the last 2 4x4's for the swap

at ink spot! the others are a bit down this page!
what a great swap this was! loved it!

trying out my wings at sewing

i saw the idea of stuffed fabric charms in cloth, paper, scissors i think? thought i would try it out, these are a bit large for a bracelet.....way large...but they will work for something else.

i am very excited....i did not sew my fingers together while stitching these things up!

now, what to do with these fluffilicious oversized charms?

ahhhhhhhhhhhh........

yes......today was the official first day back at school..... kids won't pose for 1st day back to school pics anymore.... :{

these first 2 days will be half days for them, so as soon as i get them out the door it seems like they are coming back home......but it gives me a couple hours of sanity.....and yes, as usual, this first day without them here i felt lost......for a whole 90 seconds.......then i whipped my clothes off, pranced necked through the house, while angels 'ahhhhhhhhed' and little blue birds flew overhead dropping flower petals over me..................................pbtttttttt yeah right......ha, had ya there for a second. and my apologies to those who know me......i know that would not be a right perty sight.........

so for real.......................i organized the school supply cabinets. wooooooo-hoooooo! now there is some real fun! all i needed was a pitcher of margaritas and it would have been a real party! by the time i was done, i realized i should have done that before we went shopping. we have 8 extra pencil sharpeners, 6 extra pair of scissors, 7 extra glue sticks, 14 erasers, 35 brand spankin' new spiral notebooks, 12 packages of loose leaf paper, 2, 046 ink pens in various colors, 10, 362 pencils without chew marks,3,269 with, 81, 235 markers, some of them are the smelly kind, and 61, 908 colored pencils, 5 extra highlighters, 4 extra dry erase markers......those make you see things if you smell them! just kidding, i think it was ohhhhhhhhh.......look at the pretty flutterbyumpteen extra whiteouts that did that actually......

i am so tired! it is going to take a few days to get use to getting up early. i am use to going to bed at the crack of dawn, not getting up at it.

i am still waiting for the 3,052 different pieces of paper each child will bring home for me to sign that says 'by signing this you have read these above rules and guidelines with your child and you understand them......blah blah blah blah blah..............i am so glad i have good babies and don't have to worry about that stuff, and on a serious note it is really scary to think there are kids out there actually doing all of this stuff, and someone needs to smack the crap out of their parents! i actually have to call the school about a kid who has bullied both my boys, and when i tried to talk to dear old dad about it he came and beat on our door for a while and then knocked over a 2 tier planter in our yard........hmmmmm...... and so why do we think his 13 year old is pulling knives on other kids...............ok, so now i am wondering......why do these same goofballs have to get themselves a license to hunt and fish.......but they don't need one to reproduce.......one of those things that makes you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

ejo;iruio;agj;lasjkg;laskdfj

ugh........i feel like i could just........... ugh....there is no word for it

i can not express enough how much i love my babies, i watch them while they sleep and think how lucky i am to have them.......i truly have some of the most thoughtful, loving, sweet kids and they mean the world to me and i thank God everyday for them...............BUT..............i am so over the whole summer vacation thing.

I NEED MY SPACE

I NEED TO BE ABLE TO PEE WITHOUT AN ANGRY KNOCK AT THE DOOR FOLLOWED BY 'HE _____________ TO ME' OR HEY GUESS WHAT THE CAT JUST DID OR WHAT IS FOR DINNER...............

THE BATHROOM IS NOT AN ESCAPE HATCH......IF I WERE GOING TO LEAVE IT WOULD BE OUT THE FRONT DOOR WITH SUITCASE IN HAND.........PUHLEASE LET ME JUST PEE OR SHOWER IN PEACE.

I HATE THE SOUND OF A JUICE POUCH BEING
SLURPED.........EVEN WITHOUT MY HEARING AIDS IN THE NOISE IS AT BEST UNBEARABLE

I NEED A DAY OF NOT ANSWERING THE QUESTION ' BUT WHEN ARE WE GOING' , ' ARE WE GOING NOW' , 'MOM WHY HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE SHOWER SO LONG' , ' I AM BORED', 'THERE IS NOTHING GOOD TO EAT, WHY CAN'T WE ORDER PIZZA AGAIN' ' BUT _________'S MOM LETS THEM DO IT'

I NEED TO BE ABLE TO WALK FROM POINT A TO POINT B WITHOUT ANSWERING 5 GAZILLION QUESTIONS

I AM TIRED OF BEING HUFFED AT WHEN I ASK, AND THEN ASK AGAIN, FOR CHORES TO BE DONE

TAKE THE EAR BUDS OUT OF YOUR EARS AND TURN OFF THE IPOD WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU OR YOU ARE TALKING TO ME

REMEMBER I AM HEARING IMPAIRED AND IF I DON'T ANSWER YOU IT MEANS I DID NOT HEAR YOU

I NEED TO MAKE ART SO BAD

I NEED TO QUIT FEELING GUILTY FOR WANTING THEM TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL

AND.........PBTTTTTTT TO THE NEIGHBOR WHO JUST WISHES THERE WERE 48 HOURS IN A DAY SO SHE COULD HAVE EVEN MORE TIME WITH HER KIDS......WHO ARE BRATTY LITTLE MONSTERS......LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE...........



Ok, so today I am a little stressed. Whoooooosaaaaaaaa . Oh I need to meditate. Find my center again. I need to talk to my hubby, without interuption.......maybe just snuggle for a few minutes. ALONE.

ok.......i feel so much better letting that out. now, off to get ready to do a little running today.......and to hug and kiss my kids, and thank God for them one more time today.


whoooooooooosaaaaaaaaaa.

much better.

Happy Anniversary Baby.......

18 years and still going strong................

we have tried out every bit of our vows and survived.......

for better

for worse

for richer

for poorer

in sickness

and in health.....

it's all good, baby......it's all good

love ya, mwah

like father

sneaking in a nap with dad.......

my little guy finally giving in to sleep after trying to stay up all night trying so hard to squeeze every bit of time off during summer break he can.

my big guy, a much deserved nap after putting in many 12 shifts in an un-air conditioned building during the hot summer.

the girl

she started it!

the boys

they ended it

happy happy birthday my sweet girl

July 10 1990..........she is now
17 years old. it seems like yesterday, and yes, everyone says it, but it is so very true.

i can still feel her tiny, well, if you call 9 pounds 10 ounces tiny, anyway.....i can still feel her little body in my arms.

i can still smell that baby smell......

i can remember every birthday cake i ever made for her.

now that she is growing up she makes her own.......



stephs birthday cake recipe:


layers of ice cream sandwiches
whip cream
chocolate sauce
m and m's


every year i wonder where all the years have gone................how did she grow up so fast...............why did she have to grow up so fast. i love watching her change and become her own person, oh but i miss being able to scoop her up and kiss her little baby cheeks and hold her and keep her safe in my arms.

beautiful sky

4th of july

where a cheee-wah-wah sits when it is 4th of july!



just some pics that i found on my camera today.......forgot all about them.