Capture The Moment

Hello Bloggity blog

2012-01-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

So for starters, the kids have been growing like weeds. Alyssa is now 12 1/2 Megan 10 1/2 and Evan is 5 1/2. Matt and I are both approaching our 38th birthdays this year. WOW WOW WOW...how in the world did I become someone with an age that is anywhere close to 40. Maybe I can just keep having 37th birthday parties for myself?

Above is a recent picture of the fam bam. Well, as recent as December. Just now trying to put this picture in makes me remember why I stopped blogging!! Grrrr, why in the world is it so hard to get my pictures where I want them???? Might need to jump on FB and ask my friends if they have a solution.

So, in an attempt to save my sanity...I'll just plan to NOT put any more pictures in this post so I can actually hit publish.

So much has been going on with everyone in my family since I last posted. I could probably write for a year trying to catch up to speed. Maybe I'll just take an approach like...start with something current. Seeing as it's January...I'll start with a list of my goals for this year.

1. Lose 20 pounds. I've lost 33 already since September and I feel confident that 20 more is an attainable goal. In my head...I'd LOVE to be down 30 more....but I'm trying to be reasonable with myself. If I could wear a bikini in the summer....oh dear lordy would it be great to have a tan belly again. I'd LOVE that!!

2. Focus on my household. I swear this "starter" house of ours that we have lived in for 10 years feels smaller and smaller every day. We've started to buy a bigger house twice...wait..we have actually bought the two other houses....but we keep changing our minds before all is said and done. Regardless...we are still here. We actually love our neighbors and think it might be so hard to leave. I think the focus for me needs to be to getting this house in order. What does that mean......P U R G E!!! First in line....my closet. Time to get rid of all the clothes that don't fit me anymore. I don't plan on EVER fitting in any of those sizes again.

3. Start getting my sweet baby girl ready for high school. I need to do some research as to which HS we are going to send her to. Lots of choices and I need to help her help herself to set her sights on college. I know it sounds early but I don't want to miss anything or be wishing I would have thought about stuff earlier.

4. Get Megan into dance or theater. She's just born to be on stage and I'm doing her a disservice not facilitating that. It's usually an expense reason or good old "time" that stops me when I start thinking about it.I'll put that at the front of the line...should be easy right?

5. Evan is doing so well at school. Maybe for him I should just make a promise to be "in the classroom". Actually all my kids want me there so I think I'll find one day a week to spend time in each kiddos class. I do love being there and really I only have this year and next to be in class with Alyssa.

6. Plan regular dates with Matt. We aren't really good about going on dates. I think it's important. Sure, we have time that the kids are in school when we can go. I'll make good use of that time but will try to preplan some overnight trips as well.

Ok...my fingers are getting tired....or maybe I' just worried if I talk about any more I won't hit "publish".

Hope to blog more really soon!

XOXO,

Lauren

Change

2010-08-06T00:43:00.000-07:00

Change is coming...well I guess it's already here. Not sure if I like it but I guess I don't really have a choice to stop it. The kids are getting ready to start a new school year...two out of three attending new schools this year. Along with that we have two big new changes with the girls. Alyssa is wearing contacts and Megan is in the process of getting her braces on. Here are two shots I was able to take on my phone. I know I know, I have a 3000 dollar camera and I took the pictures with my phone! I showed up with my camera in hand for the contact appointment...duh, forgot to put the memory card back in it from the night before when I was downloading photos. Then...to top if off, my phone started to die. Well seriously that's just my luck!! I went to the Ortho appoinment not thinking that there was going to be anything picture worthy. WRONG!! Luckily the trusty phone was charged a bit more. Here are two photos I managed to capture, one from each day.

Crazy for me to know how quick things seem to change. Oh well, like Matt & I always say, everything's a stage. (I think that's how we get through the tougher parts of parenting).

Next week Alyssa will start middle school. She's ready. I'm not. Guess I'll keep prtending it's not true, until Wed morning when I have to take her!!

Ok, more to come soon.

Lauren

I'm not dead, I promise.

2010-07-30T00:46:00.000-07:00

So It's been a ridiculous amount of time since I've blogged. I admit, there are many "drafts" in my little dashboard of blogger. I kept getting mad because I'd do these great posts and then have the pictures fail to upload.

I keep telling myself and Holly that I will go back to blogging. Well, here's a post of nothingness. Nothing to say except I'm here. I truly miss you bloggy blog. I will give you some time. Might be shy on pics but I'm thinking simple might be a good way to start So, I'll add one pic here and ht publish. I'll be a step closer back to my blogging self.

The kids have grown a bit since last post...over a year ago Here's what the kidlets look like now. Well, I guess it'a what we all look like now. This is our traditional photo we take every time we leave Havasu. We have years of photos in this same spot.

Hope to post again real soon!

XOXO,

Lauren :O)

Double digits baby!!!

2009-06-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

So it happens...but we don't like it. Our babies get to be big kids. My baby girl turned 10 last weekend. I'm sad but proud at the same time. We are very proud of Alyssa and the beautiful young lady she is. Here's a little snapshot from Alyssa's beach party. I keep trying to add a bunch of pictures but to be real honest...blogger is making me mad. Pic are taking FOREVER to upload.

More later when I get some patience for dealing with long uploads.

XOXo, Lauren

A beautiful reminder of how awesome the world can be!

2009-06-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken last week on our way out of town. I wanted to stay home and go out on my own little nature shoot but we were on a schedule! The river was calling us. The clouds looked like waves in the ocean on a stormy day. Some looked like frosting whipped up on the top of a cake. Either way...beautiful. These were all taken while moving in the truck. I wonder what pictures I might have shot if I had time to stop??

All of these photos were taken last week on our way out of town. I wanted to stay home and go out on my own little nature shoot but we were on a schedule! The river was calling us. The clouds looked like waves in the ocean on a stormy day. Some looked like frosting whipped up on the top of a cake. Either way...beautiful. These were all taken while moving in the truck. I wonder what pictures I might have shot if I had time to stop??

Equal opportunity blogging??

2009-06-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

So I keep wanting to post, really I do. But then I think because it's been so long, I need to wait and throw up birthday pictures of all three of the kids. No. not just an excuse. I really was planning on posting once this weekend is over and I have photos of all three of the kids.

I know not everyone has crossed over to the darkside, facebook. I will again, try to be a better blogger. But wanna hear the sad thing..I just started to post bday pics here, then realized I already posted Evan's birthday. So I will play a little catch up so by Sat, I will be current. That is if I put pictures of Alyssa up right away. You see, my baby will be 10 on Sat. Holy COW!!! Double digits. Man, I am getting old then. Wanna see how old........scroll down>>>>>>>>>>

Next up in the line up was Megan. She's a whopping 8 now. I keep wondering when it will feel like she is the age that she is.......still wondering. She had a nice party here at the house. Some friends and a pool. Not a bad way to ring in a new year. I was thankful that the sun came out that day because it was a little cloudy and cold the few days prior. Take a look at the luau we threw.

That darn shadow! Still working on that . :O(

A little festive idea to enter the pool area.

A fun find. They looked pretty cute if I do say so myself!

Gotta dress up the munchies!

My attempt at a tropical floral center piece. 1 vase made by Megan + one bunch of fake flowers+sand from Evan's sand box= decent center piece for the table.

The girls played Aloha bingo.

Munchies.

Hula contest.

Hula contest round 2.

Megan wanted Costco cupcakes rather than a regular cake.

Happy birthday girl with her cupcake.

A little big?

Not if your goal is to make a mess with it and still have enough to eat!

Holly noticed this bit of choc. made a little heart on Megan's side.

A look from inside out.

Cash?? Huge hit. Didn't know that was such a cool gift. She was so excited.

I love hand drawn cards. So sweet and personal.

Sis checking out Meg's new DS game from the Bailes family.

The group, minus Dylan. I guess we knew eventually it would happen that they boy/ girl party thing might be an issue. Megan will probably last for a few more years at Dylan's parties. What, the only girl??? More attention for her? Somehow I think she'll hold on to that one, if he still wants her there. So sad how fast they have grown up. Here's Dylan on his own. Love the shirt!

Megan wanted to have a luau party just to be able to do the conga line.

This never gets old, no matter how many times they do it or how old the kids get!

OK, well I think after all these pictures, I really know why this is challenging for me. More pictures=forever to upload. Maybe I will try to post with fewer pics.........yeah right. If you know me you know there are waaaaaayyyyy too many for me to pick from. BTW, photo credits are shared on this day with my Holly. So nice to have a friend that captures the pictures she knows you would want. Loves to you Holly.

So, I'm back in the game peeps. See you tomorrow...I mean it.

xoxo,

Lauren :O))

Soccer Morning

2009-05-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

What a game. It was a great way to spend our Sat morning. Megan's team the Dynamite Girls worked so hard and played together so well. I love what a great job her coaches are doing with the girls. We have practice tomorrow. I am not quite the soccer mom yet but I am having fun watching the games. I can't even sit down. Sure, I bring a chair but never really sit in it. I'm too busy either cheering or taking pictures. I love this. It brings me back to when I was a kid and played soccer. Maybe I will pull out an old photo and give you a giggle. For now, here are a few photos of my Meggers. Such a proud mama I am.

Have a great day,

Lauren :O)))

Trying to buy the damn camera!!

2009-04-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

Trying to get my new b-day camera but running into issues with the site I want to buy it from. It STINKS that I am ready to buy and I can't seem to get anyone on the darn phone to confirm some info. Hmmm, wait or pay an extra 500!! I like the savings part. Wanna see what my new baby is gonna look like???

I want to have this baby in my hands before we head off to Napa for the wedding of Matt's sister. I am praying the stars line up tomorrow and I can get it ordered. I was so frustrated today I just gave up. You know, the whole money in the pocket but nothing to buy problem. I want my camera!!! Hmmm, being spoiled I guess. But I just am so excited about the possibilities. Hopefully good news tomorrow!

XOXO,

Lauren :O)))

My 3 year old little dude.

2009-04-07T23:29:00.001-07:00

My little dude is three. So hard to believe. It feels like yesterday that we were waiting for him to arrive. I was not sure about being a "boy" mom. Wondering what this new little one was going to add to our family. It's funny how he has just finished off our family in the perfect way. Here's how we celebrated his 3rd year...

A big #3 balloon to start off the day. Matt & the girls made him pancakes with sprinkles on it, standard birthday breakfast at our house.

Evan opened his mail from Mime and Grampie. He was so happy to get a froggy card and a check for a whopping 25dollars. He carried the check around all morning telling us over and over he got 25 dollars from mim and Grampie.

For a little b-day treat I took him to meet up with his buddy Keagan to play at Chuck E Cheese. This was his first time there and he loved it. There was a learning curve though. He put all 20 of his tokens in the air hockey game at one time. He could have stayed there all day but we had to get on to more of the celebration.

When we got home from "Chunk and Cheese", Matt and the girls had a "party" all set up with gifts and cupcakes. Here's a view of the party..

The girls were happy to help Evan open his gifts. He actually did a great job. He was so happy to get cool stuff from the family.

Grandma & Grandpa sent Evan his very first remote control truck. Very cool to watch Matt teach him how to drive it!

Cupcakes with yellow (Evan's favorite color) sprinkles were in order.

Make a wish big boy!!!!!

Just when he thought all the surprises were done for the day...he went outside to find a brand new scooter. He has been on it every day since!

We had a party for Evan with our friends. It was Diego themed. Here's a glimpse of the fun.

Evan was the first to go playing pin the badge on Diego. He NAILED it, right on the money, It totally looked fixed and we all got a kick out of his accuracy.

A little pinata action.

The cake. The stores didn't have a cool Diego cake so I had ordered a trail riding cake (it was supposed to have a jeep on it) and bought the Diego stuff to be put on top. Turned out pretty good. I hear the choc cake with choc fudge cake was yummy. I was a good girl and didn't have any.

We took a moment to pose with our little guy and the big old cake!

It was great to watch Evan's face as he listened to all of our guests sing Happy Birthday to him.

I think Evan liked the cake!

At one point I looked around at the small gathering of friends and really just felt blessed to have my closest girlfriends and their families there. No, it wasn't the huge party that has been known to happen at birthdays past, but it was perfect because of the people there. Here is a picture of me and my girls. Pretty cool for me to get all of us in one picture.

