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!

Valentine Card Weekend Challenge

I have definitely been using my scrapbooking supplies much more than I have my knitting needles lately. There was a challenge on a message board I'm on about making Valentine's Day cards. I made some for a swap I'm in, and wanted to enter this challenge, too. Great incentive to get my cards done by this weekend, even though the swap due date isn't until February 9. Here they are:

A day of Scrapbooking

Yesterday was an all day crop at a LSS. I got there about 10:30 am, and left around 9:45 pm. I am proud to say that I finished 20 pages. I had been looking forward to this crop for a while, as I had not been able to go to the last couple of crops. I really missed these friends, some of whom I don't see except for these get-togethers. I love to visit with them, but I also really like to get some serious scrapping done. This time I was able to do a little of both. These pages weren't anything super fancy, but I was glad I was able to get the pictures in the scrapbook. Now to set aside some time for journaling.





The girls went with their dad to Sacramento today. Our oldest has a feis she is competing in. She's been Irish dancing for about 8 years now, and really likes these feises. I couldn't go because of work, so I stayed home with our little guy. Last week he was telling us that he had a three day weekend, and it was because of someone's birthday who lived a really, really, really long time ago. He thinks for a moment, then says "King Arthur, King Arthur's birthday, that's who it was," meaning, of course, Martin Luther King, Jr. At least he got the King right, and it's good to have him tell us what he learned in school.

I am a part of a group of scrapbookers who are trying to get or keep caught up with their albums. Each month there is a sketch as one of the challenges. If you're interested, here's the sketch:

Not much happening in the way of knitting, but I sure am having fun using my Marly bag!

A Finished Bag

I finished the Marly bag! I really like the way the bag turned out. I loved the different colors of this bag and the patterns in it, but it looked a little beyond my knitting capabilities. I went ahead and ordered the pattern, and am so glad I did! My poor husband - every ten rows or so I would be calling him to come look at the progress. Even my kids were rolling their eyes by the time I finished. Now there's another pattern of Sharon's I REALLY want - Toothpick Optional. To see the pattern's, go to Sharon's website: sheknitsforknitters.com

The house is starting to get back to normal. Most of the holiday decorations are down. Yup, still have a few to put away. The kids are back in school, a little more routine in our lives, which is what we need.

The Holiday KAL-CAL is over. I didn't win anything (pout, pout), but it was fun. I'll have to make sure to join next year.

Can you believe I don't have anything on my needles? I did get out my scrapbooking this week. I'm going to an all day crop next Saturday and want to get ready for that. I haven't ordered pictures in months, so now I'm playing catchup in ordering all the months worth of pictures I have to crop.

We got lots of snow this past weekend. Loved it. It was a wet snow, and that made great snowballs and snowmen. The kids played for quite a while out in the snow. Even the dogs liked it.

I allowed myself just a little bit of time to update my blog, and the clock is ticking. I think I am getting addicted to blogs and Ravelry, so I have to set my timer to get other things around the house done!

Busy December

This last Saturday was my good friend's 50th surprise birthday party. After all the months of planning and keeping this a secret, all that hard work paid off. I really thought she was going to find out - how could she not? - but it was a total surprise to her. It was so good to see friends and family come together to celebrate with a special person. What a great feeling.

It's funny, isn't it, how sometimes you seem so busy, but when you look back it doesn't seem like there's much that's worthy of posting on a blog. Some could argue that there really isn't much of anything worthy of posting on a blog. But if it gives a little satisfaction to the writer and possibly the reader, then it's worth it, right? Add pictures into these stories, however mundane, and it spices up the story. I love pictures - most of the time. I love taking pictures, I love downloading my pictures onto my computer, I love ordering and receiving my pictures. I love to scrapbook my pictures and make them my little works of art. I do NOT love having my picture taken. Photoshop has eliminated much of my fear of seeing my own image on a print. I love to use that "Bandaid" button, and the distort button has become a close acquaintance. This is most useful for a body that has seen better days. That is why you will rarely see my picture here, unless it has been taken in the right light, the right angle, and run through Photoshop a few times!

Now on to the fun stuff. In December my husband and I took a trip to Mexico. We went with two other couples, and another friend whose wife had finals and couldn't make the trip. My husband and his brother make this trip yearly with the guys, but wanted to take the wives this year. The place we stayed is mainly a fishing resort, and is beautiful. The guys went fishing three days, I went on one of those days. I am happy to report that I did not get seasick. Alas, I caught absolutely no fish. Apparently it wasn't a good day to fish. That doesn't give much satisfaction against the fact that we prepared almost all year to go down to Mexico and go deep sea fishing, and then I catch nothing. Oh well. I did get lots of knitting done. I knit on the plane - took size 8 circular bamboo needles on the plane with no problem - I knit by the beach, I knit in my room. We went with special friends, and that is what will make the memories.

I was able to get some projects finished for Christmas. I knit the skull scarf for my daughter, and finished the vest for my son. These were fairly easy projects that knit up quickly.

Tonight we are having a little get together for New Year's Eve. A few friends and family are coming over for Bagna Calda. My cousin is in town from California and has never had it before, so we decided to make it this year for her. Tomorrow I plan on just kicking back and relaxing! We plan to go to my mom's house and knit for a while.

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!