Shelby didn't go to the hospital until 6 am (and died around 12 pm that day).

*The other passengers in the car she was in were three guys.

*Those said guys were known for drug use.

*These parties are held often and sponsored by parents who buy and allow the alcohol.

*Not everyone at the parties drinks; they go to hang out with friends and have fun.

And then, you have all the comments of people bickering over the facts and placing blame:

*Why was a 17 year old still out at 6 am? (this is the most common question).

*Her parents are to blame for letting her be out.

*The parents who hold the parties are to blame.

*The people in the car should have taken her to the hospital earlier but they were afraid of getting in trouble.

*Lots of comments over whether what happened is an accident, tragedy, or murder.

If someone comes on trying to place a neutral statement expressing condolences to the family for the "accident", they basically get flamed and branded a moron because what happened was not an accident--he intentionally picked up and through the brick. Then the definition of "accident" is stated and more arguing over that. Basically, people have their opinion and that is the right one, and anyone who has a different opinion is an ill-bred moron. Oh, and I should mention the bickering going on over spelling and whether you "chunk" or "chuck" the brick, and whether animals have souls or not. Yeah, I know, what does that have to do with anything?

I haven't posted my comments because I know my words would be all twisted and I would be involved in the ridiculousness of that thread. So, I'll post mine here:

My purpose in this discussion is to present the possibilities of this situation that will hopefully keep the reader open-minded and to realize this is not a cut and dry let's send him to prison case.

For those who have branded him a murderer, consider this: If a car going under the speed limit on a curvy rural road comes around a sharp curve and hits a child who ran after a ball into the road, would you consider the driver a murderer? He/she intentionally got in the car, drove it, and their actions killed the child...that is your chain of rational thinking, right?

For my conscious, I can't label him a murderer unless he intentionally aimed the brick at Shelby with the intention of killing her. It's possible that he was aiming at the car to cause damage and didn't realize anyone was in it, or maybe he did but was aiming for the hood to scare them. Maybe he was trying to protect Shelby and stop her from going with these guys. There are many reasons for his decision to throw that brick and until we find out why, we can't pass judgement.

Circumstances surrounding that night really don't matter. You can argue the morality of the parents "letting" teens stay out all night to party all you want, but that has nothing to do with this situation. This same situation could have easily happened at 9 pm, an acceptable time for a 17 year old to be at a same-age party. As for a 21 year old being at a party with teens, that's really not a questionable action. This party included teens from 17 to 19 years old on average. Michael's cousin is a member of this age group, and since it sounds like they were close, maybe they attended the party together. More than likely the older teen girls had boyfriends who were a year or two older than them, so it's possible Michael wasn't the only 21 year old at the party.

As for the friends who didn't take Shelby to the hospital right away, maybe Shelby didn't realize how bad she was hurt. Getting hit in the stomach with a brick is sure to hurt, but since there is no evidence of external bleeding, it's harder to ascertain that an internal organ is damaged. We don't know if they drove around for a few hours or went to another friends house or what happened during that time. Maybe she went to a friends house to lay down and woke up in excruciating pain. Maybe they were trying to weigh the decision to go to the hospital based on their current alcohol or drug consumption. We don't know. Also, she died during surgery. It's possible that even if they took her right away, she could have died during surgery even if it was performed earlier. There are always risks concerning surgery.

As for blaming the parents, the only parents that should feel responsible for the situation is any that contributed alcohol and drugs to minors. I'm not including those who had said alcohol or drugs taken from their home, but those who intentionally provided alcohol and drugs to these young people knowing they would be consumed by them. Parenting children of any age is not easy, but especially those who are old enough to drive or can find transportation. It's easy to say to take everything away from them, but teens are known for stubbornness and defiance when they feel imprisoned. If they don't find a way to be with their friends, then they become depressed and suicidal. It is a fine line to find the area between these two, and those that have found it are very blessed to have great role models. But most parents struggle to find a balance to keeping healthy, happy teens.

*Oh, and I have to input my opinion here. If rules are made to keep your teen safe, and you decide when they break the rules to lock them out of the house, how is that keeping them safe? So many teens get hurt or killed after being kicked out the house than when given some freedom and the opportunity to make their own decisions while under the supervision of a responsible adult. That doesn't mean to keep bailing them out if they get into real trouble. But kicking them out because they're constantly late for curfew sounds like a control issue. The purpose of a curfew is so you know that you're teen is safe and aren't worrying half the night wondering if something happened to them, not to make sure they are following your orders. How many times have you been late to events, meetings, appointments, etc. because things just happen? First make sure you know where they are going. I know, teens lie and you never know exactly where they are actually going. If you have a teen who frequently goes out, and since the majority of teens have cell phones, invest in the insurance of sanity and safety by subscribing to the GPS tracker on their cell phone. I think it's about $5-10 a month. Hopefully, you'll never need it, but like life insurance, it's great to have when you might need it. Give them a curfew and tell them you'll start worrying if they aren't home at that time and after 20 or 30 minutes you'll go looking for them. Reward them when they consistently come in by that curfew time(maybe pay for a tank of gas or a gift certificate or even a later curfew). Punish them when they are consistently late (more than a few minutes) without a good excuse. Embarass them when you do have to go look for them by gushing over their safety and hugging them and taking them home in your car (in front of their friends), and then punish them for having "worried" you for being late for curfew. Maybe enlist the help of a cop friend to be with you when you show up to "find" them. I guarantee that will only take once or twice before they make sure to come home on time! Okay, back to the original discussion.... *

Right now, we have heard nothing from Michael because the judge has placed a restriction of communication on him--he's not allowed to talk to anyone about what happened and can't pass any messages to Shelby's family. So, we don't know what was/is going through his mind. Before placing judgement on any parties, all the facts need to be presented before an unbiased jury.

