Top 10 Favorite Childhood toys

Again, I'm a few days late.  I guess that's okay in the long run.

1.  Hotwheels!  Love them.  I like fast cars.

2.  Micro Machines

3.  The Children's Encyclopedia.  I read this thing from the first volume to the last.

4.  The Nintendo:  Go Super Mario, Go!

5.  Roller skates!

6.  Skateboards

I had a pink and teal skateboard just like this.  I have the scars to prove it.  My older brother Kriss and his friends built a half pipe in our yard.  He said I was, "A Cool Skater Girl."

7.  Nancy Drew:  The old Nancy Drew novels.  My mom has the set from her childhood.  I read them all!

8.  Clue...the board game.

My brother Josh and I were horrified to learn that Colonel Mustard had been demoted to just Mustard this last December.  Santa brought the game for the kids.

9.  Checkers

10.  Card Games and Puzzles:  That's right.  My grandmother taught us how to gamble...poker, blackjack, and many other games.  We used to bet with pennies.  We also had to to a lot of jigsaw puzzles to complete.  And really, let's not forget the best thing was swimming!  We swam everyday in her pool!  It was a pretty fun childhood.

A Week in the Life

I'm really hoping you will join me for "A Week in the Life."  I will start posts on Monday, June 3, and I hope you will link back to your blog in the comments.  I've done this project for three years and I really love looking back on the photos.  I will also be putting up some downloadable files for the Silhouette.  You can use them in layouts.  We have a lot to share this next week...A new puppy, the lake, and other fun.  The kids are really glad to be spending time with Erik at home.  They asked him the other day if he was supposed to be at work, as they're not used to him being home :(  We're going to make the best of this summer.  Because summer is our time, and it always has been.  I'm really hoping to see your family's week, as I really hope you share!

Welcome Mazzie!

Princess Mazzie Star

Here's our new baby!  Maddie got to choose her name.  The name he chose was Mazzie (rhymes with Jazzie).  She has been a wonderful addition to our family.  The boys, my mom and I, traveled to Oklahoma to go and get her.  Thank God my mother was with me.  She was so helpful along the way, passing out food, telling Maddie to stop letting the dog chew the leather car seats.  So anyhow, I left at 3 am on Sunday morning and got back home at 10:45 pm.  Little Puppy Girl woke me at 3 am.  At that time, I was thinking, "A name for this dog would be a great idea!!!!"  She also mastered the pet door at 3ish in the morning.  I was very excited about that, except, some of the joy was sucked away as it was 3 AM!!!     I was also deathly afraid that frogs would be springing from the woodwork as I sat on the porch columns (I am deathly afraid of frogs...in case you didn't know).  I finally made my way back to bed about 5 am.  I crashed.  Maddie was so responsible, taking care of her and informing me that she peed and pooped outside while I was sleeping.  When I did get up at 9, I thought, "Geez, I could sleep another five hours."  JoJo's first words were, "We need to name this dog."  My sentiments exactly from my thoughts at 3 am.

Also, it should be noted that Jill was assisting me in the parenting role.  When we went to bed, I brought Mazzie (aka new puppy) in our room and laid her blanket down.  She chewed on our bed, and cords to our phones.  Every time I told her No, Jill had to come and see what I was talking about.  Jill got up with me at 3 a.m.  Mazzie was wandering through the kitchen at that time, and I was watching her.  Jill was sitting by the chair.  I thought I would go sit next to Jill.  Apparently, she thought Mazzie should be supervised because she got up and watched her while I sat in the chair.  We traded off baby sitting duties.  If I wasn't watching her, Jill was.  And if I was watching her, Jill was happily on standby.  That my friends,  is the reason I love Mastiffs.  They are so good natured and protective.  They have so much empathy for humans.  I love our new puppy so much.  It is absolutely crazy how much I love her.  I can just see how good she is going to be.  Geez, I love her!  She is so lanky and lazy in her gait like Jill.  We already taught her to sit, and "leave it'.  That is in one day.  That is how smart they are.  She has learned to walk on a leash (Yesterday was her first day on one).  She also knows her name now.  She's pretty much potty trained.  Now, if we can just convince our cat, Fluffy, how awesome she is....

Happy Memorial Day!!

For all those who have served and died for this country.  Thank you!  

It's Summer Baby!!

I am done with school!  Summer vacation is officially here!  Erik and I will get to have days off together.  It's been over a year since that happened.  There are a few exciting things we are looking forward to!

First of all, is our new dog!  We are going to get a new baby mastiff.

We're not sure what we're going to name her.  We like Miley which is a combination of Beamer & Wyli's names.  She is from Triple C Mastiffs.  That is there photo.  We can't wait to meet her.  The kids are very excited about the new puppy.  We've wanted a new mastiff for a very long time now.  I will never own any other breed of dog.  They are just so good natured.

Second, we're going tiger muskie fishing!

Keepers have to be 40 inches long!  They have teeth.  It should be fun.  I'm telling you this year is the year for the big one.  I am catching a big fish this summer.  My friend and I are going to also go catfishing at the lake.  We're gonna catch a big one, there too.

Third, we're going to the lake a lot!!!!

