How is that the cool days of Texas winter pass all too quickly?  I know I was just enjoying the crisp breeze of a mild winter and the setting of spring.  But, in such a short time, the temperature has been creeping up the thermometer.  Long gone are the nice sunshiney, but cool low 80s.  

The dog days of summer are here.

Luckily for the family, they can take it easy as they're all on summer break.  They can retreat in the cool confines of home and only venture out when it's cool enough to so or when the mosquitoes are at bay.  

In an effort to combat the onset of miserable heat, I've been thinking of activities we can do without dripping in sweat or passing out from the heat.  

• Build a fort in the living room and camp there with popcorn and a movie.  
• Swim at the local pool every chance we get.  Pool passes have been purchased [and used already].
• Make fruit juice popscicles.
• Mists ourselves with cooling spray made from essential oils.   
• Have a water bomb [made from sponges] fight in the yard.
• Do more arts and crafts inside.

Making this quick list reminded me that I should get with the kiddos to make a summer manifesto / bucket list.   We must do that pronto, before summertime gets away from us. 

What're you doing to keep cool this summer?

montana

 On June 19, my kiddos adopted a sweet little terrier from the local animal shelter.  It took us a few moments to fall in love and a few extra to get used to him.  He's quite the addition to our family.

Of course, I marked the occasion with a mini album.

For this one in particular, I used a tabbed create-a-card base for the small photos.  I used up some of the paper scraps I've been hoarding on my desktop.  

 Did you know that the pattern preview on the bottom strip of each doodlebug paper is the perfect size to make banners or flags?   They are; try it. 

A sweet mini album to showcase our sweet little pup. I am sure there will be many more paper crafts that will have our Montana in the spotlight. 

bird chirping weather

Though I'm not really ready to give up on winter, spring has made it to central Texas and it is glorious!  I love the newness that comes with the season.  

This little space of mine has been consumed by lovely scrapbooking lately, but today it will be all about the words. And my heart.

Inspired by one lovely lady.

And one cute photo [circa 2004].   This appeared in my inbox this week from the hubs.  This one tugs at my heart alot.  Alot.  I cannot even fathom how quickly my children have grown and how quickly the time has passed.  I miss those days of toddlerhood.  So many great memories. 

blog your heart

♥ The kiddos have joined gymnastics and karate the past month. I have enjoyed watching from the sidelines as they stretch, learn and grow.

♥  An incident happened yesterday on the day care van that resulted in one cute K-girl's feelings being hurt and her over-protective big brother taking up for her. I agree he shouldn't have smacked the girl bothering his sister, but she shouldn't have been picking on her either. Why can't kiddos just say nice things?

♥  The hubs and I are in dire need of a date. And a nap.

♥  I listen to stories about my husband's day at school and it makes my stomach turn and my heart cringe. School is nothing like we enjoyed as kids. The safety net is gone. Sad.

♥  I am learning to knit. While it can be very frustrating, seeing the cumbersome process come together into something feasible has been neat. The company even better.

♥  My heart aches many days that my best friend and I live so far apart. I wish those miles were fewer, but I know there isn't any distance in our hearts.

♥  I enjoy my time as the Den Leader for my son's Cub Scout den, but this whole ordeal with allowing gays into the organization is a bit out of hand. 

♥  Most days, I wish I could homeschool my children.   In my heart, I know it is best for our family. Getting there, or even thinking about how to get to that point, is scary.  

♥  I am happiest if I can create something each day. Just ask my family. My heart needs it. I am enjoying designing for scrapbook companies. So much fun to push the creative limits with some products. I am fortunate for that the friendships I've made on the teams.

♥  Our house may be a chaotic mess when we step into it this afternoon, but it is home. The son has drawing papers strung all over the house and his Beyblades are scattered about. The daughter has a jump rope out, the exercise ball is not in its place and she has blankets all over the place from practice gymnastics. Laundry is piled up. Things untidy. But, a roof over our heads and a shelter full of love.

