One room complete!

So this is it ....one room finished ! Josh got his new bed this past week and he is loving his new room. We got the Robin bed at IKEA ...gotta love IKEA! It is so great in his room , being 10x12 the space is a factor.
This bed , closet and desk in one space is the perfect fit.

Josh is just loving getting to climb up a ladder every night to bed. He said last night " Thanks Mom , I love my new room"

That is all it takes to make it all worth while. He helped me clean up his room and purge some toys last night. He was cute deciding what to keep and what to let go of. We made piles to give away , throw away and keep.

This one Josh asked me to take with his shelves of trophies and bionicles he is so proud of. I did love it as we were cleaning he said he wanted to keep his mouse ears!

We just need to put his computer in his room ( not connected to the internet ) One room complete ...it is a great feeling!

Great song !

Bad Day , by Daniel Powter

Where is the moment when we need it the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue sky's faded to grey
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carrying on
You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee to go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces every time
And I don't need no carrying on
Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
Well you need a blue sky holiday
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carrying on
You had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
Sometimes the system goes on the blink and the whole thing it turns out
Wrong
You might not make it back and you know that you could be well oh that
Strong
Well I'm not wrong
So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You see what you like
And how does it feel, one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Well this song rang true last night and today , but I am feeling the "magic" again ! I am going to take this weekend and a few days next week to get things finished up around the house. Kate and I are going to be working hard this weekend to get the floor in and the walls finished in the bedroom. Then we can start breathing a little more and not coming home everynight to work on drywall . So no worries I will be kicking the leaves up again soon!

I want to scrapbook!

That's what I want to do !

I am tired of fixing up the house.

I am tired of walking into a house full of clutter.

I want to just sit down at my crop table , have everything organized

and just start creating.

I want to take about a week off from the store , and recharge.

I want to take my son to the park and play .

I want to go on a bike ride with Josh.

I don't want to hear my son say " You like the store more then me "

I don't want to hear my son say " how come we can't go to the park after school"

I want to feel like I am doing the right things.

Trying to run a business, is it worth all the hours ?

Trying to do things at the house, will it ever end?

Trying to be a great friend, what makes a great friend?

Not complaining , well except I miss scrapbooking so much . I see everyone around me creating , I love seeing it . How do you balance it , when you work at the store all day , then come home and do more work for the store . Then work on the house , spend some time with Josh (which is getting the short end lately). Where is the time for me?

Doesn't sound good I know .

Well on to the new day....maybe I will start figuring this all out.

"It's easier to build a child than repair an adult."

Got this little quote in my email yesterday , it made me feel good about everything I wrote about .

We got Josh a new bed last night , the Loft bed , it is so high and I am a bit nervous. He loved it ! What boy wouldn't love climbing a ladder every night to get in bed. I will get better and not worry so much soon. The rails are there and unless he would climb over them in his sleep he is very safe.

I never had a bunk bed while growing up , I am sure I wanted one at some point , so it is kinda fun being able to let Josh have one.

Josh ...you just make me so proud!

This is not just for photo ops! This is Josh actually doing one of his chores.
He cleans his own bathroom. I walked by while he was doing this yesterday and just got goosebumps. I am not sure how many 6 year olds actually clean their own bathroom , but when I tell my friends about this they just look at me like ...yeah Right!! , I can't even get my teenager to do that and he does this at 6? .
So I thought about this as I walked by and decided to take a few pictures, if for nothing else ....to have it here when he is a teenager and I could say I have proof you did this ! LOL
So here is to my son Josh, I have to give Kate all the credit for him being so great about his chores. She cleans our bathrooms, I have not cleaned a bathroom in 8 years. Yes it was in the marriage contract ! I actually have to leave when she pulls out the bleach cleaners , I get an instant migraine.

So Josh also sorts his own laundry in colors and whites and brings them to the washer. He is not quite tall enough to run the washer , but wants to . He also feeds the dogs each night and clean his room. That is his list of chores for his allowance. Oh yes and we have added making his own bed. (which at the moment is just pulling up his covers. )

Kate and I are just hoping we are bringing up a responsible boy , without making him grow up too fast. We do let him be a kid ....just a kid who has to do some chores . It is so hard being parents and trying to make sure they have a great childhood with great memories, but also make sure they don't grow into those kids I see disrespecting adults and getting into trouble. I truly feel there is no "perfect" parents or kids. We just have to try and do our best to balance it all . Some days you just feel like you are barely keeping your head above water , and other days you feel like you are floating on a lounge chair with a big tall fruity drink ! Hope you are having a fruity drink day !!