What should be concentrated on is the fact that one young person is dead, one in jail, and lots of friends and families negatively affected and mourning the loss of these two young lives. The bashing of people and lifestyles, and the bickering between facts, gossip, and definitions is utterly repulsive and shows the selfishness, cold-heartedness, and lack of empathy our society has come to. I would send my condolences to the family and friends of these young people, but then that would mean I think they would read it, and I hope they never, never have to suffer from reading the heartbreaking, callous opinions included in these comments.

Just Another Day

2010-07-30T10:12:00.002-05:00

Ugh! I can't get motivated to do anything productive lately. I have so many things that need to get done, but no desire to do them. When Ryan's home, I feel like I can do everything, but when he's not, nothing. He's the only one I even talk with on the phone....so those who think I'm just avoiding them, it's really not you, it's me. I really wish there was an easy button for all this, but there's not. Maybe I'll take the kids school shopping today....not really looking forward to it, but it's got to get done.

Let's try again

2010-07-26T10:51:00.002-05:00

Wow! It's been almost a year since I've last written. So much has happened, but not enough time to write it all down. So I'll do a short rundown:

Me: I've been attending school full-time and have finished all my prerequisites for nursing school, which I will be starting on August 30th! Yay! I've been in the process of getting immunizations since I don't have a record from when I was younger. That's okay, I'd rather be safe and be double immunized! Tomorrow I head in for my 2nd TB test. And next week I'll take the Basic Life Support class for healthcare providers. Then I'll need to start collecting the tons of books and other supplies!

Kids: They are all starting school on Aug 5. I'll have 4 kids in 3 different schools! Ashley will be starting 9th grade (high school); Jacob will start 6th grade (middle school), Megan will be in Kindergarten, and Caleb will start PreK! I think they all have mixed feelings about school....ready to see friends, but not ready to be there all day.

Ryan: Is still in New York. At this time, it doesn't seem he'll ever get to live with us! Fort Campbell has absolutely no openings...they are actually overstrength at 120%. The best thing for us to do at this point is to have him stay where he is, mainly financially because New York's housing allowance is almost twice what it is here so we're able to manage two households. Neither one of us likes this situation, but there's not much for us to do!

Animals: Let's see, we have about 2 dozen chickens, 2 guineas, 1 duck, 1 rabbit (sadly, we've lost 3 to the extreme heat this summer), 3 kitties, 2 dogs, and 1 neighbor dog who likes to protect our house.

No garden this year; just wasn't enough time with my classes and everything else. However, we do have a couple of squash plants that grew on their own...one next to the sandbox, and one next to the rabbit hutch. Funny, if I tried to grow them, they wouldn't have grown!

I'm here!!

2009-08-11T10:17:00.002-05:00

Wow! This summer has been so busy. I've been taking summer classes online with Austin Peay. Silly me decided to go ahead and do 4 classes!! It's been a lot of reading!!! But at least I'll have 12 credits out of the way. Classes end this week and then I'll get a 2 week break before the fall semester starts. I'll still be taking 4 classes online, but it will be for 15 weeks rather than cramming everything into 5 weeks, and I'll go once a week to the school for biology lab.

The kids have started school. Ashley is in 8th, Jacob in 5th, and Megan is starting PreK. Megan will start going everyday next week, starting the 18th. She has gone for one day and will go again tomorrow, but is excited to go! Her meds seem to be working great for her ADHD! Caleb is in the process of potty training. We are doing "forced" potty training because I've decided I no longer will buy pull ups. He's actually doing very well. Still has a couple of accidents each day, but doing much better than when we had pull ups.

Daisy just had puppies on Saturday! They are so adorable! She didn't give us much warning that she was about to have them. She ended up having 5 in 1 hour! Then it was about 2 1/2 hours before she gave birth to the last one that didn't make it... :( But she is a good mommy. She had 4 girls and 1 boy....4 black and 1 black and white (the boy is black).

The garden didn't make out too well. We've had several storms with high winds that killed several of the plants. The tomatoes are producing, but they keep splitting before they get ripe...don't know why. The only things that has done very well is the okra and the cilantro. Carrots are still growing, so maybe they will be good too. Oh, and the marigolds are doing wonderful!! I know what to plant all over for color next year!!

Okay, I'd better go get some housework and reading done!!

Has it been almost a month already!?!

