The Meyers Family

{Hawk Watch}

2011-10-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

The sermon at church this morning was about following God where He leads us. During the service many photos of gorgeous nature paths were shown on the big screens and it got me thinking: I want to go on a nature walk with my family. Fortunately, it was a gorgeous sunny day - perfect for being outdoors. Cory just happened to have the exact same thing in mind when I asked him if he wanted to go exploring. One of his clients had actually just told him about a place you could hike to to watch hawks migrate south. Apparantly, October 15th to November 15th is the prime time to see the hawks, so this was perfect timing. We headed home, changed into more appropriate clothes, and headed north.

Before we left home we decided we would grab a quick lunch in Carslisle before heading to the mountains. Well . . . we only passed one fast food joint - a Wendy's - and Cory didn't want to stop there. He thought there would surely be other places to eat, but we found out the hard way that he was wrong. It was about 11:30 and none of us had eaten since breakfast (except for the kids who each had a sugar cookie at church), so we were all hungry. But it quickly became clear that we would have to wait until after our hawk adventure to eat because there was nothing between where we were and where we were going. Yikes.

We anticipated a lot of whining from the kids, but there were GREAT! They were just so excited to explore in the mountains and they forgot about their hunger. I am so proud of them for that! We started our adventure with a photo on a big fallen tree. My three munchinkins. So darn cute.

The path up to the actual hawk watch area was very rocky, so much so that Cory had to carry Dixon most of the way. But it was also very beautiful, just like the photos we saw in church. We made it to the top of the mountain and saw a gorgeous lookout spot to the valley below. There were a number of bird watchers camped out of the rocky cliff already, waiting to see the birds as they migrated south. These were serious bird watchers; many of them had HUGE cameras, binoculars, coolers of food, rugs and cushions to sit on, and books to read while they waited. I almost felt like we were intruding on their National Geographic moment.

And then my true idiocy began to shine with a great force. On to top of the cliff is a piece of wood jutting up from the rocks. Clearly it was put there for "birdy" purposes as it's totally not natural amongst all the rocks. And perched on top of the big stick was this:

I could hardly believe that a big bird was actually sitting there, so close to all the bird watchers! I started snapping away like mad, trying to get the best shot possible of this beautiful bird and thinking, "Wow, this IS a great spot to see birds!" But I also kind of wondered why none of the "serious" people were making a fuss over this winged creature. Had it been sitting there so long that they all had gotten their fill of photos? I continued to snap away as we got closer and finally sat down with all the other people on the rocks. Then I told Cory that I was going to try to make my way around to the other side so I could get a photo of the bird's front side. That's when he looked at me and said, "You know that bird is fake, right?"

Ummmm . . . .

What? Fake? Huh? No way.

Oh. Crap.

A true bird watcher I am not. I can only imagine the chuckles I gave the other folks as they watched this blonde idiot ooh and ahh over a fake bird, furiously snapping photos with my telephoto lens and angling for the best shot. What a dork.

But every now and then a REAL hawk would fly by and everyone would get excited.

Eight types of hawks are reported to fly by on their path to the south, eventually ending up in South America for the winter. Even this novice bird watcher could appreciate the beauty of the birds in flight and the miracle of migration. And we all marveled over the spectacular view of the valley below:

It was a wee bit nervewracking to watch my kids walking about on the steep rocks, but Cory kept Dixon safely in his arms until he started making a fuss and we knew we had to leave.

We went back down the mountain and then started up the second path which is called the Songbird Path - the rocks are marked with yellow birds so you know you are going the right way. These are some of my favorite shots from day.

Cory and Dixon being silly together:

The girls found neat spots for photo ops:

Check out this awe-inspiring path:

Cory teaching Dixon about nature's carpet:

Father and son exploring together:

My gorgeous first-born, Sasha, looking so grown up:

Cutie-pie Clara giving me a sweet smile:

And Dixon, the boy who refuses to smile when he sees the camera directed at him:

One of the signs marking the trail paths:

We all had such a fun time hiking and exploring that we almost forgot about our hunger. Almost. Once we were finished with our hawk experience we hopped back in the van in search of food. To make a long story short, it was 4:00 before we ate. Cory decided we should contine folling 74 towards Perry County instead of going back to Carlisle so we could enjoy a Sunday drive. But there was nowhere to eat along the way. We drove and drove and drove with one boy who thankfully fell asleep and two girls who had numerous bouts of fit-throwing because they were starving. It actually became pretty funny - hey, if you can't do anything about the situation you may as well laugh at it, right? Cory eventually found two packs of caramel from McDonald's in the van and gave them to the girls. Caramel. How fulfilling. But we made it to Ft. Loudon and Milky Way (Cory had wanted to eat there all along which is why he made us pass a pizza shop and an ice cream stand) and we filled our shriveled-up tummies with food.

What a great day, totally inspired by God's path for us. If you want to check out the Hawk Watch, I highly recommend it! It's a great way to spend a sunny afternoon with your family.

{Home Organization: Part One}

2011-09-22T11:41:00.050-07:00

I admit it. I'm NOT a very organized person. If you pop over for a visit without any advanced warning, you will most likely see piles of mail on the counters, toys strewn about, and general messes throughout the house. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE a clean and orderly house! In fact, I enjoy hosting parties and having people over so I have the push to tidy up and get things clean. Yet, within about 24 hours the house is in shambles once again.

But recently I discovered several organizing blogs and websites that have completely inspired me to make changes in my own home. I'm tired of searching for things, of yelling at the girls because they don't know where their shoes are, and of living with clutter and knick-knacks that we don't need. So bit by bit, area by area, I'm cleaning things up. I'm determined to get this house tidy and organized so we feel a sense of peace and calm when we walk through the door.

My first step was choosing a few areas of the house to work on first. Obviously, I can't tackle the whole house at once. Organizing this place is goint to happen in stages and over a period of time. So I chose a few areas that cause me the most grief and, quite frankly, drive me batty every time I utilize them. I thought about how the areas would be best used and what I needed to purchase / do to make them work for us better.

Then I headed online to one of my favorite organizing stores, Ikea! I searched the site for the items I needed, wrote down the item numbers and prices on an index card, and planned my trip. Last Friday Dixon and I spent the day at Ikea and found everything on my list and more! It was such a thrill!

So let's check out two of the areas I tackled first.

First up is the girls' room. Their entire bedroom makes me break out into a sweat and feel panicky. It's an adorable room, but nothing is ever put away. Because we don't have a playroom, their bedroom houses all their Barbies, American Girls, and other toys. They have gotten better at cleaning up after they've played, but there are always little pieces and parts of toys on the floor, under the beds, on the nightstand . . . just everywhere. And don't get me started on the clothes. UGH, the clothes.

I decided to start with an area that cause lots of grief for us on a daily basis: the socks and undies drawer. I've always kept the girls' socks and undies in one drawer: socks on the left and undies on the right. But the girls dig around in that drawer looking for a certain pair of socks and it ends up a mess. Plus, I have a hard time letting go of things . . . even kids' underwear. So there were undies from size 2T - yep, the very first undies I bought for Sasha six years ago were still in there - up to size 10. Ridiculous.

Ready to see this mess? Here it is:

Insane, right? A drawer organizer was desperately needed. And I found the perfect one at Ikea! When I got it home and started sorting through the drawer I realized that the organizer was too big to fit into this drawer, so I needed to move things around. The pj drawer was in a different dresser and the drawers are bigger and deeper. Switcheroo! The socks and undies are now happily organized in what was the pj drawer. All of Clara's are on the left and Sasha's are on the right. And now there is room for tights, leg warmers, and slippers in the other half of the drawer - awesome! I filled a bag with tiny undies that we no longer need as well as all the patterned socks that are cute but look ridiculous when worn with most outfits. And the pjs are now in the former socks and undies drawer - only the ones that currently fit the girls. Here's the after photo:

I LOVE how it turned out! Something so simple has already made a big difference - I haven't had to hunt with the girls for a matching pair of socks or a pair of undies that fit since organizing these drawers. Awesome.

Next up are my cabinets that house drinking glasses, mugs, wine glasses, kids' cups, and few other random items.

As you can see, it's a mess. We have mugs that are almost 20 years old in there, complete with chips on the rims. Everything is mis-matched. And do you see the bottom left shelf? Yeah, those would be restaurant cups that the kids bring home - most of them from Moes. They use them almost 100% of the time. It's nice because they were free, reusable, and easy. But they were also taking over the cabinet.

We also were using the top of the microwave for "storage" of sorts. A basket of K-cups lived there, as well as a basket of old jelly beans (tossed), a box of sugar packets, and other little things. It was just a cluttered mess.

I found a shelf insert at Ikea that I knew would help this cabinet immensely. And I was right! I cleaned out all the shelves, got rid of the mugs that were chipped and lots of other cups and things that are never used, and wiped down all the surfaces. And those Moes cups? I threw away 16 cups and 25 lids! There were three packages of wine charms in there, so I removed them from the packaging and put them in a pretty jelly jar that I found at a flea market for a quarter. The cocktail recipe books made their way into a drawer and various other random items found new homes as well. With the addition of the shelf insert, I was able to put all the normal sized mugs on the bottom (including two Tastefully Simple mugs that have been in a box for years, unused), and all the tall mugs and travel mugs above them.

And those K-cups and sugar packets? They now fit quite well on the bottom shelf! The microwave area is totally cleaned up and tidy. Yay!!!

It's amazing what a simple white shelf insert can do for an entire section of a kitchen. Another look at the before and after:

I already have a few other projects in the works and I'm excited to complete them and start more. What are you organizing right now?

{Milestone}

2011-09-18T12:44:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday, September 11th, all of the second graders at our church received a Bible during our worship service. What an honor it was to see all of the young people line up to accept their Bibles! As soon as Sasha sat back down she started to flip through her Bible and read sections of it. She even bookmarked a section she wanted to read more about when we got home. How wonderful it is to see Sasha grow in her faith, hungry for God's word, and learning what it means to be a Christian!

{Goodbye, Pappy}

2011-09-11T18:19:00.001-07:00

For most Americans, today is a sad day. It is the 10th anniversary of the terrible events that took place on September 11, 2001. If you are like me, you have been watching memorial services and documentaries that have been broadcast on almost every major network all day and the memories of our own experiences on 9-11 have come flooding back. I don't know if it will ever be easy to watch the footage of the planes hitting the WTC, the buildings falling to the ground, and all the personal stories of those who were directly affected by the terror of that day. I hope not. It shouldn't be easy to watch. But today I'm sad for a bigger reason. While my heart hurts for our country, it is breaking even more because today my family had to say goodbye to a wonderful man - my Pappy.

Pappy is my grandfather, my dad's dad. I have so many fun memories of him from the time I was a child and visiting my grandparents in State College all the way up to the last time I saw him at my dad's house on August 4th. He always had a smile on his face and knew how to make those around him smile, too. I always felt loved when I was with him - loved and very secure. And I have so enjoyed watching my own kids interact with him and seeing how much he loved all of his great-grandchildren. All twelve of them! It was a special thrill when Dixon was born on Pappy's birthday, April 27th, and then a year later one of my cousins had her little girl on that day as well. His birthday - and his life - will certainly never be forgotten.

So it is with a particularly heavy heart that I grieve not only with our country and all that was lost ten years ago today, but also with my family for the loss of a great man in our lives. I pray that he has been welcomed into God's heavenly kingdom and is healthy and strong once again, happy, laughing, and reunited with those whom entered Paradise before him. I miss you already, Pappy, and love you very much.

{Birthday Girls}

2011-09-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for birthdays - and lots of them! Many of my family members have birthdays during the August - December months so there are many parties and special dinners during this time. It gets quite busy! This year Cory and I decided to take it easy and have one combo party for Sasha and Clara. Their birthdays are just six weeks apart, so we picked one of the only free Saturdays we have (today, the 3rd) and had a simple pizza party in the backyard with our family.

I was actually out of state on Clara's birthday this year. :( It's always hard to miss a birthday and I think this was the third birthday of Clara's that I've missed because Tastefully Simple's National Conference fell over her big day. But she was a trooper. Cory made her entire birthday weekend extra special and she knew her party was coming soon. Sasha's birthday is coming up at the end of September, so she got a bit of an early celebration today. We'll still do something special on her actual birthday, too.

My little girl is not so little anymore - Clara turned 6 on August 13th! I'm so proud of her and her fearless personality. She is having a blast in kindergarten and has been reading quite well for the past year. She's very excited to be a Girl Scout Daisy this year and to add playing soccer to her list of activities!

Sasha turns 8 on September 30th! Where did the years go? Wasn't she just a 5.5 pound little pink bundle? Sasha is amazing in so many ways. She is very sensitive, very in tune to her own and others' feelings, very smart, and very much into everything girly and sparkly. She is now in the 2nd grade and loving it! She is also starting to play soccer this year for the first time - something she never thought she'd do, but she's looking forward to it.

So we invited all of our family members to come over for a pizza party this evening. It was warm and muggy, but the cousins all had a blast playing catch with a football, riding down a hill in a Red Flyer wagon, and just playing together outside. It was awesome to see so many family members together for a rather relaxing evening since it doesn't happen all that often. And moments like this one need to happen more often:

That's my grandmother, Mom-Mom, with my newest nephew, Jayce. I think they are playing patty-cake. So cute!

Clearly, the girls were excited to dive into their presents!

Many of the gifts will be shared, like this adorable chef's outfit and accessories for their American Girl dolls.

All of the gifts were perfect. Art supplies, Barbie and American Girl goodies, clothes, jewelry . . . these girls were wonderfully spoiled.

The last gifts that Sasha and Clara opened were from Cory and me. Clara has been asking for a GoGo and Me dog for a year. Actually, "asking" isn't quite the right word. "Begging" is more like it. It's the only thing she has really wanted and consistently talked about for a year. I didn't want to get it because it's expensive and honestly - we have two REAL dogs! She can walk and play with them! But I don't want her to be in therapy in twenty years talking about how her parents refused to get her the only thing she really ever wanted . . .

So here it is. GoGo and Me Fur Real Pet is officially in the hands of an ecstatic Clara!

I wasn't quite sure what to get for Sasha. I thought I'd give her a nice, introductory level digital camera since she likes to take pictures with my camera, but I couldn't find one I liked for less than $200. Not gonna happen. Then I happened to come upon Flip cams on clearance and "DING DING DING"!!! That was it! Sasha is always asking me to take her and Clara doing little skits and things, so this is perfect. She can make her own videos and will have a blast. She is quite excited and can hardly wait to start using her Flip tomorrow once it's charged.

Time for cake! I was going to make the girls' cakes this year, but when I asked them what kind of cake they wanted they requested "the cake that Dixon had last year." Well, it was actually a Food Lion cake! We got him a chocolate cake from Food Lion to celebrate his birthday on the actual day since his party was held on a different day. The girls liked that cake and remembered it. Works for me! Cory made three batches of ice cream (vanilla, Oreo, and mint chocolate chip) and I pulled out a triple chocolate fudge cake and a red velevet cake made by the fabulous "chefs" of Food Lion.

The girls were happy and the cakes were actually tasty!

Finally, it was time for the pinata. This was one of the only things the girls said they wanted to do at their party, so Dixon and I shopped for a pinata and stuffed it full of candy.

Ryan managed to crack that sucker open with his mighty swings and it was a candy free-for-all!

I have to say that this birthday party was great - at least in my humble opinion. It was so laid-back and stress-free. The kids had fun just being kids and the adults just sat back and talked and enjoyed the evening. I think this may be the way we celebrate from now on! The kids are now all snoozing away in bed . . . all three of mine plus my sweet niece Kari who decided to stay overnight. Fun!

Happy Birthday to my loveable girls! May this next year bring you happiness, fun, and many dreams come true.

XOXO

{Minneapolis}

2011-08-18T12:27:00.001-07:00

Last week was awesome. Inspiring. Amazing.

I kissed my kids and husband goodbye on Tuesday evening and headed to Baltimore to catch an early flight to Minneapolis, Minnesota the next morning. Why Minneapolis? Well . . . it was time for Tastefully Simple's National Conference! I have attended this conference five times since I joined the company back in 2004 and it is seriously a week I look forward to all year long. When most people hear the word "conference" they think of boring meetings where you're stuck in a room full of boring people telling you boring information. And that is quite true for many, many companies. But not Tastefully Simple! TS conferences are FUN!!! Yes, we are trained and taught new things, but it is always done in a very fun manner. In fact, our National Conference is so much fun that it has officially been renamed "Party Palooza"! Who wouldn't want to go to that every year?

So once again I boarded a plane with my sister Jen, my mother, and my newest nephew, Jayce. My mom has actually attended three Nationals now in order to care for a baby while Jen and I are in session. She's such an awesome Nana!

We arrived in Minneapolis shortly after noon and quickly got settled in at the Hilton Towers. Then we headed out into the city to eat and shop. One of our favorite restaurants in Minneapolis is The News Room. We have yet to have a bad meal there! There is a big wooden mermaid in the lobby that intriqued Jayce. This is the "tame" photo I took (the other one shows him touching her bosom as he gazed up at her face!):

After lunch we took the lightrail to The Mall of America to do some shopping. Yep, one of many perks of going to conference is getting to visit the biggest mall in America! I finally found a pair of comfy flips to replace my brown shoes that were falling apart - yay! We browsed the many stores and then I had a special treat. My dear friend Theresa allowed me to have dinner with her husband Brian who just happened to be in Minneapolis on business at the same time. We ate at Bubba Gump's and had a really good time.

Back on the streets by our hotel we spotted this big metal chicken. There is a story behind this chicken . . . a really, really funny story . . .

The three of us were absolutely wiped out from a long day of travel: up by 5 am, travel via planes, trains and automobiles, shopping, eating, etc . . . so we called it a night. I think we were all asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows, including Jayce.

But the next morning brought a new day and lots more to do. We began by heading to another fav restaurant, Hell's Kitchen. I decided to try a dish that I've heard rave reviews about: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. Oh. My. Word. These babies didn't require a smidge of butter or a drop of syrup. They were so light, comparable to a crepe, and the lemon and ricotta made them melt in my mouth. Dear me, they were delicious.

We ate breakfast with the rest of our team members who were at conference, plus a couple "adopted" team members. I didn't notice it until now, but almost all the blondes are up front and the brunettes are in the back! How does that happen?

With our bellies full, we headed to the convention center for day one of conference. The theme this year was "Cut Loose" and the entire convention center - both inside the main room and throughout the halls - was decorated accordingly with dance floors, stars, and a dance party feel. TS goes all out with decorations!

We were greeted by our founder and CEO, Jill Blashack Strahan, who got all of us worked up and inspired us to "Magnify the best. Focus on what's next."

One thing that TS always does at every conference is give away really nice prizes. They are referred to as "Hot Seat" drawings; your cheeks have to be in your seat in order to win. Some of the prizes are gift cards to Target, Barnes & Noble, and Bloomingdales, prepaid Visa cards, handbags from Fossil and Coach, TS items, and more. I'm one who seriously never wins anything, so imagine my surprise when my name was drawn out of a bag of over 1,400 consultants and I won a $300 Best Buy gift card! I thought I'd lost my mind! Now I have to decide how to use it . . .

My sister Jen was a featured speaker for one of the Leadership Breakout Sessions that afternoon. She told her story of why she joined Tastefully Simple and the challenges that she's had to overcome over the years in order to grow a strong business and help others do the same. It was very heartfelt and for the rest of the conference people approached her to tell her what a fantastic job she did and how she inspired them. How proud I am to be her first team member and to take this journey with her!

The next day was full of product unveilings for the fall / winter catalog which will be available to clients on September 1st. New soups, seasonings, drink mixes, and FOUR PAGES OF CHOCOLATE are among the 31 products soon to hit our product shelves! WOOT!!!

We also were entertained by a keynote speaker, Frank Miles. He was honestly one of the funniest people I have ever heard in my life. He mixed his message of "face life and laugh at fear" among stand-up comedy, juggling, magic, and even ping-pong ballet. He was absolutely hilarious and inspirational at the same time. You may have seen him on America's Got Talent doing stand up recently - he is SO talented!

After a full day of unveilings and training I joined a slew of other consultants who are on my extended team for dinner and laughs. Here we are posing with some larger-than-life products:

Like I've said before, Tastefully Simple people know how to have FUN! The team at Headquarters gets really into character when presenting things on stage, as you can see below. This is Travis, a.k.a VP of Marketing, doing some John Travolta moves as he presents our new "Jacked Up Brand" onstage.