♥  I am trying to add some exercise into my daily schedule. It is hard because after dinner, I just want to sit and create. The exercise ball will help, I hope. Though I must admit that I busted my knee the first day using that ball. I got to giggling and rolled off, whacking my knee on the metal strip between our carpet and ceramic tile. Yowza.

♥  I haven't decorated for Valentine's Day nor have I purchased supplies needed for the kids' cards to exchange. I envision heart garlands about our holiday tree and house. Arrows. Hearts. Lots of hearts.

I cannot believe it is February.

January just zipped by, right before my eyes, as if I were standing still. The same items on my to do list at the beginning of the year remain the same, unmarked in any way.

My mind is still trying to wrap around the fact that 2012 went by in a hurry.

Times goes quickly in this fast-paced lifestyle. I know that, but I can't slow it down or make it standstill. It's not in my reach.

Except in photos [and layouts].

Memories captured of times blurred with the hands of the clock and the turn of the calendar page.

Captured time, captured moments.

Tonight.

Tonight I shall have a date with my Silhouette to cut some words to use as a mask. Not even sure what words, just want to try it out. 

Tonight I shall make a creative mess. Of course. It will include paint, ink, mist, paper and lots of glue.  Not sure what the end result will be, but I will enjoy the process.

Tonight I shall watch a movie with the kiddos.  Let’s hope and pray I don’t fall asleep watching that movie, otherwise all creating will be nil.

Tonight shall be a good night.

Happy 2013!  A little belated, I know, but life just has not slowed down enough for me to sit and write.  I miss it.

How can it possibly be almost February?  Already. 

I haven't even documented January.  I have not even started on my Project Life album for this year.  But, I shall not let this slip of time discourage me -- I will get it started.  I have to.  The kiddos enjoyed our album last year and it is such joy to see their faces light up as they flip through the album. 

Our last month, in a handy dandy list so I can refer back to it when I catch up my month's creative documentation.

• We outgrew my little white car.  Finally.  Already.  It was time. We purchased it a week before the K-boy was born, almost 11 years ago.  Now, we have us a smooth family van.  I thought it would be difficult to move from a small car to a huuuuuge one, but it was an easy transition.  And we all love it. 
• Our van got a christening --- a road trip to Colorado to visit my brother, sister-in-law and finally meet our nephew, little B.  He is just the most darling thing ever.  The kiddos enjoyed their time with the baby and miss him dearly.  
• We played in the snow and the kiddos went to ski school at Granby.  The K-girl skiied and was a natural at the sport.   The boy learned to snowboard and did extremely well, though, he also did an extremely good job at scaring this momma with his speed and quick turns down the slope.  Not for the faint at heart. 
• We experienced some very cool things on our trip --- the highest elevation of Leadville, Taos' beauty and the river gorge, -22° temps in Alamosa, a yummy donut burger at Crave, ringing in the new year with my brother and family, seeing my baseballin' nephew and taking in lots of beautiful southwestern scenery.   Love.  
• The kiddos both received awards for all As the first semester of school.  So very proud of their hard work.  
• The K-girl started gymnastics and the K-boy is on the waiting list for karate. 
• I've decluttered bits and pieces of our home, though it is still full of chaos.  The bill-paying desk has been revamped and the closet is a little emptier.  Must continue the purge through unnecessary items in our home.   
• I have chosen one little word for the year.  Make.  More on that in another post. 
• We have been enjoying the springlike weather, though I am not ready for winter to be whisked away by the next season just yet. 
• I've been busy creating projects for Doodlebug and have really been enjoying the process.   It's all about the process and enjoying each little piece of cuteness. 
• We've made a family goal to visit 13 mostly-new-to-us state parks in 2013.  This past Sunday we visited our first park, Mother Neff State Park.  Coincidentally, it was the very first park in the state's park system and it was very rightful that we visited that one first.   We took a nice, leisurely hike to the rock tower and cave and throughout the park.  Twelve more to enjoy.

