Happy Saturday....

Here is my take on sketch # 9 over at Triple the Sketch. This is a picture of my parents.. they've been married for 40 years........WOW!!! They have been a great example of love, compassion, compromise and commitment.

This morning Ashlie and I went on a hike with our church youth group.......it was such a beautiful morning, I haven't been hiking in like .........well forever......and it was a lot of fun, I'm thinking hiking might need to become part of our regular activities. I'll leave ya with a few pictures from our adventure!! Have a Happy Saturday!!

I WON!!

I just won some blog candy!! Whhoooo Hooo. I won over at Shanna's Blog , you should check her out, she does amazing scrappy stuff! Also, from Shanna's blog I found out about another blog called SIMPLY A MOM and there is a contest to enter over there with a great prize. I'm going to keep an eye on that site, cuz I can always use hints, tips, motivation on being a better mom, or on just gettin through the day. It will be fun to see all the ideas, whether old or new, ya never know when an idea will just click. I know that I could use help with meal planning.........(I don't like to cook) or time management or anything really to make the day just a little less complicated. So, go check it out and if you have any awesome tips to share..please let us all in on them!!

Just a quickie

Not much going on today, but I wanted to post a layout I finished, it's my take on sketch #8 over at Triple the Sketch. This is my long distance boyfriend...I scratched out his face for privacy

reasons.

Change of Plans

Instead of riding 4 wheelers and picnicing today, I ended up cleaning out my storage closet, laundry and touching up some paint on the walls. Somehow I got screwed out of a fun day....but no matter I actually got a few things accomplished that I have been putting off forever....it's that procrastination thing again. Procrastination and I have become pretty good friends lately, but I tell ya........it's a toxic relationship and one that I'm gonna have to end pretty soon. Breakups are really hard, so I'll have to wait for the right time.

I was able to throw together a layout of my daughters spring school pictures. I don't know about all the rest of you, but as of yesterday......we are out for the summer!!!! Yeah! This layout is based on sketch 1 over at Triple the Sketch...and I just have to say that I LOVE SKETCHES. You should definately check them out, their design team rocks!! I found out about them because I actually stalk Shanna's blog and she's on the DT...she does amazing work. Anyway, the layout looks much better in real life. It's done in greens, browns, and white. The little sentiment says "just be you". I put some sparkly stuff on it too, but with the crappy picture it's hard to see. My goal in the future is to take a photog class and get a better camera.....it'll be awhile though...cuz I want a really really really nice camera and I have to save the moolah first.

So, I've been thinking of getting into stamping a little more lately, just because I stalk a bunch of stamping blogs and these ladies are so talented, some of the creations they come up with using stamps are amazing. And when I grow up I want to be just like them... ;0)

I found out a few days ago that Moonlight will not be renewed for next year. I LOVED Moonlight, LOVE me a good vampire show and that Mick....HELLO HOT STUFF!! So I have to say what the heck people???.....and a lot of other shows that I started watching and liked...like K-Ville, Journeyman, Blood Ties.......not coming back. They are taking good shows away and putting on more crappy fake "reality" programs. Plus, what they did to us with 24......not getting my weekly dose of that until the beginning of next year...ahhhh.. I don't get it... I guess the upside is that I won't watch so much t.v.

For a change tonight , instead of watching a movie or t.v. I'm going to read. I'm reading Plum Lucky by Janet Evonovich, if you've never read her.......I highly recommend the Stephanie Plum series. She is hysterical, I laughed so hard I was crying, I can't remember which book, but they are all easy reads and fun. If you get offended by the occasional foul word though, I suggest you steer clear.

So, enough of my rambling. Hope all 3 of you that read my blog have a great rest of the weekend. ;) Later

Happy Friday

I love Fridays, it's the day before the weekend....the day that ends the work week...I love when it's 5:00 on Friday even more. Man I love 5:00 Fridays. I love the weekends. I don't usually have a lot planned on the weekends, it's just that I don't have to be at work. Anytime that I'm not at work........is a good time.

