What a wonderful life...

2011 December Daily Foundation Pages

2011-11-17T14:19:00.015-05:00

Beware - this post has 'tons' of photos, so I will keep the 'words' to a minimum.

December Daily Foundation Pages...I have already posted my 'gathering' stage and showed the 2 albums that I already had in my stash and a few of you weighed in and I was in agreement. The red Studio K album was the winner. I found out that I could expand the album and it gave me plenty of room for bulky embellishments and keepsake items.

I will show you the two page spread for each day and then below, I have close-up views showing some of the details of certain pages.

So, now for my foundation pages...Here they are. Opening - introduction page. I will probably put a small photo of me and hubby (we are empty-nesters) and then a calendar sticker of December. And below is a closer view.

I created this calendar grid in microsoft excel in red and then just printed in onto cardstock I will fill in the events of the month as we go.

The 11th is our wedding anniversary so I will probably add in an extra page depending on what photos I get of our celebration of 7 years married...

I gave myself 2 1/2 spreads for Christmas Day. My mom and dad will be in town so we will be having a large family celebration. Sure to have lots of photos that I want to share in my DD.

Below are the single pages to show up closer to see some of the details.

I have lots of embellishments, ribbons, etc to add as we go. I realize that a few pages look really boring right now but they won't stay that way for long. Ok, now to wait for Dec. 1st...that will be the hard part. But I am so glad that I have the foundation of my DD done. It will make completing this album all the more possible.

Enjoy,
Cherri

It's that time of Year again...December Daily - Yippee!!!

2011-11-11T12:36:00.015-05:00

Ali Edwards has a project that she does every Christmas. It is called December Daily Album. I have been following this project since 2008. This is one of my favorite projects throughout the entire year. I look forward to it, and start preparing for it in early Fall. I get so excited when Ali begins sharing her process for the new Christmas season on her blog. I cannot believe that this is my fourth year dong these.

Here are the three albums that I have done so far. (2008, 2009 & 2010) The red one still needs a photo/embellishment in the center square. The second photo shows how thick they can get.

This is my first post for this project. This is proof of my 'gathering' stage. I have tons of Christmas patterned papers, embellies, ribbon, etc. But, like every other year, I have been tempted to purchase some 'new' goodies for this album. I was really drawn to the 'Lost and Found' Christmas collection from My Mind's Eye this year. So, I did a bit of comparing online and placed the order. When they came in, I love them even more in person. I am looking forward to using them. They are great.

Here are some of the 'goodies' that I have ready and waiting to be put to use. I went with the 6X6 paper pad for the My Mind's Eye 'Lost & Found' Christmas collection. (also, many items from the past few years that will work well with the colors of the new collection)

However, I am not purchasing a new album this year. I will be using an album that I already have. I have two albums that I bought several years ago and they didn't work for the project at that time but they give me two good options for this year's December Daily. Both are 6X6 albums.

The first option that I will share with you is a Milk Chocolate chipboard album with 4 book rings. It comes with 10 pages and some with side tabs. I could really decorate the front cover nicely. I really like this album and I think I am leaning more to this one but since they are both 6X6, my foundation pages will work with either. I can decide on the album up to the last minute.

Nice sturdy 6X6 chipboard pages. I will have to purchase larger book rings because my album will probably get too thick for the ones that came with this album.

The second option is a red (love this color for Christmas) Studio K post bound album. I love the clasp on the front and the way the album opens in the middle, something different from my past DD albums. However, when you open it up, there are pages that come out from both sides. It is a bit awkward to figure out how to keep my numbered days in order. (and with trying to do two page layouts per day, I would need to get a pack of refill pages. It currently comes with 20)

Don't you just love that latch on the front?

So, what do you think of these two albums? Which one would you choose to work with this year? I would love your input.

And here we are, these are the gathered items so far and now I am getting down to working on my foundation pages. I will be back soon to show them to you once they are completed.

have fun putting your DD album together...Cherri

Yard Sales - the 'deal' of the Century...

2011-07-16T11:24:00.007-04:00

The 'Deal of the Century' doesn't really begin to describe the blessing that my sister, Terri!, and I walked away with last night. There was going to be a large Estate Sale today at the home of a lady that recently passed away. I believe that she was in her late forties or early fifties. It was a tragic story and one that affected our friend Regina personally. (as this was her friend that she did a retail booth with for many years) Anyway, Regina was able to get us in last night on a 'pre-sale' (we shopped 9pm-11pm last night) and boy did this lady have lots of stuff. Terri and I were shopping for our personal use as well as stuff for our new retail booth space at Olde Salem Merchantile (that is only 1 week old) We couldn't believe the amount of stuff for sale, the awesome prices, and how much stuff we came home with. The photos below are only the items that I put in my car for me personally and for the booth. You should see the stuff that is at Terri's house that I don't have photos of.

Ok, are you ready to find out why I am calling it the 'Deal of the Century'? I only paid $40 for the items that you see in the (many) photos below and Terri paid only $35 for the items that she has at her house. I know, can you believe it? We are still in shock. We have already talked this morning about what an awesome blessing it was for us to be able to pre-shop this sale. We love having connections. Thank you Regina. As you can see, we got tons of stuff. We got seasonal items (Fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc), we got lots of table linens (runners, table cloths and cloth napkins), we got about 6 or 7 wreaths (some everyday and some seasonal), we got gardening decor, Christmas ornaments, vases, baskets, bowls...and again, this isn't even the items that Terri has...What a blessing. This will make us some 'fun money' as we move some of these items into our 'Double Take' booth space.

July 8, 2011 - 'Double Take' becomes a Reality

2011-07-16T10:58:00.015-04:00

My twin sister, Terri!, and I have been making plans to open up a retail booth at Olde Salem Merchantile in Salem, VA. Well after many months of planning, purchasing and re-purposing, it is finally here. We decided to go with a larger booth than we had originally planned and we partnered with Regina, a long time friend on this hobby/business venture. She has had a booth for over 7 years at a different location so we are 'learning' the tricks of the trade from her. We went with a 14' X 4' booth space. We were afraid that we didn't have enough stuff to fill it but on the contrary, we enough, if not more. On Friday afternoon, the three of us (with our families there to help move stuff in) began setting up and beautifying our new retail space.

Here is a before photo - this is me, Terri! and Regina...

Everything is moved in, family members are gone, now time to get to work...boy do we have our work cut out for us.

Drum roll please.....Here is the 'After'. Yea! We are so pleased with how it turned out. We only had 3 hours tonight to work on it so there are still a few things to get done and items to be added but we are so pleased with the results. We didn't have any idea that it would turn out looking so good. We are thrilled. Some more 'booth' eye-candy for you......and some more, ...and more, ...more, ...and the last one.

Now on to making us some 'fun' money. This is really more of a hobby for us but the making money part is the 'cherry on top'. Say a prayer for us that we will get some good customers and have to be very busy to keep our booth space filled. Thanks for stopping by and looking at our booth.

December Daily - Day 8 through Day 15

2011-01-04T11:46:00.014-05:00

Sorry that I have been so delayed in updating my December Daily. To say is has been a bit crazy around here is such an understatement. This post covers Day 8 through Day 15 and is very 'photo-heavy'. Sorry for such a long post. I have done most of the rest of the month but haven't had time yet to photograph and upload the pages. Hopefully very soon though.

So, here goes...

December 8th - Regina came over and helped me 'Christmasy' up my house a bit. She has such a talent for taking everyday things (found in my cabinets) and making everything look so beautiful. Thank you Regina...

December 9th -

This was the Christmas card that we sent out this year.

December 10th - The Nutcracker - some friends and their children were in this ballet that made it so special to go see the performance. Matt, Katie and four of their children did such a wonderful job.

Something will go on the 'cork'. I just noticed that it is still plain. I have an embellishment that was supposed to be there. Oopps. I will have to add that.

December 11th - our 6 year anniversary

December 12th - (actually documenting some things that happened on the 11th) Women's Bible Study 'Tea Party'

December 13th - Card Exchange and Goodie making Party at Regina's house

December 14th - Terri! and I went Christmas shopping - boy to we both still have a lot to finish up.

I have a rub-on that goes on that tag...need to add that.

December 14th - my husband had two different doctor's appointments and we got great news at both of them. Praise God.

I did my journaling about the day on that tag that is tucked into that red felt pocket.

December 15th - documenting a holiday tradition...my kids and I have three (one each) special 'puppy' ornaments from many years ago when it was just us three. Each year, if possible, we each get to hang our puppy. They happen to be visiting us over Thanksgiving so we took that opportunity to put the tree up together as a family. Here we are hanging our ornaments.

December Daily - Day 7

2010-12-08T12:53:00.004-05:00

December 7th - I have needed a haircuts for a long time now. I have been putting it off because I have been so busy tending to my husband after a recent surgery. Well, today was the day. I called them this morning and she could fit me in at 1pm and I said - book it. I will be there. I had her add some layers to make my hair not look so heavy. I love the way she styled it, actually, I love everything about it. I was a happy camper leaving that beauty shop.

Today's pages documents my hair cut and my sister and I making cards. We are involved in a 'card exchange' with some friends early next week. Each person is making the same card (20 of them) for a specific season of the year, and then we will get together and do an exchange. We will each come away with 4 stacks of 'generic' cards that we can use as gifts this year. This is the first time I have been involved in anything like this. I am not much of a 'card' maker. I don't know why, but cards tend to intimidate me. I can do mini albums, 12X12 layouts, and all other sizes in between, but cards...not so much. I picked an 'easy' card to make (found this sample in the Stampin' Up catalog) so that I would feel comfortable making them. I went to my sister's house so that we could make them together. It was a lot of fun. I actually had a good 'card' experience. Yeah!!!