I hope you enjoyed the recap on Evan's 3rd Birthday. Get ready because we are in full swing of birthday season in our family. Next up...ME!!! Yes, LaLa will be half way to 70 on the 26th.

Smiles,

Lauren

I want to do my "want to's"!!!

2009-03-31T23:15:00.000-07:00

Every day I tell myself I'm going to kick some tail on my "to do's", or more my "have to's", so I can play when all is done for the day. I saw this picture tonight on a site I was checking out that made me wish it was 8pm, with a full pot of coffee and a quiet house.
I am always preaching to my kids "you have to get your "have to's" done before the "want to's". Darn it when I take my own medicine! Why can't my "have to" list be smaller!!!! I want to play.

Forget it, I'm gonna protest and do nothing but go to bed. Yes, everyone can pull their jaws closed now. It is BEFORE midnight and I am off to get some sleep. I will play tomorrow, even if I have to break my own rule!!

XOXO,

Lauren :O)))

Morning fun.

2009-03-30T16:49:00.001-07:00

I love to watch my kids playing together. This morning Alyssa and Evan made puppets and put on a puppet show for me. They had quite the script. What a great way to start a Monday morning. Oh, and although it was nice...looking at the photos makes me add one more thing to my "to do" list. CLEAN OUT THE GAME CABINET!!!

Taking a bow at the end of their performance.

Here's to a great tomorrow!

Lauren :O)))

Spring Break fun.

2009-03-26T23:36:00.000-07:00

Most people I think, look for sunshine when they pack their bags for a spring break vacation. In our house, we grabbed our bibs, gloves, and hats and hoped for snow. As you can see, we found it. Not that we were snowed in somewhere, but we did find enough snow in Big Bear to have some fun. Here is Alyssa's snowman. She was trying to make it look like her. Like the glasses? Close up farther down the page!

I am not sure why I love this silly hat so much, but man is my little guy is so cute in it.

Not hard to believe she's almost 10 when you look at this picture. Wow, time sure flies.

Matt getting ready to throw a snowball at one of the kids. The camera in my hands kinda gives me a pass on the target part of the snowball fight!

My mountain man, ha ha ha. I swear if my family would cooperate, I'd take pics all day long. Love the beauty in nature shots. Now if I could just photo shop myself in!

My guys.

Love this photo of Matt!

Shocker...me in a pic. Not that I love to be in them, but it is nice to see I was actually there.

Oh, here's Peezie being just like her snowman.

The best dressed snowman on the mountain. Snowy loves my glasses! I almost forgot them on her. Can you imagine?? Honey...I have to back up in the snow to get my glasses off of the snowman! I think that would not have gone over very well. Good thing I am just blind enough to have noticed they were not on my eyes before we left.

After a long day of snow play, we went back to the house and cooked a great pasta meal. Mmmmm, loved the sauce.

What better to drink while cooking a great dish, a great bottle of Cab. Matt & I enjoyed every last sip. We used this super cool bottle opener. Yes, I had to take a picture before we could drink it. My honey tells me I get to buy a SLR camera for my b-day (April 26th...shameless plug)...he sees now just how much I LOVE taking pictures of random things.

Does it get any better than this?

I don't think so!

Evan thought he'd take a break and eat some snow!

A little down hill action for Matt & the girls.

Evan was helpful prepping for breakfast.

The girls played Clue with Daddy.

oh, more snow fun.

Found this cool spot to peek at a little creek. If the family would have been able to stand it, I would have used that green outbuilding for a back drop for some photos.

This picture makes me laugh inside. My hubbs..the footboarder! I guess cervical spinal fusion makes extreme sports, no matter how much you love 'em, seem a little more risky. Matt is not back to doing anything that will even come close to hurting him. We like him healthy!

Hanging out in the village. The kids got a free sample of gilato from the shop a few doors down from the cool hand chairs they just had to sit in. Of course, I had my camera. Matt ...so silly of him said "too bad you don't have your camera".......I opened my purse and got this shot before he knew what was happening. Me, without a camera...NOT!

This one makes me smile. Our first time up to BB I explained to the girls about how people like us are known as "flat landers" and people who live in the mountains are sometimes called "tree huggers". I was simply trying to explain turnouts and mountain driving. Tree huggers are used to the roads, and drive much faster than us "flat landers". They got a kick out of being true "tree huggers" for a second!

We had such a great time. It was, as Brad Paisley says, Time Well Wasted. We really enjoyed not having a schedule, no plan, nothing to do. It was a great way to spend the first part of our break. Thanks to Glenn and Michelle for letting us stay in your amazing cabin. It was such a needed break from life.

Hope ya'll are having a great spring break!

Lauren

We shopped!

2009-03-22T00:26:00.000-07:00

We hit the road and met up with Matt's sister "Aunt Pooh" to try on flower girl dresses last weekend. Alyssa learned in her American Girl Guide to Manners book on the way there that she technically is considered a junior bridesmaid because of her age. So, with that in mind, we headed into the mall to see what kind of dresses we could find. We did stop for a nice lunch before we went in. CPK was yummy. The girls had dessert and Aunt Pooh and I watched.

They look a little happy about the dessert huh?

Aunt Pooh is so sad now, but will be happy when she is hanging out on her honeymoon in her bikini not thinking about that silly dessert.

Food, done. Now for shopping.

Megan in the first dress she tried on. It happens to be the dress we chose for her.

We thought about getting matching dresses for them. We didn't, but this is the dress that Alyssa will be wearing on the big day. Wow, don't they look all grown up?

Oh yeah, love this dress try on thing.

Peek a boo. Hiding in the dressing room waiting for us to bring more dresses!

Trying to decide if what she wants and what looks the best is the same thing.

Discussing the choices with Aunt Pooh. These dresses hanging are the final choices. The dress Meg is wearing in this picture is the dress she really wanted.

Look at me!

Here's the shop where we bought the girls' dresses, baskets, and Evan's suit.

Now for shoes...

......and jewelry.

Here are the final "looks". We had a quick try on session when we got home. Evan's suit fit and the girls look great. What a great and productive day. Hmmmm, what's next?

We are excited about our trip up to Napa for the wedding. We are taking a HUGE motor home and calling it a trip. We will stop in our favorite camp spot in Pismo on the way up. we even get to show the kids San Fransisco a little. The most exciting part is after all this time, Aunt Pooh and Uncle Ed will be married. Yeah!!!

Lauren :O)))

I have no excuse!

2009-03-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

So my friends, I was told that not everyone is not on Facebook. In fact I hear some people are even trying to wean themselves. I promised and I did not keep it. So, as I hate to be a promise breaker...here I go again. A NEW vow to my blog. No blah blah excuses. Just posts.

Softball is a new twist in the family dynamic. We have fought team sports for a while. Not because we don't value their importance. It's just the time commitment. We finally bit the bullet and jumped in. Alyssa is playing softball and Megan will be playing soccer soon. This is a new adventure for all of us.

Alyssa got her first hit today. The pride. The accomplishment. The sheer joy. We both felt it. Isn't it just sweet seeing your kiddo feel all of that? I even got a picture of it. Not this picture>>>

This one>>>

Oh wait, here's the cropped version....

Here's Alyssa and her friends.

Opening day was fun. It kinda reminded me of when I was a kid. We always were anxious to be a part of opening day ceremonies. It was a great feeling to see her running with her team on the field. Brought me back a few nearly 30 years. Wow, am I old or what???

OK, don't want to prevent myself from hitting the old publish button so I'll sign off for now. We're headed off to hang out with Matt's sister tomorrow to try on flower girl dresses for the girls.

Goodnight, and thanks for not giving up on me.

Lauren :O)))

A Sweetheart Dinner

2009-02-16T18:43:00.000-08:00

So at the beginning of the girl scout year I came up with a really sweet idea to have my girl scouts put on a Sweethearts dinner for their parents. Well, it seemed far enough away., being in Feb and all. Well, as time has a way of flying, Feb is here. With a ton of hard work my co-leader Kristin and I, along with three very helpful moms, and four girl scout Cadette volunteers, put on a dinner to remember. The girls were with us all day long making crafts, decorating, and prepping and cooking the meal. For the meal we served a wedge salad with fresh bacon bits, tomatoes, and either ranch or blue cheese dressing. The main course was a chicken dish, with Parmesan and mushroom, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and rolls. Dessert was the fondue fountain and coffee with foo foo creamer.

The girls made the place card holders, the place mats, the napkin rings, and painted the flower pots that held the flowers for their parents that doubled as a center piece. The girls had to leave a spot open on the place mats for the plates. Pictures below show the table set.

Who doesn't love a chocolate fountain for dessert? The girls chopped and cleaned and sliced all of the dippers. Mmmmm, strawberries, bananas, apples, pineapple (all were pleasantly surprised at that one), rice krispie treats, pound cake, and, marshmallows.

Here's the table all set and ready for the girls to serve their parents.

My place setting.

The girls read a custom poem for the parents that was written by my mom, the fabulous poet.

They even threw in s few brownie songs to delight the crowd.

See the cute apron she's wearing....a sewing project one of our super great moms helped the girls with. Tiffany, the mom, is so awesome. She is embroidering all of the girls names on the ties. The apron says "Brownies troop 896" on the front.

"Dad, I'm going to give you this plate of goodies, but can I eat some first?"

Every good party has a big mess afterwards. Kristin and I did a ton of cleanup but at the end of the night, you couldn't even tell we had a big sweethearts bash in the same place!

Somehow the chocolate fountain doesn't look as appealing after 40 people have had their way with it! The kids thought it was so fun and the parents were surprised with how elegant it was.

The day was a ton of work. At times there were more balls in the air then there should be. The girls all did a great job. The night was great. A ton of work but as time goes by, the memories of the effort will disappear as compared to the memories of the fantastic evening that we put on for the parents. All of the girls and their parents should be so proud. As for me, I am taking a break from "big" events for a tiny bit. Looks like I should huh?

Same place, new experience

2009-01-27T16:57:00.000-08:00

We've been going to the Desert for years. We have mixed it up a time or five but for the most part we go to Ocotillo. We prefer to camp off of Pole Line Rd but we have gone everywhere out there. It's funny to me just how many times we can camp in the same general vicinity, the same time of year, usually even with the same people and the experience can be different every time. We even go to the same destinations while we are there. It's fun to go visit other people we know who happen to be camping out there the same weekend we are.

When we first started going to Ocotillo, we thought it was amazing that Ed, our soon to be brother in law, knew how to get from one place to another and back again. As the years have passed, we are now the same way. We can tell that just over that hill, or just pass that bump in the trail, we can navigate our way to where we might be going. We even have traditions that my kids look forward to. The one they like the best is the Twizzler tradition. Every time we go camping, I buy a HUGE bag of Twizzlers and pack it up with me so the minute we hit the dirt, I can start passing them out. We also break the trip up into "pieces" for the kids. Instead of asking "are we there yet?" our kids ask which piece of the trip we are on. We break it up into ten pieces and will tell them what portion we are on. Might be lame, but it works for us. Trust me, we don't have the luck to have the kids all fall asleep on the road anymore. There is usually someone wondering just how much farther we have to travel to get there.

I This trip we camped with the Adens. Erin, Jeremy, and their two adorable boys Jared and Andrew. We even had a day visit from our friends Michele and Glenn, their boys Jack & Brady, and roomy Amanda. Glenn just had the same surgery Matt had a few months ago. He is doing well and it was good to have him well enough to be out in the dirt with us. Neither of the guys are riding like they used to but it's still nice to be out there.

Megan never has been too into getting messy. Like the eewww look?

I would love to take all the pictures I have taken over the years in this very spot and compare them. We love being out there mid week, when we have no one else out there with us. Kinda fun, and kinda scary if you think of having any mechanical issues.

I want to put more pics on this post but I'm afraid it will take ma another week to finish and post.

OK, so to get 'er done...I'm done. More to come later. I hope to scrap something in the next few days and I'll show you what I get done.

See y'all later.

