Alexa came home with this cute little book the colored in school. She came home and read it to me. I am so excited that her reading skills are improving in leaps and bounds! She can read most on any stag 1 reading book. She is doing well with sounding out words she doesnt know. This is a HUGE milestone for Alexa. People with Down Syndrome have a harder time learning to read, and seeing her be at just about grade level of “normal” kids after missing 1 1/2 YEARS of school is just proof that you should not limit ANY child-weather they have a “diagnoses” or not!

Personally I find if you have low expectations of ANY child they wont really strive to go past them. But if you challenge your child and make them feel anything is possible they try harder!

I am proud to say I have never limited Alexa-EVER! Nor have I let our public school system. She has amazed many people, and I am so proud of her!

There was a BIG deal about holding her back in first grade due to the No Child Left Behind policy. While it may be a good policy for some-I found that they may also be PUSHING kids who aren’t ready for the next grade through, just because. That is not necessarily a good thing IMO.

OK I feel like I could get into a whole big thing here, along with my personal expieriences and this isnt why I was posting this! LOL! I am just a proud mama-who had to share this cute little event!

So here she is reading the story to Amber

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

Before you watch this you need some background info!

Jason is the coach of Noah’s team. There are 6 kids. All ages 4-5. it was a very hot day too!

This was their very first game, and it was against an older team! They only had 3 practices!

I was so proud of the team. Noah LOVES soccer, and I was so happy to see him do something he truly enjoyed. He likes to run-alot on and off the field! LOL! He did so well. He even scored 3 goals! Too bad it was in the other teams net!

He didnt even care he was jumping up and down waving his arms saying “YEAH! I SCORED! I WON! I’M AWESOME!” That was precious!

I dont care if he’s the star player-just that he work as a team and participate. Just seeing him truly enjoy himself and count day the days till the next practice is so great for me as a parent. Isnt that all we want? Just for our children to be happy. Seeing this first time playing team kick butt was great. The ending score was 6 to eight-we lost! But Noah did score 3 of their goals!~

I’m also proud of my husband for being such an involved father, and seeing his patience with the kids-that is a virtue I do NOT possess! They did pretty good following his directions and aside from going the wrong way a few times did awesome.

The first clip is a video. Its of Noah’s kickoff-watch the kids try to follow directions! HILARIOUS! The boy who is suppose to stand over the ball kicks it, and in the end tackles it! Its like he decided to play football instead! Very precious!

 Here is Noah’s first game! Sorry some of the stuff is a bit fuzzy! I was far away.

WARNING if you get motion sick-dont watch my video I took using our camera! OH BOY!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

 Just Words

I love the new Just Words set that Lizzie Anne is releasing! Given my missing mojo-I thought using my favorite words altogether in a set would inspire me-and it did!!! How ALL occasion can this card be right!

Especially for a little pick me up! Sometime people who are dealing with touch times need a card that isnt so dreary, and rears a message of HOPE!

I LOVED this ribbon I got at Michaels literally years ago. I used it to inspire my design. Jolies Fleurs is just the perfect match. I also used So Swirly (all Lizzie Anne sets)

I stamped the flower on choc. chip cardstock, and embossed it with white embossing powder. Colored the center with my Lumiere, then cut out the inner petals, using my tool taxi-that idea was taken from another card I did——> HERE  Trimmed out the flower, then added the BLING, and the flower was done.

I attached the ribbon through my tab punch.

Very detailed, yet clean all at the same time-I think. I was quite happy with how this turned out. I especially LOVE using colors I dont normally pull out-such as olive, and being happy with the results.

I especially love feeling like I can stamp again. I made a few other cards-but the sets aren’t being released till the end of the month!

MFT Stamps is releasing FIVE sets October First! Holy Moly! I better get stamping!!!! I ahve a lot to do.

ONE set is going to be for a special cause! Check it out———-> HERE

Speaking of causes………………….

 This box of cards is going postal this week! I told you I am sending most of my card to Cards for Cancer! I packed them all in there as tight as I could! LOL!