We also know how to celebrate one another. Consultants were recognized on stage for various accomplishments including top sales, recruiting, leader development, and personal promotions. Here is team member Alissa walking the stage for promoting to Team Manager!

I always try to get a pic of Jen and I together since not only is she my sister, she's my sponsor. How fun it has been to run my business alongside my sister all these years! And for the past year our other sister, Becky, has been partying with us, too. It's a family thing!

And here is another fellow team member, Christa, being recognized for promoting to Senior Team Manager!

How many jobs out there celebrate their employees for simply doing their job well? TS consultants truly are blessed.

Towards the end of the day I got a good pic of the ladies at my table. These gals ROCK!

That evening my favorite part of Nationals took place - the Victory Celebration and Awards Dinner. Check out how TS made the main stage all glitzy!

Jen walked the stage twice that night, once for Movers & Shakers Sales Level 2 and once for Leader Development. Here she is with her awesome sponsor, Karen:

And here are some of us team mates (Tastebuds) doing our "ta-da!"

It was a fantastic night.

Throughout conference many great quotes are featured. I LOVE quotes and find them very inspirational. This was one of my favorites of the week:

And on that note, here are some unveilings for YOU! Tastefully Simple is wonderful and changes people's lives in so many ways. The products are HUGE time savers in the kitchen and make even the worst cooks feel like a chef! The new products are SO yummy! Check them out by clicking the photo below. If something sounds good to you, please let me know if you'd like to have a taste-testing party to try them with your friends and earn them for free! Or if you'd like to place an order on September 1st when they are available, I can help you with that, too.

And if you think Tastefully Simple looks like an awful lot of fun and you've been trying to find a way to make extra income (or replace an income!), we have the BEST new consultant incentive ever! Normally it costs $170 to become a consultant, which is still a good deal considering all you get when you join. From now until September 30th, you can join Tastefully Simple for just $85! And to make it even better, when you activate by September 30th you'll get a $50 credit on your account! That means you'll effectively start your own business for just $35!!!

I can't begin to tell you all the ways Tastefully Simple has positively impacted my life for the past 7 1/2 years, and I'd love nothing more than to help you find success with this company, too. Check out the link below and if it sounds interesting to you or you know someone who needs Tastefully Simple in his or her life, please contact me.
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I'm gearing up for another busy fall party season and can hardly wait for the next conference with my TS family! I hope you'll join us for the fun!

{Happy Birthday, ScrapMatters!}

2011-08-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hello, digi scrappers!!! What an exciting day today is - the celebration of ScrapMatters' birthday! If you haven't checked out the awesome sale going on this weekend yet, you simply must do that soon. Not only is there a great sale going on, you can also get an amazing collab kit from the ScrapMatters designers as gift with purchase. Wow! Head on over to the store HERE to do some shopping!

Most of you probably came here from Trista's blog: http://tristaree.com/ She has a comprehensive list of all the blog train stops if you need it - very cool, Trista! Now for my freebie. I decided to create a pre-shadowed frame cluster using the gorgeous new collab, Garden Party. I hope you like it!

Download the freebie http://www.4shared.com/file/A8aoDVUS/acmSMBDayFreebie.html

***I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this link works because blogger just decided that I shouldn't be allowed to highlight text to make a link! GAH!!! If it doesn't work, I'll keep trying to get it fixed!

Your next stop on the blog train is Chel's blog: http://scrappingchelcreations.wordpress.com/

Hope you enjoying celebrating with ScrapMatters!

{Big Boy}

2011-08-02T20:04:00.001-07:00

This weekend brought a big change for our family - well, mainly for Dixon. Dixon turned two years old at the end of April so we knew that he would need to transition from the crib to a bed sometime this summer. So a couple of weeks ago Cory and I went shopping for a big boy bed. We were hoping to find a really good deal like we found when we bought the girls' beds, but no such luck. But we're happy with what we chose! On Wednesday the bed arrived at the furniture store and on Saturday morning Cory picked it up and brought it home.

Not surprisingly, I had a rather difficult time saying goodbye to the crib. While we didn't buy the crib new ( I bought it and the changing table at a yard sale, for crying out loud!) and I'm not in love with it and unwilling to get rid of it at some point, it still is hard for me to believe it is leaving Dixon's room. This crib held all of our babies, kept them safe and snug, and is a sign that there is a baby in the house. With its removal from the nursery, I no longer have a baby. Wah. This can't be true! Tell me there's still a baby in this house!

Of course I had to take a couple dozen photos of the room and the crib before taking it apart and storing it in the attic. So here is Dixon's room before (please overlook the lopsided curtain rod):

and here he is in his brand new big boy bed! We chose a sleigh bed with storage underneath since his room has a tiny closet. Right now we don't need the extra storage, but as Dixon grows bigger it will come in handy for sweaters, jeans, and seasonal clothes.

Dixon LOVES his bedding. I really struggled with what to do as far as a "theme" for the room. I wanted it to be something Dixon would like but I didn't want it to be the typical boy stuff. I mainly didn't want it to be something cheesy and too youthful that he'd outgrow quickly.

I stumbled upon this bedding when I took the girls to the American Girl store at Tyson's Corner. There is a Pottery Barn Kids store right beside the AG store and we went in just to look around (and get ideas). I saw a fantastic train light that I totally wanted to get for Dixon since he's completely obsessed with trains - especially Thomas. The base was a RR crossing with blinking lights and it had a red square shade. Awesome - not to kiddy looking but something he would love that would give me a starting point for decorating. Then I noticed the bedding on the model bed beside the light. It was the perfect train bedding for my boy: not too cutey-pie but boyish enough for a young kid. Sold. Unfortunately, Pottery Barn wants over $130 just for the base of the train light so that piece did not come home with me. I'm now on the hunt for something like it. If you see a nice train bedside lamp, please let me know!

Dixon loves his new bed. He loves looking at the trains (he even sometimes calls them "Thomas") and pointing out all the different parts, especially the cars riding on the train. I think this is a keeper!

We aren't able to put bedrails on this bed because there is no box spring, therefore no space to put the rail. Dixon fell out of bed three times that first night but until five minutes he hadn't fallen out since. (Yep, I heard a thud as I was typing this post!) I'm sure he'll figure it out quickly. In fact, I'm really impressed with how well he's been doing already!

So goodbye, dear crib. Goodbye nursery. Goodbye baby stuff. I'm going to miss you and all that you signify.

My babies are growing up. I now have two little ladies who are about to go off to school in a few weeks and one big boy who makes me smile everyday. I suppose the only baby thing we have left are diapers and I don't foresee and end to them anytime soon.

My big boy. How I love him.

{Williamsburg}

2011-07-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Each summer we go to the beach for a week with my mother, stepfather, sister Jennifer and her family, and sister Becky and her family. We always have a fantastic time together and look forward to the vacation all year long. But this is almost always our only vacation . . . meaning we don't take any trips as just the Meyers family of five except for day trips to local places of interest. So this year we decided to leave a day early and spend a full day in Williamsburg, just us.

After a late start, horrendous, terrible, nightmarish traffic and a bout of carsickness, we finally pulled up to the Governor's Inn around 2:00 am. We crashed. But with the sunrise came a new day and we were refreshed and ready to enjoy Colonial Williamsburg.

We walked a couple of blocks to buy our passes and then began our journey! We started our day by going into several of the buildings and shops to learn about different trades and ways of life during the 1700's. This woman knew everything you can imagine about turning cotton and wool into fabric. She showed us how to prepare the cotton, how to turn it into yarn, how to wind it, and finally how to turn that yarn into fabric.

Cory and I were especially interested in the gorgeous gardens since we've been expanding our backyard garden for a few years now. We got lots of ideas and inspiration!

One of the best parts of Williamsburg is seeing all the buildings preserved exactly as they were all those years ago and seeing the employees dressed in period attire and talking / behaving as though it were 1783 instead of 2011. There are so many awesome photo opps. These are two of my favorites from our day:

Cory surprised us with a carriage ride - fun! Our driver / guide was fantastic. She told us so much about Williamsburg that neither Cory or I knew before, despite our numerous trips to Williamsburg in the past. For example, Queen Elizabeth visited Williamsburg when she was a girl and rode in the very same carriage we rode in. How cool is that? She also answered all of our questions, and the girls had quite a few! They wanted to know if there were balls during there. Yes, there were. Did Felicity and Elizabeth of American Girl fame really live there? Yes, they did. She even showed us Felicity's house!

As it turns out, only the very, very super wealthy citizens could afford a carriage. It was the equivalent of owning a private jet today. Wow!

And here is Felicity's house. Elizabeth's family lived not too far from here but we didn't get to see her home.

After our carriage ride we continued visiting various shops and learning about different trades. This cobbler is noteworthy not only for his knowledge of making shoes, but because he looked and talked SO much like Russell Crowe! When we left his shop I looked at Cory and said, "Didn't he look like . . . " and Cory immediately finished with, "Russell Crowe!" It was uncanny.

Another favorite shop was the wigmaker's shop. This woman really knew her stuff about hair. I think the girls found it particularly interesting that men wore wigs far more often than women, that the hair was often animal hair, and that peasant girls overseas were paid a hefty price for their hair because foreign hair was believed to be better than American girls' hair. We also learned that the term "blockhead" comes from this time period. Men would have a block of wood carved into the shape of their heads and the wigs were custom made on the block heads. Neat!

Our carriage driver told us to visit the brickyard because they are making bricks for a new building and invite guests to participate. The brickyard is off the beaten path - I don't think I'd ever visited it before. But it sounded intriquing so we made a point to head that way. There were three men under a tent making bricks out of red clay. They explained the process and how Williamsburg has so much clay they are likely to never run out. Behind where they worked were two big pits of clay. They would scoop up a pile, make some bricks, and scoop up some more. It looked like dirty work to me.

Then they said that the clay has to constantly be kneaded to keep it a good consistency. And here is where the fun began. Anyone who wanted to could take off their shoes, hop in the pits and work the clay with their feet! Of course the girls jumped at the chance. It totally reminded me of Lucy and Ethel stomping the grapes!

When they had enough and were adequately covered in clay, the girls headed to big barrels of water to wash themselves clean - which was not easy. Cory helped them and as a result, we got one of the best quotes ever from Sasha. The girls had just been to VBS at church and one of the lessons was about washing guests feet upon entering a home. One time Jesus washed his disciples' feet because no servant appeared to do the task. So Sasha told Cory, "You are just like Jesus. You have a servant's heart." Sigh. I love that girl!

So we continued on our journey and eventually ended up at the must-have photo op for Colonial Williamsburg: the stockades. I still have photos of my sisters and me in these stockades when we were kids. It was rather surreal to see my own kids in the very same ones!

There are also ankle stockades: you sit on a piece of wood and put your ankles in the holes. Cory and I posed for a photo and each of the girls took several pics of us. Funny this is, when I later looked at the photos there wasn't a single one where you could actually see the stockade! So here are our sad faces:

The day was very, very hot and by this time we were all tired, sweaty, and a bit worn-out. So since we were close the markplace we decided to visit one of my favorite bookstores: The College of William and Mary Bookstore. We were pleasantly surprised to discover a local children's author who was signing copies of his historical graphic novels. We talked to him for quite some time and each of the girls picked a book. Clara's is about "super" women in history (and includes the story of Clara Barton) and Sasha's is about key events during the Revolution.

Because we're dorks, we had to do it. We had to take a photo of ourselves in the elevator - the elevator with a mirrored ceiling! Photos like this one always end up amongst my favorites. They are so candid, funny, and, well, us!

All day long the girls begged for a pretty straw sun hat with a fancy ribbon. But at $25 a pop, they were out of the question. So I found these tricorns for a lot less money at the market's toy store and let the girls have one. Cory was not too pleased about this since tricorns are for boys, but I think they look adorable!

By this time it was almost time for dinner and we were ready for a rest. We found some totally cool trees beside the House of Burgesses and let the kids play. I so wish we had interesting trees like these in Pennsylvania!

Cory and I absolutely LOVE the peanut soup at the King's Arms Tavern, so we had made a reservation for dinner there. It is our go-to tavern!

The soup was amazing, as was the entire meal. The lady of the house spent a lot of time in our dining room telling everyone about the history of the building and the tavern. There were also several musicians who entertained us while we ate. It was definitely a fantastic way to end our day!

As we ate we heard the sound of a fife and drum parade coming our way. My photos are blurry since I had to shoot through the old wavy glass of the tavern, but they are neat nonetheless.

And the day was done. Most of Colonial Williamsburg was closed by the time we left the tavern, and we were all ready to call it a day anyway. So we headed back to our van and made our way to the next hotel where my mother, stepfather, and Becky and her family were waiting to crash for the night. I'm so glad we had this day together, a day to enjoy vacation . . . just us.

{ebay}

2011-07-20T11:03:00.001-07:00

OK, folks, I need some help! I'm thinking of putting a bunch of stuff up on ebay to both declutter my home and to make some extra cash. I've purchased from ebay before, but I've never been a seller. Sooooo . . . if you've sold anything in the past and have some advice / tips, please share! I haven't the first clue as to how to even begin!

* Do I set up a new account or use my current one that I've used to make purchases?

* How do you price items?

* Do you tag your items a certain way?

* Are you able to choose how long an auction stays live?

* How do you feel about setting minimum sale prices?

* What else do I need to know???

Many thanks! :)

{Soaked to the Bone}

2011-06-24T12:28:00.035-07:00

***This post was supposed to publish on Friday, not today. Blogger just didn't feel like publishing anything that day. The berry picking events actually took place on Thursday. Confused? Me too. Over and out.***

Yesterday evening after dinner Cory and I decided to go raspberry picking at his family's farm. I had tried earlier in the day to find berries on the farm (and drug my poor friend all over God's creation trying to find the berries) but we had no luck. Cory was sure he knew where some were growing, so off we went. We dropped Dixon off with Cory's mom and headed into the woods. Cory was right - there were black raspberries galore! We had to blaze a few trails into the thick woods to get to some of them, but it was fun.

And then it happened. Just as we were deep in the woods, thoroughly immersed in gathering juicy berries, the skies opened and turned our northern woods into a rainforest. I'm not talking about a nice summer shower, folks. I'm talking a full-blown, straight down hard downpour. We tried to take refuge under trees until an ear-splitting crack of thunder convinced us that the dirt path might be a tad bit safer place to stand. So we grabbed some giant leaves and made makeshift umbrellas and waited it out. We waited a loooong time. Just when the sun would start to shine and the rain would let up a little bit, another round would start. The girls actually did pretty well under the circumstances. They definitely wanted to leave and complained a bit, but overall they took it well. By the time the rain stopped we were all literally soaked to the bone. Our feet squished in our sneakers, our clothes stuck to our skin, and forget about any kind of hairstyle other than "drowned rat".

We managed to pick four containers of raspberries despite being sopping wet. And there are plenty left so we'll definitely go back. Now I need to decide what to do with them! Do we just eat them fresh? Do I freeze them? Do I make some cobbler, jam, or other recipes? Hmmmm . . .

Here's a photo Cory took on his iPhone. It's really small because I lifted it from Facebook but that's ok. You can't quite make out just how horrible we all look this way! ;)

{Babies}

2011-06-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was a celebration of babies. It began with a birthday party for my niece, Emme. My sister and mother went ALL OUT for this party: hand sewn utensil and napkin holders, handmande cupcake liner streamers, a dessert table overflowing with cake pops, cupcakes, chocolate dipped rice treats, and other goodies, delicious food, balloons, and photos of Emme from her first year hung with mini clothespins strung throughout the house. It was quite the party! Lots and lots of people - both family and friends - came to enjoy the day with our favorite little cupcake.

Becky made Emme a cupcake smash cake. She actually made three of these giant cupcakes but the first two attempts ended up as cake pops. The end result? Perfect! Who wouldn't love a cupcake bigger than their head?

It really does seem like Emme was just born. I still remember her all wrapped up in her light blanket to ward off the jaundice that was threatening her when she was just born. She looked like a little glow worm! Now she is an adorable one-year-old who is almost walking and who has a sweet little personality. Amazing.

My other sister, Jen, and her family were here for the weekend to celebrate Emme's birthday AND to have their newest family member, Jayce, baptized on Sunday. Both Jayce and Emme were baptized during a beautiful service. How wonderful to welcome them both to the family of God!

While relaxing at Emme's party, Adam got Jayce hollering and laughing. It was ridiculously adorable to see this big 4 month-old boy (lovingly referred to as "Moose") vibrating with laughter.

Seriously, does it get any cuter than this? Ugh. Makes my uterus ache.

I love how our family keeps growing. It seems that every year or two we add another baby to the mix, and it's awesome! Babies keep us humble, grounded, and selfless. They bring laughter and immense joy to our lives. Thank you, Becky and Jen, for sharing your babies with me this weekend!

{Beautiful Day}

2011-05-21T12:31:00.001-07:00

After more than week of rainy, gray, cool days, we have been blessed with a gorgeous hot, sunny day today. There was no way I was going to spend the day inside with the kids, and they were thrilled to soak up some much needed sun.

We decided to pack a yummy picnic lunch and head to a park. We laid out our blankets under a big weeping willow. The girls LOVED the tree. They were excited to hear that it was the same kind of tree as Grandmother Willow in Pocahontas, and they had fun trying to figure out where this tree's face would be if it could have one. It really was majestic; it felt like we were eating in a special garden room with the most amazing canopy ever. Sasha decided we should find a really HUGE weeping willow and build a house beneath it. If only that were possible . . .

Dixon was in heaven out here. He could run and play and get dirty and just be a boy. He kept trying to blow on this dandelion like you do the "wish" dandelions. So cute!

Clara decided to take a bit of a cat-nap on the blanket under the tree. Man, that is totally what I would have done if I didn't have to watch the kids! It was the perfect spot to fall asleep while reading a book. But then she perked up and became quirky Clara again.

There was a wedding at the park while we were there and the wedding party was having pictures taken by a train not far from where we were. What a day for a wedding! I'm sure the bride was beyond happy that she had beautiful weather for her big day given all the rain we've had. After the party moved to a different area we headed to the train. Dixon is completely smitten by trains so I thought he'd get a kick out of it.

Surprisingly, Dixon didn't know quite what to do with himself! He acted like he didn't want to be near the train for a while and just kind of walked around pouting. I think he was just hot and tired. He eventually began to act more like himself and was jabbering about the train. Of course, by that time we were all ready to go and he pitched a fit because he didn't want to say goodbye to the train. Go figure.

After letting the kids play on the playground for a bit, we called it a day. They were all hot, sweaty, and pink from the sun - just as they should be. I had promised the girls we would go to an art store and get some new supplies, so after that stop we headed home.

What a beautiful, perfect day! If only Cory were here to enjoy it with us. Hurry home, sweetie! :)

{Some New Layouts}

2011-05-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post a handful of layouts I've created recently. Hope you enjoy taking a peek! :) OH - Remember to download my iNSD freebie TODAY if you haven't already. The link will be disabled on Saturday evening!

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Have a great weekend!

{iNSD Blog Train FREEBIE!}

2011-05-07T06:56:00.001-07:00

It's finally here - iNSD! This is a day, well, a weekend, that I look forward to every year. For all my family and friends reading this who have NO CLUE what iNSD is, it is International Scrapbook Day! The "day" has evolved into an entire weekend of scrapping, online store sales, games, freebies, contests, chats, and other fun activities. It's a weekend to celebrate the hobby that so many of us love!

Today I am participating in a fabulous blog train sponsored by my favorite digi scrap store, ScrapMatters. The designers at ScrapMatters have seriously been working their tails off creating amazing Grab Bags, kits, freebies and fun for all of us to enjoy. One of their creations is a gorgeous vintage inspired collab kit called "Timeless". It is filled with beautiful papers and stunning elements in a color scheme and theme that you'll go back to again and again as you scrap your family photos. And the best part? It's FREE when you purchase $20 of yumminess at ScrapMatters this weekend during the iNSD sale!!!

