At Home: Hiatus was Needed

Sometimes we just need a hiatus.

A time to regroup and refuel.  Time to just enjoy family without other influences.

I have been on one a bit. 

I was enjoying my home and family.

Having a great Thanksgiving:

 

The first deep fried bird of the day.

Outdoor breakfast at 7:00 a.m.

Uncle Jimmy and Steve doing there thing...

Cousins enjoying family time.

My Thanksgiving table.  Candlesticks from Ikea.  It was so pretty this year.

 

Simple decorations...rectangular bowls from Ikea filled with dried split peas and white pumpkins.  Favorite dishes.

 

The view from my window.  It was a great way to kick off the day.  I am so thankful for friends and family.

At Home: Family Vacation

When I use the term "family vacation", I mean it in so many different senses.  Our family of four decided on Washington, DC per Nathan's request.  He has a thing for the presidents and history.  A big thing.  So he asked, and we quickly agreed.  We planned the itinerary together.  I asked them to tell me their top five places.  There we went.

It was amazing to see this:

It was amazing to see this:

His face and reactions were simply priceless.  I stopped many times and just watched him.  It made me stay right in that moment and appreciate how thrilled he was. 

How great it was to be at a place where we are all mobile and can take in life as a unit.

Our family vacation was also about a different family...a family of soon-to-be-four.  My brother and sister-in-law invited us to stay with them for a few days.  Cousins met cousins.  Forty-two years old and there is still healing to be found in my life.  I never thought it possible...but after thirty plus years, I have connected with my sibliings from my biological father. 

We told stories and shared history.  I have really enjoyed putting different pieces of my life puzzle together.  I have to say that nothing really scares me at this point.  It all just makes me rethink the power of forgiveness and the power of being open.

We got to meet spunky and sweet Riley.  Ella and Riley became fast friends.  Or Frusions (friends + cousins) as my kids call it.

Funny, because Cynthia and I have had the same experience.  For the record, we are both Big Brother fans...and Bachelor Pad watchers as well.

I got to see Chris in action.  We are alot alike, which is cool to see.  He cooks a mean meal and is a devoted dad. I loved watching my kids and him interact. I am lucky to have had this time and hope there are more times in the future...and more siblings involved.

Our family vacation...this is what is looked like.

What it felt like...an amazing journey taken....it was worth every second. 

At Home: Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day...a time when the kids bring me poems they wrote at school and serve me breakfast in bed, when Steve gives me the day off.  Nathan was soo excited to make today special.  He wrote me a poem and one of the lines read "you're a beautiful star."  Gosh, who doesn't want to hear that.

I feel very lucky today to have this beautiful family. This unit that holds all my hopes, dreams, fears and love.  These people have enhanced my life more than I ever thought possible and my gratitude today is huge!

The kids and I looked through their baby scrapbooks today.  I read them all my journaling and we giggled like crazy.  Nathan could spend the entire day doing that...he is so loyal and loving. We found photos of people passed and felt lucky to have those moments recorded.  Nathan asked Steve and I to see our scrapbooks from when we were babies.  Steve explained that we don't have those...that is what makes it so special that they do. 

That is why I scrap.  Forget the teams, the collections, the embellishments.  It is the stories.  Those things even I had forgotten until I read them.

and while every day get busy and I lose my cool....while we sometimes forget to share how deep our feelings are...it is obvious how loved my kids are when you look at those books.  It is obvious how much I love them and how they have changed me.

I hope you are having wonderful moments today...you deserve them!!

Be sure to come by tomorrow as Webster's is having a blog hop with lots of giveaways!!

Monday's Musings: Committment

I made a life-changing decision about a year ago this month.  I was determined to get fit and healthy.  To stop feeling icky in my clothes.  To do something instead of talking about doing something.

Making a committment is hard.  It takes dedication, consistency, will-power and goal setting.  It was not always easy, but I did it anyway.  Who would have thought that a box of discs could make such a difference for me.

I proved something to myself.  I made myself proud.  It became so much more than just fitness.

This past month, I was moving on to part two of what I started.  P90X2 was released and I decided to try it.  I felt awesome, strong, capable.

Maybe too much so because with only 9 workouts left after 12 grueling weeks, I overdid it.  I was hurt.  There was no choice but to rest and be patient.

Life changes in ways we don't always want it to.  It has been hard waiting, going slow.  But I think it is symbolic of life...what we want isn't always what we end up with.  There are bumps in the road and how you choose to go over them is what matters.

