Christmas day!!!! :)

Mom and sis arrived yesterday...Christmas day! Sister leaves today :( SADLY!

And here I am with my girlies...Christmas day. We had such an awesome day, truly a blessed day.

I am so thankful for everything, but mostly thankful that my mamma and jade sista could fly in for Christmas!

Thankful, thankful, thankful! :)

More posting later!

I am a slacker...

Yes, I am a slacker blogger. But I have good reason!! I do! I have moved to yet another state. Colorado. Hubby got moved to a new account here, and his family is here, and well, we've wanted to come back to CO since forever, so...here we are. We found out, and within a month had to be out here. Crazy fast doesn't even begin to describe it. What's life without some adventure, right? This family wouldn't know what to do without it.

On a lighter note, we are in a HOUSE!!! So completely awesome, lemme tell ya. I have a large space in which to scrap, create, whatnot. Well, here, let me show you:

It's fabulous, no? I love it, and it has proved to be a very inspirational place indeed. I have been crackin' out some great scrapbooks ;) Let's see, other than that things have been good. I like it here in Aurora. It's not the Springs, but it's Colorado nonetheless. We've gotten some snow since we've been here - cool. I've been able to wear my sweaters, yay for that! I love my sweaters.

Christmas prep is, well, coming along I guess. I'm not very good at having all the shopping done before, well, the 23rd-ish. I'm doing my best, but it's hard to get motivated. We got our tree last weekend. Got it up. It fell once on my mother-in-law. Drama. Wouldn't be a holiday without drama. It's a 9 1/2 footer. It freakin' rocks!! Here, let me show you:

It's only partially decorated in this pic. Now, well, let's just say it would take your breath away! So things are coming along. Slooowwwly coming along.

Mom and sis get here on the 21st. I'm pretty stoked about that! I get to show my house off, and have lots of peeps in the house for the holiday, and bake, and sip hot cocoa, and, oh so much more.

Well, that's all I have for now. The merriest to you and yours!

my creative process...

when it's quiet, and i am alone with my thoughts, my mind races. it races from one concept, to another idea, to a scrap page, to a collage card, to a great shot i could capture. the passion and excitement fill me and my hands are jealous of all the fun my mind is having. they can't wait to go back to my creative spot and be let loose! where will they begin? what project gets first dibs? it's anyone's guess. i'll fill pages of random notebooks and scrap paper with these ideas. all so grand in concept!
finally a quiet moment finds me and i go to my creative spot. i sit and look at my supplies. hmm. i thumb through pictures i've taken. hmm. i grab the latest magazine i've marked up. hmm. suddenly my hands don't know where to begin, or even how. curious. my mind tries to lend a hand, but there is another conversation brewing there: how long will this quiet session last? do i have enough time to complete a project? will i be interrupted and then lose my focus and mojo? will i have to leave my project to tend to a child, dog, or huband? will sleep becone me and persuade me away? perhaps i shouldn't start anything right now. maybe i should just plan some more.
it doesn't always go like this. many a night when i sit down at my creative spot, my hands can't be contained - or even interrupted. if a child calls, i beg my husband to answer. if my husband calls, i look at him pleadingly for more time to create. he understands - somehow, and willingly gives me what i need. he couldn't possibly know the gift that this granted time is to me. i am in a zone, and probably producing a long thought out concept. it's being born - finally! realized, after being trapped in my mind, or behind the bars of a page. it may not be a "mona lisa", but there is so much satisfaction in releasing it from it's prison.
when i'm done i will proudly show it to him. beaming like a five year old child. it's my art. produced from my soul. realized. it is what feeds my soul and keeps me...well...me!

for the love of pumpkins...

so what's been on our mind lately???????.......

hmmm?......