Lauren :O)))

Dear Blog,

2009-01-26T23:43:00.001-08:00

My promise to you dear blog, I haven't forgotten you. I must say I was a little mad. Yes, a bit sour. I HATE it when I spend all kinds of my precious time working on a beautiful post, only to have the actual post look way different and not nearly as pleasing to the eye than my post in "preview" mode. I think I am done being mad. I will give you another chance. I must say there is competition for my thoughts, my words, most importantly my photos. My new LOVE, yes, my Facebook, has treated me kind. I will take our history and our time under consideration and give you another chance.....so don't piss me off.

Lauren :O))

A recap to get caught up. Whew, is it 2009 already??

2009-01-07T21:40:00.000-08:00

So I've been meaning to post. At first I was was waiting for time, then for pictures, then for time, and then, well facebook sucked me in. Now I am here, sitting in front of my computer ready to give my bloggie blog some luvin! In order to catch up I'm going to post some random catch up pictures in no particular order. Did you notice my new photo on the top? It was from a trip up to Big Bear. What a great time. Well, here's a photog of the last little while.

Fun time in Big Bear to play in the snow and Chillax!

We are so proud of the girls. Alyssa received the Gold Honor Roll Award at school and in the same week, Megan received student of the month for her class. The girls were very happy to be recognized for their hard work.

We baked cookies. We decorated cookies. We ate cookies. Yum, that's the best part!

The kids celebrated the annual kids x-mas party at the Fire Dept.

The Fire Dept X-Mas Party for the grown ups.

We celebrated Christmas. Santa brought each of the kids a special treat. SMFD brought us a treat too, Daddy home for the first time in seven years for Christmas day! We enjoyed not rushing for once. Alyssa woke up on Christmas eve right as the Nordic Santa tracker reported Santa was in San Diego! She was so excited she came in our room and slept with us so she wouldn't be awake. She heard him from our bed and could barely sleep but she managed to sleep long enough for the big guy to come and leave stocking stuffed with goodies and treats.

We even got to spend a nice time with Matt's family at his sister's house. The kids had a great time with their Aunt Pooh, like always.

I even got to take my new Cricut bag out for a test run and scrapbook the day after Christmas to celebrate my friend Randi's b-day.

We rang in the new year quietly at home with a few good friends. We also celebrated Erin's birthday as she is a New Year's Eve baby. Can you believe she's only 26? I'm trying to keep myself young by hanging out with young peeps! Not really but they are a lot of fun. Glenn and Michele joined us as well. Everyone was pooped and barely made it to midnight. Of course, not me....I'm just getting my second wind at that time.

OK, well that should catch me up a little bit. So sorry for taking so long to give you a little love. Posting on a more regular basis is on my list of To Do's for 2009. I will show that list soon so I have some accountability for the list. Speaking of lists, my friend Ally has an inspiring list on her blog. Check it out here. LOVES IT! I think you'll see my list looks very similar!

Love to all for the new year.

Lauren :O)))

Let it snow!

2008-12-19T23:15:00.000-08:00

We are headed to Big Bear for some fun. Look at the house and all the snow! I don't know if I have ever been in so much snow. I can't wait! Yes, not the long post I need to do but I'm a bit tired tonight,

Loves,

Lauren

Oh where does the time go?

2008-12-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

I feel like we blasted from Halloween all the way to almost Christmas. I must admit dear blog readers, I might have crossed over to the dark side of the web. . . .

I, Lauren Hampton, have found myself on Facebook EVERY day or night, and I have neglected my dear bloggie blog. I know, hard to believe. But it is true. Not that I'm proud of that, but I am having a great time reconnecting and staying in touch with friends. It's just so easy, and I don't feel compelled to "need" a picture with every little post. Have you tried FB yet?

OK, I promise a REAL post later after the family is in bed. They are all kind of needy right now. I love them needing me but hard to do them and you at the same time.

Tootles until then.

Lauren

My Christmas List

2008-12-11T00:17:00.000-08:00

If Santa is headed my way, I think I should do my part and help him to be prepared. Not that I expect him to stop in anything more than the gifts for the kids, but it might be fun to see the list I would write if I was really writing to the big guy. Here's a challenge: write your own list an post it on your blog. Maybe Santa might see it and hook you up???

The List

1)An Eye-Fi camera card. Seriously, the next best thing ever for scrappers. No, it's not new this year. Shocker but it actually came to my attention last year. Here's the link. EYE-FI card. Would like the 4G.

Here's the description:Photos shouldn't’t be trapped in your camera. Set them free effortlessly and wirelessly. The Eye-Fi Explore Card is a wireless SD memory card for your digital camera. It stores pictures like a standard SD memory card, but also uses Wi-Fi networks to automatically upload images and add GeoTags from inside your camera to your PC or Mac and to your favorite photo or social networking website for sharing or printing. No cables, no cradles, no fuss.

2) A Cricut Jukebox. Have six cartridges plugged in at once...MARVELOUS.

2b) A Cricut deep cut blade and housing.

3) Time to scrapbook, GUILT FREE, with my best scrappy friends. There are a few people that I'd like to scrap with that aren't pictured here. If I could just have a great big room with a group of fun scrappers I would be happy. I'd love to scrap with Randi, Amy, Lisa, Toni, Erin (you scrappy virgin you) Kristie, Shelby, Elizabeth (we need to finally get together), and anyone else that wants to have a fun filled day a scrapiness.

4) A watch. I miss wearing one.

5) The Coach "sister" ring I promised to wear along with Kath, Kris, and Erin.

6). The Blackberry Storm. I know, dreaming here.

7) Holly Hobby. (Hobby Hideaway for those that might not know.) Know I know I'm really dreaming.

8) A facial...I must be the only woman in the world that hasn't had one.

OK, well that's it in a nutshell. The thing is, I'm easy to please. I mainly I just like people having a happy heart and a feeling of the Christmas spirit in them. Really, that's what I want. Everyone around me to be happy and filled with the joy of the spirit. Oh, a boat load of lights on the house and lots of hot beverages never hurt either.

I can't wait to see what's on your list. Post on your blog and put a link here in the comments.

Happy Day!

Lauren

Local Christmas Parade, year two! Christmas decorating too.

2008-12-06T20:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I managed to complete year two of the local x-mas parade. Not sure why I keep getting myself into that, except the kids LOVE IT!! We had 67 girl scouts and a load of leaders and mommies & 1 dad. Oh, we also had the honorary future boy scout riding alongside in his stroller. I swear Evan was so cute waving and telling all the people "Mewry Cwistmas". His friend Andrew was there with his mom and brother waving him on. Last year we did the parade too but Evan was in the truck since Matt pulled the float. This year we didn't have that luxury. In fact, I had a three kids, plus my troop there. My co-leader was awesome as usual in helping me with Evan. I took just a few photos but also some video. I'll see if I can get the video up. Here are the photos though. I have more close ups coming from another camera soon. Can you believe I didn't even get my camera out until we were already going? Mama scrapper slacking on the job!

I put the tree and some decorations up today. Things are starting to look like Christmas around here. Tomorrow we are off to the annual kids x-mas party at the fire dept. The kids are excited about that one. I think we'll sneak down a bit early and hit Pink while I'm in the neighborhood. I think there's a big hoopla going on....maybe I can't:O((. I'll call first. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to some scrappy time this week. Think I need to start making some holiday lists or the big event is gonna sneak up on me and bite me in the bottom. Oh, kinda cute today....Lyss and Evan were pretending to be Santa and an elf. Santa is seen here driving his sleigh, reaching into his bag of toys, and even pulling a gift for mom out of the bag. I love watching this season through my children's eyes! The girls had fun teaching Evan Jingle Bells tonight too. It sure was a great day. We never even left the house!
This musical globe is Evan's favorite so far. It was his favorite last year too. I love watching him watch the snow blow around!

OK, off to do more for the night.

Lauren:O)))

Had some play time tonight

2008-12-04T02:59:00.000-08:00

Well, Matt's first night at work was good for me. I got some long needed play time with Holly. Here's a little of what I am working on. Hopefully my next post will be of these babies done. It's not just regular scrapbooking stuff. I'll explain when I'm done.

See ya later. I'd better get some rest.

Lauren :O)))

Turkey day oh and big news....Matt is back!

2008-12-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a long road but I am happy to announce that my hubby is back at work. Today is his first day.I know he is really excited about it. He loves his job and was very happy to hear he wasn't going to have to do any light duty. Now I get to try and reclaim my routine and get things back to normal around here. Lots' to do with the holidays here. I survived Thanksgiving. We had a nice time with Matt's family.

Matt was prepping the bird and I caught this funny moment. Do big breasts on anything make men smile?

From left to right: Evan, Matt, Uncle David, Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Edge (Evan gave him that name) and Aunt Pooh. I was taking the photos of course. Alyssa and Megan sat at the bar. Here they are with their sparkling cider toast.

The cheap way to decorate the table for Thanksgiving...use the napkins your girlfriend gave you as place mats. The girls made napkin holders with paper and put cute little sayings on each one. Each person had their own saying. To keep up with tradition, the girls made place cards and wrote the annual "I am thankful for" cards for each person to fill in. They also added "My favorite Thanksgiving food is..." to the cards. We love this tradition.

Here is my so not so fancy table. Oh, notice the chairs? The girls spent hours making hand turkey decorations for each chair. Evan tore all of them down after they had put them all up. Lyss took care of them with a few heavy books to re flatten them. They were rehung and as good as new in time for our meal.

It was nice having Matt home. We are lucky that Matt gets to be home with us for Christmas this year. It will be the first Christmas he has been home since Megan was 6mos old. He's gonna have to check out our traditions. like X-Mas eggs at Holly's house!

OK, gotta jam and get some girl scout stuff handled. More later.

Lauren :O)))

Love to my sis!

2008-11-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

My sister. My friend. My confidant. I love her dearly. She has been with me from the beginning. She is always there through the thick and thin. Whether poor or wealthy, in love or down on life, through tears or joy, Erin has been my rock. She is really as close to me as anyone can be. Just a quick thought that I feel blessed. Blessed to have such a great sister. I really don't deserve to have someone so great to call MY SISTER. Love you Air!

XOXO LaLa

The end of a good thing!

2008-11-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

Today was the official last day of business for It's About Time Scrapbooks & More. I have worked there for two years, all but the first weeks the store was open. It was not just a job for me. Far from it. I'm not even sure if I can describe the way I felt about IAT (short for It's About Time). It started with me and my Halls, going in to check out the new place in town. We cropped there a week or so later. I called the store later that day and told Mel they needed me. I remember her hollering through the store "Hey girls, Lauren says we need to hire her." Through the phone I could hear Lisa and Amy in the background saying "yes we do!" It was done. No application. No interview. No portfolio. I had been in the store with my work that day so I guess they kinda had a viewing of my work and my personality.

I never really thought of IAT as a job. I did really work there though. I worked, I taught, I even spent the last six months or so writing the blog. But instead of it feeling like work I thought of it as my little place of "me time". Whether I was "working" or not I just LOVED being there. I LOVED the people I worked with, the customers, the business. I LOVE the scrapbook world. I LOVE knowing about it all. I LOVE helping people to learn and enjoy the feeling of scrapbooking. I LOVE teaching people how to use tools, match product, even think outside of the box.(I found myself making the best creations when I had to make something like a birthday layout with Halloween paper. No, not a Halloween b-day, actually making Halloween paper work for a b-day page having nothing to do with Halloween. ) I LOVE looking at a piece of paper, or any product for that matter, and knowing who made it and what line it was from. I have a passion for it. I LOVED sharing my passion. I LOVE teaching scrapbooking. I LOVE the feeling I get when I see the little light bulb go on over some unsuspecting scrapbookers head when she realizes that I've shown her how cool a product, tool, or idea is. I LOVE everything about scrapbooking. I am sad. Sad for my own selfish reasons listed here that IAT is now just a memory for all of us that loved it so.

For Amy, Lisa, and Mel. You three were so great together. Thank you for "needing" me like I told you you did. I loved being a part of such a special season of your lives. I will hold all of our good times close to my heart.

Mel, good luck with the new life you have ahead of you with your new man and your two baby boys. I wish the economy would have not taken a dump at such a crucial time in the metamorphosis of the store and the new places you wanted to take it. You had a great way of making people feel welcomed into the store. I know in my life I always say everything happens for a reason. You know, with a door closed another will open. Cheers to a job well done and to the new doors opening to you and your family.

