My Own Little World

On my own....

2011-08-16T23:25:00.002-06:00

If you look at this picture, it doesn't look like a whole lot. Nathan and I, putting up the tent. But to me, that's just it - we put up the tent. Just the boys and I. While there's been other things I've done myself, this was the first. And that makes it a pretty big deal.

New Digi

2011-08-13T23:33:00.003-06:00

I did this tonight for the August challenge over at Free Digital Scrapbooking - love these pics and this template was perfect.

Control

2011-08-12T22:28:00.002-06:00

"Philippians 4:6 - Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God".

A dear friend sent me this verse the other day, and it's so appropriate in my life right now. Just last night the devotional I read to the boys was about the same thing - don't worry, God's in control.

And I'm so glad! Right now when everything seems completely out of my control, it makes me want to panic. Anyone who knows me knows I am a self-proclaimed control freak, so not knowing exactly what's going on scares me.

But I don't need to be in control. My Father is. And He knows best.

Blog Challenge

2011-07-30T20:50:00.004-06:00

I love sketches - I really do. I have such a hard time making a LO without them. This week I was over at Stuck?!Sketches , and made this for their July 15th challenge.

A Different Kind of Week

2011-07-30T19:45:00.002-06:00

So on Sunday night, just a couple of short hours after returning from camp, I drove the boys out to SABC for their week of camp. I had hardly even handed them their bags, and they were off, making new friends, with no time for goodbyes for mom. :)

Monday morning saw Katie head out with my inlaws, bright and early, for camping in Idaho. So, this left me home, all week, with no kids. Hooray! Monday afternoon I spent floating down the canal with my sister, Linda. I had never done it before, but highly recommend it! Unfortunately the sun didn't come out until after we got back to the Big House, but we'll go again yet this summer.

Tuesday was spent sorting choir music at church, looking forward to the new season. Spent some time scrapping Wednesday morning, and then headed back to the Big House to spend the afternoon with a couple of sisters and nieces and nephews. Since we decided to head to the beach in Medicine Hat on Thursday, I just stayed over. Why drive an extra 40 miles when you don't have to? Besides, it was kind of fun having a sleepover at Grandma's.

Thursday we headed out to Echodale beach in Medicine Hat, and had a great afternoon with Linda, Rachel, Erin, Pam and all their kids. It was so fun to be able to hang out with all of the nieces and nephews. I do love being an auntie!

Friday was spent at home, just taking it easy (after mowing the lawn, of course). Went to pick up the boys last night, and it was so good to see them again. They both had an amazing week, and were glad to be back home. Katie comes home tomorrow, and then will be off again on Monday, for her week at SABC - what a life! I do love summer vacation, and am a little sad that as we come into August, it's officially half over.

Oh well - the first half has been great, we're going to enjoy August just as much.

Sugar and Spice

2011-07-25T22:43:00.011-06:00

This weekend I was able to host the Sugar and Spice Mother/Daughter camp out at SABC. I've been planning for a few months now, and it was great to see it all come together.

The moms and daughters were all greeted with a smile and a welcome bag.

There was plenty to do this weekend - crafts, time at the beach, a photography workshop, sessions with a speaker, campfire time.

The weekend went really well, and the weather was beautiful! I had a great time not only hosting, but especially spending some time with Katie.

CHA Fun

2011-07-22T14:22:00.003-06:00

So, it's CHA this week, aka the Craft and Hobby Association main tradeshow, where all the scrapping companies bring out their new lines. To celebrate, 2Peas is running 10 different challenges, and since I really want to win something, I've been working hard. This is what I've gotten done...

Today's Creation

2011-07-20T20:26:00.003-06:00

Had a bit of time for scrapping today - did a digi LO with this pic from the weekend. This pic is one of my favorites - love this one of me and my kids!

Big thanks to Chrissy W for the free template, and to Amy Teets from the free kit.

Katie's Photo Shoot

2011-07-19T16:05:00.002-06:00

So, my sister Rachel has become quite an amazing photographer over the past couple of years. Last week, she did a photo shoot with Katie, as a birthday present to her. Turning 13 is a big deal, and having her own photo shoot was definitely a grown-up way to celebrate. She's posted some of the pics on her blog, Rachel Joyce Photography, and they're amazing.

2011-07-16T21:12:00.005-06:00

This was 10 years ago. Nathan Mark Moedt entered the world 8 1/2 weeks early, weighing in at only 3 lbs., 8 oz. It was a tough road for our little Nathan - 2 brain hemorrhages, blood transfusions, numerous IV's. But, 2 months later, on day 50, he was released from the hospital and came home with us.
This was the other day. Our Nathan is now 10 years old, and a real joy in our lives. He's just finished grade 4, and did very well. He's a bundle of energy, constantly bouncing around. He loves Lego, especially Star Wars Lego, and can tell you exactly which pieces we own and which we don't. Wii is definitely one of his favorite pastimes, and favorite game is Lego Star Wars. :) The only reminder of his rough beginning has been some continued speech problems, but thanks to a wonderful SLP, even that is getting ironed out.

Happy birthday, Nathan - we love you!

Yeehaw!

2011-07-16T20:26:00.006-06:00

Thanks to free tickets from my mom, we were able to go to the Taber Pro Rodeo this afternoon! The kids had never been, and we had such a great time. The bullriding was everyone's favorite, with the trick riding being a close second. It was sunny, and not too windy - pretty much a perfect afternoon!

Scrap Time...

2011-07-15T16:18:00.002-06:00

I have to admit it, I do love digital scrapbooking! I'm not sure I'd ever switch over completely, but it is nice being able to resize pics with just the click of a mouse.

I'm back.....

2011-07-15T15:20:00.003-06:00

I think if you look up "sporadic blogger" in the dictionary, you'd find my picture beside it. It's just not something that's become part of my daily routine.

