Sunday, December 31, 2006

late Christmas recap

Wow... this week time just go away from me! Here is our Christmas recap. We had a very nice, but very quiet Christmas at home. I really enjoyed how relaxing it was!

Jack and I went shopping on Christmas Eve, and then I came home and the kids and I baked cookies for Santa. Beth was so excited... she kept looking out the windows to see if she could find Santa out there anywhere. I just love this age where they so completely believe in Santa!



After dinner, the believers gathered up cookies and egg nog for Santa, carrots for Rudolph, and magic reindeer oats for the rest of the team. Since it was so cold outside, we opted to leave the oats in a bowl this year and let Santa feed them to the reindeer instead of scattering them on the ground!

Beth was fascinated by the idea of leaving cookies for Santa. She kept pointing to them and telling me which ones he could eat first.
Matt likes to be Santa now that he is older. We came up to wrap his presents, and we got downstairs to finish the other kids' stuff, we found that Santa had written a letter to the kids while he was waiting.
Then Santa helped load all the presents under the tree and added the Pop-tarts to the stockings.
Then the "reindeer" nibbled on the carrots and all of Santa's helpers enjoyed the cookies.
Christmas morning came bright and early. Todd was up and prowling for Santa at 2 am. I convinced him to go back to sleep, and we all got up at 6:30 and opened presents. The kids all got at least one thing on their list of things they really wanted.






Chet gave me this statue, and the thought he put into it is so sweet. I don't collect knickknacks, or anything that really requires me to dust, but I have wanted this figurine and this figurine forever. He saw this white one in the school store, knew I would love it, and bought it for me with his own money. Sweet, sweet boy!
After we opened presents, we spent the day playing with new toys and games, watching movies, and eating ham and potatoes. Beth gathered up every Barbie, Bratz doll, and doll she and Faith received, and went to twon playing with them. Apparently, that exhausted her... LOL... who falls asleep like that?


Yesterday it was raining here. As you can see, Kyle and Todd found a way to keep themselves occupied.
Hope you all have a safe New Year's Eve! We are having a party tonight, and all of the kids have invited friends... it is our tradition! We have some friends coming too.. .so we are all going to eat, play some games, ring in the new year with some sparkling cider, and then head to bed. I will upload some pics tomorrow. TTYS!

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

A Scrappy Christmas

I spent the last couple of nights getting some digi scrapping done. My goal is to go through one disc of pictures at a time and scrap everything on that disc that I want scrapped. I have two more layouts left on this disc, and then I am ready to move onto the next one. The full credits for all of these are in my gallery at Scrap Village.


I haven't uploaded my Christmas pictures yet, but that is on the agenda for tomorrow. Today we spent enjoying Christmas presents and then getting the house all picked up again.





Monday, December 25, 2006

Merry Christmas!!!


To our family and loved ones... our new friends, our old friends, and our long lost friends... Merry Christmas! We hope your holiday is wonderful! Love you all!

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Happy Birthday Jack!

Today is Jack's birthday... his last year before he goes over the hill! Happy Birthday, Babe! Enjoy your football day!
I got up early this morning, and Faith, Beth, and Todd were busy making a huge papery mess in the living room making birthday cards to surprise their dad... so sweet!!

Chet, Faith, and Kyle all sang in their Christmas assemblies yesterday before school let out for Christmas breaks. My pictures did not come out well with my little weak lens on my camera, but Faith had a speaking part, and Chet kept looking at me and smiling from ear to ear... he really enjoyed singing his songs!


Just a random shot... I showed Kyle how to use my mini-brads the other day, so he used that knowledge to make Beth a paper elephant. Their grubby faces crack me up... they were enjoying some chocolate as they made the elephant.
My new job is going well, and we are all adjusting to the different hours. I haven't had much energy to update the blog this week, but now that I am getting used to the routine I will be updating regularly again.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Aimee or Marcie....

Are either one of you reading today? Can one of you please send me everyone's addresses when you get a chance? I can't find the file where I thought I had your emails, numbers, and addresses! Thanks!

Monday, December 18, 2006

Two more digi layouts

I made these layouts last night, and I started working on some elements. I made this alphabet set (each letter is a seperate file), and I am working on some backgrounds I want to have on hand. I have to get ready to go into work tonight, but I am hoping to get some more things made tomorrow. On my next day off I will figure out how to upload the alpha set if anybody would like to use it.