Wow ....you would think I had nothing to say !

I haven't posted since Monday ! That is just amazing ...I didn't realize it had been that long.
Well let me tell you , it is not for lack of wanting to sit down sipping a nice cup of Java and telling you the random thoughts in my head! Cause believe me if that was one of my choices this week , I would have taken it !

Instead ....It started again with spackling , painting , more spackling , organizing the mess at the house , cleaning , opening and closing the store , baseball , and being very tired.
Oh and to top it off ...this !

Meet 80 gals of a monster! This hot water heater and I spent 6 hours together on Thursday . That is 6 hours ....
I can't even find 6 hours to crop !
I can't even find 6 hours to spend with my family !
I can't even find 6 hours to sleep some nights !
But I had to find 6 hours to put this in , or there would be no hot water .
It simply amazes me how we find the time to do the things we HAVE to do , but it is so hard to fit in the things we WANT to do . Sometimes that seems a bit unfair.
But we have to have hot water ...or I think it may get a bit stinky around here. So when we found out it would cost us $300.00 to install a hot water heater ....I of course said NO WAY am I paying someone to do that for that price...how hard can it be ? Two pipes and some electric. After a few trips to Lowe's and then one to Willie's Plumbing...a few choice words and alot of wrenches....we have hot water again !!
Now onward to the bedroom , which we have made alot of progress in . I will post pics hopefully tommorrow .
Lots more thoughts in here just waiting to jump out ..but that is it for now ...Movie Time ! Going to go watch Brokeback mountain . Night !

Have a Beautiful Monday

Enjoy today , take time to look at all the wonderful blooming flowers around you . Enjoy the beauty of life , and rejoice that you get to witness it. Hug someone you love , or even someone you don't . Most importantly live life today , it is truely amazing to be a part of this miracle everyday.

Being a Mom is the best....

What a great day to be a MOM!! What a great day to have 2Moms !! LOL
Well at least that is what I hope Josh thinks !!
We had so much fun today , even if we did work till we ached again today . We worked till about 2 pm and then we cleaned up and had some great family time the rest of the day . I got some pictures printed out , which I am going to do more of everyday now . I have found since going digital , I tend not to scrap as much because those pictures are in here instead of out there on paper inspiring me .

Everyone got new flip flops and we are sporting them in the picture. That was fun! I have pink flip flops ...who would of thunk!

Then we went to the Outback and had a FABOLOUS meal ...oh that was so good and we just laughed and enjoyed. Then back to the house where we played a little "around the world" in basketball. And also got this FAB Pic of the whole family!

So there we are the crazy crew. Hope everyone else had a great Mom's day !! Only 45 days till Rehoboth Beach !!! wahoooooooooooo!

Saturday fun!

Ahhh Spring is in the air and each and every saturday of it involves baseball ! Josh just loves going to play and it is fun taking pictures and watching him having so much fun !

Kate and I are working on the bedroom this morning...more drywall , taping , spackling ....aches , pains ! End results are going to be awesome !

Hope everyone's Saturday is fun , get out and enjoy it !!

How much more can you love him ...

That is the look of concentration. That is the look of a six year old paying attention to the task at hand. Looks to me like a kid who means business!

Now where is this one when he is not on the baseball field? Well the past 3 nights , mostly in his bedroom....GROUNDED!!!

Oh vey !! Is all I can say . The sweetest boy in the whole universe is fighting authority tooth and nail...and authority being both his Moms .

So we have gone the route of alot of pioneering parents before us and tried to strip him of everything he loves. You know the list ...the Nintendo....the T.V. ....Money . Basically being a part of the human world except for School. Nothing seems to work . The next day after it is over he does something else that just doesn't make sense. It is so hard to watch him make the same mistakes over again . My BIGGEST fear...well the one after not living long enough to watch Josh grow up ...is having someone kidnap him , take him from me . I keep both eyes on him at all times , but two days this week he left the store ( once to play with his pal ) then today to play with his other pal Dot . I watched him walk out the door and I knew he was with Dot , but still he had just been grounded 2 days before for the same thing !!!! ARGH!!! why was he doing this again , didn't he see how important it was to NEVER do that again !!!

So once again he spent the day and evening grounded ! I had to laugh at one point tho , he looked up at me as he sat in the office and said I am hungry mom ...am I allowed to eat ?

Breathe....Breathe...it is ok ...breathe. Yep thats what I kept telling myself and it did get me thru the day .