PUMPKIN PATCH TIME!!!!!

yep, it's that time of year again. round 'em up in the ye olde mini van, head 'em out to the ye olde pumpkin patch, touch every single pumpkin you see...and pick them up by the stem...and sometimes give 'em a good kick (well, that's noah's policy - one that we are trying to amend). mom will be viewing it all more behind the lens than in front of it, because, well...that's what this mom does. photo op...hello!!! we let ben and kyle make the executive decision on which was THE honorable family pumpkin. they did a great job at picking the perfect one:

look at that team work! i think the pumpkin weighs as much as ben, so it did take two of them to haul it into the trusty wagon. (more photo ops for mom) we went to a pumpkin patch on hwy. 1, right outside of santa cruz. a pumpkin patch where the pumpkins actually grow there! that's a new concept for this city girl! i was in love with the charm of it all. the rustic, rugged beauty was alluring to say the least. we bargained in a bag of green beans with our pumpkins...not too shabby for these city slickers!

now, without much further ado...i give you our cherry family pumpkins (one for carving and seed eating, one for the chef in the family to cook with).

senseless brilliance in stickers...

need i say more? i think it's pretty clear.

my sister brought these stickers back from China for me. they just rock! and...they really make no sense. i love it. is 99.9% hello a really nice way of saying that 1% of this cute lamb wants you to go away?? or do we care because we are so distracted by the cute factor of the lamb? after all, it is winking at you! pretty irresistable.

then, there's this:

Love 15g. i showed this to my 10 and 8 year old and sarcastically said, this is very true...don't you think. my 8 year old, kyle, said "yep...makes perfect sense to me". i said, really, what does it mean to you? he says: "Love 15 grandmas". PRICELESS!!!!!! sure, i'll buy it. why not.

i could go on and on showcasing the fabulous stickers. and don't think for a minute they wont be showcased in my scrapbooks! cause they will. you can't get much better material than this to work with. really.

on that note i'll leave you by saying: 99.9% goodbye.

hotties and sweethearts...

i want to send a shout out to a few of my peeps. more specifically a hottie, my sister. and a sweetheart, my husband. my life is very rich. blessings abound around every corner! why is this the case? MY FAMILY!!! without a doubt! i am probably one of the luckiest girlies in the world. i dearly love all of my family: my mom, my kids, my extended family. but today i want to focus on two very special, very... snazzy, if you will, individuals. okay, so my sister nichole...see her in the pic? she looks like one of those gorgeous model types that is so stuck up and snobbish that you would never expect her to actually give you the time of day. NOT TRUE! couldn't be furthest from the truth. nichole is one of the most grounded people i know. talk about having her stuff together...she does, and then some. you couldn't get two more opposite lifestyles than hers and mine. i am "stay- at- home -mommy-barbie". involved in church, kids, hobbies, etc. she is world traveler-babe extrodinaire! her job requires her to travel like every other week. to exotic locals...places that indiana jones might never have seen. she is a single gal, who has made it clear that friday nights are off limits, as that is her club-hopping, partying, whooping it up night. she is well read, smart, kind, generous, loyal, comfortable in her skin, the funniest person i know, i mean the girl is FUNNNNY, and beautiful inside and out. a total package. i learn so much from her and admire her so much. i just love her so much!!!!!
then we need to talk about my hubbie, stephan. my sweetheart. my heart, for that matter. i seriously don't know what i did to deserve him! for reals!! if i could create my perfect soul-mate, yep, it would be him. no doubt. his qualities go on and on. amoung other things he is: a great father (understatement), loving, smart, probably tied with Nic on the funniest person award, he cracks me up 24/7, silly, lighthearted, spiritual, strong, manly, a magnificently talented chef, active, he's got some pretty sweet dance moves too. i just adore this man! truly. i thank God for him every minute of the day.
was this an over-the-top cheesy blog entry? maybe so. but i absolutely mean every last word. i want the whole world to know that true love exists. it happens every day. people do live their fairly tale life. i am living proof. my life is far from perfect, but who has a perfect life? i am blessed and honored to be surrounded by greatness in so many people.
so, thank you to all of my "pee-pee's" (people).
peace out.

stop and smell the flowers...