Here are my pages documenting these two things: Enjoy!

December Daily - Day 6

2010-12-08T08:33:00.004-05:00

December 6 - Was all about 'Elf Yourself'. Not much happened today. It was fairly quiet. I work from home so I spent most of my day in my office. However, I did make time to go to the Office Max website www.elfyourself.com. We get a kick out of this each year. I downloaded a picture of my husband and of me and then watched us dance. (as elves) I couldn't decide which one I like to most so I took a picture of each one while it was up on my computer screen. This wasn't an easy task being that we were moving and dancing around so much. However, I feel like I got one in each dance that was 'good enough'. Enjoy

Here are my pages for Day 6th:

December Daily - Day 5

2010-12-06T16:01:00.002-05:00

December 5 - Today was pretty much a very quite day for us. We woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the snow-covered ground. It was beautiful. It was a very windy day. We loved how our flag looked blowing in the wind on our front porch.

Today ended up being a 'movie' day. I watched a movie on the instant watch Netflix. (The Bounty Hunter) and then later in the evening, Mark and I watched two Christmas movies that were on TV. We love overdosing on Christmas movies. We even re-watch ones that we love that we have seen many times before. This is pretty much the journaling that I have on the last page for today.

So here are my Day 5 pages:

Enjoy your day and Happy Holidays...

December Daily - Day 4

2010-12-05T12:13:00.007-05:00

December 4 - Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow. We didn't get all that much (approx. 2 inches) but boy was it beautiful coming down. It started around 12n and snowed until we went to bed. I got a lot of great photos but only shared of few in my DD album.

So, here are my Dec. 4th pages: (lighting isn't the greatest but here they are nonetheless)

How is your December Daily coming along? I hope you are enjoying this project as much as I am. This is the third year that I have participated and I love it each year more and more.

Happy Holidays,
Cherri

December Daily - Day 3

2010-12-04T18:06:00.003-05:00

December 3 -

December Daily - Day 2

2010-12-04T18:04:00.004-05:00

December 2 - The story for today wastime that I spent with my daughter. Ashley lives in another state and was still here visiting since Thanksgiving. She is leaving Dec. 3rd so we tried to cram a lot of 'December' into one night. We made cookies, and she showed me how to cut 'paper trees'. We had a really good time together.

So here are my pages...

December Daily - Day 1

2010-12-04T17:58:00.006-05:00

Yeah!!! It's finally here. The day we begin documenting the days leading up to Christmas. I have done my 'Day 1' a few days ago but I am just now getting the chance to post on my blog.

December 1 - We had a lot happen today so I did the journaling to share all of the those details inside the card.

So, here it is...

My journaling is inside the card.

Hope everyone else is having a great time on this project. I know that I am.

Cherri

December Daily 2010 - Foundation Pages

2010-11-29T13:11:00.011-05:00

December Daily Foundation Pages - This is a project that I have done for the past two years. I have followed Ali Edwards in her quest to document the days leading up to Christmas. When I first saw her December Daily documentation on her blog I was instantly hooked. In 2008, when putting together my foundation pages for that album, I enjoyed the variety of the different shape, sizes, colors and the complete randomness of it all. So much so that I created a second album for my twin sister to be able to do. She wouldn't have had time to put her foundation album together otherwise. I was kind of anal about putting the number on the pages with the random sizes and layouts already pre-determined. I thought it would give me no flexibility depending on what happened on that particular day. However, I found that I truly enjoyed the challenge of just making do with what you already had ready for that day. I did the same type of album for 2009 also. Those two were extremely wonderful experiences. One that I look forward to throughout the year.

This year was a little bit different for me though. My husband has been going through a lot of health/medical issues recently and I found that I felt more comfortable with a more strict system to work with this year. I followed Ali's layout almost exactly for my 2010 December Daily Album. Each day has a transparency of some type (with the days number) and then the following page is her template for that same day. I have a lot of ideas and materials that I will add during the month that will add the variety that I love in this project but simplicity of the foundation that I am using this year, will help me document each day without the stress of having to be 'creative'. A lot of the time I put undue pressure on myself to make everything super creative. This year I need the simplicity to ensure that I can do this album and that I will not get overwhelmed and quit mid-way through.

Below I have documented what I have so far. Each of you know that it will end up looking so differently once each day gets done. I can't wait until Wednesday to begin. I have all of my supplies together and ready to go. I hope you enjoy viewing the beginning of my 2010 December Daily Album. I feel that my front cover is lacking and I will 'tweak' it a bit more once I get going on the album.

Day 1 - I have a circle that will go around the number 1 on the tape measure ribbon to bring out Day '1'.

Day 2 - I found these adorable heart shaped playing cards at a yard sales during the summer. I actually bought them with my December Daily in mind.

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5 - you can't really see it good but in the middle of the snowflake up top is a metal number 5. from Making Memories.

Day 6

Day 7 - I used a baseball card sleeve and will add things to both sides. The number '7' may find a new home also. I just have it stuck in there until I document the day.

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11 - this is our Wedding Anniversary (years years) so I already know that I will be documenting something special about me and my hubby.

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19 - this is a page protector that I will slid something into depending on what happens on that day. I may stitch it in half and add more that one pocket...

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24

Day 25

So, here you have it so far. I made this album back in October but just got around to taking and uploading the photos. Good luck with your December Daily. It is sure to be a project that you enjoy enough to do it over and over again.

Merry Christmas, Cherri

Baby Shower Time!!!

2010-10-09T11:23:00.007-04:00

This post will be very wordy and filled with pictures. Please excuse all the blabbing. I am just an excited 'Nana-to-be' so you will just have to over look it...I will be called CiCi. I always wanted to be a Nana but when I had Ashley, I came up with Nana for my mom. Now Brooklynn will have a Nana and I don't want to confuse her. So, I will be CiCi. Once of my nieces couldn't say Aunt Cherri when they were little so they just called me C. So, my daughter came up with CiCi. I like it. It also doesn't make me sound old enough to be a Nana, right? Well, on with the post...

Just a week ago I found out that my parents were coming to visit my aunt and uncle at their 'mountain' cabin. That is only about an hour from where we live so I asked Ashley, my daughter to come with them so that she could visit with us. She is pregnant (due in January) and we don't get to see her that often. She lives about 4 1/2 hours from us. I was last there for her ultrasound that told us that 'It's A Girl' in mid-August. I realize that was only about 6 weeks ago but you all know that 6 weeks can make a 'BIG' difference when you are pregnant. She is now showing and I got to feel little Brooklynn Elaine kicking around in there. It was so wonderful.

Since we knew that this was probably the last time that Ashley would come here before the baby was born, my sister and I decided to try and throw a 'surprise' baby shower for Ashley. Remember that we only had a week to do it in. I immediately designed a baby shower invitation and got them in the mail the next day. Then the other planning began. Now, Ashley was getting to my house on Sunday and the shower wasn't planned until Tuesday night, which meant, all that I was doing for the shower had to be done and over at my sister's house by Sunday afternoon. Yikes!!! I also had to hide all evidence that I had been working on a baby shower. I wanted to keep this a surprise if at all possible.

Well, there were times that I had to 'cover' up for things around my house and I had to be creative when going over to my sister's house on Tuesday night. Ashley wasn't dressed nice and hadn't done her hair. I told her that I wanted to take some 'good' pictures to document her pregnancy and I asked her if she was going to do something with her hair. It was just enough to get her to 'doll' herself up some...She looked beautiful.

When we got there, everyone was standing around the 'food' table as the surprise. Ashley was too buy petting Jackson (her dog that now lives with her cousins) and she didn't realize that it was a shower. I had to lean over and whisper into her ear, 'Happy Baby Shower Sweetheart'. And then, she got it... She has never been truly surprised. We totally pulled it off. I am so proud of all of us. Ashley said that we made her feel so loved, so cherished and so honored. (just what we were going for) She felt very special that we did all of this just for her.

Thanks for taking the time to get through this entire post. Have a blessed day, Cherri

Today my baby is 17!!!

2010-10-01T17:48:00.006-04:00

Happy Birthday Charles 'Matthew' Crisp. Seventeen years ago at 7:02pm you came into this world and made me one happy mama. At that moment I didn't think I could love you more than I did, but boy have I proven myself wrong. I love you so much and I am so proud of the young man that you are becoming. Keep at it.

Love,
Mama

Hail Storm in September

2010-09-25T11:23:00.004-04:00

This past Wednesday a horrific storm came upon us all of a sudden. It brought heavy rain (the kind that rains in all directions), extreme lightening and loads of 'pea-sized' hail. I work from my home office and was on the phone with a client. Needless to say, the power went out, the phones went out and I just had to shut everything down until it passed. And just as swiftly as it came - it left. I don't think it even lasted 10 to 15 mins. It was a little bit unnerving because it was so intense. I was glad to grab a few pics of the hail. It looked like it had snowed in September. Of course the ice melted very quickly and everything was back to normal. (as if the storm had never visited us).

This is our front flower bed covered in hail.

My office is on the second floor in our home. My desk is directly beside this window and this was my view of the hail on the roof.

This is the back yard looking out the breakfast area on the main floor. Our house sits on top of a full basement and that is why it looks so far down from where I am standing.

Another one from the breakfast area looking into the back yard.

Our back deck off of the eat-in-kitchen area.