Because it's not like I'm not spending time online. Because I am.....
- have to check my email, numerous times a day
- you can find me on Facebook
- as of last week, you can follow me on Twitter
- just this morning I signed up over at Pinterest
- plus, there's always my dear girls over 2Peas

....so, I'll work on the blogging. At least for the summer, anyhow. :)

Scrapbooker's Paradise

2011-05-28T23:11:00.001-06:00

I loved the sketch for this week's challenge - here's what I came up with.

Going digi?????

2011-01-15T16:46:00.002-07:00

That's something I thought I'd never do. As I've said so often, I have so much paper it's probably almost a sin. But still, the draw of digital scrapbooking is still there. So I downloaded the trial version of PSE, and I'm going to mess around with it a bit. We'll see what happens - here's what I came up with today.

Kaitin's Wish

2011-01-14T06:59:00.003-07:00

Working at a smaller high school, you get the opportunity to know all of the kids, some of them better than others. Working on grad committee lets me know a lot of our grade 12's especially well.

The grade 12 student that has been on my mind so often as of late is Kaitlin. Kaitlin transferred to Immanuel last year, and has been a great addition! She found last year, just after her 16th birthday, that she had an inoperable brain tumor. The journey has been long, but she's now been home since before Christmas. The tumors seem to be winning, and the doctors say there's nothing left to be done.

Thankfully we don't believe in the ultimate authority of the doctors. We are still praying for a miracle for this beautiful girl and her family, and if it's God's will, it'll happen.

In the meantime, Kaitlin received a wish from the Make a Wish Foundation, and chose her wish to be a well for a village in Uganda, through Compassion Canada. Well, Kaitlin's Wish is quickly becoming Kaitlin's legacy, as many more people are coming alongside her to sponsor other projects. Last I heard, 3 other wells have already been financed, with many more people donating. Check it out....Kaitlin's Wish

Snow Day!

2011-01-10T16:00:00.004-07:00

So, it's only January 10, and we are enjoying are third snow day of this school year. It started snowing on Friday night, and then it started to blow. A lot. As in gusts up to 70 km/h, which resulted in some big drifts! I've had to dig out our driveway 3 times in the past 3 days, which while being a great workout, has definitely put some strain on my shoulders. The pile that I've shoveled is almost as tall as Katie! Thankfully the neighbor has a bobcat, and was kind enough to clean up the street.

Scrapbooker's Paradise

2011-01-05T22:19:00.006-07:00

So, Scrapbooker's Paradise has truly been one of my favorite stores over the past few years. Since they opened, I've spent more than my fair share of dollars there. To be honest, I try to stay out of there, just for the benefit of my wallet. Having spent a lot of time on the boards over at 2Peas, I realize how fortunate I am to have an LSS right here, because so many have closed.

So, when they opened up a DT call, I thought, why not? Let's give it a try. So, part of the call is asking for my 3 favorite projects, and why they're my favorite. Here they are!

This LO is currently my absolute favorite. I just made it a couple of weeks ago, and am most excited about the fact that it signifies my transition from scrapping 3 complete albums for each of my kids to beginning a family album. I love how the grid turned out, and how the white background helps the pics pop off the page.

This is also a new LO of mine, and I love it! I just bought the Cricut cartridge "Quarter Note" and I'm super excited about it. Again - the white background just makes everything pop. I really like how the bright colors turned out too - it's so hard to get good pics at school programs, and I think the paper helps out the pics.

This is an older LO, but I really love it. The colors turned out perfectly, and I really like how the journaling worked out around the pics.

So, those are my top 3. I would love to make this DT - I've never made one before, and it would be pretty exciting!!

Looking Back...

2010-12-31T15:51:00.003-07:00

Wow - 2010 is over. Hard to believe, it's gone by so quickly. A friend of mine spent some time looking back at what she'd created this year, and picked her top 10 LO's of the year, and I thought, what a great idea! So, out of the 150+ pages I made this past year, these are my 10 favorite.

Photo Contest

2010-11-07T22:08:00.003-07:00

So I found a link to this contest on a facebook - check it out! What mom wouldn't want to win this?

Scrappy Time!

2010-11-06T23:23:00.004-06:00

It's been so great having some time to scrap lately. I signed up for Got Sketch 106, and I love it! Valerie Salmon has amazing sketches.

Another great spot for sketches is Amy Alvis' blog - 4 x 6 Photo Sketches. Here's a couple of LO's I've made using Amy's sketches:

Got Sketch 106!

2010-11-01T21:56:00.002-06:00

Hooray for another Got Sketch class! I love to scrap, but so often I really do need a sketch to get me going, and Valerie Salmon's are definitely one of my first stops. Looking forward to this month of inspiration and ideas!

Scrappy News

2010-10-30T21:35:00.003-06:00

Wow, life gets busy, and before you know it, it's been a month and a half since your last post! Yikes.

Life is just trucking along - work, family, church, all the usual things. Got to spend an amazing week in Fairmont with all of my extended family - love it!

In the middle of everything, I'm still finding a bit of time to scrap, and am excited for my scrappy friend Pat. She's just started her own challenge site, The Moments. If you've got a minute, stop by and check it out!

Blessings

2010-09-12T21:14:00.002-06:00

Today I was able to go up to Calgary to witness the dedication of my nephew Jaxon, Darrel & Rachel's third child, and it got me to thinking.

I am truly blessed in so many ways. As I held little Jaxon during the service, dressed in the baptismal gown that my grandmother made, I remembered holding Rachel, wearing that same dress, the day that she got baptized. What a blessing to have these memories! What a blessing to have grown up in a home where Christ was the head of the household.

After church we went over to Darrel and Rachel's for lunch, which Rachel did an amazing job at. Looking around at all the food, I realized again how blessed we are to live here, in this land of wealth and plenty. When there's so many people starving every day, and I was complaining about a piece of melba toast. I'm so blessed, and I don't remember it.

I didn't have to drive to Calgary on my own with two kids today - I was able to catch a ride with my parents. My parents, who are always willing to do what it takes to help out their kids, no matter how many times we dig ourselves into the same hole. I'm so blessed to have parents that love me so much.