To make this even better, a SLEW of the designers and creative team members at ScrapMatters have gotten together and created freebies for you with this kit. You'll find everything from stacked papers to brag book pages on this blog train. I have created an element cluster for you. It is perfect to put beside a photo of a loved one or along the side of a layout. Here is a preview of the freebie as well as the kit "Timeless":

*** Download has expired.

Your next stop on the blog train is Kelli's blog.

Enjoy the rest of the blog train (it's HUGE by the way!) and make sure you spend some time scrapping this weekend!

{My Boy}

2011-04-27T18:32:00.001-07:00

Today my little boy turned two years old. Seriously, I feel like he was just a teeny little chicken-legged newborn who stayed curled up in a ball when I took him out of his car seat. And now he is two. Two!
Dixon has grown in so many ways, especially during the past few months. He hasn't had much of a vocabulary. For example, I was "Nana" up until about a month ago. Every girl was "Sasha". He said typical boy words like "ball" and "choo choo" as well as a number of other words like "shoe" and "eat". But lately his vocabulary has exploded! He repeats words he hears and is even putting together simple sentences like "I yuv you, Mama." Yeah, that's my favorite one. And he tells us he loves us ALL the time. But it'll never be too much.

Dixon has also begun to really get into sports. He would love to be outside playing with balls, riding on bikes and tractors, and running around the yard during every waking moment. He also looooooves Thomas the Train. I got him Thomas Crocs recently and they have to be on his feet from the moment he wakes up till the moment he goes to bed. And if Dixon had it his way, he'd sleep with them on, too. At his birthday party last weekend he got lots and lots of Thomas trains, clothes, books, movies, and other items. He loves them SO much! He is a boy through and through.

I'm so grateful that God gave us this adorable, smart, ornery little guy to love, teach and nurture. He is a gift . . . a dream come true.

Happy Birthday, Robert Dixon! We couldn't love you more!

{Peep Invasion}

2011-04-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Last night forty of these peeps and their eggs decided to nest in my kitchen. Although they sure are cute, they thankfully made their way to Sasha and Clara's classrooms this morning so the kids could enjoy them. Bye bye birdies!

Cheep Cheep!

{Chocolate Vampire}

2011-04-17T19:34:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when you give an almost 2-year-old boy a Tagalong Girl Scout cookie and he holds it in his mouth too long. Attractive, isn't it? I think he's onto something here. Enough of this bloody vampire stuff that's so popular right now. Chocolate is the way to go! I'd grow fangs if it meant I could drink chocolate all day . . . wouldn't you?

Aside from his shiner, red marker spots, and overall messiness, he's a rather handsome vampire.

Eat your heart out, Edward.

{Future}

2011-04-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

The final Joy Of Love assignment: What do you see in your future? Truthfully, I don't know what the future holds for us as a family. Heck, I don't even know if our family is complete yet! But I do know one thing for sure: We will live in our dream home someday. That is our ultimate goal, the focus that keeps Cory and I driven to succeed. We aren't positive about where this dream house will be, but we do know of a couple of options right now. One is the old stone farmhouse he grew up in in St. Thomas. It is currently vacant and he has wild dreams of gutting it, remodeling the entire thing and adding on a big wing. The problem is that I am not sold on the idea for a number of reasons. But because I don't want to squash Cory's dream, it remains an option. The second possibility - the one that I am really hoping becomes reality - is to build on a section of land that used to be a part of my grandparent's orchard. There are approximately seventy acres of cornfields, fruit trees, and woods that are singing my name to come make them home. I can just picture raising our family there, and watching the kids run through the fields and exploring nature without worrying about street traffic and neighbors. It is the picture of peaceful utopia. Here is a picture I took in 2009 of the clearing at the base of the mountain where we would likely build our home if this dream came true. No matter if we end up in Cory's childhood farmhouse, on the piece of farmland or somewhere different altogether, I know that Cory and I will enjoy many more years together with our family. We will grow old together, hopefully enjoy grandchildren, and will spend evenings on a porch in rocking chairs. That is a future that I can look forward to.

{The Bromance}

2011-03-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

What a cute assignment: Photograph your loved one with his "best bud", his "wingman". Truth be told, Cory's favorite guy to hang out with is Dixon. In fact, just this morning he commented that he was "so happy to have a boy." A boy who thinks trains, tractors, balls and trucks are the bees knees. A boy who asks to go out to the garage to play. A boy who loves to roooooaaaarrrr like a monster at his family all the time. After years of fairies, dress-up, and pink princesses, Cory is so happy to have some additional testosterone in the house. Just as I look forward to taking the girls to get manicures, teaching them how to apply makeup, and doing all things girly-girl, Cory looks forward to teaching Dixon how to shave, drive a stick-shift, and shoot hoops. I'm so happy Cory has his male counterpart - his best bud - and an adorable bromance.

{When You Love Them the Most}

2011-03-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful spring day in May of 1999 my first children were born. Their mommy, Peanut, gave birth inside a cozy cardboard box on my in-law's front porch. Cory and I, his sister Megan, and their parents were all there to witness the miraculous event. Little Peanut lovingly birthed three boys and one girl (and one other kitty who sadly didn't live). She cleaned them, nursed them, and taught them the ins and outs of being a feline. Cory and I were about to be married in July, so we decided we would take the girl kitten and one of the boys. The timing was perfect since they were able to stay with their momma for a little over two months. When Cory and I came home from our honeymoon, Megan wrapped up our kitties (literally) and brought them to my mother's house where we all gathered to open our wedding gifts. They then traveled four hours south to our first home in Virginia where we lived for three years. We named them Simba and Ariel and they quickly became our babies.

Simba slept beside me every night. We spooned. We cuddled. He cozied right up to me and we've had a love affair ever since.

Simba and Ariel are now almost twelve years old. While Ariel has always been shy and only likes attention on her terms, Simba is a loverboy. He follows me around the house and likes to be next to me almost all the time. Nothing makes him happier than getting loves.

But our special time is still at night. Simba waits for me to head upstairs, do my nightly routine, and get in bed. He jumps in right away, often before I even touch the sheets. And every night he cuddles in the same spot on my shoulder. He purrs, he nudges me to pet him, and he lays his head on my chest and goes to sleep. When I wake up in the morning he is still there, waiting for his morning loves.

I can't describe how much I love this cat. He's my baby. He's my love muffin. I look forward to bedtime each night knowing that he will be there waiting to love me back.

{Going Out}

2011-03-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here is the assignment from Willette: "Get a sitter and go out on the town!!! Take the point and shoot and take some fun portraits of you together. Tickle each other. Laugh. Have fun!"

Well, I'll keep this quite real. Cory and I rarely go out on dates. We usually have three to four dates a year: our anniversary, Valentine's Day, and maybe two random occassions. So I had to giggle a bit when I read this task knowing that "going out" just isn't a common experience for us. In fact, we have hired a sitter exactly three times since Sasha was born 7 1/2 years ago. But that's also because we have family who keep the kids for us whenever we do want to have a date (which again, isn't often).

And yet, lo and behold, Cory and I actually had TWO dates in February this year! We went to the Stube (a fantastic German restaurant) with his sister Megan and her hubby Jason for Valentine's Day. We had a great time and an amazingly delicious meal. But unfortunately, the best photo of the night was of Cory's pork shank. The photo of us just wasn't flattering at all. Attempt number one to snap a "going out" photo = fail.

The following weekend we went to a unique, tavern-style restaurant called Flannery's with some friends. We LOVE Flannery's and we had great company to enjoy the food with that night. At the end of our meal I pulled my camera out of my bag to take some photos and my heart sank. I left my SD card at home in my computer so I couldn't take any photos. We took some pictures with our cell phones, but mine turned out blurry and Cory's somehow didn't get saved properly. So attempt number two to complete this assignment resulted in another failure.

That's when I began to think "outside the box." I determined that I didn't need a photo of Cory and I on a date in order to capture a "going out" moment. A perfect opportunity to check this task off my list presented itself on Monday. My mother, Dixon and I went shopping together in Gettysburg. We used to go shopping all the time together, but we realised that it's been years since we've had a day for just us. There are always reasons why we can't do it, and we both missed the fun of a good shopping day. So off we went! And don't you know it? I never took a blasted photo. Sigh.

This assignment has become my nemesis.

Tonight, exactly one month after the topic was posted for Joy Of Love, I got my shot. The kids and I went to Nana and Pap's house to celebrate Pap's 60th birthday. Becky, Barry and Emme were there as well and we enjoyed a tasty dinner and star-shaped cupcakes. It was a nice end to a beautiful day! And the best part for me? I got a photo! Certainly the kids with their grandparents at a birthday dinner counts as "going out" right? I think so!

What relief. What success.

Now I'm staying home for the next month.

{Together}

2011-03-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

I really, really loved this photography topic: Take a photo of yourself and your loved one together. Like most moms, I am behind the camera 99.9% of the time. I take photos of my family and all of our activities and love every second of it, but that means that I am very rarely in any of the photos. When my kids look through their scrapbooks and photo albums twenty years from now I want them to see their mom documented, too. I know that I enjoy seeing photos of my mom when she was younger, and I'm sure my kids will as well. So the task of taking a photo of myself with Cory was just the prompt I needed to get one more photo of myself "in the books". Plus, I love that the photo shows Cory and I together - I think this photo shows our connection to one another rather well.

This evening we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday at my sister and brother-in-law's home. I asked my sister-in-law, Megan, to take some photos of Cory and me and this is my favorite. What I love most about the photo is how comfortable Cory and I are with one another. We've been a couple for 17 years - yep 17! And I feel like I know this man as well as I know myself. We go together "like peas and carrots" and this picture shows that comfort well. I'm so thankful that my mother introduced us all those years ago, because I know I have the perfect man for me with whom to enjoy life. We definitely belong together.

{When They're Gone}

2011-03-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

"What is the overall feeling in the home when he / she is gone? What is different? Is the home cleaner, louder, messier, quieter, lonely?" This is one of the photo prompts that has really thrown me for a loop. Sure, Cory is gone a lot. He works long hours and is usually gone for the day before any of the kids or I am awake. But that is our normal life, our normal routine. Cory being "gone" isn't anything unusual. Occassionally he will go away on a trip for a few days, but that doesn't happen more than a handful of times each year. So when this Joy Of Love assignment was posted I was really at a loss as to what to photograph.

Then today happened. My sister Becky had a professional development day for school so I kept her little girl, Emme for several hours. We had lots of fun and I took some photos of Emme with the girls. And it occured to me: These photo assignments always come with the reminder that our loved one can be anyone. Well, I certainly count my sister and niece among my loved ones, so why couldn't I use this photo? Ta-Da!

When Becky is gone for training, home-visits or other work-related activities, Emme gets to visit other family members. Most often it is her great-grandmother, Mom-Mom, her grandmother, Nana, or me. And we LOVE playing with her and getting our baby fix! She is a very happy baby and her personality is developing quickly. Her eyes light up when she sees Clara, Sasha and Dixon as she loves to watch them and try to play like the big kids. Today I discovered that she even loves our dogs! I thought she would be afraid of them so I've always kept them outside when Emme is here, but today has been rainy and they were inside with us. Emme wanted to touch them and giggled every time they got close to her. In fact, the reason she is smiling in this photo is because the pups are right in front of her!

I love watching all of my nieces and nephews grow and become little people, and Emme is no exception. And I'm grateful that every now and then I have a chance to spend time with her while her mom is gone. She is a doll baby and we all love her!

{Face: A Portrait}

2011-03-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

After several days of no Joy Of Love blog posts, I NEED to get on the ball and churn out my last few photo assignments! I really thought I'd be done by now, but I've had a tough time getting pictures for these last days.

This particular assignment - take a picture of your loved one's face from the shoulders up - should have been an easy one. How hard is it to snap a photo of someone's face? Not very. But I wanted to get a photo of all of my beloved kids' faces together since I don't have any like that yet for this class. Not only is getting a decent picture of three kids difficult as one child inevitably won't be looking at the camera, has a drippy nose, blinks his or her eyes, or simply won't cooperate, BUT finding a time to get all three kids together when there is good natural light is nearly impossible. The latter reason is the one that really held me up. But today we had a two hour delay because of some light snow and ice, so we had a great opportunity to take advantage of the morning light that streams through our windows so beautifully.

This photo, while certainly not perfect, really captures the personalities of my three kids. Sasha is more reserved and is back a bit further than her siblings (even after I asked her to move forward), resulting in some shadows on her face and less sharpness (focus) of her features. But that's Sasha. She is often shy and reserved but happy to comply at the same time. She loves to please people and her face lights up with pride when she is told she did something well. Let me tell you, she does a LOT of things well! And she's rockin' her new haircut which she LOVES!

Dixon is just a little pip. After I was able to get his finger out of his mouth and his foot down from his face, I said, "Say cheese!" and he gave me a great smile. He is spunky, on the move, and wanted to be front and center for the photo. In fact, when he saw the girls sit down on the floor to take this picture, he plopped himself down between them instead of sitting beside Clara as I had wanted him to do. He knows what he wants and is determined to have his way! Love that little blondie.

And then there's Clara. Clara is the peacemaker, the one who wants everyone to be happy. She is just . . . sweet. While I was taking these photos this morning, Clara kept putting her arm around her brother and sister to squeeze them tightly together. I had to move her little fingers down from Sasha's shoulder because I didn't want to see them in the picture. But that's who she is: aways smiling, always happy, and always loving on her family. She's my doll baby.

These are the faces I love the most in this world. The love a mother feels for her children is beyond any other love that exists. There is nothing I wouldn't do for these kids to make sure they are happy, safe, and growing into the people God meant for them to become. These are the faces of my love.

{What They Say}

2011-03-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

As a mom of three kids who definitely entertain me with the things they say on a regular basis, I had lots of ideas for this Joy Of Love assignment: Simply capture something that a loved one says that melts your heart, shows the love between you, or makes you smile. Boy, do I have a list of doozies that my kids have said over the years! I love hearing the funny things that come out of their mouths that show their innocent creativity.

But I decided to focus on the little man today. He doesn't have a large vocabulary for an almost two-year-old, but he is picking up more and more words all the time. (Hopefully he'll start calling me "Mommy" instead of "Nana" soon!) One of his favorite things to say is "Choo Choo!" This boy loves, I mean seriously LOVES, trains. Cory and I - I mean Santa - got him a train table for Christmas and he has begun to collect motorized trains as well. Anything that has anything to do with a train is gold in his eyes. And lucky for him, there are very busy train tracks practically in our backyard. Trains choo choo past our house all. the. time. While the adults in the house find them a bit of a nuisance (especially Cory), Dixon is heaven. Every time he hears that first "choo choo" sound, he runs to the nearest door or window and choo choos back to the train. The joy in his face is priceless as he watches the train pass by. There isn't much that makes this kid happier than his choo choos!

So here is my boy looking for a train and saying "choo choo" this morning. Poor kid. I had to lie to him and tell him there was a train ouside to get this picture in the beautiful morning sunlight . . . but there was no train and even if there was one it would be on the other side of the house. He choo choo'd in anticipation anyway. What a good boy. Does that make me a bad mom? Perhaps I need to go by him another new train to make up for my fib.

Choo Choo, Dixon!

{Where}

2011-03-01T19:19:00.001-08:00

OK, so February is over and so is the Joy Of Love photography class. But I clearly have more assignments to complete so I plan to continue posting my photos until I'm done with them all. I have seven more after this one and am looking forward to completing each one!

Anyway, this topic - Where - was a pretty neat one. Where did we know that he was "the one"? Where did we fall in love? Where did we get married? Any photo that shows where some momentous event in a relationship happened works for this assignment.

The photo I chose was taken back in 1998 shortly after Cory and I became engaged. We had our engagement photos taken at the James Buchanan Birthplace in Mercersburg, PA because this is where Cory finally ("finally" because it took him four tries to get it done!) proposed to me. We stood on a little wooden bridge over a stream in the woods, exactly where Cory dropped to one knee and asked me to be his bride. This moment solidified our future together and I knew from then on that I would be with this man for the rest of my life. A year later we were married! From time to time Cory and I go back to the JB Birthplace with our kids and it's amazing to reflect on how our family has grown and changed over the years. The last time we were there - last summer - the girls and I discovered countless wild raspberry bushes and collected a big bowl full of them to enjoy at home. It's a beautiful place full of beautiful memories.

I had to photograph this picture to post since my scanner isn't even in the same room as my computer so the quality isn't that great. However, check us out! Cory was still fighting to hold on to his hair while I was still using a curling iron to roll mine under. GAH! We look so very young and innocent - we hadn't a clue what married life would be like or what was in our future. All we knew was that we were happy and wanted to be together forever. What a treasure this photo is and what a treasure our ever-growing relationship has become!

{Kiss}

2011-02-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be honest: This assignment terrified me. The goal was to photograph yourself kissing a loved one. Let me tell you, Cory and I are not fans of PDA. In fact, we sometimes feel weird just holding hands in public!

So when this Joy Of Love assignment was posted on February 15th - yes, it's taken me eleven days to get brave enough to do it - I majorly hesitated. But I do understand the purpose of the photo. People who love one another obviously do kiss, and it is kind of nice to have this picture. And I think it's important for our kids to see that we love each other. They sometimes ask us to kiss so they can "ooh" and "ahh" and talk about True Love's Kiss. They are definitely big romantics.
I bet that in thirty years they will look at this photo and treasure it for the love it shows between their parents.

So for those reasons, Cory and I bit the bullet and asked the girls to do a little photography session today. They each took some photos, and I must say they came out rather nicely! I don't know if Sasha or Clara took this one so I'll credit them both.

I've been kissing the same man for the past sixteen years and it never gets old. He is my True Love.

SMOOCH!!!

{Hands}

2011-02-24T19:57:00.001-08:00

I really liked this Joy Of Love assignment: Take a photo of your loved one's hands. Capture what those hands do that you love!

Clara often makes "I Love You" signs with her hands. She also likes to point her fingers and draw a heart in the air to send to Cory and me. She is awesome at showing her love with her hands.
I realize that her little five-year-old hands are growing bigger every day and it won't be long before she no longer wants to show her love for us so much. So for now I'm going to treasure each little gesture of affection. And I'm going to pray that she'll always want to draw hearts in the air for her family.

{Facebook}

2011-02-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

It was an unusual and unexpected assignment for Joy Of Love: Snag a photo from your loved one's Facebook page. Cory doesn't post lots of photos on FB, but I knew right away which one I would pick for this assignment.

This is his profile picture. It was taken towards the end of our Disney World vacation in May of 2008 and we both thought it was one of the best pictures (out of the thousand we took) from the week. We were relaxed, happy, and a whole lot goofy by this point. When the photo was taken we were sitting in the stands waiting for the Fantasmic show to begin. We obviously had some fun during the wait!

I often think about that trip to Disney World and to this day - almost three years later - I am convinced that it was the best week of my life. Cory and I had so much fun watching the girls (who were then just four and two years old) get caught up in the magic of princesses, fairies, pirates, and all things Disney. I think we got a bit caught up in the magic, too. We absolutely loved this trip!

{When They're Home}

2011-02-20T12:22:00.000-08:00

I feel like today's Joy Of Love assignment is very similar to the "Staying In" assignment, but that's okay. There are plenty of things to document about what my loved ones do when they are home.

Sasha absolutely LOVES to draw. Both she and Clara love anything art related, but Sasha has a natural gift for drawing. In fact, when she is home she spends the majority of her time drawing pictures - and she is amazing.

Today she drew this cute picture of herself giving Clara a present. While the drawing itself is sweet, it's the writing that goes with it that really pulled at my heartstrings. Here is what it says:

"I love my sister. She is nise to me. Sometimes we fite but I still love her. When she was in my momys belly I kist it for a pitcher. We like to play together in the dallhouls."

Sigh. Melt my heart. How I love that these girls love each other.

{Staying In}

2011-02-19T13:51:00.001-08:00

The assignment: What do you and your loved one do when you stay in?

It was actually tough to come up with an image for this one. As a family we don't have one activity that we do on a regular basis together. Sometimes we play games, sometimes Cory and I do little math or reading lessons with the girls, sometimes we play on the computers, and sometimes we watch tv. It really just depends on our mood. But there is one activity that we seem to do in cycles: we play Wii.

I believe we were one of the last American families to get a Wii. My mother actually asked us if we wanted one about four or five years ago for Christmas but we declined. Cory and I simply didn't want to be a video game family. But two Christmases ago Cory's parents decided to get Cory's sister's family and our family each a Wii as a family gift. I suppose we were ready to venture into the world of gaming because we agreed.