Yard Sale Goodies from this Past Weekend

2010-09-22T16:47:00.006-04:00

Ok, this summer hasn't really be all that productive when it comes to my yard sales/thrift store finds...that is until this past weekend. I think it was the best ever for things that I found that I just couldn't leave behind.

At our first stop I was able to these three frames for $1 each even though they are marked at $2 a piece. I think she was willing to negotiate because I was buying quite a few things from her. I got a great deal on all of these items. A total of $11 was spent on the following few items and the same stop.

Table Runner was $2 Place Mats were $3 for 6 of them

This lamp was only $3 (I love it)

Another great deal I got (at our last stop) was this rug to go under my Dining Room table. It is at least a 9' X 10' (actually I think it's a little bit bigger but I haven't measured it yet). You won't believe me when I tell you that I only spent $10. Yes, you read correctly....$10. Yea!!!

My daughter is expecting in January so I just couldn't pass up on some awesome baby things. This bouncy seat (in excellent condition) was only $8. And this bassinet was (also in excellent condition) only $20. They originally had it marked for $50 (they started the sale on Thursday night) but came down on Saturday to make sure they moved it. It was a church rummage sales raising money for a mission trip. I didn't mind paying $20 for a good cause and an awesome bassinet for Ashley (and Brooklynn Elaine).

Also at the church rummage sale I snagged these three baskets/tins for .25 a piece.

A great day with my sister and her two daughters. Girls morning out - what fun. I also got a rubbermaid container full of maternity clothes for only $10 and 3 baby lullaby CD's for a buck a piece. I think that is everything that I brought home on Saturday. Needless to say, my husband is thrilled that yard sale season is quickly coming to an end...

Hope you all had a successful 'thrifting' day if you ventured out. I sure did...Have a wonderful week.

Hello September

2010-09-01T09:55:00.005-04:00

My where has the summer gone? Boy is time flying fast these days. It seems like just yesterday our kiddos were getting out of school (one graduated from High School) and starting their summer and now the next school year is already in full swing. Is it just me or did summers last longer when we were younger? I think they did.

We are what you all would call empty-nesters. We have a blended family with three adult children (all living out of state), one that just graduated and is heading off to the National Guard, one in the 11th grade living with his father, and one just beginning 9th grade (1st year in High School) and she lives with her mother. It is extremely quiet around her most days. My husband and I both work from home. (we know what a blessing that is and we are so very grateful) But with no kiddos in the house sometimes (most of the time) I miss not having some of the children around all the time.

It's a Girl!!!

2010-08-25T09:58:00.005-04:00

Last Thursday, Aug. 19th, my daughter had an appointment for an ultrasound. She invited me and my mom to go with her and Justin. If the baby cooperated they would be able to tell the sex of the baby. Well, she did cooperate and we know (fairly certain) that we will be welcoming a little baby girl into our family in January. This is Ashley's first child and my first biological grandchild. We couldn't be more excited about the upcoming arrival of this precious baby.

Here is Ashley and Justin at the Ultrasound Appointment

Me, Ashley and Justin
Nana (my mom), Ashley and Justin

Just a few Yard Sale Finds this past Weekend

2010-08-02T11:35:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday was rainy and overcast which made yard sales very bleak. I felt so sorry for all those that put so much hard work into having a yard sale jsut to have the rain put a damper on it. However, we still decided to trek out in the rain. I found this table on wheels at our first stop. They were asking $8 for it and I paid full price. I felt so sorry for them being out in the rain I just wanted to bless them with their asking price. I still think it was worth $8. I a using it in my scrap room to keep items on and when I need them, I can just roll the table next to my work space and there they are...right at my fingertips. Then later at an estate sale I found this planter for $1. I will probably fill it with scrapbooking supplies to keep on the table with wheels...they are made for each other. That is all I bought this weekend. Not a lot to choose from but I think both of my purchases were good buys. Happy Monday everybody.

Rascal Flatts Concert

2010-08-02T11:23:00.005-04:00

This past Thursday, July 29th, my twin sister Terri! and I headed over to West Virginia to attend the Greenbrier Classic Golf Tournament and ended the day with a Rascal Flatts concert. We couldn't take a camera to the golf tournament but we got plenty of pictures of Gary, Jay and Joe Don at the concert. They put on an amazing show. Their stage (at an outdoor venue) and their graphics were just awesome. We thoroughly enjoyed the concert. It was another great time with my womb-mate.

4th of July Fun

2010-07-07T15:55:00.005-04:00

Our 4th of July was pretty laid back. But here we are watching the fireworks.

Here are Lyndsay, Jonathan, Tiffany and Laura.

Ashley, Me and Mark

Robert and Terri

I was trying out the 'fireworks' mode on my camera. I think some of them came out really well while others, not so much! I hope you all enjoyed your 4th.

A new addition to our Family!!!

2010-06-25T08:06:00.005-04:00

Our daughter Ashley has recently found out that she is going to be a mother. Her baby is due in mid-January. Her first ultrasound was yesterday.

Awww...isn't he/she so adorable???

A Graduation and A Vacation

2010-06-21T17:11:00.007-04:00

Our son Matthew graduated on June 13th at 2pm. We headed to North Carolina for the weekend long celebration. We spent most of the day Saturday with Matthew, his girlfriend Allina and Tiffany. It was a wonderful day.

We are so proud of Matthew

This is Matthew and Allina I don't know why our kids seem to have to make a picture with silly or funny faces everytime we all get together. It must be something in their genes. What does that say about me???Here they are trying to act normal. This is Tiffany, Ashley, Matthew and AllinaI made Matthew a scrapbook for Graduation. He has only been in my life for a little more than 6 years but I think I captured his life before me pretty well. Mark had many keep-sake items from Matthew's childhood. I could tell that this book meant a whole lot to him. You should have seen the smile on his face as he looked through it. This smile doesn't even come close but it is still a good one.Here is the Graduate with my Mom and Dad
Here he is with us...

I think it surprised my husband when he was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. He cried like a baby but I love that about him.

Here is Matthew with AllinaOur Graduate!!!! Boy does he make a mama proud. We love you Matthew.

Now for Vacation!!! We left straight from Matthew's Graduation and headed for Williamsburg, VA for a week of vacation. We went with my sister, Terri! and her family. (Robert, Jonathan, Laura and Lyndsay)

We are all piled up in our bed on the first morning we woke up there. We had the condo directly above theirs. We would just meet first thing each morning (in someone's room) to plan out our day.

At night they snuggled up on the couch with Uncle Mark as we watched a movie.

Busch Gardens - here we come

Waiting in line to ride the Loch Ness Monster!!! Yea!!! I love roller coasters. Here is Robert, Terri! and Lyndsay

Jonathan rode by himself

...and Laura and I rode together.

Fun at the swimming pool at the condo. We had three pools to choose from. We had a 'blast'!

The twins in the pool. (Terri! and Me)

All of us girls ended up dressing alike on the last day at Busch Gardens. How funny.

Lynsday and Terri!

Yard Sale Finds

2010-05-16T12:40:00.007-04:00

Our local Civic Center had a 'Monster Flea Market' yesteday and my sister and I just 'had' to be there. There was probably 50 different vendors set up for the day. Some professional vendors that were selling antique dishes, toys, books, etc... Other booths had collections of comic books, records, sport memorabilia, hand made jewelry. And then others were locals that just had yard sales stuff. We got there early and were there probably there almost 2 hours. We didn't end up spending a lot of money but I think we got some good deals. There were two things that we 'went back' for but had already been sold. We learned a very valuable lesson...if you are thinking about getting it...then just do it. If you come back it may be gone.

Here is my stuff...

One vendor had a box full of old prints. We went through and picked out 8 of our favorites then we split them. We now wished we have gotten more than eight of them. We fell in love with so many of them but we were trying to keep some money back for the rest of the tables.

I also got a scrapbook for $1. It's a simple one but it will come in handy for a special project or event. I think it was a great deal. It is brand new. I took the wrapping off of it when I got home.

I also got this adorable 'box'. On one side it says 'BLESSINGS' and the other side says 'HOPES'. It will be used to hold some scrapbooking run-ons in my studio. I love it. It was only $2.00. When I first looked at it the vendor had $4 on it. I decided to walk around a bit and when I came back she had marked it at $2. I grabbed it up instantly.

I love little boxes...as you can tell. I found this little box (and another one exactly like it) at another table. They were both marked $2 each and I immediately picked them both up. My sister and I have matching boxes.

When I opened it up I found out that I could use it as a 'file' box for index cards. This might come in handy for my job but it may also end up being used for scrapbook emblishments. I haven't quite decided yet. Who knows...I will figure it out.

I got this picture at a yard sale we stopped at on our way home from the civic center. I just love the look of this picture. I have held it up in three different places in my home. Where it ends up I do not know at this point. I may need my sister's thoughts on the matter...Terri...help!!

I love this little bell. The vendore ended up coming down to only $3. I just fell in love with it and had to have it. I would have paid the $5 she had on it but when I asked if she would take less she said $3. What a blessing...

I have never really decorated with sea shells but out there in blog-land, I see a lot of people have shells all around and I love the look that they give to a room. So when we found a vendor that offered a 'cup' full for only .50 I had to buy some. For this entire bowl I only paid $1.25. Can you believe it? We couldn't. It was a great buy.

Over all Terri and I had a very successful day. We thought it was well worth going. And to top it all off, we had so much fun together. Just being together, no matter what we do, we have a blast. Living in the same area and doing 'life' with my sister and her family is one of my favorite things. Thanks Terri for a wonderful day....

