Ashley's Blog Give away

Ashley is having another wonderful blog give away. She makes wonderful handmade cards and she's giving away another set on Monday. Go to her blog at Jaded Mission and enter her drawing. Here's a little peak at one of the cards you could win.

I'm out of a job

I'm out of a job. If you can call it that. You can't call it a job when you LOVE what you do and it's so much fun. I get to play and do my favorite hobby while making money. But I Remember When has closed it's doors. Another causality of the economy. I"m very disappointed, but they are being wonderful to all of the instructors. It has been a wonderful company to work for and they always looked out for their instructors. So of course they would do that till the very end.

What does that mean for you??? It means I'm having one heck of a sale after the wedding. I have a few events I have to be a vendor at this spring but I'm having a GREAT sale. Give me until after the wedding to get things done and then give a call or stop on over and look around.

Roger wants me to sign up with another scrapbook company since this makes great money. So I'm praying to see where the Lord will lead me.

Blog give away at Jaded Mission

Ashley is having a blog give away, and it is wonderful handmade cards she has made herself. You can go to her blog at Jaded Mission to enter for yourself. Scroll down to Feb. 23 and you can comment there.

Quick update of events

This will be a very quick update. 5 days and counting until we leave.

Lets go back to Valentines Day. I hope you had a wonderful Valentines. I certainly did. Roger surprised me beyond belief. I lost the diamond out of my engagement ring last April. We couldn't find the diamond and the prongs were broke and it couldn't be fixed. So I just had my wedding band. Roger wanted to buy me a new diamond but I wasn't ready to replace it yet. For Valentines he bought me a gorgeous anniversary diamond ring. He's not a man that buys jewelery so I never expected him to pick something out by himself. We hadn't even looked at anything yet. He did a great job. It's pretty big and has taken some getting used to but I LOVE it.

Tuesday night we went to met with the travel agent to get our tickets and itinerary and Tyler and Emma met us at Happy Joes for supper after we were done. We had a wonderful time talking and just relaxing for a change. Roger and I went to Wal Mart to buy a camera for our trip and the kids headed home.
Tyler called when we were just leaving the store and he sounded upset. He told me the Blazer was on fire and they needed us to get there right away. Of course we drove as fast as we could. But it seemed like a long drive from Pella to the 235th Street near Osky. My stomach turned upside down when we saw the flashing lights of the fire truck and the Sherriffs car.
If we would have come home at the same time we would have been right behind them. I really believe the Lord spared me the visual image of my sons vehicle on fire. He knew I wouldn't handle it very well.
The car that was behind them stopped to make sure they were ok. He had a shovel in his car and Tyler used it to throw snow and mud on the Blazer to put the fire out. We're so thankful they saw it and got out in time. It was in the rear of the Blazer and close to the gas tank. The Lord definately had His hand of protection around them that night. THANK YOU LORD!

What's new with you??? I think we have had enough excitement for awhile. Well, except for Hawaii. I'll post pictures when we get back.

2 Weeks Until Hawaii

Two weeks from tonight we will be in Hawaii! I can't even believe it's really happening. We have talked about Hawaii for years but I never really believed it would happen. The Lord is so great in providing so we can go and enjoy our time and not have to count every penny. It's been a wonderful year and Roger is a great saver so we are doing well in that area. All of the pinching pennies and not buying gifts for our anniversaries and Valentines have proved worth it.

Just a few more wedding plans to get done and we will be ready to go. All wedding plans need to be done before we leave and then we will be able to enjoy ourselves. And we'll come back very relaxed and ready to enjoy the whole process of Tyler and Emma's wedding. And welcoming Emma and her family into our family. Cindi and I agree that when you take one of us into your family- you get us all. So our families will be growing by leaps and bounds.

Wedding Central

Wedding Checklist:

Invitations mailed- check
Ribbons on bubbles- check
Tuxes ordered- check
Flowers - check
Music- check

Check, Check, Check- that is our second language around here lately. Everything is about the wedding. We are living, breathing, sleeping wedding arrangements. And when things are to serious you can count on Tyler to lighten the mood. He's trying on the veil Emma has decided doesn't quite go with the dress.
Ohhhh, I wish I could show you Emma in her dress. She is beautiful! And the jewelry we found to go with it is just perfect. It looks like it was made to go with this dress. And what can I say about her shoes???? You'll have to sneak a peak at the wedding. Now we're on the "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. We need something borrowed and we're not sure what to do for that.

The wedding is almost 7 weeks away. But to make things even more intense Roger says it has to be all planned and done before we leave for Hawaii. And. That. Is. 3. Weeks. Away!!! Do you hear my hair turning grey and my waist line growing from all the choc. I'm eating when I'm sressing about getting it all done????

Lost Little Girl

I had a lost little girl show up at my house almost 2 weeks ago. She was truly a bright spot in a very snowy and cold day. She was so cheery I left her on my front porch to cheer up everyone else that past by that day. And then she sat in my dining room for the rest of the week just to give me a chuckle every time I passed by her.


Now this little girl has a very long story behind her but anyone that knows me also knows I like to go "curb shopping". This poor little girl was picked up on the curb and put in the front yard of the sweetest, most kind person I know. She also has a wicked sense of humor (my friend, not the hula girl). I get my very best laughs from her.
This poor lost girl has been dressed up for Christmas, Easter and now to remind me of our coming trip to Hawaii. My of my, what will she dress up like next??????

I've be Tagged

I think I'm in the same boat as everyone else lately. It seems everyone started a blog in 2008 and is now in limbo trying to think of something more exciting than our normal lives, to blog about. So yes, I have not blogged for quite some time. But Very Sweet Angela, at The West Family , has tagged me and you have to post your sixth picture in your sixth folder.