We don't play the Wii consistently. In fact, months can go by without any of us touching it at all. And then we'll go through spurts of playing it almost every day. Right now we are in one of those spurts. Clara is the best "Big Balls" player you'll ever meet. (That's what we call the obstacle course that has big swinging balls you have to run past.) Sasha loves to swordfight. And Cory and I have recently taken up Wii golf. Not to brag, but I went from a +20 on the 18 hole course to a +2 in about two weeks! It is quite addictive.

Since today is cold and windy - Old Man Winter is certainly back with a vengeance - the girls explored the Wii Fit game and did some yoga. Believe it or not, Sasha actually worked up a sweat doing those stretches and poses.

I suppose it's rather nice being a modern, video game owning family.

{Wedding Band}

2011-02-16T19:23:00.000-08:00

As the wise Dr. Rev. Harter says, wedding rings are "outward signs of an inward reality". When Cory and I became engaged we didn't put a ton of thought into our wedding rings. We had an idea of what we wanted and after looking at one jewelry store, we found it. On July 10, 1999 Cory placed a diamond and sapphire wedding band on my hand and I put a yellow and white gold band on his finger. We said "I do" and the rest is history.

I'm often reminded of Dr. Harter's words when I look at my wedding band, though. I love it not for its beauty but for what it represents. Cory gave me this ring when I was just 22 years old with the promise that he would love me forever. And love me he has.

This Joy of Love assignment was to photograph our loved one's wedding band or some other significant piece of jewelry. The ring was supposed to be on that person's hand, but Cory doesn't wear his ring. His outward symbol of the reality of our love and marriage is almost always in a drawer. It makes appearances on his hand on rare occassions: weddings and, well, weddings. Every now and then he'll put it on if we're going somewhere special, but not very often. It's not that he doesn't want to wear it (although I do believe he is uncomfortable with it on), but his job makes it impossible. His hand is in some compromising places on a daily basis and a ring would easily become lost forever if he wore it. I'll leave it at that.

I do love his ring. I had it engraved on the inside with the words, "My Valentine" and our wedding date. My Valentine by Martina McBride was the first song we danced to at our reception and Cory truly is my Valentine every single day our of lives.

{Routines}

2011-02-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

This photography challenge was to think about the daily routines in our loved ones' lives and capture one of them. Since I have school-aged kiddos, this was not a difficult challenge. We have all kinds of routines, from morning till night. So I just had to decide which one to photograph.

I'm not entirely sure why I chose the morning teeth brushing for this assignment. It may have been because this is something we obviously do every single day. It may have been because it is a totally mundane activity and one that is typically not given much thought. But I think it had more to do with the fact that it was an easy moment to capture. We are always, always in a hurry to get ready for school in the morning and the girls know that as soon as they are done eating breakfast they are supposed to go brush their teeth. So this photo required no work from me; I just had to follow them upstairs and snap away.

But if I want to get more introspective about this routine, I can see how capturing little moments like this one add to our childhood memories. Some of my favorite photos from my own childhood are just like this: my big sister and I sharing a toilet seat to go potty, me snuggling on my bed with my cat, and other everyday moments. I hope Sasha and Clara will look back at today's photo and remember something about our daily lives during this time.

And hopefully it won't be me yelling, "Hurry UP!!! We've got to go NOW!!!!"

{Generations}

2011-02-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

So I'm going to have to do some major "catching up" with this Joy Of Love class. I'm a few days behind . . . not that I'm surprised! Sometimes the assignment calls for a photo that I just can't take that day. That was the case with this one: Generations. We were to capture generations of our family in some way. Well, I forgot to take my camera with me when I saw my mother on the day of this assignment, so I had to wait until another grandparent moment appeared. I got lucky on Sunday when Cory's parents stopped in to see us for a bit.

Dixon absolutely LOVES his pap. He runs right to him whenever he sees him and gets overly rambunctious and excited. My fellow moms know what I'm talking about: Kid sees someone they like and they suddenly have more energy than they know what to do with and feel the need to show off as much as possible. Such is the case when Dixon sees Pap.

As Me-Me and Pap were getting ready to leave, Dixon literally flung himself down on the floor and began to whimper. He then got up and tried to escape out the door with them. So being the nice grandparents that they are, they came back inside and hung out for a few more minutes. Dixon would have been happy if they decided to stay forever.

Photo info: Taken in horrible lighting - overhead canned lights. Ick. Lots of shadows, especially on Dixon's head. I converted the photo to black and white to deemphasize the bad lighting and the "stuff" around Dixon and Pap.

{Eyes}

2011-02-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

I LOVE the topic of this Joy Of Love assignment. Simply get a crisp shot of your loved one's eyes, as they are "the window to the soul". If I'm being very honest, I have to say that I think my kids all have gorgeous eyes. I could stare at them for hours. My goal was to get a photo of all three kids together looking straight at the camera. But I rarely get the photo I see in my head, and that was the case today. By the time I was ready to take the photo Dixon was napping in bed and I was losing my best daylight. So instead, I took inidividual photos of Sasha and Clara.

Here is the photo I selected to use for the assignment:

This photo may not appeal to everyone, but I love it. I love that it isn't your typical, full-face photo. The crop makes it different and, I think, interesting. And more importantly, I LOVE how it captured Sasha's gorgeous blue-green eyes.

When Sasha was born she had intensely blue eyes. They almost look fake in some of the photos I have of her as a toddler because they are so incredibly blue. Then when she was about three or four years old they suddenly became more green. Now they are more green than blue, but they change depending on what she is wearing. Mysterious eyes, she has.

I also think she looks a LOT like her daddy in this photo. A LOT lot. The eyes, the eyebrows (those suckers will be waxed the moment she becomes self-conscious of them), the nose, the mouth . . . this little girl is her daddy through and through.

I love her.

{Dreams}

2011-02-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

What are the dreams of our loved ones? That is the topic of the next Joy Of Love photography assignment. I believe it took me all of a nanosecond to come up with an answer. In fact, I could fill a book with photos of our dreams as we are a family of goal-setters and dreamers. For this project I chose the dream that our entire family shares.

It has been almost three years since Cory and I took our princesses - then 4 and 2 years old - to Disney World. And to this day, we all agree that that was the best week of our lives. Sasha and Clara were in little girl heaven, completely caught up in the magic of Disney. And Cory and I were in our own heaven watching the joy on our girls' faces. It was a perfect week. So one of our family's dreams is to go back to Disney World. We talk about it all the time. If it weren't so darn expensive, we'd take a trip there every year. Unfortunately, we have to be financially responsible and that means waiting until we can comfortably afford to go the House of the Mouse.

When we planned our trip three years ago, the girls and I made a big paper chain to count down the days until we hopped on the plane to head south. We hung the chain - which was quite long since we counted down about 75 days - from a hook on the attic door which happens to be in their bedroom. Every day the girls took turns tearing off a link. It was so exciting to see the chain get smaller, especially as we got closer to the big day! When that day came I couldn't bear to tear off that last link. We had so much fun using the chain and it represented such wonderful anticipation that I didn't want to take it down. It remains there today!

Hopefully we will be able to return to land of magic soon. I'd love to go before Dixon turns three since kids stay, play and eat free if they are under three. He turns two in April, so the countdown will soon be on! This time I think Cory and I will surprise the kids with the trip. Kind of like the commercials on tv that show the parents telling their kids that they are going to go to Disney World that day and the kids jump up and down screaming with excitement. I always cry at those commercials! We can't wait to make our dream come true and feel the magic of Disney within us again!

*This photo is rather, um, yucky. I had to use my flash because there was no light in the room, and that resulted in horrible shadows and glare. I'm certainly not posting the photo because it's a great shot - it's simply to document the dream!

{Space: Where They Are Comfortable}

2011-02-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Clearly this assignment threw me, since I am two days late posting my photo. Spaces. Where does my loved one feel comfortable? Hmmm . . . .

Honestly, I can't think of a single spot in our home that one of us just gravitates to regularly. At least not for comfort. The girls are always either on the floor drawing or in their bedroom playing with dolls. Cory and I are often on our computers. And Dixon just runs around all over the place. None of us just lounge around and get cozy or have a special spot that is all ours.

So I had to really think about this one. Here's what I came up with:

Our puppies (well, they're not really puppies anymore, but that's what I call them) love - LOVE - to sleep on our couch. I can't blame them. It's really comfy. We keep them in a crate at night and when one one is home and they hate the crate, so when they are out they want to snuggle in comfort. The couch is their spot.

Sometimes they will sleep on the cushions, but usually they are on top of the corner of the couch. I have a Tastefully Simple blanket folded there that is super soft and they love it there.

This spot is also a favorite of theirs because they can see out the big windows when perched here. Fiki, the dog we had before these two entered our lives, loved to sit and sleep here too for that very reason. It's a great vantage point for keeping watch of what is going on outside of the house.

Our pups are almost always together, too. They are from the same litter and are inseperable. This photo of Perdy by herself is rather rare, but I can assure you that Jasmine is right below her on the cushions. Nice and comfy. What lucky dogs.

{Passions and Hobbies}

2011-02-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Nice lookin' rear end, huh? Today's Joy Of Love photography assignment is to photograph a passion or hobby of your loved one. My kids have tons of hobbies: they draw, they play with Barbies and American Girls, they dance and do gymnastics, they read, they watch tv, and Sasha is a Girl Scout. I don't think I've ever heard them say they are bored. Ever.

But I wanted to focus on Cory today. He often comments that I have lots of hobbies but all he does is work. Sadly, that isn't too much of a stretch of the truth. He has hobbies, but he doesn't have much time to enjoy them. However, there is one activity that he truly loves and tries to do as often as possible. My man is a proud owner of a 1969 Mach 1 Ford Mustang, and there isn't much he'd rather do than tinker with it and take it for a spin. When the weather is warm and sunny and Cory doesn't have any obligations, he can be found in the garage fixing up his car or washing it in the driveway before heading out for a drive. The girls LOVE to go for rides in "Daddy's fast car" and he's happy to take them with him. They often find an ice cream shoppe and enjoy a cool treat before coming home. And as obsessed as Dixon is with anything that has wheels, I am quite conident that he will take on Daddy's passion for the pony and be by his side in the garage on many warm summer evenings.

{Gift From the Heart}

2011-02-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

We are eight days into the Joy Of Love online photography class . . . and I'm already a day behind. :( Yesterday's assignment was Generations - take a photo to represent generations of your family. I had planned to get a photo of my kids with my mother on Sunday, but I forgot to bring my camera to the Superbowl party we were at. So that day will have to wait.

Today's assignment was to photograph the best gift your loved one has given you. I knew immediately what my best gift was (really, is): through Cory's hard work and total belief in the importance of raising our children ourselves, I have been able to be a stay-at-home-mom since the day Sasha was born almost 7 and a half years ago. I haven't missed a single milestone, a single silly moment, or a single opportunity to snuggle, play, and learn together. There is no better gift on earth than enjoying the formative years with your children.

Now, how do I photograph this gift? I thought about it all morning and finally figured it out this afternoon. When Cory and I were newlyweds we lived in southern Virginia. He was in veterinarian school at Virginia Tech and I was supporting us by teaching and waitressing at a Cracker Barrell. I made next to nothing. Teaching salaries get worse and worse the further south you go, and this was 1999. I believe I made $27,000 a year teaching. The waitressing was an absolute necessity to keep us afloat.

Long story short, I spent many, many days in my classroom dreaming about the day I could sit at home with my then unborn little girls watching Cinderella. Instead of trying to teach all those 8th graders how to write an essay, I wanted to be snuggling with my own children, sniffing their hair and getting lost in the magic of Disney with them. Being a mom has always been my dream and I could hardly wait to start a family.

So while it may be a bit odd, this photo captures my dream coming true. I've now watched Cinderella - and shelves full of other Disney and Barbie movies - with my little girls countless times. It never gets old. Sometimes I'll put a movie on for them to watch so I can do things around the house, but I always seem to end up on the couch with them, totally taken in by the same stories I've seen so many times before. This wouldn't be possible if it weren't for Cory and his support. He has given me my ultimate dream and I'll be grateful for him and his gift.

Now for the photography lesson. Today we were supposed to use our camera in FULL manual mode. I didn't realize this until after I took the photo, though. So I'll have to read the instructions more carefully for tomorrow and play around with my camera a bit more. Going fully manual scares me a tad, but I'm excited to give it a shot!

{Who THEY Love}

2011-02-06T18:57:00.000-08:00

As soon as I read the topic of today's Joy Of Love photography assignment I knew what I would do. Our task was to photograph someone or something that our loved one(s) love. Well, my girls are always taking about how much they love God. They think He is the greatest artist in the whole world, especially when they see a particularly gorgeous sunset. At the tender ages of 7 and 5, they know many of the stories of the Bible. In fact, when we read stories before bed they often want to read from one of their many childrens Bibles. They love the stories and learning more about who God is. One of the sweetest sounds I've ever heard is when one of them begins to pray all on her own - their little conversations with God are so pure and honest and they aren't at all embarrassed to speak to Him about what is on their hearts and minds.

Even though they don't know or understand much of God's word - who does, really? - they know that God loves them and is offering them eternal life in heaven. They know He is our Father and all good things come through Him. And as they get older they will discover just how deep God's love is, and they will love Him even more. What a beautiful thing.

{Love To Hate}

2011-02-06T09:45:00.001-08:00

What an intresting topic for our next Joy Of Love assignment! On Saturday we were challenged to think about something our loved one does that we simply can't stand. Something that annoys us to no end. Then we had to find a way to record that annoying habit.

Of course the first person I thought about was my dear husband. Because although I do love him, he has some habits that absolutely drive me up a wall. But his habits are kind of hard to capture on film. For example, he likes to make weird noises because the kids laugh, but I find it grating after hearing it a hundred times. And he knows it bugs me, so he does it all the more. What a sweetheart. ;)

But both Cory and I become highly, HIGHLY annoyed on an almost daily basis by one of our amazingly adorable children. It may be hard to believe that our little cherub-faced Clara could find a way to drive us nuts - sometimes to the point where yelling and tears ensue - but she does. And this is how.

Clara is a talker. Clara is also easily distracted. And finally, Clara doesn't care much about eating food. Put those three things together and you have a child who makes dinnertime a not-so-fun experience. We sit down to eat and all she wants to do is drink her milk, chatter about nothing, sing songs, or get up and show us a dance move. We find ourselves constantly saying, "Clara, put the milk down." "Clara, take a bite." "Clara, stop singing." "Clara, EAT!!!" Many times she ends up alone at the dinner table because everyone else has finished eating and she still has a full plate of food. It is beyond frustrating, especially if we have someplace to go in the evening.

This morning Cory made pancakes for breakfast so it was a bit difficult to capture Clara's typical distracted behaviour. Pancakes are one of her favorite foods and she gobbles them up without much prompting. But that look on her face - that ornery, "I have something to say" look - says it all. When it comes to mealtime manners, a princess Clara is not.

Flaws like this are a part of what makes us human and loveable, though. As the saying goes, Clara is not perfect, but she is perfect for us. And we love her completely . . . even during dinner.

{What They Wear}

2011-02-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

I just spent two days in Baltimore at Tastefully Simple On Tour, a high-energy, FUN conference where consultants receive training, recognition, inspiration and knowledge. We found out all kinds of super cool changes coming soon AND we got to taste the new spring / summer products that are coming your way. I had SO much fun! I'll share more when I'm allowed to (top secret stuff, you know), but I will say that if you have ever thought about hosting a fun taste-testing party OR if you have ever thought about partying for a living you need to do it n.o.w. I wish I could tell you why, but you'll have to trust me. This company just keeps getting better and better!

Anyway, because I've been in Baltimore this weekend I haven't been able to blog my Joy Of Love photos. I actually took Friday's photo yesterday morning before I left but didn't have time to post it. And I haven't even read today's assignment yet . . .

Yesterday's assignment was to photograph what our loved ones wear. As soon as I read the topic I knew I wanted Cory to be my subject. Cory doesn't dress like many men do for work. The dress shirts, ties, and suits that hang in his closet are worn to church, weddings, funerals and the occassional date. They certainly are not a regualar part of his wardrobe.

What does Cory wear to work every day? Layers. Lots of layers during the winter. He wears jeans (sometimes insulated), overalls, Under Armour tops, windbreakers, and finally coveralls. He has to wear so many layers because he is outside on dairy farms all day long. So there is no dressing up. While he does his best to stay clean, let's face it. It's hard to be a dairy vet and not get some yucky stuff on your clothes. So everyday he takes numerous coveralls and surgical jackets with him so he can change into clean ones between farm visits. I wanted to photograph him wearing his typical garb, but he refused. Once all of those layers are on, he looks about 35 pounds heavier than he is. So instead, I photographed a stack of his laundry that I folded. This is actually a rather small stack consisting of several pairs of coveralls and some Under Armour. Usually there are surgical jackets and clothes in the mix as well.

It's always interesting to do Cory's work laundry. Although I'll be honest and say that he almost always does his own wash. I just end up folding it for him. I find many items in the drier that most wives don't find: long plastic gloves (you can guess what they are used for), syringes, operating tools, tape, and needle caps to name some. Someday I hope we'll have a seperate laundry for his work clothes and the rest of the household laundry!

The other part of the photography assignment was to play around with the metering on our camera. The metering is what controls exposure. Depending on the composition of you photo and what you are photographing, you may decide to change the exposure and play around with the metering a bit. I took the same photo of Cory's pile of folded coveralls using three different metering settings. I liked this one the best because it kept the majority of the photo nicely exposed and the colors look natural and true.

I don't know that I ever would have photographed and documented Cory's work clothes if it weren't for this assignment and I'm glad that I got the nudge to do so. These little things are a part of our everyday lives - a part of the lives I love so much. The coveralls are also a symbol of how hard-working Cory is. He loves helping farmers take care of their herds and be more productive. He is passionate about what he does. I'm so grateful that he has such a strong work ethic and is such a wonderful provider. What a fantastic role model he is for our children!

We are very blessed to love the man who wears these clothes.

{Then and Now}

2011-02-03T18:20:00.001-08:00

My sweet Sasha Rose. My first-born baby girl. There is something about her that is so unique, something I can't even put into words. Perhaps this is a part of the oldest child mystique - we love them in a special way that can't quite be described. Sasha has definitely charmed us from day one and we couldn't possibly love her more!

For today's Joy Of Love assignement we are to photograph a change in someone. I'm sure I took the obvious path and chose to show how my first-born child has changed over the years.

This is my girl in January of 2006. She was two years and three months old and cute as could be. I vividly remember styling her hair in those "spouts" or "boingers". And look at that little button nose! Be still my heart. And here is my baby today, all seven years and four months old. Her hair has grown thicker and is often in ponytails or braids. Her little nose is now splattered with freckles. And her tiny baby teeth have been replaced by her permanent adult teeth. My baby girl is growing up.

A part of today's assignment is to get a tight, close shot of our subject. This can be done by taking the photo very cropped or by cropping the photo during post-processing. I chose to take the photo in a tight crop. I love how the focus is on my pretty darling and there is nothing distracting in the background.

Then . . . and Now. As much as I miss the higher-pitched baby voice, the tiny giggles, and the boingy hair, I'm so proud to watch how my daughter is growing up to be a lovely little lady.

I simply adore my Sasha Rose.

{How They Look}

2011-02-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

Today's Joy Of Love assignment is to capture how our loved one(s) look. The trick is to transfer that person's personality - the good, the bad, or the ugly! - into the photo. We are also to pay attention to how we compose the shot. In other words, make sure the camera is at the right height and angle to get the most flattering photo possible. This is one of the areas I think I've paid the most attention to lately. For many years I just snapped photos any which way. I have pictures of Sasha and Clara as babies lying on the floor and I stood next to them to take their pictures. Bad, bad, bad. I should have been lying on the floor at their level. Lesson learned. The position of the photographer is every bit as important as the position of the subject.

So here is today's Joy Of Love submission: How They Look. I chose to photograph my dear middle child, Clara. She is always smiling and happy. It is quite rare for her to get upset about anything. That's one of the things I love about her - she has such a sweet, uplifting nature. Plus, this girl loves pigtails. She asks for pigtails on a regular basis and looks so darn cute with her hair this way. In my opinion, pigtails make for the ultimate "little girl" look, so I will happily oblige and give Clara piggies anytime she wants them.