So I pick him up from school and he starts talking to me . I just ignored his questions , he kept asking over and over again .

Finally he says " Mom , are you going to answer me ?"

M: ..."I am not listening to you, how do you like that ?"

J:" I don't like it at all "

M: " That is how it feels when you don't listen to me"

J: " Ok , so are you going to listen to me now ?"

Breathe ...just breathe....

Tonight :

Kate comes back after putting Josh to bed ....

K: I have a message for you from Josh ....

Josh says to tell you , You are the best mom in the whole world

Now what are you suppose to do with that , when you are sitting there not feeling at all like a great mom , trying to figure out how to teach your son what he needs to know to keep him safe and how to listen , and other things that he needs to learn.

I know ....breathe...breathe....breathe ....and just love him that much more tomorrow !

Bushonics and other silly silly things

Can the English language survive after Bush?

"The vast majority of our imports come fromoutside the country." - George W. Bush

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." - George W. Bush

"I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future." - George W. Bush

"The future will be better tomorrow. " George W.Bush

"We're going to have the best educated American people in the world." - George W. Bush

"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls." - George W. Bush

"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur." - George W. Bush

"For NASA, space is still a high priority." - George W. Bush "

Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children." - George W. Bush

" It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." - George W. Bush

"It's time for the human race to enter the solar system." - George W. Bush

Ok these just cracked me up . I have listened to him different times and will turn to Kate and say ...did he just say that ?
So I hope I gave you a little giggle this morning , thru your tears of course !


On Friday Josh ran in the Race for Education and we wanted to give everyone a shout that sponsored him! He did 42 laps and you guessed it ...smiled all the way . It just didn't matter when I looked at him ...he was smiling ! Gotta love a happy boy . Hey I even did a lap with him .



On another note , Josh is having a hard time listening and doing as he is asked. So yesterday after he ran outside the store to play without telling me ...he got grounded . So as I was leaving the store last night I got this call and here is the little voice I heard.
J: " Mom , When someone ask me to do something , I am going to say " Right away " , and do it right then.
M: Oh that sounds really good ! Glad you learned that while you were grounded tonight in your room.
J: I didn't learn it then , I knew that already .
M: ( Silent laughter)

Gotta love it when they once again let you know they know it all !

One finished , one not ....

Ta da !!! It is finished ! OMG it is so amazing to be able to say that in the Stillings house ! We don't have very much "finished" it has been almost 9 years in this house ...and there has been 9 years of projects. Here is what is going on right now .
- Kitchen needs painting
- Ceilings need to be replaced in the Dining room and computer room.
- paneling needs to be torn down and done in those 2 rooms
- My crop room floor and walls .
Right now this is the big project going on













Yep this is our bedroom .....hahahaha...well what will be once again someday ! Totally gutted , bare to the bone. Now it has insallation and some drywall. Hopefully by the end of this week we can paint the ceiling and then install the pergo flooring next week. Our goal is to be back in by Memorial day weekend. Keep your fingers crossed ! So watch for the finished product sometime in June .
So we are loving our new living room , slash bedroom for now .
Our house is in total disarray , but we hope that once this is done it will be that much closer to being the way we want it. Buying a fixer upper is fun , and also tiring ! But we do get to make it the way we want. But I have to admit somedays I would love to come to a NEW home all done and nothing to do to it.

So in other news I scrapbooked for the first time in a long time this Sunday , Loved spending time with some girlfriends. I had to get the creative juices flowing but once I did the pages came out so good. I plan on doing more creating in the near future...it is part of the balance and we all need balance.

Time to go and get these hairs cut , volunteer at Josh's school and then Tball tonight . So much for a day off LOL !

Happy Birthday Baby !

Happy Happy Day Kate!
Josh and I wrote Kate and email this morning after she left and wished her happy birthday on her blackberry too...that was kinda fun . I let Josh type it out and then we got her email back and he was happy . I think in awe of it all but happy. See you tonight dear ! We will celebrate then .

Josh got up at 3 am this morning , I awoke to ....Mom I can't sleep. He cuddled in with me and I think dosed for a bit but has been wide awake since 5 am . Hence so have I . He says everytime he goes to sleep he has bad dreams about the world sinking. So he doesn't want to go to sleep...he is so tired . This is my boy that sleeps till 9 am everyday. So today should prove interesting .

