Locks of Love Haircut - Kodi

Kodi anticipating her new 'do!

Her ponytail measured a little over 10".

The first "whack" - off it comes!

Kodi holding the hair to be donated.

Trimming up the back.

Is this what they call an "UPDO"?

Stephen said Kodi was "GOTHING" it here!  :)

And here she is!  Cute little thing, huh?

Travis-Crystal Invite

Crystal came out tonight and we got the invites done. I printed the invite and the front tag on my computer, along with the pictures. The stripped paper I purchased at Making Memories in Sturgis. We then cut and layered the pictures, punched and layered the tags. Cute!

c2d1c3b3-a8f1-4721-9668-91dd1fa3ab34

1.03.01

Travis and Crystal

Here are some of the pictures I took for their reception invites!

What are you doing with your time?

Time management is a problem now-a-days! Computer, technology, sports, etc. have all side lined us for time!

What have I done differently? I have been using a calendar consistently to help with organization of everything happening in my life these days. And I have found I can't say YES to everything that comes my way. I have to choose how, when and where to spend my time. Does it work all the time? NOPE! But I think I am getting better at it!

Life is about balance and balance is about having the right amount of everything in your life. You have to have "me" time (and no that is not being self-centered, it's about renewing). What other "time" can you think of? God! Family! Friends! Fun! Relaxation! Quiet!

Get a calendar today...doesn't have to be extravagant...a monthly one will do! I have mine hanging here by my desk at work. I also have a small one that I carry with me so I can take with to schedule different events: workshops, Red Hats, church events, family time, etc. Then make wise choices to balance what you are filling your time with!

And remember...ME time is not a dirty word! :)

Heart Touching Song :)

Sanctus Real - “Lead Me”

I look around and see my wonderful life

Almost perfect from the outside

In picture frames I see my beautiful wife

Always smiling

But on the inside, I can hear her saying...

“Lead me with strong hands

Stand up when I can't

Don't leave me hungry for love

Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight

That I'm still the love of your life

I know we call this our home

But I still feel alone”

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes

They're just children from the outside

I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine

They're in independent

But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

“Lead me with strong hands

Stand up when I can't

Don't leave me hungry for love

Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight

That I'm still the love of your life

I know we call this our home

But I still feel alone”

So Father, give me the strength

To be everything I'm called to be

Oh, Father, show me the way

To lead them

Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands

To stand up when they can't

Don't want to leave them hungry for love,

Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight

And give them the best of my life

So we can call this our home

Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

http://www.elyrics.net/read/s/sanctus-real-lyrics/lead-me-lyrics.html

Ramblings...

Saturday Diane had a great workshop even though it was small in turn out. We made three cards, using punches and Big Shot dies. Due to a limited time factor (Diane had to leave early) I did most of the punches and all of the die cuts before hand. They loved the cards...simple and cute.

I will need to remake the samples though...I did a "blonde" thing and forgot to take my door prize basket with! So I gave my samples to the winner...who Diane drew...and it happened to be HERSELF! I had mixed up the slips and they were all folded in four so she didn't know...it was not rigged! LMBO I will post the cards as soon as I get them redone. :)

Sunday we had our Smith famiy reunion. Due to the lack of participation we moved it this year to my son's home where we wouldn't have to pay out for a pavilion at the park...last year there were NINE of us! We did have a better turn out this year though most of it was my sister's and my family. :) 26 total this year! We had a blast...will also have to post these pictures later...left my camera at Travis's last night!

Tonight we are going to the church for a preview of Financial Peace University. The classes start September 13 and we are leading it. Oh the joy of serving the Lord! It's an awesome class and I would suggest it to anyone who is getting married, recently married, graduating, going to college, etc. He is a no non-sense speaker and tells it like it is in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

Yippee!

They have one room painted! Now to get the trim up and buy new curtains! :) We wanted white but the only can available at B & G was egg shell white...and I think it looks great anyway...not so bright white.

Don't mind the table...been working on dad's memorial album there! hehe

Friday-Saturday Stamp/Scrap Day

I had one girl come on Saturday...a girl I work with who scraps but hasn't done it in a while. She was in awe of all the stuff in my stamp room. She wants to learn how to stamp in her scrapbook and learn new techiques so I will have to get some on the schedule! :)

I worked on Dad's memorial scrapbook all weekend for the family reunion this coming Sunday. I still need to do my four pages and my sister's four pages along with three or four "family" pages yet. James bought an album at WalMart (I know I SELL THEM!) and an extra package of inserts. I'm gonna have to go back and pick up another package of inserts as I have filled what I have!

I also spent time printing off butterflies pics so I can work on the Red Hats Scrapbook! I know that I am going to be working on MDS to make a book of our trip but need to also add into our group album! :)

Needless to say, it was a productive weekend...now to finish it off and get prepped for Diane's workshop on Saturday!!!

Funny Pic to Share

This is my 3rd grade class mates that worked on the bulletin board that's behind us!

Family Picture Day!

The kids let me have my wish and we all got together yesterday for family pictures. I bought these shirts at Walmart for $3 each! What a steal! Anyhoo - here are some of the pictures that we took.

THE WHOLE FAMILY - WHAT A CREW!

