Project Life (June 20~June 26)

Thanks for stopping by!

This week was tough. Busy .. different ... stressful...and sad for me. Busy helping Jeff's family get ready for Haley's graduation party. Busy with getting my house ready before my mom's surgery. I was house sitting (which was fun, just different) alone in a big scary (beautiful) house. Stressful because we had my mom's surgery on Friday... and sad because we said goodbye to my baby sister as she left for California. It's official, they're gone.

The good news is, my mom is doing great with her recovery. Emma and Jimmy are safe and sound after making it cross country. The graduation party was beautifully done and one of my friends had her wedding shower this weekend. More good news is, Jeff and I leave on Friday to go to California to see Jimmy and Emma!!!!! We haven't ever been there!

TOTALLY excited.

See? Told you I've been busy. Hence: No album shots. Here's my layout: the colors will be journaling cards and no, I don't have a Saturday picture. I'm shocked at myself.

Monday night we had a barbecue / bonfire with Emma and Jimmy for their last night in MI. Friends, family and food ... again - a great time.  Here they are atop their UHAUL of STUFF.

Tuesday Emma, Jimmy, Drew and Jen pulling out of the driveway to start their journey. (..I may or may not have been sobbing taking this picture..)

Wednesday I got this shot of Sophie. Remember I said I was house sitting? I was dog sitting too. . not to be confused with sitting on dogs, I didn't do that. The dogs were a fun distraction to Emma leaving - they played with me for the week :)

Thursday was the first Thursday I will have Grace and Ella. I have them for a few hours every Thursday for the summer so that their dad can get some homework done :)

Here is our list of things we want to do with our time together this summer. (Written by Grace, age 7.5)

Friday was Mom's surgery - she did GREAT! Here she is .. refusing to put her hair net on. She had her legs folded up and so it looked like she had no legs. Naturally, I had to get a picture. She WILL be killing me for putting this up here ... love you momma...

Saturday - NO PICTURE. What?!

Sunday was Angie's Bridal Shower (given by best friend Molly) I love these girls. I'm SO glad to still have them in my life. Molly threw a lovely shower and I met some more of Angie & Molly's family and friends! Sunday was also Haley's Graduation Party :) It was great! The food was awesome.. they even got a Moon Walk and Snow Cone machine - pretty sweet!

As some of you know, Jessica had her baby this past week - Congratulations! She is BEAUTIFUL! So we are linking up over at Sara's Blog here! Check this site out for other Project Life Tuesday participants! 

Project Life (June 13~June 19)

Hi There! This week was the last week of daycare - I didn't do any journaling in my actual album but included extra pictures.

 I've decided to lay out everything digitally so that I know what to print and where everything will go before I order my pictures - so I also included that as well :) What do you think?

Monday night the Tiger's tied for first place by beating the Tampa Bay Ray's in a make up game at home. Jeff and I watched the game all night, what a good game it was. The bottom of the 10th inning Ramon Santiago tripled to right center scoring Victor Martinez with one out to win the game! It was AWESOME!

Tuesday after nap, the kids were all checking out my Project Life album. I showing this to them. They always say things like "LOOK IT'S ME" or "That's when we ..." It's so cool to see how they remember things and tell stories. Besides - I love when other people look at my album .. I remember the stuff, I put it together! 

Wednesday night Katelin and her family took me to the Tigers Vs. Indians game! We were tied for first place and lost :( BUT we still had an awesome time!!

Thursday Dylan, Garrett and I spent some quality time with the bugs. Busy Bugs that is. Discovery toys makes this game / learning tool that the kids can match up the colors to squares, make patterns, learn colors and matching. It's fun and they loved it. The older kids were playing with something else and kept asking to play with the boys - I think it made them feel special when they were the only ones who could play with the bugs today :)

Friday was Maddie's very last day of coming to Teachers Tots Daycare. She will be going to preschool 5 days a week next year. We have had Maddie in our home since she was just 4 months old, if you can believe that - 3 years and some months later she is on her way. :( A sad and happy day. She is growing up!

Today was also the last day of daycare for the summer. I don't know what I will be taking pictures of, but I'll figure something out. I will miss all of these kids like crazy. Aside from that, it will be nice to have a "normal" house for a few months.

Saturday I spent the whole day working on the pool deck and hanging out with my Dad. Thank God that deck is finished ... now if it will only get SUNNY again!

Sunday was Father's Day - I hung out with my Dad cleaning coolers, blowing up pool toys and finally watching the Tigers game. I have the best Dad in the world! Emma came home from Up North and I set my timer to take our picture!

Here are the journaling cards too:

-The kids with "their Emma"

-Maddie, Garrett and Cullen doing the Spring Chicken Dance from Bubble Guppies - Flap your wings, get your feet a kickin, move that beak .. you're a spring chicken!

-Garrett and Gavin's summer birthday celebrated at Daycare :)

-Ella eating the cupcakes for Molly's summer birthday

-Maddie checking out Tippy ... or Dino ... on the porch, eating his lunch!

-Sean loving his cupcake

-Molly the birthday girl! LOVED her cupcakes!

Last but not least ... my date card:

Me in 1988 age 1 reading the "funnies" with my Dad ... and ...

Me in 2011 age 24 watching the Tiger's game with my Dad (bigger in my Father's Day Blog here)

Check out The Mom Creative site by clicking the above logo - to see more 

Project Life Tuesday participants!

Wishing you a Happy Father's Day

From reading the funnies ....(1988)

 

To watching the Detroit Tigers together ... (2011)

 

One Post At A Time

Do you ever wish that you didn't have so much going on in that head of yours? I do sometimes. 