A little funny from yesterday :
Me: Josh grab your baseball stuff , you have a game tonight
J: where is it all
Me: right by the door , Mom packed it all up last night for you .
J: " She is a good woman"

I busted out laughing right then! Couldn't hold it in....not "she is a good mom" no he went right there ..."she is a good woman" !

Now isn't that the cutest darn slugger you ever saw ! Well I think he is :)

He is doing so great playing this year , what a difference a year makes in the eye on the ball scheme. What was amazing me last night is no matter what Josh is doing , he is smiling . Up to bat ....running the bases....catching the ball . There is one constant....that smile !

Keep on smilin !

It is ok!

That is all I needed to see last night and the rest of the day melts away. It is so wonderful to have my own little reminder everyday , that what really matters ....is what is right here in the form of a family. All the other stuff....is so small in the scheme of things!

Busy Bear here for his last visit

I was at school with Josh's class yesterday and they always do the count of the school days...it was day 152 of school and only 31 more days before they are 1st Graders. Now to the kids ....excitement , a little moaning that there are only 31 more days of school. For a Mom standing there realizing that time seems to be going at lighting speed..it wasn't funny!
I can NOT believe that he is almost thru that first year, it is not long when I am going to have to put him on a bus . I have not thought about this for a while since I found out there was no bussing for Kindergarden and I did the dance of happiness and joy. I was not ready for that bus ride thing. Yeah I know I am in the minority ....but putting my son on that big yellow box , totally out of my control just gives me the hives. I also have these faint memories on how mean some kids were on the bus , and how much I got away with on the bus. Sometimes being the lookout for when the driver would look up in the mirror.
We had Leon, he was a big ole nasty man , always this mean look in the mirror , just scare ya !
So I can't stop hearing about that 31 more days thing. Also I guess it does effect me because I am also trying to get a scrapbook together for the teacher and know I don't have too much longer to do that .
So Busy Bear is in our house for the very last time also , he is a cutie and has visited us about 4 times this year. It is very cute because Josh actually plans and plans for Bear's visit each time. It is usually not a safe place for the bear ...this time he was fighting the Bionicles troop. It is an ever growing army of little lego men. I do love the imagination it creates tho. There is also a book involved where the kids write down and draw a picture of what they did with busy bear. So we are saying goodbye to the bear this morning ...and I am also sitting here watching yet another little thing of his childhood slip away.
I am so thankful that I am journalling his life , and more and more the little things , that are actually very BIG things in his life. The everyday conversations we have are getting more and more attention in my journaling. Not so much about the birthday parties and the sports banquets....but now about those chereished times that I laugh and cry because I love Josh so much .
So grab a $0.50 composition book and start jotting down those little things that they say . I am telling you it is the best ! Sticky post its work great also.
May your world be colorful today !

Friends, that is what makes the world go around! They come in all different ways. There are those friends that would do anything ....and I mean anything for you. It is always great to have friends like that. I am lucky enough to have quite a few friends like that. Maria is one of them ! We have only met about 4 years ago , but I am so glad that we have! I wanted to give a shout out to Maria since her birthday is on Wednesday ! Happy Birthday Girl! I know you got your new camera and hope you are having a great time with it .
On the home front we went to the Wrestling tourney last night for Josh's season . I gave his coach the scrapbook I made for him . Bill could not stop thanking me . We sat together and at least 6 times thru the night he turned to me to tell me how much that book means to him , how awesome a present it was and so on . Made me feel good that it meant that much to him . Coaches put so much time in with these kids and they do it totally volunteering. I love that Josh will have men like Coach Bill in his life, great positive male influence is so important in little boys lifes.
Josh also received a special award. He got "Most Improved Wrestler " in the pee wee division!! YEAH Josh!!! He was simply beaming ....wrestling is that first sport that you didn't just get a trophy for being there , so there were some tears shed on some of the little guys who didn't get a trophy. I felt so sad for them having to learn yet another hard lesson in their young lifes. We had already explained to Josh that he might not get a trophy and we try to also give him heads up on what to expect. But he came home with the hardware last night , and made a new place for it on his shelf.
On a sad note , I have this little brown dot on all my pics I take with my Nikon D50 .....so I need to take it in the shop . They aren't open today so that will be a first thing in the morning on Monday....I am so sad. I feel like a part of me is missing , I LOVE my camera ...hope it won't take long to fix, it is internal, I have checked everything I can.
So off to enjoy a Sunday , no plans...except to go to mlpa and sit in on the class colleen is teaching . Maybe do a movie !
61 Days till Rehoboth !!! The countdown has begun.

Donna Said so....so it must be true !!!!