2009-06-23T12:24:00.013-05:00

Wow, time goes by quickly when you're busy! Warning now--this will be a long post! Ryan just a left a few days ago to go back to NY after having visited for a few weeks. This time, Jacob went with him. I think it will be great for both of them, but especially Jacob. He is at an age where he really needs his dad. He's usually stuck with girls and little people. He'll be up there for about 6 weeks.

Okay, where to start.....how 'bout Ryan's running tractor! He did get it started this time and has just had fun riding around on it and put her to work pulling branches and trees, and the trailer to give the kids a ride. Of course, Megan and Caleb got to have a ride right beside daddy!

And the garden is growing! I already got a huge zuchini (which, of course, I forgot to take a picture of). It was about 10" long and at the widest part about 7" around. I sliced it and grilled it with some chicken...yummy!!

Carrots

Okra

Lettuce

Watermelon...a total of at least 6 growing!

Zuchini

Pumpkin

Tomatoes

Strawberries

Cucumbers

Corn and Sunflowers

Nasturtiums

And, I've noticed that Dragonflies gather to fly above the garden at dusk...I wonder why?

The chickens are doing great! We have had a couple of casulties..one of the older chicks--we think one of the stray dogs that's been hanging around dug underneath and got to it; and 2 of the little chicks. They are all out on pasture now. We believe the older chickens are all pullets and are Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, and Red Star. The little chicks are Rhode Island Reds and Speckled Sussex. We know one of the RIR is a rooster, but we're having a hard time with the SS. At first glance all 3 look like roosters, but researching the breed, it seems even the hens have big combs, and some waddles. So, I guess we're still waiting to see.

We may be expecting puppies sometime soon! Not intentionally!! Our little Pek-a-poo went into heat earlier this month and attracted a little boyfriend! He seems to be homeless, but well-mannered and sweet-tempered, so we decided to add him to the family. So, now we have Sadie, Daisy, and Charlie. I've been researching doggy pregnancy, and it seems puppies are born in about 8-9 weeks, so we'd be looking at the first week in August if we are expecting. BTW, if you think you know what breed Charlie might be, let me know. We think he has a little chihuahua in him, but we can't figure out what else.

And last, a picture of our littlest after having taken a bath after a long day of playing outside...he looks like a little sleeping angel!

Have a Wonderful and Blessed Day!!!

Same ole stuff

2009-05-27T19:47:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't updated in a week, but it's just been busy around here with the kids, the grass, and the garden. We had our yard sale and it turned out okay, but I'm going to try again this weekend. It's been raining off and on. Actually, I hear thunder right now. I'm getting ready for VBS that's at our church June 1st-3rd. I do the music for the beginning and ending, and I'm making little cards for guests to write on to include in the crisis care kits our church is collecting.

This has been a hard week for me emotionally, so if you pray, please include me, and Ryan in your prayers. This separation is just taking it's toll on us.

Since, I don't have anything interesting for today, I'll include a few pics of the chickens and our girls.

Anybody out there?

2009-05-20T15:22:00.003-05:00

It occurred to me that the people who may be reading my blog may not know how to post a comment. All you have to do is click on the word "comment" at the bottom of each post and it will bring you to a page where you type in your comment. You can leave your name, email, or be anonymous! Go ahead, give it a try! If you have any problems, please email me so I can fix it.

I will be busy the next few days getting ready for a yard sale....finally! We have so much stuff just taking up space and we have a need for money right now! My main concern is getting people to come out here. I made up signs and put them out, but on my way home today, I decided if it doesn't go well this weekend, I really need bigger signs and will try again next weekend. I did get store bought signs (they look much bigger in your hands than when you actually hang them up) and used my Cricut to cut out the info out of vinyl so I can reuse the signs. But when you're driving, they are very small. Hopefully, we will do well this weekend!!

Never ending work!

2009-05-16T09:54:00.002-05:00

You know, it's not very easy being a temporary single mom to 4(is it really only 4?) kids and trying to take care of 6 acres and 17 chickens and 2 dogs and a garden. It keeps me very, very busy, especially during the warmer months.

Let's see, this week I have been working on mowing the marsh in our backyard. I've gotten the mower stuck once and had to pull it out with the van. I finished putting up the chicken wire to hopefully keep the critters out that's been eating my veggies. I planted some new tomatoes and broccoli to replace the eaten ones. I also planted new corn and sunflower seeds because over half didn't sprout (I'm guessing because of the rain or maybe birds).

We've also completely cleaned the downstairs. We had a water leak from all the rain on the ground side of the basement. So, I had to clean the carpet. Well, to clean the carpet, all the junk underneath the furniture had to be cleaned out (can I just say "ewwww"!). Since I was down there and could supervise. I had the kids thorougly clean the family room and laundry/kitchen. It looks so much better! Now, if I could just get Ashley to clean her room!

I do have a cute/embarassing thing to share about a Caleb. Apparently, he has discovered "it". The other day, he came out of the bathroom after a bath, and was just grinning ear to ear. I was across the room and he saw me. Then he looked down, looked back up grinning, looked down, and then said "Mommy, it got bigger!" He did the same thing last night, only this time saying "it growed again!" I guess that answers a lot of questions for Ashley about boys!

