Oops, I did it again...

*Please excuse the poor photos in the post.  The photos in the layout are no longer available due to a computer crash, and I was too lazy to pull the page out of the page protector.

This is a layout I did a long time ago portraying Maddie's broken collarbone that he received at Open Gym.  The first time I ever took three boys anywhere, he had to roll off of a mat that was three inches high and break his collarbone.  As soon as he fell he started crying and wanted an icepack.  I had JoJo in one of those sling things you carry 10 day old babies in.  I told Maddie he was fine and that "this place doesn't have any icepacks."  It turns out not only did they have icepacks, but they were cute bunny shaped icepacks.  After a grilling from the doctor about what happened to him...it was terrible and I finally got mad and told them they could go ahead and call the facility about it because there was a report...it was discovered that he fractured his collarbone.

You can barely see Maddie in the corner picture with his ridiculous brace on.  He is laughing at himself in the picture.

And here we go again...same arm, same facial expression, different brace.

He got tackled at recess by Julian who he says is not his friend.  He was at lunch, but apparently now that he's out of PE and recess for six weeks, he's not.  

From past experience, I know I have two days of good behavior...after that he'll be back to his old self again.

Waiting...12x12 Layout

Supplies:   I don't know...I'm not sure if it's a Studio Calico Kit or a Memory Works kit...I promise to do a better job remembering.

I love blogging.  It sort of acts like a journal in a way.  It's a place I can record my thinking, or our family's story and later be able to reference back to it.  I've shared these pictures on here before, and now I've finally put them in a layout.  My eventual goal is to go back through and put a lot of what is on here into our scrapbook.  

I like that this is a place where I can record my feelings about things, whether they are good, bad, happy, or even sad.  I feel like in a way I haven't been doing that lately.  That's why I appreciated and participated in "Blog From Your Heart."  It has sort of gotten me to be more reflective these last few days.  In being reflective, and looking back through posts, I've realized that I haven't shared many pictures of what we have done this summer.  Albeit, it hasn't been that much.  I like to share those things.  How does life get so busy that we forget to do the things we love?  

The other day, JoJo got into Erik's email so he could watch him get tazed.  For some reason he is obsessed with that.  Anyway I had to get the iPad away from him and make sure he wasn't sending random emails to people.  He had clicked on this folder.  I don't remember what it was titled, but I found that Erik had saved this post from almost a year ago, in his folder.  It made me happy that something I wrote meant so much to him that he saved it so he could read it again.

This last week has been a hard one.  Erik has worked late, and he's working all weekend.  Wolfie got in trouble at school.  Not major trouble, just a pink slip.  He's grounded now, and that adds it's own stress to things.  My kitchen is a mess.  (Maddie is in here.  He's impressed that I can look at him and still type.)  My house is a mess.

Today, is a slow down day.  I'm not going to go to Wal-Mart.  I think I'll clean up this office, clean up this house, do some scrapbooking.  But, first, me and Maddie are going to paint a castle.

Haunted Sneak Peak

That's the sneak for October's Kit.  Can you believe we are already halfway through September?  It's crazy how fast time is going.  Anyway, visit my website for ordering information!

Blog Your Heart

This was a prompt from Stephanie Howell's blog.  I've been reading her blog for a few years now.  The first time I read her blog, and I loved it.  Anyway, she has challenged us to "blog from the heart" so here goes.
****warning this post may be jumpy and random, but I guess that's how my brain goes...

My life is happy, and wonderful, and beautiful.  I am married to a man that I am still so in love with it is unbelievable.  He is everything to me, and I feel that I would not be me without him.

This summer has been so hard.  Erik started the police academy 19 weeks ago.  It has totally changed our lives.  It has changed him so much.  I love the happiness and excitement I see in him.  It has totally changed our summer, though.  We are the hunting, fishing, camping family, and we have done none of those things this year.  We've made two day trips to the lake this summer.  We haven't even opened up our camping trailer.

