Happy New Year!

I know it's been a while, so sit down and get ready!

The holidays flew by in a blur, but were great. I'm not sure if I mentioned Nick's band concert or not. For those of you who don't know, Nick plays the trumpet...by choice and LOVES it. I am still amazed that he enjoys it so much. He was all dolled up in his dress shirt and pants and he said, "I look GOOOOOOD!" He's too funny.




















Kaila also had her little program at Pre-K and was a real pro! You just have to love a bunch of preschoolers singing in their little voices and doing their parts in the little reading of "The Night Before Christmas."

Christmas was fantastic! We had a great time in the new house. The tree looked beautiful, the kids wore hats while opening gifts and best of all...we weren't rushed through Christmas morning.

We were able to take a trip to Michigan to visit my side of the family without incident. I always worry about the weather, but it was perfect. We were able to experience new things while visiting my sister, Wendi's. They had gotten a Wii for Christmas, so we actually got some exercise doing the Dance Revolution - ha! Not only that, but we went ice skating! The kids loved it. Nick was quite the trooper continuing to "try" to skate even after falling over 80 times. Hysterical! Oh, and let's not forget the treadmill! Sheesh! You would think that thing was the most amazing piece of fun quipment ever! The kids couldn't get enough of it.

We also had a chance to visit my grandparents for some great photos and a couple games of Scrabble. How can you go wrong? I have very few photos of my grandparents with me and the kids, if any for that matter. I also was able to get a four generation photo, which is a first. Getting priceless photos is the greatest thing of all for me. So rare...

How would you like to wake up to this??? This is poor Nick a couple days after being exposed to something and contracting "Contact Dermititis." This required medical attention. He is clearly swollen, red and downright uncomfortable. He has since cleared up and looks great.

We've had several trips to the doctor this month and one more today. Nick had this, I have a sinus infection, Kaila has a sinus/chest infection and we'll see what Blake has tonight. I can't complain though. We really don't go to the doctor's office too often. It's just inconvenient.

My loving husband was able to do several little jobs that I had posted on the fridge while I was in Michigan. These are photos of my livingroom almost completely done. We still have to do the windows and put curtains up.

These are before/after shots of the diningroom. I know you've read about my dismay as to the peeling of the NEW paint. Well, my sweet, adorable, loving husband took on the task of fixing/painting the diningroom. I helped a little, but he did the hard part. I'm sooooo excited about this that I just can't even tell ya!

These loving adults are the reason we have these little darling children. This is the couple that thought that Charlie and I would hit it off and thus "got us together." We'll never forget that!

We got a ton of snow last weekend. The kids were thrilled! Thank goodness we have this awesome machine to put that snow in its place!

That's it for now! Thanks for stopping by and catching up!

Shawn

Kaila's at school...Meggie's on the couch...it's cold outside and my bread is already rising. Life is good...cold, but good ;)

We have recently discovered that this lovely farm house of ours is NOT insulated. How could that have happened, you ask? Well, the sales agreement says that it's insulated, but alas that is not totally accurate. I'm sorry, but when you say it IS insulated, I'm fairly certain that just because one outer wall and the attic area has some rolls thrown in there doesn't mean that it is properly insulated. Oh, yes. I am so NOT joking! No wonder we're losing heat out the ying-yang. We have reverted to electric blankets and blocking off the upstairs with a blanket. We're hoping that helps until the insulation guy can blow some insulation in where it is needed. It could be worse...we could be living in an uninsulated cardboard box. So, you see...I do have perspective.

I'm still trying to de-paint my diningroom that looked soooo gorgeous prior to the removal of the painter's tape, which removed the paint AND primer. I'm hoping/wishing it would be done for Christmas. That's where we're putting the tree. Nick has informed me that I need to get busy. Okay, Son. Like I have nothing else to do - LOL!

Sale of Old House - we've had a couple people go through it. There was a couple this past Wednesday that liked it and are going to take their parents through next week. So, please be praying that we can unload this wonderful prize.

Here's a recent layout of Kaila using one of my sketches. There are a couple other bonus sketches posted this week at Nuts About Sketches.