...on haight & ashbury! went to s.f. this weekend, specifically haight ashbury. love it there! so inspirational, fun, laid-back and yes, groovy. it's just got a great colorful vibe. the pictured house is the grateful dead house, where the band was busted for drugs in the '60's. now i'm not a dead-head, but it's still a cool house. we enjoyed lunch at the people's cafe... yummy. i really love living in northern california because there is so much to do and explore. on our way back to san jose we drove along hwy. 1. so beautiful and majestic. i am grateful, blessed and fortunate to live amoungst this beauty. just about every weekend we embark on an adventure. most of the time we hang in santa cruz. again, the vibe is so awesome. it is a place i find much inspiration. there is a marvelous taqueria there. we sometimes will drive to santa cruz just to eat. crazy? no, just spontaneous! that's us, and i love, love, love it that way!!! we probably won't live here for more than a year...colorado springs beacons us. so i feel the urge to take full advantage of california. we are, and it's rockin' my world!!!! :)

peace!

mr. personality

this, my friends, is mr. personality. this one just doesn't stop! if a camera happens to be pointing in his general direction, he'll stop, get the persons attention, and pose like zoolander. is he 2, or 22? some days i just don't know. definitely takes after his father. not that i'm not a cheesy one myself, but this one is a charmer and flirt to boot! dude! so much cramed into such a little body. oh, and can i share some of his latest "noah-isms".... "what the heck", "love you much", and my latest personal favorite: "momma, i pretty?", asked after finding his brothers chapstick and applying it liberally. what could i say? yes, sweetie, you are just gorgeous. the other day as we were leaving, he piled a bunch of random toys into a little blue felt bag i recently gave him. while walking down the stairs, with the bag slung over his shoulder, he says: "yep, got my purse". stephan immediately went into de-program mode. i just laughed...hard! these are the moments that make those un-bearable poopy diapers worth it. kind of.
so, here's to my littlest guy. let's all lift a glass of milk and toast, mr. personality!

a few scrap pages...

i just wanted to share some of my passion....

let's talk about....

self portraits. it's something that makes most cringe. there is definitely a certain stigma attached to taking a picture of oneself. things that come to mind: arrogance, vanity, self-obsession. well, i'm here to dispell all of those myths! a self-portrait is a GOOD thing. how often is your camera pointed at your kids, husband, even your pet. now, how often is it pointed at you? i'll venture to say not very often, if at all. well, let's remedy that!
it's pretty simple really. doesn't have to be too posed or fancy. no tripod is even needed. simply go into your bathroom (the lighting is generally good there) with your camera. now, give yourself permission to have fun! think the way thought when you were, say, five. totally free to be. now, point the camera at the mirror, look into the mirror, at the lens. click away. remember to be yourself. the real you. the you that maybe not too many people get to see because of inhibitions. don't worry that the camera is in the picture, this can be cropped out very easily. smile. make a face. be serious. be pensive. be a model. BE YOU!
okay, now that you've done that, go a step further: scrap these pics! tell your stories, your point of view. make yourself known to your kids, or future generations. this may be the only way they know certain things about you. i really feel passionately about this. i think it is so important for your stories to be known. don't let them stay buried inside.
so go. do it. TODAY!!! and don't forget to have fun with it!

wanted to share...

here are a few pics of my beloved family. have i mentioned how much i adore photography? i'm pretty sure i've covered that before, and if you know me at all, you know this. something about capturing essence. freezing a moment in time - for all time. LOVE IT!
these particular photos capture each personality. noah...large and in charge. ben...sweet and completely present. kyle...such a dude. stephan...intense and crazily HOT!
that's it. just wanted to share this passion. something i will do quite often on this blog! :)
enjoy the rest of your wednesday!

6 months later...