These are just a few of the blessings that I could list....I need to remember them more often. I need to spend more time thanking and less time complaining.

Check this out!!

2010-09-08T22:36:00.002-06:00

My younger sister is an amazing photographer, and she's decided to take it to the next step! She's got 3 little kids, and I'm hoping this will make them a few extra dollars. Be sure to take a minute to check out Rachel Joyce Photography.

One week down....

2010-09-05T20:55:00.002-06:00

....and many to go. The first week of school is over, and all in all, it went really well. This is the response:

Katie - Junior High is okay, I wasn't scared at all. Well, maybe a little.
John - I love Grade 5! It's the best time I've ever had in school! And I love playing my trombone!
Nathan - Grade 4 is great. The best part is music, and there is no worst part.
Mom - so far, so good....

They're Back!

2010-08-20T09:40:00.001-06:00

After 4 days of peace and quiet, my kids are back from camp. And really, I'm pretty glad to see them. They all had a wonderful week at Southern Alberta Bible Camp! They were dirty and smelly, but talked over each other all the way home, so excited to tell us everything.

I'm so thankful for SABC and the blessing they are to so many kids every year. We pray for all of the camp staff as they have a much deserved break!

Thankful

2010-08-12T22:36:00.004-06:00

I really have so much to be thankful for - so many things that I can't possibly list them all here. A beautiful house on a great street, with friendly neighbors. 3 kids who are growing up in front of my very eyes. Parents who are and always have been my biggest supporters. 6, yes count them, 6 amazing siblings who I love dearly, as well as all the "extras" they've brought into the family. Amazing little nieces and nephews - I love being an auntie! Good friends - no, not only good friends, but godly friends, who help me remember to not always take life so seriously. A church home who preaches the Word of God first and foremost, above all else, and that shows the love of Christ to all. A job that I love, in a school that I'm passionate about. Students that I've been able to walk alongside, and who have shared their lives with me.

So much to be thankful for. But tonight, as I sit here feeling rather melancholy and reflective, one of the things that I'm so thankful for is scrapbooking. I realize, that probably sounds really lame, but that's how I'm feeling right now. Even though most of me would really like to just crawl into bed and cry, I realize that I need to keep going. So, I'm down here at my desk, "playing with glue and scissors", and I love it. I love the pics of my kids that bring amazing memories with them. I love playing with the different papers and elements, bringing it all together. I love that when everything seems to be going downhill, I can come down to my desk, remember good times, and let it all go as I create.

Oh my.....

2010-08-05T15:50:00.003-06:00

Well, once again my blog has been abandoned. It's not that there's not stuff to write about, I just forget. So, we'll try again - there's a month of summer left, so hopefully I can get into a bit of a routine again so that once school starts I can keep up.

Spring?

2010-03-07T16:23:00.002-07:00

The sun is shining, the weather is warmer, Jonathan mowed the lawn yesterday, and look what I found in the flowerbed!

SCRC210 - Home

2010-03-07T16:19:00.001-07:00

Once again, I'm a week late, but here's my LO for the Scripture Challenge:

Scripture Challenge #3 - Abide

2010-02-20T17:03:00.002-07:00

Well, unfortunately this is at least a week late, but I did get it finished....

February Challenge Master

2010-02-19T20:24:00.003-07:00

Stacy's challenge over at Challenge Masters for February was to post a pic of where you blog. So, this is it! My little corner of our house....

Powerful....

2010-02-08T22:13:00.002-07:00

Scripture Challenge 2010

2010-01-23T14:57:00.002-07:00

The word that Patter gave us this week for the Scripture Challenge was "temptation". Right away this word has a negative connotation with it, and I was struggling about what I was going to do with it, until I remembered one of my favorite verses. Everything that we're tempted with? Jesus was tempted by the same things - and did not give in. So He understands it all! All of it! And like it says, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence - those words are such a comfort to me.

Olympic Excitement!

2010-01-17T21:05:00.003-07:00

Today was the big day that the Olympic Torch came through Coaldale. While it didn't make a stop, it was still pretty exciting to go out and cheer it on. Today is Day 80 of the Torch Run, and only 25 days until the Olympics begin. I told the kids how exciting this was, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, until I remembered that actually, I've seen this before, when the torch came through for the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary....oh well. Guess I am old.

Here's a few pics from this afternoon...

TGIF!

2010-01-15T06:46:00.002-07:00

Wow, what a week it's been! First full week back to school since Christmas break, and it's been a long week. Being that it's almost the end of the semester and time for report cards, things are really busy at school, and everyone's feeling the stress.

But, one more day, and then it's the weekend! Nothing going on tonight, nothing tomorrow (other than the usual Saturday stuff), so hopefully lots of scrappy time for me! Sunday will be busy, with singing in both services in the morning, doing projection in the evening, and the Olympic torch is stopping here on Sunday afternoon. I'm really excited to see it. I told the kids it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing, until I remembered the last time it came through here in '88....guess I am getting old.

One week.....

2010-01-10T09:53:00.003-07:00

It's been a week since I decided I'd better get back on the weight-loss wagon, and it hasn't gone too bad. I've managed to get and work out 6 times in the last 8 days, ate a lot of salad, and have lost about 4 pounds.

It's frustrating, since this is weight I've already lost once, but we'll do it again. I'm hoping it falls back into habit very quickly...

First Day Back....

2010-01-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day back at school after Christmas vacation, and while it went well, it seems like the break was so long ago!

My goal is to keep up my blog. In the past, as soon as I go back to work, the blog gets neglected, but maybe this time will be different...

Scripture Challenge 2010

2010-01-05T16:48:00.002-07:00

While I generally only scrap my kids, I have done a couple of different projects through the years, like the album of our trip to California, or the album I made for my parents, chronicling the building of their house.

