wow.

I just spent the last hour or so working on chore charts for the kids in excel. I need some help in that program! I got what I wanted but it sure doesn't look like an hours worth of work! lol

the reason for this? to stop the fighting! the kids fight over who gets to put a placemat on the table! Hailee's chore was to set the table and she would NOT let Braden help at all. so now it's his chore and she gets to clear it. there are other chores but that one was the worst and the fights were daily!

we'll see how the charts go over.

so how do you keep track for your kids? and do they get allowance? ours do. we're hoping that doing this will teach them that you need to work for your money - and we make them put part of their allowance in their banks to teach them about saving - something I wish I could teach myself! but who can save with so many scrappy goodies out there???? LOL

Our family day.

Last weekend, the 8th I believe, we took the kids to Fort Gibson Lake for a picnic and family day. We had nice weather, even with the wind, and knew we should take advantage of it while we had the chance. We had our packed lunch and then let the kids play.

this uprooted tree was the highlight of the picnic. The kids played at this site for about an hour and over 40 minutes was spent right here!
Hailee sat in this spot most of the time - I think she was pretending it was her boat since it was over the water. LOL

and Braden stayed toward the middle where the "knot" was - he liked to "drive" it once he was sitting :)


another uprooted tree - we laughed and told her she was climbing the wrong end - she said she just wanted the dry end! no fun I tell ya....

here's the rock he's wanting to skip across the water...


we tried to tell him it was a little big for that :)


let's not forget the fur-kid! he had fun, too!



It was a great day - we were all tired once we got home - but we're looking forward to the next outing!

yippee!!!

My little, I mean YOUNGER (she's WAY taller than I am! lol), sister found out today that she's having a baby GIRL!!!! I'm so excited for her and my brother in law! I can't wait to meet that little pink bundle! Now to get home this summer....


this is their first baby - and I'm glad they're having a girl first. In my experience, having a boy first would pretty much seal the deal on only having one child! lol I'm glad Hailee was first - she was an easier pregnancy, birth, and baby - now don't get me wrong - Braden has a place in my heart all his own - but his pregnancy, birth, and baby days were MUCH more challenging and I'm so happy to be done with all that - though I'm not so happy that he's getting bigger, and more independent, and turning into a boy rather than my little guy! lol

Briana and Parker - congrats to you both - we're all so excited for you and love you tons!

it's the 14th!

Happy ♥ Day everyone!!!



and thanks to my dear friend, ::Nicole::, who showed me how to use the adorable heart!!!

February at UYS!

The challenge at Use Your Stash!!! this month is to use RIBBON!!!! I tried to do something out of my normal "tie a knot" thing and made a looped border with a ton of scraps I had. I did have a vision - my vision was better than this - but I still think it turned out okay...especially since I didn't use ANY patterned paper at all on this layout. whew, it wasn't easy I must say. (Kimmie and I could do a patterned paper challenge every month for a year on the stash blog and I'd still have tons left over!)

so here's my layout - but you have to click the link for UYS!!! and go see what the girls did! wowzers...butterfly tails, cupcakes, accents and more - really so awesome! I'm in awe of our design team!

on the 15th we'll post I'll post our cards - mine is done and though I didn't get creative in the least, the card itself is very cute and I'll be happy to mail it out someday!

yay!

my box from Jo's came today! 9 new embossing folders for me to play with!!!! so I went straight into my room and made a card using the script folder - oh my I love it! so fun to ink and distress!!!!

I wish I would've used a different color ribbon - but I had it glued together before I could fix it.....

Valentine Card/CBI17

time to think about Valentine's Day everyone!!!

for this card I used red bazzill cardstock, embossed the edge with a cuttlebug folder then swiped it with white ink. I stamped the deer (from Elle's Etsy shop) using CTMH pink ink then outlined them with black and used a nestability die to cut the scallop square...kaiser pearls are the eyes! the chip letters are by Heidi and the flower is Prima - the heart brad is either Making Memories or Paper studio - I really can't remember! lol and I tried to make a little bow in the floral center, LOL. thanks for looking - have fun making yours!