I am also going to be speaking at our area local radio station at a fundraiser for the childrens Cancer Center at Dartmouth and CHAD on the 17th! They are looking and hoping to raise $20,000! I will speak of Alexa’s experience. Almost like the St. Jude’s commercials you hear on the radio that make you ball your eyes out (at least I did and that was even BEFORE I had kids let alone became one of those parents).

I always dreaded being one of those “commercials” but that fact is we are! And if it can raise awareness and money for a cause COUNT ME IN! I love to do whatever I can to make the smallest difference.

So I hope some of you get inspired to make a difference for whatever cause is dear to your heart. Even ONE person can make a difference.

I will soon be posting a Smilebox from Noahs first Soccer Game! It was a BLAST! I was so proud of both Noah and Jason! Jason is the Coach, and he has done a great job teaching first time soccer players!

More on that later………………..

What’s that noise? Did you hear that?

NOPE, I don’t hear anything?

The only sound I hear is my own thoughts!

Imagine that?

My house hasn’t been this quiet since September 28, 1999. How do I know the exact date of when the last time it was that quiet?

Well my first child was born September 29, 1999! LOL!

Seriously-this is nice. I feel a tiny pange of guilt saying that, but that quickly melts away as I sip my coffee in silence. No screaming, running, yelling “SHE hit ME!” ” I’m hungy”, Wipe my butt” “Can I go do this or Can I have -INSERT RANDOM WANT OF MANY KINDS? “No I dont want to”

From 6 am to 8pm this banter is non stop. Dont believe me-call my house in between those times, and you will hear it. Somedays my voice get hoarse from all the “NO! Dont do this!” ” Hey Get in Time out!” “What did I just say?” No!No!No!.

Its really awful when you type it out, but I KNOW I’m not alone. I didnt want to be my mother but somehow it just happened. Overnight really. Once my second became a toddler-I was done for. The ONE kid I could handle NO problem. No one to share with, fight with, take from-EASY!

Dont get me wrong I LOVE my children. I would give my very own life for them, but for now I’m going to enjoy my time of just ME. MAYBE I’ll actually excercise! Maybe I’ll run errands, or clean the house. Maybe I’ll stamp and eat my twizzlers instead! LOL! Ok maybe do that AFTER I exercise.

Here is scrapbook of Noah’s First day-and all 3 kids going off to school! YAHOOOOOO!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

Now here is Alexa’s! I did a few photos from the other years. Keeping in mind she missed the last 1 1/2 years due to her Chemo treatments. She was so silly her first day back I couldnt get a decent photo! Oh well! We also dont have photos from her 2005 cause Jason and I were in Hawaii and had the camera! So we have Kodak photos that we still ahvent developed! YIKES! What bad parents!

Anyway-it was heart wrenching for me to view all these photos of her.

Cancer SUCKS! Im really feelin it today. She has Chemo tomorrow. This round is rough on her cause she will ahve her Spinal Chemo, and bone marrow aspiration. Keep her in prayer PLEASE! All the germs at school! Her immune system is so fragile after these treatments. We have had some scary bumpy roads, and I really can’t handle much more of that this year!

Anyway-she is loving school, and is doing so good. God has been good to us. I meet too many parent who aren’t as fortunate as we have been. I still have my baby. Some dont win that battle. I cant even imagine, nor do I want to even fathom the thought.

OK Happy note-here it is.

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

Here is a clip from Amber’s first day at pre- school. She LOVES school!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

Aren’t these so cute! You should try making your own. Its free-unless you upgrade or decide to send it or print it. You can even blog them-obviously! LOL! They only took a few minute each! I really love these programs cause I am SO not computer savvy, and they make it all super easy.

If you install one let me know!! I’d love to see it.

OK I promise to come back and show you some STAMPING stuff. I just wanted to share these! Now Im off to stamp land!

PEACE AND QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

You may be able to tell that I drag holidays and special occassions on as long as possible! LOL!

I think celebrating happy times is important. Our Wedding/Honeymoon was one of the happiest times of my life.