Okay, enough for now. Time for me to go take the garbage to the dump and see if I can get another section of yard mowed before it starts raining again!

Have a Blessed Weekend!!

It's Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T08:37:00.003-05:00

I'd like to give special thanks to my husband's mom, Sharon! She has always been an awesome mom to me! She has accepted me unconditionally into her family. I appreciate the way she calls to check up on us...to see how we are doing. And she calls for advice as well! Thanks, Mom!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

P.S. I did get the card out a bit late, but here's a preview:

Busy, busy!! (long with lots of pics!)

2009-05-08T19:47:00.006-05:00

Will the rain ever stop??? It has been raining almost daily with very little sun! I NEED SUN!!! But, in between storms, I have done a few things outside.

First, here's a pic of the finished veggie garden:

Then some individual plants.....Lettuce (grown from direct seeding)

Carrots (grown from direct seeding)....

Spinach plant (that some little critter has had for dinner....spinach must be the favorite as this is the best one that's left)....

Tomato plant (I only have about half of them left as a critter likes them as well)...

And beans (grown from direct seeding)...

The critter also got most of my lettuce plants and some dill, basil, and cilantro!! Guess I need to put up some chicken wire or screen or something to keep the little critter out.

I also moved our big chicks out to pasture into their chicken tractor (we can move it to fresh grass as often as we want).

And moved the little chicks into the bigger brooder.

I've also made 60 bridal shower invitations for church. On my way to church, I realized it takes me approximately 10 hours to make 60 invitations, with all the steps! Still, I have lots of fun doing them! These were very basic, yet elegant, using black and cream cardstock that was embossed with the Cuttlebug. I popped the top two layers and added a bow. BTW, I cased this design from Beverly--she made her mom's wedding invitations the same way. I usually like to come up with my own creations, but short notice didn't give me enough time to think...just to do!

And now, I'm working on organizing my room, which also is the storage place for all the scrapbook/card making supplies. I got a cool container a few weeks ago when it was on sale at hobby lobby to put small embellishments in, like brads and buttons. The best thing about it? The compartments are child-proof!! You have to push in a little lever on the side to open each little compartment. I love it!! Now, I just need to make sure I don't open it in front of little ones, or the lock will be useless. It's the Ezy Snappin Organizer made by Craft Mates, and comes in different sizes. Take a look if you're trying to figure out the best way to organize all those little embellishments. I've also found a great way to organize ribbon (I'm working on it right now). For all those yard or two ribbons, get some safety pins and a "lock ring"-like a key ring, but it can be snapped apart (not to be confused with a jump ring that is very popular for holding keys. You can take a set of like ribbons, find the middle, put the safety pin through, close safety pin, and then hook onto the lock ring. You can even add a tag on the safety pin if you want to remember the designer. Here's the start of mine:

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this long update!!! I guess I need to post more often so there's not so much to share all at once!!

Have A Blessed Day!!!

Quickie Update....

2009-04-29T16:50:00.004-05:00

This is a neat picture that I took last week when the kids had their little sprinkler on. Just thought I'd share!

We have air conditioning in the house again!! Low refrigerant, a leak at the service valve, and ice in the cooling unit were the problems. I ended up with a nice guy who happens to be the stepdad of one of Ashley's friends, so he gave us the "friend's" discount!! I also, went ahead and replaced all four tires on the van, since it really needed to be done. Procrastination is just going to lead me into more problems if I didn't take care of it. So, two problems fixed! Oh, and Caleb is just fine now....still have no clue why he was running a fever this weekend.

Now to show you a few things that I've been doing (well, before the crisis, that is!). First, I finally got the garden ready for planting! Here's what it looked like before I started planting:

I've planted all the seedlings, and just have a few seeds left to plant; and I need to finish up the area where the corn and sunflowers are going to be...just outside the far end of the fence. Here's what the tentative plan is:

And, some time during the week (I don't even remember when!!), I found the time to sew Nicole this beautiful apron! I absolutely love the fabric and may have to go back and get some more to make me one!!

And, now, since it is supposed to be raining for the next 10 days (according to the Weather Channel), I'll be catching up on inside things, like making bridal shower invitations, and other papercrafting projects. And, I'll find time in between rain showers to go finish up those seeds.

Have A Blessed Day!

Ever feel like your world is falling apart?

2009-04-27T21:04:00.004-05:00

That's the way I'm feeling right now! It took several days to get the garden ready for planting and now several more to get things planted! Things just keep coming up.

So, our van's air conditioner went out the end of summer last year. Of course, it couldn't be an easy fix. The air compressor went out--that's about a $700 fix! Needless to say, we put it off. Well, here it is April and it went from winter to summer overnight! No warning-just decided to go from 50 degree rainy days to 85 degree sunny, humid days! So, we are stuck with wind blown hair for the time being.

And if being in a hot van isn't enough, I got to come home Saturday to a hot house. Seems the AC here is being stubborn as well. Air blows, it's just not cold. We've got ceiling fans and box fans running everywhere and it's still 80 degrees in here!