Amy, you are so sweet. Always so mellow and nice. I always liked working with you and chatting it up about all the craziness of being a mom. I know it's nice to be able to be home with Cameron and to have the time for scrapbooking because it makes you happy. Let's get together again and scrap.

Lisa, such a big heart and a loving soul. I missed saying goodbye in person those months ago and we still have only managed phone calls and a strange drive by run in since then (Joanns). I love how caring you are and I love your creative style. I'm gonna have to grab my stuff (and we both know how much that is) and hunt you down to have some good old play time. I miss you!

I LOVED teaching, although I didn't do as much of it as I would have liked. Still, my head swirls with "class" ideas and I always have project after project in my head. I will be getting my website up soon so that will help with my creative outlet. Matt is so much closer to being recovered and I will start to have my time back to do that kind of stuff, plus teach still at random locations and events.

I LOVED all the customers and seeing their creations, hearing their stories, loving over their most precious photos with them, and helping them to decide just what to do next when they were stumped on a project. I will miss that so much.

Mainly, I will miss all the laughs and the good feelings I had being an IAT employee. I wish I could change the way this story ends but I just can't. No one can. I know the girls, whether now or a few months ago, have been mourning this change no one wanted to see happen. I hope that everyone can keep Mel and her family in their thoughts and prayers and they begin a new journey together. Please think of Amy and Lisa and know that they truly loved being there for you and loved when you walked in the door.

I could go on and on about this subject but I have to know if I don't sign off I'll start rambling if I haven't done enough of that already.

So, for now, it's about time I get to bed. I hope if you are local, you had a chance to go in and say a proper goodbye to the store. I didn't really get the chance to do so as I had hoped but I do look at the pictures above and I feel very happy to have been a part of it all.

Still Scrapping Happily,

Lauren

Big day!

2008-11-04T20:32:00.001-08:00

So today was big in three ways.

1. I voted. Did you? I know I did my part in voting. I now will have to do my part in praying. I will leave it at that. Those who are close to me know I am HOLDING MY TONGUE right about now. I worry.

I got my glasses. A long wait following years of procrastinating. I can finally see. The girls love them. Matt says I look hip and he loves them too. I am happy because I can see the tv without squinting. It was a little strange wearing them today. I did get prescription sunglasses too so I'll be able to see no matter what. I am trying to follow Ally's example and actually take my own picture. This is me, today, seeing for the first time in years.

I lost my favorite coffee pot. If you know me and know how I love my coffee, you know how this is big for me. No, It didn't run away, but I had get a new one because it kept leaking all over my counter top. I intended on just exchanging it for a new one but Bed Bath and Beyond has stopped carrying my coveted Hamilton Beach Brewstation. I have a Cuisinart coffee pot on the way but it is NOT exciting at all. I am thinking I'll hunt the internet tonight and see if I can find myself a brewstation any how. I had no idea when I unplugged my baby today that I would come home to this. A blank spot with no Brewstation! I am bummed.

Ok, well I need to get to hunting for a new, real coffee pot. Hmmmm, I hope I find one.

Lauren :O)))

Time sure flies

2008-11-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

So the last week or so has been crazy busy. But as I much as I'd love to go "in order" of what's been going on, I have to put Halloween first because my little dude was the cutest little trick or treater ever. He was all the talk at the front doors. Cool but after about twenty houses or so I kinds felt bad for the other kids trick or treating with us. They all had great costumes but Evan took the prize this Halloween. Wanna see why???

A UPS man, with an American Crafts box in hand. Can't get much better than that! Megan was a Disco girl (can the sparkle outfit be any more perfect for her), and Alyssa was a pirate girl. We had a great time watching all of the kids trick or treat. We had our friends Dan and Alison, Megan and Greg, and all of their kids join us. Here we are getting ready to head out for the trek around the neighborhood.

After a full neighborhood of treats and scary porches, the kids ran out of steam and came down from the initial sugar high. They decided they were too pooped to go on and dropped to rest right on the corner. Dramatic children??? Shocking.

We were sad that our friends The Aden's and the Pavlovski's couldn't be there with us but we did have a surprise visit from the Bailes Family. I can't say I have ever seen Holly on Halloween. Not her thing, for respectable reasons. But this year they went to a church carnival and stopped by to visit on their way home. Dylan and the girls ran around the cul de sac and we hung out by the fire. Faith was a champ and just hung out by the fire even though it was way past bed time.

We had a great Halloween and feel blessed to have such a great group of friends. More to come later. I got some good pictures at the FERGIE concert. So fun!

Peace out!

Lauren

Does that sign off sound to generic?

Bought the DAMN glasses!!

2008-10-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

So I bought the glasses. I was looking and looking. Made my friends and my hubby go into the eye glass place like it was an optical emergency a few months ago (pre spinal fusion). Well, happy to announce my eyeballs are one step closer to health. Not to mention the drivers in our little town are one step closer to me seeing them. I bought regular glasses and sunglasses. Both of them are cool and I can't wait to get them. I ordered them online and got a great deal on gooptic.com. I was going to get the sunglasses that match (note the cute daisy flowers on the outside arms. They have pink rhinestones in the middle.) but they didn't fit as well as another pair. Either way, I am happy.

Hmmm, need a good catch phrase/sign off for this blog. It bugs me every time I am ready to sign off. I had one for the It's About Time blog, which was "Happy Scrapping". I'm not doing the blog for them anymore. Sad for me but I understand certain luxuries (like someone bloggin for you) are not so affordable these days. Any way, I need to come up with a sign off for my blog. Anyone have any ideas??? Post a comment and help a girl out!

Ok, here I go....

Signing off without a cool, catchy, lovable phrase....

I know, it''s really really really boring to just say see ya.....

Maybe I can just say La La out? No, not really me. Hmmmmmm

HHHHHHHH EEEEEEEEEEEEE LLLLLLLLLLLLLL PPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me :O)))

So I can't wait!

2008-10-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

So this is not my latest photo. I know, don't be alarmed. It's not my twin either. It's FERGIE. My hubbs and I have been fans for a long time and we love rockin out to her tunes. I feel so lucky because he got a crazy bug and decided we need to go see her in concert. No, this is so not a regular thing for Matt. What, spend money?????? Especially because we are on a limited income because if Matts injury. I think he's just going stir crazy being home. We jumped online and bought ourselves a pair. Well, charged a pair. So, don't worry about me being sad and bored on Friday because we are going to see the Fergs!! Not a name that anyone has given her but me but I feel we need to be on a nickname basis since we are going to meet on Friday and be intstant friends. Wish I could bring you all with me. The date night will be good for us. Funny how my kids want to go too. Hmm, maybe I should rethink the music I play in the car??

Ok, gotta go do my Monday night tv with Matt. Catch you all later. I want to write about the PDW crop I went to (sorry Holly) and the recent trip to Havasu. Oh, picked new glasses finally too. I can hear Holly in the back of my head (buy the damn glasses). They are cool. I just need to find them on the net so they are half the price.

See ya'll later.
Lauren

So a long time ago...

2008-10-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Ally " tagged" me. I tried to participate but for some reason I didn't do it justice. Now that I'm trying to plug back into life, i figure I'll catch up on my blogger responsibilities. You know, throw in some, links, do challenges, and actually post! So for my tag.

The tag was to write seven random facts about yourself. I did start. Here's what I wrote:

1. I am the youngest of six. Is that boring? Hmmmm, maybe a need a new #1.
1b. OK, this might be something....I can't stand to eat meat on a bone. Nope, no ribs for me. No chicken wings either. The thought on gnawing on a bone just seems to make the whole meat eating thing seem so much more barbaric. If I do happen to get meat on the bone for a meal, I have to take all of the meat off and get the bone off of my plate before I eat. Weird huh? Luckily my hubby has been sensitive to that one. He is always kind enough to make sure no bones hit my plate. Love the hubbs so much for this.
2. I take pride in being a good friend. A good person in general. The day people are sitting around at a funeral for me, talking about my life, I hope that kind is a resounding thought in the minds of people. I try to treat others, blah blah blah, you know. But really, it's true. Not too much bothers me and I really look for the good in everyone.

Now to finish this....

#3. I have to sleep with at least one foot out. I guess it's more in the summer than winter. But I can remember as a kid my mom tucking me in to bed where she literally tucked my comforter around my legs, nice a tight. I loved it because I knew she was giving me a special few minutes of her time, but I can remember breaking out of my covers almost the second she left my room. Funny thing about all that is my hubby is the exact opposite. He always has his feet covered. He says you don't want anything to bite your toes. He's been telling my kids that since they were little but I still catch them with a toe or a foot out as well.

#4. I love to watch Poker After Dark.

It's on NBC almost every night at 3am. I guess that's morning, huh? It's not that I really love to play poker or anything. I think I originally started watching because I would have the TV on NBC from watching The Tonight Show and Conan O'Brien. I keep the TV on for noise. I actually started paying attention to it because of the phrases like "on the river" or "takes the flop". I guess I just found it strange that there was a whole new world of terms that I knew nothing about. I still don't know much about poker but I do know what the lingo means. Hmm, guess it's not too late to learn new things.

#5. I have always thought I would die young. It started early. I remember thinking I'd never make it to 18. Once I hit 18 I was sure I'd never make it to 21. It keeps on going still. I'm not sure why. The feeling are worse now that I have kids. I pray every night that I make it long enough to watch my kids have their own kids, their own spouses, their own lives. I try not to think about death but it still hits me so heavy sometime. I worry that I'll leave behind things out of order and that someone will have to deal with my stuff. I even worry about my scrapbooks. Silly huh? I have had a deal with Holly for years now. The deal is simple. I die, she is in charge of scrapbooking my kids. You think that would have made me feel better but then the worry changes that I need to journal a bunch so she will have my thoughts, my memories, my vision to put on those pages.

To add into that, I worry all the time about my parents. The thought of living without them makes me sick to my stomach. It's already harder than I thought having them so far away.

#6. I think if I had to choose just one other way my life could have gone, I could see myself as an executive in a big city. Urban living! I'm not sure why but it just feels like that would have been a good place for me. Ok, well minus the dirt, the crowds, and the high rises. Hmmm, maybe I just like visiting big cities! See, nothing interesting here!

#7. I love riding dirt bikes. Motorcycles is something my husband has been into since he was a little boy. He's REALLY talented and one of my fondest pre-children memories with Matt is when he took me on a ride on a motorcycle. We rode all kinds of trails and had a great time. Once I started riding myself, I understood why he loves it so much. No, I'm not ever going to be a super rider like he is. I do love it though. I have had two bikes. My first was a Yahmaha TTR125. We bought that bike for me to learn on. Once I rode better, I upgraded to a new, bigger bike. The Honda CRF230. The perfect bike!

I have to admit I am really sad to say I don't have it anymore. Matt and I decided with three kids it was time for me to take a break from the motorcycle. Once I was preggers with Evan, the bike just sat. Funny how the desert season changes once you can't ride. Here's a photo of how I spent my time in Ocotillo. I know this picture will warm a few scrappers little hearts!

I LOVE this photo. Gives the phrase "riding the cooler" a whole new meaning.

OK, so although painful and terribly long to write, I think I finished my "tag". Part of the tagging thing is I need to pass along the pleasure.

So here are the rules:

(1) The winner can put the logo on their blog.

(2) Link the person you received your award from.

(3) nominate at least 7 other blogs.

(4) Put links of those on yours.

(5) Leave a message on the blogs of the girls or boys you’ve nominated.

So here goes:

Holly- I know she'll come up with good stuff to write and it won't take her hours like it took me. Partially because her pictures are so darned organized there will be hardly a second for her to find pics to add to her post.

Christi- My old friend from playgroup years ago with Megan, her son Jordan, and Holly's son Dylan. Can't wait to read her answers!

Jason- Holly's man. I bet he'll have some good stuff to say. Apparently not only do we share Holly, he shouts from the same soap box I do.

Heather E.- Would love to know more about you! We live so close we need to get together and scrapbook. Let's get books going for your babies!!!

Ali E. - OK, reaching for the stars here but I love reading her blog and maybe just maybe she'll play along. I do have a picture of her on my blog. She is so very nice. Made my day meeting her at CHA Anaheim last year.

Kristie- I'm not sure if she ever played after Ally tagged her.