My Mom always made a big deal of Birthdays and other holidays so I think thats where it comes from. They are milestones in which we mark the changes in our life. The good and the bad.

I am extatic because I really do have an amazing husband and father for my children. We have such a great relationship. One that I would be jealous of if I weren’t in it! LOL!

I hope my children find in a partner what Jason and I have together.

Jason has really supported and respected my aspirations as a wife, mother, friend and stamper.

We have been through alot together. And I think the key is we have leaned on each other through it all.

I’m just so happy to have been able to document our special day using this Smilebox. It only took maybe 20 minutes. Picking my photos was the LONG part.

So far we both look pretty much the same. I hope to say the same in 10 more years!

HISTORY-We eloped to Hawaii to get married. We decided to spend money on ourselves as oppose to a huge Wedding that feeds 100 people for 6 hours of fun. We had a videographer-so we have  video of our ceremony (my kids love to watch it), and a photographer.

It felt like we were the only 2 people on the face of the earth.

We got married on a private beach, and after our ceremony we went to a Tradional Hawaiian Luau. At the Luau we were treated like ROYATLY! Still in our Wedding Attire. We got special seating, a first wedding dance in front of everyone, traditional Hawaiian Wedding cake-not as good as our wedding cake! LOL! We also  got a private canoe ride through the Polynesian Cultural Center.  We saw traditional Hula dancers, and flame throwers. Its was an amazing expierience-far better than a reception would have been.

We then spent 2 weeks following our ceremony traveling a crusieship and island hopping around Hawaii. Its was the most magical, and amazing time.

My favorite part of our wedding ceremony was Jason being SO STRESSED about having the rings! He kept checking and checking. He was paranoid about it.

When we arrived the Priest told us “Whatever you do, don’t drop the Wedding Rings.” “This sand is like quicksand, and if you drop it you will never find it”

We began our cereomy……………

During our vows, it came to the rings. Jason quickly realized forgot to bring them down to the archway! He left them in their box up on the beach. Once the camera cut, so he could retrieve them, he came back to restart our vows.

Vows begin again……………..

Jason got the ring from his pocket, then dropped it in the sand! It was HILARIOUS!

When we got our wedding video I thought for sure there was no way of patching it up, but the guy did, seamlessly. I almost wished he left that part in, as it was so funny. Poor Jason.

I’d love to hear a wedding story from you! It can be yours or anyone else you know. Whatever you want to share.

Thanks for watching my SmileBox creation. I hope you get to try one. Its alot of fun.

Well I guess now Im in a lovey mood! LOL! I love hearts! 😀

So decided to do a LOVE card.

This card was simple and fun.

Pomegranate was the perfect color cause its not red, and its not pink. Its like a deep LOVE shade! LOL!

The tag was punched using a Marvy Giga Tag. I stamped the hearts image from Celebrations II by Lizzie Anne. I didn’t re-ink it, I just stamped it 3x’s. I also used the alphabet set-Olivia, and Sketched Sentiments (the YOU on the tag).

I used the Cuttlebug  Embossed Hearts folder, for the heart on the left side of the tag. My color spritzer provided the slash of black, which I like for a little pop.

The heart snap is by Making Memories. Just alittle extra touch.

Dont miss the sneak peek over at Lizzie Anne!!! Keep checking back here as you will soon see some samples POP up!

And………MFT is releasing a new set the end of this month! So in 1 week you will see a little peek at that too!

Now I want to show you my Hawaii Smilebox. These are some of the photos from our Honeymoon. Keep in mind I never thought I would be posting them for the world to see LOL!

You have to watch it cause the way this “show” is presented is awesome!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

This particular style has not been released yet. I was able to test it and give my feedback!

This one was my favorite! I’m really liking the slideshow styles most.

The EXCITING news-

SmileBox has asked me to be a part of their Avaitor program! What this means is I will work with SmileBox, have input on new designs , ask what I would like to see, and I get to rate, and help with new designs before they are released to the general public!

How cool is that?