And it didn't help Caleb this weekend when he was running high temps for no apparent reason. Saturday afternoon he had a temp of 104!! Gave him some Motrin and within an hour it was down to low grade and would stay that way for about 8 hours when it would shoot up again. Sunday morning at 4:00am was the last day he had that high of a fever, but it stayed around 100 all day. Today he seems fine except for a little neediness.

The next mishap was when I was on my way home from the chiropractor. I tried to pretend it wasn't happening, but I couldn't ignore the clonking--yep, a flat tire!!! What else could go wrong? Oh, wait....how about not having a spare because you're using the spare because the "good" tire got a flat in almost the exact same place a few weeks ago and you just hadn't thought to go get it fixed? Or being in an area that only gives you enough signal to text and not make a call, so you're trying to text your husband who's in NY to try to figure out what do? Thankfully, a nice young man and his daughter stopped to help, and when I say help, I mean help! First, he took me up to the store to get Fix A Flat and try that on the tire. That's when we realized this wasn't just a hole. The whole back of the tire was worn right through! So, then he took me home and offered to take a look at the other tire. He ended up taking that tire with him, plugging it up, going back to the van, changing the tire, and then coming to get me to take me back to the van. You think he'd be through then, right? Nope, he followed me back home just to make sure I made it there alright, put the busted tire in the garage, and then, gave me his phone number in case I ever needed help again! I think he felt sorry for me with my husband in NY, having 4 kids, and all these things to take care of! Anyway, so now, I need to go get that tire fixed more permanently, and get a new/used tire.

And if that's not enough, Ryan is having problems with his Jeep. It's just locked up. Put the key in and try to start and nothing!! It's not a battery problem. It's something with the ignition, but no idea what or how much it might cost. Good news is, since he works with Officers, one let him borrow her car she has for sale til he can get his Jeep working. The for sale sign on the car says $38500 or best offer! Yes, that is 5 numbers! It's a custom, decked out Volvo that originally cost $50,000. She had it for a whole month before she found out she was pregnant(first child) and it wasn't practical, so she bought an SUV instead. OMG!! It must be nice to just have money to throw around!! But it was awfully nice of her to lend the car to Ryan!

So, where are we going to get all this money from to fix everything? NO IDEA!! I'm thinking of starting up a donation page, or better yet, maybe I could take all four kids after they've played in the mud to a busy street corner with a homemade cardboard sign that reads "Please help, we need air!" JUST KIDDING!!! We'll figure it out--we always do. I think that's what keeps our marriage strong--we work together to figure out a solution. None of this is either one's fault, so we don't play the name blame game. What's the purpose in that? You just end up mad at each other and nothing gets fixed.

Okay, I'm exhausted! Good night!

Gardening Time!

2009-04-17T12:13:00.003-05:00

It's that time! The temp here right now is 72 and it's nice and sunny! I've been outside the past few days as much as I can getting things ready for the garden. I've already purchase some plants and seeds for planting this weekend. I'm in the process of getting all the root stems from the veggie garden so we don't have grass grow again this year. And, I'm making a flower garden area beside the veggie garden. I've got 3 "plots" designed out ready to dig. I decided to go with an offset kidney pattern rather than squares or rectangles. I can't wait to see flowers growing out there!! I've been looking for some basic plans for an Adironack(sp?) chair. I love the look of those, and I think with the wood, it wouldn't blow away during high winds.

I also made a top for our chick brooder to make it easier to get to them and change out their food and water. I'm pretty proud of having made it all by my self!!

It's supposed to start raining tomorrow afternoon and Sunday, so I'm sure I'll get some sewing and papercrafting done then! I keep thinking I'll make something at night, but by the time I come in (late, mind you, because it doesn't get dark til after 7), make dinner, eat, baths, and then bedtime for the little ones, and then cleaning up inside, I don't have any energy or creativeness left!! But I have been itching to use the My Mind's Eye Dreamy 2 papers that Bev gave me, and I just got some new inks in from CTMH, and I still have the 2 PTI sets and Copic markers that I haven't gotten to play with yet! There's just not enough time in the day!!

In case I don't get on here for a few days.....

Have a Blessed Weekend!!!

Acrylic Album

2009-04-14T14:07:00.006-05:00

I made my first Acrylic Album!!! Beverly had asked me if I ever done one before and I said I hadn't. She was trying to find a project for me to do. I said, I don't mind trying! So, I got the supplies and came home, intimidated! I spent two evenings looking online trying to get ideas, but didn't find much. Finally, I just sat down and started. Once I got going it was very hard to stop!! I think it turned out very cute!! I did add ribbons to the rings once I got back to the store, but I had already taken a picture and left my camera at home.

Supplies: Paper~Baby Safari Baby Girl 8x8 Paper & Punch-Out Tablet (Little Yellow Bicycle); Ribbon~The Paper Studio; Embellishments ~Pearls(The Paper Studio), Purely Pebbles-Grapevine (Scrappers Must Haves), Stickles-Diamond (Ranger), Brads (The Paper Studio). All of these supplies can be purchased through Beverly at Precious Scraps.