OUR FAMOUS "FOREVER KISSING" POSE! LMBO

CRYSTAL, TRAVIS, KODI & STEPHEN

JOE, LACEY, TRENTON, JASMINE & CHAD

STEPHEN, CHAD, JASMINE, KODI & TRENTON

Ahhhhh...when will time stand still for a little while?

This is a busy week for me and I wanted to stamp! LOL

Between working out, bible study, VBS prep, LoDean's 5-4-5 and our trip to Fort Wayne this weekend I may have some open stamp time Sunday afternoon! I was supposed to go to Carol's to pick up her couch but it's supposed to rain and I don't think she is quite ready to part with it! Her new furniture hasn't arrived yet!

I am so looking forward to our Archivers trip Saturday. We will be making some cards and playing with a new line of Hero stamps. I am so in need of a day of play after this week!

So what to do until then? Keep my nose to the grind stone and keep on keeping on!

Close Up of Bracelet

Here is a close up of the bracelet James gave me for my birthday. :) The details weren't as clear on the page below. Gotta love that man!

More birthday scrapbook pages...

!st Attempt at Digital Scrapbooking :)

Zeus - Groomin' Day!

Zeus went to the groomers yesterday so we took before and after pics. Oh my! Does he look like the same dog or what! LOL He's about a year old and the girls just adored him...said with a face like that he should be in pictures. One of them said he looked like Benji and I said I thought he looked like the dog in Dr. Dolittle with Eddie Murphy!

Spring has sprung!

What's on your agenda for the weekend? I have big plans to CLEAN this weekend. We actually started last night on the outside. They cleaned up stones, cut back ornamental grasses, burned some boxes and grass, picked up the yard.

Tonight I would like to work on one side of the garage, make a trip to the dump tomorrow morning and Goodwill to recycle old TVs and computers. Hopefully the rain will hold off until we get that done!

Tomorrow afternoon I will be home alone so my plan is to work feverishly in the stamp room. We are getting ready for a FPU garage sale (Financial Peace University) on April 17th at the church. I have two boxes of stamps already to take and I know I will have more once I get in there and clean! I am hoping to raise alot on money for our emergency fund/vacation fund. :)

Sunday we are going to the church for Easter breakfast (served by the men), service and then will have lunch at our home: ham, mashed potatoes, veggie and a dessert. Then I am hoping we can sit down as a family and watch "The Blind Side".

So excited!

I just can't hide it! LOL Leaving today for a weekend out with cousin Carol and the Michigan Minglers from SCS. Novi here we come!



We had to make a name tag and here is mine...made from the big shot, dies and punches. Isn't he cute!? I laminated him so the branches wouldn't break off. :)

Hello my sweet friends!

Just a quick post before I get back to work! Here is a before and after pic of me...just so you can see!

HOPE TO SEE YOU TOMORROW AT 12 NOON!!!

Time for a New Year and a New Beginning!

This past year has been full of ups and downs, losses and finds. As I reflect on the year it has been a year of great changes and stresses.

I had my surgery on October 7 and lots of changes have taken place since. I ended up two days longer in the hospital and two pints of blood. When I was released my blood count was still way low but the surgeon wanted my body to make up what was missing rather than relying on blood transfusions. Almost four weeks out I got a bad wave of flu, eating hardly anything for that week, then followed that with two weeks of severe sinusitis, which also kept e from eating properly. The pastor and deacons got together the week before Thanksgiving and prayed over me, to stop the extreme weight loss and take away all the doubts , fears and illness that was plaguing my tired and worn out body. The very next day I felt great and have been ever since.

I have lost 71 pounds since my heaviest weight and 47 since my surgery. I also have lost 27 inches, dropping clothes sizes like crazy. I started going to the gym this week to begin the process of working out at least three times a week...and I have body parts that are so sore! LMBO But I know...no pain, no gain.

Anyhow, through all this I haven't made ONE card...and my stamp room became a storage room since Thanksgiving! So I need to take the time to clean it out so I can begin making swaps for the Michigan Mingles gathering in March! I think there are 50 spots or so. Not sure what set(s) I will use yet! I have some of the Sale-a-bration sets that will be arriving Monday!

So what's up with SU!? Check out my website and clink SHOP NOW. Both the Occasions Mini and SAB Mini are on line! And this year for SAB there is a list on the back page of the catalog where you can actually chose items from the regular catty!

Call or email me today to book your SAB workshop! Got the new sets coming and ready to get back on track once again!

Thanks for your patronage this past year and looking forward to your patronage in the year 2010!

CHRISTMAS PARTY WILL BE JANUARY 23 FROM 12-4 PM. BRING A GIFT TO EXCHANGE ($20 MAX) AND A SNACK TO SHARE. I WILL HAVE TWO PROJECTS FOR US TO MAKE!

To my dad .... who's b-day is Tuesday :)

The moment you died, our hearts split in two.
One side filled with memories, the other died with you.

Remembering is easy we do it every day.
Missing you is heartache that never goes away.

Life has gone on without you, but it will never be the same.
I saw this and thought it would be perfect for dad and his birthday.

My sister found this poem and sent it to me. It really expresses our love for him and how much we miss him...we love you daddy!