Let me know what you think 😀

This photo was taken the other day. It was late, and Noah began flexing saying he has “big guns”! A term used by my brother, who is a professional arm wrestler! He was even on ESPN2 for a arm wrestling tournament. He is a HUGE all muscle guy. When we watched his tournament  on TV he would flex and yell “Yeah these are the big guns”-Oh boy! A term Noah quickly picked up on.

Noah say’s “Someday, Im gonna be big and strong just like daddy!” So we thought it would be cute to get them together.

I know someday he will be. I think this will be a great photo for “someday” It will be here before I know it!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

He looks so much like daddy! Noah and Jason have am amazing bond and relationship. I feel so blessed that my children are able to have such a wonderful father.

We didnt have a great dad. Never around. Alcholic. Enough said.

Im happy my kids will never know that life. I think especially for boys. I look at the stuff Noah is into and wonder how I would ever raise him alone.

Jason is Noah’s hero, and mine too!

This was when Noah was 8 months old. It was at one of his modeling photo shoots. Look at that baby face!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

I did this mini book (which I can also print!) for a quick review of Amber’s Birth through 3. Its a quick book, only 4 pages, and took-get this 10 minutes! YEAH! I know its not stamping, so I apologize, but are there any other scrapbook challenged mom’s out there?

Im SO challenged that many of you may know my PSF’s (Pretend Stamping Friends) on SCS got together and made Alexa an entire Disney Scrapbook to document her wonderful Make A Wish trip of Disney so we could document the event. Especially after seeing the pages-each one was publication worthy, not only did I realize WHY I dont scrap (alot of work) I was too intimidated to even begin! LOL! Plus its hard to get Jason to print the photos. Weekends are spent doing stuff with the kids and going food shopping and house project, after house project.

I dont need him to do this for me.

I must also say that I feel like Im learning so much more in the computer world.

I am quite computer challenged. Starting a blog was a HUGE accomplishment. Now I learned to attach the photos in my sidebar, most WITHOUT the HTML code! YEAH! And a few other things like that!

Seriously Im lucky I can email 😀

So Im proud of my simple smilebox creations. It does inspire me a tiny bit-after doing this one, to scrap an event. But not enough that Im off and runnin! Im off to stamp some CARDS!

Thanks for looking

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

I hope you take the time to click and play this-its really cool.

I swear I get sucked into more crazy things on SCS than you could imagine-unless YOU do too! I made this in a matter of a few minutes!  I loved doing this as oppose to scrapping! I decided to keep it and paid $1.99 for it, so I could print it and post it on my blog to share with you. I can then do whatever I want with it. Like send it to the family I dont really get to see.

I was on SCS and saw the Smilebox ad. Clicked and away I went. Im wicked computer challenged but it was SO easy! If “I” can do it, anyone can.

I think its a cool thing. I took some of my favorite photos from this year (except our first family photo, I liked seeing the growth) and added it to here. Now I just wanna go make a ton of them! Its a great source to document stuff for people who dont have alot of time but want to perserve memories.

Let me know what you think! Makes me all weepy.

My life has really gotten to be amazing! I made this as a reminder of how beautiful my family is. From one year to the next they change and grow so much. I feel so blessed to even have children. God has really shown me how precious time and family is.

If you make one Id LOVE to see it! This was such a cool thing for me to do since I am NOT (nor will I ever be) a scrapbooker. I just love cards-cant get into the other stuff. And ya know what? THATS OK!

Im sure I will be doing alot of these. Think of the easy Christmas books you can make! They have all sorts of stuff.

Enjoy the day! Now if only I could get this into a banner ad-that would be real cool!

 This is Amber. I love this photo. It was taken the other day while she was “deep in thought”. What does a soon-to-be 3 year old think of? So serious.

I cannot believe she will be THREE. Time flies so quickly.

When I envision Angels this is the face I see. I really think she looks like one.

Blue eyes, long eyelashes, and curly blonde hair.  

My BABY. Growing up. I know this is the face I will see even at 20. Where does the time go?

Just wanted to share these 2 photos. I LOVE them. I may even get inspired to make a altered frame for them.