Wish me luck!

2009-04-13T08:26:00.005-05:00

I am taking my COMPASS test today at Austin Peay State University! This is the last step for me to start registering for class. The COMPASS is like the ACT; it is a college placement test. It only as Math and English on it, so I think I should do fairly well. Then I will be starting classes this summer, and on my way to becoming a nurse! I have a lot of prenursing classes to take before I am officially in the nursing program, but I am so excited!! I can hear you saying now, "what about the kids?" Well, Megan will be starting PreK in the fall, and looking at the fall schedule for school and take 3 classes on 2 days a week and have Caleb in a nearby preschool. So, it works out nicely!

And, now, to share a layout.

This is the Basic Grey January Page of the Month that I completed through a class at Precious Scraps. Everything (paper, buttons, embellishments is from Basic Grey). This year's theme is "All About Me" and I love it as I love the idea of having something the kids can look at and know things about their mom they may not have otherwise known.

Have a Blessed Day!!

Happy Easter!!!

2009-04-12T15:52:00.007-05:00

This has been a very busy week with the kids out of school for Spring Break!! I have actually gotten some projects done, just not enough time to post.....so, I'll be posting several over the next few days.

Yesterday, I worked on some little baskets and cupcake toppers for my Sunday School class for this morning. I think they turned out very cute!!! Of course, I didn't have enough baskets. I normally have about 6 kids that attend regularly, and I made 2 extra just in case I had a guest or two (we hardly ever have guests in there). Can you believe I ended up with 10 kids??? After the lesson and cupcakes, I decided to see if they could help. I told them the situation, and asked if there were two volunteers who would be willing to not get a basket today, but they would get a present next week. Two little boys raised their hands right away!!! I couldn't have been more proud!!

Now, just so you know, these are not my creation!! I got this fabulous idea and template from Claire. She is very talented and creative and I love her work!! I can't remember where I found the cupcake toppers, but when I do, I'll let you know.

Supplies: Paper~My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow line; Buttons~Basic Grey, Making Memories; Flowers~Making Memories; Ribbon~Martha Stewart

I'm also adding a few shots of the kids outside today. My older two, Ashley & Jacob, hid the eggs for Megan & Caleb to find. They were all very excited and had lots of fun!!

And, finally, an update on my accident. My neck is still bothering me some. I have been able to see a chiropractor which helps tremendously! If he were open today, I would go because it does hurt today (maybe because I insist on continuing to live life and do the things I normally do). But he did say that the time in between visits would get longer and longer. He's different (and better for me) in that he also has physical therapy training, so he can find not only the points on my spine that hurt, but also the areas around it. I do have a spot in the upper part of my neck on the right side that is still tight--he's not able to adjust it yet. He also leaves how often I go up to me....if it's bothering me, I can go visit. I went twice last week on Monday and Wednesday. I might have went on Friday afternoon just to last me through the weekend, but he's not open on Friday's. But I will be there tomorrow!!

A layout...

2009-04-04T15:29:00.005-05:00

Just thought I'd share a layout with you today. The pictures are of Megan and Caleb playing on their trikes (Dora and Diego). We have a little bit of a slope to our driveway that ends in carport. They love to take their trikes to the top and then race down to the carport! It's their favorite outdoor activity!!

Materials used:
Paper, transparency, and cardstock embellishments~My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy 2 "Dazzling"; Words~cut with Cricut George Basic Shapes Font

Long weekend....

2009-03-30T10:10:00.003-05:00

A warning now....this might be a long post!

Saturday was already long enough. Jacob had his Zone quiz and it lasted till 1:30! He ended up with a Bronze trophy which is really awesome considering they kept calling time outs every 2 or 3 questions and the questions didn't come from previous questions but from the book of Exodus. I wasn't there for most of the quiz--I have a REALLY hard time sitting still, especially when I have other errands to run. But I should have just stayed because it didn't seem I got anything done. I do want to send a {{BIG HUG}} out to my friend and our Quiz leader who did stay the entire time, Melissa! Thank you, Melissa!! You are so appreciated!!

So, after the quiz, we did a few errands, and then went grocery shopping. Finally, at 4:15, we were ready to head home. Half way there we ran into some very heavy rain, and I thought about stopping at The Gift Box to wait it out. But, they had already closed--which is a shame because it would have prevented what happened next. Just down the road, when the rain had slowed to a sprinkle, a truck was getting ready to make a left hand turn. So, I slowed and stopped, remarking to Jacob that he kind of stopped too soon (meaning he still had another 50 feet he could have gone to make the turn). Anyway, I was stopped. Next thing I hear is the squeals of another vehicle and I look up into the rear view mirror just in time to see, and feel, a car slide into the back of our van. Luckily, there was a place to pull off the road just a few feet ahead, so I pulled up, and asked Jacob if he was okay, which he was. I got out and surveyed the damage.