My Joy Of Love: Clara Grace

{What They Do}

2011-02-01T17:59:00.001-08:00

One of my dear friends told me about a fun online class being offered by Willette, a great photographer and blogger. The class runs throughout the month of February and is entitled, "The Joy Of Love". We are given an assignment each day along with some tips and examples, and our mission is to document different aspects of the ones we love throughout the month. Fun, right? So today was the first day and the assignment was to photograph "what they do". I didn't want to stage anything just for a photo, so I kept my camera handy throughout the day so I could catch those everyday moments with the kids. I took photos of the girls playing with Moon Sand. But I wasn't happy with the composition. Then I took photos of Sasha reading. But I wasn't happy with the light. I thought I'd just have to use a photo that was only so-so, until bedtime rolled around. Every night while we read stories and get ready for bed, Dixon climbs into Clara's bed and tucks himself in. He would sleep there all night if we let him! So here is my submission for our first "Joy of Love" assignement: What They Do:

And as I'm typing this, the little man is crying up a storm in his crib. He has become quite a night owl and wants to stay up with Cory and I until 10:00 or later. Usually we don't give in, but every now and then it's easier than listening to him scream and cry. I think I'll go get him now. Sigh.

Look for a daily photo and blog post from me this month as I attempt to keep up with all the Willette assignments! :)

Night, night!

{My Pages}

2011-01-27T06:38:00.000-08:00

Many months have passed since I last shared any of my layouts here. Well, I've been a total blog slacker in every respect so the lack of layouts should be of no surprise. Anyway, because all three kids are home and it's too yucky outside to go do anything I thought I'd spend a few minutes and share some of my creations with all of you. This is a handful of what I've done over the past several months. I'm looking forward to getting them printed in a book . . . someday! :)

{The Ticket}

2011-01-13T08:48:00.000-08:00

The Chambersburg School District has a system in place for handling discipline problems at the elementary level. When a student disobeys, he or she pulls a ticket. Depending upon the teacher, that may mean the student loses a privilege, gets a note sent home, or is separated from the other students. If they pull multiple tickets in one day, the parents will receive a phone call and further disciplinary actions may be taken. What I like about the ticket system is that it is consistent in every single elementary school in the district. I also like that it seems to be effective at keeping most of the younger kids "in line".

Our family was introduced to tickets last year when Sasha entered kindergarten. I'm proud to say that Sasha is very well-behaved at school. She doesn't want to get in trouble and wants her teachers to like her. So last year she was one of only two or three (I think) students in her class who didn't pull a single ticket. The only thing she got as far as I know was a warning for talking in the hallway. Not only were Cory and I proud of her, she was proud of herself.

First grade has been going much the same way. Sasha listens, does as she's asked, and is excelling at school. We couldn't be happier. Then on Monday of last week we got a bit of snow. Not much - just about an inch. And it happened. On Tuesday Cory met her at the bus stop. When they walked in the door I was greeted by big tears streaming down Sasha's face and she was sobbing about something I couldn't understand. Finally I made out what she was trying to say: She pulled a ticket. Her world came crashing down around her as she thought Cory and I would be mad and disappointed in her. Her perfect record was perfect no more.

So what did our dear, sweet girl do to pull a ticket? Did she cheat? Backtalk the teacher? Hit a classmate? Tell a lie? Talk out too much in class? Nope.

She threw a snowball.

And one of her friends told on her.

I had to laugh a bit when she told me what happened. She threw a snowball! Of all the things she could have done to get into trouble, this isn't anything major. I reassured her that it was ok and we weren't upset with her. In fact, I'm kind of glad that she finally did pull a ticket so she didn't have the pressure of being "perfect" all the way through school.

Of course, I also reminded her that she shouldn't have thrown the snowball and that someone could have gotten hurt. Kind of like last winter when I threw one towards her and busted her lip open because there was a chunk of ice in the snowball. Yikes!

I think this is a good lesson for Sasha. She's not perfect, but she sure is going to try hard to tow the line once again. Now if only I could enforce the ticket system here at home . . .

{Books of 2010}

2011-01-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

It's a new year! 2010 really did seem to go by in the blink of an eye. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, maybe it's because I've been busier than ever before, and maybe it's because time goes faster when you watch your children grow up. After all, my baby is going to be two years old in less than four months!

In 2009 I started writing down all of the books I read over the course of the year. It was fun to look back and see everything I had read . . . and I made it a goal to read more. So last year I did the same thing. I regret that I didn't read any more books than I did in 2009, but I did discover a new favorite author and got lost in many exceptional storylines. It was a great year of reading!

So here's my list of 2010 books in the order that I read them. Perhaps you will b inspired to pick up one of them and go for an adventure!

1. You Have To Kiss A Lot Of Frogs by Laurie Graff

I must admit that this is not a book I'd recommend. The plot was not very rich . . . in fact, I had to plug my way through just to finish it. Basically, a Jewish actress recounts all her failed dates and relationships and her struggles to find "Mr. Right". There are some moments of hilarity, but overall it just isn't a story that is inspiring or thought-provoking. I suppose it would make a good beach read if you want something mindless and light. Now that I think about it, I don't even remember if she finds a husband, although I don't think she did. My verdict: Skip this one.

2. Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore

Beth Moore is an amazing spiritual writer and teacher and I've learned more from her Bible Studies over the past couple of years than I have from all the years I spent at church, Sunday School, and church camps combined. This book focused on how to overcome pitfalls in our lives and how to live a life of positivity and happiness. It was a great read and really helped me look at myself in a different light so I can be a better person. I definitely recommend this one - and anything by Beth Moore!

3. Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip - Confessions of a Cynical Waiter by Steve Dublanica

As a former waitress (or "server" if you want to be p.c.), I know all about the frustrations and hardships of working in a restaurant. So this book was right up my alley. I LOVED it! The author became a waiter in a high-end Italian restaurant by chance and spent years there serving people from all walks of life. He describes all the secrets of the kitchen staff, managers, and servers - the good, the bad, and the disgusting. Not only was it a very entertaining read, it was also informative. If you ever wondered what is expected of you when you go to a restaurant (or what you can do to ensure the worst experience eating out), pick up this book and devour it! ;)

4. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Allow me to introduct to you my new favorite author: Francine Rivers! My sister-in-law lent me this book to read and gushed over it. Once I picked it up I did NOT want to put it down. It is set in the West during the Gold Rush and follows Angel, a young woman who was sold into prostitution as a girl. Then she meets Michael. Michael is a God-fearing man who wants to save Angel, but he soon realizes that that isn't going to be as easy as he hoped. The story is heartwrenching, gripping, and eye-opening. You can't read this book and not be changed by it afterwards. I love this book so much that I've given it to friends and family as gifts. If I could buy a copy for everyone I know, I would! RUN to your local bookstore and get this amazing work NOW!

5. Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

Like all of Picoult's novels, this one described an unusual legal case. A family is divided over whether or not to sue the prenatal physician for not giving them the option to abort a baby who was born with Brittle Bone Disease. The twist in the story is that the physician is also the mother's best friend. A beautifully written story, many hot issues are touched on that make the reader question her (or his) own beliefs. And the ending will definitely surprise you! A good - although sad - read!

6. A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers

I was so spellbound by Redeeming Love that I couldn't wait to read more by Francine Rivers. I chose this one next. It is the first in Rivers's Mark of the Lion series. Oh. My. Word. This book is so incredibly rich in history, scripture, and perfect storytelling! I learned an immense amount about what the world was like during the Roman Empire, just after Christ died. This period of time truly came alive for me. The main characher, Hadassah, is a Christian slave for a very prominent Roman family. She strives to introduce Christ to those she works for and loves, despite the fact that she could be sent to the arena (as in gladiators - yes, there are gladiators in this story, too!) as a result. It is a story of courage, conviction, and ultimate sacrifice that will leave you hungry for more. Thankfully, there are two more books that follow the characters.

7. Going Rogue by Sarah Palin

I don't read too many political books or autobiographies, but given the political climate of the past two years I couldn't pass by this one. After reading Palin's first book I am more convinced than ever that the media is totally self-serving and one-sided. The details Palin revealed about her experience running for Vice President alongside John McCain are eye-opening. I was shocked by how she and her family were treated, by the lies that were spread about them, and by how intelligent Palin is. She is an example of how hard, honest work can take you anywhere in life - even to the White House. I hope everyone, regardless of their political affiliation, gives this book - and Palin - a chance.

8. Little Bee by Chris Cleave

This fall I joined a book club. Our first book was Little Bee. I had never heard of this book before but apparantly it has been on many best sellers lists and is a common book club book. Set in both England and Africa, it is rich in history and cultural references. An English couple go to Africa for a vacation and find themselves caught up in a little-known African political war. Their involvement follows them home to England in the form of a girl named Little Bee. While this wasn't a favorite read of mine, it was fascinating in many ways. I think most people would enjoy the story and it is a fairly quick read, too.

9. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer

In 2009 I got sucked into (pun intended) the Twilight series. And like most Twilight fans, I was disappointed when I had finished the last book and had nothing left to look forward to with Edward and Bella. Thankfully, Stephanie Meyer wrote a novella that follows one of Victoria's newborn vampires she created to kill Edward. Readers get a look at a totally different type of vampire and see the final battle between Victoria and her army and the Cullen family in a completely new light. It's a fast read and will satisfy your thirst for more Edward and Bella.

10. The Ten Best Days of My Life by Adena Halpern

While at Tastefully Simple's National Conference last summer I attended a breakout session on self-motivation. The speaker emphasized the importance of reading inspirational books, and this is one that she spotlighted. The story follows a 20-something woman who has a seemingly unimportant life with little direction or purpose. When she is tragically killed, she enters Heaven and is amazed at how wonderful it it. But to stay there she must write an essay about the ten best days of her life. If it is good, she will stay at that level of Heaven. If not, she will go down to a less "perfect" level of Heaven. Yes, levels of Heaven is a rather ridiculous concept, but the self-discovery she attains by analyzing her life and the lessons she learns make the book a great read. And it really does leave the reader inspired to make the most of each day.

11. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Get ready to be transported to China during the 1800's. A wonderfully crafted story about two young girls from different social classes whose lives are brought together by old Chinese customs, this book gives the reader a very detailed look at what life was like in China during this time period. There are parts that are difficult to read - especially the foot-binding chapter - and parts that leave the reader feeling very proud of the female characters who made the best out of bad situations. I highly enjoyed this novel and recommend it if you want to read something from a different culture and time period.

12. The Help by Kathrn Stockett

Oh my, I LOVED this book! I've always been a HUGE lover of African American literature so this one was right up my alley. It is a story of black maids in the south and their relationships with the white families (mainly the women and children) they served. Set in the 1960's during the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, the novel is full of historical references and the voices of the women are extremely vivid. It is almost like you are peeking inside the windows of peoples' homes and witnessing life during that volatile time period. I can definitely understand why this book has been so widely popular and on so many best sellers lists. It's a knockout!

13. An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers

I ended the year with Rivers's second novel in the Mark of the Lion Triology. I didn't think it could be any better than the first, but I was wrong. I was yet again blown away by the way Rivers teaches about history and about Christianity by weaving the past and scripture into a beautiful story. I found myself thinking about the characters non-stop and had a hard time putting the book down at night. This is another book that will stay with me for a long, long time. Go out and get it and be prepared to be swept away!

And that's it! Thirteen novels. Not bad, but definitely not what I had hoped to read. I have a feeling that this year I'll be reading LOTS more books because my sweet hubby bought me a Kindle for Christmas! YAY! Now I can easily take my books with me wherever I go and I've already discovered that I read much faster on the Kindle than I do with regular books.

I'd LOVE to hear about some of your favorite books from the past year! What did you enjoy? I have a running list of books I want to read and am always adding to it, so please share!

Here's to a great, inspiring, and positive 2011!

{Christmas in the City}

2010-12-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

New York City. There's something magical about that place, wouldn't you agree? My family is fortunate enough to live a little less than four hours away from the Big Apple, and we love to visit as often as possible. Sadly, it's been a loooong time since Cory and I have been there (I think two years). So a couple of months ago I asked Cory if he'd like to go to the city for a weekend in December - just us, no kids. Of course he agreed!

Last Friday afternoon we said goodbye to the kids - THANKS MOM for taking them for the weekend!!! - dropped the dogs off at my dad's house - THANKS DAD for taking the pups!!! - and headed north. It was a bit strange to have hours of driving time with no kids yapping or fighting or crying in the back, but we managed to survive the silence. ;) We stopped for dinner in Harrisburg and then drove up to New Jersey where we stayed overnight. The only drawback to going to NYC during the holidays is the price of hotels - we could only afford to stay in Manhattan one night for the price of three to four nights during the rest of the year - OUCH!

On Saturday morning we drove the remaining 40 minutes into the city. The sight of the skyline is always breathtaking. It's just amazing that man can construct a city of this magnitude!

We had a great view of Lady Liberty's backside. I have never visited Ellis Island because I'm afraid of getting sick on the ferry, so I have to be content with views like this one.

We quickly approached the Holland Tunnel. This is the time I really start to get excited - almost there!

We easily found the Hilton - a beautiful hotel, by the way - checked in, freshened up and headed outside. This was the first time we had been to NYC during Christmas and we soaked in all the gorgeous, larger-than-life decorations.

These huge nutcrackers were in front of the columns of a huge building - I think it may have been a bank but I'm not certain.

One of the many fountains had a super cool train puffing away in its center. Dixon would have loved this!

Radio City Music Hall had a gorgeous tree and all kinds of lights out front - the tree was very tall and I couldn't get the whole thing in the photo.

Another fountain had gigantic ornaments perched in the water. The color was so vivid and the details were amazing. Even the hooks looked real!

There were lots of "characters" on the streets: Winnie the Pooh, Dora, Cookie Monster, and Spongebob to name a few. When I saw Christmas Minnie I took a couple pictures of her and she asked if I wanted my picture taken with her. I foolishly said yes. Foolishly because after Cory snapped the photo she held out her Minnie stocking and expected payment. Grrr . . . we learned our lesson to not do that again!

Soon we came upon the one thing I wanted to see most - the Rockefellar Christmas Tree. I've watched the tree lighting ceremony for years and always follow the story of where the trees come from. The trees look so incredibly regal on television and I couldn't wait to see this year's tree in person.

Here it is!

Now for my honest truth: Cory and I were a bit disappointed. The tree was big and lovely, but I guess we were expecting . . . more. It looks much bigger on tv. Oh well.

Now for the shopping! You can't go to NYC and not SHOP! There were two places I knew I wanted to go (and neither was a place for me!). We hit American Girl Place first. This store was an absolute ZOO! The line just to get in to the store was almost a city block long. Thankfully, the line moved quickly. Once inside, it was shoulder-to-shoulder packed with people. Cory and I were SO thankful we didn't have kids with us because it would have been a nightmare trying to keep track of them in those crowds while trying to shop. But we definitely want to bring them there soon. They've been begging to go and were actually quite upset when the found out we were going to the cith without them. I'm hoping the AG story is less crowded during the summer!

We made it out of the store with gobs of goodies for both the girls' new dolls that their Me-Me and Pap are getting them for Christmas and for the dolls they already have. Yes, they are spoiled little girls! But how can we resist?

After taking our loot back to the hotel it was almost time for the main event - BROADWAY!!! I was able to get tickets to a show that I have heard SO much about - Promises Promises! I really didn't think I'd be able to get tickets because the show has gotten so much positive press adn I was sure it would be sold out. But I got them!

The show starred Sean Hayes (from Will and Grace fame), Kristen Chenoweth (think Pushing Daisies, Glee, and a number of other awesome shows), and Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live, baby!) as well as several other well-know actors from film and tv. These folks did NOT disappoint! We were laughing our pants off, crying, and pinching ourselves over the fact that we were really seeing this spectacular performance. Sean Hayes must be an ad-lib pro because he had Kristen Chenoweth in stitches at least four times to the point that she had to collect herself to go on. Hilarious is not a strong enough word to describe those moments! If you ever get a chance to see Promises Promises, GO!!! It ranks up there as one of the top three Broadway shows I've ever seen.

After the show was over we wandered around the city trying to find a good place to eat. I know that sounds weird because NYC is studded with amazing restaurants, but most of the great ones had long waiting lists and the others just didn't appeal to us for one reason or another. We went back to our hotel and asked the concierge for recommendations. She got us a reservation at a French-American restaurant called Cognac.

Our appetizer - a goat cheese, tomato and thyme tart - was fantastic! My meal of beef bourguignon was very tasty as well, but Cory found his steak meal a bit lacking in pizazz. We switched plates halfway through and I thought the steak had great flavor, but the cut wasn't the best. The service was just okay as well. So overall it was a restaurant that was mediocre and we probably wouldn't go back - especially knowing how many top-notch restaurants we have yet to explore!

After dinner we headed back out into the cold air to enjoy the lights at night. Times Square was packed and full of energy. The New Year's Eve countdown ball was up and ready to go in a few weeks. There is so much to take in in the city at night!

Surprisingly, despite the freezing temperatures the Naked Cowboy was in Times Square doing his cowboy thing! I don't know how he can stay out there in his tighty-whities during the winter - brrr!!! I did get yelled at (well, me and dozens of others) by evangelists because by taking photos of the Naked Cowboy and paying attention to him I am "glorifying all that is evil and wicked". I can't really argue with that, but I also know that sometimes it's okay to just have some innocent fun. Rock on with your bad self, Cowboy!

The next morning Cory and I walked to our favorite Trattoria for breakfast - Daniela's. This is the one restaurant that we - "we" meaning us, my mother, my sister, and my grandmother - eat at at least once every single time we visit New York. The food is fantastic and affordable and the staff is the best! I couldn't wait to get my oatmeal. Seriously, I have dreams about this oatmeal. It requires no milk or brown sugar becuase it is so creamy and sweet already. And it's loaded with strawberries and bananas. YUM! Cory had an omelette stuffed with feta cheese, mushrooms and olives and he loved every bite of it. If you go to the city, you MUST visit Daniela's!

We had a few hours before we had to check out of our hotel so we walked the streets and did some more shopping. We had already hit Toys R Us the night before so we wanted to go to some grown-up shops. Did I mention our kids are spoiled?

Cory wanted to check out Sketchers. We almost always come home from the city with new Sketchers, so this was no surprise. We got a pair for Cory, Sasha, Clara and Dixon - everyone but me. Check out Dixon's first pair of Sketchers (the one in front) - they light up when he walks!

Before we left home we asked my mother and sister if they wanted any Crumbs cupcakes. I first heard of Crumbs in a magazine where they were featured as a hot new item. When my mother and sister went to the city they found one of the bakeries and the rest is history. We've been enjoying Crumbs cupcakes ever since! Cory and I came home with a dozen cupcakes in a variety of delicious flavors, some for us and some for Mom and Becky.

We continued to walk around Bryant Park and visited all the little shops set up around the park. One of them was called Bald Man Chocolate. They gave us samples and we were sold! My dad was the beneficiary - hope he's enjoying his chocolates! One of the cool things they had was chocolate syringes. They are real medical syringes filled with melted chocolate that you shoot into your mouth. Oh. My. Word.

It was cool to see the ice skaters at the park skating beside another huge Christmas Tree.

One of the shops had all kinds of vibrant, gorgous clothes, pillows, blankets, jewelry and more, all made in India. I picked up something for Sasha here. Check out the colors!

I asked a nice man to take a picture of Cory and I in front of the Bryant Park tree. I'm not looking so hot - did I mention it was COLD? - but this is the only picture we have of the two of us together from the weekend.

There were lots of other cool little shops around the park, including a puppet shop that was amazing. Cory was ready to plop down some green for mermaid and princess puppets for the girls but he resisted.

We finally headed back to the Hilton to check out. We found one more neat decoration - a huge strand of lights. You just don't see stuff like this in small-town America!

We had a fantastic weekend together. It went by WAY too quickly. We didn't get to do everything we wanted to do, like check out the window displays on Fifth Avenue, but we just didn't have enough time. Hopefully we can do it again next year and take in another great show. Christmas in the city is amazing!

Until next time, New York!

