Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween!

I finished the layout above this morning :) Hope you have a great Halloween! Here is the journaling on the layout:

It is easy as an adult to get wrapped up in the “work” of Halloween. Making sure the kids have everything they need for their costumes, decorating the house, getting and carving pumpkins, planning and volunteering at the school Halloween parties, making sure I have enough candy for the trick-or-treaters, helping the kids get ready, our annual photo shoot and finally taking them out for the night. Sometimes it can be hard to fit everything in with our busy schedule! But today as I think about the Halloween to-do list, I am taking a minute to remember back to when Halloween was all about fun, magic and freedom.

I loved Halloween when I was a kid, much the way my kids do now! Every year, Billy Rebey and I would go trick-or-treating together. Some years, Connie and my mom would take us to different neighborhoods to see what kinds of candy they gave away – my mom likes to tell the story of how at one house I asked the lady not to put the treat in the sack because “my mom wants to know what I got” and some years we would run around Billy’s neighborhood in a frenzied race from house to house! I went as all sorts of things – a girl ghost, an old woman and an Indian squaw being the most memorable.

It was a day when you didn’t worry about someone snatching your kids, so sometimes Billy and I got to go by ourselves. What fun we had – it was such an adventure to be out after dark racing through the yards with our pillowcases! I can still hear the sound of leaves crunching under our feet and feel the cool air on my cheeks. When we had had our fill or our moms made us come home, we would dump out all our candy and sort through the treasures! Counting and sorting by type then picking out our favorites – mine was always Health candy bars and bull’s-eye caramels. Yum! Mom always wanted my butterfingers and Dad always had the snickers. We would eventually go to bed completely worn out from our excitement and running but also completely happy knowing there was a stash of candy waiting for us the next day!

I am happy I have children, because without them I am afraid there would not be much joy in Halloween but I am one of the lucky ones who can relive my childhood memories while I help my children make their own.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Carving Max




We finally found time to carve our pumpkin on the night before Halloween! The boys had fun playing in the "guts" then got board and went to play while Abbie and I carved him up. Abbie said he should have a name so Max it is! Our pumpkin seeds are soaking in a salt water bath waiting to be roasted tomorrow! Yum!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

My mom is great!

I was finishing up this layout this morning (it was from when my mom visited Omaha last June) and I was thinking about how lucky I am to have such a great mom. I talked to her last night on the phone for over an hour and basically bent her ear about all sorts of things. It is such a comforting feeling knowing that she is always there in any way I need her. Thanks mom. I love you! (Just wish you lived closer!)

On a side note - those of you considering trying out for the Feeling Scrappy Design team - the time is now! The deadline is October 22nd so check out www.feelingscrappy.com for all the deatils and get those applications in!

Monday, October 15, 2007

Happy Birthday Baby!


I just can't believe my sweet baby girl is 9 years old today. I am so very proud to be her mother. She is everything a daughter should be - smart, beautiful, funny and loving! Every year that passes, she surprises me with that fact that I could actually love her more and even though her birthday is a very happy occasion, I can't help but feel a little sad that another year of her childhood is gone. Happy Birthday Abbie - may you always shine as brightly as you do today!

Monthly Contest Winner

Journaling: *sigh of relief* You're finally asleep. At 15 months, you have started throwing tantrums if you don't get your way. A lot of times you want something but are unable to verbalize it and get frustrated and start whining. You constantly grab our hands and drag us to where you want us to go and it's exhausting. So for two hours a day during your nap, there is relief, a break from the whining and fussing, and a chance for both of us to rest. I don't even mind if you snore a little bit because it just means you're asleep. Snooze away, baby, snooze away.

Congratulations to Andrea Friebus from CA for having this month's winning layout! Our theme was "Give me a Break!" and the team loved Andrea's original take on the idea! Be sure to check out our new contest that will be posted today!
One more week to get your application in for the Feeling Scrappy Creative Team! The deadline is October 22nd and I encourage everyone to give it a shot - no experience in needed :)

Friday, October 5, 2007

It is the little things!



For three summers now Jacob has wanted to grow a small sun flower and for various reasons it has not happened. The dog ate the seeds out of the pot, the wind knocked the pot over, he didn't water it etc... but this year he was determined! He worked hard to protect and take care of his plant and he was rewarded with one perfect bloom. He was so happy and so was I!

Monday, October 1, 2007

More Title pages






Here are more title pages as promised! :) Have a great Monday!