Shelby- What a great way to get to know each other better.

OK, ladies and Jason, get rolling! Can't wait to read your blogs!!!

Lauren

So the big post I need to do.....

2008-10-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Not Happening!! Every time I want to sit down and post I think I need to go into a long explanation of what has been going on with us. Really, that could be two years of writing, or at least it feels that way. So, I'm not putting it off any more. Here's a little recap.

The guys from the fire department have been so awesome to us. They brought Matt two chairs, one for the bedroom and one for the living room. You'll see how Matt looked here in his chair for weeks. Notice the cooling system on his neck. What a simple but effective gadget to keep the swelling down. Our friends Dan and Alison Henderson lent us an ice machine to keep up with the ice we needed for the cooler. It's funny how a guy who rarely ever sits goes from not sitting to doing not much more than that. He's for sure caught up on all of the racing and truck tech shows for a while! Here are a few pictures of when the guys came over to put in shape. Talk about a humbling experience! At one point Matt leaned over, neck brace and all, trying to help. Bill told him there was no way he'd win in a fight so he might as well stop trying to help. Thanks to Bill, Dave, Dan, Jeremy and Jason for all of your hard work. You guys really went above and beyond.

Speaking about above and beyond, the tremendous support we have had from our friends, especially from the fire department, has been nothing less than amazing. We have to shout out thank yous to all of the guys that have called to chat with or check up on Matt. Thank you to the the families that provided meals, including the Landis, Puhek, Aden, and Morton families, the crews from station 1A and 4A. Thank you Melissa and Jeff Landis for organizing the meals. A special thank you to the Lang family for their generous gift. What a huge help!! More than you can imagine.

To our family, friend's from the neighborhood, school, and our everyday life. Thank you so much for all of the help with the kids, the phone calls, and everything you have done to help make this time a little easier. We love you all and really know we have the best friends ever!

Matt's feeling a lot better. Still at home. We see the doctor in a week or so for his next check up. He still has pain but only needs his pain meds at night. We are curious about how is physical therapy will go and exactly how much and what type he will need to get back to 100%. He is still not allowed to drive.

Since he has been feeling a bit better, I have tried to get things somewhat back to normal for the kids. I camped with the girls at Lake Skinner with their girl scout troops last weekend. Here are a few pictures from that.

It was only a one night stay but all of the girls had a great time. We even had one mom who graciously offered to camp when we weren't sure if I was going to get the chance with Matt's situation. Even though I camped, she came too. Her first camping experience ever. Wow, what a trooper. Thanks Martha!

Ok, well I hope to give you more to read tomorrow. Matt wants on the computer.

Talk to you all soon.

Lauren

PS- I get to work at the store tomorrow! Yeah, I haven't been there in a month at least. I hope to see some of my favorite customers!

Ok, so maybe I did fall of the face of the Earth but I''ve been dragging behind hanging on for dear life!!

2008-09-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, things have been completely insane around here. I feel weird because it's been crazy but SLOW crazy. For all of us stay at home moms, or not so stay at home moms, that might sound like an oxymoron. But as for as much as I've been home with Matt, you'd think all of my t's would be crossed and my i's dotted. NOT!! Life has been crazy even in slow motion. I will explain but it will be a long post, and really, it's been 3 weeks. I'll throw this up in blogland and really give you a good post tomorrow. Here's a little teaser of what life has been like.

Those are pictures of Matt's new hardware in his neck. Cool huh? Well, kind cool. Painful. Look at those screws....they look long like wood screws. OK, more tomorrow.

Lauren

NO, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth!

2008-09-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

Man, if I wasn't with me, I might even wonder where I am or why I haven't been anywhere close to my computer. But, since I know where I have been, I guess I'd be a good person to tell you.

First, let me say, it's been a wowzer of a week (or so). Matt has been laid up since last week and he is miserable. I have been shuffling him from doctor to test to doctor and back again. He can't get comfortable in any position and he is a lot of pain.He is B R O K E Well, technically he has a 7mm protrusion at C7 with moderate spine pressure. He has numbness and pain in his left arm. He can't sit, stand, lay down, or anything really. He is in his own little hell because he has all that plus severe headache, nausea, tingling, all that annoying stuff. The worst part is Evan doesn't understand why Daddy can't play. The girls are being strong but you can tell they are missing him. We are lucky if he can get out of bed to sit with us for just a few bites of food. He has no appetite and no energy.

After about a zillion pone calls yesterday morning I found him a doctor that could see him right away. All the others wanted him to wait a month or more for an appt. Surely it was the grace of God's hand that guided me to the spine specialist we saw. They got us in yesterday, were very good to us and we have a plan for surgery on Monday. He will be out of work for two to three months! Man oh man is he sad about that. He's in so much pain that he is willing to do anything to get some relief. Basically they are going to completely take the disc from his spine that is protruding. They will put in a composite made of cadaver cells and insert a titanium plate as well. We were hoping for some better pain management in the mean time but the doctor said there is no room for injections because of the severity and the size of the protrusion. Matt's going to have to suffer for almost a whole week more before he can feel some relief. I can't believe how life can change it's course in a matter of a day.

Well, that's about it on that front. Luckily, I was able to spend last Sat with my person., My Holly. I call her my "person" and that is a compliment. It's hard to explain but just let me say how great it was to spend the day with her. We did our semi-annual trip to Scrapbook Expo. This time we were in San Diego. We had a great time. It was nice for me to have the break from the house and all that is going on here. My in-laws came to watch everyone and it was nice to know Matt and the kids were in good hands.

I didn't get nearly enough scrapbooking done. I really only completed two layouts. Even that is technically wrong because I had an issue with the cricut. You won't believe it. First, I have told you before that I have a black cloud that follows me?? Well, it followed me to Expo. Here's why I say that. I was buzzing up to the "cricut station" to cut my title to put the finishing touch on my layout. I took the "pooh" cartridge out from the machine and put my "Doodletype" cartridge in. Seems normal, right? WRONG! The machine re-wrote my cartridge to make it a Pooh cartridge. Not kidding. Tried it in other machines and still the same. Bummed me out that night but I'm better. Cricut Dan made it right today. He called provo craft and they are stunned and have NEVER had this happen before. Hmmm, remember that black cloud??

But that's where it ended. Really it was a great day to just hang out, with Holly and Tracey. I wandered the floor looking for the next "thing" to make me itch to create. Not that I need an itch but I really wanted something to excite me. I found it. I'm planning on playing with it and I will show you soon. We enjoyed walking the gas lamp for a tiny bit while looking for dinner. I really was loving being in the urban setting. I kept on saying how I felt urban. I will throw a few pics your way tomorrow.

Speaking of showing you.. here's my kids layout for Sept. Have you seen it in the store yet? It's cool because you can customize what grade number you want for each child. Check it out.

This class will be from 4:30-5:30 on Tuesday Sept 16th at It's About Time Scrapbooks and More in Murrieta. Call the store at 951-304-3422 to reserve a spot.

Because I'm playing a game of blog catch up, here's yet a bit more for today. I was "tagged" from Ally Serrato the other day and I really want to play and get the ball rolling for more people to play. So the deal is I'm supposed to write about seven interesting facts about me. Hmmmm Can I even find two??????

Okay, here goes....

1. I am the youngest of six. Is that boring? Hmmmm, maybe a need a new #1.

1b. OK, this might be something....I can't stand to eat meat on a bone. Nope, no ribs for me. No chicken wings either. The thought on gnawing on a bone just seems to make the whole meat eating thing seem so much more barbaric. If I do happen to get meat on the bone for a meal, I have to take all of the meat off and get the bone off of my plate before I eat. Weird huh? Luckily my hubby has been sensitive to that one. He is always kind enough to make sure no bones hit my plate. Love the hubbs so much on these days.

2. I take pride in being a good friend. A good person in general. The day people are sitting around at a funeral for me, talking about my life, I hope that kind is a resounding thought in the minds of people. I try to treat others, blah blah blah, you know. But really, it's true. Not too much bothers me and I really look for the good in everyone.

OK, well I'm just too tired to think of interesting facts. Guess I'll have to "play" tomorrow when I'm not so drained.

TTFN,

Lauren

Love you Holly!

2008-08-25T03:10:00.000-07:00

I spent the evening scrapping with the world's best scrapping buddy ever. Funny no matter how much I get done, or how much coffee I drink, or coffee stomach I end up with, I wonder why we aren't together all of the time scrapping the night away like we did tonight. I am just putting the final touches on my layout but I did have the best time just hanging with my friend. Love you Halls!

Me.

Whew, operation organize underway!

2008-08-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

So last year Ali Edwards was talking about a word for the year. Heck, it might have even started a few years ago. Anyhow, at the beginning of last year (or maybe the year before) I said to my dear friend Holly that my word was going to be ORGANIZE. She laughed because for years she keeps telling me how organization will help me in my scrapbooking. Well, I like to revisit the same subjects around the same time each year. You know, it's kind of like you can tell when fall is coming because the weather is changing, or you can tell when Valentine's Day is closer because all of the retail stores turn red with themed decor and gifts everywhere. Well, Holly and I have discussions at certain times of year and I just had my big "get organized" declaration. I starting thinking that I never really have truly accomplished that WORD for whatever year it might have been. SOOOOO, being the go getter that I am, I have OPERATION ORGANIZATION underway in my life. Nice thing, I am really doing it. In the last week or so I have...Cleaned out
Evan's closet, toy boxes, toy organizer, and drawers. The rafters in the garage. The hallway cupboards. The cupboard under my island, another cupboard in the kitchen, & the silverware drawer. Not a bad start! Wow, with a few month's left in the year I might actually accomplish my organization goal. Wow, I might get a new word!!!! With my organization, I am hoping to make daily life less stressful. I'll let you know my progress.
With that out of the way, here's what has been going on...
The girls went back to school. Alyssa is in 4th grade and Megan is in the 2nd grade. For the first time ever, I rolled into "Flight Reservations" at school to find out teacher assignments and felt very sad. I felt like a black cloud just swept on in and opened up on me and my two little girls. I found the class lists and was surprised to find Megan in a job share situation and Alyssa in a 4/5 combo class. I tried so hard to put my brave mommy face on and not throw the tantrum that was brewing inside. It kinda worked but Alyssa saw right through me. She always sees what I am really thinking. Long story short....the Bailes version (that's a story in itself) is that they are both doing well and I HOPE AND PRAY that it will be fine. Alyssa is actually really loving the 5th grade math she was exposed to this week. She was so proud each day to go back to school and turn in her work to her teacher. Megan is so easy going and loves BOTH of her teachers. Yes, I said Meg is easy going. With all her spice I am amazed at what doesn't bother her!

I hope you enjoyed these pics. You'll notice Evan just had to have his own backpack and even had his own chance in from of the camera. He did pretty well with having them gone all day. I'm sure it's nice to get all of the attention for the majority of the day

OK, I promise to put my blog on the top portion of my daily to do list. Talk to you soon!

Lauren :O)))

New Classes at It's About Time

2008-08-09T01:32:00.000-07:00

I keep on meaning to put my projects and classes up on my blog. Well, all I can do is just start. I have visions of great albums and slide shows to highlight my work. Apparently that's not happening yet so here are a few views of two layout classes I have going on at It's About Time Scrapbooks and More.

"Sun Kissed" is my kids class layout featuring beautiful Kaiser paper. I always have grown ups buying kits for this class. The class/kit it just 15.00. The class will meet on Tues August 12th at 4:30. Call the store at 951.304.3422 right away to reserve your spot or kit.

Below is my "Rockin Good Times" layout class, part of my Capture The Moment series I teach each month. This layout is great because it can be easily adapted for many types of events or pictures. I can even see the Hannah Montana twist that can be taken if you have a little one who LOVES Hannah or Miley. Class date is Thursday, August 21st. 6:30-8:30pm. Again, call IAT at 951.304.3422 to sign up.

OK, lots to do but I think i might go to bed early tonight. Yes, I know you're looking at the time on this post and wondering just how crazy I am but seriously, it is QUIET in the house right now. Hard to beat that!!

More later....

Lauren

When life gets busy....stop and play with your kids!