But this year I'm going to work on a bit of a different album. Patter Cross, over at Triple the Scraps, is running a Scripture Challenge again this year. The idea is to study a different word every two weeks, finding Scripture verses that relate to that word, and are meaningful to you.

The first word is "hope", and here's the page I made for that, as well as a title page I made for the album.

Sledding

2010-01-04T16:08:00.001-07:00

So, since all the public and separate schools went back to school today, we decided that it would be the perfect day to go sledding at the Sugar Bowl - and it was. We were the only ones there, and had a great time. It was only about -10, and the kids had a great time.

2010-01-02T15:28:00.003-07:00

I spend most my life
Holdin' on with all my might
I pull the reins too tight
Til I kill the thing I got

You'd think by now
I'd have this figured out with everything
We've been through together
Oh, this love can't really fly
Until I get the courage up to cut the string

I'm learnin' how to let it go
I'm learning now that I was just a fool to ever think I had control
You took me heart and soul
Now I'm learnin' how to let it,
I'm learnin' how to let it go...

I've been wastin' time
So I hope somehow you'll find
A way to walk the line
Oh, you've had so much patience with me
You're the only one I want, you're all I need
So here I am down on my knees
Go on and take me
Everything I have and all I am I give to you

I'm learnin' how to let it go
I'm learnin now that I was just a fool to think I ever had control
You took me heart and soul
Now I'm learnin' how to let it
I'm learnin' how to let it go...

This die-hard heart of mine always forgets
You never have it all unless you let it go

Let it go

You took me heart and soul
Now I'm learnin' how to let it
Got to let it go to get it
I'm learnin' how to let it
I'm learnin' how to let it go...

One of the questions over at 2Peas these last few days has been "What's your word for 2010?" I got to thinking about this, and the word I came up with was DETERMINED. Determined to lose weight, determined to keep up with things, determined to read my Bible more. It seemed like a great one to me.

As I was cleaning house this morning, I was listening to my Ipod, and this song by Paul Brandt was playing, and as I listened to the words, I realized that my word shouldn't be determined. That gave me way too much credit, too much control.

So my word for 2010 is SURRENDER. I'm going to strive to give it all to God - He's in control, He knows what's best for me, I just need to get out of His way and let Him work.

2010 is starting with a little "Toot!"

2010-01-01T15:08:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year to all! I'm hoping that 2010 is a blessed year for all. We brought in the new year with some dear friends, and had a great time playing games, eating, and just hanging out.

Also, January 1t brought about the January Page Maps, which is the source of my little "Toot". I was privileged to provide an example LO for one of Becky's great sketches. This is the LO I did for it:

Lovin` Challenge Masters!

2009-12-30T23:03:00.004-07:00

So I got two more LO`s finished for the challenges over at Challenge Masters.

Design Studio

2009-12-29T00:38:00.003-07:00

Woohoo! I got Cricut Design Studio for Christmas, and it's great! Now I can weld my titles together, which I'm pretty excited about. I played with it a bit today, and made this LO for the Blade Masters Challenge over at Challenge Masters.

Lazy?

2009-12-24T10:52:00.002-07:00

Yesterday my facebook status was "Monica Wind Moedt has realized that as much as I love having a break from school, I think that if I didn't have to work, I could become very, very lazy."

It's so true! Yesterday I read 2 books (not one, but 2), finished a double page LO, and just generally hung out. Granted, the basics did get done - got the house vacuumed, the laundry done, shoveled the driveway, but still - I was so sleepy at the end of the day! From doing nothing - and I loved it.

Today is more of the same. The kids are playing Wii in their pajamas, yesterday's laundry still isn't folded, and I'm in the middle of another LO. It's going to be a good day, especially since we get to go to the Christmas Eve service this afternoon. Tomorrow will be busier though - Christmas service at 11, and then spending the day at my parents' place. Woohoo!

Here's the LO I did yesterday - as you can see, I'm a little behind, as these are the Christmas pics of Katie from last year....

Christmas

2009-12-23T16:45:00.002-07:00

Well, it's now been 3 months since the last time I posted. Obviously work is taking up too much of my time! But now it's Christmas break, and everything gets to slow down for a couple of weeks. Love it!

Super RAK

2009-09-20T15:37:00.001-06:00

Check out this amazing RAK over at Scraptales!

Cricut Contest

2009-09-14T23:30:00.002-06:00

I finished this LO today, and got to use my new Graphically Speaking cartridge - love that cartridge!!! Plus, it qualifies for the the Cricut contest over at 2Peas.

Be sure to check out the latest Cricut Promotion, The Great Gypsy Escape! Purchase one of 4 new Cricut catridges for a chance to win a new Gyspy (handheld design studio for Cricut), $2,000 travel vouchers and even a $30,000 trip to one of 5 fabulous locations!

My King....

2009-08-30T22:39:00.001-06:00

I lost a friend today - and while we mourn here on earth, she's in the presence of the King.

Thought for the Day

2009-08-26T22:55:00.001-06:00

Stand and consider:

The Hubble Space Telescope sends back infrared images of faint galaxies that are perhaps twelve billion light-years away (twelve billion times six trillion miles). Astronomers venture a feeble estimate that the number of stars in the universe equals the number of grains of sand on all the beaches of the world. The star Betelgeuse has a diameter of 100 million miles, which is larger than the earth's orbit around the sun.

Why the immensity? Why such vast, unmeasured, unexplored, "unused" space? So that you and I, freshly stunned, could be stirred by this resolve: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13, NKJV).

The Christ of the galaxies is the Christ of your Mondays.

- Max Lucado, Next Door Savior

New LO

2009-08-24T20:13:00.002-06:00

This is what I got finished this afternoon! It's based on a Becky Fleck sketch, and the little circle is from the Marks Paper Company.

Christmas Scrapping

2009-08-23T21:01:00.004-06:00

That's right - it's August and I'm working on Christmas pages! I finished up Nathan's - take a look:
This one is inspired by last week's sketch from 52 Sketches:

This one is based on sketch 7 from Scrapsketch:

This one is based on a sketch from Valerie Salmon, one of my favorite sketch artists:

Blog RAK!