This weekend, though, being Memorial weekend I do have some plans. 4-wheelin and picnicin on Saturday.....nothing but church on Sunday..then my girlfriend and I might go to Vegas to go shopping. Shopping is always good.

I'm down 3lbs since Sunday....Yay!! But, the weekends scare me, cuz that's when I usually have my cheat day. And a cheat day is great and fine when you follow a plan closely, but when you don't it can make or break any progress made. I really debated on whether to follow a specific plan or program or just try to be really careful and work out more. I've had success before with Body for Life, but sometimes it's a little restrictive for me as far as the workouts go. So after a conversation with my boyfriend, who has been a personal trainer and bodybuilder for most of his life, I've decided to work out more and be really careful with eating. It's a little more flexible and if I can't get to the gym, then I can workout at home. I've been eating small meals and if I have anything that might be higher calorie content, I eat it before 3p.m, then I taper to smaller, lower carb meals/snacks. I've worked out 3x this week and will hit the gym tonight after work. So far so good.

I have several workout dvds at home. I have the Firm, which I really like, Windsor Pilates..I do the 20 minutes every now and then. I have the big exercise ball and videos and the latest purchase was the Slim in 6 with Debbie Seibers. I have to say that the Slim in 6 is my least favorite, in fact I'm giving it to my mom. Not that you don't get a workout, cuz you do, but it's really boring. UGH!! I really do want to get Turbo Jam, I've heard that it's really fun. So, I will have to check it out!!!

I ran across this inspirational thought this morning..it fits pretty much every aspect of life, but with those of use trying to lose weight, every little bit of motivation helps.

SUCCESS is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of ENTHUSIASM.

Winston Churchill

Love it!! Sooner or later with the right attitude we have to succeed right??

Commence Countdown

4 weeks and 1 day. That's what I have until I finally get to meet my boyfriend. That sounds so juvenile........boyfriend, that feels so high school....but what else do you say, manfriend??? Eh...no. Guy friend..that sounds too platonic. So, boyfriend it is. He's got the dr's ok to fly, he made reservations, and now we just count down the days.

I have 4 weeks and 1 day to lose about 10 lbs.......I'm glad I have that much time, but it really would have been smart of me to start back in December when we first started talking.....HELLO procrastinate much?? Now I have to find a way to stay on track and keep motivated. I completely threw myself off the diet coke wagon a couple weeks ago and still have to find the mental fortitude to climb back on...Why does this crap have to be so hard????

Well, I need to do it, get in shape, stay there and change my way of thinking, my eating, drinking all that stuff. I think I will stalk a few different blogs to get motivated and see how others are losing weight and staying on track. So, I guess I'd better get busy and start stalking!!

Manchild

This is the birthday card that I made for my son. He turned 17 on the 12th, it's crazy to realize how much time has passed and how fast it's gone. Holy Cow. One year left and the kid is officially an adult. I really am not prepared for that. Maybe it's because he's been living with his dad and so in my eyes, he's still younger,maybe I just don't feel OLD enough to have a 17 yr old. Whatever the reason, time is still ticking and soon enough I will have a MAN standing in the place where my big, blue eyed boy with the curly hair was.

When God Created Mothers

When the good Lord was creating Mothers he was into his sixth day of "overtime" when the angel appeared and said, "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."
And the Lord said, "Have you read the spec on this order? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 180 moveable parts....all replaceable. Run on orange juice and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up. A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair. And six pairs of hands. "
The Angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands......no way."
"It's not the hands that are causing me problems, " said the Lord. "It's the three pairs of eyes that Mothers have to have." "That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.
The Lord nodded. 'One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, "What are you kids doing in there?' when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say 'I understand and I love you' without so much as uttering a word."
"Lord," said the angel touching His sleeve gently, "Go to bed. Tomorrow...."
"I can't, " said the Lord, "I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick...can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger......and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower."
The angel circled the model of a Mother very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed.
"But tough!" said the Lord excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this Mother can do or endure."
"Can it think?"
"Not only think, but it can reason and compromise." said the Creator. Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you you were trying to put too much into this model."
"It's not a leak," said the Lord, "It's a tear."
"What's it for?"
"It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride."
"You are a genius," said the angel.
The Lord looked somber and said, "I didn't put it there."