The other driver was a woman (darn me, I forgot to get her name) with 3 teenage girls in the back of a silver PT Cruiser. She apologized, saying she wasn't expecting anyone to be stopped on the highway, and looked up to see me stopped and hit the brakes. Thankfully, when she saw she wasn't going to stop in time (the road was slippery from the heavy rain), she tried to steer away to try to miss me. My left rear bumper and side, and her front right was what got damaged. She no longer has a headlight. and here's the damage to my van:

So, I get to spend some time on the phone with the insurance company, and fill out paperwork to send in, while dealing with a sore neck. It's not nearly as bad as I was expecting....it actually feels better today, but still sore. I went to the ER yesterday and they gave me some Ibuprofen, Robaxin, and LorTabs (not to be taken until you are safe to sleep!). I took them last night and had a hard time waking up this morning, so I'm not much in the mood to get on the phone right now. Besides, I've got to start getting ready for the kid's dental appointment. That's right all 4 kids. So, I've got to go pick up Ashley from one school, Jacob from another, and head in. I try to get to this dentist a little earlier to allow the kids play time in the waiting room. Dr. Deeds is a great dentist, perfectly suited for his job. You can tell he loves kids! His office is set up for kids. The waiting room has arcade games that don't use money, and lots of other toys for smaller kids (although they all like to try to play the car game with the steering wheel). Then in the back, the treatment area is decorated like a big aquarium and there's another little room in there with more toys and a tv for little ones whose siblings are getting treated. Just a really great environment!!!

Maybe I have time to call the insurance.....at least, it will be out of the way and I don't have to think about it later.

I pray my neck heals real soon!! I've started working out again last week, and it always seems once I get started, something happens so I can't continue! I have found "My Fitness Coach" for the Wii and I love it! It's like having your own personal trainer in your living/family room--you get a different workout everyday. The first day, she(Maya) does a fitness test to see where you are. You'll do jumping jacks for 2 minutes to measure your heart rate. Then you'll as many modified pushups, squats, and crunches as you can do keeping in time and in correct form up to 50. Then, you'll enter your weight and measurements. Then, every so often, you'll repeat this test so you can see your progress. When you are ready to workout, you get to choose what your focus for the day is (yoga, cardio, upper body, lower body, core, or flexibility), how long you want to workout for (in 15 minute increments), what music you want to listen to (it starts with hip hop, eighties, or latin, and then others open up as you continue to workout), what environment you want to see, and what equipment you want to use that day (heart rate monitor, step, weights, and/or stability ball). And then you have a personalized workout just for you!! You have the option during your workout to increase or decrease your difficulty, and Maya will ask you a couple times during the workout how you feel and will adjust the next workout accordingly. If you like aerobics, but dread doing the same workout(s) over and over, then this is for you! Get it! It's only $30 and the best workout tool you will own!

Okay, I guess I better go now....but I hope YOU have a Blessed day!!

2 cards for Precious Scraps

2009-03-24T16:15:00.003-05:00

I almost forgot to add the two cards I did last week for Beverly!! Nothing fabulous...just two little quick, simple cards. I believe the pattern paper is from the Memory Box line (6x6), and the stamps used are (well, I'll have to get back to you on that one!).

Apron

2009-03-24T16:03:00.005-05:00

I've finally made my apron!!! I think it's very cute!! I've been needing some aprons, but just hadn't found anything I really liked. I like the retro style, so I found a book with a few patterns for retro aprons. I've been working on it the past 2 days---really doesn't take that long to do it, but I ran into the problem of having to turn two 48" straps right side out. Next time I think I will just top stitch them rather than hem, turn, and top stitch. So, here is my first one.....

It looks like a little dress, don't you think? LOL!! It didn't turn out as "retro" as I'd like it, but I think it's still 'purty'. :)

Our new baby chicks...

2009-03-21T09:19:00.003-05:00

are here!! We got 10 chicks from Rural King, three different breeds--they told us Barred Rock, White Leghorn, and Red Comet but also said they were all brown egg layers and according to Cackle Hatchery (where they get their chicks from), White Leghorn is a white egg layer, and they don't carry Red Comet. They have Golden Comet and Red Star....so I guess we'll have to see what they are when they get bigger. I'd still like to get a couple of Rhode Island Reds as they were the first chickens we had and I'm kind of partial to them. Anyway, here they are at 5 days old (they were born March 16th):

Have a Blessed Day!!

Spring is in the air!!

2009-03-20T10:42:00.005-05:00

No pictures today, but I thought I'd let you know what we've been up to. Let's see....we borrowed a tiller from Beverly and Larry, but Ryan had to do a little work on it to get it started. It's an older tiller, but well taken care of; but as with all things, sometimes it needs a little love to get going. Ryan ended up needing to replace a torn gasket on it and really didn't want to drive the 40 miles into the store to get one or the punches to make it, so he asked me if I had anything that would work. I asked him what material he had planned on using so he showed me, and I said "As a matter of fact I do!!". We ended up making a new gasket using my Cricut and small hole punches!! So, see ladies, you can show your husbands that the Cricut (and other die cutting machines) can help him out in a time of need as well. LOL!! I just realized that I should have taken a picture but I didn't think about it. He did get the tiller running, got about 1/2 the first run through, and a belt broke! So, he's on his way into town to get a new one of those, another panel of fencing because I want the garden a little bit bigger(and we need to keep out critters as we are surrounded by deer, coyote, rabbits, and other wild animals), and some baby chicks! Yes, I'm crazy....but I'm in a much better place than I was even a few months ago, and I really miss the eggs and having those chickens around!!