2008-08-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

So things are busy, and I could probably work on one thing or another for a week straight. But, in the midst of feeling stressed, I looked back at the three little faces in the back of my car and decided we needed some good old fashioned park time. What a good way to put things into perspective. How can you beat this?

Funny because this is the park near our old house in Temecula where we used to take Alyssa all the time. I remember deciding that Megan would be named Megan one day while I was here pushing Alyssa on the swing. WToday we had the park to ourself. I guess no other mom's were crazy enough to be at the park at noon on a summer day. Kinda nice to have no distractions. The girls had the best time trying to help eachother in the tree. Evan was cool running all over the place and following his sisters around. Looking at these pictures makes me realize just how fast my life with my little ones is going. As much as we like to comlain about the daily grind on being parents, times like these make it all worth it. I only wish Matt was home today to enjoy the park with us.

Just a few pics from the day.
Have a great weekend.

Lauren

You have no idea how happy I am to be back to my computer!

2008-07-19T02:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know it's been waaaayyyyy too long since I've posted. Tons happening, plus hubby was gone working a ton and a long planned family vacation. We are back from playing and now it's time for business. First a pic or two from our trip.

I could probably spend all night posting pictures but I really have been so far behind on posting that I need to get some other stuff up here too.

Can I say......scrapbook retreat time!!!!! This is the scrapbook retreat weekend you deserve, and NEED!

I am happy to have pricing arranged for the upcoming, Sept 5-7th, retreat. Perfectly planned for after Labor Day and after school is back in session, this is a time when you can grab your scrapbook stuff and get away for a fun weekend full of scrapping, great food, and great company. You will be welcomed into a beautiful home in Big Bear that is the perfect setting for a weekend of scrapping fun. If you are lucky enough to be a part of this first group of retreat attendees, you will be a member of our founder's club, offering discounts and advance notice of future dates.

So, for this "founders" scrapbook retreat weekend in Big Bear, the prices are as follows.
The details:
Twin size beds in the "camp scrap room" are 300.00 per scrapper. This room holds three people. You don't have to be part of a group of three to reserve one of these spots.The room is so cute and feels very rustic. The closet has enough room to stash all kinds of scrapping delights. Call your best girlfreinds or sisters and get this room reserved for all three of you!
$300.00 per person minimum charge, for a single bed. Additional charges will apply when you opt for the larger beds or the master suite, which includes a king size bed and it's own full bathroom.

Twin size beds in the "camp scrap room" are 300.00 per scrapper. This room holds three people. You don't have to be part of a group of three to reserve one of these spots.The room is so cute and feels very rustic. The closet has enough room to stash all kinds of scrapping delights. Call your best girlfreinds or sisters and get this room reserved for all three of you!

The room pictured below is the "Double layout" room. The beds are double beds with super comfy matresses. You can either reserve this spot (each bed) for your self for 325.00 or if you want to share the bed, it's still the base price of 300.00. So, for those of you that like to snuggle, you can, I repeat can, not have to, share this bed and have up to four ladies in this one room. If you and your best scrapping pal love the room to stretch out, then book the room for justy two of you and no prearranged snuggle buddies will be placed in the same room with you.

If you are looking to have a bit more privacy, there are two master rooms available that include their own bathrooms. The price for these rooms is 400, based on single occupancy, 350.00 if you share with one other person, and if you really want to get close, you can even have three in the room at 300.00. The pictures of the two rooms are as follows:

This is the scrap princess room . Treat yourself like a princess with the ultra comfy bed and a ton of room to stretch those tired scrapbooky arms. A ton of room in the closet for your scrapping stash. You will be happy to call this room your home for the weekend.

This is the "Scrap Your Heart Out " room. It is down stairs so you are close to the scrapping action. Your patio door also leads right to the spa outside your door. This suite is 350 per scrapper if shared and 400 per scrapper if you want the room all to yourself. Full bathroom is part of this suite.

The retreat weekend includes all meals. The menu planned is super tasty and I know you will love that all you have to do is scrap. No need to make your bed or make any meals, leave that all up to me! I am so excited to share this wonderful weekend with you. Scrapping space will be plenty and I will have a ton of cutting tools, punches and stamps for your creating pleasure. There will be product there for you to purchase as well, in case you run out of adhesive or need more cardstock. Special make and takes and class kits will also be available.

Important Info:
Retreat Date: Friday Sept 5th thru Sunday Sept 7th. This is the weekend AFTER Labor day.
Check in will be noon on Friday and check out is scheduled for 6pm on Sunday.

Registration: If you'd like to register to attend this wonderful weekend getaway, please call me @ 951-743-6994 or email me at stamperlauren@aol.com. The room availabily will be on a first come, first serve basis. I will make every effort to accomodate you and your group.
Payment: A minimum of $100.00 is due at the time of registration. This is a non-refundable deposit. If you have any questions about this please feel free to contact me at the above listed number or email address.

I am so happy to be blessed with the use of such a beautiful home to have our scrapbook retreat. I know you will have the best time and you will be glad that you took the time for YOU. Remember, you are your family historian. Scrapbooking is a labor of love that you and your family will enjoy and appreciate for many years to come. Take the time and register today to spend the weekend working on your projects.

Can't wait to hear from you!!!

Lauren

I might be rich if....

2008-07-06T01:08:00.000-07:00

......If I could bottle the feeling I get when I look at pictures of my kids. I just downloaded a bunch of pictures from the last few days. I feel so happy and proud when I look at the three little people Matt & I made! Lots of work, sure! But man oh man do I love these kidlets. I am sure if I figured out how to capture the feeling and sell it in a bottle or whatever, I'd be a bazillionaire. Here are a few pictures that made my heart sing when I looked at them tonight.

We spent the 4th at Matt's station. We ate dinner with the crew and their families and then took the engine up to a high point in town to watch the fireworks. We could see the firework shows from San Marcos, Oceanside, and Carlsbad. Evan liked to name the colors of the fireworks as each one went off. We tried to take a family photo at the station but Meg was a little difficult about where she was going to be in the picture so she threw a fit, and was not in the picture. Big bummer but can't let the tantrum ruin the opportunity to have most of us in a picture together.

Not a traditional 4th celebration, but we were very happy to see Matt. Look at how cute the girls were...

OK, well I was a busy little bee today. I spent the day at home (I know, shocker!!) getting the kit website I am going to open closer to "going live." I'm hoping to get all of the site done and running soon. You will be able to purchase kits from me and several other designers straight from the comfort of your own home!. More information on that to follow soon. The numbers for the scrapbook getaway will be posted tomorrow. Call me or email to sign up.

Lot's of stuff going on from here!!!! All good stuff that makes me happy to think about.

Have a great Sunday!

Lauren

I am so excited...a scrapbook getway weekend in the works!!

2008-07-01T23:38:00.000-07:00

I am so super excited I can barely think straight. I spent a day this last week on a business trip to Big Bear. Business trip you ask????? Well, I am getting ready to host my first scrapbook retreat weekend. I will be offering it to fellow scrappers who are excited to come to experience the very first of many scrapbooking retreats. I am hoping to have people register to come and spend a weekend of pampering and scrapbooking bliss. The home that I am using is so beautiful. It is hard to believe that it is really available for this idea. Here are a few photos of the location.

Pretty sweet huh? The home sleeps 10-12, depending if you use the couch pull out bed that I hear is really comfy. There are a total of four bedrooms, various sleeping arrangements. Four full baths, spa, and all the comforts of home. Set up for scrapbooking will obviously change how it looks a little bit. There will be a full crop bar with cricut, zip'e mate, sizzix, punches, decorative scissors, and stamps available for your use. There will be supplies and project kits available for you to purchase while you are there. In fact, you will be able to pre-order supplies like adhesive prior to the weekend starting so it is all there for you, no worry of running out while you are there. Meals will be prepared for you, as well as snacks and of course chocolate! No need to waste precious scrapping time preparing food. Let me take care of that. Sleeping arrangements will be on a first come first serve basis. I know some people will want to bunk with their best girlfriend and there might be that person that prefers to bunk alone. Either way, you can scrapbook as much or as little as you'd like. Those who choose to take some breaks from creating can relax in the spa or even take a walk in the beautiful mountain air.

The very first retreat weekend will be September 5th-7th. Please email me at StamperLauren@aol.com if you are interested. I will be building an interest list and reservations will open on July 5th. All attendees of this first retreat will receive a special gift and will be a founder's club member, which will allow them to be notified of specials and have advance notice of retreat weekends. Special private retreats can also be arranged if you'd like to keep the retreat to an intimate group of your friends only! This will truly be an amazing weekend and I know you will be happy to treat yourself, a friend, or a loved one to a special scrapbooking experience. Capture a whole weekend of Moments for yourself and plan to be a part of this great

OK, well that's the big news for now. More stuff on the horizon for sure. Don't forget to email me and let me know you are interested.

Have a great day, I am.

Lauren

A few pictures from Havasu.

2008-06-20T00:13:00.000-07:00

OK, it's HOT here. I think the forcast for tomorrow, or today really if you notice I'm up late AGAIN, is 120!!!!! It will be a great day on the water. Here are a few photos from today.

OK, so I tried to post this last night but lost my internet connection. Hope this works.

Lauren

So I guess I forgot to tell you if I got the new car.

2008-06-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

So I'm a big nerd and totally forgot to tell you whether or not we got the new car. I've seen quite a few of you in town and I guess I just forgot to post. So, tell me if this picture says anything about the whole car dilemma.
..

Yes, that's the new Acadia and my Suburban!!!! We couldn't give away the "burb" like they wanted me to. I can't believe the economy that a dealer can offer 6K for a truck like my beloved burb. NO WAY JOSE!!!!! The funny thing is Matt & I put just enough gas in it to get it to the dealer, then had to add more gas to get it home. Either we're really dumb, too emotionally attached to stuff, or maybe just really really dumb! Whatever it is, we are both really happy to still have the beast. Matt thinks if he doesn't sell it private party that he is going to make it even bigger. Sick was the word he used to describe his vision for it. Hmmmm, sounds expensive. Here we are picking up my new "G-ride" (thanks for the name Ally!)

So I have a ton of work to do tonight, if you want to call it that. I'm starting a new layout class at the store for grown ups. yeah!!!!!! I will be putting the finishing touches on it tonight and posting it to both the store site and here for your viewing pleasure. I have an idea. How about some comments to see who is out there in blog land??? Speaking of that, a nice welcome back to my pal Ally who has been out of blogger heaven for a while since her baby girl computer got a touch of the icks. Welcome back la la la, that's me singing to you Ally!.

Ok, gotta get going on the nightly routine. Can't wait to sit down and scrap tonight. 2.5 hours and counting down till it's just me, my coffee, and my stuff! I love scrapping, have I ever told you that??????

See ya peeps!>>>I think I'm feeling a bit spunky tonight. Not my normal sign off!

Lauren

Blueberry picking was so fun!

2008-06-10T00:09:00.000-07:00

The kids and I took Pops to the Temecula Blueberry Farm to go blueberry picking on Sunday. The girls had been waiting patiently since Memorial Day to go so they were very happy to go. Here are some pics from the day. I must say it brought back some memories of blueberry picking as a kid at my grandparents lake house in Maine. We used to take the canoe over to the island and pick berries. We would bring them back to the house and my Uncle Mike would make us blueberry pancakes. Yummers

I think you get the idea. I'm taking my girl scouts there this weekend. I think they are all going to love it so much.
TTFN:
Lauren

Will tomorrow be my last day.....with my burb???

2008-06-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

Not sure if I'm trading in my suburban tomorrow. If so, I thought I should atleast snap a few photos of the ol' girl. My family has always named thier cars but we never do. I do feel both sad and excited about tomorrow. Hmmmm, will it really happen? Here I am today with my truck!

Here's what I'm looking at driving..at least I won't stick out in a crowd!!!!

What do you think?? Is it me?

Hmmmm, better sleep on it. More news tomorrow.

Me :O)))

Dad's Layout for It's About Time

2008-06-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

Here is what I have cookin' for my kid's class at It's About Time. The little star to the left of the word STAR says "our" but that spot is open to customization to fit your needs. I have so much I really want to do on my kids layouts but I find myself trying to keep it very simple for my little students. I love them all so much and I really do get a ton of joy watching them feel good as they finish their projects. I swear I feel like I should be a kindergarten teacher or maybe first grade. I love the "light bulb" moment. I love watching them feel creative. Here's my June 11th page and also some photos of past projects. Gallery is under construction so the post version will have to work for now.