Just having a little fun with my new t-shirt ! DD rocks !!

That smile is going to save him sometimes and get him in so much trouble other times !
Right now it is saving him . He can just melt my heart by that look , no matter what he has done in the minutes or hours prior . Is this how we all survived childhood? Is this the same look we used ? Did we say "Mom , I love you " at any random moment .....just to wipe away anything we have done or will do that would otherwise come with great consciences. Well whatever it is ...as long as the "I love you Mom" s keep coming , I really don't care. I remember being pregnant with Josh and dreaming that he would love me no matter what , cause I would love him no matter what. Well he has been my dream and so much more. So keep flashing those baby blues at me , and I will keep melting !

On the home front Kate and I are feeling a bit of exhaustion , we both are falling into bed at night with aches and pains from those ever not so young muscles we are using . But the living room , bedroom and hallway are all 3 projects that we will be happy to have completed. The hallway is now painted and just need to put molding up on two doors. The living room is just a matter of getting the outlets done and of course picking out curtains now . The bedroom ceiling will go up on Saturday , then in the following weeks I will put a new pergo floor in . We are going to try and get this all done since all the furniture is now out.
Then it is Rehoboth Beach here we come !!

On the Store front , lots going on there ! I have set up an email now that we can reach alot of customers with just one click . Took some setting up but hopefully it will run smoothly. Also set up a message board this week , so we can all co exist in one happy board ! We have outgrown the yahoo board and just need a bigger space . BIG MEGA yard sale this weekend at the store. Lots of items have come in . It is amazing how much we do collect. I have to chuckle a bit there. Altho I have done well and am not buyin things I don't use as much anymore.

And happiness in a bag , I got my very own "Donna Downey thinks I Rock " tshirts in the mail yesterday . They are awesome shirts and I do suggest you go and get you one. my other one is " You are perfect just the way you create" now that is just pure happiness in 100% cotton! Donna Downey does rock !

So that is about it in a nutshell, I am now going to go and find a TIVO show since they do nothing but recaps this week ! What is up with that?

Live life....create art .....

Great words ....also some great words are note to self: be happy ! Great stamp from Rebekka Erikson . I made this little piece of art the other day . It was product inspired....I wanted to try the crackle medium . Then after the colors and the frame was done .....I decided to put the stamp in the frame instead of the picture. I love it. It now is going to sit on Kate's desk at work . She loved it that much . That made me even more happy ! I am going to make a few more of these for friends. They are a great little "make me happy" kinda thing.

So what did everyone else do this weekend? I actually spent some much needed time with my family . Owning your own business tends to take away some of that valuable time. But this weekend it was all about family . We saw two movies. Wild Things and Ice Age II . Loved them both . Then Josh and I watched Chicken Little at home tonight.....it is so funny to watch him watching a movie he has seen a few times. He starts reciting the lines and singing the songs....I just watch him in amazement. Thinking back that a few years ago he just watched them really ...now they are more fun to him ...he gets humor and understands the movie more . Tonight he says to me .....I think the Mom is dead . In Chicken Little you never see the Mom in the movie ....so he figured that out on his own. Also just to hear him belly laugh when the big pig rolls down the hill farting . Yeah that is pretty funny! Course he has my sense of humor ....which also gets him in trouble !
Kate and I also got alot of work done around the house . She did demo on the bedroom , ripping out the closet in prep of the new ceiling going up this saturday . Then the snowball begins .....I will pergo the floor there will be painting involved and then those wonderful closets from IKEA !! Yeeehaaawww! IKEA .
The Living room is just about finished. About 10 feet of crown molding to paint and one more door and it will be done. Pictures coming . I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new sofa . We all hung out on friday night , we could all fit and the dogs too . It was nice to be close and comfortable.
I got the wrestling coaches book done too ...I am so glad I made this for him . He was a great coach to Josh and the other boys. We have our banquet on Saturday night .
So did alot of living this weekend....Captured some of it on film. Some of it in my heart . Thats what it is all aobut.

One BIG donut ! One little Sign !

Hey there is nothing like a BIG Donut ! $1.99 and you are on your way to nothing but smiles ! Josh is so funny ...every Wed and Thurs he looks very forward to seeing Dot (hi Dot !) . He is especially excited when I let him get the BIG donut at Yum Yum and he can share it with Dot.


And as you can see , Dot doesn't mind when Josh brings the big donut. You see, they are pals because Dot is just one Big kid !! I love how she is with Josh and he truely admires her . You will often hear me say . " Ok you two cut it out !" . I never know which one starts it but I think it is probably pretty even . So these are the things that make me smile and a big thanks to Dot !