I've had this thought for a very long time, there was no author on it to give credit to........I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day.

Who would'a thunk

that shopping could completely wear ya out....holy freakin cow! My girlfriend came to town today to do some shopping, eat lunch, do some more shopping..and still more shopping. I'm worn out. Is that a sign of old age??? Most of the time I don't really feel old, but after today....man, the back aches, the feet hurt and my legs are killin me. Don't get me wrong, I love to shop..LOVE it. Most of the time I don't actually buy anything though. I'll walk around pick up things, carry them around, fondle them a little and end up putting them back. I know, I'm strange......and that's ok, I embraced that part of myself a long time ago. ;)

I just finished this layout from Valentine's Day...this V-day was exciting because I actually had a Valentine. It had been YEARS since I was anyone's sweetheart, so it was really cool to be able to celebrate. My boyfriend sent WHITE roses because he says that they are pure and beautiful just like me.......awwwww, he's so sweet, (he may be a little blind, but that's ok.......and I'm not as pure as he thinks, but we won't tell him any different)! He's not your typical man, he's very romantic and puts a lot of thought into gifts, they need to have meaning to him...I'm so lucky to have him in my life.........I think he's definately a keeper!!!!!

Challenges

Ok, so I'm sitting at my desk right now, just bored out of my ever livin mind....there are 1001 other places I definately would rather be, and a 1001 other things I would rather be doing. But, I don't have a choice at the moment...being a single mother sometimes sucks!!! Momma's gotta bring it home! Gotta pay those bills and feed that child....if it were just me..heck, I could get away with eating cereal all day everyday, but that doesn't work when you've got another person to be responsible for. Anyone else out there that could just live on cereal??? Come on, I know I'm not the only one!

I'm a tad bit bummed today, was really freakin bummed yesterday......should be ok tomorrow. I was hoping that I would actually get to meet my boyfriend in the next couple weeks, but it will be more like 5-6 more weeks. He still doesn't have the ok to fly and he's got business trips lined up for the next 2 weeks straight, so we are shooting for the 20th of June....AAAHHHH, the wait is killing me. Just for clarification, the business trips are ones that he can drive to. NO flying involved. Anyway, we are both beyond ready to meet and move on to bigger and better things....like starting a life together. I know it's all very weird....what can I say?

Monday my son will turn 17....(he's living in Vegas with dad), he was actually born on mother's day which was pretty cool. I about had a mini-meltdown the other day when a friend of mine mentioned him being a senior next year and graduating. Hello......not my baby... he can't be about to turn 17..and in a few months be a senior...and this time next year graduating from high school. AHHH heaven help me, where in the world does the time go??? Anyone have an answer to that.....please fill me in.

My bff and I were going to start a scrapbook challenge starting the beginning of May, but we kinda haven't coordinated with each other and started yet. I have however finished 3 whole layouts that I did on NSD but can't post them..bummer, cuz they are so so so cool, but they feature my boyfriend, and he's not so cool with his face being anywhere on the internet, it has to do with the whole working undercover stuff that he did for years. I can't blame him really, but I sure do wish I could share. He did bodybuilding competitions for years and everytime I look at the pictures, my blood pressure shoots up a little.....those are the pictures I scrapped! YUMMY!

Speaking of challenges, they come at us from all different directions, some help inspire and motivate, while others can leave us drained and frustrated. I for one am grateful for the challenges, I know that for me.......it has helped make me the person I am today and has made me a much stronger person. It definately hasn't been a cake walk while in the middle of my most trying times, but looking back I can see the growth and changes that have come. So, whether it's being a single mom, having to work full-time at a job that is NOT challenging, having a child live away from me, or waiting to meet the man I hope to marry.......it's all good, cuz this is all the stuff that makes up life....and life is awesome!!