I am lucky enough to get to travel to Butler to scrap my heart out at Scrapbook Station tonight. I can not wait! I have so little scrapping time nowadays.

Did I mention I can't wait until my house is completely in order? Well...I can't!

Thanks for stopping by!

Shawn

Sickness has pushed its way into our house! Poor Kaila has been blasted with some sort of stomach bug. She's having a hard time keeping food down, but she's a trooper. I hope they get this out of their system before Thursday. It usually only lasts a day or two at the most. Poor girl!


We had our first Scrap-Day at Charlene's church. What a great set-up. I can't wait for the next one. We're hoping more people will be able to come next time. There was so much room for everybody!


If you have someone you'd like to get a scrappy gift for for Christmas, you should get over to The Scrapping Spot! They have some great sales right now AND they're offering free shipping on Good Friday - ONLY! Go to the forum to get the details. I think I'm going to get some stuff for some friends of mine :)


Anyway, here's a layout I did for my sketch blog. These pictures were taken by my friend, Angelina Schwarz. Amazing, eh?



Thanks for stopping by!


Shawn

I can not believe that Thanksgiving is next week. Where in the world did the time go? Snow? Are you kidding me??? I need another week of warm weather, thank you very much!

Not too much going on here besides the usual - cooking, cleaning, unpacking...

I will be going to a scrapping day tomorrow - yeah!!! I sooooo need a day of scrapping!!! I'll have to leave for 3 hours during the middle of the day for a birthday party that the little ones are going to, but other than that...I'm scrappin'!!! I hope it becomes a regular event.

I just have one layout to share today using my sketch from this week, along with a kit from The Scrapping Spot.

Speaking of The Scrapping Spot, their December Kit Full Reveal is up and ready for purchase. These kits are loaded with embellishments and great Christmas papers! Get over there and get yours before they're gone!

Lots to do today to prepare for tomorrow, so that's it!

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave me a comment!

Shawn

The open house is upon us...finally! We worked hard this week to prepare the house for viewing. I'm happy to report that almost everything has been removed from the property and is practically ready to move in tomorrow. I'll keep everyone posted on the progress of the, hopefully, fast-selling house. Some of the photos are two different views of the same room.

Update:

The old house is coming right along. In fact, it's been listed and there is an open house this Saturday - yeah! We did a little more remodeling to the old scraproom - sniff! We took all the shelving down, patched it and painted it. Boy, this room looks huge! For those of you who have actually seen this room, it's amazingly different. Wish we would have done this years ago. It needs new carpet, but we'll leave that to the new owners. I will be soooo glad when the house is completely cleaned out and ready to show. What a relief that will be! Wish us luck and send your prayers up that this won't be on the market very long.

Halloween photos:

Nick - Car, Blake - Paratrooper and Kaila - Witch

Happy Fall!!!! I loooovvveee FALL! It's a beautiful 60 degree day here. You can't ask for more than that!

This should turn out to be a good week for our family. We're preparing to list our old house this week. We're "feverishly" removing the remaining items from the house. Needless to say, we need to have another yard sale. - LOL! So, keep us in your prayers regarding the whole "house" issue. The market's not bad here, so it shouldn't be a problem. The sooner it's sold...the better.

Go on over to my other blog - Nuts About Sketches for your chance to win an awesome scrappy prize provided by The Scrapping Spot.

Just a couple layouts to share with you and then I must get some housework done.

Don't you just love it when you have a change in schedule that is bittersweet

Bitter: I had a ton of things to be done last Friday whilst the children were elsewhere.

Sweet: DH got a much needed hunk of meat! That's right, Ladies/Gents! He shot us a buck with his bow. Wayyyyy SWEET! It's delicious by the way.


Needless to say, I went over and took photos and helped with the "process." We then had a lovely meal of fresh deer steak, beans, bread and drinks. YUMMMOOO!

Look at the smile on his face!!! How can you deny him the primal pleasure/need to hunt?

Next up we have a ten year old with the primal urge to hunt. He feels it is also his "job" to fill the freezer with meat. You have to love his enthusiasm.





















Now, look at this darling 6 1/2 year old. Photo taken by his teacher, Mrs. Carna. We were on our way to the hospital for his field trip.




