Olivia

Happy 5th Birthday!

Liv is a Girly Girl. All things pink, sparkly and spinney is her thing.
She loves to get dressed, have her hair done and make sure all is in matching order.She can not wait until she starts Kindergarten!She is a collecting pack rat! Everything is special.She makes her bed everyday.
Color? PINK PINK PINK.
She loves being with other people, socializing is great.Her favorite foods are fish sticks or a grilled cheese sandwich.
Her tears will break your heart.Dessert? Chocolate- hands down!
Drawing, Painting, coloring, creating are her favorite pass times.

I hope your day is just as sparkly fun as you are!We love you Liv!!

A whole lotta somethin'

Man, this past week has just flown by! Busy busy busy! I have hit the pillow very exhausted each night only to get up bright and early to do more again the next day. What have we been up to over here you ask? Well for starters I will share a little of Valentine's day:Pink heart pancakes.More treats than any 7 year old should have in her possession!

Then we started in on the basement bathroom construction. I am very excited to get this completed, but it is always ALOT of work and I feel it is the ultimate test of our marriage!!! We don't always see eye to eye in the moment but fundamentally we work together very well. Now when I say that I use the words "work together" very loosely, what I should be telling you is I design and plan and say yeah/nay on the placement and finishes of things, while Paul does all the work and showcases his never ending wealth of talents!!I wish I had taken a before picture but I didn't think about it until he had already started framing:

We have all the framing done now, the electrical in and he is breaking up the floor for the plumbing. It isn't in picture taking shape yet, but I will continue to document the process as we go along. OH the visions in my head, it is going to be glorious!

Next up Abby has been playing her indoor soccer- totally enjoying it, but the team isn't doing so hot and she is beginning to get frustrated because she like to WIN, not lose!!! However, she is playing her position well and learning a lot and I think she will be in great condition to begin Spring soccer next month. Here she is in action (in case you are confused she is in red!):Take that ball!!

Amid all the construction projects each day I have been helping in the school classroom, visit teaching, planning Liv's birthday, continuing in my triathlon training each morning, carpooling, doing homework, helping with piano, oh, and scrapbooking. Paul's Valentine's gift to me was a gift card to Shutterfly to have Liv's book printed! With the 40% off photo books and free shipping promo they were running coming to a close on the 17th I had to hurry and get it done, but I completed the finish work and it is on it's way! I am very excited! With that monopolizing most my creative time I have slacked somewhat this last two weeks in creating new layouts, but I have made progress and here are a couple layouts to prove it:

So, as always when we dive into a new project (they do seem to be never ending with us), send me all your patience and sense of calm you can manage without, because I will be needing them!!!

Love it or hate it

You know I love a good holiday, birthday, celebration, event, etc. Valentines would be one of them. I hear many people express a dislike of the holiday, "it is so cliche", "it doesn't mean as much", "it makes me feel bad". To those words I say Poo Poo!! Sure we should be telling our loved ones that we love them every day, sure we should be giving little mementos of love throughout the year, so why should February 14th be shut down, why decide that THAT is the day I will NOT tell the person that I cherish most that I love them completely?

I say these things because Paul and I have differing opinions, he hates the holiday, the commercialism, the pressure... You get the point. I don't want him to feel bad on the holiday. I don't want him to loath getting something from me (small, and simple as it may be). I just happen to LOVE holiday's and all they entail. I love to think of my family and plan up ways to make them feel special on any and all holidays (especially Birthday's, don't even get me started on Birthday's!!).

I do understand that he is worn out by this point. Our five months of death, as we so fondly call it around here, that starts in November and goes until Paul's Birthday on March 3 is in full swing. It includes the following family involved gift giving events: My birthday, Eva's birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Abby's Birthday, New Years, My Mom's Birthday, My Dad's Birthday, our Anniversary, Valentines, Liv's Birthday, Paul's Dad's Birthday, and Paul's Birthday. You can see why he begins to wane come Valentines as the end is near and the final sprint begins!!! You also understand why we are pretty much caked out!!

Despite all these thoughts running around my brain, I continued in my preparation for the day tomorrow and the girls and I got to crafting yesterday (because Abby is home on a four day weekend and Liv has been out of school all week due to a teacher down and out, we needed a project) for Valentine's parties that will be next week, and this is the results for the teacher gifts and Liv's Preschool class:
So, do you love the holiday, or are you a hater? Either way I will wish you the very best and all the love you can handle this Valentine's Day!!

NINE Years

Lightning comes and lightning goes

It's all the same to me
Let it in
because I want you so
I can hardly breathe
or release
Into one thousand pieces
I have broke into
Over you
We'll stop the flames at dawn,
I keep burning on and on and on
I really love you!

Bonfire: Third Eye Blind

Pluggin along

I have to start by saying that we were at Abby's indoor soccer game this morning and she did phenomenal!! She has never played indoor before, and last week was the first game for her entire team as well. Let's just say they were intimidated, but this week, a whole new team stepped out. It wasn't a blow out and Abby scored a goal!!! Seriously, she is beaming!!

Also I received an email from a dear friend Tamarynn (my sister-in-laws sister, confusing!). She has started selling some of her sewing creations on a new blog at www.sewdangcute.blogspot.com . If you are one of the several hundred ladies that I know who are expecting right now, or you are going to a baby shower for someone go and check her out! Right now she is having a give away of $25 to her store, so what are you waiting for, go over look around, enter to win and buy something cute!
On another note I have been very proud of myself these last couple of weeks. I have kept with my goal of scrapbooking at least one page a day and because of that I am all the way to August!!! I have been loving my time back in the digi scrappin world and I am in love with a few of my page creations. Can I brag like that, I think I just will!! I will however spare you all of the layouts from the last two weeks and will just share a couple of my favs.
Ok, so that was more than a couple, but I am having fun here people!!!

Freebies

For all my Digi Scrappin friends and family- you know who you are- you might be interested in a new site I found yesterday. As you know, sadly for me, IKEA Goddess gave up the freebie hunting in December (after some very colorful post, ahem...) leaving me pretty dry as to cheep download fixes. I liked that she screened them and put up direct links with clear previews so that I could look it over and easily decide what I liked without having to go to each site and investing a lot of time to decide.

Well, Christie of "Hand Picked Freebies by Digital Daisy" has picked up the slack and filled my void. She doesn't post everyday, but I don't check everyday, and she is GREAT!! I linked her up in my Favorites on the spot!

It may not be new to you, but it is to me, check it out!

Pioneer Children Sang

Last Thursday (Jan. 21) Abby's First Grade class put on their Devotional Play. They did it under the theme of "I can be a Modern Day Pioneer" All dressed up in pioneer clothes (Thanks Julie for saving me on the costuming front!), and all had parts to memorise as well as songs to sing. They did such a wonderful job and I loved seeing each of them conquer their fears while standing at the mike in front of all those people. Abby had hers memorised the day it was given, she had two speaking parts this year and she did a wonderful job. She told the story of Caroline and Mary Elizabeth Rollins saving the pages of the Doctrine and Covenants from being burned.Asher did a great job on his part as well!I am so proud of them both, they are learning so much and doing so well this year.

I can't get over how great this shot of Asher looks all vintage style!!(Jill feel free to snag any of these that you want!)