Fonts: Harting
Jailbird Jenna
Trish Jones orange paper
Chris Ford embroidery stitches
Robyn England stitching
Nancie Rowe Janitz overlay
Misunderstood brushes


Fonts: Kingthings Printing Kit
Angie Briggs brown paper
Designs by Diva green dot paper
Rhonna Farrer green paper
Angie Briggs stitching
Beth Nixon stitching
Bren Boone copper brad
Chris Ford star

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Did you know that Santa...

has a second house in the Ozark mountains, and that during his off-season he is a patriotic chicken farmer??? Yep... and his house here is decorated for Christmas all year long. Today he and Mrs. Claus were giving out milk and cookies, listening to wishlists, and letting the kids roam through the workshop (the entire house) and play in the yard. Sadly, my camera was on the wrong setting, so a lot of my photos are either blurry or need a lot of editing to fix the white balance, but I thought I would share some of the ones that did turn out. We had so much fun. The kids' favorite part ended up being the massive pile of leaves... they took turns burying each other, and we were actually impressed with just how BIG the piles Todd was picking up were! It finally feels like Christmas season here... and I love it.

I am going to stay up tonight and work on editing/scrapping some of the other pictures. I will share when I am done.















Friday, December 15, 2006

fun in the snow digi layout

I went in and passed the drug test today, so I start Monday night. I am so excited because I also got my first non-family (and PAID) photoshoot appointment while I was there! I am calling the lady tomorrow, and we are setting up a time. I am really looking forward to this shoot... they have five living generations!

I am staying up late tonight and tomorrow to try to adapt myself to the new hours before the job starts, so I am working on some more digi pages. I just finished this one up. I think I am going to start making some elements here pretty soon. I'll let you know how it goes!



Deb F. alphabet
Sara Carling photo tab
Angie Briggs stitching
Anne Langpap journal block
Tina Chambers overlay (spongy border)
Shabby Princess overlay (snowflakes)
Shabby Princess brown paper
Lisa Carter snowflake paper
Shabby Princess red dot paper
Rhonna Farrer frames
Dana Frantz rivet
Font: Tweed

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Promised updates

Well, tonight was my interview and it looks like I am hired. I go in tomorrow to take the drug test, and unless the girls at Sonic have been lacing my diet cherry cokes I should clear that just fine. The best part is that the job comes with medical benefits... yayyy.... come do the happy dance with me! The hard part is that I will be working some really late hours and getting some really wacky sleep, but we will get through that.

I went today and became an official Arkansan... is that we are called here, Johanna? I have my Arkie driver's license (where they use two pictures of you on the front of it), I am registered to vote, and just to make my brother happy, I am working on a bit of a twang in my speech. However, I refuse to eat grits. Blech.

I took Todd and Beth to town today to get some milk, and our old neighbor Dale was the Salvation Army ringer. He saw Todd and waved him over, gave him his bell, and let Todd be a ringer for a little while. Todd wasn't sure at first, but as soon as he got that bell going he was having a blast!



When I came home, one of our huge trees out front was FULL of these birds... an entire migrating flock. This picture doesn't begin to really show how big the tree is, and how many hundreds of birds were in it, (In fact, this isn't even a fourth of all the branches on this tree) so telling you they were very loud is an understatement. I got out of the truck, and they all started squawking at us. Now, I don't know that birds have ever intimidated me before, but when you have a 40 foot tree or so full of screeching birds it can be a little unsettling to know that all their beady black eyes are on you. So we came inside to listen to them, and once they settled down and started to really sing, it was incredible. Incredible. I have never heard anything like it in my life.


I have one last thing to share tonight before I head to bed to get some sleep. Matt has been working on an English assignment where he has to create an anthology of his own poems in different styles. Is there anything better than junior high school poetry??? LOL. I was even a good mom and didn't edit them. Maybe he isn't Shakespeare, but I read them and they are just so him, and since I like him better than Shakespeare, I think I will keep copies of these to read again when he is 60... and maybe to pass out at his wedding. (My favorite line has to be "when he hatched I gave my dragon a chicken leg".... hahahaha) So I bid you good night, and without further ado, I present.... my aspiring poet's greatest works... :0) (love ya Matt!)