2009-08-16T09:57:00.002-06:00

Check this out - Stacey over at Scrappin' Everyday Life is celebrating her first anniversary of her blog, and has an amazing giveaway!

Look what we bought!

2009-08-14T20:32:00.002-06:00

Well, it's official - I'm back to driving a car. We bought our first minivan when I was expecting Nathan, so spring 2001, and as of today, I'm back to a car. We still have our van for a month and a half, until our lease is up, but after that, the kids are going to have to learn how to deal with sitting together in the back of the car.

Only child....

2009-08-11T21:23:00.002-06:00

That's what Nathan is this week! Katie and John are at SABC until Thursday, and he's loving being on his own. Nathan went to camp over the weekend, and then I brought Katie and John on Sunday night.

It's pretty weird, only having one kid at home, but I'm really enjoying the time with just Nathan.

August DT Reveal

2009-08-05T21:34:00.003-06:00

So, I'm very excited to be one of the Guest Designers for Scrappin' Mojo for August, and with that got an amazing kit from BoBunny to work with. This is what I created:

This is so cool!

2009-08-04T13:01:00.000-06:00

Month-Long Party!!

2009-07-24T22:37:00.006-06:00

Over at My Sketch World, they're hosting a scrappy party for the whole month of August - be sure to check it out!

Blog Giveway

2009-07-24T22:21:00.000-06:00

So, I just found this blog, Creating from the Heart, and the owner Melissa is celebrating her blogaversary with an amazing giveway! Go check it out....

So Unexpected....

2009-07-23T13:03:00.002-06:00

This morning I was reminded again how fragile life really is - got a call telling me that my cousin's husband was killed in a car accident last night, leaving behind his wife and 3 children. Such a shock. I can't even imagine what his poor family is going through.

It has made me reflect again on how we always need to be ready to meet our Lord - we do not know the day or the time, that's up to Him. Until then, we need to wait and work and pray.

Toot, toot!

2009-07-22T22:54:00.002-06:00

Woohoo!!!! I was chosen to be one of 3 guest designers for August over at Scrappin' Mojo! As you can tell, I'm a little excited. Jan & Terri over at Scrappin' Mojo are so great, and the whole community is very welcoming. I'm really excited to create some great stuff, and hopefully inspire some mojo!!

New Pool!

2009-07-21T11:28:00.005-06:00

Finally - collecting all those Zellers points has paid off. We found a swimming pool 40% off, and realized we had enough points to get it! So, we set it up the other day, and the kids have already had a great time in it. I think it is definitely a wise investment, especially since the forecast is for 25-30 degrees all week!

Happy birthday, Nathan!

2009-07-17T11:27:00.002-06:00

My baby is now 8 years old. Wow. Where did 8 years go? I'm sure it was just yesterday that we were rushing into the hospital, not really comprehending what was going on. Finding out that I was 10 cm dilated and this baby was coming, ready or not. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite ready - only 30 1/2 weeks. Really not understanding the seriousness of the situation. Watching him struggle, not knowing if he was going to make it or not. Celebrating all the milestone and crying over the setbacks. Finally - after 50 days in the NICU, bringing our little miracle home to begin the long road of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists....and here we are now.

8 years old and going into grade 3. He's my cheerleader - the first one to say "you did such a great job, Mommy! It was wonderful." He's still my baby - "Let's see if you can still carry me when I'm 8, Mommy."

Happy birthday, Nathan Mark - Mommy loves you so much!

Home Again....

2009-07-14T22:34:00.003-06:00

We got home from our Winnipeg vacation a couple of hours ago, and I'm glad to be back. We had an amazing trip! Left early Thursday morning and drove straight through, pulling into Jonathan's aunt and uncle's place at around 5:30 Manitoba time. The kids did great, watching a couple of movies and listening to lots of Odyssey CD's. I had wedding rehearsal that night for Colin and Ellinor, which went really well.

Friday morning we just hung out and got ready for the wedding, which was at 1:00. It was a beautiful wedding - Ellie looked gorgeous! Can't believe this is the same little girl who was my flower girl only a few years ago. The reception that night was fun - it was good to sit with all the Shpak kids and catch up with them.

Saturday was the highlight for our kids - Tinkertown! First we had coffee at Oma & Opa Van Beek's house, which is a must when we go to Winnipeg. Jonathan's grandparents are both 82 now, and not in the best health, but they love it when we come there with the kids. After lunch we headed for Tinkertown, which is an amusement park designed for younger kids. While Katie and John were both concerned that they would be too big for the rides, they had a great time running off on their own, going on the rides they wanted. That night was supper with all the relatives that were around at the Royal Fork, a local buffet. Big thanks to my inlaws for that - it was yummy!

Sunday was church in the morning, a quiet afternoon, church again at 3 and then a BBQ at Uncle Ed & Aunt Tina's. It was fun to visit some more. The kids had a great time getting to know their little cousin Keith. I took some great pics of the kids together.

Monday morning we left Winnipeg around 10:00, stopping first at the chocolate shop for Jonathan to do his shopping. We had told the kids to let us know things they wanted to stop at and we would see what we could do. The only stop that day was in Wolsley, where we had ice cream and walked across a swinging bridge.

We spent the night in Regina at the Days Inn. After family dinner at East Side Mario's, the kids had a lot of fun swimming. This morning we woke up, swam some more and then checked out at 11.

I had wanted to stop by the Legislature buildings in Regina just to take some pictures, but when we got there we found out we could go for a free tour! It was really cool to be able to look all over - what an amazing building!

We had hoped to stop in Moose Jaw and look around, but unfortunately it was just raining and raining. We did stop in Medicine Hat at the World's Largest Teepee for a few minutes, but that was about it for this afternoon.