So here is the next thing that made me smile today as I was paying $2.85 cents for a gallon of gas. Which wouldn't be bad except I needed $55.00 worth !

This was so funny to me , I didn't have my camera at the time and made a trip back later to take the picture. It was a sticker someone had put on the pump at the Wawa in Quakertown. Oh it still makes me giggle.

So tommorrow the new furniture arrives , I am doing a big happy dance. Can't wait to recline in those chairs tommorrow night .

So what is he thinking ? ....
Well probably this ....

Running off to fight ....
or maybe this ...

Winning the battle ...

But I look at him and I see my little boy that just keeps growing ....always thinking about something . I see a little guy that is way too soon going to be a big guy . I just want to keep him in these pictures playing with a pretend sword , fighting thin air.

So I just want to cuddle with him ....keep him in my arms as much and as long as I can . I want to fight all those battles for him . Protect him from any enemies that may come his way .

Knowing that he will have to fight some battles thru his life ....knowing that I can't fight off all those that come in his path. But still wanting to .

So tonight as I kissed and hugged him before he went to sleep ....I just kiss him an extra time or two , hug him a little tighter.....and know that tomorrow he will be out playing ...running ....and fighting the good fight .

And hoping he always knows that I am right there , ready to give him whatever he needs to fight the good fight !

So paint eggs....

Well Easter has come .....and gone. Here is the beautiful cake that our friends brought over tonight for dessert. It was almost too pretty to eat ... I said ALMOST!! Of course a little coffee and a knife and it was yummy ! Lots and lots of frosting ...just the way Josh and I like it :)
So what did you do on this holiday ? Easter is not a big holiday in the Stillings house. Now don't get the idea I don't know that it celebrates a great time , but we don't get up and do sunrise service ....we don't have 20 some people for dinner or go to someone's house for dinner. We don't have family very close by and it is just another sunday in that sense. We don't "promote" the whole big bunny thing that much either. We do a basket , we do hide the eggs ....but we don't make a big build up to the whole holiday with Josh. Less to explain later down the road ! We already have the big guy in the red suit to account for and I know soon the tooth fairy ....that is enough :)
Now there is a great story for today ...."draw a map of where you hide the easter eggs !!" The "easter bunny" , she forgot where all the eggs were ! It wouldn't be bad ...except they were the real eggs !! Josh found 8 0f the 9 real eggs....oh that wouldn't be good in a couple days ! But glad to report ...the 9th egg was found tonight ...behind the icee making machine ! WHEW!


So some people color eggs...I decided to color the walls ! The pictures don't do it justice ..but I am LOVING the new colors of our living room . A great olive and dark red with a chocolate brown trim ! See everything is a snowball....we bought a new sectional sofa and of course it wouldn't go with what we had in the living room so we had to paint the walls. Believe me now I also want to replace the carpets...but that will take a little bit longer . One thing at a time . But of course you want it all done NOW !! But for now we await our new sofa , being delivered on friday and it will be just enough time to get all the painting done. I am having fun tho. Using crate paper on all the outlet plates...it looks so cool! So Kate and I painted from 6:30 am till about 4:30 pm and got almost everything done. The crown molding and 3 doors are left to paint out , but not bad for a days work. We are not as young as we used to be...and boy are we feeling it tonight .
Now Josh enjoyed the day pretty much in his pj's . Talking on the phone with aunt denise and grandma. oh and also playing his new Nintendo DS . He lost his gameboy on the trip to vegas in Jan . Left it on the plane. We felt it was time that he had one back . He has learned about taking care of his things better , and when you don't you lose them for good. Tough lesson at 5 ! So it took exactly 8 hours for him to lose his first stylus , they are so damn small. I of course was a smart mom and bought a pack of them . Altho they cost him 1 dollar for each one . So when he lost him I showed him a new one . He got it after he went to his room and got me a dollar. He was so cute tho..he put it right in the hole it belongs in as soon as I handed it to him and said. " I won't lose this one" . I tell ya ...lots of stuff going on for a 6 year old. He is such a great kid ! Gotta spoil them when we can ...altho then you struggle when you hear them talking sometimes about how they "never" get something or " no one ever listens to me " , those comments make me so upset , knowing how much he actually has and how much more then others he has. So it is a fine line . But I also know that there isn't many 6 year old boys that clean thier rooms, their own bathrooms and sort their own laundry . He really does alot and I am so proud of him . So now I am going to put my feet up , enjoy a few minutes of quiet and watch Desperate housewives ! Hope everyone is enjoying Spring !

this is where I have been .....