6 months later i am:

a stay-at-home mommy again
still loving taking pictures of - everything!
scrapbooking like a mad woman
still madly in love with my husband and kids
a runner ;)
still happily having many adventures
33
somewhat weathered
thankful, blessed, and living amoungst lovliness!!!!!

i decided i needed to start blogging again...mostly for me. writing is such an intrigal part of me, that i definitely notice a difference when i'm not doing it. plus it's a good way to keep friends and family updated on my day-day excitement! i do live a very exciting life. lemme see, on a daily basis i....referee many a heated battle of dueling siblings, navigate the psyche of a complex two year old, creatively divise ways to disguise food as something absolutely irresistable for a two-year old palate, delve into the fast-pace world of 3rd and 4th grade studies (you think i'm kidding? i'm NOT), stay on top of 5 different calendars...we are incredibly busy! Scouts, Young Womens, school work, school activities, meetings, and, of course many adventures in between. whew. life. gotta love it, and it just so happens that i do!
so, stay tuned for lots more excitement. :)

boxing gloves and crack don't mix....

i simply couldn't help myself. had to post this...had to! i fought it for a good two weeks, telling myself: "self, this photo could, one day, be used in the name of embarrassment against my sweet child." then i thought...if noah is anything like his dad, he'll just be proud of this photo!!
oh, and by the way, that couch in the background.....see it??...it's at the center of a rather heated debate in our household. long story short; all of our worldly possessions are still in good 'ol PA. we're moving out of my mom's house (yippee...sorry mom, you know i love you) into our own apartment. only one little snafoo: no furniture, kitchen stuff, nothin'. sooooo, my mom is kind enough to lend us some of her things until we get our stuff out here. (okay, so this is turning out to be a long story......if you're still with me, sorry!) now i happen to adore this couch. it is so utterly comfortable. the kind of couch that you sink into and if you close your eyes, you could swear you are floating aimlessly on a soft, pink cloud. really!
my husband, on the other hand, doesn't share my enthusiasm. in fact, this couch is the thorn in his -- well, back. as much as i think it is the comfy-est couch - EVER, he thinks it is the hardest to sit on, be comfy on, most annoyingest couch - EVER.
hmmph. whatever stephan...you know i'll prevail in the end. we're taking the couch when we move on saturday.



oh, and just so you know that i take "ahhh, how gosh, darn sweet" photos too:
the front view of my tuckered-out-two-year-old (hugged up on a boxing glove that just moments before he was using as a weapon)......ahhhhhh...

hustle and flow...and perfect hair

here is my jock-child, kyle. i don't know what i would do if he wasn't in motion or asking for food.
i'm hungry...
all the time this one is hungry! i've heard of growing boys and all that, but it's getting ridiculous. how will i keep up???...
he is playing baseball now and doing really well. i am an advocate of sports, extra-curricular activities and all that. but, how the heck do other moms do it?? i work full time (at a "cold-hard world" job) on top of the full time mommy gig i have.
i am going from point a, to point b, to point c. then back to point b, after running one of them to point a. oh yeah, then tomorrow i'll need to figure out how to be a point c and a at the same time! whewww...is anyone else dizzy?? in between the running from point to point don't forget to clean up dog poop, baby poop, the mound 'o laundry that has defied the laws of nature and is climbing itself. am i complaining? no. i'm just re-hashing my daily grind. nope! no complaining here. i am a certified trooper! a virtual super-woman action figure complete with kung-fu grip (for the multi-tasking action). still maintaining a perfectly coiffed hair du (2 out of the 7 days of the week - not too shabby!)

my rowdy life.....with kids...

Here is my son. One of them. My oldest. Ben.Why, you ask, is this child brimming with total and utterly un-containable excitement? He turned 10 that day. Why else?
We had his party at the bowling alley, and let me just say, this lady in the background (the one setting up their game display) well, she earned her pay that day. We weren't the rowdiest kid party she's probably ever had, but a close second for sure. I'm pretty sure none of them have either:
a) been out of the house in months
b)been around other kids their age
c)seen the light of day, and just learned what it feels like to run with reckless abandone
Whatever the case may be.......these kids (mine included) liked running - a lot!
Wheww....it was work. Why don't they tell you all of this before you have kids?? I guess I would still do it. Because it provided more entertainment that Stephan and I have seen in awhile. Plus I love their pure joy and pleasure of the simplest things. Very cool.
Yes, it's been awhile since I've posted. I thought what better way to start a posting than with another hobby/passion/obsession of mine??? Scrapbooking! So, this is one of the pages I've completed recently. It's almost impossible to make out all the pictures...some of the images are darker than others. But you get the general idea, right? I swear my family is starting to become concerned that they are losing me to scrapbooking-itis. I do it nightly. Can't stop. But I feel it's one of the more productive hobbies I could have. At least that's what I tell myself so I can sleep at night.