Right now I'm downloading 890 pictures from my camera, so I'll post some when I've gone through them. Right now I'm going to wait for the washing machine to finish and then go to bed.

Saturday Afternoon in the Sun

2009-07-05T18:51:00.004-06:00

The weather was gorgeous yesterday afternoon, and we enjoyed it out at Stafford Lake. Surprisingly enough, it was not very busy there, and we had pretty much the whole beach to ourselves!

Mixin' it Up

2009-07-01T22:17:00.005-06:00

This month on the CG thread, Tammy posted a link to Mix it Up!!, and it is such a cool blog! They issue different challenges based on a certain "recipe". The latest challenge is to use at least 4 different manufacturers, 4 different pictures, handwritten journaling and flowers. Here's my LO for this challenge:
Manuafacturers:CS - Bazzill, PP - Sandylion, Letters - Thickers, Tag - 7Gypsies, Buttons - CTMH; Flowers: it's little, but one of the buttons is in the shape of a flower:)

I'm behind....

2009-07-01T19:11:00.003-06:00

I've been scrapping for about 10 years now, and while I'm not usually right "caught up", I've never been this far behind. Katie's album is currently finished up until July 2008, John's to the end of August '08, and Nathan's to the first day of school last fall. Yikes! Good thing it's summer and now I have some time to play....here's what I created over the last couple of days:

Beach Time!

2009-06-27T23:32:00.002-06:00

We got to spend the afternoon at the beach today, and it was wonderful! It was great to spend time in the sun with my entire family before Karen leaves for Mexico again. It's always sad to see her go back, but we sure enjoyed the time we had with her.

Summer's here....

2009-06-26T19:55:00.006-06:00

...and with that is my renewed pledge to blog more often! It just seems that life gets so busy, and I can only keep up with so many things, but now that school is out, I definitely have more time at home!

It was a good school year - grad is on Monday, and while I'm sad to see our grade 12's go, I pray God blesses them all richly.

There's also been big happenings in my family - my youngest brother got married last week! It's crazy, he seems way too little, but I guess he's all growed up. It was a great wedding, and we had so much fun. The best part was everyone being home - especially all my sisters! We took the opportunity to have family pictures taken - take a look!

My own little family of 5 - not so little anymore!
This is the entire group - we've grown to 20....
...from the original 9
Seriously, how many people get to have 4 sisters? I'm so blessed.

Way to go, Katie!

2009-04-17T18:04:00.003-06:00

Last night we went to the awards ceremony for the Remembrance Day essays and posters at the Legion in Lethbridge. There were 24 students there, and 17 of them were from our school! It was really great to see how well our kids did.

Katie got a 3rd place award for her essay, and we're so proud of her. She's growing up so fast - I'm pretty sure we were just working on her letters last week. As I look at these pics, I see a young lady, not the little girl I once knew.

Springtime?

2009-04-14T17:56:00.005-06:00

A picnic at Henderson Lake sounded like a great idea in my head - unfortunately, I forgot that this is Southern Alberta, and that snow in April is not unheard of. Well, it didn't snow a lot, but it was definitey cold.

But, we still had some fun, and took some great pics! Too bad it was so cold - I'll definitely go back with the kids sometime when it's nicer and take some more.

Science Fair

2009-04-05T14:54:00.003-06:00

As much as I'm quite sure that I'm not near old enough to have a child doing science fair, apparently I am. Katie did her project on "A Bean's Favorite Meal". We had all sorts of beans growing in the laundry room, and we polluted them with different stuff like oil, paint, coke, and other chemicals. She did a great job with the project, doing the lion's share of the work herself, which, of course, is the idea.

She got a rating of Superior at our school's science fair, and got to go on to the Regional Science Fair yesterday. She had a great time at the Science Fair, participating in the Science Olympics with other kids from her school. While she didn't win anything there, we're so proud of her. She did her best, and that's all that matters!

The Shack

2009-03-31T20:57:00.005-06:00

So, I've read a lot of books in my lifetime. By that I really do mean a lot. I own a lot of books. But "The Shack" is one that has really made me sit back and think, wow. I had heard a lot about it, and was thinking of picking it up, and then my dad really strongly recommended it and lent me his copy.

It really is amazing. While it is definitely a little out of the box, and possibly a little out of my comfort zone, it reminded me that God doesn't want me to stay in my comfort zone. He pushes me out of it so that He can lead me where He wants me.

I really think everyone should read "The Shack" - it will change your life.

Home Again

2009-03-29T20:37:00.002-06:00

Got home from the Grade 12 grad trip yesterday morning at 5:30 am, and although I'm a little lacking on sleep, it was so amazing! We had a great time - bowling, dinner theatre, laser tag, nice hotel room in Calary, shopping at West Ed, dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, 3D movie at the IMAX - definitely a jam-packed two days.

I had a lot of fun hanging out with the kids - they're a great group of kids. Even got my ear pierced - who doesn't need another hole in their ear? I'm so thankful I got to go - after all, if 40 high school kids want to hang out with me, who am I to say no?

Little Aiden

2009-03-22T22:11:00.005-06:00

Well, as much as I would love to say I've been to see my newest nephew, and got to hold him, and have pictures of me and him, and everything else, I can't.

But, thanks to the joy of facebook, I have seen pics of him, and he's beautiful. Just wanted to share one of little Aiden with his big sister, Hannah.

Woohoo!

2009-03-21T11:51:00.002-06:00

I'm an auntie again!! The call came this morning that little Aiden Jacob Edward arrived this morning at 6:30 am, healthy and beautiful. I so love being an auntie - it's so fun. This makes 2 nieces and a nephew on my side, and 3 nephews and a niece on Jonathan's side.

I'm just so excited, and can't wait to meet this newest member of the Wind family.

Spring Program!

2009-03-19T23:06:00.002-06:00

I think as long as our school has been in operation, there has been a spring program. I just got home from this year's, and it was wonderful. It really struck me what a blessing it is, watching all these kids, singing out and praising God. I'm so thankful for our school!