Here's an adorable picture of Kaila and Blake at Blake's open house. He was so excited because he thought there would be snacks. Yeah. Someone decided against that.






How sweet is our 5 year old daughter? She was so cute opening her gifts. I can not believe 5 years have passed already.

I didn't have the heart to tell her you weren't supposed to wear them all at the same time. Hey....they match, don't they?

Seriously, she was just 2 1/2, doggone it!

On the homefront, we have many more "projects" to complete. Our next major project is installing 19 brand new windows! I can't tell you how excited that makes me. Why, you ask? Because we need to get one of the windows out so we can get our box springs through the window into the upstairs. MY box springs!!!! We're sleeping on a mattress on the hard floor. Lovely, eh?

We have to REPAINT the diningroom due to the fact that we got a bad batch of primer. The primer and the paint literally PEEL off the wall. It's pathetic. So, I have to peel the rest off and then sand down the holes and repaint it. Sigh. What a pain!

That's it for now. I'm tired.

Thanks for stopping by!

Shawn

Oh, happy day! I have the most wonderful friends/relatives ;) They have saved me from my loving children. The boys are with Ange and the girl is with Cathy - wahoooooo!!! I have work to be done, so this will be quick.

I have a scrap supply party this Sunday and have lots of cleaning/organizing to do. Who didn't know I wasn't done yet? Not enough time in the day and too much time on the internet. It's really coming along now.

Volleyball started last night and has hence reaffirmed my desire to lose a couple pounds (to put it mildly). I have no problem actually moving around, it's the breathing in my tight shorts that gets me. So, it's time to practice what I preach to my dearly beloved 10 year old regarding eating. I did give up Monday night volleyball for the main reason of not wanting to take that time away from my DH.

Here's a layout of Nick when he was three using one of Becky Fleck's sketches AND the October kit from The Scrapping Spot.



Until next time, People!


Shawn

Long time no blog! Imagine that!



We've finally gotten Verizon Broadband at the new house. Yahoooooo! Speaking of Yahoo...our email address is shawneerie17@yahoo.com if any of you need to contact me/us.

I copied the following questions from Jill's blog. Very interesting...


44 Odd things about you! If you opened this fill it out! Learn 44 things aboutyour friends, and let them learn 44 things about you! Send it back to me andseveral more friends!

1. Do you like blue cheese? No.
2. Have you ever smoked? No. EDITED
3. Do you own a gun? Yes.
4. What Kool-Aid flavor was your favorite? Tropical Punch
5. Do you get nervous before a doctor's appointment?Nervous? No. - disgusted? Yes.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Love 'e
7. Favorite Christmas movie? White Christmas
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee.
9. Can you do push ups? Absolutely.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? Anniversary Bracelet
11. Favorite hobby? reading, scrapbooking
12. Do you have A.D.D.? No.
13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? Procrastination.
14. Middle name? Marie
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? I have to pee. I need a shower. I want more coffee.
16. 3 drinks you regularly drink? Diet Dew, Water, Coffee
17. Current worry? Nothing.
18. Current hate right now? Me...overweight
19. Favorite place to be? In my husband's embrace
20. How did you bring in the New Year? I was sleeping.
21. Where would you like to go? .Hawaii
22. Name 3 people who will complete this: probably no one
23. Do you own slippers? Yes
24. What color of shirt are you wearing? Red New York City
25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets? No
26. Can you Whistle? Yes. Very well in fact.
27. Favorite color? Red.
28. Would you be a pirate? No, I don't like thieves.
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? The National Anthem, I will always love you, You are the wind beneath my wings
30. Favorite girl's name? Kaila
32. What's in your pocket right now? No pockets.
33. Something that made you laugh? Blake being silly this am.
34. Best bed sheets as a child? We only had one set. Just kidding! I believe they were flowered.
35. Worst injury that you have ever had? Cracked tail bone.
36. Do you love where you live? Yes.
37. How many TV's do you have in your house? 4
38. Who is your loudest friend? Angelina - sorry, Girl!
39. How many dogs do you have? Zero.
40. Does someone have a crush on you? Very doubtful.
41. What is your favorite book? HP and the HalfBlood Prince.
42.What is your favorite candy? PB Twix
43. Favorite Sports team? Steelers
44. What song do you want to be played at your funeral? Old Rugged Cross

Did you find out stuff you didn't want to know? LOL!