{DSD 2010!}

2010-11-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

It's officially DSD 2010! What is that, you ask? Digital Scrapbooking Day! If you are one of my fellow digi scrappers you know all about this "holiday" and are itching to shop the great sales and scrap all weekend. If you are scratching your head and wondering what on earth I'm talking about, keep reading . . . and then explore ScrapMatters to get started on your digi scrap adventure! :)

This year ScrapMatters is having an AWESOME DSD weekend full of sales, special events (speed scraps, chats, and games), and even a mega Design Team Collab kit that you can get for free! Check it out:

Want to see the kit in more detail?

Isn't it gorgeous??? The rich colors and detailed elements (plus check out all those alphas!) are perfect for all your fall layouts and for those everyday moments that are so important to document. You should see the stunning layouts and projects that are being created with this loaded kit already - they are just fantastic! The best part is that you can have this entire kit for FREE with any $20 purchase at ScrapMatters during the DSD celebration!

So to kick off this fun weekend of scrapping I'm participating in the ScrapMatters blog train - you can pick up LOADS of goodies by hopping from blog to blog! You likely arrived here from Becky's BLOG. I'm giving you a pre-shadowed frame cluster using "Many Thanks". I hope you like it and can use it to preserve some memories!

Image is linked to the download.

The next stop on the train is Lori's BLOG and I know she has something great for you!

Make sure to stop by ScrapMatters and stock up on all the high-quality, original designs there while they are on sale! Happy DSD everyone!

{Surprise!}

2010-10-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm really blogging! It's been almost two months since I've blogged, and my last few posts haven't even been about my family. The reason for my slacking? Well . . . I've simply been focusing on other things. Lame explanation, I know, but it's the truth.

Anyway, I'm not even going to attempt to recap all the news of the past few months. That would take way too long! So I'm going to start with the here and now and just move forward.

September is always an exciting month for my family - not just because it's the start of school and a new season, but because it's Sasha's birthday month! The countdown begins on the 1st of the month and the excitement builds as the days tick by. So I asked Sasha if she wanted to do anything special for her big day and she immediately said yes. She wanted to get her ears pierced.

Now, I must preface this story with some background. Earlier this summer Sasha decided she wanted to get her ears pierced, so her Nana, Daddy and I took her to Claire's to get it done. We were so excited! I kind of wanted her to be a bit older, but she seemed ready and I gave in. Anyway, she was nervous and I had to keep reassuring her she would be ok. Nana even got a second ear piercing first so Sasha could see it was no big deal. Long story short, we ended up leaving with her ears bare. She totally flipped out and left in tears.

So when Sasha requested getting her ears pierced for her birthday, I was hesitant. She insisted she was ready this time and it was just about all she talked about for the days leading up to our trip back to the mall.

Well . . . once we were in the store and I had filled out all the paperwork Sasha once again let fear consume her. So little Clara (who just turned five) hopped up on the chair and got hers pierced.

Check out her sparkly blue flowers!

We asked her if it hurt and she replied, "Just a little bit." She didn't flinch, cry, or complain one single bit. What a brave girl. I was able to eventualy talk Sasha into sitting on my lap to get hers done. The ears were swabbed with alcohol, the dots were made with a pen, and her hair was clipped back. And that's as far as she got. I think she turned every head in the store with her screams and cries, and she thrashed her way out of my arms onto the floor. The poor girl is simply terrified of anything that might cause the slightest bit of pain.

What was supposed to be Sasha's special birthday treat turned out to be Sasha's special torture and Clara's surprise gift. Go figure.

On her actual birthday - which was Thursday - I took cupcakes to her school during lunch. Clara and Dixon and I stayed with her for her lunch time and I could tell she was in her glory. I soaked it up because I know it won't be long before my presence in her school will be a source of embarrassment. ;)

She decided she wanted to go to Cluggy's and Red Lobster that evening, so that's what we did.

All three kids got sweaty, dirty and exhausted - and they all slept really well that night!

Today we held her birthday party here at our house. Her past two birthday parties have been major events - a farm party for her 5th and a wedding party for her 6th - so this year she had a simple pizza party. She and her friends painted pumpkins and pummeled a pinata, but the rest of the time was spent playing in the backyard, eating pizza, and just having fun.

How I became the mom of a seven-year-old is beyond me. I'm only 25! :)

Happy Birthday, Sasha Rose! I look forward to another year of ups and downs with you - you sure do know how to keep us on our toes!

{Birthday Blog Train!}

2010-08-06T04:27:00.001-07:00

What a celebration! This weekend the fabulous digital scrapbooking store, Scrap Matters, turns 3! I fell in love with this store shortly after it debuted, and it continues to be my favorite digi site on the web. The community is so incredibly positive and upbeat and the gallery inpires me every time I visit. Plus, the designers . . . my goodness, do the designers ROCK!

So in honor of three amazing years of bringing the world creativity and inspiration, Scrap Matters is having a birthday bash all weekend long. See my previous post for the details! Today the designers and creative team members are giving away freebies made with Cupcakes & Candles, the huge birthday collab kit that you can get FREE with a $20 purchase during the birthday celebration! You probably came here from Val's blog. If you have missed any part of the train up to this point, you can head to Scrap Matters to get the entire blog train list.

Before I give you my freebie I will share one of my favorite birthday memories. Every girl looks forward to her Sweet 16, right? It's the big year when something magical is supposed to happen to turn a girl into a young woman . . . maybe it's the right to get a driver's license, or date, or just be considered more grown up. Anyway, 16 is supposes to be big and important and is worthy of a huge celebration. Well, my 16th birthday just happened to fall on Easter Sunday. No big party for me! All my friends were obviously with their families for the weekend and I had no one but family to "party" with.

It turns out that I have a pretty amazing family. We used to go to a family cabin in the mountains every Easter and Thanksgiving and spend the day there eating, playing games, going on hikes, and watching for wild turkey and deer. This Easter was no different. We packed the trucks and headed up the bumpy dirt road to the cabin. When we arrived, my aunt and uncle had been there for a few hours already to get the woodstove going and heat the cabin for the rest of us. I walked inside and . . . TA-DA!!! There were streamers and balloons throughout the cabin and a sign that had a Happy 16th Birthday message on it for me! Everyone in the family was in on my surprise and it made me feel so special and important. My birthday turned out great - perhaps even better than had I spent it with friends.

And wouldn't you know it, my next "big" birthday - my 21st - also fell on Easter weekend? That's a whole other story . . .

OK, now for the portion of this post you are all here for! Here is my gift to you today: a frame cluster perfect for any birthday photo OR any celebration photo you may have! Think about New Year's Eve, graduation, and other events where you celebrated with others.

You can grab the cluster HERE. I hope you enjoy it!

Your next stop on the blog train is the fabulous Stefanie's blog. Enjoy picking up the rest of the freebies, and don't forget to celebrate with everyone at Scrap Matters all weekend long!

{Birthday Sale!}

2010-08-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Make sure you head over to Scrap Matters starting tomorrow - FRIDAY, AUGUST 6th - for amazing sales, fun games, and great prizes! It's going to be a birthday bash not to be missed!

{FREEBIE!!!}

2010-06-30T07:55:00.001-07:00

To all my digi scrapping friends out there, I'm giving away a template on Sarah Bennett's CT blog today. Here is the template:

It really is a 12x12 template - I used a white background that you obviously can't see - whoops!

Anyway, check it out and get the download link HERE I included an example layout using the template there as well. Hope you enjoy it and USE it!!!

{Dutch Wonderland}

2010-06-17T07:18:00.001-07:00

Sasha and Clara both had another successful school year, so Cory and I decided to treat them to a special, fun-filled day at Dutch Wonderland. Neither Cory nor I had been there since we were kids, so we were excited to see how much had changed and how well we remembered the park.

The girls were ready to be princesses and entered the castle gates very excited to ride some rides! The first ride they chose was the Space Shuttle. I happily stayed on solid ground with Dixon to take photos. My daredevils scored the front seat!

Next up was the froggy ride.

A few rides later and it was time for the ultimate . . . the ride Cory and I remember best . . . the FUN SLIDE!!!

I lost count of how many times the girls raced back up to the top for another slide downhill. I went down twice, too! FUN!!!

Then it was time for one of my personal favorite rides - the Flume. Sadly, I couldn't participate because Dixon couldn't ride, so I just took more photos.

Cory was in his glory!

Both the girls LOVE roller coasters, and there are two at Dutch Wonderland. They happily rode them both!

While Dutch Wonderland is completely geared towards the younger kids, there really isn't anything for kids Dixon's age to do. He was big enough to ride a couple of the rides, but because he isn't walking yet the ride attendants wouldn't let him. Boo!

One thing he definitely CAN do is eat ice cream! It was a hot day, so this mid-afternoon break was refreshing. Sasha's blue raspberry ice turned her entire mouth Smurf blue by the time she was done. She was a bit mortified when she finally saw her reflection in a mirror!

There is a nice little waterpark that cooled us off even more. It was a bit tough to keep track of the girls as they ran around from slide to slide, but they had so much fun and we managed to snap a couple pics, too.

My boys. I adore this photo! Such joy!

This girl could have stayed in the water area all day. Aside from hitting her head on one of the slides, this was a perfect afternoon spent.

And my boy thought these water spouts were neat-o. He kept sticking his head in them and trying to catch the water. I think he was just so hot that the cool water was heaven for him!

By the time we were done, he was tuckered out. He fell asleep about 30 seconds after I sat him in his stroller. As it turns out, this was a mistake. He has been battling a nasty case of diaper rash ever since due to sleeping with his wet swim diaper on. Poor guy. I feel so bad for him and learned to NEVER leave a wet swimmer on him again!

While Dixon slept, the girls and I took the Skyline across the park and back again. It was a nice way to relax and see parts of the park that we had missed. We even caught part of a diving show!

While up in the air we caught sight of the Princess, Prince, and Dragon behind stage getting ready to perform. Sasha and Clara kept yelling, "Hi Princess!" and they all looked up and waved to us. The girls thought that was amazing!

We had the obligatory carousel ride.

And a few fun pictures to remember the day.

We went back to the Fun Slide, and this time there were different attendants who let Cory take Dixon down the big slide. He LOVED it!

Our final ride for the day was on the train.

Farewell, Dutch Wonderland! What a fun way to spend a summer day!

We actually left the park just before an ENORMOUS storm hit. We were actually driving on the highway and looking at huge black chunks of sky trying to see if there was a funnel somewhere. It was one of the most ominous looking skies we've ever seen! It poured SO hard and we were grateful to find a restaurant to stop at and get out of the rain.

If you get a chance and are in the PA area, head to Dutch Wonderland. It's a great family spot!

{Just the Highlights}

2010-06-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

In an effort to share with you some of the things that have been happening in the lives of the Meyers clan during the past month or so since I've blogged, I've decided to post just the highlights. One photo of each of the more standout events and that's it. Let me tell you, narrowing it down to just one photo was hard! But here we go . . .

My grandmother, Mom-Mom, has been a member of the Calamity Kitchen Band for as long as I can remember. It's been a while since the band has played together, and in fact, only two of the original members are still in the band. My Mom-Mom is one of them. Her church has a Mother - Daughter banquet every Mother's Day and this year her band was asked to be the entertainment. Fun! She was really nervous, but they all did great! It was very entertaining. In between songs they would tell jokes that were hi-lar-i-ous. I have some great video of their performance, which is cool because this was their last one ever.

Mom-Mom is the pianist. She also did all the speaking for the group. Proud of you, Mom-Mom!

Sasha had a couple of field trips this spring and I was able to chaperone one of them. Her class walked down the street to our local bank and learned about money and how banks operate.

On May 15th, one of my cousins got married. It was a beautiful wedding - the bride was stunning! We went to State College for the event and got to spend several hours with my dad's side of the family who we rarely get to see. I wish we could do that more often!

Clara enjoyed the end of another preschool year with a class party at a local park. They played, participated in games, and had a picnic lunch. Because Clara's birthday is in the summer, we sang Happy Birthday to her and had cupcakes. That was followed by the graduation ceremony (Clara determined she wants to be a mommy when she grows up) and a candy scramble.

A couple of my friends and I took our girls to a tea house for a very special and very girly tea party. We each had our own pot of tea (or hot chocolate) and an array of gourmet tea sandwiches and scones. The girls were in heaven!

Perhaps the most important event in our recent lives was the birth of Emme. I'm still wrapping my brain around the fact that my little sister is a Mommy! Becky is proving to be an amazing mom and Emme is a fantastic baby. We are very blessed to have this little girl join our family.

After a loooooong year of dance classes (three hours of studio practice every Wednesday evening), the girls finally ended the dance year with a recital. This year Sasha danced in two numbers - jazz and ballet - and Clara tap danced in one number. Thankfully, they were in the same recital this year. They both did a wonderful job and looked adorable in their costumes. We're so proud of them!

This Thursday Sasha graduated from kindergarten. She had a great year and absolutely loves her teacher. We were thrilled that she was recognized as being one of the top readers in her class. She loves to read and she spends just about every waking minute writing stories and illustrating them. She has learned so much this year! We are extra proud of her because she is one of only two or three students in her class who didn't pull a single ticket all year for discipline problems. She may not always listen at home, but she listens at school! Love you, Sasha!

Yesterday we took the kids to Dutch Wonderland to celebrate the end of their school year and the end of dance. I promise I will be back soon with some pictures!

{Still Alive}

2010-05-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

What happened to that resolution to blog more frequently? Ugh. I sit down to blog and a hundred other things steal my focus. I'll be back soon . . . I think. . .

{Choo Choo! It's the SM iNSD Blog Train!}

2010-04-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome fellow digi scrappers to my stop on the ScrapMatters iNSD Blog Train! What an awesome ride it is, huh? There are so many fantastic freebies to be had with the new SM Design Team Collab, "Moments That Matter" and I'm excited to be a part of this special day. You likely just left Stephanie's blog HERE. What a great freebie she has!

If you don't already know, Scrap Matters is giving away a HUGE collab kit called "Moments That Matter" when you purchase $20 worth of products during the iNSD celebration going on now. The kit is beautiful! It is perfect for documenting engagements, weddings, baptisms, and every special moment you can think of. The colors are soft and tender and the elements are original and simply perfect.

Since we are celebrating special moments in our lives with this kit, here is a moment that really mattered to me in my life.

My husband and I were given an adorable puppy by one of my students about two years into our marriage. The puppy was a mix of Chihuahua and who knows what, but man was she cute. We named her Rafiki, or Fiki for short. Fiki quickly worked her way into our hearts. She had so many little quirks that we loved and her personality was one of a kind. My husband had an especially close bond with her. Fiki would sit on the top of the sofa and watch for him to come home when she knew it was about that time. She waited at the top of the stairs for him to finish showering and changing for the evening and then followed him downstairs for some lovin'. She was a joy in so many ways.

Sadly, one evening I let her outside to do her business and she never made it inside again. I heard people shouting outside and just knew in my gut that she was hit by a car. My husband cradled her in his arms and we showered love and tears on her as she left this world. We said goodbye to our friend of almost eight years. The pain of losing Fiki was unbearable. Not only were my husband and I heartbroken, but our little girls were devastated. To this day, over a year and a half after Fiki died, they will break out in tears and say they miss Fiki. I suppose it's good for them to experience loss, but it sure is hard to deal with as a parent.

Although we swore we wouldn't get another dog for a long time, the emptiness that we felt without our Fiki was overwhelming. We started looking at rescues online and quickly found a cute little Chihuahua mix puppy who had the most soulful eyes ever. I knew she was meant for us. After contacting the rescue and going through the application and interview process, we drove several hours to another state to bring our new puppy home. As it turned out, there were two puppies available: the one we had claimed and one of her sisters whose original adoptive "parents" had to back out of the deal. My husband and I agreed to take both puppies and our girls were thrilled! This moment, seeing how excited our girls were to have two new puppies to love and feeling the excitement ourselves, was monumental. Although we would give anything to have Fiki back in our lives, we know that she would be thrilled to know that we are now sharing our home with two puppies who almost had horrible lives. Out of loss comes new life, and in our case it was new life times two!

Our sweet Fiki, just a few months before we lost her. How I miss that adorable little face!

Our girls and new puppies the day we adopted them from the rescue.

Well, now that I've shared an important moment in my life, how about we get on to the reason you're here? The freebie! I had a lot of fun making this gift for you, although it was hard to stop myself from making an entire layout with all the gorgeous elements and papers!

Here is the preview of the "Moments That Matter" kit and my freebie:

And here is the freebie: one 12x12 layered paper! All you have to do is add your photos and elements and you'll have a gorgeous layout!

Download the free layered papers HERE.

*** Download link has expired.***

Now you must chug along to the next stop on the train ride around the world! Your next destination is Cyndi's blog. Click HERE to read about her moment that matters and pick up your next freebie.

Happy iNSD!

{Let him eat CAKE!}

2010-04-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

It started out innocently enough. A little boy celebrating his first birthday with a chocolate fudge cake.

By the time he was almost done, this was the result.

Want to see some of this enjoyment in action? Here you go!

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that my baby is now one. I can still remember what it felt like when he moved around in my womb, and can still feel his warm dampness when he was placed in my arms for the first time. As exciting as it is to watch my children grow, I am sad that they will never be my itty bitty babies again.

Happy Birthday, Dixon! We love you to the moon and back!

xoxo

{A Challenge and a Freebie!}

2010-04-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

I'm hosting a fun challenge at Scrap Matters called Roadmap To Scrap. I give you eight instructions and you create a layout follow the rules! Here's the layout I made for the challenge:

You get a point for completing the challenge (plus an extra point if you use a newly released product!). At the end of the month you'll get a discount at the Scrap Matters store based on the number of points you've earned! Awesome, right? Check out the challenge HERE.

I hope all you digi scrappers play along!

I've also created a free template for you!

Check out THIS post to grab it!

Just a reminder, International Digi Scrap Day (IDSD) is coming up fast! May 1st is the official day, but Scrap Matters and many other great digi scrap sites will be celebrating all week. You'll definitely want to stop by and see all the cool events and specials being offered. They are AWESOME!!!

And now for yet another offer . . . I've had two people contact me recently (actually on the same day!) to inquire about digi scrapping. I'm going to put together a "lesson" night soon for anyone who wants to learn how to scrap digitally. If you are interested, please leave a comment so I can send you the info you need. And don't worry, it's NOT that hard! Trust me, if I can do it, so can you! :)

Have a great weekend!

{Here Comes Peter Cottontail}

2010-04-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

***WARNING: THIS POST IS LOOOOONG AND FULL OF MANY, MANY PHOTOS.***

What happened to last month? I had resolved to blog more often this year, yet last month I blogged a whopping TWO times. And I had plenty to share with you. Here's the deal. March was my first month on the Scrap Matters site CT (creative team), and since it's a six month contract I'm trying to do as much as I can with my time. Normally I'll scrap one or two layouts a week. Last month I created a new layout almost every day. Some days I even did two or three. I'm having the best time doing this, but other duties have had to go on the backburner. Like blogging. And laundry.

So today, in my lame attempt to make up for my inactivity in blogland, I'm giving you a mega post. You are about to witness the ins and outs of our Easter festivities, complete with a whole slew of photos. Are you ready? Here we go!

Let's begin with the Children's Celebration we had at church last Saturday (March 27th). The morning began with crafts for the kids, which you know were a big hit. Then the children were divided into various age groups and taken from room to room where the Easter story was told.

This was the first room, where Jesus rode the donkey down the street lined with cloaks and palm leaves. We went from room to room learning about all the activities that led up to Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the grave. It was very well-done, and I even learned a thing or two!

Next we all went outside for the big egg hunt.

It was a cold day, but as soon as the girls started hunting those eggs they forgot all about the temperature.

Thanks to all those who put so much effort into making the Easter story come alive for the kids!

The next evening we celebrated Easter with Cory's mother's side of the family. I think the highlight of the night was the pooping toys Me-Me and G-G (Cory's mother and grandmother) got for all the kids. We now have a pooping bunny, chick and cow to add to the others from years past.

Thanks to Me-Me and Pap for a great evening of yummy food and conversation!

And I can't resist sharing this photo of my adorable nephew, Jude. The hair, the freckles, the dimples . . . he is just too darn cute. And he knows it.