Bits and pieces are coming out from Erik, and I can't help but feel guilty that he kept his job the last ten years to make me happy.  I don't mean that he thought, gee I can't quit because it will make Mariah unhappy, but I think he did it for so long for that reason.  I know he wasn't entirely happy with his work.  He needs to be challenged, to have something to look forward to, to work towards.  I feel bad that sometimes I feel that he wasted his last ten years, though he insists he didn't and appreciates it all, trying to make sure I was happy.  That makes me feel a little sad.  Sad that he was always free to choose the path he wanted.  But I feel like he didn't have the faith in me to be able to handle or deal with the change.  I could handle it.  Maybe I'm being selfish making it about me.  I know that he didn't want to cause division with my family.  But, there wouldn't have been division.  Sometimes, I wish too, that he would have been appreciated more in the last 10 years for the man he is.  That more faith and responsibility would have been placed in his hands.  I think things would have been different.  He is so smart, and capable, and such a good leader.  In his current position now, he is so respected and looked up to by everyone, and I'm proud of that.

I've realized to this summer that my children will probably never have cousins from my brothers.  My brothers will probably never have children of their own.  That saddens me, deeply.  My maiden name will not be carried on.  I'm proud of that name.  I'm proud of my family, living, and dead for the things they have done to make that name.  I wanted so badly to be an aunt.  I wanted some little girls in our family so they could have sleepovers at my house.  I could fix their hair, paint their nails, and buy them cute clothes.  This will probably never happen.

I'm tired of competition.  I'm not really a competitive person.  I'm not.  There are only a few things in life that I really care about.  My family, my job.  Basically, I guess that's all.  I'm so tired of being in this one upping contest.  I'm not playing.  I don't want to play.  That song, "Whatever you can do, I can do better," that's what I feel it's like.  I can do something but you can do it better.  I don't want to play, I never wanted to get in the game.  I'm not playing.  But, I feel that I'm being dragged in everyday.  I can't say anything without a one upped comment.  I'm tired of it.

I wish I had one great friend.  One friend that was like a sister to me.  One friend that has kids, and things in common with me.  That believes in the same things I believe in.  That I could count on if I needed anything.  That I could tell my deepest, darkest secrets to and not be judged for them.

And, if you made it this far...thanks for reading.

F-Stop Frenzy Weekly Challenge-Water

Playing with the hose=superfun.  At least at my house.  My boys are outside with the water hose everyday during the summer...sans clothing.  I wanted a different perspective in my photos so I focused on their feet.   

P.S. I am aware that someday the will completely resent me taking photos of them in their underwear and posting them on the internet.  (Get over it...in advance...and if you didn't like it you should've kept your clothes on)

Remembering...

Remembering that fateful day 10 years ago, that plunged our world into chaos, and great change.  God Bless all those who died, those who lost their loved ones, and those who risked their lives to save others.  Thank God for freedom and those who die defending it.

10 Years Layout

Supplies:  Sassafras, Mistable ribbon?...from Studio Calico Kit

I stayed home from work today with the stomach flu :(  My only hope is that the kids don't get it too.  I made this layout a few weeks ago, when I became addicted to the Mini-Misters, and misted every layout I made that day.  Well, I guess that's all for today.  I'm not in a typing mood really.  I'm just trying to keep myself awake so I can sleep tonight.  Have a good evening.

My First Wedding Shoot

It was with much reluctance that I finally decided to take photographs for a wedding.  I've always been too scared to mess up someone's big day.  It involves flash, something I knew nothing about.  But I decided to go ahead and take the leap.  I truly enjoyed it.  I really had to study up on flash photography, and light.  I was such a nervous wreck.  I rented an awesome lens (that I have to return tomorrow...tear), and practiced with the kids outside.  So, here are a few of the wedding photos.  I still have a ton to edit, but I got these few done and I wanted to share them.  There are color and black and white conversions of the same photos.  I hope you enjoy...