I have a couple layouts to share. I have several more, but haven't had time to picture/edit them. Time. What's that?





Well, I have to get some work done. I hope to update again soon.

Shawn

We're getting closer....!!! Joy!!!

We're still not finished with our painting yet, but we are just about done! My MIL and I will be painting the ceiling in the diningroom tonight...hopefully. Then, I'll tackle the little bit of painting in the bathroom. We'll finally paint the hallway when the moving is finished. I can't wait! It looks really nice.

Charlie put my light fixtures in the den a.k.a temporary scraproom. They look awesome! I have to take some after shots of these rooms when the diningroom is done. Patience please.

Thank God for rain today! I may get some other "inside" stuff done from my live-in electrician ;)
Here are some photos of the boys' room prior to the camo walls being done.















We still have a ton to do, but we're sleeping there now. I pop back here once a day to check on things and do some laundry. Oh, and there's no internet at the other house - insert really upset blonde chick here! I swear! If I could reach through the phone...

Here's a little glimpse at my not-so-little, almost 5 year old, Kaila on her first day of Pre-K.




















Now, take a look at the then, 10 month old Kaila in this layout using my sketch #21.

Can you believe that much time has passed?







Thanks for stopping in!




Shawn

So much to talk about, but too busy/tired to even remember everything.

I'll start with the kids' party. It was supposed to thunderstorm, but I held out hope that it wouldn't happen, or would at the very least wait. Well, the party was great...very little rain. My wonderful Mother helped with the cleaning, or should I say...DID the cleaning. She's a machine, just like my sister. I couldn't have done it without her. My Mother and Father-in-Law helped with a lot of food and other party necessities. Again, we couldn't have done it without them. Believe me, I realize how fortunate we are to have such a loving, supportive family. I thank God every day for them.

Two days after the party was the first day of school. That was busy, but fun and exciting at the same time. Kaila actually starts Pre-K today. She CAN NOT WAIT!! She's missed school since it let out in May. This will be her last year of Pre-K and then she'll be going to ALL DAY Kindergarten. I CAN'T believe how fast time flies! I look at these children and see how big they're getting. Then, I have to go to my photo files to remember how small they once were.



Thank God for the wonderful invention of the camera.







Now, regarding the remodeling of it all. The laundryroom is finished, along with the livingroom, kitchen and den (except light fixtures). In the "just about" catagory we have the master bedroom, boys' room and diningroom. My MIL and I are painting today ;) The diningroom will be ready no later than Saturday to paint. Does anyone want to guess what the boys' room is going to look like? Or should I say, what color(s) it's going to be? Well, my boys are quite the roughians. So, CAMO it is! You read correctly! Their Father said they could paint it green, which Of Course, he doesn't recall. I matched the green to their bedspread, which is CAMO. Let me just say, it's a good thing the room is fairly large. One wall will be camoflaged by my hands. We'll see how it turns out. The other areas are a boring shade of cream, but will be fabulous!

Julie - I know you're dying for before/after shots and believe me...I'm working on them. I should be able to get some by the end of the week, if all goes well.

Our Labor Day weekend was AWESOME! I took about 365 photos. You HAVE to love digital! I have to say though, 1GB card is just NOT enough for me for 4 days. I could have taken soooo many more. The kids had a great time. They spent a good deal of time with their Father alone, which was great for me. I had quiet sketch time (27 single pages and an additional 7 double paged sketches - yeah!). The kids went to the Double Boar Ranch to learn about the Paid Hunt aspect of hunting. They couldn't talk fast enough when they came home, neither could Daddy for that matter - LOL!

Lastly for today is a layout I completed yesterday using The Scrapping Spot's September Pop Fashion Kit. I LOVE this kit! Get yours while you still can!

Case in point regarding how fast they grow. These photos are of Kaila at 1 year old and the above photo is her at almost 5. Also, I used my sketch over at Nuts About Sketches.


Thanks so much for stopping by and listening to my ramblings.


Shawn