Heres the list right now:

• I am so blessed to have the people that I have in my life.
• Life is weird though, bringing people in and taking people out..and sometimes back again.
• I try really hard to be a good girlfriend ... but it's because he deserves one.
• Daycare is out for the summer.
• Today was Maddie's last day at daycare. Ever.
• Wondering who am I going to do the "Spring Chicken" dance with next week, if the kid's aren't here? (Bubble Guppies - Flap your wings, Get your feet a kickin .. move that beak, you're a spring chicken)
• Emma and Jimmy will come home from being Up North and only be home for ONE day before heading to Cali, then reality will hit ... and I won't be ready. (Monday -  Tuesday)
• Mom's surgery.
• Mom's recovery.
• The huge list of things that need to get done before Mom's surgery.
• Relieved that there was no more drama with the neighbors this week.
• I can't wait to turn the dinning room back into a real dinning room for the summer.
• The bathroom needs to be cleaned ... badly.
• The lightbulb has been out in my bedroom for 3 days & I can't bring myself to go find a bulb and put it in.
• I hope the pool deck is finished soon.
• Photoshop is a pain in the butt sometimes.
• I wish I knew stuff about Photoshop.
• Wine.
• I can't wait for Angie's bridal shower and Haley's grad party next weekend.
• I love my job.
• I hope Jeff and I can go to California for the 4th of July.
• I am excited for my "summer of organizing the house".
• I have pretty amazing parents.
• I should have bought that Old Navy Groupon .. you know I'll be going back, even though I say I won't.
• I need to re-schedule Kathleen's show.
• The Tiger's are losing now that they are close to / in / tied for first place. Irritating.
• I should have been the one to clean the kitchen tonight.
• It's a scarry place, inside this head of mine.

Project Life (June 6~June 12)

Hi Everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

I am posting this a different way this time ... album with weekly pictures in between to see how I like it. (Main reason for this experiment: The pictures of my album are coming out with the flash blob on them ... and I'm tired and want to post this NOW.)

Enjoy .. and let me know if anyone has any great tips on taking pictures of their album without the blob :) Leave some comments - you know I love them!

Note: This week is a big week for my family. My brother in law of one year (today - June 14th!) has been deployed as a Marine in Afghanistan for months and has finally arrived home safe and sound! He and my sister are now in the process of gathering and moving all their belongings to California where they will be stationed for one year. It was so good to see him .. and yet bitter sweet because I know they will be leaving soon. Clearly, I'm not ready.

Second Note: A few things have been blurred for the privacy of my family and friends in this post. So if you see something weird ... that's probably what it is! :)

 

 Monday I had these three sweethearts .. they played so well together while the babies napped. We went to the park and played in the daycare yard. I had such a good morning with them.

Yep - this is me... needing a haircut in the worst way. (Tuesday)

 Cut in half for 2 journal spots :)

Wednesday as you can see, it was about 96 degrees! We dunked these babies in sunscreen .. and then the bucket!! For more pictures of these hilarious kids - check THIS out!

Thursday we prepped everything for Jimmy and Emma to arrive .. decorated the WHOLE front porch ... now to the picture above: We got to pick our radishes! For more pics and details on gardening with daycare click HERE! 

Thursday night JIMMY AND EMMA ARRIVED HOME... God, was that a good feeling!!!! 

 

Here's the album again ... I printed a 8x12 and cut it in half, the long way - or as we used to say in school: "the hot dog way" ... now it's a 4x12 front and back :)

 

More of the kids in the buckets - these two are brothers so I went nuts with the camera on them ... super cute.

 

Not quite finished - I need a 12x12 protector for this. But: here's the back of the same 8x12.

The kids with the decorations they put up for Jimmy's home coming and then them showing him the house and decorations the next day.

 

8x10 ... the white in the background is just the invitation you will see in a second. It's not quite finished - I need a 12x12 protector for this too.

The kids picking the radishes together.

Well ... I see that I forgot to stamp the date in the corner - I'll have to handle that ASAP ;)


 Friday the kids showed Jimmy & Emma their decorations.

Saturday was the party for Jimmy and Emma's arrival - with daycare families at our friends ... here is the invite on the back of the 8x10 of the kids picking radishes above. Saturday's picture below.

 Saturday was the BBQ party - here's some awesome pics (if I do say so myself) of the part~ay. Once we came home Emma, Jimmy, Jeff and I had a bonfire in the backyard - just the four of us .. hanging out, drinking and listening to music. Then some wrestling moves and finally flipping - I know Jeff and I had an awesome time. I started thinking and looking forward to doing this sort of thing in the future, but quickly snapped back into reality where they are moving to California in just a week. But as I write this I am tearing up so, let's not think about that yet.

 Sunday I went to church .. I love starting / ending (depending on how you think of it) the week off with church and being around my "church family". We're blessed with this beautiful church but the people are what makes it such an amazing place.

Check out The Mom Creative site by clicking the above logo - to see more Project Life Tuesday participants!

Everything Get's Hotter When The Sun Goes Down..

Is 96 hot enough for you!? 

It's TOO hot for us ... to stay inside, that is :)

Wednesday we took the boys outside, it was miserably hot and we knew that staying cooped up in the A/C all day wasn't a good idea for any of us. We got them down to their diapers, put a ton of sunscreen on them and set up in the shade! They had a BLAST hanging out in the buckets (which they call pools) and playing with the sprinkler. 

I think I had just as much fun taking pictures! Enough fun that it even took my mind off the heat for a while! :)