Surely, I am missing much of our ins and outs of the month.  Family busy-ness as usual, but still trying to enjoy the little moments.

 Making this a good year.

The bestest Christmas gift this year happened last night.

The K-girl called us all into the living room and asked us to sit or kneel around the Christmas tree.  As we did, she began a prayer, wishing those that didn't have anything could get something and those without family would have someone to spend the holidays with.  And, then the K-boy joined in wishing everyone a good Christmas. 

Absolutely beautiful.  

Next time, though, I shall transcribe the conversation as soon as it is over so I don't forget their exact words.  The spoke them so very innocently and so very sweetly.  

Wishing you all a merry Christmas!  May you be blessed with family time, loved ones, sweet memories and lots of love. 

Peace, love and joy.

We took a trip to the beach for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely lovely.  We needed that little breather from reality and just needed some relaxation.  

There was a day or two that it was chilly, but that did not ruin our fun.  

It has been difficult getting into the Christmas spirit this year, mostly because the weather is so very warm.  It was springlike today when we put up the tree and strung the lights.  

But, these two cute K-kiddos brought me out of the funk and into the holiday mood.  

Such joy.

Gosh, can you believe tomorrow is December 1st? Already.

I know journaling and posts have been sporatic, almost non-existent lately, but I really do plan to make this space more homey, more comfy and just more me. I need to write for me, for my family and for the sake of memorykeeping. I must start now.

The calendar for December is filling up quickly. We have plenty of activities planned -- some on paper and some only in my mind.

I want to capture our holiday, everyday moments and those special magical moments that happen only this time of year. I want them to remember -- in photo, on pretty papers and in my heart.

How are you going to capture your December?

Kids say the funniest and cutest and sweetest things, don't they?!

Heard from the K-kiddos in the last week or so:

On the first day of school, the kiddos decided I didn't need to walk them into school.  I was expecting it from the ultra-cool boy, but not my mini me.  When I voiced I was sad, she said, "Mom, I didn't want you to walk me into class because I didn't want to you to have to deal with the crowded hallways. They were really crowded." 

The K-boy and girl were discussing the weight difference between them on our drive home.  In a hurry, he said to his sister, "your fat's butter!"  We all giggled, then K-girl had a major meltdown.

Yesterday, as the K-girl bounced on her bed and bebopped around her bedroom, she was belting out the tunes for Everybody Talks.  They sing "it started with a whisper" and she sang "it started with a whipsteak!"   Loudly. 

I really should come here and jot down the funny things the kiddos say, as they say them, so that I can remember them all.  

fourteen

Fourteen years.  5,110 days.

That's a long time without Dad.

And even after all those years, I still find myself asking Dad for his help with something around the house. He always had the perfect country fix for everything. I still find myself wanting to tell him something. He had the best listening ear and usually just followed it with a nod. And I still find myself telling the kiddos stories of my youth and all the wondramous things Dad did for and taught us.

But mostly, I often find myself wishing he could be here to see his grandkids grow up.  There is a huge gap in our childrens' lives and hearts for not having the opportunity to know the great man that was their TutuMan.

He touched so many lives, even outside our family, and is still loved and missed. 

Fourteen years seem so very long ago, yet just like yesterday.

a man needs his sleep

Twas the night before the first day of school and all through the house ...

The K-girl is snug in her bed, soundly dreaming of her first day back.  She's nervous to be entering the third grade, the year of the standardized testing hype.  She's nervous because she has been to school all summer and "it's been so long since I've been in those halls."  Her clothes are picked out --- a new ruffled shirt and her good ole standby pink tulle fluffy skirt and her blinged out cowgirl boots. 

The K-boy is in his bed, tossing and turning and procrastinating sleep as he usually does.  He has already come into our room once, in an attempt to climb into our bed [and procrastinate longer].  He's a night owl and I'm sure tomorrow morning he'll be wishing for more sleep.  He's not as open as the K-girl about going back to school, but I think he is looking forward to it.  Fifth grade will be challenging.   His clothes are ready -- new jeans, a red shirt [of course!] and a black button-up shirt over it.  I wanted him to wear shorts, but they are "not my style" and we agreed day two will include shorts since it is still boiling hot in Texas.  