The Pink Stamper

2009-03-18T12:37:00.003-06:00

So, I realize there really is a lot of information on the internet, and if I spent the time looking, I could probably learn a lot. But this morning I ran across a blog that I will definitely be checking back on.

The Pink Stamper is so cool! Robin has tons of videos teaching how to use different aspects of the Cricut, which since I got for Christmas have really enjoyed, but I know can do way more than I've figured out.

So, watch out for what I'm going to create next - now that I'm all educated and stuff. :)

Spring is coming!!

2009-03-17T11:57:00.004-06:00

Although there's been a few times this winter that I've doubted it would ever happen, I really think spring is actually going to show up here in Southern Alberta. Look what I found this morning!!!

Really?

2009-03-01T14:48:00.002-07:00

It's already March? How did this happen? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to the winter coming to a close. It's been a cold one, and I'm not going to miss it. The temperature is climbing, the snow is melting - bring on the mud!

Once again, I've fallen off the blogging bandwagon, but am climbing back on, and we'll see how I do this time...

Wintertime....

2009-01-04T13:15:00.005-07:00

Well, the Christmas tree is down, the ornaments are put away, and the boxes have been brought to recycling. School starts again tomorrow, and that is the end of Christmas break. It's been a great two weeks - lots of quiet time spent at home, as well as many hours spent with family. And, I can't forget about the presents, as I was super spoiled this year, with a Cricut Expression and a new camera - a Canon Rebel XS!

While I've enjoyed the time at home, and would love to keep on like this, reality is settling in, and it'll be back to work tomorrow. But, I'm thankful for my job and the ability to work. God is good!!

Just a few pics I took this afternoon with my new camera....

Christmas 2008

2008-12-20T16:12:00.001-07:00

Well, once again I've fallen out of the habit of blogging - amazing how work seems to do that to me! It's now Christmas vacation, so I'll have some more time.

We opened presents with the kids last night, and they had a great time. All the gifts were a huge hit, and now they have the next 2 weeks to play with them.

I tried to get a pic of the kids in front of the tree using the candle setting on my camera, but it didn't turn out all that great.

I've been tagged - twice!

2008-10-18T14:07:00.004-06:00

The first tag was from my good friend Lori.

RULES:
Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

ONE....I'm 6'1, the oldest of 7 children, and almost the shortest.

TWO....I play the piano, although don't teach it anymore! :)

THREE....I enjoy the colors of fall, but am not looking forward to the cold of winter.

FOUR....I am officially addicted to Facebook.

FIVE....I work in a high school as an education assistant in grades 7-9.

SIX.....I love to scrapbook, but just don't have the time.

SEVEN....I am turning 32 in a couple of months, and am quite okay with it - I'm loving this stage of my life!

Okay, so I don't have seven people to tag this with, but I did complete it.

On to the next tag from Nikki...

And here are the rules:

1. If you've been tagged, you can put the logo on your blog.

2. Link the person from whom you received the award.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links to those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.

And I'm going to tag Theresa, Lori, Kim, Pat, Dedra, Tonya, and Diana.

Guest Designer!!!

2008-09-29T22:13:00.001-06:00

So, big news - I'm the guest designer for the month of November for Embellished Memories!!! Hooray! I picked up the kit today, and there's some beautiful stuff in it - now to just find the time....

Happy birthday, Katie!

2008-09-21T20:39:00.002-06:00

Wow, my little girl is 10. Where did 10 years go??? We had a great birthday weekend - a sleepover with friends, Oma & Opa came for supper, Grandma & Grandpa came for lunch, lots of presents...what more could a little girl want?

Get to Know Your Friends 2008

2008-09-16T19:52:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the 2008 edition of getting to know your Friends. Copy and past this in a new blog post, then change all the answers so they apply to you! Leave a comment for me if you do this!

The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends that you might not have known!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:50
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? What Happens in Vegas
4. What is your favorite TV show? Hmmm, I don't know that I really have a favorite. I really enjoy House, Bones, as well as a few reality shows.
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Raisin Bran or Quaker Harvest Crunch
6. What is your middle name?Anne
7. What food do you dislike? porridge, ichiban
8. What is your favorite CD at moment?I usually listen to the radio, but if I had to pick one it would probably be Brad Paisley's "5th Gear"
9. What kind of car do you drive? Dodge Caravan
10. Favorite sandwich? Mmmmm, chicken salad from Tim Horton's
11. What characteristic do you despise? Stupidity
12. Favorite item of clothing? My new black dress
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Australia
14. Favorite brand of clothing? I'm not really stuck on a brand, but I like Ricki's
15. Where would you retire to? Somewhere warm...
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? 2006 - my sister and dh threw me a surprise party for when I turned 30.
17. Favorite sport to watch? Basketball
18. Farthermost place you are sending this? Well, it's on my blog, so worldwide, I guess
19. Person you expect to send it back first? I don’t know…
20. When is your birthday? December 13, 1976
21. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night owl…
22. What is your shoe size? 10
23. Pets? One - beta fish
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? Do you mean, am I pregnant? No, I'm not.
25. What did you want to be when you were little? A mommy.
26. How are you today? Extremely tired, not too sure why
27. What is your favorite candy? Jelly beans
28. What is your favorite flower? Roses ( I know it's common, but it's true.)
29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? October 21-25 - Teacher's Convention!
30. What are you listening to right now? the kids screaming at each other while they're supposed to be sleeping.
32. What was the last thing you ate? Caesar salad for supper
33. Do you wish on stars? Why, when you can just ask the Creator of the stars?
34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? brown
35. How is the weather right now? cooling off, since it's after 8. It was 25 degrees today though!
36. The first person you spoke to on the phone today? DH
37. Favorite soft drink? Coke Zero
38. Favorite restaurant? East Side Mario's
39. Real hair color? Brunette
40. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies
41. Summer or winter? Summer
42. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
43. Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla
44. Coffee or tea? Coffee!
45. Do you want your friends to email you back? If they have time!
46. When was the last time you cried? Don't really remember....
47. What is under your bed? Dustbunnies and dh's extra pillow
48. What did you do last night? Fixed DS's pillow, scrapped, pea'ed
49. What are you afraid of? MICE
50. Salty or sweet? both
51. How many keys on your key ring? 5
52. How many years at your current job? 1
53. Favorite day of the week? Sunday
54. How many towns have you lived in? 2
55. Do you make friends easily? Yes.