A Week in the Life Album

2010-05-16T12:08:00.009-04:00

I am sorry that it has taken be so long to blog my 'almost' finished 'A Week in the Life' Album. My sister and I set out on this journey together to document a week in our lives. Neither one of us has done this project before. I was fun. I have the bulk of the album put together but I still need to add a few emblishments and the journaling. But here it is.... We started our week on Saturday, April 17th, 2010. This first page is my cover page. I still need to add some journaling, some emblishments and a photo of me and hubby...

This is Saturday. My sister and I got up early and started our day with some yard sales. We have so much fun together. I also got my 'new' license in the mail so my old one (from another state) was no longer valid...I put it in the book. We took Terri's daughter and a friend to the mall. Some great photo opportunities...Sunday started off with my devotion, then church, then some scrapbooking and then that night we (my sister's family and ours) had dinner together and game night...Monday started out with a walk around my neighborhood...tried to get a nice pic of the sunrise but it didn't turn out the way I wanted...I will try again. Pics of lunch (my hubby and I are on a diet), me uploading my A Week in the Life photos, my nephew Johnathan (he needed my help with a school project for Tuesday so he and Terri came over). Tuesday started off with my morning walk again, and then some pics of the outside of our home. Today was also 'grass mowing' day. My hubby on the riding lawn mower. Then Tuesday night ended with me going to a Republican Mass Meeting to support a friend that was running for the Chairman position of our county. She won. It was a nice way to round out the day.Wednesday - this in my route to work...I am blessed to work from home. My office is upstairs. I enjoy being home throughout the entire day. It is wonderful. That night I went to my sister's house so that we could 'color' each others hair. I hate this chore but I hate grey hair even more. We both inherited premeture grey hair from our mother. Thanks Mom... Thursday starte (again) with my morning walk then my quiet time with God. (my daily devotion). That night Terri, her girls and I went to Michael's and Platos Closet (a consignment shop for teens and tweens). Laura and Lyndsey had a blast. They sold some clothes and made some small purchases. We had a great time. We alwasys do when 'the girls' are together. Friday Terri (and her kids) came over before the socces game and then again afterwards. Terri and I never cease to be amazed when we show up dressed 'exactly' the same. It must be a twin thing. However it still freaks us out. We do this sooo often it's freightening. We ate dinner before the games, had icecream after the games and Terri and the girls helped me with a work project. It was a fun way to end the 'A Week in the Life' Project.

Terri and I both enjoyed the entire project of documenting everyday normal life. Things you don't really think about doing. We will definately do this project again. Hope you enjoyed getting a glimps into my 'daily life'. Thanks for stopping by.

2010-04-22T08:45:00.005-04:00

Well only two more days to document my Week in the Life Project. My sister and I actually started this past Saturday so we finish up tomorrow. Then the fun begins...putting the album together. We are going tonight to Michaels to get some things that are 'must-haves' for this project. There's nothing more exciting then buying 'new bling' for a new project. Well, here are some of my pictures from yesterday.

Me first thing in the morning checking my email and having a cup of hot tea..

A nice view of our eat-in-kitchen area. I love how this picture shows some of our wonderful view outside the wall of windows. It is absolutely beautiful.

Some projects that I am currently working on. My step-son graduates in June and I have been putting together an album for him. I am doing that for all of our kids. My daughter was the first. She graduated in 2007. She absolutely loves her scrapbook. It is one of her most prized possessions. I hope Matthew feels the same way.

My twin sister and I are coloring each others hair. I hate this task but since I moved up here to Virginia, my sister-in-law, the wonderful beautician that lives where I moved from, can't give me the family discount. I just can't see spending that kind of money every 4 weeks. So, my sister and I have decided to try and be each others beauticians for a while. See how it works. I may be paying the big bucks soon because I hate this...
I was trying to get a good night shot of our house. With all the lights on it looks so lovely. This picture was taken with the flash and doesn't show the look that I was wanting to capture. I may try again tonight.

I hope you have a great day. Thanks for stopping by.

A Week in the Life - Tuesday

2010-04-21T08:29:00.006-04:00

During the day when I am snapping away with my camera I truly think I am taking enough photos and making enough notes to document my day. However, when I upload the photos to my Week in the Life folders it doesn't seem like all that much. I just hope it is enough when I go to put the album together next week. Here are just a few shots from yesterday.

This is when I went for my morning walk - What beautiful views we have. I love getting up each day and seeing this...

Another beautiful view...

Bench and Flowers on our front porch

Our Front Door...a friend of mine made this wreath for us as a 'Welcome to Virginia' gift. I absolutely love it. It looks so 'Springy'. Thanks Regina

My hubby mowing our grass...

I was getting ready to leave the house to go to a Republician Mass Meeting. A friend of mine was running to Chairman. I was looking over the info on the meeting before heading out the door. She, my frined, won. It was an exciting night.

Hope your 'A Week in the Life' project is going well. I can't wait to see how all of this comes together next week. Fun, Fun, Fun...

Half Way on A Week in the Life

2010-04-20T09:10:00.005-04:00

Well it is Tuesday and I am half way through documenting my Week in the Life project. I am following along with Ali Edwards and hundreds more that have decided to tackle this project this week. The documenting is going well and I will be putting my album together over the weekend and throughout next week.

Here are a few pictures from yesterday..

Jonathan goofing off while we were working on his school project

Me eating my dinner - it was so good. I made a nice salad and topped it with chichen. I am on a diet and enjoying your food (the food that you 'can' eat) is so very important. Yes I am eating in the living room. I know, shame on us for not sitting around the table together for our meal. With it just being me and hubby - sometimes it is just easier to eat where ever we land. We do use our table just not all the time...

Terri took this photo of me printing some pictures for Jonathan's school project due today.

This is me earlier in the day sorting my A Week in the Life Photos into separate folders. I am trying to stay as organized as I can so that next week putting this album togther will not be such a struggle. I created one main A Week in the Life folder and then added sub-folders with each day (and date) on them. So when I upload my photos I automatically put them in the folder for the day that they were taken. Easy-Peasy!!!Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your day.

A Week in the Life has begun!!!

2010-04-19T09:20:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone,

Hope you all are on this journey with me as we document a 'ordinary' week in our lives. Ali started today off with a quote that I have never seen but I truly love. I thought I would share it with you all.

And while it takes courage to achieve greatness, it takes more courage to find fulfillment in being ordinary. For the joys that last have little relationship to achievement, to standing one step higher on the platform. What is the adventure in being ordinary? It is daring to love just for the pleasure of giving it away. It is venturing to give new life and to nurture it to maturity. It is working hard for the pure joy of being tired at the end of the day. It is caring and sharing and giving and loving... Marilyn Thomsen

I think this quote will go in today's documentation. It makes me look at 'ordinary' as truly 'extraordinary'. The gifts we give and receive each day that mean the most are the little, seemingly thoughtless things we do for ourselves and others either out of habit or simply out of love.

My twin sister and I actually began our Week in the Life this past Saturday instead of waiting for today. We had two (weekend) fun-filled days together. It seemed that we spent almost the entire weekend together. That is why my husband and I moved here two months ago, to 'do life' with their family. We documented every little thing over the past two days but somehow I still fill like we 'missed' some things. Oh well, it will all come together nicely I am sure. I would like to share just one photo from today. This was a little bit of my sunrise outside my bedroom window this morning. I didn't get the greatest sunrise photo today but I will try again tomorrow. Enjoy and have a blessed day!

A Week in the Life of Me!

2010-04-15T10:05:00.006-04:00

Hi everyone. Hope your day is going well. Ok, here it goes. I have followed Ali Edwards' blog for some time now. I have seen and admired all the many different projects that she accomplishes and shares with all of us. I have joined her on some of these projects (I have done a December Daily for the past two years now and have loved every minute of deeply documenting our Holiday season) but have never thought my life was exciting enough to document and follow along with her 'A Week in The Life' project. However, I have decided to bite the bullet and just do it. So, I will be joining her next week and begin documenting a week in my life. I look forward to the process. She encourages us to look at the little everyday things that we do without even thinking about it but are very important in our lives. This will be a good way to look at and journal about feelings that come up, emotions we experience instead of just documenting the 'big events' in our lives. I will be able to see things that I do on a daily basis and see where my focus is and really notice what I find truly important to me. Where we spend the most time and energy in our day to day lives can tell us alot about ourselves. I look foward to this self examination excercise. I haven't yet decided on the size album pages that I will be doing but I am commiting to put some time in the planning stages of things over the next couple of days and be ready to hit the ground running on Monday. I will try to post throughout next week my process and how things are going for me. And then once I begin putting the album togther, I will share the 'finished' project as well. Join us if you dare...

Hello Spring!!!

2010-03-31T12:27:00.008-04:00

On March 18th my mom, dad, Ashley and Tiffany came for a visit to Roanoke. It's the first time that they have been to our new home. Ashley and Tiffany are our daughters and they live in North Carolina (where we moved from) and we haven't seen them since the middle of February. We celebrated birthdays - my dad's was the 16th and mine and my twin sisters was the 20th-also the 1st day of Spring). It was a wonderful visit. Below are some awesome pictures that were taken over the weekend. Enjoy!

2010-03-02T14:19:00.005-05:00

We are finally moved and settled (somewhat) into our new home. We moved in here just under three weeks ago. My twin sister, Terri!, and her family live in this area and we decided that we wanted to be near them. We were about five hours apart from each other but now no more than 15 minutes. We already love living here and this close to them. It was a great decision. I will show you some of the house. We are leasing with option to purchase so we are being careful not to put too many nail holes in the walls until we decide to purchase. Here goes...

