February Sketch Challenge

A little late, I know, but here is the sketch my group is working on for February. My layout is half done - I'll post it when I finish.

Saturday craziness/ I'm knitting!

It's after 11:00 pm, everyone has gone to bed, and I really should be headed there. I need to get to work early tomorrow, instead of my usual 8:30-8:45. The wind is whistling its warning of another storm to come. I love storms, if I don't have to drive in the snow.

Yesterday was the busiest Saturday we've had in a long time. Each of my kids had a big function on that day. Why does it usually happen like that? My oldest went to the JA formal, which was an all day event. It started out at 9:00 am getting her nails done. That same time I dropped off my 2nd oldest at her drumline practice. Then I had a class to go to at 11:00. At least I thought I did. I called ahead of time to make sure it was still on, they tried calling the instructor, didn't hear anything. I drive to the store anyway, but no instructor. I'm thinking the instructor thought someone else called me to tell me it was cancelled since I was the only one signed up for it, but no one did. So, I made envelopes instead. Then at 2:30 my oldest goes in for her appointment to get her hair done. Luckily she drives herself. At 3:00 I show up at the middle school to pick up my 13yo, and I get a call from her. Oops, there is a performance that she didn't know about. When is this performance? It's for the parents, and guess what? It's happening RIGHT NOW. I go in to the school to watch the performance, call my dh, pleeeeease pick up the cake for the dinner tonight. After the performance we hurry home to get ready for the dance. It is now 4:10 pm and the boy/young man to pick up my daughter is supposed to be there at 4:20. They get there, daughter and date drive to meet the others, while the boy's mom and I drive there to take pictures. Then it's a rush to get back to get the rest of the family to drive to my ds's Blue and Gold Scout dinner (with a Chinese New Year theme) That lasted until 8:30 and believe me, I was ready to go home. My oldest got home at 2:30 from the dance/dinner and a late night visit to Denny's with the group. Her date's dad picked them up and drove them home because we had a major snowstorm that evening. All went well.

I really was hoping to get to sleep in on Sunday morning, but knew I wouldn't. Around 12:30 pm I thought I'd just take a quick little rest on the bed. that little rest turned into 3 hours!!! Thought I was coming down with a cold, but don't feel too bad now.

I have been knitting! It is a baby blanket. It's a very easy pattern (i.e. boring), but it's mindless knitting which is sometimes nice to do. I am trying to use up some of the yarn I have stashed around here to make room for the yarn I've ordered from Jimmy Beans Wool. They had a sale going on some of their Lorna's Laces and of course I had to buy some. Loooooove Lorna's Laces. I also bought the Toothpick Optional pattern from Sharon (www.sheknitsforknitters.com). She has a podcast I love to listen to - sheknitspodcast.blogspot.com. I enjoy hers and Marly's podcasts - www.yarnthing.blogspot.com. They are both fun.

The Good Life (with Teenagers)

Today I had a house full of teenagers. My daughter called from school asking if she could have a few friends over. I picked my daughter and four of her friends up from school to take to our house and play Guitar Hero. Then my other daughter came over after school with a classmate to make a movie for a school project. Yes, a house full, but it was great to hear them all laughing and having fun. Tonight my daughter had a Honor Band recital. The kids have worked so hard, and it paid off. They sounded wonderful. After the recital we went out to a late dinner. Got home around 10:15 and my 6yo was still awake, waiting for us.

I've got a February sketch picked out for my PAWS group. Thought I'd share. It's a Becky Higgins sketch.

If you make a layout with this sketch, let me know. Post a comment or email me with a link to your page.

We found Nestle!

We found our puppy dog! Someone had found her on Saturday and taken her in. They even took her to their vet yesterday. Apparently they had called Animal Control, but when we went yesterday to Animal Control, there wasn't anything about her being found, or even on their website until last night. Lesson: ALWAYS check, double check, triple check, and keep checking for your lost pet. This is a reminder that there still are nice people in the world. Thank you, thank you! As soon as I let Nestle in the house this morning, the chaos with the three dogs started. Ahhh, back to normal.

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Monday, Monday

Just finished up my son's valentine's. He told me a couple of weeks ago that he wanted to give everyone a chocolate bar for Valentine's Day. We bought the chocolate bars, I covered 17 bars with patterned paper, made tags, and wrapped each one with a ribbon, only to have him say to me tonight that he would rather have had "Bionicles Valentine's from the store. Mom, homemade just isn't cool." Grrrrrrr. I told him everyone will love the chocolate.

Still haven't found our Nestle. I thought for sure we'd find her at Animal Control today, and when we didn't, I started to worry a little. I've been thinking positive, and still am, but I'm a little more worried than I was. Fortunately it hasn't been too cold at night, and it hasn't snowed. We still want her home.

I've Been Bitten - By The Motivation Bug

Do you know how good it feels to feel creative again? Seems like I'm always thinking of things to do in my head, but to actually get some of it done requires motivation and a thought process I don't always have. Well, lately I have really been motivated to work on my projects, and I must admit, most of those projects involve scrapbooking. I've been making cards, page layouts, even organizing my craft area.

I admit that I need serious motivation when I am in a slump. I have found my motivation in an online group that was formed by my local scrapbook store. It's called PAWS - a page-a-week-society. At the beginning of the month four challenges are given out, including product, life, photography and a sketch challenge (see below). I have become one of the moderators for this group, and knowing I am responsible for getting these challenges out to everyone by the first of the month has been very positive for me. I have personally met some of these ladies, and others I have gotten to know online. I know this sounds crazy, but when I make up a sketch, then see how these women use that sketch and make wonderful page layouts, well it just gives me goose bumps - the good kind! This is a local group (Reno, NV), but if you are interested, go to http://www.treasuredmemoriesreno.com/ to learn more about this group. I love it!

Yesterday I took the kids and dogs out geocaching. The weather was gorgeous - finally a sunny day on a weekend without snow - but the ground was very muddy. We must have looked a sight - there I am driving my family Suburban on dirt roads, letting the dogs out to run. My 6yo is screaming for me to let the dogs back in; he is thinking for some strange reason that I am going to leave the dogs. My two older kids did not want to go on this "family" outing, so are sulking in their seats. We finally stop at the first place, after slipping and sliding on the mud, and putting my Suburban in to 4-wheel-drive, and I realize that it's not the right coordinates. Back we all load in to the Subby, dirt and all, and driving to another location. This time it is the right place, and once the cache was found, my kids admit that they really did enjoy it - kindof. The view was awesome there. I need to go more often.

Later that afternoon I took my DD to the scrapbook store to get some cards from a swap I participated in. Then we went home, got the rest of the family and went out to dinner. Then it's back home for a quick bathroom trip, pile the kids back in the Subby, and head to the local high school to watch the play, "Peter Pan." We got back home around 9:00 and my dh asks if I've seen one of our dogs while we were out. Apparently she played a Houdini and escaped out of the back yard. She did this by chewing through the wood on the gate and squeezing, really squeezing her way out. As of tonight we have not found her, but we are hoping Animal Services picked her up. They are closed on Sundays, but we'll be visiting them tomorrow morning. This is the second night she's been gone, and even though we have two other dogs, it seems so quiet without her here. We're thinking positive thoughts!