The art teacher hubby is sick.  Yep.  He has been battling a sore throat all day long.   He has several years experience under his belt, so he is chilling and not stressing over the first day of school.   He says that now, until he meets all those students.   Give him a week or two or three and he'll be dreaming of summer again.  

And I.  I am not ready to send my kiddos or hubby off to school for another year.   The years have been going by so quickly and I often find myself missing the time with the kiddos.   I want to pause the clock and let them soak up each day of life learning at a slower pace.   Take it all in and remember all their childhood days and experiences.  

We've had a good summer filled with forts and swimming and going to the beach.   But man,  I cannot believe it is the night before the first day of school. 

Where has the summer gone?  

ABOUT THE LAYOUT |  The kiddos stay home with the hubs during the summer.  They get used to sleeping in real quicklike and the homebody son loves to lounge around.  On this particular day, he was in our bedroom watching a show on the computer.  When his daddy questioned him, he replied. 

All products from Doodlebug with the exception of the thought bubble and vellum.  

The kiddos are busy taking in the last of summertime.  

happy friday.

Our summertime break is coming to an end, and already has in many ways since the kiddos have returned to day care this week and will go back to school in another week.   

So, we are going to soak up summertime this weekend.  

the beach

We all love the beach.

It is my place of solitude, even with the kiddos running around and giggling uncontrollably.   There, at the beach, I can soak in my thoughts as I soak in the gulf waters, taking in the rhythm of the waves and the beauty of nature.

This weekend we will enjoy sinking our toes in the sand again, planting ourselves firmly as we dance in the water and dream.

Carefree.    

weekend

Ah, finally the weekend.   Finally.

The work days have been filled with lots of text and black and white and reading and more garbled text varieties.  I like and am thankful for my job, don't get me wrong, but all that can wear a brain out quickly.

This weekend, I am looking forward to the relaxation and creativity. 

• school clothes shopping for the kiddos and the hubs
• fresh made beds
• dinner out with my sister-in-law and nephew 
• folding laundry 
• kids scrapbooking with the kiddos in our family 

Yep, those were subliminal messages for myself.   Hehe.   Lots of fun, relaxing things to fill the weekend surrounded by those I love to pieces.  I sure hope the hot, hot temps don't put a damper on things.  

Happy weekend!  

bring back the spunk

My little K-girl has not been her usually sassy and spunky self these past few days.  She has been sick with stomach virus-like symptoms.  But after a few days of trying to use my magical supermom [and superdad] powers, it was time to let a professional take over.   

And last night we did.  We spent a few moments in urgent care and came out with a diagnosis of urinary tract infection.   Yikes!

So, she's resting up with some antibiotics and anti-nausea meds, kicking back with her daddy and anxiously awaiting playtime with her big brother.  

I may complain from time to time about her being piss and vinegar spunky, but I sure miss her personality when she's down and out.

 It breaks this momma's hear to have a sick kiddo.  My sweet little love will be back at it soon and I can't wait.

beep.

There's a new boy in town --- my nephew Bertram.   I've been anxiously awaiting lil B's arrival and yesterday, he made it into this wondramous world.  

 He is the sweetest.   I wish we weren't separted by many, many miles so I could hug that preciousness.   

The K kiddos are ready to see their cousin, too.  They both love babies so much [and a baby cousin is just as close as they will get to a baby].  They oohed and aahed at facebook yesterday as my brother updated. 

ABOUT THE CARD : This cute little layered card [though not as cute as my nephew!] was easy to put together.   I simply used a small circle punch about an inch from the right and left edges then cut between them with a craft knife to make the road.   The car is slides from side to side.   The magic --- it is adhered onto foam adhesive, then onto a penny.  

All stamps by Hampton Art for Doodlebug Design.