This is our 'formal' living room. I don't really need a formal living room but we have one so there. When you first come in the front door this room is direclty on your right.

This is our dining room. When you come in the front door it is drectly on your left. (right across from the formal living room) I need to find an area rug for this room but haven't found the one that is just right for this space. (still need fabric at the windows also)

Our Master Bedroom is huge. I absolutely love it. I haven't added window treatments yet but am still looking for the perfect ones. We get the most amazing sunrise in the morning out these windows I hate to cover them up. Any suggestions?Here the is another view of our Mater Bedroom. You can seen the living room through the hallway. Our living room (or great room, I guess I should call it) is very large. I think I found a rug for in here but my husband thinks it's too small. We will have to keep looking for now. Also, I am adding some fabric to the windows to soften it up a bit. I am not going to completely cover the windows because the view from these windows makes the room.

I am still working on the eat-in-kitchen and the guestrooms upstairs. I will post more on them later. But for now, this gives you an idea of what I have been up to recently. It's a work in progress and we are well on our way. If I actually wrote down all the things that I am still shopping for it might overwhelm me just a bit. For now I will just keep the ongoing list in my head.

God is so Good!!!

2010-01-24T18:35:00.005-05:00

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2009-12-19T18:54:00.004-05:00

Wow...have we gotten the snow. Our area usually doesn't get it like this. It started snowing yesterday morning shortly before we awoke. I tried to drive down our 'steep' mountain road thinking I could make it to work, work a few hours and then get back home before it got too bad. Well, boy was I wrong. Shortly after pulling out of our driveway I was regretting my decision but since our road is all down hill, I didn't feel comfortable turning around. I 'slid' all the way to the bottom, turned around and up the mountain I came. It was very dangerous, slippery, steep cliffs to my right and not a great idea at all. It took me more than 30 minutes to go 3 miles (down and then back up again). Boy was my husband glad to see me pulling back into the driveway. The stress and the pressure of that (short) drive caused me to walk right into the house and fall into my hubby's arms bawling my head off. He kept saying "at least your home safe now, it's all ok". It took me a good 30 minutes to finally calm down and realize that...I had a Snow Day!!! Yeah. Our company decided to close down, something that they just don't do. Our entire county was just blanketed. I was glad to call my team members to let them know to enjoy their 'Snow Day'. It snowed all day long. We ended up getting between 10 and 12 inches. It is absolutely beautiful. We are just glad that we didn't loose power and that we had food in the cabinets. We have made Potato Soup, Russian Tea, Grilled Cheese, and best of all...snow cream. (yum) We have been snowed in for two days and they have already canceled church for tomorrow...that will make 3 days. My hubby and I have played cards, watched tons of Christmas movies, worked in our home office, I have scrapbooked...it has been a wonderful time. I am sure that are those of you who got way more snow than us but this is big, very big around here.

Wow...5 Years Already!!! Happy Anniversary to 'US'

2009-12-14T19:45:00.007-05:00

Dec. 11th - my hubby and I have been married for 5 years. We were both married before and had been single for quite a long time before finding each other. We both belong to the same church and had been friends for almost 3 years before God let us truly 'see' each other for the roles that He had for us in each other's future. At times it feels like yesterday that we were saying 'I do' but on the other hand we feel like we have been married and together for our entire lives. We just instantly became 'Us' and it felt like we had just always been. Well we went out of town for our anniversary to the same cabin that we stayed in for our honeymoon 5 years ago. My aunt and uncle own a cabin right on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia so we took them up on their offer to stay again. We had a wonderful time. Here are a few pics from our weekend. (the ones I can share with you of course...lol) Me and my honey!!! (boy and I a blessed girl)

We took our pictures at this very same rock on the Blue Ridge Parkway 5 years ago and we always make it a point (anytime we are in that area) to go by 'our rock'.

They had a snow and ice storm two days before we arrived. There was still quite a bit of snow in the area. It was absolutely beautiful.

I bet we saw over 100 deer over the three days we were there. They let us get so close (as long as we were still in the car) it was unbelievable. I bet they are use to the 'tourist' taking their photos. We were amazed at how majestic they looked.

With all the 'house here is on the market', 'I am transitioning in my job', 'we are house hunting in Virginia', and 'it's Christmas time' we needed this much deserved time away. It was truly everything that the two of us hoped it would be.

Triplet...I need your help!!!

2009-10-25T19:15:00.010-04:00

We are getting our house ready to list for sale. My husband and I are praying about a 'big' move. I have always wanted to live closer to my twin sister and since she and her family are being stubborn about coming this way, I guess my husband and I will have to be the ones to 'take the leap of faith' and move to another state. However, God has to be in on all of this and with the job market and the housing market the way it is, if this 'works' then we will know it is God. In preparation for this new journey, we are getting ready to put our house on the market. My sisters friend Regina (our third triplet) is awesome at home decorating and staging. You should see what she did in my sisters home. Anyway, I am posting some pics here (three rooms for now...more to come later) and want her to be able to see them and give me some advice. If anyone else out there is even reading my blog and has some house-wisdom I would greatly apprecaite your input. Regina, thanks for taking the time to help me out. I love you girl and can't wait to see you.

First up is the kitchen:

Next is the Dining Room:
Now for the Living Room:

Any advice that could stage my house better I would greatly appreciate. Please don't be afraid to make 'any' suggestions. I want to take all ideas (furniture placement, furniture removal, etc.) seriously. Thanks for your input.

'Nesting' Around My House

2009-09-28T14:07:00.010-04:00

Well, while the 'husband' is away, the decorator in me will play. My husband went to see his mother for her 74th birthday so I had the house to myself since Thursday. However, I do miss him, I have had so much fun. There is a wall in my dining room that is really 'plain' and I have been dying to pay it a little bit of attention. I have 'surfed' the blogging world and have found some wonderful inspiration photos. This is the inspiration photo that I chose to 'mimic'.

This photo is from the talented 'Nester'. (at least I think it is...I tried to re-find it but couldn't)

So on Saturday my daughter, Ashley, and I headed out shopping to find those 'must-have' treasures that I needed to re-created this in my own home. So, here's my version...what do you think? I was able to create this look for my own home for under $100 bucks. Yeah! A great look and a great price. You can't beat that. (at night in my dining room the lighting can be weird - so please excuse the less than perfect photos)

I recently go rid of the area rug under our table and I am on the hunt for a new one...the 'right' one. Haven't found it yet. Well, haven't found it yet in my price range. Still on the hunt. Thanks for stopping by and looking at my newly 're-created' space.

Now, I just hope my honey likes it when he gets home. I will let you know.

A Fun Give-A-Way over at The Inspired Room

2009-08-18T12:42:00.001-04:00

A Fun Give-A-Way over at the inspired room. Go check it out. http://theinspiredroom.net/2009/08/18/the-beauty-of-an-antique-a-very-rare-giveaway/

A fun Give-A-Way - to go check out

2009-05-06T09:55:00.017-04:00

There is a fun Give-A-Way going on over at The Lettered Cottage. Take a look at this fun burlap table runner. The link to Layla's website is: http://theletteredcottage.blogspot.com/2009/05/coastline-contest.html Also, while over there, take the opportunity to check out the link to Grace's Etsy shop. You won't be sorry. Enjoy!

Weekend with my sister's family...

2009-04-29T06:36:00.003-04:00

It's a 'twin thing' once again. When my mom and I arrived at my twin sisters house, low and behold my sister and I were dressed just alike. we both had on black shirts and khaki pants with black sandals on. We have done this on many occassions and it still 'freaks' us and our family out. It is uncanny that the two of us can live 5 hours apart and show up in the exact same clothes. Not only that we have the 'same' clothes in our closets but that we pick out the same thing on the very same day. Wow this is weird. This is my mom with Jonathan. Is is learning the keyboard and Nana was teaching him a new song.

Nana snuggling with Lyndsay

Me, Terri! and mymom at the kids soccer games.

Laura and Lyndsay with Nana at the game.

Aunt Cherri with Lyndsay

Aunt Cherri with Jonathan

Aunt Cherri with Laura

We had a wonderful time with Terri! and her kids. The only thing missing was her husband Robert. Thanks Terri! and kids for a lovely day. We love you.

Softball anyone...

2009-04-21T21:30:00.008-04:00

Here is Sam with Sierra right after she scored her first run. My mom with Joshua

Dad with Joshua

On my way home from work tonight I stopped by the ball fields. My nieces were playing softball. Sierra will be ten this week. Tonight was the first game of this season. I was glad that I could be there. Her first up at bat, she hit a good solid hit and got on base. She stole 2nd and ended up scoring a run. Yeah Sierra!!! Here she is coming across the plate...a little blurry, I know, but I still think it's cute.

Here she is with her brother Joshua. His game is later this week.

Here is Gabrielle, who will be 5 this summer. She was playing T-ball (however, the coaches actully pitched to them). This is her very first year playing.

Here she is coming up to bat. Isn't she just adorable. I know I am partial and all, but get real. She is too darn cute!! Ok, so the bat is almost as big as she is..that doesn't matter, right?

Can't believe that I actually got the shot of the ball coming to her. I was thrilled to get this shot. She wacked it too. Way to go Gabrielle!!!

And this is her actaully scoring her very first run...ever!

It was a lot of fun getting the chance to watch them play. I look forward to the rest of the season.