That's all for now!

fear is a buzz-kill!!!!

there are just so many creative people out there! i am truly amazed. not that i had no faith in the human race to continue to create and be creative in general....it's just that i never knew this whole underground (so to speak) force of creativity existed!! i mean.....wowzer!
so i'm still pluggin' along with my scrapping adventures. i have to admit though, i am really scared to post any of my stuff. i am a devote "2 peas" girl....log in daily. but i just haven't taken that next, most vital step and posted anything myself! rejection, or fear of rejection is a total buzz-kill. hmmmm....maybe, just maybe i'll get past that this weekend. take pics of my stuff, and post it already!!!!!! if not for the rest of the world, then for myself (kind of like this blog).

perspective.....

if seeing this photo doesn't give a gal perspective, i don't know what would! i mean, seriously, how small are we in the grand scheme? all our problems, dramas, heck - daily life...it's just so dang insignificant, when you really stop and think about it! of course we all make a difference and leave our mark. be it with our kids, jobs...whatever the quest, we do have an impact. i try my darndest, every single day, to be conscious of the impact i make. nothing, and i mean nothing, is worth letting yourself be pulled off center over! it's just not!! we have a limited time here to be great human beings, and pettyness just doesn't suit. (i write all this more for me than anyone else!!) so reaffirm the greatness that exists within you EVERY SINGLE DAY!! do this and good kharma, vibes, energy, whatever you want to call it, will pour over you like this wave.

Beachy feet...

I am obsessed with hands and feet! Such a cute way to chronicle the growth of your little ones. It took some doing to get them to sit still for this photo, and as you can see, my littlest (Noah) was done sitting still! I am trying out different camera angles, views, textures, etc. Trying to become a better photographer. I love taking pictures, but there are still a few things I have yet to figure out. Like shadows?? Good, and bad (mostly bad). Lighting. Color. Subject. I suppose I should take a class on photography, but who has time for that???
I'll just stumble my way through it! Gotta love those yummy little toes!!!

welcome to fabulous las vegas!!!!!

had to put these babies up! we had so much fun during our vegas weekend. we're kind of dorks though because we just HAD to get a pic of the four of us in those fab hotel bathrobes. good thing we did too because it was the only pic of all four of us together!! good times! oh...guess i should explain who's in the pics: first is of me and my hubby. the fab four is: steve, terri, yours truly, hotty hubby!

hello out there!

so i am new to this whole blogging scene, but am quickly becoming hooked! it's amazing to me that some random person sitting who knows where, can captivate an infinity number of people with their simple musings (not that that is what i will accomplish...i'm just saying). i love to peek into others lives from their own perspective...it helps me put perspective on my own life.
this all began for me when i delved a little deeper into the world of scrapbooking. yes, i too am totally, helplessly, unapologetically HOOKED!!! as cheesy as it sounds, it has changed my life, and this is why: i am in a constant state of awareness. things that were oh so ordinary before, have suddenly become worthy of not only a picture, but hours of my time scrapbooking that picture and making it artistic! feet... hands... everyday objects... heck, even food - all of it is insanely interesting to me! i can only describe it as an awakening. i have always considered myself creative and crafty, but this is way different. this, and i can't believe i'm going to spout off something this corny, is a way of life for me now!!! seriously...it's what i think about, or at least always lingering, in the back of my head. i will even go as far to say that it has enhanced my relationships. i pay more attention to the little details in the ones i love. the way they talk, eat, play, laugh. i want to chronicle all of it! i want to figure out a way to somehow attach my camera to my belt, jeans, purse, whatever...just so that it's always within reach. moments come and then they go...gone...poof... but there is a way to immortalize that moment in time, and this is what motivates me. i could go on forever (and kind of have) about the joys, nay.....the exhileration of my new-found passion....but for now i will get back to everyday life. =) i could get used to this blogging business!