Ryan has also replaced a knob and deadbolt on one of our doors, put our kitchen table back together (somehow it never had screws put in, but we think when the guy we bought it from varnished it, it just got stuck together), and today he's going to reinstall our dishwasher (the little ones, and I've caught Jacob doing it too, have used the door as a step stool), and move the playground set over near the garden for me. The good news is that will be way on the other side of the house from our neighbor who I want to get as far away as possible from. We've been tossing around the idea of putting up a fence between our two houses(for privacy and setting a boundary to make it more difficult to just waltz over whenever he pleases), and a living fence came to mind. If you have any ideas for what to use that would be good in full sun, good soil, on a little bit of a slope, easy to maintain, grow fast and stays green throughout the year, please let me know! Anyway, I plan on making a "retreat" of sorts near the vegetable garden that has a few flower gardens that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds, with Daisies (my favorite flower) and Sweet Peas, plant a few Bradford pear trees (my favorite trees), and one or two shade trees, as well as sitting areas, and of course, the chickens. I wish all of this could get done now, but I know it will take a couple years to get it how I want it.

I haven't had much time for paper crafts this week, but please be sure to check out the links to the left for the Blogs I enjoy. Claire has the cutest little basket and Niki has an adorable layout with her baby girl! And Beverly has been receiving submissions from her Design team all week. So, get inspired!!

Have a Blessed Day!!

Just checking in....

2009-03-17T09:52:00.005-05:00

I told you I'd be busy!! We've been to the movies to see 'Race to Witch Mountain' with the older two kids. It was a great movie--you gotta love The Rock! Yesterday, I got a massage :) and we went to Paris for a little shopping and to look at Tractor stuff. He bought an old Allis Chambers right after Christmas and then left a week later, so this is the first time he's gotten to work on it. This is the BEFORE pic (it will be awhile before we have an after pic):

It's a lot like the Ugly Duckling right now, but Ryan has lots of plans for it!

My hubby comes home tomorrow!!

2009-03-13T15:16:00.005-05:00

I'm so excited!! He will be here for a week and is on the road now driving from NY. I love being able to spend time with my soul mate! Here's a pic of us (isn't he HOT?):

I still plan on posting each day, but just in case I get a little busy.... ;)

And, I have some other wonderful news......I have been chosen to be on the local Design Team for Precious Scraps!! This is my first time being a design team member, but I hope I can live up to Beverly's expectations! I'm really honored to have been chosen!

Got a lot....

2009-03-12T10:13:00.003-05:00

done yesterday!!! 5 loads of laundry, cleaned the carpet in the family room, and picked up the toys and clothes and everything else that ends up everywhere!! And I still had time to make this scrumptious salad......

My husband's landlady in NY made this when I was visiting and I loved it! I made it a little different, however. I used a pre-bagged mix of baby spinach, baby romaine, and baby leaf lettuces, and then added some red leaf lettuce, fennel, strawberries, and pecans. Top it off with a Raspberry Vinagrette, and you have a healthy, delicious salad!!

Enjoy!

Cleaning Day

2009-03-11T10:35:00.000-05:00

Today, I really, really need to clean house and do laundry. I have been enjoying spending time reading blogs and being at Beverly's store, that I've let some things go. So, I will share a card real quick, and then off to cleaning :( But once I get done, I can relax and do the things I enjoy without feeling guilty!

I really enjoyed making this card!! It was for a special friend and the first time I just really let my imagination go (since I wasn't going to have to make 60 of them!).

Paper: My Mind's Eye (Tres Joles) Stamps: CTMH (For Every Occasion, Dream Wishes, God Bless You) Ribbon: CTMH Other: Pearls, brads, vellum, flowers cut with Cricut (Walk in My Garden)

Today is a Special Day

2009-03-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

I just want to send out a huge

to my new friend Bev. I hope it's a wonderful and blessed day!!

Welcome to Chaos!!

2009-03-10T00:16:00.000-05:00

I've finally come to the world of blogging....maybe this will motivate me to actually get things done for myself! I love to do papercrafts, but unfortunately, the only time I have actually done them lately is when I do invitations for my church. I love making these invitations!! I know sometimes they think they are overwhelming me--NOT AT ALL!! It's a passion, and sometimes the only time I will make to subcomb to this passion. Speaking of which.....here's the most recent card I did for a wedding shower. Please bear with me as I learn the most effective way to post pictures--this card is scanned. You can't see it well here, but the main part of the rose is a red parchment-like paper (unknown source) that gave it some texture and visual effect of real rose petals.

This card is made mostly of Close To My Heart papers with the rose, stem and oval cut with the Cricut. Brads are Spare Parts.