ENJOYING !!!
Spring is just amazing me more then I ever remember ....maybe it is just me paying more attention then I ever had.
I know each year things bloom and flowers come ...but this year it is just more beautiful....more wonderful ....more spectacular!!
It is amazing that we get to bask in this beauty ....we get to watch this miracle each year. I am so glad I am soaking it all in this year.
I am really just enjoying living each day ...each minute ....it is all good !
The simple colors of White and yellow can just make me smile. This is my view as I sip my morning cup of java ! Which I am really enjoying this new blend from Seattle .
I just love looking at these delicate branches and blossoms , they will be gone soon , as we move into waiting for summer. But for now they brighten even the most overcast days. I still remember Kate digging and digging to plant those bushes for me . I believe it was a pic axe and lots of swear words before it was all over ! But I have to say THANK YOU so much honey....they are so beautiful :)

Josh has been busy enjoying spring also. This is his wall of fame . He has drawn me all these pictures . When I was away doing S.A.V.E. a couple weeks ago he created all these. They are the birds and the flowers. Yes some of them look more like aliens then birds , but even birds have to have great powers when you are a 6 year old boy ! I love having pictures hung up by scotch tape on the wall . It is something I always wanted. It just says love to me when you walk in a house with this kind of stuff! Josh has been really creating alot of things lately ...I love his creativity . Sometimes I am amazed at what he draws....sometimes I just shake my head as he explains it to me. But it is all good !!
So that is where I have been . I am going to be doing a little creating myself this week and next week. I am excited , on monday I am going to crop with a friend and have some fun . It has been a while ! But I was on line looking at a weekend soon ....getting away maybe just to do some cropping ! Some girlfriend time :) We will see. So take in the springtime air ...yeah some of you are grabbing for the tissues , but it is so beautiful ....soak it in !

It's all about the shoes !!

WOW! WOW! WOW! What a great time we had today !!! We got to go and see the musical WICKED!! I can't believe what a great show this was. I was blown away and it is right up there with Lion King now ! This was the best show I have been to since Rent. I miss the theatre so much . I am so happy we are also going in July to take Josh to see Lion King.
I always had my suspicions that "Glenda" was not the "Goody Good" witch that the movie portrayed ! I also always suspected that the Wicked Witch of the West was wicked for a reason or too....but truly a cool chick! Hey Lisa , Kim and everyone else that told me I would so enjoy this show !! Yeah Baby!!!
My new favorite saying is .... " We can't all travel around in a bubble !" Oh I just had to laugh for so long on that one . I want to make t-shirts that say ...Most of us live outside the bubble ! So many great lines in this show !
So I am so exhausted...a whirlwind weekend . Got to do some furniture shopping this weekend ....boy is that stuff expensive ! Kate is so excited since I have had the living room furniture for 21 years ....I think it is time also. Have had my furniture longer then I know most people in my life ! Well I am going to go and watch Walk the Line ....and have a few giggles over the different thoughts of the play today .

This is a family ....

This is politics ....
In 2004, Human Rights Campaign led the fight against the Federal Marriage Amendment. Millions of fair-minded Americans like you spoke out in defense of equality, and the discriminatory amendment was defeated. But now it's back again - under the misleading title "Marriage Protection Amendment" - and we need your help to stop it. Prompted by anti-gay Senator Rick Santorum, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced his intention to force a vote on the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment during the week of June 5. In the next month, the Senate Judiciary Committee is planning to vote on the amendment, which would ban marriage for same-sex couples, and threaten domestic partnerships and civil unions for all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Americans. Click here to tell your Senators to reject the Marriage Protection Amendment today. Throughout our history, the Constitution has been amended to defend and expand the rights of the American people. Now, some Senators want to turn their backs on the proud history of increasing liberty and equality by amending the Constitution to target a single group of Americans for discrimination. You and I must act now - and every time the rights and freedoms of any American are threatened. Although countless Americans oppose their cynical efforts to write discrimination into the Constitution, the right-wing extremists in Congress continue to pursue their hateful agenda, hoping that a vote on the Constitutional amendment will once again increase voter turnout among their political base. Contact your Senators today and tell them to keep discrimination out of the Constitution. Their continuing efforts mean that every fair-minded American must be willing to stand up for equality again and again to let lawmakers know that the Constitution should not be used as a political weapon. This is just the beginning of this fight. From now until June 5th we'll be pulling out all the stops, calling on every single member and supporter, and using every resource available to us to put a stop, once again, to this amendment. Together, with your continued efforts on behalf of equality and fairness, I know we can win. Please, click here to contact your Senators today.