Family Pics

2008-09-14T21:28:00.001-06:00

Seriously, it's a wonder that my family goes anywhere with me anymore! We were at my mom and dad's today, and I found the perfect spot to take some family pics! It took two different tries, but I got one that's not too bad...

Scrap Time!

2008-09-06T23:07:00.003-06:00

Well, the first week of school is over, and as much as it was a good week, I definitely do miss all my scrappy time that I have during the summer. But, I've got something to keep me going now - I signed up for the Got Sketch 102 class, and I'm loving it!!!! The sketches are great, and the tips are amazing. Here are the 2 LO's I've done so far for the class:

This is one I finished tonight - I really love this pic of Nathan!

First Day of School

2008-09-02T21:02:00.003-06:00

Well, it's over - the first day of school has come and gone, and we all had a good day. The kids had a great time seeing all their friends again, and finding out about their new classes. It's crazy to me, how old they're getting - grades 5, 3 and 2!!

I had a pretty good day too - it'll take a few days for all of us to figure out where we all belong, but as long as the students learn a little bit of something, we should be good.

Pencil Lines

2008-09-01T22:57:00.002-06:00

I love sketches - they make my scrapbooking so much easier, as well as sometimes pushing me out of the box a little. I made this LO using the #100 sketch on Pencil Lines.

Going Back....

2008-09-01T15:57:00.002-06:00

Well, it's here - the first day of school. The kids are all packed up and ready to go. And Mom? Well, alright. I admit, it'll be good to get back into routine, and I'm looking forward to my new full-time position in junior high, but I'm definitely going to miss sleeping in, hanging out, and all that scrapping time! Oh well....

Madison Sereen

2008-08-28T17:19:00.001-06:00

Today I took the kids out to my brother & sister-in-law's house and got to see my little niece. Madison is 2 months old now, but I hadn't seen her for about a month. It was nice to be able to see how much she's changed.

Playing catch-up....

2008-08-25T15:16:00.007-06:00

Wow, I haven't blogged in a week and a half, and so much happened last week! We ended up being gone every day - take a look....
Tuesday morning the boys and I went to the Whoop-Up Days parade and then for a picnic down at the river bottom with friends.

Friday afternoon we went to the lake with my mom, 3 of my sisters, my cousin Diane and my adorable little niece Hannah. The weather started a little cool, but ended up being a beautiful day!
Saturday morning the kids and I drove a little over an hour to Pincher Creek to the UFA grand opening and a free Paul Brandt concert!! Only in Southern Alberta does a country superstar play a free concert in the parking lot of a farm supply store. We even got to meet Paul and get his autograph!

The week ended with an amazing day in Waterton with family friends. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery, went on a short hike, and just had a good time together.

There's only a week left of summer vacation left - hope it's a little less busy than last week!

Mom & Katie's Great Adventure!

2008-08-16T10:03:00.004-06:00

That's what this week was - or at least the mornings. Since the boys had speech camp in Lethbridge every morning from 9-12, it wasn't really worth driving home, so Katie and I got to spend some time together every morning. We had a great time - starting every morning at Timmy's for coffee, going school shopping, buying new shoes, doing the free make'n'take at Scrapbooker's Paradise, trying on random clothes at the Bay, wandering the mall, and ending the week with getting a manicure.

It was wonderful to spend some one-on-one time with my only girl - she's getting so big so fast, I hope for lots more opportunities like this!

Sheetload of Cards

2008-08-09T10:51:00.009-06:00

One of my favorite blogs of all time has got to be Sheetload of Cards. First of all, the name just makes me giggle. I do enjoy making cards, but have such a hard time putting them together. Well, Sheetload to the rescue! Every month they publish a small ezine, featuring a pattern with exact measurements and instructions to make 6 or 8 card faces at a time. It's perfect!

Here's the card I made using the August sketch - a very versatile sketch that I used for thank you cards.

The Beach!

2008-08-08T20:18:00.005-06:00

Definitely one of the highlights of summer is going to the beach. Laying in the sun, playing in the sand, swimming in the lake - what's not to love?

One of the things I love about living here is the "beach". Okay, so it's not really a beach. It's more of a bit of sand that someone pushed around along the side of an irrigation reservoir, planted some trees, and called it a campground. As you can see, the cows use it as a watering hole....
...the windmills on just the other side...
...but you know what, this is Southern Alberta, and I love it!

Things are looking green!

2008-08-02T14:43:00.002-06:00

After 2 1/2 years of dirt, we finally have grass in our front yard. I'm so excited! The back yard is all level, nice and flat, and looking great. Things are definitely looking up around here. Take a look!

Christmas in July?

2008-07-31T15:43:00.001-06:00

Well, it is at my scrapping desk, anyways. I've got Katie's album caught up to Christmas, and am now working on John's. I used Becky Fleck's sketch for her Vacation Challenge to get these pics finished - the sketch was perfect!!!

Summer Fun....

2008-07-29T21:08:00.006-06:00

So, Katie is away at camp until Thursday, and while her brothers do miss her, they're quite enjoying the time with just them and mom. Yesterday we went to the beach with my sisters and my mom, and had a great day in the sun.

Today, after having coffee with a friend, we took our lunches to a park, and had ourselves a picnic. After that I expected the kids to play on the playground, but no, they wanted a photo shoot. They both had a lot of fun posing for pictures, as well as taking some themselves.

Here's a couple that John took:

and here's Nathan's work:

We had a great day together!!