Spring Break with my Son

2009-04-21T21:18:00.005-04:00

My son lives out of state (about 4 hours away) with his dad. He is very involved in football so I don't actually get to see him a whole lot. He came and spent most of his Spring Break with us week before last. I know, I can't believe it has taken me this long to post about his visit either. We had an amazing time together. We had to make every moment count and we did. The first full day he was here we met my mom, dad and my brother for lunch. Here are some photos:

Matt with me and my hubby Mark

This is Mark, my mom, Matt, me and my dad.

My mom, Matt and my dad. (yes he is as tall as my dad...6"3" to be exact)

These are the 'men' in my life. Mark, Sam, Matt and Dad

My brother Sam can't get over the fact that my 15 year old son is taller than his is. This is him standing on something to appear taller than Matt. Sorry Sam, he has past you.

Matt, Mark and I throughly enjoyed our time with you. Thank you for helping us plant our Red Bud Trees. You sure saved our backs and muscles. We appreciated it. We love you sweetheart.

Pictures of my 'Scrap-Space'

2009-04-17T20:12:00.003-04:00

I have recently re-painted my old scrap desk. (my previous post) I also received a 'free' U shaped table for my studio and I just got everything (for the most part) back into place. I am really happy with the results. Here are some 'not-so-great' photos. I am not quite done but I wanted to post an update. It is still a work in progress. What do you think?

'After' photos of the Furniture re-do

2009-04-09T11:10:00.003-04:00

So here is my 'improved' desk. It looks so much better in my studio being black instead of that light pink. This little stool looks so much better as well. Once I get all my stuff moved back into the desk and everything looks 'back to normal', I will post pictures of my scrapspace.

Some Furniture 'Re-doing'...

2009-04-04T20:20:00.003-04:00

I have a couple of things that I want to use in my studio (scrapspace) but they need some help. This desk was given to my daugher over 12 years ago. It is the desk I have been using in my scrapspace for about 3 years now. In the second picture you can see where she painted her name on it with fingernail polish when she was younger. It has been a great little desk but the key word here is 'little'. I have just gotten a 'U' shaped table for my studio and I wanted this desk to go behind it. I kind of want my 'stuff' all around...front, sides and behind me. You will see, I will post 'finished' pictures when I'm finished. While I was painting the desk, I decided to also paint a footstool and some wall decor. I am going with black accents in my studio so it was easy, all three pieces were done in black. I like easy. Here are the before shots! I will post 'after' shots tomorrow. My hubby thinks I need one more clear coat on the table before we bring it inside. We will have to do that after church tomorrow. Thanks for looking.

It must be a 'twin' thing...

2009-03-21T09:04:00.004-04:00

My sister and I live in two different states but somehow, by a 'freaky' twin connection we ended up doing the exact same thing on our Birthday. I sent her a text message of me with a Starbucks coffee in my hand while sitting at the new Barnes and Nobles and low and behold...she sent me back a text message of her doing the exact same thing.

Here she is...(remember tht this photo came from a cell phone)

And here I am...(my photo came from my camera...the one I texted her had my husbands finger in the way...)
I would not have been surprised if we had been dressed alike or had the same book in our hand. We usually have different coffee..she goes for the cold coffee and I stick with the usual Frech Vanilla Latte. Yum!!! I had an awesome Birthday. My husband took me for lobster and a relaxing afternoon sitting in Barnes and Nobles. (Ladies, you have to know what a sacrifice that was for him, he hates to read and to get him to enjoy browsing a bookstore, hasn't happened yet in the 4 years that we have been married, until yesterday) Thank you honey...I love you so much. You made my Birthday very special. Thank you,

It's My Birthday!!!

2009-03-20T12:40:00.006-04:00

Well, not that I am excited about getting older, but I'd rather celebrate a Birthday than the alternative...The best thing about today is that I get to celebrate this day with my twin sister, Terri! Yes, that's a '41' we are holding up with our fingers. Yikes, where in the world did the time go. I can remember my mom being 41. She was 41 when I had my daugher...I made her a Nana at 41.

Here we are with our mom. Terri and I don't look all that much alike in these photos. She has lightened her hair (it looks great Ter-Bear) and I have kept mine darker (for now). Here I am with my Sweetie and My other Sweetie. (My husband Mark and my daughter Ashley) Isn't she just beautiful. She now lives in VA so we met half way this past Sunday to see everybody for the Birthdays. (My Dad's was this past Monday)

Well, we are off. My husband has my special day planned, filled with all my favorite things...I don't know what he is up to but I am sure it will be fun. Have a wonderful Friday...

Some Recent Layouts

2009-03-07T17:43:00.004-05:00

Here are just a few of the layouts that I have done recently. (please forgive me, but I can't seem to get good pics of my layouts...I'm still trying)

My Step-daughter Tiffany brought over a game called: Would You Rather - and as you can see...we played. My husband and I were the ones that ended up having to do the 'silly' things during the game. However, I'm not bragging but I did win both times that we played...it was a lot of fun! (yes that's me having to drink water out of a bowl like a kitty cat would - it was harder than you think)
Every Fall we go up the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway to see the lovely views and all the waterfalls. We have to be tourist in our own town every now and then. Tiffany was the only kid that could go with us and we had a wonderful time. Thanks Tiffany for spending the day with us.
Our daughter Ashley lives in Virgina so we made a trip to visit her a few weeks ago. She got a new car and she wanted us to see it. I take every chance I get to love on her. We spent the day together and then had to come back home. We love you Ashley!

A Hodge-Podge Blog Post

2009-03-01T17:22:00.005-05:00

To start things off, last weekend I tackled the choir of recovering our dining room chairs. We got this dining room table about 6 months ago for on one hundred dollars. What a steal. All it needs is a little bit of TLC. It has six chairs and a leaf to make the table even larger. The family that we got this from has a 2 year old and she left her mark.

Here is the before:

And here is the after:

I even think the gold material makes the wood look even richer and warmer. What do you think? I am very happy with them. Now it's time to entertain!!!

Now to my 'next' project - 'Perging'. I know a lot of you guys hit that in early January but I have been a little bit late in starting. A group of us at church are having a 'huge' yard sale next weekend so I have begun the much dreaded, but at the same time exciting, task of perging the old and making room for better organization and order. My hubby snapped this shot of me sitting in the floor of my scrap space going through all of the 12X12 paper that I've just gotta have when I am in the store, but once I get it home it seems to find it's way to the back of the pile. I must just realize that I do not use a whole lot of pastels and I don't know if I have ever used purple but boy did I have a lot of it. Hopefully no more. I am praying that some 'purple-loving scrapper' will show up next weekend and relieve me of some of my madness. (and that's my sweet little dog Jackson next to me-actually he is our daughter's dog but I get to claim him for now)

Part 3 of this post:

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

This is what it looked like driving up our mountain on our way home from church today. It was crazy, when we left the church it wasn't even snowing yet and we only live approx. 5 minutes from church. But the 'higher' up we went the more snow we encountered. We probably already have 4-5 inches. It's absolutely beautiful.
I took this picture of a tree in our front yard from our front door (not a far distance) but the snow is so heavy that you can barely see the tree.

I pray that you and your family enjoy the rest of your Sunday afternoon. God Bless, Cherri

Feburary 14th - Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T20:02:00.007-05:00

Today was a wonderful day. My sweetie and I spent the entire day together and we are getting ready to watch a movie. But before we could do that, I had to make a little something special for my guy.

This...plus

These...

Equals...These!!! - White Chocolate Covered Strawberries - My husband's favorite!

Yummy!!!

Our Pottery is Ready!!!

2009-02-14T18:04:00.005-05:00

A few days ago I posted that me and my two girls went to Fired Up and created our own pieces of pottery. Well, here are the 'finished items'. I went over and picked them up this morning. I was so excited to be able to get them, to see what they turned out like and to love them. I think Tiffany, Ashley and I did very well on our pieces. What do you think?Ashely' Chinese Noodle Bowl - they even threw in some chopsticks
Tiffany's Butterfly Trinket BoxAnd my Picture Frame. I have the perfect picture already picked out for this frame. Thanks for looking and I hppe you enjoyed our 'crafty side.'

I Won!!! I Won!!!

2009-02-12T09:31:00.002-05:00

I don't win a lot of things but I post for give-a-ways as much as I can. I logged on Tuesday to a blog, Kim Rose, (http://www.kimrose.typepad.com) and saw that I had won her recent give-a-way. I can't even remember what she was giving away but I am so excited about it. She emailed me that the 'goodies' were mailed out yesterday. Can't wait to see what they are.

On a seperate note, I helped my twin sister, Terri!, get a blog yesterday. She has now entered the 'world of blogging'. She visits and surfs a lot of blogs but has never taken the time to set one up for herself. So yesterday, I helped her take the bull by the horns and get a blog. You can link to her either from my sidebar or www.terrijkempf.blogspot.com. Go over and say hello to Terri. Welcome to cyberspace Terri!!!

Photos of me and hubby

2009-02-10T22:21:00.008-05:00

I have wanted some good pictures of my husband and I for a while now. So when we knew that my daughter was coming into town, we drafted her to be our 'photographer for the day'. (not really a whole day, but about an hour) Actually we were so busy that we had to push the time back and then back some more so we barely got in some pics before it began getting dark. But some of them turned out really well and I wanted to share them. (even some of the not-so-great ones too)Thank you Ashley for taking some of your time to take some photos for us. We know we made it very difficult for you (all our laughing and cutting up while you were trying to be serious about getting some great pics) but you were a trooper and did a wonderful job. We love you sweetheart.