This photo actually has nothing to do with Easter, but it's my blog and I want to put it here. So there. :)

There's few things that will melt my heart like the sight of a little boy clinging to his daddy and looking up to him for encouragement. Dixon has just started to pull himself up and stand. When I glanced over at him at this moment and saw him doing this, I got a bit choked up. I want another baby.

Alright, let's move on. Sasha's kindergarten class colored eggs the morning I volunteered in the classroom last week. She made one pink egg and one blue egg. They are currently sitting on our counter, likely rotting and getting ready to stink up the joint. But I can't throw them away, right?

That same day Clara's class had their egg hunt. So after an hour at Sasha's school Dixon and I headed to Clara's preschool for some more egg fun.

Is she not the cutest thing with those bunny ears?

Here is the entire class after the big hunt.

My sister's family came to PA for the weekend, so on Saturday we went to my mother's house to dye eggs and decorate cupcakes together.

See that open carton of eggs on the table? While my other and I were busy taking photos, Dixon grabbed onto the carton and pulled it onto the floor. I believe there were seven casualities. Oops.

How do you get mad at a face like that?

The kids didn't even color all the remaining eggs, so it wasn't a huge deal.

You have to love the gloves, though. I brought them to try to keep the kids from having blue and green hands on Easter morning. They looked like alien creatures with the long plastic fingers!

Easter morning was a bit of a blur. Church started at 8:30 so we were up really early. The girls had time to hunt for their Easter baskets and quickly check out the contents, but there was no time for our egg hunt in the backyard. They were thrilled with the chocoloate bunnies and hula hoops!

After chruch we went outside for some pictures. The day was glorious - very fitting for the celebration of Christ's death and resurrection - and the kids were cooperative.

Most of the time.

Some family shots:

Me and the munchkins:

We headed to my mother's place for Easter lunch. When we got there, the yard was full of eggs! Another hunt was ON!

And some more pretty posing afterwards:

My girls and I are going to train my niece, Kari, how to pose for photos since her mother has failed to do so. Start taking some pics of your kids, Jen! (Said with nothing buy love and tenderness.)

I'd say she did pretty well for this shot. You should see the four leading up to this one, though.

Next year she'll be doing this.

Dixon enjoying a ride on Daddy's shoulders.

After stuffing ourselves full of ham, potatoes, brocolli casserole, fruit, and desserts, we rolled ourselves out to the car and headed home. Dixon was totally zonked since he got up early, skipped his morning nap, and played hard all morning. He and Clara were both sawing logs by the time we got home. Once she was awake, though, she and Sasha headed outside for one last egg hunt.

Happy Easter, everyone!

I promise to come back with more updates from now on. :)

{Green!}

2010-03-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

My family is hardly Irish, but for the past couple of years the girls have gotten a kick out of celebrating St. Patty's Day. This year, their teachers really prepped them for the day - they read stories, made shamrock and leprechaun crafts, and talked about what the day is all about. So when Wednesday finally rolled around they were eager to get to school and catch a leprechaun! I decked them out in green and off we went.

Clara's preschool teachers went all out to celebrate the day, as you can see. How much fun they are! When I picked her up from school there were little green footprints in the lobby. They had tracked a leprechaun, but sadly didn't catch him. But they did find some green shamrock coins!

It just so happened to be my day to volunteer in Sasha's classroom, so I got to see all the kids in their green glory. Thankfully, Sasha's teacher is a scrapbooker so she humors my requests to take photos of the kids. Can you tell there are a couple stinkers in her class? They are so much fun!

Mrs. Eckenrode kindly posed for a picture with Sasha, too.

When Sasha got home from school we had exactly thirty minutes before we had to be out of the door and on our way to dance class. Normally those minutes are spent getting a snack, changing into leotards, and trying to get settled from a long day at school. It's always somewhat frantic. But I decided we could throw a photo shoot into the mix since all the kids were sporting their green. It was a gorgeous, sunny day - awesome! - but that meant my girls and their sensitive eyes had trouble with their pictures. These are the best shots I got.

Does Dixon look a wee bit puzzled?

Sasha really tried to give me a good photo. Bless her heart. Girlfriend's eyes need some more practice handling the sunshine. BUT . . . check out the top teeth finally making their appearance! She lost them late last summer, so it's been about seven or eight months since she's had front teeth. Now she'll be able to eat corn on the cob! That's very important for the Meyers family.

Yes, I did this to my child. I think the hat was meant for large dogs. Think he'll forgive me in fifteen years?

Happy Belated St. Patty's Day!

{New Layouts}

2010-03-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

My favorite hobby has become even more fun (if that's even possible!) lately since I was chosen to be on the Scrap Matters site CT (creative team). For the past few days I've been scrapping at least one layout each day, something that is rare for me. But it's been so much fun getting to play with products from so many designers that I can't stop myself! So I thought I'd share some of the layouts I've created recently.

One of my favorite designers, Sarah Bennett, has a brand new kit out today called "Spunky Monkey". I seriously LOVE the colors and all the fun elements in this kit!

As soon as I saw the kit I knew exactly which pictures I would scrap with it.

Make sure you snag this kit and play with it, too! (Image linked to store.)

This layout uses Chelle's Creations "Ticket to Ride", also available at Scrap Matters. It is definitely a fun kit for all those ride photos you have!

When I was pregnant with Dixon Clara would often tell people that the baby's name was Nemo. So of course I had to record that for his baby album! I used Brittish Design's "Fish Are Friends" and "Hang In There" to make the layout (both available at Scrap Matters).

My friend Tina of T. Flo's Photography took these amazing photos of Dixon when he was six months old. I love them SO much, and had to make a layout of them as well. By Becca's kit called "Boy Blue" was perfect for the photos.

Tina also took this picture of Clara last summer. It's probably my favorite photo of her - she looks so cute and innocent! The layout was made with Sarah Bennett's "Sister Sue" kit, available at Scrap Matters.

I took these pictures of Dixon when he was just a couple weeks old. Not too bad for a girl with a point-and-shoot camera, huh? The kit I used is Brittish Designs and Erica Zane's collab, "Itty Bitty".

During the summer Chambersburg has an event called First Fridays. On the first Friday of each month, all kinds of vendors, musicians, local businesses and entertainers line the streets of downtown Chambersburg. It's a lot of fun to spend an hour or so there checking everything out. The girls loved getting their faces painted!

Another one of my favorite designers, Jady Day Studios, collaborated with Suzy Q Scraps a couple weeks ago to create a unique kit called "Ouchies and Ickies".

It has the perfect papers and elements for photos of sick and hurt folks. You may recall my snowball throwing incident I had with Sasha during the big snow storm . . . here are the photos scrapped with this great kit:

More recently, Jady Day Studios created a beautiful kit called "You Light Up My Life". It is perfect for weddings, babies, and everyday moments. (Both of these kits are available at Scrap Orchard and the images are linked.)

Here is my layout of Dixon sucking his thumb (before he discovered his two fingers, which stay in his mouth almost all day).

I have a really hard time scrapping big events like Christmas and birthdays. It just gets to be mundane doing the same thing year after year, so I much prefer to focus on everyday photos. But I couldn't resist scrapping these pics of Clara when she turned three. I love the photos and I love how the kit called "Crazy / Beautiful" by Sarah Bennett compliments them so well.

I managed to get a few pages scrapped at our Love Crop in February. These pictures of Sasha, Clara, and their cousin Kari have been sitting on my harddrive waiting to be scrapped for some time. I really like how this turned out! I used Sarah Bennett's kit "Storytime" and her alpha "Felty Alpha".

That's it for now! I am sure I'll have lots more pages to show you soon as I continue to scrap my heart out each day. I'm so glad I can document my family's life in this way and that my kids will have these books to remember their childhood in such fine detail. What a great hobby scrapping is!

I also want to mention that I've changed the comment section of my blog so that anyone can leave a comment. So if you feel so inclined, please do so!

Happy Scrapping!

{Playing Catch Up}

2010-02-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

I've really fallen behind on my blogging. I made a commitment to blog more frequently this year, and this month I've totally slacked. So to try to make up for my inactivity, I've decided to post some highlights of the past week or so.

1. In less than two weeks Tastefully Simple will unveil its Spring / Summer catalog. I'm SO excited about this new product line! I can hardly wait to share new bucket drinks, sauces, seasonings, and other goodies with my clients. A new season is always an exciting time!

2. Sasha lost her sixth tooth last night AND her top front teeth are finally growing in! She has been without her two front teeth since last summer and has grown very tired of the "toothless" look. Now she looks more like a jack-o-lantern, but at least she's headed in the right direction!

3. I've finally come to total peace with the decision NOT to send Clara to kindergarten next year. If you had asked me a year ago whether or not she would go to kindergarten in 2010 I wouldn't have thought twice about saying yes. But I've thought a LOT about it and I know in my heart that the best thing for Clara is to wait another year. And I feel good about this decision.

4. It's tax time. This is a crappy time of year for us as Cory does nothing but stress about paying Uncle Sam. I can't wait until this ordeal is over!

5. Cory and I enjoyed a wonderful meal at a fantastic German restaurant on Feb. 13th. We went with friends and really enjoyed ourselves. This was the first time we left all three kids with babysitters other than family!

6. Sadly, Dixon is sick again. He has a bad cold and an ear infection. He is just miserable and it's so hard to see him this way. On top of his sickness, he is also not growing. He has not gained any substantial weight since he was four months old, and he'll be ten months old on the 27th. I need to pack some weight on this boy!

7. This weekend Cory and I are packing up the family and heading south for my nephew's 8th birthday party. I can't wait for a fun couple of days with a bunch of family members!

8. I'm SO HAPPY to have achieved a goal of mine recently! I applied to be a creative team member at one of my favorite digital scrapping sites, Scrap Matters. There is SO much competition there because the site is perhaps the most popular digi site in cyberland. I was prepared for disappointment, but lo and behold I made it! If you don't digi scrap you probably don't understand what this means, so trust me when I tell you that it is super exciting. I can't wait to get started!

Those are the main "happenings" in our lives for now. We're still plugging away at dance classes (Sasha got her costumes for her recital tonight and they are SO adorable!), Daisy troop activities, numerous school events, and other things. I'm staying up too late watching the Olympics. We've been trying to enjoy all the snow even though at the same time we are hopeful that spring is right around the corner. Each day brings something new and exciting!

{Star of the Week}

2010-02-11T18:24:00.001-08:00

Last week Sasha was Star of the Week in her kindergarten classroom. Every student gets a turn at enjoying this honor, and Sasha could hardly wait until it was her turn. The Star of the Week gets to do something special each day:

Monday: All the kids learn how to spell the Star's name. They do a name cheer and draw a picture of the Star. All the drawings are made into an adorable book that the Star gets to keep. (These drawings are SO cute!)

Tuesday: A big trifold poster display is filled with things all about the Star: favorites, birthday, photos, etc. The Star talks about the photos and all his or her favorites. Some of the photos I've seen when I volunteer are priceless!

Wednesday: Mystery Show & Tell! The Star brings something inside a bag that is stapled shut. Three clues as to what is inside are written on a note attached to the bag and the class tries to guess what it is. Sasha took her Webkins Siamese cat.

Thursday: A visitor comes to the class and has 30 minutes to do an activity with the kids. One of the kids had his dad bring a racecar to school so they could learn about racing, one mother brought a cake to class and taught them how to decorate (and eat!) it, and one mother taught the class how to make origami cranes. There have been other cool activities, too. Cory and I decided to keep the visitor a secret from Sasha. She had no idea who was coming! Cory was the visitor, although of course I was there to take pictures.

I bought chopsticks for all the kids and Cory brought one of his drums to teach the kids rhythm and basic drumming skills. Sasha was SO excited to see him there!
All the kids seemed to be really into the drumming, too. They paid attention and counted out the beats along with Cory.

Then each of the kids had a chance to play with the real sticks on the real drum. It was kind of neat to see how each of the kids responded to the instrument and which ones have natural rhythm.

Cory had fun and of course, so did Sasha. I know this is a day she will always remember.

Friday: The Star can bring a snack to share with the class. I planned to make cake balls, but I bought the wrong kind of icing and couldn't make the recipe. :( Because I don't typically have sweets and snacks in bulk, I had to make a mad dash to Giant Friday morning and buy cupcakes. I brought them to school shortly before lunch and got to see some of the class's 100th Day of School celebration.

Sasha also got to take Mo the Monkey home for the weekend as her last Star of the Week priviledge. She dressed that monkey up in all of her Bitty Baby clothes and played with it all weekend long. On Sunday we wrote about her time with Mo and Mrs. Eckenrode read her "story" to the class on Monday when Mo was returned to school.

I'm so proud of my Star! She's not just a star of one week in our eyes, she's a star every single day. Love you, baby!

{Fat Lip}

2010-02-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

I realize that many of you moms out there think you are Mom of the Year, but I'm here to tell you that you are mistaken. Trust me, I have worn that crown since the fall of 2003, and based on my actions yesterday, the title is still mine.

The girls wanted to play in the snow in the worst way, so Cory and I bundled them up and headed outside into the "Snowmaggedon" of 2010. While the snow is a light snow, the kind that doesn't easily form into snowmen, we have sections of snow that are riddled with perfect snowballs. The plow must have compacted it and created these little gems.

So I decided to pick up a few of the snowballs and toss them at the girls. Of course I missed most of the time, but I did manage to hit them a couple times. Then it happened. Sasha was trying to find a snowball to throw at me when I tossed one at her. There must have been a piece of ice in it, because my light toss literally took the girl down.

I wasn't aiming for any particular part of her body. Heck, I'm happy if I even hit my target at all! But sadly, this snowball hit my girl right in the face. The result? A bloody, fat lip. She immediately had to lie down because she felt sick. You know, the "I'm going to pass out and break into a cold sweat from the pain" kind of sick. She literally layed in the snow for at least ten minutes. She tried to get up once but had to lie back down again. I felt sick.

After some time she managed to perk up and enjoy some sledding with Cory. When she came inside, we inspected the damage. Please forgive the bedraggled, fresh from playing in the snow look of this poor, poor child.

Yep, she's got a fat lip all right. But aren't those freckles adorable?

As the day wore on, her lip got bigger and puffier. And redder. She even said she didn't want to go to school on Monday because she didn't look pretty.

Moral of the story: Do not throw snowballs at your children. And if you do, make sure you check them for ice and have better aim than I have. Your children's faces will thank you.

{Date Night}

2010-01-24T17:08:00.000-08:00

Cory and I rarely go out on dates. We both have so much going on in our lives and our kids are still young, so I guess we don't make it a priority to figure out ways to date. But we definitely should! So when my plans for Friday night fell through we decided it would be a good night for us to go out for dinner. We both looked forward to it all day long, but sadly we ended up not going that night. Dixon was miserable all day; he didn't take a single nap and just cried non-stop unless I held him. His top teeth are almost through his gum and he just wasn't having a good day. Plus Cory didn't get home until after six. Luckily for us, my mother said she was free on Saturday so we just rescheduled. THANKS, Mom!

Cory and I have been wanting to try a relatively new restaurant in Hagerstown called Bulls and Bears. The menu online looked great. So on Saturday evening we said goodbye to the kids and giddily hopped in the minivan and headed south. Date night!!!

The atmosphere of this restaurant is unique. There is an indoor alley that has streetlights, a fountain, and all kinds of other neat touches. You walk down this alley to get to the entrance of the restaurant.Here we are before entering. Can you tell we were excited to be on a date? Without children? Not even the baby? Yeah, it was awesome.The inside of the restaurant was a guy's dream. I counted sixteen flatscreen tvs within my view from the table, all showing a sporting event or a car show. I have no idea how many more tvs were throughout the place. It was all fine and good while figure skating was on one of them, but midway through the dinner it changed to basketball. Harumph.

So we started with an appetizer of crab stuffed baby bellas. Except there didn't seem to be any crab in our bellas.

Then we had salad. The house dressing had mango and pistachios in it - it was delicious!

Main course:

Cory opted for: Bleu Chip Steak - New York strip chargrilled to perfection and topped with bleu cheese and drizzled with a balsalmic glaze.

I chose: Pistachio Encrusted Salmon - Fresh Atlantic salmon served with a mango honey lime glaze.

Both dishes were divine. The salmon was perfectly prepared and the potato was just the right size. I was able to eat almost the entire meal and still have enough room to share a dessert with Cory.

My weakness is chocolate and peanut butter, so the peanut butter pie was the perfect ending to the meal.

As we waddled out of the restaurant I had to take a few photos of the atmosphere. So here's the quaint entrance:

They already have everything decorated for Valentine's Day. Balloons were everywhere and there was a really pretty bench set up with a gigantic red heart surrounding it. I imagine there will be a photographer there on Valentine's Day taking photos of couples in love as a keepsake of the evening. Cory refused to sit there and take a picture with me. I tried, and I was shot down.

But he was willing to stand next to this antique truck and gas station. Guys and their priorities. They're so twisted, aren't they?

This is the view down the indoor alley. There's other stuff in there that I didn't get in the photo, like a little market that sells coffee, sandwiches, and convenience store items. It really is a cute set-up.

After a tasty meal and a few drinks we headed towards home. But we had a couple stops to make first. We were out of baby food so we decided to hit the Wal-Mart on Rt. 40. But on the way something happened . . . something dangerous for two 30-somethings who've just had a couple drinks and a good meal on their first date night in a looooong time.

Vanilla Ice was on the radio.

Ice, ice, baby. Nah nah nah na-na-na-nah. Vanilla ice, ice, baby . . .

Suddenly the bass was pumpin' and the volume was cranked and that minivan was pimpin'. And this is what my husband was doing:

It was scary. It was hilarious.

We parked at Borders and hustled inside to clear our heads of a that trip down memory lane. Cory walked out with five new reads and we headed to Wally World.

When you go to the grocery store for one item, like baby food, do you always exit with a full cart of groceries? We do.

And Cory just kept saying how much fun it was . . . the shopping at Wally World. He must have been feeling really, really good.

So that's a date for us uninteresting folks who never get out. Dinner, Borders, and Wal-Mart. I think we need to get out more, and perhaps get a bit more adventurous.

Vanilla ice, ice, baby . . .

{One Love}

2010-01-21T18:19:00.000-08:00

The earthquakes in Haiti and the human suffering that has resulted have touched so many of us in a profound way. If you're like me, you've been wondering how you can make a difference in the lives of those directly affected by the tragedy. I'm SO pleased to share one way that you can do something to help those in need! Scrap Orchard, one of my favorite digital scrapbooking stores, has organized a MASSIVE designer collab called "One Love". Check out the scoop, and then head over to Scrap Orchard to snap it up and know that you are doing your part in assisting Haiti during this great time of need!

(Description taken from the Scrap Orchard market.)

"One love refers to the universal love and respect expressed by all people for all people, regardless of race, creed, or color."

Forty-eight designers from around the community have joined together to bring you this incredible kit with the common purpose of raising funds for Haitian aid and relief. Our theme, "One Love", symbolizes not only our heartfelt effort to help the people of Haiti, but also encompasses the diverse styles of all the designers involved in this project. This kit represents the diversity of our community and shows that even though we are all different, when we come together the result is truly spectacular.

The profits from the sale of this kit will be donated to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. We chose the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund not only because it embodies the spirit of One Love, but also because 100% of the donations will go to the relief and recovery efforts in Haiti and because they are working to provide both immediate relief and long-term support to the earthquake survivors.

This beautiful kit includes 114 papers, 356 elements, 3 alphabets, 6 page templates and 1 hybrid template and 16- 12 in. x 12 in. .png quick pages. This product is only available for a limited time.

{He's On the Move}

2010-01-14T12:35:00.000-08:00

Dixon is becoming more and more mobile every day. He is an expert army crawler and is beginning to get up on his knees to begin traditional crawling. The boy gets around! If I'm not watching him closely, he will end up in strange places: under the wooden bench in the family room, stuck between the couch and recliner, and so on.

Last night I was attempting to play a Wii game, but the little booger simply would not stay off the floor pad thingy (I have no idea what it's called!).
Needless to say, we are now at the major baby-proofing stage once again. Any bets on how quickly he'll discover the cat food bowl?

{Cookies!}

2010-01-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

It's Girl Scout cookie time, folks! Who doesn't look forward to Thin Mints and Tagalongs each year? I know I do! But this year my sweet daughter Sasha is a Daisy and is selling them for the first time. So instead of waiting for the first neighborhood Girl Scout to knock on my door so I can purchase my boxes of heavenly goodness, I get to help Sasha raise money for her troop buy selling them with her. I'm going to try hard not to buy 18 cases of cookies for myself.