This "You're the Best" layout was fun to do. I love all of the flowers. Sassafrass always makes great paper an it's so much fun to play with.

My "Lucky Me" class was a fun way to highlight the recent good "stuff" that had been coming into my hands. Really I'm pretty simple. I don't ask for much. Not that the newest scrapping supplies don't seem to fall into my lap. but the fact that I finally started replacing and updating my technology really made me feel lucky. Here is a photo of that layout.

Nothing wrong with counting your blessings right?

For any other earlier classes you can watch for a gallery coming soon.

We are considering getting rid of our big beast of a Suburban. I know some of you won't even recognize me in anything else but I think it's time to put my baby in a good place where she won't get driven into the ground! I am not for sure what we are going to do but we are looking at the GMC Acaidia. We'll see what shakes down in the next few days. Hmmm, not sure about all of that. I love my burb! I might need to have my photographer Holly take a shoot of me and my truck. Sounds silly I know but I love that gas guzzling, hunk of Chevy. I have NEVER had a brand new car. I think my time might be near. I'll keep you posted!

Have a great couple of days. I'll check in soon.

Get out there and take some pictures of whomever or whatever you love, even if it's a silly ol' truck! By the way, a quick congrats to my sister in law Pooh. Nicole to everyone else. She and her long time boyfriend Ed were engaged the other night. We took the time to go down and see them last night and help celebrate their engagement. It's been 15 years in the making! Here is a photo of the happy couple. Aren't they just so cute?

The girls had a ton of fun with Aunt Pooh. Trying to figure out just how to hide or not hide the ring when Ed's parents arrived. They had no idea Ed had finally popped the question! No need for all that fuss though. It was super cute watching Ed grab her hand and show his mom. What a great moment to share with them. I know we all can't wait to see them married. They are perfect for each other. We have spent many camping trips with them and we are so so so happy!
OK, gotta get some work done now.

Love to you all!

Lauren

Time sure is flying by!

2008-05-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

Looking at the last date I posted makes me wonder why it is time has sped up so much. I feel like I have so many things to share that I don't even know where to start. Hmmm, let's see.
First of all, my little Meggers turned 7 today. Yes, shocking. I guess the whole feeling of time going way too fast is true. I can't believe she is seven. Whew, craaaaazeeeee! To celebrate we had my in-laws here yesterday We went on a bike ride. Megan was surprised to get to go on the ride with a brand new bike. Her knees have been hitting the handle bar on the old bike so it was nice to see her on a bike that actually fits. Here's Meg and her ride!

We spent the day today making Megan feel special. Matt had to work so we were on a mission for fun. After I let the girls have cake for breakfast (yes, it's really me, I just was being "cool Mom" for the birthday), we hung around the house for awhile. We loaded up and went to Red Robin for lunch. Megan was given a big sundae for her birthday treat from Red Robin. She was so sweet to Alyssa. She felt bed that Alyssa's treat was small. She begged me to get her sister a big sundae too. Wow, only a day of being 7 and she was super thoughtful to her sister! Hmmm, could she be maturing??? Well, after that we went to Friends2BMade and made dolls. We even popped into Libby Lu for a glittering. We had a great time at the mall. Evan was good putting up with our girly day. I'll have to make sure he gets his hands on daddy's tools tomorrow. We spent the evening outside riding bikes and playing games. I'm pooped and I think we are pretty tired too. I got NO grief at bedtime. Not even any conversation as I walked out of the bedrooms. Happy birthday Meggers!!

The girls went to the father daughter dance last week. The theme was Hollywood Red Carpet. The girls were very excited to get dressed in their best glamorous outfits. I did their hair and Holly loaned them bling to put in it. I really wanted to have their hair done for them but the fees were just not cheap. I didn't really know what I was I doing but I think they looked cute. Don't they just look so sweet?

Can you believe this one??? The nerve! What do they think, crazy moms are gonna tag the kids and dad and follow their every move to get that great photo? Try and sneak into the dance to capture every part of the night on film? Well, I guess the PTA moms in charged worried when they saw us on the list. I did exactly that! The kids and Matt left thinking the photo shoot was over when the drove away. Evan and I jumped in the car and kept a slow follow. I even bribed Evan with a trip to Starbucks for a "hoppachino" to get him to leave the Barney video he was watching when it was time to chase them to school. They were all surprised to see me in the school loop taking photos from the car. Really, they should expect no less. This is me. I am the paparazzi, and I love it!

More later, I promise.

I'm hoping to get my gallery of work up this week. I also will be putting a spot on here where you can order kits from my past and current scrapbook projects. Hmmmm, lots in the works. Next up on the birthday list is Alyssa. She'll be 9 in 18 days. Wowzer!

Lauren

A two year old with the nozzle

2008-05-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

So the girls and Evan were playing outside the other day. Evan decides he's going to water the tree. Nothing new. It's a good thing for him to do to stay in one spot for a little bit. He takes the nozzle and tries to squirt the girls and the neighbors that are all in the yard. They all think it's funny because the water is barely on. Little do they know that Matt has moved over to the spickett and is about to give Evan a little power behind the nozzle. Here's the result. Not sure who was more surprised.

Life 's little moments are so worth capturing. It's a matter of how brave you are to run in a grab your camera. I can't say I wasn't standing there worrying about the possibility of Evan blasting me with the water. Well, not me, my camera. I had a photo in my head. The LAST photo Holly took with her camera before the water from a slip and slide ruined it. I did get wet but I was able to protect the camera.

I've been dying to get into some paper and play. So, I'll post more later. I have several projects going right now. Oh, gotta watch Grey's first then I'll play. Hmmm, maybe I'll sort some buttons while I watch.

Bye for now!

Lauren

Evan had the best time soaking everyone.

Wow, has it been over a week??

2008-05-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

So much has been happening since I last posted. It's hard to believe it's been over a week. First of all, I had a birthday. I turned 34 on the 26th. I Funny how the birthday thing changes as we get older. I used to count down the days until my next birthday starting on my birthday. Not so much anymore. I did spend a nice day with the kids and Matt. They baked cupcakes for me. We decided that 34 candles was just too much of a fire hazard so instead we placed the cupcakes in the shape of the number 34. Even like that the candle lighting was quite impressive. Matt and the kids surprised me with an ipod nano. Am I finally not the only person in the world that doesn't own an ipod? I was lucky enough to have my friend Deb loan me some CD's to burn so I can put some music in the ipod. We have a whole library set up in the old computer but we have had some difficulty in transferring it to the new computer. Luckily my neighbor is a computer guy and he's going to try and fix us up. He is also going to give a jump start to the old computer.
Megan and Alyssa were in the school talent show last night. They were both very excited to participate. Megan sang "Our Song" by Taylor Swift with her friend Francesca. They are in 1st grade and Brownies together. They both did a great job singing and remembering the hand movements they came up with to go with the song. Aren't they cute??
Alyssa and her two friends America and Rachel sang and danced to "Like Whoa", by Ally and AJ. They came up with really clever dance moves for the whole roller coaster ride analogy that the song uses. I think they practiced every day at lunch and even after school several times. Like true 8 year old girls, they took the show angle to arrange a shopping trip for outfits. The trio likes to call themselves the three musketeers. Alyssa actually spent the night over at Rachel's house last weekend. Yes, apparently the whole Wild Animal Park experience has cured her of the fear of sleepovers. Now the three of them have plans to spend the night together at least once a month. They even asked for 2 night sleepovers for the summer already. It's so nice to have good girlfriends. Alyssa is so blessed in that department. She has a whole class full of girls that all get along and really meld well together. Not to mention they have an awesome teacher.

Oh, Alyssa is expecting new glasses next week. Her prescription has changed a lot. She is chomping at the bit to get her new glasses. I'll post a pic after we get them. Matt ended up going to the appointment with her so I have NO CLUE what the frames will look like. All I know is it was 330 dollars. Ouch! I mean seriously, can you imagine how far that would go at the scrapbook store. I know, only me huh? Speaking of scrapbooking....

Happy National Scrapbook Day! No, this is not something I made up. Scrapbookers all over are burning the midnight oil as I type, cropping the night away. I was able to spend most of the day at It's About Time yesterday. You'd think with the time I was there I would be able to say I finished 10 layouts or something cool like that. NOPE. Not me. I finished ONE layout. I did paint chipboard. Nice to have paint on my hands. Looks like I've been feeding that creative side of me that always comes last even though I didn't get the world accomplished while I was there. Again, love to be at the scrapbook store. There are so many great people that work and shop there. Everyone from last night is there right now but I'm at home since Matt is at work.

Here is the layout I was working on. I love the paper so much I was tempted to buy more today. I had to mix the paint to make a color to match and I have to say I had forgotten how much I love paint. I'll have to do more of that.

OK, well that's probably enough for now. It's been so nice hearing from everyone who has visited my blog. Please leave a comment or drop me a note at StamperLauren@aol.com. I have been happy to hear from all of my Temecula friends who have moved. I will be adding a Gallery of my work and a class section this week hopefully. Check back often.

Love to you all!

Lauren

Grey's Tonight

2008-04-24T10:56:00.001-07:00

Finally!!!! Grey's is starting back up tonight after the long writer's strike induced break. I am happy happy happy. Not only because of that but also because my best scrapping friend is coming over to push paper with me. No, we don't sit around and push paper. Well, I guess technically we do, but that is our term for scrapping. I have a ton of stuff flowing through my mind that I want to work on. I can't wait. So I'm gonna put on a pot of joe, bust out my Grey's "Seriously" mug, grab my scrapping stuff and have a pefect night.

(You'll have to mute the music on the slide show below to hear the Grey's widget. Just click on the volume icon on the lower left part of the picture.)

Lauren :O)))

Fun weekend

2008-04-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Just a little picture of the yummy stuff we had this weekend!

Mmmmmm

In looking at the photos I took over the last few days, I can't help but think how glad I am to be me. I love the people in my life. I had the best time ever at the Avacodo festival with my Pops, Megan and Evan. We were blessed with a beautiful day, great company, and even some good food. I tried avacado ice cream. It was nice. Strange that I would try anything new when it comes to food but I was trying to be in the spirit of the festival and be one with the avacado. In all we had at least a bite of avacado ice cream, fire roasted corn, holy guaca moly, carne asada taco with guac, & snow cone. It was fun loooking at all of the different artisans booths. I fell in love with these handmade winchimes. Pops and Megan each bought a new hat. Evan had fun watching all of the people. Let me tell you there were a lot of people. I took lots of photos. I was trying to be polite and asking before I photographed peoples art. The best picture of the day would have been of a avacado carved from wood, with dangling legs and arms, but the lady said no. Why it is that I asked???? I guess being polite doesn't always work to my advantage. Here are some photos from the day though.

So I'm a high maintenance photographer. There was a white towel on the wheel of this wagon. I asked the guy cooking to move it for me so I could take the picture. Hmmm, maybe that's a little over the top? Megan and Pops loved their corn. I nibbled off of Megan's. So perfect and salty!

Meg is looking for great "pics". She kept on saying "hey mom,that would be a good "pic". I gave her a throw away camera to capture the days event's It was fun to watch what she wanted to take pictures of. Future scrapper in training. Actually, she's got quite an eye. The dress in the middle was a great idea. It's a dress form jewelry holder. Many styles. A bit pricey for me to take home but ooh were they pretty. The avacado windchime was Megan's idea to photograph. Told you she has an eye!

Evan watched these puppets. This was such a beautiful tree. My favorite kind in the whole world! I wanted to plant them in my yard but we decided they were too messy when they loose the flowers.

Alyssa ending up staying the WHOLE night at the wild animal park & I am soooooo proud of her. She called just a few minutes after I had posted here the other night. I could tell she was nervous in her voice but I talked up the day and she was trying hard to be positive about the camping part of the day. I can't tell you how shocked I was to wake up Sunday morning realizing that she hadn't called to come home. She had a great time and now wants to venture out and actually stay the whole night at a friend's house. Luckily she was able to see Grampie before he had to drive back up to Victorville. Here's a shot of the kids with Grampie. love them all so so much!