Just a 'Girls Day Out'...

2009-02-10T21:31:00.011-05:00

This past Saturday I took my daughters Ashley and Tiffany out for a 'girls only' day. Ashley lives out of state and was in town for a visit so I wanted to do something fun with them. We took off to the 'big city' to have a day of fun, laughter and play. Here we are getting ready to leave the house

We started out at a coffee shop (a must in our family) to get coffee and snacks to take with us to our next destination. The girls didn't know where we were going. They like surprises so I kept it a secret until we got there. After we got our morning 'fuel' it was off to 'Fired Up'. Fired Up is a creative pottery lounge. You can go and pick a piece of pottery and design it anyway you would like and then they will glaze it and 'fire' it and in just a few days I can go back and pick up our finished 'masterpieces'.

Here are the 'before pics' of the pottery that we chose

There were so many nice pieces to choose from that the decision of what to do was quite difficult. I knew I was going for a photo frame so mine was pretty easy. However, Ashley and Tiffany didn't have a lot of time to pre-plan for this becaus they like surprises and didn't want to know where we were going. Ashley ended up choosing a Chinese noodle bowl, Tiffany chose a butterfly trinket box for her room and I chose a photo frame for my scrapbook studio to document the fun day that the girls and I had. Once we picked our pottery, then we were able to choose the colors that we wanted to use. We also had options for stencils and stamps to 'dress' them up a bit.

It was harder than you think sitting there with a blank canvas so to speak and knowing you are fully responsible for the 'finished' product. We thought long and hard befre we begin our painting.

Our finished items - how do they look? Once we get the finished pieces back, I will do another post because they will end up looking so much different than they do now. They will be much darker and have a shinny gloss coat over them. Ashley's Chinese Noodle Bowl

Tiffany's Butterfly Trinket Box

My Picture Frame

We are all three very proud of our hard work. We can't wait to see the finished items. Now it was off to our next stop...lunch!! One of Ashley's favorite restaurants is the Mellow Mushroom so that is where we went.

Which way do we go???

My girls love to cut up no matter where we are...I can't take them out in public, but I do. Maybe one day I will learn. (they certainly make life fun)

On our way back to the car, we stopped in a comedy shop where we found a large assortment of 'silly hats'. Of course they were just begging to be tried on. And you know we had to comply. Here are a few 'silly girls' in some 'silly hats'. Oh, what fun this was.

It was an amazing day and I totally needed it. With our kids getting older I have less and less 'mommy' time with them. This sure gave me my fix for a short while. What will we do next time???

My 'WORD' for 2009

2009-01-02T15:34:00.002-05:00

I have decided on my 'word' for 2009 - it is 'PURPOSE'. I want to live in every area of my life with purpose. I don't want to get so bogged down in the mundane things of this life that I don't live and recogonize 'purpose' in all that I do.

Purpose: the reason for which something exists or is dond, made, used, created, etc...; an intended or desired resuld, end, aim, goal; determination; to set as as an aim, intention or goal for oneself; to resole or to intend.

Doesn't this sound like a 'great' word for this year?

Mini Album for my Mother-In-Law

2008-12-10T21:26:00.007-05:00

Terri, this is what I have so far...tell me what you think? I know that the pictures aren't all that great but they will give you a pretty good idea. Some of these colors aren't my usual colors, it has been fun playing outside of the box.

Album CoverPage One - I will journal here why thought this would be a special gift for herPage 3Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

December Daily Album in Progreess

2008-12-10T20:15:00.005-05:00

I have been following along with Ali Edwards in documenting the Christmas Holidays with a December Daily Album. I made mine over a month early (see post below) to have it ready once Dec. 1st came along. I have gotten the first fives day documented and completed and am in the process of completing days 6 thru 10. (the be current) I am having so much fun documenting the little things in our lives that go along with Christmas. I look forwarding to the upcoming days to see what they will bring to my little book as well.

Day One with overlay

Day One without overlay

Day Two-Left SideDay Two-Right Side (clock overlay)Day Three-Part OneDay Four-First Left Side (ended up being 4 pages)

Day Four-Right SideDay Four-double spreadDay Four-Close UpDay Five-Jounaling inside the envelope

Soccer Weekend with my Nieces and Nephew

2008-11-08T15:58:00.005-05:00

A few Saturday's ago my husband and I stopped by the soccer field where my niece Sierra and my nephew Joshua were playing. My mom and Dad were there with another friend of our's Judy. Gabrielle the youngest of the three children was just having a good time. She isn't old enough yet to be on a soccer team, but that didn't stop her from having fun. Here she is with her mama Dawn (my sister-in-love). Dawn is married to my brother Sam, which I don't know why but he wasn't in any of the picture I took that day. Anyway, I wanted to share some fun pictures from that day. Here is part of my family...First here's is Dawn and Gabrielle...

Joshua and one of his teammates and frineds
My little man Joshua, isn't he stinkin adorable?

Gabrielle again, so beautiful

Soccer star Sierra..you get'em girl

Sierra and Joshua after the games (what beautiful children)

Papa (my dad) and Gabrielle

I have an amazing family and couldn't be more blessed with each and everyone of them.

My December Daily Album

2008-11-06T19:45:00.012-05:00

I have decided to follow along with Ali Edwards in doing a December Daily Album for the 25 days of Christmas. I have put together my album, as she suggested, ahead of time so that I can just add my photos and journaling each day of December. I am not quite finished but have a great start. I thought it would be difficult to create the album ahead of time not knowing what photo or journaling or 'keepsake' would go on what page, but Ali recommended you just make the book and then work with what you have. Once I got started it became easier to create a blank canvas in order to be ready to begin my December Daily Album on Dec. 1st. To tell you the truth, I am so excited about it, I truly can't wait until I get to start filling it up. I hate to have to wait almost 4 weeks to start it. Here is the front cover
Day 1

The clock overlay is Day 2

The red paper is Day 3 (I haven't numbered it yet)

Day 4 (torn cork paper-it's not really a great pic)

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

The transparency and the small circle paper behind it is Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13 (not numbered yet)

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18-Bingo card - I have to put on the number

Day 19

Day 20 (not numbered yet)

Day 21 (O forgot to photograph page 20 and 22-I will add later)

Day 23

Picnic with horseback riding...

2008-10-27T20:06:00.005-04:00

Weekend with My Son...Matt

2008-10-11T13:53:00.007-04:00

My son lives in South Carolina with his dad. He is in the 9th grade and plays football for his high school. Mark and I took off for the weekend to see Matt in action on the field. It is really hard for me not being close enough to go to every game. I listen to his games on the computer via a local radio station. I can't tell you how great it makes me feel when the announcers start talking about my son. I smile, I laugh and then I cry because I am here and he is there. We saw him play on the JV team on Thursday night and then Varstiy game was Friday night. It was thrilling being in that 'football heaven' atmosphere. They are really serious about football down there. He looked so handsome, so athletic and so much like 'my little boy'. (well, he's not so little anymore) Matt just turned 15 last week and he is already 6'2" and wears a size 14 shoe. He is definately not my 'little' boy anymore. However, he is my 'boy'. Mark and I spent the entire day Saturday with him. We played miniture golf, swam in the ocean, got in the lazy river, had some jacuzzi time and then ended the day with crablegs. We had a wonderful time with him. Even now and I type this two weeks after our visit. I miss him so much. We talk often, but it's not the same. I am one proud mama.

Canning tomatoes...

2008-09-10T06:24:00.009-04:00

I don't know about any of you, but I have never 'canned' anything in my entire life...until now. I work for an herbal manufacturing company and one of our employee benefits is that we get fresh produce every summer. Our company has a 250 acre organic farm in which we grow herbs to manufacture and every year they have the farm help plant, maintain and harvest all the fresh vegatables that we could even imagine. We have had fresh corn, beets, zucchini, basil, parsley, all kinds of 'peppers, watermelons, cucumbers and tomatoes. And when I say tomatoes, I mean tomatoes. I have brought home over 4 boxes of tomatoes and my mom and I have 'canned' them. I remember her canning when I was very young, but I have never done it. I was a little bit intimated at the thought, but nonetheless, I set out to tackle learning how. I went over to my mom's house after church this past Sunday and we went to work.

It wasn't all that hard, it was just time consuming. I never knew that there were so many steps involved. Thankfully I was doing this with my mother, who knew what she was doing. It took use many hours to get them all done, but I have to say, when it was all over and I was loading up 'my stash' of the finished product, it felt really good to have accomplished this. My dad snapped this picture of me and my mom as we were bringing out the first completed jars of the tomatoes.

It is something I would do again. It was a wonderful afternoon with my parents. It was my mother handing down a 'way of life' that I had yet to encounter. I am 40 years old and I now know how to can. vegatables. It made us feel so domesticated. It made me want to 'put up' more vegatables and make preserves and jams. Oh Lord, what I have gotten myself into? Have a nice day, Cherri

Labor Day, Waterfalls and Hiking...