Here is the list of cookies available this year:

The height of lemon flavor!

Uniquely designed to feature Our Chalet, this delicious vanilla sandwich has a hint of cinnamon-ginger spice and a refreshing zesty lemon creme ï¬lling.
Approx. Count Per Pkg: 20 8 oz. (U)-D

Light and delicious!

Delicate-tasting shortbread that is delightfully simple and satisfying.
Approx. Count Per Pkg: 36 9 oz. (U)-D

Peanutty excitement!

"Naturally Good!" Crisp and crunchy oatmeal cookies with creamy peanut butter filling. No artificial color or flavor.
Approx. Count Per Pkg: 20 8 oz. (U)-D

Chewy and rich!

Tender vanilla cookies, covered with caramel, rolled in toasted coconut, and striped with a rich, chocolaty coating.
Approx. Count Per Pkg: 15 7.5 oz. (U)-D

As fun to say as they are to eat!

Inspired by the classic confections of Latin America, these sweet, bite-size cookies are rich with milk caramel chips.
Approx. Count Per Pkg: 22 6 oz. (U)-D

With gratitude and premium cranberries!

Real premium cranberries provide a delightful tartness in these hearty cookies sweetened with creamy, white fudge chips. Crispy rice delivers a satisfying crunch. Thank U for supporting Girl Scouts.
Approx. Count Per Pkg: 14 6 oz. (U)-D

Wildly popular!

Tasty cookies topped with creamy peanut butter and covered with a luscious chocolaty coating.
Approx. Count Per Pkg: 15 6.5 oz. (U)-D

Extra thin, extra minty!

A thin wafer covered with a smooth chocolaty coating. Made with natural peppermint.
Approx. Count Per Pkg: 28 9 oz. (U)-D

If you would like to purchase any cookies for yourself, your family, your friends, neighbors and countrymen . . . please let Sasha and me know! Sasha and Daisy Troop 855 sure would appreciate your support, and your tastebuds will be in cookie heaven!

{Layout Time!}

2010-01-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

Some time has passed since I've shared any layouts with you. I haven't done a ton of scrapping lately - there's been too much going on as I'm sure you understand. But I have managed to get some Christmas layouts from years past completed. Yay! I always put off doing major holidays and birthdays because they are my least favorite topics to scrap. It just seems like I have the same photos year after year with older kids. It gets kind of boring. So while I still have oodles of Christmas photos yet to scrap, I'm happy I got at least a few done.

But first, here's a layout of my sweetie-pie, Dixon. He was only a couple of weeks old in these photos. So tiny!

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And now for some Christmas layouts:

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And two winter layouts from 2007:

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I'm hoping to do some more scrapping now that the holidays are over and life is settling back down. I'd really love to finish Sasha's preschool album and work some more on Dixon's first year album. If only I could have a solid day to do nothing but scrap . . . uninterupted . . . with lots of chocolate . . . and good scrappy friends . . .

{Back to Normal}

2010-01-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

See those cars parked in front of the school? See the flag flying high? That means one thing . . . school is BACK in session! As much as I loved having all the kids home with me for the past couple of weeks, I think we are all ready to go back to normal. Although if you asked Sasha, she would tell you she wanted to stay home forever.

It's going to take some time to really feel "normal" again after the holidays. Our sleep schedules are wacky, our house is slowly becoming organized, and we're mentally transitioning back to a life of duties and responsibilities. And I know it's not just us who are taking our time regrouping. Sasha's bus, which originally was supposed to be at our stop at 8:26, still hadn't made it to our stop when I drove the girls to school at 8:52 this morning. I saw neighbor boys scrambling to walk to school (I did offer them a ride, and they declined) and there were LOTS of parents dropping their kids off due to the late bus. So it's just going to take everyone time to recover from this lovely break.

Thankfully, Cory and I managed to pack away almost all of the Christmas decorations this weekend. Everything is done except for a few things: the live tree is still up because it still looks beautiful and healthy, there is a wreath in the dining room that I plan to take down today, and our Dickens village needs to be packed away. Other than that, our home is de-Christmas-ified. And as much as I love the trees (we had five up this year) and the decorations, I love how clean and spacious our home looks when they are gone. The girls, however, are dismayed that Christmas is over. Clara expressed her concern this morning on the way to preschool. "When will it be Christmas again?" "In a year," I told her. "What if Santa dies?" Oh boy.

So now we go back to our daily routine. School drop-offs and pick-ups, cooking each evening, dance classes, Daisy troop meetings, and so on. And life is good.

Happy New Year! Here's to making every day count, no matter how "normal" it may be!

{Books of 2009}

2010-01-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

I love to read. I LOVE to read. Ever since I was a kid I've devoured books. I remember my best friend and I would spend many, many afternoons simply reading on her porch or in our bedrooms. We would secretly compete to see who could read the most pages - neither of us ever said it was a competition but we both knew it was. I would also hide a flashlight under my bed and read at night when I was supposed to be sleeping. I blame my horrible vision on all the straining my eyes had to do to see the words by that dim light!

The funny thing is, I still read with a flashlight in bed at night. Sadly, I usually only get to read once I'm in bed at night, and since Cory is almost always already asleep by the time I hit the hay I have to read with a flashlight. And I'm usually so exhausted that I only read a few pages before I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. Sigh.

This past year both Cory and I decided to keep track of the books we read. I started out well, gobbling up a handful of books fairly quickly. Then Dixon arrived and I was simply too tired to stay awake long enough to do any good reading. So alas, my reading list isn't nearly as long as I hoped it would be. But I read some great books during the year! Here's what I read in 2009 in the order in which I read the books - perhaps you'll pick up a couple of these books and enjoy them this year yourself!

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

If my mother hadn't left this book on my counter and insisted I read it, I likely wouldn't have picked it up at all. I don't like to read books that are fads; I like to kid myself and think that I'm more original than following the trends. But I'm SO glad I gave Twilight a chance! The plot sucked me in right away (no pun intended) and I simply could. not. put. the. book. down. I can totally understand why the series is as popular as it is and why teenage girls, middle-aged women, and even men are fascinated by the characters and the storyline. Pick this one up if you haven't already and get ready to be swept away!

Loving Frank by Nancy Horad
I must credit my mother for this pick as well. She gave me this book for Christmas in 2008 and it looked really interesting so I read it right away. The author used newspaper articles, letters, and other artifacts to piece together a fictionalized version of the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright's, life. The book focuses primarily on his affair with a woman with whom he spends much of his adult life with and the tragic ending of that love affair. I learned SO much about Wright and his designs that I want to go visit Falling Waters as soon as the kids are old enough! Parts of this book are rather dry, but the overall
storyline is quite engaging.

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
While I was tempted to jump right into the second book in the Twilight series as soon as I finished the first, I knew I wanted to pace myself. I wanted to enjoy the story of Edward and Bella as long as I could. Once I began this second book, though, I tore right through it just like I did with Twilight. I remember thinking, "Why in the world am I so intrigued by this fictional world of vampires and werewolves? I'm not into this stuff AT. ALL. normally, so why now?" Seriously, this stuff is good. Trust me, even if you don't like sci-fi you'll love this. And if you don't, you're just crazy. ;)

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani
When Cory and I lived in southern Virginia I taught with a couple gals who raved about the Big Stone Gap books. One such friend loves them so much she bought them in hardcover just so she'd have pretty copies on her shelves. So I figured I'd give the first book a try. It definitely is a southern novel set in the mountains of, um, Tennessee? Virginia? I can't remember. But it takes place in mountains. And it's southern. It was a fun read, but not anything I'd personally rush out and buy in hardcover. The storyline is interesting and a bit quirky, and I'd classify it as something good to take to the beach for light reading.

The Shack by William Young
I first heard about The Shack over a year ago at my Bible Study. Our fearless leader talked about it and it sounded interesting, so I bought it for Cory to read. He read it, loved it, and passed it on to me. I have to say that this book is difficult to read. It is emotionally draining, especially at the beginning, and it forces you to think about what you know about God and His teachings in a whole new way (at least it did that for me). While I don't agree with all the "interpretations" of the Bible's lessons that are presented by Young, I am grateful for the introspection that resulted from them. I HIGHLY recommend this book to
everyone!

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
The third in the Twilight series, this book certainly didn't disappoint. Full of twists and turns, romance, friendship, suspense, and intrigue, I loved this book as much as I did the first two. Again, once I started I could not put it down. Dixon may have even been neglected a bit due to this book. Oops, did I really say that? This stuff is like a drug, folks. Consume it knowing that you'll want more.

The Pact by Jodi Picoult
This was the first Picoult novel that I've ever read. Again, she's a popular author and I don't tend to go for what's popular. And yet again, I am glad I did. Maybe I need to stop trying to be so original with my book selections? Anyway, this was a powerful love story with a tragic twist. I was surprised to find out the Picoult's novels are courtroom-based. I learned a lot about life inside prison, the trial process, and so on from this book and the others I later read. Great read!

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
The final novel of the Twilight saga, this book literally is everything an Edward / Bella fan could dream of. I won't give away any plot except to say that readers get what they wish for. Big time. Everything about this book is perfection, except for one thing: it's the last book. Are you convinced that you need to read this series yet?

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
I chose this novel as my next read mainly because it was in the stack of books my mother gave me and because I enjoyed The Pact and figured this would likely be good, too. And it was. It was another heartwrenching story centered in a courtroom, and I again learned a ton about our legal system. It's easy to get lost in the storyline of Picoult's novels, so if you pick one up be prepared to be reading for a good chunk of time. And be prepared to shed a few tears.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
I kept hearing about these "Sookie Stackhouse" books online but really didn't know much about them other than the fact that they are another vampire series. While we were at the beach we went to a bookstore and I inquired about them. I thought the author was Sookie Stackhouse, but it turns out that is the main character. Anyway, these books are totally UNlike the Twilight series. They are super quirky, light, and off-beat. If I hadn't already read Meyer's books I may have enjoyed this one more, but I had a hard time enjoying the author's writing style and the wacky storyline. My mother and sister LOVED it though, and
they both devoured the entire series. I think there's eight books
altogether. I may pick up the next one and give it a shot, but I
doubt it. It was just so-so for me. OH - the show True Blood on
HBO is based on this series, so apparantly lots of people enjoy
it!

How Starbucks Saved My Life by Michael Gates Gill
I spotted this little treasure in the bargain books at Borders. I am a hopeless Starbucks addict so I picked it up for a couple bucks and gave it a whirl. I must say, it was a gem! It is a true story of a man who is at his all-time low in life (in many ways) and lands a job at Starbucks. His experience there completely turns his life around. This book is very inspiring, motivational, and eye-opening. It made me want to rush out to our local Starbucks and give a copy to the familiar faces who serve me my coffee each week. It just made me want to be a better person.
You gotta love a book that does that!

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell
It's extremely rare that I like a movie better than the novel it's based on, but in this case I definitely did. This book was simply OK. There were parts of the story that didn't seem to fit in overall, and there were parts that just drug on too long. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and getting into the story. The movie, on the other hand, was fun and engaging.
I will say that one fun thing that resulted from me reading this book is that I took on my own cooking challenge. A dear friend and I are in the process of cooking our way through an Italian cookbook and it's SO much fun! A happy ending for me from a
book that left me feeling only ho-hum.

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
My final selection for 2009 was another Picoult novel. I think this was my favorite of the three I read. But maybe that's because it's freshest in my mind? Who knows. Unlike the other two, this one didn't end the way I hoped it would. There really wasn't any way to have a great ending, because the situation was so complex. That didn't really make much sense. My recommendation is to read it yourself and then you'll understand. It is another heartwrenching novel and surprisingly one that is very spiritual as well. I learned a great deal about religion and the gospels, including the Gospel of
Thomas which I literally knew nothing about before. This is
simply a great read.

So that's it! I went through lots of flashlight batteries and quite a few tissues reading these selections over the past year. I read about everything from vampires to religion and was inspired to travel, be more purposeful in my life, and cook more. I can't wait to dive into my stack of books and read as much as I can in 2010! My goal is to double the amount of novels I read last year. Books are such a joy and a gift!

Happy reading, friends!

{Looking For Some BABES}

2009-12-30T16:35:00.001-08:00

One of the Creative Teams (CTs) that I'm on is having a CT call and I want YOU to apply! If you love digital scrapbooking and are able to be active on a CT, please apply right away. I know I have some super talented friends out there who would add a TON of fun and creativity to our team! ;) Yari of Jady Day Studio has really cute stuff and it's a lot of fun to work with her and the rest of the "Babes" on the CT. Here's the scoop:
Please note that this is a short CT call. It ends on Monday, so get those applications in asap!

Now go get scrappin'!

{White Christmas}

2009-12-26T10:15:00.001-08:00

How many years has it been since we've had a white Christmas? I can't even remember! What a gift to have a beautiful blanket of snow on the ground during the week of Christmas. Last Sunday we took the kids outside to play in the snow. Dixon, of course, has never touched the white stuff before. He was none too pleased to be outside in the cold, and he cried when I sat him on the snow. He really is like his mommy: the warm indoors is his friend. I took him back inside after about ten minutes and he was happy as could be. The girls, on the other hand, LOVE playing in the snow. They begged to go outside from the moment they woke up!

There is a hill in our backyard and they quickly discovered they could slide down the hill on their bellies. Daddy also got out the sled and they all piled on together. They had an absolute blast.

Because we have so many groups of family members to celebrate Christmas with, we always begin to party early. On Wednesday we went to Cory's parents' home and enjoyed some yummy ham and sides. Check out Dixon with his newest cousin, Stella, who is almost three months old. They just checked each other out the way babies do. So cute.

The big kids could hardly wait for Me-Me and Pap to bring out the presents! Sasha and Clara got the Moxy Girls they wanted as well as some clothes and other fun toys. Jude got an awesome pirate ship and other goodies, too. They were quite happy!

And both families, meaning Cory and I and his sister Megan and her hubby Jason, got a Wii and Wii Fit. How fun! We were probably the last families in America who didn't own a Wii.

Pap got some good snuggle time with Dixon. The poor kid was out WAY past his bedtime, but he hung in there and had a good time.

On Christmas Eve we always go to my grandmother Mom-Mom's house. My mother always gave my sisters and me a gift on Christmas Eve (usually something she made), so I've been doing that with my kids. They got pjs again this year. It's nice to have new pjs for pictures the next morning!

The Meyers crew in front of Mom-Mom's tree:

And our kidlet crew. I could gobble them up, they are so stinkin' cute.

Sasha and Clara each got a Barbie and Dixon got an assortment of Chuck trucks.

Towards the end of the evening Mom-Mom sat down at her piano and started to sing Christmas songs. The girls immediately were drawn to the music and they all ended up signing "Joy To the World." What a wonderful moment and memory to treasure!

Dixon had fun seeing lots of family members who enjoyed holding him. But he sure does love his Daddy, huh?

We always get a birthday cake for Baby Jesus and sing Happy Birthday to Him. I love that my kids are growing up knowing what Christmas is really all about.

When we got home we went outside and sprinkled reindeer food in the snow.

Then we put an assortment of cookies on Santa's cookie plate, poured him a glass of milk, and wrote him a thank you note. We made sure to leave a carrot and bowl of water for the reindeer as well. Then we were ready for bed!

This is what our tree looked like, all ready for the kids the next morning. We definitely went overboard this year!

We didn't get much sleep that night. Sasha was up at 12:30 sobbing uncontrollably. She said she was scared, but she couldn't tell us what she was scared of other than the dark. She's been sleeping in the same room with the same night lights for six years, so I don't buy it. Who knows what was really bothering her. She was up again at some point coughing and to see if it was time to go downstairs. Plus Dixon was up once or twice (can't remember) to eat. When my alarm went off at 6:45ish I definitely wanted to hit "snooze", but of course I couldn't. I had to get up, shower, get dressed, and put our red-tinted reindeer water outside. Plus I had to put Santa's mostly empty milk glass back on the counter, start making a breakfast casserole, take the dogs outside, and turn on all the Christmas lights. And this had to be done before the kids woke up or the morning would not run smoothly.

Thankfully, I accomplished almost everything before I heard the pitter patter of little feet. Then the ripping and tearing began!

Even without his breakfast, Dixon was happy to sit amongst the chaos.

Cory helped him open his presents.

The girls tore through their stash quickly. I was shocked when Clara told me, "I didn't get what I wanted. I didn't get anything cool." Wha-wha-whaaaaaatttt???

But I sure did get something cool! Ever since the girls were wee little they have had a thing for the moon. They always spot it in the sky - sometimes when it is just barely visible. When they were younger they would squeal and get really excited when they found it. We would sing moon songs (and still sometimes do). And of course, every night before I shut their door I ask them, "How much do I love you?" And they respond, "To the moon and back." Cory and I even bought them each a moon necklace from Tiffany & Co. when we were in NYC a couple of years ago. They don't know we bought the necklaces, and the girls will get them when they turn 16 along with a note about how we will always love them to the moon and back. A bit sappy, perhaps, but it's our "thing".

So a while ago I saw a website that sells hand stamped silver jewelry. One of the pieces was a moon necklace that was stamped with "I love you to the moon and back." It had charms that you could stamp names onto and a little pearl drop as well. I fell in love. I told Cory I was bookmarking the site and that I would love to have that necklace. When he asked me a couple weeks ago if I preferred hearts or stars, I knew I was getting it!

Well . . . I ended up with something even better! Cory didn't care for the design of the necklace I saw online, so he went to three different jewelers until he found one who would design a necklace for me. Cory and the jeweler sketched out a design and then the necklace came to life. The result? A silver half moon with the moon quote etched onto it and three stars connecting the top and bottom tips of the moon. Each star has the birthstone of one of our kids, and the backs of the stars have the coordinating child's name etched into the silver. It's beautiful. And what I especially love about it is that Cory took the time to design something for me himself. Sigh. I'm a lucky lady.

I think Cory's favorite gift from me was The Hangover. He's been waiting to see this movie since it came out in the theatres last June. He was supposed to see it with "the guys" when we were at the beach, but that never happened. And we never go to the movies without kids, so we had to wait until it came out on dvd. His whole face lit up when he opened that gift! We watched it last night and it was hi-lar-i-ous!!!

The girls special gifts this year were American Girl dolls. Cory bought them each two: one that looks like each of them and a best friend duo: Felicity and Elizabeth.

After an enjoyable morning at home, we packed up the kids and headed to my mother and Jim's house. We were all spoiled some more with more presents, and we enjoyed giving gifts as well.

Sasha and Clara finally got Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure. They've been begging for that movie since it was released!

They also each got a Fancy Nancy doll, doll clothes, books, and lots of other things that I hope are "cool" enough. :)

We hung out there for a long time, then headed back for a couple of hours before heading back out to celebrate with Cory's mother's side of the family in Mercersburg. Once again, Dixon was smitten with his Pap.

We ate more delicious food, some of the crazy people played another rip-roaring round of musical chairs, we had a gift exchange, and finally we posed for some photos. This is G-G Hill (Great-Grandma) with her great-grandkids. Quite a cute bunch of kidlets!

Finally we went home and got to relax. Thankfully we didn't have to be anywhere this morning. Sasha has had a horrible cough, and the poor child slept until 9:30. So today we played Wii, relaxed, and enjoyed being home. This evening we celebrated with the Fegans. More great food, lots of laughs, and lots of kids made for a fun evening.

One more celebration is yet to come tomorrow! We're off to see the Witmers (my dad's side of the family)!

I hope all of you have enjoyed a blessed Christmas with your families!

{FREE Digi Kit!}

2009-12-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I was honored to join a fabulous Creative Team (CT) for a digi designer named Sarah Bennett. She has a store at Funky Playground Designs and she has been a guest designer at Scrap Matters this month. Her designs are very detailed, original, and super fun to play with!

Right now there is a wonderful giveaway on our CT Blog. You can win Sarah's brand new kit, Tough Boy, by leaving a comment on the blog. You can even get two entries for becoming a Facebook fan! Here's the kit:

Isn't it fabulous? Go to our CT blog HERE and leave a comment to win! Don't forget to become a Facebook fan to double your chances of winning.

Happy Scrapping!