One does not belong trying to define the other .

Ok So what else can make you happy when you come home from a long day .... well a box from cafepress of course ! I just took out my camera and took a quick shot . The everyday things that make me happy , they are fun to photograph , and if it wasn't for Ali I probably would of just picked up the box and took it in the house . But now it is a great picture for this blog.
It is amazing the influence Ali has had in my life in such a short period of time. January I got to meet this amazing lady, and I mean just shaking her hand and getting to stand next to her for about 10 mins. But I can honestly say ...the aura around this lady was the most pure and brilliant I have seen in a long time. I felt an instant connection with her . She made me smile , and I just wanted to grab a cup of coffee and sit down on a big comfy couch and talk with her.
So anyway , I now photograph the everyday , and am in love with doing so . I have caught some of the most amazing photos in doing so . So thank you Ali!

So I opened the box pretty damn fast !! I just LOVE LOVE LOVE my new shirts and cap !!
I got all giddy and just couldn't wait to wear them to the store in the morning. I was just trying to decide which to wear first ! But the will both be worn out probably ...oh well will have to buy more ! I am thinking a great girlfriends gift
So now we just need more designs Ali !!
Now the sad part of my day was when I got some mustard on my new shirt. But Tide Pen to the rescue !! ( Thanks Shirley!!) I think it is all going to come out . Cross your fingers. Never fails with a white t-shirt and me !!
So everyone celebrate !! We are Life artist ....just ask Ali. Go get a couple two , or three shirts!! http://www.cafepress.com/aliedwards
Don't just sit there , go take a photo !!

What you see at 3 am .....

Yes it is 3 AM at the S.A.V.E. Weekend ...when I come back down to do the early morning shift...and I hear " Put on your mask , here comes Rollie !!" Well this is what I see....and YES I was armed with my camera ! The "Bad Girls" had been so busy making and creating with their to go boxes ! Thank you girls for lots of laughs this weekend !

So I haven't blogged in 4 days !! I must say I missed it . But I wouldn't give up these weekends !! I can't believe this was our 5th event . They just keep getting better . It was so wonderful seeing ladies I get to see only 4 times a year , some only 2 times a year ....and yes some just once a year ! It was also wonderful seeing friends catch up with each other....we had ladies from St. Louis ( Hi Bridget and Chris !) , Nashville ( Hey Barb ) , Virginia and I know some others traveled too . They make this plan to see each other every year at my event now.
I will post more pics as I get them . I didn't get very many myself but I know my faithful assistants did !
Some of the highlights were the Poppets of Lauri this weekend. We had such a great time doing the Secret sister thing ! Sue had a picture of Lauri and made poppets of her all weekend. The pictures will be posted here in a few days hopefully. It was great getting to know some of the ladies better too. I laughed so hard this weekend , it was just wonderful ! Kim I wanted to give you a wake up call this morning !!


When I came home on Sunday evening ...Josh had gotten me some daffodils . One of my FAVORITE Flowers ....and they are my fav this time of year...when that first little hint of yellow comes up I just smile. It just screams SPRING!! Besides the flowers just seeing his smiling face can make everything else just melt . He has so much great energy ...even when I think I just want him to stop and sit still , I really just love the energy he has. I would rather be tired the rest of my life then have him any other way then the way he is ! There is truly nothing like a son's love . Just gives me chills how amazing it is .

The other reason I love coming home ! Friday March 31st was Kate's Mom Day ! 2 Years ago she got to adopt Josh legally . She has always been Josh's mom but this is a special day for her , and for me . Josh doesn't really remember the courtroom or does he know what we went thru to make this happen, but what he does know is this is Mom's Special Day ! So Josh and I go out and shop for this and then he gave her all his presents he picked out . We have a theme each year and this year it was "things for Mom's Truck" . I was away this weekend but was on the phone as Josh gave everything to Kate. It was so kewl and he was so proud of himself , because he had to hide everything in his room this time . He pulled it off and did so well to make it a special day for Kate. Happy Mom's Day ! You are the bestest !! (See what happens if you get too close to the camera !!)

So this was my weekend ...still recovering and trying to get my voice back. Time to get some more much needed sleep! Thanks to everyone from the weekend, it ROCKED!!