You can turn and decide to go in another direction or you can climb that bump, slow and steady. 

I decided it was high time to scrap this topic.  To put on paper what my kids have seen me conquer for a year.  I hope they learn about committment and effort and what effect it can have.

I used the April My Scrapbook Nook kit to create this!  It features Crate Paper Storyteller!

It was time to recognize this...and make myself realize that this is a way of life...

fast and furious or slow and steady...

At Home: It Felt That Way

I am sitting here, typing at home tonight.  Trying to process through so many thoughts and feelings.

While I am home tonight, I spent this weekend in the home state of my biological father...the state where two sisters still live, where a brother was raised.  I spent the weekend in the gorgeous city of Savannah.  I was bewitched by her in every way...the history, the friendly people, the beauty.  She stole my heart and made me feel at home.

Steve and I had a nice get-away together where we shared reflections on life and thoughts for the future.  He is my home...now and always.

Feeling at home happened in many more important ways than just loving a city.  I went to Savannah to celebrate my sister Sara's wedding.  In doing that, I would be meeting my other sister and brother.  I was nervous, a bit overwhelmed.  This is normally a protective girl...I have lived a life of standing behind my wall of anger. 

It has crumbled and has been weakened over time.  It was broken down this weekend.  I don't think it could have gone better.  I got to be a part of my sister's special day.  I met so many of her friends and it is obvious how much they love her.  What a joy to see Sara embraced and cherished by her gracious family as she married the man she loves and the man who loves her.  A family who embraced me, openly, no protectiveness there...

What a joy to meet my sister, Dawn.  To witness her easy nature, her resilence and to meet her husband, Tom.  He was super sweet, caring, and outgoing...they make a great couple.  It was a joy to meet my brother, Chris, and see how smart and funny he is.  His personality reminds me of myself.  His wife, Cynthia, is feisty and full of life...we became fast friends. It is obvious we have a lot in common (wink:)

What a joy to be introduced to many of my biological father's friends.  I heard stories last night.  I realized that I was a part of his history.  It was healing to look through other's eyes.

I don't have pictures to share because I was simply in the moment.  I hope to be able to gather some from others who attended the wedding.  There are pages to be scrapped and stories to be told.

The whole weekend felt like home...natural connections. I didn't feel like an outsider, certainly didn't feel abandoned.  I feel like that part of my life came full circle.  There is nothing left to be denied, to resent, to regret.  There are only hopes for the future.  See, I am bewitched.

I am so thankful. 

Because of this weekend, I am at home within myself. 

Behind the Page: Telling Your Story

Do you take the time to tell your story?  Do you scrap your fears, your accomplishments, your celebrations?  Doing so would be like giving yourself a pat on the back or much needed forgiveness.  Your story is as important as your daughter's, son's, husband's and friends'. 

I took some time recently to tell a story.  I didn't use too many words, but the ones I did are important to me.  I am proud of what I have accomplished this past year.  I set some goals and I really stuck to them.  I dug in and shifted my life.  If I can have the will power and self-belief to have worked on myself, then I can overcome anything.  I can become a more even person.  Can keep my patience more.  Can let go of a past that sometimes stands in the way of a future or blocks my ability to live in the present.

Wait...this sounds like a Monday's Musing.  It is all mixing together these days!  I am sharing a page today...a page that has just the right amount of product, heart and sentiment.  A page that was inspired by the goodies I was working with...it evolved because of that!

I love a good theme page and this one is no exception.  This is a new line by Teresa Collins called Everyday Moments...a new direction for her!  I am in love and plan to scrap with it often.  I love the sentiments, the die cut messages and the beautiful color palatte.  The calendar paper led me to think about the past year.  The year where I started out age 40 and decided to make some changes. 

I love the typewriter and the crown.  I love this quote so much!  That button and the little touch of bling!
 

These cute little letter stickers fit perfectly into the date boxes.  I love how they add a touch of pop!  I have used these pictures before, but don't let that be a barrier.

I wanted to keep the page simple so the story could be told.  Just a few embellishments can add a ton!  It helped me to tell my story.

It is a story worth telling....isn't yours? 

Thank You

We were out shopping today, gathering last minute items for our Thanksgiving feast.  My kids must have asked me seven times if I could "get" them this or "buy" them that.  Each time I answered, nope!  "Tomorrow is about being thankful for what you have."