2008-09-04T19:50:00.017-04:00

We live in the mountains of Western North Carolina in an area that is known as 'The Land of the Waterfalls'. We have over 250 waterfalls in our county. So, we decided to get out of the house for Labor Day and go exploring. Tiffany was the only 'child of ours' with us. She had us all to herself. (that hasn't happened in a long time) First stop, after an hour drive, was at the Rib Shack in Highlands, NC. We have been there before and remembered that it was a quaint little place that had good BBQ. (my husband loves good BBQ) Then, we were fueled with energy to go tackle the Falls. We First went up to Bridal Veil Falls. In this first picture Tiffany and her daddy are standing under Bridal Veil Falls. I know you can barely see them, but I wanted to show the height of the entire falls. Don't worry, I show them closer up in the next photo. Here I zoomed in closer and it looks like the water is hitting them. It is actually in front of them. You can drive your car behind these falls. I think it is a cool shot. White Water Falls was our next stop. This was our first time here so we were up to exploring the whole area. It was about a 1/2 mile hike to the falls but there were several 'look out' spots along the way that we stopped for photo opportunities. Here is my husband 'pretending' to 'hold' the mountain. He is such a goof-ball. (I love that about him) Here is Tiffany climbing the side of the mountain. She was such a climber all day long. She has those long legs and she's only twelve so she has the energy to 'tackle' any mountain.

Here she is at the top. (well, only as far as we would let her climb-she probably would have kept right on going if we had let her). It is really way up there.

Here is White Water Falls. It is a 411 foot cascading waterfal. It was absolutely beautiful. When I stand in front of something like this, I just become even more in awe of God than I already am. He is so amazing and His creation never ceases to blow me away.

So, speaking of, it's the young one that is supposed to have all the energy, I ended up carrying her 'piggy-back' for a little while by the time we were making our way back down. (not really, we were just posing for a picture) We had an awesome day filled with fresh air, beautiful views, great food and a very special time for just the three of us.

Layouts from last weekend with my sister

2008-08-23T18:35:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone, I have worked and worked on a 'slideshow' using photobucket and it won't accept my link. So, I am just copying the link and adding it here. If you would like to see a few pages that I did last weekend, please click on this link. I sure hope this works and that (when I find more time) I can get the slideshow feature to work. I guess it's just operator error, who knows? Enjoy. http://s367.photobucket.com/albums/oo111/cherriengle/?action=view&current=61e1728d.pbw

'Twin Only' Weekend was a blast...

2008-08-17T20:30:00.006-04:00

My sister and I had such an amazing time together this weekend. We met in Greensboro, NC to have a 'scrapbooking' weekend. It was amazing, we arrived at the hotel within a minute of each other. (we live in different states and met in the middle) We got a suite so that we had a kitchen and living room so that would give us enough space to spread all of our 'scrap stuff' out. It was perfect. It even had a kitchen table that was wonderful. We scrapped, shopped, had coffee, ate out, watched the olympics, stayed up really late, and talked almost non-stop the entire weekend. I think I have only slept about 10 and a half hours since I left here Friday morning. I will crash later on tonight. Here are a few pictures of us. I will post my layouts later this week.

Girls Weekend...Yeah!!!

2008-08-14T09:05:00.004-04:00

My sister and I recently turned '40'. I know, I hated even typing that number down and it being associated with my age. But, I don't want the alternative...death. So, at least I had someone to face it with me. Well, we asked our husbands for a 'girls-only' scrapbooking weekend for our birthday. We have planned this and had to cancel it twice, but it is finally happening. We leave tomorrow morning to meet for the weekend. We are so excited that neither of us can stand it. I am about to drive my husband absolutely crazy with my carrying on about how I can't wait until Friday morning. You should see all the 'stuff' I have packed to take with me. We are going to 'scrap' the entire weekend. I had to take so much stuff, just in case I need it, right? I can tell you, it will be a chore to 'unload' and 'put back into it's place' when I return, but right now, I don't even care. We are going to have such a wonderful time. I will post pictures of our weekend when I return.

This is my twin Sister...Terri!

2008-08-14T08:58:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite things in life is being a twin. Terri! and I have been the best of friends ever since we were 'womb-mates'. We are very similiar in many ways, yet our differences make us unique and gives us an identity that is all our own. We never had issues with competing with each other as we grew up. We were each others best friend, biggest supporter, greatest defender, strongest shoulder to cry on, and most faithful encourager. Eventhough we live in different states, we are still very, very close. I just wanted to introduce you to her. Here's Terri!

Having to say goodbye...

2008-08-06T06:43:00.006-04:00

We had to say goodbye last night to Brandon, Devin and Zoey. Brandon moved here back in April and then his kids came to stay for the summer. They went back to Florida early this morning. So we had to say our goodbyes last night before they went to bed. Devin and Zoey have been such a delight to have around. This is really the first time we have gotten to spend an extended amount of time with them and having them in our home we sure got close to them. I will miss them running around yelling for 'CiCi', jumping in my arms just to let me get their 'neck sugar'. That's my favorite. Those two little ones sure captured a special place in this heart and CiCi will miss them terribly. We wish them all God's best in their future and they work to be able to move back up here. Brandon, Devin and Zoey, Papa and CiCi miss you already. We love you all. Hope to see you soon.

Visiting family over the weekend...

2008-08-04T10:22:00.004-04:00

We drove over to Tennessee to vist Mark's brother, Patrick and his wife Tina. They recently moved there from Florida. Mark loves having some of his family close by. On Sunday afternoon, we went over to a nearby lake a had a real nice cookout. It was such a pretty picinic area with a 'wading' area for people to swin. We saw lots of people on boats and jet skis. We were probably out there for over 3 hours. It was just so nice and pleasant. Just to be outside, my husband kept saying how peaceful and relaxing it was. We had a great time visiting with them. We can't wait until we get to see them again. Thanks Patrick and Tina for such a lovely weekend.

Look what I won...

2008-07-31T06:56:00.005-04:00

I love visiting the blog of Laura Vegas. I like her scrap-style and her color choices. I usually look at her blog at least 3 to 4 times a week. Last week she was 'cleaning and purging' and was getting rid of two large envelopes of ribbion. I posted a comment on her blog and 'guess what'...I won one of them. The envelope was so slammed-packed full of ribbon I couldn't believe it. Itw as great ribbon too. I love the 'stash' that I won. She also included some other fun goodies (library pocketbook kits and Blank Coasters by 'Pine Cone Press'). These were a delightful surprise to be added to the bag full of ribbon. I haven't sorted them yet, but I am looking forward to putting them on a layout very soon.

2008-07-26T17:28:00.001-04:00

Time with my son...

2008-07-24T20:34:00.006-04:00

I got to spend some awesome quality time with my son today. With teenagers now-a-days, it is a big deal to get that 'quality' time with them. We went to dinner, just the two of us. He just got home today from camp and he was eager to tell me all about it. Matt and I try to grab special moments like this when we can but it's not always that easy. He lives in another state with his dad so we don't get to see each other as much as we would like. He is a great kid. He gives me lots of reasons to be a very proud 'mama'. Today I am grateful that time allowed us to steal a few, very precious, moments together.

I love that my kids love the Lord...

2008-07-20T14:39:00.009-04:00

This morning at church was youth Sunday. My daughter, Ashley, was part of the drama/dance team that ministered today. I was so proud of her. My son Matthew and his friend Josh also joined us this morning at church. It was wonderful having them there. Ashley, Matt and Josh were part of the youth group that prayed for people in our congretation that needed it. It was so nice sitting there beside my hubby and the two of us watching our kids pray for and minister. Brandon, our oldest, played the bass guitar in the youth band. He did an awesome job. My son Matt lives out of state, he showed up at the end of service to surprise his sister. She hasn't seen him in four months. Ashley has really missed him here lately. She was so thrilled to see him. I love our children. I love even more, that they love the Lord and have such a wonderful reltationship with Him. This is one happy mama.

New Flat Panel TV...My husband is so happy!!

2008-07-20T08:37:00.004-04:00

Well, we did it. My husband has been drooling over a flat panel tv for awhile now. We are in the process of finishing our upstairs to become a theatre room and he wants to put a 73" tv up there. So we have been shopping around quite a bit. Since we aren't even close to needing the tv for the upstairs yet, he is still itching to get a flat panel. Well, we did. Last night we bought a flat panel 32" for our living room. We got it at Best Buy and it was less expensive than other places that we had found. See our new tv here: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8742818&type=product&id=1202648987833 or here is the photo of it in our living room. My husband still has a smile on his face. What is it about boys and their toys, huh?

CHA in Chicago...

2008-07-19T11:51:00.005-04:00

Making Memories is hosting hourly give-a-ways while at the CHA show in Chicago. They have awesome videos and samples of their new lines. Check it out here. http://www.makingmemories.typepad.com/

A little bit about my family...

2008-07-19T11:26:00.006-04:00

I have been married to Mark for three and a half years. He is the most amazing man ever. God truly blessed me with him. Together we have 6 six children. This picture was taken at Thanksgiving. Our two oldest children are missing. They live out of state. I love our blended family. God knew what He was doing when He put these two families together. And of course, I can't leave out introducing you to Jackson. He is our four-legged child. He is a wonderful dog.

These two are why I'm called: CiCi

2008-07-18T22:20:00.001-04:00

When I married my husband Mark, 3 1/2 years ago, I instantly became a CiCi. You see, I am 10 years younger than my husband and the thought of being called Nana or Grandma at my age, I just wasn't able to handle it. Years ago, I had a niece, that couldn't say Aunt Cherri for a long time, so she just called me 'C'. I guessed it just worked for me to become CiCi to our grandkids. This is Devin and Zoey. They are up here visiting for the summer. I had an instant connecting with both of them. It's been fun having them around the house. I will truly miss them when they go back home.

A new thing for me...

2008-07-18T21:38:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting to get into the 'blogging' thing for a while now but I wasn't sure where to even begin. So, I am just jumping in. I don't quite have a clue what I am doing but maybe I will figure it out along the way. We'll see. This is the beginning of a new thing for me. I hope I like it.