Fourth, we're going to hang out and spend time as a family.  Something we haven't been able to do very often with Erik's work.  I think Erik is most excited about sleeping in.  Since, he had to get up early every day of the week for work or to help me get the boys ready for school.

Also, I'm thinking of doing a Week in the Life, this next week or so.  Ali Edwards, didn't remind me this year so I forgot.  If I do it next week, my posts will be behind in days.  Like I won't be able to post day one photos until Friday.  So, I'll decide if I want to do it next week or the week after.  So if you want to do it too, here is your reminder.  Then we can all participate.  Just leave the link to you blog in the comments section of the Week in the Life Posts.

End of An Era...Goodbye Worst Dog in America

 I remembered this photo, I posted on Facebook in December.  I wrapped her in a towel because she was cold and shivering.  She looked so sweet and innocent, but 20 seconds later she got a pot pie and threw it on the floor and ate it.  I think it was JoJo's.

Last photo of Wyli laying with Jill in the laundry room. She loved it in there.

The worst dog in America has passed.  That's our Wyli girl.  We had her for 12 years.  We got her from the pound 12 years ago the week before we got married, and we guessed she was around 2 years old.  She is our last doggie from before our kids.  She was always so sweet and gentle with the kids.  Always. Even if her last days were bad, she never snapped at them or tried to be mean to them.  Her kindness with the kids is something I won't forget.  These last days were sad and hard and emotional.  You see, this little girl was bad.  She is responsible for daily trash digging intos.

She's the reason our appliance garage is our canned good storage area, while our Lazy Susan houses appliances.  She used to get in there and take all of the canned goods out and chew the cans into flattie pancakes in the yard somehow eating the contents.  She is the reason I have a horrid bleach spotted blanket covering our bed.  She tore every set of sheets, bed spread, bed skirt, and general bedding items we owned.  She has destroyed all of my winter clothing. I just gave up on my closet and I have to actually crawl on the floor to get to some of my clothes because of her.  She has eaten C cell batteries, glass baby food jars, and been taken to the vet for numerous injuries (like trying to crawl through a fence).  She has cost us way more than any pure bred pup due to furniture damage, (She chewed a hole in our couch), vet visits, clothing damage, bedding damage, and animal control fees.  She used to jump out of the yard.  We did everything we could to keep her in.  Finally putting up huge mesh fence, placing bricks on the walls worked.  The animal control people threatened to take her away after her second capture.  I told them that this dog would never be taken away from us and that she has done so much damage to our property that no other person would have ever kept her.  That she would have been euthanized by now.  That she was our dog and we made our commitment to her and would keep her, and they could go ahead and try and keep her.  Trust me, I listed her offenses to the lady.  Then I told her, I dare you to take this dog from us. The lady's eyes got pretty big and wide.  She stayed with us.  She caused more damage, she ate more trash.    Wyli was afraid of everything.  Cameras, video cameras, people, lightening, rain, leaving the house.  But she was our dog.  Whatever person had her before us probably beat her.  We put up with her neurosis for many years.  And as bad as she was, I will say, I'm going to miss that brown little dog.  She was sweet.  She was bad.  She was ours.  And now, she's in heaven with Beamer.  They're probably happy together running around, or swimming together in the early morning hours.  Or Wyli is probably hiding under my bed while Beamer runs and plays.  Whatever makes her happy.  So long, Worst Dog in America.  You were a good girl, and we love you.

2nd Grade 12x12 Layout

Supplies are from Studio Calico Monthly Kits  Letters:  American Crafts

Top Ten Tuesday...on Saturday!

I decided to participate in the "Top Ten Tuesday" with Shabby Blogs.  I thought it would be a fun and creative challenge.  It would also make a cool scrapbook layout for yourself, if you wished to do that.  So, this week is Top Ten Favorite Musicians.  I'm changing mine to Top Ten Favorite Songs.  I'm trying to send you links to each song from Youtube so you can enjoy them too.  So here, you go:

1.  Clocks by Coldplay
Reminds me of family and home!

2.  Santeria by Sublime
I love Sublime.  Love, love them.  One year my brother, Kriss and I drove to Vegas and listened to Sublime and Pennywise the entire way.  That was a great trip.

3.  Don't Stop Believing by Journey
I just love this song!

4.  Rocky Mountain Way by Godsmack
Love the metal guitar!  I'm a rocker girl at heart.

5.  Murder in the City by The Avett Brothers
Reminds me of my boys and our family.

6.  Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band  7.  Toes by Zac Brown Band
THE LAKE!  Can I say anymore.  It's my home.  My most peaceful place on this Earth.

8.  Dirt Road Anthem by Jason Aldean
This song is so TorC, my hometown.  I love that place.  I love my friends.  I love everything about it.  It will always be home.  Growing up in a small town was awesome.

9.  Sailing by Christopher Cross
We used to have the 8 Track of this.  We'd listen to it in our little white Mazda.

10. Santa Monica by Everclear
My California days.  I wanted to move there so badly.  I used to go visit my brother there often, and go shopping.  Those were the days.

10.5 :) Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash
Sorry had to add it.  It reminds me of my daddy.