They might not get it now...but they will understand one day.  They will be thankful for family who stands by them, friends who love them no matter what, a hobby that bring them joy, experiences that help them grow.  They will feel passionate about something in life...so much so, they will make it their calling.  They will appreciate health and life because it can be so fleeting...

They will be thankful for tradition.  Thanksgiving is an event around here.  Our favorite day of the year.  It starts at 6:00 am with deep frying turkeys.  Think earmuffs, coats, bloody mary's, chatter and good friends. 

It will be followed by a house full of people and a yummy dinner. A time to remember who we have lost and feel grateful we even knew them in the first place.


One day, my kids won't think so much about what they want.  They will look at their own children and will teach them to be grateful...to honor tradition.
 
That thought fills me with so much gratitude...there aren't enough thank yous.
 

Whatever Wednesday

This Wednesday...

I made this in the crock pot:

BBQ Pulled Pork that starts out cooking in root beer...yum!  My kids even gobbled this down!

I am adoring this! 

Like I would love for 30 boxes of globes to show up at my doorstep so I could use them.  I would even build bookshelves to make them work:

I am wearing this:

Except my shirt is blue/gray plaid and my sweater was gray...comfy and cute!

And I am inspired by this little sneak peek:

Webster's Pages...coming soon!  Um...can you say kites and clouds!!!!

Happy Weds....the weekend is almost here!



Monday's Musings

I find myself stopping lately.
Right in the middle of a moment.
To tell myself to freeze it and live in it for a few minutes.
To look around as if I am watching from somewhere else.
and to be grateful.

It is pretty cool and helps me to appreciate how many blessings I have...

I am feeling very self-reflective lately. 

Proud of the goals I have set this past year and how I have achieved them.  I pledged to push the reset button at work and I have.  I have told myself to develop some consistency and I have.  I wanted to be a better mom...more getting down on their level, sharing hugs and telling them the good stuff. I have and will...

I have a few things to focus on.  Things that are big...
but I believe I can do it. 

Once lost, I feel found.

Calls for a layout...

I used the October kit from My Scrapbook Nook featuring My Mind's Eye...beautiful kit, beautiful collection!  I love the little touches of bling!  I found inspiration in the strip that has the collection's name on it.  Instantly knew that I had to do this layout!

It is as important to step back and think about your hard work, celebrate it...as it is to do the work!

There are many more musings to come!

Have you scrapped

about why you scrap?

I decided to tackle this subject on a recent layout!  My theme really is about the whys...more specifically what I hope my kids take from my crafting. 

It is not just the family memories.  I want them to be inspired to be creative...art, scrapbooking, music, decorating...whatever!  I want them to be reflective.  I hope they keep journals...I loved practicing the art of journal...it frees your soul!  I want them to tell stories...write and record.

I created those journaling pockets using the Webster Page's journaling cards.  To see how, head over to the blog and check out my tutorial!

I love to scrap and want my kids to understand the benefits.

Before I go, I wanted to share the October kit from The Nook...this color combo is beautiful.

Rush over and get this one...it won't last long!

The Good News Is...

I can look forward to a scrappy future designing for My Scrapbook Nook...again!

LOL!  I think I am just a part of the inventory over there.  I would be there anyway every day and I would be using the kits so why not start my fifth term???

The team is just amazing this time!  We are switching it up a bit and designing on an every other month basis!  Look at these girls:

Anna Sigga- Iceland
Carol Monson- USA
Danni Reid-USA
Deanna Misner- USA
Gina Rodgers-Australia
Hilde L Aaslund- Norway
Jaz Lee- Singapore
Jessy Christopher-Malaysia
Katarina Damm-Blomberg- Finland
Kim Moreno-USA (not Canada lol)
Leah Killian-USA
LG Belarmino- Phillipeans
Lilith Eeckles- Belgium
Lisa Kisch- Canada
Marinette LEFEVRE- France
Nicole Nowosad- Canada
Pamella Brown-USA
Shelleye McDaniel-USA
Stacey Michaud- USA

I am in awe! 

Who wouldn't want to design with this kit?

It features Crate Paper's Random collection as well as some Webster goodies...really, two of my favorites all in one place!!!

Here is my first layout using the kit and add-ons!  I am into bold, solid backgrounds lately!

I am looking for a simplier way.  Less stress, more enjoyment...I plan to find it!