My name is Matthew Wellborn

I love all 9 of my siblings
God is my Passion
Black is my favorite color
I love Anime
X-box is what I play
I draw all kinds of things
I like Classic rock, Alternive rock, Metal, Pop and Rap

My Dragon

I found a oddly colored rock in the woods
When I was running from the men in the black hoods
The rock was actually a dragon egg
When he hatched I gave my dragon a chicken leg

Mad Matt

Matt is Mad at Mom
Mad Matt is grounded until Monday
Matt is mad because he sucks at math
Matt is mad at his mood he has had
Matt is not mad any more

Christmas cheer

Hurry Hurry Christmas is near
Everyone around here has a big Christmas Cheer
Put the Christmas tree right there
Santa will be coming soon with reindeer
Christmas morning childeren will wake up and Santa is here

The Horror in Transillvania

Welcome to Transillvana my dear friend
The castle is over there near the cliff end
Werewolves cry out to the moon to the night
Their teeth covered in Blood will give you a fright
The castle is just over there, but becareful because Dracula lives there BEWARE.
He is watching every move you make, approach him and thats a risk you will take.
He wants the blood from your skin and when he drinks you will comment terrible sin.
He sleeps in a coffin by day from sun light
Comes out of his coffin when the day turns night.
He had lived a very very long time and had never rot
but the legend of Dracula will never be forgot

Dragon begin from eggs
and brought out in between the mothers legs.
When they are littel they learn to fly
really really high.
When they are older they are grow,
much bigger than little farm crow. They breath fire
that is hotter than a tea pot
but when they breath it on you get a big red spot
and the legends of Dragons will never be forgot.

Superman

Clark kent turns into Superman and flies into the sky
Lois lane in the clutches of Brainiac cries for Help.
Superman comes and heats Brainiac to fry.
Superman saves Lois and flies to Smallville to stop by for a piece of pie
while two young boys watch him fly
Superman confronts Bizzaro with skin really pail
While Lex Luthor tries to escap trying to be sly
Superman defeats them both and puts them in Metroplis Jail

Haiku

I hear loud mouth kids
I hear the sound of annoying dogs
I feel the cool wind

I hear kids playing
I hear leaves blowing in wind
kids are throwing balls

M arvel comic book fan
A rtist
T talented
T Tall
H air is long and curly
E xtra kind
W ell behaved

The night light covers me with a cold coat of mist
The hardness of rocks punched my feet
The winds are talking to the trees
The moon had to much to eat and now he is full
The sun is ready to play over the horizon


0 Dragons are my favorite mystic animal
1 strong
8 Dragons can breathe really hot fire
9 Dragons have really mighty powerful wings
2 breathe fire

Another Digital Layout


I have some photos to upload from today, but I need to take the computer upstairs to do that. I made another digital layout today that I wanted to share real fast. I am getting very addicted to this digi fun!! I will be back in a couple of hours with pics of Todd the Salvation Army ringer, a flock of chattering birds, and anything else I find between now and then!
Layout supplies:
Shabby Princess overlay
Katie Pertiet journal stamp
Rhonna Farrer pink ribbon
Sara Carling Flower
Rhonna Farrer frame
Lisa Carter file folder
Denise Liemert arrow
Rhonna Farrer swirl brush
Shabby Princess background paper
Fonts:
Antique Type (journaling)
Plastique (title)
Gloucester (9)

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

She's gone digi!!




I didn't think I would ever really get into digital scrapping, but I went ahead and gave it a shot this weekend. I must say... this is addictive!!! There has been a big learning curve with figuring out Photoshop 7, but there are some great tutorials out there that make it easier. I have been using PSE to make my banners, so it wasn't as hard of a jump as I thought it would be. I have always said if I were to become a hybrid scrapper, I would want my digi stuff to look as real as possible, so that has been what I have focused on. I still have a ways to go, but I love how versatile this already is. I see lots of digi layouts in my future!! (esp times like now where I have no ink to print out photos, nowhere close by to buy ink, and I want to scrap my pics!) So far everything I have used is from freebie kits I have found on the web. I need to figure out a way to label the different items when I sort them into folders so I can credit the items, but I don't have all of that info right now. I will look it up when I get home this afternoon and add it here. The layouts are shown in the order I made them... so the one of Beth and I was my first digi layout. Now I need to figure out how to make the edges of my papers look inked!
TTYS!