There you have it.  The songs are in no particular order.  I just really love them because they remind me of something special in my life.  Hope you enjoy!

Kinder 12x12 Layout

No, these pictures were not put on the page super-crooked.  Since the great "Computer Debacle" as I'm calling it, I had to get the new version of photoshop.  That means I can't figure out the new crop tool, which in turn means that it looks like the pictures were put on the layout crooked.  Yes, I am aware  that was a run-on sentence.  Also more great news, my oven doesn't work.  That's right my brand new oven failed 20 days outside of the manufacturer's warranty!   Oh, and JoJo is a bad little boy who makes giant messes:  he peed on the floor (the rug by the toilet) this morning because he was get this:  itchy!  Anyhow, I made him wash the rugs and he tells me, "I like doing laundry."  So much for punishment!  Hope your day was better than mine.

Happy Mother's Day

Hope this finds you all well!  Have a wonderful day!  I am going to spend mine doing laundry and cleaning, and getting caught up on stuff around here.  That is what I want to do.  I think I have good leverage on the boys today to help me out ;).

Colorado Vacation 12x12 Layout

Supplies:  American Crafts for the Cardstock, and letters.  Hexagons are from a Studio Calico kit.  

I was finally able to upload a few photos of layouts.  I had to update my Photoshop and Adobe Bridge to do it.  I'm waiting for my photos to download from iPhoto.  Those are my personal ones and there are about 15,000 of them.  It's taking while.  Hope all is well in your worlds.

Who Doesn't Love Free Gas?

Hi All, I wanted to share with you that Kayla Aimee is hosting a give away on her blog for a $100 Shell Gas Card.  I'm posting this post for an entry.  If you are interested you can go here and leave a comment, and get more information on how you can get an additional chance to win!

Some Book Recommendations For You

All Synopses from Amazon:

REAL

A fallen boxer.

A woman with a broken dream.

A competition…

IS HE FOR REAL?

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting… Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life. He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . . But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me. I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations. If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

I waiting for like three weeks to buy this book, because I am an idiot.  Buy the book, and read it.  It is so good.

"He was my darkness and I was his light. We couldn't exist without each other."

For me, life was simple. I went to school and studied. I spent time with my friends and stayed out of trouble. I didn't drink or swear and I only dated gentlemen. I was the typical good girl with a bright future. My world seemed perfect.

But that was about to change.

Ryder Delaney was the one imperfection in my life. He was the bad boy, the black sheep, the one your mother always warned you about. He had only one hard-and-fast rule - Don't fall in love.

But some rules were meant to be broken.

We were best friends, inseparable since childhood despite our differences. I knew the real man hiding behind the tattoos and bad attitude. He knew all my secrets and dreams. But he didn't know there was one thing I wanted and couldn't have...him.

But sometimes Fate has a way of intervening. Soon our world collapsed. War erupted. Darkness prevailed. Alone and on the run, our only goal was to survive and to ignore the feelings we had for each other. But love is powerful...

and so is the darkness.

I love this book.  The US is attacked by our enemies and loses all electricity, use of electronic devices, etc.  I loved this book.  The only downside is that it is a cliffhanger ending.  I'll be getting the second book as soon as it comes out!

I knew a boy once.
He was a boy that changed everything.
I didn’t know Parker O’Neil outside of the occasional smile and wink. The AMA Supercross racer came to our small town one winter, and I had no idea what he was capable of. How could I have known that he would change my life forever that summer?
Eventually, the occasional smile became a smile I grew to love and longed to see. The occasional wink became a gesture that made my soul sway and my heart ache. In the canyons of the desert, he showed me his lifestyle and his love.
What I didn’t see was the control he had over me. It was a power the glitz and glamor of his professional lifestyle had and eventually what tore apart any life I thought I knew.
In his world of banging bars and soaring jumps, there was no room for someone like me. But for five years, every time he called or touched me, everything changed again. It was a touch that could heal anything and a smile that could light even the darkest nights.

This story sucked me in like crazy and I knew it was going to tear me to shreds when I started it.  It was so worth it.  I loved it.  It reminded me of Erik and I in some ways.  

Post #500 and National Scrapbooking Day

This is post #500...Can you believe it?  I can't.  I have actually posted 500 posts on this blog.  That's a lot of words.  Thanks, readers!!!  I appreciate you taking time to read my posts.  So in honor of Post #500 and National Scrapbooking Day, I thought I would post some of my all time favorite layouts in case you missed them.  Some of the photos might not be great, as they are from when I first started this blog.  I will spend this day working on my computer restoration, and trying to finish up some layouts in between.  I hope you all have a little time to celebrate this day.  Scrapbooking is really a wonderful, worthwhile hobby.

I have more, but I can't locate them in posts....I don't have them on my computer yet, either!  I hope you enjoyed the few I shared.  Have a great day!

Technical Problems

I am posting from my iPad.  My computer has been slowing down...slower than molasses.  My hard drive was recalled and I waited as long as I could  until I had to get it replaced.  It was replaced today and now my files are backing up, super slowly.  As soon as I get up and running I will post some layouts.  Until then enjoy your families, my friends.