Just a little disclaimer, You know me and you know how our sweet puppy has become one of the family. So here's the picture. And YES, she does get Christmas presents at Christmas time. And I know what your thinking, yes, she has a birthday party too. No, I have not lost my mind. Just my kids. When you don't have kids at home anymore you have to do something fun.

Christmas 2007

Yup, You read right, it is a John Deere shirt for a dog. Now let me just say, I don't work at John Deere, I don't have access to their catalogs to order this t shirt. Now, lets think this thru. There are 2 of us that live in this house. One of us works at John Deere and one of us doesn't. So who do you think bought this crazy t shirt????? Yes, it was my dear sweet husband that said it was crazy for Erica and I to dress this puppy up for Halloween. But, guess who bought her a JD t shirt so she wouldn't be cold when she went outside. I know, I know, you NEED a picture of her in her get up don't you? Here it is:


Did you notice it took 2 grown men to get the T shirt on this poor puppy? Ohhh, and now she looks ever so happy to have it on doesn't she? So the same person that bought the T shirt is also the same person that bought this ever so cute JD hat made especially for dogs. This was her Halloween costume for 2008. She even has a JD leash. Did you notice that???? The only thing she is missing is a JD collar but she still doesn't have that. But she does have a JD pink bandana. Yup, it's pink, Yup, it's JD. Wanna see a picture? Of course you do. Crazy of me to ask, right?

Halloween 2008


Christmas 2008

Do you see a theme emerging with the 2 people who are always in the picture "dressing up" this poor puppy. Not Erica, Not Me. I'm not naming names but they are alwys the ones "dressing" her up. I think it's pretty cute myself. Two big burly manly men are playing "dress up" with this cute little puppy girl.
So this is my Christmas gift to you. A hundred and one ways to tease my 2 guys. Merry belated Christmas.
And Thank You Angela for giving me the push I needed to start blogging in the New Year.

Who's driving this bus anyways?

I've been told that I can be a little obsessive compulsive,(I like the word "driven") a wee bit of a perfectionist,( I prefer to say "detail oriented") and that I am sometimes..er..inflexible (I like to use the more positive word, "focused") Now, mostly this is just my kids that say these things. Okay, my kids and my friends. Alright then, my kids, my friends and my Mom. Whatever.

I have a plan for the minute, hour, day, month, year, my life, your life, whatever. And usually I'm pretty sure it's the way "God intended" it to be. (wink, wink) But lately He seems to keep asking "Who's driving this bus?" Now I'm a pretty good driver, so I think He would be safe to let me do it my way , uh, I mean drive.

But I need to remember I am not the one in charge, I need to ask for guidance; to be still, and listen, and watch for signs, but I still have that knee jerk reaction of "oh-no-I-am-quite-sure-that's-not-the-plan-He-has-in-mind-for-me" attitude when an answer seems to appear that isn't what I had been planning for.

Now I don't mind learning a lesson now and then. And by reading the first paragraph you know I have a few lessons to learn yet. I know, I hear you all saying, "ya think". I just want Him to let me know exactly what that lesson is so I can learn it and get on with it.

I tell ya, this, let go & let God, stuff is sometimes so much harder than it sounds. I reminded myself who was really driving the bus, and took my seat near the big newly opened window.

Christmas Countdown

You'll notice the wonderful Christmas countdown in the sidebar. I LOVE this. I have already started my "8 Weeks to Christmas" plan. I have done this for sooooo many years I don't even remember how long I've been doing it. I just know Christmas goes so much more smoothly when I follow my plan. And YES, I have been listening to Christmas music already. Haven't you???

You don't have any Christmas music Cd's you say? Try MCG channel 500. Christmas music, all Christmas, all day, all the time. They have a good mix of different types of music. I'm usually a Christain music person but at Christmas I can even get into a little Chipmunks Christmas. Who doesn't love em some Alvin??

Don't get me wrong. I love Thanksgiving and I feel that is what fall is all about. Everyday when I see the leaves changing and the guys in the field I do give thanks for everything the Lord has blessed us with. But any woman that has hosted at least one Christmas at her house or has hosted a Christmas party or Cookie party knows, you have to start early. Now my family is a little different than most. We have 5 family Christmas's. Yup, count em'- 5. And I host at least 3 of them at my house. We have Christmas with my Dad the sunday before (my house), my Mom's Christmas Eve (my house), we open our gifts Christmas day(my house), my Mother in-laws the weekend after, and my Step Dad's around New Years. And for Kicks & Giggles I usually host an annual Cookie Party. Soooooo, I have to start early. It's what keeps me sane.

I usually have everything done the week before Christmas so I can really enjoy the week leading up to Christmas. But that does mean I start right after Halloween. I'm not a big Halloween person, I decorate for Fall, and I usually do that the end of September. And I usually have decortations in almost every room. And then we go right into decorating for Christmas, and I have a Christmas tree in EVERY room and on all 3 levels of my house. So my house is not the same from September until the 2nd week of Jan.

The worst part of it all is the tear down in Jan. I take the week after Christmas to still enjoy all of my decorations. I love the soft glow the trees make in a room. Then the first of Jan. I start the tear down. I takes me a long time to tear down all of this. And then it's just plain. I always think I'll leave the snowmen stuff out but I never do. It's usually sad after the tear down because things just seem bare and lonely after that. But this year we're planning a wedding so we'll be busy getting ready for that. And what a great way to start the new year!