Well, I could add pictures all night. I took the Brownie troop for a nature hike today. I'll post some "pics" tomorrow. Have a great night.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-04-20T00:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday

2008-04-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today was such a great day. No, I didn't find myself at a table, surrounded by scrappy stuff. I didn't even touch any of my projects on my to do list. I am just so happy because My Pops came down today to spend some time with me and the family. My brain must have been on vacation when I scheduled for him to come down today because not only was did I have to work today, but Alyssa left for Roar and Snore, the girl scout slumber party at the Wild Animal Park. So, I guess I could have cancelled his visit but selfishly I really wanted to see him. For those of you that don't know my Mom and Pops relocated to the east coast and I'm always sad that they are so far away. Maybe because I'm the youngest of all six of us kids, maybe because I just want them to be near for my kids. Either way, I couldn't pass up on the chance to have some time with my Pops. Here is how he looked when he arrived at the house this morning. The kids rushed him at the door and I had to wait until they were all done hugging him to get my chance.
This photo below is blurry but isn't that always the case when you're trying to get a photo in a hurry. By the time you figure out what went wrong with the camera the moment has passed! I went to work and Matt, Pops and Megan and Evan hung out. I had a great day at work. I love the customers. I love being surrounded by paper, embellishments, and adhesive. I love that the stuff in the store is not just stuff. It is the key to people's memories or stories. The "stuff" in the store is waiting there for someone to come along and use it to help capture a thought, a look, a moment, even re-live a triumph or a silly happening. The possibilities are there, waiting....for someone to "get creative" and make magic. Really, I love spending the day there. The environment there makes me happy. I feel so inspired to go home and scrapbook. We all know that doesn't usually happen after being gone all day but I love the feeling.

I did worry about Alyssa all day. My baby is all the way down in Escondido without me. Not just for the day but for the night. She's really trying to be brave but I know she is scared about the spend the night part. We haven't really had much success in sleepovers so this is a big one! Luckily, my trustworthy friend Gloria is there with her, along with her super great troop leaders. I talked to her about 7:30 and she was still having fun. I know the big hurdle will be when all is quiet and it's time to sleep. That's usually when she gets worried and wants to come home. I wonder if it really gets quiet there. I think the animals might be kind of loud actually. Hmmm, that sure would be fun to try and guess what animals you hear. As long as there are no thoughts of an animal trying to visit you in the night! I am sitting here with the phone, waiting to hear from her for at least a good night wish. Crossing my fingers she does well. I know she will be so so proud of herself if she does this.

Mom introduced me to a thing called Skype today. Live video conferencing with real time sound and video through the computer. The kids had fun chatting with Mime today. I was even able to open my birthday gift with her watching over Skype. I love my gift. I will take pictures tomorrow and post. My birthday isn't until the 26th but hey, who doesn't love getting gifts! I happen to love it!

Waving and saying hello over the computer! It was fun to see and hear each other live.

This is as close as they can get right now. Rockland Maine is too far away!!!!!!!!

Evan showing Mime' the picture of our Family that Alyssa drew. Notice how good all the guys are looking. They all had hair cuts today. Matt went and got his done, I cut Pop's hair and Matt cut Evan's. Evan didn't even freak out.

I was hoping to play a little of this after dinner but things just didn't work out. Looks like we have a breakfast date! I wish mom, the scrabble queen, could be here too.

Ok, well time to head off for now. I could write a book here tonight if I'm not careful. Holly says I write like I talk. I think I'll decide that's a compilment. It's me, and I am what I am.

Have a great Sunday tomorrow. I'll be sitting here worrying about Alyssa and waiting for her call. I think we will head over to the Fallbrook Avacado Festival tomorrow. They are having an avacado costume contest. Don't think I don't want to make one with an outfit out of my scrapbook stuff. Good thing I'm fresh out of avacados! That could be kind of fun though. Hmmm, maybe I'll hit the store in the morning and get a few to try. :O))))

OK, really going now.

Love ya'll!

Lauren

Sometimes in life you just have to give up on worry.

2008-04-14T01:30:00.000-07:00

So tonight has been like so many nights of mine. The house is finally quiet and I start my day of chores and tid bits of this and that. The goal being at the end of the "have to's" I can get going on the "want to's". Well, after a load of dishes (totally my pet peeve to wake up in the morning with last night's dinner dishes staring at me), random cd organizing, laundry duty (my nemisis), two cups of reheated coffee, and various stacks of stuff either put away or reorganized to into a more senisible stack, I decide that it's 1 am and I'm gonna get to bed early since I was up until almost 5am this morning.

In doing my laundry, I find myself still checking pockets of everything in hopes to find my lost SD card. I know, it's been so long since I've posted that unless you've seen me, the news of my losing the card might be new. Well, as I listened to my own thoughts of losing my card while checking pockets, I realize that I had tried really hard to use my tried and true theory for me that once I stop worrying about losing something, I find it. I have to admit it mad me sad to think that even that method of "finding things" didn't work. It took me back many years to when I was a teenager. A strange story really. I was about 16 and an avid tennis player. I had been given a gold tennis raquet charm that I wore all of the time. I remember looking down one day noticing it was gone, even though the chain was hanging loose from my neck. I must have searched for that charm for weeks and didn't find it no matter how hard I tried or how sad I was to have lost it. I worried myself sick about it. Finally, as time went by, I counted the charm as lost and kinda pushed it to the back of my mind. Well, as strange as it sounds, MONTHS later, as I was doing my household chores, I noticed a glimmer coming up from the bottom of the toilet bowl. I took a second look and saw something shiny at the bottom of the bowl. Whatever it was, it was covered with comet. I put my head down to see what it was and the only thing I saw was the small teensy little loop that holds the charm onto the chain. I grabbed for something to cover my hand so I could reach down into the bowl to retreive whatever it was. You can imagine how shocked I was to pull out of the depths of the toilet, my beloved raquet charm. Now realize, this was a weekly chore and with a household of 6. You can imagine how many times that toilet had been used, and scrubbed since I lost the charm. The math on that one seems crazy. Really when you think of all that had to have passed through that bowl. The fact that one random day I happen to be looking down to clean it and find the charm is amazing.

I told myself with my current misplaced item that worrying wasn't going to do me any good and I had just give it up. Same type of thing just happened to me . I FOUND MY CARD!!!!! I have been really bummed about the card but I was just trying to talk myself out of being upset. I was thinking how the "don't worry" thing didn't work not 2 minutes before I just happened to look in a spot I'd checked a zillion times this weekend to find the card right there! I can't even tell you how happy I am. When I thought that it was gone I kinda knew what pictures I hadn't downloaded. Come to find out the only pictures I would have lost were the girl scout pictures I had just printed before I "lost" the card. There were only 24 pictures that hadn't been downloaded into my computer. Whew, lucky me. Man, have I learned a lesson. Funny thing is I kept on telling myself not to worry about the card and it would show up. I think I really was still worried about it until literally just a few minutes before I found it. I guess it's hard to fake yourself out!

OK, so I'm so tired that I think when I reread this post later today, it might not even make sense. Either way, I have my card, I have posted, and I HAVE to go to bed. I will post some pics tomorrow and put a little recap of what has been going on in the time since my last post.

So Happy and Pooped!!!!'
Lauren

Camping with the Girl Scouts

2008-03-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

So I never got to be a girl scout as a child. Maybe that's because I was the youngest of four kids (or six depending on the weekend) in my family. My family was very busy with sports whether it was soccer or baseball season. You can imagine a family of our size owning only one car, with all of the kids with different practice times, of course each practice field miles apart. My mom always joked about having "mom's taxi" on her license plate. Well, I can guess that's why I was the one who missed out on the girl scout thing. Have you ever heard of living through your kids??? Well, this weekend I went on my first Girl Scout camping trip. I must say it was so much fun. We were at Camp Wi-Wo-Ca in Cherry Valley. We stayed for two nights. I was lucky to be one of the parent volunteers.

All of us were surprised to have hail and snow. It happened as we were having our flag ceremony at the end of Sat. We were mid flag folding when hail started coming down. In a matter of minutes everything was covered in white. The girls, well really all of us, were so so shocked. We had the best time playing in the snow. We had snowball fights and even made a snowman. What a blast. The whole trip was great and I can't wait to take Megan's troop there. No, I never was a girl scout, until now. Now, I get to enjoy the scouts from the mommy/leader side of it. Well, cookies are a bit stressful but over all, I'm having a great time.

I've trained her well...I think. Alyssa used up her entire "throw away" camera on the way up to camp. I kept on telling her to pace herself so she wouldn't use all of her pictures on the first day. Funny how about an hour after we arrived at camp Alyssa comes up to me sad because she has used all of her film. I can't wait to see what she took picturs of. Some how I think I'll see a few repeats as she seemed to take multiple photos of the same thing. I guess the apple doesn't really fall far from the tree. I took a fresh 2gig card to camp so I wouldn't have to decide what photos I should take off of my other card. Funny how my camera decided not to work while we were there and I ended up using Kim's (one of the leaders) camera to take the photos that I had to take. In the short time my camera was working I managed to take 53 pictures. I took a ton on the loaned camera. Luckily Kim was cool about me grabbing her camera when ever I had an urge! Because I know how the photo bug feels, I held my breath and let Alyssa use my camera (it was still working at the time) to take a few shots.

Well, I haven't had time to figure the video thing yet but when I do I have some great video of camping.

On my mind right now...my little guy is getting ready to turn two. WOWWEEEEE Kinda freaking me out how my children are getting so big. Alyssa will be nine and Meg will be seven. Where in the world has time gone?? And may I add, why in the world do I still have "baby fat"? Maybe after nine years I just call it fat, leaving the baby out. Technically it's only been two years since I had Evan so maybe I'm still good. Well, not good with the fat thing but oh well, working on that one.

I hope scrap all day on Thursday. I have new Basic Grey staring at me and I can barely think straight. I just want to push paper!!!!!!!!

CHA was a blast

2008-02-13T22:36:00.000-08:00

Some photos from CHA. Here is our first look as we entered the showroom. We had a full day a great people and cool product ahead of us. Thanks for the ride down Ally.

Meeting Heidi Swapp was a great way to start the day. She had a make n take available to do along with Epson. You were able to take the photo of you with Heidi from your camera and print out a Hybrid layout with Heidi stuff and then have her sign it. For me the line was too long to do the make and take. Too much product to see to actually sit down and make anything!

Me in Elsie's booth. Elsie was at lunch our first time through so we were alble to take in the booth without feeling any star buzz. Loved the kitchen and all of the photos. Her recipe book looks amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Very cool.

A look at me with Elsie, Mel, Ally, Mel, Lisa and Amy. Elsie was quite a bit more shy than I expected. Very soft spoken and mellow. Hard to imagine that looking at her work and her photos

OK so if I could have been at CHA for every day of the convention I might have had a chance to see all that there was to see. I felt very happy that I even got to go because as other fire wives know, the hubby is usually at work on the day something cool is going on. Yes, I know they only work ten days a month, but they are usually the days you need to be somewhere. So, the highlight of my day at CHA was my chance meeting with Ali Edwards. I hoped she would be there but saw nothing on her blog leading up to it or any post saying she was going. I think in my mind I just kind of gave up the idea of seeing her. Funny how a quick stop to the ladies room would be my best choice of the day. There she was. I felt silly as I stood there waiting for her to finish her phone call but I guess my embarrassment didn't out weigh how totally cool it was to see her. Let me just say, love her! She was so down to earth. Very personable. I have followed her blog for some time and it felt awesome to meet her in person. So I am a happy girl. Really, this week was great. I'll post more photos soon. I think I'm tired. This post is my first lesson in photos in the posts. I know it needs work but I'll work on it when I have more energy.

G'nite!

Lauren >> LaLa

First I met Donna Downey at It's About Time, where she taught a class. I didn't actually take the class but I worked in the store all day so I was able to hang out with her. It was fun to meet her and her ultra mellow hubby Bill. They were both very cool and put up with all of us with our FLIP cameras and our bazillion photos we took. Here are a few from that day.

So here I am

2008-02-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

OK, I thought it was time to finally jump into the blogging world. Here's a test post to see if I can even get it up and running. If I do, I will repost and add some fun pictures I took @ CHA yesterday. Here goes....